Disclaimer: I still don't own the rights to anything, obviously. Nothing except any original characters.
A/N: So, I made the drastic decision to delete all chapters after Chapter 3 because I couldn't stand them, and I couldn't find a way to make it salvageable. It's October 2024 now, and I'm entirely rusty when it comes to writing fanfiction. Please bear with me.
Telling Adam and Barbara eased Lydia's nerves, if only just a little. Having them know made her feel safer, somehow. She didn't want to worry them with this, but if he was really back to terrorize her and her family, she knew she couldn't handle things on her own. So, at least now there was someone else keeping an eye out for any unusual activity around the house.
That being said, she felt comfortable enough to try on the beautiful dress the Maitlands had made for her. It still amazed her how they could create something so amazing even with all of their limitations. Lydia stared at herself in her full-length mirror in the corner of her room, twisting from side to side to catch all of the details. The train of the dress was just the right length, and the sleeves went far past her hands. The fit was amazing, and Lydia wondered if they'd raided her closet without her knowing just to get her measurements right. If they had, she couldn't be upset about the invasion of her privacy, because the dress did absolute wonders for her figure. She supposed she had Barbara to thank for that. Many a-time had Adam questioned Lydia about her more age-appropriate clothing, only for Barbara to swoop in to defend Lydia, reminding her husband that she was now nearly an adult and could express herself however she wanted. Adam, of course, relented because it was two strong-minded women against one dead man. Lydia chuckled at the thought of Adam's face as they crafted the plunging neckline of the dress, a look of distaste as Barbara instructed him to continue cutting the fabric away.
As Lydia twirled around in her new dress, she thought of how she could tie the whole look together. Maybe she could do something new with her hair, or maybe change up her makeup. Even now at almost 18, she still couldn't stand the thought of wearing heels, but a chunky-heeled boot wouldn't hurt. She loved the versatility of the dress though. With an accessory or two, she could choose between a witch, a vampire, or maybe even a demon. That's the beauty of Halloween; you can be anything you want.
"You look great."
Lydia gasped, nearly jumping out of her skin as she whirled around to face her unexpected visitor. She panted, holding a hand over her racing heart as she stared at Adam who stood in the doorway.
"Jesus, Adam, you scared the living daylights out of me." Lydia breathed out.
"I'm sorry." Adam said with a chuckle, leaning against the doorframe and crossing his arms over his chest. He had a smile on his face as he looked at her. "Barbara is glued to the new book you got her last week, and I just wanted to see how you like the dress."
"The dress is great, Adam, thank you." Lydia said, sounding a little more composed now. She smiled back at him, giving him a twirl so he could appreciate his handiwork. "I really can't wait to wear it on Halloween." She said.
"I'm guessing there will be no trick-or-treating this year?" He asked.
Lydia gave him a sad smile. "No, I'm getting a little too old for that. But I'll stand out on the porch to hand out candy to any kids crazy enough to come up here." She said with a chuckle.
"Hm." Adam said quietly, his eyes falling to the floor.
Lydia cocked her head to the side, her smile fading. "What?" She asked curiously.
"Nothing." Adam answered, shaking his head. He forced a small smile back on his face for her. "It's just… Time is a little weird when you're dead. I'd dare say it was frozen entirely, if not for you."
"Me?" Lydia asked, confused. She didn't understand what he was trying to say, or why it made him so somber all of a sudden.
"Well, yeah." He said, shrugging one shoulder. "We've watched you grow up. We've watched you become this charming young woman." He said, untucking one arm to gesture up and down at her. "I don't expect you to understand, but time would have been meaningless to us if not for you. We don't change. And yeah, maybe your parents turn a little grayer and get more wrinkles around the eyes, but that's not very significant, is it?" He said, once again crossing his arms.
"Wow. I never really thought about it." Lydia mumbled, her eyes furrowing as she pondered the fact.
"You don't really have a reason to. You've got all the time in the world, Lydia. I'm just glad you've shared some of it with us." Adam said with a small smile.
