Hello my loves =] I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story so far, I'm having a blast writing it!! Hm, I just saw My Bloody Valentine...it sucked. No offense to the people who made it or to any of you who liked it...but I didn't like it. Naked women and blood. How very frightening. I'm scarred. Well, anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter (it is the end of Part I of Sweet Childhood Memories. Part II starts with chapter 11 =]) Enjoy!

And thank you to Sagesther for reviewing!! =]

I do not own Naruto, because if I did, Naruto himself would be dead. I don't own My Bloody Valentine either. And I don't want to.

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Normal POV

The following day, Nagato drove Deidara to school after feeding him a home-cooked breakfast.

Yes. Home-cooked.

And it was delicious. Who knew Nagato could cook?

He even walked Deidara to class. He was being overly nice to Deidara, and with a good reason too: A social worker and two policemen had come to the house the previous day, little over ten minutes after Deidara had come home from Akane's house. Nagato had arrived only five minutes before the S.W. and officers and had run arond the house, picking up the horrible mess. Deidara didn't know how, but Nagato had somehow found out about Deidara's phone call to CPS. He was determined to get away free- again.

Nagato had acted surprised and completely clueless when the three people had shown up at his door. He was a gentleman once more, answering their questions politely and smiling at all the right times. He was a master at lying and, though he knew not, Deidara was his pupil.

The little blonde was still having problems with his neck. It hurt to turn his head so he now had to remember to turn his whole body to look at someone, or he'd be in excruciating walked into his classroom without even looking back at Nagato. He sat at his seat and put his head down on the desk, knowing Nagato was staring daggers at him. He didn't care.

The rest of the school day went by without incident, unless you wanted to count Kisame getting a baby carrot stuck up his nose at lunch and spending the rest of the day in the nurse's office. Akane was apparently still too sick to go to school, so Deidara walked home- or he would have, had Nagato not come to pick him up from school.

Angry, Deidara ignored Nagato and kept walking. Nagato drove beside him, calling out to him through the open car window as a kidnapper might do to his next victim.

Deidara refused to get in the car and Nagato was forced to follow him all the way home in the car. Nagato parked the car and walked up to Deidara, who was waiting for him at the front door.

He grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him close. "Listen, you little fucker...I'm not playing games and I want you to know that-"

"They're here," Deidara said calmly, staring ahead of Nagato, who turned around, releasing Deidara.

Luckily for Nagato, the social worker was busy checking some files and was not looking so she could not see that Nagato had been holding Deidara by his shirt. Nagato quickly opened the door for Deidara and ran to help the social worker. Deidara walked inside and sat on the dinner table, staring into the kitchen where Seiryu had once cooked delicious meals for him. But that was all gone now and he was trying to survive without her but in terms of surviving without a mother, six year olds don't really go very far.

"...come in! Come in!" Nagato was saying, stepping aside so the woman could come in. "I'm Nagato by the way, and of course you know my son Deidara. He's the one who gave you that preposterous call."

"I'm Miramoto Hikaru," the woman said. "And we'll see about that..."

She did not trust Nagato.

Deidara liked her.

"I'm sorry to see that you don't trust me," Nagato said in a sorrowful tone. "Before we begin talking, do you want anything to drink?"

She smiled pleasantly. "No, thanks."

"Alright then, shall we get started?" Nagato said, leading her into the living room. "Son, could you go up to your room, please, we'll be a little busy?"

Son? As if it couldn't get any worse...

Deidara did as he was told- or so Nagato thought. Instead, he did what he had done so many times before. He sat at the landing of the stairs, looking down and listening in on the two adults' conversation.

After fifteen minutes of solid questioning, which Nagato wormed his way out of easily, Hikaru brought out some photos of Deidara's bruises.

"Now, I'm not particularly happy with how the CPS is run here. It's not very effective- lack of funds and all. Which is why Deidara was not placed in a foster home, but if it was up to me...I'd take him home right away. How can you tell me these injuries were caused by playing?!" Hikaru exclaimed

"I'm sticking to what I said before," Nagato said calmly.

"But Deidara tells us that you hit him on various occasions," Hikaru said accusingly.

"He said that...he really said that..." Nagato whispered to himself faintly.

"Yes," came the woman's quiet reply.

"Attention. That's what the boy needs...attention! But do you think I can give it to him when I'm out looking for a job for most of the day?" Nagato demanded. "I'm just trying to be the best dad I can be!"

He hid his face in his hands and sobbed dramatically. He sniffed and rubbed his eyes, turning away from Hikaru. "I'm sorry," he said.

"I understand," she replied. She sounded as though she was beginning to feel sorry for Nagato.

And that was all that mattered.

It was now that Deidara realized that it was either he gave up right now and let it all go or Nagato would convince this woman and CPS that he was innocent. Either way, Deidara would end up losing. He'd finally plucked up the courage to do something about his situation at home and he was now watching the downfall of his plan.

"Stop!" Deidara yelled, running down the stairs. He came to a halt in front of the two adults. "He never did anything to me! It's just...I never ever get to see him anymore- I didn't know what to do! Every time he scolded me...I thought he didn't love me anymore and I...I didn't want to lose him..."

He did not know why he was doing this. Why was he saving the man he hated? In his heart he knew he did not want to be like Kakuzu or Hidan, they had no parents. But wouldn't it be better to be rid of Nagato once and for all? Wouldn't it be better to live without fear and in a home where he felt secure with other people even if they weren't his parents? He'd be so much happier. But there was no going back now.

"What?" Hikaru blurted, surprised.

Deidara sighed and hung his head. "I made it all up, he's innocent, hm..."

This statement was followed by one of the loudest silences Deidara had ever heard. He looked up and saw that Hikaru had gotten to her feet. "Deidara...you can't expect me to believe this! Just look at those horrible bruises on your face!"

Deidara struggled to bring out the right words. "I- I tripped and fell down the stairs. I decided to...to use that and blame my dad!"

Hikaru frowned. "Are you sure?"

"I wouldn't be telling you this if I wasn't!" Deidara screamed. "I'm sorry I lied..."

He gave her one last look and ran upstairs, locking himself up in his room, sobbing uncontrollably. He hated himself, knowing that he had just made one of the biggest mistakes in his life. He pounded on the window harder and harder, hoping that maybe someone would hear him and come to take him away. Away to a life where he would know no pain, no suffering. But he knew that was impossible.

There was a deafening crack and the window broke, sending glass flying everywhere, most of it lodged itself into Deidara's hand and he stared at the blood dripping onto the floor, crying harder still, angry at himself and thinking only one thing:

'If only I was bigger....If only I was tougher...'

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And that concludes Part I! Part II begins with chapter numero 11! =] R&R Please! Arigato!!