"You’ve had Carmen SanDiego in cuffs twice; why did she get away?" Ivy mimicked to herself as she collapsed on a bench and dropped her head into her hands.

"Hey, sis, court take it out of you?" Zack settled next to his sister and pushed his-for once-combed hair into place.

She glanced over at him, surprised. "Little bro, are you wearing a suit?"

He grinned and glanced down at the dark blue suit, white dress shirt, and loafers he was wearing. "Yeah, looks pretty bad, huh?"

"Well, you could’ve done withough the magnifying lass tie." They laughed together for a moment. "So, what are you doing here, Zack? Isn’t it your day off?"

"Family Court; it’s the first of the month."

"Oh, yeah." Poor Zack, most people worry about rent checks; he worries about convincing our parents he can handle himself. Aloud. "How’d it go?"

"Which angle do you want? Judge, me, or them?"

"Nice way to classify."

"I’m not going to refer to them as anything but that."

"haven’t you held a grudge long enough?"

Blues eyes flashed at Ivy. "Haven’t they come to realize that I’m old enouth to take care of myself? Get real, Ive; you haven’t had to go through this for the past four years."

She said nothing, only squeezed his hand. Ivy remembered very clearly what it was like eight years ago when she approached her parents on her hopes to join ACME.

*

"How safe is it, Ivy?" Her mother studied her from across the dining room table.

"My first year is going to be six months of classes and then six months of getting aquantied to the headquarters here in San Francisio. After htat, it’s up to my commanding offiecer what happens."

"Would you still live at home?" This time her fatehr was asking.

Ivy gnawed her bottom lip and pushed her hair out of her face. "Actually, I was planning to live at headquarters. They’ve got rooms for any student who wants to be near-by."

"Ivy, you’re only twelve. You can’t live on your own!" Her mother’s protest came out more a shrill yell.

"Mom, I won’t be alone. There’ll be other students there with me, and if I get homesick I can always move back in."

It had taken another week of rational responses-mixed with a few good yelling matches-to finally get her parents to agree-grudingly. Their last protest had been a dirty play.

"What about Zack? What’s he going to do without his big sister?"

Ivy had ignored them. She had talked to Zack before she broached the subject with her parents. He was only eight, but even then he had been extremely intelligent.

"Do you want to do it?"

"Yes, Zack, I do."

"Then do it." His blue eyes were filled with such admiration for her that she couldn’t refuse.

"I will, Zack."

*

"You will what, Ive?"

The redhead snapped out of her thoughts; she hadn’t realized she had spoken aloud. "Nothing, Zack. Don’t worry about it. What’s your plan from here?"

"I’m talking to the judge in about ten minutes. He wants to know what I’m planning to do when I move out."

"You’re moving out?"

"Uh-huh. It’s the only way to get them off my back."

"Off your back?" Ivy raised an eyebrow at her little brother.

"Ever since I joined ACME they’ve tried to come up with reasons for me to quit."

"You never mentioned that to me."

"We were always so busy, chasing crimminals-usually Carmen, that I never really brought it up." Zack saw the look of pain go over Ivy’s face. "Ive, don’t start blaming yourself. You gave me plenty of oppurtunities to talk; I just never took you up on them. Besides, I’m exaggerating. They’ve tried to get me to quit, but it hasn’t gotten really bad since recently. Ever since that hostage thing happened."

*

"Yeah, Mom, I’ll be home in time for dinner. I’m at the bank now, give me twenty minutes, and I’ll be walking in the door....yes, I promise...Bye." Zack closed his cell phone impatiently and leaned his head against the steering whell of his car. His parents had hated the idea of his joining ACME at twelve, but they were even more worried four years later when he passed his driver’s test with a perfect score and bought his first car.

I don’t know what’s going to kill me first; the hours I’ve been keeping or Mom going ballistic anytime I’m five minutes late for dinner. It’s not like I can schedule when someone decides to commit a crime so I can be home by curfew. Good, God, I’m a four year vetern detective with a curfew; I’m the living embodiment of a geekwad. He half-smiled at the thought and got out of the car.

All I have to do is deposit my paycheck, drop off a report too the Chief, and I’m home before Mom and Dad blow the steam in their ears hard enough to iron the curtains.

