JC: I've finally finished this! This was supposed to be up a few days ago, but I decided to scrap the first draft and write from scratch. I just felt that this was better. I'm really pleased with the reviews I'm getting. Reviewers, thanks so much for the support! You guys are my motivation. Anyway, you'll be seeing some of Jaden's old buddies here, as well as Atticus' fiancée. A GX manga character will only get a mention here. Alexis' girlfriends are gonna be here too!
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, people, or its characters, but the plot is mine. All rights belong to Kazuki Takahashi.
White Vow
Turn 12: Something's up! New Trial to face?
If there was one thing Alexis despised about early mornings, it was seeing her brother so cheerful. Seriously the man was up drinking all night and he still managed to look brand new for the day. It was the same for her mother, who was a morning person herself. Mother and son was sure a bundle of energy.
"A good morning to you, Lexi!" greeted Atticus when Alexis sat down at the table.
Flatly, she said, "Morning…"
"Hey, don't I get a smile this morning?"
All he received was a sharp glare. "I shouldn't have let you party in my room all night," she muttered. "You even forced Jaden to drink and he's still knocked out."
"You'll feel a whole lot better when you drink your coffee," Atticus said, carefully pushing a mug of coffee to her.
Alexis rolled her eyes. "Whatever…"
"Someone's in a foul mood," a female voice spoke up.
Recognizing the voice, Alexis immediately turned to the doorway and saw two of her good friends. "Jazz?Mindy?"
Jasmine, otherwise known as Jazz, was an Obelisk Blue graduate with auburn colored hair and grey eyes. She wore a light green tank top with white linings and blue shorts, as well as a pair of white sneakers. Jasmine was quite the haughty student when Alexis first met her, but she has steadfast loyalty towards her friends. Standing right beside her, wearing a carnation pink sundress with a bow behind, was the cute and adorable Mindy, who sported long black hair, which was tied in a ponytail, and dark round eyes. She can be an airhead at times, yet she was very friendly. Both of them were Alexis' closest female friends back at the academy, and they were currently in-training to become teachers for Duel Elementary School.
"Don't we get a hug?" Mindy said, feigning a pout.
Alexis smiled as she stood up. "It's great to see you two again." When she walked up to them, they received her with a warm, friendly embrace. "I'm glad you could make it."
Jasmine and Mindy were all smiles. "Wouldn't miss it for the world," they said in unison. They had missed Alexis so much and it was such an honor to get invited by her mother.
"Well, now, it just brings a smile to my face to see my favorite blue girls again," Atticus said, arms wide and open.
Jasmine's and Mindy's eyes turned into hearts at the sight of Atticus' handsome face. "Oh, we've missed you so much, Atti!" they exclaimed as they stuck to him like stickers.
Alexis palmed her face. "Boy-crazy as usual…" she muttered under her breath. It was a sweet reunion while it lasted.
"Still a ladies-man I see…" another female voice spoke all of a sudden, and it was a voice Atticus recognized so well that made him freeze up like a statue. "That part of you will never change."
The brunette man swallowed hard before hesitantly peering over his shoulder. Alexis seemed to have grown nervous too as she pulled Jasmine and Mindy away from him.
"Alexis?" Jasmine said in exasperated tone. "What are you—"
"You seriously do not want to get on her bad side," Alexis cut her off, making them blink in curiosity.
Atticus could hardly contain his gasp as he faced the owner of the voice. She was a woman of peerless beauty with a tall, statuesque figure similar to a model's. She has short, blonde hair that touches her shoulders, which perfectly suits her blue eyes. She wore a blue split tie vest, featuring a scoop neckline, sleeveless styling and knotted tie detailing to the sides, as well as white shorts.
"Long time, no see, Atti," the woman greeted in an icy tone. Her arms were crossed over her large chest.
A bead of sweat trickled down the side of Atticus' face. "M-Mac!" He spun on his heels to fully face her, but he had a rather nervous expression. "Hey, there! How are you?"
The moment Alexis saw the evil glint in Reggie Mackenzie's eyes, she grabbed Jasmine's and Mindy's hand and dragged them away. "Come on, I'll show you to your room," she said.
