Hey everyone,
Just want to let you all know this story is a lot harder than I expected, but that's what you get for creating a time-skip of eight years; a lot can happen in that time. What's even harder is writing about how the people of your story could or will respond once they meet each other again after that eight year time skip.
And seeing the 'situation' Carmelita's in only kind of makes that harder, yet I really love a challenge like this as it won't be Carmelita who will be shocked and feel the need to adjust once the 'situation' has been revealed and explained. I'm leaving that little issue with – you guessed it – the newly returned Master Thief.
Have Fun, Sly,

Venquine1990


Bentley's POV

"I NEED A SHOWER!" These four words are definitely shocking and highly unexpected, but while Murray seems to consider this new turn of events to be quite humorous, does the loud noise of the slamming door also have a secondary effect as several other doors open, a various amount of creatures passing through them.
One of them is a Marine Iguana that is known as Dimitri Loustreau, a famous scuba diver, who has been trying to helping us find Sly through his high and mighty connections and who has been visiting several auctions of valuable artifacts in the hopes of finding something we could use to get to the time period where Sly was residing.

The next person is a female Bison named Terry, who Murray met through his wrestling career and who is actually the abandoned daughter of some high-class official from Mexico. The official had wanted to make the perfect princess out of his daughter, yet marrying a hyperactive Buffalo had made this impossible.
Yet the official had never given in to this fact and because only her mother understood how wrestling helped the young woman keep her own hyperactive state under control, did the two work together against the misguided image their husband and father had of her, that is until the man set them a terrible ultimatum.
The ultimatum itself had been decent and in both options was the girl allowed to keep growing as a fighter, however she would also – either way – be forced to give up wrestling as the Bison had different fighting plans for his daughter, to the worry and fear of the mother and the terrified feelings of the daughter.
To make matters worse had the Bison set this ultimatum onto mother and daughter through a live press conference and both mother and daughter agreed that there was only one appropriate answer; hiring a lawyer, denouncing the family name and fleeing the country – and later even the continent, allowing the woman to arrive in France.

There the female Bison had hidden the scandal that was her denouncement and had made fame for herself through wrestling before explaining this to the public, yet two days before she had made this announcement, was she set up in a fight against Murray and the way that each and every round ended in a tie made them fall for each other.
The fact that Murray was a supposedly wanted criminal who worked with the world's greatest Master Thief had made it all the easier for the female Bison to make her statement and her father had, two days later, released another press conference where he uttered his sorrow, his acceptance and where he even wished her the best.
This had all happened one year after Sly's disappearance and after getting married, did Murray and Alexandra become a United Wrestling Duo, which was halted for a few months two years later when Alexandra was proven to be pregnant, a little girl they named Angela being born five months later and who Murray referred to as his Little Angel.

Said little Angel is the third of the group to leave one of the rooms, her eyes blurry and one of her hands rubbing in one of her eyes as she yawns simultaneously with her mother, while Dimitri grumbles: "Who throws with door before 9 in morning? Has weirdo gone cracked?" And that gives me the perfect intro.
I smile at the Iguana and ask: "I don't know, Dimitri, do you know anyone who you'd consider cracked?" And the answer: "Only Crackerbox and he still missing, no?" Makes me happily throw him my Binocucom as I had been able to snap a quick picture of Sly after he had thrown off the old and dusty robe he was wearing.
The iguana fiddles with the device, almost dropping it and making small sounds of distress before he asks: "What's your game, man?" To which Murray replies: "The game is in the picture taken, Dimitri. Just take a look." And while his wife and daughter seem to become awake due to their curiosity, does Dimitri put the device over his eyes.

I activate my board computer and quickly return the picture I took to the front of the Binocucom's screen, the way that Dimitri's body tenses and he shouts: "IT'S CRACKERBOX! CRACKERBOX IS BACK! HE'S REALLY BACK!" Makes Murray's family shout in surprise before they both start smiling widely.
The Iguana however seems too excited to just keep it with smiling and he takes little Angela's hand with one of his own and the other grabs Alexandra's before he happily starts dancing with them, me, Murray and Eleanor standing together and smiling widely as we all gaze at this, before suddenly I feel something near me.
Looking to my side do I see my little turtle son, who has his mother's shell but most of my looks and even shares my subscription when it comes to the strength of my glasses as he asks: "Crackerbox – that's Sly Cooper, right? The man that fathered Sylvester, Dorea and Rin-Gin without even being here, right dad?"

