Chapter 2: After the dance
I just discussed about this story with Wolvehulk and we have decided to make this longer story, so this won't be just a two shot. We hope you enjoy! I also noticed a few typos in the last chapter. I'm sorry for them, but it was about 4.00 am when I finished the chapter. I've tried to correct them. And also thanks for everyone for who has followed and favorited me!
"Neyla,, a word." Called a green and yellow parrot from his birdcage machine.
Neyla let out a sigh and followed the parrot to a balcony.
"Yes, what is it, Arpeggio?" She asked already guessing what the parrot was going to say.
"Who was that raccoon you were dancing with?" Arpeggio asked strictly.
"An acquaintance, nothing serious." Neyla replied nonchalantly.
Fortunately for Neyla, Arpeggio had only seen their dance and not what happened afterwards with Carmelita.
"It seemed to be a bit more than that."
Neyla snorted.
"Need I remind you that we are here on important business and you mustn't let your feelings interfere?"
"You don't need to remind me of why we are here."
"See, that I don't". Arpeggio said threateningly and "drove" away in this birdcage.
Neyla waited for the parrot to exit the balcony and after she was sure that he hadn't decided to stay and see what she'd do next (Arpeggio had done this before) Neyla jumped to the nearest rooftop and fished a small tracking device from her purse.
"Where are you, Sly?" she said frowning and trying to locate the tracker she'd attached to Sly's hat. (Don't ask me how. She has somehow managed it)
Sly was casually strolling along the rooftops towards the hideout. He wasn't in a hurry because he knew Bentley was going to hold another presentation and the raccoon preferred to look back at his and Neyla's dance.
'She's really something.' Sly thought with a big smile.
Suddenly his earpiece crackled.
"Sly? Where are you? We're waiting for you here!" A nasally voice asked, clearly annoyed!
Sly rolled his eyes and replied: "I'm on my way."
He broke into a run, jumped down from the palace wall, avoided the elephant that was circling near the hideout entrance and run up the stairs to the gang's hideout.
"It's about time." The nasally voice berated Sly as soon as he entered.
"Keep your shell on, Bent. There's no hurry." Sly tried to calm his turtle friend.
"Sly, we're thieves. We're always in a hurry!" Bentley threw back.
"Not me." Sly proclaimed as he slumped into a chair behind Bentley's projector.
Bentley just rolled his eyes and started the presentation:
"Okay, guys, we're ready for phase two of our plan. To get to the Clockwerk Wings we need to use the electric winch above the statue. To get control over the device I need to hack Rajan's main terminal in his boardroom and also to detach the wings from the statue, we're gonna need an extra sharp saw blade. For a blade that durable, I need Sly to steal the jewels from the headdresses of Rajan's price-elephants. Finally I will take my RC-chopper and disable the palace's aerial defense. After this we're ready for the big job."
Bentley turned off the projector and turned to look at Sly.
"Sly, a word."
Sly raised a brow in question but followed Bentley outside.
Once they were outside Sly turned to Bentley.
"So, what is it, Bentley?"
"What's going on between you and Neyla?" Bentley asked. (BTW Bentley's not accusing him right now. He's just inquiring)
"I'm... not sure yet." Sly answered little avoidingly.
"What about Carmelita?" Bentley asked seeming slightly surprised.
"I don't know, Bentley" Sly sighed, "I don't know..."
Bentley offered a smile.
"You'll figure it out, Sly. I'm sure of it"
"Yeah" Sly said and turned to return to the hideout.
Meanwhile Neyla had been following the tracking signal through the palace area and over the wall to the little woods outside of the palace. She was hopping along the tree branches and from tree to tree until she noticed a turtle talking to a raccoon dressed in blue.
Neyla started descending from the tree when she heard them talking:
"Yeah." Sly said.
Then there was a moment of silence and suddenly the turtle spoke:
"By the way, will you dance with Neyla or Carmelita during the big job?"
Neyla almost fell from the branch she was standing on. She stopped her descent and listened to what Sly was about to say.
"With Neyla, of course." Sly said almost immediately.
"Ok. I'll change that part of the plan." Bentley nodded.
Neyla let out a breath she didn't even notice she was holding and continued her her descent.
"Sly!" Neyla exclaimed as she hit the ground.
Sly and Bentley quickly turned around too look at the tigress.
"Constable Neyla!" Bentley exclaimed, looking a little panicked, "How did you find us?"
