~•O•~

The next minute or two felt like hours while the baker and barber were forced to stand and do nothing as Turpin prowled around the bakehouse looking for Joanna. Throughout the duration of it, Eleanore had kept her eyes squeezed shut in defeat, waiting for a single cry or yelp of a young girl begging for them to let her go.

And her sweet boy, her little angel Toby would try to defend her. He was such a good boy.

But no sounds came.

Minutes ticked by and the baker finally felt safe enough to open her eyes when she heard nothing from either Turpin, the Beadle or the officer that had accompanied them down to the bakehouse. She and Sweeney exchanged a look of confusion and Eleanore almost jumped when she heard an angry shout from the head officer down below.

"They obviously ain't 'ere! Ya waistin' me time!" Footsteps ascended the stairs right after and the pair were greeted by the frustrated looking cop who told his fellow colleagues "Nothin'."

A sigh of annoyance passed between the officers and the grip they had on the barber and baker loosened somewhat, but not completely. Eleanore could hardly believe her ears, how had they not been found? Where were they?

Light footsteps sounded from the bakehouse steps again and Turpin re-emerged looking confused and deflated. The officer who had escorted him down regarded him and the Beadle in anger, appearing to be very peeved at the time they had wasted. Clearly, this man had been a policeman for quite some time, he didn't seem to mind that the Judge was of higher status than most.

"Release them." He turned to his colleagues.

Sweeney let out an exhale in relief and immediately surged forward to wrap a still shaken Eleanore in his arms. He felt her tremble against his body and now that her arms were finally released she modestly pulled up the exposed neckline of her dress and buried her face into Sweeney's shoulder, stifling back her tears.

"Get out, now - all of you!" Sweeney snarled, if they weren't outnumbered he would have reached for his razor then and there and slashed at Turpin's neck for daring to touch Nellie. He wanted to cut him up into little pieces and feed him to the street dogs, he wanted to chop off his manhood and watch him bleed to death while he watched and laughed. He wanted him to suffer pain unlike anyone on this earth. He wanted it badly.

"I think we 'ad best do that." The same officer said.

"Not so fast, Constable." The Judge ordered, his eyes firmly on the barber and baker huddled together as Sweeney gave him what could only be described as a look of death. "I am still yet to search Mr Todd's shop upstairs."

"Search it all you want." Sweeney snapped "We have nothing to hide!"

"We'll see..." The Judge sneered. Turning, he swept away from the hall and back out the parlour to get to Sweeney's shop.

The pair stood while two of the younger officers followed the Judge and the Beadle. Once they were alone, the older officer who had been down in the basement with Turpin sighed and turned to the two, his eyes lost and sad as he looked from Sweeney to the pale, teary-eyed baker in his arms.

"I'm sorry miss." He said sincerely.

Eleanore blinked, taken aback by his compassion. She had thought that most officers except for George were all crooked, selfish men looking out for themselves in a position of power. But they were human too, and they knew right from wrong. At least this one did.

"Please leave..." She begged quietly.

"Like we said, we have nothing to hide. Get the man out of our home." Sweeney added aggressively.

The officer sighed again but nodded. His eyes drifted to the bakehouse steps and Sweeney was sure he saw the hint of a smile dance across his lips. He knew perfectly well they were hiding Turpin's ward in there, he wasn't stupid. But like a lot of common folk in London he despised the corrupt hold Tupin had over the law system and took great pleasure in lying to the man's face. Plus he didn't want to see a respectable kind woman like Mrs Lovett face the gallows. She had a good reputation after all.

Bowing his head he turned and left them in peace.

Sweeney moved so he was facing Eleanore when he tilted her chin up to face him "Are you alright?"

She shook her head. No, she was not alright...

Sweeney pulled her close and held on tight, unwilling to let go. Not even for a second.

Together they heard a commotion of voices outside. Turpin sounded furious that he had not found Joanna and with his arms flapping at the shop, he stormed away and left the officers to make their way home.

Sweeney breathed a sigh of relief. At least he hadn't done anything else. Or tried anything.

After checking that Turpin's carriage had passed around the corner and no officers were in sight, Sweeney sped to the bakehouse, Eleanore hot on his heels as they charged down the stairs.

"Joanna!" Sweeney yelled.

"Toby?!" The baker called behind him.

"Joanna?!"

"Toby?!"

Silence.

Frantically they looked around the quiet bakehouse for any signs of movement but were met with silence. The only sound in the room was that of the burning furnace ahead of them.

