One More Kiss

Disclaimer: I make no money from these fics and recognise the sole rights of the original creators to do so.

Summary: Short and fluffy random W/L fic

A/N: Happy New Year!


Chapter 1

"Great." Linka huffed, "Perfect."

Wheeler, lowered the ring he'd been using to communicate with Ma-Ti and regarded his companion warily. "What?"

"You just had to volunteer us to go and get the camp set up, and now the others are not even going to be joining us." She glared.

"That's not what he said," the American sighed. "He said they're running late because Ranger Chang had an emergency call, and they might not be able to set out until morning. It's not their fault and they will still need the camp set up, 'cos we're gonna be out here for days."

Linka's voice rose, "Do not remind me!"

"Geez Babe, what is your problem?"

"I do not like setting up tents and I do not much like sleeping on the ground. It is one thing when we all have to do it but if you had not insisted that we come on ahead we could have stayed in town and had proper beds, at least for one more night." She pointed up at the sky that showed between the canopy of leaves, "it is going to rain."

He rubbed a hand through his hair. "It made sense. They didn't need us and if they get up here late, they can just settle in. I was just trying to help."

"You were just trying to get me alone!"

"Can't think why," he mumbled and then made another attempt at peace. "I'll put the tents up ok?"

Linka shrugged.

"Why are you making such a fuss? Normally you're too busy being 'Little Miss Self-sufficient' to even ask for help with the single thing you suck at. And it's not like you've never been alone with me before, don't you trust me all of a sudden?"

"Do not be ridiculous."

"What then?" When she didn't respond he caught her arm and gently but firmly turned her towards him, ignoring her protest about wasting time, "Linka, talk to me."

She looked away and shifted uncomfortably. "I do not like being in a tent in the rain."

"They're waterproof..."

"I know that!" She snapped, and then relented. "I am not normally claustrophobic but the rain creates a barrier, I feel like I am trapped in a tiny space. It also deadens all noise except the wind, until it feels like I am the only one left alive. It is cold and isolated and I hate it, but go ahead and tell me that I am being stupid or whatever. And let us move on, I do not need to be soaked through as well."

She pulled away and hurried on, Wheeler following in silence. The Russian actually found it a little unnerving that he wasn't teasing her and she was glad when they reached their chosen campsite.

It didn't take Wheeler long to set up the tents, and it gave Linka a chance to check on their supplies, check the quality of the water in the local stream and warm up some soup over a camping stove.

"It's going to rain soon, we should eat that inside." It was the first thing Wheeler had said since she'd stormed off and it was obvious that it made her uncomfortable, but then he surprised her. "I don't think you were being stupid... I don't like being on my own either. You said you trusted me?"

She finally looked up at him, a questioning look in her eyes.

"I put all the tents up, so you can use yours if you want, but I put all our stuff in mine." He watched her closely, "I can move it, I just thought... I thought it wouldn't be so bad if we were together, you know?" Then he added quickly, "This has nothing to do with me wanting to be alone with you, I swear."

There was a long pause and then a drop of rain plopped into the pan of soup.

Linka nodded and they moved together to get out of the wet.


They sat crossed legged at either end of the tent, Wheeler nearest the zipped up entrance. Not that they were far apart, it was a spacious one man tent but it was definitely not designed for two.

Wheeler had put a solar light on one of the roof struts so it wasn't dark, and it was even beginning to warm up with the two of them in there.

Eating the soup in silence, Linka kept her eyes on her meal but her companion found himself watching her.

"I'm not making you feel trapped am I?" He asked cautiously, "I know I'm kinda barring the exit..."

A small smile flickered over Linka's lips but she answered without looking up, "Nyet, you are keeping the drafts out."

After a moment he laughed, "Gee thanks Babe, glad you finally found a use for me."

Linka chuckled with him, looking up at last as she put her empty bowl to the side. Before she could say anything however, Wheeler jumped in again, "well I'm going to go straight for use number two, I've been practicing..."

"Practicing what exactly?"

He'd put his equally empty bowl with hers and was rummaging around in the supply bag, finally pulling out a bag of marshmallows and holding it up triumphantly, "dessert!"

