I am so sorry it's taken so long, I've got work and school, it's been crazy!
Kaitlyn had left only hour ago and Lydia had immediately decided to go back to the Neitherworld. Kaitlyn had insisted she stay out of it when Lydia explained to her what Beetlegeuse had told her, but Lydia figured that had more to do with her unease with the idea of the Neitherworld itself. Lydia felt a stab of guilt thinking about Kaitlyn. The worry written all over Kaitlyn's face made her stomach churn. The memory of their argument was still fresh in her mind.
"What?" Kaitlyn turned her face away as she continued packing. Lydia had been animatedly describing the Neitherworld and places therein she had been as a child.
"I have never heard you talk like this about anything." Kaitlyn sounded miffed. Lydia shrugged, sitting on the bed beside Kaitlyn's bag. Kaitlyn ran her fingers through her auburn hair and put a hand on Lydia's shoulder.
"I'm gonna level with you, Lydia. He's dead. I really get that he's important to you, but I understand why your parents were worried and they didn't even know he was real. Jesus Christ, Lydia, I know I was teasing you about it the other day but did you ever once consider how fucking creepy it is that a grown man followed you around when you were a kid?" She scratched her head and looked at the floor. "I can't help but wonder if sending you away is the only reason you're still alive." Lydia was staggered.
"How can you even say that!? They drugged me!" She exploded at Kaitlyn. For the past week, Lydia had wrestled with how to feel about what her parents had done. She knew Delia was probably to blame but it wasn't her betrayal that hurt, it was her father's. She was too afraid to ask Beetlegeuse if her father was around because she still hadn't figured out what she wanted to say to him. Lydia shoved off Kaitlyn's hand and stood eye to eye with her. "I was having full on panic attacks every time I even started to think about him! They all had me convinced I was sick! That I spent my childhood all alone. He's not a creep! He never once was inappropriate." Kaitlyn flinched at the anguish in her voice.
"Lydia, that's literally how creeps operate. They groom their victims when they're young so when they get older it seems natural. Look, I want you to think about the future." Kaitlyn's voice shook. She tried her best to sound reasonably but the words came out sounding like a whine. "Where can this even go?"
"Beetlegeuse is part of it. The Neitherworld is part of it. I know all of this is alot to take in, but this is something you're going to have to get past." Lydia would not back down, not again. She wasn't a confused child anymore and this boundless repetition of everyone trying to control her choices was tired and loathsome. "He would never manipulate me like that."
"Look, what I mean is-" Kaitlyn interjected and paused, fumbling with her thought. She felt that she had to make her feelings clear before Lydia dismissed her entirely. "Romantically."
"Kat, it's not like that with Beetlegeuse. He thinks he's Casanova but Beetlegeuse doesn't do long term, and I would never jeopardize our friendship for a quick fuck." Lydia tried to soothe Kaitlyn, but the words held a bitter ring.
"I don't care what he wants. It's you I'm concerned about." Kaitlyn countered, throwing her hands up. Lydia sighed, turning her back to walk over to the vanity and pack her pipe.
"I'm elated to have him back, but I know anything past friendship is impossible." Lydia inspected her pipe, as if there was something terribly interesting about it, so she could avoid Kaitlyn's eyes. She lit the end, inhaling deeply. Kaitlyn sat on the edge of the vanity, probing Lydia's face for any indication that she was getting through.
"I don't want you to be hung up on some guy who you can't be with. You should focus on living people." Lydia rolled her eyes, looking disgusted. She took another hit from the pipe without offering it to Kaitlyn, as she usually did.
"I get what you're saying and I appreciate your concern, but it's not really your business." Lydia chided coldly. Kaitlyn was a great person, but Lydia knew she would never be able to understand how she felt. She thrust the pipe and lighter into Kaitlyn's hands forcefully. Kaitlyn bit her lip, placing the pipe down.
"I want it to be." She responded in a small voice. Lydia regarded her, puzzled.
"What do you mean?" Kaitlyn pursed her lips, deliberating for a moment before she abruptly grabbed Lydia's hand and yanked her into her arms. Kaitlyn crushed her lips against Lydia's frozen ones and knot her fingers into Lydia's hair. Kaitlyn's lips were warm and silken against hers in stark contrast to Beetlegeuse's. Lydia broke the kiss, wide eyed. "What are you doing?"
"Maybe I could stay for another week… Maybe you can investigate other… options?" Kaitlyn suggested in a breathy voice. Despite Lydia's rejection, Kaitlyn was determined. Kaitlyn brushed a lock of Lydia's hair behind her ear. Lydia laughed uncomfortably and pulled away.
