JC: This has taken a while. I'm sorry for the delay. I've been very busy with work. Crap, I've been getting a series of headaches lately too. Anyway, enough of that…Conclusion of the Duel! Who will win? Jaden or Alexis? Find out in this chapter! I'm fond of the Manga cards they used, so I'm gonna use them. One of my favorite Elemental Heroes will be making a short appearance here too. There will be some romance between Jaden and Alexis. Let's get started with the chapter. I hope you'll enjoy it.

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 24: Who's more of a Threat?

It was Jaden's turn. The card he was about to draw would be the card to determine his fate. "Okay, Alexis, this is my DRAW!" he exclaimed. This was his Destiny Draw!

"Come at me with everything you've got," Alexis said, smiling and feeling excited.

And the card Jaden drew only served to widen his grin. "I'm gonna use this, Spellbook inside the Pot!" he announced, inserting the card into the Spell/Trap Card zone. "Now both of us will draw 3 cards from our decks."

Alexis raised a brow as she drew 3 cards from her deck. "You're giving me an advantage too, you know," she said.

Jaden chuckled. "I know. But you won't be needing them."

"Huh?"

Looking at his hand cards, Jaden felt pretty good about himself. "Remember, you're not the only one who brought new cards today," he said, activating another card from his hand. "I'm stepping it up with Fusion Birth!"

"Fusion Birth?"

"I get to discard the top 5 cards of my deck to the grave," he explained, "and if two or three of them are Fusion-material cards, then I can Special Summon a Hero from my Extra Deck."

"You really are an expert on Fusion," Alexis told him, looking impressed yet still confident.

"Was that a compliment just now?"

"Don't let it get to your head."

Jaden snickered and raised a clenched fist. "Alright! I'm pumped up even more!" He discarded five cards from his deck and took note of the Heroes needed for the Fusion. "Elemental Hero Ocean and Elemental Hero Prisma are here! It's time for a new Hero."

"Looking forward to it," Alexis said.

Elemental Hero Ocean (ATK: 1500) and Elemental Hero Prisma (ATK: 1700) materialized on the field and flew up to combine in the air. There was a flash of light when they collided, then all of a sudden the whole arena was engulfed by a harsh blizzard, making it hard for the eyes to see.

His new Hero…Alexis thought wryly, narrowing her eyes against the roaring snow. It's also…

"Hey, Alexis, you are still my fiancée, right?" Jaden asked.

Alexis found herself blushing and was thankful for the snow for obstructing the sight.

"You've been my fiancée for years without me even realizing it."

Images of Jaden's duel against Harrington flashed through her mind in an instant. Jaden won that Duel and her hand in marriage. But it wasn't really a serious deal. Jaden didn't even know the meaning of 'fiancé' before.

"As your fiancé, I'm not about to let anyone take you away," Jaden announced, and Alexis felt like her heart almost jumped out of place. The field cleared out, revealing his new Hero for everyone to see. An Elemental Hero of the Water Attribute, bearing an ice-like armor and a white cape, he stood with a cool, unyielding charisma. He had 2500 ATK points and 2000 DEF points. "This guy here is my trump card."

"Trump Card?"

"Say hello to Elemental Hero Absolute Zero."

"Fighting ice with ice I see. Pretty neat…But how's it gonna beat me since it has the same ATK points as Ice Master?"

"You sure about it? Might wanna check the numbers again, Lex," Jaden told her. "You see, Absolute Zero gains 500 ATK for each face-up Water monster on the field, except himself." Absolute Zero now had 3500 ATK because of Ice Master and Reese the Ice Mistress.

Alexis remained calm. "Still not a threat, you know," she said.

Jaden giggled. "Thought you'd say that, so I'm playing this," he said, revealing a Spell Card in his hand.

"What? But that's…" Alexis was totally surprised at the card he showed. She had no idea what he was up to. "You must be crazy."

"Yeah, pretty much so." Jaden then activated the Spell. "I use De-Fusion!"

Atticus was pretty surprised himself. "Woah, woah, woah! Time out! De-Fusion? Why the hell would he go all the trouble of summoning Absolute Zero if he's just gonna split him up?"

"Shut you trap and just watch the duel," Seto reprimanded with a shrug. "That slacker may be crazy, but he's got skills."

