Ok, I'm editing this chapter again!! Thanks to:

Sagester

Looloobell

for reviewing!! Enjoy!

Deidara did not sleep at all that night. He finally decided to get up and take a bath at 7:15 a.m. the next morning- he had found out he had wet himself the previous day.

The bathroom was small, painted a light yellow. It had a tall sink with an old faucet painted gold. A small window that was stuck and would not open was a few feet above the toilet. There was a five-foot mirror on the wall facing the bathtub, which was obscured by black shower curtains.

Clumsily, he filled the tub and got in. The long mirror on the wall showed Deidara just how pale and sleep-deprived he looked. He began to scrub his face, not stopping, only going faster until-

"I hate you!" he screamed into the sponge, his muffled scream not loud enough to carry on into Nagato's room. He gave a great sob and then threw the sponge down into the water, crying into his wet hands. His face was red from the harsh scrubbing it had received- a subliminally self-given publishment.

He let his hands drop back into the water and he sat there, crying. What had Nagato done to Seiryu? And why?! Her frightened screams had come back to haunt the blonde and seemed to echo around the small bathroom. Deidara began to scrub his body slowly, watching the soap bubbles collect on the surface of the water.

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

Seiryu's POV

I closed my locker door and sighed. I knew I had failed that math quiz! I had not studied at all. Mom was still gone with her boyfriend on what my dad thought was a "business trip" with her "co-worker".

"What's wrong...?" said a voice next to me.

I jumped up, startled, and looked to my left. A tall someone was leaning against the lockers and smiling at me in a way that made me feel very warm and happy. He had dirty-blond hair, great teeth, and navy blue eyes. I did not know his name, but he was one of the popular guys. I'd seen him around school but had never had the courage to talk to him.

"What's wrong?" he repeate. "You look worried."

"Oh...no, it's nothing important," I replied. He was very cute and very tall. Why was he talking to me? I was the kind of girl who got her clothes stolen in the locker room by the cheerleaders while in the shower. I was not pretty, either. I was skinny, had braces, and simple, unstyled blonde hair. My clothes were nothing to be proud of: faded blue jeans and worn sneakers. A loose gray sweater topped it all off. Yet here he was, one of the cute boys, talking to me!

"You sure?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yes," I replied softly.

"Ok. It's just...I hate to see a frown on such a pretty face..." He said.

I woke up with a start, tears stinging my eyes.

You sick bastard, I thought. I sat up on the floor, the sickening pain in my head growing. Every inch of me was sore. Why had he done this to me? Just what the fuck was he trying to prove?! And Deidara- Oh Deidara, my Dei! His face was burned into my mind, his expression of horror and confusion. I wondered what had been going through his head. He had seen it- would he ever be right again? He would grow to hate Nagato, if he didn't already. I was sure of it. And me? I feared he would grow to hate me. I loved him, more than I loved my own life! I had to protect him, evenif I died doing it! I wanted my little boy to grow up and be a good person. A great person. I wanted him to finish school and be successfull. I wanted him never to try drugs, to never be like his father! I hoped he'd be sweet forever. In my heart I knew he'd always be the well-behaved, kind little boy I dropped off and school every day. I hoped his father did not influence him.

I had to be around for him. Many times I had thought of leaving but no. I decided we would go on with our lives. I would be a great mother and raise my little boy into the gentleman inside him, regardless of Nagato's presence.

I looked at my watch. 8:00 a.m. I still had an hour before my shift started.

I crept out of the room and into mine. I left a post-it note on Nagato's bed saying I had left with Deidara and we'd be back before nine. I had not exactly forgiven Nagato. That was...on hold. But I had to take all the hits, like my mother had done, so I could be around for my little boy. Tears stung my eyes and I blinked them away. I couldn't be weak...not now. I knew my decision to still be around sounded stupid and irrashional but to me...it was all I could do for Deidara.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

Normal POV

Deidara eased into his shoes and began to towel-dry his hair, still crying.

"Calm down, you stupid girl. Crying is for girls...." he scolded himself. He dried his face on his sleeve and sat on the bed, finishing the drying of his hair.

That man in the biggest bedroom was not his father. Deidara hated him. He had never hated anyone, but he was sure this was how it felt: A hot sickening bubbling in the pit of his stomach. He had no right. No right! No right at all, to hurt his mommy like that! She had screamed and pleaded to be released and Nagato had only laughed. That sick, disgusting sound that gave Deidara chills. His left arm still hurt from having been thrown against the wall. He was sure Seiryu hurt more, though, and decided not to mention it to her.

It was Saturday, Deidara suddenly remembered, Seiryu's shift would start at 9:00 a.m. today and end at four in the morning. This meant Deidara would have all day to roam around town- staying home alone with Nagato was the equivalent of suicide.

