Chapter 36

We didn't take nearly as much stuff as last time.

The last time we went to Fleet Street, that was.

I only took a book, my mp3 player, a sweater and a notebook. No extra clothing; I was expecting that Geoffrey's demise would come soon enough, and we'd be getting back in no time at all.

I guess that was a rather stupid way to think, but whatever...

Seville only brought one knife this time, as well as a bag of his own stuff. Mum, too, but... minus the knife. I'd've encouraged her to bring a skillet along with her, but I didn't want her to think I was fully changed after being under the supervision of the Demon Barber and Grandma.

I didn't really fully change. I just... looked at things a little differently thereafter our visit.

But really. A skillet. Yeah. Because we were going to war, weren't we?

To my pleasure, Officer Barker pulled up in our driveway, and as I squinted, I spotted Derek in the police car. I leaped from the stairs, believe it or not, and trotted across the way to meet him at the window.

"You're a dolt, y'know that?" He smirked up at me.

I smirked back. "Thanks. I know."

It was a bit of a tight squeeze, but Seville and I managed to get in with Derek in the back, while Mum got shotgun beside Mr. Barker.

For a while, we were driving at a pretty content pace. I was leaning comfortably next to Derek, unable to help a smile from showing up.

Why was I happy?

Well, when you don't think too much about the plain threat of death, this adventure of ours was pretty fun.

I looked up at Derek. "Hey,"

"Yeah?"

"What happened with you, Casey and Katrina? Did you lead Geoffrey off?"

"Is that what his name was?" Derek blinked at me.

"Yes. But did you?"

"Uh... yeah. Yeah, we did."

I tilted my head and raised a brow. "What's with the "uh"?"

"Well," Derek shrugged. "He's still alive, and-"

"I didn't ask for you guys to kill him, Derek." I stared at him, wide-eyed.

As much as I've heard it over the past few months, that deathly word still brushed me the wrong way. But only when directed at my family, which it had been several times over.

"I think, honestly..." Derek looked down at his lap, then back up at me again. "that as long as he's alive, he'll be after you guys."

I narrowed my eyes but didn't say anything.

Derek looked concerned for us. Me, even, and I really treated him like shit for the longest time.

When we got to Fleet Street, I wanted to get to the bottom of this mystery before Mr. Todd killed anyone; By killing, he was wiping away all potential for clues.

Especially by killing Geoffrey.

Everyone who was apart of my life was getting touched by the pain, and I wanted to know why before the source got demolished.

When we pulled up to the shop, neither Grandma, nor Sweeney (that was a given, wasn't it?) were standing outside.

And that was odd... I would have expected at least Grandma.

"Er," Mr. Barker leaned over to Mum. "The last I saw of Elle, she was telling me to swing by your house to pick you up. Called me over here, and she was pounding dough... furiously, when I arrived."

"Furiously?" I cut in, confused. I took a nervous side glance at the shop door, noting the closed curtains.

Seville's mouth twisted into a cautious smile. "Are... are we safe in there?" It was meant to be a joke, but the silence that resided in the car after he asked was eerie enough to answer the question with a no without any words required.

I cleared my throat. "Okay, whatever. Let's go in. We're being stupid."

That stirred movement again. I got out on the street side and rounded the car, followed by Seville and then Mum.

Derek offered me a weak smile through the window, which I returned.

Mr. Barker waved at us through his window as a gesture of support before driving off down the road.

Exchanging a look with my brother and then my mother, I turned to the door and opened it quick without thinking beforehand, like ripping off a bandaid; If I thought about it too much, it'd never get done.

Despite the fact that I hadn't been there for months, I felt a sense of familiarity as I stepped through the threshold into the shop.

There was, as I somewhat predicted, a large slab of dough on the counter with a wooden rolling pin beside it, but no Grandma.

Where was she?

The three of us stood there in the dead silence of the old meat pie emporium without speaking for God knows how long, not knowing what to do or say.

For some reason, it wasn't on any of our minds to go and see if she was in the parlor.

But no; I very well knew the reason: If Grandma was aware that she'd be having company, she'd be here, by the door. Nowhere else. Especially if she knew it was us who were coming.

