Betelgeuse-A Beetlejuice Novel

Chapter 21: Benny Juice

Disclaimer: I do not own Beetlejuice or related characters, he belongs to Tim Burton. I do not own Beetlegeuse. I don't own Betelgeuse? I don't own any of the weird spellings for his name.

Betelgeuse?

Written By: Melanie Ray

Chapter 21: Benny Juice

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"How?" Vernie looked toward Juno and then toward his partner. "How?"

Juno just looked at the intruders in her office. "He disappeared. He was between the decision pathway, and then I could not find him. For months he'd been gone."

"And you didn't bother letting us know?"

"You specifically said that Lydia Deetz was safe, and you didn't want to know anything else about him." She pointed her cigarette at him. "You said you wished you never even met him. The less you knew, the better."

"Well, things change." Vernie was far from happy as he stared at Juno. "Where are they?"

"They who?"

"You know who," Vernie's partner accused her. "Lydia Deetz, BG Deetz, and Benny Fernake are missing. Along with Delia Deetz, Charles Deetz, and-"

"I am not dealing with you. I have nothing to say to you." She gestured up in the air. "Higher ups say the neitherworld is no longer cooperating with you."

"No longer cooperating?" Vernie raised his eyebrow. "We are the World Defender and Protectors. We work everywhere."

"Not here anymore."

"Why?"

"I am not at liberty to say."

"Something stinks. Something bad." Vernie gestured to Juno. "BG was born. This should have been the end of all of this secret business. At least for Lydia Deetz." He counted on his fingers. "I even had two more days of approval before I was allowed to cancel all the support on her."

"Canceling support?"

"Yes. As long as she wasn't involved with Beetlejuice anymore, there was no concern. There didn't seem to be any concern." Vernie sucked his lip. "Something's wrong." He held his hands out. "Unofficial. Please. Do you have any idea how and where she could have gone?"

"Unofficial." Juno tapped his cigarette into her ash tray. "Why when their friendship was so dangerous, and is still dangerous, would your superiors approve of that? Unless he was not a problem. And how could he not be a problem? Unofficial. What can you say?" She stuck her cigarette in her ash tray. "That's what I thought. The neitherworld is not working with the WDP anymore. Get out."

"I can't question that," Vernie spoke.

"Only the WDP could locate him. Only they would know where he went if he didn't come back to the neitherworld. Something happened. He disappeared. All communication between us stopped. Now, get out."

Knowing they had no choice, Vernie and his partner disappeared.

Juno sighed. A mess. A horrible mess the likes of which the neitherworld had not seen for at least a millennium. Donny Juice had brought down four visitors, all related to Lydia Deetz' incident with a story that was hard to believe.

Beetlejuice had been half reincarnated, and he had joined his 'other' living self. His power had increased, the three times name spell no longer worked, and he was with Lydia Deetz. She had approved life for him, while he was still living. If it hadn't been so secret, she would have been fired on the spot. But anger . . . couldn't factor in considering Donny's words.