Disclaimer: Please, if I owned Sweeney Todd, Johnny would have lost that ridiculous white streak in his hair, but otherwise would have remained exactly the same

Everyone who's favorited me or this story or requested alerts can feel free to review ;) Again, more Johanna/Turpin in this chapter, so skip ahead if it bothers you. Also: since it adds very little to my plotline, I am skipping over the contest with Pirelli.


Chapter Four


"High in her tower,
She sits by the hour,
Maintaining her hair.
Blithe and becoming and frequently humming
A lighthearted air…

And she's just out of reach.
Agony
That can cut like a knife!"

- Rapunzel's Prince: Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim


Patience was one of Anthony's quiet talents. Years of being the oldest of seven children, not to mention years of keeping vigil at night watch on a ship had instilled the virtue in him. Yet never had he kept a vigil quite like this. In spite of the bruises and cuts that served as a physical reminder of what could very well happen to him again at any moment, Anthony stayed under Johanna's window. He was quick to dodge into an alley or around a corner when he saw the Beadle or the Judge exit. Mostly, it was quiet. He merely waited for glimpses of Johanna. She appeared at her window occasionally, and she would briefly meet his gaze, but then she would look in alarm over her shoulder and rush from the window. The black and emerald snake of jealousy curled within his stomach as he thought of the goings on within the house.


"I love you."

It took all of Johanna's strength not to roll her eyes. It was a ritual after their coupling for the Judge to express this sentiment, and Johanna did not bother to fake reciprocation. When the Judge had finished, all she wanted to do was wash herself and get rid of all of traces of the Judge on her. He could never just roll over and sleep. He needed to linger on her body.

"I love you."

Johanna frowned as he repeated himself. Curious, she turned her head on the pillow to regard her husband. He was looking at her expectantly, and she almost felt sorry for him. Almost. She could not bring herself to speak, not even to lie. Maybe if she did not respond, they could just sleep. Instead, she felt his hands on her again. Groaning internally, Johanna forced herself to retreat to the secret corners of her mind as his hands found her breasts, her stomach, her thighs. This wasn't really her. She was floating above it all, watching some other girl lie down under a man she felt nothing for. Worse, a man she had once loved like a father. But it wasn't her. It was some other girl, some other girl who was having her neck bit and kissed, her breasts fondled. But it was not Johanna; she was somewhere far away, far away.

When he was finally finished, he rolled onto his side next to her, regarding her silently once more. He slid one finger under her chin, making her look at him. The blankness in her eyes faded as she came back to herself. The Judge studied her carefully, absentmindedly trailing his finger up and down her cheek. Finally, when he spoke, he startled her with his question:

"Do you not love me, even a little?"

Johanna was distinctly disturbed by his question. She had not realized the Judge had noticed her neutrality, if not vehement hatred at times, towards him. But what surprised Johanna the most was her response:

"Why should it matter? You don't love me."

The Judge looked stunned at her statement, the bitterness in her voice. He was really looking at her now, not appreciated the gleam of sweat on her form or the rise and fall of her chest. He was simply seeing her. "Of course I love you." He scoffed a bit. "I married you, didn't I?"

Ah, this was the man she knew. It was much easier to speak with him and argue with him when he did not pretend to be vulnerable or hurt by her responses (or lack there of). She fixed him with an icy gaze and replied coolly, "Yes, you married me."

"Mind your tone, madam," the Judge snapped back. Johanna wanted to laugh at his anger; how like him to become furious with her while he was still recovering from their coupling. The Judge got up from the bed then, and Johanna was startled by the violence in his movements. She watched as he dressed hurriedly, pulling the sheet up around her chest as she sat up in bed. When he was done, he regarded her coldly. "You were a bastard child. I could have abandoned you to an orphanage or a workhouse. But I didn't. I took you in as my own."

Could he not see the depravity in that statement?

"And I married you, even though it was beneath me," he went on, making Johanna want to scream: "Beneath you? Now there's a phrase for it!"

In spite of the obvious impatience and fury on Johanna's young face, he continued, "I love you. Even if you do not believe it, I do."

Sighing in a resigned sort of way, the Judge made his way towards the door, but before he could exit, Johanna spoke again, venom in every word:

"There's a difference between love and lust…father."

The door slammed so hard it shook the bed.


