A/N: Happy New Year!

Chapter Twenty Six

Linka chuckled as her boyfriend's lips traced a path down her spine. "That is not zipping up my dress."

"I'm getting there," his voice held its usual cheeky note before he pressed another kiss in the small of her back.

"Are you going to do it with your teeth?" he ran a light finger down her back, making her squirm and laugh aloud, "Stop it Lyubov."

He laughed with her, and finding the zip did up her dress, placing what he intended to be a last kiss on the back of her neck.

When he would have moved away though, she caught the hand that was resting on her hip and pulled him back, "I am not done with you yet."

"Oh yeah?" He obligingly wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck.

Snuggling into his arms, she turned as he made his way up over her jaw so that she could return his embrace when he brought their lips together.

"Linka," the door to the adjoining room burst open and Nat followed it in. "Will you do my hair please?"

Her Great Grandmother scolded softly in Russian from the other room but she just called back, "I'm not bothering them, they're just kissing again."

Since they'd become accustomed enough to being interrupted that they didn't break apart immediately on being caught anymore, this was somewhat true, but her statement still made them both chuckle. They met each other's eyes for a moment, love shining in both, before Linka finally yielded to the demands of her child.

"What?" She asked Grandmuska as she guided Nat past her, back into their room. The older woman had been watching them with a troubled expression.

"Nothing Darling," she smiled and moved back to her own preparations. "I am sorry I let her disturb you."

Linka laughed, relieved that's all it was. "We are used to it."

By the time they were settled at the table in the restaurant Linka had chosen, Wheeler had them all laughing.

"... So I said I'd run down to the all night market store and pick up a few things. First she says she doesn't want anything and then she comes running after me, 'I forgot to pack my flannel.' She says, 'it's getting late and I really want to head to bed, anything you can get will be fine.' So I thought, ok, sure… how was I supposed to know she wanted a wash cloth?"

Grandmuska gave him a bemused smile, "What else would she have meant?"

"He bought me a pyjama set in the warm material Americans call flannel." She rolled her eyes.

"We call it flannel because it is flannel." His voice matched hers, making it sound as if they were bickering but his eyes were teasing. "And I asked what size, I'd have thought that would have clued you in to what I was thinking."

Linka raised a sceptical eyebrow, "Why? Can you not get different sized 'wash cloths'?"

He blinked, momentarily thrown, "I have no idea."

Grandmuska watched their back and forth with some degree of satisfaction. They were comfortable in their banter and although Linka might sound a little condescending to those who didn't know her well, her grandmother could see her underlying affection.

"Is the pyjama set red with black lines… crossing?" She wasn't sure of the description in English but she was sure she was right because it was different from the other things her grand daughter owned, "You wore it last Christmas, it looked good on you."

Blushing, "well, it is warm, and red," and then remembering she was trying to be honest about her feelings, "and Jason was spending the holidays with his family."

"Does that mean you missed me?" He was still teasing but this was different somehow, softer. He unconsciously leant towards her.

Linka smiled at him, her shyness fading, "I have always missed you when you are away, even when you had done nothing but annoy me before you left."

"Ditto," he chuckled.

The waiter came over to take their orders, starting with Grandmuska. Since the menu was entirely written in Russian, Linka leant closer to her boyfriend to ask, "Do you want me to order for you, Lyubov?"

He grinned, "Might be a good idea, I could just point randomly but I'd probably regret it."

"I'll do it". Nat put in quickly, having just finished giving the waiter her own selection.

Linka shook her head and would have objected but Wheeler stopped her. "Let her, it's fine."

Her expression was sceptical but she shrugged, letting them know she'd stay out of it.

As it happened, Nat chose well… although the various dishes were not traditionally served together and had seemed to cause some amusement between his family and their waiter, they were all things Wheeler enjoyed. She looked smug when he thanked her for doing a good job, and it boded well for their evening together. In fact, all of their dinners had been delicious and since they were in a good mood as well, the time passed quickly.

When they dropped Linka and Grandmuska at the ballet, Wheeler helped them out of the cab.

"Have a great time Babe," He pulled her close for a quick kiss.

"Spasiba…" she smiled, "Thank you for tonight, and for… for everything."

He grinned, "We're just getting started."

Nodding in response, she lifted her lips to his for another brief salute before turning to offer her arm to her grandmother.

Wheeler leant one arm on the top of the taxi door while he watched them enter the theatre, until a small voice beside him complained, "Can we go now? You said we could watch movies."

He laughed and climbed back inside the cab next to Nat, "Whatever you want, Angel."

Linka was floating with excitement as they left the auditorium during the intermission, even telling her grandmother, "I want to dance."

