A/N This is a long chapter that I am SO happy I am done with. I was SO SICK of editing, but my beta was overjoyed with this to say the least so I think it's done enough. And thank you for all the reviews! Seriously, I start thinking of the reviews in random places and I get this big huge grin on my face and people are scared because usually I look pissed off... well, enjoy!
Chapter Three
"Fuck!"
Black blood trickled down along his forehead. Betel had been attempting to shave the front of his scalp, trying to at least resemble his old self.
Something must have startled the girl, though, because he heard her clearly when she gave a high pitched shriek.
It was his first day back on the job, so she really had to get the fuck out of his head.
"Adam! Barbara! If you wanted me to wake up you could have just set my alarm!"
Her voice is like a nail pounding into my balls - wait a sec. Those are the names of the Maitlands right? The girl must still be living with her parents...
This could make things easier. Betel set down the bloody razor and concentrated on the girl. It was getting harder to hear things around her but her voice remained clear in his head. A muffled male voice spoke, Adam perhaps.
Then she replied, "Aw, I'm sorry, I've missed you guys too... let me get up fully and shower, then the day is yours."
What the hell is she talking about? If I have to go all day listening to her one sided conversations, somebody is getting stabbed in the face.
At first he thought hearing her voice would be helpful but now it was only confusing and head ache inducing.
"I don't want to deal with this SHIT!" He'd go without shaving, they would just have to fucking deal with him looking like a pansy. Without bothering to clean his face, he left.
After appearing in The Waiting Room, he had to repeat his name several times to the Miss Argentina receptionist and still she wasn't convinced it was him. Giving her some convincing evidence, mostly in the form of obscene language and hand gestures, she soon let him in to see Juno, anything to get him to leave her alone.
"It's show time." He muttered, not feeling at all like it was.
"What happened to your face?" Was the first thing Juno said to him when he entered her office. Taking a seat, he had to smirk.
"Aw, I was born with it, sweet cheeks. Come on, I don't ask what's been keeping you from shaving that mustache. It would be rude."
Juno pursed her lips, "Oh yes, because you are the epitome of good manners."
Betel extended his arms and shrugged innocently, an act that became slightly believable with his new appearance.
"So come on, who's my first client? How much am I gettin' paid? Is revenge on the list of specialties I offer? Any job benefits? I need some basicinfo' here!" He slammed his hands on her desk, he was getting pumped, excited. It had been too long since he had done a good job and he couldn't wait to get back into the business.
"You won't be seeing any clients today... or anytime soon."
Betel's mouth hung open, "WHAT?"
Without even offering any comfort to the man she had just brutally disappointed, Juno place an extremely large book on her desk.
Betel groaned and placed his head in his hands. He knew that book. He had to read it hundreds of years ago, when he didn't know any better that rules were BORING and always made to be broken.
"Not until you've read through this book and retained enough information from it to pass a thorough exam."
He groaned louder and leaned back in his chair. "You have got to be shitting me. I did that already and I passed!"
"Yes, and it's high time you were re-evaluated, especially since you've been in jail for the past ten months and it has been well over a few centuries since you've gone by any of the rules. Also -"
"I go by some of them!"
"Also!" Juno continued, her anger flaring at being interrupted. "This is the latest revised edition. Take as long as you need to." She slid the book to him with a cold smile.
Betel stared at the cover
Revised Edition Version 5,674,532.2
I'm gonna burn you.
Obediently he took the book and stood up to go home.
"Where are you going Geuse?"
It took so much will power not to turn around and use the book to bash her head in. He should win a fucking award.
"Home. To read."
"You're still on the job, you have work to do." Pointing at the large pile of paper work, she had the same cold smile as before. "Just like old times, eh?"
"It's been centuries since I've done paperwork or filed anything! You can't be serious!"
"Have you ever known me to tell a joke, Geuse? Get to work, I'm sure it will all come back to you."
The rest of the day was spent filing papers and thinking up ways to destroy Juno.
The fucking bitch.
Too quickly the weekend was over, and Lydia was loading up her car again to drive back to college. Jack had already left as he had farther to travel.
Lydia stood in the front hallway of her home and smiled at both the Maitlands and the Deetzes.
"Well, I'm off. See you next weekend." she said with a wave.
She hadn't thought it would be that big of a deal to be gone this time but she was soon getting hugs from both sets of parents.
Her father surprised her the most. Not with his hug, but when he looked down at her and said, "I like it when you visit."
"Dad," she laughed softly, "It's only been the first week of school." Charles only shrugged.
"I like it when you visit," he said again. "I miss you so much when you leave." Charles stepped back from hugging her and looked down at her fondly, "You're still my little girl."
With one last goodbye to everyone, Lydia got back into her car and drove back to college. Where she knew no one.
She looked in the rear view mirror as her house shrank in the distance and wished she had gotten a picture of everyone in it smiling. It was something she missed so much at her school, just to see a family member or a friend or even a boyfriend just smiling at her.
Of course her roommate smiled, but it was just a polite smile.
She probably feels as awkward as I do. Maybe I should try talking to her. It would be nice to look forward to going to college to see friends. I don't want people thinking of me as the "ghost girl".
Blinking at the lame little joke she just made in her heard, Lydia snorted at herself.
"So what, at least I'd be the ghost with the most."
Lydia stopped laughing as she realized just what she said out loud... but it was a little bit funny. After getting over the shock of quoting the sleaze ball, she began to giggle.
"Hey! That's my saying!" Betel shouted and stood up angrily.
"Get back to work Betel and Just. Shut. Up!" Juno said, She was getting annoyed to say the least. Something must have snapped in Betel's brain long ago because he was always having random outbursts and talking to himself and making his dumb little rhymes.
Betel narrowed his eyes at Juno before bending over the filing cabinet again. He heard the girl, he heard what she said. Now all he could hear was her stupid giggles.
