The Morning Glitch: A 1,000% Expansion
[Jay's POV]
The morning sun hit the breakfast table with its usual brilliance, but for me, the world was spinning at a frequency I couldn't calibrate. The smell of the truffle omelets Mamma Serina had prepared—usually my favorite—was suddenly hitting my system like a "Critical Error" notification.
Beside me, Keifer was mid-sentence, discussing a merger with Cin, who was nursing a coffee. The rest of the squad—David, Calix, Erdix, Rory, Mayo, Kit, Mica, Ella, Freya, and Rakki—were scattered around the massive dining hall, the chaos of the night before still lingering in their tired but happy eyes.
"So, the architecture for the new—" Keifer started, but his voice suddenly sounded like it was underwater.
My stomach did a violent 180-degree flip. I pushed my chair back with a screech that silenced the room.
"Jay?" Keifer's hand was on my arm instantly. "System check. Your face is 0% color."
I didn't answer. I couldn't. I bolted for the hallway, but I only made it three steps before the marble floor rose up to meet me. The last thing I heard was Keifer's panicked roar: "JAY!"
The Diagnosis: [Author's POV]
The living room was a scene of controlled panic. Keifer had Jay in his arms, his face a mask of pure terror, looking exactly like the man who had lost his memory weeks ago—only this time, he feared losing her.
"Move! Everyone, clear the perimeter!" Cin shouted, his "Party Boy" persona vanishing as his "Doctor" instincts took over. He knelt beside the sofa where Keifer had laid Jay down.
The squad crowded around the edges of the room. Mica and Rakki were holding each other's hands, while Kit and Mayo stood in stunned silence. Pappa Keizer and Mamma Serina rushed in, Pappa's face grim and Mamma's hand over her heart.
Cin checked Jay's pulse, lifted her eyelids, and performed a quick, clinical sweep of her vitals. Jay's eyes fluttered open, looking dazed.
"Keifer...?" she whispered.
"I'm here, Weify. I'm right here," Keifer rasped, his knuckles white as he gripped her hand.
Cin sat back, a slow, triumphant smirk spreading across his face. He looked at the frantic Watson family, then at the squad, and finally at Keifer.
"Well, Keifer," Cin said, wiping his hands and standing up. "The bad news is, your wife's 'System' is currently being hijacked. The good news is... it's a 100% internal merger. The Watson Empire is officially getting a direct Heir."
The 1,000% Congratulations & Chaos
For exactly one second, the room was silent. Then, the "Powerhouse" exploded.
"I KNEW IT!" Mamma Serina screamed, throwing her arms around a stunned Pappa Keizer. "I knew that 'Glow' was different!"
"A WATSON JUNIOR!" Rory and Erdix roared, high-fiving so hard the sound echoed like a gunshot.
Keifer didn't move. He stayed frozen, his eyes locked on Jay's stomach, his brain seemingly attempting to process the most important data point of his life. He looked at Jay, his eyes filling with a raw, overwhelming devotion.
"A baby?" he whispered. "Weify... we're 1,000% parents?"
Jay laughed through her lingering dizziness, pulling his head down to kiss him. "Looks like it, Hubby."
The Teasing Protocol: [The Squad Strikes Back]
"Okay, okay, settle down!" Bridget shouted, though she was grinning wider than anyone. "We need to clear the air. Clearly, the 'Acoustic Feedback' I was hearing wasn't just for show. Keifer, you really went into 'Overdrive,' didn't you?"
"Seriously, Keif!" David shouted from across the room. "You spend one week with amnesia, and the first thing you do when you reboot is populate the planet? Talk about 'High Productivity'!"
"Is the baby going to be born with a black suit and a laptop?" Calix joked, nudging Keigan. "Keigan, you better start preparing the 'Uncle' protocols. You're about to be replaced as the smartest Watson in the room!"
Ella and Freya crowded around Jay, already teasing her. "Jay, honey, get ready. If Keifer was protective before, he's going to be a 24/7 satellite now. He's going to put a GPS tracker on your belly!"
"Already planned," Keifer muttered, finally regaining his smug, "Powerhouse" composure, though he was still stroking Jay's hair.
"I heard that!" Mica laughed. "Congrats, you two! To the future CEO of Watson Enterprises!"
Pappa Keizer walked over, placing a heavy, proud hand on Keifer's shoulder. "Well done, Son. The lineage is secure. But Cin is right—limit the 'Acoustic Feedback' for a while. Let the mother-to-be rest."
"PAPPA!" Keifer and Jay shouted in unison, while the entire squad—Cin, David, Calix, Felix, Erdix, Rory, Mayo, Kit, Mica, Ella, Freya, and Rakki—erupted into the loudest, most chaotic celebration the estate had ever seen.