Chapter Eight

"There you are." Linka entered the games room and smiled at her American team mate, receiving an answering grin in return.

"Nat up from her nap?" he asked.

She leant back against the wall and sighed, "Da. I have given her a snack and since the others were going to play ball on the beach, I said she could go with them… although I do not know that was a good idea with her cast still on…"

"She'll be fine." He told her, his voice soft and reassuring.

Linka nodded, and then frowned slightly as she watched him pick up some of the games he'd been looking at and put them on the top shelf of the cupboard, "What are you doing? It is not like you to tidy up, especially in here…"

He gave her a lopsided grin, "If this is about my room, I've already cleaned in there, and put one of Ma-Ti's natural air fresheners up, though I'm not convinced it smells better."

"Wow. I should have brought Nat to visit years ago!" Impressed, in spite of her teasing.

"Ha ha." He rolled his eyes but he was laughing. "I just thought you were nagging before, but kids tend to tell it like it is."

They both laughed and she said, "Seriously though, you did not need to tidy everywhere."

"I'm not… you didn't notice when we were in here earlier but some of these games are not PG." he shrugged, "I don't want Nat having more nightmares because we let her loose in here, or picking up some of the language, even if she's not talking right now."

"I did not think of that," Linka paled.

He smiled at her over his shoulder, "Why would you, you don't play those games. You probably don't even know half the stuff we have in here… actually you should come and play with us more often."

"Because you need parental supervision?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

He walked over and leant towards her, placing his hands either side of her for balance. "No, because you need to have more fun."

She gave him an apologetic look, "I will have less free time now than ever… I should go and join the others." She turned her gaze away and pushed slowly away from the wall, knowing that he would back off.

Wheeler returned to his task but turned back to the door as she spoke again.

"Spasiba… for this, and everything else… I really do not know what I would have done without you."

He smiled, "Anytime."

"Will you be coming down to the beach…?" she tried to keep her voice neutral but he heard the hope there and his smile widened.

"Yeah, I'll finish up here and meet you down there?"

She nodded happily, and after a moment, left him to his task.

Wheeler left Natalya playing on the beach with Ma-Ti and Gi, to stretch out on a towel beside Linka in the shade. The Wind Planeteer was reading with her back against a tree, but every now and then she looked up to watch them play, ready to step in if she was needed.

Smiling down at her friend she said sympathetically, "Has she worn you out?"

"Nah." He opened his eyes again and grinned up at her, "I just wanted to be next to you for a while."

Her cheeks tinged with colour, Linka shook her head, "Do not… I know you do not mean any harm but I cannot flirt with you, not now. It would not be right."

Wheeler sighed and sat up on one elbow to look up at her, "I don't see what's so wrong with it. It wouldn't go anywhere you didn't want it to, it never has after all." He lowered his voice, "I wish I knew what Na.. uh, your mystery man, did to make you lighten up."

"He did not do anything." She shifted uncomfortably.

"How'd it come about then?" he asked.

Linka frowned, "Does it matter?"

"No I'm just curious." The American replied, "I can't help wondering what you were like at that age, it's so hard to picture you..."

"As a tramp?" she finished for him with barely concealed self-loathing.

He responded immediately, "No! Don't talk about yourself like that! Not that I believe it."

"Maybe that is the problem," The lovely blond told him, sounding almost sulky now.

Wheeler gave her a look, "So it was what, the entire local hockey team and you won't tell anyone his name because you don't actually know which one the father is?"

"Nyet!" She blanched, thinking for a moment that he was serious, and cast a wary glance at her daughter and the others. Fortunately they were too far out of earshot, providing they kept their voices down.

"Ok, it was one of your teachers," he continued teasingly, "A super-smart, super-old, math professor with Einstein hair, whose use of calculus turned you on."

She laughed. "Nyet."

"Please don't say it was a relative, some cousin or..." His face was suddenly arrested as a thought occurred to him.

"If you dare to even think of suggesting Mishka..." The Wind Planeteer threatened, amazed that she was able to joke with him about Nat's parentage at all.

