Auto/Biography (Team Schmoop) (original) (raw)

Title: A David Sinclair Biography by A & E

Genre: Auto/Biography

Rating/Category: K+ or PG/ Gen

Characters: David Sinclair, Liz Warner, Amita Ramanujan-Sinclair, Nikki Betancourt, Colby Granger (under an assumed name), plus appearances by Terry Lake, Ian Edgerton, Billy Cooper, RayRay Galuski and mentions of too many others to list here comfortably.
Word Count: 3,087

A/N: My first biography story was disqualified because it was not AU/AR. Here's my second try.

A/N 2:
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Liz Warner of A & E’s show, Biography, stood patiently as her makeup woman, Terry Lake, fussed with the finishing touches. It wouldn’t do to look all flustered at an event as important as the San Diego Comic Book Convention. Liz hoped that she could keep her professional demeanor intact when her hero arrived.

No sooner had Terry finished than a long, black limo pulled up in front of the San Diego Convention Center. Liz took a deep breath to steady herself, but let out an inward SQUEE when she realized that David Sinclair… THE David Sinclair, author of the wildly popular “Nick and Cheryl Fall” mystery book and television series… had just arrived at San Diego Comic Con.

She did a quick check to make sure her crew was ready. Not that she doubted that cameraman Ian “Dead-eye” Edgerton or soundman Billy “Coop” Cooper would be taken flat-footed. She was, however, worried that her engineer Ray Galuski would leave his post and try to get an autograph before she was finished with her interview.

RayRay just gave her a thumbs up and a smirk from the back of the van. Liz took a deep breath and headed for the limo. She arrived just as the uniform chauffeur opened the door and the oh-so-obvious bodyguard assisted the oh-so-lovely Mrs. Sinclair out of the car.

The bodyguard spotted the oncoming camera crew first, which made sense. The blond took a few steps towards them and Liz was thrilled to realize that she was looking at the model for one of Sinclair’s early comic books… Colby Granger, Undercover Ranger.

Amita Ramanujan-Sinclair looked around when Bruno Dylan moved away from her. She was dressed in the scarlet and gold sari made famous by her online animated series, “Bailey the Cybergrrl.” She looked quite good in the sari, too. Then Liz heard a muted squee in her earpiece. She’d have been annoyed at RayRay if she hadn’t been so close to squee-ing herself.

David Sinclair was dressed in the casual tweed outfit that was the signature of his character, Nick Fall. He also spotted the camera crew and flashed them his winning smile. “Ms. Liz Warner, isn’t it?” he asked in his deep, mellow voice.

Liz felt like she was blushing. “That’s me, I take it my people contacted your agent and you’re ready for this interview?”

Sinclair nodded. “And even if Millie hadn’t informed me that you’d be waiting, I’d have recognized you,” he said. “I love ‘Biography,’ especially the piece you did on my foster parents.”

Liz was sure she was blushing now. “Well, I can hardly snub the Dr. Alan and Dr. Margaret Eppes, especially after their advances in nano-surgery have saved so many cancer patients. But we’re here to talk about you, not your family.”

“Talking about my biography will involve my family sooner or later,” David pointed out genially.

Ian and Coop were in position. Terry did a final check on Liz’s make-up, and then bustled over to make sure that Amita and David were ready as well.

The camera started rolling and Liz introduced her guest, mentioning Sinclair’s foster parents and congratulating Amita Ramanujan-Sinclair on her latest business success.

“Amita, I understand that your social network site, You-Twit-Face, went public with spectacular results,” Liz said.

Amita beamed. “It’s been so exciting! I never dreamed, when I first started my online cartoons, that it would blossom into such a big business.”

Sinclair laughed and Amita turned an inquiring look on him.

Sinclair gestured to the San Diego Convention Center. “I remember when Comic Con was a small affair that catered mostly to comic book fanatics,” he explained. “The first time I came, I took the train from Union Station and then walked all the way to Hotel San Diego and walked until my feet could take no more.” To Liz (and the camera) he added. “The floor of the convention rooms, if memory serves, was thin carpet over concrete. Not at all easy on the feet.”

Liz nodded. “The first time I came to Comic Con, it was at the convention center, but the center only half this size.” She looked down Harbor. “The underground parking garage cost four dollars for the day and I thought that was extremely expensive.”

