5:am Recruit

Ah, Paris. They call it the city of love, the runner up being Billy Penn's "Greene Countrie Towne", Philadelphia, nicknamed the City of Brotherly Love. Hmm. That made ol' Billy sound like a sexist. Ah, well, let's get back to Paris.

The French capital city is home to one of the World's most notorious, yet elusive thieves, Sly J.T. Cooper. Setting off z's in his caboose hideout with his pals, Bentley Wiseturtle and Murray Hippo.

Well, on this lovely Parisian night, Sly's cellular telephone rang, and he tried to ignore it. But he picked it up anyway.

"Bonjour," he said to the speaker.

Surely enough, a couple seconds later, a gruff voice came out the receiver, proving itself to be the head of Paris Interpol's.

"Bonjour, Cooper. In award for helping us," Sly rolled his eyes at "helping", "capture the highly notorious criminals Greene Hatte and Rojo Squirrel, you and two of your gang will be made, um-eh-oh-agh! Junior Detectives. Stop by my office tomorrow morning for registration. Adieu."

This shocked Sly! He instantly woke up Bentley and Murray.

"Hey guys!" he said and explained the entire thing.

5 ½ hours later, at Interpol Parisian H.Q.

After registration, Sly stopped by Carmelita Fox's office, and walked in.

Carmelita was shocked to see Sly in an Interpol suit!

"Cooper! How dare you enter Interpol Headquarters dressed up like a real detective and all!" she yelled drawing her Inter-Tec 7I80-Zeus model shock-pistol.

"I'm not faking," he said, pulling out a wallet-like thing and flicking it open, "Look at this."

The wallet thing contained no money, just a badge and a piece of white cardboard.

To Carmelita's astonishment, the cardboard had Sly's picture on it and underneath, the words: JR. DETECTIVE COOPER-INTERPOL PARIS #8956484043.

"No!" she hollered. "No, no, no!"

"Um, yes, indeed, oui, si, uh-huh, totally, and 100 percent." He said, then nodded.

"You're with Interpol?"

"Don't forget Bentley and Murray, too."

"This is a plain, outright, total catastrophe!"

"Carmelita, por favor, please calm down!" he said.

"Now, I have to go to my office, but I have to ask you something first."

"(Sigh), Go ahead. What do you want, Cooper."

"You still have that ring I gave you from my failed proposal?"

"The one from almost a year ago? Yes."

"Well, here goes nothin'. Once more I ask you, will you join me in wedded bliss?"

"Cooper," Carmelita chuckled out, "You are, now a detective, and thus I say-(clears throat)-Si."

"Well then, that's the ring. Hope you like it, honey."

And with that, Sly left.

Two months later, the Cooper Hideout.

Penelope was playing the piano, and a happy couple was marching down the red carpet outside the train car. Troji Tohowhen stood at the alter and said the magical words "I hereby declare you man and wife, you my kiss your bride." I hope that you guessed it was their marriage by know.

If you didn't, do you want the bed next to mine at the insane asylum? No? Ah well, back to the marriage.

That kiss was magical! As Sly and Carmelita's lips touched, Carmelita's emotional side exploded. She sobbed. And hugged. And kissed. Over and over again. Penelope, who still despised Carmelita, thought this was gruesome, nauseating, and disgusting. Sly, however found it wonderful, lovely, and yet, awkward. Ditto, Carmelita.

The reception was held in the caboose-hideout. It had completely changed Almost the entire space of the train car was filled with the table in the center. Sly had said that he had dedicated the entire cake to Carmelita before the wedding. It looked so, as the icing was cinnamon-flavored and red-brown. But the inside had alternating layers of mocha and vanilla that very much resembled Sly's pattern of stripes on his tail. Why? "Because there's a new Cooper!" Sly replied. And so, the two Coopers enjoyed the rest of the day.

TO BE CONTINUED!