AnimeKiwi369: And I'm BAAAAAACK!

Akiza: You haven't updated this in nearly two weeks! You've left us tortured!

AnimeKiwi369: I know and I apologize for that. I've been busy. And I was waiting for at least ten reviews. I got eleven as of yesterday.

Akiza: Well, let's get on with the story, then.

AnimeKiwi369: Okay. If you insist. I find this chapter very sweet. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's or its characters. I only own my own characters and the storyline.

Chapter 22

Time Flies Too Fast

Copper was lying in the hospital bed, her face relaxed as she lay still. Her arms were crossed slightly on top of the sheets. Her right arm was bandaged from her wrist up. Her left shoulder was heavily bandaged underneath the hospital gown and there was a thin layer of gauze around her head, but it wasn't very visible because of her hair was covering them as it hung loose around her. The young psychic was hooked up to the oxygen mask, like the doctor had said. A heart monitor lay nearby just a precaution and she had blood flowing into her through a tube attached to her inner left wrist. She had a few scratches on her face and her upper left arm was bandaged as well.

Akiza's grip tightened in her husband's hand, seeing her daughter like that. She didn't think she'd ever seen anyone that hurt. Her husband put his other arm around her as they sat in a couple chairs near the bed. Hideo and Setsuko went over to the couch, while Nan and Martha went to a couple other chairs that were in the room. The psychic rested her head on the dark-haired man's shoulder.

Yusei rested his head on his wife's as she put hers on his shoulder. He hated seeing his daughter all bandaged up like that. But at least she was alive and safe. That was a relief at least. That was really all the Signer cared about. He still had his daughter. The dark-haired man wanted to hold her, but was afraid he'd hurt her more if he did. He placed a kiss on his free hand and gently touched his daughter's arm.

"It's late, honey." His wife told him.

"Yeah," he agreed, "Let's get at least a little sleep."

She nodded slightly, "Yeah."

The Next Day—11 A.M.

The two Signers continued to sit next to their daughter, who was still unconscious from anesthesia. She was still as she slept; her only movement was her chest as she breathed. Even her eyes were still; she wasn't dreaming. The couple wasn't sure what to think of that. They thought it was good because of the dreams she had been having a couple weeks ago. Both were still worried though.

Martha, Nan, and the female Signer's parents weren't in the room. They had all gone to get something to eat a few minutes ago. They would bring something back for the married couple when they returned.

The dark-haired Signer gave a small sigh, recalling how he wasn't worried that night before the call from Kalin. He hadn't thought anything of it; he only thought she'd been running a little late because she was spending so much time with her friends. If he had only been as worried as his wife, it might be a normal day. He stood up.

"Where are you going, honey?" Akiza asked.

"I need to get some air." Yusei replied, "I'll be back in a few minutes."

"All right." She responded as he left.

The psychic moved closer to her daughter and gently placed her hand on the injured girl's cheek. She could see every moment she spent with her daughter. She had always liked how soft her skin was; since she had a newborn and even now, the dark-haired psychic had always had skin that felt like silk. The female Signer slowly ran her hand down her daughter's cheek and neck. Copper was delicate. Even if she tried to hide it sometimes.

The redhead remembered when her child had been little. She had always shown when she was afraid. Like when her powers first came in. Or the first time she experienced a thunderstorm. Akiza remembered how she had calmed the young girl down when she was even younger.

-Flashback-

Lightning lit the dark gray sky as Akiza sat on the couch with her sketchpad in hand. The psychic was wearing long sleeve dress that was a strawberry pink color. Yusei was out helping Martha for the day, so she was alone with their daughter for a few hours. Copper was upstairs, taking a nap, like three-year-olds did. A menacing sound of thunder came after; but it didn't scare the psychic Signer. It was just a passing early spring thunderstorm. But she did have the fireplace going.

The redhead heard the sound of small feet running down the stairs. The little, dark-haired girl was up. But she shouldn't have been up for a few more minutes. The dark amber-gold-eyed woman saw her daughter. She looked frightened. Another streak of lightning flashed. The little girl jumped and rushed over to her mother, burying her head in the redhead's lap.

