Chapter 14: Frustrating Day

Note: Most of the chapter will be in Sweeney's POV. First will be him talking with Lucy and dealing with some of the effects of insanity. Then he is going to have some problems with how intimate Anthony and Johanna are. (They are both 16 after all, so they'll be clingy.) Then Daniel Hyde will arrive in London and meet with Turpin. So without further ado, let's begin.

I woke up to the sounds of birds singing ignorant to the horrors of the world. They were often prey, why they always seemed so happy I did not know. Rarely I heard them sing while I was toiling away in hell on earth. I would dream that I could fly away from there and fly to London. I did return to London, and found I had still not escaped hell. I did have my wife and daughter back, but my wife was no longer sane, and Johanna was being shared with Anthony.

Lucy still could not remember me, but I had to be patient. I really did not know what I was doing, but I'd be damned if Lucy ended up in bedlam again. What was life like living out on the streets? Did the slime of London ever harm her, and did the judge know where she was. Turpin did this to her, drove her over the edge. He was a piece of shit.

I needed to get up and make sure everything was all right, I needed to tend to my wife. Stretching, I got up. I was still wearing my overalls, and I had to put on my trousers, which always had my friends at the ready. Someday I wanted to get the others back. I hope you slept well my darling Lucy. Every muscle in my body ached as I had slept, albeit barely, in an uncomfortable position.

Entering the hall, I stood outside Lucy's door. I felt nervous as I could hear moaning in her room. I crept in to see her sleeping, with an uneasy look on her face. She was tossing, turning, and moaning. "I'm sorry Mr Fogg, I won't do it again." What did he do to my Lucy?

I need to kill more scum sucking Orderlies. She is having nightmares about that place. "Not the needle, I'll stop screaming sir please." I clenched my fists tightly at this. Lucy began to whimper in her sleep. "Lucy," I whispered to her.

"I'll be good sir, I promise to stop screaming." She began to cry in her sleep, tears streaming down her face. I could feel my temperature rise as I began shaking in anger. I marched over to the side of her bed, and moved her hair out of her face. I could see the agony she was feeling on her face. Her experiences were torturing her in her sleep, just like mine has done to me.

That was it, I had to wake my wife up, and deal with the consequences of doing so. I grabbed her and gently shook her. She didn't react and kept moaning. "Lucy please wake up" I said, shaking her harder. "No Mr Fogg, please don't hurt me." "LUCY!"

At this her eyes popped open. She cried out and leapt to her feet. "Please don't hurt me, I'll do anything for you." "Lucy, It's me, Sweeney Todd." The manic look faded from her eyes as she looked around. "Mr Todd, where am I?"

"It's the cabin, remember." Realization dawned on her face. "I was at Fogg's asylum" she began to whimper. "I was screaming that I wanted out, and he slapped me. Then he had an orderly pin me down and he stabbed me with a needle. I was woken up by a nightmare in the middle of the night too, but I can't remember it."

"You will never be hurt again." "Really Mr Todd?" "Really, if anyone wants to hurt you they'll have to go through me." I walked up to her, and taking a chance put my arms around her. To my surprise she didn't try to get away, but laid her head against my chest and wept. "There is something wrong with my mind, I have always been aware of this but I don't know what's wrong with me?'

I held her tighter. "This seems so familiar, but I can't figure out why." I hope you'll remember Lucy someday. When you found out your father was killed in an accident, when you thought you miscarried, I held you like this. I let you cry until you were out of tears. I loved you and Johanna so much, and I still love you both so much my darling Lucy.

I will avenge us, or I will die trying. But I need to help you find a way to help you see through the fog, and finally help you break out of the prison in your own mind. "You can let go sir, I feel better now." I wanted to hold her forever, but I complied. Lucy smiled and left the room. I followed her out to see her lie down on the couch.

"I just want to lie down here for a while sir." "Whatever you'd like, Lucy." I heard the sound of giggling outside. I could recognize that it was Johanna, who was probably flirting with Anthony, making me groan. I was glad he helped me save her, but they wouldn't stop touching each other. Anthony knew what would happen if he went too far with her, though I felt a growing concern that Johanna might be the one who goes too far.

She definitely was willful like her mother, but not tampered with age. I looked out the window I opened to see them lying on the ground near each other looking at the clouds. "You've been so good to me Anthony." "You deserve to know what it's like to be free Johanna, after being imprisoned with the judge for so long." "But I can't leave my mother when she still needs help." Anthony turned his head to her.

"Your parents could come with us, so we could stay together until she is relatively ok again." That needs to be done" she confirmed. The question is could I allow Johanna to leave me. It was a bridge I would have to burn, but I could see myself allowing it after a while. But I could not leave yet, as I still had enemies to kill. I snapped out of my reverie to see Anthony wrap her arms around her, and for her to lay her head on his chest.

When he leaves she will go with, and it would be wrong for me to stop her, as I loved her so much. I didn't want it to happen but I knew it would unless I killed Anthony, and I would lose Johanna again, for good. I realized they started to make out and I growled slowly. "Johanna, Anthony, we need to get ready for breakfast!" I called. They both yelped and broke apart. Johanna missed it, but Anthony gulped nervously under my glare.

They both looked at each other and leapt to their feet. "Coming father!" Johanna called me. "Mr Todd I," Anthony started as he rushed to me but I silenced him with my hand. "Be careful how far you go, if you know what's good for you" I snarled. His eyes flicked down to my holsters and he nodded nervously, turning bright red. He walked past me as Johanna made her way over as well.

(Turpin's POV.) I paced in front of the door and Bamford watched me curiously. I knew that Hyde could show up on any night now. If anyone could help locate Barker I knew it would be him. "I'm sure he will appear soon, my lord." "Do you think I don't know that?" I snapped.

He frowned but he did not respond. Come on damn it, I need you before it's too late. After I was about to give up waiting for the night there was a heavy knock on the door. Bamford smiled at me and marched past me opening the door. The door opened to show the face of the man I was waiting for. "Good to see you, honorable Judge Turpin."

"Daniel, come in, come in!" I cried. He bowed to me and entered. "So, you need my help, my lord?" "Yes my friend, as you know I need help with a certain barber." He smiled and placed his hand on my shoulder. "Yes I know, Benjamin Barker has returned."

Note: Yes there will be more exposition next chapter, by no it won't be only exposition. They will go to the asylum to investigate at night, and notice a certain sailor. So in the next chapter things will begin to enter the next phase of the story. I will reveal things about Benjamin becoming Sweeney Todd alongside the plot.