Only then did Sly realized that Neyla wasn't supposed to know where their hideout was located.
"Yeah, Neyla. How exactly did you find us?" Sly asked.
"Um... I might have slipped a tracker into Sly's hat..." Neyla answered smiling a little.
"What?!" Bentley asked and jumped as high as he could and scooped Sly's hat from his head.
He inspected the hat and pulled out a tracker.
"Hidden in the lining." Bentley sneered, "Very clever."
Before Neyla could answer Sly caught his hat with his cane from Bentley and said: "Bentley could you leave us?"
Bentley smiled and quickly went back into the hideout and Sly walked to Neyla.
"Did you hear what we talked about?" he asked.
"Bentley asked if you wanted to dance with Carmelita or with me during 'the big job'"
Sly let out an inward sigh of relief. He really wouldn't have wanted Neyla to hear what he discussed with Bentley.
"Why did you come?" Sly asked, curious.
"I came to see you and also I though about some things..." she answered.
"What things?"
"Well, about... us." She wasn't yet used to the sound of it, but liked it, "And about me being a cop and you being a thief"
Now Sly was getting a little worried. What did Neyla think about that?
"And?" He whispered leaning closer.
"I've never wanted to be a cop. I was given a choice: Be arrested or become a cop." Neyla told him, "And now I was thinking if... I could come with you."
Sly was taken aback by this sudden proposal, but started thinking about it.
"Are you sure, Neyla?"
"I am, Sly" She answered and leaned closer and gave Sly a quick peck on the lips.
"I need to get back before Carmelita notices I'm gone."
"OK. We'll dance during the big job, my beautiful tigress" Sly called after her.
"I'm looking forward to it, Ringtail" She called back.
Sly chuckled at the nickname. He returned to the hideout.
"OK, Bentley. What's next?"
Neyla was in a hurry to return to the ball. She was already worrying that one of her three "supervisors" had noticed her absence. She ran through the palace area and climbed back to the same balcony and went inside. Neyla quickly surveyed the area. Arpeggio was talking with Jean Bison, the Contessa was nowhere to be seen and Carmelita was sitting in the bar. Neyla decided to go talk to her even though she knew Carmelita wouldn't be a merry interlocutor.
"Hi, Carmy" She chirped and then noticed the empty glasses on Carmelita's table, "How much have you drunk?"
"None of your damn business" The vixen slurred.
"Aww, you didn't take to drink because you couldn't get my date?" Neyla taunted.
She couldn't help but to feel satisfied when the vixen got up and took a swing at her, but missed due to all the alcohol she'd already consumed. Neyla watched as Carmelita tripped on her own feet and collapsed to the ground.
"Was that really necessary?" Came a cold and emotionless voice from behind the tigress.
Neyla turned around and saw the Contessa standing uncomfortably close to her.
"It was payback. I'm sure you can understand that." Neyla answered cocking a brow.
"Just get her to a cab and take back to the hotel." The Contessa ordered.
"Must I?" Neyla grumbled.
"Yes, Constable."
Neyla cast a sour look at the Contessa's retreating back and then turned her gaze at the passed out vixen at her feet. She let out a sigh of resignation and picked Carmelita up from the floor and started dragging her towards the door. Once outside she took a cab, laid the unconscious Carmelita to the backseat and gave the driver directions to their hotel. On the way Carmelita started to snore rather loudly and Neyla had hard time stifling her laugh. When they finally arrived at the hotel Neyla paid their ride with money taken from Carmelita. She lifted the vixen from the backseat and carried her through the hotel's lobby and into the elevator.
"She's really heavy!" Neyla thought panting lightly.
As soon as the door opened with "ding" she once again picked up Carmelita and dragged her to her room and carelessly dropped her onto the bed.
"Finally." Neyla thought, casting a last disdainful look at the vixen.
She went to her room and collapsed to the bed thinking about Sly, their dance and the kiss. Neyla let these lovely memories lull her to sleep.
Neyla had fallen asleep and was sleeping soundly when her rooms window slid open and a lithe form slipped in. It was of course none other than Sly Cooper, who now made his way next to the bed and laid eyes upon the sleeping tigress.
He lifted a hand to softly caress her cheek.
"Sweet dreams, my beautiful tigress" he whispered and pressed a light kiss on her forehead before climbing out of the window and disappearing into the night.
