Chapter Ten

The night before, Vincent threw Jack into the cell he shared with four other prisoners but no one offered comfort or made any sign that they noticed Jack had even come back. The only movement Jack made once thrown onto the floor of his cell was to curl himself into a ball. Concentrating on the face of the scarred man who had helped to put an end to his punishments for the day, he tried to remember what Patch had called him.

Benjamin Kise.

Sheldon had been expecting some guy with a weird name. Beetlejuice. The name brought memories of when he suggested that would be a nice thing for Lydia to call one of her photos and she had freaked out. He tried to focus on what had happened afterward, how they had teased and kissed, but instead all he could see when he closed his eyes was blood on his hands. The little boy's face frozen in terror felt familiar but he knew he was not responsible.

"Wasn't me. Wasn't me." He whispered and kept on whispering as if to convince his innocence to who ever was listening.

Betel Geuse walked home feeling the tiniest bit better. These gang members had him to look up to, he was responsible for their freedom... well that did not make him feel better with the fact that there were ruthless gang members about but he felt a little better knowing they wouldn't be too quick to jump him.

Still, he kept his pace quick and relaxed a little only when he saw the dead trees of Juno's garden.

How the hell am I supposed to get out of this trip? Especially when it's a gift from Sheldon?

Betel kicked at a shiny black stone and frowned.

I suppose we could just go back to the mortal world. After all, that's why I got married, so I can go from one place to another... we would have to lock up this place so no one could get in and destroy all my handy work though. Kise could get on top of that easily enough...

What if Lydia goes wacky again?

Betel opened the front door and his announcement that he was home was interrupted by a large vase crashing against the wall just inches from his head. Betel flailed and shouted in surprise.

"Where did you put them, you monster!?" Lydia screamed at him, it was the kind of scream he was famous for. One full of rage and impatience and the urge to kill something.

"Oh shit." Betel muttered. Too late.

"Where are the Deetzes, Patch?" Sheldon asked, not looking too impressed at the moment.

Patch tried not to gulp under the stare and instead straightened his tie. "They're secure in the observation room like you asked."

Sheldon nodded. "What is their state."

This time Patch did gulp, knowing his answer would not be the right one. "Unconscious."

Sheldon slammed his fist onto his desk making Patch and Vincent flinch and the wood crack. Sally, however, remained motionless at his side. "Son of a bitch! I told you I wanted them awake. Screaming and kicking!"

"I know sir but - "

"Then why aren't they?"

"Because they were already acting crazy before we brought them through the door, I thought they might start hurting themselves if we didn't do something." Patch explained quickly.

Drumming his finger tips on his desk, Sheldon stared at Patch. Patch was beginning to think he was not going to get out of this.

"Why couldn't you just tie them up?" Sheldon's voice was unnervingly calm at this point and Patch decided not to admit he had done that but still knocked them out anyway. That would just be asking for trouble.

"I-I don't know." He admitted, sensing a demotion on its way.

"You've become very unreliable, Patch. Sure I appreciate you finding out about Betel Geuse's wife and family and little Jackie Boy - and I sure as Hell know you were the one who rallied the gangs together to come free me but this is unacceptable." Sheldon leaned back in his chair and rubbed his exposed brain. Patch had to suppress a gag at the sound it made.

"I understand." It was true, he understood and could comprehend that he had fucked up. He had gotten lazy, prison life making him forget what is was like to serve Sheldon. If he didn't work harder he would end up like Jack, and he would have only himself to blame. This he knew to be true.

"I'll give you another chance, because you've been so good for me." Sheldon admitted grudgingly after careful consideration. "Make sure Betel and his wife go on that trip to the woods. I think Geuse suspects foul play, he was always a paranoid son of a bitch. Then make sure we get Kise on our side. He was twitchy and a real bad conversationalist but he's gotta have some brains for Betel to keep him around."

"Yes sir."

"Alright, go on and tell me when the Deetzes wake up."

Patch nodded and took his leave. Walking downstairs, he passed the cells of prisoners along the winding path as he went farther underground. The cells had ended and he was walking through steel halls that had been built when this was Sheldon's hide out all those centuries ago. Felt like home, really.

Through a thick glass, Patch viewed the Deetzes still unconscious and tied to their chairs. They sure gave him the creeps, which was the reason he had tied them up and knocked them out in the first place. Dammit, he hated the living. Did when he was alive as well, at least he thought he did as he was pretty certain that's why he was punished in Neitherworld for living his Life out as a serial killer.

The scar around his neck hidden under his high collar was proof he had been hanged and he suspected it was a death sentence, but like everyone else in the Neitherworld, Life became a forgotten dream as the Afterlife became reality.

