As Carmelita ran out of Dr. M's lair, the echoing sound of her footsteps began to fade. Once she reached the exit, a light breeze and the darkness of the sky reminded her that it was night. The fox was so focused on running that she didn't realize Sly wasn't behind her anymore.

"Cooper!" She looked around. "Cooper!"

There was no response.

The inspector, quite worried, thought of going back in, but it was then that the pile of rocks on top of the passage she came out fell and collapsed the exit.

"Sly!" her voice turned desperate.

The vixen tried to move the rocks, but they were too heavy. Then, she began to look for another way to get back into the cave as she kept calling the raccoon's name. After a while, the unmistakable voice of the thief answered.

"Inspector Fox!" 

"Cooper!" 

After following the sound of his voice, Carmelita found Sly, who was wounded from his fight against Dr. M.

"Are you alright?" she said while checking his face for cuts and bruises.

"Yeah." the thief unconsciously smiled at the comforting feeling of the fox's hands.

"What happened? I thought you were with me!"

The truth was that Sly had taken a little detour to leave his mask, his cane, and a note that explained the situation to the gang. But, since he decided to lie about not remembering anything, he obviously couldn't tell her that. Instead, he came up with an excuse and acted a bit disoriented. The fox didn't stop to question if what he was saying was true or not, she just wanted Sly to be safe.

Together, they left Kaine Island in a seaplane that was waiting for Carmelita. The pilot didn't pay much attention to Sly, but the vixen was far more concerned about what her superiors would think of the amnesic thief.

During the flight, the fox took out the first aid kit from under her seat to treat the raccoon's wounds. She sat next to him and stared at him for a few seconds. He seemed anxious, and the gray fur on his face was slightly stained with dust and dirt. It was then that Carmelita realized the raccoon wasn't wearing his mask nor carrying his cane.

"What happened to your mask? And the cane?" she asked.

"Oh, was I supposed to keep those? I think I left them in the cave."

"It's okay, don't worry."

The vixen carefully cleaned his face with wet gauze and bandaged the cuts on his arms. She only took a few minutes, but Sly enjoyed every second of her gentle and delicate touch.

"So, where are we going now?" asked the raccoon with a curious tone.

"Canberra. It's where the closest Interpol Headquarters are located. Does your head hurt?"

"Just a little." he touched his own forehead.

"I'll make sure that you are taken care of when we get there. Sure you don't remember anything?" she said while holding his hand.

Sly shook his head. "No. I don't even remember why we're here or why I'm wearing these clothes." he pointed to his outfit, which was nothing like his partner's.

"Well, this was an undercover mission. I'll also get you some normal clothes at HQ."

"Thanks, Inspector." smiled the raccoon after putting his hand on top of hers, which made her smile back.

After the vixen put the first aid kit away, she kept answering Sly's questions for the rest of the flight. Carmelita reminded him of his first name and told him they lived in Paris, among other things.

It was around 3 in the morning when they arrived in Canberra. At that time, the roads and the streets of the city were practically empty. 

After getting off the plane, Carmelita and Sly got in a car that the inspector had requested. The drive to Interpol Headquarters was quieter than the flight. The raccoon was terrified that his new partner or Interpol would see through his lies. And Carmelita couldn't stop thinking about what she would do to prevent the raccoon from getting thrown into a jail cell.

Before they arrived at their destination, they stopped at a red light. The vixen nervously tapped the steering wheel and sighed while Sly looked at the streetlights through the car window.

"Sly," the fox broke the silence.

"Huh?" he turned to her.

"Do you trust me?" 

There was a pause.

"Of course. We're partners." he smiled.

Carmelita returned the smile before the bright red traffic light turned green. She drove for a few minutes, and when they arrived at Interpol Headquarters, she packed right in front of the building. The vixen got out of the car, and the raccoon followed her. Just before they walked in, she grabbed him by the wrist. Sly acted a bit confused but ended up playing along to not get caught. They crossed the lobby and walked up to the reception counter.

"Inspector Carmelita Montoya Fox, I'm here to see Chief Taylor." said the fox to the receptionist while showing her badge.

The receptionist gave them a shocked and confused look before typing something on the computer.

"Third floor, last door to the left."

Sly and Carmelita followed the directions and, after a short elevator ride, they found Chief Taylor's office.

"Do you mind waiting here for a moment?" asked the vixen.

"Oh, sure." answered the raccoon without complaining before sitting on one of a few chairs that were in the hall.

The chief, who was a dingo, had already been informed of Sly's presence by the receptionist, so he received Carmelita enthusiastically when she knocked on his door. His confidence was short-lived, and it turned into confusion once the fox explained the situation. Chief Taylor was bewildered at why the inspector, who spent the last 5 years chasing the raccoon, was now opposed to locking him up. Outside the chief's office, Sly was starting to get nervous. Word had spread that he had finally been captured, and many curious agents started to peek down the hall. The thief decided to look away and ignore them, but that became complicated when some began to provoke him. All the noise from the hall made Carmelita walk out of the office to shut the other agents up.

"Get back to work, now!" she ordered them.

Once they did as told, the vixen checked up on the raccoon, who was looking at her with innocent eyes.

"Is everything alright, Carmelita?" he asked.

She nodded. "Yeah, we're almost done with the report." The fox closed the door and walked back to Chief Taylor's desk. "He didn't even remember his own name. He's not a threat to us anymore."

"But that doesn't change all the things he's done in the past. The guy's still a criminal."

"I'm not saying he isn't a criminal. I'm saying he's harmless, and I don't see why we would lock him up when he could be of great help to us."

Chief Taylor put his hands together under his snout and thought about the fox's words. "Go on." 

"He could serve his time by working with us. He's willing to collaborate, and I'd make sure that he stays out of trouble."

The dingo leaned back on his chair and stroked his chin.

"But, how can we be sure that he has really lost his memory? I mean, you can't just gonna take his word for it? Right?"

Carmelita convinced him to run a lie detector test on Sly and herself, so he wouldn't get too suspicious. To their surprise, they both passed the test. After that, a few of Interpol's high-ups organized a phone meeting to discuss the situation. Meanwhile, Sly received medical treatment, and Carmelita got him a tracksuit to change clothes. Then, they sat outside Chief Taylor's office while they waited for a decision. After an hour, the dingo opened the door and asked the fox to step inside his office. The inspector felt an immense sense of relief when Taylor told her that Sly had been allowed to serve his time by working as a consultant for Interpol under her supervision, but she managed to keep a straight face.

Once things were cleared up, Sly and Carmelita were flown back to Paris in a private jet provided by Interpol. The flight lasted just over 20 hours, so the raccoon, who was now more relaxed, decided to get some rest. The vixen was as tired as he was, but she couldn't fall asleep for some reason. After having a drink, Carmelita sat in front of her new partner and watched him peacefully sleep. His untroubled expression warmed her heart and drew a smile on her face.

After the raccoon woke up from his nap, they ate something and kept talking. The flight passed quickly. And, by the time they knew it, they were about to land in Paris. They had no need to stop by the Paris headquarters, so they went straight to Carmelita's apartment.

"You'll be staying at my place for a while, is that okay?" said the vixen as she drove.

"Sure..." answered Sly as he looked away to hide his smile.

It was around 3 in the afternoon when they arrived at the fox's apartment. Between the jetlag and everything they had been through in the last 24 hours, Sly and Carmelita could only think of getting some sleep.

"You don't mind sleeping on the couch, do you?" asked the vixen as she closed the curtains throughout the apartment.

"Of course not." said the raccoon as he wandered through her living room while looking around.

Before getting into bed, the vixen gave Sly a couple of blankets and a pillow.

"I'll try to get you some more clothes tomorrow." she yawned.

The thief smiled and looked at her with warm eyes. "Thanks for everything, Carmelita."

The fox looked back at him and smiled too. "I'm just glad you're okay." There was a brief pause before the vixen hugged the raccoon. While they held each other, the couple felt how all of the stress and worries in their bodies vanished. After the hug, Carmelita turned around and went to her room. "Goodnight…" she said before realizing it wasn't night "...well, you know." The fox was too tired to think.

After her bedroom door closed, Sly was left alone in the dark. "Goodnight, Carmelita." He lay down on the couch with a dumb and satisfied smile on his face.

Throughout the next few days, the raccoon's behavior began to loosen up as he worked alongside the vixen, who was impressed by his manners and efficiency. Still, the rest of their coworkers looked down on Sly and treated him with little to no respect. Carmelita stood up for her partner on multiple occasions, which caused rumors that she described as absurd to spread around the office.

One of those days, he stayed late finishing some paperwork and arrived home exhausted. From the couch, the vixen saw how he took off his jacket and stretched his back. She thought the raccoon looked very professional and handsome in formal clothes.

Sly walked to the couch and lay next to Carmelita. "What took you so long?" she asked.

"I had to do the daily report."

"And it took you two hours to finish it?"

The raccoon shrugged. "I used the exact same words from the one you sent me."

"You copied it word by word?"

"Yeah."

"Manually?" Sly fell silent. "Cooper, you're supposed to copy and paste it, then fill in the blanks." she chuckled.

The now ex-thief covered his face with a cushion and let out a frustrated grunt. The fox gave him a pat on the arm and asked him if he was hungry. While he took a shower, Carmelita prepared something to eat. After Sly got out of the bathroom, the delicious smell of whatever it was the vixen was cooking caught his attention. He walked to the kitchen to find the fox making a plate of nachos with cheese. The raccoon helped clean up. Then, they sat at the table to eat while they kept talking about their day.

Once they were done eating, they sat on the couch. There was a show playing on the TV, but neither of them really paid attention to it. At some point, Carmelita noticed how Sly was staring at her.

"What?" asked the fox while smiling.

"Nothing… I just realized now how lucky I am to have you in my life."

His words, along with his warm gaze, felt like an arrow full of tenderness going through her chest. Carmelita expected that the raccoon's charming side started to show as he got his memory back, but this caught her off guard. Still, she saw this as a great opportunity to open up to him about her feelings.

Sly froze when he felt the fox's hand on top of his. "I also consider myself very lucky to have you." It definitely wasn't the reaction the raccoon was expecting. He thought she would just fluster, like old times. But, instead, he was now the one whose face was burning and heart was racing.

Carmelita moved closer to him and held his hand. "You know, Sly… Before the whole Kaine Island incident, you and I had… something."

The thief smiled nervously. "Like dating?" he asked while cocking his head.

"Not exactly… It was something different… but special." She held his other hand and began to caress them both with her thumbs, which made the raccoon go through several newly found emotions at the same time. "I regret not having the courage to tell you how I really felt..." 

The vixen put one of her hands on Sly's chest and felt the beating of his heart. Then, the two looked into each other's eyes, knowing what was to come. Carmelita's hands moved up to his face and gently caressed his cheeks. The raccoon wrapped his arms around the vixen and leaned in to kiss her. The soft and overdue feeling of their lips together made them close their eyes. It was like a great relief in their chests. Carmelita delicately played with the raccoon's gray fur while he pulled her closer to him.

Once the kiss broke, they gasped for air as their snouts pressed against each other. The fox smiled as she kept running her fingers over his face. This time, it was her who leaned in for the kiss. But, after a few seconds, Sly pulled away.

"I'm sorry, Carmelita… I… I can't do this." The raccoon covered his face with his hands and sighed in frustration. He thought he'd be able to keep his conscience clear after lying to Carmelita, but the remorse had become unbearable.

"Hey, it's okay… We don't have to go so fast if you don't want to." said the vixen before touching his arm affectionately.

"It's not that… I…" He looked away in embarrassment. "...Carmelita, I don't have amnesia."

Silence fell in the room.

Sly didn't dare to look the fox in the eye. Meanwhile, she went through a dozen different emotions at once, but none of them were really negative. The vixen then realized she didn't have a stranger in front of her, but her Ringtail. His memories, their encounters, his feelings, all of them were intact in the thief's head.

