Disclaimer: I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch Productions/Sanzaru Games
Claimer: I own all of my original characters.
Well, here's chapter 21, the final chapter! And yes…it will be full of fluff. ;) I would have posted this sooner, but this is a very long chapter…my longest yet…but it is the last one, so I figured I should be long. And for the record…if the first third of this sounds a little rushed…I apologize. I actually wrote that part last and was getting anxious to finish this chapter by the time I got there. But anyway, please read, review, and let me know what you think! And thanks for reading!
Chapter 21: For Every Cooper
Paris, France, present day
I had just managed to get inside my room and slam the door shut before I lost it. I hadn't even made it to the bed before I just simply broke down. After slamming the door shut, I leaned against it, sliding down to the floor. Inside, I was a hot pot of feelings; not really knowing which one was the appropriate one to feel right now. I took off my hat, hurling it across the room, before pulling at my hair, digging my claws into my scalp. I knew I was mad; not only at Spencer for causing all this…but I was angry with myself for allowing him to take her away; not only once…but twice. I didn't have the slightest idea on how he took her away from me the second time. Her parents were alive at the time she disappeared, and Spencer had been shipped off to the present day to be arrested…she shouldn't have disappeared again. I exhaled deeply, running my paws through my hair and eventually running them over my face, letting my thoughts race through my mind as I resisted the urge to break down and cry. It was the second time I'd lost Ramona and there was no way we were getting her back now. There was just no feasible way to do it…she was gone permanently. I felt my stomach turn, twisting into knots the more I thought about it. I was nauseous, ready to just loose my lunch then just lock myself in my room until I was dead.
"Sly! Sly!" Bentley's nasally voice broke through my thoughts. I glared at the door, not really wanting to talk to anyone at the moment.
"I'm not in the mood, Bentley!" I realized I was sounding snappy towards my friend, not that I wanted to get aggressive towards either of them, but I didn't want to talk about it.
"Get out here, Sly! You're not going to solve anything by moping around!" I growled to myself, standing up quickly before yanking the door open.
"What is there to solve?" I asked as I made my way down the hallway and into the living room, "She's gone, Bentley! And it's not like we can go back again to go get her. He'll know what we'd be there to do and we'll never get her back!" I realized I was raising my voice to my friends, but the pent up anger that I'd been holding in was coming out and I couldn't stop it until it was all gone.
"Sly, you don't understand-" I cut him off; not wanting to hear what he had to say.
"Bentley, you don't understand. I love her and it kills me knowing that I can't bring her back! Now unless you can tell me how we can magically go get her back without alerting Spencer, please let me know. But until then, just leave me alone." I left my friends in our hide out, just wanting to get away from people.
I stormed down the dark streets of the city, wanting to take my anger out on something. It was getting ready to rain, given the dark skies, and it was just getting late in general. I preferred to go out at night, but I was so upset that even if it was the middle of the day and I was captured by the police I wouldn't care. I guess that the thing that upset me the most about her second disappearance…was the fact that I didn't understand why she disappeared. I wanted to find out a way to figure out how to get her back, but I couldn't figure out how without Spencer finding out. Hopefully Bentley could figure something out, but I didn't want to discuss it now. I stopped moving and listing, swearing I could hear someone calling my name. I shook it off and kept walking, trying to get my mind off of Ramona. I walked down the streets, attempting to get her out of my mind, but failing miserably. I leaned against the bridge in the middle of the city, staring at my reflection in the water. I cocked my head to the side, swearing I could hear my name being called again. I ignored it a second time and kept staring into the water, feeling sorry for myself. It wasn't until I heard it a third time that I finally whipped around and finally shouted for the person to back off. I was ready to snap or punch the person in the face for a continued annoyance, I wasn't in the mood to be messed with, when I felt a pair of arms wrap around my neck tightly, almost pulling me to the ground.
"Ramona?" I asked, in complete disbelief when the mystery stalker pulled away from my neck. And it was Ramona, still hanging from my neck. She nodded, a wide smile on her face.
