Chapter 11: Apologies

Author's Comments: I was going to continue on in this chapter but I wanted to get something up as this has not been updated in February. What happens at dinner at the Conway's will have to wait for the next chapter.

Gordon Bombay leaned up against the side of the Walter F. Mondale building at the University of Minnesota. Gordon checked his watch and sighed.

"12:05," Bombay muttered. "Where is she?"

Bombay had been waiting for the past twenty minutes for Tracy. He had asked the school administrator which class Tracy was taking before lunch. Antitrust and Intellectual Property.

Bombay remembered the class clearly. He wondered to himself if Christopher Adams was still teaching it. Bombay had finished at the top of his class. Bombay's first case out of law school was an Anti-trust case.

After five more minutes, Tracy sadly walked down the stairs.

"Tracy!" Gordon called out hoping to get her attention.

Tracy was so startled that she tripped on the final stair causing her papers to scatter everywhere. Gordon immediately began to help her pick up her papers.

"What do you want Gordon?" Tracy asked. From their last conversation, Tracy had though that they were done.

Gordon picked up one paper which looked like a test. Sixty-eight percent. He handed it back to Tracy.

"Is this is why you came back?" Tracy said motioning her midterm. "To rub it in my face that I am nothing without the great Gordon Bombay's help? I don't need you."

Gordon was somber. "You're right. You don't need me. I want to talk to you."

Tracy rolled her eyes and sat down at a park bench. Gordon joined her.

"I wanted to tell you how…."Gordon stopped. He couldn't' believe he was here apologizing to this young girl he had used so many times. The word 'sorry' would not come out of this mouth.

He wanted to say it but he couldn't. Bombay instead took a neatly typed letter out of his jacket and handed it to Tracy.

Tracy took the letter and read it over. She was stunned. Gordon had not only written her recommendation but had gone to the dean of the school and had personally vouched for her.

"I don't know what to say," Tracy said. She paused for a moment. "Thank you."

"I wanted to make it up to you. I know it isn't enough but I hoped this is a start," Gordon said.

Tracy smiled. "I don't know if I'll even be able to get into law school with my grades."

"I'll talk to your professor. Maybe he will allow you to take a re-test."

"You'd do that for me?" Tracy said. Gordon seemed upbeat for the first time since she met him. The melancholy, cynical, self – absorbed lawyer was gone and this new caring compassionate man replaced him.

"If you need anything, and I mean anything, please let me know," Gordon said sincerely.

Tracy smiled. She believed him. "I'll keep that in mind."

Tracy checked her watch. "I have to be going," she said. "I promised Tommy I'd have lunch with him today."

"Tommy?"

"Yeah," Tracy blushed. Then she looked at Gordon. He looked disappointed. "I've moved on Gordon. You were right. We are no good for each other. "

Gordon Bombay nodded as Tracy left to join her new boyfriend. Gordon was not under any illusions that they would ever work out as a couple. But the rejection did hurt. It wasn't every day that a girl would reject his advances. Gordon shrugged off the rejection. He had one more apology to make.

Bombay spent the remainder of the afternoon skating. He decided to put his new skates to good use. Bombay had went skating the previous night and found himself enjoying it so much that he decided to go for another skate that afternoon.

Luis picked him up from his apartment that afternoon. Luis noticed Bombay seemed more at ease with himself.

"Where to now, sir?" Luis asked.

Gordon consulted the sheet of paper he got earlier that day. "1009 Park Avenue."

Luis turned the key in the ignition and started the limo. Gordon blankly stared out the window. Trying to rehearse in his head what he was going to say to Charlie. He could argue any case in a court of law. He was used to pleading cases to a jury. 'Charlie and his mother are not a jury', Bombay reminded himself. This time, it wasn't his client that was on trial but himself.

He knew he was guilty. Bombay tried to think of a way he could rationalize his behavior to a ten year old but nothing came to him.

