Beetlejuice, Lydia, the neitherworld… They don't belong to me. I just love them so much I want to take them in both arms, rip open my chest cavity, and stuff them inside forever, right next to my heart. Of course, if they were mine, just look what I'd do to them… But that being said, please don't sue me, okay?

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Okay. A lot of people probably are gonna be, torn, about this story arc. But it's been heading this way all along, the whole thing written out in my head long before it ever went to ink, so to speak. If you didn't run away at the synopsis, I think you'll be okay. Rest assured, I am a big believer in happily ever afters. But they have to be earned. That's part of the deal. And a true faery tale ending is never easy to earn… That being said, my idea of a faery tale ending? Well. Let's leave it there. In the end, it had to be done… No! Don't run away! Read on… This is not the end. Just a short beginning...

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Back at the Shocking Maul, once again, and Lydia was in heaven. The silk was warm as butter under her fingers, rippling like water and soft as a breath. A brilliant shade of red, bringing to mind less the color of blood, than the color of some indescribable feeling that would make her heart pound faster, and her fingertips tremble. She wanted it… It would be a dream to wear, if a nightmare to sew. She wanted it like anything…

And there was everything that stood between her and the perfect material, marked right overhead. A price per yard that made her brain itch. She stood there with her lower lip held between her teeth, eyes fixed longingly on her prize, only to finally surrender, and turn away.

Beetlejuice had already bought her silk twice now this year, once for Halloween, and once for Valentine's Day. She couldn't ask him again. Even if her old poncho was developing the usual wear and tear of any fancy material, relegated to everyday use. Even if this silk was a hundred times better than anything she'd worn yet… Albeit with a price tag to match.

Just to humor herself, she lingered over less expensive rolls of material, half as soft, half as brilliantly dyed, and found she could afford none of them either. There was a wonderful Egyptian Linen, intended to be sold to the discerning mummies of the neitherworld, and while this was certainly soft enough, and a good deal stronger, the color was just far too faded to capture the red that she knew Beetlejuice loved. And it didn't matter anyway, because that too was out of her price range.

To be honest, it was all out of her price range, and she finally accepted this with a sigh, adjusting the silks she already wore, and examining herself in the mirror. It wasn't stained, just faded. Torn in a couple places, but she'd mended it well. She was really just being spoiled. She'd never had anything this nice before she'd met B.

A smile tugged at the corner of her lip, and she smoothed her hands slowly over the still shining fabric. Yes, she was being greedy… This one was still better than anything most people wore, and she was fond of it as well, after the many hours she'd put into stitching each line of the intricate webbing. Still it crumpled and shone under her lightest touch, light and delicately rough, the way silk was. She was more than satisfied. Why did she keep coming back to this place, to look at what she couldn't have, and didn't need?

She started to turn away, intending to head back to the living world and wait for Beetlejuice to get done with… Well, whatever it was he did when she wasn't around. She tried never to dwell on that too much. Of course, any plans she had for such a pleasant retreat, were killed in mid-breath, as the first thing she saw, as she turned, was a large spider in hot pink silks, her face pale, her eyes wide.

"L- Lydia?" Ginger squeaked, backing up so quickly that she almost fell over her own many feet. Her gaze flickered around the room in alarm, as she tried vainly to plaster a pleasant grin on her face, and succeeded in nothing so much as looking deathly terrified. "Fancy meeting you here, sugar…"

"B's not here." She assured the spider quickly, making the other girl tense hard at the nickname, and only then, slowly, force herself to relax. Lydia smiled, hoping to look at least a little comforting. "He'd never go fabric shopping with me… You know how men are." Not that she knew herself, her experience pretty much being limited to the ghost with the most…

"Hon," Ginger murmured, a little tersely, "If it's all the same to you, I'd rather not know how that man of yours is." But her eyes had gone soft, and now, almost against her will, she was inspecting Lydia's current state of dress, clearly curious. "That's real pretty what you're wearing… Got the design as good as if you were a real spider. You make it yourself?"

Not sure if she was just making small talk, or was genuinely interested, Lydia still beamed with pride, giving the worn little poncho a little spin to show it off. "Yeah… I was looking to get material for another one, but the prices here are so expensive!" She cast one last, longing look, at the stuff she couldn't afford. "I mean, look at that silk there. I'd swear the spiders that spin that eat nothing but butter and honey, to make it turn out that way!"

