A story about life, love, courage, and testing ultimate friendship. What happens to Beetlejuice and his friends when one of their own falls into despair and changes completely? Nothing will ever be the same. This story is an Alternate Universe set five years after Dark Shadows in the year 2008, and does not follow the intended story line. I repeat, this story does NOT follow the intended story line of the two stories (A New Beginning & Dark Shadows) included in my Beetlejuice Afterlife series, which is why it is simply titled "Mania" and not "Beetlejuice Afterlife – Mania". If I have someone ask me why I would put this as a sequel, I'll ignore them, because, right here it says: THIS STORY IS NOT A SEQUEL. This story was just bursting to be written, but I have no intention to make it part of my previous series. It just happens to use that series' events as a prelude. I hope there is no confusion.
*Hugs everyone that read and kisses those who left reviews* See? If you leave a review, you get a hug AND a kiss! ^_~ Hehe! Thank you for reviewing, guys! You know who you are. I was hoping to see some of my old reviewers, but most seem to have disappeared.... Oh, well, I guess. Can't win them all. -_-
I'm glad some of you are liking this story so far, and so I won't take up too much of your time anymore. Go ahead and read on, for you're sure to find some dramatic changes and...I won't give it away. ^_^ Read on, my friends!
Mania
Spencers13 – March 2003–March 2004
R – Drama – Angst
Chapter Three – Back from Beyond Reality
Dark colors swirled through Kyle's mind as he slowly woke. They twisted into horrid shapes of writhing creatures in his mind's eye, and he could do nothing to stop them from surrounding him and picking away at his consciousness, trying to drag him back into slumber. He groaned and rolled his head of white hair to the side, trying to fight back. He wouldn't be dragged back into the dark without a battle.
"Mom! Dad's waking up!" an excited voice called from the distance. It was sweet and young, and Kyle felt drawn to it, using it as his anchor to pull himself back from oblivion. Then cool hands connected with his heated skin and another pleasant voice broke through the din.
"Kyle, honey? Kyle?"
Groaning again, the human rocked his head from side to side slowly, fighting to open his eyes. When he finally won that small, but almost insurmountable battle, his vision swam with a pale face and bright, fiery hair.
"Oh, thank goodness! Are you okay, sweetheart?" Pepper gushed, her visage swirling into focus.
Kyle looked about the room blankly for a moment. He was in his Neitherworld home, the home he had moved into a few years ago to join his ghostly wife and daughter. His piercing, cerulean eyes widened and snapped back to Pepper. "Wh—Why am I here?" he rasped.
The feminine ghost looked to her right at their daughter, Faygo, a little surprised. "UhBeetlejuice told me about what happened, and I thought it would be better for you to rest at home. How do you feel?"
"Where's Endri?!" the human grunted immediately, trying to sit up. Pepper pressed him back to the bed, however.
"He's still at the Roadhouse, honey. Now just lay back and rest, all right?" she urged.
Kyle shook his head, looking almost panicked. "No! I—I gotta make sureh—he's okay!" Again, he tried to raise up.
Pepper pushed him back once more. "Kyle, stay put. You're too weak to get up."
But the human only struggled more. "L—Let me up, dammit! I g—gotta see Endri!" He finally succeeded in pushing his passed wife away and shakily got to his feet.
"Stop, Kyle, you're too weak!" Pepper argued, following him closely as he stumbled to the door, tugging on his shirt.
"H—Have to see him" he mumbled in reply.
"Get back in bed this instant, Kyle Gavan Bennington!"
He whirled on her, anger snapping in his eyes and making his tongue sharp. "Be quiet! I know about what you think of him! He told me how you made him feel when he came over those first few times. You want to keep him away from me, don't you? Well, it won't work, Pepper! You'll never be able to stop me from seeing him again!" With that, he turned and quit the room on wobbly legs.
Pepper stood, stunned for a second, then fumed with anger.
"Mom" Faygo half whispered, drawing the woman's attention, "you've been trying to keep Dad from seeing Uncle 'Dri?"
"That man isn't your uncle, Faygo!" her mother snapped. "And your father has no reason to see him! The man is unconscious anyway. And it's his fault your father had all of his energy drained!"
"Why don't you want them to see each other?" the young woman asked, almost shocked.
"Your father has spent too much of his life with that ghost as it is. He needs to be with us now. And Beetlejuice's son is not your uncle, so stop calling him that!"
Frowning, Faygo took a strong step forward and crossed her arms over her chest. "I am twenty—one years old, and I will call Endri whatever I damn well please! You can't tell me what to do anymore, Mom! All Dad wants to do is see Uncle 'Dri. What is the problem with that?! He's worried about him! I'm sure if Dad was the one hurt, Uncle 'Dri would be trying all he could to see him too. They're best friends, and you wanna keep them apart?! What's wrong with you?!" She stormed from the room, having made her point.
Pepper only sighed in frustration, rubbing her temples to alleviate the stress.
Kyle stumbled out onto the Neitherworld street, weakly raising his arm into the air and hollering, "H—Haxi!"
A haxi cab immediately pulled up and coughed roughly from the front grill. The human climbed into the back seat and leaned his head against the head rest.
Turning around, the half crab, half ghoul hacked past the cigar in his mouth then grinned at his passenger. "Koff! Where to, pal?"
"B—BJ's Roadhouse," Kyle panted.
The crab's segmented eyes bulged on their stalks. "Are you insane?! Nobody goes there!"
"I'm paying you, aren't I? Take me there!" the man huffed, leaning back in the seat again.
Raising his claws in a shrug, the crab turned back around and gripped the steering wheel. "Okay, okay. It's your second funeral."
Kyle smirked. It was a nice advantage having such pure, white hair in the Neitherworld. Everyone thought he was a ghost at first glance. It made blending in so much easier. Now to lean back and rest until they arrivedso tired His eyes drifted shut, dozing into a light sleep not thirty seconds after the haxi pulled away from the curb.
Gently, Beetlejuice brushed Endri's sweat—matted hair from his forehead and readjusted the wet washcloth there, flipping it over to put the cooler side against his son's burning skin. It had been a full day and a half since the ghost had tried to commit suicide, and things weren't exactly looking good for him.
Emphasizing his inner turmoil, Endri groaned and winced in his sleep, the first movement and sound uttered since his collapse. It was a positive reaction, though, but it still didn't mean he was recovering all that well.
"It's okay, kid. Things'll get better, I promise," Beetlejuice whispered, smoothing the backs of his red—tipped fingers over the heated flesh of the boy's cheek.
Easing through the open door to Endri's bedroom, Lydia made her way over to stand next to her lover. "How is he?"