"Where is this coming from?" Lydia felt unsteady. It wasn't as if Kaitlyn didn't flirt with her, but Lydia hadn't met a woman Kaitlyn didn't flirt with.
"I thought I had more time! Now it feels like you're slipping away from me and if he was alive? I could probably deal because you might leave him one day. But if you choose a fucking ghost?" She stared down at her hands in her lap. "I just don't understand."
"So… what? You just wanted to go bang as many chicks as you could before you made a move? I'd just be here whenever you were ready?" Lydia sat on the carpet cross legged, grabbing the pipe as she sat. Kaitlyn looked startled.
"What? No. That 'experiment' a few years back? That was me making a move! You just acted like it was meaningless sex so I didn't want to push you." Lydia's eyes softened. She reached up to lay her hand on Kaitlyn's.
"I'm sorry, Kat." Lydia was unsure how to let her down. "I love you, you know that but-" Kaitlyn pulled her hand away, walking over to the bag on the bed and zipping it up. Kaitlyn turned, giving Lydia a tight smile.
"But I'm not him. Right. Look, I need a few days before we talk alright? Don't do anything stupid." Lydia nodded, mortified. She wrapped her arms around Kaitlyn in a stiff hug.
"Drive safe."
…
Lydia wandered down the sidewalk, trying to remember her way around. She wasn't sure where to even start, it wasn't as if Beetlegeuse had given her anything useful. She wore a long black jacket with a hood to keep from being easily spotted. She wasn't interested in arguing with Beetlegeuse if he caught her. She hadn't lied, not exactly. It was a talent she had learned from him and if he hadn't picked up on it, then that was his fault.
Lydia leaned against the side of a building, stuffing her hands in the pockets of her jacket. Jacques walked on the opposite side of the street with Ginger on his shoulder. They hadn't seen her and she pulled her hood over her face as they walked by. As much as she missed them, she knew they wouldn't let her go around town alone.
She wasn't even sure what she would do if she found the threat on her own. She had no special abilities, she wasn't particularly strong. Lydia knew it was selfish, but more than anything, she just wanted to enjoy being back. She didn't care about the danger. She and Beetlegeuse had faced abominable odds in the past, she was now even more capable than then.
This was her home. There wasn't a single place in the living world that made her feel as at peace as she did when she was here. The only thing Lydia worried about was if her spirit would move straight on after she died.
Thinking about her own death reminded her of the office Beetlegeuse's former colleague, Juno worked at. She imagined no one else would have a better record on Beetlegeuse and his enemies. She adjusted the collar of her hood and started towards the Department of the Recently Deceased. Lydia had never met Juno, but they way Beetlegeuse described her made Lydia believe she was about to meet Medusa.
Juno's waiting room was as full as ever, but when she approached the frazzled looking secretary, he immediately knew who she was. He barely looked up from the form he was filling out except to express his indignation.
"I'm only filling in until they find Juno's usual secretary. You and your friend sure know how to make a mess of things! Y'know, some of these ghouls have been waiting for over a week. But you breathers! Just walk in and expect to see her without an appointment, I suppose?" He glared at her over a pair of glasses that had slid down his nose.
"Actually, I only had a couple questions for her. Unrelated to… my… case?" Lydia wasn't sure she even had a case but she hadn't really thought of what she was going to say when she came in here. The secretary snorted.
"Unrelated? HA. Lucky for you the King of the Neitherworld has specifically requested everything in regards to you and your case are to be Juno's priority. Go on through." He dismissed her without another glance. There was a dull rumble of displeasure from the those who had been waiting. Lydia apologized as she slipped through Juno's door.
"What the hell are you doing here? I told him to keep you home." The long suffering woman sighed, taking a drag of her cigarette as she sifted through a pile of forms on her desk. Lydia eased into the chair across from her.
"I won't take up much of your time. I know the two of you were partners once, I wanted to know if you knew who might come after him." Juno looked up from her paperwork to give her a withering look. The way her eyes bore into her was unsettling. Images of Mrs. Shannon staring down her nose at her filled her mind.
"You can't be serious. There isn't anyone I can think of who wouldn't want that creep thrown into a sandworm pit. Don't you think he and I have already been trying to figure that out? If I knew, it would have been addressed. Have you spoken to the King yet?" Lydia's eyebrows knit together.
