Beetlejuice, Lydia, the neitherworld… They don't belong to me. I just love them so much I want to take them in both arms, rip open my chest cavity, and stuff them inside forever, right next to my heart. Of course, if they were mine, just look what I'd do to them… But that being said, please don't sue me, okay?

----------------

Well. Not a lot of Beetlejuice in this… directly. But it is a little bit of a glimpse into Lydia's personality, and what sort of length she's willing to go to… Also, just what was waiting for her, as far as questions she'd been dwelling just the night before. I'm not saying that thisis what's waiting, mind you… Just what she found.

Heck, if I knew for a fact what was waiting, I'd probably have a lot less trouble getting a publisher's attention… Though they'd probably just label me as crazy. Of course, they'd be right… But for different reasons. Heh. Short, yes, but at least I didn't keep you waiting another day, right?

----------------

It wasn't heaven… On the other hand, it wasn't hell either. Neither of which she'd really expected, mind, but she had expected, something. Something more than this.

Lydia stood gazing off into the horizon, surrounded by waves of golden grass, brushing to the height of her knees. She felt oddly disconnected, aware of a thousand scents that filled the air, a multitude of colors, and not really able to focus on any of them. She'd been wandering for hours, feeling out of place, in this place that she simply couldn't comprehend existing. She was dead now, she remembered that well. She should be with Beetlejuice. Instead, she was… here.

The wind picked up again, blowing from a different direction this time. Or maybe she'd just crossed over her own tracks again, and lost all sense of which way was which. The latter was probably more likely. Yet she was restless, pressing on. Eager to find something familiar. Eager to find him.

Gradually the sound of rushing water teased at her senses, and without any real conscious decision, Lydia turned that way, eager to see something that wasn't just waving grasses, and endless horizon. Rivers always led someplace, right? She vaguely remembered that from one of her classes. She couldn't remember which one. To a town, to a harbor… To a sea.

As she approached, the rush of water grew stronger, and she swore, the already deep night sky began to darken. While walking for hours in random directions had brought no change, she suddenly knew, without question, that reaching that river would change everything. It made her skin prickle with cold and heat, but she still didn't slow, in fact increasing her pace to reach the water.

And then there it was, before her. To call it a river was laughable, it had to be a hundred miles wide, it was more like a stretched out sea. She could see all the way to the opposite shore… And nothing beyond that. It seemed that this was as far as she was meant to travel. There was no way beyond that. The spray from the foaming, furious rapids caught at her, as she advanced a step closer, still urged by some unknown force to venture on, and uselessly, futilely stuck on this side of the shore.

A sudden, solid, resonating sound, like the heavy clap of stone against stone, ripped her from her reverie, and set her spinning on her heel, gripped with the sense that her heart should be racing in fear… Only now of course, she was dead. Her heart would never beat again.

In the same moment that she realized this, she found herself standing before a great marble podium, long benches on either side, robed figures that dwarfed her like some small child, all watching her now. She could see nothing of their features, some eclipsed by shadow, some drowned in light too brilliant to see past, some simply vaporous things that seemed to have no form at all.

"Order!" The most looming of them boomed, cracking his stone gavel down again, this time with a sound like thunder. "I will have order!" No one, Lydia noticed, had made a sound, to explain this outburst. "We are here to settle the case of Lydia Deetz, versus the Afterlife… Will prosecution come forward?"

Lydia's stomach was somewhere twisting in the depths of her guts, what should be her heart, all twisted up in her intestines. Court? She was on trial? For what? She looked around desperately, only to find that the moment she turned away, she was back at the river's edge, looking off into forever. The safest thing to do at this point, seemed to be to remain facing this way…

The heavy, solid 'crack' again, and she spun back, to face her judge and jury. The tall one, that would have dwarfed ten feet, easily, and the six to either side of him, many watching her with positively hungry eyes. Judge, jury, and executioners…

"Will the prosecution please come forward?" The judge boomed again, some sense in the depths of his fluid light, indicating that he was losing his patience.

"The prosecution is here, your honor." Murmured a silky voice, all dark chocolate and wet velvet. The one in question was dressed in a long, flowing robe, that didn't seem to actually end when the material itself did, twisting on until it ended in black flames, licking at the stone.

