Walker Hanson took his boys home, and after reassuring his wife that they were fine, he sent them to bed. He was tired, and it was already one-thirty in the morning. He would take care of finding out about their little adventure in the morning when he would feel more up to dealing with the three teenagers. 

Breakfast at the Hanson household the next morning was noisy but tense meal. The noise was from the younger children, their typical morning chaos. The tension was from the three older boys who were waiting for the fateful moment when they would be called to explain the events of the last evening. It didn’t take long. As soon as they stopped eating their Dad motioned for them to follow him and they did so without comment.

Ike, Taylor, and Zac sat down in automatic sequence of birth on the black leather couch in their fathers den. Walker stood in front of them, leaning back against his desk, his arms crossed. He didn’t look encouraging. Ike cleared his throat and started explaining immediately. 

Taylor listened with real admiration as Ike explained to their father in his own eminently calm manner what had transpired the night before. He told the tale, almost accurately, and yet he did not once tell a lie. 

"Dad, we were just sitting around trying to decide what to do and we decided on pizza and a rental movie so we took the van out. I know I’m not supposed to take it without asking, but we would have only been gone for a little while. But we were spotted and we were trying to dodge a car full of crazy fans and somehow we got lost. We kept trying to get back on track but instead we just got more lost. Then we finally pulled out the map and were trying to figure out where we were and the corner of the map caught me in the eye and cut it. So, Taylor took over the wheel and then we realized that the rain was turning to ice, but I couldn’t drive. Then before we could find a gas station or anything we just spun off the road. It wasn’t Tay’s fault. He was driving real good. He just hit the brake to avoid a rabbit and the van just started sliding and spinning. Luckily, we didn’t hit anything, but we couldn’t get the van started again. Then it was just a matter of waiting until Mrs. Sullivan showed up and she took us to the Hospice."

"That’s it?’ Walker demanded.

Ike gulped and nodded. Taylor looked over at his brother and then he too nodded although he didn’t exactly make eye contact with his father. Zac nodded enthusiastically.

Walker contemplated their explanation for a moment and then he smiled widely. "Okay, I’ll accept that. You were lucky this time. Get on out of here."

"Thanks, Dad," Ike, Taylor and Zac intoned together by habit. Taylor and Zac escaped the den quickly expecting Ike to follow right behind them. But, Walker halted Ike with a light touch on his arm holding him back.

"You guys, go on I want to discuss something with Ike," Walker suggested. At Taylor questioning look he simply said, "Business," and Taylor nodded knowing Ike would clue him in later anyway.

Ike was released a few minutes later, but he simply hurried upstairs to get ready for Church. Going anywhere for the Hanson family was total organized chaos. Everyone one was expected to help in the process. In other words, the older boys were expected to help corral their younger sisters and brother and try to find missing shoes, and favorite items of clothing and somehow manage to keep them clean and presentable until their parents could get them all out the door at the same time. Devote Christians, regular church service was something that the whole family missed because of their busy schedules. Even church services were disrupted by their fame. Although they had attended the same church for years, and knew and were friends with most of the practitioners, all through the services, there were stares and turned heads and whispered conversations. There were even a few female giggles hushed by their parents. It became very uncomfortable. The minister ignored it completely and continued with his sermon. Walker and Diana also tried to ignore the attention their sons were attracting. Most of time the fan attention was accepted as a matter of course. It was part of what their sons had worked for, and therefore one of the things that was accepted. But, sometimes the attention was totally inappropriate.

After shaking hands politely with the minister on the way out the church, the Hanson brothers were surrounded by female fans pushing slips of paper at them for signature. Smiling and chatting with the fans, the boys would have been willing to sign autographs. Ike looked over at their mother, and she shook her head slightly glaring at the girls in a disapproving manner. Ike declined for all of them and grabbed one of Avery’s hands and headed for the van. Taylor followed his brothers’ lead, lifting Mackie into his arms and Zac followed walking side-by-side with Jessie. 

"Don’t you ever sign autographs on church grounds," Diana exclaimed sliding into the front seat and turning around to face her sons.

"Mom, we were only trying to be polite." Zac tried to explain.

"You heard me," Diana snapped.

Ike and Taylor exchanged glances and sent Zac a look that clearly said "Shut up!" and he just shrugged at them and turned and looked out the window.

"Diana, it’s not their fault," Walker said in his calming manner. 

"I know that," Diana exclaimed softly. "I just can’t believe those girls behaved like that in church. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell at you boys."

Ike and Taylor exchanged a quick look and Ike took the initiative to answer. "It’s okay, Mom."