The ghoul shook his head. "Still has a fever. He prob'ly will for another couple days or so."
She sat on the bedside and caressed lithe fingers over his cheek. "I can't believe how hot he is. This temperature would kill a human. Why's he so sick?"
"Lost most of his energymost of his defenseseverything's gone," Beetlejuice explained somberly. "He has no resistance to anything anymore. Without his energy, he's nothing. And with almost all of it gone, he has nothing."
Lydia looked upon the tormented ghost, her brows lifting in concern. "Poor thing"
Beetlejuice smirked, letting a light chuckle slip through his lips. "I wouldn't pity 'im, Lyds. I think that's the last thing he would want."
She nodded. "Right, sorry." Pausing, she continued to gaze at the handsome, blonde ghost. "Is there anything we can do for him?"
"Nothin' but wait. That's all." He thought for a second, drifting into silence. "Well, actually" Standing from his bedside chair, he shooed Lydia away to stand. "I'm not sure if this'll work, but it's worth a shot. I'll give him a little boost." He looked up at her with serious eyes. "Don't tell anyone this."
She shook her head in agreement.
"I didn't want to tell anyone and worry 'em, 'specially Kyle," the ghoul went on, looking back to the unconscious ghost in bed, "but he's not making anymore energy."
A worried look drifted over Lydia's features. "He's not?"
He shook his head. "No. I was worried it might happen too. He's lost so much, he can't even lay there and make more. Maybe if I do this, it'll boost him to a point where he can." Beetlejuice clapped his hands together and produced a bright yellow flash that remained glowing on each of his hands after they parted. He pointed both hands to his son and sent the energy straight into his chest near his heart. "There. Hopefully he'll be able to accept it."
"What did you do to him?"
"Gave 'im some of my energy," he answered. "Kinda like a blood transfusion, only it's power. I just hope his body can accept it. If not, thenI don't know what we'll do."
Endri groaned and rolled his head to the side a fraction. His eyes blinked open, still revealing how dull green they were, and still with no sparkles of power. "P—Papa?" he grunted out, his voice an empty echo of what it once was. He sounded lostand frightened. That voice, that emotional turmoil, that fear did not belong in him. It simply was not him.
Beetlejuice grinned, not expecting his son to actually wake so early. "Hey! Hey, kid, how ya feelin'?" He leaned down to readjust the washcloth on the ghost's forehead, rubbing it gently against the hot skin.
Endri only blinked groggily, looking as though he could fall back into his fitful sleep at any moment. "P—Papa"
A light smirk spread over the ghoul's lips. He should have known his son would ask about the wily human. "Kyle's over at his house. He's just fine, don't worry."
"Ky—le" The young ghost's eyes drifted closed as his voice fell away, and he went back to sleep.
Beetlejuice glanced over to Lydia who had simply stood and watched the scene play out. "Wellit worked, I guess."
"Is he making energy now?"
He laid a hand over Endri's chest and held it there for a minute. "Yeah. Yeah, there we go. Come here." She stepped over and Beetlejuice took her hand and placed it on the ghost's chest over his heart. "Feel that 'hum'?"
Her eyes went wide and she giggled at the sensation tingling through her fingers. "It's almost like when you put your hand really close to a TV when it's covered with static!"
"Yep. That's his energy bouncing back. He's makin' it again. Good. Now, we–"
Kyle Bennington stumbled into the room and held himself up against the doorframe. "E—Endri" he panted, looking like he would fall over at any second. "I—Is he okay?"
Beetlejuice jogged over and helped the human into the room. "Kyle! What're you doin' back? I thought the Doc took you home."
"I didn'twant to be there. Wanted to seeD—'Dri," he panted again. He was still so weak. How the man made it from his home almost thirty miles away to the Roadhouse was amazing.
The ghoul helped Kyle into the bedside chair, and the human reached over to put a hand over Endri's arm. "Is he okay?"
"He's just fine," Lydia answered. "He's got a fever, but it should clear up in a few days."
Kyle nodded and slumped back in the chair, falling unconscious immediately.
Beetlejuice just chuckled and picked him up from the chair, flinging him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He toted Kyle out of the room and toward the human's old bedroom next door. It was the room he used to occupy when living in the Roadhouse before Pepper had come along and insisted he move into their downtown home with her.
"Looks like he's still a little out of it. I'll just put him back in his old bed for now. I'm sure the Doc'll be back sometime to get 'im," he said, laying the human in bed and tossing a blanket loosely over him.
Lydia just stood in the doorway. "Is he okay?"
"He'll be fine," the ghoul assured. "He's just worried about Endri, is all. He'll probably sleep for about another day, now that he knows the kid's all right. Come—on, let's let 'im sleep."
Quietly, Beetlejuice and Lydia left Kyle's old room and shut out the light, leaving the door half open to keep easy tabs on him.
Around five o'clock in the afternoon the next day, Kyle stumbled from his old room and into Endri's. As soon as he rounded into the door and almost reeled, Beetlejuice was at his side, supporting him again. The ghoul had been sitting at his son's bedside since the previous night, worried over his condition.
"What're you doin' outa bed, Kyle? Ain't you still tired?"
"Endrii—is he okay?" is all he murmured in a half daze, still wobbly on his feet.
Beetlejuice smirked. "He's still sleeping."
He watched as Kyle swayed, one arm supported against the doorframe, just staring at Endri in bed. He didn't seem to want to leave at all, and the ghoul didn't have the heart to make him go.
"Heywhy don't you just stay in here if you're so worried about him?"
Shakily, the human turned his head to Beetlejuice. "Uh?"
"Yeah, here. Lay down beside him." With a helpful hand, the ghoul assisted Kyle into bed next to his son on the side against the wall. "There now. Just relax and go back to sleep."
The human mumbled a thanks and laid his head to the spare pillow there, facing Endri. He stared for just a minute before he fell right into a dream, relaxed in the knowledge that his best friend was still nearby.
A few hours later, night had descended over the Roadhouse, and once more, the three ratty moons drifted across the sky in their never—ending orbits. Down below, inside the Roadhouse, in the upstairs bedroom on the right, Endri groaned and blinked his eyes open. His sleep thus far had been erratic and fitful, something it should not have been. The ghost needed to have days, if not weeks of uninterrupted rest to regain his full power. With constantly waking up, he was burning off the energy his body had been building up, putting him back down to a dangerously low level. If he continued to fuss in his sleep and wake with the fever still raging in him, he would eventually burn his energy down to nothing and cease to exist.
But Beetlejuice was still happy to see his son awake. "There's my boy's green eyes!" He reached down and flipped the wet washcloth over again, putting the cooler side to the sweating flesh of the ghost's forehead. He had been sitting there still, keeping a constant vigil over his son, trying to give him some bit of subconscious reinforcement.