"You're making the list little girl." He warned in a quiet voice, but no one could hear him.
"Hey there." Lydia said to her roommate's back as she walked in carrying her suitcase.
"Howdy Lydia." The girl replied. "How was your weekend?"
Shit, how did she remember my name? I don't remember hers! It's okay, just move on and answer and never try to guess it. That would be comiccally horrible.
"It was good, got to spend time with my friends and family and even my boyfriend a little bit."
"That's good."
"You do anything?"
"Not really, just worked on my art and hung out at the cafe. You know, pulling it loner style." She said with a shrug.
Lydia laughed, her and Roommate Girl would get along fine. She'd just have to look over her should at an assignment sometime to see what her name was.
No problem.
"Robert Kanard goes under... 'K'... where the FUCK is 'K'!?"
"Right after 'J' and just before 'L'." Juno said helpfully.
"You stay out of it, woman."
There was at last a silence for a while before:
"That. Is. IT!" Betel yelled.
"No, you've hardly made a dent in the paperwork and it's been a week. That is far from it." Juno informed him.
He pointed at her with a look of fury on his face, the look mad him look somewhat insane as well, which he more than likely was in her opinion.
"Shut up! I've had enough of you Juno. I don't need you and I definitely don't need this stupid book!" And with that he threw the book at her and walked out.
"Are you quitting?" She asked after catching the book smoothly.
"What the FUCK do you think I'm doing?" Then he was gone.
Juno sat back with a smile on her face, that had taken less time than she had thought it would. She knew Betel would never be able to go back to paperwork, not with his ego.
And he was always so painfully melodramatic.
Now he was out there in the world, bound to get into trouble. This time Juno would find a way to lock him up for good.
Of course it would have to be something really horrible this time. The Board of Carnage were already pissed off at having to be at Betel Geuse's hearing for harassment, especially considering what his job was.
No matter, he would do something, and then Juno would have the opportunity to take out Geuse herself. She looked forward to it immensely.
Betel tore into his house and pushed a nearby table over, sending candles flying everywhere. Annoyed at the small fire beginning to spread, he waved a hand and put it out.
There was one good thing despite all of this, he had stopped hearing that girl days ago. It was nice... but still!
A week he had wasted in that hell hole. That week had been worse than the whole ten months he spent with Kise in jail.
Or Benjamin Kise according to his file. In jail for shoplifting. Not even a minor shoplifting job, but shoplifting in the mortal world while possessing a small boy.
Guess it was a... "minor shoplifting" hahaha. Good one.
Betel smirked. "I should have gotten to know him better, we could have been... associates."
His file said he would be in jail for the next few years, as that was his third offense.
"Amazing, you think they would have tried to put me in there for that long... but then that was the first time I had been caught... that does put a damper on my opinion of Kise."
Still, there was an idea forming. The idea made him laugh, and he laughed loudly for a long time.
"It's the weekend!" Lydia announced happily as she opened the door to her dorm room with a bang.
She had been expecting her roommate, Courtney -- yes she had remembered her name without making an ass out of herself -- to shout happily with her.
Instead, Courtney looked up from where she was sitting on the lap of some cute guy and turned red in the face.
Lydia's face also began to turn red and she began to stammer, "I-It's okay, my bag is packed and right here so-so yeah I'm ready. I'm ready to go and I'll see you later Courtney and... nice meeting you Lap Guy, okay see you next week bye."
Taking her suitcase she closed the door behind her and was torn between hiding in shame and laughing really, really hard.
When she was behind the wheel and driving home, her mind was made up and she was laughing uncontrollably. Every time she thought of the look on Courtney's face and how her face must have looked ten times worse she would erupt into a fit of laughter.
Her cellphone rang, and keeping a careful eye on the road, she fished around for it in her purse.
"Hey babe. On your way home?"
"I sure am. Jack, you'll never guess what happened though!"
"I won't!" He agreed, "You should tell me."
Lydia repeated the story to him, trying not to giggle the whole way through but when she got to the end she began laughing loudly again.
Jack was silent for a moment. "Yeeeaaah... well um... hey I'm an hour away from home, how far are you?"
Lydia sighed, it was a funny story, Jack just didn't know what funny was obviously. "Little less than an hour, are you going to come over today?"
"Hells yeah I am."
That made her smile, "Good, I miss you."
"Damn right you do, 'cause I miss you too. But I'm going to go, see you in a bit."
"See you."
"I'm home!" Lydia shouted when she banged open the door, then quickly looked around to make sure she hadn't walked in on either of the couples living there doing something she would never want to see. Ever.
Thankfully her parents seemed to be gone, their car wasn't in the driveway, and the Maitlands were in the front room to welcome her home.
"Where's Dad and Delia?" She asked after Barbara had hugged her tightly. It must be horrible for them to be stuck at home with only my parents of all people.
"They went on a date somewhere, but I think they plan on being back later tonight." Barbara told her.
"Ew." Wrinkling her nose at the thought of them dating, Lydia began to drag her suitcase up the stairs to her room. It was bad enough they shared the same bed.
"Is Jack coming over today?" Adam called up the stairs.
"Yes, but I'm not sure when. He's probably just driving into town so it might be half an hour still before he comes around."
"Great! I want to show you what I just finished." He told her.
When she came back downstairs, he led her over to the model and threw back the sheet while looking extremely proud of himself, "It's the new McDonalds they just put in!"
Lydia was impressed at the talent Adam had, but at the same time she was amused at how excited he would get over any new building, even a fast food place.
"That's amazing Adam, I can practically smell the grease." She told him with a grin. Adam shrugged modestly but had a wide grin on his face.
Time with the Maitlands passed by quickly and Lydia soon heard a car pull into the driveway. Growing excited, she hurried to the window hoping to see Jack's rusty old car but instead saw Delia's shiny purple vehicle.
Not that she was disappointed to see her parents, but still.
