A/N: Thanks again for reading and reviewing, only a couple more chapters to go after this, I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter Twenty Four

It was finished. Linka stood back and double checked her first real painting for flaws, and not finding any – though she felt none of the satisfaction she might be expected to feel - packed up her things and took them back to a cabin that had seemed far too empty over the last week. The day was still very young, and she decided to go jogging to keep herself busy until the others got up.

Wheeler hadn't joined them for breakfast at the festival and she could only guess the reasons for it, he'd been waiting at the geo-cruiser however and she hadn't been able to meet his eyes.

Wanting to get away from all of them she'd immediately departed for her cabin on their arrival, only to be confronted with reminders of Wheeler everywhere she looked, from his toothbrush in her bathroom to discarded underwear under the bed and the 'toys' he'd bought for them to share. Linka had packed everything up immediately and later, placed them inside the door of his room when he wasn't around.

He hadn't done the same for her things and she didn't have the courage to go and retrieve them, however he or perhaps one of the others had brought her artist supplies to her room at some point, including the canvases he'd given her. Her original painting and the sketch he'd done of her were missing though and again, she couldn't bring herself to ask for them.

Having stayed in her cabin for most of the day working on the Planeteers' website, she'd found excuses not to join them all for dinner too… unconsciously avoiding all of her friends in the process. They'd continued to avoid each other, falling back into old patterns where she went to bed early and got up early and Wheeler stayed up all night and didn't emerge from his cabin until lunchtime. It meant that they were never alone together and it seemed to be what they both wanted… not that they'd discussed it, or anything else since they'd got back.

It wasn't the physical side of things that Linka missed, however good that had been, his constant presence and friendship had meant so much more and now she'd lost that too. She knew she should forgive him, after all it had been her proposal in the first place, technically he hadn't done anything wrong.

It went too far, she thought as her workout brought her back to her living area, we crossed a line somewhere… several lines. I need to find a way to move past it.

She showered and changed but paused to look again at the painting she'd done of Hope Island from the end of the pier. It was both the payment of a debt and a peace offering, though in this case, peace meant goodbye.

From the kitchen window, Wheeler saw the Earth Planeteer return to his cabin from his garden, and Gi leave hers to go and check on something in the eco-sub. He leant on the wooden frame, up early for the first time since the art festival but just as tired as if he hadn't slept since then either.

The hope he'd cherished that Linka hadn't meant to widen her experience with her new friend that night had died the next morning when it became obvious that she couldn't look him in the eye. The pain he'd felt in that moment had only been eclipsed by the rage that followed quickly on its heels. Knowing he couldn't say anything however, he'd slunk to the back of their plane to stare out of the window while the other three Planeteers made cheerful (if slightly awkward,) conversation.

By the time his anger subsided several days had passed, and it finally dawned on him that it wasn't just him the lovely Russian was avoiding. He'd seen the worried glances the others were giving her, but hadn't been able to make himself ask any questions of them or her, in fact he had no idea what to say. Not in all the years of his father's physical and verbal abuse had he felt so worthless, both from her rejection and his inability to offer help when it was so clearly needed.

Eventually, after many hours of reminding himself that he only had himself to blame for letting his feelings get carried away, he'd settled into a sort of sad acceptance; it was always temporary, he'd been fooling himself that she wanted a future with him, she didn't owe him anything, he would survive… he would still do whatever she asked of him... he still loved her.

Linka exited her cabin and turned towards the kitchen making him pull back out of sight and move self-consciously back to his breakfast, wondering if he should just give it up entirely and go and prep the eco-copter.

She paused on the threshold with evident surprise, "Oh."

"I'm going to America today… to help Mom and Dad move." It was said apologetically and he could have kicked himself because, after all, he had as much right to be there as she did.

"Of course," Linka moved to the refrigerator to pour herself a glass of juice, though privately she wondered if she'd be able to swallow it, she'd certainly lost her appetite.

When she chose to remain standing to sip at her drink rather than joining him at the table Wheeler tried not to grind his teeth. At first he thought she was going to stay silent until he left but then she surprised him.

"Will you give your parents my apologies for not accompanying you please?" Her voice was cold and steady and he wasn't sure what to make of it. "I have a house warming gift for them… the painting you asked for… if you do not mind taking it."

Wheeler's throat was burning as he forced himself to answer, "You could come with me? Give it to them yourself?"

"I do not think that would be a good idea, even if you could convince them that we are no longer together I doubt they would refrain from match making and… I do not think either of us want that."

Wheeler gave a mocking laugh, "Don't be so sure."

Her face changed from indifferent to confused but he didn't say any more. Standing to take his plate to the sink, bringing them so close together they could feel the heat radiating from the other's body, Wheeler turned to face her and spoke softly, "Are you ok?"

Linka put down her glass and nodded but her eyes darted away.

"Are you sure? 'Cos it's not just me that's worried about you here… you're shutting everyone out." She remained silent so he tried another tack, "You shouldn't feel bad about it…"

That did make her look up, "I should not?"

