This story popped into my head a while ago last year when I was supposed to be doing my readings for Heritage Conservation. I have no idea how this relates to Indy and Rose, but there you go. I've decided to make it a two-shot, from both Indigo and Rose's POV. I haven't done a Casson Family FF before, so reviews would be greatly appreciated : ). Enjoy!

Oh, and anything that looks like Hilary McKay's is probably hers. Not mine. Anything you might not recognise as hers may have come from her website on which she has a running blog from Rose's POV set after Forever Rose. It's very good and I recommend that you go have a look. That's where I got the twins names from lol.

ROSE

Sometimes, it is very hard to be me and I would not wish it on anybody.

Like when you wake up late for school because your alarm didn't go off, there is no bread because adults are useless and can't buy groceries so you have to have yucky cereal instead with trim milk that isn't real milk but try telling Daddy that, and you get to class ONE MINUTE late and still get detention even though you ran all the way there, some horrible person is sitting in the seat you always sit in, Kiran and Molly do not listen to how bad your day is turning out and talk instead about the school disco next week (Valentines. Oh Hateful Day) and how they have dates (Ben and Kai respectively) but I do not and I'd better get a move on or all the good ones will be taken and Tom doesn't count he is in America and can't come and are you supposed to be wearing your Chuck Tailors with your school uniform?

Argh! I put on the wrong shoes and didn't notice; now I will have another detention in which all I will do is draw and daydream because writing the same thing over again is very boring and I end up falling asleep and getting told off again. I dropped my head onto my desk with a loud THUMP and mumbled something about wishing time would hurry up so I could be the same age as Indy and go to university with him and not stupid school. Then Kiran said something about time being linear and the speed of light and time travel that made no sense so I yelled at her that it was stupid and to speak English not Intelligence and she yelled at me saying I was being a drama queen WHICH I AM NOT!

And no-one asked me to the disco today and you can't go unless you have a partner (stupid rule) so I stomped home after school to David and my useless parents without saying good bye to my insensitive friends.

Mum was in the shed and Daddy Darling and David were MIA (wonderful phrase) so I had to find food for myself as usual and the housekeeping jar is low again so I couldn't go to the shops, I had stupid homework to do and NOW SOMEONE IS KNOCKING ON THE DOOR!

I stamped over to the door in a huff, pulled it open about to give the person a very loud piece of my mind but

OH
WONDERFUL
SURPRISE!
INDIGO!

"Hello Rosy Pose" said this very shocking and smugly grinning apparition.

I could hardly believe my eyes, after such a horrible day I wouldn't put it past him to be an magician's illusion or a mirage like in the desert so I shrieked his name, grabbed his arm and pulled him quickly inside so he couldn't disappear on me. I sat him down in a chair and asked all at once,

""What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be away? At University? Where you ditched us for an education like Saffy and Sarah and who needs one anyway?"

He just grinned the lopsided grin that makes him look like Indy (and a little bit like Daddy. But don't tell him that) no matter how old he is and said,

"And here I was thinking you would be happy to see me, Rose!"

Oh Dear! Of course I am Happy to see him!

"Of course I am happy to see you!" I said, "You make amazing pasta when you leave out the awful sundried tomatoes and dry mixed herbs. And Morte de Arthur. And playing the guitar. And I do miss you. How's university?"

I was babbling, but it was such a lovely fantastic surprise that I couldn't quite believe it yet. It is very hard being the youngest member of a family when the all leave home and you are the only one left (not counting David).

He grinned a little bigger then shocked the life out of me by grabbing me pulling into a great big hug. I shocked the life out of me too when I returned it and clung on for dear life. I didn't know how much I missed having a big brother who took care of me and nearly everything else until he came back again.

We pulled back I looked at him properly for the first time. He was tall, even taller than when I last saw him at Christmas. His hair, the same colour as mine (without the streaks), was too long again and falling into his eyes which, I am happy to say, are still indigo coloured. He had a blue t-shirt on with AC/DC on it in yellow letters and the baggy jeans he always wears and the shoes we bought him for Christmas. No wedding ring so him and Sarah haven't run off and gotten married yet (it'll happen one day I'm sure they just have to get over themselves). He looked older. I was about to tell him when he said,

"You've grown, Rose,"

I nodded in agreement. I was true, Michael told me when I went to visit him and Caddy and Buttercup (I have to stop calling him that or he will get a complex Daddy says) and the 2year old twins Jassy and Juniper the other day (who are very lovely, Jassy is dark like Michael and Juniper looks like Caddy and they both have Michael's eyes (Michael named them by the way. I know. You can tell)). Then I said the first thing that came to my head,

"It happens, Indy, because time is linear and passing time means aging and aging means growing and you can't catch up to people who got a head start on you. Unfortunately. Kiran told me."

