Sorry it took so long. I've been having some...complications.

^^ But all's okay now, for the most part.

Now...just as a warning: there is a semi-sentimental scene in here. I figured it was only a matter of time though. ;D

Not anything too bad. Don't worry. xD For all those...anti-soppy folk.

Enjoy, anyway!

Toby trudged down the street, still blinking tears out of his eyes, as well as raindrops. There was a light drizzle that seemed to start as soon as he got outside.

Just his luck...

He wasn't exactly sure how far from the shop he was, but Mr. Todd obviously hadn't followed him. It wasn't like that was a surprise, really.

With a sigh, he turned another corner into a alley and sat against the wall, hugging his knees to his chest. He would've been rocking back and forth, but he didn't think it'd be that nice of a sight for those passing. But really, if anyone found out about his problem, they'd sympathize and understand, wouldn't they? He lived with a mad man! A..very annoying, homicidal, depressed mad man with major anger issues and constant mood swings.

Ugh!

Toby groaned and rested his head against the wall to close his eyes. It wasn't very comfy there, but he ended up falling asleep anyway. He was pretty weary after that long argument with Mr. T.

Sweeney was pacing.

Again?

Yeah.

It wasn't a crime.

It wasn't like the dreadful things he used to do (which also happened to be something he really wanted to do now).

The nerve of that child!

Mr. Todd grabbed another bottle of gin and sat down at the booth. He could easily drink out his problems. It was better than the other option...

At least Mrs. Lovett would say so. And now, dare he say it, her wisdom was exactly what he needed.

He sat there in silence, drinking. He didn't pay much attention when the sound of a few men walking down the street outside came to his ears. But when angry shouts and yells were to be heard following, he lifted his head in confusion. Sweeney twisted around to look out the window and saw a group of men walking together. A few of them looked quite angry; Sweeney could tell a great amount of them were drunk. It wasn't getting terribly late, but he still couldn't say he wasn't surprised. Time seemed to fly lately. It'd be morning one minute, and evening the very next.

Mr. Todd watched as they walked on, not even noticing him staring through the window. He couldn't help but notice that they were heading in the same direction that Toby had headed in. Not that he cared, really.

But...could the boy possibly be in danger?

What if I just...followed?
Sweeney got up and opened the door to stick his head out. The damp air met him, and a few small drops of rain from the drizzle landed into his thick black hair and pale face.

"Ugh...damn that boy."

"'Ey, Toby...wake up, I-"

"Huh? What? Put the razors down, you crazed lunatic!"

"It's jus' me, kid."

Toby blinked up into those familiar greenish-blue eyes, and glared hard at the face. "What do you want?" He found he was still lying in the alley. The rain was still lightly falling onto his face. As he stared at Luke, he noticed the teenager was absolutely drenched. That reminded him of how cold he suddenly was from laying out in the dead air and wetness.

"Pfft, I'm not telling ya with that attitude."

"Just break it to me, Luke." Toby wearily lifted a hand to massage his temple.

"I just came to warn you." The teenager said briskly. "There's an angry, drunken mob 'eadin' this way. Stay out 'o sight, eh?"

Toby blinked at him a few times, unsure on whether or not he heard him right. "...What?"

"They'll be getting to anyone they 'ave a bone to pick with, you included." Luke explained. "Get down an' follow my lead. I'll keep you safe."

"Why should I trust you?" Toby asked suspiciously. "You're the same kid who made off with my bread."

"And quite grand bread it was." Luke smirked, causing Toby's glare to harden. "...All right, all right! Why would I tell you if I wanted you to get caught and beaten to a bloody pulp?"

Toby shrugged. "I really don't see why we can't just stay in here. We seem safe."

"They're checking the alleys." Luke told him. "And they're getting close. We need to 'urry."

"...Oh, fine." Toby grumbled, staggering to his feet. He nodded to the blonde teenager, waiting for his instructions.

"Jus' follow me and stick close." Luke said quickly. He then sped off at an unexpected speed, and Toby bolted after him, fighting to keep up.

