JC: Yes, I'm aware that this is super delayed. Yes, I'm aware that it's almost the end of the year. Yes, I've been busy for the past days with work and preparation for Christmas. Anyway, now that I got that out, I present to you Chapter 21. Last time, Alexis and Jaden finally meet the mysterious fiancé candidate, which turned out to be the great Seto Kaiba. You may be thinking that he's too old for Alexis, but remember that age is not really a major factor in arranged marriages. Besides, this is fiction. I can make Kaiba look young-looking all I want. He's too HOT! I'm a Seto Kaiba fangirl myself. Okay, let's get on with this story.
Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, people, or its characters, but the plot of this story is mine. All rights belong to Kazuki Takahashi.
White Vow
Turn 21: Being Ambiguous is Nothing New
"Why…?" Alexis couldn't help recalling the memories she shared with that person, then, and all sort of emotions riled up inside. "You…of all people…and you also involved Jaden." She fisted her hands, willing herself to stay in control.
Seto Kaiba didn't answer, but after a few seconds he approached and turned to look at Mr. Rhodes. "I'm here as requested and I'm more than willing to take her as my bride," he said.
"Is this some kind of sick joke?" she interrupted harshly.
"Do I look like the kind of man who would waste time playing jokes?" Seto replied, thrusting his hands into his pockets. "I had to cancel a lot of meetings just to be here right now, so don't squander my efforts. This is supposed to be a marriage meeting, so might as well get over it."
"Yes, but—Look, I don't want to be a part of this. And you—"
"I've received word that you're in a relationship with Jaden Yuki." Seto's gaze shifted toward Jaden.
The two men exchanged looks, their expressions extremely enigmatic in a way Alexis couldn't define. Perhaps they were taking each other's measure, sending unspoken words for their plan. But Alexis has had it with their lies and deceit. "Don't start pretending. You were the one who—"
"What if I did?" Seto quickly said, his tone firm as usual. "It was a simple way to kill time, but this slacker here did not live up to my expectations, unfortunately."
"May I know what is going on?" Mr. Rhodes asked, obviously curious about their conversation.
A smirk had curved Seto's lips. "A little negotiation is needed, Mr. Rhodes, and I can assure you that I'll talk some sense into this Slifer," he explained.
Jaden absolutely had no idea what that man was thinking. What the hell is he trying to do? This isn't part of the plan! I thought he was gonna help me with Alexis. Confused as he was, Jaden did notice one thing. Seto Kaiba was trying to hide their settlement from Mr. Rhodes.
"I suppose, for a start, I'd like to express my gratitude, Mr. Rhodes. You see, your daughter has always been someone special to me, and I'd rather not let anyone else have her."
Alexis could easily note the sardonic amusement behind those words—words that her father would be happy to hear.
"Of course…I know you are more than capable, Mr. Kaiba. I entrust my daughter to your care," Mr. Rhodes said.
Alexis gave him a piercing look. "And I don't get a say in this…figures…"
"What now? We can't pretend in front of this guy," Jaden whispered to her.
She shrugged. "Is this one of your schemes again?" she retorted in a low voice that only Jaden could hear. "I'm not buying it."
He let out a deep sigh. Schemes…Huh? I guess I've really lost her trust. And this guy isn't helping with the situation either. He took another deep breath. So much for the plan… Then an idea suddenly struck him like lightning. Wait a minute! The plan! He looked again at Seto Kaiba. So you were aiming for that. But enough's enough!
"It doesn't sit well with me, though," Seto said, crossing his arms over his chest, "that she loves this slacker."
Mr. Rhodes couldn't agree more with what he said. "Indeed. He's nothing compared to you, Mr. Kaiba."
"Man, you really sound like you don't care about Alexis' feelings at all," Jaden told Kaiba, meeting his gaze without falter. He was irritated to a certain degree. "Why does she have to put up with this?" He turned to look at Mr. Rhodes then. "And you're not the kind of father any girl would like to have. Dude, you even bribed me once to stay away from Lex."
Mr. Rhodes frowned. "What of it?"
"Let her decide what's best for her," Jaden said, and Alexis narrowed her eyes at him. "She's old enough to make her own choices, isn't she? So why don't you butt off, old man."
