A/N: Again, had this ready this morning and EVEN thought I had time to post it but we apparently had to leave early this morning and no one gave me the memo! Enjoy. I ended up really enjoying this random chapter. And it turned out longer then planned.

Beetlejuice groaned and tried to curl further into himself. He felt like shit, his head hurt and he was cold, hungry, and had the sinking feeling that he wasn't remembering something that was very important. He blinked blearily at his surroundings and the events of the previous night came rushing back to him and he immediately attempted to stumble to his feet. Instead he found himself falling and landing hard on an equally hard floor. Confused, he stumbled to his feet, shaking his arm as he felt something entangling it. What was going on? He stared around and blinked a few times, everything was bright and white so he tried blinking his vision clear again. It didn't change she he turned around; there was a bright square of light he assumed must be a window, and he looked down, relieved to be able to make out that he'd just tumbled from a bed. He yanked at his arm, something was still tugging at it and he looked down to see an I.V. jutting from his arm.

"What the fuck!?" his voice cracked and he coughed, realizing how dry his throat was; he ignored it for the sake of ripping the I.V. out of his arm. He growled in pain as it didn't come out all the way on the first try and he yanked it once more to remove it completely. That was when he realized where he must be: a hospital. More and more of the previous night were coming back. Fuck, he'd drank so much at that bar… he remembered the night streets and an angry group of kids… and then someone putting him into a car. He didn't remember much between then and when he saw Lyds next. He didn't remember anything that had been said, but he did remember waking again to find her gone and stumbling down the stairs of the residence to find her outside with a figure that reeked of death. He also remembered it didn't go to well for him after that. His head ached and his stomach lurched. Fuck, Lydia was gone.

"God I think I've just seen more of you that I ever wanted to, Craven." He spun around to see Kory standing in the doorway. He looked down, staring at the blue gown-like thing he was wearing. He looked back up at her in confusion.

"What?"

"Well, hospital gowns have always been more or less a little drafty in the back, you know."

He craned his neck to look over his shoulder and realized what she meant; the thing was frigging barely held together in the back! People thought strippers wore revealing clothing, and yet sick people were expected to--

"Craven?" she interrupted his line of thought and he looked up.

"That's not my name, girlie." He didn't even remember her name.

"What?"

"That name is bullshit. It's not real." He wasn't really paying attention to her anymore. Every moment his mind was clearing more and more and the reality of what happened last night was sinking in and he was growing more and more serious.

"What's going on here? That's not your real name? Who are you? And where's Lydia? When I came out of the bathroom last night you were gone, Lydia wasn't back yet. She didn't come back, and neither did you. I found you unconscious outside our residence building this morning when I went to leave for class." There was silence in the room like he hadn't even heard her and the buxom blonde was growing irritated and impatient. "Lydia's not the kind to do that. I've been her roommate for almost a year now, she's quiet and spends most of her nights in. I think the only time she hadn't was when she went home for the holidays. Now you're suddenly around, I find out she's married to you and she's suddenly disappearing overnight? What's going on?" she held no delusions that Lydia and herself were best friends or anything even close. They were roommates who got along well enough to call each other friends even though they didn't really spend much time together outside of their dorm room. Still, that didn't stop Kory from getting angry with the man who she just knew had something to do with her roommate's disappearance. A dorm room wasn't exactly a private place, it was hard to ignore people coming in and out of a room that served as kitchen, study, living room and bedroom, and Kory hadn't woken to anyone returning once through the night.

"I don't know where she is--" He began.

"Bullshit." He spun to face the small blonde in surprise; she was almost standing next to him now.

"Will you fucking listen to me?" when she didn't interrupt again, he continued, "I don't know where she is—not exactly. I know where she was taken but it's a big place to search, and I don't have a way to get there."

"Taken?" she moved closer, pressing her index finger harshly into his chest. "I swear if she gets hurt and you were the cause?" she paused for emphasis and Beetlejuice snorted.

"And what?" he demanded, "What're you going to do? You're what, five foot nothing? I'm real scared, shakin' in my boots."

She tried a different route, "Alright. What kind of danger is she in? You said she was taken? Is that your fault? What happens if the people who took her hurt her? How will you feel if she dies?"

"Lyds won't die!" he asserted.

She huffed, "What are you, stupid? She's human just like you and I, she can die just like either of us."

"That's it!" he grabbed her shoulders as realization hit him, "I can die!" she squirmed in his grasp, more and more uncomfortable by the moment.

"Well, you are human." She agreed slowly.

