DISCLAIMER: I neither own Glee nor the characters. They are the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. This is purely for fun. Enjoy :)

A/N: Oh, just wait to see what I have in store for you all. I think I might have to up the rating in the future!

Casting Call

Chapter Three: Made for TV

Finn was woken up abruptly from his nap when his only friend in LA and hotel room-mate, Puck, ran into the green room screaming, "YEAH SON! HOW D'YA LIKE ME NOW??!!" Finn shot up in his seat and had to shake away the image of a dream he'd had where he was strutting down the red carpet and avoiding paparazzi. He took one look at Puck, and started to laugh when he saw him doing a crazy football-touchdown dance, and pretending to slap a non-existent ass. Finn was happy to see that he'd made it through to the next set of auditions.

"Finn! Bro, we are one step closer to infamy!" Puck came over and sat with him, and they chatted a bit about the auditions. Finn knew Puck's audition had been at two, so he hoped he wouldn't have to wait much longer.

"Where there many people left at the hotel?"

Puck shook his head. "No, I came with the last batch. All day long, I had to see the bus bring back the people who were turned away, and it was brutal. Chicks crying, dudes crying; I was starting to get nervous. But I step one foot in the room and immediately the guy says he liked my mohawk. Gave me the confidence to kick some LA ass, you know what I mean?" They high-fived and laughed while Finn ran his free hand through his hair in thought.

"I was so nervous before I stepped into the room. But, like, three minutes before they called me in to the audition, I met this girl. This Broadway freakin' actress, from New York City of all places!"

"No shit, dude! Was she hot?

"Yeah. She was pretty hot. And she, like, inspired me or something. . .I don't know. When I got into that room, all I thought about was how this was my chance to prove that I wasn't just a talentless loser they plucked out of a corn field."

"What was her name?"

"Rachel. Rachel Berry." Puck whipped out his iPhone, and typed her name into the YouTube Application. Her name came up, a cam-recording of her time in Phantom of the Opera. "Is this her? She's not that hot. I was thinking Carmen Electra hot, she's like, average." Finn wanted to argue with him, but he was distracted by the video playing of her on stage. The sound was scratchy and weak, coming out of the small speakers, but he could still hear the quality and the richness of the tone. It did something to him. Her voice filled him up with a heavy emotion he'd never felt before. He was mesmerized by the sound of it, and couldn't take his eyes away from the tiny screen and the image of her on stage, singing her heart out. That was true talent. He was blown away.

Before Puck could comment again on her average hotness, the secretary from before came into the room. All the people who had been waiting patiently in the Green Room rose to their feet in anticipation of the next set of auditions.

"Congratulations to all of you who've made it to the next round of auditions! We're going to need you all to read again, not particularly the same scene though. We've already cast some of the roles, so we want to see you read with some of the actors to see how well you work with the professionals." Finn felt the panic seize in his chest. Some of the roles had already been cast? Was one of them the wheelchair kid? The football star?

"First we would like to see, Noah Puckerman, please." Puck stood up and followed the lady out of the side door. Finn still held onto his iPhone, and used this time to soak up every video he could find of her singing on YouTube. He couldn't get enough of the sound of her voice. He prayed that she was one of the professionals who had landed a role. She deserved it. Then, at least if he didn't make it, he could watch her on the show and quietly obsess about what could have been.

The secretary poked her head out of the door. "Finn Hudson?"

He stood up quickly, and followed the lady into the room. He could see the same panel of producers that he'd auditioned for before, and he saw Puck walking up to him, a slight frown on his face.

Forgetting his place for a moment, he went up to Puck and handed him the iPhone. "What's up, Puck?"

Puck shrugged, "I don't think they asked me to stay." Finn held out his hand and they worked out a complicated handshake.

"Stay cool, man." Finn was about to let go when he heard a loud, deep, booming voice.

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" Puck and Finn stayed frozen in place, their hands still attached. They looked around and saw the one and only Ryan Murphy walk up to them, staring at them like he was analyzing fine art. "Don't move." He circled around them, and Finn started to feel awkward under his heavy stare. "Brad!" The other man at the panel of producers shot out of his seat and walked right up to Ryan and the guys. "This looks good. They look good together."

Brad nodded his head. "Do you want me to grab the cinematographer?"

Ryan shook his head. "No. Get me the dialogue from the scene on the football field." Brad pulled out two copies of a page and gave it to each boy. Ryan separated the two boys and placed them standing next to each other.

"Puck, you read for the friend. Finn, read for the quarterback. Look through this for a minute and start whenever you guys are ready." Finn and Puck took one incredulous look at each other and then shared a grin. They read over the scene and nodded to the other when they were ready.

"Hey, what's going on?"

"Oh, I have to miss practice Saturday afternoon. It's, uh, my mom. I gotta help her cook and do things."

"Why?"

"She just had, uh, surgery."

"What kind of surgery?"