And while the memory of those three kids – one of them nearing the age of 8, the other having just turned 6 years old and the other having turned 1 just two months ago – makes me smile widely before I say: "That's the one, Matthew. That's him." Before I suddenly decide to indulge in my son's special little ability.
I turn to Sly's room and use one of my robotic arms to grab the crystal Sly had been holding earlier before I say: "Murray, grab some cloths for Sly. I think he's a little done wearing the ones he wore when he disappeared." And while my friend nods and heads for the wardrobe, do I retrieve the gem and turn to my son as I ask:
"Matthew, what can you tell me of this here ruby? Sly says someone placed it with him last night and that it must have been what brought him home, but I've never seen anything like it. Do you know what it is, son?" And Matthew takes the crystal from my robotic hand, his eyes showing how his mind is whirling as he turns it in his hands.

"It's called the Homing Gem. It was created by the Bellamora Family in 1550 BC and collected a whole lot of energy over 300 years as the family travelled away from Egypt and across the globe, earning money and finding many kinds of treasure before using the Crystal's magic to travel back home safe and sound.
However, just before the Bellamora family returned to their hometown, were they almost attacked and robbed, yet some stranger saved them and in return the family used the crystal to send this stranger home as he apparently lived poorer than any other person the father and daughter of the Bellamora line had ever seen.
The crystal hasn't been seen since, but – I guess now we know why." The boy then ends and while I feel shocked, do I hit myself on the head and say: "So Sly lived in Egypt, but hid himself out of fear that his actions would make Slytunkhamen do something other than create the Thievius Raccoonus. No wonder we never found him."

My son nods, but then looks back at the crystal and hums before he says: "Apparently, after the father and daughter had returned the stranger home, they found a strange map that lead all the way to the west of Africa. Two years later they encountered a Raccoon that really resembled the stranger and handed him the map.
The raccoon also heard the tale and swore that – if the stranger was indeed related – he would honor him and create a family to be proud of. Two years later he pulled a mayor heist before donating the map to his son, who traveled west, found a gigantic stack of gold and treasure and founded some kind on incredible Vault."

By now my friends and I are shocked senseless and I ask: "Sly saving the Bellamora line made them convince Slytunkhamen to create the Thievius Raccoonus and his map led to the founding of the Actual Cooper Vault? Are you sure of this, Matthew?" And my son nods, his eyes proving how serious he is about his words.
"Sly was the first to make an alliance between the Bellamora's and the Coopers. Does – does that mean that he and –." Here my wife sneaks a glance at the closed bathroom door before she whispers: "Endora are meant for each other?" But while I have no doubt about her words having a strong sense of truth to them, do I say:
"Highly possible, my love, but I know one thing for sure now and it makes all the guilt and inability I have felt over the last eight years be rid off my shoulders at long last. Sly's time travel was destiny. He is the Epitome of the Cooper Line and because of that –." And then a Spanish voice sounds from behind me as the female says:
"Was Sly Cooper meant to start the Cooper Line and make sure they became as famous and notorious as they are today. Only my Ringtail can pull off something like that." And the words my Ringtail makes me turn around and smile in pure loving delight at the woman who has come up to stand behind me with her kids.

Where the woman once had cobalt black hair with blue highlights, is the hair now soft brown that may look ruby red in the right light. Where her eyes were once chocolate brown, are they now purple colored with hints of gold. And where her ears were once orange tipped with black, are they now pure albino white.
The rest of her fur is this same color, yet with hints of orange and brown flecked all over her body, giving her a bit of a camouflage look that she attempts to hide through a simple short-sleeved shirt and skin-tight pair of jeans, yet while the outfit hides most of her form, does it not hide the white furred tail that flicks behind her.
Carmelita Montoya Fox had officially changed to Endora Bellamora a good six years ago, after the birth of her daughter, who she wished to name after her, but for who she was determined to get her own name and life back – as she refused to name her daughter after a character created by kidnappers and bullies.

