Betelgeuse?

Written By: Melanie Ray

Chapter Six: A New Choice With A New Juice

Lydia looked at the being in front of her. It was a WDP. She first met them two months ago, shortly after her kidnapping. A kidnapping she didn't remember. They weren't her favorite people in the world, but they were doing their best to keep her safe. They had to. Anything less could cause a Neitherworld apocalypse. She didn't want to believe it at first, but when she thought about all the facts, all the glitches that didn't make sense. She had to accept the face that it was true. She was never supposed to have met Beetlejuice. Every moment they ever had together never should have happened. "...is it time?" she asked the WDP slowly. He had shown up right in her room. There was no escape, even if she wanted to attempt it.

"Well, Ms. Deetz," The WDP said, "there may be another option. We have found someone. He's been in training to be an assistant WDP for over two hundred years. He has a connection with you though, and he wants to help you."

"Another option?" Lydia felt hope rise within her. "You mean, I might be able to stay with my family?"

"I really encourage you to take the new identity choice we give you, but you are still young," The WDP encouraged her.

"Will I be able to stay with my family with this assistant's help?" Lydia asked. That was all that mattered.

"You will be able to stay with your family. You may also be yourself again," The WDP added.

"Be myself? You mean no more acting like Claire Brewster?" Lydia looked stunned. "You said it was imperative that I completely act like her. Life was on the line."

"THAT was for your benefit," he answered.

"My benefit?" Lydia frowned.

"I'm afraid he might be a teeny bit right about that."

Lydia turned around . . . and her jaw dropped. "Donny?!"

Donny Juice, Beetlejuice's brother, was smiling at her. He was as pristine as he ever had been. "Hello again, Lydia. Here, here is a gift for you."

Lydia looked over at the WDP. "Donny?" She looked over at Donny. "You've been training two hundred years to be a WDP?"

"Why, yes! I love helping others and making them feel good." Donny smiled as he gave his gift to Lydia.

Freaky. Lydia had forgotten how strange Donny was in his red vest and purple tie. He was always the exact opposite of Beetlejuice. Cleanliness, friendliness, he bordered on downright spooky because he was always so nice.

"Although I must say, leaving your personal names and relationships behind does not sound good," Donny said. "That's why I have been training to be an assistant." He smiled at the WDP. "And how are you today, WDP? May I call you Lenny?"

"No," The WDP replied.

"Bobby? Billy? Chris?" Donny sighed. "They never respond to anything but WDP." He brought out another gift. "This is for you."

The WDP groaned but took the gift. "Let's get down to business already." He looked at Lydia and pointed at Donny. "He will be by you. In some way, shape or form twenty four hours a day, seven days a week."

Lydia blinked. "Donny?"

"See what I mean now?" The WDP tried not to smile. "I'd take the new identity if I were you."

Neitherworld/ File Bureau...

"Juno? We've got it. We know what's going on."

Juno looked up at her assistant. "What?"

Her assistant laid down the files with Beetlejuice and Betelgeuse on it. "They areboth him."

"What?!" Juno started to look at the files. "What is this?!"

"Trouble."

Juno watched as a WPD came into the room.

"Technically, he's alive," The WPD informed her.

"Impossible," Juno yelled. "Beetlejuice has been dead for-!"

"He's been apart from his body for over six centuries," The WPD corrected her. "In the evidence we have found, he is clearly not dead."

Juno groaned. "A mess up. Over six century mess up?" She started to light a cigarette. "What happened? Taken from the body before it died?"

"Yes."

"Ugh. I have no choice." She hit a button on her desk. "Call out for Beetlejuice!"

"No, don't," The WDP warner her.

"I have to. It's in the rule book," Juno groaned. "If a soul is taken from a living body, then the body will continue to live. He still has a body, he's technically alive," she growled. "I have no choice, I have to send him back to it."

"But Juno," Her assistant protested, "he's been reborn into the Neitherworld. He's been here far too long. He'll continue to have supernatural powers if we send him back."

"Talk back to me again and you're fired!" Juno threatened her assistant. "I have no choice. It's the rules."

"You will not tell him," The WDP yelled at her. "So say the World Defenders and Protectors! You will not give him his life back. If you do, it could be the death of everyone."

Juno sat back into her chair. "Beetlejuice is wild and he'll cause havoc, But he doesn't kill."

"Not him. His son."

"Son?" Juno frowned. "No way, that could never happen. No one would ever like Beetlejuice that much. He's sloppy. He's crude. He's-"

"Been friends with a girl on Earth since she was twelve, with suspicion on how they first met," The WDP told her. "Tell your assistant to get out. Only you are allowed to hear this."

Juno shooed her assistant out.

