A/N: Ok, last chapter kinda sucked now that I re-read it. It's so hard to keep these things up. I'm afraid to say this story won't be much longer. I'm not sure how many chapters there will be left. Could be one. Could be three. I don't know. Anyway, enjoy and please review! (I think I'm trying too hard, ick.)

Disclaimer: I do not own GX or the Shadow Realm.

Chapter 4

Kuriboh cooed urgently, awakening Jaden from his sleep. He jumped up, realizing he'd shirked his duties. Once more, he thought of Alexis. It sure had been a long time since he'd seen her. Unfortunately, the demons were still surrounding the barrier, and by the looks of it, they weren't giving up. He looked desperately at Kuriboh.

"What do you think we should do?"

Kuriboh cooed in response and floated over to the barrier.

"Kuriboh--wait, what are you doing?"

Kuriboh gurgled happily as though to tell Jaden not to worry. He exited the barrier and began to shoo the demons away as he floated off into the fog.

"Wonder where he's going? I guess now I'll have to try to hold this thing open with only my energy. I sure hope Kuriboh knows what he's doing."

Jaden leaned back and sighed. It was certainly not going to be as easy as he'd hoped. He was positive they could get out, but he wasn't quite sure how they'd do it. He didn't even know where Chazz or Alexis were. Hopefully, Kuriboh would find them. In the meantime, however, he would just have to sit there and wait.

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Alexis cradled Chazz in her arms, stroking his hair. She bit tears back, trying to be brave. It wouldn't be much longer before he was gone. She could already feel his soul seeping away. He, as well, was trying to be brave for her sake, but she could see the fear in his dark eyes. He knew he wasn't going to make it.

"I'm sorry." She muttered, lowering her head in shame, "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," he told her for the thousandth time, "It's Ok."

She held her tongue, preventing the stream of constant apologies. They were only going in circles. He already knew she was sorry. He didn't need to spend the last moments of his consciousness consoling her. Realizing this, she decided she needed to stop being so selfish. She should distract him. Quickly, she tried to think of something else to say.

"So, Chazz, um, what's your favorite thing to do?" She mentally slapped herself at how senseless the question was.

He thought for a moment. "I like to pick on the slackers."

She hung her head. "Other than that."

"Ummmm…..I like….to sleep."

"Do you even have a hobby?"

"I….duel."

"We all do."

"Oh. Well, then, I like to…sit around and pretend to be busy hoping someone will come talk to me, but not making it too obvious that I want a friend because I'm the Chazz and the Chazz doesn't need friends and anyway if someone did talk to me, it'd probably be that Slifer slacker Jaden and I'd tell him to get lost and I'd just shoot down any attempts to be friends because I don't want to get to close to anyone because my best friends turned on me and everyone always turns on me."

She sat there, head spinning. He'd talked so fast, it almost didn't register. If he had been alive, he probably would be out of breath by now.

"Um, Ok." She said awkwardly, "So…who were your best friends?"

"My brothers." He muttered, "Well, that is, until we grew up."

She took pity on him. He really couldn't trust anyone. Especially since his so-called friends had dumped him once he'd been demoted.

"Well, for someone that doesn't want to give away much information, you're sure letting me in."

He looked sheepish. "Well, that's only because I'm gonna…."

Remembering the how dire the situation was, both fell silent.

At that moment, Alexis heard a soft, faint coo from beyond the fog.

"What was that?"

"Sounds like slacker's little dust bunny."

"Which is….?"

"Kuriboh."

It was then that Ojama Yellow unexpectedly appeared in Chazz's face.

"Boss, it is Kuriboh!"

"Where have you been?"

"Some scary spirits blocked us from following you. Then Kuriboh came and chased them away! He's still fending them off…but here I am!"

Chazz groaned. "You're a big help."

"Thanks."

"I was being sarcastic."
"Why do you always have to be so mean? Can't you appreciate anything we do for you, even just once?" Tears poured out of Ojama Yellow's eyes, "We don't want you to die. You're everything to us. Boss, we love you!"

Chazz fell silent, uncertain of how he should respond. Finally: "Oh. I-I didn't think about that. In that case, I guess I…love you too."

"Really?"

