Here's part 7, it's longer to make up for the shortness of chapter six. Enjoy!

When Deidara had finished crying, and Sasori's shirt was thoroughly soaked with the blond's tears, Sasori gently moved Deidara's head up and inspected the giant purple bruise that was beginning to form on his cheek. The puppeteer sighed and quietly murmured "Why didn't you tell anyone that this was happening, Deidara? They could have stopped it and you would have been sent off with one of your other relatives; wouldn't that have been better" "No!" The blond cried out. "He's the only family that I have… And besides; who would want to put up with a brat like me, un?" he whispered, tears threatening to fall down his face again.

Sasori's gaze softened even further; how could one brilliant boy be broken by a single person? Then his resolve grew and his face became determined. "Well, 'brat', I want to put up with you. You're not staying here in this dump for another night. Grab the things you need and come with me." Deidara gasped and looked into the red-head's eyes. When he found nothing but loyalty and kindness, no trace of a lie or abandonment, he nodded and rose from the floor.

The red-head followed the blond into his room, which he saw to be a lot tidier than the rest of the apartment, and proceeded to help him grab his belongings. The only things they got were Deidara's clothes, his wallet, his school bag, any remaining books and, much to Sasori's surprise, a bag with clay and mini fireworks inside.

When he raised an eyebrow at this, Deidara blushed, making the forming bruise sink into his skin slightly. "This is what I use to make art, un." Was his answer to the silent question. Sasori nodded, satisfied with the reason for the time being. When everything was collected, they headed for the front door, Deidara only turning back to look at his old home once more, before slamming the front door shut for the last time.

They walked outside to where Sasori had hidden his car and they placed Deidara's belongings in the boot before they sat in the front seats, side by side. Once they had buckled in, Sasori started the car and they drove down the street, away from Deidara's permanent nightmare. Sasori turned to look at Deidara, to see that he was looking out of the window, his head leaning on the glass, frowning. Sasori averted his eyes and the drive was silent for a few minutes.

Suddenly, Deidara broke the deafening silence with a question "… Why are you helping me Sasori, un? " Sasori froze and his grip tightened on the steering wheel. After a few moments of silence, he replied "Because no-one deserves to be put through that. What your father has done to you is completely wrong and you shouldn't have to live with him." Deidara tore his gaze from the window at that comment and looked into Sasori's eyes. What he saw there was truth and kindness.

They stared at each other for a few seconds more, then Sasori returned his gaze to the empty streets and continued driving to his house, wondering how he was supposed to explain the blond boy to his grandmother. While Sasori was thinking that, Deidara only had one thought "… I finally have a friend…"

When they pulled up into Sasori's driveway, they saw his grandmother on the porch, who shouted "You're late! What took you?" She was about to say more, when both the teenagers got out of the car and she raised her eyebrow at the sight of the blond and gave her grandson a questioning glance.

He shook his head, meaning he would explain later, and helped Deidara gather his belongings. His grandmother came and helped with one of the lighter bags and everything was carried into the house.

When every bag was placed in the living room, Chiyo turned on the light and gasped at Deidara when his bruise was visible, as she couldn't see it outside in the dark. It had started to bleed slightly. "Oh my goodness!" She exclaimed. "Jeepers child, forget the explanation for the moment. Sasori! Get the first aid kit!" She roared. Sasori nodded walked into the kitchen and took the green box out of one of the cupboards, walked back into the living room and handed it to the old woman, never once taking his eyes off the blond.

She took some antiseptic spray and some sterilised wipes and began gently rubbing at Deidara's cheek. Once it was clean, she put a plaster over the cut that had formed and sat back on the couch. "Right, now that that has been sorted out, who are you anyway, boy?" she asked, the question directed at Deidara. "I'm Deidara Iwa Miss, un." The old woman internally smiled at the speech impediment and outwardly smirked at the name as she remembered Sasori's description of his cute student and it fit the boy in front of her perfectly.

She turned her gaze to Sasori, whose face clearly displayed a look of "Don't say anything." For once she respected her grandson's wishes and asked "Why are you here then, Deidara?" "Because he needs to stay here for a while." Sasori interrupted. Chiyo frowned slightly, but said nothing more on the subject.

"Very well then. Sasori, show the boy to the guest room, would you?" The red-head nodded and he and Deidara picked up the blond's belongings again and travelled upstairs and to the left, which was the empty guest room across from Sasori's bedroom.

Sasori said "if you need me, I'll either be downstairs in the living room or in my bedroom across the hall." Deidara nodded and Sasori closed the door behind him when he was in the hallway. He walked back downstairs to his grandmother, where he knew the interrogation about the blond was sure to begin. He was right.

"Sasori, do you want to know something?" Chiyo enquired. "What Grandma?" Came the red-head's irritated reply. "When you like someone, you usually ask them out on a date, you don't kidnap them!" The woman ranted.

Sasori blushed and, careful not to be too loud and for Deidara to overhear upstairs, shouted back "I didn't kidnap him! He came willingly! And besides, his dad has been making his life miserable since he was born and I don't want him to suffer through that anymore."

Chiyo was quiet for a minute then started to reply "So that cut on his face was…" She trailed off. "Yeah, his dad's handiwork."Sasori confirmed mouth in a grim line. Chiyo nodded, then said "Then he is staying here with us until we make sure that man is gone." Sasori nodded and crossed his arms. "Right, I'll go and make sure that Deidara is settled in to his room." He mentioned as he walked up the stairs to said blond's new bedroom.

Chiyo smirked and thought "Looks like I got my wish to see the controller of Sasori's heart earlier than I thought I would. That boy seems broken… But I don't think he will stay that way for long when Sasori is so near to him… Provided my boy doesn't make an idiot out of himself. Thank goodness the blond appears to get along with Sasori!" The woman shook her head, a small smile adorning her features and went to the storage room to work on one of her elder puppets.

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