A/N: Yay, my first Sweeney Todd fic! I hope you guys like it, but feel free to tell me I'm out of my element here! PLEASE REVIEW!

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet

To Clear Things Up: Bold Italics are songs; Takes place after business starts heating up in Mrs. Lovett's pie shop with Mr. Todd practicing his revenge that he will soon have on the judge.

Mrs. Lovett hated lying to Mr. Todd but she had no choice. That bloody beggar woman Lucy, who wasn't even his Lucy, had been poking around near the shop and she did not want her lie blowing up in her face. No, Mr. Todd could not find out about Lucy.

About how she sold herself on the streets. About how she abandoned her child. Their child.

Mr. Todd had said he needed Mrs. Lovett in his life… but perhaps it was because she kept his secret. After all, he was always so cruel and cold to her. But he was like that to everyone. But especially to her. Perhaps that was a good thing… he didn't act indifferently towards her, but rather more emotionally towards her.

Once again, she was going upstairs to bring her darling Mr. T some food and, though he never ate it, it was an opportunity for her to see him.

When she walked in, she caught him sitting in his own barber's chair looking at that wretched picture of his girls. She could understand his grief over Johanna, the lovely little girl Mrs. Lovett had the pleasure to take care of when Lucy had first gone barking mad. But she could not understand how he could still be mourning that wretched, good-for-nothing woman who only acted angelic to get Benjamin Barker's attention. She had acted so innocent back then…

But she was far from innocent. She was selfish, and cunning, and devious. But mostly selfish. She cared for no one but herself. Now, she was crazy. And she deserved her fate of begging in the streets.

Mrs. Lovett had always been herself around Benjamin and, even with his rather drastic changes as Mr. T, she stood by him. She stuck by his side. He just never noticed because he was too caught up in Lucy this, Lucy that. Judge Turpin, the Beadle.

Never Mrs. Lovett. And never Nellie. Because she didn't have yellow hair like his precious Lucy. Putting on a cheery cheerful smile, she placed the tray of food on the table and looked at him, concernedly.

"Mr. T? Are you alright?"

"Yes, Mrs. Lovett."

"Can I tell you something, Love? Something personal?"



"Of course, Mrs. Lovett." He said in his usual, annoyed tone of voice.

"Let 'em go." She said nonchalantly

"What?"

"Well, let 'er go. Johanna's still alive, you can still get 'er back… but Lu… your wife's gone, Mr. T. She's gone. Perhaps it's best you just let 'er go. Stop worryin' yourself like this. It's not healthy, it's not."

"I don't believe I asked you, Mrs. Lovett, who I should worry about."

"Do ye worry 'bout me?"

"No." he said coldly.

She blinked a few times, and held back the tears, for she was a strong woman. Unlike that damn Lucy, who cried day and night, unable to control her bloody self.

Mrs. Lovett walked to his box of razors and grabbed the largest one, his best friend. She held it to her neck, threateningly, and looked him in the eye. It took him a minute to process what was happening but then he jumped out of his chair and looked at her, worriedly.

"What are you doing?" he shouted.

"If ye don't care 'bout me, ye shouldn't worry." She spit back, coldly.

"Mrs. Lovett, put it down." He ordered.

"No. I mean nothin' to ye. All I'm good for s'keepin' secrets and makin' pies, isn't it? Well, ye can do that on yer own, I gather."

"Mrs. Lovett… don't…"

"Why not? Yer Lucy did! And ye think of 'er more than ye do of me. And I'm here, Mr. T! I'm right here, I've always been right here! So maybe… maybe if I'm gone, ye'll think of me. Ye'll look at a picture of me day in and day out, wishin' ye could've done somethin' to stop me, to protect me. Or maybe… ye'll just rejoice that I'm out of your life."

"Nellie…" he said, immediately regretting it. He never called her that. Never.

"What did you just say?"

"Nellie. Don't do it. I would miss… you. I would." He muttered awkwardly.

Mrs. Lovett put the razor down, gave him a triumphant smile and went down again, leaving him speechless.

He'll be thinkin' of me, yet, she thought to herself. But then his thoughts would go back to Lucy. If only he knew how the arsenic had made her crazy. She didn't even remember who she was, that she had a daughter and husband. She didn't remember anything. And it was time Mr. T forgot as well. Or at least, moved on.

Mr. Todd looked back at Lucy and Johanna's picture and, surprisingly, felt less pain than he had when Mrs. Lovett threatened to take her life. He really did care for her… not that he would admit it, though. Bloody woman would run around the entire city, shouting it to the world.



Those thoughts made him feel like he was betraying his Lucy. He tried to remember her smile, her eyes, something. Anything. But he found he couldn't.

Mrs. Lovett's features always seemed to find a way into his mind before he could picture it clearly. And when he thought of her, he almost forgot about revenge and blood and the bloody judge. Almost.

How he hated the bloody woman, for entering his thoughts, taking Lucy's place in his mind. He would never let that happen.

With that, Mr. Todd did something he had never done in the time he had been back. He ate Mrs. Lovett's food.

Reluctantly, he brought down the tray into her shop and set it on the table, making a clanking noise that startled Mrs. Lovett who was cleaning up after a busy day in her pie shop.

"Oi! Oh, it's jus' you, Mr. T. Had me worried there, for a moment. What's goin' on?"

"It was delicious, Mrs. Lovett." He said, monotone, avoiding eye contact.

