Ginger could not believe how badly her career was going!

She had done one dirty film already, just to pay her rent. The Howells had not been as generous with her, as they had Mary Ann...oh...that girl! She had once loved her hut mate like a sister!

And now, Ginger was forced to go from making porn to ridiculously stupid movies that were freaking her out! The one she was currently working on, was called 'Invasion of the Spiders'. Yes, Ginger was forced to work with tarantulas. She had seen very few on the island, but when she had, they creeped her out!

Her co-star was some former B actor, who had tried to break into her dressing room the other day and rape her! Apparently, he had seen the dirty picture she had made, which had been called 'Savage Lust'. The plot had been about a woman who was shipwrecked on an island, and was then forced to have sex with savages to stay alive...

Ginger sighed loudly, blowing her bangs up off her head. She could still feel the feathery spider legs that had just been on her arm. She needed a valium or something to calm down. Why was she forced to do this crap? Why didn't people appreciate the fact that Ginger Grant was back in Hollywood?

She opened the door to her dressing room, stepped inside and closed the door. Ginger tested the new lock she had had put on, after yesterday's 'break in'. It was as she locked the door, that Ginger realized she was not alone.

Lovie Howell stood up from the chair she had been sitting in. Her eyes gave Ginger a once over, before she spoke.

"Ginger, dear. How are you? You look well."

Ginger folded her arms.

"I do?"

"No," Lovie said blithely, "I was just being polite. Performing on film with beastly insects, does not suit you, dear."

Insulted, Ginger swallowed before answering.

"Well what else can I do? I was gone for so long that this is all I can get."

"Dear, what you can get is a proper profession. Surely you have training in something else?"

"Is there a reason you are here, Mrs. Howell?" Ginger asked tiredly. She sat down in a nearby chair. Mrs. Howell stayed standing.

"I want your word that you will help prove the captain's innocence." Lovie said, slowly pulling off silk gloves.

"By the 'captain', you mean the Skipper? I can't get involved, Mrs. Howell. It could ruin my career."

"My dear, your career is BEYOND ruined! Do you really think you will ever appear in anything proper, ever again? After what you've done? And no, I am not talking of your sharing a screen with insects."

Ginger knew damned well Mrs. Howell was referring to her snuff film! But she kept her temper in check.

"Mrs. Howell, it is not my fault that the Skipper was SO obsessed with me, that he took up with that woman! I don't know what you think I can do to help?"

Mrs. Howell gave her a knowing look.

"Don't fool with my, young lady. I know about what was going on on the island between the captain and yourself. And I doubt very much he would've made such overtures towards you without encouragement from yourself. You started this. Now you need to come with me and tell the captain's attorney, all about that awful Grubb woman and your part in causing the Skipper to marry her."

"The Skipper is a grown man, Mrs. Howell. He was not tricked into marrying Eva. He wanted me, and couldn't have me. Things went terribly wrong." Ginger said firmly. "I can't get dragged back into all of that."

"Ginger," Mrs. Howell said patiently, "haven't you heard the phrase, 'there is no such thing as bad publicity'? My dear, if you do involve yourself in this tawdry tale, I have no doubt PROPER movie deals will come before you. Right now you are the forgotten starlet. The captain's misfortune will remind the movie public just who you are."

Ginger just stared at Mrs. Howell. She had never thought about any of this like that. The whole idea of the Skipper marrying Eva had just been beyond sick. But people were reading it in the papers and swallowing it up. Maybe, just maybe...

"Alright, Mrs. Howell. This movie is almost finished anyway. I will come with you after my last scene is over."

Mrs. Howell gently patted Ginger's cheek.

"That's good of you, dear," she said, then pulling a card from her purse, "this is our estate here in California. Come out tonight and then we'll fly back to New York in the morning."


The Professor was the last person the Skipper expected to see, when a Howell maid announced him. Mr. Howell was out on business someplace, and the attorney he had hired for him, was expected at the estate in an hour.

Not that there was much to discuss with regards to his case. It didn't seem as if there were any other suspects but him.

If only he had a time machine. How far back he would go, even Skipper could not really say. Maybe back to the island, where he and Ginger first became intimate-even though she clearly was only using him.

But there was a part of him that cherished the memory, of being intimately connected with one of the most beautiful women he had ever met in his lifetime. So if the truth be told, Skipper would probably take his 'time machine', back to when he made the stupid and impulsive decision, to marry Eva Grubb.

Gilligan came into his thoughts then. Gilligan had been a victim of whatever madness had consumed him then. They were buddies. The plan had been to buy new boat and start up the business again. Only this time, they would be partners.

But Eva just came out of nowhere, looking so much like Ginger, he just couldn't help himself. Gilligan, the new business...took a back seat to that woman. And somehow he had forgotten how unstable she was. It never even occurred to him to ask her why she still looked so much like Ginger.

Gilligan had had plenty to say about it, but Skipper had dismissed him. He dismissed everyone, including the Professor, who had seemed shocked as well. It didn't matter that Eva just happened to style her hair like Ginger or even dress like her. He was perfectly aware that this woman was NOT Ginger.

Eva did a great job of reminding him of that. And that was when Skipper began to slowly realize he had made a terrible mistake even being in the same room as this woman!

