Lucy sat forlornly gazing out the window, as she had done every day since her husband's arrest. The evening was cloudy and gray, and so there was nothing to look at, not really, but she looked anyway.

Johanna was sitting on her lap, cooing good-naturedly, her happy smile proving that she was completely oblivious to the cruelty of the world.

As Lucy watched the people mulling about on Fleet Street, Johanna began to play with her necklace. "Oh! Johanna, darling, what are you doing with my necklace?"

Johanna giggled happily as her tiny fingers stroked the beautiful bauble. Lucy reached one hand over her neck and pulled the necklace over her head.

"Here," she said sweetly. "Play with it. But be gentle. This is mommy's precious, precious thing."

Johanna giggled as she played with the chain and the bauble.

They sat there for a while, Lucy watching Johanna but thinking about Benjamin. She missed him so completely and utterly that it felt like there was a hole in her chest where her heart should have been. She knew he would never return—he was to be in Australia for life.

She hated Judge Turpin for what he had done, though hating wasn't in her nature. It was true that he had been kind to her ever since Benjamin had been shipped off, but he had offered no explanation for the sentence and so she could not forgive him.

He hadn't even properly apologized.

A knock on the door interrupted Lucy's reverie.

"Mrs. Barker?" The voice of Mrs. Lovett could be heard from the other side of the door.

"Come in," Lucy called. She was glad to have some company. She liked Mrs. Lovett very much.

Mrs. Lovett came in looking weary and suspicious. Her hair was in disarray as usual, her dress covered in flour. "The Beadle's downstairs." She said, contempt in her voice.

Lucy sighed heavily. "What does he want?"

Mrs. Lovett frowned. "You. Apparently the "honorable"—"he voice was sarcastic, ironic—"Judge Turpin has got something to say to you regarding Mr. Barker."

Lucy was surprised. She had only just been thinking about an apology from the Judge and now he was offering one? Or maybe it wasn't an apology. Maybe he was calling her to tell her that Benjamin was coming home…she could only hope.

"Mrs. Lovett, would you stay with Johanna?" She asked.

Mrs. Lovett looked shocked and angry. "You're going to go with him?" she asked incredulously.

Lucy nodded. "He might need to tell me something important," she said simply.

Lucy stood up, thrusting Johanna into Mrs. Lovett's arms. "Mrs. Barker…no, Lucy…you can't go with him. Who knows what that perverted old Judge'll do to you in that house of his…"

Lucy frowned at her. "I'm not worried about that," she said firmly.

Mrs. Lovett opened her mouth to say something else but Lucy held up a hand, silencing her. "Johanna, you be good for Mrs. Lovett, alright?" Johanna giggled as her mother kissed her.

Mrs. Lovett watched them sadly.

"Thank you," Lucy said seriously to Mrs. Lovett, who merely sighed.

Lucy left, not thinking about how she had left her necklace behind. Benjamin himself was more important than what he had left behind.

"Fool," Mrs. Lovett whispered to her retreating figure. "Poor, naïve fool. Well…c'mon, dearie. Let's go downstairs and get you some nice warm milk, huh?"

Johanna cooed happily at the promise of warm milk.

Mrs. Lovett held Johanna so that she was peering over her shoulder. As they began to leave the barbershop, Johanna's tiny hands dropped the necklace.

It bounced across the floor before landing heavily in the corner.