Disclaimer: I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch Productions. I don't own anything from the Phantom of the Opera; all rights belong to their rightful owners.

Claimer: I own all of my original characters.

Well here's chapter 11! And I have decided to combine my last two chapters so I'll only have one more chapter so this story is just about over. And again, if you have any story or oneshot ideas you want me to do please let me know. I'm always up for suggestions and I will give you credit when I write your idea. But other than that, please read and review and let me know what you think!

Chapter 11: Breaking Ties

I was slowly being pulled back up to the top of the building by the scruff of my neck when it finally clicked in my mind that I was still alive. I felt my waist slide up over the lip of the opera house and soon I was sitting on the edge. My neck was released and his arm wrapped around my waist to pull me back but I was already scooting my way towards the other side to get away from the smoking concrete. I looked straight ahead, stayed silent and didn't really seem to think about anything; I was in shock. My ears were ringing from the explosion and all I wanted to do was just sit there instead of trying to talk with Sly. I stopped when my back hit the lip of the roof on the opposite side and I simply stayed quiet. I didn't really move, other than blink, and I certainly wasn't about to start a conversation. Sly was right, Erik had tried to kill me. He would have succeeded too if Sly hadn't been there to snag me before I smacked into the ground. I saw Sly crouch down next to me and placed his paws on the side of my face. His thumbs brushed across my cheeks and over my lips before her brushed my hair from my face. My ponytail had fallen flat after I was thrown to the ground and slapped and now my hair was a mess.

"Ramona," I met Sly's gaze as he tried to get my attention, "Talk to me." he kept his paws on my face and kept running his thumbs over my fur, trying to get an answer from me. I placed my paws over his and he smiled briefly. His smile faded when I pushed his paws away and I started to let my emotions get the better of me.

"You were right," I mumbled, "You were right." Fresh tears started to stream down my face and I felt my paws start to shake. He put his paws back on my face and quietly hushed me.

"Listen, I'll have him arrested but until then let's take you home and-" I shook my head and pushed him away again.

"No, no, no, no, no," I chanted, "I don't want you to arrest him." I shook my head.

"Ramona, he just tried to kill you and you just want to let him go?" I shook my head again and explained.

"No. I want him arrested but I don't want you to arrest him!" I shouted as tears streamed down my face, "You're not supposed to be a cop Sly! You're a thief you're not supposed to work for Interpol! You're not supposed to be dating my sister! I'm not supposed to work with Erik! We're not supposed to fight! We're not supposed to! We're supposed to work together but we're not!"

"I know," he whispered before he pulled me into a hug but I fought against him. The last thing I wanted to do was try and make amends. I wanted to be alone. I wanted, no needed, to get out of Paris and start over.

I shook my head and jumped over the edge of the building and used my claws to slide down the edge of the building. Sly's head peered over the edge of the building and called after me. I ignored him and started strutting sown the street. I planned on getting out for tonight then pack up my stuff and move tomorrow. I had to leave the city. I had too many bad memories and too much heartbreak in the city for me to stand anymore. I had no idea where I was going to go but I had to get out of France in general. My boots clicked against the paved streets of the city as I was determined to get out of the city. I roughly wiped my eyes with my sleeve as I passed over the bridge leading out of the city. The full moon reflected in the water below as so did Sly's reflection. I heard him run up behind me and his paws stopped me in my tracks. He turned me around and looked me in the eyes.

"Where are you going?" his paws stayed on my waist.

"Away," I said simply, "I'm getting away from Paris. I'm getting out of France. I can't stay here anymore." I turned to get out of the city but was stopped when his grip tightened on my waist. I swatted at his arms but he held firm.

"Where are you going to go, Ramona? Cortex still controls your section of Australia, you can't go there. All of your family is in Paris. You don't have anyone to go to." He was right, Australia wasn't an option but I was leaving the city no matter what.

"I don't need to stay with anyone! I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself!" I snapped. I tried to pry his paws from my waist but they stayed. He was gripping me firmly, not so that it hurt but enough to keep my in my place. His grip wasn't as firm as when he held me in place in the mausoleum, which was hard enough to leave a bruise, but it was tight.

