Chapter 9 Shadows of Innocence

Michael sat in his cold empty cell, starring out the window at the bay. The rest of the cells were empty and he looked around. The guard was gone and he was completely alone.

"I'm innocent I tell ya!" The screams echoed throughout the cells and he stood up. His eyes scanned around for a way to distract himself and maybe even escape, even though his fate was almost sealed.

"Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!" Another echo reverberated throughout the walls.

He looked away towards the stairwell that led to the outside world. The door opened with a loud thud and five people came down the stairs. Norrington, Jennifer, Jack, Cindy, and Will. The five of them lined up to the cell and Michael looked at them. Will was the only one with a look of pure unbridled anger in his eyes. He merely gazed down at the young man that had taken the only two things in the world that he loved with all his heart and soul.

Michael avoided eye contact with all of them and listened as Norrington began to speak.

"Why did you do it? What could have provoked you to killing such an innocent and defenseless human being and her unborn baby?" His tone was calm and slow, as if to push the subject farther into his mind. Michael shook his head and kept quiet. "Why do you deny it when we saw you at the scene of the crime, with the weapon!" He was growing angry.

"But what's my motive?! I had no motive!" Michael's eyes were pleading, yet defiant. He looked to Jennifer for sympathy and found some.

The three men were silent, and Cindy and Jennifer were looking at each other, and then at Michael. His eyes were desperate, and he was practically pleading with them for compassion and mercy.

"Did she do something to you?" Jack said calmly.

"No. Don't you people understand that? I didn't do it." Michael leaned against the wall and slid to the floor, his eyes glazed over.

Will looked to Norrington and they nodded their heads. Norrington walked over to the cell lock and opened the cell with the ring of keys at his belt. It creaked open and Will walked inside and knelt down to Michael. The other four people waited in the doorway and watched.

"Michael," Will's voice was mixed with anger and grief, "Please tell me the truth," their eyes met, "Did you kill Elizabeth?"

Michael looked at him with a defeated look and shook his head slowly. Will nodded his head and in a split second was at his throat, trying to choke him to death.

Michael was gasping for air and grabbing frantically at Will's wrists, trying to pry him loose from his slowly crushing windpipe.

Jack was in awe, as were the others. Cindy ran over to Will and began to pry him loose.

"Stop it!" She screamed as she dug her nails into his wrist in an attempt to get him off. Will slowly rose and brought Michael up with him till Michael's feet were dangling from the floor.

Michael's eyes were closing and he was close to passing out. Will's writ was bleeding from the scratches from Cindy, and she began to get frantic. She brought her leg up and kicked Will in the back of the knee bringing him down, and releasing Michael. Immediately she got in between Will and Michael. Will stood up and looked at Cindy.

"Move." His tone was threatening.

Cindy shook her head, "No."

"Please move," this time it sounded more pleading than imposing.

"No, I can't step aside and watch you kill him."

Will stood there for a moment, and then left the room. Norrington and Jack followed him, leaving Jennifer and Cindy alone with Michael.

Jennifer walked into the cell and knelt beside Michael.

"You ok?" She looked at his neck and saw a few bruises starting to show.

He coughed a few times and started to breathe deeply. "Yeah, once I get a new trachea." Even near death he was sarcastic.

Cindy shook her head and knelt down to Michael. "You're lucky I saved your bitch ass otherwise you'd be dead."

Michael smiled and looked up at Cindy.

"Thanks."

Jennifer watched as Michael started to breath more normally again and then asked, "Did you do it?"

Michael froze, and then looked her in the eye.

"No."

For a long time they looked into each other's eyes and then Jennifer gasped.

"Holy shit."

"What?" Cindy looked at Michael and then to Jennifer.

Jennifer leaned in closer to Michael, "He didn't do it." Her eyes were wide and she looked at Cindy. "He's innocent."

"How the hell do you know?"

Jennifer kept eye contact with Michael, "Look at his eyes."

