The Mayor snarled and screamed and kicked, snatching at a striped lapel and getting right into BeetleJuice's personal bubble, which he immediately regretted when he caught a whiff of the ghost's breath. Citizens howled with laughter, but still consciously moved away from the yellow sludge that seeped towards their feet. The sound of an amused crowd was bliss to BeetleJuice, all attention and praise on him, but his eyes travelled to the other side of the stage, where Lydia stood with a frown on that pale face of hers.

She wasn't laughing.

Immediately discouraged, Beej teleported to her side, hovering just above the ground and leaning down to meet her eye. "What's wrong, Babes?," he asked, reaching for her shoulder but unsure if his touch would be welcome at this point. "Ya didn't think it was funny?"

"No, and I don't think the Mayor thought it was funny either!" He looked over his shoulder to see the monster Mayor growling into a mobile phone, and he suddenly got the feeling they should make themselves scarce.

"Time to go!," he declared, scooping up the Goth girl and porting them back to the Roadhouse. She didn't give the ghost time to place her down gently, simply shoving herself away and facing away from him, arms folding over her chest. "Aw, c'mon, Lyds! Why're ya getting so sore over a lil' prank on the Mayor?," BeetleJuice asked with a slight whine, floating around her so they would face each other. Lydia stubbornly turned around again, shutting her eyes tight and putting her nose in the air, refusing to look at him. "And further more, why ya giving me the cold shoulder?" His magic then reciprocated by literally turning his shoulder into ice, then shattering and letting his lanky arm bounce on the floor. The ghost snatched it back up and clicked it into place, batting at it and watching it spin as if screwing it back into place. He then looked up expectantly, but she was still stone cold.

"Because, if I look at you I know you'll make me laugh, and then I won't be able to be mad at you!," she replied, shaking her head.

"But why are ya mad at me?" He floated beside her, just leaning over her shoulder this time. "Ya usually love my pranks, when they're not pulled on yer folks!"

Lydia huffed but only turned her head away from him. "One of these days, you're going to pull a prank that gets you into so much trouble that I won't be able to get you out of it!," she explained, though still refusing to acknowledge him. "I know you're already dead, but there are so many more punishments they could inflict on you!"

"Like what?," BeetleJuice squawked, leaning back until he was lounging in mid air. "They can't throw me in the slammer, they know I can just poof my way out! They can't cancel any bank accounts, coz I don't got no money!"

"But they could take away your house."

"I'm fine with dumpsters in back alleys. And if push really comes to shove, I s'pose I could...," he paused for a moment, shuddering at the very inclination. "Stay with my parents."

"They could take away Doomie!"

"Hah, like they could keep Doomie locked up for long!"

"They could throw you to the Sandworms!"

"I've escaped them before!"

"They-they could... they could take away me!" BeetleJuice went quiet, staring blankly at Lydia. She finally turned to him and opened those big glassy eyes, very nearly on the brim of tears. With such a serious, plain expression, she noted how human he looked. Not like a rotting corpse or loopy psycho, just a normal guy. With yellowing eyes and purple skin, but relatively normal.

"No, they couldn't."

"They could prevent you from ever seeing me again! They could make sure I never come to the Neitherworld again! They could take me away from you, or-or, you away from me! And I don't want... I don't think I could..." The Goth teen squeezed her eyes shut as tears began overflowing, and she finally cracked and threw herself at him. BeetleJuice caught her with practised ease, lifting her into the air with him and pressing her against his chest. She'd long since gotten used to his body odour, so she buried her face in his shirt without a fuss and gripped at his jacket.

"Naw they couldn't, Babes," he rumbled again, petting the back of her head. "I'd figure out a way to come see ya. Like hell they could keep you away from me."

"But what if they did! You're not the most powerful ghost in the Neitherworld, and not the smartest either!"

"Ouch, right in the ego." The grungy ghost rocked his young and living friend from side to side, almost cradling her in his arms. "Besides, if'n they did figure out a way to keep me locked up down here, I'd show 'em just how much they need you."

"Need me?" Lydia peered up at him, wiping at her cheek with the back of her hand, then noticing her eye make-up was running. Beej reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a hankie, dabbing and rubbing away the pink, purple and black smears. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"Hey, who has a better hold over me than you?," he chuckled. "If they took ya away from me, I'd stir up so much trouble, cause so much chaos, blow up so many buildings, that they'd have to bring ya back just to make me stop. And I wouldn't until they let'cha come and see me again."

She laughed, despite herself, making him smile warmly rather than maniacally. "You'd create complete and utter pandemonium just for me?," Lydia giggled. "I'm touched, BJ!"

"For you and only you, Lyds," he replied, lifting her up at arm's length. "Anything for you." The Goth girl smiled softly, then reached down to weave her arms around his neck and pulling herself back against his front. He grinned widely and little Lydia disappeared for a moment in bundle of stripes and BeetleJuice hugs, but she started laughing and gently bopping at his jaw as he practically squeezed the life out of her.

She suddenly found her feet back on the ground, and a flash of light had her cover her eyes, only to find a mangy looking kitten leaping into her arms when she opened them again. The girl laughed and petted the BeetleKitty, who purred and let her cradle him and tickle his tummy. Eventually, Lydia settled down on the couch and sat him in her lap, tilting over to lay her head on a pillow leant against the arm rest and yawned. "What time is it...?" BeetleKitty looked up at the clock above the door, then winced.

"'Bout one in the morning." She hummed tiredly, folding her arms beneath her head. BeetleJuice transformed back to his abnormal self and levitated above the sofa, lifting her thin legs onto the cushions and fetching a blanket from the closet. Once he was sure she was settled and comfy, he leaned on the back of his couch and watched her sleep for a while. Listening to her slow, shallow breaths began making him feel sleepy, but he decided he'd stay as near to her as possible for the rest of the night, just in case she woke up worrying that he was gone. "You worry too much, Babes," he murmured, watching Lydia sigh and roll onto her back. "But hey, anything for you. No more illegal or criminally insane pranks that could get me punished... at least, not on the Mayor."

Hail to the princess, baby!