"Well? Say something..." said Sly with a hesitant voice.

Instead of talking, the vixen grabbed him by the neck of his shirt. The raccoon flinched. But, to his surprise, Carmelita pulled him towards her and kissed him. Sly was extremely confused, but he still closed his eyes to enjoy the kiss, just in case it was his last. The fox fell backward on the couch, leaving the thief on top of her. After a few more seconds, their lips parted.

"You're not mad?" he said while catching his breath.

"Oh, Sly… Why would I be mad?" asked the vixen as she smiled and held his face.

As his breathing went back to normal, Sly felt how Carmelita's hands played with his fur and ears. It was then that the thief realized why the fox had gone to so much trouble to keep Interpol from putting him in jail. It wasn't because of his mediocre Excel skills but because she deeply cared about him, and she wanted to be with her as much as he did. The raccoon kissed her and thus began a year full of memories and love. They had to keep their relationship hidden from their coworkers to not raise suspicion, but that didn't stop them from having fun in the janitor closet during their lunch break. Carmelita didn't have to attend any more of those boring events Interpol organized by herself, and Sly actually managed to redeem himself from his criminal past. They were happy until, unfortunately, the old itch came back.

Sly's head was spinning, and his whole body was sore. He suddenly began to feel the scorching sand he was lying on and tried to open his eyes, but the sun forced him to cover his eyes with his hand. Once his eyes adjusted to such brightness, he looked around and felt how his heart sank.

"No…" The raccoon was surrounded by nothing but sand and the wreckage of Le Paradox's blimp. In the distance, he could see three pyramids and what appeared to be some kind of temple. This had to be a nightmare.

The thief grabbed his cane and struggled to get up. He first inspected what was left of the blimp but found nothing. Then, led by curiosity and desperation, he explored the temple. It was dark, and he could only see a wall in which the light coming through the door was reflected. Hieroglyphics, he knew them but couldn't read them. It was then that it hit him. He had no way to get back home. He was stuck in Ancient Egypt.

Sly leaned his back against the wall and felt a lump form in his throat. "This can't be happening..." he thought. The raccoon tried to calm down, but he couldn't help to imagine all the possible worst-case scenarios. In the middle of his despair, the thief spotted a small town on the horizon.

He made his way to town. This time, he felt how the unbearably hot sun burned his back. As soon as he arrived, an enthusiastic merchant offered him to buy his clothes. The color and the fabric seemed exotic and unconventional to him, so he offered Sly a big bag of gold coins. The thief accepted the offer and used part of the money to buy some more discreet clothes, water, and food. As he walked around the town's market, many other merchants offered to buy his cane, but Sly refused since, along with his mask, it was the only thing left he had from his father.

During the next three months, Sly wandered through many of the towns along the Nile river, trying to find a way back home. When the money began to run out, he decided to work for some older farmers in exchange for accommodation and very little money. One day, one of the farmers sent the raccoon to another village to buy some special seeds. The village in question was near the Red Sea coast, which meant the thief had a long walk ahead of him.

To protect himself from the sun, Sly wore a hooded cloak. And after the farmer gave him the coins for the seeds and grabbed his cane, he left for the village. After walking for almost two hours, the Ringtail stopped in front of two palm trees.

"Did he tell me to turn right… or left?" As he tried to remember the directions the farmer gave him, the thief grabbed his clay canteen to have some water. "Well, that's not good…" he said after realizing the canteen had a hole in it and was practically empty. Being too far to turn around, Sly decided to go right and keep walking, hoping to arrive at the village as soon as possible.

The raccoon felt how his mouth began to dry as the sun hit him on the back of the head. He thought if perhaps he ran, it'd be easier, but it didn't take him long to regret that. Sly started to sweat profusely and struggled to walk over the sand. He helped himself with his cane, but he reached a point where the heat was simply unbearable, and his legs just gave up. The thief collapsed on the boiling hot sand and closed his eyes as he fought to keep breathing. As all of his hopes began to fade, the raccoon rethought some of his life decisions. What would've happened if he had never left Carmelita's side to stop Le Paradox? It all probably wouldn't have ended this way. What if he had asked her for help? Would she have understood what his family's legacy meant to him?

"Carmelita… I'm sorry…" he said under his breath before passing out.

Suddenly, Sly was surrounded by darkness and tranquility. The insufferable heat of the desert was finally gone, and he felt great relief along his back. The raccoon thought for sure this was the end of him, but then he felt something. Something cold and wet that brought him back. The thief slowly opened his eyes before hearing a soft voice.

"Oh, you're awake..."

The Ringtail, who couldn't see clearly yet, felt a damp cloth on his forehead and tried to get up but felt dizzy. "Careful…" said the voice. "I think it's better if you get some more rest." Sly felt how the person beside him helped him lay back down.

"Wh-where am I?" asked the disoriented raccoon as he felt his head.

"You're in the city of Men Nefer, somewhere safe." Sly looked around and saw that he was in some kind of bedroom, lying on a not very comfortable bed. His eyes widened once he saw the figure sitting next to him. It was a raccoon. A female raccoon. But way different than Sly. Most of her fur was cream-colored, and the details of her tail, face, ears, and hands were light brown. "My name is Kirah." She introduced herself with a good-hearted smile. 

"I'm Sly." replied the thief.

"It's very odd to see other raccoons around here. What were you doing in the middle of the desert all by yourself?" She asked, curious.

"I had to buy some seeds at a village, but my canteen broke, and I ran out of water."

"Oh, dear. You must be dying of thirst. Let me get you some fresh water." Kirah got up and walked out of the room. Once alone, Sly took away the cloth and sat up. The raccoon looked around as he felt his wet forehead. His headache had eased.

The room he was in was very dark. It only had one small window from which very little sunlight shone through. At the foot of the bed were his cloak and the bag in which he had his belongings, including the money he was given to buy the seeds. His ears twitched when he heard Kirah's footsteps approaching. She came back with a ceramic bowl filled with water and handed it to Sly.

"So, Sly, where are you from? Greece?" she asked as he finished drinking.

The thief had to stop and rethink his answer. In the case of his other ancestors, they believed him almost straight away when he told them he was from the future, but Kirah would probably think the heatstroke had melted his brain.

"Yeah, Greece." He decided to play it simple.

"And what are you doing down here in Egypt?"

"Well, It's complicated… I didn't really choose to be here."

"Were you banished from your home?" 

"Yeah… I guess you could say that." Sly looked away with a saddened expression. Then, he had an idea. The raccoon grabbed the bag with his belongings and offered Kirah the coins he was given by the farmer. "Hopefully, I never come across that guy again. Here, as thanks for saving my life."

"Oh no. Sly, I'm just glad to help another fellow raccoon. Please, keep it." She turned down the money. "Besides, technically, I'm not the one who saved your life." Kirah shrugged.

"What?" said Sly, confused.

"It was my husband."

"Your husband?"

"Yeah, you were lucky he decided to go to the Great Bitter Lake today. He found you on the way back and carried you all the way here," explained Kirah.

"And where is he now?" asked Sly, who was eager to meet him.

"He's gone pay a visit to the city's blacksmith to ask him about the cane you were carrying. He seemed to really like it."

"My cane?" The thief looked around him again and realized it was gone. "He's got my cane?" Sly quickly got out of bed. 

"Wait!" Kirah didn't try to physically stop the thief, but she did help him when he tripped and almost fell. "Sly, listen, it's not what you think. He'll be back here soon." Despite her attempts to calm him down, Sly got up and walked into the living room. He headed for the door, which was at the end of a long hallway, but at that moment a figure holding his cane appeared on its other side. Due to the light that entered through the door, Sly couldn't see clearly who was standing before him. 

"Stop right there!" said the individual with an imposing voice. 

"Give me back my cane!"

"Your cane? Listen, boy, I don't know who you are, but I don't take kindly to cheap imitators. If it wasn't for this cane I would've left you at the mercy of the desert."

"Imitator?" said Sly under his breath.

"Its shape… Its structure… It's almost identical to mine."

"What?" The thief began to put two and two together.

"Where did you get it? Answer me!" demanded the voice.

"You're… Slytunkhamen Cooper." A smile full of joy and relief was drawn on Sly's face before he began to walk toward his ancestor. Then, he was able to see him. It was like he was looking at one of the pages from the Thievius Raccoonus.

"Stand back! How dare you compare me to those corrupt and rotten pharaohs." He clenched his fists and swung his cane at Sly, but he was able to dodge it. "Whoa…" Sly lost his balance and fell back to the ground.

"Safir, don't hurt him!" said Kirah, who was watching everything from the living room.

"Safir?" asked Sly, confused.

"My name is Safir Kuper, and I won't let my family be the subject of mockery."

"It is you." Sly smiled again.

"Now, I'll ask you one more time, where did you get this cane?"

"My father gave it to me."

"Your father? Don't lie to me, boy." He threatened Sly with his cane.

"I'm not! I swear! Listen, I know you don't know who I am, but I know who you are."

"What?" It was now Safir who was confused.

"I am your long-lost cousin… from the lands of Greece." Sly decided not to bring up the time-traveling topic and prolong the made-up story he told Kirah.

There was a pause.

"Prove it," said Safir. Sly knew every single detail about his ancestors' lives, but the question was, which Slytunkhamen was this? The first one? The second? Or the third?

"I will. I just have one question."

There was another pause.

Safir sighed and furrowed his brow. "Go ahead...."

"Have you… discovered any islands lately?" asked Sly.

His ancestor raised one of his eyebrows. "No?" he denied, somewhat confused.

Since Kaine Island hadn't been discovered yet, that meant the Cooper Vault hadn't been created and that the ancestor standing before Sly was none other than Slytunkhamen Cooper I.

"Alright…" The raccoon thought his words carefully. "I know that you come from a lineage of great master thieves and that you have a pair of canes shorter than mine."

"Oh, come on. Almost everybody around here knows that."

"I also know about your Shadow Power and the Thievius Raccoonus."

"How do you-?" 

"I've told you. We're related. I've heard so many stories about you, and it's an honor to finally be able to meet you." Sly tried to sugarcoat his words to make him sound more convincing.

Safir stared at him in silence for a few seconds. Although he wasn't aware he had any long-lost relatives in Greece, he found Sly's words credible. After all, they were quite similar in physical appearance.

"What's your name?" asked Safir.

"Sly… Sly Cooper."

"Well then, Sly," His ancestor offered him his hand to get up and handed him his cane. "Welcome home." Safir hugged him as a sign of respect.

Since then, Sly would stay with Safir and Kirah. The couple let him sleep in their smaller bedroom, and the thief helped with all the chores he could, apart from going out on missions with his ancestor. Both thieves learned so much from each other. And, even though Sly enjoyed the experience of living with one of the best master thieves of the Cooper Clan, he still had some hope to get back home. Meanwhile, in the present day, Carmelita, Bentley, and Murray were still on the look for their friend.

Almost a year had passed since the incident. Bentley and Murray stayed away from any criminal activity to focus on finding Sly. Carmelita cut down on her work hours to conduct her own investigation, but she was still efficient as always when it came to arresting criminals. The three met up every week to exchange any new information they found. As for Le Paradox, he was locked up after miraculously surviving a significant fall from his blimp, after which Sly was never seen again. The Inspector made sure to pay the skunk a visit every day and question him about the raccoon's whereabouts.

By then, Carmelita had already more than memorized the process she had to follow to enter the prison. First, she would show her badge and ID at the front desk. Then, the vixen would walk down an empty hallway until reaching interrogation room number five. If the fox was really quiet as she waited for the door to open, she could hear the other inmates in the courtyard. Right before the door in front of her opened, she would hear a clunking sound and a loud buzzing that let her know she could now open it.

