Will had to admit that Rosyth was much more welcoming his second time, the wonders of rank and all that. The Unicornwas given a prime berth, next to the other battlecruisers. If one considered proximity to the flagship a sign of one's standing, then Will was far above where he had once been. As expected, there were a few other ships between his ship and Lion, but Will could stand on the top deck and clearly make out Beatty's flag, so he considered that all well and good.

Of course, all the battlecruisers were placed so that they could deploy down the Firth quickly if needed.

Will tried to force that from his mind as Sharpe helped him into his formal uniform, for he did not like to think of having to rush out to face some German fleet. At least it wasn't U-boat patrol, but those big guns were still going to be aiming for him. He comforted himself with the fact that the battlecruisers were too valuable to risk without their escorts, meaning he would have destroyers and cruisers screening him as he set out. More than likely he'd spend most of the war in port, although when he did have to go out, the thought sent chills down his spine.

Sharpe must have noticed while he brushed down Will's coat, "Nervous about meeting the Admiral, sir?"

Will shrugged, "A bit, but nothing too bad." And he really wasn't nervous, not enough to make him shiver. Beatty had wanted him to come visit before he had to leave to meet with Jellicoe up in Scapa Flow over something. But he had wanted to meet with his newest captain before, just a brief meeting that was really a formality. Will had dressed the part, asking for his formal uniform. He felt rather foolish stepping out though, earning a few glances as he made his way to the dock and to the Lion. An officer by the gangplank saluted, and Will returned it. "I believe I'm expected by the Admiral."

"Aye, sir." The officer gestured for him to follow as he led him through the ship. Will was glad that he knew the way himself, the two ships were immensely similar and he felt comfortable in the hallways. The officer paused, knocking on a door. "Sir?"

"Come in," A voice called out, and Will was confronted with Vice-Admiral Beatty for the first time. He snapped a salute, doing his best to examine the man in charge of the battlecruiser fleet without making it obvious. Beatty had a long face, a strong jaw and an aristocratic nose. A pair of clever light hazel eyes gazed out, assessing him in turn. "Captain Murdoch, I presume?"

Will had to resist nodding, "Yes, sir."

"At ease," He nodded to the officer, "We'll be fine without you." Will relaxed his salute but didn't reach for the chair in front of Beatty. The other man cocked his head, "I must admit, I had my doubts about you when I was told your background." Will didn't even have a moment to say something in his defense before Beatty chuckled, "But so long as you can command your ship and follow orders, I'll take anyone."

Will swallowed, "Thank you, sir."

"And don't worry, I'm the soul of discretion." Beatty nodded towards the chair. "Sit, anything to drink?" He didn't even wait for Will's answer, calling for his personal steward to bring them two glasses of scotch. Beatty swirled it as he looked at him, "So, your thoughts on your ship?"

Will sipped his drink, doing his best to drink slowly. "She's a wonderful ship, sir, quite fast and the men have only improved on their gunnery since I took over."

"And Rosyth itself?"

"As a Scot, I have to admit I enjoy it." Will grinned a bit, earning a snort from Beatty. "Although I imagine you would rather be up in Scapa Flow."

"Hardly," Beatty rolled his eyes. "Up there, three days from a decent restaurant and freezing my arse off? Rosyth is only a quick train ride from Edinburgh, and there's enough entertainment to be had there."

Will nodded, drinking again. "It is, the last time I was stationed up here I purchased a few gifts for my wife's birthday. She greatly enjoyed them."

"Ah, a fellow married man." Beatty took a healthy swallow. "Ethel will be pleased; she's been after me to allow her to host a dinner once you joined us. She was awfully worried that we'd have an uneven number of guests, she's had a hard enough time getting some of her socialite friends to make the trip up here."

Will noted how his glass had far more in it than Beatty's. "I'm quite sure Ana would be delighted to come, she loves parties."

"Well, just make sure she dresses nice." Beatty finished his glass. "I'll have invitations sent round once I'm back from seeing Jellicoe, you've got the freedom of the town until I'm back, unless orders come in."

Will set his glass down, "Thank you, sir, I'll send word to Ana to expect a trip up here soon."

