Hey everyone,
This chapter is going to be really centered around Sly, Murray, Bentley, Guru and Carmelita. Now this might be the last chapter that concerns the 23rd, but I do have plans in regards to this team. After all, now that Carmelita is a part of it, she gets to see the other side of the Cooper Gang; the side that they can't show when out on a heist. And while Guru might have only been part of the team for a bit, he and Murray did grow close while they trained together. And I plan to show both Carmelita and through her you all exactly that.
Let's do this,

Venquine1990
PS. I promise to do other POV's as well, soon. Oh and Carmelita changed back to her first outfit.
PPS. I know that in canon the Cooper Gang doesn't get the van back until the Panda King chapter, but just imagine that it happened in Venice instead of China. Besides, the van came drifting into China, so why can't the same happen in the city of rivers and gondolas?

Chapter 13
The Cooper Hide Out

23rd of June 2007
Cooper Hide Out
Carmelita's POV

Urmila pointed out that it was best for us all if we left the boutique in groups. Mum and dad were the first to leave and told us: "We'll make sure that we're seen away from the boutique for the rest of the day. That way, Barkley won't think that you're using your time off to get back in contact." It had pained me, but I had agreed with their idea. What pained me more was Helena inviting Cheren over to her place, even if it was just to be seen for the same reasons.
Sly had noticed this and had pulled me close as he whispered: "It's only for another 24 hours, love. After that you and your family will be back together, just like when you were still living at home. It'll be just like that, soon enough. Just remember that." His words had greatly comforted me. Michael had gone to pick up his wife and daughter and had, like my family, hugged me tightly and whispered: "You were brilliant today, sis. Exceeded all of my expectations."

About ten minutes after he had left, the gang had guided me over to one of the docking stations of the boutique. I had been impressed to realize that they had driven their van into the storage hallway and parked it in front of a wall that was actually painted the same color as the van. "Now that's a smart way to use camouflage." I thought to myself before Sly, Bentley, Guru and I got into the back of the van, while Murray seated himself behind the wheel.
We had waved goodbye at Urmila and left the warehouse. Sly had, of course, pulled me back into his lap after he sat down and we just cuddled for most of the route. Yet suddenly I notice that there is an impish grin on his face. "What's with you, Sly?" Bentley asks and the racoon answers: "I've just had the birthday of my dreams. It's been so great, I'm willing to bet that, come morning, I'm going to consider the whole thing one beautiful dream."
We giggle and snicker at this and I impishly ask him: "And what'll happen if you spot me after you wake up, huh? Say, in the kitchen or living room or something?" Sly tilts his head back and says: "I can see either one of two things happening. Either I will continue my belief that I am dreaming and make a fool of myself. Or I will realize that I wasn't dreaming and I will prove to you how happy I am that I indeed wasn't."

And because of everything that I realized today, especially in regards to the racoon who has me in his lap, I happily tell him: "Trust me, I will happily let you know that you're not dreaming, Ringtail." My Ringtail grins at me and we share another kiss that is so full of shared love, it warms me from within. Then suddenly Murray exclaims: "Alright, almost there." Instantly I notice Sly's body tense with a strange level of excitement.
Yet at the same time I myself can't help but think: "The day I stopped working for Interpol – is the day I get access to what every officer in Interpol has been dreaming of for the past five years." I try to suppress a giggle at this and snort instead. Then suddenly I notice that the engine has died down and Sly again lifts me up bridal style as he says: "My beautiful Miss Fox, welcome at last to the illustrious Cooper Hide Out."
"Did he just read my thoughts or something?" I think with a grin on my face and Bentley opens the door to the side of the van. Yet while I feel quite impressed with the huge workbench that covers most of the left wall of the garage we are in, I don't really see anything else that is different from most garages. Yet then Bentley moves his wheelchair over to a portion of the paved wall to the right of the door and activates one of his robotic arms.
He stretches out the fingers on the arm and presses the hand into the wall. I notice that the portion of the wall where he presses dents inward and then my eyes widen when a door-shaped section of the wall lights up green. And my eyes widen even more when the same shape moves back and then slides down, revealing a staircase that heads down. "One of Bentley's inventions. The wall there has a special sensor.

