Title: Prisoner
Author: Dracori
Summary: Four years of Mojo’s life are wasted away in prison for a crime he didn‘t commit, and Blossom feels partly responsible. She believes there may be a way to make it up to him, and it could very well change everything.
Pairing: Mojo/Blossom
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: The Powerpuff Girls are owned by Cartoon Network and were created by Craig McCracken.

Chapter I
Guilt

“In light of more recent evidence regarding the murder of Carl McClorall and its relation to the Greene family murder, it is evident that the court…and myself have made a mistake. It is only sensible that I drop all charges…”

Though the judge spoke on, Mojo Jojo heard not a word of it as he leaned back into his seat, breathing a sigh of relief. Four years in prison he spent for a crime he did not commit, and it would have been the rest of his life if the case had not been reopened. Sure, the evidence would convince anyone that he had done it. It was his weapons after all that were found at the crime scene, but no one had ever stopped to think that he could have been framed. No, they wanted to believe it was he who had done it. Bastards.

Blossom had taken a special interest in making sure Mojo had been put away. Hell, she had been the one who told the police that the empty acid barrel belonged to him. He remembered how she had broken into his observatory in the middle of the night, dragged him out of bed and beat him to an inch of his life. If the police hadn’t shown up he probably would be dead right now.

“How could you do something so vile?! HOW?! How could you sink so low to murder a family?!”

Her tone had been so harsh, so disgusted. When details of the family’s murder had been revealed during court, Mojo had surprisingly become disgusted himself. The murderer had tied up his victims, and basically tortured them. Their bodies had been found in an old, rundown warehouse, and the children had been placed across from the parents, showing that the murderer obviously wanted the parents to watch him kill the kids first before next killing them. The killer had burned the children to death with a barrel of acid, and then next used one of Mojo’s more deadly, high-tech laser guns to kill the parents. Mojo had not even noticed that any of his weapons were missing since he had such a vast amount, but when the empty barrel and laser gun had been discovered at the crime scene, all fingers pointed at him. With no convincing alibi, and a history of criminal offenses, Mojo was in prison before he could blink. Oh how he had wished that he had installed that new alarm system and cameras that he had created. It figured that someone would break into his observatory before he had a chance to properly install them.

“You are free to go, Mr. Jojo, with the court’s sincerest apologies.”

Mojo narrowed his eyes as he got to his feet. “Yeah, right,” he muttered under his breath. He turned to his attorney, who looked very happy that this had finally been resolved. “See? I told you the system would come through,” she said as she placed a hand on Mojo’s shoulder.

Oh please, you probably thought I was guilty, too. The only reason why you agreed to represent me was so that you could make your pay, Mojo thought bitterly.

“What do you mean? The only reason why the system came through was because the real criminal was stupid enough to kill again. The system would have never come through otherwise. You and I both know they would not have reopened the case.”

The woman’s face fell suddenly. Inwardly, she agreed, but did not speak it. Sighing, she gathered her papers together and stacked them neatly into her briefcase. Before exiting the courtroom she turned back to Mojo and offered her hand in parting. Mojo accepted it, figuring he still owed the woman that much. As she turned to leave, Mojo averted his gaze to the people exiting the courtroom. He suddenly became angry as he watched them file out. No one congratulated him, no one who had jeered and insulted him when he had first been accused came over to apologize to him. They were probably disappointed.

Just as Mojo started to make his leave, his eyes locked with Blossom’s for a moment. Her look was that of pure regret and sorrow. He could practically see her apology resting within the trench of her lips, but unfortunately, he had always been one to hold a grudge. Sneering, he whipped his head back to the front, and continued on, walking with angry strides out of the courtroom.

Stepping out into the sunlight, Mojo took in a breath of fresh air. Yes, it felt good to be free. He deserved to be free, but he hardly felt as though justice had been served. If it had been, then he wouldn’t have been put in prison in the first place.

“Mojo, wait!”

Oh, what now?

Mojo was about halfway down the concrete stairs before he turned to face whoever had called out to him, though he knew right away that it was Blossom. He scowled as he saw her flying towards him.

