NOTES: Pesky muses! They can be so demanding, and as of late, they've been demanding Marco. I'm hoping the show will give us a happy ending to his infatuation with Diana, though I have my doubts. Still, I can't resist. This is set after the end of season two. Since the season's not over, I'm speculating on a few things. Unbetaed.
SPOILERS: I've only seen through Lockdown
DISCLAIMER: The 4400 and all things associated with it belong to other people.
MEETING APRIL
He woke to the chime of a doorbell--a doorbell that wasn't his. Sitting up with a start, Marco realized it was morning and he was on Diana's sofa. That meant she wasn't home from her assignment. Was she all right? She said she might not get back before morning, but... He reached into his pocket for his cell phone. No messages.
The doorbell rang again.
Who would be at the door of a condo in a building with a doorman for security at--he squinted at his phone again--7:17 on a Saturday morning? What if...
Heart in his throat, Marco scrambled off the couch and rushed to open the door. There was no NTAC official on the other side, only a scruffy young woman in a short ruffled skirt, tights and a well-loved denim jacket. She held an elaborately decorated canvas bag full of groceries in one hand and had a small red duffle slung over her shoulder. He could just detect a whiff of incense clinging to her. They stared at each other for a moment before Marco found his voice. "May I help you?" His not-quite-awake tone was unavoidable.
Brows furrowed, the young woman tilted her head at him, looked at the door behind her, then looked back. "Don't tell me my sister moved without letting me know," she huffed in annoyance.
"Sister...?"
"Aunt April!" Maia rushed past him in her blue and white striped pajamas to throw her arms around the woman.
"Maia!" She picked the girl up for proper hug. "I was beginning to think I had the wrong place."
Although he'd gathered from Diana's and Maia's comments that the Skouris sisters were very different, Marco would hardly have guessed this woman was related to the object of his affections. They seemed to share nothing but their coloring and love of Maia. Uncertain what to do about an uninvited guest from California, he decided to err on the side of comfortable, as was his preference. "Diana's on assignment right now." He stepped aside to let her pass. "Won't you come in?"
"Guess that explains why I couldn't get a hold of her on her cell." She walked in and raised her eyebrows questioningly in a way that reminded him of Diana. "And you are?"
"He's Marco," declared Maia, as though it was as obvious as the sky being blue.
"You're Marco?" There was a definite speculative quality to her voice.
"Oh, sorry." He took her bag and held out a hand. "Nice to meet you, Miss Skouris."
"Call me April." She gave his hand a firm shake. "Sorry to wake you up. I didn't think to call the land line."
Closing the door behind her, he asked, "So what brings you to this neck of the woods? Last I'd heard..."
"I wasn't on the acceptable visitor's list?" she finished with a resigned smile. "I heard about how Maia and the other 4400s were sick, so I thought I'd come up and cook some chicken soup. It took me a while to get the time and money, but I was hoping Diana would make an exception once I got here. I'm just glad to see my favorite niece is doing better!" Bending over, she tilted Maia upside-down, causing the girl to squeal with laughter. Straightening, she let Maia slip to her feet.
"I'm your only niece."
"Yes." April smoothed a stray lock of hair behind Maia's ear. "But you're still my favorite."
"Maia, why don't you get cleaned up while we start breakfast?" suggested Marco.
Her eyes lit up. "Can we have pancakes?"
"You don't want French toast?" He pretended to be hurt.
"Sorry, Marco," giggled Maia, "I like Aunt April's pancakes better."
"Do you mind?" he asked April.
"Of course not. I bought blueberries, just in case."
"Blueberry pancakes!" Maia beamed and literally skipped to her room.
"The way to a girl's heart..." laughed April, taking the bag back and making her way to the kitchen.
Marco stepped into the living room to fetch his glasses off the Monopoly set before joining her. Crouched in front of the open refrigerator, April was storing the contents of her bag. "Homemade chicken broth?" he asked as she transferred a large plastic container of amber liquid.
"Yeah. There's this great Mexican place down the street from where I live," she explained enthusiastically. "They sell whole roast chickens for a song after 9 at night. Perfect for soup. I froze it solid for the trip." There was still an icy chunk floating in the middle.
