Hey folks, I'm really sorry for the wait, I've been incredibly busy lately and have practically no time for writing. So this chapter isn't going to be as long or detailed as the last ones but I can assure you I'll have more time next week and you should see an update by next Saturday at the latest. So without further ado, let's get back to "Paradise"

2D wasn't exactly sure how long they had been walking for, all he knew was that it was enough so that when they did finally stop in a café, his feet were aching terribly and his throat was dry. Looking outside, he could see that it was now sunrise. Sitting at the table, he looked over at Noodle, sitting in front of him. She seemed tired too, which he expected. The café was mostly empty with just a few staff and a couple sitting in the corner in the room. The lights were dim, which 2D didn't mind, as his headache had returned. Sighing, and running his hand through his dishevelled blue hair, he grabs a handful of pills and swallowed them quickly.

"I'd be a bit more… discreet when taking your meds, 2D." Noodle said quietly, glancing towards the staff, who had been glaring a 2D for the last few minutes. The male took a few seconds to catch on, as he quickly puts the canister into his pocket, keeping his head down.

"…I would get a tea or something but I don't have any money." He sighed huffily. He didn't want to sound like he was complaining, but he couldn't help it. But he was a little surprised to see Noodle smirking at him as her navy fringe covered her eyes, as well as her bruises.

"Go ahead. Get a sausage roll too. It's on me." She smiles cheekily.

"Huh?" His shiny eyes blinked with confusion.

"2D, it's ok, seriously!"

The boy tilted his head "Um… ok, if you're sure, luv."

"I'm sure. Mind getting me one too?"

After another few minutes of waiting, the pair of them were eagerly tucking into their sausage rolls. 2D was thankful for it, since he hadn't eaten since the day before it was quite a relief to have something in his system. Satisfied, he let out a sigh as he leant back in his seat. Having a meal seemed to have helped his headache to subside too. Though, he couldn't remember the last time he had eaten well. He had been too stressed and depressed to even think about his own hunger.

Noodle smiled at him, it made her content to see him comfortable like this. Normally he was a nervous wreck.

"Ahh… Thanks, Noodle." He sighed as he sat back up but then his eyes turned worried, "but how are you going to pay for it? We don' have any money."

Noodle smirked and put her rucksack on the table. She points to a subtle pocket on the side, unzips it and brings out a rather large wad of money.

2D's mouth gaped open in shock, but waited until Noodle had actually paid before he questioned it.

"Where'd yew get that?" He squeaked.

Noodle smirks under her fringe "Stuart, do you remember when I was a kid and you would give me a fiver a week as pocket money? And you told me to save it in case I would need it?"

"...Yes?"

"Well, I've saved most of it so there's like… Two hundred and fifty pounds here."

"Fock me!" 2D exclaimed loudly.

"Shush!" The Japanese girl hissed as people looked in their direction. 2D put his chin into his folded arms on the table, embarrassed.

"Sorry, Noodle…" He muttered sadly. The girl shook her head lightly. She forgot how sensitive the male could be. He always reminded her of a young boy, still finding his way in the world. In his early thirties, and yet he was just a baby.

"Don't worry about it, Stuart." She smiled at him reassuringly, which seemed to settle the young man. He wiped the crumbs from his mouth before looking around the room. He then looked back to Noodle.

"...So, any idea what we should do?"

Noodle's sore, red eye twitched with surprise,

"What? I thought you had something planned! You didn't think about that until now?"

2D flinched, "I'm sorry! I'm not good with this kind of fing! You're smarter than me…"

Noodle sighed quietly. He looked completely defeated, and like he was expecting someone to hit him. She figured that he was so desperate to escape from Murdoc's abuse that he hadn't fully thought it through. She understood.

Shaking her head, she looked back at 2D, who still looked a little bit upset.

"Ok… Well." She sighed "Do you have any idea what you're going to do?"

"Um… I guess… I guess we could go into London. My folks live there and they could help us... or summfink." 2D answered eventually. As he said this, his heart dropped slightly. He hadn't seen his parents in so long… Or anyone in his family for that matter. Not since before the Plastic Beach situation. And that was years ago. Tears started forming at the corners of the young man's black eyes as he pictured them in his head. He furrowed his brow and tried to blink them away as his breath became shallower.

