Disclaimer: I do NOT own Gorillaz or anything about them—they are fabulous. But they belong to Jamie Hewlett & Damon Albarn, ladies and gents. I only play with them. Therefore, please do not sue me; you won't get a dime, trust me.

A/N: Apologies for the wait, everyone! I wanted to make it a good chapter, so hopefully I was able to do that for you all. Upon being upset about Coachella and the Live Rehearsal in LA I satisfied myself with re-reading "Rise of the Ogre" and watching the streaming Video of them Live at the Roundhouse. And then reading up on my "Stylo" toy! I'm nuts! THEY WERE AMAZING IN STREAMING! Okay, anyway, in regards to the story, this is probably the very beginning of Noodle's darker memories and 2D's too. I'm trying to make it as realistic as possible without embellishing too much. I want it to follow what I've read about their back stories. Therefore I included VERY little of Noodle's memories about El Manana while, kinda filling things it. If it's wrong, please tell me so I can fix it. However, I stopped at KONG because I need to re-read the Black skinned Demon boy story. Anywho, next chapter is going to focus solely on Noodle x Android Noodle's sick relationship. It's already been hinted at but it takes a weird turn here. Well…I really hope you like it. Thank you for all who have been given me constructive feedback and awesome, encouraging reviews!

'thoughts'

"Talking"

Everything else

Canvas of Imperfection

2D's head hurt something horrible the next morning when he awakened alone, destitute in his bedroom with the curtains drawn, thankfully, to block out the horrid whale. He noticed it felt colder than usual despite the heater being on all the time. Even in such a warm abode he felt solitary, trapped in a blanket of chilled silence that encompassed everything he'd been feeling from the past to the present. Sometimes when he'd awaken 2D would sit in bed and stare at the ceiling in boredom, plagued by genuine disinterest for the world around him. Ever since Plastic Beach had been produced he could no longer feel happy about their fame, his fame, and all the perks it offered. Women no longer appealed to him the way they still did to Murdoc; Money seemed to have lost all real value; music became the outlet for his imprisoned soul and wounded heart. In the end, he liked to blame it on the media and the barrage of paparazzi that followed them around—in Kong it hadn't been a problem. Plastic Beach was mostly similar in the sense that it was secluded and one had to know the coordinates to get there without being eaten by some ocean creature. Or shot down by the Android if the transportation of choice just happened to be a flying vehicle of some sort. 'Well...in tha past, that is.' But with the paparazzi following them to the ends of the earth like a druggie losing to a bad habit 2D became more and more detached from his surroundings. The world had lost his interest long ago; during the making of Plastic Beach it had lost all magnificent, splendorous appeal.

Sighing, the drugged, turquoise haired man reached for his pills again in hopes to quiet the monkey in his head, a monkey that reminded him, suspiciously, of Mike. He breathed in slowly but evenly through his nose before exhaling steadily from his mouth. He'd heard somewhere that rapid breathing could make his head pound more, yet couldn't recall exactly who'd said it. 'Maybe it wos lil love,' he mused as he fumbled around his jean pockets still in search of his painkillers. At the thought of Noodle there was a piercing pain near his temple and he cradled his head gently so as not to aggravate the already ugly throb that pulsed there. Moments later he discovered the fluorescent orange bottle lying atop his rumpled bedspread between the creases. He quickly downed an unknown amount of the oblong, white and slightly powdery pills before resting his back on the sheets. He knew jumping into action right after taking his medicine was probably not the best of ideas; he buried his head in his pillow. He winced as the sweet, flowery scent of Noodle's shampoo filtered into his nostrils, invading his senses and calming the beating drums in his head.

He could still see the tears in her eyes at his command for her to depart his room the previous night. She'd looked an exquisite mess, her rosy cheeks enhanced by her constant blushes of embarrassment, shame and anger. While she may have looked like a scary sight, he thought her a beautiful disaster as she'd torn apart everything in his room. Her rampage had only made his heart go out to her further, though at this point he didn't feel like he had much of one left. Murdoc had done a superb job of destroying a lot of his soul during her absence. The kidnapping and torture was just the cherry on top of the already baked, poisoned dessert that 2D thought his life resembled. Even someone as mellow as he had always been knew when those feelings were shattered, that there was plenty of room for repair; but perhaps no one to do it. Rubbing his temples in frustrated annoyance, 2D stared at his flickering lamp that cast an enormous introspective light into what he had become and constantly felt like. 'Until recently…but even then, it still feels weird.' Even with Noodle's return he had not full recovered from the damage inflicted upon him at Murdoc's abusive, selfish, monstrous hands. Regardless of the fact that he was no longer afraid of the man or his threats, he became easy prey to the torture because it left hope that he might see his friend again.

Murdoc's promises to search for their guitarist renewed his once fallen hope. This, of course, was before Plastic Beach. Once he'd been kidnapped Murdoc had, once again, promised to search for Noodle, who he knew would be at least 16 or so by now, and he felt for it. "Not necessarily," he muttered to himself through his migraine haze. "I jus' though' tha' as'ole migh' really find 'er. Then I though' I could see 'er again."