It's attuned to my cane, Murray's fist, Bentley's robotic arm and Guru's Moonstone. Only if one of those is pressed into the right indent, the door reveals itself. And you may not have seen it, love, but Bentley pressed his arm against the robotic hand before he pressed it into the wall. That allowed for the second sensor to detect his DNA. If that hadn't been the case, another door would have opened, but that one would have led up, not down."
Sly explains all this to me as he caries me down and while I feel impressed, I ask: "And what about that actual door I saw?""It leads to the front entrance hall of the hotel. We already worked on that one and now it only has the one door leading down here. It used to also have staircases and doors leading to the other floors, but we replaced those for brick wall after brick wall. With steel plates and cement to further fortify the whole thing."

The more I hear, the more impressed I feel. Yet Bentley seems not to notice this as he coughs and says: "Okay, next bit. Our – ahem – living room might not really be the most –.""Aw quit it, Bentley." Murray interrupts him and says: "He was shy and believed our living room to be beneath the standards of the Master as well when he came to join us. But there really is a lot of awesomeness to the room, not to mention that we worked hard to make it nice and cozy."
I grin widely at this and say: "I always tried to do the same with my own living room. It's kind of the whole reason I picked a house with a large living room and guest room, but smaller master bedroom." This seems to confuse Sly and I shrug as I say: "I was already working for Interpol when I moved in and had already operated on a few international missions. I knew that there would be times where I'd be leaving the house late at night, so I could arrive at my destination in the early morning, so I figured I wouldn't be spending much time in my bedroom.

I was right." Sly nods, yet he also smirks and says: "Well, we might need to accommodate our travel times to the time zones across the world ourselves, but trust me when I say this, gorgeous. Every bedroom in this hotel is big enough to fit the van four times over. And each of them is equipped with both a standard wardrobe as well as an indoor closet, for convenience sake." And instantly my mind goes back to the boxes I got out of my cellar the other night.
We reach the bottom of the staircase and enter the living room down below. The walls are made of the same grey paved bricks as the wall of the garage, yet these combined with the few potted plants that hang from the top of the walls give the whole room the same sensation I feel like when I am standing in a Chinese Rock garden. Yet what impresses and confuses me is when I notice several windows with natural light shining through them.

"Ehm, aren't we at least two floors underground or something?" I ask as I had been paying attention to how deep the staircase was going. "Oh yeah, that's another one of Bentley's inventions. It's actually – eh – uhm – damnit, I forget that name every time.""Virtual reality?" I ask curiously and Murray exclaims: "Yeah, that's it!" I stare at the windows that are around the room and feel greatly impressed. "And that's not even Bentley's finest addition to the room. Show her, buddy."
Sly encourages his friend and Bentley's face turns a bit red as he grabs a remote control from the coffee table. I look around, but I feel confused when I can't spot a tv anywhere on the walls. Yet then Bentley aims the remote control for the huge picture of him, Sly and Murray. A single button is pressed and my eyes widen as the picture rolls itself up, with a screen behind it.

"When we first got here, Bentley got an old broken down tv system from a dumpster nearby. He installed a sensor like the one in the garage as well as a few things that allow for the tv to work like a computer. There is also a sensor in the back of the frame. It activates itself when it senses the power of the tv being turned either on or off. The computer stuff within the tv also allows us to use it like a security camera monitor – with cameras hidden in the main front room and the garage."
This explanation reminds me of Sly's speech from earlier. I am actually still in his arms, yet I just don't care. Instead, I just turn my face to him and say: "I can see what you mean. When you said that Bentley and Murray had talents that could help them make name for themselves without their jobs as your teammates holding them back." Sly grins back at me and I notice Bentley rubbing the back of his head, while most of his face is now red instead of green.

"So ehem, Carmelita, which furniture style do you think will fit best here? Out of you and your family, I mean?" Bentley tries to divert the attention away from his invention and even turns the tv off again, the picture rolling back into place. I take another look around and say: "Unless she changed her style over the last few years, I'd say that Helena's would be our best option. She's really into dark water blue and moss green. Pretty sure that will fit here."
The team nods and Sly carries me through a simple hallway that runs parallel with the right wall of the living room. Right in front of the door to the hallway, another door is set and this one leads to a very bright kitchen. White tiles cover the floor, ceiling and walls. The whole left wall is covered by a fridge, a stove, a sink, a dishwasher and a whole lot of cabinets and a pretty long counter. And just in front of the right wall there is a simple kitchen table with three chairs.

