Trouble Lies Ahead

Disclaimer: See prologue..

A/N: Thank you for those that have reviewed. Here's chapter one..

Chapter One: Welcome Back

Adam and Barbara both sat perched on their dust covered sofa, frowns all round. They hadn't heard from Lydia in several months, and truth be told they were worried. They may only be ghosts, but they were ghosts that worried...a lot! In a way, Lydia was like the child they couldn't conceive, they loved her very much. They hated to see her in any pain and most of all, their number one rule was to look after Lydia at all times. After the Beetlejuice commotion, anything could happen to her. They were her protectors, if ever she were in trouble, they would always be there to help her out.

But in this case, it was them that were in trouble.

Beetlejuice had returned, pissed off more than ever. No, it wasn't the fact they had sabotaged the forced wedding, it wasn't the fact they had tried to send him back that was bugging him most. It was the damned insane act of unleashing a sandworm on him, smothering him with it's saliva covered mouth and swallowing him whole, like he was a piece of meat. There was one thing in the afterlife Beetlejuice hated most and THAT was sandworms. They were blood thirsty beasts. Out to get anything with flesh on its back.

There was also the small incident with that damned voodoo guy. He'd had to walk around with that shrunken head for days.

The Maitland's had sat for several hours while Beetlejuice relayed what had happened afterwards, the violent meeting with Juno. The painful task of trying to get his head back to its original size, the months he sat waiting for his number to arrive JUST so he could go and get an ass whipping from Juno. They had sat while he had taunted them, played tricks on them and threatened to hurt Lydia. Enough was enough. This trickery needed to be stopped sooner rather than later, they needed Lydia on their side. She was the only one that could help them with their little problem.

So they sat and waited, waited to hear a car or taxi pull up, to hear Lydia's soft voice call out to the driver. Anything that might give them hope that she was actually coming home.

A week went by with no word until one Sunday morning Lydia turned up at the front door, her bag in one hand the scrunched up letter in another. It was her father that had answered the door.

"Pumpkin!"

Lydia's face was a mask of indifference. Beetlejuice was on her mind, she needed to see him, to talk to him or to at least apologise before he worked his magic on her. Her voice was gritty and hard and had an edge her father hadn't heard before, her question was blunt and lacked emotion.

"Where is he?"

Charles stared at his daughter utterly dumbfounded.

"Uh...who, honey?"

"Beetlejuice."

Charles reached out and covered Lydia's mouth with his hand.

"Please don't let him out, Lydia. He's a wicked, wicked creature! He's not good for my nerves."

Lydia sighed and pryed her fathers hand from her mouth. "Dad, i thought the whole point of me coming here was to get rid of him."

Charles hugged his daughter and planted a small kiss in her hair. "That can wait. I want to hear about everything that's happened to you these past few months. Both Delia and myself have been worried sick, you hadn't called or written to us."

Her father watched her as she stared at the ground, her eyes fixated on a bit of dust lying by its lonesome on their wooden floor. She was ashamed by her behaviour, if only she had known the trouble her silence had caused. Lydia carefully put her bag down and hugged her father. "I'm sorry dad. I didn't mean to worry you, i was just so sick and tired of the questions and the forced conversations. I needed time to think, to be myself without anyone around me hassling me."

Charles held his daughter while she tried to explain about her behaviour. "It's alright pumpkin, i understand. Now come on, Delia has been on the edge of her seat waiting for you. I also know that your ghost friends have been worried too. Maybe later on you could pop up and say hello?"

Lydia beamed at her father. "Ofcourse! I've missed Adam and Barbara. I've missed everything about this place."

Both father and daughter made their way to the kitchen where Delia was chopping carrots for her special stew. Delia looked up from her chopping and squealed with excitement. "Oh Lydia, my how you've grown up these past few months! You're turning into a young woman! Let me see you."

Delia cupped Lydia's pale white cheek and smiled. "Still pale as ever...Oh my! Are you growing your hair?"

Lydia tried to wave off Delia's mothering but it wasn't working. Her father watched on as Delia hugged Lydia and placed a small kiss on her cheek.