"Aw, Adam." Lydia cooed, crossing the room to snuggle up to him for a tight hug. She buried her face into his chest as she felt tears stinging in her eyes. Her parents were far too self-absorbed to even think of saying something so heartfelt to her. It broke her heart, because why wouldn't it? Adam and Barbara are dead. They're ghosts. Most people would argue that they're damned souls left on earth as punishment for whatever sins they committed. They'd be emotionless, feelingless, empty creatures with no regard for the living. And yeah, maybe some of them were like that, but not them. The Maitlands clung onto their humanity with an iron fist, only proving what lovely people they were when they were alive. It broke her heart to think that they've been better parents to her than her actual parents ever have been, and it broke her heart to know that they were deprived of having their own child to love and care for when they were living. It was no question to Lydia that the Maitlands considered her their own now, and she was more than happy to play the part for them.
"Are you okay?" Adam asked. He had placed a hand on the back of Lydia's hand, stroking her hair in a soothing manner. His other hand pressed against her back, where he could feel the change in Lydia's breathing.
"Yeah." Lydia said, sniffling as she pulled away to wipe at her eyes and cheeks. She smiled up at Adam, and he gave her a worried look. "I'm just happy." She said, even though it was more of a bittersweet feeling that overwhelmed her.
"Oh. Okay." Adam accepted, though the look on his face indicated that he didn't fully believe her. He paused for a moment, just staring at her, almost as if giving her time to admit to something else. When Lydia said nothing, he pulled her back into a hug.
"Thank you for the dress. I really love it." Lydia said happily.
"I'm glad. It was meant to be your birthday present, but I just couldn't wait any longer. You'd been looking so sad lately, I thought it might help cheer you up. Though, now I know what you'd been so stressed about, and I doubt a dress could ever fix that." He said.
Lydia chuckled, stepping out of his hold to look at him. "Maybe not, but I still appreciate it."
"Do you have any plans for your birthday? It's a big one." Adam said, excitement clear in his voice.
She shook her head. "When have I ever done anything for my birthday? I rather do all my partying on Halloween. It's only 2 days apart." She said, walking to go sit at the foot of her bed.
"Well, that's what I'm trying to say. It's not just any birthday. You're finally turning 18." He clarified.
"Yeah, so?" Lydia asked, raising a dark eyebrow at him.
"Don't you think you should do something special to step into adulthood?" He asked enthusiastically. He was hoping some of it would rub off onto her, but she still held a disinterested expression.
"Not really." She said, leaning back onto her arms. It was a little hard to hunch over in the cinched dress.
"So, you're not going out trick-or-treating, and you're not doing anything on your 18th birthday." Adam said dubiously.
"Correct." Lydia said with a sharp nod.
"Come on, there must be something you want to do. We could throw you a party!" He said with a grin.
"And invite who, Adam?" Lydia asked with a scoff. He knew just as well as she did that she didn't have any friends. Much less any she'd willingly bring to her house to celebrate her becoming a year older. "No offense, but with dad and Delia, you and Barbara, and me just standing around the house with a drink in our hands… It'll feel more like a wake rather than a birthday party."
Adam's enthusiasm faltered. "I see your point." He grumbled. "But you really don't want to do anything?" He asked.
Lydia leaned her head onto her shoulder, humming as she contemplated an answer. She picked her head back up to respond, "We could just stay in and watch scary movies together." She suggested.
Adam sighed. "We do that every year, Lyddie." He groaned. "It's not that we don't like spending time with you, but–"
Lydia held one hand up to silence him. "I'll tell you what. I'll think about it, okay? I'll think about what I'd like to do on my birthday." She said.
"That doesn't involve staying locked up in the house?" He asked.
"No promises." Lydia chirped.
"Fine." Adam sighed. "But really think about it." He said sternly. "Good night, Lyddie." He said after she gave him another nod. He closed the door behind him when he left.
