Author's note:
So, I've decided to loosely connect the film and cartoon universe. I'm also going to be taking some creative liberties here and there in this story. For example: I keep thinking that it wouldn't be right if ghosts could cry or bleed or sweat. These are all the perks (or curses I suppose depending on how you look at it) of a living body. There had to be a good reason that B.J. wanted out and back into the living world so badly. Remember when Lydia says, "I want to get in" that he gives her a confused look and says, "Why...?" like she's completely nuts. So, for the sake of my story, I'm going to make it that ghosts do not have blood, tears, sweat, among a few other things (which I'll touch on later in the story) I know it contradicts the cartoon a wee bit (since B.J. has been shown sweating and crying and blushing) but I promise to explain this a bit more in depth later on. I have a specific reason in mind for doing this.
Also, fair warning, there's a good chunk of swearing in this chapter. So, if that offends you then you might wanna stop here.
Disclaimer: I obviously own NOTHING. NOOOTHING. All characters are property of their respective owner(s) (namely Mr. Tim Burton)
The End of An Eternity
Chapter Two – Alone With A Memory
Four Years Ago
"Lydia dear? I told you watch that...that," Delia Deetz struggled with the words as she flimsily pointed, waggling her finger towards the gaping hole in the living room floor. Just looking at the hole in the floor made her skin crawl from the dreadful memory of how it came to be. Awful memory aside, it was such an eye sore aesthetically.
"Hole?" Lydia responded helpfully, finishing Delia's sentence. "Yeah, I know mother. It's pretty tough to miss," Lydia said with a little playful sarcasm and a warm smile. Delia shot her an earnest look and just shook her head. "Just...don't fall in, okay? I-" she hesitated but then gave Lydia her best genuine smile though Lydia thought that it also looked slightly anxious. "I...worry...about you...you know?" saying the words cautiously as though she were testing the waters with Lydia as to what was acceptable mothering boundaries and what were not.
"I know, thanks...mom," Lydia smiled with a slight sheepishness. Delia smiled in return, clearly relieved that her effort to show concern had not been poorly perceived, before leaving the room. Ever since the "incident", Lydia and her step-mother Delia had been much, much closer. Being witness to a near-exorcism and surviving an attack by a crazy poltergeist all in one night apparently was great for family bonding. Or at least her family. Not that Lydia was complaining. Where as Delia had been cold, awkward and had previously treated her like a nuisance before, now she seemed to be opening up and embracing her role as a step-mother for the first time. Lydia was thankful for it and had been pleasantly surprised by Delia on a few occasions. When she wasn't acting like an entitled witch, Delia actually had a very loving and warm side to her. For the last week, her parents had fussed over her and had been much more attentive then they ever had in the last year. It had been a bit overboard for Lydia's comfort at some times (almost suffocating) but it was a welcome change compared to how she used to felt ignored and overlooked by them.
Lydia had seen that night (and every day since) how Delia had been genuinely concerned for her well being and since that night, Lydia had taken care to cut Delia some slack in an effort to show appreciation of her new found efforts in trying to be a good mom.
Lydia peered into the hole cautiously and curiously and as she did, she felt goosebumps form on her skin. When it had all happened, that night, the hole had seemed to stretch down into a dark abyss of forever, leading to god only knows where.
Now?
Mysteriously, it had just become a normal dirt hole in which Lydia could very easily see the bottom. However, a part of her still half expected for the dirt to fall away and become the same dark abyss that it had been once more.
It had been about a week, maybe slightly more, since that night and already Delia had contacted contractors to come in and begin covering the hole and repairing the floor in the house. It would only be a matter of time now and at that thought, Lydia felt her shoulders slump a little bit in sadness.
Lydia and her parents had made the hasty choice to move to a neighboring town called Peaceful Pines, which was not far from Winter River. As a gesture of gratitude for helping to save Lydia, her parents had decided that they would in turn repair the Maitland's house and return it to them, keeping the property in the Deetz's name so that no one else could ever touch it or sell it off. The house would be forever theirs to haunt. As an added token of kindness, Delia had even offered to remodel the house in an effort to return it to it's former glory as best as could be managed before they moved. Lydia remembered Barbara being so happy that she cried, minus the tears because ghosts couldn't actually cry real tears.
