Trouble Lies Ahead

Disclaimer: See prologue

A/N: Wow, chapters one and two in quick succession, i don't ive did anything like this before, but i keep on writing. I can't stop! Here's chapter two.

Chapter Two: Just Say No

"After everything we have been through young lady, you decide to pull a stunt like this! Haven't you learned your lesson from the first time? HE is NOT i repeat NOT a toy Lydia Deetz. Oh dear, you've certainly done it THIS time."

Lydia sat on her bed as the Maitland's and Juno towered over her, everyone had a grim expression on their face. To say the least everyone in the room was very disapointed in Lydia right now. Now Lydia truly understood the wrath of Juno. Hell, the woman was a bitch from hell. She felt sorry for Beetlejuice, if he had had to go through many of these kind of meetings, she herself would be pissed off.

Lydia opened her mouth to speak and Juno took a long drag of her cigarette, the smoke billowing out of the gash in her throat.

"I don't want to hear a single petty excuse exit that mouth of yours. What's done is done, i can only HOPE you won't call him again. He is trouble Lydia Deetz, trouble with a capital tee! A girl like you should know not to trust people like him, he will only bring you down. Now, the Maitland's here have agreed to look after you while you stay with your parents."

Lydia opened her mouth to protest but Juno glared at her.

"They will look after you, make sure you do NOT summon Be...HIM again. Do i make myself clear?"

Lydia shrugged her shoulders and gave a pleading look to both Adam and Barbara.

"Lydia, do i make myself clear?" Juno took another drag from her cigarette and waited impatiently for Lydia's answer.

"Yes Juno."

"Good, now i have to go, i have a couple from Jersey who decided it'd be fun to car surf while off their faces." Juno looked at both Adam and Barbara. "Make sure she doesn't let him out. I'm counting on you both."

The Maitland's nodded, while Lydia watched Juno disapear in a cloud of cigarette smoke. Sitting on her bed, she stared at the floor as she felt both Adam and Barbara's gazes on her. They were extremely upset with her.

Barbara sat down next to Lydia and put her hand on her shoulder. Lydia was shaking. "Oh Lydia."

"I just wanted to talk with him! I didn't mean to cause any trouble. He didn't pull any tricks at all!" Lydia sniffed and looked up into Barbara's face. "I asked him if he'd stop playing those horrible tricks on both you and Adam, dad and Delia, he said he would."

Adam fiddled with his glasses and looked to Barbara for support. "Lydia, you can't believe a word he says. He's trouble, he only wants you around so he can get out. Remember what happened the last time, he tried to force you into marrying him. Imagine what would have happened if we hadn't stopped him?"

Lydia stood up from her bed and stared at the concerned ghosts. "He's only like that because nobody gives him a chance! All we did was talk, why can't i talk to him?"

Barbara sighed. "Lydia, it looked like there was more than talking going on."

Lydia turned her back on the ghosts and wept. "You don't understand! Nobody understands."

"Lydia..."

Lydia wiped her face on her cardigan sleeve and sniffed again. "Leave me alone."

The Maitland's exited Lydia's bedroom and watched as their friend slammed the door in their faces. Walking to their attic Adam frowned in concentration. "Barbara, we need to keep Beetlejuice away from Lydia. He's pulling her in slowly, and before we know it he's going to be out and free to roam anywhere he pleases. I don't want to see Lydia get hurt.

Barbara put her arm around her husband and laid her head on his shoulder. "Me neither Adam, me neither."

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

Lydia lay on her bed, her face embedded in her pillow as she cried freely. What did they know! They didn't even know Beetlejuice. Had he tried to trick her this morning? No. Had he tried to pull a fast one? No. They were judgemental pigs and right now Lydia wasn't too keen on the Maitland's. How did they know she had called on him? Had they overheard them talking? Lydia sat up and wiped her face, blew her nose and sat on the edge of her bed.

"Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice."

This time a ferocious wind blew all around her room, a bright light blinded her for a second before dimming down into darkness. Beetlejuice stood in the center of her room and stared at her. Lydia looked...terrible.

