December 21

Arliss couldn't wipe the smile off his face as he watched the love of his life talk with her parents, telling them all about her life at the academy. 'Well…maybe not all of it.' He thought, figuring that tales of them living in an abandoned dorm and sex in janitor closets might not be the best topic of conversation when one first met with their parents after a 4 month absence.

"…so then I ordered my monster to attack, and totally took Alexis down!" Nessa said excitedly, sounding very much like the young teen Arliss had met those months ago, "You should have seen it."

"I bet it was a very good duel. And to beat that Alexis…that was the girl you liked, right?"

"I didn't 'like' her mom. She was my idol." Nessa said, forcing the word idol out while also making sure her parents understood that it was all in the past. That her and Alexis… no longer on the same page.

Tony Fox chuckled. "That's putting it lightly." He turned to Arliss. "She had posters made of the girl…"

"Dad…" Nessa warned.

"And don't forget the Alexis Doll." Her Martha chimed in.

"Mom…"

Arliss grinned. "Alexis doll, you say?"

Nessa glared at Arliss. "No one wants to hear about that."

"I think I do." Arliss challenged with a wink. "You wouldn't have it around, would you?"

Martha Fox nodded. "Of course…Alexis, go get your doll."

"It's not my doll anymore. You could throw it away, for all I care. I'm my own idol now. There is no way I am getting that stupid thing." Nessa crossed her arms and shot daggers at Arliss with her eyes.

The King of the Rare Hunters shrugged. "That's alright. A lot more fun things we can be a'doin'. Say, are those photo albums…"

"I'll get it!' Nessa shouted, running to her room to retrieve the Barbie doll she had altered to look just like Alexis Rhodes. Martha and Tony looked at Arliss, who merely smiled

"What can I say? I have a way with women." He looked around the dining room, taking in the warm atmosphere. "This is a…very lovely home." He continued to scan the room, every once and a while pausing at a photo that hung on the walls. Pictures of a young Vanessa standing with her mom at a carnival, of the three of them posing in their Sunday finest, Tony helping his daughter ride a horse. He couldn't help the soft smile that formed on his lips as he looked around the happy environment. Arliss had thought such homes only existed in TV shows.

"Tell us a little bit about yourself, Arliss." Martha said.

Arliss shrugged. "Name's Arliss Lockehart. I'm a duelist at the duel academy, and I'm at the top of my class…"

"We know that." Tony said in an amused tone. "What we really want to know is who is Arliss Lockehart. The man, I might add, that has seemed to have stolen my daughter's heart."

"Leave the boy alone Tony." Martha scolded. "You can't steal what is given up freely."

"The con man's code." Arliss said.

"Excuse me?" Martha asked, confused.

"Somethin' my father use to tell me: 'Con men have only one code: It ain't stealin' if they give it ta ya.'"

"You're father has an interesting way of thinking about life."

"He's a fool and a criminal." Arliss spat. "Lower then dirt, I don't mind tellin' ya."

Martha looked at the young man, surprised at his sudden change in tone and attitude. Beforehand, he had been polite, calm, even a bit teasing when it came to her daughter. But now, Arliss was agitated, shifting around as he looked down at the table, playing with the end of the tablecloth.

"You wanna know about me?" He hissed to everyone and yet no one. "Born in Arlen, Texas. Moved to Buffalo when I was 3, so the cops wouldn't find us. Momma sat on her fat ass all day long, while he ran scams." Arliss stood up and began to pace. "Pirating video, illegal tap action…ok? Had me and my brother out workin' with him when we each turned 5, makin' us watch and learn. Didn't care if we didn't wanna be in that life." He ran his fingers through his hair. "We had to. He wanted us to learn how to take care of ourselves. Taught us that people were stupid. Preached how you can't get somethin' for nothin', that there are costs to power and wealth. Be it your time, your energy, your family, your f---in' soul!

"When I was 7, my old man, he got so piss-ant drunk that he screwed up a con, couldn't remember who he was suppose to be, what he was doin'. You know who he blamed? Me. Said that if I had been smarter, if I had run my cons better, he wouldn't need to go out when he was drunk." Arliss began to pace again, wishing he had a cigarette. Hadn't smoked in 2 years, and now he was about ready to go back to the habit just from thinking about his parents. "You want to know what he does to teach me a lesson? He takes out a butcher knife and begins cuttin' up my arms and chest. Dips the damn thing in salt ta make it worse. Gets so made he tries to stab me. My brother, he steps in and gets a knife in the back for the troubles. The next day, we turned him into the cops, sent my daddy down to Mississippi to spend the rest of the days in a small little cell. Momma went to some nursing home, and me and my brother, who is only 13 at the time, are all by ourselves, homeless and penniless."