I took a few steps into the room, considering just calling out to see who would answer. But just as I was opening my mouth, and just when I had anyone but the Demon on my mind, I heard shoes against floorboards above my head.

"Mr. Todd," Mum muttered, glancing up with a solemn look on her face.

Yeah. Mr. Todd. She took the words right out of my mouth.

His presence could either be really good, or really bad. What I was wondering was why he'd bother to make himself known before Grandma did; It was normally the other way around.

But then again, to the most recent day, Sweeney still doesn't seem to understand the concept of his every move being recorded down here for everyone to hear. He just continues doing what he's been doing for... Ugh. How long?

"I'll go see what's up," I told Mum and Seville, nodding to the ceiling.

Mum didn't reply. She just shrugged her shoulders uncomfortably.

Seville, however, surprised me by grabbing my wrist in his firm grip. "Watch yourself around that tiger, Val."

I gave him an affectionate smile and gently pulled away. "I will, Sev. I think you figured it out by now, haven't you? Even tigers have a purr."

Seville's face was vacant of showing the same sort of hope I felt. He just gave a stiff nod of his head and let his arm rest at his side again, evidently feeling the deepest concern.

By now, trust was all we had.

I had to trust Mr. Todd. We all did.

Seville had to trust me to know that we could rely on the Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Wrenching my eyes away from my small family, I hurried outside and stopped at the base of the stairs going up to Sweeney's shop.

Why did I halt?

Was it because I needed to take it slow to see what Mr. Todd was doing before he found out I was there?

Yes. Yes, I think it was.

His unguarded actions when he thought he was alone could tell me enough about what was going on. I mean... what if he tried to lie to me again?

Before resentment started storming up in my chest again, I half crawled up the stairs, trying at my hardest to make as little of a noise as I possibly could.

As I got closer, I began picking up on something from inside. A shrill, incessant, oddly melodic noise. Definitely not a scream, but... Wait a second...

It was whistling.

...

He was whistling?

Ignoring the new sliver in my index finger, I crawled up as close to the door as I possibly could to listen to this sound, utterly confused and at the same time perplexed.

As I got a feel for the tune, it immediately clicked in my head.

Rest now, my friend.

Rest, now, forever.

Sleep, now, the untroubled sleep of the angels...

My eyes widening to, I'm sure, twice their size, I slowly rose back up to my full height as silently as I could manage.

Sweeney Todd stood by the window, one unsheathed razor in his outstretched hand while the other, lower hand carried a folded in one. He wasn't exactly pacing. Just walking a few inches and then stopping to view the blade in front of his eyes, a surprisingly mellow look on his face.

And he was whistling. Whistling a tune that was obviously very familiar to him.

Was this what he always did when no one was around to see?

Swallowing, I took a ginger step back from the door, but I ended up stepping on yet another darn plank of loose wood.

Shit.

The moment his dark eyes fixed on me, I knew I'd die of mere eye contact.

To prove to me that I wouldn't, Sweeney came storming for the door, his glare returning, to grab me by the shirt collar and pull me into the room with him.

The door slammed shut behind me.

I cringed, closing my eyes, and waiting for something horrid to happen.

Only silence met this action though.

I opened my eyes, but I didn't dare let them meet Sweeney's yet. "M-Mr. Todd... it-it's me. Valerie. Don't slash."

"Don't slash?" He barked, his voice a loud snarl above my face.

I gritted my teeth, awaiting a slash anyway.

Then a question.

"You were spying. Why?"

Sweeney let go of my shirt, and when I finally looked up at him, I saw him standing tall in front of me, expectant for an answer.

I couldn't bring myself to talk though.

How was I supposed to tell him I didn't trust him enough to think he'd tell the truth about what was going on?

Then again, why wouldn't he tell the truth? What false thing could he throw my way that would lead to me having more respect for him? More respect for him... than I already had oodles of.

When I didn't say anything, Mr. Todd released a sigh. He looked over his shoulder briefly when he spoke. "What did you think?"

"Huh?" I tilted my head.

"What did you think, of my song?"

"Uh... It was just whistling." I put forth, confuddled.

"Oh," Sweeney cleared his throat and turned around, flicking the opened razor he held in his right hand shut as he went to the window. "Of course it was."

