This is a oneshot that acts like a prequel to my new story, which will be a rewrite of Season 3 that is bound to go different primarily because of the events of this oneshot. There will be slash/yaoi in this story in the form of Spiritshipping (Jesse/Jaden) but this story is rated T only for safety reasons. I enjoyed writing this story and I really like the title since it just fits both the main conflict and the way I structured this story. Also, this is set in an alternate universe so Jaden's past has been altered slightly; it is still very similar to canon but there are a few differences that will be seen in this story, well, it might be subtle so you might not spot it. Also, a warning: I hope that parts of this story are realistic. I tried to make them as realistic while still moving the plot along but if it didn't work, I am sorry. I hope that you enjoy it though and reviews, as always, are much appreciated.

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, I never have and I never will.

. . .

Fragments

. . .

1

He was lying on the ground; his head throbbed painfully as if someone was hitting it repeatedly with a sledgehammer. He was cold and, when he forced his eyes open, everything was blurry around him. The flashing red light and the blare of a siren succeeded in making his head hurt even more than before.

A soft kuri could be heard beneath the siren's wail and Jaden spotted a blur of brown floating in front of him, looking out place in the white that surrounded him. Another kuri sounded, as laced with concern as the last, and Jaden was sure that it was coming from the brown blur in front of him. The blur moved as the wail of the sirens died and the sound of crunching leaves came to Jaden and another figure knelt down in front of Jaden; the blurriness gradually began to fade and Jaden could make out the tell-tale uniform of a police officer.

"Help's coming, kid," the police officer said gently.

Jaden's eyes started to droop close.

"Don't fall asleep, kid," the police officer insisted, placing a hand on Jaden's shoulder before gently helping him into a sitting position. "You probably have a concussion."

Another wailing siren sounded and Jaden held his head as it began throbbing painfully. When he pulled his hand away, he was stunned to see red on his fingers; blood. He gazed at the police officer in confusion.

"W…What h…happened?" he stammered out in Japanese.

"Can you speak English?" the police officer asked gently.

Jaden swallowed. "Y…Yeah," he managed to get out in English.

The officer nodded before going on to answer Jaden's question. "You were in an accident, kid," the police officer said gently. "What do you remember?"

"I…" Jaden trailed off, feeling panic bubble in him because he could not remember anything. He was with someone, wasn't he?

"I can't…I don't remember anything," Jaden whispered before he gazed around. "W…Where am I? W…Who are you?"

"I'm Officer Eric Carson. You're on the outskirts of Trondheim," Carson said.

"W…Where?"

"You're in Norway, kid," Carson said.

"N…Norway? What am…I doing in Norway?" Jaden frowned.

"I don't know. The paramedics are here. We're going to take you to the nearest hospital, kid," Carson said before gently helping a dazed Jaden to his feet before guiding him over to the stretcher one of the paramedics had wheeled toward them, the ghostly winged brown ball of fur—for that was what the brown blur was—floated after him.

2

"You have Retrograde Amnesia, no doubt brought because of that head injury you sustained," a black-haired man said; he had a Southern accent and looked to be in his mid-thirties and was dressed in a long, white coat that signified him as the doctor. His eyes were warm and light-green but held concern; he was also carrying a clipboard in his hand.

Three days had gone by since Jaden woke up and he still didn't know why he was in Norway. At least he knew why he couldn't remember anything and at least the doctor—Dr. Nathan Anderson (1)—who had been taking care of him for the past three days was nice and understood Japanese since Jaden unconsciously slipped into Japanese a lot in the past three days.

"W…what's retrograde amnesia?" Jaden asked.

"To put it simply, you've lost your memories from before the accident—and probably including the accident as well—but you still retain anything you've learned and you will be able to retain any memories you make from now on," Anderson explained.

Kuri, Winged Kuriboh—Jaden now recognized it as a duel spirit—said sadly as it appeared on Jaden's shoulder and nuzzled him as if attempting to comfort him, though Jaden couldn't feel it.

Jaden, surprised by how comforted he was with Winged Kuriboh's attempt at comforting him, closed his eyes as the apprehension he has started feeling when Dr. Anderson had come in with the results of the MRI they had taken of Jaden's head as soon as he got to the hospital.

"Will I get 'em back?" he asked, opening his eyes to look at the black-haired doctor.

"That I don't know," Anderson said, writing something on his clipboard. "The brain is very complex and works in different ways for everyone. You may get your memories back, you may not or you may only get back some of them. It just depends and it may take you time."

"W…What about my parents? Where are they?" Jaden asked. He was sure that his parents would've been there—wouldn't they?—by now and was wondering where they were; granted, he didn't remember his parents' names but he was sure they were alive.

Anderson's eyes closed and he took a deep breath. "Without a name, it is difficult to track down your father because of how common the last name 'Yuki' is in Japan but we are doing our best," he said; he had asked Jaden if he remembered his dad's name two days ago.

Jaden frowned, realizing Anderson had only talked about his dad. "What about Mom? Where's she?" he asked.

