Hey there! I hope you all aren't angry with me. I'm so very very sorry for leaving you all hanging for so long! I've just been swamped with soccer and school lately! I hope you can all find it in your hearts to forgive me! This time, I will not make any promises, but I will try to update as much as I can! Thank you to all who have stayed faithful to this story and sorry again for making you wait so long!

Chapter 5: A Little Bit of Laughter

As Mrs. Lovett was pulled, no, practically dragged along the mud-caked streets of London, she began to take notice of her companion's not-so-elaborate disguise. She stared quizzically at the shit-colored bowler hat that seemed to be the only thing keeping his hair from popping out in a wild fashion. Her eyes traveled down his pale, ghost-like face, finding nothing different or out of the ordinary until they reached his upper lip. It looked as if a fuzzy little caterpillar had crawled upon his face and simply decided to make it's home there! She could just imagine him sweeping up the stray hairs from customers he had actually shaved, grabbing a nicely sized handful from his pile, and arranging them in a mustache-like shape as he glued them on one by one.

Nellie began to laugh in spite of herself, causing an annoyed Mr. Todd to stop abruptly in the middle of the street.

"Mrs. Lovett," he said through gritted teeth, "might I ask why you are giggling like a damn school girl in the middle of the damn street!?"

She froze, standing as stiff as a plank of wood. He had caught her red-handed and she had no idea as to how she would answer him.

'Why had I been laughing?' she thought to herself. 'I mean it is just a silly lit'le mustache. Why'm I so giddy ovah such a trivial matter?'

Nonetheless, Nellie knew in the pit of her heart why the rather spontaneous laughter had begun. Oh yes, she knew; she was just too hard-headed to admit it. This was the first time she'd laughed in over a year.

Sure, she had her fair share of smiles during that time, but nothing could replace the joyous sensation that only laughter can bring. It tickles your ears and awakens your senses with the sweet, amused voice of happiness filling your entire being.

She began to make up some elaborate lie to tell Mr. Todd. He wouldn't understand. No. She knew she could not tell him the truth.

'Time ta lie to 'im a second time,' she thought, guilt stabbing her like a knife, piercing her heart and sending chills up and down her spine.

"Well, I-I suppose I...," she started, stuttering in a futile attempt to suppress the fear that was overtaking her.

She would not be able to finish her "brilliant" explanation, however, as fear was not the only thing to overtake her in that moment. She gasped suddenly, stopping mid-sentence, and began searching for the air that had seemed to disappear from her formerly well-functioning lungs. Her cough was an earthquake and her body was an unsuspecting village that was rattled and shaken back and forth with such vigorous force that not even a stone tower built to touch the clouds could withstand it. Oh! How she wished she had air! How she wished to be well! And most of all, how she wished for him to not see her like this.

Sweeney, on the other hand, did not seem to have been affected much at all by this surprising incident. The only thing that had varied in the last few moments had been the look on his face. Very slowly, his right eyebrow, previously furrowed in pure anger and utter annoyance, arched in slight confusion. Like a statue he stood, unsure of what to do as he beheld the sight before him of his partner-in-crime hacking from deep within her lungs.

Suddenly, like turning off a switch, Mrs. Lovett's most recent spell ended. In a matter of seconds, it was reduced to the diminutive sounds of Nellie clearing her throat of whatever had been left over. Upon witnessing his land lady's recovery, Sweeney began to relax. Both his eyebrows and shoulders dropped into what most people would call a "normal" position as the muscles in his face started to gradually release the tension they had previously held. Mrs. Lovett, having regained her composure, sequentially looked up at her beloved barber.

Sweeney apparently noticed the return of the fair baker's gaze upon him because in that same moment, he quickly spun himself around to face the drab beige buildings sitting on the other side of the street. He did not have a particular reason for his actions at the time, but in the depths of his heart, he knew he had turned simply so she would not see the look of relief appear on his face. He felt that if she were to detect his worry, she would grow curious, as the damn woman always does, and ask him of his feelings for her. And he would not be able to deny the fact that he truly did care for the perky red-head. For a moment, he even considered turning back to face the mess of a woman and telling her directly of the feelings he possessed for her.

No. Caring for others does not suite the demon barber. He would rather live in solitude than be loved by another. Besides, his heart belonged to Lucy and no other human being could ever take her place. No one. Not even the perky little red-head with the kind heart and iron facade. So he left the situation as it was, him with his back turned and her with small droplets escaping from her tired eyes.

'No surprise,' she thought, this time not even bothering to observe every one of his sharp, striking features, ''e can't pay me one lit'le slip of attention. Not even when 'm ill. No matter. I 'ave a promise to keep and no time to waste on tears and such.'

Determinedly, she marched up to him, took him by the arm, and proceeded to pull her bewildered partner forcefully down London's waste ridden streets.

"C'mon ya lug. We gotta job ta do. Bettah get movin' if ya wanna keep yer 'appointment.'"

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I know it's not much considering the amount of time you had to wait for me to post it, but I will try to put a little more excitement into the next few chapters! Hang in there! ;)