The Russian shook her head, "you cannot put the stove on in here."

"Who said anything about a stove?" He grinned. He already had one of the sweet treats mounted on the toasting fork. Lifting his hand to point his right fist at it he said, "fire", making a small beam of red shoot out towards the end of the fork.

"Bozhe moy'!" Linka almost squealed, "Are you crazy? If you miss we will have a hole in the tent, assuming it does not just burst into flames, besides it is mis-using your powers and you cannot toast it properly like that anyway..."

Unperturbed, he held the browned treat towards her, "try it."

When she hesitated he said, "I told you, I've been practicing, and for your information Gaia knows when we use our rings and she's never complained about me using it for everyday stuff. It's also the reason why I won't miss. You and Kwame take the whole thing way too seriously sometimes."

He was still waving the stick in front of her face and she gave in, taking the toasted mallow and then nearly dropping it like a hot potato. After juggling it for a few moments she finally got to taste it and, "mmm... that is really good."

"Told ya," Wheeler grinned, he was already working on a second.


"So, you got any good campfire stories?"

Linka shook her head, "I usually leave making up stories to you and Gi."

"I'm not talking about made up stories, come on, there must be some local legends from your home town?"

"In the mines," she nodded, "they say you can sometimes hear the spirits of the men that died down there."

Wheeler stilled, "am I being insensitive?"

"Nyet?" She took the mallow he was offering and blew on it, "Oh, do you mean because of my Papa?"

He nodded and she smiled, shaking her head, "he would tell us ghost stories, but I think it was to stop us trying to explore the old tunnels."

Smiling softly he asked, "Did it work?"

"I am not sure I ever wanted to go in them but, da I would not have ventured too far if I did." She thought for a moment and then said, "my Grandmuska saw a ghost when she was a little girl."

"Yeah?"

Seeing that she had her friend's full attention, Linka continued, "it is not much of a story really, you could probably make it sound spookier but I can just tell you the facts. She used to play in the ruins of an old church, she thinks it was destroyed during the revolution a few years earlier but she is not sure. They moved a couple of years after so she is not even sure where it was, but her memories from that day are quite clear."

Wheeler was still giving her that 'I love listening to you look' that never failed to bring a blush to her cheeks.

"It was sunny and she was running between the old headstones when she heard someone crying. More than the roof was gone but the foundations were still taller than her so she could not see who it was. She walked up to where the main entrance was and for a moment she was blinded by sparkling colours as the sunlight shone through the remnants of a stained glass window, but as her eyes grew accustomed she saw a little girl standing in front of the alter... and she could see the alter, through the girl."

"Woah."

Linka nodded at Wheeler's hushed response. "The girl was dressed in old fashioned clothing, and while Grandmuska watched, still too surprised to speak, she appeared to hear something in the distance that frightened her and she ran out through the private side of the church. My grandmother called to her then to wait, and followed her through the ruins but she was gone. She went back several times but she never saw the little girl again."

"Cool story!" The American shivered, "I think it was scarier for the lack of drama."

She laughed, "how about you toast me another mallow, and then it is your turn to tell a tale."

Wheeler obliged her with the first part of her request but said, "I don't have anything to compare, I can tell you old camp-fire legends but I don't believe in any of them."

"So you are not going to try to creep me out so that I will snuggle up with you later to feel safe?" She teased, and then thanked him as he offered her the snack.

Shaking his head, Wheeler met her eyes, "Babe believe me, there's nothing I want more than to have you cuddling up in my arms, but if that happens the last thing I want is for you to be afraid... of anything."

Their locked gaze lingered until the mood was broken by a loud crash of thunder, making them both jump. "Bozhe moy'! I do not think you will be getting everything you want tonight, Yankee."

"Does the storm bother you?" He asked, clearly surprised, and when she nodded and closed her eyes - trying to block out another more distant rumble - "how about we get under the covers then? It might not be our night for getting cosy but at least I can keep you warm and safe."

Linka had an urge to ask him how he thought he could protect her from a thunderstorm but for once she curbed her over analytical tendencies and just said "ok".

To be continued...