LOL! I'm glad that nuance didn't go unnoticed! Yes, Christina and Kathy are above average in intelligence, but there's more to it.

The biggest reason they don't cower is because of how they were raised. Christina was raised to be a 'tough boy' and to stand up for herself and others against bullies. She panics a bit under pressure here because she was very recently reminded of the fact that her body isn't strong and tough anymore. Kathy too was raised to stand up for herself. In many modern families, this is mostly in efforts by mothers to never let their daughters fall into abusive relationships, which women who won't defend themselves have difficulty getting out of easily.

Officer Martinez on the other hand, is what they used to call, "Badge Heavy". Not in the physically abusive sense, (what is sometimes called "police brutality") but in the sense that his badge gives him a sense of power over others... power to make people obey out of fear of arrest. He craves the power that his authority gives him and dislikes anyone that won't kowtow to it. Most officers resist that lure of power, but some are corrupted by it. Officer Martinez hasn't been fully corrupted yet, but he's well on the way if he doesn't get a wake-up call.

As for the intelligence of 11-year-olds, most people don't have clear memories of their youth. Then when they grow up, they look at kids who are ignorant of the ways of the world and only see them as dumb or childish. A lot of adults think 11-year-olds talk and write like toddlers... or at best 1st -Graders. I however have vivid memories of that age and knew much more than what my parents thought I knew... because they too thought that their 11-year-old was just a baby. By 11, most kids are on the cusp of higher reasoning brought about by the changes with the start of puberty. Some more than others, but it's not uncommon. My own kids at 11 were very much like Kathy and Christina... except they were boys!

That's another nuance being demonstrated here. Girls at 11 are generally much more mature than boys of the same age. That's just human nature. Nothing against boys, but their maturity comes later. (around the age of 22 :^Þ ) Keeping in mind that I don't use "boy" or "girl" to reference genetic or biological sex... but the gender of the person. I was quite mature at 11... but then that's not surprising... I was a girl... in spite of my biology.

Thanks for the compliments, by the way! ::blush:: I hope this story is as well-liked at the end. It went a completely different direction than I thought it would when I started it, but it's a story that needs to be told. (you'll see... no spoilers though!)

Hugs,
Roberta

Cyarra saw the parallel to the movie "Big" back in chapter 1. Honestly, before she mentioned it, I hadn't thought about that movie in decades! Still, I can see the parallels.

Finding a Zoltar machine wouldn't fix anything, though... unless it just reversed Christina's wish and made her Walt again. (or was that what you were suggesting?) She's the same age, but as most people know, 11-year-olds can range from nearly the size of an adult to munchkins like Christina.

Making Christina into an adult wouldn't help. In fact, it might end up making things worse. She still would be lacking ID, and an adult with no ID is a non-person in the modern world. You can't get a job... you can't get most government assistance programs... you can't get into most shelters... you can't even try and get an ID! (seriously... my youngest son just turned 18 and is having trouble getting an ID because he didn't get a license in High School when the school could provide proof of residency... so he can't get a bank account... or a job... or apply to go to college... etc.)

Or did I just totally misunderstand your point? (I've been known to do that!)

Hugs,
Roberta