Chapter Two

"Who the hell are you and what did you do to Noodle?" Russell shouted, prying Noodle from his arms with one giant hand and beating 2-D with the other.

"Russell!" 2-D shrieked, "Wot are you doin'? It's jus' me!"

Russell stopped and studied his seriously beaten friend. "2-D?" was all he could say as he dropped him onto the ground, "I saw the light one and I saw someone with Noodle and I thought---"

Murdoc appeared leaning against the doorframe coolly with a cigarette hanging from his mouth as he puffed out smoke, a crazy expression on his face. "Wot the hell's goin on here tusspots?" he asked in an amused tone.

Noodle stirred and opened her eyes. "Russell-san?" She asked with a hint of surprise in her voice, "What happened?"

When she glanced down and saw 2-D on his back with the palms of his hands to the temples of his head she cried out and struggled to be freed. Russell allowed her on the couch and she clambered down and was by 2-D's side in an instant.

"2-D-san! What happened? Are you all right?"

2-D grinned sheepishly and swung himself up into a sitting position. "No worries," he said, "there was a slight misunderstandin... But its all sorted through... I guess its Christmas day--- wot do you say we get to work on openin the presents huh?"

Noodle jumped to her feet and slid out before the tree, sorting through the presents. 1 present.. 2.. She'd gotten two presents. One from Murdoc and one from Russell... Where was this fabled magnificent present she had heard so much about?

Russell helped 2-D to his feet and they both followed Noodle over to the tree while Murdoc more or less sauntered over on his own time.

"2-D-san," Noodle said quietly, "There is no present here from you..."

"Wot?" 2-D said, "Of course there is—you just aren't looking hard enough or somefink, here, let me help you."

2-D quietly squatted down beside Noodle and searched through each present, looking for hers from him... but she was right--- there wasn't one.

"There must be some sorta mistake here or somefink... I know I got you a present.."

"That's okay, 2-D-san," Noodle said, "I don't need a present that's bought..."

Noodle's words reminded 2-D of just how much he cared about her and this reminded him that weeks back he had promised himself no matter how wrong it seemed and no matter how much anyone scorned him for. it, he would tell her he loved her.

2-D stood and looked at Noodle before grabbing her and hugging her.

"Here's my present to you," he told her as he leaned close to her ear, "I love you."

But when he looked up, he realised he'd bought neither Murdoc nor Russell presents as well and they were hovering over him in a rather menacing fashion. "Wot?" he said.

Houses located near Kong Studios rejoiced when they finally heard the terrified and frantic screams of 2-D as he ran through the Studio looking for a place to hide and the moaning of the zombies as they came to life and chased him back in the other direction.

And everything seemed to be its usual self, again.

The End