"What is said in here, will not leave this room," the WDP told her bluntly. "Beetlejuice did not accidentally slip through the cracks and the relationship with Lydia Deetz was not an accident. They were supposed to be together." He picked out a file he had been hiding and gave it to Juno. "We have found a traitor in our midst."

"In the WDP?" Juno was shocked. She started to look at the file.

"If we had not found out and separated them, most likely more would have happened," The WDP informed her. "Lydia Deetz was chosen as one of the most compatible mates for Beetlejuice."

"Compatible?" Juno frowned. "What would it matter, he thinks he's dead."

"Correct. Death does not give life," The WDP agreed, "but living people do."

"Yes, yes, but souls without bodies can't," Juno added.

"You've been blind, and you still are," The WDP growled at her. "Don't you get it? All they have to do is put his body somewhere near her. He'll awaken in it, confused. He'd go to her, they'd go investigating in the neitherworld and . . .?"

Juno finally picked it up. "...two living beings...having a child in the Neitherworld...the Neitherworld cannot have a living soul born into it! Why, I-it would be-?"

"A soulless hellspawn that would destroy everything," The WDP finished. "And beingtechnically alive could go to the living world."

"It would be no more! It would wipe out everyone!" Juno yelled in shock. "There would be no more living world. Only the Neitherworld."

"Which is why, he can never meet her again. He will not go back," The WDP said firmly.

"Back where?"

Juno and the WDP turned around and saw Beetlejuice.

"Do you have to come every day unannounced?" Juno yelled at him.

"Until you give me back my Lydia, I will!" Beetlejuice started to float and glared at Juno. "Every day for the rest of your afterlife. No matter how long." He annoyed, he heckled, and did anything he could to make Juno's life a living hell. And he would, until she would finally give in and let him go back to Lydia.

Although today she got very testy, very fast.

"Get out," Juno yelled at him.

"Hey! You're the one who called me," Beetlejuice protested. "So whattaya want?"

"Nothing. Leave her be," The WDP said. "Mistake."

Beetlejuice growled at him. It was really their fault. He'd never forgive them. "I'm going to find a way back to her. She's my Lydia." He left in a huff. "You see?" The WDP looked back toward Juno. "They are extremely close for friends. Extremely protective. Beetlejuice even connected with her via a Ouija board she had been at." "I know." "Hold off on sending him back. That's an order from the highest authority."

Juno's hands were tied. Even though it was Beetlejuice, she felt anger rising from within her. The dead should be in the Neitherworld, and the living in the living world. A puff of smoke rose from her neck menacingly. She could do nothing. Yet.

Back to Lydia's Room/Living World...

"Well." Lydia had to think. "I could be myself again." A real plus. Pretending to be something she wasn't was hard. Being mean to her parents. Lying. Makeup. Rebelling. Dating. Everything. It would all end. "I could stay here where I belong . . ." She looked over to the grinning brother of Beetlejuice. "But I have to be around Donny? Every day?"

"It's not so bad," Donny smiled at her. "Why, I'm very friendly. I can be very neat, and I won't leave any messes behind. I promise, I'll be a good friend that stands by your side."

"...or I could have a new identity?" Lydia sighed. "...alright, I'll take Donny."

"Are you sure?" The WDP asked. "I mean he's . . ."

"I'm very friendly." Donny finished for him. "I promise, I will watch her very carefully."

Lydia smiled. She didn't have to leave after all. She looked over at the WDP again. "And you are sure it's safe to act like myself again? You know, you said last time they'd find me quicker somehow if I acted like my old self. You really drove it into me."

"You had to play the part well. You don't want anyone wondering too much about how a sweet girl got into such a predicament," The WDP reminded her before he disappeared, leaving Lydia and Donny to fend for themselves.

"Oh. Oh no. I have to tell them now." Lydia felt uncomfortable again. If she didn't leave, then she would have to tell them. "They'll question a lot though."

"That's what I'm here for," Donny smiled. "I will help you as much as I can Lydia. I promise."

Lydia sighed. When it came down to it, it wouldn't be that easy. Not that easy. She went ahead and opened her present. "A baby bottle. Thanks, Donny."

"It was 'his'," Donny smiled as he pointed to the bottle. "I think it would be fitting for my brand new nephew."

Lydia couldn't help a small smile as she turned it around in her hands. It had a picture of a beetle on the side. Even though, this was all happening because of him. She still wished more than anything that . . .

"It will be okay." Donny came over and gave her a gentle hug. "Don't you listen to them so much. One day, we'll find a way to let 'him' know." Donny felt a strange shiver come from her. He let go of her. "A bit nervous?"

