Author's Note: THANK YOU!!! Thanks to the awesome reviews this is my longest chapter yet, more than 3,000 words!!! Keep up the reviews and the chapters will come more regularly and hopefully can be just as long.

Thanks to: Angels-heart1, BeBopALula, PessimistWhoIsOptimistic, HadleyConlon, XxJonah-is-SexyxX, and my-forgotten-rose

Double thanks to: linalove, and ThePurpleness (as in my mini tirade in the last chapter I forgot to thank you)

And amazing thanks to: MidnaLovesLinktotheendoftime, who reviewed each chapter.

You guys rock! Enjoy!

I mean no religious offense to anyone when Sweeney rants!

lyrics:
bold - sweeney
underlined - linnet
italics underlined - lovett

Do not look back on the past, for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it is yet to come. Live in the present, and make it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering.

~ Unknown

Linnet coughed as she cleaned out yet another dusty rag from her long day of cleaning. She had been cleaning for hours and her room looked no better for ware than before, let alone the shop. At this rate, she thought, it'll be a while before I can open for business again. She sighed and wiped her brow of sweat before sitting herself at a table she had finally managed to wipe and scrub clean. Eighteen years worth of dust and dirt, how in the world is one woman supposed to clean it all? She thought. She leaned back slightly, resting her head on her shoulders and gently closed her eyes for a quick five minute rest before she got back to work.

Twenty minutes later, Sweeney Todd walked quietly through the door of her shop to find Linnet sleeping atop her folded arms on the table. He noticed a slight improvement over the rest of the shop in small places and realized she had probably been at it non-stop since they arrived. A minuscule smile secretively made its way to his face as he looked at her face in sleep. Despite years of hardship and having had her soul torn to shreds because of that foul man, Linnet was still a picture of beauty to him.

Though her hair was now a single shade of earthy brown and no longer held that certain sheen, it still fell softly about her face as she slept. He clenched his fingers in an effort to keep them by his side instead of reaching out and running them through her tresses as he wished. Her face, though paler than before and now slightly more defined having lost weight, was at peace as she slept and seemed to glow with the little light streaming through the filthy windows.

Sweeney sat across from her at the table as he regarded his friend. He closed his eyes and remembered a time where Benjamin Barker thought himself in love with her. She was strong while at the same time vulnerable, she was uniquely beautiful in a way not many women could posses; it was as if her imperfections made her perfect, she knew when to stand her ground and when she was in over her head and she always had the ability to brighten up Benjamin's day no matter how much went wrong. The more time he spent with her, the more certain Benjamin was that Linnet was the woman for him. Still though, something felt slightly wrong. Something stopped him, every time he tried to bring up the subject of courtship, from speaking.

Then one day Benjamin saw a vision walking delicately and ever so gracefully down the street with a parasol over her shoulder. He was convinced that it was none other than love at first sight. This was the reason he felt some other force stopping him from speaking up about his supposed feelings towards his friend. The fates had created an angel for him. A woman perfect in every way. He knew she was to be his. She was beautiful and kind and he somehow knew that Linnet would approve of her as well. And approve she did. Linnet was nothing but supportive and even helped move things along when poor, naïve Benjamin knew not what to do to keep hold of his love's heart. More than I could ever say for that blasted Lovett. Sweeney scoffed. Benjamin was well aware of young Nellie's wandering eyes even after she was wed, and he was none too pleased about it; but as Nellie had never acted upon such foolish desires he had let it be.

Now Benjamin was gone, or trapped, deep within the very core of the man called Sweeney Todd. Nellie still pined after him, though now she was much more bold as neither one was attached. Or so she believed. Benjamin would always belong to Lucy. And Sweeney belonged to Benjamin's wrath. So who was it that Nellie so pined for?

Sweeney sighed as he remembered the reason for coming to his friend's home. His Lucy was forever gone to him now. No, not him. Benjamin. Benjamin would never have Lucy again...but he was Sweeney now right? He was more confused than he could ever remember being.

"Netty?" He whispered, attempting to judge just how deep into sleep she had fallen. When she slightly stirred and then fell back into the crook of her arm he chuckled slightly. She seemed much like a small child. He shook his head and decided his problems could wait until morning. He stood and moved around to pick her up gently and take her to where he assumed was her bedroom. He placed her down on the spotless bed, obviously she had tackled this first knowing it would take more than one day to clean everything, and gently placed the covers around her. "Goodnight Nets." He whispered before heading back to his own home. Or what was his home.

The next morning when Linnet awoke in her bed she was much confused, she could have sworn she fell asleep at the table and the small kink in her neck only helped to convince her of the same. She stood and walked to the front of the shop and the first thing to catch her eye was something small and glinting in the faint light. As she walked towards it and picked it up she realized it was the key to the front door. Someone had locked her door and slipped the key back through the mail slot. And she had a sneaking suspicion as to who.

Smiling at her friend's care of her she went back to her room and readied herself for a new day. Antony had obviously not come back as of yet, probably choosing to stay at a local keep rather than coming home to mother. Taking a small purse with just enough to buy some groceries to last a few days, she left the house to be the first in line. It wouldn't do to show up late and have the pick of the soggy vegetables and the bruised fruit. Thankfully, unlike most in London, she did not require meat as a part of her daily diet. She considered that more of a luxury.