Stepping into a puddle, Sweeney moved forward, his heart racing terribly. "Joanna? Toby?"

Now he was beginning to panic.

"Father..." Came a muffled whimper. It was so quiet that it was a wonder either of the two heard it, but their senses were so heightened that they did.

"Mum! Mum, we're down 'ere!" Said Toby, his voice seeming to echo and carry much louder now.

Sweeney's eyes widened and he made a beeline for the metal grate on the ground ahead of them. Kneeling he pulled it off and let it clang loudly to the bakehouse floor. Peering through the darkness with the minimal light he had from the furnace, he could make out Toby's little face at the bottom.

"Where's Joanna?" He asked gruffly.

"She's ere," Toby gestured behind him and stepped aside to reveal Joanna curled up on the ground with her knees to her chest, looking so pale and scared it almost made him weep.

He reached out his hand and beckoned her up "Come here darling, it's okay they're gone. You're safe."

Leaning down beside her Toby also put a comforting hand on her shoulder and this was what appeared to snap her out of her state. She gasped a little then looked at him, then up at her father.

Toby nodded at her "It's okay Joanna, go on up. I'll 'elp ya."

Shaking like a frightened puppy, Joanna carefully stood with the aid of Toby's arms and once she was right below the hole, reached her hands up to take her father's wrists. Being only petite, it wasn't hard for the barber to pull his daughter up then out from the sewage drain. As soon as her torso was out of the hole in the ground he wrapped his arms around her and embraced her tightly, holding her against his chest as she began to cry.

All the while Turpin and the Beadle had been pacing above her and Toby, she did not breathe for fear that her captor of fifteen years would hear her. Now she was still struggling to maintain a normal pace of breathing and her chest hurt terribly from the strain.

"Shhh, shh my little dove." Her father soothed, stroking her hair tenderly like he had done when she was a babe and would lie against his chest. "You're okay..."

"Love jus' breathe...breathe..." The baker was knelt by their side too then, a warm hand on her shoulder as she inhaled and exhaled deeply, trying to get Joanna to mimic her rhythm and calm her.

Back beneath the ground, Toby stood underneath the grate and after hearing the sounds of Mr Todd and his mother comforting Joanna, he braced himself to jump and make his own way up. Bending his knees and launching himself as high as he could, he hooked his hands over the edge of the opening and dangled helplessly. Struggling to pull his weight up on his skinny little arms, he managed to get his head and neck over the opening with his elbows braced against the ledge, however, he did not possess the core strength to pull himself up. Feeling himself slipping, he gasped at the sensation of falling when a hand reached out and grasped his arm.

Holding onto the fabric of the person's sleeve he wrapped his arms around their neck and felt himself being pulled out of the hole and onto his feet. Letting out a sigh of relief Toby released his arms and prepared to thank his mother when he realised it was Mr Todd who had helped him.

"Oh...th-thanks, sir..." He said startled. While Mr Todd and himself had remained somewhat neutral these past couple of weeks, he had never gone out of his way to do anything to help him somehow, and he had certainly never been close enough to touch him.

Standing straight, the pair stepped away from the hole and Toby spotted behind the barber that Joanna was now being rocked in his mum's arms as she seemingly had a panic attack.

Sweeney followed Toby's eyes and glanced to the two women huddled on the floor, then he returned his gaze to the boy who was growing into quite the man under Eleanore's care.

Clearing his throat a little, the barber patted Toby's arm and said sincerely "Well done Toby, that was smart. You saved my daughter and probably all of our lives just now."

Again Sweeney looked to Eleanore who gazed at him with nothing short of love. With her chin resting against Joanna's head, Sweeney couldn't help but think how right the two of them looked at that moment. His daughter being held against her, comfortable and safe, it was a rather beautiful sight that made his chest flutter a little.

"Ye welcome Mr T." Toby breathed, very relieved himself and moving to sit on the ground to catch his breath from the frightening experience.

Following his lead, Sweeney stepped behind him until he felt his back connect to the brick wall where he too slid down into a sitting position to calm the racing of his heart.

The four remained on the ground together for a long time, just sitting quietly to gather their thoughts. It was now that everything began to sink in. The notion of what might have happened had Toby not had the foresight to make for the small sewage drain in time was utterly terrifying. They had been so close, so incredibly close to losing everything.

The two adults in the room began contemplating silently, both realising that Turpin would not stop hunting for Joanna. Until the Judge could be killed, Joanna was not safe here. They escaped once, what if they weren't so lucky the next time?

