AnimeKiwi369: I have been so LAZY with my updating and I apologize! But I do have an excuse!

Copper: Let's hear it.

AnimeKiwi369: I've been studying for my finals and now I'm free of school! YAY! Ah, the advantages of going to a private school.

Copper: Shut up.

AnimeKiwi369: Oh, don't be like that. I think you're going to like this chapter. Maybe. Actually, I'm positive you will.

Copper: Oh, really?

AnimeKiwi369: Well, the chapter does focuse on you and Lane and Raven and John.

Copper: *Blushes*.

AnimeKiwi369: *Grins*. Well, on with the disclaimer. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's or its characters. But I do own my OCs, Nan's name, and the storyline.

Chapter 24

Not So Secret Crushes

Lane hastily walked to Copper's room. He had heard from his father, after Yusei had called everyone, that the girl he had a major crush on was doing very well since her surgery about five days ago. He would've gone earlier, but everyone really thought that it would be better if the young psychic didn't have any visitors besides family for the first few days after surgery. He had been very worried though and his family—his mother, father, sister, and brother—teased him about it slightly.

Though she was still weak, according to the dark-haired father, the blue-indigo-eyed girl was staying awake for a little bit every few hours at a time. She apparently couldn't move much, but was actually healing very quickly. She had been taken off of the oxygen mask by now, but was still getting oxygen through a tube that went through her nose. And she was on heavy anesthesia and painkillers, which was one reason for her not being awake for very long. But there was no more chance of her being permanently weak or dying from not getting enough blood.

The blue-eyed boy was very glad; he was going to be able to tell her how he felt. He didn't know when, though. He was just glad he could tell her. When the surgeon said that she might die from not getting enough blood, he felt his heart shatter. But when he heard that she was going to be all right, he the pieces of his heart quickly sewed back together.

He finally reached Copper's hospital room. He opened the door quietly, only to find the dark-haired girl asleep. Yusei and Akiza were sitting by her bedside. The female Signer was resting her head on the dark-haired man's shoulder. He had an arm around her shoulders and another resting on her for-now-flat-stomach. They both looked contented. They were both looking at their daughter. Her right arm was resting on the pillow, while her left arm was resting a little across her own abdomen. Her head was slightly inclined toward her parents. She looked relaxed as she slept; her breathing was rhythmic as her chest moved up and down slowly.

The two Signers noticed him. They looked at him and smiled a little. Playful. Mischievous. They knew he liked their daughter.

"Hello, Lane." The redhead greeted.

"Hi, Akiza. Yusei." He responded with a slight blush at psychic's tone.

"If you had been here a couple hours earlier, you would've caught her awake." The dark-haired man commented.

"Lane, please come in." the Claw Signer told him, seeing he was still in the doorway. He obeyed the psychic and went into the room.

"Both of you don't know how much I was relieved when the doctor said she was going to be all right." He commented.

"I think we do." the older man said and looked him straight in the eye, "Lane, do you want us to give you a moment alone with Copper?" he asked with a slight playful tone.

"I, uh…" he responded, a little flustered. He took a couple deep breaths, "Yes, Yusei. I would…if that's all right with you two."

"Of course it's okay with us." Akiza answered. She stood up along with her husband, "We need to get something to eat anyway."

"Just a fair warning." The dark-haired man started, "The doctors increased her anesthesia dose last night since she was still in a lot of pain every time she moved. So is she wakes, she'll probably be really out of; she was the last several times she woke up."

"Wait! What do you mean by 'out of it'?" he asked hastily.

"You'll see." They both replied.

The two walked out of the room, leaving him alone with the unconscious psychic. The young boy went around to the chair the female Signer sat in previously. He stayed silent for a couple seconds. He wanted to hold the dark-haired girl's hand, but was afraid of disturbing her. He kept his hands folded in his lap. He looked at his friend.

Copper looked so peaceful. Lane smiled a little. She looked cute when she slept. He liked how her hair surrounded her as she lay on the bed. It made her look angelic. Everything about her did. He mentally scolded himself for being so angry with her when she slapped him few weeks ago when she'd been stressed. It hadn't been fair to her.

He knew he had a combination of both his parents' temper, which was very bad. He hadn't every truly lost it, but he had come very close to losing it a few times. That had been a negative trait from his parents. It wasn't something either of his parents was proud of.

He regretted treating his friend like that. That was another trait he had obtained from his father. Very guilty conscious. When something he wished he could take back that he knew he couldn't, it ate away at him. It almost hurt. But it did distract him. And he constantly apologized for it until the other person said it was all right for about the twelve thousandth time.

The blue-eyed boy impulsively reached out his hand and brushed it against the dark-haired girl's hand. Her Marks gave a short flash through the bandages and her eyes twitched slightly, but didn't open. He pulled his hand away quickly. Lane gave a short breath of relief that she didn't wake up. He didn't know what he'd say to her if she did. He didn't know how to tell her that he was pretty sure he was in love with her.

Maybe I could practice while she's asleep and then tell her again when she's awake later. He thought, Here goes.

"Copper." He started, putting his hand in hers, "I really like you. I may not know what it's like to love someone other than family, but my feelings for you are that strong."