"Huh?" Jasmine muttered.
"But what about Atticus? And who was that girl?" asked Mindy.
"Oh, her? Well, she's none other than—" Alexis abruptly paused when they heard a loud SMACK from the dining room. She then sighed. "She's Atticus' fiancée…"
Jasmine and Mindy couldn't help but gasp in surprise.
Atticus rubbed his poor, sore right cheek as his fiancée, Reggie Mackenzie, stepped onto the terrace to admire the amazing view before her. The beautiful garden below was radiating with various colors so pleasing and attractive. But none was more attractive than the blonde woman he loved so much.
"You can still pack a punch, Mac," he said, trying to lighten the mood.
"Oh, are you suggesting I'm a brute?" she asked him cheekily. She giggled at the troubled expression on his face and moved forward to place a hand over his sore cheek. "Honestly, you're a handful. I'm sure Alexis is fed up with you by now," she said, watching his dark eyes intently.
Atticus removed her hand from his cheek and pressed a kiss on her palm. "My little Lexi never gets tired of me…and you too…" he said.
Reggie gave him a small grin. "You're in way over your head," she replied, pulling her hand away, as she turned to the view again. Her eyes darted all around the garden and a glimmer of yellow made her do a double take. "Isn't that Alexis? And who's that guy?"
Leaning against the railing, with elbows plopped on it, he looked at the couple talking about cards and duels by the tulips. "The guy's Jaden Yuki. He's Lexi's fiancé."
Reggie looked at Atticus with a raised brow. "So, he's the one you told me about in your e-mail," she said, focusing her eyes back on the couple. "Jaden Yuki…A Slifer Red graduate yet he's one of the top duelists. Hmm…I don't see how they're together. They look kind of mismatched."
"Hey, I used to think we were mismatched until I fell in love with you," he said.
The blonde smiled and nodded her head. "I guess I shouldn't judge someone so easily. He is the guy Alexis loves after all…"
"Jaden's a great guy and I trust him."
She gave him a brief look and shrugged. "What about your father? According to you, Jaden's no son of a hot shot in the business world. He's no high-class celebrity either. He's just your regular, average guy with mad dueling skills."
"You forgot the part where he has a powerful card spirit inside him," he said, grinning like an idiot.
"Putting that aside for now…I don't think your father will just sit quietly."
"I won't let him have his way."
Reggie sighed. "Just don't do anything reckless or stupid for that matter." She spun on her heels. "I have to go unpack my things."
"Your room's right beside Lexi's, right?"
"No visiting at late hours, got that?"
Atticus grimaced. "Why not? I know you want me."
"Pervert," Reggie said, rolling her eyes.
"Mac, you know, you've grown more beautiful since the last time I saw you," he said. His cheeks flushed a little red. "Even when we were kids, you were always so pretty."
Such compliments usually wouldn't have an emotional impact, especially coming from her friends and family. True, she'd feel flattered, but she would accept those compliments with poise. But whenever Atticus says it, her heart would start racing and her mind would get a little disoriented. "Y-You don't have to tell me what I already know," she said, trying to hide her blushing.
"You're more beautiful than any girl I've met, apart from my sister and mom of course," he said with a chuckle.
"This coming from a playboy?" she asked sarcastically.
"But you trust me, don't you?" He lightly stroked her face with his finger, gracing her with a handsome smile.
"That goes without saying," she said, returning a smile.
What happened next had everything to do with their resonating hearts and his own personal wish. He leaned forward and claimed her soft, luscious lips that he longed for. It was pure joy to have her in his arms once again.
Jaden felt like crap when he got out of bed earlier. He swore never to invite Atticus over for a slumber party again. The guy could sure party all night, drinking to no end, and he'd still not get drunk. Well, Atticus did get woozy past 3 AM, according to Alexis. The girl tried her best to stop her brother from forcing a drink on Jaden, but he insisted. Jaden was only seventeen. Atticus knew that and yet he wanted Jaden to experience the taste of adults. At least, Jaden now knew what it felt like to have a hangover. It wasn't cool at all, he thought, though the tequila and vodka didn't taste that bad.
