Title: Getting To Know You

Disclaimer: Gorillaz created by Albarn and Hewlett.

Notes: Due to popular demand, I have decided to continue this story. So, yeah. Um… I rewrote the first chapter. I did some cleaning up: made more meaningful text, delved in a little deeper, and hopefully made it better. Murdoc's dialogue isn't quite as slang… choppy… whatever as it last time was. Noodle's dialogue is the same, just because I think it's cute and fun to write. BTW, I wrote this while listening to GooGoo Dolls… go figure.

Chapter 1: The Little Things about Her

Thumping. Just loud, unrelenting thumping.

Since he had managed to down at least four bottles of Jack Daniels earlier that day, Murdoc assumed the horrid noise was a byproduct of his massive hangover.

Silence. A relieved grin.

"Murdoc-san."

Grumble.

"Murdoc-san."

Nudging…no, tiny handed shaking.

"Bugger…"

"Muuuuurdoooooc-saaaaan!"

The shaking turned violent which jerked the drunkard from his buzzy slumber. "Christ… wa'izzit?" Murdoc opened his discolored red and yellow eye to find Noodle crouching only an inch from his face. "Crikey!" He bolted up into a sitting position, the sheets flying and tangling between his legs. Murdoc ran his hands over his face and hair before looking back at Noodle. She still crouched on the grungy floor of his Winnebago, staring innocently at him from behind her violet bangs. "Oi girlie…" he said in his ragged voice, "What d'you wan?"

"I am hungry," she answered. Innocent, as always.

"You telling me," he pointed to the girl, "you came all the way out here, into my Winnebago," he pointed down as a gesture of their location, "and woke me up," he then aimed his false thumb at himself, "to tell me that you want food?" The corner of his lip crept up into a snarl of aggravation.

Noodle folded her arms on the edge of his stained and spring shot mattress and rested her chin on her wrists. "Hai."

One of Murdoc's hands came up to rub his face again. "Bloody…" He was obviously still groggy and was trying to get his senses together. "Wha'bout Russel? Doesn't he usually feed ya?"

"Russel-kun is not here."

"Then get Stu to feed you. I'm sure he's not dense enough to set the kitchen on fire." Murdoc started to lie back down.

"2D-kun is too absent."

"Bloody!" Murdoc's jagged green teeth gritted together. "Where th'hell did they go!"

"Dance. At the club."

He leaned on one elbow. "Why didn' y'go wif 'em?"

"I lack. The old age," she answered with her head still on her arms.

"Tch… geh… crock… Baaah!" Murdoc rolled over, his back to the girl. "Then feed yerself!"

"I cannot. I am lacking the height. Cannot reach cabinets, or top of stove."

Murdoc's eyes shut tightly, trying to block out her excuses. Even though it was silent, he knew she was still there. "You're bloody fourteen years old. You Japanese need t'learn to grow taller, leave the rest'f us alone."

"Please Murdoc-san?"

The man rolled over. She sat there, still staring at him. Her rose colored cheeks glowed in the hazy darkness of his Winnebago, and her lips pouted as she pleaded with him. Oddly enough, Murdoc didn't feel himself becoming enraged. That's what happened whenever 2D pleaded with the man from Stoke. 2D's pleas were usually so weak, sniffling, whiney, and pathetic, and it pissed the hell out of the man. However, Noodle's plea was a little more genuine. After all, she had a good reason; she really couldn't reach the cabinets or the stove. The truth was, he just really really didn't feel like getting up.Murdoc groaned. "All right, all right fine."

"Wai wai!" Noodle leapt up and bounced around the confined area of the bedroom.

In the Kong Studios kitchen, Noodle sat at the table swinging her legs over the edge of the chair. Murdoc stood shirtless at the stove. His mop top was ruffled, the grey hairs standing out under the florescent light. His olive skin almost looked pure green, another affect caused by the bright light hanging overhead. A freshly lit cigarette hung loosely from his lips as he flipped the eggs and pancake together in the same pan.

"You are getting not the ashes in my food, yes?"

"Yeah, yeah." Breakfast food wasn't exactly what they were used to eating for dinner, but the kitchen didn't have much food in it and Murdoc didn't really feel like cooking anything that would require much time and effort. Murdoc offered to order out for pizza, but Noodle boldly protested the idea. The girl didn't really like pizza all that much, but she ate it because that was what Russel always wanted. "Well then, I guess you learn something new everyday then," Murdoc had said before going to the fridge. When the edges of the pancake started to turn dark brown Murdoc dumped the food onto a paper plate. He grabbed a plastic fork out of the clean side of the sink and then placed them in front of Noodle.

"Here, eat."

"Arigato, Murdoc-san."