Wheeler chuckled, "No I wasn't thinking of him."

"Who then?" She challenged.

Hesitating only a second, "Gregori?"

Linka smiled in understanding but shook her head. "I would not have done that to Nina, or were you imagining that it was some sort of arrangement because they wanted a child?... I would not feel bad about it then. Yankee, you know I cannot tell you who it was."

"That's not actually what I asked." He pointed out, adding, "I wouldn't know him anyway… or would I?"

"You have not met him." Linka sighed and her eyes became distant as she remembered the past. "Do you really want to know what happened?"

Quietly and sincerely he told her he did.

"We were at a party. It was not long after my father passed away and I..." She gave a small shrug. "I had decided that I was an adult and could decide everything for myself. I certainly was not going to listen to my brother."

"Typical teenager then," Wheeler tried to soften the mood she was falling into, "With an extra load of grief and anger on top."

She nodded and continued her story, "I had liked... him, for some time. He is older than I am but it is a small community and... we have mutual friends. Anyway, the party was at a friend's house and I was staying the night."

The Russian raised eyes to Wheeler's that were pools of shame and – which he didn't understand until she spoke and he heard the apology in her voice – and a touch of fear. "We were drinking."

"Hey," He said softly, taking her hand, "I'm not going to freak out at the thought of people getting drunk."

She shrugged, "Nyet, but you have enough reason to hate alcohol, without despising me for letting it ruin my life too."

"It hasn't actually ruined either of our lives, Babe." Wheeler pointed out, "It just screwed up our childhoods a bit... And it would take a lot more than that to make me think badly of you. If you ask me, we're doing pretty well for a couple of juvenile delinquents."

He winked and she found herself grinning, profound relief warming her heart as she realised how much she'd built up her fears.

"Go on." he prompted, retaining her hand in his.

She looked away again, "I was dressed to get his attention and my behaviour makes me blush to recall... It was not really the alcohol though, that just made it easier and stopped me from backing out. I had been thinking about it for a while and had already decided what I wanted to happen - to prove I was no longer a child I suppose - but I had lacked opportunity. He had never tried anything on with me before but he looked often, and with Mishka staying at home to study for his exams..."

"What about Tanya, wasn't she there? You said she was your best friend back then."

"Da she was there, in fact I was worried that she would guess who I had been with as soon as she found out about Nat. The more I think about it however, the more I realise that it was just another night out for everyone else... We were all drinking and it was not the only party we were at. If she saw me flirting with him she obviously did not think anything of it."

Sighing, she continued. "He suggested we take a bottle of something upstairs... I do not remember what it was, though I suppose it does not matter. We danced, we kissed and I remember that I was encouraging him to do more, but thankfully the rest is a blur."

"Why thankfully?" Wheeler asked, "If it was what you wanted I mean."

She blushed, "Because... What I do remember was not very pleasant. He enjoyed it I think, but I was glad when it was over. We both passed out for a while but I woke first and then I dressed and went to the room I was sharing with my friend."

"He didn't want to go out with you after that?" The Fire Planeteer asked, trying to hold in the jealousy.

Linka shook her head. "He never mentioned it so I assumed that he did not remember, or at least that he does not remember who he was with. In truth, I was just relieved and tried to pretend to myself that it had not happened. I managed, until I found out that I was…"

She broke off, releasing his hand as she saw her daughter running towards them. Though the young girl's pleas were silent they were not in vain. Both Planeteers allowed themselves to be drawn into her game, effectively ending the conversation.

"Come on little one," Linka hugged the sleepy child that was leaning against her on the sofa, "I have let you stay up late but it is time for bed now."

Nat shook her head, pouting.

"Da," Linka told her, her affection plain though she was being firm, "but I will read a chapter of your book to you if you want."

The little girl reached out for Wheeler at the other end of the sofa in silent appeal. He grinned and took her hand but softly reinforced his friend, "Bed. I'll come and say goodnight in a little while."

