Welcome!

[Gabe Calway]

Title: The Best for Him
Chapter: 05
Cast: Gabe Calway and Tilly Anderson (Cameos from Leese and Sam)
Plot: Gabe tries to figure out what’s best for his son, this involves a confrontation with Tilly about the dinner from the day before. everyone thinks they know what’s best for Sam
Mood: Curt attitudes all around

The night before had been a little irritating. It seemed as though Sam was blowing off his responsibilities to be with this girl, Leese. While Gabe did appreciate the feelings that Sam was having for the girl, he couldn’t understand or see blowing off duties to see a girl that didn’t notice him or treat him as if he were even alive. Gabe was not aware that Leese had asked Sam if he wanted to do anything, it seemed to him as if the two of them were merely friends. So it seemed especially odd to him that his son would be having dinner with a family who so many times had taken advantage of the Calways.

Leese’s mother, Barbara had lost her husband to the war against the Human League. He was killed in battle along side Gabe, shot from the sky in a blaze of gunfire and smoke. He remembered it as if it were yesterday. Since that day however, Gabe couldn’t bring himself to further punish the family, instead he sought to be as distant from them as possible. He couldn’t let his personal feelings for Jason wrap themselves around what else the Anderson name had been attributed with.

Treason. Barbara and her daughter, Tillick and her sons, they were all part of a massive plot that may well have saved their respective lives, but it also condemned them among the ranks of the Corellian Armies. The family had been captured, and in return for the safety of the children the doctors were made to perform experiments on both Aliens and Corellians captured in battle. They were made to test drugs and perform surgeries that resulted in the needless deaths of countless people, all in the name of war.

When Corellia had been freed of the iron fist of the Human League, she fell into ruin. Riots, looting, disease, greed, poverty, shame, it all seized the once beautiful republic and pulled her screaming to the depths of the darkest pit. Any leader that dared step up to stop the spiral fell until Gabe Calway grabbed the reigns. He didn’t want to take it, having his son to raise by himself. He wanted to get the hell away from this place and start over somewhere, but when it came time for him to take control, he did. It took the better part of the six months, but things were brought under control and so began the sorting of faults for the crimes committed during the war time.

The Anderson family had been spared only because Gabe let his feeling for Jason come through. The family was granted its proper place back in the society from which they were stolen. While it wasn’t a decision that was 100% unanimous, Gabe had his reservations about the Anderson flock and their role in the events that happened those fateful and trying times. Jason was his friend. The second in his squad had up until that point been the shining star of the war. Gabe owed him a lot, and thus the Anderson family was granted amnesty. Gabe however, did not ever associate with them as he had before. The fact that his son was now associating with them in a manner that was not professional put him in a bad way of thought.

Sitting on the edge of his bed he thought about what his son was doing. He thought about how long Calways and Andersons had gone back. It wasn’t very long at all, but the families had history together. Looking at a few images in an old data disk he shook his head. The faces he saw were all ghosts to him. His brother and his brother’s children were all shining stars of the galaxy with the brightest of hopes and dreams. Kit had been the hope of the Calway name until he left Corellia to join the Rebellion. Connie had been a star attorney, a sharp mind one that was just and fair, and she was cut down in her prime by the Human League. Katie’s last known where abouts were Coruscant. Gabe presumed that she was either the next casualty, or she was already gone. His own brother was no longer among the living. It felt as if he and Sam were the only ones left.

Then he saw a picture of his ex-wife. She left him after nearly 20 years together over a family spat. The Sanprins had a way of chasing off people. It took 20 years to scare her off. Gabe missed her terribly. She would have known what to do about Sam. She would have been right there to calm Gabe’s fears and to help Sam understand these emotions like ‘love’. He missed her so much.

Then he saw a picture of himself and Jason leaning against an X-Wing, both holding their respective children in their arms. They looked young, like they had aspirations for greatness and not yet knowing what darkness lay before them. After that, Gabe couldn’t look at the pictures anymore. He folded the screen to the disk shut and looked down at his hands.

Reflecting on all of the pictures he realized that because of this war he lost so much that was important to him. His family, his friends, his very heart and soul had been torn away. Gabe was afraid that he would lose his son next. If Sam involved himself with a family whose beliefs and rationalities weren’t in line with his own, then Sam would surely be lost. He knew that he couldn’t stop Sam from doing things. He was 19, legally an adult, but as a General, Gabe held a certain authoritative sway over his son. It had kept him out of trouble this long.

