So sorry, for the wait, and taking long and everything. To those of you that are still reading this and enjoying just as much as i'm enjoying writing it, then THANK YOU SO MUCH, I LOVE YOUR FACE!

now, i know things in this story have been pretty intense lately, and i'm making Sweeney an ass. If i'm upsetting anyone with that, i'd like to apologize. i just can't stand the always OOC, mushy, gushy, cutie stuff all the time. i like the darkness. Lol, but yeah.

I can't remember if i address this in the last chapter or not, but there was a rape scene, and if i hurt anyone with that, i'm so sorry, that wasn't my intention, and i'm just sorry, if i caused anyone pain in any way.

Okay, i'll shut up now. Please review, i love seeing comments. This chapter isn't my favorite, it's kind of bad, haha. I dunno, i could've probably done better with it, but YOU be the judge of that. Now enjoy!

Haunted Dreams

Chapter 31

"Tobias?" Sweeney asked confused.

Nellie stood there calmly with her arms crossed, staring at him.

"Wait." Sweeney continued. "Your pregnant?"

"Yes."

"Oh my god." He said staring at the wall in shock.

"Forgot what happens to a woman when you-"

"Yes, actually, I forgot that you're more fertile then the Goddess Aphrodite." He said.

"Guess you shouldn't touch me then?" She said. The anger and random 'I love you' wore off, causing her emotion to now resemble only sass.

"Why Tobais? What does that have to do with. . . Ohhh. . ." And then it hit him. She's talking about Toby. I honestly forgot what that little shit's name was. Sweeney thought. And she wants to name the baby after him. Oh hell no! No way! Not acceptable. "We're not naming my child Toby." He said.

Nellie flashed him a glare that said: "do you want to sleep in back yard?"

"I mean. . ." Sweeney started, it'd be wise to not make things worse with one's wife when you've already messed up major big time. His wife continued to glare causing Sweeney to gulp nervously. Since when I'm I afraid of her? Not thinking of anything to say other than a random compliment that wouldn't work, he said. "Why Toby?"

"You got your Johanna back, it's only fair." She said.

"That's different."

"How?" She demanded.

"Because. . ."

"No." She cut him off. "I've already decided this, end of discussion."

Sweeney took a deep breath. "I don't want this-"

"Well then maybe you shouldn't have raped me." Nellie hissed, interrupting him.

"I'm sorry, love. . ." Sweeney began. "But I just don't-"

"I don't give a bloody damn!" Nellie said loudly. "You got your daughter back, I get my son back. It's as simple as that."

"But-"

"End of discussion."

"I-"

"End. Of. Discussion."

He shut his mouth, biting his tongue.

Nellie looked down at her feet for a second. "Thank you for the ring. If there isn't anything else you need then I'm going to bed." She said calmly.

She turned around and began pulling the covers back. "May I join you?" Sweeney asked her sadly.

She stared at the sheets below her instead of at him—considering. After about a minute she said, "all right."

He smiled at her. She turned back around to face him. "But don't you dare try anything." She warned. "I'm very nauseous." With that she crawled into bed, as her husband removed his shoes, slipping into the spot on the sheets beside her.

They laid there staring at the ceiling, not touching one another. Sweeney's foot gently touched hers for a second, then he pulled it away. They listened to the sound of their own breathing, Nellie shut her eyes, willing herself to go to sleep, but sleep wouldn't come. Their hand's lay flat next to each on the mattress under the covers—itching to grab, stroke, caress, anything. After five minutes. Nellie couldn't take it anymore, she tossed over onto him, resting her head on his shoulder, placing her hand on his chest—sighing in defeat. He placed his hand on her back, and smiled.

After awhile, Sweeney heard his wife breathing deeply, knowing that she was sound asleep. Alas, he couldn't sleep himself. He looked down at his wife's midsection. Another baby. Johanna was only a year old, and now another crying, pooping machine was making its way into their lives.

It's his fault of course.

He knows that. He knitted his eyebrows in concern. He can't even remember that night. The night he "raped" his wife. It's only been a four months ago. She was four months pregnant then, wasn't she? A tiny nudge from where her torso touched his answered that. He didn't want it to be named after Toby. But Nellie has a good point in wanting to name the child so. Sweeney can barely remember Toby. He remembered that the lad was annoying and a threat to figuring out their dirty little secret. Nellie loved him though. But they planned on killing the boy. She trapped in the bake-house because of their plan. In the end, she chose Sweeney over Toby. But that doesn't mean it wasn't hard for her.