Endri's eyes were still that faded, dull green color, though. His father was only trying to encourage him, to make him feel like he was wanted and cared for–which he was, of course.
"P?"
Beetlejuice smirked, looking kindly upon his son. "He's right beside you."
Endri's eyes were only half—lidded as he tried unsuccessfully to move his head and look to the side. Wanting to help, his father reached over and put his hands to either side of his boy's face and turned his head for him. The ghost's eyes alighted to his best friend lying above the blankets at his side, his right arm down between them and the left flung carelessly across his chest which rose and fell steadily.
"K" Endri stuttered. It seemed he couldn't speak any longer.
"He's asleep, kid. He was worried about you, so he stayed here," Beetlejuice said out of eyesight.
"Nm" the ghost mumbled, using only the most primitive form of communication at that point. "Hnnm" he sighed, falling immediately back into sleep. This time, however, he didn't fuss. He was no longer tormented. He finally was able to rest in peace, knowing his best friend was right beside him and would stay there.
Smirking, Beetlejuice slowly shook his head, amazed at the progress made in mere moments from the simple knowledge that his son's best friend was there for him. He took the warmed washcloth from Endri's forehead and shook it lightly, letting the air cool the damp rag before he folded it again and laid it back over the ghost's still burning skin. But, he thought, it wouldn't be burning for much longer. He had a feeling the boy was truly on the mend now.
The ghoul ran his hand over his son's cheek and pointed ear, fingering the soft blonde hair so much like his own. He studied the boy's face, taking in his features as if he had only just seen them for the first time.
Endri had the same slightly hooked nose, the same dark rings of almost violet skin around his eyes, the same eyes even, as his father. Their incredibly pale, almost lavender skin was also same. But they were so different as well. The ghost's face was just a little more angular, but still so soft–a trait passed down from his mother. His body was much larger in muscle and bulk than Beetlejuice's, but the ghoul never really found the need to have such a figure. He could always pull upon his energy to do things Endri's regular strength could accomplish.
His son. His son. It was still so hard to believe. And he had just almost lost his son a few days ago. He almost lost him permanently.
Before, when the ghoul had been searching the Neitherworld for his wife and little boy, he always had the hope that they could be found. Butif Endri had succeeded the other dayif he had wiped himself from existencethere would be no hope of ever finding him, of ever getting him back from that nothingness he wished to drown in. He would have been gone forever.
Beetlejuice sniffled and wiped at his eyes. He was normally one to not show many "mushy" emotions, but recently, he just couldn't help it. He leaned down and gathered his son into his arms and hugged him tenderly, one hand beneath the boy's head and holding it to the crook of his neck, and the other arm looped under his shoulders, holding him close.
"My boy" he whispered into Endri's pointed ear. "I'll never lose you again. I'll never let you feel like you're not loved again. 'Cause I love you, boy. I love you, you hear me? I guess I don't say it near enough. Well, you just get better, dammit, so I can tell you. Got it?"
He received no answer, nor did he expect one. Endri was still sound asleep–his body on the mend, but his mind far from sane anymore. That thought brought a few more tears to Beetlejuice's eyes, and he wiped them away. How would things ever be right again?
About ten minutes later and around 9:15 PM, Pepper stormed into the room, furious. Her white lab coat flared at her calves as she came to a halt just inside the doorway and a few feet from the foot of the bed. She must have just come from work.
"I thought he'd be–!" she cut off, gasping at the sight of Kyle and Endri sleeping side by side. "I don't believe this! Kyle, wake up! Get away from him, right–!"
Beetlejuice jumped up from his beside chair and jogged to stand between her and the end of the bed. "Quiet! They need sleep!" he growled in a hushed tone.
Pepper only glared at him hatefully. "My husband needs to come back home right now. He can sleep there."
The ghoul just crossed his arms, never backing down and not one to be easily intimidated. "I think he's content where he is. Besides, he came over here yesterday worried about Endri. If you take him home, he'll just wake up and wanna come over again. Just leave him here."
"No, he's leaving right now with me," she hissed, reaching down, intent on grabbing Kyle's ankle.
Beetlejuice beat her to it, however, grabbing her wrist before she could touch the human. "Leave him be. He doesn't want to leave," he grumbled lowly, glaring.
"How would you know anyway?" she retorted, glaring back.
"'Cause he kept comin' in here asking about Endri 'till I told him to just stay. Look at 'im," he said, nodding his head back and to the side. "He's sleeping peacefully 'cause he knows Endri's okay with him nearby."
"No way. He always looks like that when he sleeps. You're just making excuses to keep him here!" she hissed, snapping her wrist away from the ghoul's hand.
"And you're making excuses to take him," he pointed out. "Leave him alone, Doc. It's plain as my stripes he wants to stay."
"He doesn't know what he wants! He's so out of it, he could want to start ballet!"
"Shh! Dammit, Doc! Come out here." Beetlejuice pushed Pepper out through the door and down the hall a short distance to stand at the top of the steps near Kyle's old bedroom door. "Why the hell're you bein' such a bitch, Doc?"
The fiery redhead whirled and slapped him. "How dare you?!"
The ghoul's head snapped to the side and slowly turned back, eyes flashing barely—contained anger.
"I just want my husband to come home; what's wrong with that?!"
Beetlejuice ignored the sting in his cheek. Instead, he let it fuel his anger, something he was reputed for having. "You're not givin' him a fuckin' inch! He just saved my son's afterlife! He's worried about Endri, so let 'im stay with him for a while!"
"He doesn't need to be lying in bed with him!" she shouted, hunching her shoulders and fisting her small hands.
"They're best friends! They just wanna make sure they're still there! There's nothing wrong with them sleeping in the same bed, Doc."
"Nothing wrong with it?! They're both men!"
"So?"
"It's disgusting!"
"It's friendship! Something apparently you don't understand!" the ghoul hissed, narrowing his eyes and pointing accusingly with a red—tipped finger.
"They can be friends without sleeping together!" Pepper shouted, pointing rigidly toward Endri's room.
"They're both exhausted! Give 'em a break!"
"Exhausted because of your son trying to erase himself! I don't understand why Kyle hangs around with that emotionless jerk anyway. He should be at home with his family, not in this rundown dump of yours with your suicidal son! That man will probably rub off on him, and then Kyle will want to kill himself too!"
Fire erupted in Beetlejuice's eyes. "Don't you dare speak about my boy like that," he growled, clenching his fists and growing a few inches in height to intimidate. "You don't know about anything that's goin' on around here. You just barged into my home and demanded Kyle when all he wants to do is stay and make sure his best friend is okay. Endri's saved that man's life more times than I know, and Kyle just wants to return the favor. Show some respect!"