Nat sighed sadly but got up and let Linka lead her towards the door, to a chorus of "Goodnight Natalya!" from the rest of the Planeteers.

Pausing, the Wind Planeteer turned back for a moment, "I will say goodnight too, it is better if I stay with her tonight." she looked at Wheeler, "Give us twenty minutes?"

"Sure Babe," he nodded, smiling as he watched them leave.

Natalya let her relative help her get ready for bed without any resistance and even smiled when she pulled the covers up around her. "I know today has been difficult for you and I am so very proud at the way you've handled it all."

She gave her a small smile but then sat up eagerly as a knock sounded on the door.

Linka shook her head, "Come in Yankee."

"Hey, I thought I was going to tuck both of you in tonight?" he teased.

"I can put myself to bed, thank you." Linka said it sternly but since she looked amused, there was no sting in the words.

Eager to reclaim his attention, Nat picked up the book on the bedside cabinet and held it out to him, waving it about slightly.

"What's this Angel?" Wheeler asked, sitting down on the end of the child's bed. "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe? I've heard of that, isn't it a film?"

"It was a book first." Linka told him, "Natalya, I will read your book to you. Let Wheeler say goodnight now."

The look Nat gave her then was genuinely hurt and Wheeler said quickly, "I can read it, it's in English."

"You do not have to..."

"I know, I don't mind." his friend was still hesitating so he said to Nat, "Maybe if Linka wants to read it, she'd let me stay a while and listen, would that be ok?"

The young girl nodded but still looked a bit upset and Linka gave in. Shaking her head she said, "It is fine, if you really do not mind. I was going to start again at the beginning because Nat fell asleep..."

Natalya was once again all smiles and she moved over, holding her hand out to Linka to join her, and cuddling back into her when she sat beside her.

Wheeler grinned at the helpless look his friend cast him and then settled in to read. He unselfconsciously provided different voices for the characters, throwing himself into the roles, and both his listeners were quickly enchanted by the performance.

Being as stubborn as Linka, Nat fought sleep as long as she could but eventually Linka was able to lay her down and tuck the covers around her.

Wheeler got up as quietly as he could and handed her the book, but then tipped his head towards the door in a silent request to speak to her. They slipped out of the room and quietly closed the door behind them.

"What is it?" Linka whispered, not wanting her voice to carry.

"I just..." he shrugged, also keeping his voice down. "I figured I should apologise, I kind of muscled in there and you probably wanted to be alone with her."

Linka smiled and shook her head and he couldn't help thinking that she was just as beautiful in the moonlight. "I need to be stricter with her but I cannot stand seeing her unhappy."

"Yeah, me too... but I don't want to get in the way either."

Unconsciously reaching out her hand for his, "You are always welcome, but she needs a new routine. I let her stay up too late and then I let her talk you into reading to her, it is not fair to you."

Between the soft warmth of her hand nestled in his and the first part of her speech, it took Wheeler's brain a few seconds to catch up. "Hey, you're doing a great job. Today was her first day here, and indulging her a bit to help her feel at home won't hurt. Hell, reading a bed time story for the next twenty years is not exactly a hardship. I'm kinda invested in keeping you both here and if that's what it takes, I'm good with it."

Linka giggled, "Jason if you are still reading her bedtime stories when she is approaching thirty, we should probably be a little worried."

"What? oh... yeah." he laughed self-consciously. "Ok, see, it won't even be that long."

"I know but..."

He squeezed her hand, wanting to pull her into his arms, "Let me do this for her, and you, it'll make it easier for us to set a regular bed time... that's if she wants me to read to her again, I'm not exactly an expert."

"She enjoyed it, you know she did." Linka's smile returned, "And so did I."

"Yeah?" she nodded, "We good then?"

"Da. Spasiba." she stepped forward and gave him a light kiss on his cheek, "Goodnight Yankee."

"Goodnight Babe." He gave her hand a final squeeze and waited for her to go back inside her cabin before returning to the others.

To be continued…