The ice-blue-haired boy stood, about to leave. But before he could move, something closed around the hand that was still in Copper's. He looked back and it was the psychic's hand holding him in place. Had she heard him? He felt his face flush as the dark-haired girl's eyes slowly opened. They were slightly glazed; probably from the anesthetics. She smiled at him.

"I'm glad you feel the same, Lane." She said to him, "Because I do, too." He blushed harder, "And, just to let you know, you're really cute when your face is all red like that." She giggled a bit delusional.

"I am?" he asked, avoiding stuttering. She nodded slightly.

"Just sit down." She commanded with a stubborn tone, "I don't want you to leave me right now."

He sat back down, "All right, Copper."

She entwined their fingers together. She was still very out of it from the anesthesia. Her parents weren't kidding. But at least she didn't feel pain that much when she moved. Lane squeezed her hand slightly. The psychic liked the feeling of his hand in hers. She was kind of glad he admitted first.

"Lane?" she asked.

"Um, yes?" he inquired.

"I'm glad you feel the same." She told him with a giggle.

"Ditto." He agreed and briefly ran his free hand through her hair, "But I think you're getting too many painkillers. You're really out of it."

"That's a possibility." She giggled; definitely the painkillers talking, "Do you know where my parents went?" she asked, actually becoming a little serious.

"They went to get something to eat." He told her, "But they'll be back."

"All right." She replied, "How have you been?" she asked.

"Worried about you." He told her honestly.

"You're so sweet. I'm just glad I can spend some time alone with you." She told him with another smile, going delusional again.

"Yeah." He nodded, "I still think you're getting too many painkillers." He repeated.

She giggled again, "Fair enough."

With Raven and John—A Little While Later

The blonde- and ginger-haired teens walked in an awkward silence to the hospital Copper was at. They would've taken their runners, but had decided it was too nice a day to simply ride. They wanted to enjoy the sun.

"So…" Raven tried starting, but couldn't manage to continue. After a minute, she changed what she was going to say, "You been worried about C?"

"I'm an Atlas." He scoffed, "We don't worry about anything!"

"You've been worried like crazy, huh?" she responded.

"'Crazy' doesn't begin how worried I've been." He admitted.

"Thought so." She commented, "I've been worried, too."

"No one's been more worried than Lane, though." the blonde said, "I don't know why Yusei and Akiza wouldn't let anyone besides themselves, Hideo, Setsuko, Nan, and Martha see her up until today."

"Well she's needed her rest." the ginger responded, "My papa told me that Yusei told him that Copper's been really out of it because of the painkillers. But according to the doctor, she was really banged up after crashing. Only he, Kalin, and Trudge, I think, saw her after the crash."

"We're lucky Lane's dad found her. Else we'd be one friend short." He added.

Raven felt a slight blush at the sentence. If Copper hadn't made it, it'd be awkward for her to be the only girl, "We both know Lane would never be the same. He'd probably end up like Kalin, regretting not telling her the obvious."

"Yeah. If he didn't tell her he loves her, he'd probably go crazy. Like his dad did between the end of the Enforcers and the Signer-Dark Signer war." the blonde put in, "Though probably not to that extent."

"Agreed." The ginger responded, "But he probably wouldn't eat for a while and lose a lot of weight would be my guess."

"And all he would've needed to say to C is 'I have a major crush on you', right?" John said, not realizing that it sounded like he was saying to his emerald-eyed companion.

Both of them realized it and ended up blushing. They looked at each other and stopped in their tracks, turning to each other.

"There's something I need to tell you something." They told each other, hastily and simultaneously, "I, uh…you first!" the other insisted, "No, you."

"You, first, Atlas." Raven blushed, "Uh, John."

"Umm…All right." He started, "Hogan—uh, Raven—I really, think I may—no, I know—that I uh… I really like you." He told her quickly.

"I like you, too." The emerald-eyed teen admitted as soon as the other had said 'like'.

"You do?" he asked, blushing; she nodded, blushing as well, "So does that me you wanna start, you know, going out?" he asked uneasily.

"Only if you want to." Raven responded to the fifteen year-old.

"Only if you want to." He repeated her words.

"Then, yeah." The ginger responded.

"All right then." The blonde commented, taking the others hand, "I can only see one bad thing."

"What?" she inquired, resisting rolling her eyes.

"Our dads are going to kill us and each other."

Back With Copper and Lane

The psychic was on the verge of sleep again, refusing to let her time with the blue-eyed boy end. And his hand for that matter. She gripped his hand tightly, glad the anesthesia was at least numbing the pain. She hated not being able to move much. But she loved the feeling of Lane's free hand running through her hair. It felt so relaxing.

Copper inclined her head a little more towards her friend—boyfriend now—as she struggled to keep her eyes open. She smiled lightly at him. She felt her painkillers making her more tired by the second. The ice-blue-haired boy smiled back and gently squeezed her hand. He stopped running his other hand through her hair and brushed his fingers over her eyelids, slightly forcing them closed.

"Just rest up." He whispered, though he knew she couldn't hear. He still smiled at her as he placed his hand on her cheek and repeatedly stroked her cheekbone with his thumb.

