Noodle leaned over the side of the bed, as Joseph regained consciousness, the he found himself mumbling.

"Hey kiddo." Noodle whispered

"Ugh, Aunt Wanda?

"Shh…relax you've been out for nearly six and a half hours.

I had the weirdest dream. My teacher revealed herself to be Noodle you know from the Gorillaz? Weirdest fever dream I ever had I can tell you that. Where are we? is it time to go to school?

"You're in my house on North 27 Street."

Joseph's eyes opened wide "North 27 Street!

"Shhh…"

Joseph fumbled around before switching on a light, slumping back as his eyes made contact with Noodles.

"Ms. Gongora, oh my gosh you heard all that?"

Noodle started to giggle. "Joseph it's all right."

"Look I've been meaning to tell you the reason why, I've been looking at you funny because…"

Joseph found himself cutting off his speech as he gazed at the giant of the man that was Russel.

"Uh hi…? He said as he found himself

"Joseph this is my Buddy Russel.'

'Yo it's nice to meet ya man." Russel said as Joseph felt the crushing force of the man's grip.

The young boy liked the corner of his mouth as he stared at the man. A woman that looked an awful lot like The Gorillaz's lead guitarist, and a man that looked a lot like their drummer, there was coincidence, and then there is "How much proof do you need you freaking idiot?" It was at that moment Joe decided to risk embarrassment and confront the question that had been rolling in his mind since he met his new "teacher."

"It wasn't a fever dream was it."

"No." Noodle said

"You're really Noodle, and you…you're Russel."

Joseph shook his head and giggled as his body slumped down the bed his hand sliding down his face.

"What are the odds?" He mumbled. "of all the things. One of your all-time favorite bands not only shows in your town, but their lead guitarist decides to take a teaching job at your school."

"Are you going to faint again?"

"No I got it I got it." Joseph took a couple of deep breaths. "Just…How…I mean Aren't you guys supposed to be in London?"

Russel grumbled. "Someone decided to delete all our online information and lock out our passports. Which means we're stuck here in the States until someone can clear things up."

"That's a bit anti-climactic I was actually hoping you were going to say space aliens or bigfoot or something. Well either way welcome to the Backwater Junction of Blackduck Texas where absolutely nothing happens here."

"Oh give it time. Trouble seems to find us everywhere we go."

"Noodle!" Murdoc shouted from downstairs "Be a sweetheart and tuck me in will you."

Noodle rolled her eyes. "Russ can you stay with Joseph while I take care of Murdoc?"

"Sure thing."

Joseph found himself blankly staring at Russel. If you told him a couple a days ago that he'd be in this situation he would have laughed it off. Yet it was a little hard to ignore what was right in front of his eyes.

"Wow. I just don't believe it. I mean I'd figure I might see you guys in concert eventually but up close like this?"

"So what's your story kid? How did you become a fan?"

Joseph breathed a deep sigh and smacked his head against the pillow.

"My brother introduced me to you guys back in 2010 he was in an alternative rock group of his own and he took inspiration from others. You happened to be his favorite group. Some of my best memories of him are when we would go out on drives and he'd pop in one of your albums."

"Noodle said something about your brother. May I ask what happened?"

"Um…" Now Joseph felt himself starting to break a bit. Russel bit his lip.

"Look kid don't I'm sorry."

"No it's okay. Um we were going for a drive one day. It was in the middle of the evening. My bro and I had just finished looking at different schools. We were Jamming to 19-2000 and all of a sudden this guy came from out of nowhere and sideswiped us. The last thing I remember was glass shards heading towards me."

"Is that why you got that patch."

Joseph nodded as tears started to stream down his face. "It wasn't until later we found out the guy was twice over the legal limit, somehow he was able to make it out with a couple of bruises. Yet my brother's in a hospital hooked up to machines.

Joseph finally broke down and sobbed "It's not fair. He didn't do anything to deserve it!"