"Fine, let him stay here and play patty—cake with his bed buddy. I've got better things to do," she huffed, spinning on her heel.
"What, like cheat on him again?"
Pepper spun back and cracked the ghoul across the cheek again, rudely reminding him of how much it stung. "How dare you think such a thing?!"
He only smirked. "Oh, I don't think. I know."
"I would never cheat on Kyle!" she declared, sternly.
"Oh, really?" Beetlejuice paused a second to tilt his nose forward and sniff the air. "That's a very interesting cologne you're wearing. That's not Kyle's brand. In fact, Kyle hasn't even been wearing cologne for a while now. So where did it come from, hm?"
The feisty redhead was speechless for a moment. "I—I–"
"What's the matter, Doc? One man not good enough for you? Is two men even good enough for you?"
"You" She clenched her fists at her sides and shook with anger, her face turning a pale shade of red.
"Why are you cheating on your husband?!" he shouted, slapping her in the face with his words.
"He's not really my husband!" Pepper snapped, finally admitting to something. "Our marriage was annulled the moment I died!"
Beetlejuice could barely stand to look at her now. "How long did you wait, then? A month? Two?"
"Five years! I waited five years! But then I realized I probably wouldn't see Kyle for another forty or fifty, so I started dating. I couldn't wait that long. So I'm not cheating on him! I never was!"
"Keep telling yourself that," he grunted in disdain, crossing his arms.
How low was that–using a technicality to justify her actions? Pathetic.
"So why do you keep 'im locked away in your house? You barely let 'im get out to even visit his friends here. I have a feeling when he does make it over, it's 'cause he escaped!"
"I want him to be nearby for Faygo, that's all. She needs her father."
"And you need him to warm your bed at night," the ghoul said lowly, sending a hateful glare in her direction.
Again, Pepper's hand connected with his soft cheek. "Youyou son of a bitch!"
"You're using him!" Beetlejuice pushed, now ignoring the sting in his cheek. "You may want him there for Faygo, but you're using him too!"
"I would never–"
"You think I don't know?" he asked with genuine curiosity, as if it was supposed to be common knowledge. "It's obvious, Doc, you can't deny it. I know about Humans. For a ghost to get a human in bedthe experience is worth a hundred lifetimes. Humans are fucking great in bed, and that's why you keep him locked away. You keep him 'cause he's warm, 'cause he's alive. It's a thrill for a ghost! An addicting high! Believe me, I know!"
"That's–that's not true!" she tried to defend weakly.
"Isn't it?" he genuinely asked again. "Even still, a flesh and blood human isn't good enough for you. You gotta go out and fuck some other guy behind Kyle's back. You selfish bitch."
Pepper stood, shaking, her fists clenched at her sides. "I don't have to stand here and take this shit from the likes of you."
He lifted questioning eyebrows. "Why? Because it's true? Because you don't like it shoved so plainly in your face? Deny it, Doc. Stand there and look me in the eye and say Kyle is the only one."
She never answered.
Shaking his head, the ghoul crossed his arms even tighter. "I thought you loved him."
"I do love him!" she snapped.
"You certainly have a funny way of showing it!"
"We've been apart too long! Ten years was too much for me! People's feelings change, Beetlejuice–nothing is forever!"
He shook his head again, closing his eyes briefly. "You don't know how wrong you are. But apparently you've changed quite a bit, Doc! What happened to that nice woman I met a few years ago when you helped us with the Drinker?"
She huffed and shrugged her shoulders, trying her best to feign nonchalance, but failing miserably. "I was just happy to see Kyle again, that's all. And when Faygo was so thrilled to see her father again, I thought it would be nice to be a family for her. She needs to have her father to help raise her properly. I raised her for ten years on my own, Kyle needed to help out and be involved."
"So now he's raising Faygo all by himself and keeping you entertained at night, just so you can skip off with your lover during the day and have the time of your afterlife?" He sighed and tried his hardest not to grind his teeth in anger. "You're right, Doc. People do change. You couldn't have been such a manipulative bitch when you were alive."
Pepper stood, seething for a while until an odd calmness descended upon her. She turned slowly, heading down the steps. "Fine, I've had enough. He can stay in this hellhole with you dirty bastards for as long as he wants."
"So now you're done playing with him? Tossing him out?"
She stopped halfway down and turned around, staring back up at the bane of the Neitherworld. "He would rather stay with that bastard son of yours anyway. He's always trying to see him; so let him stay. I'm tired of pretending anymore." She paused at that point, lowering her eyes to the steps in front of her. She felt genuinely sad about her next confession, but still, it was the truth she could no longer deny. "I do love him, just not the way I used to." Slowly, she turned and headed down the rest of the steps, pausing when she got to the bottom to send up a small request. "Don't tell him any of this."
"Oh, don't worry," Beetlejuice said happily, a vindictive smile in his words. "I'll let you take all the glory of shattering him."
Huffing, Pepper spun and stormed out of the Roadhouse, slamming the door in her wake.
With a grunt, the ghoul headed back to Endri's room, wanting to check on him again. He ran his hands over the boy's forehead, checking his still boiling temperature. Well, at least he was sleeping peacefully now. He sent a glance to his son's friend, still lying at his side. The human lie awake, staring at the ceiling, his eyes swimming.
"Kylea—awake?" Beetlejuice asked quietly.
Kyle was silent for a while, just staring upward and blinking slowly every so often. Finally, he said in a soft, strained voice, "Beetle, could you please leavefor a while?"
The ghoul swallowed nervously. "You heard?"
"Please"
Nodding, he headed for the door, but stopped in the frame at the sound of Kyle's small voice.
"Beetle"
"Yeah?" he asked, looking back, one hand on the doorframe.
The human paused for a moment, still staring at the ceiling. "Thank youfor defending me."
Pausing for an equal time, the ghoul then replied, "Sureanytime," before turning and closing the door quietly behind him.
Kyle bit his lip as the tears leaked out, unable to be contained any longer. He turned his face to Endri, the tears making his vision blurry and the dark room even harder to take in, but he could still see the outline of his friend's face nearby. He stared at that slumbering visage until he could stand the pain no longer. Feeling those damn tears sting his eyes even more so and a sob rising in his throat, the human scooted over and wiggled between the ghost's arm and side. He snuggled against his friend, clutching at the sheet lying over his bare chest and cried brokenly.
"E—Endriy—you're alwayshere f—for meeven if you're s—sleeping," he sobbed through his heartache. He cried hard and he cried long until he became too weak and passed out in the limp embrace of his already unconscious friend.