The door to the room opened and two familiar ginger- and blonde-haired duelists poked their heads in. Lane put a finger on his lips to tell John and Raven to be silent. They complied as they entered. He chuckled silently as he saw them holding hands. It was about time. He went back to running his hand through the psychic's hair.

"Let me guess, you two have admitted." The emerald-eyed girl guessed and he nodded.

"You two have done the same." He stated.

"Yeah, well." John shrugged, "Has she been up at all?"

"Just missed her." He said, "She just fell asleep. She was out of it when she was awake, though; but it was kinda cute." The blonde made a face and the ginger giggled at the comment.

"Lane, you are so in love." Raven giggled.

"Maybe I am." He responded, unfazed, though he was blushing just a little; it was unnoticeable. He was looking at the psychic again, "Maybe I am."

"You just said that, man." The other boy told him.

"I know." The ice-blue-haired boy replied, "I guess my head's just in the clouds. I guess I'm just so relieved that she's okay, that I'm getting to see her, and that we've put our feelings in play now that I really can't respond too well." he smiled softly, "I have it really bad for her."

The other two grinned a little at him, "We can believe that!"

Copper smiled slightly in her unconsciousness and her grip tightened ever so slightly on Kalin's eldest son's hand. He noticed and reciprocated. He had a desperate urge to kiss her, but knew that it was Yusei and Akiza's rule that they don't start that until they were fifteen—both fifteen. Although as he thought about that rule, he did come up with a loophole to it. He placed a kiss on his free hand and then touched the dark-haired girl's cheek.

It was technically a kiss, but not at the same time.

Several Hours Later

The dark-haired girl's eyes opened again to a moon-bathed hospital room. She was still tired. She could still feel a hand in hers, but it was different than Lane's. She recognized it as her mother's. She looked over at the older psychic, who was sitting next to her husband. The two were awake and watching her.

"You're finally wake." Her mother greeted.

"Too…many an…e…sthetics." She responded, "So…tired."

"Let's tell the doctors to stop increasing her dose next time they want to." Her father said.

"They increased it again?" the young psychic asked and her parents nodded. She groaned slightly. Not in pain, but rather in annoyance. It was the fifth time they'd increased the dosage of her anesthesia in a week.

"At least you're not as out of it as you were when they last increased the dose." Her mother commented, stroking her hair, "But now you're tired. Hopefully that'll pass soon."

"Do you…know when…Lane left?" Copper asked slightly embarrassed.

"He stayed up until the doctors said that only family could stay." Yusei told her. Her eyes fell slightly. He chuckled slightly and took his daughter's other hand, "You two finally admitted, didn't you?"

"How…d-did you, uh, know?" she asked, faintly blushing.

"Your eyes." he responded simply, "Lane was also in pretty good spirits when he left even though he only was with you when you were awake last."

The blue-indigo-eyed girl nodded slightly and looked at her mother's stomach, "Does dad know?" she asked, just thinking about her mother's pregnancy for the first time in over a week.

Akiza nodded, "I was so hysterical over you when you were in surgery, that it kinda slipped out."

Copper giggled a little, "Where are grandma and grandpa Izinski, Martha, and grandma Nan?"

"They left. But Martha and my mom are staying in your grandparents' guest bedrooms." Her father told her, "Don't worry; they're going to come back tomorrow. Hideo even put off a business trip to make sure you're all right. I think he might be still trying to make up for not being there for you when you were younger, Akiza."

"Probably. But my dad did say that this was more important than work and wasn't going to stop seeing you until he sees that you're all right when you're awake." The redhead informed, "You've been asleep each time everyone besides us and Lane has visited. But none of us blame you, honey. We love you."

The younger girl closed her eyes as she smiled, "I know. And I really love you guys, too."

Coming Up in "Lost and Found":

"Please, tell me what happened. I mean with the duel. All my dad said was that he found you in a turbo duel lane."

"I'll tell you."

"He didn't go easy on you."

"I was so afraid. I felt so much pain. I-I-I…"

"Do you want to help me find Sergei?"

"You don't have to ask me twice."

NEXT TIME—CHAPTER 25: PLANS FOR JUSTICE

AnimeKiwi369: And there you have it! The two couples you have been waiting for are official.

Copper: *Blushing*. W-Whatever.

AnimeKiwi369: Oh, you know you like it, Copper. Just admit it.

Copper: *Quietly*. Well, maybe a little...

AnimeKiwi369: *Giggles, face changes expression, then sobs loudly*.

Copper: What's with you all of a sudden?

AnimeKiwi369: It's almost over!

Copper: What is?

AnimeKiwi369: The story! *Sobs louder*.

Copper: You wanna ask for reviews?

AnimeKiwi369: Yeah. But I'm not asking for a set number, after I got a review saying that it basically wasn't cool. So I'm just going to ask for people to review. Oh, and thank you so much for getting me past 300 reviews!

Copper: And you will update when?

AnimeKiwi369: When I feel like it. But it'll probably be soon since I have nothing to do now that I'm on summer vacation! YAY! So please be kind and please review and I truly appreciate it when you do! So please review! ;3