Patch, named for the way he tortured and killed in Life, had sent someone in to make sure they were still alive and they definitely were. So he supposed that all there was to do was wait for them to wake up. As long as they did wake up, and soon, he should be alright.

On the other hand, Patch thought, They sure won't be.

"Where are they?" Lydia screamed again before hurling another fancy looking vase. Betel ducked out of the way in time and scrambled to the other side of the room.

"I don't know what you're talking about doll face." It was a lie, he had a vague idea of what she might be talking about but jumping to conclusions never helped anything.

"That's right! Play the fucking idiot!" When she threw another vase at the wall Betel used to be standing by he realized she was mostly just feeling the urge to break things but probably wouldn't mind if she hurt him in the process. Lydia turned and walked towards him, her hands going to her hair as she stressed out. "I know you have Adam and Barbara in one of your fucking Nox Boxes, so where. Did. You. Put. Them?"

Her voice was low and dangerous and for a second Betel let himself get scared but he reminded himself that she was just a little mortal. A little mortal who was acting a lot like he used to with her fits and destroying things and pulling her hair... That was making him feel a little uneasy.

"I can show you them but you can't let them out."

"Oh watch me." Lydia crossed her arms and looked at him defiantly.

Betel shook his head and almost laughed, "No seriously, you can't let them out. Only the person who trapped them can do it. That would be me and Kise." Why did I tell her that? Frowning, Betel wanted to tell her to fucking forget it and push her away, but just thinking about doing that to her felt wrong.

Arms dropping to her side, Lydia narrowed her eyes at him. "Oh... Whatever just go get them. I'll wait here." Then she sat down looking all like snotty royalty with her nose stuck in the air and didn't even glance at Betel as he left.

A small thought at the back of his mind was questioning why he was doing this. A week ago he would have told her to fuck off and go cool off her twat, but that didn't sound appealing to say anymore. That would just make matters worse.

They were still in his coat pocket and they looked pathetic. Reminding himself what they had done to him, he tried to swallow the guilty feeling down despite how deep down he knew he probably deserved everything that had happened to him.

When he put them in Lydia's outstretched hands she brought them up to her face closely. "I can't see them." She said wondering if the glass was supposed to be opaque like that.

"Probably 'cause you're still a mortal." Betel said simply, in honesty not sure if that was the real reason or not. Sounded likely enough.

"Whatever." Setting them gently onto the coffee table in front of her, Lydia sat forward and glared at him. Her hair was going everywhere and she had bags under her eyes. There was a deathly look to her skin that hadn't been there before. Sure she always looked a bit light skinned and all but now she looked like someone had left her outside in the snow and all the heat had finally left her. His stomach clenched when he noticed the bruise on her cheek from where he hit her. "Let them go."

Her tone was actually amusing him a little, the way she thought she could get him to do something just because she said so. She was acting like the world's most spoiled brat.

"No."

They looked at each other silently, neither one flinching. "Oh I get it." Lydia said at last. "You can't let them go until you have your powers."

"Not true, I can let them go whenever I damn well please."

"Yeah but if you let them go without your powers that's just asking to get thrown into jail or prison or your own damn Nox Box." Lydia leaned back and rested her arms on the back of the couch, making her look like she was in control and welcomed any petty response Betel might have for her.

Betel chose not to respond, well aware that she was trying to bait him. She was just looking for a fight. Maybe she was in control then. That was what she wanted all along and maybe he should give her the satisfaction of another fight after all the satisfaction he had gotten from her. Betel just didn't have it in him to humor her.

"But in order to get your powers back you would have to share them with me. God, I bet it's just killing you!" Lydia laughed and Betel cringed at how artificial it sounded. It would be better for her to scream at him because he knew how real her rage was behind them.

The look she was giving him made him feel like he was being hunted and he really didn't need that right now. Games were overrated and he was done playing them. Lydia could take her toys and go fuck with Kise. He'd be willing to shout with her.

"Guess what." He said suddenly, breaking the silence and hopefully changing the subject.

"You've decided to give in?" Lydia asked, her eyebrows raised.

Betel laughed, amused at how hard she was trying. "No, we're moving again. You need to go pack your things."

Tilting her head at him was the only sign she gave that she heard him, other wise she remained where she was and looked for all the world like she was thinking it over. "But I like it here."

"You're just saying that because you don't know where we're going."

"Then tell me where we're go-"

"Crazy!" Betel shouted, cutting her off. Satisfied with the shocked look on her face he turned and walked out of the room. "Now pack your shit!" He said over his shoulder.

Maybe he could still shout at her, but that was just him being his funny ole self. Not the messed up attention Lydia was looking for, whatever her problem was.

