Author's notes: This chapter's a bit shorter than the others, but I'm afraid you'll have to live with that. Thank you to Neighbourhood Squirrals and chunkymonkey90 for your reviews, I'm glad you're loving this! Here's Chapter 6 especially for you guys - P.S. You'll just have to wait and see Neighbourhood Squirrals, I don't want to give anything away...(mysterious evil laugh) Thanks for the cookie.

Disclaimer: I don't own Sweeney Todd, its plot or its characters

Chapter 6 – The Second Epiphany

"Hello? Can you hear me?" Nelly asked.

Nothing. He just stayed there, on his knees, staring blankly into space.

Nelly sighed.

"You great useless thing," she muttered, slipping his arm around her shoulder and trying to lift him. "Help me love," she pleaded.

I slipped his other arm around my shoulder and helped her lift him. Together we managed to get him down the stairs and into the shop. We slipped him into a seat and Nelly went to fetch the gin. She found it in the hand of a sleeping Toby, curled up on the floor of the sitting room. I sat down next to Mr Todd. He had started to become aware of his surroundings by now.

Nelly poured him a glass of gin and put it down in front of him. He sipped it gratefully.

"Now, we got a body, mouldering away upstairs. What do you think we should do about that then?" Nelly asked, sitting next to us.

"Maybe we could tell the doctors that he we found him like that outside the shop," I suggested, but Sweeney had other ideas.

"Later on when it's dark, we'll take it to some secret place and bury it."

"Well I suppose we could do either of those," said Nelly, walking over to the window looking onto Fleet Street. "I don't suppose he's got any relatives who's gonna come poking 'round looking for him. But it does seem a shame…"

"Shame?" Sweeney asked, taking another sip of gin.

"An awful waste…"

"What's a waste?" I asked, confused.

"Old what's-his-name had a nice plump frame, and it can't be traced. And after all, business needs a lift and we've got a few debts that need to be erased. You get my drift?"

I thought for a moment confused. Then I realised what a sick suggestion she was making.

"No Nelly, you can't be thinking-"

"Well why not? Think about the price of meat these days, and that's when you get it, if you get it."

Mr Todd finally caught on.

"Ah!" he gasped.

"Take Mrs Mooney, for instance. Right now her business has never been better and she's just using pussycats and toast! She can get a few bob for a pie too!"

Mr Todd stood up.

"What a charming idea!" he cried.

"Well, it does seem a waste…"

"Practical, appropriate, undetectable… Oh Mrs Lovett, I'll never know how I've lived without you all these years!"

I watched them jealously. I couldn't believe what they were planning, yet I felt rather left out. I decided to make myself heard.

"Isn't there a better solution?" I asked, as calmly as possible.

"Now, Miss Perkins, these are desperate times, and desperate measures are called for," explained Mr Todd, as though that made it acceptable.

"Yes, but-"

I was interrupted by Nelly pulling a fresh pie from the oven and setting it down on the beetle-ridden counter.

"Here we are, hot out of the oven."

"What is that?" He asked, looking at it like he had never seen a pie before.

"Priest," she answered simply. "It's priest."

"Is it good?"

"Oh, too good sir! Pretty fresh too."

"Don't you have poet or something like that?"

"Ah well, the trouble with poet is that you can never tell when it's deceased!"

I was shocked and disgusted. This was pure cannibalism, yet they were talking about it like some sort of a sick joke.

"Lawyer's rather nice," she muttered, looking out of the window for inspiration.

"Expensive though. Anything…leaner?"

"Well, for us loyal Brits there's always Royal Marine. Tastes of its travels, mind you."

"Is that squire over there?"

"No sir, if you look carefully you'll notice it's grocer."

"Looks more like vicar."

"No, it has to be grocer, it's green!"

They moved away from the window, laughing. I realised with a pang in my heart that that was the first time I'd seen Sweeney laugh.

"It will be very gratifying to know that those above will be serving those down below for a change," Mr Todd said.

"Oh yes. And everyone shaves so there'll be plenty of different flavours. And we'll be helping out, saving graves and all that."

He smiled, and looked out of the other window.

"What is that?" he asked, looking at a well-dressed man outside.

"Fop, the finest we have," was her horrible answer. "Or what about shepherds pie, peppered with actual shepherd?"

I felt myself gag in disgust. She walked towards the counter, handing Sweeney various pies.

"And here's one I've just begun. It's politician, mind though it's very oily."

He examined the gloopy pie.

"Too runny."

"Well then how about actor, or friar?"

He gave her a dazzling smile.

"I'll come again when you have Judge on the menu."

She laughed, staring into his eyes.

"Of course, we'll serve anyone, great or small," he added seriously.

"Of course."

I finally couldn't take it.

"Are you both out of your minds?" I yelled. "You're standing here, talking about it like it's a joke, but it's cannibalism, and in most societies it's frowned upon. You're both sick, do you know that? You can't just kill everyone who walks in, and then cook them up into a pie! It's wrong, it's disgusting, it's vile and it's mad! I swear, I will not be a part in this mental plan. If you get caught, you'll both be dead, literally!" I finally couldn't take it, and broke down crying, yet again.

Mrs Lovett pulled me into a hug, which I accepted.

"You're right, love, it's a horrible plan. And while Mr T and I might go through with it, we're not saying you have to. You can just go about as normal, or go if you want. It's fine, really sweetheart."

I nodded, and muttered a thank you. Mr Todd however, was not so sympathetic.

"Let me deal with her."

He grabbed me by the arm and dragged me up to his shop.

"Let me go!" I screamed, hoping to attract the attention of someone on the streets.

He pushed into the room and tossed me onto the chair.

"Listen, Miss Perkins, you work here now and no matter what Mrs Lovett says, you can not just walk out of the door. I don't care what you think about the plan, because you are not in charge and your opinion is irrelevant. So, prepare yourself for you are not getting out of this one by screaming and crying."

I looked at him, terrified. I had learnt in this day not to get in the way of a man with razors.

"Do you understand?" he asked.

I nodded.

"Good. Now fetch me some more gin."

I did as I was told. As much as it sickened me, I had to help. It was that or very unpleasant consequences. I decided that I would not have anything to do with the bodies or the killings, but would help. Surely that would be enough?

And so I found myself, in one long day, pulled into a mass-murder plot. If I was caught, I would be in a lot of trouble. An awful lot.

Author's notes: Poor Sarah! Please review, it makes my day x