Ginger, almost against her will again, turned to inspect the brilliant red sheen, and took in a surprised hiss of breath. "Well now hon, that'll make a small time spinner like me feel just plain inadequate!" She explained, moving forward, and running a light hand across the perfect material. "No wonder I ain't getting no one to look twice at my threads…"

For a moment, the camaraderie between them was perfect, and Ginger even flashed her an earnest smile, good natured and friendly as anything, before horrible reality came crashing in again, and her face once more went pale, as she remembered who she was talking to. "H- Hon, I'm sorry, don't mean to bother you with my silly nittering… Don't tell that fellah of yours I held you up, okay?"

Lydia's face fell, visibly, but she did her best to hide it. "Sure, of course." She agreed warmly, pointedly looking anywhere but at the ghost she suddenly wished could be her friend. But she'd tried that tact before, and considered herself lucky at how lightly those girls had gotten off. Of course, she hadn't really wanted to be friends with them anyway, for any reason but that they were alive, and Beetlejuice had known it. With Ginger, she really could see herself becoming the pink spider's friend…

But though Ginger should have taken this as an opportunity to flee, she paused halfway across the store, and looked back at the living girl, who was staring so hard into the deep red material now, that she had to blink back tears. Slowly the spider shifted from one foot to another, before casting another long look around, to be certain the girl was right, and Beetlejuice wasn't there. Then she just sort of stood there a moment, and then…

Sighed, put a smile back on her face, and moved back lightly to Lydia's side. "Sugar, there's something…" Lydia startled, blinking fast, and looked at her in surprise. Ginger started again. "You know, I never did thank you proper for getting between me and your fellah, the way you did. I mean, you tried to warn me, and I-" Here she just shook her head, smiling a little more nervously, but still smiling. "I think you pretty much saved my afterlife back there, you know what I mean?"

Lydia nodded slowly, well aware that this probably wasn't an exaggeration. "B can be pretty hard to handle." She agreed, amazed the spider was still talking to her, and grateful for the small kindness. "I don't even know why he puts up with me… I mean, we're best friends and all, and…" She gestured vaguely to the ring she wore, making Ginger's eyes grow wide. "But I'm not really sure how it happened."

They stood there uncomfortably for a moment after this, before Ginger turned back to the pretty material, a small, thoughtful look on her face. Anything to change the subject. "So are you gonna get it, hon? 'Cause they ain't gonna have stuff this good in here for long, before some rich snob snaps it up…"

The goth girl's lips pressed into a thin smile, and she shook her head. "No… I'm gonna head back. There's no telling when B's gonna show up, wondering where I am." She ran her fingers through her long, soft bangs, and considered the spider gratefully. "I guess this is goodbye, huh?"

Ginger gave a little shiver, and nodded. "No offense to you hon, you're a real nice girl and all… But I'm in no hurry to get in the way of that Beetle fellah again."

Lydia shrugged, not intending to be dismissive, but just supposing that her words made sense. To be honest, now that she'd thought of him, she was already eager to say goodbye too, and see if she could hunt him down. Maybe she could convince him to walk to Sandworm Peak with her, just one more time… She'd seen the sunset from there twice already, and had some great pictures, but it always took her breath away. And she personally, loved the sounds the sandworms made, as they rode the dunes…

It was probably a little rude, disappearing like that without any real goodbye, but she was eager to go, and she was certain that Ginger was eager to have her gone. It still shocked the spider a little, to see her there one moment, murmuring something under her breath, and then just gone… But then just as abruptly, she got the feeling she should be anywhere else, as fast as she could. No one needed to know she'd been talking to Beetlejuice's girl…

She was scurrying from the store as quickly as she could, and not paying nearly enough attention to where she was going. That's why she almost ran into the long, striped legs, layered with various coats of grime, before she saw who they belonged to. Beetlejuice wasted no such time, latching her easily around the middle with one hand, and lifting her to eye level, a grim smile on his face.

"Guess you don't scare easy, doll," He murmured, green eyes flashing with warning, and amusement, "But before we get into that… Why don't you do me a little favor, and tell me what Lyds was here looking for? I'm kinda looking to surprise her with something nice… And there she is, window shopping to her little heart's content. You know what she wants, right?"

"S-sure thing, Mr. Beetle-" Ginger squeaked, only to be cut off by a low growl, and hard shake. "I mean, sure I know, be glad to help you, honest!" Beetlejuice's piercing gaze examined her for a moment longer, and she did her best to shrink into her exoskeleton, smiling away like she meant it.

With a soft grunt, he dropped her, and she easily caught her feet, though she did sway on them, just a bit. "Seems like my Lyds likes you…" He grumbled, more to himself than her. "At least it ain't some living broad. I know I can keep you in your place." He nudged her with the toe of his shoe, and she scurried forward, hoping to point out the fabric, and somehow get out of there with her head intact.