These kidnapping bullies had been the once proud and honored Fox Family members, yet their association with the Kendo family had ruined them as the feud between the Kendo and the Bellamora line was well-known and when Carmelita gathered all of Paris together and asked them who they were faithful to, did all of Paris chose her.
Her so-called parents had been shocked and Carmelita had grasped this opportunity, telling the whole city of what had happened; how she had been kidnapped at 3 months old, how she had been told this shortly before meeting Sly, how she had attempted to end it all, but had been told that, compared to the Fox Family reputation, she was nothing.
Barkley had taken great offence to this last bit and Carmelita had begged the Parisians to believe her, for the sake of her family and her daughter, who she wanted to name Dorea and not Carmen, as Carmelita was just a character, but not the real person. Everyone, even the criminals the fox had arrested, had supported her.

The Fox and Endo Family had been arrested and the Bellamora's had been able to be a family once more. Since then had Barkley become like a semi-partner to the Cooper Gang and while Endora was still on Sly's case, did Barkley agree that, once Sly was found, compromises could be made so the family could be whole once more.
And this fact makes me look at the three kids that are with Endora. Little Sylvester, who looks so like his father, bar the fact that the tips of his fur have his mother's white color and that the tip of striped tail is bend like that of a fox and colored albino white as well, the other stripes all either charcoal black or iron grey.
Dorea, who has her father's grey fur, but her mother's specie and eye color, making for a pair of very striking and sometimes scary purple eyes to shine from a grey furred face, while her body is lean and slim, the short-sleeved dress she's wearing barely hiding the small amount of muscle the girl is already developing at the age of six.
And finally Rin-Gin, who could very well be called Sly junior as practically everything about him is a resemblance to his father, bar the white tipped fur at the tip of his ears and tail and the fact that his grey fur is still covering his eyes and paws, the fur itself having yet to turn black like it is with his father and older brother.

All four of them are standing at the edge of the staircase, Endora's eyes teary and the eyes of her kids wide as they seem to realize why they are here and what is about to happen before Sylvester asks: "Is – is it true, Uncle Bentley? Is – is dad – is he – is he –?" But the lad seems too doubtful to ask the question and I smile and say:
"Yes Sylvester, he's finally home.""Where is he?" Dorea asks and Murray answers: "Turning our bathroom into a mud pool." Making us all look at him before he shrugs and says: "What? It's true. That place would make a Hawaiian swamp look like a kiddy sandbox after some drizzle. Sly's constantly flushing the sand away."
And while Rin-Gin, covered in a large blue blanket with Raccoon faces embroidered on, tilts his head on his mother's shoulder, do I ask: "So he won't be out of there anytime soon, will he?" Murray shakes his head and says: "Not for the next hour, I'd say. Better just head downstairs and make some breakfast while we wait."

And while Dimitri, Angela and Alexandra finally stop dancing, do Endora, Eleanor, Matthew and I nod, Matthew taking Angela from Dimitri and helping her downstairs as the poor girl sprained her ankle the other day while the rest of us follow them and move downstairs, Dimitri starting breakfast as he took over this chore after Sly vanished.
The Iguana seems determined to go all out now that his Gang leader has returned and little under an hour later do we have a breakfast table filled with all kinds of food, from French toast, to buttered scones, to several kinds of eggs, to bacon and eggs, to waffles, to several kinds of cereal and several kinds of drinks and milk.
"We're having breakfast, not throwing a party." Eleanor tries to say, but Dimitri retorts: "Crackerbox is back, of course we're throwing a party!" And while my wife hits herself on the head, do we all smile at the Iguana before a male voice says: "Thank Dimitri, good to see you haven't changed a bit." And we all look at the door.

Sly is standing there, his fur still a little wet and a few clutches of sand still stuck to the fur around his face, yet in his blue shirt, gloves, peasants cap, boots and golden belt with silver buckle, he looks every bit the notorious master thief that the whole gang and I have been looking desperately to find for the last eight years.
Sly's eyes roam across the table, his eyes shining happily when he sees Murray having Alexandra sitting on one side of him and Angela on the other, but while he tilts his head at the sight of the baby Raccoon, the little female fox and the male foxcoon, do his eyes shine like amber and does his tail whack happily at seeing Endora.
Instantly I fear and wonder how my Gang leader and brother will respond to seeing his old rival and flame looking so different, yet while I take comfort in how happy the guy seems at seeing the fox, does he calmly walk over and shock her as he kisses her full on the lips before lovingly whispering: "Good to see you, gorgeous."

