My very first Sweeney Todd story! Hooray! I wrote this down on notebook paper a while ago and just got a chance to put it up. I'm really hoping that I was able to keep everybody in-character. I know a lot of people have trouble with that, especially on their first. It's really hard to write Sweeney's character because I don't think we'll ever know what the guy thinks...

Anyway, enough talking. Let's get on with the story!

EDIT: Finally fixed those couple of typos. At least the ones that I could find.

Sweeney Todd does NOT belong to me!

Faint thunder rolled ominously in the distance as Sweeney Todd opened his blade. It glimmered deliciously in the moonlight shining through the dirty window of his tonsorial parlor. Slowly, he stepped toward the figure in his infamous chair. Shadows obscured his features, but Todd could see one thing: he was quivering.

The demon barber smirked sickeningly.

"Come for a shave, mate?" he hissed. He received no response. The man was obviously struck dumb staring his demise in the face. Todd's boots thudded dully on the dusty-- and soon to be bloody-- wooden floor underfoot. The thunder boomed again, louder and closer this time. Sweeney's heart beat faster against his ribcage, sending adrenaline shooting through his veins.

The man in the chair made no sound-- what was one expected to say in the face of death? Todd held the blade towards him. In one deft motion, it was against the man's throught. His life was coming to an end; he would be dead in an instant. The toned muscles of his arm twitched, ready for the kill, to slash the blade into his victim's flesh. The thunder boomed like an earthquake outside. Lightning flashed brightly, illuminating for the first time the man's face.

And Sweeney froze.

The man's eyes were wide, his face contorted with fear. And it was familiar. It was his own. No, not his; Barkers. Benjamin Barker's.

Todd's blade fell to the floor with a clatter that echoed through the room. He stared at his past self in utter disbelief. The barber backed away a few steps slowly; agonizingly slowly.

"It's not possible..." he whispered. It wasn't...was it?

The thunder exploded again, and suddenly a sickening scream emanated from Barker's open mouth as the chair tipped backward on its own accord. The trap door opened and Barker was thrown into the dark abyss below. It then slammed shut with a thud, and seconds later, there was a nauseating crunching sound as the body hit the hard floor in the basement below.

The silence seemed to last an eternity and through it, Todd stayed frozen where he stood. His heart still beat frantically, but not with bloodlust; with fear. Pure, unrelenting fear. Slowly, he stepped forward and looked down at the glimmering razor at his feet. In it's shining silver, he could see his reflection. He could see his eyes. His breath caught in his through when he saw them. They were red.

Blood red.

He started awake just moments later, in a sweat, panting. His heart raced as it had in the nightmare. Todd brought a shaking hand to his forehead and wiped the sweat off his brow. That had been one of the worst yet...

The room was lit dimly by the dying embers of a fire in front of the couch on which he sat. It provided some rudimentary heat as well, but barely any at all. He was surprised that he wasn't as cold as he thought he would be in the dead of February without a fire.

It was then that he noticed something stir next to him. Raising one eyebrow, he looked to his right.

In the dim light of the fire, he could see Mrs. Lovett’s sleeping form. She was curled up next to him with her head on his shoulder, one hand around his neck, the other under her cheek which she rested on him. She breathed slowly, a look of calm on her face.

His heart and breathing had slowed now. His first thought was to push her away, to retire to his own quarters. Though admittedly, it was more pleasant waking up next to another human being after such a terrible nightmare rather than alone in the very setting that the dream had taking place. Still...

He moved his right arm slightly to free him self from her, but something strange stopped him.

Sweeney had never actually realized this, but she smelled like cinnamon. It was odd. He didn't have the slightest idea why in the world she would smell like cinnamon when she worked with meat all day. Then again, it wasn't unpleasant. It was strangely comforting. She snuggled closer to him, a few stray hairs falling into her pale face. With his free hand, Todd moved to brush them away tenderly. Nellie sighed slightly in her sleep, and Sweeney felt the very smallest bit of a smile creep into his lips.

No! This was no way to avenge his Lucy! His Lucy...dead and gone...

His smile faded instantly.

'What's dead is dead...' a small voice protested in his head. He hissed, pushing the thought away with disgust. The memory of Lucy would be with him forever. Turpin would pay dearly for what he did. He would rot in Hell for it...

The barriers had fallen too far. He lived for Lucy! Breathed for her! Loved her...

He closed his eyes and tried to picture Lucy's face. Her light hair...blue eyes...beautiful smile...But suddenly she changed. Her eyes turned brown (1), her hair red, but her smile was just as angelic...His eyes snapped open.

This truly was too much. Lucy was his love; his one and only love. Mrs. Lovett was just a business partner. She meant nothing to him. Nothing more than an annoying woman who was clever and skilled at making pies. Just...a business partner...

With a hiss, he stood, and Nellie fell forward onto a cushion, awakening. She groggily opened her eyes and turned to see Mr. Todd just leaving the room. Sighing, she sat up.

What a wonderful dream! She had dreamt Mr. T had brushed the hair lovingly out of her face as she lay comfortably by his side, her head on his shoulder...

Had it been a dream? It had seemed so real...But no, she must have dreamed it. Mr. Todd would never ever allow her in such close proximity to him like that...

Sighing again, she thought it best to get some more sleep. But after that dream...that perfect dream...lying on the cushion under her head just wasn't quite the same. Regardless, her eyes fluttered closed.

Had she stayed awake just a minute or so more, she may have heard footsteps approaching. The fire had died completely now, and the room was becoming frigid. Sweeney Todd's face was expressionless as he laid the heavy blanket uncharacteristically soft on top of Nellie's sleeping form. Just because he felt nothing for her didn't mean she had to freeze to death after all.

(1)- I don't actually know what color 's eyes are supposed to be. Brown just seemed to fit her.

Woo! That was so much fun to write! I think it turned our really well. Like I said, it's really hard to keep everyone in-character, but I personally think I did a pretty good job with this!

Please please please review! Thanks!