Lydia was shocked to say the least. What had happened to the old Delia? This wasn't the witch she had left three months ago, she had obviously had a personality transplant. This woman infront of her was pleasant and...cheery. Something was wrong.

"Um, would you mind if i went up to my old room and settled down for a while. All this excitement has worn me out." Lydia looked expectantly at both Delia and her father.

"Ofcourse pumpkin! Everything is the way you left it." Lydia breathed a sigh of relief.

"One thing though sweetheart." Lydia raised a questioning eyebrow. "No err..well, you know i don't ask much of you. But Lydia, please PLEASE, don't let that THING out. He's too much trouble for me and Delia right now."

Lydia sighed. Wow, if only she could say she wouldn't. Lying wasn't one of her faults, but right now she needed to tell her dad what he wanted to hear. "Alright dad, i won't let Beetle-"

"Lydia!"

"Sorry...i won't let HIM out. Okay?"

Charles hugged his daughter once more. "That's settled then. You go on up to your room and relax for a while."

Lydia smiled at her dad and Delia before making her way up the stairs to her bedroom. She needed a plan. A plan of action. She wanted to lure Beetlejuice in, she didn't want to send him away, she wanted to talk to him instead of the bickering that normally ensued once he was let out. She knew for a fact the Maitland's wouldn't be happy knowing that she was about to let loose Beetlejuice in her bedroom without supervision. God, it sounded as if Beetlejuice were a dangerous powertool. 'Without supervision'. Lydia laughed and opened her bedroom door. Her father was right, everything was the way she had left it. Closing her door, she flopped down on her bed and stared at the ceiling for a while.

She didn't want to see the Maitlaind's right now. She knew that just seeing their faces again would make her feel guilty about what she was about to do. Inside she knew she wasn't crazy, but sometimes she wondered.

She had said his name once, two more times and he would be infront of her. His ghostly pale face always haunted her dreams, his sneering face as she pleaded for him to help the Maitland's. His blonde nearing white hair, standing on end in all directions wanted to make her laugh. He looked comical, but she knew deep down inside he was dangerous. A ticking bomb some might say.

Sighing, Lydia closed her eyes. "Beetlejuice."

A blast of cool air rushed past her face, tickling her nose. She swore she heard a faint cackling. Oh he knew she was back, he also knew that she would give anything to see him again. Opening her eyes, his name came out of her mouth quickly, almost too quickly to catch what she was saying.

"Beetlejuice!"

Lydia watched as her room was blinded by a fluorescent green light, her lights flickered, her room rumbled. Yeah, her dad was going to be extremely upset! Suddenly the green light vanished, her room became deathly cold and then nothing. Lydia's eyebrows knitted in confusion. Where the hell was he?

"Babes." A cold breath tickled the underside of her neck as the words were whispered so closely to her ear.

Jumping up in startling realisation, Lydia turned around quickly and gasped. Beetlejuice sat on the headboard of her bed, a wicked smile greeting her. "Well, well, well...if it ain't Lydia Deetz."

Lydia slowly crawled away from him on her bed and watched as he took a long drag of the cigarette which was placed precariously in his mouth.

Lydia's eyes widened. "Do you mind?"

Beetlejuice cackled. "I don't mind at all babe." Blowing smoke through his nose he sat up and stared at her.

"How long has it been Lyds? You look..."

Lydia blushed as Beetlejuice stared at her. His face twisted in confusion.

"What?"

"Aww, it's nuthin'. So.." Beetlejuice stood up and circled Lydia's bed. Taking the cigarette from his mouth, he flicked it in the direction of her wardrobe, it vanished before it got anywhere near it. "What you wantin'? I'm a busy guy, i'm also extra wary when someone calls my name now you know...sandworms comin' through ceilings aint exactly my cup of tea."

"Well..."

Beetlejuice paced her bedroom floor. "And if that wasn't enough, i'm sittin' waitin for my number to be called in the waitin room and this freaking voodoo guy sprinkles his magic fairy dust over me and what do ya know...my heads the size of a god damned apple!"

"Uh.."

