Authors Note: Dont' judge me. HAHA. Okay, so this kind of came out of nowhere. It maybe a bit a confusing, but I think that you can most definelty figure it out. It's a mild Todd/Lovett towards he end, as most of my stories are, and very Ben/Nellie, because I see that a lotta people like that.
If you read my last story WINE TASTING you'd notice that I like the aspect of Wine, and the name Abigale...erg which I don't use in this story, but I thought I'd mention. Yeah, I think wine can give an interesting story, and so can Ben and Nellie so here we go...
PLEASE REVIEW I'D BE SO HAPPY!
Stories Dedicated to: SamanthaSavvy, BabyBluewinx and of course Todd666!!
Disclaimer: Um Sweeney Todd's not mine.
Story: The plot's mine!! Yay! Let's celebrate.
Piece of Heaven
The bustling city of London came to a halt on the very, very, outskirts of town. The quiet, peacefulness there was almost haunting.
The ghost of the past, the vermin of the present and the shadow of the future.
The sunny streets filled with today's shoppers, and yesterday's news. This morning's gossip and tonight's parties to attend.
The children skipped blissfully down the street, indirect, free, but on their own will strong. The smiles, the laughter that filled the air.
The aroma of the sea near by filled the air, but not enough to smell the fish from the dock.
The rich and wealthy buzzing in and out of the small, respected wine shop on the corner of the block.
The warm welcoming wooden steps and bottles that only the richest and could afford were displayed in the windows.
An old man dressed rather nicely walked around with a broom, placing it in the corner.
He checked his pocket watch, as he raised an eyebrow, looking out the windows of the shop.
The man tapped his shoe on the floor, and checked his pocket watch again, obviously proving to be extremely impatient.
As he turned around, a girl swooped in. Her midnight blue dress trailing around her. Looking maybe fourteen or fifteen, she gave the man a priceless smile.
"L-a-t-e, late." He old impatient man looked over at her. "Thank you, Mr. Payne for the spelling lesson." She said sarcastically.
"Do you want to get that pretty little dress of yours covered in stains?" He questioned, eyeing the beautiful blue fabric.
The girl shook her head. He tossed her an apron. She looked at it, examining it, before tossing it back. "Blue, white and brown?" She asked.
He rolled his eyes up to his ceiling. She shrugged and took on of the layers on the outside of her dress and tied a huge bow in the back, making it look like a very cute little apron.
The man rolled his eyes again. "Dear, those aren't work clothes." He tried again. The girl shrugged, tossing her auburn hair over her shoulder. "Can I do wine cellar today?" She asked hopefully. She nervously twisted the apron in her hands. "Eleanor Thompson, girls aren't supposed to go down there
And you darn well know it! It spoils the wine." The man scolded.
"Who says you don't already spoil it." The girl murmured, under her breath. "Excuse me?" The elderly man leaned over to face her. "Nothing." She quickly covered. 'Humph.' She thought to herself. 'If only you knew that I was the stupid run away girl from the Sweits, you would treat me like royalty." She stalked over to the broom, picked it up and began sweeping the floor, determined to get rid of any little partial of dust.
For Nellie Thompson was the cover up name for Eleanor Sweits. She had run away from her parents when she had discovered them talking to her Uncle Alexander. Her life had been simple up to then. She was 'adopted' in to the Sweit's family at the age of six months. According to their story,
Her parents had died in a terrible fire. Her parents, William and Susan Sweit, spoiled her like crazy.
She had all the friends she used to have, who kept her secret like they kept the world's most precious jewel. Swearing that they were never going to say a word to anybody about whom she really was and that her secret was safe with them. But now, it was different. She had been in the hall the other month, and her parents were in the parlor with her Uncle Alexander Turpin, and they were talking about her.
Leaning in to hear snippets of their conversation, she discovered that in order to get a child of their own, the Sweit's had asked their good friend Alexander Turpin to find an orphan. Instead of finding an orphan, he picked out the prettiest baby, and poisoned her parents so that they both died. Claiming they died from cases of cholera, he let the Sweit's adopt little Nellie.
Her parents didn't know this, but when the found out, they said nothing but "oh well, things must happen one way or another." Upset and angry, Nellie changed her last name, and ran from home. She planned to get revenge on the stupid Judge Turpin, and she had her way of getting it. Besides, every rich man goes wine tasting some time or another.
