What Pepper Always Knew

Genre: Family

Pairings: Greg and Molly, Rosie and Julian, both background

Main characters: Greg, Rosie, cameo appearances by Goldie and Pepper

Greg, out at Larkspur Lane for a ride with Rosie - he on Goldie and she on Pepper - took in his surroundings with a deep breath, and careful thought. As always, Greg rode easily, casually observant of their surroundings and ever watchful for lurking dangers, the reactions and temperaments of the familiar steeds he and Rosie rode, and his niece herself. For quite some time, the two had ridden in comfortable, companionable silence, and Rosie's apparent retreat into her own thoughts hadn't gone unnoticed by him.

"Something on your mind, Little Lass?" he finally asked, as Pepper walked easily beside Goldie. The jet black thoroughbred seemed entirely at ease with Rosie on his back, and the palomino Greg rode was wholly unconcerned with his companions for the afternoon. The large equine had fresh air, a gentle rider, and a stable companion he knew well and was at ease with, though occasionally he felt the urge to challenge him to a bit of a race. Today, however, Goldie was content to simply walk calmly beside his big thoroughbred stable mate, huffing gently.

Rosie, decked out in her full riding gear, glanced over to her Uncle, himself now fully kitted out when they rode. Rosie always noticed but pretended to ignore Auntie Molly's reaction whenever Uncle Greg donned his riding outfit in preparation for a trip out to Larkspur Lane with Rosie. The young girl found it all to be a bit sappy, though definitely sweet, and to be fair, in her own young girl's way, she did understand where Auntie Molly was coming from. She thought perhaps it must be similar to the funny fluttering feeling in her tummy and the silly smile she couldn't stop whenever she saw Jules in his football uniform, ready to take to the field for a match.

Rosie said nothing for a moment, averting her gaze back to the horizon, before turning back to Greg.

"Uncle, when you decided to be a policeman, when did you know, I mean REALLY know, that you REALLY REALLY wanted to be a policeman? I mean, that it wasn't just a fancy idea at the time and when you really thought about it later on, you knew you were right about wanting it? And you knew you'd be happy doing that?"

Greg took a deep breath, letting it out with puffed cheeks and a mildly perplexed expression. This was not a question he had ever expected to come from Rosie Watson. Rosamund Mary, who was always so sure of herself and any decision she made; who took action with few regrets because though she was quick to think and sometimes quicker still to act, she was rarely a girl to act in what might be considered to be foolish haste.

For a girl so young, John and Sherlock, with regular assistance from Mrs. Hudson and Molly, had raised her to be self-assured, and with a good head on her shoulders. Just a few short years later, when their small unconventional family had bit by bit, grown to include Greg, Sally, and Alex, Rosie's rearing took on an entire kaleidoscope of varied influences.

"Well, Lass… I'm not quite sure. I think I just knew that I knew. It wasn't something I could gauge, or pinpoint, really. I was just… I don't know. Happy with it. I was contented, and excited, and happy. I had no regrets, even when things weren't that easy. At the end of the day I was still contented with my choice."

Rosie giggled softly. "Then you ARE sure, Uncle," she commented lightly. "Why do people say they don't know something, and then proceed to prove that they actually DO know? It's such a silly thing that grown-ups do."

Greg chuckled at this, reaching down absently to stroke Goldie's neck. "I don't know that either, Rosie… Perhaps we just aren't sure of ourselves at first, until we really think about it, then we realize we're actually just a bit cleverer than we thought. And I've just done it again to prove the point, haven't I Lass?" Greg's laughter grew deeper at this while Rosie's giggling grew a bit more lighthearted.

"Sometimes you're the silliest grown-up of all, Uncle Greg," Rosie laughed. "Please don't ever change that," she commented.

"I'll certainly try not to," he replied. "So… back to the question at hand. Why do you ask how I knew?"

"I was just wondering, Uncle," Rosie replied, her giggling calming as her tone grew more serious. "I just want to be sure, I mean I'm sure now, at least I think I am. Oh BOTHER. Uncle, how will I know if becoming a nurse is what I REALLY want to do? It's such expense and trouble to go to, and takes so long. I don't want to start and then change my mind and not want to finish," she said sadly.

"Rosamund," Greg said thoughtfully, in a tone Rosie had long since come to recognize as her uncle about to impart words of wisdom and advice. "Do you remember when your dad, and Uncle Sherlock and I were so sick after eating from that dodgy food truck?"

