title Scream

author pinkeop

summary From now on when I think of you, I scream. -Companion Fic to Girl Anachronism- -AU-

authors note ...I wasn't expecting this to be the last chapter but lo and behold- It is! I know, you're all like "WOT MAN?" But it is the last chapter.

With a crappy epilouge at the end. I realized I couldn't drag this out any longer despite how much I wished I could.

BUT DONT WORRY! there's a squeal of sorts for Scream. So look out for a new story by yours truely, Panic Prone, which will be a series of one-shots that have to do with Ana, Sweeney, and the baby- who you have to read to figure out who it is! -smile-

So... enjoy?

Love!

Pink Elephants on Parade

--

chapter thirteen

A Bone shatters, fall apart and hit the floor

If it doesn't thrill you it doesn't matter any more

Bones shatter, baby don't go out this time

No matter where you've been or who you are

If it doesn't kill you it's sure to leave a horrible scar

Rosetta and Micheal McDaughs had a beautiful family, a beautiful home and a beautiful life. They lived in a small community outside the large, poisonous city of London. The country side was dotted with farms. Their closest neighbors were plenty acres away. Their home was nestled between a thicket of trees, sheltering it from the early winter gusts, making for a very cozy house hold. Ana had never been far outside the city before, so when she and Rosetta went for a stroll around the land on a sunny afternoon- the snow that had fallen on the night she and Sweeney Todd had come upon them now gone -Ana was utterly fascinated. They owned a stable and horses, which Ana was afraid of, and pigs that they sold for pork and a coop of chickens and a big, bossy rooster, that Ana was also afraid of. On the side of the house there was a hutch where three fat rabbits were kept.

Rosetta was a mother of two- three year old Avery and five year old Robert. Avery was just beginning to speak in full sentances and had pretty, blonde hair that was always in a pink ribbon. Little Robert didn't stop talking and he followed his mum around with big green eyes and a mop of blonde hair on top of his head. Both were pale and the perfect picture of what a family should be- a mum, a dad and two pretty little children. They made Ana eagar to have her own child- certainly eager to have another. Mr. Todd, however, seemed to scare the children. Ana could understand why.

Mr. Todd insisted that they leave as soon as convient the day Ana awoke, but Rosetta, bless her, insisted they stay. "We don't get many visiters," had been her arguement. "We'd love to house yeh until we can get yeh a coach t'take yeh to wherever it is yeh need to be, eh?"

Mr. Todd hadn't been happy about this but after eyeing Ana's pregnant belly, agreed to stay for a few days until Ana was perfectly well and a coach was gotten for the continuation of their escape. Rosetta had been thrilled and Micheal was happy to see his certainly eccentric wife happy. Ana of course couldn't help but be content with their disposition. There was indeed a higher power to bring them safely to such a nice home. Their luck was sure to run out sooner or later. But for the moment, Ana enjoyed the company of the people that they were presented with.

And so, this was the very reason why Ana found herself sitting in front of the fire place in the parlor on a small mountain of pillows on the floor, while behind her sat Mr. Todd. And in a rocking chair to her left sat Rosetta with talkative little Robert on her lap. Micheal was in a chair opposite the couch and pretty baby Avery sat beside Ana on th floor, resting her tiny hands on Ana's belly. All would have been relaxed and quiet, if Robert wasn't chatting away, if Ana wasn't swearing under her breath as Mr. Todd yanked a brush through her disasterous head of hair, and if Rosetta wasn't cracking up at the very sight. Yes, it would have been nice and quiet indeed- if not for that.

Ana winced as her barber yanked the brush through her hair. "God's, woman- with my perfession yeh'd think I'd seen it all. But ne'er in my life... 'ave yeh ever brushed this?"

She rolled her eyes as he set the brush aside and began working at a particularly unappealing knot. "Never have and I don't see why you insist now," she grumbled. But she wouldn't admit that she liked this small bit of attention that he had bestowed upon her, even if he had startled Rosetta when he grabbed Ana by the arm roughly and forced her to sit there on the floor. But this was his way of showing that he atleast gave two shakes about her either way. That's all Ana asked. He didn't have to love her. In fact, since she'd blurted those three little words, neither had even said it, not even as a pet name.