"Surprised?" she asked with a giggle and a jump in her step. I was almost speechless, seeing her here in the present day, in my arms.
"…How?" was the only thing I could mutter out of my mouth. She giggled again, stroking the side of my face, "You-you disappeared." She shook her head with another large smile.
"No, I didn't. You stopped Spencer, but I only left because I wasn't there to go back with you in the first place. It simply took me back to my time period so the time continuum could straighten itself out again," she kissed my check happily, "You broke the family curse, Sly." We smiled at each other, scooping each other up in our embrace, simply standing in the middle of Paris, lost in out our little world.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
I hoisted myself up onto Ramona's balcony before sliding the glass door open quietly. I hadn't planned on staying, I just wanted to drop off her necklace then go home. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to stay, I wanted to stay more than anything, but I figured that since it was her first day back in over six months, I thought that I'd give her a night to relax before I started pestering her again. I shut the door quietly, trying not to alert her of my presence. She wasn't inside her living room or kitchen, telling me she was somewhere else in the apartment. My ears picked up on the sound of her hair dryer whirring in her bathroom, signaling to me that she has just gotten out of the shower. The steam from her shower started rolling out of the bathroom and into the living room, making the entire apartment warm…and a bit steamy. I stopped in the kitchen, figuring it was the best place to leave her necklace, other than just barging into her bedroom, which was connected to her bathroom. I cleared a spot on the table, pulled her necklace out of my leg pouch and placed it on the table. I reached into my leg pouch again to get out a calling card to leave her, when I heard the hair dryer suddenly turn off. Despite the possibility of her coming out at any time, considering I just wanted to slip in and out without her seeing me, I stayed calm. This wasn't the first time I'd snuck in while she was in the middle of a shower. She usually ran her hair dryer, and then stayed for another ten minutes or so afterward…more than likely getting dressed or doing whatever she wanted.
I took out the calling card and a pen, starting to write the resident of the apartment a note. I had gotten halfway through my note when I felt a soft paw slide up my back, causing me to jump and send a line through my calling card. I turned quickly, still startled by the sudden touch on my back. But I relaxed, smiling when my eyes landed on Ramona. She giggled at my reaction, a smile spreading across her face as well.
"A bit jumpy, are we?" she raised an eyebrow and kept her smile on her face. I chuckled as well as I turned to face her, leaning against her kitchen table, staring at the female.
"Only when I'm around you, Mademoiselle." She rolled her eyes playfully and giggled again, brushing her bangs from her face. She looked different tonight, or maybe it was just me, but there was just something about her that made her appear different…something that made her more attractive.
Normally, her jet black hair was straight, cascading down her black like a smooth waterfall. But since she just gotten out of the shower and hadn't straightened her hair yet, her hair had its natural curl to it, framing her face from her usual ponytail. Without fully realizing it, my eyes traveled down her body, taking in her curves and her figure. There was just something about her that was drawing me to her, making my eyes slowly trace her figure; learning the way her body curved and the how her curled hair held her face beautifully. Because she had just showered, she was dressed fully in her pajamas, which were a bit…sexier…than they normally were. Normally the raccoon was adorned in a baggy t-shirt and a pair of fuzzy pajama pants. But this time…she wore nothing more than a tight tank top and a pair a rather short shorts, reaching only to her mid thighs and showed a good portion of her open fur and skin. I found my stomach start to knot up again as I continued to trace her body. Moving down from her shoulders, I stared at her slender arms, moving to her waist, her hips, down her thighs and finally to her slender legs. I hadn't fully realized how long I'd been staring at her until she snapped me from my own train of thought.
"Hey," she bumped her fingers underneath my chin, making my gaze return to her face, "eyes up here, Loverboy." Ramona pointed to her eyes, smirking as she did. She giggled again, showing that she wasn't too upset with my wandering eyes…and mind. I gave her a nervous smile, feeling my neck and face turn red in allowing myself to be caught staring. Her paw stroked my cheek softly before giggling again. She walked past me, her hips swaying in the process as her tail flicked back and forth, brushing past my nose and she walked by. My eyes followed her again as she walked to her living room, watching her hips dance in front of me, silently teasing me. Her head glanced back behind her, giving me a wink and an air kiss as she did.