Gabe rubbed his forehead, trying to smooth away the beginnings of a headache. The man was under enough pressure that if he were made of coal, surely there would be a diamond made. He couldn’t take much more, and losing his son would send him over the edge. He had to head this off at the pass. Since he hadn’t spoken to Barbara, not since she was informed of Jason’s death, he decided to go to where he thought the source of this disturbance was. Tillick Anderson. He knew of the woman, mainly from the crimes she was accused of committing. He knew her to be very short with people, especially those of authority. He also knew her to be a woman of family, and as such, figured she would understand his qualms. The true test of her understanding however would come in time.

Dressed in his uniform, as if heading into work for the day, Gabe went to the sickbay where he would find Tillick, knowing well that she was on duty early, when Barbara would be allowed to go home. He figured the sooner he got this over with the better, so while Sam was on morning exercises, he would pay the bay a visit only to calm his own mind about the path his son might be choosing. Being a martyr for decorum, he did take a seat in the waiting room. There was no one else present yet, but that could change at a moment’s notice. After signing in he sat there, patiently waiting for Miss Anderson’s next appointment. The father in him needed resolve, he needed something to ease his mind. This, however, he felt wouldn’t bring him ease…

[Tillick Anderson]

Last night's events hadn't crossed Tillick's mind since they happened. After Sam left, Leese stayed a bit longer, and once she left the boys were put to bed, she finished up a little extra work, and then she went to bed herself. The morning brought thoughts only of the day before her, and of the work to be done. Had she the opportunity to think about Gabe's intrusion on last night's dinner, she might have found a way to bristle about it. Unfortunately, there just wasn't enough time. Fortunately, however, the General seemed to be happy to come directly to her.

She was ushering one of her patients out (another case of hypochondria) when she saw Gabe Calway sitting in the waiting room. It was somewhat of a shock to see him there, and she once again felt that sinking feeling in her stomach that something was wrong. Why would the General of the Corellian Rebels be in her office were it not for something important? Her thoughts turned to her sons, and she found herself without words.

"General Calway," she was able to squeeze out, "Can I help you?"

A cold sweat was coming on, and soon the dizziness would accompany it. She had learned quite well what it felt like to have a full blown anxiety attack.

[Gabe Calway]

When the door to the doctor's office opened and Tillick along with a patient had come strolling out, Gabe stood up. He wasn't aware that his standing up would bring such a reaction from from Tillick, and under normal circumstances Gabe would have asked her what was wrong. Today, in this moment however, he did have something else on his mind. As she asked him if she could help him, he said, "Yes, actually I think you can." and motioned to her office.

"Do you think we can talk in private?" He asked reflexively. He said it so many times every day, be it to soldiers during performance reviews, or to his confidants in regard to mission details. This was a common phrase for him, and probably a traumatic one for her. He of course wasn't aware of the traumatic part.

Once they were in her office he shut the door gently with a light click and paused briefly before speaking. The pause was for his gathering of words, not to raise alarm, but he couldn't help what would happen in that moment. After a brief cough to clear his throat he began speaking. "Doctor Anderson, I'm worried about Sam." He said plainly, conversationally, "He's been missing shifts of duty, he's been distracted...very much so." Gabe expressed. "Have you noticed Leese having these same behaviors?" There. There he said it.

[Tillick Anderson]

So that's what this was all about. Tillick took a deep breath and nearly laughed at her own paranoia. To quell the shaking that was still in her hands, she began cleaning up after her last guest. She was meticulous about the cleanliness of her station. Just because water and soap were rationed didn't mean she couldn't be resourceful.

"They're teenagers," she replied with a shrug. "They just got out of school... I don't quite remember being that way at their age, but my mother certainly does."

Her sons weren't old enough to be teenagers, but after the death of her sister's husband, she had become another parent to Leese. She could comfortably say she knew what it was like to raise a teenager.

"Leese and Sam are probably just straightening things out and deciding what it is they want out of life," she said a bit stiffly. It seemed strange to her that he would be coming to her about this instead of talking to Sam directly. "But I don't really know. Maybe you should ask Sam."

That, as far as she was concerned, had to be the end of it. What else could there be to discuss?