"Lydia! I thought you might beat us home." Charles said with a smile when they came in the front door.
"Hello Lydia, have you unpacked yet?" Delia asked.
"Kind of... not really, my suitcase is in my room."
"Oh that's good, we met Jack on the way here, he was getting some gas."
Lydia's face brightened up. "Thanks Delia!" Lydia gave her a quick hug before leaving the room. Delia had her moments, like then, where Lydia started to like her.
Walking into the kitchen, Lydia got a glass of water and saw Delia come in out of the corner of her eye as she took a sip.
"You know, I've been off and on about that boy, but I'm just not sure if I approve of him now."
And then the moment is ruined and I am reminded of why we don't get along so well. Lydia nodded, but tried to tune her out.
"I mean, you have a clear path ahead of you, you know what you want to do with your life and where you are going... But that Jack boy... He just doesn't seem as level headed as you are at all. I mean, you've been dating for only a few months so it isn't so bad, but I just get nervous at the thought of you two growing more serious."
"Serious?" Lydia repeated, hoping to God this wasn't going to be another sex talk. Honestly, Delia needed to just get an opinion about Jack and stick with it.
"You know, engaged." Delia whispered the word as if it were a curse.
Lydia laughed, and before she could help herself, she was saying, "Would you prefer it if I got hitched to the most eligible bachelor since Valentino came over instead?"
There was a look of confusion on Delia's face before she said with a look of pity, "Oh dear, Otho's gay. I'm sorry."
Lydia laughed louder this time and shook her head, "I meant Beetle Juice."
"Shut. Up! I know you want me, but I'm trying to work here little girl! Big people are making big plans!" Betel Geuse's shouts echoed in his empty home.
"Who?" Delia asked.
"Me. Talking about me. Just can't leave me in peace. The little bitch is losing her favor with me! Doesn't matter if she was good looking a few years back, I am getting annoyed!"
Unfortunately for Betel Geuse, Delia and Lydia heard nothing from him.
"Never mind." Lydia said, "But don't worry, Jack and I are taking things extra slow." I don't know why, but we are... for some unspoken reason.
Lydia took her glass and went back to the front room where Adam and Barbara were. Saying Betel Geuse's name out loud had made her think back on the weekend before.
"Are you okay sweetie?" Barbara asked. "You look like you have something unpleasant on your mind."
"I was just thinking about last weekend with Jack."
Barbara was silent and Adam was too, but that may have been because he naturally tuned out girl talk.
"Jack didn't know what he was saying... but it wasn't an accident. It's hard to explain but it was about one of my photos he saw and he suggested the name be Beetle Juice, only he said it three times... but nothing happened." Lydia told them.
Betel Geuse didn't leave his home but he could see the girl and everything around her in his mind. He could see the Maitlands, both frozen in shock after hearing her say his name so plainly. They looked like they were in the front room but it had changed since the last time he was there.
Lydia was afraid she had frozen them forever, for it was a long time before anyone said anything again but finally Adam spoke. "Nothing... happened?"
"Right, and I was wondering, I mean it didn't say anything about it in your handbook but does that mean the sandworm killed him... again? I mean is he really gone?"
Betel Geuse laughed so loudly he was surprised the three didn't hear him.
"Kill me again? HA! You only wish babe."
"I'm not really sure," Adam said,"it might mean that... but..."
"But maybe we should just stay cautious and not say his name..." Barbara said.
"In case he can choose who he answers or in case there's something else going on entirely. Though it would be nice to believe he's gone for good, I have a feeling it takes more than sandworms to get rid of a ghost for good." Adam said.
"Especially the ghost with the most, you buncha losers." Betel rolled his eyes at how dumb these people could be.
And while it irritated him immensely, Betel had to wonder just what made this connection between him and the girl so different, it was stronger than what was normal.
Usually when people called him it would be a flash of their voice, the second time he would see them in a flash and the third time he was there. This was strange... but then it wasn't often that a mortal called him more than once knowing full well who they were calling.
Come to think of it, she was the first mortal who had ever lived knowing the secret to calling him...
Whatever.
Headlights shown through the window and he saw how happy the girl looked when she exclaimed "It's Jack!"
He'd never seen her look so happy before. She was always so moody and... wanting to die when he saw her last... and horrible at charades. Maybe that's why she wanted to die, no one wanted to be on her team for party games.
But then this was the first time he had seen her since he tried to marry her, and she had changed more than just looking a bit happier. She'd gotten... taller for one thing.
Lydia opened the door and there he stood on the doorstep, the little punk who'd stolen his bride. Look at him, with his stupid brown hair spiked up. Metal sticking out of his ears and face and a girly little outfit on.
Then they greeted each other by slobbering on each others faces. It was enough to make you puke, and Betel nearly did.
"Hey babe." Jack said with a grin.
"Don't call her babe, you wannabe bad ass." Betel said angrily. He wasn't exactly sure what it was about the kid, but he was pissing him off. Maybe it was that girly voice.
"Hey Jack, c'mon." She took him by the hand and led him upstairs. Betel watched them, curious to see if the boy had it in him to become a man.
Once they entered her room, Jack pulled her close and said, "I missed you." Then he was kissing her again.
Pulling away, Lydia smiled up at him and said "I missed you too." She went to her bed and began to unpack the suitcase that lay on it. Instead of offering to help, Jack laid down on her bed and watched her unpack.
Her eyes still look the same, so large. They make her look naive and curious... she still wears those neat costumes she makes herself...
How the hell does she end up dating someone who looks like... that?
This was starting to get boring and Betel tried to go back to what he was doing in his house, but he found that he couldn't leave.
"Fuck, dammit, shit and hell! This is going to get old fast!"
"So what's on the agenda for tomorrow Lydia?" Jack asked.
"That's what her name is! I knew it was 'L-something'!" Betel shouted triumphantly.
"I'm working on a paper for English and then I promised last weekend to spend some more time with a few friends."
