The anxiety hit him like a brick wall the moment he stepped out of Grand Central. The smog, the people, all the noise. Oh what he would do to just hear the silence of wind right now. His eyes looked to Lydia then.

She seemed just as displeased as he was about being here. Then again nothing seemed to please her. He had years to relax, Lydia only had months to live. He had a chance to save her life, and he never turned down a opportunity to invest, and his daughter's life was the best damn investment he could make.

Arriving at the hotel, Delia sounded like she was on the verge of a orgasm, which was more of a turn off to Charles because he knew it had nothing to do with him. He might get something in return later from Delia, but once again this wasn't about him, nor Delia.

"Alright girls, I have to go to the office to clear up something. But the rest of the week should be all ours. So Lydia why don't you think of what you want to do?"

"I think we should go shopping! How does that sound, Lydia?" Delia's voice rang with joy as she made her way into the kitchen. "Ugh, I swear, these places are getting cheaper and cheaper! Charles, there isn't even a mini bar! We'll need to get some wine when we go out. " She said before she looked to the clock above the stove. "Then again.. it's only eleven, we have hours.. Charles, you don't mind if I take Lydia shopping, on the way back we can pick up some groceries!" Lydia gave a groan.

"..I don't recall my dying wish to be the best dressed corpse on the east coast.." She muttered before she felt her father kiss her forehead.

"Just try to have fun pumpkin. The rest of the week is yours." He said with a smile, and Lydia nodded in defeat.

"..I hear they are doing a showing of Dawn of the Dead, the original." Lydia said with a half assed smile before she narrowed her gaze. "..What is this meeting about again?" She questioned, which made Charles break out in a sweat..

"Oh shoot! Look at the time, I nearly forgot about it! I better get down there before I'm late!" He said before he kissed her forehead again, and waved to his wife. "I'll see you ladies later!" He called before he left the room, nearly slumping against the door. He had gotten so caught up in it all he didn't even have a excuse to give Lydia! And that was the hardest part, yet such a simple task. He sighed shaking his head before heading off to meet Otho.

Charles had to admit that finding Otho was harder than he imagined it would. Of course he usually found that man terrorizing his home, or drinking all of his wine. Wasn't hard to find him before. Otho was still doing well for himself, living in Manhattan wasn't cheap, he knew though experience. Both business and personal, but Charles was half convinced that Otho would of lost it after his ghost encounter. This wasn't the first time he was wrong though.

Knocking on his apartment door, it swung open to reveal the plump man he knew.

"Hello Otho." He said walking in without waiting to be invited in. It was nice to be able to do that for once. The shock on Otho's face was even sweeter.

"Charles Deetz! My word- I thought you to be dead until a few months ago.. Delia seems to be doing very well..." He said before closing the door. "And how may I be of service to you today?" He asked as Charles revealed the hand book, making Otho stop in his tracks. "Oh no Charles, Not that stuff again! I'm though with the paranormal!"

"Oh no Otho, you owe me! You said it yourself, you thought we were as good as dead, because you left us for the dead!" He shouted slamming the book onto a coffee table in Otho's living room.

"That is a David Lloyd Thompson one of a kind coffee table! So if you are going to be a barbarian Charles I suggest you do it at K Mart." He said before her waddled into the kitchen. "How did you even manage to rid yourselves of that ghost?" He asked now curious. So Charles told Otho everything. What happened after he ran out, to the years they spent with the Maitland's till they crossed to the next life, to everything going back to the way their lives were before and Lydia's illness. Then came the news of The ghost from before haunting him, and a new ghoul haunting Lydia.

"I was a idiot- I called out his name twice already.. That's how he got out. You say his name three times and he comes back.." He whispered. "He said though that if Lydia doesn't die suddenly or if she doesn't get married to him she'll suffer from this other ghost.. That it'll eat her." Otho scoffed.

"Come now, Charles. You don't actually believe this do you?" He asked looking at him as he poured himself a cup of coffee. "I mean clearly this man knows how to pull one over your eyes.."

"Otho I mean it! You should of seen Lydia! Even BJ looked fearful." Charles exclaimed.

