Sorry it's been so long, but I've been so busy with everything that I've barely had time to think. I promise, it's worth it though ;)

This chapter is actually inspired by a drawing I did by the same title on DA.

Hope you enjoy and let me know

Loves,

Lace

Lydia glared at Martha and Beetlejuice as they sat down across the table at the restaurant. She knew she was being obvious, but she couldn't seem to help herself. She watched as Martha draped herself over Beetlejuice's arm and frowned.

"Lydia my dear, would you like to dance?" Prince Vince asked, taking her hand in his. Lydia turned and gave him a small smile.

"That sounds great BJ, why don't we dance." Martha said yanking Beetlejuice out onto the dance floor. Beetlejuice gave Lydia a long look before he turned and began to dance with Martha, fumbling around. Lydia smirked as Martha tried to put her head on his shoulder, but pulled away from him when he bumped into her. She turned to see Prince Vince still waiting for her answer.

"Oh, of course I'll dance with you Prince." She said and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor.

Beetlejuice frowned when he saw Prince Vince with his hands around Lydia's small waist and saw only red.

"Ouch BJ, watch where you put your feet." Martha hissed when he stepped on her foot.

"Oh, sorry Babes." He muttered, turning to look back at her. Martha scowled at him and turned him away from Lydia.

"This is our date BJ and you'd better be paying attention to me." She hissed at him. Beetlejuice looked down at the woman and frowned.

"What are ya talkin' about? Of course I'm payin' attention to ya." He said.

"Then quit looking at miss Gothic over there and keep your eyes on me." She said frowning. Beetlejuice wanted to roll his eyes, but he couldn't. He glanced back over at Lydia and Prince Vince and saw that the prince had dipped Lydia and she laughed out. He turned Martha back around and waited until Lydia glanced over before he swung her down into a deep dip and let her slid back up against him.

"Now that's more like it." She purred.

Lydia pursed her lips together when Beetlejuice dipped Martha and snuggled closer to the prince and heard him sigh.

"Oh Lydia, I wish you could see that you are so much better than that…that ghost." He muttered. Lydia reared back and looked into the prince's eyes.

"What do you mean?" She asked and narrowed her eyes, feeling defensive of Beetlejuice.

"Lydia my dear, if you could only see that you have a prince right here waiting for you. I am much better than Beetlejuice." He said and Lydia hushed him.

"Don't say his full name prince." She hissed. "I don't even want to think of the consequences of that." She said and closed her eyes. Prince Vince knew she meant business, but he was so used to calling him his name in the Neitherworld he would have to refrain himself for Lydia's sake.

Beetlejuice watched as Lydia talked to the prince and wished he could hear what they were saying. Why did she have to look so great tonight? Course, Lyds always looked great, no matter what she was in, but in that dress she made his mouth dry.

"You are in love with that girl." Martha said and frowned. Beetlejuice snapped his head back to look at her.

"No I'm not Babes. She's a good friend that's all." He said.

"Well it might just be lust. Either way you want her and she's hanging all over that prince." Martha said and smiled. "Wanna take it out on me?" She asked.

"What?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

"You do owe me a rain check you know." She said and lowered her voice. "I don't really mind if you want a little girl, but once you have me, you'll forget about her." She said. Beetlejuice didn't know whether or not to be disgusted or laugh in her face. Him picking her over Lyds? That was a joke right? He looked back over at Lydia and gave a lopsided grin. Lusting after her is what Martha had said, but is that what he felt? He knew that he was attracted to Lydia, had been for a while, but lusting after her? She was his best friend, could he even have those feelings? He sighed and shook his head, despite what Martha might have thought, Lydia definitely wasn't a little girl anymore, she was a woman.

"Are you still with me?" Martha asked and stopped dancing.

"Huh?" He asked. Martha just huffed and walked away from him, returning to the table. He glanced back at Lydia and the prince who were watching him and frowned. He turned his back on them and followed Martha back. "What's the matter Babes?" He asked sitting down next to her, his eyes darting back to Lydia.

Martha saw his eyes drifting back over to Lydia and knew that she was losing the war. She frowned and took a deep breath. She might as well win a battle and she smiled. She leaned forward and placed her hand on Beetlejuice's thigh and watched him jump slightly and heard a moan escape his lips.

Lydia over at the table when she heard Beetlejuice's voice and frowned. She glanced down and saw Martha's hand on his thigh and felt an uncontrollable rage over her and she began to shake. How dare she touch him, especially there.

"Lydia, my dear try to understand how much more you deserve. You deserve everything and I can give that to you." He said, desperate to get her attention.

"What?" Lydia asked, forcing herself to turn away from Beetlejuice to look back up at the prince. He sighed and shook his head. He would have to do something drastic to get her attention.

"If you can't see it, then I'll show you." The prince said and pulled Lydia in to kiss her. Beetlejuice watched as the prince pulled Lydia into him and kiss her lips and wanted to explode. If he hadn't been in the middle of public, his head would have shot off in a display of fireworks.

Martha smiled when she saw the young pale man lean in and fumble a kiss on Lydia. She moved her hand closer to Beetlejuice, but he wasn't paying any more attention to her. He roared out of his chair and advanced on Lydia and Prince Vince. He could care less if the punk was a prince, he was makin' moves on Lyds.