"Vincent's father? What has he got to do with this? I figured that it had come up, I just thought I would do some digging on my own." Lydia twisted the little ring on her pinkie. Having it back on her finger alleviated some of the anxiety that she had come to deal with regularly. Juno bristled at Lydia's informality.
"It is with King Vincent's blessings you are authorized to be here." Lydia's jaw went slack for a moment as she processed this new information and nodded.
"I will indeed speak with him once we're finished here." Lydia asserted, trying to sound competent. Juno crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, taking another drag of her cigarette. Smoke poured out of the large slit in her throat.
"Why, Ms. Deetz? Why come back here at all? You'll be eventually, Beetlegeuse will still be here. Why involve yourself in the affairs of the dead? You should be living your life!" Lydia had had enough. Still feeling raw from this morning, she felt emboldened to raise her voice in forceful reply.
"Beetlegeuse is the best part of my life and I'm tired of people trying to dissuade me from his company." Juno blinked. She couldn't fathom what Lydia Deetz could possibly find so appealing about Beetlegeuse's company. She wasn't entirely sure what Beetlegeuse was getting out of it either.
"If it was up to me, you would have had your memory erased the first time he dragged you into the Neitherworld." Juno resumed filling out the paperwork on her desk. Lydia hadn't know that this had ever been a possibility.
"Why didn't my memory get erased?" The idea of never Beetlegeuse had ever existed was strangely comforting against having thought she had made him up, as miserable as the alternative was.
"Because King Thelonious said so. I don't question, I do as I'm told!" Juno pinched the bridge of her nose. "I am an extremely busy woman and I do not appreciate being at the beck and call of Beetlegeuse or his… whatever. If you have an actual problem, Beetlegeuse has a handbook. After you speak with the King, then come see me. Until then-" Juno gestured to the door. Lydia stood but moved no closer to the exit.
"Wait! I-" She paused, unsure how to phrase the question. "Do you know about… my father?" Juno hesitated, drawing heavily on her cigarette. Lydia held her breath, not daring to hope she could see him.
"Charles Deetz passed straight on. I'm sure he only wanted to help you, I can't imagine he knew the damage that he was causing." Juno told her as tactfully as her could manage. Death meant so much to the living.
"Thank you, Ms. Juno." Lydia turned to leave but Juno cleared her throat. Her eyes pitied her.
"If I were to give you any advice Ms. Deetz, it would be to go home. Forget you ever came here. This time it will be on your terms. Your 'friend' isn't very well liked. As a child, looking at someone through rose colored glasses, red flags just look like flags." Lydia nodded without replying.
It had become evening in the Neitherworld. The streetlights had come on and there was a dull whisper from the crowds of ghosts and ghouls making their way around the streets. Physics didn't seem to apply to the Neitherworld in the usual sense and light pollution had never affected the view of the night sky.
Lydia sat on a bench, staring up at the sky. She never understood why Beetlegeuse couldn't stand it here. She wished her camera worked here but the pictures she developed always came out black or distorted. The limitless void shimmered with a brilliant canopy of stars. The luminous swirls never visible to the naked eye at home, made her breathless.
"You're his breather." The gruff voice snapped her away from her adoration. Before her stood a man in his late forties wearing a brown military uniform. His silver-flecked black hair was neatly groomed, cut short and tapered. There was a hint of five o'clock shadow and dark circles around his icy blue eyes.
"I'm a breather, yeah." Lydia corrected, arching a brow. She pulled her hood back up and stood to leave. The man smirked, sitting down next to where she had been.
"You're the breather. I recognize you from the party. Lieutenant Colonel Altweather, ma'am, but you're welcome to call me Pierce. Beetlegeuse is… well not a friend." He extended a hand for her to shake but Lydia only stared at it warily. He dropped his hand, unoffended and smiled politely. "He said he was going to keep you stateside."
"Lydia Deetz. I don't know how much he told you about me, but I don't sit at home." Lydia said in a clipped tone as she crossed her arms. Lydia's cheeks felt hot. She wondered how many people viewed her as Beetlegeuse's pet breather in need of protection and coddling. Apparently even some she'd never met. Altweather chucked, standing up.
"Nah, I can't imagine any woman on par with Geuse would stay clear of where trouble abounds" Lydia thawed significantly at his words, it was the first positive thing anyone had said about the two of them. "Well come on, I'm on my way to meet him." Altweather offered his arm to Lydia. She bit her lip, looking sheepish.
"Oh, uh I-" Lydia stuttered. Altweather grinned, shooting her a knowing look.
