The three members of 'Gorilla' were seated at 2D's kitchen table, each one staring intently at the other two over their cards. Finally, Murdoc broke his poker face and slammed his hand on the table with a wicked grin, revealing three of a kind and a very smug look directed right at the bluenette. 2D 'hmphed' and shot up out of his seat before chucking his cards at the other man's face and stomping out the room.

"Junk," Murdoc laughed. "He's so bad at poker. For someone with no eyes and very little sense you'd think he'd be harder to read." His humor dried up as soon as he saw what Russel had laid down.

"What's the matter, Muds? If you don't like a full house then you can just leave," he said, grinning. Murdoc just glared. And demanded they try again, like they'd been doing for the past hour or so. And for that entire time Russel had done nothing but win. They'd eventually run out of what very little money they had and started raiding the cabinets for a decent equivalent. Well, there were at least some potato chips and beer for everyone, but with Russel consistently beating the two of them the entire stack of goods was on his end of the table. 2D was right to leave, no matter how childishly he did so. Truth be told, the keyboardist had wanted to do the same thing thirty minutes back. Murdoc was seriously driving him nuts with his over-determination to win at least once. The man was a sore loser but he couldn't be like the singer, oh no. He had to keep at it until he broke your streak and could gloat about it for the next two hours or so and then he'd be fine. At least until it happened again.

"Well fuck me!" Murdoc cried after three more losses. "How are you so much better at this than I am? I even cheated the last two rounds and you still won!"

"And now I'm done," Russel said, standing up and stretching.

"You're not done, not until I beat you."

"Shut up already, Muds. You lost 'cause you're a lousy cheater." He was already heading for the door.

"You sayin' you're better at cheating than me?" he asked, annoyed he'd been outdone at it and secretly impressed at the same time.

"Nope. You said that." With that he left a fuming drummer.

"Well... I also say you're pathetic, fat ass!" He grumbled when he got no response and snatched up one of the many beers piled on the table.

2D was stretched across the couch, absently strumming his guitar while he watched the boring infomercial play out.

"Any reason why you're watching this crap?" Russel asked, entering the room.

"Eh. It was on when I clicked on the telly. I'm so bored right now," he groaned. "There's been nothin' from our ads even though we changed 'em, we haven't gotten anymore equipment besides your stuff, I still got way too many hours of community service to do, and, to top all that off, we can't even finish our first song."

"Sure we can," the keyboardist said reassuringly.

"Not without a bassist, we can't," the bluenette sighed. "We'll never get off the ground at this rate." His mood was rapidly sinking into borderline depression.

"Well, how come you wanna be in a band so badly?"

"'Cause I just do!" he shouted. Quickly calming down he added, "It's important to me. That's all." Sensing that it wasn't a good idea to ask anymore, Russel took the remote.

"Can I change this?" While a new vacuum cleaner would be nice, they certainly didn't have the money for this one.

"Yeah, sure." The infomercial suddenly became some cooking channel and 2D's stomach lasted all of two minutes before rumbling loudly. "I'm gonna get something to eat," he said, getting up and hanging the guitar off his shoulder. "Don't let Murdoc do anything illegal."

"You got a rope and a Taser?"

"Nope."

"Then I can't make any promises." 2D just chuckled before grabbing his keys, stuffing his guitar in a gig bag, and heading out the door. Normally, he wouldn't bring it anywhere out the house because he didn't want anything happening to it, but sometimes he wanted to go find somewhere quiet where he could be alone and just play. He used to do the same when he was home, but couldn't now because he'd never have true peace with the other two around.

The bluenette strode down the street, whistling whatever tunes he could think of while keeping an eye out for secluded spots. He'd first tried the park but found that it was packed full of people who were having a party. His next thought was perhaps the back of a small building or maybe even an alleyway, but after giving it quick consideration he realized it was a stupid idea; the odds of him being mugged over his guitar were quite high. Just when he was about to lose all hope he spotted a little cozy-looking café and coffee shop that seemed both quiet and empty. Quickening his pace he headed towards it. As he stepped inside a little bell jingled and he was glad to see that it was indeed empty, save for a few staff members. He took a seat in the very back corner, far away from both the entrance and the kitchen, that way no one would disturb him unless they were bringing him something.

