Here it is! Wow, I didn't think I'd be this excited. But that's life. This is the first chapter of Loving Lovett. I hope everyone enjoys it. I'm going to start slowly and then . . . you'll see. ;) Mk, the italics are Sweeney and the bold is Nellie, or Eleanor, or Mrs. Lovett or whatever it is you want to call her. R&R please!!! I hope you read the preface. . .

Disclaimer: Do I own Sweeney Todd? What do you think? *rolls eyes*


Whiteness. Blankness. Nothing at all, but fog and the bow of the ship as it slowly made it's way through the murky waters, barely making a sound.

It was a dreary night, but then every night was dreary in London. London. He couldn't believe he was actually back . . . there. The place where it had all happened, where he would get his revenge. Oh, how he wanted it. He craved it with all his being, almost as much as he craved to see his dear wife. Lucy. Are you still here, Lucy? Surely you wouldn't leave London, wouldn't leave him. No, no of course not. Not his Lucy. She would be there and he would get his revenge on the man he so dreadfully wanted dead. The man who had so wrongly tried him. Who had destroyed his home, his life. He would would kill him, Judge Turpin, and get his revenge.

He turned now, to face the bow of the ship that had taken him back to his old home. He saw his shipmate, Anthony, the lad that had saved him, going on about how there was no place like London. No, indeed, he thought, as he came up behind the lad.

"No, there's no place like London." He repeated loudly enough for the boy to hear his anger.

"Mr. Todd?" asked Anthony.

"You are young, life has been kind to you . . . You will learn." Todd's voice still the same monotone, but with a slight edge to it that put chills down Anthony's spine. "There's a hole in the world like a great black pit and the vermin of the world inhabit it and it's morals aren't worth what a pig could spit and it goes by the name of London. At the top of the hole sit the privileged few, making mock of the vermin in the lower zoo turning turning beauty into filth and greed. I too have sailed the world and seen it's wonders, for the cruelty of men is as wondrous as Peru, but there's no place like London!" he finished with his eyes narrowed down to slits. He turned and walked down to the stern, ignoring Anthony's questioning look.

Fifteen minutes later, both he and Anthony, were walking down the gangway with the other sailors following suite. Mr. Todd walked a bit beyond the boat and slowly stopped as he gazed up at London's once sunny features, now covered in slime and long ago abandoned.

"Is everything alright, Mr. Todd?" Anthony asked with a worried expression.

"I beg you're indulgence, Anthony." He said without turning around." My mind is far from easy. In these once familiar streets I feel shadows everywhere. . ."

"Mr. Todd, before . . . you spoke of a woman. She was married to a barber, you said, and th-that she was . . ." he cleared his throat "What . . . what happened to her?" the lad asked nervously, unsure of how Todd would respond.

"Oh, that was many years ago . . . I doubt if anyone would know." again he did not turn around. "I'd like to thank you, Anthony. If you hadn't spotted me, I would be lost on the ocean still."

"Will I see you again?"

"You might find me if you like, around Fleet Street, I wouldn't wonder." he answered with a look of longing barely touching his white face.

"Until then, my friend." Anthony said smiling and extending his hand, but Mr. Todd wasn't paying attention. Or if he was, he didn't care, for he was already heading down the street muttering to himself.

"There's a hole in the world like a great black pit and it's filled with people who are filled with shit and the vermin of the world inhabit it . . ."


He walked swiftly down the street, turning down alley ways, this way and that, until finally as dawn began to break he came upon an little shop with gold letters painted above the door. It read "Mrs. Lovett's Meat-pies". His face showed no emotion he slowly walked up to the little shop. He reached for the handle, when suddenly the door opened. Mr. Todd's heart skipped a beat as he recognized who had opened it. Judge Turpin. He had aged, his hair had gone grey and there were more wrinkles there, than before, but it was him. Fortunately, Turpin seemed oblivious as he turned to look back inside the shop.

