Author's note: There's no excuse. I know there's not. And I'm so terribly, absolutely sorry to have kept you all waiting SIX MONTHS! Long story short there was a lot of crap going on with me that wasn't completely figured out until I'd say about two months ago and then the muse was just gone. It's back though and to make up for my absence I hereby present you with TWO chapters! I hope I haven't lost any readers in the wait and I hope my deliverance of two chapters can somewhat make up for my disappearance? *hopeful puppy eyes* I'll send out the major thank-yous in the next chapter, for now I think you've waited long enough!

The silence is deafening as the sun breaks through and the thunder is made to conform, But it's only an illusion the clouds use to deceive, The calm before the storm.

~ Whiskurz (writers-network)

"Teach me." She whispered. The shocking words had barely passed her lips and the clatter of a razor hitting the ground met their ears.

Sweeney's eyes locked on hers and for a moment they stood in a pregnant silence. Linnet's gaze remained steady on his, her jaw set firmly, and Sweeney found what he needed to see. She would not budge this decision. She had to end the miserable life of Michael Reuben. After what seemed an eternity, Sweeney gave a solemn nod and removed her hand from his wrist. In a silent understanding the two began cleaning the remains of his last victim before beginning her first lesson.

Linnet stooped to the ground to pick up their fallen friend and cradled it gently. She picked up an edge of her skirts and began meticulously wiping the drops of blood away bit by bit as Sweeney haphazardly wiped down his barber chair. He looked upon her awestruck face as she caressed his friend and listened to the satisfactory hum of the blade in her grasp. The feeling of her understanding washed over him and he was loathe to pull her from her reverie. He was saved the task when Lovett burst through the door.

"Is that the last one then Mr. T?" She asked, choosing to ignore the dazed woman still stooped in the corner.

"Yes." He muttered in a trance of his own, his eyes were glued to Linnet and the way she embraced his friend, "Allow no one else up here tonight, my shop is closed."

"Alright then." She sighed, turning to leave.

"Oh and Mrs. Lovett?" His head raised as he looked at her for the first time, "Do not disturb us for anything." He said with an even gaze to be sure she understood. Nellie sucked in her breath and nodded once before cantering down the stairs.

'That woman is a menace!' She thought as she barged through the door of her home. She began pacing in fury around the room knowing Toby was passed out drunk somewhere and wouldn't notice her odd behavior. 'She's ruining everything! This was to be my chance! I lost to that damned perfect Lucy,' Nellie scoffed at the thought of the angelic woman, 'I'll be damned if I let history repeat itself and lose him again to another woman. HE. WILL. BE. MINE!' With this thought in mind, Nellie Lovett lay down in her bed, plotting the demise of Linnet Reynolds.

"Netty?" Sweeney asked, cautiously pulling her out of her daydream.

"Hmm?" She replied, finally tearing her eyes away from the now gleaming silver.

"Come here." He said as he sat on the barber chair himself, "Bring the wash basin and fill the crème pot as well." He leaned back in the chair and sighed in content as she confusedly prepared the things he'd asked, "Before you learn to use our friends, you must learn to manipulate them." He told her once she had finished and smirked as comprehension dawned on her.

She could not help the warmth that spread in her breast knowing he trusted her enough not only to use the word 'our' but to allow her to shave him as well. With a coy smile now gracing her lips she picked up the crème pot and brush and placed herself delicately on his lap, his hand resting on her legs off to one side, and she stroked the brush lavishly across his face and neck as his eyes held hers. Unconsciously, his hand clenched against her thigh as she put down the brush and picked up the smiling, silver razor.

She held his gaze for a moment longer, before dropping them to her hand clutching the razor in a fierce grip. Sweeney raised his hand to hers, "Not so tight love, cradle it as you were before, hold it gently and use your wrist. Manipulate our friend to do your bidding." He whispered. She breathed deeply, loosened her grip with the exhale of air, and with a steady hand, took the first stroke of his cheek.