"Uh, well, she, um, she had to have her, uh, prostate taken out."

"Man, that's a tough break."

"Yeah, it's, uh, engorged."

Finn and Puck finished the dialogue, and waited for any sign of recognition from the producers. Ryan Murphy was still staring at Finn in a way that made him feel almost uncomfortable. Was there something on his face?

All of a sudden, he laughed. Ryan Murphy, the man who could either make him or break him as an actor, was actually laughing at a scene he'd read.

"Good. Mr. Puckerman, I am sorry for your premature dismissal earlier. Thank you for reading this with Mr. Hudson. I think we have something planned for you. Please follow Ms. Cohen back to the green room. We'll see you later." Puck's face lit up and he pat Finn on the back as he turned to leave. Finn was left all alone in the room with the producers.

"Now, as for you, Mr. Hudson. I want to see how well you work with our star. Take this scene and read it over until we can get her in here."

Finn took the scene from the producers and looked it over. It was a main scene between the quarterback and the diva. . .they had been making him read the lead parts all day! He was starting to get nervous. He was minutes away from meeting a real actor, and now he had to make sure this read-through was perfect. If he landed the lead role in this show, his life would be changed forever.

He lost himself in the material, and waited until they brought in the big guns.

Rachel Berry sat in a separate green room that had been reserved for the equity actors and the crew. She sipped her tea and sat smugly, surrounded by the other actors who were still auditioning for the vacant roles.

She had nothing to worry about, though.

She had already been cast. In the leading role.

She knew it from the second she walked into the room that she would walk out with the role. She had embodied every aspect of the character, and her song had left them all speechless. She had been offered the role of her dreams, and she'd took it without a seconds hesitation. Now she just had to sit around and wait to read with the other people who were still being cast.

She took a second to wonder about the guy she'd met earlier that day. Ohio. Finn Hudson. The fact that she'd remembered his name was a testament to the affect he'd had on her. She hadn't seen him be escorted out of the building, which meant that they had asked him to stay. He was kind, but naive about the world of show-business. She was afraid he wouldn't be asked to stay much longer.

"Rachel Berry?" She stood up and walked over to Ryan's secretary. "Ryan would like you to read with someone." Rachel nodded and followed Tabitha to the audition room. She smiled brightly at the producers and turned to see who she was reading with.

"Ohio?" She said the name on reflex when she saw her new friend. She had to tamper down the feelings of excitement that he hadn't been sent home. Professionalism was always important during auditions.

"Broadway!" He said her nick-name in an enthusiastic way that left her curiously lightheaded. There was something about him that affected her in the oddest ways.

"Do you two know each other?" Ryan asked from behind the table. He looked at them suspiciously.

Rachel shook her head. "Not really. We met right before his audition."

Ryan nodded and handed the two of them another page of dialogue. "Now Finn, Rachel's character is a high school sophomore named Lea Michele. She's a bossy diva who is trying desperately to get your attention. You are the cool, popular, sports guy, Cory Monteith, and she freaks you out and intrigues you at the same time. You're both in the glee club, and you're on a class trip. Take a second to work out the scene, and then give it to me."

She saw Finn look over the dialogue, and he gave Rachel a funny look when he'd realized she was not. She whispered to him, "I've already memorized it." He smiled, and nodded his head when he was ready.

Rachel transformed into the character, and hoped Finn could do the same for his.

"You're very talented."

"Really?"

"I would know. I'm very talented, too. I think the rest of the team expects us to be an item. You the hot, male lead, and me the stunning young ingénue everyone roots for."

"Well, I, uh have a girlfriend."

"Really? Who?"

"Dianna Agron."

"Cheerio Dianna Agron? The President of the Celibacy club?"

"We're almost four months now. She's cool. Hmm, I wonder if they have Sour Patches."

Rachel was impressed with Finn's reading. She had completely underestimated his talents. His presence was there, and he perfectly embodied the awkwardness of the scene.

Thankfully, she wasn't the only one who was impressed.

"Great. That was really, really good guys! I just need you two to do one more thing." Ryan left the room and came back with a man with glasses. Without saying a word, the man sat down at a piano in the corner of the room, and Ryan handed Finn a piece of sheet music. "The accompanist over here is going to work with you, Finn, for about 15 minutes. Then we're going to come back and hear you sing with Rachel." Finn nodded, and walked over to the piano to warm-up. Rachel followed Ryan and the other producers out of the room. She could overhear their whispers.

"What did you think?"

"As long as the kid can sing I think we've found our guy. Hell, he could've been the worst singer we'd heard today, but that kid is our Cory. His face was made for TV. He looks great with Rachel and can act. His solo was mediocre, but hopefully he blends well with Rachel. Thank God he was more than just a good-looking guy. I didn't know what to expect from an audition tape with just drumming!"

