Two months really did go by fast. Before Ginger knew it, she was back at the airport, but this time it was her going on the flight. Zac said he would meet her in LA at the airport. She�d been taking radiation treatments and they seemed to be working. She took one right before the plane ride so she was rather tired. She'd been throwing up in the car the entire way there but her nausea seemed to be settling now as she approached her gate.
She said her goodbyes to Kris and her parents, and boarded the plane. She looked around for her seat and fell onto one next to the window. She closed her eyes and sat still to settle her upset stomach. It wasn�t long before the plane lifted off and had dulled her into sleep. She was surprised she fell asleep; she had been so excited lately. It was mostly from the treatment and how much she'd been throwing up today.
�Wake up,� someone next to her said, shaking her arm. She opened her eyes and smiled a thank you. A young man was nice enough to wake her up as the people got off the plane. She rubbed her eyes and walked out of the terminal, seeing Zac sitting on a chair, waiting. She ran up to him and gave him a hug and a kiss before they were off to the hotel in the back of a cab.
�I missed you, baby,� she told Zac on the ride back to the hotel. �I�m glad to see you again, it gets lonely.� Ginger nodded. The driver took a sharp turn and Ginger felt sick again. "Could we stop a minute?" she asked. Zac told the driver to pull over and Ginger got out of the car and threw up again. Zac made a face.
�Are you okay, honey?" he asked. She wiped her mouth and took a deep breath.
"Yeah�yeah, I'm okay," she said. "I just needed to puke." They went back into the car. The driver kept her window down in case she had the sudden urge to puke again. She told him she was done, but he didn't seem to believe her.
"What'd they stick you on anyway?" he asked.
�Radiation. It�s doing good, just making me really tired. I had one this morning and I'm kind of still getting over it."
�Let me know if you have to puke again."
"I'm done. So, how did your family react to the fact you have an earring now?� she asked, trying to vie the subject away from her illness. She noticed the stud was still in his ear. He smiled.
�I told them about the bandage first and they were consoling me too much�so I didn't bother telling them. So far nobody's noticed except for Taylor, but he doesn't care about it.�
�Zac�" she said, giving him a look. He smiled at her. "Well, they'll find out eventually. Did you tell them that Kris dropped a dictionary on your head or did you say something else?� Ginger heard the cab driver chuckle, but she ignored it.
�I made something up. I didn't want to incriminate Kris for it. She feels bad enough about it anyway. I said I dropped a book on my own head. My brothers were laughing their heads off, but I didn�t mind.�
�I�m really excited to meet them, if one of them is as sweet as you are then I wouldn�t care at all to have them as my in-laws.� He smiled.
�No, Ginger, they�re all mean, heartless and cruel, just like your family.�
�So they�re a lot like my family?� she asked. He shrugged.
�Yeah, but there�s more of them and we actually enjoy being with our parents.� She looked at him, wide-eyed.
�Are you sure your family is sane? I don�t think I know anyone who enjoys their family.�
�Well then I guess we�re pretty insane, Ginger.� The cab pulled over and Zac paid before they got out. �We�re on the seventh floor, I�ll even let you push the buttons in the elevator.�
�Oh you�re so sweet,� she kidded, opening the door and walking into the lobby of the hotel. Zac led her over to the elevator and let her push the buttons. It was a short wait to the seventh floor. He led her over to 706 and unlocked the door. Poking his head in first to check, he opened the door and put her things down.
�I hope you don�t mind sharing a room with my sisters but it�s only for two days and we don�t need another room.�
�I don�t mind. Did you stick me with angels or devils?� she asked. He smiled.
�They�re angels, especially when someone new comes along. Now you gotta meet everyone else. Taylor�s been dying to meet you.� Ginger gave him a strange look.
�Why would he be dying to meet me? What have you told these people about me?� she asked as he pulled her out of the room and to another door.
�Just the truth. Taylor�s been wanting to know why you conned me into getting an earring.�
�I didn�t con you into anything! I asked twice and you said fine, mister. Are you sure you don�t stretch the truth?� she asked. He opened the door and poked his head in again.
�Come on,� he said, and pulled her in. �Hey guys, this is Ginger.� Taylor and Isaac looked over.
�Hey,� they said in unison. Ginger brushed her hair out of her eyes and smiled.