"Copper?" she asked, gently as she set her sketchpad aside, "What's wrong?"

"The storm." She answered in a muffled tone, "It's scary!"

"Honey," Akiza started, "it's just a little thunder and lightning."

"But it scares me!" the little girl said, hiccupping.

The psychic saw her point; to a little kid, it would be scary. She saw tears in her daughter's eyes. The Signer gently rubbed her daughter's back. Another round of thunder and lightning came around and the small psychic buried her head deeper in her mother's lap, bunching some of the dress' skirt in her small hands.

The redheaded woman slid her arms under her daughter and lifted her off of her lap. The dark-haired girl just attached herself to her mother's chest. The Signer pried her daughter off of her again. Not because she didn't care. It was because she wanted to do more for her little girl than just let her cry. She set her daughter in her lap.

Akiza gently dried Copper's eyes and gently placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Hush little baby, don't say a word.

Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird.

And if that mockingbird don't sing,

Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring." The redhead sang the nursery rhyme softly. It was the only thing she could think of to get her baby girl to smile and calm down.

"Mommy?" she asked, surprised; her mother didn't sing often.

The dark amber-gold-eyed psychic simply placed her finger on the girl's lips, beginning to sing again,

"And if that diamond ring don't shine,

Mama's gonna get you a Valentine.

And if that Valentine tears up,

Mama's gonna get you a brand new pup." Copper giggled at the silly rhyme. In truth, the Signer didn't remember the nursery rhyme past 'shine'. The redhead smiled a little at her, taking her small hand in hers.

"And if that pup doesn't want to play,

Mama'll get you a stack of hay.

And if that stack of hay tumbles down tumbles to the ground,

Know I'll catch you if you fall down.

And if that don't happen and the hay isn't to you like,

I'll get you a brand new kite." Akiza hugged her daughter closer to her as little girl rested her head on her chest, feeling a lot better. She was still a little scared, but her mother's lovely, loving voice soothed her. The psychic continued to gently rub her daughter's cheek with her hand.

"And if that kite doesn't fly high much,

I'll give you my lightest touch.

And if my loving touch doesn't calm you down,

I'll just hold you 'till the world don't turn around.

And if that day should ever come,

Know you carry all my love." The redhead tapped her daughter's nose and kissed her forehead again. She was glad the little child was smiling.

Copper kissed her mother's cheek, "Thank you, mommy."

"You're welcome." She replied, "See there was nothing to be afraid of. But I don't blame you; you're young, after all."

"Yeah." The little girl agreed, "I think you should sing more. Your voice is so pretty!"

"Thank you." The redhead responded.

"And mommy?" the little psychic asked, tapping her mother's nose playfully.

"Yes?" the Signer inquired.

"That's not how that nursery rhyme goes!" she pointed out, smiling.

"No." Akiza agreed, "But it got you to smile."

-End Flashback-

The female Signer smiled a little at the memory. She wished that calming her daughter was always that simple, but it wasn't. She gently stroked the young psychic's hair. She stirred slightly and opened her eyes little by little. Her mostly blue-indigo eyes were a little glazed. Copper looked at the ceilings for a few seconds.

"Copper, thank goodness you're all right." The redheaded psychic breathed, "I'm so glad you're okay; you scared us." The girl turned her head towards her mother

"M-Mom?" she asked; Akiza nodded. Tears started forming in her eyes, "Mom, I'm sorry." She whispered, "I didn't mean to…to…"

"Hush baby girl, you're all right.

I know you didn't mean to give me a fright." She didn't know what came over her, but it was all she could think of. Her baby girl was upset; she didn't want her to be. She was already hurt; she didn't need to feel guilty on top of that.

"All that matters is that you are safe right here.

I won't leave you; I'll stay real near." The female Signer brushed her fingers across her daughter's eyes, drying them of tears.

"M-Mom?" Copper asked; she was surprised. Her mother hadn't sung to her in a long time.

"Shhh…" her mother said gently, carefully slipping her finger under the oxygen mask over her lips. "Honey, don't speak, just save your strength.

