Disclaimer: Not mine, no profit made.

A/N: Very short one, but the next chapter should be up tomorrow to make up for it. Next chapter is Christmas day for the Speedles.

Also, the conversation in the gun lab with Zack sounded so much funnier when it was my brother and I talking about gun laws. Ah well, at least you get an echo of it.

Chapter Eight: In which Avari asks questions, and Speed bonds with Calleigh.

-DLG-

"Speed?"

"Yes, Princess?"

"Why don't I have a mummy?"

Speed froze. He had been washing the dishes when his four-year-old had decided ask her question. It wasn't something that he could easily answer, and he'd been hoping that he could last a few more years before having to. But, as usual, Avari was working on her own schedule.

"Well, Princess," Speed turned to his daughter and dried his hands on a dishcloth, "you do have a mother. But she lives a long way away, and can't come visit."

"Oh." Avari pondered that for a bit. "Does she love me?"

Great. Another tricky one. The truth was, Speed wasn't sure if Amanda loved her child or not. He sent her a letter and photograph of Avari every year on the little girl's birthday and a Christmas, to make sure she stayed up to date with their child's progress, but Amanda had never written back, or called, or tried to get in contact with them. He wasn't even sure if the letters were being read.

"She…" Speed started, then paused. How could he explain to his princess that her mother most likely didn't love her? "I think that she doesn't know how to love you. But she does want what's best for you, which is why she lets me take care of you."

"Okay," Avari nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Speed?" She asked again, and he braced himself.

"Yes, Princess?"

"Can I have a pony for Christmas?"

Speed nearly laughed out loud. This was a much better topic of conversation.

-DLG-

"So what did you tell her?" Calleigh laughed. She, Speed and Horatio were all sitting in the break room at CSI, talking over lunch.

"I told her she could have a stuffed one," he grinned wryly. "She's not having a real one until she can buy it herself."

"Meanie," Horatio muttered, to chuckles from the others.

"Well, if you want to spend your spare time shovelling horse shit, you buy one for her and keep it at your place," came the good-natured retort. Just then, Speed's pager went off and he sighed dramatically. "The slave driver beckons once again… catch you guys later." He stood and drained his cola, then tossed the can in the bin on his way out the door. Megan had found their dead guy's next of kin, so he was off to go interview them.

-DLG-

Several hours later, Speed was sitting on a table in the gun lab. Calleigh was testing out a gun that he'd found on a teenager against the bullet he'd found in his victim. She'd just retrieved the bullet she'd fired when Zack, Speed's least favourite lab-rat, came in with some papers.

"I see you found a gun," he muttered to Speed, who was absently examining his knuckles.

"Yup." After their rather physical disagreement just over a year ago, the two had avoided talking to each other any longer than was strictly necessary. This time, however, he hung back to talk to Calleigh.

"It was found on a sixteen-year-old," she sighed as she shook her head. "Seems like any day now they'll be handing out pump-actions with the school supplies."

"Good," Zack declared, to incredulous stares from the other two. "Even kids have the right to bear arms."

"Why?" Calleigh looked dumbfounded. "So if there's a school shooting they can all join in?" Sure she loved guns, but Calleigh was an advocate of responsible gun ownership, not just letting any idiot have such a potentially dangerous weapon.

"Well," Speed shrugged, "my teachers always said to make sure we had enough for everyone."

"I don't think they were talking about bullets though, were they?" Calleigh raised an eyebrow. Given some of the stories Speed had told about his schools, it was entirely possible they were.

"Nah, mostly gum," Speed remained seated on the table as Calleigh started the process of matching the bullets right next to him. Zack looked at the pair as if they'd grown an extra head each.

"Kids should be able to defend themselves!" He exclaimed. "They need to be able to carry weapons in order to feel safe, and be able to protect themselves."

Speed gave him a withering look, and held up his fist again.

"Do I need to give you another one? No? Then fuck off, we've got work to do."

Zack rolled his eyes and stormed out. Calleigh waited until he was out of earshot before she began to giggle.

"Y'know Speed, threatening to punch someone whilst arguing against kids carrying guns… not your most convincing argument."

"He's lucky I didn't threaten to shoot him," Speed shrugged. "And anyway, I'm not a kid."

"I dunno about that…" Speed playfully shoved her shoulder, earning a grin. "Well, you are sitting on my table like a ten year old."

"Am not." Speed said as childishly as he could.

"Oh… you!" Calleigh laughed again. "Shut up while I finish this comparison."

Speed obediently kept quiet, though he still had a smirk on his face. He liked stirring up Calleigh – she always gave as good as she got. After a few minutes, the Bullet Girl smiled at him in triumph.

"It's a match. That gun definitely fired the bullet that killed your vic."

"Thanks Cal," Speed nodded and hopped off the table. "Now to prove that the kid fired it." He sighed. "I really wish Florida had stricter gun regulations."

"You and me both," Calleigh agreed. "It would certainly make our jobs a lot easier."