I own nothing.

Chapter 1

Lydia sat on her bed in that same bright red wedding dress staring down at her hand. The last twenty four hours just didn't seem real, but the ring on her left ring finger proved that it was. At fourteen years old, she was now a married woman; she had a husband, and as young as she was she just couldn't seem to comprehend it all. Beetlejuice was her husband now, and there was nothing she could do the ceremony was binding. And yes she had made a deal, but she never thought he would really mean to collect on that deal. She hated to admit it, but she had been terribly naïve. So, now she was his wife, as hard as Adam and Barbara had tried to save her, they had failed, and now she was destined to be his wife forever. Thinking of him then, she wondered how long he would be in that waiting room they had told her about; was there a chance she would never see him again. He had what he wanted, he was loose, and so did he have to come back for her? That was the first of many questions that she had no answer for. Every emotion she seemed to have was all mixed up, yes she had made a deal and she had kept her end, but most of all she was so unsure if she even wanted to see him again. If she never saw him again she wasn't so sure she would be happy, but if she did she didn't know if she'd be happy either. Lydia just didn't know what she wanted, life had become a jumble of thoughts and questions that she just couldn't process.

"Lydia…sweetheart can I come in," called Barbara's voice through her bedroom door bringing Lydia out of her thoughts and into reality again a place she wasn't so sure she wanted to be.

"Yeah, you can come in," whispered Lydia her eyes still not straying from the ring that now lay on her finger. And then Barbara was there standing just by the door a sympathetic look in her eyes as she slowly approached her hesitating a moment before sitting down on the bed beside her. When Lydia finally looked at her nothing was said as they merely stared at each other neither of them knowing exactly what to say. But when the young girl's eyes returned to that of the ring on her finger Barbara gently placed her hand over that hand making her look at her a hurricane of different emotions in her eyes.

"Lydia are you alright," breathed Barbara watching as she looked away from her then trying to find an answer. Lydia didn't know what to say, she didn't know if she was alright, she didn't know how she was supposed to feel, and looking at Barbara she didn't have to explain as she enfolded her in her chilly embrace knowing that she must be so uncertain, so confused even afraid.

"Today was technically my wedding day. Today should be a happy day for me, but I just don't know what to feel," cried Lydia letting a few stray tears escape from the corners of her eyes. Her hands balled into fists and she felt Barbara nod not saying anymore as she heard her sniffle. Finally when they separated, Lydia looked at the ring once more, she had already tried taking it off, but it was like it was sawn into her skin.

"I need to get out of this dress, I can't stand it; could you help me?" asked Lydia standing finally to move closer to look at her reflection in the mirror not seeing as Barbara followed behind her. Pulling a plain black T-shirt from her drawer, Lydia laid it on the bed before turning so Barbara could unzip the back of the dress, and pulling her arms out of the ratty sleeves she felt as the rest of the red disaster fell to pool at her feet in a huge gauzy pile. Stepping out of that pile, Lydia picked it up throwing it into a pile in the corner to be forgotten for now, and pulling her shirt to cover her she didn't move she simply stared off into the mirror not really seeing herself.

"I'll get your bed ready so you can sleep," whispered Barbara placing her hand on her shoulder for just a moment watching as she only continued to stare off into the glass of the mirror. Lydia heard everything she said she just didn't react, she felt tired, but at the same time she didn't. She couldn't stop thinking about him this mystery known as the ghost with the most who was now her husband. Part of her knew when she closed her eyes he would be there to haunt her and she wasn't sure if she wanted him there or not. Crawling beneath the covers finally, Lydia felt Barbara kiss her forehead before moving back towards the door, and suddenly she felt the need to ask her something.

"Barbara?" whispered Lydia turning onto her side to stare at her from across the room.

"Yes," said Barbara turning to stare back at her.

"He won't be in that waiting room forever will he?" said Lydia suddenly finding her mother ghost by her side sitting on the bed.

