Chapter 3

The typical reaction from a singer of 29 to hear his ex had a daughter standing before them in the flesh…his eyes of darkness rolled back and fainted. Murdoc's reaction was a scowl, Noodle felt her legs turn into jelly and lightheaded on the temple as though going to regurgitate any minute right now.

"Noodle…" Russel said after a long silence and fanning a hand over 2D's face to wake him up. "You okay?" A sudden giggle erupted from the room and everyone looked to see the little girl besides Murdoc stifling her mouth with her doll. "Who fell?" she asked still trying to sustain it from a smile.

Russel stared at her from the poor singer's head. "It's not polite to laugh little girl", Murdoc mumbled not even looking at her. "Was it the tall man that you talk about so many times mom?" the girl asked her mother who was just leaning against the back of the couch in a casual manner not helping Russel to revive her traumatized ex lover.

"Yes it was love", Paula said sweetly not looking at her daughter while admiring her nails. "He was going to be your father till…."

"Shut it!" Murdoc suddenly growled causing everyone even Miss Paula to jump in fright at the tone in his voice. "You don't EVER talk about her father in front of me!"

"Especially in front of her!" he added pointing at the girl beside him who suddenly grabbed his arm causing him to look down at her startled. She moved her hand up and down his forearm, almost stroking it, feeling it, and then clasped his shoulder squeezing it in a way that made her eyes beneath her hair lit up with surprise. Lifting her head up to meet Murdoc's eyes, she squinted at him, "Father?"

"F-f-f-father?" 2D croaked slowly lifting his head up from the floor where he passed out. He slightly gasped a little hoarsely from choking on his own spit as Russel helped him up.

Noodle's eyes widened in surprise, did that girl just call him…father?!

Murdoc looked a little flustered at how the girl's hand never left his shoulder. "It is you father", the girl said again, a bit of a smile lifted a corner of her face as she withdrew her hand to brush her hair from her face, "It's me daddy, your little girl". It was when she did the action did everyone got to see her eyes for the first time, and they were clouded in transparent gray like a cloud had shrouded over them. Almost as if she was…

"She's blind?" 2D gawked completely unaware that he had said it out loud. Everyone gasped and Murdoc looked like he was going to kill him. "Yes she's blind!" The little girl mocked his voice whipping her head at 2D as though she could see him. "You got a problem with that twinkle toes?!"

The singer jumped back startled at the little girl's sharp tongue that he felt himself shrinking back into Russel's gut. "Now…now Annie", Paula chided lazily from the couch while her daughter continued to scowl at 2D, "Let's not be rude to your father's friends".

"Oh quit buttering me up woman", Murdoc snapped with a red face recovering from 2D's outburst and shaking his fists at her. "Just get the hell out of my house and away from my…I mean OUR lives!"

"And I hate the name Annie" The dark haired little girl said with a pout folding her arms into her chest, suffocating her doll. "Well too bad", Paula sniffed going over to ruffle her daughter's hair. "You be proud with the name I give you".

"Just be proud you got a name at all", Murdoc sneered glaring at Paula who returned his glare with a nasty sneer of her own.

"Let me get this straight", Russel made a time out signal with his hands. "You mean to tell me that...is your daughter?" he pointed at Annie who stuck her tongue out at him.

"Your daughter?" he jabbed Murdoc's shoulder. "Yes she's mine", he snapped hastily swatting Russel's Big Fist away irritably. "Not the dullard's, mine...all mine!"

He made it sound like a mad scientist who just made a creation by the way he exaggerated the sentence. "You should consider yourself lucky dullard that it was my little bundle of joy and not yours face ache", he added almost enjoying the look of outrage from Paula.

"You...you..." was all the woman spluttered angrily too mad to think of a comeback pointing at him with a dirty finger.

"Would you mind telling us what you're doing here anyway Paula so we can get this over with?" Russel cut the argument not wanting to referee an old grudgematch.

After a fuming stare at Murdoc did the whore continue. "I'm a little short on cash right now", she began with a huff, "So I was wondering if Annie and I could stay here for a few days till I can find a steady job".

"You can stay", said a hollow voice. It was Noodle who said this.

"Wot?!" Murdoc turned purple in outrage. "Are you...?!"

"They're staying", Noodle repeated firmly her teeth clenching telling Murdoc not to agitate her. "You can have my room Paula".

"Noodle..." 2D whispered.

"I'll just sleep on the couch don't worry 2D chan", Noodle told him in a steady voice though her eyes said something else as she blinked back tears.

For a moment there was an uneasy silence than Paula said, "Okay", in a stupid cheery voice. "Thanks for 'aving my back love".

"I didn't do it for you", Noodle said coldly with a disgusted face not taking Paula's hand when she offered a handshake for grattitude.

