Authors note: So it's been 2 years! Um, i updated the first chapter to seem a little bit more cohesive. I'm finally sitting my ass down and writing and going to try to turn out as many chapters as I possibly can. In the meantime, please RxR!

Disclaimer: I own NONE of Beetlejuice and am gaining no profit from it.

Chapter 2: Time Lost

Smoke and wind whirled around the dark room until the lights flickered to life. Lydia was back and standing in the middle of her room. The red poncho faded away and her hair slowly reverted back to straight and normal. She turned to open her door when a half knock came and Delia opened it, a little too close to her face.

"Oh! I'm sorry sweetie! Dinners ready! We're having Osso Buco!" Lydia stopped and nodded briefly before her step mother backed away from the door with an eager "Okay!".

Lydia bit her lip before turning to face her mirror one more time. Beetlejuice smiled and waved her off. He watched as she closed the door and listened to her footsteps disappear downstairs before turning, biting his thumb and letting the mirror close. He floated over to his couch and let his feet hit the floor. He flopped back on the couch and a cloud of dust as well as insects skittered out of the confines of the cushions. His hand slammed down on a particularly juicy looking bug and he immediately popped it into his mouth before he waved his hand to materialize the remote to his t.v.

His thoughts were racing even though he was trying to numb his mind with the television. Lydia was tense, really tense. She kept saying that she could feel something, but if it was supernatural he would be able to feel it too. Hell he would've felt it first! He could sense everything around them at all times…most of the time, when he cared. But seeing Lydia this way made him uneasy. He had reassured her all day that he would protect her and he would even if it killed him. The thought made him chuckle. His hand groped around for more bugs and frowned when his hand failed to find any. He sighed, grabbed the remote and promptly turned off the t.v. before walking with his hands in his pockets to the mirror. Lydia wasn't back from dinner yet, and he honestly didn't know if she would come back and talk or just go to sleep, but she always said good night to him at least. That was something he held onto every night, just like her good mornings. He would wait, and he would wish her bad dreams like always, but something in the back of his mind told him that might not be a good thing to say tonight.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

About an hour and half later Lydia finally emerged into her room. She had cleaned up and helped with the dishes. Her dad had let slip they had plans for her birthday and thankfully Delia caught him before he spilled just what those plans were. She kicked off her shoes and set them by her dresser by the door. She rummaged around in her dresser, pulling out a set of silky black pajamas. After bumping her drawer shut with her hip, she made her way to the bathroom to get changed and brush her teeth. A final look in the mirror at herself and she could tell she had been getting less than perfect sleep. The bags under her eyes were darker than normal and if possible, could she have been a little paler? A singular heavy sigh escaped her lips before she opened the door and made her way to the vanity.

"Beej? You there?"

The mirror swirled and Beetlejuice was there, head in his hands, looking bored.

"Always Lyds. How was dinner? Anything especially nasty tonight?" She laughed but shook her head.

"Well Delia tried to her hand at Osso Buco…" Beej blinked, his hand reached up to his scalp, pulled off the top of his skull while his brain floated down just low enough for his other hand to scratch it.

"Osso what?!" Lydia went into a giggle fit.

"Osso Buco B.J! It's some…exotic dish. Either way I don't know how it tastes normally but lets just say I ate a good bit of everything else."

"That gross huh?" Beetlejuice smiled, his striped tongue slithering through his crooked yellow teeth. Lydia nodded her tongue, finding its way out a little bit as well.

"Yeah. Well I've got 2 more days of school before the big party! Are you excited?" Lydia had started brushing her hair waiting for Beej's response.

"Am i?! I can't wait to celebrate your unlucky lucky birthday! We'll party like it's our last night alive! Well..at least one of us" He wiggled his eyebrows at her which elicited a throaty laugh from her.

"Well i'm off to bed. Good night Beetlejuice. Try to get some sleep" She stood from the chair and Beetlejuice watched as her small pale frame climbed into her bed and lifted the sheets over her small form.

