A/N: Hello again dears, I do hope you are enjoying this story, I must place caution that the things within this chapter is nothing as it seems...lol I'm only playing but there is a twist to the story but you'll have to figure it out for yourselves! please do enjoy!

Chapter 10.

Sweeney opened his eyes the next morning to find Nellie missing from the bed making him roll over onto his back wincing as the scratches from Nellie's nails, Nellie's nails, he let himself smile and close his eyes remembering the previous night's events. He opened his eyes upon hearing the familiar foot steps and humming of the baker coming closer to the door, closing his eyes he pretended to be asleep as the door opened and the humming stopped. Her footsteps came closer and after they reached the side of the bed she put something down before he felt her climb onto the bed and straddle him so she was sitting on his stomach with her hands on his chest, he felt her lean down and lightly kiss his lips smiling as her hair tickled the side of his face.

"Time to wake up sleepy 'ead."

Sticking to his act he groaned turning his head away right into her hair taking in the smell of cinnamon and lavender trying not to smile as she giggled and flipped her hair out of his face.

"Come on love, your breakfast is gettin' cold."

She began to trail kisses down his jaw doing her best to wake him. Sweeney smiled feeling her lips against his skin and opened his eyes as his hands found her hips and pulled her down on top of him seeing she'd worn his shirt and nothing more. She laughed resting her forehead against his so her hair blocked out the pale light streaming in the window.

"And if I don't want to get up?"

She rolled her eyes fully laying on him and crossing her legs at the ankles in the air.

"Then we ain't gettin' much done today."

She sighed resting her head on his shoulder, in all honesty she'd love nothing more than to close the shop before sending Toby off to play with his friends and just stay right where she was for the day but a familiar nagging feeling in her stomach was making sure it wouldn't happen. She placed a kiss to his collarbone before getting off him and standing beside the bed doing her best to look as intimidating as she could clad only in his button down shirt with her hair down and falling over her shoulders.

"'urry up and eat, for all we know today's the day."

She didn't give him chance to argue as she kissed his cheek before leaving closing the door behind her. Once she was gone he sighed looking at the food she'd brought him, the oatmeal held no appeal as he got dressed shaking his head when he remembered Nellie was still wearing his shirt. He picked up the bowl of oatmeal and went to her shop unable to keep from smiling as he found her sitting at a booth eating her own oatmeal being sure to eat the raspberries she'd added every couple bites as she fingered through the paper laying on the table top.

"And you yelled for me to get moving."

He smirked while setting the bowl of oatmeal on the counter as she jumped dropping a spoonful of oatmeal and half a raspberry down her front while her eyes looked to him before down to the mess on her chest.

"Oh now look what ya did! 'Ow many times do I gotta tell you to at least try and make a sound when you come up behind me, silent as the bloody grave you are."

She mumbled the last bit as she stood licking oatmeal from her fingers as she looked down at the soiled shirt and sighed walking past him to go to her room until he grabbed her waist pulling her close so his lips were at her neck.

"Maybe you should just wear that all day pet."

She blushed and playfully smacked his shoulder before wiggling away heading to her room.

"'Onestly Mr. T you're terrible."

Her tone was laced with amusement as she disappeared into her room leaving him in the shop smirking to himself before he returned to the parlor and up the inside stairs to his shop where he put on a new shirt before flipping the sign on the door to open listening to the sounds of Nellie first waking Toby then opening her shop. The day seemed to drag on as customers trickled into his shop but the kill number was low seeing as most of the men brought their wives so they could go to the pie shop below. During a lull in customers Sweeney looked down at the now empty courtyard where Nellie was cleaning up the tables singing to herself about the sea as she did.

The door over the pie shop door rang as the door opened drawing Nellie's attention from cleaning the tables before her after a busy dinner rush. She glanced at the clock before turning to face who had come in.

"I'm sorry deary but we're closed…"

She trailed off seeing Lucy standing by the door a sleeping baby, who couldn't be more than a few months old, in her arms.

"Ahhh Mrs. Turpin welcome, come 'bout that free pie 'ave you?"

Lucy managed a small weary smile shifting the sleeping baby in her arms doing everything in her power not to lash out and kill the auburn haired seductress at that moment for stealing first Benjamin then her own husband.

"Not exactly Mrs. Lovett, husband is visiting Mr. Todd and sent me down here to you so I wouldn't grow bored, I'm sorry to ask but do you have a place I can lay little Joanna? My arms are very tired."

Watching Nellie carefully hoping that her husband would make good on his part of keeping the barber busy so she could "escort" the baker out of the house. Nellie quickly thought it over, she didn't want to kill a baby if she could avoid it particularly her own niece. She nodded leading Lucy to the parlor where she arranged the pillows on the couch so Lucy could lay Joanna down and she shouldn't roll off.

"She'll be safe 'ere Mrs. Turpin, warm to I just lit the fire less than an 'our ago."

Lucy gave a kind smile and laid Joanna between the pillows before following Nellie back into the shop, Lucy seen Nellie reach up to the top of her dress and as if knowing her sister's plan Lucy ducked the razor just in time as her sister swung it smirking as Nellie growled angrily at her.

"What kind of greeting is that for your sister Eleanor?"

