Hey everyone,
So I decided on an epilogue after all, however it won't be like anything you would have probably expected. Instead of focusing on Sly and Carmelita or their wedding, I decided on the other pairing that I had been slightly hinting at on and off again throughout the story and that made me feel as if last chapter didn't finish the story.
Have fun, y'all,
Venquine1990
PS. Credits to this story go to Kitty Petro
A few weeks later
Murray's POV
I feel happier than I have done since Sly came out of his room, yet I also feel heavily, heavily worried and part of me wonders how Sly can so calmly be preparing for his wedding when I feel like curling into my ball form just over the fact that, tonight, I will be partaking in the first date between myself and my new girlfriend.
Helena had definitely been shocked that I had asked her to be my date for the wedding, yet she had, after getting over her shock, turned slightly red and even started giggling before she had nodded at me, making me feel exhilarated before Sly had advised me to have a few dates before then so we could prepare for the wedding.
Since then things have been pretty calm; Sly and Carmelita had definitely spend that same night together, yet after that Carmelita had insisted on switching rooms and move in with Sly. Sly himself had tried objecting to this, yet Carmelita had proven she had the deviousness of a true thief in her counter-argument.
She had first played with Sly's attraction to her by moving towards him with a sultry move to her pace and had then used his strongest weak point – his tail – against him to convince him into agreeing with her desires. Bentley had been shocked, yet Helena and Cheren had shared in my amusement over how whipped our leader was.
That night Helena had made things even funnier as she had passed my own room and told me that she and Cheren wondered who would be bedding who on the wedding night and I had laughed hard before agreeing with her. She had then winked at me and just that single wink had made me feel all the happier with our future together.
"And that future now feels so far away, even though it might just start tonight." Goes through my mind, making me gulp and look down, hating yet again how there are just absolutely no stores in all of France that actually make pants in my size as it makes me feel as if I am just too underdressed for what might happen tonight.
Luckily enough, do I still have a pair of pants that belong to a diving suit of mine and Bentley had managed to die them black, yet even though I now have a pair of pants I can put on, do I still feel as if it's just not right as you can clearly see that the fabric is made for water activities and not a fancy dinner at the park.
"Oh god, I really hope I don't disappoint her. I really hope Sly told her of my problem. I really hope Marcus and Sophia took good care of the date location. I really hope I don't mess up this date somehow. I really hope I can continue to win her heart. I really hope she doesn't just want to be and stay friends. I really hope –."
Goes through my mind, but then I hear a male voice say: "I really hope you just get your old self-confidence back already, old pal." And when I turn around in shock, do I see Sly leaning against my doorframe with an amused, confident smile on his face and he asks: "She agreed to come to my wedding with you, didn't she?"
Here I nod, while that alone doesn't do much to ease the nerves in my system and then Sly stands and walks over, slapping me on the shoulder as he asks: "So then, why worry about a simple date? Doesn't that agreement prove that you already have her heart?" And instantly I feel like hitting myself on the head for my own stupidity.
Instead of that do I smile at my best friend and the Raccoon nods back at me as he says: "See, nothing to worry about. Besides, has Helena even giving you any indication that she has high expectations of this date?" At this I shake my head and say: "I should just be myself, shouldn't I?" And Sly nods agreeing as I say: "Thanks pal."
An hour later
Secret location, park
Helena's POV
"Ugh, I hate my mum right now. Why the heck did she think I had to wear a dress as fancy as this on just a simple first date? Murray and I have known each other for months, why does she think this date will change anything? Surely Murray asked me because he noticed how I had an eye on him? Why did she not get that?"
Goes through my mind as I stand at the edge of a small clearing that has a gorgeous high table for two set with fine china and where, on the other side from where I stand, I can see Bentley working on a meal between the trees, his glasses reflecting the small burner he is using to cook the food Murray and I will be enjoying.
Murray had actually wanted to cook the dinner himself, yet Bentley and dad had teamed up and overwhelmed him by saying he should be enjoying the date, not cooking food. At this alone I want to shake my head as I would have actually thought it a very thoughtful gesture if the huge hippo would cook us our first date meal.
"Seriously, it's as if I'm going on a date with my parents and Bentley instead of Murray. Next time we plan a date, we will do it in secret." Goes through my mind, but then I hear something that makes me groan as I look down and see that my hands have been causing all kinds of creases over the bottom of my fancy dress.
"Mum is going to kill me." Goes through my mind, but then I shake my head and think: "Why the heck am I worrying about that on my first date? Honestly, Murray doesn't even seem like the type of guy who cares about how I look or what my outfit looks like, so why should I?" And as I think that, do I hear something.