"Yeah… I mean obviously you're having a few regrets about what you did with Angelo and," he shrugged, trying hard to keep his voice neutral while determined to be supportive,"I get that but it if it was what you needed to do to feel like you hadn't missed out then…"

The slap she gave him across his cheek was so hard the others heard it before they entered the room, the stunned silence that followed was actually broken by Kwame.

"Linka, what on Earth do you think you are doing?" the African demanded, "There is never an excuse for such behaviour."

On the verge of tears she tried to barge past them but was blocked from doing so, and so attempted to answer, "I will not be called a stupid slut… twice!"

This turned several angry glares on Wheeler who was just as taken aback as the others were, "I've never said that, or anything like it! I don't know what she's talking about."

The Russian woman turned, no longer able to prevent the moisture in her eyes from leaking down her cheeks, "Either I was stupid to sleep with Angelo or I just do not care what who I am with, you do not have to say the words, the meaning was clear." She swallowed hard, "But you are wrong, and a hypocrite, it was not me that did not make it back to the hotel."

Wheeler blinked, "I did?"

"Do not lie as well!" she yelled, "I asked them, I wanted to talk to you but you never took a room!"

The American started shaking his head and his mouth opened but nothing came out, unusually lost for words. Fortunately his friends stepped in.

"Wheeler was asleep in the chair in our room when I got back," Ma-Ti said, "If you mean the festival last week?"

The colour in Linka's face which had been heightened by her anger, drained away to almost nothing and her voice was hoarse, "What?"

Kwame nodded, glanced at Wheeler who had shut his mouth but still seemed unable to speak, and continued, "As I understand it, Wheeler went for a walk along the seafront after you left with Angelo but when he returned all the rooms had been taken so he came to find me to let him in to ours." Again he looked to the Fire Planeteer but he was looking at the floor. "He told me he had said some things in anger, but we thought it better to let you calm down on your own. If I had realised you thought he spent the evening otherwise I would have explained to you sooner."

"He was not at breakfast either," she whispered.

Kwame inclined his head, "He was not booked into the hotel, they were understanding about letting him stay with us but breakfast was strictly for registered guests only."

Finally understanding her behaviour the past week, and unable to resist the spark of hope that was lit in his heart, Wheeler moved towards her, stopping just short of taking her in his arms, "I would never cheat on you Babe."

"You thought I would," She replied quietly, staring at his chest.

"It wasn't cheating, we weren't a couple." He pointed out.

She glared up at him, "So just double standards then?"

Even angry, what Wheeler saw in her eyes made his heart leap and he slid his arms around her waist, "No, you made the rules, you decided that we couldn't be anything more than friends, it wasn't my idea."

"What difference does that make?" she let him pull her closer.

"You didn't make a commitment to me, so if you wanted to be with someone else, it's not cheating." He shrugged, "I love you, I'd do anything for you, including pretending that I don't - which sounds really crazy when I say it out loud – but so couple or not, it'd be cheating."

Linka bit her bottom lip nervously, trying not to be aware that their friends were all but holding their breaths at the outcome of the conversion. "For the record, I did not cheat on you… by any definition."

Wheeler tightened his arms around her, "Does this mean you'll forgive me for being a jealous idiot? 'Cos you know.., it's nothing you didn't already know about me."

Linka's lips twitched as she tried not to laugh at that, "Do you want to make a new agreement?"

"No!" he replied a little more vehemently than necessary, "I want you to be with me, for real. No more sneaking around, no more secrets… just you and me, a couple, like we should have been in the first place!" She didn't answer and he prompted her, sounding genuinely worried, "Linka?"

Lifting her eyes to his she smiled, "I love you too."

Taking that as a yes and not even waiting long enough to breathe a sigh of relief, Wheeler lowered his lips to hers and kissed her thoroughly, ignoring the other Planeteers' heartfelt cheers.

Linka was blushing as they parted but she'd never felt so happy before and curled into Wheeler's embrace, hoping he wouldn't let go… which was fortunate because he didn't intend to.

"Congratulations my friends," Ma-Ti said smiling happily.

"Thanks little buddy," Wheeler grinned back over Linka's shoulder, "I guess we owe you an apology huh?"

Linka pulled away just enough so that she could look up at him, "What for?"

"Well you told Gi and Kwame kinda caught us out… they discussed us but no one told Ma-Ti." He gave the young South American an apologetic shrug.

Linka too turned to look at him, "I did not tell Gi, she caught us out too, though I did not know that Kwame knew." She blushed again, catching the amused glance of the Planeteer she considered to be an elder brother, "I am not sure I want to know what he caught us doing."

They all laughed but Kwame shook his head, "I heard something you said, and confronted Wheeler with it, that is all."

"Then I am sorry Ma-Ti, you were not excluded purposely," Linka told him.

The Heart Planeteer laughed and held up his ring, "Oh I knew my friends, I knew!"

To be continued…