David smiled and nodded. “That first time I came, I think I paid twenty dollars for the entire four days, plus pre-convention parties on Wednesday evening.”

Amita shook her head, marveling. “I remember one year when Comic Con shared the convention center with a quilting convention.”

“And you wanted to go to both,” David teased.

“And why not? Quilting is fun, and we still have the quilt I made that year,” Amita told him.

“Getting back to your first time here, Amita,” Liz said. “Did you come here before or after your online cartoon became famous?”

Amita grinned. “Oh, I was coming here long before the World Wide Web was common. In fact, Cybergrrl started out as a hand drawn comic book that my partner and I photocopied and distributed at conventions like this one.” She looked at the hoo-haw and traffic piled up at the entrance. “Well, smaller conventions. I don’t think that I could have afforded a table here nowadays.”

“You can afford to rent the whole convention center now,” Liz teased.

Amita laughed. “Well, maybe half of it,” she said.

“I expect you might be able to buy the other half after the “Bailey, the Cybergrrl” movie comes out next year.”

Amita beamed and nodded. “I’m living the geek dream,” she said.

“I’m surprised that you didn’t get the lead in that,” Liz said. “You look amazingly like the way your partner drew her.”

Amita shook her head. “I assure you, Marshall Penfield flattered me immensely. Santi is much better suited for the role, anyway, as she has martial arts training.”

“And you don’t?”

“Only in my dreams,” Amita assured her. “Or, I should say, in the dreams of my personal trainer, Megan Reeves.”

Liz laughed. “Oh, so that’s how the other half lives,” she said. “Getting the academy award winning stunt coordinator as your personal trainer?”

Amita didn’t have a chance to answer because they were interrupted by a snort from the driver.

Liz wheeled and pounced. “Ah, an editorial comment from the infamous Nikki Betancourt,” she said.

“Infamous?” Nikki asked incredulously. “I’m infamous now?”

Liz shrugged. “You went from being a famous Indy 500 racer to being a mere chauffer…” she said.

“MERE chauffer?” Nikki squawked. “I’ll have you know that I OWN this limo… and a fleet of her closest friends. And I’m not retired from the racing business, either; I’ll be back next season!”

Liz smirked at having finally gotten an answer to the burning question of whether Nikki Betancourt was ever going to race or not.

“I just love driving this thing,” Nikki continued. She ran her hand lovingly along the top of the car. “That’s why I came down here. Any excuse to take this baby out of the garage is a good one, far as I’m concerned.”

Liz smirked. “So, you’re not here to attend the convention?” she asked.

“Where would I park?” Nikki challenged her. “After I finish my drop off, I’m going to Sea World. They have limo parking.”

“I see,” Liz replied, and then she winced a little at the unintended pun. “So, you didn’t charge David and Amita for the ride?”

“Hell, no,” Nikki said. “I love these two.” She smirked at David and Amita and ran her hand through her thick, curly mane.

“I understand that David’s first comic book series, ‘The Adventures of Virginia Dare” was based on your exploits.”

Nikki nodded.

“Yes and no,” David interjected.

Nikki and Liz turned to him inquiringly.

“My first series was actually ‘Colby Granger, Undercover Ranger,’” David corrected.

“Yes, I’ve been seeing reprints of those,” Liz said. “Does that mean that you’re going to continue the series?”

“Yeah, man,” Bruno the bodyguard said. “I’m sick and tired of being tortured by Dwayne and his demented talking car. When are you going to finish that story line?”

“I hate that storyline,” Nikki interrupted.

“Why, because the bad guy is based on your husband?” Liz asked.

“No, because the talking car should be a GOOD guy,” sulked Nikki, causing everybody to laugh.

“Hmph,” said Nikki in mock indignation. “Well, if you got everything from the limo, I’d better be on my way. Can’t miss Shamu’s show!”

David and Bruno grabbed backpacks from the limo, then the group moved away to allow Nikki room to maneuver. She was able to get her car back onto the street because the area was already blocked off so the A & E crew could get their interview.

Liz turned back. “Anyway, back to Bruno’s question, are you going to finish that long-ago story?”

