AN: So many people seemed to like my one-shot "Pancakes" so I decided to finally write a part two. Takes place between Plastic Beach and Humanz.

2D sat at the kitchen table, staring down at a zombie comic book that wasn't really holding his attention. His mind was running with ideas of where they could go now. Murdoc insisted on staying in the brownstone until they were kicked out. In other words, Murdoc had no idea where they were going to move.

2D sighed and took a sip of his soda. He was getting restless in this house. He had to go out and do something before he went crazy.

"Hello, 2D-san."

He turned his head to see Noodle standing in the doorway. She was smiling at him sweetly and he had to smile back.

"Mornin' luv," he said in his grating, higher-pitched voice.

"You look so tired," Noodle said as she browsed the contents of the fridge.

"I don' usually sleep well, do I?" 2D admitted. " 'specially wiv the nightmares of being inside dat whale." He shuddered a little at the thought of what he'd seen inside that aquatic behemoth.

"Really?" Noodle asked with surprise. She took a jug of orange juice out of the fridge and poured herself a glass. "I think it would have been cool. Like Pinocchio."

2D let out a short chuckle. "I guess das true. 's a bit different when it really 'appens, though, innit? I tried ter make it sneeze by settin' a fire, right, but it only filled it wiv smoke and made me cough."

"At least you tried something, right?" Noodle pointed out as she looked through the cupboards. "Chikusho! There's nothing to eat! I'm starving!"

"I was just gonna 'ave toast this mornin' but we ran out of bread sometime yesterday."

"It was probably Murdoc making that massive sandwich I saw him eating. He's such a pig."

"Don't let 'im hear you say dat, luv," 2D warned. "'e still gets angry too easily."

"Let's grab breakfast somewhere," Noodle suggested. "Anywhere. I just need to get some food before I get grumpy."

"Arright, let's 'ead out then before anyone else wants ter go wiv us."

That Monday morning was quite slow at McDonald's. There were people coming in or going through the drive-thru for coffee, but they never stayed long.

2D and Noodle both ordered pancakes, but 2D also got a bunch of hash browns that he put on his pancakes and drowned in syrup.

"God, I'm starvin'!" he exclaimed as he continued to pour a third container of syrup over his food. "You sure das all you wonna eat, luv?"

Noodle looked down at her tray of pancakes and her tall cup of coffee. "Yeah, I do plan on eating lunch later, you know." She looked over at 2D's food with a smirk. "You got so much that it may as well be your only meal for the day."

"I've got a wotchermacallit," 2D said. He stuffed a large bite of pancakes into his mouth and chewed with his mouth open. "I gotta fast metabolism," he said with his mouth still full.

Noodle cut up her pancakes and started to eat as she stared out the window.

"So, ehhh…." After he swallowed, 2D wasn't quite sure what to talk about. " 'ow've you been? I mean, wot you been doin' since you were away?"

Noodle looked at him again with a cocked eyebrow. She was a little surprised that he hadn't asked this weeks ago. "Well, honestly, I just needed some time to myself," she said. "I was practically still a kid back then—"

"You was a teenager," 2D pointed out.

"Exactly," Noodle said. "I just….I was moody and I didn't feel like the rest of the band could understand what I was going through. Especially after having found out that I was part of an experiment."

"Yeh, right, I s'pose that'd shake me up a bit," 2D admitted. "But dat shouldn't change who yor, right?"

Noodle smiled. "Right," she said. "It doesn't. It just changed how I see things now."

"How's dat?"

Her smile faltered. "I don't know. I feel more isolated from the rest of the world. But…" She looked back up at 2D with more of a sheepish smile this time. "I feel like I know my place now."

"'zat right?" 2D asked curiously. "Wher's yer place then?"

"With you guys," Noodle said. She was uncharacteristically shy about saying this. "Everyone in the band is so….different from the rest of the world. You guys are way more fun."

2D gave her a big smile. "Yeh, I'm glad you showed up in dat box on our doorstep. Things definitely wasn't as borin' after dat, yeh?" He suddenly remembered something, and he brightened up even more. "Oi, remember when I took you ter a McDonald's for breakfast? And you jumped on dat kid's dad?"

Noodle laughed. "I remember that!" she said. "That was a fun morning. And I did get you to smile, didn't I? At least, you smiled after we were kicked out."

2D laughed, too. "Summfink wos funny 'bout it at the time."

"Why were you sad that day? It wasn't because you had to take a brat like me to get McDonald's, was it?" This last part was in a more playful tone.

"No, 'course not." 2D's smile slipped from his face. "At the time…You know 'bout me eyes, yeh? You know 'ow it 'appened?"

"No, I don't think I ever heard that story." Noodle was immediately drawn in, now extremely curious about his eyes. He didn't meet her gaze, though, as he stared off at nothing in particular.

"Bloody Murdoc hit me in da face wiv 'is car," he said bitterly. "Twice. So me eyes filled wiv blood. There's just so much of it, though, dat it looks black instead of red. 's also how me front teef were knocked out."

"Maji?" Noodle murmured. "Sono orokana buta. So you noticed people staring at you that day?"

"Yeh," 2D said. "Wosn't the firs' time but it still got to me, y'know?"

"Well, I think your eyes look cool," Noodle assured him. "Very punk."

2D looked back at her and couldn't help smiling. "Yeh, dat would've been fine back when we wos still punkish. But we've changed a bit since then."

"You're still the same to me," Noodle said. She placed her hand on his arm in an attempt to comfort him. "You will always be cool to me, 2D-chan."

2D struggled to hide how choked up he felt from this. "Yeh, you, too, luv."