Edit: I have gained new cover art for this story. So I'd like to give a special thanks to Adrienne-the-ripper for her amazing art skills and Lady Norbert who was involved in the plotting of that amazing surprise.

This is the end. This is the end of the story. This is officially the final chapter of my crossover between the movie "Beetlejuice" and the cartoon "Danny Phantom." It took a little less than a year, which is a bit of a miracle, but I'm finished. And I hope everyone has enjoyed the journey. I know I have. So here is a long chapter to serve as the ending and wrap things up.

It is a miracle that I got this back. I thought it was lost forever when it got knocked out of Sam's backpack when we ran into Sanduleak. But I guess someone found it. I'm not sure if one of them picked it up in the confusing aftermath before we left or they went back later to find it, but somehow my journal ended up back in my possession. I just came in and found it sitting on my backpack. I'll have to figure out who to properly thank later. For now, I'm just happy to have it.

The last couple of weeks have been insane. I don't even know where to properly start. Dad and Delia died in a car accident. Normally, that would be the focus of several entries as I try to come to terms with that. And while it does still hurt and I do miss them, things just kept getting worse and I have a lot more to deal with.

Aunt Melinda, my mom's sister, was absolutely insane. She hated ghosts to an intense level that no one could believe and tried to use a magic necklace to perform a mass exorcism on an entire town. And this is after going after Beej, separating me from anyone that I know, and dragging me to the most haunted town in the world (though Amity Park isn't too bad overall).

I almost got murdered multiple times, mostly by another poltergeist named Sanduleak. He's more commonly known as Jack the Ripper. Apparently he had a grudge against Beej at some point in Victorian England and decided to take it out on me. Then he got a power boost from the magic necklace, which drives ghosts crazier when they use it and would eventually destroy them. I had to exorcise Sanduleak to stop him. And if anyone deserved it, a crazy serial killer ghost definitely did.

Then Betelgeuse accidentally grabbed the necklace of doom. He seriously messed up the world and the Netherworld while under the influence. And did I mention the power boost would destroy the ghosts using it? Because it was definitely destroying him to hold on to that much power. And even when we managed to get him to turn things back and let go, it almost looked like it did too much damage. I could have lost him too…

But he'll be fine. He'll be fine. Some weird and mysterious people made of light showed up and did something. And Juno said he would be all right when she took him back to her office. He'll be fine. Beej will be fine.

On a different note, I made some new friends. Sam is really nice. She's got great taste in fashion, decorating, and everything. She loves dark and creepy stuff. She sees the beauty in things not traditionally considered pretty. And Tucker is obsessed with technology. I don't think it is possible for him to go anywhere without keeping a dozen electronic devices with him. And thanks to him, we've learned that ghosts can send text messages. So now I have a way to communicate with Barbara and Adam even when I'm not home.

Then there's Danny and his family. They've been really nice and I've been staying with them since that night. His sister's offered to talk if I ever need it, but I haven't taken her up on that offer yet. But his parents have been supportive and helping me with all the legal mess and stuff. And Danny tried to cheer me up a little by suggesting he could show me the Ghost Zone a little, though he did admit it was a little dangerous even with a half-ghost bodyguard. But I declined. It just isn't the same.

Nothing is the same. It'll never be the same again. Dad and Delia will still be dead. And no matter how this legal mess turns out, I can't just stay with the Maitlands all the time. If legal things go wrong, I'll end up in some kind of foster home that'll probably be in yet another strange town. Or I'll be bounced around constantly since no one wants a teenager, especially one who doesn't fit in. And even if Juno said he'll be all right, I keep worrying that she was wrong or lying to make me feel better or something. I know it's only been a couple of days and time doesn't move at a constant rate between here and the Netherworld, but I keep having nightmares and worrying about why I haven't heard anything yet.

It would be so easy to end up completely alone. I don't want to be alone. My entire family is either dead or I hate them. It feels like everything is falling apart and now I can't even distract myself by focusing on more important things anymore. The world is saved, Sanduleak is gone, my aunt is locked up, and I don't know what I'm going to do now. I just don't know what I'm going to do. It's just too much to handle alone.

…

…

Come on, Babes. You've got to have a bit more faith in me than that. You think I'd ever leave my Lyds alone?

-Excerpt from "Lydia Deetz' journal"

Betelgeuse slept deeply, unable to stir even if he wanted. Something gently and firmly held him under and he didn't have the desire or strength to resist. Time had no meaning. He slept peacefully, undisturbed even by dreams or memories. Betelgeuse drifted through unconsciousness without a thought or concern. He simply slept, oblivious to the world.

Eventually the hold began to weaken enough that he heard a distant, annoyed, familiar voice, pulling him slightly towards awareness. By the time he recognized the lecturing words as the usual caseworker garbage meant for new ghosts, he figured out he was on that scruffy old couch in Juno's office she normally kept tucked into the wall. He remembered fixing it up in the first place, even making it fit in a space that normally wouldn't have room. He did it because he preferred lounging on the thing rather than sitting on the chairs, especially whenever she felt particularly lecture-y.

Apparently Juno tossed him in a corner and continued her work as a caseworker. Figuring out how he ended up in that situation to begin with, however, took more effort than he wanted to try.

He heard her explaining something that even the Maitlands should have understood without help, her voice annoyed and droning. The noise bored him already. Betelgeuse could barely stand her lecturing when it was directly aimed at him. Listening to her lecture some random specter was far worse. Even if he wasn't already tired, her reciting rules and regulations would certainly bore him back to slumber.

Someone started asking a question and Betelgeuse felt his boredom increase to an annoying level. He shifted slightly, trying to get more comfortable. The voices instantly silenced at his movement, making it clear that he'd become the center of attention. Then he felt someone exerting their power on him, pushing him gently back towards slumber. Betelgeuse considered resisting, but he recognized Juno's power. Besides, he still felt tired and bored. And he certainly didn't feel like trying to figure out what was going on. Sleep sounded like a better option. He let go and slipped back under.