"Good, now off with you." Beatty gave Will's glass a pointed look, "Is my hospitality not up to your standards?"

Will hastily grabbed for his glass, drinking it down. "No sir, it's quite good, I just didn't want to appear the drunk in front of you."

"Well, just finish it without me saying anything next time." Beatty stood, and shook Will's hand before he left. Will found himself walking back to his ship, hardly an hour since he had left. Sharpe seemed surprised to see him back so soon, but simply shrugged and directed his captain's attention to the mail that had been delivered while he was out.

Still in his formal uniform, Will sat and immediately reached for a letter from Ana on top of the pile. It was odd that it had been sent through the post instead of her man from Dalian Shipping, but he wasn't about to complain.

My loving Will,

I have to admit, I've had a bit of a scare down here. A zeppelin passed over town while I was down at the docks with Sylvie. We were all so frightened, looking up at it while being unsure if it were going to drop bombs on us. Later we saw that it was headed for London but was blown off course, thank God, it seems it abandoned its mission for there was nothing in the paper about it damaging anything in the city.

I beg of you not to worry about me, it appears that Welton had come up with a contingency plan, so if it happens again, I will simply race down to the docks and wind up waiting out the raid in the Solent on one of my ships. If anything, I am safer here than in London! I cannot imagine being trapped in the city while the zeppelins fly overhead. I only wish there was something to be done to be rid of them. Sylvie is convinced that an aeroplane could take care of them, but I am unsure.

Let me move on, otherwise I know I will make you worry.

You were correct in your assessment of my situation during the inquiry. Campbell intercepted a cartoon that not only accused me of purchasing your command but also brought up our connection to, well, that ship. I went along with his request only to preserve your career, my love, and you must know I hated every minute of it. I was quite glad to give my testimony to Mersey privately, he remembers you fondly. I have the cartoon in my possession, so do not worry that Campbell will be able to abuse it again.

Onto happier matters, Sylvie has begun refining my culinary talents. I managed to cook an entire day's worth of food by myself! I have also begun spending more time with the children, if only to help her. I suppose I can see the appeal of a child, however having to change Mavis's dirty diaper has put me right off of them. I joke, darling, you know I long to be a mother to your children. They are rather cute, I must admit, although those two boys are such a fiend for chocolate Sylvie has had to hide it in my house to preserve it!

Perhaps I could bring it up when I come visit you? I assume your crew would be glad to enjoy it. Let me know when you have leave, I'll come as quick as I can.

Thinking of you, always,

-Your Ana

It took all Will had to not crumple the paper up in his hands. Zeppelins over Southampton? Bombs about to fall on his wife's head? He stood, turning for the porthole in his office and doing his best to get control of himself. He was seeing red, his breathing harsh, and all he wanted to do was take the Unicorn down to Southampton, elevate her guns as high as they would go, and blast that zeppelin out of the sky. He wanted to see it come plummeting down, flame consuming it and all the men inside as it crumpled to the earth.

How dare they threaten his wife? How could they even countenance flying bombs over Southampton, let alone London? It was one thing for the U-boat that attacked the Lusitania, they could have tried to ram the submarine and fight back, but there was no such defense on land. Rifles and pistols would do nothing, bees stinging an elephant. Artillery, perhaps, but they were all at the front.

He couldn't do a damn thing for her, but he could ask her to do something. There was only one thing to do, and while he hated to order Ana to do anything, if it would keep her safe, he would do it.

Sharpe didn't say a word as he passed his captain, still in his formal uniform and writing furiously at his desk.

I had barely managed to get to the bathtub from the bedroom, my cramps ungodly this month. Fortunately, I had not stained the sheets, and while we had been shopping, I had managed to discreetly acquire what I needed. Unfortunately, I was in the house alone, without anything stronger than aspirin to deal with the pain. While I was soaking, I realized exactly how difficult my monthly would be without any servants. Louise couldn't brush my hair and gossip to distract me, Peggy couldn't bring my meals up to my room, hell, even Taylor couldn't take Rigel out.

I would have to do everything.

