Chlark Fanfic: Peach Bikini, Chapter 4
Aug. 27th, 2011 08:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
babydee1Yoo-hoo! Anyone up for some Chlark? :-)
I'm finally getting a few extra minutes here and there to transfer all my handwritten notes to my computer, so you may get lucky with regular updates for a while.
Enjoy! :-)
Title: Peach Bikini
Author: BabyDee
Pairing: Chlark
Rating: PG13
Warnings: None
Timeline: Season 3-ish; companion piece/prequel to The Perfect Gift
Disclaimer: All characters belong to the CW & DC comics.
Summary: When Chloe loses to Clark in a debate she has to wear a two-piece swimsuit to Crater Lake – much to his delight.
Feedback: …makes me squee. :-)
Written for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
marikology for her birthday & in appreciation of her kind donation to the ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
help_superrobyn fundraiser. Awesome banner by jennyspring. Thanks, Jenny! :-)
Read previous chapter here.
Read story from the beginning here.
Chapter 4
Clark watched with a quiet smile as Chloe predictably shredded his flimsy defence to ribbons.
“I see my contender has harped all the blame for criminal activity on an unsavoury upbringing in a disadvantaged background,” Chloe said sweetly. “Whilst in some cases this may partly be the cause, there are thousands of people who’ve had less than stellar beginnings in life, and they’ve been able to go on and become successful, law-abiding citizens and live lives that don’t involve crime. Likewise on the flipside, there are children who were born to wealth and fortune, brought up with all the love in the world…and yet still turned to crime. My argument? Criminality is a choice, not a circumstance that’s thrust upon anyone.”
The crowd hummed in agreement. And on and on she went, deconstructing his entire premise like a child knocking down a house of building bricks.
Didn’t matter. He knew what he was going to do.
“Thanks again, Chloe. That was an excellent rebuttal. Now we hear again from Clark Kent.”
Clark smiled and stepped up to the podium.
“Everything Chloe just said is correct,” he declared, eliciting gasps from everyone. “Everyone has a choice. They could decide to be evil, or they could decide to be law-abiding citizens. And those who flout the law and take people’s lives do deserve to have their own taken from them, no argument there. But what about when the law gets it wrong?”
Everyone, Chloe included, looked at him with puzzled expressions on their faces.
He smiled. “I’ll explain. Has anyone here heard of James Richardson?”
There were blank stares and diffident shrugs from the assembly, and a frown from Chloe.
He nodded. “I thought not. James Joseph Richardson was a Florida migrant worker who was sentenced to death in 1968 after being convicted of poisoning his seven children. He maintained that he was innocent of all charges, and managed to get stays of execution while his case was being re-examined. In 1972 he was saved from outright execution by the Supreme Court's decision striking down state capital punishment laws.”
Everyone’s eyes widened, and they leaned forward, eager to hear the rest of the tale. And with that, everything that Clark had researched and forgotten earlier in the evening just came back to him in total recall.
“In 1989, a judge ruled that Richardson’s conviction was tainted by prosecutorial misconduct and a perjured testimony. He was acquitted of all charges and freed. It now appears that someone else killed the Richardson children.”
Clark paused again. “Mr Richardson had been incarcerated for twenty-one years for something he didn’t do. Twenty-one years, people. I don’t need to tell you how wrong that is.”
Everyone nodded gravely. It seemed he had their attention. He cleared his throat and went for the jugular.
“Just imagine how much more wrong it would have been if the State of Florida had put him in the electric chair.”
***
Across the stage, Chloe’s jaw dropped as everything became clear.
Clark had built a rebuttal based on the judicial precedence of innocent people who were wrongly executed.
He was going to win this, she realised with a sinking sense of dread. There was no way she was walking out of this auditorium with the winner’s trophy. Especially since Clark now appeared to have found his debating mojo and was firing on all cylinders.
“Mr. Richardson was the second man in two months to win freedom after it became clear that he was wrongly convicted of a capital crime,” Clark continued. “The other was Randall Dale Adams, who came within a week of execution for the murder of a Dallas police officer. Once again, prosecutorial misconduct and a perjured testimony had tainted Mr. Adams's trial.
And they’re not the only ones. Since 1972 there have been at least thirty cases in which someone was convicted and sentenced to death, only to be freed later after the State admitted they made a mistake.” He paused for effect. “Thirty wrongful convictions; thirty people who would have been put to death by the State for absolutely nothing.”
Chloe stared in dismay as everyone nodded solemnly. She glanced at her watch, willing the final minutes to tick by quickly before Clark sunk her even further.
