Well, this was going to be the first Smash story, but since someone beat me to posting, it's not. But we started writing this story about two weeks ago. (Note that this was before we knew that the Derek/Ivy would be a real relationship. Sorry, Megan Hilty…). this called Ambition, which you probably know already, and it pretty much spells out the story. As Megan Hilty put it, Ivy Lynn is the embodiment of ambition, and she'll do just about anything to get what she wants.

So to explain, (considering we had such an unclear summary in the description) Ivy, driven by her ambition, seduces Derek for Marilyn. Her drive and determination has taken her to the point past her own control, having pretty much taken over her mind, and made her willing to do anything and everything just for the role of Marilyn. She hopes to get the lead by sleeping with the Derek, finds herself pregnant instead.

Note: This takes place just at that part where she collapses in that promo after the episode. Oh, and Ivy's mother will make small appearances here and there, as she's very significant to how Ivy behaves as in sleeping with directors. (Her mom was always so pushy and unsatisfied with Ivy that she embedded that competitive edge into her that makes her so determined.) I also know that her mother is named Leigh Conroy, and she will be played by Bernadette Peters. Yay!

DISCLAIMER: SMASH is property of Steven Spielberg and NBC. If it were mine, Kristin Chenoweth would've also been on my guest star list among other ideas in my constantly churning mind. I'd also probably end up torturing the poor characters, because I have a tendency to do that unintentionally


"The Broadway community is a tight little dysfunctional family—dysfunctional because it's a family that has sex with each other."

~Megan Hilty

Two Months Ago,

Derek's Apartment…

Ivy Lynn's POV

There's way too much debate about casting me or Karen… what makes them think Karen could do this anyways? She doesn't even have any experience on the stage, so how is there even a question about it? Broadway needs experience, and I have it. True, she's got talent, but that shouldn't automatically qualify her to play the part. Besides, it's Marilyn Monroe. She's too lanky.

Since I'm getting sick of waiting to find out if I've lost my best shot for a lead or not, I've decided to take the matter into my own hands. Before workshops today, I put on my tight, gray leopard print dress and put on some extra makeup. I found Derek and told him that I to talk to him about Marilyn, and playing the lead. He told me to meet him at his apartment after workshops.

I already know what he's implying, and I know Derek's known to be a womanizer, but that doesn't make any difference to me. I've always been treated the same way by men, so his reaction to me isn't new, and I've learned not to let it bother me. If I do it, he might give me the lead, so it'll be worth it. Anyways, there's only so many ways to get a lead after ten years in the ensemble, and at this point I'll do everything it takes to get it.

Now I'm sitting on the couch next to Derek in his apartment. I've given him a few drinks since we got here and I have the feeling this is going to work out just as I had hoped. It's been silent for the last few minutes, but I can't think of what to say.

"What are you thinking about?" Derek asks, breaking the silence and looking at me.

"Why are you asking?"

"You said you wanted to talk about you getting the lead," he says.

"Yeah…" I say, taking a sip from a glass of wine. "Why?"

"I'm pretty sure you're gonna get it" Derek says. I smile. "Anything else you want to talk about?"

"Not really," I say, handing him another drink.

He takes it, "Thanks."

I smile, moving closer to him.

Derek smiles. "Are you liking the play?" he asks.

"Yeah," I say, still grinning at him.

He wraps his arm around me as I scoot closer. Before I know it, he's leading me upstairs and soon enough I'm in his bedroom, his mouth on mine, just as I had planned.

Now,

Marilyn the Musical…

Tom Levitt's POV

Ivy seems out of it today, I tried to get her to take it easy but she wouldn't. I'm looking down at my notes when I hear a loud crash, like someone's fallen. Sure enough, she's laying on the floor, and it looks like she's fainted.

They cut off the music and the guy who dropped her is kneeling down by her, "Move," I tell him, and he quickly gets out of the way.

I gently check her pulse and thankfully it's still strong. I hear one of the other dancers say they've called an ambulance. "Ivy…" I say, brushing the hair from her face.

She doesn't really move much so I call her name again, and she starts stirring. The paramedics come in and help me get her up on the gurney. She starts waking up, "Tom?"

"It's okay, you fainted and we're gonna take you to the hospital just to check things out…" I tell her.

Once we get to the hospital they have everything stabilized and from what I can tell she's comfortable. They get her situated in a room and take some blood, and one of the nurses lets us know that the doctor will be in once the results come back.

About half an hour later, the doctor comes in, and he smiles at Ivy, "hey Ivy… how're you feeling?"

"Fine now, thanks…" she calmly says.

"Alright. We did some blood work and it's showing that you're pregnant," he explains. This must be news to her too, she looks shocked.

"What?" she asks.

"We ran it a few times, but that's what it's showing…" he further explains.

"It has to be wrong… I made all the precautions," she protests, trying to hide that she's upset.

"We can do an ultrasound but the blood work is pretty accurate…" the man tells her.

She just sighs, she seems disappointed. I know this will drastically change her chances of getting the lead in Marilyn.

"Just relax, I'll send a nurse in to start your ultrasound soon…" he says and leaves the room.

Ivy sighs and rests her head back on the pillow.

"If you don't mind me asking, do you know who the father is?" I ask her, hopefully she'll answer.

"Yeah, he won't be interested," she sadly says.

"How do you know that?"

"He's not exactly the fatherly type… to put it lightly," she explains.

I just sigh, "Do I know him?" I'm trying to think of who it could be but no one's really sticking out at me.

"Yeah," she quietly says.

"Is it someone from Marilyn?" I ask. I really hope it isn't Derek.

"Right again…" she replies, hanging her head.

"I won't say anything just yet, you can tell me." I want her to know that I'm gonna support her with this.

