Chapter 6

Capitan Carmen Sofia Fox sighed wearily as she hung up on her sister, pausing a moment to softly pinch the bridge of her nose and close her eyes, feeling very frustrated at the moment. A moment or two later, she stared down at the letter Carmelita had written her before going off with Cooper. "I cannot believe it," she whispered, "my sister and Sly Cooper. Aiee, what is the world coming to?"

She sat down, glaring at the letter, and continued to grumble and swear softly in Spanish. Finally, realizing that agonizing over something she had absolutely no control over was getting her no where but one step closer to an ulcer, she got to her feet and headed purposefully into her kitchen, intending to do the evening dishes. Just as she stepped into the kitchen, she was startled to find her handsome husband, Carlos, already there…apparently waiting for her.

"A hard day at work, my love?" Carlos inquired, moving over to caress her cheek once.

"Carlos, you startled me!" Carmen exclaimed, then smiled at his caressing her cheek. She loved it when he did that. "Eh," Carmen tried to reply nonchalantly. "Work was not so bad, dear…no, it is my sister that is putting gray hairs on my head."

Carlos frowned briefly, crossing his arms and regarding his clearly upset wife. "Carmelita, eh? So, Carmen my sweet…what is that sister of yours up to now, hmm?" he asked with a smile on his lips as well as in his dark brown eyes.

"Oh no, I'm too angry to say. Here, read it for yourself," Carmen grumped, shoving Carmelita's letter into her husband's hands.

Carlos quirked an eyebrow, but did as she bade him to. As he did so, his expressive eyes became wider the longer he read. "One thing is certain, my love…your parents are not going to like this development. No, not one bit," he told her after he had finished.

"That's why I'm so angry, Carlos," Carmen explained, patting her husband's hand to let him know she was sorry for barking at him earlier. "You see, I just got off the phone with her," Carmen said then, her lips thinning from her frown.

Carlos chuckled, pulling her into a soft hug. "Yes, Carmen…I heard," Carlos teased her, then smiled.

Carmen blushed, but then laughed as well. "I am sorry you had to hear that," she apologized.

"Ah, Carmen…please, don't be," Carlos said truthfully. "We all get angry at times, my sweet. Besides, you do know that you are the most important person in the world to me, yes? Don't you know, I love everything about you, querera. Even that trademark Fox temper of yours, dear heart." Carlos grinned again, his eyes teasing her.

Carmen grinned, blushing, giving her husband a fond embrace and a brief kiss. "Everything?" she teased in return. "Even these ghastly freckles of mine?" she asked, pointing to the sprinkling of freckles that graced her cheeks and the bridge of her nose.

"Ah, Carmen, your freckles…they are not ghastly; they are cute! Just like the rest of you, mi muy bonita senora," Carlos observed before kissing Carmen tenderly and on the lips…a kiss that lingered for quite a while, and left Carmen smiling and breathless.

"Yeah," a most familiar voice then intoned from the doorway. "I agree with Carlos, Carmen…they give you…well, a more youthful---even childish---sort of look, don't you think?"

Carmen and Carlos moved apart, startled, only to have them both sigh a moment later when they saw it was only Kitty standing there. "Hey there, guys!" she said with a wave. "So…do you think I could get one of you to give me a lift home?" Kitty asked. "I really would hate to bother Ling again." As she asked this favor, both Carmen and Carlos smiled, seeing the now bashful Kitty lower her blue eyes, and shuffle her left foot in small circles.

"Ah, Constable Ling Chu," Carlos replied. "How is our favorite Tibetan Constable doing these days?"

"Um, he's…um, doing fine," Kitty replied, still not bringing her gaze up.

"Ah," Carmen teased a moment later. "He is doing much better than fine, Carlos…as he now has himself a lady friend. Did you not know?" Carmen's eyes twinkled.

"Carmen!" Kitty grumbled, her eyes coming up to stare at the grinning Carmen in warning.

