A/N: Well this is it, the final chapter. I do hope you've enjoyed the story, and remember I would love to hear what you think.

BTW One frustrating thing about this site is the lack of formatting, I cannot add symbols! You'll see what I mean, hopefully what I've done makes sense!

Chapter Twenty Six

Wheeler groaned and stretched out on the bed, "I never realised moving house was harder work than being a Planeteer."

The others had returned to his parents old apartment for the night with instructions to leave the keys with the landlord and then come back for breakfast, (and their companions) the next morning.

"Think yourself lucky we did not have to move the furniture as well." Linka flopped down beside him and then turned over to curl against his side, sighing contentedly when his arms wrapped around her.

"What are you talking about? We've done nothing but move furniture around since we got here!" She giggled in response and he sought out her lips. When they parted he said, "Mom really loved your painting you know."

Linka blushed, "I hoped she would, she did seem to?"

He grinned, "It got pride of place, stop being so modest."

In fact his mother had been ecstatic, not just over the art work but, as the Russian had hoped, thrilled to see her son's home.

"It is a new skill, I am not confident in it yet," she rubbed her head against his shoulder, making herself comfortable rather than seeking attention. "Besides, I want to impress my boyfriend's parents... stop laughing!"

"Sorry Babe," Wheeler said between chuckles, "But you don't know how funny that is, trust me, they're impressed!"

Linka looked up at him, strangely unnerved, "Is that ok with you?"

With evident surprise he asked, "Why wouldn't it be?"

She shrugged, "Is it not weird for you, if they are telling you they like me?"

"You mean 'cos they don't like me that much, nah I'm used to it," He said it casually as if it were no big deal and in regards to her, it wasn't.

Linka didn't feel quite the same way however, "Nyet! Yankee you know I did not meant that… I would never suggest such a thing!"

"Why not? It's pretty much the truth…" She silenced him with a dainty finger over his lips.

Shaking her head she gently scolded him, "It is not true, they both love you and they both know they have made mistakes. They feel bad and do not know how to make it up to you… I do not think it is something that can be made up, only forgiven and moved past."

The American sighed and took her hand away from his lips, continuing to hold it as he stared up at the ceiling, becoming serious again. "I wish I could… I keep thinking about what Dad said, thinking that if it were anyone else I'd be making excuses for them and cheering them on for dragging themselves back from the brink. Everyone deserves a second chance right?"

"But that is not how you feel?" She suggested, keeping her tone light.

"Nope. I mean, I don't hate him anymore really but… I knew he wanted me to say something earlier to put it behind us, and I couldn't do it. I guess I'm just not that kind of a person." He stretched his sore limbs and winced.

Linka sat up and softly bade him turn onto his stomach, then she moved to sit astride him and began kneading his sore muscles, "Geez I don't deserve you."

She pulled his t-shirt up and helped him wriggle out of it before continuing her ministrations, "You have it backwards, you do not need to deserve me, you are my reward for being so perfect."

He laughed as she hoped he would, but still said, "I mean it, you could do better."

"Nyet, there is no one better for me." She leant down and kissed the back of his neck, beginning to work her way along his spine. He shuddered when she reached the ticklish spot in the small of his back and she laughed bringing her lips back up to his ear, "You brain is still working too hard, you are tense! Talk to me."

Wheeler sighed and turned over, reaching out to hold her in place, "Sorry Babe, I guess it really bothered me. He said I was like him you know…"

"I think you are more like your Mom," Linka told him, deliberately pronouncing it the American way and drawing another smile. She trailed her hands up over his torso to rub his neck and shoulders. "But you are more grown up than either of them were at your age."

"Wait… did you just call me mature? Can I get it in writing?" he grinned at her, his sense of humour finally penetrating his gloom.

Linka poked him in the side, unerringly finding a ticklish spot and then wriggling against him as he retaliated, "By comparison only! You have a different…Jason!... perspective." She finally caught his hands above his head, though they both knew he could get free if he wanted to. "Stop worrying about things you cannot change, it is sad, tragic even, but you survived and you are… someone very much worth loving."