Anderson's face filled with sympathy. "I am sorry, Jaden," he said softly, "but your mother was involved in the accident. She was killed."

Jaden didn't remember anything about his mother but still felt grief surge through him. Why wouldn't he feel sad? Just because he couldn't remember his mother didn't mean he didn't love her and didn't mean that he wouldn't be upset to learn she was dead. In fact, it was made worse because he couldn't remember her.

"I am sorry for your loss, Jaden," Anderson said gently, walking forward and placing a hand on Jaden's shoulder.

Jaden closed his eyes, feeling tears fall slowly. "I…I can't even remember her," he whimpered.

Anderson said nothing and just let Jaden cry softly for the mother whom he couldn't remember and whom he would never see again.

3

It was two days later that Jaden finally recalled why he and his mother were in Norway. It was a brief memory, more a snippet of a conversation between his parents in which his mother said she would like to visit her sister in Norway and, because his dad was leaving the country for a business meeting, she decided to take Jaden with her. He told this to Anderson when the doctor came in to check in on him.

Anderson wrote something on his clipboard. "So you were here on vacation," he said. It wasn't a question but Jaden answered anyway.

"Yeah, I guess," he said with a shrug.

Anderson nodded. "If your father was out of the country then that would explain why we haven't been able to get a hold of him. Do you recall where he went?" he asked.

"No. I still can't even remember his name, or my mother's name," Jaden said sadly.

Anderson placed a hand on Jaden's shoulder in a comforting gesture before he put down his clipboard. "You are healing at an impressive rate," he said, changing the subject. "I'm going to keep you here for a few more days for observation though, just in case."

"What'll happen to me?" Jaden asked with a frown.

"Your relatives were contacted as soon as we discovered who your mother was and your aunt came to confirm it. Unfortunately, she didn't stay long enough for anyone to tell her about you. I can contact her and ask her if she is willing to watch over you while we wait for word from your father. You are underage at the moment and so won't be able to leave by yourself," Anderson said.

"Oh." Jaden fiddled with the blanket. "Can you…can you tell me my mother's name? It might help, y'know, jog my memories or something."

"Her name was Mikoto," Anderson said.

Jaden was silent but no memories surfaced and he sighed. "Guess that didn't work," he said.

"It'll be all right. The fact that you are starting to remember, even if it's only snippets, is a promising step forward. Now, why don't you rest a bit while I contact your aunt?"

"Okay." Jaden rested his head on his pillow and gazed up at the ceiling as Anderson turned and left the hospital room.

4

The following day, Jaden was sitting cross-legged on his hospital bed, looking through his cards while Winged Kuriboh floated in front of him, occasionally letting out a coo, when the door opened and Anderson made his way into the room. Jaden looked up and was about to ask a question until he saw the fury in Anderson's light green eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Anderson closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before releasing it slowly. "Your aunt refuses to take you in," he said.

"Why?"

Anderson shook his head. "I certainly don't want to repeat what she said. You aren't at all what she describes you as," he said.

"What does she describe me as?" Jaden asked confused.

"Never mind," Anderson said. "I've looked into alternative places where you can go until your father gets back from his business trip but most of the foster homes you can be sent to are too crowded as it is. I know a few families who might be willing to let you stay with them but I will have to ask them. Of course, there's a lot more I have to do but finding you a place to stay for now is paramount."

Jaden tilted his head to the side. "What about you?" he asked.

"What about me?" Anderson looked startled.

"Couldn't you take me in? I mean, you're the only one I really know in this country and I dunno how I feel about staying with someone I don't know," Jaden admitted. In truth, he was apprehensive about staying with someone he didn't know and, though he didn't know Dr. Anderson that well, he knew him better than anyone else in Norway.

Anderson was silent for a moment. "I will have to talk to my wife, though I wouldn't mind because you remind me a lot of my son," he said. "And I think you two would get along great."

5

By the time Jaden was well enough to leave the hospital—though he hadn't regained any memories, fragments or otherwise, since the last one—Anderson talked with his wife and then informed Jaden that his wife was willing to let him stay with them. And so, the day Jaden was released from the hospital was the day that he met Anderson's wife and son.

Anderson's wife was shorter than him with teal-colored hair that went to her waist and was in a ponytail and dark-green eyes. She was dressed in a black short-sleeved shirt and blue jeans.

The boy was slightly taller than Jaden with teal-colored hair that seemed to jut out backward and downward and friendly light-green eyes; he was in a white long-sleeved shirt with rules at the end and a blue vest over it and dark-blue jeans. What surprised Jaden the most was the cat-like duel spirit, he thought it was that anyway that was perched on the boy's shoulder; it was blue with four ears, ruby eyes and a ruby orb at the tip of her tail.

Anderson placed a hand on Jaden's shoulder. "Bianca, this is Jaden," he said.

Bianca Anderson smiled before stretching out a hand. "It's nice to meet you, Jaden," she said. Unlike her husband, her accent wasn't quite as strong.

"You too, Mrs. Anderson," Jaden said politely, taking her hand. "And thanks for letting me stay with ya."

Bianca smiled as she let go of his hand. "It's no problem. This is my son, Jesse," she said.

