When Zac arrived home, the first thing he did was fall face first onto his bed. "Oh man," he said. "I missed my bed." He grabbed his pillow and stuffed it under his head, breathing in the familiar scent. It made him smile.
"Geez, Zac," Ginger said from the doorway, "It's perfectly understandable that you snuffed your brother and your future sister-in-law, but snuffing me and Jenny for your bed? Not cool, mister, not cool�" Zac smiled and sat up.
"But Ginger, me and this bed have been through a lot together. It's only fair that I say hello to it first."
"That's it," Ginger said. "We're getting a new bed."
"Why?!"
"Because I just realized that Gwen lived here before me." Zac looked at Ginger blankly. "And she slept in that bed! She slept in that bed with you and I'm not going to just be her replacement."
"Ginger, that's preposterous," Zac said. "You are not a replacement. We're getting married, that's a million steps further than Gwen. So she slept here for a while. We changed the sheets�"
"We're still getting a new bed," Ginger said. "Now come over here and give me a kiss."
"I don't know, my lips have kissed Gwen too. I might need to get a new pair before I kiss you�"
"You really want to sleep on the couch tonight, don't you?" Ginger asked. "Come over here." He stood up and walked over to her.
"I'm sorry." He kissed her. "I missed you, sweetheart." Ginger smiled.
"I missed you too." He kissed Jenny who was in Ginger's arms. "Kris and Taylor are in the living room." Zac took Jenny from Ginger and walked with her into the living room. Taylor and Kris were sitting together on the sofa. They looked up.
"Hey guys," Zac said.
"Hey Zac," Taylor said. Kris waved. "You look so exhausted."
"I am." Zac sat down on the couch with Jenny in his arms still. She had her head against his shoulder, her eyes closed. Zac glanced down at her and smiled. "I don't think I want to do that ever again."
"Too bad you've got two albums left," Taylor said.
"Yeah�it's just so boring out there. You know, when all three of us were together we found ways to make it fun. When it's just me, it's not the same." Zac paused and looked over at Taylor.
"What?" Taylor asked.
"Do you, uh, do you think that you and Ike could work with me on the next album?" Zac asked. "Then I wouldn't have to do it alone." Taylor eyed him.
"Are you saying we should start up the band again?" Taylor asked. Zac nodded. "Sure. I'll call Ike. Get up, baby."
"Are you going to be a band again?" Ginger asked, sitting up. "Am I finally going to get that Hanson album? I've only been waiting five years!"
"It's going to be even longer, Ging," Zac said. "Because first I have to tour for this album, and then we get to start making the next one. It'll be at least two years."
"No, you don't get to predict anything, Zac," Ginger said. "You say two years and three years later I'm still waiting. You're always late." Zac shrugged. Taylor pushed Kris off him and left the room to call Ike. "I'm so excited, though!" She put her head against Zac's shoulder and stroked the growing hair on Jenny's head, who had fallen asleep on his opposite shoulder.
"Hey, it's not definite, though. Ike still hasn't said yes," Zac said. "And I still have to run it by Peter."
"Pfft," Ginger said. "You have complete artistic control. Peter can't stop you from doing anything." Zac nodded.
"True." Taylor walked back into the room. "What'd he say?"
"He'll do it," he said. "He didn't sound too enthused, though. I think he's just doing it because he needs a job."
"Well that's going to change really fast," Zac said. "He'll be out here for the wedding; when he gets here I'll propose the idea to Peter. He'll want to talk with the two of you." Taylor nodded.
"That reminds me," Kris said, sitting up. "Taylor, you have to take Zac to get his tux. He's the only one without it." She gave Zac a look.
"I'm sorry if I'm busy. I haven't been in one town long enough to think about getting a tux. The wedding's a month away, I have plenty of time."
"No you don't," Kris told him. "You should really go right now."
"Kris�" Zac said. "I just got home. I was hoping to take a nap in my bed, that we're keeping, by the way." Zac turned to Ginger who huffed and looked away. "I don't want to go out. I just got home."
"What's wrong with the bed?" Taylor asked, climbing back into the chair with Kris.
"Ginger insists that we get rid of the bed because Gwen used to sleep in it."
"You changed the sheets, what's the big deal?" Taylor asked.
"Exactly!"
"Let me put it this way, Taylor," Ginger said. "Say you and Kris are sleeping in a bed that you know she's had someone else in before you. Would you really want to be anywhere near it after you realize that she's made love to someone else right there, in that very bed?" Taylor paused. "That's what I thought. We're getting a new bed."
"Whatever, I don't have the energy to fight about this right now," Zac said, sighing. Ginger took Jenny from him and went into the bedroom to put her down for her nap. "Are you guys excited? The wedding's a month away."
"I'm very excited," Kris said. "I just got my dress back from the tailor the other day. Taylor's not allowed to see it so it's hanging up in Ginger's closet with the door locked. It's absolutely gorgeous." Zac opened his mouth but was cut off by the sound of his cell phone ringing. He took it out of his pocket and looked at it. He groaned and put it back in his pocket.
"It's Peter."
"Why the hell is he calling?" Kris asked. "You just got home!" Zac shrugged. The ringing stopped. Zac was relieved for a moment until the house line rang.
"Dammit," Zac said. He got up and answered the phone. "What do you want?"
"Oh, so you are at home," Peter said.
"Peter, I just got here. If this is a business call I'm hanging up right now."
"I'm afraid it is�" Zac hung up the phone and walked back into the living room. Ginger was back in there at that time and he sat down next to her, putting his head on her shoulder.
"What's wrong, baby?"
"Peter."
"So it was him on the phone, then?"
