"Oi Murdoc! Hurry up and leave while you still can!" The green skinned man turned around, then looked at his bottle. Maybe he had gotten a bad brew, because for a second it sounded like not only had 2D stopped avoiding him, but he also had the nerve to order him around. Looking back up, he was met with the sight of an empty hallway. With a sigh of relief, he threw the bottle into a wall and headed to the kitchen to get an untainted drink.

He smiled to hisself as he reached the kitchen and found it to be empty. That meant that everyone was sleep, which meant he wouldn't have to hear any complaining about the lovely time he had last night with...what was her name again? It was something with a D. Dani? Donna? Dana? Yes, that was it. Dana. He chuckled to himself in remembrance as he grabbed two wine bottles off the bottle rack. She was a right piece of work, but she was much more beautiful than all the other girls he had been with. And he had been with PLENTY of girls. Still, she intrigued him. After all, she was the only girl who he had brought over that he hadn't slept with. It irked him a little, but that was okay. All that meant was that it would be so much more satisfying when it did happen. And it would happen.

A sudden banging sound caused him to turn around. A strange girl, obviously still half sleep, had walked straight to the fridge while completely ignoring him. He looked on mildly surprised. 2D hadn't had a girl over in quite a while, and this one was right cute. Not as good as Dana, but she wasn't too far off. As she drew up to her full height to rummage around in the freezer, Murdoc almost gasped. This girl was still the same age as Noodle. Had he finally lost his bloody sanity? The negative publicity that would result from this should the media find out would set the Gorillaz back for months. Immediately he began developing different stories in his head to maintain their image. 2D's adopted daughter? Nah, too unlikely. 2D's adopted little sister? More likely than the first idea, but still not good enough. Prospective band member? Better, but if she couldn't do anything, that story would be sunk. And if they did anything in public, that definitely would make things worse. College student? No, college intern. That could work. If she did her hair up, Murdoc was sure she would look around nineteen. A bit young, but not young enough for there to be problems. Well, other than the enraged females who considered themselves 2D's future wife. They would be sure to go after the girl, but then again, that was normal. Satisfied with his cover up, he looked up just as she left through the doors. He caught a glimpse of her face as she walked out, and for the third time that morning, Murdoc found himself surprised. He was sure that what he had just seen was impossible. The girl was still sleep. That would mean she had at least minimal knowledge of the place, but that would mean she had been here for a while. That just couldn't be possible. Murdoc would have noticed her beforehand. Running out to get another look at the girl, he was disappointed to find that she wasn't visible anymore, and he didn't know which way to go to start looking for her. Suddenly annoyed with this morning, Murdoc went back to his room, to Dana and his beloved bass.

Page Break

Early that morning, Noodle had gotten up to go to the bathroom while Aries lay asleep next to her. As she walked back, she reflected on the night's events. She still didn't know how to feel about her return. She was glad to have him, no her, back. Or would it still be him, just in a girl's body? She blushed at the possible problems that could arise if that was the case. She didn't entirely know how, but she could just sense that this was not the same sweet, innocent eight year old Aries she had known, which was also one of the reasons she was confused in her feelings. What would Aries be like now? She seemed okay until the subject of Murdoc was brought up. Noodle supposed she couldn't really blame her, but still, it proved just how dangerous she could be. Who else had the power to use the flames of hell without being a demon? Suddenly, she heard the sound of Murdoc chuckling in the kitchen. She was about to warn him to avoid the new girl for a while when she noticed that he had grown quiet. Moments afterwards, Aries walked out with a pop-tart in her mouth. Noodle immediately grabbed her and was about to interrogate her about killing Murdoc when she noticed that her eyes were glazed over as if she were...asleep. Sighing in relief, Noodle let go of her and watched as she walked off towards the bedroom. Outside in the hallway, she heard the very much alive and irritated Murdoc walk off to his room. As she followed in Aries' direction, she began to realize that as annoying as he was, she cared for Murdoc. The Gorillaz just wouldn't be complete without him, as he loved to remind them. Still, he could do without hitting 2D every time something bugged him or he got bored.

She walked into the girls' room and saw Aries sitting up on the edge of the bed, stretching as if waking for the first time, which technically she was.

"Ohayo nee-sama!" Noodle stared at her wide-eyed. Since when could she speak Japanese? And why was she being so formal? Noodle's feelings were actually hurt.

"Ohayo Root beer. Just call me nee-chan okay?" She nodded, then smiled.

"Hey, you called me Root beer again," the girl sang happily. Under her bangs, Noodle raised an eyebrow.

"Well, it seemed to fit better than Aries. That seems like a boy's name. Anyway, how'd you sleep?"

"Not too bad. You know considering its only been a couple days, I feel like I haven't been able to sleep in forever." This time Noodle faced her, confusion evident on her face.

"A couple of days," Noodle said in disbelief.

"Well, I prefer it like that than saying I spent a week in hell," she responded defensively.

"Um, imouto, I don't know how to tell you this, but you've been gone longer than a week," Noodle said cautiously. Root beer grabbed her shoulders so fast that before she had a chance to stop herself, Noodle flipped her over her back. Unfortunately Root beer's instincts also kicked in, causing her to twist so Noodle's balance was lost and they both fell. Noodle held her nose as Root beer rubbed the back of her head where a knot was already forming.

"Hehe, sorry about that." Noodle waved away the apology, actually impressed.

"That was pretty good. You know, if you got some practice, you might actually be able to match me." Root beer instantly brightened up.

"Will you teach me," she pleaded. Noodle shrugged her acceptance, resulting in her being hugged harder than she remembered, even while living around Russel. A tap echoed from the door. They both jumped up and ran to find none other than Russel standing in front of the door.

"Hey you two, breakfast is ready. By the way, someone is looking for you Aries. They say you're their little brother or something like that. They'll be over today. Also, we have to get you ready for school, so be prepared by at least next week," he said before leaving.

"Little brother," Noodle asked sadly, wondering if they were going to take her away after she had just came back.

"What? School!" Root beer passed out, leaving a surprised Noodle to wake her up again.