This is more based on the movie than the cartoon. The characters from the movie and cartoon are of course not mine as well as the settings and other concepts. I am basing the Deetz family more on the movie version of them.
The story starts a year later where the movie leaves off.
The Deetzes decided in order to be far turn most of the house back to where it was when they bought it. If two families were to share the house they needed to be fair. Adam and Barbra stayed up in the attic most of the time but they did enjoy coming down and spending time with everyone and mostly Lydia.
It was a nice spring day in New England. The snow was melting. The birds where coming back to their summer homes. The grass started to show signs of life.
Lydia was in the kitchen working on homework with the help of Adam. Barbra was in the living room talking to Charles. Dylia was out at an art show since two pieces of her work were entered.
All the problems between the ghosts and the living were forgotten. After much talking the two families became close friends. The problems were often between the members of the Deetzes.
Lydia didn't like having her step mom always nag her about stuff. She thought it was unfair since she usually got good grades, didn't get into trouble at school and most of all her dad didn't nag her half as much as Dylia did. She didn't hate her step mom she just resented a lot of stuff about her.
There were some good points though. She at least had someone to talk to about her photography. Being that Dylia is also an artist it was nice to have someone else's input.
Meanwhile in the Neitherland Beatlejuice was still in the waiting room to see Juno. He sighed and looked around. He finally got the witch doctor to change his head back. The room started to clear and he realized that soon he would be called to see the case worker. He thought about his latest job. He was supposed to get rid of a living family that had taken residence in a newly deceased couple's house. Instead he ended up back in the Neitherworld and was waiting what Juno had to say.
He thought about the Matlids. He then turned his attention to Lydia. Somewhere deep inside him he started to feel guilty. It was a new feeling for him. For a long time he was always uncaring and unconcerned with other people's feelings. He would love to annoy and even terrify both the living and the dead.
After the guilt subsided he then started to feel worry. She didn't seem to have many friends. She even wanted to die. After many years after his death he was so used to being the outcast. He got to the point he rather make people hate him then let someone get close to him and then hurt him later. This was a new feeling for him. For once he actually cared about someone or at least admitted it to himself.
He then thought about Juno. He realized that even though he wasn't overly fond of his former employer he did realize she was once someone he did care about too. Sure it wasn't friendship but he did care. He smiled briefly when he remembered when he "went to bat" for her. One case was not going well. He found a solution to it and fixed the problem.
"NEXT!" Screamed a voice. All the friendly thoughts about Juno vanished. Annoyance took their place.
"Coming!" Beetlejuice yelled in return. He thought very unkind thoughts about her as he stepped into her office.
"So. Mr. B." Juno said. She couldn't say his name. No one could. Powerful forces were attached to his name. Instead she just called him by a letter. Beetlejuice wasn't offended by that. He was annoyed at her yelling at him.
He looked up at her. She leaned closer so she was face to face him. She looked at her files.
"What a long list of things you have been up to since the last time we talked. What do we have?" She read a few entries and then put the files away.
"I can explain." Beetlejuice started to say. Juno turned real fast and leaned over so their faces almost met.
"Save it!" Juno said. She was trying very hard to keep her anger under control but it was getting hard to. She remembered she was the only one who would give Beetejuice a chance at a real job. She paused for a moment and thought about all the trouble he caused her. She sat down at her desk. She lit a cigarette and a puff of smoke came from the slit in her throat. She looked at him for a bit.
Beetlejuice's face showed deep anger and defiance.
"I was called to do a service for someone." He said trying to explain his side of the story.
"Enough." Juno said calmly still smoking her cigarette. She sighed and more smoke came from the slit.
She tried to think of a fair but fitting punishment for his latest trouble he caused. She tried to keep from smiling when she remembered that Beetlejuice was scared of sandworms.
She looked up at him.
"Well you caused a lot of trouble last time. I decided you are going to have to go and
apologize for what you did to those two families. After that you are going to sit down there in the Light Room for two decades and think about what you did." Beetlejuice glared at her. He hated having to apologize. He hated sitting in the light just as bad. To make it worse in that room that Juno brought up had nothing in it but light. Nothing for him to look at or use while he served his time.
"If they accept your apology maybe I would consider just putting you under house arrest for a few weeks or maybe two decades of probation." She chuckled. After all the problems he caused she didn't think there was a chance anyone would forgive him.