"A lady friend?" Carlos parroted, then nodded. "That is good. Every young man needs a young woman to keep him on track. Do I know this lady, my sweet?" Carlos looked over to Carmen inquiringly.

Carmen grinned, looking straight at Kitty. "As a matter of fact…you do, Carlos. Why, because she's standing right over there, in fact!" She pointed over at Kitty, who blushed prettily.

Kitty winced, looking away, her cheeks becoming red. "Carmen," she whined. "You weren't supposed to tell anyone!"

Carlos chuckled, then moved over to gently pat a startled Kitty on the shoulder comfortingly. "I am happy for you, Kitty," he told her. "He is a good man."

Kitty finally seemed to get over her embarrassment. "Well, I know I certainly think so," she told Carlos with a smile.

Carlos laughed. Kitty always liked Carlos' laughter…it was soft and warm and made her smile. "As you should, Kitty," he grinned. "As you should. I know I think my Carmen is the most wonderful woman in all the world." His eyes twinkled at his wife, who smiled and blushed.

"Carlos!" she admonished him, though not very much. "What have I told you about doing that?"

"Sorry, querera," Carlos said in pretend humility. "But, my love, you are so lovely that I cannot help myself at times…"

"You!" Carmen replied, giving Carlos a soft swat on the arm. "Can the flattery already, and come give your wife a kiss."

"Gladly," he said, putting words into action and kissing Carmen. "Ah, the sacrifices we men sometimes make for the women we love…" he observed to Kitty with a grin.

Kitty giggled at their exchange. "Um, not to interrupt all this domestic bliss or anything…but, er, do you think I could get that ride please? I'm getting kind of hungry over here…"

"Ah, my apologies, Kitty," Carmen said a moment later. "Let me get my keys and I will drive you home, dear." She then flicked her hazel eyes over playfully to a still grinning Carlos. "Hold those thoughts, Carlos Diego Fox…I'll be back soon enough, my love…"

Carmen bade Carlos good-bye, keys now in hand, and she led Kitty to her maroon Citroen sedan. As Kitty settled into the plush leather seats of the luxury sedan, she smiled. "So, Carmen, I can see that you've been finally listening to Carmelita's advice," she mentioned.

Carmen put the keys into the ignition, and started the car. She then frowned over at the grinning Kitty. "Oh? What advice would that be, Kitty?" she asked as she put the car in reverse and backed out of the driveway into the street.

"Oh, you know," Kitty said breezily, but her big blue eyes twinkled with mirth, "the ones concerning that next generation of Foxes at Interpol." She then playfully nudged Carmen in the ribs with her elbow. "Know what I mean, Carmen?"

Carmen blushed as she caught on, then gave Kitty a hard look…before she giggled herself. "I see what Carmelita has told me about you is true: that you are impossible, Kitty Petro!"

"Yeah, I am," Kitty agreed, laughing. "But…ain't I just adorable?"

"Oh, do shut up, Kitty," Carmen grumbled while Kitty continued to laugh.

Back at the Cooper residence…

Carmelita sat at the kitchen table, her chin resting upon her hand as she studied the Thieveus Raccoonus with her trademark intensity. So intent was she on what she was reading, she didn't even notice that Sly stood on the other side of the kitchen's island, munching on warmed-up leftovers that were his lunch.

Sly worried about his Carmelita. She was far too hard on herself, he thought to himself. For some reason, she was determined to learn everything the Thieveus Raccoonus had to teach…and as quickly as possible. As a result, it was evident that she wasn't sleeping very well, and he had to nearly force her to eat at regular intervals. Sly couldn't help but be impressed by her dedication. However, that didn't stop him from worrying about her too.

She flipped to the next page, and began to read the journals and readings about one of Sly´s ancient predecessors, an Egyptian raccoon of the name of Slytakamon. As Carmelita read on, she deduced that this Slytakamon fellow had developed a method whereby he could make himself invisible. And, after reading on a bit more, she could see how something like that could come in very handy when one was stealing from the greedy Pharaohs of Egypt. Carmelita then pulled her hair back over her shoulders, lowered her head a bit, and began to read and re-read Slytakamon's instructions on how to grant oneself the power of invisibility.