A soft rumbling of what I can only assume is a van of which the engine has been equipped with a muffler sounds to be coming closer and then I hear a door slamming, which I can only assume is Murray arriving, the sound making me wonder if he got just as annoyed with my parents and the others as I currently feel.
Yet then I get the answer as I actually see Murray stumbling over his own two feet, making him trip over a small simple tree root and instantly, to my utter shock, Bentley is over with him and says: "Murray, really? What is wrong with you? Sophia is going to kill you. Are there any stains on those pants? Let me see."
And with that have I reached my limit of what I can take in regards to this date and with my dress skirt crunched between my hands, do I march over to the two and snarl at Bentley: "For goodness sake, who is dating who here?" Shocking the two men as I then help Murray back on his feet and ask: "Are you okay?"
The Hippo nods, a bit of a blush on his face, but upon closer inspection do I see that the blush actually isn't Murray's natural color and I hit myself on the head as I ask: "Mum got to you, didn't she?""You mind?" Murray asks and I sigh as I open the strapped purse I have on my arm and pull out a few hankies from it.
I then lick one of them and move it across Murray's face, wiping away the blush my mum stupidly put on his cheeks and then another voice speaks and says: "I actually just got his confidence back and then Sophia and Marcus took over. If I hadn't shot a smokeball at them, we might have actually been late. And Bentley, get to the van."
"But I haven't finished dinner yet." The turtle exclaims, yet Sly makes my night as he says: "No, and this isn't your date." Voicing my earlier thoughts and while Bentley cringes, does he then start grumbling as he rolls his wheelchair into the forest and after we watch him all leave, does Sly turn to us and say:
"I'll go see if I can talk some sense into those three. If needed, I can always get them to go crazy over the wedding – even if I think Carm-love will stop either me or them if that happens." And while I want to hug my leader in gratitude, does Murray say it all as he smiles widely and sends Sly a large thumbs' up to which Sly nods in understanding.
The raccoon then leaves us and Murray says: "You go sit down, okay? I'll go – ehm – check on dinner." I nod at him and say: "Sorry my mum tried using you for a mannequin." But Murray just smiles at me awkwardly and says: "Sorry I got so worried about this date that I didn't fight them for control rights."
And I giggle at this before I focus back on my dress, yet when I try to wipe the creases out, does Murray stop me and says: "Don't, it suits you." Making me smile at him and then I look down and ask: "Are those – diving pants?" And Murray turns red as he says: "They are. They – ehm – they're the only ones that fit me."
And while this shocks me at first, do I then smile and say: "They suit you." Making the hippo practically glow with the smile that grows on his face and while I look amusedly down at my slightly crinkled dress, do I move over to the table, feeling that the fine china and the candelabra give off exactly enough of a romantic feel.
"Seriously, a date between a fighter hippo and a fox that is specialized in offense and defensive fights and if you look here, you'd think this is a practice run for someone's debutante ball or something." I then look down and mutter: "I sure as heck look the part." Before sighing and sitting down at the seat that has my name on it.
A few minutes later, Murray comes over with several plates balancing on his large muscles and while this makes me smile, do I also think: "Those three really just got this date all wrong." And then I giggle as Murray says: "Those three really just got this date all wrong. They had things like caviar and small salads standing ready."
I giggle as I hear how ridiculous the hippo thinks this and I ask: "So, I guess that's not what's one the plates you have?" And the Hippo says: "No ma'am, Sly actually had some groceries in the back of the van and took it with him when we came here. So instead, I present 2 cups of fresh mushroom soup and a bit of French bread."
This makes me sigh as that sounds far more like normal food on a simple first date and while Murray sets the table, do I say: "You'd think they're preparing the courting date between two royals or something with what they had in mind." Murray laughs at this and says: "Yeah, they went way over their heads with our date."
And while the way that he says that makes me fight against a bit of a blush, do I then focus back on dinner, yet before I take my first sip of the soup, does Murray say: "You look really pretty tonight, you know." And I smile at him as I say: "Thank you, Murray, and you look dashing too – with our without the diving pants."
And while the Hippo turns red, do I giggle at him to prove I was just joking and the hippo happily joins in as we laugh together before starting to eat, talking about small simple things and making another few jabs at how ridiculous Bentley, mum and dad took this date. Then Murray takes the plates and moves back into the woods.
I watch him go and think: "And they thought this would be something that would ruin the date. I just think it's thoughtful, really. Do they even know us?" Yet then I decide that I have focused enough of this date on the ridiculousness of my parents and Murray's best friend and lie my focus back where it actually belongs; with Murray.