Rest up; I don't care if you can't even stay awake."

The dark-haired psychic felt so touched by her mother's actions. She felt her eyelids beginning to close again. Her mother took her finger away from her lips and the oxygen mask, going back to stroking her hair.

"What happened, you can later tell.

I just want my little star-rose to soon get well.

Daddy and everyone feel the same way too.

For now just rest and know we all love you." Akiza leaned forward as she finished singing and kissed Copper's forehead as the girl's eyes closed.

"Thank you, mom." She whispered, leaning into her mother's touch.

The female Signer smiled at her again unconscious daughter, "Sweet dreams, Copper."

With Yusei

He sighed, thinking back to how he had made Akiza wait to call their daughter and then they got the news from Kalin. He had gone for fresh air, but it wasn't doing much for him. He heard footsteps behind him. The Signer turned around to see his mother. Her look was slightly stern.

"Hi, mom." He said with another sigh, "I thought you were with Martha and Akiza's parents."

"I'll be with them in a few minutes." Nan responded, "Why aren't you with your wife and daughter?"

"I needed air." He replied simply.

"Yusei, your daughter needs you." She told him.

"Yes, but I'm the one that caused her to be in this situation." He commented.

"No, son." The brunette shook her head, "That psychic duelist did."

"But if I had just let Akiza call—"

"You're like your father so much sometimes." The brunette interrupted with a sharp tone, "He used to blame himself for everything, like you are now. Yusei, I know I haven't been in either yours or Cyli's life for very long, and that I've never been a mother to you for very long. But I do know that she's not going to blame you."

"But it's—" he tried, but was interrupted again.

"Yusei Ryuushi Fudo." Nan scolded, "It is not your fault that your daughter crashed." She repeated, "Yes, you made Akiza wait to call her, but with good intentions. You thought that she was with her friends. That's nothing to blame. Even if Akiza did call her, she probably couldn't have answered because of her turbo duel. The only way you could've gotten through to her would be through your runners. Even if you did do that, you still probably couldn't get through to her. So stop blaming yourself."

The words stung slightly as he mother said them; he hadn't heard her use that tone before. The brunette was so mild. But what she said to him was true. He wondered why he was even blaming himself. Yusei felt guilty for feeling guilty. Though his mother spoke the truth, he was still going to apologize to Copper. Just a little. He felt a weight lift off his shoulders. He was glad his mother had reprimanded him. And if she hadn't, it was a safe bet Martha would have along with pinching his ear. Even though he was a grown adult, his foster mother still did that.

"Thank you, mom." The dark-haired Signer responded, briefly embracing her.

"Go back to her, son. She might wake up soon." Nan told him as he pulled away from her. He nodded, going back into the building.

The dark-haired man hurried back to his daughter's hospital room, where she was still asleep. Akiza was a little closer to her, stroking her cheek. She was smiling a little. He sat next to her.

"How's she doing?" he asked.

"She's fine." She answered, "She woke a little while ago. But it was only for a minute."

"I see." He replied, "I hope she wakes up soon. I have to speak to her."

A Couple Hours Later

Copper was still peacefully asleep. She had moved a little. The dark-haired Signer was alone with his daughter at the moment, having insisted to his wife that she go eat. She was eating for two again, technically. Yusei held one of the young psychic's hands carefully. He didn't want to hurt her more. Akiza had told him that she had sung to their daughter when she had woken up and had been upset for worrying them. He still felt a little bad.

"Please baby, forgive me.

Baby, I am so sorry." He sang softly. Even if she was asleep, he still needed to get that off his chest.

"Please baby girl, please be fine.

You'll always be my favorite little girl for all time." He placed a kiss on her forehead, holding her hand a little tighter.

"I'm your…only…little girl." Copper whispered in a soft voice as she woke up, but her eyes were still closed. Her voice actually surprised him. He didn't think she'd wake up from his voice, "It's not your fault."

"Copper?" he asked.

"And another thing." She started.

"What is it, baby?" he inquired, leaning forward closer.