"No, I'm not, and that's the point. Don't you see? Ya gotta kill me!" If silence could echo, it would have done so in that moment as she stared slack-jawed at him.

"That is possibly the stupidest idea I have ever heard." She finally managed.

"No. Fuck, listen. I ain't human. Well, I am now. But I wasn't last week. I'm a poltergeist, girlie, and I was dead up until Lyds set me free. That bastard took her over to the other side and I can't get there. Not unless I'm dead."

"You are crazy." Kory backed up, yanking herself free of his grip. "I'm getting the cops."

"Shit! No, you can't do that!" he made a lunge for her and she shrieked and ran for the door. He lumbered after her and she threw herself into the hallway, screaming.

Lydia breathed in the cool air. Why was the Neitherworld so cold? It floated over the hot deserts of Saturn, didn't it? She rubbed her arms and looked around the empty room. She'd been sitting alone here for the last hour… or hours. She'd lost count. It was dead quiet even though she knew that guards stood at attention outside the door to the room she currently sat in. The chair she sat in was plush and velvet and very comfortable. Under normal circumstances Lydia would have been all over it, but as it was it was the last thing on Lydia's mind.

The footsteps outside the door gained Lydia's attention as she turned to watch the closed doors. She could hear the guards outside move outside and heard their salute. There were quiet words and then the door shifted and swung open. Lydia stayed perfectly still where she sat and watched as the guards marched in. The first one reminded her vaguely of a fish with a mostly flat face and almost non-existent nose, and the other looked very much like a horrific burn victim. Lydia quickly averted her eyes and looked to the next person to enter the room. She was surprised to see a tall, slender figure enter. He was dressed completely in black and seemed almost willowy. Her eyes travelled up to his face and she traced thin, refined features in a delicate face and large, round dark eyes topped by a head of sleek, black hair. His eyes met hers, and did not defer even after she had looked away.

"You may leave." His voice was soft, but still seemed to fill the room. It was musical and made Lydia feel vaguely sad. She barely noticed as the two guards left the room. Silence stretched between the two as they seemed to size each other up.

"Miss Lydia it is good to finally meet you."

"Who are you and what do you want with me?

They had spoken simultaneously and it brought a thin but sincere-looking smile to his face.

"Did Zanser not tell you? I apologize, he is a little… anxious around humans. They did not treat him right in his life. I merely wished to meet with you to sate my own curiousity. I apologize for my selfishness." His shoes clacked formally against the floor as he crossed the remaining space between them. He quietly took a seat across from her. He had her completely baffled; his explanation explained nothing, really.

"Miss Lydia?"

"Oh, sorry, what?"

"I asked if you were treated well on your journey here." He prompted.

She grew angry then as she thought about her run-in with 'Zanser'. "No." she huffed angrily, "No I was not. Your… man? Servant? Whatever he is. He approached me in the middle of the night like some thug, told me nothing of what this was about, threatened me, attempted to make good on that threat and then… then he beat up Beetlejuice, who I think he knew very well could no longer defend himself properly against someone from the Neitherworld!" she snapped heatedly. She still didn't know if he was all right.

"You have my sincerest apologies, Miss Lydia. I meant no such thing to happen, and Zanser has clearly overstepped his bounds. He will be dealt with appropriately, I assure you." He looked sincere, but Lydia was still weary.

"I somehow doubt you really brought me here to chat, uhm…" she trailed off as she realized he hadn't even introduced himself.

Lydia swore in that moment he had blushed, "Forgive me, Miss Lydia, I have erred. I have not introduced myself, I am Prince Vincent Van Grimmig." Lydia's eyebrows disappeared under her bangs as they jumped up.

"What would a Prince want to speak with me for?" the question was out of her mouth before she could think about it.

He merely smiled at her, "You are married to Beetlejuice, are you not?"

Of course it always came back to the poltergeist she'd married. "Well, yes Prince—"

"Please," he interrupted, "call me Vincent. You are my guest, and I have caused you much trouble. I don't wish for you to have to worry about formalities here as well."

"All right, then… Yes, Vincent, we are married." She spun the ring idly on her finger.

"I will not deny I am surprised. You do not seem like one to be attracted to such a troublemaker. Especially after he terrorized your family so all those years ago?" he crooked one leg over the other, propping his angled chin up on a slender hand.

"He saved my godparents." It was an old argument.

"It's one good deed on a very short list." Vincent did not comment on the fact that he'd been trading his good deed for his freedom. If anything this only made Lydia strengthen her guard.

"At least he had a list. I know humans who have done less good than him."