Lydia let out a heavy sigh, letting herself fall back into bed. She could understand why he'd want her to care about her 18th birthday. What she couldn't understand was why she'd need to spend that day with other people as if they gave a damn about her at all. They would only care about the food and drinks she'd have to lay out for them, and they'd eventually flock together to discuss how everything in this house is just as weird as she is.
"No, thank you." She muttered into the darkness of her room.
Damn. You didn't even give me a chance to propose this time.
Lydia gasped, flying into a sitting position, holding herself up on her arms as her eyes darted around the room. It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust well enough to make out shapes and shadows, but she didn't need to. She knew that voice well.
"Damn it, Bee–" She clamped her eyes and mouth shut with a click, sighing loudly with frustration. Every time he startled her, it was like it reset her brain for a moment, making her forget how dangerous it was to utter his name even once. "What are you doing here?" She hissed; eyes narrowed into angry slits.
Oh, what's with the third degree, Lydia? Didn't you miss me? Came his reply, voice oozing humor as it always did. How are the Maitlands, huh? Are they thrilled I'm back? He asked again before Lydia had a chance to reply.
Lydia's stomach twisted. Of course, he'd know that she went to them with this. It didn't matter if he was back in the model or not. He had his tricks, and he seemed to be everywhere all at once.
"God, could you just give it a rest? I told you it's not happening, so just leave me alone." She snapped.
Oof. I thought you were catty as a teenager. He muttered, and then a skin-crawling yowl tore through the silence of the room, causing Lydia to flinch. Come on, relax a little! He exclaimed.
Lydia felt the air shift around her, becoming a few degrees colder. It went over one of her shoulders, back around her neck, resting on her other shoulder. Lydia bolted forward, turning in the process to glare at the spot she'd just been in.
"Do not touch me!" She hissed, venom dripping from her voice. "You make me sick." She added with the most disdain she could muster. But then it dawned on her. "You." She growled. "You made my father sick, didn't you?"
Me?! I didn't do anything!
Lydia wanted nothing more than to summon him in that very moment, just so she could punch his disgusting teeth out. "Do not lie to me, asshole." She warned. "I know it was you. But you're not going to scare me into marrying you, you disgusting insect." She said through gritted teeth. "Mess with my family again, and you'll regret it."
Oooh! What are you going to do? Kill me? He said mockingly. I'm afraid I've got some bad news for ya, babes. He joked.
"Oh, I know you're dead. You're long dead." Lydia said, almost sounding amused. "But I also know there's such a thing as a second death for scum like you." She nearly purred.
What? He scoffed, unamused and unconcerned.
"Oh, yeah. It's this fiery place I learned about." She said. She wanted to smile at the sound of silence. He was quiet, and she knew she was onto something. Lydia swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood, smoothing her black nightgown with her hands as she made her way to her bookshelf. She switched on the small lamp on one of the shelves. "Actually, there's lots of stuff I've learned about over the years." She said casually, despite feeling his cold presence far too close behind her. She placed an index finger on the top of a book, pulling it out almost playfully. The cold air whooshed around her when she turned, lingering in front of her. She split the book open to a random page, using a finger to glide over the sentences. "Turns out this little handbook isn't useful just to the dead." She said with a small pout.
Yer not supposed to have that. Came his response, and his voice was dark now.
"And you're not supposed to be here. You're not the only one that can break rules around here, BJ." She said. She tried to keep her voice calm, but she was starting to notice the heavy charge spreading through the room. She slipped through the pages, finger gliding over the sentences. "Oh! This is one of my favorite chapters! This one talks about Limbo. Oh, it absolutely blew my mind that you could access Titan from the afterlife. You know, one of Saturn's moons? You remember Saturn, don't you?" She said, and now it was her turn to take on a teasing tone.
You have to give that back. He said gruffly. Lydia could feel him right on her heels as she paced the dimly lit room.
"I mean, I could, but I have the whole thing practically memorized." She said with a shrug, snapping the book shut with a thud. "The Maitlands told me about Saturn, too. Sounds like an awful place to be trapped."
You don't have what it takes. Beetlejuice nearly hissed. You can't hurt me, Lydia.
