Chapter Ten

"Missed you in the crystal chamber." Wheeler dropped onto the floor beside Linka, leaning back against the sofa.

The Russian shrugged and handed the outline drawing she had been working on to Nat who was sitting on the other side of the small coffee table, colouring in the art. "I will not be on the mission, it did not make sense to drag Natalya in there to sit through the briefing."

He tilted his head trying to catch her eyes, "You can still contribute, you always have good ideas?"

"I would feel awkward." She shook her head, "Besides, Gaia would have let me know if she needed me there. Should you not be getting ready?"

"No rush. Laura Talbot called, they revoked the protections on the grey wolves and they're trying to get it over-turned. She wants a Planeteer presence at a rally on Friday, and then taking a petition to congress."

Linka smiled at the mention of their friend, "I am sure Ma-Ti is eager to help."

He chuckled, "he wasn't complaining."

"Will you wait for Gi?" The Russian asked, "She will be back on Friday."

"Nah, let her have a few days off."

Linka raised an eyebrow, "She was only doing a few talks at a school."

"Sounds terrifying, I don't know where she finds the patience." He said shaking his head.

Picking up another sheet of paper, Linka began another drawing. "When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow, I…" he stopped as Nat threw down the crayon she had been using and it bounced across the table towards them. She was shaking her head vigorously and looked very unhappy. "What's up Angel?"

It was Linka that answered, and though she spoke to Wheeler the censure in her voice was directed at the young girl. "I do not think she is happy about you going away, but I have told her that your work comes first."

Instead of backing down Nat glared at the older woman and crossed her arms.

Her expression was so reminiscent of Linka when he'd done something to annoy her that Wheeler actually wanted to laugh but he managed to keep his face straight as he held out an arm to her, "Come here Honey."

"Do not humour her, she is misbehaving and she knows it." Linka protested, which caused another defiant look before Nat complied with his suggestion. "We have no claim over Wheeler's time and it is wrong of you to demand it."

Nat's eyes filled with tears and she would have run away to their room but the American pulled her back to his side. "Let's not get into that." He reached over to where Linka had left her laptop and took it without asking for permission. She huffed but didn't argue.

It only took a minute to pull up what he was looking for, and he turned the screen towards Nat so that she could see the grey wolf cubs playing with each other while one of their parents looked on. "Cute huh?"

Nat nodded but looked up at him in confusion.

Wheeler spoke softly, "Ma-Ti's friend Laura works with a group that helps protect them but my government wants to allow them to be hunted."

Nat's eyes opened wide and she looked back at the screen, reaching out as if she could touch them but stopping short of the surface.

"You wouldn't want me to stay here when they need my help, right?" he pushed.

The tears returned to her eyes and she stared fixedly at the screen.

He leant over and kissed the top of her head, "It's only for a few days, then I'll be back. That's how things work around here." Her shoulders deflated and he asked again, "You'll be ok if I go and look after those guys for a few days won't you? You'll have Linka and Gi… you can have like a girly weekend or something."

She sighed and looked at her guardian to see how much trouble she was in. Linka - whose insides were doing strange things – nodded for her to respond. Nat in turn nodded her acceptance to Wheeler and leant into his side, settling there to watch the webcam feed.

The Fire Planeteer then told her what he knew about the lives of the wolves that had been released back into the area so recently. It was, to Linka's surprise, quite a bit. Her eyes softened as she listened to him explain things with the patience he'd so recently disclaimed.

"I feel like we should have checked in with Laura sooner," Gi commented as she and Linka wandered down the beach, watching Nat splash through the shallow water beside them. "But there's always so much to do, I can't keep track of everyone."

Linka nodded, "Ma-Ti keeps in touch with her I think, but you are correct. Perhaps since I will not be able to participate on missions for the next few months, I could set up a few things online to help us with that."

"That's a good idea, and maybe we could try to get the word out about the imminent danger for the wolves… ugh I hate that I'm saying that like it's a natural disaster and not just bad elements of our own species!" The Water Planeteer shuddered and looked out over the ocean, letting it calm her.

Linka agreed, "I just do not understand some people, to take pleasure in the slaughter of such beautiful and noble creatures… I feel like we should be better than that by now."

"Yeah. It's the same all over though, at least there are still people willing to stand up against it." Linka nodded and they walked on in silence, their attention once more on the young girl who seemed for the moment to be carefree. "I bet I know someone who is going to miss Wheeler while the boys are away too." Linka blushed but her friend continued unconsciously, "no bedtime stories for the next few nights, huh?"