[Gabe Calway]

Gabe put his hands behind his back, keeping his eyes fixed on anywhere in the room that wasn't Tillick. "I know Sam. He's a good kid," Gabe said with certainty. "Its not like him to blow off shifts and generally shirk his responsibilities." What was he trying to say? Was he trying to say that Leese was a bad influence on Sam? Noooooo...that's not it. That wasn't it.

The more Gabe thought about it, the less he thought that he wanted to say that Leese was the bad egg between the two of the kids. He would have never ever called anyone else's kid bad. It wasn't in him.

"I think that you might be able to tell me about Leese though. I haven't known much of her since..." Her father died. "Well, I don't know her very well anymore." He admitted rubbing at the back of his neck. How else could he say it? How else could he not make this sound like he was calling on the Anderson 'bad decision' life line? It left a sour taste in his mouth. He didn't much care for it. Gabe however, kept his mind focused on gathering information about Leese, if only to ease his mind about his Son's choices.

He felt stupid. "Listen," He said, putting on a reasonable tone of voice, "YOu know how they say..."It takes a village to raise a child"?" He asked. "I'm simply asking another villager questions to gain insight into Sam's current interest." He shrugged, "Think you can help me out with that?" He wondered. Then he wondered if what he just asked sounded as pig-headed out loud as it did in afterthought. Oh...god.

[Tillick Anderson]

There was something extremely odd about this situation, but as soon as Tillick ever got a chance at putting a finger on it, Calway smacked her hand away. As she finished her work, she contemplated her niece. There wasn't any odd chance in her behaviour as far as she knew. What was the General getting at exactly?

"She's a kid," she said with a shrug, "A young adult rather. Just got out of school, whole world ahead of her..."

As far as Tillick could tell, there couldn't be any more to say on the subject.

"Listen," she said, trying her best to be patient. It seemed to her she wasn't completely in on the story, and it didn't seem like it was going to change. "If Leese is in trouble, you should probably talk to her mother, who conviniently has the day off just for that type of thing. If she's not... I'm sorry, but I'm not sure what this is all about, and I have patients to see."

And no patience for you, she thought to herself.

[Gabe Calway]

"I know you're busy. I can sympathize." He said trying to maintain calm, even throwing in a little chuckle. "But if you'll permit me..." He couldn't believe she was being so dodgy about it. "Would you..." He began, trying to figure it out a little at a time. "You would want to know if your kids were hanging out with the wrong crowd wouldn't you?"

Oh Frak. He actually said it. Had he just implied that Leese was from the 'wrong side of the tracks'?

"What I mean is...You would be concerned if your kids weren't behaving the way you're used to, right?" He was really trying to make this as impartial as he could, but it was coming off really badly. "I'm just concerned for Sam." He admitted, "And I've never seen Sam around Barbara, so I figured you might be able to point me in the right direction."

Gabe was a smart cookie, but sometimes words failed him. He was sure this was possibly the worst conversation he'd ever had. The only way this could be worse was if he pointed out the fact that he had seen to the family's amnesty even though he didn't agree with it at all. He did have some tact though.

[Tillick Anderson]

Oh, so that was what this was really about. As soon as the words 'wrong crowd' came out of his mouth, she tilted her head at him and furrowed her brow. It certainly wouldn't be the first time such a phrase was brought up in relation to herself and her family. During the occupation, she had come into dire straights, and to a certain point, so had her sister. It seemed like whatever Tillick had done in the past tainted the entire family. That being said, however, Tillick's own pitfalls hardly had anything to do with a teenage girl, especially one like Leese, who anyone could see was relatively sweet and well meaning.

"Leese graduated at the top of her class," she said, somewhat angrily, "She was just short of valedictorian, and nearly every operational graduate academy is after her. Not only that, but she's never been in a scrape, she's well liked, and she's gotten over everything life has thrown at her, including the death of her father. She is hardly what I'd call the 'wrong crowd'."

How dare he come in here and say things like that, as though his self imposed rank gave him the right?

"Your son could do a whole lot worse. And, if you're inclined to know, I treated Sam's hand the other day after he injured it, he informed me that he was having issues communicating to you, and I invited him to dinner thinking maybe he needed family time. And really, I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, because here you are talking to me when you should probably be talking to him."