David hesitated. “Well, I won’t actually have time to write it,” he said. “I’m handing the reins over to a promising new comer, Bill Waldie. You may have seen his educational comic book series, Bill Nye the Science Guy?”

Liz nodded.

“I think he’ll do great and…”

“He’ll rescue me, I mean, Colby Granger,” Bruno said. He grinned and put on his dark glasses. In a bad Russian accent he added, “I know where he lives. He better be saving my hide!”

That provoked more laughter from the group.

Liz turned to David, who promptly feigned hiding behind his wife. “Ha, you’re too tall to cower behind me,” Amita said.

“I can try,” David replied.

“Too late,” Liz said. “I’ve questioned everybody else, now it’s your turn. Your biggest hit, as everybody knows, is the ‘Nick and Cheryl Fall’ Mystery series. It’s been a ratings giant for years and rumor has it that it will be made into a…” Liz made quote marks in the air. “… Major Motion Picture.”

David smiled and ran his hand over his head in apparent embarrassment. “They’re always ‘major’ motion pictures, aren’t they?”

Liz shrugged. “And why not?” she said. “What made you decide to go with a private eye series set in the forties?”

David smiled. “I love the old Thin Man movies,” he said. “And the Mr. and Mrs. North books. There’s also some influence from an eighties TV show, Hart to Hart here.”

“And what attracted you to that?” Liz pressed.

“I think there are enough police procedurals on the air,” David said. “Much as I love them, I wanted something different. Both the forties setting and private eye genre offers a different perspective on crime fighting, one that’s more personal and less constrained by…”

“… Reality?” Amita tossed in.

David stuck his tongue out at her. “By the restrictions that modern day police have on them,” he said. “Also, the private eye genre allows for a husband and wife team, which is something you can’t, and shouldn’t, see in a more realistic police procedural.”

“Isn’t a married couple death to a series?” Liz asked.

David shook his head. “See, that’s exactly the kind of impression I’m trying to change,” he said. “There are lots of good series that have married couples, the ones I mentioned, um, MacMillan and Wife… note that the Ghost Whisperer died shortly after they killed off the husband.”

“MacMillan and Wife didn’t last long after they killed off the wife,” Amita noted.

David nodded. “There can be great romance and sexual tension between a married couple.”

Amita smirked.

Liz refused to touch that one.

“Well, I can’t argue with success,” Liz said. “What can you tell me about the movie?”

“Not much,” David admitted. “It’s all still up in the air.” He nodded to the convention center. “I’ll be giving more details at my panel tomorrow.”

“You’re not here for a panel today?” Liz asked.

“Nope, here today to do some shopping,” David said. He held up a backpack. “This puppy is empty… for now.”

Bruno grinned and hefted his bag. “Also empty,” he said. “I intend to track down Karen Fisher and get me some personalized art.”

“Great, then, I’ll be sure to attend the panel,” Liz said.

“I think it’s sold out,” David said apologetically.

“Never underestimate the power of a press pass,” Liz said. She pulled the tag from her neck and waved it. “But back to you, to what do you attribute your success?”

“To following my dream,” David said seriously. “It also helped to have support from the Eppes, from my wife,” he smiled at Amita, who smiled back. “Then there are my fans, who have supported me every step of the way. Kittner Publishing, which took a chance on printing my first book and of course, my wonderful sharp as a razor agent, Millie Finch.” He grinned. “Nobody should be without a Millie Finch to negotiate for them.”

Liz laughed. “I’ll be sure to look her up when my contract negotiations come up,” she said. “Now, can I get some info about the Nick and Cheryl series? You don’t write all the episodes, do you?”

David shook his head. “I wrote the pilot and half of the first season,” he said. “And I write three or four episodes per season. Unfortunately, I don’t have enough time to write every episode. I have a ton of ideas I’d like to see on screen or on the page.”

“Do you get a chance to watch?” Liz asked.

“I TiVo every episode,” David replied.

“But do you watch them?” Amita teased.

“You should know,” David said. “You’re the one in charge of the popcorn.”

Liz laughed, and then asked. “What did you think of the episode where the Falls’ sons, Joel the baseball player and Bernard the musician actually crack a case instead of just being the comic relief?”