Murdoc only replied with a grunt. He then proceeded to sit in the chair perpendicular to hers, bringing with him a beer and a pack of chocolate Hostess cakes. Murdoc watched as Noodle's head bobbed while she ate. It was sort of cute actually, and even though she had probably done it a thousand times before, he had never been aware of it. He noticed that the smile which normally framed her face was slowly withering into a tired frown and she ceased all movement, except for a random poke at the eggs. "Oi," he nodded his head, "What's wrong wif you eh? My cooking not good enough for you? I told you from th'start to feed yerself, so don't be compl-"

"No. No, Murdoc-san. The food is very good. That is not what is. Being my problem."

"Yeah? Wha'izzit then?" Smoke blew out from his nose.

"I am. Not feeling the well," she said wearily. Noodle had at this point stopped eating and her head hung low to the table.

The older man stared at her with his mismatched eyes. Despite the way her hair fell over her eyes, he could see the dark rings that had formed beneath them. Her rosy cheeks were actually a pasty grey, only appearing the pink color because of the heavy make-up she wore. Her mouth hung open slightly, her breath whistling in her throat instead of breathing through her nose like she normally did. Finally Murdoc sighed with closed eyes. "C'mere kiddo."

Noodle did as she was told. She stood from her chair and walked around the side of the table. The tips of her fingers ran over his dark denim jeans as she moved closer, and Murdoc had to grab her shoulders before they collided.

"Watch where you're goin' girlie. I'm right 'ere."

"Gomen nasai."

He picked up her hand and felt her wrist, not being sure he then reached up and touched the side of Noodle's face with the palm of his hand. "Blimey Noodle, you're burnin' up chavvy." The girl didn't respond, but her whistling breath turned into a loud wheeze. Murdoc took note of the heavy smoke his cigarette was emitting, so he dropped it into the half empty beer bottle. "Why didn'ya tell me you were sick?"

She answered his question, but her voice was nothing but a low mumble. "Thought it would go away." Noodle unconsciously leaned forward and her head fell against the man's shoulder.

"Ay ay ay! None of that!" He pushed her back up. "I don'wanna be getting any of your germs. Got it? My 'mune systems worf shit, y'ere?" He then pushed her away. "Now go take a shower and then go to bed." Noodle nodded and then shuffled out of the kitchen. When she was gone Murdoc picked up her dishes and dropped them in the trash. He looked down at his hand. "Blow it…" he grumbled when he realized he had touched the germ infested items. But being too lazy to do anything about it, he just wiped his hand on his pants.

When Noodle came out of the bathroom she met with Murdoc in the hall. He raised an eyebrow when he saw her in the black bathrobe that was far too large for her. It was like a black furry beast swallowing her whole. The image sort of reminded him of his raven, Cortez, swooping down and catching the white mice that sometimes made their way into his Winnebago.

"Isn't that Stu's?"

"Hai. 2D-kun allows me to be borrowing it."

"Right. Here, I fished these out'f the linen closet for ya." In Murdoc's open palm were two yellow Tylenol Cold tablets. Noodle just stood there and stared at the pills. "I would've gotten ya Sudafed, but Stu's bogarting them in 'is room somewhere." She still didn't take the medication from him. "C'mon article," he moved his hand closer, "take 'em."

"Water," she said.

"What? Oh… bugger…" Murdoc was used to taking pills dry, so he hadn't even thought to get her something to swallow the medication with. "Li'l bad news," he grumbled as he walked back to the kitchen, "Makin' me endure one ballache after another." He returned to the hall where Noodle was waiting for him. He handed her the glass of water and the pills. "There, happy?"

"Domo Arigato, Murdoc-san," she said with a smile. That innocent smile. Murdoc wondered if Noodle knew what kind of smile she had. She sure did like to share it, but not with just anybody. The media usually got her wild teenager, crazy rocker chick, gonna take the world by storm smile, and that seemed to suit the world just fine. It gave her spunk. That innocent smile though. Jamie and Damon were greeted with that smile whenever they came for a visit. Russel got that smile all the time; of course her big brown American teddy bear would get that smile. 2D would get that smile if he was sober enough off pills to hold a conversation with her, or if he would play his keyboard along her guitar, or even if would just sit with her. That innocent facial expression, it was something she reserved only for the people she loved the most.

Wait… she likes me?

"Yeah yeah, I'm a real brick. Now go to bed." With that, the man walked past the girl and made his way into the living room. Murdoc fell haphazardly against the couch and turned on the television. After scratching himself for a period of time, he reached over the arm rest and picked up a bottle of Captain Morgan which he had left there the day before. Not caring that the flavor was lukewarm and dull, he drank it down in various gulps. For the next half hour or so Murdoc just sat watching television, drinking, chuckling in grunts, and scratching the inside of his leg. Eventually his eyes fell closed and he started to drift off to sleep, but his slumber was once again abruptly broken as Noodle dropped down on the cushion next to his with a heavy bounce. "Oi! I thought I told you to go to bed," he growled.

