A/N: This is a collaboration between the wonderful Marie S. Zachary, who is my friend, and I; we have been working on this story for about three months (or has it been four?) and we've worked really hard on it. We hope you all enjoy it! By the way, it's sort of occ and au.
Disclaimer: We don't own Sweeney Todd so no one can sue us.
The Extraordinary Life of Benjamin Barker, the Renowned Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Chapter I: Sentenced
Judge Alex Turpin knew that Lucy could not have been guilty of the crime she'd been accused of. For one thing it wasn't her style. She was gentle, kind and compassionate... she would never hurt a fly, let alone push a pregnant woman down a flight of stairs when she, herself was pregnant. Still the jury had found her guilty. With a heavy heart he threw an apologetic look at Ben and announced:
"She shall receive only minimal sentences... 100 strokes of the razor whip upon the 8th of April."
Benjamin didn't know what to say. Turpin knew Lucy was innocent yet he was going to have her lashed. He wanted no special favors, he didn't expect any, and however, Benjamin Barker did expect justice to be dealt. And this wasn't justice.
From his seat in the first row, Benjamin stood up and said pointedly to the Judge, "Turpin you know Lucy is incapable of doing something as pushing another woman with child down a fleet of stairs. Be reasonable. You must conduct a thorough investigation of this. Someone—God knows there always someone around when these sort of things happens—saw and can testify against Lucy committing this outlandish crime as you wish for her to suffer under the whip."
"Excuse me," Turpin said, "did I finish yet?" "Um..." "Thank you. The jury has found her guilty," he continued, "and recapsation has to be made. However," he added, "under the circumstances and in her condition...the strokes will fall, not upon her back but upon my own." He slammed the gavel and declared the case closed.
All in the courtroom thought the judge mad. Benjamin and Lucy exchanged incomprehensible looks before returning their attention to Judge Turpin. The first to speak was the slimy little Beadle Bamford who voiced everyone's bewilderment in the courtroom.
"You sir?" He asked tentatively. "Forgive me sir, but that's quite impossible. You cannot under any circumstances be biases to one party or another. If Mrs. Barker cannot hear for the lashes then it must under judicial order fall upon her husband. Not you sir." The Beadle Bamford was risking so much for speaking his mind. Everyone in the courtroom had their eyes fixed on Turpin, waiting, watching to see his reaction and hear his response to this soft reproach.
It was no secret that the Beadle Bamford found the Barkers, especially Benjamin, insufferable and intolerable. But the law was the law, and it was his job as Beadle to reinforce it.
"Thank you for your opinion," Turpin said, "unfortunately for you I disagree with you. Any stress to the mother (he looked gently at Lucy) would be dangerous to that of her child. Therefore my decree remains." He banged his gavel and dismissed the court.