AnimeKiwi369: I will openly admit it.

Copper: Openly admit what?

AnimeKiwi369: This is a boring chapter.

Copper: How so?

AnimeKiwi369: It just felt like it when I was reading over it.

Copper: Well, what goes on?

AnimeKiwi369: You'll see. It's kinda a filler.

Copper: Oh, fine.

AnimeKiwi369: You'll hate me later, so I'll get on with the disclaimer. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's or its characters. I just own my own characters and the plot. There's also a lot of dialogue.

Chapter 15

Unraveling Edges

Yusei laughed again as his mother told him some of the crazy things his father had once done. He didn't know his father had been so lively. Each time they had communicated, Professor Fudo had been serious. Hearing the stories made the dark-haired man wish more that he had known his father. They had been working on the engine that Yusei had never gotten to work and got it to work perfectly on the engine simulator on his laptop. Nan seemed much more comfortable today.

The blue-indigo-eyed man looked at the clock. His eyes widened slightly, seeing the time. It was nearly midnight! They hadn't even noticed how fast the time went by. It was funny. He hadn't spent so much time working on an engine since he worked on Copper's duel runner. That seemed so long ago…

"I think we should get to bed." He suggested, "I still have to work tomorrow."

"That's a good idea, Yusei." His mother agreed, "But I have a quick question?"

"Fire away." He replied, curious as to what his mother wanted to know.

"It's about Copper." His mother said, "Does she seem a little on edge to you? Or tense?"

"Just a little." He responded, "I don't think it's anything to worry about. She's a teenager."

"If you say so, son." Nan replied, getting up from the chair she'd been sitting in, "Good night, Yusei."

"Good night, mom." The dark-haired Signer said, leaving the kitchen. He went up the stairs, yawning. "I've got to get to bed earlier. I'm not as young as I used to be." He chuckled to himself.

He heard some ruffling sounds coming from the direction of Copper's bedroom. Hmm? He wondered, going down the hall. He quietly tried turning the knob of her bedroom door. But it didn't turn; the young girl must have locked it. There was no question about that. The question was why did she lock it?

The noises the dark-haired man heard stopped. Guess it's nothing. He thought, At least I hope so.

Yusei went back down to the hall to his and Akiza's room. The psychic Signer was fast asleep on her side. He smiled a little at her. There was something different…yet familiar about how she looked. He couldn't place it, though. He shrugged it off as he removed his jacket and gloves. He silently took off his boots, jeans, and socks before replacing his black shirt with a white nightshirt.

The blue-indigo-eyed man lied down next to his wife and fell asleep quickly.

Several Nights Later With Copper—1 A.M.

She tossed and turned as yet another vision melted into a nightmare and vice versa. Cold sweat dripped down her forehead. Her chest ached from how hard her heart was pounding. She could feel herself shaking with anxiety and adrenaline. The dark-haired girl gasped as she bolted upright in bed. Her arm stung again as her Marks' glowed. She didn't look, but she knew. She'd become accustomed to that.

"That was the worst one yet." She mumbled.

Copper turned the light on and got up. She went to her bathroom and looked into the mirror. She looked terrible. Dark circles were under her eyes and her expression was a combination of suspicion and terror. Not to mention that she was paler than normal. Locks of her long hair were falling into her eyes, which were dull. She brushed the locks away and left the bathroom with a hairbrush.

The blue-indigo-eyed girl slowly and numbly brushed the dark tresses. She kept brushing her hair, even when it was untangled. It was like she was in a trance. She shivered as images kept replaying. The terrifying feeling of being controlled by that psychopath Sayer, crashing after nearly being defeated by Lane, and seeing the past…again…she couldn't get any of it out of her head.

This was not how she had planned her summer to be. And she had a bad feeling it wasn't going to get any better.

Later that Morning

Copper quietly walked downstairs as she heard the sounds of clanging objects in the kitchen. She didn't feel all that great, mentally-, physically-, and emotionally-wise; not like she felt sick, though. She hadn't been able to fall back asleep since she woke up at three in the morning. Her father was in the kitchen, cleaning up, it looked like. She felt weak. She soundlessly went into the kitchen, but still got the dark-haired man's attention.

"Hey." Yusei greeted.

"Ugh, hi." She replied, too tired to talk.

"You look horrible." He told her.

The psychic rolled her eyes, "No, really?" she asked sarcastically.

