Chapter 26

Just another day

Author's note: Man, that was quicker than I expected. Normally takes me weeks when I had the chapter finished in a single sitting. Of course I have IgnorantOne to thank for that. Giving me enough ideas, I typed this thing out in less than an hour. Most if not all the entire section of Scarlet getting her new part time job is an example of his contribution. If you really enjoy it, make sure to mention it in your reviews and know how much you appreciate his colaboration to this story. Well, I'm off to go to sleep now, bye bye.

Tex

P.S. If you're confused on how to pronounce Madam Francois's name, it's pronounced (Fran-Swas) Always here for you, my fellow readers and writers.


Walking down the paved sidewalks of downtown Paris, Constable Booker and Scarlet Crimson strode past the occasional fellow street walker until halting in front of an old country store. The shop was small and rather old fashioned, but it was quite elegant, an attractive air about it gave it an inviting aura. "This is the place?" Scarlet questioned, turning to Booker. The feline nodded and held the door open for her, the jingling of bells strung up by the door signaled the owner of the store that they had customers.

A large male wolf lifted his head from the wooden cabinets and tables he was polishing and came up towards them. Dorian recognized him to be the wolf that lived in the same apartment building as Carmelita's, the complex a few blocks away from the shop.

"May I help either of you?" His paws were folded behind his back, the scent of lemon wafted off him as his fingers were stained with the scented oils of the wood polish. Dorian greeted him.

"Yes, is Madam Francois in? We'd like to speak with her about a job position." He glanced up at the light fixtures on the ceiling as he placed a paw to his chin.

"She's probably in the back room; I'll be just a minute." He disappeared through the hallway that opened up on the left side of the front counter and reappeared with a strikingly attractive female snow rabbit. She equaled the blazing red vixen's beauty to the spotted feline's left if not almost overcame it, her brilliant white fur glowing with an ethereal light that shown of sophistication and wisdom.

"Now Aldric, I already told you. You're off for the rest of the day, no arguing with me."

"But Madam Francois, I insist. Let me stay for the full day, I'd feel horrible just walking out and leaving you to the store alone." She patted the side of his face and shooed him away.

"Sweetie, please. I'll be fine. Now go, you're still young, enjoy that youth." He bowed politely and they parted ways as he grabbed his coat from the hook by the door and departed. She shook her head. "Such a sweet boy," she said as she turned towards the remaining animals in the room.

"Dorian! My goodness," she patted her chest and brushing her fingers through her hair a moment as she sauntered up to the feline. "So good to see you again, darling. You've gotten taller! I haven't seen you in ages, you never stop by. What's with that now?" She embraced him tightly as Booker stumbled slightly to her quickly wrapping herself around him.

"Madam Francois, good to see you again too." She then turned from the ocelot towards the red vixen. Her eyes quickly lit up to the beautiful young woman.

"And who is this? I'm afraid we've never met." She held out a paw which Scarlet took and shook with dainty gracefulness. "Madam Angele Francois, a pleasure to meet you."

"Scarlet Crimson, the pleasure is mine, Madam."

"Beautiful, and polite. Dorian, why have you never told me of this woman? She's an absolute gem of a lady. The world could use more well mannered young people." The cat rubbed the back of his head.

"She...just arrived in the city, a friend of my cousin's. Showing her around to get her settled into her new house while I have a few others visiting from out of town."

"Well I must say," the bunny said, scanning the woman's appearance. "She's quite the looker; you'd best keep this one close, Mr. Dorian." Scarlet blushed.

"Madam, please. You're too kind." Dorian smiled, he knew Madam would instantly warm up to Scarlet.

"Ahem, Madam Francois-

"Please, Dorian. Angele."

"Angele," he restated. "We've come here because Scarlet is interested in working in this shop with you. I recommended this place for her and she took to the idea instantly." Madam Francois clapped her paws together.

"Such a sweet man you are, Dorian. Helping dear little Scarlet get settled into the big city." She then leaned closer towards Scarlet. "Keep a tight hold on this one, sweet pea. He's quite the attractive one."

"Madam..."

"Oh hush now. My dear boy...if I were a woman ten years younger..." Dorian smiled and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Madam...if I didn't know you're age I'd say that you were a woman ten years younger...and then...who knows what could happen." Scarlet looked to the rabbit in puzzlement. The rabbit moved her dazzling gaze towards the vixen and smirked with confidence.

"Believe it or not, love. But I was one of the top runway models and actresses in the late 1960s." The vixen's emerald eyes lit up in surprise.

"You're...?"

"Fifty years and still able to make men's jaws drop to the floor," she laughed. "But you, I'm sure you would know exactly what I'm talking about." Scarlet smiled to the compliment. "Well, Dorian, you should be ashamed of not telling me about this new woman of yours. She's a delight."

"Who, me? With her? Oh we aren't together." The rabbit frowned slightly, but then her expression lightened up considerably.

"Ah, a shame. That means you're available then, eh Mr. Dorian?" The ocelot looked to the ground for a moment before glancing back up.

"Well...in a sense yes. But I'm still thinking of...why do I need to explain this to you anyway?" Scarlet winced as the ocelot was referencing about Carmelita.