Russel gently wrapped his arms around Joseph's slender body

"Come here little buddy."

Russel patted his back as Joseph wept. "I guess the reason why I obsess over you guys so much is I feel like you're the only thing I have left to remember my brother by."

"I can't say I know how you feel because I ain't you," Russel said "but I do know what it's like to feel like something has been wrongly taken from you."

"Thanks Russ."

"Mind if I call you Joey?

"eh, better than Cotton Eye Joe."

"Huh?"

"Don't ask."

Noodle lightly ran up the stairs inside to see the sight of the two boys hugging it out. a smile came over her face. "everything okay up here?"

"Yeah girl we're good."

Joseph looked at the clock as it flashed 9:30 PM.

"Oh Snap. My aunt's going to kill me. Um Ms Gongora, I mean Noodle I mean…pfftt do you have a phone I can borrow.

Noodle handled him her cell. The phone rang a couple of times before someone appeared to pick up.

"Yeah Aunt Wanda, yeah don't worry I'm fine had an accident at school so my teacher took me to her house. What happened? Uh I don't think you'd believe me if I told you. No I didn't get jumped good grief. What Again?! He's going to catch that store on fire one of these days. Uh huh…oh um. I wouldn't hold my breath but I'll ask her."

Joseph leaned over to Noodle. My Uncle kind of caught fire to his shop…again. My aunt wants to ask if you would mind if I spent the night.

"Sure thing."

Russel pulled Noodle aside "we sure that's a good idea? I mean Murdoc gets really ticked at uninvited guest and you know what he did to that eel."

"It'll be fine. We'll just keep Joseph up here and make sure to sneak him out before Murdoc wakes up. You know how late he sleeps."

"Yeah I guess you're right."

Grumble

Joseph gave a sheepish blush "sorry, haven't eaten in a while."

Russel got up from his seat.

"We got some leftover pizza in the refrigerator, stuffed crust. I'll be right back,"

As Russel headed downstairs Joseph found himself staring at all the posters and memorabilia on the walls and ceiling.

"Wow. Look bro, I'm up close and personal with the Gorillaz. Dang he would be so geeking out right now."

"What was your brother like if you don't mind me asking?" Noodle asked.

"He's your age, tan a pretty boy, I was always jealous of his looks."

"Your only 15 I'm sure you'll have a look unique of your own. What was the name of his band?"

"Tommy and the Jolly Rogers."

"Is that his name?

Joseph nodded. "I got to ask. Everything that happened to you and the Gorillaz in your video's, it all happened?"

"Every bit of it."

"All planned?"

"Some of it was others not so much."

"And I thought I had problems. You're like the living example of what would happen if Tank Girl and Japanese anime had a baby."

Noodle chuckled "not sure if I heard that one before."

"hey how did you bring me here?"

That question stopped Noodle in her tracks

"Um well…"

Six and a half hours earlier

"be careful with him ok? I don't want him to snap like a twig."

"man did anybody tell this kid to eat a dang sandwich?"

Russel placed the kid in the back of the trunk of the car. He slammed the door shut but it wouldn't close.

Slam Slam Slam

"Russel are you insane?!"

"Just give me a few…"

Slam

"There it fits."

Images of Lawsuit after Lawsuit flooded Noodle's mind. If she thought Murdoc was going to be ticked off before, the idea of litigation would really drive him over the deep end.

"If I get sued over this Murdoc's going to try to kill me."

"Well if you hadn't revealed yourself and went all, I'm Noodle I'm Noodle we wouldn't be doing this."

"I thought it was a good idea at the time."

"I thought the same thing when I jumped into the sea and ate the radioactive fish. Didn't think it was after I got put in a zoo."