Once she had acquired two full paper sacks, she walked back to Fleet Street and up to Benjamin's old shop where she assumed Sweeney had taken up residence. As she walked in she saw him standing by the far side window, his arms crossed as he stared at her. He must have been looking out the window and seen her walking down the street. "Morning Sweeney, how are you today?" She asked warmly. She received only a shrug in return. "Well, would you like to come over for a spot of breakfast? Nellie most likely won't be up for another half hour and this way I can thank you for taking such good care of me last night."

At these words Sweeney's uncaring demeanor slipped slightly and Linnet could have sworn she had seen the faintest blush bepaint his cheeks as he nodded and followed her out the door. Once back to her shop, Linnet began making a simple breakfast porridge with the essentials she had cleaned the day before. She had tackled all of the daily things first such as her bed, the stove, some kitchen utensils, and most of the bathroom, before setting to the rest of the place in a more organized manner.

While she stirred the meal, she and Sweeney attempted a conversation as she and Benjamin used to. This proved to be much more difficult than Linnet had thought.

In fact she was fairly certain it was easier for her to train Antony to use the loo like a big boy than it was to get Sweeney to act like Benjamin once more. Never the less, she tried...and failed miserably. It was only then that an idea floated through her mind.

"Sweeney?" She asked.

"Hmm?" He answered, barely looking up from his bowl once she had served it.

"What was it you came by for yesterday?" She asked, blowing on a spoonful before slipping it into her mouth.

"Netty..." Sweeney sighed and put down his spoon before standing and moving to one of the windows she had cleaned for some light, "Benjamin is gone. There is no use trying to bring him back. Now that his Lucy is no more, he has no reason to stay."

"Oh Sweeney I'm so sorry. What did that other man do?" She asked going to stand by him but upon seeing his face, twisted in such a dark manner, she realized touching him, even in comfort, would be a mistake at this point. "And who was it that did it?"

"A man who is supposed to look after London. A man who is supposed to support the poor and work for the people instead of his own selfish desires. A man so sick, twisted, and impossibly deceitful, he stopped at nothing to forcibly take my wife in the middle of a room filled with laughing bastards, mocking the poor thing, thinking she was nothing more than a common whore!" He spat, "He forced her to the apothecary where she swallowed the arsenic that ended her misery. If only it were that easy for me." He hung his head so as to hide his sorrow and blink the tears away, "He stole my daughter, raised her to make her believe her parents are both dead and left her to him. I shudder to think what he could have done to her in those many years I was gone."

"Couldn't Nellie have done anything to stop it?" Linnet asked, "Surely you entitled a godmother for the poor babe."

"Lucy would appoint no one but you." He sighed, "She said to name anyone else would be an insult to the friendship the three of us had shared. And with no guardians otherwise appointed, it became his job to see to it that every citizen was taken care of." Sweeney spoke mockingly, as if spitting on the very memory of the man in question, "Of course poor Nellie was a woman living on her own earnings what with Albert having died so mysteriously and with the economy fading as it was, Turpin decided it was his job to look after the dear orphan."

"Turpin?" Linnet gasped, "As in Judge Turpin? Why that's positively evil!"

"Yes well, that's him. He is the cause of all of my problems."

"Sweeney," She whispered, placing a soft hand on his shoulder as her face shone with only concern, "what will you do now?"

"Revenge." He growled, "I will get revenge for all that man has done to me."

"Then I'll help you." Linnet replied without hesitation, "And don't you dare try to say otherwise Sweeney Todd."

"Or you'll what? Feed me to death?" Sweeney asked sarcastically, cocking a brow at her.

"If I have to." She chuckled as Sweeney's face immediately deadpanned and promptly contorted in confusion.

"What?" He asked.

"I don't know you said it." She smirked.

"Woman, you are not getting involved in this and that's final." He snapped.

"It's positively adorable how you still seem to think I listen to you." She smiled and turned to clean up the dishes, "Besides. What kind of a friend would I be if I left you to your own devices? I'll tell you not a very good one." Sweeney opened his mouth to protest but before he could utter the smallest sound she continued, "Exactly, you see my point. Besides that I feel terribly guilty about not informing you of my leaving before I did and you wouldn't want me to suffer a guilty concious for the rest of my life would you?" Here Sweeney attempted a rebuttal once more only to be cut off yet again, "No you would not, I'm glad you understand my plight Mr. Todd and now I really must get back to my cleaning so unless you intend to help I must insist that you return to your shop and think about what I've said."

"Bloody hell woman alright you can help! Jesus Christ you're worse than you were eighteen years ago! You'd think a woman would mellow down with age!"

"Did you just call me old?" Linnet snapped, glaring daggers as she placed her hands on her hips.

"What?" Sweeney's face seemed to pale even more so and he looked truly panicked. He recalled when Benjamin...poor, stupid Benjamin, had accidentally made the mistake of pointing out his wife's weight gain during the course of her pregnancy one night. That had not been a good night for the lad. "Um, no, no, not at all, I would never...um. Why don't I help you with the tables hmm?" He attempted damage control.