And while this simple action makes everyone look shocked, does Sly just walk past her, sit himself down and take some of the meals offered around us. Eleanor seems the first to get over her shock and asks: "Sly?" The Raccoon humming as he takes some jam and smears it across his buttered toast and my wife continues:
"You're not – shocked?" To which the man answers: "Bentley called her over, didn't he?" And while most of us are shocked at such a simple answer, does Murray say: "But – but she really changed." And Sly retorts: "Eight years have passed. Do you think I expected her to be the same? Of course not. You guys changed too, you know."
And while Murray runs a hand through his military cut hair and I rub the half-circular ring of stubble that runs over my chin, does Dimitri ask: "So you – you not against her changed looks, Crackerbox?" To which Sly lies his buttered toast down and suddenly strikes Endora with a strong look, shocking her before he asks:

"You still working for Interpol?" Everyone looks at him and Endora answers: "Yes." To which the Raccoon goes on: "You still hot on my case?" And Endora answers: "Yes, and on wherever it is you've been the last eight years." The raccoon nods, but doesn't bat an eye at the strong tone of the fox's voice as he goes on:
"You helping Bentley and the others catching criminals that try to hurt us or try to do things we Coopers just don't accept, such as Muggshot and Penelope." And while a soft memory of a squealing mouse rings in my ears, does Endora answer: "Yes." To which Sly shrugs, turns back to the food on his plate and calmly says:
"Then you're still the gorgeous fox I know and love." And while the fox gasps at the declaration of love, do I feel amazed at how easily Sly now admits this, while in the past he barely even admitted the full extent of his feelings to Murray and me, before the Raccoon asks: "So – who are those three lovely little things?"
And while I worry for how my leader is about to take this news as he seems just so content to be back in his own timeline, does it seem as if Endora finally has recovered from her shock and confusion as she smirks challengingly at Sly, my friend sending her a raised eyebrow as he takes a bite and when he does, does she say:

"They're yours, Sly Cooper. Yours – and mine." And the shock that my leader has been causing us now hits him back, making him choke on the bite he was taking and while Murray helps him spit out the bit of buttered toast with jam, do Sylvester and Dorea laugh at the sight of their dad's shock, Dorea making it worse as she says:
"You go, mum. Tell dad how it is." Making Sly gasp in shock and while we now all turn our gazes between the heavily shocked Raccoon on my left and the highly proud looking fox on my right, can I not help but wonder how things took so many sharp turns for shock and wonder when my friend only returned to us 2 hours ago.

Yet Sly seems not willing to let Endora have one over him as he takes a few deep breaths to get over his shock and then smirks and says: "Just like Illinois Cooper." Shocking us all before he says: "According to the Thievius Raccoonus, Illinois Cooper only made love to his wife once, yet he had two daughters and two sons."
And while Endora seems shocked at hearing this, does Sly smirk and say: "And everyone who has known the tale of Illinois Cooper, believes that he and Desiree Bellamora were meant for each other. That their bond as soul mates made it possible for Desiree to feel his love four times over and be pregnant four times over."
He then stands up and while his kids now look between each other, Rin-Gin still with his head tilted as he is seated in the high chair next to his mother, do I suddenly realize something, making me halt Sly in his tracks as I ask: "Wait a minute, Sly. What last name did you just say there?" Making him send me a confused angry look.
The anger worries me as the heat of it proves that Sly was planning something big and he says: "Bellamora." Making all of us look at each other in shock, which makes Sly resemble his youngest as he asks: "Why? Am I missing something?" To which Endora sighs and says: "How about the reason behind my changed looks."

At this Sly seems curious and intrigued as he moves back to his seat, sits down and lies his head on one of his hands as he says: "Tell me. I'm all ears, gorgeous." And while I suddenly notice how there is a hint of self-inflicted confusion shining in his eyes, does Endora seem to find a proper point to start her explanation as she asks:
"Tell me, Coop – Sly – does the name Carmelita match my new looks?" And while Sly sends her a long, searching look, tilting his head a little to both sides as he does, does he answer carefully: "Yes –and no." Shocking us before he says: "Yes, because Carmelita stays a gorgeous name and no, because – well, I can't put my finger on it."

Endora nods and says: "That's because it isn't. My real name is Endora Bellamore. I was kidnapped three months after I was born and told I was kidnapped two weeks before I first met you. The day you got amnesia was two days before I was told that my fake name was part of a marriage contract, betrothing me to someone else.
That person's family has a feud with my birth family and the threats that he and my adopted family used to keep my real family under the thumb were what would have allowed for the feuding family to take all the money my family owned through me. It was the whole reason I told you that you were my partner and a Constable that night.
I – I wanted to change you into someone you're not, so I could use your family's power – and yes, I did see that while inside that vault – to nullify that marriage contract. I – I know it sounds wrong and selfish, but – please don't take this the wrong way, Sly – at – at that point in time I – I felt I'd rather marry a thief than – than him."