"Hurt you? I don't want to hurt you. I just want you to leave me alone. For good." She chirped, tossing the Handbook for the Recently Deceased on her bed.
You know I can't do that, Lydia.
"Can't, or won't? Because if you just won't, well… It's not going to be very pretty." Lydia said, crossing her arms over her chest.
Pretty? I can show you pretty, Lydia. Beetlejuice rasped, and as he did, the bed started shaking. Then her desk, followed by the bookshelf, until every piece of furniture was making an awful ruckus and things started falling to the floor. The curtain rod above her window snapped and came tumbling down, the curtains laying in a messy heap beside her.
Lydia's heart raced. It beat so hard; she feared it might shoot out her mouth just to escape its restricting prison. Her hands and knees shook almost as much as the rageful furniture, gluing her to her spot in the middle of her room. A chiming noise caught her attention, her head snapping up in its direction. Above her, her old, dusty and spider web-covered chandelier swung violently. It swung and creaked until the ceiling began to crack, sending cement particles flying down into Lydia's hair. Her eyes widened, her breath catching in her throat. The base of the chandelier snapped, and it flew downward, but Lydia couldn't open her mouth to scream. She shut her eyes to brace for impact, but it never came. Opening one eye and looking up, she saw the heavy chandelier dangling close over her. The light fixture snapped off, and it was only hanging on by the cable that ran through it.
"Stop. Stop this, Beetlejuice." She said, her voice shaking pathetically. She felt the tears rolling down her face as everything continued to move. She heard a loud bang, causing her to gasp. She swung around, her eyes locking on the bedroom door. It shook and the doorknob twisted erratically. There was pounding on the door.
"Lydia? Lydia, honey, what's going on?" Came Adam's muffled voice. He sounded panicked and out of breath.
"Adam!" Lydia cried, running toward the door. Or, she would have, but her feet were stuck. She looked down, nearly screaming at the sight before her. Her sheets had slithered off the bed to tangle around her ankles, slowly making their way up her legs. "Beetlejuice, please!" She wailed, bending over to try and pry the fabric off of herself. Another violent crack sounded above her, and she caught sight of the chandelier loosening to fall closer to her.
"Lydia, are you okay?!" Yelled Barbara from just outside the door. The pounding intensified, they were trying with all their might to get in. "We're coming, Lyddie! Just calm down, don't say his name!" Barbara called out to her.
Lydia's blood went cold. Had she said it? How many times had she said it already? Was it too late? But he wasn't listening. He didn't care that she'd said his name. He was angry. It should have occurred to her that threatening a powerful ghost would have these kinds of consequences, but she was getting such a thrill from getting the upper hand on him. Of course, she could never truly do that. Even from wherever he was, he was still strong enough to wreak havoc in the land of the living.
I didn't want to have to hurt you, Lydia. Came his cold, dark voice. It echoed in from every side of the room, sending chills down her spine.
"Then don't!" She pleaded. But then it dawned on her. If he could have done this from the start, why didn't he? If he could have just scared her into summoning him, or worse, hurt her into doing it, why didn't he? He was never above it, so why did he always come begging instead of doing things the way he normally would? "Please, you don't have to do this." Lydia whispered now, because it was all she could do with her trembling voice.
Don't I? He growled.
"Adam, do something!" Barbara wailed, clearly panicking at hearing his voice.
"I'm trying!" Adam shouted back. The doorknob was rattling so hard, Lydia felt it would break any second.
No one threatens me and gets away with it, Lydia. Not even you. He uttered. Especially not you.
What did that mean? And why did he sound almost… Hurt? "I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry for threatening you. I didn't mean it. I just wanted you to leave me alone!" Lydia cried.
I was going to! Just after you released me, married me, set me free for good! I would have left you alone if you asked me to. Beetlejuice roared, and the entire room shook. Lydia thought maybe the entire house did. That made her wonder where her parents were. Why hadn't they come up to help, too? How could they not notice any of this?
