To Murdoc, Noodle was a very talented kid. She knew how to play every instrument, especially the guitar. She made a very good buddy to 2D, despite their age gap and being part of different generations. Russel loved her like she was his own child. She was an all-around child. Even though she couldn't speak her own language, she was able to communicate with them. Murdoc found her a useful part of the band- and the best.

"Yeah! In ya face, Murdoc!" 2D yelled happily as he flung the controller to the side to do some victory fists. Murdoc let out a frustrated cry. "Russel, you big arse! You made me lose ten times in a row!"

Russel just sighed as he picked up his sunglasses. Noodle flashed a great grin and some something in Japanese. Murdoc just rolled his eyes. "Yeah, keep talking. It's not like anybody can understand you…"

2D went over and patted Noodle on the head. "You're the greatest, Noodle! I'll order you pizza, would do you fink?"

At the word of pizza, Noodle jumped up and down happily. Murdoc frowned before clearing his throat. "AHEM! I think the girl deserves something better. Like…a burger or something. You want that, don't you Noodle?"

Noodle's eyes flashed at 'burger' and she nodded furiously at him. 2D eyed him suspiciously. Murdoc just shrugged. "I feel like getting burgers today."

He got up and glared at Russel before walking over to Noodle. He gave a small pat on the head and walked off to the door. "I'll order the burgers."

He glanced behind him and saw Noodle rubbing her head. He chuckled silently as he saw 2D frowning at him. He won this round.

He didn't expect to hear a crying noise coming from the youngest Gorillaz member's room when he was passing by it to get some beer to drink. Was he hearing correctly?

With caution, he slowly opened the door and peered inside. The noise got louder. With a rising panic, Murdoc flicked open the lights. "What's wrong, Noodle? Is 2D molesting you?"

He saw no one but the girl on the bed. She was curled up and, surprisingly, crying in her sleep. She hadn't woken yet. Murdoc closed the door behind him and walked over to her bed. He knew the girl would get angry if she saw him in her room, but he didn't care. For now…

Murdoc squatted down next to her bed and said softly," Noodle, kid; it's only a nightmare…"

A whimper was his only response. Murdoc sighed and flicked her forehead. That woke her. She jumped out of her bed and delivered a punch straight at his stomach. He felt all air leave him as he slumped against the wall. "You little arse…are you serious?"

Noodle looked around frantically, and then seemed to realize where she was. She let out a small sigh, and Murdoc didn't know if it was a sigh of relief, or a sigh of remorse of whatever was in her dream.

She then looked at him with an unreadable expression. She then wiped her face quickly. Murdoc staggered to his feet. "How's your memories?"

She didn't know what he was saying. Murdoc knew that. And it just made him a bit depressed. It was probably because their next music video is coming on soon, and Noodle might not be able to be in top shape.

With depressing determination, he started doing some weird sign languages. He pointed to his head. Noodle just sniffed. Murdoc let out a frustrated sigh and made a sleeping motion. He then made some whimpering noises to mimic what noise Noodle just made. It made the girl giggle a bit. It was embarrassing, seriously. But he continued anyway. He made an invisible question mark with his finger and Noodle finally understood. She tapped her fingers nervously on her blanket before looking back at Murdoc. It was then Murdoc saw a plea in her eyes. Noodle jumped out of bed and went to the poster of a map on the wall in front of her. She pointed to a country in Asia. Murdoc went over and saw she was pointing at Japan. He was confused. "What are you talking about, Noods?"

She seemed to understand what he was asking. She opened the cabinet under the map and took out tickets. Plane tickets. Murdoc's eyes widen at the tickets and back at the girl. There was a look of determination on her face. Murdoc narrowed his eyes, though he was in panic inside. "Noodle, you're not leaving our band! You are our guitarists! What if- ugh! Why can't you understand me?"

Noodle shook her head and pointed to it. Murdoc looked in anger and frustration. "Why are you pointing at your head?"

She then mimicked what Murdoc did earlier and then pointed at the tickets. When he still didn't understand, she took out a dictionary and flipped through it frantically.

"Night…maru…memo…ries?" she struggled. Murdoc stared and FINALLY realized what she meant. He shook his head. "Your nightmares are your…memories? What are you going on, Noods?"

Noodle face palmed. "Nihon…memories!"

Murdoc put the pieces together and put a hand on his head. He knew Nihon meant Japan. He took the tickets from her and looked. It's a round trip. She'll be coming back.

Noodle scratched her head and waited for some sort of response. She felt an arm around her head and pull her into a hairy chest. "So you're coming back…"

"Smelly!" Noodle's muffled voice came through his chest. A laugh followed. "Punishment for making me-" worried. It was a thank goodness the girl couldn't understand English. She would force him to finish that corny sentence.

"Are you serious? So you did the music video without telling us?" Murdoc yelled. Noodle crossed her arms and just looked away with a huff. "I created this album. I gave you boys most of the music to record yourselves. It is my turn now. "

"And you even did…did…!" he looked back at the video where it was showing Noodle swinging her butt. "THAT!"

2D frowned. "I really have to stop showing you dance videos, Noods."

"It is not fair!" Noodle stomped her foot. "Why can you do all the stuff you did in your videos but I cannot?"

"Because you're still a kid!" Murdoc all but roared. He can feel Noodle's glare on him. "I am not a kid anymore, Murdoc."