In the interrogation room there were just a few things. In its middle, a metallic table with two chairs facing each other; above the table, a pendant lamp; and, on the wall, one of those mirrors you could look through from the other side. On one of the chairs was, of course, Cyrille Le Paradox. Handcuffed so that his hands were always on the table.

As soon as the fox walked in, she felt the unbearable stench of the skunk, which she still hadn't gotten used to.

"Inspector! You came to visit!" said Le Paradox with an irritating and sarcastic voice.

Carmelita remained quiet and silent. Then, she sat in front of the skunk and stared at him.

"Cat got your tongue, Inspector?" Le Paradox flashed his overconfident smile, which Carmelita wanted to break with her boot. "Don't worry. Lucky for you, I think I remember how the script usually goes." He cleared his throat. "Cyrille, this is your last chance! If you don't tell me where my boyfriend is, you'll never see the light of day ever again." The skunk mocked her with a terrible impression that made the fox's blood boil. "And then I'll go: But, Miss Fox, I don't know where I sent that miserable raccoon. I swear-" Carmelita interrupted Le Paradox by grabbing him by the neck of his orange jumpsuit and slamming his head against the table.

The vixen got up and lifted the skunk over the table. "Look, you worthless piece of garbage, I'm gonna lock you up in a hole and make sure you don't get any fucking food or water. So you better start running that reeking mouth of yours." She pushed him back to the chair.

"Ow, ow, ow." Le Paradox complained about the hit on the head. "Inspector, we both know you don't have the power to do that. You're even lucky that they let you come here every day. Although, I can't blame them. They see you running around desperate and depressed, looking for someone you'll never see again. The least they can do is let you come here and punish me without recess to ask me the same boring questions every day." Carmelita gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. "Look, if you want to hear me say it so bad. I have absolutely no idea which part of history I sent Sly Cooper."

The fox slammed the table. "You sent him away! You must know how to bring him back!"

"It was randomized. That was the fun part." The skunk rolled his eyes. "And even if I knew, why the hell would I help you?"

The vixen grabbed him by his white hair and pulled back. "Cause if not, you are going to end up as a rug in my living room."

"Fox…" A voice behind the mirror made her keep her hands off the skunk.

Carmelita growled and sat back down. "You're gonna rot in here, Le Paradox."

"Look, Inspector, I advise you to drop this pointless investigation of yourself and face the truth… Cooper is dead." The vixen punched him right on the nose.

"Fox! That's it, get out of there!" said the voice behind the mirror.

"Ow! Putain de merde , you broke my nose!" Le Paradox covered his nose with his hands as blood started to drip. Carmelita got up and left the room.

As she walked back through the long and empty hall, the vixen tried to turn a deaf ear to the skunk's words. She was determined to not give up and keep searching, but a small part of her couldn't help to wonder if she would ever see Sly again. The fox went back to the station and finished her workday. Then, she resumed her investigation.

That day, Carmelita inspected some of the rooftops around the zone where they found the blimp's wreckage. Like every other day, the vixen hoped to find a clue to Sly's whereabouts, but she had no luck. After all those months, the only thing she came across was the picture Sly took on their first date. The fox kept it with love and always carried it with her.

After it got dark, the vixen decided to call it a day and go home, even though she didn't want to. Every time she turned her key and walked into her empty apartment where she used to live with the raccoon, it felt like her whole world came crashing down on her. Carmelita prepared some dinner and then stepped out to the balcony to get some fresh air. From the outside, she could see her apartment door. Many were the times that she dreamt Sly would randomly knock on her door in the middle of the night. But, every time, she would wake up and go back to her bitter and crude reality.

When she started to get cold, Carmelita went back inside and prepared to go to bed, looking forward to meeting Bentley and Murray the next day. Just before getting into bed, the vixen opened her closet, where she still kept Sly's clothes. The fox took one of his shirts and held it close to her. The faint scent that still remained on it made her recall one of those evenings when she would come home to snuggle up on the couch with the raccoon. Carmelita got into bed with the shirt and tried to fall asleep as she held back tears and felt how guilt ate her up.

The next morning, after waking up to an empty bed, the fox got up, stretched her body, and put Sly's shirt back in the closet before taking a quick shower and getting ready for the day. As she made some coffee, Carmelita put all the evidence she had found the past week inside a folder and got ready to set off for the Cooper's Gang hideout. She put on her coat, went down the street, and began to walk through the streets of Paris. Soon, she arrived at the square where Le Théâtre Formidable, Dimitri's nightclub, was located, which, at this hour, was obviously closed. The hideout was nearby. Once she got to the door, the vixen made sure that nobody that could recognize her was around and knocked. A few seconds later, Murray answered the door.

“Oh. Hi, Carmelita." said the hippo with a big smile.

“Hello, Murray. Can I come in?" Carmelita smiled back.

“Sure." He stepped aside and closed the door behind the fox. “Would you like something to drink?"

“Some tea would be nice, thanks."

“Tea coming right up!" Murray walked into the kitchen, and Carmelita went to the living room, where Bentley was.

“Hi, Bentley." said the vixen as she took off his coat.

“Good morning, Inspector." The turtle adjusted his glasses and closed his laptop. “How are things?"

“Could be better. How about you, guys?"

“Well, we are hanging in there. Still no luck in finding Sly."

“Same. Here's everything I found in the past week. Most of them are pictures of pieces of scrap, I know they're probably from Le Paradox's blimp, but I thought you could take a look at them. Maybe they can give us a clue to find him." She handed him the folder.

“Sure. And how about Le Paradox? Is he still not talking?" he asked while looking at the pictures.

“That gray-haired rat knows nothing. Talking to him starts to look like a waste of time."

“Just give me five minutes with him, and I'll have him talking!" said Murray as he came back from the kitchen. “Here's your tea, Carmelita."

“Thanks, Murray." The vixen took a sip of her drink and looked around the hideout. It was not very organized, but it was cozy.

She let Bentley and Murray look at the evidence she had recollected while she took a look inside Sly's room. She had done it before, but the fox couldn't help getting a little emotional when she looked at the raccoon's things. After he decided to give up his criminal life, his friends didn't want to change anything from his room, so it was practically the same as when he was living there. The first thing that Carmelita saw was his cane and mask, which he left behind on Kaine Island. The fox sat on his bed and looked around before spotting something on his bedside table. The Thievius Raccoonus. The vixen had never seen it before.

“Is this the book Sly was always talking about?" she asked Bentley and Murray in the other room.

“Oh, yeah. I guess I must have left it there after I cleaned up yesterday..." said Murray.

“And I suppose you have already checked it." The vixen walked back to the living room.

“I read it from top to bottom twice every week. No page has changed since Sly went missing. It seems like the easiest and most logical way for him to communicate with us, but if he hasn't done it by now, he may be stuck in time before the book was created."

“And when was that?" she asked.

“Sometime before 1300 BC," said Bentley. Carmelita raised her eyebrows and stared at the book.

“Can I take a look at it?"

“Sure," said the turtle and the hippo in unison.

While they kept going through the folder the vixen brought, she sat on the couch next to them and opened the Thievius Raccoonus. Apart from a chapter dedicated to each Cooper, the book contained many other things she found interesting, like a manual on how to pick locks and attack with a cane and the things that Sly and Bentley wrote on it. She paid special attention to the latter. It was clear who wrote which parts. Bentley's calligraphy was flawless, and most of his inputs focused on the technical side of their adventure. As for Sly, he preferred to write about his many encounters with the fox inspector he was in love with.

“...tonight we managed to steal this weird sculpture from the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Since we knew that Carmelita was most likely to be around, our plan was that I swapped the sculpture for a fake and let Carmelita chase me for a while to give Murray and Bentley some time to escape. When we finally met outside the museum, she tried to handcuff me as always and kicked me in the ribs. It was a pretty hard kick, but I know she didn't really mean it. I mean, it's her job, but it could have been worse. She could have used her shock gun, but I know she misses on purpose. Carmelita's the person with the best aim I know, and it's always a funny coincidence that she misses every time she shoots at me. Well, not every time. There was that time in the Kunlun Mountains. Although I technically let her shoot me by not dodging or jumping…"

Carmelita's eyes began to tear up, and her lips drew a small smile. Even if it was the last thing she would do, she was going to bring Sly back.

Bentley and Murray stared at Carmelita in silence as she turned the pages of the Thievius Raccoonus, absolutely absorbed in the book.

“Are we supposed to say something?" whispered the hippo.

“Uh, I don't know." replied the turtle. By then, Carmelita had been reading for more than half an hour. It was then that she looked at the time and realized that she was going to be late for work.

“Fuck. I've got to go." She left the book on the table before her, got up, and took her coat. “Thanks for the tea, Murray. If you guys find anything, give me a call, as always." The vixen was about to leave when Bentley interrupted her.

“Wait, Carmelita! Don't you want to take the book?" he said from the couch.

The fox cocked her head. “Are you sure?" she asked.

“Yeah, you can bring it back next week," added Murray. 

Carmelita looked at them and then looked at the book. “You sure you guys don't mind?"

“Of course. Take it home, read it, and if you find anything that could lead us to Sly, hit us up," said Bentley.

“I will. Thanks," said Carmelita before taking the book and leaving the Cooper Gang's hideout. Before walking down the street, the fox hid the Thievius Raccoonus in her coat, but it was then that she got an idea. Instead of going to the station, the vixen decided to go back home and call in sick to finish reading Sly's contributions in the book. A selfish decision, perhaps. But she would rather spend the rest of her morning looking back on her old memories with the thief than dealing with paperwork and Le Paradox. Once in her apartment, Carmelita sat on the couch and kept reading.

“...It was such a pleasant surprise coming across Carmelita here in Venice. It turns out she's here for the same reason as Murray, to sort out the tar-polluted water situation. And now that she knows we're here too, she's also after us, as usual. Earlier this morning, Bentley found out that Don Octavio had hired some gondola gang to kill her while she was on patrol. So we went to the canal and took them out. Thankfully, she didn't notice us, but Bentley warned me that, by saving her, we were only making our operation more difficult. It was true, but I couldn't let those thugs hurt Carmelita. I care about her, and I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to her..."

The vixen went through a rollercoaster of emotions as she discovered a part of the raccoon she had never seen before. Realizing how Sly felt during all those years felt like a hole in her heart that she knew she could not fix. She just missed him so much. After the vixen finished reading everything the raccoon had written from the night they met at the opera to before the whole Kaine Island thing, she closed the book and covered her face with her hands. Tears began to roll down her face as a painful feeling of helplessness ate her up. After the crying stopped, Carmelita wiped her tears and stared at the book. The symbol on its cover reminded her of every calling card Sly had left her in the past. The fox closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and promised herself she would keep looking for the thief, no matter what.

A few hours later, after having lunch, the vixen sat at her desk and tried to clear her mind by getting some work done. At some point, she noticed the Thievius Raccoonus on the table in the middle of her living room and got curious about the rest of the book. Unable to focus on work, Carmelita took the book, sat on the couch again, and started to read it from the beginning. She was soon hooked on the Cooper Clan's history.

The vixen read through the lives and accomplishments of every Cooper ancestor, as well as their abilities and techniques. It was fascinating to read about master thieves she had even met, like Tennessee or Galleth. The book also contained details, such as the evolution of their canes and masks. When she was near the end, Carmelita came upon the tragic night in which Sly's father died, and the book was stolen. From there, it was continued by Bentley and Sly, who wrote about the Fiendish Five and the Clockwerk Parts.

By the time she finished the book, it was past 10 p.m. Carmelita yawned when she realized she had been reading almost all day. The fox left the book on her bedside table and went to sleep, or at least she tried. She tossed and turned until she covered her face with a pillow and closed her eyes. But when she opened them, the pillow was gone, and she was lying on her couch.

