they're singing deck the halls/but it's not like christmas at all

150. TEN Christmas traditions.

1. Going to the Christmas Eve church service with his folks as a kid.

2. Decorating the family Christmas tree.

3. Having a "day out" with his mom, going to lunch and then going Christmas shopping for Toys for Tots.

4. Taking the annual Speedle Family Christmas Photo for the Speedle Family Christmas Letter.

5. Opening one gift on Christmas Eve, and the rest on Christmas Day.

6. Christmas dinner at Alexx's house with her family.

7. Day shift's yearly Secret Santa exchange.

8. Getting and reading the annual Speedle Family Christmas Letter.

9. Using his day off to go shopping for Toys for Tots.

10. Helping Calleigh decorate her Christmas tree.

muse_shuffle December Greatest Hits - Track 22

22. When we arrive in the middle of nowhere // Don't act like you know, I been here so many times
(Queens of the Stone Age – ‘Auto Pilot’)

"Are you sure you know where you're going, Tim?" Calleigh asked for what seemed like the fifth time.

In the driver's seat of their shared rental car Speed grumbled. "Yes, I'm sure Calleigh. Now could you please be quiet and let me drive?" Rolling her eyes, the blonde sighed and turned to look out the window. Speed shook his head at her attitude before turning his focus back on driving.

Five minutes later he cursed under his breath and hit the steering wheel as they passed the same block of businesses for the third time. Calleigh turned to look at him, and Speed was somewhat surprised to see that her expression was sympathetic, not sarcastic.

"Why don't we stop and I'll go ask for directions?" she suggested gently.

"Yeah." Speed nodded. "That's...probably a good idea." He parked the car outside of small drugstore and waited while Calleigh went in. In some way, he wasn't very surprised that they were out here. H and the rest of the team had been content with just sending flowers once the news had hit Miami, but Calleigh had insisted on attending the funeral.

A few minutes later she was back, waving a piece of paper in her hand. "Got 'em," she announced triumphantly. "The clerk said this route will get us there quicker, too."

Tim nodded. "Good. I don't want to be late." Calleigh said nothing, but momentarily covered Tim's hand with her own.

Calleigh's directions got them out of the circle they'd been driving in, and it seemed like only a few minutes before they were pulling into a parking space outside of the church. The two Miami-Dade CSIs joined the line of mourners filing in, taking the time to sign the registry book before entering the sanctuary.

The Las Vegas team was sitting up near the front; Tim caught Catherine's eyes as he and Calleigh sat down in their pew and nodded at her. "We'll go say hi after the service," he murmured to Calleigh as he sat beside her.

She nodded as the preacher walked up to the pulpit, and the two of them turned their attention to honoring the life of Warrick Brown.

Muse: Tim Speedle
Fandom: CSI Miami
Word count: 363