�Hey.�
�Come on, you have to tell us anything and everything about you,� Taylor said, getting up and pulling her over to the center of the room. �It�s not everyday little Zac finds someone he can�t stop talking about.�
�Oh really?� she asked, looking over to "little Zac". He looked embarrassed. �Get your butt over here and tell me what you told them so I don�t say it over again.�
He walked over and sat down next to her. �Well, I just talk about how pretty you are.� She rolled her eyes.
�Okay�so what do you want to know about me? Besides the normal stats.�
�Just start with that and we�ll go from there.� She shrugged�she wasn't even sure Zac knew her normal stats.
�I'm is Ginger Ann Stevens, my birthday is March 25 and I was born in Chicago. I moved to Tampa when I was five. My birth parents are JoAnn and John Stevens, but my parents now are Jane and Matthew Simmons.�
�I�m taking you�re adopted,� Isaac said. She nodded.
�Yeah. I have three birth sisters and a foster sister. I also have three nieces and six nephews, but we won�t get into that now. Too many.�
�Well I want to get into that now,� Taylor said, surprisingly interested. Coming from a big family he had some interest in the fact that she had so many siblings. �Do you see them often?�
�No. They�re all from the blood family, and my foster parents don�t want to send me to get attached to them or something. I think I have every right to go there and see them. I mean my niece Brittany absolutely adores me, and she hates the fact that I don�t get to see her as much as I could.�
�What happened to your parents?� Taylor asked. Zac gave him a warning look. Ginger noticed.
�Zac, it�s okay. I�m fine with it. My parents died in a car crash when I was five, not long after I moved to Tampa. I sincerely find it for the better cause because of it I met my best friend, my sister, and if they never died then I probably wouldn�t have met Zac over here.�
The door opened and someone that Ginger guessed was Mrs. Hanson walked in. She gave a glance to Zac and Ginger. �I was looking for you, I was about to call the airport to see if you were still there. Maybe next time you�ll stop by and tell me that you�re back?�
�Sorry mom,� Zac muttered.
�You must be the famous Ginger,� she said, walking over. �Stand up, let me take a look at you!� She stood up and the woman looked her over. �Well he�s right, you are beautiful.�
Ginger looked at Zac and he was trying his best not to blush. She didn�t mind that he told his family all about her; she took it as a compliment. She just hoped he didn�t say anything about her health problems. She hated talking about herself like that. As Mrs. Hanson looked over Ginger and made comments, the room started to spin. Zac noticed her skin get suddenly pale. �Okay mom, I think that�s enough for now. You have two days to see if she meets your standards.�
He pulled her down next to him. �You all right?� he whispered. She nodded. �Sure?�
�I�ll be fine. Just a little dizzy.� He gave her a smile. �That�s what happens, I�m like this a lot.�
�I would figure.�
�Okay, don�t get lost in your little world guys, we still have a whole bunch of questions to ask,� Isaac said, peering over. Zac shook his head.
�That�s enough for right now. You guys can leave now.�
�Why do we have to leave?� Taylor asked. �We were here first.� Zac shot him a look, and Mrs. Hanson took the vibe.
�Come on, if they want to be alone, let them be alone.� Taylor gave his mother a strange look, but he and his brother left. Mrs. Hanson stayed behind. �You look pale, hun, what�s wrong?�
�Overcoming a long-term sickness,� she said. �Don�t worry, none of your kids can get it from me.� She nodded and left. Once the door was closed, Ginger gave Zac a hug. �Thank you.�
�For what?� he asked.
�Getting rid of them. I don�t think I could stand another second. I hate my problems.� He kissed her forehead.
�I had a feeling you weren�t going to be well today.� He picked her up and put her on the bed. �Don�t you think they ask enough questions?� She smiled. �And that�s just the two older than me. You�ll die of questions once you meet my sisters and my younger brother. They don�t shut up.�
�So you lied to me. They are devils.�
�Not really, they just ask a lot of questions.� He brushed a piece of her hair behind her ear. �Why are you the way you are?�
�Just lucky I guess,� she said, smiling. �My head hurts.� She shifted and stuck her face in the pillow.
�Poor baby,� he said, and climbed on the bed next to her. He stuck an arm around her. �I love you.�
�I love you too,� she said, taking her face out of the pillow and looking in his eyes. He pulled her scrunchie out of her hair, letting it fall out.
