I awoke leaning on Murdoc, I looked up at him and saw his face, cold and emotionless. I stretched and yawned and he looked down at me. "Good morning luv." He whispered, kissing my forehead.

"Hello Murdoc-chan." I replied, winding my hand through his and squeezing it. 2D was asleep on the makeshift bed of rafts, snoring loudly.

"Luv," Murdoc murmured, rubbing his thumb against my hand. I looked back at him. "Do you think that I would ever purposely 'urt you?" he asked earnestly. I hesitated, unsure of how to answer.

He saw the 'yes' scrawled clearly in my inability to answer. Pain, pure pain and hurt, along with shock and anger flashed across his face as he raised a hand and I flinched, cowering, waiting for the blow. He froze, looking at me, terrified.

"No! No, no! Noodle, luv, Noods. Look at me." He said, showing me he was only going to scoop me up and put me in his lap and I relaxed. He held my close to him and I felt his breath hot on my ear. "I will never 'it you. You are not just any girl, you are special Noods." He whispered, a promise in what he said.

I nodded, shaking slightly. Murdoc buried his head in my neck, whispering small bits of nothing into my skin.

"You've no idea the guilt I feel… that you could even think that I would 'urt you…" he shook his head.

I pulled away, looking at him, putting a hand next to his cheek. "It's okay Murdoc, it's okay." I murmured. He seemed doubtful but didn't push it any further.

"Noods, what do you see in me?" he asked. "I am an old man, how do you not care? I could be your father…"

I shrugged. "Some things just work." I replied, he smiled at me, grinning at me with his pointed teeth. He looked over at 2D.

""Ey! Dullard! Get up!" he shouted, the singer stirred and lifted his head."We need to get going!"

"Fi'e more minutes please." He mumbled.

"Get up NOW!" he shouted, the loudness made me flinch.

"Fine fine! I'm up. Jesus, jus' fought it'd be nice to sleep in but no…" and he began muttering darkly under his breath and he stood up and went in to the back room and reemerged with several pills in his hands.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Back to Kong." Murdoc said.

"Wait…I thought that Kong burned down." I said, puzzled.

"Never believe everything you see on the news luv." He replied.

"You said it." I countered bluntly. He smirked at me.

"All the more reason not to believe it." He responded. I didn't have a smart comeback due to the fact that he was absolutely right. Murdoc winced as he shifted his weight, and I squeezed his hand, trying to let him know I was sorry about the pain.

"We're comin' up on Little Dragon's sub and Snoop Dogg's ." Stu said, lighting a cigarette up and taking a lengthy drag.

"So that means we're back with the group?" Murdoc asked. 2D nodded.

"We're almost to the states." He said. Muds grimaced.

"Erm, yeh, 'bout that mate… we're gonna need to go through Guatemala, 't's the only country in the America's I'm not wanted with a bounty." He said, casting an apologetic glance at me.

2D looked irritated as he nodded. "We also need to get yeh to a hospital." He remarked. I nodded.

"Will the Boogieman make port as well?" I piped up. No one knew the answer. I stood up and looked out the telescope and the ship that was following us was nearing, yet still a speck on the horizon. A creeping suspicion told me that something bad was about to happen, and I prayed it wouldn't.