"Because there is an empty back room...and just enough room for two..." She giggled again and winked. Dorian blushed furiously and shook his head free of any thoughts accumulating.

"You're old enough to be my mother, Madam."

"Maybe so...but I look good and I can do things you're mother probably wouldn't dream of. Besides," the older woman smiled. "There are something's in life that just doesn't change after fifty years. I remember you staring at me for a long time when you worked here...and that was before I told you how old I was. Age is just a number, dearie." Dorian shuddered.

"Please don't call me dearie, Madam...it reminds me of my grandma. No offense."

"Oh. I'm quite sorry, Dorian." Scarlet clutched Dorian's collar and pulled him down to come within whispering distance.

"C'mon you fool, she's a regular bombshell and you're chickening out. Your precious Carmelita isn't putting out any time soon. Get it where you can, Constable." The female rabbit sighed and leaned forward, a devil's grin sliding on her face as she reached into her back pocket and produced a scandalous photo of herself nearly twenty years back. She's almost naked, but all of the good bits are concealed thanks to the thick rug she was lying on.

"You see all of this...it hasn't changed since this photo was taken..." The rabbit leaned forward a little more, "You might as well give in boy. I'll get you one way or another. Besides, you'll find that I can be very accommodating and comforting..."

"As much as I'd like to find that out...um...Scarlet! Shouldn't you be...applying for a job here?"

"She's already hired. And her first order of business..." She turns to Scarlet and handed her a key, "Go lock the front door would you? If you can do that, I'll let you watch. And then you can truly see if he's worth your time or not." Dorian slumped forward; knocking his chest into the side of the counter as the air stored in his lungs came rushing out.

"What?!" Dorian breathed out. The lapin winced.

"Save the screaming for the backroom, Dorian. Scarlet." Dorian glanced to the vixen for assistance.

"You're not really going through with this, are you?" Scarlet shrugged.

"If it's what my new boss wants..."

"Besides, Scarlet called ahead of time...she says you're being grouchy and jumpy. Maybe this will help you relax." The rabbit stepped up to Dorian, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her hips against his, a large grin on her face. Dorian leered towards Scarlet as she locked the front door.

"You set me up for this didn't you?"

"Well...you seemed like you needed to relax, and Madam Francois said you always looked so happy when you were working here. And it's your fault anyway for leaving the phone number out in plain sight for me to pick up."

"And maybe I can get you come back to work for me...with a little extra incentive..." The lapin smiled and grabbed Dorian's arm and placed it on her firm rump. Then a quick flash, and Scarlet was holding a camera. "Now, that was just for insurance purposes. I'll expect you to pay your 128 euro tab you've kept here....if you don't pay, those photos will find themselves at your police station." The lapin now returned her attention back to Dorian as she pressed her breasts against Dorian's chest.

"Now....where were we..." Dorian looked around the room frantically, unsure just what was happening and afraid of what was about to transpire. Looking down at the snowy white face of the elderly lapin along with the two mounds of fur flushed against his chest, he craned his long neck back as far as he could while trying to make sense of the situation.

"Blackmailing me now? God, what did I do to deserve this?"

"128 euros. And because you're just so adorable." Francois smiled, leaning forward to nuzzle his neck as her leg wrapped around his.

"Alright, alright, 128 euros." He tried moving his paws but found them bound by her grasp.

"Oh, I'll just look for it myself, no need, dearie." She smiled as she slowly eases her paws into the back pockets of his pants, sending a jolt of panic up the ocelot's spine as his short tail went ridged as it began puffing out. He felt her warm palm give a firm squeeze.

"Mhmm...very firm." She said with a hint of smugness, "Of course, this isn't what I'm after..." She pulls out his wallet and a fifty euro bill emerged, placing it on the counter. "I'll collect the rest later. Scarlet, come over here...I'm sure he'd be much more to your liking." Scarlet's entire face matched her blazing red complexion as she retained what laughter she could by covering her mouth with a balled fist. Her ears perked up to the sound of her name.

"Me, Madam?"

"I don't see anyone else here, vixen." The snowy furred herbivore giggled. "Come here." The female fox nodded.

"Yes Madam Francois," and she sauntered over to the pair, standing by waiting to be instructed by her new employer who she instantly began to adore. Francois pulled back a little and grabbed Scarlet's paw, placing it on Dorian's belly.

"Feel that? He's a firm boy. And here." She moved the vixen's paw up to Dorian's back and shoulders, "And here", to his pectorals. "Definitely here..." to Dorian's ass, this made the ocelot start a little bit, yet remaining still as his ego boosted slightly to two gorgeous women admiring over his physique... Aside from his objecting demeanor, he was enjoying the attention. Then the rabbit's grin widened and she giggled as she still had her hips pressed against Dorian's. "Oh my...he's getting firm here too..." Dorian coughed and cleared his throat.

"A-alright, you two have had your fun. Can I go now? I doubt this is what you pay your employees for doing all day. I need to get back, and Scarlet needs to get to work. I'm sure you've both got a lot on your plate, so if I could just..."

"Really? Look around, lover boy." The rabbit chuckled, pulling back just a little bit to fool around with his zipper, the bulge at the front of his pants obvious. "Ain't no one here but you...me...and little miss vixen here."