After spending another timeless period in peaceful rest, Betelgeuse finally began to drift towards proper consciousness. This time, there were no voices. He just heard the quick scratching sounds of a pen writing across a page. He started trying to untangle the memories that led to him sleeping on the couch. Unfortunately, he wasn't having much luck. Eventually, he managed to drag up something. His last memories involved Lydia and a bunch of glowing guys, which still didn't explain his presence in Juno's office.

"I know you're awake," Juno said finally, the pen pausing. "Keeping you asleep was easy at the start, but you've been recovering your strength and there's a limit to what I can do to you. I can't force you to stay asleep by this point. So I suppose it is time we talk."

"Be quiet," he mumbled. "Still sleeping."

"You've been sleeping on my couch for over a week. You can listen to me for a few minutes and then go back to lying there unconscious." She paused briefly and added, "And just in case you're wondering, less time is currently passing for the living. You haven't been gone more than a few days for Ms. Deetz. Though I'm sure she'll be happy to get back her pseudo older brother, crazy honorary uncle, or however you describe your relationship to the girl."

"Best friend," he corrected, managing to push his face a little off the couch and peer blearily at the caseworker. "So why have I been napping on your couch, June-bug?"

"Because you desperately needed the rest and I could make you actually take the time to do it. At least for a little while," said Juno. "You wouldn't sleep if I didn't keep you that way."

"For a week?"

Lighting a cigarette, she said, "Let's look at what you did the week before. I know we discussed some of these issues earlier, but I'm in a reminiscing mood. First was the near exorcism and having someone bind a portion of your power. Then there was your trip through the Ghost Portal, which involved almost tearing yourself apart and using most of your power to stay together. And I believe I made it quite clear that you were an idiot for trying. That was the sort of action that dooms the living to a future doing my paperwork. Not to mention you were trying to fight another poltergeist during that stunt."

"Yeah, I know," he muttered. "You don't approve of my choices. That's pretty standard, June-bug."

He rather enjoyed the look of frustration that briefly overtook her face. He'd always enjoyed pushing Juno's buttons. He could do it practically in his sleep. And since he'd apparently spent over a week sleeping on her couch, Betelgeuse needed to make up for some lost time. Messing with Juno while he was mentally trying to straighten out what he did under the influence of that stupid necklace seemed like a great idea. It was certainly safer than trying to steal her cigarettes, which was his usual go-to method of annoying her.

"And of course near destruction by tearing yourself apart and using up almost your power just wasn't enough. You apparently needed to test out the other end of the spectrum by nearly destroying yourself with too much power. How could you be dumb enough to touch that necklace?"

"Didn't mean to do it," he muttered.

"I hope you realize how lucky you are. I don't even mean the fact that those teenagers managed to prevent untold destruction of their world, the Netherworld, and probably the Ghost Zone. That was pure luck and suicidal risks on their part. I'm talking about more personal consequences for grabbing the Gem of Osiris. Do you know how close you were to ending the infamous legend of the Ghost With The Most, disappearing forever on the front lawn of a high school?"

"Your glowing bosses made that pretty clear," he said, sitting up the rest of the way on the sofa. Trying to lighten the mood a little, he asked, "Do you know how to do their completely hidden by light trick too? Or is that something they only teach when you get further up the bureaucratic ladder?"

Glaring at him sharply, Juno said in a tone he didn't want to identify, "You don't get to joke about this, Betelgeuse. You don't. I saw you afterwards. That much power scorched and burned away your aura until there was almost nothing left. That Deetz girl of yours had more of a supernatural presence than you did. You were seconds away from being nothing more than a memory and there was nothing that either of us could have done to save you."

"Careful, June-bug," he said, shifting uncomfortably. "Someone might accidentally think you care."

She responded with an annoyed look, but Betelgeuse knew that she was right about one thing. There had been more close calls in the last couple weeks than he'd experienced over the last couple of centuries. Betelgeuse didn't like thinking about that too much.

And he definitely didn't want to think about how much Lydia was endangered in that same time frame. His girl almost got killed by Sanduleak and could have got hurt while Sanduleak held the Gem of Osiris. And Betelgeuse was almost afraid to consider what he might have done while overwhelmed with power and out of his mind. He didn't kill her obviously. He remembered seeing her immediately after he dropped the stupid thing. But he couldn't remember his actions very clearly while holding the necklace.

"I'm just pointing out that I have good reason to make sure you slept as long as possible. You did a serious number on yourself and even with the worst of the damage fixed, it takes time to recover. Time that you certainly wouldn't give yourself," she said before shrugging and blowing another cloud of smoke. "Besides, can you imagine how much paperwork it would cause me if you destroyed yourself right after all that chaos you caused? I'm making you do that paperwork."

Yawning briefly, he said, "Do you really think I'd help with your files? You've known me for decades, June-bug."

"Yes, I have. And I suggest you get some sleep while you still can. Once you're completely back to your old self and finished the paperwork I tell you to do, I'll have your Deetz girl informed and you can go back to causing everyone headaches."

He rolled his eyes briefly. Paperwork was so boring. He didn't even bother with it most of the time back when he actually worked for Juno. Now he didn't have any reason to pretend to be interested in it. But there was no way to guess how long it would take for someone to call him on their own and Juno definitely wouldn't let him out of her sight long enough to scare up a mirror to contact anyone. For the moment, he was stuck. So he might just be napping and doing that paperwork after all. That certainly annoyed him.

Betelgeuse contemplated going back to sleep to escape the possibility of boredom. It certainly seemed more appealing than listening to Juno with her angry and concerned tone. And it would let him ignore the future paperwork for a little longer. That fact combined with a remaining tiredness made further rest sound like a great idea.

