A/N: I hope you all had a great New Year!

Thank you all for reading and reviewing, and I'm going to thank Becks again for all the help she gave me answering questions throughout this fic :D

As always, let me know what you think...

Chapter Ten

"Yankee?" Linka croaked, her mouth was dry and she ached everywhere.

"Hey there sunshine." He was laughing, "Coffee's nearly ready. I did try to wake you up earlier but you were dead to the world."

The Russian tried to open her eyes but then covered them with her hand, wincing in pain at both the brightness and the movement. "Did I have an accident? I feel awful."

"It's called a hangover." This time his tone was more affectionate although there was still a touch of humour in there. "Here Babe."

Linka tried again to open her eyes enough to see what he was offering and then slowly pushed herself up, pulling the covers up to cover herself, and accepted the steaming mug. "I do not get hangovers."

Wheeler sat on the bed carefully, "Maybe not from Vodka, but everyone gets a hangover from Tequila shots."

His lover's eyes widened slightly, "I did shots?"

"You don't remember?" Amusement crept back into his voice and it made her wonder how much he was going to make up. "What do you remember?"

Linka closed her eyes and tried to recall the previous evening but it was all blurry and it alarmed her. "Nothing! Bozhe 'moy! Did I humiliate myself?"

"No!" Wheeler sighed, wondering how she would react to the truth. "Linka you were enjoying yourself, you didn't do anything wrong… it was good to see you relax a bit."

She sipped her drink before looking back up at him, seeing him properly for the first time. "What happened to your face?!"

The American's tongue automatically licked his swollen and bruised lip. "Slight disagreement, nothing to worry about."

"I did that?!" She asked in shocked accents and he laughed, shaking his head.

"Not you, just some randy cowboy." Wheeler shrugged. "He liked the way you danced a bit too much."

Linka's eyes unfocused as she tried once more to remember the previous evening, "I think… I think I do remember some of that, there was more than one, da?"

"Yeah but Blake and the guys from the bull ride intervened so it didn't get out of hand. You were safe with me anyway." He told her firmly.

The lovely blond smiled and pleased him by saying, "I know that Yankee. I am sorry though that you got hurt because of me."

Wheeler hated to hear the guilt in her voice and longed to kiss her, but he'd ignored his injury the night before so that it didn't spoil their evening and he was paying for it now. "It's nothing, don't worry about it." He stood up. "I'm gonna run you a bath and then we need to get going before Mom calls Hope Island to find out where we are."

Linka blushed, "Da! I had forgotten." Her hand went up to hold her head. "I think I would prefer a shower though, it might help clear my head."

"Ok but I gotta warn you, I'm covered in bruises from being tossed by that bull and I'm guessing you're going to be in pretty much the same state, you might want to soak while you have the chance." He shrugged.

"Thank you for being so thoughtful Jason, but I will manage." She shifted her arms and shoulders as if testing out how sore they were, and then gave him a sly smile. "It is not just the bull that gave my muscles a good workout last night da?"

Wheeler's eyes twinkled, "No, I think the pole dancing probably had something to do with it too. I have to say I was impressed Babe, if you ever decide to quit the Planeteers I'm pretty sure this place would hire you like a shot."

She snorted and handed him back her mug, "Very funny. I am not that gullible Yankee." Linka ignored his soft laughter (and the way his eyes took in her naked body,) as she forced herself to her feet and made her way to the bathroom.

Half an hour later she re-emerged with a towel wrapped around her and a haunted look in her eyes. The water had had a cleansing effect and certain images were coming back to her. "You were not joking were you?"

Wheeler turned the television off and met her eyes, shaking his head as a wide grin spread over his face.

"It is not funny! Chort voz mi Wheeler, how could you let me do something so… so…" She gave a hopeless shrug, "I do not even have a word for it."

"You enjoyed it, don't try to make it into something it wasn't Linka. For once you felt comfortable enough to let go and you loved it. Plus you were fantastic, there's nothing to be embarrassed about."

"Except getting you beaten up!" Tears threatened at the corner of her eyes.

