A/N: Well after seeing that completely epic new trailer for Thieves in Time, I feel almost embarrassed about posting this overly fluffy chapter, but nonetheless here I am, with the last legitimate chapter before the epilogue. Can't believe it's just about over. Seems like only yesterday I was posting my cringeworthy first chapters. Ah, memories.

I never dreamed I'd hit 100 reviews. Wow…just…I'm blown away at this point. Thank you all so much for taking the time to tell me your thoughts on the story. It means so much to me.

And now to thank all my amazing reviewers for last chapter:

cheesebread222: Really? I didn't know I had the ability to tap into others' emotions with my writing, but I'm so thrilled I could. Oh wow, gosh, that's really nice of you to say. In my opinion, I still have a good ways to go before being a decent author, but I'm delighted that you like the story so much that you've made me your first favorite author. That's seriously an honor for me. Thank you so much for keeping up with this and enjoying my writings. And yes I do hope you like these last two updates.

cheesyteal'c: Hehe yes, big family for Sly in the future perhaps! And thank you so much, fluff is my specialty, and I really enjoy writing about it. And I did check Castle out too. It's pretty epic!

Sasuninja13: Ahaha, well I guess you could consider that a cliffhanger, in a way. You'll get to find out how it all pans out this chapter!

Fanwriter9: Thanks! I'm glad you liked. And the wait is now over, hehe.

BananaB0mb: Well I'd be honored to my friend, as soon as you teach me how to write up epic action sequences, haha. Believe me you are a much better writer than I, my guidance is unneeded. Of course you can, it's great to know you guys find him cute. I too think he's an adorable loveable little ball of fluff. With the intimate scene, I was aiming for funny, hoping others would laugh as they read it. I was trying to balance the sadness with humor, not sure if I succeeded or not, haha. Yea I knew that had to be something that had troubled him when he was a child, thinking he'd want his children to feel safe and loved to make up for the loneliness he'd felt when he was young. Well I'm glad I could tug at your heartstrings with my scenes, makes me feel great as a writer. Yes, I've still got those surprises planned! Thank you for always leaving such encouraging reviews, I've always loved reading them, every single one of them.

Stu Braxton: Such a sweet heartfelt review, thank you so much. *hugs* As I've said, I am so happy it turned out to be a story fans like you could enjoy reading. It's been so much fun to write this. And I'm also very glad you decided to continue your fic as well! I will be sure to read the next chapter soon.

Ramona Bandicoot: Hehe, I'm delighted that you like him! I did aim to make him as adorable as possible. :D And we'll see if this brainy turtle has the courage to do so or not!

NinjaxSketcheartx: Hooray for being my 100th reviewer! :D Oh no, don't feel bad, it's totally fine! I'm just glad you're reading it, really. Oh really? Hm, that's funny, I never considered a kidnapping though, and plus after all that's happened, I feel like adding that in would be too much to put on the poor parents. I've been enough of a jerk to Carmelita already anyways, considering what she's been through. I'm glad you like it, I racked my brain over a suitable name for a while, haha. I still have one last little surprise though after this one, oh I'm such a tease.

Guest: Grazie mille. Sei molto gentile per dire che! I must confess I'm not very fluent in foreign languages so I did a bit of research when implementing the Italian language, as well as the Spanish phrases for Carmelita. I would love to read your works if you were to ever post it for others to see, and thank you kindly for reading my story.

Chapter 25 Light Up My World

"Can I open my eyes now, Bentley?" the impatient mouse asked, her eyes remaining closed against her will.

"N-not yet Penelope," the anxious turtle answered. He continued to hold her hand as he led her down the sidewalk.

He heard her sigh faintly and looked over, watching for any signs of peeking.

But she obeyed and kept her eyes closed, not wanting to spoil the surprise. She found herself amused by his apparent excitement about whatever it is that he wanted to show her. However, her sense of sight had to be compromised at the moment, so she just had to rely on him to lead her. Her high heel pumps clicked against the concrete, making her smile at the conversation she'd shared with Bentley earlier that day.