"BJ?"

"It's what I call him, to you know, not screw up one last time." Charles said as he sat back in a very expensive, but hardly comfortable chair. "Look Otho, you are the only one I know who actually knows how make out what that book says.. maybe you can find a way to ward off that other ghost, and even BJ for that matter." He said hopeful. Otho watched him for several moments before giving in.

"Alright Charles, I'll look at it.. " He said before going to the coffee table and picked up the book. "Though you know, if things are really as bad as you say, killing Lydia may be for the best."

"Are you crazy! I can't kill my own daughter!" Charles shouted, but it didn't seem to affect Otho in any way.

"You know you could always hire someone." Otho said with a shrug. "I am just saying though. I'd rather have my daughter dead then have that thing as my son in law."

"You don't even have kids. How could you make a choice without knowing." He asked.

"I used to have a cat Charles. It had a tumor, and the bill to get it removed compared to putting the thing down, well Mittens lived a long life." He said before taking a sip of his coffee. Charles shook his head before he covered his face with his hands.

"That's not the same.." He said before he got to his feet. "Anyway.. I have to go. Just give me a call when you find something, if you get anything useful, I'll make it worth your while." He said pulling out his business card and handed it to Otho, who took it gingerly.

"And what could you possibly have to offer Charles?" He asked folding his arms. Charles had to admit, Ortho had him there.

"Well, other than paid for your time, I'm sure getting a new original piece of Delia's work would be a great center piece for your guests to gawk at.." Otho nodded in agreement.

"Yes, well Delia has become quiet the rising star in the past few weeks..." He said before nodding his head. "Alright, Charles. You have yourself a deal. Don't let the door hit you on the way out!" He called as he made his way for the book.

While Charles was with Otho, Delia dragged Lydia into nearly every store with a sign that claimed they had a sale. For a woman with expensive taste, she sure did seem to like getting deals. After hours, Delia called it was time for a break, and they stopped a Italian restaurant. Bags of clothes and useless nicknacks surrounded them.

Delia smiled putting on her new sunglasses. "Isn't this great Lydia? I'm so glad your father decided to make a trip out of this." She said smiling as she took a sip of her wine.

"What did dad need to do out here anyway?" She asked glancing over to Delia but she just laughed.

"Oh who knows? And by that who cares?" She exclaimed setting her glass down and looked up in search of their waiter. "What is taking them so long?" She asked.

"Who knows, and who cares." Lydia retorted which made Delia roll her eyes behind her sunglasses.

"I'll be right back.. Make sure no one even tries to grab our bags." She said before she excused herself from the table.

Lydia smirked softly as she glanced down at the table before her eyes rose to meet a red pair of eyes across from her. Fear shot though her instantly, and then came the need to scream again but silence came from her paralyzed windpipes.

The creature made a sound that sounded like a mixture of a growl and a laugh which sent shivers down her spine.

"Lydia- you smell delicious..." it whispered as it floated closer to her, its drapes flowing with a terrible grace, like a lion stalking its prey. That's exactly what was going on. She was a zebra that could no longer blend in.

"What do you want.." She whispered, her voice shaking as the creature circled her. Her eyes closed. "What do you want from me?" She screamed now.

"Lydia- your food is here, just take it from the man. Honestly what has gotten into you?" Came Delia's voice which made Lydia open her eyes. Delia was in her seat once again staring at her as though she had a second head. In fact the entire place seemed to be staring at her.

"...I need to go to the bathroom." Lydia said before she fled the scene, ignoring the protest from Delia as she arrived in the bathroom, which thankfully was a single, rather than stalls. Locking the door behind her she went to the sink and turned on the faucet, slashing cold water onto her face.

"Your will scared it away you know." Came a familiar voice. Lydia didn't need to look up to know who it was.

"Go away." she said in a sulk which made Beetlejuice laugh.

"Hey now babes, I like my girls.. alive." He said with a laugh. Lydia's gaze went to the mirror, but instead of meeting her own reflection she met Beetlejuice.

"..Say something nice... To assure me this isn't a part of my imagination or something.."

