Linka is quiet the whole drive home. She goes inside to tell her Grandmother that they're home and to thank her for allowing them to use the car. When asked if they had a nice trip to Moscow, Linka lies and said that they had, but declines the offer for dinner and heads straight for her room. Wheeler eats dinner with Grandma and offers to clean up so that she can go to the living room and relax. Wheeler sees Linka exiting the house and watches out the window as she leans against the large tree in the backyard, looking like she's lost in her thoughts.

He finishes cleaning up and goes outside, walking up behind her and putting his jacket over her shoulders.

"Spasiba."

"I'm sorry," he says.

"Oh…it means 'thank you' I thought you knew that one," she misunderstands his apology.

"No, I know what it means…I meant I'm sorry for dragging you into this. My meddling put you in danger. I should have just minded my own business and let you do your own searching…make your own decisions. It doesn't affect me in anyway."

"It does not?" She asks, thinking that he had made the effort because if there was any possibility that they had a future together, this affected him as well.

"Well…no…" he stammers, not wanting to make her uncomfortable by inserting himself into her personal life. "…other than how it affects you. I want you to be happy."

"I guess it is just not meant to be."

"Not yet. You shouldn't give up. But now we know to be more careful. We'll look into the next one more thoroughly."

"88% success rate…it was too good to be true. I should have known better," she says as she turns to face him and buries her face in his chest as she starts to cry.

He kisses the top of her head.

"I'm so sorry Babe," he says as he tucks her head under his chin and wraps his arms around her. "I feel terrible for getting your hopes up."

He pulls back and takes her face in his hands, wiping away her tears with his thumbs. He kisses her forehead and then rests his against hers.

"It is not your fault. I appreciate your concern and the effort you put into it…and on the bright side, you stopped Blight and Plunder's horrible scheme. Their victims will never be able to get back the false hope that they were given, but at least they will get their money back. If it were not for you, Blight would not have been caught…and I would have been a victim of her and Plunder's scam. How did you figure it out anyway?"

Before he can answer, they're interrupted by headlights shining on them as Mishka's truck comes down the driveway.

"I should go get his plate warmed up. He usually eats, showers, and then goes right to bed, so if you want to shower, do it while he is eating or else you will be waiting."

"Nah, that's ok. I'll wait until after him. He's worked all day and will be back at it in the morning. I can wait until you shower…AFTER you shower, I mean…what I meant to say was, ladies first. I'll wait until you've gone."

"You are the guest. You should go first. But first, I must get Mishka's meal heated. Are you coming in?"

"In a minute. I could use the fresh air."

"Do you want your jacket back?"

"Keep it. I'll be in soon."

Mishka parks his truck and walks over to Wheeler.

"Sorry for my bad timing. Looks like I interrupted a moment between you and my sister?"

"No…well, maybe a little…but nothing was going on. Just talking. Actually, you kinda saved me. She asked me something and I wasn't quite sure how to answer."

"She took off rather quickly," Mishka points out. "I hope she is not embarrassed that I happened upon you two…"

"She's going to warm up your dinner…Look man, honestly…we're just friends."

"Really? Is that where you see yourself in five, ten years? Just friends?"

"I see me…wherever Linka wants me to be."

"Listen Wheeler, I like you. You are a good guy who obviously cares very much for my sister. I would be thrilled if my sister ended up with a guy like you. I know she would be loved and taken care of."

"She would," Wheeler confirms. "I'd do anything to make her happy."

"Perhaps it is not my place, but before you pursue her any further, there is something you must know…maybe you will change your mind, but if so, then it is best that it happens now, while you still both believe you are 'just friends.'"

Wheeler is getting nervous. This conversation is making him uncomfortable. What could Mishka possibly tell him that would make him change his mind.

"Linka is unable to have children and to some men, that is a big deal. I do not know how you feel about it, but if having children is important to you, you need to forget about a future with my sister."

"Thank you for your concern, but I already know that."

"You do? She has told you?"

"Yeah, it's kinda what we were just talking about when you came home. And I don't care. I mean, it would be nice if we could have kids someday because I know that she wants them, but to me…as long as I have her, that's all I want…and when it comes to kids, if we can't have our own, we can always adopt…but look at me getting ahead of myself…we're not even a couple. I don't know that we ever will be. It's all up to her and what she wants."

"She is a stubborn girl. Do not expect her to give you the message loud and clear. You will have to be persistent…and do not take no for an answer. She has it in her head that no man will ever want her and that they would be better off without her. She is convinced that anyone that is with her will leave her eventually because they may think that not having kids is not important, but they will change their mind and want it. I can tell you are sincere when you say it does not matter…but she has herself convinced otherwise. Do not let her push you away."

"I won't."

"Good…now come. It is cold out here, you have no coat on, and I am hungry," Mishka says as he puts his arm around Wheeler and leads him inside.

Linka notices her brother and friend's good moods and closeness.

"You are in a good mood for someone who has just worked 14 hours," she says.

"I am just thankful to have a job when so many do not…and to come home to my family and a good friend…I have much to be happy about…and look at this…my little sister has cooked for me!"

"Babushka cooked for you…I just warmed it up because she is relaxing and watching TV."

"I could get used to this…are you sure you two will not stay longer than just a few days?" Mishka teases.

"We have much more to see on our trip," Linka says.

"But we'll definitely try to visit more often," Wheeler adds. "Well, I mean…Linka should…when we get a few days off. Me or someone else can drop her off. We should all get home more often."

"Well, you are welcome anytime…BOTH of you," Mishka says. "So where to next?"

"No clue. What do you have in mind Babe?"

