Happy Holidays!

The rescue was quick and easy. We were easily found and escorted back to land and safety. There was virtually no trouble from any of the group, except from Murdoc. He thrashed and spat at the men, swearing at them in words I was pretty sure wasn't English. Yet as much as he struggled to break free the men holding him didn't have to try hard to subdue him. They quickly snapped handcuffs to his wrists and pushed him into the awaiting cop car.

"Wait!" I cried, "Where are you taking him?"

The police officer stared down at me like I had lost my mind.

"Ma'am, this man kidnapped not only you but your friend here. He threatened both of your lives not including the life of your unborn child." He stated.

"But he's not in his right mind!" I exclaimed. Murdoc sneered at me from behind the glass.

The uniformed man sighed. "Ma'am even if he isn't 'in his right mind'," he said adding finger quotes around my words, "some time in jail might be able to clear his head and if not, we have a psychiatrist standing by."

I felt 2D grab my wrist and gently pull me away from the scowling bass player and the cop car. He wrapped his arms around me and pressed a kiss to the top of my head.

"Calm down, Elle." He whispered. "Murdoc is in good hands. I've found us a hotel where we can rest for tonight and tomorrow we can go back to Kong. Does that sound good?"

I glanced behind me at the retreating cop car and sighed.

"Yes. I need some sleep."

Our hotel room was cozy and homelike. If I closed my eyes I could imagine being in a place where none of the craziness had happened to 2D, myself, Murdoc, Noodle, or Russel. The king sized bed in the middle of the room looked so inviting I couldn't help but to sink down into the down comforter with a sigh.

I felt the foot of the bed sink as 2D lowered himself onto it and then I felt my shoes gently being pulled off my feet before his fingers pressed against my arches in the best foot massage I had ever had in my life. For a moment I forgot all the stress of the day, of the years, and just focused on 2D. I could hear him humming quietly to himself as he worked;

Maybe in time you'll want to be mine.

I smiled as sleep closed in and around my eyes. I took a deep cleansing breath as 2D's fingers pressed delicately into the heel of my right foot and then, just as quick as a snap, I was out like a light.

Murdoc had no idea how long he had been in this iron pen. A few days? Maybe a week? He had no clue. He had found that time meant nothing to him anymore. It was just one more stupid thing he had to think about, so he decided to forget about time and go with what his gut told him. He slept during the day, ate whenever food was available to him, and discussed with his fellow cell mates what he planned to do with his life once the goons who had locked him up decided to let him out.

In truth Murdoc had been in jail for about a month since the gang had been found just off the coast of Ireland. Though the doctors had been sure that they could make an improvement in the Satanist's mental help he hadn't made any positive steps at all. He continuously pushed people away, even the cell mates that he seemed to share everything with didn't know the valuable stuff about him and eventually he pushed everyone away until he was completely alone. He never had any visitors save for one: a young woman in a purple cat mask; always that one woman. She would sit with him at the visiting table and they would stare at each other until either he said something or she got up to leave.

"Why do you keep coming back?" He said to her on one of her visits.

Noodle shrugged and played with the edges of the mask resting in between her and Murdoc. "Because Murdoc-san, I care."

Murdoc stood up quickly, unable to handle these words. His heart had hardened to any emotion except for unfeeling, controlled nothingness and this one woman; this one girl had managed to crush that hardness with two little words.

I care.

"No one cares about me." He growled. "That's why I'm in this god-forsaken place. That's why they can't fix me. BECAUSE NO ONE FUCKING CARES."

The guards at the door were advancing toward Murdoc, ready to lead him back to his cell but Noodle held out one dainty hand and, for some reason, they stopped. Then the small guitar player stood up and walked to the bass player, whose chest was heaving from compressed emotion, and she placed one tiny hand on the place where his heart would be.

"I care, Murdoc-san. I care." She whispered.

She grabbed a fistful of his orange jumpsuit and pulled his head down so he was looking into her emerald eyes. He had never seen such a beautiful sight, her eyes. She kissed his forehead and then she released him.

"Please try to get better. We all miss you." She whispered to him before she turned to let the guards have him.

And just like that Murdoc was back in his old ways. He scoffed at her retreating back.

"Yeah right, like they miss me. They were the ones that locked me in here." He muttered to himself. "They miss me about as much as you say you care about me. Which is nothing."

Despite how evil his thoughts were, corrupting his memories and his decisions, one piece of him wanted to see that tiny guitar player one more time before being locked away again. He turned back, positive he had missed his chance and yet there she was.

Always there for him.

Hello. :) Sorry for the delay. Writers Block is a bitch. Seriously.

Anyhoo, I hope you enjoy. I tried especially hard for the holiday season. So Happy Hanukkah, Kwanza, Christmas, or whatever you celebrate. I hope, if I don't update again for awhile, that the rest of your 2010 is AWESOME.

Oh, p.s., it's official, I'm going to try and right Noodoc. :)

Stay classy for 2010 and 2011.