Sorry it's been awhile. But hey I got a long chapter finally! :D Some interesting stuff happens in this one, sorry for the wait and the last cliff hanger. Please enjoy! And please review! I love seeing reviews!

Haunted Dreams

Chapter 18

The law? But they haven't done anything for a year, they've been good citizens, minding to their own business and not killing anyone. The law couldn't possibly have caught up with them. It's been a year why don't they just give up?

"Sweeney is that...?" But her question stopped short as the men on horse back turned right behind a hill and out of sight, in the other direction. So their not coming for them? Nellie rubbed her head, she was so confused. And tired. She doesn't even know if the men on horse back were even real, her sister said she's been mad her whole life.

"Nellie what's going on with you? Are you alright? I gave Jeramey to Daniel because I saw you running down the hall and I got worried?"

"I'm fine dear, I'm fine. Just needed some air."

"Well why were you looking off into the distance? You look like you saw a ghost."

"I'm pretty sure I did." She said thinking back about her sister. How her hand went from warm to cold within seconds, Nellie could feel her spirit leaving the house. It put chills down her back. "No. I thought I saw the law riding towards us." She shook her head trying to be rid of her ridiculous thinking. They weren't coming for us, they turned the other way. We're fine, right. Right?

"Nellie, we do deserve it you know." He said referring to being caught. "We killed so many people, I don't even know how many, but..."

"74."

"What?" He asked in disbelief. It can't be that many.

"I mean I was keeping count." She shuddered again. The memory of all the bodies, all those organs and bones, all that blood... She cringed and shivered as the chills ran down her spine. Sweeney wrapped his jacket around her thinking she shivered because she was cold. "I fear it." She whispered.

"Their not going to catch us, I won't let it happen." He said thinking that she was talking about the law.

It wasn't just getting captured and hanged that scares her, it was losing everything, losing those she loves. She fought so hard for happiness, it will not be taken from her just like that.

"Like I said we do deserve it, but not just for our selfish desires, but for our son. They'll just hang us, but Jeramey, they throw him into the work house."

"No Daniel could adopt him."

"The boy has the blood of two demons, they might not trust him." Sweeney stated.

"Well the work house would just make him want to murder way more than some inherited instincts. I remember what Toby told me about it there. It's an awful place."

"Well come on, let's go back inside."

She nodded and turned around to see a tall, thin woman with grayish blonde hair pulled tight in a bun, a smug look on her wrinkling face. When Nellie saw her she let out a scream and jumped back a few feet, holding a hand to her heart.

"Eleanor. A nice way to greet your mother. I haven't seen you for what, seventeen years now?" Her mother said. Yes it has been awhile. Nellie took a deep breath and realized that her mother was holding Jeramey in her arms, who was awake now and looking around curiously at his new surroundings.

The thing crossing Sweeney Todd's mind was danger. How long was this woman standing there? Every sense in his body was telling him that Isabelle Castellan had heard their every word.


They walked back into the house to the living room. "Aww Eleanor he's so adorable. I'm proud of you! You finally grew up out of your tomboy personality and wanting to run your own pie shop like your father, it was so sad. You finally turned into a proper lady. You found yourself a husband, not a decent one, but I guess he'll do. And you started to make a family. I'm proud!"

"Thank you mother." Nellie said, her tone sounding annoyed. That's all this woman ever cared about, Nellie getting out of the house and start working on her mother's grandchildren. She was the only child out of four to succeed, what irony.

"Now Eleanor if you don't mind, I'm going to take Sweeney to the drawing room. We need some time to chat, just the two of us." Isabelle said giving Sweeney a strange look. He sent her an uncomfortable look back to her.

"That's fine, but I'll join you."

"Oh no no, Daniel said he needed or help with something." Nellie flashed her mother a look of uncertainty, she knew she was up to something. "Oh come on Eleanor, when am I going to get a chance to spend time with my grandchild. And my new son." She said giving Sweeney a pat on the cheek.

Giving Sweeney an apologetic look she left the three of them alone and went to find Daniel.


"Tea?" Lady Castellian asked.

"Sure." Sweeney replied. He took a sit on the couch, sitting Jeramey in his lap who looked up at his grandmother in awe. Or was it fear?

"Jeramey?" Isabelle asked sitting across from them.

"It's my middle name."

"Interesting." She said with a cold look, as she sipped her tea. "So, tell me. How long have you and Eleanor known each other?"

"Years."

"Many or a few?"

"Many, but we didn't become more acquainted than a few years ago."

"And do you have what it takes to take care of her?" She asked sternly.

"Of course-"

"Do you even know how to take care of a woman with a mental illness?" She asked interrupting him.

"I beg your pardon."

"Oh goodness you didn't know she was sick?" Isabelle laughed. "She's had this... quirk... since she was little. She gets so... obsessed over something. She clings to it, she needs it. It doesn't matter to me if you love her or not, she's already got you in her web."

His anxiety was rising every second he stayed in this house. He knew Nellie was mentally ill he watched her have episodes. What they did on fleet street is what caused it. But she had it all along? No, that can't be true. She is rather clingy though.

"If you leave she'll just follow." Isabelle continued. Sweeney suddenly realized that he hates this woman. In fact he remembers now that he never liked her to begin with. "Oh just imagine; someday you'll have more children that will take after her instead of you. You'll have little, clingy, crazy, "Nellies" all over the place."

The thought of creating more... "Nellies" has already crossed his mind. It was not something he looked to much forward too. "Well that's all a risk I'm willing to take." Sweeney said flashing the woman his demonic smile.

