AnimeKiwi369: Well, I'm happy.

Copper: Why.

AnimeKiwi369: This is story is becoming kinda popular. It had 51 reviews!

Copper: That's good.

AnimeKiwi369: Two of my other stories have 51 reviews, too.

Copper: Shouldn't you be getting to the story?

AnimeKiwi369: Oh, yeah. This will probably be one of the most random filler chapters I will ever do. It focuses on Yusei and Copper, when she's about three and Yusei begins to doubt himself. Before I ruin anything else, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's or its characters, just my own characters and the storyline.

Reminiscences

Chapter 11: Doubts

"We've gotten it easy. Raising Copper, I mean." The psychic commented.

"Yeah." Yusei looked down a little, almost sadly. Akiza noticed it easily.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"It's just that when she was three, I had some doubts about myself." He admitted.

"And you've gotten over it?" she guessed.

"Yeah. After Copper helped me."

-Flashback-

It was about late November when he began to feel like he was a useless parent. As the dark-haired Signer rode home, he passed the park the twins' used to play and duel at when they were younger. He saw an older man and a younger one playing catch. They had to have been father and son. He felt a little jealous; he never had a chance to do anything like that with his father because of Zero Reverse. The two men looked very happy.

He sighed, feeling a bit sorry for himself when a thought crossed his mind. What do I really know about being a father? He wondered, What about Copper? What if I'm not a very good father to her? I know I spend time with her and care about her, but I don't have anybody that affects my parenting skills. I've been to the Facility. How am I a good parent if I've been there? What if I'm not very good at being my little girl's dad? He continued thinking as he pulled into the garage.

Yusei dismounted only to feel little arms wrap around his legs. He looked down to see his mostly dark-haired girl.

"You're home!" Three year-old Copper exclaimed, hugging him tightly, burying her head in his waist.

He mumbled a quiet 'Hey' as a response. He wasn't in the mood to be talkative. The dark-haired Signer would rather have gone to bed. But it was too early. Although it was getting darker due to the time of the year. He loved his daughter so much, but he just didn't want to be around her or his wife at the moment.

"You're home a bit late, Stardust." Akiza commented from her position in the doorway.

"I was riding a bit slow today. Sorry." He apologized, hiding his doubts.

"All right." She responded.

"Daddy, I can count to fifty!" She told him excitedly.

"That's really great, Copper." He commented, quietly again. He was happy for her; she was only three and she was already able to count to fifty. But he was too focused on his doubts to be enthusiastic. They went inside and he went upstairs. Yusei took a hot shower, hoping to clear his head, but it did no good. He lied on top of his and Akiza's bed, staring at the ceiling absently. He couldn't stop thinking about how he was doing as a father to Copper. Maybe if he played the piano it would clear his head…

The dark-haired Signer heard the door open and heard little footsteps approach him. Copper crawled next to him.

"What is it, honey?" he asked.

"Mommy told me to tell you dinner's ready."

"Oh." he responded quietly, "I'll be there in a minute."

"Okay!" she replied and dashed out of the room.

This might be a lot easier if she was older. That way she might understand. He thought, getting up and going downstairs. Akiza looked at him expectantly, but something seemed wrong when she saw him.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, but he didn't respond. Copper went over to her mother and pulled on her jacket a little. The female Signer crouched down a little, "What is it?"

"What's wrong with daddy?" she asked in a whisper voice.

"I don't know, sweetie." She told her, "I hope he'll be okay though."

Yusei didn't say much for the rest of the night and went to bed early while Akiza and Copper stayed up for a little bit. For hours, he tossed and turned and was restless, his doubts seeping into his dreams, turned them into nightmares. For hours that went on until one came to its climax and he sat upright, breathing hard; it was dark and he felt his wife next to him, breathing deeply, fast asleep. He wiped the sweat that had formed on his brow with the forearm of his long sleeve light blue nightshirt. He looked at the clock: 3:19 a. m.

