The Girl in the Mirror: a Beetlejuice fanfic

Broken Dreams and Nightmares

If there were two words to describe how everyone was feeling about the current situation at hand, they would be panicked. The threat Juno made towards both Lydia and her alternate self had sounded like it was her being serious. And mirror Adam and mirror Barbara did not want to know what would happen if their Lydia were to perish in a universe/time period that was not her own. All they wanted, was to push that particular thought to the backs of their minds. And that's what they did.

Mirror Barbara and mirror Adam glanced at one another, silently nodding before turning their attention back over towards their counterparts and Beetlejuice.

"Well, we can check up on our Lydia later and make sure she's okay," mirror Barbara said after what seemed like a while. "Tell her that we say hi and that we hope she can get safely back to our universe without your Juno trying to kill her or your Lydia."

"Will do!" Barbara said as her alternate self and Adam's alternate self's images disappeared from the bathroom mirror.

The Maitlands and Beetlejuice moved out to Charles and Delia's bedroom, all three of them equally as worried as each other. Worried that Juno could come back at any given time. And she most likely would, considering the fact that they were going to continuously try anything and everything that they could to try and get alternate Lydia back to her own universe thirty years in the past.

And then there was the given that they needed to get alternate Lydia used to a lot of new things in their universe that weren't around in alternate Lydia's time or universe.

Yeah... maybe they should do that first.

"Should we... tell them what happened?" Barbara asked out of worry, looking over towards Adam and Beetlejuice as the footsteps of Charles, Delia, and both Lydias were heard coming up the stairs.

"I... guess.... I mean... we probably should," Adam said, him, Barbara, and Beetlejuice turning their heads towards the door to Charles and Delia's bedroom as it opened and Charles, Delia, and both of the Lydias entered the room.

Upon noticing the worried looks on the Maitlands' and Beetlejuice's faces, the living stilled and equal worried looks crossed their faces.

"What's wrong?" Lydia spoke up, crossing the room and sitting herself down on her dad and Delia's bed - looking over towards the Maitlands and Beetlejuice as a look more evident of a concerned one crossing her face. "Did something happen, guys?"

"Beetlejuice's mom showed up, threatened to kill both you and your alternate self if we tried anything in order to return your alternate self to her universe," Barbara said, a somber look in her eyes as she looked from Lydia to alternate Lydia and back to Lydia.

"But you are going to try your best and find a way to keep all of that from happening to me and her though? Right, other Barbara?" Alternate Lydia crossed the bedroom and moved to stand over near where the other her was, looking solely over towards Barbara with what was apparently a saddened look in her eyes.

A saddened look that was also apparent in Lydia's eyes.

Barbara reached a hand out, putting a hand on alternate Lydia's shoulder and looking her in the eyes. "We're going to try everything we can, I promise. But... for now, let's just focus on getting you adjusted and settled into this time period rather than try to get you back to yours first. We don't want Juno getting all that suspicious and try everything in her power to stop us now, do we?"

Alternate Lydia shook her head and focused back on Barbara, a firm look in her eyes. "No. I can't have my universe's versions of you, Adam, my dad, and Delia worrying about me too much. I would rather go back to my own universe as soon as possible."

"But, it's too dangerous." Charles crossed his and Delia's bedroom, reaching out and putting a hand on alternate Lydia's back. "You need to stay here in this universe and time period with us for now. When we're sure that everything is safe, then we can work on trying to find a way to get you back to your universe and time period and get things back to normal. But let's get on that in the morning. It's the middle of the night and you're going to need to sleep."

Charles turned his attention over towards Adam and Barbara, but kept his hand rested firmly on alternate Lydia's back.

"Do you guys mind if alternate Lydia sleeps up in the attic with you guys?"

Looking at one another, Adam and Barbara seemed to have a silent conversation with one another before nodding and looking back over towards Charles and alternate Lydia.

"Of course she can," Barbara said with a soft smile. "Poor thing's going to have reoccurring nightmares after what Juno threatened would happen to her today. Adam and I will be more than happy to stay by her side in case those nightmares happen."

Charles nodded, with Adam and Barbara doing the same thing not too long after. Alternate Lydia moved to stand over near where Adam and Barbara were standing and the Maitlands teleported themselves and alternate Lydia upstairs to the attic, with Beetlejuice doing so not too long after. Lydia turned on her heel, exiting her dad and Delia's bedroom and heading back to her own.

And Barbara was right to say that alternate Lydia was going to have nightmares as a result of the whole ordeal with Beetlejuice's mother.

The poor thing had startled the Maitlands by awaking at around one in the morning after she'd experienced not one, but two of those mentioned nightmares. Equally as worried and panicked as the other was, the Maitlands shot up and rushed over towards the area of the attic in which alternate Lydia was sleeping.

"Alternate Lydia." Barbara sat down by the crying teenager's bedside, reaching out a hand and wiping away more than a few stray and hot tears that had formed around the edges of her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"N-nightmare... two of them... both were of... J-Juno... going through with... killing... your... your universe's version of me. I think other me had the exact same nightmares. But with me being killed inside of her. It... scared me."

"Shh... alternate Lydia, everything's going to be okay."

Barbara gave the upset teenager a soft and warm smile, much like she would have done if it was her universe's version of Lydia who needed them to be by her side if she were to have a nightmare or two (which she, according to her alternate self, was right now).

Quickly, Barbara turned and motioned for Adam to teleport down towards their universe's Lydia's bedroom and check up on her. He nodded firmly and teleported out of the attic and downstairs, and Barbara turned and refocused her attention back over towards alternate Lydia - who had since gone back to tearing up and crying.

And Barbara once more reached out a hand to soothe alternate Lydia, again whispering to her that everything was going to be fine.