“I thought it was great!” David enthused. “I can always depend on Ken Sanzel for powerful stories. I’ve wanted to use the Fall Brothers in a more dramatic way, but I just couldn’t come up with a good story.”

“What do your foster brothers think about being used as comic relief?” Liz asked.

“Don and Charlie think it’s hilarious,” David said. “They’re always suggesting situations to put their characters into. Many of which I’ve actually used.”

“What are they doing when they aren’t providing you with material?” Liz asked.

“Well, Don is no longer a professional baseball player, as you may know; he’s actually a rabbi now.”

Liz nodded to keep him talking.

“Charlie has temporarily left private practice, handed the reins over to his partners, Otto Bahnoff and Floyd Mayborne, and joined Doctors Without Borders. Both brothers are in Haiti right now.”

“Wow,” Liz said. “I should have known that the entire Eppes family had hero genes.”

David grinned. “I’ll pass that on to them,” he said.

“Just tell them to watch the episode,” Liz advised. “So, next burning question; will the Fall Brothers be in the Nick and Cheryl movie?” Liz asked.

David tilted his head in puzzlement. “Why wouldn’t they?” he asked.

“Rumor has it that you’re spinning them off into their own series,” Liz said. “And considering how heroic their real life counterparts are…”

David hesitated.

“Come on, you can tell me… and my audience,” Liz coaxed.

David took a deep breath. “Sorry, but the Comic Con audience has been promised an exclusive.”

Liz nodded. “I understand,” she said. “But keep in mind, this segment won’t air for another six weeks.”

David ran his hand over his head, again. He looked at Amita, who frowned for a few minutes, then smiled and nodded.

“Okay,” David said. “It’s not exactly a spinoff,” he informed Liz. “It’s more of a…”

“Rip-off?” Amita suggested.

David shot her a sideways look. “Funny, NOT.” To Liz he said. “Well, it’s more of a… well, I can’t rip myself off, but it’s similar to previous work. As I said, I like the Fall Brothers, but I can never figure out how to use them as anything other than comic relief. So, I’m doing a new series about brothers who fight crime. One of them is an FBI agent, the other is…”

Liz held up her hand. “Let me guess… a forensics expert? Maybe a medical examiner?”

David shook his head. “A mathematician.”

There was a long period of silence that would have to be edited out.

“A mathematician?” Liz squeaked.

David nodded. “There are several mathematical models that are very helpful in solving crimes, such as geographical profiling.”

“What’s that?” Liz asked.

David grinned. “For that, you’ll have to come to the panel, Ms. Warner. I’ll say no more now.” He paused. “I take that back, I’m hoping to get the same two actors who play Joel and Bernard to play Robbie and Davey.”

Liz felt dubious and that must have shown on her face.

David just laughed. “Well, CBS is willing to try them out on Friday nights at 10 PM, so we’ll see how well this crazy idea of mine works.”

Liz nodded. “I’ll be watching,” she promised. She checked her watch. “Well, I think we have enough to use for this segment. Do you have any last words for the viewers?”

“Yes,” David said. He turned to the camera and said sincerely, “Don't allow limitations imposed on YOU by others to determine your FATE. Your DESTINY is in YOUR hands. DO that which INSPIRES you. That which ignites a passion in your heart and mind! That wakes you in the morning and brings a smile of determination to your face. Follow your HEART. Pursue your PASSION. Live YOUR dream!”

Liz, Amita and Bruno applauded and Liz said. “Well, thank you so much for your time and thoughts. I hope you will have time to come in to the studio for a more in-depth interview.”

“Have your people call my people,” David said with a smile.

Liz laughed and signaled for her crew to stop recording. She shook hands all around. “Thank you so much,” she said. “I hope you have a great time and the convention!”

“Thanks for coming down,” David said. “I hope you get to have a little fun at the convention yourself!” He, his wife and his bodyguard moved off into the crowds who were entering the convention center.

Liz sighed when she saw RayRay intercept them to ask for autographs. She laughed when she realized that Ian was capturing the moment on video. She could add some narration later; something about how even the A & E crew was stricken with hero worship.

“So,” Coop asked. “What do you think of this mathematician aids the FBI thing?”

Liz shrugged. “I hope it works,” she said. “But on Friday nights? At ten? It will be a miracle if it lasts more than half a season.”