Chapter Eleven

"Lydia. . ." A voice whispered, making her turn around in a full circle. "Lydia. . . Over here."

Lydia followed the voice to a coffin shaped couch located in the corner of the entrance hall where she not so long ago had been married.

Sitting on the couch, a dark rain cloud hovering over his head was, Prince Vince. His large dark eyes looked up at her in agony.

"I'm too late. . ."

Lydia instantly knew what he meant, and she didn't know what to say. There was nothing to say.

"You're already married . . . aren't you?" The distraught Prince cried, bringing his hand up in front of his eyes.

"Yes," Lydia answered her voice barely above a whisper.

Vince sniffled uncontrollably, and let out a heart-wrenching sob.

Lydia slowly sat down next to him, and immediately got soaked down to the bone from the storm cloud. The human girl trembled visibly as her body began to feel numb. This was a bitter rain that fell upon her. This was a rain, of pure sorrow.

Lydia placed her hand on Vince's back and rubbed small circles across it consolingly. She had never meant to hurt anyone. But it seemed she had anyway.

"My fair Lydia, why have you forsaken me?" Vince asked quietly, looking up to meet her soft eyes with his own tear stained ones.

Lydia didn't know what to say at first. But then she found herself saying the truth.

"I'm happy Vince." Lydia whispered, as a silent tear slid down her cheek.

Prince Vince paused for a moment before he took her hand in his, "I know you are."

Lydia held onto his hand, tenderly. "Thank you my friend."

"I love you Lydia Deetz." Vince said, as his eyes tried to memorize every detail of her face.

"I know. . ." Lydia breathed.

The young human girl leaned towards the Neitherworld Prince and gently placed her lips on his. It was a chaste, quick kiss, but the Prince wouldn't have traded it for anything.

As she pulled away, she brushed his cheek. "Goodbye, my dear, Prince Vince."

"Goodbye Lydia." Vince whispered, as Lydia stood and walked back to the reception hall, to join her husband.

As Lydia walked away from Prince Vince, she couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt, that she had rejected him. But almost instantly the feeling disappeared.

"I have no reason to be sorry. I love Beej, and I'm happy that I married him." She told herself. "I told Vince from the beginning, that I didn't love him. It's his own fault that he didn't move on."

Lydia wished she could ease the poor Prince's heartache, but he would never be happy with only her friendship. He would always want more than she could give.

The girl sighed, and purposefully pushed all her second-guessing aside. She couldn't do this; not now.

As the small human girl reached the reception room door, she made a silent vow.

She Lydia Marie Juice would never look back. She wouldn't wonder what might have been, or how she had gotten to where she was. And most importantly, she would not regret the choices she had made.

"After all," Lydia thought with a small smile. "I couldn't be happier with the outcome of my life."

As the door closed behind her, Lydia stopped looking to the past and thought only of the future.

"Whoa! Babes . . . what happened to ya?" Beetlejuice asked with a lifted eyebrow, as the sopping wet girl took her place in the seat to his right, in the place of honor.

Lydia lifted her wet bangs out of her eyes with a goofy grin. "I got an unexpected shower when I went to the bathroom."

Beetlejuice's eyes sparkled mischievously as he asked, "Did someone play a prank on ya Lyds?"

Lydia shook her head. "No, it wasn't a prank. . ."

Then she paused for a moment. Should she tell Beetlejuice about Vince's visit, or should she make up an alibi? In a moment she had made her decision.

"Prince Vince was waiting for me in the foyer." Lydia explained shrugging her shoulders casually, and then grinned as she continued. "As you can see, his 'rainy' disposition, was catchy to say the least."

Beetlejuice's grin instantly turned into a scowl of epic proportions. "Vince? What's that pushover doing here?"

"As I said he wanted to talk to me," Lydia answered cautiously. "He heard that we were getting married, and wanted to know if it was true or not."

Beetlejuice's eyes flickered dangerously, and Lydia could see that he was angry. The Ghost with the Most had always been blatant about his distaste for the Prince of the Neitherworld, and had even showed jealous tendencies towards him in the past. But now everything was different. Now, Lydia was his wife.

A low growl escaped Beetlejuice as he began to rise from his seat, "Is that pantywaist he still here?"

Lydia sensing trouble placed her small hand on the ghosts' shoulder in comfort, as well as to hold him back from doing anything rash.

"No Beej, he's gone. He only wanted to know if the rumor he had heard was true."

