(Chapter Six)

Coping with Life

Vincent was barely able to keep himself from cringing as he pulled the vomit splattered table cloth off the kitchen table and balled it up to throw it away. Yuffie chose to ignore her weak stomach this morning and stuffed it full with Vincent's homemade pancakes. They were amazing, but it was too bad Yuffie only kept them down for a brief minute before displaying them all over the kitchen table.

After Vincent cleaned up her mess he checked in her room to see if she was ok. Yuffie lay on top of her bed, weakly stroking her new feline friend. Bootsy purred away, raising her head to be scratched. "Are you alright?"

Yuffie glanced up at the stoic man in her doorway. "Yeah…" For a second she was a little offended by the lack of sympathy in his voice, but then remembered just who she was looking at.

Vincent turned to leave.

"Hey, sorry 'bout the table cloth." Yuffie called out to him.

He waved it off and left her bedroom. Yuffie sighed and looked down lovingly at her new pet.

By noon, Yuffie was feeling much better and even decided to take a walk into town to see if she could find some sort of part time job so that she'd have money to buy some entertainment for the next nine months. Vincent still hadn't budged on getting a TV or computer and board games with him were no fun because he made no effort to win.

Yuffie walked past the diner she and Vincent had eaten out at two weeks ago and notice there was a Help Wanted sign in the window. Despite the last experience she had at the diner, she entered anyway. Much like the first time, everyone went silent and began whispering amongst each other. Yuffie ignored it and went straight to the bar at the back.

"Yes ma'am, may I help you?" the older lady asked grinning up at Yuffie. She wore a big blond wig and thick make up that visible seeped into her wrinkled skin.

"Are you still looking for help?" Yuffie asked quietly.

"Why yes dear. We need another waitress here in the evenings." The lady answered moving over to a small cabinet where she pulled out an application for Yuffie to fill out. "Here's the application if you're interested."

"Thanks." Yuffie muttered suddenly not feeling too excited about a job.

She sat down at an empty booth and began filling it out. She felt weight come down next to her on her side of the booth and looked over to see another young woman sit down. "Are you really living with Vincent Valentine?" She asked bluntly.

Yuffie nodded. "Not permanently, though…" Yuffie turned back to her application hoping the girl would leave her alone.

"What's he like?" The young woman asked pulling out a tablet and a pen. Wow! Vinny really is famous! Yuffie knew he'd slaughter her, leave her barely living, and bury her half alive if she told this reporter anything about him. Yuffie shifted uncomfortably thinking of a way to dodge that question.

"I…I don't know. I don't really talk to him." Yuffie was a good liar. She looked the woman straight in the eye. The reporter sighed and looked around thinking of something else to ask.

"Rumor has it, he was found in a coffin. Perhaps he remains in his coffin most of the time?" This chick really isn't going to quit. Yuffie found her patience unusually thin. Not that she had ever been an extremely patient person, but normally she wouldn't be ready to snap this fast. Yuffie cleared her throat.

"Why don't you try to ask him? Excuse me." Yuffie took her application and stood nearly pushing the reporter out of the booth as she climbed over her and left the diner. Yuffie walked back up to the mansion letting the application slip from her fingers and fly away into the wind. There wasn't much personal information other than her name and old address.

Yuffie entered the mansion and looked around for Vincent. Every time she was sure of the place she would find him, he'd be somewhere else. Today he was in sitting room upstairs reading the newspaper. "You really are famous, Vincent Valentine. Couldn't even get a job because everyone just wants to use me to get to know you." Vincent sighed, but didn't respond to her. She continued on a different subject. "What, so do you like pick a different room ever day so that I can't find you?" Yuffie crossed her arms as she approached the chair he sat in. Vincent turned the huge page with another sigh.

"No." he answered simply.

"You hardly ever sit in here." Yuffie added looking over his shoulder at what he was reading. "Wow! Are you actually looking for a car!?" Yuffie snatched the paper from his hands. "Sweet! Get this black one! It's so you!"

Vincent sighed reminding himself to just humor her. "How much?" he asked.

"Ugh… only 300 gil, that's a total lemon."

Vincent raised his eyebrow. "I'll only need it for the next seven and a half months."

"Whatever Vinny once you get used to driving around in a comfortable car instead of walking around on foot, you'll want a car forever." Yuffie's eyes scanned the page for a more suitable vehicle. Vincent took the newspaper from her again.

"300 gil is all I'm willing to pay." He ripped out the number to call and put it aside for later. Yuffie sighed heavily.

"When's my next doc appointment?" Yuffie laid down on the sofa across from his chair.

"Three weeks from tomorrow."

Yuffie sighed.

"Would you rather have a female, Yuffie? If can get this car, I will drive you to Rocket Town." For the first time today his eye finally rested on hers. She shrugged.

"That dude's already violated me now… but yeah a chick would be better."