"Juno! I am to..." He couldn't even say the word. Juno nodded at him smugly. He got up and left her office mumbling to himself.
He went back to his house and sat on his bed for a moment. He tried to think of how he would confront everyone. He figured one at a time would be best or at least small groups.
In a flash he disappeared out of his house in the Neitherworld and appeared in the model made in the attic.
He looked around and found Adam and Barbra walking hand in hand back to the attic. He figured he might as well start with them. He whistled and waved his arms around trying to get their attention.
Adam looked down and found Beetlejuice standing in the graveyard. He remembered Beetlejuice couldn't do a lot of harm as long as no one said his name three times. Barbra turned and spotted him too.
"What do you want?" Adam said as he pulled up a chair and sat facing the smaller ghost. Barbra sat on the edge of a table and listened.
"I just wanted to..." He started but couldn't get the words out. He looked up and looked at Adam.
"You want to do what?" Barbra said waiting for an explanation. After a long pause Beetlejuice sighed and tried again.
"I want to apologize for all the stuff I did to you." Adam and Barbra sat looking at him not sure what to say. Finally Adam spoke first.
"You came here and insulted everyone, you almost killed Charles, you were perverted, you scared everyone especially Lydia. You expect us to just forgive you just like that?" Adam said as he snapped his fingers once for empysis.
"How about the truth?" Barbra said as she leaned closer. Beetlejuice hated where he was at a disadvantage. He figured he might as well tell the truth.
"Ok look! I was sent here by Juno. As part of my punishment I am to set things right." He said angrily and crossed his arms. Adam and Barbra didn't need to say anything. Their expressions on their faces easily showed what they were thinking.
Beetlejuice sat down and waited for one of them to respond. Barbra looked at him finally and spoke.
"Yeah. I thought so. I knew you wouldn't come on your own."
"Do you accept my apology or not?" He said angrily. Barbra and Adam looked at each other.
"As of now we don't. If we see some sign of you actually feeling at least the slightest bit sorry we might later in the future. Even though you didn't do it on your own we at least appreate you coming." Adam said.
Barbra nodded in agreement with her husband. "We sure do. For now though we don't even want you in our sight. Go back to wherever you came from. ". Beetlejuice just merely looked up and glared.
"I wish I could. I can't until I apologize to everyone who stays in this house."
"Fine. Then you stay in that model until morning." Adam said.
"Can I just talk to Lydia?"
"Why?" Barbra asked. She didn't want to expose Beetlejuice again to her.
"Because I want to see her ok?" Beetlejuice practically spat back at her.
"Ok. We will go get her. If you try anything we will send you back and you can tell Juno yourself what happened." Barbra said and she and her husband left. A few minutes later Lydia came into the room.
"What do you want?" She asked with a note of anger in her voice.
"I am starting to think everyone in this home hates me." Beetlejuice said with heavy sarcasm.
"What gave you that idea?"
"Oh. I don't know. The warmth and love I am seeing now." Beetlejuice said as his face contorted angrily.
Lydia just sat down and faced the ghost. She walked all the way to the attic she might as well hear what he was sent to say to her.
"Lydia. I just want to say..." started the ghost. He paused, took a deep breath, held it and slowly released it. Lydia leaned closer and watched him. Beetlejuice's eyes got really big and looked at her.
"Ok. This whole looking down at me when I am only a few inches tall is freaking me out."
"And the whole snake thing almost killing my dad didn't freak me out?" Lydia snapped back.
"Ok. I deserved that." Beetlejuice said. He sat down on the edge of the table and swung his legs back and forth. Lydia watched him for awhile. She could tell that talking to her wasn't the easiest thing in the world for the ghost.
"If you could just let me out of here it would be a lot easier for me." He said.
"Yeah I know." Lydia said sarcastically.
"Ok. Bad choice of words. I am already in deep shit right now. Do you really think I would get myself in further trouble?" He said. She looked him deep into his eyes and thought. He did have a point. Besides if he did too much she could easily send him back to which he came. She paused and said his name three times and in a flash he disappeared and appeared next to her full size.
"Thank you very much. I am sure it had to take a leap of faith for you to do that. I will make it worth your while." He leaned over and tried to hug her. She withdrew from him and stood looking at him.