He had really believed that the man would find her this time. However, he was unsuccessful, completely trashed and rather unforgiving about the entire ordeal. 2D had, at this point, been forced to agree to sing for Murdoc, which seemed a fate worse than death when he realized that not only was Noodle gone, but so was Russel. When he inquired about it Murdoc had given him his first dose of torture, a way to keep him silent. 2D had fought, kicked, tried to hit him but none of it had worked. As funny as it sounded the young man was terrified of Whales. He cursed that Murdoc knew his weakness upon finding out where his room was: under the water, with a porthole, with a Whale. 'I 'ate whales…' he admitted bitterly to himself as he glanced up at the curtains above to make sure they were closed even though he had already checked earlier. Relief washed over him when he saw that they were still shut tight, courtesy of Noodle the night before. Twiddling his fingers, 2D managed to finally sit up and look around more, briefly observing the Mayhem. He was happy to see that the fan he'd been given was still 100% intact, hanging on its posts. 'At least she didn' manage to get me fan.' At this it suddenly dawned on him that he could hear people moving around in the upper reaches of their home, heavy footfalls resounding on the floor. He knew that was Russel. At the signal of a loud curse he was positive Murdoc was awake and bitching. Though they weren't producing an album yet, the bassist still held studio time, which they all complied to though 2D didn't have a clue as to why. He enjoyed being as far away from the Satanist as possible, even if it meant in his room where he knew the whale was watching from behind the curtains.

Sometimes the older man would come in and open the curtains to piss him off, or to scare him. Either way, it always ended up making 2D angry once the initial fright wore off. Before Noodle returned he would sit aside the window, shaking in fear but wracked with anger at his band mate. For someone who needed them to complete his band 2D felt like Murdoc was pushing it—he must really have believed they wouldn't ever leave. When it became apparent that 2D had no intention of staying a prisoner of war in Murdoc's camp of slavery and submission the older man had taken to those extreme measures. At the finish line 2D didn't see his compliance as giving up, quitting or obedience. He merely saw it as an ends to a mean; he saw it as a way to see Noodle again. He didn't believe she was dead after a couple years since they'd been informed she was going off to the Maldives for a break from fame. But after about 4 to 6 years he began to lose hope and Murdoc eventually gave up beating him or burning him with things because 2D had no desire to fight back. 'Took all tha' fun ou'it.' He let out a deep, bitter chuckle at that thought as a loud bang resounded from up above his room. Shaking his head now that the migraine had lessened, 2D stood, dusted himself off, and headed towards the lift outside his door. He wasn't sure what was going on but he was sure that after last night's confrontation with 2 of his band mates, he was sure to go through some talks.

He pressed the button, waited patiently for it to open before climbing in and beginning to hum a melancholy tune to himself. He was surprised when it came to an abrupt halt on the floor above him. 'The…engine room…?' He didn't have time to ponder why it stopped there when the doors slid open to reveal a yawning, disheveled Noodle, her hair mussed and clothes wrinkled. She yawned again before stepping in the lift and turning her back to him as she leaned her forehead against the grungy wall. 'Wot wos she doin down'ere?' He was opening his mouth to ask a question when she scratched her head.

"Morning."

It was a curt greeting, one he could scarcely recall receiving from her in the past. It was cold, indifferent and nonchalant, especially from Noodle towards him. She ignored him the rest of the way up, her eyes glued to the Lift Panel. Whether it was from a half-asleep state or purposeful intent, he didn't know and didn't find out. She promptly exited the lift to make her way towards the bathroom in the common area, closing the door quietly behind her. 2D was puzzled, his eyebrows knitted in confusion and concern, mouth quirked to the side in thought. He didn't even notice Russel stomp back into the room dragging Murdoc by his collar until the drummer shouted at him.

"Yo 'D, I'm talkin to ya, man!"

Coming back from his reverie, 2D turned his head to the left and gave Russel a quizzical look. "Yeh, wot is it?"

"I want you two to play nice today, got it?" With that said the drummer threw Murdoc to the couch, ignoring the man as obscenities flowed from his mouth like a rushing stream. 2D gave them both a skeptical look, eyebrows still knitted but no longer in concern. "C'mon 'D, you two gotta stop this shit. Baby girl needs us to do what's right. You two foo's need to chill and stop bein babies about all dis."

"I ain't 'bout ta 'pologize to tha' dullard. Fuckin face ache needs ta get it through tha' thick 'ead o'his tha' this is my band. Yew too, Lards! This is my band!"

Russel rolled his eyes at this. "Yo 'D, be da bigga man."

"Russ, I wouldn' do any fink to upset Noodle. Um…" he shuffled his feet from side to side. "I'm goin out fo' a bit. Be back later."

Russel and Murdoc stared after him as he disappeared down the hall to the entrance of Plastic Beach. The last they heard was the slam of the door before silence ensued again. Russel wrinkled his nose at the sound of the shower running from the adjacent bathroom while Murdoc made his way to the fridge in search of something to eat. He knew that Noodle was the one cleaning herself but he wondered where she'd disappeared to after breakfast the previous day. He knew that she'd taken 2D with her down the lift, most likely to his room at that; but he wasn't sure what had transpired since neither had returned by the time they turned in for the evening. Their bassist didn't seem to care too much but Russel couldn't, and wouldn't, let it go that easily without further investigation into his already surfacing suspicions. 2D, though he seemed extremely detached, did not fool the drummer, not that Russel believed 2D was actually up to no good. However, he knew Noodle was emotionally distraught over what had happened to them at Murdoc's hand, or at his bidding. Normally she did an excellent job at hiding how she truly felt, being a master military weapon and all. Her poker face was unbeatable, her true thoughts undecipherable. 'Well, ta some,' he surmised as his gaze drifted back to the entrance where 2D had, seconds ago, disappeared through.