�Your hair is beautiful, you should wear it down more often.� He ran his hand through her hair, not taking his eyes away from hers. They stared at each other for quite a long time�long enough for Taylor to pound on the door, saying they�d been in there too long together. Ginger felt better, so she slowly sat up and Zac opened the door. �What do you want?�
�It�s time for dinner. Mom says that you two can stay here if you want to and order room service or something. She�s acting weird.� Zac turned around and looked at Ginger, a smirk on his face.
�I don�t feel like going anywhere, how about you?� she asked.
�I was about to say the same thing. Taylor, you can tell mom we�re staying behind.� He gave them a look but walked away. Zac was about to close the door when he came back.
�Since when have you had red hair?� he asked, pointing at Ginger.
�Um, since I was born, Taylor.� He shrugged and walked away. Zac scratched his head and closed the door. �Weird. So, we get room service, huh? The last time I even thought about doing that I was maybe four.�
�Welcome to my life. Are you ready for tomorrow?� he asked, sitting down on the bed next to her. She nodded, slightly.
�Yeah, I guess. I already talked to your mom; she�s going to help me pick out something to wear. And you�re not gonna see me until five minutes before we go.�
�Thanks, make me wait.� She smiled. �I can already tell you�re going to be beautiful.� He leaned over and kissed her. The door opened and they quickly jumped apart. Mrs. Hanson looked at them.
�I�ll pretend I didn�t see that,� she said. Ginger looked away. �Well, I figured you�d come to dinner but obviously not. Ginger, you still look pale. What is wrong? I know you said something about a long term sickness, what would that be?�
Zac pleaded silently with his mother. Ginger didn�t want to talk about it. �I�m not leaving until you tell me so please, make is quick or I�ll be staying while everyone else goes.�
�I really don�t like talking about it, but I guess I�ll have to,� Ginger said, looking to Mrs. Hanson.
�No you don�t,� Zac retorted.
�Zac shut up,� she told him. �If she wants to know then I�ll let her know. But I don�t want the whole family knowing. It�s rather personal.� Mrs. Hanson leaned against the door. �Mrs. Hanson��
�Diana, I don�t want to feel old.� Ginger smirked. �I saw that,� she said. Her smirk grew into a smile, but it faded quickly.
�Diana, over Christmas I was diagnosed with brain cancer.� Her reaction was the one Ginger had expected; shock and sympathy. She didn�t say anything; her facial expression was pity enough. �So now you know. As long as we don�t have the whole family pitying me then I guess I�ll be all right.�
�Fine, this is between us.� Diana opened the door and walked out. Ginger was rather surprised that she just walked out without saying more than a few words.
�I hope you�re happy, she isn�t gonna keep it to herself.� She fell back on the bed and sighed. �That wasn�t very nice.�
�She wanted to know so I told her.�
�If the world wanted to know,� he said, raising himself over her, �would you tell them too?� She looked up at him.
�No.�
�Then act like it.� He went back to sitting on the bed. �So, what do you want for dinner?�
�The blue or the black?� Ginger asked Diana, putting the two shoes up against her dress.
�Is this what my daughters are going to be like in a few years?� she asked. Ginger nodded, unfortunate. �Go with the blue. Can I ask you something?�
�Sure,� Ginger said and took out her makeup. �Should I go with the all blue look?�
�Yeah.� She turned around to face the mirror to put an earring in. �Ginger do you love my son?� She dropped the earring and turned around to face her.
�Of course.�
"Now do you love Zac, or do you love my son?"
�When I first met him I hated him, because when I first met him, he was Zac. I went out with him because he asked, and he was a completely different person. He was your son. That�s the person I fell in love with, and that�s the person I plan on staying with for a very long time.�
Diana got up and gave Ginger a hug. �If you would have said anything else I wouldn�t have believed you.� She let go. �You�re the first person I�ve met that�s known the difference.� Ginger smiled. Diana sat her down and fixed her hair as Ginger put on her makeup. �I�ve always wanted a daughter as sweet as you. Mine are loud and obnoxious and run up to everyone. One of these days I can tell they�re going to run into the wrong person. That�s why I always stick a brother with them to watch out for them. You�re very quiet for my family.�
�My sisters say the same thing. Whenever I go to visit them, their children are screaming and running around. I come around, sit down, and do nothing for hours on end. I�ll just sit and not move a muscle, while the kids create havoc around me.�
�That�s what it�s like here. How far apart in age are you and your sisters?�
�16, 18, and 20 years apart. It�s rather weird, because I have a nephew older than I am.�
�I know a few people like that. Are you close at all?� she asked, trying different ways to put back her hair.