Lydia sat on the sofa gaping after him idiotically for several minutes. She had been certain he would rise to the bait more than that and the fact that he was suddenly so calm irritated her more than anything. In fact it made her extremely angry and that anger was boiling up inside her. It flushed away her acquired calmness and fueled her into storming up the stairs and slamming the door of Betel's room open.

Betel jumped up from where he was lounging on his bed, not even packing. The fucking bastard.

Without pausing, Lydia went over to him and pushed him hard in the chest, sending his surprised self into the wall. Regaining his footing, Betel grabbed her wrists and pushed her down onto the mattress and pinned her beneath him.

"Yesterday you're trying to jump on my cock and today you're slapping me around. Sheesh, you're crazy Lyds." Betel said, shaking his head. Before he could tell himself to stay calm he blurted out, "It's no wonder Little Jackie left the way he did."

On some level Lydia was aware of how ridiculous she was acting but she was way too angry to even give a damn and Betel's latest little remark was just fueling that anger.

"You bastard!" She shouted, kicking in hopes of squirming out of his grasp. "I know he left because you possessed him and used me for your own twisted pleasures!"

"Yeah just like you were trying to use me last night baby doll." Betel laughed despite how badly he wanted to get up and walk away and stop tormenting the woman beneath him. "Guess you just couldn't resist." Sending her an eyebrow wiggle, he moved her arms above her head and pressed down harder to restrain her as much as he could. Something in her wanted to fight him and he really didn't want to put up with bruises right now.

"Fuck you." Her voice was low as she tried to use her little bit of strength to get out from under neath him.

"Only if you ask nicely." Betel told her. In just a few seconds Lydia had managed to break the calmness in him and before he realized what a bad idea it was he leaned down and kissed her. Kissed her like a lover instead of the crazy lady he forced to marry him for booty call that had gone totally wrong.

The kiss had been like dumping water on a fire and for a second it had worked to cool Lydia down. After a moment, though, she got over the shock of Betel leaning down to kiss her so nicely and was just trying to decide how exactly to react but Betel never let her. He let go of her and left the room just as quickly as he had leaned down to kiss her.

Thoughts were racing around Lydia's head a hundred miles a second and she really didn't know what to do now.

Betel licked his lips and noticed Lydia hadn't bothered to brush her teeth, but then neither did he so they sort of canceled each others bad breath out. Whatever, it didn't matter. He was just too busy smirking to himself that it was finally his turn to make Lydia go speechless and he got a kiss out of it.

Since his room had been taken over by a lady with issues, Betel decided it was time to head towards the kitchen for a beer after the night he had and on the way thought to himself that Lydia should probably have her own handbook.

Tip of the day, if Lyds goes crazy, just tackle and kiss. Should put an end to shouting and broken vases. Undetermined how long this effect lasts. May depend on the passion level of the kiss and how crazy Lyds is... Haha I wonder if she'd laugh if I wrote that down. I'll call it Handbook for the Recently... um... Lydia-Ladden. Hahaha.

Cracking open his beer, Betel took a seat at the table and jumped back with a shout of surprise when his feet touched something squishy.

Looking under the table cautiously, he narrowed his eyes when he saw it was only Kise. He was passed out and Betel realized they wouldn't be able to go back to Lydia's place that night.

Well that's just great. Way to fuck up my mood Kise.

Lydia had packed her shit before Betel decided to let her know they wouldn't be moving as soon as he thought. When she threw her shoe at him he just wiggled his eyebrows at her and threatened to kiss her again. Thankfully he was too tipsy to notice how still that threat made her and he left shortly after.

Running a hand through her hair, Lydia noticed how greasy it was and was ashamed at how lazy she had become with her hygiene. It puzzled her as well, she never forgot to shower or brush her teeth as being clean always felt better than the opposite but for the past few days she hadn't even bothered.

Unpacking her smell goods, Lydia locked herself into the bathroom until she was satisfied with her cleanliness and didn't come out a moment sooner. When she did, however, she realized it was very very late and she should sleep. Maybe she would try to wake up early the next day instead of staying in bed until the clock on the wall said five. Maybe... but sleep sounded very good at the moment.

Her dreams were full of two annoying men, one with a crazy smile and a dumb one with scars all over his face.

A shadow loomed over him, sinister and telling. Too soon. Go away.

"Time again." Chad said. He was the only one who talked in their cell, maybe he was the only one who could still remember how to other than Jack.

Turning over, Jack expected to see Vincent but was surprised and a little uneasy when he saw Sally instead.

How long had they waited? A few hours? Maybe only a couple of minutes. His appointments with Sheldon always came too soon.

