Summary: Wheeler shows Linka how they do New Years in New York. Takes place around season 5.

A/N: Wrote this one in the middle of my last fic. It's completely un-related to that storyline, but just came to me so I had to stop what I was doing and write this down. I thought I'd try something different and write it from Wheeler's point of view. Happy New Years!

New Year's Eve on Hope Island. You'd think that for a young guy like me, spending your favorite holiday on a tropical island with your best friends would be the definition of a good time…too bad my best friends are all party poopers! All but one of them. Normally I'd be thrilled with the prospect of spending some "alone time" with Linka, but the truth is, things have been really weird between us lately. It's been going on for about a year now. Actually, it's been going on since the day we met, but this past year has been harder on me than ever before. I guess it started after Linka almost left the Planeteers to go back to Russia. I thought that was it for us. Who am I kidding? There is no "us." I guess I should say, I thought that was it for any hope for us. When she kissed me goodbye, it was the best kiss and the worst kiss ever. The best because it was her and I'd been waiting for that moment for years. The worst because I knew it was the first and last time she'd kiss me like that. But then she came back and hope was restored. I risked my life by staying behind and saving her several times. That proved to her that she meant more to me than just someone to flirt with. Didn't it? I foolishly thought that now that she knew how I really felt, and her kiss showed me how she felt, we'd be on the path to happily ever after. But we were back where we started, not acknowledging anything that happened in Russia. And as much as I'd love to blame it all on her, I can't. I've hurt her too.

When we were in LA dealing with the aftermath of riots, we were helping out at a shelter and she actually tried flirting with me. Well, she accused me of flirting with her when really, all I did was accidently bump into her. She wasn't angry, she was joking with me. It was rare that she'd joke around on a mission and under normal circumstances, I would have savored the opportunity to be in the company of "playful Linka," but I was in a bad mood after getting news from home. I was a jerk and she didn't deserve it. I never did apologize. This is probably why a couple of weeks later, she was all over some jackass french fry factory owner. I still wanna punch that guy. He was arrogant and stupid. He may not have known that he was being duped by Greedly, but still, he was a jerk for being stubborn about not making the factory more eco-friendly. Until Linka batted her eyes at him and wooed him. Yeah, I was jealous. It hurt. When I snapped at her in LA, I'm sure it hurt her feelings, but if she planned on getting revenge by fawning over Mr. Potato Head, it wasn't the same. Hurt feelings and a hurt heart are completely different. Nothing more happened between them, which is why I know she was only doing it for my benefit. Linka doesn't open up to the people she cares about, yet she had no problem flirting with this guy? It was obvious she was putting on an act.

But for every down, there's an up. That "dream" we all had about that game show was real! I'm the only one that believes that it really happened. I know it seems a little unbelievable, but is it any less believable than five people all having the same EXACT dream? That was a good dream as far as dreams go and I've had PLENTY of good "Linka Dreams," if you catch my drift. I could definitely feel something between Linka and me during that game show. She was totally flirting! When she told me there were many parts of her I did not know, and then she leaned back into me…Wow! When I helped her put on her backpack for the Dynofan they gave her, she did it again. When it was Ma-Ti's and my turn to do our challenge and she gave me a kiss for luck, and then she kissed me again when we won the whole competition…it was so real. I'll believe it really happened until the day I die! I mean, we've been shrunk several times and even taken by an alien to an endangered species exhibit. Maybe we were abducted in the middle of the night and taken to play "You Bet Your Planet." Yeah, it's a little far fetched and sounds like something straight out of The X-Files, but just like Fox Mulder, "I want to believe."

She gets jealous when I show other girls attention. I know it, and I use it. I know I shouldn't mess with her feelings like that, but sometimes I just need that little bit of confirmation that she cares…for my own ego's sake.

For all the ups and downs this past year has brought, if I ever doubt how Linka feels about me, I just think of my birthday at the Eco-Park. She was definitely flirty…and I was dead tired. Being in The Tunnel of Love with Linka was something I'd waited five years for, and I slept through it all. And to make matters worse, she was practically all over me and I push her away. In the end, I got a kiss on the cheek. I guess it's fitting that this took place at a theme park. "The Wheeler and Linka Rollercoaster of Love" is up and running. I've always liked roller coasters. This one is hell on my stomach though. When I'm around Linka, I get one of two feelings. I've either got butterflies in my stomach because I'm so happy, or my stomach is tied in knots and I'm nauseous. Which will it be tonight? Probably all of the above.

