Barbara Scott - Fairytale Princess
copyright 2011 Faeriemage
For Donnie, life was about to end. For Dawn life hadn't yet begun.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: After a much too long delay, I bring you chapter 4 of Fairytale Princess. In case you don't want to re-read chapter 3, it ended with Dawn getting the first spot on The Real Prince Charming. She was told that she would be back in two months time to begin shooting.

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The smile on my face wouldn't go away.

"Ilene! I got the part! I'm in."

My joy translated itself into my every movement, into my voice, and for a moment I even forgot that I wasn't even half dressed. Ilene came out from the back room and gave me a hug.

When I say hug, I mean she ran up to me and enveloped me in her arms.

"Let's celebrate!"

Ilene and I looked at Karl and just smile. I think a little giggle might have escaped my lips, but the rest of that evening is a bit of a blur.

Oh, before I forget again, something happened almost three months before this point. I know, it all seems so convoluted here sometimes, but that is the nature of my brain. I will be running along at full tilt, and suddenly realize that I forgot to put on my shoes.

Well, the analogy worked properly for me.

About a month after Dr. Garza came to see me, and checked my skin, and took samples, he came back to do another test.

"So, Dearest Dawn. How has your skin been holding up under your mishandling, hmm?'

"It is fine. No irritation from either the Permanence or the LHR."

"Good. Now, Let's get a look at you."

He checked my chest out completely, and for a moment, I found myself wishing, for some reason, that I could show him my real self. It wasn't that I was attracted to Dr. Garza, but he was a man, and I loved the effect that my body seemed to be having on Karl and I wanted to share the wealth.

This was the week after Karl had perfected the girdle.

"Well, nothing seems to be…"

"Doctor…you're going to have to check…um…"

"Spit it out, girl, nothing I haven't dealt with in the past, I'm sure."

"My genitals."

"Oh, I see. And you're uncomfortable with me being forced to see you as a man, is that it Dawn?"

I nodded, with a tear in my eye.

"How about this? If you let me take a quick look at this costume of yours from top to bottom, I'll wait in the back room while Karl puts you back together and then you can show me the real you."

My mouth dropped open.

"Dawn, my daughter went through something very much like what you're going through. Not exactly, I'm sure, since she was a bit broader in the shoulder than you, and over six five. She towers over her husband when she insists on wearing heels."

He got a distracted smile on his face. After a moment or two he shook his head and look directly at me.

"So, let's get to that examination, shall we?"

It was over almost as quickly s he said it, and then he went into the back to talk to Ilene while Karl put me back together.

"Dawn, could you please stop squirming."

"I'm sorry, I just can't help it."

"You never get this way with the prospect of me seeing you."

"That's because you created me. Well, in a sense. You know what I mean. You're like my father. Or maybe just an attentive older brother. He is not related to me, in this scene, at all. It get to play the 'ne' role for a stranger for the first time."

"Well, he'll get bored and leave if I can't get this on properly. I've had kids who didn't squirm as much as you."

I had to laugh at that. Karl was the lead makeup artist on "Zombids" I know, it's a horrible name. The tagline will help you understand a little better: When your children are zombies, no one is safe.

I wasn't actually part of the production, but Karl called me in because I could keep kids distracted with some of my really bad acting impersonations. Well, some of them apparently weren't bad, but the disconnect between a man pretending to be Grace Kelly or Marilynn Monroe or Kathryn Zeta Jones seemed to be too much for most people.

I usually only did my impressions for my friends.

"Ms. Leary? Can you do one of Angelina Jolie?"

The question shocked me so completely that my brain shut down for a moment. Karl had to break me out of my revere. "Ms. Leary. You had a request."

The kids weren't laughing at me, and in fact they thought I was a girl. This was before I ever got my role in Transsexual.

Now that I think about it, Karl was the one who convinced me to try out for Transsexual. At some point I really have to repay him for all of the things he's done for me over the years.

Regardless, I spend three hours doing impersonations of actresses to the rapt attention of thirteen kids. They weren't laughing at me, but all just smiled as I did my shtick.

Karl had me back in every morning. I got used to being called Ms Leary, and even felt a twinge of sadness when the movie finished. I said goodbye to my young friends.

It also started one of the more epic arguments I'd ever had with Aimee. I suggested that we have a kid. She didn't want anything to do with children. They would ruin her figure. She loved appearing nude on the screen, and wanted to keep that going for as long as possible. A child would not only ruin that for 9 months, but likely cause her breasts to prematurely sag.