Zack stood in line at the bank, only half-aware of his surrondings. His mind was on his parents’ reactions to the announcement he’d made the week before about moving into his own place. Geez, and I thought they had problems when Ivy moved out, and she was four years younger than me. Sometimes being the youngest really sucks.

Three men walked into the bank, looking nervous. Zack watched them for a moment. I don’t like the feeling in the room. The person in front of him moved away, and the blonde moved up.

"What can I help you with, sir?" The teller gave Zack a smile.

He reached for his wallet and pulled out his badge along with his paycheck. "I’d like to deposit this, please." In a lower voice, "I’m an ACME detective, please act normal."

The teller nodded and porceded with her work. "What can I do for you?"

"Do you see the three men over there?" She nodded again. "Have you seen them here before?" Another nod. "When was that?"

She handed him a deposit slip to sign, "yesterday and a couple days before that. They’re alwyas here around the same time of day."

"What do they do?"

"Just stand and watch and talk to each other."

"They never deposit or withdrawl anything?"

"Nope."

Zack slid the signed deposit slip back over to her. "Are they always here at this time?"

"Yes. Why is it so important?"

Because I think they’re about to rob the place. "No reason; I just thought they looked familier." He thnaked her and moved away to a vacant corner. Zack pulled out his cell phone and hit speeddial. "Hello, this is Zachary Curtis, and I’m with the ACME dectecitve agency-" He was cut off by a squeal of surprise followed by a muffled ‘It’s an ACME detective!’

Geez, are we that popular? "Excuse me, ma’am, but I believe that a robbery is about to occur at the First National Bank on eighteenth and-"

"Shut off the phone."

The blonde glanced up and blanched considerably when he saw the double-barreled shot gun pointed at his head. "I’ll call you back."

*

"Zack, any parent would be overprotective if their kid got a shot gun pointed at their head."

"I’m a detective, Ive, guns have been pointed at me before and will be again. They know that."

"Did you explain that to Mom and Dad?"

"Tried to. All I got was a look that was followed by the ‘our house, you follow our rules and be home by curfew’ speech."

"I never got that one."

Zack smiled at her. "That’s because you were out of the house at age twelve. I should’ve moved to headquarters the first chance I got."

"Come on, Zack, don’t talk like that."

"You know I’m right, Ive. I’ve had both of them on my case anytime I missed dinner, or lunch, or breakfast, or a midnight snack because of a case, or court, or because I wasn’t hungry! I’m sick of it, and I’m moving out."

"When?"

"As soon as I talk to the judge." With that, Zack stood adn headed down the hall to the elevator.

"Zack!"

The blonde glanched back at his sister. "Yeah?"

"Good luck, little bro."

"Thanks, Ive."

*

"Zachary, would you come in here, please?"

The blonde stood, smoothing his hair with shaking hands, and ignored his parents as they stepped out of the judge’s chambers. Keep in control, man. You freak, you lose.

"Zachary, have a seat." the judge was an older man, possibly in his fifties with a full head of white hair and dark brown eyes. "Do you mind if I call you Zachary?"

"I prefer-" His voice cracked, and Zack paused. "Excuse me. I prefer Zack, Your Honor."

"And I prefer Tim as long as we’re in chambers."

Zack smiled slowly. "Yes, Your-Tim."

"Ok,-Zack-let’s get started." He reached for a folder and flipped it open. "You put together a brief asking for permission from the courts to move out of your parents’ home and into a place of your own before you turn eightenn." Tim fixed Zack with a look. "Clarify two things for me, Zack. Are you asking to divorce your parents? Are you asking to be put into foster care?"

"No and no. I just want to live on my own. I have a steady job, a mode of transportation, temporary residence until I find an apartment, a degree in computers and technology; the only thing I don’t have is the extra two years I need."

Tim raised an eyebrow. The kid knew what he was talking about. "Have you tried to make the situation at home work, Zack?"

"Most of the time."

"Excuse me?"

Zack shrugged, hoping he could phrase the next part just right. "There have been a few times when something’s come up at work, and I’ve had to cancel plans with my folks, and they get upset and start to lecture. Which starts me getting mad because I’m a teenager and hate lectures," He paused long enough to let a half grin on his face. "And when we do that, no one sees eye-to-eye on squat."