He started to lean back on the couch, but a familiar and distant sound rang in the back of his mind and forced him to pay attention. After six centuries, he recognized the signs of someone calling him from far away. Though he couldn't recognize voices from across the different dimensions since he wasn't actually "hearing" it by any normal means, he knew it was his name. Someone was trying to summon him.

"What is it?" asked Juno, noticing his abruptly distracted state.

There it was again. His name spoken by someone among the living. Not called frantically in a single and desperate breath, but still relatively quick. Someone definitely wanted his attention.

Shrugging casually, Betelgeuse said, "Sorry, June-bug. As much fun as it would be to hang around with you and a million forms waiting to be filled out, I'll have to take a rain-check."

As her look of confusion shifted to one of realization, his name was spoken a third time and Betelgeuse let himself be pulled out of her office. The familiar sensation of being summoned back to Earth always cheered him up. Even if he still felt tired, he looked forward to getting back to somewhere more lively.

His immediate thought upon arriving was how dark it was. Betelgeuse blinked at the difference in an attempt to adjust his vision and realized he was in someone's bedroom. He could make out the vague shape of a bed and he was standing right next to the closet. And then he heard voices in the darkness. Voices he recognized.

"Calm down, calm down," whispered Jazz. "It's just a dream. Wake up."

"…no… please… Be… sorry… don't…"

The other voice was far softer, indistinct, distressed, and seemed fairly incoherent. But it pulled him across the room before he could think. Jazz Fenton was crouched over a sleeping bag, trying to awaken the occupant trapped in a nightmare. She was so distracted that she didn't even notice the new arrival, barely suppressing a shriek of surprise when he appeared beside her. While the red-head struggled to calmly and quietly recover from shock, Betelgeuse focused on his girl.

She slept, but not easily. Lydia's expression twisted occasionally with fear and sorrow while her head jerked back and forth. Whatever visions danced through her head, Betelgeuse sincerely doubted they were sugarplums. And she kept muttering. It didn't take a genius to figure out who called him. Trapped in a nightmare, she said his name. Maybe she wanted him to save her from whatever was tormenting her or maybe her nightmares involved him in a dangerous situation. Regardless, he didn't like seeing his girl like this.

"…please don't… stop it… Dad… Del… come back… Barb… no… Adam… please… Beej…"

Emotional stuff and comforting weren't among his usual skill set, but his Lyds needed him to try. And he would do anything for her. Ignoring the questioning look from Jazz, he pulled his girl out of the sleeping bag with the same ease he would a smaller and younger child. The instant he had her in his arms, Lydia began to quiet and tried to snuggle closer to him desperately. Even asleep, she recognized the way a ghost felt and she was probably the only person alive who felt better with a dead guy around.

"What are you doing here?" hissed Jazz, apparently getting over the shock of his arrival.

He sat on the edge of the bed, Betelgeuse doing his best to rearrange Lydia into a more comfortable position while she kept trying to snuggle into his chest. He wasn't sure if the sleeping girl realized it was him or if she thought it was one of her ghostly godparents, but at least she seemed calmer as she curled against the chilly figure. She wasn't quite as small as she was a couple of years ago, but she was still a child. He hadn't done something like this in centuries, but part of him remembered. So he held her in his arms like the child she was and hoped it would be enough to banish whatever was haunting her dreams.

"Lyds called me," he said quietly, finally answering the teenager's question. "How long?"

Glancing at the younger girl, Jazz whispered, "She's had nightmares the last couple of nights, but this is the first time she ended up sleep-talking. Mom and Dad don't know, but Danny might have guessed. She won't tell me much, but I know she was worried about you. And with everything else, I'm not surprised she's having nightmares."

He nodded briefly towards the red-head. Of course she worried. She was one of the few people who would care, with the other one being a certain caseworker who tossed him on a couch to keep an eye on him. At least the time difference meant that his girl wasn't having nightmares for over a week.

"Sorry to worry you, Babes," he said softly to the sleeping figure in his arms. "But I'm too tough and stubborn for you to get rid of me quite yet." A small and rather fond smile crept onto his face as he briefly brushed her black hair back and said, "You're pretty tough yourself, Lyds. You'll be all right."

Shifting awkwardly as if she felt like she was intruding, Jazz said, "I guess I'll go sleep on the couch downstairs. I can figure out how to explain to my parents why there's a creepy, strange, dead man in my bedroom later."

"Call me when you're older, Red," he said quietly as she slipped out the door. "The pajamas are nice, but I can wait a few years."

His words earned a brief eye roll, but she didn't say another word. Once Jazz had left the room completely, Betelgeuse turned his attention back to his girl. And more specifically, his thoughts turned to some rather recent information.

His Lyds was related to Katelin. He couldn't believe he never made that connection before. They weren't identical and six hundred years was a long time, but the resemblance was there when he knew where to look. He just never considered the possibility of encountering anyone connected to his brief time alive. Six hundred years, a different continent, and several billion people on the planet made the odds nearly impossible. And yet he was cradling the evidence that the impossible could happen, reminding him vaguely of a few times Katelin suffered nightmares after her parents' deaths.

Part of him wondered if this was meant to be a second chance. He met Lyds when she was about the same age Lin was when he died. Was he supposed to use this as a chance to make up for missing Galeren's daughter grow up and protecting Lin like he promised? Did the glowing figures arrange it somehow or was it blind chance? Was he meant to see things that way, like it was fate or history somehow repeating?

After thinking about it for a moment, Betelgeuse rejected that entire train of thought as stupid. Lydia and Katelin might have similarities, but they weren't the same person. And Lydia wasn't just a replacement for a child from centuries ago. Lydia was his. She was his girl and he cared about her long before he learned about her heritage. She deserved to be her own person rather than being stuck in the shadow of a memory. She was special, unique, and precious. His fondness and desire to protect her was solely for Lydia's sake. He adored her simply because she was his Lyds.