"And THEN, i got Juno on my back, breaking this rule and that rule, hell! I think i broke every god damned rule in the rulebook now!"

Lydia sat in silence as she watched Beetlejuice pace back and forth, his face turning from a frown to a grimace to a wince. Oh boy, he was mega pissed off right now. Suddenly he stopped and stared at Lydia. "I could say it was all YOUR fault. But i ain't gonna do that. I'm not that kinda guy, to be fair it was Bab's fault, her unleashing that freaking sandworm at me. You know how long i was in that damned waiting room for? Huh? Five god damned freaking months!"

Lydia sat cross legged on her bed and coughed to get his attention.

"Huh? Yeah, so...where was i? Oh yeah, what do ya want?"

"Well." Lydia frowned, what was she going to say? ' I'm really sorry about the whole sandworm thing and the fact you got into trouble because of me and the whole ' marriage ' situation. Can we be friends? ' Yeaaahh, like THAT was going to work. Think Lydia, think!

"Helloooo? Anybody theeeree? Come on! I'm a busy guy, i got a photo shoot in twenty minutes."

"Look, i called you here because i want to apologise, for everything. I'm sorry you got eaten by a sandworm, i'm sorry some voodoo person shrunk your head, i'm sorry that you wasted five months of your li..afterlife in a waiting room. I'm sorry for everything okay? I just want you to stop causing trouble around here. My dad can't handle it, he can be a very nervous man, and the Maitland's don't deserve it either."

Beetlejuice squinted at her and folded his arms across his chest. "Yeah so...what do ya want?"

Lydia growled, unfolded herself and lay on her bed, her eyes once again staring at the ceiling. "There's no talking to you, is there? You think you're right all the time, you cause trouble and find it hilarious. I mean, you show no remorse about dropping my dad down those stairs! I don't even know why i called on you now. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetle-"

Beetlejuice clamped his hand against her mouth and glared at her. "Don't get stupid on me now, Lyds. Look, you know i want out, here i am. Out. I ain't going to piss you off so you put me back. Now enough with this feeling sorry for yourself act and continue with what you were tryin to tell me."

Beetlejuice removed his hand from her mouth and smiled at her.

"I..um.."

"Whatsa matter, cat got yer tongue?" Beetlejuice cackled loudly and floated over towards Lydia's bed. Floating next to her he watched as she tried to form some sort of answer.

"I...look i missed you okay? There, i've said it."

Beetlejuice stared at her for what seemed like an hour, his expression was unreadable.

"Sooo, does this mean we're getting married?"

"No!" Lydia glared at him. "Just because i like you does NOT mean i want to marry you, okay? I mean...you're a ghost and i'm a.."

"Girl?"

Lydia sat up. "I am not a girl! I'm nineteen!"

"Yeah and? I'm six hundred years old, bit of an age gap, babe."

Lydia's face blushed bright red. "Ew! I would, oh no! You think me and you? NEVER!"

Beetlejuice laughed and tucked his hands behind his head, floating on what seemed like a small wave.

"Keep tellin' yourself that, babe! You're practically drooling over me."

"God you are so.."

"Charming? Handsome?"

"Annoying."

Beetlejuice gave Lydia an amused look as she stared at him in frustration. Lydia's gaze slowly melted into something soft as she watched him smile. Oh no, that feeling was creeping back, it started from her chest again and slowly made it's way to the pit of her stomach. Reaching out, she put her palm to his face. Beetlejuice froze as her hand caressed his cold cheek. His skin was extremely soft. He in turn covered her hand with his. "Lyds, i..."

Lydia's bedroom door flung open, The Maitland's and Juno stood staring at the couple as they touched each other. Barbara gasped and glared at Beetlejuice.

"BeetlejuiceBeetlejuiceBeetlejuice!"

Beetlejuice looked at Lydia, his face shrouded by anger. "Lydia, don't.." And then he was gone, a puff of air raced past her face, all that was left was the smell of cigarette's and the unique smell of Beetlejuice.

She looked over at her door and felt dread now settle in the pit of her stomach. What had she done?

TBC...