Soon, Mei was 4 years old and ready to go to preschool. Her moms, one late August took her to Lincoln Elementary school near their home. With them was Christine Palmer. She is a woman with beautiful dark blonde hair and blue eyes; she is a co-worker of Tammie's. Mei was pretty nervous at this new school. The teacher's name is Mrs. Andrews. She is an African American woman with biracial skin, brown curly hair and brown eyes. Mei held on to her mother's leg, nervous. She had never been separated from her mother at all.
"Mommy..." Mei worried. She was close to tears.
"Oh...Mei, honey, it's okay!" Tammie hugged her lovingly and with so much patience.
"Aww, it's okay, darling!" Bridget joined in the hugs.
"It's okay, sweetheart." Christine gently rubbed Mei's back.
"Hey, I've got an idea, Mei-Mei..." Tammie said.
"What?" Mei wiped her tears.
"How about Mommy comes with you to meet your friends, and then Mommy has to go...okay?" Tammie proposed.
"Okay." Mei agreed, smiling. "Is Doc coming to get me?"
"Doc will pick you up, honey bun." Tammie nodded.
There were a total of six preschool kids. Two were African American twin girls; one had cornrows and the other had brown curly hair. Two were twin boys; African Americans; one was transitioning into a girl with a pink shirt and a tutu with braids; the other was wearing a basketball jersey and shorts; he had golden brown curly hair and brown eyes. One girl is of Indian descent and she wore traditional Indian clothes and a bindi. The other girl was Chinese and she wore traditional red Chinese clothes. She learned each of their names and so did her moms.
The two twins names were Destiny and Alia; the twin boys' names were Brandon and Deondre; Brandon wants to change his name to Brenda; which means she is transgender. The Indian girl with the bindi; her name is Chara. The Chinese girl's name is Lian. Soon, Mei was chattering with her new friends and Tammie got up to go to work.
"Mommy, one more hug!" Mei reminded lovingly.
"I love you, baby girl." Tammie hugged her little girl and she kissed her cheek. "Have a great day, alright?"
"Okay." Mei nodded.
*****************************************
At recess, Mei was on the grass, thinking about her mom while the other kids were playing on the playground and on the swings. There was a woman in her late 30s, early 40s wearing her Victorian dress; with red curly hair in messy pigtail buns, pale skin and brown eyes. Her name is Nellie Lovett. With her was a woman with pale skin, yellow curly hair and green eyes; and she wore a pink dress. She is Lucy Barker.
"What are you doing all alone, love?" Mrs. Lovett asked Mei, pitying her.
"I miss my mommy...I've never been away from her." Mei said, tears stinging her eyes.
"I know it's hard, dearie...without your mother." Lucy gently comforted.
"How about you use your imagination, dear...pretend your mother is there with you." Mrs. Lovett suggested.
Mei smiled at the idea. And she saw a beautiful girl the same age as her with pale skin and she is of Jewish, Russian, Ukrainian and Irish descent; with red curly hair and blue eyes. With her was her mother; she was beautiful with dark brown hair and brown eyes talking to the teacher. She was a progressive female rabbi.
"Okay!" Mei chirped.
She went over to the red-haired girl.
"Hello." Mei greeted shyly.
"Hi! What's your name?" The girl asked her curiously.
"Mei." The girl smiled. "What's yours?"
"My name is Scarlett." The girl introduced. The two girls shook hands. They were in awe of one another. "Your eyes are so pretty."
"Thank you. Yours too." Mei complimented.
They played on the swings before lunch.
Right after lunch, they did music and art. They did finger painting.
"What's your favorite color, Scarlett?" Mei asked.
"Blue." Scarlett smiled.
"Me too!" Mei giggled. "I also like red."
The girls giggled.
They put their finger prints on the paper in blue, red and yellow.
Mei looked up to see both Stephen and Sweeney watching them finger painting and cleaning up. The kids were all ready to go home. After Mei washed/rinsed her hands and dried them she ran over to the men.
"Ben! Doc!" The girl exclaimed excitedly.
Stephen bent down to hug Mei.
"Hey, kiddo! Did you have fun?" Stephen asked. He made it comical. "Was it boring?"
"No!" Mei laughed.
"No?!" Stephen asked comically.
"Hey, love!" Sweeney joined in the hugs too.
Both of the men met Scarlett and her mother, Norah who also has a lesbian partner who is Irish. They planned a play date for both Scarlett and Mei.
