A/N-Sorry it took so long for the update. Spring semester started and I got bogged down with helping with the school's musical and an award ceremony for ROTC...that's right, I'm in ROTC! What are you gonna do about it? Sorry, losing my mind slowly. Anyways, I hope this chapter fills everyone's expectations. Enjoy!
Disclaimer-You guys know what I do and what I don't own, if you don't go look a few chapters back. I do own Tyler, Steven, Jennifer, Elizabeth, John, Daniel, Alex, and the plot...yays for fanfiction! The song I used for this chapter is Linkin Park's 'Shadow of the Day'.
P.S.-I would also like to say that the death of Heath Ledger threw me off a bit, and I dedicate this chapter him, his family, and all of his fans. He will be missed deeply by the world.
Shadow of the Day
"Dad!" John yelled, running over to where his father sat.
Toby opened one eyes lazily, sitting up straighter as he leaned against the tree's trunk. Toby had taken John to the park as Elizabeth helped Adam set up his shop, which (to Toby's annoyance) was across from his shop.
"Yes?" he asked once John had sat down next to him.
"How come you and Mum aren't talking?" the boy asked.
"We're 'aving some trouble right now, but don't worry. Me and your mother are workin' things out," Toby watched John smile, but he knew what was going on in the 10 year old's head. "John, things will turn out fine. I promise,"
The child gave his father a look, almost as if he didn't believe him.
"When 'ave I ever let you down, John?"
"I can think of one time," he muttered.
"Wot?"
Without saying a word, John climbed to his feet and ran back to where his friends were waiting.
'Yer losin' 'im, Tobias.' Daniel pointed out as Toby watched his son run off with his friends. 'And 'ere you are, letting it 'appen.'
"Toby!" the man looked up to see the grinning face of Steven Lancaster, putting a smile on Toby's face.
Toby had met Steven when they were 8 years old, and Toby was glad to have a friend like Steven. At the time Steven had been working for Mrs.Mooney while Toby had been with Pirelli, both of them had been shocked to find themselves living across the street from each other when Mrs.Lovett had taken Toby in. Ever since then they had been best friends, trusting each other with their darkest secrets; even when everyone had turned their on Toby the night the barber and the baker had died, Steven was still by his friend's side.
"Steven." Toby greeted in a serious tone.
"Tobias." They were both grinning now as Steven took a seat next to Toby. "So I 'eard Elizabeth's brother came back."
"'ow?"
"Jennifer told me...'er parents told 'er." He continued when Toby raised an eyebrow before nodding his head in understandment.
Jennifer was Steven's wife who, much Elizabeth, came from a family of wealth and status; but unlike Elizabeth, Jennifer's parents had been accepting of their daughter's decision to marry a lower-class shop owner that happened to be Steven. It was known by both men that their wives' families were great friends, had been for generations. It was through Steven and Jennifer that Toby's in-laws knew what was going on with their daughter.
"Where did 'e set up shop?"
"Who?" Toby asked, looking at his friend.
"Adam,"
"Oh...he bought Mrs.Mooney's place, turned it into a tailor's shop."
"Ah." Steven said, a small smile coming to his face as he (most likely) remembered his years in the shop. "Alex tells me that John says you and Elizabeth are 'aving a little fight. Wanna talk bout it?"
Alex was Steven's son, and it didn't surprise Toby that John would confine in his best friend about his worries over his parents.
"I'm beginning to doubt Elizabeth's feelings for me," Toby admitted.
"Wotcha mean?"
"I don't think she loves me,"
"Of course she loves you! Everyone can see 'ow much she does, and she even tells ya every day."
"Just cos you say you love someone don't make it true, Steven."
"Toby, that's mental! Wot's got you thinkin' this?" Steven asked, looking at his friend with concern.
"She didn't tell me that she 'ad a brother for starters. Why? I dunno and I've stopped caring." Toby sighed. "And she 'ad failed to mention that she 'ad been arranged to marry wot's-'is-name a few days after I asked 'er to marry me. Just found out all this a few nights ago...she 'ad told me that I was 'er reason to get out of marrying 'im. She used me,"
That caught Steven's attention.
"I thought she told ya that 'er parents were making 'er marry 'im...she told Jennifer that she was gonna tell ya when she found out."
"Elizabeth's a liar, Steven. It doesn't surprise me that she 'ad lied to you and Jennifer." Toby scoffed, rolling his eyes.
He could feel his friend's eyes on him, burning a hole through him, but he didn't care.
'Let 'im think wot 'e wants, it's not gonna change a thing.' Toby thought as he glanced up at Steven before staring out in front of him again.
'That's right,' Daniel replied. ''e probably already thinks yer insane and wotever else they say bout ya. And it don't 'elp when yer talkin' bad bout yer wife...'
'Shut up, Daniel. I don't need this,'
'Yer absolutely right! Wot you need Tobias is a room in Bedlam, or a good stay in Australia.'