Tony and Martha watched the young man infront of them, each not able to fathom what Arliss had gone through. "You had no one to turn to?" Martha asked.

Arliss laughed. "Please. After we turned in dad, none of the family wanted us. Me and Arlen spent the 3 years homeless, wandering this planet looking for our next meal. Luck finally took a turn for the better when I was 10. A rich benefactor named Marik Ishtar decides to give us a lot of cash. Out of the goodness of his heart." Arliss lied. "We were able to get an apartment, Arlen was able to finish school and get a job…he's a smart one, my brother. He helped me get into the academy." Arliss sighed, shaking his head, his voice raw with emotion. "That's my life story…" he forced himself to laugh. "movie of the week material or what?"

Tony and Martha Fox remained quiet, not sure what to say after the long tirade they had just been witness too. Luckily, they were saved from thinking of how to respond when Nessa returned to the room, holding the Alexis doll as if it were the plague. Arliss' face shifted to that of amusement and happiness. He lifted the doll up, commenting on how well Nessa did making it, only to say that he would, 'prefer a Nessa doll, personally.' Nessa blushed, making the southern duelist laugh even more.

"Well, if ya'll don't mind, the jet lag is settling in, and I need some rest. Wake me when it's supper." Arliss gave them a cheerful wave, and headed off to catch a few zzz. He needed to relax after the stress of thinking back upon his past.

After he was out of earshot, Nessa's parents turned to her. "Honey…can we talk?" Tony said.

&&& December 22 &&&

Candace Misawa sighed as she finally stepped out of the airplane terminal and made her way to the baggage. They had been forced to wait an extra day before a flight was available for her and Bastion, and even then it had been a coach flight. Bastion had been complaining about it for the last few hours, and there was nothing Candace wanted to do more then get the hell away from her little cousin.

Unfortunately, Bastion had just the opposite in mind.

"Slow down Candace. There is no need to rush." Bastion said, hurrying to catch up. "They will not have your luggage ready for quite some time. There is no reason to strain ourselves."

'I'm not straining myself, you bloody twit.' Candace thought, biting her tongue. Only a few minutes back in the mother country and already she wanted to kill her cousin. This was not going to be a good trip.

"You know Candace…" Bastion said, with all the air of a teacher scolding their young student. "If you had just put everything in a carryon, we could be leaving the airport now instead of waiting for more useless luggage."

"I couldn't fit everything in my carryon." Candace said as they made their way through the crowds.

"Well, what did you pack?"

"Rocks." Candace said. When Bastion gave her a look, Candace sighed. "Clothing. I brought clothing, Bastion."

"No need to get snippy." Bastion said, crossing his arms. "But maybe next time you won't pack too much." Candace let out a growl and grabbed her bag as he spun towards her, hurrying off to the main entrance, Bastion jogging to keep up. "Slow down…why are you rushing?"

"Because I want to rush. You don't have to baby-sit me, you know."

"I know that." Bastion said. "But father wants me to make sure you are safe."

"I'm older then you, Bastion. I am from London…I can take care of myself."

"It isn't a matter of can or can't. There are other matters here…"

Candace whipped around and glared at her younger cousin. "Like the fact that I am a woman? Need a big strong man to protect me? Little Candace Misawa can't protect herself?"

"I…I never said…"

"Forget it." Candace snapped, hailing a cab. "Let's go."

&&&December 23 &&&

Arliss looked around the mall, then back at Nessa. "Ya sure you ain't gonna need me, darlin'?"

Nessa smiled, kissing Arliss on the cheek. "I'm sure. You go do your shopping, me and mom will buy lots of clothing and talk about boys, and dad will look at power tools. That's the way things work around her."

Arliss stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. "Ok baby. I'll meet ya at the food court in 2 hours."

"Yea yea…" Nessa teased, giving his butt a firm smack. "Get out of here." Arliss grinned and hurried off to get some Christmas shopping done. He still needed to get Nessa a few gifts, and he had decided that he wanted to get her parents something as well, a nice gift for putting him up. He didn't know what, but he hoped he'd figure it out while shopping.