A soft knock at the door startled Deidara out of his thoughts.

"H-Hai?" Deidara said nervously.

"It's me, hon," came Seiryu's voice.

"Oh."

He strode across the room and opened the door. Seiryu came in. She had just showered, Deidara knew, because of the strong scent of her strawberry shampoo. She was holding her semi-dry hair up in a ponytail, the bangs, as always, were being held back by a butterfly clip. She was also smiling.

"'Morning, Dei," she said cheerfully. "It's one hour 'till my shift...what do you say we go out for a while?"

Deidara could not believe it. How was she so calm when Nagato had done...that to her? He did not want to make her sad or worry her so he smiled instead.

"Alright," he replied happily.

XxXxXxXxXxX

"Aw...kawaii!!" Seiryu squealed once Deidara hopped off the chair. She ran a hand through his freshly cut hair.

"Arigato, hm..."

"Awww! Do that little 'hm' again...it-is-so-cuuute!!"

It took a while for Seiryu to calm down.

"Excuse me," she said to the brunette woman who had cut Deidara's hair. "Do you sell hair gel?"

"Right over here," the woman replied, leading Seiryu away.

A few minutes later, Seiryu and Deidara were sitting on a park bench. Seiryu was busy spreading gel in Deidara's hair, carefully forming tiny little spikes on his head.

"You look so...." she let the sentence hang and squealed, pulling Deidara into a tight hug.

Deidara smiled. "Ow, too tight!" he said, his voice muffled. Both mother and son burst out laughing and Seiryu gasped as she took a look at her watch.

"Oh no, it's ten to nine. C'mon, we have to get you home and I have to get to work..." Seiryu said, stuffing the gel in her purse and grabbing Deidara's hand.

The little blonde nodded, and they raced off to Seiryu's car.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Nagato was not happy. Even worse, he had misunderstood the note. Trouble was imminent the minute they stepped in through the door.

They were almost to Deidara's room when-

"Where the fuck were you?!" came Nagato's voice from his room.

"Oh no..." Seiryu said. "Deidara we gotta leave!"

"Seiryu, you and that brat come back over here!!" Nagato roared.

"Come on, Dei, come on!!" Seiryu said, running back into the living room.

"Ok..."

"DEIDARA!"

At the mention of his name, Deidara tried to walk away from his mom and towards the voice. He was stopped when Seiryu had gripped his arm and pulled him back. "No, Dei-kun. We need to go back! And go somewhere safe...you understand, right?"

"Hm," Deidara nodded.

They ran towards the front door. Before Seiryu could even touch it, though, it burst open.

There stood Nagato, his messy blonde hair over his blue eyes, a different, darker blue than his wife and son's. They were filled with rage.

He had probably climbed through the window to meet them at the front door. Deidara stared up into his face, terrified.

Seiryu walked over to her husband's side. "No...Nagato please...not in front of De-"

With a dull thud, Nagato's fist collided with Seiryu's cheek. She crashed into the wall and sank to the floor, her hands over her bleeding mouth.

"WHERE WERE YOU!! YOU WERE WITH HIM, WEREN'T YOU?! OFF WITH SOME IDIOT BASTARD, YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD TAKE THE BRAT AND FOOL ME!! YEAH, YOU WERE DON'T LIE TO ME, STUPID BITCH!! I'M NOT FUCKIN' STUPID!!"

"I wasn't with anyone! I swear!! I just took Dei-kun out for a walk-"

Another fist struck her face. Tears glistened in her eyes but she blinked them away.

"Stop it! Stop it! You're hurting her, hm! I won't...I won't let you!" Deidara screamed. He ran forward and used his tiny fists to try and punch every inch of his father he could reach.

To Seiryu's horror, Nagato's foot struck Deidara in the stomach before he could even figure out what was happening. Deidara's mouth opened wide but no sound came out, his eyes widened and he sank to the floor, his hands hugging his stomach.

Seiryu's face flushed a dull red.

"No! Hurt me all you want...but my son...You-you dare hit my son! Sick bastard!"

She ran forward.

There was a loud snap and Seiryu screamed and fell to the floor, landing on her back. Nagato stood in front of her, a gun in his hand, pointed at her. He smirked and lowered the weapon.

Deidara mustered all his strength and scrambled to his feet. He ran to him mom, who was drenched in dark blood. She hugged him tightly, staining his clothes with warm blood but he didn't care.

"Kaasan...kaasan..."

Her eyes found his and she smiled weakly. "Dei-kun...I'm sorry. I w-won't get to s-see you grow up i-into a big boy...promise m-me you'll be...be good. Okay? Don't...don't w-worry...you'll be a-alright..."

