Author Note: I had hoped to put this chapter up yesterday, but a fierce storm had occurred and knocked the power out. My apologies.

Chapter 7: Aftermath

Sly and Bentley awoke to the sound of panicked kids, angry adults, and a death glare from Carmelita. Sly gave a mighty yawn and looked at Carmelita innocently. "What's up?"

Carmelita grew even angrier. "What's up? WHAT'S UP!!? All of the presents have been stolen, that's what's up! And I know you have something to do with it," she yelled, poking her finger hard into Sly's chest. She looked so angry that if looks could kill Sly would drop like a fly.

"How do you know it was me? By the way, would you stop pointing your finger in my face?" Sly knew that making her even angrier was a very bad idea but he just couldn't resist the urge.

"I'll point my finger in your face and I'm going to point my foot somewhere else if you don't fess up your crimes!" She looked like she was ready to tackle Sly to the ground and beat him to an inch of his life.

"Again, how do you know it was me? If you plan on working for Interpol one of these days it would probably be a good idea to find proof before making bold assumptions like that." The stunned look on Carmelita's face was priceless. Sly wished he had had a camera with him. Unfortunately, the stunned look slowly transformed into the most vicious and foul death glare he had ever seen. "W-well, Bentley and I had better go now..." He let out a nervous chuckle before whispering to Bentley, "Let's get out of here, buddy. She's murderous at the moment. I must've really ticked her off."

As Sly and Bentley walked through the halls of the orphanage they were constantly thrown menacing stares from everybody. Bentley was as nervous and twitchy as a beaten dog but Sly was confident and smiled smugly to himself. "Relax, Bentley. They can accuse us all they want, but they have absolutely no proof that it was us."

"B-but-"

"I said relax. Nothing is gonna happen to us." They stopped dead in their tracks as Mr. Mendez blocked their path. "Uh...Good morning, Mr. Mendez. I hope this morning finds you in good health."

"Suck up," Bentley muttered. Sly elbowed him hard, but only hurt himself due to the hard shell.

"Sly, I'm not going to waste anytime. I demand some answers from you." He pulled out the blue thief card Sly had replaced the golf trophy with. "Instead of my beautiful, solid gold, hard earned, well earned, shiny, finely polished..."

"Is he ever going to stop with the adjectives," Bentley whispered to Sly.

Sly raised an eyebrow questioningly. "What's an adjective?"

Bentley mentally slapped himself. "I should have known..."

"...God blessed golf trophy, I found this card."

Bentley became white as a sheet, but Sly managed to keep his cool. "And what does that have to do with us?"

"I've been alive for over sixty years, Sly. I know that this card is used by the Cooper family. Your dad put one of these inside of the safe of a near-by casino after he looted it."

Sly quickly realized Mr. Mendez's error. "Time to play the pity card," he thought mischievously. Sly put on his best hurt look and said in an overly dramatic hurt tone, "My father died a few weeks ago. How could you still accuse him of stealing? HOW COULD YOU!!?" Sly fell to his knees and covered his face with his hands, making large, fake sobs.

Mr. Mendez took the bait hook, line, and sinker. "Sly...I am so sorry. I should never had said such a thing. Please forgive me." He reached into his pocket and pulled out one hundred dollars. "Please, take this as a token of my apology." He stuffed the wad of bills into Sly's hand and went back into his office.

Sly's eyes became dollar signs. "Hehehehe. There's a sucka born every minute, eh Bentley?"

"Indeed there is, Sly." Sly and Bentley turned around to see Big Burt, a goat that was the biggest bully at Happy Campers, waving a set of pictures around. "I's caught you two's stealin' presents last night and took some pics of you's in 'da act. Unless you's give me a share 'o 'da cut, I's gonna tell Mr. Mendez. You's two's got two hours." He then walked away.

"Did you understand a word he said," Bentley asked Sly.

"He spoke in gangster dialect. My father made me learn many dialects in case I was ever in an area where it was spoken. Basically, he said that he caught us and took some pictures. We've got two hours to agree to give him a share of our profit before he rats on us to Mr. Mendez." Bentley looked so scared that he might faint. "But no worries, Bentley. I stole this-" He pulled out an expensive looking camera. "-off of Mr. Mendez as well. What do you say we switch Burt's pictures with some..." His eyes landed on the entrance to the girl's shower room. "...some other pictures. Not only will we be safe and sound, but Mr. Mendez will be furious at Burt." Sly smiled mischievously.

"Are you thinking of doing what I think you're doing," Bentley asked nervously.

"I am." Sly began making his way to the shower room.

"But what if you get caught?"

Sly stole a bandanna off of a passing kid and wrapped it around his face. "I won't get caught."

Bentley gasped loudly as Sly charged into the shower room a maximum speed. He heard clicks of a camera, panicked screams, and a painful sounding slap that was followed by Sly cursing up a storm. Sly burst back out of the shower room, grabbed Bentley, and ran inside of the janitor's closet. "Sly, are you crazy!?"

"Shhhhhhh...Relax, Bentley. I's got 'da pics," he said quietly, mimicking Burt. He handed the pictures to Bentley. "You want a look?"

Bentley blushed deeply. "W-what!? NO!!! I-I'm not like that at all!"

"Whatever," Sly said. "Anyways, let's hunt down Burt. We've got some picture swapping to do."

It took them a while to find him. They found him outside talking to a group of friends. "So how do we swap the pictures without getting caught?" Sly said nothing but, to Bentley's amazement, pulled out a Volcano 58,000 firework.. "Where'd you get one of those!?"

"Stole it off of Fraley." He stuck a smaller firework up underneath of the Volcano. He pulled out a match and lit the wick of both of the fireworks. "Watch and learn from the master." He ran into the social circle of the bullies and set the Volcano down, and then ran back out. Sly smirked as they all stood around gazing at the Volcano in wonder. He quickly swapped the photos with Burt, and then ran back towards Bentley. They charged back into the school just as the smaller firework's wick burnt out and blew up, sending Burt and his friends running about in a panic.

Two hours later Sly and Bentley stood hiding behind a trashcan near Mr. Mendez's office, trying to hold back their laughter.

Burt came strutting down the hallway towards the office with a smug look on his face. He knocked on the door and Mr. Mendez opened. "Can I help you, young man?"

"I's got sumthin' to show you's," he said. He pulled out the pictures and shoved them into Mr. Mendez's hands. "Get a good look at those." Mr. Mendez's eyes widened as he looked at the pictures.

"W-what is this!?"

"Heh heh. I's knows what you's mean. Surprisin', ain't it?"

Mr. Mendez looked so angry Sly thought he was about to beat Burt through the wall. "YOU ARE IN A WORLD OF TROUBLE, BURT WILLIAMSON!!!" He grabbed Burt painfully by the ear and began dragging him down the hallway. Sly and Bentley could no longer contain their laughter.