NOTES: What can I say? I can't help myself. Thanks for all the feedback for my other Diana/Marco fanfiction. My muses seem to adore Marco, so the more reviews I get, the more I'll probably write. This is set during Voices Carry, the episode with the telepath and the arrival of April Skouris. Thank you evil-jeannie75 for betaing this.

SPOILERS: through Voices Carry

DISCLAIMER: The 4400 and all things associated with it belong to other people.

THINKING ABOUT IT

"Mr. Navarro?"

Gary nearly jumped. After having become so used to hearing with his mind, he'd grown out of practice hearing with his ears. He turned to find a smallish, bespectacled man standing in the doorway of the room NTAC had given him. With a rumpled tan jacket and lots of equally rumpled hair, this agent didn't seem like typical NTAC stock.

This is as bad as the one they had Tom's kid in. Couldn't they give the guy a room with a window? At least it comes with cable.

"Hi, I'm Marco." With a smile, he held out his hand. There was something so straightforward and unassuming about him that it made Gary feel relaxed.

"Call me Gary." Gary crossed the room to take his hand and gave it a shake.

Wow! I can see why he's headed for the majors! Did Tom really play in college?

The thought made Gary smile. Despite the drugs he was taking to control his telepathy, he could still hear strong thoughts, and for some reason, this man's thoughts were particularly clear.

"I'm here to talk to you about that transmitter they gave you yesterday and take you to the car that'll be dropping you off at The Center."

"What about Baldwin and Skouris?"

"They're already there, prepping for your arrival. It might seem suspicious if their cover vehicle arrived around the same time you did." The smaller man scanned the room then looked back at him expectantly. "So, you ready to go?"

Nodding, he picked up his bag and followed Marco into the hall. Ever since the drugs had started working, Gary had been feeling pretty good, but now that the time had finally come, his stomach it wasn't so sure about breakfast. It must have shown on his face.

"Nervous?" Marco's smile was sympathetic.

Grinning sheepishly, Gary confessed. "I s'pose so. Watching The Man from Uncle and being the man from Uncle are two different things."

I remember that show; it was cool. "That's normal." Marco nodded. Not that I've really been in the field. "Most of the people here will never have to go undercover for NTAC, but they come from a bunch of different agencies, many of which involve undercover work. So I've heard how it goes." Gary found his shambly, swinging gate amusing. "They say there are a couple of things that help...besides experience, of course. One is knowledge; the more you know about the mission, the more in control you feel. The other is knowing that you're not alone out there. I'm here to help you with the knowledge part, though I can assure you Diana and Tom are the best. They'll be there during the day, and they've hand-picked the agents for the other two shifts. Knowing that may not help now, but...hopefully it will once you start hearing them on the transmitter." He tapped a finger just behind his ear. "Antacids don't hurt, either." At this, he fished a bottle of them out of his pocket. "Want some?"

"I'll pass," he said with a laugh.

Shrugging, Marco returned the bottle to his pocket. "You have the ointment, in case the transmitter causes skin irritation, right?" He gestured to his ear again. "It wouldn't be good for your cover or the transmitter if you scratch it too much."

Patting his bag, Gary nodded. "It's in here with the rest of my meds. So have you known them long?"

"Diana and Tom? I've known Diana for a couple of years, but I didn't meet Tom until after Highland Beach. Before Homeland Security, we were all in different agencies. Diana was with the CDC; between the CDC, Homeland Security and NTAC, she's had about ten years of experience. Tom was originally with the FBI and has had almost twenty years in the field. Between the two of them, they've pretty much handled more critical cases for NTAC than the rest combined, but that's understandable, given their experience and success rate."

They reached the elevator, and Marco punched in the security code.

"It helps to hear that from an unbiased perspective."

Marco snorted. "I'm hardly unbiased," he admitted. Especially where Diana is concerned. "But part of my job is to review the facts in all the cases, crunch numbers, stuff like that. So it's not just an opinion."

"Got it."

"Now, about the transmitter. I'm not sure how much they told you, so...some of this might be redundant. But it's part of my job, and they asked me to review everything with you." Not that I mind. It gave me an excuse to talk with Diana. ...She's been wearing pale, subdued colors the past couple of days. Something must be making her uneasy...but what?

Like the ding of the elevator doors opening, it became clear to Gary why this guy kept naming Skouris first when mentioning the two agents.

Marco entered and continued talking, oblivious of the double input Gary was receiving from him. "It has a range of about half a mile, which means we should be able to pick you up anywhere on Center grounds. It can send and receive transmissions through all standard construction materials. We know where most members are housed, and there should be no problem, though it's recommended you avoid going deeper than one basement level." Is she worried about this guy? Seems like he could take care of himself. The worst that could happen is The Center will kick him out or convert him.

They got off at the basement. "Now, just because they'll be listening to you at all times doesn't mean they'll be talking to you. It can be distracting to have two different voices going at the same time." Gary's tousled-haired guide visibly cringed. "Sorry. You'd know that better than anyone, huh?" Of course, it sucks that he's being asked to do this when he's only just come to grips with his ability.

"Somehow, having a technological explanation to it makes it easier to deal with." Gary smiled. "Besides, it'd only be two people, not hundreds, right?"

"Right." Marco opened the door to the basement parking garage. "Tom wanted me to make sure you understand that if anything goes wrong, if you feel you can't do it, just walk out. They'll meet you by the time you reach the perimeter. If you need them to come get you, just ask." Still, it's not as though it was Diana's decision, and she'll make doubly sure he's okay because of it. So what could be bothering her? I wish she'd tell me. "So, do you have any questions?"

Unlike the rest of people he'd met at NTAC, with the exception of his case worker, Marco seemed to have a sense of humor. He couldn't resist. "Have you asked her out?"

"Huh?" What? Marco came to a halt in front of a sedan done up like a taxi and blinked at him. "Who?" Has he been--?

"Agent Skouris."

The other man opened his mouth then closed it without saying anything. She wouldn't think about me in the thick of a case, would she? Tilting his head to one side, he asked, doubtful but hopeful, "You're not saying that because she..." His circling hand gesture suggested someone sharing a confidence.

"Sorry, no." Gary shook his head with a grin. "But that doesn't mean anything. I wasn't too with it when we first met, and her thoughts were focused on the assignment the second time." He clapped the smaller man on the shoulder. "The only stray thought I caught was about her daughter and sister, so it's not like she was thinking of some other guy."

Sister? Marco looked thoughtful. That might explain how she's been this week.

"Man, you project so clearly, I'm surprised other people can't hear your thoughts." Although still a bit queasy, thanks to this mild-mannered agent, Gary was feeling much less anxious about his impending mission, and he was grateful for it. "You seem like a decent guy. There's no reason to think she isn't interested. You'll never know until you ask her."

Like I haven't tried...not that she's taken it seriously. "I'll think about it." Is it worth risking what I've got now to find out? If she said yes... He smiled and held out his hand, which Gary shook again. Dang, but he's got an arm on him! "Good luck, Gary."

"You, too, Marco."

After climbing into the taxi, Gary looked back as it pulled away. There was Marco, waving farewell. He waved back until the car rounded a corner then turned to face the task ahead of him. Despite his questionable treatment at NTAC, it felt reassuring to know not all the agents were cut from the same stoic cloth.

What an interesting guy.