"Hi, nice to meet ya," Jesse said brightly, holding out a hand. His accent was as strong as his dad's, Jaden noticed.

"You too," Jaden said, deciding not to ask about the duel spirit yet. He smiled as he took his hand, startled by the small shock and then he frowned. "That's strange. I feel like I've…meet you before."

Jesse was frowning as well, looking confused. "Yeah, weird," he said, releasing Jaden's hand.

"Let's go home," Anderson said. "We'll also need to go shopping since most of Jaden's clothes were destroyed in the accident."

He was right. The only things Jaden had with him were his deck—he never went anywhere without it—and his ID and passport, which his mother insisted he carry with him. Thinking about his mother, Jaden couldn't help but feel another pang of sadness for the woman who gave birth to him but whom he still couldn't remember, except for that brief little snippet-memory.

He followed the Andersons out of the hospital, thankful that he had a thick jacket since it was cold outside. They walked over to the parking garage and Anderson led them to a silver car in one of the parking spots before unlocking it and the four of them climbed into the car; Jaden and Jesse in the back.

The ghost-creature was still perched on Jesse's shoulder.

'Kuri?' Winged Kuriboh appeared on Jaden's shoulder.

Jesse grinned. "Hey, a Winged Kuriboh," he said. "Ya can see duel spirits too?"(2)

Jaden blinked. "Yeah," he said with a nod. "I take it that's"—he nodded to the cat-like creature—"is your duel spirit."

"That's right," Jesse said. "Her name's Ruby Carbuncle."

'Rubi,' Ruby Carbuncle cried before jumping into the air and floating over to Winged Kuriboh.

'Kuri?' Winged Kuriboh said before floating off Jaden's shoulder and observing Ruby Carbuncle before the two began flying around each other until Winged Kuriboh's wing clipped Ruby Carbuncle and she immediately leapt at him. The two fell to the ground in a play fight while their masters watched in amusement.

"So, obvious question really but do ya duel?" Jesse asked.

Jaden nodded. "Yeah, that's one thing I do remember," he said. "I use Elemental Heroes and Neo-Spacians apparently."

"Cool. I use Crystal Beasts," Jesse said.

"Crystal Beasts?"

"Yup. They're the only cards in existence. They chose me, that's what Pegasus said anyway. Ruby here is one of 'em," Jesse explained.

"Sweet," Jaden said with a bright smile.

The two lapsed into silence for a moment before Jesse asked, "Do ya wanna duel when we get to my place?"

Jaden couldn't help but feel excited at the thought of dueling and he grinned. "Sure!" (3)

6

Three days went by since Jaden was brought to the Anderson's home. In those three days since they met, Jaden and Jesse had become fast friends, even with Jaden's amnesia leaving him uncertain of who to trust; for some reason, they had just clicked and he was surprised to find that he was starting to trust Jesse, despite only knowing him for a few days.

After three days, Jaden learned that a funeral for his mother was being held that day but it was not from his relatives that he learned this. It was from Bianca who had been kind enough to find out when the funeral would be held and where for Jaden so that he could pay his respects to his mother. He was a bit upset that his relatives hadn't bothered on letting him know when it was but appreciated Bianca's help.

During the last three days, Jaden had gotten a few fragments of memories about his mother and those fragments told him that his mother had loved him very much. While he never doubted that, he was glad that he could remember some aspects of his mother, though he didn't remember what she looked like, which was saddening but at least he knew his mother's name.

Jaden had told that to Jesse when he had asked him why he was sad. Jesse's response was hugging Jaden and assuring him that his memory of what his mother looked like would come back to him. Jaden had to admit that he didn't mind being hugged; it was comforting.

The drive to the cemetery was done in complete silence. Anderson had insisted on taking Jaden to the cemetery for the funeral once they learned of where and when it was. Bianca was as upset by Jaden's relatives not telling Jaden about the funeral as Jaden was and had made that clear after they left the house.

Anderson pulled into the parking lot outside of the cemetery before getting out and Bianca, Jesse and Jaden followed suit. He led the way into the cemetery toward where a small crowd of people were gathered around a casket adorned with multiple flowers, though there were no pictures, much to Jaden's disappointment as he would have liked to see his mother. He was holding a bouquet of roses that Bianca had been nice enough to buy for him for the funeral.

Jaden and the Andersons walked over to join the small group. The priest must have just finished speaking for the people were starting to get up and more toward the casket to pay their final respects.

"We'll wait here," Anderson said.

Jaden nodded before walking over to join the group.

A blonde boy with brown eyes spotted him first as he walked away from the casket and, to Jaden's surprise, he paled drastically in fear and practically ran to the brown-haired woman that was likely his mother's side before hiding behind her. Jaden blinked, unsure of how to take the blonde boy's reaction to him; he didn't remember the boy and wondered if he was his cousin.

He decided to just ignore it and made his way to his mother's casket. Kneeling down beside it, he placed the bouquet on it before closing his eyes as a few tears slid down his face. He didn't know what to say; he only remembered a little about his mother and that she loved him very much but little else. Dr. Anderson said that him remembering even a small thing from his past before the accident was progress but he wanted to remember everything, especially about his mother now that he would never see her again.