By now the whole gang and family are looking at the fox in shock as the whole Constable Cooper part had been one she had never even explained to us when revealing her true heritage to all of Paris and while everyone is amazed by her story, do I suddenly notice something that shocks and confuses me; Sly's empty chair.
I look around and then see that, while Endora had lowered her head in shame while speaking the last part of her tale, Sly had apparently used her lowered head stance to move over to where she's sitting, a hard and determined look on his face that really worries me and makes his kids look just as worried before he whispers:
"Endora." Making her look up, her eyes wide when she realizes where he's standing and then I see what she sees. The way that Sly's eyes have turned hard and serious, is because they are brimming with unshed tears and the Raccoon latches himself onto the startled fox, his arms like vice grips around her as he whispers:
"Forgive me. Forgive me for never realizing it. I always felt you were the most endearing person I have ever met and I never realized why that one word always came up in me when thinking of you. I should have realized it. I should have been there. Been there to help you. Been there to stop those fools and make you – who you really are."

And while most of the girls around me are now in tears, including Dorea and Endora themselves, does Sly dry his and her eyes and does he softly take her hands in his, pulling her out of her chair and over to stand with him, his eyes strong and filled with all the love I have known my buddy to feel for this incredible fox in front of him.
Endora however seems overwhelmed with seeing this and Sly says: "Endora – Carmelita – I don't care for your name. I don't care for your looks. I don't care for either of it. What I care for is what I have always seen within you. Your strength, your vigor, your need for justice, your incredible heart and your intelligent mind.
I see all that and whether I see it in an orange-brown furred fox or an albino white, I do not care. In both looks you were gorgeous – you were my gorgeous. And – and I want you to be my gorgeous. Not just here and now, but tomorrow, the day after, the week after and all the years that you and I still have on this crazy world."
At this Endora hugs him tightly, while Sylvester has gone to sit with his softly crying sister and Eleanor has taken Rin-Gin out of his high-chair, holding him tightly as she gazes at the loving couple with teary eyes, Endora taking a deep, halted breath before she whispers: "I want that too, Sly. I – I really want that too."

And this seems to be what Sly had wanted to hear as, while holding Endora's back with both his hands, does he now move them gently to pluck something out of the trim of his right-hand glove with his left before, to all of our shock, he pulls away, goes down on one knee and looks the startled vixen in the eyes as he says:
"I love you, Endora Bellamora. And when I was planning that stupid little heist on the Museum to still my inner Cooper Needs and continue being the Constable you apparently so desperately needed, did I swear to myself that, once the heist was over, I would ask this one question. Endora Bellamora, will you marry me?"
And while the realization that, if I had waited a few days for Sly to pull his heist, I could have had Carmelita and him in on the whole thing without them arguing and angry at each other makes me feel like hitting myself on the head for my stupidity, do we all look at the one person everyone is waiting to hear an answer from.

Endora seems as shocked to hear what Sly had been planning as I am, her purple eyes are wide and the hand that Sly is holding is trembling in shock, before suddenly new tears start to drift down her eyes and while the slowly growing smile on her face is a clear indication, do we all still smile widely when she shouts:
"YES, SLY! YES! YES! YES! I'LL MARRY YOU! OH, YOU CRAZY RINGTAIL! I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! I MISSED YOU SO DEARLY! OH-HO-HO-HOW." And with that does the Fox burst out in tears, her new fiancé close behind her and the two clinging to each other for all that they're worth.

The new Mr. and Mrs. Cooper.


And there you have it!
Shocks and surprises all around and now, Sly's an engaged man. And no, this wasn't something I decided on because he now has kids, I would have made this scene even if Sylvester, Dorea and Rin-Gin hadn't been born. Also yes, Rin-Gin is also Harry's Cooper name in Coopers and Wizards, but I like it, so I won't change it.
Next chapter Sly gets another shock, yet this one is as welcoming as the one where he realizes that he has his home, era and friends back. Because this time, Sly's going to find out that – when you marry someone's daughter, you automatically marry into someone's family. And that is something Sly lost a long time ago.
Hope you enjoy,

Venquine1990