Wow, I turned Pepper into a real bitch, huh? :P Hehehe! Well, she's not REALLY like that. So don't worry, Pepper didn't REALLY leave Kyle...she just did for this story and that's it. Anyhoo...hope you're enjoying so far! This was all very fun to write, and I hope that comes through. ^_^ See you next chapter!
*Hugs everyone that read and kisses those who left reviews* See? If you leave a review, you get a hug AND a kiss! ^_~ Hehe! Thank you for reviewing, guys! You know who you are. I was hoping to see some of my old reviewers, but most seem to have disappeared.... Oh, well, I guess. Can't win them all. -_-
I'm glad some of you are liking this story so far, and so I won't take up too much of your time anymore. Go ahead and read on, for you're sure to find some dramatic changes and...I won't give it away. ^_^ Read on, my friends!
Spencers13 – March 2003–March 2004
R – Drama – Angst
Chapter Three – Back from Beyond Reality
Dark colors swirled through Kyle's mind as he slowly woke. They twisted into horrid shapes of writhing creatures in his mind's eye, and he could do nothing to stop them from surrounding him and picking away at his consciousness, trying to drag him back into slumber. He groaned and rolled his head of white hair to the side, trying to fight back. He wouldn't be dragged back into the dark without a battle.
"Mom! Dad's waking up!" an excited voice called from the distance. It was sweet and young, and Kyle felt drawn to it, using it as his anchor to pull himself back from oblivion. Then cool hands connected with his heated skin and another pleasant voice broke through the din.
"Kyle, honey? Kyle?"
Groaning again, the human rocked his head from side to side slowly, fighting to open his eyes. When he finally won that small, but almost insurmountable battle, his vision swam with a pale face and bright, fiery hair.
"Oh, thank goodness! Are you okay, sweetheart?" Pepper gushed, her visage swirling into focus.
Kyle looked about the room blankly for a moment. He was in his Neitherworld home, the home he had moved into a few years ago to join his ghostly wife and daughter. His piercing, cerulean eyes widened and snapped back to Pepper. "Wh—Why am I here?" he rasped.
The feminine ghost looked to her right at their daughter, Faygo, a little surprised. "UhBeetlejuice told me about what happened, and I thought it would be better for you to rest at home. How do you feel?"
"Where's Endri?!" the human grunted immediately, trying to sit up. Pepper pressed him back to the bed, however.
"He's still at the Roadhouse, honey. Now just lay back and rest, all right?" she urged.
Kyle shook his head, looking almost panicked. "No! I—I gotta make sureh—he's okay!" Again, he tried to raise up.
Pepper pushed him back once more. "Kyle, stay put. You're too weak to get up."
But the human only struggled more. "L—Let me up, dammit! I g—gotta see Endri!" He finally succeeded in pushing his passed wife away and shakily got to his feet.
"Stop, Kyle, you're too weak!" Pepper argued, following him closely as he stumbled to the door, tugging on his shirt.
"H—Have to see him" he mumbled in reply.
"Get back in bed this instant, Kyle Gavan Bennington!"
He whirled on her, anger snapping in his eyes and making his tongue sharp. "Be quiet! I know about what you think of him! He told me how you made him feel when he came over those first few times. You want to keep him away from me, don't you? Well, it won't work, Pepper! You'll never be able to stop me from seeing him again!" With that, he turned and quit the room on wobbly legs.
Pepper stood, stunned for a second, then fumed with anger.
"Mom" Faygo half whispered, drawing the woman's attention, "you've been trying to keep Dad from seeing Uncle 'Dri?"
"That man isn't your uncle, Faygo!" her mother snapped. "And your father has no reason to see him! The man is unconscious anyway. And it's his fault your father had all of his energy drained!"
"Why don't you want them to see each other?" the young woman asked, almost shocked.
"Your father has spent too much of his life with that ghost as it is. He needs to be with us now. And Beetlejuice's son is not your uncle, so stop calling him that!"
Frowning, Faygo took a strong step forward and crossed her arms over her chest. "I am twenty—one years old, and I will call Endri whatever I damn well please! You can't tell me what to do anymore, Mom! All Dad wants to do is see Uncle 'Dri. What is the problem with that?! He's worried about him! I'm sure if Dad was the one hurt, Uncle 'Dri would be trying all he could to see him too. They're best friends, and you wanna keep them apart?! What's wrong with you?!" She stormed from the room, having made her point.
Pepper only sighed in frustration, rubbing her temples to alleviate the stress.
Kyle stumbled out onto the Neitherworld street, weakly raising his arm into the air and hollering, "H—Haxi!"
A haxi cab immediately pulled up and coughed roughly from the front grill. The human climbed into the back seat and leaned his head against the head rest.
Turning around, the half crab, half ghoul hacked past the cigar in his mouth then grinned at his passenger. "Koff! Where to, pal?"
"B—BJ's Roadhouse," Kyle panted.
The crab's segmented eyes bulged on their stalks. "Are you insane?! Nobody goes there!"
"I'm paying you, aren't I? Take me there!" the man huffed, leaning back in the seat again.
Raising his claws in a shrug, the crab turned back around and gripped the steering wheel. "Okay, okay. It's your second funeral."
Kyle smirked. It was a nice advantage having such pure, white hair in the Neitherworld. Everyone thought he was a ghost at first glance. It made blending in so much easier. Now to lean back and rest until they arrivedso tired His eyes drifted shut, dozing into a light sleep not thirty seconds after the haxi pulled away from the curb.
Gently, Beetlejuice brushed Endri's sweat—matted hair from his forehead and readjusted the wet washcloth there, flipping it over to put the cooler side against his son's burning skin. It had been a full day and a half since the ghost had tried to commit suicide, and things weren't exactly looking good for him.
Emphasizing his inner turmoil, Endri groaned and winced in his sleep, the first movement and sound uttered since his collapse. It was a positive reaction, though, but it still didn't mean he was recovering all that well.
"It's okay, kid. Things'll get better, I promise," Beetlejuice whispered, smoothing the backs of his red—tipped fingers over the heated flesh of the boy's cheek.
Easing through the open door to Endri's bedroom, Lydia made her way over to stand next to her lover. "How is he?"
The ghoul shook his head. "Still has a fever. He prob'ly will for another couple days or so."
She sat on the bedside and caressed lithe fingers over his cheek. "I can't believe how hot he is. This temperature would kill a human. Why's he so sick?"
"Lost most of his energymost of his defenseseverything's gone," Beetlejuice explained somberly. "He has no resistance to anything anymore. Without his energy, he's nothing. And with almost all of it gone, he has nothing."