Somehow, the idea of him being some musical man made him seem all the more badass, if I said so myself.

But since when had he begun anything music-related around here?

"Where's Grandma?" I asked, taking a few steps towards him.

"At the market," Sweeney replied without turning around. "Said she was getting a good skillet, 'cause she knew Amri wouldn't be bringing one."

I recoiled a slight. "Why?"

"Well, Elle has her rolling pin, doesn't she?" Sweeney was saying this so matter-of-factly, I felt even more put out in the dark.

"For what?" I snapped, growing impatient. "Are she and Mum going to be having a cook-off, or something?"

Sweeney flipped around to face me, startled at my outburst. I jumped back in turn, unsure about his movements after all these months of not seeing him.

But we seemed to comprehend one another's state together, because at the same exact time, we both smiled.

I exhaled out all the stress from my chest as Sweeney trudged over to me, draping his arm over both my shoulders and ultimately breaking any tension that had previously formed between us. "No, lass. They'll be clocking Geoffrey in the head with their cooking utensils."

"And you?" I prompted, looking up his chest to view his face.

For a moment, he was silent. Then he looked anywhere but at me. "I don't know."

I hadn't realized his closeness offered warmth until he was gone, letting go of me to walk back over to his desk as he placed one razor back into its holster.

"Wh-what?" I trotted after him, not quite knowing what to feel at the current moment. "You're Sweeney Todd," I pointed out. "You must know."

"Must I?" He glared at me over his shoulder, pretending to be busy at his desk again, even though I knew he wasn't.

"You've made a name for yourself," I added. "You can't even follow through with it now?"

"Sweeney Todd is immobile without a purpose, lass."

"You've got no purpose?" I challenged, a glare of my own forming now. "Forget me. What about Grandma? Don't you care about her?"

"Of-" Sweeney broke off, his chest tightening up like it did moments before I left the shop last. His head drooped just a little, and he muttered the next sentence like it carried a bad taste with it. "Of course I do."

"Why was that so hard to admit?" I asked gently, reaching out with a smile to touch his wrist.

"She knows," He responded, not moving away when I touched him. "With every microscopic thing I do, she knows."

"Well," I whispered, eyeing him intently. "why not give her another reason to know for sure?"

Sweeney pulled away from me, rolling his eyes. "Bloody hell, girl. You can't possibly only be twelve."

I grinned. "Was that a compliment?"

"No," His voice didn't switch tones at all. "Why are you so selfless? One would think your life is in jeopardy." That time, I caught a spark of waggish humor in his eyes. And I honestly could not have been happier to see it, either.

My muscles untensed, and I leaned against his desk to keep from genuinely falling over. "There's two people downstairs - two people who are very important to me - and they don't want to die. Not yet, anyway."

Sweeney leaned next to me, rapping one arm around my shoulders again and pulling me closer to him. "I... might be able to remedy that."

"Would you?" I perked up. "Really?"

"Maybe," He looked away from me, a dismissive motion in the way he turned his head.

I released a sigh of my own and nuzzled into his side, feeling grateful for his sullen company.

I knew he cared. For all of us.

The way his arm tightened protectively around me told me that much.

This tight grip, however, loosened fast. As soon as Mr. Todd heard loud thumps against the banister of the stairs, he nodded as a motion for me to follow him before stalking for the door.

Shaken, I followed, my heart naturally pounding at a fast rate for knowing I was being tracked down by a killer at that very moment.

I... suppose it was just starting to sink in.

When Sweeney stuck his head outside, his look of bewilderment changed into a look of faint irritation and light, suppressed amusement.

"Elle, use that by the front door. Not here." He was already heading down the stairs by the time I reached the barbershop doorway.

Grandma was standing at the base of the stairs, wacking the banister with a frying pan, a savage look on her face. Mum was standing off to the side, holding my grandmother's rolling pin with a startled expression. Seville was watching each hit against the wood with interest, though he flinched every time it made a loud noise.

"Gettin' ready to beat the livin' daylights outta that no good dirtbag of a man," She explained as Sweeney approached. "We'll be practicin' on every bloody surface. What yeh say to that, Mr. T?"

