"The Gift": Analysis of "The Gift" Arc of ABC-TV's Port Charles
(c) Alison Armstrong
An analysis of the "The Gift" episodes of the show Port Charles, formerly of ABC-TV. This site will focus on the scenes featuring the vampire character
Caleb Morley/Stephen Clay (portrayed by actor Michael Easton). The character of Caleb Morley/Stephen Clay and any other characters relating to Port
Charles are the property of ABC and their creators. This is a fan-run site and is not an official site, nor is it affiliated in any way with ABC, Port Charles, or
the actors portraying any of the Port Charles characters. No copyright infringement is intended. The writings on this site are copyrighted by the author,
Alison Armstrong, and may not be reproduced without the author's express permission.
"The Gift" #29 (cont.)
“Livvie, what could you possibly do?” he asks. “The doctors all tell me that this condition is just going to have
to run its course. So, unless you have a magic potion or something somewhere . . . ”
Livvie reaches into her pocket, feeling the ring. Its magic could heal her father, but she can’t let him know that
she has stolen it from Caleb. She would have to use it secretly, make the healing seem like a spontaneous
miracle.
“No, Daddy, I don’t have any magic potions,” she responds, concealing the truth. “I’m just trying to do what
you always taught me, and that’s the power of positive thinking. . . . Maybe if the two of us would think
positively together, we could come up with a way to make you feel better, right here and right now.” She
clutches the ring. “Just humor me, OK, Dad?” she coaxes as he smiles at her. “Just close your eyes and let’s
just think . . ”
“You know I already feel better just seeing you here,” he interrupts, gazing at her lovingly.
“Daddy, please, please just try it my way once,” she urges. She does not want to be interrupted from her
attempt to help him.
“And I already made a little progress on my own,” he continues, doing his fatherly best to put a positive spin on
his prognosis.
“What do you mean?” she asks almost irritably, as if jealousy that someone else other than herself could help
him. “What kind of progress are you talking about?”
“I have a good therapist,” he explains. “And . . . I think staying at Lucy’s helped.”
“Oh, so you think Lucy helped heal you?” she glowers, her jealousy and anger intensifying at the mention of
Lucy, her ex-stepmother, the woman she perceives as a rival for her father’s affection.
“No, I think getting out the hospital helped me,” he replies. “But mainly because I was around Christina, you
know, being able to see my little girl everyday.”
“What about your other little girl?” she accuses. “Come on, I am your daughter, too. I’m your flesh and
blood.” Upset that her father may favor his adopted daughter over his real “flesh and blood” one, Livvie seems
suddenly less interested in helping heal him. She wants to be special, his number one priority—Lucy and
Christina are competitors for her father’s love, and she wants it all for herself.
“I know,” he soothes, trying to ease her hurt feelings. “And because you are, I don’t want you to blame
yourself. We’re family. Remember that. Let me tell you something—being in this chair and seeing the world
from here gives you a whole different perspective. And if it weren’t for you girls, the love that I feel for you
and Christina, I don’t even want to imagine what kind of world I might be in right now.”
“I love you so much, Dad,” she exclaims. “I’m sorry. I just get . . . I get wrapped up in so much stuff all the
time.”
“I know,” he agrees, overlooking her numerous faults. “But, honey, we can’t ever forget it’s your family that
matters most. Soon you’re going to have a family of your own, even though I would have been happier if you
had chosen someone else.”
“Yeah, Dad,” she says, pausing at the brink of an unwelcome truth. “Speaking of, there’s something that I think
you need to know about me and Caleb. . . . Daddy, we can’t have kids. We can’t have a family of our own.”
“Well, you know, honey, you don’t have to have children to be part of a family,” he reassures her.
“I know,” she says sadly. “It’s just, you know, families bring people together, and kids . . . ”
“Oh, Livvie,” he interrupts, his expression worried. “Are you and Caleb having problems?”
“No, no, everything’s fine most of the time,” she tells him, not wanting to admit the growing gulf between
herself and Caleb. “Yeah, we’re OK.”
“OK? Just OK?” he gently probes. “Tell me, honey, when does it feel best with you and Caleb?”
“Best, huh?” she reflects. “I guess it’s when I feel . . . when I feel I can put all my insecurities out of mind and
just let myself feel . . . ”
“Loved?” he suggests, helping her find the words for the emotions she struggles to express.
“Yeah,” she confides.