What It Takes (RPF) PG 13+
Title: What it takes
Rating: PG 13+ for language
Characters: Jensen, Jared = J2
AN: I promised I wouldn’t write RPS. But I never promised I wouldn’t write RPF. They’re totally different things right? I mean, it’s not even the same hand basket, I don’t think. Ah, screw it. I’m going to hell for reading that stuff, may as well make the trip worthwhile.
Warnings: Also, if I’ve screwed up the timeline of his body of work, I apologize… but it worked for this story, which is fiction, so it doesn’t have to matter
Dedications: For:
isolde13, for speaking her mind; and
Diamondback158 for some inspiration. (I totally used your words, you’ll know it when you read it - hope you like it!)
Disclaimer: I have not (and likely will not) ever meet Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, or anyone associated with the show. (Although I did go to high school with a guy who had a bit part in Devour, so by virtue of the 6 Degrees game, I’m only 1 away.) I don’t anything about them but what I read in interviews, see on TV or read in RPS. This is meant for entertainment purposes only. No profit to be made. All you lawyer types, just keep on moving. *Does Jedi mind trick of the “These are not the droids you are looking for” variety*
Wordcount: 2800
When Jensen initially got the call from the WB brass about this new show Supernatural, he wasn’t quite sure what to think. Nightstalker meets Route 66 meets the X-files, they said. It sounded kind of lame, but he couldn’t exactly afford to be picky. Sure, he’d been in the game a while, but mostly as a supporting character and Hollywood wasn’t exactly banging down his door.
After leaving Days of our Lives, he’d been poised for something big to happen, but it just didn’t come. He’d landed a role in some Marilyn Monroe biopic. It wasn’t huge, but it was something. Something that wasn’t a soap opera. His part was interesting, and he got to go to Australia for the shoot. It wasn’t going to make him rich, but he’d landed it right away. Things were looking good.
Next came an episode of Dark Angel, and that had been awesome - James Cameron wasn’t exactly small-time - but besides the biopic and this, that was it. He was glad his Momma had raised him to be good about his money, ‘cause he definitely needed every penny he’d saved during his 3 years on Days to survive.
The folks at Dark Angel liked him enough that they created a whole role for him in their second season, and it was good exposure. Fox was a huge network, and he got to shoot guns and ride motorcycles and beat people up… so that was cool. There had even been talk of a spin-off for his character. Unfortunately, when Dark Angel was cancelled, so was that idea.
Someone at Fox liked him though, and he landed a pilot for an ensemble drama called Still Life. They called it an ensemble, but it was clear from the pilot that he was basically the star of the show. The network ordered more episodes and the outlook was promising, until Fox did a re-org and the project was shelved, unaired. It had only been a few weeks work, and he wasn’t doing on anything else, so the money was getting tight.
He’d landed a decent stint on Dawson’s Creek, but he wasn’t part of the cast or in every episode, and it cost money to fly back and forth between L.A. and the set, auditioning his butt off for something more permanent.
Finally he got offered a starring role in a film. The premise had been cool, but the shoot was a nightmare. Rewrites, re shoots. By the end of the day, it wasn’t even the same movie he’d signed on to do… and it went straight to video. He was kind of glad though, because the film sucked so bad, he didn’t want anyone to see it. Plus, it was an independent flick, and Jensen knew all too well that was industry speak for “small paycheque.”
Just when he was starting to give up hope, the folks at WB called him in for a role on Smallville. He’d originally auditioned for the part of Clark Kent and had been the runner-up. Welling nabbed it, and was all too happy to remind him of that, but he couldn’t afford to get his nose out of joint. He just came in, did his job and acted his ass off. He even ended up making friends with Welling and Mikey, which was nice.
Halfway through the season, he got the Supernatural call. We have this idea for a show about two brothers who hunt the Supernatural. We think you’d be perfect for Sam. This was it. His shot; his own show. It’s about freaking time.
Then the call came from his manager. Look Jen, they want you. They want you real bad, but not for the role of Sam. What? No, they want you to play Dean, the other brother. Oh. Well, that was still pretty cool, right? Dean was funny. He had done enough heavy shit on Days, he’d been the nice guy on Smallville, and this was good.
Who’s playing Sam? Oh, this other WB kid, Jared Padalecki? Who? He was on Gilmore Girls? Never seen it. Well, anyway, they decided you were a little too old to play a university junior, but Dean’ll be great. You get to drive the Impala and be a bad-ass. Right. Take it Jen, his manager advised. So he did.