It was another act that had genuinely touched and surprised Lydia concerning Delia. The initial choice to move had saddened Lydia a little bit more than she would admit to those around her. Losing the ability to see the Maitlands on a daily basis hurt her more than she may have admitted out loud but she knew it was the right thing to do. The house rightfully belonged to Adam and Barbara, she felt that in her heart.
Also, she couldn't blame her father or Delia for feeling edgy and uncomfortable in the house after what had gone down. They said they had wanted a real, fresh start. Lydia had only agreed on the grounds that they move close enough for her to be able to bike over and visit the Maitlands from time to time.
And so, it had been agreed and decided that they would move to Winter River once the house renovations and repairs were complete.
Lydia drew in a small breath then slowly exhaled and pulled herself back away from the gaping hole in the living room floor. She hoisted her backpack up onto her shoulder, having just recently arrived home from school. She didn't see Adam or Barbara though she suspected that they were either in the attic or in the Neitherworld taking care of any residual messy business or trouble that night may have been caused as a result of the incident that had happened. As she re-adjusted her backpack, she heard her pencil topple out and go rolling. It stopped by the wall.
She trotted over to retrieve it and what she saw caused her to freeze in place and her heart skipped a beat.
Snuggled between her pencil and the wall was a small, all-too-familiar ring. It appeared to be silver and was adorned with what Lydia guessed was a black pearl. If it had it not been residing on a severed finger when it had first been presented to her, Lydia may have found it to be rather beautiful at the time. She glanced around to make sure Delia or her father were not around before scooping the ring up warily and gripping it in the palm of her hand. She quickly headed to her room. "Mom! Dad!? I'm going to be in my room, doing home work!"
"All right Pumpkin!" her dad called back from somewhere within the household.
Once safely within the confines of her room, she quietly closed the door and tossed her backpack onto her bed and opened her hand, looking at the ring that sat in the middle of her palm. It felt strangely cold despite the fact that she had been gripping it in her warm hand for the last minute or so. Looking at the ring evoked strange, inexplicable feelings within her. She remembered that night vividly; the giant worm crashing through the ceiling, the wedding that almost was and most of all, she remembered him.
It struck her as more than a little odd that some part of her actually felt sympathy for him. Sure, what he had done was skeevy and rotten and under-handed but she remained uncertain if he had really deserved the fate that had befallen him. Being eaten whole by that monstrous worm seemed a bit harsh when she thought back upon it. She had also remembered how genuinely terrified he had seemed in those small moments right before the worm had come crashing down onto him, jaws open wide.
Thinking back on it now, she had also remembered the fact that he easily could have harmed or even killed Delia and her father that night but instead they had escaped the ordeal unscathed physically (if not just a little shaken mentally). Even the Maitlands, he had kept his part of the awful bargain they had made and saved them even though, given his power, he easily could have went back on his end of the deal and just proceeded with the wedding anyway and let them perish...again. It certainly would have been two less obstacles in his way and yet, he had not harmed any of them save for Maxie and Sarah Dean who still had not been located. Lydia had a hard time feeling too much sympathy for them though given how they had been the ones to egg Otho on with the exorcism of the Maitlands and had gleefully watched as they shriveled away, suffering, like it was some kind of sick side show act.
Lydia continued to stare at the ring that sat in her palm with so many thoughts and feelings and questions. Without considering it fully, she absent-mindedly slipped the ring on out of sheer curiosity, lost in her thoughts.
She admired it for a long moment in complete silence. It fit her finger perfectly and it really was very beautiful the way the light gleamed off the black pearl. When the light hit it just so, it had a green luminesce about it that Lydia couldn't help but love and admire.
"YOU!" an enraged voice shouted, tearing through the silence and Lydia screamed as she jumped about two feet into the air, immediately being snapped out of her reverie. "YOU STIFFED ME! ...LITERALLY!"
Lydia's blood froze in her veins and in terror she turned towards the source of the all too familiar voice. It couldn't be. There was just no way. NO way.
It was coming from her mirror.
Hesitantly, she moved so that she could peer into the mirror, still keeping a healthy distance from it. What she saw inside the mirror made her cover her mouth with one hand and she immediately turned and bolted for the door to her room. As her hand gripped the brass knob, she paused as he spoke again, her heart racing so fast that it felt as though it could bust through her ribcage at any moment.
"Why are you stopping?!" her brain screamed. Why WAS she stopping? Was her body and mind just so over come with fear that she couldn't move?
