AnimeKiwi369: Guess who's updating because they are happy they are fifteen today?

Copper: You?

AnimeKiwi369: Yep! But you're going to kill me this chapter. Along with my other OCs and probably Yusei and Akiza.

Copper: Oh, no.

AnimeKiwi369: It's a good chapter, I think. Just an evil one.

Copper: I don't even have to ask what goes on in this chapter by this title.

AnimeKiwi369: Then without further ado, and torture, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's or its characters. I only own my OCs and the plotline and the name I have for Yusei's mother. Oh, and I apologize if any character is out of character at all.

Chapter 16

Snapped

Nan looked through the logbook again at the kitchen table. She didn't feel as sad looking through it as she had the previous week. She had found a not left by Yusei saying that he and Akiza were at work and that Copper was there. But so far the brunette hadn't seen the young psychic. She had gone up the stairs to the girl's room, only to find it empty. The now-out-of-coma woman had checked all of the other rooms, but still didn't find her granddaughter.

She had continued to search for the young girl for a few more minutes. The brunette had checked the garden that apparently her daughter-in-law planted when she and her son had first gotten married. It was a truly beautiful garden. Akiza definitely had a touch with plants. But there was still no Copper. She had checked the garage next. Still nothing, like the garden.

The blue-indigo-eyed woman smiled slightly at the entry she had finished reading. She felt privileged to be reading Hakase's entries. She didn't know why she wasn't getting upset like several nights ago. Maybe it was because when she was working on that engine design she felt more like her old self. She gave chuckled silently at those words. Old self. She certainly was getting old. Nan went through her head and came up with sixty-four as her current age. She looked at the calendar; her late husband had turned sixty-five in April. He had always been about a year older. It was almost mid-July.

She smiled a little nostalgically to herself, "Hakase, you would have been sixty-five a couple months ago." She said aloud to herself and her dead spouse. A couple tears fell. It was an unconscious action her body did. She couldn't help it. She still missed her late husband. They had only been married for about five years…

But it had been a very good five years.

There was a knock at the door, snapping Nan out of her thoughts. She got up from the table at in the kitchen and went to the front door. She looked out to see who it was and saw three teenagers. The boy that looked like Ava Kessler and another that looked like Leslie Atlas. They were with a girl with emerald eyes and ginger hair that reminded her of Tom and Julia Hogan. The brunette opened the door for them.

"Um, hi." The girl said, stepping in front of the boys, "You must be Nan…um, Mrs. Fudo…uh, Yusei's mom; Copper's grandmother."

"She gets it, Raven." The blonde boy snapped, stopping the girl's slight babbling. The boy that looked like Ava stepped in front of the two others. He bowed slightly in respect.

"Please excuse those two." He apologized.

"No need to apologize." She told him.

"We were wondering if Copper was here." He asked.

"I don't know where she is actually." Nan admitted, "But I'm sure she's here somewhere. Please come in."

"Thank you." The three said simultaneously.

"If you don't mind my asking," the brunette started, "what are your names?"

The blonde pointed to himself proudly, "John Atlas. Son of the one and only Jack Atlas. And Carly Atlas."

The ginger rolled her eyes, "Very modest, John." She looked back at the blue-indigo-eyed woman, "Raven Hogan. Oldest daughter and child of Crow and Dove."

"Lane Kessler. My parents are Kalin Kessler and Misty Tredwell-Kessler." The last boy introduced, blowing his bangs out of his blue eyes a little.

"I almost feel as if I've seen you all before." Nan commented a bit absently, but snapped out of it quickly, "Do you have any idea where Cyli could be?"

"Hmmm…" Raven thought for a couple seconds, "Did you try the basement?"

"There's a basement?" the brunette inquired, "Forgive me, I'm still getting used to my son's home."

"No need to apologize." John said, showing a sympathetic side, getting another eye roll from the ginger-haired girl.

"Yes, there's a basement." Lane told her, moving in the hallway, "C and I use it for our dance practices. We'll handle this."

He opened the door that lead down to the basement and went down. Sure enough, Copper was down there. She had her music player in and was in a pair of shorts and a tank top. Her hair was loose and her back was to them. The psychic looked like she was practicing karate. She must've been angry or something.

The dark-haired girl seemed to hear them and did two back flips to get over to where the ice-blue-haired boy was standing with a roundhouse kick ending it. Her foot stopped just before it made contact with his head. She put her leg back on the ground and glared at her friends. She wanted to be left alone.

The other three duelists noticed the dangerous look in the psychic's eyes with dark circles under her eyes. She was paler than normal and she looked weak. When was the last time she slept decently? She looked like she was going to collapse any second.