"You mentioned going home more often…Do you want to go to New York?"

"Oh, I wasn't talking about me. So no…unless you wanted to go there for anything…but we'd just be doing touristy stuff…not visiting anyone."

"Why not," Mishka asks.

"Because this trip has been so amazing…why ruin it?" Wheeler says dryly.

"You do not get along with your family?"

Linka speaks up.

"Let us just say that Wheeler was not as fortunate as me to have such a great brother!"

Mishka puts his bowl in the sink and walks away from the mess.

"Well, you are always welcome here…brother!" Mishka says as he clasps Wheeler's shoulder and then pats him on the back.

"Thanks man, that means a lot."

"It is not fair for Linka to hoard her great brother all to herself!" He jokes.

"Do not worry, GREAT BROTHER, I will do your dishes too."

"You are too good to me! And I was going to get that in the morning."

"Zhopa!" She curses in Russian. "Babushka will be awake before you and do them!"

Mishka speaks to her in Russian.

"Whoa, do you kiss your boyfriend with that filthy mouth?!" Then he turns to Wheeler and changes to English. "Be glad you have no sisters. They cause headaches. I am going to shower and then go to bed. Dobre nochi, Linka. Goodnight, Wheeler."

They say goodnight to him, and Linka goes to the sink to do the dishes.

"I'll get those," Wheeler says. "You just go relax."

"You already did all the dishes from dinner."

"That's ok, I can do these too. Besides, I was one plate short at dinner…you sure you don't want to eat something now?"

"Da, maybe a little."

"Still cold?" He asks her, noticing that his jacket is still draped over her shoulders.

"Nyet…it is just cozy…do you want it back?"

"Nah, keep it as long as you'd like. Looks good on you."

Wheeler finishes his shower and goes to tell Linka that it's all hers. He finds her in her room, sitting on her bed with her laptop open.

"I want to leave tomorrow."

"You do? That's sudden. We've only been here a few days. Mishka will be disappointed."

"We were only meant to stay in each place a few days. I have been to Russia before…this is about enjoying different places…besides, I cannot turn on the television or radio without hearing news about Blight's deception. They are trying to get the word out to anyone who may have used Blight's services. There is a number for them to call. They may have said that they specialized in Chernobyl victims, but people have come from all over the world to this clinic. There is no escaping the media and I do not want word getting out that Planeteers were involved. It will only lead to questions as to WHY we were there, and I do not want anyone but you to know. I need to get out of here."

"Ok. What's next on the list?"

"I do not know…can we think about it later. I just want a shower now. Here," she says, handing him her laptop. "Look for some ideas." She rolls off the opposite side of the bed, but something in his pocket digs into her hip.

"Ow."

She reaches into his pocket and pulls out a plastic container.

"What is…?"

"Oh shit! I'll take that!"

She pulls it away and looks at it more closely. She tilts the lid towards him.

"This is the logo from the lab?"

"I meant to get rid of that…I just didn't want to leave it at the lab because I didn't want Blight doing anything with it."

"Bozhe moy!" She says as she realizes what it is and tosses it to him.

"Sorry! Sorry! I'll get rid of it. I meant to flush it…but you had my coat, so I forgot all about it!"

"So it is…yours?"

He pinches the bridge of his nose and squeezes his eyes shut.

"Yes…let me just explain from the start…you asked me before how I found out that it was Blight…then Mishka came home from work…"

"Da. Go on."

"After the receptionist sent you back to the exam room…she assumed that we were…a couple…and that I would be…helping you with the umm, other…ingredient for baby makin'."

Linka can't help but chuckle at his words.

"I told her that you'd probably be picking another donor…a rocket scientist, or musician, or at least stick with another Ruskie…you know…to keep the bloodlines free of imperialist dogs…"

She shakes her head and rolls her eyes that he still holds that against her.

"But the receptionist told me that it would be good to have it just in case…to do it now so that they can run the tests that they needed to make sure it was…healthy. And that when the time was right, there would be a limited window of time to get you…umm, inseminated. And that if we waited for the necessary tests to be run later, it could jeopardize the chances of success. I know now that it all sounds like a bunch of bullshit…but I wasn't thinking clearly. I was just thinking about doing whatever would work best for you. Turns out, Blight just wanted DNA from both of us. I don't even want to think about what she had planned."

She reaches out and rests her hand on his forearm.

"She is a monster for toying with people's emotions and lives."

"Anyway, when I slid the little cabinet door open to leave my…sample, it leads right to the lab. I heard a woman speaking in English, then I heard Mal's voice saying you were being examined. Then I heard the woman's voice more clearly. She said Plunder's name. That's when I knew he was involved too. So, like I said, I didn't want to leave anything behind for her to experiment on, so I put it in my pocket and went looking for you."

"It is a good thing you were so willing to help me. If you had not, you would have never discovered her plan."

"Yeah."

"Thank you," she says shyly. "For wanting to help…and for saving me…saving both of us…from Blight's plan."

She squeezes his arm and says,

"I will let you do what you need to do to dispose of that in the bathroom, and then I am taking a long shower."

"I'm just gonna flush it…it's not like I have to have a funeral for the fallen men!"

She laughs out loud and appreciates his attempt to lighten the mood.

He turns over the cup and points at the bottom.

"Irony. This is recyclable. Bet Blight didn't know that! Does Gram have a bin around here anywhere?"

Not missing a beat, she dryly replies,

"She likes to use containers like that to store leftovers and send them to work with Mishka for his lunch."

She leaves the room laughing at the speechless expression on his face.

To Be Continued…