Everyone needed a purpose in their life eventually. Or in their afterlife.

She shifted slightly in his arms and he got a better look at her face. The bandages on her head were gone and he could see that the injuries Sanduleak caused were healing nicely. But he frowned as he caught sight of her throat. Healing bruises were fading, but not gone. They looked exactly like the type of marks that would be left by hands trying to squeeze the life out of someone. He knew those weren't from the encounter with Sanduleak. He would have seen those bruises before.

Dread coiled around in his chest. Betelgeuse closed his eyes and felt his grip on her loosen, his arms pulling away as if he didn't deserve to hold her anymore. What if he did it? He was out of his mind while holding that necklace. He couldn't remember what exactly he did in that state. He could have done anything. He might be responsible. He certainly had the potential to strangle someone if he chose. He might have hurt his Lydia without realizing it. Based on how far along in healing the bruises were, the timing was right for that theory.

Lydia tried to curl closer to him again, the movement making him open his eyes back. The frown had returned to her face. Regardless of whether or not he caused those bruises, he refused to let guilt cause her any further grief. Betelgeuse pulled her close again.

"I'm sorry, Lyds," he whispered, uncertain if he was apologizing for something specific or for everything that happened.

He shuffled further onto the bed, settling them comfortably on the pile of pillows that Jazz apparently owned. The sleeping girl didn't make a sound as he set her down, but she did instantly curl back against him. Her head ended up his chest while the rest of her practically buried into his side. Moving away from her wasn't an option, so he just pulled off his striped jacket and draped it over them.

If it was anyone else, he would probably make a comment about them sleeping together. But this was Lydia. Between her age, the disaster of the almost-wedding, and the fact it was his Lyds, he couldn't bring himself to make the joke. Besides, he was still tired and she wasn't suffering from nightmares now. Getting a little more sleep was far more important than worrying about propriety. Of course, he never worried about what was considered appropriate behavior before and he certainly didn't plan to start now.

His girl snuggled closer to him, actually smiling a little in her sleep. Betelgeuse found himself wrapping an arm around her to hug her gently. She was close enough that he could feel her body heat and her heartbeat, slowed to the nice and relaxed pace of someone at rest. Both were traits he'd lacked for a long time, but there was something soothing about them. They were proof she was alive and relatively unharmed. His Lyds was safe. She was safe and nothing alive or dead would tear them apart. He wouldn't let that happen. That thought combined with the steady rhythm of her heart beat was as effective as a lullaby, coaxing him back to sleep.

She was lying against someone semi-insubstantial, mildly cool to the touch, and snoring softly. That thought greeted her as Lydia woke from the first restful night's sleep she'd experienced in a while. She didn't open her eyes or move just yet, but that didn't mean she couldn't figure out a little about what was going on.

Whoever had their arms wrapped around her like she was a teddy bear was a ghost. Nothing else in the world felt like being hugged by a ghost. But even if it reminded her of Adam and Barbara, Lydia knew it wasn't them. The arms, the chest, and even the shirt under her head felt different than her ghostly godparents. Besides, the smell was wrong. They smelled like clean laundry, craft paint, and the river. This was cigarette smoke, mold, and dank places where bugs crawled around.

Relief flooded Lydia's body as her sleepy mind recognized the poltergeist holding onto as she rested her head against his chest. Betelgeuse. Her best friend was back, snoring quietly beside her. He was back and safe. She didn't even question how he got back to her. Lydia was just thankful to have her friend. She moved slightly, but he tightened his hug around her instinctively. Possessive and overprotective. Yep, definitely Beej.

Finally opening her eyes, Lydia noticed that his favorite striped jacket was currently serving as a blanket. She could also see Jazz standing over them with a bemused expression.

"Morning. I think Sam took a picture of Danny and Tucker like this once," whispered Jazz. "It's kind of sweet though. I get it now. He's like your weird and crazy older brother who'd do anything for you."

Keeping her voice equally quiet, she said, "Sometimes he acts more like a little brother, but Beej is… Beej. And don't bother with a camera. He won't show up in pictures."

"Well, I came up for a change of clothes," whispered Jazz, holding up some folded jeans and a shirt. "It's Monday, but there's no school today. So you have some time before anyone else starts wondering where you are. I'll try to keep them from coming up here, but you might want to talk to him sooner rather than later."

With that piece of wisdom now delivered, Jazz slipped out of the room silently. Lydia waited a few moments, perfectly content to enjoy the peace and calm. She needed this chance to relax. But the older girl was right. She couldn't stay on Jazz's bed forever.

Lydia tried to sit up, but the arms around her tightened their grip. And when she tried to pry his hands free of her dark pajamas, there was a quiet groan of protest. She couldn't help smiling at the still drowsing poltergeist. Jazz was right. He was oddly sweet when he was sleeping.

"Beej," she called gently. "Wake up, Beej."

The closest thing to a response she got was a slightly louder snore. Managing to pry one arm loose, Lydia graduated her efforts to shaking him.

"Mmm-what?" he mumbled before opening his eyes blearily. The instant he looked at her, he became wide awake and said gratefully, "Lyds."

Pulling him abruptly upright into a sitting position, Lydia wrapped her arms around him for a proper hug. And while he seemed momentarily surprised by the sudden movement, he returned the gesture fairly quickly.

"Don't you ever do that again," she said when she finally released her friend. "Are you all right?"

"Unfortunately, I appear to be dead," said Betelgeuse wryly. "But other than that, I'm fine." His expression briefly turned grim as he asked, "And you, Babes? The marks around your neck are new…"

Lydia's hand briefly went to her throat. She almost forgot about the bruises. They were photographed, documented, and examined by a doctor when they were collecting evidence against her aunt, but they weren't bothering her now. They were healing. But apparently the damage was still visible.