Akiza didn't stir as he got out of bed and quietly went downstairs. He stared into the fireplace, where a bright flame leapt from some logs. He just couldn't stop thinking about his doubts. But why?

"Why can't I stop thinking about this?" he asked himself.

"Yusei." A familiar voice commented inside his head.

"Father?" he asked aloud, looking up.

"Why do you doubt yourself so?" Professor Fudo's voice asked in the Signer's head.

"I don't feel that I'm a good at being a father. I've never had someone to set an example that affects my parenting."

"You've been a father for a little over three years, Yusei."

"I know." He murmured.

"Then why doubt yourself?" his father repeated.

"I don't know."

"You should not doubt yourself. My son, you're an excellent father. And your daughter loves you very much. She loves you with all her heart and knows she'll always love you and your wife." Professor Fudo's voice began fading, "Do not doubt yourself."

He stayed silent as he stared into the fire for several minutes as his father's words rang in his head.

"Daddy?" a sleepy, little voice asked from the staircase. Yusei looked over and saw Copper coming down the staircase.

"Copper? What are you doing up, sweetie?" he asked.

"I woke up and I was cold. But I couldn't reach the extra blankets. And I heard you talking to somebody." She told him, yawning as she crawled onto the couch next to him. Her words were slurred with sleep and still had a babyish sound; her l's and r's had a 'w' sound to them as she spoke. He smiled a little at her small voice, "Why are you up, daddy?"

"I woke up, too." He told her.

"Who were you talking to?" she asked curiously.

"Someone I needed to talk to." He answered; she was too young to understand.

"Okay." She responded, laying her head in his lap, "Why did you need to talk to whoever it was?"

Yusei sighed; he might as well tell her, "I'm just a bit doubtful of myself."

"Why?"

"I don't think I'm a very good father to you."

"Why?" she repeated.

"I don't even know; I just feel like I'm not a very good father."

Copper snuggled closer to him and buried her head in his abdomen as she wrapped her arms around him as best she could, "You're a great daddy, daddy." She told him, "I love you. You're the best daddy that I could ever have."

"Copper…" he trailed off, "I love you, too, baby."

"Daddy?" she asked, growing drowsier.

"What is it?" he asked, stroking her hair.

"Will you tuck me in, please?"

The dark-haired Signer bent down and kissed her head, "Of course, my little star-rose."

Yusei picked up her small form and carried her upstairs into her bedroom. He gently placed her in her bed and pulled the blankets around her. He grabbed another blanket from a shelf in her closet and put it on top of her. He kissed her head again.

"Daddy?" she asked in a low tone, growing sleepier.

"Yes?" he inquired, "What can I do for your, sweetheart?"

"Can you get my teddy bear, please?" she asked.

"Of course." He responded, getting the said object.

"Thank you." Copper told him quietly, her words slurred with sleep as her father gave her the soft animal, tucking it close to her chest beneath her arms.

"No problem. Thank you, Cyli." He whispered, "Sleep tight."

"'Night, 'night, daddy." She responded, barely audible, "Love you."

"Love you, too." He repeated, leaving her room and going bad to his and Akiza's bed. He lied down and moved closer to his wife. He wrapped his arm around her and rested his head over her shoulder.

"Where did you go?" she asked sleepily.

"I just needed to clear my head." He responded, "I'm fine now."

"Okay. Good night."

"Good night. I love you, Black Rose."

"I love you, too, Stardust. Now go to sleep."

"All right."

-End Flashback-

"She's always helped us." Yusei commented, "Even if it was just by one little sentence."

"Yeah." Akiza agreed, "I wish I knew if she was all right."

"I do, too."

AnimeKiwi369: Well that's done.

Copper: So, how's your poll going?

AnimeKiwi369: Oh, well, I've gotta get going big time on LOST AND FOUND.

Copper: Oh. And what was the other news?

AnimeKiwi369: Well, I'm working on another story, a one-shot, that's I'm going to post before chapter 12, so it might be a week or two.

Copper: Okay.

AnimeKiwi369: Yeah, so please review and please be kind when reviewing, please. ^^