Jack nodded. "The ones I can't meet?"
"No..." Lydia said carefully, she had never said he couldn't meet them. There was just always a reason why he shouldn't, and it made her feel like crap to lie to him especially since she was a crappy liar and he could see right through them.
"Great," he said with a grin and sat up. "I'll come over tomorrow and spend time with you guys then."
"Well..."
"Well what?" He asked, his grin fading.
Unable to meet his gaze, she tried to come up with an answer. "It's just that they're... shy... and..."
"Shy? Is that the story this time?"
"What?" Lydia froze in the act of putting a pair of socks away. She really didn't want Jack to get mad at her, but she had no idea what to do about this sort of thing.
"Yeah, I'm sure you don't know." Jack said, and laid back own, turning his face away from her. Betel looked between the two of them and chuckled.
The boy is super pissed and Lydia looks hella nervous. The boy acts more like a girl than she does... I'm definitely watching a soap opera.
"Then what's going on the next day? Dentist appointment this time?"
"Someone's catty today." Betel chuckled.
"No!" Lydia said angrily. Last weekend she had to go to the doctors because she was having some of the worst period cramps she had ever experienced.
So excuse me for not wanting my boyfriend to come so that neither one of us would feel awkward. But no, of course instead of just understanding he has to go and act like his ego took a major blow. Lydia thought, wishing she would just turn around and say it instead of facing her dresser and thinking it bitterly.
"The next day I was planning on spending time with you but you can forget it if you're being an asshole! I can barely talk to you for five minutes anymore without you turning into the worlds biggest jack ass!" She told him over her shoulder.
"Oh I'm an asshole? Because I think my girlfriend doesn't want me around her friends as if she's embarrassed of me?" Jack stood up now, and was walking towards her.
"Yeah!" Lydia said, turning around she prepared to tell him how she felt this time instead of just resorting to name calling.
"Yeah?"
Lydia faltered. "I mean... no!" What do I mean? What was the question?
"Just tell him you want a real man babe, kick him out and say my name one more time." Betel said with a smirk. He was sick of this soap opera shit especially since he had been hoping for some hardcore action.
"Well you seem a little confused, so I'll just give you some space so you can get straightened out." Jack said and stormed out of her room.
Betel was glad to see she didn't follow him out or try to stop him... and he didn't mind watching her either since she was still good looking, but all she was doing now was sitting on her bed and crying silently.
It was creepy.
"Hey come on, knock it off. You call me here and force me to watch you yet all I get is soap opera crap and now you're crying. Cut it out." He told her, getting annoyed.
"Oh I get it, you're crying because you're so happy to finally get rid of him, I know I would be." Betel watched her as she cried a little longer and sighed. It was getting really annoying to be there.
"When is this going to STOP?" He screamed but no one could hear him and so he got no answer.
But then the area around Lydia started to get fuzzy, the only thing that was clear was her face but he could tell that she was walking around doing something. Things around her were becoming less clear by the minute and he wondered what she was doing.
She was carrying something and walking into a room that was connected to her bedroom. He heard a familiar sound... it was the same sound the prison shower had made when he turned it on and he began to get excited.
"I love shower scenes!" He said happily and watched hungrily as through the fog he saw her take her shirt off, but that was when he stopped being able to see her.
"COME ON!" He was back in his home and now all he could do was hear Lydia as she cried in the shower.
"This is why I'm doing this, so I don't have to deal with people doing this to me. This is why I'm doing this." He told himself, trying to calm down. Normally he would have shouted and screamed all he wanted, but he had work to do.
The next day Betel paced around his house. His plan was excellent, it was magnificent. Things were almost ready to fall into place, but... he needed something.
As much as he hated to admit it, Betel needed help. Thinking over the list of past associates in his head, he tried to think of anyone who would still be willing to help him.
None of the names seemed very likely, since most of the people he worked with ended up pissing him off and made him do something very bad... but then he got a wicked idea. He got an idea that would help him kill two birds with one stone... figuratively speaking.
He disappeared from his home and a second later reappeared in front of the jail he had just been released from.
Looking at the doors, he noticed a pair of policy guards smoking a few feet away from it, probably on a break.
"Oh, we can't have slackers on the job." Betel said with a smirk and pointed at the pair, their heads banged together with a loud crack and then he made them fly up onto the roof, but not before making one switch outfits with him.
"Didn't even break a sweat." He said with a grin and pushed the doors open. He knew how to get where he wanted now, but later would be the hard part and so he had to move fast.
Soon he was standing outside of his old cell where Kise lay on the mattress and stared up at the ceiling.
"Hey pal, don't you have a new cellmate yet? You really gotta work on your people skills."
"Oh fuck!" Kise exclaimed and fell out of his bunk. He scrambled to his feet saying, "How the hell did you--" then Kise saw the policy man outside his cell and relaxed.
"My bad, thought you were someone else." He explained.
"Someone else?" Betel smirked, "I'm insulted. Who the hell could you mistake me with?"
"Um..." Kise didn't know if it would be an insult or not to tell the policy guard he mistook him for Betel Geuse.
"Okay enough of the crap, listen, I need your help but you gotta be helpful. No saying you'll help and then scram. I'm serious, help me and I'll get you out of here."
"What? Oh shit you are him!" Kise exclaimed, backing up against the cell wall farthest from Geuse.
"Well fucking duh! Now shut up and listen!"
"Why the hell should I listen to you, you wanna destroy me!"
"Because I can get you out, dumb ass."
Kise looked at him suspiciously but stayed where he was. "I'm listening."
"Good." Betel smirked and took out a key. "I got big plans and I found out today that it would be easier with some help and after reading your file I think you probably got some talent."
"What are we stealing?"
"Uh... a few things. I'm stealing one of the things after getting you outta here, but I gotta do that part alone, I can't risk being seen with you where I'm going. I'm actually a free man and you aint." He said as he opened the cell door. With Kise out of the cell, he would be able to be sent to Betel's home.