The American got up off the bed and walked to stand in front of her, taking her in his arms and holding her tightly. "You didn't do that, it was his problem not yours. You found the courage to do exactly what you wanted to do, don't let him take that away from you sweetheart. I'd give a lot more than a split lip to see you that happy again." He hesitated and then risked a little teasing, "…And I'd give just about anything to see you dance like that again."

His words had the desired effect, she laughed and if it didn't completely do away with her guilt it made it a lot easier to live with. "I did not take my clothes off or anything, did I?"

"Not 'til you got up here, no." He grinned and leant in to kiss her but then pulled back sharply as their lips touched. "Ouch… damn I forgot!"

"Poor Yankee." Linka reached up and kissed his cheek, keeping her hand behind his neck to keep him close. "We will not be able to do this at your parents anyway though."

Wheeler hesitated, obviously wanting to say something, and she raised her eyebrows in enquiry. "My Mom thinks you're my girlfriend anyway, would it hurt to just… be ourselves?"

Unable to stop herself from smiling at the picture he presented, the Russian still shook her head, "I do not want them to get the wrong idea about me."

"What, like you might go out with their dead beat son?" He released her and went to check his luggage, "Don't worry, I'm sure they'll…"

"Yankee stop!" She followed him and took his hands, pulling him back around to look at her. "Jason you know that is not what I meant and it is just nonsense! I know you have a few warped priorities but for your information you have to rate quite a bit higher than 'date' on my scale, for me to sleep with you!"

The American looked down into her indignant features, his own ire completely done away with. "Oh, yeah? Care to elaborate?"

"From what I do remember of last night, I elaborated quite a bit." He laughed and took her back in his arms as she continued, "As odd as it may seem to you, I want your parents to like me… I do not want your mother thinking you associate with someone who sleeps around or…"

"She won't think that." He promised, secretly pleased that it mattered to her, but still having a few qualms of his own. "Trust me Babe, if anyone is going to make a bad impression it won't be you."

Mrs Wheeler's face lit up when she opened the door and saw her son and his 'girlfriend' standing there but her expression quickly clouded as she took in his injury. "Honey, what happened?"

"Nothing Ma, just had to teach some creep a lesson, can we come in?" Wheeler played it down and while Linka would have said more she chose to respect his silence.

The older woman stood back to let them enter, visibly pushing aside her concern, and then hugged them both. "I'm so glad you could both make it, and so is Joe. He's just popped downstairs to see Zack but he won't be long."

Wheeler glared at the mention of one of his dad's old drinking buddies but before he could say anything his mother noticed and laid a calming hand on his arm, "It's alright darling, Zack gave up drinking even before your Dad did… he's the only one of his friends that still wants to know him now too."

Feeling the need to change the subject, Linka commented on a particularly lovely painting hanging over the television set. The older woman shot her a grateful smile as she replied but her answer made the Russian regret her interest all the same, "Oh yes, that's one of Trish's, such a lovely young girl really. She comes to visit me now and then."

"How is she?" Jason asked.

"Oh she's doing fine now, she makes a little from her art work and the community centre has taken her on as a full time staff member." His mother smiled and gave Linka an understanding glance, "She's happy, and I understand she has a new boyfriend, someone she met at the centre. He's a manager in some shop or other and volunteers at the weekends… but I'm forgetting my manners. Jason, why don't you take all your things through to your room and show Linka around while I make some us some tea?"

"Got any soda?" Wheeler asked, grimacing at her suggestion, and she laughed. "Yes, I got some in just for you, Linka, which would you like?"

"Tea please." The Russian told her, "That is, if you are making some for yourself, I do not want you to go to any trouble."

"It's no trouble, but yes I am making it anyway." She gave them a warm smile and headed off to the kitchen.

Wheeler led the way to his old bedroom and put their bags inside, "I'll tell Mom later that I'm going to sleep on the couch ok? I'll need to leave my things in here anyway though, there's no room elsewhere."

Linka had entered behind him and was looking around with interest but here she shifted uncomfortably. "There is no need for that, your mother obviously expects us to share so… It would be more awkward to try to explain, da?"

"So you're gonna give up and be my girlfriend?" He teased, pulling her into his arms, "At least until we're back on Hope Island that is…"

The Wind Planeteer was conscious of a pang of disappointment as he qualified his statement but she quickly pushed it aside, "Da, I do not think it will do any harm if your parents do not mind."