Next thing he knew, he was being written off Smallville. So much for being the nice guy. They turned him nasty and then killed him off. He figured Supernatural had better work out, or else he was going to be doing shitty guest roles on TV for the rest of his life.
They flew him down to L.A. to meet with Jared and the producers. He thought it would be a good idea to look up his co-star before he met him, get a sense of who this Jared Palackedi, Paladecki, Padalecki kid was. Thank you imdb.com. So, this kid had played the boyfriend of one of the main characters on Gilmore Girls. Jensen had never seen more than five minutes of the program. All he knew was it was about two women who talked really fast and talked a lot. Which means this Jared kid likely didn’t get a chance to say much of anything. There were a few movies and pilots on his resume as well, but mostly for horror movies or teen-bopper flicks. Nothing to be intimidated by; I mean, forget that those were all big-budget big-star movies, they were insignificant roles.
This was some kid who had been discovered giving out surfboards at the Teen Choice Awards for Christ’s sake - after entering some contest, no less - Jensen had been nominated for three daytime Emmy’s. That was saying something. And he’d had a few roles tailor made for him, which meant people liked him and his work. Even the Smallville producers had waited a few years to add him to the team. Plus, he was older. He had nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing.
They met. Holy shit, this kid was tall. He was kinda goofy too, but he seemed like the decent type. A Texas boy, just like Jen. Had an older brother and a younger sister, just like Jen. Was dating a hottie who appeared half-naked in magazines, just like Jen. This might not be too bad after all. Dean got all the laughs and Sam had to walk around looking constipated all the time, and he got to drive the cool car. Yes. The sun was finally shining on Jensen Ackles.
As they finalized contracts, Jensen started to have some doubts. He found out that Jared had auditioned for Superman, back when McG was attached - that’s how he got called in on this project. Superman: the movie. That was a huge role. Huge. Jensen had tried out for Superman too, just a teenage one, on a crappy network, that only teenage girls watched; and he didn’t even get that. Jared didn’t get the role either, but maybe that was only because McG backed out of it and the whole process had to start over. It may have nothing to do with him not being good enough. No, no. If he was that good, he’d have gotten the part, don’t be silly.
Then they wanted to put Jared’s name first on the credits. That was a bad sign. Well, he’s been on the network for 5 years Jen, his manager told him. You’ve only been on as a guest for two. Plus, he’s been in several films; he’s got a following in the target audience. Jensen had been on big shows that were popular too. Yeah, but your previous demographic was daytime Jen. We have the moms for sure, but what we need are their daughters. Ah.
Once the show was shooting and picked up for a full season, he thought maybe he could relax a little. Jen knew he shouldn’t really complain. He did get gain a girlfriend out of the show, and Jared did break his hand when Jenny had dragged him out for drinks one night.
Jen would occasionally read the WB boards to see what fans of the show were saying. Jared and Sam seemed to be winning in all the “who’s hotter” polls. Jared joked that he was voting for himself, but Jensen knew that didn’t account for the outcomes. When he read the postings where people had relegated Dean to the role of “sidekick” he nearly lost it. Something had to be done.
He called his agent. Well Jen, Jared has started getting invited to conventions, with their generous appearance fees. Jared has done some ad campaigns for Donna Karan. Jared did an appearance on Ellen. Ellen - that was huge. People were begging to get on that show. The fact that Jared had been booked and he hadn’t said a lot. Not to mention that everyone freaking loved him and his sweet little girlfriend. Jared calls everyone sweetheart and stays until every last fan has an autograph. He has fun with his interviews.
Jensen hated doing press. He’d done the modelling thing when he was younger and didn’t really want to do more. He hated the whole fan thing, but if he wanted to keep the same salary as Jared, he was going to have to swallow his pride. If he didn’t, there could be a nasty showdown, the likes of which have not been seen since ChiPs, when Erik Estrada got way more popular than the other guy and started commanding way more money per episode.
Jensen’s manager did his thing and got him onto gay.com’s hottest men list. Not his dream deal, but what did that slutty chick on Sex in the City say? First you get the gays, and then you get the girls? Not that Jensen ever watched that show. His ex did, and he was sometimes forced to sit through it, but he didn’t follow it or anything. He didn’t think that it sucked that Carrie went with Big and never got back with Aidan or whatever. ‘Cause Jensen thought TV was a waste of time.