"Oh right, we'll probably need a new table as well." Bentley mutters and I smile as I say: "Mum and dad have a table that can extend itself. It usually only houses two to three people, but it can be extended to hold a good 8 to 10. Let's see, the three original Cooper Gang members, a new member and the five members of the Fox family. Yep, should fit just fine. And it's made of dark green, black and grey flecked stone and metal too."
The gang smiles at this and then Sly puts me down as he says: "Alright, onto something that really emphasizes what it means to be a Cooper Master Thief. Follow me, gorgeous." I nod at him and he heads out of the kitchen and into the left side of the hallway. Yet for some reason he leads me to the staircase that seems to lead back upstairs. Here he stops and smirks at me. And after a moment of thinking, it hits me.

"Let me guess. Staircase hidden within the staircase?" I ask with my hands behind my back and my head tilted. Sly's smirk turns into a grin of pride and he says: "You got it, but that's not the only reason this staircase embodies the lifestyle of a Cooper Master Thief." He motions for the two banisters, one on the right that is just a thin beam of black metal and one on the right that is made of dark oaken wood.
This confuses me and Sly says: "These banisters can be used to practice two techniques that every Cooper has been able to use since one of my ancestors, Tennessee Kid Cooper. They're called the Rail Slide and the Rail Walk technique. Watch closely." My eyes widen when I realize that I am already getting my first lesson in the techniques of a Master Thief and instantly I am on full alert. And something I often thought I spotted with Sly happens again.

An aura of ageless power envelops the racoon for almost less than a second before it seems to flow back into his body. Yet because I am much closer to the Racoon this time, I suddenly notice that the power seems to gather itself within the being's lower legs and feet. There might not be any wind in the house, yet I notice the black fur ruffling nonetheless. Then Sly runs at the staircase and jumps. He twists in mid air and lands on the wooden banister.
Sly keeps his arms slightly behind him as he runs up the banister and yet again I spot something that I hadn't ever noticed before. His feet hardly even touch the banister before he makes his next step. The fact that he is this light on his feet while climbing upward and able to keep his balance so well really impresses me, even though I've seen him use this move countless times.
At the top of the banister Sly jumps over to the other. He turns around and then twists in mid air again before he lands on the banister. My eyes widen when I realize that the slim, thin bar of metal is able to hold his weight while he slides down, one arm behind him the other hand hovering above his bent knee. Sly easily jumps off the banister just before he reaches the bottom and lands in front of me, a grin of pride on his face.

"You wanna try, gorgeous?" He asks me and I think: "Could I really be able to gather the same energy I saw him use?" But instead of me asking this question out loud, I decide to just try and see if I can manage without it. I give Sly a nod and he comes to stand behind me. "Remember, the key to these two techniques is balance. You need to remain focused and confident, find your center and control that as you head up. You got that?"
Sly teaches me and I think: "That might have just solved my potential little issue." I nod at him and take and release a deep breath in order to do as said. I take a few steps and then jump. Within the air, I twist my body to the side and yet as I land, something goes wrong. While I stretch out my arms and try to focus on my midsection to keep my balance, I instantly lose control of it. I yelp, but before I can fall down, Sly's arms are around me.
I turn my head and my eyes are wide when I realize that he's on the banister behind me. "Easy there, love. I've got you. Just take your shoes off one at a time. I forgot that this technique is easier when you can wrap your toes around the banister." This makes sense and while I draw strength from Sly's hands wrapped tightly around my waist, I carefully raise first my left foot and then my right. Both of my shoes come off and I put my feet down again.

"You ready?" Sly asks and I look down to make sure that my toes are securely wrapped around the banister. "Remember your center. The toes help, but this technique requires movement and balance more than strength or focus." Sly reminds me and I quickly return my focus to my midsection. I steady my arms and nod. I know I have my eyes closed, but I also feel sure that he nods back at me before he says: "I've got you. Together."
I smile at this and he whispers: "Whenever you're ready." I nod and take and release another deep breath to steady my nerves and further increase my self-confidence. I open my eyes and think: "Now or never." And instead of just taking a single step, I start to dash up. Sly responds instantly, yet his hold on my waist doesn't hinder my balance. Still I keep my focus more on my legs and feet and try hard to move them like I saw Sly did.