For one, Skipper became an instant step-father! Eva had three kids! Apparently from some guy that had been dishonorably discharged from the army. Worse yet, Eva 'thought' she had been married to this deadbeat, but had ended up getting tricked! He had two other wives and many other children before her!

Skipper had been flabbergasted! From the ages of the kids, two girls and a boy, Eva had to have had them BEFORE she came to their island. So she had been much more than some lonely secretary burned by love. She had run off and left her kids!

Something was clearly wrong with the boy. He had fits or something and Skipper just didn't know what to do for him! Eva didn't seem to want to face that possibility. She seemed to think that the child, who's name was Damian, just ate too much sugar.

Then there had been Eva's boozy mother, Ethel, who's first name should've been tramp. She moved in with them and lord love a duck, SHE was pregnant! Pregnant and boozing it up on his meager income and savings, that quickly dwindled with all of the extra mouths.

Skipper rubbed his jaw. He didn't like thinking about it and it wasn't important. He was missing something. Someone had strangled Eva and he needed to find out who before he spent his final years behind bars!

The Professor walked in and could see Skipper seemed to be deep in thought. He cleared his throat and the Skipper noticed him.

"Professor? Gosh, what brings you here?"

"How can you ask that? Surely you've read the papers." Professor said in a tone that was almost scolding.

"I don't need to read the papers. I'm living this nightmare." Skipper sighed. The Professor walked over and touched his arm.

"Skipper, I'm here because I want to help all I can before I return to the island."

Skipper's mouth dropped open!

"You're returning to the island? Why in God's name would you ever do that?"

"Because there is evidence that suggests that that alien that posed as Gilligan, and his kind, are the ones that created that illness that killed Ericka Tiffany Smith and the others. I have been working for a secret part of the government, in an advisory capacity, of course. A search team, which will include myself, are going to go back and see if we can pick up anything that will tell us about their life form."

"As usual, I only understood half of that," Skipper smiled fondly, "but the government actually believed you about the alien?"

"They were hardly surprised," Professor said wryly, "anyway, before I leave, I want to do everything I can to clear you of this heinous charge. The Howells have retained an attorney for you. Have you contacted Gilligan or any of the others that remember Eva?"

Skipper looked down and shook his head. The Professor crossed his arms.

"I take it you're too ashamed to contact Gilligan yourself? I have been in contact with him and he told me about how things occurred. Ginger clearly is out of the question. What about Mary Ann?"

Skipper gave the Professor a look.

"What?" Professor asked.

"I'll contact Mary Ann when you contact her!" he snorted. "We treated her pretty poorly. I doubt I'll ever hear from her again. And you were so sick with jealousy..."

"I think that is overstating it a bit." the Professor said coolly.

"I don't. You were angry that she had been with the alien, he clearly took her home on his space ship or whatever. You know, if you had just let her know how much you felt for her, she would've never looked that alien's way."

The Professor did not answer. No one could know the endless heartache he had suffered all because he had not acted sooner. Or at least that's all he could think. He didn't know what he had expected from Mary Ann, since he had given her no reason that there would ever be anything between them, other than the one sexual encounter that had taken place.

He had not known what to feel after their first time. He had not been ready for an actual relationship, with what they had been facing at the time. And Mary Ann had not seemed eager to pursue anything either.

And yet he had been beyond livid when she arrived with the Coast Guard to rescue them. She had left their island with that alien form of life doing God knows what with him...it was as if she told him she didn't care anything about him.

But had that been on her? Maybe he should have spoken up? The Professor shook his head.

"None of that matters now. Making sure that you do not spend the rest of your life in prison, for a murder you did not commit, is the only that does concern me. Hopefully your attorney can come up with something soon."


Mr. Howell was off on business alright! He was meeting the plane he had sent for Gilligan and Mary Ann. Mary Ann had to admit, she was very impressed and touched that Mr. Howell had went through so much trouble. Everyone seemed to care a lot about the Skipper.

Gilligan didn't look as if he felt one way or the other about the effort Mr. Howell had put in. The plane ride had been nice and there had been refreshments as well. Gilligan scarfed almost everything down, without much comment. Mary Ann sensed that he was more worried about the Skipper than he was letting on.

Once they landed at the private airport and got off of the plane, Mary Ann gave Mr. Howell an extra big hug!

"Oh Mr. Howell! It is so nice to see you again! I wish it was under better circumstances. Where is Mrs. Howell?"

"Mrs. Howell, my dear, is off on a mission to corral Ginger here."

"Ginger?" Gilligan asked, his tone frosty. "That will never happen!"

"Oh don't underestimate a Howell, my boy. Especially Mrs. Howell. She called last night and Ginger and her will be here soon. Probably by tonight."

Gilligan and Mary Ann looked at one another with surprise. Mr. Howell's gaze now stayed on Mary Ann.

"I know what Gilligan is asking of you will probably be unpleasant. I don't know all of the details of your falling out with the Professor..."

Mary Ann waved a hand!

"It's not important. Let's just think of the Skipper." she said. Mr. Howell smiled at them both and they headed towards his town car. They would all find out soon enough that the Professor was already at the Howell estate with the Skipper.