"Ah jeeze," he sighed as he looked down, watching the nimble white fingers fidgeting with his pant's front. "Look, I really, really should be going now, please!" He glanced to Scarlet for a way out, seeing her amused expression on her face which caused him to sigh with no hope in sight.

"Yes. You really should get going." She pulled back, and then pointed behind the counter. "To the back room that is." Dorian shut his eyes in defeat.

"There's no getting by this is there?"

"Nope," she closed her eyes and shook her head, her nose brushing against his with every sway of her head. "Of course...is this really so bad when you think about it?" He gave a thin frown and placed his paws onto her wrists.

"Madam...please. I know I'd be passing up an amazing offer, and I'm sure I'll be kicking myself for saying no...but I don't think this would be the best thing for me right now." Her paws slid off as she pulled the zipper of his pants back up. She nodded in approval with a smile.

"Now that's a man for you. Taking charge of the situation and staying loyal to that other skirt you were chasing. Carmelita I think her name was?" He grinned as he blushed.

"You could say that. And thanks."

"Of course the offer still stands, love." She gave a devious smirk and a wink of her eye. Dorian returned with his own smirk.

"Who knows, maybe you'll stumble on me while I'm in a good mood one of these days."

"Or maybe I'll just pay a visit to your quaint little home and jump you there." The ocelot sucked in a breath and held it within his chest for a moment.

"Be hard finding any place quiet in his little home these days." Scarlet piped in as Dorian didn't seem like he would respond anytime soon. "With all the people staying at his house for the season, there won't be much room for any 'quiet time'. It's been years since they've come up and with me dropping in and adding all the more seats to the table in that already small house. But I'm sure Dorian would want to have some fun of his own after they're all gone, hmm?" Dorian jumped from Scarlet's elbow nudging into the side of his ribcage. Dorian's features softened as he took a more somber tone.

"Well...it's complicated...I'm not too sure what to think at the moment. I think...it would be better to wait on things like that for now...see how things turn out."

"Well...Dorian," Scarlet flashed her green eyes. "I guess you should be going now, hmm? You were so anxious to be leaving just a few moments ago; I'd expect it to be very urgent

if it would cause you to want to leave so badly."

"Huh? Oh, right. I probably should be going; hopefully I'll still have a house to come back to after leaving all our...friends there without me there. Madam, it was...a pleasure seeing you again."

"Mhmm...you too, sweetheart." Before the ocelot left however, he quickly grabbed one of Madam Francois' wrists and pulled her towards him, planting a fiery kiss upon her lips, causing her eyes to close as she wrapped a paw around his neck. Pulling away with an audible smack of their lips, the rabbit placed a paw on her chest as Dorian's cheeks burned.

"Hope it made up for not dropping by." Her eyes fluttered and grinned seductively to him.

"Oh honey...if only you moved like that just a few minutes ago. Be sure to drop by more often." He nodded and walked out the door. As he walked down the street, he sighed to himself, folding his arms back as he placed both palms behind his head.

"Just another day for you, Dorian." Scarlet crossed her arms and lowered her chin as her brows furrowed slightly.

"Well now..." Francois smiled as she watched Dorian leave. "Seems like someone here has developed a Lottia-complex." Scarlet glanced at Dorian's departing form as she shifted her eyes back to her boss.

"Excuse me, Madam Francois?" She asked.

"I was the same way back when I was your age. I caught the attention of every man in the room when I walked in..." She sighed. "I could have any man I wanted...any man that struck my fancy. Whether I was feeling like a canine, or feline...any man. None refused. Until a certain little hussy named Lottia Lapia strutted her prissy little self onto the center stage."

"It's just...as if every man in this damn country is chasing after Carmelita. She's all I hear about these days. I don't know, perhaps I'm acting too childish."

"Well chances are that every man in the country is chasing after her. I'm sure she is acting like the one man woman type, am I right?" Scarlet nodded.

"She is infatuated with someone else for, from the look of things, a long period of time. Funny how she breaks so many men's hearts without her even trying to. And when Dorian just goes on and on about her...I can't help but feel..."

"Unappreciated? Yes. That's how it goes. But it seems as if he's a little more than just friends with Carmelita, doesn't it? You can tell by how he talks about her...it's more than just an infatuation. I'm sure something happened between them...or else he wouldn't peruse her as hard as he does."

"But I feel sorry for him...how blinded he is by it all. And underappreciated? Well, what girl doesn't like being the center of attention at times? It's just second nature. But he's really a nice man after getting to finally know him...I would...hate to see him get hurt when he finds Carmelita doesn't love him back."

"Well then...it will be hard for him to accept the fact that he might not get chosen. Or he will be overjoyed by in fact he does get chosen. It can go either way. Only time will tell...as a matter of fact, where is that Spanish vixen anyways? Last I saw her she was with Dorian a couple months back." Scarlet bit her lip to the sour memories.

"She's...vacationing. Dorian told me she's quite the work-aholic so she took some time to herself. Chief's advice believe it or not."

