The city looked as disgusting as he had pictured it in his head. The remnants of a storm still lingered, which empathized London's gloomy profile. Sweeney Todd scowled. Despite not making landfall yet, he could smell the rancid London sewage from out at sea. He wondered why his younger, foolish self loved this cesspool of the world so much. Even back then, it was an ugly place. The people back then made it tolerable. His beautiful wife, his bouncing babe, his nice landlords...he wondered if they had all stayed put on Fleet Street. Even if his family had moved, he was sure that his former landlords would tell him of their whereabouts. He took a shaky breath as London loomed closer.

Fifteen years...it's been fifteen bloody years...

"Is everything alright, Mr. Todd?" A young male voice asked from behind. Sweeney turned to face his newfound friend and savior, Anthony Hope. If Sweeney were as he was fifteen years ago, he would've smiled at the boy and would've told him that nothing was wrong. That would be a lie...and Sweeney Todd was no longer that man from fifteen years ago.

"It's not easy for me to see London again," he reply gruffly. Anthony placed his hand on the older man's shoulder.

"Fret not, Mr. Todd! I can accompany you to your destination, if you wish." Sweeney allowed a small smile. Despite only knowing Anthony for a month since the boy had saved him from sea, the older man considered the young sailor a trusted friend.

"You won't need to, lad, but thank you." Anthony frowned.

"I wonder if that horrid judge still resides here. For your sake, I hope he doesn't." Sweeney narrowed his eyes.

Judge Turpin...

The man responsible for shipping him off all of those years ago...no doubt he was still around. Sweeney was sure of it. In fact, he hoped it. He was going to make that pig pay dearly for robbing Sweeney Todd fifteen years of his life. Because of Turpin, Sweeney never got to watch his daughter grow up. Because of Turpin, Sweeney's beloved Lucy practically became a widow. He wasn't supposed to return from his sentence, after all.

Well, well...the "honorable" judge will be in for a surprise in given time.

"What was that Judge's name again?" Anthony asked. Sweeney slowly turned to look at the approaching city before them.

"Turpin is his name. Stay clear of him, lad," the older man warned. Anthony nodded. Sweeney had told the young sailor of his past and he made sure that the lad knew to stay clear of the likes of Judge Turpin. He saw a lot of his old self within Anthony Hope. He did not want his young friend to suffer as he had.

"Looks like we are about to dock, Mr. Todd. Let's get ready to depart! I do look forward to seeing Hyde Park!" Anthony said as he bounced off in excitement. Unlike Sweeney Todd, Anthony loved the city of London. The older man had no clue why. He wasn't going to chide the young sailor over it, though. It wasn't his place to. Sweeney turned and slowly followed after Anthony.

Sweeney Todd stood in a trance as he looked at the building across the street from where he stood. Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pies had seen better days. The once vibrant letters were faded and the pain was peeling. The shop, from what he could see, had no customers in it at all. He had almost panicked when he first laid eyes upon his old home. With the state it was in, he almost thought that it was abandoned. When he noticed the feeble smoke that struggled to escape the chimney, however, he knew that it wasn't. Still, he was worried.

He took a deep breath and finally made what felt like the longest walk in the world across the street. Sweeney slowed his pace when he was a few feet from the entrance. Through the window, he could see a familiar face. Mrs. Eleanor Lovett, one of his landlords, could be seen inside. Sweeney almost felt giddy. Mrs. Lovett and her husband, Albert, were more than just landlords to Sweeney and his beloved wife. The Lovetts were friends. They had helped him start his shop in the second floor of their building, which was adjacent to where his apartment was. Other landlords would've charge an arm and a leg for the set-up that Sweeney and his wife had. The Lovetts, though, were no ordinary landlords. The man reached for the door handle of the shop but he hesitated for a moment.

This is happening. This isn't a dream. Please don't be a dream...

He opened the door with caution. He saw Mrs. Lovett by her counter as he entered. He was taken aback by her appearance. The stress she had suffered throughout the years was written all over her. Her once young face was now hardened with age, though the elegance of it still remained. Her hair, which she used to wear in such elegant styles, was now just thrown up in a messy bun. Her dress, which was once beautiful, was now slightly ragged and was covered with flower. Sweeney took a moment to look around. The interior of the shop showed that hard times had befallen his old friends. How did this happen? What troubles had the Lovetts suffered since he was shipped off? Sweeney then felt his stomach grow cold. Where was Albert?

"B-Benjamin?" A soft voice broke Sweeney's thoughts. Sweeney was now staring directly into Mrs. Lovett's eyes. Her eyes were still the same as he had remembered, a warm brown. Mrs. Lovett stared at him like she was looking at a ghost. Sweeney gave a short nod to his former landlady.

"It is me, Eleanor," he replied. His voice was shaking very slightly. Mrs. Lovett, with caution, approached him. She started to reach for him but stopped, unsure, "It's okay. I am not going to fade away into dust," Sweeney said to reassure her. He could relate to how she was feeling, for he felt like he was going to wake up from a dream at any moment.

"Ben...oh my god..." Mrs. Lovett carefully placed her hand on Sweeney's arm. She gave it a small squeeze to make sure he was really there before she pulled him into a sudden, tight hug. Sweeney stiffened, not used to being hugged. It had been a very long time since he had been hugged last. His hand did find itself resting on Mrs. Lovett's back as he stiffly hugged her.

"My name is no longer Benjamin Barker. It's Todd now. Sweeney Todd," Sweeney stated as the two pulled away from their awkward, yet happy embrace.

"Sweeney Todd, eh? Good choice of a name, dear," Mrs. Lovett replied. She had turned quickly to wipe her eyes so he couldn't see that she had tears in her eyes. He had noticed and he didn't care. For the first time in a very long time, Sweeney Todd felt the closest thing to happiness at that very moment.

This is it. It's not a dream. I am home...I am finally home.