He pulled a chair out for himself and sat down. She took her seat again and watched him.
"Ok what do you want to tell me?" Beetlejuice leaned forward and took one of her hands into his. He felt cold, soft, and of course very dead. She was startled at first and finally relaxed.
"Lydia. I just wanted to come back and tell you I am sorry. I am sorry for everything I did to you, I am sorry for everything I did to your family, I am sorry for everything I did to the Matliands." She looked deep into his eyes trying to see if he meant what he said or not. She thought he was telling the truth. She didn't fully trust him but for once she honestly thought what he said was really what he felt. Of course she was correct. For once ever since he died he actually did care for another human being this strongly.
"I guess I am crazy but I honestly believe you. I don't fully trust you but for once I think you are actually telling the truth." He smiled at her.
"I was worried about you. I thought you were depressed or something. I guess I know what you are going through. I didn't have much luck making friends. No one really seems to understand me. Since I died only one person gave me a shot. Juno." Beetlejuice explained. Lydia could just sit there and listen to him as he held her hand. She honestly felt he meant what he said. For once in his existence he did. He for once was sorry for a lot of things he did. Just caring for Lydia made him change ever so slightly.
He actually started to become a little more of a better person. He had far to go but for once he didn't think of just himself.
Lydia frowned as she thought of her step mother. "I see what you mean. Dylia don't understand me except when it comes to my photography. She doesn't even care."
"I am sure she does." Beetlejuice said. He smiled at her. A tear formed in her eye and crept its way down her face.
"Babes." He said and gently wiped the tear with his thumb. He moved his chair closer and gently took her into his arms. He felt cold, and clammy. Even though he was dead there was comfort in him holding her like that.
"Lydia we are home". Charles's said and then Lydia and Beetlejuice heard a door close.
"She is upstairs in the attic." Barbra said. Before Barbra could explain her parents were up on the stairs walking up to say hi to their daughter. Adam and Barbra ran after them to explain what was going on. What the four of them found was a shock to them all. Beetlejuice in full size holding Lydia.
Charles forgetting his fear of the ghost (after all he almost killed him one day.) he ran and grabbed the ghost by his shirt collar scaring both him and Lydia. Lydia let go of Beetlejuice and almost fell out of her chair getting out of the way.
Adam was fallowing close by to help. Lydia jumped up and yelled "ADAM NO!" Beetlejuice was thrown back from the force of Charles's grabbing him feel back and hit the floor. Adam tried to stop but he was running too fast and ran smack into Lydia. She was thrown back and almost hit the wall but Beetlejuice at the last moment snapped his fingers and a couch appeared by the wall. She feel safely onto that.
"What were you doing with my daughter!" Charles roared shaking the ghost. He pushed him up to the wall. He kept pushing Beetlejuice and asking him the same question over and over.
Adam tried to help but Lydia got up and stopped him.
"Stop." She yelled.
"You are lucky you are dead or else I would kill you! You are a miserable excuse for a human being!" Charles yelled. It was unlike him to get this mad much less this brave. Something happened in that year the last time he saw the ghost.
"Chuck." Beetlejuice said putting his arms up. Instead of calming the father down it just made him madder.
"What? Not going to fight back?" He said. Beetlejuice smirked.
"Ok. I will. He snapped his fingers and Charles flew back into the couch that Beetlejuice formed to save Lydia from hitting the wall. Charles landed, sat dazed for a minute and then got up.
"You will have to do better than that." Lydia jumped up and got between her dad and his victim.
"DAD! STOP IT!" Charles looked down at his daughter. He took a few deep breaths and then sat down on the couch.
"I can explain Dad." He looked up at everyone standing there. She looked worried.
"Alone right, Pumpkin?" Charles said.
"Yes Dad."
"Ok. Everyone out except you." He pointed at Beetlejuice. Everyone filled out and Lydia sat down on the couch next to her dad.
"Dad. I know it looks bad but he just came back to apologize to everyone for what he did last time. We were talking and I started crying and he was just trying to make me feel better."
"Why were you crying?"
"We were talking about being outcasts."
"Honey you are not an outcast. Look, we will talk about that later." He turned at faced Beetlejuice. The ghost was leaning against the wall with his arm crossed trying to look calm. He looked at Charles. The two of them looked at each other for a moment and finally Beetlejuice timidly waved. Charles chuckled.