He ignored Murdoc's continuous rants as he took a seat on the couch, thoughts deep and muddled. Russel knew what his place was within the family: he kept Murdoc in line, 2D safe when the singer wasn't harassing him, and looked out for Noodle, when she'd been around. The fact that he'd returned years before her made it all the harder to look out for her when she did finally resurface, albeit 8 years later and as a stone-faced young woman at that. He hadn't quite figured out what his role was in her life, not anymore. She'd made him feel somewhat the big brother or father figure in recent weeks, which was something that normalized his actions in regards to the guitarist. When he'd been wondering about what happened to the band he'd stumbled upon some of the rumors that the Gorillaz were releasing a new album, he was infuriated that he'd been left out. Even though they'd broken apart years earlier he knew that the Gorillaz was not complete without a drummer and a guitarist. In other words, without him and Noodle he didn't understand how Murdoc intended to have a band let alone make an album.

"Russ…yew don' think tha' Face Ache and Noodle are…tha' lot ain't doin nothing…yew think?" He leaned against the refrigerator with a cool can of beer in his hand, the other planted on his stomach. To say he had a beer belly wasn't quite true but he wasn't exactly the fittest man in the world, regardless of age. "Tha' lot been actin funny 'round each other lately."

"How bout you worry bout apologizing to Noodle 'fo you start jumpin the gun," Russel replied, shaking his head. Murdoc rolled his eyes again and took a large swig of his beer. "Sides…I don't think 'D is even remotely interested in doin anything like that, Muds. But Noodle…you need to apologize."

"I know." His reply was quiet. Not known for being the most insightful or forgiving, Murdoc knew when he was wrong. He'd been drinking a lot more lately and drowning his discomfort in Tequila in hopes that it would permanently disappear. With Noodle's return his usual comfort level had dropped, his guilt had arisen again, and his anger, in lieu of his inability to admit to faults, had heightened. All these things together made for a nasty combination he was used to in his life, but not necessarily something he wanted to deal with at the present. This was greatly enhanced by the fact that everyone was mad at him, particularly Noodle, which didn't sit well with people one considered family. It also didn't help to improve stability after all that had occurred after her initial disappearance and his drunkenly fruitless search for her. Years later, he had nothing to show for it except age, guilt, grief and a temper that caused him to hurt the only connection he'd had to them in their absence. Though Russel had eventually returned to them, he had been gone for quite sometime being a giant and not fitting into Plastic Beach. Sighing, he sloppily made his way towards the couch and took a seat next to their drummer, silently thinking to himself. "Yew know, Russ…I ain't so good 'bout 'pologies."

"Don't care, man. You gotta do it."

Grumbling, he nodded, knowing what he had to do. To say there had been a major change in Murdoc's personality would be far-fetched; time changed him some, but not drastically. Although he did have a soft spot for Noodle somewhere in the dark recesses of his satanic soul. He chalked it up to the fact that she was like a kid sister. 'Course, if she wos so much like a sister, yew wouldn' 'ave done tha' to 'er, would yew?' He shifted to the side grumpily, taking another large swig of his beer to drown out his conscience. He didn't like being conflicted about things that weren't supposed to matter, things that were at his disposal—like his band mates. 'But 'ey aren't really disposable now, are 'ey?' He ignored Russel, who was now thinking aloud, while he pondered the statement floating around in his head. He knew they weren't really people he could just throw away, that they were important to him now more than ever. But it was so much easier to be a jerk, to beat 2D even if the vocalist stood up to him more; to call Russel Lards instead of by his full name at times; to call Noodle lil lady, and treat her like a child. 'But she ain't a child anymo' now is she?' Murdoc knew this was where he kept making his mistakes with the girl, aside from their past history. Because that was just it—Noodle wasn't a girl anymore. She was a full-fledged, vibrant, beautifully strong woman. It had all happened while she was gone. But they'd all noticed.

She'd been living in Plastic Beach for almost a year now: how could they not notice? He'd be lying to himself if he didn't acknowledge that he'd taken note of the changes not only in her appearance, but in her mood and personality. He knew, for a fact, that 2D had noticed and maybe more than the rest of them even if 2D's eyes were barely visible to the rest of the world who didn't know about his condition. 2D may have been 12 years older but it didn't affect the fact that she was attractive, and not just because of her youth and beauty. Noodle was not like most women he'd met. It wasn't because she was his band mate, or like a kid sister, or even like an idealized version of a woman. No, it was because Noodle had always been unique from her miserable past to her shining purple locks to her very core where demons lurked and all hell broke loose with her fury. He knew that much, if anything. Muttering to no one in particular, the sallow skinned man drank his beer in silence while Russel stared at the blank television set. Neither said a word or moved a muscle until they heard the bathroom door open to reveal Noodle looking slightly more awake but all the more bored, her eyes somewhat glazed over with sleep. She merely waved to them as she made her way towards the fridge in search of something to drink, preferably juice.