They discovered more atrocities hidden away in Jack's memories. More crimes committed and as the days went by Jack began to feel hatred as he watched his hands clench around his mother's neck. He hated her for not being more strict with him. He blamed her for all the people he hurt as he watched his hands inflict pain. It was her fault for not raising him right.

Jack felt the betrayal as he pounded into Lydia and she screamed underneath him. Screamed at her for using him and finally felt powerful as he watched her on the screen.

When he lay trembling in his cell at night, he mostly hated himself. For the monster he had been. For trying to convince himself that he was innocent.

The evidence is right there. It's always been there. Those had been Sheldon's words last night and Jack knew them to be true. There were no lies from Sheldon. He was God and he was Satan. He was the tempter and punisher.

"What're you doin' here?" Jack rasped as he stood up. His throat was sore from all the abuse it had suffered over the last couple of days. Although Jack had no handle on time anymore, Chad said they came every four hours. Four hours pass and then it's time for Jackie's therapy. He was the special case and would be until Little Jackie broke from their toys. "Kinda brave, sendin' a pretty thing like you down here amongst monsters."

Sally merely stared at him and if she hadn't been twirling the key to his cell between her fingers he might have passed her for a brainless, lifeless doll.

Especially when her eyes were so wide like that and the color in them shined like glass.

"Don't talk much?" Jack asked, hands gripping the bars and leaning forward. She was at a safe distance from him but Jack knew she could inflict pain on him if she wanted.

Tilting her head, Sally smiled at him. It was a smile that belonged on a little kid with a secret. Like that girl he had kicked so hard in the head she nearly died. He had seen it on the screen and felt the anger. She had told the police he killed her cat. Narks were the lowest filth in his book and so he pushed her down and kicked her head like he was trying to make a field goal.

Crack. Score.

Then Sally opened her mouth and in the darkness Jack saw someone had cut out her tongue. "Where'd that thing run off to?" Jack asked, his nose crinkling until she closed her mouth so he didn't have to look it any longer.

Looking up at the ceiling momentarily was the only answer she gave him, or had a chance to at least because then Vincent came down the stairs.

"Get away from the door, Harper." Vincent shouted. The man loved to be bossy.

Familiar with the process, Jack walked to the wall with his hands behind his head. "I appreciate you bringing me a pretty escort this time."

When Jack spoke, Vincent narrowed his eyes and looked at Sally harshly. Her smile had gone and she was focused on the key she kept twirling with her fingers.

Sheldon was waiting for him.

They strapped him in but there were no wires this time. Jack wondered if it was finally time to move on. It had been established what a monster he was.

"It has been decided," Sheldon began from where stood across the room, "that you do not deserve the gifts usually bestowed to the dead."

Sheldon took a few steps closer and with Vincent on his left and Sally on his right, he was feeling extremely crowded. It bothered him that they were so close. Made him wonder if they could feel the poison in him, the poisonous hatred that flowed through his veins and made his hands itch for someone's throat.

There was a syringe held in Sheldon's hand and Jack wondered what was in store for him. He wondered if it would make this disease in him fade away.

"This is our favorite tool for punishing the bastards as sick and twisted as yourself." Sheldon handed it to Vincent who injected it without warning or care into Jack's neck. "As it courses through your veins it strips you of everything that makes you distinct as an immortal. Your ability to heal faster or at all, your ability to block out all of your pain. Your ability to learn any powers. It would be what happened should a marriage occur between the living and the dead, only if that should happen all of your abilities have the opportunity to come back. However, you will never have them again."

"So I'm a immortal who is gonna be livin' their Afterlife like a mortal? Sounds horrible." Jack bit out, beginning to sweat at the incredible sense of heat coursing through him. Rubbing against the chair, he wanted nothing more than to rip his clothes off. He needed to scratch his skin as it felt dry and confining.

"It's merely step one, Jack. I don't think you will like the next one."

Jack had shut his eyes and kept them shut even as Sheldon's words registered. The space around him suddenly felt clearer and that was when he opened his eyes, to see where the goons had gone.

Vincent and Sally each stood a few paces away from him and their knives shined from the single light bulb hanging over Jack. They would torture him, he could live with that. Pain might kill the monster. Might beat it down and turn the anger into a detached cold nothingness. The inevitable pain might be his saving grace.

During her long, empty days of being locked up in Juno's home, Lydia found the place extremely boring. At least the weird place they had stayed in before had little secret rooms. This place had none. It was large but it was bare and plain, as if Juno had not done any living in it at all.

Perhaps she simply had it so she had a place she could say was her home. So she could feel more alive as she worked for an eternity.