"What are you guys doing here?" Copper demanded, taking the ear buds out and pausing the song she was listening to.

"Can't we check up on our friend?" John shot back.

"Whatever." She let out an infuriated sigh, not losing her glare; she swayed a little, "I don't need to be checked on."

"Hold up there, sister." Raven commanded, "You're by yourself, you haven't spoken to or seen us all week, and look like you just saw an Earthbound—"

"Don't say their name!" the dark-haired girl hissed.

"Why?" John asked, "You never had any problems with saying Earthbound Immortals before."

"Why won't you tell us?" the emerald-eyed girl demanded.

"We're supposed to be your friends." Lane said, "When did you change?"

The ice-blue-haired boy felt his cheek begin to sting as his head jerked slightly to one side. Copper didn't know what overcame her. She hadn't been able to stop her hand from painfully slapping her friend. Something had just…snapped. The dark-haired girl felt herself tremble and tears sting her eyes.

"Lane…I'm sorry." She tried apologizing.

"What the heck was that for, 29?" Raven shouted.

"I-I…d-didn't mean it."

"It sure looked like you did!" John yelled.

"I-I'm s-sorry!" the blue-indigo-eyed girl tried again.

"How could you do that to Lane?" the ginger demanded.

"I d-don't know." The dark-haired girl mumbled, tears streaming again, "Please, guys I'm so sorry."

The just-slapped teenager bit his lip and looked down. He turned on his heel, "John, Raven, let's go. We're obviously not wanted here. Let's leave Cyli here until she figures out who she is."

The blonde and ginger glared at her, "Later." They told her coldly as they went up the steps.

"No, guys!" she begged, running after them, "I didn't mean it!"

The door slammed shut on her. She collapsed at the top of the stairs and tumbled down, landing hard on the floor. She curled up into a small ball and felt her tears pool around her.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, "I didn't mean it."

With Raven, John, and Lane

"I cannot believe she did that!" the ginger yelled when they were several hundred feet from Copper's house.

"I've never seen her so angry." Lane commented, touching his cheek.

"Yeah." John agreed, "And I thought I had a temper."

"Do you guys think we were too harsh?" Raven asked suddenly, "I mean she's goin' through a really rough time. She's stressed."

"Maybe." The ice-blue-haired boy said, "She obviously hasn't been sleeping well."

"I know. Did you see how dark the circles were?" the blonde inquired, "I wonder if it's all the stress. Like you said, Raven."

"Maybe we should talk to our parents or Martha?" Lane suggested.

The other two nodded, "Sounds like a good idea."

Back at the Fudo Household—Several Hours Later

Copper stared trancelike at the keys of the piano. She had cried up until an hour ago. She had tried to play the piano. It normally made her feel better. But her heart and head weren't with her. Her hands just shook above the white keys. She couldn't stop asking herself why she had slapped Lane.

The dark-haired psychic regretted it deeply.

She guessed it was from the bad sleep, the stress with her grandmother, and the whole 'Sayer incident'. But she wished she hadn't. She still cared about him. More so than ever. Copper almost called her friends to try and apologize, but she thought they'd just hang up. The blue-indigo-eyed girl wanted more than anything to hear her friends forgive her. But she didn't think she'd get or deserved one.

Nan was sitting in the kitchen with Akiza, explaining what had happened earlier with Copper and her friends. She hadn't been present for it, but she'd definitely heard the argument. It was loud and clear. The brunette had gone and checked on the young girl after her friends had stormed out of the house. She had found the psychic curled up in a ball, crying down in the basement. She had seen the dark-haired girl about an hour ago.

She had seemed so lifeless.

"I was afraid this was going to happen." Akiza commented, "She seems so stressed lately. I thought she was going to snap."

"Akiza, I can't help but feel that this is my fault." Nan responded.

"No." the psychic disagreed, "It's mostly likely Sayer's doing. He practically forced her into the past. She has so much trouble talking about it. It's probably like a war veteran. How she's feeling about talking about it. And I'm not saying it's your fault, Nan, but I do know that her waking you with Second Sight has probably scared and scarred her because of her powers. She's also been seeing the past and I know it does scare her. My baby's life right now I just so confusing and scary." She said.

The brunette gave a short laugh, "You sound like a psychiatrist."

"I did take a few courses when I went for my teaching credential." The redhead told her mother-in-law, "But I really wish I could do more for her. Anything. I think she wants more than anything is Yusei. She's been trying to tell him about the visions all week, but he's always been doing something with you."

"I know he has." Nan replied, "It is kinda my fault."

"No." the other woman replied, "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. It's worse than the juice box incident."

"The what?" the blue-indigo-eyed woman asked.

"Nothing." Akiza replied, waving her hand, "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."