The rest of the trip back home was quiet. Even the little kids understood that Diana was not in a mood to put up with noise and squabbling. As soon as they got home, the siblings skattered in all directions. The girls went to their room to play with their dolls. Zac disappeared into den to work on his project and Taylor disappeared into the studio to work on his song. Ike shut himself into his room, catching up on his journal and to play his guitar in peace. Walker took Mackie and the baby into the family room and Diana went into the kitchen to work out her temper on the pots and pans while she prepared their Sunday dinner. Diana rarely became frustrated but she had clearly let the ‘fans in church’ situation get to her. For a few minutes there were sounds of pots being slammed and banged loudly and then slowly the noises subsided to humming and finally outright singing. 

Taylor surfaced out of the basement studio when he got hungry. He joined his father in the family room.

"Sounds like Mom is in a much better mood," he remarked listening to her singing hymns. 

"It doesn’t take your Mom very long to cheer up," Walker said handing baby Zoe over to his son. "Keep Mackie out of trouble and I’ll go see if she needs any help."

Taylor slid down onto the floor beside Mackie and put Zoe down on the carpet to let her crawl around. Mackie was trying to build some kind of structure out of large primary colored Lego’s. 

"Hey, Mack-man what are you building?" Taylor asked.

"Don’t know," Mackie exclaimed and with a sweeping hand knocked over his structure. 

Taylor jumped forward to keep the flying blocks from hitting the baby. "Hey, why don’t we build something together," Taylor suggested.

"Don’t want to," Mackie exclaimed. "Want to watch cartoons!"

"Okay," Taylor agreed picking up the remote and flipping through the stations until he came across the cartoon network. Mackie watched for all of three seconds and then he grabbed the remote and started pushing buttons.

Taylor snagged the remote from his little brother and put the station back on the cartoon network. But, little Mackie wasn’t in the mood to be challenged and he immediately began to cry. 

"Everyone’s in a bad mood today!" Taylor grumbled as he pulled his little brother into his lap and tryed to give him a hug. But, again Mackie wasn’t cooperating and he struck out at his brother to let him go. 

"Ouch," Taylor grumbled as Mackie made contact with his nose. "Okay, you want to play games. I can play games too!" He picked up his little brother and laid him down on the couch.

"Lay down and take a nap!" Taylor ordered. 

"No!" Mackie screamed, kicking his legs.

"Yes!" Taylor exclaimed sitting down beside his brother and putting his hand down on his stomach to keep him from rolling off the couch. Mackie screamed for a few moments and then he shut up and looked up at Taylor with big crocodile tears in his eyes. 

"I’ll be good," the little boy promised

Taylor didn’t let him up for a few seconds and then his little brother remembered the magic word.

"Please," he begged.

"Only if you promised to be good," Taylor reminded his brother mildly. 

Mackie nodded his head and Taylor removed his hand. "Play nice, or you’ll be taking a nap before you can count to ten," he warned.

"I think someone will be taking a nap right after dinner," Walker said coming back into the family room.

"No!" Mackie yelled.

"Watch it there little man," Walker warned his four year old sternly but gently.

"Sorry, Daddy," Mackie exclaimed and he ran over and hugged Taylor around the neck tightly and then ran off giggling.

Taylor crawled over to Zoe pulled her up to her feet and tried to get her to walk but she could only teeter on her feet for a few seconds and then she would fall back on her bottom. At eleven months old, Zoe was not going to be an early walker. 

"Dinner is about ready," Diana said sticking her head into the family room. "Could you find everyone and head them towards the table?"

Walker put out his arms for his daughter. "You’re younger and have more energy," he said indicating that that job was being delegated to his only available son.

The promise of food was a motivating factor for all the Hanson children and it didn’t take them long to wash their hands and converge on the kitchen. Everyone took their positions, linked hands in a circle around the table and bowed their heads for prayer. Their father took the honor which he usually did on Sundays. Soon they were all enjoying a traditional dinner of ham and mashed potatoes and all the trimmings. 

"Boys, we’re going to have to start decorating for Christmas tomorrow so we’re going to need your help," Diana suggested.

"Can we put the tree up yet, Mommy?" Avery asked looking hopeful.

"Not until next week honey," Diana said. "But, your Dad and the boys can put up the outside lights and we can start decorating inside and baking cookies."

Avery and Mackie cheered and clapped at that good news.

"At least this year, you guys aren’t out on a promo tour, like last year" Jessie exclaimed.

"Yeah, this time last year, we were trying to figure out what city we were in on any given day," Ike remarked. 

"Thank goodness you aren’t doing that again," Diana exclaimed looking up from spooning mashed potatoes into Zoe’s mouth.

"I second that!" Walker said.

"Me too," Taylor seconded.

"I think we should give a concert before Christmas," Zac said, his first words since he began eating and causing his entire family to turn and stare at him in surprise.

"What?" he squawked, wide eyed at their response. "I think we should go back to the hospice and give the kids a Christmas concert. And, Dad, I think we should get the people in charge of the Hanson fan stuff to send over a whole bunch of tee shirts, and hats and posters and CD’s so we can give them some stuff for Christmas."