"Hey sweetie," he'd said. "Um…I-I'd really like to take you out somewhere special tonight. You don't already have plans do you?"

She had simply giggled. "Well let me just check my calendar," she answered playfully. "Of course I'm free. I always have time for you, my turtle prince."

She remembered the way he blushed bright fire engine red when she called him that, and then cleared his throat, trying to cover his anxiety. "And…you're my princess, and I want to treat you to a nice evening out. So, I thought we'd get dressed up and go somewhere special, but it's a surprise..."

"Dressed up?" she asked with a laugh. She had never been one for dressing up, it just wasn't something she preferred to indulge in, but for Bentley, she'd do anything, go any distance.

"Ok," said Bentley, bringing her back to the present. "Now you can open them."

She did, and gasped in delight at the sight before her. He had led her to a small park with a crystal clear pond in its center. Weeping willows were scattered around the small pond, standing proudly, despite their name. Azalea bushes sprouted up and lined the small park, as did hydrangea bushes with stunning clumps of blossoms ranging from vibrant lavender to powder blue. Koi fish swam in small circles in the clear waters below, and on the pond's surface, Penelope counted three swans paddling leisurely together around its perimeter. She looked up to see strands of lights and paper lanterns hanging aloft in the branches of the nearest willow. Each lantern was alit with a bright flame to illuminate the picturesque setting, with help from the full moon and stars in the midnight black sky that was tinted with an outline of dark blue in certain places.

Penelope's gaze finally fell on the small table, covered by an elegant burgundy tablecloth, which stood near the water's edge. One chair had been placed at it. A second one wasn't needed, as Bentley had a portable one himself. On the table itself, plates and silverware had been set. The main dish was Chicken Cordon Bleu, served with chardonnay. Rose petals had been scattered over its surface in addition to the food and drink, creating a lovely fragrance that swirled about in the open air. And the pièce de résistance was, of course, the fireflies that danced upon the water like living lights nearby.

Penelope clasped her hands together, her mouth falling open in wonder at the breathtaking environment her reptile love had created for her. "Oh this is wonderful Bentley!" she exclaimed. "It's so…so romantic! I…I really don't even know what to say."

"You don't have to say a word dear," he replied. At least not right now, he thought to himself. He grasped her hand and led her over to one of the empty chairs. He pulled it out for her to sit.

She looked up at him with an amorous smile and tucked a golden strand of her hair behind one of her lavender ears. "Such a gentleman, thank you."

He gave a short chuckle and took his place across from her. "I try," he said. "Uh, you look really beautiful tonight."

She glanced down at the ruched blue dress she wore and then looked back up at him dreamily. "Thank you. You look pretty charming yourself."

He laughed nervously and adjusted his tie. "Quite the flatterer you are, my sweet."

She grinned and shook her head. She looked up at the strands of lights and lanterns. "So this was all your doing?" she asked.

He had some difficulty opening the wine, fumbling with the corkscrew. When he at last freed the cork, he answered, "Well, of course, it's been such a long time since I've done something exceedingly romantic for you, and I thought, can't really get much more romantic than dining under the stars, right?"

The impressed female mouse giggled and nodded. "Absolutely. And did you decorate all this yourself?"

"Well, I had a little help," Bentley admitted, activating one of the mechanical arms on his chair, extending it upwards to secure one of the lanterns on it precarious spot on a branch.

Penelope nodded. "I see. And what about this lovely dinner?"

He scratched at the back of his head. "Well, I had a little help with that too…" He remembered the fiasco from earlier that day…

"Oh no! It's ruined!" the turtle bemoaned.

"What's going on in here?" Carmelita asked, rounding the corner and rushing into the kitchen.

Bentley was frantically fanning at the smoke that billowed out from the oven. Grabbing two oven mitts, he hastily pulled the dish out, looking down at the fallen soufflé with a defeated expression. "I don't understand!" Bentley cried. "I followed the directions exactly. How could this happen? I just don't get it!"

