Note: I'd like to thank everyone who has done reviews for Baroquen Heart. For some reason, this story isn't quite as successful as the first entry in the series, but I'm hoping that will change with time. In the meantime, I have moved this story into the Romance/Tragedy section of Final Fantasy 7. It should get me more hits, and it's probably the category it should have been in to start with.

To kind of put it in perspective, as of now, my first story, Psych Heart, averaged 280 hits and 1 review per chapter. (it has almost 2,000 hits for the first chapter, but that doesn't mean anything, since the last 5 or 6 chapters haven't hit triple digits yet.)

Baroquen Heart is only averaging 40 hits per chapter. However, I must congratulate my dedicated readers, SilverSpirit 101, Les Yeux Sans Visage, and Knight of Dreams for helping to raise my review rate to 2 per chapter. I intend for this story to have a lot of chapters, so that will add up quick. Thanckx to all.

Chapter Five- Drive, She Said

There was no question in Yuffie's mind about where she should go next. There was also no question that Vincent would figure it out quickly, and track her down. Still, there was no where else to go, other than across the water. Yuffie Kisaragi was on a straight path to Wutai.

Vincent's red Audi Roadster was doing an easy 70 down the newly-constructed roads, with Yuffie at the wheel. The feisty ninja loved the feeling of the wind blowing her hair and gliding across her face. Apparently, Hunter loved it too, because he was resting calmly in his baby seat. From where she was currently located, it would take a few hours to even reach the edge of land, and after that, she would have to find a place that would send both her and the car across the water. And that's nothing compared to finding a way to get the car across the rocks and hills surrounding Wutai. Truth be told, she had thoughts of trashing it once she reached land's end.

As Yuffie started to pass through some of the more populated coastal areas, she was forced to lower her speed. Trust me; she didn't do it because she wanted to. It felt like a waste to be going only 40 in such a lovely sports car, but Yuffie never quite understood why Vincent needed a car in the first place, since he could fly. While she was 'coasting' through the cities in her way, Yuffie kept glancing back in the mirror at Hunter. He looked so peaceful in his little seat. 'It's such a shame that he was a mistake.' Yuffie thought.

At first, she couldn't figure out why such a crazy thought would grace the lining of her mind. After a few more minutes of red lights and feather-footed elderly, the reasoning began to become clear. 'If it wasn't for Vincent, I wouldn't have this baby. If it wasn't for Vincent, I wouldn't have Herpes. If it wasn't for Vincent, I wouldn't feel like life has ended already.'

Of course, Yuffie would quickly counter such thoughts with a clever statement, usually muttered under her breath. "Look at him. He's so cute. And he's mine! How could I turn down that face? Besides, parenting is a sacrifice, right?"

'But how much am I willing to sacrifice? Is it too much for you sacrifice your private life; your soul?'

"Where did that come from?" Yuffie whispered to herself.

'It would cut on costs. Sure, you love that little baby, but life would be easier if you didn't have to pay for formula or diapers. Just slowly wean him off of life.'

"Okay, maybe I need a break."

Yuffie stopped at a hotel just a few miles from the western shore. It was not a very pleasant place, and being a firm believer in Feng Shui, the establishment sent shivers down her spine. However, it was all she was willing to pay for. Vincent might have had a good sum of money, but she didn't want to spend it all in one place.

When Yuffie opened the door of her room and carried Hunter inside, she realized that this would not be a very pleasant night. There was no TV. There was no kind of heater to stop the cold February air from entering the room. The window refused to close all the way, and the bed was on its last legs. Cream colored paint was peeling from the walls, and the floors were simply wooden with a shiny finish on it. For the first time in hours, Hunter cried. He cried through the evening, and he cried into the night.

The only way that Yuffie could even think about getting any sleep was to tune Hunter out by hiding her head under the pillow. It seems cruel, but that's exactly what Yuffie did. Even with the noise drowned out, she couldn't escape the maternal thoughts in her head. 'Is he thirsty or hungry?' 'No, I just fed him…and he returned the favor by biting my nipple.' 'Is he dirty?' 'Nope. I just finished changing him.' 'Is he longing for compassion and understanding?' 'So? I am too, and no one's going to march in like Prince Charming and cheer me up.' 'Gawd, that was selfish.'

The clock struck midnight, and still, baby Hunter was crying for his mother. Yuffie's nerves were on the verge of breaking. Finally, she got up out of bed and reached for Hunter's pacifier. Yuffie stuck it in Hunter's mouth, but he didn't want it. He just kept crying, adamant that he did not like being silenced. Yuffie grabbed him and screamed, "Hunter!! Shut up!!"

Obviously, that didn't sit well with Hunter at all. He started crying louder than he had before. Yuffie instantly felt an extreme wave of guilt over what she had done. Deep inside, she knew that it was wrong to yell at her child. Despite attempts to write it off because of nerves, still the motherly sense within Yuffie wouldn't let her sleep. She did not go back to sleep. Long after Hunter finally began to rest, Yuffie sat in the corner of the room. Now it was her who was doing the crying. From that moment on, Yuffie kept a solitary thought etched across the canvas of her soul: 'I don't have what it takes to be a good mother.'

In the morning, Hunter appeared to be fine. He looked happy, and eager to face the new day. Yuffie's eyes were still red, and she was having serious regrets about leaving Vincent. Never before had Yuffie realized the depth of her dependence. She took her first anti-viral pill with a glass of orange juice.

The medicine wouldn't take effect for a few hours, and the knowledge that she would have to take a pill every day for the next few years annoyed her to no end. Sure, it was no longer life threatening after the first set of pills, and the first bottle would effectively rid her of blisters in her secretive places. But the pill was still something that was a reality, unless she wanted the blisters to appear on her lips and mouth for the rest of her life. On a pain level, it wouldn't hurt as much, but the thought of living life with an eternal cold sore basically scared her into taking the medicine. She knew that the medication wouldn't be for life, but it would be for a long time, and she had decided to let the thinking up to the doctors.

'But wait! I wonder how Vincent's feeling.'