Sweeney was still closely following through the alleys. He kept the mob in his sight, his dark eyes narrowed; What a bunch of swines.

He soon found himself within a long maze of alleys, something quite similar to the alleyways he and Toby had been in with Luke and the others only a few days ago.

Was this going to be another rescue mission...?

Mr. Todd settled down near the edge of one of the gloomy, narrow pathways to glare down at two figures who were running at top speed towards him. They didn't realize his presence, of course. He was far too in the shadows to be seen from faraway.

Wait!

Was that...?

"Toby?" He murmured under his breath.

Who was that in front of him?

Luke? Sweeney growled at the sight of him, but still remained quiet.

The two boys turned abruptly and headed out of sight, into another alley.

Why were they running together?

Mr. Todd, with all his stealth, crept along the darkness. His pale skin could easily give him away, sure. But no one was there now to see -

He gasped.

The angry group of men, which turned out to be a bit smaller than Luke had described, were making their way down the alley.

Sweeney ducked down behind a dumpster, scowling. He peeked out from behind it and immediately recognized a few of them as residents of Fleet Street, old customers. Some who had narrowly escaped his clutches, in fact. They were trashing their way down the alley, shouting threats to invisible people. Sweeney wondered if they knew that Toby and Luke were there in the alley. Were they giving chase? They did turn the same corner as the two boys. After they were all out of sight, Sweeney began following again.

Toby was still running, his heart skipping a beat at the sound of the mob gaining on them.

"Why're they coming after us?" He demanded breathlessly.

"Probably for you. What with all your lies an' thieving."

"L-lies?"

Luke glanced back at him, blinking, and roughly shook his head. "Never mind." He continued onward until they found a space in between two garages, and he quickly jumped into it. Toby was getting ready to follow, but found himself being pushed out again.

"W-wait, what're you doing?"

"Think I'll go get some bread." Luke smirked. "Good luck."

"What? Wait! Come ba-"

Toby was hit over the back of the head, and he fell face down onto the pavement. He felt a pair of hands grab hold of his shoulders and flip him over, only to see a knife gleaming in the little light that the London sky provided, pointing right at him.

Sweeney peered around the corner. He saw the angry residents of Fleet Street crowding around something that was lying on the ground, kicking it, stabbing it. Then his blood ran cold at the sound of a familiar voice howling in agonizing pain.

"Toby.." He bared his teeth and sprinted forward, bringing both his razors out. He didn't even say anything as he charged into the crowd and punched the one in the middle, anger blinding him from anything else rather than causing the same kind of agony to these men.

"Who are-" The man he had punched was cut off, and Sweeney grabbed hold of him and swung him around to slam him against the brick wall to the left side of the alley. He pinned him there and brought his razor up. Before he could stop himself, a splash of crimson slapped him in the face. The man in front of him fell down, dead.

Toby gaped up at Mr. Todd, not sure whether to be pleased or disturbed when he saw the blood splattering against the wall, pavement, and Sweeney. He was still pretty helpless as he was forcefully pulled to his feet to be slapped against the garage door to the opposite side of the alley and punched several painful times in the face and stomach. His arm was throbbing, blood still pulsing from the wound that the knife had made. He managed to count four men beating up on him. Sweeney had just slaughtered the fifth, and now the demon barber was coming back to take care of the others. Toby felt even more weight being taken off him. Sweeney had grabbed the man in the very middle and was getting ready to slit his throat as well, but the brute had struggled out of the barber's grasp and was now running down the alleyway, screaming something about this whole thing being far from over. Mr. Todd grabbed a more lean, rather than muscular man, who was holding the knife, and raised an arm to slit his throat with the razor in his right hand. However, Toby's breath was caught in his throat when the skinny man had lifted his knife and slashed it across the demon's chest. It didn't go in deep enough to damage him severely though. Sweeney's eyes glazed over in anger and pain, but Toby couldn't keep track of what was going on with the two other men still punching him.

