Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, or ships, of the Hornblower series, they belong to C.S. Forester or ITV or someone other than me anyway. I do however own the characters of Dr. Marks and Emma Watts.

Hey readers, thanks for checking this out, I hope I can make it worth your while : )

Any reviews, good or bad, would be welcome as would suggestions and ideas because honestly I'm not sure where this is going yet.

My main character, Emma Watts, is of my own invention but I was at least partly inspired by Kristen Stewart's interpretation of Bella Swan, mainly in appearance and some mannerisms. This does NOT mean this is a Twilight story so please don't let this put you off if you're a hater. I just think it's nice to be able visualise Emma's character.

Sorry for any typos, enjoy.

Chapter 1

Okay, so she'd already done this many more times than what was sane or decent over the last hour but one more time couldn't hurt. Or so Emma Watts thought as she unpacked and repacked her luggage yet again whilst checking its contents against a list in her hand. She was nothing if not meticulous when it came to these things. For in just a few minutes a cart would arrive to carry her and her thoroughly packed belongings to the dock and from there a little boat would take them both to an even bigger boat and from there? Well, that part only time would tell.

It was a rather terrifying prospect for a girl such as Emma. She had lived a fairly comfortable and dull life. Born in a tiny town in the misty, wet forests of north-west America, she'd spent her childhood in relative ignorance of the wider world. Her father had been an educated man, a physician, and she learnt all that she could from him most eagerly, but in terms of actual experience? Well, not so much.

After her father had died she'd moved to a large port a long distance down the coast to learn a trade that society would ridicule and doubt her for trying. And she'd thought that that had been terrifying and adventurous enough.

And yet here came the cart and horse, a chariot to a future even she couldn't have predicted. She turned to her kind, clever mentor, Dr. Marks, and tried to smile naturally.

Marks looked at the girl before him. With some surprise he realised that she was a young woman now, not the gangly, awkward thirteen-year old that had been sent to him five years ago. And yet she still looked so young, so fragile. For not the first time since yesterday Marks wondered if he was doing the right thing in allowing Emma to do this. Still, there was no time to debate it now, the cart was loaded and ready to go, and so he smiled and handed the little book to her.

"What's this?" Emma asked curiously.

"A Medical Guide to the most Common Ailments and Afflictions of Seamen and their Treatment." Marks quoted, "I managed to get it off a friend this morning. I thought it would be of some use to you."

Emma looked up at him with a little more tenderness in her eyes than Marks was comfortable with and her tremulous "Thank-you" didn't help the welling up of emotion in his own chest.

He coughed gruffly. "Well. You'd best be on your way Emma. You know what these British naval types are like: they do love their punctuality. Have you got everything?"

He helped her climb into the seat. "Yes, I think so." She paused a moment and then added, "Thank-you Dr. Marks, for everything."

Marks simply smiled encouragingly, "Not at all, Emma. Now, good luck." With that the cart pulled away and Marks had to raise his voice, "Read that book as soon as you can. Keep yourself and your equipment safe and presentable. And remember all that you've learnt. You'll be fine. Goodbye!"

The cart rounded the corner and Emma could no longer see or hear her mentor. Turning instead to the front she could see the port in the distance, with the deep blue ocean ahead of it and, Emma's eyes widened at the sight, her new home: the HMS Indefatigable.