At half past one, Nellie was sitting in her shop, staring at the mess the brief scuffle had caused. Chairs littered the floor, a table was turned over, and about twenty-four pies lied on the ground.

The police had had a few questions for her, and had left only moments earlier. They were the typical questions. Who was there? What time did this occur? What do you think caused this? Explain in full detail please.

AS it turns out, passersby had heard commotion and screams coming from the shop. After trying to figure out what was going on, a few brave souls decided to get a policeman. When the authorities arrived, more of a crowd had gathered just in time to see a crazed Lucy being dragged, kicking and screaming, to the back of the police car. Not long afterwards, the town was abuzz with talks of how the entire Barker family had gone mad, seeing as they had both been carted off in the last two days. How exactly they had come to the conclusion the entire family had gone mad, Nellie wasn't so sure. AS far as she knew, the sane baby girl slept in her parlor, and the sane man, though she had no idea what he was doing at the moment, had just as much sanity now as he did years before.

At the end of Nellie's questioning, a policeman had tried to take Johanna to put her in safe custody for the time being, but Nellie would have none of that. She had never really taken care of an infant before, but she couldn't let the poor child be taken off to God knows where to be mistreated. Despite the fact Johanna was half Lucy's, she was also half Ben's. And until Ben returned, because she knew he would, she could watch her.

Moment's later, Johanna began to whimper. Nellie maneuvered around the mess to enter he parlor where she had Johanna resting in the crib she had moved from upstairs. She picked up the crying infant and gently bounced her up and down.

"Shh, shh lit'le one. Daddy' ll be 'ome soon. I promise ya, love. Shh, come on darlin'," Nellie cooed. Johanna's cry steadily got louder. "'No, no, come on now. Are ya 'ungry? Hmm? Let's see if mummy 'as a bot'le upstairs.'' Nellie jogged lightly up the stairs, holding the child to her. It didn't take her long to find a bottle, so when she did, she hurried back down the stairs to heat milk on the stove. Johanna cried the whole time. "Shh shh shhh. Almost done, love, almost." The baby fussed against her shoulder. Nellie managed to fill the bottle with warm milk with one hand. She moved to a seat facing away from the shop door. With a baby in one hand and a bottle in the other, she began to feed her. The baby suckled and Nellie smiled down at her. There was no denying that she was a very beautiful little thing.

" 'Appy now, aren't cha, Johanna?" she laughed. She heard the door bells tinkle. "Oh, sorry deary, not open today after all. Come back tomorrow. Slipped me mind to lock the door." When she finally looked up, she jumped.

"Wot happened in here, Nellie?" asked a shocked Benjamin Barker.

"Ben! You're back!" she stood, wanting to hug him, but unable to with the bundle in her arms.

"Yes, I-I'm free; it all got sorted out. But I think I've missed something. Where's Lucy? Why's Johanna with you?" His brows were furrowed. Nellie gave him a sympathetic smile and said, "You might want to sit down." She reached behind him to lock the shop door, and then led him to her parlor.

"What's going on?" he asked as he sat in an arm chair. Nellie took a seat opposite him and deflected the question.

"So ya got off, did ya?"

"Yeah the charges didn't stick, but I don't-"

"Wot were they?"

"Wot?"

"The charges, wot were they?"

Ben shook his head. "Doesn't matter. Just tell me wot's happened." Nellie took a deep breath.

"Alrigh'. Well, you must promise to believe every word I say." Ben nodded. "Lucy's gone to jail."

"Wot? They've got false charges on her to? This is ridiculous!" He stood up. "I can't believe-"

"Ben."

"She's done nothing-"

"Ben!"

"But that bloody Judge Turp-"

"BEN!" he stopped his rant.

"Wot?" Nellie prepared herself.

"Lucy has done somethin'."

"Is that wot they told you when they came to get her? Because I can assure you it's not true." Nellie bit her lip.

"They didn't say anythin' like that. They didn't have ta."

"Wot then? Why did you let 'em take her?"

"I saw it 'appen meself."

"Saw wot?" Nellie could see his patience wearing thin. She looked down at the baby in her arms before she spoke again.

"She attacked me today, Mr. B," she said quietly. "Someone 'ad 'eard the shoutin' and they came and took 'er away." Ben slowly sat back down.

"She wouldn't."

"She did."

'Why?" his tone fought back and forth between shock and disbelief.

"Well, she em, she blamed me for you bein' gone.'

"No, absolutely not.'

"It's true. I don't know why, but she does. She, em, also metiond somethin' else." She looked up at him, but he was staring at the floor. "She said you'd been intereferin' with me and Judge Turpin because you care for me. She said ya cared for me as more than a friend." Ben stayed silent and unmoving. "Is it true?" There was a pregnant pause and several moments passed before he answered.

"Don't make me answer that now, please. I jus', I need some time to think." He got up to kiss and smooth the hair on Johanna's head before retreating upstairs. And that was the last Mrs. Lovett saw of him until later that night.

A/N: Okay, okay, so I said Sunday and today is Monday and I'm so very sorry! But in all fairness, band camp exhausted me every day to the point where all I did was get home, eat and sleep. I suppose it's worth it in the end, but yeaaaah. I had this all written out Sunday, but I didn't get a chance to type it until today. Also it is a little on the shortish side because it's mostly dialogue. Sorry! Hope it lived up to your standards!

The next few chapters should pop up weekly now that school is starting. If it all works out, I'll write Friday and type Saturday.

My summer ends today and I go back to school tomorrow :( So in honor of summer, what's your favorite ice cream flavor? I love butter pecan :)