JC: My new GX WALLPAPER is up for grabs, featuring Jaden Yuki and Alexis Rhodes! I vectored it from a screencap taken from episode 162 and changed the background. You can get it from my DeviantArt, Animepaper, Minitokyo, and my other sites. The link is in my profile page. I'm also pleased to present chapter 5 of White Vow. One of Alexis' suitors from the anime will make his appearance here. Do you know who he is? Find out here!

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 05: Guilty as Charged

This was the first time she'd been in a church with Jaden Yuki. When she'd agreed to have Jaden accompany her today, she had been thinking about how it would conjure up feelings inside her heart. He was there, sitting right beside her in a church set in the outskirts of Domino City. He looked impeccably attractive in a black suit and a red tie. She remembered how anxious she had been all morning as she waited for Jaden to arrive. Before that, she had struggled to find the right dress to wear. She had eventually settled for a white strapless high low cocktail dress with crystal V neckline and elegant chiffon ruffle train.

Jaden's eyes were all over the place, obviously awed by the extravagant decorations and the wealthy, influential people around. When he had stopped looking around, he leaned toward her and said, "Man, rich guys sure know how to throw a wedding."

She had to agree that people who had billions of money can afford to celebrate in luxury. She watched as the bride reached the groom and they joined hands before facing the priest. The bride was a beautiful brunette with crystal blue eyes. She gave off an image of a princess in a fairy tale, and the prince was as handsome as any prince. They were such a perfect couple.

Her brother had always dream of her own wedding for his personal pleasure and to annoy her sometimes. She never had such fantasies, though her brother would encourage her from time to time. He said that every girl dreams of her own wedding. However, she wasn't like every girl in the planet. She briefly glanced at Jaden and released a soft sigh. She was truly in love with Jaden, but it was something that she couldn't voice out. She knew for a fact that Jaden wasn't interested in romance or in her.

She looked straight ahead as the vows were being exchanged. The soft, loving eyes and the words they've uttered were pure and beautiful. Alexis' heart melt for it was touching moment.

Just then she felt Jaden's grip, entwining her hand in his. Stunned, she looked at him, and he looked back at her with a smile on his face. "You and I will get married someday too."

Her eyes widened in surprise. She couldn't hide the redness that stained her cheeks when he said that, and it was useless to even try.

Jaden's face warmed as he let out a nervous chuckle. Why did he say such things? Oh, yeah, because Atticus gave him these weird ideas last night on the phone about how to set the mood. Now his heart felt like it was going to jump out of place any second. "Umm…I mean…I'm pretty sure you'll get married to a nice, strong guy someday, and he'll be one lucky guy," he said, sitting back and facing front again.

Alexis sighed. Of course, this was Jaden Yuki. His remark about them getting married had no romantic meaning behind it. He wasn't trying to say that they were going to marry someday. But perhaps he was learning a thing or two about romance now.

As the ceremony ended, they made their way from the church to the reception at a high-class restaurant. Surprisingly, Jaden realized once again just how much the rich were willing to spend to make a grand occasion perfect. Of course, he had to hold back when it came to food, even though there were all so scrumptious and tempting. He had to be polite and sophisticated.

During the course of the meal, Jaden gathered much unexpected impressions from the people Alexis was familiar with. He was having mixed feelings about their impressions. One girl, who was about their age said, "He's pretty cute! Where'd you find him?" That was one comment he liked.

But the following comments weren't much of a compliment.

"He's an unfamiliar face. Whose son is he?"

"Is he your bodyguard, Alexis?"

"What kind of business does his family run?"

Okay, he was just a son of a commoner. Well, he was a prince in his past life though, and no, he wasn't Alexis' bodyguard. Did he really look like one? And his family did not own a business. His father was just an employee working in a company and his mom was a housewife. But that shouldn't concern him. He knew he doesn't need to own more than a billion to date Alexis.

He almost breathed a sigh of relief when Alexis hauled him to the dance floor. Good timing too. He was beginning to drown with the comments he'd been receiving. "Your friends here are stuck-up good looking people, you know that?" he said sarcastically.

"You don't like them one bit, do you?" she said, smiling up at him.

"Got that right."

"Good, because they're not really my friends."

"That's a relief. But there was this one girl who said I was cute."

Her lips twitched.