She never said it again- she'd brushed it off as something she said out of impulse and he'd brushed it off as just another thing she'd said and nothing more. It didn't matter if they were in a loveless marriage, not really- they felt something and that's all that mattered. Perhaps not the perfect little life that their hosts had, but something that ran too deep for any of them to dare look into.

Little Avery rubbed her hands over Ana's belly, and the young woman smiled fondly at the child, who looked shyly up at her. Reaching up one small hand, Avery grabbed a free lock of hair. "Can I brush it?" she asked shyly.

Ana blinked, taken aback by the bluntness of the little girl. "Of course," she said. "Climb on up on Mr. T's lap." A grin broke out across her face as Avery stood from where she sat beside her and climbed onto the couch. Rosetta was laughing and Micheal could be heard hiding a snicker- probably at Sweeney Todd's reaction to this command and the small child now settling herself right on his thighs.

She tried not to wince and scream in distaste when the child grabbed a hand full of her hair and yanked the brush through it. "Be careful," Rosetta warned. Avery took little heed and Ana bit her knuckles when the girl yanked the brush through her poor hair again and again. It must've been Sweeney Todd's punishment for her, but he figured she'd had enough, obviously, because he chuckled deeply, which caused Avery to practically drop the brush. Poor thing.

"Like this," she heard Mr. Todd say behind her, and soon the brush was being guided through her hair, most of the knots taken care of. Ana bit her lip again, this time to stop the wide smile from spreading across her face. She glanced over at Rosetta- she was smiling, big and warm and Ana only wished that she could picture the scene behind her.

"All done," Avery announced. Ana laughed and shifted so she could look over her shoulder. Avery was sitting comfortably on Mr. Todd's lap, leaning her tiny head back against his chest and Mr. Todd sat with the brush in his hand, looking down at the child in complete confusion. He glanced at Ana and she smiled brightly at the scene. He looked just like any new parent- scared shitless. She rubbed her belly, chuckling and shaking her head.

"Have you thought of a name for the baby?" Micheal asked as he stood from the chair and moving to pick Avery up from Mr. Todd's lap. When the child made a nosie of protest, he kissed the side of her head, bring her back to his chair. Ana watched warmly as the little girl snuggled into her father's big arms and she held affectionately onto her stomach.

"Yes, actually," Ana said brightly. She'd given this little thought but had her heart set on names the moment she knew she was pregnant. Of course, she'd never once talked to Mr. Todd about it. It just wasn't a conversation that came up. Ever. Mr. Todd looked down at her oddly, his brows knit together. He obviously hadn't been expecting a positive response. Ana smiled pleasently at him and he grunted in return.

"Alright," he said gruffly, sounding exasperated. "Let's 'ear it."

Ana laughed and leaned her body back against his legs. With the simple affectionate gesture he began brushing the knots and tangles once more out of her hair. It was much more soothing now that the job was basically done.

"Well," she began thoughtfully. "I was thinking 'Emszi' for a girl... and maybe 'Edward' for a boy."

"What kinds of names are those?" Mr. Todd snapped. Ana snorted.

"Good names!" she argued.

"I think those are lovely names," Rosetta defended. Ana smirked triumphantly... until Mr. Todd gave a particularly hard yank at her hair. She hissed in discomfort.

"Ow," she said pointedly. The soothing brush strokes continued. "And I suppose you have better names?"

Mr. Todd was quiet and Rosetta laughed as she bounced Robert on her knee. "Pick your battles, Mr. Todd," the older woman warned. "Your wife has quiet the sharp tounge. You might get cut." The barber simply grunted. Ana's laughter echoed in the room, mixing soon with Rosetta's.

"And I suppose you have better suggetions?" Ana teased her husband. Soon, Mr. Todd wasn't even brushing her hair any more, but rather playing with the smoothed tresses, his fingers rather soothing on her scalpe.

"I have a list of better names," Mr. Todd snorted. Ana rolled her eyes, pulling her head away from the barber. Holding her stomach in one hand, she heaved herself up onto the couch beside her barber.