"Hmm," Indigo Blue muttered as his back was leaned up against the side of a building. A smoldering cigarette hung from his lips as he watched the scene unfold in front of him. A few blocks across from his position on the street, a friendly collaboration was taking place. A group of rats were greeting one another; an intricate series of handshakes took place as they entered the side door of their grungy building. Glancing at his wrist watch, he growled low from deep within his throat to himself.

"Should be about time now," he said. The black sport coat that was draped over his shoulders swung behind him like a short dark cloak as the soles of his wingtips crunched against gravely concrete. He grimaced to the notion of damaging the exquisite footwear's underside, and even more to the thought that he would have to conserve his currency from now on since the vast reserves of sums accumulated over the years of his deadly career was now locked out from him, otherwise he would simply buy another pair without a second thought. Stepping onto the other side of the street, he felt the hard steel of his revolvers within the sleeves of his blue turtleneck sweater and the still body of the silenced nine millimeter stuffed into the holster strapped behind his back. Reaching one paw into his pocket, he knocked on the door, his brows rising slightly to find the door swung open freely.

"The imbeciles forgot to lock the door?" He chuckled to himself, pulling his paw from his pocket and withdrawing his firearm. As he entered, the sights of his gun swept across the barren rooms, the area holding a deathly quiet in the air. He slowly walked through; placing one foot in front of the other as he stepped with his left shoulder pointed facing forward, the elongated barrel of his pistol pointed upwards. His glowing blue eyes quickly fell upon a limp form spread across the floor.

Blue's psychological capacity was put to the test by witnessing the macabre scene. He grimaced to the scent of death, the sour, vinegar like smell that stung the nostrils as it crept through one's spine. Traveling deeper into darkness, each room seemed to grow only worse, blood painted the walls as bullet holes riddled what windows there were, light seeping into the rooms to shed light on the situation. Men, rats, dogs, felines, reptiles, all were riddled with holes and doubled over one another as others were simply ripped apart, slashed to pieces. Long oozing slits spread across their throats as their dim eyes stared up lifelessly at Blue.

His ears twitched to a foreign sound whispered through thick walls and doors as he dropped the cigarette from his mouth and ground it into the floor. "Please, man. You can't do me like this. It ain't natural! Who sent you? Whoever they are, I can pay you double; triple the price if you deal with them! I'm begging you, man, please!"

Blue turned the knob of the door and slowly pushed it open, peering through the creak of the doorway just in time to catch the grisly sight of the pleading drug smuggler's execution. A dark figure held him in a headlock as he pulled on the dog's head, extending his neck out for the dark furred candid. With a quick, fluid motion, the flash of gleaming steel caught Blue's eyes as a straight edge razor flicked out from the handle and the black animal dragged the edged blade across the squirming canine's white neck. The dog twitched and squirmed as the icy touch of the blade bit into his skin and sliced across his neck, warm crimson flooded into his throat. He gagged on his own blood as red dribbled down his neck, staining his entire front in a deep red.

"Heartless...mother...fu-

And the dog slumped onto the floor in silence, unable to utter his last syllable to his killer. Wiping the blade off with a cloth he produced from the front pocket of his coat, the dark animal flipped the blade back into its handle and placed it back into his pocket. His ears twitched and he quickly swung around, the silenced pistol appearing in his paws as he pointed to Indigo. The malamute followed suit with mimicked precision and swiftness. The assassin, a fox with sleek, midnight black fur narrowed his hollow eyes to the dog and holstered his weapon.

Indigo lowered his firearm and studied the animal with a killer's honed sight, analyzing every inch of the man. "You killed my targets," Blue spoke. The fox glanced to the body on the floor wading in a pool of ruby liquid and then back to the white and black furred dog with intense ice blue eyes.

"They were part of my assignment," he said, a voice that matched his dark appearance. "You however are not, so step aside and you won't be harmed." Blue smirked, placing a paw casually into his pocket to which the fox stiffened and held up his pistol again, engaging the red laser sight. The red dot danced around the dog's pocket as Blue slowly pulled out a box of cigarettes and lit one, flicking open the silver lighter and flicking the ignition switch to produce a flame.

"Your form, while effective, lacks finesse, my friend. Always the one to play into the stereotype of a dark, seething being that kills in the most inhumane ways, how droll." The fox smirked and holstered his gun once more, stepping past the dog.

"Do not follow, or I'll kill you." Blue blew a thick grey fog into the fox's direction and smiled.

"Likewise. But you still killed my targets; I require compensation to this little twist of fate." The fox scoffed at this, waving the smoke away with a paw.

"I killed them; I will get paid for my services. Go back to your employer and claim you killed them. You'll get your money, I'll get mine, and we don't have to worry about any inconveniences." Blue's brows rose in amusement as he watched the dark vulpine depart.

"Hmm..." he said, turning to the assortment of bloody swaths that were once living beings. "As if one Coal in this world was too much..." He looked around once more and mulled over the situation he was presented. "To hell with it," he stated as he plucked the cigarette from his lips and dropped it into the gaping mouth of a deceased gecko.

"Just another day for you, Indigo old boy."

