COMPLETED Nellie Lovett (The Virgin Widow of Fleet Street) #Wattys2016 Sweenett

Safe In My Arms

Chapter V

It was freezing cold in the streets of London and Sweeney was out walking, he just received a letter from Anthony the previous night and he's now on his way to the post office for his response. The sky is as gloomy as his feelings. He was getting near the post office when he noticed Beadle Bamford together with a few men he recognized as police officers based on their chaps and hats; they were riding an open carriage and seemed like in a hurry for something as they whipped the horses harder for them to run faster.

He went on walking again, going closer and closer to the post office. When he finished dropping the letter after a few people on the queue, Sweeney immediately went out of the building to go back to Mrs. Lovett's bakeshop when he bumped into the newly appointed judge in London. Sweeney gave his respect to the judge who smiled at him.

"Judge Riddle" Sweeney greeted the man, bowed and smiled politely as he walked forward again to avoid any interaction with the new judge.
"Sweeney Todd, correct?" the judge asked which made him stop.
"Yes, sir." he replied.
"Well I've heard much about you. Men in fleet street are looking good thanks to your proffessional shaving skills, as I have heard." the judge smiled and touched his chin. "Your barber shop is on the second level of this certain Mrs. Lovett's pie shop, correct?"
"Yes sir" he replied again.
"Well, it's too bad Mrs. Lovett isn't operating since I got here, heard from town people her baked goods are the best in London."
"It is, for sure." Sweeney said half smiling with the praise he heard for Mrs. Lovett. "Mrs. Lovett is ill..." he continued but stopped mid sentence, his eyes are following the same carriage he saw awhile ago entering the court opposite where he stand, only now, with them was a boy, struggling to be set free as a man held his wrists behind him like he was some criminal.

Bloody hell, he surely felt his blood pumping double time in his chest as he recognized the boy, it was Toby.
"I'm sorry sir, but I have to get going, Mrs. Lovett has nobody else with her and she is still sick." he bowed again to the man before him.
The man looked at his watch then his eyes followed where Sweeney's eyes were set on, "Well send my regards to Mrs. Lovett, Mr. Todd." said the judge, immediately, Sweeney walked back to the pie shop.

If they got Toby, Mrs. Lovett is alone at that moment and for no particular reason he can pinpoint, his heart raced at the thought. In a little more than five minutes he reached the pie shop. It has long been closed since Mrs. Lovett still can't get a grip of herself after the traggic incidents she witnessed, he run to the back door and opened it without a problem, he heard screams from upstairs the moment he set foot inside her house. Mrs. Lovett is screaming hysterically and he didn't know how fast he ran up to her room. The door was locked, and that gave him more fear. He gathered all his force and kicked the door open.

There, right in front of him was the skunk Beadle Bamford atop Mrs. Lovett, his hands pressing on the woman's naked legs. The devil! His pants and undergarments hanged on his knees as he devoured on Mrs. Lovett; kissing her neck as his other hand is pressing her breast. She continued screaming, crying, whilst pushing and hitting the man on top of her. Like an angry lion, Sweeney jumped over the Beadle and they both landed on the wooden floor. Everything went black, he just hit and hit him until the man below him past out and he went back to his senses with thoughts of Nellie.
He felt as if cold water splashed all over him. His fist were full of blood, the face of the man was bleeding hard, his jaws are dislocated he can see.
"Mrs. Lovett" he whispered and stood up.

There she was, her dress is ripped in front and she curled up like a ball at the the edge of the bed, crying hysterically.
"Mrs. Lovett." he held her shoulders, her face is on top her crossed arms resting on her knees. The way she looked tugged his heart, he felt like his heart is torn into pieces. Scratches and bruises were all over her arms and back as well as on her legs. He could see because of the way the sleeves of her dress were torn as worse as the skirt. Mrs. Lovett just curled up there and continued sobbing out loud, Sweeney could only embrace the poor woman in front of him, he wanted to crush that trash now lying on the floor with his own hands because of what it did to Nellie.
It wasn't so long since she started recovering from the trauma he himself had inflicted on her, now here comes another dilemma that shook her life.

"Hush pet, you're safe now... I'm here now..." he whispered as he embraced her tightly, his right fist now turned white as he clenched it tightly, wanting to crush the skull of that skunk on the floor. Hell, he can see the man's instrument as it lied down facing them. The nasty view made him more angry.
"Hush now... I'm here now... No one will harm you now..." He said softly while gritting his teeth as Nellie remained sobbing and trembling as she kept on wiping her neck with her palms.