Chazz grimaced. "Yes."

"Aww, you're the best, boss!"

Much to Chazz's dismay, it kissed him. He screamed and jerked away.

"Don't do that!"

Before he had a chance to do any more damage, Kuriboh came out of the fog and cooed, gesturing for them to follow him.

Alexis stared up at the little creature, unsure of whether or not she should trust it. Finally, she relented and pulled Chazz up to his feet. She stared to follow Kuriboh, though it was getting darker. Shaking, Chazz tried to keep up, though he stumbled a lot.

"We don't have much time!" Ojama Yellow prodded, "Come on, boss, we have to go!"

"Do you think I don't know that? Do you think I want to die, you stupid, little yellow gremlin?" Chazz snapped.

"Quiet, Chazz," Alexis commanded, "Save your energy."

Begrudgingly, he silenced himself and worked on keeping up.

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"This isn't good at all," Jaden thought, watching the portal shrink.

For the past hour, he had been doing his best to keep it open; however, it was shrinking rapidly. There was no way he could hold it open much longer. They would be trapped if they didn't hurry.

From afar off, he heard a faint coo. His heart leapt. Could it be? Maybe they would make it after all. Maybe everything would be all right. He could only hope.

During the next several minutes, the cooing grew louder and louder until Kuriboh burst through the barrier. Chazz, Alexis, and the Ojamas followed him.

Overjoyed, Jaden jumped to his feet and hugged Alexis. She gripped him tightly back, unable to let go for a long time. Finally, they released one another. Jaden turned to Chazz and hugged him, too.

"Less hugging," Chazz seethed, "we need to get out of here. You can hug me all you want later, slacker."

"Oh, right." Jaden said sheepishly.

Jaden grabbed one of Chazz's arms while Alexis grabbed the other. Supporting him, they dove through the portal, making it just in time. The portal closed just as Kuriboh and the Ojamas escaped.

Jaden and Alexis hit the ground with a sharp thud. They lay stunned for a moment, then slowly sat up. They looked around wildly.

"Where's Chazz?" Alexis asked.

"I don't know…"

They began to panic.

"I'm right here, slacker." Chazz snapped from where he was floating, thanks to the Ojamas and Kuriboh.

"Oh, that's right," Alexis laughed nervously, "You're not back in your body. Does that mean you're a…ghost?"

"I don't care. Just get me back in my wretched body!"

"What's the magic word?" Jaden asked cheerily.

Chazz looked exasperated. "Please?"
"Ok, Chazz!"

"We'd better hurry," Ojama Yellow told them, "we only have an hour before he dissipates!"

"What's that mean?" Jaden asked, clueless.

"Let's just go." Alexis said, seizing his arm and running.

"Where are we going?"

"The cemetery, duh. We have to…dig him up…."

"Oh."

They burst in the gates of the cemetery and snuck to his grave. Chazz was less than pleased with it.

"You have GOT to be kidding me. This pathetic excuse for a grave? I always imagined something a lot more…more…extravagant. I can't believe this! When I get back in my body, I'm going to start on my will, and I'm going to tell them how my funeral and my grave should be. I should have and entire cemetery--"

He continued to rant ungratefully while Jaden and Alexis slaved to dig him up.

"Why are we doing this again?" Jaden asked, giving Chazz an annoyed glance.

"Because it's my fault he died and he's our friend." Alexis reminded him, then, glancing at Chazz as well, "Even if he's annoying."

"--and it really should've been of gold, but I guess silver would do. Did I mention that all the flower stands would have to be--"

"Chazz," Alexis snapped, "try to be more grateful. A lot of people miss you. I thought that you dying would have some impact on your greed and your arrogance, but I guess I was wrong. Do you want to go back to the Shadow Realm?"

Chazz looked meek. "I'm sorry, Lex! Please don't send me back there. I'll do anything!"

"Well, then, stop your whining. And if your funeral were that extravagant, I wouldn't have come. That's like rubbing your wealth in other people's faces when they should be thinking kindly of you. They're mourning. It's NOT a party. And wouldn't that distract them? Wouldn't you want them to think about how much they love you?"