�No. The last time I saw them all was almost three years ago when my sister turned 30.�
�Just to think, when Isaac is 30, Zo�'s only going to be 13.�
�I had just turned 14 when I went up there. It was Dana�s 30th. Everyone was there. Darlene was 32, and Danielle had just turned 28,� she said, looking off, trying to remember their faces. �It�s been too long since I�ve seen them. When summer rolls around I�m supposed to go back up for two or three weeks. My mother will just do what she did last year and the year before and say �maybe next year� then wave it off.�
Diana bent down so she was face level with Ginger. She looked at her through the mirror. �I think you should go this year. Forget about what your mother says, she�s not even your real mother. She wants you to forget your family and concentrate on hers. I say that you should go no matter what she says. And if you yourself don�t have enough money to go, I�ll pay for you.�
�You would do that?� Ginger asked.
�Of course. Zac has mentioned his �master plan� to me a few times." She smiled, just thinking of Diana's reaction when Zac mentioned it to her. "At first I thought it was cute, but lately he�s been more and more serious about it. I�m not supposed to tell you, but he�s already searching for the perfect ring for you,� she whispered. Ginger blushed and put her head down. �Don�t be embarrassed. I�d love to have you as my daughter.� She put her head up and looked at her through the mirror.
�You�re the kind of mother I�ve wanted.�
�Now we need to hurry, we�ve wasted too much time talking. I�m waiting for Zac to come and bang down the door complaining that we�re late.�
As Ginger was finishing up, there was a knock on the door. �Hello slow people in there! I swear you two would be late to your own funeral!� Zac�s voice said. Ginger laughed and stood up, slipping on her shoes. Her dress was deep blue, ruffled at the chest and a slit on the right side up to mid-thigh. Her hair was partially back in butterfly clips, with a few strands framing her face.
Diana opened the door a crack. �We�re almost done, I just have to finish her makeup. She�s worth the wait, Zac.� Ginger looked at her and smiled as she closed the door and locked it. �You really are worth the wait,� Diana said, looking over her. �You need more blush.�
She applied some more blush to Ginger's cheeks, and then walked back to the door. Diana opened the door and pushed Zac into the hallway, telling him to keep his eyes open. Ginger walked at a steady pace out through the room and then into the hallway. Zac turned his head and his mouth dropped to the floor. There she stood, a sly smile on her face. She slowly stepped up to him and tapped his mouth back into place. �Don�t drool, hun, it doesn�t become you.� He took a deep breath and blinked a few times.
�Well, I don�t know whether to kiss you or jump you.� Ginger giggled, and even Diana had to laugh, though she was rather appalled by the blunt statement from her son.
�Let�s work on kissing for right now.� He took her hand and gently kissed her on the lips. �Now I�m sure you don�t want to be late,� she told him and led the way to the elevator. Taylor stepped out of his room as she passed and gawked at her.
�Did you see her?� he mouthed to his mother. Diana only smiled and watched as they went into the elevator.
�Dear Lord I won�t be able to keep you a secret for much longer,� Zac said, �I�m going to be all over you tonight.�
�Well, that�s not good. Tell me, Zac, if you don�t want everyone to know about us then why�d you bring me?� she asked.
�You�re my lucky charm.� He smiled and let him kiss her again.
�You really are all over me,� she said with a sly gleam in her eyes. �That would be your hand on my boob.� He quickly took it off and his cheeks went red.
�Sorry.� She put her arms around his neck and kissed him again, this time passionately. It lasted a while, until Ginger realized something.
�Zac, did you push the button?�
�What button?�
�The elevator button, you dumbass,� she softly said. He glanced at the control panel.
�Um, that would be a no. Oops.� He pressed ground button and they quickly reached the bottom floor. Everyone had already gone down the other elevator and was waiting for them.
�What took so long?� Diana asked. �Hurry up or we will be late. The limos are waiting.�
�Stupid over here forgot to push the button,� she said, quickly walking over to the door. Ginger turned to him. �And you didn�t want to be late.� She playfully smacked him with her purse and they walked outside and the limo driver opened the door for them. Ginger climbed in and Zac went in after her. Taylor and Isaac climbed in afterwards and sat across from them. Zac and Ginger were in their own world, looking out the tinted windows with his arm around her shoulders.