The corner of his mouth lifted. "So… You seem pretty close with the big man of KaibaCorp. You never mentioned this back at the academy."

"I didn't want people to fuss over it," she said, lowering her gaze. "And I definitely don't want to cause him any trouble."

"I heard that guy can be pretty scary."

"Don't let the cold, bossy attitude fool you. He can be quite soft when it comes to kids. I got into a car accident once when I was little. He was the one who saved me and took me to a hospital. I was told that he visited me every day until I woke up. He made sure that I was well taken care of. "

He grinned. "Bet you were treated like a princess."

She stared at him for a while, then simply looked away. She could feel her heart racing, her senses tingling. This was her second time dancing with him, yet she could never shake off the nervousness. She was able to feign coolness though.

At the end of the dance, as they visited the restaurant garden before taking a seat on the fountain to admire the stunning view of the full moon, Jaden plucked a rose from a bush. Diligently and carefully, he removed the thorns and gave it to Alexis. "Here you go…"

That was rather sweet of him, she thought as she took the flower. "Thank you."

Suddenly he knelt down before her and took her hand in his. "Alexis, I-I have something to tell you."

She was telling herself to remain calm, though the mood was telling her that was he going to confess. Confess? That can't be right. Jaden confessing? She had no reason to get her hopes up, but the look in his eyes—the intensity they possessed—were genuine and sincere. "What is it?" she finally said.

Jaden felt a lump in his throat. Saying it out loud was far difficult than saying it in his head. But Alexis had the right to know about the bet. He can't keep on deceiving Alexis like this. It was better to tell her now before she finds out later. Not only that, he was ready to tell her about his feelings. "Alexis, I-I—" He was about to make his big confession when an unexpected person appeared.

"Just what is going on here?" The person seemed shocked and angry, judging from the tone of his voice.

Jaden and Alexis immediately turned to the direction of the voice only to find…

"Harrington Rosewood?"

They hadn't seen him in three years, but now he'd suddenly appeared and was striding through the garden path toward them, as casual as he can be. He was wearing a greyish-blue formal suit—clearly an expensive brand.

Harrington stopped only when he was face to face with them. "What a surprise," he stated, gazing at Alexis with a handsome smile. "I didn't expect to see you here, Alexis."

Alexis' lips curved into an uncomfortable smile. Who would have thought that she was going to see the very same guy who dueled Jaden for her hand in marriage? Harrington was an Obelisk Blue graduate and former captain of the Tennis Club. A good-looking brunette, Harrington was quite the eye-candy for girls back at the academy. Despite all that she never once showed any signs of interest in him. He was just like any other guy to her, though he can be a bit obsessive. "Same here… We didn't see you back at the church."

"Neither did I… We must have been sitting very far away from each other. It was a big church after all and the guests were plenty. It's a great coincidence I ran into you then."

"We'd rather run away from you," Jaden said dryly.

Harrington raised a brow. "And what's a Slifer Slacker like you doing in a place like this?"

"I was invited."

Harrington chuckled mockingly. "Invited? Yeah, right! I'm sure you're just a gatecrasher here. I mean, come on, get serious! Who would invite a Slifer slum to a fancy wedding like this?"

Alexis could feel the tension vibrating between the two guys. "I invited him," she said. "Got a problem with that?" Still holding on to the rose, she crossed her arms over her chest.

The athlete's face fell. "You invited him? Why?" Then he recalled his past duel with Jaden and everything suddenly made sense to him. "He's your date? That means you guys had actually gone through with it? No way! Tell me this isn't real. A hot pick like Alexis engaged to this wannabe?" He shook his head vigorously before throwing one deadly glare at Jaden. "You don't deserve her, Jaden Yuki."

"Chill out, bro," Jaden said, waving his hand dismissively, as if trying to fan Harrington's flames. And who was he to tell him that he didn't deserve Alexis?

"You just lucked out in our duel. I was the true winner at that time." Harrington's gaze returned to Alexis as a soft smile surfaced. "Even after all this time…I'm still in love with you, Alexis."

She couldn't help but sigh at Harrington's behavior. He was being romantic yet immature.

"Whatever, man," Jaden said, his tone cold and proud. "We both know I won that duel fair and square, so I'm officially Alexis' fiancé."

Those were provoking words, and Alexis sensed that this wasn't going to end well.