"Don't you run away again! Even if ya do, I'll just be here waitin' for ya when ya get back! I got allllll the time in the world babe..." Beetlejuice said, glaring at her as he leaned threateningly against the glass of her mirror, his palms pressed flat against it's surface.
Lydia wanted to scream but her throat felt tight and dry, her hand shaking on the door knob. "Get out! Open that door and run!" her mind continued to scream but suddenly, a thought hit her out of nowhere. Despite her terror and panic, she somehow remembered her thoughts of sympathy for him that had transpired moments ago. How he had kept his bargain to save Barbara and Adam and how she had panicked and flaked out on her end (understandably). It took a very long moment before she could calm herself enough to manage to turn slowly and face the ghoul within her mirror. Once she did, she took in his appearance and noticed that he was back to wearing his dirty, black-white, striped suit. He sat leaning against her mirror frame, looking quite irritated and pissed off and shooting her a look that could have melted ice.
Finally, somehow, Lydia found her voice but it came out as strained and meek, "H-how are...you...in my mirror...?" she asked timidly. Beetlejuice's expression fell flat and he gave her a look that spoke for itself and seemed to ask, "Are you really that dumb?" Finally, he gave a dramatic sigh and answered, "Uh...common knowledge that mirrors are gateways of communication for the dead...DURRRR," he said, transforming his head into that of a donkey's and braying noisily. It caused Lydia to jump just a little out of surprise.
"What about that thing? The-the worm? I saw it eat you," she squeaked, shuddering as she remembered the terrifying memory of it. Compared to that worm, the ghost before her was positively tame in terms of terror. He leveled his gaze at her, eyes still narrowed coldly and his voice laced with venom, "Oh well, you mean the fucking SAND WORM that you and that Babs chick fed me to? Lucky for me, the ghost with the most isn't so easily done away with. I'll spare you the...gory," he began and grinned devilishly as blood dripped down her mirror's surface before he snapped his fingers and it disappeared as quickly as it had come. "Details since I'm bettin' that you don't actually give a rat's ass," he said and began to pick at his ear with his pinkie nail, feigning disinterest in her.
"I'm...sorry about that," Lydia found herself awkwardly apologizing, the words just tumbling out of her mouth. "I really am. I didn't mean for that to happen to you. I'm sure Barbara didn't wa-"
"You're sorry?" he said incredulously, cutting her off and tilting his head, his eyes narrowing once more. "What are ya? Dense? Like a little ol' 'sorry' is goin' to fix the fact that you cheated me and now here I am still stuck in this hell hole!" he yelled.
"I'm NOT dense!" Lydia spoke up, quite offended at both the ghost's implications and his excessive language.
"Well, well, well look at kitty's claws finally come out. Funny 'cause uh... here I was thinkin' you were a weasel seeing as how you weaseled your way outta our deal!" he shot back heatedly. Lydia crossed her arms, feeling herself ease up in spite of the situation. "I'm TWELVE, thirteen in two months. It wasn't on my list of aspirations in life to be married to a ghost by the age of twelve!" she retorted. "Besides, what are YOU doing trying to get a twelve year old to MARRY you?!" she countered defensively.
That seemed to catch him off guard and she took note of how he edged away from the side of the mirror, looking genuinely taken aback and actually shocked by that new bit of information. "You're...TWELVE?! I thought you were at least fifteen or somethin' or..." he seemed visibly flustered and waved his hands dramatically. "I DIDN'T KNOW!! But all the black and the...the...the..." he waved his finger, gesturing in her direction at her attire, "I dunno, teenaged angst! Don't blame ME!" he huffed, arms crossed in a haughty manner as though he'd been personally insulted. "And anyway, the marriage was just goin' to be to get me out, basically all for show! You think I was seriously goin' to stick around and play house with YOU?" he snorted exaggeratedly and began picking his teeth with the same nail that had previously been in his ear.
"Why do you want out so badly?" Lydia asked, tilting her head ever so slightly and narrowing her eyes in curiosity.
Beetlejuice rolled his head so that he was looking right at her and shot her a look of severe annoyance. "Not that you really care, sweet cheeks, or else you'd have kept your end of our little bargain and helped me out BUUUT for your information, wittle Miss. Nosey," he said with a nasally tone that was mocking in nature as his nose grew pointed briefly before he pushed it back in. "It's that damn name curse. The one and ONLY way I can break the damn curse is to get married," he fluttered his hands at his sides in a lovey-dovey fashion as he said the word, "married". "To someone from the land of the living specifically. Ya know, kinda like you take my name? Well, I take whatever humanly form that my spouse so happens to be," he explained.
