The young couple spent the next few days scrubbing. Or at least Anthony was his hands and knees cleaning. Johanna always insisted that, even though the whole place was spotless, she missed a spot up in the second story of their new home, and would spend all day up there. In reality, she was reading Sweeney Todd's journal while sitting in the newly cleaned chair in the center of the room. She found the journal to be more interesting than anything else she'd ever read. Barker had started the journal years after his daughter was born, and it ends on the afternoon before he was killed.

There were also included notes, several were illustrated, on several different topics. How to sharpen a razor. Where to buy shaving cream in London. Different types of sailor's knots. How to slit a throat. How gears work. It seemed like if it caught Sweeney Todd's interest, he took notes on it.

One day, Anthony walked into the old barber shop. He saw Johanna sitting in the chair again, gazing at the silver razor in her hands. He knew he didn't want to startle her. The young man approached her the best way he could think of: by singing softly as he walked. He knew the words probably did not make sense anymore, but it was her song. "I feel you, Johanna. I feel you. Do they think that walls can hide you? Even now I'm at your window. I am in the dark beside you," at this point, he was beside her, with his chin lightly resting on her shoulder, "buried sweetly in your yellow hair. Johanna."

"Anthony?" Johanna said, turning to face him.

"You are starting to worry me, Dear." Anthony whispered into her ear, before kissing her cheek. "It's not good for you to spend so much time up here."

"Anthony, this is where I met my father." Johanna said, stroking the chair with her free hand. "Last time I saw him, I was in this chair. Should I want to part with that memory?"

Anthony looked at her as though she'd gone crazy. "The memory of the man almost killing you? Yes."

Smiling, Johanna turned back to the knife. "Anthony, I can feel him." She said, standing up. "I can hear his voice from these walls. He sings at night. He sings songs about me and my mother."

"Johanna?" Anthony asked, taking a step back.

The young woman turned to face Anthony. She wasn't expecting him to understand. It seemed like, for the first time in weeks, they were not having the same thoughts. Part of Johanna was thankful for that. "Anthony, he lives here."

"Johanna, they are not here." Anthony said, feeling chills run down his spine. "He's dead. Buried in the cemetery."

Johanna gave Anthony a soft smile. As though he were a little boy who just explained to a sibling where fairies lived. As though she was the parent who knew the truth. "Anthony, his body maybe there, but I know he is here. He is trapped here, unable to move on."

Nodding slowly, Anthony took a deep breath. Had Johanna gone crazy? Maybe she was just stressed out? Hopefully. Hopefully this was just all of the stress from the past years catching up to her. "Alright, how can he move on?"

"I don't know." Johanna said quietly. She then turned around with an unusually happy smile on her face. "Anthony, could you buy some flowers?"

"I'll also buy a mirror." Anthony said, running out. He was more than eager to please Johanna. Especially after seeing that smile. Now, he was willing to do anything to see that smile again. The young man was even willing to give her the moon, if she wanted it.

Johanna looked at the shattered mirror. She was amazed at how the cracks distorted the reflections. She reached out to the mirror, cutting herself on the sharp glass. The girl pulled her hand back, watching as her blood formed into a drop, which then slid down the length of her finger.

"Was it a bad thing? To lie to him?" Johanna asked, turning toward the mirror over the vanity table. She could see her own reflection, and another beside her. The reflection of a man with a mess of black curls, broken by a thick white streak. There was a smirk on his pale face, though it didn't reach his dark eyes.

Sweeney Todd was definitely still in his old shop...

Johanna knew that, on the night of her father's death, he had been murdered after he finally got revenge. Revenge? That word suddenly did not seem to be the right word to her any longer. Todd had finally gotten his justice for what Judge Turpin did to him, and to Lucy Barker. For what Turpin did to the Barber and his wife.

Instinctively, Johanna placed her now bloodied hand on the glass of the in tact mirror, on Todd's reflection. They both watched as her hand slid down, leaving a thin red streak. Her father's smirk softened into a proud smile, as his eyes went down to his hand. In the reflection, they were holding hands. Johanna looked down at her hand, half expecting to see her Todd's pale hand holding her's. Instead, there was the razor, shining in the dull white light.

Confused, Johanna looked up at Todd. The look on his face explained it perfectly. "You want me to have your friends as well?"

Sweeney Todd nodded, slipping his hand out of her reflection's.

Johanna nodded, holding the knife up to her heart. "Father, I will set you free." She promised, as tears filled her eyes. She knew how to free him. The only way to free Sweeney Todd was to avenge his death. By killing his murderer. Johanna closed her eyes and, for a moment, felt a kiss on her forehead...

When Anthony returned, Johanna was back in the chair, gazing at the razor in her hand again. Only now she was singing softly to herself. Or was it to the silver knife in her hands that she was staring at with wide, crazed eyes? "These are my friends. See how they glisten. See this one shine? How he smiles, in the light! My friends. My faithful friends..."


I'm sooo happy this story is getting reviews! I was worried that the theme might be a common one (I've only read two Sweeney Todd fanfics before typing the first chapter)