"Zac, we’re in charge of the Hanson fan stuff," Ike reminded his brother.

"Oh, yeah, then we won’t have a problem getting some of it," Zac said between bites.

"I think that’s a very nice idea," Diana said.

"I think we could arrange that, if the people at the Hospice are willing to have us," Walker said looking towards the other two-thirds of the group for their approval.

"Count me in," Taylor said.

"Me too," Ike said. "Good show, Zac."

"Only, no one can know about it Dad," Taylor said. "The kids get real upset if they think celebrities are using them for publicity."

"We’ll keep it quiet on our end," Walker promised. "I’ll talk to whoever is in charge of the Hospice when we go over there to see if I can get the van picked up. Diana do you want to run over with me first thing in the morning?"

"Walk, Zoe has a doctor’s appointment tomorrow," Diana reminded her husband. "Maybe, Ike can go with you."

Walker hesitated looking over at his oldest son. "Ike won’t be driving for the rest of our vacation."

Zac and Taylor both stopped eating. Zac dropped his eyes back to his plate. Taylor looked from their father to Ike, his face a study of consternation. 

"Excuse me," Taylor mumbled and without waiting for permission shot out of his chair and disappeared out the back door.

"Uh, excuse me too," Ike exclaimed and he followed Taylor out the door.

Walker and Diana looked at each other in surprise and then they both turned and looked at Zac.

Zac kept his head down, concentrating on his plate but he could ‘feel’ them looking at him. He finally looked up. "What?" 

"I think I know what," Walker said quietly and he followed his sons out the door.

Taylor only got as far as the back of the garage when Ike caught up with him. 

"Hold up, Tay," Ike ordered.

"Ike, I’m sorry," Taylor exclaimed. "Dad took your new car away from you, didn’t he?" 

"Not exactly," Ike contradicted. "He said I didn’t show good judgement taking you guys out when the weather reports had been predicting an ice storm all day. Plus, I knew I wasn’t supposed to take the van out without permission. So actually, he said I couldn’t drive for the remainder of our vacation. That kind of excludes my new car in the process."

"But, its my fault, and it’s not fair," Taylor exclaimed. "It was my idea. I made you take me out, and you got in trouble for it."

"Tay, calm down," Ike exclaimed. "You didn’t make me do anything and it’s better for one of us to get into trouble than both of us."

Taylor shook his head and Ike laughed.

"Tay, you make a lousy liar. I was going to be in trouble no matter what. I’m the oldest and I knew Dad was going to hold me responsible. It didn’t make sense to get all of us in trouble."

"But...."

"Uh oh, Dad’s coming," Ike said spotting his Dad coming around the corner.

"It’s a little cold to be out here without coat guys," Walker suggested. 

Ike and Taylor nodded and headed back toward the house with their father following. 

"I just have one question?" Walker asked stopping both of them in their tracks. "Were you driving before Ike hurt his eye?"

Taylor couldn’t look his father in the eye. He nodded his head. 

"I thought so," Walker said. "I’ll see both of you in my den. Now."

Taylor and Ike walked through the back door and bypassed the kitchen table without a word. Their father followed them into the kitchen and walked up behind Zac. 

"Would you join us, Zachary," Walker suggested gently squeezing the boys shoulder and guiding him away from the table, but by using his full name his son already knew he was in trouble.

For the second time that day, Ike, Taylor and Zac lined up on the couch. Walker demanded the full story this time and he got it in full detail from Ike with Taylor and Zac filling in with the occasional fact that they might have overlooked. After listening to the tale, Walker launched a blistering lecture that lasted a full twenty minutes before he ran out of steam. By the time he was through, Ike was sitting with a glazed look in his eyes, concentrating his attention somewhere behind his father. Taylor was busy alternating between biting his nails and wearing a hole in the knee of his jeans by scratching what was left of his nails over the material at his kneecaps. Zac was staring at his shoes, his head thrown forward and his hair falling down and totally covering his face. 

Walker finished his lecture and dismissed Ike and Taylor to the hallway so he could talk to Zac alone. 

Taylor leaned against the hallway wall and slid down to sit on the carpet. Ike followed him and leaned his head back against the wall. 

"God, I hate this," he complained.

"No worst then me," Taylor exclaimed. "Dad is really going to kill me!"

Mackie came down the hallway and sat down beside his brothers. "What’ca doing?"

"Waiting for Dad to yell at us," Taylor explained. "You want to wait with us?"

"Uh uh," Mackie exclaimed shaking his head wildly. "Is Daddy mad at you?"

"Very mad,"

Mackie patted Taylor’s hand and got to his feet. " ‘Member, Daddy can only kill you, he can’t eat you," the little boy said and he took off down the hallway at a run.

