These people, places, things, etc. belong to Justin Somper.

Lorcan stared out across the ocean, his eyes searching for any sign of the ship and crew that took Grace away from him. His clenched fists at his sides, he couldn't help the anger within him. Why weren't they pursuing the ship?! He knew the Captain was in a delicate condition but Grace could very well be dead by the time they got there if they didn't hurry! She could already be dead!

No, he thought. Don't think like that. She's alive. She is alive!

"Lorcan?" He looked his shoulder at the sound of a soft voice. Darcy was looking at him with worried eyes. He looked away. He knew Darcy was concerned for, not only Grace, but also for him.

"I'm fine, Darcy," he said, gazing back out at the dark ocean.

"No, you're not," he heard her say. "You have to understand, the Captain cannot push himself as much as he used to. He must build up his strength again."

He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off. "But, that doesn't mean he's doing nothing. He has contacted Mosh Zu who is doing all he can to find Grace."

Lorcan just scoffed. Despite his respect for Mosh Zu, and his gratitude to the Vampirates guru for resorting his sight, he felt it was going to take more than some magical voodoo to rescue Grace.

He let out a grunt as something came into sharp contact with the back of his head. He turned and rubbed the back of his head, looking at Darcy who was glaring at him. "I know you're worried about Grace but try to be respectful! If Mosh Zu can find out where the ship is, then we can go there and rescue her!"

He knew she was right, of course she was, but he couldn't just sit around and do nothing while Grace was out there, somewhere, possibly being tortured by the most vicious of vampirates. "I can't just sit back and do nothing," he told her. "I have to know she's ok or do something about it if she's not."

Lorcan stared down at Darcy as she cradled his face in both of her small hands. "I know you're worried about her," she said. "We all are. But you must be patient. We will find her and everything is going to be ok."

"You can't know that."

"Damn it Lorcan! I'm trying supportive!" she snapped.

Lorcan's eyes narrowed and he pulled himself free from her grasp, storming off.

"Where are you going?!" he heard Darcy call after him.

He didn't respond. He needed to get away from this all. He needed peace and quiet. He needed Grace. So, he headed down the corridor to her cabin. Pushing the door open, he walked in, closing and locking the door behind him. At once, he felt overwhelmed. Leaning back against the door, he slid down to the floor, one of his hands covering his eyes as he started crying, though he tried not to. Crying wasn't going to help the situation and it certainly wasn't going to bring Grace back.

"Lieutenant Furey."

"Go away," he rasped in response to the Captain's eerie whisper. He knew better than to disrespect the Captain, but was in no mood to play polite.

"Lieutenant Furey." Lorcan lowered the hand from his face but didn't respond. "Lieutenant!"

He scrambled to his feet and unlocking the door, tearing it open. "What?!"

The Captain stood before him, looking surprisingly calm considering the situation, which only enraged Lorcan even further.

"Lieutenant, I am aware of your wish to help Grace and I have come to the realization that we are going to need… outside help."

The Captain's words calmed Lorcan's anger, replacing it with confusion and curiosity. "Outside help?"

"Yes. I have… allies, I suppose you would say. Simply put, they owe me a favor."

Lorcan looked at the Captain suspiciously. "A favor? I'm pretty sure this goes beyond a simple favor," he said.

"Quite right, but it is a big favor they owe me and I have no doubt that they will help," the Captain told him.

"Right, so, where do I fit into this?" Lorcan asked.

"You are going to deliver the message to them and bring them back."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

Lorcan couldn't help feeling skeptical. "What if they don't want to come?" he asked.

The Captain smiled and replied, "Oh, they'll come, don't you worry about that, Lieutenant. They'll come."