He didn't trust the ghost but since he wasn't a threat to him at the moment he would allow him in the room. The moment he tried anything he would say his name three times and send the ghost away.
"So. You came back to apologize?" He asked. Beetlejuice just nodded. "If you apologize to my wife and I would you leave?" He nodded again. Charles called Dyla in. She came in and looked at the ghost.
"I hope this is good." She eyed the ghost angrily.
"What love I get at this home." Beetlejuice said sarcastically. Dylia just raised an eyebrow.
"Go on." Charles said.
"I am sorry for everything I did to your family and the Matilands. I was wrong. I realize now what I did and why it was wrong. I feel bad about it." Charles and Dylia looked at each other. Finally Dylia spoke.
"We are glad you came and apologized but after all that was done it will take awhile for us to forgive you much less trust you. Maybe we will but again maybe we won't. Unless there is something else we want you to go." Beetlejuice looked at Lydia. Lydia wasn't sure but she thought the ghost looked worried and then she thought she saw him wink. He looked back and Dylia and shook his head.
"Then goodbye. Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice." In a puff of smoke he was gone. He appeared in Juno's office.
Juno looked up and eyed Beetlejuice. She looked at the files and then back at the person before her.
"So. It seems that you do have a soft side? I received word that you apologized and then comforted the daughter?"
"Lydia." Beetlejuice without much feeling. He sat defiantly and eyed Juno.
"Yes it would seem." She said without much concern of the name. She looked up at him.
"Well? Get on with it!" He said his temper rising. He wanted nothing more than just go back to his home and relax. He wanted to forget this whole thing.
"Don't talk to me like that. I have to decide what to do with you now."
"Fine." He said and rolled his eyes. He watched the caseworker review her notes and filed them away.
"Ok. Since you do seem like you are having a change of heart I will cut you some slack. You will have house arrest for a year. Maybe if I can trust you I will allow you to go back to Earth. As of now I don't think so." He nodded and got up.
Meanwhile Charles was talking to his daughter. Ever since the first run in with the ghosts the father and daughter talked more. Dylia was off somewhere talking to Barbra and Adam all giving them some time alone to talk.
"Pumpkin you said you were talking about being an outcast?" He asked and she nodded.
"I am Dad. Everyone seems to think I am a freak."
"Honey you're not. I thought about taking you out of that private school and sending you to a public school. Maybe there they won't be so strict and you won't feel so out of place. If that don't work you will have to go back to the private school." She nodded. She figured it was for the best.
"Dad. I think Beetlejuice was sincere when we talked. I honestly think he felt bad. He said he was even worried about me."
"Yeah. Adam also told me he was sent her to apologize too." Charles said sarcastically.
"Ok. Say he was. When we talked he honestly felt bad."
"Maybe he was sorry he hurt you but I don't think he was sorry for everyone else though. Maybe he was worried about you. I don't know what goes on in his mind." Charles said shrugging. Lydia decided it was best not to argue. She saw that they both had their opinions and it was best not to argue something as minor as a different point of view. She hugged her dad and went to her room.
Beetlejuice sat in his bedroom. He was starting to miss Lydia. He also then started to feel bad for what he did to everyone else. He realized they were not so bad. He was not overly fond of them but Lydia he really cared for.
He went up to the mirror and thought for a moment. In his mirror he saw Lydia in her bed reading a book. The plan worked. He kept watching her lay there reading. She had just taken her shower and so her hair was wet. Part of him felt silly as he stood there just watching. She went to turn the page and something caught her attention in the corner of her eye. She gasped and dropped her book.
"Sorry Babes. I just wanted to say hi."
"By scaring me half to death as you hide in my mirror?"
"To death. Well. I am a ghost." He said and smiled at his poor excuse for a joke.
"Well. Now you are here. What do you want?"
"I just wanted to talk. We never talk anymore." He said and smiled so she would realize he is teasing her. She smiled very timidly back. It wasn't everyday a ghost would talk to her through her mirror. She finally got used to living in the same home as a dead couple.
"I suppose we could. I see no harm in that."
"I deserved that. I will be worthy of your trust one day. You'll see." Beetlejuice said then sighed.
The two talked for a few hours. The subjects varied from their lives (or in Beetlejuices case both his life and death), families, and things like that. The topic turned to how Lydia felt about her step mom.