“Get away from me,” he said before he started descending the stairs again. Blossom quickly floated in front of him and touched down, blocking his path.

“Please, just listen to me. I’m really sorry. I’m sorry we didn’t look more thoroughly into the case. It’s just…all evidence pointed to you.”

“Yeah, uh-huh. And what exactly is the evidence that you speak of? The fact that it was my weapons that were used? Yes? It did not once occur to you that someone could have stolen that laser from me? Or that barrel of acid? And if I were to ever commit such a heinous crime, do you really think I would be foolish enough to leave the weapons at the scene of the crime?!”

“But…the glove residue found on everything was from the same material that your gloves are made of. You can’t blame us for thinking it was you.”

“SO WHAT?!” Mojo screamed, catching the attention of a few people who were passing by on the sidewalk. “Anyone can buy gloves!! A lot of gloves are made from the same material! He obviously used gloves so there would be no prints! And of course he used the same gloves I have! He wanted the blame to be thrown at a criminal mastermind!! You wanted to believe it was me! You knew someone else could have easily set me up! BUT YOU WANTED ME TO BE PUT AWAY FOREVER!”

Mojo’s harsh tone caused Blossom to visibly flinch as though he had struck her across the face and she almost wished he had. She could not begin to imagine the pain and anger he was feeling right now. Four years of his life were gone, and there was no way of getting them back.

“I…I don’t know what else to say,” Blossom whispered, her eyes cast downward.

“There is nothing more to say. We’re done.”

Mojo brushed past the redhead and went on his way, leaving her standing alone, baffled and guilt-ridden as she watched him disappear around the corner of the courthouse. After a few moments, she slowly took to the air and made her way home.

0ooooooo0

Nothing had changed. Everything was the same, just as Mojo had left it the last time he had ever been here. The only difference was the observatory was completely silent, which Mojo didn’t like. He was so used to the beeping sounds all his different machines would make when active, which for some odd reason, were comforting to him, but the only sound that could be heard was the echoing of his footsteps as he made his way into his living room. It felt good to be home. Well, he could hardly call it home, but it was better than being cooped up in a jail cell for so many years.

Before taking a seat on his couch to relax for a while, Mojo went around and tried to turn on a few lights. Surprisingly, his electricity had been cut back on sooner than he had thought. He next tried the phone, which was working as well. He hadn’t thought everything would be turned back on this soon. Usually companies turned things on whenever the hell they felt like it, but Mojo figured they didn’t want to have a disgruntled villain on their hands. They must have gotten word before even he did that he was going to be released.

After checking to see that everything was up and running like it should be, Mojo went over to his couch and sat down, leaning back against the arm rest. He was exhausted, and rightfully so. When he had first heard the news that there was a possibility he was going to be released, he hadn’t slept a wink before the trial. Now he felt like if he went to sleep now, he wouldn’t wake up for forty-eight hours. And it was at that very moment that the phone rang.

Apparently, getting any sleep was not going to happen anytime soon.

Mojo groaned. Someone was calling him already? Couldn’t it wait until tomorrow morning? He was too tired to talk right now. “It better not be Blossom,” he mumbled as he grabbed for the ringing phone.

“What?!”

There was a short pause.

“Sheesh, for someone who’s just been released from prison, you certainly are in a bad mood.”

Mojo sighed as he realized who he was speaking to. “What do you want, Him? I am very tired, so can we make this quick? By which I mean can we keep whatever conversation you wish to indulge in to a minimum of words because I very much wish to relax for the rest of the night. Which is to say I do not want to speak nor do I want to do any sort of activity which requires movement of any sort.”

“Alright, alright, I get it! Great, now thanks to your babbling I forgot what I was going to ask…”

“You already knew I was out of prison?”

“Yes. It was on the news.”

“Well, are you disappointed?”

“What? That you didn’t kill those people? I don‘t know. I guess it didn‘t seem like your style.”