"But after I do what I need to do here, the real fun can begin." Betel told him with a wide grin.
Taking a few cautious steps towards him, Kise asked, "How long have you been planning... whatever your plan is?"
"Uh... a day or so I guess."
"What!?"
"Shut up, and scram! I'll meet you soon. If my place is a mess when I get there I'm sending you to sandworm land." Betel warned before sending him to his home.
Looking around, he got some odd looks from a few of the convicts in the cells. Smirking, he threw the keys to one. This should be good... And then he ran for it. He had a few things to take care of and now he would have to move fast to make up for the time lost spent answering Kise's damn questions.
Kise had been alone in Betel's house for several hours and during that time he considered running for it... but as he looked around at all of the contraptions in various places of the house and thought back on how easily Betel had gotten him out just for some help... well he figured the man would be better to have as an ally than an enemy.
He was lounging on the couch sipping a beer he had found in the fridge when Betel appeared suddenly and collapsed into an overstuffed chair.
Kise sat up straight, getting his feet off the couch and held the beer can sheepishly.
"Um, I was going to replace it. I swear."
"Just shut up and get me one." Betel said and Kise was quick to do so.
Coming back from the kitchen, he handed Betel a beer. Taking a seat he watched Betel curiously. He couldn't see anything that Betel might have stolen but then he expected he would be impressed anyhow. Still, Kise was a bit disappointed that he hadn't been aloud to help in stealing whatever it was.
After gulping down half his beer, Betel set it on the end table and grinned up at Kise wildly.
"We're going to clear the path for us to get away with all of my amazing ideas, because I'm being watched. I know it. So we gotta get rid of her.
"You're going to get rid of... whoever after stealing from a jail? What did you steal anyhow?" Kise may have thought Betel was insane, but he was amazed by him anyhow.
Betel reached down and picked up a small cube from the floor, he threw it at Kise and laughed when he shrank away from it as though it were on fire.
"Is it safe?" Kise asked.
"For now."
Kise picked the object up carefully and looked at it in amazement. "I can't believe you stole one." He said, looking at his distorted reflection in the greenish black color of the shiny cube. "I've never seen a Nox Box up close before."
Betel shrugged with the wide grin still on his face.
"Who are we using it on?" Kise asked excitedly.
"Juno."
"That bitch." Kise said, shaking his head. He had met Juno several times. She was the one who saw to it personally that he be put in jail for years upon years.
Nodding, Betel said, "Tomorrow I think."
Betel smirked, thinking about his plans. Using a Nox Box would trap anyone you wanted and they would remain trapped until the one responsible for their imprisonment set them free.
She would be powerless in that box and powerless was the way Betel liked her. He would have to get more for the Maitlands, but it was too risky to steal so many at once this early in the game. There was time still to get more, time before he struck down the Maitlands for everything they did to him. They were the reasons he had been so powerless and so humiliated. They were the ones who would pay...
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a ring.
I don't own a phone...
"Hello?" A sleepy voice said.
Don't tell me I'm still hearing her. Betel thought, taking a long swig from his beer.
"Hello Lyds, it's Jack." Betel's hand tightened around his beer can, wishing it was the kids neck.
"Oh, hi." Lydia said, her tone suddenly sounding unhappy.
"Look, I know I pissed you off getting all moody again and I've been thinking how wrong I was to do that. I'm sorry and I promise I'll try not to get so angry again, I know you just wanted to spend some time with your friends."
There was silence for a while and Betel listened intently, wanting to know what Lydia was going to say to that.
"Maybe you should come over." She suggested.
"WHAT?!"
"I was just saying it was a good plan --
"Not you Kise!" Betel stood up and threw his beer can angrily. He focused on hearing them again and heard Jack saying he would be right over.
Without thinking it over, Betel told Kise "I'll be back later, don't stay up. I have to... do something." And then he disappeared.
Kise looked around, he was growing a tiny bit nervous over the fact that he might have just made alliances with one of the most dangerous and insane ghosts there was.
While Betel couldn't be in the mortal world on his own without someone calling him, he already had a connection to it and it was easy to only be there in a different form.
As discreetly as possible, Betel appeared in the model Adam had built. No one was around, but he could hear people in other rooms, he could hear their footsteps. Looking around, he walked to the edge of the model and jumped down onto the chair next to it. He climbed it and soon reached his destination, the living room window.
It fit his plans so nicely that they had never decided to move the model back up to the attic.
He heard footsteps of someone coming down the stairs and he hid behind the curtains. Peeking around cautiously, he saw Lydia as she walked past looking like someone who had just woken up. She wore sweats and a tank top and her hair stuck in every direction.
How does she get it to do that without grease?
Finally he heard the sound of a car pulling up into the driveway, and turning around he saw the headlights of Jack's car.
Pushing and pulling as hard as he could, he managed to slide the window open a crack. Reaching a hand out, he pointed at the boy just as he was closing his car door. And then Betel was full size again in an even worse looking body than his was after he had to clean it.
He put his hands into the boys jean pockets, it was fucking cold and the idiot apparently had no idea what a jacket was. There was something in the kids right pocket and it made the jeans really uncomfortable.
Pulling whatever it was out, he laughed loudly when he saw the black velvet box.
"Wow, this kid has some damn horrible timing... Still... what an idea... Yes that can work nicely." He muttered to himself as a slow smile formed on Jack's face. The smile was an eerie thing to see if anyone else had been there.
But no one was, and so no one saw the odd moment when he threw his girlfriends engagement ring with a powerful arm. Someone in the next town over would be getting a surprise in their back yard, but fuck it if Betel cared.
"Throwing rocks again Jack? I swear, can't leave you in the driveway for more than a second." He turned and saw Lydia standing in the doorway and smiling at him. Or smiling at Jack.