“What?" The vixen looked around as she sat up. Indeed, she was in her living room.

Before she started to think she had fallen asleep while reading, Carmelita turned around to see someone sitting on the armchair next to her. It was a raccoon almost identical to Sly, only older. He was peacefully reading the Thievius Racconus while smoking a tobacco pipe.

“Hi, Carmelita. I hope you don't mind the smoke." he greeted her once he noticed she was awake.

“Who are you?" she asked, still somewhat confused.

“Oh, right. Where are my manners? The name's Conner… Conner Cooper." The raccoon flashed a charming smile.

“You're Sly's father!" The vixen's eyes widened in disbelief. “But that can't be.. you're dead."

The raccoon chuckled. “Indeed I am… I have been dead for quite some time now."

“So… this is a dream?" she asked while arching her eyebrow.

"Well… not exactly. I'm not your conscience. We, Coopers, can use our spiritual forms to communicate with our worthy heirs through the Thievius Raccoonus." 

"I'm a worthy heir?" She pointed her finger at herself.

“You're not a Cooper, but you are the one who broke a curse that had haunted our family for thousands of years. I'd say that makes you more than worthy."

Carmelita went silent as she looked back on the night she destroyed Clockwerk's hate chip. “So… Why are you here?" asked the fox.

“To help you find Sly, of course." 

“Do you know where he is?" The vixen moved closer to the raccoon as her voice caught a hint of desperation.

“I'm afraid not. But what I do know is that the answer that you seek is inside this book." He looked at the Thievius Raccoonus.

“But I've already read it, and so has Bentley." She shrugged.

“I know. That's why you have to look beyond its pages." He closed the book and offered it to Carmelita. The fox tried to take it. But, before she could, the raccoon interrupted her. “Wait! After I hand you this book, you'll wake up. Before that, I need to ask you something." The vixen listened carefully. “If you find Sly, please, tell him that I'm very proud of the man he has become and that, if she could see him, his mother would be too." Conner felt a lump in his throat as he talked.

The fox, with eyes on the verge of tears, took the raccoon's hand. “Conner, I promise you I'll find him."

Sly's father smiled. “I know you will." He handed her the book. “Oh, and, Carmelita… Thank you for taking care of him all these years."

Before she could even answer, the fox suddenly woke up in her bed. She was sweating, and her breathing was heavily agitated. As she gasped for air, Carmelita turned on her bedside lamp and grabbed the Thievius Raccoonus. She jumped out of bed and rushed into the kitchen, careful not to trip or fall. Determined to discover the whereabouts of Sly once in for all, she made some coffee and sat at her desk to investigate the book more thoroughly.

Carmelita read each page of the Thievius Raccoonus three or four times, paying attention to every small detail they had. Luckily for her, Slytunkhamen's chapter was one of the firsts in the book. In it, there were many writings, illustrations and hieroglyphs. The vixen looked for some kind of pattern between the words, but she found nothing. The book had most likely been transcribed by one of Sly's closest ancestors, and the chance of whatever message the raccoon had written on the original pages being left out was high.

Just when she was about to move on to the next chapter, Carmelita thought she read Sly's name out of the corner of her eye somewhere and decided to give it another read. Since the ancestor's name contained the word Sly, the fox thought she was probably being dumb and paranoid. Her thinking changed once she focused on an illustration of Slytunkhamen I in front of a wall. The raccoon was posing with his two small canes and his pharaoh headdress. At first, everything seemed fine, but then the vixen took a closer look at the wall behind the ancestor. It was carved with parallel straight lines and different hieroglyphics, but Carmelita noticed some unusual cracks in the lower right corner that appeared to spell something.

SLY… STUCK… HERE…

Carmelita rubbed her eyes and blinked repeatedly. Was she seeing things?

SLY… STUCK… HERE…

No, those words were definitely there. The vixen felt how her heartbeat quickened as she began to breathe rapidly. She got up from her chair and read it over and over again.

SLY… STUCK… HERE…

The fox paced around her apartment as she tried to calm herself down and think about what to do next. She obviously had to tell Bentley and Murray, so she took her phone and dialed the hideout's number.

“Pick up, pick up, pick up…" said Carmelita as she nervously thumped her foot.

No one answered, which was no surprise since it was past 3 in the morning. But the vixen didn't give up and dialed again. She heard the phone ring five times before going to voicemail again. Her desperation and impatience began to rise after she tried calling them for a third time, again without any success. Then, Carmelita decided to get her coat and the book and set off to the Cooper Gang's hideout. This time, she decided to go by car. So, after less than five minutes of slightly reckless driving, she arrived at her destination. The vixen quickly got out of the car and banged on the hideout's door.

After seeing that no one answered the door after almost a minute, Carmelita pounded on it again. Were they not home? She began to desperately look around. Maybe there was a spare key somewhere. The fox looked under the doormat and on top of the door frame but found nothing. Carmelita knocked on the door for the third time, but, as there was still no answer, she decided to think of another way to get into the safe house. The first thing that came into her mind was to kick the door down, but maybe that would be better as a last resort. She circled the hideout and tried looking through one of its big windows, but everything was dark, and she barely could see anything. 

The vixen growled and grew impatient as she stared at the front of the building, looking for a way to get in without having to appeal to brute force. It was then that she noticed a gutter leading down from the roof. Carmelita put the book in her coat and climbed the pipe, making use of her great physical prowess. There were two skylights on the rooftop. The fox peeked through one of them and guessed it would be above the living room, though she couldn't see much. To her surprise, it was already open. Most probably because Sly used it a lot as an alternative entrance back when he lived there. Carmelita carefully went down the skylight, but, unfortunately, she landed on the tea table, knocking it down, along with the vase and glasses on it.

 “Who's there?" asked Murray, startled, from his room. The hippo quickly got out of bed and turned the light on.

“It's me, it's me." The fox raised her hand as she got up. Luckily, she wasn't hurt.

"Carmelita? What are you doing?" he asked while rubbing his eyes.

"Murray. Murray, I think I've found him. I think I've found Sly."

The hippo was still slightly asleep, but Carmelita's words made him open his eyes wide. "What?!" he gasped. "Bentley!" Murray rushed into his friend's room. "Bentley, wake up!" The hippo couldn't contain his emotion and decided to pick up the turtle and carry him to the living room.

"Wha-what's going on? Murray, put me down!" said Bentley with a grumpy voice.

"Bentley, we've found Sly!" He left him on the couch.

"What?! Where?!" Since the turtle couldn't see without his glasses, he squinted and stared at a blurry figure in front of him. "Carmelita?"

"I think he's trapped in Ancient Egypt with one of his ancestors. There's a hidden message in the Thievius Raccoonus." The vixen took the book out of her coat.

"But I've checked the book several times. I even ran a programme that would detect any alterations from past scans."

"I know, I know. But I had this dream, and Sly's father was there, and he told me to look beyond its pages. So when I woke up, I read it again and found this. You must have missed it." She opened the book and looked for the page where she found the illustration.

"You talked with Sly's dad?" asked Murray, amazed.

"Yeah." She was still looking for the page.

"With Conner Cooper? The man who died at the hands of the Fiendish Five when Sly was just a kid?" 

"Yeah, that one. Apparently, the Coopers have this mystic power, and they can sneak into the dreams of the worthy heirs to the book." Before either Bentley or Murray could ask more questions, the fox found the page in Slytunkhamen's chapter she was looking for, "Here! Found it! Look at the picture."

The hippo quickly went to get Bentley's glasses before the two friends proceeded to carefully observe the illustration in the book. The silence and the tension became more and more unbearable as the seconds went by. Then, after what seemed like an eternity, Bentley spoke.

"I… I can't believe it." The turtle adjusted his glasses. "Sly… Stuck… Here…" he read. "Carmelita, you're a genius!" He couldn't contain his excited smile, and neither could the vixen.

"We have to go to Ancient Egypt! Now!" declared Murray as he cracked his knuckles.

"Wait. Hold your horses, everyone. We can't just rush into this. We need a plan." Bentley tried to calm the gang.

"But, what if he's in danger? We must get there as soon as possible." Carmelita ignored her head and listened to her heart, which died to see the raccoon again.

"Carmelita's right! We can't waste time now. Our friend needs us!" Murray was fired up.

Bentley sighed. "Alright, alright. To get the machine working, we must get something from the period and location Sly's trapped in. There must be something we could use in the Cooper Vault."

"So? What are we waiting for?" asked the hippo.

Since the Cooper Van was turned into a time machine, the gang got in Carmelita's car and set off for Bentley's laboratory on the outskirts of Paris. On the way there, the boys had some more questions about the fox's dream.

“So… What you were saying about Sly's father, what exactly did he mean by worthy heir to the Thievius Raccoonus ?" asked the turtle, curious.

“Does that mean you and Sly are getting married?" added Murray.

The hippo and the turtle stared at the vixen, who looked back at them before focusing on the road again. During the almost two years that Carmelita and Sly spent together, they had only briefly talked about tying the knot. Perhaps they should revisit that conversation. That is if they manage to bring him back, of course.

“Well, he told me it had to do with the whole killing Clokwerk thing… I'm not sure he can see the future."

The vixen kept answering their questions until they arrived at the laboratory. It looked like a regular office building, but after they walked into the elevator and Bentley entered a code in some sort of keypad, the gang was taken to the laboratory the turtle used to work with Penelope. It was full of state-of-the-art gadgets and devices, but they didn't have time to play with Bentley's latest inventions. So they went straight for the vault where the Cooper Clan's riches were stored after the Kaine Island incident. Inside, they found a pit full of all the treasure Slytunkhamen I had accumulated during his life. There were rings, collars, statues, medals, etc. Everything made out of gold. After some time, Carmelita decided to grab a bunch of coins. Now that they had something to make the time machine work, the gang returned to the safe house. But when Carmelita was about to step out of the car, Bentley stopped her.

“Listen, Carmelita. I know you want to find Sly as much as I do, but why don't you go home and get some rest?"

“I can't go home now, Bentley. Sly is out there, waiting for us."

“I know, I know. But the van's gonna take hours to fuel up. You might as well go back to your apartment, pack your bag, and try getting some sleep."

Carmelita looked away in silence for a few seconds. After all this time, she had never been this close to seeing Sly again, and her overthinking head began to flood with pessimistic omens. “What if we don't find him?"

“Don't say that."

“But, what if we don't? What if we get there and he's dead or…?"

“Come on, Carmelita. You're starting to sound like you don't know Sly. If he put up with the best of Interpol for, what? Five years? I'm sure he can manage a trip down to the pyramids."

“Maybe you're right..." said Carmelita, whose heart was beginning to shine with hope once again.

“That's the spirit! Now, go home, and I'll give you a call when the van's ready. Okay?"

“Okay." The fox let out a small smile.

And so, Carmelita drove back to her apartment while Bentley and Murray stayed at the hideout preparing the Cooper Van. Once home, the vixen lay down on the sofa. She thought the anticipation of their trip to Ancient Egypt wouldn't let her rest, but as soon as she yawned and got comfortable, she slumbered away. In her head, it seemed like just a couple of minutes, but in reality, almost three hours passed until her phone rang and woke her up. 

She quickly got up and picked it up. “Bentley?"

“Hey, Carmelita. The van's almost ready. You can come whenever you want."

“Okay. I'll be there in 15 minutes." The fox hung up and quickly changed her clothes to something more suitable for the desert climate before preparing a bag with the essentials: water, some food, and her shock gun. Then, she got in her car and drove to the Cooper Gang's safe house, just like she did a few hours ago. This time, she knocked on the door, and Murray did answer it.

“Carmelita, over here!" Bentley called her from the living room.