What Arliss didn't know was that the instant he left, Nessa and her parents had turned in the opposite direction and were hurrying into Sears, each with a list of items they needed to get.

"Alright, remember that we need to get as much as we can." Martha said.

"Mom…are you sure you want to do this?" Nessa asked. "It's a lot of money…I could pay for a lot of this. Arliss has given me a debit card to his checking account…"

"No." Tony Fox said. "This is Christmas, and if we want to do this right, we'll pay for it."

Nessa smiled at her father. After he and Nessa's mother had heard about the life Arliss had led, they had asked he many questions. Nessa had told them that Arliss hadn't been exaggerating, and in some places she assumed that he was even not telling the whole truth. She told them about how she had once found him asleep (Not telling them that she had been in the same bed as him) thrashing about violently, whimpering. When she had tried to sooth him, he had begun to talk in his sleep. The conversation he was having in his head had broken her heart.

"No…please no…" Arliss had whispered, his voice sounding like that of a child and not the strong and powerful voice she had grown so use to. "Please stop…I'm a good boy…a good boy…I'm sorry I messed up…please daddy, let me out! Please…I won't do it again…let me out! Let me out!"

He had begun to scream that phrase, over and over, nearly throwing Nessa off of him in the process. It had been then that Nessa decided to enter his dreams, to see what was scaring him. She nearly threw up when she saw what his father had done to him when Arliss was a child.

After doing something bad, or atleast bad in his father's eyes, Arliss' dad had grabbed the little boy and threw him in a same cedar trunk, then locked it up tight. Arliss had been stuck in there for a day, sobbing and banging on the door, promising never to do it again. Nessa had resisted the urge to hug the scared little boy close as he wept, begging for help.

Nessa shook her head, trying to rid herself of the memories. Arliss had woken up the next day with no memory of anything that had happened. Or, if he did remember, he didn't tell her. Since then, Nessa had been carefully looking through Arliss' mind as he slept, learning new horrors.

One of which was that Arliss had never celebrated Christmas. When he was with his parents, there wasn't enough time or money for the holiday. And when he was with Arlen, even after gaining their wealth, neither had wanted to try and celebrate a day so filled with disappointment. Nessa hadn't understood what Arliss meant by that until just yesterday, when her father had found Arliss' wallet on the table and looked through it.

According to his driver's license, Arliss Lockehart had been born of Christmas day. He had never gotten to celebrate his birthday.

This had only strengthened their resolve to do what they had discussed in the dining room the day the two teens had arrived: Throw a surprise Christmas day celebration for Arliss. They planned to go all out: big turkey dinner, stockings over the fireplace, tons of presents, Christmas cookies, Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer…everything. Now, they would add even more: A birthday party with cake, streamers and balloons.

"Alright, Martha, you handle the decorations. Nessa, you grab some gifts, I've got the odds and ends. Remember, we don't want him to know about this."

Nessa smiled at her father, hugging him quickly. "Thank you for doing this." She whispered.

Martha smiled. "The boy deserves some happiness, Vanessa. If we can give it to him…then we are meant to give it too him."

&&&December 24&&&&

Jaden was going nuts.

In the last few days, he had been unable to find anyone. Professor Banner had disappeared to god knows where. Miss Dorothy had kicked him out of the shop and threatened to have him expelled if he scared any more students away. Syrus and Chumley were missing, as was Zane. Professor Stilton had laughed in his face when he had asked for a duel, telling him he was busy with much more important stuff. Everyone else was gone for vacation.

That had led the Slifer to his final option: Professor Alexander Milo.

"Hey Professor?" Jaden asked, knocking on the door. "Was wondering if you'd like to have a duel or 10?" Trying the handle, Jaden found that the door was unlocked, and made his way into the dorm.

He looked around, noticing that there was the remains of a meal sitting on the table, as well as a few bits of clothing littering the ground. Deciding that he should see if Prof. Milo was hiding, Jaden barged into the bathroom and the office, finding no one. Hearing some strange squeaks, he moved to the bedroom and ripped the door open.

"Professor Milo?" Jaden asked, confused.

Alexander Milo looked up from the bed, lifting himself up with his arms. He was naked, barely covered by the sheet. He glared at the young Slifer, wondering how the hell he got into his room.