Maybe talking to my aunt will help me, Jaden thought as he stood up and turned to gaze at the small family standing nearby. The blonde boy remained hidden behind his mother and seemed to tremble as Jaden walked over to join them. The mother glared at him, causing him to stop.

Remembering the name Dr. Anderson had given him for his mother's sister, Jaden said, "Aunt Mikoto…" but was unable to say more than that.

"What are you doing here?" Mikoto sneered.

Jaden, startled by the vehemence in his aunt's voice, frowned. "I just wanted to pay my respects to my mom," he said.

Mikoto scoffed. "She's better off now than she was with you, you little demon," she spat.

"Aunt Mikoto…" Jaden began, stunned by those words and the fact that he could hear in his aunt's voice that she really believed those words. Why is she calling me a demon? He thought.

"Oh don't play innocent with me, you little demon," Mikoto spat, telling Jaden that he had spoken his thought out loud without realizing it. "You know exactly what you did."

"I honestly don't, Aunt Mikoto," Jaden said confused. "I don't re…"

"Don't give me any of your excuses, demon, and get away from my family! You've harmed our family enough and I won't let you harm us again," Mikoto spat.

Jaden's eyes filled with tears of shock and confusion. Why would he hurt his family? "Aunt Mikoto, I don't know what you're talking about. I would never harm you. You're my family," he insisted.

Mikoto scoffed. "You are nothing to me, other than a demon that should have been drowned at birth! Your mother should have gotten rid of you before you could turn into the little demon you now are," she hissed. (4)

That hurt like a knife to the gut, especially since he had no idea why his aunt was treating him so badly and calling him such names. Jaden, unable to take the hatred-filled glares Mikoto was directing at him, turned and bolted, running blindly away from his supposed family, tears streaming down his face.

"Jaden!" A shout sounded as Jaden ran past the Andersons.

He was unaware of where he was going. He just needed to get away, get away from that accusatory, hatred-filled glare. He finally stopped running near a large tree near the entrance to the cemetery and he fell to his knees, the tears still flowing as choked sobs escaped his lips. He couldn't believe his own family was treating him like he was Satan's son or something, that they would accuse him of harming them and that they actually wished that he had been killed when he was born. And they did all of this while Jaden had no memory of ever doing what they accused him off.

Are they right? Did I harm them? Am I really a demon like they said? Jaden thought distressed.

"Jaden?" A soft accented voice sounded behind him before someone was kneeling beside him, resting a hand on his shoulder.

Jaden continued to cry, unable to say anything in response. He felt Jesse's arm curl around his shoulders and wasn't sure whether he should push him away or accept his comfort. Self-consciously, he ended up going with the latter and turned before burying his face into Jesse's chest, sobbing uncontrollably.

"They…they were my family and they…and they…they think…" he choked out, unable to form a complete coherent sentence as he continued to cry. He felt Jesse's other arm curl around him, comforting him. He gave up trying to explain right now why he was upset and just continued to cry.

He had no idea how long he had spent crying but, by the time he started to get control, he realized he broke down in front of his new friend. He felt embarrassment being added to his shock and sadness.

Slowly, he pulled back and gazed up at Jesse. "S…Sorry," he whispered.

"It's okay," Jesse assured him gently. "You were upset and, considering what your aunt said to you, I'm not surprised."

"You heard?"

"Everyone heard, Jay. She wasn't being that quiet. Mom was madder than I've ever seen her," Jesse said.

"I…I don't even know why she was saying those things," Jaden whispered. "I can't remember anything so what if she's right?"

"I've only known ya for a few days, Jay, and yet I know enough to know you would never harm anyone," Jesse said gently. "Dad's known ya for a bit longer and he agrees that what your aunt said was wrong. You're not a demon, Jay."

Jaden closed his eyes. He wanted to believe Jesse but he couldn't because he just didn't know if he really did do what Aunt Mikoto accused him of.

"Jaden?" Jesse sounded concerned.

Jaden opened his eyes. "I'm okay," he whispered, attempting to convince himself more so than Jesse.

Jesse looked like he didn't believe him but said nothing for which Jaden was grateful. "C'mon," he said gently as he helped Jaden to his feet. "Why don't we go get something to eat? And then maybe I can convince dad to take us to that card shop I wanted to show ya."

Jaden managed a small smile before he nodded slowly.

7

After the funeral, the next week went by quickly. It was a week in which Jaden found himself gradually getting closer to Jesse, more so than he thought possible after only knowing him for a little over a week. They had much in common, they loved dueling with a passion, they could see, hear and speak to duel spirits and, Jesse's parents had been the first to point out this out, even their personalities were similar in some aspects but different in others.

The last week Jaden and Jesse spent much time with each other, visiting that card shop in downtown Trondheim or just hanging out in Jesse's room or in the backyard. They talked about anything and Jaden learned a lot about Jesse during that time, like how he saw the Crystal Beasts as an extended family, even some simple things like his favorite color, favorite animal and favorite food.