Michael broke away from Jennifer and looked at Cindy. Their eyes searched each other's and finally Cindy started laughing with wide eyes.

"Holy crap you're right!" She gasped between laughs, "Oh my god, you're innocent!"

Michael smiled and looked at both of them.

"Well, if you didn't do it," Jennifer said as she looked at Michael, "Then who did?"

Michael paused for a second and then looked around before answering, "Barbossa."

Jennifer looked at Cindy who blinked several times.

"But he's dead." Cindy looked at Michael who just shook his head.

"He's been possessing me a few times. He was planning this the whole time."

There was a long silence before Jennifer replied, "But, how? The only two ways of really possessing someone. Your soul is stuck here and can pass in and out of a human body at will, or," she paused, "Astral projection. But for astral projection, you'd need to be alive and have some magical family or someone to give you magical blood."

There was an awkward silence before Cindy stood up and started to pace in the cell. Slowly Jennifer stood up too and then Michael rose as well.

All eyes were on Cindy, and then she snapped her fingers.

"I got it!"

"What?"

Cindy turned to Jennifer, "Barbossa's spirit was possessing him and he used Michael to kill Elizabeth!"

Jennifer nodded her head in agreement, "Ok, so why now? His spirit could have just left his body right at death a while ago. What's so special about now?"

"The baby."

They turned to Michael who was just joining the conversation.

"He wanted to hurt them more so he killed the baby," he paused, "And I would take the fall for it."

There was an eerie silence and then Jennifer shook her head.

"But why take revenge when you're dead? There's no way to feel the content. Unless…" Jennifer gasped and then looked at Cindy, "Unless he's not dead."

"But how the hell would that be possible?"

Jennifer looked around and then felt the necklace pressing against her chest. She had almost forgotten about it and brought it out. Her fingers traced the flying dragon and she looked over the pentacle in between its wings.

"Oh my god."

Cindy and Michael rushed over to Jennifer.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

Jennifer turned around and faced them and held up her pendant.

"Magic."

Michael blinked a few times while Jennifer continued.

"That's what's happened. Someone used black magic to bring him back to life to kill Jack and Will."

There was a long silence before Cindy broke it.

"What kind of magic could do this?"

"Well," Jennifer cleared her throat; "Pretty much any powerful priestess or being could use their own magic or necromancy to bring a dead body to life. But I can't figure out the astral projection. That can only be amplified, it can't be given."

"What if he had it but didn't know about it?"

"That's very possible."

"But who?"

Jennifer shook her head, "Whatever witch doesn't like Jack and Will who would be smart enough to sick their dead enemy on them."

Cindy scoffed and then looked at Michael.

"Holy shit, I just remembered they're gonna hang you."

"I feel so loved," Michael said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Shit, you need to be rescued like in the end of the movie. You just escape near death, get far enough to fall of the thing and swim to the boat. That'd be so cool."

Jennifer looked at her and raised her eyebrow.

"That's not a bad idea."

"What?"

"That's not a bad idea at all."

"What! You took me seriously?" Jennifer grinned mischievously and then brought her hands together. "You're not supposed to take me seriously when I say shit like that! Besides, Jack thinks he's a crazy murderer and would never let him on his ship!"

"I'll convince Jack, don't worry. Just have faith."

Jennifer turned to leave and she heard Cindy mutter, "Faith. Hah." Cindy left the cell and closed the cell door behind her, knowing he would never escape and that it was best for him to stay there.

"Hey Cindy," Michael called after them.

Cindy stopped and turned around and walked to the bars where Michael was standing.

"Yeah Michael?" She walked up close to the bars and looked into his eyes. Suddenly, he snaked his arm through the bars and around her head and pulled her close to him. Tenderly their lips met and they stayed in that position for a while before…

"Ahem," Jennifer looked at Cindy with an annoying stare. Michael released her and watched her smile and then trudges off behind Jennifer.

Once they were out of Michael's earshot, Cindy spoke up.