"Very well." Vincent stood up and began his walk to the library where he'd look up the lady Cid had told him about. Over the past week he had received a few calls from their friends giving him advice on what to do. In other words, they didn't totally dump a pregnant Yuffie on him and force him to survive alone.

Two days later Yuffie found herself sitting passenger in Vincent's new car as he brought it home for the first time. It wasn't really all that bad, the only thing wrong with it was the huge dent in the side (the side that the picture in the paper chose not to show). "What do you think?" Vincent asked as they stood on the porch looking down at the small black car.

Yuffie held her stomach with one hand and her spinning head with the other. "I think it's been a little too long since driver's ed, pal."

Vincent looked at her, puzzled.

Yuffie made a run for the bathroom. Once Yuffie recovered she found Vincent again in his bedroom. He was sitting down in his chair by the window just when Yuffie walked in. "Thanks, Vinny. I know you bought that car just for my sake."

Vincent nodded closing his eyes as he did.

"It makes me feel kinda bad, ya know…" Yuffie sighed and sat down on his bed. Vincent opened his eyes.

"It's fine, Yuffie." Yuffie scrunched her face up wondering why Vincent always sounded so distant and detached. Whenever he spoke it never felt like he was speaking to you personally. The only time she felt any closeness with him was during the rare times she'd seen him smile. His smile literally lit up her soul. The more this pregnancy was being brought to her attention, the more down she felt and right now she needed that smile.

"Vinny?"

"Hm?"

Yuffie grinned mischievously as she crept up to him like a cat. Vincent raised an eyebrow at her wondering what she was up to. "What's that on your shirt?" she asked and as soon as he looked down, Yuffie dug her fingers into his sides ticking him as hard as she could. Vincent's quick reflexes allowed him to quickly end the torture, but not before cracking the slightest of smirks followed by a tiny smile. Yuffie laughed loudly.

"Still ticklish are you?" Yuffie asked poking him again once he released her arms.

"Stop, Yuffie." Vincent glared up at her. "I hear your cat, you had better go tend to it." He honestly hadn't heard anything, but just wished Yuffie would get away from him. He hated being this close to people. It made him so uncomfortable. Yuffie didn't get the hint and tried his sides again. Vincent stood up, pushing her away from him.

"Come on, you know what I want." Yuffie grinned up at him now that they were both standing. Vincent sighed heavily and turned away from her.

"I'm not in the mood."

"What's your problem?" Yuffie put her hands on her hips and gave him a chilling mock scowl. Vincent sighed again as he sat back down without answering her.

"If you're still thinking about whatserface…"

"I'm not." Vincent snapped focusing his glare outside at the moon. It was now after seven o'clock.

Yuffie felt as if the room had physically got colder at the mention of that topic. She tried to lighten up the mood as she smiled and said. "Well at least you're not pregnant and homeless with no idea who the father of your baby is."

Vincent forgot himself and let a slight chuckle slip. Yuffie smiled happy she was able to make him laugh even if it was just a tiny bit. "Are you, Vinny!?" She exclaimed with mock surprise.

Vincent gave her a look before rolling his eyes. He thought for a moment and looked back at Yuffie. "You really do not know?"

Yuffie shook her head no. "I was back and forth between a few partners and then this one night I evidently hooked up with this new guy, but he left before I woke up the next morning…"

Vincent was shocked at how honest she was with him, but really who would he tell. He found it a bit hard to swallow as he looked her in the eyes.

"It doesn't matter anyway…after I give it up for adoption it won't know who its real mom or dad is, so… I guess it makes it ok." Yuffie said looking away from his stare.

Vincent frowned. "Nothing makes it ok, Yuffie." He continued to frown down at her as he walked past her to the doorway. He didn't say anything more as he left the room, but he didn't have to. Yuffie understood what he meant. No… there was no excuse for her promiscuous behavior. She was lucky a baby was the only consequence that came out of her escapades.

Yuffie sighed and cursed Vincent for having the ability to make her feel so down about herself. Had anyone else, even Godo, shown disappointment in her she wouldn't have cared. But she cared what Vincent thought of her… She spent the rest of the night lying on Vincent's bed thinking about how far her life had gone from what it used to be.

Vincent sat in the living room sipping a glass of wine. He frowned into the glass wondering why it bothered him so much thinking of Yuffie's past. Why did he get so angry at the thought of her with other men? It certainly wasn't because he liked her. She was just a child! A…twenty year old…pregnant…child… He sighed heavily and took another swig of the red liquid. Wine always made him feel tired and after a fourth glass he was ready to lie down.

He entered his bedroom to find Yuffie sleeping on his bed. He walked over to her and knelt down in front of her. He slid his arms under her and lifted her off his bed and carried her to her own bedroom. He dropped her on the bed a little rougher than he meant to and she woke up. "Vinny?" she mumbled.

"Good night, Yuffie." He said leaving her room and shutting off the light. He closed her door and returned to his own bedroom for the night. He didn't bother showering before getting under his covers. Yuffie's scent remained on his sheets allowing her to flood his thoughts before falling asleep.