She kept her mouth shut, even though she desperately wanted to say something in Finn's defense. She was sure he'd been chosen to come to LA because of his looks and not because of any real talent they'd seen. But she would never tell him that. She barely knew the guy, but deep down she felt like he had more talent than anyone realized. She was hoping he'd prove them all wrong.

Finn sang with the pianist and tried desperately to calm his frayed nerves. He memorized the harmonies they wanted him to rehearse, and he knew that in a few more minutes, the producers and Rachel would come back in and he would have to sing his heart out in order to win this role. The role of a lifetime, opposite an amazing starlet that could sing like a dream. How would he ever be able to compare to her? And he hadn't even met the other people who'd been cast for the show, there could be even better singers than her!

He shook the idea out of his head. No one was better than her. Rachel Berry had the best voice he'd ever heard.

And if he landed this role, he would get to hear it every day.

The producers and Rachel came back into the room, and the second he made eye contact with her, he knew he needed to win this role. He was ready.

Rachel walked up to him and waited for the cue. When he heard the end of the intro, he closed his eyes, nodded his head, and opened his mouth to sing.

Just a small-town girl, living in a lonely world
She took the midnight train going anywhere

When Rachel started to sing, he had to remember he was in the middle of the audition of his life. He was so blown away from her voice, he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Those little YouTube video's didn't do her any justice at all! Hearing the real thing was a completely different experience.

Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit
He took the midnight train going anywhere

In that moment he knew. . .even if he wasn't chosen for this. . .even if he wound up crawling back to Lima with his tail between his legs, that this was the moment he sang with Rachel Berry the Broadway star. This was the moment he was more than just Finn Hudson from Lima, Ohio.

He was a star, too.

A singer in a smoky room

A smell of wine and cheap perfume

Their voices joined together in harmony, and Finn thought he would never hear a more beautiful sound.

For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on and on and on

Ryan stood up, cutting off the accompanist and stopping them before they hit the bridge. "Yes! Yes, yes, yes! This is fantastic." He walked up to Finn and shook his hand. Finn was on pins and needles waiting for the words he so desperately wanted to hear. "You two sound so good together, I never would have imagined! Come on, follow me."

Finn looked at Rachel incredulously, not knowing what exactly was going on. She just smiled and followed Ryan out of the room. Panicking, he ran after her, not wanting her to be out of his sight. She knew more about this process than he did, and he felt like a lost puppy without her.

Walking into a large office, he sat down next to Rachel, with Ryan sitting behind the large desk. Finn squirmed under Ryan's intense stare, the same one he'd been getting all day. "Finn, I have to say, I was more than a little impressed with you today."

Finn squirmed even more, and fiddled with the hem of his shirt, nervously. "Thank you, sir."

"I mean, we plucked you out of the Midwest and you show up with some serious acting chops and a pretty decent voice. And that face! It was like you were made for TV! The dancing needs work, but it will come in time."

Finn didn't respond, not knowing what to say. He was still waiting for the confirmation that his dreams were coming true. . .

"How would you like to be our Cory Monteith?"

Hearing the actual words coming out of Ryan Murphy's mouth was almost like an out-of-body experience. He looked over at Rachel, the Broadway star, and she was smiling and nodding her head. The reality of it all hit him, leaving him breathless. It was almost too much to bear. He felt a heavy emotion clog up his throat, and he cleared it and choked out, "I would love to."

"Perfect! I need you to be here tomorrow morning at 8AM sharp. Your hotel reservation is good until the morning, then you'll have to find somewhere else to stay. I assume you don't have an agent, yet?"

Finn opened his mouth to stutter out something about not knowing where to find one, when Rachel answered for him. "Well Ryan, I think my agent would be more than happy to pick up a new client. It would be much easier on the legal front to have the same agent work with both actors, don't you agree?" Ryan nodded firmly and handed Finn a thick envelope.

"Alright Finn, here's the deal. Tomorrow, your agent and the producers will work out the terms of your contract after the read-through with the cast. Here is the script, memorize what you can for tomorrow. You'll get a stipend to find a place to live. Dance rehearsals start Wednesday. Filming starts next Wednesday. You'll also spend some time in the studio, recording songs. After that, the pilot will be sent to Fox, and you'll get a call in a month to see if the show got picked up. Then, we'll need you to come back and film the other twelve episodes."

Finn just nodded, trying desperately to soak in all of the information that was pouring out of Ryan's mouth. He was still in shock over being chosen for he lead role in a TV show!

"OK."

"It's settled then! Congratulations Finn Hudson and Rachel Berry, you two are our Cory and Lea!"

He looked down at his petite co-star (co-star!), and she winked at him.

"Welcome to Hollywood, Ohio."

Salut mes amis!

The lead roles have been filled! Now Finn has to meet the rest of the cast and deal with the realities of being in show business!

Until Next Time. . . *sings* Don't Stop. . .Reviewing!

Merci Mille Fois

The Minsk