"I guess I was out of my league," Jaden said, involuntarily slumping against Alexis. "Man, I don't even have the appetite for breakfast. And I love BREAKFAST!"
Alexis shifted her feet to maintain balance as he leaned on her. "The coffee didn't help much either," she said with a sigh.
He straightened, trying to put on a good face for his girlfriend, as he said, "You mentioned something about your brother's fiancée a while ago. Is she here right now?"
"With Atticus obviously," Alexis replied. She felt like laughing after seeing Atticus' scared look on his face when Mac caught him flirting with Jasmine and Mindy. "Oh, by the way, Jasmine and Mindy are here too. They're in their room unpacking their stuff."
"Those two? Wow! I bet you were real happy to see them again. Those girls were like your sidekicks at the academy," he teased with a boyish grin.
Alexis giggled. "They're gonna kill you if they heard that."
"Have you told them about us?"
After dragging them away from the dining room, telling them about Atticus' fiancé, and escorting them to their rooms, Jasmine and Mindy went full blast with the girl talk. She was bombarded with topics like the latest fashion trends, new hotties on the Pro League, and new crushes. Then they started talking about their teacher-training. They were proud to say that they were getting better as Duelists too. Jasmine and Mindy were certainly in full bloom with their dreams and future careers, being so dedicated and passionate. It was a surprise that they haven't talked about getting a boyfriend yet.
"I didn't get the chance to tell them."
"You think they'd be cool with it?"
Alexis recalled how much Jasmine and Mindy supported her when she was paired up with Jaden in the Tag Duel competition. They have this matchmaking senses going on, saying that she and Jaden were the perfect match. "Absolutely," she replied.
"Hmmm…I wonder when the others will arrive."
"Most of them will be arriving this afternoon. Dad will be here for the party too."
Jaden sighed. "Naturally…Because it's his wife's birthday. But I'm not afraid of him."
Alexis smiled. "Dad may want to cause problems between us, but I want to be with you and I have resolved to not give him the chance to break us apart," she said in a confident tone.
Jaden smiled back and nodded, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and leaning over to kiss the corner of her mouth. "I won't give him a chance either."
A maid came up to them, carrying a phone in hand, and Alexis quickly pulled away and straightened herself. She bowed her head first before speaking. "Miss Alexis, it's a call from Master David. I've put him on hold."
Alexis gritted her teeth. "What does he want?"
The answer came from a voice above them. "My brother got invited too, you know. But, knowing him, he'll just come here with the express purpose to see you."
Alexis looked up to see Atticus and Reggie standing on the terrace. "So I have to deal with him too? This is gonna give me a migraine." She let out an exasperated sigh as she grabbed the phone from the maid.
Jaden raised an inquiring brow. Judging from the look on Alexis' face, this guy was no friend of hers yet she doesn't seem to have any resentment toward the sister. And Alexis was right about Reggie Mackenzie. She was a real beauty, though he still held Alexis in high regard when it comes to the looks department.
"I'd rather not talk to him," Alexis said, lobbing the phone toward Reggie, who caught it with ease.
"There was really no way for me to stop him from coming," Reggie said with a sigh.
Alexis nodded. "I know. He's still your brother, so I understand."
"I'm taking this call inside," Reggie said, turning on her heel. "This might take a while." She then headed inside her room.
"Is there something I should know?" Jaden asked Alexis.
Alexis bit her lower lip, lowering her gaze to the ground. "I…I don't want to talk about it for now…" she muttered under her breath.
"Lex…"
"Can I ask you to wait until she's ready to tell you, J?" Atticus said.
Jaden looked up at Atticus and saw a very concerned expression on his face. Perhaps she had a very unpleasant past with Reggie's brother, he thought silently, and maybe that was the reason why she's hesitating to tell him. There was the possibility that David might have physically hurt Alexis in some way, but he knew better than to jump to conclusions. He was very curious, but he needed to respect her wishes and be patient. "I understand…" He titled her chin with his finger, making her look at him. "I'll wait until you're ready to talk," he assured her, granting her a warm smile.