"We are here to prove that the defendant, one Lydia Deetz, did knowingly, and with full willingness, not only walk alongside the murderous path of one… Beetlejuice… But also, just this last evening, forfeit her own life, far before the appointed time." A small pause, to let this sink in. "Both of which, may I remind the court," A slow gesture of shadowy fingers, "Are seen fit to be punishable, by this court of law." Another slow gesture. "And, ladies and gentleman, we all know the punishment I refer to."

A low hiss built up amongst the jury members, while others shook their head, loosing low rumbles of protest, and shifting uneasily in their seats. Thus far, as she counted, six were for her, six were against her. A trial by thirteen, she suddenly thought, giddily, only to realize that the words offered themselves forward from her mind, as easily as if she'd spoken them. For a moment, everyone there considered her, as if she were some particularly feeble child. Great, now she was afraid to think…

"And does the defendant have representation as well?" The tall one pressed finally, allowing her one small breath of relief, before it occurred to her suddenly that she didn't know if she did. And he seemed to be looking at her for an answer…

"This One," A low voice suddenly interrupted, oddly enough making every specter there shift in surprise, "Will serve as the child's defensive council."

Lydia lifted her head, turning in relief to see who it was that offered to speak to her, only to pause herself in uncertainty, at the utterly unassuming presence of her 'attorney.' He wore faded black robes, simple cloth, not stuff woven of shadow or light or fire, like the rest of them. They fell around his feet, around his hands, even his face, but in such a way that there was nothing mystical about it… He was simply hiding himself. Beside creatures that might be called divine or demonic, he seemed almost human.

The great one finally seemed to have recovered well enough to speak, looming over them in such a sense that he suddenly seemed twice his former height. "Why would one such as you, defend one who has so thoughtlessly defied laws set down long before by this court… As well as yourself?"

"Our reasons," Her defense murmured, little more loudly than a whisper, "Are our own, and not the concern of this court. We are offering defense for this child… Unless of course, she wishes to refuse it?"

The hooded face twisted slightly in her direction, still revealing nothing of the speaker's features. Unable to think of a proper response, Lydia just shook her head. She didn't want to be without some defense, at least… And clearly, this guy was more than he seemed. "Then," Her lawyer murmured, clearly satisfied by this, "It is settled. Should we not begin?"

Again, a low rumble, and several hisses of dissatisfaction, though none had of yet, offered a single word she could understand. The prosecution made a small, soothing sound, raising his hands against he court in a bid for silence. "It makes no difference, who represents the defense," He murmured, giving the impression that beneath the twisting flames, he was smiling, "It cannot be denied what has been done, that this child has walked a path of murder, and-"

"Objection." Her attorney denied calmly, still never raising his voice above a whisper. Lydia was both relieved, and a little surprised. So soon?

"On what grounds?" The judge demanded impatiently.

"On the grounds that the child has certainly walked beside one, yes, who has walked a path of murder and destruction…" He pointed out, also giving the impression of smiling. "But at no point did she contribute to that path herself. We submit that this Lydia Deetz has never lifted a hand against any, either in anger or malice…"

"I submit the evidence of one Prince Vincent!" The prosecutor boomed, looking triumphant. "Where the defendant did willingly lift arms against one only carrying out our own law!"

"As we in turn submit that the weapons lifted, were not used against the prince, or his guards." Her attorney countered easily, still seeming in nothing less than a positively pleasant mood. "Nor was any attempt made to wound or kill by them. Their only function in said confrontation, was an attempt in freeing one… Beetlejuice."

Another shifting, as those before her seemed to settle through this, deciding how much merit the words contained. "We further submit, that this child has not only never caused pain or death of her own doing, but had indeed brought a sense of stability to what was the afterlife's most pressing… ah, danger. Arguing in the defense of his victims on more than one occasion."

"And on more than one occasion, simply prompting his anger to escalate further!" The prosecutor roared, suddenly all pretenses of civility gone, as the room crackled and snapped with his anger. "The multitude that would be alive now, if not for that girl's presence…!"

"Was never due, directly, to her actions, or interference." The defense countered easily, all courtroom protocol now thrown out the window as they continued to counter and reprimand each other, all without once asking the judge's permission.

