Hey everyone,
Well, we're not quite done diving into Carmelita's backstory just yet, but this time we're going to cover a less than pleasant part of her backstory. Also, I don't think I need to mention this, but this whole backstory is my own personal headcanon, at least for the sake of this story. If I ever write another Sly Cooper story with this pairing – which I most likely will – I'll probably write a different kind of backstory for her, maybe even with just her parents, but no siblings or something.
We'll see,

Venquine1990

Chapter 10
Barkley, A Wish And A Plan

23rd of June 2007
Urmila's Boutique
Helena's POV

Sly and Carmelita really were only out for a few minutes and while I don't know Sly all that well yet, I know he wouldn't be able to please my sister that quickly. Carmelita also doesn't even look like she just got kissed madly or anything of the sort, though I definitely heard what she whispered to Sly before they left and understand why they left. I feel a newfound respect grow for the racoon within me and can understand a little more why Carmelita likes him so much.
Yet there is one aspect of her life that still bothers me, and not just for the reasons we shared with Sly and the others earlier. Because of this, I'm not looking at my sister or the others. I have my arms crossed and a grimace on my face while I look out into the distance. Bentley, who went to get the cake, is the first to notice this and asks: "Something wrong, Helena?" I still deeply appreciate his reaction to the recording, so I trust him and say:

"It's that whole thing with Barkley." Bentley himself also grimaces and Carmelita sighs: "Can't we just ignore that for today, Lena?" To which I retort: "It's not he himself that bothers me, sis. It's the fact that this is the second James Barkley that treats you this way. Papa telling Sly and the others about your first prom reminded me of this." The eyes of my parents and siblings widen as they realize this, while the others share a confused look.
Yet Sly turns to Carmelita with a concerned and even jealous look in his eyes and asks: "There was another Barkley that troubled you?" Carmelita sighs and mutters: "Yeah, a dog that was also named James Barkley. He went to High School with me and he – ironically enough – got a lot of threats that he would be suspended if he ever tried to get handsy with me again. And I consider it ironic, because Barkley constantly threatens me with suspension if I don't catch you."

Carmelita shows a wry smile, but the others and I don't share in this with her. Bentley even goes so far as to lift the cake off of his wheelchair and open his laptop and he instantly starts to furiously work on it. "Can't this wait till tomorrow, Bentley?" Carmelita asks him, but he answers: "I just want to see if there aren't any other unexpected coincidences or links between the two, that's all." Carmelita nods and, while she obviously feels a little resigned, she tells him:
"I went to Shoreless Lake School in Murcia. I went there from when I was 14 to when I was 18, so from 1995 to 1999. It was in Class 3A, my 11th grade, where it all began. Though that James Barkley was 1 year in my senior and the current one is a good five years older." Bentley nods at all this and seems to implement all of this information into his search. My eyes widen when I realize that he must have hacked into the school's computer system and that he is going through their student records from over almost a decade ago.

"Cooper's gang was always considered notorious, because the brain of their operation was considered a legend among both sides with how good he was in cracking codes and hacking into other people's systems. But that he can hack into the system and listen to Carmelita at the same time – wow." And I only need a single look at Michael, who I know is also quite the techno nerd, to know that the leopard is both impressed and feeling like he found someone who can challenge his skills.
Then suddenly Bentley's head rears up and a confused look adorns his face as he says: "What? That can't be right.""What's the matter, Bentley?" Sly asks him and his words confuse us: "The James Barkley I was able to find from back then. He doesn't have any personal file. No records of his wrong doings, no document describing his date of birth, nothing. There is only his graduation picture and a few from yearbooks. But nothing else. Not even his grades are listed.

It's almost as if this kid doesn't even exist, outside of the pictures." Cheren and I share another look and dad says: "That can't be right. I personally got him arrested by the police of Murcia at least twice. Yeah, his old man bailed him out, but he did have a restraining order that kept him from being in the same room with my daughter, even if it was only for a few months." Bentley frowns and asks: "Do you remember the date of when that order was signed?"
Dad nods and says: "I do. It was on the 14th of May in 1998." And my eyes widen a little as Bentley seems to seamlessly move from the school's computer system to the system he will probably need for this. This time Michael seems unable to resist and he asks: "Mind if I watch you work? I sometimes have to hack the systems of criminals, so I have some experience with what you do. I sincerely appreciate technological talents like yours."
Bentley sends him a short grin as an answer and while Michael watches him work from over his shoulder, the turtle's fingers fly across his keyboard like a madman. And the look of intense concentration on his face is only broken by the grin of personal pride and enjoyment that is also spread across his face. I can even see a look in his eyes, through his thick glasses, that proves he is being challenged by some kind of security and enjoying it.

