Hollywood Baby Shower

***Hollywood Baby Shower*** is an - episode of *Hollywood Sisters*.

## Synopsis

Alex and Jo attend a baby shower for their friend Traci Marsden at Hollywood mansion. Alex is forced to think about motherhood by her late period. Still-single Jo fears her dreams of being a wife and mother are slipping away, as her acting career continues to flourish with the success of L.A. Beat. Lizzie auditions for Los Angeles Dance Squad, but she twists her ankle in the process. Christy's friend Sasha helps her put together a demo and a bunch of photos to send them to every recording company in Hollywood.

## Excerpt

Chapter 1

"Y'know, I've always been a fan of your character in Summer Cove, Alex," said Leticia Juarez. She was a celebrity make-up artist, who was doing Alex Morgan's make-up in the dressing room. Alex was booked to do appearance on Wake Up with Wendy!, a talk show on PopTV.
"Thanks. Everyone loved my character," said Alex. It has been years since Summer Cove went off the air and yet people still think of her as the golden good-girl Meadow McAllister with a complitated life in a fictional beach town. Since the end of Summer Cove, Alex was still acting, but Hollywood was paying attention to reality show starlets. Their own reality shows became ratings juggernauts while other TV shows Alex kept auditioning for lead roles or supporting role have either lasted one season or the pilots just weren't picked up. It was unfair that reality show starlets have it easy with TV when Alex, a veteran TV actress had trouble scoring hit shows since her days on Summer Cove.
She tried to break into big-screen movies like Maximum Extreme, but the role went to Niki Stevens, her ex-co-star of Summer Cove.
Alex lived in Hollywood, practically her entire life. She came from a family of actors. Her late father, Benjamin was a actor and director who opted for his children to pursue college and other interests that did not involve Hollywood. Fredrica, Alex's mother, was an musical theatre actress who became best known for her role Esther Diamond in a long-running soap opera Our Secret Lives. Whenever the soap was on hiatus, Freddie would spend her days act in the theatre or being with her family.
Other than her parents, Alex had to contend with her three younger sisters; Jo, Lizzie, and Christy. Jo was an Hollywood actress like Alex, Lizzie is a musical theatre actress like their mother, and Christy is a student at a performing arts college in town.
The Morgan family were more than just another Hollywood acting family, they were Hollywood's memorable darlings. Two of the Morgan sisters were know for being Teen Sweethearts, while the middle sister is a musical theatre actress and the youngest was in college and also trying to break into the music world.
With her yellow off-shoulder long sleeved dress and her hair up in a high tight ponytail, Alex was ready to take the stage of a popular talk show with millions of viewers tuning in.
Alex took a deep breath and exhaled when the hostess Wendy Myerson announced her next guest.
"Welcome back. My next guest is best known as golden good-girl Meadow McAllister from the TV series, Summer Cove! Will you please give a warm welcome to miss Alex Morgan!"
Alex walked onto the stage of Wake Up with Wendy! and gave Wendy a kiss on the cheek and sat down on the white couch, crossing her legs.
"Wow! Ms. Alex, you're all grown up!" Wendy gushed.
"Thank you. Time flies," Alex smiled.
Wendy was surprised that the little girl people fell in love with on Summer Cove was now a grown woman. She wondered if people in Hollywood still think of Alex as Meadow McAllister.
"Do people still remember you as Meadow from Summer Cove?"
"Yeah. All the time. Not just fans of the show, but people in the industry and outside of the industry. When I was getting my hair done at a beauty salon, some of the hairdressers remember Meadow."