"Hey there. Would you like a coffee?" A medium height red-head with deep green eyes handed him a menu and stood waiting for his answer. Her hair simply hung straight and went a bit lower than shoulder length and she did not wear make-up, or anything special, really. Still, 2D thought she was kind of cute and enjoyed the sound of her voice coupled with a thick Southern accent; she just seemed so adorable to him.

"Uh, I'll have some coffee, thanks." His stomach chose that exact moment to remind him of its hunger.

"Well, it seems like you might be having more than that," she laughed. 2D blushed a little. "I'll give you some time to think it over while I get your coffee. My name's Annie." She smiled at him and left, and he felt his spirits rising for the first time in days. Being in a band was so much more stressful than he thought it would be. Or rather, being in a band with Murdoc was more stressful than he thought it would be. The singer just hummed to himself and read through the menu. It didn't have anything amazing but he wasn't really looking for a five-star meal here. As Annie came back with a cup of coffee and some creamer he closed the menu and went to hand it to her.

"I'll just have a grilled cheese, love."

"That's all?" she asked as she wrote the order. He nodded and thanked her for the coffee, and she went off to the kitchen window to post his order. It wouldn't take long, but he grabbed his guitar and began to strum a few chords. It helped him think up new ideas sometimes and also served as a good relaxation method. 2D continued to sit there, strumming and sipping coffee, until his order came. He set his beloved guitar aside when Annie set down a plate with a perfectly cooked grilled cheese and another with two eggs over easy.

"I didn't order any eggs," he said, confused as to how a mix-up could happen when he was the only one there with the simplest of orders.

"I know. It's on the house," Annie responded brightly. "The way your stomach growled, I figured you'd need a little more than a sandwich. You don't wanna get any thinner," she joked. "If you need anything else, you know who to call."

"Ghostbusters?" he said humorously. She paused for a moment before bursting out into fits of laughter. Truth be told, he didn't like Ghostbusters-it wasn't scary at all like his favored zombie flicks-but it randomly came to mind when she said that and he decided to try his hand at a joke himself.

"Yeah, sure!" she said, finally calming down. 2D didn't realize it at first, but he had been laughing too. It seemed Annie's positive attitude and laughter was very contagious. Just as she was about to say something else the bell jingled and she walked off to go take care of the new customer. 2D listened to the newcomer give their-no, her-order as he started on his food. After she ordered she said something else, but it was so quiet that he couldn't make out a single word. Something about that set him off and the fact that he couldn't figure out why made alarm bells sound in his head and the hair on his neck stand ever-so-slightly. Something just wasn't right and the way Annie scampered off to deliver the order without a single trace of her previous smile chilled him even more.

Within ten minutes 2D had finished everything and Annie returned to clean up his dishes and offer him more coffee. "That'd be nice," he said with a smile. She returned it, but it wasn't nearly as bright as before. Now things were really going off in his head. It had to have something to do with the other customer. Whatever she said really upset the young waitress.

"'Scuse me," she called from her booth. Annie told her just a minute, poured him some fresh coffee, and then went over to see what she wanted. All the while the bluenette sat there wracking his brain for answers. Why was Annie so disturbed by this woman? Were they enemies or something? That wouldn't make sense. It didn't seem like they really knew each other and if they were enemies then wouldn't Annie be angry? Why was he even worrying?

He was beginning to think himself into a migraine, and being in public without his pills was a worst case scenario. Taking deep breaths to clear his mind of the troubling thoughts, he picked up his guitar again and began strumming anything that came to mind. The motion relaxed him and the sound was always a welcome comfort, amp or no amp. Eventually his mind wandered to their unfinished song, which was named 'Ghost Train.' His hands began to play it on their own and he found himself absently humming the lyrics before beginning to softly sing them. His eyes were closed so he didn't notice the surprised looks that Annie and the cook were giving him.