"No, sweetheart. He won't be in the waiting room forever, but don't think about that now. Juno will try to find a way to protect you from him," whispered Barbara moving a strand of hair out of her eyes. The answer seemed to satisfy Lydia because she said no more only closing her eyes to begin to fall asleep and Barbara still didn't leave her staying until she thought she was fast asleep. Leaving the bed, she had almost made it to the door again, but then Lydia's voice reached out to her through the darkness.

"Barbara, do you think there's the chance I could learn to like him…if I do have to see him again that is," asked Lydia her voice filled with sleep, but also with an uncertain questioning tone.

"I don't know Lydia," breathed Barbara turning to stare at her once more that was the last thing she had ever expected her to say. She moved through the door then finding her husband on the other side looking at her a moment before taking her hand. They looked at each other, they had the same thought on their mind; they both knew now it was their time to watch over this girl as if she was their own because she needed them. She needed them and in a way they needed her; she was the daughter they had always wanted. As they moved silently back to the attic to wait until morning, they could hear Lydia's parents fighting down below; they didn't know what to make of this situation any more than anyone else did. But instead of worrying about the state their daughter was in they were busy fighting instead. And what about Beetlejuice, well at that moment he sat in the waiting room. He sat between the severed showgirl and her legs, his head had returned to normal as soon as the headhunter had left the room. He was waiting to see Juno like all the rest, but he was not nervous about the meeting like they were.

Beetlejuice knew that despite what he had done there was nothing Junes could do. This would in effect be his last meeting ever with his former boss because he finally had what he wanted; he was finally free. The ceremony had been completed and it was binding; Lydia Deetz was now his wife which meant that he was free to reap havoc. And he didn't know why, but he thought of her then his little wife. He'd be lying if he said he didn't like her just a little bit, she was interesting to say the least, and he hadn't yet decided if he would go back to see her. He didn't need to necessarily, but he just couldn't stop thinking about her. Part of him really wanted to see her again.

"I didn't marry her out of love what does it matter if I see her again," thought Beetlejuice to himself part of him deeply confused by the part that wanted to see her. She wasn't anything special to him really she was just the first breather to agree to marry him; she was the first breather he had ever tried to con into marrying him in fact.

"Maybe it wasn't by chance, maybe you were drawn to her; why was she the first breather you conned into marriage? They've been others, why try this particular con with her?" asked a little voice inside his head an image of her as she stood over him as he was in the model forming in his head.

"I don't know, there was just something about her that made me think it would work; she was desperate," thought Beetlejuice.

"And she's kind of pretty too," whispered that little voice again making his eyes widen. He wanted to deny it, but he couldn't that had been part of it too. And in that moment as hard as he tried he couldn't get the image of her out of his head; it was like that little voice that before now he didn't even know he had wouldn't let him. She wasn't anything he reasoned, she was just some girl he conned into being his wife; he didn't need to see her again. He would never see her again even if he did want to. But he didn't want to he told himself though he couldn't make himself believe it as hard as he tried. He couldn't deny part of him did want to see her again, but she wouldn't want to see him. Would she? He couldn't help, but wonder if he did pay her a visit what would her reaction be? Sitting there in the waiting room ,all these thoughts running through his head, Beetlejuice just didn't know where all this had come from; it was so unlike him to consider such things. He had always prided himself on feeling nothing absolutely nothing, but the second he met her it was like he could feel everything whether he wanted to, or not. And still as hard as he tried he just couldn't understand it. She was just another con, she was nothing, she didn't matter, but yet for reasons he didn't know, or understand she did. She was just another breather as far as he was concerned and he hated breathers always had always would.

"But is she? Is she just another breather, think about Beetlejuice if she's just another breather you should hate her then, but do you? Do you hate her?" asked that little voice once more making him sigh because he couldn't deny the truth. And the truth was he didn't hate her; in a way he owed her she had given him what he really wanted, his freedom.