However, not much progress on Jaden's amnesia had been made during that week. He had gotten a few snippets about his parents and about some people that he thought could've been his friends but he just wasn't sure. Their images were so blurry that he couldn't make out what they looked like but their voices were distinct enough that he might remember them if he ever heard them again. Key word: might.

"I just wish I could remember these people better," Jaden said softly, resting his back against Jesse's nightstand. "They feel like they're important, like maybe they're my friends, but I just…" He trailed off and shrugged.

Jesse scooted closer and draped an arm around Jaden's shoulders. "Hey, at least you're remembering somethin'. Dad says that's a good thing, y'know?" he said.

Jaden smiled. "Yeah, I know. I still don't remember what my mother looks like though," he said softly and his mind went back to what his aunt had told him. He closed his eyes but a few tears escaped.

Jesse pulled him into a hug. "Ah, don't think about what your aunt said," he said.

Jaden relaxed in Jesse's arms before gazing up at him. "I'll try," he said.

'Rubi!'

'Kuri!'

Ruby Carbuncle and Winged Kuriboh appeared and immediately began play fighting with each other, much to Jaden's and Jesse's amusement.

"Jesse? Jaden? It's time for dinner," Bianca called from downstairs.

"Food sounds good," Jaden said brightly. "What're we having?"

"I dunno," Jesse said.

"Fried shrimp sounds good," Jaden said.

Jesse chuckled before he and Jaden got to their feet and left the bedroom before heading downstairs; Ruby and Kuriboh stopped fighting and quickly floated after their masters.

8

Jaden placed the bouquet of roses on his mother's grave before closing his eyes. He remained like that, kneeling in front of the grave, for several minutes. It was his third week in Norway, three weeks since the accident that killed his mother and left him with amnesia, and this was the first time that Jaden's visited his mother's grave since the funeral. As far as he knew, no one visited the grave of their deceased loved one so soon after the funeral but Jaden did only because he had not been able to say goodbye at the funeral. He had been unable to remember anything about his mother beyond that she loved him then but now he knew a bit more, enough to say a proper goodbye.

"I miss you, Mom," he said softly. "You've always been there for me. I don't remember much but I do remember enough to know that much. I wish I could remember you more though. I just…it's just…I never thought I'd lose you, y'know? It's a real eye-opener. Life's too short and I should make the most of the time I've got left. I really do miss you though, Mom, and I love you." He closed his eyes before lowering his head, though he didn't cry; he had cried himself out days ago.

He felt someone kneel down beside him and put an arm around his shoulders. "I'm sure she loves you too," Jesse said.

Jaden opened his eyes and turned to the bluenette. "Thanks for coming with me, Jess," he said.

Jesse smiled. "Anytime, partner," he said gently.

Jaden smiled before he stood up. "C'mon, we should probably head back. It's getting late," he said.

Jesse nodded and the two of them walked away from the grave, Jaden noticed that Jesse's arm was still around his shoulders but he said nothing; he didn't mind it at all.

The two of them walked down the street before Jaden's stomach growled, much to his embarrassment and Jesse's amusement.

"C'mon, let's get ya somethin' to eat," the bluenette said before guiding Jaden toward a restaurant that was nearby.

The hostess looked up. "Hello, take a seat anywhere and a server will be right with you," she said.

"Thank you," Jesse said and the two of them walked over to one of the booths before sitting down across from each other.

"Hello, my name Ali and I'll be your server today," a slim woman with brown hair said as she handed Jaden and Jesse a menu each. "Would you like anything to drink?"

"I'll just have an iced tea," Jesse said.

"I'll have the same," Jaden said, already scanning the menu.

"All right, I'll be right back with those," Ali said before she walked away but not before winking at Jaden who blinked.

"Did she just wink at me?" he asked bewildered.

Jesse chuckled. "Maybe she thinks you're cute," he suggested.

Jaden blinked again. "Okay then," he said uncertainly before he returned his gaze to the menu. "Uhh, how much do ya have on you anyway?"

"Just get anything you want, Jay, but try and keep it below twenty 'cause I don't got much on me," Jesse said.

"Okay," Jaden said brightly and, when Ali came back with their teas, he ordered a few things on the menu.

The food arrived about twenty minutes later and they ate and talked at the same time. Ali returned a few times to refill their drinks but didn't wink at Jaden again. Instead, she smiled at the two of them before she walked off. Jaden wondered at that but decided against worrying about it.

Ali came back after they finished before she placed the ticket face down on the table. "I'll be your server when you're ready to go. I hope you had fun on your date," she said with a smile before she walked away, leaving a blushing Jesse and a confused Jaden behind.

"Date? What'd she mean, Jess?" Jaden asked, looking at Jesse.

"Erm, I have no idea," Jesse said, still blushing.

Jaden blinked. "Why're you blushing?" he asked.

Jesse looked away. "Uhh, c'mon, let's get going or Mom's gonna be mad 'cause I didn't call her to tell her I'd be late," he said, getting to his feet.

