My One and Only

Picnic

The night was very chilly with no stars or the moon showing. Nellie tossed and turned in her sleep, it was difficult to sleep without Sweeney next to her. The bed felt cold without the barber's warm body on it.

Eventually, Nellie decided to stay awake, she couldn't sleep and she'll probably close her shop tomorrow knowing that she might be exhausted from lack of sleep. She kicked off the blankets as well, despite the room being chilly but Nellie felt strangely hot, her head was dripping with sweat. Perhaps it was stress.

Suddenly, the door cracked open a little. Nellie lifted her head up to see who it was, she guessed it was Sweeney but then she also remembered he was passed out in his shop, so who was entering her room?

"Mum? Are you awake?" Toby whispered. Nellie let out a sigh, she was a bit disappointed it wasn't Sweeney but she also felt lonely and could use some company.

"I've been awake" she answers, "why you up so late?"

"I had a nightmare..." Toby replied feeling embarrassed though Nellie only smiled at him and patted on the mattress as a way of telling him to get into her bed which he did almost immediately.

"What was your nightmare about, love?" Nellie asks sweetly as she brushes Toby's hair. "It was about you." He began, "you took me to the Work House... you said you didn't want me anymore and that I was a burden..." his tone of voice changed and his eyes look like they were going to water, "and then... Mr. Todd... he killed you... I don't know why, but he did..." a few tears trickled down his face which Nellie quickly wiped them away with her finger. Her heart was crushed by his words.

"Now love, I would never do that to you, I love you as if you were me own, and if anyone ever took you away from me I'll always find a way to bring you back into my arms" she soothed.

The boy lifted his head and looked into his mother's eyes, "I wish you were my real mum..." Toby murmured making Nellie stare at him in awe and her heart fluttering madly. "Oh Toby, you sweet thing!" She grabbed his small body and pulled him to a tight hug where he immediately returned it. "No matter what you'll always be my son, blood or not you are my son" she whispered to him. Toby felt happy tears wanting to spring down, he wasn't used to anyone saying nice things to him, especially if it was about family.

"As for Mr. Todd" she pulled away from the hug to look at the lad, "he'll never hurt me".

"How do you know?" The boy queried.

"Because I'm all he has left" she answered. Toby didn't dare question what she meant by that but instead placed his head on the crook of her neck and eventually the two drifted off to sleep, Nellie feeling more comfortable now sleeping with someone, she finally slept peacefully.

***

Eleanor was in the kitchen preparing breakfast, Toby was still asleep in her room and Sweeney was still in his shop, possibly still passed out. She worried about him, what will their plan be if Alexander investigates the two shops? Will Sweeney stop killing people? What will they do if Alex finds out about their crimes? There were too many questions running through her head and honestly she wasn't in the mood to open her shop. She felt like having a picnic at the park, especially since today was a rare sunny day and she wants to spend her entire day with her barber and boy.

As if he knew she was talking about him, Sweeney came in through the back door with his back hunched down like usual, but his attire looked slightly different. He looked tired and his hair was a mess and his eyes were droopy and there were dark bags under them. It was like how he looked when he first came back from prison, the poor thing looked beaten up and was very cautious of his surroundings.

"Mornin' love" Nellie spoke softly but Sweeney only grunted and sat in a booth where there was a window next to it and he started to look through it.

Nellie let out a sigh and walked towards him, sitting across from him in the booth he sat in. "Sweeney, are you alright? I came by your shop yesterday and you were passed out".