"Yes you are! You still go all happy over swings and slides and stuff kids love! You-" he grunted when Noodle threw the t.v. controller at him and stomped away angrily.

2D scratched his head. "Murdoc, don't you fink you're a bit harsh? I mean, she isn't the kid we used to know anymore. She's…she's grown hormones."

Murdoc didn't want to admit it, but the idiot was right. But he didn't want to see her grow. Not yet. Because everything changes when you grow, even the person who is the one growing. 2D placed his hands on his hips. "I fink you need to apologize."

"Well, I think you should grow a brain," Murdoc shot back. But he went anyway. What he got in the end was a punch in the face and a lollipop as forgiveness.

Murdoc whistled at the babes as he settled between them. "Well, guess this video will be my favorite."

2D stared in jealousy, and Murdoc just stuck out his tongue. He then looked out the window of the tower and saw the windmill island. Noodle plopped herself at the edge. His smirk faltered. A new rise of concern filled him. Noodle looked through the window and saw Murdoc. In an instant, Murdoc felt like going onto the Windmill too, just to make sure she won't fall off. But he won't, because it's not his style to care about anyone.

"You know, if your singing isn't as bad as a chicken screaming is, you should be the one being our main character here," he heard Russel say. He turned to him and sympathy and knowing stared back at his face. Russel gave a smile he rarely gave the womanizer. "You don't need to act so high and mighty, ya green lizard. Who knows, it might be too late just when you know it."

He then went to his drum set, leaving the awed man there. Murdoc then closed his eyes and sighed. "Whatever, all I care about is my band."

The women around him just giggled, as if what he had just said was funny.

When the music video started, Murdoc kept his eyes on the windmill appearing and disappearing among the clouds. He almost- just almost- forgot how to play his instrument. He was lifted up by the women just when 2D reached the window. Noodle finally appeared. She looked like she was shining the sunlight from herself. She was practically glowing and Murdoc felt a sense of…loneliness. The child had grown. She had really grown. She was still the skinny, bratty self, but Murdoc can see the change. She got taller and curvier- he really had to admit that- and it just surprised him.

Suddenly, he caught her eyes. She was looking at all of them, and Murdoc wished, just once, she won't think of him as just a sadist who tortures everyone who gets in his way, but as someone who would do anything to get everything right for their band- and her.

Murdoc was in total shock right now. Noodle was looking directly in his eyes, and was waiting for an answer. Murdoc brushed his hair back. "You're telling me to just…let you go?"

Noodle nodded. Murdoc shook his head. "What are you- what-"

"I want to find out more about myself," Noodle answered. Her voice was shaking, he can tell from her struggle to keep it steady. "About my past…and I just need a break."

"A break," Murdoc repeated. "Are you kidding me? Noods, you just created the best album! And now you're just leaving-"

The hug stopped him. His eyes widen. She squeezed tightly. "I'm not leaving for good…but I just need to find myself…"

She waited. There was no response. She was about to look up when a hand pat her head. "Then…just go," she felt her chest vibrate. It was her turn to be surprised. The hand stopped her from looking up. "I'll help you go. I have this person I need to get rid of…well, I'll tell you the plan when it's complete."

Murdoc placed another hand on her back. "But you have to come back, or else I'll hunt you down and bring you back, you got it?"

The lack of answer made him pat her back once. "You got it?"

She nodded and pushed off the hand on her head. She looked up with a smile. "Thank you, Murdoc. I'll come back soon."

Murdoc rolled his eyes, but smirked. "You better be."

But inside, he knew she might never come back.

The El Manana was almost finished. 2D was cheering behind the set. Russel was worried frantically about the island. Murdoc stood at the side, waiting as time passed by. He stared at the island with a concentrated look.

"Hey Murdoc!" Russel yelled. "How's she getting down?"

Murdoc just looked away. "Who knows…"

A big explosion caught all of their attention. 2D gaped. "Wow…that looks…pretty real."

Because it is real, Murdoc wanted to say. He felt his hands shake. He forced a quivering smirk on his face. "You finally got what you wanted, Noods. You better come back…"

He had to deal with the two idiot Gorillaz members and the reporters later. But he had to make sure not to tell anyone his and Noodle's secret. Because Noodle made him promise not to tell anyone.

It was hard for Murdoc to create an android model of Noodle. It looked like her, but it was not her. Their taste was different, and this one was more…evil. Sure, he himself was evil too, but he could never get used to the android. The android was a slave to him, but once in a while, he can feel its evil eyes on him. It would go to 2D's room (the whale room) before, but Murdoc modified it so that it had no feelings. He didn't want the girl near him, even if it's just a replica.

"Murdoc, where is Noodle?" 2D asked him one day. Murdoc shrugged. "Somewhere having a vacation, I guess."

2D glared at him. "Murdoc, don't you have any feelings or anything?"

Murdoc didn't say anything back, and this made 2D become annoyed. "Murdoc, just say you're worried. I know you care about her-"

Murdoc grabbed a book and flung it at the man. He fell to the floor, unconscious.

"Take him back to his room," Murdoc commanded the android Noodle. She did his bidding. And Murdoc half wished she wouldn't.

He looked at their poster, where the real Noodle was in it.

"I'll wait," he whispered," we still need you here, Noods. I still need you here."

Thanks for reading!