Author's Note: Enjoy! I'm working on a couple of stories now so I'm going to need a lot of reviews if you'd like me to update quickly! Thanks for the wonderful reviews I've already gotten, I really appreciate the support! I'm glad you all like it hopefully this will keep you happy for awhile, because I have another Sweeny story I'm working on so check that out too! Sorry for the late update hopefully this will make up for it.
I don't own anything but Tiffany.
I walked into the dark room and let my eyes adjust to the depressing darkness. Mr. Todd was standing next to a broken mirror and looking at me as I pretended that I didn't notice his watchful eyes. I walked around the shaving chair and traced my fingers around the top of it delicately. He cleared his throat and I looked at him in the broken mirror. I shivered at the nonchalant gaze he was giving me.
"Mr. T? You needed to see me then?" I questioned trying not to let my inside nervousness come out in my composure that I was trying to hard to keep up.
"Would you like a drop of ale dear?" I shivered when he held up a bottle.
"So you've been drinking sir?" He was holding a razor blade I hadn't noticed in the mirror when he turned around.
"Aye, just a bit." He said coming towards me. He spun me around so I was sitting in the chair. He held the razor to my neck and I shivered.
"Mr. Todd?" Pirelli had walked in.
"Signor Pirelli! Good to see you." He said shaking his hand less than enthusiastically. I stood from the chair quickly.
"I don't believe we formally met Mrs...?"
"It's Miss. Miss Tiffany."
"You have a last name lass?"
"No sir."
"Todd you really should give her a last name." The child that I had seen on the stage and tried to stick up for was standing behind Pirelli nervously.
"Tiffany, keep the kid downstairs." Mr. Todd whispered as I held the young child's hand and brought him down to Mrs. Lovett's meat pie shop.
"Do you have a name dear?" I asked as he sat down.
"It's Tobias, but everybody calls me Toby mam."
"I'm Tiffany dear. And I do know a hungry young man when I see one. Can I help you to a meat pie?"
"Yes mam." I nodded and shuffled about placing a plate in front of him. I heard some stomping coming from above the shop and looked up. The kid, Toby, didn't really seem to care about the stomping around at first he was digging into those disgusting pies that Mrs. Lovett makes for the customers that avoid this place like it has got plague. Then the child looked up and raised his eye brows, apparently he felt the same uneasiness about letting Pirelli stand up alone in Mr. Todd's barber shop with sharp razors. I believe that Mr. Todd could take of himself; I was more worried about his well moral being. Suddenly I wondered if Mr. Todd is as innocent for the crime that sent him to Australia as he says he is.
"Maybe I should go up and check on Signor Pirelli?" Toby asked because he had already finished the pie I had fed him. Mrs. Lovett walked in with wide eyes.
"No love, how about we get you another one of my famous meat pies?" She said pushing him lightly by the shoulders just hard enough to sit him back in the booth.
"Yes mam, but how about I go check on Signor Pirelli first."
"No dear, he's fine I was just up there." My blood ran cold, was it that bad up there?
"Tiffany love. Get dear Toby another pie."
"Yes mam." I nodded and shuffled into the kitchen. I quickly set the plate down before shuffling out of the shop and up the stairs to Mr. T's barber shop.
I stood in the doorway expectantly. Sweeney was just standing there cleaning off a razor.
"How long till Pirelli gets back?"
"He won't be back." He said turning to face me.
"Mr. T you didn't!" I walked over wearily to the trunk and saw a mangled Pirelli's body covered with blood in it; I snapped it shut quickly in disgust that I didn't try to hide.
"You're barking mad!" I said after I breathed in quickly.
"Killing a man you only know of!"
"He recognized me from the old days, tried to black mail me…half my earnings."
"Oh! Well that's a different matter then. For a moment there I thought you lost your marbles." I creaked the trunk back open and opened his pocket.
"Poor bugger…oh well. Waist not and what not." I said slipping the purse with his coins and pounds into my top.
"Send up the kid."
"Mr. T! You know how I feel about him!" I was in a panic now.
"I said to send up the kid!" He practically hollered at me now and I shook in panic.
"I will not send a young kid up to be murdered." I yelled back up at him. He grabbed my wrists and breathed in my face.
"Send the kid up or I'll do it myself." He breathed angrily.
"Yes sir!" I yelled slamming the door on my way out.
I walked quickly into Mrs. Lovett's shop with tears welling my eyes. How could such a wonderful man, murder something so innocent?
"Kendall?" Mrs. Lovett asked expectantly.
"Toby, Mr. Todd would like to see you dear."
"Yes mam." He said walking past me.
