A/N Late and short.. meep. Still, it'll be fun. This and the next chapter.. bwahaha?
30
Sweeney blinked, finding himself once more in a state of shock for that day. Nellie's eyes bored into his, something akin to a murderous fire burning in them.
"Yes, I lied to you! Lucy is more than just alive."
"Alive-?"
She cut him off quickly. "She wasn't tricked! She wasn't fooled! That woman ran desperate to his house. She did so many things for that man." The baker snapped, taking a step towards the table. "Begged him to marry her to gain back some status, to get some money! So Turpin took Johanna and left me with that whorish wreck!"
The barber stared, finding nothing to say. Feeling unable to speak as everything she said came crashing down on him. It didn't seem possible, but he had no proof against it. He had no idea what his wife would do in such a desperate situation, but to think she would succumb to that…
"You lying bitch." Sweeney snarled. "You think I would believe my wife would do that to our marriage-"
"Being sent to that place was just as sure as being sent to your death." The baker took another adventurous step forward, almost looming over the barber.
James floundered. He had seen her lose her temper before, he had heard a great number of un-Godly things come from her mouth, but this was entirely different. The apothecary had never seen her beat someone down so harshly with only just words. He had never seen it happen to anyone before, and the man on the table seemed very incapable of taking it.
The two were staring vehemently at one another, and James wondered if Eleanor would be so quick to defend Sweeney right then.
Never before had anyone stood up to him like that. Especially not a woman. A harsh sounding croak came out of the judge's mouth as he opened his eyes. The dim light of the room seared his head, and he immediately felt dizzy despite lying on the ground.
She had hit him. No one had done that before either.
Turpin closed his eyes, groaning, before slowly reopening them. The pain stayed, but he managed to notice that he was not alone on the floor. Bamford was situated next to him, mouth hanging open.
A shadows suddenly appeared over him and he tried to look up. A boy was standing over him, holding the seat of a wooden chair.
He opened his mouth to try and say something before the seat came crashing against his head.
"Toby!" Johanna gasped, shrinking into her chair. Noticing Mrs. Lovett hit the judge (she hadn't really been looking) was one thing, but to see the boy strike the man over the head with a chair was another. "We could have just told someone he was awake."
"They're busy." He mumbled, slowly walking back towards his chair.
The girl got a sneaking suspicion the boy had simply wanted to hit something.
"As much as we are all getting out of this," James slowly started. "I need to treat you."
"You will not come near me!" The barber spat.
"You don't 'ave a choice." Mrs. Lovett nearly hissed, putting her hands on her hips.
"I do."
"Ya don't." Standing over Sweeney, she put her hands over his arms and raised an eyebrow at him. "Try an' move."
He narrowed his eyes at her. "Be careful. There's some glass in there from your not so gracious exit from my shop."
"I'll be taking the cost of the window out of yer rent."
"I don't pay rent."
"Ya do now!"
James placed his fingers at the sides of his head and took a deep breath, hoping to stop a headache from occurring. "I'll just get something." He mumbled, turning away from the pair. He thought their yelling was bad sign, sort of a good one for him, but he had been able to look just past that, and he noticed what accompanied the yelling. The two hadn't taken their eyes off each other for one second, and though their words were harsh, it wasn't in their eyes.
A bad sign for him. He wandered around the room collecting supplies as their bickering continued.
"That hardly matters anyway! You don't even have a shop anymore!"
"Then ye'll be payin' fer the whole bloody buildin'!"
"I will not!"
"Will not? More like ya don't 'ave the money!"
"That just leaves you the short end of the stick!"
"Short end? Ya 'ave a debt ya can't pay. They'll be interest ta that!"
"Interest to what Nellie?"
Total silence fell on the room and James nearly dropped several phials as he turned his head to stare at Sweeney.
"Wot did ya call me?" Mrs. Lovett whispered, her hands slowly coming away from Sweeney.
"Mrs. Lovett."
"Ya didn't."
"Then why are you asking?"
The apothecary felt very out of place, standing in the same room as them. If the barber was capable of moving James was sure he and Eleanor would be slowly coming together. He coughed loudly to gain their attention and then strode back over to the table. "Take this."
"I'm not taking anything." He grumbled.
"Sweeney." He glared at Mrs. Lovett who just put her hands back on her hips. She continued, unfazed by his look. "Jus' take it."
He begrudgingly gave a nod of acceptance. Mayhew held it over Sweeney's lips, not wanting the man to move more than he had to, which included reaching for the phial. The barber glared at him while he took the medicine. A look of worry crept onto Mrs. Lovett's face while the two men were distracted.