Alexis almost let her tears escape, but she held them in and smiled at him. "Thank you, Jaden."
"Someone's been real busy with a certain Slifer Slacker," said Jasmine, the minute she entered Jasmine and Mindy's room. Both girls were sitting on one of the twin beds.
"Oh, Alexis, do tell how you two got together," Mindy asked.
Alexis shrugged and sighed. "Did Atticus go and open his big mouth again? I was the one who was supposed to tell you."
Mindy giggled. "Said he couldn't help it because this is just too good to be true."
"We knew you were into him," Jasmine said, crossing her legs. "And I guess it took Jaden a long time to realize his feelings for you."
"But we're really happy for you, Alexis," Mindy added.
Alexis smiled. She really appreciated her friends' support for their relationship. They weren't fond of Jaden at first, but they had eventually warmed up to him as time went by in the academy.
"You two are a match made in heaven," Mindy said, shaking a pink portfolio in her hand, which contained some photos. "The pictures say it all."
Raising a curious brow, Alexis asked, "Pictures? Pictures of what?" Somehow she had a strange feeling about them.
Jasmine gave her the look. "Pictures of you and Jaden, duh! Atticus took them while you guys were on your little date in the forest," she explained, taking out five different pictures of Alexis and Jaden together in the flower field.
Alexis shook in completely frustration as her hands fisted. The deadly look on her face signaled Mindy to hide the photos away immediately. "He's officially a stalker now," Alexis said in a controlled voice.
"So…intimate," Jasmine said, smiling mischievously.
Rolling her eyes, Alexis folded her arms in front and shrugged. "That was our first date." She glared down at the portfolio and let out a heavy sigh. "I think having a brother like him is worse than any paparazzi out there."
"But these pictures are gold," Mindy said with much appreciation. "Don't throw them away, okay?"
"Even though I wanna kill the photographer, I'm not that heartless to throw away memorable photos like that," Alexis replied, sighing once again.
"Judging from those photos, I can say that Jaden's a sweet boyfriend," Jasmine said, resting her cheek on her palm. "Damn…Now I want a boyfriend…"
"Me too!" Mindy exclaimed cheerfully. "But, seriously, you've got to tell us your love story. I'm dying to know."
Reluctant as she was to talk about romance, it took only a few seconds to cave under her friends' look. Alexis told Jasmine and Mindy everything, from their unexpected encounter in Domino City, to their little friendly dates, to her unusual plan to fool her father, and to the confession part. "It's nothing like the love story you'd expect."
Mindy let out a dreamy sigh. "No, it was pretty romantic and totally cute!"
"Jaden's a nice guy and he's so lucky to have you," Jasmine said. "Your fanclub is gonna shed tears once they find out."
"Hmm…That got me thinking…What if Jaden and Alexis became boyfriend and girlfriend back at the academy? You think things would be different?" Mindy asked.
Alexis shrugged off Mindy's words. "Jaden and I were just good friends. How could I possibly know if we were even romantically compatible?" she said, easing into the chair in front of a study desk.
"To be completely honest with you, I used to think you and Zane were compatible," Mindy said with a wink. "I mean, you two were pretty close, the royalties of Obelisk Blue!"
"Zane's hot, you're hot, you both have talent, and he was always willing to help you out. Zane's a dreamboat. If that's not good man material, I don't know what is," Jasmine explained, her eyes turning into hearts, as she imagined Zane in her head.
"Zane is my brother's best friend, and I looked up to him like a brother," Alexis told them, avoiding their eyes. "Zane became my pillar of support when my brother disappeared."
"And you never fell for him?" Jasmine questioned.
The blonde opened her mouth to answer but stopped herself for a moment. "I…I never fell for him," she assured them. "Besides, I already have Jaden."
"You really love Jaden, huh?" Mindy said with a giggle.
Alexis genuinely smiled. "Jaden's the one."
