Hey everyone,
Okay, quick warning, this story plan does NOT sound happy. I have many plans for it that – in the long run – will make it a happy story, but it starts out bad, hurtful and very, very sad. It will also completely skip Thieves in Time, so there will be no live mentioning of Tenessee, Riochi or other Cooper Ancestors in here.
That is all,

Venquine1990

A Letter To Change It All

Sly's POV

It's been a month now. A month since I accepted the lie offered to me by Carmelita Montoya Fox. A month since she told me I was her partner and a Constable, while – thanks to my quickly fading amnesia – I knew I was really her adversary and a Master Thief. A month since the guilt in my heart has started growing with each passing day.
Now I am standing at the doorway to Carmelita's bedroom, having been accepted into her apartment as the beautiful vixen had been unable to think of a location to house me and make it sound factual that I actually lived there and each day that I have lived here, has felt like I am living a lie I should not be willing to keep up.
At first, the guilt and pain had not been all that bad, having been eased and pushed away by my elation to be living with the woman of my dreams and to finally have the chance I have been dreaming of for so many years, including the period of time where I had been almost crushed to death by a genetic experiment created by one of my enemies.
Still, as the days turned into weeks and almost into a month, did the feelings of happiness, love and loyalty – especially the last – start to actually increase the guilt and pain that were rising up from the bottom of my heart and, after watching how my partner left for bed, did I make the only decision I feel worthy of.

I had waited until she had fallen asleep and had even dared to keep watching her sleep for several long, gloriously painful minutes, but now I turn myself away from a sight that I no longer feel myself worthy of watching over and do I pace over to where a piece of paper is lying open with a pen beside it, which I use to write:

My dearest, precious Carmelita,
I – I cannot ever describe how sorry I am for the last month that we both have lived a lie. When Dr. M's monster was crushing me in its hold, were you the only thing on my mind. I thought of how much of a coward I had been, how I had never taken the next step and told you how I really felt. I wished you had been there so we could talk out our Professional Differences and see if we could make it work.
Then, later, after you saved me from Dr. M, did Bentley tell me that I should not be going out as another blow to the head would cause mayor problems, yet my need to finally see all that my family had left me had overwhelmed me and I had confided in my friends that they needed not to worry; this was obviously a mistake.
Yes, I managed to get my cane back – which belonged to my father – and managed to get all the way into the innermost sanctum of the Cooper Vault, but when Dr. M attempted to hit you, did the blow I receive from deflecting that make me hit my head yet again, causing for temporary amnesia to befall me after I got hit.
I say temporary, because the minute you spoke your name did all of my memories come back to me, yet I had been so overwhelmed by the blow and the rush of all those years of memories that I dazedly asked you for my name.
When you answered that I was your partner, Carmelita, was the only thing I could think of the memories of those same thoughts I had when crushed by that monster and – seeing how I was unwilling to risk us getting hurt because we argued over a little white lie – did I pretend to believe you and did we escape the collapsing of my family's ancestry.
What I am trying to say is that I've been lying to you all this month and I can no longer stand to live like that. I am a Master Thief, one who steals from other criminals and who can only be seen as a criminal in your eyes, now and forever.
Yet, with this letter comes my assurance to you that you no longer need concern yourself with my criminal ways, past or future. I have found a location near Kaine Island where the community revels in how my family deals with Criminals and this is where I will be heading to spend the rest of my days, my days as a thief.
Do not believe that I will ever forget you, for my heart can never forget the amazing, delicate, beautiful, sophisticated, gentle, proud, loving, honorable person that makes you who you are and I will always treasure every meeting we have had over the years that have passed. Yet I do not believe myself worthy of you, if the only way I can live beside you is through lies.
I will always love you, mi amore,

Sly Cooper
PS. How I wish I could share with you one last kiss, where we didn't either believe in little white lies.

Knowing that the letter is much longer than intended, but feeling that the beautiful vixen sleeping soundly in the room besides me deserves no less, do I lie a single rose – that I secretly stole from a flower shop this afternoon – and a single signature card – that I had made late last night – alongside the letter.
I fold the three items together, the signature card on top, and sneak back into the beautiful fox's room, softly lying the items on her bedside table and – out of undeniable urge – letting my hand go through the fur on the side of her face one last time before I sneak back out of the room and head for the living room's balcony.

There I put one foot onto the stone railing as I spare one last look at the wonderful home where I have spend my days over the course of the previous month and while I can feel tears starting to appear in my eyes as my heart breaks over the idea of forever parting with my one true love, do I squeeze my eyes closed and make a high jump.
Using the techniques I have mastered over the last few years, do I easily land on the banister of a fire escape ladder stationed against the house opposite of Carmelita's apartment and while climbing the staircase up to the roof, do I constantly resist myself the urge to gaze back, to look across the street in hopes of seeing her one last time.
I reach the roof of the building and start running as quickly as I can, my determination to keep with this plan firing up the muscles within my legs and making me run quicker than I have ever run before, simply out of the sheer fear that – if I were to run any slower – I would change my mind and destroy the letter, continuing my life of lies.
"No, Carmelita doesn't deserve that. She deserves the truth. She deserves a happy life that is not filled with constant anger and irritation issues over some useless thief that can't even keep himself from stealing something as simple and plain as a rose." Goes through my mind and this reprimanding makes me speed up even more.