"Cannot sleep," her voice replied. Noodle's face was hidden behind the white towel that was draped over her head.

"I knew I should've given you Sudafed," he grumbled.

"I am missing 2D-kun and Russel-kun. I wish that they were being here," Noodle said despondently.

An unfamiliar twitch ran up Murdoc's spine. Was it guilt? Maybe it was sympathy? Or perhaps it was something else? Murdoc wasn't sure, it had been awhile since he'd felt… whatever it was. Childhood maybe? Or was it his pre-teen adolescence? He remembered a cat, boys, and burlap bags. Noodle had been turning a lot of gears in his head this evening. Murdoc groaned. Against his better judgment and character, the man reached over and pulled Noodle into the open spot between his legs. "You really know how t'lay on the guilt don't ya kiddo?" He started to swiftly rub the towel against her head, soaking up all the water in her hair.

Murdoc remembered seeing 2D and Russel do such tasks for Noodle when she was younger, especially when she was ten and showed up on their doorstep. She didn't know much about how things were supposed to work, so the two men had to take care of her. She got older though, turning twelve, the thirteen, then fourteen. Most fourteen year olds could take care of themselves; Noodle of course wasn't any different. He supposed that being sick flushed all her independent mannerisms down the drain, come to think of it, the same thing happened to him when he got sick. You just feel crappy, and when you go to do something your brain just says, "The hell if I know." Murdoc also realized that this was the first time in their four years of knowing each other that he ever took care of Noodle.

"Murdoc! Murdoc look! It is me!" Noodle squealed in excitement.

Murdoc looked at the television. The music channel he had been watching was playing their DARE video. He was slightly amused as Noodle bounced with the video and sang along.

"You've got to press it on you… That's what you do baby… Hold it down Dare."

"Never did no harm. Never did no harm." Murdoc sang along, his voice raspy behind her. "It's coming up… It's coming up… It's coming up… It's Dare."

Noodle smiled when she heard Murdoc joining in on her song. "Oh! You've got to press it on you… Jump with them all and move it… Feel like you were there yourself and work it out." At the end of the verse Noodle broke out into a hysterical cough. Her hands came up over her mouth trying to conceal rasp of each breath.

Murdoc pushed himself up and started to pat her on the back. "Ay bird, slow down. You gotta breathe."

Noodle couldn't stop coughing. Each breath caused the muscles in her throat to hitch and tightened, causing her to cough even more. Suddenly she felt the towel pressed over her face. At first she panicked, but then she felt Murdoc's hand press on her chest as he tried to keep it compressed. Her breathing immediately slowed and the urge to cough was gone.

"There, better?" he asked in a sort of calming way.

Noodle's head spun and she fell back against Murdoc. His skin felt unusually greasy and hot, compared to Russel or 2D, but she decided not to care.

"Hey. Hey." He nudged her. "Hey. C'mon now."

Noodle didn't move. She'd made up her mind to slouch against him. Murdoc realized this and let out a deep sigh.

"You. Are not liking me," she said after a minute of silence.

That twitch in his spine. "Come again?"

"Are you liking any of us?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"Eh, yeah. I'guess I come across as a Billy no mates, I kind'f strive for that image. Stu-pot, he and I are bezzy mates. Russel… he's a seppo, but an enjoyable bloke."

"And me?"

"I like ya Noodle girl." He patted her on the head. "Just 'ard t'get to know ya. You spoke nufin but that Japanese garble when ya first came 'ere. Now you're getting older, you don'want us old farts getting' into ya business."

Noodle hummed, showing she understood.

"Wha'bout me Noodle girl. Y'like me?"

"Hai, I am liking. My family." Her feet thumped together.

"Family eh? Stu's the broverly type, yeah. I ain't yer dad am I?"

Noodle shook her head. "Iie, iie. Russel is like being my father. You… you are like being my uncle. Uncle who is being in the background. Uncle who is always doing the drinking and the smoking, but is fun to be with because he is not liking to be in 'the norm.'"

Murdoc laughed. "Awight. That'a girl Noodle. Fun, old uncle Murdoc. I like the sound of that."

"Yoshi," she mumbled as she started to fall asleep.

"Ay, ay kiddo. If ya goin' to sleep, go do it in y'bed." It was too late however. Noodle had fallen into a heavy sleep, and there was no way of waking her. Murdoc shrugged. He picked up the bottle of Captain Morgan again and resumed watching television. "Good getting' to know ya Noodle girl. We'll hav'ta do it again some time." After a couple of hours the front door flew open and the two other band members came staggering into the room. Drunken, high, and excited, they conversed loudly with each other. "Oi!" Murdoc snapped. "Can't you see the chavvy's sleepin' over 'ere. Shut yer faces!"

2D and Russel started in what could only be identified as amazement in their drunken stupor. They made a couple wisecracks and then staggered off to their rooms.

"Bloody cunt-faced wankers…"