Without You, There is No Point in Surviving

Chapter 14 By the Beautiful Sea

"For the last time, I am not going to kiss you again." Sweeney growled in annoyance, trudging ahead of her.

Nellie smiled quizzically at him. She kept stopping during their stroll to pick flowers just to find a prettier one up ahead and drop them again. Her brows raised by his comment but a soft smile never left her lips ever since last night after they danced on the porch of the manor. After they kissed on the porch of the manor.

She quickly brushed up against him, "Are you sure you don't want to, love?" she whispered as seductively as she could muster into his ear.

He turned towards her and for a second, she felt hopeful and prepared herself. Just as she was about to pucker up, the palm of his hand was on her face, pushing her away from him. "I'm sure." He said. She could hear the amusement in his voice, as much as he didn't want to admit, he was loving this. She sighed and stepped away from him, dropping the flowers in her hands onto the ground.

"Why do you keep doing that?" Sweeney muttered as they walked close to each other, keeping the same rhythm in their steps.

"Just bored love." She mused, looking up at the clouds. "I think this is the prettiest day we've had while traveling. Look at that blue sky. You don't see that in London." She looked over to him, "We're a long way from London, aren't we Mr. T?"

He grumbled something that almost sounded like an "Indeed". He pressed his hand to his aching ribs as she raced ahead of him where small daisies were sprouting from the grass. His ribs throbbed even more and he groaned. "Let's take a quick break, pet."

She froze, her hand hovering over the wild daisy. "Pet?" He looked over to see her moving slowly downhill. While following, the sound that was luring her, reached him.

She stood on the cliffside, a peaceful smile on her face. Her hands outstretched and she breathed in the salty air and bathed in the sunshine. Sweeney joined her in awe, but his sore rib cages clouded his thoughts, he sunk to his knees, one hand propped in the grass so he could lean. Even then, he had to admit, it was a beautiful sight.

He looked up her, the sun shining off her red curls making them look aflame. He's never seen her like this before. Something awoken in him, it was that same spark he felt when they were dancing the night before. Things were changing. He breathed in the fresh air; he was becoming a new man. Not Benjamin Barker, not Sweeney Todd either, something... else. He didn't know what was happening to him, but he all of sudden wanted to hold her and cry. How could things have altered themselves in just one week? He never imagined he'd see her in this new light, she was the baker, the land lady, the liar. When did she become just Nellie to him? His business partner, his friend, his source for comfort. "Nellie," he managed to pull himself up on his feet. He wanted to hold her. Her hair looked like fire in sunlight, he wanted to touch it, to run his fingers though it. When she turned to him, she was crying silently. Tears of disbelief were running down her face.

"We did it." she smiled warmly as a sob made her shook. He approached her and wrapped his arms around her frame, "Its so beautiful" she squeaked and sniffled, crying into his shoulder.

"That it is." He smiled. As he stared out at the sea, Johanna's face flashed in front of him. Her words on Fleet Street appeared in his mind as if she was standing next to him and whispering them into his ear. He froze, his jaw dropping a bit as an idea and realization smacked into him.

He returned to reality when Nellie pulled away, wiping her eyes. "There's something I want to do." She walked a few paces back to where their bag was left. And fished around in it, shoving her arm all the way to the end and yanked out a rolling pin.

"Didn't know you brought that along." Sweeney asked surprised.

She walked back over to him, to the cliff side. She looked down at the thing, holding it in both her hands. "I killed Albert with this." She looked up to his sad and confused expression. "And I used it to spread the dough to make pies filled with... forty men or more." she looked over the edge.