"Barbara!" She cried out. "Mom, dad! You need to help them!" She ordered desperately. She couldn't be sure Beetlejuice had done anything to them, but she didn't want to take any risks.
"Okay! Okay, just hang in there, Lydia!" Barbara called back, and Lydia could hear her rapidly retreating footsteps.
Don't worry about them! This is between you and I, Lydia. He roared again. Lydia gasped at the feeling of the sheets snaking further up until they pinned her arms to her sides. She struggled to break loose, but they only squeezed her tighter.
"I'm sorry. Just, please, don't hurt them." She sobbed.
This is on you, Lydia. I only asked for one thing, but you were too stubborn to do that.
"How do I know you're not lying? How do I know you really would have left?" Lydia cried. She would have fallen to her knees if not for the constricting blankets. "And how could you expect me to let you out so you could do this to more people? I can't do that, B!" She pleaded.
Oh, why do you care?! You hate people! And people hate you! You're a freak to them, Lydia. We could have terrorized them together. I could have shared my freedom with you, if you wanted that. He said, voice gravelly with unbridled anger.
"But you wouldn't have stopped at terrorizing them, would you? You can't! It's not in your nature." She tried to reason with him.
Don't act like you know a damn thing about me, Lydia. He hissed. You don't know what I've been through. But if you did, you'd be on my side, I guarantee you that.
"No." Lydia whispered, sobs racking through her. She could never be like him. It didn't matter what he'd been through. It was wrong to hurt other people just for the fun of it. She couldn't allow it. "Please, stop this, Bee–"
The door swung open, slamming on the wall loudly. Lydia turned her head as far back as she could to spot Adam standing in the doorway, his hand just coming out of the door. "Lydia!" He gasped, crossing the space between them in just a few strides. Immediately, he started to pull the sheets away from her body.
"Adam, the chandelier." Lydia said breathlessly.
He looked up, then his jaw tightened as he steeled himself. He bent over and pushed into Lydia's midsection, pulling her onto his shoulder. He turned for the door, and he spotted Barbara sprinting up the steps with fear on her face.
"The door!" Adam shouted at his wife. It had started to close on its own, but Barbara shoved against it.
"Come on!" She yelled, her voice strained with effort. Adam bolted for the exit, Lydia dangling on his shoulder, and the three of them made their way down the stairs as the house absolutely quaked.
"Barbara, Delia, dad?" Was all Lydia could say.
"They're fine. They're just asleep." Barbara answered breathlessly. Her face was covered in sweat, and her eyes were bloodshot from crying.
"Asleep?" Adam asked in disbelief, still running through the house. He needed to make it to the front door, but it was hard as the entire building wobbled beneath their feet.
"He must have them under a spell or something." Barbara guessed.
"Adam, you can put me down now." Lydia said with a grunt.
"No. I need you to go outside." Adam said sternly.
"Outside?" Barbara asked. She started tugging the blankets away from Lydia as they stumbled through the house.
"I don't think he can get to you out there. His power may be limited to the house." Adam explained in a few words. His main goal was not for her to understand, but for her to follow orders.
In a few more moments, Lydia was being shoved outside, and she stumbled down the porch steps until she hit the ground chest first. With a groan, she turned around onto her back, watching the house in horror. It shook like there was a major earthquake happening, yet the ground beneath her was eerily still. Minutes went by, her heart racing, but eventually the house stopped moving. Lydia let out a breath, falling back onto the gravel path. She covered her face with her hands and cried. She cried and cried and cried until she had no more tears left and her throat felt raw. She wanted to scream. She wanted to kill him. But killing him would mean having to see him, and that's something she never wanted to do again.
A/N: Bit dramatic, eh? If you followed this story before it was rewritten, you'd know I've always had a thing for the dramatics. Do you think this was very OOC behavior for Beetlejuice? You're probably right. But don't worry. Hopefully it'll make sense in the next chapters, which won't be as… Chaotic. Stick around to see a different side of both Lydia and Beetlejuice as they sort through this mess.
Reviews are always welcomed, but this is just for shits and giggles. It's not that deep.