His eyes had softened, the pain once more receding as he gazed up at her. "Do you want to know what I really think about you and your Papa?"

"Yeah," His mouth had gone dry at the thought so it was almost a croak but he did want to know.

"I think that he resented giving up his plans, and held on to that resentment and used it to justify his weakness." She shook her head, "That is not you. You might have been disappointed at first but once you made the decision you would have thrown your whole heart into it and made it work, like you always have."

Wheeler gently pulled his hands away and sat up to take her in his arms, resting his forehead against hers, "I wouldn't really have been disappointed in the first place, not if I got to be with you." he whispered, "It would have been you complaining about giving up the Planeteers to start a family."

The beautiful Russian sat back putting a very little space between them, she was blushing furiously but didn't seem annoyed as she replied equally softly, "I am more organised than that."

"You're right, we'd have been more careful." He conceded, wondering why she was suddenly so embarrassed.

Linka shook her head, "That is not what I mean…When Gaia first offered Gi and I her protection, we accepted immediately but it made me think. I went back alone that night and asked what would happen if we did want to have a family, whether there was any way that we could carry on as Planeteers… she suggested that while we would obviously have to take a break as long as our partners were willing to look after the children it would not be a problem." The Wind Planeteer closed her eyes, "I blurted it out without thinking, I have never been more grateful that she does not repeat things."

"What?" Wheeler asked confused.

"That you are a Planeteer too." She kept her eyes closed until she felt his lips on hers and when she opened them, his were laughing at her.

His aches and pains apparently forgotten, he pulled on her top until he could free her from it, "So you've been planning to land me from the beginning huh?"

Linka smiled, knowing he was teasing and shook her head, "It was just after Thailand, you were all I could think about."

"So what happened?" he paused their disrobing and met her gaze again.

"Gaia assured me that we could work something out," she replied but he shook his head.

"No, what happened after Thailand? If that's how you felt…"

Linka lowered her gaze to his chest and fingered the belt loops on his jeans, "You know what I am like when something really embarrasses me. Now I realise that Gaia would never have teased me with it, but then… and then we went somewhere else and you were flirting with some girl and I just wanted to hide."

He pulled her close again, "Oh Babe I'm sorry."

"Do not be, we were too young, we both needed time to grow up." She told him, conveniently ignoring their behaviour during the past week, and kissed his neck. "I just wanted you to know that having a future with you would always have been a part of my plans if I had made any. Not that I think we should rush into that now…"

Wheeler turned them over and began a more determined exploration, "I agree… for now. But I really think we should practise some."

"Babysitting?" She teased, helping him to rid them of the rest of their clothing before they slid beneath the covers.

"I was thinking of an earlier step in the process…" he would have guided her to him but she resisted, choosing instead to reverse their positions.

By way of explanation, though it was teasing, she said, "It has been so long I do not remember how."

He laughed, "Whose fault is that?"

"We were not speaking," Linka protested, "It was not just me!"

Wheeler let his weight trap her beneath him, "No, but if you'd come to me I wouldn't have turned you down… I don't think I could turn you down."

She shifted freeing her legs and bending her knees so that his hips rested snugly between her thighs,. "Hate sex does not appeal to me."

"Did you hate me then?" he asked, not as worried about it as he might have been in light of their current position.

Linka shook her head, "Angry sex then."

He kissed her, "Angry, Happy, Sad, doesn't matter. When it's you and me, it's making love."

She couldn't help but grin, "Well tonight it had better be quiet whatever it is, I am not sure how far sound will travel in this house."

"Yes Ma'am," he began to trail kisses down her neck and over her collar bone making her shiver.

"Jason…" she bit her bottom lip as she thought how to put it into words and then wished she hadn't said anything because he stopped completely to look at her. She pressed her lower half against him, "We are both ready, da?"

"Are you telling me to get on with it?" He asked, an eyebrow raised.