"Come on, come on, come on..." he sang quietly. They didn't actually have the right equipment for the song. Sure, they all knew what they wanted to do, but they only had so much space in 2D's flat and only so many instruments. And, of course, only so much money. Murdoc had said he wanted a different sort of sound for the drums, something akin to bongos, which he did not have and couldn't afford. He slapped the bluenette for suggesting he buy a cheap set from the music shop downtown because, "That silly shit's not good enough for this music's song!" Before the younger man could even point out the fact that he'd likely only use them once anyway-or remind him that he was too wasted to make decent choices-Murdoc had promptly vomited the near equivalent to a liter of vodka all over his kitchen floor. The singer tossed him a mop and walked out before he became a part of it, both figuratively and literally. Russel had also reminded them that in order to record a song, they would need a studio. Definitely not in their budget.

As 2D continued with the song he suddenly envisioned the perfect bassline. Something that brought everything together perfectly. If boosted through an amp, the deep chords would resonate so wonderfully alongside his guitar and Murdoc's... bongos. Oh man, that sounded wrong. The singer crinkled his brow and focused harder on his playing to ignore and hopefully forget all Murdoc-related thoughts. Eventually he reached the end of the song and began jamming, the bass still keeping up. When he finished he realized two things. The first was that the bassline he imagined wasn't in his head at all; he was actually hearing it. The second was that it was coming from the far booth where the other customer was sitting. Completely forgetting his previous worries about the woman, 2D got up and walked over to speak with her.

"Hey, miss," he started, being as friendly as possible. "You're really good. That song's not even finished yet and you-"

"First of all, Stu, honey, you shouldn't be surprised that I'm good. You already knew that. Second, of course I could keep up with your silly playing. It's so basic."

"Paula?!" 2D was too in shock to even register what she just said.

"What? Now you don't even know me anymore? I didn't think a guy like you would really have it in him to cut me off like that." She looked at him over her sunglasses, seemingly disappointed.

"I-what... h-how..." The bluenette stopped stuttering when she brought a hand up.

"Why're you so surprised to see me? We broke up; I didn't leave the country or anything."

"No. No, of course not." He finally regained control of his voice. "I just didn't expect to see you again like this."

"Well, I'm sorry I busted your little flirt session with Miss Southern Comfort over there." Paula shot Annie a vile glare as she said this and it suddenly occurred to 2D why the young woman had been so upset. Seeing Annie's despondent and shamed face-caused by his ex of all people-ignited an anger he didn't even know he had.

"Hey, we broke up, remember? Or rather, you told me I was a sodding, no good shitbag. I can't recall the rest, but it was something along those lines." He folded his arms to emphasize his next point. "Anyway, we're not a couple and we haven't been for a while now, so... Is there any reason why you should care if I am having a 'flirt session?' I don't see why I should stay single my whole life. Just because our relationship is over doesn't mean I can't find somebody else."

Paula opened her mouth to respond with the cruelest thing she could think of but then snapped it shut. Taking a few calming breaths she tried to keep her cool and stay on track with what she had originally come in here to do. "Listen, Stu. About that..."

"Oh. I see how it is. First you give me a miserable three year relationship, then you cheat on me, and now you wanna make amends after being the one to cut it off. I hate those sappy romance flicks that girls watch, but even I know what's expected at a time like this. You want me to feel all sorry for you because you came to me and apologized, and me being a man I was just a horrible person even though I wasn't the one who was unfaithful."

"Stu..." His words were becoming more and more spiteful and sarcastic.

"How's this? I'm SO SORRY, Paula! Oh, whatever was I thinking? Giving up on a girl like you? Oh, it's an absolute crime, it is. I should be allowed to rot in prison for eternity!" Bringing his arm to his head in a melodramatic fashion and tilting slightly off center, he fell to one knee and finished with, "Please forgive me, Paula. You're the light of my life. I could never live with the thought of you hating me. Why, it's enough to drive a sane man to suicide!" Finally done with his little show, he stood up and glared at her.

"I don't expect that," was all she said after many moments of tense silence. The cook and Annie had disappeared into the back after realizing these two would need some privacy.

"Oh yeah? Then what do you expect?" She remained silent, seemingly thinking, and then shrugged. "Figures." He walked back to his booth and, grabbing his guitar, gave Paula a rude look before walking past her and out the door without another word.

Paula merely stood silently as the blue-haired man she once shared a relationship with strode past. She had wanted to apologize, but when she saw him here talking to that waitress something just... She sighed. It was her only chance to make amends and she had to ruin it by being a bitch. They weren't even really flirting; the waitress was just very friendly and 2D was never one to be rude. At least, not usually...