"Eleanor!" The scratchy voice of Mr. Payne woke her from her thoughts. "Would you escort these men down to the seller, they'd like to do a formal tasting." He pointed to the large excuses for men standing at the door, laughing humbly at the fact that a little girl was going to tour them.
She nodded briefly and set the broom down in the spotless corners, and whipped her hands off.
She waved politely for the large men to follow. The continued to laugh as they followed her down to the cellar. She switched on a dim gas light to reveal well swept flour, and the shelves of wine. The deep scent of alcohol hovered in the air above their heads. The portly men followed in a charmed manor.
The group made their way down the stairs as Nellie offered them different types.
She stood at the stairwell, ready to lead all the men back upstairs. But instead one took a step closer, "it'd be rather enchanting if you took that dress off." He said, with a smirk. Another took the same step forward, and said "if she took it all off." The other's laughed.
"A pretty one she is." The one in the corner observed. Still, she wasn't the least bit flattered; rather offended by these disgusting fools taking interest in her.
She walked over to a small corner. "You know, I forgot to mention, we have a very special collection of wines from all over the world, but Mr. Payne upstairs don't let me show 'em to the people. But I think because you've flattered me so much, you deserve a little taste of the queen's wine." She used her most charming voice, and even batted her eyelashes.
"Really?" One of the plump men with pudgy fingers asked. "Oh yes, only the finest wine for the finest men." She put extra emphasis on the word 'finest'. Reluctantly, the men followed her into a small room, indeed stalked with wines. She seemed to search for a bit, before presenting them each a little bit of the reddish liquid swishing around in the cup. The raised the glasses all took a sip at the same time.
By the time they had taken a sip, Nellie's charm had turned into an evil grin. "Fat, ugly, rich and snobby. You think you're too good for everybody? Humph, a street beggar's too good for yah. Burn in hell." She made her face, as they all dropped to the floor at the poisonous drink. She proceeded to pitch each of the bodies onto a cool room accessed through the private wine cellar.
Indeed poisonous wine was Nellie's way she hoped would get the judge killed. She killed random men that she thought were unfit the live as a practice, and sold their bodies to private doctors, who needed raw materials to work with. They paid her a decent amount, and managed to keep her secret, as well as becoming some of the most successful doctors in all of England.
To her it was a win-win situation, and it would be even better when one day the judge sauntered into the wine cellar looking for a taste of the queen's wine, and ended up the newest science experiment. She smirked, as she brushed her hands of exiting the cellar. "Did the men leave, Eleanor?" Mr. Payne's gruff voice asked. "Yes, I showed them through the back, the easiest access to the market, sir." She said faking a smile.
"Good girl." He ruffled her curls, before returning to consulting another portly customer. She stepped outside the shop, untying the little apron she had created for herself. "Nellie." She looked up at the sound of her name, but didn't see where it was coming from, so she just kept walking. "Nellie!" The voice shouted for her again. She turned around and there stood a grinning Benjamin Barker.
"Benny." She stated. Her face breaking into a cheesy smile. "You smell like wine." He commented. "That's what you get for working in a wine cellar, love." She teased. "I was thinking...park...walk?" He shrugged his shoulders. "You talk in fragments when you're afraid somebody's gunna say no." She teased some more. "Do not!" He argued. "Do too!" She shouted. "Not!" "Too!" "You do, Benny." An out of the duo voice shouted.
A blonde appeared, clutching a book to her chest. "See, she agrees." Nellie nods, linking arms with the blond. "Humph, you always take her side Luce!" He said frustrated. "What, no I don't. It's just what she says is normally true and your just denying it. Like you pace when you're frustrated." She randomly thought up an example. "I thought I'd give you your present early, Nell, I'm going up to Scotland next week, so I can't be here for your birthday. But I promise we'll have the best time when I get back, kay?" She asked, giving her friend a kiss on both cheeks and handing her a wrapped package.
"Bye!" Nellie shouted after her friend, waving. "Humph." Benny drops his shoulders. Nellie gives him a peck on the cheek and links arms with him. They were the ultimate trio. But them again, trio's never work, somebody always gets left out. The walk in the park was definably nice. The summer air, the rich little kids and rich middle aged people and rich old people. Nice indeed.
"What's in the wrapping?" Benny asked, reaching over the hold the present that Lucy had present Nellie. "Dunno, genius, haven't opened it yet." She laughed sarcastically. "Well, genius, why don't you open it!" He urged her to unwrap the delicate gold wrapping. She slowly tore open the beautiful wrapping to reveal a velvet cover the same color as her dress.