"Aha, got it. Let's see what this can tell me." Bentley says shortly and then his fingers seem to move across his keyboard even more ferociously. He also moves his head closer to his computer and the look of enjoyment is off his face and replaced with intense concentration. I feel truly awed by the dedication and hard work the turtle is willing to put into all this and after about five more minutes, something happens. To the shock of us all Bentley shout: "OH FOR THE LOVE OF MY MOTHER'S SHELL!" As he slams his laptop shut with intense force.
"Bentley?" Carmelita asks and Bentley lets out a growl, which I didn't even know turtles could do. Then he explains: "In order to sign that restraining order, James Barkley had to submit his date and place of birth. I traced that back and compared it to the James Barkley of today. I also looked up his parents and found them to have the same names as our current Barkley. Then I did a picture comparison and – AGAIN they were one and the same.

You are still dealing with the same Barkley as you did all those years ago. He just pretended to be a dog, though I can't seem to find a reason behind this in anything I searched up about him." Most of us are shocked and the jaws of my siblings and me are all slack. Yet Sly, Michael and Murray don't share in our shock. Instead they are frowning with the same looks of furious rage on their face as Bentley. But then mama asks: "But if that is the case, then why did he wait until after Clock-La to start treating my daughter the way he did?"
Michael has the answer to this. "Because he first needed to cover his bases. I hardly worked at the office while Carmelita was considered a fugitive, so I don't really have any memory of what went on at the office back then. No doubt Barkley used Neyla's disgusting smear campaign for his own sick and twisted plans. That's why those on my floor constantly looked so confused when they saw me be offended over Barkley giving Carmelita a hard time."

This does explain a lot, but then I notice something that shocks and confuses me. "What's so funny?" I ask my sister, who seems to be holding back on giggles. The others also look at her with wide eyes and she says: "I finally get why Barkley is so obsessed with all those times I failed to catch Sly. It all makes sense now. And it's just utterly stupid and proves how high Barkley thinks of himself." I slowly shake my head as my sister really doesn't make any sense.
Carmelita grins at us all and then lovingly turns to Sly, even if I wonder for myself if she's aware of the emotions with which she is staring at him. "He's jealous. Barkley considers you competition to my affections and wants you out of the way. He is under the stupid impression that, once you are behind bars, he can have me all to himself. That's why he's being so disgustingly stupid. He's fighting a losing battle and he's trying to deny it to himself."

Yet while there is a tone of humor and love in Carmelita's voice, I share a look with Cheren that says: "I really don't see the humor in this." And my brother just shrugs back at me. And Sly seems to share our emotions as he stares back at Carmelita and says: "That's not something to laugh about, Carmelita. Especially because he doesn't want you for who you are. He only cares for you physically, when you have so much more to offer anyone who is lucky enough to know you."
And then Carmelita makes everything better. She lays her head sideways on his shoulder and mutters: "And that is why I will never be his. I already belong to someone else, Sly. Someone who really knows what it means to like someone. Someone who really knows what it's like to treat a woman right." And this does the job. Sly grins back at her and gently kisses her on the head, just beneath her ponytail as he whispers: "Always, gorgeous. Always."

Sly's POV

"Alright, enough of all this. It's cake time." Murray shouts for all to hear and we all grin at him. I absolutely love that I still have Carmelita close to my form, especially now that I know that she is still being bothered by her stalker from when she was in her teens. I then look just past my big friend while Cheren carefully lights the single candle, in the shape of the number 23and notice another copy of the same picture I was staring at with Carmelita while I thought she was a statue.
This reminds me of the things her father told me while she was away and one part of that story rings in my head. Ever since then I have been dreaming that, one day, she would meet her prince. She did, Sly, when she met you. I send a swift smile at the man and when Bentley says: "Well, you already have your greatest wish, but – if you know something to wish, you should go ahead." And while it's only a single candle, I still breathe in and out hard.

