Sasuke found Naruto by the food. They stood against the wall watching the party go on. Too stuffy for either of them, but Naruto seemed content to stand on the sidelines when snacks were involved. "We just ate. How are you still hungry?"

Naruto shoved another desert in his mouth. "I don't turn down free food."

"Your father owns half the restaurants in the city." Sasuke countered.

"Tastes better when it's free," Naruto popped another in his mouth.

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Who was the girl with your brother?" Naruto asked with his mouth full.

"My father's assistant," Sasuke answered.

"Office romance?" Naruto wondered.

"I don't think so." Sasuke sighed. "I have no clue what is going on."

Sasuke caught sight of her. Hinata stepped away from his brother, heading across the ballroom, looking like she might be sick. She passed through a door on the wall he and Naruto were loitering on. Those doors were usually closed to keep guests from the rest of the house, but staff occasionally used them as a shortcut to the kitchen.

Sasuke shifted his attention back to the party until he heard and felt a faint crash behind him. He waited a few moments, but with the following silence, curiosity got the best of him. He turned back to Naruto. "I'll be right back."

"Sure." Naruto shrugged, stuffing a small cake into his mouth.

Sasuke headed toward the door, glancing down the hall, expecting a knocked-over table or maybe a painting knocked off the wall and an embarrassed girl. He saw nothing until he looked down the stairs. A heap of black hair and fabric.

"Woah, hey." Sasuke scrambled to the landing, kneeling down to her.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Hinata moved to sit herself up against the wall, but flinched in pain. Blood poured down one side of her face from somewhere in her mess of hair, enough that he couldn't see how bad the cut was.

Sasuke yanked off his suit jacket, balling it up, holding it to the side of her head. He turned his head to shouted. "Can I get some help here!?"

Hinata yanked on his shirt, shushing him, trying unsuccessfully to push his hand away. "Don't cause a fuss." Her arms moved sluggishly as she smeared blood on him. She leaned her head back, squeezing her eyes together. Sasuke followed her, holding the jacket to her head. It must have been a hard fall. She was dazed.

"I'm going to get help." Before Sasuke could get out of her reach, she snagged his arm.

"The director wants no incidents," Hinata demanded. "Just give me a minute." She winced as she adjusted herself.

Was she this dedicated to her work? What an idiot.

"What happened?" Sasuke pulled the cloth away to check in her hair for the cut. He still couldn't see it in her hair and the blood.

"I don't remember. I was checking on the kitchen." Hinata took a moment to move her hand. She winced as she stretched her fingers out and back. "I was dizzy earlier."

"You should go to the hospital," Sasuke told her.

"I think it's just sprained. It could have been worse." Hinata reached for her purse, digging into it for her phone. "I have to tell Lee to check on the problem in the kitchen and to cover for me." Her shaking hand made it hard for her to get past the home screen. "I can have a staff member get a first aid kit, and I can clean up before going back in."

"You need a hospital," Sasuke told her again.

Hinata tried to push him away again. "It's not that bad."

"Do you not see this?" Sasuke pulled away one of his hands to show her the blood.

It took her a moment, but Hinata finally understood. She moved her hand down to move the dress up her legs to reveal a nasty scrape on her thigh that was bleeding through her dress. Her eyes widened at what she probably thought was just a bruise.

"That's it. I am taking you to the hospital." Sasuke tossed her purse in her lap and moved to pick her up.

Hinata squeaked, grabbing onto his shoulders to brace herself as he trampled down the rest of the stairs toward the garage. "This is your party!"

"I am already covered in blood." Sasuke propped her in the car, and snagged her hand to make her hold the jacket to her head while he put her seat belt on. "Make your arrangements on the way." He closed the door before she could move to unbuckle herself.


The doctors said she was suffering from exhaustion and a fever. They attributed her dizziness to it and likely the fall. They set her up on a few IVs. She was disoriented but answered the nurse's questions.

With an x-ray done and clean, stitches in, and bandages on, a nurse came with painkillers and a wet cloth to help her wash the blood and smeared makeup off her face revealing a bruise that looked to be a few days old.

"How did you get that?" Sasuke scrunched his face.

Hinata took a moment to look confused, but she understood when her eyes fell on the makeup on the cloth. She looked embarrassed. "I've had a bad week."