Mr. Rhodes stood up, anger flashed across his face. "You insolent brat! How dare you!"
"You've got guts," Seto said, a mocking grin plastered on his face. "I'm aware of your skills and I'd like to take you on myself. I propose a duel with Alexis on the line."
Alexis clenched her teeth. "Stop treating me like a prize," she demanded.
"This could be interesting," Mr. Rhodes stated, cupping his chin in an amused manner. He was confident enough in Seto Kaiba's skill and his flawless tactics, and he knew Jaden Yuki wouldn't stand a chance against him. "This will settle the problem once and for all."
It had taken her a lot of self-control to prevent herself from erupting, but her father had gone too far. No, it wasn't just her father. All of them were merely pushing her feelings aside. This was too much. "I refuse!" she exclaimed. "I could care less about being engaged and care less about my future as a bride. I don't want others making decisions for me."
There was a certain, confident gleam in his blue eyes as he replied to her. "Well then, I have another proposal." He looked at Mr. Rhodes. "First, however, I would like to talk to Alexis and the slacker privately."
Mr. Rhodes raised an inquiring brow but didn't question Seto. He knew it would be better not to. "Of course."
"We shall be in the next room if you need us, Mr. Kaiba," Mrs. Rhodes said, smiling elegantly, as she slightly bowed her head to show courtesy. She cast one last look toward Jaden and Alexis, then she turned and left the room with her husband.
"Just what are you planning this time?" Alexis demanded as soon as her parents were out of earshot. "I already know what went on between you and Jaden."
"If it's a duel you want, you can forget it," Jaden said, crossing to the window. "I've done a lot of damage already. I don't want to hurt Alexis anymore."
Her heart skipped a beat. She could have sworn that she almost blushed. His voice had a touch of sincerity. However, her mind was telling her not to fall for it. "I know you don't want to marry me, Seto," she said icily. "Why don't you just tell us what you really want?"
"Don't be ungracious," Seto said. "Since you're dead set against me dueling Jaden, then you duel him yourself."
Alexis shrugged. "Doesn't sound too bad to me," she replied, placing a clenched hand on her waist. "Although if I win, our engagement will be null and void, and if I lose then I'll accept whatever conditions you set."
Peering over his shoulder to gaze upon Alexis, Jaden quickly took note the determination in her eyes. "Are you sure about this, Alexis?" he asked.
She shot him a hard look. "Mark my words, Jaden, I will defeat you."
"It's settled then," Seto said with a confident smirk.
Heaving a deep sigh, Jaden turned his body toward her. His eyes carried the same determination she held. He was going to duel against the girl he loved so much. It was going to be the duel that will decide their future. He knew that fighting her halfheartedly would prove to be a fatal mistake. As a Duelist himself, he had to respect her by giving it his all. In the battlefield, he would have to look at her as a strong and competitive Duelist, and not just a girl.
"All right, Alexis, you better get your game on," Jaden finally said, slightly raising a fist.
"You agreed to what now?" Atticus exclaimed, looking completely shocked. "You can't be serious here."
Alexis glanced at her brother and then returned her gaze out the window. "I'm going to win my freedom."
"I realize that," Atticus acknowledged. "But don't you think you're rushing into this, Alexis?"
"This is the only way I know best," she said with a shrug.
Atticus raked a hand through his hair. The whole thing baffled him. First of all, he wondered why Seto Kaiba would make a plan and then change it in a snap. The original plan was to let him and Jaden duel. Whoever would win will let Alexis decide and set her free. I'm pretty sure that guy will win in the duel…He's supposed to ACT nice and will tell Alexis what she needs to hear. Then Jaden will butt in to make his cheesy speech about how sincere and how madly in love he is with her…There's gonna be an apology after that and then… He heaved a sigh and scratched the back of his head. But that plan was trashed. Now Jaden's gonna face my Lexi.
"Jaden wouldn't have to put up with HIM any longer," she said.
Atticus smiled faintly. "You still care for him. Sure you don't wanna get back together?"
"After what he put me through?" She bit her lower lip, almost hesitating to continue. "No, thanks! I'd prefer going back to being friends. When it comes down to it, it's all Seto's fault. This is like a game to him." It was disappointing and depressing. She and Seto had shared a silent connection for a long time and were good friends. More than that, he was like family to her since the accident. She owed him her life.
