I don't own Yu-gi-oh GX

And it all Ended With a Pearl Part One

"I said a few, a few basic things Jo, how much stuff could you possible need? A toothbrush, comb, and a couple of changes of clothes, that's it. I mean I'm going to be sending all of your stuff first class express so it should get there pretty soon."

"A girl can't survive with only a toothbrush, comb, and a few outfits," snapped Jo as she finished zipping her sixth bag. "I also need my hairdryer, passport, make-up, and at least two more outfits and three more pairs of shoes."

"I'll give you're the passport, and I suppose I can let the hairdryer and make-up pass, but do you really need all these clothes," Zane asked as he prepared to make his second trip down to the taxi.

"I dress according to my mood," Jo replied as she continued to pack.

"Well I certainly hope Jack is prepared because it feels like your going to be awfully moody," Zane mumbled as he headed out the door.

"Very funny Truesdale," Jo called after his retreating head. "You'll miss me and my moody ways when I'm gone!"

"You better miss me you dig lug," she said quietly to herself as she picked up the bag she had finished packing.

It's really funny, Jo thought as she gazed around her apartment, just last week if someone had come up to me and told me that in just a few days I would be on my way to New York with my father I would have shocked them till they passed out. And let's not forget the boyfriend, who would have thought that Zane and I would make a good couple? Oh yeah, Atticus, Jo sighed as she rolled her eyes.

A wave of mixed emotions swam over Jo as she looked at the furniture. It was weird leaving this place; so much of her life had been in this apartment. Under the rug in the living room was the nail polish stain from the first time she had painted her nails black, a huge milestone for a girl like Jo. A fruit stain from the times she had made smoothies could still been seen on the ceiling. The burn marks from the time she had knocked over the Hanukkah candles could be seen in the window. Religion had never been a big part in Jo's life. However, a Jewish couple in America had adopted her mom before she came back to her homeland for college, so where Jo had not been raised to keep kosher or go to temple, her mother had still raised her with some of the Jewish traditions, such as Hanukkah, having the Passover Seder, and keeping a mezuzah on the door. That reminds me, Jo thought as she peered into her bedroom, I should call Zeyde and Bobeshi and tell them I'm coming to America.

"What are you thinking about there sea salt," Zane asked interrupting her thoughts, having returned from his trip to the taxi, as his arms wrapped around her from behind.

"Just contemplating why I'm not going to get my security deposit back," Jo sighed as she leaned back into his embrace.

"Yeah, you are kind of messy," Zane agreed.

"Mmm," Jo breathed.

"And clumsy."

"Mmm" Jo mumbled a little louder.

"And accident prone."

"Okay I think we get it," Jo barked a little annoyed.

"Wait I'm not finished," Zane smiled as he started to nibble and kiss Jo's neck causing her to giggle and twitch.

"And smart," kiss, "and funny," kiss, "and completely wonderful."

"Okay, okay, okay," Jo laughed as she squirmed trying to get Zane off her neck, "stop you're going to give me a hickey!"

"So," Zane said as he continued to try to kiss her neck, "you gave me one back on the couch, it's only fair."

"Yes," Jo said as she turned around, wrapped her arms around his neck, and softly kissed him on the lips, "but you don't have a parent to meet later today."

"Excuses," Zane complained as he rested his forehead on Jo's.

"Sorry tayer, but that's just the way it is," Jo said as she left his hold and headed towards the phone.

"Tayer?" Zane asked. "What does that mean?"

"It's Yiddish for beloved, adorable, dear, extra," Jo explained with a wave of her hand as she started dialing a phone number.

"You're Jewish?" Zane asked as he leaned against the wall next to the phone. "I didn't know that, I've never herd you uses Yiddish phrase before."