Alex paid a small price for being on a hit teen drama, people will remember her character no matter where she went and no matter what other roles she did.
"The success of Summer Cove landed you on covers of every teen magazine," Wendy continued.
"Yeah. My little sisters collected every magazine I was on." Wendy pulled out Teen Beat with both Alex and her sister, Jo on the cover. Alex revealed that the cover came out when she did Summer Cove and Jo did The Reluctant Stepmother, a family sitcom that made Jo famous. Alex explained to Wendy that the success of both Summer Cove and The Reluctant Stepmother had made the Morgan sisters, two of Hollywood's promising young actresses in the world. Viewers couldn't get enough of Meadow McAllister's troubled love life in Summer Cove and Heather Martin bonding with her latina stepmother in The Reluctant Stepmother. At the Teen Scene Awards, Alex won the award for Best Actress in a Teen Drama, while Jo was only nominated for Best Actress in a Family Sitcom. Both Summer Cove and The Reluctant Stepmother were nominated for Best Teen Drama and Best Family Sitcom, only Summer Cove won the award.
The popularity of both TV shows allow Alex and Jo to be feautured in numerous TV movies. Alex recalled every TV movie she was in during Summer Cove's hiatus. Her first movie was A Forbidden Romance, playing a teenager who falls in love with her new stepbrother after their parents get married. It was a surprising movie role Alex had ever received in her career. When the movie air on channel 10, viewers wewre surprised that the golden good-girl on Summer Cove would be in a movie where she falls in love with her stepbrother. Critics were appauled by the premise, but Alex's performance was praised. Her second TV movie on Channel 10 was Love Hurts. In the movie, Alex's character, Melissa Drexell learned that her cousin was in a abusive relationship and she tried to help her get of the troubled relationship safely. A Forbidden Romance was filmed in Sacremento, while Love Hurts was shot around Van Nuys. A local high school in Van Nuys was used for the fictional high school Alex's character attended in Love Hurts. The next year when Summer Cove went on another hiatus, Alex did two other TV movies, The Affair and The Imperfect Daughter. When Alex did The Imperfect Daughter, she played Megan Fowler, who had a troubled relationship with her mother, Barbara. Barbara was played by Bridget Kelly, she was formerly on the soap opera Beyond the Lines. Filming of the movie took place in Toronto. It was completed in time for the new season of Summer Cove, but Alex had to wait four weeks before filming began, giving her enough time to fly from Toronto back to L.A.
Alex explained to Wendy about doing both The Affair and The Imperfect Daughter during the Summer Cove's hiatus.
"Doing The Affair was like... I was stepping into the world of a trouble teenager with a troubled homelife. I couldn't relate to what my character was going through."
"You shot the movie in San Francisco?" Wendy asked.
"Yeah. We did. During the break from filming, I shot photos of the Golden Gate Bridge and toured around the entire city. Some of my favorite shows were filmed in San Fran."
When Wendy asked Alex about guest-starring on The Reluctant Stepmother, her sister's TV series, Alex recalled that acting alongside her own sister was one of the coolest opportunities she had ever done. She played Heather Martin's cousin, Kendra. Wendy played a scene from The Reluctant Stepmother where Alex and Jo played Kendra and Heather.
"You know, this closet has enough space for my wardrobe. So, where's the bedroom?
This is the bedroom!
Come on, Heather. I was only joking. Besides, you have a cute bedroom."
Then Heather imagined her strangling Kendra and snapping back to reality rolling her eyes in the process.
Audiences laughed at the scene and applauded by Alex and Jo's performances as bickering cousins. Alex laughed as well