The turtle was finishing calibrating a pair of binocucoms. He gave one to the fox, together with a white hooded cloak that belonged to Sly, so she could blend in adequately with the locals. They still had to wait a couple of minutes for the van to finish fueling up, so the three sat on the couch and impatiently waited. Carmelita stared at nothing as she tapped her fingers on her knee and tried to think what would be the first thing she would say to Sly if they found him. Then, her thoughts were cut off by the words she had been waiting to hear for the past year.

“Alright, I think it should be ready by now. Let's go find Sly!" said Bentley with enthusiasm.

“Yeah!" replied Murray, with the same level of passion.

The gang got into the van and got ready to travel in time for the first time since Sly went missing. Carmelita picked a coin from the many she had taken from the laboratory, and they used it to make the machine work. The van started and began to make a whooshing sound that became louder and louder until they jumped into a time tunnel. It wasn't her first time, but the vixen felt a scared stomach sensation, most likely caused by her nervousness.

During the ride, the three were totally silent. Everyone was focused on thinking about what to do and where to look once they arrived in Ancient Egypt. But, unluckily, the arrival there caught them a bit off guard. They exited the time tunnel and appeared in mid-air. The machine fell and crashed into the ground, making the gang bounce off their seats and smash into the walls of the van itself.

The van took a good hit. It fell for about 30 feet until crashing into the ground, but fortunately, Carmelita, Bentley, and Murray were all okay.

“Are you guys all right?" asked Carmelita as she grabbed her right shoulder and tried to get out of the van.

“Yeah." answered the hippo, who was slightly disoriented.

“Fine back here." added the turtle as he raised his hand with his thumb up.

The three exited the Cooper Van just to find out they had landed on some wheat crops, destroying a significant part of the harvest. They looked around and saw what seemed to be the farmer's house on top of a nearby hill. That's when the farmer, a short Siamese cat, came out and started yelling at them.

“He doesn't look happy." pointed out Murray.

The cat rushed down the hill and violently approached the gang. “What is this?! Who are you?! What are you doing on my farm?!" Before any of the three could answer any of the farmer's questions, the cat realized the damage done to his crops and acted like he was going to have a panic attack. “Oh…" He put his hands to his head. “Oh, no, no, no." His voice got louder with each no. “What have you done?!" He finally blew up in rage.

Bentley tried to calm him down and explain the situation, but it didn't work. “We are sorry, sir. We were traveling, and accidentally-"

“Accidentally?! How, in Bastet's name, you accidentally crashed your hideous cart into my wheat!" To say he was angry was an understatement.

“Hey!" Murray stepped up and pointed his finger at the cat. “No one calls my baby hideous, pal."

The farmer looked at the hippo up and down, dumbfounded, before furrowing his brow. “Alright, that does it! I'm getting the authorities!"

As the farmer would have probably taken at least an hour to notify the authorities, the gang could have just walked away. But since they didn't want to attract too much attention, they tried to reason with him.

“Sir, wait! I'm sure we can figure another way to sort this out." said the turtle.

“We can help you plant more wheat," added Murray.

“Plant more? You, vandals, have destroyed months' worth of work! You should work until next summer to pay for what you've done!" Then, Carmelita had an idea.

The vixen went back to the van and grabbed the rest of the gold coins they didn't use to travel. “Does this cover the cost of a new harvest?"

“Have you got more?" He raised one of his eyebrows.

“No."

“Then yes." The cat flashed a greedy smile and snatched the coins.

“So, are we even?" asked Bentley.

“Oh, yeah, yeah. Just make sure you get that thing out of my farm." He contemptuously waved his hand at them as he walked away while counting the money.

“Wait!" Carmelita went after him. “Could you tell us where the nearest city is?"

“Sure. It's Men-Nefer, the capital city. You just have to follow the river. You can't miss it!" He pointed at the Nile, which supplied water to his crops. Or at least what was left of them. “By the way. You're not from around here, are you?" he asked, curious.

“Not exactly, no." admitted the fox.

“Yeah, I figured. Well, then be careful. The people of the capital do not like outsiders very much, nor do they like vandals." said the cat before finally walking away. “And don't forget to take that thing out of my farm!"

Murray, being the strongest of the three, was obviously the one in charge of moving the van. But since it was right in the middle of the wheat crops, it wasn't going to be an easy, nor quick, task, and Carmelita, as impatient as she was, didn't want to sit around and wait. The vixen grabbed her bag, put on the cloak Bentley gave her and got ready to follow the farmer's directions to the city of Men-Nefer.

“Carmelita? Where are you going?" asked the turtle, who was having trouble getting his wheelchair through the sand.

“To the capital. If Sly's been messing around there, I'm sure there will be many merchants complaining about a ring-tailed bandit." she answered in a determined voice.

“Don't you think it'd be better if we waited for Murray to get the van out of there?"

“Probably. Doesn't look like he's gonna do it anytime soon, though."

They both turned to the hippo, who was struggling to move the Cooper Van over the wet dirt and wheat. “Don't worry, guys! Almost got it!" He raised his thumb.

“I'll keep you posted on the binocucoms." She slung her bag on her back.

“But-"

“I'll be back before sunset!" said the fox before she began walking along the Nile's bank.

Bentley sighed as he watched Carmelita walk away. “She's as stubborn as Sly… No wonder they're made for each other." As Murray still couldn't move the van, the two decided to set camp next to the farm before trying again.

Meanwhile, the vixen wandered through sand and palm trees until she climbed a dune. Once she reached the top, Carmelita saw the city in the distance. From where she was standing, the river formed a distributary that went all the way down the dune and surrounded Men-Nefer, providing water to the nearby crops. The city itself was guarded by a tall white wall made of stone. And another thing that also stood out was the colossal temple with two pylons that stood right in the middle of Men-Nefer.

Carmelita carefully went down the dune and made her way to the city's main entrance, which was guarded by a high gate and two statues of a jackal, one on each side. The fox didn't have any problem when walking in, but she soon realized how difficult it was going to be to find Sly. The urban area was huge, and the streets were packed. In hopes that the raccoon was jumping through some close-by rooftops, the vixen took off the hood so he could recognize her, but that just drew more attention to her. Back in the day, seeing a fox in Ancient Egypt was very uncommon, which, together with her unusual hair color, made most of the locals stare at her.

By the time she got to the merchant's district, many people believed her to be some kind of foreigner princess. As she made her way through the market's main street, many vendors approached her to buy her clothes and offer her their products. Carmelita ignored them until she came across a lynx and his pottery stand.

“Excuse me, have you seen a raccoon around here? Gray fur, black stripes on the tail…" she asked in a slightly desperate voice.

The lynx stared at her with narrowed eyes. “No… I'm sorry. I have not seen anyone like that." He quickly changed his facial expression to a friendlier one. “But I can offer you great prices in this pottery selection. I have vases, bowls, cups, jugs, teapots, teacups…"

“Thanks, but I'm not interested." said the fox before leaving the stand.

Right at that very moment, Carmelita felt a cold stream of air and a chill that went up and down her body. She looked to her left and saw another hooded individual almost at the end of the street. The vixen covered the sun with her hand and headed towards the figure that caught her attention. Could it be Sly? That question rumbled in her head as she got closer. But then she felt how someone pushed her from behind and took her bag.

“Hey!" She yelled, but no one in the market seemed to care. The fox quickly raised her head to try and locate the hooded individual, but it had disappeared. So she decided to hunt down her bag's thief, a hyena who was currently trying to escape through some narrow alleys. 

Carmelita moved through the crowd and managed to catch up to the hyena, whose shorter legs didn't do him any favors. At some point, the doglike mammal turned around and saw the vixen right behind him. He got nervous and tried to climb a wall. But, when he was at the top, he slipped and fell to the other side. The fox flawlessly jumped over it and grabbed the hyena by his tunic. It had been some time since she had chased a criminal like that, but she still hadn't lost her touch.

“Give me the bag!" she aggressively ordered.

“Okay, okay! But, please, don't hit me!" The hyena flinched and covered his face with his arms.

The vixen mumbled something in Spanish and took back her bag, but just as she was putting it back on, she realized a huddle had formed around them, and everyone was staring at her like she was some kind of bandit.

“So much for not drawing attention…" she said to herself before leaving the hyena and making her way back into the crowd.

Carmelita hoped that wouldn't cause her any more trouble, but just a few seconds later, she heard a voice yelling at her and telling her to stop.

“Oh, for fuck's sake." She turned and saw three tigers chasing her with swords and spears.

The fox ran and tried to give them the slip, but it didn't take long for more guards to join her chase. The streets began to fill with panic and noise as Carmelita escaped. She got into an alleyway similar to the one she had chased the hyena through and waited for things to calm down. After a few minutes, the vixen came out and looked around to see if they were gone. But just when she thought she had gotten rid of them, Carmelita received a blow right to the abdomen that made her fall to the ground on her back. The fox grabbed her stomach and tried to crawl away, but she ran into a wall. She tried to get up, but the vixen was surrounded by half a dozen tiger guards armed to their teeth. Seeing as there was no other way, Carmelita decided to surrender. Hopefully, she would soon find a way to contact Bentley or get out of this situation.

The guards arrested Carmelita and tied her hands with rope. They also took her cloak and bag before taking her to the city's prison, near the temple she had seen earlier. There, she was locked up in a cramped and dark cell that only had a small barred window from which she could see the people passing through the streets. The putrid smell of the prison and the claustrophobic feeling of being the one behind bars for once made the vixen immediately start to find a way to escape. 

She peeked into the corridor, but the rest of the cells were empty, which did not bode well. The bars of the cell were too thick for her to break and too narrow for her to fit through. The same went for the ones on the window. The only way out seemed to be the same way she got in, but the entrance had to be riddled with more guards. That's why the vixen climbed up the window and prayed that some pedestrian would answer her distress call, but she had no luck.

Meanwhile, at the temple, one of the guards that arrested Carmelita went to inform Men-Nefer's ruler, Khafet II, about their newest prisoner. Khafet was a jackal and a descendant from a dynasty of tyrants that had control of most cities in Lower Egypt. Since he was a child, he was taught the ways of power. And his reign had been marked by the use of fear and slaves to achieve whatever he wanted.

“A vixen? A female fox?"

“Yes, my lord, she was seen assaulting a citizen and taking this bag from him. She was also wearing this." The guard handed Khafet the items they had confiscated from the fox. “We've locked her up in a cell, and we await your order to execute her."

The jackal felt the vixen's cloak. It was made out of a material he had never seen before. Then he decided to check the inside of her bag. He struggled with the zipper and admired the things it was carrying. Khafet carefully inspected the plastic water bottle and the cereal bars Carmelita had packed for their trip. He was certainly intrigued.

“Bring her before me."

The tiger complied and went back to the city's prison to get Carmelita. Right at that moment, the fox was trying to untie her hands with her teeth, but she stopped once she heard someone coming.

“You, fox! The chief wants to see you." said the tiger guard.

Carmelita didn't wait around to ask who the chief was or why he wanted to see her. Just as the guard opened the cell door, she kicked him in the face and ran for her life. Unfortunately, she didn't get far, as the next door she ran into was locked. The vixen turned around and saw two more guards approaching. They were armed, but that didn't mean she wasn't going down without a fight. The fox poked one of the guards' eyes with her tied hands and kicked the other one's leg. She tried to run past the guards, but one of them grabbed her by the ankle and made her trip. The vixen repeatedly kicked him in the face, but he wouldn't let go. It was then that the tiger that opened her cell door caught up to them.

“Stop! The chief wants her alive." He picked up Carmelita by the hair and put his sword to her neck. “Now, are you gonna be a good girl and stop messing around?" The fox frowned and growled at the feeling of the weapon's edge on her fur.

Between the three guards, the vixen was taken to Khafet's quarters. She was pushed into the room with her hands still tied up and locked inside. Since she was left alone, Carmelita quickly looked around for a way to make her escape. There was a balcony at the end of the room, but once she looked out onto it, she realized she was locked on top of one of the temple towers. There was no way she could survive the fall. 