Ike and Taylor looked at each other in surprise at his words and then both of them broke out in grins. 

"Zac’s influence," Ike laughed, but then became serious again when the door to the den opened and Zac came out. 

"Ike!" Walker called loudly from the den. "Zac, upstairs, now!"

Zac left without a backward glance, his hands in his pockets and his head still down.

Taylor just sat in the hallway worrying. Finally, the door opened again. Ike came out and he motioned for his brother to go in. 

"Stick around, Ike," Walker commanded before shutting door again.

Fifteen minutes later, Taylor came out and then both he and Ike faced their father together.

"So far, I’ve heard Taylor claim that last nights episode was totally his fault," Walker lectured. "I’ve heard Ike claim that it was totally his fault and I’ve heard Zac claim that he really didn’t have anything to do with anything except he went along for the ride. Zac is the only one that I totally believe since he’s the only one of you three that isn’t car crazy at the moment. To say I’m not happy with all of you is an understatement. Since, you have so little time at home, I’m not going to ground you, and Ike I’m not taking your car privileges away. But, I can tell you right now, any more crazy stunts and I’ll put both of you under total restriction. You won’t be allow to breath with permission. Understand?"

"Yes sir," both of them exclaimed.

"Okay, get out of here, you have assignments to complete. Spend the rest of the afternoon working on them," Walker ordered. "Oh, and Tay, bring me your proposal. If you went to the trouble to write it up, the least your mother and I can do is read it. I’ll work with your mother to set up a schedule for your driving lessons. Now get on out of here, before hunger takes over and I get in a really bad mood."

"Thanks, Dad," Taylor exclaimed and left quickly dogging his older brothers footsteps.

Taylor and Ike converged into Taylor bedroom to find Zac already sprawled out on his bed with a gloomy look.

"Okay, what happened?" Zac demanded.

"What happened to you first?" Taylor demanded.

"I am guilty of ‘complicity’," Zac complained. "Dad says that’s like ‘aiding and abetting’ in a crime. I knew what you guys were doing was wrong and I went along with it so that makes me equality as guilty. I have to write five hundred words on explaining ‘complicity’. Five hundred! Plus he said he was going to have another punishment for me but he hadn’t had time to come up with it yet. I bet it’s going to be something nasty and awful!"

"Pretty much the same for me," Taylor said. "Only, I have to write fifteen hundred on ‘honesty versus deceit’. Ike got his car back though."

"How’d you manage that?" Zac demanded.

"It must have been something Tay said, cause he changed his mind," Ike exclaimed. "What did you say to Dad? You were in there longer than all of us. And, what’s this about a driving schedule?"

Taylor grinned. "Actually, after Dad got through yelling at me, and believe me that wasn’t fun, he demanded an explanation. So, I told him. I didn’t think he was being fair to you to take away your car when you’d been waiting for it for two whole years. And, I told him he wasn’t being fair to me because every time I ask for him or Mom to take me out driving they always come up with an excuse. I thought he was going to get really mad but he didn’t. He must have been listening."

"But what’s this about a ‘proposal’?" Ike asked.

"Oh, that," Taylor shrugged. "I figured it worked for you to get a car, so it might work for me to take driving lessons. So, I looked up a driving school on the Internet. It’s in downtown Tulsa and I called and got all the information and I typed up a whole proposal. I had time schedules, costs and everything and I was going to pay for it out of my own money and everything."

"That’s the Secret Project that you were working on!" Zac concluded.

Taylor nodded and grinned.

"Well, something’s sucks here!" Zac claimed. "Ike keeps his car, you get driving lessons, and I get stuck with a lousy writing assignment!"

"You’re good at writing so it won’t take you long," Ike encouraged.

"Besides, I’ll trade you mine for yours," Taylor offered.

"Ugh, no thanks," Zac retracked. 

Taylor grabbed Zac by the foot and dragged him off his bed. "Out of here, go take up residence in your own room. I’ve got to come up with fifteen hundred words. At least Dad didn’t ground us."

"But, what nasty chore is he going to have us do?" Zac worried.

"How nasty a job can it be?" Ike wondered. "The house is too new to have any real nasty chores that need to be cleaned up. We haven’t even had time to unpack a lot of junk in the garage and the attic."

Taylor stomach growled at that moment reminding them all that their dinner had been interrupted. The brothers laughed and without a moment of hesitation they headed for the door.

"Maybe, Mom saved our dinner!" Zac hoped.

"Mom’s probably already put everything away," Taylor said.

"That’s why they make microwave’s," Zac exclaimed trying to run ahead of his brothers. But, Ike and Taylor knowing their younger brother too well, each grabbed an arm and they tossed him into the closet before making a clean get-a-way to try to get ahead of him and to get the whatever was left of the ham.