Nellie's eyes followed Lucy's hand as it grabbed a knife from the counter and swung it at her, Nellie grabbed the blade as a reflex wincing as the cool metal cut her palm open and crimson drops fell to the floor before she pushed Lucy away. Lucy kept swinging at her forcing her back until she was cornered between the wall and Lucy who raised the knife ready to stab it into Nellie's chest.

"Now you'll pay for stealing Benjamin from me then capturing the eye of my husband you little whore!"

Nellie's eyes widened then narrowed as she let Lucy bring the knife down on her but the anger behind Lucy's unsteady hand caused the blade to stab into the wall scratching Nellie's shoulder. Now Nellie smirked watching Lucy struggle to get the knife out of the wall.

"I didn't steal 'im from you slut! 'E chose me because unlike you I was loyal and didn't flirt with every man to smile at me! as for your husband that perverted arse has never not set 'is eyes on somethin' 'e can't 'ave! Now I send you to Hell where you belong!"

Without hesitation Nellie plunged the razor into Lucy's neck squinting as blood sprayed from the wound covering them both as Lucy staggered back desperately clutching her throat as she fell to the floor the light fading from her eyes as her blood drained on to the shop floor. She glanced up at the ceiling hearing Sweeney's familiar footsteps before she wiped the razor clean on her skirt as she stepped over Lucy's Body before tucking it away and drug her lifeless sister to the bake house glancing at the trap door as she heard Sweeney talking to the judge.

Once Lucy was placed by the butchering table Nellie hurried back up to the shop and began scrubbing the blood up singing as she did until she was sure it was gone and the smell of bleach burned her nose. Satisfied with her work she hurried to her room changing out of her blood soaked articles balling them up before returning to the parlor and throwing them into the fire watching as the flames devoured them hungerly, she had forgot about the blood coating her face until she felt a now chilled drop roll down her cheek. Without a pause she rushed back down the hall to the linen cupboard opening it not worrying about waking Toby who was sleeping like the dead thanks to the gin she'd let him have, she took the first cloth her fingers touched and began wiping her face returning to the parlor examining her face in the mirror on the wall before throwing the towel into the fire.

She didn't stand and watch it burn as she turned back to the couch hearing a whimper then a shrill cry from Joanna on the couch. In the shop above Sweeney stood in the middle of the room covered in the judge's blood replaying what had just happened in his mind. The bell rung over the door causing Sweeney to pause in his pacing and polishing his razor to see the honorable judge Turpin in the doorway eyes trained on the barber for a long moment before speaking.

"Mr. Todd?"

Sweeney put on his most convincing business smile giving a slight bow.

"At your service honorable judge Turpin."

The judge let his eyes sweep the room before looking at the barber once more.

"You've heard of me barber?"

Sweeney bit back the urge to draw his razor and slit the blighters throat as he took the man's coat gesturing for him to sit in the chair.

"Who in this world has not, now what can I do for you my lord? A soothing skin massage? A stylish trimming of the hair?"

Sweeney swallowed thickly as the judge loosened his collar and sat in the chair exposing his neck.

"Just a shave and quickly, I have an appointment to keep."

Sweeney nodded once draping the sheet around the judge to protect his clothes.

"Of course sir."

The room soon fell silent apart from the sounds as Sweeney prepared the lather pausing as he heard singing from the room below, he recognized Nellie's voice and smiled guessing she'd completed her task and was acting as though she had gone back to the task of cleaning her shop.

"Such a lovely voice she has."

It took Sweeney a moment to realize the judge had spoke, he nodded his agreement as he spread the lather over the other man's face and neck.

"Yes sir she does, she sings to herself quite often."

The judge said nothing for a moment while Sweeney sharpened his razor with care being sure it was as sharp as possible but froze when the judge next spoke.

"Undamaged by her time in Bedlum, she sounds like a fallen angel."

Sweeney's grip tightened on the handle of his razor to stop it from shaking.

"In Bedlum you say? For what?"

The room lapsed into silence again only Nellie's voice singing about a house by the sea keeping it from being a deafening silence.

"She was sent there by her family when she lost her head when her fiance was convicted of a crime and sent to Australia for life. I tried to free her and take her into my care but she refused then escaped on her own nights later."

Sweeney used every ounce of his willpower not to slit the skin under his razor as he began to shave the judge.

"A criminal you say? Wrongly convicted wasn't he framed by a honorable judge and the succubus sister of Miss Eleanor Walker?"

The judge looked at Sweeney his eyes confused and his brows knitted together making Sweeney smirk.

"I suppose the face of the barber, the face of an innocent man framed a criminal is not particularly memorable."

Realization washed over the judge's face as his eyes widened in shock.

"Benjamin Barker!"

"BENJAMIN BARKER!"

Sweeney yelled bringing his razor down and across the man's throat making blood spray out and cover him while he slashed and stabbed the throat before him until it was no longer recognizable then stepped back to examine his work a satisfied smile on his lips. HIs remembering was broken by the sound of Nellie singing again but now it was softer and the song sounded like a child's lullaby causing his eyebrows to knit went to the stairs leading down into the parlor below listening as the singing became clearer, it was without a doubt a lullaby, he entered the parlor moments later to find Nellie gently swaying in the middle of the room with her back to him.

He took a step closer making a floorboard creak causing her to turn around, as soon as she did his eyes widened in shock to see the slumbering infant in her arms. He was unable to speak as he stared at her his eyes wide as dessert plates making her bite her lip trying to make herself speak but it was him that broke the silence.

"Where did that come from?"