"Well, this'll be the last chance I'll ever get," she muttered to herself before sliding back into her booth and staring at her coffee as though it could help her. The bell over the door suddenly jangled violently and a very flustered 2D came rushing back in. His black orbs immediately settled on Annie, who had just emerged from the back now that the fighting had stopped.

"Hey," he said quickly, taking long strides to her. "How much do I owe you? I just realized I forgot to pay." He honestly did forget. She never had the chance to give him his bill and once that whole thing with Paula happened, the entire prospect of paying slipped his mind when he was trying to look like an impressive badass.

Once he paid the money, a measly four pounds and a nice tip for Annie, he headed back the way he came all the while ignoring Paula. Said woman was unhappy about it but, suddenly getting an idea, she grabbed her bass and followed him.

"Get lost, Paula," 2D said coldly, stopping dead in his tracks once he realized she was trailing him like a lost puppy.

"Please, Stu, just let me-"

"Just let you what? Tell me off again? Try to pin everything on me? Like that's going to happen." He walked briskly away, but she still kept after him.

"If you would just let me finish a bloody sentence, I could-"

"I don't even wanna hear it! Just go away already." His walk became a jog, which slowly morphed into a run before finally becoming a full-on sprint. The entire time Paula still chased him. "Will you leave me alone?!" Now running like he deserved Olympic gold, 2D weaved his way through groups of people and around corners with the hope that he'd lose the girl he thought had gone mental. After keeping up this pace for about ten minutes or so his legs finally gave out and he stumbled to a stop before hunching over. Checking his surroundings he saw that he was in the park, only he was a good distance away from the party and there was no Paula in sight. He was already in the lovely shade of a tree so he figured now was a good time as any to rest. 2D gingerly set his guitar against the bark, took one very deep breath, let it out, and collapsed onto his back. He hummed to himself as he watched the leaves of the tree rustle in the breeze, trying his absolute best to forget all about Paula.

He eventually did clear his mind of her and began to jumble around song ideas. Random word combinations was one technique that helped him think up lyrics. It was pretty hit and miss though. On days like this one, when something had happened to upset him, the only words that came to mind were those pertaining to the incident. He switched to a new tactic once 'Paula' and 'bassist' continuously swirled around. A leaf floated through the air and landed on his chest, so he decided to sing about his surroundings.

Closing his eyes, he tried, "Gravity-y-y-y-y... on me... Never let me down, yeah, yeah. Gravity-y-y-y-y-y... with me... Never let me down, no, no, no..." That actually sounded much better than he thought it would. Not the best, but something could be done with it, he was sure of that. He'd keep it in the back of his mind for later. For now, he felt he should probably head back home before a certain psycho found him. With the way she was acting, he was beginning to worry that she might break out the chloroform. He shuddered and reached for his guitar, only to notice that it wasn't there. Panicked, he looked all around only to see the person he dreaded holding it.

"You can have this back after you hear what I have to say, got it?" Not waiting for an answer, Paula pushed her sunglasses up and shoved 2D when he tried to get his guitar. "You're obviously aggravated so I'll be quick." She took a breath. "I'm sorry about cheating. Really, I am." He rolled his eyes, she could tell, but she still persisted. "I know I can be a bit of a bitch sometimes... Okay, so a lot of the time. And I'm sorry for that, honest. After the whole cheating thing and the argument we had I just... I've been thinking and I realized something: I'm a horrible person. I mean, I always nagged at you over the stupidest things, I cheated on you and acted like it was your fault, I didn't even help you when you got arrested for hittin' that poor bloke in the face."

Poor bloke, my ass, 2D thought, remembering the very alive and very obnoxious drummer who was currently contaminating his residence.

"Then there's earlier. What I did at the diner was just plain cruel. And now this..." She looked pretty genuine, but 2D still didn't want to trust her. Sure, the better half of him, the one that was as nice as possible, wanted to forgive her and welcome her back with open arms. The darker part of him, the one that had lashed out earlier, was screaming at him to turn around and walk away. She was lying. Had to be. The rest of him just wanted his guitar back.

