Chapter 1

Disclaimers:

English is not my first language, so be kind about my grammar and choice of word.

Rated M because depictions of murder and sexual activities.

Constructive criticism is welcome.

Enjoy :)

15 godforsaken years had passed. Benjamin Barker had been strong. For her, Lucy, the love of is life, and for their daughter, Johanna, who was a ray of light in his bleak and murky existence.

15 years he had abstained from women, lust and ale, only for them. His family. He wouldn't lose his pride and honour, even though it from time to time seemed tempting. It didn't help, that when he finally reached his destination, a beggar woman offered herself to him. Something about her was so tempting. Like she was a memory of all he had lost.

The shape of her face, her small slender body, her golden dirty locks of hair reminded him of the lust he had been oppressing. But her words broke him free of his mischievous thoughts.

The bluntness of her words, the craziness of her rambles made him realize why he was here, and for who. "Must you glare at me, woman? Off with you! Off I say!" he yelled.

Anthony appeared beside him, the man who saved him and brought him back to London. "Pardon me, sir, but there´s no need to fear the likes of her. She was only a half-crazed beggar woman. London's full of them."

Benjamin furrowed his brows and shook his head. "I beg your indulgence, boy. My mind is far from easy. These once-familiar streets I feel the chill of ghostly shadows everywhere. Forgive me."

"There´s nothing to forgive." Anthony reassured Benjamin who answered with a monotone but still thankful tone: "Farewell Anthony. I will be around Fleet Street if you are in need of me. There is something I must do." He walked of the docks before Anthony had a chance to ask questions.

He soon reached Fleetstreet, and it didn´t seem happy to have him back. Even though he was in disguise, the world, the people, the buildings looked at him, shunning him away with its judging eyes.

He stopped in front of the pieshop. The windows were to dirty and the lights inside to dim to see inside. He only got his own reflection. His pained eyes, who had seen the world at its worst.

He hesitated. Awaiting this moment for 15 years, and now starring directly at where it all was all right, till it wasn´t. But he wouldn't give up. He firmly grabbed the handle to the door and slowly opened it.

He slipped in, and was stunned by the familiar face, who hadn´t noticed his entrance. That sweet and soft face with its thin lips, strong eyebrows, all framed by the short curly brown hair. The short body with its broad hips, swaying at every move. Her bosom, filling out that dress so nice. Mrs Lovett didn't seem like she had aged a day.

"Huh! A customer!" She said in shock. He stepped back slowly to not frighten her, but she walked around the counter staring at his face so intensely. "Miss, I am not a customer. I´m here for something else."

She looked him up and down, like she was figuring out a puzzle. "What are you here for then?" She said and smirked. He looked around the shop, the bugs, the unsold pies, all under a veil of flying particles of flour in the air.

"What happened here?" he asked. He remember this place as busy, jolly and light. But it hadn't survived the test of time. And the shop made him afraid. That what he and Lucy had wouldn´t stand the test as well. That he wouldn't.

"Business is dying. The price of meat kept going up, the amount of customer kept going down. Everyday is fight for survival." Mrs Lovett answered him. Benjamin looked up towards the celling and asked. "Isn't that a room up there over the shop? If times are so hard, why don't you rent it out?"

"Up there? Oh, no one will go near it. People think it´s haunted. You see, years ago, something happened up there. Something not very nice." Mrs Lovett said and looked him up and down yet again. His brows furrowed and his teeth was grinding together.

"You see, there was a barber and his wife. He was transported for life. The judge wanted her. He asked her to his house, to a ball. The judge did horrible things to her. He.." Before Mrs Lovett could continue Sweeney yelled "No!"

"Would no one have mercy on her?!" He continued. "So it is you. Benjamin Barker." Mrs Lovett said, satisfied with her finished puzzle. "Not Barker. Todd now. Sweeney Todd. Where is she?" He said panicked and lost.