Back in her room, Johanna cried. She had tried not to; when the Judge had left the house, she had tried to go back to her room with some dignity and dress quietly. But before she had even entered her room, she was sobbing. She could not even bring herself to dress completely. In her dressing gown, she sat by her window, crying helplessly. She was not even sure where her misery started and ended. She wanted to cry enough tears for an ocean, enough to drown herself, or at least enough to leave her body dry and numb from all other feelings. When she looked out the window through her tears, she saw an angel. Granted, her angel was a little bruised and weary, but an angel nonetheless.

He smiled up at her softly, that same soft smile that expected nothing and gave everything. Managing a smile and brushing back her tears, Johanna reached for a small, yet ornate jewelry box. She removed a small key to and from the house that the Judge had given her after they had married; regardless, she did not have the energy or spirit to use it. Opening her window wide, she leaned out and threw down the key.

On the street, Anthony quickly bent down to retrieve the key to his love. Smiling, he pocketed it and turned to head towards Fleet Street.

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair…"


Sweeney Todd was restless. In spite of his success in the contest with Pirelli, he was not satisfied. Since his victory, several customers had come, giving him a little money at last, but neither the Judge nor the Beadle was among the patrons. Todd paced the room back and forth, ignoring the gaze of Mrs. Lovett, who had come in to check in on the barber.

"You'll wear a hole in the floor there, Mr. T," Mrs. Lovett observed, setting down a tray of food; or rather, an inedible pie and ale. Todd merely grunted in response, his eyes flashing dangerously in her general direction. Mrs. Lovett paid him no mind. In the few days that Mr. Todd had been back, she had quickly adjusted to his new attitude. Even if he was a bit sharp with her, she still saw him as her old Mr. B or…T. She waited a few moments to see if he would say anything, but only silence met her expectations. Disappointed, she left the tray and reached for the doorknob.

"Why doesn't the Beadle come?" Todd practically growled, just as Mrs. Lovett had turned to leave. Mrs. Lovett whirled back around quickly, eager to be needed. She waited for Todd to continue, sitting herself down in the old chair that she had brought up the day before. As she sat, Todd went on, "Before the week is out. That's what he said."

"And who says the week is out yet?" Mrs. Lovett replied encouragingly, but with an undertone of impatience. Fond as she was of Mr. T, his obsession was starting to grate on her. Nonetheless, she added, "It's only Tuesday, Mr. T."

Todd sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. In a fit of frustration, he tossed his razor across the room, making Mrs. Lovett jump at the noise, but it also earned her concern and compassion.

"Easy there, love," Mrs. Lovett whispered, standing and approaching Todd. "Just wait a bit longer…" Todd reluctantly nodded. Smiling, she continued, "And anyway…it'll be all the better if you savor the anticipation."

At that, Todd actually chuckled a bit, albeit darkly. Then he looked at her in a way that made him look like Benjamin Barker again. Some kindness seeping into his voice, Todd replied, "Mrs. Lovett, calculating as usual." It was an odd sort of half compliment, but Mrs. Lovett smiled knowingly in response anyway.

"You know me, Mr. T, always looking on the bright side," Mrs. Lovett said, picking up the tray, whose contents she knew Mr. Todd would not eat. Her statement made Todd smirk a bit as he continued his vigil near the window.

Suddenly, there was a pounding of feet coming up the outdoor stairs. Mrs. Lovett and Todd exchanged alarmed looks for a moment, before Todd immediately rushed to the side of the doorway, pressing himself flat up against the wall and readying himself to slit the throat of whoever entered. Mrs. Lovett looked mildly amused after such a show. The door flung open, but before Todd could strike, he saw that it was Anthony. Under his bruises, Anthony flushed as he came face to face with Mrs. Lovett.

"Oh, I'm sorry, excuse me…Mrs…um…"

"Mrs. Lovett, son," the baker said a bit dryly, amused by the sight the boy made. Without the bruises and cuts, he would have looked rather handsome.

"A pleasure, ma'am," Anthony said quickly, more than a bit out of breath. He saw a flash of movement beyond the door, and he turned to see Todd waiting against the wall. "Mr. Todd! Thank God I've found you!"

"What is it, Anthony?" Todd inconspicuously pocketed the razor that had been clutched in his hand. As Anthony caught his breath, Todd noticed the bruises on the sailor's face in a rare moment of concern. "What in God's name happened to you?"

Anthony shook off the question as Todd took his arm and led him over to the chair. "It doesn't matter…you see, there's a girl who needs my help. Such a sad girl, and lonely, but beautiful too…"

"Slow down, son," Todd said mildly as Anthony sat down.