Their plans for moving had apparently been put on hiatus as Kise and Betel Geuse spent their nights getting drunk. It was their annoying new ritual and Lydia was afraid she might go insane. If she wasn't already. Crazy from having far too many emotions coursing through her. Anger, sadness, regret, loneliness, fear.

She heard Betel laugh from the kitchen as she stood on the stairway gazing off into space. The sound irritated her, how he continued getting drunk and laughing stupidly. She remembered waking up and hearing his laughter when he forgot about the other people in the house. It had not been a crazy, shrill laugh. That laugh had charmed her for a split second.

That was the only amount of time he was allowed to charm anyone at one time. Any longer the world might explode.

Lydia wondered if he had been stealing her happiness and warmth even then, if that was when it had started. Not that she had ever been overly happy, but she had been better than this.

Walking down the stairs, Lydia walked to where the Nox Boxes were perched on the dresser amongst the little statues she thought might have been what Kise was talking about. She knew that even if Betel did take her back home she would still be a prisoner. Even if she got his powers would she even want to go on living? After seeing the monsters that lurked in the night.

But if this was what was in store for her in death, she definitely didn't want to die either. She wished she could simply dream forever. Close her eyes and live a world between sleep and awake, where anything was possible and everything was real.

Her hands snapped to her side when she heard someone stomp out of the kitchen. Looking over her shoulder, she saw it was Betel Geuse and noticed he was not as drunk as he had been the night before but was definitely a little tipsy at least.

Remembering how he had pinned her down and kissed her during their last confrontation, Lydia left the room quickly not about to trust a slightly tipsy Betel Geuse from being any better.

Betel watched her go with a frown that hurt his face that just wanted to keep on laughing.

"Whatever." Betel muttered, feeling sour. Turning back to Kise he gave a large shrug. "It's not like I really care."

"Yeah!" Kise said and saluted him with a beer though he had no idea Betel was talking about now.

Jack paced in his cell, ignoring the pain from his wounds. This pain was good, never let him forget the monster he was. The gash in his chest had been gouged even deeper and his ribcage stuck out for the world to see. See his bones, his blood, his guts. Never see his soul. Never know his rage.

It occurred to Jack that he had the opportunity now through his punishments to look like the monster he was. They unknowingly etch rage into his flesh, the pain white hot. White as bones. Bones that crunch and crack and make the most satisfying noises under rocks.

They told him acid was the next tool. Acid and knives was what he had to look forward to. Punishment for someone who burned like a disease. Got under the skin of his prey and mutilated until they were unrecognizable. Lydia never had a chance.

Not with him. Not with anyone.

Betel's head was killing him and Kise was blaring the television full blast like all was dandy in the world. When Kise did not respond to Betel's glare by turning the television off, he did it himself.

"Hey! I was watching that, Geuse." Kise protested, sounded way too whiny for be Betel Geuse's drinking buddy.

"Whatever, look. We gotta talk about moving back to the mortal world." Betel said sternly, turning towards Kise.

"Why?"

"Because of Sheldon and his evil plans, don't you remember?" Betel asked and after a moment Kise finally nodded. Trying not to get angry, Betel went on. "I don't wanna leave too soon because Lydia's been decent I guess but I'm not sure I want her to get all crazy like last time. Something bad could happen." To her.

Kise narrowed his eyes at Betel. He understood that the girl was potential booty call if you subtracted her eagerness to kick and punch and be a brat, but this was a little ridiculous. "And we care why?"

"I just don't want to have to put up with that again so soon is all." Betel muttered.

"So we're not moving?"

"Maybe not for a week or so, unless Sheldon drops by and gets pissy." Betel said thoughtfully, wondering if he could possibly know where they were living. As far as he knew he had not been followed that one night he left the house but he couldn't speak for Kise.

"We're leaving in a week or so." Kise repeated dumbly and when Betel nodded, he made an irritated sound. "then why'd we have to talk about it now and interrupt my shows?"

As Kise became tuned back to the tube, Betel realized how boring the guy was when the conversation didn't have any alcohol to numb his brain.

"Want a beer?" Betel asked, seizing the moment to leave and did so before Kise even bothered to answer. His head still hurt something horrible and really alcohol could only help him now.

As he passed the stairs, however, he noticed a shadow moving in the master bedroom and wondered what Lydia was up to. Figuring he wouldn't be missed downstairs, he changed course and ended up in Lydia's knocked on the door frame and wasn't sure what to do when she turned towards him with her eyes all wide like that.

"Uhm..." Betel looked for something to say, "Whatchya doin'?"

"Putting clothes away." She said slowly, her tone making him feel pretty dumb as that was obviously what she was doing. "I heard you telling Kise we might not be leaving for another week so I figured I would unpack everything again."