Linnet, keeping her eyes glaring at him with one hand still firmly on her hip, grabbed a rag off of the counter and threw it straight into his chest. Sweeney breathed a sigh of relief as she turned her back to him, seemingly forgiving his verbal blunder. After working for a good portion of the morning and having lunch together. Sweeney decided he had more than earned not only forgiveness for his slip-up but hopefully a bit of help in return, making his own establishment suitable enough for reopening.

Lovett was a terrible housekeeper.

Linnet agreed, with a hidden laughter in her eyes and accompanied Sweeney back to his own home. The days following went much the same. Sweeney would join her in the morning and afternoon for breakfast and lunch, helping her to clean in between, after which Linnet would join him in cleaning and suffer through dinner with him and Lovett who, much to nobody's surprise, had not improved much with her cooking skills. Soon, both of their establishments were ready for reopening.

Thursday morning rolled around and Linnet woke up bright and early to hit the market, hoping to stock enough food to last the first week of her reopening and perhaps spread the word that she was back. She also needed to pick up a small something for Sweeney. Benjamin's birthday was coming around the corner and though the man was supposedly dead, she hoped Sweeney would still appreciate the thought.

She reached between her mattress and box spring and took out a small brass key. She then opened up a floorboard from inside her small closet and pulled out a small jewelry box. Removing ten pounds from her old profits, she replaced everything and headed out the door, locking it tightly.

She had arrived at the market slightly earlier than she had intended and thus most of the produce shops were still in the process of opening for business so instead she decided to shop for Benjamin first. Although she was careful to refer to him as Sweeney out loud, in her mind she always recognized her friend for who he was.

A few hours later, she was laden down with four heavy cloth bags and one smaller paper bag. As she was walking towards her home to relieve her arms, she noticed Sweeney and Nellie walking towards a stage set up on the side of one of the larger streets. She moved to join them just as a young lad came out from behind the curtains, belting out some monstrosity of a song in dedication to some man named Pirelli who had miraculously created an elixir of hair growth.

"Load of bullocks if you ask me." She muttered to Sweeney who nodded in agreement before singing, "Pardon me ma'am what's that awful stench?"

"Are we standing near an open trench?" Nellie supplied.

"Must be standing near an open trench." Sweeney agreed. The boy sang louder attempting to drown out the critique.

"What is this?" Sweeney asked handing the bottle over to Lovett before looking at Linnet and smirking as he announced, "Smells like piss."

"Smells like ew!!"

"Wouldn't touch it if I was you dear." Linnet added, joining in on the fun.

"This is piss, piss wiv ink."

The boy attempted to hush the rumours but Sweeney would see none of it. "Let Pirelli's activate your roots sir."

"Keep it off your boots sir, eats right through."

"Yes, get Pirelli's, use a bottle of it, ladies seem to love it!"

"Flies do too!" Linnet added just as a rather flamboyant man burst from the curtains screaming his own praises. He demanded to know the origin of the obscene rumours regarding his elixir and Sweeney hesitated.

Linnet pushed the paper bag into his hand and hissed, "Open it and question me later now get up there and reveal yourself."

"I do!" He declared, placing the bag within his coat, "I am Mr. Sweeney Todd of Fleet street. I have opened a bottle of Pirelli's elixir and I say to you, that it is nothing but an arrant fraud, concocted from piss and ink. Furthermore signor, I've serviced no kings, yet I wager that I can shave a cheek with ten times more dexterity, than any street mountebank." He paused to allow the crowd to digest his words as he pulled out his prized possessions, "You see these razors? I lay them against five pound. You are no match sir." Pirelli bent to look at the silver blades tucked into a beautifully handcrafted handle and he seemed to smirk as Sweeney continued, "Either accept my challenge, or reveal yourself a sham."

"You hear this foolish man?" Pirelli smiled, "Now please you will see how he will-a regret-a his-a folly!" Pirelli flung his flashy cloak and screamed, "Toby!"

"Who's for a free shave?" Sweeney asked as all of the men who had not been scared off by the smell or Sweeney's proclamation eagerly raised their hands. He took off his coat, handing it to Mrs. Lovett while taking out the paper bag Linnet had given him, "Will Beadle Bamford be the judge?"

"Glad as always to oblige my friends and neighbors." He cracked an oily grin as he joined the four men and boy on stage. Sweeney reached into the rounded paper bag and his eyes widened slightly in surprise at seeing the new sterling silver handled soft brush in a shaving cream pot that matched his beloved razors. "The fastest, smoothest shave, is the winner!" He bellowed before blowing sharply on the whistle conveniently around his neck.

Pirelli extravagantly sang his praises while roughly sharpening his blade and lathering a man's face. Meanwhile, Sweeney lavishly stropped his blade and pampered the man he was charged with. On Pirelli's final note, suspended almost painfully in an octave no genuine male should be able to achieve, Sweeney quickly shaved the man's face. Linnet smiled as Beadle announced him the winner. She went to congratulate him but something caught her eye. She turned to see what and stopped dead in her tracks.

It was him.