Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pie Emporium stood crumbling and breaking in the middle block of Fleet Street. The door hadn't been opened in months by a customer, and not much more often by Mrs. Lovett herself. The sign above the doorway was beginning to fade, due both to the weather and old age to a point where you could barely read what it said anymore; if the shop hadn't been around for so long nobody would have known it's name.
The shop wasn't in very good condition. It was worn down and beaten, and Mrs. Lovett never saw fit to repair it. She never got any business, even when the shop was new. The woman's appearance much resembled the shop itself, old and weary yet with a little effort, she could look beautiful. Her hair was always pinned up messily either side of her head, she didn't care much about her appearance; she ever had reason to make an effort. Her eyes were a light chocolate colour, yet they never had any sparkle in them. They were always nothing more than dark and empty.

Her name was Eleanor Lovett. She preferred people to call her Nellie, the name 'Eleanor' had belonged to her grandmother, whom she'd never had a good relationship with. Nellie didn't see her family very often anymore. Her mother had married rich and moved to France, leaving her and her sister behind in London, and her sister had long since disappeared. She had moved on from the death of her late husband, Albert Lovett, but there had always been somebody else, right in the back of her mind, who'd held her heart for so long.

His name was Benjamin Barker. The most renowned barber in London, in the year of 1846. He was a bright and friendly man, handsome yet modest, with a strong love for his family. Barker was one of the most respected men in Fleet Street, his fame stretching out further to almost every corner of London. Lucy, his wife, was a very paragon of beauty, her blond hair was pinned behind her head, covered in the large silk bonnets she would always wear. Her dresses were made out of the finest silks and fabrics; Benjamin always spoiled her.
Their young daughter, Johnna, was the perfect mix of her parents. She had Lucy's blonde hair and oval face shape, and her father's dark eyes and strong nose. Johanna slept a lot. She wasn't a loud or fussy baby, rather she was calm, and rarely cried. They were a perfect family.

But nothing good lasts forever. Barker was too soon arrested by the Judge of the entire city, Turpin, whose wealth exceeded that of many. Though handsome, the Judge was aging, and quickly too. He had little time left to find himself a wife, yet no matter how many ladies he complimented, danced or talked with, nobody ever seemed to fall for him. Though it just so happened that the stealthy man, twisted with need for a woman for himself, had eyes for young Lucy Barker. There was something, he thought, that Lucy had; something that was different. But it wasn't love he felt for her. It was nothing but selfish lust, and sadly, it was widely known that Judge Turpin always had the last word.

Barker was captured on a walk through the town with Lucy and Johanna in the summertime. It caused quite a scene in the town centre, and news quickly spread around the city. The barber didn't see it coming. Two guards, Quincey and Eaton, officials working for Turpin, ran around the corner and hit him hard on the head, catching him under his arms as his unconscious form fell towards the floor, then dragged him away. It all happened very quickly, but once her head made sense the events and realised what had happened, Lucy screamed and began to run after him, Johanna crying for what seemed the first time in her arms.

"BENJAMIN! NO! PLEASE! BRING HIM BACK!" She wrestled through the people who were now gathered at the scene. They all parted to let her through, before an elderly man in the crowd by the name of Doc Warrington stepped forwards and kept her from following, comforting her as she broke down and cried into his shoulder, Johanna seeming to calm slowly as her mother did. Nobody knew quite why he had stopped her, but they could see it in his eyes, in his face, that he knew something that they didn't, so they said nothing.
There was protesting and shouting all around, angry customers, young women and the like screaming about his innocence (no matter they had no idea why he was being arrested) and some even began to follow after the men until Turpin walked in front of the crowd and smiled. He waited a good amount of time for silence, and when he had it, he began:

"Benjamin Barker has been arrested on official terms, none of which are to be disclosed. Any persons found to be investigating this matter will be prosecuted." His voice boomed across the square. People started mumbling but he called once for silence, and the crowd went so quiet you could almost hear the beating wings of the birds above. Turpin took a moment to clear his throat before smiling proudly.