"I wish to prove myself worthy of Marcus' words. I wish to prove myself worthy to one day be called his son by name and right. To prove I am as much his son as my father's." This wish goes through my mind as I blow out the single candle and the others all cheer. And whether she realizes what I wished for or not and how it will definitely affect her future from now on, Carmelita pushes herself close against my side with her arm around my waist and kisses my cheek. I grin at her and then remember that the cake was actually in her face.
Yet the fox doesn't seem to care for this, but then, just when Bentley wants to cut the cake, she seems to get an idea. "Bentley, wait just one minute." The turtle sighs and raises an eyebrow at her. She grins at me and then moves over to whisper something in his ear. His eyebrows rise and behind his glasses I'm sure his eyes widen. Carmelita winks at him and slowly he starts to grin. "You've got five minutes." He tells her.

The girl nods and then gives me a hint of what she might be planning as she asks: "Urmila, can you help me real quick?" The snake obviously knows as much as I do, but she still giggles and follows the fox out of the room. "Oh boy, the last time Carmelita whispered one of her ideas in another's ear, she had an idea for Halloween to go Trick or Treating. This ought to be something." Cheren mutters with his arms crossed.
I turn to him and ask: "How was that?" Cheren grins and says: "There was actually a competition for the Best Costume of the Night that year. And thanks to my hermanita's little plan, we won first, second and third place respectively. And the prize was exactly the amount of money she still needed to collect to buy a new game console that she had been trying for almost a full year to save up for. Though Helena and I did give her our prize money as well, to thank her for her idea."

Now I feel even more intrigued and I ask: "What was it?" Helena giggles and says: "It might not be really original, but Carmelita knew just how to give an original twist to it. It was Cleopatra and one of her personal maids and Julius Caesar. But instead of Carmelita or me being Cleopatra, it was Cheren. Though he looked like a war general Cleopatra, not a Pharaoh. And instead of a personal maid, I looked like a first rank soldier. And Carmelita actually made Caesar look pretty instead of tough and heroic or something or the sort."
Bentley, Murray and I are all looking both amazed and impressed and Carmen giggles as she says: "I still have a few pictures of that back at home. I'll make sure to take them with me when we come over to move in with you guys." I nod, but then a thought occurs to me that confuse me. "But, if that's the case, why did you only send Carmelita away and not me, Bentley? I mean, surely she told you that she was going to change."

The turtle grins and says: "She sure did, Sly. But your costume is already perfectly fine for the occasion she had in mind." I raise my eyebrow at my turtle brother and look down at the tux I am wearing. Then the door opens and I turn my head that way. And instantly I feel like I died and went to heaven and actually feel my body collapsing in shock. Yet while I fall down and off my couch, my eyes stay glued to the symbol of divine beauty that now stands before me.
A ballgown with white bodice and broken white cloth over the bodice and a rose pendant right in between her cleavage. A lighter white underskirt and broken white overskirt that flares from the hips to the sides, properly showing off the lower skirt and with a white layer of frills underneath it. Broken white sleeves that reach down to the elbows, where soft white lace flares out across half the lower arms, with an embroidered rose attaching the lace to the sleeves.

My eyes, for the shortest of seconds, swiftly move to the picture of my fantasy wedding and back to the stunning sight in front of me and all I can think is: "This – this – this –." And while I can't really think, I mutter: "I was so wrong." The others all look at me confused and I swiftly try to get up. I almost trip over my own tail, but then I manage to stand on my own two feet. By now Carmelita has moved over to me and while she moved it almost looked as if she was gliding on air or something. She stands right in front of me and I mutter:
"There is no way I could ever fantasize about – about something this – this perfect." It takes me a total of three tries before I can properly manage to find the proper words to describe how I feel, as my mind still feels stuck on my own disbelief over how simple and plain my fantasy of our wedding had been. Not to mention that it seems unable to focus on anything other than the wedding dress that Carmelita wears, complete with wedding veil that is attached to her ponytail.
And even Carmelita's grin makes me feel like I just told her my wedding vows and swore my life to her or something. Then, while amazing me all the same, Carmelita reminds me of what we are doing here as she whispers: "I just thought it'd be fun if we could cut the birthday cake together. And seeing that nice little picture that hangs just behind Murray – I couldn't resist." And the only way I can think of to answer to that – is to once again kiss those gorgeous lips. And while tears prick my eyes, I almost feel like I am kissing my bride. "Bride to be." I think to myself, remembering my wish.

You got it, Sly.
Okay, I am going to have one more chapter cover Sly's birthday party, though it's actually going to be about the Fox's decision to join the Cooper Gang and the consequences that might have for them and their living arrangements. There are going to be plans that will be discussed and then, finally, we will move on and cover Sly taking Carmelita to the Hide Out. Okay, so there are going to be one, maybe two more chapters to cover the 23rd.
Had to happen,

Venquine1990