He tried at his hardest to fight back, but it was still too much. He ended up sinking to the ground in all his pain and weariness, coming dangerously close to falling unconscious.

It was all a blur, but Sweeney obviously soon finished with the man, because he went onto the other two. Toby's eyes were half closed, and he just couldn't focus anymore. He felt the slightest relief, however, when the two last men had retreated down the alley when Sweeney advanced on them. Toby was frozen, too shocked to cry. Sweeney turned around to glare down at him, and Toby could have sworn the barber's hard expression softened faintly.

Nothing too noticable.

"Come now," The barber muttered, struggling to keep his voice steady against his gasping breath. "nothing to be..." Another breath. "...scarred over."

Toby didn't reply. He just continued staring at nothing with a shocked expression plastered over his face. Sweeney sighed stressfully and slowly pulled the boy to his feet, steadying him. Toby did nothing to help with this though, and he was nothing more than dead weight that Mr. Todd soon found himself dragging.

"We've got to get back to Fleet Street before those bastards do." Sweeney growled, practically carrying Toby half way before the boy absently resumed walking with a blank expression on his face. Toby was shivering fiercely, against both the cold and the wound on his arm. He had a black eye, as well as several other bruises. Sweeney didn't look all too better, even if he had the upper hand in the fight using his razors. His razors that were going to get a thorough cleaning once the two got home.

And so, just like two nights before, Sweeney was walking home with Toby, covered with his victim's blood and Toby covered with bruises. They stayed out of sight within the alleys, and when they reached their street, they crossed speedily.

Toby walked through the door and sat down in the booth, still shaking. Sweeney closed the door behind them and tiredly leaned against it. They were both drenched, now closely resembling drowned rats.

They remained silent. It didn't grow awkward this time, however. It was...rather comforting.

The silence was broken after a while though; by Toby's shaky breath.

Sweeney gazed down at the boy who now seemed more conscious.

"...Are you all right?" He murmured.

Toby shivered. "Of-of..c-course."

Sweeney rolled his eyes. "Doesn't seem like it."

"Why-why w-w-would they...?"
"I don't know." Sweeney sighed, walking around the table to sit in the booth next to Toby. "I knew they did stupid things while drunk. I never thought they'd so something that stupid."

Toby dipped his head and closed his eyes tightly, and Mr. Todd spotted a tear falling. "W-what're we gonna do?" He whispered, rapping his arms around himself.

Sweeney honestly didn't know how to respond to that. Did they really have to leave Fleet Street? Even if he didn't act like he cared for it, it was still the only place that truly felt like home.

"I really have no idea..." He paused for a moment, then added in softly, "...Toby."

Toby blinked in surprise for a moment that the barber actually used his name this time, but it quickly went back to a gloomy action of tightly hugging himself and cringing against his injuries, trying to hold back his tears and failing miserably.

The people he once thought he knew, not as friends..but perhaps loyal customers at least, had been trying to quite possibly kill him. He never knew things'd come to this in the end.

Sweeney stared down at him, suddenly noticing the wound on the boy's arm. He quickly took out his bloodstained razor and began cutting off a piece of cloth from his sleeve. When he got it big enough, he gently grabbed Toby's wounded arm (Toby flinching at this, of course) and rapped the white cloth around it. The boy let out a tiny hiss of pain from the gash being touched, but he relaxed after a moment. Sweeney absently let go of Toby's arm once he tied a knot on the dressing, it falling right back into its place of rapping around the boy's trembling body.

Toby seemed to be lost in his own haunted thoughts. His bottom lip would give an occasional twitch, as though he were getting ready to say something, but thought against it. He looked miserable and pathetic, but this time...Sweeney would murder anyone who said it to be priceless.

