A/N: Thanks for the great response! Hope you like the next part.

Part Two - Life

Chapter 8 – Kickstart

"You know if you two keep going around together people will talk." The red-head looked unimpressed as he regarded two of the most influential men in the civilised world. "Not that you don't make a lovely couple."

The president of America ignored his comment. "Wheeler I understand your anger, but it is misdirected, Linka only agreed to our proposition because it was where she saw your relationship going anyway."

"Your leader is correct," His Russian counterpart agreed, "We agreed to let things take their own course."

"You didn't though, did you?" Wheeler pinned him with an accusing gaze, "You had some flunky hassle her until she gave you what you wanted."

The American raised an eyebrow, "If you know that, why are you blaming her?"

Wheeler shook his head, "You put it in her head, she wasn't interested before, she talked herself into it. But she's not stupid, she chose this, I didn't."

He turned back to the engine he'd been working on constructing, testing how well the parts fit together.

"You're hurting her by doing this, you know, she told us back in Italy that she loves you."

Wheeler paused in what he was doing and let his head drop slightly as if he were praying, though it was more like tiredness, "Too bad she never told me then… at least not until it was too late."

Standing up again and turning to face them he added, "I'm sorry I can't help you gentleman, but what's done is done, you're just going to have to live with it. If you're feeling guilty maybe you'll think twice before interfering in someone else's life again."

She hasn't changed.Wheeler thought as he watched her make her first presentation to their team. So calm and organised, completely in control... always knowing better than everyone else around her.

The last thought was an ungenerous one but her composed demeanour made him angry all over again. He'd spent the last three years concentrating on his career and making a name for himself as an engineer. He had an attractive girlfriend, a great apartment, even if the British insisted on calling it a flat… he had everything he could possibly want. So why did it all taste like ashes in his mouth the second Linka waltzed into his office?

He was over her, had been for so long and yet… I don't care, it's just that she's so… untouched by it all. Damn it, it should have had some lasting effect, she should at least be embarrassed! I can't believe she had the nerve to come here in the first place! She had to know who her partner would be… why would she do it?

The ex-planeteer hadn't been able to contest her assignment without revealing that he knew her and suggesting that it shouldn't be a multi-national project would have been even worse, the English took political correctness to extremes.

There were eight of them altogether, each specialising in a different area of environmentally friendly industries, brought together to review current standards and innovate new solutions. None of them were entirely clear on how it was going to work but they had the co-operation of the nations that attended the Earth Summit every year, so imposing new regulations and introducing cleaner standards shouldn't be too much of a problem so long as they could find a way to make them affordable.

"We have a list of the companies that have volunteered to work with us in the United Kingdom," Linka continued, "They have been offered government incentives to pilot our schemes but we are still talking about real businesses, if we ask them to make a change we will have to convince them of the benefits or they will be operating at a risk and we could lose our backing."

"Is stating the obvious a Russian thing?" Wheeler asked coldly, successfully hiding the fire that was burning just below the surface. "Or do you just want to make this meeting last until lunchtime?"

Linka looked in his direction but did not quite meet his eyes, "I could ask you if being rude is an American trait but I know better, so I will assume it is just you."

"I guess you bring out the worst in me." She didn't so much as flinch and it made him even angrier, but he had learnt not to show it. "Can we get on to the Inspection Schedules?"

Without waiting for her to answer Wheeler began handing out sheets of (recycled) paper, taking over the briefing. "We're going to split up into groups of two, one of Linka's team and one of mine in each and we'll rotate around to give everyone a chance to cover their specialism in each place, then we'll report on what we see as the short falls and start working on ways to fix them. Any questions?"

Linka sat quietly and allowed Wheeler to direct things as he wished, only answering questions that were directly put to her. She ignored the strange looks her team gave her, knowing they were surprised at her backing down. They'd worked together for over a year and had never seen her do anything but take the lead, but whilst there she'd buried herself in her work to keep from thinking about her feelings, here that wasn't an option and her heart just wasn't in the fight.

"Please tell me that you are not going to let that American intimidate you." Olga had followed Linka to the ladies room after the meeting. "You could probably report him for what he said you know."

Linka sighed, "I am not remotely intimidated by him, it was simply not worth arguing over. We worked out the schedule together, equally."

In fact she was fairly sure that Wheeler had known that she'd finished her introduction when he 'interrupted' her and that meant that he was doing it just to appear disagreeable. It hadn't been lost on her that his team were as surprised by his unpleasant attitude as hers had been about her apparent submissiveness, but she wasn't in a position to explain that.

"Other than his insults, he was saying only what I wanted him to say," she shrugged, "I do not care if he chooses to make himself disliked, I will ignore it and I ask that you and the others do the same."

Olga was clearly unhappy with the request but she agreed, at least for the time being.

When they returned to their desks, a section of office that had been set up specifically for the joint team, Wheeler was just about to go out for lunch. On his arm was a pretty dark haired girl with more make-up than sense, dressed a little like a hooker.

"Linka, Olga, let me introduce you to Megan, my girlfriend," he called out in a far more friendly tone than he had yet used.

"Oi!" The girl swiped his chest playfully, "I told you, it's Chelsea now."

She turned to the two Russians and explained, "It's chic init? Like, there's all those celebs who name their kids for where they got up the duff and me Dad sees it on the news and says, 'That makes you Chelsea. 'Course Mum swears it was the Costa Brava but who wants to be named after coffee, however good it is?"

Linka blinked and waited to see if she was joking but it appeared that she wasn't so she forced herself to smile. "It is nice to meet you… Chelsea."

"You've got some accent going on there," Chelsea nee Megan grinned, "You from up north?"

Olga snorted, "Something like that."

Wheeler laughed and pulled her close, not so gently squeezing her backside. "Come on, let's eat."

"Men, they only ever have two things on their mind." His girlfriend confided before she was pulled towards the exit.

Peter shook his head, "I give her a week."

"Are you kidding? I give her another day tops." Amanda chimed in, then adding for the sake of their new team members, "They never last long, he always picks dumb brunettes but they drive him crazy."

"I don't understand it myself," Peter agreed, "Going by the way most of the girls here act round him he could take his pick, you'd think he'd be able to find someone with a few more brain cells."

Olga rolled her eyes, "I suppose they have enough for what he wants them for."

The others agreed.

Linka sat at her desk not joining in the conversation and looking a little pale, though it could have been the light.