Multifandom Imagines (and a Headcanon set here and there)

No Plot or Title Only Fluff - CSI character insert

(A/N:  For my friend Aria-jimaDoragonzu )

Warrick walked through the hallways of WLVU, having to get to one of the classes which was the scene of the crime.  He came across a room with its door open halfway.  He could feel the air conditioning flowing out to him, but it was too quiet and too dimly lit for there to be a class happening.  Curious, he decided to poke their heads in and take a peek.  There was a teacher inside, quietly marking homework at her desk.  She looked up when Warrick came in.  "Oh I'm sorry-" Warrick started, about to leave, but the teacher stood up and took a few steps towards him, trying to get a better look at him.

"Warrick?  Is that you?"

Warrick gasped silently when he recognised who it was.  "Ria."  They tentatively approached each other.  Then, Warrick took his camera off and they hugged.

"I haven't seen you since we went here," Ria smiled.

Warrick gave a snorting laugh.  "Always with the lame jokes," he smiled affectionately.

"And I never knew a mischievous guy like you would make it into forensics," Ria smiled back, lightly bumping a fist on his chest.  She had never doubted that he was smart enough though.

"Well, I guess you can say I've grown up now," he grinned.  "What about you, what do you teach?"

"Music!  I got the job I wanted!"  And that was said with a big toothy smile.

Warrick laughed in impressed surprise.  "Congratulations."  They hugged again for that.

Just then, a voice at the door chimed in, "Hiya Warrick."  They broke apart to see Grissom had stuck his head around the door.

"Oh, sorry Grissom!  I was catching up with an old friend.  Ria this is my boss Gil Grissom."

"Nice to meet you," she said, waving a hand.

"Pleasure."  Directing his eyes to Warrick, he spoke, "Well, the scene's yours.  I was just retracing the path of the victim, trying to get into his headspace; then I heard your voice coming from here."

Warrick smiled sheepishly.  Realising something, he looked at Ria.  "Since your class is here, did you...?" 

"Sorry Warrick."  She shook her head.

The crime had happened in the dead of night, and Warrick knew it was a weak pursuit, but, "Worth a try."  Then, "Hey about we go for a coffee when this case is over?"

"Yeah!  I'd love to!"  was the enthusiastic reply.

Warrick bumped his fist on her shoulder with a grin.  "I'll see you then."

"See ya!"  When Warrick was moving to join Gil, Ria waved and called out, "Bye mister Grissom!"

"So long," he smiled before he and his son walked in opposing directions of where they had come from.  Ria sat back down to her work with a smile, a fondness in her heart at having seen her old friend again.

After a week or so, the CSIs found enough evidence to apprehend the murderer.  The team wanted to go out for breakfast together, so Warrick asked them if Ria could join them and also asked her if she would like to come along instead, and both parties agreed.  During the course of the investigation, they had talked a bit here and there, so they were at least a little bit comfortable with each other, and most of the breakfast was spent telling one another in on information that they had told someone else.  Warrick and Ria could even fill in for each other whenever someone had forgotten something.  They continued to spend time together after that, and so Ria became not only Warrick's friend, but the team's friend.  Aside from Warrick, she found herself drawn to Nick for how alike they were, Catherine for her strength, and Grissom for how kind, gentle and fatherly he was.

Grissom and Ria loved to share their interest in novels and poetry in French and Spanish, both of which languages Ria was fluent in; Grissom's French was moderate but he had much to learn as to Spanish, and Ria delighted in teaching him.  Grissom taught her ASL in return.  Like he did with everyone younger than him who was close to him, Grissom 'adopted' Ria, and they became close friends and a good support system for each other, sharing their moments of triumph and grief.

One Saturday night, or very early Sunday morning, Ria decided to visit them at the lab since she would have no classes the following, or that, day.  The CSIs were sitting in the break room, lightly discussing the case in relaxed conversation while some of them ate snacks, so after greeting each other Ria just sat quietly, happy to spend silent company with them.  At one point, Grissom put forth a way they could go about tackling the case, but Nick and Greg suggested different perspectives.  And Grissom actually commended them and encouraged them to go for it.  It was Ria's first time watching them work, so she was surprised to say the least, but she kept quiet.  It was only when she was alone in the room with Gil that they spoke.  "Hi," Gil smiled at her.

"Hey."  She was still distant, visibly enough for Gil to tell.

He looked at her carefully and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing.  It's just...I've never seen someone like you.  Someone who readily accepts alternatives or correction.  I mean I knew you were the kind of person to but...to actually see it happen is, surprising...my own father would have snapped and told me to obey him just because he said so."  She sighed at the last part.

Gil shook his head.  "You all need better authority figures.  During a case a few years ago, I, like you said, 'readily accepted correction', freely admitting I was wrong, and they were shocked."

"Well you are the better authority figure!"  It was humourous, but true.

He smiled bashfully at that.  Both his natural humility and low self-esteem (another problem they stood in solidarity against) always made him shy with compliments.  "You really think so?"

"Yeah!  I mean, look at you!  Do you know how badly we wish we were your actual children?"

"Don't worry I already consider you lot that."  Ria had to laugh at how he was completely serious.  And then the fondness set in.  She accompanied the shift supervisor to his office where he was going to do his thinking over the case, sitting silently again.  She stayed until she was getting tired, then after hugging everyone, and a big hug from Gil, she went home to bed.