Beetlejuice looked at Lydia, and retook his seat. "That's too bad Lyds. I really was looking forward to talking to the little Princey."

"I bet you were," Lydia thought, sighing in relief, though she said nothing aloud. Then changing the subject the human girl looked to her new husband.

"BJ, can you dry me off? I'm freezing!"

Beetlejuice chuckled good-naturedly, his mood warming. "You gotta say the magic words first Lyds."

"Please?" Lydia said daring to hope.

Beetlejuice snorted, "No!"

"Then what?"

"Come on babes! Use your noggin!" Beetlejuice said impatiently looking at her expectantly.

Lydia thought hard before a smile crept to her lips.

"Pretty please, big cheesy, top Prankster of the Neitherworld; will you dry me off?"

Beetlejuice cackled, "Sure thing, Lyds!"

The Ghost snapped his fingers, and instantly the human girl was dry, her long black hair soft and wispy as it fell down her delicate shoulders.

Beetlejuice's expression softened and he reached out, tugging a lock of the girl's hair playfully with his red tipped fingers.

"You look great babes."

Lydia blushed with pleasure. "Thank you Beetlejuice."

The two smiled at each other before a screechy voice interrupted them.

"BEETLEJUICE!"

Beetlejuice's head snapped towards the noise, an annoyed scowl covering his face. Before he called back, "WHHHHHATTT!"

Judge Mental, who currently stood in front of the couples' place at the table, frowned at the poltergeist with distaste.

"Beetlejuice, be quiet!" He hissed readjusting his white powdered wig with his skeletal hands. "There's no need to shout!"

Beetlejuice glared back at him. "You yelled first Judgey!"

"I yelled at you, so you would be quiet, and so that we could finally begin the wedding feast!" Mental snapped baring his teeth in such a manner, that Lydia thought he would begin to bite people like a rabid dog.

Beetlejuice muttered under his breath, but said nothing else aloud. Mental taking this opportunity, addressed the crowd of Neitherworlder's with a stern tone.

"Three Courses of Food will be served, to any and all of you. Eat it at your leisure. When you are done, please stand by for the Bride and Groom, to cut the Wedding Cake. Thank you, you may begin."

As Mental said the word 'begin' waiters began to file into the reception room, and place platters of all sorts of food onto the table. Since the tables were already covered in dishes of food, it was quite crowded, but somehow the servers managed to place each on in turn in a designated place of its own.

Lydia watched her husband with amazement as he piled all sorts of food on his plate. As he caught her watching him, he grinned.

"Eat up Lyds!"

Lydia laughed as she too began to fill her plate with food. With satisfaction the human girl saw her favorite Neitherworld food.

"Beetlejuice could you pass me the Nightshade Salad?"

The bowl of salad floated towards her, and landed gently in front of her plate. Beetlejuice continued to snarf down his maca-groanie without so much as a word.

The meal was pleasant, and Lydia felt content as she placed her fork down on her empty plate. Never before had she had such an amazing, and mixed meal. She had eaten her favorite Neitherworld foods as well as her favorite human foods.

"That was great," she commented quietly with a pleasant sigh. She leaned back on her chair and closed her eyes.

Beetlejuice burped in response, and would have continued to eat, if someone hadn't screamed at that exact moment.

The Ghost with the Most looked up just in time to see Lydia begin to disappear through the table top, with yet another scream, "Beetlejuice, me help!"

"LYDIA!" Beetlejuice yelled frantically, reaching out for her. His fingers firmly gripped her hand, trying to pull her back.

Lydia grasped her best friends hand as if it was life itself, tears of fear spilling from her eyes. "Don't let go."

"I won't babes, I won't. . . Just hang on."

Lydia screamed as the unseen force continued to pull her away from Beetlejuice. The Ghost fought, but the invisible hands were much stronger, and soon only Lydia's head was left.

With one last scream Lydia disappeared altogether.

Beetlejuice stared at the place she had been only moments before, his mind blank.

Lydia was gone. . .

Hey guys! As always I hoped you enjoyed the chapter!

I know the cliffhanger is bad, but it was a nessicary evil, and it will all be explained. Please bare with me! Here's a hint. . . (Remember in the Summary of the story when I told you a Mysterious Stranger gives Lydia a gift? And the Creepy guy in the dark room that Vince Talked to in chapter 9?)I'll let you guys figure it out! lol XD

Anyway, please leave reviews, if you appreacite the story. After all they are the only compensation we fanfiction writers get.

Tatty bye!

~Lyn Harkeran