"So you mean...if you marry a living person as a ghost then you become alive yourself!" Lydia said, finishing his sentence.
"Bin-go," he said and reached behind his ear and pulled out a roach before noisily crunching into it and smacking his lips. Lydia grimaced, feeling her stomach turn.
"Also then my name becomes their name and then it breaks the summoning curse 'cause ya can't summon someone who's alive and blah, blah, blah," he said and Lydia watched as he slouched down in the mirror, actually looking somewhat dejected. "What the fuck does it matter now?" he moped, running a pale-purplish colored hand over his face, making his face droop and sag.
"For a ghost you have quite a filthy mouth," Lydia chastised him, crossing her arms in disapproval.
"I'd have it no other way kid," Beetlejuice said proudly and shot her a toothy grin and Lydia could see just how gross and wretched his teeth were. She even swore that she saw a bug leg stuck between two of his teeth. "Besides, you ain't my mommy!" he said and transformed into a slightly hunched, hobbled old ghoulish lady with green, wrinkled skin and blue-ish, greyed hair momentarily before poofing back to his normal form. He then grinned nastily, shooting her a sneaky glance from the corner of his eyes.
"Shit, fuck, fuck, damn, damn, son of a bitchin', fuckin'-" he sang vulgarly, seeming quite pleased with himself.
Lydia glared and briefly considered just tossing the mirror out of her bedroom window and being done with it and him but she still had questions that she very much wanted answered and this was likely her only chance to find those answers.
"SO...Beetlejuice," she began, a sly tone creeping into her voice. "You want out of that mirror...right, BEETLEJUICE?" she put extra emphasis on the second time she said his name and that shut him up right quick, exactly as she had planned. It was her turn to smirk in his direction as she observed him perk up at the repeated mention of his name.
"Don't tease me kid, I don't like bein' teased, especially by kids," he growled.
"Okay, then answer my questions and maaaaaybe we can make a deal," she offered and he scoffed and rolled his eyes so hard that they tumbled out of his skull. "Yeah, I know how good YOU are about keepin' yer deals," he said, looking around blindly for his eyes at the bottom of the mirror.
Lydia considered that and actually felt a twinge of shame. "Fair enough but I did apologize, which I meant, but this time, I promise to hold up my end," she offered, crossing her heart with her finger.
"What's a... pro-miss? That don't exactly mean shit to me sweetie cakes," he said, shrugging as if the whole conversation and suggestion was a waste of his time.
"Language or the deal is off!" she bellowed and indignantly, he scoffed at her. A moment of silence passed between them before he spoke again. "I'm liiiiiistttteeeennnniiinnnggg," he said patronizingly in a nasally, sarcastic voice, folding both hands and then placing them under his chin and leaning forward to give her his whole attention.
"Answer my questions first and then I'll tell you the deal I have in mind, okay?" she asked gently and moved slightly closer, still not entirely trusting him to be within three feet of the mirror.
"Yer awful bossy for a twelve year old, you know that kid?" he said, raising an eye brow at her. "So, I've been told," Lydia responded but took that to be his way of agreeing to her questioning and she began.
"First of all, how are you in my mirror all of a sudden? I get that mirrors are a means of communication but...why now? Why not days ago?"
He pointed straight to her, his face completely dead panned as if this was something that was achingly obvious. She looked around herself trying to figure out what he was pointing to but then looked back to him, still clueless, and held her hands up, palms open, shrugging.
"That's...my...ring," he said slowly, trying to keep his voice as patient as he could manage as he pointed to her hand. "You put that puppy on and it's like some kinda psychic link between you and I. Poof, I can contact you. Here I am. Yer welcome. Next question."
"Deadly vu," Lydia breathed, glancing at the ring on her hand in astonishment that such magic actually existed.
"Come again?" Beetlejuice said, raising a single eyebrow while still keep his expression bored.
"I had no idea," she breathed, still eyeing the ring with tremendous awe, holding her hand out in front of her and admiring the little item.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah...NEXT QUESTION!" he yelled, his thin patience wearing even thinner.
Lydia looked back to him and nodded. "All right, all right, don't get your undies in a bunch," she muttered and to her surprise, the poltergeist in her mirror jerked oddly and grit his teeth. His expression became one of severe discomfort before screeching, "YEEAGH!"