Noodle fell silent for a bit. The Aftermath of plastic beach still weighed on everyone's mind. It was In a strange way, it left a mark on them even more so then some of their past adventures, Noodle especially maybe it was because it was the first time she was actually afraid of being replaced. Seeing that cyborg clone made her wonder if she could have been discarded or forgotten, Murdoc definitely seemed shockes when she first stepped on plastic beach. Granted when she had shipped herself off to Murdoc's house there seemed to be a happy reunion, but Noodle couldn't help but think of what would have happened if none of what had happened over the past 10 years would have not happened.

"Hey Russ, Thanks for having my back."

The duo managed to pull up to the apartment, Murdoc could be seen taking a shower.

"How are we going to get the kid passed Murdoc?

Noodle managed to grab a body bag from the trunk of the car.

"What the heck is that doing in our car?" He looked at the stitching on the front of the bag. it read property of Murdoc Niccals. Russel just shook his head "You know what. I'm done questioning things. "

"Murdoc loves to play the game Hide the Body, which is what we are going to play.'

The two managed to stuff the young teen in the body bag.

"All right you take on end I take the other. " Once inside the duo proceeded to go up the stairs. But they were greeted by the sight of Murdoc clad in a bath towel with his arms crossed and a grimace on his face.

"Just what in Dante's Inferno are you two doing?"

"playing a game of hide the body. Right Russel?" She then started singing blatantly off key

Will you help me hide a body?

C'mon we can't delay

No one can see him on the floor,

Get him out the door,

Before he can decay!

Murdoc groaned and rolled his eyes. "Just do it quite and quick. I don't want the apartment stinking and attracting the landlord's attention. "

As Murdoc walked to his bedroom, Noodle and Russel breathed a sigh of relief. They took the body bag up to Noodle's room before shutting the door, unzipping the bag and placing Joseph on the bed.

"Whew, we did it." the duo High fived each other.

"and that was when you woke up." Noodle said as she finished her story.

Joseph looked at her with an open mouth of shock. "Ok, I am so happy I was unconscious for all of that."

A tremor could be felt as Russel walked up the stairs. A giant plate of Pizza.

"Hey Pizza!" He shouted. Joseph's mouth watered at the site of the food. "thanks Russel."

"No problem." Russel then let out a big yawn. "I'm going to Snoozeville. Night Noodle, night Joey.

"Joey?"

"Yeah that's what Russel calls me. Feel free to call me that if it's easier. Just don't call be Cotton Eye I hate that name."

"Will do."

"So what now?"

"well I can't let you leave the room except maybe to use the bathroom, but I got movies I got video games, feel free to knock yourself out."

"Where will you sleep?"

Noodle unfolded a bed from the wall and smiled "Sometimes I have to share a room with 2D."

The biggest part of the Night consisted of Joseph and Noodle playing video games, going through old music videos and watching Courage the Cowardly Dog. this honestly felt weird for Joseph, he'd admit it, he was a fanboy especially with Noodle and if one were to ask him how he would react to meeting any of the members for the first time, he'd picture himself begging for autographs and asking for pictures. Yet here was playing with Noodle and hanging out with her almost as if she were his big sister. Was it disappointing? Heck no but it was weird and he had to admit he kind of liked it.

Noodle tossed the remote to Joseph. "I'm going to sleep but you can to continue watching if you want."

"Sure you won't be kept awake?"

"Murdoc talks in his sleep. That is all."

"Eh I tend to sleep better when sound is in the background anyway."

"Alright good night."

"hey Noodle?"

"Hmm?"

"thanks."

"For what?"

"Being there."

"No problem goodnight."

Joseph tossed and turned a bit before a thought entered his mind.

"How are we going to explain this to the kids at school?"

Noodle bit her lip unsure how to respond "Um, what they don't know won't hurt them right?"

Giggling occurred for the rest of the night before the sandman finally came.

A/N: Finally. Little Disclaimer I don't know if I'm being way OOC with Noodle or any of the main cast, based on what I've seen I don't think so, but if I am feel free to criticize. Hope you enjoy the read I hope to be getting back to focus on the actually class soon, peace and good will to all and have a happy Halloween.