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Goldfish: EchoGirl319 had a serious sugar rush so she's currently indisposed. She'll be running around like a bouncy ball all night now, so much for my plans. Anyway, enjoy the chapter and no, EchoGirl does not own Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's.

A Rose in the Stars

Chapter 9

Everything in the waiting room at Sector Security HQ was silent except for the steady drumming of Yusei's nails against the table.

He glanced at Jack, who was still rather red faced after his bout of threatening, yelling at, and basically just intimidating Trudge, who had made a bee-line for the bathroom. Yep, it was true, Jack Atlas could scare someone that much.

Crow sat beside him, looking very grave and serious, an expression that appeared almost foreign on the redhead's face marked face. Kalin was pacing and running a hand through his ice blue hair.

The kids just had to inherit their fathers' worst traits, didn't they?

Yusei sighed and lowered his head into his hand. It just had to be that house though didn't it?

Man, Destiny, he thought, you could have snooped around any other house in the neighbourhood. Why did it have to be that one?

How the hell was he supposed to explain this to the Izinskis? They didn't even like him.

He remembered how they had blamed him for Akiza leaving, said that they'd never wanted to hear from, speak to or even see him again. He hadn't even had a chance to tell them about Destiny's existence. And now they were going to find out that one of the no doubt "unruly, uneducated vandals" was their granddaughter who they hadn't even known existed for the better part of fourteen years since their only child had runaway.

He just hoped that neither Hideo or Setsuko had a heart attack when they found out.

"You're screwed," Jack spoke the words that everyone knew to be true.

Yusei glared at him.

"Not helping, Jack," it was Crow that finally responded.

Jack shrugged just as Trudge re-entered the room. Everyone's eyes turned to him.

"Mina's just bringing the kids along with Senator and Mrs. Izinski."

"I still can't believe that you put my son in a holding cell," Jack growled.

Trudge decided not to reply. It was pointless getting in an argument with the egotistic blond. Instead he looked at Kalin.

"You should keep an eye on your son, Kessler," he told him, "I wouldn't be surprised if that Chris boy had Mafia connections."

Kalin glared at him, almost as coldly as Jack had. "Are you implying something about my son's mental state, Trudge?"

Trudge trembled momentarily before turning back to the door, waiting for the children to be brought out. The four former gang members were not in a good mood and, truth to tell, they seemed more angry at him for arresting their children rather than the fact their children had just broken into a senator's house.

He sighed and shook his head. He guessed that they understood how the five youngsters were feeling. They were former Satellite rejects, after all.

The door opened and all seated occupants of the room leapt to their feet as Mina entered followed closely by Destiny, Jake, Chris, Mark and Vanessa with Hideo and Setsuko bringing up the year.

"Dad," Jake greeted Jack with a nod as he approached his father. The others silently followed his example, walking over and standing by their own fathers. Yusei put a hand on Destiny's shoulder and she lifted her head to meet his gaze.

I'm sorry, Dad, her eyes spoke.

Don't worry about it, his replied.

She turned back to face the others. His remained on her shoulder, keeping her close to him.

"Well," Setsuko began, staring grimly the four fathers, though he could feel her gaze particularly focused on him, her eyes shining with disappointment. "I expected better of you boys."

"We promise that it won't happen again, will it?" Crow told the couple before giving all five children the look.

They all shrunk back into their fathers' chests. All except for Vanessa who shrunk away from hers.

"No, Uncle Crow," they all responded simultaneously. Well, all except for Vanessa who said "No, Dad."

Hideo frowned and glared at the four adults, "if you're all so casual about your children breaking into someone's house, particularly that of an acquaintance, then I suggest that you rethink your parenting methods."

Jack, who was completely sick of this argument and just wanted to go home, simply snapped in response, "last I checked your parenting methods could've used some brushing up too!"

A shocked gasp escaped from Setsuko, who buried her face in her husband's shoulder, Hideo stumbled backwards at the harshness of Jack's words and Yusei even felt Destiny flinch. She hadn't heard about Akiza's traumatic childhood yet, she was clearly concerned by what Jack had said.

"That was low, Jack," he warned the blond, who turned to him.