Letting out a small breath, Mr. Todd hesitantly raised his arm to rap it over Toby's shoulders. He carefully pulled the young boy closer to him, until their clothes were brushing. He knew he wouldn't have been able to provide much warmth, him naturally being as cold as death itself. However, Toby, in all his shock of this movement, seemed to like the support. He carefully leaned into Sweeney's chest, obviously cautious of making a wrong move and getting his throat slit. Sweeney cringed and stifled his own hiss of pain, the boy's head resting against the fresh, bloody slash on his chest that had ripped right through his clothing. He numbly went on ignoring the pain and eventually ended up rapping his other arm around the boy's small frame, hugging him close. Toby noticed immediately that it wasn't as warm and soft as a hug from Mrs. Lovett would have been, but he supposed that was also obvious. The way the demon barber felt at touch was awfully similar to his personality: cold and hard.

Toby breathed out heavily, letting a few more tears fall. He wiped them away furiously before rapping his arms around Sweeney in turn, to which he felt the barber stiffen. Mr. Todd had clearly not experienced such close human contact for years. Fifteen to be exact. He wasn't entirely sure of what to make of it.

Maybe he wasn't that heartless after all...

When Toby finally pulled away, he glanced down at his shirt and sleeves to see blood all over himself from pressing so close to Sweeney. As disgusted as he was by this, he had to admit: He felt...better.

Sweeney sighed and rested his arms across the table, staring at the bloodstained sleeves. "...So," He muttered after a moment. "no one is to know about this, ey?"
"Of course not." Toby agreed matter-of-factly, as if they had been practicing that question for years. He remained silent for a while afterwards until he took a side glance at Sweeney, only to gasp at the large slash that ripped through the barber's chest. How had he not noticed before? And how did he forget? The barber was...caring for Toby first, and not for himself.

"Sir?" He stammered.

"What?"

"You, uh...you're gonna clean that up, right?"

"Clean up-" Sweeney cut himself off and lifted a hand to wipe through some of the blood that had seeped out onto his chest. "...oh." He breathed, trying his best to hide the horrified expression on his face. "It's nothing new." He shuddered. "It'll add on with the rest of the scars."

"You're in pain." Toby pointed out. "Treat it before it becomes a scar."
Sweeney sniffed with contempt. "Are you pitying me again?"

"No! I just..." Toby paused. "...I'm just trying to care for you the way you just cared for me."

"I couldn't care less about you." Sweeney sneered.

Toby grumbled to himself. Why must an argument flare up every few minutes?

"What was that then?"
"What was what?"
"What you just did!" Toby exclaimed. "You just-"
"You were cold." Sweeney waved him off. "I'm not gonna let you freeze."

"I think you just needed a hug.." Toby muttered, halfway smirking.

Sweeney scowled and sharply stood up to stalk away, heading for the side door, of course.

"Hey, w-wait." Toby called hesitantly, suddenly feeling faint guilt taking over him. "I'm sorry."

Sweeney stopped and glared over his shoulder.

"Thanks," Toby rested his hand over the dressing on his arm. "that'll heal up." He smiled, trying to keep things bright. "I did need a..a little...support, too."

"Too? Hm.." Sweeney eyed him thoughtfully, then once again failed at suppressing a smirk. "I'm glad, but don't always expect it. Ever heard of the "first and last time" for things? Selfish child..." He rolled his eyes and pushed the side door open, walking outside without another word.

Toby grinned after him. "Whatever you say, Mr. T."

:3

*Desperately feels like huggling Sweeney*

Love him.

Anyway...I knew there'd be an affectionate scene sooner or later. I wanted it to be in a moment in which Toby would be traumitized, though (which I did pull off...kinda).

I really wanted to release this chapter, as many are fans of fluff.

The residents of Fleet Street obviously hate being left in the dark, and by people who are led by a man that looks as suspicious as Sweeney Todd does. And seriously...did it not occur to anyone that Sweeney sort of looks a bit...dangerous? Of course, that wouldn't stop me from giving him a fangirl hug, but you get my damn point. -_-

People must've been a tad more rash back then, as I can picture it.

Oh yeah, and that reminds me...

DAMN THAT LUKE.

He'll be getting his soon enough, don't you worry.

But in the meantime...

Me: *hugs Sweeney*

Sweeney: *pushes Me off*

Me: D: