A/N: I've become obsessed with Sweeney Todd and decided to write a story about it. This is basically a one-shot describing what was going through Sweeney's head once he realized that the beggar woman he had murdered had been his wife.
Disclaimer: I do not own Sweeney Todd.
The Earth seemed to shatter beneath his feet. The open furnace cast a sliver of light onto the pale face of the beggar woman whom he had murdered without a second thought. She lay motionless on the ground, blood seeping from her neck. She looked familiar . . . . No. It couldn't be . . . . What had he done?
He began to walk slowly toward the body, a frightened expression on his face. He kneeled down, hesitated for the space of a heartbeat, and gently pushed back the dirty blonde hair obscuring her face. He felt his pulse quicken and he could hear his heart racing in his ears. No . . . . He did not . . . . He grabbed her shoulder and slowly turned her onto her back. His face hardened and he continued to stare at her for several seconds. There was no mistaking that face. How could he ever forget that face?
She was his Lucy.
"'Don't I know you?' she said," he mumbled.
As this revelation dawned upon him, he suddenly realized that she had lied. Mrs. Lovett had lied to him. Lucy had not died. He did not remove his eyes from her as he spoke,
"You knew she lived," he muttered angrily.
"I was only thinking of you," she said sadly, on the verge of tears
He finally looked up at her angrily as she watched him fearfully. "You lied to me," he said furiously.
"No, no, not lied at all. No I never lied," she sang softly.
"Lucy . . . ," he muttered as he looked back down at her, gently caressing her arm.
"I said she took the poison, never said that she died."
"I've come home again."
"Poor thing! She lived but it left her weak in the head. All she did for months was just lie there in bed."
"Lucy . . . ."
"Should've been in a hospital, wound up in bed. Loon instead. Poor thing!"
"Oh my god . . . ."
"Better you should think that she's dead. Yes, I lied. 'Cause I love you!"
Sweeney slowly stood up, his eyes lingering on the form of his Lucy. Finally realizing what it is that he had just done.
"Lucy . . . ."
"I'd be twice the way she was! I love you!
"What have I done?"
"For I think I care why you like me."
Suddenly, he turned around to face her, a strange expression on his face as he began to step closer to the fearful Mrs. Lovett. With each step forward that he took, she took one step back.
"Mrs. Lovett, you're a bloody wonder! Eminently practical yet appropriate as always. As you've said repeatedly, there's little point in dwelling on the past! Do come here, my love."
He outstretched his arms, the blade still in his hand, coaxing the woman to approach him.
"Think a minute," she said fearfully, shaking her head in desperation. "Everything I did, I swear it was only for the best. Believe me.
"Not a thing to fear, my love. What's dead is dead!"
"Can we still get married?" she said finally succumbing to his allure and eagerly accepting his embrace. They began to dance.
"The history of the world, my pet--"
"Oh Mr. Todd, oh Mr. Todd. Leave it to me."
"Is learn forgiveness and try to forget!"
Mrs. Lovett, in her happiness, did not seem to notice that as they danced, they were edging closer to the furnace.
"By the sea, Mr. Todd, we'll be comfy cozy. By the sea, Mr. Todd, where there's no one who knows us."
"And life is for the alive, my dear. So let's keep living it!"
"Just keep living it!" they both sang.
"Really living it!" he shouted angrily.
Suddenly, he pushed Mrs. Lovett from him and into the open furnace. She knocked over the tin trays in the process and began to scream awfully as the flames began to overwhelm her. She flailed her arms wildly as her hair was immediately burned to a crisp and her skin began to turn a sickening black. Sweeney quickly shut the door and sealed the lock to prevent her from escaping. He calmly looked into the furnace through the tiny window and reveled at the sight of her burning carcass which no longer elicited horrible screams. He shut the window and turned to look at the body of his deceased wife.
He began to walk towards her and stared at her for a few moments before he kneeled down once again by her side, dropping his blade indifferently onto the ground. He gently gathered her into his arms and stared at her devastatingly. In his haste to take his revenge, he had coldly murdered the love of his life. His thirst for revenge had deprived him of his senses and had destroyed what little remained of his life. Mrs. Lovett had said that Lucy had indeed taken poison, but had not died. The poison had merely caused her to go insane, as was apparent by her previous behavior. However, before he had killed her (he shuddered at the thought) she had said that he seemed familiar.
The memory seemed to obliterate what was left of his bleeding heart.
"There was a barber and his wife, and she was beautiful," he began to sing softly. So consumed in his grief was he, that he did notice the boy, Tobias standing behind him. Nor that the child held his 'friend' in his hand, staring at him hatefully. "A foolish barber and his wife, and she was beautiful . . . and she was virtuous . . . and he was . . . ." he trailed off. He lifted his head and stared blankly at the opposite wall.
Tobias quickly passed the blade across the man's neck, with hatred embedded deep in his dark eyes. Sweeney let out an inaudible gasp as he felt the cool blade run across his throat. Blood immediately began to spurt from the wound. His vision quickly began to blur and as the darkness began to engulf him in its grasp he fell into blissful oblivion.
A/N: Well I hoped you like it. Leave a review! All you have to do is press that cute little purplish button on the button.