"What on earth are you doing?" Lydia asked, shoving him away from her. Prince Vince stood back and stared at her.

"Get your hands offa her." Beetlejuice said walking up and taking Lydia by the arm, pulling her to him. Lydia stumbled backwards and felt her back press up against Beetlejuice's side and couldn't help but smile.

"What are you talking about?" Prince Vince asked looking at the angry ghost.

"I saw you makin' a move and I don't care if you're a prince. Don't touch Lyds again." Beetlejuice said in a threatening voice. Prince Vince looked at him and saw that Beetlejuice really did care about Lydia, more than either of them realized and sighed. All was lost for him and he felt like falling into a deep pit of misery.

"I should go." He said and started to slink away. Lydia watched as the prince bowed his back in utter defeat and couldn't help but feel sorry for him. She pulled herself away from Beetlejuice and ran after him.

"Prince wait." She called and he brightened when he heard her calling for him. Lydia stopped and looked at the prince.

"You knew that I just wanted to make him jealous. It worked, I'm sorry Prince, but you'll find your princess some day. I'm sure she's out there waiting." Lydia said.

"You were honest with me, I just hoped I could change your mind. It seems like I can't. Be happy with your decision." He said and turned to walk away, not letting her see the tears that had slipped down his face.

"What is the matter BJ? Why did the prince leave?" Martha asked walking up. Lydia turned to see Martha pressing herself against Beetlejuice and snapped. She stormed up to her, yanking her away with more strength than she thought she had.

"Don't touch him ever again Martha." She hissed and pulled Beetlejuice to her.

"Gonna finally admit that you got the hots for him?" Martha asked, raising an eyebrow. Lydia didn't take the bait and narrowed her eyes.

"I'm not sure what it is, but I do know that it doesn't involve you." She hissed and pulled Beetlejuice away with her. Beetlejuice wanted to crow, but he refrained himself and shrugged.

"It was fun Martha, but the Babes here always gets what she wants." He said and Martha just shrugged.

"Too much work for me anyway." She spat out.

Lydia took a deep breath when they walked out onto the balcony and stared out into the night sky. She had never acted that way before, never in her life would she have thought that she was capable of snarling at someone else, but seeing Martha drape herself all over Beetlejuice made something inside her snap.

"You okay Babes?" He asked, gently touching her back. Lydia turned to look at him, her best friend for five years and sighed.

"I don't think so Beej, I don't think I'm okay. I've never acted like that before and I never thought I would. I was ready to kill Martha because she was around you." She said, spilling her feelings out.

"I was gonna go to battle for you too Lydia. When I saw the prince kiss ya, all I saw was red." He said. Lydia just kept looking at him and realized that she cherished his face, dirt and all and she wondered why it took her so long to figure that out.

"Beej, do you think there is something more between us?" She asked.

Beetlejuice stared at his best friend, her skin even paler in the soft moonlight and took her hand in his.

"I don't know what's between us anymore Lyds, but I'm willing to try if you are." He said. Lydia looked at him and chewed on her lower lip. If she did try and it was nothing, then everything would change. Did she want to risk that?

"What if this is all wrong? Nothing will ever be the same again Beej." She said, worry clear in her eyes. "I don't want to lose my best friend."

"You won't lose me Lydia. I'll always be here for you, always." He said smiling at her. "If we don't take his chance, then what if it was something more? We will always wonder." He said and pulled her into his arms. Lydia didn't know if it was the moonlight, the new feelings or the soft smile on his face, but at that moment she felt time stop and she reached around his neck and pulled him into her.

Beetlejuice was shocked for a moment when Lydia's soft lips met his own, but the shock melted away. She tasted so good and he wanted so much more from her. He deepened the kiss, pulling her into him and felt her panic. He pulled her away from him and wanted to cry when their lips broke their powerful connection.

"What's the matter?" He asked and didn't really want to know the answer. Lydia looked up at Beetlejuice and felt a warm feeling spread through her, something that had never happened before and it scared her.

"I think we need to take this very, very slow Beej. If this is something we can't just go rushing or else we can never be friends again." She said.

"So you're willing to take our friendship a little further if we go slow?" He asked, ready to fall into pieces.

"Yes, but no rushing." She said and held out her hand. "I think we should probably go home and talk about this some more." She said. Beetlejuice looked at her and sighed. He knew that he would never be able to look at her again without tasting her on his lips, he wished with all his might that he'd been able to open her mouth, but she'd remained tight lipped.

"You think we can try the kissing thing again?" He asked and Lydia looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Only if you brush your teeth. Taking a bath wouldn't hurt either." She said and laughed when he groaned.

"We'll talk about it when we get home." He muttered and looked around to see if anyone was around before he juiced them back.

"Are we negotiating?" She asked and laughed when he smiled.

"I'll do anythin' to keep outta takin' a bath." He said and smiled, snapping his fingers. Lydia giggled and on an impulse kissed his cheek when they arrived at the front of the house.

"I don't think I'm negotiating that particular topic." She said. Beetlejuice looked at her and opened his mouth and froze. Lydia turned away from him and all the color drained out of her face, her jaw dropping.

"There you are Pumpkin. Where did you and Mr. Beetleman go?" Charles asked. Lydia looked back at Beetlejuice and they both gulped.