"He may return to London in a minimum of 15 years. If he does anything, however, to elongate his sentence, he may never be allowed to return at all. Thank you." Turpin took an unnecessary bow, and it was greeted by several 'boo!'s from the crowd that was now only beginning to depart.
Beadle Bamford, the Judge's law partner; a plump and red-faced man, stepped out of the crowd. He hobbled slowly towards his only friend due to his bad arthritis and stood at the Judge's side, staring menacingly into the huddle of people. He had a friendly air to him, but what was inside couldn't have been more different.

"What are you all waiting for? Show's over!" He shouted, waving his cane in the air. "Lucy Barker, please join us over here." He crooked a finger towards the blonde and smiled, showing a row of brown teeth. Still in Doc Warrington's arms, Lucy shook her head profoundly.

"Don't let them take me! Where shall Johanna go? Oh, sir, how will she survive?" She fretted, rocking the still whimpering girl in her arms. Doc took his own arms from around her corseted waist and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Ma'am. I'm sure it's nothing they'll want. Perhaps law papers. I'm not an expert in this matter, unfortunately. Where is it you live?" He asked quietly, trying not to let their conversation be overheard.

"Fleet Street.." Lucy whispered. "186 Fleet Street. What does it matter?" She became weary of the man, stepping backwards slightly.

"Give me the little dear. You go see what it is they want, I'll take her back to your home." He nodded towards Johanna, who was looking up at him curiously through wide eyes. His hands disappeared from her shoulders, returning to his sides. "I'll wait with her until your return."

"Sir.." Lucy's voice was shaking. "I- I don't know you.. I couldn't.."

"LUCY BARKER!" Beadle Bamford called across the square. "If you do not join us within the minute, we will have to have you arrested along with your husband." He crooked his large finger again. Lucy looked up at Doc, who seemed to be smiling sadly at her, his crows feet crinkled around his kind eyes, his hat frayed hat lopsided on his head.

"Please. I promise your daughter will come to no harm." He said genuinely, reaching his gloved hands out for the child.

"I.. oh, dear, what else can I do? If you harm her, sir, in any way, you will not live to regret it!" She said sharply, handing her daughter hesitantly over to the older man. He looked down at the girl who looked so much like her mother, and smiled.

"I'm sure I won't, ma'am." He chuckled. "I will not leave her side until you're with her again."

"Thank you, sir." Lucy said, her voice weak. "I could tell you how much this me-"

"Mama!" The baby giggled. Lucy's eyes grew wide, and she looked down at her daughter with wonder in her eyes. Her mouth twitched as though she was going to say something and then decided against it. "Ma..MA!"

"Johanna?" Lucy smiled and leant down so she could see her daughter's round face, her eyes glistening with tears. "Did you just say 'mama?'" She laughed breathlessly.

"Mama!" Johanna squealed again, wiggling in Doc's arms, her blonde curls bobbing around her head. Lucy smiled up at the man and stood upright slowly, waving to the Beadle and Judge to let them know she was on her way. She wiped away her tears with shaky hands and laughed nervously.

"That.. that was her first word.." Lucy explained, still wiping tears from her overly pink cheeks.

"I'd guessed." Doc said quietly. "Seems like she's going to be a talkative young woman." He chuckled.

"I'll be back soon, Johanna," Lucy promised, leaning down once more to kiss her daughter on the forehead. "And we can let you have a nap." She smiled weakly, looking at her child's face for what could be the last time. She looked like Benjamin, too much like him and yet she looked like Lucy.
The baby's wide eyes looked at her mother with love, not yet able to grasp the concept of what had happened. She giggled, reaching up her hands to Lucy, who in turn handed one of hers over. Johanna gripped her mother's finger tightly, pulling on it, fascinated.
Lucy pulled her finger away and stood up again, smoothing the creases out of her dress and looking at the man she had decided to trust. He smiled and so she did, before briskly turning away and beginning to walk towards Beadle and the Judge.

"See you soon, ma'am." Doc whispered into the air. He watched as Lucy made her way through the crowd and then looked down at the young girl in his arms, who seemed to be in a state of shocked silence. He smiled down at her once more, and set off to Fleet Street.

And as for how the house that belonged to the Barker's, a family that would soon be three parts tragedy, came into the possession of Nellie Lovett? Well.. I'm afraid that's the story. He wouldn't want me to give it away so soon.