a/n: This story is part of a 30 Kisses challenge. This chapter contains kiss #05 'Ano Sa/Hey, You Know.'

Chapter 4: Ano Sa

It is a beautiful summer day but the air is filled with sadness centered around a newly filled grave. At the foot of the grave stands a tall man, an old woman, a young boy and a tiny girl, all of which have tears in their eyes except for the tiny girl.

The tall man weeps bitterly, "Forgive me, Mavka, I know that I promised I would not cry, but your own daughter will not know you."

Presently, the tiny girl spies a butterfly which lands on a flower nearby and longs to chase it, "Pretty!" she cooes.

The young boy reaches out and pulls tiny girl back, "Don't squirm!" but the tiny girl protests with an angry cry, "Stand still! Your mama has just--"

The young boy tries to force the tiny girl to comply, but the old woman gently taps him on the head and says, "Let her go, Mishka, she is too little to understand."

Free at last, the tiny girl dashes towards the butterfly, "I catch you for Mama!" but before the tiny girl can touch it, the butterfly bats it's wings and flies away straight into the sky, "Come back! Come back for Mama!" And with that, the colors of the sky shatter into the form of a thousand butterflies that fly away leaving the girl all alone in a sea of blackness as she falls to the ground in tears crying "Mama!"

The memory dream faded away and Linka slowly opened her eyes. It wasn't like her to sleep in, but she felt sick and groggy. How long had she been asleep? Slowly she started to recall the events of the night before.

Suddenly, she remembered something important, "Wheeler!" she shouted as she sat up, but her pounding head stopped her before she could get out of bed.

"Wheeler's asleep on the couch in the other room," said a familiar voice, "he watched over you all night, you know. I took over for him not twenty minutes ago."

Linka didn't have to look up, she knew her best friend's voice "Gi?"

"Yes, that's right," Gi's voice was calm but Linka could tell something was wrong when Gi continued, "Do you know where you are?"

"Da," Linka said rubbing her head and lying down, "I guess this is what Yankees call a layover?"

"That's a hangover, Linka," Gi sighed.

Linka turned over on her side, "so, Wheeler told you what happened last night."

"Yes everything," Gi looked away from her friend, "I'm very disappointed in you. You know better than to behave like that."

Linka buried her face in her pillow. She was on the verge of tears "I know, I should have used self control. I'm sorry. I nailed up big time..."

Gi knew she couldn't stay mad at her friend, "That's 'screwed up', Linka," Linka gave Gi half a smile, but Gi wasn't finished, "so, what drove you to drink like that?"

Linka looked back at Gi sitting in the chair across the room with her legs crossed "What are you now, my psychiatrist?"

"No, just a concerned friend," Gi reassured her as she pulled her chair closer to Linka's bedside.

Linka sat on her back and recalled the events leading up to her downfall, "Yesterday, I asked Wheeler if he had kissed that Trish girl when he took that leave to see his father last year. I asked him to be honest. When he said 'yes' I lost control of my temper and slapped him across the face."

Gi only had to fill in the blanks here, "Let me guess, you were so angry you went out on a date with Greg to spite Wheeler."

"You put it that way?" Linka didn't want to think that she accepted a date from Greg just to make Wheeler jealous.

"Now Greg was only after one thing and Wheeler knew it from the beginning so he followed you two and kept a close eye on you as you helped yourself to well over the legal limit of vodka and was even there to protect your dignity by belting Greg a good one and carrying you to this hotel." Gi certainly was 'telling it like it is'.

"Are you a psychic?" Linka asked rubbing her head.

"Wheeler told me most of this. He feels so badly about what happened." Gi could only imagine how badly.

Linka then realized she was in a hotel room, "Bozhe moy" she said covering herself in the blankets and making sure that her clothes were still on, "Wheeler and I...we didn't...he didn't..."

Gi gave her friend a reassuring smile, "Wheeler is not the kind of guy who would take advantage of a drunk girl. Besides I think he was a little turned off when you threw up on him."

Linka laughed a little, but it made her head pound even more. She cleared her throat, "Forgive me, that was not funny. I acted disgracefully as a Planeteer all over Yankee kissing his old girlfriend when there's clearly nothing between him and me. As soon as my head stops pounding I will get back to work and forget this ever happened."

Gi took a deep breath as if she was going to make a very long speech. "Ano sa..." her voice trailed off, but the words echoed in Linka's ears.

Linka had to know what her friend had to say, "Da?"

Gi wasn't sure it was time for her to say these words, but they had to be said, "You don't have to do this to yourself just for the sake of the team. It's not necessary."