In her words.

Anyway, this tangent has gone on long enough. I settled down a little, enough that Karl got the appliances on, and I put on a silk dressing gown. It was a pale green in silk, and it pissed me off no end when one of the other girls stole it. Well, that came after the show started.

It was translucent and left very little to the imagination. It was modest in only the broadest sense of the word.

"So, what do you think, Dr. Garza?"

"If I hadn't just been in here and seen you, well, I'd think this was some sort of trick. That mole there isn't makeup, is it? You're not Dawn's sister or anything?"

I smiled at him, demurely, and shook my head. Hey, I'm an ACTOR remember. I don't have to be demure to play it.

"Then I need to get back to my wife. It would be a shame for me to ruin what obviously took some work to perfect."

For the first time my eyes drifted down and I realized that I'd had a profound effect upon him. I walked slowly over to him, letting my hips sway a bit, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"You're too kind, Dr. Garza," I said and fluttered my lashes a bit at him.

He cleared his throat and made a hasty retreat at that point.

Ilene let out a hearty laugh as soon as the outer door slammed shut, and Karl just looked at me.

"You can be very bad when you want to be, Dawn," he said.

"Oh hush, Karl. He enjoyed that as much as I did."

"He looked embarrassed."

"Honey, he was flushed, not embarrassed. He was showing visible wood to two ladies he could not touch. That man is a swinger, or didn't you remember."

It was Karl's turn to flush, and then he and Ilene disappeared for about an hour.

I was fine with that. I was more than fine. Happy for them is the best way to describe how I felt, and a little sad that I couldn't share this with Aimee. She would have loved my new breasts.

Back to the partying.

The next morning, Karl pushed me off the sofa. "You have a phone call."

How could he be so chipper. From what I remember of the evening he was drinking two shots for every one that Ilene or I drank. My head pounded and all I wanted to do was sleep until November.

"The studio is on the line for you."

Crap. We'd set up a private line for Barbara, and I was the only one who was supposed to answer it.

"You didn't…"

"I did, and said it was your phone. Told them I was your brother."

"You're the best."

He handed me the phone and I did my best to sound awake.

"Hello?"

"You didn't party too hard, did you?"

"Sasha?"

"Sean, please."

"Sorry, I am somewhat out of it. My brother said you were the studio."

"They pulled us all in here two days ago. This is the first phone call I've been allowed to make. Each of the other sixteen guys are each making a call as well. I just lucked out to get you, Dawn."

"That's so sweet, Sasha…I mean Sean."

"Well, you're not going to think me sweet in a moment. You have only thirty minutes to get ready and out to the car that's already waiting for you. This is the first contest of The Real Prince Charming."

"Then, I'd better get going."

I hung up and jumped into lurching action.

"Karl, we've got thirty minutes to get my clothing together and get me home."

"Huh?"

"They start filming today, and apparently the girls have to do contests as well."

"Then let's get to it. Ilene!"

We'd already considered what I would be taking when everything started up, and even had my two, modest, bags packed. Well, let me be honest. I had three bags. To easily carried ones with my everyday clothing, toiletries, and six swim suits. One not so easy, closet sized garment bag for my dresses. I have no idea how we got twelve dresses in there, flat, no wrinkles, but we did.

Karl grabbed a small bottle of what looked like nail polish and tossed it in with my makeup. "That is a bottle of Permanence. Says so right on it. Since no one will yet know what Permanence is, it should be fine."

I kissed him on the cheek, and then we were off to make the ride over to my house. We parked in the back lot, I hurried through my apartment to the front, and right out the door into the waiting lights of the camera.

I smiled the best smile I knew how, "Sorry. I just found out last night that I would be on the show, and so my brother and his wife came over to celebrate. I think we had a little too much celebrating last night."

"That's quite alright, Ms. Leary," Sean said.

"No heels today, Sean, so I guess I won't be needing your manly arm to get me down the stairs."

"Well, it's here for you if you want it."

I did, and I took it. I really liked this guy. I couldn't even begin to explain it, but he made me feel completely Feminine. Yes, with a capital F.

He took all of my bags as if they were nothing in his right arm, and I got the joy of his left. I leaned my head on his shoulder and we walked out to the car. I didn't know how it would work into the rest of the competition, but I wanted to spend as much time with Sean as I could.

He helped me into the car, and joined me after putting my bags into the trunk.