"What happened?!" Lydia asked, eyes wide with confusion.
"...Do...NOT...say that again!" he glowered at her then began to fidget and dig and pick at his bottom.
It took Lydia a only a second to realize what exactly had happened and she tried hard to stifle a laugh with her hand. He shot her a severe case of stink-eye and then when he had composed himself, he went back to leaning lazily against the side of the mirror's frame. "Glad ya got yer chuckles in kid," he said sarcastically.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have laughed," she sincerely apologized and put a hand over her heart to show that she meant it. "Second question," she began, locking her eyes onto him and casting a suspicious glance at him. "Why didn't you hurt my parents that night? Or anyone else for that matter? Speaking of deals, you are surprisingly honest in keeping your end of a bargain. Wouldn't it have just been easier to let Barbara and Adam be exorcised, kill my parents and then have married me anyway and been done with it?" she paused for a moment then added, "Instead, you kept your end of the deal. That was pretty honest of you."
She watched as Beetlejuice turned green and slammed a hand against his mouth. His cheeks puffed and his eyes grew wide as his pupils became small dots.
"What...?" Lydia asked curiously, actually feeling another twinge of worry for him. "Are you...okay? Did I say something again?"
"...Don't ever call me hon-" he heaved as if he were going to vomit then put a fist against his chest, swallowed and tried again. "Hon-" he covered his mouth again and shook his head from side to side. "I can't...c-can't say it," he conceded, hunching over.
"Honest?" Lydia said helpfully and with that she jumped back in shock as he spray vomited all over the inside of her mirror. Lydia's lip curled in disgust but she was severely relieved that it seemed to all be contained behind the mirror's surface. After a moment, the ghost wiped the surface with a handkerchief, wiping off the vomit then dabbed at his mouth and let out an obscene belch.
"Lovely," Lydia grimaced but she made a mental note to avoid using that word when speaking with him for future dealings. "Well?" she pressed after a moment and Beetlejuice, still looking queasy, said, "Er...what was the question again...?"
"Why didn't you hurt us that night?" she repeated, paraphrasing all her questions into one simple question.
"I never planned to hurt ya! What part of 'I just wanted out' do you not understand? I'm a ghost, not a demon. I don't kill people. Well, not regularly anyway. I save that for holidays and special occasions," he teased but Lydia stiffened noticeably at his answer.
He deadpanned, "It's a joke," he said and Lydia sighed in relief then after a moment he muttered under his breath, "Kinda," and snickered to himself. Lydia hesitantly continued, choosing her next words carefully as she knew that this was a big question.
"Can-" she hesitated but quickly worked up the courage "Now or never."
"Can humans, living humans, get over...there?" she asked timidly, searching his face for a reaction as she pointed to the mirror.
He smirked, crossing his arms and looked at her as though he had discovered a dirty secret of hers. "Ah, yeah, I remember. You want in here for some crazy reason, right?" Lydia's face flushed a bit and she defiantly shook her head. "Not...like that. Not anymore. I mean, can a living human get over there without dying first? You told me before that if I helped you that maybe we could 'talk'. Did that mean that you know a way to get me over there?" she pressed, not realizing that she had stepped closer to the mirror. He fidgeted a bit at that question and avoided her stare. "Wellllll," he said, beating around the bush.
"Be hon- don't lie," she quickly corrected herself.
"I mean, it's not like I make a hobby out of bringin' fleshies over here on a daily basis," he began and Lydia felt her heart began to sink.
"So, you, when you said we'd 'talk' about it, you really had no intention of helping me, right?" Lydia said sullenly.
"Whoa, wait a minute, whoa, hold the phone," he said quickly and held up his hands. "When I make a deal? I keep my end of it...usually. To answer your question, yes, there's a way but before you go getting' any funny ideas kid, I've never tried it personally and I'm pretty sure that it'd be breakin' about oh, say, a hundred and one worldly rules," he said, giving her a serious look. Lydia glanced back up at him, her head still hung and with a sad frown etched onto her face. She was surprised to see a malicious smile upon his face when she glanced at him.
"But, me, myself, I've always been more of a rule breaker than a rule maker. What are rules if not for breakin'!?" he said mischievously, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. Upon hearing his words, Lydia perked up like a wilted flower who had just been given some water. She didn't share his enthusiasm about breaking any rules but, admittedly, if it meant getting to see the world of the dead, she would have done just about anything.
