A/N: I own nothing the song belongs to Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, and the characters to Stephen Sondheim and Warner bros and Tim Burton.
Pre-Sweeney Todd, Benjamin confronts Nellie about the way Albert treats her. After Ben is living above but before he's married to Lucy.
"Nellie?" Ben poked his head around the corner of the pie shop "Nellie, are you there?" he asked cautiously walking into the empty pie shop, or at least seemingly empty.
Ben heard a noise, it sounded like someone was crying. Ben walked around trying to find the source, only to find what he never wished to see. Nellie Lovett was curled up in the corner; knees tucked up against her chest, tears streaming down her face, and what appeared to be a new bruise on her jaw.
"Nellie?" asked Ben trying to get her attention. She looked up at him with her watery eyes surprised.
"Oh hello Benjamin." She said standing up slowly and wiping the tears from her eyes. "What brought you down here today?" she asked trying to make casual conversation, avoiding his gaze.
"Nellie what happened?" he asked lifting her chin up making her look at his face. "Your jaw."
"I fell." She answered quickly "I had spilled some water and I slipped." She said trying to convince him of her faulty lie
"What was the water for?"
"I was cleaning." She said. Ben looked around at the pie shop, there were cobwebs, and dust was everywhere.
"No offense Nellie, but this place is a pigsty; what happened to you?"
"Nothing, it's no big deal I swear." She tried to walk by him only to fall down on the floor
"Nellie." He kneeled down next to her. "Are you okay, what happened?"
"No-thing." She answered annoyed by her friend. She tried to stand up but found it hard to do so. Instinctively her hand flew to her side and she hissed in pain. Shit she thought to herself. She didn't want Benjamin to see her like this.
"Nellie." His voice was gentle. "Let me see that." He grabbed her hand. Gently he lifted her hand. When the flesh was uncovered what he saw was worse than any bruise; there was a gash the size of a fist, it looked as if someone had tried to stab her. "Nellie you have to tell someone, if you don't he's going to kill you." He said staring at her face
"It's nothing I swear Benjamin, it doesn't even hurt anymore." She said with a brave look on her face. Ben gently brushed his fingers across the gash to receive a hiss of pain from the baker. "See, I can't even feel it."
Ben stood up and sat Nellie down on the booth as he paced back and forth in front of her.
"Benjamin, please say something." She begged "It's not like you to be quiet please tell me what you're thinking." Ben stopped his pacing and turned towards Nellie.
Hey girl you know you drive me crazy
One walk puts the rhythm in my head
Still I'll never understand why you hang around
I see what's going down
He sang pointing to the bruise on her jaw line
Cover up with make up in the mirror
Tell yourself it's never gonna happen again
You cry alone and then he swears he loves you
"Please Ben I don't want any trouble, just let it be." She begged him and as if on cue Albert chose this time to walk into the pie shop.
"What the hell is going on here?" he demanded to Nellie only to be answered by a steaming Barber.
Do you feel like a man
When you push her around
Do you feel better now
As she falls to the ground
Ben gave the butcher a hard shove.
Well I'll tell you my friend
One day this world's going to end
As your lies crumble down
A new life she has found
A pebble in the water makes a ripple effect
Every action in this world bear a consequence
If you wait around forever you will surely drown
I see what's going down
"I know what you do to her Albert, and I'm going to make you stop." He said with a menacing look in his eyes
I see the way you go and say you're right again
Say you're right again
Hear my lecture
"Foolish barber." Chuckled Albert and he tried to walk out of the shop only to have Ben block his way
Do you feel like a man
When you push her around
Do you feel better now
As she falls to the ground
Well I'll tell you my friend
One day this world's going to end
As your lies crumble down
A new life she has found
"She deserves it, she brings it on herself." Sneered Albert
"She deserves none of it! You're the one who deserves it, you filthy son of a" he was interrupted by a punch to the side of the face from Albert. As he fell he heard Nellie scream.
"Please leave him alone." She pleaded but Ben didn't mind in fact he had a new sense of power to him. He stood up firm and looked Albert straight in the face.
Face down in the dirt
She said this doesn't hurt
She said I finally had enough
Face down in the dirt
She said this doesn't hurt
She said I finally had enough
He wiped a trickle of blood from the side of his mouth
One day she will tell you that she has had enough
It's coming round again
With his new-found strength Ben punched Albert straight in the face and he stumbled backwards onto the ground, blood gushing from his nose.
Do you feel like a man
When you push her around
Do you feel better now
As she falls to the ground
Well I'll tell you my friend
One day this worlds going to end
As your lies crumble down
A new life she has found
"We're leaving Albert, and we're not coming back." He stated and walked out of the shop Nellie at his side. "Come on Nellie we're going to start anew, you never have to go there again; I swear I will never let anything ever hurt you." He said looking at her pained and battered face.
"Okay, but where do we go?" she asked timidly
"By the sea." He stated a small smile on his face
"The beautiful sea?"
"The beautiful sea." He looked at her "as beautiful as you." He added placing a gentle kiss on her lips. The two were both beaming when they broke apart. Together they left the shop. The never looked back and spent the rest of their lives together by the beautiful sea.
A/N: Tell me if I suck. Criticism welcomed. I didn't like that much but the song fits perfectly.