"Doesn't know you're here, yeah, color me surprised. I'm not terribly interested in this whole business, but I was an officer, ma'am. I wouldn't have a lady go unescorted whether or not the threat is deemed credible." Altweather's eyes twinkled with amusement. Lydia found the old soldier's charismatic disposition quite likeable.
"I appreciate it but I'm not-"
"Or-" Altweather interjected, "At least that's my excuse so I can walk around town with a beautiful woman on my arm." Lydia giggled shyly.
"That's sweet of you, but I must insist. I'm actually on my way to see the King." Altweather shook his head, still smiling.
"Fair enough. Let me walk you-" Altweather scooped up Lydia's hand in both of his.
"That's that woman!" Lydia whispered urgently and jerked the hand Altweather held up, pointing to Tamara walking down the opposite side of the street. Altweather swiveled around, placing Lydia's body behind his own.
"I need to follow her, but taking you would thrust you directly where you shouldn't be, so would you please meet Geuse over at Despondent Moan? It's a bar just a couple blocks that way. I'm sure he'll to take you to see his Majesty." Altweather started after Tamara without waiting for a reply. Lydia trailed behind him, doing her best to keep her movements muffled.
"I think we both know I'm coming." Altweather guffawed, glancing back at her.
"You're as much of a handful as he is, aren't ya?" Lydia smirked. Tamara hadn't noticed them. Her hair was tucked under a gray wide brimmed hat and the clothes she wore were modest and muted in color; she clearly was trying to be inconspicuous. They followed far enough behind that Altweather was sure that even if Tamara turned back, she wouldn't notice the two of them.
"So, you were a servicemen? Why are you still wearing your uniform?" Lydia waved her hand towards Altwearther's appearance.
"Well, when you die at first it's whatever you were wearing, after a few years it's just whatever you feel most comfortable in. Kinda an outer projection of your inner self. I suppose I never stopped being a military man. The only difference is these don't have three bullet holes through it." He fingered his left leg thoughtfully, remembering a lifetime long since passed.
"Oh, is that what happened?" Lydia bit her lip, feeling slightly uncomfortable.
"Yeah, Korean war. I made it through a MASH unit but my injuries put me out of commision. Got sent home but later passed from wound complications." Altweather straightened, his eyes focused on Tamara as she turned a corner. Lydia's cheeks flushed with embarrassment and she mumbled out an apology. "Oh it's been many years now. I imagine your parents hadn't even been born yet. I wasn't married and my parents had already gone, I didn't leave anyone behind. Actually, I got to see them." His features softened.
"I know everyone here is dead, no one really talks about how it happened though. I always figured it was rude to ask." Altweather tucked Lydia's hand into the crook of his elbow while they walked, considering his words carefully.
"Well, for some it's a quite personal, especially if it was unpleasant. I've gotten over it. Though I think mostly through they've forgotten." Tamara crossed the street, turning down a road with less traffic.
"Forgotten?" Lydia probed. She knew they should be focused on Tamara, but not even Beetlegeuse talked about this kind of thing with her. When she was young, she hadn't really asked, but Beetlegeuse always managed to steer the conversation in another direction if she did.
"The longer you're dead, the harder it is to hold onto the living world. I can't imagine why you'd want to, either. Being dead is so much easier. Memories fade, unless they're particularly potent, but even those eventually go. Geuse is what? Like 4-something? I doubt he remembers anything." Lydia had never given much thought to the man Beetlegeuse had been before. To her, he had always been just Beetlegeuse. Surely he hadn't been born with that name though. She tried to imagine what he'd look like with a pulse.
"Actually I he once told me he was nearly 600." She replied absently, her mind trying without much luck to reconcile her image of a living doppleganger with the ghost with the most.
"Pffft I doubt he even remembers the first few decades being dead. I wonder why he hasn't moved on. Usually they do after a couple hundred years, maybe the odd ghost staying at little longer. Never heard of someone staying that long though." Altweather scratched his chin, pulling Lydia behind a building as Tamara stopped outside the south side of a vast stone wall.
"I wonder how he died." Lydia pulled her hand away, trying to get a better look. Tamara appeared to knock against the side. There wasn't a door or any discernible edge that they could make out but the darkness didn't help.
"Depends where he lived. He didn't live in America. 600 would sit his somewhere early 1400's. Probably England or Scotland." Altweather gestured to another alley between two buildings up the street that was closer. A panel on the wall swung open, revealing a guard. Tamara slipped inside. "Where is she going? The only thing past that wall is the castle."