Paris International, as busy as ever. People by the hundreds shuffled about, waiting in seats for their planes or exiting the tunnels of their terminals, embracing loved ones they left behind and scurrying to baggage claim. A familiar raccoon, dressed in 'inconspicuous' clothing strode along with another assortment of animals at his side. Scanning the vicinity that opened up to him, he glanced to his friends and their odd choices of clothing. Bentley was dressed looking much like the native population of the cold country they just departed from, wearing a woolly ushanka with the ear flaps pulled up and a leather bomber jacket, coupled with a thick black beard and mustache.

Murray was dressed comically as a small boy, a rainbow colored propeller cap sat atop his head and a small red and white horizontal striped shirt hugged his upper body. Penelope took a little more subtle approach, dressed in a dark red business suit with large oval sunglasses over her eyes. Carmelita, to her immediate disliking, wore a bell shaped cloche hat and a matching sun dress. "I look like I stepped out of the roaring twenties. I'm not a flapper, turtle!" She snapped towards the shelled reptile that had picked out her disguise.

"Well, it is very fetching on you, Miss Fox." He said in his defense. Cooper chuckled as he straightened the collar of his shirt and the monocle placed over his left eye.

"You should have listened to me, Bentley. She would have liked the high school cheerleader outfit better." He held his breath in as he felt a sharp pain sting at his foot, looking down to see the pointed tip of Carmelita's heels digging into the top of his shoe.

"Can we please just get out of here?" Cooper nodded to the vixen and they continued on their way to baggage claim.

"So good to be home," Murray stretched his arms to the sky in relief. "And with Clockwerk deep-sixed, things could get back to normal round here." Bentley shook his head.

"Although I'm glad to be back and with Clockwerk out of commission, this whole ordeal is far from over. We still have Coal to deal with and put a stop to his operations." Sly winced to the mention of Coal Black as he clenched and unclenched his fist for what had to be the hundredth time since they were on the plane. Carmelita noticed his growing anxiety since departing from Siberia. He hadn't gotten any sleep when they checked into a hotel in Moscow last night, he would always be staring out the window, or pacing, or staring off into space mulling over his thoughts.

Carmelita tore off the cloche from her head and tossed the abomination she considered as headwear into her bag, weaving her paws through her dark curls and placed a paw to Cooper's shoulder. His face in some areas was still covered with small bandages from his injuries with Kirill. He looked to her as they walked, smiling somberly until returning to his thoughts. The van was waiting patiently for them as Murray eagerly climbed inside, tightening his grip on the steering wheel, discarding the toddler's cap into the back. "I miss the ATV already," Penelope stated, climbing into the back of the van with Bentley and his computer equipment, growing used to the spacious interior of the armored transport and the comfortable bunk situated next to the heater system.

"Next time we go on another arctic expedition, we'll stay longer. Hopefully it will be a more enjoyable experience than dodging mines and gunfire." Bentley placed a hand on her back as he leaned next to him, placing an arm around him as her paw rested on his shoulder.

"Make a left here, Murray," Carmelita stated. The pink hippopotamus quirked a brow to the sudden shift in direction.

"How come?"

"Dorian's Mustang is still in storage. I need to go get it back to him." The hippo looked to Bentley who nodded and Murray quickly turned the wheel, bolting down the street. "Mind the speed limit, you lunatic!" Stopping the van in front of the vehicle storage garage, the wheels rubbed against the street as they screamed to Murray's heavy foot slamming on the break pedal.

Everyone in the van flung forward to the still remaining inertia escaping from their bodies. "I'd like to see a cab try and match that." Carmelita grumbled as she climbed out of the van.

"I should write you up for speeding right now, bucko." The hippo gave a goofy smirk as he rested his forearm out of the open driver side window.

"Then why don't ya?" The fox gave a light grin and shook her head.

"Maybe another time. C'mon, Sly," she said as she walked towards the garage. He grabbed Carmelita's bag along with his own and jogged to catch up to the vixen.

"We'll contact you guys for our next plan of action. Right now, let's just lay low for awhile till things cool down."

"No complaints from me here bud," Murray shouted back. "Could use some time for some decent food round here."

"Are you saying the rations I gave you on the ATV weren't good enough?" Bentley snapped, stretching his neck up high in anonymity.

"Those freeze dried bricks tasted like cardboard."

"Those rations are a well balanced, nutritious source of food. It's universal and you say it tastes like cardboard!?"

"It does!" The argument continued as they sped off, leaving the two animals to retrieve the red Ford muscle car from its storage unit. The car roared to life as Cooper climbed in, shutting the door as he tossed their luggage behind their seats.

"I can see why Dorian really likes driving this thing," Carmelita mused, going through her bag to redress into her usual attire of a blue halter top and her brown leather jacket. She glared to Cooper who watched her as she sat in the parked car in nothing but her undergarments until pulling on her pants and top. "You can really feel the power behind it."

"Don't tell me you're the next speed demon beside Murray," he chuckled as he pulled off his shirt, reaching behind for his bags. Pulling out his blue sweater, he slipped a white undershirt on and then the thick cobalt fabric over himself. Placing the blue cap back onto his head, he kept the monocle on his eye and waggled his eyebrows, smirking to his appearance in the flip down mirror "What do you think? Keep the monocle? Or ditch it?"

