Another fast update for you! I hope you like it!

I want to thank my reviewers: Pandora Spocks, SBMFanatic, SweeneySparrow, TeachYouHowToFly, CaptainFlyingSparrow, Nala162024, Buffy Sparrow, red-eyedgal and addyis! Thank you all for your comments! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Sweeney Todd!

Chapter 35

Grace was frozen under Sweeney, staring fearfully into his smoldering dark eyes. He was looking down at her with wide, almost black eyes full of desperation, confusion…and hope. However, she was scared of confirming his realization for some reason. What if he didn't want the baby? What if he had another of his temper tantrums? What if…

Her thoughts were cut of by his hoarse voice speaking again.

"Gracie? Answer me…" he ordered her with his hand pressed firmly against her stomach. Her eyes looked at him and she opened her mouth to speak but no sound escaped her. It was like her tongue was tied together inside her mouth.

"Please…answer me…is it true?" he asked her again and she looked away.

"I…I don't understand what you mean…" she said and he growled.

"I'm not an idiot, Grace! I can see! Are you with child?!" he said angrily and she bit her lip. She sighed deeply and gave a quick nod her eyes darting to her stomach. His eyes widened even more if that was even possible and he froze next to her, his eyes searched her face and then slowly as if he was afraid to look went where his hand was resting on her stomach. He stared at it like he had never seen it before, like it was the first time he actually ever laid eyes on that particular part of her body. Grace looked at him confused and very nervous.

Why wasn't he talking? Why wasn't he snapping at her? Why wasn't he shouting at her and asking her what she would do with it? Why wasn't he moving his eyes away from her belly? And most of all why was his hand moving in soothing circles there?

Wait…what?

She looked at him stunned as he petted her belly with his face completely serious and dared she say…shocked.

"Um…Sweeney? What are you doing?" she asked him softly, hesitantly.

"Thinking…and…petting your stomach like a… schoolboy…" he mumbled distantly and she looked at him funny.

"Are you okay? You seem…pale…" she said and he frowned still staring at her belly.

"I am always pale…" he said and she raised her eyebrows at him behavior.

Where was Sweeney?

"Why didn't you tell me earlier? Why did you keep this from me?" he asked her finally, looking at her with hurt eyes which surprised her even more.

"I thought that…you…I mean I didn't think that you…" she muttered uncomfortably.

"You were afraid of me…" he whispered with his eyes full of hurt and sadness. The thought of her being afraid of him did not bring him joy or satisfaction. No, he didn't want her to be afraid of him. He would never, ever hurt her but of course she didn't know that. She knew what he could do and what he had done. She had seen him. She had seen the murdering glint in his eyes that day when he killed that man who had tried to rape her. She was afraid of his reaction and especially now that his daughter was back with him.

"No…that's not it…I wasn't sure…" she said which of course was a lie. She knew she was pregnant but she was afraid to tell him.

"Liar…" he hissed at her, his eyes hard but his hand gentle on her belly.

"Sweeney…" she sighed as she rubbed her temple.

"You knew…you were just afraid to tell me…you are afraid of me." He said and she looked at him defeated.

"What do you want me to say?" she asked him softly.

"Say the truth…" he growled and she took a deep breath.

"Okay, I was scared of your reaction. And now Johanna is here and I didn't think you'd want this…" she said pointing to her abdomen.

"You are right I don't want this." He stated calmly and she looked at him with hurt in her blue eyes. She looked away but he placed his hand under her chin and turned her face towards him again.

"I need this." He whispered with an almost smile on his lips and she became speechless.

"What?" she asked him hopefully.

"I need something…to make me feel again…I have you…but…but is not enough…I need more..." he whispered as he leaned closer to her face. He smiled down at her before kissing her softly. Grace was to say the least confused and happily surprised by his reaction. She never thought he would react like that.

"I don't want to be alone…I want to feel again…" he whispered against her lips and she hugged him close to her.

"I know…I'm sorry I didn't tell you…I thought that after all the things that happened to you…you wouldn't want another child…" she whispered into his ear and he shook his head.

"I would never, never abandoned a baby, Gracie. I've already lost a daughter. I know the pain of loosing someone you love…" he said in a low voice and she swallowed.

"You haven't lost her, she's here." She said to him and he moved back and slowly crawled down her body.

"Yes…but she has no idea who I am…" he said with his eyebrows knitted together as he faced her stomach with both of his hands on it.

"I told you. You should tell her…I think she would be happy to find out that you are her father." She said as she moved some hair out of his face, her fingers caressing the lock of white hair.

"I'm afraid…I don't know how to…" he said as he leaned his head and placed a kiss on her stomach, making her gasp.

"I could help you tell her…" she said after recovering from seeing him acting so tenderly.

"Not yet…what if she hates me?" he said, his eyes once again glued on her slight bump.

"I don't think she would. She's too nice for that…" she said with a chuckle.

"I'll think about it then…" he whispered with his head tilted to the side as he looked at her.

"You should see a doctor soon…" he mumbled as he observed her belly more closely.

"I can't believe I didn't notice it before…" he said more to himself as he stood there with a frown on his face.

"Can we sleep now? I'm rather tired." She said softly with a yawn and his head snapped up to her.