Then, she heard the door unlock and saw Khafet walk in. The jackal was taller and most likely stronger than her. Once he laid eyes on her, he let out a smile that made the vixen's blood boil.

“It's good to finally meet you. I have been told very interesting things about you." As the jackal walked towards her, Carmelita scanned the room to find something useful, but there was only a big bed, a wardrobe, and a bunch of vases and pots. “My name is Khafet II of the Fourth Dynasty and, as you may already know, the ruler of Men-Nefer."

The vixen continued to look around the room, always keeping an eye on the jackal.

“Aren't you gonna introduce yourself?" he asked.

“Why would I do that?" she answered aggressively.

Khafet smiled. “Why don't you step away from the balcony? I know the views are magnificent, but I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself." Carmelita was hesitant. “Oh, come on. I don't bite. See" The jackal took a few steps back to give her some space.

The fox walked into the middle of the room, but she still didn't trust him. Not one bit.

“We don't see many foxes around here. Where exactly do you come from?"

This time the vixen didn't answer.

“You know, refusing to speak when you are spoken to is very rude. But don't worry, we'll have plenty of time to teach you manners." That sentence creeped the fox out. “Now, my guards told me that you assaulted a poor man in the street. Why would you do that?"

“I didn't assault him! He stole something from me. I was just getting it back!" She defended herself.

“You mean this?" He revealed her bag from behind his back.

If Carmelita got a hold of it, she could take her gun and get out of the temple.

“I must admit that I was amazed by this… soft glass water container." He took out a plastic water bottle. “But I've been having some trouble trying to figure out what the rest of this was."

“Food! It's food." She tried to draw the attention away from her weapon.

“Food? This? Don't be ridiculous..." said the jackal while holding a cereal bar that, of course, had the wrapper.

“You just have to open it. Let me show you." She walked up to him. “If I may." 

Khafet smiled upon finally seeing some docility by the fox. He handed her the snack, and Carmelita opened it and broke him a piece of it. The jackal took it and ate it. He wasn't used to the flavor, but he didn't seem disgusted.

Thinking that was her chance, the vixen tried to reach for her bag, but Khafet quickly grabbed her by the wrist and twisted it, making her scream in pain.

“As I was saying, according to my family's laws, you should be executed right this evening, you dirty thief." He didn't let go of her wrist.

“I didn't steal any-" The vixen was cut mid-sentence by the jackal, who grabbed her by the throat.

Khafet pushed Carmelita to the bed and pinned her down. “Shh… Don't worry. You're very lucky I like you, you know? I want to be one of my maidens… I'll show you how to please me, and, if you're good at it, maybe someday you could be my wife." He grabbed her face and tried to kiss her against her will.

“You're sick!" The fox growled before biting the jackal's hand, almost ripping off a finger.

Khafet screamed in pain, and the vixen took advantage of the moment to knee him in the ribs and kick him under the chin. She managed to slip from under him but had nowhere to go. 

The fox tried to open the door, but it was locked from the outside. She turned around and saw how the jackal got up. He spat out some blood before staring at Carmelita with eyes full of rage. Instead of looking cowardly, the fox furrowed her brow and invited him to fight.

It was then that a loud whistle coming from the balcony caught their attention.

“Hey, big guy! Leave the lady alone." It was none other than Safir Kupar, posteriorly known as Slytunkhamen I. The raccoon was stealing some food from the jackal's pantry when he heard the fox's screams, so he decided to check what was going on.

Khafet gritted his teeth and turned to the thief. But just when he was ready to go after him, Carmelita skillfully swept him off his feet and kicked his head as hard as she could. Once he was down, she rushed to get her bag. The vixen took out her shock gun and fired at the jackal, who, this time, didn't get up. 

She sighed in relief and looked over to Safir, who was staring at her, impressed and terrified at the same time. Carmelita froze in shock like she had seen a ghost. A ghost from the Thievius Raccoonus.

“Is he… dead?" asked the thief as he approached Carmelita to aid her.

“N-no… He's just stunned." She dropped her gun on the floor.

“Here, let me help you with those hands." He cut the rope with one of his canes, finally freeing the fox, who felt her bruised wrists without looking away from him. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

The vixen stayed silent and put her hands on the raccoon's shoulders. “You…You're the ancestor." She smiled in disbelief. “You're Sly's ancestor!"

“Ancestor? I know I'm older than him, but that's a pretty strong word, don't you think?" asked the thief, slightly offended.

“Do you know where he is?! Do you know where I can find him?!" Hope began to show in her voice.

“Sure, but I think it'd be better if we got to a safer place first." He pointed his thumb to the jackal, who was still lying on the floor.

Carmelita agreed, and they both escaped through the balcony. Safir climbed to the top of the tower and then helped the fox up. From up there, they could see the whole city of Men-Nefer.

“So, can you tell me where Sly is now?" asked the vixen as the warm desert breeze blew through her hair.

“Gladly, after you tell me who you are and why you wanna know where he is." The raccoon crossed his arms. Although the fox seemed harmless, apart from the beating she gave Khafet, the thief couldn't fully trust her just yet.

“My name is Carmelita Fox, and I-"

“Oh! You're the famous Carmelita?! Why didn't you say it before?" His face glowed with surprise.

“Sly has told you about me?"

“Of course. He's been talking about you since he arrived here." His words went right through Carmelita's heart, filling it with pure joy. “He insisted one day you'd come for him. I'm sure he'll be thrilled to see you." The thief smiled. “Come on, he must be at home."

The raccoon and the vixen got down from the temple tower and made their way through the alleyways of the city while blending in with the crowd, which was rather complicated given Carmelita's 21st-century appearance.

“So, what did Sly also tell you about me?" The fox couldn't help being curious.

“Well, he told me you were his girlfriend back in the Greek Lands and that you are, and I quote, the most beautiful fox anyone has ever laid eyes upon."

Carmelita smiled. “Oh, Ringtail…" she thought.

“We're almost there. Our house is up these stairs and up the street..." said Safir as he pointed his finger in the direction they were headed.

At that moment, Carmelita began to feel nervous. But not as the way she had been feeling for the past year. The fox felt nervous because she was finally going to see Sly again. After all those sleepless nights; those walks along the Seine, trying to find some evidence of his whereabouts; and the pain she had gone through, she was finally going to see him. She didn't even know what to say to him. She just wanted to hold him and make sure this wasn't one of her dreams that turned into a nightmare once she woke up.

“We're here!" announced the thief as he stopped by his house.

The fox didn't think twice and rushed inside. She walked down a corridor and walked into the living room, hoping for her raccoon, but it was just Kirah who was there.

“Oh, hello." The female raccoon greeted Carmelita, who just stood there with a let-down expression.

“Kirah, isn't Sly home?" asked Safir while looking around the room.

“No, I sent him to the market to buy some bread for lunch."

After hearing those words, the vixen instinctually turned around and tried to walk away. But luckily, the thief stopped her.

“Hey, where are you going?" said Safir.

“To the market."

“Look, I know you really want to see Sly, but you can't go out there after what you did to the big guy back at the tower. There must be lots of guards looking for you." He finally convinced her to stay and wait for Sly to come back.

After Safir introduced Carmelita to Kirah, the three sat down and talked. The fox vaguely answered the raccoons' questions as she grew more impatient with each second that passed.

“Kirah, I'm back!" That voice tensed the vixen's ears and made her jump from her seat and rush to the entrance hallway. “They didn't have whole wheat, so I got-" Right at that moment, Sly looked up and saw Carmelita in front of him. The raccoon's heart skipped a beat, and he just froze.

They both stared at each other for a few long seconds, not quite sure whether or not to believe their tearful eyes. At last, Carmelita's lips drew a smile on her face, and Sly dropped the bread, walked up to her, and took her in his arms as if she was the last thing he had left in the world. The fox quickly returned the hug and enjoyed the feeling of his fur, which made her feel a great sense of relief. Tears soon began to roll down the raccoon's face, as well as the vixen's.

“I knew you'd come for me. I knew it." The thief sobbed as he tightened his embrace.

Carmelita, who could not articulate a word, held his face and wiped away his tears. The raccoon rested his head on her forehead and felt the delicate touch of the fox's hands.

“Carmelita, I'm sorry for-" Sly tried to apologize for his past actions, but the vixen softly shushed him.

“It's alright." She said before joining their lips in a kiss they had been both craving for a long, long time. It felt like time had stopped around them as they held each other, and neither wanted to let go. After slowly breaking the kiss, the couple stared at their brown eyes and smiled. “I love you so much, Ringtail."

Hearing the nickname she gave him years ago after all this time made Sly's heart overflow with great pleasure and satisfaction. “I love you too, Carmelita..." he whispered before kissing her one more time.

As she held Sly's face, Carmelita noticed the damage the Egyptian sun had dealt to Sly's fur. It felt dry, and some of the darker parts of his face turned to a slightly lighter color. Still, she found him as handsome as always.

“Your fur is all messed up." Carmelita smiled as she lovingly caressed his cheeks with her thumbs.

“Yeah, they always seem to run out of shampoo at the market." They both chuckled until their eyes met again. “You look as gorgeous as the last time I saw you." The thief smiled before leaning in and kissing the fox again. After being apart for almost a year, not even all the kisses in the world were enough to satiate their aching hearts.

Their lips parted, and Sly hugged her tightly. Suddenly, she was filled with a tender feeling of calm and safety.

“So…" he said while slowly breaking the hug. “...How did you find me?"

“Well, yesterday I went to your safehouse to check up on Bentley and Murray, and… Oh!" Carmelita had forgotten about the turtle and the hippo from all the emotion of their reunion. “Bentley and Murray! We have to let them know you're safe and sound." The fox took the binocucoms out from her backpack. “Bentley, come in!"

After a few seconds, the turtle answered. “Copy you loud and clear, Carmelita. Do you have any updates on Sly's whereabouts?"

“See it for yourself." She handed the device to the thief.

“Hey, pal. It's good hearing your voice after all this time." The raccoon cracked a smile.

“Sly? Oh, man… You're alive!"

“Alive and kicking, buddy."

“Wait a minute, I'll get Murray!" There was a pause in the communications. When they resumed, the hippo was the one talking.

“Sly?! Is it really you?!" he asked, excited.

“Glad to hear you too, big guy."

The pure joy and emotion contained in Bentley and Murray's voices made Carmelita forget the tough times they had gone through as they desperately searched for the thief. She just smiled, glad that she never gave up, as she watched how the three friends celebrated the raccoon's rescue.

“The van is almost out of the wheat crops. We'll probably be ready to go by the time you guys get here." said the turtle.

“Okay… I'll see you then, buddy." Sly didn't stop to question what his friend said about the van being stuck. He just wanted to leave the scorching desert and go back to his normal life.

He returned the binocucoms to the vixen, who put them back in her backpack. Then, Safir intervened in their little conversation to bid his farewell to the couple.

“So… I guess this is goodbye." He flashed a proud smile to hide the sadness of the moment.

“I guess it is." Sly, who wasn't as good as his ancestor at hiding his emotions, walked up to him and hugged him. “Thanks for everything, Safir… And you too, Kirah." The female raccoon joined them.

Those two had been the closest thing to a father and a mother he had since he lost his parents to the Fiendish Five. They welcomed him with open arms to their house, and Sly learned much from them during his stay there. Although he was eager to leave Egypt, it pained him to leave Kirah and Safir, especially knowing the latter's fate.

“So, are you two headed back to Greece?" asked Kirah after they broke the hug.

Sly smiled as he turned back to Carmelita. “There is nothing else in the world that I would rather do." The fox felt how her chest overflowed with joy and returned the smile. “I'll get my things, and then we'll be ready to go," he said before walking to his room.