Carmelita looked down at the sunken in concoction and pursed her lips. "Well maybe it's not all ruined…" she reasoned. She dipped a finger along the edge and tested out a small bit herself. She tried to hide the disgust on her face as she ran to the sink and spat numerous times. "Umm, Bentley, why do I taste salt?"

He looked up at the vixen in mild confusion. "What are you talking about? The only thing I added in was sugar, just sprinkled some on top before putting it in the oven."

She walked over and lifted up the clear dispenser filled with white crystals with a sympathetic smile. "Uh, I think you might have mistaken our salt canister for the sugar one," she explained.

Bentley buried his face in his hands. "So much for dessert for our romantic dinner," he groaned.

"Romantic dinner?" she questioned.

Once he'd told her his plan, she gave him a reassuring smile and patted his shoulder. "We still have some time. I'll help you fix something up. And don't worry, this'll just be our little secret..."

The Chicken Cordon Bleu turned out to be a delicious substitute. He would have to find a way to make it up to Carmelita later for her culinary assistance, and for keeping his blunder a secret.

When they had finished their meal, they went out onto the small bridge over the pond and noticed the swans paddling below.

They began to watch them, and Penelope pointed to the swan in front of the other two, who seemed to be following him. The lead swan ruffled his feathers and trumpeted loudly. "He's quite the show-off for a leader," the mouse noted.

"Hmm, that reminds me of someone," Bentley mused lightheartedly, to which they both started laughing.

They talked for a long while about, well, everything. Reminiscing on past events, discussing all the issues their friends had gone through in the past, expressing how relieved they were to transport the Egyptian talisman to its proper burial chamber in Luxor, to hopefully be untouched for the rest of eternity.

Following her off the bridge while she walked over to the pond's bank and observed the fireflies, he cleared his throat. "Penelope…you've…uh, heard of the chemical reaction known as bioluminescence before, haven't you?"

"Of course," she answered, admiring the fireflies as they twirled through the air just above the water. "That's what gives fireflies their glow."

"Precisely," he said. "During the process, the enzyme luciferase acts on the luciferin, in the presence of magnesium ions, ATP, and oxygen, thereby producing the light when combined with the air."

"Right," she agreed, confused as to why he was bringing this up.

"Well," he continued. "Do you know why the fireflies must use bioluminescence?"

She nodded again. "Sure, it can be used to signal danger, or can be used to help them find a mate, through use of pheromones."

He pointed at her. "Exactly. Two fireflies will use pheromones as a sort of communication trail, to find their way to each other." He pulled a peculiar aerosol can from a compartment on his chair. "I have in fact created a sort of replication of the very pheromone that attracts fireflies, and have modified its makeup to be comprised in aerosol form."

She continued to stare at him with a baffled smirk. "Ok…"

He laughed nervously. "I'm going somewhere with this I promise." He held out his hand and she let him take her even closer to the bank of the pond, where the fireflies congregated. He lifted the can in the air, shaking it thoroughly, and then began to spray the substance in the air in curves and loops.

"Bentley, what are you—" She stopped mid-sentence, as she watched the fireflies surround and hover in place around the invisible lines he had created in the air. Together, dozens of the small glowing insects gathered together, forming a message that consisted of four words.

Will you marry me?

The mouse's eyes grew wide. She felt her mouth fall open as she read the words over and over, her intelligent mind, ironically enough, struggling to comprehend the message. She looked back at Bentley, and gasped loudly.

He was holding the small box, cupping it in his palms, presenting the ring to her.

It was a silent for a few moments, with the turtle failing to contain his anxiety, letting it get the better of him. "P-P-P-Pen-elope…" he stammered. "I-I-I'm…really…not good at these kind of things, and you should know that by now. And um…I know that due to my condition, I can't do this properly and kneel down on one knee like any other guy would at this point, s-so I hope you'll bear through this with me despite that one detail. Um…" He felt the sweat practically drench his scaly forehead. He took a handkerchief from his coat pocket and dabbed at it, though it did little to help the reptile as he continued to perspire as if it were a scorching summer day instead of a chilly winter night. He then turned his attention back to the astonished mouse in front of him. "Umm, Penelope…I love you. From the moment we met, I've always thought you were perplexingly beautiful. A-a-and it made sense that you would fall for Sly first…"

She blushed and smiled sheepishly at him, recalling the surface attraction she once held for the fit raccoon.