Tim let a laugh escape. He’s mature for his age, but he’s still a teenager. "I understand your point, Zack. There are always times when parents and children-" He bit back another laugh at the young man’s reaction to the word. "or teens have problems communicating."

"But?"

Geez, this kid’s good. "But I can’t base my decision on a few small arguements."

"I understand that." Zack assured him.

"Glad to hear it. Why don’t you step outside and wait while I make my choice."

"No problem. Thanks, Tim."

The older man shook the offered hand. "My pleasure, Zack."

*

Zack stepped into the hallway and saw Ivy waiting for him. "Hey, Ive."

She smiled, "Hey, little bro, How’d it work out?"

"Not bad. He treated me like an adult; it was a nice change."

"I treat you like an adult...most of the time, anyway." Ivy joked with him.

"I think he was talking about us."

Zack and Ivy turned and saw their parents approaching. The blonde cursed under his breath. This is all I need. The elbow from Ivy went unnoticed.

"Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad."

"Are you proud of yourself?" Their mother’s tone made both young people wince.

Zack forced his voice to stay even. "I’m doing what I need to do."

"You need to abandon us?" Their father’s tone matched his wife’s.

"No, I need space; more space than I have now."

"What’s that supposed to mean?" It was their mother.

"It means that you’re treating me like a kid."

"You are a kid!"

Zack bristled at his fater’s tone. "Technically, yes, I am a kid, but I’m a kid with a job, a degree, and more maturity than you two are producing right now. If I’m the kid, why are you acting like we’ve switched places?"

His father glared down at him. "What’s your point?"

"My point is that you keep telling me to grow up but never give me the chance to try! Everytime I try to prove to you I know what’s what, you find soem reason to yank me back to being a child! I’m not coming to court to prove anything; I’m doing it so I don’t lose my sanity!" Finished with his ranting, Zack waited.

A short round of one-man applause broke the spell, and the group turned to see the judge standign in the doorway to his chambers. "Well put, Zack. If you all will step into my office, I will inform you of my decision."

The adults went first, and Zack followed behind a few steps, until he noticed Ivy wasn’t behind him. "You coming, Ive?"

She looked at him, surprised. "Am I allowed?"

"Two against two is easier than me against them."

Ivy just shook her head and followed her brother into the office. Can’t really argue with that.

Tim waited until everyone was settled before he spoke. He held up a manilla folder. "This folder holds Zack’s reasons that he believes he should be granted to have a home away from his parents." Another manilla folder was held up. "Here is the parental point of view as to why Zack should stay at hom." The judge paused a moment and produced a crimson red folder from his middle desk drawer. "This was delivered to me just after I talked to Zack. It is a short letter from an annoyomous source. I would like to read it with everyone present."

Everyone nodded their agreement as the Judge began to read:

I have known Zack for many years and have watched him mature both personally and professionally. He is an extremely intelligent young man, and that does not just include his I.Q.

Zack is extremely capable of many taks, living alone at age 16 should not be a strain on him in any way.

Understandably, his parents must be worried about his well-being, but they need to realize that Zack is not the same boy who fought for months to be allowed to join ACME. He has grown into a young man who knows how to take care of himself.

"That’s the last of your junk, little bro." Ivy huffed as she stacked a final box on Zack’s floor.

"Thanks for the help, Ive. What do you think of the new place?" he had managed to find a one-bedroom apartment three blocks from ACME headquarters with a landlord who truasted a 16 year old tenant.

"It’s perfect for you, Zack. How are Mom and Dad handling the transition?"

He grimaced. "Not good, but noat as bad as I expected. Last time they talked to me was to get advice on a new wallpaper print for my ex-bedroom." A quick glance at Ivy showed confusion in his eys. "I just waish I knew where that letter came from. The Chief denies it, and I belive him, but I can’t figure it out past there."

They lapsed into a silence that was broken when the phone rang. Zack hurried across the room to grab it. "First call in my new place. Hello?"

"Hello, Zack."

The blonde’s eyes widened when he recognized the voice, and he waved Ivy over. "What do you want, Carmen?"

"I just wanted to send my cogratulations on your new place; gald to see my recemmendation helped you achieve freedom. Believe me, I understand the caged animal feeling. You and Ivy have tried to make me one enough. Until next crime." An audible click signaled the conversation over.

Zack’s voice came to him first. "Carmen?"

Ivy nodded slowly; "Carmen."