"Jesus Christ, three guys."

"Yeah," Jennifer was annoyed.

"I have three guys after me. One is a priss who can go to Hell, the other is a horny teenager, and the last one just had his wife die," she paused and then her smile faded, "FUCK!"

"At least you have three. I have one."

"One who's trying to fuck you left and right. You almost fucked him in the cellar too man. But you had to be a pussy and leave to find Elizabeth, dead."

Jennifer looked a bit sad and Cindy immediately regretted it.

"Sorry man."

"It's ok." Jennifer began to look around and she saw the spot where jack had fallen off the cliff, and where Norrington proposed to Elizabeth, and where Will and Elizabeth had kissed. Slowly she made her way there while Cindy followed.

She looked at the architecture and saw the shadows of the early evening sun stretch across the ground in front of her. Her shadow loomed in front of her and she moved her arm upwards. The shadow responded and she watched it. Slowly, she saw another shadow walk up behind her. She smiled and turned around, only to come face to face with Jack.

"Ello luv." His eyes were gentle and welcoming as he smiled.

"Hey Jack," she was quieter and blushed slightly.

Jack watched as she turned around to face the ocean. He smirked as he walked up closer to her and put his arms around her and rested his head on her shoulder. She sighed and held on gently to his arms as they watched the ocean.

"Jack," she turned around and faced him.

"Yeah luv?" His eyes were filled with concern.

"Michael's innocent."

There was a long silence and Jack shook his head.

"He is Jack, Michael wouldn't kill anyone out of cold blood."

"Maybe you don't know him then." Jack's eyes persecuted her rather than questioned.

"Jack, you have to believe me. There's foul magical play at work here!"

"Magic?" Jack scoffed as he grinned, "You expect me to believe that magic is afoot here? That someone used magic to bring Barbossa back to life and he used magic on Michael to kill Elizabeth?" He looked into her eyes and she crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow. "He's dead! There's no such thing as magic!"

Jennifer reached into her shirt and pulled out her pendant and showed it to him.

"It does exist. Karma, luck, all that is divine and magical."

"How am I supposed to believe that?"

"Trust me."

Jack looked at her and he searched her eyes for any hint of deception. He found none.

"But—," he sighed, "What if he's lying?"

She shook her head, "You didn't see his eyes."

Jack shook his head and looked at her.

"What's the plan?"

Jennifer smiled and pulled him into a thankful and intimate hug.

MEANWHILE…

Barbossa walked along the deck and watched his crew work. He watched as Lily walked up to him and smiled.

"Hello milady."

"Good job with the sword."

"I thank you for the opportunity to use it."

"We're sailing for Port Royal."

"To finish the job?"

Lily nodded her head and looked around. She saw the helm, and had a flashback.

FLASHBACK

Lily was sitting on the deck of a ship, looking at the town next to her. A tall man with a long red beard walked over to her and smiled.

"Lily! My little angel!" He bent down and picked her up.

"Daddy!"

"How are ye my precious daughter?"

She just smiled and looked over his shoulder at the younger man standing there. His dark eyes and hair were beautiful along with his muscular body that was rippling under his white shirt.

"Daddy, who's that?"

"Oh," he turned around, "This is a new crewmember on mine. Jack Sparrow."

Jack nodded his head and smiled.

She just looked at him; didn't acknowledge him at all. She didn't trust him.

"Well darlin, we've got ter be off. We need to go sailing. Go back home now alright?" Her father put her down on the dock and she watched as he and Jack got onto the boat. Jack went to the helm and held it dearly with a sad expression on his face.

END FLASHBACK

That was the last time she saw her father. Jack ended up killing him a few weeks later. She swore to get her revenge, and she had studied with a priestess in order to get the power she'd need to wreak her havoc onto him.

"Damn you Jack," Lily whispered under her breath as she walked away into the lower deck to her room, leaving Barbossa on the deck.

"Let's see now," he looked to the horizon, "How am I going torture him once we capture him?"