"Look, Paula, I-" Before he could finish she had pulled him to her and kissed him. He was going to resist but then he just... didn't. He was too shocked by it to do much other than stand there like a statue.

"Hm. You were much better at that before," she said, pulling away. "I guess you've just gotten a little rusty." She tried to kiss him again but he backed away.

"That's your apology?" he asked, more astonished than anything. Did she seriously think that by kissing him he'd just forgive her?

"No. You already heard my apology. There isn't much else to say aside from the fact that I'm a complete jerkass for ever doing this to you." She sighed and handed him his guitar back. He took it, but still continued to stare at her as though she were from another planet. "I saw your ad," she said suddenly. "I know what you're thinking but... If you don't ever find someone, I'm available." With that she walked away, leaving 2D to reflect on everything that was said.

The man just uttered a few unintelligible sounds before walking away in a huff. The nerve of her! Acting like that and then this pitiful... show. A sorry attempt at an apology is what it really was. There was no way he would just forgive her, not like this! She should've been a thousand times more sincere if she wanted him to even consider forgiveness, let alone joining his band. There wasn't a single chance for her. Not now, not ever.

...Damn, did his head hurt.

Murdoc was heading to the front door to see if there was any mail for him to snoop through when it swung open and nearly hit him. 2D, not so much as mumbling an apology, stormed right past him and in the direction of his room. "What's with you?" Murdoc called, receiving the slam of a door in response. Quirking a brow, he went to sit next to Russel in the living room. "What's with him?" he asked, snatching the remote out of the other man's hands to begin flipping though channels at a ridiculous pace.

"How would I know? He just got back, so it had to be something that happened while he was out." He took the remote back from the drummer and returned the channel to the movie he had been watching.

"What do you think it was?" Murdoc snatched the remote again.

"Something that would piss him off, obviously," he growled, getting annoyed with the older man's antics. He roughly forced the remote out of his hands.

"But I've never seen faceache get pissed off before. Usually he only gets upset. And then he whines a lot." He once again went to grab the remote from Russel, only this time the keyboardist saw it coming and grabbed his hand.

"I swear, man. If you try to take this thing one more time, you'll need to use those drumsticks of yours as fingers, got it?" When Murdoc slipped his hand out his grasp, grumbled something, and folded his arms, he relaxed. At least until the remote was taken from him again, the channel changed, and the device flung across the room. The drummer then took off himself, leaving an annoyed Russel to deal with the issue. "That damn fool just had to throw it, didn't he?" He could see the remote on the floor by some shoes, but he really didn't feel like making his way over to it. Only when he saw what was on the TV did he leap up to fetch it. "That sickass," he muttered, changing the channel back to something far more appropriate and less morally questionable.

"Hey, faceache!" Murdoc shouted, banging on 2D's door. "You gonna come out or are you gonna stay in there and pout like a teenage girl for the rest of your life?"

"Sod off," came the response.

"And miss out on a chance to make you more miserable than ever? I don't think so." He continued to pound on the door as hard as he could. 2D wouldn't even give him the time of day. "If you don't open up, I'll smash this door down." He could hear what sounded like a chuckle and a very sarcastic comment, so he decided to stay true to his word.

2D swallowed a few pills and was getting up to go let Murdoc in when he heard retreating footsteps. Finding it odd that the man had given up so easily, he walked to the door and fiddled with the lock until it finally turned. He heard rapidly approaching footsteps and some sort of Murdoc Niccals battle cry all of a sudden. Opening the door to see what exactly was going on, he was tackled to the floor with a loud thud and quickly became aware that the cause was lying right on top of him.

"Ah gross! Muds, get off me!" 2D started flailing and trying to shove the drummer away.

"Argh! Get away! Disgusting!" Murdoc rolled off and immediately leapt to his feet to create much needed space. "Just what did you go and do that for?" he asked, still disturbed by the whole thing.

"Wha-I didn't do anything! You were the one who came flying in here like a lunatic. How's it my fault?" 2D dusted the dirt and Murdoc germs off himself while furthering the distance a little more.

"You shouldn'ta opened the door when you heard me coming. I made sure to be loud enough."

"I was wondering what on earth that was," he said, annoyed the drummer was trying to blame him.

