By the Beautiful Sea

"For the last time, I am not going to kiss you again." Sweeney growled in annoyance, trudging ahead of her.

Nellie smiled quizzically at him. She kept stopping during their stroll to pick flowers just to find a prettier one up ahead and drop them again. Her brows raised by his comment but a soft smile never left her lips ever since last night after they danced on the porch of the manor, after they kissed on the porch of the manor.

She quickly brushed up against him, "Are you sure you don't want to, love?" she whispered as seductively as she could muster into his ear.

He turned towards her and for a second, she felt hopeful and prepared herself. Just as she was about to pucker up, the palm of his hand was on her face, pushing her away from him. "I'm sure." He said. She could hear the amusement in his voice, as much as he didn't want to admit, he was loving this. She sighed and stepped away from him, dropping the flowers in her hands onto the ground.

"Why do you keep doing that?" Sweeney muttered as they walked close to each other, keeping the same rhythm in their steps.

"Just bored love." She mused, looking up at the clouds. "I think this is the prettiest day we've had while traveling. Look at that blue sky. You don't see that in London." She looked over to him, "We're a long way from London, aren't we Mr. T?"

He grumbled something that almost sounded like an "Indeed". He pressed his hand to his aching ribs as she raced ahead of him where small daisies were sprouting from the grass. He's ribs throbbed even more and he groaned. "Let's take a quick break, pet."

She froze, her hand hovering over the wild daisy. "Pet?" He looked over to see her moving slowly downhill. While following, the sound that was luring her, reached him.

She stood on the cliffside, a peaceful smile on her face. Her hands outstretched and she breathed in the salty air and bathed in the sunshine. Sweeney joined her in awe, but his sore rib cages clouded his thoughts, he sunk to his knees, one hand propped in the grass so he could lean. Even then, he had to admit, it was a beautiful sight.

He looked up her, the sun shining off her red curls making them look aflame. He's never seen her like this before. Something awoken in him, it was that same spark he felt when they were dancing the night before. Things were changing. He breathed in the fresh air; he was becoming a new man. Not Benjamin Barker, not Sweeney Todd either, something… else. He didn't know what was happening to him, but he all of sudden wanted to hold her and cry. How could things have altered themselves in just one week? He never imagined he'd see her in this new light, she was the baker, the land lady, the liar. When did she become just Nellie to him? His business partner, his friend, his source for comfort. "Nellie," he managed to pull himself up on his feet. He wanted to hold her. Her hair looked like fire in sunlight, he wanted to touch it, to run his fingers though it. When she turned to him, she was crying silently. Tears of disbelief were running down her face.

"We did it." she smiled warmly as a sob made her shook. He approached her and wrapped his arms around her frame, "Its so beautiful" she squeaked and sniffled, crying into his shoulder.

"That it is." He smiled. As he stared out at the sea, Johanna's face flashed in front of him. Her words on Fleet Street appeared in his mind as if she was standing next to him and whispering them into his ear. He froze, his jaw dropping a bit as an idea and realization smacked into him.

He returned to reality when Nellie pulled away, wiping her eyes. "There's something I want to do." She walked a few paces back to where their bag was left. And fished around in it, shoving her arm all the way to the end and yanked out a rolling pin.

"Didn't know you brought that along." Sweeney asked surprised.

She walked back over to him, to the cliff side. She looked down at the thing, holding it in both her hands. "I killed Albert with this." she looked up to his sad and confused expression. "And I used to do spread the dough to make pies filled with… forty men or more." she looked over the edge.

"Don't." Sweeney whispered.

She turned back to him and smiled sadly. "This is apart of my old life Mr. T. I can always get another one." And with that she launched the rolling pin over the cliff side where it shattered into splinters in the water below.

She took a deep breath. "How do you feel?" Sweeney smiled a bit looking at her.

"Like someone new." She smiled enough to show teeth.

He looked over the edge, then bending down over the bag, he held his box of razors. "Then I guess, I should follow your example."

"Oh love, no. I threw a piece of wood. Those." She pointed to the box, "Are far more valuable."

"I know." He opened the case to look at them one last time. They were all tucked away, only one was missing. The one that broke.

"Do you want to at least keep… one of them? You called them your friends."

Sweeney continued to stare at them. "I was a fool." He said. "They're just… knives." He closed the case and raised his arm. They listened as the box busted open against the stone, and to the satisfying clank, plop as the blades sunk into the sea.

The ocean roared as they left foot prints in the sand. The breeze felt amazing in the summer's heat. Ever since what happened on the cliff side, Sweeney's head had been reeling. There was something he's been thinking about for a while now. Johanna's words had echoed through his head. "I want you to be happy", "To move on", "I want to look up at the horizon one day and wonder if my new siblings are alright". He could picture her bright smile saying the words. At the time, Sweeney brushed it off, assuming that such a life with the baker would never happen. Now, he remembers how he did make a promise to Johanna. He shouldn't break that promise.