It wouldn't be so bad if Ma-Ti, Gi, and Kwame were there. Sure, there was a time when I'd have given anything to be alone with Linka, but now...? I just don't know what to do or how to act. How did we end up alone? It's hard to tell. Sometimes the others scheme to get Linka and me alone; sometimes it just works out that way. I think this particular time is just a coincidence.

Here's how it all started: Things have been slow and it just so happened that Christmas was coming. I suggested we all go home for a few days to see our families. That's what Christmas is all about after all. We just got home today. Upon arriving back on Hope Island this afternoon, I found out that apparently Linka and I are the only ones excited about celebrating New Years. She was the only one that came out to meet me when I landed the Eco-Copter.

"Hey Babe. Are you the only member of my welcome wagon?"

"Da. Sorry. The others are all sleeping. Gi and Kwame are having trouble adjusting to the time differences and Ma-Ti isn't feeling well. Did you have a nice trip home?"

"Yeah. It was nice. How about you? Everyone doing ok? How's Grandma?" I asked, because I was genuinely concerned. Linka's grandma is a real sweet lady.

"She is doing very well. Back to her old self. She would not let anyone else touch anything in the kitchen and made all my favorite dishes. Mishka says she goes out with some of her lady friends three times a week and she teases him that she has more of a social life than he does!" Linka said with a laugh. I love it when she laughs. Her eyes sparkle. "How is your father?"

"He's doing good. Stubborn as ever."

She grabbed one of my smaller bags and followed me to my cabin.

"Thanks. So how come you aren't suffering from the time zone jump?"

"I stayed up all night last night and slept during the day so I could get a head start on getting my internal clock back on Hope Island time. When Kwame came to pick me up, I offered to fly to pick up Gi so he could sleep. He was not tired though, so when we got Gi, she flew back to Hope Island, and I slept. I figured since it was New Years, we would be having a party, but it does not look that way."

Oh no. Me. Linka. Champagne. Midnight. This could go one of two ways. We could have a nice evening together and end it with a traditional kiss at midnight and it would be one of those high points on the "Wheeler and Linka Rollercoaster." OR we could have a nice evening together and I'd go in for the kiss, she'd completely reject me, and there'd be an awkwardness between us for days; a huge plummet downwards on the coaster. She left me to my unpacking. That was the last thing on my mind though. And that leads me to where I am now: laying on my bed staring at the ceiling pondering all the possible outcomes. This isn't helping. It's just making me more crazy. Might as well face the music. I'll go see what Linka's doing and maybe get a feel for what kind of mood she's in.

When I get to the common room, I see that Linka had apparently been preparing for New Years. There are balloons and streamers adorning the room.

"Wow Babe, you've been busy!"

"New Years is a big deal back home. It would not seem right not to celebrate it. And I know that you also like celebrating the New Year so I wanted to surprise you. I am sorry no one else will be joining the party, but oh well. It is their loss! I even brought a bottle of champagne back with me. It is chilling now. I thought everyone would be celebrating but now the two of us will have to drink the whole bottle ourselves. We cannot let it go to waste!"

"Yeah. Wasting is not the Planeteer way." I tried to cover up my unease with a lame joke. The truth is, GETTING wasted was not the Planeteer way either, but here I am with the opportunity to be alone and get drunk with Linka and I'm scared to death. However, I am encouraged by the fact that she said she wanted to surprise me. She was thinking of me when she did this. That was nice. Perhaps this is going to be a high point in our rollercoaster.

"It is too bad the others will miss watching the ball drop on TV," Linka said.

Suddenly, I got a brilliant idea. Since she loves New Years, I'm going to give her a New Years like she's never seen before in her life.

"Did you unpack yet?"

"Nyet. I started decorating as soon as I got back."

"Go grab a few things. Why watch the ball drop on TV when we can watch it in person?"

"What?"

"I'm sorry that all your decorating will go to waste, but I think you'll forgive me after you experience New Years in Times Square. But if we're gonna go, we better get moving. It's probably already super crowded."

"Let us go then!"

"And don't forget to bring the champagne" I yelled as we both ran to our cabins to grab our things.

To be continued...