Out of Sight, Out of Mind//A Beetlejuice Fanfiction

||Chapter Seventeen|| On the Other Side of Things

Delia couldn't stand to see her beloved break down in tears over HIS own mother's (Lydia's grandmother's) death. She had only met him and Lydia after Emily had died and therefore had not known if Lydia reacted the exact same way to her mother's death as Charles was to his. She dared not to question, at least not yet, as she knew he would just tear up even more as he tried to recompose himself.

Charles was strong. He had to get through this. Now he knew exactly how Lydia felt when she received the news of her mother's death from him. He became worried he was going to slip back into his old state and hide his sadness. He looked over at Delia and she motioned for him to sit down next to her. Once he did, she rested her arm around his shoulder and placed her other hand on his heart.

"I-," the male began but Delia simply smiled, cutting him off.

"Charles," she said, the way she said it reminding him of Emily. Memory upon memory of his first wife drifted through his head. Her wavy blonde hair, her warm, brown eyes, her warm smile. He missed it all, yet he felt like her spirit was all around him. Delia made him laugh in a way similar to how Emily used to. Perhaps that was one of the reasons why he fell in love with Delia in the first place. "Charles, how're you taking this?" Delia continued, noting that he had remained silent for a few.

"I'm fine. It's fine..." He broke down in tears again and Delia lifted his head up so that he was looking her in the eyes. "Just... trying my best to move on. I'll still think about her but I think it's best I move on from this. It will still hurt so much and I'll miss her, but how do you think Lydia will react?"

He dreaded the answer yet a question like that made Delia fall silent.

Charles continued, "when we lost Emily to cancer, Lydia took it the hardest out of the both of us. Hid in her room for a whole two months. I would see her leave her room during that period but it was rare."

Delia placed a hand on his shoulder and he put his own hand on top of it.

"By the way," he continued, "have you heard from Lydia?"

Delia looked down at her phone, careful not to break a piece off of its crystal case. "Oh... oh yeah! She wants to know if the Maitlands can come along with her and Betelgeuse when they come up to New York. Says Betelgeuse is saying there's a way the Maitlands can leave the house. Doesn't say what it is though."

"I don't know if that's a good idea," he had to say, taking out his phone. "I'm gonna give her a call."

He dialed his daughter's phone number and his phone rang six times before Lydia finally picked up (she liked to do that as a joke. He wasn't sure why, but he knew she found it funny to do).

"Hey, Lydia, sweetheart," he said, his voice sounding serious.

"Dad," was her reply. "You don't call me unless it's something serious. Is it something serious? Is something wrong?"

He could hear her being tackled to the floor on the other end and the bout of giggles that followed indicated to him that she and the Maitlands were having way too much fun (not that he minded, that was. He and Delia were used to hearing how much fun Lydia had with the Maitlands when they were out on the weekends.

"It's just... do you think it's really a good idea to let the Maitlands come up as well," he had to say, biting his lower lip.

"Of course! Why not?"

"What if the house is sold to someone else?"

Lydia became silent for a second then spoke up again, "Barbara says we can just leave all the lights on in the house to make people believe there are others living in it. That ought to fool 'em."

"No, Lydia," was her dad's strict reply. He let out a sigh and Lydia suppressed a giggle.

"Adam says he, Barbara, and Betelgeuse can create the haunting effect of people walking around the house to make people believe the house is still occupied."

"Lydi-."

"Betelgeuse says he wants to burn the house down. Is that appropriate or-?"

"LYDIA!!!" her dad furiously shouted, causing other patients and some nurses and doctors to stare at him worriedly. Lydia's end of the line suddenly became quiet and Charles began to calm down. "Lydia... I'm sorry..." he finally said, after a few minutes of silence.

"It's okay, dad, all is forgiven. We'll meet up with you soon. Betelgeuse's got to see if the Maitlands can leave the house holding onto him first. It won't take long. Then Betelgeuse is going to teleport the four of us up to the hospital where you and Delia are. Can you have Delia text me the address so I can tell Beej which hospital to teleport us to?" said Lydia.

"Got it! Bye, Lydia, sweetheart," he said.

"Bye, dad," she said.

He hung up the phone and turned to Delia, motioning for her to text Lydia the address. As she did so, Charles went over and sat back down, leaning his head against her shoulder and falling asleep - much like he used to do back when Emily was still alive.