Carmelita gave a sidelong glance to the raccoon and rolled her eyes. "You look like a complete goofball with that thing on your face."

"I dunno, I kinda like it. Must be the inner Thaddeus Winslow Cooper in me." He chuckled to the refined gentleman thief he read about in his tome of master thievery. Carmelita shook her head.

"God, I wonder if all your ancestors were like you. One Sly Cooper is more than enough I can handle." He laughed, unclipping the monocle's string from his ear as he rolled it up and placed it into his holster.

"Well," Cooper said, raising a paw as he waved it around as he spoke. "My dad was a pretty easy going guy from my memories as a kid. He always loved telling me stories while I sat on his knee."

The vixen stopped to an old home in the shady section of the city, more out and away from all the eyes of the more congested areas of Paris. "I'll drop the car off to Dorian and then come pick you up later."

"No, wait," Cooper said. "I want to meet him." Her brows quirked up in surprise.

"You're not serious, are you?" He shrugged.

"I'll have to eventually, right? Might as well be on my terms of appearing to him instead of unexpectedly. Besides, you said so yourself when you got back you wanted to take a nice hot shower. Why not use mine? Let's give ourselves some time to relax while the gang is out, my treat."

She sighed and gave a wane smile, unbuckling her belt and climbing out of the car. Entering the dark house, Cooper flicked the switches to a few lights and illuminated the rooms of his home. "Mi casa es su casa," he stated, opening his arms up and bowing low as if to present some enormous mansion where in fact it was a simple, dark home. She rolled her eyes to his joking manner and headed upstairs. He followed suit as a puppy-dog would follow its master.

"So, you'll take the first shower I'm guessing." He pointed a finger to her as he dropped their bags and went into the bathroom to pull out a few fresh towels. As he pulled out the wooly sheets, he looked up from the low cabinet to the fox standing above him, her arms folded under her bosom as she gazed down at him. He smiled in puzzlement as he stood up. In a sudden uncharacteristic motion, she threw her arms around him and planted an intense kiss upon his lips.

Dropping the towels to the floor, he drew his arms around her and tilted his head as they shoved their muzzles deeper into each other. Cooper growled low within his throat to the sensation of her passionate kiss as she moaned against his lips. Placing a paw to his chest, she slowly pulled away, letting his bottom lip free from hers as she suckled it. His eyes were heavily lidded as his brown irises gazed into hers. Licking her lips, they tingled to the sweetness that still clung to them as she brushed the side of her muzzle against his.

"I...must have done something good just now." He chuckled, only for his words to be stifled by Carmelita pushing his face into hers once more. Withdrawing again, she opened her eyes and spoke quietly, drawing in a breath and letting it pass from her lips.

"We nearly saw each other die back in Russia. Ring...Sly, I realized just how vulnerable you really are. The amazing things you do, I used to think you were impervious to something as trivial as death. Then when I saw Kirill nearly beat you to death and with every shot he fired from his rifle...I realized that you're still just as mortal as us all, any one of those shots could have taken you from me. It made me question my own mortality.

"Of course, getting shot in the chest made me think a bit more on the subject that we could have died at any moment during that entire time in the Siberian complex." Cooper nuzzled her neck with the cold tip of his nose and spoke into her soft neck fur.

"When I thought you were shot...everything stopped. It was as if my world was shattered into pieces. I kept telling myself there was no way that could have happened, not to me, not to you. The stories on the news of people being killed by drunken drivers or gang shootouts...I always thought those threats were so far away from either of us. Then I realized that we're always smack dab in the middle of situations twice as dangerous.

"And I see just how easily one of those bodies on the floor could end up being yours. If you died...that would be the end for both of us. There would be no moving on, no forgetting all the bad times and only remembering the good. I would be dead as well." She cupped the side of his face and brought him into a gentler kiss, caressing his cheek as he leaned forward more, causing her to lean back as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Pulling away, she looked up at him and he smiled. Leaning her back up to stand straight, he withdrew himself from her and headed for the door, giving her her privacy. "Sly," she said as he headed for the door. Cooper turned around and looked to her, waiting for her to respond.

"Yeah, Carmelita?" She licked her lips in apprehension as she walked up to him and placed her paws onto his shoulders. Guiding him away from the door, she closed it and locked it behind her. His heart began racing within his chest along with hers.

"I almost lost you," she whispered. "Now that we finally have time to catch our breath, I want to spend what time we have together before we start dodging bullets again."

"Carmelita?"

"Take off your cloths, Cooper. You're getting in that shower with me." He grinned as he reached down to pull off his sweater, reaching up and pulling the fabric up, over his face and off his arms. Carmelita's paws followed the route of the sweater, caressing his toned bare midsection as she disrobed, pressing herself to him and sharing another kiss as the fox reached into the shower and turned the nozzle on. Holding the curtain open for her, Cooper checked the temperature of the water with an outstretched paw and let her enter before him.

Entrenched in the wet chamber as steam bellowed around them, Cooper wrapped his arms around Carmelita's waist, grinning. "Whatever happened to seeing you naked when we're married?" She responded by grabbing one of the scrubbing pads off the shower rack and dotting his nose with a glob of bubbly suds.