"And it's not every day I get to hear you compliment others," Atticus said, crossing his arms. "Oh, wait, was it just sarcasm I heard?"

Mr. Rhodes snickered silently. "Does he honestly think he can win with that frivolous strategy?" he questioned.

Mrs. Rhodes let out a sigh. "Dear, I must ask you to stop underestimating Jaden," she said. "He's more than you think."

Jaden was all smiles. "Okay, pal, it's been nice knowing you."

Absolute Zero encased itself in ice, which immediately shattered into pieces. Two new ice crystals, a height taller than Jaden, emerged from the floor. Within those crystals were the two Heroes used for Absolute Zero's Fusion a short while ago, Elemental Hero Ocean (ATK: 1500) and Elemental Hero Prisma (ATK: 1700). The two heroes then broke out of their prison and took their positions on the field.

Alexis was almost speechless. "Um…A little lost here…"

"I thought of using my head than attacking you head on," Jaden said, winking an eye. "So here's the thing, Lex, Absolute Zero's second effect. When he goes bye-bye, all the monsters you control will be destroyed."

Alexis bit back a gasp. "You mean to tell me…"

"Yup! Ice Master and Reese are goners," Jaden told her, and the two Ice Monster Cards got frozen and shattered in an instant. "Now you're wide open."

Dropping her arms limply to her sides, Alexis lowered her gaze to the floor.

Jaden raised a fist in the air. "Let's end this. Ocean, Prisma, attack Alexis directly!" As commanded, the two Elemental Heroes lunged forward and attacked with variable strikes at Alexis, reducing her life points to zero.

"I…lost…" Alexis muttered.

Mr. Rhodes couldn't believe his eyes. "Absurd…" he muttered under his breath. His daughter had just lost. However, he quickly composed himself, knowing that Jaden's victory meant that his daughter was officially bound to Seto Kaiba now.

"And that's game!" Jaden announced, doing his signature pose proudly. "Sweet Duel, Lex!"

Alexis remained silent, falling prey to her own thoughts and doubts. A lost was a lost. A part of her couldn't accept it. However, she wholeheartedly admitted it to herself that she enjoyed the duel. She was glad that she was given the opportunity to duel against Jaden so intensely like that. It was a satisfying duel. He didn't hold back. He played his hardest. He made her happy. But reality was cruel. Losing meant the end of her freedom. She had no choice but to accept Seto Kaiba as her future husband.

"As your fiancé, I'm not about to let anyone take you away…"

His words drifted in her head. She wanted to believe in those words, but the result was clear. She had lost. Jaden was the winner. His victory was Seto's victory.

"Thank you, Jaden…" she muttered under her breath as she turned on a heel to make her exit.

"Lex? Hey, wait up! Where are you going?" He was about to run toward her when Alexis stopped.

"I need to be alone for now," she said and continued on.

Jaden grimaced. "Alexis…" He let out a sigh. Leaving her alone would be the best for now, though he wanted to hold her so badly.

"You are no longer bound to Alexis," Mr. Rhodes said, rising up from his seat, as soon as Alexis was an earshot away. "It's best if you pack your things now and leave."

Trying to collect himself, and remembering that Mr. Rhodes was still Alexis' father, Jaden drew a deep breath and let it out. Then he looked up at Mr. Rhodes. He did not speak. He simply stared with serious eyes.

"And here I thought you'd lose on purpose," Mr. Rhodes continued. "The arrangement is now complete and the forthcoming settlements will be decided. It will be a suitable marriage for Alexis, and for Mr. Kaiba. No more need to be said."

"No way am I gonna let that happen," Jaden said, narrowing his gaze dangerously.

"Didn't you just defeat my daughter? According to the deal you—"

"I mean no disrespect, Mr. Rhodes," Jaden cut him off, "but Alexis has every right to refuse to marry a man she doesn't want to marry. Alexis doesn't want Mr. Kaiba there."

"Don't you dare spout nonsense in front of me, young man," Mr. Rhodes commanded harshly. "And would you dare defy Mr. Kaiba?"

"I'm defying you," Jaden retorted.

"You should understand the penalty for such words, Jaden Yuki."