I chuckled, realizing what she was doing…and it was working. Ramona could be a tease sometimes, which made her that much more attractive to me. I picked up her necklace from the table and followed her to the living room. She stopped in front of her sliding glass door, leaning against the side panel, looking outside at the rain that was starting to drizzle. I came up behind her, snaking my arms around her waist slowly, kissing her neck in the process. I felt her shiver as I kissed her, leaning into my embrace as she traced my paws with her own. I inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of her shampoo and her perfume, realizing how much I had missed her. I took her necklace from my paw and brought it to her neck, placing it on her skin gently before clasping it behind her neck. She looked up, staring at me as best she could, given her position, and rested her head on my shoulder.
"I missed you," he whispered softly, biting her lip gently after she spoke.
"I did too," I whispered back, kissing her softly as I wrapped my paws around her waist again, feeling her stomach rise and fall with her breathing.
I parted from her lips, keeping my gaze on her. I could tell that there was some sort of tension starting to grow between us…and I could feel it was getting ready to burst. We hadn't seen each other in months; we hadn't talked or held each other in too long. We had missed each other in her absence and I knew that this growing feeling that we both had, was strong. She turned, facing me, and wrapped her arms around my neck, pressing her body to mine. My paws touched her waist, keeping her in place as hers slid down my neck and onto my chest. Her paws continued to slide down my chest slowly, her fingertips tracing the lines of my abdomen. I watched her quietly, smoothly running my own paws on her sides. I could hear the rain start to come down harder, pounding against the glass door in her living room. Her paws came back up my chest, as her arms wrapped around me. Her head rested softly underneath my chin as her fingers, which were touching my back, drew small circles in my shirt.
"The rain's getting worse," she said softly, "Are you planning on going back home?" her head shifted on my chest, her gaze locking onto mine.
"I'd planned on it," I said as I tucked her bangs behind her ears, "I actually hadn't planned on meeting you tonight. I was going to drop off your necklace and let you relax at home alone tonight…then come back tomorrow." She nodded slightly, keeping her gaze locked onto mine.
"…but I didn't want to spend the night alone." Her voice was sill soft and childlike, but her face was beyond serious. I chuckled before nudging her nose with my own.
"Is my lovely Mademoiselle asking me to spend the night?" I raised an eyebrow to her hint, still trying to figure out if she was seriously asking me to stay over. She didn't reply with an answer right away and it was obvious she could feel the tension as well. We parted just a little, still keeping our paws on each other, while staring each other down the entire time. My heart was pounding my chest, somewhat knowing what was coming. I'd missed her in her absence and I needed her…soon. I got the feeling she had the same internal battle going on inside her as well. We didn't move or say anything, just staring at each other and listening to the rain pound against the door. Despite our lack of movement and speech…I could feel the tension between us start coming to a head with danger of bursting at any moment. We licked at our lips, feeling the tension growing bigger. I could feel it in my stomach, rising up through my chest…making my heart pound harder.
"Sly," she breathed out, "stay with me…please." And with that, that inner dam in both of us had burst. In a split second in had her pressed tightly against the strip of wall next to her door glass door, our lips pressed against the others in a feverish lip lock. I caressed her hips securely, keeping her pressed against the wall as our mouths battled for dominance.