Her stomach was upset and she didn't really feel like consuming food at the moment. Sighing in aggravation and defeat upon the discovery of no juice, Noodle turned back towards her to family members, disgust apparent in her eyes when they landed on Murdoc. To say she was bothered was putting it mildly. She was livid. Her sleepy haze had yet to fully leave even after she'd showered and Noodle wanted nothing more than to strangle the bassist to high hell. 'Yes…maybe he'll end up where I did, that baka!' Shuddering at the images that threatened to flood back into her mind, Noodle gave them a quick, short nod and made her way towards the lift, her wet hair dripping all the way there. Murdoc raised a brow as the lift swallowed her up in its dingy lighting, suddenly interested in talking to Russel who had stopped staring and was now picking at the stuffing in the couch.

"Russ..."

"Shuddup, Muds."

"Wot? I didn' say nothing," he retorted, belligerent. "Did yew notice Noodle's 'air wos still wet?"

The percussionist nodded his agreement of the observation. "So?"

"She wos wearin a white shirt."

Murdoc didn't have time to say anything further as Russel's massive hand came down hard on his thin back and slapped him clear off the couch. Shaking his head as the bassist struggled to stand again, the dark-skinned man went back to picking at the couch stuffing. "Fuckin pervert."

On the floor directly beneath 2D's stood Noodle, exhausted and indifferent, as she looked around the semi-cleaned room that was soon to be hers. It consisted mostly of junk compiled in the middle of the room and some to the side now, while she walked around in silent observation. She was trying to picture how it would look with a simple bed, some basic furniture and a computer. These things were all that were necessary for her to be semi-comfortable living in Plastic Beach. She sighed and reached behind her to scratch her back, suddenly interested in playing music to drown out the horrible thoughts, the demented images that plagued her. They had disappeared during her sleep cycle but quickly resurfaced once she'd awakened in the arms of the android. It had looked peaceful, its arms resting atop her previously slumbering form like a protective shield that she was morbidly fond of when she stared at it. With its eyes still closed, monitors still beeping, wires attached and head hanging low, it seemed almost lost like a child without its way. At that point she had reached up to touch it with her lithe fingers, hand settling on its cheek for a moment before the nausea rushed back like a waterfall over her insides. Repulsed, Noodle had jumped back from the machine, heaving as though she'd seen a ghost and was frightened half to death at the realization. Shaking the image from her head Noodle made her way towards the pile in the middle of the room, her intent to merely figure out what it all was. She knew it was junk; she wanted it out, now.

It appeared to be a large mass of metal scraps, underwater trash and a few dead sharks that looked like they'd been decaying for some time. One was completely bones, a hollowed out carcass smashed beneath a couple that looked slightly newer. She cursed that she was now more familiar with the decomposition process, and the coagulation process, and the death process in general. Shuddering, she kicked at a hunk of metal that lay atop the sea creatures to distract her mind from her past. She didn't want to remember any of it. She hated it. She wanted to disappear when it began to course through her veins, through her red blood cells like an incurable sickness she harbored without consent. Consent. The word stuck in her mind when she thought of Hell, of that place that took away her right to make such a decision. A simple decision? No. But hers, nonetheless. Frustrated beyond compare, Noodle fell into a crouch, her head between her knees as she rocked back and forth as the pain resurfaced. She begged her mind to push them out, to lock them away in the dark corners of her psyche so she would be saved—for now, at least. Tears brimmed at her eyelids, burning to be released as she pulled at her hair in anxiety. It all happened so quickly. Before she knew it she was curled up in fetal position on the smelly, slightly dampened carpeted floor, shivering and shaking. 'I wish I had 2D's switchblade right now,' she thought sadly as she stared straight ahead into the nothingness of the room. She could hear Murdoc and Russel talking, though she wasn't sure if they were arguing or not.

She didn't hear 2D and hadn't seen him since their interaction this morning, which consisted of a simple greeting and her ignoring him. It wasn't purposeful, she thought. It was more the result of sleeplessness and listlessness than actual annoyance. She was afraid of 2D, true; but she loved him and missed him every minute he was gone. The fact that he'd shown such animosity towards her, that he was angry enough to kick her out, made her stomach turn over. Queasiness kicked in and Noodle held her midsection to soothe the raging fire that threatened to spill forth from her lips. Nevertheless, she had no success as she dry heaved onto the carpet, bracing her knees and the palms of her hands against the ruddy material of the floor. Yellow bile shot through her lips, staining the light blue carpeting a sickly darker color with its acidic stench and property while she continued to throw up. Once the wave of nausea passed Noodle rolled away from the puddle to face the garbage living in her future dwelling, clutching her stomach for comfort. But it did very little to ease the pain sweeping through to the core of her being. Letting out the choked sob she'd been holding back during her vomiting attack, Noodle shook as it ripped free from its prison. Hugging herself with her arms, the young woman cried. She'd never cried so much in her life. She'd thought that she wouldn't be able to cry like it ever again. In Hell she'd been so dry of tears by the time she completed her escape plan that when she'd reached the surface, all she could do was stare, stoically, out into the distance, the earth underneath her bare feet feeling foreign and cold.