“So here’s the question, everyone: How many James Richardsons or Randall Adamses does it take to change a nation's attitude about capital punishment?” Clark queried softly. “What exactly is the benefit of applying the death penalty? Its only real function is to satisfy a primitive sense of retribution - which, if you’ve had a loved one cruelly taken from you, is extremely important for the healing process, I admit.
But is that sort of satisfaction worth risking the lives of thirty innocent people? Or even one?”
There were several solemn headshakes. People were shifting uncomfortably in their seats, and Chloe could practically see the victory slipping from her grasp.
“The scenario I’ve painted may be far out, and admittedly doesn’t happen very often – but it does happen,” he continued. “All it takes is one person to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and they could have their lives extinguished by the state in error. That person could be you or me.
“Death is final and irreversible, people. As the Adams and Richardson cases clearly show, human error can be rife; governments and legal system are fallible and, sadly, not incorruptible. I wish that weren’t the case, but we can’t ignore the evidence where it’s all gone horribly wrong. And Adams and Richardson were lucky; they still had their lives at the end of the day. Others weren’t so fortunate.”
Chloe glanced at her watch, relieved to see that Clark only had a minute left. Not that it would make any difference; she was already well and truly sunk.
“A young man Ruben Cantu was wrongfully executed in 1993 for the murder of Pedro Gomez,” he went on. “A prosecutor, the jury forewoman, an alibi witness and even a victim told the court that Cantu was the wrong man. He was convicted based on the testimony of a single eye-witness who twice failed to identify him and who was later pressured by police into fingering him on the third try.
“After the execution, Cantu's friend David Garza confessed to committing the robbery that culminated in Gomez' murder. Cantu wasn't even there. He was just unfortunate not to have an alibi for his whereabouts at the time of the murder.”
By this time there was no mistaking the expressions of sympathy on everyone’s faces. Whatever Clark was selling, they were buying it in spades.
Ten seconds left, she thought desperately. Just ten…
“If we send one innocent person to their death, then we are no better than the criminals we’re trying to rid the streets of,” he said to the silent hall. “In fact; we become them.”
The bell finally, finally rang, signalling the end of the debate. The hall was silent as they digested the information that Clark had just imparted.
“Chloe?” Lana whispered. “Hate to say it…but he made a pretty good point. I think he’s swayed me.”
Chloe turned and looked at her. “I admire your diplomacy,” she said hoarsely. “I’m opposing council, and he’s definitely swayed me.”
***
“Well, we had a most informative debate with thrilling arguments on either side here tonight - but as we all know, there can only be one winner,” Mr Mathison said, addressing the assembly. “It’s time to cast your votes. If you think Chloe deserves to win, please indicate with a show of hands.”
Chloe saw a significant number of hesitant hands rise into the air. At least they were kind enough to show some support, she thought wryly. She hadn’t expected to hold on to even a single vote.
Mr Mathison nodded. “That’s a good percentage, well done Chloe. And if you think Clark made the better argument, kindly raise your hand.”
Immediately a sea of hands shot up into the air, and Mr Mathison nodded.
“Chloe, you did great tonight, but I think the results are clear. The winner of tonight’s debate by a show of hands: Clark Kent!”
Raucous cheering and heavy applause broke out in the auditorium as Clark’s victory was announced. He stepped forward and took a bow, giving a slack-jawed Chloe a sidelong glance and a sly grin.
“Congratulations, Clark – you’ve made history here tonight,” Mr Mathison said, shaking his hand. “I never thought I’d see the day Chloe would be defeated in verbal combat, but you proved me – and everyone else here – wrong. Very well done.”
He beamed. “Thank you, sir.”
“And Chloe,” he said, smiling as she stepped forward for a handshake. “You couldn’t have done any better than you did. Well done to you also, but victory belongs to Clark tonight.”
She nodded and gave a too-bright smile. “Congratulations, Clark.”
He grinned. “Thanks. Oh, and I need to see you later; I think I may have a package for you.”
She glared at him through narrowed eyes as he put an arm around her shoulders and a picture of them was taken for the yearbook. Shortly afterwards they hurried off the stage as the AV team set it for the Variety Night.
***
“I do believe you’ll be needing this,” Clark smirked, pressing the previously returned package into her hands. “Tomorrow, two o’clock, Crater Lake. Don’t be late.”
Chloe glared at him as he walked away. She clutched the bag with nerveless fingers, and as soon as his back was turned she took a shaky breath.