Yusei pulled his runner into the garage with a breath of relief. The engine had finally worked. After years of trying, it finally succeeded. It was like a weight was lifted off his shoulders. He went into the kitchen where his mother and Akiza were sitting at the table. It looked like they were having a deep conversation. Both women heard him come in and gave him solemn looks.

"Hey." He greeted, going to Akiza's chair and kissing her cheek.

"Yusei…" the redhead started, "Stardust, we need to talk."

The dark-haired Signer didn't like the sound of that, "What's wrong, Black Rose?"

"It's Copper." She stated bleakly.

"What about her?" He inquired, sitting next to her.

"You need to reconnect with her. She needs you." Nan told him, "She really needs you."

"What happened with her?" he asked. This wasn't sounding good.

"She snapped today at Raven, Lane, and John." Akiza said, "We really don't know what happened. Your mother only heard the shouting. Copper's so fragile, Yusei. She's been wanting you more than anything this past week." She informed. Her expression turned a bit hard, "And you haven't been giving her any attention."

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks, "I'm such an idiot." He muttered, "I've just been so busy with that engine. I can't believe I didn't notice. She's even told me she wanted to talk. What caused her to snap, anyway?" he asked his mother, "Did you hear?"

"I heard Lane ask her something like when she changed. It went silent after that." His mother said, "Then Raven asked, shouting was more like it, what she did that for. But I don't know what Copper did. She was crying when I checked on her after her friends stormed out. And when I last saw her, there was no life in her eyes. "

"Yusei, go talk to her." His wife commanded, "She's in the music room." He nodded; it sounded like his daughter needed him.

The dark-haired man went into the hall and to the room that what instruments they owned. Mostly string ones such as piano, violin, cello, guitar, etc. He found out that Akiza had played the violin when she was younger when they had been dating.

The door was closed. He opened the door. Copper didn't hear him. She was sitting at the piano with her trembling fingers hovering over the keys as she stared absently. She didn't look like herself. His mother had said the look in her eyes was lifeless. And that's how she looked. Lifeless. He hadn't seen a look like that since he had gone to Crashtown to free Kalin and he had given up all hope. Is that how the dark-haired psychic felt? The aging duelist had never seen her like that. The dark circles under her eyes hurt him. He'd never seen her look so weak. Not even when she was sick.

Yusei took a deep breath and knocked on the door to get her attention. Copper visibly jumped and her hands landed on the keys forcefully, resonating a harsh, unpolished sound. She turned around. When she saw him, her gaze went from lifeless to a fierce glare.

"I came…to talk." He told her straight forward.

The dark-haired girl stood from the piano, shaking. "So now you want to talk to me?" she demanded, her hands balled into fists. She was looking at the ground.

"Yeah." He responded.

"What makes me important now?" she demanded.

"Copper, you've always been important." He told her.

"Could've fooled me." the psychic said her words like ice, looking at him now. Her eyes were furious…with him.

Those words struck Yusei in the heart more than anything anyone else had ever told him. He didn't know why those words hurt so much. But they stung deeply. More than any wound or injury he had ever gotten. The coldness behind those words showed how much he'd been ignoring her. He sighed.

"Baby…" he trailed off, going into the room, over to her, "Please, don't be like this."

"Oh and why shouldn't I?" she shouted, "You broke your promise to listen to me no matter what!"

"Copper, keep your voice down. I didn't mean to break my promise." He commanded gently, placing a hand on her shoulder, but she smacked it away. She didn't look at him, "Listen—"

"No, dad." She told him, "You listen. I've been patient enough, but I can't take it anymore! You never even acknowledge me anymore!" she shouted, "All you care about is that engine. I've been trying to get your attention all week. But you don't even want to listen!"

"Cyli, that's not true." He insisted.

"Maybe, maybe not." She said icily, "But you have been ignoring me all week!"

"Yes." Yusei admitted, "I'm sorry."

"'Sorry' doesn't cut it, dad." Copper replied harshly; she had his and Akiza's tempers put together. Angry tears fell down her cheeks. The blue-indigo-eyed man reached out a hand to take the tears away, but the girl smacked his hand away again, "Don't touch me. I've been trying all week to talk to you to tell you what's been going on! It's like I don't exist! You've never acted like this, dad! Never! You don't even care!"

"Copper, that's far enough." He said in a stern tone; his tone sent a shiver through the dark-haired girl, "I know I haven't been around or really spoken to you this week, but that's no reason to say I don't care. I'll always care abou—"

"No! No, you don't!" the unstable girl yelled, interrupting her father.

"Cyli, stop saying such nonsense!" He commanded in another strict tone.

"'Nonsense'?" she repeated hysterically, "'Nonsense'? 'Nonsense' he says! It makes perfect sense!" she pushed passed her father and stalked towards the stairs. Her father's hand closed tightly around her reinjured wrist tightly. Her tears weren't just angry and hysterical ones, but they were ones of pain, now, too, "Let go of me!" she wasn't saying just because she was angry. He was hurting her wrist.

"Copper, stop acting like this." Yusei said, though it didn't sound like a command, "I love you."

The psychic bit her lip, "I don't know what that means anymore." She whispered hoarsely.

The dark-haired man felt those words hurt worse than the other ones. His grip loosened and his daughter ran up the stairs. He felt so guilty. He had never had a fight with Copper. Never. They're relationship was unraveling faster than he could see and grasp. He bit his lip and went back into the kitchen. The blue-indigo-eyed man hit his fist against the counter.

"Copper." He whispered.

"It didn't go well." Nan commented, "We heard it all the way in here."

"I've never had to yell at her." He said, trembling, "I've never had a fight with her. I've never heard her sound so cold and angry."

"Yusei…" Akiza whispered. She got up and went over to her husband. She wrapped her arms around him, "She really snapped hard, didn't she?"

"Yeah." He responded, turning in to wrap his arms around her, trying to calm down. But he was having trouble keeping his emotions under control. He felt like a storm was tearing his heart apart. Liquid formed at his eyes, "What's happened to our little girl?"

"I don't know." She told him, pulling back from him and looking into his sad eyes. She brought one of her hands up to his face and brushed her fingers across his eyes, "I've rarely seen you cry, Yusei." The redhead leaned up and gently placed her lips on his. She traced a hand down his chest as she pulled away.

"Akiza, I'm sorry for how I acted this week. I haven't been a good husband or father."

The psychic put a finger on her husband's lips, "Shhh…Yusei, it's all right. I'm sure Copper will forgive you. She just needs to find herself. And she can only do that with her father being around and supportive."

He nodded numbly, "You're right, honey. I'm going to make this up to her."

She smiled at him, "I know you will."

"I think you should go check on her, Akiza." Nan said, speaking for the first time in a couple minutes, "After hearing the fight, I'm not sure if she wants to see him."

The redhead nodded, "That makes sense. I know that I didn't want to even look at my father after a fight." She looked back at Yusei, "I'll calm her down enough to want her to talk to you." He nodded.

Akiza went up the stairs to her daughter's bedroom and knocked on the door. Silence. She turned the knob.

"Copper, baby," she said, "I came to talk to you. Come and talk to your father. He feels really bad. C'mon." she tried coaxing. It was dark in the room. She turned the light on and saw the window open, the curtains billowing in the breeze. But there was no sign of her daughter in there.

"Copper?"

Coming Up in Lost and Found:

"Yusei? Akiza? What happened?"

"She ran away!"

"Where could she have gone?"

"This is all my fault. If I had just been a father to her…"

"Will you stop blaming yourself? Everything that's happened to her in the past month has caused this. The fights she had with you and her friends put her over the edge."

"Akiza?"

"I'm sorry. I-I couldn't control myself."

"You head east. I'll head west for now."

"All right."

Copper, I'm coming to find you. I don't care what you're feeling towards me; I'm bringing you back where you belong: home.

NEXT TIME—CHAPTER 17: RUNAWAY COPPER

AnimeKiwi369: I know you all wanna hurt me right now, but you have to admit it adds to the plot.

Copper: Unfortunately. But I still am going to hate you right now.

AnimeKiwi369: Oh, you'll love me at the end of next chapter. Keep loving me, then hate me, and then love me again.

Copper: I'd say that's code for you're going to torture me more in the fanfiction, but it's going to all work out in the end.

AnimeKiwi369: You are good.

Copper: Well, at least I'll have something to look forward to. How's the bruise?

AnimeKiwi369: It hurts still. But I haven't fallen since I fell in the bathtub. So I'm going to ask that I get up to maybe between ten and twenty reviews.

Copper: Why ten to twenty?

AnimeKiwi369: Well, since it's my birthday and I'm updating, I think it would be nice birthday gifts from my loyal, wonderful readers and reviews if I could get up into the 200s area when I'm finished getting reviews. By that I mean all of the reviews I've gotten since the prolgue.

Copper: I see.

AnimeKiwi369: I also would like to thank everyone that reviews and such as before when I've mentioned those. So I'll try to review soon, but I'm leaving on a trip on Saturday and I'm going to have homework, so yeah. And I have softball. But I'll try to update soon. However, I'm not going to update until I get my 200th review at least. And don't forget to vote on my poll, too. So please be kind and please review! ;D