The next day after school Lydia with Adam and Barbra went to visit Beetlejuice. It was the day before he was to be exorcized. She sat down on his bed and started to cry. Barbra and Adam said they wanted to leave the two alone. They were instead off talking to the higher ups.
After an hour of talking Lydia feel asleep. She wasn't sleeping well the whole week. She was too depressed about losing a friend. Beetlejuice got off his bed and got a blanket and covered her up. He was sure she could see her smile when he added the blanket. He knelt down and patted her head. She felt really warm to him. She did comment about feeling ill. He thought it was just nerves. It turns out she was really sick. He figured she needed her rest so it went to a chair and sat down.
Meanwhile Adam and Barbra were trying to save what little bit of existence Beetlejuice had left as a ghost. They were looking over files and talked to people. They tried to put together a good argument and hoped to find someone in charge.
Back in the cell Lydia was still asleep. Beetlejuice just there and watched her from his chair. He thought she looked like his daughter. He tried to remember his children. It was such a long time ago he can barely remember how they looked. He did remember how much he loved them though. He remembered all the good times he had, the bad times. He also remembered when they died. It was long before there was any sort of health care system. The young died often. He only spent ten years at best with them. After the last died he gave up. He didn't care about many things. After he died, that practice continued. He realized now as he faced his very existence in danger that that all was a waste. He watched Lydia roll over. All his mistakes were now hurting other people. It was affecting this child the most. A tear appeared under his eye. He wiped it away.
Adam and Barbra had only a few hours left before the ghost would be no more. They went through piles of paperwork. They talked to people trying to figure out how they could get Beetlejuice off on his charges.
"I got it!" Adam exclaimed. Barbra didn't even get a chance to ask what he meant. He grabbed her hand and they ran through the halls. They hoped they were not too late.
An hour before he was to be excersized Lydia woke up. Beetlejuice smiled at her. She smiled a little and asked what time it was. Realizing she slept through the last few hours of Beetlejuice's existence she cursed. The pain of him being destroyed hit her hard. She broke down. Her stomach got upset and she thought she would throw up. Beetlejuice got up and sat down next to her.
"Remember you have a chance. Don't live a life like I did. After my children died I became an asshole. You are too sweet and kind to give all that up. You see what happens when you become an asshole. Lead a good life. If you do that I will always be proud of you." He leaned over and kissed her forehead. She was taken back but then she smiled. She checked the clock and saw he had only a half hour. Tears flooded her face. He handed her a few tissues and she blew her nose and cleared her face off. He put his arm around her. She leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. She didn't know it but a few tears left his eye.
"Beetlejuice, I just want to tell you that even though at first you were horrible you became a good friend to me. You changed Beetlejuice. You became a good person. Pity we couldn't know each other longer." She couldn't say anymore because she cried even more.
A guard came and opened Beetlejuice's cell. Lydia knew what was to happen next but didn't move. She didn't think she could. Beetlejuice got up.
"It's time Babes." He said and tried to smile reassuringly. She just looked up and nodded. He opened his arms and she got up and half hugged, half fell into his arms.
"I won't forget you."
"Don't turn out like me. You are a good person. Stay that way." They let go.
"Ms. Deetz you should go. You shouldn't see this. After he is exorcized he will be wiped from existence. The Lost Souls room is not deemed a good resting spot for him. There is too good of a chance he could get free from there. A young person such as you shouldn't have to see all that. You should find Adam and Barbra and go home. There is nothing more you need to see." She tried to protest with the guard but Beetlejuice gently pushed her out of his cell. She nodded and walked out.
She sat down and decided to wait for the other two ghosts. Beetlejuice allowed himself to be lead down the hallway. He tried to look calm but inside he felt horrible. He wasn't as upset about his fate but how Lydia was feeling.
There was a shout and everyone including Beetlejuice swung around. A very important woman, Adam, and Barbra came running. Adam dropped a document and leaned over to pick it up. He waved it in the air. Lydia and Beetlejuice recognized it as office documents they both got dealing with their respective charges.