*******************************************************
Summer turned into autumn in a flash; and in one late mid to late October; Stephen had a fever over the weekend. Mei was helping him feel better along with Christine and Tammie, after getting her flu shot. Now, in the week leading up to Halloween, Stephen felt 100% better than he was that weekend. Mei hugged him.
"I'm glad you feel better, Doc!" Mei giggled.
"Me too, kiddo." Stephen smiled as he returned the hug. He had a mission to go to and Tammie was returning home around bedtime from the Beck Center; she was doing voice lessons. Bridget was teaching tai-chi and self-defense classes. David was at the Beck Center with Adam, teaching singing lessons.
"Sweeney and I will watch her." Joshua volunteered.
"I'm sure we will." Sweeney agreed. "If anything happens, we'll let you know."
"Okay." Stephen nodded.
Joshua got Mei settled into a bath and put her pajamas on her. How tired the sweet girl was...so tired. She lay in her bed as Joshua tucked her in her sheets. Joshua soothingly stroked her forehead and cheeks.
"Oh, Mei...before you lie down, want to sip on your grape juice?" Joshua asked softly.
Mei nodded sleepily.
"I know, sweetheart." Joshua soothed to his little niece. She guzzled the whole thing down and lay on her pillow. Joshua soothingly stroked her forehead and cheek.
I heard the voice of Jesus say, "Come unto Me and rest,
Lay down, O weary one, lay down your head upon My breast."
I looked to Jesus as I was, so weary, worn and sad
I found in Him a resting place and He has made me glad..." Joshua softly crooned to little Mei whom was fast asleep. He planted a kiss on his niece's cheek.
"Rest easy, Mei." Joshua whispered tenderly.
********************************************
Sweeney and Joshua were in the living room and Tammie had returned home.
"Mei was telling me about her dreams...I wonder if she had a past life..." Joshua mused softly to both Sweeney and Tammie.
"She might have...it could possibly be the reason why I was so drawn to her ever since she was born." Sweeney agreed. He looked at the picture Mei drew of him and her, holding hands and walking. He smiled tenderly at the picture.
"She reminds me of the same little girl I saw from Joshua's mission...I told Bridget about what happened but I don't think I told Stephen..." Tammie remembered. "She's lucky to have you as her godfather."
"Mmm..." Sweeney nodded fondly. "I love her so much."
"She's lucky to have you...very lucky indeed." Joshua smiled.
A piercing, high pitched blood-curdled scream from upstairs emerged from in Mei's room. The men looked up and knew...Mei.
"MEI!!" Joshua shouted in worry as he and the barber hurried up the stairs.
Tammie knew too; her maternal instincts running rampant.
"Mei-Mei...! Mei-Mei?!" Tammie called out worriedly.
For Sweeney, the visions came clear; it was revealed that Mei had a past life in Victorian Era London as he looked into those same dark blue eyes in the vision...that she was Mirai "Mary" Sakamoto Barker. He knew that she had a nightmare.
"MARY!!" Sweeney yelled out worried for his little love.
"Wha—? Mary...?!" Joshua asked bewildered.
"What happened?!" Tammie was worried.
"Mei had a past life, loves...she was Mary Barker!" Sweeney revealed. "Born Mirai Sakamoto."
"She is?!" Joshua gasped shocked. Tammie gasped shocked.
From Joshua's mission! Tammie's eyes widened in shock. My baby girl had a past life!!!!
"Oh my God...!" Tammie realized.
The demon barber of Fleet Street nodded as he, Tammie and Joshua headed over to Mei's room. She was in the throes of a nightmare as they came to soothe her.
"Josh?!" The voice of Mary (Joshua's close friend) rang out. She ran upstairs to check on Joshua.
"Mar?!" Joshua replied back tenderly.
"I heard my name. Is everything okay?" Mary asked worried.
"I don't know if you know this, Mary, but...it so happens that Mei-Mei had a past life before I became pregnant with her." Tammie explained to Mary.
"Really?!" Mary was shell-shocked.
"Before I had her, she was Mirai Sakamoto Barker, and her nickname was Mary." Tammie nodded, affirming what she saw during Joshua's mission in Fleet Street. "That's why Sweeney's remembering Mei's past life and now Mei's having a nightmare."
"Oh my God...I hope she's okay, Tammie." Mary prayed, her godmother's instinct showing. "Where is she?"
"She's in her bedroom." Joshua chimed in. "Sweeney's trying to wake her from the nightmare."