So, after getting myself situated, I pulled on a nightgown, covered it with a dressing gown, and went downstairs. I let Rigel out to attend to his business, gulped down aspirin, and turned to the stove. I had managed to get the hang of lighting it, and Sylvie had admitted she was impressed by my culinary progress. I would always shake my head and reply that she was a good teacher, then we would fall to giggles in the kitchen.

As it was now though, I hardly needed those skills to prepare a cold beef sandwich. Will had a rather sharp mustard in the icebox, which made a nice sauce for it. It was satisfying to be able to eat something made by my own hands, and the sandwich itself was filling. Rigel was more than willing to accompany me as I made my way to the office, hunting after a book. The bookcase in the office was small, mostly stacked with the naval theory books I had ordered for Will. But there were at least a few books that I could stand, even if the lack of Verne was annoying.

What interested me more than a book though was the latest packet of letters from Will, and I set my book aside to tear into them once I reached the bed.

My Dearest Ana,

I know you asked me to not worry about you, and you must know that is an impossible task. How could I not be consumed with worry at the thought of a zeppelin passing overhead and bombing the house into oblivion? It is all well and good that your ships have a plan to avoid them, but how can you be sure to reach them before the bombs come raining down? How can I endure being aware from you thinking of that? My God Anastasia, the thoughts I have had since I read your letter. I have not felt fear like that for some time.

I beg of you, as your husband, to leave Southampton, at least for a short time. Buy a country house, spend a month there, anything to get you out of the city. The Germans are no doubt tempted to destroy anything related to the war, and your docks are far too tempting. I want you to leave the city and get as far away as you can. Better than a country house, go to Scotland. Da would be glad to see you, and Rigel, and you love Dalbeattie so. It's safe there, quiet and I will be grateful to you forever if you go.

I do not wish to order you to go Ana, but I will if that is what it takes. I hope that my begging will entice you so that I do not have to go that far. If you need more to tempt you to Scotland, I met with Admiral Beatty today and his wife is planning a party. It would only be fitting for you to attend with me, in fact she wishes for all the captains to bring their wives. Ana, pack your trunks and go to Dalbeattie. Bring along that blue and gold dress you found at Selfridge's, anything pretty, and when I know the time, you can come stay in Edinburgh and we can see each other.

You know you already have all of my love, but I cannot resist telling you again that you hold my heart in your hands.

Your Jolly Sailor Bold,

-Captain William Murdoch

I set the letter down next to me with a sigh. I knew I had to write him about the zeppelins, and I had anticipated he would be upset over it, but I hadn't expected him to be urging me to flee the city as if it were on fire. He was clearly panicking over it, even after I had assured him the zeppelin had been blown off course. To be quite honest, I honestly had no idea if it had been, Mr. Welton had been convinced of it but it was a debate between everyone at the offices.

I had eventually locked Mary out of my office after she felt the need to inform me of every change of opinion when she brought my papers.

I had no idea why the Germans would target my docks, if anything I would think the larger lines, Cunard and White Star, would be more tempting considering they were shipping soldiers over. I groaned as a cramp started, turning onto my side as I continued thinking. I could write Will all my reasons to stay, for I had no desire to leave. I liked it in Southampton, I enjoyed going to the docks and I loved seeing my nephews and niece almost every day. Here I could turn over and see pictures of Will and myself, I could remember what we had done in almost every room and blush.

But I would be hurting him.

Will wouldn't want to order me to go to Dalbeattie, but he would and it would hurt the both of us. I knew he wanted me to be safe, but it rankled. I wanted to stay here, and I would go see Will when he had leave. But he would be disappointed, and that would hurt more than if he had ordered me.

I sighed, knowing that my fate was sealed.

I would go to Dalbeattie, with Rigel, and Will could relax. It would be rather boring, and I would miss the distractions of the city, but if it would provide him some comfort, then I could deal with it. It would be good to see Samuel and Peg again, and perhaps even Sam and Agnes had warmed toward me. Those were low odds, but one could hope.

And then there was the party.

