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As much as he wanted to get involved in the case he knew better. Dressing in his favorite dark blue work shirt, he made sure that it covered his weapon and back holster, just like he did every morning. He missed his old job, but he couldn't linger on the longing for it. He got to work, pancake batter does not make itself neither do home fries.
It was just after ten in the morning when he started getting a funny feeling, something was just off. He couldn't put his finger on it, there was no rain in the forecast so his knees didn't hurt more than usual as they tended to when there was rain coming. No one he knew was sick, the ladies and Ben were all accounted for, he just couldn't shake the feeling. The more he thought about the more he came to realize that he was just worried about the agents and not being able to have their six. He hated not being able to protect his friends old one and new ones.
He watched as Penelope walked in and sat at one of the counter chairs, then as Helen poured her a cup of coffee.
"Hi, did you sleep well?"
"I did. Thanks for leaving the coffee machine already for me. I love just having to push one button for coffee."
"You're welcome, you hear from your team yet?" He asked through the service window.
"On their way back." she answers quickly.
He knows something happened just from the tone of her voice. "Penelope?"
She shakes her head. "He wouldn't come out, admitted to the killings, According to Emily he was raving about careless hunters killing for pleasure and trophies and not for food. He opened the door raised his rifle and." She doesn't finish letting the rest left unsaid.
"Suicide by cop." Tony says softly.
"Yeah, now they all have to deal with it. The paperwork not to mention the counseling that they will be made to go to."
" I'm sorry Penelope, how about I make you something to eat."
A sad expression crosses her face but just as quickly leaves it. " A veggie omelet, with cheese?"
Smiling as he looks a the BAU's favorite tech. "Coming right up."
He comes out himself to serve her as he puts the plate down in from of her letting his hand touch hers for a minute, he hears the door chimes ringing.
The smile on his face instantly vanishes when he sees someone from his past that he thought he would never see again. Stepping away from Penelope and everyone else, he casually waves his arms behind him signaling his workers to stay back before he moves to the opening between the counter.
"Antonio it has been a very long time, has it not?" The man asks in a sly almost smile holding a weapon by his side.
"Stefano." he replies with no inflection in his voice.
"You know why I'm here. A little bird called Giuseppe let us know where to find you, he has been rewarded handsomely."
"You don't have to do this. Just turn around and leave."
"That is impossible and you know it. Honor is honor."
It happened so fast both men fired their weapons at the same time. You could hear screaming coming from women and gasps from the men.
Stefano looks down at his chest and sees red spot growing on his snow white shirt.
"He said you were a cripple, a has-been." A surprised look crosses his face as he falls to the floor.
"I lied." Tony replies as he watches the man gasp then die. Only then does he allow himself to collapse hard the floor, with all of his weight on his knees.
"Penelope, sweetheart, could you. .. " is as far as he gets, watching her reach for her cell phone.
Morgan answers his cell with a smile. "Baby girl."
"Come quick, guns. Shot fired, Tony's hurt, man dead." she tells him quickly all in one breath.
"On our way."
Miss Sally grabs some clean towels and goes to Tony, she lifts his shirt then starts applying pressure on his side where she sees him holding himself.
"Hold that there, stay put." She orders.
"Yes Ma'am." he whispered back. Knowing the sight of blood might worry people he lowers the shirt to cover the towels but still continues applying pressure.
Everyone could hear the running of several footsteps before they were even seen.
They entered the restaurant with guns drawn, once the sees that no one had any weapons, they holstered them and started to do what was needed. Hotch looks at the dead man then takes Tony's weapon he clears it. "You double tapped him, why?"
"He was here to kill me. I always shoot to kill when someone is trying to kill me." Tony hissed.
"You can't stay here it's not safe anymore." Gibbs tells him.
"He could come work with us. We are a bigger agency, we can protect him." Rossi suggests.
"Before you decide who get custody of me, would you mind getting Ducky, I don't wear a vest anymore and I caught a round." Tony says through clenched teeth. He slowly lets out a breath coughing as he watches the agents talk to the people in the restaurant taking statements from all of them as well as his ladies and Ben
"Why the hell didn't you say something before?" Gibbs asks making room for Ducky to get close to Tony.
"Mm Dave." Tony calls to him through clenched teeth.
He squats down in front of the man he had come to respect in the short amount of time that they had been acquainted.
" Watch the marinara would you please and ask Penelope to show you the recipe 71 it's in the testing folder, it's important." he whispers to him in Italian.
Back on his feet he looks at the his friend. "Kitten I need a recipe from his testing file. It's called recipe 71."
"I'll go print it out, it will save time." Penelope looks at Tony one more time then calls over her shoulder as she leaves through the kitchen taking the back stairs to his apartment.
A small chuckle can be heard coming from Tony as Ducky takes over applying pressure on the wound.
"You want to tell us what's so damn funny DiNozzo?" Gibbs barks.
"I don't have to do any paperwork this time, no federal forms for discharging my weapon, no forms to submit for the legal department in triplicate, or any of the other mountain of forms that need to be filled out. Just a witness statement fist time in almost twenty- one years.
"That's what you think." Both Hotch Gibbs tell him.
"A softly said swear then a sharp intake of air is all they hear Tony from him as he tries to stand.
"Stay put or I'll head slap you." He says glaring at Tony.
"Yes Boss." he replies out of habit.
"Not before I do, you won't." Miss Sally tells him as she adds her glare to his.