Keeping watch from his window in the early hours of matin,while he also had to try to keep from falling asleep,Jake couldn't help replaying the last few events of the day in his mind.Not only had he been accused of what his clone had done but he had also hurt just a couple of people who were close to him,after a search party had been sent out to scour for Yang,the real Jake was under house arrest;to where he was magically bound from leaving home,all the while his grandfather was in the hospital,his friends probably didn't know what to make of him,the girl he loved was at the milestone with her two lifes and he might never be trusted again.

"Hi Jake,are you still up?"Haley's small and calm voice reached his ears.

"The question is,why are you?You're suppose to be in bed."He told her without much enthuse to strike up conversation,not having to even try to keep from moving his drowse-filled eyes towards her."Are they home?"

"I heard them go into their room a couple of minutes ago but I really don't understand how Grandpa could have bumped into one of the shelves at his shop and knocked down some of his merchandise onto himself."She went on skeptically,coming over to seat herself beside her brother in front of the window seal."You've been here for six and half hours,"her sable eyes turned to him."The recommended amount of sleep is precisely 8."

"Please tell me you have something better to tell me then that."

"N-n..."The young girl stammered in a faint,almost frightened voice."Yes."

Curious at her change of tone,Jake glanced down at her and noticed with surprise that her eyes were pooling with tears."Haley,"he dropped to his knees,putting his hand on her shoulder and asked her gently."What is it?"

"Our parents,"she explained in a trembling voice."They're downstairs and you're clones down their too...Jake,he's captured them both downstairs."

"When did he get here?"His voice and eyes were marked by solemness.

"About four minutes ago."Haley's voice strengthened as she went on with telling him in an informative manner."I was just going down there to ask them something and there were three of himself there to block all our ways out.He told me to come and get you...for,for a formal surrender."

Jake's rising suspicion intermingled his flaring anger."How do you know?"

"Sun Park mentioned it a couple of days ago."She explained to him in an almost average voice but right before he left to go downstairs,he felt Haley rush up to him and encircle her arms around his waist."Be careful around him."her words dropped again in fear."I felt how powerful he is."

His first instinct was to tell her to release him but instead he only returned a brief hug and told her in a calm,confident voice;eyes softening."I know how strong he is but believe me when I say it's gonna be alright.All I want for you to do is lock yourself in this room and stay in here,understand?"

Haley wiped at her still partially glistening and nodded."Understood."

Pushing back some memories that surfaced,Jake made his way out into the hallway,his mind was wracked with doubt that he could pull off a very successful rescue without someone other then Yang getting hurt but his gripping resolution to make him pay for putting those he loved in danger as well as those Yang had tried to trick was the only thing keeping him going.It was the only thing that gave Jake the power to endure this beast.

But just as Jake was ready to pass the wall that was obscuring his vision from the living room,he felt two feet planting hard down into his back and was knocked into the front wall.Ducking as Yang came down for another strike,he changed as he caught him by the tail but before he could act,a Yang clone came from the hallway and restrained the struggling dragon so that Yang could regain his composure and begin to talk with him.

"Didn't mean to forget to knock first,"he turned to Jake with a sneer parting his dark crimson muzzle."But I thought I'd let myself in considering the fact that we share parents.Oh,and that reminds me...here they are."

He emitted a whistling noise by inserting two of his talons to his lips that summoned two of his clones from the kitchen,whom came forth with his parents,both of them bound with rope and had duck tap stretched across their mouths.Jake noticed briefly that his father had a blindfold on but he was too busy glowering at his worser half;trying to think of a plan to fight.

"My sister already told me what you want."The American Dragon cut him off before he could continue on,his voice steady and noble opposed very to the wrath he felt burning inside."And then I'm guessing you'll let'em go."

"That would be pretty obvious,wouldn't it?"Yang replied back with a now detectable undercurrent of evasiveness."But no,actually,I'll let you're mom and sister live if you renounce you're title as America Dragon,tell me you hate that hot blond babe and that you know she deserves me and also that you're beneath me on every level.Then,since I'm so merciful ,I will let you're demise be quick and mostly painless.What do you say,Yin Jake?"

Jake was utterly at a loss for words,when he had thought that everything could not have turned out more horribly,here all of his family's lifes were in the balance because of him.Rose might've released him but he was the one who had created Yang.All of a sudden,it didn't matter to him if he did not ever pass another test in his life or remember any of the times he had had as the American Dragon,it didn't even matter to him if anyone (even Rose) ever wanted to see him again.He just wanted everyone to live.

