Merry late Christmas from me to those who were expecting an update from my last story…it'll take a while for me to get started on that one again

But on the plus side I have a collection of Alanis Morrisette for Christmas, and I feel good!

BTW if anyone heard about James Brown speaking of feel good, We'll all miss you Godfather of Soul : (

Disclaimer: I do not own Gorillaz….on with the story

Noodle lay in her pillow, darkness shrouding her room.

Only thing left on was the radio, her boom box playing music, sad sweet music reminding her of her dead friend who had passed away weeks ago of a gunshot.

The funeral didn't help either. She was crying so hard during the eulogy she didn't hear a word of it. They left earlier than expected because Noodle couldn't bear to watch her friend buried.

2D had carried her to the geep bridal style since she lost strength in her legs to walk and was by her side the whole car ride home trying his best to console her even though he was in tears himself. He knew all too well what it was like to lose his best friend; he never wanted Noodle to feel that pain of grief. He wanted to protect her from that kind of pain but knew he couldn't do that, the damage was already done.

Murdoc had definitely fumed the whole trip back, not only did he find out about Noodle's pregnancy the hard way (She had told him days later after the hospital) but he had to pay for all the funeral expanses and if that didn't set him off, well let's just say you wouldn't want to mess with him when he's got the fury of the Incredible Hulk, and not just because he had the skin for it either.

"You…" he pointed an angry finger at 2D, "You did this". 2D stammered like an idiot before Murdoc really yelled at him. "YOU GOT HER BLOODY PREGNANT YOU FUCKING WHORE; I SHOULD KILL YOU FOR THIS YOU BLOODY TRAITOR!!"

He even began rounding on the poor singer with readied fists waiting to pound him, thump him, kick him till he turned purple like the demons of hell would do it since like them Murdoc loved feeding on misery, especially the 2D twerp when he's backing into the corner like a frightened baby. "I-I-I swear Murdoc", 2D pleaded begging for mercy on the ground to his knees while the glowering bassist glared at him with uttermost hate. "I didn't know she was pregnant honest!"

"LIAR!" he growled and roughly yanked him by the collar of his shirt and shook him violently till his poor brain rattled inside his skull, 2D was crying his eyes out during the unfair beating, part of it from fear, the other from a different reason, he seemed almost proud that he was going to be the father of Noodle's child though he didn't show it since Bass man wanted to tear his eyes out.

"Murdoc please, don't hurt him!" Noodle pulled on the Satanist's cape from the floor since she was on her knees. "Please don't kill him for my mistake!" she was weeping now, tears streaming endlessly like a cascade from her emerald eyes. "Kudasai Murdoc Chan, please!"

Instead of listening to her, he roughly shoved her to the ground, accidentally cutting her cheek in the process. Hearing Noodle's cry of pain made Murdoc glance back at her and dropped the singer to the ground; ignoring 2D's cries he was too occupied by Noodle holding her bleeding cheek, crying harder now.

He took a few steps back from the situation with an almost guilty expression. He had just hurt Noodle, his fellow musician and best friend, what kind of monster would do such a thing?

He glared at his own hand where the spikes of his wristband polished of the girl's blood and looked away. She doesn't deserve this; he thought painfully, none of this.

"I'm sorry Noodle", he whispered not sure if she heard him while she continued to weep and hold her cheek, "I'm sorry for all of this". He didn't even notice 2D crawling over to her in a limping manner in blinding vision of tears and carefully removing her hand from her cheek, slowly moving over to kiss it tenderly before holding her close to him, not even caring that he got some of the blood on his lips.

After that incident, the bassist locked himself up in his Winnebago and never came out, except late at night to grab a beer and hang out at the clubs for Adults only, if you know what I mean. It was just his little was of saying that he was never going to speak to 2D and Noodle again, not even Russel, anyone who was involved in the band could just kiss their luck goodbye because he shut everybody out of his life. The last words he said before leaving the broken couple to collect their pieces was, "As far as I can tell…I don't know you anymore". In other words they didn't exist to him at all.

Noodle had shut herself into her room after that, crying her eyes out when she had tears left. Tears of anger, hatred of Murdoc for hating her, and grieving of Cassie, but most of all mad at her for leaving this world too early before it was her time to go, all of it was spilled onto her pillow in the darkness of her room.

The only person she let in was 2D. He was more understandable to her pain and was more soft about it, but a little upset at her for not telling the truth right away about her pregnancy, he still helped her cope with the belief that someone was gone, and would never return again.

She didn't realize it but…little by little the months were beginning to pass and soon she was four months pregnant with 2D's child.

"Noodle", 2D whispered into her ear one night. This was one of the nights she allowed him to stay in her room, and sleep beside her in bed; both were under the covers in the dark with him in just his skin and boxers while she was only wearing a long T-shirt and nothing else underneath, except for underwear.

Her skin slightly tingled at his voice and twitched her shoulder to tell him she was awake.

"Noodle", his finger traced her arm in a slow caress, all her mixed emotions faded away at the rhythm of his touch, "This 'as to stop".

She slowly rolled over and made eye contact with him, realizing how close they were on their lips touching. "What does?" she whispered while he continued to stroke her arm in slow movements. "Being stuck in your room", he pointed out with a slight shrug, "It's not good for yo' health, 'specially for the kid".

She sniffed bitterly and leaned into his shoulder underneath his face. "I know 2D-chan but…I can't go out there again…not when-"

Her voice thickened and tried not to finish the sentence. "I just don't want to…face it anymore", she ended softly talking into his neck after a long moment of silence.

"You mean…everyone finding out about yo' baby?" he guessed darkly almost scowling at the tabloid scandal from months ago. People were pouring all over the place to their house to ask more questions about the guitarist's pregnancy and they had to block out the entrance with lasers and electric wires just for them to take the hint and eventually stopped coming.