They made their way across the street to lie in wait for Tamara's return. Lydia took off her jacket, laying it over a couple wooden crates next to a dumpster, settling in, they lapsed into a comfortable silence while they staked out the castle. Eventually Beetlegeuse floated by looking bored. In his company was a beautiful woman with long silver hair dressed in elegant attire and three men clearly there to encourage Beetlegeuse's cooperation.
"I don't think Beetlegeuse is missing you Pierce." Pierce looked up briefly and ducked down out of sight. The group had no reason to suspect they were being watched, nor had either of them made a sound, but Beetlegeuse's eyes flicked to where they hid. He didn't appear to have noticed anything unusual, continuing without pause.
"I'm still not convinced she wasn't giving Geuse empty threats, she's known to be dramatic." Altweather said after Beetlegeuse had made it through the southern gate.
"You don't find going through a hidden door isn't suspicious? Do you think she knew Beetlegeuse was coming?" Altweather rolled his eyes and stretched.
"Doubtful. She isn't exactly… Well Geuse isn't the only man she… She's a pretty busy woman. There are any number of people she could be visiting in there, and none of them would want her to be seen going inside the traditional way." Altweather didn't seem comfortable calling Tamara a slut, but after seeing her wrapped around Beetlegeuse, Lydia didn't share his qualms.
"We could go inside. I'll talk with Vincent while you snoop around." Lydia suggested. Altweather mulled the thought around for a moment before dismissing it.
"Nah, too conspicuous. Besides, when Geuse sees you, I'm sure he'll be loud enough to let the whole castle know we're there. Best just wait for her to come out. I'm thinkin' I might give her the ol' Altweather charm. I bet she can't resist a man in uniform." Altweather wiggled his eyebrows at her. "She loves to gossip and she's not exactly bright so I figure if I complain enough about Geuse, she'll let something slip." Lydia giggled, leaning her head against the side of the building.
"Oh, the sacrifices we make." She teased. Altweather only winked at her. Lydia walked around the L-shaped alley, trying to occupy her thoughts. Time dragged by slowly, she was sure an hour had passed but when she checked her phone, only about thirty minutes had gone by since Beetlegeuse had gone in.
Altweather sat patiently, watching her in amusement. Lydia smirked, turning down the corner into the rest of the alley. There was another dumpster, this one piled with refuse. A backdoor to one of the buildings was cracked slightly and Lydia could faintly hear metal music playing somewhere inside.
Lydia backed away to go stand with Pierce, when two men came crashing through the door. Lydia could tell from their raucous laughter they were pretty drunk. They were both a little taller than her, one with long dirty blond hair matted past his shoulders leaned for support against the dumpster, the other's head was shaved, grinning lopsided at her. He was missing at least three teeth. He nudged his friend and they both stared at her. Lydia nodded politely, moving out of sight around the corner.
"Hell-o lovely." The bald one drawled, coming around the side. Altweather stood up, putting his body between them.
"She's not interested." Altweather jerked his head out of the alley, indicating for Lydia to leave him. The blond man stumbled around from the alley opening, having gone back inside and come out the other end to head her off.
"Well, I'm interested." He said nearly incoherently, laughing as is he had said something terribly clever. Lydia spun around trying to push past him. The man with the shaved head rushed Altweather, swinging at his face.
"Shove off!" Altweather dodged, thrusting his elbow into the man's side. Pain flashed over his face but he recovered quickly, tripping Altweather and throwing him against the dumpster. Lydia saw the blond man grab for her and she darted backwards deeper into the alley. The bald man grabbed her from behind and Lydia slammed her head head back into his skull as hard as she could. His grip loosened and she broke free.
"Get the fuck off me!" Lydia growled as the blond man lurched towards her again. Altweather swung at the bald man as they closed in around her, uppercutting him. Lydia's fist connected with the blond man's jaw and she heard a muted crack in her hand. He fell backwards but quickly recovered. Both men laughed again, as if enjoying playing with them.
"Gentlemen, lets just calm down now." Altweather tried diplomatically as he pushed Lydia against the wall gently, shielding her body with his own. The bald man grabbed a cracked board off of one of the crates and smashed it against Alweather. The blond man yanked Altweather up and slammed him head first into the brick wall. He fell to the ground, unmoving.
"Pierce!" The bald one grabbed her by the throat and pushed her off the ground. She grabbed his forearms and swung her legs as hard as she could. The blonde man scooped her up by her legs, carrying her down the other end of the alley.
"Come'ere, sweet little breather! We just wanna see what everyone's been talking about!"
"Fuck you! Beetlegeuse Beetlegeuse Beetl-" The bald one conjured up duct tape over her mouth. They heaved her body against the dumpster, easily holding her in place.