“Him, I told you repeatedly every time you came to visit me that I did not kill those people. I have no desire to kill at random. The only people I want to kill are the Powerpuff Girls…and especially Blossom,” Mojo muttered, but Him still heard him. “That little….” Mojo bit his bottom lip, trying to settle his anger. “It is her fault! She wanted me to be put away for good.”

“Well, how about we make a deal? You and I both want to destroy those little brats, so how about you kill Blossom, and then I’ll destroy her sisters? They’ll be easy to pick off since they won’t have their precious leader around. No one else wants to destroy them more than you and I. This way we both get to have the pleasure of destroying them.”

“How about we discuss that idea on a different day? Perhaps when I am not about to pass out from exhaustion?”

“Alright, I get it. I can tell when I’m not wanted. Goodbye then.”

Him hung up before Mojo even had a chance to respond, but he didn’t care. He simply hung up the phone and dragged himself into his bedroom and prepared himself for bed, despite the fact that it was only five thirty.

0ooooooo0

“Blossom, don’t be so hard on yourself,” the Professor said gently as he set Blossom’s dinner down in front of her.

“Yeah, everyone thought he did it, and who wouldn’t?” Buttercup agreed as she gathered several strands of spaghetti onto her fork. “Mojo has been a criminal for years and the murderer used his weapons to kill those people.”

Blossom eyed Buttercup curiously. “Well you certainly seem happy he’s been acquitted,” she said sarcastically.

“Am I supposed to be happy? Why would I be happy that a criminal is now back on the streets, free to destroy Townsville whenever he wants to again?”

“I’m glad he’s out,” Bubbles chimed in. “It just didn’t seem like Mojo. The crime seemed a bit too extreme even for him. He’s the type that likes blowing stuff up, not killing innocent people.”

Buttercup rolled her eyes. “Oh Bubbles, you think there’s good in everyone. And besides, Mojo has tried numerous times to kill us. Of course he’s capable of killing people.”

“Why don’t we discuss something else?” asked the Professor, hoping to get on a more enjoyable and less controversial topic, but the girls seemed to have not heard the suggestion.

“Buttercup, Mojo’s anger has always been pinpointed at us. We foiled his first plan to take over the world almost ten years ago, and he’s obviously held that against us since then and-”

“Which just goes to show that he needs to suck it up and get a life,” Buttercup retorted. Blossom sighed, becoming frustrated with Buttercup’s arrogance.

“Look, the point is it’s obvious the only people he is interested in killing is us. He has no reason to want to kill anyone else.” Blossom slumped down into her chair, poking her spaghetti with her fork. “And I let my anger cloud my judgment,” she added quietly. Professor Utonium quickly caught the gap in Buttercup and Blossom’s quarrel and spoke up again.

“Okay, that’s enough. This discussion is closed,” he said firmly. “Now, let’s talk about something else. Bubbles, how was school today?”

“Oh it was so funny! My fourth period teacher, Ms. Nelson accidentally got the back of her skirt stuck in her pantyhose. Everyone was pointing and laughing at her every time she turned to face the blackboard. She didn’t even notice until the end of class. That’s the first time anything interesting has ever happened in algebra class.”

“Ugh, don’t even mention math,” grumbled Buttercup.

“Now girls, math can be very interesting if you just give it a chance.”

Blossom could hardly keep her attention on the current discussion, though usually she would be highly engrossed in a conversation dealing with math, or anything else that dealt with education. She was infuriated with herself, but also concerned. Was Mojo right? Did she really neglect the possibilities that he was innocent because she wanted him to be guilty?

“Can I be excused?” she asked suddenly, interrupting the conversation.

“But you haven’t even touched your food,” said the Professor with concern.

“I don’t have much of an appetite.”

“Well…alright.”

Blossom muttered a “Thanks” and exited the dinner table, ignoring the concerned looks she was receiving from her family. She slowly floated up to her room and closed the door, then went over to her bed to lay down. “Now he has even more of a reason to hate me. He was innocent all this time.”

‘You’re still angry with him. You trusted him, and he betrayed you. He used you, and you haven’t forgotten that. That’s why you didn’t want to believe he was innocent.’