"They look worse than they are. They don't even hurt," assured Lydia.

Glancing down and fumbling with his jacket uneasily, he asked, "Did… While I was… When I had the necklace… Did I do…?"

"What? No," said the girl firmly once it became clear where his train of thought was leading.

She hadn't wanted to mention Aunt Melinda's murder attempt. She knew he would react badly to such a thing. And even if he wasn't normally the type to kill someone, she suspected this would push his self-restraint too far. But if the other option was to let him believe he caused the bruises, she'd sell out that crazy woman in a heartbeat.

"You didn't do this," she reassured. "You would never hurt me. Not even when you had the Gem of Osiris. I'll tell you the full story later. Promise. But I swear, you didn't hurt me."

He still looked a little uncertain and he was definitely unhappy about the bruises, but he nodded and relaxed somewhat. Lydia kept staring at him, searching him for any hint of problems. He looked like his old self again. And he definitely looked better than when Juno took him with her. That made her feel better. She needed that reassurance. She needed to be sure he was all right so that she could properly bury those fears and doubts.

"So you're staying with Danny-boy's family?" he said finally, pulling his striped jacket back on. "That seems smart. They're definitely a better choice than the psycho aunt that I still need to pay a visit to."

"She's in jail right now." At his questioning look, Lydia said vaguely, "She did something crazy and violent. And she admitted it, left clear evidence, and there were witnesses. So they locked her up. Uncle Roger is actually testifying against her too."

"Really? He can talk? I thought he was just hired muscle."

"Yeah, he figured out she was insane and dangerous. But even if he's trying to do the right thing now, I'm not ready to forgive him." She frowned as she thought about the messy situation again. "I can't live with that man, Beej. I just can't do it."

"Then don't," he said simply, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "And if anyone tries to make you do something you don't want to, I'll make them regret it. Just say the words and I'll get you out of here. I'd like to see those living folks try to keep up."

She smiled at the offer. He was right. If the worst should happen, they could escape. Child Protective Services and lawyers couldn't chase her to the Netherworld. She could vanish to Winter River without any warning for them. Betelgeuse couldn't be stopped by bureaucracy, especially when the bureaucracy didn't include Juno.

"I talked about it with Mr. and Mrs. Fenton," she said quietly. "I'm going to try and get myself declared an emancipated minor. Then I wouldn't need a legal guardian. I'll need a job so that I can prove that I can take care of myself, but it could work. And if I can't, my other plan is for the Fentons to try and adopt me. They said they'll help any way that they can. And if I live with them, at least I know they aren't evil."

"Not to mention the mom of the family looks pretty good for having two kids," said Betelgeuse. When she shoved him playfully, he chuckled. Then, in a quieter voice, he said, "Hey, Lyds? My memories from when I had the Gem of Osiris are pretty fuzzy. But from what I do remember… I wasn't really myself and probably very dangerous. Thanks for stopping me."

Remembering the knife she couldn't bring herself to wield and the trust she'd held that the supposedly-undependable poltergeist might still remain even in his madness, Lydia said, "You're my best friend. What else was I supposed to do?"

"Come to your senses and give up on me?"

Most of his tone sounded like he was joking. Most people would assume he was just being funny. But she knew him. She heard the faint undertone in his voice, as if some small corner of his mind thought it was a real possibility someday. Six centuries was a long time and he was not a popular ghost. Even he was bound to have some buried doubts. Lydia asked herself occasionally what about her compelled him to stay.

"Never," she said. "I don't give up on my friends. And not even evil relatives, cursed jewelry, dead serial killers, or every ghost in the Netherworld and Ghost Zone combined will ever change that."

"They wouldn't stand a chance against you anyway," said Betelgeuse, a small smile crossing his face.

Lydia started thinking about breakfast and how she was going to maintain the peace in the household. She certainly wasn't getting rid of Beej when she just got him back, but she also knew he couldn't help being disruptive. It was simply part of who he was.

But that train of thought was derailed by a question. She'd kept the question in the back of her mind for the last few days, the current events distracting enough already. But now the curiosity was back and part of her felt compelled to ask. She just didn't like prying too much into personal parts of his past. And Lydia felt deep down that her question was among the most personal topics she could ever ask.

"Beej," she said carefully, "when we were trying to get to you when you were wearing that necklace, we saw these people. Illusions. There were four of them, all dressed in very old-fashioned clothes from the Middle Ages. One was a young woman with a red ribbon in her hair, very pretty. There was another woman, blonde, who looked a little like you. And there was a man and a little girl. They seemed like they were related to each other and… she looked a little bit like me." She hadn't actually asked yet, but the question dangled there unspoken and obvious. And when he didn't immediately respond, Lydia added quietly, "And when you saw me, for a moment, you called me 'Lin.'"

He didn't say anything. He just had a distant expression on his face. Lydia wondered if she should just change the subject and let the issue drop. She didn't need the mystery solved that badly. It was just momentary curiosity. She started to stand up.

"Katelin," he said, startling her. "The little girl? Her name was Katelin. I called her 'Lin.' I'm guessing the man would have been her father, Galeren. That's the only person it could be."

Sitting back down, Lydia asked softly, "Who was she?"

"Someone I knew a long time ago, Lyds. I think you would have liked her."

"Do you want to tell me about her?"

He was quiet for a moment, but he nodded slowly and said, "Sure."

A few months later…

She sent a quick text to Adam as she hurried down the stairs, promising to take some more pictures of Winter River and pick up the requested art supplies during the upcoming Spring Break. Lydia was thankful every single day that ghosts could send text messages. She didn't know how she would survive without being able to communicate with her ghostly godparents regularly. Adam still sometimes had trouble with the autocorrect feature, but it was getting better. And Lydia was insanely thankful that Sam's family was apparently rich and her friend was helping to cover the costs for the phones. Even with her new income as the Fentons' official "expert non-ectoplasmic research assistant," having one less bill was nice.