"And when LeFwee captured you," Bentley continued, "I knew I had to prove myself and rescue you. Turns out you were the one who ended up being the hero, and rescuing me."

She sighed quietly and rested her chin on her clasped hands, waiting patiently for him to continue.

"It was such a delight to finally have another intellectual in the gang, I felt like I could finally open up to someone about the things that really interest me…have engaging conversations and discuss matters with someone else who legitimately understood what I was talking about…a-a-and getting to know you…spending time with you these past f-f-few years…has, well, has been the most wonderful experience of my entire life." He licked his lips that were uncomfortably dry and took another deep breath. If this got to be too much for him, he was relieved that he'd remembered to bring his inhaler.

"I…sometimes I feel like I'm living a fantasy life, getting to be with an amazing girl like you. And though I sometimes I feel like I'm not enough for you, you're always quick to remind me that I am, and that makes me happier than you will ever understand." His breathing grew shallow and shaky, and he looked out at the fireflies floating above the pond, lighting up the surface with their luminous golden glow. He was stalling and he knew it, but knowing he'd have to utter the question was terrifying him to his reptilian core.

"Oh just ask her already!"

Bentley cringed and groaned softly at hearing Sly's voice. He looked over his shoulder to see the raccoon peeking from behind the trunk of the willow with a cheeky grin on his muzzle. Murray was trying to hide, but his large frame made it difficult to conceal himself behind the trunk.

The turtle slapped a hand to his forehead. "You couldn't just let me do this alone, could you?" he muttered with a shake of his head.

"C'mon pal, you know we weren't gonna miss this," Sly bantered back. "Besides you made it easy. This park's an easy five minute walk from our house." He stepped out from behind the trunk, linking arms with Carmelita and pulling her into view, along with Rascal in her arms, where he often nestled happily.

Murray stepped around from the other side, with Tabby still partially hiding behind him.

"You all followed us?" Bentley asked incredulously.

Sly crossed his arms proudly. "Yep. Just to ensure that she won't say no."

"Sly!" Bentley hissed in embarrassment, his cheeks flushing red, a lovely festive sight on this lovely Christmas Eve.

Penelope tittered, placing both hands over her heart, overwhelmed at the excitement she was feeling.

With Tabby Murray and Carmelita and Rascal joining him on either side, Sly lifted a gloved hand and waved it to Bentley in a shooing motion. "Go on Bent, get to it," he urged his friend.

Bentley was agitated, but of course couldn't express that right now. He gulped and stared up at the love of his life. He extended the ring in the box to her, his hands shaking like brittle tree branches during a storm.

"P-Penelope," he squeaked, his voice no louder than breathless whispering. "Will you…will you marry me?"

She stood motionless, without answering right away, and the perspiring turtle was at risk of going into cardiac arrest. Then her smile transformed into a wide grin and she started giggling. "Well it's about time! I thought you'd never ask!" She jumped into his lap, causing him to gasp in surprise. She grabbed his face with both hands and locked lips with him in a way that left his mind reeling long after she'd detached herself. She cheerfully extended her left hand. "Yes Bentley, of course I'll marry you!" she squealed.

"Oh thank goodness," he sighed deeply in relief and took the ring out, gently sliding it onto her finger.

Penelope hugged Bentley close and he embraced her back, resting his head on her shoulder. Genuine happiness rose within the turtle, happiness of an intensity he hadn't yet felt before. "Best Christmas Eve ever, huh?" he said to her.

She grinned, her eyes sparkling with love for the reptile. "Without a doubt," she whispered. She then stretched her arms high up into the air and leaned her head back as she shouted to the sky, "Who needs turtle doves when I have turtle love?!"

Their friends all laughed at her statement and cheered for the newly engaged couple.