Harrington balled his hands and ground his teeth. "Are you for real? As if you've got what it takes to make her happy. You're no fiancé-material, not even boyfriend-material."

"Words coming from a sore loser," Jaden retorted confidently. "If you have regrets, you've got only yourself to blame."

"You think you're so great." Harrington shrugged, keeping his temper in-check. "I guess you leave me no choice. Jaden Yuki, I challenge you to a duel."

"A Duel, hmm? You're on, Harrington!"

Harrington smirked. "And to make things more interesting, let's have a bet. If I win I'm going to take Alexis away from you."

"IF you're going to win," Jaden stated.

"Oh, don't worry, coz I'll make sure you suffer defeat this time. I'll prove to you that I'm the better man for Alexis."

Another duel with her as the prize again? Alexis couldn't believe it. She also couldn't believe Jaden would agree to it yet again. "Will you guys just stop?" she said, her voice sounding controlled yet angry. She narrowed her eyes at them. "A bet? Engagement? Marriage? Did you guys ever think about my feelings? Don't I get a say on this? Am I just a prize to you?" She clenched her hands hard. "You guys don't get to decide my future."

Jaden glanced down and said nothing. He recalled the bet he had agreed upon with HIM and felt a pang in his chest. She was right. She wasn't a prize to be won. They had no right to decide her future. Alexis was free to choose who she was going to marry. It all seemed to make the truth uglier now, and he knew that it would make her feel betrayed.

Harrington looked at Alexis. "I'm sorry, Alexis. I guess I got carried away. But I was only looking out for you, because I know that this slacker isn't going to make you happy."

Clenching her teeth, she took a step forward and slapped Harrington across the face. "You don't even know the guy and here you are making such shallow judgments about him." She turned her back at him. "And, just so you know, Jaden's not my fiancé. But don't get your hopes up, Harrington, because I wouldn't even consider of giving you a shot at me."

Jaden felt as though he just got stabbed in the heart, that he got slapped instead of Harrington. They were never officially engaged in the first place—a fact he knew so well. Of course, the bet had led him to pursue Alexis and led him to realize his own feelings. Still, a bet was a bet, and she was the goal. Betrayal and deceitfulness—he would become a snake in Alexis' eyes once the truth comes to light.

It was a silent trip back to the hotel. The tension was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. Jaden had noted the frustration on her face. He wanted to be angry at Harrington, but instead was guilty because he was partly responsible for her bad mood. Treating her like a prize, accepting a challenge without even considering her feelings—he wanted to punch himself in the face for that. He had wanted to apologize to Alexis, but couldn't find the right words to say.

Alexis forced a smile as she pushed open the door to her suite. "Thanks for accompanying me, Jaden," she said, turning to face him. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

His mouth tightened. "About Harrington—"

"Let's just drop it," she said sharply.

She didn't look pleased, but he continued, "The duel with Harrington before when I became your fiancé…" Wait a minute! What the hell am I saying? I should be apologizing! He was screaming in his head, but his mouth kept going as if it had a mind on its own. "On that day…D-Did I just gain a bride?"

Alexis' heart skipped a beat, but she willed herself to stay calm. "It wasn't a formal engagement, so—"

"Why didn't you tell me what fiancé really meant?" The question was out before he could stop himself. Why was he bringing this up anyway? Wouldn't it just add oil to the fire?

Alexis shrugged. "You were, like, what? 15? You should have known what fiancé meant."

"Well, sorry if my vocabulary wasn't as broad as yours," he said stiffly. "You could have told—"

"Jaden," she interrupted. "Would it change anything between us?" She crossed her arms over her chest. "You didn't need to know. It wasn't important to begin with. Besides, you and Harrington made such a big deal over it without even my consent."

Jaden bit his lip as he took in her grim expression. Alexis obviously felt he'd overstepped and been rude. Three years ago, he was a boy who enjoyed dueling to his heart's content. Dueling was his passion, his love, and his life. Alexis was right. It wouldn't have mattered if he knew the meaning or not. It would not have changed anything since he had no interest in romance or girls at that time.

Aware that things were getting heated between them, Jaden sighed and slightly turned away. "I'm sorry about what happened earlier and…" Sorry for hiding the truth from you. His emotions were in chaos. He was angry at himself that he couldn't admit it straight to her face, as well as disappointed that Alexis had explicitly declared that he wasn't her fiancé. "Good night, Alexis."

