Bullet Girl
By RK9
Disclaimer: CSI:Miami and it's characters don't belong to me. I'm just having fun, minding my own business and writing my fics.
Notes: I don't know Calleigh's dad's name, or how many brothers she has or what her brothers' names are. The official site just says she has brothers. Not very helpful, but I made it work.
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"Come on, lamb chop." Ten-year-old Calleigh Duquesne bounced excitedly over to where her father was waiting by the car.
"Where are we going, Daddy?" she asked eagerly. "Is it to buy something for my birthday?"
"Yes, lamb chop, just as soon as your brothers are ready," her father promised, smiling.
Calleigh fought off the frown of disappointment. She had thought that for once after a long while, this would be just her and her father. A father-daughter bonding thing and all that. But it looked like it was more of a father-children bonding thing this time around. Calleigh sighed. She missed spending time with just her dad. He hadn't been sober lately, and she had hoped...but it didn't matter, she told herself firmly. Spending time with Jason and Luke was just as important as spending time with Daddy.
Her younger brother Jason came out of the house just then. He was nine, and had dark hair and blue eyes. He was dressed neatly for once, and Calleigh fondly ruffled his hair as he moved past her to sit in the car. Then six-year-old Luke came out. Luke was the black sheep of the family, being a very gifted child who spent his days playing on his violin. He didn't talk much, and certainly didn't seem like a normal kindergartener to your average bystander, but none of them cared. Luke was gifted, and as long as they knew it and Luke knew it...what others thought didn't matter.
"Do we have to go out now?" Luke asked, frowning. Calleigh looked at her father, who replied.
"Yes, Luke. Now get in the car, or we won't get to the mall until nightfall."
"But I was composing a song for Calleigh's birthday!" complained the young prodigy.
Calleigh helped Luke into the car. "That sounds great, Luke. I can't wait to hear it."
He muttered, "I'll never finish it if I keep getting interrupted." But Calleigh saw him put on his safety belt, and knew he didn't really mind.
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The shopping mall was large, and the air-conditioning made Calleigh sigh in happiness. Her father smiled at her as he ushered them all into the toy department.
"Okay, lamb chop, you can go pick whatever you want," he told her. "But for you two," he addressed her brothers, "Pick out a book or something, or your momma will give me hell when we get back."
"Aw, Dad," groaned Jason. "I thought I could get the latest Turbo transformer toy or something."
Luke had already made a beeline for some music books he had spotted.
Their father shook his head at his older son. "Well, maybe I can work something out with your mom if you get a book with it and promise to clean the garage when we get home," he amended at last.
Eyes dancing with joy at getting his own way, Jason rushed off. Calleigh and her father exchanged looks and she smiled as she headed to look around.
Ten minutes later, Calleigh walked past the Barbie area – and gasped as she saw it. The very toy she wanted. Her eyes got wide, and she took off running past a pair of very annoyed old ladies. She hadn't a doubt that those same ladies would probably look scandalized when she showed her father what she wanted, but she didn't care.
"Daddy!" she called, running to pull her father into the aisle she wanted. She pointed the toy out, eyes shining with hope. "Can we buy one, Daddy?" she begged. "Can we buy the biggest, prettiest, coolest toy gun in the mall?"
The old ladies from earlier gasped and shook their heads. One of them stepped forward and said disapprovingly, "Young lady, proper young girls do not play with guns!"
Calleigh looked in dismay at her father. "Does that mean I can't get one, Daddy?" Her eyes started to fill with tears, which she knew was silly. It was just a toy...
But she wanted it. She had often watched her brothers playing with toy pistols and toy rifles and had longed to have one of her own. But all her relatives and her parents had always given her dolls and stuffed animals. This was the first time Calleigh had been asked what she wanted for her birthday, and she had thought...
Then her father's voice came firmly through the air, "Go pick out which gun you want, lamb chop. Once a year, I find it necessary to ignore busybodied old crones."
Calleigh almost couldn't believe her ears, but a smile spread over her face and she ran to pick out a toy rifle. This one even had toy bullets to shoot out of it! Then, she ran back to her father, who took her hand, glared at the crones who glared back, and together they went to pay for her newest, most precious possession.
"Don't you let anyone tell you that guns are for boys and dolls are for girls, lamb chop," her father said later, in the car, while Jason slept and Luke looked out the window dreaming up a new song to compose. "Always remember that a woman can do everything a man can."
Luke heard that, and piped in. "Can they go standing up, Daddy?"
Calleigh burst out laughing, and her father chuckled as he said, "Well, that's the exception that proves the rule, Luke."
Luke's face said he didn't understand, and he nodded before turning back to his dreams. Calleigh on the other hand smiled at her father, before running her hands over her new toy...and smiling.
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Well? How was it? Drop a review and let me know! And this being my first CSI: Miami fic and all, I expect honesty! Tell me if you loved it or hated it! I want to know these things!
And on a side note, this story came to mind when I went shopping with my uncle this afternoon and saw a little girl begging her father to buy her a toy gun. She was waving it around and it almost jammed up my nose. (rolls eyes) Then, I thought of Calleigh, and WHAM! Inspiration about knocked me on my butt. So, I hope you enjoyed the fic, and now...
Go press the pretty little purple button!