"So, Barb, are you ready for this little adventure?"

"Surprised they are starting it this soon, but more than ready."

I couldn't help it, I beamed a smile at him. He got a glazed look in his eye, and then went in for a kiss. I froze. No, this can't be happening. I like him, but…

"Sasha."

He jerked back. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

"No, I'm flattered. Really. I just don't know you."

"Well, I hope to change that, then."

I moderated my smile into a grin. Apparently, I’d have to learn how to control the strength of my smile if it did these sorts of things to the male mind.

And biting my lip would be an extreme no no.

We talked during the ride, which made it enjoyable even if my nerves were trying to get the better of me.

We pulled up at the mansion, and I was struck completely dumb. I'm still embarrassed by the footage of that shot. I look so simple minded.

"Whose house is this?"

"It's the house of the Real Prince Charming for the duration."

"You mean I get to live here?"

He nodded at me.

I squealed, gave him a hug, and ran up to the house…only to find eight of the sixteen already there.
"Welcome, Barbara. With a time of fifteen minutes and four seconds, you are in first place so far."

I looked a question at the man standing in the doorway.

"Most of these women are from Beverly Hills, and so much closer than you were. That is why we were only timing the amount of time it took to get out the door. You've beaten your closest competitor by ten minutes."

I smiled and said, "Thank you. I'm not sure if I deserve the honor, though. I've been so excited about being on the show that I have been packing, and repacking, my bags for the past four months. I was on autopilot this morning."

"Nothing to be ashamed of, Barb. If any of these ladies had taken your example, then they would have had the same opportunity."

Great, from the glares it would seem I'd already made some enemies. I went and stood next to the last girl in line, who had not glared at me.

"Don't let them get to you. My name's Sophie by the way."

"Well, I'm Barb, as you already know."

"Nice to meet you…Barb."

She was checking me out! I gave her a half smile. "So, do the producers know that you're on the other team?" I said quietly.

"What?"

"Honey, I'm bisexual. I caught how you were checking me out. I've seen a lover or two do the same thing."

She blushed bright red, and shook her head. "I've never even told my parents. My girlfriend is pissed at me…I should call her my ex-girlfriend. She left me."

I put my arm around her shoulders as she sobbed a bit.

"Is there something wrong, ladies?"

"Sophie is hormonal." I said bluntly. A couple of the other girls giggled, and Sophie elbowed me in the ribs, but smiled.

"That was a little blunt, Barb."

"I know this isn't going out live, since you can't afford to do that with a reality show. Either you'll edit it out, or you'll use it to create a character for me that the audience can accept. Either way, I'm not going to beat around the bush to convey knowledge that either you should already know, or will need to know."

The man was dumbfounded. I smiled at him. A really bright full smile. Then I licked my lip and said, "That's alright?"

He shook his head and laughed.

"I think it's going to be a joy to work with you, Ms. Scott. Or should I say Ms. Leary?"

My jaw dropped open.

"We only found out last night. Or I should say I only found out last night."

"You're the producer."

"Yes, I paid for the show and wanted to the be host. They let me. Last night, when you walked in, I was completely shocked. I knew I'd not seen your name on the list, and so I had to figure out what was going on. Joyce told me you were contemplating suicide when you called us?"

"My spouse had just died. I was a wreck and unable to go on alone. I saw the add and sort of thought of it as a last hurrah. I can leave."

I thought I would be able to do this, but I broke down and began to cry.

Sophie and a couple of the other girls gathered around me and held me.

"Actually, being an actress doesn't disqualify you, although if you'd told us you were Dawn Leary I would have snatched you up for a real role. We'll need you to resign your paperwork with your real information, though."

I giggled at this.

"Ok, now stand up so I can give your introduction for the camera."

I got out a small mirror and touched up my makeup quickly, and then stood up at the end of the line.

"Welcome, Dawn. Some people in the audience may recognize her from her starring role in 'Love's Sunset.' She's a Texas native who has lived much of her live in California."

The rest of the morning went like that. Girls arriving, some out of breath, and being given their time. Nothing like the drama that the final show gave you. It was edited to taters. Worked for me, though. They decided to completely cut out my breakdown.

Then, finally, the last girl arrived.

"I'm sorry, Melinda, but even your time of sixteen minutes even is not enough. Dawn, you have won this first challenge. Let me explain the rules for you. The Ladies challenges decide the order in which you will be selecting the men. You will be in a private booth, and will get a bank of televisions that will display the men as they compete against each other in tests designed to see who is the Real Prince Charming.