That was one way the leader of the Signers could tell his daughter was not in a good mood. When she used sarcasm like that, it usually indicated she didn't have a good night or she was going through 'female issues'. Normally. He looked closer at her and noticed she was noticeably paler and she had dark circles under her gorgeous eyes.

"Something bothering you?" he asked. She smiled slightly; this was her chance!

"Well actually—" she started as her father looked at the clock.

"Sorry." He interrupted, "Can you hold that thought until later tonight? I'm finally going to try and work that engine before work starts. And it's going to take at least an hour and I want to get it working before work actually starts. If I don't, I'll be working late tonight."

Copper clenched her fists at her sides, feeling her nails bite the palms of her hands sharply. She bit her lip so hard she tasted blood a little as she looked down.

"Fine." She told her father, trying to resist sounding cold and snapping. She felt her blood turn to ice. Her father had been putting her off all week.

"I'll see you later." The blue-indigo-eyed man said, going out to the garage.

"Yeah." She said, turning on her heel and stalking out of room to the basement, "Whatever."

The dark-haired girl hit the wall of the basement with her right hand hard. She felt pain climb its way back into her wrist.

Great. She thought sarcastically, First the nightmares, and my relationship with my dad is dying and now I hurt my just-healed wrist.

With Akiza

The psychic leaned against the counter in the back of the shop, resisting dizziness. She felt Dove put a hand on her shoulder and looked at her with concerned emerald eyes. The redhead was finding it more difficult to hide her condition.

"Akiza, are you sure you're all right?" the blonde asked.

The Claw Signer sighed, "I don't know."

"What do mean 'don't know'?" Crow's wife asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"It's strange. Our life right now." She replied, "Yusei's spending a lot of time with Nan, Copper's having a hard time."

"How so?" Dove inquired.

"She's constantly seeing the past and having other visions and nightmares and dreams. She's really afraid." Akiza answered, "And on top of that, she's a teenager. Not to mention she and Yusei have been distant lately. I'm afraid she's going to snap one of these days. I also think she's having trouble keeping that I'm—" she stopped midsentence, catching herself.

"Keeping that you're what exactly?" the blonde asked.

"It's nothing."

"Akiza. C'mon." the emerald-eyed woman coaxed, "I'm your best friend and I want to know what's wrong."

"Dove, you promise you won't tell Yusei or anyone else?" the psychic asked.

"I promise." The blonde said.

Akiza let out a small sigh, "Like you, I'm…"

"You're what?"

"Pregnant."

A grin spread across the other woman's face as her emerald eyes lit up. She let out a slight squeal of joy and hugged her friend tightly.

"Akiza, that's awesome!" Dove exclaimed, "It'll just be like the first time we were; only this time I got pregnant before you, where you were with Copper before I was with Raven."

"Dove…" the psychic choked out, "I can't breathe."

The blonde let go and rubbed the back of her head, "Sorry. I can't help it. I'm just excited for you." A thought came to the former tennis player's mind, "Why keep it a secret?"

"I'm afraid of stressing Yusei out even more." She explained, "I mean his mom's still adjusting and I know he's still getting to know her. I'm pretty sure he's worried and I don't want him to worry about me with this. You and Copper are the only ones that know besides myself, of course."

"I see." Dove responded, putting her chin in her hands, "That makes sense. So when you were out that day last week…"

"Morning sickness." The redhead answered, "Yours was bad, too, this time around, correct?"

"Yeah." The blonde laughed, "Before we found out what it was, Crow was freaking out like crazy! I've never seen him so shaken up!"

Akiza couldn't help but laugh, too, "Well, he does get rattled easily."

With Raven, John, and Lane

The ginger listened to Copper's cell phone go to voice mail for the thousandth time that morning. And the billionth time that week. They hadn't heard from the dark-haired girl in days. She leaned back indignantly in the chair outside at the café she, John, and Lane were at. They had just finished eating. The emerald-eyed girl crossed her arms over her chest. She glared at the sky.

"Still no answer?" the blonde asked from across the table.

"Yeah." Raven responded. She growled slightly, "I don't get it! We're her best friends! Why won't she answer?" she yelled throwing her hands up.

"Calm down, Ray." Lane said, leaning across the table slightly, "People are staring."

"I don't care!" she hissed, "Copper is our friend! She knew we were meeting up today. She never blows thing off! And she's been doing it all week!"

