Faithful reviewers:

Crystal-Wolf-Guardian-967: I'm glad you're still enjoying it.

Ilikechocolate: Yes, it's after the Dark Signer arc, because too be honest, I haven't even seen how that arc ends.

Enjoy.

Love & Hate

Selene struggles to open her eyes. Her movements are slow, groggy and she quickly fails. Her head throbs with a sharp, shooting pain. In her heart, she can sense another presence. It's him; she wants to look at him, to see him with her own eyes. She savours the strength of the urge; luxuriating in its potency when something flashes through her mind. It's not a premonition, this time she sees what's happening at that precise moment in time, but not here. She sees Sayer glaring down at pieces of paper, looking for her.

He's going crazy, desperately searching any traces of her. Quickly, comes the longing to be back with him. She misses the feeling of being needed; her life meaning something to someone. Her heart, however, locks her in her place. She cannot obey the urge; she cannot leave him. He's far too precious and important.

Selene hunches over suddenly. Her forehead wrinkles as her expression contorts into agony. The throbbing, shooting pain in her head is growing worse. It's as though the pain increases the more that her head works. She can't stop it from working but she almost wishes that she could. For the first time in a long time, Selene fights back. Her days of wishing fervently for death have passed.

She winces and is suddenly on her back. Her body writhes uncomfortably and a bright beam of light suddenly blinds her.

"Any changes?" Crow asks curiously.

"Nothing at all," Yūsei replies simply.

Martha had gone shopping but she refused to leave Selene on her lonesome. She had, hours earlier, been in the middle of a surgical procedure. The mental pain was having too profound an effect on her. There had been no other choice but to operate. With that in mind, Martha summoned Yūsei, Crow and Jack to babysit her.

The three agreed reluctantly. The favour isn't of any interest to them. They would rather be doing almost anything else. They've been present for almost an hour. In that time Selene has remained unconscious. Of the three, Jack was quite pleased with the task. He soon changed his mind when he was firmly told not to wake her.

Jack grumbles quietly in annoyance. He's been doing so for the past while. He still wants answers. The day that they met is still playing over and over in his mind. He's considered many possibilities - insanity and clairvoyance being the nicest of his theories. Crow shakes his head at his head. He and Yūsei, though bored, haven't resorted to grumbling to themselves with an almost crazed expression. They much prefer to talk of duels. Though even that is proving to be tiresome.

Slowly, Selene's eyes flutter open. Her hazy vision distorts the whiteness of the wall. Her head rolls to the side as she fists the covers loosely. A wave of emotion rises and floods her heart. Tears fill her eyes, distorting her sight further, and threaten to overflow. She doesn't understand why she wants to cry. The sudden appearance of such potent sadness is the only explanation she has. Though even that creates questions of its own.

Her body is uncharacteristically still. In times of sadness she has found herself unable to keep from shaking. This time is different. Her tear laden eyes are the only visible sign of her sorrow. It's the memories, she thinks to herself. The little voice in her head sounds pained as well. She quickly, and discreetly, erases the tears from her face. Her hand soon begins to tremble as she does so. The urge to cry grows more potent. However, all too soon, she catches sight of it and her blood turns to ice.

!

Selene's trembling body grows still. She can feel people staring at her. Her eyes slowly, fearfully open. She squeaks loudly. Her hands race to cover her mouth. With crimson stained cheeks she slides off of Yūsei's lap and onto the cold, hard floor. She turns her gaze to the floor. Her fingers fiddle nervously. Her blush shows no signs of abating.

The sensation of being stared at hasn't abated in the slightest. Their gazes burn into the back of her head. She turns her eyes across the floor. For a moment her ploy of self-distraction works. Then her body stiffens. Curiosity sparks in the air. Jack is the first to react. He kneels by Selene's side. He can see her quaking. He catches a glimpse of something unusual. He lifts it and turns to ask if that's what's bothering her.

She glances up shyly. Her eyes hone in on it immediately. A terrible scream breaks loose. She leaps to her feet and runs out of the room. The door slams behind her. They glance at one another questioningly. Jack raises his hand without a word to reveal a tiny spider on his palm.

"I expected that kind of reaction from you," Crow mutters.

In the dining room are Selene and Akiza. The two are talking quietly. On the surface their discussion appears innocent. Selene can sense Akiza's need for knowledge about Sayer. Her instincts keep her lips tightly sealed. A dark guilt has blossomed in with overwhelming strength in Selene's heart. She knows that she should remain silent on the topic.

Selene's gaze wanders to Jack. He wanders in unhappily and slouches on one of the couches. Yūsei and Crow follow. Although Yūsei is pleased to see Akiza he's still wary of Selene. He keeps his worries to himself and sits by his friends. Akiza is oblivious to the wary looks she's receiving and Selene is too embarrassed to look their way. The boys are inching closer and closer to stating their suspicions of Selene out loud. Luckily, Akiza's patience runs out.

"Have you by any chance met Sayer?" she asks.

Selene clasps her hands in front of her chest. "No,"

The disappointment is immediate. "Ah, I see. He's someone I once knew. You look like the kind of person he'd be around. I have to go now,"

She leaves without a sound. Selene wishes she hadn't answered. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, she thinks glumly. She shrinks into the seat. Her fingers twiddle together nervously.

"I didn't mean it," Selene whispers. "I didn't mean for what happened… Um, in the… back in the… square…"

Jack smirks and leans back. The answer is enough after waiting for one for so long. His mind races through the possibilities of her statement. Crow and Yūsei are not so easily satisfied. Selene clasps her hands tightly. She doesn't want to say anything that might implicate herself.

Jack frowns; unable to think of a realistic possibility. "What do you mean by not meaning it?"

"I just saw it," she whispers. "I wasn't just a bystander. I saw it... before it happened."

"You're a clairvoyant?" Yūsei asks just to be sure.

Selene nods obediently. She had no intention of lying but the ability to has suddenly abandoned her.

"Do you know Sayer?" Jack questions sternly.

Selene nods again. This is clearly important to them, so she ignores the feeling that sealed her lips. Unable to lie to him; she can feel a barrier fall away, revealing more and more of what's underneath. It's heart-warming but terrifying. The unknown has that effect on people though; people like her more so than others.

"Sayer trained me. He wanted my abilities to grow. He said I was becoming better at controlling myself," she replies sincerely.

"Will I win my next duel?" Crow asks.

Jack glances at him disapprovingly and mutters something uncomplimentary. Selene interrupts him, laughing. She glances up at Crow apologetically through eyes filled with mirth and glee. Her laughter seems to confuse him. He gives her a strange look. Yūsei and Jack look at her the same way. Her laughter dies down and she smiles up at him.

"I'm not that good," she replies. "I can see a few seconds into the future."

"Well that's useful," Jack comments sarcastically.

If it's Yu-Gi-Oh 5ds then I don't own it.

-Chapter Edited.