"Something nice." Beetlejuice repeated with a grin as he inspected his finger nails. Lydia groaned, turning off the sink.

"Why are you here? I mean, God. I thought I'd be in some dream world state, not having a heart attack every other day.." She muttered and Beetlejuice continued to laugh.

"What do ya mean babes?" He asked watching her. "I thought you wanted to join the dead? Cause you know, we are all just so in love with the... delectable taste of life.." He said with a crooked grin which aroused Lydia's suspicions.

"...So that thing I'm seeing.. it's real. Isn't it?" She asked and he nodded.

"As real as it gets toots." He said with his bright green eyes. "And it's intentions aren't too pleasant either.."

"It's after my soul.." She whispered "And I can't stop it.. because no matter what I'm going to die." Beetlejuice didn't respond. Last time he offered help to her, she backed out once it came time to pay her debt without so much as a sorry. No, this time he'd make her beg for help. But to his surprise she smiled.

"I guess I asked for it huh? So eager to get in, I didn't care how it happened.. So long as I wasn't here.." She whispered. Her eyes told him she was throwing in the towel, that she wanted out, without a fight. "Might as well as go in early right?" She asked as she pulled out a razor blade from her messenger bag. Beetlejuice's eyes widened in shock.

"Whoa, babes! You are doing it all wrong!" He shouted pressing his entire body to the mirror as if he could get in with enough force.

"Remember kids, it's down the street. Not across the road..." She whispered as she pressed the razor to her pale wrist just as a pounding came to the door.

"Lydia Deetz, you open this door right now!" Came the voice of the woman who haunted her for more years then she cared to count.

"Dammit." Lydia hissed having dropped the razor blade down the sink drain. She slammed her fists on the sink. "I'll be right out!" She called in the calmest voice she could produce before her gaze met Beetlejuice. He looked relieved. "...Guess I'll just have to wait... huh?" She asked gently.

"I guess so kid." He still in a state of shock. She was really going to do it.

"When I die and you know... go to your world.. Could you give me a tour? Show me the ropes and stuff?" She asked, and Beetlejuice couldn't help but nod. How she managed to get in his head was beyond him But he blamed her eyes.

"Thanks." She whispered "I still have the ring you know.."

"What?"

"The ring." She repeated. "I kept it. I don't know why. It's really old and I probally could of bought a brand new camera and everything with it but I kept it.." She whispered.

"Lydia! I can't wait forever, get out or I may just have to leave you here!" Delia threatened. Lydia knew Delia was bluffing, but if she did leave her here it might have been for the best.

Lydia waited for Beetlejuice to respond but he was dumbfounded. Blindsided by the news. He was as silent as a grave yard.

"Well.. I better get go.. I'll see you around I guess.." She whispered before she left the bathroom, though Beetlejuice remained in the mirror for sometime, thinking over the situation.

He had to say it, she was something else. She had fight in her, yet all the innocence of a angel. Smart, and not hard on the eyes. Oh fuck it, she was hot!No denying that. Would she be able to survive her death, or would her soul be gobbled up before she reached the Neither World?

Wait, why was he thinking of this? He had to get her to be his bride. If he told her the truth of it all would she accept life, or just try to kill herself again? He couldn't say for sure. What he could say was that he had it in for this girl. Living or not, he wanted her. Bad.

He was getting anxious just thinking about about her. It had been awhile since a broad could do that to him. Not since he was alive at least. If he had to choose between having her in bed, or getting to the realm of the living.. it'd be a really tough call. But to have both? He grinned at the thought.

He left once a elderly women inched her way into the bathroom, he considered giving her a heart attack, but he had bigger fish to fry. A fish by the name of Charles Deetz. He only needed Charles to say his name one more time and he'd be out. He'd get Charles to say his name one more time. Somehow.

Well this chapter isn't really as long as I wanted it to be, but I'll just extend it. In the chapters ahead there will be more of Beetlejuice and Lydia scenes, as well as more of Otho (I know right, so exciting!) And who knows, maybe Lydia might go see My Chemical Romance in concert just because I know how much you love them. I'm just saying. Thanks for the reviews and I hope for more feed back, both positive and negative.