"And that right there is the problem, faceache. You were wondering. Wondering requires thinking, something you shouldn't be trying to do."

"It beats you trying to look good in front of women when all they see is Frankenstein's mutt." As the two men argued Russel sighed and brought a hand to his head. Sometimes he wondered why he agreed to this. After they went on for a few more minutes he decided that enough was enough and went to go solve the problem.

"You keep this up and I'll beat you so badly that you'll need to breathe through a tube for the rest of your life. I'll be sure to spit in it too." Murdoc jabbed his finger sharply into the singer's throat.

"Yeah? Well, I'll-"

"STOP." Russel's large frame filled the doorway and his ghastly glare made both men freeze on the spot. "Why can't you two morons just get along?" he asked, exasperated.

"The same reason why you can't join a Zumba class, tubby," Murdoc retorted.

"He's always so mean to me," 2D said, pointing a finger.

"Oh, boo-hoo."

"Okay, seriously, knock it off right now." Russel's frustration with these two was reaching critical levels. "D, if anyone was to blame for startin' this, it's probably you, 'cause you had an attitude as soon as you walked in." The drummer shot the man in question a victory face. "Don't look so cocky, Muds. If you weren't such a dumbass then none of this woulda happened." Russel ignored their glowers and continued. "You wanna explain to us why you're so upset, D?"

"Who cares? It's probably just that time of the month." Murdoc folded his arms and leaned against the wall while 2D attempted to burn him with intense glaring.

"That explains you then, now doesn't it?" Russel grinned and kept talking before he received a snide remark. "Seriously, though. What's up, man? You're never really like this."

2D sighed and debated whether or not he should tell them about Paula. Catching their faces, one impatient and the other becoming increasingly concerned, he gave it one final consideration before settling on, "I just saw someone I didn't really wanna see and we got in a bit of an argument. I'm still a little pissed off about what they said."

"Which was...?"

"Um... nothing important to you." He wasn't expecting Murdoc to suddenly take interest. He couldn't come up with any other way to avoid talking.

"He doesn't have to tell us all that, Muds." 2D nearly sighed in relief at Russel's intervention. "So you just had a bad day. I'm sure things will go more smoothly later on." He gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"Yeah, hopefully," the bluenette said, trying to ignore Murdoc's scrutinizing gaze. "That reminds me though. We gotta find a studio before we find a bassist and anyone else."

"Why?" the other two asked in unison.

"'Cause where are we gonna put anymore gear? Or people? The three of us take up enough space as is. Look around. It's startin' to get a little cramped in here." He was right. The flat was only meant to comfortably house a grand total of two people; three was really pushing the limits. 2D was a little cluttered, Murdoc was straight up filthy, and Russel was just huge in the little home. Then there was the matter of their instruments. A guitar, keyboards, and a small amp or two were one thing, but an entire drum kit just took up too much space. If another person was added to the mix then the place would be like living in a can of sardines. Not to mention the single bathroom they had to share. There would be murders if the waiting list got any longer.

"Faceache's right," Murdoc said, annoyed to even acknowledge the fact. "We can't even half practice in here; the neighbors keep complaining. We need somewhere that's big, is far enough away from people that they can't call the cops on us, has an awesome studio, and more than one tiny little bathroom." They all agreed on this.

"But that stuff's not gonna be cheap, Muds," Russel pointed out, considering the facts. "A decent studio in itself is pretty pricey. How're we gonna afford what you're describing?" The drummer scratched his stubble while thinking of an honest answer.

"You know, I don't actually have all the nitty-gritty planned out, but... I'm certain I can come up with something." He took on a sort of sinister thoughtful look and the other two men exchanged worried glances as to what this might mean.

"Please don't kidnap anybody, Muds. We can always save up our money and buy something that's a little nicer than this." 2D was thinking of all the different scenarios in which the older man could end up arrested. Or worse.

"D's right. We'll just have to hold back on some of the beer and cigarettes for a while."

"I didn't say all that, Russ!" 2D shouted, aghast. Giving up on drinking and smoking was like telling him to lay off his pills or quit breathing.

"Yeah! Why should we have to give up on our habits while you get to keep indulging yours?"

"I don't indulge in anything," the keyboardist said defensively.

