"Ah shit." Tim muttered. "Baby, we're gonna have to go to CSI."

"Why?" Hannah asked. "I thought we were getting a puppy."

"We are. I just took the week off but I told Horatio I'd work on some files. I forgot them at work so I have to go pick them up. Okay?"

----------S/C---------

"Hey Tim. I thought you had the week off." Al, the security guard, greeted.

"Yeah I do. I just have to pick some files up."

"Oh. Hi Hannah."

"Hi."

Tim dragged Hannah into the elevator and sighed. He knew he was going to get stuck here one way or another. Once they got to the lab's floor, Tim walked over to the receptionist's desk and signed in.

"Paula, can you watch Hannah for a few minutes?" he asked. "I just got to pick something up."

"Yeah that's fine. Hey Hannah."

"Hi Paula." she smiled. "We're getting a dog."

"Really?" Paula smiled at Tim, who shrugged and raced off towards Trace. He walked in and went straight to the filing cabinet and started searching.

"Shit." he mumbled, not finding what he was looking for. For the next fifteen minutes, Tim practically tore the trace lab apart and finally found the files, sitting on top of the filing cabinet. Tim groaned and ran back out to the waiting area, where Hannah was saying good bye to a brunette. The brunette smiled at her and got into the elevator. "Hannah Marie Speedle!"

Hannah jumped, hearing her full name. She turned around and smiled up at Tim.

"Don't give me that look. What did I tell you about talking to strangers?"

"Not to." Hannah mumbled. "I'm sorry Daddy."

"Just don't do it again." Tim said, rubbing his eyes. He looked over at Paula. "Who was she?"

"She said she was looking for Horatio. He's in the field though."

"Okay. Hannah, come on."

"Daddy, look!" she smiled, pushing her hair behind her ear. Tim let out a yell, seeing a ring in her ear.

"How did you get that in there?" he exclaimed. "Where did you get it?"

"It was on the floor." Hannah replied.

"You put some crappy 50 cents gum ball machine ring, that you found on the floor, through you ear? How did you even get it in your ear?"

"It's not." Hannah yanked it off, making Tim cringe. "See."

She held it up for Tim to inspect and he saw there was a break in the metal, just enough room for Hannah to pinch her earlobe between. Paula sat at her desk, chuckling.

"Good bye Paula."

"Are we still getting a dog Daddy?" Hannah asked as they walked into the elevator.

"After the way you're acting I dunno."

"But Daddy I'm sorry!"

-----------S/C---------

"Hannah, you should be very happy I forgave you." Tim said, watching her play with the baby Corgi.

Hannah stared at her puppy, then back at her dad.

"Ralph."

"Honey, my name is Tim but you call me Daddy."

"No. His name. Ralph."

"Ralph." Tim repeated flatly.

"Yes. Ralph Speedle." Hannah said. Tim shook his head and looked at the store worker.

"We'll take him."

"But Mommy I wanted him!" a prissy girl, around Hannah's age said as Tim put a leash on Ralph. He had just finished paying for him and Hannah glared at the girl. A woman, equally prissy as her daughter, marched up to Tim.

"I'm sorry but my daughter has had her eye on him for quite some time now. How much do you want for him?"

"Lady, I just paid a shit load of money for this dog. He's coming home with me." Tim said. "Excuse me."

"Mommy!" the girl screeched. Hannah stuck her tongue at her and Tim grabbed her hand, pulling her and a barking Ralph out of the pet store.

"How rude." Hannah sniffed, causing Tim to laugh as he unlocked his Tahoe. "Come on Ralph, get in."

"Whoa, wait a minute." Tim opened the trunk and pointed to the newspaper he had put down. "I don't need him peeing on my seats. And you can see him right over the back seat."

"Can I sit with him?"

"No. You need to be in your booster seat."

"Put Ralph in a booster seat."

"Hannah, put him in the trunk."

"At least a seat belt Daddy. What if you hit a bump and he bumps his head?"

"If he pees Hannah Marie, you're cleaning it up." Tim said, buckling Ralph into a seat belt. He could not believe he was doing this.

-----------S/C--------

"Please Daddy?"

"Hannah, he's not sleeping in your bed. That's why we got him a doggie bed." Tim said.

"But he's scared. Look he had an accident."

Tim looked and saw a yellow puddle in the middle of his kitchen. He wasn't going to get angry. Ralph was only a baby. There were plenty of times when Hannah had accidents as a baby. She couldn't control herself, nor could Ralph. At least not yet. Tim loved the fact that dogs could become paper trained.

"Exactly, at least here I'll be able to clean this up quickly. Changing your sheets and putting them through the wash and the dryer takes a lot longer."

"But he's only scared because he knows he's going to be alone. If he's with me he won't be scared." Hannah said.

"Hannah, no."

"Then I'll sleep down here with him."

"You're not sleeping in the kitchen." Tim said firmly. "Now get to bed."

Hannah crossed her arms over her chest and stayed put. Ralph trotted over to her and laid his head over her slipper clad feet.

"How about we put him in the living room and I sleep on the couch?" she reasoned.

"You are so stubborn. Just like your mother." Tim muttered. "Fine. But only for tonight. Tomorrow, he sleeps alone."

"Thank you Daddy." Hannah smiled sweetly. "Come on Ralph."

Tim grabbed the doggie bed and set it down near the coffee table. Ralph walked over and pawed at the bed, then lay down. Hannah came bounding down the stairs, her pillow, teddy bear, and blanket in tow. She got set up on the couch and Tim moved her legs over so he could sit on the edge of the couch. He cupped her face in both his hands and she tried not to smile.

"You're driving me crazy. You know that right?" he said, getting close to her face.

"You still love me right?"

"Always." Tim kissed Hannah's forehead. "Go to sleep."

He stood up and went to walk over to his computer when Hannah stopped him.

"Daddy, you forgot about Ralph."

"What do you mean?"

"You didn't say good night to him."

Tim rolled his eyes.

"Good night Ralph."

"Say good night Ralph." Hannah ordered. There was no reply.

"He must be sleeping." Tim said. "You should too."

"Night Daddy."

"Night angel." Tim logged onto AOL and checked his buddy list. Ally was on.

Hey.

Hi. Haven't heard from you all day.

I got Hannah a dog, a Corgi. We were getting him settled in.

A DOG? Tim, I thought you said no dogs?

I never said that.

Ye— oh never mind. What's his name?

Ralph. Ralph Cornelius Speedle to be exact. Hannah came up with that all on her own, might I add.

Hahaha. So Mr. Tough Guy is really a big softy.

No. My daughter has me wrapped around her finger.

They talked for a while more, until Ally suddenly signed off without any good bye. Tim frowned.

"Bad connection." he muttered, signing off as well. He walked over to the couch, kissed Hannah quickly on the forehead, and went to bed.