Authors Note: I'm new to this fandom. This isn't the best thing I've ever written, in fact I know I can do better. It was rather difficult trying to find something I wanted to write about. I intend to continue writing Sweeney fics. Also, I'm unsure which pairing I like better: Todd-Lovett or Todd-Lucy. Reviews would be nice for constructive criticism. Obviously, I own nothing. And lets just say the ending is open for interpretation. ;) Enjoy!


Do I know you, mister?

I did not want to kill this beggar woman. I was tired of killing and being obsessed with murder. Tonight Turpin would become further acquainted with my all-to-willing razors and then this would all be behind me. But the judge was rapidly ascending the stairs to my shop and I had to do something with the woman.

"Get in the trunk. Say nothing. No matter what you see here tonight." I helped her into the trunk to find Johanna was already in it. It was thankfully big enough for the both of them.

The bell rang just as I closed the lid of the trunk, signaling the arrival of Judge Turpin. "Mr. Todd, you know where Johanna is?"

"Yes, your grace, she is below with Mrs. Lovett and she is deeply sorry. She has seen the error of her ways and, if I do say so myself, I believe she is ready to accept your proposal. But before you go to her, how about a shave? You look less than your best, I'm afraid. Why not dazzle the beauty with a clean-shaven face? After all, you yourself have said ladies are weak."

He sat down in my chair as I readied my tools, remembering the women in the trunk and that I needed to make this fast. I went along with his game, again, and we discussed pretty women. It disgusted me even more the second time having this conversation that this man, older than I, was perversely swooning over my Johanna. And so I decided to make my move. He said something about how rare it is to meet someone with the same spirit.

"With fellow taste, in women at least." He had no idea what I meant. "The years, no doubt, have changed me."

"Benjamin Barker." He whispered. I shouted the name back to him, "Benjamin Barker!" And with that, Judge Turpin met the end I had so longed to give to him.

I was covered in blood after I disposed of his body. The chair reclined and I heard a thud as his head met the concrete floor of Mrs. Lovett's workroom. Before I could clean up, the beggar and Johanna emerged from the trunk looking absolutely terrified. How was I going to explain this?

"Where is Judge Turpin?" Johanna asked nervously.

"He is gone now. You are free to marry your young sailor." A look of relief washed over her face, even though she was uneasy that she was with a murderer until Anthony came for her. "I assure you, Johanna, I will not harm you."

The beggar woman just stood there watching as I walked over to the picture of the foolish barber and his wife, holding their beautiful baby. I gave the picture to Johanna. "That was you, before Turpin took you as his ward."

She studied the picture for a while with the beggar woman peaking over her shoulder. I wanted her to make the connection on her own between the man in the picture and myself. And she did. No words came out of her mouth; she just looked at me and I nodded.

"Benjamin?" The woman asked. I looked at her. "It's Lucy," she said.

Just then my world came to a sudden stop. I walked up to her, slowly, but my feet would not carry me any farther. My fingers brushed her hair out of her face. She looked pale, dirty, and aged by everything she went through, but underneath I still saw the beauty that was my wife. I crushed her to me and wrapped my arms around her, not caring about anything else in world.

"Lucy."

It would not be easy, but I was determined to nurture her back to health. We would follow Anthony and Johanna out of London and settle down elsewhere, where the ghosts of the last fifteen years would leave us at peace. I owed Mrs. Lovett much more than I was willing to admit for all her help with extracting my revenge. Who's not to say that she didn't benefit as well? She made more money from her pies than she ever made before and it made her feel better about herself knowing that she beat out Mrs. Mooney's Pie Shop. I bid my farewells, even though she was still throwing that by the sea nonsense at me, saying she could make me happier than Lucy ever could. Such a shame we had to depart that way, but lets just say I needn't worry about Mrs. Lovett ever again…