She wanted to run as he examined Lydia's first choice, but was afraid to draw attention to herself. Maybe he'd just forget she was there, and leave… Kind of like playing dead, to avoid a bear's notice. But a moment later, he glanced down at her, with just a trace of a frown…

And then more terrifyingly, smiled. "Don't stand there looking like I'm gonna step on you, doll. We're past all that now. I'm just looking to make my babes happy, know what I mean?" The slightly calculating trace to his gaze sent a shiver down her back, and his smile just widened. "Seems like maybe, you could come in handy… What do you say?"

"Anything you say, mister?" Ginger squeaked, even her smile finally wavering. Beetlejuice just chuckled nastily, and that was when the spider was certain she was done for…

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A soft sound drew her attention, no louder than a sheaf of paper rustling, as she bent over her poncho, trying to repair a little torn place she'd found, upon returning to the living world. She turned her head to see, but by then Beetlejuice was already gone, or at least, watching her from her mirror.

He grinned, savoring the way she stood so slowly, her eyes wide with disbelief as she approached the huge roll of fabric, more or less the entire stock the store had offered. At first she clearly wasn't certain she was seeing right, that it wasn't some other cloth that he'd picked up for her, not knowing her preference. Beetlejuice felt smug as she reached out a tentative hand, then yanked it back at the light touch of the material, like she'd put her hand to a candle flame.

"B…" The croon came out like a song, lilting and filled with all the stuff he knew she felt, even if neither one of them often put it to words. It was music to his ears, and he couldn't stay silent any longer, a low chuckle escaping his throat, making her spin like a breath, her large luminous eyes fixed worshipfully on him. "B!" It was a cry of praise this time, as she flew across the distance between them, reaching right through the mirror, and burying her face in his throat, her tiny kisses blazing fiery trails across his skin.

"Now what'd I tell you about that…?" He grumbled, not for a second thinking of pushing her away. Her tiny mouth still pressed to him, over and over again, little cries of joy between every kiss, and warm salty tears falling unabashedly across his skin. Finally he could take no more, and tipped her face up, catching her lips with his own… She melted under his kiss, a tiny moan of absolute delight escaping her throat, muffled by his own mouth. It sent shivers across his skin…

And it was about all that he could take, finally pushing her back. Her eyes still glowed, but now her face flushed a little, as if she knew she'd gone too far, and her mouth drew up in a guilty little frown. He laughed shortly, tousling her hair, trying to distance himself from the conflicting emotions pulsating at different tempos through his body. She was his, that was all that mattered. He had to remember that. They had all the time in the world.

"Babes, you could kill me saying hello like that, if I weren't already dead!" He caught her by the hand, catching her at the end of her drawing away, and pulling her right back, to press the salty flesh of her palm lightly against his mouth. He felt as a shiver traced through her body, and grinned.

"Lyds," He drawled matter-of-factly, lifting his eyes lazily to hers once more, "I know it ain't no substitute for my company, but I'm gonna be busy for the rest of the day, and I wanted you to know I was thinking about you." He was even delighted when her face fell, just a little, the present indeed being a small comfort to her at the thought of his absence. "So you sit here," He murmured, turning it to a light scolding, "And don't come chasing after me, understood?"

"I wouldn't do that." She sighed, visibly disappointed, and not yet releasing his hand. "You're gonna go off doing whatever you do that leaves you in such a good mood when you come back… Promise me you don't have another girl stashed away someplace?" He made a small movement of surprise, hearing such a question come from her. "Someone that can make you smile like that… The way I can't?"

A disgusted curse fell from his lips, so utterly vile that her eyes grew wide in surprise, and she could only stare. This was followed by several other, similar swearings, before he finally reached out, snagged her around the waist, and pressed her hard to the surface of the mirror, keeping her head tipped up with two fingers, so she had no chance to look away.

"Babes," He said simply, his eyes almost hard with warning, "Any other broad so much as looked at me, making me think you'd see reason to worry, I'd cut her down the middle, and leave her for the worms, got it?"

It was a fairly disturbing declaration of love, but Lyds, after an initial moment of discomfort, seemed willing to take it at that, and even looked a little embarrassed for doubting him. "So… Just business." She murmured, smiling again, her faith in him easily restored from whatever demon doubt had gripped her before.

"Just business." He agreed, finally realizing how uncomfortable she had to be, and slowly releasing her. "Only room in my life for one girl, Lyds… And that position's been filled." He dropped a light kiss between her eyes with a growl. "Now don't go doubting me again, or I'm gonna have to do something drastic to prove myself, got it?"

A little giggle answered him, and again she turned those eyes up to his, so glowing with adoration. "Good. I'm all yours, babes." He tapped her ring lightly, adding in no uncertain terms, "Forever."

