Chapter 1

It was a pleasant night in Paris…

Inside of their non-descript van, Bentley and Murray, members of the illustrious Cooper Gang, sat together talking quietly, most likely awaiting the return of their boss and friend, Sly Cooper. The topic of the conversation was that Sly's birthday was coming up soon, and his two pals were wracking their brains trying to come up with the perfect gift for him

"All right, Bent. I think I've got an idea," Murray declared, keeping a watch on the streets outside for any sign of Sly.

However, even before he could elaborate on this idea, Bentley spoke up first. "Hold it. We're not giving Sly anything from this van, nor are we going to give him food. So…still want to offer up an idea, buddy?"

Murray snapped his mouth closed, and sadly shook his head. After an awkward silence, Murray ventured, rather tentatively, yet another proposal of sorts. "Well," he said to the cynical turtle beside him. "I know what Sly would really like…but it'd be almost impossible to give it to him."

Bentley adjusted his spectacles, then crossed his arms, flicking his glance over at his big friend. "Oh? And…that would be what exactly, Murray?" Bentley asked.

Murray grinned conspiratorially. "Well, Inspector Fox, of course, Bent," Murray proclaimed. "But, like I said, that's not very likely now, is it?"

Bentley snorted. "Yeah right, pal. Like we two could kidnap the Inspector, bring her to our own home, then lay her on Sly´s bed, so he could be alone with her. Yeah, right…like that could happen! As if…"

Murray sighed at his idea, which---even to him---sounded impossible and ridiculous. "Yeah, Bent…bad idea," he reluctantly agreed.

"Not so fast, my friend," Bentley added, a moment later, looking thoughtful as he mulled over an idea of his own. "You know, we could give this idea a try, you know," he said. "It'd be dangerous, mind…but there'd be no denying that it'd be the best birthday gift Sly would ever get!"

Murray looked at his friend, concerned about his sanity. "Um, say… Bentley, are you feeling all right, buddy?" Murray asked.

Bentley gave Murray a look. "Yes, I'm feeling fine. Come on, Murray…think of it! It'd be for our best friend, Sly. I say that's worth us taking a risk or two, don't you think?" Bentley said.

Murray felt a bit abashed, and looked down in shame a moment. "Yeah…for Sly, it'd be worth it," he agreed. "Why? Did you have a plan already?"

"Mmm, not yet, pal," Bentley replied, thinking. "But, I've got the beginnings of one cooking in my noggin right now. Hmm, first we'd need a foolproof way to make sure that Inspector Fox doesn't realize just where we're taking her to. Then…"

Murray just gaped at Bentley, then grinned. "Bentley, aren't you the one who's always telling us to be careful? Aren't you always yelling at Sly, each and every time he snaps pictures of Carmelita (especially those racy ones he took of her behind)? Isn't it you that's always telling him that his being sweet on Carmelita is way too dangerous?"

Bentley looked acutely uncomfortable, and didn't answer his smiling friend right away. "Well…yeah. I do," he reluctantly replied. He then realized that he, the very same Bentley who nearly always preached caution, was now sitting and contemplating some hare-brained scheme to kidnap the most formidable Inspector at Interpol. Not only that…but then he planned to bring her home, only to present her to his friend Sly as a birthday gift. "But…well, this is different, Murray," he pleaded.

Murray looked down at the hot dog in his hand, then shook his head. "Must be the preservatives. Effecting his brain," he mumbled, throwing his out from the window of the van.

Bentley growled. "There's nothing wrong with those hot dogs…and there's nothing wrong with me!" he told his doubting friend.

Any further exchange between the two friends was cut off by the unmistakable sound of someone firing a shock pistol. Well, that as well as the also unmistakable sound of a very angry, very sultry sounding female voice that was swearing vociferiously in her native Spanish. "Um, I expect that would be Sly," Bentley grumbled to Murray, even as he slipped on his headgear, allowing him to listen in and communicate with Sly via his binocucom.

"Heads up, pals," came Sly's slightly harried, yet distinctly amused voice. "I'm comin' in!"

Bentley winced at the sound of round after round of shock pistol fire exploded in his earphones. "All right, Sly… get back here, pronto!" Bentley instructed. "Oh, and by the way, if you get a minute, do tell Carmelita that if her mother heard the things she's saying she'd of washed her mouth out with soap! We can hear her all the way over here in the van…without the binocucom."

Sly laughed, then replied, "I'm on it, Bent!"

A moment later, they were startled as they heard Carmelita bellow loudly, swearing in English this time around.

"He did it," Bentley groaned. "I was teasing him, and he had to go and tell her."

Murray turned towards his pal and said. "You know Sly and Carmelita. Hey, I'm telling you, Bent…if we're going to give Sly the Inspector as his birthday present, we'd better make darn sure that Carmelita won´t start swearing a blue streak once she figures out our plan, pal." As he said that, the sliding door to the van heaved open like a shot, and Sly jumped into the van, barely missing being hit by one last blast from Carmelita's shock pistol, which splashed against the rear fender of the van. Murray wasted no time and they shot off like a streak, the van fishtailing all over the road.

"All right, guys…what have I missed?" Sly said, looking over at his long-time friends, who both looked at each other before responding.

"Um, nothing much, Sly," Bentley replied. Sly crawled over to his seat in the front. "Hey, Sly…was it your telling her not to swear that made Carmelita swear even more than she usually does?"

"Nah, that wasn't it," Sly said mysteriously, locking his hands behind his head and sighing, a big grin on his face.

"Don't tell me…you tried to kiss her again?" Bentley guessed, frowning.

"Nope," Sly said again, and smiled over at Bentley. "Look, I had just retrieved this…" Sly held up the jewel he had just stolen, "…and was on my way out, when I spotted none other than Carmelita walking right beneath me. Now, what was I to do? She hadn't seen me, you understand, so I decided that I should let her know I was there."

"Why?" Bentley questioned with a disapproving expression.

"Eh? Why not, pal?" Sly remarked, grinning as Bentley scowled. "Well, I leapt down behind her, and can you believe it…she didn't hear me! Well, I had to get her attention somehow. So, when she wasn't looking, I decided to give her some token of my fond affections…with a sweet pinch to her lovely rump."

"You didn't!" Murray gasped with a grin.

"I did!" Sly crowed. "Man…that was when the swearing started---as you both heard---and I decided, at least this time, that discretion was the better part of valor. I beat a hasty retreat, jewel in hand, fellas. Now, as you might of figured out by Carmelita's very unladylike cursing, she didn't seem to much appreciate my simple gesture for some unknown reason."

"Would you imagine that," Bentley said in a tone that clearly said that he didn't approve of Sly´s choice of action either. Bentley began thinking of how he and Murray might pull of their plan for Sly's little birthday gift operation. Sly´s birthday was scheduled in four weeks' time. He smiled as he looked over at Sly, who had retrieved the stolen gem from his pocket, and was even now examining it. It was a jewel, a bright pink sapphire, carved to resemble a rose. He knew that tomorrow morning, sure as can be, it would be found lying on Carmelita's desk…as yet another small token of Sly's affection. Bentley shook his head. Well, time to start planning Sly´s birthday, he thought to himself, the best birthday ever.