Back at the Hide-Out
Sly's POV
"You have got to be kidding me." My darling fiancé snarls as she hears me telling her where I had been and why I had been gone for longer than she had expected as she knew only of me going to comfort Murray and I shake my head at her before she turns her furious form at her parents and Bentley and asks:
"Have you three gone crazy or something?" To which her mum says: "We just wanted them to have a proper date." To which Carmelita groans, whereas I just roll my eyes as this isn't the first time I heard that argument over the last few weeks and then my beloved asks: "Why would Murray want a proper date over a fun date?"
"Proper can still be fun." Her dad says, but Carmelita snarls: "Not for Murray! He's nothing like that! He's not Sly!" And while this makes me swell with pride, do I then say: "And Helena is not much different. Yes, she could easily act like a proper lady for certain missions, I have no doubt, but that's not her.
The whole reason she and Murray fit so well is because they can both act like proper people for certain missions, but they would only be able to do so for a certain amount of time and only if it has a deeper, mission-based purpose. Doing it for the sake of them having fun? That's not them." I try to emphasize the last three words.
"Are you saying you know our daughter better than us?" Sophia suddenly asks and while I wonder why she would even think that, does Carmelita defend me as she says: "No, he says that you are getting so into the date aspect of this all, you're forgetting who the dates are." And while this shocks the two, do I turn to Bentley.
I then pull something out of the bag I had taken with me and ask: "Filet mignon with a miniature bay leaf? Who the heck did you think you were cooking for?""Why did you take that with you? That was the main!" Bentley practically screams and Carmelita groans as she looks at how high-class the plate and dish look before another voice says:
"We preferred the tagliatelle with salmon and spinach more, thank you." And we all look at the entrance where Cheren, Helena and Murray are standing and I feel like snickering at how ruffled the latter two look and instantly Sophia asks: "What happened to you two? Look – look – look at you! Look at your outfits."
And Cheren says: "Yeah, they look like they had fun! Oh, how horrible." And his sarcasm makes me try to hold back some snickers as Murray says: "We just ate the meals Sly left for us, had a lot of fun talking and then got to some joking as we cleaned up, which turned into us sparring a little on our way back to the van.
By the way, thanks for picking us up, Cheren." The Hippo says and Cheren shrugs as he says: "I could tell that mum, dad and Bentley would be in their unreasonable moods and didn't really feel like sticking around. You both looked hilarious, by the way, when you came out of those woods, Helena trying to make Murray surrender."
"I almost got him too – didn't I?" Helena asks unsurely and while I can hear Sophia sputter over the idea of her daughter sparring with her date on her date, does Murray smile at her as he pulls her close against his form and lovingly tells her: "Best sparring partner I ever had. Sorry Sly." Yet I shrug and happily tell him:
"No problem, pall. If she's as great as you say, it'll just make her even more perfect for you. Besides, tell me the truth. How great did you feel trying to sweep her off her feet?" And the way that Murray's smile widens and covers his whole face as I ask him that tells me everything I need to know and I say: "There you go."
Helena then giggles in a bit of embarrassment and says: "You really trained him great in that, Sly. What with you going after my sister for years. Murray knew exactly what he had to say to make me feel special all throughout the date. It was brilliant all throughout. Thanks for a great night, Sly. You too, Murray."
I nod at her and Murray happily asks for her hand as he leads her up to the bedrooms, her words having stopped her mother from sputtering and when the two are gone, does Bentley ask: "I – I don't get it. Why – why did she – why did she thank Sly?" And Carmelita groans in disbelief before Cheren comes over and says:
"Because Sly kept one thing in mind while he comforted Murray and while he switched your high-class dinner for Murray and Helena's simple meals." The three planners look at the younger fox with confused looks and Carmelita says: "Sly kept in mind who's date this was." And the three turn red, finally getting the message.
This makes me roll my eyes, but then I look at Carmelita and say: "Love, promise me one thing." My fiancé nods as she looks at me and I say: "If these three try with our wedding what they tried with Murray's date – that we'll flee and elope." And while the other three look shocked, does Carmelita giggle and say:
"I was thinking the same thing. You got yourself a deal, Ringtail." And while I feel like I properly warned my future in-laws and best friend about their over-excessive behavior, do I happily wrap my arm around my future wife's waist and move her over to the staircase, ready to cuddle with her in bed and call it a night.
A perfect date night.
The end
And there we have it.
I will admit, it's not all that long, yet I had a lot of fun and I feel like the story is much better finished now. Murray and Helena grew properly close, a bit of Sly Cooper craziness was thrown into the end of the mix and Sly proved that he knows his biggest friend as well as his sister-in-law to be better than others.
Now I will be honest with you; this time the story really is over and done with. I have no interest in writing the wedding, that happened with True Family and I don't feel like ending two stories with a similar plot. There might be a sequel – read might – but for now, consider the story finished and the pairings happily ever after.
Sorry, I had to,
Venquine1990
PS. Credits go to Kitty Petro.