"Pass me the cantaloupe and grapes?"
"Why does she store whole cantaloupe in the refrigerator?" muttered April as she handed it to him. "Mind washing off the blueberries for me while you're at it?"
"Sure." After setting the fruit in the sink, he washed his hands and pulled out the cutting board, flipping it to the "sweet" side. He'd put a little notch in it once to differentiate when he'd cut and peeled and apple to share with Maia and it ended up with an oniony flavor. Then he grabbed a trio of bowls and a strainer while April began arranging what she'd need for the pancake batter on the kitchen table behind him.
"You do this often?" she asked.
"Maybe once a month or so." He rinsed the blueberries first, since they'd need to be dry when they were added to the batter. "Being a single mother with Diana's kind of job isn't easy. Of course, she didn't need my help when you were staying here." He said it lightly, but that had been a lonely few weeks.
"Nothing like the convenience of a live-in babysitter." April's tone was disgruntled.
"You didn't like helping out with Maia?"
"Oh, don't get me wrong," she corrected. "I love spending time with Maia. It was the expectation that I should drop everything on a moment's notice and the lack of appreciation from Diana that I didn't like."
Her words struck an unpleasant chord within him, but he ignored it and concentrated on fishing out the stems and bad berries. "Where did you get such tiny blueberries?"
"There's a farmer's market near the bus station. The little ones are better for pancakes and muffins 'cause they don't burst as easily." She moved back to the refrigerator. "Does she have any lemon juice?"
"Second shelf from the bottom in the door."
"There you are!" Snatching it and the milk, she closed the refrigerator with a laugh. "I normally don't have buttermilk; I suppose I shouldn't expect her to. So who's going to set the table?"
"Maia. For blueberry pancakes, I'll bet she'll even do it with a smile."
She chuckled at that, and they fell into a companionable silence as Marco worked with the fruit and April on her batter. He was just finishing adding the grapes to the cantaloupe when she moved to the stove and pulled out a frying pan from the cupboard.
"Grab one for me, would you."
"Sure, but why?" she asked.
"Diana's worried about Maia's protein intake, especially after this illness, so I'm going to make eggs." He set the bowl of fruit in the middle of the table then rummaged in the refrigerator for all he'd need.
"She could have yogurt or cheese," said April, scattering a handful of blueberries on the still-wet batter in the frying pan.
"Yes, but she can do that any time," he explained, setting the maple syrup on the counter to warm. "Want ham, too?"
"Nah, too many nitrates."
"Got it." He returned to the counter next to the sink and debated for a moment about the number of eggs he should cook. Would Diana get home in time for breakfast? He decided to go with four, just in case. Tossing the shells into the bowl with the cantaloupe rind, bad berries and shriveled grapes, he dumped the contents into the trash and rinsed his hands before continuing. After beating the eggs with a fork, he added salt, pepper and powdered rosemary, which had always been a favorite of his mother's. Then he poured a generous portion of cream into them. It was one of the many little details he loved about Diana. No reduced fat or artificially vanilla flavored nonsense for her; at home she always had real cream for her coffee. The thought reminded him that he should probably start a pot before cooking the eggs; both the coffee and pancakes would take some time.
He was shredding cheese into the eggs when April grumbled, "She's an idiot."
It seemed an odd thing to say out of the blue. "Excuse me?"
"Diana. She's an idiot." She said it as a statement of fact.
Naturally, Marco disagreed, though he kept his voice mild. "She's one of the most intelligent people I know."
"Okay, but it doesn't mean she's not an idiot."
"What makes you say that?"
Setting down the spatula, she looked him in the eye and ticked off the reasons on her fingers. "You're reliable; you're smart; you have a good job; you're good with Maia; you're adorable; you're completely into her and you can cook." Putting one hand on a hip, she gestured with the other to help convey her incredulity. "If all she sees in you is a coworker, confidant and an emergency sitter, then she's an idiot."
Marco wanted to agree with her but had an instinctive need to defend Diana. Somehow, he ended up saying, "Making scrambled eggs is hardly cooking..."
With a roll of her eyes, April insisted, "You put rosemary in them. I doubt Diana would have the slightest idea what to do with rosemary, let alone where to find it powdered." She turned back to her skillet to flip a pancake. "Besides, only someone who cooks can be this comfortable in someone else's kitchen."