Yet suddenly, as I try to take another step and instantly move on, my toes fail to grip the banister and my foot slips. I yelp again, but Sly swiftly moves alongside me and I end up in his arms, bridal style once again. I sigh and feel disappointed in myself, but then I notice that Sly is grinning at me. "You did great. Halfway up the staircase. That's further than I got on my first try." He tells me and my eyes widen at hearing this.
Sly lovingly kisses me on the lips and mutters: "You're a natural, love." He then carries me further upstairs and over to the top of the floor, where the banister turns to the left and goes into the wall. "Just focus on training your balance over here. Maybe try and work on the Rail Slide technique first. I discovered a few years ago that practicing that makes it easier for me to improve on the Rail Walk technique." Sly advises me and I nod in acceptance, yet I also think: "Tomorrow."

Sly puts me down again and says: "Follow me. Before Murray finishes dinner, I want to show you one more thing. Something that is going to be vitally important to your training from now on." Instantly, just like downstairs, I am on full alert. Sly guides me over to the first room on the right of the hallway and my eyes widen in gleeful surprise when I notice it to be a bedroom. And the hat stand with the blue peasant's cap easily lets me know who's as well.
Yet Sly ignores this and suddenly I notice something truly awe inspiring. The hat stand is next to a small balcony, but in the right back corner there is a pedestal with a huge tome on top of it. Yet it is the metal device that is build into the ceiling above it and that shoots protective laser beams into the floor below the pedestal that really awes me. I closely follow behind Sly as he walks over and he uses his cane to tap something on top of the device.

"This is the Thievius Raccoonus. The ancestral manual that has been passed down through my family since Slytunkhamen the first in Ancient Egypt. It not only holds journals on all Coopers that have ever lived, but also various notes on how some of my ancestors developed and created techniques that have improved the family business ever since. Riochi, Tennessee, Salim El-Kupar, Sir Galleth, you name it. All their techniques are in here, even their most powerful ones.
To be honest, I still struggle with a few of those, though I have since learned to master their more famous techniques, the ones that all Coopers that succeeded them have learned." Sly's voice is so full of emotions, it awes me deeply. Awe and pride, glee and strength. Even a deep sense of love. And the same is visible in his eyes as he gazes at the book in front of him. Just for a minute I feel like I'm intruding on something special.

But then Sly seems to regain himself and he hands me the book. My eyes widen and I can't help but ask: "Are you sure?" He nods and says: "Open it on the first page, put your hand on the page and think about the fact that you're now an official member of the gang. Then close and open it again. The book is enchanted, you see. The first few sections are written in ancient texts, but the enchantment will make it look like modern English for you."
More and more I feel awed by the splendor of what is being held out for me. Yet thanks to everything that happened today, I feel my courage from earlier leaving me. I hesitate and ask: "Is it okay if we wait till morning?" Sly nods and the understanding look on his face fills me with relief. He puts the tome back and uses his cane to reactivate the lasers. And as he guides me back down, he explains: "The Fiendish Five stole this from me when I was eight.
After we got it back, Bentley worked himself out of his shell to make sure others couldn't try the same. He first wanted to hide it in an inbuild vault somewhere on this floor, but I felt like it still had much to teach me. And because I should have started learning from it since the night my parents were killed, Bentley developed this security system instead. Though he's actually even more paranoid with this than the other stuff. This system only reacts to my cane and my DNA."

The racoon almost sounds apologetic, but I smile at him and say: "That makes sense. I actually had Michael develop a few security systems for my badge and my own place. He created them by buying some random security systems, taking them apart and then studying their material. He would then put the right stuff back together and merge it all into one system. And then he gives it a paintjob so I can hide it alongside my uniform or the furniture at home."
Sly seems really intrigued and he says: "You should tell Bentley about this. He'd probably love to hear more." I nod and decide to broach the subject over dinner. We return to the kitchen and a delicious aroma hits my nostrils. "Spaghetti with spinach and mushrooms. Just for your birthday, buddy." Murray shouts from over at the stove and Sly has a huge grin on his face.

A few minutes later Bentley's pulled up another chair for me to sit on and the lot of us are seated at the dinner table. Our plates are full of the delicious looking meal and we're peacefully enjoying every bite. Bentley is also, indeed, asking me more information about the stuff I told Sly about and I tell him what else I know about it all. "I don't really have all the details, Bentley, as mostly Michael does this while at home. I do sometimes buy the systems for him though."
The turtle accepts this and after a little more discussion, we finish dinner. But as Sly and Murray clear the table, Bentley says: "We will need to adapt our schedule once the other Foxes come in, guys." We all turn to him and he turns to me as he says: "Ever since we lived together, Sly's always been the one to make breakfast, me lunch and Murray dinner. It's just the meals that we make best, especially because Sly likes to go all out for breakfast, but I manage to keep it short and simple for lunch."

