These characters, places, things, etc. belong to Justin Somper.
Johnny stared ahead, lost in his own thoughts. Why can't I get her out of my head? he wondered. For the past months, whatever he had done, Grace Tempest had been ever-present in his mind. He closed his eyes and saw her face, he opened in his eyes and imagined her face. He growled irritably and got to his feet, pushing the chair away from himself angrily. This was ridiculous!
He suddenly jumped when the door suddenly swung open and Stukeley waltzed in, a bottle in each hand. Johnny made a face at the smell coming off his friend. "Hard liquor? You can't even drink," he pointed out. Or could he? He wasn't so sure, judging by how Stukeley stumbled around the cabin.
"Who says?" Stukeley asked. "For your information, I got these from the captain himself."
"Really?" Somehow, Johnny doubted that, unless Sidorio had suddenly gotten over his grief for the late Mrs. Lady Lola Lockwood Sidorio.
"Yes." It wasn't the half-drunken Stukeley who had spoken, but Sidorio himself as he walked into the cabin through the still open door way.
"Evening Captain," Johnny murmured, glancing back at Stukeley to make sure he wasn't in danger of tripping over anything.
"Evening Stetson," Sidorio said, also looking over at Stukeley who had, luckily, sat down.
Johnny moved his gaze back to Sidorio, an eyebrow raised in question. Sidorio caught the look and explained, "I'm feeling unusually generous tonight. And don't think I haven't noticed the way you boys have kept the crew together while I was… Anyway, to get rid of this generous feeling, I'm willing to give you anything your… well, you desire."
Both looked over at Stukeley who was draining more of one of the bottles. Well, that explained the alcohol. Johnny didn't say anything. What did he want? He searched his brain but knew it was futile. There was only one thing he wanted, and he could not get around it.
"Well?" Sidorio's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "What will it be Stetson?"
"Captain, there is only one thing I want and nothing else." He watched Sidorio look at him curiously. Perhaps it was the fact that Johnny seemed unusually serious, or maybe it was just the way he said it.
"And what is that?" Sidorio asked.
"Grace Tempest."