Will hadn't mentioned how his meeting with Beatty had gone, but if it had included an invitation to a party, then it couldn't have been too bad. I didn't know much about the man, only that he was Will's new commanding officer and was considered a well-connected man. I would have to ask around and see if there were any rumors to consider, I would prefer to go into this party well informed. I didn't want to come off as some simple-minded fool of a wife, not to Will's commander.

I was still mulling that over when a light knock sounded downstairs. Rigel began barking, but when I tried to move, the cramp spread from my stomach to my legs and I groaned as the pain ripped through me. It was bad enough being in pain, but Rigel was barking like mad and I could feel a headache forming. What cut through it though was the sound of the door opening, Rigel's barking ceasing. I had a brief moment of panic, thinking that it could have been burglars, before a familiar voice called out. "Anastasia? Is everything alright?"

I let out a breath, Sylvie. "Yes, I'm just rather indisposed at the moment."

"Just a moment." I heard the tap of her cane on the stairs, she'd been using it more often but it hardly slowed her down. I hastily pulled the blanket up over myself, and was glad I had when the boys preceded her in.

Trevor looked up at me, his brow furrowed. "Are you sick, Aunt Anna?"

"Just a little." I muttered, feeling my cheeks burn slightly. "I'll be better soon."

"Can we still go to the park?" Roger seemed to ask that to both his mother and myself, twisting his gaze between the two of us. "We were going to play catch with Rigel and Nana."

Sylvie patted his head, "Why don't you boys go play catch with them out back? I'm sure they'll have just as much fun there." That sent the two of them scurrying back downstairs, and Sylvie sat down on the edge of my bed. "Are you sick?"

I sat up a bit, "My monthly usually lays me low for a few days, it's horribly painful."

She gave a knowing wince, "My sympathies, I certainly know what you're going through."

"I've managed to get out a bed today, long enough to make myself something to eat."

"Have you taken anything?"

"Some aspirin, but it never helps." I shrugged, "Usually I lay around in a hot bath for a few days until the pain fades."

She patted my leg, "Give me a moment, I know something that may help." I heard her make her way downstairs, and I could hear her rattling around in the kitchen. Considering that I could hear the kettle whistle, I wasn't surprised when Roger and Trevor preceded their mother, carrying a steaming tea pot and tray filled with sweets from the cupboards. Sylvie poured me a cup of tea after sending the boys back down, handing it over. "Here, this should help."

I inhaled the steam rising from the cup, smelling lavender, fennel and half a dozen other scents. "What's in it?

"A number of herbs, all of them helpful." Sylvie had a rather aloof smile, "Ada and I tinkered with the recipe every now and then, I was sure that some had been left in a tin and sure enough, there was enough left for a few pots." She gave me a smile, "We'll have to make a new batch, now that you're here."

I sipped my tea, considering what she had said. Had Ada been as cursed as I was? She and Sylvie had obviously discussed their monthlies if they had concocted this tea. I curled my hands a bit tighter around the cup, "Thank you, I hope it's not too much of a hassle."

"I wrote the blend down, I can get everything for it quick enough." She shrugged, then pushed a chocolate toward me. "This will help to."

I greedily grabbed it, "Now that I do know." I finished my tea before tearing into it. "I hope the boys won't be too disappointed."

Sylvie snorted, "They're having fun in the yard, they'll be fine."

"I can offer them something else fun." I smirked, an idea forming in my mind. Dalbeattie would be far more enjoyable with a friend. "I'm going up to Scotland soon, Will wants me out of the city after the zeppelin. You all could come with?"

She pursed her lips, "Anastasia, I don't know about that."

"It would be fun; I doubt they've been."

"They haven't." She admitted, but shook her head. "But Bertie is saying that they're bringing his ship down for a refit soon, and he's going to come see us."

I dropped my head, nodding. Of course, she would want to stay down here when she knew Lights was coming, I would do the same thing if Will was expected. "Well, perhaps another time. Will also mentioned he wouldn't care if I bought a country house, so long as it kept me out of the city. I could go looking this time and we all could go spend some time up there when everything is finished?"

Sylvie smiled widely at that, brushing her hand lightly over mine. "Now that sounds like a fine idea, and knowing Will, you'll have your own little one to bring with."