"So I feel a little inclined to share a more intimate part of myself with you. I've known you long enough I think. Don't get any funny ideas though, ringtail." She craned her neck back as he buried his muzzle into her neck fur, suckling and kissing her sensitive flesh as she ran the scrubber up and down his back. "Some things can wait till marriage. Consider this...a sample of things to come." He nodded against her neck.

"I won't push things too far...at least not yet." She smiled as she kneaded his shoulder muscles, working the sudsy mass of bubbles and soap into the fur that covered his shoulders and back. Feeling his roaming paws on her, she cooed in satisfaction as her sopping wet brush coiled around his waist.

"Just another day of you trying to get me to fall for you, Cooper." He mumbled something into her chest just above her heaving bosom as he ran his tongue along the area that contained her beating heart, up to her neck. "And god is it working."

"He cleared out the entire place?" Blue nodded, sipping the tea from the steaming cup and placing it on a coaster.

"Mmm, Tom this tea is magnificent. Yes," he continued licking his lips as he took another sip of the herb filled water. "A black fox cleared out the entire place all on his own, without me even knowing he was there. It was surreal." Scarlet leaned forward with interest. Tom grinned.

"Glad you enjoy the tea, son. Old family recipe. See Lucius, and you said I'd never find anyone who appreciated good old fashioned herbal tea in this age." The panther rolled his golden eyes as he grunted to his wrapped midsection, Tom nudging his sensitive ribs with an elbow.

"His methods of execution, while brutal, were quite admirable. I witnessed him slicing a man's throat with a straight edged shaving razor. How simple, but how iconic. I'm sure the other dealers along the block are rattling to pieces when they caught wind of the situation." Scarlet sighed despite her mate's enthusiasm.

"There goes our ten thousand. But on the bright side of things, I got a job at the country store." Blue led Scarlet to sit on his lap on the love seat, crossing her legs as she leaned comfortably back against his chest.

"Splendid, sweetheart. But you couldn't be more farther from the truth." She craned her head back to look up at his grinning visage as he withdrew a wad of folded bills from his pocket. "Ten thousand big ones. Using my indomitable social charismatic skills, I was able to convince I was the one who dealt with everyone in that building.

"They even added an extra five grand in it. And to think, I didn't need to fire a single shot." His chuckling ceased however as the folded bills he was waving around was snatched from his paw and into Dorian's. The ocelot took the tips of paper and slid his thumb across it, hearing the shuffling bills.

"I could get used to this," he smirked. "A nice catch, Indigo. I'll be sure to invest it wisely, don't worry about that." The dog grumbled as his reward was quickly taken away from him.

"That's enough for the repairs to your home, isn't it?" The ocelot nodded.

"For maybe a few walls and windows...but don't forget I included your rent into the total price as well as cost for living utilities. You still owe me..." he paused, counting in his head. "Another twenty-five thousand I believe. That should be enough to fully repair my basement, pay for the food bill you accumulated, the materials you used during your stay, including water and gas, as well as paying for a new mattress and a set of sheets." Blue slumped back as he let a groan pass his lips, Scarlet's comforting paws reaching behind her to pet the top of his head.

"Well," Tom said, clapping his paws together. "Why not have a spot of tea, Dorian? You look like you could use a bit of relaxation." The ocelot shook his head.

"I've had about enough of people telling me to relax today. Christ, you people are starting to make it feel like one big dysfunctional family."

"What do you mean 'you people'?" Lucius cut in as he took a sip of tea. Booker shook his head.

"I need some air." And he walked out onto his porch. Sitting on the brick and concrete steps that led up to his front door, he watched as the street lanterns shown dimly as the sun began to sink behind the horizon, shrouding the area in twilight. He glanced to his drive way and saw Blue's blue Cadillac sitting contently in the spot where his cherry red Ford Mustang once sat. He sighed, how he missed that car.

Something told him to hold on though, a certain sixth sense that his car was alright and that it was actually very close to him. Perhaps it would return to him some day in the near future. He sighed again to wishful thinking and hung his head low, looking down at his feet on the stone steps. A sudden deathly chill ran up his spine, was it night already and he hadn't noticed from the sudden temperature drop? It was late February, but this cold was far more acute than he was used to in the chilly winter months in Paris.

Hailing from Sweden, cold was something he understood very well. But this cold, it cut right through clothing and skin and attacked one's core, icing over the bones and vessels of the body. He gasped as a silvery wisp of smoke blew from his parted lips and he sat up straighter. His heart tightened into a knot in his chest as an unnatural fog slithered across the road across from his home, the ghastly visage of a male ocelot appeared. There was a striking resemblance of the older looking feline to Dorian and the Constable's feline irises shrank to barely visible vertical slits.

The older spotted cat held out a paw to Dorian, the ocelot standing up and slowly stepping towards the transparent form of the elder feline. "Dad?" He looked around, not a single soul, save for him on the street as he looked back to his father. His father's ghostly paw rose up to brush against Dorian's face, his eyes shutting to the icy chill. Reopening his eyes, he was lost in puzzlement as he continued looking at his father's face.