"I'm sorry," Anthony took a deep breath and looked chagrined. "You see, this girl has a husband so tyrannical that he keeps her locked away. But then…this morning…she dropped this." Anthony held up a delicate silver key with an ivory ribbon wound around it. "Surely this is a sign that Johanna wants me to help her." Taking Todd's startled look for confusion, Anthony elaborated: "That's her name, Johanna. And Turpin is her husband. He's a Judge of some sort, but as I said, a monstrous tyrant."

"She's married, then?" Todd asked softly. "Please, dear God, let it be a mistake. Don't let her actually be married to him."

"Yes, but believe me, there's no affection there," Anthony replied, darkness seeping into his tone.

Todd nodded, before whispering to himself, "Yes, I can believe that."

"Mr. Todd?" Todd glanced back to see a confused frown on Anthony's face.

"Nothing, son," Todd said, clearing his throat and turning his focus back to Anthony. "So what do you plan to do?"

Anthony sighed and looked down. "When the Judge has gone to court, I'm going to sneak into the house and see her. But…" Anthony shook his head and looked away. "She'd be ruined if she were to run off with me, wouldn't she?" He glanced from Todd to Mrs. Lovett, both of whom knew that he spoke the truth. "I mean, we could leave London, but he could come after us, couldn't he? But I can't leave her there…" Anthony's voice trailed off as he spoke more to himself than anyone in the room.

"Why do you care so much about her?" Todd asked quietly, trying to gauge Anthony's reaction.

"I don't know," Anthony replied honestly. "I just…seeing her there at her window, so sad like that." Anthony chuckled to himself. "It sounds ridiculous, I know. It's completely inexplicable."

Todd nodded, but turned away so that Anthony would not see the tears in Todd's eyes. As Anthony spoke of his love, Todd couldn't help but think, "I was like that once, wasn't I? Foolishly optimistic…I fell in love with Lucy the moment I saw her. That was inexplicable too. And she could have had anyone she wanted…" Todd eyed the key in Anthony's hand. "But she chose me anyway."

"If she's willing to run away with you," Todd began, clearing his throat and wiping his eyes unnoticeably. "You understand that you put both of yourselves at great risk? She could easily be dragged back to him; he would be well within his rights to do so, no matter the circumstances…and no matter how miserable she is."

"I know," Anthony replied sulkily, his head dropping.

"And you know that he could very well send you away?" Todd went on, lost in his train of thought. "He doesn't even need a reason…but stealing his wife would be a terrible offense against him. You would probably be hanged."

"I know."

"If you are caught, she will be labeled a whore, even if he decides to keep her when it is all over," Todd said, blind to Anthony's growing frustration and impatience. "You would risk all of this-"

"And more, Mr. Todd," Anthony interrupted. "And anyway, we will not be caught. Whatever else may happen, I will never let her fall back to him."

Todd regarded the boy silently. He was so resolved, so sure of what would happen. How naïve he was. "Gods," Todd thought. "Was I ever so naïve?" Then Todd again looked at the resolved, lovesick expression on Anthony's face, causing sympathy to rise up in Todd like a long forgotten friend. Finally, Todd spoke:

"Then you can hide here until you both have a plan."

Anthony's eyes widened at the offer. "Mr. Todd, that is very generous, but I couldn't possibly…" He turned towards Mrs. Lovett. "I couldn't possibly impose on both of you like that."

"No imposition at all, love," Mrs. Lovett said fondly, taking a liking to the boy's blind romanticism. "It's the romantic in me. Happy to help a couple in need."

Anthony smiled at the comment, before turning back to Todd. "It's really all right with you, Mr. Todd?"

Todd nodded silently in confirmation.

Smiling widely, Anthony jumped up from his seat and grasped Todd's hand. "Thank, sir. Thank you, ma'am." As he made for the door, he turned back once to say, "I shall be grateful for this until the grave."

As Anthony closed the door behind himself enthusiastically, Mrs. Lovett sighed and rolled her eyes a bit. "What a fool…a romantic, but a fool nonetheless."

"May he stay that way," Todd said quietly, facing the window once more, looking out onto the dark London streets.

"In all honesty, Mr. T, do you think he's the right sort of man to help rescue Johanna?" Mrs. Lovett asked, clearly concerned over the boy's innocence.

"Yes," Todd said with a note of finality. Mrs. Lovett made towards the door, but not before Todd added, "She deserves to have one man in her life who will not disappoint her."


Again, please review, especially after a new chapter. It's sad to update and see no comments. :(