"Derek…" she quietly mumbles.

"Wow. I hate to say that you're right about him not being fatherly."

"Yeah," she agrees.

"Are you gonna tell your mom?" I ask. Ivy and her mom have never really seen eye to eye and I'm not sure this pregnancy isn't going to help that at all.

"I think I'll let that wait a while before she has to know," she says.

"Alright. But you should tell her," her family needs to know about this, even though she doesn't want them to.

"I don't think she needs to know right now," she protests.

"Why not?" I ask her, hoping to get an answer.

"She gives me enough crap already about always being in the ensemble. Now I'll never be Marilyn."

I squeeze her hand, "Ya know you're gonna have to tell Derek regardless of if you tell your mom."

"Why should he know? He'll just keep doing what he always does," she asks.

"What if we cast you? It won't be good for the baby if you're always performing," I explain.

"I need this part, Tom…" she whimpers.

"I know you need this part, but we've gotta think about what's happening," I remind her.

She just sighs, I can tell she's upset and disappointed, and probably scared too.

"Let's just talk to Derek. You never know, he might want to help you with the baby." There's always a chance of this happening, but it's very slim.

"Like that's ever gonna happen. He hates everything so I don't think a baby is gonna make a difference," she tells me.

I sigh, "Yeah… I'm sorry. Your mom might come around if she knows about the baby. After all, it is her grandkid…"

"I still think telling her will have to wait a while, just don't tell anyone right now, I need time to work this out," she says, starting to sound stressed.

"Alright. I just worry about letting you keep working on Marilyn because of the baby," I tell her.

"I'll be fine…" she tells me.

"Alright, but if you start feeling like you can't do it, you can tell me," I remind her, she needs to start taking it easy more often.

"Okay" she sighs, and closes her eyes.

I can't believe this is happening to her, she finally had a chance at this part and the man who's supposed to give it to her took it away. It's going to put too much stress on her and it won't be good for the baby. She needs her rest and has to eat more than a small piece of fruit or a sandwich.

She seems really disappointed about this, but we still have to tell Derek. I'm worried about how he's going to react since it is his baby. I have a feeling he's going to do something horrible to her, I just don't know what.

She might try to tell everybody that it's mine. But the problem is, I'm gay. She knows I'll help her through all this and that makes sense to want to tell people that it's mine when I'm actually around her and the baby.

Ivy's Studio Apartment…

Ivy's POV

How could this have happened? I'm an actress, what am I supposed to do with a baby? I can't just have it and actually get a lead on Broadway. Come to think of it, I can't just have it and get anything on Broadway. Then what would I do for money? I already live in a semi-small studio apartment somewhere a ways off Broadway. Okay, I shouldn't start panicking now. I should probably think this out…

I take a deep breath and start to organize my thoughts.

I have three options here, I can keep the baby, I could give it to someone else, or I could have an abortion. I obviously can't keep it, I'm a single ensemble actress that makes barely enough to live in a studio apartment by myself. What could I possibly do with a baby? The easiest choice would obviously be the abortion, then no one would have to know and I could pretend it never happened. I could get the part of Marilyn and just go on with my life.

But I don't know if I wanna have to do that.

The last choice would be to have it, but to just give it away. I could still keep up with my Broadway career and I wouldn't have to take care of raising a baby by myself either, but I would have to stop for a few months… I don't know if I can do that. I don't know if I want to deal with the whole pregnancy thing either… but there are all kinds of crazy mistakes they can make while doing an abortion that could actually really mess things up which would probably effect how well I can dance.

So I guess the abortion is out… which takes me back to either keeping it or letting someone adopt it. I still don't really think I can keep it, I'd be a single mom in New York City, and I barley even make enough to support myself. I could've made more money if I had tried to develop skills in other areas than singing or dancing, but the stage is all I've trained for my entire life. I never had time to learn anything else.

I also wouldn't have time to raise a baby while I'm an actress, even if I'm in the ensemble. The time it takes to be onstage is demanding, and even if I stayed in the same show and only performed at night like some people, that's the time I'd have to be around after the kid's in school to actually see it. It would just never work…

I think my mind is going to explode… this is too much to think about all at once. I wish I could get a drink or something… in the end I find myself taking a quick trip to Little Italy for some Italian ice which probably won't help since it causes brain freezes. Originally I was just going to get some ice cream, but Italian ice sounded better.

As I sit on the subway on the way back home, still eating the Italian ice, I remember the time Julia came in late when I was working on that first Marilyn song with Tom. She said she was late because a social worker had to look over her and her husband's birth certificates to get an adoption through. I'd almost forgotten, Julia wants a baby.

When I get back to my apartment I get onto my computer and start looking into if I can just give her the baby and if there's anything I'd have to do. Agh why do I have to do all this stuff? I'd have to find an attorney and be checked by a psychologist. Do they think I'd be insane for not keeping a baby or something? Maybe it would just be easier to keep it, then I don't have to do all this legal crap… ugh but then I'd be a single mom and a failing Broadway actress and I live in a tiny studio apartment!

In the end I just give up on reading all the legal crap. My brain is blowing up from reading all of this and I'm just over thinking everything at this point…

I sigh, picking up the phone. I dial Julia's number and wait as it rings…


Well, here's chapter one! What do ya think so far? The next chapter is ready but I'm probably gonna wait a week to post, so keep your eyes peeled!

Also, could you please just review? I honestly need your guys opinion to see what you think. We also arrived at this idea since Ivy threw up in the pilot and in that promo she just kinda fell on that guy while singing then more recently she looked really troubled after talking to Tom who said she was "born to do this". We figured there was something sketchy going on with Ivy and we arrived at either pregnancy or bulimia so yeah… we decided to do this hehe.