Her fingers traveled up the side of my face and to the top of my head. She pulled my hat from my head; the second time today it'd been hurled across a room, and yanked my earpiece from my ear, tossing it over my shoulder. I traveled up her body, letting my paws feel the softness of the fur on her stomach…and the goose bumps that followed soon afterwards. I felt her fingernails gently claw through my hair and into my scalp. A small yip escaped her throat as I moved from her lips to her cheek, kissing my way down to her neck. I smiled against her skin, feeling my skin tingle at the touch of her claws down my back. I pulled away from her, allowing us to regain our breath before continuing any further. Looking into her eyes, I wanted to know if she really wanted to proceed. We said nothing, simply looking at each other and we were able to tell what the other was wondering. Ramona nodded, keeping her gaze on me the entire time. Her fingers stroked my face gently as she nodded again. Our breathing had slowed once again, but our minds were still hazed, given the recent tension going on between us. Our lips crashed against one another's again, the inner fire inside us growing quickly. Our eyes closed and our minds became fuzzier and fuzzier as the minute passed. One of her paws trailed away from me briefly before making its way towards the sliding glass door and the curtains that were pulled away from the door. She yanked them closed quickly; making sure that the curtains covered every bit of glass that showed before locking the lock on the handle with a soft click.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
I growled softly as I started to wake up, already knowing it was too early to even think about getting up. I rolled from my side and onto my back, reaching over the rest of the bed and to the beside side table behind me. I pulled my hastily discarded shirt from in front of the clock and rubbed at my eyes, attempting to get them to focus so I could see the time. I was right…it was too early to get it. With it being just past four in the morning, I desperately wanted to be sleeping again. I replaced my shirt, covering the illuminating lights of the digital clock, before rolling back over onto my side. I got ready to fall back asleep, when I realized…more like remembered…the sleeping form next to me. I smiled to myself, remembering the events of last night, and kissed her bare shoulder. Her back was pressed against my chest, allowing me to feel her torso rise and fall with her quiet breathing…and occasional snore. I softly pulled her hair from her face, allowing me to see if she was indeed still asleep. I gently placed my paw on her waist as she slept and remained silent, not wanting to disturb her. She shifted slightly with my touch, sighing contently as she did.
"I didn't wake you up, did I?" I quietly asked the raccoon beside me. Ramona stayed silent, continuing to sleep, despite my question, "Good…because I need to talk to you for a minute." Ramona gave another soft snore and I chuckled again before starting my speech.
"Listen, I'm not particularly good at giving a genuine, intimate talk to a woman…in fact I've never done it before…but just go with here for a minute. I know that I have a bad habit of not taking things seriously with it comes to telling you what I know you want to hear. So, I figured that it might be better if I told you while you slept. And I know that you probably won't hear a word of this, and I'm just wasting my breath and may seem like a coward for being able to tell you while you're awake, but I need to get this off my chest and tell you how I feel." I looked at her peaceful features again, exhaling deeply before continuing, "Ramona, all my life, I've never had a real or serious relationship with a woman; it's always been a string of meaningless, loveless, one time flings. And because of that, I've never had to commit and actually have a chance of finding a decent woman or the one I would want to spend the rest of my life with. Then I met you. You've changed me Ramona but don't get me wrong, it's for the better. You've shown me that I don't need a series of relationships like the ones I've had…I just need one," I paused briefly, planting several soft kisses on her shoulder, "but I know that I've screwed up many times with you. I know I've hurt you in the past and I've done you wrong before. Now that I think about it…this probably isn't the best thing to say considering I've been waiting for years to get this far…but I need to admit my mistakes. And it's not just my mistakes that I feel bad about; I feel like I failed you." I tucked her bangs that had fallen to her face behind her ears, checking to see if she was still asleep. Thankfully, her eyes remained closed and her breathing was soft and quiet.
"I promised that I would keep you safe and keep you from letting that…'curse'…take affect on you, but I failed in that. I was supposed to keep you safe from anything that presented itself as a threat and I didn't live up to what I said I was going to do. I allowed Spencer to kidnap you, take you away, do who knows what to you, and then get rid of you and your parents like it was nothing. And I know we got you back, but it wasn't supposed to take so long. It wasn't supposed to take over six months to get you back from…wherever you went after Spencer killed your parents…and I swore that I wouldn't allow him to touch you ever again. I guess I failed at that too. Ramona, in that time away from you, I realized something. I realized just how much I would miss you. I realized how much I loved you and I knew that if I ever got close to this point with you, then I knew that I wouldn't be able to let you go," I kissed her shoulder again, my lips lingering a bit as I thought, "I love you, Ramona Bandicoot, and I don't want to loose you again." she shifted again, turning onto her other side as she did, eventually settling down again.
