( I don't own Sweeney Todd. )

Sweeney continued to drink even though he was well past drunk.

The vile liquid, it seemed, had the ability to wash away his misery.

It blurred his vision of the room around him which provoked painful memories, and slowly clouded his thoughts on Lucy, Johanna and the Judge until it left him with nothing but a peaceful numbness.

"...Mr T?" Mrs Lovett cautiously opened the barbershop door.

She knew the barber hated to be disturbed, but she was worried. Had to check the silly man hadn't done anything foolish up there with those razors and all that gin.

Sweeney turned quickly towards her, his eyes narrowed.

Mrs Lovett flinched, but there was no shouting for her to get out this time, no empty bottle hurled in her direction or cold razor pressed against her throat... There was nothing.

Sweeney continued to stare at the blurred figure at the door.

The voice he'd heard was soft and full of concern, it was a woman... Lucy...

Mr Todd smiled, a loving smile full of affection as he stumbled his way towards Mrs Lovett, who watched him with uncertainty. Experience had taught her to be cautious at times like this.

"Mr T, what are you-"

"Sh, my pet..." He smiled, running a hand down her cheek.

Mrs Lovett held her breath as she felt her heart skip a beat.

He loved her, she knew he did! Although her head knew something wasn't right, her heart had already carelessly pushed these thoughts aside.

"Oh, Mr Todd..." She managed to whisper between her rapid breathing as the barber ran his hands lovingly over her body, something she thought only happened in her dreams.

The baker trembled with delight as he cupped her cheek in his hand and moved in closer to her, his lips pressing against hers.

His mouth tasted of booze but Mrs Lovett couldn't care less, he was hers at last... He loved her.

Mr Todd pulled away slightly so he could murmur lovingly into her ear,

"I love you, my Lucy..."

Lucy?!

The warm feeling Mrs Lovett had vanished as if Sweeney had just dumped a bucket of icy water over her head. Reality took its cold grasp of her; her mind mocking her heart- Told you so.

Mr Todd moved in for another kiss but this time it was Mrs Lovett who pulled away, her eyes brimming with tears of hurt.

"Mr Todd..." She whimpered. "It's me!"

Sweeney looked the woman up and down in confusion, before suddenly realising.

"Mrs Lovett!" He roared angrily, causing her to jump back slightly in fright. "How dare you!"

He grabbed her neck with one hand, slamming her against the wall, the other hand fumbling for his razors, which unknown to him were on the barber chair on the other side of the room.

"Please, Mr T..." She choked. "I had no idea, I didn't! I thought you was-"

Given up on finding his razors, Sweeney resorted instead to slamming her hard against the wall again.

Mrs Lovett fell to the ground at his feet and looked up at him, her big eyes wide with fright.

Sweeney took a long swig of his gin, wishing to wash that disgusting memory from his mind.

Swaying slightly, he placed the bottle back on the ground.

Mrs Lovett carefully got to her feet, not making any sudden movements was critical at this point of the night. But as she moved her shoe scuffed against the floor. Mrs Lovett froze.

Sweeney turned, someone was there... Sneaking behind him...

Mrs Lovett felt panic wash over her. Run! No... Take it slow, so as not to frighten the man...

Sweeney saw it- A blurred figure was standing upright now, moving away from him... The Judge!

Quick as a flash, Sweeney swung his fist and felt it make contact with something. Did he get him? He couldn't be sure.

Sweeney punched again, even harder this time. He heard a light thud of something falling to the ground.

Sweeney smiled. Yes! I have him! He began kicking into the judge, harder and harder.

Mrs Lovett curled into a ball, shielding her face with her arms and torso with her legs as Sweeney's boots pounded into her.

She lay there praying he'd get sick of beating her or pass out... Anything to make him stop.

Sweeney stomped down hard into her side, knocking the wind out of her.

"That's for my wife, you bastard..." She heard him mumble bitterly.

Fear swept over Mrs Lovett, he thought she was that bloody old judge! She then realized he wasn't just trying to hurt her this time, he was trying to kill her.

Mrs Lovett forced her aching body up and quickly began to scramble away from the drunken barber.

"No you don't!"

He easily pulled her to her feet and punched her.

The punch was hard, colliding with her cheekbone and sending her flying back to the ground.

It wasn't the way a man would hit a woman, but then again in Sweeney's mind this was no woman. In his mind he was beating the man who'd ruined his life and family all those years ago. Who'd raped his wife, stolen his daughter... For this, no mercy was shown.

Mrs Lovett shakily got to her hands and knees and attempted to get back up, but Sweeney's boot had already slammed into her stomach and she fell back to the ground, coughing.

"Revenge hurts, doesn't it my friend?" Sweeney's speech was slurred but words came out all the same.

He gave her another kick in the stomach and she felt like she was going to be sick.

"Mr T... Please... " She moaned weakly. "Me poor bones can't take much more of a beating..."

He was saying something, the judge... Sweeney couldn't make it out though.

He reached down and felt the judge's body beneath him. He wrenched the pitiful vermin to its feet.

Mrs Lovett stood, shaking in fear at the drunken man in front of her. She saw him raise his fist again and instinctively turned her head away, squeezing her eyes shut.

This punch was by far the most brutal. It hit her hard in her left eye, she would've fallen back to the ground if Mr Todd wasn't still holding onto her.

She hung limply in his grasp, dazed. White and black spots danced across her blurred vision and she felt her eye begin to swell already.

"What did you say, scum?!" He demanded.

His voice seemed distant now, the room was starting to spin. She felt sick.

Sweeney shook the judge angrily.

"What did you say?!" He asked again. No answer.

Well, I suppose my friends can help get the words from him... Sweeney thought to himself as he dropped the judge and staggered across the room in search of his razors.

Mrs Lovett landed with a thud on the barbershop floor and felt herself slip in and out of conciousness as she lay there, Mr Todd off rumaging through his shop, cursing and rambling drunkenly to himself.

She knew this was her chance to escape, but she was so tired... Her body was suddenly so heavy she couldn't move, even her eyes refused to open. She just wanted to lie here and sleep.

If you sleep you'll die, silly woman... a small voice in the back of her mind reminded her.

She had to get up... she slowly opened her eyes to find her vision more blurred than ever. Her left eye didn't open more than halfway, and it stung if she tried to force it.

Slowly, she forced herself up, using the wall to steady herself as she got to her feet.

She felt so, so sick. The room was still spinning as she staggered blindly, tracing the walls till she found the door and shakily pushed her way out into the freezing night.

The absence of Sweeney's shouts told her he'd probably passed out from the gin.

She held onto the railing for dear life as she stumbled down the stairs and into her pie shop. She was greeted immediately by the familiar warmth and floury smells of her kitchen and finally she felt safe.

Mrs Lovett gagged, feeling an uncomfortable burning sensation rise in her throat. She hurried across her kitchen, not sure if she made it to the sink or not when she threw up.

She sobbed as her body violently emptied the contents of her stomach as if in protest for putting it through another beating for a man who so obviously didn't love her.

He didn't mean it... Just a bad night is all... He didn't mean it...

She told this to herself and believed it every time.