"S'that so?" she challenged playfully, settling at his side. He grunted, looking utterly uncomfortable. He wasn't good socially for long periods of time. She figured he was just about reaching his limit with this social sit-down. She was just about to suggest they retreat to their guest room, which he was now allowed to sleep with her again in, and snuggle the night away when Avery may have admitted the cutest thing Ana had ever heard-

"Mummy, do I get anover littul girl to play wiv?"

Rosetta opened her mouth to respond, then closed it with a sigh. She shook her head. "I don't think so, love. Mr. Todd and his wife are only staying a couple more days, and--"

"But we could come and visit once the baby is born, couldn't we, Mr. T?" Ana interjected. She liked Rosetta and her family. And once she was no longer pregnant she saw no reason why they couldn't possibly see them again. Sweeney Todd looked utterly flabbergasted and he cleared his throat, a scowl fixing on his face.

"Ana-" he began. But, Ana being Ana, happily talked over him, leaning over the arm of the couch so she was closer to young Avery.

"Would you like that?" Ana asked. "If we came back to visit with a little girl?"

Avery smiled shyly. "Yes," she answered.

"Ana--" Mr. Todd tried again, sounding slightly irate. And again, Ana ignored him, turning to look at Rosetta, who was snicking quietly at the whole situation. Ana knew that dear Mr. Todd didn't like when she talked too much, but what he liked much less was when she talked over him and cut him short. Two things that she did very often.

"You wouldn't mind, would you Mrs. McDaughs?" Ana asked, ignoring the way that Mr. Todd glared at her, a sneer on his lips.

"Oh, heavens, no!" Rosetta gushed. "We get so few visiters! Me sister, sometimes from Wessex, but other than that we's quite alone out 'ere. You two come 'round as much as you can, loves! D'you know where you're 'eaded?"

Ana shook her head, but Mr. Todd grabbed her wrist and jerked her roughly to face him. "Ana, shut up or so help me God..." he paused and the room fell silent. She swallowed her next statement. He slowly released her arm and Ana could feel the familiar throbbing of a newly forming bruise. He didn't look apologetic- just annoyed. He turned his attention onto Rosetta, who wore a very shocked, surprised, confused look on her face. His expression did not change. "Do not think us ungreatful for all that you 'ave done- we are. But I don't think we'll be able to visit as often as my wife would enjoy. You understand, of course?"

Ana could feel her face turning red. Rosetta looked alarmed, but sympathetic. In the end, Micheal cleared his throat and all eyes were on him. "It's understandable, of course, Mr. Todd. But you are always welcome here- our home is your home."

Mr. Todd nodded stiffly. Ana's jaw clenched and she stood up with as much graceful flourish as she could manage. "Well, then," she said, irritated. Why did Mr. T have to be such a kill joy? She was sick of being alone, because he wasn't much company. Here Rosetta was offering her a place to be a place to go. And this place was so perfect and quiet and out of the way of everything. Mr. and Mrs. McDaughs had such a beautiful life. Ana hated to admit that she knew her family would never be as perfect or beautiful.

"I think I'm going to bed," she said evenly, giving a polite nod to Rosetta and Micheal. Robert and Avery peered at the confrontation with wide eyes. As she turned to leave, escaping down the hall to the guest bedroom, she heard Rosetta give a quiet, worried sigh.

"She's upset."

"She's always upset," was Mr. Todd's moody reply.

It was much later and Ana was still awake in the guest bedroom, deciding that Mr. Todd was not going to come to bed with her- she figured he didn't want to face her wrath. Which had been, at first, nothing to be reckoned with as she had been very unhappy with him. But now she was actually rather mellow, sitting up against the pillows on the bed. The fire was still crackling away and a small pile of books were sitting around her on the bed. They were novels about love and filled with poems. They were soothing to read there on the bed infront of the fire.

She'd finally a book of poetry down after getting half way through it. She sighed and placed her hands on her stomach. Part of her wished Mr. Todd would so being sour with her and magically meander back into the room. She was lonely. She wanted somebody to talk to. Or talk at. Ana looked down her nose at the very round, very big belly that seemed to be always in her way nowadays. How long was it, now? Seven months? It had to be honing in on that.