"A game…Hmmm…I wouldn't think of it that way," Atticus said, cupping his chin with one hand. I still can't figure out why he changed the plan or why he set this up in the first place. He chose Jaden because he knew how special he was to Alexis…So, why? Why become Alexis' fiancé? What kind of agreement did he had with our old man?
"Atticus…don't tell Zane about this," she said a little softly.
Atticus lifted an eyebrow at the request. "Cuz he'll probably do something about this, huh?"
"He already helped me before," she replied, lifting a hand to her heart. "I just don't want to trouble him again."
"Alexis, this is way different from what David did," Atticus assured her.
"I know, but still…"
Atticus sighed. He'd expected as much when it came to Zane. "All right, I'll keep my mouth shut."
She had trouble getting to sleep later that night. Her mind has been busy going over that had been said and done, and about the duel. She could not afford to let her defenses weaken since she was going to battle Jaden. In the end, Alexis had only managed a bare three hours of rest before her alarm clock had gone off this morning. Feeling like an undead zombie, she stumbled to the bathroom and tried to shower herself awake.
Much to her dismay, when she'd finally made her way downstairs it was to find Jaden in the dining room, wide awake and cheerful as he gulped down his breakfast. She felt slightly nauseous, not only because of sleep deprivation, but also because of Jaden. The wounds in her heart were still fresh, and she did not want to be anywhere near Jaden for a while. She did manage to avoid him entirely yesterday after the talk.
Jaden noticed how tired she looked and he didn't fail to spare her a simple greeting. It was like the same, old, usual Jaden. His smile was bright and the excitement was obvious in his eyes.
Instead of walking away she sat down right across him at the table and poured herself a cup of coffee. Gulping down the drink, she briefly glanced at Jaden. Just recalling the look on his face the day before was enough to make her heart tingle. He had been determined, a little confused and upset, and anxious, so it had been a surprise that he was rather giddy in the morning, as if the deal meant nothing to him.
"Let's forget about the deal during the Duel and enjoy ourselves," Jaden said, setting his spoon and fork down. "Dueling is all about fun, so let's enjoy ourselves. Okay, Lex?"
"Enjoy ourselves?" she said in surprise. "You think I can enjoy knowing that my future is at stake here?"
"Alexis, don't you think it's better if there's nothing holding us back?" Jaden replied, smiling kindly. "We should—"
"JADEN, HEADS UP!"
Alexis nearly leapt out of her seat as a big, fat, brown cat with even browner stripes jumped toward Jaden's face. The cat's heavy weight pushed the chair backward, resulting in Jaden falling to the floor. She never thought seeing that cat again. "Pharaoh, what are you doing here?"
"Hi, Pharaoh. How's it going?" Jaden muttered, as the cat purred and stretched on his abdomen. "It's so nice of you to drop by. I see you're getting real comfy there." Sarcasm was present.
"It surprised me too, you know," Atticus gushed, hurrying toward Jaden to lift the cat off of him. "I wonder how he got here."
The cat purred and rubbed its head against Atticus' chest. Pharaoh was the late Professor Lyman Banner's cat. The good teacher, who was the former Dorm Head of the Slifer Dorm, was rarely seen without the feline, even at official school meetings.
Jaden got back up swiftly and picked up the chair. "Probably that guy…Pharaoh was my travelling buddy before the bet-thing. He stayed with HIM while I was—" He quickly stopped himself by clamping his mouth shut with one hand as he glanced at Alexis.
"While you were going out with me, right?" she said, crossing her arms.
"How much of it were lies? How much of it were the truth?" Jaden asked with amusement as Alexis walked around the table to pat Pharaoh on the head. "Alexis, do you seriously think it was all pretend?"
"I'm not in the mood to answer any of your questions," she replied, expression wary.
Atticus raised his eyebrows, then said, "Are you guys gonna fight here?"
"I'll fight him at the arena," she answered dryly, briskly turning toward the doorway. "I'll see you there later, Jaden."
"Alexis!" Jaden called out, and Alexis paused but didn't look back. "Win or lose, it doesn't matter. It's you who'll get to decide."
