Title: Wake-up Call
Rating: K+
It was mid-evening, and Casey was clearing up the kitchen after dinner. Her husband was helping dry and put away the dishes as the phone rang. Placing down the dish towel he answered the phone.
"Casey," he said, "Gordon on the phone for you."
Casey nodded and dried her hands, taking the phone from her husband. They had met soon after Casey and Gordon broke off their romantic relationship in favour of friendship, and her husband was more than happy to include Gordon in their set of friends – especially as Charlie looked up to him and would have nothing much to do with his new step-father except keep a cordial relationship for his mother's sake.
"How has it been?" Bombay asked.
"We've definitely seen better days;" Casey quipped tiredly, "Charlie is being difficult."
"Difficult?" Bombay enquired, "How so?"
"I just wish I knew what has gotten into Charlie lately," Casey said into the phone, "he's been arrogant, angry, and just plain sullen!"
"Casey he's fourteen-years-old," Bombay explained, "and he's going through a lot of changes lately."
Casey sighed, "When he broke his stick on the goal at the game the other week I was frightened – I couldn't stop thinking about what it could mean!"
"He's not going to turn into a juvenile delinquent over night, especially not over a hockey game," Bombay replied.
"That's just it," Casey retorted, "he skipped school today, I got a phone call from the Disciplinarian Teacher."
"Charlie skipped?" Bombay said incredulously, "how come?"
"I think he got into an argument with Coach Orion," Casey replied.
Bombay shook his head and sighed, "Has he said anything to you?"
"Just that he hates Eden Hall and Coach Orion," Casey explained, "though I did remind him that he hated you just as much when you started coaching Peewee."
Bombay laughed quietly at the memory, "I deserved that though, Ted doesn't."
"Yeah," Casey replied, "Coach Orion may be pushing the kids, but I do believe he has their best interests at heart; educational- and hockey-wise."
"Do you want me to come round and talk to him?" Bombay asked after a few moments.
"I would appreciate it Gordon," Casey replied, "he doesn't listen to a thing his step-father says and I doubt at the moment he'd listen to me."
"I'll be down tomorrow morning," Gordon explained.
"Thank you Gordon," Casey said, "my shift starts at six am, so come round at five-thirty and I'll let you in."
"See you tomorrow Casey," Gordon answered. He knew exactly what would bring Charlie around, and an early morning visit to the Eden Hall ice rink to see the 'other' side to Ted Orion would be a good start.
Author's Note: This is how I'd see Bombay setting up for the scene in D3 where he and Charlie discuss Orion (what I call Charlie-gets-a-wake-up-call). Like in D2, the identity of Casey's husband is left ambiguous.