Hey everyone,
Okay, slight change of plans. Instead of more Sly-Carmelita interaction am I going to bring Carmelita closer to the rest of the Cooper Gang and bring out a little something-something – blame Patterz from Youtube for that one – that will eventually have effect to the rest of the story and the way I plan to end of it all.
Enjoy,

Venquine1990

Penelope's POV

Bentley's story of why Sly feels he needs to do chores for us and be a leading father figure in our lives touches me in ways the Raccoon himself hadn't even been able to do when I had my crush on him and the way that Bentley sounds guilty for not refuting this years ago makes my love for the turtle grow to even further lengths.
Yet still, even now that I know this story, do I only hope for one thing; that being in a relationship with someone like Inspector Fox will help Sly relieve some of that responsibility and become more relaxed as a person, even if I never really sensed him as the leader kind of guy whenever we chilled here at the Hide-Out.
Yet Sly's incredible sense of guilt for something Akudo caused and did does indeed worry me and while I wonder if Sly will, especially with his illness, be able to do anything that can alleviate his guilt, does good news descend from the upper floors after breakfast as Carmelita enters the living room with a new spring in her step.

We all look at her as she approaches us and she keeps standing in the middle of the room, her hands on her hips proving she means business and then she shocks me right into the next millennium as she says: "Okay guys, you are looking at the new co-leader of the Cooper Gang. Sly has agreed that I can be the mother to his family."
And while Panda King only lets his mouth drop open, the Guru drops his stick and Bentley almost slips out of his wheelchair, does Dimitri actually faint, falling onto the sofa he was sitting on and does Murray jump out of the chair he was sitting in and scream: "WHAT? WHAT DO YOU MEAN? WHAT FAMILY?"
Yet Carmelita remains calm and answers: "You, of course. Sly considers you all his family and after the discussion we had, do I agree with him on that. So until your leader has gotten his health back, will I be doing all of his chores for him and, if I so deem it, you will come to me instead of him with any problems you may have."

"And he agreed on that?" Bentley asks with shock still strong in his voice, yet Carmelita smirks and says: "Didn't have much of a choice now, did he? I did agree that we would be sharing the chores once he gets better, but I pushed the notion that he needs to get better first strongly in his head and he accepted it – in the end."
And while this seems to make Bentley feel a little more comfortable with understanding the whole situation, does Murray ask: "But – what about your job as Inspector for Interpol?" To which the fox smiles and says: "Don't worry about it, I already thought of a solution for that on the way down here." To which the two ask:
"You're not quitting are you?" This actually seems to shock the fox and then she laughs and says: "Of course not! I love my job way too much and Sly and I agree that our chases are beyond too much fun for me to quit my job. No, I have a different plan, just – I don't want Sly knowing of it yet, cause I'm pretty sure he won't like it."

"What is it?" Bentley asks, concern strong in his voice and the fox sighs as she says: "Look, we all know that Akudo was planning something downright horrid if not unspeakable with me, right? Regardless of whether or not Sly would comply with his wishes?" And while I am amazed that she speaks of this, do we all nod.
The fox then goes on and says: "And both Bentley and Murray can vouch that, even though he did change, apologize and became a better man, Chief Barkley is a man that cares a great deal for public images and the press." To this, while they're clearly not happy with remembering, do the two mentioned still nod.
"So here's what I had in mind. We're going to announce to the world what Akudo had in mind for me – watered down in case kids overhear the news, of course – and then use the actual beauty of the room Sly decorated for me, along with his willingness to follow enemy orders and the rescue stunt that Penelope pulled in our favor.

If all works the way I want to, people will easily accept that, after such an event, the only place I feel safe to live in is with the gang that caught me and no one will complain that I am moving into the house of the gang I am supposed to catch. It will be seen as my method of self-defence and out of worry, the public will agree."
This idea shocks me senseless, yet Dimitri, who of course is all about image, recovers the first from hearing it and shouts: "That – is – MAGNIFICO! What a brilliant idea! It is so Dimitri worthy! So incredibly groovy! I love it! I LOVE IT!" Yet while Bentley and I share a worried glance, can I not help but agree with the plan.

Chief Barkley's POV

"I don't know how that turtle managed to get my secret telephone number, but I know have him on the screen of my computer, the face of my favorite officer next to his and he says: "Chief, we need to discuss something with you. A plan of attack regarding what will happen with Inspector Fox and our gang when this is all over."
This, while it had not really been on the forefront of my mind, makes me nod and just the way that my Inspector and the turtle himself nod makes me ask: "I take it you already have such a plan ready?" And while the turtle looks as if he would rather live without his shell forever, does he still nod at me and say:
"Yes indeed Chief, Inspector Fox came with an idea after she and our Leader Sly, who is I am sad to say struck with a pretty bad case of the flue, had a lengthy discussion on everything that has happened, not just with Akudo, but everything else since my Team and I started going after the Fiendish Five several years ago."