"So...will you do it? If I let you out?" she asked hopefully, arms now crossed on her vanity and leaning in closer to her mirror, her interest piqued. He eyed her with a sly smile and his eyebrows raised. "This is your deal, huh kid? If I agree to let you in, I get to come out and play?"
Lydia gave a short nod. "Could you do it? Would you be willing to try?"
"Sure, I'd be willin' to give it a go, can't make ya any promises but hey! What's the worst that's gunna happen, right? Aside from you, ya know, actually kickin' the bucket but even if you do, you'll still get to the Neitherworld so it's win-win either way!" he said cackling as if this was one big joke.
"But I don't want to die!" Lydia said a bit more snappishly than she had intended.
"Well, sorry kid-o that's just a risk that you run when you attempt to cross into the world o' the dead," he said with a shrug as if what he was saying was simple logic. "You don't like it then don't go. No skin off my back!" he said and with those words, a large flap of skin peeled straight off his back. Lydia bit her lip and considered the looming prospect. If the journey over did in fact kill her, what would that do to her parents? Would they even find her body? That was the only thought that made her briefly reconsider as she felt a stab of guilt when she imagined their faces when they learned that she was missing. She wracked her brain, desperately trying to work out a way around the potential consequences. Then it hit her and she snapped her fingers. "I got it!" she declared out loud, triumphantly.
"Eh, got what?" Beetlejuice asked, curling a lip at her but seeming to be actually interested.
If she died, either way she'd be in the Neitherworld, like he had said. If the worst in fact happened, she could at least meet up with Barbara and Adam and relay the information of her death to them and maybe learn how to reach her parents to talk to them and explain about what had happened. It definitely wasn't the kindest of plans or probably the best or safest but she had never wanted something more badly in her life and it was, at present, all she could think of. She had to try.
"Nothing," she said, waving a hand at Beetlejuice in an effort to sway his questioning. "Are you sure that you can do this?" she asked once more, eyes locked on his with nothing but seriousness.
"Hey! You happen to be talkin' to THEE ghost with THEE most here! There's NOTHIN' I can't do," he bragged and puffed out his chest, jabbing his own thumb at it. "...Except math," he added and gagged and cringed. "Ain't touching that with a ten foot pole. Nee-ope," he said and Lydia had to duck as a pole literally shot out of her mirror. Lydia couldn't help but giggle at that joke. She wasn't the most fond of math herself.
"Your powers really are incredible," she said honestly once she had stopped giggling and once the pole disappeared. Beetlejuice raised an eyebrow at her, the compliment catching him slightly off-guard but he was never one to shy away from praise of any sort. "Aww shucks, ya really think so?" he said and shuffled a foot in false modesty. Lydia giggled again at the gesture and nodded eagerly. "Of course I do! I haven't seen Barbara and Adam display powers that are anything even remotely close to what you've shown me."
"Well, you haven't seen NOTHIN' yet! Just say those pretty, little B-words and let me out and I'll show you what I can REALLY do!" he said anxiously with an excited grin.
"I will...but..." she began to consider something, holding a finger to her chin in contemplation.
"But?" he asked, his excitement momentarily on hold.
"I'm not just going to let you roam about and wreak havoc to your heart's content. Sorry, no way," she said, crossing her arms.
"WHAAAAT!? How could you think that of little, old, ME? I'm crushed," and at that moment a heavy boulder fell from the sky within the mirror, crushing him flat as a pancake. He then apparated back to normal.
"If I let you out then we have to lay down some ground rules. This is going to be a mutual thing. You scratch my back and I scratch yours kinda thing," Lydia explained. Beetlejuice shook his head in a "no" fashion so quick that it flew off his shoulder and he caught it with his hands.
"Uh...uh-uh. Nope. No can do," he explained as he plopped his head back onto it's rightful spot.
"Why not?!" Lydia demanded.
Beetlejuice floated up onto his back, arms behind his head nonchalantly, his eyes closed. "I don't do 'rules' remember? Especially not rules set out by some...kid," he said, looking like an indignant child as he snootily closed his eyes and turned his face away from her in protest.
"Fine then but you might want to consider your options here," she suggested with a knowing smile. The ghost in her mirror opened one eye to look at her out of curiosity
Once she was sure that she had his attention, she went on talking. "You can either obey a couple of small, measly rules and have almost unlimited freedom to come over here pretty much whenever you want or..."
"Or...?" Beetlejuice asked, suddenly suspicious of the look on her face and the way she was smiling.