"Of course, my love…" he said as he slid up next to her and placed the covers around her gently, bringing her to rest on his chest, his hands on her soft brown hair. In a few minutes she was asleep while he was laying there with her in his arms , thinking.

I think you start doing things better, Todd. No snapping, no temper tantrums…

Oh, it's you again…yeah…you've turned me into an idiot again.

Do you really think that? I think you like to treat her like that…

Like what?

Like a princess…come on face it. You're turning soft again.

What should I do? Bit her up?

No…but you could have said no to her having a child.

I want the child!

Of course you do. That's what I'm saying…in a few months you'll be me again.

Keep dreaming, Barker…you are not getting her…she's mine…

Yes, but you are forgetting that I am you…we are the same…

No, I'm not a fool.

Yeah, whatever. Keep an eye on her…and oh! Tell Johanna who you are…I mean…who we are.

"Stupid…bloody…" he cursed but stopped when Grace stirred and whimpered, pressing closer against him, making him melt.

"Oh God! He's right! I am going soft!" he mumbled as he tightened his hold around her before closing his eyes too.

----------------------------------------------------

The next morning Sweeney woke up and searched the bed for Grace but the bed was empty. His eyes opened and he looked around for her but the room was empty too. He narrowed his eyes and looked at the window. The sun was high in the sky and it was Sunday. He didn't have to open his shop that day. He lied back down on his pillow and he heard the laughter coming from downstairs. He rolled his eyes at the women's antics.

"What's so funny I wonder?" he muttered but he wasn't really angry about the laughter. What bothered him was that he wasn't the one that they were laughing with. He stayed like that for a while before standing up from the bed. He put on his shirt and walked over to his drawer. He slowly opened it and searched though some things before finding what he was looking for. He pulled out an old photo and looked at it. It was the photo Grace had found in the old recipe book. He looked at the happy, smiling face of himself and he grimaced as if he was in pain. He looked at the baby in his arms and he set his mouth into a thin line. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply before walking to his bed again. He sat down onto it and continued staring at the photo of Johanna and him. He stared into the photo so intensely and he was so lost in thought that only when he heard his name being yelled he looked up.

"Sweeney! Breakfast is ready!" Grace shouted from the bottom of the stairs and he sighed.

"Right…" he stood up and placed the photo on top of his pillow before walking out of the room and down to the pie shop.

He entered and found Grace and Johanna sitting at the table, sipping their coffee.

"Morning…" he mumbled looking at them.

"Good morning, sir." Johanna said after a sip.

He nodded and smiled a small smile before turning to Grace.

"You weren't there when I woke up…" he muttered and she chuckled along with Johanna.

"Sorry…I had some work to do…" she said with an apologetic smile.

"It's fine…I was just worried…" he mumbled as he took a sip from his coffee.

"Gracie told me about…the baby, Mister Todd…You must be very pleased." Johanna said with a smile that reached her eyes and illuminated her entire face.

He was only able to nod and stare at her.

"I only wish I had my parents…" she said softly before shrugging.

"But I have to live with it, hmm? So, it's fine…" she said before taking a bite from her pancake. He stared at her and then looked at Grace who looked at him with a look that said "I told you so". He glared and took a bite from his food too.

When they were done Johanna stood up and turned to Grace.

"Can I go now for what you asked me earlier?" she asked and Grace smiled gratefully at her.

"Yes, love. I'll just clean down here for a while. Thank you." She said while Sweeney was finishing his pancake.

"I'm going then." she said as she took some clean sheets from the parlor before walking up to Sweeney's room.

The barber looked up at Grace as he saw Johanna.

"She's going up? What for?" he asked her, forgetting about the picture on his bed.

"To make the bed. And you mister are taking a bath later." She said pointing a finger at him.

"Only if you help me with it." he said with a wink and she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah…in your dreams." She said and he smirked.

"In yours, darling." He said and she blushed.

Johanna walked inside Sweeney's room with a smile and placed the clean sheets on his barber chair. She opened the large window to let some fresh air in before walking closer to the bed. She took the blanket and placed it on the railing of the stairs to fresh it up. She re entered the room and went for the sheets and the pillow cases when something caught her attention. A photo was resting on one of the pillows. Curious, she took the picture and looked at it. There was a man who she quickly recognized as Sweeney and a small baby girl. Her eyes widened at the image.

"Mister Todd has a daughter?" she asked her self and she slowly turned the picture around. She froze and her eyes widened. There at the bottom of the photo was a name written with delicate handwriting.

"Benjamin Barker…" she read and she gasped as she dropped the photo and took a few steps back, not even watching where she was going. As she was walking backwards her back collided with a strong chest and she gasped again.

"Johanna, love? You need help?" Sweeney asked her softly and she turned around so quickly that she almost fell.

"Easy, my pet." He said with a chuckle, steadying her with his hands on her arms. She looked at him with wide, shocked eyes and uttered one single name that froze him to the spot.

"Benjamin Barker?" she whispered and the smile left his face as he stared at her with wide, fearful eyes.

End of chapter 35

Author's note: Thank you for reading! Sorry to leave it there but I had to!

Please review! I'll update sooner if you do and I'll sent you a nice chocolate cookie! :)