Outside the room, leaning against the door, Atticus tapped a finger against his lips thoughtfully. Alexis simply brushed off the thing with Zane too easily, and he had a feeling that this may bring up problems. For now he would leave it alone. He really didn't mean to eavesdrop. He wanted to have a good chat with the girls for a while. But when he heard them talking about Zane, he didn't have the drive to waltz right in. Zane had also been invited to the party, and Reggie's brother was going to be there as well. With the inclusion of his father, he wasn't sure if things will go well for all of them.
"Gotta talk to Mac to see if she can come up with a plan," he said to himself before he threaded down the hall. As he climbed down the stairs, the main door began to open, revealing a group of individuals that he was so well-acquainted with. Atticus quickly put on a smile on his face. "Sy! Hassleberry! Jesse!"
"It's been a while," Syrus greeted the brunette.
Syrus Truesdale, also known as Sy, was a small bespectacled boy with light blue-green hair sectioned in three layers. His large grey eyes were positioned between the three bangs closest to this face. He was wearing a long-sleeved yellow jacket, a detailed green neckerchief over a grey shirt, and deep green pants with a pair of cream-colored boots. An Obelisk Blue graduate with a deck full of Machine-type monsters, Syrus recently made his official debut in the Pro League. Initially a Duelist lacking in self-confidence, Syrus made a great journey towards strengthening himself. His careful and modest nature was a sharp contrast to his best friend Jaden's exuberant character.
"Tyranno Hassleberry, reporting for duty, commander! I'm geared up and ready for the party," a tan-skinned muscular man said, placing both hands on his hips, as he smirked. He wore a bandanna featuring a dinosaur face on his head. He also wore brown wristbands, a dark-green vest over a black sleeveless shirt, and beige combat pants with a dinosaur belt buckle, along with a pair of combat boots. He used to be a Ra Yellow Student, but got promoted to Obelisk Blue when he became a senior. He was presently the Head Representative of the Seniors. "So, where's Sergeant Yuki?" he asked.
"Don't tell me he's somewhere dueling again?" the last person said.
Jesse Anderson was a young man with unruly emerald-blue hair and striking green eyes. He wore a black V-neck shirt with patterns similar to the Rainbow Dragon monster, a white wristband on his right and a silver bracer on his left arm. He wore blue straight-cut pants and silver boots. He was just as excitable and optimistic as Jaden and they share the same ability to see Duel Spirits, but he was more sensitive and thoughtful than Jaden and can be somewhat shy.
"Guys, great seeing you again and welcome to my humble abode!" Atticus exclaimed energetically. "Jaden's somewhere around here and I'm sure he'll pop out eventually. You guys must be tired from the long trip. Why don't I show you to your rooms?"
"Sweet place you got here, Atticus," Jesse said, looking around, simply awed by the extravagance of the place. "And I reckon our rooms are gonna be incredible, just like one of those suites in fancy hotels."
"I can't wait to see my room," Syrus said, "but I wanna see Jaden and Alexis again."
Atticus knew that they were going to be so surprised when they find out about the whole fiancé thing. He actually wanted to tell them right there, but his sister would probably kill him if he did. "You'll see them soon. Now follow me," he said, turning on his heel.
"It's been years since I've been to this place."
Atticus paused at the sound of a new voice. He looked down at the floor, frowning at the negative thoughts in his head. He sincerely hoped things wouldn't get messy. Forcing a smile on his face, he turned around and came face to face with an old friend. "Hey there, Zane."
To be continued…
JC: Sorry, guys, no Chazz yet! Don't get me wrong? I love THE Chazz to bits and I really wanted to include him in this chapter at first. But I got this idea in my head and I want to incorporate that in the next chapter. You'll get to see Chazz and David next. I did manage to introduce Jesse, Syrus, and Hassleberry here, and, of course, Zane. I'm sure you guys are curious about what happened between David and Alexis, right? Oh, by the way, David and Reggie are canon characters from the GX Manga. I've always wanted to include them in this story and finally got the chance. Reggie is Atticus' fiancé here. I do support the pairing ever since the GX manga ended. I think they have chemistry. That's all I can for now. Tell me what you think. Review! Review! Not one speck of flame please.