“I guess I deserved that,” she murmured, deadpanned. “I had my ass handed to me out there, didn’t I?”
“Hey, don’t be too hard on yourself,” Lana said, squeezing her shoulder. “You gave a fantastic presentation, and you couldn’t have done anything more. Clark just…happened to play to his strengths, for once.”
“Yeah, he had brilliant motivation,” said Carly with a grin. “The thought of seeing you in the bikini must have been at the forefront of his mind. Speaking of which...” she inclined her head towards the bikini bag. “...I’ll catch up with you tomorrow and give you a hand with that, make sure you look your best.”
Chloe lifted a shoulder in a listless shrug. “I’m just getting into a bikini, how hard can it be?” she mumbled.
“It’s all about presentation, accessorising and confidence,” Carly said with flourish. “Don’t worry. By the time I’m done with you, you’re gonna look fabulous.”
***
Chapter 5…
I'm finally getting a few extra minutes here and there to transfer all my handwritten notes to my computer, so you may get lucky with regular updates for a while.
Enjoy! :-)
Title: Peach Bikini
Author: BabyDee
Pairing: Chlark
Rating: PG13
Warnings: None
Timeline: Season 3-ish; companion piece/prequel to The Perfect Gift
Disclaimer: All characters belong to the CW & DC comics.
Summary: When Chloe loses to Clark in a debate she has to wear a two-piece swimsuit to Crater Lake – much to his delight.
Feedback: …makes me squee. :-)
Written for
marikology for her birthday & in appreciation of her kind donation to the help_superrobyn fundraiser. Awesome banner by jennyspring. Thanks, Jenny! :-)Read previous chapter here.
Read story from the beginning here.
Chapter 4
Clark watched with a quiet smile as Chloe predictably shredded his flimsy defence to ribbons.
“I see my contender has harped all the blame for criminal activity on an unsavoury upbringing in a disadvantaged background,” Chloe said sweetly. “Whilst in some cases this may partly be the cause, there are thousands of people who’ve had less than stellar beginnings in life, and they’ve been able to go on and become successful, law-abiding citizens and live lives that don’t involve crime. Likewise on the flipside, there are children who were born to wealth and fortune, brought up with all the love in the world…and yet still turned to crime. My argument? Criminality is a choice, not a circumstance that’s thrust upon anyone.”
The crowd hummed in agreement. And on and on she went, deconstructing his entire premise like a child knocking down a house of building bricks.
Didn’t matter. He knew what he was going to do.
“Thanks again, Chloe. That was an excellent rebuttal. Now we hear again from Clark Kent.”
Clark smiled and stepped up to the podium.
“Everything Chloe just said is correct,” he declared, eliciting gasps from everyone. “Everyone has a choice. They could decide to be evil, or they could decide to be law-abiding citizens. And those who flout the law and take people’s lives do deserve to have their own taken from them, no argument there. But what about when the law gets it wrong?”
Everyone, Chloe included, looked at him with puzzled expressions on their faces.
He smiled. “I’ll explain. Has anyone here heard of James Richardson?”
There were blank stares and diffident shrugs from the assembly, and a frown from Chloe.
He nodded. “I thought not. James Joseph Richardson was a Florida migrant worker who was sentenced to death in 1968 after being convicted of poisoning his seven children. He maintained that he was innocent of all charges, and managed to get stays of execution while his case was being re-examined. In 1972 he was saved from outright execution by the Supreme Court's decision striking down state capital punishment laws.”
Everyone’s eyes widened, and they leaned forward, eager to hear the rest of the tale. And with that, everything that Clark had researched and forgotten earlier in the evening just came back to him in total recall.
“In 1989, a judge ruled that Richardson’s conviction was tainted by prosecutorial misconduct and a perjured testimony. He was acquitted of all charges and freed. It now appears that someone else killed the Richardson children.”
Clark paused again. “Mr Richardson had been incarcerated for twenty-one years for something he didn’t do. Twenty-one years, people. I don’t need to tell you how wrong that is.”
Everyone nodded gravely. It seemed he had their attention. He cleared his throat and went for the jugular.
“Just imagine how much more wrong it would have been if the State of Florida had put him in the electric chair.”
***
Across the stage, Chloe’s jaw dropped as everything became clear.
Clark had built a rebuttal based on the judicial precedence of innocent people who were wrongly executed.
He was going to win this, she realised with a sinking sense of dread. There was no way she was walking out of this auditorium with the winner’s trophy. Especially since Clark now appeared to have found his debating mojo and was firing on all cylinders.