"It's not that I hate her or anything." Lydia said. Beetlejuice nodded. At that point Adam and Barbra were walking by on their way to the attic. They paused by the door since they heard talking. Dylia looked up from her table since she saw the two ghosts listening at the door. She got up and listened in too.
"I just... I don't know. She isn't Mom you know?" Lydia tried to explain. Beetlejuice nodded. Lydia then continued.
"Mom and Dylia are so different. Mom was a lot easier going and warmer. I am not saying Dylia is cold she is just hard to warm up to. The major issue is she just nags on me all the time and so negative. She never cuts me a break." Lydia said at last and sighed. Beetlejuice was sitting there with his head in one hand looking serious. She wondered if he was listening or just goofing around.
"She hates me." Dylia mumbled to Adam and Barbra. She turned and went to the bedroom and got into bed. Charles walked in and the two of them talked about what she heard. After an hour Charles convinced her that Lydia don't hate her but Dylia should try to make things better.
"Are you listening?" Lydia asked the ghost. She was getting irritated. She was tired of talking to people and they don't take her seriously.
"Yes I am. I was just thinking." Beetlejuice said.
"I am going on about my problems. I am sorry."
"Oh don't be. I like talking to you. I think I will be doing that a lot. I am under house around from now to a year from now."
"I feel like I am talking to a physiologist, Freud perhaps."
"Oh he thought about sex all the time." Beetlejuice said. Lydia shot him a meaningful glance.
"Yeah. Point well taken." He said realizing he also was describing himself.
"I talk to Barbra and Adam. It's alright but they don't seem to understand a lot of what I talk about. My dad and I talk a lot lately but again he doesn't seem to understand either. I can't talk to Dylia. I used to talk to Mom all the time." Lydia said.
"What happened to her?"
"She died when I was six. She had cancer." Lydia explained. The two sat there looking at each other not knowing what to say. After awhile Beetlejuice said he had to go and disappeared from the mirror.
That morning, a warm spring Saturday Dylia came into Lydia's room and gently shook her arm.
"Lydia. Wake up."
"It's Saturday. Let me sleep."
"We need to talk."
"What did I do this time?" Lydia said angrily. If her step mom ever said that they need to talk it usually means Lydia was in trouble. She rolled over and looked at Dylia.
"I overheard you talking last night. Who were you talking to? Adam and Barbra were with me and your dad was in the other room."
"I was talking to... You know. That other ghost." Lydia said realizing it was best if she was honest.
"I see. We all don't trust him. Even though you are old enough to choose who you want to talk to we rather you not talk to him."
"Dylia we weren't doing anything bad. Just talking. He was in... that world of his. We were talking through mirrors. He wasn't here. It was like if we were on the phone together. Well actually more like if we were using webcams." Lydia said realizing the similarities.
"Ok so you were just talking. I heard what you said." Lydia started to feel panic. Her step mom probably heard her tell Beetlejuice Dylia's faults. Instead of Dylia yelling at her she just sat there for a moment.
"I think you are right. I am too hard on you. I am too strict on you and I shouldn't be. You are not a trouble maker."
"I am sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."
"No. I should be sorry. I am the one who did all those things to you." After an hour of talking they started to work out their differences. Dylia promised to make it up to Lydia and Lydia promised to be more open about what bothers her.
Meanwhile back at Beetlejuice's house the ghost was trying to come up with things to do. He was starting to get bored. Gathered around him was a stack of playing cards. After a few games of solitar he resorted to throwing them up into the air and trying to get them into a hat. The TV was going. He used markers and made faces on the people on the shows. He looked at the clock. It was only afternoon.
"I am over 200 years old and I resorted to juvenile stuff to keep me busy." He mumbled then sighed.
In Juno's office she just received word that Beetlejuice talked to Lydia the previous night. She looked up from her paperwork and talked to one of her assistants.
"Isn't that against the rules?" the assistant asked.
"Did he leave his home?"
"Well no." She started to say.
"Then no." The conversation continued. After an hour Juno found out that Beetlejuice actually did some good. Mr. Deetz is closer to his daughter. Dylia is not nagging Lydia as much. Lydia has someone that understands her more than the rest of the people in the home.
"I guess that slime ball actually has a purpose in his death". Juno mumbled and took a hit off her cigarette.