Thank you to Halloween29 and I LOVE JACK ATLAS for reviewing!

Chapter Two

Every time I looked at Amy, she reminded me more and more of my Mum.

She was a young fourteen year old, if that made sense, with an active imagination and an innocence rarely found in a girl of her age.

She was also the only one of my three children that believed in Sweeney Todd.

I sighed as I began serving up the lasagne, thinking.

I hated admitting it, but I missed him. I missed him, Mrs Lovett, Lucy, Johanna, Anthony and Toby. I missed them all. I wanted to see them, and I hadn't done so for years. I knew that, for a fact, the only time I would probably see them was when I didn't take my pills and that was far too dangerous. For me, for Ant and for my children.

"Nellie, dinner!" I called.

"Just a minute!"

"No, now!"

I heard grumbling as Nellie entered the room, throwing herself onto her seat in a dramatic manner that reminded me so much of Grace.

"I was talking to Alex on MSN." She muttered in annoyance.

"You're always talking to Alex." Amy said. Nellie glared at her younger sister.

"Shut up, Amy."

Amy rolled her eyes as she slid off the stool and joined her sister at the table. After a minute, Ant finally came through as well.

"Sorry, love, I was working." Ant told me, kissing my cheek as he passed.

"You're always working." Nellie grumbled.

"He is an adult, Nellie, it's what they do."

"Shut up, Amy."

Amy frowned, her lower lip sticking out slightly as she stabbed at her food in a violent manner.

"So, how was everyone's day today?" I asked, trying to start up a conversation.

"Ohmygoodness, it was amazing!" Nellie launched into a long and complicated story at full speed, pausing only to take a bite of her food. It was quite amusing listening to her babble, remembering that was I was when I was younger.

But Nellie wasn't young. She was sixteen, nearly seventeen. And Ben...Ben was twenty two, and had left home.

Even Amy was growing up.

I frowned to myself, playing with my food instead of eating it.

My life was practically over before it had even begun.

Once dinner was finished, Nellie bounded back upstairs to continue talking to Alex, Ant went into his office and Amy drifted into the living room.

I hummed to myself as I washed up the dishes, my mind wandering back to Sweeney and the others.

I wanted to see them, so badly.

"Johanna, Johanna..."

I paused, glancing over my shoulder with a frown. "Ant?"

No reply. My frown deepening, I glanced around the doorway, thinking someone was playing a trick on me.

There was no one there.

I shrugged, guessing it was imagination, and moved back to the sink. I had heard people say my name before, Anthony, Sweeney...but that wasn't them.

This voice was older...gravelly...sexual.

I shuddered. No, I was just imagining it. I was like my Mum; an overactive imagination that led me into trouble.

But Sweeney wasn't my imagination. He was real.

Pausing, I glanced at my wrists.

A pair of arms suddenly slid around my waist, making me jump in surprise. I relaxed, however, when I realised it was only Ant.

"You know I love you, don't you, babe?"

I laughed softly. "Yes, and I love you too. What have you done?"

"Nothing!"

I rolled my eyes, and Ant chuckled. I couldn't help but smile as his breath softly caressed my neck.

"Mark just called."

I groaned. "Oh, Ant, not again!"

"I know, I know, but - "

"No buts, Ant, you promised that this weekend you'd be here."

Ant's arms tightened around my waist, and he gently placed his lips on my cheek.

"I know, I'm sorry. I've explained it to him, but you know what Mark's like."

Unfortunately, yes, I did know what Mark, Ant's annoying and obsessive boss, was like. Especially since he's tried to hit on me more than once.

Creep.

"I don't want you to go." I murmured.

"I don't want to go either."

"Then don't. Simple."

"Sadly, I can't."

I sighed, moving my head so it fitted into the crook of his neck. I felt safe in his arms, knowing nothing could harm me if Ant was there.

Which was why I hated it so much when he left.

"I'm going to go pack my things." He announced, kissing my head before letting go of me and leaving the kitchen.

I quickly finished up and left the kitchen, joining Amy on the sofa.

"What are you watching?" I asked. Amy shifted so she could lean against me. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders.

"A documentary on polar bears." She murmured.

"Polar bears?" I repeated, my nose screwing up slightly. "Really?"

"Yeah."

We sat in silence, watching the TV together. Amy curled up even closer to me. I smiled, kissing the top of her head.

"You never told me how your day was."

"Meh, it was alright."

"Just alright?"

Amy nodded. "Just alright."

There was another pause as we continued watching TV together, and then Amy shifted slightly to look up at me.

"Is Dad going away again?"

I stared down at her. "How do you know?"

"I heard him on the phone," Amy explained softly. "Mum, I don't like him going away."

"Neither do I, Amy, neither do I."

"No, I have a proper bad feeling about this time, Mum." She told me.

"I'm sure it's nothing."

Amy frowned and moved away from me, curling up at the other end of the sofa.

"Amy,"

"I'm going to my room." She announced softly, standing up and leaving. I sighed, leaning back.

"Real smart, Joey." I muttered to myself.

It was a stupid cliché, but no one ever told me how hard it was being a Mum. Especially when they were all teenagers or older!

"Pretty woman, pretty woman…"

I jumped, looking around. Again, there was no one.

Letting out a nervous laugh, I leant back down, resting my head and closing my eyes.

I was going mad. Again.