"Lydia, the waffles are ready," called Maddie from the kitchen right before the girl stepped in.

The rest of the household was already waiting. Maddie was finishing up with the waffle iron and grabbed a plate of bacon to carry to the table. Jack seemed engrossed in the newspaper. Somehow managing to fill out college forms and take a drink of orange juice at the same time, Jazz gave Lydia a brief wave. Danny just shoveled food into his mouth as fast as any teenage boy with ghost powers would.

"Thanks, Mrs. Fenton," she said, taking her seat. "Anything major planned for this weekend?"

"We have a few more experiments planned, but nothing major," Jack said, taking a large bite of his breakfast. "Planning to head to Connecticut?"

Lydia nodded and said, "If he's not too busy to give me a lift. I miss them, but I'll survive if I have to wait for Spring Break."

"Isn't there a dance this Friday at your school?" asked Maddie. "I remember Danny mentioning it. We could look for a nice dress for you. I'm sure that there are some nice options at the mall. Or maybe Jazz has something left in her closet that's your size." She glanced at her son and asked, "Did you ask Sam to go yet?"

As he nearly choked on his waffles, coughed, blushed deeply, and finally started to stammer what sounded like excuses and denial, Lydia rolled her eyes. Yes, there was a school dance. All the other students were discussing it and seeking out the perfect date. It was like watching animals hunt on the savanna.

"Thanks for the offer, Mrs. Fenton, but I'm probably not going," she said. "I mean, it might be a little fun to watch Paulina, Star, and the other popular kids act crazy and cause a lot of drama. As long as they stay away from me, that is. But who in the world would I go with?"

"Go with Tucker," suggested Jazz, shrugging briefly. "You can go as friends instead of as dates. And Beej won't think he's up to something."

"Of course not. Tucker is too scared of him to try anything, even if he was interested in me."

"Which is why he's the perfect person to go with," said Jazz. "Though we really need address his overprotection and possessiveness issues someday."

Taking a few quick bites of her waffle, Lydia said, "I was attacked and almost killed by the ghost of Jack the Ripper. And almost killed by my aunt. I don't think those issues are going away anytime soon."

"Some people get fathers who wait at home with a baseball bat to scare off potential boyfriends. You get a poltergeist," said Danny, finally looking less embarrassed.

Jack, taking a bite of his bacon, muttered, "That delinquent on the motorcycle turned out to be a ghost, remember?"

"And he was trying to use me to free his girlfriend," added Jazz. "Johnny isn't really the best example to use."

Lydia shrugged and said, "I'm fine not dating for now. Though if I get a boyfriend before you and Sam start dating properly, then I'll let Beej go ahead and tie the two of you together until you admit your feelings."

Feeling a little smug as he devolved back into frustrated and embarrassed sputtering, Lydia got up from the table and hurried to grab her backpack. She might miss living with the Maitlands, but the Fenton household was a pretty nice place. They'd converted a spare bedroom that was previously filled with boxes of ghost-hunting gear that failed to work even slightly into a cozy space for her. Most of her stuff ended up back in Connecticut since there wasn't room, but she had a nice bed, a place to store her clothes, a wall she quickly covered in photographs, and a large mirror that provided a nice view of the room. It wasn't quite home, but it was close.

She was very thankful to the Fentons for everything they'd done. Without their help and giving her a paying "job" in assisting them in all matters regarding non-ectoplasm ghosts, there was no possible way she could have managed to have herself declared an emancipated minor. But with a steady source of income and clear evidence that her previous living situation wasn't healthy for her (since Aunt Melinda tried to murder her and everything), they managed to get the petition to the courts and they ruled in her favor. And then there was the entire trial for her Aunt Melinda, she and Uncle Roger testifying the woman's actions while trying not to commit perjury by avoiding the topics of poltergeists and magic necklaces. Danny, Jazz, and their parents were there to support her through that mess. After all, she couldn't let Betelgeuse near it because he could not be trusted to leave the woman unharmed.

Not everything was fixed, but the worst was behind her. She could handle things. She could go home on some of the weekends when there was nothing major happening and stay with the Maitlands on all the holidays. Juno sometimes still complained about Betelgeuse using the Netherworld as a shortcut, but not too much. Lydia's theory was that her general silence about the issue is partially a thanks for getting the Gem of Osiris away from humanity, partially a thanks for keeping Betelgeuse distracted from causing too much trouble, and partially an apology for that necklace almost getting Beej destroyed. But whatever the reason for Juno letting it go, it made it a lot easy to see her ghostly family regularly and she texted Barbara and Adam the rest of the time.

And Amity Park was pretty nice. She had friends who were actually alive, people didn't think she was crazy when she mentioned ghosts, and it was interesting to see the various specters that haunted the place. Most of them were smart enough not to attack her directly. Betelgeuse didn't usually hinder or help the ectoplasm ghosts who tried to stir up trouble for Danny, but the news had quickly spread that the girl in the spider-web poncho was off-limits. Occasionally Lydia used that to her advantage by standing near groups of terrified people too dumb to run away, which meant the ghosts didn't dare to risk attacking in case they accidentally caught her in the crossfire. After the stunt where he twisted reality into a pretzel and nearly destroyed everything, even fewer specters dared to mess with the Ghost With The Most.

Lydia made sure that her homework was finished and in her backpack before she slipped it on. Some of the teachers were pretty forgiving and understanding about her late assignments for a while because of what happened with her aunt and all the trial and legal stuff that happened, but she didn't want to fall behind and have her grades start slipping. Barbara and Adam might be in a different state, but they made sure to always ask about her schoolwork.

