"Ok girls! Hurry up!!" John said, his backpack sliding off his shoulder. Nadeen had her guitar on her back and a suitcase in her hand. Kat's drums were already in the van that was going to take them to Sicily. Claire ran outside to the van. Nadeen followed and stopped in her tracks. The van seemed so familiar. It brought back memories of the Cooper Van. She ran to the back and loaded her instrument and luggage then sat in the passenger's seat. The driver was helping Kat, Claire, and John with their luggage. She ran her fingers over the dashboard and smiled. The driver finally got in the van and started the put the key in the ignition. Nadeen noticed it had the Cooper calling card on its keychain.
"So how's 'The Murray' been?" She said staring at the dashboard.
The driver turned to Nadeen in shock,"I'm sorry," he started," who?"
She looked up at him,"Don't you recongnise me?" she said, a smile creeping onto her face.
The driver narrowed his eyes and gasped,"N-Nadeen? Is that you?"
Nadeen removed the black sunglasses that hid her hazel eyes and looked at him,"The one an' only!"
"It's been so long! How are you?"
She sighed,"I've been fine, just a little busy. That's all. How 'bout you?"
He started the van and began to pull out of the parking lot of the hotel,"I've been ok, I needed a job and this was the only one I could find."
"How's Chloe?"
He sighed sadly,"I...we broke up..."
Nadeen was surprised,"You what?! I didn't think you two would break up! What happend?"
"I-I'd rather not talk about it..."
"Oh...ok." She looked down at her feet.
"So, how come you
left?"
Nadeen sighed,"You know...all that stuff that
happend with Sly...I couldn't take being depressed any longer, I had
to leave."
"I see that payed off! You're finally putting your voice to good use." He said with a smile on his face.
"Yeah...Sly always said I could be famous..." She put her hands behind her head and closed her eyes. The rocky path made actually relaxed Nadeen and she dozed off.
When she woke up, they were in Sicily. She rubbed her eyes and lazily got out of the van. Murray had already gotten her guitar out of the back and handed it to her,"Good luck." He smiled. Nadeen smiled back,"You too." She caught up with the band, her tail swishing behind her. The hotel they were staying at was swamped with reporters waiting for them. John turned to the girls,"On the count of three, run like hell until you get to the elevators. I'll hold off the paparazzi." They nodded,"One...two...THREE!!" The three girls shot off into the hotel and ran to the elevator. Nadeen pushed the 'Open' button atleast a thousand times. The paparazzi started to run to them. "C'mon c'mon c'mon!!! Open already!!!" The metal doors parted and the three girls ran in. They all gave sighs of releif. Kat pressed the sixth floor button. They felt the wires pull up the elevator. The cheesy elevator music gave Nadeen a headache. She rubbed her temples and sighed.
"You ok Nadeen?"
"Eh...yeah, I'm fine...just been thinking lately."
"Uh oh, Nadeen's been thinking! Sound the alarm!" Claire said in a joking tone.
Nadeen smiled and shoved her friend playfully,"Shut up!" The elevator stopped at the sixth floor and they all got out.
"Here it is. Room 613." Nadeen slid the keycard into the handle and unlocked the door. The room was bigger than their last one. A double king-sized bed was in the middle of the room. A mini-fridge stood against the wall and a plasma flat screen television in front of the massive bed. Nadeen, Claire, and Kat dropped their insruments and jumped on the bed. "This is the life..." Nadeen said, almost falling asleep. John ran through the door panting,"Those reporters won't shut up!!!" He dropped his bags,"Well, c'mon, let's go. We have to go to a CD signing." The girls sighed and walked out the door.
"Wait a sec John, are we gonna be mobbed out there?"
"No! Of course not! Two of Italy's Interpol officers will be protecting you."
"Interpol?"
"It's a proffesinal officer orginization or somthing. Now let's go!" He shoved them out the door and into the elevator.
Outside was a black stretch limo. Two Interpol officers, a female fox who looked like she had better things to do and a male raccoon who seemed to be enjoying the fox's company, leaned against the limo. Nadeen stared at the raccoon. He didn't notice her staring. The fox nudged her partner and they faced the band. Nadeen and the raccoon's eyes met and she knew who it was. Sly...She didn't recongnise her old boyfriend in the Interpol uniform.
"Inspector Carmelita Fox and Constable Sly Cooper reporting for duty."
Nadeen heard Kat snickering at the word, 'Doodie' and stepped on her foot. Nadeen glared at Carmelita, who seemed to be ignorant to the fact her younger sister was staring right at her. Nadeen opened the limo door and sat down on one side. Kat and Claire sat next to her while the officers sat across from them. To the band's surprise, Sly and Carmelita didn't go crazy even when they were sitting a mere two feet across from one another. The back of the limo was silent until Nadeen broke the silence,"I'm surprised you two aren't going crazy even when you're sittin' a few feet away from us."
Sly stretched his arm around Carmelita. Nadeen tried to keep her rage under control, but seeing her ex cuddling up to her sister made her furious,"Well, if you come in contact with as many celebrities as we do, you learn how to control the inside fanboy." Sly said smiling at Nadeen. After that no one spoke until the limo stopped infront of a music store.
Everyone got out of the limo and walked toward the music store. Nadeen caught up to Sly and whispered into his ear,"Miss me?" her warm breath made his ear twitch.
"What?" he whispered back.
Nadeen pulled him away from the crowd,"Oh c'mon. You remember me right?"
Sly seemed confused.
Nadeen pulled her hair up and removed her sunglass.
Sly's eyes bulged out,"Nadeen!?!"
She rolled her eyes,"Finally, I thought you'd never find out." He threw his arms around Nadeen, but she pushed him away,"What do you think you're doing? I didn't say I forgave you!"
"Forgave? What'd I
do?"
"Are you seriously that clueless?"
Sly put the peices together,"You mean me leaving?"
"No, I mean the awful outfit you're wearing. Yes for you leaving! How could you?"
He looked down at his feet guiltily,"I...I..."
"You what?"
"I..don't
know..."
Nadeen sighed and put her sunglasses on again,"Of course you don't..." She turned away and walked to the music store.
"Nadeen wait!"
Nadeen turned sharpley,"It's Kris to you." She turned back and kept walking, leaving Sly to wonder what just happend.
"Where's Kris!?!?!" A crazed fanboy yelled. Fellow fans started to yell,"We want Kris! We want Kris!!" Nadeen turned invisible and snuck to Kat and Claire. She turned visible and sat at the CD table. Carmelita stood next the Nadeen, fully alert of her surroundings. As Nadeen signed autograph after autograph, she was debating weather she should tell her who she was or if she should wait. I'll wait..she might over react if I tell her now... Nadeen kept signing autographs until the last fan left. The whole band leaned back in their chairs and rubbed their writing hands.
"I don't think I'll EVER get used to signing autographs." The fox said, standing up and walking to the door. Carmelita cut in front of her and opened the door. She walked out smugly after not saying a word. Nadeen followed out the door to see Sly leaning against the limo. The black mask like patch of fur around his eyes seemed damp. She walked to him,"You been crying?"
He stared at her and rubbed his eye,"No."
Nadeen didn't feel sad or guilty when she saw Sly. He deserves it...she opened the limo door and sat down. Sly sat across from her. Kat and Claire sat down next to each other. Carmelita sat next to Sly.
"Your manager hired us to be your permanent guards."
Nadeen was awestruck,"He what?!"
Carmelita looked at Nadeen with a strange calmness,"Yes, do you have a problem with that, Miss Kris?"
She narrowed her eyes,"Em...no. I don't."
The Interpol officer smirked and leanded back,"Good." The rest of the ride was silent.