"Do what?" Linka asked...as if she had to.

"Linka, I know how serious you are about your work, but you don't have to use your duty as a Planeteer as a reason to shut your feelings away. You and Wheeler have every right to be honest about your feelings. None of us would even think of forcing you two apart. Not me, not Kwame, not Ma-Ti, not Gaia, not even Captain Planet," Gi nodded, "That's right, he understands just as well as any of the rest of us. We're all your friends, Linka. We care. We can't stand to see our friends in pain because they think that a relationship would get in the way of our mission. We all know how you and Wheeler feel about each other."

"Who is 'we'?" Linka asked in a semi-embarrassed tone.

"Everybody and their pet monkey!" Gi laughed.

"Even Suchi, eh?" Linka blushed.

"Honestly, Linka, it's not like Wheeler is as secretive about his feelings as you are," Gi said plainly.

"Da, you can say that again," Linka smiled, Wheeler's affections were quite flattering. Every so often she took pleasure in letting herself admit that, but now was hardly the time, "Wheeler flirts with all the girls."

"Well, why shouldn't he? Obviously you are a lost cause to him." Linka didn't know how to respond to that, so Gi reassured her, "Not to worry, he's not going to give up on you cold turkey. He's very persistent, but that shouldn't be taken advantage of. Can't you see? If you continue to leave your relationship with Wheeler unspoken and refuse to confess your feelings you really have no reason to get jealous or angry when he flirts with other girls. You'll just beat yourself up inside over nothing just like you did last night. So if it really isn't nothing, do yourself a favor and tell Wheeler straight out that his tom-catting hurts you. Once he knows that, I'm sure he'll make you his one and only girlfriend."

So that was the bottom line. Gi certainly was smart, but Linka just couldn't swallow her pride, "Fire and Wind make nothing but hot air."

Gi practically jumped out of her chair, "Now you know that isn't true. In fact, you two are much more powerful together. Haven't you heard? A girl in love is the strongest!"

Linka bolted up. That word was more than taboo, "In love with that braggart, Yankee? Nyet! That is ridiculous."

"So ridiculous that it must be true!" Gi giggled as she pushed Linka backward on to the pillows below her.

"Well, it isn't and it never will be!" Linka tossed a pillow back at Gi.

"Denial is a river in Egypt!" Gi teased as she dodged the pillow.

"This is hardly the time for the geography lesson, Gi." Linka retorted pulling the covers up to her chin indignantly.

Gi gave her friend a knowing wink, "And you have kissed before..."

"Bozhe moy! That Yankee Doodler cannot keep his big mouth shut! When did he tell you?"

Gi laughed to herself, "He didn't. You just did!"

Linka pulled the covers over her mouth, "I guess I stepped right into that."

"You mean you walked right into that, Linka." Gi took her friends hand and squeezed it, "How about this. When you're feeling better take a nice long bath and give these things a thought. You owe it to yourself."

Linka squeezed Gi's hand back, "Da, I will."

"In the meantime, go back to sleep. I'll be right here if you need me," Gi said patting her russian friend's back.

"Gi," Linka said sitting up one more time and opening her arms.

Linka didn't have to say anything, Gi knew, "You're welcome. What are best friends for anyway?" she said as she returned Linka's embrace.

xxxxxxx

Several hours later, Linka finally exited the bedroom of the suite. The creak from the bedroom door opening woke Wheeler out of a deep sleep. Linka stood waiting in the doorway for something to say. When she couldn't find the words, Wheeler volunteered them for her, "Good morning, Sleeping Babe. I thought you'd sleep a hundred years, but you're awake at last." Wheeler sat up on the couch and patted the cushion next to him, "Come on over."

Linka nodded and sat down on the couch with Wheeler. She took a deep breath as if to make a long speech, "Hey, you know..."

"Yeah," Wheeler waited with anticipation.

But Linka's head was still pounding from the hangover, "Nothing, I just..." These were words she just wasn't ready to say. They sat together in silence for a minute or two then Linka turned to Wheeler, "Where was it that I slapped you?"

Wheeler's heart sank but he, nevertheless, answered the question, "Here," he said pointing to his left cheek.

Linka promptly responded by leaning over to Wheeler's cheek and kissing it as if to heal the wound, "I'm sorry."

Wheeler put his arm around her and held her close, "It's okay, Babe. In fact, it's just perfect."

a/n: Originally, this story was going to end here, but I have decided it needs one more chapter so...

To Be Concluded...