"Their scores will be tallied, but you won't be told was they are until after every girl has chosen one of the men. The man with the lowest score and the woman who picked him will go home. You may not pick a man who another woman has already picked, unless otherwise stated. In addition, you can't pick the same man two challenges in a row, so if you can't pick the best man, pick the second best."

There was general giggling and laughter at this.

"After the elimination, the remaining couples will go on romantic dates planned by the man. It will give you a personal view of his personality, and possibly help you judge him better during the next competition."

"Well, that's a nice turn about," said one of the other women. I think her name was Angela. "We get to pick the guys."

"If you'll come this way, we'll get you situated in the judges room."

They could have called it a theater. There were sixteen plush seats arranged around a room draped in velvet and satin. The televisions in the front were showing different scenes around the house, as well as each of the sixteen men.

All of you have likely seen what the men went through in that first challenge, so I'll give you a brief synopsis.

The competition was to choose the perfect bouquet of flowers for a girl who was a friend, with a hint of romance.

Most of the men went with white roses and one or two red. Somebody should have told them that Pink means friendship, not white. And red is love, not passion.

So, they were, in essence telling the girl that they thought her virginal, and were in love with her.

Yeah, I was as clueless as you before everything was explained.

They never showed the argument about Sean on the air.

"Excuse me, I want to make the perfect bouquet for a girl I know."

"Of course, sir. What did you have in mind."

"We've been friends for a while, and I want to let her know that there could be something more to my feelings."

"That you love her?'

"Well, I think she's smoking hot, but I don't know if my feelings go beyond wanting her and enjoying her friendship."

"Well, a truthful man. I like it. Let's go with pink carnations and roses with an amaryllis or two surrounding a single passion flower."

That is what was shown on TV. I thought it was the most beautiful arrangement I'd ever seen. And I said so.

"But he cheated by asking the florist what to get."

"Come on, Angela. You can't tell me that was cheating. They were never told they couldn't ask for help," Sophie replied.

"If you spent more time looking at the men, than at the women."

Sophie slapped her for this. I decided to join in. "so are any of you saying that you wouldn't have appreciated Sean's bouquet more than most of the other guy's"

"It looks like he put more thought into his," said Melinda

"And you're saying that the thought doesn't count?"

Angela was getting angry now, "but he didn't put any thought into it."

"He thought enough to ask how to put together the best bouquet. That's all that matters, Angela." I was getting angry.

"Come on, girls. If Dawn likes what she sees in Sean, then she picks him. You don't have to agree about his actions as were only judging who we think is the best."

Willow was a gem. She tended to act that way toward the rest of us. It's no wonder that we started calling her 'mom'.

Sure, it wasn't a long fight, but it would form the rest of the interaction between Angela and I. I think she resented the fact that I was an actor.

I resented the fact that she commented on every guys butt.

"I'd love to get my hands on that rump roast."

"His buns would look great in my bed."

"Have you ever seen someone who looked that good in a tight pair of jeans?"

"Angela, I know you’re playing to the cameras, which may or may not be here, but could you be a little more circumspect?"

"Sorry that we stepped on the toes of the famous Ms. Dawn Leary."

I copied her exact movements, and tone, "Sorry that we stepped on the toes of the famous Ms. Angela Darren."

"That's not funny!"

"That's so funny!"

Everyone was laughing at her, and I did my best not to even crack a smile, especially since I was trying to keep the same expression of anger on my face that was on hers.

"Oh, do me, next," Sophie said with a smile.

"You'd enjoy that, wouldn't you," I said with a smoldering look.

Everyone else laughed, even, Angela, but I could tell that this wasn’t over.

At the elimination ceremony later, I picked Sean and someone I never really got to know was eliminated. Her name was Deborah. We hugged and she left. So did the guy she picked. A hulking brute of a man who'd actually composed a bouquet of nothing but red roses.

"What do you have planned for us," I asked with a small smile for Sean.

"You'll just have to wait and see tomorrow," he said back.

We all went to our separate rooms. For the first time, today, I was afraid. I'd made it through the entire day without anyone twigging to the fact that I wasn't a genetic female, but here was the moment of truth. They would be seeing my entire body, well in underwear since I wasn't stripping completely for them, and I would be seeing them.