Sasuke didn't like that answer. "How did you get it?"

Hinata scowled at him for asking, but she faulted. "My father struck me for talking back to him. He's never hit me before."

"Your father?" Sasuke repeated.

Hinata looked surprised at him. "Yes, my father, certainly not yours."

Sasuke shrugged. His father never hit him, but he could get awfully angry. "You just seem scared to disappoint him."

Hinata shook her head. "My father has always been disappointed in me. I've always known he was. Your father gives me chances to make him proud, and I will take every chance I can." That was different from what Itachi seemed to think was going on.

Sasuke l saw something he thought maybe he shouldn't have in her eyes. "Sorry." Hinata said quickly. "I'm not usually so rude."

"It's probably the pain meds kicking in. You should get some rest." Sasuke told her. In a few more moments, she was asleep. He looked at the time. The party was over. She got her wish. He wouldn't interrupt the party. Now, he was going to call his dad.


This was his fault. He pushed her too hard.

Hinata was running around doing his every whim, and he sabotaged her along the way. The caterers, the furnishing company, having her followed to find out she left with Itachi. Fugaku found nothing on her. Even with Itachi offering his help. She never asked for it. She was innocent. Fugaku thought if he pushed hard enough, he would catch her cutting corners or push it to be her assistant problem, but she never did. He hadn't thought she would skip meals or stay up all night to ensure things ran smoothly.

And he forgot to reverse it all when the truth came out. Fugaku was too worried about his son's return and the event to think that she would have needed a break.

On top of all the time Hinata spent away from home, he knew she was making meals where she could for him to fit into his diet. When did she sleep or eat for herself? She was taking her lunch breaks to pick up things for her apartment.

Did she have time to call her sister? Had he kept her from her sister, like her father was doing now?

Fugaku put his head in his hands. He was going to have to make up for this. He should go right to Hitomi's grave and beg for forgiveness. He should have done that before.

Fugaku felt an object butt against his shoulder. Sasuke held out a drink from the vending machine down the hall, sitting down beside him.

"What's going on?" Sasuke asked him.

Fugaku shook his head. "I made a mistake, and I need to make up for it."

Sasuke didn't seem to understand, but he thankfully didn't push. He was in no mood.

"You should go, get some sleep. I'll stay with her for the night." Fugaku gave him a heavy pat. "Wake your brother in the morning. Tell him then."

"He's going to have a hell of a hangover," Sasuke commented.

"Yes. Payback for all the headaches he gives me." Fugaku answered.


Hinata was cold and sore, her head ached, and she felt like she might be sick, but as she woke up, instead of Sasuke, she found an older Uchiha resting his head back in his chair.

"Sir!" Hinata squeaked.

Fugaku flinched awake. "Hinata, you're awake. How are you feeling?"

"What are you doing here?" Hinata asked in a hushed tone. Her throat was dry.

"Sasuke called once the party was over. He said you didn't want to ruin the party." Fugaku rolled his shoulders.

"Sir, I'm fine. You shouldn't have come." Hinata exclaimed.

"I knew your father wouldn't." Hinata pressed her lips together. He was right. Her next of kin didn't answer. "I want to apologize again." Hinata waved her hands. Fugaku shook his head. "I overworked you, sabotaged you, and made every assignment hard for you along the way. I was selfish, and it didn't even occur to me to set back what I had done before we reconciled."

"Sir. I'm fine. I probably just had a cold." Hinata tried to explain away.

"Don't lie to me." Fugaku snapped. "I know what the doctors said. I know how many hours you've been working. I know about the meals you've made for me. What I don't understand is why you didn't quit."

"I did my job." Hinata felt her heart clench.

Fugaku hung his head. "You did above and beyond your job."

"My job is to do anything you ask." Hinata offered.

"Within reason!" Fugaku barked. "There is nothing reasonable about expecting you to do everything I had you do in a week. You don't need one assistant. You need a team, and I didn't even want you to have the assistant."

Hinata pressed her lips together. "It's over now. It was over the day father showed up."

Fugaku looked so old and tired with just a look. "You really are your mother's daughter. I think I can hear her now. 'It wasn't your fault,' 'I understand,' 'don't worry, I'm not mad,' 'you will do better next time." Fugaku doubled over, putting his head in his hands. "I will. I will do better this time."