"She poisoned herself. Arsenic. I tried to stop her but she wouldn't listen to me. Poor thing. And the Judge took Johanna, raised her." Mrs Lovett looked down into the floor, afraid of the reaction of Sweeney.

"Fifteen years sweating in a living hell on a trumped up charge. Fifteen years dreaming that, perhaps, I might come home to a loving wife and child." Sweeney said in a quavering voice.

He clenched his fist and pounded it into the counter, his skin breaking from the hard impact. "Let him quake in his boots, Judge Turpin, for his hour has come."

Mrs Lovett felt frightened, yet intrigued. She barely had the courage to move, afraid that Mr. Todd´s untameable anger would strike her. "Wait here." She said carefully and walked into the back of the shop.

She returned with a case and placed it on the counter in front of him. His anger vanished from his exterior, and he carefully opened it. For a minute or two he just observed the contents and slowly grew a faint smile.

Finally he reached his hand down and picked up the small razor, inspecting and admiring it. "My, them handles is chased silver, ain´t they?" Mrs Lovett asked with wide eyes.

"Silver, yes…" He lifted it up, and let it reflect in the light. "These are my friends. See how they glisten." He couldn't describe his feelings. He should be sad that his Lucy had passed, and that his daughter was out of reach.

But in a way he was relieved. He had been afraid of his return, what if Lucy didn't want him anymore? What if it all had been for nothing. But Lucy wasn´t here anymore, he couldn't be rejected.

All these questions that he had been afraid of knowing the answer to didn't matter anymore. And the pain he felt for Lucy´s passing was drowned in his lust for revenge. "I´m your friend too Mr. T." Mrs Lovett said and broke him out of his thoughts.

He turned towards her and looked at her with a confused face. "You can move in here." She continued and gestured towards the room upstairs. "No one has been up there since you left. It is… Untouched." she said with a mischievous smile.

He looked toward the stairs, and then back at her. "Go on then. Run up there." She said and walked back behind the counter, starting to knead the dough. Sweeney watched for a minute, her strong hands working the though dough.

Then he turned around and walked upstairs. The sun was streaming in from the big window, exposing the dust flying around in the air, slowly like time stood still. For a moment he thought it had. Everything was like he had left it. Collecting dust, awaiting for him to return.

He looked out the window and caught his own reflection in the glass. Time had passed. He wasn´t the same anymore, nothing was the same anymore. The only thing that was the same was his barber knife and Mrs. Lovett. And his lust. The lust for his wife he had carried for 15 years, and his newly found lust for revenge.

Mrs Lovett appeared behind him with some bedsheets in hand. "I found some fresh linens for you, do you mind?" She said and pointed towards the bedroom. "Thank you." He said and nodded. She went into the bedroom and removed the old linens, then laid the new ones on.

"There" she said when she emersed from the bedroom. Her standing there in front of the bedroom door gave him some unholy thoughts. "Are you okay, Mr T?" she asked and gave him a concerned smile.

"I´m fine. Thank you." He said looking into the floor, trying to get rid of those vulgar thoughts. "Well, sleep tight." She said with her high-pitched voice and walked towards the door. She was stopped by Sweeneys strong hand grabbing her arm.

She looked up at him, his furrowed brows and his tense face. "I mean it. Thank you for everything. It is very kind of you." He said, loosening his grip on her strong arm. She smiled and nodded. "Well, you´re very welcome." He let her go and she left the room.

He walked into the bed and fully clothed climbed onto it. He stared into the roof, the thoughts still running wild. Thinking of her strong arms, soft skin, lovely short curls. And those broad hips.

She was the exact opposite of his wife Lucy, yet she was so tempting to him. He hadn´t seen it before. It had never been an option, they had both been married. But now the universe had reunited them, both lonely. He felt his pants getting tighter.

It felt wrong. All too wrong. It seemed like she was flirting with him, her giggles, her smile, but maybe it was just an innocent act. But maybe she wanted it. Maybe he wanted it too. With these thoughts Sweeney fell asleep.