"What are you doing here?" He demanded.

"Uh…you want to duel? A little Christmas Eve action?"

Milo closed his eyes. "Jaden, I am busy."

"Doing what?"

Milo resisted the wisecrack forming on his tongue. "Pushups…working the upper body and all that."

"Then why are you naked?" Jaden asked, trying to see around him.

"Because everyone knows you can't do pushups with your clothing on." Alexander said simply. "Now run along."

Jaden scratched his head. "You want to duel me after you're done?"

"Jaden…I'm naked and doing push ups. OF course I don't want to duel you, now get out of my damn room!" the young Slifer shrugged and left. Alexander lifted the pillow from underneath him to reveal Samantha, her hair messed up and a glare on her face.

"Go lock the door before that idiot comes in here again."

Meanwhile, in the hall, Jaden found himself coming face to face with Prof. Stilton. The new teacher glared at Jaden, who was looking at him with big puppy dog eyes.

"You want to duel?"

"I'd prefer it if you went and bothered something else."

"come on, let's duel!" Jaden said happily.

"Go away." Stilton gritted out

"Duel…"

"Go away."

"Duel…"

"Go Away"

"Duel…"

"Duel"

"Go away."

Stilton nodded. "Ok then. You're right. Let's do it your way." Jaden grinned and marched off, glad that Prof Stilton had agreed that they should both just go away.

The Professor shook his head. "Huh. And I thought that only worked on Elmer Fudd."

&&&December 25&&&

"SURPRISE!"

Arliss blinked, his vision blurring from having just woken up. He had found himself alone in bed, only to realize that Nessa must have snuck back into her room after a night of cuddling; all PG stuff. But when he had gone to wake her, he had found her gone, and sensed movement in the kitchen. Needing his cup of hot cocoa, he had thrown on his silk robe and toddled downstairs.

Upon reaching the last step, he found himself assaulted by bright paper trains and orbs, along with cries of excitement. The king of the rare hunters itched his head, wondering what the hell was going on.

"Huh?" Arliss said.

"It's a surprise birthday party!" Nessa said happily.

Arliss nodded. "oh…" He stood there for a moment. "Whose?"

Martha chuckled, handing him a cup of cocoa. "It's your birthday."

"I know that. I meant whose party is it?"

Tony looked at his daughter's boyfriend, wondering if this kid could be serious. In the last few days, he had learned that Arliss wasn't all he appeared to be. The young man had been up at 5, while Vanessa was still asleep, ready to help Tony milk the cows and get the animals feed. Then, in the afternoon, he had sat with Martha and discussed the merits of JD Robb and the joys of the latest Stephanie Plum novel. And now, he didn't realize that their party was for him?

Nessa expressed the same sentiment. "Arliss…it's your party."

"…why?"

"Because it's your birthday." Martha said softly. "We wanted to do something special for you." Arliss continued to look utterly confused as Nessa lead him to the living room. "And it's also Christmas, so we are going to unwrap presents, then have breakfast, then look at all our shiny new gifts. Some lunch next, followed by Arliss' Super-Happy-Birthday-Party."

"Super happy…?" Arliss mumbled, before his eyes opened a bit. "I'm getting a birthday party?" He whispered, awe in his voice.

"Glad to see you are with us." Nessa said. "Now come on, it's present time!"

&&&A Few Hours Later&&&

"You do realize I got for you as a gag gift." Nessa said to Arliss as he walked into the kitchen. He had shed his duster and his dress shirt for the new tee that Nessa had bought him from the Steve and Barry's store. The black shirt had a little nerdy guy with blonde hair, buckteeth and glasses swinging a light saber, the words 'I've Joined The Dork Side' emblazed on the top.

"You're just mad because I love it." Arliss said with a laugh. "Though, I have to say, I did like the books your mom got me." He paused, thinking for a moment. "And the Clerks Inaction figures…those were wonderful!" The king of the rare hunter looked up at Martha and Tony as they set about lighting the candles on his birthday cake. "So, what exactly do I do with this thing?"

"Well…" Tony said. "You sit down and we sing the 'Happy Birthday Song'."

"What's the happy birthday song?" Arliss asked, looking down at the cake.