"And you felt bad for breaking your deal?"

How did he know that? "I… Yes."

Beetlejuice raced down the hall after Lydia's roommate, who was screaming like the hounds of hell were nipping at her heels. Damnit. People were staring and he heard someone else shouting behind them. They both rounded a corner and Beetlejuice came to a sudden stop in front of a group of Doctors and two police officers that were all now staring at him.

"That's him!" he spied Kory near the back of the group.

"Now, sir—"

"Oh fuck no." Beetlejuice turned and sprinted back the way he came and was not surprised to hear the heavy footfalls of many people following him.

"Stop!" "Hey you!" "Come back!" "Stop running!" multiple voice called from behind him but he knew if he stopped now he would not be able to complete his plan. He tore around another corner, dodging patients, nurses, and other doctors alike. There was a door at the end of the hall and he burst through it to find a staircase. He immediately started racing down the stairs as fast as his legs could carry him. He heard the door above open again and moved faster. One floor down and he burst through the door to that floor. It was much busier here and he had a rough time negotiating the crowd at first, but it thinned out a little finally and he looked around for a place to hide. People were beginning to shout behind him so he chose a door at random and ducked inside. He locked it behind him.

"Sir, you can't be in here." Beetlejuice spun at the voice, turning to see a man dressed in black pants and a paramedic's shirt standing there with a clipboard. They were surrounded by machinery currently not in use. Beetlejuice held up one finger to his mouth for silence, but the man just continued on, "Which ward did you come from? I'm sure there's some very worried people looking for you."

Beetlejuice shook his head; the only person who would worry about him wasn't here to do so. The shouting outside increased and Beetlejuice glanced out the small, rectangular window.

"Sir, what's going on? Is something happening out there?" Beetlejuice spun once again to look at the paramedic.

"What's all this stuff do?" he asked, trying to distract the man as he thought of a way out. Maybe they would think he'd just kept going?

"I don't see how that's relevant right now, sir. I think you really should—" Beetlejuice glanced to the side and grabbed one of the stands that would normally carry an I.V. drip. It was empty now, of course, seeing as this was a storage room.

"Tell me what this stuff does or I will beat yer livin' brains out with my giant metal stick." There had to be something in this room that could kill him. Something.

The paramedic stared at him, "Sir—"

"TELL ME." Beetlejuice roared. He didn't really have the urge to hurt the guy, he just needed a way to get dead and he needed it now. He had no time for this bullshit.

"This is a heart monitor, these are spare beds, that's a defibrillator, that's—"

"What's a defiberlator?" he demanded, staring at the machine indicated.

"It's a machine used when a person has cardiac arrhythmias, ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ventricular tachycardia. Basically when their heart stops. We deliver a pulse of electrical energy straight into their chest to help start their hea—"

"Can it kill a person?"

"What?"

"Can it kill? What are you, deaf?"

"Well, I, uh, yes, I suppose it could kill if—"

"Turn it on." There was a moment where neither of them moved, then Beetlejuice took a threatening step closer, and suddenly there was pounding on the other side of the locked door.

"We know you're there! Open up!" the face of one police officer appeared in the narrow window and Beetlejuice only shot the briefest glance over his shoulder.

"Do it now!" Beetlejuice growled. The man hopped to, finding a plug for the machine. There was dust on it; it was an older model that the hospital had put away on receiving new ones. He fiddled with a few dials and then stepped away. "How do you turn the juice up?" Beeltejuice stepped closer. The man pointed to a dial. "You just press those things to your chest?" The man nodded and Beetlejuice waved the metal pole at him, indicating for the man to move away. He made a break for the door but Beetlejuice was already cranking the knob to maximum.

"I'm comin', Lyds." He dropped the pole and grabbed the handles of the paddles. He shoved them to his chest and for a moment nothing happened, and suddenly electricity was coursing through his body and he had to grit his teeth. Then he collapsed.

The paramedic finally got the door open and the group of doctors and police finally came rushing in. The lights flickered, and went out. The whole hospital went dark.

"It's showtime!"

A/N: I don't think defibrillators can actually kill someone in real life, so if they don't just pretend they can. And if they do, good on me!

The-Fabulous-Person: I totally hate Nick more. But I'll try to make Zanser more despicable for you. He will be returning. :D

Kawaii-Wasabi: I love drunk Beej too. And I just can't see him really being drunk as a poltergeist, so human Beej was a real treat to make drunk.

Ceysna: Oh yea, it sucks alright. Guess what? It's showtime! I hope you enjoyed!