Laughing as she realised what she meant, the Russian admitted, "actually he has recorded the next three chapters for her. He is so good with her…"

Gi grinned, "He's besotted… and not just with her."

"Gi..." They'd had that conversation before.

"I know, I know but I can't help it, if I had someone who looked at me the way Wheeler looks at you, I wouldn't be holding back." A breeze blew across the ocean and Gi turned for a moment to embrace the spray.

Sighing, Linka shook her head, "It is not that easy, I… oh!"

Gi turned back to see Linka running into the shallows where Natalya had fallen. She dropped down beside her, heedless of the water and gathered the child to her, hugging her tightly.

For her part, Nat was obviously not injured and was more concerned with keeping her cast out of the water. She would have pulled away with an expression that said quite clearly that Linka was over-reacting, but seeing it the Planeteer told her sternly, "I am allowed to get worried about you!" and she gave in, smiling and hugging her back.

It was a warm day so rather than worrying about drying off they continued their walk, trusting the sun to do it. Enjoying her freedom, Natalya ran on ahead, almost dancing as she played between the sand and the sea.

"She is far more resilient than I have given her credit for," Linka commented with some irony, "I need desperately to protect her but even after everything that has happened, she thinks I am crazy when I fuss. If she would speak, you would never know anything was wrong."

Gi nodded thoughtfully, "She's a sweetheart, I hope she finds a way past it all soon. She's lucky to have you."

"I am the lucky one." There was an emotion in Linka's voice that Gi wasn't sure about but it added to the suspicions she'd been developing since her friends had first returned.

"Linka, can I ask you something without you getting mad at me?"

The Wind Planeteer laughed, "You can ask me anything but I make no promises about my reaction, especially if you are going to start talking about Wheeler again."

Gi laughed, but lowered her voice as she continued. "It's not that. Look, I know I'm being stupid but, Nat… she is just your cousin, right?"

Linka paled, "What… what are you asking me exactly?"

Her friend turned to look at her curiously, but Linka kept her eyes forward, still watching after her charge. "I was expecting you to be indignant at the suggestion, or maybe even laugh at how crazy an idea it is but… I'm not imagining it am I? The way you react to her, the connection you have, just how like you she is..."

Linka smiled at the last, but turned her head to meet her friends gaze, acknowledging the truth but still unwilling to have it spoken out loud between them.

"Wow," Gi blew out a breath, "I would never have believed it before you came home with her but… I have so many questions!"

"Questions I would prefer not to answer," was the stiff reply. "Natalya does not know and I would prefer to keep it that way, at least until she has found a way to deal with her current trauma."

Gi nodded, "I get that, although it might actually help…"

"Or it might drive her from me completely." There was pain in her voice and it made Gi resolve to back off, "I just need her to be ok, everything else can wait."

"Fair enough… just one more question." Linka sighed but didn't object so she asked, "Does Wheeler know?"

Linka nodded with relief that that was the question. "Da, he… he has been a great friend and deserves much better from me, I know."

Gi smiled, "I don't know about that, you're a great friend too Linka, you'd do as much for him as he has done for you and he knows that. You just don't like sharing your feelings, which is annoying, but we know your heart is in the right place."

Linka laughed, "Thank you, I think." Then she bit her bottom lip, "Please do not say anything, even to Wheeler… I really need to deal with one thing at a time."

"I get it," Gi assured her, "I want to help, not make you feel worse. I promise, I won't say any more about it, to anybody."

"Spasiba," she replied sincerely and then grinned at her friend, "Come on, it is a lovely day and Nat is showing us how to enjoy it, da?" She took off into a run, delighting the young girl as she joined her game.

Gi wasn't sure what all of this meant for her friend but she laughed at the pair's antics and soon ran to join them.

Wheeler had hardly stepped out of the Geocruiser when a small excited child threw herself into his arms. He lifted her up laughing, and held her close despite the fact that she'd obviously been swimming. "I missed you too Angel."

"Sorry," Linka said catching up with her daughter, "I could not stop her."

"Why stop her?" He couldn't resist admiring her in the two piece bathing suit Linka was wearing. He shifted Nat slightly so he could hold her with one arm and held out the other. "Come join her instead?"

Linka rolled her eyes but it looked to Wheeler like she was considering it before Ma-Ti got out of the 'cruiser with their bags. "I need to help Kwame with all of the information packs and things, can you take the luggage Wheeler?"

"Yeah, no problem, leave it there. I'll get it in a minute." Wheeler gave up and wrapped his other arm back around Nat who had rested her head on his shoulder and looked set to stay.