They were all chattering and getting undressed, a couple of them glancing in Sophie's direction, and I just sat there. I wanted to get changed, but it terrified me.

"Look, the little actress is afraid to get naked in front of us. What with the swim suit you were almost wearing and the way Mark was gushing all over you. You must have been a porn star," Angela said.

"Angela, you are a complete bitch," came a voice from behind me. I turned, and for the first time noticed the girl in the red dress who'd been at that first cattle call.

"Hi, I was there before you this morning, so you might not have caught my name. I'm Sarah. And you're Dawn Leary. I saw your film at Cannes. I thought you should have won the SAGs award as well. Frieda can only look pretty and be herself on screen. People keep writing movies for her, though, so what can you expect."

Frieda Cummings was a former porn star turned dramatic actress. Her past sort of kept her out of real movies, so she went from one indie production to the next. I had to disagree with Sarah about her talents, but I always thought everyone else was better than me.

"Angela, this woman has only ever been in one movie, and I'd know. She is probably embarrassed to show skin when not in a bathing suit. You saw how uncomfortable she was standing around in that piece of floss. If she wasn't the actress she is, I doubt she'd have made it in."

I was confused, and I'm sure that I looked it.

"I'm Sarah Parson. I'm a film critic."

The bottom dropped out of my stomach and I felt the blood drain from my face.

Sarah laughed, "Oh don't be like that. I didn't twig to you until Mark let us know earlier. I have to say that you look better as a redhead. Course, that might have just been the one scene talking."

I giggled at this, and beamed a smile at her.

"It's not that. It's just that this will be the first time I've ever really undressed in front of anyone. I mean in public. On set, when you get undressed or changed, or are getting body makeup, everyone is professional. You don't expect to be ogled and measured."

"Sophie, I think she wants you to leave the room."

"Shut up, Angela. Give Sophie a break. Just cause she likes your body more than you do." I slammed my mouth shut as soon as the words left my mouth. Angela's eyes grew wide, and two spots of color appeared on her cheeks.

"How dare you…"

"I may never have been in anything you've heard of, but I've been in the industry for long enough to see the signs. Bulimia leaves its mark on the body, and not necessarily in the good way."

Her mouth dropped open.

"See, right there, your teeth show signs of wear that even your bleach job didn't cover. There are tooth marks on your left middle finger, so I assume you're left handed. Your breath freshener is too sweet to cover up the smell of bile. Need I go on?"

"How dare you!"

"You need some help, honey, and I don't think anyone here would be doing you favors by telling you differently."

"You bitch." She stormed out of the room, and a couple of the other girls, including Sarah, followed her. The tears were already forming in her eyes before she left.

"That was cold, Dawn."

"Sorry, but not telling her the truth could easily lead her to a bad end."

After that, my fear was gone. I got undressed and put on my dressing gown. I got a few oohs and ahhs over it. It was the fancies that anyone had. I felt my underwear clashed with it, so I went naked underneath. They post processed a slight blurring when they showed it on TV. You could clearly see my nipples underneath it.

After I did that. A lot of the other girls relaxed a lot. It seems they were a bit worried about Sophie being there. When I was the last to get undressed, and I went that far, I think they decided that there wasn't much to worry about.

"Hey, Sophie. How do I look?"

Linda was in a very pretty lace bra and panty set, and a couple of the other girls gasped.

"Linda, I appreciate the offer, and like how they look on you, but I'm not looking for a relationship on the show."

Linda pouted prettily, and then smiled. "Thanks. I was so worried when I overheard you were a lesbian. I guess my preconceptions were wrong."

"What preconceptions?"

"Well, that you would try to force yourself on us and turn is lesbian."

"Would you expect a guy to try to rape you if he were here?"

Linda was dumbfounded. I spoke up, "Sophie, she didn't think about it that way. It never occurred to think of you like a guy."

Linda began to get a faraway look and then a small smile on her face.

"I think I need to go take a long bath," she said with a slightly breathy voice.

Sophie's legs went out from under her and she had the same faraway look. And then she refocused on Linda's behind with a smile.

"Sophie, I originally took the single room, but if you'd like to switch with me…?"

She just nodded.

"I'll move my stuff later and let you get acquainted with it now."

Sophie is a screamer. So is Linda for that matter. When they rejoined us awhile later, they both looked a bit sheepish and we got some good laughs at their expense.

And that was my first day in the mansion. I made sure to properly hydrate before going to bed, hoping that my headache would be completely gone before tomorrow.