Hey everyone,
I just want to apologize that this isn't going to be the chapter I promised when I wrote my last AN, I had a chance of heart when I finished that and I – well, I am kind of trying to create OC characters which I hope will help me with my few CR stories that take place in the Great Hall such as Rituals and Reading and Preventing Trouble.
Because of this did I decide to make another time jump instead of explaining how Sly convinced his friends to let him be there when they confronted Gorilo or the team discussing their next step of actions. Still, I personally think this twist is a very unexpected one – due to the OC character that I chose to use for this.
Enjoy the shock,

Venquine1990

One year later
Woman's POV

It seems so long ago. So long ago since that strange raccoon came to Reolu Island with nothing more than a suitcase and a cane on his back. So long ago since he asked me where he could find a pawnshop and where I didn't recognize him for who he was – or better said who he was related to – until things had already been said and done.
Yes, it's only been one year, really, since all of this happened, but I still regret that fact to this day as I feel it was my loud muttering about the Coopers being back that alerted those working for Gorilo and I still to this day believe that, had they not known, Sly Cooper would not have suffered the fate that befell him that same day.
Yes, I know that this suffering, in the end, led to the Cooper Gang taking out Gorilo and everything good that happened since, yet I hate the fact that a member of the Family our town loves and cherishes had to suffer for things to finally, after almost 2 decades, get back to how they were before Connor Cooper had been murdered.

And still, speaking of that murder is something that makes quite a few islanders of Reolu Island highly uncomfortable as one of the new Cooper Gang members is actually one of the five people who are responsible for the man's death, yet it seems that – because he helped Sly – Panda King has earned the Heir's Respect.
There had been several cases throughout the first month where people who loved and cared for Sly and who knew of his past with Panda King wanted to separate the two parties, yet the whole Gang constantly stopped this from happening while Sly and his Officer Lady stopped any and everyone trying to get Panda King arrested.
It had shocked a lot of people that Sly would do this, yet at the end of the month Sly had set all of us straight with one simple question: "People, do you really want me to focus on my hurtful past with one criminal when instead I can finally focus on the future I want with the only person who ever really stole from me, namely my heart?"
And with that, while he, his team and some officers had been standing on a self-build stage in the plaza that also housed Interpol Headquarters, had the Raccoon turned from stage, reached his arms around the fox's waist, pulled her higher up on stage and swung her in his arms before silencing her yelp with a glorious kiss.

This had made many of those that had come to hear Sly's speech look at each other and everyone had, some of them reluctantly, accepted the words of the thieving Raccoon, who had actually managed to make an incredible deal between himself, the officer ordered with his capture and the Reolu Island Division of Interpol.
The deal had not been well met with those of the Division where Sly and the others originally came from, yet none of them – not the Cooper Gang, Sly, Inspector Fox or her parents – had cared for this as they had all decided to follow the original plan of the Cooper Gang Leader; to leave their old lives behind and start anew.
And the deal between the Cooper Gang and Interpol had definitely helped this plan become reality as it had been exactly the one thing Carmelita Fox needed to accept that she was dating a Criminal who also wanted to be her partner in life, something she had wanted herself yet that Sly had feared would break with her own morals.

The deal said that, as long as that Sly wears a certain kind of outfit, it would indicate to all those around him that he was intending to pull a Heist and this would allow Carmelita to attempt and arrest him, even if the Reolu Law prohibited him from being incarcerated. At all other times was he to be considered a regular citizen.
Sly had decided to make his regular outfit, the blue peasant's cap, the blue gloves with yellow trim, the blue shirt with yellow turtleneck neckline, gold belt with a Raccoon's face for a belt buckle, brown hip pouch, blue knee-length boots and his brown backpack with the same Raccoon's face on the lid as that is on his belt buckle.
This deal had, a few days later, been solidified with a shopping trip that not just gave the Cooper Gang a chance to buy something other than their usual cloths and outfits, but also gave Carmelita's parents a chance to get to know the Gang and gave Carmelita a chance to better get to know both her new partner as well as his Gang.