This makes me cringe my lower face and I say: "Wish him the best of health. What's the plan?" And Inspector Fox explains it: "Sir, Sly and I have had some kind of reaction to each other ever since my first case with him. You know that, I know that. Heck, that traitor Neyla even tried using it against me just a few years ago."
This makes me cringe again as the guilt of how I believed the Constable over my best Inspector still stings and I nod as she says: "This reaction, I am not sad to say, is love, Chief, and it is an emotion that runs both ways. However, both Sly and I really enjoy our chases and hunts and neither of us want to give this up.

Yet we know just fine what the public will think when they hear that an Interpol Inspector has a relationship with her target. However, what will the public say when they hear that said relationship blossomed – out of the attack of a terrifying organization against the both of them and them seeking comfort with each other?"
This shocks me and Fox says: "I am not against lying and saying that I didn't fall for Sly until I came to know him as he offered me sanctuary and protection against Akudo until all was assured that he was locked down and whatnot, but if we can get this story published, then no one will probably mind if I move and go live here.
And yes Chief, Sly has already provided me with a room of my own and it looks amazing. I am sending you a picture of the whole room as it is right now." And with that, do I see a small email sign appear on my screen, me opening it while keeping the connection with Bentley and Fox running and the room I see stuns me.

"Inspector, if we show this room to the public, together with the confession I already have from some of Akudo's caught men regarding you – why, some of them might just demand that you move there yesterday." This makes the Fox smile, while the turtle still seems a little uncomfortable and she then goes on and asks me:
"So I have green light, Chief? You know my father has a strong hand in the network of news report and whatnot. He should be able to bring this story out exactly the way it will protect all of our hides from slander; mine, Interpol's and that of the Cooper Gang." To this I nod and say: "Go and contact him at once, Inspector."

And after the Fox confirms that she has understood my order, do I severe the connection, leaning back in my chair as I can only wonder one thing: "Does Inspector Fox know what Akudo actually had planned with her, regardless of Cooper's cooperation. Oh dear sweet city of Paris, I so sincerely hope that she doesn't."
And with that do I sigh and lean as deeply back into my chair as possible, glad beyond words that I got a desk chair with recliner function as I pinch the bridge between my eyes while strongly trying to suppress the madness coming from the man who actually made his confession about Akudo's mad plans for my finest of inspectors.
"Oh, she sure is fine, alright. Fine looking and probably fine at –." Yet here I stop the thought with a furious snarl, shocking my assistant who had just come in with some paperwork, yet I do not care for this and hiss: "Time to prove Akudo who's in charge of Paris and who protects their citizens here – the hard way." And with that, I leave office.

Adolpho's POV

I can just barely believe the story that I have just been told after discovering that an actual criminal hacked the system and found my phone number, which is something I thought the Government had made private for the sake of me and my family's safety seeing how most of us have been working against dangerous criminals for years.
Still, the news I had heard last night when the news report had interrupted my wife's favorite radio program, the top 40 Hit List, had already worried me slightly about my daughter, yet what she has just told me, that she would have been targeted and captured regardless of how Cooper responded to his targeting frightens me senseless.
What she also tells me about what would have happened to her if she had been captured, instead of saved by the collaboration of Penelope and Chief Barkley makes me ever so glad that there are actually criminals with good hearts and minds in their persons, yet the plan she developed around all of this just blows my mind.

"So let me see if I get this straight, dearest. You want to reveal to the world what could have happened to you, had it not been for the Cooper Gang and your own boss and use the care and worry that will surely come from the people once they hear this – so you can go and live with the criminal you are supposed to catch?"
"Not everything in specifics, but we are planning to show them what Cooper has done for me due to the chemistry that has been between us since our first meeting and give off small hints of what Akudo would have planned to do with that room. Trust me, daddy, the room Sly gave me feels even better than my own apartment."
"But you bought and decorated that entire place from your own funding and savings account. You completely decorated the whole place by yourself." I tell her, shocked that she considers a room decorated by a criminal better than one she furnished off of her own – at the time – low-ranged budget and then something happens.

The turtle that has allowed for Carmelita to have a video call with me types something in on the board computer of his wheelchair and then suddenly a picture of an incredible room shows up on my screen, right next to the video screen as Carmelita retorts: "Yes, and Sly decorated that for me all by his lonesome self, as well."
And the fact that one raccoon can create a room that looks so much like what my daughter had actually envisioned when she first went and bought herself a house of her own and while I feel slightly put off by the fact that this criminal seems to know my daughter this well, does the turtle startle me as he says: "It's her dressing style."
Both of us look at him and he says: "Sly always believed that Carmelita dresses as skin-revealing as some of the Greek Goddesses of Ancient Times, so he based the decorations and furnishing on that." And before my eyes do I see Carmelita turn a small tint of red, before another picture gets shown to me on my screen.