Penelope then happily snuggled up in Bentley's lap and proceeded to give him another lengthy fervent kiss, and for once neither one cared in the slightest that their friends were watching.

But one gang member wouldn't be having any of that while he was present.

"Sooba!" Rascal called out as they kissed.

Yet again, a Cooper had tried to interrupt a kiss that Bentley and Penelope shared, but instead of breaking away in embarrassment, they broke away in laughter.

And of course, everyone else in the group erupted in laughter as well.

Rascal looked up at Carmelita, his mouth hanging open, as if in surprise. "Dosso!" he declared to her. She giggled and lifted him up in the air, giving him Eskimo kisses.

Sly hugged his family tightly in contentment, and watched the brainy lovers holding each other. While still embracing Penelope, Bentley raised his head and shot Sly a glance, mouthing the words, "I'm getting you back for that later."

Sly snickered and gave a nod of his head. He expected as much.

Sly looked over to see Murray hugging his warthog girlfriend as well. They were both laughing quietly, in their own little world as they watched the fireflies floating above their heads.

"Alright," Sly said to them. "You two are next!"

Both Murray and Tabby's heads snapped up in astonishment. They didn't know what to say at first. They just stared at each other, and soon both were laughing nervously.

Murray waved his hands in the air and shook his head. "I don't think so. I'm not too sure about that." His gaze dropped to the blushing female warthog. "The Murray's not really ready for a commitment like that."

"And neither is The Tabby," Tabby added jokingly. "We still have a long way to go before considering that." She hugged the hippo's large waist. "Maybe one day, but definitely not right now. We're still so happy to see how happy you guys are." Tabby looked up to the hippo, who was nodding in agreement. She stood up on her tiptoes and pulled him into a kiss.

Sly looked down at his own love and snaked his arms around her. "C'mere you," he said with a playful growl. Before he could bring his lips to hers, he felt two small hands on his chest.

"Gah!" the baby foxcoon protested.

The couple looked down to see him staring at them with a furrowed brow.

His parents laughed. Sly leaned down and touched noses with his son. "What? You're not gonna let me give Mommy her Christmas Eve kiss?"

Rascal gently grasped onto his father's nose and, though his three and a half month old mind had no knowledge of the meaning of his action, he stuck his tiny tongue out at him.

Carmelita let out a giggle, incredibly amused by the sight. "I think he's tired of all this display of affection," she offered.

Sly stared down at her with a suave grin. "Well he's just going to have to deal with it one last time," he said.

The vixen closed her eyes as Sly's lips descended on her own, both sighing into the tender kiss. And so he wouldn't feel left out, once they'd had their fill of each other, Sly and Carmelita lifted Rascal up and each kissed one of his little cheeks, which made him squeal in delight.

What a magnificent Christmas Eve, and fantastic year in general, it had turned out to be for the whole Cooper gang.

Early the next morning, Sly's eyes shot wide open to the sound of Rascal wailing in his crib, and to his drowsy wife sharply nudging him in his side. "Your turn," she mumbled.

His eyelids threatened to close over his weak eyes, but he yawned, fighting the urge to surrender back into his slumber, and sat up in bed. He glanced over at the digital clock on his bedside table, which displayed that it was 3 AM, and he smirked down at the vixen. "Merry Christmas to you too," he quipped.

She slowly rolled over and let out a yawn herself before smiling sleepily at him.

The raccoon swung his legs over the side of their bed and stretched his arms out in front of him. He stood up and ambled over to the small crib across the room, the hem of his flannel pajama pants dragging against the carpet. He peeked over to see the baby foxcoon kicking at his blanket as he whined. He looked up to see his dad smiling down at him and he stopped crying long enough to reach out for him.

Sly promptly picked him up out of the crib and held him close. "Hey buddy, hungry again already?" he joked.

Rascal whimpered and started to cry again. He rubbed at his eyes and sniffled.

Carmelita, still half-asleep, trudged over and held her arms out. "I'll change you while Daddy makes a bottle. How's that?" she asked the kit.

