Chapter 68: Fragile Cargo

"Jackson, for the last time, I can walk."

Serenity sighed as she was wheeled onto the tarmac in a wheelchair. She wasn't injured. She wasn't tired. She was just pregnant.

"The doctor said to avoid stress," Jackson pushed the wheelchair himself, ignoring the perplexed looks from the pilot. "Walking is stress."

"We are going up the ramp of the jet, not climbing Mount Everest!" Serenity complained, but she secretly squeezed his hand.

"Careful on the bumps!" Jackson barked at the flight attendants. "And turn up the heat in the cabin to exactly 23.5 degrees Celsius. 23 is too cold, 24 is too hot."

"Yes, Mr. Sterling." The staff scrambled to adjust the thermostat.

They were cutting the honeymoon short by ten days. Jackson refused to let her stay on an island that was "more than 20 minutes away from a Level-1 Trauma Center."

As soon as they settled into the wide leather seats of the Gulfstream, Jackson handed her a thick blanket, a glass of warm milk, and a vitamin supplement.

"Eat," he ordered gently. "You are eating for two. Or three. God, please let it be one this time."

"One is fine," Serenity laughed, sipping the milk. "Two wild animals are enough for now."

The plane took off smoothly.

Mid-flight, Jackson pulled out a thick book: 'The Expectant Father: A Guide to the 40 Weeks.' He put on his reading glasses (which made him look devastatingly intellectual) and started highlighting passages with a neon marker.

"Did you know," Jackson frowned at page 45, "That caffeine can cross the placenta? That's it. No more coffee for you. Or tea. Or chocolate."

Serenity snatched the chocolate bar she was hiding in her purse. "You will pry this KitKat from my cold, dead hands, Sterling."

"Serenity..."

"I'm hormonal and I have cravings. Do you want to argue with a pregnant woman?" Serenity raised an eyebrow.

Jackson looked at her fierce expression. He calculated the risk.

"No," he surrendered immediately. "Eat the KitKat."

---

Ten hours later. The Sterling Villa, New York.

The car convoy pulled up to the house. It looked like a state visit.

Margaret, Sebastian, Alex, and Mia were waiting on the porch. They looked worried because Jackson had cut the trip short so abruptly.

"What happened?" Margaret rushed down the stairs. "Did the island sink? Was there a hurricane?"

"Are you hurt?" Mia looked at Serenity with big eyes.

"No," Jackson helped Serenity out of the car, shielding her head with his hand as if asteroids might fall from the sky. "We have news."

They gathered in the living room. Jackson cleared his throat. He looked nervous, like he was announcing a merger acquisition.

"The trip was cut short due to... a medical development."

"Oh no," Sebastian gasped. "Is it serious?"

"Deadly serious," Jackson nodded gravely. Then, a huge, goofy grin broke across his face.

"I managed to knock her up again."

Serenity elbowed him hard. "Jackson! Phrasing!"

Silence.

"Knock up?" Mia tilted her head. "Like knocking on a door?"

"It means there is a baby in mommy's tummy!" Margaret shrieked, clapping her hands. "I knew it! I knew it!"

She hugged Serenity, crying tears of joy. "Oh, my dear! Another grandbaby! I'm going to knit so many booties!"

Alex stood there, blinking. He looked at Serenity's flat stomach.

"Calculated probability was 2% due to your stress levels," Alex muttered, typing on his iPad. "But dad is... efficient."

"Alex!" Serenity blushed. "Don't analyze your conception!"

"Can I dress it up?" Mia pulled Serenity's dress. "If it's a girl, she can use my old tiaras. If it's a boy... we can give him to Alex."

"Hey!" Alex protested. "I'm not a babysitter."

"You are the Big Brother," Jackson picked Alex up—something he rarely did now that Alex acted so grown up. "You are the protector of the pack, son."

Alex tried to look cool, but he smiled. "Fine. But he better be smart. I need a Player 2 for my video games."

Jackson put his arm around Serenity, pulling her close to his side. The house was filled with laughter and warmth.

"Well," Jackson announced. "This changes everything."

"How?" Serenity asked.

"The Coronation," Jackson's eyes darkened slightly, shifting from father to King. "And the threat."

"Whoever is hiding in the shadows... The Order... they will view this baby as a new target. Or a new key."

He looked at his family.

"We are doubling the guards. And we are moving the wedding up. I want you crowned and protected by diplomatic immunity before the bump shows."

"Tomorrow," Jackson declared. "We go back to Montbert."