Lydia looked upon the tormented ghost, her brows lifting in concern. "Poor thing"
Beetlejuice smirked, letting a light chuckle slip through his lips. "I wouldn't pity 'im, Lyds. I think that's the last thing he would want."
She nodded. "Right, sorry." Pausing, she continued to gaze at the handsome, blonde ghost. "Is there anything we can do for him?"
"Nothin' but wait. That's all." He thought for a second, drifting into silence. "Well, actually" Standing from his bedside chair, he shooed Lydia away to stand. "I'm not sure if this'll work, but it's worth a shot. I'll give him a little boost." He looked up at her with serious eyes. "Don't tell anyone this."
She shook her head in agreement.
"I didn't want to tell anyone and worry 'em, 'specially Kyle," the ghoul went on, looking back to the unconscious ghost in bed, "but he's not making anymore energy."
A worried look drifted over Lydia's features. "He's not?"
He shook his head. "No. I was worried it might happen too. He's lost so much, he can't even lay there and make more. Maybe if I do this, it'll boost him to a point where he can." Beetlejuice clapped his hands together and produced a bright yellow flash that remained glowing on each of his hands after they parted. He pointed both hands to his son and sent the energy straight into his chest near his heart. "There. Hopefully he'll be able to accept it."
"What did you do to him?"
"Gave 'im some of my energy," he answered. "Kinda like a blood transfusion, only it's power. I just hope his body can accept it. If not, thenI don't know what we'll do."
Endri groaned and rolled his head to the side a fraction. His eyes blinked open, still revealing how dull green they were, and still with no sparkles of power. "P—Papa?" he grunted out, his voice an empty echo of what it once was. He sounded lostand frightened. That voice, that emotional turmoil, that fear did not belong in him. It simply was not him.
Beetlejuice grinned, not expecting his son to actually wake so early. "Hey! Hey, kid, how ya feelin'?" He leaned down to readjust the washcloth on the ghost's forehead, rubbing it gently against the hot skin.
Endri only blinked groggily, looking as though he could fall back into his fitful sleep at any moment. "P—Papa"
A light smirk spread over the ghoul's lips. He should have known his son would ask about the wily human. "Kyle's over at his house. He's just fine, don't worry."
"Ky—le" The young ghost's eyes drifted closed as his voice fell away, and he went back to sleep.
Beetlejuice glanced over to Lydia who had simply stood and watched the scene play out. "Wellit worked, I guess."
"Is he making energy now?"
He laid a hand over Endri's chest and held it there for a minute. "Yeah. Yeah, there we go. Come here." She stepped over and Beetlejuice took her hand and placed it on the ghost's chest over his heart. "Feel that 'hum'?"
Her eyes went wide and she giggled at the sensation tingling through her fingers. "It's almost like when you put your hand really close to a TV when it's covered with static!"
"Yep. That's his energy bouncing back. He's makin' it again. Good. Now, we–"
Kyle Bennington stumbled into the room and held himself up against the doorframe. "E—Endri" he panted, looking like he would fall over at any second. "I—Is he okay?"
Beetlejuice jogged over and helped the human into the room. "Kyle! What're you doin' back? I thought the Doc took you home."
"I didn'twant to be there. Wanted to seeD—'Dri," he panted again. He was still so weak. How the man made it from his home almost thirty miles away to the Roadhouse was amazing.
The ghoul helped Kyle into the bedside chair, and the human reached over to put a hand over Endri's arm. "Is he okay?"
"He's just fine," Lydia answered. "He's got a fever, but it should clear up in a few days."
Kyle nodded and slumped back in the chair, falling unconscious immediately.
Beetlejuice just chuckled and picked him up from the chair, flinging him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He toted Kyle out of the room and toward the human's old bedroom next door. It was the room he used to occupy when living in the Roadhouse before Pepper had come along and insisted he move into their downtown home with her.
"Looks like he's still a little out of it. I'll just put him back in his old bed for now. I'm sure the Doc'll be back sometime to get 'im," he said, laying the human in bed and tossing a blanket loosely over him.
Lydia just stood in the doorway. "Is he okay?"
"He'll be fine," the ghoul assured. "He's just worried about Endri, is all. He'll probably sleep for about another day, now that he knows the kid's all right. Come—on, let's let 'im sleep."
Quietly, Beetlejuice and Lydia left Kyle's old room and shut out the light, leaving the door half open to keep easy tabs on him.
Around five o'clock in the afternoon the next day, Kyle stumbled from his old room and into Endri's. As soon as he rounded into the door and almost reeled, Beetlejuice was at his side, supporting him again. The ghoul had been sitting at his son's bedside since the previous night, worried over his condition.
"What're you doin' outa bed, Kyle? Ain't you still tired?"
"Endrii—is he okay?" is all he murmured in a half daze, still wobbly on his feet.
Beetlejuice smirked. "He's still sleeping."
He watched as Kyle swayed, one arm supported against the doorframe, just staring at Endri in bed. He didn't seem to want to leave at all, and the ghoul didn't have the heart to make him go.
"Heywhy don't you just stay in here if you're so worried about him?"
Shakily, the human turned his head to Beetlejuice. "Uh?"
"Yeah, here. Lay down beside him." With a helpful hand, the ghoul assisted Kyle into bed next to his son on the side against the wall. "There now. Just relax and go back to sleep."
The human mumbled a thanks and laid his head to the spare pillow there, facing Endri. He stared for just a minute before he fell right into a dream, relaxed in the knowledge that his best friend was still nearby.
A few hours later, night had descended over the Roadhouse, and once more, the three ratty moons drifted across the sky in their never—ending orbits. Down below, inside the Roadhouse, in the upstairs bedroom on the right, Endri groaned and blinked his eyes open. His sleep thus far had been erratic and fitful, something it should not have been. The ghost needed to have days, if not weeks of uninterrupted rest to regain his full power. With constantly waking up, he was burning off the energy his body had been building up, putting him back down to a dangerously low level. If he continued to fuss in his sleep and wake with the fever still raging in him, he would eventually burn his energy down to nothing and cease to exist.
But Beetlejuice was still happy to see his son awake. "There's my boy's green eyes!" He reached down and flipped the wet washcloth over again, putting the cooler side to the sweating flesh of the ghost's forehead. He had been sitting there still, keeping a constant vigil over his son, trying to give him some bit of subconscious reinforcement.
Endri's eyes were still that faded, dull green color, though. His father was only trying to encourage him, to make him feel like he was wanted and cared for–which he was, of course.
"P?"
Beetlejuice smirked, looking kindly upon his son. "He's right beside you."