I nod and say: "But with more members, it only stands to reason that you share the responsibilities of the chores somewhat. I get it." Bentley nods and says: "Yeah, let's make sure to discuss this early on Monday, after we got your family moved in here." The others also nod and after Sly and Murray load the dishes into the dishwasher, Sly stretches himself and says: "Good idea, Bentley. But for now, let's let Carmelita pick herself a bedroom and then hit the sack."
Everyone nods and we head back upstairs. Yet as we ascend the staircase, I can't help but ask: "Bentley, why isn't there a lift in the hideout?" The turtle shrugs and says: "Never really felt the need to install one. The first few days, Sly and Bentley would carry me up and down, but I got sick of that. And because I wanted to continue being useful in the field, I just decided to equip my wheelchair in such a way that I could. The first thing I installed was a booster."

I nod in understanding, while I can only imagine how it must have felt to the intelligent little being to be so dependent on his friends for his movement. Then we reach the top landing and Sly explains: "The first door on the right, as you already know, is my bedroom. The second one is Murray's bathroom and the third on the left is his bedroom. Bentley has the third door on the right and the fourth is another bathroom that the two of us use, alongside Guru now.
The first door on the left and the rest of the doors in the hallway all either lead to empty bed or bathrooms." Instantly I feel intrigued again and ask: "Why does Murray have a bathroom of his own? No offense, big guy." The Hippo shakes his head in reply and says: "I actually turned my bathroom into a literal swamp. It might sound weird, but my wilder instinct help bolster my confidence. It's like giving into my primitive nature helps me feel like a powerful beast, you know?"

I may have never experienced this myself, but I do understand him and nod to prove this. Then, just because I'm curious and because I don't really feel like getting too far away from Sly just yet, I head for the first door on the left. I have no doubt that Sly is grinning like a loon behind me and when I open the door, my eyes widen in awe. A floor made of white marble with tiles that depict all of the Olympian Gods.
The walls are a beautiful sunset yellow with a banister on the top and bottom showing off beautiful white Pegasus in flight and white unicorns dashing behind them. There's a small wardrobe with drawers made of gorgeous white wood against the left wall and another one with double doors next to it. The back wall has several windows that are arched at the top and have gorgeous stained glass pictures within the arches, these ones showing off Sirens.
But it's the queen-sized four poster bed that really takes my breath away. There are pillows upon pillows spread across the headboard of the bed, the comforter is lush and thick and the same yellow color as the walls. And best of it all, the four posters that hold up the deep white canopy around the bed are marble white and even look like marble pillars, like the pillars that hold up the ancient temples all over Greece. Yet then I also notice something that confuses me.

"Wait, why is this room so – so clean?" I can't help but ask and Sly wraps his arms around me from behind as he whispers: "Call it me bringing life to a secret fantasy of mine; one that you made reality today." I grin at him and he lovingly pecks me on the lips as he whispers: "Sweet dreams, my love. I already know what I'll be dreaming about tonight." I grin at the cheeky way he hints at the notion that he will dream about me and Sly lets go again.
He heads for his own room and the others do the same. At the doorway, Sly turns his head and winks at me lovingly one last time before he closes the door behind himself. I sigh as suddenly, everything that happened today catches up to me. I feel my body slumping down on itself and think: "I'm not even going to change." And while I do take off the jacket and put away the shoes, I leave the rest on and just cuddle under the covers.
The softness of the comforter, the way that the many pillows support my head and the way that the matrass itself, which I suddenly, groggily realize is filled with water wraps around me works on the drowsiness within me and I feel my mind shutting down on itself. Yet before I fall asleep, I think to myself: "This is the best start to the rest of my life." And a sleepy grin adorns my face as I drift off into dreamland. Naturally dreaming of Sly and how much I love him.

Sweet dreams, Carmelita.
And I got to say, this feels like an excellent way to end the 23rd and start everything else. The next chapter is going to shortly cover the whole team waking up and the Cooper Gang getting used to having their former Interpol Inspector now being part of the team, but then we're going to move onto the rest and the others. Specifically my focus for the next few chapters will be Michael, Helena, Carmelita and Carmen.
Let's do this,

Venquine1990