A/N: 'Ello my dears! So I've gotten many gentle nudges to come back to this story, it was never abandoned I just had to take time to first find my notes and decipher them since they were out of order big time (unless numbers go 1, 2, 3, 7, 6, 4...somehow I don't think so) but now I have them straightened out and this story will be back to updating hoping I don't get mixed up with chapters again. Also i will be updating Little Greenfinch & Sweet Nightingale soon as well but please all do remember I hand write all my stories and chapters first so it takes me a little longer to update because I'm either adding, editing, or still writing, the most I can ask for is your understanding and that you enjoy the stories. Now without further adieu please enjoy chapter 12! Oh but before I forget I realize now that I had been spelling Johanna all wrong I will start spelling it right now and if you haven't figured it out the twist was that Nellie and Sweeney take her in after they kill Lucy and Turpin! ok now you may continue.

Chapter 12

Nellie seen the trick in the man's pale eyes, he knew Lucy had brought Johanna into the shop and was waiting for her to fall for knowing it. She thought for a moment her brows knitting together before she spoke.

"Yes Mrs. Turpin came into me shop, she sat in a booth and we talked lightly as I were cleanin' while she waited for 'er 'usband, 'e came down about ten minutes later with Mr. Todd, I offered 'em some of me 'ome made fruit pies to take with 'em but they declined and left the shop."

Her eyes focused back on the man before her as he nodded then looked at Sweeney, a shred of doubt in his eyes.

"Is that what happened Mr. Todd?"

Sweeney met the man's eyes his face emotionless as he nodded.

"Yes it is, I watched them leave from the door of the shop before closing it for the night seeing as they were our last customers."

The man nodded but his eyes were searching for questions in his mind to ask that might trip them up, then his eyes followed Johanna as Sweeney handed her over to Nellie when she became fussy, Nellie looked at Toby who was scrubbing the counter before taking her purse from it's place.

"Toby can ya do somethin' for me?"

The boy's head snapped up and he nodded watching her draw a couple notes from the purse.

"Go down to the market and get some fresh milk and a couple bottles, I dropped the last one we 'ad late last night."

She added the last bit feeling the weary gaze on her back but smiled when Toby came to her smiling at Johanna, though his eyes were confused to be seeing her.

"Yes mum, be back in a tick."

He said cheerily before leaving the shop, Nellie sighed under her breath lightly bouncing Johanna calming her until she began entertaining herself with one of Nellie's loose curls lightly tugging it.

"So what happened after you closed the shops?"

Nellie looked over her shoulder wincing as the action made Johanna tug the red curl in her chubby hand sharply unaware the child was revealing one of the pale scars on her temple.

"My wife put Johanna to bed then we sat in the parlor by the fire for about an hour before we went to bed ourselves."

But the man wasn't listening, his eyes were instead focused on Nellie's temple now exposed by the child tugging her hair. Nellie realized what he was looking at and turned back to look at Johanna taking the curl from her making her start to whimper.

"I'm goin' to take 'er for a little walk love, be back soon."

She walked to the door pausing to smile to the men watching her, the second the officer's eyes shifted she gave Sweeney a stiff nod before leaving knowing when she returned there'd be a body to cut up in the bakehouse. She walked along the street singing softly to Johanna who was watching her with bright hazel eyes, without thinking about it Nellie walked to the market looking up when she heard Toby's voice calling to her over the crowd. She looked up as the boy ran up to her holding a bag of cloth wrapped bottles in one hand and in the other the bottle of milk making her smile softly.

"I was comin' back, ya didn't need to come find me."

His eyes once again drifted to Johanna though he wore his confusion on his sleeve this time but gave a small smile as Johanna babbled at him making Nellie chuckle.

"She likes ya darlin', I know you were comin' back but that man left and I thought a walk maybe relaxin', 'sides with Johanna now we needed a few things."

Toby nodded and followed by her side before biting his lip.

"Where did she come from? She weren't there when I went to bed last night."

Nellie looked away from the pale blue baby dress in the window of the dress shop to look into Toby's wide brown eyes.

"Found 'er on the doorstep after you went to bed, I couldn't just leave 'er there could I?"

The lie fell easily from her tongue and Toby smiled taking the answer and looking at the dress in the window then back to Nellie.

"Does that mean she's me sister now?"

Nellie thought for a moment as the walked away from the shop, of course she looked at Toby as her son she had since the day he'd come into her shop with the italian barber Pirelli, whom she'd tricked into her bed by seducing him before she killed him angered by the way he had treated poor Toby. She glanced up from Toby to look at the bustling market then smiled wrapping one arm around his shoulders while the other held Johanna.

"Kinda T, she's like your 'alf sister so that means you've got to be a good big brother to 'er and keep 'er safe from all them demons you tell me about."

Toby smiled widely and stood a little straighter as they walked.

"I won't let nothin' 'arm 'er or you mum."

Nellie smiled proudly walking by his side as they got what they needed. Once they entered the pie shop Nellie could hear the sound of the bake house door closing making her think fast as her eyes moved to Toby.

"Why don't you go and find your friends Toby, go 'ave some fun before we open tonight."

Toby looked at her a small glimmer of confusion in his eyes before it vanished and he left the shop smiling. Nellie sighed and slumped down into one of the booths careful she didn't bump Johanna's head on the table before she closed her eyes.

"'E's gone, ya can come up now Sweeney."

The words had hardly left her lips when she felt someone sit beside her but the familiar scent of musk and spice, now mixed with copper, made her smile for a heartbeat before it fell and she opened her eyes to look at the ceiling.

"We can't stay 'ere love, can't keep killin' the men that come askin' after Lucy and the judge, they'll catch on before then it's either off to Australia or worse the gallows for the both of us."

She finally looked at him tears filling her eyes making his eyebrows knit together as he gently cupped her face in his hands, she didn't even flinch at the blood on them despite the fact it was now on her cheeks.

"We'll think of something pet, I promise."

She swallowed past the lump in her throat and nodded her eyes staying locked with his as he leaned close and placed a soft kiss to forehead before standing and letting her out of the booth. She watched as he paced the floor but got to her feet retreating to the parlor as his actions and the millions of angry swarming thoughts made her dizzy.