Lydia gave a sarcastic laugh. "What, me? Just because I'm gonna be a mom at eighteen? Just because I'm bearing the Ghost with the Most's kid? Just because if I get found and kidnapped back to the Neitherworld, when it's born it won't have it's soul and would come back and destroy my world? Oh no, no," She laughed, a bit of a cry in her voice. "No. I'm not nervous at all."

Donny was usually good with words, but this time they weren't so forthcoming. What should he say? Lydia was not ready for something like this. No one really could be. There must be a way to let him know. He should be guarding her, not me.

But the WDP didn't want Beetlejuice in that world at all. No connections. They thought it was much too risky, they needed to keep their distance from each other. He wasn't even allowed to say Beetlejuice's name around her. No one could.

"You know, maybe after it's born," Donny smiled at Lydia. "Then maybe 'he' could be called by you again?"

"They said it'll always be too dangerous," Lydia said.

"Well, I'll push for it." Donny continued to smile. "If they could learn to trust my brother instead of fear him, everything would be alright."

Lydia sighed. "Yeah. I am glad I can stay, but now I have to face some heavy consequences." Lydia strolled over to her desk and laid her head down. "I was a bad girl who went too far Delia." She cleared her throat. "Mother? I have some news I must tell you and father?" Lydia groaned and grabbed her head. "Hey ma, guess what? I got pregnant by some guy. Isn't that great, you're a grandma." She groaned loudly. "How am I going to tell them?" She looked over at Donny. "How are you going to hang around me without being suspicious?"

"I can transform too. I've been briefed about what he has been." Donny continued to smile. He always smiled too much. "Even if I have to be an apple, I'll always be near you."

"Great," Lydia said with not too much enthusiasm. She really was happy she didn't have to leave. She was happy she didn't have to pretend to be someone she wasn't. But now, in return for those freedoms, she had to deal with Donny. "Is there any way it could ever leak? Could he 'accidentally' find out? I mean, this is so big. I don't know how he'd handle it." She placed her chin on the table. "I don't even know how I'm still handling it. But . . ."

"But he deserves to know," Donny finished for her. "I'm sorry but that couldn't happen." Donny's face became very sad. "The WDP will not reveal that you are pregnant. Not even to 'his' caseworker." He sighed. "No one will know. Even I'm supposed to have some kind of cover story if 'he' comes to look for me."

Lydia couldn't help a small smile. Yeah, right. When Donny came to visit BJ, he boarded up his entire house and always hid in something very small.

"I told them I really didn't need one. My brother never comes to visit me." Donny sighed. "I wish he would have visited more often. Oh well. He's my brother, and I love him."

Lydia got up from the desk. Beetlejuice was out of the question, but she still had others to think about. "I need time to think of how to tell my parents. I just...I just need some food I think." She started to leave the room. Lydia looked through the kitchen. She was craving something. Something... "Ice cream? No. Sandwich? No."

"I suppose I should tell you."

Lydia looked behind her and saw Donny hiding as a cookie jar.

"You are carrying 'his' son, and alive or dead, my brother will remain the same," Donny smiled.

"Hmm?" Lydia didn't understand what he was getting at. She opened the refrigerator. "I don't know what I want, but I need something." She pulled out some leftover spaghetti and went to warm it up in the microwave. She looked back over at the Donny cookie jar. "What do you mean he'll remain the same?"

"He's lived too long in the neitherworld. His tastes and his magic are too strong to change," Donny explained.

Lydia started to head to the table with her warmed up spaghetti. "What's so important about that?" She started to eat the spaghetti but still felt unsatisfied. "It's too plain. There's something missing. What am I craving?" She closed her eyes and sighed. "Hmm?" She tasted something crunchy inside her spaghetti. A strange taste. A unique taste, but it was quite delicious. It was also satisfying that craving she had.

Donny watched as Lydia opened her eyes and started to freak out. "A bit too new, Lydia?"

Lydia sat up and just stared. Beetles? There were black beetles all over her spaghetti. And she liked it?

"My brother's neitherworld self is too strong, Lydia. His tastes and his magic, will both be passed down," Donny tried to explain. "You're craving beetles because the baby craves beetles because-"

"It's Beetlejuices," Lydia finished. "Oops?"

"No, Lydia! Be careful," Donny warned her. He transformed back to his usual self to drive the point across. "If you call to him, he'll be sent back straight away and they will give you a new identity instead. No choice."

"I know. It was a slip-up," Lydia apologized. "I haven't done that for so long. I don't know why I did it."

"It's bound to happen," Donny said. "Still, it's important never to say his name. Even I shouldn't say his name. My own brother's name."

Lydia sighed. She looked back at the beetles crawling around on the spaghetti.

Mealtime would never be the same again.