Cat in Hell's Chance (a Beetlelands fanfic)

Should I Go Back? No?

He didn't miss the Maitlands and the Deetzes. They were perfectly fine on their own and without him, right?

Okay, maybe not. Maybe he did miss them just a little.

Betelgeuse was aware that they probably wanted nothing more than to just forget him after everything that happened all those months ago. But there was this nagging feeling within him that maybe he should go back. Start again. Them. The perfect example of a family. A family that he wished he had. Sitting down, he let himself think more about what it would be like if he was a part of the Maitland-Deetz family. Causing chaos with Lydia, hanging out with the Maitlands, messing with Charles and Delia. Boy did he wish he could do all that. The more he thought, the more he wanted to go back.

"No," he said firmly, in an effort and attempt to try and keep himself from going through the door to the Netherworld and back to the living world and the Maitland-Deetzes. "It's a bad idea, Lawrence. Don't. They'll just kick you back to the Netherworld the moment you step through that portal of a door into the living world."

He tried, he really did. But eventually, his thoughts won out and he stood up, summoning a piece of chalk and drew a door to the living world. He stopped, hesitating as he snapped his fingers and got rid of the chalk he'd used. His hand balled in a fist and inches away from the door that he'd drawn, he contemplated things for a brief few moments, then decided against staying in the Netherworld. Knocking on that door three times, he stood back as it opened and stepped through - it closing behind him and disappearing.

In the living world, it seemed like a perfect warm spring day. Lydia had just gotten back from a recent trip out to the local park to take some pictures of some of its trees for a homework assignment in her photography class at the local Winter River High School. Removing her camera from around her neck, Lydia turned on her heel and moved further into the kitchen and the dining room where Delia and the Maitlands were. She put her camera down on the kitchen island, looking towards Delia, Adam, and Barbara.

"Where's dad?" she asked, sitting down at the kitchen island and looking through her camera at the photos she had taken - trying to figure out which photos to use for her photography homework assignment.

Delia, followed by the Maitlands, turned to face her. "Out. He'll be back soon though."

She nodded, finally figuring out just which photos she should use.

As if by magic, Charles stepped through the front door of the house - also turning and making his way into the kitchen. He gave his daughter a brief and quick hug before moving towards the other three adults, pecking Delia on the cheek before proceeding to talk to the Maitlands. And it seemed that Delia was also doing the same.

Holding up her camera, Lydia, although knowing that the Maitlands would not show up once she took a photograph (she would try, one day, to figure out how to make them show up, she promised), and snapped a quick photo. She set her camera down afterwards, looking over at all four adults and noticing them looking at her with huge amused smiles crossing each of their faces. It prompted Lydia to do so too as the five of them laughed.

The perfect example of a perfect found family.

Little did they know that things were going to change soon.

After what seemed like a little while, the five of them settled down for dinner. One of Adam and Barbara's favorite meals back when they were still alive was sat on three plates in front of the Deetzes. And it happened to be something that they had never eaten before in their lives.

As the living ate and the Maitlands chatted casually with them, they started to notice that the air around them grew frigid. Perhaps even more than it did when the Maitlands were present in the room. The next thing they noticed was that the room had gone green (although a quick glance around the kitchen, dining room, and living room told them that maybe it was just a trick of the light).

"What?" Barbara commented out of confusion, looking from her husband to Lydia to Charles and to Delia in confusion and noticing that they had matching looks of confusion on each of their faces.

The room was suddenly back to normal, but the Maitland-Deetzes knew, (but hoped that it wouldn't), that the green shade would filter over the room again.

And it did.

But this time, it was accompanied by a light gust of wind as the lights overhead them and in the kitchen and living room started flickering in perfect unison. A familiar chill went up the Deetzes' shoulders that was much more prominent than when the Maitlands were nearby and they looked at one another and at the Maitlands with more worry than confusion. They knew, they guessed, what was going on.

The creaking of a door behind them turned their attention towards the living room. And that was when they noticed the familiarity of a door to the Netherworld. They quickly finished their dinner and left everything sat down on the table as they stood up and warily and cautiously stepped towards the living room.

But, as they did, the living room, kitchen, and dining room were all bathed in a complete and total darkness. And, when the lights came back on a few seconds, Betelgeuse, his hair color a regretful blue, stood a few feet away from where said door had once been.

The Maitland-Deetzes became even more wary as they stared at Betelgeuse and he stared back at them. One particular thought ran through the minds of each of the members of the Maitland-Deetz family as they processed the situation at hand.

One particular thought that was furiously uttered out by Charles and Barbara at the exact same time. "What... are you doing here?"