AUTHOR'S NOTE: So this is my first crack at a modern military fic, so it's probably going to be horrible and terribly inaccurate. Hopefully, though, it'll at least be entertaining and possibly worth the read. I guess you guys will have to judge for yourselves. Go easy on me!

"Extensive psychological testing? What does that mean?" the young Recruit asked softly, looking at her recruitment officer.

"It's nothing to worry about, Swan. It's just to make sure that when you get down there, you're not gonna crack and go crazy."

The girl bit her lip and looked around the room. The walls of the office were covered with photographs of the officer's family and other young Recruits. Something about the sound of 'extensive psychological testing' was unsettling.

"Swan?" the man's voice rung in her ears.

She was startled, so her head immediately snapped forward to face him.

"My apologies, Sir."

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, Sir. Perfectly fine." After a pause, she continued with nervousness in her voice, "When does it start?"

The officer looked her over, suspicious, and said slowly, "You begin your testing two days from now here in the recruitment building."

"And if I don't pass?"

"Why wouldn't you pass?" the man asked accusingly, staring into her eyes with his cold, serious blue ones.

"No reason, Sir. Just curiosity."

"Well, then, to answer your question... I suppose it depends on how you respond to the examination. Depending on the degree of your impairment, they may simply direct you to another branch, or - in extreme cases - give you an honorable discharge due to mental illness. But you don't have to worry about that, do you, Swan?"

"No, Sir," she answered, swallowing her nerves. "Will you be the one giving the test?"

"No. Doctor Johnson will be administering the examination and interpreting the results."

"What kinds of questions will they be asking me?" Emma asked nervously, her forehead beginning to sweat.

"Swan," he snapped, "is there something I need to worry about?"

"No, Sir."

"Then you're dismissed."

Standing on shaky legs, the girl saluted her officer, staring directly through him at the wall behind his body.

Standing once more on shaky legs as the doctor entered the lobby, Emma waited for the results of the exam.

"Don't look so worried, Miss Swan. I'm happy to say that you're perfectly healthy and fit for duty. Nothing to worry about."

Of course, she breathed a sigh of relief, but inside, she was thinking, 'There's something seriously wrong with their testing if they think I'm psychologically healthy.' But she was grateful for the lucky break, knowing all too well that had her severe anxiety been uncovered, they never would have allowed her to man a submarine vessel. They were right, though. Long periods of time underwater would put a serious strain on the healthiest members of the enlisted. The girl just hoped that she would be able to cope well enough to live her dream of serving at sea without being discharged for a mental breakdown.

Boarding the submarine for the first time, the Seaman Recruit surprisingly felt no rush of nervousness or fear. In fact, the emotion bubbling inside her was a pure wave of excitement. Never had she wanted anything more, and achieving her dream at last filled her with a rush of pride. This she quickly pushed from her mind, believing that it was simply luck that brought her there, rather than her own accomplishments.

For most of the crew, the next month went by slowly, dragging on as they struggled to find things to do on board and cope within the confines of the tightly packed ship. For Emma, though, the thrill of adventure filled her each morning when she woke and stayed with her well past the moment her eyes closed each night. Spending each day learning as much as possible about the vessel and its mechanics, she longed to know all there was to know about the ship. Though she spent most of her time engrossed in the gigantic machine's workings, she occasionally took the time to write in her journal, which was mostly filled with what she'd learned that day anyway.

"Do you ever get your head out of those books, Swan, or do anything other than obsess about this giant hunk of junk?" another Recruit called to her as she lay in her bunk one night.

"Nope," she said shortly, refusing to look up and meet his eyes or give into his teasing.

"Were you this much of a dork in school, too? I bet you got your ass beat on a regular basis."

A few other sailors laughed at this, but Emma still refrained from giving the young man the pleasure of a response. Instead, she slipped the book under her pillow and rolled over to face the wall. She shut her eyes, blocking out some of the light, but her mind, flooded with rapid streams of thought, kept her awake for a long while. When she finally fell asleep, she had dreams about her home for the first time. This was unusual for her, since she had never really felt like part of her own family to begin with. In fact, that was part of the reason she'd decided to leave. Not only was she passionate about the Navy and the submarines she would one day live aboard, but she felt lost, even in the presence of her caring family.

By the morning, these thoughts were gone, and she was once again engrossed in her life aboard the ship.