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The house was quiet, empty. She didn't know where her parents were, but then she rarely did. To be perfectly honest, she didn't even know what time it was. She'd stopped looking at the clock hours before.

Instead, her tongue pressed between her soft lips, her neck aching from hours of being held in the same position, bent over the length of fabric she'd measured three time before cutting, thin strips of black tape marking out the pattern she'd decided she needed to sew. Her hand was cramped from holding the delicate needle. She didn't have the luxury of a sewing machine, and wouldn't know how to use it if she did.

But the pattern was beginning to take hold, and at this point, she scrutinized every stitch before she made it, terrified of a mistake, when everything had been going so well. Each stitch was tiny, no more than three millimeters in length, as small as she could make it. The going was almost unbearably tedious. But she'd done this before… She knew it would be worth it.

When she finally paused to take stock of her work, she'd managed only about a meter of stitching, if it was all drawn end to end. Still she grinned, triumphant, her eyes sparkling. Not a stitch out of place. Not a thread snagged. This was going to be her best work yet. When Beetlejuice saw it…

Beetlejuice! She blinked, getting to her feet slowly, stiff from being in the same position for so long. Working her fingers out, twisting her back a little, her lips parting in an eager grin. He'd told her not to call for him until it got dark… Well it had to be dark now, right? She moved to the window, throwing open her heavy black curtains, and was greeted by the sight of the vanishing sun, still taking one last long look into that side of the horizon.

Running her fingers through her hair, she turned to her mirror, considering her reflection briefly. She looked haggard. Beetlejuice never seemed to mind when she looked run down, but at least she could try to pretty up a bit for him… She had a brief, bizarre moment of remembering back in the days when they'd first met, when she never would have thought she'd ever be in love with anyone. Long before she'd put on his ring. Back when she still saw him as some awesome dark god, newly fallen from the night sky…

But then, maybe that last part had only changed a little, she reflected, her lips twisting in fond amusement. Sure, she knew he wasn't a good guy now, like she'd used to think. And no, he really didn't go to as many pains to hide it from her anymore. He was flawed, yes, more human somehow, and decidedly a little insane… Even she could see that. And she knew that their relationship had probably never been exactly 'healthy,' per se… Knew that now.

But every time she was with him, all this fell away, and in many ways, she became that little girl again, amazed at the strange creature that came out of the darkness. Awed, and happy at finding a friend.

She tugged her lower lip with her finger, before turning on her heel, and grabbing the brush from her nightstand. She tackled her hair with a vengeance, well aware she had only a few minutes left before she could call him, and not wanting to wait a minute longer than she had to. It took less time than usual to put her hair up in its accustomed twist, tied with a deep black ribbon, and for once, she didn't bother with make-up. She twisted her ring in excitement, and turned back to the window, shivering a little.

It was dark. No more sun, not even a slip of it. She closed her eyes, forcing herself to stand still, and starting counting. She'd give him until she reached a hundred, then she'd call him. But she didn't even make it to thirty, squirming back and forth on her feet, before her eyes flew open again, and she blurted out his name. Once, twice…

Lydia held her breath for a moment in excitement, still awed at how easily all their barriers could slip away, and he could be beside her in an instant. His name hummed silently on her lips, begging to be spoken. It tasted like black cherries, covered in neitherworld chocolate. "Beetlejuice…" She whispered at last, much more softly than usual.

A small wind whipped up, and she turned, puzzled by it, to find Beetlejuice standing there in her window, the heavy curtains swaying around him, an oddly surprised look on his features. "B!" Lydia grinned, moving towards him with a little cry of happiness, and threw her arms around his middle, burying her face in his collar. "I wasn't early, was I?"

A long moment of silence followed, during which Beetlejuice made no attempt to return her embrace. She drew back slowly, an odd smell tickling her nose, wondering what was wrong. She was more than a little shocked to see the blood spray across his favorite suit, his hands covered in the slippery red stuff, drenching his sleeves. "B?" She whispered, taking in first the damage to his clothes, and that none seemed to have been done to him. "What happened?"

But Beetlejuice simply continued to stare at her without a word, and when her gaze finally reached his own, she almost shrank away at the cold evenness she saw there. Green eyes, absolutely flat, absolutely uncaring. She'd never seen that look in them before. "B?" She whispered slowly, then tried again, with a lesser used nickname. "Beej? What's wrong?"

He reached out slowly, taking her chin between thumb and forefinger, smearing her skin with sticky red, and gave his first hint of reaction, his mouth deepening into a slight frown. Her eyes searched her face, looking for something she didn't know how to offer. And then, darkly, he said the words that shattered her soul inside her.

"Who the hell are you?"

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