Description: A series of oneshots centered around different characters from the Horatio Hornblower miniseries. Strong focus on relationships, romantic and otherwise, and not always Horatio-centric. WARNING: feels and fluff!


Author's Note: Please feel free to request characters, as it might give me an excuse to re-watch some of the movies to get to know them better. :-) Otherwise, please review as it makes my day!


Chapter 1: Captain Sir Edward Pellew (aka "The Dadmiral")

Directly after the movie The Frogs and the Lobsters (aka The Wrong War):

Captain Pellew watched Hornblower's back as the boy slowly exited his cabin. Even the door's shrill squeak seemed melancholy in light of recent events. The mission had been a damned disaster, it couldn't be denied, though Hornblower had salvaged it as well as he could.

Pellew threw his correspondence down on his desk, disgusted. The idea that the Admiralty could have condoned such a suicide run was preposterous and, frankly, insulting to the officers involved. What had been gained? No land, no tactical advantage, not even any morale in this blasted war.

He had to admit that the personal damage done to his young Lieutenant angered him just as much as the other injustices. Since Hornblower had joined his crew, the boy had done nothing but prove himself worthy. He had not asked specifically what had happened in Muzillac, but he decided to discreetly obtain the information from a member of the crew.

Pellew stood, hands behind back, to gaze out at the frothing trail behind the Indefatigable and fume. Only this righteous anger was enough to drown the pity he felt for the boy, and he refused to let personal feelings of sentiment cloud any interactions with his crew.

But watching Hornblower stand in his cabin, back ramrod-straight but tears streaming down his face, was hard on the aging Captain, who had become to think of the boy as the son he never had.

His spiral of anger and introspection was interrupted by a heavy knock at the door.

"Enter!" he snapped, hoping that it was some dire matter which would absorb his attention for the rest of the day.

Major Lord Edrington stuck his head through the frame, his manner belying a caution unusual for the cocky young man. Inwardly, Pellew sighed; surely he could not have found something to complain about so soon after his return to the ship?

"Captain Pellew," he greeted, apparently making up his mind and entering, shutting the door softly behind him. "I have come to make my report on the expedition."

"Very well." Pellew returned to his place behind his desk, steepled his fingers, and waited.

The Major carefully outlined the specifics of the mission, including exact numbers of men and amounts of ammunitions used. When he had finished, he dipped his head in a shallow bow and made to leave.

However, just as his fingers met the rough wood of the door, he appeared to hesitate.

Mildly irritated by the indecision, Pellew decided to prompt him. "Is there anything else which you wish to discuss, Major?"

Edrington turned to face him once more, and Pellew noticed the state of his uniform for the first time since he had entered. The hems were scorched and torn and the crimson and white had been faded almost to a continuous brown by the dust. "Yes, Sir. It is regarding Lieutenant Hornblower, Sir."

Pellew sighed, wishing that he didn't have to hear this unknown news from a marine. "What is it?"

"It is... well, Sir, I am sure you know that Lieutenant Hornblower performed admirably under the situation presented." Pellew raised an eyebrow; whatever he had been expecting, that had not been it.

"I expect all of my officers to perform admirably under any situation." This time it was his turn to hesitate before continuing. "But yes, I acknowledge that Lieutenant Hornblower has a particular talent. Is there anything else?"

"I thought you ought to know, Sir, that he formed a... personal attachment to one of the townspeople. They became close in the few days of their acquaintance and sh- they died in the retreat this morning."

Pellew was sharp enough to catch the beginning of "she," and guessed by the Major's hasty change exactly what the nature of this "personal attachment" had been. "I think that I understand you perfectly, Major." At least Edrington had the good grace to look embarrassed by his slip. "Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention. I will... monitor Mr. Hornblower and make sure that he handles this appropriately."

This time Edrington really did leave, and Pellew breathed a sigh of relief. The interview had been considerably less trying than he ever could have hoped, and he now knew the reason for Hornblower's distress.

After pacing for a few minutes, Pellew rolled his eyes at himself and stalked out of his cabin, following well-known hallways and ladders to the Lieutenants' quarters. He would rather not draw attention to the issue by summoning Hornblower back to his cabin, but he still felt the urge to check on the boy. Besides, he might already be asleep after the taxing mission.

He rapped on the door and called "Mr. Hornblower!" as softly as he thought could still be heard through the oak. To his surprise, it was Lieutenant Kennedy who opened the door, an inquiring look on his face. When he recognized the captain, he hurried to salute and open the door wider.

"Sir!" Pellew made to enter, but Kennedy jumped to block his way at the last second. The captain raised an interrogative eyebrow, and the young man flushed. "I'm sorry, Captain Pellew, only..." Kennedy lowered his voice. "Mr. Hornblower is in some distress."

Sure enough, Pellew could see that the hammock closest to the door was shaking gently and emitting muffled whimpering noises. Hornblower was clearly distraught and trying to hide it. Rolling his eyes once again at his own silly affection for the boy, but moved by his situation, the captain made up his mind.

Entering the room with light tread, he saw that Hornblower hadn't even shed his uniform before curling into the shivering mass of despair which now sat before him. The sight tore at Pellew's heart; the boy was barely twenty. No one so young should have to endure such heartbreak.

"Mr. Hornblower." The figure stiffened and silenced at the familiar voice. "Major Edrington has informed me of some of the details of the expedition which you eliminated from your report." Pellew paused, loathe to say too much in front of Kennedy, but the sorrowful look in the young man's eyes showed that he knew. "I would like to offer my condolences."

When Hornblower still didn't respond, Pellew suddenly turned and left, his own eyes filling. The story was all too familiar to the captain, who had seen many fine men fall prey to the charms of a young woman and lose their hearts to her memory. He himself had experienced something similar, though that painful story was many years behind him.

Striding back to his own cabin, Pellew had to admit that he would never have made the same move for any of his other crew. That had been the act of a personal friend, of a father. As promising as Hornblower was and as much as he cared for the boy, he would have to transfer him. Even the thought of removing such a dedicated officer from his crew was distressing in the highest, but the boy would have more chance for promotion elsewhere, where there could be no question of favoritism.

Suddenly weary, Pellew returned to the deck, anxious to be away from that cursed place.


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