Tom did not reply. He was looking across to the far side of the road, where the red-haired gang leader and two of his friends were doubled up with laughter, pointing at him and calling.

"Isn't she a bit young for you, Levin?"

"Your father fetch her back from some planet for you, Tom?"

The lights went green and Tom seized Rose again and marched her across. The red-haired gang leader and his friends went on their way, still hooting and calling. Rose heard one of them say sneeringly, "That's Indigo Casson's sister"

"Explains a lot" the red haired gang leader said, sniggering. "The whole lot of them are filthy and weird. They probably brought Levin's friendship by giving him the little tart there"

Rose froze in the middle of the road and she slowly turned her head to face the red-haired gang leader and his friends. They were still walking down the road laughing and making jokes at her family (and Tom's) expense.

"Rose" Tom hissed trying to pull her out of the road. The green light was gone and cars were beginning to beep impatiently.

Rose yanked her wrist out from Tom's grip with such strength that he almost toppled over in the middle of the road. She then whirled round and ran back to the pavement towards the red-haired gang leader.

"ROSE!"

Tom managed to stumble on the pavement just as Rose tackled down the red-haired gang leader onto the pavement. He felt his heart leap up to his throat when the two goons grabbed hold of her and pulled her up off of the red-haired gang leader.

"Oi! Leave her alone, she's just a kid" he yelled starting to make a run towards them.

Rose stomped on one's foot and bit the other's arm before she launched herself at the red-haired gang leader again. Tom stumbled at a stop as he watched horrified as Rose literally beat the living shit (pardon his language but there was no other word he could think of) out of the red-haired gang leader.

One of the red-haired gang leader's friends's tried to pull Rose away from the red-headed twit when she suddenly turned on him and began to fight him. Fight was an overstatement as it seemed the boy didn't want to hit a little girl though she had no problems punching him hard enough to cause a nosebleed. The other one who tried to pull her back ended up kicked hard in a sensitive area. Tom winced in sympathy as the guy went down in pain.

After another kick at the red-haired gang leader (who rolled over and moaned) Rose dusted off her hands and placed them on her waist.

"You hurt Indigo or Tom again and the next beating will be even worse" she hissed down at the rather terrified red-haired gang leader. "You even try to insult anyone, anyone, from my family and that includes Tom, Sarah and Michael, I'll hunt you down and murder you in your sleep" she kicked the red-haired gang leader again. "You got that?"

"Yes" the red-haired gang leader whimpered.

"Good. I'll be watching you, you just remember that, I have sources planted in your school and they tell me everything about you. Even when you go to the toilet"

Tom raised his eyebrows. He doubted that but he did know that Rose seemed to know more about his school's gossip than her own.

Rose turned to face him, hands still on her hips, and she beamed up at him completely innocent as if she just found a ten pence coin instead of beating up three guys older and taller than her.

And then Tom's heart skipped a beat as he wondered if there was something in the Casson DNA that made Indigo's sisters Wonder Women.

PRPRPRPRPRPRPRPR

The following Monday was peaceful and quiet. The only odd thing was that majority of the red-haired gang leader's gang had been late. Other than that they were quiet, respectful and didn't go out of their way to harm anyone. The red-haired gang leader did not come in at all with the excuse of flu. Tom couldn't help but privately snigger, flu his behind, he knew exactly what was wrong with the prat and it had nothing to do with fevers and snotty noses.

"Do you think they've given up?" Indigo asked as they walked home.

"Err...yeah. Probably got bored" Tom lied.

Neither he nor Rose told Indigo about the fight outside of the library. Rose was uninjured apart from a couple bruises and it was the best way for the pair of them to keep out of trouble. With the way the gang had been acting all day the chances of Indigo ever finding out would be zilch. Hopefully.

Much to Tom's relief, they chatted happily about music and Tom's guitar for the rest of the walk home, avoiding the topic of the gang.

However the moment they entered into the Casson family kitchen they froze in shock. Their bags dropping onto the floor. Saffron and Sarah who had just got in moments before them were also frozen in shock at the sight of the kitchen.

There stood Rose working on her giant wall picture as she was being fed by many of the gang members. They were also helping with the chores, chatting with Eve, and holding Rose's art supplies for her as they complimented her picture.

"Oh hell darlings!" Eve said from the surrounded kitchen table. "Have you met Rose's lovely new friends? They walked her to school this morning and walked her home and been helping all afternoon. Aren't they lovely?"

"Here's your Diet Coke, Mrs Casson" one of the boys murmured shyly.

"Oh it's Eve, darling, thank you ever so much" Eve said beaming at the boy causing him to blush. "This one...oh is it Marcus, Josh or Patrick? I'm ever so forgetful"

"David, Mrs Casson"

"Eve, darling, call me Eve. Mrs Casson is my mother in law and...Oh well let's not get to that"

Finally finding her voice, Sarah spoke up first. "When did Rose get a horde of slaves and where can I get one?"