Raising slightly from his position against the wall, the demon barber met eyes with Eleanore whose expression seemed to mirror his own. She knew what he was thinking and she too knew what had to be done. With a look of encouragement, she nodded and that was all the confirmation Sweeney needed.

Sighing and feeling his heart lurch at the very thought of losing her once again, Sweeney began to address his daughter.

"You can't stay here, Joanna..."

Hesitantly, Joanna's head lifted from Eleanore's bosom as she regarded her father helplessly "What?"

"You have to leave..." He said regretfully "Tonight."

Mouth slowly falling open she looked up at the baker then to her father as her eyes slowly began to fill with tears. "Wh- no! No! I won't leave, I just got here! Father no!"

"Joanna!" Sweeney slid forwards so he was face to face with his daughter. "I will have failed as a father if I cannot keep you safe. Turpin won't stop unless he's killed! I will not lose you again do you understand me?"

"Father, please! Please I want to be with you! I want to stay!" She begged, shocked at what he was suggesting but even more so upset that she was to leave him. "Don't send me away please!"

"Joanna." He said firmly "This will always be your home. And I will always be with you. You and Anthony need to be safe, out of London and out of Turpin's reach. When it's safe, you can return."

Shaking her head desperately she turned to the baker now. "Eleanore, please! You wouldn't send me away, would you? Please there must be some other way!"

Inhaling deeply, Eleanore kept her composure as she told Joanna "Our priority is yer safety, darlin'. Maybe...it's for the best."

"But-" Joanna looked desperate and helpless as she flittered her eyes between the two of them. "Y-you can't just kill him! It's... it's murder! You can't just murder someone!"

Swallowing, Sweeney couldn't help but feel a stab of guilt at what his daughter didn't know. If she knew just how many men he had already killed, she would want nothing to do with him. He was a monster. He took life as if it were free and devoid of consequence. And for once in his miserable life he was beginning to regret all those throats he slit since his return to London. Perhaps even George Brown...

"Joanna remember wot this man would do ta us if he found out we were hidin' ya. Ye think his conscience 'as ever stopped 'im? Ya think he'd care about such trivial things as murder when he's sentenced so many innocent people to death an' a life of misery?" Eleanore ranted "Think of wot he did to ya mother, Jo...think of-"

The baker choked up a little and decided to stop talking, keeping her mouth shut. Joanna appeared to be listening and considering, but she still did not look happy or even remotely on board with the pair. Her pure heart just couldn't comprehend something as dark as murder.

"Mum's right." The voice of Toby had everybody turning around, surprised to hear him speak at all.

Toby appeared to falter a little with everyone's eyes on him, but with a lick of his lips and a surge of confidence, he voiced his own opinion. "He hurts mum too, I've seen it. He's 'urt loads o'women an' children, killed some o' me friends too just for stealing food cause they were starvin'. He'd kill us too if he had the chance." Toby's own eyes grew moist at the thought. Not of his friends, but of him losing his mother "I dunno wot I'd do if somethin' 'append to ya too mum, yer the only family I ever 'ad."

"Oh, love..." Eleanore gasped, her heart aching at the sight of him so upset. "Nothin's gonna happen to me, I'll be fine."

"But yer not gonna be mum!" Toby whimpered, his tears falling down his cheeks. "I 'eard Turpin talk about ya while we woz hidin'. He said...he said some...awful things..."

"What things?" Came Sweeney's dark voice.

Toby hesitated, cringing in disgust at the memory. "Like...like about wot plans 'e 'ad for you. Wot he woz gonna do to ya and has wanted ta do to ya since the night o'the ball. Hurt you."

A shiver ran down Eleanore's spine. She could only imagine what despicable things that man had said, and poor little Toby had to listen to it. Sweeney on the other hand was burning with anger, a red haze was emitting around him.

"Mr Todd?" Toby's little voice snapped him out of it for a moment. "You won't let Turpin hurt mum, will ya?"

Joanna watched her father's chest puff and his eyes darken.

"No. I won't." Then his gaze turned to his daughter and she seemed to understand how strong the bond between her father and Eleanore truly was at that moment.

"It's settled." He continued "Turpin will be dispatched within the week. I'll do it myself. And then we can all be free."

Like a leaf in autumn, Joanna wilted and crumbled into tears before throwing herself at her father, crying hard. Sweeney caught her in his arms, burying his head in her hair and rubbing her back. "Oh, father..." She sobbed "Please, please be careful..."

