Big thanks to everyone for being so patient, I really appreciate it. My Grammie's kidneys have failed earlier this week, so I will be staying at the hospital today. Somethings are better, but there remaining bad is slowly getting worse. We'll see where this goes. I don't own rights to YuGiOh! 5Ds but I do own this FanFiction. Hope you enjoy.

At the Crossroads:

Pre-Crash Safety

"I know, I know," Akiza sighed over the yowling coming from the carrier next to the kitchen door. Bullet was pressing his face against the metal door, his eyes begging for release every time she walked by. "You're going to have to wait." Star sent the tabby a glance before following her out into the living room. She briefly paused on her way to the stairs to run a hand through Star's fur, earning a purr. Star wasn't easily fazed and reminded her so much of Yusei's calm demeanor. Bullet, on the other hand, was as loud as he was an open book; just like Crow. "We're almost done, you two. I know this is upsetting, but hopefully we can come back after everything settles." Her eyes were constantly moving as she made her way back up to her room for the last of her suitcases. Just where were Darwin's hidden cameras? Horrifying thoughts began to swim through her mind as she walked past her personal bathroom and into the closet. Every hair on her body stood as she began neatly folding clothes and placing them in the open red suitcase that rested on counter. Was there one in the closet? Was he watching her right now? Her movements paused as something among the hanging clothes twinkled in the light.

"Akiza, how's the-" Yusei knocked softly against the doorframe of the bedroom. He blinked as Star poked his head out of the closet and meowed loudly before disappearing as the sounds of hangers clashing together filled the air. In a flash, he was in the closet and gently pulled her away from the hanging clothes that she was shuffling through. Her eyes were wide and her shoulders were shaking slightly. "Hey, it's okay," he whispered, wrapping his arms around her as her arms slowed to a stop then dropped to her sides. He didn't speak, it wasn't necessary nor would it help in any way. His hold tightened on her as she began to cry softly, gently easing her to the floor so he could gather her in his arms and rested his chin atop her head as she cried into his shirt. Star's ears drooped as her cries began to grow louder. The black cat nuzzled her slack hand as Yusei began to stroke her hair with his hand, both providing silent comfort. For several minutes the three remained on the floor as she slowly grew quiet. "Feel better?" he whispered, placing a kiss on her forehead as she raised her head to reveal reddened and slightly puffy eyes. "You've been holding so much in that it came out in a tidal wave. It's okay to let it out and show what you are feeling." Yusei offered a small smile as he tenderly wiped the remaining moisture from her face with his fingers, his cobalt eyes softer than the fleece jacket he was wearing. Her eyes were now clear and her body was relaxed, testimonies that she had released all the stress and worry that had been clouding her heart. "Next time you need a good cry or need someone to listen…" he nuzzled her face affectionately, resting his forehead against hers. "Let us know." Star meowed, as if voicing his agreement, and hopped up so that he was nuzzling her chin.

Akiza couldn't help but smile as they nuzzled her, a giggle slipping between her lips as Yusei's hold tightened around her. Everything seemed to fade the longer she remained in his arms. Another giggle escaped her as Star enthusiastically nuzzled her cheek. "You two…" Her heart fluttered as they continued to shower her with affection, a lone tear slipping form the corner of her eye but this tear was warm and was followed by an even warmer smile. "are the best."

…

Yusei glanced over into the passenger seat where Akiza slept soundly, Star was curled up in her lap and purring happily. They had managed to get the car that he had sent for, a navy colored Mercedes-AMG E63 S 4MATIC, loaded with the things she would need shortly after she had calmed down. However, she had fallen asleep not 10 minutes after leaving town. He had noticed the dark circles growing under her eyes ever since they had arrived for their stay. Even with the concealer she wore, he could still tell that they had grown immensely. Her appetite had waned as well. There was a lot of work to be done and he was more than ready. He reached over and gently grasped onto her had that rested atop Star. "Akiza, it's time to wake up."

Her eyes fluttered open, revealing clouded orbs. "Huh?"

"Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty," he chuckled as she blinked up at him. Faint popping sounds filled the car as she stretched, earning a mild meow of protest as she shifted positions. His lips lifted into a smile as she gasped, her eyes focused on the front windshield. "Welcome back, Akiza."

New Domino City was slowly coming into view on the horizon, the Daedalus Bridge coming into view as they took the exit for the city. Her eyes widened as they passed the special arch that rested between the cities. Has it really been so long? Akiza rested her forehead against the window as they entered the city limits and the scenery became filled with skyscrapers. Memories seemed to flood her as they passed many familiar places; the Kaiba Dome, Duel Academy, a café that she had always visited between classes. Everything was the same yet felt completely new. She gasped as the window rolled down, causing warm air to tickle her face. "H-Hey!"

"Hey yourself!" She jumped as a familiar face suddenly appeared in the open window. Crow grinned as she quickly recovered and reached out the window to lightly slap his helmet. "You finally came back! How does it feel to be back in Domino?" Her response was lost to the wind as she simply laughed, her face lighting up with pure joy as they drove through the streets.

"You never told me where you live," she turned to Yusei as they turned north. "Is it another garage or apartment? Please tell me you have a house and no longer sleep on a couch." Her concern grew as Crow erupted into laughter. "Oh no…"

Yusei only smiled, winking. "You'll have to wait and see!"

"I gotta get going, but I'll see you two later tonight!" Crow waved, turned down a side-street with a squeal of his tires.

