"Thank you all for coming to our last show," Jessica said into the microphone at a show in New York a month and a half later. "Zac and I have had a long summer but we're going to miss touring. This has been a great experience for me." Jess looked offstage where Kris, Ginger, and Zac had gathered to watch her performance. Zac was standing but Kris and Ginger, now both eight months pregnant, were sitting down. At this point Jess had an album's worth of completed songs, although she only did about eight during her performance. That was a considerable amount; Zac's first opening act only did, at the most, five. When the tour was over she was going back with the rest of the family to LA where she would start working on her album. She'd finished high school during the tour, unlike Zac who decided to drop out nearly halfway through his senior year.
"I cannot wait to go home," Kris said, her hands on her stomach. "Zac, I love you and all, and this was a lot of fun watching you sing every night, but I hate that bus."
"Well don't knock on it now," Zac said. "It's going to take three days to get back home, considering you and Ginger can't fly."
"Put me on the plane," Kris said. "Find me a doctor first, but put me on the plane. I'll have Anthony in the air. It's been eight months�"
"Kris, I don't think it's really going to work like that."
"Ugh, fine." Ginger shifted and put her hands on her stomach, a look of pain crossing her face.
"Are you okay, baby?" Zac asked, slightly worried. The past couple of days had been really tense. Zac was afraid that since Kris and Ginger were so close to their due dates one (or both) of them might go into labor early before they got a chance to get back to LA.
"Yeah," Ginger said. "I'm fine, sweetie. Christopher's just kicking like crazy."
"You sure?"
"Yeah. I'm fine."
When Jess came off the stage, Zac went on and Ginger and Kris sat watching by themselves, Jenny on the floor in between them. She had earplugs in; they'd made the mistake of letting her stay near the stage without any earplugs and she cried so hard Ginger had to take her back to the hotel. Jenny didn't like the earplugs at all but by now she'd gotten used to them.
It was about halfway through the show that Zac took a short break to change his shirt and get some of the sweat off his body. Ginger and Kris were still sitting in their chairs. "Hey baby," Zac said, giving Ginger a kiss. He took off his shirt and put on another one.
"Zac?"
"I gotta go back out there, babe, I'll talk to you after the show."
"No, Zac, wait�"
"What, babe? I'm gonna miss my cue."
"I'm in labor!" He jumped.
"What? Wha�what? You still have another month!"
"Oh, I'm sorry, I am early. Please, continue on with the show." Zac looked at Kris and she nodded.
"Oh my God. I have twenty thousand people out there expecting the rest of the show! I can't just leave now!" Zac looked out onto stage, then back at his wife. He did this a few times, jumping up and down, completely clueless on what to do.
"Can't Kris take you to the hospital?" Zac asked.
"I can't drive! I don't fit!" Kris said. Zac bit his lip, looking out on stage again. Taylor was looking at him, waiting for him.
"I don't need Taylor!" Zac yelled, surprising Ginger and Kris. "Taylor can take you!"
"But Zac I want you there!" Ginger said.
"I'll do one more song and then I'll stop. I just can't leave right now. They might riot or something not good like that. I'll be there, I promise!" She sighed. "I'll be there, sweetheart."
"All right." Zac ran out onstage and the crowd erupted into applause. Zac ran over to Taylor.
"Ginger's in labor, I need you to take her to the hospital. I'll take care of things here." Without another word Taylor ran off the stage and Zac went up to the microphone. "Uh�sorry about that. Taylor's got to take care of something for me. Thank you for being patient." Zac nodded to Jess who started playing and the concert started again.
It was two songs later and everyone was gone when Zac abruptly but professionally ended the concert and nobody seemed the wiser that it ended an hour early. After the show Zac grabbed Jess and ran offstage, taking the first ride he could get to the hospital. In the cab he called Taylor's cell phone.
"Hello?" Taylor asked.
"Taylor! Hi! What's going on?"
"Oh, don't rush," Taylor said. "We're here but the obstetrician said it's going to be a really long time before anything happens."
"You mean to tell me I ended my concert an hour early and nothing's going to happen for a really long time?"
"Uh, I guess. I thought you were going to finish the concert to be honest." Zac sighed. "It's probably better that you did anyway. Ginger wants you to be here right away."
"All right. Well I'll be there in a minute."
"Okay." Zac hung up the phone.
"Zac?" Jess asked.
"What?"
"What the hell is going on with Ginger?" Jess asked.
"Oh�oh, I'm sorry. She's in labor."
"Ginger Stevens is pregnant?" the taxi driver asked, surprised. He was looking at Zac through the rearview mirror.
"Oh, so you don't understand me when I ask to go to the hospital but you understand 'my wife is in labor.' " The man shrugged. "Okay. Okay, I'll give you a hundred dollars not to say anything to anybody."
"For how long?"
"Until we can make a press release about the baby," Zac said. "It should be about a week or two."
"Two hundred," he said. "And that doesn't include your cab fare!"
"All right." Zac took out his wallet and paid the man two hundred dollars for his silence. He also took out a pen and wrote down the driver's information on the back of a receipt he found in his wallet.
"What are you doing?" Jess asked.
"I'm writing down his name, just in case he decides to talk," Zac said, eyeing the driver. When they arrived at the hospital, Zac paid the cab fare.
"Hey, no tip?" the driver asked.
