Chapter 14- That'll do the trick, sir.
Benjamin was confused at first as to where they were. It had obviously been awhile since he had been here, in Toby's life, and a lot had changed.
They seemed to be in some sort of office, most probably someone in the government. The door opened behind Benjamin and Mrs. Lovett, and in walked in Toby handcuffed, flanked by two guards. The man in the chair turned around to face him. Mrs. Lovett stood next him, obviously distressed over Toby's condition, even though Toby seemed to be relaxed and calm.
"Well, Mr. Ragg, the day has come. What to do with you?" The man however looked for no response from Toby and continued as though he was alone and pondering all this to himself.
"What to do with a man, who as a boy had done so many bad things? Who is no longer a boy, and can not therefore be kept in a youth asylum. Should we transfer you? Should we let you go with a warning? After all the last few years show a good record, and we like to see improvement."
Toby did not even acknowledge the man.
So the man continued, "Let us give a run down of what your record says, maybe that will help us decide what do with you."
The man pulled out a file on his desk, and began reading off the first page. "Name, Tobias Ragg, Age, 18, age at internment, 12. Charge(s), murder, and assault. Details: …oh my."
The man stopped and looked slightly paler then before. However he started up again trying to regain composure and control the situation.
"May I ask a question of you?"
Toby looked up, and stared at the man, before muttering 'yes'.
"What is your relation to the man known far and wide, as Sweeney Todd?"
Toby looked out the window as he replied. "Shouldn't you be asking why I killed him?"
"I think we can safely assume the reason for that. If all the rumors are true, I think anyone in their right mind would have done so." The man laughed uncertainly.
Benjamin looked at the ground and muttered, "Agreed." Mrs. Lovett heard and looked over sympathetically, but Benjamin didn't notice, he was looking at Toby.
"In their right mind…hmmm." Toby seemed to muse out loud, and the man began to look even more uncomfortable.
"You did not answer my question."
"My… relationship… was merely of avoidance. I was greatly afraid of him."
The man seemed to relax as though this statement made Toby more sane.
"So…then why did you kill him?" He asked looking as though he was merely amused.
"Because he was evil, and he killed her."
"Who?"
"Mum" Mrs. Lovett made a choking sound and Benjamin reached out to touch her and then thought the better of it.
"Your mother?"
"No"
"Then…"
"She loved him, but he didn't love her back…he made her do it…all those pies…he made her do it…because he knew… he knew that she would do it… cause she loved him." Toby kept pausing to maintain his calm composure, but by the end of this statement his low voice had cracked and he was clenching his fists.
Benjamin shuddered. He hadn't seen it that way… and she was the one who had come up with plan in the first place. Of course how would Toby know that. How long this boy had held on to this hatred and the fear, of course the fear…
He bent down next to Toby and whispered in his ear. "You deserved a lot more then you were given in life…most children do."
Toby visibly relaxed. Benjamin continued. "Children have many irrational fears, and you have one too. Not of me, I see that as rational. After all I…fear myself, why shouldn't you?"
Neither Benjamin nor Mrs. Lovett or even Toby was listening now to the continued ramblings of the man in the chair.
"You…are not me…nor will you ever be…this you must not fear. I saw you with Grace, and I saw you with Mrs. Lovett, you are a protector…a guardian…not a vengeful man…a selfless, loving kid…just like I used to be…" Benjamin stumbled over these last words and Toby flinched in his chair.
"You deserve to be free Toby, free of me! Protect others with the rest of your life, prove to the world that Love overcomes everything… something that…well I don't know if I believe, but it is a message that deserves to be heard…it deserves a lot, just like you." Benjamin was breathing hard at this moment and so was Toby.
And Toby spoke out loud, "A policeman!, or a doctor, or a priest…a little priest…" Toby began to pale again, as though something had just clicked in his head. He took a deep breath and looked the very confused man in the eyes.
"I am good at something."
"Well, that's…a grand thing…considering every man needs a profession, direction…" He trailed off.
"A priest…"Toby seemed to falter again.
Benjamin bent down again blinking tears from his eyes. He cracked an honest smile, something he hadn't done since, that night in the bakehouse…
"As long as your sermons aren't boring or too long…"
Toby suddenly beamed.
"Well, the seminary might not take you on as a priest, but I am sure they would take good care of you, and you might even learn a thing or too…yes, that seems a good fit for a spiritually damaged youth, life at a church… yes, yes, brilliant…"
The man trailed off and began to write a letter, and…
They were back. Standing right in front of the pie shop, which was not where they had left off.
There was a long moment of silence that seemed to last for hours, before either of them spoke.
Nellie spoke first, "Do you think that things can catch on fire here?"
Benjamin was taken aback. "Why?"
Nellie turned with tears in her eyes. "Cause I want to be free too."
Sweeney spoke up inside his head, "Don't we all"
Benjamin nodded.
The building instantly set on fire. Nellie turned around in surprise and she stood next to him looking out at the place burning down, not realizing that it had been burnt down physically many years before.
When the building had burnt to the ground, Nellie turned back around to look at Benjamin. She looked no younger then the day that Benjamin had first met her when she and her new husband rented the upstairs to him and his new wife.
She was beautiful and she was fading just as Lucy had. He reached out to touch her face, but she was gone. And Benjamin felt this loss much more.