Whee, third chapter, and the longest one so far :3 Its a little bit fluffy this one, but its important because it shows the softer side to Vincenzio, and therefore his weaknesses ;)
The normally beautiful coral blooms outside Greater Caverns no. 45 were robbed of their vibrant brilliance as a slightly overweight and very pointy-featured shark patrolled the area. A small pair of glasses rested on her snout, magnifying her fiery red eyes to scary proportions. Her mouth frozen in a mix of a frown and a snarl, her attention was either fixed on nothing as she swam in circles, or it was fixed on the open ocean, eyes narrowed.
Inside, the soft sounds of gurgling and whimpering floated in the water. Pale yellow light filtered through creviced windows, bathing the little crib and its wriggling occupant. Mona looked over her newborn pup, a unique glow to her hide that only comes with motherhood. As the light was momentarily broken by her mother's form, Mona looked out of the window and rolled her eyes.
"My mother, the one shark hit-squad," she sighed, bending down to coo at her pup. "That's your granny out there. Isn't she silly? Yes she is…and guess who's in trouble when he gets here? That's right...your daddy's in trouble," Mona made funny faces at her pup. "I just hope my mother doesn't go too hard on him…"
Vincenzio was a blur as he raced from the stadium and through the small stretch of open ocean before he hit the Reef. The odd flash of a Patrol-Whale and the bright yellow Taxi-fish were the first clues that he had made it. Of course, as soon as his bulky form had been spotted from below, the lights went out and every fish in sight scarpered for safety. Vincenzio smiled to himself, gloating in the glories and instant respect of being a shark. It was the only fame he could deal with. Despite being a phenomenal success in the ring, he hated the spotlight, and he was determined that his family would not be plagued by ruthless journalists. Mona was a very social shark, influenced by her fame-seeking, money-craving mother, and enjoyed the perks of swimming in the right circles provided by Vincenzio's fame. But Vincenzio had always been adamant that his children would be the ocean's best kept secret, they didn't need the pressure of a famous father.
Vincenzio sped into Greater Caverns, a huge underwater canyon graced with multi-coloured walls and good neighbours. Sharks and predatory fish lived alongside each other peaceably, united by their love of eating smaller fish. Vincenzio's home was near the top of the canyon; a choice spot and it had one of the most beautiful views of the surface. But the skulking form of Mona's mother ruined that view as she watched and waited for Vincenzio. He swam in close, hiding behind some of the large magnolia kelp that were, thankfully, in full bloom outside his home. She turned away and he made a dash for the entrance, but felt something clip his tail.
"There you are, you good-for-nothing – " the monstrous mother-in-law began.
"Hello Regina," Vincenzio groaned, his face pressed flat against the door. As much as he loved Mona, he couldn't stand her mother.
Regina yanked him back, a vicious snarl revealing sharp teeth, most of which were false. "You missed it," she growled, her overweight form jiggling slightly as she scorned him.
Vincenzio was ready to repeat his performance at the ring and knock her out for the count, if it weren't for his wife suddenly opening the door and dragging him inside. Regina was left outside to stare blankly into the burgundy paint and golden number '45.'
"Oh my god, thank you," Vincenzio breathed a sigh of relief, a cheeky grin growing on his face. "I was ready to slay that old dragon," he began, laughing.
Mona rolled her eyes, but couldn't help cracking a smile. She held his fin tenderly, cuddling up to him. "I'm sorry I shouted at you down the phone…hormones and everything," she shrugged her shoulders.
Vincenzio just smiled at her, leaning down to kiss her sweetly. "Heh, forget about it," he said, lifting a fin to her chin, lightly tilting her head up, meeting her eye-to-eye.
Mona grinned at him, making him a little uncomfortable at first, and took a firmer hold of his fin. "I gotta show you something," she said, in almost a whisper. She led him into their sitting room, where a small crib was nestled right in the middle, surrounded by wrapping paper strewn on the floor, and baby toys scattered on the couch and hung above the crib. Mona told him to stop and wait as she swam to the crib and picked up the carefully wrapped bundle. Vincenzio's heart swelled. His home had never looked more beautiful than it did now, his loving wife bringing his pup to him.
"Say hello to your new daughter," Mona beamed, unwrapping the bundle to reveal a beautiful, if slightly pudgy, sleeping pup. Vincenzio was ready to cry, and had to fight back a few tears as he held out his fins.
"Can I…Can I…hold her?" he asked, almost afraid he would break her.
"Of course you can," Mona chuckled. "She is your daughter." Mona lifted the pup up to Vincenzio's fins, helping him hold her just right.
He gazed down at his pup; she was the most beautiful creature in the ocean in his eyes. Mona sidled a little closer to her husband, gently resting her head on his right shoulder.
"Oh Mona…she's beautiful," Vincenzio began, stopping as he felt the pup squirm and wriggle, waking from sleep. Her eyelids fluttered open, revealing stunning pink eyes. "Look...look…she's awake," Vincenzio said excitedly. "Oh, she's definitely taken after you…"
"Not quite," Mona smirked. Vincenzio looked at his wife expectantly. She leaned across him, pulling some of the blanket away from her daughter.
She had a striking white tail, just like him. "Well, would you look at that…" Vincenzio said in disbelief. He was the only one in his family to have a white tail, and he had never expected his children to inherit it. "Something new to run in the family," he chuckled. As the pup wriggled and giggled into life, he tickled her tummy with his fin, watching her eyes light up and sparkle.
"Now, we just need a name for her," Mona sighed happily. "You know what my mother wants – Regina the Second." Vincenzio's face dropped, and even the pup pulled a disgusted face. Mona had to laugh. "But…I like the names Sophie and Jade. What do you think?"
Vincenzio giggled at his pup. "Nah…she needs a really good name…she's my little bambino," he chuckled, lifting her into the air, nuzzling his strong snout into her belly. She giggled and placed her podgy fins on his nose.
"Hey, I think they are good names," Mona huffed and laughed at the two. "Well, since she's our little bambino, what about Bambi?" The pup giggled at the mention of this name.
"Well, she likes it," Vincenzio laughed. "Its perfect. Our little Bambi, the ocean's best kept secret."
Mona just smiled at her husband, quite glad that he showed such a natural gift for being a father. Vincenzio bounced Bambi around in his fins for a little while before leaning down to put her back in her crib. She was still so full of energy, reaching up to hit and bat at the plastic light up fish strung across her crib. The doting parents looked down on their daughter, content to watch her until she fell asleep again.