Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett (secretly Mrs.Todd - Don't tell Stephen S.)
Don't belong to me.
I've decided to put all my one shots together.
Some are from Nellie's view and others from Sweeney's
Enjoy...
The door reflected her face, it's startled look alien to her. However she'd never bothered to wonder what she looked like after he kicked her out, normally. So this was not as distressing as it had been weeks ago, with a deep sigh and several dress straightening motions, she made her dreary descent. Realizing not for the first time how selfish she was.
Later that night, she turned on her side. Unable to sleep and facing the dark night, time seemed to fly backwards. Flashing in rhythm with the lighting illuminating her window. Memories spilled forth, sleep overtaking her and muting the boot heels clicking above.
As a girl she had admired hair. They way it could move and be shaped but nothing fascinated her as much as color. Her own hair had been a great disappointment, not red not brown but some dingy color in between. She'd made due after all it was her hair but how she envied other girls.
One in particular, one with pretty yellow hair. It looked like spun gold in the sunshine and curled in ways her own could only dream of but never achieve. So began the tale of her selfishness, she offered the little goddess her broken locket for a lock of gold. Little Lucy hadn't cared, the locket was worth far more than the lock and she could discern the difference. So Nellie gave up a prized possession for nothing in return. Her first Act.
Years passed and both girls grew beautiful, but Nellie never did learn how to curb her desires. Young Lucy went to visit her and had ended up interrupting a nice chat between herself and a local barber.
Lucy had arrived at the shop earlier that expected, screaming like a banshee. Her pale hair mussed and remains of what had once been a very elegant purse. She screamed to all who would hear that she'd been attacked, her goods stolen.
Nellie's parents worried for the safety of their daughter on regular errands to the market, discontinued the practice. Nellie knew she would never see her young barber otherwise so she committed her second act of selfishness. She invited Lucy to walk with her.
After their marriage, Nellie immersed herself in baking. Preferring to pound out her sorrow onto the bread, rather that her pillow. Which made it possible to be noticed by one, Albert Lovett. Her third act began. Without loving the man, she married him. He owned a shop in Fleet Street, a few blocks were her barber had his own home. Her third possession, freedom was sacrificed for a glimpse of chestnut waves that belonged to Benjamin Barker.
Nellie had resigned her life to a fat, violent man who cared little for her. Happy in the knowledge that Benjamin would come once a week to savor one of her jelly biscuits. He would pop in for a few minutes, chat her up and smile in delight at whatever new flavor she tried. These biscuits were not sold and unbeknownst to Benjamin she made enough only for him.
He would have it with breathtaking slowness, allowing the jam to sit on his tongue. Nellie did wonder how she managed not to pass out from lack of air, when he did this. His hat covering that lovely hair, he would wave and take what little sunshine was in her life. Her fourth act complete.
Some more months passed and he stopped coming into the shop, he was always so hurried. Sometimes he would wave as he passed by but most times he wouldn't. Then news came Lucy's parents had died in a carriage accident, Lucy herself had come to Nellie.
Lucy had confided in great shame, that her parent's had owed a large sum of money. Even now creditors were at her door. Her home was sold to pay off the debts as it had not yet been changed to Lucy and her family. Lucy remembered Nellie's compulsions, she had always had a suspicion why Ben always came home smelling of bread and fruit.
So since Lucy could discern the difference between a valuable gold necklace and a piece of hair. Nellie followed her heart and committed her fifth act. She let them have the room above her bakeshop for less than half what it was worth.
She was rewarded with a severe beating much worse than the others. Her illusions handed over for the haven of Benjamin's arms for a few precious minutes.
Two years later Albert met his heavenly reward, Nellie regained her freedom. Lucy all too aware of the nature of men especially near pretty women, forbade Benjamin to socialize with their lovely landlady.
Nellie continued in the same existence, basking in her role of helper. Lucy would complain of headaches and stomach illness. Nellie cleaned up the room and made dinner, always ignoring the fact that she was helping mend Benjamin's shirts more and more often.
It was then that Lucy took her last precious possession, she informed her that she was with child. Nellie handed over her very person, ignored her shop. Only waiting until she could glimpse Benjamin from her window. Once she knew he was home she would flee to cry in her own rooms.
It was one of those times, that disoriented she had opened the door without bothering to see who it was. He had actually raised his voice to her, but it was a gentle reprimand for her. He feared for her safety as a women alone, so he sat with her and they chatted like all those days long gone.
She rose and handed him a strawberry tart.
He smiled and pecked her cheek, "My angel" he called her and left.
That would get her through the morning until he was taken to Australia the next day. For ten years she took care of Lucy, giving up every night as Lucy's mad ravings kept her awake. Her every morning taken with the daily struggle of keeping Lucy calm as she screamed for her husband and child.
Nellie finally gave up what was left of her spirit getting nothing in return but the memories of Benjamin's departure, no longer thinking of his return. She had accompanied Lucy, the poor thing had been unable to do anything more but cry.
In her sixth act, she had gone to help her friend but in reality had wanted any opportunity to engrave every last detail of his person in her mind's eye, for her to pull up on cold London nights.
She had begun to escort Lucy back but Benjamin had grabbed hold of her hand. His strong thin fingers placing the care of his wife into her pale hands. Her seventh act consisted of this promise and he received her love, leaving it behind him on the dock.
Her world had come full circle, Benjamin had not returned but there was darker man in his stead. A man who was his dark twin, a man named Sweeney Todd, who had no memory of the sweet baker he had once called his angel. He unlike Benjamin exploited her love, picking it up on his boot heels and dragging it through all of London, making it unrecognizable.
Nellie committed her final and eighth act, she gave him her soul. Cleaning up for him, feeding him and most importantly helping him fulfill his revenge. Her pride tattered, she waited on his, endured his bouts of madness for the most worthless of all her bargains. A fleeting tender look that lasted no longer than a blink.
Suddenly and roughly she was shoved against the wall. The spell of her dreams and memories broken by the contact of another.
Blearily she was forced to recognize that the bed was dipping with a new weight. Without any finesse or thought for her, she was mashed against a cold body.
She lay still unsure of how to proceed. His breathing evened and she slowly turned to face the harsh lines of the man next to her. He lay on his back, his face taunt with horror even in sleep, she smoothed the tension between his eyebrows.
In her mind, his face was transformed and flushed with color. The ghostlike white mixing with the coal black hair and morphing into the lush wavy chestnut she remembered.
Nellie began to wrap her arm around his middle, but he froze and shoved her away from him. "Don't. Touch. Me." he growled, his body repositioning so only his heavily clothed back was facing her.
She swallowed the lump in her throat, her tears muffled by the pillow. Her gaze fixed on the patched wall, imagining a baker and barker eating hot honey currant pies in an old shop nowhere near fleet street.
Her reverie was broken as he lashed out forcing a squeak out her. At first she thought he might be in a struggle with a nightmare. Closer inspection surprised her, 'es reaching out for me.' She turned to the ceiling in wonder, 'at least that's what you hope,' a tiny voice remarked, wanting to remind her of his wife.
That last thought floating in her mind, she allowed him to drag her to him, his body soaking the warmth leaving her empty and alone but with him beside her.
Sleep claiming her a second time, his body pressed intimately against her. She was softly falling into slumber when his breath of warm air fanned her ear. "My angel." A great smile graced her face.
Yes, Nellie Lovett had never learned to curve her selfishness.