Chapter 2

In her dressing room, rehearsing her lines for a new episode of L.A. Beat, Jo Morgan was in hair and make-up, preparing for a scene where she questioned a suspect. The role of Detective Hannah Montgomery was different from when she began in the business as a teen actress, and as the younger sister of Alex Morgan from Summer Cove.
But Jo was an actress in her own right. She defied her father's wishes to pursue acting like Alex. Secretly, she hired a photographer to take headshots that would get her hired for any acting jobs. However, one photo got her signed to L.A. Models. There she landed jobs on magazine ads, commericals, and magazine covers. But modeling did little to help Jo's acting passion. At the time Alex was doing Summer Cove, Jo begged her sister to talk to the show's producers to give her any kind of role on their show. Since there were no role available on Summer Cove, Alex made Jo a promise, if Summer Cove had any role available, she would let her know.
Jo continued doing commercials and modeling until producers of a Warner Television teen drama, Gross Pointe were looking for an young actress to play Ashley Miller, the spoiled daughter of a wealthy real-estate tycoon who would become the new love interest for Johnny Bishop's character, Brad Johnson. Jo jumped at the chance to audition for the role, much her father's dismay. She landed the job and was on the show for five episodes. Jo's performance on the show caught the attention of producers who were looking for an actress for their upcoming family sitcom, The Reluctant Stepmother, about a latina housekeeper who marries her boss, an architect and single father to avoid being deported. Producers wanted to see if Jo had what it took to portray Heather Martin, the feisty teenage daughter in the upcoming comedy series.
Producers liked her performance as Jo landed the part. When The Reluctant Stepmother premiered, critics were harsh, but viewers were not. The Reluctant Stepmother became a top rated family sitcom on television. Suddenly, Jo Morgan joined her older sister, Alex as two of Hollywood's memorable Teen Sweethearts.
The success of The Reluctant Stepmother earned Jo a endorsment deal with Glam Girl cosmetics and she was on countless covers of every teen magazine, just like her sister, Alex did when her show Summer Cove became popular.
As The Reluctant Stepmother continued to be a ratings favorite, Jo was seen hanging out with the other young stars, including her sister, Alex. Teen Beat magazine had an article on the sibling relationship between Jo and Alex and Sassy magazine dishes on Jo's dating life, which she have during her teen years. As audiences watch Jo's character, Heather Martin bond with her new stepmother Gabriella Sanchez-Martin, Jo landed the opportunity to do several TV movies. Her first movie when the show went on hiatus was Star-Crossed Lovers, it was a sci-fi version of Romeo and Juliet. The movie re-teamed Jo with her former on-screen boyfriend Johnny Bishop from Gross Pointe. Johnny played Billy, a human teenager who falls in love with an alien girl named Kestra in a town where Humans and aliens were at war with one another. Jo took on the role as Kestra and the movie was filmed in Valencia, California. It took make-up artists a lot of hours to transform Jo from a normal girl to a vulerable alien girl.
After filming wrapped, Jo was offered to do another TV movie about two high school sweethearts who's lives dramatically change due to an unplanned pregnancy. It was called One Time. After seeing her sister Alex's performance in two high-profile TV movies as a teenager who fell in love with her stepbrother and a teenager with a bad relationship with her mother, Jo decided to give One Time a chance, but filming took place in Seattle, Washington. At the time she flew to Seattle to shoot the movie, Jo had moved to the Palmwood Apartments in Hollywood where her sister, Alex was living while working 16 hours on Summer Cove. The two sisters lived together in the same apartment where Hollywood actors and actresses lived while either working on TV shows or auditioning. Jo stayed with Alex while they worked on their successful TV shows and were offered a chance to play sisters on-screen in a TV movie, Two Teens and a Baby. Alex and Jo played teen sisters Erica and Michelle Cooper, who's lives change dramatically when their parents announce they were expecting a baby boy. Filming began around their schedules of both Summer Cove and The Reluctant Stepmother. They were shooting the movie in San Clemente. During filming, Jo received a phone call from her co-star Melina Diaz, a.k.a. Gabriella Sanchez-Martin with shocking news. WTV has decided to cancel The Reluctant Stepmother. Jo was devastated by the sudden cancelation of her hit series, she had joined her sister as a Teen Sweetheart and was on cover after cover after cover of every teen magazine in the world, including the cover of Prom magazine. She told Alex about the shocking phone call. Alex knew how heartbroken her sister was. Jo's biggest worry was that her acting career was over and that no one wanted to work with a teen actress from a cancelled hit show. But Jo didn't time to mourn, she continued shooting Two Teen and a Baby with Alex. After filming wrapped, Jo returned to the show for its final season. Viewers saw Heather Martin graduate high school and get accepted to fashion college. In the series finale, The Martin's sell their house and move away, while Heather moved to L.A. to attend fashion college. With The Reluctant Stepmother's cancellation after six seasons, Jo stayed at the Palmwood Apartments and continued with TV movies and still made guest appearances on TV.
Her next TV movie was much darker and more adult rated than the other TV movies she had done. It was called Stalked by Danger and it was filmed in Vancouver. In the movie, Jo played Dr. Danielle Ross, a new doctor who's relationship with a popular doctor turns abusive and he stalks her. The one scene that freaks Jo out was the birth scene. Her character, Danielle was taken to the barn by her evil ex-boyfriend where she gives birth to a baby.
One year after The Reluctant Stepmother's cancellation, Jo audition to the Los Angeles Academy of Dramatic Arts or LAADA to most people, and was accepted. Jo moved out of the Palmwood apartments and into another apartment complex to attend LAADA. She still did TV guest appearances while studying more of her craft.
After being in hair and make-up, Jo was ready to