TWO MONTHS LATER

When the submarine was finally docked and the sailors stepped back on land, Emma still had not had another dream about her family. Not knowing this, her family was the first to greet her when she stepped off the ship.

"Emma!" her mother cried, throwing her arms around the girl.

"Well, well, well. Look at you!" her father said with a smile. "Why, don't you look gorgeous in that uniform."

Emma blushed and turned away, always having thought she looked relatively stupid in the outfit, but her father seemed sincere as he wrapped his arms around her.

"We missed you!" her mother said quickly, kissing the girl's cheeks repeatedly.

"Mom!" Emma finally snapped. "Can you not? Not here."

Laughing, her father took the girl's arm and led her to the family's car, holding the door open for her when they reached it.

"Go on, Princess. Your chariot awaits."

"David," the girl groaned, rolling her eyes.

Only when they reached the family's driveway did she remove her garrison cap and jacket, finally at ease as she sat down on the couch, for the first time in months.

"God, it's good to sit on something soft," the sailor commented, leaning back and closing her eyes.

"Why don't you come get something to eat, Emma? We've got dinner all ready for you. We just need to heat it up. I made your favorite! Turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, and green beans!"

"Mom, I fucking hate green beans."

"Watch your mouth, young lady!"

"She's a sailor now, honey," Emma's father pointed out. "Of course she's come home with a sailor's mouth."

Winking at the girl, he sat down at the table and took a sip of a glass of water.

"Well!" he finally said. "Tell us all about it!"

"There's not much to say," Emma said hesitantly. "I learned a lot about submarines, obviously."

"And how was it?" her father pressed.

"The other sailors weren't quite so... academic. But I enjoyed myself, and I feel like I'm definitely prepared for a promotion now."

"Climbing the ranks, huh? That's my girl!"

"Not yet," she said sharply. "Hopefully soon, though."

"Wait," her mother said suddenly, spinning around away from the food she was heating up on the stove. "You mean you're going to re-enlist?"

"Well..." Emma started carefully. "I don't know yet. I guess we'll have to see how the rest of the year goes and whether they promote me or not."

"Emma!" the woman cried, slamming a spatula down on the stovetop. "Please tell me you're not serious!"

"Why, honey?" the girl's father jumped in. "What's so wrong with her wanting to pursue her dreams? She's wanted this since she was a little girl. Why don't you want to support her in this?"

"No," the woman said sternly. "You're not going to re-enlist, Emma. It's time to come home. Your family needs you. And what about Neal?"

"Neal?" Emma asked dumbly, staring at her mother.

"Yes, Emma! Neal! Your boyfriend of three years? Don't you think he's missed you?"

The girl finally laughed.

"Oh, come on. I'm sure he's been chasing tail the whole time. He could have showed up today, and he didn't."

"Um... Emma... See..." her father started. "The thing about that is-"

The knock at the door interrupted them, and the girl's mother answered it quickly, with great enthusiasm.

"Neal, honey! It's so good to see you!" she shrieked, throwing her arms around the young man in an exaggerated way.

But his eyes were locked on Emma, who was avoiding his gaze and attempting to pretend to be talking to her father, who was clearly not part of any conversation she was having. David was looking at her boyfriend, too.

"Hey," the young man said shyly, as soon as the girl's mother had released him from the embrace. "I...Um...It's good to see you."

Emma stared blankly without words, then finally said half-heartedly, "Yeah. You too."

Realizing that the boy was waiting for her to embrace him or show him some great wave of pent-up affection, she stood up reluctantly and gave him an emotionless hug that lasted merely seconds. As she was pulling away, he forced a kiss upon her lips, causing her to pull away.

"What's the matter, Emma?" he asked. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

"Yeah. I'm just... I'm just tired, I guess. I'm ready to sleep in my own bed," she answered, then quickly added, "alone."

"What?"

"I'm dying to spread out," she lied. "The bunks are extremely uncomfortable."

"Oh. Alright. Maybe I should go then," he offered, expecting her to stop him.

But Emma agreed with a nod and walked him to the front door, holding it open for him as he left.

"What was that?" her mother snapped, as soon as the door was closed. "What's wrong with you?"

"I'm just tired, okay?" Emma yelled, nearly throwing her chair back under the table, leaving her parents staring as she stormed up the stairs.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: No worries, people. Things get interesting in the next chapter when Regina shows up ;)