Jaden was strolling through the park, his mind replaying the scene with Harrington back at reception when Atticus found him. The older brunette eyed his troubled form, then asked, "Rough day, huh?"

"It was smooth sailing till that Harrington showed up," Jaden said with a wave of irritation. "The guy is nuts for her."

"Harrington? As in Harrington Rosewood, the tennis freak?" Jaden nodded, and then Atticus' eyes widened as he recalled the guy during his freshman year. "We had some classes together. He's quite the snob, but girls dig him."

Jaden frowned. "And he digs Alexis."

Atticus could sense the green-eyed monster called jealousy. "No sweat. He's not Alexis' type," he assured him.

"I know."

Atticus raised a brow. "O-kaaaay…So what's with the depressing aura?"

Jaden took a deep breath. "What if I were to tell you that I-I—OH, MAN!" He suddenly shouted, scratching his head in frustration. "Why did I accept the bet in the first place? And that man is so unreasonable! I wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for him!"

Atticus blinked in confusion. "Say what now? Jaden, you feeling okay?"

Regaining composure, Jaden ran a hand through his hair and stared straight into Atticus' eyes. "I have no choice but to marry Alexis because I lost a bet." He had finally said it.

"A bet?"

Jaden averted his eyes away. "I would have seriously done anything to get out of it. But that MAN who holds my debt insisted that I should hook up with Alexis. He can be very persuasive, believe me," he explained, recalling the threat, which sent chills up and down his spine. He had to live up to that man's expectations or end up dead somewhere in a dark, gloomy alley. "I was against the idea. Plus, Alexis is my friend. I don't want to lose her friendship just because of the bet."

Atticus' expression had turned dark, and Jaden could feel antagonism oozing from him. "Jaden." His tone was dead serious.

Jaden lowered his head, squeezing his eyes shut. "But then I started seeing her more as a girl than a friend or a fellow duelist… I realized my attraction to her and I—"

"Jaden."

"I dunno…I'm not sure. I've convinced myself that I love her, but I'm kinda doubting myself right now. I'm totally confused here, man."

"Hold on a sec h—"

Jaden swallowed hard. "Look, man, I'm really sorry about all this." Of course, he wouldn't be surprised if Atticus suddenly hits him. Dating your sister just because of a bet? And he had to marry her! That counted as a serious offense. The brother had the right to retaliate. "I swear! I have no bad intentions. I would never do anything to hurt her."

"JADEN!" Atticus snapped. "Before I decide to kill you, there's one thing I wanna know." Sheer coldness was noted in his voice as he narrowed his gaze at Jaden. "You took her to dinner, accompanied her to a wedding as her date, and used every opportunity to spend time with her all because of a stupid bet? You're just using my sister to pay off your debt."

Jaden's mind raced, his stomach churning with guilt. During the three years of Duel Academy, Jaden had been good friends with Alexis. It was only several days ago that he'd become aware of love and commitments. Noticeably enough, he wasn't just afraid that he might hurt Alexis because of the bet, which could put a strain on their friendship, but he also feared not being able to settle his own feelings. "I…I like Alexis. She's nice, smart, and a great duelist. Sure, she can be somewhat reserved and a bit hard around the edges, but she's fun." He paused for a while, remembering the times he had spent with her, all the challenges and adventures they've encountered, and said, "Thinking back to the night I first dueled her, I realized that it was the first time I've met a girl I'd like to get to know better. Then the duel at Kaiba Dome helped me realized that what I felt for her was more than just attraction. I don't know if it's really love."

Atticus clenched his hands. "This is going to be a long night," he said, staring straight into his eyes, as he lifted his fist slightly. "And I'm not about to let you off the hook just because you feel guilty!" He then swung a fist at him.

Closing his eyes, Jaden stood his ground and waited for the pain. He knew he deserved to be punched.

To be continued…

JC: Love can be so complicated for a young boy's heart. Jaden finally admitted to Atticus about the bet, and the brother doesn't like this at all. Jaden is also confused right now, but Atticus will knock some sense into him. Harrington will be back in the next chapter, but I can assure you that he won't be a prominent character in this story. Please do review this chapter. No Flaming! Till next time, okay?