"I love you, too, Sly Cooper." My ears perked at her voice, not realizing she'd been listening the entire time. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she kept her eyes closed, despite her comment.
"So how much did you hear, Mademoiselle?" she chuckled quietly before tucking a paw underneath her head for support.
"I heard enough," she mumbled as her eyes finally opened, her soft gaze meeting mine, "And you didn't fail me, Sly, so don't ever think that you did."
"I did," I knew I did, I allowed her to be put in harms way, "I let Spencer take you away and get rid of you like you were trash. Then to top it off it took too long to get you back." She silenced me quickly, placing one of her slender fingers over my lips.
"You didn't; you kept me from staying gone. I knew what Spencer was planning once I figured out who he was. Whether or not you could have prevented him from killing my parents then, he would have figured out a way to do it eventually. But you didn't fail because you were able to go back and stop him. Sure, it might have taken a little longer than expected…but you did come back." Her fingers brushed against my face gently and her eyes scanned my face, "And if I did think you failed," she continued with a smile, "then you," she pressed a finger to my nose, "wouldn't be here." She moved her finger from my nose and pressed it to the mattress. I chuckled, kissing the palm of her paw as it passed over my mouth.
"And I must say, Mademoiselle, I do enjoy waking up next to you." I winked, sending one of her giggles through the room and a slightly blush to show on her neck and cheeks.
"I was hoping you'd say that," she giggled again, leaning forward slightly to plant a kiss on my nose.
"I could certainly get used to it, too," I gripped her paw and continued, "that is of course if my lovely Mademoiselle permits it." She smiled and stretched, sending her paws over her head and eventually around my neck as she brought them down.
"I supposed that'd be alright, Mr. Cooper." I chuckled at the female, allowing my paws to return to her hips and curves.
"And how many times would I be allowed to spend the night?" nudged her nose with mine and waited for her answer.
"Hmmm," she hummed playfully, "I'd say at least once a week," she winked, "but I guess you could stay two nights…if you behave." She winked and I chuckled, seeing what game she was playing and where I could take it.
"But Mademoiselle," I taunted her in an exaggerated French accent, something I knew she always crumbled to, "this is Paris; a city of lights, love…and temptation." She giggled, biting her lip and inhaling deeply before she spoke.
"Not the accent, Cooper," she playfully pleaded, "It's too early for me to kick your butt in another round." My ears perked as she removed her paws from my neck and flipped back over, smirking as she did.
"Hey," I leaned over her, with my snout near her ear, "I won half of those, Mademoiselle," she turned over halfway, meeting my face with a smirk on her face and a playful twinkle in her eye.
"I know," her expression remained on her face, even as her voice lowered, "but I won three and four." She giggled again before resting her head on her pillow. I rolled my eyes, smiling as I did, before leaning down again, planting another string of kissed on her neck and shoulder. She flipped over again quickly, capturing my lips in her own in another heated lip lock as our paws managed to snake around each other.
I'd seen first hand that our families were close. Slytankhmen had every feisty Nefertiti, Sir Galleth had the elegant, yet rebellious, Lady Katherine, and Salim had the sneaky Sampada. Rioichi had the calm and quiet Kasumi, Henriette had the Latin tongued, adventurous Pedro, and Tennessee Kid had the gun-slinging, rough, and tough May Ella. Thaddeus had the always proper but intellectual Elizabeth, Otto had the high flying, adventurous, risk taking Amelia, and even my father somewhat had Chloe, Ramona's aunt. But I have the best one of them all…Ramona. Sure, Ramona had the same qualities as her ancestors, but she was unique. There was just something about her that made her stand out from all the others. Despite the number of her ancestors that flirted with me, I still focused on Ramona; I loved her. Even though it was a chance accident, I'd see our futures. We were together, after everything we'd gone through in our lives, we had ended up together in the end. We had managed to get married, to show each other that we did truly love the other. I'd seen our child, our beautiful daughter. After going through this entire ordeal, I realized something that all of our ancestors within our families had in common that has always be true…that for every Cooper, there was a Bandicoot.