"So you saw Pirelli's body too?"
"How could he do such a thing?" I was heart broken, obviously.
"His purse is sticking half out of the top of your dress."
"Oh, would you like half?"
"Yes dear." She said as I poured some pounds and coins into her hand. Tears slid down my cheeks when I heard the kid scream. I looked at the door and saw him, much to my surprise, coming back down.
"Mr. Todd says I can have some ale." He said cheerfully. Mrs. Lovett looked at me sadly.
"Of course darling."
An old man walked through the doors.
"Hello sir. Have you come for a pie?" I asked.
"No, where's Mr. Todd?" Who was this guy?
"Judge Turpin!" Sweeney had come down stairs.
"You know me?"
"Who in the world doesn't know the great Judge Turpn…? Come; come up stairs for a bit of a shave!" Sweeney said enthusiastically and I looked at his sleeve, it was drenched in blood. My eyes widened and he button up the coat's sleeve. I nodded in a way that I hoped signaled for him to be careful about that.
They walked out again leaving Mrs. Lovett, Tobias, and me in the shop. Mrs. Lovett was ladling fillings into pie crust again and I was ordered to wipe down the tables. She smiled at me lightly and I laughed when Toby ordered her to leave the ale on his table. My eye brows rose but I thought nothing of it, I saw younger girls in the asylum sleeping with men for ale. We stood in silence after these thoughts ran through my head for about five to ten minutes.
I jumped when somebody came barging in the door. It was a young man; he looked poor and as if he had been brutally beaten. He looked polite though, as sweet as a bird. Maybe a year or two younger than me. He stopped and gazed at me for a second and I just smiled.
"Can we help you dear? Would you like a pie sir?" Mrs. Lovett broke our trance. I snapped my eyes back to wiping down the tables. Toby was looking up at him, his blonde hair sliding a bit on his head. I raised my eyebrows but ignored it, probably just my imagination.
"Excuse me mam for interrupting, I hope I'm not being a bother."
"Oh, no dear. What can we getcha for?"
"Where's Mr. Todd?" Mrs. Lovett seemed confused.
"You're a few hairs short of needing a shave dear…"
"I need to see him!" Mrs. Lovett looked at me probably wondering if Sweeney was done with the Judge yet.
"How about a pie…then we'll send you in for Mr. Todd."
"Where is he?"
"Who Mr. Todd? He's right up stairs." Toby said, coming out of the trance of eating his pie.
"Thanks young sir."
"Wait!" I said following the young man up the stairs, he could walk a bit faster than me…I was in a dress after all.
"Excuse me Miss but I can find it from here." He said politely trying to shake me off stopping half way up the stairs.
"Please sir you do not want to go in there..." I said as he turned around. He held onto my bare shoulders and I shivered, although the young man was younger than me he was rather handsome, and I did look to be younger than him. He was tall and I was quite short. He gave me a peck on the lips rather quickly and to my shock I hardly noticed.
"Alright then, you'll just have to come with me the." He said continuing his adventure up the stairs. I attempted to grab onto his arm but he continued to be faster than me. He snapped the door open, and Judge Turpin raised his eyebrows at us. He was sitting in the shaving chair with white lotion on half of his face. Mr. Todd had the razor on his neck as if he was just about to kill the unsuspecting man.
"Mr. Todd she said yes! She threw me down a key! Johanna's going to come with me…!" He trailed off after his sudden outburst and the judge stood up wiping his face.
"You planned with the kid! How dare you! You can consider this customer lost! As for you…!" Judge Turpin said pointing in each of our faces in turns.
"Don't you touch him!" I screamed when he held his in the air as if ready to swipe the teen.
"I think you forget your place madam." I curtsied.
"Sorry my lord. But you must understand this is Mr. Todd's sister's step-brother- in-law's cousin…twice removed, and he's a little loose up in the head if you catch my drift." He nodded.
"I'm sorry Todd but I must be going. And you madam! The Beadle tells me this is not the first time you have acted out in Mr. Todd's presence I can't imagine what she is like when you're not around! The fact that he is loopy up in the head still does not excuse his plans to elope with my daughter!" He slammed the door on his way out.
"Mr. Todd I'm sorry but...you have to help me…Mr. Todd please. Reconsider my offer! I'll be in your debt forever…"
"Out!"
"That would be fine dear." I answered the young man.
"It's Tiffany by the way."
"Anthony." He kissed my hand gently.
"Bring her by later this week or whenever it is dear."
"She'll be here for an hour at most."
"Fine!" Mr. Todd screamed and Anthony scurried out, but Sweeney was still steaming.