"Hurry up and change into a clean shirt or you'll be late for school," Maddie's voice shouted.

"I'll just fly," Danny yelled back, rushing by Lydia in his quest for clean clothes.

"That doesn't give you an excuse not to be ready. You've had all morning."

"It's just a shirt," he complained.

"I just finished a load of laundry yesterday. You should have plenty of clothes."

Ignoring the brief squabble, Lydia smiled and straightened out her poncho. There was nothing like a little morning chaos to start off the day right. And speaking of chaos, she had a little free time before school. They would of course hang out after class, but she could never spend enough time with her best friend. And based off of what he said last night, he shouldn't have any bio-exorcist jobs lined up for that morning nor any dates.

Slipping out the front door before something could delay or distract her, Lydia said, "Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse."

Melinda glared at around her cell for the millionth time that day, frustrated and annoyed. They'd transferred her out of the normal women's prison. They thought her knowledge of ghosts and ancient artifacts would be useful. And she was originally happy about the idea of continuing to work towards the destruction of those monsters, even behind bars. But they were just too useless at achieving their goals. The Guys In White just didn't have what it took to destroy them once and for all. And they'd stopped talking to her very much after the first week.

The main good thing about being imprisoned in their private facility was that it was ghost-proof. No ghost could enter and none would risk trying it. Melinda was at least thankful for that fact. She knew it was the only reason she was safe.

That last night in the other prison, the normal women's prison with nothing to prevent ghosts from entering, made that perfectly clear. That poltergeist came to see her. She remembered its face, contorted into a horrifying mask of hatred and loathing. She still had nightmares of that creature. Nightmares that left her screaming. Melinda remembered the way he looked at her as he snarled over what she nearly did to Lydia, the phrase "almost murdered her" uttered as a dangerous growl like that of a wolf hungry for blood. What happened next, she did her best to forget because the terror never seemed to diminished. He left her unharmed and untouched physically, but the guards found her in tears while trying to hide in the corner.

But he couldn't reach her here. It couldn't haunt her while locked away by the Guys In White. She was safely away from that nightmarish monster. But it wasn't over. He still lurked out there, along with all the other ghosts. They needed to be stopped. They needed to be destroyed. The ghosts had corrupted everyone, polluting their minds and turning them against her.

Lydia. Her husband, Roger. They were tainted by the ghosts. That's why they tried to have the police arrest her. And that judge and those members of the jury, they were corrupted by the ghosts too. Or maybe possessed by them, trying to lock her away so she wouldn't succeed. It was all because of the ghosts. Especially that horrible, terrifying, evil poltergeist.

She should have killed them all. Turned them into ghosts too so she could get rid of them. Destroy all the ghosts and all those corrupted by them. Then everything would be all right. The world would be perfect then. All the problems would be gone.

She would get rid of them all and everything would be right again. Then she wouldn't need the white jacket they gave her. It was a nice jacket. Very warm and white, uncorrupted and untainted by the evil of ghosts. But it was just so hard to move while wearing it. But she wouldn't need her white jacket with the long sleeves once all the ghosts were destroyed.

And she would destroy them. She would get the necklace back. She would get the knife back. She would get her books, her tools, and her family heirlooms back. She would work out a new plan, one that would guarantee success. She could do it. She could make it work.

But until she got her chance, she was stuck in her cell. She was stuck with nothing to do except occasionally talk to the doctors who kept trying to psychoanalyze her. But they didn't understand. She wasn't crazy, delusional, and mistaken. She was the only one who seemed to realize how important it was to destroy the ghosts before they could retaliate again. She needed to destroy them all.

Especially that poltergeist. He was the worst of them. She knew his name. She could summon him if she wanted, but she couldn't control him and she couldn't yet destroy him. But she would someday. She would destroy him and the nightmares would stop. She would find a way to make the memory of him disappear. There had to be a way to make the nightmares about him stop. She needed to get him out of her mind.

Melinda knew he couldn't reach her, but she worried sometimes. What if he found a way past all the defenses? What if he found a way to reach her? What if he chose to come back for her, the horrors that still plagued her nightmares returning in reality?

And if he did find a way back to her, would it be because she tried to kill her niece? Or because cruelty and viciousness was in his nature? Or would it matter why he would come for her in the night, dark and terrible in his fury? The result would be the same. The poltergeist would finish what he started if given the chance. She needed to destroy the ghosts before he could find her again.

She hated them. She hated ghosts. They ruined everything. They corrupted and polluted everyone around her. They were all out to get her. But she wouldn't let them. She would destroy them first. She would find a way. They would all pay.

"Would someone sedate my sister again?" shouted Freakshow from the cell next to hers. "The dosage wore off and she won't shut up."

He hadn't been to Amity Park in a while. Between a few issues he needed to address with his companies and some strange event a few months ago that he still didn't have any definite explanations for, Vlad had simply been too busy to give the place the attention it deserved. But now that he'd sorted out all those other distraction, he could return to his favorite activities: destroying Jack Fenton, converting Danny to his side, and winning Maddie's love.

His first course of action upon entering the city limits was a little bit of surveillance. The information he'd received about what was happening in Amity Park recently was just too conflicting, strange, and unreliable. This was why hired help wasn't always the best option. Sometimes a man had to take care of things himself.

But once he caught sight of Danny flying over the city, looking rather serious and clearly looking for something, Vlad couldn't help falling to temptation. If he wanted to keep making progress at wearing Danny down to his point of view, he shouldn't let months go by without talking to him. And if he wanted to talk to Danny, that would mean a fight. The boy was too stubborn still to listen and accept what Vlad told him. He refused to accept that Jack was an idiot, Maddie should have married Vlad instead, and that Danny should just be the perfect son for Vlad. They could have the perfect family if Danny just stopped being so stubborn. And if he would just let Vlad murder Jack.

