Sweeney stared, squinting, at the sunset. The fiery red sun was almost below the horizon, but its rays still painted glorious hues of pink and orange across the sky. It was easily the most beautiful thing Sweeney had seen this whole trip.
He glanced over at Mrs. Lovett, who was gazing dreamily at the sun's reflection on the water while absentmindedly stroking a sleeping Toby's head. She looked at Sweeney and smiled. "'Ello, love. It's beautiful, ain't it?"
He nodded. "Very."
Together the two watched the sun slowly sink down, taking with it the vibrant colors that had painted the sky and leaving behind a velvet blackness. Mrs. Lovett smiled again when she saw the first star appear. "Tha's Sirius, you know, Mr. T, the dog star. Been me favorite since I was a little girl."
Sweeney nodded mutely. Slowly the other stars began to appear, forming constellations as they came, Orion, Draco, Cassiopeia- he knew them all by name. He suddenly felt the need to teach Mrs. Lovett.
"Mrs. Lovett?"
"Hmm?"
"Look at that star you like, Sirius. Now look just above and to the right…there, what I'm pointing at. Do you see a man?"
"No, looks more like a drum."
"Yes, I know, but that's Orion, the hunter."
"Oh! I see… how's 'e supposed to be a man?"
"That's his belt, see?"
"Ooo…tha's lovely, Mr. T. Where'd you learn this?"
He shrugged. "Just…school, I guess. I honestly don't remember."
Mrs. Lovett fell backwards onto the checkered picnic blanket they'd been sitting on for the majority of the afternoon. "It's so pretty…an' big."
Sweeney flopped back, too. "It looks quite nice from here, with nothing blocking your view."
She nodded minutely. "Yes…it's like there's nothing else but you an' the sky."
Yawning, she rolled onto her side and murmured sleepily, "Mr. T, I'm feeling rather tired…"
She stopped. Sweeney pulled himself upright and watched a smile spread across her sleeping face. He had to admit, she really was quite pretty when she was so peaceful like this, when she wasn't worrying about him and Toby or running the pie shop or trying to keep everything neat and orderly. He watched as a single reddish-brown curl floated above her nose when she breathed. Catching it in his long, pale fingers, he gently tucked it behind her ear. She stirred, and he froze, but she simply smiled wider and lay still again.
Drawing his knees up to his chest, Sweeney sat staring at Mrs. Lovett and Toby. They were so happy, so glad to finally be a real family.
He chastised himself for forgetting his real family. Johanna. And Anthony now, of course. But how was he a part of two incomplete families. Sweeney thought about this for a moment when it hit him that maybe he was the connector, the one that kept everything together. He was Johanna's father, Toby's adopted sort-of-father, Anthony's father…
But was he only a father? What was he to Mrs. Lovett? A friend, a brother, simply a helper? Maybe he was no more than a nuisance. No, that couldn't be true; otherwise she'd never have that look in her eyes when she saw him.
Did he look like that when he saw her?
Watching Mrs. Lovett again, he couldn't help but wonder if he too looked like that. Of course, he had loved Lucy, but she was so long gone, so unfaithful, he knew he no longer felt that way. Who did he love now.
Sweeney puzzled over this for a moment before finally making up his mind. Gently he shook Mrs. Lovett's shoulder until, blinking blearily, she said sleepily, "Wot is it, love, wot's 'appening?"
Solemnly he said, "Mrs. Lovett, I do believe I love you."
A/N: Heh. You know you love me. :P Sorry for the uber long wait; it took me forever to figure out how to put this chapter into words. More soooooon!