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Fic: Going Hollywood
Title: Going Hollywood
Author: Erin (erinm_4600)
Characters, Pairing: Hilary, Jeff, and Celia (mention of Billy Wilder)
Rating: G
Summary: There's always a catch in Hollywood...
Warning: post-series, Spring 1956 *written for a Back to the Future at a-war-of-roses.
Disclaimer: The characters belong to their respective actors and Rupert Holmes. AMC dumped the crew, therefore they get ZERO credit. The OCs are mine.
It was a clear, spring day in 1956 as the airplane touched down on the California runway. Aboard were a host of passengers, each coming west for various reasons, be it work, play, or a chance at something new. One such passenger, coming to California for work, was Hilary Booth, star of stage and airwaves, back east.
It was a connection to the stage that had put her on this plane, heading to Hollywood, for a chance at stardom on the silver screen. A director she had worked with, many years before, had sent a telegram, assuring that only she could play the part he needed to cast, and had showered her with accolades in the hopes of getting her to accept.
To say the request - and accolades - had made her a bit insufferable was an understatement. To those who knew her best, it was just another Tuesday. Hilary had always been one to rest on her former glories, and they were well-deserved and hard-earned. But, now that television had entered the picture, the pull of being a radio star didn't have the edge it used to.
All the big names in radio had been double-dipping in film and radio for years. But, now, it was television that was pulling the actors away from the studio. The industry was finding that what worked on the radio didn't work on television; and those who had made a character famous weren't as welcome when their faces were seen.
In the case of Hilary Booth, however, she was the perfect trifecta - she could literally do it all, and had the looks to back it all up. Had she not been content to stay in Pittsburgh, ruling over her small kingdom of the airwaves, she could have been a star the likes of Rita Hayworth, Maureen O'Hara, or Lauren Bacall.
For weeks, she was convinced that Billy Wilder should have cast her as Norma Desmond, as Hilary - of all people - knew that she would have brought even more depth to the character, and had passed her over simply because of a dinner date that had not ended in his favor.
As Hilary stepped into the California sunlight, her hand went to her hat and she stepped down the stairs, with her currently-former-current-former husband close behind, carrying his hat in one hand. Once they both reached the tarmac, Jeff glanced around, noting a line of taxis on the other side of the fence. Hilary was eyeing the luggage, looking for their bags, when she glanced up and noticed Jeff waving to someone.
Twisting around, Hilary glanced in that direction and sighed, spotting a tall bottle-blonde waving frantically at her, bouncing up and down in place. She watched as the woman pushed herself through the departing crowd and hurried over to them. "Hi hi!" Celia called to them, beaming at the sight of her former coworkers. She threw her arms around Hilary and hugged the older woman tightly. "I'm so glad you made it. I can't wait for us to work together again!" She gave a little shriek of excitement and let go of Hilary, then bolted for Jeff. "Hi hi!"
Hilary turned back to watch as Celia planted a kiss on Jeff's lips and raised an eyebrow. Celia Mellon was never one to care about the boundaries of a married man. Jeff greeted Celia with a warm smile and nodded along to each of her questions about the gang back home. Hilary watched them for a moment and turned back, realizing that she never really was one to care about boundaries, either.
Not that she would ever admit that she was actually happy to see that Celia was well.
"What do you mean 'work... together'?" Hilary asked a moment later, turning back to the blonde with a tightened brow.
Celia turned to give her a smile and leaned against Jeff. "We're in the picture together. When they needed to cast my mother, there was only one person I told them I would even think of working with." It quite literally took everything Jeff had to keep from laughing at the look on his currently-former-current-former wife's face. Celia gave Hilary another bright smile and tugged on Jeff's hand. "Come on, there a car waiting for us! You are going to love the hotel!"
Hilary took a step toward Jeff as Celia went to wave down a porter, to collect their bags. "Her... mother?" Hilary managed, eyes on fire and her cheeks turning red.
"Now, now, Mittens," Jeff said in a parently-tone, resting his hands on her shoulders and kneeling slightly to her eye-level. "Everyone has to start somewhere." Hilary's face twisted into a rather unattractive look and she stepped back, swatting at him with her handbag as he laughed.