Thinking about it then Beetlejuice couldn't deny that they had both been desperate, he was desperate to be free, she was desperate to save her friends, but did that mean anything? Was he somehow drawn to her? Was there another reason other than their desperation that had made him con her of all people into marrying him? And thinking about it he considered her. Lydia Deetz, his wife, he couldn't deny he liked that title on her, and he couldn't deny he could have done so much worse. She wasn't ugly that was for sure in fact she did things for him that the hookers in the brothels he frequented didn't, she had a dark edgy quirkiness to her that both mystified him and made him want to get to know her, and she was a lot like him. They were both misunderstood. No one understood that he wasn't just some maniac he just wanted to do as he pleased and no one understood that she just wanted to be free to be herself; in a way they wanted the same thing. And in that moment he realized that he did indeed like Lydia Deetz and for him that was rare. Beetlejuice didn't like anybody, having friends had always held him back, but having her as a friend and his wife he decided might not be so bad. She could grow on him. A ding brought him out of his thoughts then and looking up he realized it was finally time. His number was up and he was about to have his last meeting with Junes ever, it was kind of sad, but he didn't dwell on that. As much as he hated the old chain-smoker, what they had was a love hate relationship, and deep down though she was a thorn in his side she wasn't as bad to him as she could be sometimes. He remembered that as he made his way to her office. And though he knew he was free to do whatever he wanted, he was still a little nervous as to what she would say. She was going to read him the riot act even though she couldn't punish him because that was just the way she was. And that was one of the things he secretly liked about her. He entered her office then seeing her sitting there behind her desk the room filled with smoke as usual and he took a seat preparing to get yelled at by her for the last time. But things began much differently than even he expected.

"Beetlejuice," smiled Juno as she took a drag from her cigarette pushing a pack of them across the table towards him. He took one lighting it up before looking at her, this wasn't at all like he expected, but he didn't let himself hope that maybe for once she wouldn't yell his head off, literally.

"Junes…long time no see. You still smoking up the netherworld I see," smiled Beetlejuice giving her that quirky grin he used to give her all the time when he was her assistant. She smiled back, but only for a second. What he had done this time was worse than anything he had ever done and part of her was happy for him. He had thought he would finally be free, but in all reality he was not. He had a ball and chain on his ankle now, which was what marriage, was after all, but he just didn't understand that. He saw a chance for his freedom and he took it; he took it only to tie himself down even more then he already was. If it had been any one else she wouldn't have cared, but the fact that it was him changed that. He was different because he had once been her assistant; he had once been her friend.

"Let's get to it shall we; we need to discuss your situation now. And we need to discuss your new bride," said Juno putting out her cigarette.

"What about my situation Junes, I'm free; I'm finally free which means you can do nothing to me," smiled Beetlejuice taking a drag from his cigarette blowing the smoke in her face.

"I'm loose," continued Beetlejuice finishing his cigarette then standing so that he loomed over her placing his hands on her desk looking her square in the eye. But much to his surprise Juno only smiled then standing so they were almost toe to toe.

"No Juice you're not. In your hurry to be free you forgot to read the fine print," sighed Juno pushing a copy of the handbook into his hands the page about the dead marrying the living specifically marked. Beetlejuice took the book from her bony nonexistent grasp pulling his glasses out of nowhere as he sat down again to read. As he began to read the so called fine print with a smile on his face that smile slowly fell as he read each word. Finally when he could read no more he threw the book right back at her watching as it went right through her head before hitting the wall and then he was out of his seat pacing the floor like a hungry lion waiting for its dinner.

"This can't be true; I'm free," growled Beetlejuice stopping his pacing finally to stare at her waiting for some sort of explanation.

"No, you're not. If anything you're more trapped now then you ever were," smiled Juno, but even he could see she didn't like this anymore than he did because her smile wasn't evil, or manipulating it was one of sympathy.