"Shut up, bitch." The bald one held her wrists far apart, making it more difficult for her to jerk around.
"Get her pants, I can't let go with her bucking like this. What if he does find out?" The bald one pulled out a knife and slit her pants down her leg. Lydia screamed through the duct tape as he yanked her pants away. Blood gushed where her pants had been cut, having given no concern to how delicate living tissue was.
"Oh-ho! She wants it bad! Don't worry about him, his powers are bullshit." The blond man rubbed his fingers between her legs and ripped off the black lace underwear she wore. Lydia whimpered, still trying unsuccessfully to wrestle away. He transferred her other wrist to one hand, holding both wrists securely in one hand.
"Hold still honey." He grunted in her ear as he started to unbuckle his belt. She felt him slip a cold finger inside her roughly. Lydia bucked hard against him again, still trying to fight back even though she knew she was sorely outmatched. She closed her eyes, pretending she was somewhere else. A feral sound ripped through the alley behind her, and the air crackled with electricity.
"Shit!" The bald one yelped before Beetlegeuse ripped his head clean off. Black and white striped snakes slipped out from Beetlegeuse's pants leg. Lydia glanced behind her as much as she could. Beetlegeuse's eyes glowed with bright green flames. His distorted expression was filled with a cold fury that left him unrecognizable. Behind him on the ground she saw the snakes crawling into the decapitated head through his mouth and eye sockets.
Beetlegeuse grabbed the man on top of her by the back of his neck and slammed his fist into his spine, snapping it. The man screamed but the sound was soon cut off into horrified gurgles as the skin beneath Beetlegeuse's began to melt as if touched by an extremely corrosive liquid. The body splattered unto the ground and the sickening squish reminded Lydia of rotten fruit. She slipped off the dumpster into Beetlegeuse's arms, wondering vaguely if she was able to die in the Neitherworld.
"You're ok, you're ok, I'm here. Say the words babes." He murmured into her hair, cradling her body against his own.
"Home home home." She rasped against him. They collapsed onto her floor. She fought urge to throw up, the scent of rotting flesh inescapable. Lydia back tears as she tried to stand up. Beetlegeuse grasped her hand to steadied her and she inhaled sharply, realizing it was broken from where she had punched her assailant.
"You're safe now." She nodded, limping over to the bathroom. She turned on the shower and closed the door behind her. Lydia stood in the shower still in her shirt and bra, letting the hot water scream over her.
She inspected the gash on her leg. Blood still drained down her side but much slower than it had initially. It would leave a nasty scar but she could get by without stitches. She had lost a considerable amount of blood but she would recover. Given her medical history, if she showed up to a hospital like this, they would definitely put her on a psych hold. The hand she would have to have looked at. It was less likely to set off red flags though. She tried not to think about what would have happened a minute later if Beetlegeuse hadn't found her.
She stepped out, peeling off her wet clothes. After drying off and tending her cut with the first aid kit under the sink, she wrapped a towel around herself. Lydia peeked out of the bathroom, Beetlegeuse laid on her bed staring up at the ceiling. She clenched her jaw, facing him.
She could feel the heat of his ire radiating off him, despite the mask of cool nonchalance he wore. When she was younger, everything between them was easy and open. It was the two of them against the world. She knew he would be angry that she'd gone alone to the Neitherworld, what she hadn't expected was his silence. Beetlegeuse was obnoxious at times, stubborn to a fault and above all else- loud. The impenetrable silence consuming the room was maddening.
"I'm sorry. I'm ok, really I am. I just saw that woman from the party and… Pierce!" Her eyes went wide remembering the way he looked crumpled on the ground. Beetlegeuse raised his brow at her casual familiarity and shook his head.
"He'll be fine, babes, he's already dead. Found him unconscious. He'll just wake up with a headache. Just like those motherfuckers. Means I'll get to tear into 'em again." The smoldering rage in his voice made her cringe.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, you told me and and… I didn't, I just-" Lydia's voice trembled and she hated herself for it.
"Knock it off, I shoulda known you were gonna pull some shit like that. Altweather isn't very powerful, I'm not surprised he couldn't protect you. That's why you need to stay clear." Beetlegeuse floated over to the window, standing up straight with his hand in his pocket. He leaned his arm against the glass and glared into the night.