The older woman laughed and agreed with her, "It makes me feel young again… I don't suppose my knees would agree though."

They found a quiet table in the corner of the bar and Linka fetched them some drinks before settling beside her relative. "I am so glad you came with me."

"So am I my darling, it has been wonderful being able to spend time with you." She looked wistful and Linka knew there was both love and heartache behind it.

"I miss you too." She told her and received a gentle pat on her arm.

Her good mood returning she teased, "Of course you would have had just as much fun tonight if you'd had your young man along."

Linka gave a snort of laughter, "Didn't you see how much the thought of it horrified him? He would have been snoring after ten minutes."

Her grandmother frowned, disturbed by the way she had dismissed him, more than by his preferences. "You are happy with him, aren't you? You seem to be most of the time but I have wondered…"

"What?" Linka's eyes searched hers in confusion and when she hesitated, "Please tell me if something is worrying you?"

"You were so young," the older woman sighed, "you still are. I want you to be happy and I genuinely think Jason can offer you that, but… do not settle for the safe choice Little Bird, you both deserve better than that."

"I do not understand," the Planeteer told her, still trying to work out why her grandmother should have any doubts about her relationship.

Grandmuska met her gaze, "I am an old woman, but I am not stupid. I see the looks that pass between you and Nicolai. He is a handsome young man and I am sure he presents something exciting in contrast to your safer more domestic relationship with Jas…"

She broke off because Linka had begun to giggle but then tried to school her features when she saw her relative's disapproval.

"I am sorry Babushka, but honestly I do not see either of them the way you do." She reached out and took her hand. "It has taken me years to believe that Jason wanted a real relationship with me. He is on his best behaviour when he is here and all you see is his protective, caring side, especially around Nat. You don't know the immature, argumentative, messy, reckless boy I have been growing up with. My life with him has been as exciting as it gets and I am very sure Nicolai could not handle it."

Her grandmother smiled sadly, "You have complained about him often enough for me to know some of that, but even so, he has matured and you have a stable friendship. I was not talking about your adventures either, someone like Nicolai can be a temptation, a different kind of excitement…" she retrieved her hand to take a sip of her drink. Ignoring the shake of Linka's head, she added, "I know something is going on between you Linka, and it distresses me, I do not want to see any of you hurt."

All the amusement was gone from Linka's face as she responded, deliberately keeping her voice low. "I would never cheat on Jason and it distresses me, that you think I might. I love him and I do not think of anyone else that way…" she shook her head again, "what you sense between myself and Nicolai is, well, it is nothing like that."

"Another secret Linka?" she sighed, "I am sorry, I know I did not react well to finding out about Natalya but I never meant to make you feel as if you could not confide in me. I had hoped I had earned your trust back by now."

It was on the tip of her tongue to point out that she had not been very discreet when she'd blurted out to Tanya and Wheeler that she had a daughter, but she bit it back knowing that overwhelming grief had caused the slip, and she didn't want to add to the woman's burdens.

Her silence prompted another worry, "If you will not tell me, at least promise me you will talk to Jason… he sees everything too, you know, even if he pretends he does not."

"He does not pretend with me," she smiled, "he just does not want to cause any trouble for me. He knows… everything."

This seemed to give her relative some reassurance but she still said, "And can you not trust me as well? Must you keep another secret?"

Linka stared down into her drink as her mind raced with possibilities and consequences, but then she thought of Wheeler laughing at the way she overthought things and she smiled. "I only have one secret from you."

"I can think of at least two." Her grandmother muttered.

She shook her head and swallowed a mouthful of her drink, glad that she'd picked something with Vodka in it. "Only one. The same one."

It took a moment for Grandmuska to realise what she was saying, and few more before she was able to respond. "You mean that Nicolai is… and he knew…?"

"I never told him," Linka shrugged, "he worked it out when he saw us together. I was worried for a while that he was going to make trouble, but he has agreed not to say anything until Nat is ready to hear about me."

"She will be fine with knowing about you," her relative assured her warmly, then she visibly hesitated, "… she does not like Nicolai, he is not good with her."

Their eyes met and they started to laugh.

When they stood to return for the second act, Linka impulsively hugged her grandmother, grateful that their relationship was on its way to being healed.

Linka was relieved her Grandmother hadn't tried to reprise their conversation on the way back to the hotel. She had a feeling there would be a lot of questions later, and that her relative wouldn't like all of the answers, but it could definitely wait.

Her face lit up at the sight of her new family camped out together on the bed she and Wheeler would be sharing. He was stretched out watching a children's movie he'd obviously put on for their daughter, while Nat was curled at his side, fast asleep.

