This story is my attempt to marry the movie and musical versions. ENJOY!
Gin and Smiles
"Little things wot I've been thinking and wondering about . . . It's him, you see …" Toby cast a fearful glance to the stairs "Mr. TODD. Oh, I know you fancy him, but men ain't like women! They ain't wot you can trust, as I've lived and learned!
And Toby had learned… that was why he had to make Mrs. Lovett understand.
He remembered sleeping on the streets, huddled next to his mates for warmth when they were approached by a right gentleman, top hat and all.
"Oi! Boys! How would like someplace warm to sleep for the night. Some food also and maybe in the morning we can find work for you." It sounded too good to be true. So they went with the gentleman and found out that it was once they ended up in the workhouse, working eighteen hours out of the day with scraps to eat and only the wooden walls to keep out the wind and cold.
Men will smile as they lie to ya, Toby had noticed that Mr. Todd seldom laughed but he often smiled, like he was planning something wicked and you weren't to know what just yet. Mr. Todd smiled like the foreman at the workhouse would, when he'd tell Toby "Good Job." Then he'd come to him at night. And it was all hands where he didn't want to be touched and "say one word and it's out on the streets for ya!" The he'd be left with his Gin. Gin was for sleep and sleep was for forgetting. If he could forget then maybe he wouldn't get that sick feeling when he bought food with the few extra pence that paid for his body and silence.
Smile like Pirelli selling that piss-water tonic to the unsuspecting punters. Pirelli, who'd come to the workhouse looking for someone to work for him. "Come, Bambino, I will teach-a you a trade." Toby thought salvation had come. Until working for Pirelli became just a stream of kicks, punches, curses and nicks with the razor. No matter how hard he worked, there was always something he did wrong that would give Pirelli a reason to punish him. Until the day Pirelli met with Mr. Todd and disappeared.
Toby shuddered. That was his experience with men. The only women he'd really gotten to know were his mother, before she died of course, and Mrs. Lovett. They were both the same. Call him affectionate nicknames like "dearie" and give him treats for being good and punish him only when he was really bad. Women were gentle and not devious like men. That was why he had to protect her! What kind of man would he be if he didn't? Especially with that Mr. Todd around…
But Mrs. Lovett just gave him a kind smile and he threw his arms around her.
He won't hurt you. Toby thought, He won't. Not while I'm around.