Ana tapped her finger on her stomach, the belly hard under the ruffled fabric of her dress. "Hey," she said quietly. "You in there, baby?" she asked. She felt silly to be talking out loud to an empty room. But instead of stopping, she settled down and tapped her stomach again. "How's it going in there?" she asked. There was no response, other than the small feel of something pressing against her belly.

It always surprised her when the baby kicked, and she smiled brightly, tilting her head to look down better at her tummy. There was something in there- alive and a part of her. Her child was in there, growing and warm. She rubbed her stomach soothingly as the baby gave her a particularly hard kick. She winced. "Ouch, hey," she murmured. "Quit that shit."

Ana sighed and rubbed her stomach as the kicking subsided. "I know it's warm in there," Ana said. "It's not particuarly nice out here... but you'll have to come out soon, you know. But... you have a Mummy who loves you and a Daddy who... well..." She paused, chewing on her lip. "Your Daddy is a strange man. But he loves you. Even if he'll never say it."

She winced again as she felt her muscles tighten- it certainly didn't feel like the child kicking. It faded after a few moments of Ana tensing uncomfortably. "I hope I'm the kind of Mum you want," she went on, ignoring the acute cramp. She attributed it to the intense stress she'd been going through. The baby was moving around all fine like. There couldn't be anything wrong with it. "I talk a lot, and Mr. Todd- that's your father, you know -tells me that I could run a whole country into lunacy. I know I'm different... I was born different. I'm an anachronism. S'a big word, it's ok if you don't know what it means yet."

She laughed softly, her abdonmin tightening and a second cramp causing her to grunt in pain. She hissed and winced. "Ow, would you stop ki...kick...ing..." Ana's sentance died off as she felt something wet spread between her legs. "...me...?" She gasped as she pushed herself up into a sitting position. Panicking, she pulled her skirts up around her knees and slid her hand between her legs. It was wet. When she pulled her hand back up, her fingers were coated in watered-down blood. The second cramp faded and she'd just sucked in enough air to call for her husband when- low and behold -Mr. Todd opened the door slowly, peering inside. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but then his brows knit together in confusion.

"Ana?" he said softly.

"Sweeney," she gasped out, for the first time using his first name. He moved into the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

"Wot's wrong?" he asked.

"Either I just pissed myself or..."

Mr. Todd moved to the side of the bed, looking lost and confused. "...O...or?" He sucked in a breath. "No, it's far too soon. Don't be--"

Ana winced and clenched her jaw. These cramps were not her friend. "Mr. T, tell that to your daughter because she wants out."

"You mean my son." Mr. Todd goaded before he fully realized the gravity of what Ana had said. "Wait...wot?!"

"Baby!" Ana snapped. "Ow! Ow, ow, fuckity, ow!"

Mr. Todd looked lost again before he strode towards the door. "Alright," he said. "I'll get Mrs. McDaughs. Don't move."

"Oh, but I thought I'd take a stroll through the park!" Ana snarled. Whatever look she managed to give him had him scurrying through that door with his tail tucked firmly between his legs. Good for him, too- she might just have ripped out his most precious and treasured part of his anatomy. The dreaded happy place that did this to her. On another thought, Ana decided that he was going to be happily de-junk'd. Never. Again.

"Oh, love!" Rosetta's voice caused Ana to looked up from her stomach. The woman had towls and rags and a basin of water that she dropped at the foot of the bed. "It's all goin' t'be alrioght, love. Two kids under m'belt, yehr gonna be just fine, love." She moved to Ana's side and eased the younger woman onto her back.

"You're alright?" Mr. Todd said softly, as he had come back to her side, knealing at the edge of the bed. Ana swallowed and grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers together and squeezing tightly.

"I'm about to squeeze something the size of a watermelon out of a hole the side of a lemon," she squeaked. "I am not fine."

The word pain would never in a million years describe what it was that Ana felt. Her throat had gone hoarse and dry and her hand numb, it squeezed Sweeney Todd's so tightly. She couldn't fathom the actual pain, perhaps her body numbed it for her, because after a while she stopped feeling it. She wasn't even sure how long she lay there, crying and pushing whenever Rosetta commanded her to. Ana remembered, vaugely, the thought of hospitals pumping you full of the finest drugs insurance could afford. That's how she pictured having her child- in a white, steral room with docters and her loving husband and her family all waiting anxiously.

