Haunted Dreams

Chapter 12

"Jeramey. That's a beautiful name. How did it come to you, dear?" Nettie asked over breakfast. Another week has gone by. Daniel and Nettie were still in the house and Nellie was still asleep. And Sweeney was finding himself, wishing for death, to be put out of his misery.

"Dear?" Nettie demanded. Sweeney looked up at her in annoyance. He loved the woman, he did. Only because he knew how much Nellie loved her. Nellie's birth mother, Isabelle, was a complete monster. Nellie, during her childhood would always come to the sea to visit her Aunt Nettie. Nettie was the real mother to her.

"Do you hear me?" Nettie said. God! This woman was a lot like Nellie. Only more annoying, if that was possible. Though everybody was annoying to Sweeney these days. This worry was eating him alive, he couldn't stand it. He was in such a bad mood towards everyone and everything.

Sweeney looked up to Nettie, remembering her question. Sweeney didn't like the way she was holding Jeramey.

"Jeramey is my middle name." Sweeney said. He made to take his son out of his great aunt-in-law's arms.

"Oh how sweet. No it's alright. I got him." Nettie replied, not letting Sweeney take his son away.

Sweeney sat back down, aggravatingly running his hand through his hair.

"How did you get that white streak in your hair? You obviously weren't born with it."

Sweeney glanced down the hallway, ignoring her. Daniel was in the room with Nellie. Sweeney much rather prefer to be in his company than Nettie's, but he didn't want to leave his son in here alone with her.

"Did you hear me love?" Nettie asked, rocking Jeramey in her arms. Jeramey reached his little hand up and tugged real hard on Nettie's hair causing her to yelp. "Ow ow ow ouch, okay little one, don't do that."

That's my boy, Sweeney thought, smiling at his son.

"Here I'll take him." Sweeney said picking his son up. Jeramey looked much happier to be back in his father's arms. He reached his hand up again and ran it through Sweeney's white streak. He pulled it curiously, trying to figure out what it was.

"See, even your own son wants to know."

"It's a stress streak. It appeared while I was in prison for 15 years." Nettie and Daniel know the whole story. So there was no need for Sweeney to use careful words like he has to do with some of his curious customers who ask about his appearance.

"Hmm, that makes sense." Nettie commented.

Sweeney glanced down the hallway again.

"Oh for heaven's sake, go on and see her then. I'll clean up the table." Nettie got up and started picking up the dishes and taking them into the kitchen.

Sweeney ran down the hall, supporting Jeramey in his arms. Daniel sat on the bed next to Nellie, resting his hand on hers. He turned and smiled when Sweeney walked in. Sweeney took a place on the opposite side of the bed next to Nellie, swinging his legs up on the bed, and putting Jeramey in the middle, who started to crawl on Nellie's torso. Causing Sweeney and Daniel to both smile, and chuckle.

"He knows who is mother is." Said Daniel smiling down at the baby. He had pain in his eyes as well. "Was my mother driving you nuts? You look a little irritated."

"She was just a bit." Sweeney replied, everyone was irritating him nowadays.

"I can't believe this." Sweeney said after a long pause suddenly angry causing Daniel to jump a little.

"I want her to wake up too, mate."

"She's been asleep for a month now." Sweeney complained. "The doctor said 'Oh don't worry she'll only be in the coma for a week'. Well it's been a bloody month! That stupid bastard!" He shouted.

"Easy now, no need to get worked up. Nellie would want you to be calm and collective not angry and irritable."

"You have no idea what she would want!" Sweeney roared at Daniel. The two were both standing up now, shouting. They've come close to a punching fight, three times before already since the first time they've met.

"There's no need to yell at me! You don't think I'm worried, or that Nettie's worried. You think your the only one who cares about her? Well or not."

"Nettie doesn't care!"

"What!?"

"She's been joking around and asking stupid questions this whole time, she doesn't care, she's not worrying."

"How dare you!" Daniel got up in Sweeney's face like he was going to punch him. Well go ahead mate, Sweeney thought, you punch me and I'll slit your throat and be done with you. "My mother is only trying to lighten the mood. It's doing a lot more good than your sulking a moping around, and complaining, all you do is complain!"

Pow!

Right in Daniel's jaw. Sending him back a few feet. He regained his footing then leaped at Sweeney, pushing him back.

"We're just trying to help!" Daniel screamed.

"I didn't ask for your help!" Sweeney screamed, on the verge of tears.

"Yes you did! Your the one who wrote to us."

"Well I made a mistake, I didn't know what I was thinking. I don't want you here anymore!" Sweeney shouted, shoving Daniel into the wall.

Jeramey started crying and hollering, all this noise was bothering him. Sweeney gathered up his wits at the sound of Jeramey's cries. He turned around and picked up his son.

"I came here for Nellie not you. You demon!"

"GET OUT!" Sweeney pushed Daniel out of the room and slammed the door in his face.

Jeramey wailed and screamed louder than ever, and wouldn't stop. Sweeney tried his best to shush him, but it wasn't working.

"Shut Up!" He growled at the baby. And it worked Jeramey stopped crying, but gave his father a sad look, almost scared. Sweeney tried to snuggle Jeramey, but he gave a whining sound and wanted to be let back down.

Sweeney laid him back down next to his mother, where he snuggled into her, wanting her attention over everyone else. Sweeney watched his infant son, desperately try to wake his mother the best a month old baby could do.

Sweeney leaned down over Nellie and put his forehead on hers, he closed his eyes, and let the tears fill them up, blurring his vision. "I'm sorry" he muttered to his wife, to his son, to Daniel in the other room who couldn't hear the apology.

And he sat back up on the bed with his head in his hands feeling more misery than he's every felt in his life. And feeling anger, not at Nellie, nor Jeramey, nor Nettie and Daniel, but at himself. He was a demon, a monster, and now his son knew it. He'll never forget that look in his baby's eyes. Is that how Johanna would've seen me? Probably so. He knew he had to go face Daniel sooner or later and make amends.

There was only one person on the planet who could handle his monstrous self, and she wasn't available at the moment. Sweeney Todd needed Nellie, now more than ever.

I love when Sweeney has his little tantrums and mix of emotions! What do you guys think of Nellie's relatives?