Sweeney smiled softly into her yellow locks and squeezed her tight, pleased that somehow she was coming around and understood that he needed to do this for all their sakes. "I will Joanna. You'll see."

Seeking this time to comfort Toby who sat alone at the other side of the bakehouse, Eleanore walked to him and knelt at his side, wrapping him in her own embrace.

"Am I a bad person mum?" He murmured into her shoulder. "Does me wanting to kill a man mean I'll go to hell?"

"Not at all darlin'..." She whispered. "Ya such a good boy, an' god rewards those who are good."

Sighing, Toby nodded and looked over his mother's shoulder to a still crying joanna. He had become rather attached to the thought of her staying with them. He rather liked her and he had always wanted an older sister to look up to. Hopefully, they would see more of each other again in the future. He was sad to see her go – and he found himself rather sad for Mr Todd too. It was clear the man loved her with everything he had.

It seemed even a demon could feel.

~•O•~

Later that evening, Mrs Lovett's pie shop was quiet with a sorrowful silence. Very little was said between the four residents as Joanna prepared to leave. In the little time it had taken, Sweeney and Anthony had managed to secure a place for them to reside in Cornwall with a cousin of Anthony's. There they would be safe and keep in touch via letters, only to return home when Turpin had been dispatched and home was safe.

After packing up what little Joanna could take with her, she and her father spent as much time with each other as possible up in his shop simply talking, hugging and crying. Eleanore and Toby had kindly stayed downstairs and left them alone for a majority of the day so they could say their goodbyes.

Joanna wasn't sure if she had the strength to walk out the door and leave her father behind after she had just found him. But she knew deep down that it was the right thing to do. Her father and Eleanore were right, if she were caught now it would be a death sentence for not only her but her father too. And lord only knew what sort of consequences would be in store for Eleanore too given she had housed two fugitives in her home. Turpin was cruel to women. She had witnessed it, seen him bring home many girls to the Manor and heard their cries from her room as he'd hurt them. Some left, in their hands a bouquet of flowers - a gift from the Judge for their services – and one or two had never left.

Joanna had often been subjected to nightmares about being one of those women. She had spied the Judge eye her many times and sometimes she felt as if he were watching her intimately when she couldn't see him. It chilled her to the bone.

Wiping her face of tears, Joanna gathered the cutlery and plates from supper and placed them on the tray as she made her way down the stairs of her father's apartment. Earlier, Mrs Lovett had made them dinner and then obediently left them alone after seeing the vulnerable state they were in. Now that Joanna had the chance to be alone with her, she intended to thank her. For what little time she had spent with the woman, Joanna knew her father would be left in good hands.

After placing down the tray in the shop, Joanna could hear the gentle melody of a piano from the parlour and followed the sound. As she approached the door she came upon Mrs Lovett sat at the piano, her delicate fingers gliding over the keys to play a soft dainty little tune. Across from her on the couch, Toby had drifted off to sleep.

Resting her shoulder against the door frame, Joanna continued to watch Mrs Lovett play before closing her eyes and soaking in the beautiful melody. It had been so long since she had heard music. It was a luxury she was rarely given.

As she listened, a spark of recognition ignited in her memory. That tune. She had heard it before.

Quietly approaching the woman, she listened carefully as Mrs Lovett seemed to reach a chorus and her fingers moved more rapidly along the keys, she didn't even need sheet music to play, it merely came naturally to her.

That was when Joanna recognised the piece and she smiled then began to sing.

"Green Finch and linnet bird, nightingale, blackbird teach me how to sing..."

Eleanore smiled a little at the sound. She looked over her shoulder and continued to play as the young girl approached her side and sat down beside her.

"If I cannot fly...let me sing..."

Joanna finished as the baker softly closed the song with a few gentle notes and removed hands from the keys.

"I've sung that song all my life." Joanna breathed.

"When ya mother couldn't get ya to go to sleep, I'd let 'er sit by me fire while I played the piano - it never failed to get ya to drift off...so ye can imagine I had quite a few late-night visits from ya mum." Eleanore smiled, her fingers dancing back over the keys to another merry tune. "Then when ye were approachin' ya toddler years and I looked after you myself for a while, I'd sit with ya on me lap while you thumped the piano with yer chubby lil hands. Ye loved the sounds..."

Joanna giggled, but then her expression turned sombre. "How old was I when they took me away?"

"Just a couple o'months shy of ya second birthday." She told her quietly, unwilling to meet her eyes.

