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... of Vengeance
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Joined: Jan 2008
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Karma: 0 |  | We're Home (Sweeney Todd)
« Thread Started on Jan 12, 2008, 10:30pm » | |
Disclaimer: As much as I would love to, I don’t own Sweeney Todd, whether that is the story, it’s characters, or anything to do with it. This wonderful story belongs to whoever wrote it back in the nineteenth century, as well as to Stephen Sondheim and, most recently, Tim Burton.
"She was alive... You lied."
Nellie Lovett shook her head violently. Too many terrible thoughts were racing, some at the speed of light, through her mind right now. It was wrong. There, she'd admitted it. What she had done was wrong. She should never have been so vague regarding Lucy... She realized that. But even still, she continued to shake her head, the movement slowing gradually.
"I never lied. I said she poisoned 'erself... Never said she died. I'll make a far better wife than she ever did."
It was Sweeney Todd's turn for thoughts to race through his head. He knew that she hadn't lied, but what she'd done was worse, much worse, than lying. Now he really had no chance of being with his Lucy... His beloved Lucy... Brushing back her dirty, once wheat-yellow hair, a small tear rolled down his cheek and landed soundlessly on her slightly parted lips. He once knew those lips. How soft they had been, but were now dry and cold; they had even begun to lose their colour. Staring at her made him yearn for tears, but none would come. He tried to force them from beneath his frostbitten heart, but could not. Why was it he could not cry? Lucy was dead, he hadn't seen Johanna in fifteen years, and Mrs. Lovett was a traitor. These things would be enough to make anybody cry- anybody, that was, but Sweeney Todd. He knew, deep down, that Benjamin Barker would have felt the sorrow and even guilt that lay thick over this situation, but that offered him no comfort. Slowly, ever so slowly, he rose from the ground, laying his precious Lucy gently on the cold, stone floor, and began advancing.
Nellie knew what was coming. She saw the razor glistening in his pocket, waiting impatiently to be drawn from it's resting place. She could almost hear it's cold, chilling whisper.
'Crimson. I want to taste the crimson. She deserves it, she deserves to have her delicate, pale neck ooze that luscious, crimson blood...'
Tears welled in Nellie's eyes. No matter how much she told herself that she deserved her punishment, belief never came. Mr. Todd was getting closer. At any minute, she was prepared to be thrust with his strong hand against the wall, and have the last image of her life being the hatred in his eyes, and the glint of the flames from the oven off of the delicately polished silver blade.
The next moment came in a rush of wind and emotion as she was swept away from the cold, wet cellar wall and into the arms of her beloved. He seemed happy... He was dancing with her- this had to be a good sign... Didn't it?
Sweeney's dark, deep set eyes stared straight into Mrs. Lovett's care-worn ones, yet their gazes did not seem to reach a point at which they locked. He twirled her around, already knowing what her fate would be. He'd planned it out in his head, very briefly, as he was walking over. He would make her dance, like this. Twirl around and around until he was sure that her fears and doubts were gone, and then he'd do it. He'd push her right into the oven, where she could burn like she would in Hell for all the pain that she had caused him over the past year.
Nellie suddenly locked eyes with Mr. Todd. They held a look that she had never seen before in all her days with him. Those eyes were not the ones that she knew and loved- they held terror, grief and showed a dire need for vengeance.
At first, she thought it was from the dancing, but realized, what seemed like a split second too late, where the heat was coming from and what was happening.
Time came to a stand still. He'd done it. Sweeney Todd had just pushed Nellie Lovett to her death in a burning, flaming oven that she had slaved over many a day in her short, pointless life. But she hadn't reached it yet. It seemed as though she was suspended in mid-air between life and death. Her eyes... They were filled with love and adoration, showing but the tiniest bit of fear. He hadn't expected that- not in the slightest. Why was there so little fear in her eyes? Wasn't everyone afraid to die? It hit him, then. He finally realized.
Slowly, his heart began to thaw from its frostbitten state. He could feel it melting in his chest, but it wasn't the flames of the ever-looming oven that were thawing his aching heart. No. It was love. Mrs. Lovett's love for him had finally been noticed, but he now concluded, too late. Along with his heart, then persona that was Sweeney Todd began to drip away into nothingness, and the underlying Benjamin Barker came forth. His forehead became less wrinkled, his frown turned into a smile and tears came to his eyes. At that precise moment, it became apparent to him that, all through this year, it hadn't been Lucy he'd wanted and needed; it had been Mrs. Lovett- Nellie. She'd been a young little thing way back, when he and Lucy had moved above the pie shop, but she was the one that took care of him when he had been sick, not Lucy. Nellie had been the one that he would go to if he needed to talk about something late into the night, not Lucy. And the last thing that he could think of at the moment was of how much Nellie had helped him through the past year. She'd helped him get revenge on those that had done him wrong all those fifteen years ago.