"Mr.Lovett!" Alex's voice interrupted his thoughts.
Toby looked up to see Steven's son running towards them, a bruise forming over his eye. At the sight of Alex, both men jumped up as Alex came to a halt, his chest heaving as he struggled to control his breathing.
"Where's John?" Toby asked as Steven looked over his son.
"He's...he's back..." the 10 year old gasped. "Him...Tyler...I tried...but Tyler just...hit me..."
Toby didn't need to hear the rest to know what was going on. He took off in the direction Alex had come from, ignoring what Steven had started to say. He ran for about a few minutes before he saw his son and another one of his friends. Toby watched as the boys fought, the sight John sent Toby separating the fighting children.
"That's right, Lovett! 'ave Daddy fight yer battles for ya," Tyler sneered as Toby held back his son, Steven and Alex coming to a stop behind them. "Just as mental as yer father, you are. S'no wonder why yer mum..."
"Leave 'im alone, Tyler." Steven cut in, giving the boy a stern look. "Or do I 'ave to tell your father wot you've been up to?"
Glaring at the two 10 year olds, Tyler walked off as Toby knelt down to look at John. John's eyes seemed to be swollen a bit, there was a trail of blood running from the corner of his mouth, one of his fingers was bent at an odd angle, and he seemed to be having trouble breathing. An image flashed in his mind as he looked at his son, but he quickly it off.
"John...Johnaton, look at me." He grabbed the boy's chin and made John meet his eye. "Wot 'ave I told you bout fighting? You know better than that!"
John made to move out of Toby's reach, but he grabbed his shoulder and pulled him forward. There was that look again; the one John had given him a few years back, the look that was filled with hatred and anger. The image ran in Toby's head again, and it became obvious that the same image had been flashing in his son's mind.
John moved out of Toby's grip before backing away, fear slowly entering the look; Toby had only seen it once before, and he had never wanted to see it again. His mind went back to playing the scene again as John took off running, Alex going after him. A moment passed when Toby felt Steven put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Alex is gonna make sure John gets back alright," Steven told Toby as he climbed to his feet, a morbid expression on his pale face. "Wot was that bout, Toby?"
"Wot?"
"The way John looked at ya and ran off...wot's it bout?"
"It's the reason why Elizabeth 'asn't trusted me in a few years." Toby muttered, looking at Steven as the same though went through his mind. "You know wot I'm talkin' bout, Steven."
"You gonna be okay?" it was clear Steven didn't want to discuss his friend's past.
"I dunno," Toby answered as he walked away.
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
"Staring at the fire again, love?"
He looked up to see Mrs.Lovett just as she sat next to him. Toby didn't say anything, his face was blank and void of anything.
"Wot 'appened?"
"I'm losing my family, mum." Toby muttered as he put his head on her shoulder, needing to know someone was there to listen to him. "Elizabeth's keeping things from me, lying bout her motives to why she married me. We ain't talkin' anymore, we always end up yelling. And now John won't even come near me, just cos 'e's been thinking bout something I did a few years back."
He felt Mrs.Lovett push back his hair as she sighed. Toby's eyes stared into the slowly, dying fire as memories played in his mind. Sleep refused to bring him escape from the events of the day; if he did manage to fall asleep, it was plagued with nightmares and memories he was trying to forget.
"I ain't gonna stand by and watch 'em leave me, mum." Toby muttered.
"Wot are you going to do?" she asked, holding him close as she sense his need for comfort.
"I dunno...but I'm gonna fight for 'em."
"I know, love. I know." She whispered.
"And the sad thing is," he pulled back to look at his mother figure. "Even she doesn't love me, I'll still be desperately in love with 'er."
The baker saw pain flash in his eyes as he looked at her, it was clear his demons were getting the better of him. Toby watched as she opened her mouth to say something, but closed it. Instead she just held him close to her, and he was reminded of his last moment with her before she was thrown into the oven.
"I don't think I could 'andle losin' 'em," he whispered. "Not after I lost you and Mr.T. I wouldn't know wot to do with myself if I lost 'em, mum."
So I brought in another mystery...yays! So now you guys have to try and figure out why Elizabeth lied to Toby about the things she did, and what Toby did in the past. Hmmm...this is quite interesting, is it not?
If you review, you get an afternoon with either Toby or mini-Todd. You also get another meat pie! The flavors are as follows (Sweeney had a very productive day and night...again):
We have priest, student, Judge, Beadle, another random bloke off the street, lawyer, Depp-bashing friends, politician, friar, royal marine, grocer, poet, fop, shepard, Tim Burton-bashing friends, and the people responsible for not having Tim Burton up for an Oscar.
If you don't review mini-Todd will come after you, Sweeney and Mrs.Lovett will come after you, I'll pull a Mr.T and/or Mrs.Lovett, or you just won't get a meat pie.
S.M.Hoffman