Unless he was watching his Mav’s or Cowboys play. Or something on the Discovery Channel, because they ran some pretty crazy programs on there, which were really cool when you were buzzed on BC green. Not that he ever did that, but you know, his friends did and sometimes they’d hang out at his place and smoke and then take over his remote control. And he’s not gonna NOT watch what’s on his TV in his own living room, okay?
Next up, the TV guide Top Ten Males and some cheesy TV guide channel “TV’s hottest hunks” specials or whatever. This was better than the gay.com thing, because at least his Momma could brag about this to the ladies at church. So, yeah. Then he did a spread for Flaunt that he actually liked because that was a cool magazine for urban hipsters like himself, and the photographer was well respected and the shoot was actually fun.
But then Jared goes and gets himself a story in a fitness magazine where they talk about him gaining 35 pounds of muscle and the fangirls go nuts over his towel scene. Jen hasn’t done a towel scene since Dark Angel and he’s not as cut as he used to be. Yeah, he took his shirt of in two episodes, but it wasn’t exactly sexy to rip your skin off, and the shit with Cassie was mostly backlit so you just saw silhouettes. Something had to give.
Jensen got a small role in another film. Not a lead, just a nice supporting bit, and the story looked cute. He got to stretch his chops, get a Mohawk and wear a kilt and sport a fake tattoo. Nothing like he’d ever done before. And if it sucked, it wasn’t going to be on his shoulders. And the pay wasn’t bad or six weeks of work. He got to be in L.A., see Steve’s band play, all that stuff.
His manager also kicked some ass over at CW to make sure he got a bit more of a dramatic arc on the series’ second season. (Thank God there even was a second season. Maybe he should thank Jeff, not God, because it was all his Grey’s Anatomy fans that boosted their numbers for the later half of the first year.)
Somehow he got nominated for Best Breakout Male Performance at the Teen Choice Awards. He also got sucked into presenting the dumbest award ever, but Jared was going too and he got a $10,000 gift basket to hang out and see old friends (like David Boreanaz) and fuck! Johnny Depp was there and he’s the best. How bad could it be?
Not bad at all, except he forgot that BOTH Jessica’s were going to be there, Alba and Simpson and that was a touch uncomfortable. Especially since both are such huge stars now making millions and, well… he’s not. Not to mention that he didn’t win. He didn’t care that he lost to Zac Efron. Not one bit. I mean, who the hell saw High School Musical or whatever that thing was. Okay, maybe a bunch of twelve year olds. Twelve year olds who wear grilles. Lame.
And the call from his manager and the communications people from CW? The one totally chewing him out after he presented his award because he didn’t look like he was having fun and what did he think he was doing, scoffing in front of his target audience? Okay. That sucked too. But just a little. At least he looked good in that free Dolce & Gabbana outfit, right?
There was really nothing Jensen could do at this point but sit back and let things play out and take it from there. Okay, so when they shot the episode that used all the extras that they got from craigslist.com he didn’t go greet the fans like Jared did after the draw, but he did the draw and smiled.
If the fangirls wanted to bitch about his girlfriends, he wouldn’t freak out. If they wanted to write porn about him and Jared getting it on? Fine, he’d toss out saucy innuendos during interviews. He wasn’t above playing dirty to get one step ahead of Jared. He loved the guy, but seriously… Hello, Emmy nominee? Right. So, he wasn’t above doing what it takes, at least more than he usually would. It was kind of fun, actually. Especially when it was as simple as making sure he got Jared as drunk as possible the night before every junket. It’s a shame how that boy’s face gets all puffy and round when he’s hung-over, isn’t it? Jensen, he gets a little red in his eyes, nothing some Visine can’t clear up. But Jared? He goes from all chiselled to knobby cheeks and a little button nose and all of a sudden he's a very tall garden gnome.
Yeah, so fame’s a bitch. Doing press sucks. Supernatural isn’t the most intellectual show on TV. Yet, it pays the bills, it means you get free shit, brings hot girlfriends in the form of singers and playmates and models and actresses. It’s justification for going to the spa, because no self-respecting Texan male would go to the spa unless it was absolutely required for work. It’s good pay to do fun stuff like shoot guns and spin out cars and jump fences and bag chicks. And the sex tips from all the fangirl porn? That really helps when things are getting stale with Jared. Adds some spice. Keeps it exciting, right? Hell, he’d probably never have tapped that ass without the prompting of his fangirls. Maybe they weren’t so bad after all.
Yep. If this is what it takes, Jensen’s ready to give ‘er.