It had definitely taken some of the members a short while to get used to wearing the new cloths and not feel as if they were under cover or wearing disguises in order to get somewhere, yet Sly himself had taken to the new cloths the easiest, the Raccoon kidding with it being because it allowed him more chance to be with his love.
Carmelita had, at first, not really seen the humor in it all, regardless of the fact that Sly constantly ended the joke with another loving kiss, yet after hearing the comment a few times had she decided to start kidding back and it had been very humorous to the Gang to see their leader be outwitted before he could kiss her.
Sly had gone to see this as a challenge after a few turns and by now do people often see the two sharing witty comments before one of them would end the debate by kissing the other senseless, Sly being the one to do this more often than his partner, yet Carmelita always showing her incredible fire every time she was the one.

Yes, the deal had definitely made things easier for the Master Thief and his partner to live their lives easy and without too much heartache or headache, yet the defeat of Gorilo had brought about certain consequences that neither the officers of Interpol nor any members of the Cooper Gang could have tried to foresee.
The defeat of that crazy, self-centered Crime Boss had actually made other criminals from countries close to Reolu Island to try and continue where he left off, none of them knowing or caring how the Crime Boss's career ended and a few of them being just as bad as the Gorilla himself. The first who had tried was a Bulldog.
A bulldog that went by the name of Muggshot and who had been the one animal that had actually convinced everyone on Reolu Island that Panda king was a definite member of the Cooper Gang as Muggshot had tried recruiting him as the first member of a renewed Fiendish Five and Panda King had responded by turning him in.
Everyone had been heavily shocked when this had happened, yet Panda King had not bothered with our shock and had only responded with the comment: "The Fiendish Five broke up for a reason, never forget that." And those had been his parting words to an incarcerated Muggshot who had shouted at him being a traitor as he left.

Yet the Bulldog had been the only one who believed this as everyone else in town had awaited the Panda outside of the police station and had greeted him with an ovation that had been heard in pretty much all the outskirts of town. The problem? Muggshot had only been the first of over 40 dangerous criminals to try this.
However with bad news often comes good news and that had been proven true as the Cooper Gang – and especially Sly himself – had taken to this challenge with a vigor and a sense of justice that had even shocked Carmelita. Yet Sly had quickly explained his need to fight this crime wave with a single sentence uttered:
"Reolu island belongs to the Cooper Line and like the Thievius Raccoonus is it up to me to prove this and prove my worth to the name Cooper." The Fox family had been shocked to hear this, yet while Sly had to promise Bentley that he would never more do this by himself, did the Gang still agree with the words of their leader.
And Sly had not just come true to his word to protect, he had also had fun while doing so, showing us a whole array of new attacks and techniques that he told us he would have never learned if Gorilo had not forced him to return to the Cooper Vault, which had made a lot of people feel better over what had happened to the Raccoon.

Yes, the last year has definitely been very hectic yet right now this not really on my mind as The Cooper Gang has yet again called all of Reolu Island together for a meeting, the third since their defeat of Gorilo and it is to take place yet again at the plaza of the Police station, yet this meeting has me very worried.
The reason behind this being the fact that Sly Cooper hasn't just invited the Interpol officers working here, but Chief James Barkley; the former superior of Inspector as well. This had come as a great shock to Carmelita herself, yet Sly had assured her that he had everything under control, that it was just a formality.

By now have I arrived at the location where the stage has been build, the same place as where Inspector Fox had first delivered Sly from Gorilo's grasp which is a fact that is lost on barely anyone present, bar the brown furred Badger, who is glaring at Sly and Carmelita from one side of the stage, while the two are on the other.
Carmelita herself is shuffling with her hands nervously, yet Sly seems to notice this as he grabs both her hands with one of his, his gloves still blue, but then fingerless as a sign that he's not pulling a heist and he pulls one of her hands up to his muzzle, kissing it softly and whispering a few words of comfort to her after this.

