A/N: Thanks for the reviews and follows! Hope you enjoy this next installment...

Chapter Two

For the third sleepless night in a row Linka found herself gazing out of the window over the breath taking seascape beyond. The peaceful moonlit scene was doing nothing to soothe her however, and the Wind Planeteer gave a melancholy sigh.

The incident with the Slaughters had really rattled her and despite Wheeler's looking after her that first night, there was a growing disquiet in the back of Linka's mind. Whilst she refused to name it particularly, she was aware of the underlying cause and it was eating away at her.

Finally, needing to do something and dealing with it the same logical way as she did with everything else, the Russian retrieved a pen and note pad and slipped out to sit on the pier where the light of the moon and its reflection on the water was enough to write by.

Once she was settled against the post with her knees drawn up to write on, she put down two words and underlined them.

To Do

A simple enough statement and after all, a list has to have a title. There wasn't going to be anything simple about this particular list though.

It hadn't been so much her life, that had flashed before her eyes in what she had thought of as her final moments, but all the things she wouldn't get to do... well actually that wasn't true, there was only one thing that had occurred to her when Mame pulled the trigger and she'd looked up into Wheeler's eyes, but she wasn't admitting that.

She began to write:

1. Hot Air Balloon ride

2. Meet Andrew Lloyd Webber

3. Dinner on the London Eye

She'd seen that one on some dating program that Gi had been watching and whilst she wasn't sure eating on a giant ferris wheel was a good idea, it looked like fun. Besides the list wasn't supposed to be entirely sensible, it was just things she felt she shouldn't miss out on trying.

4. Get a tattoo

5. Learn to paint

It was here she started to struggle. She still wasn't ready to write the thing that should really have been at the top of the list but as Planeteers they'd travelled so much and done so many things, she really didn't have that many regrets.

Linka sighed. That would have to do. Even though she was alone in relative darkness, she still blushed as she put down the last entry...

6. Have sex

The lively tune Linka was playing on her keyboard changed to a rather plaintive melody as the sound of the Geo-cruiser lifting off reached her ears. She sighed and wished for the hundredth time that she'd had the courage to ask Wheeler to stay with her.

"Hey Babe." A familiar red head stood in the open doorway of her cabin, casually leaning against the wooden frame. "Everything ok?"

The music ceased and Linka's face lit up at the sound of his voice as she eagerly stated the obvious, "You did not go with Kwame and Ma-Ti!"

Wheeler chuckled and gave a shake of his head, a warm feeling starting in his chest at her reaction. "It's not like I haven't been to the Amazon before, and besides, I thought maybe with Gi back home visiting her parents, you might like some company..."

It wasn't a question but it was definitely tinged with hope.

It had been over a week since the Russian girl had written her bucket list and she still hadn't found the courage to broach the subject with her fiery friend, so it was exactly the opportunity she had been looking for. "I would love to spend time with you Yankee, in fact there is something I have been meaning to ask you..."

Clearly pleased but never quite as cocky when there was no one else around to show off to, Wheeler made himself comfortable beside her and gave her an encouraging grin. "Go for it."

Linka found herself grinning back, "Well I have been thinking about what happened the other day, with the Slaughters."

The American's whole posture changed suddenly and without thinking about what he was doing, he took her hands in his larger ones and gave them a firm but gentle squeeze. "You shouldn't be thinking about that, it's over. I thought we…"

"Jason," she returned the pressure on his fingers comfortingly, "I am fine, honestly, I did not mean it like that."

His eyes searched hers for a moment and then lingered, their gazes locked just long enough to make her blush and pull away. "It is just that it made me realise that there is something, a few things, that I have never done... That I want to do... That I do not want to regret not having done."

She risked a glance in his direction, "I made a list."

Wheeler had relaxed again. "I get it Babe, and if it'll make you feel better I'll help in any way I can… was that what you wanted to ask me?"

Linka smiled and nodded, "The first thing on my list is to take a hot air balloon ride. I found some trips that start in one State of America and end in another. You stay overnight and then take a second voyage back the following day, only, I would rather not go on my own…"

"No problem Ruskie Tootskie, it sounds like fun," He waggled his eyebrows, "Especially the overnight stop." Seeing her blush he added, "I'm surprised you wanted me to go though, I'd have thought you'd make it a girl's night out kinda thing and take Gi."

Her blush deepening as she remembered the kiss they'd shared, she said, "Well, you were there for me when I really needed you, and it is sort of part of the same thing. It is you I want to share this with. Besides, there is another item on my list that I thought we could take care of at the same time, and that needs to be you, if you are willing..."

"You know me Babe, I'm up for anything." Wheeler shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal, but he was clearly happy with the current turn of events. "What is it? Can I see the list?"

"Later!" She replied almost too quickly, trying to cover her embarrassment. "If we want to go while the others are not around I should see what is still available immediately."

The American gave her a curious look but agreed without further questions, "Go ahead and book it then, you can let me know what I owe you later."

"You will not owe me anything!" The Wind Planeteer's mind had been very much occupied with the last item on her list and she spoke before realising what he was referring to.

"There's no way I'm letting you pay for me Linka." Wheeler became unusually serious, "We'll go halves, it's not like it's a date, right?"

His beautiful friend considered his words for a moment and then surprised him by asking, "If it were a date would you let me pay?"

"No! Then I'd want to pay for both of us!"

She protested that it was all her idea and that he was only going for her sake but he wouldn't listen. "I want to spend time with you Linka, you know that! I'll admit I don't really care what we do, but this sounds like something we'll both enjoy. Look, if you really want to, I'll let you pay for the trip, but you have to agree up front to go somewhere else with me, somewhere I choose and I pay for. And either way, I'm paying for my own room."

Linka hesitated for a moment, thinking about what he was offering, and demanding, before replying carefully. "You can pay for a room, da. And for a second… outing, together, providing it is something that you have always wanted to do and not something you think will impress me."

Wheeler grinned, "Deal."

To be continued...