The official looking person spoke. "You are to let this one go. His sentence is no longer to be taken out." If Beetlejuice wasn't already dead he would have passed out. The guarded wanted a reason before he let anyone go.
"The day Lydia went off on her bike was the day before he was sentenced to house arrest. Once Beetlejuice left his house it was a few minutes after midnight. That would make it the day after. The paper Adam has was to be sent that night he saved Lydia. Therefore he didn't violate the house arrest. He only violated the rule he couldn't go to Earth." Adam and Barbra were happy but of course that was an understatement. Lydia not being dead did pass out. Luckily for her Beetlejuice caught her. Adam and Barbra eventually woke her up. Once she woke up the group listened to what was to happen in the future.
Beetlejuice was to do 3,000 hours of community service. He could come to Earth but not often until his hours were worked. Lydia could come to the Neitherworld. That was because the rule was put into place to keep the living from knowing about proof of existence after death. Since she already knew of ghosts there was no harm in her or her family crossing between the two worlds as long as they didn't tell anyone about it. Beetlejuice was to be given back his powers as long as he didn't threaten the lives of the living.
The three ghosts and Lydia thanked the important lady and made their way back to the home. Lydia and Beetlejuice were ecstatic over the news (of course that word didn't do the situation justice). The four of them made their way through the door in the attic.
"Hey Babes. Won't your parents be shocked to see everyone happy and me still around?" Lydia laughed. Adam and Barbra had to agree but they were too tired to laugh.
They walked downstairs. Lydia's parents were in the kitchen sitting quietly. They didn't know what they would do to cheer up their daughter after she was supposed to lose her close friend.
Before anyone could stop him Beetlejuice disappeared and appeared behind Charles and covered his eyes. Charles jumped in surprise. Delia seeing her husband move suddenly was startled. Before she could turn to look the two of them heard a familiar voice.
"Guess who." Delia turned and with the shock of seeing Beetlejuice fell backwards. Adam quickly moved and caught her chair and then pushed it back to its proper position. Charles spat out his coffee in shock which hit his wife in the face. His heart started to race. When he spat out the coffee Beetlejuice let go of him. He saw the impact he had on the two people and walked around and sat down at the table. Once they were calm Beetlejuice laughed hard at them. Lydia and the two other ghosts came into the room.
After the rest of the household was updated on the day's events it was decided a party was in order. It lasted the rest of the night and well into the morning. Barbra and Adam stayed up the entire party as Lydia's parents found their way to bed a few hours before the party ended. Eventually being sick kept Lydia from staying up longer. She made her way upstairs and after washing up made herself ready for bed. Barbra and Adam came in and wished her a good rest and they went up to the attic.
She got into bed and Beetlejuice came in. She covered up with the covers and looked up at him. He walked over and sat down next to her.
"Thank you for everything." He said.
"I didn't get you off. Adam and Barbra did."
"I know. I will thank them when I leave your room. Thank you for making me a better person."
"I didn't do it BJ. You did it yourself." She said now using his initials. Since his powers came back the name now had power behind it.
"In a way you did do it."
"BJ. Thanks. In your way you helped us as well. My dad and I are a lot closer. He is a lot braver. After Delia heard you and me talking that night she and I worked out a lot of problems. I could go on and on. Besides. You became a good friend." She said and winked at him. He smiled at her and put his hand on the back of her head and pulled her carefully closer to him. The two of them hugged for a moment and then he put his wrist on her forehead.
"I would love to stay longer but you are sick. Get some sleep and I will see you in a week. I am going to go thank them upstairs in the attic." He said.
"Whatever you say, Dad." She said and smiled. Beetlejuice stood there for a moment and looked sad and then he smiled. He looked at her.
"I guess I can get used to you calling me that. Well. It would be an insult to the memory of my children. Even though I do think of you as another daughter. It might sound silly but you remind me a lot of her."
"Thanks I guess. I won't call you that though if it's not a good thing. See you later BJ." He nodded and made his way to the attic.