Oh Horrible Kiran! Now I end up sounding like her! Then I caught Indigo's eye and we both cracked up laughing. Do not ask me why, because I do not know, but we did. And then it was like he hadn't been away for ages and I told him all about my awful day and my insensitive friends and stupid homework and detention and the rotten disco and Tom who is being very uncommunicative and cereal and fake milk and then I dragged him to my room to show him my current painting project that not even Mum and David and Kiran and Molly have seen yet. It is just the outlines of what I think Camelot looks like from both Le Morte de Arthur and The Lady of Shallot on my bedroom wall that doesn't have the forest on it. He was suitably impressed which doesn't mean much since he has no idea about art at all even though he has lived with artists his whole life, but the thought was there. It is very nice to be able to drag someone around the house and tell them how rotten everything is and have them actually listen to you.

We went back down stairs and he made us his Perfect Pasta with no sundried tomatoes or mixed herbs and I was enjoying this delicious culinary effort when Mum came in from the shed, no doubt she had smelled our delicious dinner, and looked absolutely astonished and said,

"Indy Darling! I didn't know you were here! You're so thin! How is University? How are Darling Sarah and Saffy? How are you? Sit down and tell me everything Darling!"

So I was treated to the (edited I am sure) Chronicles of the Complete Life and Times of Indigo Casson Since Christmas, which was very interesting until Daddy and David ceased being MIA by walking in the door and it had to be repeated again. Instead of enduring this I went up to my room and took out the special drawings I have done of each member of my family and Sarah and David. And Tom. Kiran and Molly do not count since I see them every day. They are portraits done in charcoal so I have to be very careful that they do not smudge. I get the special paper for them that works the best because it is from the very fancy art shop in town (don't tell Daddy). I started them when Tom went back to America, then Michael and Caddy disappeared and David arrived and Caddy came back with Buttercup after Michael came back (not together), then Daddy came back as well with Tom coming for Christmas and going again, then Sarah and Saffy went to University, then Indigo as well and now I have a whole pile of charcoal drawings of my family at all different ages because they keep growing and changing in little bits. I decided to start a new one of Indigo since is hair was longer and his face was thinner than last time. Homework could wait (not like I will get it right anyway and Kiran can forge my writing tomorrow) and I turned off my cell phone in case Kiran or Molly or both rang.

I was so absorbed trying to get his eyes to look right that I did not realise that there was someone watching until they spoke,

"What are you working on Rosy Pose?" said Indigo in the doorway.

I let out a strangled cry, jumped two feet in the air, nearly died of fright and almost wrecked my picture.

"Bloody Hell, Indy!" I hollered (rather loudly) and not at all impressed, "Knock or something next time, you nearly ruined my drawing!"

Instead of looking suitably ashamed of himself (as he should), he looked amused instead and raised one eyebrow (he looks like Tom when he does that. It does not help).

"Watch your language, Rose."

The cheek! I am 14 years old and he has the nerve to tell me to Watch My Language! After he scared the life out of me! And ran away to University! Who would want a brother, they are rotten bloody creatures in my opinion. I bet he swore much worse than me when he was 14 and I was 9. So.

I proceeded to tell him this at the top of my lungs. It is really fantastic to be able to scream and yell at someone. I swear it is a type of stress release. Which is good because life has been a bit of a trial lately and Daddy does not take too kindly to being yelled at, Mummy absolutely cannot be yelled at or tears will follow, David just looks bewildered and I end up feeling sorry for him and my friends just yell back. Growing up is not all that much fun I have discovered. But Indigo, being the perfect brother that he can be on occasion, just stood there, nodded in all the right places and waited for me to finish. When I had run out of wind he said (with an amused smirk on his face),

"Well don't stop now Rose, I think the people in London may only just have heard you,"

I scowled at him. "Oh shut up" I said.

And that is the first part. I want to carry it on for the rest of Indigo's stay but I am not sure so I would value your opinions.