You all are very perceptive on the things you're picking up on! I love that I can be subtle and not have to spell everything out and you GET IT! Must be a super smart fandom!

And sportyscully...yes, I am (was) the type of person who pretends to throw a ball to my dog and laughs when they go looking for it, but can't find it. Used to do that to my dog all the time when she was alive! And she was a retriever (and a hunter), so she WOULD NOT come back until she found it...kinda like how you guys won't give up and will forgive me for teasing you! How did she die? I pretended to throw the ball across the street and...no, I'm kidding. She lived a long happy life and died peacefully! Don't need PeTA gettin' on my ass!

It had been a few weeks since Walker first came to Liliya's house. He was healing nicely and could probably leave, except Liliya wouldn't let him. She had taught him a few phrases and words in Russian. They started out learning the basics like the alphabet, numbers, family members, animals, and food.

They were sitting at the table, having another lesson when there was a knock on the door. Following the usual drill, Liliya waited for Walker to go to the bedroom and get into the closet before opening the door. Two men in uniform were waiting for her. She listened to what they had to say, thanked them, and closed the door. When Walker exited the closet, he found her standing in the same spot, facing the now closed door.

"Oh my God. I overheard. I'm so sorry Babe," he says as he touches her shoulder. When she makes no attempt to face him, he gently turns her around and pulls her to him and wraps his arms around her. She doesn't know what to do or what to say. So she doesn't do anything. She just stands there with her face pressed against Walker's chest as he strokes the back of her head. "If there's anything I can do to help…" he whispers into her ear.

She pulls away slightly so that she can look at him. When their eyes meet, Liliya notices the kindness and compassion in Walker's eyes. He really is worried about her. She wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him down closer to her so she can softly press her lips to his. She pulls back a fraction of an inch and looks in his eyes. When he doesn't make a move to move away from her, she closes the short distance once more, this time pressing her lips against his a little more firmly. He responds by cupping her face in his hands and returning her kiss. He reluctantly pulls away and rests his forehead against hers. When she moves to kiss him again, he steps away.

"No, we can't."

"Because of Tracy? You still love her?" she asks.

"No. Oh God, no. She's the last thing on my mind. It's because of you."

"Oh. I see. I am sorry…I thought…there was something…I misunderstood."

"There was…there IS something. God…Liliya…I've wanted to do that for so long. Since the first day we met, you made me forget all about Tracy…but the timing…it's wrong. You just found out your husband died…you're hurting."

"Nyet. I am not, actually. Well, maybe I am…but not for the reasons you think. I am about to lose everything. I will have to sell the farm and move back in with my father and grandmother. I have no skills and no way of supporting myself. I have no money to put myself through the training necessary to get a job, and nobody wants a widow."

"That's not true...any man would be lucky to have you!" he says.

"Thank you."

"Doesn't your army have a plan in place to provide support for the families of fallen soldiers? You should be getting some sort of compensation," he says.

"You did not understand everything that those men said to me."

"Well, no not all of it…but I got the main idea. Mikhail died."

"Mikhail was shot…by himself. It was self-inflicted, not battle related. I am entitled to nothing."

"Oh. Shit. I'm so sorry Babe. I don't know what to say," he says as he closes the distance between them and holds her against him, letting her cry into his shoulder.

"You do not have to say anything. He did not want to come back to me…to THIS!" she says as she waves her hand around.

"Then he's stupid. THIS isn't what's important," he says, mimicking her gesture. "THIS is," he proclaims as he leans down and covers her lips with his. He trails kisses from her lips, across her cheek, and to her ear. "He should have wanted to come home to you. Whether you live in a mansion or a shack, it doesn't matter. YOU matter. You're ALL that matters."

"Not to him."

"You're all that matters to me. You saved my life. You took me in and gave me a place to stay. You've risked yourself to keep me hidden. You taught me so much of a language I never thought I'd ever be able to learn in just a few weeks. You healed my wounds. Then you healed my heart. I owe you so much. Which is why I'll do whatever I can to help you. I'll get a job, I'll start paying you rent to stay here. I'll help you take care of the farm and we'll sell the stuff we grow. We can do this. We can work something out. You haven't lost everything."

"I still have you?"

"Always. I'll be here for you for as long as you'll have me," he says as he takes her face in his hands and looks into her eyes before kissing her.

"Would forever be long enough?" She asks as she pulls away slightly.

"Is there something longer than that?" he says against her lips.

"Just the afterlife, if there really is such a thing?"

"And the life after that? And the one after that? And the one after that?" he asks as he brushes his lips down her neck and across her collarbone.

"I meant 'Heaven.'"

"You mean this isn't 'Heaven?'" he asks, rubbing his hands up and down her back.