Alexis bit her lip to keep back her emotions. It seemed like Jaden was trying to get on her good side, which was not fine with her. Taking a deep breath, she continued onwards without saying a word to him.
Jaden cast the fat cat a bored look as he sat down on the bench in the garden. It was running around trying to catch a butterfly. "You may wanna lose weight first if you wanna catch it, Pharaoh," he muttered.
The cat ignored his comment and jumped up in attempt to seize the little insect. Unfortunately, the cat's jump wasn't high enough.
"Told ya," Jaden said, giggling.
Pharaoh glanced back toward Jaden, not looking terribly pleased with his comment. "Meow…" It walked toward the bench and settled beside Jaden. "Meow…meow!"
His gaze narrowed on the cat. "I ain't catchin' any butterflies for you," he said, running a hand through his hair. "I've got more important things to think about."
The cat purred once again. It then rounded on the spot before opening its big mouth to yawn. "Meow…"
Jaden sighed for the umpteenth time today. His thoughts troubled him. The duel was important to him and Alexis. It was the deciding factor. No matter what the outcome, he should be ready for it, he told himself. "But I guess I'm afraid of what's gonna happen afterwards…"
"This doesn't sound like the Jaden I know." A voice suddenly spoke up—a familiar one to be exact— one that he hasn't heard in a long while.
Jaden abruptly turned to his side only to find a spirit of a dear old teacher sitting right beside him spiritually visible. "Professor Banner," he muttered, biting back his surprise. "Oh, yeah…You're always hitching a ride with Pharaoh."
Lyman Banner had long black hair tied back in a ponytail. He wore a white shirt, black pants, and a necktie. He was usually seen with his eyes closed behind a pair of glasses. But his eyes were in a beautiful shade of red.
"Yubel and I did tell you not to accept the bet, but you didn't listen. You were too excited to duel Seto Kaiba," Banner said.
"Hello? Seto Kaiba, walking legend!" Jaden pouted, turning his head away in a snap. "That was a chance of a lifetime, man. I couldn't pass it up."
"But you did not even know what the bet was all about…well…not after you lost. It's like signing a contract without even reading the fine print."
"I know I messed up, but I am glad that I accepted it. I got to be with Alexis." Jaden breathed a sigh as memories of his blissful time with Alexis flashed through his mind. "I got the chance to experience falling in love with her."
The professor smiled. "You've grown up so much, Jaden," he said. "It used to be all about Dueling when it comes to you, but now…"
Jaden stared back at the teacher, smiling in return. "I know…" He stood up, cupping both hands over his mouth, and shouted, "I LOVE YOU, ALEXIS!"
"Oh, my…What was that for?" Lyman asked, looking a bit surprised. "And here I thought you've matured."
Jaden offered a wide grin. "I just felt like letting loose," he replied. "I was thinking of stuff way too much. It shouldn't be that way. I have to get pumped up for the Duel. After all, this is all for Alexis."
"I, myself, am looking forward to the duel, Jaden," Banner said. "Make sure to bring Pharaoh along, okay? I wouldn't miss it for the world."
"Sure thing," Jaden said, showing a thumb up.
Her work with her deck wasn't as appealing as it had been before she found out about the whole deal. She had made the necessary adjustments. Her bond with her Cyber Girls were strong, just as strong as Jaden's bond with his heroes, she admitted to herself, and she was confident that her girls would do fine. However, she was going to do things differently this time. Her certain encounter with Seto Kaiba outside her room a while ago made her think this way. He gave her new cards and he wanted her to use them. She flat out rejected his forceful request, but the man has ways to convince people. Angry as she was with him, she couldn't refuse after he explained his reason for the cards. She knew how to use them. She knew the strategies, the pros and cons, and it would take Jaden by surprise. Her Cyber Girls would work well with the new cards.
Cards made especially for me…Huh…I don't really get what that man is thinking.
A knock at her door alerted her to someone's presence and she looked up when Atticus entered without being invited in. "Hello, dear sweet sister," her brother said with a big grin. "It's almost time for the big duel."
"Who told you to come in?" Alexis asked curtly.
"Oh, sorry…" Atticus lightly chuckled. "Anyway, are you ready?"
"What do you think?"
"Hmmm…Seto still hasn't talked to you, huh?"
