Thank you all for the fantastic reviews! Chapter Twelve, here we go!
Sweeney Todd
"Mr. Todd, wot are yeh talkin' about?" Mrs. Lovett asks me, looking confused. I don't say anything to her. I'm too stunned to say anything. How could I have not noticed this all along? Her kindness towards me, how she sometimes blushes if I say something nice, how fired up she got when Lucy was speaking badly of me. It's so obvious!
"…'Ello? Yeh in there?" She asks, snapping me from me thoughts. I look down at her, as if seeing her for the first time. Bloody Hell, she has it written all over her face!
"Sorry, I got lost in me thoughts, that's all," I say to her. I don't think it'd be wise to confront her on her feelings tonight, seeing it's been a rough day already for her. She smiles at me with that shyness hidden beneath.
"It's quite alright, dear. Perhaps you should go t' bed and rest yer weary bones," She says as she goes to leave. I stop her by gently grabbing her arm. She seems tense under my touch at first, looking up at me with a hint of fear in her eyes.
"Shouldn't you get some rest?" I ask her.
"Mr. Todd, look at me," She says flatly. I look her over and…oh, right. She's a bloody mess.
"Oh, sorry," I mumble, feeling rather stupid.
"It's okay, love. Now, get off t' bed," She orders me nicely. I do something that I normally don't do; I give her a small smile before I turn and leave. I could've sworn I caught her blushing before I fully turned away from her. When I'm up in me shop, I pace about the room. A lot is on me mind right now. Although I'm sad about Lucy, I also feel more free and at ease now that I know the truth. It's an odd, but pleasant feeling. Of course, I still want to kill the Judge and the Beadle, but only for pure revenge now.
After a while, me thoughts drift upon Mrs. Lovett. I can't believe how blind I was. It's quite obvious to me now that she has strong feelings for me. That's fine, but I don't see how she could. I've been so mean to her since I've returned. I keep on thinking about what Mrs. Lovett had said to Lucy about not caring about how much I've changed. Could this possibly mean she's liked me even before I was shipped off? We've been friends since childhood. I don't think it started then. Maybe it was when her parents had arranged for her to marry Albert Lovett. It must've been then, because I can recall her acting slightly different around me then. Who knows, maybe if she wasn't married to Albert, it'd me and her who'd be married.
I paused abruptly when that thought entered my mind. Eleanor and I as a couple? I mean, as kids, we joked about it because we were best friends. I was slightly sad when she told me that her god-damned parents were forcing her to marry that pig, Lovett. But shortly after that was when I set me eyes on Lucy. Humph, if only I knew back then that she was a shallow woman. Perhaps none of this would've ever happened. I have to laugh at meself, twenty-four hours ago, I worshipped Lucy. Now, I find that the more I think about her, the uglier she seems to me. I feel so betrayed and used right now. And, I can't believe she's going to marry Johanna off to the Judge!
I begin to pace again, really hoping that my lil' girl isn't fond of the idea of marrying that wrinkly old pig. I pause for a moment, recalling the day when Mrs. Lovett came up with that brilliant plan. Before I yelled at Anthony to leave, he mentioned that he wanted my help with rescuing a girl from her tyrannical mother and fiancé. Of course! That's why the Judge was so angry to see the boy! The boy loves my daughter and it's very possible that she loves him back. God, why didn't I see this sooner?
I collapse into me barber's chair after tiring me legs out. I can't believe all of this information. Lucy is going to force Johanna to marry the Judge, who is a womanizing pig. Oddly enough, this reminds me of Eleanor's parents forcing her to marry Albert Lovett. Well, I'm not going to let history repeat itself. I get up and exit me shop. I have to tell Eleanor about this so the two of us can find Anthony Hope tomorrow. When I enter the Pie Shop, I see that the light is on in the parlor. I go in and is about to say something when I pause.
Eleanor is collapsed in her arm chair, contently asleep. She's in a cleaner dress and she isn't plastered in blood as she was earlier. Should I wake her up and tell her the news? No, it can wait for the morning. I turn to leave, but I stop meself. Slowly, I look back over at the woman who is sleeping in the chair. Until now, I've never noticed how…pretty she is. I walk up to the chair and kneel down to Eleanor's level, truly looking at her for the first time. Her fiery hair is completely down, which would be a first for me to see. I never knew it was so long. I silently chuckle, realizing that the colour of her hair is the same as my favorite colour. Carefully, I take a clump of the hair in my hand. It's very soft, which shocked me. I always thought it'd be wiry because that's how it looks when she wears it up.
Eleanor shifts in her sleep, causing me to quickly let go of her fiery curls. I notice how uncomfortable she looks in that chair. So I very carefully maneuver me arms beneath her and I gently lift her up. Heh, she's heavier than she looks. I notice that that's because she's mainly muscles from doing a lot of labor. Carefully and quietly, I carry her up to the second floor of her apartment. I am very quiet when I pass Toby's room. I really don't want him to wake up and see me with his mum in me arms. Oh, Bloody Hell! Her door is completely shut! Carefully, I lay her down in the hallway. I then open up the door, which is as loud as Hell! I quickly look down at Mrs. Lovett, satisfied to see that she's still sound asleep. I carefully pick her up and go into her room. Christ, it's so bleedin' dark in here! When I find her bed, I carefully lay her down in it. After I successfully tuck her in, I quietly leave the room. As I head up to me shop, I find meself smiling. Perhaps I can find love again after all.
This chapter is longer than it looks, folks. It looks short because it's mainly Sweeney's thoughts. As a matter of fact, this is my longest chapter, believe it or not! Please review, it's greatly appreciated!