Endri's eyes were only half—lidded as he tried unsuccessfully to move his head and look to the side. Wanting to help, his father reached over and put his hands to either side of his boy's face and turned his head for him. The ghost's eyes alighted to his best friend lying above the blankets at his side, his right arm down between them and the left flung carelessly across his chest which rose and fell steadily.
"K" Endri stuttered. It seemed he couldn't speak any longer.
"He's asleep, kid. He was worried about you, so he stayed here," Beetlejuice said out of eyesight.
"Nm" the ghost mumbled, using only the most primitive form of communication at that point. "Hnnm" he sighed, falling immediately back into sleep. This time, however, he didn't fuss. He was no longer tormented. He finally was able to rest in peace, knowing his best friend was right beside him and would stay there.
Smirking, Beetlejuice slowly shook his head, amazed at the progress made in mere moments from the simple knowledge that his son's best friend was there for him. He took the warmed washcloth from Endri's forehead and shook it lightly, letting the air cool the damp rag before he folded it again and laid it back over the ghost's still burning skin. But, he thought, it wouldn't be burning for much longer. He had a feeling the boy was truly on the mend now.
The ghoul ran his hand over his son's cheek and pointed ear, fingering the soft blonde hair so much like his own. He studied the boy's face, taking in his features as if he had only just seen them for the first time.
Endri had the same slightly hooked nose, the same dark rings of almost violet skin around his eyes, the same eyes even, as his father. Their incredibly pale, almost lavender skin was also same. But they were so different as well. The ghost's face was just a little more angular, but still so soft–a trait passed down from his mother. His body was much larger in muscle and bulk than Beetlejuice's, but the ghoul never really found the need to have such a figure. He could always pull upon his energy to do things Endri's regular strength could accomplish.
His son. His son. It was still so hard to believe. And he had just almost lost his son a few days ago. He almost lost him permanently.
Before, when the ghoul had been searching the Neitherworld for his wife and little boy, he always had the hope that they could be found. Butif Endri had succeeded the other dayif he had wiped himself from existencethere would be no hope of ever finding him, of ever getting him back from that nothingness he wished to drown in. He would have been gone forever.
Beetlejuice sniffled and wiped at his eyes. He was normally one to not show many "mushy" emotions, but recently, he just couldn't help it. He leaned down and gathered his son into his arms and hugged him tenderly, one hand beneath the boy's head and holding it to the crook of his neck, and the other arm looped under his shoulders, holding him close.
"My boy" he whispered into Endri's pointed ear. "I'll never lose you again. I'll never let you feel like you're not loved again. 'Cause I love you, boy. I love you, you hear me? I guess I don't say it near enough. Well, you just get better, dammit, so I can tell you. Got it?"
He received no answer, nor did he expect one. Endri was still sound asleep–his body on the mend, but his mind far from sane anymore. That thought brought a few more tears to Beetlejuice's eyes, and he wiped them away. How would things ever be right again?
About ten minutes later and around 9:15 PM, Pepper stormed into the room, furious. Her white lab coat flared at her calves as she came to a halt just inside the doorway and a few feet from the foot of the bed. She must have just come from work.
"I thought he'd be–!" she cut off, gasping at the sight of Kyle and Endri sleeping side by side. "I don't believe this! Kyle, wake up! Get away from him, right–!"
Beetlejuice jumped up from his beside chair and jogged to stand between her and the end of the bed. "Quiet! They need sleep!" he growled in a hushed tone.
Pepper only glared at him hatefully. "My husband needs to come back home right now. He can sleep there."
The ghoul just crossed his arms, never backing down and not one to be easily intimidated. "I think he's content where he is. Besides, he came over here yesterday worried about Endri. If you take him home, he'll just wake up and wanna come over again. Just leave him here."
"No, he's leaving right now with me," she hissed, reaching down, intent on grabbing Kyle's ankle.
Beetlejuice beat her to it, however, grabbing her wrist before she could touch the human. "Leave him be. He doesn't want to leave," he grumbled lowly, glaring.
"How would you know anyway?" she retorted, glaring back.
"'Cause he kept comin' in here asking about Endri 'till I told him to just stay. Look at 'im," he said, nodding his head back and to the side. "He's sleeping peacefully 'cause he knows Endri's okay with him nearby."
"No way. He always looks like that when he sleeps. You're just making excuses to keep him here!" she hissed, snapping her wrist away from the ghoul's hand.
"And you're making excuses to take him," he pointed out. "Leave him alone, Doc. It's plain as my stripes he wants to stay."
"He doesn't know what he wants! He's so out of it, he could want to start ballet!"
"Shh! Dammit, Doc! Come out here." Beetlejuice pushed Pepper out through the door and down the hall a short distance to stand at the top of the steps near Kyle's old bedroom door. "Why the hell're you bein' such a bitch, Doc?"
The fiery redhead whirled and slapped him. "How dare you?!"
The ghoul's head snapped to the side and slowly turned back, eyes flashing barely—contained anger.
"I just want my husband to come home; what's wrong with that?!"
Beetlejuice ignored the sting in his cheek. Instead, he let it fuel his anger, something he was reputed for having. "You're not givin' him a fuckin' inch! He just saved my son's afterlife! He's worried about Endri, so let 'im stay with him for a while!"
"He doesn't need to be lying in bed with him!" she shouted, hunching her shoulders and fisting her small hands.
"They're best friends! They just wanna make sure they're still there! There's nothing wrong with them sleeping in the same bed, Doc."
"Nothing wrong with it?! They're both men!"
"So?"
"It's disgusting!"
"It's friendship! Something apparently you don't understand!" the ghoul hissed, narrowing his eyes and pointing accusingly with a red—tipped finger.
"They can be friends without sleeping together!" Pepper shouted, pointing rigidly toward Endri's room.
"They're both exhausted! Give 'em a break!"
"Exhausted because of your son trying to erase himself! I don't understand why Kyle hangs around with that emotionless jerk anyway. He should be at home with his family, not in this rundown dump of yours with your suicidal son! That man will probably rub off on him, and then Kyle will want to kill himself too!"
Fire erupted in Beetlejuice's eyes. "Don't you dare speak about my boy like that," he growled, clenching his fists and growing a few inches in height to intimidate. "You don't know about anything that's goin' on around here. You just barged into my home and demanded Kyle when all he wants to do is stay and make sure his best friend is okay. Endri's saved that man's life more times than I know, and Kyle just wants to return the favor. Show some respect!"
"Fine, let him stay here and play patty—cake with his bed buddy. I've got better things to do," she huffed, spinning on her heel.
"What, like cheat on him again?"