He sighed at the ceiling, stroking her back. He couldn't believe he actually raped her. What an asshole thing to do. He doesn't deserve her forgiveness. With that thought he removed his hand from her back. He doesn't deserve to touch her. Doesn't deserve her love. How many times has he physically hurt her now. Or even more; emotionally. He's the reason she has those awful reoccurring nightmares. He's the reason her mind went a little haywire before Jeremey was born. He's the reason for everything that went wrong in her life.

Even before Fleet Street, he was causing her pain and didn't even know it. They we're engaged. And he left her for Lucy, causing her to be married off to Albert who abused her. Then he comes back into her life and doesn't even remember that she was his childhood friend—the real love of his life. Then he got sent to prison, and comes back as a demon from the pits of hell, leading her insane, love driven mind to help him with his revenge no matter what it would consist of, for the small chance that he would love her back.

But that wasn't his fault. Or was it? If he didn't leave her for Lucy than he wouldn't have ended up in Fleet Street and the judge wouldn't have gotten all handsy, and he wouldn't be sent off the prison, or become a demon that kills everyone, including an innocent boy that he was afraid he couldn't trust. . .

He doesn't deserve her.

He doesn't deserve her. . .

I don't deserve her.

He gently moved himself from under her, and got out of bed, head reeling. He walked downstairs. Without even thinking to what he was doing. His hand touching the front door knob made him stop. What are you going to do, Todd? Run away? You'll just hurt her again. She still loves you, she said so. Removing his hand from the door handle, he turned around to head back upstairs to bed. Be a fucking man for once. Don't run away from your problems, face them! You don't deserve her. . . but she deserves you. She wants you, loves you. You want her, love her. Make yourself deserve her.

He managed to get a few hours of sleep that night, and all the other nights. Nellie would barely talk to him. She said she loved him, said she forgave him, but they were still distant from one another. It hurt him, it hurt him so much that he was depressed, and angry. So angry at himself. He didn't know what else to do for her other than to get down on his knees, grovel at her feet, and worship her like the goddess she is.


"What can I do?" He asked her sadly after they ate lunch one rainy afternoon.

She looked up at him. She was playing with their daughter, tickling her feet and tummy making her laugh. When she looked up at him, the bright smile she had on her face quickly changed to a frown, mixed with a little confusion.

"What do you mean?" She asked him.

"What can I do?" He repeated. "To prove my love to you."

Nellie sighed and shook her head in annoyance. She turned back around, picking Johanna up, carrying her out of the kitchen.

"Nellie, please."

She stopped in the hallway and faced him again. "Get me a seashell." She said simply. "Not a shitty seashell, and shiny one, that smells like the saltwater." She turned back around and walked upstairs to give Johanna her bath.

She stopped midway on the staircase when she heard the front door shut. She shook her head in annoyance again, and even rolled her eyes.

Sweeney didn't return all day. What was he doing? Nellie tried to act like she didn't care, he could walk all over Ireland moping all he wanted. She kept her mind busy by straightening things up around the house, and playing with her children. It was now four o'clock, she was seated on the floor, Johanna in her lap, and Jeramey next to her on the floor. His little face twisted in concentration as he read his book aloud.

"I. . he. . .aa. .rd. . .the. . .elll. . .ee."

"phaaann." Nellie helped him along.

"ellleephann. . .tt. elephant?"

"Yes. Good job." She said smiling down at him.

"I heard the elephant. . . stooommmpping?"

"stomping."

"on the. . .ground."

"Well done, Jer." Nellie said kissing her son's forehead.

He continued reading and Nellie's mind drifted elsewhere. She wasn't worried, she kept assuring herself. I don't care where he is. Probably getting drunk in a pub. She thought. She looked at the door, for about the hundredth time. Where are you? No. No, I don't care. I don't.

"Mummy?" Mummy!?" Jeramey was hollering and nudging her. She snapped out of it, turning her attention back to her son.

"What is it dear?" She looked down at his book. "Do you need help?"

"Are you okay mummy?" he asked.

"Yes, darling. I'm fine. Continue reading, you're doing so well."

He continued reading the sentences out loud, and she looked back at the door again. Johanna tugged on the neckline of her dress. She felt another kind of tugging inside her belly. She sighed sadly. All three of her children knew she was hurting.

The dinner was cooked and her and the children we're seated at the table. There was no use in Nellie assuring herself that she wasn't worried. She could tell herself she was all right all she wanted, it wouldn't change the fact that she was worried sick. This wasn't funny anymore. Where was her husband? She was starting to get very upset. And the children, as young as they are, noticed.

"Mum, is Papa coming back?" Jeramey asked, tears welling in his eyes.

"Yes, darling, everything will be all right. No need to worry, just eat your dinner."