Dammit, she heard that? Now I don't have an excuse for a one on one conversation with her. Why did I waste that on Kise? Just because I was bored and... headachey. Dammit.

"Oh." Betel said and nodded but that made his head hurt worse. Walking further into her room, he tried to think of something to say that would make the awkward silence not awkward.

All he could think of was either to complain about his aches and pains or inform her how much he liked her in a tank top and sweats and her hair up in a pony tail. It reminded him of their first night together which was not something he really wanted to remind her of unless she was going to just focus on the fact that those were his skills not Jack's skills. It also showed off her shoulders and he gazed at them as she reached up for a hook.

Her hands were shaking and he realized she was nervous or scared. Maybe weak. Maybe on a sugar high, he had no idea why her hands were shaking to be honest so he was having to guess. Meanwhile the silence was stretching as he kept thinking all his crazy thoughts.

Betel couldn't understand what was so wrong with him. Normally he was talkative and could make her laugh and shout at him and even have a sort of conversation before she tried to get into his pants or he saw her naked and started to make out with her and feel how soft her skin was and... what was he thinking about? Oh right.

He was being weird.

What does normal me do?

Feeling like the freak Lydia saw himself as, Betel tried to fix that and threw himself onto her bed before he grinned up at her. Well, would have but her back was still to him and when she turned around it was because her suitcase fell off the bed from him being so crazy.

"Betel Geuse." Lydia said exasperatedly before bending over to pick her things back up.

"Woops." Betel said and almost offered to help her but stopped himself. Why should he help her? He didn't want in her pants anymore. She was his psycho wife, not to be trusted alone with men. Why was he even there?

Settling himself back against her pillows, Betel watched her lift the suitcase off the floor and noticed how delicate her arms looked then.

"If you're not doing anything you could help me." Lydia told him, throwing one of her rare pair of jeans at him. Catching the garment, Betel smirked and stood up.

"I wouldn't know what to do." He said, holding the jeans out in front of him and inspecting them. "Mine usually go on the floor. Sometimes I have a specific clean pile, but most of the time it's just random. That's just my genius showing, though." Betel reassured her but she did not respond.

Honestly, Lydia had been hoping her asking him to help would scare him away. Him walking closer to her and trying to act like they were friends after all the things they had done to each other was pretty much the opposite of what she had wanted.

Throwing the jeans onto her bed, Betel looked through her suitcase. He wasn't really helping or messing things up, just being nosy despite being the one who packed all the shit in the first place.

It occurred to him that this was getting boring and he could just leave but all that was waiting for him was Kise and beer. Well the beer sounded nice but he had already gotten drunk with Kise a few times and he was probably one of the most annoying drinking buddies ever with his constant bragging and whatnot about how many cans of beer he can make fit into a tiny bag.

"What do you want Betel?" Lydia asked finally as Betel just stood there. He realized he had been caught staring and tried to fight back the smirk at her question. True, he had been the one to take her by her shoulders and claim their relationship should stay a strictly business one, but when she gave him openings like that she had to know what she was getting into.

Taking a seat, Betel put a hand on her lower back as she passed and let it drop back down to his side without lingering when she went back to her closet quickly. Pretty soon she would be all out of clothes and then what would she do?

"I want to talk to you." Betel said, wondering why he missed their screaming matches. It just wasn't right to go so many days without her seeking him out. He had gotten used to her trying to trick him into sexing her up that when suddenly her presence was gone he was angry. He fought the anger, however, as it hurt his head when he had been drinking the night before.

"About what?" Lydia asked, hanging her last dress up slowly.

When she turned to him at last, Betel shrugged. "Nothin'."

He didn't have anything else that would make her angry at him. There was nothing else to make her want to trick him and stalk him and get close to him. She had found all his secrets - well she had found the ones concerning her.

Lydia sighed and he noticed she sounded kind of annoyed but she didn't say anything. That wasn't right. She was supposed to tell him how annoying he was and then he would snap at her to shut her fucking mouth and then she would say something bratty and he would do something mean...

Deciding to test a theory, Betel stood up and attempted to look casual as he put his hands into the pockets of his jacket and walked towards her lazily. "Listen Lyds, I've been getting this feeling that you've been avoiding me." She took a step back as he walked towards he and noticed with a smirk that she was going to corner herself if she kept it up.

"I'm not feeling very social." Lydia replied dryly. That almost made him laugh, how she looked at him defiantly even as she backed away from him. Like he was going to suddenly have a change of heart and decide he should rape her anyway. Take her kicking and screaming just so he could commit suicide. Sometimes she was so stupid about the way he worked.