So much for her being mad at Jack. Does she have no self respect at all that she would just forgive the kid so easily?
"Hey babe." He leered at her, "Are ya gonna invite me in or what?" It was so weird hearing that kids voice instead of his own. It was worse than when his head had been shrunken.
"Maybe... I haven't decided yet."
Betel smirked as he walked towards her. Coming closer to her he was glad to see that he was still taller than her. Placing a hand on the door he leaned over her and said in a low voice, "Want me to help you decide?"
Lydia hesitated, "You're acting kind of strange."
Betel was about to back off and apologize, figuring that's what the boy probably would have done, probably would have been on his knees and begging her to forgive him right away but Lydia spoke again.
"Come on, it's cold out here. But be quiet, everyone's asleep."
Nodding, he followed her inside and smirked when she led him up to her room. She had no idea how dangerous of an idea that could be.
Betel threw himself into Lydia's bed and snuggled down into her pillows. "You have such a comfortable bed." He said honestly. "I'm serious, come over here and feel how comfortable it is." He said, reaching out for her hand and pulling her towards him.
Lydia was trying not to but she couldn't help the smirk that appeared on her face. "You're a dork." She said quietly as she sat down next to him. He sat up as well. They weren't going to have a serious conversation, were they? He came here to have some fun, and fun fit into his plans nicely.
"Look, Jack I want to apologize and I think maybe I should be honest about certain things."
Betel tried to remember what the fight was, and smiled when he came up with the answer, "About your friends?"
Lydia nodded but Betel interrupted her when she began to speak. "Forget about it." he said with a shrug, "I trust you. You'll introduce them when you're ready."
Apparently that had been the right thing to say because the next thing he knew she was hugging him.
Good thing, 'cause I pulled that right out of my ass... but I didn't posses this pussy boy for a hug. He thought as his arms automatically went around her waist to pull her close to him. It was weird to be hugging her without her squirming to get away.
With his arms still tight around her waist, Betel laid back down and pulled her with him so that she was halfway on top of him.
"Told you it was comfortable." He said and Lydia laughed. Betel looked up at her as she moved to straddle him and smirked. She wants me. But she's so naive she probably has no idea what the position looks like, probably just thought it would be more comfortable to sit like that.
The thought made him want to laugh.
"Do you want to stay the night Jack?" She asked. I wish she would stop calling me that.
"You know it babe." Maybe I was wrong. Maybe she does want me. He grinned and smoothed his hands up her thighs, or tried to anyway but she stood up before he could do it properly.
"Good." Lydia said and smiled, "I'll go get you a blanket and pillow."
Quickly, Betel reached up and pulled her back to him as he sat up. Resting his hands on the curve of her hips, he urged her to turn around and looked up at her. "I think," He said, planting soft kisses just above her bellybutton, "you'll keep me warm enough without needing an extra blanket. You got me hot already."
"Jack, what are you... you always sleep on the couch, you... dork..." She was trying to tease him but he was getting quite the reaction from her.
Betel smirked and pulled her sweats down just enough to give him more skin for his lips to trail down gently.
"Do I?" He asked innocently, smoothing a hand down her thigh before trailing it back up with the lightest of touches. He smirked when he felt her tremble.
"Yes." Lydia whispered, running a hand through his hair. As if she realized how close they were getting to doing something she had no experience with, she squirmed away.
Aw there's the Lydia I know. He smirked when he saw how she was already breathing harder than normal.
"Um... what were we talking about?"
"You're bed I think, and how it's too big for just you." Betel lied as he leaned back, resting on his elbows and looking her up and down.
Sending him a weird look, Lydia went to her dresser and picked up her brush. "You're acting odd Jack."
"So you've said." He stood up and walked to her until he was standing behind her. Taking the brush from her, he set it back down on her dresser before turning his attention to her neck. "Now it's my turn to tell you what you are." He murmured so that his breath tickled her ear.
"And what am I?" Lydia asked softly.
Nipping at the soft skin of her jaw line, he said, "A tease."
Lydia scoffed and pulled away. "A tease?"
He was getting tired of her pulling away and so he pulled her back to him roughly. "Yeah, you are. Prancing around in that little tank top, bending down at every opportunity so I have to stare at your ass."
"I do not!" Lydia shouted, but he could tell she was more amused than angry.
Betel placed a finger on her lips, "Shh, everyone's asleep. Remember?"
Lydia pushed his hand away and was probably about to tell him off, but he didn't want to hear it and so quieted her again. This time by pulling her closer so he could finally taste those tantalizing lips.
Immediately she was kissing him back and bringing her hands up to hold onto him tightly. Smoothing his hands up and down her waist, he dared to smooth one down even farther and grabbed her ass.
"Mmmm." The noise was mixed with pleasure and surprise, and as it escaped her throat she bit his bottom lip. Betel didn't know if that was an accident or not, but it just made him want her more. His hand that cupped her ass urged her leg up to wrap around his waist and she quickly obeyed. Soon she was wrapping her other leg around his waist and Betel was carrying her with a strength that was not the boys.
Carrying her to the bed, he tossed her onto it. Laughing, Lydia tried to sit up but her laughter faded when she saw how intensely Jack was looking at her. She had never seen that look in his eyes before and it sent a rush through her. Pulling at his jeans, she urged him to come back to her.
When she urged him towards her it made Betel burn for her, when she acted as though she not only wanted him, but as though she needed to feel him.
Betel joined her in the bed and was about to kneel over her to return his attentions to her but was apparently too slow for her for she grabbed him by the collar of the kids shirt and pulled him too her, this time she took control and kissed him passionately, and Betel felt as though he was the one being seduced instead.
He was getting lost in the taste of her, and as she squirmed her body against the one he borrowed, it was a heady thing to be lost in. He felt her pull at his shirt and he broke the kiss to allow her to strip him and toss the shirt away carelessly.