"I can't go back to that place…I can't," she repeated to herself over and over again. She hoped it would ingrain itself in her brain so thoroughly that she could leave it in a dark, black hole in the far reaches of her mind. She didn't want to remember any more of it; she wanted the recollection to blank itself into oblivion. "Can't I just get amnesia?"

Noodle was most thankful, however, for that fact that none of her band mates was curious enough to come looking for her when she disappeared. 'Or care enough.' She snorted, for she knew this wasn't exactly true. While they may not have come searching for her she knew that Russel cared a lot, too much at times. Murdoc cared—he'd come to look for her—but he was awful at showing anything other than diluted cruelty. Then there was 2D. 'Yes, then there is you…Stuart Pot. The one who comes for me when I am…lost. The one who was always there…' she paused, mid-thought. 'Was there…right?' She knew 2D would have come had Murdoc not blocked him. She believed him when he said he tried to find her, even if she didn't admit to it there in front of him; and even accused him of the exact opposite. But Noodle was no fool. She knew he cared about her and that he would've come for her, his best friend and band mate. 'But not as…someone he loved in more than a platonic way, right, Noodle? You silly girl…' Berating herself would get her nowhere, she knew. And yet it didn't matter because she felt like she needed to do it, to get that message through her head in order to stop hurting him and herself. Accepting this mantra she'd recently made for her mind wasn't as easy as it had seemed in the beginning. Here she was, a year later with not much success to show for all her hard work. 2D was mad at her; she hated Murdoc; Russel was terribly concerned for her; and she was becoming abusive in the worst way.

'I'm a monster.' She concluded in earnest, her fingers cold and numb from the lack of heat in the room. She assumed the central air and heating had yet to be redirected into the soon-to-be usable living space. 2D's room had been extremely warm the other night. In fact, she'd known it but she'd been too cold to be graced by such warmth. 2D's arms around her hadn't helped much either, only making her tired and angry. Then, just like that, her mind focused back onto the image of the Android sitting quietly, obediently in the Cupboard with its hands in its lap. She almost felt like wandering back to it now—but she felt disgusted by that train of thought. 'I hate that I'm so…obsessed with that thing. It's not even obsession…it's a fucking sickness…and I need it.' After careful deliberative thinking Noodle had come to the conclusion that she wasn't interested in the Android itself, but more of the idea that it resembled, in appearance, her former self. It looked more like she had; a young, unmarred version of what she used to be. With the exception of the bullet hold in its head, and army clothing, and weapons, and personality, it was her. 'Well, that's actually a lot unlike the old me.' It won in general appearance and that was about it. But at the present Noodle didn't feel like she could even claim to know much about who she was before Plastic Beach, before she'd returned. Her memories were vague, distorted and, quite frankly, missing. Most of her head was filled with some things prior to the Windmill crashing accompanied by a full 6 years of Hell to the present. It made her so hostile, how helpless she was to recollect things that the she and the band had experienced prior to El Manana; all the good times, and even the bad.

She wished she could remember so much more than what she currently did. It made her frustrations sky-rocket to levels she was afraid she couldn't always control. Luckily no one had been around to see that. The first few months she'd returned had left her bed-ridden with nightmares as her only outlet, her only source of control over the outbursts that would surely frighten the gentle singer, her loving father figure, and even the evil bassist. 'Nightmares unlike any I've ever had before this.' She felt another tear slip down her cheek as her eyes glossed over with the memories of her old life, the white hot fire consuming her.

*Flashback*

Noodle coughed, breathing heavily as though she couldn't get enough air as the Windmill crashed below, the smoke encompassing her as her parachute kept her airborne over the explosion. It wasn't the biggest explosion but it still clouded over the canyon as she prayed the wind to carry her just a few feet away from it at the very least since she was supposed to get rescued. It was taking a lot longer to reach the bottom than she anticipated. When her feet touched the ground beneath her she immediately fell to her knees, coughing and sputtering at the fumes wafting towards her. There was debris everywhere around her, metal scraps and burning wood littering the entire vicinity so that she could no longer see the earth. Covering her mouth with one hand to block out the smoke, she stood on her feet and stumbled away from the site of the crash. Her parachute had caught on fire the moment she'd detached herself from the emergency release, fire licking at it before consuming it all together. She could barely see anything in the cloud of gray, relying on her ninja skills to feel around, listening intently to anything other than the crackling fire. It was quite windy, the breeze causing the fire to burn quicker and whipping her bangs about her face. Irritated that she couldn't see due to the wind factor as well as the smoke stinging her eyes, Noodle began to walk in the direction opposite the fire. Once far away enough she found a large slab of granite to lean against, taking it as an opportunity to catch her breath and wipe her eyes. From where she now stood it looked awful.