"I'm. . . sorry to have upset you. I'll take my leave, and give you peace, then. I will see you tomorrow." the judge said apologetically. He turned and with a small threatening glance back towards Mr. Todd, he left with the door banging loudly behind him.

Wondering if it was a good idea to enter, Todd slowly opened the door, looking inside. He surveyed the room, at first seeing no one there. Then as he glanced over at the oven he saw a small, petite women with her back to him, her shoulders shaking as she leaned against the counter as if to hold herself up. Not sure what to do, Todd considered backing out of the doorway, but just as he did, his foot hitting the floor gave a bit too much of a creek and he winced. The women turned, with a jolt. She spotted him and began quickly straightening herself up, discreetly wiping away her tears.

"A costumer!" she said with almost happiness. He noticed, now that she faced him, that her dress was ever so slightly torn as though someone had ripped it with force. "Wait, what's yer hurry? Ya gave me a fright. Thought you was a ghosty, I did." She said, sniffing. "Did ya come 'ere for a pie, sir?" Not waiting for a reply, she pushed him down on a chair next to the table and went to get him one. The daisies in the vase on top of table wobbled dangerously, but settled back. " 'ere you are, love. Best pies in London, these is. . . Well, best for a woman in such 'ard times, anyway" She said as she put down the plate and smiling.

Eyeing the women and the pie suspiciously, he picked it up and took a bite. It was good. Much better than anything on the ship, or anything Todd had eaten before he was onboard. He hadn't been so sure how good "Mrs. Lovett's meat-pies" were going to be, since when he had first entered he had seen a batch sitting on a plate, seemingly just out of the oven, but with a layer of dust on them, enough to make one wonder. He looked up to see the woman still staring at him while leaning against the table with one arm on her hip. It looked like she was searching for something. Growing uncomfortable, he averted his gaze and shifted in his seat. What was the bloody woman staring at? He looked up for something to distract his attention while he finished his pie and he saw them. Stairs leading up to the higher level. His eyes widened briefly, but letting the feeling pass he looked up at the woman, who was still searching.

"You've got a room over the shop, haven't you? If times are so hard, why don't you rent it out?" he asked looking back down. She jumped a little at the sound of his voice and blinked a few times, before answering.

"People think it's haunted."

"Haunted?" he said, his head jerking up.

"Yeah, and who's to say they're wrong? You see, years ago, something happened up there. Something not very nice." her eyes narrowed " Come with me, dearie, and I'll get you a nice top of gin, to go with th' story." Nodding his reply, he got up and followed her into the other room, eyeing the stairs as he passed.

"Isn' this cozy, now? The wallpaper was a real bargain. Only partly singed when th' chapel burned down." she said as she handed him his gin. She looked at him again searching for that something. Still looking she began her story about the Barber and his wife.


"NOO!" Todd, or rather Benjamin Barker yelled as he threw him self up off the divan.

"So it is you" Mrs. Lovett said as she looked up at him with her big brown eyes. "Benjamin Barker."

"Where is Lucy? Where is my wife?" emotion creeping into his voice as his face took on a look of complete and utter sadness.

"Poisoned herself. Arsenic from the apothecary 'round th' corner . . . I tried to stop 'er, but she wouldn't lis'en to me." she answered as she watched his face " And 'e's got your daughter."

"He?" Todd said his face growing cold and fierce "Judge Turpin?" She nodded. " Fifteen years I've been away. Fifteen years, dreaming I might come home to a wife and child." He turned away from her.

"Well," Mrs. Lovett said as she got up, too. "I can' say th' years 'ave been particularly kind to ya, Mr. Barker."

He turned back to look at her. "No, not Barker. it's Todd, now. Sweeney Todd. And he will have his revenge."

She stared at him, now with a new look. This one even more uncomfortable than the other. Trying to ignore it, he looked away and out the window.

But she wouldn't have that. "Come with me, love. I'll show you to your room." She patted his arm, noticing that his arm tensed up under her touch. Brow furrowing she took it away and started toward the door.

