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All four of the pie shoppe's guests exchanged a look and headed down the stairs to the bakehouse in unison. The sight that met their eyes was indeed worthy of a scream. The shattered remains of a plate lay at Mrs. Lovett's feet. The woman stood near the meat grinder, her hands pressed against her mouth as if to stifle any other sound that might come from it. She was shaking, rooted to the spot, and staring at Jaqueline. The pirate captain stood, both hands pressed to her abdomen, where a dark stain was spreading. The scene seemed frozen for an eternity until Jaqueline tugged a twisted piece of metal from the center of the dark stain on her shirt and dropped to one knee. The bloodstained scrap fell from her nerveless fingers, and her crewmates rushed to her as she collapsed sideways, leaving a stunned and slightly giddy Bluebeard standing at the bottom of the stairwell. Vash caught Jaqueline and cradled her in his arms.
"Jaquie! God, what happened? Jaqueline!" he asked, tears threatening to spill over his lower lashes.
Scarlette whirled on Mrs. Lovett, grabbing the poor woman by her shoulders. "Did you do this?!" she demanded.
"No...Scarlette..." Her captain's voice was feeble, but something in it impelled the flame-haired firstmate to release Mrs. Lovett and kneel beside Vash. "She...didn' do...anythin'...Let 'er alone." Jaqueline coughed, and more blood spattered her once-white shirt.
"But...Jaquie, if she didn't do it...then who did? You wouldn't've done it yerself--" Jaqueline cut her off by raising a shaky, bloodied hand.
"It wasn't either've us...I must've hit somethin' on the grinder...caught a loose...thingamabob...spring..." Another cough; more blood. "...Damn, those things're sharp..."
"Jaqueline...darling, please don't die on me. Not again," Vash's voice cracked on the last word. "Y'know I can't lose some 'un else..."
"Vash...honey..." Jaqueline's bloody fingertips touched his face, catching the salty tears that rolled down his cheeks. "Don't worry 'bout it...it ain't...that bad, right? I mean..." She was whispering now. "...if'n I die...I'll make sure...I wait...till we're back...on the Sparrow...'fore I come back...Jus' look fer...some black cat...or dog...or a raven..." Her eyelids fluttered, and the hand on her husband's face fell limply to her chest.
"Jaqueline?" Vash whispered, then let out a ragged sob and hugged his wife's body close. Scarlette and Sakura knelt beside him, tears flowing down their faces as well.
"Hm, ya know what?" Bluebeard said from where he stood at the bottom of the stairs. "I think I just might get that shave after all."
"Well, you're in luck, sir," came a deep voice from behind and above him.
Bluebeard whirled. There in the doorways stood Sweeney Todd in all his dark splendor. The man descended and put a hand on Bluebeard's shoulder, guiding him back upstairs. "Come, there's no one in the chair."

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Oh no! Is Jaqueline really dead? What's going to happen to Jennifer? And how are her crewmates going to break the news to the others? And what the hell is up with Bluebeard deciding to get a shave right at that moment?! scream You'll have to wait for the next installment to find out. Comments! Please! Y'all know I won't post another chapter till I get a comment!