Jaden blinked again but nevertheless got to his feet and followed Jesse as he led the way to the cashier, all the while thinking about the waitress's words. Was that a date? He wondered. He didn't mind if it was. He did think Jesse was cute and he was funny and smart and very kind after all but there were some problems. One was that he didn't know if Jesse was gay like him and two was that he did have severe memory loss; for all he knew, he could have a boyfriend—he was gay, of that he was sure—somewhere.

He just didn't know though but he wished that he did.

9

It was at the beginning of the fourth week since the accident.

Jaden and Jesse were in Jesse's room once again, this time finishing up a duel on a duel mat and watching as their duel spirits tussled with each other nearby. Jaden ended up winning with 500 Life Points to spare but Jesse who had beat him, barely, the first time they dueled just smiled and gathered his cards together. (5)

"Well, looks like we'll need a tie-breaking duel," Jesse said with a bright smile.

Jaden chuckled. "Yup," he said also gathering his cards together. He was about to ask Jesse if he wanted a rematch right now when the door to the room opened and Bianca poked her head into the room.

"Jaden, I've got good news," she said.

"We're having fried shrimp for dinner?" Jaden asked.

Jesse chuckled at that.

Amused, Bianca shook her head. "No, not that. Your father just contacted us," she said.

"My dad?" Bianca had kept Jaden informed on her attempts to contact his dad ever since finally discovering Jaden's dad's identity.

"Yes. He called and wants to talk to you," Bianca said.

Jaden nodded. "Okay," he said as he got to his feet and put his deck back into its deck box and followed Bianca out of the room.

He made his way into the kitchen and Anderson held out the phone to him. "Thanks," he said, taking the phone before putting it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Jaden," a voice that Jaden didn't recognize but figured was his dad said.

"Yeah, Dad?" he asked.

"Yes, it's me. I'm so sorry, Jaden, that I couldn't have been there for you when you needed me. I just found out what happened when I got home earlier today," his dad said.

"It's okay, Dad," Jaden assured him.

"It isn't," his dad said quietly. "But how are you?"

"I'm okay, Dad. I've gotten some of my memories back but not a lot," Jaden said. He paused as his thoughts went, oddly enough, to the funeral and he asked, "Hey, Dad, do you know why Aunt Mikoto hates me so much?"

His dad was silent. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Jaden hesitated and then told his dad about what happened at his mother's funeral. When he finished, his dad was silent again. "She actually said that to you?" he asked and Jaden could hear quiet fury in his dad's voice.

"Yeah, she did," Jaden said, leaning against the wall and gazing into the living room.

"How could she say such things about her own nephew?" his dad muttered.

Jaden didn't know whether his dad was talking to himself or not and decided not to answer. Instead, he said, "So do you know why?"

"I'm not entirely sure," his dad admitted.

"She accused me of hurting her family, dad. I would never do that, would I?" Jaden asked softly.

"Of course not, Jaden," his dad said immediately. "You wouldn't hurt a fly, Jaden. That much I do know."

Jaden smiled a little. He was positive that he would never hurt anyone but the way Aunt Mikoto had talked about him harming her family, he had begun to wonder if, maybe, he was capable of doing just that.

"Everyone is capable of harming another, Jaden. It's whether you choose to do so or not that really defines you," his dad said gently, making Jaden realize he had, again, spoken his thought out loud without realizing it.

"I guess," he said softly, gazing into the living room just as Jesse entered the room, having decided against staying upstairs apparently.

He gazed at the teal haired boy before smiling a little; it was only recently that Jaden realized he was crushing on the boy that had quickly become his best friend but he still didn't know if Jesse felt the same way. He also didn't know if he had a boyfriend or not. Maybe his dad would know.

"Hey Dad, do you know if I have a boyfriend or not?" Jaden asked. He paused, then added, "Uh, you do know I'm gay, right?"

"I've known for a while now and, as far as I know, no you don't. At least, you've never brought anyone home for me to meet and you did promise to do that when you found someone you wanted to date," his dad said. "Why do you ask? Do you like someone?"

Jaden blushed. "Yeah, I kinda do," he said.

"Kinda?" His dad sounded amused.

"Yeah, I mean, I do like him but I dunno if he goes that way, y'know?" he said.

"Well, you'll never know unless you tell him," his dad said.

"Dad, I don't know how. I've never felt this way before…at least, I don't think I have anyway," Jaden said with a frown. "And I don't wanna ruin our friendship."

"It happens to everyone, Jaden. The best thing to do is just tell him and if he says he doesn't go that way, then accept it and go on with your life. And if he's a real friend, he won't let this ruin your friendship," his dad said.

Jaden sighed. "I guess," he said.

"I have some things to take care of here, so I probably won't be there to pick you up until the end of the week," his dad said.

"Okay, dad, I guess I'll see ya then."

"I love you, Jaden, and be good. I'll see you by the end of the week at the latest," his dad said.

"Love ya too. Bye."

There was a click followed by the dial tone and Jaden replaced the receiver before joining the Andersons in the living room.