Fortunately, he was rescued from not knowing what to say by the timely return of Maia. "Are you done?" With neatly brushed hair and a freshly scrubbed face, she smiled like the sunshine. Surprisingly, she seemed oblivious to the tension between the two adults.
"Not yet, baby girl," April's voice had none of the exasperation it'd held just moments before. "But I should be close by the time you've set the table."
Marco busied himself with the coffee maker while Maia and April chatted about TV and baseball behind him. Diana had a lot of walls, which he was determined to get past with time and patience, but it had never occurred to him any of the blame for his unrequited infatuation might lay at her feet. She had never encouraged his attention but neither had she dissuaded him. Why would she say and do some of the things she did if she had no interest in him? Then again, how much and how long did he need to prove himself before she appreciated him as a man, not a friend? He remembered the dark emotions that had boiled up when he'd talked with Diana during the lockdown--frustration, aggravation, neglect, entitlement. The most disturbing part was that he knew those feelings were all his, just buried too deeply to normally detect. In the end, it didn't matter; he'd done all he could for her, just has he would have were he not in the midst of an artificially induced rage.
"Are you okay?"
Blinking, he looked down to see Maia's worried face staring back at him. "I'm fine," he said automatically, "just need some coffee to help me wake up."
A frown of suspicion crossed her brow, but she nodded in acceptance. "Then maybe you should plug in the coffee maker," she advised sagely.
"Right." He plugged it in then moved to the stove with his eggs. The pan was already warm with a dab of butter melting in it.
"I heated it up for you." April gave him a sympathetic smile. "Didn't mean to upset you; I just get frustrated with her sometimes."
"Frustrated with who?" asked Maia as she moved the butter dish and syrup from the counter to the table.
"Your mom, sweetie." April flipped another pancake. "She can be thickheaded when it comes to personal stuff."
"She's just afraid."
Marco and April exchanged puzzled looks. "What do you mean?" she asked.
"She's afraid of being hurt or hurting someone else if she makes a mistake. The only reason she took me in was because she figured I would never leave her, or at least not for a very long time. She's lived for so long needing to be right all the time, for school and work, that she's forgotten everyone makes mistakes. That's why she was so upset with you using my ability to make money. She thought she'd made a mistake that had hurt me. I was hurt, but we're the ones who'd made the mistake, not her. She's smart; she'll figure it out eventually." Maia said all that while carefully filling three glasses with milk.
April set aside her spatula and knelt down to give the girl a hug. "Maia, you give me hope." There were tears in her eyes.
Marco had to admit, it gave him hope, too. Maybe Diana would figure it out and either reel him in or cut him loose. In the meantime, he'd stick to his plan, to do everything he could for her and always be there for her. Perhaps she'd get comfortable enough to want to keep him, like she had Maia. If she did, he would never leave.
The pancakes and eggs finished cooking at almost the same time, though the coffee wasn't ready until about half way through the meal. It was a nice breakfast, and he had to admit that the blueberry pancakes were better than plain old French toast.
April gave an appreciative, "Mmm," as she ate her eggs. "What cheese did you put in them?"
"Provolone dolce"
"Provolone?"
"A mild to sharp smoky semi-hard cheese good for sandwiches and cooking," recited Maia.
Marco smiled with pride. "If there's one aspect of culinaria I ever get Maia to embrace, it's that..."
"...any cheese from Italy is good!" he chorused with the girl.
"Cheese isn't the only good thing to come from Italy." April winked at him, just like Diana occasionally did.
The bold but teasing compliment also reminded him of Diana. Unsure how he should take the comment, he just smiled and took a sip of his coffee.
"How long are you planning to stay, Aunt April?" Maia seemed a bit anxious about it.
"Long enough to make soup."
Maia's expression wavered between disappointment and relief.
"You know how your mom felt about my seeing you again." April gave an accepting smile. "I think it's best if I just come and go as quietly as possible until she gets used to the idea of my visiting. Why don't we clear the table and load the dishwasher so we can give Marco the chance to clean up?"
"I thought you might want to go first," he offered.