Author: Erin (erinm_4600)
Characters, Pairing: Hilary, Jeff, and Celia (mention of Billy Wilder)
Rating: G
Summary: There's always a catch in Hollywood...
Warning: post-series, Spring 1956 *written for a Back to the Future at a-war-of-roses.
Disclaimer: The characters belong to their respective actors and Rupert Holmes. AMC dumped the crew, therefore they get ZERO credit. The OCs are mine.
It was a clear, spring day in 1956 as the airplane touched down on the California runway. Aboard were a host of passengers, each coming west for various reasons, be it work, play, or a chance at something new. One such passenger, coming to California for work, was Hilary Booth, star of stage and airwaves, back east.
It was a connection to the stage that had put her on this plane, heading to Hollywood, for a chance at stardom on the silver screen. A director she had worked with, many years before, had sent a telegram, assuring that only she could play the part he needed to cast, and had showered her with accolades in the hopes of getting her to accept.
To say the request - and accolades - had made her a bit insufferable was an understatement. To those who knew her best, it was just another Tuesday. Hilary had always been one to rest on her former glories, and they were well-deserved and hard-earned. But, now that television had entered the picture, the pull of being a radio star didn't have the edge it used to.
All the big names in radio had been double-dipping in film and radio for years. But, now, it was television that was pulling the actors away from the studio. The industry was finding that what worked on the radio didn't work on television; and those who had made a character famous weren't as welcome when their faces were seen.
In the case of Hilary Booth, however, she was the perfect trifecta - she could literally do it all, and had the looks to back it all up. Had she not been content to stay in Pittsburgh, ruling over her small kingdom of the airwaves, she could have been a star the likes of Rita Hayworth, Maureen O'Hara, or Lauren Bacall.
For weeks, she was convinced that Billy Wilder should have cast her as Norma Desmond, as Hilary - of all people - knew that she would have brought even more depth to the character, and had passed her over simply because of a dinner date that had not ended in his favor.
As Hilary stepped into the California sunlight, her hand went to her hat and she stepped down the stairs, with her currently-former-current-former husband close behind, carrying his hat in one hand. Once they both reached the tarmac, Jeff glanced around, noting a line of taxis on the other side of the fence. Hilary was eyeing the luggage, looking for their bags, when she glanced up and noticed Jeff waving to someone.
Twisting around, Hilary glanced in that direction and sighed, spotting a tall bottle-blonde waving frantically at her, bouncing up and down in place. She watched as the woman pushed herself through the departing crowd and hurried over to them. "Hi hi!" Celia called to them, beaming at the sight of her former coworkers. She threw her arms around Hilary and hugged the older woman tightly. "I'm so glad you made it. I can't wait for us to work together again!" She gave a little shriek of excitement and let go of Hilary, then bolted for Jeff. "Hi hi!"
Hilary turned back to watch as Celia planted a kiss on Jeff's lips and raised an eyebrow. Celia Mellon was never one to care about the boundaries of a married man. Jeff greeted Celia with a warm smile and nodded along to each of her questions about the gang back home. Hilary watched them for a moment and turned back, realizing that she never really was one to care about boundaries, either.
Not that she would ever admit that she was actually happy to see that Celia was well.
"What do you mean 'work... together'?" Hilary asked a moment later, turning back to the blonde with a tightened brow.
Celia turned to give her a smile and leaned against Jeff. "We're in the picture together. When they needed to cast my mother, there was only one person I told them I would even think of working with." It quite literally took everything Jeff had to keep from laughing at the look on his currently-former-current-former wife's face. Celia gave Hilary another bright smile and tugged on Jeff's hand. "Come on, there a car waiting for us! You are going to love the hotel!"
Hilary took a step toward Jeff as Celia went to wave down a porter, to collect their bags. "Her... mother?" Hilary managed, eyes on fire and her cheeks turning red.
"Now, now, Mittens," Jeff said in a parently-tone, resting his hands on her shoulders and kneeling slightly to her eye-level. "Everyone has to start somewhere." Hilary's face twisted into a rather unattractive look and she stepped back, swatting at him with her handbag as he laughed.