SONIC X FINAL CAST PARTY

Chapter Three

"On Borrowed Time"

"Wait!" Tails called, as Cosmo started to run off. "Let me call my mom! It'll be a lot less expensive than if you take a cab!"

"Oh no!" Cosmo said, shaking her head. "I don't want to impose! Besides, he's been there before! It's not that far. I'll just jog!"

"Then I'm coming with you!" Tails told her.

"But you don't have to…"

"Please," Tails said desperately. "It's really not safe for a girl to be running through this town alone!"

Cosmo was surprisingly fast, like her character in the show. Tails, who couldn't really fly, soon found himself out of breath.

"Are you okay?" she asked him, stopping so that he could catch up.

"I'm fine!" Tails wheezed. "I just…need a min…minute!"

"It's very sweet of you to offer to come along," Cosmo said, "but I can take care of myself." She reached into her purse and pulled out a keychain. It had a tiny pepper spray container on it, but what Tails really noticed was the fact that it was a Tails keychain. She suddenly noticed, blushed, and stuffed it back into her purse. "I…oh my gosh! You must think I'm some kind of crazy fan girl!"

"No, no!" Tails said quickly. "I don't think that at all!" Tails felt his heart race a little. If she collected his toys, then she had to like him at least a little bit!

"I'm sorry," she said. "My sisters got me one of you, one of Sonic, one of Knuckles, and one of Shadow. I…I wouldn't have brought this one if I'd known I'd be…I mean…" She covered her face with her hands. "I'm so embarrassed!"

Tails fumbled for something to say. He didn't want to be like the pathetic creature he'd just finished playing in the show, unable to express his feelings until it was too late. But all that came out was, "I'm flattered, really!" D'oh! That sounded so conceited!

"Um…I…uh…" Cosmo sputtered. Then she jumped. "Oh! That's right! Daddy! Excuse me, Tails!"

She took off again. Tails moaned and started after her. This girl could run a marathon!

At the police station, Cosmo stopped and waited for Tails. He puffed down the street, wondering if it was possible for somebody his age to have a heart attack.

"Are you okay?" she asked again. She wasn't even sweating!

"I'm okay!" Tails wheezed, sinking down to his knees. "Go on! S-see your dad! I'll…I'll come in when I…catch my wheeze! breath!:

Cosmo went inside. Tails struggled to get his breathing under control. So much for looking cool in front of her!

Tails went inside once he was able to breath normally. The desk sergeant looked at him suspiciously. "You want something, kid?"

"I'm just waiting for someone," Tails said. "Her dad's inside."

"You mean that ham actor's kid?" the officer asked. "He's lucky he missed the guy he took a poke at. He's really stewed."

"Um…that means drunk, right?" Tails asked.

"Listen, don't get smart with me," the cop warned. "Sit down and keep quiet! I've got work to do!"

Tails sat down and kept quiet, but it seemed that all the desk sergeant did was write on some papers. Tails looked around nervously. He'd never been in a police station before. There were several officers walking around, and a few men in suits. Lawyers or plainclothesmen, he guessed.

A door banged open. "I'll kill you!" a wild-looking man with stringy hair yelled as four cops struggled to drag him down the hall. "You're all dead!" One officer opened a door at the far end of the corridor. They dragged their prisoner inside. The door slammed shut behind them.

"And Cosmo wanted to come here alone?" Tails thought. "She's as brave as the hero she played!" Well, at least that wasn't Cosmo's dad.

Another door opened. Cosmo came out. Her mother was with her. Tails jumped to his feet and hurried over to them.

"Cosmo? Is everything okay?" He bowed to her mother. "Ma'am. I'm sorry."

"You're the little boy from the tv show," Hertia said. "Will you sit with Cosmo for a few minutes?" She patted her daughter on the head. "I'll be right back." She went to the desk sergeant and started filling out some papers.

Tails sat back down. Cosmo sat beside him. She had her hands clasped the way she had in the show. He wanted to ask her what had happened, but not in front of mister sourpuss over there. Besides, it was really none of his business. He realized, in fact, that Cosmo might decide to avoid him in the future because he knew too much about the worst parts of her life.

"I'm sorry," Cosmo muttered.

"Um…excuse me?" Tails said. Was she talking to her father?

"I'm sorry you had to see all of this," Cosmo explained. She looked up at him. "He's not normally like this! But his career failed when the horror movie company he worked for went bankrupt. 'The Fall of the House of Usher,' "The Pit and the Pendulum,' 'Masque of the Red Death,' 'The Call of Cthulhu.' He was the star of all of those movies, but now, because he's fifty, he can't get work! And he's still good, isn't he, Tails? He was very convincing as Dark Oak! I knew he was my daddy, but I was still scared!"

"Yeah, he really made the show," Tails agreed. "I mean--you and he did! You make a great team! So do we!" He blushed. "I mean--we make a great acting team, don' t you think?" D'oh! He still wasn't telling her how he really felt!

"Hey, kid!" the desk sergeant said. "This is a police station, not a lonely hearts' club!"

"Come, Cosmo," her mother said, motioning to her. Tails didn't know what else to do, so he followed them outside.

"What an unpleasant man!" Hertia said once outside. "I am relieved that your father didn't try to strike him! He would have made trouble for us." She looked at Tails. "You are having a party for the end of your program, yes? Would you take Cosmo to it, please?"

"Mother!" Cosmo cried. "How could I enjoy a party with Daddy in jail?"

"Worrying will not help him," her mother said. "I will take you both to your party. Then I must see our attorney. He will not be happy."

"Will Daddy be getting out of jail soon?" Cosmo asked as Tails opened the car door for her.

"Hopefully," her mother said. "He is so angry. I'm afraid we may be moving to your grandmother's farm when he gets out."

"I'm sorry, Tails," Cosmo muttered.

Tails' heart went cold. He wouldn't have much more time with her. He had to tell her at the party. He might never get another chance.

Their car was an old Cadillac. Clearly an expensive car once, but kept longer than they should have. Tails guessed Lucas had purchased it back when he was doing well, and couldn't afford to replace it when he lost his job. Tails had seen the last movie Cosmo had mentioned. The CGI had been incredible. The alien buildings. The out of control vegetation. And especially the giant demon, Cthulhu himself. Lucas had played a sea captain who'd gotten his men to unseal a giant plug in the ground, releasing the demon. He had escaped, leaving his crew to be eaten by the monster, but a smaller creature broke into his house at the end of the picture and carried him away, presumably to its master. The guy had talent. He deserved better than this. Cosmo deserved better than this.

The party was set to move to an old house that Sonic had rented out for the weekend. Tails was afraid that if he told Cosmo's mother about this, she'd throw him out of the car and tell him to stay away from her daughter. Instead, she drove up to the gates. The lights and loud music told them that the rest of the gang was already there.

"Oh my gosh!" Cosmo cried. "Mom! That's the house Daddy did the Edgar Allen Poe movies in!"

"Don't worry, dear," Hertia said. "I assure you, it's not really haunted."

To be continued…