A/N: My first shot at a Sweeney story so I'm a little nervous. All the Sweeney fics are all so great so I have a lot to work up to. I'll try my best. :)

The baker awoke to the enticing aroma of crisping toast from the kitchen. She rolled over to find the barber still in a peaceful slumber after the previous night's "play". She realized his sleep was the only time she ever sees him at peace. Nellie gently kissed Sweeney Todd on the cheek before heading downstairs to the shop. There she found young Toby making a nice toast breakfast for the three of them.

"Morning, Mum," he said, focus still lingering on the now partly burnt toast.

"'Ello, love," she said sleepily while kissing him on the back of the head. " What's this you're makin'?"

" Oh, just some breakfast for you and Mr. Todd. Is he up yet?", Toby questioned.

"Should be getting up soon. There's pies to be baked and men to be shaved. I'll go and wake him while you stay here and enjoy this nice breakfast, alright?"

"Yes, mum...", the boy answer with a mouth already half full.

She chuckled at her foster son while she made her way upstairs to the bedroom.

"Mr. T? Mr. T, breakfast's on the table." she whispered while entering the dark room.

"Yes, yes, coming my love.", he appeared fully dressed from the closet.

"Ooh Mr. T! I thought you'd 'ave been sleepin till tomorrow! Come now, love. The boy fixed us up a nice little breakfast."

The pair made their way downstairs and ate their breakfast. Mrs. Lovett and the boy cleaned up while Mr. Todd made his way up to his barber shop to start the day's usual vengeful thinking: Judge, Lucy, Johanna, Beadle. Judge, Lucy Johanna, Beadle. And over and over again.

The only thing that seemed to calm the murderous barber was the blood of his customers spraying about the parlor. Sweeney Todd sometimes wondered whether or not he should feel guilty murdering innocent men. 'Benjamin Barker would never harm a fly.', he often thought. 'No. Benjamin Barker is dead. Sweeney Todd doesn't know guilt.'

To sustain his revenge-driven thoughts until the next customer arrived, Todd repeated what came to become his motto in a way: "There's a hole in the world like a great black pit and it's filled with people who are filled with shit and the vermin of the world inhabit it." It was this or "They all deserve to die." These were the words that drove the thoughts of guilt out of his mind.

Todd pressed the pedal and down slid his unfortunate victim. He kept the trap door open until the sound of the ever familiar cracking of the neck was heard downstairs. A demonic grin came over his face every time he heard this soothing sound. But this time he couldn't help but feel a little guilty. "There's a hole in the world like a great black pit..." he sang to himself, trying to scare the guilt away.

The man was confused. Never had he felt any sort of compassion for his customers as they slid to their deaths. Why now, as he is slaying what is probably his hundredth victim, did he feel this way? 'Could it be?', he pondered. Mrs. Lovett. Her sensitivity was rubbing off on him. "Ladies and their sensitivities...", he grumbled to himself.

He had grown quite fond of his lady friend. He enjoyed their playful nights together. She would tuck the boy into bed and make her way to the bedroom where they would enjoy each other's company till they woke the next morning.

Little by little, Sweeney Todd was coming to terms with his feeling for his accomplice. He didn't love her. Of course, not. Love doesn't exist. Not to Sweeney Todd. Or did it? He already knew she was beautiful. There was no question in that. But love? No, love only exists in Lucy. But Nellie is so beautiful. These contradicting thoughts tormented the barber worse than any torture bestowed upon him in Australia.

"Mr. T? Dinner's ready.", Mrs. Lovett broke his thoughts.

"Yes, yes. Coming my love..."

Love?

A/N: Good start I think. I know where I want this to go. It'll get more interesting and have a plot but this is a good way to start it. Please R&R. :)