The ballroom was grand. A chandelier hung from the dome ceiling, its gold paint work gleaming beautifully. Dancers and their partners filled the dance floor, dancing gracefully to the pulse of the soft romantic music lingering in the background. Towards the left of the room there was a curved stair case that led to an indoor balcony for other guests to mingle and look over the grand room. Underneath the balcony sat a small bar with tables and chairs for the drinkers among the crowd. The mood with in the room seemed content; women in ball gowns and dresses and men in tuxedos littered the room in different places, chatting, drinking and having a good time with their friends and partners. Among the guests on the balcony stood Leon Brown, a millionaire tiger who owned the building, his black claws drumming against the cement barrier that was keeping him from falling off the balcony. He had ordered his best guards and bouncers to keep an eye on everything and every guest that entered through the front doors. One of which was a certain female raccoon.

Chloe slipped her hand into her bag and brought out an invitation with You Are Invited gracefully written in gold ink on the front. She handed the invite to the bouncer guarding the door. She stared down at the cobbled path in front over her. She could faintly see the bouncer looking over her body. Damn it! She thought Why've they always gotta do that!?

After entering through the front door, Chloe made her way toward the small bar, where she saw a familiar turtle mixing drinks. Bentley.

Sitting down on a stool in front of the counter, Chloe had her back towards the turtle, leaning her elbows on the surface of the counter. A drunken dog came stumbling over the bar, nearly tripping over his untied shoelaces with each step.

Eventually arriving at the bar, the dog almost collapsed over the counter, cursing himself in doing so. Cooper rolled her eyes in a "You're Pathetic" kind of way and turned her head to look over at the expensive painting that hung randomly on the wall. The dog, noticing the raccoon turn away from him, asked:

"Wha' was tha' all 'bout, b'u'ful?" His words slurring and his breathe was a sickening alcoholic smell.

"Oh nothin'," Chloe replied, acting natural.

"Wha' ever, Oi! Bar tender thingeh! Where the bloody 'ell are my drinks!" Chloe could here a soft grumble coming from the turtle at the drunken hound, she grinned at what she managed to hear through the grumbling.

"Aw stuff this!" Announced the dog, stumbling away from the bar and towards the main entrance.
"He didn't need to drink any more anyways, poor sap, I can just imagine the hang over he's gonna have tomorrow," Chloe said, striking up a conversation with Bentley.

"I know what ya mean," He replied, just to hear Bentley's nasally voice for the first time in months brought another smile to her maw.

"So, what brings you hear?" Bentley asked, cleaning a beer glass with a dish cloth.

"Nothin' much, I'm just here to ask a certain someone what the heck they think they were doin'," Chloe replied

"Oh, and who might that be?"

"My brother,"

"What did he do?"

"Left me at Death's door, ditched his friends an' left his girlfriend for her sister, think I'm ticked off much?"

"Quite," Bentley chuckled, setting down the glass and cloth, now deep in conversation with the seemingly unfamiliar raccoon.

"Can I get you a drink," He asked being polite.

"Yeah, White Russian please." Chloe requested, still with her back toward him. After Bentley placed the drink next to the raccoon, he relaxed back in his wheelchair, now seeing no one wanted his service.

"Heh….you know, that kinda sounds….." Bentley trailed off. Everything she said was just a brief description of what happened on Kaine Island almost half a year ago. "Chloe?" He asked. She let out a small laugh, eventually turning her head. As he met her hazel gaze, she answered:

"How long did it take ya to work that one out?" A smug grin crept up on to her maw, baring her white teeth and small fangs.

"How did I know recognize that sassy voice of yours?" Bentley questioned playfully.

"I dunno- hey is that a compliment or an insult!?" Chloe asked, pretending to act insulted.

She still sat on the cushioned stool, her back towards Bentley but her head turned to face him.
"So, how have you been?" He asked. Chloe looked down at her drink, hoping it would help her give an answer.
"Lonely, bored, ticked off, tired, get the picture?"
"Lonely? I heard you and Murray got a place just outside Paris,"
"Yeah, we did!" Chloe sighed, looking back at Bentley. She tried to smile but what she had to say killed all the happiness left inside of her.
"I guess ya haven't heard the recent news, huh?...We..broke it off..." Bentley, now shocked by heard words, had a look of concern on his face. Chloe noticed this and added:
"Bent, man, don't look at me like that,"
"But...how? I thought you two were as hooked on each other like metal to a magent?"
"Heh...we were," Chloe sipped her drink again to clear her thoughts "Nice metaphor, though"
"So how did it happen?"
"Oh Jeez Louise Bent! I thought you'd be the first one to know!?" Chloe asked, kind of annoyed.
"Well, I'm sorry if I haven't had a phone call from him for 3 months!" Bentley exclaimed.
"Soz Bent...I didn't mean...I've just been-"
"No, it's ok," Bentley offered a friendly smile, which Chloe returned gratefully. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I'd rather not, if ya don't mind…"

The two life long friends continued to talk as the Ballard played and couples swapped partners before the next song.

The friends were laughing at an old Yo Momma joke Bentley found on the internet when a male raccoon exited the dance floor, clearly worn out from dancing. The mask like patch of fur around his eyes was a few shades darker than his light grey fur that covered the rest of his face. He slumped down on to the stool the drunken dog sat on half an hour prior. Chloe and Bentley didn't recognize the new costumer, but he had known them since childhood.

"Long time no see, how've you two been?" He asked suddenly.

"Excuse me?" Chloe asked meeting the raccoon's gaze. She noticed something familiar about him, he looked a little like her but…….then suddenly it hit her.

"Sly?" She asked him.

"How long did it take ya to work that one out" He said smugly. Chloe rolled her eyes, lifting up her glass and saying:

"I hate karma…" Before taking a sip of the expensive wine. "Oh yeah, Bent, how'd ya score this job?"

"Luck, I guess," Bentley lied. In stead, he had taken over the bar and sent the other bar man home. He and Penelope were trying to get information on where Leon kept his vault of world famous paintings so they could make a plan to take them. Knowing that Sly was now Constable Cooper, he didn't want to give the game away.

"So Sly, ya hear to arrest me or dance with the Inspector?" Chloe playfully asked.

"No, I'm just hear because Carmelita dragged me along, anyways, how's Murray?" He answered.

"I don't know, I ain't seen him for a month,"

"Oh? Last time I saw ya you were falling all over each other,"

"Don't remind me," Chloe hissed.

"What happened?"

"We….kinda got into an argument…" She said, taking another gulp of her drink.

"What about?" Bentley chipped in.

"Well, we were talkin' 'bout the past an' some of the jobs we had to do, then he starts sayin' that I had to flirt with the enemy quite a bit, anyways, we left it at that. We were invited to a bash down at the club a few blocks down from our new place. We were havin' a good time when I saw Mat from the orphanage. Me and Mat started catching up on things, we made our way to the dance floor while Murray was sitting on the other side of the bar, he was getting suspicious for no reason so he came over to use and started goin' over the top 'bout Mat an' I, one thing led to another an'…." Chloe trailed off, having another gulp of her drink. She looked down into her lap and tried not to get emotional about the event. "Anyways, enough about that, how's bein' a cop?"

"Eh, its ok I guess," Sly answered.

"You sound like ya enjoy it!" Chloe replied sarcastically.