NIGHTMARE ON FLEET STREET: THE STORY OF SWEENEY TODD

EPILOGUE

3 1/2 MONTHS LATER...

The first night, there had been nightmares for Sweeney and Katie and getting past them by talking about them. After that, they never had a single nightmare about Fleet Street again.

Lizzie's birthday came and went. There were a few pranks that he was involved in with Sam's mentor, Ben, who had playfully argued that Lizzie was his. Of course, he had fallen victim to a couple of pranks that were completely reversible by way of mystical magic.

In all the time that he, Mrs. Lovett, Lucy, Toby, Anthony and Johanna had been in the 20th century, they had learned a lot.

They learned about cars. Sweeney, Lucy and Nellie had all learned how to drive and had gotten their driver's licenses. They also learned the different streets and highways in Lakewood and Cleveland, as well as in Westlake. Anthony, Toby and Johanna couldn't wait to grow up and learn how to drive.

They learned about cooking, and television, and movies, and a whole lot more. They even learned about the sort of movies and tv series Katie and the others have watched.

They all had gotten jobs, to fit into society. Sweeney of course became a barber again, but not for the same reasons previously. Nellie and Lucy were working in baked goods.

Katie and her siblings eventually went back to school after their summer vacation was over, and Anthony, Johanna and Toby were all enrolled. The Barkers and Nellie learned of the subjects they were studying.

They also learned of Joshua's amazing talent in musical theater and the arts, and this fall, he was the choreographer of "Sweeney Todd", as well as the understudy for the roles of Anthony and Sweeney. Katie and Adam were also involved, playing the role of Toby, swapping every weekend.

But today, Joshua had just learned that Stephen bowed out of the title role due to his work in the mystic arts, and now he was the one stepping into the role of the notorious demon barber of Fleet Street. Now he was picking out which razors to use for the show.

Stephen came back with familiar razors, Sweeney noted. Razors, that he had told him to take back to his old home. His brow furrowed in concern, knowing how Katie had felt about them 3 1/2 months ago.

"Hey daddy! What razors are you planning on using?" Katie came into the living room and stared at the very razors she had long feared. Just a couple of days ago, her long black hair was cut similarly to Sam's mentor, Ben.

"Oh, no...maybe this wasn't such a good idea." Stephen said, noting.

"You can take them back to Fleet—" Sweeney started to say.

"Now, Papa...hang on." Katie held up one hand to stop them. "I've gotten over it. I'm not scared of them anymore."

Stephen and Joshua exchanged furtive glances.

"Jill...are you sure about this? I know how much you feared them after you got me back." Sweeney knelt down and asked in concern.

"I'm sure. Look, those razors are as much a part of me, just as they are a part of you, and I've accepted that. I'm a Barker, aren't I? I've always wanted you to teach me how to shave with that." His Jillian said.

"Well, no time like the present to learn, eh?" Sweeney grinned.

Katie giggled.

"Maybe one day if you don't have to go to class, I can take you to work and teach you how." He promised.

"Deal?"

"Deal." Sweeney hugged his little girl.

Yes, he was going to teach her to shave, in the right way, not in the way he previously had done. And for the first time in a very long time, Sweeney Todd had found peace.