Author's note: Hello my lovelies. Fresh off the press, here's another chapter. I'll try to get as much of this story as I can done before my boyfriend comes out on the thirteenth. Oh yeah, that's right, my boyfriend's coming out here on the 13th, two days before my birthday! *parties hard*

Next week is going to be kind of hectic, since it's going to involve my mom helping me make my room ready for my boyfriend, who's coming out for two months. Oh yeah, life is good baby! Ho yeah!

I'll probably get a couple more chapters out before my birthday, hopefully. I would like to thank my usual reviewers, Arlequina3000 and K. -I love you two so much you have no idea- and my anonymous reviewer. Whoever you are, I love ya and I hope you keep in touch with me, to let me know you're still out there and haven't disappeared off the face of the earth, or something like that.

Disclaimer: I do not own Beetlejuice, or the characters that are in it. But characters that are mine (Lance and Elliot) are strictly mine. Do not use them, or I will find you. Anyways, onto the story!

The Beauty and The Beetle

Ch. 6: The Plan

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Snow blew fiercely and suddenly through the dark and cold night. Swirls of iced air followed a huddled man into a local eatery, which was the hot spot of Peaceful Pine's youth. The man stumbled into the eatery, ignoring the cheers and laughter surrounding a certain moping youth and his rambunctious short brother. Lance was stomping around, trying to get everyone riled up with good cheer, hoping that it would reflect in his brother, who was younger than him by a year, surprisingly.

Lance sighed as he looked over the almost pathetic sight in front of him. The air was warm, inviting, and many teens from their school talked and laughed amongst themselves, asking Vince to join in with them. The three blonds were huddled next to him, swooning over Vince as they tried to cling to him and win his adornment for their own. Lance chuckled dryly; those girls were gold diggers, nothing else. Then his eyes wandered over to Vince, and he felt his heart break. Vince was paying no mind to anyone else, except the woman that ruled his heart and soul, Lydia. Vince pulled his arms away from the girls, not even knowing they were there, and he rested his head on that hand, while the other gripped the drink at his reach.

Lance sighed. Ever since Vince laid eyes on the not-interested girl, he became different. Less jaded then he naturally was, that's for sure, but he drew into himself, and he shrugged off everyone, but Lance. Lance hated when his brother thought of her, that woman with the spider-like features. Dainty and long. Almost like a daddy long leg. He hated those things, and he hated that girl. But he loved his brother more, and would do anything to win over what his brother most desired.

And what Vince desired most right now, was spider Lydia.

He shook away from his thoughts and pushed on the large, goofy smile that made his brother somewhat smirk, and walked over to the center of the crowd, pushing away the blonds that went into panic mode instantly. Vince looked at his brother, out of his thoughts for the first time that night.

"Lance, she shut me out. What do I do Lance?" Vince asked, his voice sounding lost. Vince resembled a lost puppy, and Lance almost lost his smile. Lance just smiled through, chuckling lightly.

"She didn't shut you out Vince. Her hand must have slipped on the door knob, and she accidently let you slip. All a big misunderstanding bro." Lance said cheerfully, patting Vince on the back. Vince's eyes sparkled, with relief and determination. Lance frowned inwardly. He hated lying to his brother, but if it made him happy, then so be it.

"Want another soda Vince?" one of the boys asked, patting Vince on the back and smirking at him. Vince nodded, and all the girls started to squawk, trying to get Vince a new soda first. Lance rolled his eyes, and then smirked at Vince before he noticed. Vince smiled back lightly.

Lance watched as all the girls left, leaving just the boys, who started to talk amongst themselves about the girls. Lance turned back to Vince, who started to turn inwardly again, his mind drifting. Lance grunted. "Come on Vince, cheer up!" Lance cried, shaking Vince from his thoughts. "You're out with all your friends, in a place that loves you. Liven up!"he said, standing up on the seat and held his hand out to Vince, who just stared at it. Lance sighed and dropped his hand. "You're everyone's favorite guy, everyone's awed and inspired by you! Men want to be like you, and women want to be with you! You're handsome, smart, and you can get everything you want!" Lance cheered, catching the attention of the whole eatery.

Vince looked away, resting his head on his hand. "All but Lydia."

