Hey there!

Big thanks to EleKat for reviewing, I am so glad you are enjoying the story! That's what it's for!

Anyway, I apologize for this chapter being a bit short, I'll try to make the next one longer!

Alright, enough chit-chat, enjoy!

Frozen Air, Melting Heart

December 1st dusk

"Hmmm….a bit stubby, ain't it?"

"Tha'll nevah fit in tha parlor, dearie…"

"Tha' one's too… prickly…"

Mrs. Lovett's reviews went on and on as the pair sifted through what felt like hundreds of fresh pine trees in a dense forest in the outskirts of London. *"I won't be picky", eh? *Sweeney recalled as he gestured to yet another conifer, silently praying it was "the one".

The baker stared at the suggestion and brought her index finger to her chin thoughtfully. "Ah…well, tha' one's a lit-uhl lopsided, ya seeh?"

*Good GOD…* "Pick a tree, woman!" Sweeney yelled, throwing his arms into the air and glaring at Mrs. Lovett with breaking patience. His landlady backed up two feet and crossed her arms with a sigh. Truth be told, she saw multiple trees that would do just fine. She was just taking advantage of the time she was spending with her usually cooped-up tenant.

*Oh well… *she sighed again, *I 'ad me time…while it lasted…*"Alrigh', alrigh' alrigh'! 'Ooowwww abouuuwww…. Tha' one!" she pointed, dashing past a slightly surprised Sweeney Todd. Before he knew it, she disappeared into the dense forest, giggling like a child playing hide and seek. "It's ovah here, love! Come on!" *Daft woman…* The barber quickly followed the sounds of her boots clomping in between the trees, finding he was much more agile than he had previously thought. Why exactly he felt it necessary not to lose her, he didn't know for sure, and he was all the more confused at the warm, fuzzy feeling (something he recalled he felt when he saw Lucy) growing in the pit where his heart would be. It occurred to him that he usually didn't care at all of what the baker did with herself. Hell, she could get mauled by a bear in this forest and he probably wouldn't care in the slightest, so why does she matter at this point? *Probably because I need her to get to the judge...* He attempted to convince himself, *I simply cannot afford to lose her at this point in time* In all honesty, it didn't destroy the warm feeling in his chest at the thought of his landlady, but it at least covered it in a dark shroud. *Can't lose her. Not yet.*

"Mrs. Lovett!" he called angrily, subconsciously wondering if he would ever catch up with the seemingly crazy baker in the seemingly never-ending forest. He and Lucy never did anything this foolish when simply looking for a Christmas tree. In fact, they had never done anything this foolish at all, making him all the more annoyed at his landlady. "MRS. LOVETT , I SWEAR I WILL - GAH!" In the midst of his threats, Sweeney ran right into the back of none other than Mrs. Lovett herself, causing them both to fall onto the unforgiving ground.

"Oof! Watch it, ya big oaf!" she chuckled, standing and attempting to brush the dirt stains off her green dress. "Tsk tsk tsk, this one's new, it 'tis. Aw well, weh 'ad a laugh didn't weh?"

Sweeney, however, was far from any sort of laughter whatsoever. He simply stood and glared at his laughing landlady. "I fail to see the humor in this, Mrs. Lovett…" he snapped, brushing his black coat off roughly.

"Aw, come on, dearie, at least smile fo' once…" she jokingly replied, secretly pleading she could make him do so, even just one time. Had he evensmiled once since his return? "I bet ya would look quite nice witha smile on yer face… certainly not as gloomy…"

"Mrs. Lovett, there is absolutely nothing to smile about in this black pit with such shitty people. I of all folks should know that…" he snarled in response, secretly wondering if the forest was too close to civilization to quickly slit her throat.

"Well I don' think I'm tha' bad…" Mrs. Lovett rolled her eyes and gestured to a tree next to her. "Anyhow, I found it." She announced proudly.

"Found…wot?"

"My Chris'mas tree, Mista T! It's this one…It's perfect." She spread her arms out and jubilantly smiled as though the conifer were a trophy of some sort. *Let's 'ope ya give us some nice memories…* She wordlessly told the fine-looking tree.

"Hm." Sweeney grunted, thankful that at least their search was finally over, but another problem dawned on him. "How are you going to cut it down, pet?" he smirked, thinking all this work went to complete waste.

"Wot, do ya think I'm daft?"

*Yes…*

" I brough' this," she said, lifting the top layer of her now dirtied dress to the side to reveal a small axe on a belt hidden on the bottom layer. The surprised barber noticed that was not the only deadly tool in the concealed belt. The axes' neighbors consisted of a pistol, dagger, and even a large butchering knife he could have sworn was the one on her kitchen counter just that morning. He never saw this belt before, and certainly never expected anything like it from Eleanor. *Not a woman to be messed with…* he concluded.

"When did you-"

"Dearie, I've 'ad this belt since befoa ya were sent away." Mrs. Lovett smirked at his surprised face as she covered her weapon hold once more, straightening it out so well no one would ever guess the secret underneath it. She smugly stood with her axe in hand, finally ready to chop her little tree down.

"Mrs. Lovett…"

"Yes, darlin'?" she turned her gaze to his hauntingly beautiful face she fell in love with.

"You're a bloody wonder." Sweeney shook his head. Mrs. Lovett just smiled.