[Gabe Calway]

Wow. WOOOOOW! Gabe thought as his eyes widened, obviously not expecting to get chewed out. Tillick led him up one side and down the other, reading him the proverbial riot act about how he seemed to be miscommunicating with his own boy. "Excuse me?" Gabe choked out. The gall of this woman, he thought as he put his hands out.

"Hold on there." Gabe put on his voice of authority. "Who the hell are you to get involved in his life? If he needed 'family time' he knows where to find me." Gabe said back in the same tone she addressed him with. "I don't go around telling your children how they should live their lives and I certainly don't go imposing myself on them." He explained, "Besides, do you just go inviting patients to dinner at your place, because I gotta say, I'm a bit offended that I was never invited over." He quipped smartly before continuing. "Also, you graduated at the top of your class, did you not, Miss Anderson?" Gabe spat back quickly, going straight for the tender underbelly of this particular altercation.

As soon as he said it though, he wished he hadn't. It was a little too far he knew, but god when he got fired up. "Sure you can see now why I'm concerned." He murmured darkly. "Like you said, I'm sure the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." WOW. He thought. WOOOOOW! The gauntlet. It was thrown.

[Tillick Anderson]

This was just too much. The fear she felt upon seeing the general in her office had turned into blind rage. He had come into her place and was proceeding to insult her and her family, using the guise of being worried about his son. It was no secret that he wasn't fond of her, but this was ridiculous. This was a right out attack.

"You weren't invited over because I don't like you," she said straighforwardly, "I can't imagine why."

He was really something else coming in here and treating her like this. She didn't vote for him. Heck, nobody did. Once moment they were all in the dark, and the next he had appointed himself as the guiding light. Now they were living underground.

"If you have a problem with me, whatever," she continued. "But keep my family out of it. Just because I've had some problems in my past doesn't mean Leese is going to turn out the same way. Hopefully that also means Sam won't turn out to be a self righteous prig. Get out of my office."

[Gabe Calway]

Sam and Leese had met after morning rounds, and were about to go get her bag so that they could go have lunch in the mess hall. The two of them were laughing and talking about the morning's events, which circled primarilly around Jackson's girlish screeching over a scorpion he found in his locker. If morning exercises were going to be like this, having Leese around, Sam would be sure to enjoy his time as a pilot more.

"Did you see the look on his face!?" Leese laughed as they rounded the final corner before coming to her Aunt's office, where earlier that morning she left her things. The bag wasn't much really, it was a hobo bag, stuffed with the things she brought with her everywhere.

"I thought he was going to pass out." Sam chuckled as they pushed into the office and headed for the small changing room in the back where Leese had stashed her things. Little did Sam know that his father was making a right mess of things between himself and Tillick.

Just as Sam and Leese had gotten into the waiting room the door to Tillick's office burst open. Gabe couldn't WAIT to get away from that woman. She was as crazy as he always remembered her being. He was shouting as he stormed out, "If you think that I'm leaving," He grumbled as he went out, "because you told me to...You're CRAZY!" He barked over his shoulder.

He thundered out past his son and his new gal pal in a blinding seething rage. Sam and Leese separated as the General went through the doors behind them. Sam and Leese looked at each other and wondered just what that was all about.

"Aunt Till?" Leese called with concern in her voice. "What's...uh...what's going on?"

[Tillick Anderson]

In all her life, Tillick had never been this angry. She didn't quite know what it was she was supposed to do in the situation. If she were a more extroverted person, she could see herself running down the hall after him and trying to make him take back all of the hurtful things he had implied about her family. Being as she was, she preferred instead to seethe silently, and let herself be somewhat distracted from the homicidal feelings by the entrance of her niece.

"Nothing," Tilick replied, shaking her head slowly. She let out a long sigh that was an indication of her desire not to go into details. She was sure the General would lay down the law for his son himself; she didn't want to get into the politics of the family. "The General and I just have some different feelings on certain subjects."

Looking at Sam, Tillick wondered how someone could vary so completely from their parents. Her sons were louder and more bombastic than she herself, but there were many qualities that had somehow been inherited down. Sam seemed to have so little of his father in him, and she wondered if that was what bothered Gabe most.

"What are you two doing here?" she asked, trying to keep her voice calm and conversational. Whatever the case, there was now a severe kink in the rest of her day.

[Gabe Calway]

“We were just going to grab a bite to eat,” Leese offered up softly, sensing that the heat of this argument hadn’t quite died down, “I just needed to get my bag…I left it in my locker.” She explained.

