Welcome back! New chapter for you guys! hope you enjoy!

Haunted Dreams

Chapter 3

Moving into their house wasn't too bad, after they finally found all the furniture and household items they wanted. It was a cute, little house. It was only one story tall, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Sweeney turned one of the rooms into a sort of man cave, or as Nellie called it "the room where the razors are". Sweeney also bought a chair similar to the one he had had in his shop back on Fleet Street, except this one didn't send anyone to the basement or so Nellie was hoping. Sweeney also bought one of those belts that you sharpen razors on. He was certainly planning on opening his shop back up. Nellie decided to open up a small pie shop in town; well she actually changed it into more of a bakery. She felt bad about going straight into to making meat pies again so she added cakes, and cookies to the menu.

Yes, their life was quite content. Nellie would always go out and sit on the beach after her long days at work. She thought how ironic it was that the first town they escape to be by the sea. When Nellie thinks about the fact that her dreams have come true, she feels... selfish. And she always feels a twinge of guilt. She hasn't told Sweeney yet, but every night she sees Lucy in her dreams. And the dreams always turn into a nightmare. Last night in her nightmare, Lucy and Toby were chasing her screaming "You should have burned in the oven".

She looked up at the sky and saw the sun going down, she decided to get up and start on dinner. She stood up and wiped the sand off her dress and walked back to the house. Sweeney was sitting on the couch staring at the wall and sipping a cup of tea. He looked up when she walked in.

"How was the beach?"

"It's quite lovely, you should join me sometime."

"Ok, I might."

"Good."

Short and simple, was how they're conversations were nowadays.

Sweeney found himself doing many things with Nellie lately. He slept next to her in bed but only because they slept beside each other on their journey. He hadn't kissed her since their "wedding". Nellie and him acted like friends, and Sweeney was surprised at how much Nellie was okay with it. Yes she still looked at him with love in her eyes, sometimes even lust, but she didn't complain, didn't beg him to show any affection, and Sweeney was quite content with his life now. He hasn't thought about Lucy or Johanna in a long time, and honestly he didn't want to, that path carried too many bad memories.

He wouldn't dare admit this out loud, he was actually falling in love with Nellie, and he would find himself thinking about her more and more every day. He isn't going to tell her this, not yet. Things were so peaceful between them why go and ruin it. If he told her she would go all crazy again, and the two of them would be on a sex frenzy. Which Sweeney has thought about many times. Sex. She does deserve a little sexual abuse, does she not?

They were out one morning heading to the market. And Sweeney couldn't help noticing every time he walked out with Nellie that most of the men in town would stare at her, some even flirted with her right in front of him. Filthy bastards. Like this gentlemen named Scott for example. He was a butcher in the town, and Nellie would go to him to buy some meat for her meat pies in her shop, she turned the shop into more of a bakery, but the meat pies are requested and selling and so she buys meat. Sweeney made the joke one night of saying that he could give her the meat. She just glared at him and gave a serious "No".

"Ah, good morning Mrs. Todd, you are looking as beautiful as ever."

"Aw thank you Mr. Jones."

"Please sweetheart call me Scott." He said with a wink.

Sweetheart, seriously, I'm standing right here, Sweeney thought. He wrapped his arm around Nellie's waste simple to say this is mine, back off.

"Is there something you need my dear?" Scott Jones said glancing at Sweeney then back at Nellie's breast.

"Oh yes, I need seven pounds of beef please." Scott chopped up the meat, packaged it and handed it to Nellie; she paid him and placed the meat in her basket. "Thank you Mr. Jones."

"Anytime, Mrs. Todd. And if you ever want to have lunch sometime... if your husband wouldn't mind of course." Scott gave a nervous look at Sweeney who was giving the butcher a vicious glare.

"That sounds lovely Mr. Jones. I would love to-"

"Aghmm..." Sweeney cleared his throat, interrupting. "Nellie we should get going." He dragged his wife away out of the butcher's shop so fast Scott didn't have time to say good-bye. He walked her home, keeping a tight grip on her arm.

"Sweeney, what are you-?"

"What the hell were you doing?" He growled at her when they reached the familiar path leading up to the cottage.

"What do mean?"

"Back there, with that butcher, what was that?" Nellie gave a huge sigh and rolled her eyes.

"I don't understand what the problem is."

"You're the problem!" Sweeney roared shoving Nellie a bit.

"And what did I do!?" Nellie demanded holding her ground. She has learned to stand up to Sweeney in every situation they faced now. He found it annoying yet adorable.

"That butcher, he courted you and you just accepted you do realize that you are married now and you can't go around acting like a whore."

"I am not acting like a whore, Sweeney. Mr. Jones was just being friendly."

"I promise you Nellie that man was not thinking about friendship. He looked like he wanted to rape you." The two reached their home, they walked inside. Sweeney slammed the door shut, while Nellie put the groceries away.

"Sweeney you're just being jealous. Mr. Jones was just-"

"JEALOUS! You really think I would be jealous of that short, fat, bastard!"

"Well it explains your temper right now, and why you are getting so worked up about this." Nellie snapped back.

"I am not jealous, Nellie."

"Then what is the problem?"

"Nothing, I...you... FINE, get your ass raped then!" And with that Sweeney walked into his little man cave and slammed the door.

That night at dinner was very awkward. Nellie hated bringing the situation up again, but she couldn't help herself.

"Alright fine, I won't go out to lunch with him." She said while she ate her bread. Sweeney almost chocked on his tea. He looked his wife in the eyes.

"Damn right you're won't."

"Why did you get so jealous? I mean it's fine, I'm flattered and surprised that you care about me and all but just why? It's not like you are in love with me or anything, I know it's not that since you still practically hate me."

"What? I don't hate you." Nellie chuckled, taking a bite of her green beans. Sweeney sat across the table looking at her seriously. "Nellie, I mean it. I don't hate you. Why would you think that?"

"Oh I don't know why Sweeney, probably because we are married and you...We never..."

"Never what? Have sex. Is that what you want?"

"No I just..."

"Just what Nellie?"

"Just want you to love me. Or just show some little affection. I mean you married me and we never kiss or anything. And it's just that we share a bed and we fall asleep in each other's arms every night... and I just want you to... I don't know... love me." Sweeney stared at her, not knowing what to say. Damnit. He does love her, a little or a lot. He's still working on it; he doesn't even know what he fully feels. "Why don't you love me?" She pleaded. He looked in her eyes and saw tears forming.

"Nellie...No, we are not having this conversation again." Nellie got up from the table with a huff. She walked into the kitchen and slammed her plate into the sink.