"What you want might make you cry, what you need might pass you by. If you don't catch it, and what you need ironically will turn out what you want to be. If you just let it..."

-Unknown

His eyes watched her intently as she entered his barber shop. He thought he knew exactly what he was going to say to her.

"Mista T I really wish you'd stop that sulking…"

Until she started on with her usual nagging self.

He said nothing as she sat his tray down and continued on with her usual chatter, he knew it was just a part of her eccentric personality… Mischievous, clever, talkative, annoying, charming, adorable… sexy. He was having those thoughts about her for the third time now. What was he thinking? He couldn't think that way about her, she was Mrs. Lovett. His accomplice, his landlady, the only thing he had to talk to when he felt like socializing; which wasn't very often but it was nice to know that a conversation was just a stair trip away. He wondered, if she realized that he was the one that covered her up the night before. Then again, why would he care anyways? All he cared about was Lucy and Johanna… wherever Johanna be now. Probably on a ship with Anthony somewhere in the middle of the ocean somewhere by now…

"Eat up, dear." Mrs. Lovett suggested, or more like demanded, she thought by just sugar coating her words he wouldn't notice her desperate attempts to get him to eat, but he did, although he wouldn't say anything about… unless he wanted to pick a fight with her.

"Mrs. Lovett." Sweeney mumbled, not even bothering to turn his head in her direction.

He's not even looking at me. She thought after he had said her name. "What is it love?" If he only she how much she meant it when she said love….

He then decided that starting a fight with her was not such a good idea, after all, he wasn't in the mood to get her going anyways.

"Never mind." He then whispered before listening to the sound of the door shut, he now sat in his barber shop, alone, with nothing but his thoughts to keep him company.

And she was once again emotionally banned from his barber shop until the next morning, when she brought him up his breakfast, as usual.

--

Mrs. Lovett walked into her parlor quietly, cup of tea in hand, it was hours after she gave Mr. Todd his dinner, she doubted he even touched it, little did she know, however, that as she soon as she left it was gone within five minutes.

The books that were stored neatly on her bookshelf were in perfect place… all except for one. The book that Mr. Todd took from her lap, she picked it up and held it to her close, it was the little to one thing she had of proof that maybe, just maybe he cared about her… or at least didn't hate her as he so claimed he did.

She went into her room and changed into her night gown, she was just about to get into bed when she heard something from upstairs. Bang.

Without thought and worry for the barber she quickly put on her rove and descended the stairs to his shop. She couldn't understand it, it was quiet and solemn as she reached the top of the stairs, the noises had been gone, and his barber shop was pitch black. Peering into the window she saw no movements… she then had a thought. He must be sleeping, did Mr. T sleep? She thought before cautiously opening the door. Just to make sure she whispered his name, "Mista T?" No answer. So without further ado she lit a candle and shown it around the room, looking for a sign of her beloved barber.

To her surprise he was lying on his cot and the noises once a again returned, it was him.

The poor man was being once again tormented by his past…

With deep sympathy and love for him she knelt down beside him and looked around for the stand. It was knocked over by Mr. Todd's thrashing, she now knew what that bang was that brought her up here in the first place. He quieted down once again when she covered him up with the blanket she brought up days ago, not that she expected him to use it, the man hardly ever slept as it was and now she knew why. "Poor bugger." She whispered before getting up.

But suddenly she stopped. She sat down next to him and watched him sleep, he seemed so content like a sleeping lion, but then he could wake up and she would become his prey and be dead within minutes, and if not that he would have her neck somehow.

She had moments like this though, she felt so tempted to just squeeze in next to him and hold him… perhaps she could protect him from the nightmares. If only… It was a dream she had dreamt far too many times, life by the sea… and even better, life with her beloved Mr. Todd.

He'd take her hand and she'd take his… walks along the sea shore with the sunshine painted the sky with white clouds and bright blue skies. The dream seemed so far away.

The expression of sadness was almost unbearable to have seen, she didn't want him to hurt anymore… She wanted him to be happy, with her, perhaps.

She jumped when she saw him move in his sleep, he was having another nightmare.

He could just wake up any moment now. She kept thinking, she didn't care.

Even if he did think she was crazy for watching him sleep, heck, he probably watched Lucy sleep all those years ago… his sleeping angel is what he might have put it.

Little did she know, however, that it was only twenty four hours before that he had been watching her sleep.