“He may have betrayed my trust…but I took away four years of his life…and he was innocent,” Blossom said aloud. “I’ve completely tarnished the meaning of being a Powerpuff Girl.”

‘It’s not your fault.’

“Yes, it is. An innocent person was put in prison while a true murderer walked free without serving justice.”

‘But Mojo isn’t exactly innocent. He may have been innocent of the murder, but as a whole, he’s guilty.’

“That doesn’t mean he deserved what happened to him!” Blossom shouted, but suddenly felt rather silly. “Look at me, I’m arguing with myself.” Getting up, she floated over to the middle window and looked out towards the city. She could just barely make out the top of Mojo’s observatory in the distance. “I wonder what he’s doing right now….Probably plotting my death. Can’t say I blame him,” she said as she suddenly turned her back to the window and looked towards the floor. The sound of the bedroom door opening grabbed her attention.

“Blossom? Honey, what is it?”

“You know what it is, Professor,” Blossom replied, turning back around to look out the window again. She heard the Professor take a seat on her bed.

“I know you’re feeling guilty, but I told you it wasn’t your fault. Did you try apologizing to him?”

“Yeah…”

“And? What did he say?”

“What do you think he said?”

The Professor smiled crookedly. “I take it he wasn’t too happy?”

“No. I’ve been disappointed with myself plenty of times before…but I don’t think I’ve ever hated myself as much as I do right now. I’m supposed to protect the innocent, and put away the criminals…I did just the opposite.”

“Well…not quite, Blossom. Mojo is a criminal.”

“Professor! He was innocent! He didn’t kill anyone! And the person who did got away for four years.”

“But he’s in prison now.”

Blossom slowly turned to face the Professor, who noticed straight away that she had paled slightly. “Professor…several people have gone missing since Mojo was first arrested and sent to prison…what if…what if that man killed them, too…and we just haven’t found the bodies yet…and…oh God…”

The Professor quickly stood up and walked over to Blossom, who he could tell looked close to fainting. He led her back over to her bed and carefully sat her down next to him. “You don’t know that, honey. Anything could have happened.”

“I know but…if that man also killed the people who have been missing then…it’s my fault.”

“No, Blossom. You fight crime and help enforce the law, but you’re not the law. The legal system made a mistake, not you, and no one is blaming you for that.”

“Mojo is…because he knows how much I wanted to see him put behind bars….and I let my personal anger towards him get in the way of my judgment.” Blossom pulled away from the Professor and got up to pace the room. “Maybe I should try talking to him again,” she stated aloud, but mostly to herself.

“Blossom, if he didn’t listen before, I really doubt he’ll listen again.”

The redhead stopped and turned to face the man. Somehow she knew he was right, but she also felt as though she didn’t get a chance to say all she should have said, though she really didn’t know what else she could say besides “I’m sorry.”

“Then what am I supposed to do?”

“Just let it go.”

The Professor got up to leave, leaving Blossom alone to thoroughly consider her options. Maybe she should just let it go. She had apologized to him, that was what was important, but there was still that nagging feeling that she hadn’t said all that could have, and should have been said.

“He won’t listen.”

‘Then just try being a bit more persistent.’

TBC…

A/N: This fanfic was started about seven months ago. I actually got quite a bit done the first couple of months, but then I lost interest for about three months, unfortunately, but now my interest for this fic has returned and I am going to try and complete it. I had originally planned to finish the whole thing before I posted it, but that didn’t quite happen, and I’m dying to get it up for people to read. I have about half of it complete so far. Maybe a little more than half. Which means that about 7 chapters are already ready to post right now, but updates will be about 10 days apart, and in between updates, I will try to complete at least 1,000 words. So, next update won’t be until June 30th.

But I hope you enjoy this fanfic. The title of this story has a literal meaning, which I'm sure some of you probably have already figured out. But the title also has a more metaphorical meaning, which will be revealed towards the end of the story. And sorry, but this isn't another RRB/PPG fanfic. So if you've read this far hoping there would be some RRB/PPG squeezed in here somewhere, you are shit out of luck. If you don't like the idea of Mojo/Blossom, please scurry along.