"Oh really? Then how come every time one of us goes grocery shopping, half the bloody food is gone by the next day?"

"It's this thing called cooking, Murdoc. You eat the food too." This was very treacherous terrain they were on, however, Murdoc wasn't one to be cautious.

"Sorry, fatass, but I'm not exactly known to have a healthy diet. How often have you blokes ever even seen me eat?" 2D and Russel each thought about it and realized that they never had actually seen Murdoc eat anything. Usually, he was either drinking or smoking or quite possibly draining the life out of his various 'girlfriends,' but other than that...

"Exactly," he said once he saw their faces. "I'm no garbage disposal like you, Russ. Faceache eats, but he downs more of those stupid pills than he does actual food, so you can't pin the blame on him. The only other person here is you. Unless you're going to say that a ghost has snuck in and is being a pain in the arse by eating all our stuff." He snorted. "If there's anything we need to lay off of, it's you and your Shamu diet."

"You got your nerve. You and 2D each look like a couple o' chimneys with all the cigarettes you go through. And don't even get me started on your drinking."

"Okay, okay!" 2D shouted, feeling his headache from Paula return. "Since we can't agree to give up on anything, let's just try to look for someplace that's dirt cheap."

"Uh, Earth to faceache. We're standing in it!"

"A little less cheap than this, then. And with at least one other bathroom." Murdoc gave a small shrug and Russel simply nodded. "We'll have to start looking ASAP."

"It's not like there's any rush. We haven't heard a single thing from our ads. We're the last of the world's real talent."

"Yeah, okay, you don't need to remind me that no one's so much as called."

"Yes I do. I also need to remind you that you're a useless little piece of shit that's not fit to be dog food." Murdoc finished with a freakishly wide grin and took two big steps closer to 2D before getting directly in his face.

"What are you doing?" he asked, concerned over the sudden proximity.

"I'm eating," he said matter-of-factly.

"...What?"

"I feed on the misery of your soul!" he shouted, his hot, smelly breath burning the singer's nostrils. He then made rather disturbing slurping noises before backing out of the room, all the while cackling wildly and keeping his eyes locked on his latest 'victim' until he was no longer in sight. The bluenette just shuddered.

"Hey, Russ? You don't really think..."

"He's just messin' with you, D. Don't even worry about it. You might wanna go disinfect your face though; you don't wanna get anything." Russel left too, leaving poor 2D to think about what he just said. He ran to the bathroom.

Sometime around midnight, the three of them had gone to bed-or rather, 2D had a bed, Murdoc a mattress in another room, and Russel the couch. The latter were out like lights, which surprised the singer. They usually stayed up much later, sometimes even all night. This time, however, Murdoc had hit his alcohol limit and passed out, and Russel said something about too much stress being draining. It didn't make any sense to him. Here he was, stressing over Paula like crazy, and he was still wide awake.

2D sighed. No matter how hard he tried he just couldn't get his mind off of earlier. Did she really mean it? Had she really reflected on the past and come to the conclusion that she needed to change and then seek his forgiveness? If so, then wasn't he being as cruel as she was to not take it seriously? All this worrying was making his head throb. His arm went to the pill bottle he kept on his nightstand but he stopped it, Murdoc's comment about his pill diet ringing through his mind. He sighed again and rolled over. This wasn't something he could make go away with painkillers. He'd fall into a dream-like state for a while before coming back to reality and seeing that the problem was still there, and the cycle would just repeat itself until something gave.

"Maybe I should speak to her on it again sometime," he mumbled to his pillow. "Maybe things really will get better." That part of him still missed the bassist, wanted to be with her again. Something at the very bottom of his heart said it was all wrong, that everything he was doing was one giant mistake, but he could never believe any of it. If any of this was a mistake then his very existence was pointless. The bluenette took a deep breath and reached for his pills. He'd only take a couple, just enough to get some much needed sleep. He'd worry about Paula in the morning.


A/N: Sorry this ended on a slightly depressing note, but some parts probably will be like this. You've been given a fair warning. :P

I'm actually planning on trying to cover the entire Gorillaz timeline with this, more or less. Of course, certain things will be different-couldn't call it an AU otherwise-but I hope it's still fun to read. Hope you guys enjoy this story. Peace!