Not that he minded her being a little afraid of him. Only a few days ago she had been feeling more powerful than him and he wondered if she had realized she was still just a mortal and she could fight him for an eternity but he would never disappear. She would grow old and he would never be anywhere but with her, always the same Betel Geuse. It was part of their vows. An eternity together.

"I was gonna tell you to come have a drink with me and Kise the other day, but you ran away as soon as you looked at me." Betel had his arm above her head against the wall and she was already looking a bit nervous when she realized she had cornered herself. "You aren't afraid of me again, are you?"

Instead of answering, Lydia ducked under his arm and stepped around him quickly. He had not been expecting her to do that and realized he still didn't exactly know how she worked yet either.

"No," she said but he didn't believe her. Lydia picked her suitcase off the bed and Betel wasn't sure what she was going to do with that but he was suddenly angry at her not paying attention to him. He had come in here for her company and she was not going to give it to him fully.

Before he could tell himself to stay calm or tell himself he wouldn't like what he did when it was all over just like every other single time he got angry, Betel stomped towards her and shoved her suitcase out of her hands. It was petty but it was a mean enough to get her to glare at him.

"Shit head." Oooh and to call him a name. Well then Betel was on a roll. He could make her pay attention to him if he had to.

Lydia did not bend over to pick it back up but instead glared up at him. Maybe she wanted to fight him, maybe she was tired of fighting him. He didn't know if all she did was stare.

She drove him crazy. "Better stop flirting with me Lyds, before I start acting like you and smack you around again. You like that kinda foreplay, right?"

For a moment it looked like she would say something or strike out at him. That was what he called her evil look and for a moment it excited Betel knowing she suddenly had some sort of evil idea. Soon she would be all claws and coming at him and he would get his hands on that smooth body.

Instead of coming towards him, however, she turned and fled the room.

Anger was rising again and Betel followed her. He watched her run down the stairs and followed her slowly knowing full well she could not run away. She stopped in front of the decorative dresser, the one with the Nox Boxes and the little statue things she was sure Kise had been talking about that night he revealed one of Betel's secrets to her.

Lydia said nothing as she picked up a beautifully crafted Koala bear, there were probably ten of them on the dresser. They must have been Juno's favorite. She wondered if this would even bother him.

She threw it and it hit the wall above the television with a satisfying crash. Glancing at Betel, she noticed he was still walking towards her but he had that angry look on his face. The one that really did scare her.

Didn't matter, she picked up another one and threw it, this time it flew past Betel's ear. That one crashed as well and Lydia scrambled away as Betel came towards her. They did a sort of dance around the couch Kise was sitting on determinedly ignoring the whole thing until Lydia took a chance and ran for the stairs.

She made it halfway up when Betel caught her around the waist and dragged her back down. Kicking at him, she grunted in his grasp and succeeded in squirming away.

With one final kick to his knee, she ran away to the other side of the room as he now blocked the staircase.

"That wasn't very nice Lyds." Betel told her, watching to see what she did now.

"Gonna cry about it, Beej?" She asked and he loved how much of a smart ass she was in that moment. He had caught a glimpse of her darkness when she was little more than a kid but she had been too soft. Always wanting to die and crying like Life was so bad. Then she met Jack and got all vulnerable and disgusting.

If he was the one responsible for that defiant look in her eyes he regretted nothing. As she stood before him with nothing to lose and baited him he wondered why it took her so long to get there. Why they had to go through all the sobbing.

It made him feel like the worlds biggest bastard but he loved feeling that way. Like he was new again, or maybe he was just who he used to be. Sometimes he didn't know who he would wake up as from one day to the next and he felt she was to blame.

She wasn't nearly angry enough, though. Sure he had done something bratty and then so had she. Tit for tat or however that dumb saying went. Betel wanted her to get that fury back in her eyes. That fury he thought only he was capable of. Then he could feel something else. As long as she held the fury for a little bit and let him see her while he felt no bitterness or anger.

Lydia was the most beautiful when he was able to feel regret.

Through their marriage and her passing through to the Neitherworld and going crazy and everything thing else that had gone wrong lately, a different type of animal had emerged in Betel Geuse. One that was confused. One that simply wanted to fuck Lydia and let the old Betel Geuse come back.

Until she was crying or until he hurt her. And then all he wanted to do was take everything back. Make sure she knew he never meant it, just another joke. Ha ha.

Betel didn't know what was for certain anymore except for one thing. Lydia was not angry enough. So Betel walked to the same dresser she had stomped to and closed his hands over all three of the Nox Boxes. Realizing a second too late what he was doing, Lydia shouted and ran for him.

Too late.

He threw them and watched their little bodies bounce around in their cages. They couldn't die and the boxes would never break so it was a ride from Hell and he was only able to laugh for hardly a second before he was tackled by Lydia.