Deidara blinked tears away and swallowed. He nodded. She was dying. He didn't know how he knew, but he did, and she was dying.

"Aishiteru...Dei-kun..."

"Aishiteru, kaasan!"

And then...something like a light in her eyes seemed to slowly fade so that now her eyes were fixed on Deidara's face. Seiryu's arms slid off Deidara's back and fell with a thud to the floor. Deidara gasped and couldn't hold the tears back any longer.

"No, kaasan!"

But she didn't call back. Deidara stared into her still open eyes, hoping she would blink. But it was no use...her eyes stared without seeing.

She was dead.

Nagato's POV

I suddenly remembered that time I had met Seiryu...

Flashback (Short)

"Ok. It's just...I hate to see a frown on such a pretty face..." I had said. And it was all I had needed to say. She had smiled in an idiotic way and stood there, plain and ugly unlike the cheerleaders I had dated before. But she was easily talked into things, I had just found that out. I had her on the palm of my hand...

End Flashback

I laughed. "Stupid bitch..."

She was stupid indeed. I had fooled her so many times. So many fucking times! And now she was dead. Survival of the fittest, Seiryu...survival of the fittest.

Normal POV

"No!" Deidara screamed shrilly, his voice cracked. He grabbed fistfuls of Seiryu's bloody shirt and shook her as hard as he could.

It couldn't be real. This could not be happening. It could not be happening! For years, the woman that now lay dead before him had cared for him, protected him, and loved him. She was gone, the blonde knew this, but refused to believe it. Mother's didn't were always around to tuck you into bed and take you to school. Families. Families were not supposed to be like this. Families were supposed to be happy together and they always smiled and no one killed each other. They always smiled...those wide, happy smiles. Just like in the commercials. Fathers were nice and they played sports or wrestled with their little boys. Deidara was pretty sure that using kids as ashtrays or sticking their heads in the toilet and not letting go till they passed out was not what fathers were supposed to do.

What kind of family were they?! Seiryu was dead, Nagato, her husband, had killed her. Nagato was not a father, Seiryu had been a mother up until five minutes ago. The little blonde buried his face in Seiryu's shoulder. Ironically, she still smelled of her favorite strawberry shampoo. Her hands were still warm to the touch. He closed her eyes for her.

'There...' Deidara thought. 'Now you're just sleeping. Tomorrow you'll wake up.'

But she wasn't.

And she wouldn't.

It was Nagato's fault. All of it. Nagato had screwed up his life- he was only six years old! He couldn't help anyone, not even himself. Didn't Nagato care, even just a little? Couldn't he see what he was doing to Deidara? What had he done that Nagato hated him so much?! It was at this point that Deidara decided that this man was no more than a stranger to him. He was...just there. Just another person in the house. Not even a person. There was no way Nagato was human. He was a monster! A cruel, sick son of a bitch who deserved to burn for all eternity in the deepest pits of Hell.

A sudden fury washed over Deidara and he cried harder, hating himself- hating Nagato too.

"I HATE YOU!" Deidara yelled, turning to face Nagato.

"Really, now?" Nagato muttered amusedly.

"YOU...YOU KILLED MY MOM! YOU KILLED HER! BASTARD!" Deidara yelled. He had never used a bad word before and he had to admit it was a bit scary, but it felt good. He could not deny it felt good to tell this man what he was.

Nagato stepped closer to Deidara. He raised the gun and put it to Deidara's forehead. The blonde froze, his eyes both looking at the gun between his eyes, his mouth slightly open.

"One more word!" Nagato roared, pushing the gun forcefully at Deidara's forehead. "One more fucking word, and I'll blow your fucking head off, I wouldn't think twice, you're worth about as much as dog shit, I hope you know that..."

It was as if Deidara's tears had evaporated. He could not cry, he could not speak. He couldn't even move. All he could do was stand there, crosseyed from looking at the gun, silent. Was Nagato telling him the truth? It was hard not to believe.

"Alright then," Nagato said. He stuffed the gun in his pocket and crouched down, grabbing Seiryu's purse. He rummaged through it and took her money. He then proceeded to wipe down the gun and purse with a cloth. Then he grabbed Seiryu's limp body and picked it up.

Deidara looked up in alarm, still unable to speak, but the message was clear. Nagato chuckled. "Relax, I'm just...taking her out for a ride..."

And with that said, he grabbed his keys and was out the back door, leaving a trail of blood.

HOLY CRAP THAT TOOK FOREVER TO WRITE!! But I'm very glad I got it done :) I almost got killed when my brother saw it, (he reads the chapters and reviews before they get posted), he said how could I have been such a bitch and I deserved to die but that it was a good chapter all the same. I hope you guys think the same!! R&R please?! Arigato!! Ja ne!