Noodle noticed this and reached over the table and put her hand on his, sympathetically. His hands were long so she could only hold onto his skinny fingers.

"We can do that, 2D! If you really want to see them, there's nothing stopping us!" She whispered, gripping his hand.

"But we don't have a car-" he whined.

"So we'll walk!"

"But that money won't last!"

"So? I have my guitar with me and you can sing! We can work around it!"

"But what if Murdoc-?"

"Forget Murdoc! Stu, he's not here so he can't do anything about it! You don't have to worry about him anymore!"

2D blinked his tears away, using his free hand to wipe them. Looking at Noodle, he couldn't help but smile a little. He sighed quietly. He had to remember that, while he hadn't seen his family in such a long time, Noodle didn't have a family outside of Gorillaz. As she grew up, he had adopted the role as an older brother to her and that relationship had sustained right up to this day, even though she was no longer the tiny, cheerful little girl he had once known. Her experience in hell had left her more cynical and depressed. He could completely understand why, and didn't hold it against her. How could he? She had never held anything against him and everything he had been through.

Neither of them said anything for a while. 2D twiddled his thumbs while Noodle finished her sausage roll. The cafe was slowly becoming more packed as time went on though the pair didn't pay much attention to anyone. As she ate, Noodle noticed the song "On My Way" by The Proclaimers playing faintly in the speakers. She smirked a little. How appropriate. Though, as far as she could tell, they were going from misery to the world of the unknown, rather than happiness. Although that was their goal.

2D looked up at Noodle, but then glanced to the side, as he did his body shuddered.

"What's wrong?" Noodle looked around, looking for what scared him.

"Nuffin… It's just the manager's bin staring at me for ages now…" He put a hand on his head, staring at his feet. Noodle turned and jumped as she noticed a large beefy man glaring at 2D in an angry manner, as if he was ready to physically pick him up and throw him.

"I-I fink they don' want me 'ere." 2D mumbled, still looking unsettled. Given how he had taken his meds, as well as spurting out profanity at one point, Noodle could see why. Though that didn't mean she was going to let her 'brother' be threatened like that.

"Well, I've finished anyway. You want to go?" Noodle asked him before things escalated.

"Yes!" 2D squeaked, grabbing his things together.

Noodle nodded as she took her bag and guitar. She was putting her money back in the secret pocket at the side when she suddenly heard heavy footsteps accompanied by the sound of 2D's scared muttering.

"Oh fock- oh no! No, no! Noodle! Help!"

The girl turned suddenly as she saw the huge man standing a meter away from the skinny blue haired male, towering over him.

"Listen, pal!" He snarled at the cowering 2D, "We don't like your kind around here! If I see your punk face again-"

"Bu' they're my migraine meds! I need-!"

"Stupid druggies like you need to go to hell! Now give me those or get lost!"

"I'm leavin' already! Don' hurt me-!"

"You little-!"

Without warning, the manager backhanded 2D with his baseball glove sized hand, swiping him hard. 2D shrieked at the impact and was thrown to the ground from the force. He felt like someone had just swing a sledgehammer into the side of his head. His head was pounding terribly and his vision had gone blurry. He couldn't stop himself from crying this time.

The second 2D was struck, Noodle had felt a sudden impulse of rage race through her system. The nerve of that entitled bastard to hurt her best friend like that! The whole reason they were doing this was to prevent 2D from being abused!

"Let that be a lesson to you!" The man spat at the cowering lad, shielding his face from him submissively.

Noodle snarled and -without another thought- charged the man, who made the stupid mistake of turning to face her. What he got was Noodle's foot striking him under the chin and forcing his head to snap back as she performed a jump kick. The man yowled and doubled over, grabbing his face, giving Noodle the chance to grab his arms and yank them under his legs, causing the huge man to flip onto his back. The girl jumped over him and grabbed 2D by his skinny arm, looking around rapidly as people were crowding and several had their phones out.

"Come on, Stuart, we need to go!" Noodle practically dragged the dazed male onto his feet. He still had his bag on his back, so Noodle took no chance in waiting, grabbing his skinny wrist she took off out of the cafe with 2D stumbling dumbly after her, still in a state of shock. It wasn't until they were halfway down the street that he snapped out of it.

"...Noodle, what the fock just-?!"

"I'll tell you later, Stu!"