Deciding he could always spy on the Fenton household later, Vlad chose to start with a sneak attack and tackle Danny out of the sky. The teenage halfa hit the ground hard, leaving cracks in the road. Vlad loomed over the boy, grinning.

"Daniel, my boy," he greeted cheerfully, pushing back his cape. "I haven't seen you in a while. How have you been? And how is your mother?"

Rather than looking angry, Danny smiled back smugly. He pushed himself off the ground and crossed his arms. He just floated a few inches off the road, clearly unconcerned with the arrival of the older and more experienced halfa.

"We're all fine. I was starting to think I wouldn't be able to call in my favor. But he told me another half ghost showed up today and I knew you'd finally come back to visit," said Danny. "I was just looking for you, Vlad. You've missed a few recent developments."

"Like your parents getting a divorce?" he asked, half as a jest and half hoping it was true.

"Sorry, but no," said the boy as the sounds of squealing tires filled the air.

Vlad glanced behind him as a familiar RV turned the corner and came to a halt. Out of the vehicle came Maddie and Jack Fenton, heavily armed with their ghost-hunting arsenal. He didn't worry about Jack, but Maddie could actually aim. He'd have to keep an eye on her.

He expected Danny to move their fight away from his parents. It was the smart thing to do. He didn't want his idiot father to be harmed and neither of them wanted to be shot in the head while they focused on fighting with ghost powers. But Danny didn't even twitch. He just stood there, looking smug.

"Is this your new strategy? Hope they shoot me before aiming at you? I expected better from you, Daniel," Vlad remarked, his hands beginning to glow.

"Vlad Masters, step away from our son," snarled Jack venomously.

He froze. There was so much wrong with that sentence that Vlad didn't even know where to start. How could they know? How? It wasn't like Vlad Plasmius looked much like Vlad Masters. As a ghost, his hair was black, his eyes were red, and his skin was a shade of blue. He even wore a cape. There wasn't that much of a resemblance. There was no possible way that idiot Jack could make the connection.

And Danny. They knew who Danny was. They knew Danny Phantom was Danny Fenton. Somehow, they knew.

The boy would never tell them any of this. There was a stalemate. Vlad didn't reveal Danny's secret and he wouldn't reveal Vlad's. But that stalemate was gone. Jack knew. Maddie knew. How? How could this have happened?

"Yeah, your plan to kill Dad, marry Mom, and get me as your son?" said Danny casually. "That's not going to happen. Ever."

This was his fault. Vlad's shock began to fade into anger. Danny did this. He ruined any chance he had at happiness. Fine. If that's the way things were going to be, Vlad was going to ruin his life too.

Floating back a little, Danny added, "And before you go into a complete rage like a psychotic fruit-loop, I thought I'd let you know that I'm not the one fighting you today."

"So you're letting your parents give it a try?" said Vlad sharply, debating how to best destroy the boy and all he held dear.

"Not quite. You see, after I helped stop the ghost of Jack the Ripper from attacking Lydia, he decided he owed me a favor. He doesn't really help out with ghost fighting. He's not usually motivated enough and I can take care of Amity Park," Danny explained, confusing his opponent. "But I figured that if anyone deserves to experience an encounter with him, it would be you."

"And if that's not enough, we can still shoot you," shouted Jack. "I still can't believe you lied to me, Vladdy. We were friends."

Ignoring the ramblings of an idiot, the older halfa asked, "Who are you talking about? There's no one else here."

"No one else here? I'm heart-broken," said a new voice.

Vlad turned his head slightly and spotted a strangely-dressed figure. Who in the world thought a striped suit like that was a reasonable fashion choice? But the blond man was smiling in a way that made him uneasy. There was something off about the stranger.

"And who are you?" he asked, bracing himself to start attacking.

He spread his hands in front of him and said, "I'm the Ghost With The Most, pal. And we're going to have some fun."

"Try not to do too much damage, Beej," said Danny. "He's still part human."

"Which makes this a partial bio-exorcism job," he said before cackling insanely. "It's showtime!"

Unfortunately, you'll just have to imagine what a fight between Vlad and Betelgeuse would be like. Needless to say that Vlad is not going to have a good day. But at least he got to appear briefly in this story before it ended. And he didn't end up banished into space like he did at the end of the cartoon.

I want to thank everyone who read and reviewed this story. I'm still surprised by how much response I got for this strange little crossover. But I deeply appreciate it and I hope that everyone enjoyed it. I am afraid that I must inform you, however, that I have absolutely no sequels planned for this. And no amount of asking, requesting, or suggesting will change that.

Now, if you're too heart-broken about this story coming to an end, there is a currently in-progress series of fanfiction stories for the cartoon version of "Beetlejuice" that I highly recommend. Written by Lady Norbert, the series is called "Contractually Obligated Chaos" and there is a bit of a fairy tale theme to them (though they don't follow the fairy tales precisely). The first one is called "Cinderjuice" and is definitely very entertaining. As are the sequels so far. I've been helping a little with some research and stuff for the later stories in the series, but I'm recommending them because they are flat-out good. If you are at all interested in the cartoon version of "Beetlejuice," you should definitely check out Lady Norbert's stories.

Once again, go and buy my book. There's a link on my profile, but it is currently not working for some reason. So just go to Amazon and look up "Dead Man Walking" by A.R. Jones. You can't miss it. You can buy it for the Kindle or download the Kindle app thing for your smartphone. You can probably even download it on your iPad or other computer things. Just go out and support my original piece of fiction, please.

Remember, reviews are nice and I always appreciate them. I love hearing feedback on this and all stories I write. Thanks.

Edit: Yeah, apparently my brain likes loopholes. I said, no sequels. That doesn't mean no prequels... You're welcome to go and read "Say It Again" if you're interested.