Martha smiled and patted him on the head. All today, Arliss had been like a child, discovering something new each moment. He had asked so many questions about stockings, about the etiquette of unwrapping gifts (ripping the paper off like it was all that mattered was Nessa's personal choice). As he had looked at each present, his face had lit up like the Christmas tree, thanking each of them repeatedly as he got new shirts, books, cds, and other odds and ends.

Of course, he probably got just as excited as they tore into the presents he had gotten for each of them. Somehow, Arliss had known what each of the Foxes would need, and had bought them all the perfect presents.

For Martha, he had gotten a box full of books, from cook books all the way to graphic mysteries. Not just regular books either: Rare, first prints that were sure to be worth a lot in the future. Along with these he had bought her a guide to finding, buying and preserving rare books.

Tony Fox, Arliss had learned, was a skilled craftsmen. He loved working with wood, and could carve and cut as good as that guy on "This Old House". As a result, Arliss had refused to fall into the trap of buying the man woodworking tools.

Instead, he had bought the man books as well, but over such things as metal working through forging, working with plastic and even origami. The one thing that had really caused her father joy was the box full of modeling clay, a brick of each color, and a guide on how to make statues. Martha had also expressed interest, as did Nessa, and Arliss promised to show them all how to do it.

When they had all thought he was through, Arliss had whipped out his big gift: A computer, with easy to follow programs and tutorials as well as already paid for internet access. He had said he wanted the two to keep in touch with them, and the computer seemed like the best way. Of course, they had tried to decline the gift, but Arliss reminded them that it was all coming from the funds provided by the Ishtar family, so it was fine.

'Yea, they're coming from the Ishtar family, except they don't have a choice in the matter.' Nessa thought with a grin, watching as Arliss tried to put on a paper party hat. He was having heck of a time figuring it out, and Nessa wanted to laugh as her helped him put the hat on.

She sobered up quickly when Arliss flashed her mother a shy smile. In that moment, Nessa didn't see her Arliss, the strong king that had helped her become reborn. Instead, he was a little boy, thrilled to have his fist birthday party. It had taken 16 years…16 years for Arliss to finally be able to celebrate his birthday with all happy memories. That thought was what made her want to hug him tight and never let go. The powerful shadow mage, the cunning duelist, the wicked King of the Rare Hunters…had been forged from the pain of a horrible childhood; of being so mistreated that he had envied latchkey kids, for atleast they got keys.

Arliss looked at them after they finished singing the song. "Now what?"

"Now you make a wish." Tony said.

"Oh." Arliss thought hard for a moment, then blew out his candles. The family clapped politely and he blushed, before turning to Nessa. "Can I talk to you in private, before we eat this very nice lookin' cake?"

"Sure." Nessa said, and the two walked into the hallway, away from prying ears. "What is it?"

"Do you want to know what I wished for?" Arliss asked.

"I can't know. Won't come true." Nessa said, ready for more questions about candle rules. Instead, Arliss shrugged.

"Then let's find out if it does come true." He reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. "I had wanted to give this to you to unwrap, but still not sure if your parents are ready for this."

"For what?" Nessa whispered, daring not to hope what Arliss was doing was what she had long dreamed of, ever since she had burst forth from her shadow cocoon and seen his beautiful face.

"Never have a met a woman like you. The power you have, yet you also have such a soft and gently soul. You are the perfect queen, for you can inspire love in your subjects, and fear in your enemies." He shook his head. "Not the most poetic, but it will do, darlin'. The point is…" Arliss got down on one knee, and Nessa felt herself tearing up. "Will ya make me the happiest man on earth today…and grant my birthday wish by agreein' to be my wife?" He snapped the box open to reveal a stunning diamond ring, set gently in the foam of the box.

Nessa couldn't stop the tears now as she nodded. "Yes…oh God yes…yes, I will marry you!" She said it only as a whisper, but to Arliss, she might as well have screamed it, he heard it so clear.

Next Time: The final chapter of the Holiday Arc comes to a close as Arliss and Nessa seek the best revenge against her former classmates at the New Years Ball. Meanwhile, depressed Candace gets a call that manages to make the entire trip more enjoyable. But as we all know, this is merely the calm before the storm.

Episode 25) You Can't Go Home Part 3: Hero

Author's Note: Well, I'm getting these out here. I've been busy with summer jobs and finishing my novel (5 chapters to go!) that I have to take this story a bit slower. Of course, I think going slower on this actually makes it better. And, people reviewing a lot helps convince me to write.

See you next time.