"You think we don't know that, Hogan." John said, "But you have to take into consideration that she's having a rough time with her grandmother and everything."

"Now you start to be sympathetic?" Raven yelled, standing and slamming her hands on the table.

"So?" he yelled back, mirroring her actions.

"Will both of you calm down?" the blue-eyed boy asked, "Please."

"Fine." They both said indignantly, sitting back down.

"I swear you guys are like children." Lane commented with a sigh, "Or more like your father's." he added. Both the ginger and blonde glared at him.

Raven sighed and stood again, "I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" John demanded.

"Ladies' room, genius." She responded sharply over her shoulder as she walked into the café.

"I wish she wasn't like that." The blue-gray-eyed boy muttered, "Where have I seen that before?"

"Look in a mirror, John." Lane told him, "Sometimes you guys are so blind, you can't see how alike you two are."

"Yeah, whatever." The blonde retorted.

"Why do you guys fight so much?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's just our age and everything. And they stuff with Copper's kinda catching up to all of us, I think. Or maybe it's these stupid hormones." He gave an exasperated sigh.

"What are you—" Lane stopped midsentence as the realization hit him, "You like Raven?" he exclaimed, trying not to laugh.

"Shut up, would you!" the blonde commanded, a faint blush on his face, "She might be back any second."

"Crow is going to kill you if he ever finds out. And your dad!" the ice-blue-haired boy couldn't help but laugh. "He and Crow are going to kill each other."

"At least it won't be as bad as what Yusei and Akiza will do to you if they find out you're in love with C."

"I never said I was in love with Copper Fudo." He denied, stifling a blush, "And, uh, Yusei already knows."

"And he did nothing?" John asked.

"No. All he said was that Copper and I can't kiss until we're fifteen, no 'messing around' until we're married." He rolled his eyes, "And that she'll always be his little girl. I'm a bit afraid of what Yusei will do to me if I ever do anything to her." He shuddered slightly, "I'll probably end up with a cracked skull and bruised pancreas."

"Oh, c'mon, Yusei's not a violent person. He doesn't snap." John said.

"But he can have a temper sometimes. Even though I don't think he's ever lost it in our lifetime." Lane said, "Martha did say once that he did have one. Not as bad as my dad's."

"Yeah, whatever; I think I should be more afraid of my dad and Crow."

"Guys, I say we go check up on C." Raven's voice said a few minutes later, startling them, "It's not like her. I think she needs our help."

They nodded in agreement, "Right."

Coming up in Lost and Found:

"What are you guys doing here?"

"Can't we check up on our friend?"

"Whatever. I don't need to be checked on."

"When did you change?"

"Lane…I'm sorry."

"What the heck was that for, 29?"

"I-I…d-didn't mean it."

"It sure looked like you did!"

"I-I'm s-sorry!"

"John, Raven, let's go. We're obviously not wanted here. Let's leave Cyli here until she figures out who she is."

"If it's anyone's fault, I'm afraid I have to blame Yusei. I love him, but he can be so oblivious! He can't even see what's going on. He only cares about that engine. I only wish the Yusei could see he's pushing Copper away. I know he loves her, but both of them have been so different since we found out you were alive."

"What about her?"

"You need to reconnect with her. She needs you. She really needs you."

"I came…to talk."

"So now you want to talk to me?"

"Yeah."

"What makes me important now?"

NEXT TIME—CHAPTER 16: SNAPPED

AnimeKiwi369: Copper is going to kill me next chapter.

Copper: Oh, I wouldn't say next chapter. I'd say now.

AnimeKiwi369: *Hides in bomb shelter again*.

Copper: You have to come out sometimes.

AnimeKiwi369: Yeah, well. Yeah.

Copper: You just said that.

AnimeKiwi369: I know. I'm gonna keep this short because my arm's bothering me from when I fell in the shower.

Copper: You okay?

AnimeKiwi369: Yeah-Why are so concerned?

Copper: I don't want to hurt someone who is already hurt.

AnimeKiwi369: Well, thanks. I'm going to try and update Thursday (A.K.A. my birthday), if I get at least 10 reviews by then.

Copper: So 10 reviews?

AnimeKiwi369: Yeah. So please be kind and please review. And I appreciate those who have, will, are, going to, and so on. So please review and please vote on my new poll! I'm closing it Monday! ;D