Chapter 2: New problem

Well, I guess I am compelled to give you another chapter. Carmelita's strange behavior continues, Sly gets a bit emotional, Bentley-Murray Duo does their best to solve the situation and later the "happy couple" enjoy some breakfast.

P.S. Oh, and BTW, Carmelita's gonna be wayyyyy out of character. It's all on purpose though...

"Uh... Uh... Uh... BENTLEY!"

"Shut up, Ringtail" Carmelita muttered, "I'm trying to sleep"

She clutched him more tighter, only making Sly's anxiousness level skyrocket. This was too bizarre! Carmelita didn't do something like this. He was very inclined on posing the question, "Who are you and what you've done with Carmelita?".

"SLY!" Murray roared as he broke through the door with Bentley on his heel.

Both were in ready stance, prepared for fight, but a major look of confusion crossed both of their features once they took in the sight in front of them. The normally extremely volatile inspector was contently reclining on their gang leader, seemingly half asleep and by the looks of it, very comfortable. Murray's jaw hit the floor and Bentley almost dropped his crossbow.

Though after the initial shock wore off, his turtle friend gave Sly the most disapproving glare: "You didn't!"

It took Sly a moment to decipher what Bentley meant. When the realization dawned on him, his face became flushed.

"No! No! We didn't... Ugh... Just... Do something!" he shouted at his friends.

Apparently, Carmelita took that plea to heart as her head bobbed up and a smile made its way to her face. Everyone's attention snapped to her, especially the raccoon's beneath her. Her arms nimbly found their way around his neck. Carmelita hauled herself upwards, positioning her face just above Sly's now bewildered one. He blue hair cascaded down, concealing them almost like a curtain. Her hand ran down his face in a gentle and seemingly loving caress. Sly knew what was coming next and he didn't find the will to neither resist nor respond.

Bentley and Murray watched in utter flabbergastation as Carmelita firmly planted her lips on Sly's. However, their shock was heightened by the fact that Sly did nothing to stop her. Of course they knew of his feelings for the vixen, but this was something totally different compared to the usual random flirt and stolen kisses.

But Sly lay there, not refusing the kiss, but not daring to return it either. His emotions were stirring from tranquil current into a raging maelstrom. He had to stop his arms from enclosing Carmelita's frame and holding her tighter against himself. It wasn't Carmelita. He knew that. She wouldn't do something like this. It saddened him to realize this.

Bentley, on the other hand, had had quite enough. A single sleep dart that imbedded itself in Carmelita's neck shot out of his crossbow. Within seconds, she was rendered unconscious and she slumped on top of Sly.

The raccoon in mention wore a slightly dazed expression, as if awakening from a trance. His hands slowly came to remove the dart from Carmelita's neck as the other wove through the vixen's blue hair. He exhaled a wistful sigh as his hands slumped down in defeated fashion.

"Sly?" Bentley asked, frowning slightly at his friend's strange behavior.

Sly shook his head, "It's sad" he replied with a faraway voice, "I've been wanting to see that look in her eyes and I've wanted for her to do what she just did"

Murray and Bentley shared a glance. Sly was behaving strangely and they could quite grasp the dilemma of the situation. Not that they'd ever understood his feelings for Carmelita in the first place.

"It was there" he continued, "But... it wasn't real. A sham"

The sorrow embedded in his voice surprised Bentley and Murray more than anything they'd witnessed today.

"You don't understand" he finished dejectedly.

Another look passed betwixt the turtle and hippo.

"You're right, little buddy" Murray suddenly spoke, "We don't really get it... but we're here for ya"

Bentley nodded in confirmation, although true to his nature, he still harboured a great deal of suspicion towards Carmelita. But he did take note of her sudden shift of demeanor.

"It could be just an elaborate scheme to arrest us" he reminded himself.

"What's wrong with her, Bentley?" Sly broke his friend's train of thought.

The turtle shook his slightly before replying: "It has to have something to with the hypnosis. I really don't know what I did back there, but it seems that I somehow alternated the Mindshuffler's programmed hypnosis protocol"

"In English?"

"Her behavior is a result of the hypnosis" Bentley concluded.

"Well, I knew it was too good to be true" Sly stated bitterly, "Can you reverse it?"

"Sure... but that'll take time. Hypnoses are very intricate procedures. They tamper with person's mind and personality. I have to focus so that I won't anyhow damage her mind" Bentley replied.