He seemed to be satisfied with her offer and snuggled up close to her once she took him, though he continued to whine.

Sly yawned again and scratched at the back of his neck before he left the bedroom and headed downstairs.

He slid a hand along the staircase railing, glancing down at the tinsel and holly that decorated the banister while he tiptoed down the many stairs. He stepped into the living room on his way to the kitchen, smiling up at the towering Christmas tree in the corner. It had more lights and decorations than he could count. How they were able to squeeze all those ornaments on the branches was beyond the thief.

He was so excited, becuase this would be the first Christmas in years that the whole team was together again. At first it was just Christmas with the gang, and once he began feigning amnesia, it was only Christmas with Carmelita. This year everyone was finally together, and it was sure to be a holiday like no other for the Cooper Clan. He drew in a lengthy yawn as he thought about the marvelous day ahead, and continued his trek to the kitchen.

When he returned to their bedroom, he stopped at the doorway to see Carmelita rocking Rascal in her arms as she sat on the side of the bed. Though exhausted from recently having her sleep cycles thrown out of sync, she still smiled down at him and nuzzled him in an attempt to comfort her crying baby boy. "Shhh, it's ok, Daddy'll be right back sweetheart," she assured him in a soothing voice.

Sly walked over as he shook the bottle of milk. "I'm back. And I got just the thing that'll dry those tears up, little guy," he said.

Carmelita stood up and held the kit in one arm as she reached out for the bottle, but instead of giving it to her, Sly said, "Hand him to me. I'll feed him."

Her eyebrows rose over her eyes and she looked hesitant. "You sure? It takes a while to get him to go back to sleep sometimes."

He held the bottle in the crook of one arm so he could hold his hands out. "Sure I'm sure. You need to get some sleep, I'll take care of it this time. My son and I need some bonding time anyway, don't we buddy?" He looked down at the kit who was desperately reaching for the bottle. "Bah!" Rascal cried.

"Go back to bed, I got this," Sly assured her.

She smiled and leaned in to kiss his cheek, handing Rascal over. "Alright. Thanks babe. Love you." She sat back down on the bed, easing under the covers and collapsing onto her pillow. "Love you too," he called back.

Rascal's greedy hands pawed at the air as he whined for the bottle. Sly held it closer to him and he grabbed both sides of it, beginning to down the warm milk immediately.

Sly chuckled. "Easy buddy, pace yourself," he told him as he sat down in the cushioned rocking chair and held the bottle upright to help him. He rocked back and forth, smiling down at the kit as he continued to hold the bottle with both of his tiny russet hands and stared up at his father.

"That's better huh?" Sly murmured. "It's no fun to have an empty tummy."

Rascal gave a relaxed exhale through his nose as he sucked the bottle dry. Within minutes, there wasn't a single drop left in it, and he pushed it away, looking up at Sly. He smiled and smacked his lips, which were covered in the nutritious substance.

His father grinned at the cute sight and wiped his mouth with the cloth that had been draped over the armrest. He then threw the cloth over his shoulder and repositioned Rascal onto his stomach. He gently patted his back several times and soon the kit burped, though it sounded more like a squeak. Sly smirked and lifted him up so he could look him in the eye. "That all I get out of you?" he asked him.

Rascal chewed on his fist and kicked his legs happily. "Dabuh," he uttered in a gurgling voice.

Sly's smirk widened into an adoring smile and he cradled him in his arms. Rascal snuggled up against his chest, comforted by his warmth. Sly was certain he'd drift off to sleep after a while, but he just continued to chew on his fingers and stare up at him. After rocking him for a good ten minutes, Rascal was still wide awake.

Sly leaned his head against the cushioned back of the rocker. "Hmm, guess you won't go down that easy will ya?" He rested the kit's tiny head in the crook of his right arm. "You're stubborn just like your mother." He snickered quietly to himself and looked over at the vixen sleeping in their bed. "Well, she might be stubborn, but she's the most wonderful girl in the whole world. Of course, you know that already though, don't you?" He gently tapped a finger to his nose and Rascal babbled faintly. "And, she'd slap me if she was awake to hear me say this, but you've really helped her look outstanding in the chest region." His hand formed a fist and he gently touched it to one of Rascal's much smaller fists that was grabbing at his dad's T-shirt. "Good job buddy!" Sly whispered.