Alexis shook her head, remaining composed to hide the truth. "It's not like he has anything good to say to me…Besides, an apology from him would be a pain." She gathered her cards and placed them inside her deck case. "I'm going to show him how serious I am."
Atticus sighed. "I think he knows that… Ever stop to think why Seto accepted this kind of twisted deal from our old man?" He folded his arms over his chest. "That man…He's not the type who would just get into these things. I know he cares about you, Lex. I've seen it before. But something just doesn't add up. He'd certainly won't go out of his way and marry you. Plus, the guy's way, way older than you."
Alexis rolled her eyes at her brother's explanation. She simply didn't have the time to be concerned over that.
"Then again…Arranged marriages aren't exactly an age-thing," Atticus said with a shrug, watching her put on her gloves. The outfit she currently wore was the same one as she had worn during their mother's birthday party duel. "Alexis…" His sister may be good at hiding her emotions, but he could see the underlying sadness behind the mask. He would never be oblivious to something like that.
"It'll be over soon," Alexis said, putting on her Duel Disk.
"Sis, I know you heard him shout out those three beautiful words a while ago," Atticus said with a small smile.
Alexis grimaced and turned her head away. "Don't be stupid."
He shook his head. "Don't be in denial. I saw you—the way you reacted…I know you felt happy."
She stared at him in astonishment. "Happy? Whatever, Atticus!"
"Why do you have to be so stubborn?" Atticus muttered softly, smiling genuinely. He didn't want to resent Seto Kaiba for the whole mess they were in, but he had seen the damage and the pain. Seto Kaiba was her savior, but Atticus knew how disappointed Alexis was in the man, even though she still admired his strength and skills. He was disappointed in Seto as well. Alexis had falling deeply in love with Jaden. Her feelings were pure and beautiful. On the other hand, Jaden grew more matured. He had changed so much and was thankful for being in love with Alexis.
"I'm about to enter college. I have dreams I want to accomplish. I thought Jaden was going to be there to support me," she explained grimly, hating the bittersweet memories that flashed through her mind.
"You have his full support no matter what," Atticus said as he started toward the door. He just hoped that Jaden and Alexis could work it all out. But he really did think that she also needed a nice good vacation away from everything that made her tired and hurt. He couldn't wait to see the duel, since it was certainly going to have an interesting ending.
Alexis heard her brother's words clearly and it made her heart waver a little. Support as a friend, not as a boyfriend, she told herself.
"That Alexis is something else…sacrificing her own life points just to get to mine…"
"You're one of the best Duelists around."
His voice rang in her head.
"Hey, Alexis!"
"Yeah, Lex?"
"Alexis!"
"Alexis!"
"I love you, ALEXIS!"
It was giving her a headache, but she couldn't stop herself from thinking about him.
He took a quick step toward her, and in the next instant, his mouth came down on hers, cutting her off in mid-word.
His tongue teased the fullness of her lower lip, coaxing her to open to him, sweeping inside when she did. She tasted of wine that suddenly seemed erotic. He felt her hands come up, fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt as she leaned into the kiss. He angled his head to deepen the kiss more.
She sighed as his mouth left hers, a soft, regretful sound that nudged at his already tenuous control. Her lashes lifted slowly, and she stared up at him with gentle eyes.
He then peeled his hands off of her and turned away. "Um…That was…erm…"
Lifting a hand to her temple, she sat back down on her chair. "Maybe…I'm just letting my emotions get the best of me." Indeed her heart was thundering. She found it rather difficult to breathe too. "I…I'm not nervous, am I? I can't be…This Duel…means a lot and I…" She shook her head in dismay. She couldn't afford to be indecisive now.
To be continued…
JC: Duel will be featured in the next chapter. I haven't written a duel in a while. In fact, I haven't duel against anybody myself in a long while too. I have to brush up on my cards too. Kaiba's motives are pretty much ambiguous at this point. Atticus is having his doubts and he'll get into the bottom of this. I finally found the right time to make Professor Banner and Pharaoh appear. You thought I forgot about them? After all, they are his travelling buddies at the end of the series. Besides, I love Pharaoh the cat! Once again, I really, really apologize for the delay. However, I am very thankful for the support and reviews I'm getting for this fic. Please do review this chapter. NO flaming!