She leaned into the mirror and smiled knowingly in his direction. "Or you may as well go find another house to haunt," she shrugged. "Oh, that is if you can even find anyone that you can successfully make contact with if you do."
"Whaddya playing' at?" Beetlejuice asked, all the indignation from a moment ago gone from his expression. Lydia was all to happy to explain her family's plan about the Maitlands getting the house back and how Lydia and her family intended to protect the house for generations, if need be, by preventing anyone from moving into it.
She then watched as the color literally drained from Beetlejuice's whole body, including his suit, with the sound effect of a drain draining liquid.
"So, I guess you are going to be getting better acquainted with Barbara and Adam since they are the only ones who will be left in this house. Or I suppose that you can go through all the trouble of searching for some other house to haunt but even then, there's no guarantee that you'll be getting what you want since I wager that making contact without this," she held out her hand with the ring on it, displaying it before the mirror. "Will be pretty difficult buuuuut," Lydia dramatically sighed and turned away from the mirror to hide a smile that had crept upon her face. "I guess that's just how it is. Best wishes B.J."
She knew she had him as she heard him shout a loud, "SON OF A-mmrrmmm. Mmm. Hmmm. Mmm," but stopping himself before he could say anything further. She waited for a few seconds before she turned and made a show of pretending to remove the ring from her fingers.
"Whoa! Wait, wait, wait, wait, waaaaaaaaait!" he cried, waving his hands hysterically and then laughed nervously.
She shot him an innocent smile and he deadpanned yet again, slapping a hand over his face. "Okay, you got me kid. What do I gotta do?" he asked irritably, grumbling something that she couldn't quite catch.
"I propose that we put the past behind us, let bygones be bygones, start over as friends and help each other out. You help me get to the Neitherworld, alive, and in exchange, I let you out pretty much whenever you want. You have to agree to some things though like..." she scrunched her face slightly, deep in thought.
"No showing yourself to my parents or anyone else for that matter. People can't know about you," she explained, trying to convey the seriousness of that request by giving him a stern look before continuing.
"Also, no hurting anyone and no using your powers on me to try and get me to do what YOU want. I MEAN it."
Beetlejuice glanced at her casually as if this was all just common knowledge. "First off, I don't particularly want anyone else knowin' my name because then poof, I'm here, poof, I'm there and before ya know it, your great aunt Hilda, twice removed's barber's son's mom's sister's doctor's brother's summonin' me and it just ain't conducive to my overall lifestyle, all right? Been there, done that, not fun, movin' on. So, there's your number one taken care of," he coughed onto his sleeve and rubbed it into his jacket. "As for number two and three..." he let a long moment of tension pass before finally mumbling, "Fine."
"I didn't hear you," Lydia pressed.
"I said FINE! I won't hurt anyone or use my powers on ya," Beetlejuice snapped. "Just sap all the fun outta it why don't ya?"
"Also, NO SWEARING. At least around me," she said, arms crossed once more to convey her seriousness. Beetlejuice screwed up his facial features, looking at her as though she had just suggested that he do the impossible. "What is it with you? What do you care if I swear?"
"I just don't care for it. If we're going to be friends, I want to be able to talk to you without hearing you curse like a sailor every two minutes," she replied with a slight shrug of her shoulders. "If you do? I can always send you right back," she warned.
"Yaaaaarrr but it be so fun to swear! Ye should try it...c'mon wee lass," he pressed her playfully, now in full pirate garb.
"No," she said simply, not budging and trying not to smile.
"C'mon...hows about now?" he asked, batting his eyes and clasping his hands together.
"Uh-uh. Still no," she responded, turning her head and pretending to ignore him.
"Mmmmmm, now?"
"Nope"
"Annnnnddd...how about now?!" he pressed into the mirror eagerly.
"Sorry, still not a go," she said, fighting the urge to smile but she was dead set to keep her resolve.
"Aaaaggghhh, fine," Beetlejuice grumbled something that she didn't quite hear and resumed his normal form, slumping forward in defeat. "What was that?" she asked, shooting him a sideways glance.
"Nothing! I was just saying how deeeeeelightfully dandy that rule is!" he gave his best wide-eyed, innocent, puppy dog look but Lydia wasn't buying it and she just rolled her eyes.
"Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay c'mooooon! Is that all? Are we done flapping our gums? Do we have a deal?! I agreed to your terms now make with the B-words kid!"