"I-"He began to sound out hesitantly,avoiding the esurient glare that Yang bore into him,as his own eyes connected with his mother's rather soulful ones;Jake knew both his parent's could hear him doing this,he wouldn't be surprised if the whole world knew."I surrender over my title as the..."

There was a tapping sound over on the window which caused him to trail off and when he flicked his coal eyes over towards it,saw with availment Fu Dog pointing to someone off to his side.The next thing Jake saw was Yang squinting hard over at the transparent square and then back over on him but of course Jake made it a point to form a wooden expression.

"Is there something you wanna tell me?"His doppleganger inquired him in a low,growling tone as he approached Jake,evidently starting to get mad.

"Yeah,in fact."An immodest grin crossed his countenance."That though you may be a lot of things more then me,though you may be a somewhat more powerful dragon then me..."he continued on in a serious note."All of the things,people,privlages,I didn't get because I stole them or because I forced them to me.I have a lot of things in my life because I earned them."

"Well,not anymore."Yang scoffed in his face and then asked."So,tell me exactly what you're point is again?Why are you telling me all these useless things that you don't and will never have again?Tell me so I can destroy-"

"You're jealous."Jake countered back knowingly."Simply putting it,you're just trying to ruin my life so that you can have one.You hate me,yeah.But you also want what I have."he quirked a brow."I'm right,aren't I Yang?"

Before anyone one them could say anything else,the clunking sounds of what sounded like metal objects hitting something twice sounded and caused the two to veer their gazes over to where Spud and Trixie stood rather triumphant-looking over the fallen Yang clones,Spud with an iron cooking pan in his hands and Trixie with a steel bat in her hands.

Yang was about to make a move over to them,when Haley flew down from the staircase and was about to drap what appeared to be a sphinx net over him when he caught the squirming little dragon by her arms.

"I told you what would happen if you double-crossed me,little girl."

"Um..."Haley ceased her movements and appeared to be peering up over at something behind him,her pink facial features parting with an innocent smile."I really don't think you should stand their Mr. Anti-Jake person."

"And why not?"Yang questioned her smirkingly."It's not like...wait!You-"

But before he could finish his sentence,Jake witnessed as Sun Park came down hard on Yang with her fist and sent him a ways.His attention then returned to himself as his friends had already gotten his parents to a safer place and were going to work at coming up threateningly to the dragons that had a hold on him.The two exchanged nervous glanced and released their hold on him,backing out of the way as the two teens advanced.

"Were..."Trixie began in a remorseful tone,lowering her makeshift battling weapon of choice."Were so sorry we didn't..."her eyes dropped."Can-?"

Jake took in how shamefaced they were and told them quickly."Guys,I get how sorry you are for whatever and you shouldn't be..."he tried his best to see around them both but finally settled on explaining calmly."We can sort all this out later but you guys need to go and get somewhere that isn't it the wake of this freak.Alright?I'll be fine.I can handle him no prob."

"Come,Trixie."Spud placed a hand on her shoulder,sounding philosophic as he did."We all have our own roads to follow.For Jake,it is having one final match with his ill-intentioned other,for us,it's living to see another day where we don't get nearly get killed."he grinned sheepishly."But sorry."

Rolling her umber eyes,she gave Jake a reassuring look."We know you'll put the hurt down harsh on this guy,just do you're best like always."

"I will."He nodded in correspondence and watched as they left the house with Sun Park gesturing them forward."So..."his focus turned to her as she looked straight at him."I guess were lookin' at a good old fashion tag team take down up in here,right?Me and you versus my evil clone?"

But she merely chuckled softly and shook her head."No,Jacob.This will be you're and Yang's final battle.You're family and everyone else are safe now,he's out of the ability to produce dopplegangers for now,it's all up to the American Dragon to go through with this.We may have lost faith with you before."she turned briefly troubled but then continued on promisingly to him."Never again will you be doubted,Jake.It's you're time to shine."

A smile crossed his face as he watched everyone else leave and turned back to a recovering Yang,who seemed just as furious as he had been but now Jake was cool and in control of the situation.

Whilest the two of them locked eyes,he knew what he would be fighting for from now on would never be for revenge or even for glory...it would be for always for those who needed him.And even though Jake had learned that the hard way in the last five days,he knew now more then ever who he was and who it was he had to defeat,his ultimate nemesis.

To Be Continued...

A/N:I believe were looking at two more chapters after this.ttylz til' then.

LP