"Oh..." Her mouth hung open as she flipped through pages, already filled with photographs. "Nellie and Lucy (and Benjamin)'s Book of Memories." Gold lettering on the inside cover read, with Benny's name in parentheses. You would think he'd be angry with this, but instead he laughed. Fingering carefully to see random photograph's of the three of them doing something rather ridiculous.
Lucy had chosen the most hilarious photos to put into the little book. The ones where they were pulling each other's hair, or attacking Benny or kissing Benny's cheeks, with Benny looking very awkward. The last one was the only serious one...well let's say close to serious. The sat there in the overgrown wheat grass laughing until they were on the floor about something, with Benny kneeling there looking down at the them, trying to hold back a laugh and remain in the world of sanity, though it was rather hard being around the two of them.
"It's so sweet." She smiled, and leaned on him. "My bestests friends." She laughed as she gave him another peck on the cheek. Noticing the sun beginning to set, she ran off, waving a goodbye to Benny. She didn't really have anywhere to go. She'd run until an old woman would show some sympathy for such a beautiful young girl with no home and nobody to love her. But recently, she'd been staying with Lucy's family.
But now that they were on vacation where would she go? She walked up and down the streets until she decided to see if Benny's family would be willing to take her in if only just for the night. She wiped the sweat off her palms as she knocked on the door of the Barker family. The house maid opened the door just a crack and asked, "Who is it?" Nellie peaked into the hallway, "its Eleanor. Eleanor Thompson." She told the maid.
The maid began to close the door. "We don't know an Eleanor Thompson; we do know a Nellie Sweits who looks a lot like you..." She furrowed her brow, trying to read through Nellie. "Could you please get Mrs. Barker?" She asked, bouncing lightly on the tips of her toes, picking up her small suitcase. As if one cue, Mrs. Barker descended down the stairs in a white gown. "Hilda, who is it?" She questioned the maid.
"A young lady named Eleanor Thompson." Mrs. Barker made a face at the name, probably trying to comprehend if she'd heard it before if she knew the girl standing at the door. Nellie peaked into the house a little more, mouthing 'Nellie' over and over again to Mrs. Barker, until she finally got it. "Yes, let her in Hilda." She ordered. Hilda let the girl in, and planned to guide her to the east parlor.
"No thank you, Hilda, I know where it is." She made a motion for Hilda to trail behind her. "For a girl who's never been here before, she seems to know this house well." Hilda mumbled under her breath, hoping that the girl hadn't heard. "What was that Hilda?" Nellie asked. "Nothing Miss. Sw--Thompson." she changed the name mid sentence, seriously confused now on exactly who this was entering their house so blissfully.
Once entering the east parlor, a small fire blazed in the fireplace, despite the fact that it was summer. "Nellie." Mrs. Barker tilts her head to the side. "Ello, Mrs. Barker." She presented the older woman with a crooked smile. "Oh, so old Hilda was right after all, this is Nellie Swiets." She boldly stated the comment for a housemaid. "Yes, but its Eleanor Thompson outside of the house. Your service is no longer required, you may leave." Mrs. Barker motioned for her to go.
"Yes, Madame." She said, lowering her head into a bow before walking out of the room. "Heard you were stayin' at Lucy's. What did they kick you out?" She said jokingly. She motioned for Nellie to sit down. Mrs. Barker had always been like an aunt to Nellie, next to Lucy's parents, who she simply called mum and dad. She sat down on the couch with lots of room. "Yes, I'm staying with Lucy, but they're on vacation...I was wondering..."She paused mid sentence, twitting her thumps nervously.
"If you could stay here until they get back?" Mr. Barker entered the room. Sitting himself down on the other side of Nellie. She simply nodded. "Nellie, no matter how many times you change your name, you're always welcome here, now kiddo, go upstairs, and find yourself a room." He gave Nellie a little push, helping her to her feet. She got up, and gave the Barker's both a hug, and thanked them, before taking her suitcase upstairs.
On the way up the stairs, she bumped into Benny. "Nellie! What are you doing here?" He asked her. "Staying with ya guys until Lucy gets back from Scotland." She moved around trying to get upstairs. "Oh." He simply said, before turning a bit red and continued to make his way down the stairs. Nellie giggled as she chose out a room to temporarily stay in.
The next several days blew by quickly. Only killing about six people, she sold the bodies easily, and tricked Mr. Payne by lying through her teeth, which she found with a little bit of effort and practice came easy, as the excuses came fast and simple, with nothing too detailed or elaborate. The day before Nellie's birthday, she had just completed a regular tasting, sending her customers out alive.