Joanna swallowed and gently pressed a minor key with her finger. "I wish you had raised me."

Joanna heard a little hum of laughter from the baker, but it sounded far too sad to be one of genuine happiness. "I wish I did too love, I'd grown pretty attached to ya at that point. They 'ad ta drag me kickin' and screamin' out me house in order to get their filthy hands on you."

Joanna inhaled sharply. Unsure if she wanted to know the answer, she asked "What happened?"

"Ripped ye out of me arms, chucked me in a carriage an' sent me to bedlam. I lasted about a week before..." She trailed off, her eyes drifting to her gloved hands and covered wrists that bore the scars of her first suicide attempt.

"Before?" Joanna asked gently.

The baker cleared her throat and sniffed "Well, it woz a dark time, no need for dreary stuff of the past. You're free now, an' that's all that matters."

Joanna turned back to look at the keys, gently pressing a few more before she felt tears come to her eyes.

"I'll miss you." She admitted.

Eleanore stopped playing and turned to her with a watery smile "I'll miss you too darlin'. But we'll see ya again, someday."

"And what about you and father?"

"We can look after ourselves, love. Don't cha be worryin'." She smiled. "Ye father an' I 'ave stuck together and made it this far, we're certainly not gonna stop now."

Joanna bit her lip and tried not to blush as she remembered walking in on her father and the baker in their room earlier today. She had most definitely interrupted something intimate and although she felt it was none of her business, she was burning with curiosity.

"Um, Mrs Lovett?"

"Eleanore, love."

"Sorry, Eleanore. May I...I was just wondering, are you and my father, courting?"

Eleanore's fingers stopped moving over the keys and she looked to Joanna who immediately backtracked having thought she had made her angry.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked! It's not my business, I just thought-"

"Calm yeself love." She smiled, nudging her shoulder "Don't be afraid ta ask me, anythin' love, ye ain't walkin' on eggshells 'ere with me, ye can ask whatever you like."

"Thanks," Joanna said gratefully. "I just couldn't help but ask, because I- well I feel a little rude asking this of you. But...it would be nice to know that someone will be there for father and watch over him while he...you know. I just want him to be okay."

Eleanore felt a wave of appreciation for the teen wash over her. She was such a kind soul, and though Sweeney had barely shared a day with her since he'd gotten her back she knew it would have been worth every second.

"Oh Joanna, don't you worry," She promised, "I'll watch over him." That's all I've ever bloody done my whole life anyway, she thought candidly.

Joanna's smile beamed so brightly it was angelic. She wrapped her arms around the baker and muffled her thanks into her shoulder.

"Ye welcome darlin'." Eleanore returned the hug. "Any more questions?"

Joanna raised her head to look at her. Yes, she did have one more question. But she was too afraid to ask it. Instead, she simply shook her head, maybe another time when the moment was right she would finally ask if the baker loved her father. But she had a feeling she already knew the answer.

"No...no more questions." She answered.

The baker smiled and ran her fingers through her golden tresses. "Now then," she said, "Ow's about I play us something else hm?"

Joanna nodded eagerly and soon enough Eleanore's hands were back on the piano keys. Gently playing the melody of Fur Elise. A tune she had been playing since she was a little girl, one of her absolute favourites.

As the music drifted above the pie shop to Sweeney's barbershop, the demon closed his eyes in content as he listened to the sounds of Eleanore playing once again. It reminded him of home when he and Lucy would stop whatever they were doing just to hear the beautiful music. They had always encouraged her to take it up as a profession but she was far more passionate about her bakery and continuing her mother's legacy than a simple hobby.

Smiling to himself, Sweeney descended the stairs to his department and made his way towards the music. When he stumbled upon his daughter and the piemaker sat together, he almost felt like he was walking in on a mother and daughter and it made him stop dead in his tracks and blink a little when he caught a flash of yellow hair running down Eleanore's back. But alas after a blink or two, it returned to its usual messy crimson curls that he loved so much.

He stood by the door, just soaking in the sight of the two of them together and wondering if a life of this was what he really wanted. Joanna desperately needed a mother's love and influence in her life. And Nellie would be a perfect fit. He just wasn't so sure he was deserving of this life with them. He was still filled with bloodlust and that would never be sated until he could get ahold of Turpin.

And that was what he intended to do. For the next week he was going to thoroughly plan and execute Turpin's murder. He didn't care whether he died trying, at least Joanna would have his dear pet as her guardian.