“Oh! Carmelita, please, take this," said Safir as he took off his hooded cloak and handed it to her. “There will probably be a lot of guards out there looking for you. Better stay safe."

“Thanks, Safir," she said while putting it on. “I also want to thank you two for taking Sly into your home. If there's anything that I could do to ever repay you-"

“Don't worry, Carmelita. That's what family is for," said Safir with a smile.

“Yeah. Just take good care of Sly. It's clear that you make him truly happy." added Kirah.

After that, Sly walked out of his room. The thief was carrying his cane on his back and had a leather pouch slung over his shoulder and across his chest. He was also wearing a cloak similar to the one his ancestor gave Carmelita.

Before leaving the house, he stretched Safir's hand and thanked him again. The raccoon, too, insisted that he continued writing down his wisdom and memories and promised to never let their family's legacy be forgotten. As Sly and Carmelita walked out waving goodbye, Safir let out a proud smile, and Kirah clung to his husband's arm as she looked back at the time they were just a couple of young lovers.

Once in the street, Sly took Carmelita's hand, and they both headed for the city's main entrance. Thanks to their cloaks and the numerous people on the market at that time, the couple was able to go unnoticed and evade the guards roaming around the area.

“Why did you tell them we were from Greece?" The vixen chuckled.

“Well, they assumed it, and I sort of went along with it… Besides, I figured I'd be stuck here for a long time, and I didn't want to seem a weirdo with all that 'I'm your relative from the future' stuff."

“Like with your other ancestors?" She raised her eyebrow.

“That was… different."

“Right…"

Then, they decided to walk through the city's alleys to avoid drawing attention.

“So… You never finished telling me how you guys found me." Curiosity was present in the thief's voice.

“Oh… Well, as I said, I went to your safehouse to check up on Bentley and Murray and see if we found something that could lead us to you. But, then I stumbled upon that book of yours, and I… started reading it."

“You read the Thievius Raccoonus?!" asked Sly with excitement and surprise. “And that's how you found me, right? I left about a dozen hidden messages in Safir's writings. I knew at least one would make it to the final book."

“Yeah… But, look, Sly..." Carmelita stopped short in the middle of one of the alleys. The sudden shift in the tone of her voice caught all of Sly's attention. “Before I read the book, Bentley had already checked it a few times… but found nothing. I took the book home, read it from top to bottom, and didn't find anything either." The vixen held both of his hands before continuing to speak. “But that night, after I went to bed, I had some weird dream… Well, not a dream, more like a spiritual connection of some sort… Anyway… Sly, what I am trying to say is that I talked to your father."

The raccoon's eyes widened in disbelief. He took a few seconds before talking again. “B-but that can't be possible… My father-"

“I know… The spirits of your ancestors have a way of communicating with us through the book. Thanks to your father, I was able to find your message on one of Safir's pages, and he also told me that both he and your mother are very proud of the man you've become." Those words felt like a dagger to Sly's heart.

The fox's warm smile vanished as she noticed tears rolling down the thief's face. But before she could even try to comfort him, he hugged her tight and took a deep breath as he tried not to sob. Carmelita immediately returned the hug and let him rest his head on her shoulder as his agitated breathing settled down. Then, the raccoon suddenly broke the hug and held the vixen's face with his hands.

“Carmelita, you're the most important person in my life… The year we spent together was the best of my life, and I was stupid enough to throw it all away… If I could go back and-" The vixen shut him up with a soft kiss.

“I understand. You decided to fight for what you stand for… Things could indeed have gone better, but at least you're okay… Now, let's get out of this place." Her comforting expression brought Sly's smile back.

Together, they left the alleyway and crossed the market to reach the city's main exit. Just when the couple thought they had made it, a tiger guard wielding a spear blocked their path.

“Hey! Where do you two think you are going? Haven't you heard there's a lockdown? A fugitive is on the loose, and nobody is allowed to leave the city until we arrest her."

Sly turned back to Carmelita and quickly tried to think of something. “But you see, sir, we have been ordered to collect palm leaves for the city's apothecary-"

“I said nobody leaves the city." The guard remained firm.

The raccoon stepped back and started devising a plan. “Okay. Carmelita, grab a handful of sand from the ground, and when I give you the signal, throw it to Stripey's eyes. Then, I'll take out my cane, and I-"

As the thief explained his convoluted plan, the vixen whipped out her gun and blasted the tiger, unleashing panic in the city's market.

“Run!" said Carmelita before the two got out of Men-Nefer as fast as they could.

The fox and the raccoon sprinted across the sand as a bunch of more guards went after them.

“We've got company!" announced Sly.

The vixen managed to take the pair of binocucoms out of her bag and dialed Bentley.

“Bentley!" She called him until he answered.

“Copy you, Carmelita. Wh-"

“Bentley, listen! We're headed there. Turn on the van! Now!"

The desperation in her voice worried him. “Are you guys okay?"

“We're being chased!" Sly joined the conversation.

“Just turn it on! We don't have much time!" added Carmelita before cutting off the communications.

They walked up a dune and followed the river's course until arriving at the cat's farm. Bentley and Murray had followed their orders and were waiting for them inside the van. The hippo hadn't finished taking it out of the crops, so the fox and the raccoon stepped over dirt and wheat before getting into the van through the backdoor.

“Step on it, big guy!" said Sly as soon as the door closed.

Murray switched on the time machine's device, and the whole van began to rumble. Although that could have also been because of the guards trying to flip it over. Luckily for the gang, they jumped into a time tunnel right before that could've happened.

In the blink of an eye, it all went silent. Sly sat up and turned to see Bentley and Murray, with slight disbelief on their faces. Then, the van erupted in joy and exultation. During the trip back home, the gang rejoiced in the raccoon's return. Sly told stories about his time with Safir and Kirah, and his friends remembered the long night they spent looking for the smallest hint that led them to him.

Soon, they jumped out of the time tunnel and arrived at the Cooper Gang's safe house. Right then, some sort of irrational fear started to take over Sly's heart. The raccoon swallowed hard and felt his pulse rising as he thought of the possibility of his rescue being another one of the insufferable nightmares he's had over the past years.

"Sly, are you alright?" Carmelita noticed his lost stare and rested her hand on Sly's.

"Uh? Y-yeah… It's just that… it feels weird being back." He looked out of the van's window to see the garage.

"It'll probably take you a few days or a week to adapt… But, don't worry, you have very good friends that are going to help you. And you have me as well." She was now holding his hand.

Sly looked back at Carmelita and mimicked her cozy smile. That fear that ambushed his heart was suddenly gone. The two got out of the van and went up the stairs to join Bentley and Murray in the living room. The raccoon showed himself slightly hesitant, but once he walked around the room, a smile of realization formed on his face. He was finally home.

As he looked around the safehouse, a load of memories came back to him. Then, he noticed the Thievius Raccoonus on the living room table and felt a chill on the back of his neck. He grabbed the book and went to his old room, making Bentley, Murray, and Carmelita somewhat worried.

After a few minutes, Sly peeked through the door. "Carmelita, could you come here for a moment?"

"Yeah, of course." She nodded and walked into the bedroom. "Is something wrong?"

"No, it’s just… That thing you said about my father," He sat on the edge of the bed. "Why didn’t he ever talk to me?"

Carmelita sat beside him. “He told me he wanted to talk to you after what happened at Kaine Island, but since you decided to fake amnesia and stole away with a certain fox, he wasn’t able to reach you.” She rested her hand on his leg. “But, you’re back now! I’m sure he’s eager to finally talk to his son again.”

Sly's lips drew a warm smile, and he gently hugged Carmelita. "Thank you." whispered the raccoon.

The vixen returned the hug and caressed the back of his head. "Now, get some rest. You must be exhausted."

"Oh…" There was a slight disappointment in Sly's voice.

"What?"

"I just thought that... you know, since most of my clothes are probably still there, maybe tonight I could crash at your place." The raccoon flashed his charming smile, which the fox mimicked.

"Well…" Her hand moved down to his chest. "It is true we have to make up for lost time..." She planted a sweet kiss on his snout. "I'll be waiting in the car." whispered the vixen before getting up and leaving the room.

Sly put the Thievius Raccoonus back in its place and said goodbye to Bentley and Murray before he left the safe house. Just as she said, Carmelita was waiting for him in her convertible.

"Do you wanna grab something to eat on the way to my apartment?" suggested the fox after the thief got in the car.

"Yes! Please!..." said the raccoon, slightly overexcited. "I mean… I have nothing against Kirah and Safir's cooking, but I could really go for some burgers right now… and some fries… and maybe some onion rings too." Sly spent the past year eating bread, plain rice, vegetables, and, occasionally, some chicken or fish they managed to steal from Khafet's temple.

Carmelita chuckled. "Alright, burgers it is."

Even though it was late at night, the burger joint they went to wasn’t closed yet. The vixen took some money she had in her glove box in case of emergencies and ordered their meal at the drive-thru. After getting the food, Carmelita pulled up at the almost empty parking lot, and the two peacefully enjoyed their dinner.

After she finished, the fox put all her trash in one of the paper bags and turned to the raccoon, who was just savoring the last bites of his cheeseburger. She stared at him for a few seconds until he noticed her.

"Do I have sauce on my face?" he innocently asked.

Carmelita let out a wholehearted smile. Then, she moved closer to Sly and rested her head on his shoulder. "God, how I missed you."

The raccoon applied a soft kiss on her forehead, put his arm around her waist, and snuggled up next to the vixen. "There hasn't been a day I haven't thought of you," said Sly before planting another face on his face.

After that sentimental moment, Carmelita threw their trash in the nearest trash can before they set off for her apartment. When they got there, the same thing happened to the thief as in the safe house. Several memories of the year he spent with Carmelita swamped his head. Although, this time, all of his bad feelings went away with just a look at the fox sitting next to him.

Sly groaned as they walked into the building's elevator. "Hmmm… I can't wait to take a shower." He rested his back against the wall.

"A shower?"

"Yeah… The Nile might be the longest river, but I can assure you it’s definitely not the cleanest."

The elevator doors opened, and they walked out.

As the vixen used her keys to open the door, her lips drew a cunning smile. "Actually, I was thinking… Why don't we take a bath?"

"Huh?" Carmelita's proposal caught his attention and tensed his ears.

"You know... A nice and warm bath. That way, I could help you with those hard-to-reach parts." A wink from the fox sealed her suggestion.

“Well, there’s no way I can say no to that.” He wrapped his arms around her.

“Then, you go fill the bathtub, and I’ll go get you something from this century, alright?" Carmelita seductively played with the fur on his chin.

Sly immediately complied and walked into the bathroom. Meanwhile, the vixen went to her bedroom. Since pants and shirts weren’t gonna last very long on, she just got one of her lingerie sets and a pair of black boxers for the raccoon.

*knock* 

*knock*

*knock*

“Are you still dressed?” asked Carmelita from the other side of the bathroom door.

“Yeah…” The vixen walked in after his answer. “Although there’s nothing you haven’t seen before.” He flashed a charming smile.

“I know… But I didn’t want to miss the fun part of the bath.” Carmelita hugged the thief from behind and started undoing his leather belt, which, together with his pants, fell to the floor and revealed his lack of underwear. “Hmm…” The vixen let out a lustful smile. Then, she smoothly got rid of his shirt, leaving him au naturel .

The raccoon’s body began to show its arousal to the touch of the fox’s hands and her kisses on his neck. Her teasing made him squirm and pant, which pleased Carmelita. Sly began to slowly run his hand up Carmelita’s thigh, which eventually caused the tables to turn.

The vixen let him turn around and feasted her eyes as the thief took off her shorts and top. He delivered a sweet kiss and, in a swift move, unhooked her bra.