She shoved at him and called him a bastard and Betel could feel his own irrational anger flow away. As he grabbed a hold of Lydia's wrists, he could feel the regret coming. Why had he done that? Hadn't he changed?

Not really, he was just more insane. More crazy. Less reasonable. There was no pattern to his madness and Lydia could never feel at ease.

Watching her as raw emotion formed on her face he could hardly hear her shouts as he pushed her against the wall. The regret was turning into something else as he held her body still with his own. Longing, need, desire.

They were never supposed to keep away from each other so long, the marriage between them had created animals who acted selfishly. When Betel lowered his mouth to hers there was no hesitation as she kissed back. Despite her hate for him that grew every time he did something bastardly, she needed him. She needed his warmth and she needed the animal in him. As her head became foggy with want she knew it was what she yearned for all along. The only way to become herself once again was to take back the piece of her he had stolen. Take take take, just like him.

"No! Get away demon woman!"

The shout was from a distant land but the pair of hands pulling both Lydia and Betel apart were there and she realized Kise had been the one to shout. She realized this just as she realized the Maitlands and Juno lay in their Nox Boxes possibly hurt from what Betel Geuse had just done and all she could do was kiss him back. Kiss him like she might explode if she didn't.

Secretly she hoped they couldn't see or hear her. She hoped maybe they had been knocked out from that throw even if it was selfish of her. Just so they would not think any less of her.

"Betel Geuse, we talked about this!" Kise shouted looking incredibly stern for a sidekick.

Someone was keeping him from his mate. He was weak, could easily be removed. Not a threat, simply an annoyance.

"Remember the wiles we talked about!" Kise was shouting. He just knew Lydia would destroy him too and then she would take over the world and probably kill all the men because of her ability to hold petty grudges and there would be no more beer time!

Lydia was reaching for him as Kise pushed him away and it made Betel burn for her that much more to see how she needed him. The edge of his vision was getting clearer, the fog thinning but never settling as long as he looked at Lydia.

What had happened?

Betel looked away. The book had not mentioned something like that happening. Suddenly the anger was back and he thought he might lash out at Kise or Lydia from all the confusion fogging up his brain.

Instead he just left. Didn't tell Lydia to stay away and he didn't have to. She had felt the disgust, felt it in her even as her hands reached out for him all on their own.

Jack had thought he was done screaming. Screamed from the pain. Screamed to cover up the people screaming in his head as he brutally raped and murdered. Now he screamed out of anger. There was no one to hurt. They punished him when he tried to punish Chad for the anger in him and he had his own cell. One no bigger than a broom closet.

He clutched the bars of his cell, holding on to hold himself up. Laying down brought dreams. Sitting down brought memories. Pain. Anger. Cut them down.

He refused to look at his right arm. Through some sort of power even Sheldon's serum couldn't take away from him, Jack could move it but doing so caused him pain. So he clutched the bars with his right hand and listened as the bones of his fingers scraped the metal. The pain drowned out his anger and made him groan instead.

Skin and muscles and veins all gone. From the shoulder down they burned. Shined and polished, white like a ghost. They told him they would do it to the rest of his body. Slowly so he felt every last piece of skin and muscle burn away.

Sally came for him and he leered at her. One day they would take his face and he would always be grinning. Maybe she would like him then.

"If you let me out I'll cut you out a new tongue." Jack promised and saw her fumble with the key. Smirking, Jack found his bargaining chip. He knew it wasn't something that would work right away but time was all he had. They could punish and punish but they could not kill him. Not again.

They were stuck with him now. They're homegrown monster.

Darkness surrounded her. Had she even woken up? All she knew was fear and all she heard was panting. It was her. She tried to stay calm so the voices in the dark would not wake up as well.

The darkness was in her mind, the whispers lived there. Plotted behind veils of black.

"Charles." She whispered, it was the only word she knew how to say anymore. The only word that brought comfort but she could not remember what it meant.

"Mrs. Deetz." A slimy voice came from the dark, louder than other whispers. Slimier than the plotting ants that crawled and dug under her eyes.

She spoke to comfort but the slimy voice hissed to scare.

"Charles?" She tried again, the word was not working anymore.

"Yes I was hoping he would wake first, but you will have to do." Drip drop went the slime. Splish splash.

Hands grabbed and pulled. Her breathing was so loud, all the monsters in the dark were awake and they grabbed and pulled. Tried to tear her apart as they pulled her deeper into the darkness. They had no idea the darkness was already apart of her, but she was afraid. Fear was all she knew but she never knew it as extremely as this.

Try again. One more time.

"Charles!"

No luck. There was no room for comfort in her life. Her destiny was fear. Fear, slime and darkness.