"I did it for her", she sniffed nodding towards Annie who seemed to be seething at the remark. "Noodle", 2D began, "You don't 'ave to-"

"Yes I do", Noodle said firmly trying to keep her voice straight though it was hard to concentrate. "She needs it more than I do obviously".

A loud scoff came from Paula's daughter. Despite her being sightless, the Guitarrist was beginning to dislike her attitude. "Fine then", Paula withdrew her hand with a look of disapproval. The she went back to 2D and started wrapping her arms around his neck as though nothing happened the last few minutes and whispered, "So...2D babe, still living in that cold room underground?"

"Uh...yes?" he began awkwardly feeling a little uncomfortable at how she was holding him so close. Noodle's teeth began to grind. "I still 'ave tha' old picture of you an' us back at the carnival in '98 before...you departed", he chuckled nervously trying to pry away from his ex's grip but she held on tighter.

"Aww...you still keep it?" she pouted playing with the collar of his shirt. "But I look horrible in that pictiure". (Murdoc in the background snorted and muttered, "Yeah right")

"Yo' still beautiful love", the singer squeaked with a nervous smile. Paula thanked him with another un asked kiss where he went stiff as a board. Noodle's eyes filled with bitter tears as she continued to watch this.

"If you two are done getting aquainted", she snapped in a voice so angry Paula looked up from the kiss where 2D stood kindof dazed with a drab of drool hanging from his mouth. Seeing the reaction was clear enough.

"2D's my boyfriend last time I checked", she growled at the greasy black haired woman who made a mocking gasp. "You are?" she said in a fake girly voice clapping her hands over her mouth like she caught a germ. "Oh my God I'm soooo sorry, I didn't know".

Murdoc made a coughing noise that sounded an awful lot like, "Yeah right".

Annie still standing next to the Satanist perked her ears up in interest, her face hidden beneath her back hair like a shadow. "Of course I should've known that you'd move on", Paula whimpered wiping a crocodile tear from her face giving 2D puppy eyes. "After all it has been 10 years".

Russel just shook his head and quickly bolted back into the kitchen before it got any uglier. "Which reminds me Murdoc", she faced the Bassist as though noticing him for the first time. "IN case you're wondering, I'm sure you remember how I got pregnant right?" Her face broke into an unpleasent grin watching the bassist scowl at her.

2D didn't need her or Murdoc to explain to know what was going on. "Tha' night when you two...at the stalls", he began in a hesitant voice.

"Wot do you think dullard?" The bassist growled getting impatient with this story. "Bottom line is she didn't wear protection an'..."

"Excuse me?" Paula shouted. "You were the one who was pushing up on me!"

"Didn't mean I liked it", he retorted. "It was like sexing up a used car". Paula growled. "Please...not in fron' of the girl", 2D mumbled pointing at Annie.

"That's why you looked so calm when she arrived", Noodle said quietly putting two and two together. When she called him father, he didn't show one sign of being surprised. And if it was ten years ago, then this girl must be as old as the affair.

"Who do you think paid for child support all these years?" Paula snorted jerking her thumb at Murdoc. "I on'y did it so I wouldn't be sued by that leech of a lawyer", he muttered grumpilyshoving his hands into his pockets.

"Whatever you call it you were there through thick and thin for Annie", the mother sniffed patting her blind daughter on the shoulder. "You even paid for her school tuition". "Tha' blind school costed me a fortune", he mumbled angrily not noticing the look of shock and hurt on his daughter's face.

"Well, at least it didn't go to waste", Noodle said coolly, eyes narrowing at the bassist. "Using the money to buy drugs' what a load of bull". It was Russel who said this as he returned with another bucket of wings looking angry as hell.

Murdoc didn't retaliate. Instead he just left the room without a look at anyone or his daughter. "So...2D", Paula went back to their conversation as though nothing happened again while stroking his blue spikes. "Did you miss me?"

Disgusted, Noodle left the room with a loud scoff leaving poor 2D with the whore who continued to fondle his hair.

"She hates me doesn't she?" Paula pouted watching the girl leave with a look of secret satisfaction before turning to her lover with a fake sad face.

"Just give her time", 2D said distracted still looking anxious. "I'll go talk to her". He managed to pry off Paula's grip and quickly left the room leaving Paula with a triumphant smirk saying sweetly. "She'll get over it all right...when I take her out pemanently for good".

She was so busy being full of herself she didn't notice that Annie had already left...

So...Paula's up to something...interesting...and her daughter's blind...another interesting thing...and Murdoc's the father...interesting...AND

Annie's a bit of an attitude kind of girl if you noticed, rough for a ten year old even. SHe'll be explained more later in the next chapter...