"Ooohhh, ssccaarryyy," Jaden mocked, crossing his arms. "Alexis can be pretty stubborn like you, you know. She's not gonna—"

"Be quiet!" Mr. Rhodes snapped. "Not only do I mean to see this marriage take place but if she does not comply, I'll do whatever is necessary to force her compliance."

"Threats of violence are unnecessary, Mr. Rhodes," Seto said. "Clearly, this slacker and your daughter don't understand the power I hold."

A faint shiver of fear rippled through Jaden. Recalling how easily Seto Kaiba had brought many men down in the world, he lowered his head, but he told himself that since Alexis could not escape from this fate, he would have to deal with this problem and save her. How he would do that, he didn't exactly think of that yet. However, he swore that he will not let anyone take her away…from him…

When Seto stood up, Jaden put on a brave face and stepped forward. "I love her!" he exclaimed.

Seto simply raised a brow.

"I'm gonna sound way, waaaay cheesy, but I don't care anymore," Jaden said, scratching the back of his head with a giggle. "I love Alexis, and I know that she loves me back. She means a lot to me and I wanna make her happy."

Mrs. Rhodes and Atticus were touched by his words. They couldn't help but smile.

"Hey, I know you rich guys do this whole arranged-marriage thing for business reasons…Age, feelings don't matter anymore as long as you get a good deal from it." Jaden's hand curled into fists as he looked up at Mr. Rhodes. "But the whole thing seriously pisses me off! Since you're dead set on letting her marry the oh-so-great Mr. Kaiba, then I'll just have to steal her away."

Mr. Rhodes tried to keep calm. "You wouldn't dare. Do you want to be branded as a kidnapper?"

"YUP!" Jaden happily replied. "If it means making her happy, I'll do it!"

Mrs. Rhodes giggled. "Then let me aid you in your quest, Jaden," she said. "I am forever on your side."

Atticus raised a hand and shouted, "Count me in as well, J!"

"Dear, Atticus, don't be crazy," Mr. Rhodes said.

"I'm sorry, pops, but I don't want my little sister to be miserable for the rest of her life," Atticus told him.

Seto shrugged and started toward the exit. "No matter what you say, the decision is final," he announced, and stopped before the exit. "We had a deal and I'm sure Alexis will still honor it. She places value on pride as well."

"We'll see about that, Kaiba," Jaden replied confidently.

Seto peered over his shoulder to give Jaden one more look before making his leave.

The next day, Alexis was lying stretched out on her warm bed, staring at the ceiling. The duel was over, so was her life. She had lost, much to her dismay. She has no choice but to marry Seto Kaiba. Her father would be so happy. She felt like screaming. She wanted to punch a hole in the wall, to break stuff, and to run away from all of this. She chuckled to herself. It would be childish to do them, but it would take a great load off her chest.

"Alexis! Alexis!"

Alexis sat up on the bed and stared at her brother panting by the door. "Look, I'm not in the mood for anything right now, so can you just leave me—"

"Zane!"

She raised a brow, somehow a bit struck by her brother's panicked expression. "What about Zane?" she asked.

"He took Zane!" Atticus exclaimed.

"He? Who's he? Where is Zane?" she asked with concern.

Atticus took a moment to catch his breath. "He came up to Zane and challenged him to a duel."

"Huh?"

"Zane lost. That guy used dirty tricks to win," Atticus growled unhappily. "He took advantage of Zane's condition." He shook his head in dismay. "And now he has Zane."

"So you're saying that Zane was kidnapped?"And Alexis knew exactly who did the deed.

Atticus clenched his teeth. "It all happened in Duel Academy, in the Obelisk Blue Duel Arena, about 12 midnight. Our curious little Blair went into the arena to see what was happening. It was then she saw him taking Zane away. She tried to stop him…but ended up getting hurt."

"Blair? Wait, how hurt? Don't tell me—"

"Don't worry. Just a minor concussion. She's totally fine now. When she woke up, she immediately informed Syrus and me. Mac also called in. Seems like her brother pulled a fast one on her."

"David's gone too far!" Alexis shifted the blankets off. "What the hell is he planning? Why bring Zane into this?"

Atticus shook his head, his expression upset. "He's gone cuckoo, Lex. He's doing this to get you."

"Unfortunately…" Alexis admitted, feeling like she'd been punched in the stomach. "Where did David take him?"