The kit ignored the praise, as he was too distracted by the thin hooked object that he'd just previously spotted. He made a sound of curiosity and Sly followed his gaze. He grinned down at him proudly. "Ah, you like Daddy's cane? Well, one day, when you're all grown up, which I hope won't happen too quickly, you'll inherit it, and you'll get to use it. When you're a master thief like me!" Sly got excited just thinking about the devious, mischievous thief his own son would be one day. "I'll show you how to ledge sneak, and how to pickpocket without getting caught, and how to make a fast getaway if you do get caught. And of course, I'll show you how to act suave around ladies. You just stick close to me, I'll teach you everything you'll ever need to know." He looked over at the legendary tome where it sat on the dresser. He secured Rascal in one arm as the foxcoon rested his head on his dad's shoulder, and Sly picked up the book, setting it in his lap. "And of course, you'll be able to use this as your guide. This is the Thievius Raccoonus, a book that has your entire family history in it, records of all your ancestors and the special moves they came up with." He began to flip through it, and Rascal looked down in perplexity at the scribbled notes and images his infant mind couldn't make sense of. "They performed amazing thieving feats in their time and collected all kinds of valuable treasures," Sly told him. "And I can't wait to tell you all about them and what they accomplished, like your medieval ancestor, Sir Galleth Cooper, and his crazy adventures as a courageous knight. Then there's your master ninja ancestor, Rioichi Cooper. There are all kinds of exciting stories of him taking down menacing foes with his special moves while on heists. And then there's your aviator ancestor, Otto Von Cooper, who traveled to all kinds of different places in his plane. Of course, besides the adventures they went on, there are also all kinds of techniques they used that they wrote down in their sections. See, each of our ancestors has their own section of the book, and one day…" He flipped to the very back, coming to a series of blank pages. "…you'll get to have your very own page to write down all the secret moves and thieving strategies you come up with." He looked at his son, who of course had no idea what he was talking about, and kissed him on his forehead. "Right now though, all you have to worry about is going back to sleep." Sly closed the treasured family tome and placed it back on the dresser.

Suddenly, his ears perked to Carmelita talking in her sleep. He laughed quietly as he watched her and listened.

She grunted and shook her head rapidly. "No no!" she mumbled. "You can't cook Christmas dinner, you'll burn it Sly. Now move so I can get to the stove." She groaned and rolled onto her stomach, and then huffed, falling silent again, her frizzy locks sprawled out in all directions.

Sly snorted and shook his head. He then turned his attention back to the yawning kit. "Your mom's quite the eloquent speaker when she's asleep, huh bud?" He smoothed his two-toned ears back and chuckled. "Don't know if you'll end up being a sleeptalker like her, but you did inherit those black tips on your ears from her, that's for sure." He hugged him close to his chest and slowly rocked with him back and forth, leaning against the chair. "Your mom is one in a million Rascal. Never met another girl like her. She's fiery, volatile, and sometimes impatient. She definitely speaks her mind when she's displeased, and her words don't always come out as tactfully as they should. But she's the most incredible girl I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. She's so stunning, even when her blue hair is all up in a messy bun and she's wearing sweats and a tank top. Her accent drives me wild too, and she has an incredible singing voice. I love listening to her sing you lullabies. But…the one thing that has made my love for her reach impossible heights is the fact that she loved me and you so much that she changed for us. Your mom was still an Inspector, working for Interpol when she found out she was gonna have you." He raised him up in the air playfully. "And she was so scared. Don't tell her I told you, but she was considering the possibility of getting rid of you." He touched his nose to Rascal's much smaller nose. "Can you believe that? Luckily, Daddy showed back up just in time and told her what an awful decision that would be, and he promised her he'd help take care of you, and guess what? She decided to become a thief before you were born, and now you're here, and we're all together." He glanced over at Carmelita's cane where it stood propped up next to his. The black and red shock cane had now been polished and perfected by the tech duo, and its silver metal hook gleamed in the light of the moon from the bay window, demonstrating how pristine it was. "One day the three of us will all get to go on heists, as a family. That sound fun?"