Hearing the clopping of hooves over the piano outside, Sweeney craned his neck to see into the shop and outside the window where a carriage had pulled up and out stepped an anxious-looking Anthony.

Sweeney sighed to himself. It's time...

Walking back to the parlour he gently cleared his throat so as not to startle the women. Their wide and innocent eyes turned to face him and Sweeney felt a lump form in his throat.

"Joanna, the carriage is here..."

Joanna bit her lip and looked morosely to Eleanore. The baker hugged her in return and gave her one last encouraging word before directing her to stand up and say her goodbyes to her father.

"I'll go get yer bag." She said, intending to leave them alone for their final goodbye.

After her departure, Sweeney brought his hand to Joanna's face and stroked his thumb over her cheek. "You look so much like your mother."

Joanna's eyes grew wet and she kissed her father's cheek. "I promise to write you every day. You'll write me back, won't you father?"

"Every time." He confirmed.

With that, the father and daughter embraced each other hard and didn't let go until their bodies ached from the force.

Returning with the small bag for Joanna, Eleanore passed the young girl her coat and gently awoke Toby once Sweeney had escorted Joanna through to the shop. Anthony waited for them patiently in the carriage and gave Joanna a warm smile when he saw her. Holding out his hand like a gentleman, he helped Joanna into the carriage.

Passing her the bag, Eleanore gave Joanna one last hug goodbye and then stepped aside so Toby could wish them well on their journey. As they did so, Sweeney approached Anthony around the other side of the carriage to speak to him.

"Write to me when you arrive in Cornwall. The money for the train is in Joanna's bag." He said.

Anthony nodded "Thank you, Mr Todd."

"And Anthony?"

The sailor raised his eyes to meet Sweeneys dark orbs as he gazed at him intently.

"You treat my daughter well, and we won't have a problem."

Anthony swallowed, knowing that behind his words was a threat but he could never fault a father's protection over his daughter. Nodding, he said sincerely "I will treasure her Mr Todd, I promise you that."

"Good. I leave her in your hands."

"We'll keep in touch Mr Todd, you can come to visit us whenever you wish."

Sweeney said nothing, his eyes began to burn when his daughter turned to look at him with her beautiful face and dazzling blue eyes. They needed to go, they needed to go now before he lost control of his emotions.

"Go," Sweeney commanded to the young driver of the carriage. Obliging, he slapped the reins and the horse began to pull them away from the shop.

Sweeney watched them go, feeling his heart sink when he saw Joanna press her hand against the carriage window, then wave when they turned the corner, out of sight.

He felt lost. Joanna would return but how long would it be? He had barely the chance to enjoy her presence before she was forced to flee from him yet again. Now he didn't know how to process what he was feeling. Anger, despair, alone.

Alone. Yes.

He needed to be alone.

Sweeney let out a shaken breath and as he did so, Eleanore gently approached him from behind. "Love–"

Without another word, Sweeney turned on his heel and strode up the stairs to his barbershop. The baker watched him go sadly. She desperately wanted to comfort him.

Toby reached for her hand to catch her attention "Mum, mum why don't cha let 'im be an' come back inside? It's really cold out 'ere."

"You go on inside Toby, don't worry bout me."

"But mum–"

"Go on, I said."

Heaving a sigh, Toby sauntered away and did as he was told. Now alone and still determined to comfort Sweeney, Eleanore began to make her way up to the barbershop.

When she entered, the room was pitch black save for the large window that allowed beams of moonlight to pool on the wooden floor. Stood by the window, was Sweeney cast in shadow, his back to her with his head down. He did not acknowledge her presence.

Wondering if perhaps she shouldn't have come up, the baker approached cautiously. When she was within arm's reach of him, she raised a gentle hand towards his shoulder but before it could reach, Sweeny spoke in a firm, yet broken whisper "Leave me."

Recoiling her hand, she placed it back down by her side and turned. Her eyes burned a little at his rejection but she knew that right now he needed to be alone. When he was ready to talk, she would be there. She was always there.

Opening the door, Eleanore turned to give him one last look of longing over her shoulder. "I love you, Sweeney."

It was but a gentle whisper, but he heard it, yet she got no reaction from him. Even if she did, however, she decided not to stick around and quickly left the shop to go to bed.

Sweeney closed his eyes and exhaled deeply. Now that he was alone, he finally admitted out loud; "And I you, pet."

A/N: My thanks to anyone still reading, it's been a pretty difficult month but I appreciate the interest this story is still getting. More to come soon x