This one is of an open wardrobe and is filled to the very brim with all kinds of outfits, from shirts and vests to jeans and pants and even dresses and skirts and then Bentley says: "Sly nicked one of her police outfits – don't ask – checked the sizes, hung it back and then worked on all of these – with materials that he bought himself."
And while I feel a little bad that this turtle seems to feel the need to defend his friend and leader, do I take another look at the picture, before the turtle types some more and before my shocked eyes do I see several more pictures appear, all of them showing Carmelita in several of these outfits and doing what looks like a fashion show.

"Carmelita, how long have you been around the Cooper Gang now?" I ask in shock and my daughter answers: "Since Barkley arrested Akudo. Penelope thought it'd be best to sacrifice Sly's cane, yet I knew what that cane meant, so I snuck out, retrieved it and then silently followed them as they got to Akudo and arrested him."
I nod, part of me wondering what could be special about a piece of wood and some gold, even though I know that some cops probably think their pistols just as important as Cooper values his cane and then I ask the one question I know I need answered to make my decision regarding all of this and the plan my daughter just told me:

"And – since you've been staying there? How have you felt, Carmelita?" And the smile on my daughter's face says it all. Yes, there has always been some sort of chemistry between her and Cooper. Yes, her and Cooper have now accepted that for what it is. And yes, my daughter feels very happy accepting these facts.
"Daddy, just on my first night here did Dimitri make the assumption that Murray meant me as part of the whole team being together and while this shocked the others, did I clearly see how Sly had tried to hide his disappointment when I turned the words of the lizard down. He wants me on the team – but he also wants me happy.
And chasing his mangy tail, getting my daily exercise in ways no one could dream of, catching criminals that even people like Barkley have trouble with. I don't want to give that up anymore than Sly does, yet – I just don't want to end my day by going home and ending up somewhere I don't feel as – accepted as I do here.
All these people have a history with me, one where I either tried to or succeeded in putting them behind bars, but – but you can't be targeted as a whole by someone as raving mad as Akudo and not grow on each other. These people are criminals, daddy, but they're the Robin Hood kind of criminals. and you know I love those."

This speech makes the turtle smile at my daughter with gratitude and caring pride on his face and while feeling as if this experience gave my daughter a whole new family, do I smile as I had always, sort of, worried that her fanatic craving to do a good job would scare off any potential partner, yet this was definitely unexpected.
Yet, at the same time do I indeed know exactly how great my daughter has always thought about the Robin Hood kind of criminals and while it takes me a while to reminiscence, do I still feel myself agreeing with my daughter as I rethink of all the ways that Cooper has helped her capture fiends like the Claww Gang and Octavio.

"Sweety, these guys might not be your average criminal – and they are definitely not the kind of people I thought you would ever chose to hang with, seeing your amazing fanatical work ethics and whatnot, but I can see two things very clearly." I then tell the fox and turtle and while they look at me, do I say:
"That little crippled turtle over there has more than obviously already adopted you. Maybe not as a father, but definitely like a brother. I saw that quite clearly when looking at him after you finished your explanation. What I can also see beyond a shadow of a doubt, is that your heart is in this, little vixen, and that's what matters."
This makes my daughter smile at me and while working on saving the pictures for later and getting ready to end the video call so I can use the rest of the day to browse through the photos and think all of this through a few more times, do I smile back at my precious, little girl and whisper: "Do what's right and take care." And I close off.

Okay, that's that!
Well, there you have it. Carmelita is still a cop, yet her boss and father have accepted for her to change living arrangements and while it took some more work to convince her father – daddy's girl, duh – than her boss, did the both of them agree in the end and will the plan of massive publishing commence shortly.
Also NO, there will be no more referring about what Akudo wanted to do to Carmelita like in the first few chapters, that is HISTORY! There will be no direct mentioning of this in the so-called planned publishing as it will be big news and you can't predict who does and who does not get to hear this – or their age.
Well, next chapter might just skip a day or two, just imagine the gang getting to know each other, Carmelita taking care of breakfast and caring for a sick Sly and after the time jump will the gang attempt to see if Paris is safe once more – which for them, they will get proven wrong, but they won't be right away.
Whoops spoilers,

Venquine1990
PS. HAPPY 20TH ANNIVERSARY, POKÉMON! Sorry, big fan.