There were empty dessert bowls on the side, despite their having had a treat at the restaurant earlier, and colouring books spread across the end of the bed.

"Hey Beautiful, how was the performance." He grinned at her and her insides warmed.

"It was wonderful," she moved around the bed to drop a kiss on his lips, "Will you carry her to the other room please, I should put her to bed."

He got up and pulled her in close for another, longer embrace, "Sure."

Going ahead to make sure Grandmuska hadn't started to undress, she moved aside to let him lay Nat on her own bed.

As he moved back to their room, her grandmother intercepted him for a hug, "Spasiba Jason, if it were not for you, I would never have gotten to experience the ballet in such a perfect form."

He hugged her back, slightly choked by the unexpected affection, and happy that she'd enjoyed it.

Nat stirred while Linka was getting her in her pyjama's but she just smiled, reassured she was back, and closed her eyes again.

"Thank you for a magical night Linka," her tired relative was sitting on her own bed now, but she held a hand out to her, "I know we were both missing Nina, but it really meant a lot to me that you wanted me with you."

Linka sat beside her and gave her a hug. "It made it special for me too, and Nina would have been happy for us."

"Are you two gonna talk all night?" Wheeler teased from the connecting doorway. Careless of his appearance in front of his family, he had changed into pyjama bottoms that rode low on his hips, while leaving his chest bare.

"I will be right there." Linka told him, and watched him appreciatively as he headed for their bed. Realising that she wasn't the only one enjoying the view she said with some amusement, and in her native tongue, "Domestic, safe, boring…"

The elderly woman turned her gaze to her granddaughter, her eyes brimming with laughter, "I did not say boring."

Linka gave her a saucy grin, "Un-exciting."

Laughing, her relative shooed her away, but not before the younger woman had planted an affectionate kiss to her cheek, "Goodnight."

She locked the door behind her, a move that was not missed by her boyfriend. If he was a little disappointed that she immediately disappeared into the bathroom, he forgot about it completely when she re-emerged a few minutes later with her dress over her arm. She'd removed the half slip she'd been wearing as well, leaving her shapely figure to be defined by what he thought was probably black lace and the high heels she would normally have kicked off the moment she was in private.

She'd taken off her makeup, but he never thought she needed it anyway and her hair was down around her shoulders, which he loved.

If he hadn't got under the covers his reaction would have been very evident, and even so it was reflected in his eyes. He watched her openly, making her cheeks heat and as she put her clothes over the chair, and then made her blush even more by saying, "I wish I had my camera with me."

"No pictures Yankee 'moy, this is just for you." She walked over to the bed but hesitated, not sure what she should do next.

"I wasn't planning on sharing, Babe," he made a motion with his finger, indicating she should turn around.

Since she obliged him, he didn't see her roll her eyes, but it was obvious in her voice, "Pictures can get lost and found, you will have to make do with your memory."

He reached out a hand to her stomach as it came back into view, and began an exploration from there, "I'd better pay special attention then."

Linka shivered with pleasure as he traced her body, sitting up out of the bed so that he could bring his lips into play. She expected him to aim for her bra, but instead he slipped the fabric off her hips and down her legs, steadying her while she stepped out of it. Again he surprised her by pausing to take in her new state of undress.

His need was already seeking a way out of his loose fitting trousers but still he took his time, running a gentle finger from her core, down each of her legs and back up until she shivered again. Then he leant forward to kiss her, teasing her while his fingers began their own exploration.

"Jason," she whispered, wanting more but not wanting him to stop.

He lay back across the bed and pushed his pyjama bottoms off, letting her see how much he wanted her before reaching for her hand to guide her onto the bed, over him.

Because of the sleeping arrangements they hadn't been able to repeat their night of passion until now and despite her arousal, they both had to be patient for a little longer as her body worked to take him in. They loved every second of it though, and didn't stop there.

He removed her bra while she was trying to find her rhythm, not that it mattered how she moved, the sensations between them were enough to make him come a little, which in turn sent ripples of pleasure through her. Everything he did enhanced what she was feeling and since he joined her movements, while his hands took a gentler path over her breasts, she was carried away on the tide of pleasure.

She collapsed on top of him as they found release together, but either he wasn't done or he recovered quickly because the next thing she realised was that he'd rolled them over and was expertly teasing her body into another high, prolonging it this time before he finally let go and found his own satisfaction.

His body weighted her down, sated as he was, his face buried in her neck. She finally kicked her shoes off, sighing at the little sparks set off by the movement. He separated them at last (though she'd been in no hurry), but didn't go far, choosing instead to pull her close again and kiss her.

It was a loving embrace rather than passionate, one that continued long after they'd settled properly beneath the covers.

To be continued…