A/N: Thanks for the reviews and follows, great to know you're enjoying it!

Chapter Two

Wheeler could hear the others talking and moving about the small cabin as they made plans. He was surprised at first that they hadn't come to wake him up but then realised it was because Linka had been so in need of rest.

The Wind Planeteer had turned over in her sleep so that her back was against his chest, but her head was still resting on his arm and she was holding his other arm in place around her midsection. He knew the moment she awakened since her whole body tensed and he actually expected her to leap out of bed and start yelling at him for staying with her.

Linka was indeed embarrassed at finding that she was not alone but the momentary alarm she had felt was immediately allayed on opening her eyes and seeing the fire ring. She didn't move, not wanting to alert their companions to the fact that she was conscious and so end a rare moment of peace. The lovely blond lifted her hand to gently entwine her fingers with those of Wheeler's ring hand, and received a soft kiss on the back of her neck in response that sent a wave of warmth down her spine.

Smiling now, the American relaxed, savouring the closeness and her unusual acceptance of his presence. He wished things could always be that way, it felt natural for them to be together, right. In the end it was his stomach that betrayed them, grumbling at the smell of the food the others were cooking for breakfast, which made Linka giggle.

"You're awake." Gi said immediately, "It's about time." And as Linka turned and sat up on her elbow, "How are you feeling?"

"Better, thank you." The Russian smiled and then looked down at her companion. Wheeler had moved onto his back as she sat up but didn't get out of bed. "Let me up Yankee, I need the bathroom."

He sighed but swung his legs off the bunk and stood up carefully so as not to hit his head. He reached back to help Linka and she took his hand as if they did this every day, but once she was on her feet she grabbed her bag and headed for the door Gi was pointing to without a backward glance. Wheeler ran his hands through his hair and made his way to the table, hoping to be fed.

There was a small shower next to the toilet and while Linka had originally intended to just make herself presentable, she now decided to use it quickly before returning to the others. The water felt good and it helped to clear away the last of the cobwebs in her brain. Her pale cheeks flushed as she remembered the day before and how she'd thrown herself into Wheeler's arms, and even more when she thought of how it felt to wake in those arms, but it was a pleasant feeling.

He can be so sweet when he wants to be, if I could believe that it would always be like this… Would he even really want that? Her heart whispered that he would and she smiled as she began to day dream. Stepping out of the shower and picking up her towel, her pleasant thoughts were interrupted as the bathroom door (which had no lock,) opened suddenly.

"Get out!" The Russian's voice was oddly hoarse as she clutched the towel in front of her, but instead of reacting with embarrassment and leaving, Shawn grinned and took a step into the room, making as if he intended to close the door behind him.

Then he was being roughly pulled back into the main room and she heard Wheeler growling at him, "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

A crash was heard and then the sound of Shawn's voice, almost whining as he tried to convince the Fire Planeteer that he'd simply forgotten that she was in there.

Linka wrapped the towel more securely around her and stepped out to find their guide sprawled on the floor, his nose bloody.

Kwame was struggling to keep Wheeler back, the American looking fit to commit murder. "He's lying Kwame, he's a creep. She was frightened of him yesterday, Linka's never frightened!"

"Yankee." The soft voice stopped him and he turned towards her. Linka smiled. "I am okay, honestly."

"Guess she didn't mind after all." Shawn drawled recklessly, making Wheeler's hands bunch into fists.

Linka glared and stalked across the room, "Da, I do mind. Do not think you can fool me with that little innocent act, I do not need Ma-Ti's ring to know what your intentions were just now, I saw it clearly in the way you looked at me. I was in no condition to deal with it yesterday but let me make it quite clear that I know exactly what to do now and if you ever try something like that again it will not be Wheeler you have to worry about."

Shawn held his hands up in surrender, still trying to make light of it. "Steady on there, I get the message, I shouldn't have joked about it. Seriously though, you're imagining things if you think I was trying anything."

"Ma-Ti?" Kwame asked, looking grave but not sure if Linka was reading too much into his behaviour.

The young man blushed. "His thoughts of Linka are… not innocent." Wheeler stepped forward again but was held back by the African's hand once more as Ma-Ti continued, "I cannot tell if he actually intended to harm her though… he seems to believe that Linka likes him, he might have misunderstood."

Kwame and Gi exchanged looks but it was the Earth Planeteer that spoke, "I think it would be better if Shawn stayed with myself and Ma-Ti today, then we can be sure there will not be any more misunderstandings."

The others agreed and Linka retreated to the bathroom to put on a change of clothes, leaving Wheeler wishing that she hadn't stopped him. He could see that Kwame had little choice but he didn't want the guy anywhere near them.

They set out after a quick meal and didn't speak about what had happened, though it was unlikely that Wheeler and Linka would discuss anything personal with Gi present anyway.

Picking up the trail Kwame's group had found the previous day, and subsequently finding the source of the pollution Gaia had detected on the mountain, turned out to be relatively easy. Stopping the illegal operation and cleaning up the mess as best they could, took time.

"At least it wasn't one of the usual suspects." Wheeler commented as they made their way back down the mountain after a long day of hard work.

The light was already beginning to fade but with the local support crew the authorities had called in after they'd taken the prisoners leading the way, it wasn't likely they'd get lost.

Beside him Linka shook her head, "I am not sure that is a good thing, indifferent or malicious, the damage is the same… I would rather fight bad guys than people who just do not care."

"The police are going to charge them." He replied, "That makes them bad guys, right? And maybe they'll learn from this. Greedly, Plunder, Blight… they'll never learn, never get better."

Linka smiled, "Da, you have a point."

They made their statements at the nearest town's Sheriff's office and then said goodbye to their guide. Wheeler and Linka hung back as the others said goodbye to Shawn… he hadn't done anything else to warrant their concern, in fact he'd been really helpful towards the clean-up party, but neither felt particularly friendly towards him and as he refrained from glancing in their direction the feeling was probably mutual.

His co-operation hadn't stopped Linka from having a quiet word with one of the local policemen however, which was along the lines of 'I know there is nothing you can do, but I would feel happier if someone here was aware… I would feel guilty if something happened and I had not said anything. He holds a position of trust after all."

Linka wasn't sure that the lawman hadn't put it down to her imagination, though he'd promised to keep an eye on the guide, but she figured that if any other complaints were made it would at least add weight to them.

To be continued...