And after all that, how did he repay her? By pushing her to her scorching death in an oven that had also aided him. He couldn't let that happen. No. Benjamin knew that there were only a few more minutes that were available to use before time started back at regular speed, so he grabbed hold of Nellie's hands and held them tightly, not letting go for a second. Time returned to its normal speed once again, and she was pulled forcefully into his masculine arms. He placed one hand on her lower back, the other on the back of her head, and pulled her closer to him.
Their lips met in a wonderful cascade of emotions. Both had tears streaming down their cheeks. They ran over their lips, making the other taste salty happiness. Benjamin broke away from the kiss and smiled softly at Nellie. Before doing or saying anything further, however, he let go of her and walked over to the oven, slamming the door shut and locking it up for good. He walked slowly back over to her, smiling.
Nellie looked into his eyes. This time, they were not blank, nor were they filled with sorrow or anger, or guilt or the thirst of blood. They held only what Nellie had wanted to see for nearly her entire lifetime- love. And she knew that it wasn't for Lucy anymore. It was finally, at long last, for her.
"Mr. Todd-"
"No, Nellie, it's not Mr. Todd. Nor Sweeney."
Her heart fluttered. He'd called her by her first name. He'd called her Nellie. For the first time in fifteen years she'd heard him say her name.
"Mr. T?" She prompted, but knew that this would also be unacceptable, so she smiled and waited for him to have the next say.
He smiled along with her, not realizing and not truly appreciating, until now, how completely amazing it was to smile.
"No. Please, call me Benjamin. Ben, if you will."
Nellie nodded, feeling as though she were on the highest cloud in the sky- overlooking the sea. She was, after a moment, led upstairs to a less dingy, yet still horribly unkempt room, where she was seated by the most kind, sincere man she'd ever laid eyes on or met. Ben sat across from her and smiled. The years had not been kind to him. Now that the real Benjamin Barker was back, Nellie could see clearly the differences, the changes that had occurred over the years. His eyes were so much darker than what they had been, and he had more lines that had carved their way into his forehead; most out of worry and anger. Yet, the messy, black hair with the white streak made her love him all the more.
As if reading her mind, Ben ran his fingers through his untidy hair, chuckling softly to himself. He then remembered what Nellie had said, not too long ago, he realized. Leaning across the table, he took her petite, soft hands in his larger, rougher ones and gave a small smile before speaking.
"Nellie... We're going to go somewhere. Right now."
He surprised her, but then again, he never failed to. What was he planning?
"Where might we be goin' at this hour o' the night?" She paused. "Ben."
"Why, to the sea, of course. We'll be a family, you, Toby and I- a proper one."
Nellie didn't know the reason for his change of heart, but she couldn't find a reason to care right now. All of her wildest dreams were coming true, and it made her the happiest person alive.
A cool, gentle breeze awoke Nellie the next morning. Groggily, she climbed out of bed, oblivious to the life form next to her. It was different this morning, though. It seemed brighter. The fine parting of her eyelids was more vividly drawn today, where as any other day, they wouldn't have been seen until a lamp had been lit. Stumbling over what felt to her like carpet, (odd... She didn't remember having carpet anywhere in her bedroom), Nellie eventually reached a door, no, wait... Two doors? She opened them and was greeted by the smell of salty air that instantly clung to every inch of her. The sounds of seagulls and the roaring of waves rolling in with the tide seemed to make a melody of enchanting happiness.
Just as Nellie began to wake and think that she was dreaming this sensational feeling, a warm arm wrapped itself around her. She looked over to see Ben, smiling off into the distance. Following his gaze with her now completely open and awake eyes, she let a small gasp cross her lips. There it was, as gorgeous as ever- more beautiful than she could ever have imagined it... The sea. Nellie looked back at Ben to see that his smile had grown.
"What’s you smilin' so big for?"
"We're home," was his only reply.
Please post anything! I wouldn't mind some constructive criticism!
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