"But, mama I'm scared."

"Jeramey, no honey don't cry. Everything is all right. Papa will be back soon I'm sure of it."

Two more hours went by. No sign of the man.

Nellie tucked the children into bed, but Johanna wouldn't stop crying.

It was going on nine o'clock. Nellie was officially freaking out. She paced back and forth all throughout the house. Constantly looking out windows and checking the front door. Johanna screamed in her arms. It was agonizing. Nellie was trying to calm herself down, because at this point she was losing the ability to breathe. She walked the floor in the main hallway behind the door rocking Johanna in her arms, making shush noises to get her to calm down. Hell, she was crying herself at this point. She didn't know how long it's been. A few minutes felt like days.

The dark wooden door opened, she spun around with relief.

"Oh my God! Were the hell have you been?!" She shouted at him.

He was drenched from the rain. She searched his eyes for answers. Or signs of him being drunk, but he looked sober, and miserable.

He stood right in front of her. Johanna stop crying and stared at him, also relieved.

Instead of answering her question, he held up a big, shy, pearl-colored seashell. "I found it." He smiled weakly.

She stared at the seashell, then back to his eyes. Her mouth hung opened. "Sweeney I. . ." she took a deep breath to control herself from exploding. It didn't work, she still exploded. "I have been pacing this damn floor all day! I've been worried sick out of my mind! I was fucking kidding about the seashell! I didn't think you'd actually. . ." She stopped her outburst at the sounds of the baby crying again.

"I just wanted proof that you still care about me." He said.

She stared at him for a few, silent, seconds, then yanked the seashell from his hand. "Where did you even get this?"

"There's a fisherman that sells some along with the fish. Down on the beach. It takes a long time to walk down there, so sorry for the delay." He looked at her with sad eyes. For weeks, she acted like she didn't care about him, he honestly didn't expect her to worry about him so much. Now he felt even worse.

Nellie sighed, holding Johanna out in front of her. "Tuck in her bed. She's missed you all day."

Sweeney took the baby girl from her arms.

"Then wake Jeramey up, to let him know that your back. He missed you too."

"Yes pet."

"And tomorrow." She continued. "You will take off work and stay with him all day. Play with him, take him to the park, whatever he want. Just spend time with him all day long. Not with me or Johanna."

"Yes dear."

"And you will teach his lessons to him. He's gotten so well with his reading."

He nodded.

"Now I'm going to bed. Dinner is on the counter, heat it up yourself. If you're not in bed in thirty minutes, I'm locking you outside."

Finished with all her instructions to him, she turned, seashell in hand, and headed up the stairs to their bedroom.

Sweeney watched her go. "Da!" Johanna squealed excitingly.

"I'm sorry I made my girls worry so much." He smiled to the baby.

"Dada"

"Dada has been a bad Dada." She smiled up at him, and he kissed her forehead. "Come, my love, let's get you to bed."


"I was stopped by the mayor while walking through town today." He told his wife, as he stripped off his clothes to lay them down to dry. He couldn't help himself feeling proud when he noticed Nellie's lingering glance at his bare chest.

When she noticed that he noticed her stare, she quickly looked away, clearing her throat. "What did he say?" She asked him.

"He invited us to a party. Tomorrow night."

She stared at his face, considering the idea.

"Said he wanted the best men in his town Wexford to be there. I apparently fall in that category."

She snickered. "Guess you should go then." She said with sarcasm.

"I'm not going without you."

Her back was to him, and he slowly approached her. "Daniel is still in town, so he can watch the kids." He placed a hand on her shoulder.

"What makes you think I'd want to go."

"Do you?"

She turned to face him. She shrugged, "why not."

"Great. It's not like we'll be there all night. I mean we could stay there all night he has that huge, spacious house, with about twenty bedrooms."

"So do we."

"No, we have more like five bedrooms."

"Uh, I wish I'd marry richer." She teased. He chuckled at her.

Her smile wore off as she noticed his hands on her waist. They stared into each other's eyes. He leaned in.

"No." She whispered, removing herself from his grasp.

"Please let me love you."

She stood still, closed her eyes. He slowly, and gently cupped the side of her face, brushing his lips onto hers. She didn't kiss him back.

He leaned in to kiss her again.

She let him. But didn't kiss him back.

I'm real close to get the next one out, hopefully it'll be soon. Sweeney Todd was mention in my 18th century literature class, and that put me in the mood, lol. So, hopefully i'll put Zelda Breath of the Wild down (omg it's so hard too) and get to writing.

Hope you guys enjoyed this, tell me if you did :D or didn't haha.