"Miss Thompson, there's a boy who goes by Barker here to see you, I'm sending him down." Mr. Payne's voice echoed through the staircase. Nellie closed her secret door, and stepped out into the light. "Hey, Benny." She greeted. "Nellie." He looked around the cellar. "Smells like wine." He observed. "It's a wine cellar, Benny." She tilted her head to the side. He blushed a bit.
"Yah wanna try some of England's finest wines free?" She asked. He nodded eagerly, as she poured him a bit of a random one. He tasted it and spat it out, leaving Nellie laughing. "Benny! People pay loads for just a couple sips of that!" She scolded jokingly. "Why? It's horrible!" He commented. She burst out laughing. "What's going on down there?" Mr. Payne's voice came from above. "Nothing! Just showing him around!" She shouted back up at him.
The door behind them started to open just enough to take a peak inside. But just a peak was enough, like Pandora's Box, a look too long and it could send you demons from hell. "Nellie, what's that?" He pointed to the room. "A wine cellar with the most specialist wines." He started to approach it. He noticed an empty glass sitting on the side, filled with the reddish purple dark liquid.
"I bet it's the best!" He lifted the cup to his lips, but Nellie knocked it out of his hands, shattering the glass. "What was that for?" He asked her. "Don't. It's poison. Don't drink that. All of it is poison." She warned him, not caring about the shattered glass. "Well the law should know about this! Mr. Payne, poisoning' people!" He made a bolt for the door, but Nellie held him back.
"Don't." She simply said. "Why?" He questioned her. "Because I would be the one to get hung." She bit her lower lip. "This is my way of getting back at the judge." She pushed the wine out of the way. "You did this?" He asked, taking a step back. "Don't worry Benny; I wouldn't ever hurt you or Lucy." She took a step closer. "Why?" He whispered. "Because, so many of these people are unfit to live!" She whisper shouted.
"Who says it's up to you who lives or dies?" He asks, making it more of a statement than a question. "Does Lucy know?" He changed the subject. Nellie nodded. "Nellie, it's not up to you who lives or dies." He said, forcefully. "And it wasn't up the judge who I was born into, now was it?" Her face began to fluster. He opened his mouth to speak, but was quickly interrupted by Nellie.
"It wasn't up to him who my parents where! He didn't get a say on when they died! But still he managed didn't he? If you were in my place you'd be doing the same thing, Benny! You'd kill because somebody took away the people you loved! You'd do it Benny!" She began to raise her voice a little, tearing up. Speechless, Benny leaned in and caught her lips, in the wine cellar, stepping on shattered glass, surrounded by death. He kissed her, right then and there, and made sure it felt right; they deserved their own little piece of heaven.
Fold here to hide present, unfold to reveal present.
--
Sweeney stood in the center of the same wine cellar, Mrs. Lovett near by. He touched the case of perfectly bottled poisons, dyed the color of wine so they would blend in easily. "I would..." He simply stated, touching each of the bottles carefully, before he felt her hand snatch them away. "What was that?" he asked, looking back at Mrs. Lovett.
"You know how you have you razors?" She pointed to his holster, "I have my poisons, just like your razors." She put the one she was holding carefully back into the case. "They're exotic." She touched each one, holding it up to the light, stepping over a little onto the shattered glass. "Rattlesnake venom." She held the clear bottle up to him; this one had not been dyed yet.
"I started with arsenic, but decided to have a little more fun...humph, the older judge never game. Alexander Turpin...and Alexander Turpin Jr., certainly followed in his fathers' footsteps." Mrs. Lovett mused, picking up another poison from her case. He reached over to grab the velvet covered photo album, and opened it, to reveal the last page again. The one of the three of them pretty much insane.
His mouth twitched before he set it back down. "You want to see my favorite one?" She asked him, picking up on in a clear vile with a gold cap. She untwisted it slowly to reveal the reddish liquid. "What is it?" he whispered quietly. "Champagne, rattlesnake poison, and several poisons from India." She held the bottle up into the light, and poured it into some wine.
He looked over at her, smiling slightly, catching her lips. "Our little piece of heaven." He breathed onto her. "Hell's so close, but heaven out of reach." She sighed. She poured herself a glass of wine that people paid so much for and poured it into a wine glass. Little did they know that heaven was closer than they thought? Perhaps they were sitting around it.
They each took a sip, and ended it, where it all started.