Sam stuck his hands in his pockets looking at bit sheepishly at his feet. “I’m…I’m sorry for my dad. He’s a bit gruff sometimes-“ Sam started to explain as he could see quite plainly the discomfiture that Tillick was in.

Before Sam could continue though the door burst back open behind him and his father came back in, grabbing his son’s shoulders and tugging him away from the Andersons quite firmly. Sam nearly had a heart attack as he was pushed out into the hallway with the door slamming shut behind.

Leese, taken off guard looked at her Aunt with some amount of horror, “What did you do?” She asked, not accusatory, simply wondering why any man, let alone a general would do that.

In the hall. “OW DAD! GEEZE!” Sam groaned as he straightened himself back up.

“You’re not to come to sick bay again unless you’re actually sick, do you hear me?” Gabe warned his son firmly.

“That’s fine I-“

“You’re not to associate with that family anymore. I don’t trust them.” Gabe said between them in something of a conspiratory voice.

“Dad, wait…would you listen to me, I’m trying to tell you something…” Sam pleaded.

“That Tillick…she’s got crazy written all over her face.” Gabe continued.

“I think you’re looking at this the wrong way…” Sam kept trying to explain but was getting frustrated at being talked over.

“They’re trying to take my boy away…” He murmured more to himself than to Sam. He was shocked back to reality when Sam barked at him.

“I’m NOT you’re little boy anymore dad!” he snapped, “I graduated the academy, I’ve done everything you’ve asked me to do. Have I ever given you a reason not to trust my judgement?” He asked, brow furrowed in argument.

Gabe just watched his son, feeling suddenly a bit foolish. “No.”

“Then why don’t you?” Sam barked back. “WELL?”

All Gabe could do was look at Sam with quiet wonder. When had his son grown up? When had everything changed and gotten so far out of hand? While he was stuck inside his own head he hadn’t noticed that Sam had turned on his heel and started away. By the time Gabe mustered the voice to call after him with a weak but heartfelt “Sam wait!”, Sam was gone.

“Damn.” Gabe hissed under his breath.

On the other side of the door Leese had heard everything. She wasn’t sure why, but she felt deeply wounded. This General didn’t really even know her at all. Who was he to pass judgement on her or her family? She looked at her Aunt with some amount of confusion in her eyes. “Why does he hate us?” She asked, unable to understand, and having put all of the past behind her where it belonged.

[Tillick Anderson]

Looking at her niece, Tillick's heart broke a bit inside her chest. She let out a long sigh; they both knew why Calway chose to hate them, though in reality, neither really understood it.

"It's not you," Tillick lied, "It's me. It's the things I've done. Some people... People like Calway, they see everything in black and white, and right and wrong."

It was unfair that Leese and the others had to be involved in something that Tillick herself had done without their involvement. She wondered how long their name would be sullied. She imagined it would reach far beyond her children. Whatever the case, 'Anderson' was one of the most popular things to be. It was practically synonymous with 'traitor'.

"People like him just need the absolute basics of facts to make an opinion on a person. Thinking about motives only complicates things."

She might have gone on, but these were things best left in the past, and she had no reason to wish for Calway's good favor.

"I'm sorry people can't see the difference between you and I," she said sincerely, "At least Sam can. And he's the important one, anyway."

[Leese Anderson]

Leese was not a cryptic 40something with a seedy past. She was a 18 year old young woman with her whole life in front of her. Taking into consideration what her aunt said, Leese tilted her head gently. "I don't think he's allowed to see me anymore..." She mentioned. "I certainly don't want him to get in trouble with his dad, but..." There was a hint of frustration in her voice. With a puff she blew a bit of hair out of her face.

After a bit of hemming and hawing she tilted her head and looked at her aunt. She looked as if she were going to say something, but before she did she felt the comlink in her pocket start to vibrate. It drew her attention long enough to check it. A message from Sam flashed before her. "Meet me later, you know where." Instantly her mind was made up. A smile returned to her lips as she stuffed the com back in her pocket.

"Thanks Aunt Tillick!" She murmured, hugging her aunt closely. "Don't let that ol blowhard get to you. We'll show him what it means to be an Anderson." She chirped encouragingly. After retrieving her bag she scooted out of the room to get her tasks done so that she wouldn't be missed upon meeting Sam later. "Love you."