The whole beeing soulmates thing

Act 2, chapter 2: Distant Memories

The bright sun outside and the blooming flowers in the garden visible through her window didn’t match Lydia’s mood that day, just like most of the times. She watched the beams of light break through the glass, casting rainbows across her room, and reflected on how much had changed in the last six months, since Beetlejuice’s departure. After everything that had happened, she thought moving on would be easier. Life seemed to be getting back on track, but deep down, a part of her missed the chaos he brought into her days. It wasn’t just the adventure, but the bizarre friendship that, in some strange way, had meant something to her. “You deceived him”, Lydia whispered to herself, a small hint of guilt surfacing. Sure, it was really funny how he followed her plan without suspecting a thing, and her new family had helped however they could. She was proud of that, but still, seeing the hurt look on his face as he realized he’d been killed (again) was sad.
Though she knew he hadn’t been a good influence, she missed the distraction he provided from the void that her dead mom had left behind. There was something oddly comforting about his madness. She tricked him to save her family, which felt justified, but something, deep inside, was tolding her there was more to him than she understood, something unresolved that she couldn’t reach. There was an unfinished chapter in Beetlejuice’s story, and Lydia couldn’t hold the feeling that it was her responsibility to help.

Slowly, she made her way downstairs, trying to organize her thoughts. The house was calm and quiet, each resident—living or dead—caught up in their own routines. As she passed the living room, noticeded her father buried in paperwork, probably some new project for the house or business matters that never really interested her. Delia, on the other hand, was busy with her crystals and candles, a constant effort to bring ‘good energy’ into the house.
“Lydia, darling, why don’t you join me for my meditation session today?” Delia asked, not even looking up from her arrangement. “It'll help clear your mind and align your chakras”.
“No, thanks,” Lydia replied, more curtly than she intended. She knew Delia was just trying to help, but lately, nothing seemed to make less sense than ever. Lydia leaned against the doorframe, watching her stepmother for a moment before speaking. “Dad, do you think people are born bad, or do things happen that make them that way?”.
Her father looked up from his papers, clearly surprised by the question. “Well, Lyds... That’s kind of a heavy question out of nowhere, don’t you think? Why do you ask?”.
“You answered my question with another question”, Lydia shot back, slightly impatient. “I was just thinking about Beetlejuice”.
He sighed, putting the papers down. “I thought we were all moving on from that. You’re not responsible for what happened to him”.
“I know that”, Lydia said bluntly, “But I can’t help thinking that he wasn’t always like this. He mentioned someone named Dolores once. Something doesn’t add up, I just want to understand what happened to him. What made him... that way?”
Charles scratched his head, unsure. “Lydia, you’re too young to be carrying that kind of burden. Sometimes, people are just the way they are, and it’s not your job to fix them”.
She let out a quiet laugh, masking her frustration. “I know, Dad. But if I can fix something without marrying him, maybe I should try”. She shrugged. “I just want to understand, if we find out more about his past, maybe we can finally put all this to rest”.
Delia, sensing the shift in the house’s energy, finally lifted her gaze from her crystals. “Darling, maybe I can help, my spirit channeling sessions have been very effective lately. Our energies are much cleaner now”.
Lydia chuckled, her sarcasm barely contained. “Sure, Delia, because cleansing the house of bad vibes is totally going to tell me what happened to Beetlejuice centuries ago”.
“Lydia, dear, you need to re-center yourself”, Delia insisted, holding up a purple crystal. “I’m sure this quartz will do wonders for you”.
“Great. I’ll use it to contact our subject and see what he thinks”, Lydia responded, unable to resist, “Maybe the crystal will make him forget what we did to him, don’t you think?”.
Delia sighed, missing the irony. “Always so skeptical... But energies can be powerful”. Lydia settled for a dismissive smile before leaving the room.