The elder Booker closed his eyes, and then slowly opened them, his irises a stark white, blank of any irises. Red trickled down his eyes as he shouted an unearthly shriek and Dorian, in shocked surprise, flung back, falling on his rump to the hard street floor. The horrid scene, as quickly as it came disappeared as not a trace of his father was there. "What the hell," he gasped, his chest heaving in terror. The door to his home opened up behind him and his ears flickered to a soft voice calling his name.

"Dorian, Dorian are you alright?" Scarlet's voice was full of urgency as she stepped out of the house and saw the feline sitting in the middle of the street. She jogged up to him, kneeling down to his side. "Dorian, what are you doing? Are you alright?"

He continued looking forward, his expression blank as his chest heaved. "Dorian!" Scarlet shouted, coaxing the ocelot's head to finally turn towards her quickly as he stared at her, his eyes wide and empty with fear. "Dorian," she comforted, placing a paw to the side of his face, finding his skin cold as ice. "Are you alright? You look as if you've seen a ghost."

He looked back to where his father was once standing, then back to Scarlet. "I...I..." She hugged his neck and helped him off the street, leading him back to the house.

"You're starting to worry me, Dorian." His lip quivered slightly as he looked to the floor in front of him. "You've been out here for about a few hours now, everyone else is sleeping. I heard you shout outside so I came to see if you were alright. What happened?" Booker blinked and looked up, facing forward. Had it really been hours since he stepped outside?

"I saw my dad..." he said, the statement sliding off his tongue in a hushed tone. "But...that can't be possible. He was killed in a gang fight years ago. But I saw him, just a few moments ago. I saw him. And then..." he glanced towards Scarlet, drinking in her look of concern as he sighed.

"It's nothing, forget I said anything. I just...need some rest." She sighed.

"Oh, Dorian," and she embraced him in a warm hug. He didn't know how to react at that moment, as if confused by the display of affection and concern until he finally wrapped his arms around the woman's slender body. "Are you going to be alright?" He bit his lip and quirked his head.

"I...I don't know. I think I'll be fine though. I just...need some rest." She brought a paw up to rub the back of his long neck as she rested the side of her head against his chest, feeling his erratic heartbeat against her ear.

"I...never thanked you for helping me get that job today, did I?" Dorian glanced down at the blazing red hair of the woman's head that was pressed against his chest. He sighed.

"No...but the experience was more than I could have wished for."

"Still...thank you, Dorian. You've been...very kind to me, what with us trying to kill you before, and now invading your life like this. I really do appreciate it; you're a very strong honorable man for doing all this for us. Indio's thankful for it also, even if he doesn't want to admit it." Dorian rested his chin atop of Scarlet's head.

"Thank you, Scarlet. I always keep saying how horrible it is everyone being crammed into this little house, but...it's been a very unique experience. It's actually kinda nice to have other people in this house with me instead of being alone all the time." She nodded her head against her chest, still holding him tightly. She sighed as he slowly rubbed his paw up and down her back and her ears twitched to the friendly contact.

"You smell really nice," Dorian sighed.

"Thanks..." She withdrew her head from his chest and looked up at him. He gazed down at her and swallowed the lump in his throat. Slowly inching closer, Scarlet's lips trembled as her green eyes shown beautifully in the dark room. Dorian parted his lips slightly as he slowly drew closer to her, his eyes lazily closing with every passing second.

They could feel the warm breath that wafted from their noses as the tip of her cold black nose brushed against his pink one. Brushing her paw over his hair, she cupped the back of his neck and they connected lips. His short spotted tail swayed behind him as his toes curled from within his boots. Pulling away from one another, Scarlet still held onto him as her eyes opened, revealing the glinting emerald irises to him as he looked at her, his green and gold feline irises heavily lidded. She withdrew from him slowly and placed a paw onto his chest, feeling his thumping heart against her palm.

Glancing back up at him for a moment longer, she blinked slowly and slid her paw from his chest, smirking as she remembered feeling his firm midsection back at the country store. She looked back at him and then slowly walked up the stairs to her...Dorian's room. "Goodnight," he called to her. She stopped and looked down from the staircase. Blinking, she gave a soft smile.

"Goodnight, Dorian." And she continued up the stairs, leaving Dorian to his thoughts in the dark living room. He sighed, touching his lips and licking the lingering taste from them. She tasted like cherries, sweet and juicy. Looking back to the staircase, he turned around and headed for the sofa, hanging up his coat and unbuttoning his shirt as he lay on the couch, bringing a thick quilted blanket to cover his body as he kicked off his boots, peeling off his socks and wiggling his toes freely.

"Remember Dorian…" He murmured to himself, "That was just an anomaly. Who knows how many men she has locked lips with…it's become second nature for her. Nothing special about it." He sighed and nodded, strangely comforted by the unease that spread throughout his gut. I did nothing to betray Carmelita with that kiss. Dorian smiled, that's all of the reassurance he needed. After all, Blue isn't going anywhere too soon and I'm just not the kind of guy that temptress is interested in.

Staring up at the ceiling, he blinked slowly as each one seemed to sap the energy of his eyes and he drifted off to sleep, mulling over his thoughts and dreams in the comfort of dark slumber.