"Wait." She turned back at the sound of his voice. "Yes, love?"

"He was here. I saw him. . . Will he be back?" He said his voice strangely quite.

A hard look spread on Eleanor Lovett's face. She pursed her lips. " 'e always does." With that she turned and continued walking out the door.

Todd followed, not really caring about her temper. He was to busy thinking about the Judge.

Eleanor walked swiftly, outside and up the old wooden stairs, creaking as she stepped on them. She got to the landing her temper gone now as she tried to figure out which key it was that she used to open the bloody door. Finally she stopped on an old bronze one. That was it. She put the key in the lock and it clicked to her delight. As she opened the door, the dust on the floor blew up around her skirts. She stepped in to the small forgotten shop to look back at him. Todd was standing there with such a pitiful look on his face. She place her hands on her hips, so as to keep an eye on them and didn't make him uncomfortable again.

"Come in, love. Nothing to be afraid of." She walked out of the way as he slowly stepped in looking around. He headed toward an old baby crib covered with a small cloth. Lifting it up, his mouth went dry as he saw a once brand new doll grimy and tattered with abandonment. Turning and dropping the cloth, he turned around at the sound of knocking on wood. Looking over he saw Mrs. Lovett kneeling down next to a plank in the floor. She lifted it up and out and set it down. He hurried over as she brought out something covered with a deep, faded red cloth of velvet. She looked up as she unwrapped the parcel. It was a reddish brown box. Sweeney recognized it immediately. She lifted it up to him and he kneeled down and reaching for it.

"I 'id, when they came for 'er. 'e would've sold 'em. I didn't." He couldn't help, but notice the edge to her voice when she said he. Sweeney opened the box. Inside sat six silver, shining razors.

"Those is chase' silver, ain't they?" she gasped a little.

"Silver, yes . . ." he answered smiling a little. "These are my my friends, see how the glisten. See this one shine, how he smiles in the light. My friend, my faithful friend." he began as he stood up facing the giant window. Turning he continued speaking to the razor as though it heard him. "Speak to me, friend. Whisper I'll listen. I know, I know- You've been locked out of sight all these years- Like me, my friend." As he continued, he didn't notice the one listening was Eleanor Lovett. She stood up and slowly walked toward him. "Well, I've come home to find you waiting. Home, and we're together, and we'll do wonders, won't we?" She was behind him now still slowly coming up behind him. Trying to get his attention.

"You there, my friend."

"I'm your friend too, Mr. Todd."

"Come let me hold you"

"If you only knew Mr. Todd-" she placed a hand on his arm. He didn't notice.

"Now, with a sigh" He closed his eyes

"Ooh, Mr. Todd," She closed her eyes.

"You grow warm"

"You're warm"

"In my hand"

"My friend."

"You've come home."

"My clever friend" He opened his eyes and walked away going to kneel down by the hole in the floor from whence they came.

"Always 'ad a fondness for you, I did."She opened her eyes and watched him walk away.

"Rest now my friends."

"Never you fear, Mr. Todd."

"Soon I'll unfold you."

"You can move in here, Mr. Todd."

"Soon you'll know splendors" "Splendors you never 'ave dreamed" "You never have dreamed" "All your days" "All your days" "Will be yours." "My lucky friends" "I'm your friend."

"Till now your shine" "And now you're mine" "Was merely silver." "Don't they shine beautiful?"

"Friends," "Silver's good enough for me," "You shall drip rubies," "Mr. T. . ." She had come up behind him again and she had stopped, close to his neck breathing him in.

"You'll soon drip precious. . . rubies. . ."

He looked over his shoulder, now noticing the woman there trying to breathe in his wonderful scent. She looked up at him lips parted and she started to slowly lean further into him. "Leave me." He said before she got any ideas. Looking disappointed, she turned and walked away looking back as she neared the door. She left.

Sweeney rose now, and looking out the large window he said to himself and to all the world "At last, my arm is complete again."


K, guys tell me what you think!