Akiza raised an eyebrow. "Are there plans that I don't know about?" Yusei only smiled. Her eyes narrowed as he sheepishly shrugged under her gaze before admitting that he had invited the Signers over for dinner. He had wanted it to be a surprise but after what had happened before they left her house made him feel as though she needed the support of the others. Relief flooded him as she broke into a grin. "Everyone will be there?!"

He nodded. "When they heard that you were coming back, they all begged to see you. Once we get you all settled, we'll be off to have dinner with everyone." Warmth filled her as he went on to describe how much they had missed her. The twins were especially looking forward to seeing her, and that thought alone filled her to the brim with joy. Yusei couldn't hide his smile as her eyes met his, revealing sparkling orbs. This was the Akiza he saw when he freed her from her insecurities when she woke from her coma. Her expression warped into utter shock as the car came to a stop in front of a house. He slipped out from behind the wheel after turning off the engine, hurrying to her side and opening the door for her. "Welcome back, Akiza, and I welcome you to my home."

Her jaw dropped as he helped her out of the car, Star jumping to the ground and began sniffing the air then jumped to nestle inside Yusei's hair. The mansion loomed over her, reminding her of her childhood home. "Don't take offense, but I never took you for the mansion type." He pointed to the left part of the building and she blinked as she noticed that that particular side was slightly shorter than the rest. Was that a garage? "A workshop?"

"It started as just a small house that had a 2 car garage," he began, popping the trunk open and beginning to unload it. "If you look on the right side, I added a wrap around porch that leads to the backyard. The house was originally a mud brown so I repainted it to the navy it is now. The whole house was pretty old, so I gave it a facelift everywhere from the windows to the plumbing."

"Why did you keep remodeling it?" she asked, grabbing a suitcase and Bullet's carrier. Yusei kept his body turned away from her as his cheeks tinted red. There was no way he was going to admit the reasoning was because- "This is amazing!" He barely had time to register that she had stopped in the doorway before he nearly crashed into her. Akiza couldn't believe how clean the place was! She had so many memories of when he had lived in a garage, not that he nor the other two had done their best to keep it clean, but it hadn't been the most sterile place she'd ever seen. The walls were a slate color that went nicely with the occasional metallic decoration here and there. Her head bobbed in appreciation as they stepped into the spacious living room. A giant TV sat in one corner at a diagonal facing a cloud colored loveseat and L-shaped leather couch with a glass-top coffee table in the center of the room. The carpet felt almost like memory foam and was a silver color. "Gray seems to be one of your favorite colors."

Yusei's face instantly blanched as he looked around. "I guess I may have gone a little overboard with the gray." They were both thankful that neither was facing the other as their thoughts turned to 50 Shades of Gray, their cheeks turning bright red. He nervously chuckled as they began their trek upstairs. She was right, he had used a lot of grays when he repainted the interior. It was time for a new theme anyway, the grays were beginning to mold together and now that Akiza was going to be staying for a while… That reminds him. "Hey, Akiza, is your work okay with you being away for so long?"

A lump formed in her throat, but she swallowed it. "Y-yeah, they're fine with it."

"You never told me what you do now." He tilted his head as he opened the door to one of the spare bedrooms. The room was modest; cinnamon colored walls, the windows framed with beige colored drapes, honey stained oak dresser and desk, moderate sized SmartTV, walk-in closet, and a pillow-top queen bed with a paisley patterned comforter with earthy-toned colors. When he didn't' receive an answer, he deposited the suitcase he was carrying on the bed then turned to face her as she released Bullet. "Akiza?"

Her eyes refused to meet his as he moved within her line of vision. She couldn't refuse his gentle touch as his hand lifted her chin so that she was looking up at him and not down at Bullet who was rubbing against her legs. His eyes were gentle and warm, showing that he was going to trust her to tell him no matter if he pressed for answers or not. "I…work as an assistant," she hesitantly began, nibbling on her bottom lip. "Great benefits… amazing pay… hours are favorable…" A sheepish smile spread across her face as he raised an eyebrow. "Right, not the information you want to know…" She sighed, her inner emotions swirling inside her like a hurricane. Her resolve stabilized though the longer Yusei calmly waited for her to answer him. He had saved her more than she could admit and was closest to her heart. "You never saw the basement, but there is a lab under the house. I help the local hospital with their research and studies."

Yusei quietly listened as she explained more, but something bothered him. She was being truthful, that was obvious, but it felt as though she was holding something back. A part of him was concerned about what she wasn't saying. Was it something so terrible that she still wouldn't want to share it, even with him? The rest of him was ecstatic that she was finally beginning to open up to him more. "That's great to hear," he smiled, pulling her into his arms. "I'm so proud of you."

Akiza's heart skipped a beat at his words. He was proud of her. Her arms rose and wrapped around his neck as she nuzzled into his hair, earning a meow from Star as he was dislodged and hopped down onto the bed. She smiled as he left her to get settled, mentioning that he would come back a later when it was time to meet up with the other, then flopped onto the bed as Star and Bullet settled onto the pillows. "I'm back in New Domino," she whispered, closing her eyes. "and I'm staying in Yusei's house!" Star nuzzled her cheek as Bullet moved to settle on her stomach. Her hands gently brushed across their fur, earning loud purrs and meows. The smile never left her face as she slowly drifted away into dreamland.

And there we go. Thanks everyone for being patient. As of right now, she isn't responding well to some of the new medications. I'm was asked to call some family in so we shall see how the rest of today goes. Chao.