She probably watched him sleep for hours before the candle went dim and with one last glance she did something she'd always thought of doing before. She pushed a stray piece of hair from his sleep flushed face and kissed his forehead, it was almost like kissing ice…

--

The next day Mr. Todd, having been put his razors to rest, couldn't stand the tempting thoughts of Mrs. Lovett. So with frustration he put on his coat and headed off to a bar.

He walked in and was thankful that there were only a few people in there, he wanted a drink… some gin to be more exact and he would have gone down to the pie shop to get some but he didn't want to risk running into Mrs. Lovett again so he took a seat and ordered a nice tumbler of gin.

"Rough day?" The bartender asked as Mr. Todd took one long sip of the gin.

Sweeney glared at him angrily and didn't reply, at around his sixth tumbler of gin however he began to loosen up.

"So this woman, is she pretty?" The bartender asked, amused with Mr. Todd's drunken change of attitude.

Sweeney shrugged his shoulders and took another gulp from his drink.

"I'd take it was a 'yes' sir?" The bartender inquired.

The bartender wasn't the only one finding Mr. Todd's drunken side amusing, for a man that sat at the end of the bar had been watching him intently… he looked so familiar until it hit him, it was Benjamin Barker.

I thought he was transported to Australia. The man thought after the bartender asked him where he lived.

"So where are you staying with this lady?" The man cut in, luckily Mr. Todd was too drunk to realize who it was that was asking him such things.

"Fleet Street… and who says she's a lady… trying to seduce me all the time…" Sweeney mumbled, the only thing the bartender got was 'Fleet Street, lady, and seduce.'

"Do you need help getting back, sir?" The bartender chuckled as he watched Mr. Todd stumble to the door.

Mr. Todd didn't reply and the mysterious man followed Mr. Todd home, pretending to be helping him back.

"Quit following… me." Sweeney grumbled as he reached the stairs.

Luckily for the man, Mrs. Lovett was outside washing the tables when she saw Mr. Todd approaching the stairs, unaware that the man was behind him.

"Mista T! You're drunk!" Mrs. Lovett exclaimed worriedly as she went over to him.

"Get away from me woman!" Sweeney exclaimed as Mrs. Lovett put Mr. Todd's arm around her and helped him up the stairs.

"Now, now, Mista T, you lie down and get some rest while ya can, you'll 'ave a headache later… I jus' know it." She sighed and exited the shop before she noticed the man standing by her pie shop door.

"Come for a pie, sir?" She asked as she dusted the flour from her dress.

"Uhm, no, actually, I was actually wondering about the man upstairs…" His name was Charles Westward, and he hated Benjamin Barker. You see before Benjamin married Lucy, Charles was turned down by her because she was in love with Benjamin… and since then he hadn't loved since, she rejected him twice once before they were married and another after Benjamin was sentenced to Australia. He always swore he would get back at him and now it was his chance.

Mrs. Lovett shook her head, "Oh, as you probably saw Mista Todd is in no condition to be shavin' customers, perhaps you should come by tomorrow, but for now, how about a pie?" Mrs. Lovett suggested as she entered her shop.

Mr. Westward took a seat in a booth and was full of questions to ask Mrs. Lovett to make sure it was him.

"So you and Mr. Todd, is it?" He began as Mrs. Lovett nodded indicating that Mr. Todd's last name was Todd before continuing, "Are you two together?"

She could only dream… "Oh heavens no! Mista T and I are jus' business partners is s'all." Mrs. Lovett exclaimed with a nervous chuckle in her voice, she should have said former because ever since he had his revenge with the judge she had to go back to baking her same old pies so business wasn't going as well as it was just weeks ago.

"Oh, well, do you like him?" Charles inquired as he nonchalantly traced his finger on the table.

Mrs. Lovett turned a bright red and blushed noticeably, "Well, I've known 'im for years… I couldn't say I didn't like 'im, I care about 'im an' all but-" Mrs. Lovett was caught stuttering again, oh how she loved him…

"Well, he spoke very fondly of you at the bar this afternoon." Mr. Westward continued, trying to get Mrs. Lovett intrigued as he could tell that she might have a slight crush on the barber upstairs.

Mrs. Lovett blushed some more, "Him? No… Mista T would neva, I mean all 'e does is sit in his shop all day long, never talks to me really…" Mrs. Lovett was lost for words, he talked about her?

"So, Mr. Lovett, he passed on years ago, did he not?" The man asked some more, this conversation was going better than he thought.

Hmmm…. Why is the man acting so interested in Mrs. Lovett??

Please review and I might update tomorrow or today :D