April held up a hand. "I should start the soup as soon as I can. We'll be fine, won't we, Maia?"
"Yeah." She bobbed her blond head in agreement. "Besides, you need a shave."
Marco grinned. "I think you're about ten years too young to be saying that, but I can take a hint."
Finishing his coffee, he left the kitchen to snag his overnight bag from the living room. He always felt a little awkward taking a shower at Diana's place. It wasn't just the idea of being undressed in the home of his love interest; it was the decor. Although Diana had put some effort in keeping this bathroom comfortable for adults, it was, essentially, Maia's. The pastel towels and small tray of glittery makeup were one thing, but the plethora of Sponge Bob and My Little Pony bath accouterments hidden by the shower curtain were something else. Still, between the coffee and hot shower, he felt refreshed enough to get past the little aches of having slept on a sofa.
By the time he came out, the whole place smelled like chicken soup. Maia and April were finishing the dishes, and the pot was simmering on the stove, a bag of egg noodles sitting on the counter beside it waiting in anticipation. "Smells good."
They turned and smiled, April giving him an assessing gaze that made him a little self-conscious. "We added some rosemary." She seemed to mean something by it, but he didn't know what.
Just then, his cell phone rang. Maia's smile faded, and she turned to April. "If you want to leave before my mom gets home, you should go soon."
The call was from Diana, letting them know to expect her in an hour but to eat without her. He didn't bother telling her they'd already cleaned up from breakfast.
"I guess that's a sign for me to get outta here," sighed April.
"But we haven't added the noodles, yet."
"Sweetie, I don't think there'll be enough time."
"There will."
Maia said it in a way Marco had never heard before, a way that suggested she knew. It was a bit sad how much it seemed to matter to her. She might appreciate him, but he saw her fairly regularly. April was family, yet Maia's only chance to see her was while her mother was away. Even the time to boil pasta was a treasure. The though caused a spark of frustration in his chest. Why couldn't Diana see the same potential in people as she saw in theories and leads?
"Let's get to it," he suggested.
Too quickly, the soup was brought to a boil and the noodles were cooked. Marco kept quiet so Maia and her aunt could talk as much as possible, making a sandwich for April to take with her, since she wouldn't be able to enjoy her own soup. Then he and Maia saw their guest to the lobby.
"No tears, baby girl," chided April as she picked up her niece for a hug good-bye. "We'll see each other again, right?" Maia nodded glumly. "You take care of yourself and your mom, okay?
"Okay," Maia sniffled. "Thank you for breakfast and soup."
"You're very welcome." April faced Marco. "This went a whole lot easier than I thought. Thanks for letting me in." She leaned forward and gave him a peck on the cheek. "If you get tired of waiting, look me up. There's only one April Skouris in Berkeley." With that, she set Maia down and left, slinging her red duffle over her shoulder and waving farewell as she walked down the street. He was torn by conflicting impulses--pleasure at being appreciated as a man and disappointment that the appreciation had come from the wrong woman.
Diana returned about twenty minutes later. Initially, she was upset at the idea of her sister's visit. With Maia's help and a calm report of everything that had happened, he managed to get her to relax about it. Admittedly, an unapproved visit from her estranged sister was no small issue, but he suspected some of her consternation was actually due to her assignment and that it had, once again, required her to work through the night. He volunteered to stay longer while Diana caught up on her sleep.
A quiet Monopoly game and a pair of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches later, Diana emerged from her bedroom clean and rested. She was actually apologetic about having been upset and invited him to stay for dinner, seeing as it was already made. They played another round of Monopoly, all three of them, though Maia won, as usual. The soup was wonderful and went perfectly with the fresh, crusty bread April had left for them.
After dinner, he helped clean up then gathered his things to leave. Maia surprised him when she gave him a good-bye kiss on the cheek and said, "If you get tired of waiting, look me up. There's only one Maia Rutledge in Seattle." Giggling, she skipped to her room, leaving Marco and Diana staring at each other, dumbfounded.
After a moment, Diana gave him an assessing gaze that was eerily similar to the one April had given him that morning. "Now I know my sister has been here." Maybe they had more in common than he'd thought.
Unsure what to say, he simply grinned. "Good night, Diana."
She smiled back. "Good night, Marco."