The kiss, however, seems to do nothing to sooth the anger on the face of the badger, yet he himself seems perfectly aware of where Sly and the Cooper line stand in the eyes of Reolu island citizens and while he grumbles to himself, stationed between 2 Reolu Island officers, does he keep to his seat with his face turned away from them.
Then the other members of the Cooper Gang arrive, all of them having a certain article of clothing on them to prove that they don't mean to break the law today and while all of them – and the wives of Murray and Dimitri – take place behind the Fox and Raccoon, does Sly sweep his eyes over the assembled crowd.
Spotting who he seems to be waiting for does he nod at our own mayor, the slim waisted cougar nodding back at our revered Raccoon before she moves over to the microphone and coughs, making the few attendants that had started mingling and muttering with each other to turn to her silently as she smiles and says:

"Greetings, citizens of Reolu Island, members of Interpol and members of the Cooper Gang. We are all gathered here today because our own personal genius, Bentley Turtle, has just given me the confirmation that the criminal organizations of the world have once more decided to leave Reolu Island to the Cooper Line."
This alone shocks me silent as I had no idea that either Bentley or his fiancé Penelope had been keeping an eye on this and then Barkley asks: "Why?" Yet this seems to be exactly what Sly had been waiting on as he smiles at Barkley with his trademark cocky grin and says: "Allow me to show you. To show you all."
And with that does Bentley press a button on a simple device and does the curtain behind the stage lift itself, revealing a track course unlike any I have ever seen, even while – in my own younger years – I was actually a High-Class member of Interpol and have fought alongside my fellow Inspectors against many crime waves before coming here.
Spires, wires with spires, electrical fields, tons and crates made of different woods and metal, long pipes that are either facing straight up or are bent in several angles and that cross pretty much the entire field behind the stage, causing for everyone who sees this to have their mouths drops, especially Barkley himself.

Sly then pulls his cane off his back, having agreed with Interpol at the beginning of the year that, regardless of his outfit, he could keep his cane on him as he just felt vulnerable and alone without it, and while he first observes the entire course with a grim look of concentration on his face, does he then run at it with a smirk.
"Has Cooper lost it?" Barkley shouts as he sees this, but then Sly makes a jump and, unlike any other time before where I saw him in action, does the Raccoon jump, slide, dash, flip, swing and move around with more agility, finesse, speed, reflexes and incredible power than I have ever seen, awing everyone who watches.
Several new techniques that Sly told us he has learned here on Reolu Island and inside the Cooper Vault come up as well, causing for the Cooper Gang to smile at their leader widely as Sly now performs them as if he's learned them years ago, while Barkley's eyes widen the longer the Leader goes through the course.

Finally, a good ten minutes later, does Sly use the long wire hung high above the entire course and his own cane to slide back to where the others are standing, unchaining his Cane and landing on the stage itself with a perfect backflip in mid air before Bentley presses the same button, making the curtain cover the course yet again.
Sly then turns his face to a bewildered Barkley and says: "The Criminal Organizations of the World have given up on Reolu Island because over 45% of them have been caught thanks to the united force of the Cooper Gang and the Reolu Island division of Interpol, led under the expertise of one Carmelita Montoya Fox."
The badger now turns to the Fox and Carmelita says: "I see no more reason to chase Cooper, chief, simply because of what Sly has been doing for me, for Reolu Island and for the sake of Justice ever since he first came to Paris. He might not follow the law like we do, but like Interpol does he still fight his hardest for the sake of justice."

She then smiles lovingly and says: "And besides, you can't ever convince me to arrest and capture the man that stole my heart when we first met, so you might as well stop the idea to try, because I have no authority on Reolu Island. I have the right to chase and keep Cooper on his toes, but it's against Reolu law to incarcerate him."
The badger seems unable to comprehend this and Sly says: "Furthermore, would I like for you to turn your face to the south west of the audience, say around five to ten." And while this last part makes no sense to me, does Barkley follow instructions, his eyes widening underneath his furry eyebrows and he asks: "What – what are you doing here?"
We all turn to where the Badger is looking and see a lioness, a panther, a cougar and a leopard all standing together wearing highly fancy suits and having a certain logo shown on their upper left arm while there are several guards in black suits guarding them as they smile at the badger and move through the crowds to the stage.