"Splendid," Sweeney muttered, grabbing both her wrists without looking like he even thought beforehand and moving them back to her sides. "Go practice somewhere else, and, I beg of you, away from my living quarters."

"Pfft," Grandma snorted and lightly shoved him away from her, sniffing. "You're no fun, yeh ain't. S'not like you're not gonna lead us to victory, eh?"

"Lead you?" Sweeney blurted, exasperated, as if checking to see if he heard her right. "...No. No. If-if anyone's going to kill that man, it's only going to be one person."

"What if we want to each take a turn with him?" I asked lowly, my voice grave.

"Oh, stop," Mr. Todd shook his head disapprovingly, to my shock, and grabbed me by the shoulders to steer me back to the side door. "Go in."

"What? But I-"

"Please," He was looking me straight in the eyes now, then broke contact abruptly and brushed his gaze with Mum's and Seville's. "All of you - go in."

Mum swallowed, nodded, and grabbed Seville's arm, then mine. She led us back into the shop, where we sat down at the booth. Closing the door behind us didn't really do much good, if not being able to hear Sweeney and Grandma outside was considered good. The moment the door slammed, they were obviously a close inch away from getting at one another's throats.

"Is that what you're encouraging?" Sweeney snapped, and I could tell without looking that he pointed at the closed door, referring to us. "Killing?"

"Well, it ain't like they don't 'ave reason to!" Grandma bit back.

"It's not a bloody trend, woman! It's a way of life... You wouldn't guess immediately without experience, but it is. My life was changed for it. No one knew way back when, but they do now! It's no longer a secret."

"Your life changed for the worst when the bloody ol' Judge found yeh - not to mention your wife. Every stab with those razor blades was worth it. Justice-"

"Right," Sweeney growled before she could go on. "Justice. That word is growing cold, Elle."

"Let's not 'arp on about this, love," Grandma's voice grew silky. "What're yeh gettin' at?"

"If this is how things are going to be... then please, leave the razor work to me."

I felt Seville move uncomfortably beside me, and Mum stiffened a little.

I could picture Grandma patting Sweeney on the shoulder when she spoke, her tone weary. "I won't enjoy it if you won't, Mr. T."

"And don't ever think I will," Sweeney replied hollowly. "Ever."

Aw... Poor Sweeney.

(Fast update, huh? *insert awesome face here*)

For some reason, I sense the way I worded things in this chapter may make it a tad hard to understand. But to clear things up, Valerie is in a... rather awkward mindset, focused upon death, of course. Sweeney knows this, and to keep her and her family away from trying anything stupid in Geoffrey's murderous presence, he's volenteering to kill Geoffrey himself as long as Elle promises to keep Val, Sev, and Amri back and away from harm. The only downside is the fact that Sweeney doesn't want to kill anymore, and he greatly detests the notion for his own, angsty, personal reasons. c:

Yeah. More on that later.

ANYHOW... Like, an hour ago, we came back from the Dark Shadows midnight show. It's past four in the morning, and I screwed up my hours again, but it was totally worth it, and, and, and... *breathes* ...And... good GOD... I'm speechless. Go see that movie. Please. XD It's absolute brilliance, hilarity, and badassary all displayed at once. To describe it simply: Do you know that Burton/Depp movie aftermath moment where, after viewing, you feel like finding them both when they're together at the same place to give them each a hug and go on and on and on about how much you love their work? Yeah... that's it. Because I know for sure now that no matter what kind of reviews this movie gets, good or bad, it was stated by them both that they had real fun in the process of making it, and that's all that matters in my opinion.

I suppose the movie encouraged me to finish the rest of this chapter in one sitting, heh. That, and I got to hear Johnny speak in his Sweeney-like voice again. Sort of helped me pick up sight on the character's feel once more, if that makes any sense. But then again, if you think Sweeney is acting and speaking anything like Barnabas Collins towards the end of this chapter, now you know why. XD

Hope you enjoyed, regardless. :) I'm certainly aiming to update soon.

EDIT; Oh yeah, and in reply to music is life 99 xxx: I... think there might be a sequel in the makings... It's a rather rough idea at the moment. Though, to be honest, the idea for this story was rather rough until I actually typed up the first chapter and fleshed out the characters and all. We'll be seeing soon. That's all I can say. )