"I just paid you two hundred dollars!"
"That has nothing to do with it." Zac gave him a tip and got out of the car, grumbling. Jess followed him inside and Zac went immediately to Ginger's room. She was in there by herself with a book.
"Why are you here by yourself?" Zac asked. He kissed her. "Where are Taylor and Kris?"
"Kris went into labor."
"Oh, so that doctor was right? You two did go into labor at the same time," Zac said. "That is so weird."
"Yeah�"
"So where is she?"
"They just took her to another room. I insisted that we be in a room together and they couldn't put her in here, so they wanted to bring me in there, but I didn't want to leave here until you arrived so�here I am."
"Okay. That was complicated."
"They're next door so you can go in there and tell them you're here." Jess stayed in the room with Ginger as Zac popped in next door to announce he had arrived. There was a doctor in there settling Kris into the room, and said she'd bring Ginger in there in a minute. Zac went back into Ginger's room.
"So, let me guess, you got an epidural," Zac asked, watching as Ginger looked around the room, completely spaced out. She looked at Zac and smiled.
"How'd you know?"
"You're high."
"No�" she said. "I love you, baby."
"I love you too." The doctor walked in.
"Ginger, are you ready to go next door?" said the doctor who had been in Kris's room just a minute before. "Oh," she said, looking at Zac. "You must be Dad, then. I'm Dr. Scarlet Ibsen. I'll be Kris and Ginger's obstetrician, granted they crown far enough apart."
"I'm Zac Hanson," Zac said, shaking her hand after she removed her gloves.
"Nice to meet you. I know you had planned to have your child in LA, but sometimes things just happen this way." Dr. Ibsen walked over to Ginger and helped her out of the bed. I'll be speaking with your obstetrician in LA to discuss what plans you had for your birth and such, but not until the both of you are settled."
"All right," Ginger said. They walked into the next room where Ginger settled down in a bed again. Zac looked over at Kris and Taylor.
"How are you guys holding up?" Zac asked.
"We're very surprised," Taylor said. Zac shrugged.
"Now I already checked Kris," Dr. Ibsen said. "I'm just going to see how much you're dilated."
"Hey, you don't have to talk me through it," Ginger said. "This is baby number two for me."
"All right."
"How much are your dilated?" Zac asked. Kris held up two fingers.
"Two centimeters." Zac turned to Dr. Ibsen. She shook her head.
"Just one for Ginger."
"I'm winning!" Kris said. "Yay!"
"Nobody's winning," Zac said. "So you're a centimeter more than Ginger. I bet we'll have our baby first." Kris crossed her arms.
"Really? How much?"
"I wasn't serious," Zac said.
"You just know you're going to lose," Taylor said. Zac's mouth dropped, offended.
"No, I'm not going to lose," Zac said, giving Taylor a look.
"Oh, I think you are."
"You're on!"
"Zac! We're not betting to see who's going to be born first," Ginger said.
"I'm in," Kris said, challenging Ginger.
"Fine! I'm in too!" Dr. Ibsen stood up, shaking her head.
"I'll be back in an hour or so to check up on the both of you," she said. "It's still going to be a while before anything happens. And if you are going to bet, don't try to put any stress on anybody." She walked out of the room with a smile on her face.
"So?" Taylor asked. "How much?"
"I don't know�" Zac said, scratching his head. "Um, a hundred dollars?"
"A hundred dollars?" Kris asked. "You make a hundred dollars every minute. How about a thousand?"
"Fine," Zac said. "And I don't make a hundred dollars a minute."
"Oh, excuse me, a second," Kris said, rolling her eyes. Zac gave her a look and sat down next to Ginger. She gave him a smile. She knew he didn't like to discuss how much money he had. He would not be surprised if he did make a hundred dollars a minute.
"How are you doing, baby?" he asked, wiping Ginger's hair out of her face.
"I'm okay. I've done this before. Kris is the one you should be worried about." Zac looked back at Kris who was giving Taylor a small, painful smile as she suffered through a contraction, eased by the epidural Zac was sure she had. "She's a bit scared." Zac yawned. "Baby?"
"Yeah?"
"Why don't you go back to the hotel and take a shower? You smell."
"Thanks, Ginger."
"You do! Take Taylor with you. I can smell him all the way over here."
"No, Taylor isn't going anywhere," Kris said, grabbing Taylor's hand and yanking him back to her side.
"Kris, come on. You know how long it took for me to have Jenny. Do you really want him to smell like that for however many hours we're going to be here? I don't think I'd be able to handle it."
"That is true�" Kris said, sighing. She let go of Taylor's hand. "Okay. Go home and take a shower. Do it quickly!"
"Jess?" Zac asked, glancing around for his sister. She sat up; she was in the corner. She looked exhausted. "You stay here and call if anything happens."
"Okay�"
"And once we get back you need to go back to the hotel and sleep," Zac said, standing up.
"No! No, I'm staying here."
"I doubt you're even going to stay awake until we get back, Jess. You need to sleep." She waved her hand, dismissing it. "Well, whatever. It's your decision. I'll be right back, Ging."
"Okay. Take your time. I'm not going anywhere," Ginger said, giving him a smile. "And neither is Christopher. Give me a kiss." Zac kissed her and left quickly with Taylor. Ginger was right. They did smell.