�Now that�s not fair,� she faintly heard Taylor say. �He gets a beautiful girl and I get my brother.�
�I love you too, Taylor,� Isaac retorted. Ginger smiled and turned Zac�s head towards her. From the smile on his face she could tell he heard it too.
�Let�s make out to piss him off,� she whispered in his ear. His smile grew and he kissed her.
�Oh that is totally not fair!� Taylor said, louder than he should. �Why do I get the crappy love life? Huh? Everyone knows I�m supposed to be the favorite!� Ginger began to laugh. She pulled away from Zac and couldn�t stop her giggles. �Hey! You did that just to piss me off, didn�t you?� he asked. All three of them were laughing hysterically at him and he sat there, appalled. Ginger snorted, which only made them laugh harder. Finally, when they arrived at the theater, they calmed down. �Oh God I haven�t snorted since I was seven. Taylor I think you relieved my state of depression.�
�Your what?� he asked.
�Nothing,� she said and bit my lip. �Look, we�re here.� Taylor shot a glance to Isaac and waited for the car to stop. The door opened and Ginger stepped out, followed closely by Zac who had her hand in his.
The day was young and bright. She had almost forgotten about the time change on the way over, so when it was day here it was night back home. Photographers for various magazines took tons of pictures left and right. Zac kept a smile on his face. Dear Lord, Ginger thought.
�As of now you�re a family friend,� he whispered to her.
�I feel loved,� she kidded. He squeezed her hand and they continued walking.
�You are, just for the sake of your privacy, not in a girlfriend way. I have to look out for you, you know. Fame isn�t all award shows and money. It has its corrupted side and it shows.� They made their way inside with little conversation and one short interview. Of course they wanted to know who Ginger was, and of course, she was singled out as a family friend.
Inside they were showed their seats and chatted quietly while waiting for the show to begin. Ginger was overjoyed at the fact that Billy Crystal was hosting, considering she had been a fan of Mr. Saturday Night himself for as long as she could remember. He opened the show with a song and dance number he conjured up himself and did a few jokes.
The awards were given out to a whole bunch of people, with performances from Madonna, Aerosmith, Janet Jackson, Bryan Adams, and Ricky Martin. It was toward the end when Song of the Year was given out. Neve Campbell and Warren Beatty were presenting. Zac held her hand the entire time, until they opened the envelope and read the name. �And the award goes to: Hanson!� Zac squeezed her hand and gave her a grateful look before getting up and making a fool out of himself on the way up.
Taylor gave the acceptance speech, �Geez. This is weird. Our first album entirely written and produced by us and we get an award for part of it. First and foremost we have to thank God for sticking us here to make music. We have to thank our family and our record company for getting us this far. The fans for keeping us around since 1997, and the people behind everything. Thank you!� They went backstage, to come back to their seat and little bit later.
�You know, that song was written about you,� Zac told Ginger a bit after he sat down. She smiled to him and took his hand again.
�You are too good to me,� she said. �Even when we�re not together.� She sat back and watched an amazing performance from Ricky Martin, which she knew Kris would kill her for. He only sat a row away and every once in a while Ginger would look at him. She had a load to tell her sister when she got home.
When it was time for Album of the Year, Zac was frantic. He�d been nominated for these awards before but never for anything as big as this. Ginger could feel his tension by the way he held her hand. It was strange how nervous he was. Nicolas Cage stood on the stage, made a brief joke on why he was there, being that he had no connections with music whatsoever, and read of the nominations. Ginger squeezed her boyfriend's hand tightly as they waited a few brief moments before the envelope was ripped open and a single name was spoken. "Hanson."
Ginger couldn�t believe it, but Zac�s eyes flew open and all of a sudden he didn�t care if there was a camera around. He kissed Ginger. She didn�t expect anything but she accepted it anyway. Zac and his two brothers walked up there like sane beings, and Zac gave the acceptance speech.
�I didn�t expect anything, but what can you say? At least I�m not speechless. I don�t think that�s possible. I have to thank everyone. My parents, my brothers, Taylor and Isaac for agreeing with me on this album. We wrote it for one reason and with that we�re here giving a speech. We wrote from our hearts and surprisingly it worked. I have to thank my lucky charm. Otherwise I wouldn�t have made it through tonight. Thanks, hun. And to think,� Zac said, smiling. �It all started at Borders.�
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