Pepper spun back and cracked the ghoul across the cheek again, rudely reminding him of how much it stung. "How dare you think such a thing?!"
He only smirked. "Oh, I don't think. I know."
"I would never cheat on Kyle!" she declared, sternly.
"Oh, really?" Beetlejuice paused a second to tilt his nose forward and sniff the air. "That's a very interesting cologne you're wearing. That's not Kyle's brand. In fact, Kyle hasn't even been wearing cologne for a while now. So where did it come from, hm?"
The feisty redhead was speechless for a moment. "I—I–"
"What's the matter, Doc? One man not good enough for you? Is two men even good enough for you?"
"You" She clenched her fists at her sides and shook with anger, her face turning a pale shade of red.
"Why are you cheating on your husband?!" he shouted, slapping her in the face with his words.
"He's not really my husband!" Pepper snapped, finally admitting to something. "Our marriage was annulled the moment I died!"
Beetlejuice could barely stand to look at her now. "How long did you wait, then? A month? Two?"
"Five years! I waited five years! But then I realized I probably wouldn't see Kyle for another forty or fifty, so I started dating. I couldn't wait that long. So I'm not cheating on him! I never was!"
"Keep telling yourself that," he grunted in disdain, crossing his arms.
How low was that–using a technicality to justify her actions? Pathetic.
"So why do you keep 'im locked away in your house? You barely let 'im get out to even visit his friends here. I have a feeling when he does make it over, it's 'cause he escaped!"
"I want him to be nearby for Faygo, that's all. She needs her father."
"And you need him to warm your bed at night," the ghoul said lowly, sending a hateful glare in her direction.
Again, Pepper's hand connected with his soft cheek. "Youyou son of a bitch!"
"You're using him!" Beetlejuice pushed, now ignoring the sting in his cheek. "You may want him there for Faygo, but you're using him too!"
"I would never–"
"You think I don't know?" he asked with genuine curiosity, as if it was supposed to be common knowledge. "It's obvious, Doc, you can't deny it. I know about Humans. For a ghost to get a human in bedthe experience is worth a hundred lifetimes. Humans are fucking great in bed, and that's why you keep him locked away. You keep him 'cause he's warm, 'cause he's alive. It's a thrill for a ghost! An addicting high! Believe me, I know!"
"That's–that's not true!" she tried to defend weakly.
"Isn't it?" he genuinely asked again. "Even still, a flesh and blood human isn't good enough for you. You gotta go out and fuck some other guy behind Kyle's back. You selfish bitch."
Pepper stood, shaking, her fists clenched at her sides. "I don't have to stand here and take this shit from the likes of you."
He lifted questioning eyebrows. "Why? Because it's true? Because you don't like it shoved so plainly in your face? Deny it, Doc. Stand there and look me in the eye and say Kyle is the only one."
She never answered.
Shaking his head, the ghoul crossed his arms even tighter. "I thought you loved him."
"I do love him!" she snapped.
"You certainly have a funny way of showing it!"
"We've been apart too long! Ten years was too much for me! People's feelings change, Beetlejuice–nothing is forever!"
He shook his head again, closing his eyes briefly. "You don't know how wrong you are. But apparently you've changed quite a bit, Doc! What happened to that nice woman I met a few years ago when you helped us with the Drinker?"
She huffed and shrugged her shoulders, trying her best to feign nonchalance, but failing miserably. "I was just happy to see Kyle again, that's all. And when Faygo was so thrilled to see her father again, I thought it would be nice to be a family for her. She needs to have her father to help raise her properly. I raised her for ten years on my own, Kyle needed to help out and be involved."
"So now he's raising Faygo all by himself and keeping you entertained at night, just so you can skip off with your lover during the day and have the time of your afterlife?" He sighed and tried his hardest not to grind his teeth in anger. "You're right, Doc. People do change. You couldn't have been such a manipulative bitch when you were alive."
Pepper stood, seething for a while until an odd calmness descended upon her. She turned slowly, heading down the steps. "Fine, I've had enough. He can stay in this hellhole with you dirty bastards for as long as he wants."
"So now you're done playing with him? Tossing him out?"
She stopped halfway down and turned around, staring back up at the bane of the Neitherworld. "He would rather stay with that bastard son of yours anyway. He's always trying to see him; so let him stay. I'm tired of pretending anymore." She paused at that point, lowering her eyes to the steps in front of her. She felt genuinely sad about her next confession, but still, it was the truth she could no longer deny. "I do love him, just not the way I used to." Slowly, she turned and headed down the rest of the steps, pausing when she got to the bottom to send up a small request. "Don't tell him any of this."
"Oh, don't worry," Beetlejuice said happily, a vindictive smile in his words. "I'll let you take all the glory of shattering him."
Huffing, Pepper spun and stormed out of the Roadhouse, slamming the door in her wake.
With a grunt, the ghoul headed back to Endri's room, wanting to check on him again. He ran his hands over the boy's forehead, checking his still boiling temperature. Well, at least he was sleeping peacefully now. He sent a glance to his son's friend, still lying at his side. The human lie awake, staring at the ceiling, his eyes swimming.
"Kylea—awake?" Beetlejuice asked quietly.
Kyle was silent for a while, just staring upward and blinking slowly every so often. Finally, he said in a soft, strained voice, "Beetle, could you please leavefor a while?"
The ghoul swallowed nervously. "You heard?"
"Please"
Nodding, he headed for the door, but stopped in the frame at the sound of Kyle's small voice.
"Beetle"
"Yeah?" he asked, looking back, one hand on the doorframe.
The human paused for a moment, still staring at the ceiling. "Thank youfor defending me."
Pausing for an equal time, the ghoul then replied, "Sureanytime," before turning and closing the door quietly behind him.
Kyle bit his lip as the tears leaked out, unable to be contained any longer. He turned his face to Endri, the tears making his vision blurry and the dark room even harder to take in, but he could still see the outline of his friend's face nearby. He stared at that slumbering visage until he could stand the pain no longer. Feeling those damn tears sting his eyes even more so and a sob rising in his throat, the human scooted over and wiggled between the ghost's arm and side. He snuggled against his friend, clutching at the sheet lying over his bare chest and cried brokenly.
"E—Endriy—you're alwayshere f—for meeven if you're s—sleeping," he sobbed through his heartache. He cried hard and he cried long until he became too weak and passed out in the limp embrace of his already unconscious friend.
Wow, I turned Pepper into a real bitch, huh? :P Hehehe! Well, she's not REALLY like that. So don't worry, Pepper didn't REALLY leave Kyle...she just did for this story and that's it. Anyhoo...hope you're enjoying so far! This was all very fun to write, and I hope that comes through. ^_^ See you next chapter!