**************************************
"DIE!! GOD IN HEAVEN, DIE!!" Mrs. Lovett shrieked to a dying Judge Turpin who clutched on to her dress and with his other hand, he grabbed on to little Mary Barker's ankle. The little girl wrenched her leg away.
"GET OFF ME!!" Mary screamed stomping on his hand.
In the corner of her eye, she saw the dead beggar woman laying there on the ground with her slit throat...little Mary knew...that the beggar woman was Lucy Barker, Sweeney's long lost wife. Lucy was the one who protected little Mary from Judge Turpin when he tried to kidnap and rape the poor sweet girl in the same way he did with Lucy 15 years before.
Mary silently cried for the poor woman. She had to tell Sweeney about the beggar woman. The promise was kept in her heart.
"You...!" Mrs. Lovett now noticed the beggar woman and preceded to drag her into the oven as soon as she heard two sets of footsteps coming down to the bakehouse.
"NO!! No, you can't!!" Mary protested as she pulled the beggar woman back from the oven, as hard as she could. The fire in Mary's blue eyes were brimming with the truth.
The door opened now and there were Jillian and Sweeney.
Jillian is a girl of 16 with raven wavy hair and green eyes in her purple Victorian dress. Sweeney was soaked in Turpin's blood from head to toe.
"Mrs. Lovett! Mary!" Jillian called out.
"Why did you scream?" Sweeney inquired.
"Oh...he was catching on to me dress but he's finished now." Mrs. Lovett said as she still dragged the body. Mary pulled back harder.
"I'll take care of it. Open the doors." Sweeney instructed.
Mrs. Lovett hesitated and Sweeney pushed her away from the body.
"Open the doors, I said!" Sweeney growled.
"DO IT!!" Mary yelled now to Mrs. Lovett who hurriedly opened the oven.
"Easy, Mare." Jillian soothed to little Mary who took a step back to let Sweeney inspect the bodies.
Inside the oven, was the fire burning and cooking the meat pies. Sweeney knelt down to inspect the dead beggar woman. Mary stood up to see the look of guilt on Mrs. Lovett's face and the little girl stared daggers into her as Sweeney gently turned the beggar woman's face right side up. Jillian looked too. They both knew that the beggar woman...is...was...Lucy Barker.
"Mama?!" Jillian gasped shocked, and in grief.
" 'Don't I know you?' She said..." Sweeney realized. "...You knew she lived..."
"And you didn't think to tell me or papa..." Jillian softly mourned.
"I was only thinking of you..." Mrs. Lovett confessed.
"No, you weren't." Mary said sadly.
Sweeney Todd looked up at Mrs. Lovett now, realizing that his vengeance was all for nothing.
"You lied to me!" The barber growled at her.
No, no, not lied at all
No, I never lied (Lucy)
Said she took the poison, she did
(I've come home again)
Never said that she died
Poor thing, she lived
But it left her weak in the head
All she did for months was just lie there in bed
(Lucy...)
Should've been in hospital wound up in Bedlam instead
Poor thing!
(Oh my God!)
Better you should think she was dead
Yes, I lied 'cos I love you!
I'd be twice the wife she was! (Lucy!)
I love you!
(What have I done?!)
Could that thing have cared for you like me?!
Sweeney Todd stood up now, realizing what he had done and turned to Mrs. Lovett with a murderous glint in his eyes. The latter backed up now, terrified, and knowing that she was doomed. Mary ducked now, protecting and preserving the dead body of Lucy Barker. She was scared too and Jillian knelt to mourn her mother.
Mrs. Lovett, you're a bloody wonder, eminently practical
And yet appropriate as always
As you've said repeatedly, there's little point in dwelling in the past
Now, come here, my love!
( Do you mean it?
Everything I did, I swear
I thought was only for the best)
Not a thing to fear, my love
(Believe me!)
What's dead, is dead!
(Can we still be married?)
Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett waltzed now with Jillian and Mary not knowing what would happen next.
The history of the world, my pet
(Oh, Mr. Todd, Oh, Mr. Todd, leave it to me...)
Is learn forgiveness and try to forget...
(By the sea, Mr. Todd where it's comfy cozy
By the sea, Mr. Todd, where there's no one nosy)
The duo were now close to the oven with the meat pies cooking and the fire crackling.
And life is for the alive, my dear
So let's keep living it
Just keep living it...