Atticus paused for a moment. "He left Blair a note after knocking her out."

"I feel so sorry for Blair…" Alexis said, frowning, as she lowered her gaze to the floor. She felt so guilty. "So…" She looked at her brother again. "What did the note say?"

"Come to the beach house. Time limit is two days and bring Jaden Yuki along," Atticus stated, repeating what he had heard on the phone with Blair. "That's all."

Alexis hesitated, unsure what to say. David was out to make her life a misery. She wanted to make David pay, but was more concerned with Zane being fine than doing so. She willed herself to stay calm. She couldn't afford to let panic steal her ability to think. Then Atticus' phone rang.

"Mac, I was about to call you," Atticus talked over the phone.

"Hey, I just got a call from Syrus," Mac said in a dreary tone. "You know, the little guy's growing more and more frantic. Can't blame him since his brother was kidnapped. Damn…I feel so ashamed right now."

Atticus sighed. "It's not your fault, Mac."

"I could have stopped him." Mac's voice had hint of anger. "That manipulative bastard…"

Atticus' shoulders slumped. "Mac…"

Alexis grimaced and swiped the phone away from her brother. "Mac, it's me," she said. "Mind if I beat the crap out of David?"

"We can't take him lightly this time," Mac told her. "I'm going after David. You know where to go, right?"

"Of course…" Alexis replied.

"Then let's meet there."

Alexis' mouth tightened as the phone went dead in her hand. Flipping it close, she tossed it back to Atticus.

"What's the plan, Lexi?" Atticus asked.

"Go get Jaden for me," Alexis said to him. "We're going after David."

"I know David's an asshole but…I didn't think he'd be shit enough to do this," Jaden said as Alexis hopped off the motorcycle she used to get from the mansion to the airport right away. Jaden rode with Atticus. All three of them were clad in the Duel outfits they wore during Mrs. Rhodes' birthday.

Alexis ground her teeth. She'd been feigning calmness since they'd left the mansion. It was incredibly frustrating. Her problem with Seto Kaiba would have to wait. Zane was of utter importance at the moment. "He's been trying to get back at Zane for a long time. Once he's done with Zane I'm sure that he'll go after—" She immediately cut herself off and turned her head away from him.

Jaden smiled sincerely. He certainly felt her concern there. "Thanks, Lex, but you don't have to worry," he said.

Alexis shrugged. "Let's just go." With that, she walked toward the entrance.

Atticus gave his fellow brunette a pat on the shoulder and said, "Isn't that nice? She still cares."

"Yeah, I'm so glad," Jaden said with a sigh of relief.

"But what are you gonna do about the bet? You won the duel for Seto Kaiba. Now she has no choice but to marry him."

"Like hell she's gonna marry him," Jaden said sarcastically. "I'm not gonna let it happen."

Atticus smirked. "You serious, man? This is THE SETO KAIBA we're talking about."

"Let's not think about HIM for now," Jaden said, a grin curving his lips, as he started toward the entrance. "We've got to deal with David first.

Atticus sighed. "Yeah, you're right. God, I so wanna punch him right now. I don't normally forgive anyone who'd hurt my friends." He then ran to Jaden and stopped him before he could enter the doors. "Wait…I have something important to say. It's about Alexis."

Jaden took a quite note of Atticus' troubled expression. "I'm all ears, man."

"You know where we're heading to, right?"

"To a private beach house. Why?"

"That place…Well, we've been there once. The view there is nice. The house is awesome. The memories?" Atticus shook her head in dismay. "Not that good…"

"Okay, you got my curiosity in motion. Did something happen to Alexis there? Is it because of David?"

"Yup. Alexis will kill me if I tell you everything. It's better if you hear it from her instead."

"Ooookay, I'll go ask her," Jaden said.

"Wait!" Atticus grabbed hold of Jaden's shoulder, pulling him to another halt. "It's a touchy subject. You better not ask her directly. It's all about timing, man."

Jaden grimaced. "Well, now's not a good time to ask her, would it?"

Atticus simply gave him a nod. "Just don't be so direct."

With a deep sigh, Jaden walked inside and saw Alexis at the waiting lounge. He swallowed hard and casually approached her.

"It's not much longer now," Alexis announced when Jaden came up to her. "Ten minutes and we're off."