"How did it go?" Linka asked, taking a step closer but still keeping her distance.

Wheeler sighed, "Usual bureaucracy, they listened and said they'd talk about it. We said we'd send out some more info to the senators to spread the work a bit and Ma-Ti is going back with Laura in a few days for another audience."

Nat tightened her grip and looked up at him and his expression softened, "Just Ma-Ti, unless something big happens before then." She sighed and put her head back on his shoulder.

"You must be tired, come on Natalya, do you not want to go back in the water for a while? You will not have another opportunity today."

Nodding in response, Nat looked at Wheeler expectantly.

Linka however had other ideas and it came out a little colder than she'd intended. "Nyet. Wheeler has just got back and he has other things to do. You will see him at dinner."

The American wasn't happy about that and he knew the child wasn't either, but there was something in her tone that said Linka wouldn't appreciate him disagreeing. He kissed Nat's head, "Go and enjoy the water Honey, I'll get settled in and then you can pick a game for us to play after dinner, ok?"

The fact that she looked warily at Linka before agreeing spoke volumes, but though the other Planeteer hesitated longer than Wheeler liked, she did finally nod for her to accept. Nat beamed up at him and hugged him again before letting him put her down. She ran back to the beach then without waiting for Linka, and joined Gi who was literally in her element.

Wheeler would have tried to talk to her then but Linka mumbled that she would see him later and ran off after her daughter. He gathered up the luggage and dropped it at the respective cabins before seeking his own. Kicking off his shoes he flopped back on the bed and stared at the ceiling, attempting to blank his mind for a while instead of going over the same confusing thoughts and feelings for the millionth time.

"Wheeler?" Kwame's voice from the doorway disturbed him a few minutes later, "I thought you were going to help us with the campaign? If you had joined the girls on the beach I would have understood of course, but since you haven't…"

The Fire Planeteer sighed, "Linka didn't want me to join them… sorry, yeah I'll help, I wasn't thinking."

Instead of backing out of the room as Wheeler sat up, Kwame entered and sat in the rarely used desk chair. "When Gaia first told us that Linka intended to raise her cousin here, I will admit I had some concerns, including the fact that it effectively makes her our responsibility as well. Gaia however seemed to think that you and Linka would be looking after her together, which still gave me some misgivings as I was not sure you were ready for that."

"If you have a point Kwam-man you might want to make it." The American said sourly.

"My point is that I was wrong on both counts. You are clearly ready for the responsibility and Linka, just as clearly, does not like asking anyone for help, including you. I do not understand, I had thought you had come to an understanding when you were in Russia?"

"You don't understand?" Wheeler said with irony. "How do you think I feel?!" He sighed and rubbed his face with his hands and ran them back over his hair, "This whole thing has been hard on her, I'm trying to be there for her and give her space, but she's confusing Nat now too and… I don't get a say here. Whatever I want, it's up to Linka."

He looked up at his friend, shaking his head, "I thought maybe she was jealous that Nat wants my attention, but when I try to talk to her about it she's totally different, and I can tell when she's lying so it's not that. And it's not my feelings for her either, she knows I'd be all in if that's what she wanted but I never make spending time with Nat about that. Sometimes she even seems happy about it, but then she'll be like she was today, practically forbidding me to do what Nat wants, and I can't argue because that'll make Nat act up and that's not fair."

Kwame nodded, "It is clear that you and Natalya adore each other…" He wasn't oblivious to Linka's feelings for their red-headed friend either but thought better of bringing that up. "… I wonder."

"What?" Wheeler asked hopefully.

"It seems to me that while she objects whenever Natalya asks you for something, she doesn't object to you spending time with her?"

Confused Wheeler shrugged, "Isn't that what I've been saying? I just can't tell when she's going to switch."

Kwame shook his head, "No, I mean consistently. Remember that I said she is avoiding asking any of us for help? Perhaps that extends to her cousin. She does not actually mind your relationship, but she reacts whenever Natalya asks for something. Linka has always been very independent, and… organised, but you cannot always predict the actions of a child."

"You mean she's a bit of a control freak?" Wheeler said thoughtfully, beginning to review some of the conversations they'd had. "You might actually be on to something, I need to think about that…thanks." He grinned, "We should probably go and help Ma-Ti with the paperwork now huh?"

"Good idea." Kwame agreed with a slight smile.

To be continued…

A/N: Unfortunately I wasn't making up the removal of the protections against hunting wolves in America, if you're interested in finding out more see the Wolf Conservation Center at nywolf dot org