The windmill was still sparking and crackling amongst the debris. There were shells from shotguns, machine gun cartridges and even a missile that looked like it was a dud lying in the wreck on the dirt covered ground. Sighing in relief that she wasn't dead, Noodle began to examine her body for injuries. Other than a few tears in her striped shirt, a large rip in her shorts and a hole in her boots, she was relatively injury free. There were, however, a few minor burns on her arms and legs as a result of landing so near the red-orange flames. She brought her gaze to the sky, barely making out the Feel Good Inc. tower where it drifted above the clouds. She couldn't see the top where 2D, Murdoc and Russel were but she could see the base. Shuddering, she tried to figure out how to call her band mates. The El Manana video shoot had gone terribly wrong. Murdoc had made all the arrangements for it; she was supposed to "die" then, head off to the Maldives for a nice, long deserved vacation. She'd had it with the fame, for now. But it all went terribly wrong; she'd really been shot down and almost killed. She was ready to chew the producers out but decided she needed to get a hold of Murdoc before she did anything drastic. She had seen the medic team looking for her, but since she hadn't landed "early" enough, they disappeared. When she'd made it to the actual crash site everyone was already gone.

Holding back a string of obscenities, the young guitarist glanced around for an exit route from inside the deep canyon. She needed to get back top-side in order to make any progress. 'I should go back to Kong first. I don't think the guys are going to be coming down from that damned tower anytime soon.' Decision made she began a slow, steady trek towards where she thought there might be an exit from where she was trapped. The air was chilly and she wished she had a sweater or something to cover herself. Her initial shock had worn off and the cold air bit into her skin like a thousand needles itching to become her undoing. Teeth chattering now that she was far away from the crash site, Noodle rubbed her arms to keep warm. She had no idea where she was, in reality, but all she could keep telling herself was that she needed to get out of the endless chasm. 'I suppose I'll just have to keep traveling until I find…somewhere to climb or something.' And walk she did. For what seemed like hours she walked on a pathway that seemed rather straightforward with very little twists or turns, rare rights and lefts, no forks in the middle. In fact, the monotony of the road was starting to piss her off when she suddenly came to a fork with 3 path ways. Unsure of which path to choose, she sat down in the middle of the road with her head in her. 'I guess I'll wait for a sign, or something.' Now more than ever did she wish she'd brought a compass or a radio or something to help her contact someone at the top of the mountain. 'Although, it may have very well broken in the damn crash.'

Noodle cringed for a moment, flopping onto her back with her eyes staring, horror struck, at the ceiling.

Kong was unusually quiet; its occupants were out or perhaps no longer living there, which seemed odd to Noodle. She was sure she hadn't been gone THAT long. Either way, Noodle felt a chill shoot down her spine as she wandered around the corridors, quietly making her way down towards the car park where Murdoc and 2D resided. She saw the Winnebago there though it looked like it hadn't been used in a long time. 2D's door was slightly ajar but no sound came from behind it. A feeling of uncertainty washed over the young guitarist as she encroached further on the area, a sinister twist in her gut causing her to halt for a minute. Something wasn't right but she couldn't place what it was. All she knew is what she felt and it was dark, suffocating, evil. Upon further self encouragement she ventured forward though hesitantly. Placing her hand on 2D's doorknob, Noodle began to push the door open at a tire-screeching slowness until it was completely ajar. And she gasped audibly.

The Japanese woman sucked in a massive breath of air as she bolted upright, hand clutching her shirt where her heart was beating erratically in the confines of her ribcage. There was wetness lining her cheeks and her eyelid felt itchy where it had been torn a year ago. The scar tended to bother her on occasion but it was rare an occurrence until very recently. Breathing in heavily, Noodle tried to regain control of her wayward thoughts, her hand massaging the spot where her heart continued to beat sporadically. Her chest hurt with unfamiliar exertion as she willed her body to stop panicking, telling it she was safe and calmness was necessary.

I'm a scary gargoyle on a tower
That you made with plastic power
Your rhinestone eyes are like factories far away

Noodle felt her heart plummet as the lyrics pierced her mind without warrant or warning. She immediately fell back onto the floor, silent tears trickling down the sides of her face and landing on the carpet. She already knew what would come of such a focus on 2D's sorrowful voice, from the accusatory words that seemed to call out to her very soul with ease and precision. Part of her was still dying, quite literally, at the thought that someone had hurt 2D so badly; the other was dying of heartache. 8 years was a long time to be separated but she knew that confessing to him would be harder now since both of them no longer knew each other as they had. But how every fiber of her being longed for him in ways more than physical affection could attain. The satisfaction of simple physical intimacy was rather irrelevant to her now. What she wanted, what she craved, what she needed more than anything, was his heart. Hell, she wanted his soul. 'Though not in a creepy, devil kind of way.' That small thought made a little chuckle escape her throat though the tears continued to fall.

She cursed everything around her down to her very self at the fact that 2D was now the fragmented man she'd returned to. She couldn't decide which was worse: his being, torn to shreds; or her inability to speak what she felt without abusing him. Why couldn't she stop being so hateful? Noodle wracked her brain for some the obstacles blocking her happiness. 'I have every reason to be happy, don't I? I'm home with my family, with Russel, with 2D…why can't I stop the rage?' Another image of the Android popped back into her semi-unstable mind. This time it was wearing a skirt with a pink coat, a duck hat perched on top of its head while light blue, metallic eye shadow adorned its eyelids. Frozen in her spot at the sudden picture, Noodle bolted to her feet and made a mad dash towards the lift, pressing the button so hard she thought she might break it. She heard the whine of the lift and took it 2 floors up once it'd opened before darting towards "Noodle's Cupboard." She threw open the doors in haste, panting heavily as she stared at it. 'Is that…' her mind wandered back to the image. 'what…is that what I used to look like…?' Similar in appearance though not in clothes choice, Noodle had the intense urge to dig up some of her old clothing to place on the Android, just to see what it would look like—to see what SHE looked like before Hell. Feeling a chill up her spine, all thoughts of Hell and Kong forgotten for the moment, Noodle made her way topside where she soon found Murdoc grumbling at Russel while the drummer stared off into space. It reminded her very much of 2D. 'Wait a minute…where is 2D?'

