Vinny

Author's Note: Just a moment that came to my head and I thought I'd share.

Let me know what you think.

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"Hey, would you mind if we stopped to pick up a suit that I had tailored?" Ressler asked as they walked toward their SUV from the office building where they had to meet with HR

"Sure, is it nearby?" Liz asked.

"A few blocks," Ressler nodded down the street. "Sorry, I just haven't been in this part of town all week and it's been ready for days now."

"Of course," Liz said as she got in their vehicle. "After WHMIS training I'm ready for anything. Maybe there's a radioactive spill we can read the data sheet for while there?"

Ressler laughed and started their car.

"You bought another suit?" Liz asked him, surprised he needed one.

"I wrecked one in that car explosion," Ressler said as he navigated traffic. "The Bureau gave me $400 compensation."

"Is that what suits cost?" Liz asked.

Ressler scoffed. "Not even close, but some accountant probably deemed that because I had owned it for 3 years it's value depleted. A new suit to replace the one destroyed doesn't deplete in value though."

Liz thought about his comments.

"How much does a suit cost? Tom and I have a wedding coming up and his is probably in need of..."

"About a grand," Ressler said. "Reddington's probably cost 5 grand but I am a government employee," he said as he looked for a parking spot.

"Wow, I didn't realize..." Liz said. "Is that why you wear them all the time? The investment?"

"I wear suits because it's what an FBI agent should wear," Ressler said as he parked. "Do I hate that I do when I'm running or climbing? Yes. Do I hate that they seem to think I can replace a suit I damaged on the job for less than half what a suit costs? Absolutely. But, I think it's important to look professional."

Liz nodded. She had only been working with him a couple of months and he seemed like an asshole most of the time but there was a nice guy underneath most dats. Way underneath some days.

"I'll just be..." Ressler said as he opened his door.

"No, I'll come too and look around for Tom," Liz said as she also got out. She tried to ignore the annoyed look that ran across his face when she said she'd join him.

They walked in together and an old man looking at a roll of material on the counter looked up at them, pulled down one of the two sets of glasses on his head and smiled.

"Donald!" He said with a smile.

"Vinny," Ressler smiled from ear to ear as he walked toward the man. "What trouble did you get into today?"

"No trouble when Mr FBI is around," Vinny chuckled as he came around the counter and hugged Ressler and kissed both of his cheeks.

Liz smiled, she hadn't ever seen Ressler this welcoming or casual with anyone before.

"You bring your girl Audrey I see?" Vinny said as he stepped away from Ressler and walked toward Liz.

"No, this is my partner Liz, and..."

"You FBI too?" Vinny asked her with a smile.

"I am," Liz smiled and nodded before she was embraced by the man.

As he hugged her she saw Ressler snickering over Vinny's shoulder and shaking his head.

"Thank you," Liz said as she and the older man parted.

"You are bella," Vinny said with a smile as he released Liz. "And lethal too?"

Liz chuckled and nodded.

Vinny patted her arm and turned to Ressler.

"Why you no bring Audrey?" Vinny asked.

"Audrey and I haven't been together for a while Vinny," Ressler said as he carefully eyed Liz. He didn't like talking about his personal life, never mind a failure in his personal life, in front of her.

"Oh no!" Vinny said, genuinely upset.

"It's fine," Ressler smiled at the man. "We've got to get back to the office though, do you have my suit?"

"Yes, yes, Mr busy FBI," Vinny chuckled as he walked to a room and reached inside for something before producing it. "This one will bring out your nice blue eyes to get a new lady."

Ressler laughed and took the suit from him.

"You try on," Vinny said as he gestured toward the suit.

"No, I..."

"I need to see that the shoulders are good," Vinny said. "And the inseam."

Ressler sighed and looked toward Liz.

"Go ahead," Liz said with a smile.

She started to walk around the small shop and look at the jackets hanging while Vinny got Ressler into a change room. It looked like Vinny made custom suits but also had very nice suit stock that he tailored to suit his customers.

"You married?" Vinny asked as he came back.

"Yes, I am," Liz smiled at him.

"He needs a wife," Vinny whispered as he pointed toward the change room at the back.

Liz chuckled.

"He's such a good boy," Vinny said with affection. "So nice, he deserves to be happy."

Liz smiled at him; she and Ressler had spent more time bashing heads since she started. She wasn't sure she could agree with the 'good boy' or 'nice' comments.

"No more trouble," Vinny said.

Liz raised an eyebrow; she wasn't sure what he meant.

"A year ago, this bad gang, boys really, but mean and oh...their poor mothers," Vinny raised a hand to the heavens. "I was paying, paying, paying...it never enough."

Liz quirked her eyebrows. Vinny had been targeted by a gang that would 'protect him' for payment. The poor man.

"Then Donald find out and he fix," Vinny said.

"He fixed?" Liz asked.

"Such a good boy," Vinny said.

"How'd he fix it for you?" Liz asked, intrigued that Ressler had helped the old man.

"He speak to those boys, scare those boys. And he get all these new customers for me," Vinny smiled. "Police, FBI, Secret Service, CIA, oh everybody come to Vinny now. And those boys, they never come around because who knows who is with Vinny? Who identify you? Who arrest you? Donald a gift from god."

Liz watched the man gesture toward the heavens with tears in his eyes and she saw how much this meant to him. Ressler's solution had helped him and her heart warmed and her eyes misted. He was a good man.

"That was very good of him," Liz smiled and nodded.

"Now everyone come to Vinny," Vinny chuckled. "I so lucky and he refuse, refuse, to let Vinny give him discount. For all his help, he no let me pay and..."

"I think he just wants you to be safe," Liz smiled at the man. "He's just happy you aren't being bothered by that gang."

The curtain at the back opened and Ressler came out in a brand new suit that fit him perfectly. It was a different blue, not navy but not bright royal, somewhere in between and it absolutely made his eyes pop from across the shop.

"Fits perfect Vinny, as usual," Ressler smiled at the older man oblivious to Liz's discussion with him.

In that moment, Liz saw him in a different light. He was young and smiling and the good boy who helped the old man, playing dress up in a suit. She shook her head and the moment was gone, replaced by the man before her, also smiling but also more guarded.

"You so handsome!" Vinny said as he walked toward him.

Liz saw Ressler blush and shake his head.

"You get a wife now," Vinny said as he patted Ressler's shoulder.

Ressler chuckled.

"Maybe Vinny," he replied shyly.

Liz listened to them talk a bit about the suit before Ressler went inside to change out of it and then came out and paid.

"Thanks again Vinny," Ressler smiled at him as he held the suit. "You still getting some good customers?"

"So busy!" Vinny laughed.

"Glad to hear," Ressler smiled at him. "You call me if you need anything, okay?"

Vinny hugged him, said something in Italian and kissed both his cheeks before he hugged Liz again and they were on their way to the SUV.

"Great suit," Liz said as they walked. "And what a wonderful man."

"Vinny is the best," Ressler smiled casually. "I met him a few years ago and he's done all my suits since."

"He said he has a lot of police, FBI, CIA, Secret Service customers," Liz offered, trying to see what Ressler's version of the story would be.

"Yeah, word gets out when there's a great suit place," Ressler said without revealing anything.

"Yeah, I guess it does," Liz smiled back at the man who wasn't taking credit for what he'd done to help the old man.

The end