Sittin' in Cages
By TornPrince'sSmile

Chapter XI: Who is this?

Melody strode, merrily, down the street with the man she knew, now, as Peter. She insisted that she called him 'Pete' as she always wanted to call her friend that also. Peter laughed loudly as Melody told him tales of meat pies she had encountered.

"That was the last that I saw of that ol' bugger." Melody seemed happy, but her heart sank every time she remembered where they were headed. Her home; what if Sweeney didn't approve and Peter ended up dead like all the rest? She shuttered at the mere thought of it.

Melody knew Peter for what seemed like years, and to out lookers they looked like a beggar family, for they wore no shoes. But, sadly, she only knew Peter for five hours… She grew quite fond of him and considered him a friend already. Peter, on the other hand, considered Melody his 'best' friend, since he had no one else. He also had feelings for Melody, while she only had feelings for Mr. Todd.

It was odd. Melody had been gone for hours and Toby was starting to get anxious. What if she was hurt or maybe she was kidnapped… or worse. Toby hit his head softly, tiring of those thoughts. Meanwhile, the shop door flung open and revealed a laughing pair; Melody and 'Pete'. Ms. Lovett stood at the counter, scowling at her, but was happy; for it was not Sweeney she was holding.

"'Ello madam. I'm Peter, you must be the pleasant Nellie Lovett Melody has been talkin' about for hours." Of course, Peter was exaggerating; Melody had only mentioned Ms. Lovett twice and that was because she was talkin' about how jealous she had been.

"'Ello luv, want a meat pie while your visiting?" Peter was about to answer, but Melody cut in.

"No!" Peter looked at her, awfully surprised by her outburst. Melody quickly thought of an excuse, "I was going to prepare breakfast soon. If that's alright Ms. Lovett." Nellie quickly nodded and smiled, showing her yellowing teeth.

"Of course dear; go right ahead. You know where everything is, don't cha'?" Ms. Lovett said while she was walking, curtly, out of the room and bounding up the steps to Mr. Todd's place. Peter only stared at Melody, still surprised by her. She came off as a shy, charming, young girl… so why was she so irritated by the meat pies.

"What was that?" Melody only gulped and looked away shamefully.

"It's just…"

"What?" Peter cut her off, folding his arms across his muscular chest, "I'm a grown man Melody. I can make decisions by myself, thank you." He was acting like an ill mannered child and Melody couldn't stand it.

"It's a long story okay! If I tell anyone, I'm dead." She whispered loudly, hoping that only Peter would hear. Of course, Peter didn't believe her.

"Who? Who would kill you? Ms. Lovett, or perhaps your boyfriend?" he asked hastily. She could feel the venom in that word: 'boyfriend'. Melody cried out in a soft whisper;

"Yes." Peter gawked at her, was she seriously being real? Or playin' with him? Out of nowhere, Melody hugged Peter; hooking her arms around his waist.

"I don't want you to get hurt." Peter hadn't received a hug in almost three years; his brain didn't know how to compute. Melody cried softly into Peter's dirty shirt. Peter patted her back in comfort and finally hugged her back. He didn't know what was going on, but he knew it had to be bad if she was crying.

She clung to his shirt as her knees buckled underneath her. She fell to the floor softly, taking Peter with her. With him on his knees, he kept hugging her, but around her shoulders as she sobbed.

Unknown to the two of them, Sweeney was watching the whole thing.

(A/N: I'm tryin' my best to update stories I haven't been updating sooooo; be patient with me, okay? I was listening to 'Alone in this bed' by Framing Hanley when I wrote this, so it inspired me to write that little piece at the end. =)

Thanks for reading and please review, flame; whatever you reviewers and readers do.)