"We 'ad to drop you out of school for good reason", he went on, "They would've eaten you alive if we didn't take you out sooner".

"It doesn't matter", Noodle sniffed in a broken voice, "I already have the education from training at Osaka anyway".

"But it still isn't right", he frowned looking away. "All of it". By that he meant Paula's unexpected visit, Paula trying to seduce him, abandoning the kid and taking all of it out on Noodle in a drunken stupor by shooting her best friend, it was all her fault, she was the one to blame.

"Well…" his voice softened glancing down at her, "Can't change the past now". She agreed with a slow nod from his neck and nuzzled his face ever so gently. "I'm sick of crying", she admitted bitterly touching the side of her face where it felt puffy and blotchy, "But it still hurts 2D-chan…I want it to go away".

"Doesn't work tha' way Noodle", he told her as he slowly brought his arm around her waist to bring her closer, "You jus' need time…and I'm not jus' saying it because I lost someone too once in my life but…I'm saying it because…I care about you". She lifted her head from his shoulder to meet his dark eyes, "Really?" she whispered in disbelief.

He nodded. "Course I do Noodle".

"But…I thought you didn't…." she began with a hurtful stare but he cut her off. "I was a little upset back then I'll admit", he added grumpily sitting himself upright from his previous position, "It's not everyday you hear yo' girl tell you she's 'aving a baby and tha'…I'm going to be a dad…." A slow expression came across his face as he realized this. "I'm going to be a dad". He repeated it again unsurely though his eyes were betraying his mouth.

"'ow many months 'as it been?" he asked her suddenly bringing up the subject for the first time. Noodle blinked uncertainly. "W-well", she began looking down at her stomach and rubbing it tenderly, "Four months I think why?"

"Is he kicking yet?" he asked sounding almost eager. "No", she shook her head with a blush. "The doctor told me that wouldn't happen for a few more months, I'll know when it happens", she assured him rubbing her belly in a smooth manner like she did with her Buddha statue every morning for luck. "Besides", she added with her face growing even pinker, "We don't know if it's a boy or girl yet".

2D pondered for a moment and then an idea popped into his head. "I think I might know". She glanced up at him from her stomach with a frown, "You do?" He nodded with excitement, "Definitely". He got up from Noodle's bed and picked up something from the floor and held up a shoelace from his own shoe. "Do you 'ave a ring for me to tie this on?" he asked her swinging the lace in front of him. Noodle's brow furrowed underneath her hair. "Yes…" she said suspiciously and rummaged through her drawers till she found the plastic ring she won from a cereal box. "It'll do", he snatched the toy ring from her and tied it carefully with the shoelace. "What are you doing 2D-Chan?"

He sat back down on the bed beside her and scooted closer to her, "Could I borrow yo' belly for a moment love?" Noodle gave him a look. "Trust me on this love just do wot I say", he reassured her reading the uncertainty in her expression. Hesitantly she scooted a little closer and he brought his hand over to her little round belly, she lightly shivered at the touch, "Now ready?" He held the shoelace with the ring tied on in front of her. "This will tell us if the baby will be a boy or a girl", he explained with a straight face though he sounded serious.

"If it swings sideways…it's a boy, if it swings in circles…it's a girl".

"Are you sure that works 2D-chan?" she asked him with bemusement not sure if he was actually taking this seriously. There was no way a ring and a shoestring could tell them what gender the baby would become but she trusted the blue one and let him carry on.

He held the string up in the air and slowly trying his best not to move it, brought it over Noodle's stomach hovering slightly on top of it. For a minute nothing happened. Then, slowly…the ring began to move in circles.

"It's a girl", he said finally removing the ring from her stomach. "Now you know love". She only responded by pulling him closer by his shoulders and locked him in a kiss. It lasted for minutes before she finally pulled away. "Wot was tha' for?" he asked, a bit stunned at her action. She simply smiled and nuzzled her forehead underneath his chin. "Just hold me 2D-chan", she whispered closing her eyes. "Just…hold me". It didn't matter anymore of the other obstacles, she was with 2D now…she just wanted to be lost in him right now and forget about everything.

She was just happy that he loved her again.

- - -

The next day while everyone was still asleep, they quietly packed their bags and let Kong studios with 2D driving the car. It was settled. They made their plans last night after a long non verbal talk with their lips that they were going to temporarily move out till the baby came.

To Noodle, Kong was just full of bad memories, memories too painful to visit. Mostly memories of her former friend coming to visit and annoying her with all these useless facts of someone's personal life, it didn't matter who she was into or who she hated, that girl always had gossip to boast around.

Visiting her grave was out of the question. It burned her throat to even form the word Grave. She never would've thought of saying Cassie and grave in the same sentence.

"So…we're ready?" 2D asked after a long moment of staring at their home from the long distance of the hill in their geep. She tore her eyes away from the house and said…"Yes…on to California".

- - -

You would consider that the story would end here right? Wrong.

In fact, their story was only beginning…Paula's arrival and the death of a friend, that was nothing compared to the dangers that awaited them.

In fact they had neglected to check the trunk thouroughly underneath their luggage, for a stowaway had crept in and was now hidden beneath everything, and a smile played her lips while she held the little doll in her hands.

- - -

Ugh! A corny way to end this chapter. I'm not finished with the story yet, I still have a long way to go before this is over. Didn't have to guess to know who it was that snuck in eh?

And as for them going to California (My hometown) They're meeting Noodle's uncle there so they're not alone. The next chapter will be on Murdoc and Russel and how well they're taking the news on their sudden disappearence.

And that little ring trick...I don't know if that actually works, but Ellen Degeneres did that on one of the audience members one time and it worked because the lady was indeed having a boy so their baby might be a girl...you never know ; )