Hinata tucked her hair behind her ear, regretting taking it down. She pressed the cap of her pen to her lips as she reread the email. That would be good enough. She sent it and sat back, looking at the time. When was he coming back?

Maybe she was too bold. Hinata shook her head. She didn't want to think about it. She didn't want to regret it.

Hinata was startled by a knock on the door. Sasuke had a key. Who was at the door? Hinata padded through the house to look through the peephole, and her blood ran cold. She debated not opening the door.

But she did.

Mikoto didn't take a second to introduce herself. She simply walked in the door, stopping to look around the apartment with a judgmental eye, then flicked her steely gaze down over her. Hinata straightened before she could control it, but she had changed into lounge clothes. They were clothes Itachi bought her, so not the shabbiest thing she owned, but not something she would have had unwanted guests over in. Especially this unwanted guest. "Where is he?"

"Sorry?" Hinata asked.

Mikoto gave her an exasperated face, pursing her lips. "Sasuke's car is out front." She pointed back out the door with her manicured finger. "You left the office with him, and you reported you were working from home today." What mole in the office, and how long had she been listening in? Did she hear about Sasuke's blow-up? How would they explain that?

"He stepped out," Mikoto narrowed her eyes at her. "He left a note." Hinata crossed the room to show her holding it out.

Mikoto reached past the note to her hand, turning it over to examine the Uchiha family ring. "You know, Fugaku has been so secretive about this that I thought it was a joke." Mikoto's hand encapsulated hers to shift the ring in the light. Mikoto's nails rested against her skin, making her healed bruises itch.

Hinata didn't know what to do. This ring was supposed to protect her, but she felt like Mikoto could eat her alive.

"Are you pregnant?" Mikoto dropped her hand, slipped her shoes off, and walked into the living room.

Hinata gapped. "No!"

Mikoto sat herself down on a chair, crossing her legs and draping herself elegantly over the chair. "Pity."

"Pardon?" Hinata squeaked.

"Well, it would explain the engagement, and the least I can get out of this is grandchildren. I mean, at Itachi's age, he should have given me some by now, and if I could have got Sasuke to marry Sakura, I would have had them in the year." Mikoto lamented, looking around idly. "Do you have tea?"

Hinata nodded, scurrying to the kitchen, shooting looks of disbelief at her living room. She was the same woman, but it was like a coin flip. The aggression was gone, but the attitude was still there.

No sooner did Hinata have a pot of tea on a tray did Sasuke step through the door, bewildered to see his mother. Sasuke's eyes tried to communicate to her the mixture of horror and confusion. Hinata flicked her eyes to the couch to command him to sit down.

"There is my boy." Mikoto smiled, holding her arms out.

Sasuke dropped what he brought and leaned down to receive a kiss from his mother before sitting down. "I thought we were meeting for dinner."

"I called the office, but no one was there." Hinata was sure that was only half the story. "I wanted to steal your fiancée before dinner, to go shopping."

"I am working," Hinata answered quickly.

"I'm sure you can count entertaining an investor a working." Mikoto acted sweetly offended, splaying a hand over her chest dramatically. "Can't you?"

Hinata looked to Sasuke for help, but he didn't look any more equipped.

"So you won't mind if I steal her for the afternoon, right?" Mikoto sipped her tea.

Sasuke scratched the back of his head. "Mom…"

"Perfect." Mikoto put the cup down. "Get dressed, dear. I'll wait in the car." Mikoto grabbed her bag, slipped on her heels, and waved as she closed the door.

"What is going on?" Sasuke asked.

"I don't know. She just showed up. I think someone at the office tipped her off." Hinata scrambled toward her, closest.

Sasuke followed. "What are you going to tell her?"

"I don't know. She asked me if I was pregnant." Hinata pulled an outfit out, closing the door in his face, so she could change. "She looked hopeful."

"I'm somehow not surprised," Sasuke murmured from the other side of the door.

Hinata opened the door, dressed, attempting to pull up her hair with a clip in her mouth.

Sasuke pulled it out of her mouth. "Leave your hair down." Sasuke flicked her hands away and ran his fingers down a few times, pulling back only the front of her hair to put the clip in. "Look less like a secretary." Hinata gave him a look, but Sasuke was concerned. "Are you going to be okay?"

Hinata huffed. "I don't know."

"Call me if you need to get out," Sasuke told her.

"Can I call now?" Hinata whimpered.

Sasuke held her left hand up. "This gives you power over her, don't let her walk all over you."

"I feel like I am trading one hell for another." Hinata whimpered.


Hinata was exhausted. Following Sasuke's mother around a mall should be an Olympic sport. Being forced to try on things for her was much worse than doing so for Itachi. He at least understood she had limits to how many items she was willing to try on. And if it fits in black, it would fit just as well in white.

At least Mikoto's tastes were comfortably conservative. Hinata wasn't sure how she would convince her mother-in-law that she didn't like to expose her cleavage if that was something she wanted her to do.

Mikoto stood behind her in the mirror in the latest choice and slid her hand back over Hinata's hair to move it off her shoulder, looking critically at the outfit. "This will do." Mikoto stepped back, handing her a purse to her. "If you're going to be an Uchiha, you need to look like one." Mikoto picked imaginary lint off her shoulder, dusting it off. She smiled poisonously in the mirror. "You will not embarrass the family with your background. We need to polish the glass."