Chapter 3

Lizzie Morgan pressed the "PLAY" button on the remote control, to watch a recorded episode of Intimate Portrait, a TV series about the female celebrities in Hollywood. The episode was about her mother, Freddie. The episode was entitled Intimate Portrait: Fredrica Morgan. Lizzie remembered the episode. She even remembered the series coming to her mother's modest house in Los Feliz to due the episode. The producers of the series, interviewed her and her four daughters on Freddie's life and career.
As the episode played, Lizzie listened to what the narrator was saying about her own mother.
She was soap opera's most memorable matriarch of a troubled family.
"IF YOU MESS WITH MY FAMILY, I'LL HAVE TO DEAL WITH ME. AND I DON'T LIKE ANYONE MESSING WITH MY FAMILY."
In real-life, Fredrica Morgan is the matriarch of Hollywood's famous, yet sheltered family.
ALEX: She would always tell us, to survive in this industry, you have to have tough skin. Because, no one like a crybaby.
Before she was the mother hen on and off screen, Fredrica endored a tough childhood.
Freddie: My father abandoned me and my mother when I was a little girl and my stepfather told me that.... I would never make it as an actress.
She had leave her small hometown to follow her passion.
Jo: My mom is a gutsy woman, who is more than willing to take a chance. No matter how scary it was.
Then, she finds her own happiness with the future Prince Charming of Hollywood.
Catherine Sorenson: They were the IT couple of entertainment and did their best to keep it that way.
In the years after she made it in Hollywood, she saw her four children following the same path.
Freddie: My kids... They're just as talented, as they can be. What can I say, it runs in the family.
This is Fredrica Morgan, an Intimate Portrait.
"Wow!" Lizzie exclaimed. She was sipping a can of Pepsi as she continued to watch the video. Christy, her younger sister, entered the living room of their mother's house.
"Are you still watching that video again?" Christy asked, annoyed. Lizzie had watched the episode six times, enough to bug Christy.
"I like this episode!" Lizzie protested.
"I still can't believe Catherine Sorenson moved to the Hollywood Hills," said Christy.
Catherine Sorenson was the beautiful young wife of Hollywood film producer Daniel Lane and lived in a beautiful, lavish mansion in Beverly Hills. They had four children together, daughters; Cassidy, Camille, and Caylie and son Daniel Jr.
Before she lived the glamourous life in Beverly Hills as a wife and mother, Catherine and Freddie Morgan were college friends and were majors in Theatre. But Catherine left college after meeting Daniel Lane, while Freddie graduated and pursued a career in entertainment.
But after a ten-year marriage and four kids, Daniel and Catherine split and Catherine went on to marry John Sorenson, from the TV series, Due North. Daniel's death from a heart attack left his family devastated, what was worse, was that manager Clive Darwin, was commiting fraud. Although he was arrested, his actions left his clients broke, including Catherine and her family.
Catherine trusted the man like he was family. But he was a scheming traitor.
In the aftermath, she had to sell her lavish mansion in Beverly Hills to a famous Hollywood producer and his wife and their two sons. She had enough money to move next door to the Morgan family.
Catherine's children from her marriage to Daniel, went from attending the biggest private schools in California to attending normal schools, where famous celebrities attended. Their neighbors, the Morgan family, they each attended Hollywood Magnet High School of the Performing Arts. While, the Lane sisters dealt with normal school life, two of the oldest Morgan sister, Alex and Jo pursued acting in their teens. Now Cassidy, Camille, and Caylie saw their neighbors on TV. Alex being girl-next-door, Meadow McAllister on the teen drama, Summer Cove and Jo being the feisty teen Heather Martin bonding with her latina stepmother on the family sitcom, The Reluctant Stepmother.
As the Lane sisters struggled to adjust to life in Los Feliz, Catherine used Daniel's life insurance and opened a high-end clothing boutique, Catherine's Closet. To her surprise, it was a go-to place for stylists to purchase beautiful gowns and dresses for their celebrity clients. Catherine decided to enjoy life in Los Feliz, away from the glitz and glamour of Beverly Hills, and giving her children a more simple, privlige life. During that time, she befriended her neighbor, Freddie Morgan, who shared her ordeal on losing a husband and going through widowhood. And she also knew what was like being a mother to daughters. Catherine had three girls, while Freddie, the biggest soap opera star in Hollywood, had four girls. No sons, just four hyperactive young women with a talent of performing.
Catherine was always a fan of Our Secret Lives, the soap opera Freddie starred in as the glamorous matriarch Esther Diamond.
As Lizzie and Christy continued the video, they found out that Catherine was the narrator of the episode featuring their mother.
"Catherine narrated her Intimate Portrait?" Christy asked.
"Looks like it," Lizzie replied.
The episode saw actresses Megan Morrison-West and Erin Kingston talk about working with Freddie and describing their time on Our Secret Lives playing their either daughter-in-law or granddaughter or something.
Christy had enough of watching Intimate Portrait and went to