10

The following day, Jaden found himself in the backyard, lying on his back and gazing up at the cloudless sky above his head, his mind replaying what his dad had told him the day before about Jesse and about him just telling the other boy that he liked him. He was curious to know if Jesse liked him back but he still feared ruining their friendship, despite his dad's assurance that if Jesse was a real friend, he wouldn't let that happen. There was also the fact that Jesse lived in Norway and, though he was a duelist, Jaden may never see him again.

"Hey, Jay, are you okay?"

Jaden turned his head to find Jesse taking a seat beside him and he sat up. "Yeah, I'm fine, looking forward to seeing my dad but also wondering if I'll ever see you again," he admitted.

"I'm sure ya will, Jay," Jesse said with a smile.

"I hope so." Jaden was silent for a long moment, thinking about his dad's words but he wondered if he really wanted to know as he may never see Jesse again.

Jesse put his arm around him. "Hey, we can keep in contact, y'know, like e-mail and all that," he said.

Jaden nodded slowly.

Jesse was silent for a long moment. "Hey, Jay, can I ask you something? It might seem a bit…personal though," he said.

Jaden looked at the bluenette. "What do you want to know?" he asked.

Jesse hesitated. "Um, like I said, I know it's personal but…are you, by chance, gay?" he asked.

Jaden blinked, surprised by the question. "Yeah, I am actually," he said.

Jesse looked surprised but then he smiled.

Jaden wondered at that smile. "But why do you want to know?" he asked confused.

Jesse hesitated and then said, "I…I like you, Jay, I have since sometime after we first met and I don't mean as just a friend. It's…it's more than that. I know we haven't known each other for long but you're the first person I've ever just clicked with as quickly as I have."

Jaden was silent for a long moment, stunned that Jesse liked him in that way.

"Jay?" Jesse looked at him uncertainly.

Jaden gave him a small smile. "I feel the same way," he said.

"You do?"

Jaden nodded. "Yeah, I just didn't if you felt the same way, y'know."

Jesse smiled and then he leaned forward before he pressed his lips tenderly to Jaden's, much to his shock. Jesse jerked back quickly, looking surprised by his own move with a faint blush on his cheeks. Jaden was sure he was blushing himself.

"I'm sorry," Jesse said.

"Why're you sorry?" Jaden asked, the shock fading into confusion.

"I should've asked you first," Jesse said uncertainly.

"Hey, don't worry about it, Jess," Jaden said smiling. "It was a shock, yeah, but I didn't mind it."

"You didn't?"

Jaden shook his head. "Isn't that what people who like each other do anyway?" he asked curiously. He couldn't remember ever being in a relationship before so he didn't know.

"Um, I don't know. I've never been in a relationship before," Jesse admitted.

"Oh." Jaden was silent for a moment and then he smiled and said, "I'm in the same boat, I think anyway. I don't remember ever being in a relationship anyway but…are we in a relationship?"

"I'd like to be 'cause I like ya a lot but I don't know how it'd work, 'cause we live so far away."

"Oh, right." Jaden would be lying if he said he didn't want to be in a relationship with Jesse, as boyfriends, but the bluenette was right. How would it work out for them with how far they lived from each other?

"Well, we can keep in contact with each other at least," Jaden said.

"True."

There was a long moment of silence and then Jaden lied back down and gazed up at the sky. "I wonder if that was my first kiss or not," he said.

Jesse lied down next to him, also gazing at the sky. "Maybe it was," he said before gently taking Jaden's hand into his. Jaden said nothing about this as he continued to gaze at the sky, a small smile playing on his lips.

11

The day finally came and Jaden was surprised when he found a part of him didn't want to leave. He and Jesse had grown even closer since the kiss they shared in the backyard. Bianca had been the first to notice as she came up to them the day Jaden's dad had flown in from Japan. They were currently sitting beneath the tree in the backyard, watching their duel spirits chase each other around the yard.

"Hey Mom," Jesse greeted her.

"Jesse," Bianca said as she sat down in front of them and studied them.

"Did ya need somethin'?" Jesse asked curiously.

"I'm actually curious. Are you two together?"

Both of them blushed.

"Is it that obvious?" Jesse asked.

Bianca chuckled. "Just a little," she admitted.

The bluenette sighed. "Well, we don't know if we gonna get together or not, mom, 'cause we live so far from each other," he said.

"Long distance relationships are possible, they're hard but they're possible," Bianca said. "My relationship with your father was long distance and, while it was hard, we managed until he decided to move here to be with me and that was the year he proposed, three years after we started dating. And look at us now. This is just my story because all relationships are different. However, if you want my opinion, I say give it a try."

Anderson walked out of the house. "Jaden, your father just called. He's going to be here in about an hour. He's going through customs at the airport now," he said.

"Okay," Jaden said and Bianca pushed herself to her feet.

"I think you should go for it though, Jesse. I've never seen you as happy as you are when you're with Jaden," Bianca said before she walked back to the house.

Jaden looked at the teal haired boy seated at his side. "Well, do you wanna try a long distance relationship?" He asked.

Jesse glanced at him. "I guess we can try. What do you say?" he asked.