Forcing himself to keep a cool head despite how she made the blood in his veins boil, he forced himself not to use his powers and make their clothes disappear so that he could take her that much sooner. As if reading his mind, Lydia broke the kiss so that she could sit up.
Meeting his gaze, Lydia was quick to divest herself of her shirt. Smoothing her hair away from her face, Betel grazed her lower lip gently with his thumb and watched mesmerized as she flicked her tongue out. When she moved her lips slightly to capture it in that delicious mouth, she sucked on it gently before releasing it.
A growl escaped his throat and Betel pulled her underneath him roughly as he covered her mouth with his own. Smoothing his hand down her stomach he let it travel further until he could touch her just there through her sweat pants. Using his hand to massage her, he could feel the heat through the fabric of her pajama bottoms.
Lydia whimpered and reached down to try and shove her own pants down. Always there to help, Betel hooked his fingers underneath both her sweats and her underwear and pulled them off impatiently.
Betel paused after throwing her clothes out of the way, taking the sight of her in hungrily. There was such a difference between taking a dead whore and the way Lydia was giving herself to him. He wanted to get used to that difference. She was intoxicating.
Trailing his hand up her thigh, he kissed her knee softly, his eyes taking in her most secret of places. It amazed him how soft her skin was, it had been so long since he had felt such soft skin and he knew he wanted to be able to touch it forever.
"Please," Lydia whispered.
Smirking, Betel crawled back over her, pausing briefly for a taste of those perfect breasts. "Please what?" He whispered, taking delight in teasing her.
"Just touch me, dammit!" She said, growing impatient from her desire and not wanting to take time at all.
"Spread yourself for me." Without question she slid a hand down and used two fingers to do as he commanded. He let her wait a moment longer, until finally he touched her. His touch was uncharacteristically slow and gentle, but he enjoyed teasing her and chuckled when she moved her hips against his hand.
Watching her face for every reaction she might make, he explored her folds that were so wet and hot. He watched the rise and fall of her chest and listened intently to the noises she made. Noises he was causing.
Just when she seemed to be getting close to the edge, Betel paused his movements. Taking her hand that so generously spread herself for him, he brought those two fingers to his mouth and licked them clean. She watched him and he could see the desire in those large eyes.
Standing, he unbuttoned the kids jeans and tossed the remainder or his clothes away so that he stood naked before her. He saw Lydia's gaze travel down the boys chest and rest at his crotch, and curious he glanced down as well.
"Dammit." Well it wasn't... so bad. "It'll do."
"Hmmm?" Lydia asked, not all of her senses working very well in the state of desire she was in.
Crawling back over her, Betel shook his head. "Nothing. It's all... perfect."
She didn't seem to care and just pulled him back over her. "I want you so much." She murmured against his lips.
"Mhmm." He had never been one for talking during sex, but wasn't about to stop her if she felt like it.
Holding her legs behind the knees, he urged them to wrap around his waist so that he could position himself at her entrance.
He was about to pound in and take her roughly, to let them both reach their release, but then she blurted out, "Be gentle!"
The words froze him for a second as he realized this would be her first time.
It took every ounce of willpower within him not to throw his head back and roar with laughter. Everything was just too perfect.
Instead he continued on with the charade of caring boyfriend and nodded slowly. "Don't worry, this is something you'll enjoy. All you have to do is... trust me."
Lydia nodded and held onto his shoulders tightly, so obviously nervous.
With eyes locked on hers, Betel slid in slowly, forcing himself to take as long as she needed and then he met the barrier. The reason he couldn't just take her.
Bending down, he did all he could think of and clamped his teeth down on the perfect skin of her neck as he took her virginity. She cried out and he remained still, waiting.
Nuzzling her neck, he kissed his way up her jawline and rubbed her thighs, urging her to just get over it. But of course he'd have to seem like he actually cared about her feelings and whatnot, so he did his best to be patient.
Soon, amidst his petting, she was moving against him. Leaning back to meet her gaze, Betel held her hips still and slowly began to move within her.
As their desire rose, their movements became more needy. With each thrust into her Lydia would moan and the sound of her pleasure was like erotic music to his ears.
"Ah Ja..." she never finished what she was going to say as Betel covered her mouth with his own. He wanted to hear his name amidst those beautiful noises she was making, not that stupid kids. Those noises that communicated to him just what pleasure he was making her feel.
He was making noises of his own soon, the need for release becoming stronger. Burying his face in her neck, he kissed where his teeth had marked her earlier before leaning back again so he could watch her.
"So good," Lydia breathed out between moans. "Just, mmm, just a bit more... I think..."
Betel wasn't listening to her incoherent speech, but was instead focused on her body. Focused on how her hips came up to meet his in their frantic thrusts and when he felt her muscles twitch around him, he watched her back arch and took pleasure in the volume of her moans.
Feeling and watching her reach her orgasm sent him over the edge and his head fell back as he rode out the waves of utmost pleasure.
Their movements slowed, and Betel pulled out so that he could collapse beside her. The body he borrowed commanded that he breathe hard and he looked down at Lydia who had snuggled against him.
"Mmm, let's do that again." She said sleepily, closing her eyes.
Betel chuckled, "I don't think this body can do it again so soon... but I'll take you to my place sometime. I can go all day there."
Lydia was silent for a moment and he thought maybe she had fallen asleep.
"I don't know what that means," she said finally. "But I guess I really don't give a shit."
Smirking, Betel watched her as her breathing became more steady and she snuggled into his shoulder.
Though the body he was using demanded that he fall asleep too, he had to leave soon. But first he had to put together the final touch in this part of the plan.
Rising carefully, he went to her dresser and delivered his little surprise there. Moving the boys jeans in front of the dresser, he hoped the kid wasn't completely blind.
Climbing back under the covers, he pulled Lydia's sleeping form close to him one more time and closed his eyes before leaving the boys body and appearing back into his own home. Kise had passed out on the couch with a beer can in his hand.