"Russel-san?"

He looked up. "Baby girl?"

"Where is 2D-san?" her slight Japanese accent made him smile as she shifted from side to side.

"He went out fo' a bit. Need somethin?" He looked at her in curiosity.

"I was wondering…" she shot a quick, uncertain glance at Murdoc. "Do we still have….any of my old clothes?"

"Wot yew wan' tha' fo' girl?" Noodle shot him a nasty glare but it was short lived when Russel hit him on the back again. Murdoc let out a string of cuss words. "Ouch, Lards! Tha' fuckin 'and of yers ain't like a pillow!"

"Just answer the question, Muds, fo' I use my fist next time," came the curt reply.

"Awright, awright! Yew got some old clothes in face ache's room. Tha' dullard didn' wan'ta part with any o'it."

She quickly bowed before heading back down towards the lift and 2D's room. Upon reaching the room, she started her search for any evidence of her old life, of her old self. She dug through countless boxes full of junk, no doubt things 2D considered prized possessions, and numerous bins full of movies, notepads with lyrics, and endless amounts of mismatched instrument pieces. She was at her wits' end when she noticed a small box, only a little larger than a boot shoe box, taped up and shoved conspicuously underneath his bed behind his keyboard. How she'd seen it was beyond her but at that point she could give a rat's ass about how he'd situated it in its hiding spot. She tore at the wrapping, ripping the tape off and throwing the lid from it to reveal its contents. It was a little dusty and covered by a plastic bag. Frustrated with the amount of coverage it had, Noodle dumped everything onto 2D's floor in unkempt anticipation. An eerie sense of déjà vu settled over her as she picked apart the clothing, piece by piece, and laid it out on his floor. Her mind became a hazy blur of discombobulated memories as she inspected the articles—a pink jacket, a skirt, knee high socks, eye shadow…

"And a duck hat…"

"Wot yew doin with tha'?" Noodle gasped, shock and surprise washing over her at 2D's frantic voice. She turned to him, her mouth gaping unattractively like a fish as she fought for clarification. He looked upset, furiously confused—Noodle could only continue to struggle for a coherent response. He pushed past her, quickly shoving the clothes back into the box and stashing it beneath his bed, his breathing erratic and harsh. She sat there behind him, unsure of what had just transpired but fearful nonetheless. When he whirled around to face her she could only lean back in fright as his black, fractured eyes narrowed at her in disbelief. "Wot were yew doin touchin tha' stuff?!"

"I'm…I'm sorry, 2D-san…I was merely curious…"

"Don't touch wot's not yours," he snapped.

"But it is mine!"

"WOS yours. It's 'ERS."

Aghast, Noodle felt her heart clench as she brought her hand up to stop the cry from escaping her mouth. His words stung, like Jellyfish—potent and continuous. Before she could stop herself Noodle felt a tear slide down her cheek as her hand moved of its own accord. It connected soundly with 2D's cheek like it had with Murdoc's the previous evening. For his part 2D seemed rather stunned but his head turned back so quickly to face her that she wasn't sure it had had much effect. In truth, she wasn't even sure why she'd done it. Out of pain, hurt, anger, shock, sadness—they all seemed pretty valid a reason to her.

I'm caught again in the mystery
Your by my side, but are you still with me?

"I…I don't…" she fumbled for words again as the anger drained from his face, the hurt fading away, soon replaced with regret and embarrassment. But the damage was done for her. "Who are you? I don't know who you are anymore!" Her shout caused 2D to flinch, any remaining upset completely gone as his hand extended towards her. She shunned it, smacking it away from her as she stood to her feet. He was still slightly kneeled down, staring at her in confusion and despair. "Give me back my clothes! I want them back, they're mine! I don't know who you are but I want my things back! You're not Stuart Pot, you're not 2D…you're, you're…a SHELL, A BROKEN EMPTY, FRAGMENTED SHELL!"

His voice cracked at her venomous words but he kept on towards her, determined to make her see that it was truly an accidental slip-up. He'd spent so much time without her that her kept clothes was part of his sanity, and he'd been blinded when she'd gone through them. In the past, anything of Noodle's had to be hidden or the Android would destroy it. Whether this was Murdoc's bidding or its own distorted personality trait, 2D didn't know or care. He only knew he had to keep any part of his old friend safe, any part of her memory still alive and cared for incase she ever returned. It was the last shred of hope. He wouldn't admit it but at times, when he was particularly down or saddened over her absence, he would sleep with her clothes in his bed, the faint smell of her keeping him morbidly happy. He would not tell her this for fear of being seen as a freak or a pervert since he was 12 years older than her; he didn't want to scare her. But that part of his life was a blurry pool of agony and ecstasy. Putting that all aside 2D approached her retreating figure, his hands shooting out so fast she didn't have time to escape as they caught her and he pulled. She was, not surprisingly, strong but 2D had done his fair share of fighting off Murdoc in the past. She struggled against him until, only moments later, she'd tired herself out. Collapsing from exhaustion and what he chalked up to be a notorious lack of sleep, Noodle curled into his chest, sniffling but not shaking, thankfully. He whispered quietly in her ear, running his hands through her soft purple locks in comfort for not only her, but himself.