"Yusei," he said, "I've not have a good day. My son has been arrested by one of the most annoying men I have ever met, I have not had any coffee today and some damned parking warding gave me a ticket this afternoon! I don't care whether it was low or not, it was the truth."

Jack didn't have any coffee today. Yusei thought. Yep. That explains his sour mood completely. Man that guy has a serious coffee fetish.

He glared at every occupant of the room before once again speaking to Yusei. "The kids said that they were having a sleepover at your place tonight. I'll drop Jake off at six."

With that, he and his practical clone stalked out of the waiting room without another word, his trademark white trench coat billowing out behind him.

"Adios, guys. See ya later, Yusei, Destiny," Crow spoke after a moment's pause before he and Vanessa followed Jack out.

"I'll drop the twins off at six, Yusei," Kalin told the raven-haired duellist before heading outside after Crow and Jack.

"Later, Destiny, Uncle Yusei," Chris and Mark winked before running after their father, leaving Yusei and Destiny alone with Hideo, Trudge, Setsuko and Mina.

Gee, thanks guys. I really appreciate it. Yusei had never been one for sarcasm but he couldn't prevent it from slipping out, even if it was mentally.

You could practically feel the tension in the room spike to an all time high.

"We should be going too," he said after a few seconds of silence, wrapping an arm around Destiny's shoulders starting to head towards the exit.

Before he had walked three steps he felt a small hand on his shoulder. He twisted his head. It was Setsuko, Hideo was right behind her.

"I never knew you had a daughter, Yusei," her voice was small, her expression unreadable.

Yusei stared at her for a moment before replying, his voice slightly hoarse, "I do," before he continued walking. If the couple worked Destiny's parentage out by themselves then so be it, but he wasn't ready to tell them yet. Not without Akiza. "Come on, Destiny."

Once they were outside, Destiny suddenly ran into the bushes and re-emerged with a bag, stuffed to the brim with objects. Yusei realised immediately what his daughter had done.

"Destiny, you actually stole something from your grandparents, didn't you?" it wasn't a question, it was a statement.

Destiny looked down in a semi-display of shame. She wasn't really ashamed. "It's just some of Mom's stuff. I want to know what happened to her. Everything. And I found something that will let me."

They stopped in front of Yusei's red and white duel runner.

"Really?" he asked, looking at her as he handed her a helmet.

"Yep," she replied, putting on the helmet just as Yusei had grabbed his, "White Magician of Fate showed me."

"Hm," Yusei considered, "interesting."

"Very," Destiny agreed as she climbed onto the runner behind her father, adjusting herself so that she was sitting in the exact same position that her mother had been in fifteen years earlier. (AN: think of Episode 72)

After Yusei Fudo and his mysterious daughter had left, Setsuko turned back to her husband.

"There's something strange about that girl," she told her husband, picturing the girl in her mind. Long black hair streaked with violet and soul-seeing catlike sapphire eyes. "She looks like her father," she mused.

"Yes," Hideo agreed, "I didn't know Yusei was married. I mean, I'd heard that the others were, but not him."

"That's because he's not," Mina told them.

"Yeah," Trudge added, "Destiny just popped out of no where. One day she was just… there. No one except their closest friends even has an idea about who her mother is."

"How old is she?" Hideo asked, curious.

"Fourteen in three weeks," Trudge replied.

"That's when Akiza left," Setsuko murmured, remembering the letter that her daughter had left them. A sudden thought struck her. "Hideo?" she asked her husband, "do you think that maybe this Destiny girl had something to do with Akiza leaving?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Akiza always was very fond of Yusei, maybe she, I don't know, left because of a broken heart or something?"

"You think she felt that strongly for him?"

"She definitely felt something for him. And I'm almost positive that this Destiny has something to do with our daughter leaving."

"It's a possibility, either that or… no. That's not it."

Setsuko knew instinctively what her husband was talking about, and her eyes widened at the thought. No, that was impossible. Not her Akiza. Yet there was a thought that nagged at her, what if it was true?

No, she convinced herself, there was no connection between Destiny and Akiza. And definitely not a blood connection.

"No, you're right," she agreed, "that's not it."

That can't be it.

Goldfish: Grandparents in denial. Interesting. Anyway, there's some more Jake/Destiny coming up in the next chapter and also some more Akiza. R+R before I take over the world! Mwahahahahahahahahaha!