“Mr. Richardson was the second man in two months to win freedom after it became clear that he was wrongly convicted of a capital crime,” Clark continued. “The other was Randall Dale Adams, who came within a week of execution for the murder of a Dallas police officer. Once again, prosecutorial misconduct and a perjured testimony had tainted Mr. Adams's trial.
And they’re not the only ones. Since 1972 there have been at least thirty cases in which someone was convicted and sentenced to death, only to be freed later after the State admitted they made a mistake.” He paused for effect. “Thirty wrongful convictions; thirty people who would have been put to death by the State for absolutely nothing.”
Chloe stared in dismay as everyone nodded solemnly. She glanced at her watch, willing the final minutes to tick by quickly before Clark sunk her even further.
“So here’s the question, everyone: How many James Richardsons or Randall Adamses does it take to change a nation's attitude about capital punishment?” Clark queried softly. “What exactly is the benefit of applying the death penalty? Its only real function is to satisfy a primitive sense of retribution - which, if you’ve had a loved one cruelly taken from you, is extremely important for the healing process, I admit.
But is that sort of satisfaction worth risking the lives of thirty innocent people? Or even one?”
There were several solemn headshakes. People were shifting uncomfortably in their seats, and Chloe could practically see the victory slipping from her grasp.
“The scenario I’ve painted may be far out, and admittedly doesn’t happen very often – but it does happen,” he continued. “All it takes is one person to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and they could have their lives extinguished by the state in error. That person could be you or me.
“Death is final and irreversible, people. As the Adams and Richardson cases clearly show, human error can be rife; governments and legal system are fallible and, sadly, not incorruptible. I wish that weren’t the case, but we can’t ignore the evidence where it’s all gone horribly wrong. And Adams and Richardson were lucky; they still had their lives at the end of the day. Others weren’t so fortunate.”
Chloe glanced at her watch, relieved to see that Clark only had a minute left. Not that it would make any difference; she was already well and truly sunk.
“A young man Ruben Cantu was wrongfully executed in 1993 for the murder of Pedro Gomez,” he went on. “A prosecutor, the jury forewoman, an alibi witness and even a victim told the court that Cantu was the wrong man. He was convicted based on the testimony of a single eye-witness who twice failed to identify him and who was later pressured by police into fingering him on the third try.
“After the execution, Cantu's friend David Garza confessed to committing the robbery that culminated in Gomez' murder. Cantu wasn't even there. He was just unfortunate not to have an alibi for his whereabouts at the time of the murder.”
By this time there was no mistaking the expressions of sympathy on everyone’s faces. Whatever Clark was selling, they were buying it in spades.
Ten seconds left, she thought desperately. Just ten…
“If we send one innocent person to their death, then we are no better than the criminals we’re trying to rid the streets of,” he said to the silent hall. “In fact; we become them.”
The bell finally, finally rang, signalling the end of the debate. The hall was silent as they digested the information that Clark had just imparted.
“Chloe?” Lana whispered. “Hate to say it…but he made a pretty good point. I think he’s swayed me.”
Chloe turned and looked at her. “I admire your diplomacy,” she said hoarsely. “I’m opposing council, and he’s definitely swayed me.”
***
“Well, we had a most informative debate with thrilling arguments on either side here tonight - but as we all know, there can only be one winner,” Mr Mathison said, addressing the assembly. “It’s time to cast your votes. If you think Chloe deserves to win, please indicate with a show of hands.”
Chloe saw a significant number of hesitant hands rise into the air. At least they were kind enough to show some support, she thought wryly. She hadn’t expected to hold on to even a single vote.
Mr Mathison nodded. “That’s a good percentage, well done Chloe. And if you think Clark made the better argument, kindly raise your hand.”
Immediately a sea of hands shot up into the air, and Mr Mathison nodded.
“Chloe, you did great tonight, but I think the results are clear. The winner of tonight’s debate by a show of hands: Clark Kent!”
Raucous cheering and heavy applause broke out in the auditorium as Clark’s victory was announced. He stepped forward and took a bow, giving a slack-jawed Chloe a sidelong glance and a sly grin.
“Congratulations, Clark – you’ve made history here tonight,” Mr Mathison said, shaking his hand. “I never thought I’d see the day Chloe would be defeated in verbal combat, but you proved me – and everyone else here – wrong. Very well done.”
He beamed. “Thank you, sir.”
“And Chloe,” he said, smiling as she stepped forward for a handshake. “You couldn’t have done any better than you did. Well done to you also, but victory belongs to Clark tonight.”
