Hello, hello!

Disclaimer: I wish I owned 'em, but I live in a city and there are no good wishing stars that you can see in the city.

This story is fixed firmly in the cartoon 'verse. Make no mistake!

Please enjoy!

Roll it, Louie!


She's finally asleep.

I love watching her sleep. It appears to be the only time she smiles, anymore. And it the only time I let myself see her.

She came back from school just a few days ago. This is her new apartment, paid from the photograph work she does for a newspaper. And the pieces she sells to small galleries. And the waitressing.

I'll never say it out loud, but I'm proud of her. I run an intangible hand over her black hair and she smiles a little bit more, turning over.

She tried calling me so many times since she got back from school. Mostly at night. And I come. I look from the shiny, clean (eugh!) plates she keeps in the open china cabinet, or from the small glass vase she puts on her desk. Any reflective surface will do. But I don't want her to see me.

I can't see her yet, and she can't see me. It's too...soon. When she was younger, I didn't think anything of dragging her off to the Neitherworld, bouncing around from place to place with the little girl on my arm. She was always up for it.

But school did funny things to her. She went out on dates and did homework and fell asleep much earlier than she ever had before. When we saw each other, we just talked.

...I'm not much of a talker unless there's something in it for me. And she isn't much of a talker at all.

She's not the kid I hung out with. She's suddenly this lady and I'm not sure if a lady would still want to hang out with someone from her kid years, because from my unlimited experience with ladies, they tend to not want to hang out with an old beetle-eating ghost.

I'm just sayin'.

But if the callings are any indication, I guess she does want to see me...

I just need to get my courage up. Maybe she doesn't just want to say goodbye.

She rolls over and her eyelids flicker. Suddenly there are two big gray eyes staring me right in the face. But I'm invisible. So she's looking at air.

"I know you're here somewhere." Her voice is kinda groggy.

"Beetlejuice, I know you're here. How come you won't talk to me? Did I make you mad?"

"'Course not, Babes," I say before I can stop myself. I don't know if I want her to see me, but I know I don't want her to think that she's to blame for me bein' stupid.

She smiles. "Good. Where have you been, Beetlejuice?"

Uh-oh. One more and I'm outta here. "Around," I say, hating how cagey I sound.

"How are Jacques and Ginger?"

"Annoying," I say with a snort, and she laughs.

"Could you please show up? I feel stupid talking to empty air."

I hesitate for a second, then take a deep breath. Now or never.

It's showtime.

I gain a little more shape and color and she lights up like a Christmas tree. She jumps to a sitting position and flings her arms around me before I can think.

"I missed you so much!" she says into my jacket, her voice smile-warm.

And suddenly I'd bet my death that Lydia wasn't calling to say goodbye.


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