Which did not go unnoticed, by said judge. "Silence!" He boomed, shattering through both their counter-arguments, and leaving the courtroom itself tingling with the residual force of his yell. Lydia however, merely ran her fingers along her arms, smoothing the bumps there, a great deal more confident in her representation. Clearly the guy knew what he was doing… "I will not have a mockery made of my courtroom!"

"With all due respect," Her council interjected, just when it seemed the worst possible time for anyone to speak, "For the child to be brought before your honor on charges that have nothing to do with her, beyond acquaintance, already makes far more a mockery of your court, than either of us could ever do."

A chill ran down Lydia's spine, in the silence that followed, but her attorney, it seemed, was not yet finished. "Shall we leave such pointless weighing of crimes, not committed by said mortal soul, to such a time when the proper defendant can be brought, and move on with the further charges? Or are we so frustrated with our own ineffectualness, that we must punish an innocent, for the crimes of one we have long since lost power over?"

Making the entire court, judge and jury, furious with them, did not seem like the best approach to her. To a last, their silence, lingering upon his words, seemed to bode ill for both of them… But as not one spoke up to offer counter to his words, he simply gave that impression of a smile again, and as if it were that easily decided, moved on to the next charge.

"Now, regarding this child's willing forfeit of her life, long before this court's appointed time set for her mortal end… We ask if you have forgotten the individual in question, who ended said mortal life?" He brought his long sleeve's together, in a sense of templing his fingers, though nothing revealed itself through the cloth, still. "Who among you, really believes she had any say, in the poltergeist's action, this previous night?"

Again, silence followed. But this time, her attorney let it rest there, until finally, the judge, not the prosecutor, spoke up, his voice quieter than before, but more intense as well. "So what you would have us believe, council, from beginning to end, is that Beetlejuice is the one at fault for all charges that have been brought against this child… And even those with which she complied willingly, were by this reasoning, still not her own fault?"

At this a low murmuring, different from before, rose up among those seated before them, and oddly, still her defense added nothing in the way of, well, defense. Therefore, the judge's next words, were addressed to her. "Do you, Lydia Deetz, take no responsibility in the charges that have been leveled against you… Claiming instead that the poltergeist is fully at blame? Even in your own actions? And your acceptance of his?"

The whole world was quiet, watching her. At least that was what it felt like. She imagined an enormous spotlight, trained on her, and even though it was nonexistent, still found herself sweating under the imagined heat of it. Was she responsible for Beetlejuice? No… Not exactly. But was she responsible for her own actions? Was Beetlejuice in fact to blame for…

Well, no. He wasn't. She wouldn't let him be blamed, for what she'd known for a long time, she was getting into. "Beetlejuice is responsible for his actions." She denied softly, hurrying on to say, as a sense of triumph rose up in the court, from whom she could not see, "And I am responsible for mine! I'm not a doll for him to play with, and decide my actions for me! If I hide my eyes, it's because I chose to! If I forgive him, it's because I love him, and don't give a damn what happens to the rest of the world!"

Suddenly, the air around her was filled with crackling, angry blue sparks, red waves, and ribbons of purest gold… But her defense attorney was laughing, enthusiastically, genuinely. "And so your honor, the plan of this court has failed! The girl will not hold Beetlejuice responsible for her own actions, regardless of the charade played out before her!"

He lifted his hand now, and the folds of his cloak fell away, to revealed blackened bone, etched from some manner of gleaming stone, as he leveled his hand against the judge. "You, who have long since lost power over condemning the poltergeist for his own actions, would have had him condemned instead for the actions of this girl… But she has defied you! As for the charges against her?"

The creature, whatever, chuckled, still apparently endlessly amused. "While they would have been deemed worthy of conviction for the poltergeist himself… They offer nothing for you to use against this child. This mockery of a trial is over!"

A low roar of fury built up, this time from both sides of the jury, even those previously in her favor, only to be silenced by the heavy crash of the judge's gavel. "And where would you have her placed?" The tall one roared, just as angry as those gathered around him. "She is undeserving of heaven, whether or not she is acquitted of the charges that would condemn her to hell! Would you have us send her back to him?"