“Haven’t lost your touch, huh?” asked the vixen as she rested her hands on the raccoon’s chest.

Sly kept applying delicate kisses all over Carmelita’s face while his hands unhurriedly reached her lower back.

“The water!” The vixen interrupted their moment so the bathtub wouldn’t overflow. After closing the tap, she turned to the thief and flashed a seductive smile. “After you, Ringtail.”

Sly mimicked her smile and slowly stepped into the bath. He felt a great sense of relief and relaxation on his back as he lay down and rested the back of his head on the edge of the tub. After taking off her remaining piece of clothing, Carmelita joined him.

“Now, just relax and let me do all the work, okay?” said the fox in a soft voice before grabbing the sponge and some shampoo.

Carmelita then proceeded to gently clean his gray fur. She began with his arms, then his chest, his head, and his back. She put special attention to his tail, which she lathered right before his legs. Once all the foam that had formed made it impossible for Sly to see the vixen’s hands, she began working on his most sensitive area. Carmelita made sure to be exceptionally careful and delicate to not hurt the raccoon. After cleaning every inch of his body, the fox dropped the sponge and kissed the thief’s slightly wet neck as she stimulated him. Sly couldn't help but let out a few repressed moans, which let the fox know she was doing a good job. When he was close, the raccoon stopped Carmelita. It was his turn to return the favor.

He let her get comfortable before getting some more shampoo. Instead of the sponge, Sly used his hands. The vixen took a deep breath and enjoyed the pleasant scent of lavender and the gentle touch of his Ringtail’s hands. Like her, he first made sure to thoroughly clean her orange and cream fur to erase the damage done by the sand and dryness of the desert. Then, he worked his real magic.

The raccoon placed one of his hands on the vixen’s inner thigh and slowly moved it up her leg. Carmelita whimpered as she felt the thief’s fingers rubbing against her sex. Sly smiled and leaned in to nuzzle her neck. Meanwhile, his free hand climbed up to her breasts. It had been a year, but the raccoon hadn’t forgotten how to make the fox’s heart race by using his hands.

Carmelita bit her lower lip and arched her back after Sly slipped a finger inside her. The raccoon increased his intensity, which caused the vixen to hold his face and kiss him. After their lips parted, the thief kept going, which made it harder for Carmelita to catch her breath.

“I… I think we should get out now…” suggested the fox.

Sly smirked and gently relocated his hands on her hips before planting a soft kiss on her lips. “Let me get you a towel...” he said before standing up, cheering Carmelita’s eyes.

The raccoon wrapped a towel around his waist and offered another to the vixen as she was getting out of the bathtub. He helped her dry as she ran her hands all over his grey fur. Once she was done, Carmelita put on her black set of lingerie.

"I don't really see the point of you putting that on. I'm just gonna-" 

"Take it off once we get to the bedroom? That’s the fun part." Carmelita winked at the thief and tossed him the pair of boxers he had brought him.

Sly saw how the fox's tail disappeared as she walked out of the bathroom. Then, he put the boxers on and finished drying off. Since the vixen had closed the bedroom, Sly had to turn the knob and opening to find her in heaven suggestive pose that reminded him how lucky of a raccoon he was.

"Oh, Ringtail… You have no idea how many times I've dreamt of this moment." As the thief walked toward her, Carmelita noticed the effects of her seduction on Sly. He wasn't able to take his eyes off her, and his tail couldn't stop wagging around. There were also more obvious signs of the thief's arousal, but the fox would take care of that in a moment. "Endless nights of loneliness in this empty bed, hoping one day I would be able to see you again, hear your voice, feel your touch." As Sly got closer, the fox got on her knees and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I want you to know that you're the most important thing in my life and that I love you." said the vixen right before their lips melted in a passionate kiss.

"I love you too, Carmelita… I love you so much." Sly leaned in for another kiss. “And I’ll be eternally grateful for having you by my side.” He enfolded her in his arms.

As the raccoon held her tight, Carmelita began to plant a few ticklish kisses on his neck’s gray fur while her hands ran down to his chest. Realizing her intentions, Sly broke the hug and let the vixen get more comfortable. She slowly moved down and gently stroked his lower stomach with her snout as she played with the elastic waistband of his boxers. The vixen teased and felt his erection through his underwear before finally pulling them down, revealing his hardness.

Carmelita smirked and bit her lower lip before looking up at the thief, who answered with a flustered smile. She gently grasped his cock and felt it throb in her hands before taking it in her mouth. Sly huffed as he felt the fox’s tongue drawing circles around the most sensitive part of his shaft. She held on to his hips before sliding his dick deeper inside her mouth, which made Sly start to moan and tremble. As she pleased him with her mouth, Carmelita gently began to play with the raccoon’s balls, to which Sly replied by gently running his fingers through her hair.

“Ohhh… Carmelita…” The thief stopped repressing his moans.

A few seconds later, the vixen pulled away, leaving a trail of saliva between her lips and his erection. She looked up to the raccoon once again and planted a wet kiss on his head.

“Sit here...” said the fox.

Sly immediately complied and sat next to her on the bed. Carmelita quickly got rid of his boxers and kissed him before she started to jerk him off. The thief could only close his eyes and enjoy the vixen’s hands and tongue. He ran his hands all over her curves, but when he tried to go further than her lower back, the fox gently pushed him and pinned him down.

“Not so fast, Cooper… I’m still not done with you.” Her words made his heart skip a beat.

“God, you’re so hot…” said Sly under his breath as he panted.

The thief lay on the bed, and the fox went back to please him with her mouth. He squirmed and moaned at the feel of her lips going up and down his length. At this rate, he wasn't going to last much longer.

“Carmelita, w-wait… I don’t wanna… Not yet…” He panted.

The vixen sat up and lay down next to him. “Then let’s see what you’ve got, Ringtail.” She lovingly stroked his chin.

As he caught his breath, Sly pulled her close and cuddled her. The fox thought it was a tender gesture and returned the hug but then felt how the thief swiftly unhooked her bra with one hand. Carmelita smiled before letting him place his body on top of her.

The raccoon planted kisses all over the vixen’s face before moving his lips down to her chest. There, he cherished her breasts. He felt and kissed them, agitating the fox’s breath. Sly formed a trail of kisses that covered most of the cream-colored fur on her stomach and ended on her black panties, which the thief took off with his teeth.

Carmelita began to lose composure as she felt the raccoon’s kisses climbing up her thighs. He held her legs down to admire her wetness and bask in her scent. The feeling of anticipation was killing the vixen. That, added to the feeling of his breathing on her sex made her body beg for Sly even more. They both made eye contact as the thief began to use his tongue, which sent shivers down the fox’s spine. 

It didn’t take long for the bedroom to fill up with her moans and begs for Sly to not stop. He was really working her sex: licking, sucking, and even teasing it. The raccoon, who loved her taste on his tongue, soon began to fuck the vixen with his tongue.

“Ahhh…” All Carmelita could do was moan and grip the sheets as she reached climax.

When she was close, the vixen pushed her hips into the thief’s mouth, which made him go even deeper. Carmelita gasped and felt how her body clenched as she was filled with a breathtaking orgasm.

Sly smiled, satisfied, as he climbed up the fox’s body to lay beside her and cuddle. “You’re gorgeous.” He applied soft kisses on her cheek while she caught her breath.

Once her breathing was back to normal, Carmelita returned his kisses and wrapped her legs around his body. The raccoon placed his hips on top of hers, pressing her sexes. The fox let out a little whimper, which worried the thief.

“Are you alright?” He immediately backed up.

“Y-yeah, still a little sensitive… Don’t worry, just go slow.”

The raccoon smiled and planted a kiss on her forehead before accommodating his hips again. He slowly rubbed his erection against her heat, making her moan and shiver. After a while, Carmelita let the thief know she was ready to take him. So he placed each of his hands at her sides and slowly pushed in. The vixen repressed her moans as she adjusted to the thief’s size and surrounded his neck with her arms. They both shared a tender kiss before Sly began to move inside the fox. Her back arched as his thrusts got deeper and deeper.

“Ahh… Sly…” Carmelita held on to the raccoon’s body as she felt his agitated breathing on her neck.

The vixen pushed her hips against the thief’s, sinking all of his cock inside her. Sly moaned before he started to fuck her faster but still gently, making her dissolve into pleasure. Soon, the raccoon’s hips began to stutter as he got closer to climax.

“Carmelita…” He passionately kissed the fox and dealt one last powerful thrust before flooding her with his seed.

A wave of pleasure filled their bodies as the vixen’s walls fluttered around the thief’s pulsating cock. Out of breath, Sly pulled out before he lay on top of Carmelita and snuggled her. The fox returned the hug. She kissed his forehead and caressed the back of his head.

“I think you should have some sleep now.” The fox chuckled.

“Oh, no… We’re not done.” Sly yawned. “Just give me a few minutes.” He got comfortable in Carmelita’s arms and ended up falling asleep. The fatigue and feeling of a real bed after all that time ended up depriving the thief of a second round.

The vixen could avoid letting out a warm smile before plating one more kiss on the raccoon’s snout. “Welcome back, Ringtail...” she whispered softly before closing her eyes and falling asleep.

The couple peacefully enjoyed their sleep while feeling the beating of each other’s hearts and the scent of love in their fur. The next morning, the two woke up together, which led to them staying in bed for a little longer and rejoicing in their tender love. Finally, their lives could go back to what they were before, back to normal.

After dining out, Sly and Carmelita decided to take a walk back home, but the raccoon insisted on stopping somewhere before going back to the fox’s apartment. He took a detour, and the two ended up in a neighborhood near the city center.

“What did you say was this place, Ringtail?” asked Carmelita while standing in front of an apartment building.

“You’ll see it in a moment.” The now ex-thief smiled and walked inside.

They took the elevator to the third floor. Then, Sly took out a set of keys and opened one of the doors in the hall. “ Voila! ” He flipped the light switch and let the vixen in.

Carmelita, somewhat confused, looked around before turning to the raccoon. “You bought an apartment?”

Sly chuckled. “No, love. This is my parent’s apartment. It’s where I grew up… before the orphanage, of course.” He flashed a warm smile as the fox looked at the many pictures of him and his family. “Years ago, I used to come here often, but after all that happened… Well, you know… So, a few days ago, I came here and cleaned the place from top to bottom.” 

“And, what do you want to do with it?”

“Well, we don’t have to move in here if you don’t want to. I mean, your place-”

“Our place.” The vixen smiled and held both of his hands.

“Our place… is great, and I would completely understand if you wanted to stay there.” He mimicked her smile and affectionately nuzzled her snout.

“Why did you bring me here then?”

“Oh, I just needed to get something. Stay here. I’ll be right back.” Sly walked into the main bedroom and walked out a few minutes later as he put something in his pocket. “Okay, we can leave now.”

“Aren’t you gonna show me what you got?” She raised one of her eyebrows.

“Nah, let’s just go back home.” The raccoon headed for the door, but the vixen stopped him.

“Cooper, I am not leaving this apartment until you show me the reason you brought me here.” She crossed her arms.

Sly sighed and gave up. “Alright, alright… Stubborn fox.” He smiled and kissed her on the cheek before handing her what was in his pocket.

The vixen’s blood ran cold once she realized Sly had just given her what appeared to be a ring box. “Is this…” She looked up at the raccoon, who was smiling back at her, full of fondness.

“Open it.” He placed his hands on her hips and held her close.

The vixen’s heart skipped a beat after the box’s content was revealed to indeed be an engagement ring. Her lips drew a nervous smile full of emotion as tears began to flow from her eyes.

“Carmelita Montoya Fox, will you-” Sly didn't even get to finish his proposal.

“Yes!” The fox held the raccoon’s face and kissed it all over. “Of course I’ll marry you.” She kissed his lips once more before letting Sly put the ring on her finger.

FIN