"Yew don' mean tha' and I know yew're jus' mad." While she didn't apologize he knew she was somewhat sorry, if only a little. None of that mattered to him as he held her close to him, feeling her heartbeat against his, feeling her with him, knowing she wasn't just a figment of his deprived imagination. For the past year he'd felt like he'd been dreaming. She'd avoided him for so long. Even now she still was but here, with her pressed against his chest, crying her eyes out to him, made him warm inside. "Lil love…I missed yeh."

Noodle cried harder, tightening her fingers on his shirt as they slid down into sitting position with Noodle in his lap. It was a somewhat awkward position for both of them since the last time they'd sat like this Noodle was younger, shorter and less…developed. 2D felt a lump form in his throat, a particularly inappropriate train of thought entering his mind as he felt all the "developed" parts of her body pressing against his chest, his groin, his thighs, etc. He was, honestly, dedicated to comforting her and just being in the moment with this beautiful woman; but being as beautiful as she was happened to be causing him some…issues. Gulping, 2D eased her away from his chest a couple inches as he rubbed the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. Her jade eyes were swollen from sobbing so much, slight bags visible under her eyes from her insomnia. She sniffled again as she glanced up at 2D's fractured spheres and he found himself smiling at her scarred face.

"S'awright love, sorry I yelled at yeh. I been kinda...outta'it lately. I really did miss yew though, Noodle."

She shuddered in repressed joy as she let out a small sigh before settling into his embrace, warmth and fatigue starting to creep over her. "2D-san…"

"Ssh. Yew jus' rest now, awright? Yew need ta sleep more, lil love," he replied, rubbing her head. "Yew been through a lot, ain't cha?" She nodded and they both fell silent for a moment until 2D remembered, seemingly out of nowhere, what he'd been meaning to ask her. "Noodle…can I ask yew summink?" She nodded again though not as enthusiastically as he would have liked; he proceeded with caution. "Can I ask yew 'bout tha' uh….Android?" Automatically she tensed at his inquiry but said nothing. Taking this as a sign that she was okay with his mini interrogation, 2D continued. "It's jus' tha' yew spend a lot of time in 'ere with tha' thing…with tha' monster."

"It's not a thing," she whispered defensively.

This statement caught him off guard as he stared at the crown of her head in puzzlement. "Okay…so wot is it, then?"

She didn't seem mad at him for his question but the tension in her body did not ease. "It's a girl, 2D-san. She's not a monster. Murdoc made her that way."

He was put off by the fact that she was defending the evil machine but did not want to upset her further. "Okay, lil love." He said nothing else as she snuggled into his chest, exhaustion claiming her completely as she started to doze off into the land of Morpheus. He gently picked her up, maneuvering his way through his junk laden floor towards his bed. After carefully laying her soon to be sleeping form onto his mattress, 2D rummaged around his stash of movies for a zombie flick to entertain himself til he could also fall asleep. He could hear her mumbling incoherently for a minute or two while he found the remote and switched the Telly onto its proper setting. He didn't climb into bed next to her, opting to play it safe and sleep on the floor again, when a hand snaked out from the blankets and landed softly on his bony shoulder blade. He glanced up to see her staring at him, green eyes sleepy but calm.

"2D-san…please…sleep here, tonight?"

It was a simple request with no grotesque or lecherous intentions behind it, he knew, since her tone was quiet and pleading. He debated this for moment, the monkey in his head having quieted; it was starting to protest the silence forced on it by the medication. Not wanting to fight with it—or for more selfish reasons as well—2D slowly and cautiously consented, climbing into bed next to her, instantly turning his back to her. This didn't appear to bother Noodle as he leaned on one elbow while she cuddled up to his back, her small hands flat upon his shirt and head buried between them. It was strange to him how tall she was, how much she'd grown after she'd vanished then reappeared, altered but glorious in that marred imperfection. He returned his eyes to the blaring television set as he felt her breathing become even to signify she was beginning to fall alseep. Yawning loudly, 2D felt himself becoming sleepy as well, his fractured eyes fighting to stay open as her warmth permeated the covers and enveloped him in a silk-like blanket of tranquility. Laying his head on the pillow as the sounds of screams and death filtered in and out of his head, 2D was almost asleep in seconds when the hands on his back squeezed his T-Shirt and lips moved against his skin through the fabric.

"I missed you too….Stuart."

TBC

(ZOMFG….can't believe I was able to write this chapter! I had to give you more fluff, for now. Next chapter is mainly Android Noodle and Real Noodle…that's the focus. Not a short story at all…I'm realizing. But that's all I have for now. Thank you to all who reviewed, whether you like it or not. I appreciate the effort and honesty. Love you all. Thanks, until next time!)