Luis pulled up the limo to the front entrance of the apartments. Gordon stepped out the limo and promised Luis that he would not be long and to wait for him.

Gordon walked up the steps to the front entrance. He pulled out the paper again to check the address again and went inside. First apartment on the right was the Conway's. Gordon sighed and knocked gently on the door.

He did not want to do this but if he had any hope of coaching the team, he would have to plead his case to Charlie first.

Gordon could hear footsteps on the other side of the door. Then silence. He knocked again. This time, he heard someone unlocking the door. The door opened slightly. Casey Conway glared at him.

"Hi," said Gordon. "Look, I wanted to –"

"Please just go away," said Casey. "Charlie doesn't want to be on the team anymore, and neither he nor I have anything to say to you."

Casey tried to shut the door, but Gordon held it open. He was determined to see this though.

"Well, I've got something to say to you"

"Oh really?" replied Casey. "Door-to-door mistreatment now? Now the team can feel miserable between games too, huh?"

"I came to apologize to Charlie…to both of you." Gordon said.

Casey smirked. She didn't believe him. "What?"

"Apologize." He wasn't really there to apologize to Casey but in order to get to Charlie; he would have to go through her first.

Casey hesitated. She was trying to decide whether or not to let Gordon in. Eventually she decided to see what Gordon would say. "Well…You should."

She opened the door and gestured him in. The apartment was small but cozy. Artwork decorated the walls. Pictures filled photo frames though the room. It was the complete opposite of his apartment.

"Charlie," Casey called out. "Somebody's here to see you."

Charlie bounded out into the living room thinking one of his friends had dropped by. When he saw Gordon, he stopped dead in his tracks. Charlie watched Bombay nervously as he entered the living room.

"Hey, Charlie." Said Gordon. "How ya doing?"

Charlie stayed silent.

"I was just, uh, walking around thinking," Gordon sputtered out. He was lost for words. He turned to Casey. "Wanna give us a minute?"

Casey eyed the Gordon for a moment and left the room.

"Thank you."

"Your welcome," Casey replied insincerely.

Charlie gave Casey a look before she went into the kitchen. He didn't want to me there anymore the Gordon did. Gordon sat down on the couch and motioned Charlie to take a seat.

Gordon took a deep breath. "Listen, it was very wrong of me to ask you and the other guys to cheat. I never should have said what I said to you. I was angry. I was frustrated. And it took a lot of guts to do what you knew was right. I admire that."

Charlie looked up. For a moment their eyes met. Charlie said nothing. He watched Bombay expressionless.

Gordon fought to find the words he wanted to say. "And ,um, I just want to tell you that…that I'm…boy, this is difficult... I'm.."

He had argued for hours in the courtroom but this was different. When in the courtroom, he felt sure of himself. He was even arrogant at times. But now, he felt shame for how he had acted. And fear.

"You're sorry!" Casey prodded from the other room.

"I'm sorry," repeated Gordon.

"I'm sorry all right?" Gordon said in a louder voice towards the kitchen. Gordon turned to Charlie. "Tell your mom, that, hopefully, it'll be more fun this time around."

There was an uncomfortable silence. "What do you say?"

"You want to stay for dinner?" Charlie asked.

Gordon was stunned. "What?" He asked.

Casey came rushing into the room. "Charlie!" Casey was embarrassed.

"Uh, no, I'm… I can't," Gordon sputtered. He looked at Casey and then back at Charlie." I… well, what are you having?"

Gordon and Casey's eyes met. "Lasagna. Mom's is the best," Charlie pronounced.

"It is?"

Casey immediately blushed but quickly regained her composure. "Charlie, have you finished your homework?"

"Yes Mom," Charlie replied a little too quickly.

Casey didn't believe him. "All of it?"

Charlie sighed. "Almost all of it."

Casey was unimpressed. She tried to stress the importance of a good education on her son but most of the time, it fell on deaf ears. Charlie's mind was either on his friends or on hockey.