Sly nodded and got out of the bed, bringing Carmelita with him. He laid her back on the bed, covering her up.

"Would it be too much to ask if you started as soon as possible?" Sly asked in normal tone again. He scooped up his shirt from the floor and put it back on. He'd have to change later because right now, all their stuff was still in the van.

"I'll get started right after breakfast" Bentley promised.

Sly offered a smile, "Thanks, buddy"


The trio of thieves enjoyed their breakfast. Murray almost ate them to a bankruptcy. Luckily they were thieves, so money wasn't necessarily a problem. Sly just sat with the two and declined any food, saying that he preferred to take it up to his room "to enjoy it alone".

Bentley and Murray of course realized that he was going to take some food for Carmelita as well as himself. Neither said anything about it and went to do their own things. Bentley researched on hypnosis. He wasn't very keen on Carmelita's presence, hypnotized or not, and that accelerated his working speed. Murray kindly brought their stuff from the van to their room. Sly's was left there as well as he didn't want to disturb "the lovebirds'" breakfast.

In the room adjacent to Murray and Bentley's, Sly had just set down the tray of food on the nightstand. Carmelita was still knocked out from the dart, but Bentley's standard darts weren't that potent so he figured she'd be waking up any moment. He pulled a chair to the bedside and seated himself to wait for Carmelita's awakening.

Sly tried to keep himself from even looking at her. It gave him a strange urge to caress her face and run his fingers through her blue locks. Unfortunately for Sly, the feeling was persistent. It eventually caused him to just give in stop denying that he wanted to do it, even if Carmelita was hypnotized. With a frustrated sigh, he gently stroked her cheek.

The action caused Carmelita to stir and only a moment later, her eyes fluttered open. They immediately found Sly and his hand that still did its little up and down movement across her cheek.

"Good morning, Ringtail" she beamed at him.

Her smile was contagious, forcing its way up to Sly's lips as well.

"Good morning, Carmelita" he smiled, "I brought us some breakfast" Sly indicated the tray of food on the nightstand.

"Oh, how lovely!" she squealed in very un-Carmelita-ish way, "Breakfast in bed, you spoil me, Sly!"

She scooted over to the other side of the bed and lifted the tray to rest on her lap. As she sat up, the vixen cast Sly an expecting look, to which the raccoon raised his brows.

"What?"

"Well, aren't you gonna eat with me?" Carmelita chirped a question, "I thought you said you brought it for 'us'"

"I, uh..." Sly didn't even realize his... well, it wasn't exactly an mistake, but..; "I guess..."

"Don't just stand there then!" the vixen laughed and patted the space next to her, "Sit down"

Sly hesitated for a moment. He wasn't sure he wanted to do just that. The raccoon kept reminding himself that this wasn't Carmelita and that she'd be back to her usual self soon.

"I already miss her fiery temper..." Sly thought to himself.

However, he was robbed the freedom of choice as the woman who occupied his thoughts grabbed his arm and carefully pulled the raccoon against her. Sly was quick to fix his position and settle next to Carmelita with a small gap keeping them apart. The action though, soon proved to be futile as Carmelita leant against him and hummed contently. She offered Sly a buttered toast, which he accepted with a quiet "thank you".

The couple ate in silence, a silence that was comfortable for the one and awkward for the other. After finishing her second cup of coffee, Carmelita returned the tray to its original place on the nightstand and turned her amber eyes to Sly.

"What are we going to do today?" she inquired expectantly.

"Um... I don't know..." Sly replied slowly.

"Do you mind if we cuddle a bit?"

"I don't think weeeee-" he was cut of when his eyes found Carmelita staring back, the most adorable puppy dog expression ever adorning her face, "-eeeee... should waste an opportunity like this" Sly finished with a nervous laugh.

Carmelita didn't even seem to notice it and happily placed herself on Sly's lap. She gave him a meaningful nudge and Sly, with a sigh, wrapped his arms around her. As a thanks, Carmelita pressed a quick kiss on the raccoon's cheek and then rested her head in the crook of his neck.

"This is nice" she whispered.

"Yeah..." Sly replied after a moment of silence.

He shouldn't be enjoying this... It wasn't real... Carmelita wouldn't want this in reality. But Sly was powerless against the vixen, as he had always been. He was living his dream and he knew it wouldn't last forever.

So would it be so wrong to enjoy it while it lasted?

Review and stuff...