The animosity pouring off of him was so alien to her that for the first time since meeting him, she was afraid. Lydia clamped down her fear and turned into her closet. She realized she had left her jacket in the alley on the wooden crates. Not that it mattered, she never wanted to see it again. She pulled a thin dark gray sweater over her head, leaving the towel wrapped around her torso. The last thing she wanted in that moment was to be sexualized, even by Beetlegeuse.
Sifting through her undergarments was unnerving. So many pairs of underwear were similar to the ones she had been wearing. Lydia took a deep breath, she resolved herself to not being a victim. Especially because it hadn't gone that far. She pulled a pair on without focusing too long on them. The black pants she slipped on were quickly secured tightly with a belt. She looked up to see Beetlegeuse had turned his head, studying her.
"We saw her go into the castle through a side entrance." Beetlegeuse's expression didn't change. She could tell he was making a conscious effort to control the anger writhing within.
"It doesn't matter. You aren't going to have to worry about it anymore." His tone was clipped. Lydia felt a pang in her chest watching him. She missed the dirty goofball who could always make her laugh. So much had changed in both of them.
"What are you talking about?" Lydia asked cautiously. Beetlegeuse shook his head with an exasperated smile and shrugged.
"It's out of my hands, Lyds. I don't get a say." Lydia crossed the room, stopping a foot away from him. Her eyes searched his but they only reflected her own. "The King has to answer to his council. The eggheads decided that it's too dangerous for a living adult to know about the Neitherworld. Especially since I roped your little friend into things." Lydia didn't understand. Beetlegeuse grabbed the bottle of whiskey behind Lydia on the vanity.
"No, Juno said-" Lydia whirled around to face him, stopping dead with an inch between them.
"You have been busy today, huh?" He interjected bitterly. He handed her a glass. Ice emanated from where his fingers had touched it.
"She told me that Vincent decides whether or not I can go to the Neitherworld!" Beetlegeuse knocked back his own drink and pinched his eyebrows. She ventured a small sip. The burn on her tongue was comforting.
"Why the hell did you go see Juno? What have I ever said to make you think that visiting that crusty old biddy would be a good idea?" Beetlegeuse poured himself another drink.
"You can't expect me to just sit around while you deal with whatever is going on." Lydia growled, yanking the bottle from him.
"That's precisely what I expect. What do you think you're going to do!? Those creeps had the power of a couple gnats and if I hadn't shown up-" Beetlegeuse thundered darkly.
"If you hadn't sidelined me, I would have been with you!"
"If you had just stayed here-"
"No! I am sick and tired of everyone deciding what to do with me, what's best for me. I am a grown ass adult, Beetlegeuse!" Lydia slammed the bottle unto her dresser with enough force to crack it.
"Then act like it! Don't act so fucking childish!" He roared at her, throwing his glass against the wall. Lydia recoiled as if he had slapped her. A heavy silence passed in which Beetlegeuse wondered if he had gone too far. He let the anger drain from his tone."You make my blood boil, woman. Maybe the council's decision is what's best."
"What did they say?" Her voice was small. Beetlegeuse held out his hand and the glass reformed in his grasp. She picked up the half packed pipe off the dresser, looking around for the lighter. Beetlegeuse struck his finger like a match and held it up for her.
"They want to wipe your memories of the Neitherworld." Lydia almost choked on the smoke. When she regained her composure, she croaked out a broken protest. "Don't. It's temporary, you'll get 'em back after you die and trust me, the Neitherworld won't be much different. Your friend has already been dealt with I imagine. She probably won't remember being here at all."
"Vincent agreed to this? You agreed to this?" She screeched. Beetlegeuse shrugged, leaning back to float in the air. In the back of her mind, Lydia felt a small pang of relief that she wouldn't have to make up with Kaitlyn.
"He doesn't have a choice. Lydia, you almost got raped tonight! I just wanna keep you safe. You promised me you wouldn't go there without me!"
"I never promised! I never even said I wouldn't. There's no other option?" Beetlegeuse paused.
"No." He answered flatly. Lydia scrutinized his expression. He leaned back into the air, floating with a neutral expression.
"I want to hear it from Vincent." She pulled out her phone and dialed Kaitlyn's number. She answered on the third ring.
"Hey Kat!" Lydia stared at her reflection in the vanity, unsure how she felt. Kaitlyn deserved the truth, but wasn't this easier? "What are you up to?"
"Um… I don't know actually. It's the weirdest thing. I woke up on my couch and my- my head is fuzzy. I can't remember the last few days. Didn't I come to see you?" Lydia raised her brows at Beetlegeuse and he shrugged.
"Yeah… You slipped on the stairs and hit your head. The doctor said that you would have issues with your memory for a couple days."
