A/N: Here's the next chapter and I must admit there are a few unexpected twists

A/N: Here's the next chapter and I must admit there are a few unexpected twists! I know how you all just love those…at least I do…

The Fatal Midnight

Sweeney Todd lay in his bed, trying to sleep. He stared at the ceiling for awhile and then turned over and faced the wall. He closed his eyes tightly but sleep would not come. Thoughts whirred through his mind: The newness of the room, that filthy Mark, the smell of Mrs. Lovett's hair when they were dancing together… he growled quietly. He told himself it was all nonsense and he should be sleeping right now.

But another thought occurred to him: he hadn't thought of his Lucy the whole time they had been in Edinburgh! He instantly felt guilty and wanted to kick himself for neglecting his wife's memory. But then he remembered the dream he had had on the train. About moving on… was that really what his love wanted?

"Is she your love anymore?" asked the pleading voice at the back of his mind. He huffed at the idea and tried hard to sleep.

He was nearly dozing off when he heard a rustling outside of his window. His eyes snapped open and he listened intently. He heard shuffling and the creaking of branches from the tall tree that stretched over and could almost scratch the panes. Suddenly there came the noise of the window squeaking open. Sweeney turned around and saw a dark silhouette climbing in through the window. He made a quick move to the vanity table and snatched one of his razors, holding it in front of him protectively as the figure entered and stood at its full height.

He noticed the glimmering blade of a knife in the figure's hand. It stepped closer and made himself visible in the moonlight. The man's face triggered recognition in Sweeney's mind. But who was he? Could it be?

"…Charlie?" he asked, stepping forward.

The man nodded, his face gravely still. "Hello mate."

"What are ye doing here?" Sweeney inquired.

"Don't play coy, Mr. Barker. I knew it was you the minute I saw you at the train station," Charlie said.

"You didn't answer my question."

Charlie took a step over to the vanity and ran a finger along one of the razors that rested snuggly in a bed of velvet. Sweeney quickly put his razor over Charlie's wrist, daring him to try anything. Charlie raised the long knife and pressed the point under Sweeney's chin.

"It takes two to tango, sir", Charlie smirked.

Sweeney glared at him and moved the razor away from Charlie's wrist. "So, why is it you have it out for me then?" He asked, still keeping the razor handy.

Charlie pulled the knife away and rested his hand at his side, "You never did like me. No, never let me touch your razors. You know how much I admired them."

"I knew how much you were a thieving rat," Sweeney barked back at him.

The look on Charlie's face fell from a sadistic smirk to an angry scowl. "I was no thief!"

"Don't think I never saw you swipe pennies from the tip jar!"

"Then why did you never lash me?"

"Because I wasn't a violent man then," Sweeney said and delivered a blow to the side of Charlie's face. He staggered back toward the bed and the furious barber pinned him down, forcing the razor at his throat. Charlie grabbed Sweeney's wrist and tried to hold it back, both of their arms shaking from the battle.

Then suddenly, there came a high pitched scream from a room down the hall. Nellie's room! Sweeney thought. Frantically still fighting Charlie, Sweeney had no choice but to kick his leg with all the force he could muster and run from the room. Charlie yelled out in pain and slid to the ground, holding his leg and uttering swears under his breath.

Sweeney reached the hallway and looked up and down; trying to figure out which room the scream came from. There it was again! He followed the noise and burst through a door at the end of the hall. His mouth dropped open at the sight.

"Get off! Get away from me, you filthy pig!" Mrs. Lovett screamed as Mark tried to force himself upon her. "Somebody help!" She couldn't scream any longer because Mark had pushed his lips into hers as he forced her against the banister of her bed.

Finally regaining the feeling in his legs, Sweeney growled in his throat and ran at the awful man with his razor arched high above his head. Noticing company, Mark released Nellie's lips and gaped at Sweeney.

"Mr. T!" she gasped, "Thank the Lord!"

He tackled Mark to the floor and wrestled to get the razor against his neck. Mark kicked him off hard and Sweeney faltered only for a moment and then charged him. Mrs. Lovett shrieked in fear as Mark began to choke Sweeney Todd but he quickly stabbed the razor into his arm. Mark screamed in agony and gripped the wound. Sweeney punched his stomach and caused him to stagger back toward the open window. With one final slit of the razor across his neck, Mark fell backwards through the window and into the garden down below.

In an instant, Mrs. Lovett's arms surrounded him. "Oh, Mr. T! You saved me! Thank you! Thank you!" She held him tightly and he looked down at her. Noticing a large red mark on her cheek, he lifted her chin to his face.

His eyebrows furrowed as he examined the bruising area, "He hit you?"

She wiped away a tear that had managed to streak down her face and nodded solemnly. He lightly touched the spot with his fingertips and she winced.

"Bastard", he muttered and pulled her close to him. Mrs. Lovett smiled against his chest, loving his true concern, loving him. This bliss ended too soon when he pushed her away, muttering "Charlie."

He left her in confusement and ran back to his own room. Sweeney looked over by the bed where he had left him and then back to the window. The curtains were blowing in the breeze and Charlie was nowhere to be found. He closed the window and locked it shut. Mrs. Lovett peered in through the doorway.

"What is it, love?" she asked him.

"He got away…"

"Who got away, Mr. T?"

"Charlie! The little heathen that used to work for me- for Benjamin, he tried to kill me. But I guess that wasn't really his purpose…he was distracting me so he could get to…" He turned and faced Mrs. Lovett, "So Mark could…"

Mrs. Lovett put a hand on his shoulder, "There there, I'm sure it'll be fine now."

"No!" he said, jerking away, "He knows our secret now…he knows who I am. We'll have to get back to London as soon as we can."

"But Mr. Todd, we have to stay with my father until… I mean, we can't just leave!"

She could almost see the gears whirring away inside his head, "We'll just have to stay until then. We won't leave the house…but how will we walk all the way to the train station without being recognized?"

Mrs. Lovett thought hard, "There is another way out of town."

"What is it?" he asked, his eyes lighting up.

"There are a series of catacombs under the city. People who 'ad the plague lived down there in squalor until they all died. There have been other criminals that have used it as safe passage out of town."

"Mrs. Lovett, you're brilliant!" he declared as he strode over to her, "You're a bloody wonder!"

"Ah, well…" she shrugged and then out of nowhere he kissed her on the forehead and darted back to her room.

Her whole head felt warm and she began to feel dizzy. She clutched the side of the wall as a large smile spread across her face. When she had her balance back, she followed him to her room.

"Mr. T, what are you doing in here?"

He stood there, looking out the window where Mark had fallen moments ago.

"I'm trying to figure out wot we should do about him. We can't let your father know the secret."

She chuckled softly, "Don't get your knickers in a bunch; my father saw how Mark was ogling me earlier. He'll see you as a hero!"

"Really?" he asked, ignoring the knicker comment.

"Really", she replied, "now go back to bed."

A/N: Wow, what an eventful chapter! Please continue to R&R! Thanks!