"I don't usually use Yiddish and I'm not very religious, but my mother's adopted parents are Jews so some of the traditions still stuck," Jo explained. "I haven't seen them in years and since they live in New York and my mom requested in her will that I be raised here, they weren't able to adopt me after she died. I end up going into foster care. Also, since they were my mother's parents, and I was still angry with her for dying, I did not keep in contact with them very well. Things were just tense and tetchy between us after mom, and neither of us knew how to med things. However, I'll be seeing a lot more of them now that I'm moving to America and I thought I would get back into the habit of using Yiddish. I'm calling them right now."

"Well it's good you'll have some family up there, besides your father I mean," Zane said somewhat relieved that Jo would have loved ones close by to help take care of her, even if they had not had the best relationship in the past. He had been really worried about Jo going off to a completely new country with a man she had just met, despite that he was possibly her father. He knew how hard it was to start a new life when you didn't have any friends or family close by, especially when the friends and family you did have forgot to call or write. Zane signed, wondering how different things would have been if he and Atticus had graduated together and gotten an apartment together like they always planed. Social butterfly Atticus never would have let him wander into the underground or allowed Zane to feel the need to go to the underground. If Atticus had been there, he would have seen how much Zane had needed somebody instead of just assuming he would be all right. Although considering how distant he had always been, Zane was not sure how much he could blame them. He was still unsure about how he was going to reconnect with his friends and his brother, or, even if he would reconnect with them. There were still a lot of unspoken issues between all of them. He guessed he should be happy that his friends were still willing to rekindle with him after how horrible he had been to them, but at the same time, he could not help but think they still did not really understand his feelings. Jo understood him though, and Zane was not going to let a little thing like 'the other side of the world' keep them apart.

"Yes, I would like to place a call to America please, 8675 Timber Dr. Apartment 3-D New York City a Mr. and Mrs. Tannin. Yes I'll hold thank you," Jo said to the operator.

Zane smiled as he watched Jo tap her foot as she waited to speak to her grandparents, and wondered how they would react to their granddaughter's story.

"Hey Zeyde it's Jozette…..Yes I know it's been along time, sorry to worry you….I love you to….Actual I'm coming to America tonight…..Well that's kind of a long story," Jo laughed nervously as she started to tell her grandfather about Jack and about Zane.

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Back to Syrus…

"HONK, HONK, HONK….GET OUT OF THE STREET YOU CRAZY KID!" A trucker called out to Syrus as he darted out into the street. The trucker's words however fell on deaf ears, as the only thing Syrus cared about now was getting to his brothers apartment.

You can't be gone big brother, you just can't be, Syrus thought to himself as he continued to run down the street, ignoring his friends protest to slow down and wait up. He couldn't slow down now, he needed to get to Zane's apartment, he needed to see Zane one more time, he needed his brother to be alive.

Questions kept dashing through Syrus's mind as he continued to dart down the street towards his brother's apartment. What did Anna mean when she mentioned 'bodies'? Had there been some sort of accident in the underground? Why did Tanner have Zane's jacket? What had Tanner meant when he said Hell Kaiser was dead and Jo was gone? Could Tanner have meant that Hell Kaiser had been defeated in a duel, however unlikely that possibility was, or was Zane really lying dead somewhere?

He can't be dead…He just can't be, Syrus shouted to himself as he finally reached the front of Zane's apartment building and thrust open the door and started up the stairs. I'll get to the top of these stairs and make it to Zane's door, Syrus thought to himself as he started to clime the stairs slowing his pace and taking the stair one at a time. This was the defining moment, when he reached the top of these steps he would have the answer about his brother's fate. Syrus could hear the artificial clock of destiny tick and merge with the bonding of his heart as he took step after step up the winding staircase getting closer and closer to his brother's door. The finally tick, and the loudest one so far, seemed to fade off into a devastating silence as Syrus came to stand in front of his brother's door, but for some reason he could not bring himself to open the door. As long as that door stayed closed then he could pretend that none of this was real, but as soon as he opened that door, he would have to deal with the facts that lay hidden behind it, what ever they may be.

"Syrus," Atticus panted as he and the rest of the gang finally caught up with him. "Didn't," pant "you" pant "hear us" pant "calling you?"

"This is Zane's apartment," Syrus said not bothering to answer Atticus's question. "The door will be unlocked; Zane can never remember to lock the door. Mom always said it would be the death of him."

The rest of the gang grew silent as the weight of Syrus's words hit them, behind this door may be the answers to their questions surrendering Zane's absence.

"I'm sure his alright," Chazz committed trying desperately to sound confident. "I mean he's Zane after all, nothing can hurt him."

"Maybe it's that kind of thinking that got us into this problem to begin with," Atticus said as he slowly pushed open the door and strolled into the apartment.

The apartment was rather bright compared to the dark personality of the duelist in question. Many big burgundy rugs covered the cherry oak wooden floors at odd places, and contemporary black and white photographs covered the navy blue walls. A matching set of dark blue chairs and a futon were in the middle of the room facing an entertainment center, and a big old fashion bookcase was pushed up against the sidewall. Playing on the television, which had been left on, was a news story about the gas pump that exploded near 666 Bloodlust Lane.

"Well that explains what Anna was talking about," Bastion said as he turned off the television. "Gas expulsions can be very destructive."

"Zane," Atticus called out his voice slightly cracking as he stepped into the apartment and started searching the apartment with the rest of the gang following, "are you here? When you didn't show up for your duel we became worried…." But Atticus voice faded off it the void as he stepped into the kitchen. Pots and pans had been tossed along the floor including one near the counter that had mixed vegetables slipping out on to the floor. Near the fallen vegetables also laid a knife and a trail of red liquid that lead from the knife to the sink. "Oh my gosh, Zane!" Atticus screamed as he came further into the kitchen and picked up the knife.

"Atticus what is…" Alexis asked as she and the rest of the gang came rushing in following Atticus shouts but her voice faded off as she and the others saw the same scene that her brother had.

"Alright let's not panic," Bastion, said trying to be the voice of reason in what was obviously going to become an alarming situation. "This could just be a cooking accident for all we know."

"A cooking accident," Chazz screamed, "what are you crazy! There's blood everywhere and for all we know Zane could have been killed it that gas explosion or kidnapped or abducted by aliens for all we know!"

"We can't be curtain about anything and rushing to conclusion isn't going to help anyone," Bastion reasoned. "Now what we need to do is remain calm and consider all possible solutions. Now some of us need to head over to the police station because if Zane was at the underground at the time of the explosion then he might have been taken down there for questioning about the incident. The rest of us should head down to the hospital in case this really is just a cooking accident or in case Zane really was kil…Ommm…hurt during the explosion."

"Alright," Alexis said, as she pulled up Atticus who had grown quite just staring at the knife. "Atticus, Chazz, and I will head down to the hospital. Our dad is a really well know surgeon, so the name 'Rhodes' might make things easier. The rest of you head…."

BAM the sound of a body hitting the floor interrupted her directions.

"Syrus," Jaden called hurrying over to his fallen friend and leaning him up in his arms.

"He's okay," Hassleberry reassured as his also leaded down near the fallen duelist and took his pulse. "He just fainted; the emotional stress must have just been too much for him."

"Jaden," Bastion said once again taking control, "you stay here and take care of Syrus, and the rest of us will go ahead with the plan. We'll use our PDA's to keep in touch and keep each other up to date on any know information."

"Right," the others agreed as they got up, exited the kitchen, and headed out the door leaving Jaden to care for Syrus.

"It's okay Syrus," Jaden said as slowly picked up his friend and carried him to the futon in the living room, "I'm sure everything will workout."

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"Excuse me, but do you have a ticket to New York for Jo Tannin," Jo asked the attendant behind the counter at the airport as Zane paid the cab driver and found a cart to carry all the luggage.

"Let me see," the woman said as she fettled with her computer. "That's Tannin with two n's."

"Yes, Jozette Tannin. J-o-z-e-t-t-e T-a-n-n –i –n," Jo replied as she spelled out her name.

"Aaa, here we are. Ticket F45 for Jo Tannin one-way to New York, New York," the attendant recited as she printed out the ticket. "Have a nice flight Ms. Tannin."