"Oh. Right. Of course. Clumsy me."
"You don't remember anything?" There was a pause.
"Nope. Why?" Guilt gnawed at her but she didn't waver.
"Just… maybe take it easy for a couple days. I'll call you tomorrow." Kaitlyn mumbled out a goodbye.
"You don't trust me?"Beetlegeuse looked at her expectantly. Lydia snorted.
"Because you've always been the epitome of honesty. Besides, Juno made it clear I needed to see him."
"She did, huh? Say anything else? Go visit any other ghouls on your little adventure?"
"How did you die?" Beetlegeuse fell out of the air, slamming into the ground.
"What? Where the hell did that come from?"
"Pierce was talking about how it happened for him, he said you probably don't remember."
"Peirce. He told you about how he died? You did only meet him today, right? Pretty chummy with a total stranger." Lydia's cheeks turned pink and she crossed her arms.
"You won't tell me?" Beetlegeuse mulled the thought around, debating his words.
"He's right, I don't remember. Listen, the King gave us a month to… say goodbye. After that, if you enter the Neitherworld, they'll take your memories. So now you have a choice, lose your memories or just don't come back."
"Vincent said I could keep my memories if I stay away from the Neitherworld?"
"Not exactly. I'm working on that last part. Just keep your head down and I'll get it straight. Vincent still cares about you."
"Take me to see him, let me talk to him. Otherwise, I'll just go alone again." Beetlegeuse rubbed his chin, looking like the cat caught eating a canary."What is it?"
"I lied, alright? He didn't give us a month to say goodbye, he gave you a month… to marry someone from the Neitherworld." Lydia froze.
"I don't understand."
"If you marry a Neitherworld citizen, you become one of the King's subjects. He can protect you and the council will be satisfied. You'll be able to move back and forth without the mirror, without me."
"How will this make the council happy?"
"Because they'll be able to bind you. They're the ones who bound me, they reason you've got to call for me three times instead of me moving at will. They'll bind your soul. Speak to the living about the Neitherworld and you'll die."
"Ok I'll do it." Lydia didn't need to think twice about the decision. No one would be able to steal her life away again.
"NO! No. Lyds, no. You can't bind yourself to the Neitherworld, you've got your whole life ahead of you! You've got to go fall in love and have babies and other breather crap!"
"Though I should be wary, still I venture someplace scary. Ghostly hauntings I turn loose, Beetlegeuse Beetlegeuse Beetlegeuse." The pair materialized in the Neitherworld.
"Lydia, nothing has to change! Just stay at home, I'll still come see you."
"No. I'm telling Vincent we're getting married so they can fix this." Beetlegeuse froze. He had done his best to push the thought from his mind, but hearing the words from her lips unleashed a long-buried hunger within him. Lydia hadn't noticed the change and he quickly stamped down the feral desire warring in his eyes.
"Wait, what? I am not going to marry you, babes." Lydia rolled her eyes without looking back.
"Of course you are, don't be stupid." Beetlegeuse choked on a humorless laugh. Finally. Finally, after centuries of hauntings and cons and waiting, he could break his curse and it had to be her. He tried for arrogant but his voice came out sounding half-strangled.
"I'm flattered, babes really, but I have no intention of giving up my bachelor lifestyle." They walked in silence. Beetlegeuse saw a few curious glances directed towards them and his expression darkened. "I told you that binding your soul is a goddamn death sentence. You don't understand the gravity of what you'd be agreeing to. I'm not gonna be part of it."
"Who else do you expect me to marry?"
"I don't. Might as well go home and find some breather if you're so desperate to be a blushing bride." He muttered.
"I have no interest in marriage. But if that's what it takes-"
"Did you go deaf while you were gone? I will find a way to fix this!" He grabbed Lydia's hands and swung her to face him. Her face came inches away from his own. "Babes, it's late. See the King in the morning, come to the Roadhouse. I know you've got to be exhausted. Lets just talk."
"I could just go home." She mumbled weakly. Beetlegeuse slid his hands up her arms and tightened his grip just below her shoulders. Lydia tried to look defiant. She didn't know he could feel her heartbeat, that it betrayed her to anyone standing within five feet of her.
"After tonight? Come on, Lyds. I won't be able to sleep if I don't know for a fact that you're safe." He knew Lydia wouldn't accept his pity, but she usually found his selfish whining endearing. A smirk tugged at the corner of her lips.
"I am going to go see Vincent tomorrow." She emphasized but Beetlegeuse ignored her, already dragging them towards his own home.