Taking a deep shaking breath and pinching the bridge of his nose to silence the pounding in his head, he made up his mind. It was time to tell the woman across from him his plan.

She was rinsing the pot and utensils they used in the sea water. Not the cleanest of methods but it's all they had at the moment. He approached her carefully, hesitatingly, not wanting to do this, but he promised his daughter.

"Nellie." He began.

She turned around to face him. "Hello, dear. Sorry we didn't have much to eat. I'll make it up to you once we can reach the market."

"Its alright. Nellie,"

"Won't be much longer now. Can you believe it? It seems like just yesterday we were in London. I honestly never imagined we'd make it this far." She stood up brushing the sand off her skirts. "I'll put these back in the sack." She waltzed passed him.

He frowned, but decided to keep trying. "Nellie." He followed her back to their belongings on the edge of the shore where the sand met grass. He tapped her shoulder.

"Ready to go dear?"

"Let's sit for a minute," he swallowed, frowning harder as he realized how nervous he felt, and wondering why. Getting through to her was being impossible at the moment.

"We've rested enough dear," she complained. "It'll be dusk soon; I'd rather be in a bed tonight. Come on, hang on a bit longer my love."

He willed himself not to punch her. He inhaled deeply and grabbed her shoulders spinning her around to face him. "Eleanor." He hollered, "I need to talk with you before we find an inn for the night. Sit." He dragged her to her knees on the grass with him. "Now, then." He paused thinking about how to begin wording this.

"Yes, dear?" Nellie searched his eyes as if she could piece together what he was thinking.

Sweeney frowned looking down at the blades of grass. He was starting to think he couldn't do this. He was about to give up, but Johanna's words lingered in his brain, like she was a ghost haunting him. Nellie went back to stuffing items back into their bag. He'd lost her once again.

He gritted his teeth, and made his decision. "I want my daughter back."

She paused her movements. The only sound around them was the ocean and some crickets in the tall grass to their backs. After what felt like an eternity for Sweeney, she looked up to him and spoke. "I don't know where the sailor could've taken her, love. I guess we could find a way to track them down, and—"

"No." he interrupted her. "I'm not speaking of Johanna. She's gone. I'll never see her again."

"You don't know that love, we may see her again one day." Nellie smiled turning her attention back to the bag.

He sneered growing ever more frustrated. He yanked the bag away from her, tossing it into the sand. "Love. Why did you—?" he grabbed her wrists roughly, forcing her to pay attention to him.

"There's something I want done and I'll need the help of a… of a woman." He looked into her eyes, sternly. "I figured you'd be willing, but if you decline or if you are not… able, I'll have to find another woman. Even though I greatly don't want to…"

Nellie's brows furrowed with her frown. "I don't know what you're talking about dear."

Sweeney stared at her in disbelief for a moment. "Please don't make me spell out." he held her hands, looked into her eyes. "I want my daughter back." He stared at her, hoping she'll figure it out if he kept staring. Finally, her confused expression faded into shock, her mouth forming a round "Oh" as his words hit her.

She pulled her hands from his, "What? You're barking! You want to… with me?" she pointed to herself. He cocked his brows proving that he wasn't joking.

"So you accept?"

"Hold on," she shook her hands frantically. "You want me to give you a child?

"A daughter."

"Why?"

Sweeney sighed, glancing towards the sea he told her what Johanna had said to him that night on Fleet Street. "I didn't think you'd ever want a family again." Nellie said to him.

He twirled a blade of grass in his fingers, "I didn't think I did either." He met her eyes once again, "What do you think? Since you'll be involved."

She leaned back, pressing her hands into the sand, looking up at the clouds. "Personally, I'd love to." She looked back at him. "I've always wanted a child of my own. Albert had trouble… giving me one. Would we start… now?" She cocked her bows at him. She seemed a bit worried, scared even.

Sweeney shook his head. "No, whenever you'd like. It doesn't have to be now. It could be a couple years." She straightened herself back up. "You accept my offer?"

"May I make a demand?" she said causing him to sigh. Typical woman. He gestured for her to continue. "I want a wedding. A proper one."

"Fine." He said. He stood up, brushing sand off his pants. "Let's keep moving."

"Shall we seal this with a kiss?" she said pulling herself up.

"Don't make me regret this already." He teased.

"It's your plan." She pouted. He sighed and stepped towards her, pressing his lips against hers. It was filled with more passion than she thought it would be. He broke the kiss, walking away from her as she struggled to stay upright.

I'm turning into a fluff writer, apologies haha. I miss writing about chaos and misfortune.