Lighting up a cigarette, he lounged on his bed and chuckled. It just kept getting funnier every time he thought about it. Soon, though, he went to sleep and it was possibly the deepest sleep he had had in centuries.
Waking from a pleasant dream when sunlight shone down on him, Jack kept his eyes close and snuggled up to the body next to him.
The apparently naked and very female body next to him. Snapping his eyes open, Jack was met with the sleeping face of his girlfriend.
"Oh damn." Jack muttered. He had wanted to take things slower with Lydia, because she was possibly the most amazing girl he had ever met, but he couldn't remember anything that had happened last night after arriving at her house.
Did we get drunk?
Jack got out of bed, trying to think of a way to let this not be awkward between them after... whatever happened the night before.
Looking around, he spotted his clothes in the most random of places. Snatching his boxers from where they had been thrown on top of her lamp, he put those on and spotted his jeans on the other side of the room by her dresser.
He was just zipping up when he noticed a note on her dresser. With every intention of minding his own business, Jack was about to look for his shirt but not before noticing something shiny out of the the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he saw what looked like a ring attached to the mystery note.
For a moment he panicked, wondering if he had proposed to her while drunk. There was no box in his pocket... but then he noticed the large difference between his and the one on her dresser. This one looked... nicer. More expensive...
Picking up the note carefully, he had to read it three times before registering what it said.
"You look very pleased with yourself, Geuse." Kise said before smirking. "What did you do last night?"
"Wait for it." Geuse said holding up a finger. A moment later a shout erupted from Lydia's room:
"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!"
And Geuse rolled on the floor, roaring with the laughter he had kept in since the night before.
Kise watched him, confused and curious. It was a long time before his hysterical laughter ceased and Geuse slowly got back into his chair wiping tears from his face.
"Oh man, you had to be there I guess... but I'll tell you soon. You'll laugh, I promise. Now..." Geuse looked a tiny bit more serious as he looked Kise in the eye, "Are you ready?"
"Yes."
"Good. Let's go snag ourselves a bitch... and I have something for you to do in case everything goes according to plan, I'll tell you on the way."
Taking all that they needed, which wasn't much, they left Betel Geuse's home and headed for their destinations.
Lydia had been woken from a dreamless sleep when Jack decided to shout very rudely at... What the hell, what time is it? Please don't tell me you woke my parents, not when you're half naked and I am fully.
"What are you talking about?" Lydia said groggily while sitting up.
"Yeah, I'm sure you'd like to pretend you have no idea. What the hell happened last night and what the hell does this mean?" Jack shouted as he threw something at her.
Lydia looked down at what had landed on the comforter in front of her. Picking up the ring, her hand began to shake as she recognized the red diamonds on it. There was a note attached by a string.
My dearest Lydia,
We aren't a secret to anyone else, so why do you act as though we are to your boy toy? Aside from that, I had my feelings hurt when you seemed to have lost my gift, but I got over it quickly once I found it while you were asleep.
BETEL GEUSE
BETEL GEUSE
BETEL GEUSE
"Oh no." Lydia began breathing deeply, she felt as if she couldn't get enough air.
"Yeah, you've been found out. You're seeing this... Behtel... Guysah? Behind my back? Am I the boy toy, or is that someone else entirely?" Jack shouted, walking back and forth angrily through her room while kicking things out of the way. "Who are you?" He screamed.
Lydia looked up at Jack, she had no idea what to say and her eyes began to fill with tears knowing how much pain he must be feeling. There was no way she could think of to safely explain everything to him. There was no way of knowing he would want to listen either.
"I am so sorry Jack. I should have said something."
Jack shook his head and backed out of her room, "Just... stay away from me."
Lydia watched him go before looking back down at the note in her hands. It all seemed so surreal, she must still be dreaming. Any second now she would wake up and see Jack smiling down at her, and then they'd do what they Jack showed her last night again and...
Oh God.
She snatched the shirt Jack had left behind and pulled it on before pulling on her sweats that had been tossed carelessly the night before. She had to go to Adam and Barbara and tell them...
But her legs couldn't stop shaking.
Feeling as though she had been defeated before she even knew what she was apart of, she slid down against her door and sat on her cold bedroom floor, holding her knees tightly to her chest.
Maybe if I sit like this forever it will just go away.
"Barbara!' She shouted, her voice cracking, "Adam!"
Wasting no time, they floated down through her ceiling.
"Oh honey, we heard Jack shouting but we didn't know if we should interfere or not, is everything okay?" Barbara asked, kneeling down beside her looking worried.
Adam looked very worried too as he kneelled beside her as well, "Did he hurt you Lydia?"
"No..." Her fist clenched around the note and ring.
"I hurt him." Her lower lip trembled violently and her throat began to close up, but she tried to tell them without crying, "He found this, and I'm not sure where, but it was left in my room." She unclenched her fist, revealing to them her "gift".
"He had to know Jack would find it, which means he can get information about us which means he found us, he can come here somehow, he found a way, now Jack hates me and he knew that would happen..." The feeling of suffocating was coming back and she clung onto Barbara's arms.
Stroking the young girl's hair, Barbara sent Adam a worried look.
"We'll go to Juno." Adam said, "She seems like she knows how to deal with Betel Geuse."
"Yeah, you do that." Betel said happily and looked down at the two new Nox Boxes he had just acquired before stuffing them into his coat. "Come and see how easily I'm dealt with."
He hoped Kise was where he had told him to be, this was his most important job and if he fucked it up, he was going on the list as well.
Disappearing, he soon reappeared into The Waiting Room and told the Miss Argentina receptionist he wanted to give it another go with Juno.
"You mean for your job?"
"Sure." Betel said with a small smile. "That's what I mean." The doors opened and he was allowed through.
"It's show time." He said with a grin, and this time he meant it.