"Cool," he grinned, warming her insides. "We'd better join Mom I guess, unless you want to take a closer look at my bed?"

Linka rolled her eyes, "We are still not doing that here." She saw his expression and added, "I mean it Yankee."

Wheeler held his hands up in surrender but he was a long way from giving up.

Just as they arrived at the kitchen, the front door opened and Joe Wheeler entered. He was breathing a little hard after making it up the stairs and to Wheeler's shocked gaze he was looking old and frail, even more so than the last time he'd visited. "Hi Dad."

Despite all their history it was clear to Linka that Wheeler's father cared a lot about him from the look in his eyes when he saw his son, but they greeted each other awkwardly just the same and when Joe spoke it was gruff and still managed to sound like a criticism, "Still getting into trouble I see, I hope the other guy looks worse than you do."

"I won if that's what you mean." Wheeler replied, stiffening, unable to prevent himself from reacting to his father's manner.

"He was defending me." Linka said boldly, stepping forward before things could get any worse, "Protecting me from this man who wanted to… um…" She blushed.

Wheeler's father looked her up and down, "You must get that a lot."

While her boyfriend bristled, it made Linka laugh, "Sometimes da, normally I can deal with them myself but last night I was very glad Jason was with me."

Joe nodded, and surprised them both by saying with evident pride, "He was always coming home bruised and bloody as kid for protecting someone, never lets anyone get away with trampling the underdog, my boy."

"Except you." Wheeler muttered, not able to meet his father's gaze, but not able to keep quiet either, both from lingering guilt and resentment.

Linka expected some sort of outburst but the older man just nodded sadly, "Not any more though, son. Eh?"

He moved to sit on one of the chairs in the lounge, his thoughts turned inward and the Russian was incredibly glad when Jason's mother called them to come and get their drinks. The Fire Planeteer still looked disturbed by what he'd said so she slipped her hand in his and gave it a squeeze. She didn't like how he'd spoken to his father but she understood why he had, things between them couldn't be healed so quickly, she could only hope that they would take the chance to really talk while they were there.

They entered the kitchen together but separated as they sat at the table, accepting their drinks and relaxing a little as Wheeler's mother joined them. She wanted to know all about the Planeteers and Linka was only too happy to tell her about their work, being careful to give due credit to Wheeler. After a while he slipped away to talk to his father and Linka's gaze followed him.

"They both try." Kathy Wheeler said softly, "But it's not easy for either of them. I wonder sometimes if it's too late for them ever to find common ground."

"It is obvious that they care about each other," Linka told her, "Sometimes that is enough, even when it does not seem to be. Jason knows how much I miss my father, and he does want a relationship with his own."

Kathy gave her a grateful look and asked if her tea was ok before saying she needed to start dinner.

"May I help you?" The Russian asked, "I like to cook and I would like to be useful."

Again the older woman smiled, "I'd like that, I haven't had anyone to share the kitchen with since my own mother passed away. Jason said your Grandmother raised you?"

Linka nodded, taking the vegetables Wheeler's mother gave her and began to prepare them as she explained about her family.

They continued talking, sharing stories and laughing together until dinner was ready, then Linka excused herself for a few minutes. When she returned to find all of the others already at the table she placed the wrapped parcel she was carrying down next to Joe. "Happy Birthday from Jason and I."

Wheeler's father sounded a little choked as he thanked her, he clearly had not expected anything, but he dutifully opened the gift as she took her seat next to her boyfriend. Wheeler squeezed her hand below the table, he hadn't known what Linka had done but having seen his father's reaction he was more grateful than he could say for her thoughtfulness and he determined to pay her back whatever she had paid for it.

Dinner went smoothly after that though Linka embarrassed Wheeler several times because she insisted on painting him as a hero to his parents. Joe and Kathy exchanged a few looks, not sure whether the lovely Russian was building him up for their sakes or simply smitten with him, but they liked her the better for it either way.

After dinner Wheeler and his father volunteered to do the washing up but they all ended up in the sitting room, watching a film and laughing together. Linka sat on the sofa, leaning against her boyfriend with his arm wrapped comfortably around her, feeling very much a part of the family.

To be continued...