hey all, very fast update here. If your lucky there will be one later today. I typed this up when I was sitting at Starbucks this morning, who new eggnog latte's could been such good inspiration? I did check to see what christmas carols would be accurate for the time period Jingle Bells sadly wasn't although it would if they had been living in America. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen is though, written in England in 1833. Please Review, criticism is welcome to! now on with the chapter!

Nellie had decided that closing the shop over the holidays would be pointless seeing as the number of people wanting a pie had almost double since it had started snowing. This combined with Mr. Todd's new found hatred for the Christmas spirit there were enough bodies to keep up with customers. This only meant longer nights spent hacking up bodies and grinding them into pie filling. She had taught Toby how to make pie pastry long ago so that she could simply bring the batter down and put in the filling. It was true that this made it much easier but with over five bodies a day the work was much harder than the pint-sized baker could cope with. She had started opening later to be able to say awake late into the night and on some occasions into the morning twilight.

Mrs. Lovett sat in her parlor with a book balanced across her lap. The fire in the hearth was burning low and cast dim glow over the room. The sun had just started to peak over the London rooftops the light reflecting off of the snow, it really did look like a winter wonderland. She shivered slightly as a gust of wind swept through the decaying windowsill. Her eyes fluttered open it was then that she realized that she had fallen asleep on her settee. Her worn leather boots rested on the floor beside her, red and green stocking clad feet rested beside them on the floor. A steady tattoo could be heard from her ceiling the demon barber as always was not asleep. Rubbing the smudged eyeliner further across her face she gave a sleepy yawn. Picking her boots off the floor a slowly tying them back onto her aching feet. Mrs. Lovett got up and ruffled Toby's already messy hair.

He was stretched out in front of the fireplace like a cat enjoying the heat. His hair was all over the place sticking up in odd tufts. He smiled in his dreams as he cradled the empty bottle of gin in front of him. 'The liquor really will be tha death of 'im' she thought to herself, making a mental note to try and wean him off of the gin.

…

On the floor above a stoic Mr. Todd paced slowly in front of the large picture window. His thoughts drifted to the night before. He had heard Mrs. Lovett and the boy playing clumsily on the piano. The racket they were creating had invaded his thinking. Well played music had been one of the things he had enjoyed in his old life, this was out of tune and melody. He had it set in his mind that he would shut them up one way or another and marched down the stairs to do just that. Opening the bakers shop door quietly so that they wouldn't hear him he found the noise only got worse. As he got closer to Mrs. Lovett's parlor he heard that it wasn't the voices that were out of tune, in fact they were wonderful. The piano was in desperate need of a tuning and possibly some new keys. He had stood in the door way watching the two singing their hearts out, indifferent to the barber as they were to the out of tune piano. A memory came back to him from seventeen years previous.

…

Nellie Lovett sat at the piano playing it beautifully. Her hair was tied up in neat buns with red ribbons. Albert had placed himself in his usual velvet covered chair, the buttons on his suit pulled slightly around the middle. Lucy was sitting beside Mrs. Lovett and the two of them were singing like larks.

"God rest ye merry gentlemen

Let nothing you dismay

Remember, Christ our savior

Was born on Christmas day

To save us all from Satan's power

When we were gone astray

O tidings of comfort and joy,

Comfort and joy.

O tidings of comfort and joy."

He had come in carrying a tray of spiced cider. The two women had stopped singing to enjoy the warm drink with their husbands. The four had spent the evening chatting casually about their hopes for the New Year.