She frowned when he called her by her last name. She thought she had made progress with him, but perhaps she got too carried away. Then she remembered what he was talking about. He ate the food! Her food that she had made for him.

"You ate! Goodness, Mr. T, now that's a bloody miracle." She said, cheerfully.

He just muttered something of indifference and started to leave the shop when Mrs. Lovett put her hand on his shoulder, which he quickly shoved off.

"What is it?" he asked, harshly.

"Well, Mr. T, I… wanted to say I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For that little stunt up there. I didn't mean it, I didn't. I jus' wanted to see if ye cared, s'all."

"And what conclusion did you come to, Mrs. Lovett?"

"That I'll never be as important as her." She muttered under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothin', Love. I'm just tired. Maybe ye could get some sleep as well, instead of pacin' up there all night."

"You never answered the question."

"What question?" she asked, stalling in whatever way she could, to keep him down there with her, even if for just a moment longer.

Her response sparked something in him and, within seconds, he had her pinned up against the wall, his breath hot on her cool, now rosy cheek. Sure, it wasn't under the most 

romantic of circumstances, but his body was pressed to hers, making her feel positively wonderful. Fear did not once cross her mind as he menacingly stared her down.

All she could think about was their closeness. And the fact that he was careful not to clam her head into the wall did not go unnoticed.

"Don't play games with me, my pet." He growled, huskily.

"I…" she began.

"I don't know what you think you're doing, but keep it up, Mrs. Lovett, and you may end up on your very own menu."

"Sorry, Mr. T. Jus' tryin' to lighten the mood."

"Oh, believe me. The mood will be lightened once Turpin's gone. That's all that matters to me."

"Of course, Mr. T." she said, sadly.

Without a word, he left the shop and went back upstairs. She looked at the door, pensively, and, with a single tear rolling down her cheek, she whispered softly.

"Goodnight, Mr. T. Sweet dreams, my love."

Mr. T couldn't hear, but little Toby did. And he walked in, walking straight to Mrs. Lovett, who gave him a tight hug.

"Toby, Dear, what are you doin' up? You should be sleepin', don't you know."

"I know, Mum. But I heard voices."

"Voices? Oh well, that was jus' Mr. T and I."

"You really like him, don't you, Mum?"

"Well, I… of course I do, Love. He's a good… friend."

"But you want him to be more, right?"

"That's enough now, Toby. Mr. T and I are just friends. Go back to sleep."

Defeated, Toby went back to his room and back to sleep.

"Just friends." Mrs. Lovett scoffed to herself, ironically, as she cleaned the dishes. "S'all we are, s'all we'll ever be."

Meanwhile, Mr. T was upstairs, cleaning his razors. He would get Judge Turpin, one way or another. And he would set free his Johanna. All of the day's careful planning resulted in unwanted fatigue and Mr. T went to his makeshift bed and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

And he dreamed… of her.

Mr. T walked over to her and brushed the hair from her face. Her beautiful, timeless face. She smiled and leaned into his touch, teasing him with her big, brown eyes. Oh, how she was beautiful. And Lucy was beautiful.

Then, Judge Turpin came and grabbed her, beginning to take her away. He was about to go get her back when he heard another scream coming from behind him. He turned around and saw the now deceased Albert Lovett hitting Mrs. Lovett, dragging her away, hurting her.

He looked left at Lucy and right at Mrs. Lovett. He was faced with a choice. Who to save? Who to save? His mind said to go save Lucy. But his heart said something different.

His heart said to save the poor woman in the tattered black dress with those dark, alluring eyes. That woman, such a mess.

Determinedly, he ran after Mrs. Lovett, took out his razor, and killed her husband, taking her into his arms. The arms in which she shook and cried. He had never seen her cry before.

"It's alright, Mrs. Lovett. I'm here."

"Oh, Mr. T! Thank you so much. Ye've no idea how scared I was."

Then, he saw Lucy staring at him with a tear-stained face. She took a bottle and drank it in front of him. Arsenic. But before she fell back into a deep, black abyss, she uttered the words that caused him to awake in a sweat.

"It's your fault. You betrayed me. You betrayed us!"

Mr. T woke up, breathing heavily, and just seconds later noticed that it was already morning. He got out of his bed and looked into the broken mirror in his room.

"What have I done?" he said to himself.

He remembered Lucy's words… how could he have chosen Mrs. Lovett over his wife? His darling wife, Lucy. How? It was just a dream, but that didn't matter. In any instance, he was supposed to pick Lucy. No matter what.

Lucy was his wife, the one he loved. Not Mrs. Lovett. And he would not let that wretched woman take Lucy's place.

So, he was determined to not talk to her all day. Or, at least ignore her as much as possible. Which would prove to be very difficult, especially since she had just knocked on the door that very second.

He hesitantly opened it up and she gave him a huge smile.



"Mornin', Mr. T! Up late today, I see. Can't believe you slept. First time, ye haven't wept. I'm so proud of ye. Breakfast is read-y. Won't you come down, take off that frown, and have some with me."

"Afraid I must decline. I've lost track of time. Eating now won't make the judge mine. So just go back down to the shop. Find something to mop. I'll be staying up here while you stop… smiling ear to ear."

"Alright, then. Thought I'd check, though, Love. You got a bit of yer color back after ye ate yesterday. Might be somethin' ye try every now and again."

"Of course, Mrs. Lovett." He said, shutting the door in her face.

Yes, avoiding her the rest of the day would be very difficult. But not impossible…

A/N: Stay tuned for Chapter 2 which, hopefully, will be up very soon!