Sly spooned the last of his casserole into his mouth, still guardedly watching his determined lady love gazing down intently at the ancient book before her. He could see her pause on occasion, then mutter some incantation or some such, then frown when---evidently!---nothing happened. Sly wondered just what trick or technique that had stymied her just now…

"DAMN IT!" she shouted in frustration just then, pounding her small fist on the table top hard enough to make her coffee cup rattle. "Why can't I do this?" she chastised herself, her light brown eyes gleaming. "I said it just like it's laid out in this damn book…but…" Carmelita sighed heavily, closing her big brown eyes, and began rubbing her temples.

Sly looked up in surprise at Carmelita's exclamation. Okay, he told himself, time for the teacher to intercede, I think. He headed over to where Carmelita sat and laid a hopefully comforting hand upon her shoulder.

Carmelita, in a bit of funk still, shrugged his hand off grumpily. "Leave me alone, Cooper," she growled.

"Now now, Carmelita," Sly soothed. "What's gotten you in such a mood today?"

Carmelita bristled initially at his comment, but then bit back her anger, and sighed again. "I---I'm sorry I snapped at you," she told him softly, averting her eyes from his a moment. "It's just so…so frustrating!" she grumbled, then smiled. She then frowned, then looked over guardedly at him. "Am I just too stupid to get this stuff?"

"Carmelita," Sly admonished her sharply. He then softened his tone. "You are not too stupid. In fact, you're not stupid at all." He bent over to look her straight in the eyes. "And, you know it."

Carmelita exhaled explosively, holding her head in her hands. "I know. But, I study and study…and nothing!" she vented. "I'm not used to this, Sly. I never failed at anything at the Academy. Nor in school." She smiled when she felt him softly stroke her dark hair.

"I know," he told her softly, trying to comfort the frustrated vixen. "I'm sure you excelled at nearly everything you've put your mind to, dear heart. But, look…this is all new to you, right? You've been trained your whole life to do things a certain way, you know…the policemen's---or in your case, sweetheart, the policewomen's---way. To serve, protect, and uphold the law. That meant you went were you needed to go---head held high, search warrant in hand, knowing the full force of the law was on your side." He grinned then looked over Carmelita's shoulder into her eyes. "Sound familiar, my love?"

Carmelita grinned. "Yeah, it does," she agreed. "But, what does that have to do with---" She never finished her sentence, as Sly gently laid a finger over her lips.

"Everything, querera," Sly informed her with a gentle smile. "Everything. What's holding you back is a fundamental difference in thinking, Carmelita."

"Huh?" Carmelita said, perking up from her frustration finally. Her black-tipped ears swiveled slightly to listen. "What do you mean, Sly?"

"Only this, Carmelita," he told her, taking a seat beside her at the kitchen table. "You've got to stop thinking like a policewoman, and start thinking like a thief," he told her, taking her hand and squeezing it in his own.

"Wha---?" Carmelita exclaimed softly, then clamped her mouth shut, startled. Suddenly, something clicked inside her head. Sly had a point, she told herself. "Oh-kay. I'll buy that, Sly. So…what do I do?"

Sly had to hand it to Carmelita. She might be stubborn as all get out sometimes…but when she finally understood something, she acted on it! "You know, that's one of things I so love about you, Carmelita," Sly told her. "Once you make your mind up about something, you act on it."

Carmelita smiled, feeling absurdly pleased by his compliment for some reason. Oh, yeah, she told herself…I'm in love with him…that's why! She grinned, turning toward him. "Thanks. But, you still haven't answered my question, buster."

Sly laughed, then leaned over and kissed her cheek soundly. "I've said this many times before…but I shall say it again, Carmelita. What a woman you are!" He grinned at her, seeing her smile back. "Now, as for your answer…" Sly paused, and considered his explanation carefully, taking nearly a minute to craft his response. "Okay. Look, as a policewoman, you were the hunter, okay?"