Rosie winced hard. She remembered, oh, she remembered, and HOW.

Greg, watching her sideways, didn't wait for a verbal response to that.

"You divided your time between our three flats, you cared for your dad, you showed Greer how to do the same for me with a cool cloth, which by the way was exactly what I needed so thank you Lass," he added, almost as an afterthought. "You ran up and down the stairs changing out foul buckets and helping your mum and Aunties to look after all three of us, and you did it for HOURS, when nobody would have ever asked or expected a young girl to do all of that."

Rosie nodded, giving Greg a curious look.

"How did all of that make you feel? To look after three silly old men who were ill in such foul ways?"

"I didn't really think much about it, Uncle. I just… I don't' know, I just WANTED to. It felt good when you finally started feeling better. I felt as though I'd done something helpful for you. I was so tired though. It felt good to stretch out and cuddle up to daddy for a nap once he was getting better."

"Rosie," Greg said carefully, "I think, when you're older, and about to apply to nursing school, if you still feel that way, then you'll know."

"Do you think Jules will feel the same way about becoming a policeman?" Rosie asked, curiously.

"Julian will know when the time comes for him to know. But I think, now this is just my personal feeling on it, that someday, YEARS from now, Julian is going to be a top-notch copper. He might even lead his own CID team someday, like I do now, Lass."

"Really? You think so, Uncle? You know I'm only curious because he's going to marry me someday…" she said, whimsically.

Greg suppressed a burst of laughter. If the world fell down around their ears before sunrise, and life as they knew it ceased to exist, one known, unshakable fact would persevere to hold what little remained of the universe together – that Julian Bailey was going to marry Rosie Watson someday.

"I really do think so, Rosie," Greg responded, as Goldie snorted softly

As Pepper snorted in response, Rosie was silent for a few moments.

"Uncle Greg," Rosie asked again suddenly. "Do you think I'm silly for worrying about this now? I'm so young yet, this really is a grown-up worry, isn't it," she continued quietly, almost embarrassed.

"Ah, Lass, worries are never silly and if that's what's on your mind, it doesn't matter how young or old you are. I think it's good you're thinking about these things now. It means you're really serious about nursing. You've a lot of years left before you'll be ready to go to nursing school, but I don't think you should be dismissing those worries, if that's what's on your mind. Being young should never invalidate your concerns."

"Really?" Rosie asked, as she brought Pepper to a gentle halt. Greg, taking her cue, brought Goldie to a standstill beside the graceful thoroughbred gelding.

"Really," Greg said, smiling warmly. He reached out and took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "You're a strong and determined young lady, Rosie. You know your own mind and your own heart better than a lot of adults I've met know their own," he said, then turned his tone serious, his eyebrows raising slightly and his head turning downwards. "Of course, you've still a LOT of years to just enjoy being a kid."

"I guess," she said, giving Greg's hand a squeeze in return before he released it to take hold of his reins again. "But Uncle, you really think it doesn't hurt to think about these sorts of things now and then?"

"Of course not, Lass," Greg said reassuringly. "To be honest, I see those qualities in Julian as well. I think the two of you are quite well suited, which is quite a good thing, since he's going to marry you someday," he winked.

Rosie blushed and giggled.

"Yeah, he really is, isn't he?" she said wistfully, smiling into the horizon. "But right now, we both really love just being kids too. I love growing up with Jules. But I also love riding with YOU, Uncle. Do you suppose Pepper and Goldie might like a little run?"

"I think they might, yes," Greg replied, reaching down to stroke Goldie's sleek, strong neck. "They seem a bit restless just standing here. I think they'd like to vent a little steam, Pepper especially, he's born to run after all, now isn't he?"

"Yeah... he didn't have to THINK about wanting to run when he was a colt, I suppose, did he Uncle?. He just already KNEW it's what he'd love to do," Rosie replied, suddenly realizing a correlation between her own concerns and Pepper's inborn nature. "Maybe I was born to be a nurse, as well then," she said, sounding much more contented and at ease than she had been when she'd first asked, several minutes ago.

Greg said nothing at this, simply gazing down at her thoughtfully, the expression on his face turning serene. "Perhaps," he finally said warmly. "Right then, Little Lass" he said, taking a deep breath, letting it out in an anticipatory rush, "shall we let these two big boys out to play?"

Rosie, seeming a lot more relaxed now that she'd gotten her worries off her chest, laughed joyfully as she nodded. "Yes, Uncle, we shall!"