She nodded and gave a too-bright smile. “Congratulations, Clark.”
He grinned. “Thanks. Oh, and I need to see you later; I think I may have a package for you.”
She glared at him through narrowed eyes as he put an arm around her shoulders and a picture of them was taken for the yearbook. Shortly afterwards they hurried off the stage as the AV team set it for the Variety Night.
***
“I do believe you’ll be needing this,” Clark smirked, pressing the previously returned package into her hands. “Tomorrow, two o’clock, Crater Lake. Don’t be late.”
Chloe glared at him as he walked away. She clutched the bag with nerveless fingers, and as soon as his back was turned she took a shaky breath.
“I guess I deserved that,” she murmured, deadpanned. “I had my ass handed to me out there, didn’t I?”
“Hey, don’t be too hard on yourself,” Lana said, squeezing her shoulder. “You gave a fantastic presentation, and you couldn’t have done anything more. Clark just…happened to play to his strengths, for once.”
“Yeah, he had brilliant motivation,” said Carly with a grin. “The thought of seeing you in the bikini must have been at the forefront of his mind. Speaking of which...” she inclined her head towards the bikini bag. “...I’ll catch up with you tomorrow and give you a hand with that, make sure you look your best.”
Chloe lifted a shoulder in a listless shrug. “I’m just getting into a bikini, how hard can it be?” she mumbled.
“It’s all about presentation, accessorising and confidence,” Carly said with flourish. “Don’t worry. By the time I’m done with you, you’re gonna look fabulous.”
***
Chapter 5…
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-08-27 08:52 pm (UTC)Absolutely AWESOME new chapter of Peach Girl!
*hugs*
no subject
Date: 2011-08-28 08:23 pm (UTC)nicee
Date: 2011-08-27 08:54 pm (UTC)Re: nicee
Date: 2011-08-28 08:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-27 10:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-28 08:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-28 12:27 am (UTC)Clark with the gift of intelligent gab, very well done!
Thank you so much for continuing.
Oh, and welcome back!
:)
no subject
Date: 2011-08-28 06:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-28 07:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-08-28 08:27 pm (UTC)*cuddles*
no subject
Date: 2011-08-28 05:29 am (UTC)Totally agree with Carly that Clark had a real incentive to win.
Clark deserved the win though cause he had me totally hooked.
Can't wait for more.
no subject
Date: 2011-08-28 08:29 pm (UTC)Glad you like, Jacques! :-D
no subject
Date: 2011-08-28 06:11 pm (UTC)On a totally serious note, I wanted to let you know you've actually changed my mind about the death penalty. I know you didn't set out to change anyone's opinions with this fic, but Clark's argument changed my mind.
no subject
Date: 2011-08-28 08:34 pm (UTC)*bows* Thank you, Your Excellency! :-D
"On a totally serious note, I wanted to let you know you've actually changed my mind about the death penalty. I know you didn't set out to change anyone's opinions with this fic, but Clark's argument changed my mind."
OMG SQUEEEEEEEEE!!!!!! I had no idea it was going to be that persuasive!!! *does happy dance of happiness*
I'm so thrilled you liked it, bebe! Thanks for your awesomely brilliant comments. *cuddles*
no subject
Date: 2011-08-29 01:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-01 10:14 am (UTC)I do agree wholeheartedly that cold-blooded killers and people who molest children don't deserve to live.
Thanks for your input, EE! :-)
no subject
Date: 2011-09-01 12:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-09-01 10:10 am (UTC)Glad you liked it, babes, and thanks so much for all the sweet comments!!!
no subject
Date: 2011-09-20 01:55 am (UTC)I was waiting for a Supes moment where he tells people that giving up on someone is wrong; there's good in everyone; etc. But after Chloe's compelling argument, that wouldn't have been enough to sway the audience.
Nicely done, Dee!! :)
no subject
Date: 2011-09-21 09:14 am (UTC)...and the threat of p*ssing off brothas worldwide with a misrepresentation of the Doggfather!!! :-D
“I was waiting for a Supes moment where he tells people that giving up on someone is wrong; there's good in everyone; etc. But after Chloe's compelling argument, that wouldn't have been enough to sway the audience.”
True. Besides, I think that’s what he was mumbling in the first half, and everyone just looked bored!!!
“Nicely done, Dee!! :)”
*blushes* Thanks, babes! :-)
no subject
Date: 2012-12-17 02:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-12-17 03:05 am (UTC)Thanks for your comments!