Johanna sat back onto the bed with a sigh, her curios eyes observing the outside sky. London's sky was never a brilliant shade of blue. No, instead, it was a melancholic grey with, if one was luck, a golden beam of light infiltrating the gloom.

Sweeney Todd entered the shop, unable to say anything to the young teenage girl who had delicately place herself on the small cot. He shot her a glance, turned away, and walked towards the window, silently questioning himself. Was it not just a few days ago when he was begging for his family to return to him? Was he so blind that he did not realize that his dying wish had been sitting down on the mattress, right in the corner of his very room?

Outside, the streets bustled with its morning strollers. A woman carried a young child in her arms, her eyes anxiously glancing around her, well aware of the dangers she faced alone in the hazardous world. A man walked in step with an elderly gentleman, the man's face wrinkled with previous smiles.

Sweeney clenched his jaw as he gazed at the scene. What he had previously referred to as "vermin", Benjamin Barker mutely protested them as being "innocents". The internal battle raged within him, causing him to squeeze his eyes shut and clench his fists until his knuckles had become white.

Too consumed in his thoughts, the man did not notice his only daughter struggle to her feat and limp towards him. In the corner of his eye, Todd noticed her fair haired head stop at the window, causing him to fully turn and face her. She did not return the stare; she simply continued to observe the outside world.

"Turpin had me shut up in a room when I had lived with him. Surprisingly, I was allowed a key to the house, but I was forbidden to leave my room if it was not upon his request. But, I did make efforts to escape. I even once made it to the front door, only to be caught by his good friend Bamford. Yes, the Beadle was utterly horrible. He would make a game of breaking the necks of birds-my birds- the only things that I were allowed to have that I actually held dear to my heart. They would sing as they stared outside, longing to see the world…but never were they permitted to reach it."

The barber could sense the connection that Johanna made between the birds and herself.

"Personally, I know that my gilded cage will haunt me forever. One would think that a young rich girl who resided with one of the most powerful men in all of London…would be happy. But, how could l? I do not wish to appear spoiled sir, yet all I have ever wanted was to go outside. Being locked up all of those years truly drained every ounce of joy that I had managed to sneak when I was spending my days in retched solitude. Never was I able to feel the rain on my hands, the wind in my hair, the sun on my skin…"

Johanna's voice broke off, irritating her and causing her to clear her throat and continue.

"Do you think that I can do it, sir? Do you suppose that I can go outside and wallow in its wonders? Would you allow it?"

The longing in her voice! How could someone be as self conceited as that blasted judge and lock up a young girl and steal her away from the fresh air, civilization, her family?!

"Of course, but only when you have healed." Once more, their eyes met. She looked down, notably embarrassed.

"Thank you, sir." Upon the opportunity, his eyes left her face and darted to the dark buildings that stood outside.

"Have I done something wrong?" her voice wavered.

Mr. Todd sucked in a gulp of air through his teeth. "No."

"Then why do you show such negative attitude when you are around me. Oh, I see…it is because I ran away, isn't it?"

"NO! It's not! Do you understand what that bastard did to you, girl? Are you so educationally deprived that you do not understand that he took your innocence? And here you are, standing here, not thanking God that you are alive, but wishing to go outside as if you are perfectly fine?"

He trudged over to a smaller window and rested his arm against the window's pane, painfully begging for forgiveness. He had definitely gone too far.

"I do not wish to show weakness, Mr. Todd. I am well aware of what he did to me, but that does not mean that I should not be allowed to live life to the fullest of extents, especially when it is a minor thing such as standing outside."

Sweeney rubbed his throbbing head. "I apologize. You did nothing wrong. It was him…and he is dead. I should not have said those things."

Honestly, Mr. Todd how hard is it to realize you were wrong? Leave the girl be, she has been through enough, Benjamin argued in his mind.

I know, I apologized, didn't I?!

Look at her, your making her cry. Your own daughter and you are making her suffer…

Sweeney lurched forward and wiped the tears off of her face, every inch of his face holding guilt. She lifted her hand and placed it on top of his shoulder.