He pondered this for a moment. Then, looking sheepish and embarrassed, "I guess so. I guess I really don't want all that."
"You're just showing off, aren't you?"

He nodded and remained silent.

"Idiot." She muttered.

They dug up the casket and, with much trouble, heaved it up. Quickly, they broke it open. Thankfully, it hadn't been too long, so his body was still preserved. Alexis hoped this would work.

Chazz was unusually silent at the sight of himself in such a helpless state. The Ojamas and Kuriboh pulled him down, and pushed his soul back into his body. Everyone leaned forward, waiting for a response.

Nothing happened.

Alexis turned to Jaden sorrowfully and put her arms around his neck. He only held her and told her that perhaps it hadn't been enough time.

Alexis looked back over at Chazz. Leaning down, she smoothed his raven hair out of his pale face. His eyelids twitched, then slid partially open.

"You're Ok!"

He lay still, staring up at them, looking weak. "One…problem."

"What?"

"My body…is still…damaged. You need…to get me…to a hospital. ASAP."

Jaden and Alexis exchanged a glance, then whipped out their cell phones.

Once the call was made, Alexis suddenly looked panicked.

"What's wrong?" Jaden asked.

"How are we going to explain this?"

"Oh." He hadn't thought of that. "I have no clue. Just say it was a miracle."

"Um…Ok." She wasn't sure about this, but she decided there was nothing to lose.

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Jaden and Alexis sat nervously in the waiting room, hoping that Chazz's surgery would go well. As it turned out, he'd had a major concussion, several broken bones, some torn ligaments, internal bleeding, and a punctured lung. There was not much they could do for him, but they agreed they would try their best. Jaden's miracle story had not gone over too well, however, considering the circumstances, they had no choice but to accept it.

"Please tell me he'll be Ok." Alexis fretted, grasping Jaden's hand.

"Don't worry." He squeezed her hand reassuringly and laced his fingers with hers, "He'll be all right."

She bit her lip and nodded.

Jaden suddenly laughed softly.

"What's so funny?" she demanded.

He smiled a bit mischievously. "Oh, nothing. Except that you kissed Chazz."

"What?! How do you know about that?"

He grinned wider. "Kuriboh told me."

"How'd he--"

"The Ojamas told him."

"But they weren't there!"

"I guess they were spying."

Alexis groaned. "So they lied that they weren't there?"

"I guess so. If they'd really left, Chazz would've died."

Alexis groaned again. "Those little…"

"Alexis?"

"Yes?"

Jaden blushed a little. "Do you think that maybe…"

"What?"

"I mean, could I have a kiss too?" He looked up at her with puppy-dog eyes and a sheepish grin.

She laughed. "Are you jealous?"

"No, that'd be stupid!" he waved it off.

"Then why do you want me to kiss you?" she smirked at him.

Seeing he was trapped, he sighed. "Ok, maybe I'm just a little jealous. Can I have a kiss, though? Please?"

She pondered this for a moment. Finally: "Well….Ok."

"Really?"

She nodded.

Blushing, they leaned forward and tilted their heads. Jaden clutched her hand tighter. Alexis brushed some hair out of his face as their lips touched. It felt very strange to kiss Jaden.

After a moment of softly kissing, she pulled away. "Sorry, Jaden."

"It's cool."

Both looked away from each other, blushing.

Thankfully, the doctor came in at that moment, breaking the awkward silence.

"Good news. His surgery was a success."

Alexis sighed heavily in relief.

"He should be out of the hospital in a week or two. In the meantime, you may go visit him."

They hurried into his hospital room to see him resting peacefully. Alexis was so relieved to see the color back in his cheeks and his chest rising and falling as he breathed. A small smile was curving his lips as he slept. Alexis leaned down and hugged him, despite the fact that he was asleep.

Jaden brushed her aside and hugged him as well. They sat on the edge of his bed and watched him.

Hopefully, everything would be all right now. Things would go back to normal, just so long as he was all right. And just so long as he didn't remember the ordeal he'd been put through or the kiss Alexis had given him.

A/N: Well, at this point, I think there will be one last chapter. It will be a sort of Epilogue, showing how things worked out and how the characters interact with each other now. And will Chazz remember? We'll have to see… : )