"Nyet," she says as she pulls his shirt up over his head and finally gets the opportunity to fully, unashamedly admire his body. She runs her hands down his sides and rest them on his hips before pressing her lips on the center of his chest. "This is," she runs her hands back up across his chest, down his arms, takes hold of his hands in hers, and leads him towards the bedroom.

She leans back on the bed, bringing him with her as they kiss. Walker hadn't intended for it to go this far. He was only trying to comfort her. Then she kissed him. He had developed strong feelings for her during his time with her, but she was married. Now she's a widow. Once he knew that she had feelings for him too, he only wanted to get their feelings out in the open, let her know how he felt and having her return his feelings…kissing her was a bonus. Then when she took off his shirt and began touching him, he knew he was in trouble. He knew his brain was mush and incapable of making a rational decision. He was putty in her hands…literally. And now, he looks down at her as he's poised above her, her lips are swollen, her blouse unbuttoned and falling open, exposing her soft skin to his touch and his lips, her cheeks are red, and her eyes are the most beautiful shade of bluish green that he's ever seen. He knows he's in love and that he's never felt this way about anyone before.

She lightly runs her hands up his arms, getting the full affect of how muscular they truly are while he supports himself as he hovers over her. She moves her hands to the back of his neck and brushes her fingers through his short, army regulation styled hair. It feels good, soothing, and if the circumstances were different, it would probably lull him to sleep. She applies a gentle pressure, indicating that she wants him to come down closer for another kiss.

He complies momentarily before breaking contact.

"We don't have to do this…not tonight," he says.

"Why not tonight? Tonight is as good a night as any," she says as she once again lifts her head to capture his lips.

And he once again gives in, only to stop her.

"Are you sure?"

"Why would I not be? Am I doing something that would give you the impression that I am not sure?"

"No…No…quite the opposite actually…but it's so soon. You just found out that your husband is dead. You need time to process. Don't make any hasty decisions."

"Hasty?"

"Yeah, it means hurried, rushed, quick, impulsive," he explains.

"There is nothing 'hasty' about it. I have been thinking about it for a while…longer than I should have, considering I am…was a married woman," she emphasizes her point by taking off her wedding ring and setting it on the table next to her bed. "Tomorrow, I will sell this. We will need the money. It means nothing to me now that I realize that he never loved me."

"Why would you think that he didn't love you?"

"Because he never looked at me the way that you do. He never touched me so gently or kissed me so tenderly. He never said he would always be there for me. When times got tough, he became distant. He never was very affectionate, but he became even worse. And if he loved me, he would not have given up. You ran away from your army for love."

"But being here, I realized I made a mistake," he says.

"You should not have left?"

"No. I'm glad I left, otherwise, I wouldn't have met you. My mistake was thinking that I loved Tracy. The truth is, what I felt for her doesn't even come close to how I feel about you," he says as he brushes the back of his hand across her cheek and then leans in to kiss her. "I'm just sorry that I'm on the run and can't take you back to the States with me, and I can't really speak enough Russian to get out there and get a job to support us if we stay here."

"It would still not be appropriate for us to be seen together in public. It is too soon after Mikhail's death…but perhaps when my father and brother come home, they can get you a job at the factory they now work at…my brother, he knows English. He can help you. Or we could move to England, or Ireland, or Australia...someplace that speaks English so you can blend in easier."

"But I don't want to take you away from your family. You shouldn't have to compromise for my sake. We'll make it work out here."

"We will figure something out…tomorrow. Tonight…I just want to know what it feels like to be loved," she says.

"I do…love you," he replies, saying it for the first time to anybody and liking the way it feels. He likes the smile that it brings to her face even more.

"And I love you," she replies to him. "I never knew that feeling this way about someone was possible…but now I know. This is what love is SUPPOSED to feel like."

"No, THIS is what love is supposed to feel like," he says as he finally gives in and kisses her more passionately than she's ever been kissed before.

"You wanna take over and tell what happens next?" Wheeler asks suggestively.

"I do not think that is necessary. It seems we are having the same dream. We both know what happened next," she replies as she sits up straight so that she is no longer leaning against his shoulder, suddenly uncomfortable with where the conversation is heading.

"Well yeah, it SEEMS that we are having the same dream, but shouldn't we make sure it's EXACTLY the same?"

"It has been so far. I do not think it is going to change and be different all of a sudden."

"I can keep going if you want…I just thought I'd give you a chance…"

"Bozhe moy…will you EVER grow up?! Just move on to what happens…after."

"Right after?"

She thinks for a moment about "right after" then realizes why he's so eager to talk about "right after." His ego.

"Nyet, you can go further than that. The next day perhaps?"

"No. Right after was sweet. What Walker did…for Liliya."

Linka reconsiders. Maybe it wasn't just about his ego. Maybe he really did think it was sweet.

"Ok, continue from there," she says as she once again leans against his side.

To Be Continued…