"That's another thing, stop calling me 'kid'. I'm almost thirteen. I'm not a little kid."
Beetlejuice groaned, losing patience and began to tug at his hair. "OKAY! FINE! I'll call you bro-ham if you want...just...say it," he pleaded desperately.
Lydia hesitated. Was this really a good idea? What if he lied? What if he used his powers to manipulate her again (or worse)? What if this was the chance he was looking for to have his revenge?
"Should have thought of that before, too late now," she thought.
Lydia heaved a heavy sigh and then tried to summon all of her courage. Her brain was right. He had kept his part of the bargain before and he had given her no reason to distrust him...yet. She had already flaked out on him once and she was not going to do it again. She didn't like breaking her promises to anyone. Besides those reasons, something in her gut was begging her to take this chance, as unexplainable as it was and it very much was completely unexplainable.
"Beetlejuice..." she began tentatively, her thoughts and pulse racing, trying to ignore all logic that was screaming at her to reconsider.
"Beetlejuice," she continued and very hesitantly put a hand to the mirror, palm flat. The ghost in the mirror watched her anxiously, still as a predator watching it's prey, intent to see if she'd actually say that final word, pressed against the glass like a wild animal knowing it was about to be freed.
"...Beetlejuice."
There was a series of flashes of light and her bed rattled and the floor shook and then before she could fully register anything else happening, he was before her, free from the mirror. His hand grabbed and held her own as his other hand snaked around her waist and he spun them both then dipped her back gently, in a sort of odd, tango-like dance move.
"Ahhh!" she softly cried in surprise as she dipped down then came back up to meet his cheshire grin, nearly face to face with his ghoulish grin and death breath.
"Babes," Beetlejuice began with a great, big grin plastered on his face. "Me thinks this is the beginning of a beeeeeeeautiful friendship!"
Present Day
Lydia sat up in her bed, awakening from the memory that had been cloaked in a dream. She remembered the memory very, very well and had never forgotten it. It was the moment when her whole life had changed completely, for the best. Usually, recalling the memory brought a warm smile to her face. Remembering just how different they both had been back then and thinking on how close they had become (practically inseparable now) in the present. It usually filled her with an abundance of warm fuzzies and happy feelings but now? It just hurt to have to recall it. It felt like a vice was squeezing her heart without mercy. Maybe, in looking back, he hadn't changed that much. Maybe she had been the one who had changed. And why did she expect Beetlejuice to be or do anything but be himself? Shouldn't she have just grinned and bore it and accepted that was just how he was? But his actions had hurt her and she didn't think that she was asking much in the grand scheme of things other than for him to put a little importance on one day that was supposed to be meaningful to them both. But why did it matter so much to her how special he considered the day? He celebrated it with her, didn't he? Wasn't that enough?
Lydia gripped her head with both hands and fell back into her pillow, her raven black hair scattered around her. Her thoughts were going in vicious circles and they were preventing her from going back to sleep. Worser yet, there was just an endless parade of questions with no particular answers. She suddenly began to feel alone in a way that she had not felt for many years. The old, familiar, horrid feeling gripped her heart and mind tightly and she felt her eyes begin to water.
"Beetle..." she began but stopped herself, her throat choking up.
She rolled onto her stomach and gripped her pillow tightly in her fists. She buried her face into it, and tried her very best to swallow back the tears that the memory had brought on. She wanted her best friend right then and there but more than that, she wanted to know that their friendship, their memories meant to him what it meant to her. She wanted to know that everything they shared wasn't so trivial as to be thrown under the bus for his next get rich quick scam or sneaky prank.
"Fuck," Lydia swore softly into her pillow as the tears gave way despite her best efforts and she began to cry.
Author's note: Phew. Long chapter. Also, I apologize if this chapter comes off as weird. I so very much wanted to blend the movie and cartoon together (though I'll admit it's more cartoon-ish) but that became a little easier said than done. I kept being tempted to write cartoon Beetlejuice and Lydia versus movie Lydia and Beetlejuice and that probably shows. Anyway, I still hope that it was a good read. Also, I promise that the next chapter will see Beetlejuice and Lydia making amends. I'm not going to drag this fight out for too long but I did want to write it because it is getting at something bigger.
Please review (if you feel inclined). If you love this so far, review and let me know! If you hate it and it sucks, let me know anyway. I don't mind hearing how or what I can improve upon. Thanks!