"Psh! Who cares about her! No one but you, and you're dwindling on the past! So what if she rejected you? You've got her ten-fold at your disposal here! Cheer up Vincy, you've got a life of luxury." Lance said, trying to persuade his brother, when Vince slammed his fists down on the table. The eatery went silent, as Vince stood up with something in his eyes that Lance saw rarely, if ever.

"You want me to give up on Lydia? Lydia, my dream girl? The one that makes me get out of bed, and actually look forward to the day? Yes, she may ignore my presence, but she's beautiful, and I know that once I have her, that everything will be like they are in the stories." Vince swooned, and Lance sighed, and rested his hand on his forehead.

"She's the one thing you can't have though!"

"Be that as it may, she's still the woman for me, I can feel it. And I will get her at any cost. Even if I have to lock her father up, even if I have to get rid of anyone who stands in my way, I will get her." Vince said darkly, and Lance felt a shiver down his spine. Vince was 100% serious.

Then the door slammed open, and a familiar man stumbled in, hunched over and coughing hoarsely. All eyes were on him. "Charles?" the cashier said, and Vince gasped.

"Mr. Deetz?" Lance asked.

"Please, please help…" Mr. Deetz wheezed, stumbling forward and looking around frantic and frightened. "I need your help." He gripped one of the chairs. "He's got her…got her locked up!" he looked around wide eyed, knowing all ears were listening. "In the dungeon!"

"Who?" one of the boys asked.

"Lydia! We must go save her!" he yelled out, stumbling towards Vince and Lance, who just watched him. "We have to go now, not a minute to lose!" Vince's eyes narrowed.

"Lydia…woah. She wouldn't go into a dungeon. Who's got Lydia locked in a dungeon anyways? Who's even got access to one of those creations?" Vince asked, eyeing the man stumbling before him.

"A…a creature like no one has seen before. He's a giant beast one minute, a snake the next, a-"that was when everyone started laughing, and he looked around in fear. The men started to taunt Mr. Deetz, and he agreed franticly. Vince and Lance looked at each other, smirking at each other. Vince then looked back at Mr. Deetz.

"Alright Deetz, we'll help you get your daughter back." Vince said kindly, and Mr. Deetz looked at him with joy.

"Oh thank you Vincent! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Mr. Deetz cried out with joy, and Vince suddenly became uncomfortable with the man that was being dragged out. Vince and Lance watched as Mr. Deetz was chucked out into the cold, and they looked at each other again, Lance noticing Vince's discomfort.

Vince leaned back in his seat, and interlaced his fingers together, thinking deeply. Lance raised his eyebrow in questioning, and then looked at his brother. "What's on your mind Vince?" Lance asked as everyone started to go about their laughs around them.

"Well...That was Lydia's father…and his sanity isn't quite there. To think of such an obscure thing, he must not be all there, right?" Vince asked, taking note of Lance's nod. "Well I have an idea, to win Lydia over…" Vince then looked at Lance, who hid his flinching sneer. Vince waved his brother to lean closer, and Vince whispered his plan into Lance's ear.

---

Meanwhile, Lydia was laying on her bed, noticing the stars lighting her room just enough for her to see the bare outlines of the room. There was a tapping on her door, and she bit her lower lip. She dare not speak, lest her voice reveal how sad she really was. The sight of her father sick, being taken forcefully against his will, and her not even getting to say goodbye…it was finally getting to her. She tried to promise herself that she wouldn't cry, that she would be strong for the both of them, but whenever she would close her eyes, she would feel her tears growing under the lids. She didn't even notice the tears that leaked from the sides of her eyes-she was too caught up in her own mind.

There was another tap on the door, growing louder, and she pulled herself outside of her mind. Lydia sat up and then walked over to the door, trying to avoid the things that were on the floor. She hoped that she was going the right way, when she noticed a thin line of eerie light from under the doorway. She opened it, and looked around. She noticed a faint light coming from below her, and she noticed the rose colored spider the size of a basketball, not including the head or appendages, walk into her room with another spider the size of a tennis ball following the bigger of the two.