Sweeney's eyes closed and his head gently fell back against the chair, exposing his face and neck to the candlelight. Linnet gently continued, stroking the blade against his face and washing away the lather in the basin, drying the blade against her skirt and repeating the process. She had shaved all but the front column of his throat but as she moved to stroke upwards, the feel of cold metal against his jugular caused him to swallow thickly; and the bob of his Adam's apple caused Linnet's hand to stutter in its movement and nick him enough for the smallest trickle of blood to appear.

She gasped as she saw it and stared in fascination for the briefest of pauses before lowering her lips to the wound and sealing it with the pressure of a kiss, licking the evidence away. "Now we're even." She whispered referring to the cut he had inflicted upon her. She cleaned the rest of his face and held the mirror for him to judge her work.

"Not bad." He murmured, observing his face from one side to the next. After scrutinizing her work from every possible angle he looked at her suspiciously and cocked an eyebrow, "Have you done this before?"

Linnet placed her arms around his shoulders and smirked slyly as she leaned into him, "Yes, I have." She whispered, giving him a slight peck on the lips, "Someone had to take care of my comatose father way back when and I suppose it just stuck with me."

"Then why did you not tell me earlier?" He asked, enjoying the playful mood.

"Because that wouldn't have been half as fun now would it?" She chuckled, leaning in for another kiss much deeper than the first, their breaths mixing as their tongues dueled the timeless battle for dominance. Neither was aware of the devious notions running rampant through the jealous mind of the baker below them.

"Now the only way to teach you the rest of our work is for you to actually do it." Sweeney said once they parted, "What say you to changing your position from assistant to apprentice?"

"A female barber? How scandalous Mr. Todd." She gasped in mock shock.

"Somehow I believe that London has fared worse my dear Netty." He chuckled in return, "I also believe that my reputation has done me enough favors for my clients to turn the other cheek for me to teach you."

"No pun intended of course?" Linnet smiled.

"Cheeky." He muttered.

Linnet passed the following days in an absent minded blur. Sweeney was right in thinking most of his patrons would not mind a woman shaving their faces given certain provisions: the married men laughed and claimed it was good practice for her, recounting tales of their wives – these men were lucky to find themselves spared; the average unmarried man leered at the thought of a woman shaving them, making random and lewd comments – these men were slaughtered with pleasure; still some men scoffed and demanded a compensation price claiming they had not arrived at the best barber in town to have a second rate woman do the job – these men were thoroughly pick-pocketed while there was just enough life in them to see it.

All in all, business stayed constant and Linnet slowly but surely gained the confidence she needed to complete the task at hand. She and Sweeney had devised a plan in order to lure Rueben to the shop. He would not see Linnet until he was already in the chair where he would be graced with her surprise. Now all that was left to do was to find the lout and set their plan in motion.

"We'll get rid of Rueben first, and then take down the judge. It only makes sense seeing as we'll probably have to leave London once Turpin's discovered missing." Sweeney reasoned as the mulled about the pie shop waiting for Lovett to bring dinner from the bake house. Unfortunately she had convinced them both to allow her to cook dinner for once, something about the surplus otherwise going rotten.

"No need to convince me, I'd rather get it over and done with as soon as possible. I never wish to think of that vile man again." She replied.

"You won't think of him when you see Antony?"

"Not in the least. To me Antony was a gift from God. That man is the devil incarnate."

"If he's the devil then who's the judge?"

Linnet paused for a moment wondering if there was anything worse than being the devil's incarnate, "Previous life form?" She wondered aloud.

"How can two life forms exist at once?" He questioned with a smirk.

"He's the devil, I'm sure he can make more than one form of himself." She pouted.

"But that's not a previous life form is it? It's one life split into two halves and influencing other evils around it."

"Oh hush, you. I never claimed to be a philosopher."

Sweeney could only chuckle in response. Linnet always had a way of lightening his mood, "So I figure we can go to the market tomorrow and see if we can find the whereabouts of devil A." He mused.

"It's a date." She laughed just Nellie walked in with the pies. She set them down roughly on the table and stormed off to bring the ale. That woman has to go now. She thought violently, the last pieces of her plan coming into place. By the end of the week, Linnet Reynolds would only be a memory. She'd make sure of that.

P.S. I apologize for the choppiness of this chapter, there was really nothing much I could do to fix it, I promise the second is better ^.^ I just needed something to set it up a little more ;)