"REALLY LIVING IT!!" Sweeney Todd roared in fury and then...he threw Mrs. Lovett into the bake house oven. Jillian screamed in shock at what was happening and Mary screamed in horror as Mrs. Lovett caught fire, writhed and screamed as she burned alive in the oven. Sweeney closed the doors and locked her in there. He peeked inside until her screams stopped. Mary was shaking with sobs now at what had transpired as Jillian comforted her. Her fear was of fire and what it could do to people if they were not careful.
The barber dropped the razor now and walked over to where his dead wife was. He gently and sadly ruffled Mary and Jillian's heads; and then knelt down to cradle his dead wife.
There was a barber and his wife
And she was beautiful...
The sewer grate opened now and out came a furious and vengeful Toby; who had seen and heard what had happened to Mrs. Lovett while in hiding. Jillian noticed the boy now, horrified and shocked. Mary looked too and she was scared and shaking. Toby picked up the fallen razor in his hand as he stalked behind Sweeney.
A foolish barber and his wife
She was his reason and his life
And she was beautiful
And she was virtuous
And he was...
Sweeney Todd knew now. He raised his head high so that Toby could slit his throat.
"Toby...? Toby, no! NOOO!!" Jillian shouted now.
SLASH!!! It was too late. Mary gasped now in horror at what Toby had just done as the latter walked off. The wound on the barber's neck was bleeding out now and it poured on to Lucy's face as he lowered his head. Mary now screamed in trauma and in grief. She had witnessed three deaths of those she loved so much; Lucy Barker by mistake by Sweeney; Mrs. Lovett was thrown into the oven and burned to death; and the demon barber himself, was killed by Toby who slit his throat with his razor.
Sweeney wanted to comfort Mary...to let the sweet little girl know that he would be okay. His world turned to black now as he heard Mary wailing in Jillian's arms....
***************************************
Mei was now in the throes of her nightmare. Panic raced through her body as she tried not to scream as loud but couldn't. She emitted a horrified scream before she passed out, overcome by what she saw in her intense dreams. The last thing she saw was her little cousin Rani, hovering over her, yelling for her to wake up.
"MEI!!!" The girl could hear her uncle Joshua yell out worried from outside in the hallways.
"Mei-Mei?! Mei-Mei!!!" Mei could hear her mother's worried and tender voice too.
"MARY!!" Sweeney's terrified voice shouted in worry, shock and love.
That's right...! I was Mirai Sakamoto Barker! Mei realized before she fainted.
"Daddy!! Daddy, Mei-Mei fainted!" Rani squeaked worried.
"Mei-Mei!! Honey, stay with me, stay with me, baby girl...follow my voice, sweetie...Mommy's here." Tammie soothed to her little girl as she placed her on her lap.
"Mary...Mary, it's me...it's me, love..." Mei could hear Sweeney's voice whisper in her ear, soothingly. She could feel Sweeney's hand gently brush against her cheek. "I'm so sorry..."
"Mei-Mei?!" Rani looked over worried for Mei.
"Sweetheart..." Mei heard Joshua softly call out soothing.
"Mei-Mei..." Tammie soothed.
"Sweetie, we're here...we're here." Mary comforted.
Mei snapped her eyes open, panic now raced through her body. Tears were streaming down her face. Joshua bent down to wipe the tears away tenderly. Sweeney drew Mei close to him as he soothingly hugged her. As he did, Mei wailed muffled on to the barber's chest, knowing what happened in her past life and her little arms never let go of him.
"Mary...oh, love...!" Sweeney whispered tenderly in her ear.
"Sweetheart...Mei...it's alright..." Joshua soothed tenderly.
"Oh, baby girl...honey, it's okay...it's okay, sweetie..." Tammie also comforted her little daughter.
"Sweeney...!" Mei cried muffled on his chest as she was shaking with sobs.
"Shhh....shhh..." Sweeney soothingly shushed to Mei in her ear as he comforted her. He never let go of her either as he cradled her head and hugged her tightly and tenderly.
Sweeney Todd and Mirai "Mary" Sakamoto Barker now have reunited; regained memories and all.
"Poor Mei-Mei..." Rani felt awful for Mei as she ambled up to her other father named Victor whom gathered Rani in his arms as Joshua, Tammie and Sweeney comforted the little girl. Victor is a gay man with thin features, fair skin, long black curly hair and blue eyes just like Loki, the god of mischief and of stories.
"She'll be okay, honey." Victor reassured tenderly.