"I really should thank you…you saved me, sir...From Turpin and those men."

God, now she was thanking him!

"I-…you are welcome," he replied. His baffled gaze made her pull away, afraid that her act of affection had been of some sort of offense. For moments, they simply stared into each other's face, allowing the horrors they had been through to simply flow through their eyes. They allowed the hopes of their past to be shown only to be crushed by the demeaning truth.

"Sir-father," Johanna croaked. "I-It is true what you said the night we were reunited. You are all I have got." Tears slid down her cheekbones, only to be wiped away by her father again. He rested his palm on the side of her face, her hand slipping on top of his. Her eyes closed, her face holding tranquility as their hands touched.

The only family she would ever be allowed to have…

He raised his arm and wrapped it around her shoulders, holding her close to him. She buried her face into his crisp linen shirt as he tucked the top of her head under his chin. It had been so long since he had had felt the pleasure of holding his girl in his arms. His eyes too, closed and he visualized that he was holding the little baby that gurgled with joy when she was held by him…

"I will protect you. You will never be hurt again, I swear it," Sweeney swore to the sobbing girl.

Johanna looked up towards the male, her eyes red, yet her lips, for once, smiling. "I love you, father."

"I…I love you as well, Johanna."

*************************************************************************************

The man sent searing kissed down the woman's jaw bone and back up to her soft rosy lips. The woman placed her hand on his back as he grazed her earlobe with his teeth, sending shivers up her spine. They shared one last kiss before pulling away. Exhausted, the blonde laid her head on the man's chest. "Oh, my Benjamin," she breathed as she placed her mouth on his neck, her fingers tracing patterns in his skin. "My sweet Lucy," he moaned.

The beggar felt a rough hand shake her shoulder violently. With a yelp, she sat up, angered that the glorious dream had been interrupted. "Don't you realize that you are blocking this whole here walkway, woman?" The man grabbed her arm and shoved her backward, causing her to hit her head on the stone wall behind her.

"Don't you touch me!"

"Just who do you think you are, ordering me about?"

The beggar opened her mouth and replied, "Lucy Barker!" The name had not been a random choice. In her dreams, her visions, they all started to make her believe that she…the homeless nobody…was once the glorious Lucy. She was! This was who she was! But…where was Benjamin…and her daughter? What cruel fate had they undergone?

"Oh, you're Lucy Barker, eh? Aint you supposed to be the wife of the bloke who got shipped off to the other half of the world?"

Lucy blinked. "What?"

The man snorted. "Yeah, you're Mrs. Barker. Like hell you are!"

The male walked to the end of the street. "And stay out of the walkways!" he added before disappearing from sight.

Lucy ignored his rude manner, but not what he had said about Benjamin. She turned and walked openly, to an unknown destination.

"Shipped off to the other side of the world?" she asked herself. "My husband?"

Was he really gone? Was he as dead as the sunlight in this world of hate and despair? Lucy suddenly stopped, her mind overcome with dim memories. So dim, only the outlines could be seen. Yet, a certain concept was grasped by the woman.

"Benjamin Barker committed no crime!" She turned the corner, now speaking to her lost lover as if he was right beside her. "Benjamin, if you have parted from this world…then soon enough…I shall join you. But if you are still alive…know that I love you…perhaps someday we will meet again, you, me, and…our daughter."

The daughter whose name escapes me, yet again!

Lucy began to tremble upon the very thought of what could have happened to her loving husband. "Oh, my sweet Benjamin, where has the world taken you?"

***********************************************************************************

Hey guys, sorry I took so damn long to update. I repent and would also like to thank LionkingLover for the reviews as well. Everybody, thank you so much! Tell me what you think so far of the story and even what you want to see happen. I love hearing you guys and your opinions! It's so fun writing about the soft side of a demonic barber! And I think I am going to make a funny story about Sweeney too, so be on the look out! Now…you will review...review…review… (I'm a crazy)