"Stop blaming yourself, silly." The psychic told him with a smile as she opened her eyes a little; they were glazed, but not much. But she seemed out of it just slightly, "Daddy, I'm sorry I scared you so much and made you think it was your fault. Please, don't think it's your fault."

"I don't anymore." Yusei replied, "But I still felt the need to apologize. Copper, sweetie, you don't need to apologize."

"Then you don't either." She told him with a smile. He smiled back.

"All right then. I won't blame myself." He told her, "I'm just glad you're all right." He squeezed her hand just barely, "I'd hug you right now, but I'm afraid to hurt you more than you are."

Copper giggled a little. She tried to move her right arm and moaned in pain, "Everywhere hurts." She whispered, through clenched teeth, as she moved her arm a little more.

"Just lie still." He commanded softly, "I anesthesia must be wearing off. I'll go get the doctors." He said, getting up.

The dark-haired girl reached over quickly and grabbed his wrist, tugging on the tube that was giving her blood and the machine giving her oxygen a little, "No. I want you here, dad." She told him. He nodded and sat back down as his daughter slowly moved back a comfortable position again.

"You sure?" he asked.

"Yeah." She replied, groaning a little, "My shoulder." She moaned.

"Easy, baby, easy." Yusei told her, "You've got a nasty gash on the back of your left shoulder. You needed fifty-six stitches to sew it up."

"Oh, wow." she responded, "'Fifty-six'?" her father nodded. The girl groaned again and noticed the tube giving her blood, "What the…?"

"You lost a lot of blood, too." The dark-haired Signer said.

"Whose blood am I…getting?" Copper asked. Her father shrugged off his jacket and showed her bandage on his upper left arm. Her eyes widened slightly, "Yours?"

Yusei nodded, taking his daughter's hand, gently lifting it to place a kiss on her palm, like when she was younger. He gently placed her hand back by her side, "I would do anything for you, Copper. You're my little girl." he told her.

"Oh, daddy." She whispered, squeezing her father's hand, ignoring the pain in her arm. Her father brushed his hands by her eyes before tears fell. The psychic didn't think she'd ever loved her father more than that moment.

The dark-haired man smiled down at her and kissed her forehead again, "Get some more rest, baby." He told her gently, "You'll need it. Okay?"

"All right, dad." She responded, closing her eyes again.

Yusei gently stroked his daughter's hair with his free as he saw her beginning to fall asleep. The Signer couldn't help but smile at her; Copper had always been cute when she slept. He could still feel himself holding her for the first time. And now it was fourteen—nearly fifteen—years later.

Time flew by way too fast.

Coming Up in "Lost and Found":

"Is there something on your mind?" the dark-haired woman asked, concerned.

"It's just how much Yusei is like his father."

"You've raised him well. He's turned out great."

"He has." The other woman, "But he can be so stubborn."

"You've been more of a mother to him than I've ever been."

"Nan, you were in a coma for nearly all of Yusei's life up until just a few weeks ago."

"I know. But I've missed my only little boy grow up."

"I know that all he has ever wanted is his real mother. You."

"He told me that."

"It's true. You're the one person he's never known anything about. He's always wanted to know you."

"W-What?"

"Yusei's always missed you. He's even cried over you."

"H-He has?"

NEXT TIME—CHAPTER 23: MOTHERLY CONFESSIONS

AnimeKiwi369: And there you have it!

Copper: You actually made this sweet.

AnimeKiwi369: Yep. I had to do a chapter like this. These are always sweet ones.

Copper: Yeah.

AnimeKiwi369: So anyway, moving on. My reviews have started to barely make my request. And I'd really like to start bringing them up.

Copper: So how many reviews does that translate to?

AnimeKiwi369: At least 10, if that's okay with my reviews. I really appreciate everyone who does, did, will, is going to, etc.

Copper: So when will you next update?

AnimeKiwi369: Hopefully less than a week. I won't update again, until I get at least 10 reviews. But if not, I'll probably update again in a week or two.

Copper: I see.

AnimeKiwi369: Yeah, so please be kind and please review! ;3 Oh, and please vote on my latest poll, please! ;3