"I know you are. You're a strong person, but you're unstable emotionally right now. With Erik trying to kill you then what your sister did. What I did to you didn't help but you are emotionally unstable, Ramona." I growled at his statement and pulled away but I didn't go anywhere.

"I'm not emotionally unstable!" I shrieked, "I am perfectly fine! Now let me go!" I pulled away again but he still held firm.

"You don't have anywhere to go!" he shouted. I stopped struggling and glared him down.

"I don't care," I spat, "I've lived on the streets before and I'll do it again if I have to! As long as I can get away from Erik, I can get away from Carmelita, and I can get away from you."

"I didn't do anything to you!" I growled and swatted at his arms again.

"Oh really?" I sneered, "So you consider breaking my heart doing nothing to me? Telling me that you didn't have feelings for my sister then end up dating her couldn't possibly hurt me? Becoming a cop then trying to arrest me doesn't hurt me? Shooting me while trying to arrest me doesn't hurt me? Lying to me doesn't hurt me? Feeling my head with empty promises doesn't hurt me? Warning me about an assassination attempt and doing nothing until after it's over doesn't hurt me? Bruising my wrist doesn't hurt me or continuously rubbing my face after I get slapped doesn't hurt me? You've hurt me, Cooper and you've hurt me deep." I yanked his paws off my waist and I stormed down the street with Sly following behind me.

"I've told you I didn't intend for things to end like this!" he shouted behind me.

"Then you should have changed it! If you didn't want to be with my sister then you should have broken up with her a long time ago. If you didn't want to be a cop you should have quit. If you wanted to be with me then you should have said so," I spun on my heels to face him, "If you really want to be with me and if you have the feelings for me you say you do then just tell me. Say the words 'I love you' or 'Ramona, I love you' or 'I love you, Ramona' or anything like that and I won't leave. I won't pack my things up and I'll stay and I'll tell you how I truly feel about you. But if you can't then I'm going home, packing up everything I own, I will move away, and you will never see me again. So tell me, Constable," I hissed out his title, "Do you love me or don't you?"

"I care for you, Ramona, I really do-" I shook my head and cut him off.

"No, Sly, I don't want any excuses and I don't want any crap. I want a straight answer. Do you love me or don't you?" I was tired of his games. All I wanted was a straight answer and if not, then I was leaving the city. He opened his mouth but he didn't say anything. I inhaled deeply and let it out when he still didn't answer.

"Alright," I choked out, "I get it. You don't feel the same way I do, I get it." I stepped back away from Sly with tears in my eyes, "I'm done and I'm gone." That was it. I knew he didn't love me like I thought he did. That crushed me. I was willing to do anything and give up everything for him but it was obvious he never had an interest in me. Despite what Sly said to me, I could only go along with what Erik had told me. I could only assume that Sly did say all those things about me. Even if it was obvious that he didn't love me in return, I still loved him and I always would.

I guess you could call him my knight in shining armor. Only I didn't think of it like that. The way I figured it was if you had a knight in shining armor, you knew he was too proud to actually go into battle to do anything and would never stand to protect his lady or his personal thoughts. However, if you had a night in dented, un-shined armor, you knew he was in battle and wouldn't be afraid to fight for his woman or his beliefs. So until recently, Sly was my knight in dented armor; a man who I loved, trusted completely, and could always fall back on. But now, I knew I was chasing after some fairytale that would never come true. Now he was just another mark of negativity and heartbreak I could add to my collection of despair and depression. I didn't know where I was going to go after this but it would be somewhere far away. Somewhere I could get away from everyone that had caused me pain recently. Somewhere I could relax and not have to worry about a deranged, scarred man, or a hard-headed sister who wanted you in jail, or a man who constantly plays games with your heart. I wanted to find someone who loved me for me and not something that would be gained by being with me. I just wanted to know that I was loved by someone who would always be there for me; a best friend who I loved and who loved me back.

"Ramona, wait a minute," Sly said after I had turned and started to leave, "Ramona!" he called after me but I kept going forward. I wasn't going to look back and I never would.