A soft sound of amusement, not quite a laugh this time. "That, your honor, is beyond your power to decide as well. The girl has already made peace with her own fate… And that faith she holds in her eternity is more powerful than any sentence which you could pass against her."

With that, before any could counter him again, her defendant grasped Lydia by the shoulder, and spun her, so that she was facing the endless river again. This time though, there was a low slung boat waiting before her, and while it didn't seem possible for it to hold its own against the angry rapids, Lydia's hopes rose at once.

"And so you see, Lydia Deetz," The figure beside her murmured, less than an inch from her ear, "That every prayer, no matter how carelessly spoken, is heard. You wished to hold loyalty to death?" And here his voice dropped, just a little. "Then we too, will look out for you, child. Go. From here, your path to him will be easy. After that, it is your own struggle." And like that, before she could even thank him, he was gone.

All that was left was the river.

--------------------------------

The girl still hadn't woken up yet, and it had been the better part of a day. He shifted, again, not having really moved from his seat since bringing her here, and laying her to rest in his own coffin bed. He hadn't thought it would take so much time… But he should be the first thing she saw, when she did finally awake. Just the thought made his lips twist in a smile.

But his amusement didn't last long, and after another hour passed, and the girl didn't so much as stir, he sighed, getting to his feet, and looked around with the room in discontent. God, there was nothing for him to do, to pass the time here. Maybe he should buy a fucking tv.

For the next hour after that, he paced the length of the little, bare room, occupied only by his bed, a chair, and three boxes of old papers. Occasionally he kicked one, hoping to dislodge some creepy crawly that he could hunt down, amusing himself with a little insect-inflicted torment, but despite his long absence from said room, not so much as a feeler dared to show itself. He never had had much trouble with bugs…

A sound from behind him made him spin, ignoring the way his heart surged upwards in what was far too human and vulnerable an emotion to ever admit to. Lydia? She'd turned in her sleep, that was all. Fury swept over him, and he stormed to the end of the bed, gesturing angrily with his hands, while he let loose a choice curse or two about how much damn sleep a person needed…

She opened her eyes, turned to look at him in puzzlement, and blinked, effectively ending his tirade. "Did I make it across the river?" She murmured sleepily, the words making the hairs on his arms tingle, though he didn't know why. "Oh…" She looked at him again, and actually seemed to see him this time. At least judging by the way her features split into a smile. "B. There you are."

"Here I am." He grunted, not sure what the hell she was talking about, but eager to move on to something else. "So how's death treating you so far, babes?"

"He was really nice." She murmured enigmatically, her smile broadening for a moment, as she stretched slowly. Only after that did his words seem to actually make sense to her, and she pause, her lips parting in surprise, her eyes widening. "Oh… I'm dead."

He supposed in her defense, it had been a hell of a long time since he'd crossed over, so maybe he didn't have a real good grip anymore, what those first few moments of realization felt like. That being said, he was getting impatient, fast. "No kidding." He muttered, crossing his arms, and giving her a somewhat dirty look. "So what, feel any different?"

Lydia's hand immediately went to her chest, and after a moment, she nodded. But she didn't say what he'd expected. "Relieved." She whispered softly, "And… Not as warm."

"Relieved, huh?" He considered the possibility that she'd completely lost her mind when he'd killed her, then dismissed it, and managed a small, amused smile, as he sat on the edge of the bed. His bed. "So ain't nothing keeping us apart now, huh babes?" He murmured, reaching out to play with one of her silky tresses, and encouraged by her immediate, pale blush. "Gonna have to do something about that, real soon…"

She didn't seem to have a proper response to this, but certainly didn't protest as he drew her into a long, possessive kiss, his mouth claiming what was his, without hesitation. This time, he did kiss her more gently, only because he knew that her new spirit flesh would be raw still, and well… No point screwing things up now.

Her face was radiant as he finally released her, her eyes still closed, her pretty pink lips absolutely beaming. "B…" She whispered, barely a breath. "I knew I'd find you…" While he didn't know what to say to this, he did know an opportunity when he saw one, and came back in quickly to reclaim her soft mouth with his own. It was enough, for now.

There'd be time for more fun, later… All the time in the neitherworld…

--------------------------------