"Lyds, are you alright?"

Shaking her head, Beetlejuice floated over to her bed and sat down next to her. He watched her as she tried to keep the tears at bay. "You met Juno, right? Man she's a bitch. She's got one hell of a voice though, kinda goes right through you, eh?"

Lydia nodded. "They hate you BeeJay." Beetlejuice's eyebrows rose at her new name for him. He liked it.

"Yeah well babe, ya can't make an omelette without breakin a few eggs, know what i mean?"

"Juno, she's just full of...anger and hatred towards you."

Beetlejuice stared at his nails and buffed them against his pin striped jacket. "Well, what can i say? She was a bit peeved off when i went solo."

Lydia looked up into his eyes and brushed away the few stray tears that were left. "Solo?"

Beetlejuice nodded. "Yeah! I used to be her uh...assistant. Man, the paperwork was SO boring, and the clients. So naive and trustworthy, they'd hang onto Juno's every word. One day i decided i could go it alone, start my own business...then i started to get into trouble, she's never been the same with me since."

"What do you expect BeeJay? You ditched her!"

"And? She's a bitch, end of. What did she say to you anyways?"

Lydia lay down on her bed and pulled her cardigan closer. "You know Lyds, i could warm you up."

She stared at him for a while, his mouth set in a smile as his eyebrows twitched up and down in a comical way. "Somehow Beejay, i think that you might have the opposite effect."

"Can't blame a guy for tryin."

"She said i was to never call on you again, that you were trouble. The Maitland's hinted that you were using me as a means to get out and stay here."

Beetlejuice floated above her and clicked his fingers. All of a sudden a blast of warm air came from nowhere, warming Lydia up instantly. "What do they know? I mean, look what happened to them, the whole Otho and handbook escapade."

Lydia arched an eyebrow.

"Pfft."

Lydia watched Beetlejuice as he floated above her. She wanted to stroke his unruly hair and touch his cheek again. He had been cold, so cold. His skin had been smooth, but she could feel the roughness of stubble coming through. She knew that if he were human he would be a handsome man. Lydia then took in his pin striped suit and his dusty boots and began to laugh.

"What's so funny?"

Lydia tried to smother her laugh with her hand.

"Ooor ooot!"

"Huh?"

Lydia removed her hand. "Your suit!"

Beetlejuice looked himself up and down and frowned. "Hey! Whats wrong with my suit? Height of fashion this is, babe!"

Lydia laughed harder. Beetlejuice smiled. Things seemed to be going well.

Beetlejuice looked deep into Lydia's eyes, turning away from the powerful emotions she held there. Her hand on his cheek had felt like heaven, warmth had coursed through him as he had held onto her hand. Lydia watched Beetlejuice think, pulling his tie she slowly pulled him down to her, his nose brushing hers.

"I missed you."

Beetlejuice brushed her hair from her face. "Yeah, you already told me."

Lydia shook her head and spoke softly. "No, i really missed you. My life, it's been so dull, with college and here. I needed excitement, something that would urge me to go further. When dad sent me his letter, just him talking about you sent this...this warmth through me and it melted me from the inside out. I'm here because of you, BeeJay." Every puff of breath landed on Beetlejuice's cheek, tickling him.

"Lyds."

Lydia watched as Beetlejuice tried to form what had been going on in his head into a sentence.

"Maybe we should..-"

"LYDIA! DELIA HAS MADE HER SPECIAL STEW, PUMPKIN. COME DOWN BEFORE IT GET'S COLD."

Lydia looked at Beetlejuice and smiled bashfully at him. "I have to go. I'm going to need to "

"Put me back, yeah yeah, i know the drill, babe. Enjoy that stew of yours." Beetlejuice flicked Lydia's nose as he floated to the center of her room.

"I'll uh..call on you again, soon."

"Sure."

Lydia grinned at Beetlejuice and sighed. "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice...Beetlejuice."

With a soft pop, he was gone and Lydia was left to force down Delia's special stew.

TBC