"Why the beach house?" Jaden asked to slowly get into the subject Atticus brought up. "Why not an abandoned warehouse?"

Alexis' gaze slid down to the floor. "David's trying to open up old wounds," she said.

"Old wounds?"

Alexis hesitated, then looked up at him shortly before she turned away. "I…I don't want to talk about it…at least not right now."

It had occurred to him that David had hurt her badly in that place. David was luring her there on purpose to make her remember the bad things he'd done. Jaden could see it in her eyes that she didn't want to go there. However, he knew how much she cares about Zane. It was kind of making him jealous. He could never change the fact that Alexis had loved Zane before him. But he would have done the same thing as well if he were in her shoes. Zane was an important friend to him too.

She turned and looked soberly at Jaden. "Hey…what you said…Did you really mean it?" she asked.

"Huh? What I said?"

"About not letting anyone take me away…" she muttered. Somewhere in the back of her mind was telling her that it was simply his care and devotion to his friends that made him say those words. She knew she was being pessimistic and doubtful again. She couldn't help it. When it comes to Jaden and her heart, everything in her head goes out of place.

Jaden eyed her, trying to gauge her mood. He wanted to express everything to her and there were things he wanted to do with her. "Lex, I meant it…"

"You're not afraid of Seto?" she asked.

"Many people do," Jaden said. "But not me…Well, probably a little." He grinned.

"I still don't understand it…Why did Seto set you up in the first place?"

"I have no idea. Honestly, I really felt guilty about lying to you. I'd told myself to keep quiet because I knew the truth would hurt you. Then I had thoughts about telling you, but Kaiba convinced me otherwise. It's been one heck of a rollercoaster ride for me. And now we have David's stage show to worry about."

"David's doing this for his own selfish reason," Alexis said. "But Seto…He's up to something. I'm sure he and my father made some kind of deal. Atticus thinks so too."

"Alexis…"

"Really now…I don't want any of this to happen at all."

"Do you regret losing to me?"

She shook her head. Whether she had won or not, she knew it was what she yearned for. It was a great duel. "I will never regret losing to you, Jaden," she said. "But it's seems impossible to escape from my father and Seto now."

"Not impossible, only difficult," he said, reaching for her and pulling her close. "I don't want to see you sad, Lex, so I'm gonna do the best I can to help you."

"Jaden," she muttered his name gruffly against his chest, giving in to her heart's desire. She had wanted him to hold her so badly. She had missed his touch, his scent, and his warmth. It felt so good to be in his arms. "When everything's settled, will you come with me to Duel Academy?" She looked up at him with a watery little smile.

Jaden grinned. "Duel Academy, huh? Sure, I'd love to. I can get to see Hassleberry, Blair, and even Dr. Crowler again."

"I'm glad nothing serious happened to Blair."

"Doesn't excuse David though..." He still had his hands on her shoulder, and they gripped tighter as if he'd had an impulse to shake her. "I swear I'm gonna punch the living daylights out of him."

"David's really a mess."

Jaden leaned closer, his nose so near her ear that his breath blew a warm breeze across her neck. "Alexis, you're my fiancée. I'll make sure to get it through David's thick head," he muttered, sniffing lower.

His chin touched the rise of a breast unintentionally. She was sure her heart stopped beating for a moment. "Jaden…" She caught his chin in one hand and tried to shift it, saying, "What are you doing?"

Instead of answering, he grasped her hand and turned it to kiss her wrist. "I'll make sure everyone knows."

She was blushing hard, and he was simply smiling. "Don't go making announcements! I mean, we're not even—"

He put a hand behind her head, cupping it as he brought his lips slowly to hers.

To be continued…

JC: They're going after David. Zane, just you wait! Help is on the way! Hmmm…They say that a boy's heart grows when he's in love. Well, they can't stay naïve and immature forever, right? They learn to understand feelings and love. I have to say that I like Jaden's transition from a happy-go-lucky boy to a mature man in love. Atticus and Mrs. Rhodes are Pro-Jaden for Alexis. Seto's still a mystery. His reasons have not been revealed yet. Mr. Rhodes is getting more and more pissed at Jaden. Hehe… Let's leave Mr. Rhodes and Seto Kaiba alone for a while. We'll have to focus on David and Zane in the next one. Please do review! No flaming!