"Yeah�I hung up on him. I don't want to talk to him."
"Well if he calls back, I'll take care of him." Zac smiled. Peter did, in fact, call back and Ginger got up and left the room to deal with it. Zac sighed. He could never be at peace while Peter was around.
The next day Taylor and Zac came home after getting Zac a tux for the wedding. While they were out, Ginger apparently had the new bed delivered and Zac wasn't too happy about it. He loved his old bed, but if Ginger refused to sleep in it anymore, it wasn't worth it.
"Zac, the new bed's here," Ginger said, running up to him from the living room as soon as he walked in the door. "Come and see." Taylor walked over to Kris and Ginger led Zac into the bedroom. She opened the door and he stepped inside. He let out a snort.
"Ginger, it's the exact same bed."
"No it's not," she told him. "It's the same model, but it's a different bed."
"Why did you even bother to get a new bed then?"
"This one's more comfortable." She took his suit and dropped it off in the closet before running back into the bedroom. "Come on." She pulled him onto the bed and he sat down on it.
"You're right," he said, amazed. "It is more comfortable! I didn't think that was possible."
"Ginger!" Kris screamed from the living room. Ginger ran out of the room and into the living room, Zac close behind.
"What?" Ginger asked.
"Look at Jenny." Ginger looked at Jenny who was walking towards Taylor. Ginger put her hands over her mouth and looked like she was ready to cry. Zac slid his arm around her waist.
"She's walking," Ginger said.
"Yeah. To Taylor."
"Why the hell is she walking towards you, Taylor?" Ginger asked, stepping in. "She should be walking to me." She sat down next to Taylor on the floor, and upon seeing her mother Jenny immediately redirected herself into Ginger's arms. Ginger smiled and put Jenny in her lap. "Oh, honey I'm so proud of you!" Zac walked over and sat down next to Ginger, who gave him a big smile. It was quite an emotional moment until suddenly Ginger spoke up again. "I want another baby."
"Tell the whole world," Zac said, gesturing around to Kris and Taylor who just happened to still be in the room.
"What?" Ginger asked, looking around. "It's not like it's a very private thing." Ginger glanced at Kris. "I just thought everybody should know."
"All right," Zac said. "Don't you think we ought to wait until we're married, though? I don't want to have two illegitimate children."
"Oh, posh, like anybody cares anymore," Ginger said with a wave of her hand. "I want another baby."
"All right�" Zac said. Ginger smiled and kissed Zac, then got up and walked out of the room with Jenny in her arms. Kris followed, leaving Taylor and Zac together on the floor. "So�Jenny's walking now."
"She actually did it before Kris saw it and yelled out for the two of you. I didn't want to say anything because she was a little shaky."
"You're such a bastard Taylor. You just wanted to see it first."
"Nuh-uh!" Zac shook his head.
"Whatever, Taylor." Kris and Ginger began yelling at each other in the kitchen and Jenny came running back into the room. "Oh no," Zac said. Jenny ran into his arms. "You know what, Taylor you take care of Jenny, I'll see what's up." Zac handed Jenny over to Taylor and got up. He walked into the kitchen where Kris and Ginger were still yelling.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, calm down ladies," Zac said. "What's going on?" Kris didn't say anything as she turned away, her arms crossed over her chest in frustration. Ginger turned to Zac.
"Kris is pregnant."
"Oh, that's wonderful! Why are you yelling?"
"Ginger is, once again, trying to steal my thunder. When I get engaged, she has to get engaged. When I get pregnant, she has to get pregnant too."
"Kris," Ginger said, sighing. "I'm sorry about the engagement thing. I didn't mean to impose on you and Taylor's engagement. I didn't mean anything like that! But do you know why I want to get pregnant again?"
"So you can get all the attention on yourself, as usual."
"No," Ginger said. "Because I want our children to be like us. You and I are only three weeks apart. I want our children to be three weeks apart so they can be as close as we are. That's why." Kris turned around, dropping her arms.
"Really?" she asked. Ginger nodded. "But what if I have a boy and you have a girl, or the other way around?"
"Then�they'll still be friends! Come on, we've been saying since we were twelve years old that our kids were going to be friends."
"Yeah�"
"So can I get pregnant too?" Ginger asked.
"All right," Kris said. "Okay. Yay! Our kids are going to be friends just like us!" Kris hugged Ginger. "Okay, you two better have a lot of sex 'cause you have to get pregnant right away. Lots of sex."
"Oh don't worry," Zac said. "That's not a problem." Kris smiled and gave Zac a kiss as well before she left the room. "So we really better get cracking on that�"
"Zac, I'm already pregnant."
"What?" he asked. "When were you going to tell me?"
"I just found out a few days ago," she said. "I didn't want to tell you over the phone and you pretty much slept all of yesterday."
"Yeah�" Zac said. "Yesterday was a good day." She smiled.
"Kris just found out yesterday anyway," she said, "so we're pretty much on the same track here. Oh, and Taylor doesn't know so don't mention anything. She wants to tell him at the wedding."
"That's a month away!"
"What? It's not like she's going to start showing in a month," Ginger said, smiling. "She has a whole thing worked out so make sure you don't say anything, all right?"
"All right�"
"What's wrong, honey?" she asked, putting her arms around his neck. "Aren't you excited we're going to have another baby?"
"No, I'm really excited," Zac said. "And I'm really happy, but I was looking forward to all that sex." Ginger laughed.
"You're so predictable, Zac." She kissed him. "I love you."
"I love you too," he told her. "So, another baby, eh? Am I going to get to name this one?"
"Sure, sweetie," Ginger told him. "As long as I like it."