Under normal circumstances, she would order Charlie to his room and that there would be no supper until his homework was done. But with Bombay there, she decided to have the two of them go outside while she finished supper.

"Charlie," Casey said. "Why don't you go grab your hockey stick and go play outside while I finish supper? Maybe your visitor can teach you some new tricks while you are out."

Charlie's eyes lit up and he rushed to his room to retrieve his hockey stick and jacket. He quickly laced up his boot and zipped up his jacket.

"You coming? "Charlie asked Gordon.

Gordon looked at Charlie and then back at Casey. He shrugged and followed Charlie out the back door.

CLUNK!

Charlie and Gordon had spent the last 30 minutes practicing in the parking lot behind the apartment. Charlie had constructed a make shift goal out of wooden pallets and fishing net. Gordon decided to teach him the triple deke. Not a beginner's move but with a lot of practice, the move could make the difference in a close game.

Charlie picked up the puck and went to the other end of the parking lot. Gordon couldn't help but smile at the young boy's enthusiasm. Charlie started in on the goal. On the second deke, the puck got away from him. Charlie was reaching for it but his stick was just not long enough.

"Try again," Gordon said.

Gordon's mind wondered to the first game against the Hawks. They were badly out shot and out played. But every time one of the kids would fall down, they would get right back up. For what they lacked in scoring, they made up for with determination. Thinking back, Gordon could tell that a few of them were natural athletes. Guy. Jesse. Even Charlie despite his nickname of Spazzway. If only they have proper equipment and rink time.

A plan formed in Gordon's mind. Maybe he could get someone to sponsor the team. Judging by the district the team played for, it was evident that most of the team came from lower income homes. Perhaps Mr. Ducksworth would be able to help the team out with a little encouragement from Bombay.

CLANG!

Charlie hit to post this time.

"I'll never get this," he muttered to himself.

"Why do you say that?" Gordon asked to boy.

"Because I'm Spazzway," Charlie said looking at Gordon. "You heard Peter. I always screw up."

Gordon had heard enough. "Stop saying that."

"It's true," Charlie insisted.

Gordon sighed. Charlie had many admirable traits. He had forgiven Bombay without expecting anything in return. He was kind hearted, brave and did not hold grudges. He did however, lack confidence.

"Charlie, you may not be the biggest or the fastest player but you never know what the future holds," Gordon said. Charlie remained quiet.

"You possess a quality that is even more important than that. You have the ability to bring the team together," Gordon continued.

Charlie looked at Gordon skeptically.

Gordon pressed on. "You do. I know it. Do you know how I know? Because you were the only one who stood up for what you believed in. They will follow your lead. They may call you Spazzway and tease you but underneath all the teasing, they do respect you. I can tell."

Gordon paused. "Charlie, I need your help."

"You do?" Charlie was surprised that anyone would need his help. He was just a kid.

"I do. I need to you to talk to the team. Tell them I've changed. That I'm ready to be a real coach."

Charlie considered for a moment. "I'll try my best," Charlie promised.

Gordon gave Charlie a big smile. "Now let's try that deke again. This time, I want you to look straight ahead when shooting the puck. Don't look at the puck and don't look down. Feel the puck on the end of your stick."

Charlie nodded and tried again. This time, the puck sailed into the empty net. Charlie was stunned. He had done it. Gordon clapped and Charlie let out a loud whoop before immediately being embarrassed. It was out of character for Charlie to do something like that. He was one of the more serious kids on the team.

Charlie looked at Gordon and saw him grinning and laughing at the same time. Gordon was actually enjoying himself. Immediately Charlie relaxed and hi fived Gordon. He still had to do the move with skates on but he had finally he had accomplished something.

"Dinner!" Casey called out.

She had been watching the two of them for the past few minutes. She had been wondering if it was a good idea to have Bombay stay for dinner. After watching her son and Gordon interact with each other, she was decided that it couldn't hurt. Besides, it was only dinner. What could possibly come of that?