The Maitlands were in the dining room. Since the confrontation with Beetlejuice, they had become more of a presence in the household, even part of the family. Adam tinkered with his model town, while Barbara sat reading. They were the same gentle ghosts as ever, but Lydia sensed something unspoken lingering in the house, like a shadow that everyone pretended not to notice, but one that was impossible to ignore.
“You seem a little worried, Lydia”, Barbara said, closing her book. “Is everything okay?”.
Lydia hesitated, not wanting to worry them but knowing they would understand better than anyone. “I’ve been thinking about him”, she said at once.
Barbara exchanged glances with Adam, the silence that followed saying more than any words. They knew exactly who Lydia was referring to. “It’s normal to miss... things, after everything:, Adam began, struggling to find the right words, “But you know he wasn’t... good for you”.
“I know”, Lydia replied quickly, “But that doesn’t mean I don’t feel guilty. I tricked him. We tricked him. And somehow, I feel like there’s more to him than we know”.
Barbara tilted her head, curious. “What do you mean by that?”.
“I know he was a jerk, but what if something happened to make him that way? I can’t stop thinking about it, maybe if I knew more about his past, I could really help him. And without marrying him this time”, Lydia admitted, her voice faltering slightly.
Adam frowned, clearly skeptical. “And how do you plan to do that? We’re talking about centuries of trauma here, it’s not so easy to unravel all of that. He’s always been so vague about his past, I doubt he’ll just lay it all out for you”.
“Maybe not”, Lydia agreed. “But he did mention he was betrayed once, maybe he wasn’t always... like this”.
Barbara’s expression darkened with concern. “Are you sure you want to get involved in this again, Lydia? He’s caused so much trouble already”.
Lydia sighed, “I know. But I feel like something’s pulling me back, and it’s not just guilt. I need to find out what really happened to him, maybe even Juno could help. She’s... technically his mother, right?”.
Adam’s eyes widened, “Juno? Are you serious? She’s not exactly the friendliest spirit in the afterlife”.
“I know, but who else could know more about him than his own mother?”. Lydia shrugged, “I know it won’t be easy, but she has to know more than we do”.
Charles, who had followed Lydia into the kitchen, joined the conversation. “Wait a minute, are you really thinking about digging into this again? I thought we’d finally have some peace!”.
“Dad”, Lydia began, her patience wearing thin, “It’s not like I’m inviting Beetlejuice over for tea. I just... feel that I need to finish this. If we learn more about who he was, maybe we can close this chapter for good”.
Delia, overhearding the conversation from a distance, approached as well. “I could hold a spiritual session to find some answers. I can feel the energie of someone in torment, you know”.
Lydia let out a soft laugh, “Thanks, Delia, but I think what we need now is more facts and less... life coaching”.
Barbara stepped in, sensing the tension rising. “Lydia, if you really want to do this, we’ll help. But we need to be careful, Beetlejuice isn’t easy to deal with, and Juno can be... harder”.
“I agree”, Lydia said, determination gleaming in her eyes. “But I need to understand what happened to him. And if he do deserves a second chance, who else could give him that besides us?”.
Adam glanced at Barbara, as if weighing the situation. “Well, if we’re going to speak to Juno, we’ll need a solid reason. She’s not just going to spill everything, we’ll need something concrete, some hint about what to ask”.
Charles crossed his arms, “If you’re all so set on this, just be careful. I don’t want another unexpected trip to the netherworld”.
Lydia relaxed, feeling more confident, “Don’t worry, dad. One step at a time”.

Hours later, back in her room, Lydia started devising a plan, she wondered how she could begin her investigation. Sitting at her desk, she opened the old journal she always used to jot down her thoughts and ideas. The blank page seemed to mock her, but then something clicked, and she began to write everything she had about Beetlejuice so far: she knew he had a life before becoming the Beetlejuice they knew, but the details were hazy; the only clues were fragments of conversations, her own intuitions, and his insistence that he had been tricked before. Maybe he was referring to something—or someone—from his distant past. She pulled her chair closer and started writing furiously, making connections that had seemed insignificant until then. She wrote about the Black Plague, about Dolores, and any detail he had mentioned; the information was fragmented and confusing, but she had to start somewhere. She leaned over the table and reached for an old book she had picked up from the library long ago and never returned. It was a volume about ghost stories and ancient spirits, with accounts of souls trapped in the living world due to unresolved issues.
“Maybe he’s stuck because of something that happened when he was alive?”, she thought out loud, her fingers flipping quickly through the pages, absorbing the information. Some chapters spoke of spirits wandering in search of redemption, while others mentioned curses imposed by past traumas. As she read, her mind drifted back to her conversations with Beetlejuice. He wasn’t just crazy and unpredictable—there was deep pain behind his façade. Lydia could feel it, after all, she had felt the same way once, even if he’d never admit it. Feeling even more determined, Lydia looked over at the shelf filled with books about the supernatural that she had collected over the years. “Maybe there’s something here I haven’t seen yet”. She grabbed another volume, this time the ‘Handbook for the Recently Deceased,’ and began flipping through its pages, her plan was starting to take shape. She would need more than shallow information; she needed to truly understand who Beetlejuice was when he was alive, and that meant contacting Juno. “She may not like me very much, but I have to try”, she muttered to herself, underlining a passage about suffering spirits.
Now, with a list of questions and a clear direction, Lydia knew what she had to do. As she closed the notebook, she felt a chill of excitement. For the first time in months, she was about to uncover something big—something that could change everything. And maybe, just maybe, it would bring peace to Beetlejuice—and, consequently, to herself.

The next morning, after a nearly sleepless night, Lydia walked determinedly down the stairs. She needed help. “Barbara, Adam”, she called, entering the kitchen where the two were.
“Good morning, Lydia,” Barbara said with a soft smile. “You seem much better today”.
“I’ve started researching Beetlejuice’s past”. Lydia announced, with a determination she hadn’t felt since their final confrontation with him. “But you two will be my key players”. Adam raised na eyebrow. “Us? How exactly?”.
“Well, you two are ghosts. You have access to information and places I can’t reach, besides, you can help connect some dots. I think Beetlejuice has been hiding something big about himself, and we’re going to figure out what it is”.
Barbara looked worried. “Are you absolutely sure this is a good idea? Digging into his past might not bring what you’re hoping for”.
Lydia nodded, “I know it’s risky, but I can’t ignore it anymore.”
The couple exchanged a glance, clearly concerned. However, there was something about Lydia’s stance that made them reconsider. “Alright”, Adam sighed. “We’ll help you, but we need to be careful. He isn’t someone to mess with”.
Lydia smiled gratefully, “And that’s why I’m counting on you”.
Now, with the Maitlands’ help, the search for Beetlejuice’s past was finally beginning, and the first clues about Sophie, the missing piece in this story, would soon emerge from the shadows.