Author's Note: I'm so hyped for April 1st (Sweeney Todd released on DVD!) that I just keep writing, This fic is inspired by a movie poster. The poster has Mrs. Lovett on it and it says, "Mrs. Lovett Driven By Love." And as I thought of what it said, it made sense. I mean, she kept Ben's razors because she believed that he'd be back. And she loved him. And then she let Toby stay and later she saw him as a son. So this fic is one-sided Sweenett with her doing things for Mr. T. Read and review. Enjoy!
Everything that Nellie Lovett did, she did for him. Oh how she wished that he'd notice her. She thought of the plan with Pirelli so he would notice how smart she was. In all candor she hated how he mourned over Lucy. Sure Lucy was dead, at least the virtuous part of Lucy was. But that didn't mean he had to mop about, sulking in his shop for days at a time. Everything Mrs. Lovett did she did for love. She was driven by love, she did it for love. She loved him with all her heart. She always had. Even when he was Benjamin Barker, married to Lucy, Mrs. Lovett loved him. Even before her poor Albert, God bless his soul, died she had loved him. When he was sent away on that foolish charge, and Lucy poisoned herself with that arsenic, Nellie kept the razors upstairs under the floorboard. All those years, those fifteen years, she had kept his precious friends hidden from the blasted judge. She hid them because she loved him. Nellie prayed every night, prayed that he would come back. Always she had prayed that he'd come back, get over the loss of his virtuous wife, and move on to her. Then they'd get married and live by the sea.
But no. Fifteen years pass and he comes back melancholy, mourning over the loss of his whore of a wife. Fifteen years had changed Lucy too, Mrs. Lovett knew. As much as she hated Mrs. Barker, Nellie had to admit that she was pretty. But those fifteen years had changed that. She wasn't a virtuous, beautiful woman anymore. She was an ugly whore. Nellie felt contrite, being so blunt. But it was true. Lucy was just another beggar woman on the street who'd do anything for alms. So Nellie just had to pray that he'd move on soon.
No matter what he wanted her to do, she did it. If he asked to wash his shirts, rid them of the blood stains, she did it. She was driven by her love, by her infatuation with him, that she did it. She loved it. Nellie loved washing his shirts, cleaning the blood off his shirts. Just to hold something that he would wear…she loved it.
Nellie wanted him to fall in love with her. She wanted to have a family with him. That's why she kept Toby. Sure she loved the boy, love had driven her to keep him. But she also kept him to feel like a family with Mr. Todd. Her plan worked somewhat, although Mr. Todd rarely came down to the pie shop. But that one magical day that they went for a picnic they actually did feel like a family. It was nice for her, knowing that in some strange way they were a family. The barber, the baker, and the boy.
Nellie even kept his terrible secrets to herself. She never told a single soul who he really was or what he really did. But then again if she did tell what he did to all the poor gentlemen she'd loose business also. So she had to keep his secret. Even if she didn't have to she would because her love for him drives her.
Poor Toby. The poor boy had been through so much with Pirelli that Mrs. Lovett felt obliged to adopt him as her son. And she loved the boy with all her heart. She did everything for him also. Toby was another reason she didn't tell anyone about Mr. T.'s killings. The killings were bringing her good meat for her pies, and the pies were bringing in good money for her and Toby. Nellie had to keep Mr. Todd's secret to take care of Toby. She didn't want the poor boy to have to worry about money. He has been through enough already in his short life. Nellie didn't want him to worry. She wanted him to be happy. Just like she wanted Mr. Todd to be happy.
There was always one thing lingering in the back of her mind. What would happen when Mr. T. killed the judge? Then what would they do? Would he continue to kill, giving Mrs. Lovett more business? Or would he stop killing, his revenged settled, and fall in love with Nellie?
Secretly Mrs. Lovett hoped it was the latter. Then they could get married and live by the sea like she always dreamed. But then that left the question of the pie shop. What would happen to it? It was her home. It had been her home for many years. But she always wanted to live by the sea. Mrs. Lovett would have to choose when the time came, she guessed.
What if he stopped killing but they stayed in London? She'd surely have to get rid of Lucy. Give her more arsenic, maybe. She just never wanted to lose Mr. Todd. If Nellie wanted to have Mr. Todd to herself she'd have to get rid of Lucy. There was no other way it could be done. That's just what she had to do. Love had to kill Lucy. If she truly loved Mr. T. she'd have to kill Lucy. Love drove Mrs. Lovett to do everything. That was the truth. No matter what happened Mrs. Lovett was driven by love to do what she thought was best for both Mr. Todd and Toby. She was driven by love to do what was best for her two favourite men. Her family.