Cat in Hell's Chance (a Beetlelands fanfic)

The Weight of Discussion

Betelgeuse's hair turned a mixed shade of blue and purple as a nervous look crossed his face, him backing up from the Maitlands and the Deetzes - all of whom were still as wary and angry. The four adults advanced towards the demon intruder, whilst Lydia stayed put behind them.

But their anger only served to worry Betelgeuse more.

Barbara was the first of the four adults to corner Betelgeuse, summoning a chalk and holding it up in front of him. But, in response, he put his hands up in front of his face as his hair color became entirely blue in shade. And that did nothing to calm Barbara down or get rid of the female ghost's anger. He closed his eyes, a burst of energy emanating out from around him that seemed to push Barbara back and away from him - the now stunned ghost now being held by her husband.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, okay," Betelgeuse urged, the blueness in his hair becoming even more prominent. "I didn't mean to do that."

Barbara grew incredulous. "Did you... just apologize?"

Betelgeuse's hair color became a mix between white and gray as a confused look crossed his face. "Am I... not supposed to?"

"For someone who caused us a lot of trouble in the past, no."

"..." Betelgeuse could think of nothing to say.

Barbara grew exceptionally confused at that, as did the rest of the family, but the anger that she and the other three adults felt towards Betelgeuse was still there and less apparent than before.

Adam let go of his wife, the latter storming up to Betelgeuse and pointing a hand out towards the couch. "You. Sit!"

He did as he was told, the purple from earlier showing up again in his hair. And it overtook the blue when he noticed the Maitland-Deetz family still looked just as wary around him as they had been much earlier. The five of them now stood across from Betelgeuse, the older four crossing their arms and eyeing Betelgeuse infuriately. Barbara moved a little closer to Betelgeuse, followed behind by Adam and then Charles.

"Now tell us what exactly you're doing here, because we can easily force you back to the Netherworld."

"I'm here because I missed you guys," Betelgeuse replied, stunning and confusing the family even more so. "I just want to be a part of your family. Please. Just let me. I can make it up to you guys. Make up for everything I did."

Barbara side glanced at the rest of the family, the five of them becoming much more wary and uncertain. He missed them, wanted to be a part of their perfect family. There was no way they were going to allow that. But a quick glance over towards the demon, whose hair was now a deeper purple in shade, proved to them that he was serious. And so Barbara told him to stay put whilst they moved somewhere else. Particularly, the kitchen.

The four adults sat down around the kitchen island, Lydia leaning against the edge of it and looking at her family. With occasional glances back at Betelgeuse, who was now hovering in midair and relaxing with his hands resting behind his head - grinning and winking at the five of them (although the Maitlands could tell that he was mostly doing that towards them).

After a while they turned away from him, turning their attention back over towards the living members of the family and becoming as serious as they were. Barbara rested her hands on the table, glancing around at everyone else.

"Don't you think it's strange? Him missing us when we clearly didn't miss him?" Barbara quietly whispered to the other four.

The others murmured their agreement, nodding in unison.

Adam lowered his voice to a whisper, glancing over at Barbara. "But you heard what he said earlier, right? About him wanting to be part of our family? About him wanting to make up for everything that he did to us?" He turned to the Deetzes. "What do you guys think?"

"No! No way is he staying here! Much less being a part of the family!" Charles stressed.

Betelgeuse teleported out of the living, reappearing in the kitchen standing in between Adam and Barbara - resting his hands on each of their shoulders. "C'mon, Chuck, I promise that I'll be good."

The living male crossed his arms, eyeing Betelgeuse with uncertainty. "I highly doubt that."

Looking around at the rest of the family and Betelgeuse, though, Charles began to notice that each and every one of them had a similar matching look on their face.

"What?"

Delia turned her attention over towards Charles, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Perhaps we should give Betelgeuse a chance. What say?"

"I'm still sticking with no," Charles responded, hoping that his answer would stay. "This thing can't stay here! He needs to go back to the Netherworld where he belongs."

At that, Betelgeuse's hair turned a pale blue in shade. And everyone else who was in the room seemed to be on board with letting Betelgeuse to stay. Charles looked around the kitchen at everyone else, seeming now to know that it was four against one over letting Betelgeuse stay. A few minutes of silence befell the six of them then was broken when Charles closed his eyes and let out a low sigh. Defeated.

"Alright, fine! He can stay!" he finally admitted, voice still as stern as serious. "But just know that there are rules."

Betelgeuse's hair went back to its normal shade of green. "Yes, sir."

Charles stood up silently, but still as stern as serious, exiting the kitchen and heading up to his office for a while. Then he came back downstairs into the kitchen with a piece of paper clutched in his hand. He set it down, the others gathering around him and staring down at it as well. Betelgeuse had moved to stand near the opposite side of the kitchen island, facing the other five and watching them with confusion.

After a brief while, the five members of the Maitland-Deetz family turned their attention over towards Betelgeuse with matching serious expressions.

Charles cleared his throat, causing Betelgeuse to turn his attention to him. "One, you will respect us and our personal space."

"Two," Barbara continued. "No touching."

"What 'bout kissing you and sexy?" Betelgeuse spoke up, looking hopeful as his hair flashed a blush pink in shade.

"That counts as touching, so no," Barbara instantly replied with a nod from Adam.

"Three," Adam spoke up, going right back to discussing the house rules. "No scaring others away from the house."

"But what if it was a case in which I had to?" Betelgeuse asked, hair going purple. But the pink was still apparent in it.

The other five looked at one another, having a silent conversation and thinking things over for a brief while. Then they turned to face Betelgeuse again. Yet another brief moment of silence befell the six of them, then Charles, again, cleared his throat and spoke up.

"I guess we can make an exception for if there's a burglar or home invader."

Betelgeuse nodded. "Any other rules?"

"Yeah, four," Delia spoke up. "No causing chaos. Or pranking."

Betelgeuse's hair became a mix between green and yellow as he cocked his head to the side and became confused. "Is that it?"

Charles quickly glanced down at the piece of paper that he'd set down on the kitchen island and then back up at Betelgeuse. "Yeah, that's it. For now. But, we might have to add some more rules if necessary."

With that, he, Delia, and Lydia turned and headed upstairs to go to bed. Leaving Betelgeuse alone downstairs in the dark with the Maitlands.

Betelgeuse turned to the Maitlands, his hair becoming a mix between pink, green, and yellow as he winked rather seductively at the two of them. "So, A-Dog, B-Town, what say we have a brief cuddling session?"

Adam and Barbara grew uncomfortable, glancing uncertainly at one another.

Then a serious and deadpan look crossed Barbara's face as she sternly asked,

"Betelgeuse, what'd we say about you not touching us? Or about not being in our personal space?"