A/N: See? Sooner than all those other chapters! There's a minor error in the last chapter that I'd like to address. Lucy says "Your Honor" rather than "My Lord", but it should be the latter, rather than the former.

Well, anyway, here we go once again! Hope you enjoy!

It was another normal day, or at least, Nellie suspected it would be. As far as she was concerned, there was no reason for it not to be. The usual lunch crowd had filled her shop as excepted. But, if there was anything that could have tipped her off to the day's coming abnormality, it would be the slightly more than average amount of chatter that filled the air. Nellie thought nothing of it though. The town's latest bit of juicy gossip never quite seemed to concern her.

She went about her day to day activities of taking and filing orders, as well as making the pies to make the aforementioned activities possible, just as she would any other day. In fact, it wasn't until about half past two that she noticed anything unusual.

Nellie had just taken an order, but on her way back to the counter, her step stuttered upon eavesdropping into a conversation.

"Benjamin, you say? The one above this very shop?" an older lady asked in disbelief, leaning across the table to talk to her lunch partner. Luckily, and so much so it couldn't have been planned better, they were seated right next to her counter.

"The very same!" her friend all but shrieked back at her out of excitement. Nellie went through the motions of making a fresh batch of pies to inconspicuously listen in.

"But what has he done? He's always seemed to be such a nice young man!" The first lady was so eager for more information. Nellie could see that much without even needing to spare her a glance.

"That's just it! No one knows for sure! The rumors are outrageous! Some say he's killed a man, others say he's just taken an apple without paying for it!"

Nellie's brows furrowed. Ben would neva do tha'! It's ridiculous!

"What? Ridiculous!" Thank you! "That doesn't make-"

"Mrs. Lovett? My pies?" A man called to her, waving his ticket in the aair. She looked at the man, confused with where she was for a moment.

"Right! O' course, I'm sorry deary! Me mind jus' wanders off these days! Comin'!" She picked up his order and delivered it.

"Oh look at 'im." She cooed to the man's young son, "Ain't he jus' a cute lit'le lad! 'Ow old is 'e?" The little boy blushed and slid down his chair.

"Nearly five mam, and already hooked on your pies." He smiled. Nellie laughed.

"Aw, thank ya. In that case I'll be look' forward to 'is patronage for years ta come!"

"Mine too, of course, for as long as I've got me teeth." She laughed once more.

"Oh yes. Well thank ya very much sir."

"Thank you," he says, tipping an imaginary hat at her before turning back to help his son eat.

Even that pleasant little chat couldn't take her mind off what she had heard earlier. Ben had not one bad bone in his body. So what did this mean? What was going to happen? Once more, her answer didn't take long to come

At approximately a quarter to four, police sirens could be heard barreling down the street. Naturally, nearly every head in the restaurant turned to see what was going on. Much to Nellie's surprise, but apparently not to everyone else's, the wailing car stopped in front of her shop. Three policemen jumped out of the car and rushed up to the barber shop above, retreating minutes later with a struggling Benjamin Barker. He was being restrained between two men while the third led the way through the patio filled with customers of the pie shop. The crowd had fallen silent at the sight.

"But I don't understand! I 'avn't done anything!" Was the last they heard before he was shut away in the back of the car.

"That's for the courts to decide," smirked the police man before hopping into the passenger seat. Only after they pulled away, the sound of a woman's cry for her husband be heard from upstairs,

While the sound of chatter began to rise steadily with the event passing by the patrons mind as quickly as it happened, Nellie made sure all her valuables were locked before making a quick dash upstairs. She was in such a hurry that she nearly knocked over the half-shaven man making his way down.

"Wot's 'apppened?" She asked in the calmest tone she could manage though it still came out as a strangled hysteric. Lucy sat in the corner, her body shaking with sobs and tears streaking down her face.

"I-I don't kn-know. The-ey just c-came in here a-and took 'im."

"Well, did they say wot for, love?" she asked, approaching the hysterical woman.

"N-no. They n-never said." Nellie stood there a while, and then hesitated before putting her hand on the blonde woman's shoulder.

"I- I'm sure this'll all be sorted out in no time." Baby Johanna took that as her cue to cry, but her mother made no effort to get up and comfort her. Instead, she sat, rocking slightly to calm herself. Nellie took notice of this and picked up the crying infant from her cradle, rubbed her back and swayed from side to side to soothe her. After a minute, the child went back to sleep, but this seemed to finally alert the lawful mother.

Lucy stood and carefully snatched back her child, leaving Mrs. Lovett slight confused.

"Wot's wr-" she started, but was cut off.

"Don't you have a shop needin' attendin' to?" Lucy spat out venomously, making it sound more like an accusation than a question.

"O' cour-"

"Then?" The question was just as harsh as the last.

"Em, righ'." Nellie started to walk away slowly. "I, eh, guess I'll be goin' then." Lucy kept glaring. At about two steps away from the door, Nellie turned quickly and dashed back down the stairs, leaving Lucy to her thoughts.

Mrs. Lovett continued the day as normally as possible. She had to remind herself not to think of Ben's sudden departure and the strange reaction from Lucy, but that was to be expected because the events themselves were so very peculiar.

Meanwhile, upstairs, all this time alone with only Johanna to talk to, had given Lucy time to think. When the men arrived, the little they had said was that they had come to arrest Ben on Judge Turpin's orders. Though they never answered to what the charges were, Lucy was sure of one thing.

This all came back to Mrs. Nellie Lovett.

WOO! Another chapter done! And it was longer than the last! Now aren't proud of me?

…or not. xD ah well. Two quick points!

1. The next chapter probably won't come out as fast. But expect it by the end of this week. At least, by the 30th. If not, feel free to pester me daily until its up!

2. I have decided that, if all goes as planned, there will be four more chapters and then an epilogue.

If there are any mistakes, I apologize. I have no beta and do the best i can on my own. Ah, but as humans we can only see so many of our own mistakes. :) Also, if any one has any knowledge whatsoever on the court system in this period, let me know please! I can only get so much from googling! :)