Instead she was on a bed that wasn't even her own in a house that wasn't even her own, with a husband who felt little to nothing, trapped in a loveless marriage, popping out a kid with no drugs what so ever. Not even a docter. But something gave her hope. Perhaps it was the way that Mr. Todd sat so still and stotic beside her, holding her hand tightly in his own and letting her squeeze it with all of her might. Something gave her hope and whatever that was Ana thanked them inbetween the pain.

And then... with the sound of a pitiful, gurgled cry and the feeling like she'd just pissed a pineapple... it was all over. The hand that so painfully gripped Mr. Todd's loosened and she couldn't even find the energy to open her eyes and she greatfully let her body slip into that familiar dark abyss.

When she next awoke, it was early morning and Sweeney Todd was spooning her body, his face nuzzled into her hair. She knew he was awake because the moment she turned to snuggle into his chest, he shifted so that he hovered over her. She opened her eyes and the look on his face scared her- so serious and determined. Her brows knit together. She tried to speak but had to swallow several times, and even then Mr. Todd raised a hand and pressed it to her lips.

"Would you like to meet your daughter?" he whispered.

Daughter? She had a daughter? She had a daughter! Her heard skipped several beats- though that couldn't be safe -and she raised a hand to grab his, threading their fingers together. They had a daughter. Swallowing once more, she managed to speak, though her voice was weak and hardly attractive.

"Please," she whispered. Mr. Todd didn't smile, but his lips twitched, and he lifted himself onto his elbow. The door was open and in a low voice, as perhaps not to startle her, called for Rosetta. She waited eagerly, holding tight to Mr. Todd's hands. She saw that inbedded in his skin were marks from where she'd clutched his hand so tight the night before.

Rosetta came in with a small bundle of blanket in her arms. Ana tilted her head, slowly attempting to sit up. Mr. Todd tried to prevent this, but she fought him off and propped herself up against the pillows and the headboard. The older woman grinned and happily plopped on the edge of the bed. Ana held her arms out greedily for the child. Her child. Her daughter. Their daughter.

The bundle was warm and began to squirm once she was in her arms. The baby was small and pink. She had a little button nose and long lashes and big, pudgy cheeks. Small whisps of black hair were plastered to her head. She kind of looked like her father, Ana thought with a smile. She was very small and when her eyes blinked open they were the most beautiful shade of brown she'd ever seen. Like honey. The baby seemed almost frail and Ana felt scared the longer she held her, her heart thundering in her chest.

"Wot's 'er name?" Rosetta whispered.

Ana opened her mouth, then closed it again, glance at Mr. Todd, who was settled beside her, looking down at the child with big, nervous eyes. He met his wife's gaze before turning to look at Rosetta.

"Emszi," Mr. Todd announced. "Emszi Analise Todd."

Ana felt her heart soar. Perhaps he was a killer. Ruthless. Vengeful. A loveless man. You couldn't expect him to act like you or me. But he was human. And some part of a human loved and it's safe to say, reader, that some part of Sweeney Todd loved Ana, in all her talkative, messy haired, pale skinned glory. She tilted her head and captured his lips in a surprise kiss.

They weren't the picture perfect family. They couldn't even be considered eccentric. But she had him. And he had her. And they had little Emszi Analise Todd.

--

Analise and Sweeney Todd stayed with Rosetta and Micheal McDaughs for another week after the birth of their daughter. After which they got a coach and the family waved good-bye to their new friends and away they rode.

Their new home resided in Liverpool and with the money that they'd saved with Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pie shop and Mr. Todd's Tonsorial Parlor back in London, they bought a home with a flat above for Mr. Todd to open up another barber surgeon shop. Though Ana didn't enjoy sitting at home and not working, she busied herself taking as good of care as Emszi as she knew how, and their home was often over flowing with delicious patries of different sorts.

After enough nagging, Ana sent for Antony and Johanna, and the couple soon joined their friends in Liverpool, and their son, Tristian, was born a month later. Despite Ana's efforts, she was not able to contact Malachai Wilmot back in London and it was Sweeney Todd's paranoid protective nature that kept her away from that city.

This is the crappiest mini-epilouge in the history of epilouges.