Carmelita understood that easily enough. "Okay. I'll accept that," she said, clearly encouraging him to continue.

"Right," he said. "But, as a thief…you've got to think like the hunted…instead of the hunter." He then looked at her, gazing into her remarkable eyes…looking to see if he saw comprehension or not. "Does that make sense to you, my love?"

Carmelita toyed with the idea in her mind a moment, then she nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense too. Hmm," she observed, thinking now. "I never would of thought of that. I mean, I thought…well, that words were words, you know?"

"Yes, Carmelita, I do," Sly agreed with her. "But, the words are only a means to teach the techniques. What really matters is how you apply them, dear. I mean, case in point, you are studying Slytakamon's Invisibility technique, right?" Sly said this only after looking down upon the open pages of the Thieveus Raccoonus.

"Yeah, so?" Carmelita replied, interested.

"So," Sly countered. "That trick of my ancient Egyptian ancestor requires deception, cunning, and stealth for it to work properly. Now, my love, exactly how many times would your typical policewoman employ such skills in their line of work?"

"Okay, that's easy: never," Carmelita answered truthfully. "But…" now Carmelita was worried. "But, Sly…does that mean I have to give up my own sense of what's right to be able to perform these tricks in this book?"

"Absolutely not," Sly answered firmly, shaking his head. "C'mon, Carmelita…think! Just who are you most likely to use something like this against?"

"Ah, right," Carmelita said with a grin, understanding. "I'd be using them against criminals." She then narrowed her pretty eyes, thinking further. "Okay then…so, I'd be using this to something like getting past some gang's lookouts then, right?"

"You got it," Sly congratulated her. "So, can you see how you might have to refine your line of thinking, Carmelita? You have to start thinking like prey, instead like the predator, my sweet. It's not a big thing, you know…but it is an important one, nonetheless. Do you understand?"

Carmelita blinked, finally beginning to understand what he was telling her. "I think so. So…what you saying is that what's holding me back is basically my point of view then? That I've been unsuccessful because I'm still thinking like a cop? Like I know that I can waltz in anywhere I want, whenever I want, knowing that I've got my department to back me up?"

"You're getting warmer, sweetie," Sly told her, impressed.

"Instead," Carmelita continued on, warming up to the subject now. "I've got to start thinking like I'm on my own, with only myself to depend on. So, instead of being bold, I've got to be clever. Instead of being methodical, I've got to become inventive. Instead of working as part of a huge organization…I've got to think like I'm alone…"

"Almost," Sly said, nodding his head as she had described the qualities she needed to hone. "Just remember this, querera…you are never alone now," he told her with soft intensity, kissing the back of her hand. "You are part of our team. Part of our family. You can depend on us and---"

"You can depend on me," she finished, feeling a warm rush of…well, contentment.

"Exactly!" Sly agreed, giving her his most loving smile, his quick brown eyes drinking her lovely features in. "So…tell you what, my lovely lady," he added a moment later, when he had his emotions in check again. "Why don't we put your new-found insight to the test, hmm? Here…let me see if I can find you a good one to start off with…you being such a clever girl and all?" His eyes twinkled merrily at her.

Carmelita couldn't help but give him a half-grin. Damn, she thought, I keep forgetting just how charming Sly can really be at times! "Sounds good," she told him. "Show me."

"At once, my beautiful brown-eyed girl," Sly said, then smiled at her, his eyes flirting. He began to flip through the pages of the ancient tome.

Carmelita shivered at his compliment, surprised how she never seemed to become tired of hearing him say such things about her. She grinned as Sly worked, then lifted her hand up to begin to softly rub her hand up and down his back as he perused the book…knowing full well how distracting that could be!

Sly was distracted all right! He felt a shiver of excitement zip up his back at Carmelita's touch, and for a brief moment, forgot exactly what he had been searching for. He laughed softly, then flicked his eyes over to hers, and saw the mischief---as well as love---in her beautiful brown eyes. "If you keep that up, I'll never find that lesson for you, dear heart," Sly admonished with a grin.