"I say let's give it a try. Who knows? We could be like your parents," Jaden said brightly. Jesse chuckled before he nodded and got to his feet. "Okay," he said before he held out a hand and Jaden took it before letting the taller boy pull him to his feet before the two of them, hand in hand, walked back into the house.

12

The next hour flew by much quicker than Jaden had wanted it to. He spent it with Jesse, exchanging information so that they could keep in contact through e-mail and video-chat. They were in the living room, snacking on the snacks Bianca had brought out while they talked and waited.

It was long before the doorbell rang and Jaden looked up as Bianca walked toward the door and opened it. "Mr. Yuki, I presume? Come in," she said.

"Thank you, Mrs. Anderson," Jaden's dad said before he walked into the room.

Jaden noted that he took a lot after his dad; same hair, though without the patch of orange on top, and the same colored eyes. Seeing him, Jaden found a few memory fragments about him and he smiled before standing up and walking over to him. "Hey, dad," he said.

"Hello son," his dad said, hugging him before he released him and turned to Jesse's parents. "Thank you for taking care of my son, Mr. and Mrs. Anderson."

"Please, just call us Nathan and Bianca," Anderson said with a smile.

Jaden's dad smiled. "Then call me Itsuki," he said.

Anderson nodded.

"Dad, this is my boyfriend, Jesse," Jaden said, smiling a little at calling Jesse his boyfriend, as the bluenette came to his side. "Jesse, this is my dad."

Itsuki walked up to Jesse, studying him. "So you are dating my son," he said.

"Yes, sir, well, we just got together today and it's gonna be a long distance relationship," Jesse said.

Itsuki continued to observe him before he nodded. "If that's the case than I'd like to get to know you," he said. "I don't know about you but I'm hungry. Why don't we head to lunch? My treat."

"Food sounds good," Jaden said brightly.

"Food always sounds good to you, Jay," Jesse said with a smile.

Jaden and his dad went to dinner with the Andersons after that and Itsuki and Jesse talked as they ate. Afterwards, they left the restaurant and Itsuki glanced at Jaden. "Jesse seems like a nice guy so I approve," he said with a smile.

Jaden smiled as well as Jesse wrapped an arm around his waist.

"We need to get going though, Jaden," Itsuki added. "It's a long flight back to Japan."

Jaden was reluctant but he knew he had to. He turned to Jesse and smiled at him. "I guess this is goodbye," he said sadly.

Jesse leaned forward and gently pressed his lips against Jaden's. "Keep in touch, Jay, and we'll see each other again," he said.

Jaden gently kissed Jesse back. "I will," he said before he stepped away as Jesse released him and Jaden and Itsuki walked over to the car Itsuki rented. Jaden turned to wave goodbye to Jesse before he climbed into the car and glanced out the window as his father got in, started the car and began driving down the street toward the airport.

As they drove away, Jaden wondered how long it would be before he saw Jesse again. At the same time, he also wondered how long it would be before he regained all of his memories. As he watched the city fly past him, Jaden was surprised by the bad feeling that surged through him and he had the feeling that, soon, the memories he hadn't regained yet would be the least of his problems.

. . .

The End

. . .

1: Yes, I know this is the same name that I gave Jesse's dad in Battle Born but so what?

2: At this point in time, Jesse doesn't know about Jaden yet. He learns about Jaden during his first week back at North Academy before he heads off to Duel Academy in my story.

3: I didn't want to include an actual duel because this story is structured as fragments that were anywhere between half a page to two pages (with Fragment 6 being the longest) so sorry for all those who wanted to see a duel.

4: Okay, this may have been a bit exaggerated and blown way out of proportion but I kinda had an idea of taking the idea that humans hate and fear what they don't understand and run with it and I may have gone a bit overboard. Ah well. It did its job well in my opinion, even if it might not be that realistic, well, to me it is but I'm not sure if it will be to others.

5: Yes, I did have Jesse beat Jaden. Sue me…actually don't, I have no money to give so you'd be outta luck if you did try to sue me. After all, you can't win 'em all, right? Jaden did lose to both Zane and Aster after all and I believe that Jesse could win against Jaden without Rainbow Dragon.

. . .

A/n what do you think?

Blaze: I know I said 'The End' but I may continue this in a rewrite of Season 3 of Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Darth: I hope you do

Blaze: I plan on it but I'm attempting to figure out how to make it different so that it isn't a complete word-for-word rewrite, other than the fact that it will be 8000 point duels (cause I just have so much fun with those) and I have a few OCs to introduce

Darth: hey, I'm sure you'll be able to make it different

Blaze: I'm going to have fun with it but my main priority right now is finishing Shadow Rise and, at least, getting the first several chapters of Chained completed. Plus, it depends if people want to see a sequel to this story

Darth: true

Blaze: so, this is the first time I've ever written a story with romance as its main genre. How did I do? I hope it wasn't too quick but I just took the idea that Jaden and Jesse became best friends almost instantly and ran with it so I hope you don't mind that. Your thoughts are much appreciated so please review but please no flames.