Page 68 of Cosplay & Consequences

“Heeeeey!” I said, taking her arm and gently guiding her away from the table and into the crowd. “Having a good time?”

“Cam’s been so nice! She got me these fruity drinks, and people have been singing!”

I checked the stage to see Danny watching me as he continued to sing. I gave him a thumbs up and he smiled back at me, nodding in gratitude.

Faye continued to babble about her evening. I heaved a sigh of relief as we made our way through the crowd. I eventually saw Bray and a somewhat inebriated Bennet waiting for us.

“I can’t believe Uncle Danny is singing Kismet Sizzle!” Faye laughed. “It’s so funny!”

As Danny sang the final verse, I managed to get a very tipsy Faye back towards the main entrance.

I am strong! This is me!

I am who I’m supposed to be!

I am free!

The crowd went insane with cheers and applause. I watched Danny give a victorious bow before hustling to get back to us.

“Not bad, Sky Masterson,” I teased.

Danny gave me a small smile, but he quickly focused all his attention on his niece. “Hey, Boss. You all right?”

“Pfffft. I’m great,” Faye said dismissing him with a wave of her hand that clearly showed she was intoxicated.

A disappointed expression crossed Danny's face. “Oh. Great. You’re drunk.”

“I’m not drunk!” Faye protested. “I haven’t had anything to drink. I’ve been drinking some strawberry-mocktail-something or other.”

“Sweetie?” I said, leaning in. “Cam didn’t know how old you were. She’s been giving you actual cocktails.”

Faye gasped in shock. “Oh no!”

Bray chuckled. “You do remember that you snuck out tonight, right?”

Faye blinked at Bray and then turned to look at Danny. The reality of her situation sunk in. “Oh. I am so screwed.”

We rode back to the hotel in quiet, awkward silence. It was only interrupted by Faye’s sobs in the back seat.

“She’s going to kill me.”

“She won’t kill you. She’ll say she will, but you’re going to be grounded,” Danny assured her. “You scared the hell out of us. You know how lucky you are, right?”

“I don’t suppose you could be Team Faye when we get home?” She sniffed.

Danny chuckled. “Kid, I am always on Team Faye. But you snuck out and got drunk after being told no on multiple occasions. Sometimes being on your team means making sure you understand the consequences of your actions.”

I shot a quick glance at Danny, his head turned to cast an affectionate look at his niece. He had been a nervous wreck about Faye. I had expected him to read her the riot act. Instead, he was kind and caring to a fault, despite running ragged all over Mission Verde.

“Faye, it’s your first time you’ve really done something bad,” Danny consoled her. “Trust me, your mom did a lot worse at your age.”

Faye let out a half sob/half laugh. “I don’t suppose you could give me a list before we get back?”

I tried very hard not to laugh. Danny gave a little chuckle. “Yeah, I’m not giving you that list until you’re really in trouble. Just apologize to her. Straight off, first thing. Admit you did something wrong. You’ll be fine. You made a mistake, but it is not the end of the world.”

She let out a little whimper of agreement. A few minutes later she fell asleep.

Danny turned around, and I could see the tension in him start to release. He took a long breath and let it go. His shoulders finally relaxed as he slumped in his seat.