Rascal's ears twitched and his tail swished slowly. He couldn't figure out what his father was saying, but whatever he was going on about, he seemed very happy, and if his dad was happy, the kit was content with that. His head started to grow heavy and fell forward as sleep began to overtake him, and Sly rested a hand tenderly on the back of his head as Rascal leaned against his shoulder, giving a small yawn.

"I just…wanted to thank you Rascal," Sly whispered to him. "I can honestly say that everything in my life has turned out better than I could've ever imagined, and it's all thanks to you. If it weren't for Mommy getting pregnant with you, she might never have wanted to see me again after she caught me stealing when I was a cop. And we'd still be sad because we couldn't be together. You made all this possible little guy. You brought us together again, made our lives whole."

"Bawah?" Rascal asked sleepily, curling his bushy tail over his body.

With another soft chuckle, he nodded. "Yep you did. Believe it or not, you did all that." He leaned down and kissed his nose. He then reached out and ran his fingers through his head fur. "And you're the best present I ever could've gotten. Mommy may have tried as hard as she could when picking out a Christmas gift for me this year, but she'll never, ever be able to top you. No gift or diamond or amount of money I could get would ever mean as much to me as you do. And same goes for Mommy. There is no physical gift I could give to her that could express how much I love her. But I have a feeling she'll still like her present." He eased the dresser drawer near him open and felt around before pulling out a gleaming gold heart-shaped locket. He unclasped it and opened it to show Rascal the picture of their family inside. On the other side was an inscription that Sly added in. "You like it?" He held the locket over him, the chain swinging like a pendulum. "Of course I got you lots of presents too, but you'll have to wait until we all open gifts together to see them." Rascal pawed up at the swinging object a few times, but then lowered his head and nestled up close to Sly again, now more interested in sleep than the shiny object.

Sly leaned his head back and stared up at the ceiling, his mind wandering to his own childhood memories, back when his parents were still alive. "I hope I'll make a good father," he whispered. "I hope I'm at least half the father to you that my own dad was to me. I wish with all my heart that he were here now, so he could see you and spend time with you. He'd love you just as much as I do. And I know you'd love him too. He would've made the most amazing grandpa…and he could maybe give me a little parenting advice…but…he's not around anymore, as much as I wish he could be. So I'll just have to do the best I can to be the best dad possible to you, to love you and protect you, and Mommy, with everything I've got, and hopefully I can measure up to such a great guy like him. What do you think bud? Think I have a chance?" He looked down to see his son's eyes were already closed. The little kit breathed in deep even breaths, finally drifting off to sleep.

Sly brushed his nose gently along the fine fur on his forehead. His folded ears twitched at the light touch but aside from that, his infant body remained still in his father's arms. "Night my little Rascal. I love you. I always will." He slowly stood up and tiptoed over to his side of the bed. As he began to ease under the covers while carefully holding the little foxcoon, Carmelita stirred and turned over to face him.

Sly cuddled the snoozing kit close. "Hey Mommy, can we slide in next to you?"

She stretched and giggled softly. "How could I say no to my two favorite boys in the world?"

With that ever-present loving smile, he gently placed Rascal down in the center of the bed. Carmelita wrapped her arms around her son, and Sly encircled an arm around her, holding them both. The raccoon stole a kiss from his love, and soon they all fell back asleep together cuddled up, looking forward to their first Cooper family Christmas, after the rest of their long winter's nap of course.

Oh that little Rascal, hehe.

Of course there was a bit of a scientific spin on the proposal, it is Bentley and Penelope after all.

Well next is the epilogue. And I seriously cannot wait to read your reactions in reviews, if you by chance post one, to what I have in store for it! I'm so excited that I just might post it tomorrow.