The spider was balancing a tea tray on its backside, and then finally noticed the eerily soft glow that emanated from the two creatures. They glowed something else then the creature from before did. They didn't have the almost toxic colored glow, but they had a softer, dust rose glow that seemed to light up the room barely.

Lydia was slightly startled; not by the fact that they were spiders. After what had happened up in the dungeon, she wasn't really surprised by anything right now. No, she was more surprised by the fact that they too, had a glow. She thought that maybe it was a fluke she saw with that one jerk. But at least now she knew she wasn't crazy like she thought she always was.

She backed up into a closet, which popped open and a skeleton floated out, telling her to be careful. It had a glow too-a light blue glow. Lydia put her hand to her head, and sat back on her bed. She was going to faint, or something.

"Woul'ya lika spotta tea deary?" The bigger spider said, walking up to Lydia with the smaller spider. Lydia eyed the whole thing, and nodded absentmindedly. The spider seemed to smile, and she grabbed the tray from her back, and then prepared a cup of tea, the little spider watching Lydia with awe. The skeleton seemed to smile and float over to Lydia, gently sitting down next to the startled girl.

"~I know that this seems a little odd~" The skeleton said, her voice eerily angelic. "~but I know you will like it here~" The skeleton said gently, resting a light hand on Lydia's shoulder.

"Tha's right dearie, bu' ya'no mastah Beetlejuice is only tryin' to be sincere." The spider coo'd, and handed the tea over to the little spider, who took it and crawled to Lydia, and handed the tea to her from her lap.

"Oh…um..thanks…" Lydia said gently, taking the tea. The little spider smiled bashfully.

"Tha' was real brave miss." Ginger said, putting things in order on the tray. "Stan'in' up to mastah Beetlejuice." Lydia smiled sadly, gripping the cup gently.

"Thank you…but I feel so hopeless now. I know I saved my father, but I still feel so useless…" Lydia said sadly, and the little spider looked at Lydia sadly. He then hugged what he could of Lydia.

"~Cheer up miss, it will be all right.~" The skeleton said, her voice echoing sadly, as she put a hand on Lydia's shoulder. The spider then cheered up, and smiled.

"Wha' do ya do miss? I'm sure we gat somethin' here tha' will meet yer fancy!" Ginger asked cheerfully, and Lydia eyed the spider curiously.

"I…I do photography."

"Oh! Well tha' mastah has loads o' cameras! I'll see wha' I can do!" Ginger smiled at Lydia, who looked at the spider confused. "Bu' until then, I need to sen' this youngin off to bed. Ta ta!" Ginger said, as she placed the tray back onto her back, and walked out of the door. The little spider waved bye, and followed after his mother.

Lydia watched as the two left, and she lay back on the bed, sighing. The skeleton smiled and floated up into a standing position. "~You must be uncomfortable to sleep in those clothes.~" She said, looking at the evening wear that Lydia still had on from earlier that day; they had been dirtied up a bit. Lydia propped herself onto her elbows and watched as the skeleton looked through her closet.

"Are you…one of my skeletons in the closet?" Lydia asked, slowly catching onto the workings of the castle. The skeleton looked back at her, and she laughed.

"~My name is Elliot, miss. And I am not your skeleton, I am one of master's many skeletons.~" Elliot said distantly, as she turned her attention back to the closet. Lydia bit her lip gently.

"Lydia." The skeleton tilted her head curiously, and then smiled.

"~Nice to meet you Lydia.~"

"I'm comfortable." Elliot stopped, still turned to the closet. "These are my last clothes from home after all… and besides, I'm not comfortable wearing what…that thing…has ownership over." Lydia said coldly, and Elliot sighed wistfully.

"~Be that as you wish miss Lydia, but he's not that bad of a man, even if he makes himself out to be one.~" Elliot said, and floated back into the closet. It closed behind her gently.

There was another knock on the door, and Lydia turned to the door. She stood and walked over to the door, opening it to find a person similar to the jerk from earlier, but with a weaker composure. The glow about him was different too. It was green, but not the toxic green that came from her captive. It was more of an apple green; a sour looking green that wasn't as sour. She looked at him curiously, and he waved feebly.

"Yes?" Lydia asked, her voice echoing a sort of sadness. The person before her shifted, not taking note of the sound in her voice.

"Master wants to speak with you."