"Yes, thank you," Jo sighed as she took the ticket in her hand. This is it, she thought, it is really happening now. I am going to start a new life with my-Wow- father in New York, the Big Apple. It's a whole new life for me.

"Got your ticket," Zane asked as he pushed up the trolley holding Jo's bag.

"Yeah," Jo piped her voice slightly cracking as she held up her ticket, "it's right here."

"Hey, it's going to be okay," Zane said as he came up and gave her a slight kiss as he pushed her hair back. "You'll see," he said leaning his nose against hers.

"It's just all happening so fast," Jo sighted again. "First we both start working on our parent issues, then we start this couple thing, and then my long lost father shows up and wants me to move to New York with him. I'm thinking of selling the rights to some soap opera."

"As long as I'm not played by some Fabio want-to-be that's okay with me," Zane laughed as he kissed her again.

"I'm going to miss you so much," Jo whispered as he leaned against Zane's chest in his arms.

"Hey don't you worry," Zane murmured as he lifted Jo's chin so her eyes met his. "We'll call, write, e-mail, and you can come back here for Christmas and then we can enjoy New Years at Time Square."

"Why is it that your plan only has us seeing each other in December?"

"I was born in December, so I've always been found of that month," Zane replied with a smirk.

"Well, I suppose it will be fun trying to keep you warm during those cold December days," Jo responded with her own smirk as she pulled Zane closer to her and lead in to kiss him once more.

"Why, Ms. Tannin are you trying to seduce me?"

"Always," Jo replied as their lips met in a long deep kiss. And had it not been for the annoying ringing of Zane's cell phone it probably would have continued for a few more minutes.

"I swear, I'm starting to heat this thing," Zane growled as he answered his cell phone.

"Hello,….Wow Ziggy slow down….WHAT! What do you mean you're in jail?" Zane shouted back into the phone.

Ziggy Aston was the first of Shrouds underground recruits, and had shown both Zane and Jo the ways of the underground when they had first started out. He had actual been in the audience during the duels that had 'turned' them. Although he had been the first of Shrouds drafts and had the most experience in the underground, he had rather been the least noticeable of the three. He was an extraordinary duelist, he defeated Jo, although not easily and nearly beat Zane, but he didn't have the same flare and fervor that had made Zane and Jo stand out among the dark duelist. His personality was something of a cross between Atticus and Jaden, although he did have his serious moments.

"Ziggy's in jail," Jo screamed as she tried to stanch the phone.

"Hold on Ziggy I'll be there in a minute," Zane said as he tried to swat Jo's hands away as he closed his phone.

"Well, what's going on? Why is Ziggy in jail?" Jo demanded.

"There was a gas explosion down in the underground. The whole arena has been destroyed. A few people have been taken to the hospital and the police are holding everyone else because they think an underground duelist may be responsible. He needs me to bail him out."

"He'll need a place to stay to," Jo sighed. "He lived down in the underground; he doesn't even have an apartment."

"I guess he'll just have to stay with me," Zane signed as he put his phone away. "I just can't believe I have to say goodbye already, I wanted to wait until your plane left."

"It's okay Zane," Jo sighted as she wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. "Besides, with airport security nowadays, I'm not sure how far you could have gotten without a ticket. Go take care of Ziggy and tell him goodbye for me."

"I love you Jo," Zane murmured as he kissed her again. "Be brave okay, it's time you stopped being salt."

"I love you too, Zane," Jo said as a few tears fell from her eyes as the man she loved gradually pulled away.

Slowly the couple parted, each turning to go their own separate ways, but knowing in their hearts that they would never really part.

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Sorry it took so long to up-date, school has been heretic. This was supposed to be the last chapter but it became so long that I decided to split it between two chapters. Therefore, the question remains what happened to Zane between saying goodbye to Jo at the airport and the gang finding blood in his apartment. All will be explained in the next chapter, so don't worry. Well thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please review.