After their honeymoon, Frederick and Anne returned to Kellynch — presently empty as the admiral and Sophy had elected to stay on in Bath for a spell. They were shortly joined by Benwick, whose fog of grief was being rapidly penetrated by the persistent attachment and lively manners of Miss Louisa Musgrove. They made a merry party. As in the fall, the Kellynch and Uppercross parties were much in each other's company — although further constrained by the winter weather.

An aggressive amount of flirting by Miss Louisa on the occasion of St. Valentine's day led Benwick — almost without realizing what he was about — to offer for her in response. The determined young lady unreservedly consented. Though Benwick had somewhat anticipated his own timetable in proposing at such an early date, he found himself rather contented with the result and even allowed himself to be happy for the first time since reaching shore.

The tranquility of their winter idyll, however, could not last for long. When Napoleon escaped from his confinement on Elba, both of the dashing young captains were called back into active duty. Benwick, seized by the unshakable fear of becoming essentially twice a widower before even officially taking a wife if he left yet another pretty young fiancee ashore, pressed for a hasty marriage. The Musgroves, indulgent to a fault, could not long withstand Louisa's tears and agreed to a special license.

It was, therefore, with solemn gravity on Anne's part and an adventurous excitement on Louisa's that the two brides boarded their husbands' ships. Tensions were high among the sailors, weary to be recalled to a war they'd considered over as they sailed toward Rochefort. Anne studied her Abstract of Sea Surgery lest her services be required.

For all of their preparations and anxieties, however, Anne and Louisa's first cruise with the Royal Navy was overall uneventful. They formed part of a blockade which was instrumental in preventing Napoleon's escape to America by their mere presence, but saw little action.

Anne flourished at sea. Louisa, however, found herself overcome with a potent combination of seasickness and homesickness that drained the lively glint from her eyes. Life at sea was neither as romantic nor as exciting as she'd expected and she longed for female companionship. Benwick purchased a home happily situated between Uppercross and Winthrop so she may remain near her sister and parents. He found the arrangement to be both a blessing and a curse. While she'd been aboard, he'd found himself distracted with worry at putting her in such danger and worried about her comforts and happiness. In spite of Fanny's unfortunate demise, he knew that she was safer on shore than at sea. His departures were always torture, but that made their reunions all the sweeter. Their children were raised alongside their cousins and his family was happy and well surrounded by loving family.

The Wentworths were never blessed with children, though even this turned into a blessing in itself. They were never forced to bear the long and fretful separations common to naval marriages as Anne was free to join her husband on his tours of duty. Over the course of their marriage the two happily shared many an adventure. Anne always struck up a cordial relationship with many of the men on their crews — though there were always those stubborn old salts who considered any woman aboard as bad luck.

The admiral's nickname for her took among the men and over her illustrious career as a captain's wife, many spirited debates occurred between the 'doctor' and the ship's surgeons over methods of treatment and care. Those beleaguered men of medicine, however, came to have a grudging respect for the lady's opinions. In the end they always valued her assistance when their sick bay was in need of capable hands and the wounded often preferred the tender ministrations of the solicitous lady to the heavy hands of the surgeons.

Frederick found the contentment he had only dreamed of during those long lonely years of separation. Her skills and affability often proved to be a boon to his command and a solace to his cares. The life of a captain was often isolated, surrounded by men but unable to socialize on their level while maintaining his air command. In Anne he found his equal, his partner and his soulmate. They replaced their garden walks with strolls along the deck, hand in hand, soaking in each other's warmth with the moonlight. And in the haven of their cabin, they were always able to shake the constraints of the captain and the doctor and revert blissfully to Frederick and Anne.

Captain and Mrs. Wentworth.

Together.

Complete.

The End

Notes: Typically it takes me months to write these. This one only took me three days, it just kinda flowed out. Sorry it's a bit short, but this is the length of story that I had story to write for.

I know I gave you all a bunch of story ideas that I'm going to write and Wives & Daughters and Mansfield Park seem to be the favorites for next up (and don't worry, I will write them). But, my husband and I developed a plot bunny that I think I need to write next : The House of Darcy: (Pride & Prejudice/Star Trek crossover) Darcy had always assumed that duty, honor, and the glory of his house would be the guiding principals when he chose his mate, as they are for the head of any Klingon family. Elizabeth Bennett is entirely unsuitable, her father prefers to hide in his library rather than glory in battle, her mother is as fixated on money as a Ferenghi, and her youngest sisters have no honor! How could any Klingon warrior overlook such deficiencies for as frivolous a thing as love? (aka Pride & Prejudice with Klingons)