Was she trying to be helpful or threatening her? Either way, Hinata was more than sick of the backhanded comments.

Mikoto patted her shoulders. "You're moving up in the world, dear. Don't disappoint me."

What was the director getting her into?


Itachi joined the table. "Where is Hinata? I thought she would have come with you."

"Mom kidnapped her this morning to take her shopping," Sasuke explained. "I don't think Hinata's had a moment to breathe because she's not texting me back." Maybe his mother killed her and left her on the side of the road somewhere. He wouldn't put it past her at this point.

Fugaku rubbed his brow. "I should have known she would have pulled something like this."

"This is entirely your fault." Itachi reminded him.

"Here we all are!" Mikoto called as she joined the room with Hinata in tow, linked in her arm. Hinata stood tall, but looked more than frustrated. She had been clearly dressed by his mother. Office professionals even dressed by Itachi looked cheap compared to what an heiress wears. "We had a wonderful day, didn't we?" Mikoto went into a story about their day.

Hinata took her seat next to Sasuke without another word. She rested her shoulder back as the menus came.

"Hinata dear, don't slouch." Mikoto interrupted herself to scold.

Hinata straightened, but her jaw noticeably set, her eyes snapping to her. Sasuke glared at his mother, leaning back and crossing his arms, daring her to say something about it, but she didn't even seem to take notice.

"So, now that this is happening. Are you going to be able to find a new secretary?" Mikoto swirled her finger at the Fugaku, who rolled his eyes. Here she goes.

"Assistant." Itachi corrected. Mikoto waved her hand to silence him.

"I don't plan on quitting," Hinata answered. Sasuke was surprised she was willing to talk back.

"Dear, being an Uchiha's wife comes with a lot of responsibilities." Mikoto pressed. "And then you need to think about your children."

Sasuke nearly spat out his drink. "Mom!"

Mikoto scoffed, offended. "I regret leaving you two with the nanny so much. Maybe you would tell me things if only I had spent more time with you when you were little. Like you were planning on purposing." Mikoto added with a flat look of disappointment on her face at Sasuke.

"I don't think that will a problem quite yet," Hinata announced firmly.

"You never know." Mikoto pursed her lips. Itachi side-eyed his mother. Didn't she insult Hinata's mother for giving up her career because she got pregnant?

Hinata's irritated politeness and Mikoto's narcissistic smile could have caused sparks in the middle of the table. Were they like this the whole time they were shopping?

"I am sure I can reconsider if something like that comes up, but for now, I have no plans to leave my job," Hinata told her in a sanitized political tone.

Mikoto acted unfazed, but to the three men that knew her most, they could see the plotting behind her tightening smile and the twinkle in her eye. No one knew what she was up to, but she was up to something. "We should start planning for the engagement party. Will you be inviting your family?"

"Not my father. Obviously." Hinata countered.

"Oh? Surely he would want to see his daughter's betrayal up close." Mikoto said playfully.

Three mouths opened, but Hinata got to her first. "You married the man you had an affair with. I don't need you judging me on family matters." Three mouths closed. Mikoto's fell agape. Hinata's lips came into a line as she stood her ground.

Sasuke broke the silence by snorting, covering his face, hiding the nerves and his laugh.

"Wine, please," Fugaku called to the waiter.


Mikoto stumbled as much as a classy woman who had more than her fair share of wine could, holding out to her new daughter-in-law's arm as Hinata tried to wrestle her into a back of a car. Unfortunately, Hinata had a few too many glasses of wine as well. Mikoto stopped her before the door could be closed, gripping both sides of Hinata's face, giving her a firm kiss on her cheek, not leaving a print, a testament to her high-end lipstick.

Fugaku watched his ex-wife and his assistant struggle with a grin on his face. "I think she's met her match."

"Mom or Hinata?" Itachi asked as Hinata finally managed to get the door closed.

"I was referring to your mother, but…" Fugaku narrowed his eyes as Hinata tripped back as she stepped back onto the curb. Sasuke caught her by her elbows, stabilizing her, frowning. He was not the least happy with how friendly his mother was being.

Itachi leaned back against the wall. "She learned it from you."

"Now, who are you talking about?" Fugaku chuckled.

Itachi shrugged as Hinata and Sasuke came back up. Hinata's eyes drooped, and her lip pouted out childishly. Mikoto convinced her to have nearly a whole bottle, and Hinata was a lightweight. "You're cute when you're drunk."

Hinata rolled her face into Sasuke's shoulder. "I hate dry wine."

"I know." Itachi grinned. Hinata glared at him from Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke wrapped his arm around her back. Sasuke was showing his nerves the entire dinner, but he couldn't get a word in, so Itachi wasn't sure if it was because of their mother's or Hinata's comments. "We should get the death of the party home."

Sasuke rubbed Hinata's shoulder. "You ready?"

"No…" Hinata straightened, trying to act sober.

Fugaku pointed back down the street. "Bet the coffee shop on the corner has cake."

"Cake?" Hinata smacked her face into Sasuke's shoulder, trying to turn her head.