Heartwarming / Cobweb and Stripes

• During Betelegeuse's trial, Lydia takes the stand and asserts that while he's not a great guy, he was actually very kind to her when they were alone and that he never allowed anything to hurt her. She also states that she'll miss him if he's freed from their bond, since he's been like a friend to her.
  • Betelgeuse's reaction to this is what really cements it as a heartwarming moment. He's so genuinely stunned that anyone would say something like this about him.
  • And then when it's all over, he makes damn sure that they put her room (and life) back together as completely as possible so she's not inconvenienced any farther.
• Lydia persists in believing that Betelgeuse is, or at least has the potential to be, a good person. He's visibly confused by this, but as time goes on it becomes more obvious that it means something to him.
• Lydia accidentally summons Betelgeuse by saying his name in her sleep, which causes him to realize he's been gone from her life longer than he intended. He gets kind of sad looking at her, because it finally dawns on him that she misses him, and he concludes the observation by deciding he needs to be there for her. She actually cares about him and, even if he's not quite ready to admit it in words, he actually cares about her too.
• Really, the whole of Chapter 14. Lydia's having a birthday, she's alone and almost completely friendless with no one to help her celebrate. But Betelgeuse is not going to stand by and let his Protectorate be unhappy on her special day, and he gives her a birthday truly worth remembering.
  • Of particular note - toward the end, when she needs to get home and get some sleep, she's reluctant to leave until he promises that he'll bring her back another time. And it's clear that he really intends to keep the promise. He has started to honestly view her as a friend and she has more value to him than other people.
  • And when they get back to her room, he makes an excuse to leave while she changes into her pajamas. He's starting to graduate from Handsome Lech to Chivalrous Pervert, at least where she's concerned.
  • She thanks him for the adventure and gives him a kiss on the cheek, and - instead of offering some sort of pervy remark as the reader might be expecting - he doffs his cap and declares, very gentlemanly, "The pleasure is mine."
• Lydia's role as Betelgeuse's Protectorate becomes increasingly obvious throughout chapter 16, as she's subjected to unsettling examinations by Doc. He reacts unfavorably when Doc grabs her, lets her hold his hand when she's frightened, and even subtly shifts between her and Doc when the opportunity allows. When she's visibly shaken by the experience afterward, he asks if she's all right, apologizes for the discomfort, and agrees to her request to never bring her there again. He's sincerely concerned for her.
• Chapter 18 is a big ball of this with a bit of Tear Jerker for flavor. There's the fact that Lydia is so attached to her poncho because it was a gift from BJ; the fact that he's genuinely nice to Ginger; the fact that Ginger and Jacques are still together and in love after who knows how long of being married in both life and death; and the fact that BJ was the one to find Ginger a new body and help them get off the Neitherworld streets. It gives a lot of insight into everyone's true personality.