There the lioness sends a short smile Sly's way before she turns to Barkley and the audience and says: "We are here, Chief Barkley, because the mayor and his men have asked the United Nations to award Sly Cooper, Carmelita Fox and the Cooper Gang not just for their victory against Eduardo Gorilo, but also their help against the Crime waves.
And we of the United Nations have taken a very close look at everything the Cooper Gang has done for Reolu Island over the last year as well as all their actions in all other countries they were spotted in and we have come up with the perfect gift or so we believe." By now everyone in the crowd is looking at her in excitement.
Yet it's not the lioness that continues speaking as, instead of that, her partner the cougar takes a roll of paper from his inner jacket pocket and unrolls it before he lies it over the stand on which the microphone is stationed and then turns to first Chief Barkley, then Inspector Fox and finally Sly Cooper as he says:

"Please sign this here contract. It's only legal for one year and all that is given to you through this contract can only be used once, please remember that." Sly nods and while Barkley looks at him warily do the three of them step forward, all three of them bend over the contract as they read it each in their own pace.
Silence now rings through the entire plaza as everyone is highly curious over what the United Nations decided to give the Cooper Gang to thank them for their actions and while Barkley again gets wide eyes while he reads, does Sly start to smile wider and wider the longer he reads and does Carmelita get a challenging smirk as she reads.
Sly is the first to finish and clears his throat as he does, turning to the microphone and the people of the United Nations as he says: "So basically, this contract will allow me and my gang one last heist in all the countries we stopped a villain in, along with a full week of holiday in that same country, while fully immune to the law.
And after all these heists have been pulled, all these weeks of holiday have been spend and the year has passed, we are to forever remain either on or near Kaine Island, unless we are willing to go on a holiday somewhere while fighting the urge of heisting. Do I have everything understood from this, ladies and gentlemen?"

The five members of the United Nations nod, but then Sly says: "I'm sorry, we can't do that." We all look shocked and Sly says: "We can't, because with all the heists my gang and I have pulled, we already surpass the 52 weeks that make a year. We would never be able to get all the weeks of holiday you offer us in that 1 year."
At this, while the tension that had come up when Sly had shocked us all now surpasses, makes the male Cougar and the male Leopard smile and nod in understanding as Sly says: "I want those holidays. Not just because my team deserves them for all they have put up with, but because I want to spend that time – with my girl."
And with that does he wrap a loving arm around Inspector Fox's waist, shocking Barkley, but making the Inspector smile at her criminal as the male Cougar nods and says: "Consider the year time be expanded to 3 years. Will that suffice, Mr. Cooper?" Sly nods and says: "Thank you, now would you mind staying for one more occasion?"

And with that does he seem to catch even the attention of our own mayor, proving to even me that this was not something our town leader had expected as he had already risen from his seat upon seeing Sly nod, yet now he sits back down, giving Sly a silent sign that he will remain where he is and that Sly has free reign to do as he pleases.
Sly sees this and sends a grateful smile to the leader of our town before he takes a deep breath and while Barkley looks at him curiously, while the Cooper Gang starts to move around the stage, all of them having their Binocucoms in front of their eyes, and while Inspector Fox's eyes prove she is as clueless as our mayor.
The Raccoon then again opens his eyes as he gazes at the Fox and the intensity and strength that comes from those two amber brown eyes makes the Fox almost stiff with shock while a loud gasp goes through the entire crowd, yet while they seem shocked, do the Cooper Gang members seem to take this as a good sign.

All of them now have a single spot all over the stage and seem to be filming whatever their leader has planned and Sly says: "Carmelita, when this all started, I was pretty heartbroken and it was my own fault. As far as I knew the only way I could be with you was through lies as I was just too coward to be who I am and tell you the truth.
I could not stand this fact, so I left. Yet, while I had expected a furious, vengeful Vixen to chase me all over the world, did I instead of that encounter the most caring, heartfelt and incredible being I have ever laid eyes on and did you make me feel even more determined to prove my worth to the brilliant being that is you.

You and I have an incredible past behind us. We defeated the Fiendish Five together, we broke down Clockwerk, we worked together to arrest members of The Claww Gang and we fought side by side to defeat Clock-La. Yet when we did and when you broke Clock-La's hate chip, did I think thoughts that I believe in to this day.
At that time I found it ironic that a police officer had been the one to break the Clockwerk Curse over the Cooper Line, yet at the same time was I sure that the menace of Clockwerk would never come to harm me or my children again. Yes, I was only 19 and I thought of the future far ahead enough to imagine myself a father.
And here is where I will have to be more honest with you than I have ever been." The man then says, parts of him trembling while you can easily see how badly he is trying to keep these signs of his nervousness under control. By now everyone is highly curious and amazed at how the Raccoon speaks and Sly breaths in before he speaks:

"Carmelita, when Bentley told me we had to switch you with Jing King to save her, did I only agree to this because I trusted in you, even though I had already met with General Tsao and found out firsthand what he thought about women. Still I feared what could happen to you were Tsao to find out about you not being Jing King.
This didn't happen, you came through and even saved my life, not once but twice. You saved me from Dr. M. and his maniacal monster and you saved me from Gorilo and the diabolical way through which he tried to break me. You have done so much for me and I – I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life showing you my gratitude."
By now the wife of Dimitri as well as over a good three quarter of the female population present are in silent tears, while Penelope has trouble keeping her Binocucom steady as she is almost trembling in excitement while Barkley has a raised eyebrow and while all the representatives have large smiles of anticipation on their faces.

Sly then seems to have reached the climax of his speech as the breath he now takes is heavier with need, desire, fear and love than any other he took before now before he looks at Carmelita, the strength of his gaze as he looks at the Fox before him having increased in love, devotion, loyalty and care as he softly tells her:
"Carmelita, you have done so much for me, but the best thing you have ever done is commit a crime I didn't think possible after I lost my parents, not even after Bentley and Murray became the brothers I consider them today; you stole my heart and – and I never want you to give it back, because it belongs with you.
Because I belong with you and – and with this – all of this – do I hope that I have proven that to you. But only you can tell me whether I am right or wrong and you can only do so by answering me one single question." And with that do I already know what the Raccoon is planning, causing for a large smile to grow on my face.

And Sly proves my suspicions to be true as he goes down on one knee in front of a very startled vixen, pulls a gorgeous ring from one of his fingerless gloves and takes Carmelita's hand in his own with truly astounding delicacy before he with love coloring his voice asks: "Carmelita Montoya Fox, will you marry me?"
And the gasp that escapes the Vixen as she uses her free hand to cover her mouth is almost silenced by the deafening gasp that runs through the entire crowd, all of the couples holding onto each other and all of the singles glaring at the Fox, obviously hating her for her luck at having this questioned asked to her instead of them.
Then, while the way that everyone now is holding their breath makes me wonder if we won't be needing medics to tend to those that have fainted due to lack of oxygen, does Barkley want to stand up from his seat with fury, only for those in the audience near him to glare at him, telling him with their eyes not to even try.
The Badger sits back down in shock and while all of the Cooper Gang members and Carmelita's parents are now all trembling in excited tension, does Carmelita seem to wake from her shock as Sly softly pinches her hand before she gives the answer everyone on the stage and in the audience had been waiting for:

"YES!" The Fox shouts, the scream loud enough to carry through the entire plaza and under the exuberant applause from the entire audience, the tears streaming down the eyes of the two Fox Ladies, the proud smile of the Fox Lord and the happy hugs and shouts of congratulations of the Cooper Gang, does Sly give her his ring.
The ring itself is then shown on the large screens stuck to the back of the stage and many women gasp when they see it. Two bands of pure gold with a set of dark amber brown that looks like chocolate and opal blue stones connecting them together; the two colors anyone who knows Sly Cooper knows that he loves them the most.
Sly then hugs Carmelita with all the strength he seems to have in him, his whole body now shaking with the happiness the Raccoon must be feeling soaring through him and while the two hold each other like this for what seems like eternity, do we still hear Sly mutter loud enough for the whole audience to hear:

"And then to think, my love, that all it took for us to have this amazing last year and the entire future we will now share together was the worst letter I ever had to write. It took only a single letter to change everything we have ever known and to give us both all we ever wanted." And with that do I finally give into my own tears of joy.
I then turn around, ignoring the way that some of the other people in the audience look at me strangely and leave the crowd, moving into one of the darker alleyways that lead away from the plaza and just before I disappear in the shadows of the alleyway, do I turn around and whisper: "You have done well, my little grandson."

Wait, WHAT?
Okay, I am going to be very honest with you all here. I had not planned for the mystery woman to actually be Sly's grandmother, but it just seemed like such an amazing way to end the story, mostly because I just didn't feel right ending it with Sly mentioning the letter he wrote Carmelita at the start of this story.
Now, I am very happy with this story and how it turned out and I'm sure quite a few were shocked to hear that Dimitri was actually married. I'm also sure some of you are wondering what the woman who stole Dimitri's heart looks like this, but this story has come to an end now and that is just that.
See yah,

Venquine1990