Chapter 28: Exposition

Note: This chapter has some exposition in this for sure, hence the title. A lot of things Lucy will say might be a bit obvious but that is what the Botany Bay flashback later in the chapter is for. There will be some fluff here too so be ready for that. I'll start with Lucy's POV, then Daniels POV. So without further to do let's start the chapter shall we.

(Lucy's POV.) It was like time no longer existed. We did not want to let go of each other, It had been SO long. Benjamin, kept my hair clutched in his hands, held on as if we could be ripped out of each other's arms at any moment, as we were torn apart so many years ago. We broke apart so we could both breathe. "Oh god, my Lucy, my reason, my life."

I looked at his face, to gaze into his tear filled eyes. "I never thought you'd return, you were supposed to go for life?" "Yes I was, but I needed to return. I stayed alive and strong in that hellhole, and when I had a chance, I managed to steal a boat and tried to get to London. But the boat was destroyed in a storm, and would have died if Anthony Hope had not found me in the Bountiful." "I'm glad he found you."

"When I returned Lovett told me about how you tried to raise Johanna by yourself while I was gone, but the judge tricked you into coming to a party where he forced himself on you after drugging you. Then she told me you killed yourself with arsenic. But she had lied to me about your ultimate fate, I believe she wanted me to herself." "She always seemed to have a crush on you, my husband." "I also knew that the judge had my daughter." "He is a vile man Benjamin, a vile man indeed."

"He tried to make her marry him." I stumbled back in horror after hearing this. "Was he insane Benjamin?" "He threw her in bedlam for refusing him." "I was in bedlam once too Ben, and it was horrible, that Fogg was a vile man, and many of his orderlies were awful men too." "What happened between you and Lovett that caused you to hate her so my Lucy, she told me she tried to stop you from drinking the Arsenic." I laughed at this.

"She told you that she did," I said darkly. I saw my husband clench his fists tightly. "What did that bitch do?" he snarled. I was taken aback by his language, as I had never heard him utter a single swear before. But being in prison for fifteen years does change a man. His eyes were now dark and cold, he looked like he had not had a goodnight sleep in years, and had a white streak in his hair.

"She did not try to stop me from drinking the arsenic. I was in a dark place after the judge forced himself upon me. I felt worthless, how can I have been so foolish. I felt I would never see you again, and I couldn't look others in the eye. I did not deserve to be a mother, being such a fool to fall for such a thing. I could hear dark voices in my mind, telling me that I was a worthless woman, that my own baby daughter would be better off without me.

I bought arsenic from the apothecary. I did not drink it right away, I told myself I had to be strong and take care of Johanna. Several times I stopped myself from drinking it. I can't completely recall what happened between me and Lovett, but I can assure you she knew I had the arsenic, and never once did she try to stop me from taking it. She thought i was an idiot trusting the judge, but I never thought he would do such a thing to me, how could I have known. But I feel that once I remember that night, that Lovett had a hand in it somehow."

I could see my husband's face flushing in rage. "It's OK Ben, she might not have something as bad as we think." "You kept calling her the devil's wife, there is a reason for that and someday I will find out." I reached out and cupped his face. His eyes focused on me and his chest began to stop heaving. "I am here now Ben, for real this time."

"We need to tell the others about what has happened." "No Ben, let them sleep for now." "You must know Lucy that Ben died in prison long ago, I can't be that man anymore, I am Sweeney Todd now, that man is dead and buried now." "You will always be Ben to me." We pressed our lips together once again. We stumbled into his bedroom, and slammed the door behind us.

(Daniels POV.) It was a nightmare trying to find the bastard without a good lead. We were currently in the latest town that led us to nowhere. It was still late, all I could think about was the last thing I could remember about that bastard. Barker was getting hard to handle, he still wasn't the biggest man, but he could go toe to toe with a lot of the inmates. We had to punish him after some fool mocked his wife, which led to him beating the man almost to death, if we didn't pull him off them.

He was now glaring at me through the bars, and I glared back at him. "Do you need me to whip you more shit stain?" He narrowed his eyes at me. "I'm going to get transferred soon, I am going to miss beating you and putting you in your place." "I will get back to my family someday, and you will not stand in my way Daniel," he growled. "Anyone who gets in my way will be sent to an early grave."

"You will stay here until you die, barber, don't get too big of a head bastard." "Count on it, I will rescue her from that worthless animal, I will reunite with my wife and child." "The judge has done nothing to her" I growled. The barber let loose a dark laugh. "He is an animal, a vulture, you are a fool if you believe he is a just and honorable man." He gave me the most vicious glare one could make.

"I am not afraid of you barber." "I feel no fear for you either." He began to pace in his cell. "You are a fool" I snarled. He kept his glare on me, a murderous glare that told me that he was no longer the man he was when he entered here. No he could kill me with no remorse, I could feel nothing but contempt and hate from him.

He was now a dangerous man, one that would kill you if you stood in his way. He stopped pacing and we simply glared at each other. "I promise, I will kill him, and maybe even you." I had to find the bastard. He had to pay for killing the judge, as I felt he was too dangerous to allow him to go free.

Note: Next chapter the others will learn Lucy has recovered her sanity for the most part. She is still going to have her moments. Most of the next chapter takes place right after this one, but there will be a month time skip at the end of that chapter. There will be a lot of fluff in the next chapter. See you next time.