The Adventures of Sharkboy, Aquagirl, and Lavagirl

Chapter 16- Sixteen Years Later

"Aqua, you're..."

"A mess. I know. Give me a break," I groaned, staring at myself in the bathroom mirror.

"I was going to say beautiful, but those were your words," Sharkboy teased.

"You can say that to make me feel better," I said as I opened the foundation.

He took the bottle from me and placed it on the counter. I looked at him in disbelief.

"You're not covering up your beauty. You're my queen. My goddess. I've been telling you that since you saved me from Max. You're gorgeous. My gorgeous wife," Sharkboy said softly.

"Thank you, my love," I said, smiling as I kissed him quickly. "I love you."

"I love you too," Sharkboy replied.

"Mommy, help!"

I ran into our daughter's room, ready for Mr. Electric or another villain Max dreamed up. Water flooded out of the room after I opened her door. I stopped it in surprise. I gathered up the water and sent it splashing into the bathtub down the hall.

"Are you okay?" I asked, making sure she wasn't hurt. "Cor, are you okay?"

"Water came out of nowhere, and it started filling the room, and I got scared, and I thought you were doing it," Cordelia explained.

I sighed in relief. "Cor, that wasn't me. That was you. Your powers are adapting, and you're starting to slowly get control of them."

"Like you and Daddy do?" Cordelia asked.

"Yes, sweetie. You're going to be Queen of the Ocean one day. But for right now, you need to manage and control your powers before anything happens," I explained.

"I don't know whether to scold her for getting the carpet wet, or be proud of her," Sharkboy said, leaning against the doorway.

"Be proud of her, crazy," I teased, picking up our daughter in my arms.

"Can we go to the park?" Cordelia asked.

"Maybe after school. It's your first day of kindergarten, remember?" I said, making Sharkboy smile.

"School, school!" Cordelia cheered as I put her down. "I want to go to school!"

Sharkboy chuckled at our daughter. Cordelia meant "daughter of the sea", so I thought it was fitting. She was really going to rule the ocean, with Sharkboy's control of the sharks, and my control of everything else in the ocean, including the tide.

"She's too enthusiastic," Sharkboy said as she ran out of the room.

"She's too enthusiastic because of all the things Max has told her," I pointed out.

"Max is a bad influence," Sharkboy teased.

"Max is a great influence, unlike you when you act on instinct," I argued.

"Instinct was how I was trained. It was how I survived," Sharkboy explained calmly.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug. He hugged my waist, laying his head on my shoulder. He had a human side and a shark side, which he controlled in the past fifteen years. I learned that his human side was more affectionate, more soft. But I also loved the sarcastic, moody shark side of him.

"Mommy, can I have cereal?"

I pulled away abruptly, startled. I took a deep breath. "Yes, Cor, I'm coming." I kissed his cheek, making him smile. "I'll be right back."

I ran downstairs and poured her some of her favorite cereal. She ate happily, humming. I was surprised at how on-tune she was. Was she using her hypnotics? I looked over at the fish and they were almost frozen. I hummed, releasing the hypnotization. The fish swam around like normal.

"You've already gotten some of your powers," I stated as I packed Cordelia's lunch.

"I'm going to be just like you and Daddy," Cordelia assured me.

"For your sake, I really hope you're more like your father," I mumbled.

"Why, Mommy?" Cordelia asked.

I sat down across from her, looking into her eyes. She had his eyes. The rest of her was me. I tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, making her smile. Her brown eyes peered up at me, looking like chocolate.

"Your father is a great man. He was relentless, persistent, loyal, and is a great team member. And I love him for it. He's the first one to Planet Drool when we get a call from Minus. And I really hope you're the same way, Cordelia," I mumbled.

"But you're the best mom ever," Cordelia protested.

"I'm glad you think so. I've been trying my best," I assured her. "I grew up with animals. I didn't have any parents."

"Well, I do, and I have the best parents in the world," Cordelia said, getting up and hugging me.

The water on her hands made my eyes and hair turn blue. She pulled away, giggling, before hugging me again. I hugged her, smiling. She was such a cheerful kid. I was so proud of what Sharkboy and I made.

"I love you, Mommy," Cordelia whispered.

"I love you too, Cordelia. I love you more," I replied. I pulled away and kissed her head. "You better finish breakfast."

Cordelia finished quickly and grabbed her new backpack from the hook. I clipped her lunch to the front of the bag and she bounced on the tips of her toes. School was so exciting for her.

"Ready for school?" Sharkboy asked, walking downstairs casually.

"Ready, ready, ready!" Cordelia exclaimed excitedly.

Sharkboy chuckled and kissed the top of her head.

I kissed him lovingly before pulling away. He pouted. I shook my head, knowing that look and giving him a different look back. My hair and eyes turned back to normal. I was wearing a blazer and dress pants, with a white shirt underneath. The blazer stopped at my elbows.

I slipped on my black flats as Cordelia climbed into the car. My husband was in the passenger seat as I drove her to the school. I parked in the small parking lot, and all three of us got out of the car. I fixed my blazer and my glasses before Cordelia grabbed Sharkboy's and my hand.

My phone rang. I picked it up, not even looking at the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Aqua. The plugs are alive again. On their own."