I then arrive at my second destination and land down on a stone and metal based balcony, putting my hand out into the open air and feeling something tingle against the fur on my skin, making me smirk at the fact that Bentley's detection devices are still active around our old hide-out, indicating that the turtle still lives here.
"Probably in the hopes of seeing me return here as well." Goes through my mind, but I shake the thought away, having kept an eye on my friends and having seen how amazingly well they have picked up their lives, having found love, completed their training and building a brighter future for themselves than I ever could.
The thought that they were happier with these lifetimes than our own had definitely hurt, yet it had also been something I had often toyed with as just a random thought that slips in and out of your mind before you really notice it and to see this thought become reality had been the final push I had needed to make my decision final.

I walk into the room, which is my own bedroom, and feel relieved and glad that Bentley has returned everything I had left at Kaine Island in my bedroom, which makes it easier for me to get everything packed, a thought I put into action as I softly pull a large, brown suitcase out from under the bed, that is surprisingly clean.
Hating to see yet another sign that my friend is awaiting my return, do I feel glad that I always leave a simple notebook on my desk before I leave and after lying the trunk open on my bed and putting my father's cane, which I shrunk thanks to a special feature, the Thievius Raccoonus, my hat, hip-pouch and backpack in it.
I then quickly roam through my room, packing a few other things that I know I will need in the days to come before I move over to my desk, making sure not to scrap the chair over the hardwooden floor before I pick up my own pen and open the notebook, tearing a few pieces of paper out of it before I start writing my second letter:

My dearest brother,
It sincerely pains me to see all of these signs that indicate how you have awaited my return; alas my time in the Cooper Hideout is but a short one. I have lived a lie for the last month and the guilt I feel over that has made me believe I need to move on and start anew. I have packed all that is mine and by the time you read this, I will be on a plane, long gone.
Why did I not ask you, Murray or the others to come with? Because you and the other members of the Cooper Gang have exactly what you always wanted. You have a perfect life, one with love, happiness and all of the things you love doing the most.
You think you were the only one keeping an eye on me? Guess again. I have used Carmelita's computer countless times and have kept a close eye on all of you, thus I have clearly seen how happy Penelope makes you, how amazing your new laboratory is and how hard Murray is working to complete his training. I have also seen the rise to fame of Dimitri and how happy Jing King is to have her father back by her side to chose her future husband.
I know, my friend, I know that all of you are doing things that can make sure you have a future that you deserve and this isn't the first time where I have wondered if being aligned with a Master Thief doesn't keep you from exactly those futures. Yet, this is still the last time I will have to worry about that as I let go of my past life.
I let you go, my friend. I have worried you and made your nervous and anxious more times than I care to count, not to mention all the amazing amounts of trouble – with both other criminals and Interpol – I have caused you and all other members of the Cooper Gang, both old and new. I know everyone is happy now and that is what is most important to me.
Don't worry, I'll find happiness as well. Perhaps not where I have always envisioned it, with you, my brothers or with my beloved Carmelita, but I have found a place where Coopers and their profession are a welcome treat.
Take care, both of yourself and of our loved ones,

Sly Cooper

By now my writing hand is trembling, my other hand attempting to hold my writing arm steady is faring no better and there are several tearstains all over the paper, yet I wrap this letter up as well and place it in yet another Calling Card, putting the card itself in a small indent in the poles holding up my four-poster bed.
I then move my hand over to another indent in the same pole and pull out a single plane ticket, one that has unlimited access to any flight of my choice, out of the indent, something I had placed there shortly after completely retrieving the Thievius Raccoonus and restoring honor to my family's name as this had been the first time I had started wondering.

I sigh as I put the ticket in the breast pocket of my blue shirt and then pluck my last blue cap and red hip pouch out of the brown wooden chest besides my bed, attaching the pouch to my left hip and adjusting the hat to fit my fur just right before I close off the trunk, take it from my bed and leave the room for the balcony.
Again, with my foot firmly on the banister, do I feel my face turning back to the now empty room, the open drawers and closet doors clearly indicating that someone has emptied it and while new tears are streaming down my eyes, do I whisper: "Good luck, my brothers." Before jumping away, into the night sky and over to the airport.

Like I said, not happy!
But I also said that the story would find happiness in due time and this is very much the truth. Bentley and Carmelita both find their respective letters at the same time the next morning and both instantly reach out to the other in an effort to find Sly and to bring the entire team – Carmelita included – back together.
After this, they all keep themselves to the location Sly mentioned, the Cooper Vault gets fully restored and Sly uses all the techniques that he has learned from the Thievius Raccoonnus to teach Carmelita how to be a Master Thief and to gain himself stronger and stronger entrance into her heart as she confesses to return his love.
Sappy, yes, amazing, YES,

Venquine1990