//------------------------------// // Lost: Found // Story: Dressed to Steal // by Tatsurou //------------------------------// As everyone gathered in the cavern, it quickly became obvious what sort of announcement Sly and Carmelita had. Sly looked to be fit to bursting with pride, and Carmelita - despite her conflicted expression - seemed to be glowing. Before anyone had even spoken, Bentley and Murray had wide grins on their faces, Penelope was beaming, and Coco was almost vibrating with suppressed excitement and glee. Despite Coco's insistence on treating 'the transformed Deik-Beck' as family, Clockwerk had chosen to remain outside so as not to stress the others who had not accepted him entirely yet. By now, everyone had grown somewhat used to his presence, but his relations with Sly, Carmelita, and Bentley were still somewhat strained. The only one present who did not seem charged with positive emotions was Wadjet, who sat back from the group in stony silence, watching calmly as everyone gathered. Sly was the one to begin the discussion as he cleared his throat. "Everyone," he began carefully. "Carmelita and I have-" Murray opened his mouth, only to be kicked in the side by a glaring Coco. "What?" he complained petulantly. "Let them make the announcement," Coco insisted firmly. "Why?" Murray demanded in confusion. "We all already know what it's going to be. Honestly, with the way they've been, I was expecting it half a year sooner." "It's still polite to let them announce it, even if we can't even feign surprise anymore," Penelope insisted with an irritable glower. Sly managed a chuckle. "So, were we just that obvious, or do you all just know us that well?" He put his arm affectionately around Carmelita's shoulders, getting a brief smile out of her. Bentley tilted one hand back and forth. "Little of column A, little of column B, little of column C." "Column C?" Carmelita asked in confusion. "C for Coco," Bentley explained calmly. "Even if we couldn't guess it, Coco obviously has, and she's been vibrating with excitement from the moment she laid eyes on the pair of you today. Given our present circumstances, there's only two possible announcements to get that sort of reaction out of her, and you'd have approached Murray and I privately if you were trying to pick a Best Man. Logic." Carmelita blinked in surprise. "You know, with everything that's happened...it completely slipped my mind that we aren't married yet..." This admission caused Penelope to burst into giggles. "I can asssssisssst with correcting that delinquency..." Wadjet offered gently, only to fall silent at the suddenly angry glare Carmelita shot her. Everyone blinked in shock at that interchange. "...Carmelita?" Sly asked worriedly. "Is...is something wrong?" Carmelita turned back to the group. "We're going to have a son," she said warmly, clinging tightly to Sly. "And...his name's going to be Ha-Horace!" She glared angrily at Wadjet again, her eyes narrowed to slits as she growled territorially at the Goddess. Coco's brief joy at the announcement of her becoming a big sister faded at Carmelita's sudden uncharacteristic hostility. "...Wadjet..." she asked nervously. "W...Why is Mom acting like that?" Wadjet sighed sadly. "I have ssssserached," she offered sadly. "Trying to find one with the right qualities to preserve the timeline and the Cooper line...but none live in the pressssent time with thossse qualitiesss...yet. If I sssearch through other timesss, I will be unable to maintain your pressssence in the meantime. However...one will soon be born who will have the right qualitiesss...who mussst take that misssssing place in the timessstream." She looked sadly towards Sly and Carmelita as Sly's face turned a mix of stunned and tragic. "Sssssly, Carmelita, I am ssssorry...but hissss name will be Harasss..." It was a few months after that before Mom would speak to anyone again. When Wadjet tried to speak to her, she actually struck out with her flail to drive her off. What should have been a happy announcement...instead left everyone depressed and devastated. Dad did his best to take care of Mom as the pregnancy progressed, and eventually she opened up to the rest of us. At first it wasn't pleasant, as she lashed out vocally at everyone as the mood swings hit her, blaming everyone in turn for having to 'lose her baby'... I'm going to try very hard not to remember that month. Thankfully, she managed to get control of herself and apologize before the time of delivery. I...I do understand why she lashed out. She knows Wadjet wouldn't do this if there were another option, and it's even logical that it happen this way. It's...just not pleasant. Mom delivered out by the oasis lake, with Wadjet herself taking on a less intimidating form to perform the delivery. I had no idea Gods could do that... And what happened next stunned everyone... Wadjet carefully cradled the tiny infant in her arms, her tongue passing gently over his fur to clean off the afterbirth mess. The Goddess had shrunk herself down to a naga not much larger than Murray to perform the delivery, and had eased all the pain Carmelita would have gone through during labor to make it a swift, painless birth. Once the young Haras began to cry, Wadjet gently placed him in Carmelita's arms to begin nursing. Carmelita gently cradeled the young raccoon in her arms, staring down as he immediately began to nurse. "It...it really has to be?" she asked sadly. "I am ssssorry," Wadjet offered sadly. Carmelita closed her eyes against the pain. "Can...can we stay to raise him?" she asked desperately. Wadjet shook her head sadly. "If he isss to be accepted into the Pharaoh'sss clan without a place of origin, he must bear the mark of the God-Touched, marked by Fate. To do that, he cannot know you consssciously. Only in inssstinct, deep memory, and ssstoriesss told." "How...how long?" Carmelita asked sorrowfully. "How long can I...?" "Until he isss on ssssolid food," Wadjet stated firmly. "...about two yearsss. After that, the way will open for you all to take Coco home...and you mussst go with her for now, and never return to thisss time period." "But...will he know who he is?" Sly asked sadly. "His heritage? What waits for him in the future? How...how do we know he is going to be okay?" "I will watch over him," Clockwerk spoke up as he leaned forward slightly, his predatory eyes gentle and compassionate. "Him and all his line for as long as time is unstable, until history is firm and the Cooper destiny assured." Sly stared up at Clockwerk in surprise. "R...really?" Clockwerk nodded firmly. "Even if it takes a thousand thousand years. Haras Cooper will know what awaits his descendants, and what must be done to prepare for them. And I will remain endlessly in the shadows of the Coopers, keeping death at bay that they can grow to be the shadow guardians the world needs." "You mussst not interact with them once the line leavesss Egypt," Wadjet warned. "Nor with anyone elssse. If you take up thissss role...all that awaitssss you isss eternal lonelinessss..." "All that awaits me is penance," Clockwerk corrected firmly. "For as long as my soul clings to this body, these wings will shield the children of Cooper from the sort of evil I once was. This I promise." Sly stared in shock at Clockwerk's declaration...but Carmelita reached over and wrapped an arm around one metal leg. "...thank you..." she whispered on the verge of tears as she cuddled her infant to her breast. Little Haras nursed away, unaware of the fate that awaited him.