She chuckled, "I am not trying to rush you, nyet. I just want… to be connected to you first."

He looked surprised but moved, without breaking eye contact, to give her what she'd asked for.

Linka watched her lover's eyes dilate with pleasure as he joined them and allowed herself a small sigh of relief for something she thought she'd never feel again. He filled her with a sense of well-being that, even without other experience, she was sure came from her connection with her partner rather than the act itself.

"Better?" his voice was low and full of passion and though she nodded in response she also brought his mouth back to hers.

They took their time, making out rather than rushing to fulfilment as if it was secondary to re-discovering their relationship.

Fortunately, since their location had gone completely from their minds, Linka's scream was silent and the sound her American made was low and not likely to carry. They collapsed together, entwined in every way.

"God I missed you!" Wheeler's lips were close to her ear and his breath tickled.

"Mmm" was all she could manage.

He separated them at last, rolling onto his side with Linka still in his arms. She was sleepy now and prone to snuggle which gave him a secret thrill, she was only really like that when they'd just made love.

"Don't let me fall asleep with nothing on," she mumbled, remembering belatedly about his parents.

Wheeler leant back over the side of the bed and retrieved his t-shirt… he didn't really want anything to come between their skin but he understood. "This do?"

He could have given her anything at that point, she agreed and let him help her slip it on but she was asleep before he managed to pull it all the way down.

Gazing at her in wonder, amazed that she was once again tucked neatly in his arms, Wheeler finally closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift into a world of pleasant dreams.

When Linka woke, Wheeler was sitting at the dressing table writing something on a scrap of paper. "Jason? Are you going somewhere?"

"Huh?" he looked up and then grinned, his eyes warming with love, "Morning beautiful."

"Good morning," she relaxed back into her pillow, "Were you writing me a note?"

"Oh! No, I'm not going anywhere." He bent back over his work.

The Russian frowned, "Then what are you doing?"

"You'll see." He smiled, knowing it would irritate her.

It was definitely too much for her curious nature and she shifted across the bed, trying to keep his t-shirt protecting her modesty as she stood, and joined him.

Wheeler wrapped an arm around her waist, holding her at his side as he let her take the piece of paper.

Smiling as she read down the list, her eyes widened at the last item. "Was I supposed to see this?"

"Wouldn't be much point if you didn't," he laughed and she read it again, swallowing hard.

.

To Do

1. Make love with Linka *TICK*

2. Ride a mechanical bull *TICK*

3. Watch Linka pole dance in a sexy cowgirl outfit *TICK*

4. Skinny Dipping *TICK*

5. Have Linka pose naked for me to draw – still working on it!

6. Say 'I love you' to someone (Linka) and actually mean it *TICK*

7. Have Linka say it back and actually mean it *TICK*

8. Convince Linka to agree to marry me ?

.

Watching her closely, Wheeler found it impossible to tell what she was thinking but instead of asking, he pushed a little. "You do know I love you, right?"

She nodded.

"Babe, you're everything to me… I told you, you're my future, didn't you believe me?"

Again she nodded.

"So…?" Her eyes finally left the paper and met his and he realised they were shinning with tears. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," Linka laughed and put the paper back on the desk, and taking his pen, she added a tick to the last item.

Wheeler whooped with joy and stood to take her in his arms, lifting her and kissing her thoroughly. When he put her down again he grabbed something off the side and handed it to her. "It was my great grandmother's, I hope that's ok… I guess if you don't like it we could sell it and buy another one?"

"Oh… nyet, it is perfect!" she looked up at him, "Are you sure?"

"I've never been more sure about anything, Babe."

She held out the open ring box and her left hand, indicating he should put the ring on for her, which he did and was relieved to find that it fit. Then he took her hand in his and kissed it.

His expression turned into one she knew well as he stepped back towards the bed, "I think my fiancée and I should celebrate, don't you?"

"Da, just one more thing." She told him, retaining his hand she bent to add a final item to their list.

.

9. Live happily ever after *TICK*

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The End