Isabelle Castellian stood up and walked over toward the window, looking out it as if she was expecting to see something, or someone. "Jeramey... I remember a boy who lived next door who had that as a middle name."

Sweeney stood up cautiously. Supporting Jeramey on his hip, he headed for the door. "Well I think I better get back to Nellie." He quickly reached for the door knob only to find that the door was locked.

"What's your rush? I'm enjoying our time together, Mr. Barker."


"Daniel what is it?" Nellie asked.

"Where's Sweeney? You two need to leave now, right now."

"What? Why? What's happening?"

"Nettie left to go back to her house to prepare things for you. You have a long journey ahead and you need to get Jeramey and leave this town now!" He said urgently pulling Nellie's arm. "Come on where's Sweeney and Jeramey?"

"With my mum-"

"What?! No that's not good!"

"DANIEL! What's going on!?" Nellie screamed.

"Your mother sent for the law. She knows your story."

Nellie froze.

"You need to leave now." Daniel said looking worried.

"No..."

"Nellie you need to leave now!"

"I have to go get Sweeney!"

"Well if he's with your mother than you can't. It's to dangerous!"

But she was already running down the hallway. There was a knock at the door, Daniel cursed, taking a deep breath he answered it.


"How do you know me?" Sweeney asked dangerously

"I remember you."

Sweeney let out a frantic breath. He looked over at the tea pot, remembering Pirelli, how he figured everything out. Now it was Isabelle's turn.

"How did you figure everything out?" He asked. He decided to talk his way out of this first, before he went all maniac with a tea kettle again.

"I was worried about Nellie. The last letter I received from her, was about sixteen years ago and it said; Albert finally died, you sent me away to that fat oaf, who abused and raped me every night. I'm finally free."

"She wouldn't answer my replies, I got worried. I went to London, every few years. I spied on her. Nothing changed, her shop had no success at all and she seemed miserable. Then one year I went to check on her again and everything had changed. She had a new establishment above her shop... she had customers pouring out. I didn't know how she got so successful so quickly. I asked around."

"There was this beggar woman... named Lucy." Sweeney looked up, anger flashing in his eyes. "She told me everything she knows. She said that the new barber above my daughter's shop was a murderer, that people would walk into the shop and never come out. She said that Nellie was serving his victims to the customers and they were oblivious to it all. I'll be honest, Mr. Barker I was impressed, utterly disgusted but impressed."

"Well it was your daughter's idea." Sweeney said.

"I told you she was sick, poor thing. And you filling her head with all this murdering nonsense. You made her worse!" She screamed, pointing her finger at him.

"You didn't answer my question." Sweeney said. "How do you know me?"

"I said I remembered you. I recognized you. As soon as the beggar woman told me that my daughter was madly in love with this mysterious barber it didn't take me long to figure out who it was. I recognized that hair, those eyes. You have changed Benjamin it's true, but I can still see you behind your demonic veil."

Isabelle stopped in front of Sweeney. She looked at him, her anger gone, she looked apologetic. And she looked at Jeramey with adoration. She took a deep breath and shook her head. "It doesn't matter now, the law will be here soon."

With a click and a flash of silver he pulled his razor out. He pictured Isabelle to laugh or look confused but she only looked sad.

"Go ahead, I'm old I have nothing to live for. All my children are dead, Nellie's insane, she'll run off with you rather than listen to me."

Sweeney held the razor to her throat, touching skin. "Go ahead, Mr. Barker. Teach your son how it's done."


"Sweeney!" Nellie screamed, frantically banging on the door.

Isabelle moved passed Sweeney, razor still at her throat and she unlocked it.

"Sweeney No!" Nellie screamed, grabbing his arm, slowing pulling the razor away from her mother's throat.

A few minutes went by. No one moved. No one spoke. They heard men in the halls from the floor below, searching rooms.

Nellie burst into tears.

"You would hang me mother? I knew who hated me, but..." Nelle cried.

"Hated you? I loved you. But I needed to do what was done, what was right. You're father loved you way more than he loved me!" She screamed. "But things are different now. I was going to let you get hanged, but now, I am reluctant to do so." She said sadly. "You've changed Eleanor, you've grown, you're stronger, you're...beautiful." She said stroking Nellie's cheek. Nellie looked up at her mother confused, tears still pouring down her cheeks. Isabelle walked over to a curtain hanging next to a portrait on the wall. She pulled it back to reveal a door leading out of the room, down a hallway, and out of the house. "Go." She said.

She's letting us go? Sweeney thought confused.

"Mother?" Nellie started.

"GO!" She yelled.

Sweeney didn't need to be told twice, he grabbed Nellie's arm and rushed her to the hidden door.

"Wait..." Sweeney and Nellie stopped and looked back at Isabelle. "Just let me see him one last time." She asked referring to Jeramey. The little boy hadn't muttered a sound since this whole turn of events started, he must be getting use to things like this. Nellie took him from Sweeney's arms and walked back to her mother. She looked at him lovingly, then she looked at Nellie. "You remember the lake house where we spent some summers?"

"Yes." Nellie said confused.

"Good luck, and be safe." She gave Nellie a kiss on her forehead. Then Sweeney tugged Nellie's arm and they ran down the hallway and out of the mansion.


Sweeney and Nellie reached the outside.

"What lake house?" Sweeney asked.

"We need to get to Nettie's." Nellie said ignoring him.

"Where are they?" They heard a man's voice scream. It was an officer.

"They left! Hurry! They're on there way to France!" Isabelle screamed. The officer and his men turned back down the road. Nellie and Sweeney moved out of there sight.