"Well, you do this sort of thing to me all the time, Sly," Carmelita pointed out, still rubbing his back, and enjoyed doing it. He had nice smooth muscles and his fur was soft and warm.

"True," Sly was forced to admit. He forced down his excitement, and re-focused on the task at hand, flipping through page after page. "Ah!" Sly finally said. "Here's just the lesson for you, Carmelita!"

Carmelita was intrigued, and nestled her chin down on Sly's shoulder, looking over his shoulder down on the book. "Tennessee Kid Cooper?" she read, flicking her eyes over to him questioningly.

"Yep!" Sly told her. "Most famous thief in America's Wild West. He was responsible for a number of new additions to the Thieveus Raccoonus."

"I can see. Says here that he was the inventor of the Rail Walk and the Rail Slide techniques," Carmelita read aloud.

"Yes he was. And, those are the ones I want you try, Carmelita," Sly told her, softly rubbing his cheek against Carmelita's, whose chin was resting upon his shoulder.

"Okay, Sly," Carmelita said with new purpose. "I'll see what I can do." She paused a moment, then lifted her head up off of his shoulder, and leaned over to kiss him on his cheek for a lingering moment. "And…thanks, Sly. I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart," Sly reaffirmed, getting to his feet so Carmelita could resume her studies. "I'll be around if you need any help," he added. "Not that I think you'll need it now…"

Carmelita smiled at him as he walked out of the kitchen. She then sat down, pulled the book before her and began to read up on the two patented techniques of the famous Tennessee Kid Cooper. Some forty-five minutes later, Carmelita sat back in her chair, mentally reviewing what she had just learned. "Hmm, it certainly doesn't sound that hard," she told herself. "Well…won't know until I try, I suppose…" She got to her feet, and made her way out of the kitchen, heading toward the stairwell.

Once there, she eyed the banister and hand rail questioningly. That rail, which normally looked quite substantial, suddenly looked a whole lot thinner now to her. "All right," she told herself softly under her breath. "Let´s hope this works like I intend it to," she mumbled. She edged up to stand next to the railing leading upstairs. She then mentally reviewed the technique in her head once, then acted!

She leapt straight up, surprising herself in how high a vertical jump she attained, then quickly turned around in mid-air to land softly and surely upon the railing, her position rock solid. "I did it!" she crowed softly to herself, amazed that she had been able to finally perform one of the tricks! She maintained her balance, her left knee bent, her feet solid upon the banister. Then, she grinned broadly and shouted, "SLY!" She couldn't wait to show him exactly what she had managed.

Sly heard her shout, initially thinking she was again venting her frustration. But, there was something in her voice that said that wasn't it at all. He shrugged and dashed toward the sound of her voice. "Yes, my love? What is it, Carm---?" he began, only to stop, dead in his tracks. He stared up into Carmelita's stunning face, seeing how she simply beamed at him as she stood tall, upright, and confidently upon the angled railing. "I told you, Ringtail. I told you I could manage it!" she crowed triumphantly.

Sly beamed right back, his smile lighting up his face, his eyes filled with pride of her. He laughed happily. "Never doubted it for a minute, O Scintillating One," he told her. He watched as she stood there proudly, still showing off for a few minutes longer. "So…are you going to be up there much longer then?" he quipped merrily, eyeing her splendid form. "Because I could probably print up some tickets, charge admission maybe…"

Carmelita blinked, looking down at him. "Admission? Oh, you!" she pretended to growl. "No, I'm coming down…NOW!" she said, jumping up, pulling her legs up and directing herself at Sly.

Sly stepped back, startled, but then moved forward and deftly caught her in his arms. "Nice move there, Carmelita," he congratulated her.

"I know that I liked it," she teased, throwing her arm around his neck. "And, if you liked that one, mister…you're going to just love my next move…" And, with that, she pressed her lips to his and kissed him somewhat heatedly.