"Good night Lydia. Sweet dreams for once." If his heart could beat, it would, but a smile would have to do. With a snap of his red tinged fingers, the lights clicked off for the night.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

The days blurred together as Lydia woke up, said good morning to her best friend and then went to school, all to come home, eat dinner and then tell him good night again. Most of her days were like that, but Beetlejuice kept reminding her up until Saturday morning that her birthday bash was going to be

"To die for! I'm so excited! What kind of horror movies are we going to watch? Gross zombie movies? Terrible ghost films, oh I can pick those apart…" Lydia laughed while putting her hair into a ponytail.

"I dunno Beej! Dad and Delia are taking me out for the morning then after we come home we can start setting up." She stood up and walked over to her closet. "Should I wear something nice? Or should it just be a leggings and shirt kind of day?" She turned around to look at her friend who was just staring at her with a stupid grin.

"I can't believe you're thirteen, it feels like yesterday we just became best buds." Lydia blinked at her friend and smiled while holding a large black shirt with a skull on the back surrounded by bats in flight. "Look at me! I'm getting all choked up!" Beetlejuice grabbed his throat which squished inwards to almost nothing.

"Stop that B.J. We're always going to be friends…just you and me."

Delias terrible voice echoed up the stairs and into Lydia's bedroom. They both winced before Lydia cracked open one eye. "I guess that's my que to go. I'll see you later Beej"

Before she ran out the door Beetlejuice knocked hard against the glass.

"Lyds wait!" She stopped and turned around.

"Yeah Beej, what's up?" He scratched his chin and smiled at her, even though a knot was growing in the pit of his stomach.

"Just…uh, be careful…and pick some good flicks!" Lydia smiled and nodded

"I'll do my best. Later Beetlejuice." The door creaked closed. Beetlejuice's smile fell. There was something off about today. He tried to make light of it, but he started to hurt. He didn't know what the feeling was but he grabbed his chest and let out a small gasp of pain. He looked back up into his best friends room.

"Lydia…."

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Her small frame bounced up and down as Lydia ran down the stairs to meet her parents at the front door. Charles and Delia closed the door behind her and they all piled into the car. Immediately Delia started talking up a storm. She told Lydia that they were going to take her to the mall to pick out at least 5 different birthday presents. She would honor her request with anything it was.

"You're a teenager now Lydia. There's going to be a lot of changes happening. Soon you'll start having boyfriends and caring about your hair and makeup! Ooh we can go to the makeup store!" Charles chuckled at Delia knowing damn well Lydia wouldn't go for any of that. They would probably be making three stops: The art store, a book store and her favorite clothing store. Delia looked at Charles with a glare "Oh don't be ridiculous! She may want to start putting some color on those cheeks!" Lydia rolled her eyes and from the rearview mirror her dad shot her a wink. They had just pulled onto the highway headed to the mall when Lydia's eyes grew wide.

"DAD LOOK OUT!" Lydia pointed but it was too late, Chuck had failed to merge properly and had run right into an 18 wheeler. The car flipped. All Lydia could hear was a ringing in her ears as she watched her world literally turn upside down. Her fathers thermos was spewing coffee, Delia's purse was up in the air, dumping makeup, her wallet and anything else that was in it all around the car. Broken glass cut all three of them as the car finally landed and slid into the middle of traffic. The ringing continued. Lydia vaguely saw her father and Delia come around to realize that they were still alive. Her head was pounding and by the time she was able to touch her head and realize she had a sizable wound pouring blood down her face, she heard it. The cacophony of horns before she saw the jeep speeding towards her and Delias side of the car before it hit them. The car spun again and then came to another halt.

After that everything was quiet.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Beetlejuice grabbed his chest again as another wave of pain hit him. He grabbed a hold of the desk Lydia's portal was carefully perched on and dug his fingers into the wood. Splintering it in a couple different directions. His head pounded and he felt like he was dying all over again.

"What the fuck is going on…." His gasps came through ragged short breaths. He turned around and looked up at the ceiling with the sprawling cobwebs.

"Lydia…where are you? I need you"