NOTES: Thank you for such quick and lovely reviews! And a double thank you to PurpleYin for telling me how to get around ffnet's current document download glitch! Now, it's Marco's turn.

SPOILERS: through Mommy's Bosses/season two

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

NOT ALONE

Part 2

It hurt, so much so that he had to will himself to keep breathing normally. Oddly, his stinging cheek was a welcome distraction from the ache in his chest, and putting on his glasses further concentrated his discomfort on the physical, tangible pain. He pushed his way past the officers who were keeping the other tenants out of the hall that led to Diana's apartment. His unfocused gaze caught on the face of Mrs. Skalko, one of the other people in the building who babysat Maia. A kind and personable woman, they both shared the bond of caring for the polite child and her bold mother. Some part of his brain fixated on the petite matron, her concerned expression jump-starting his aptitude for multitasking, allowing him to do something other than worry about Maia and whether or not he'd just ruined a relationship into which he'd put two years of careful effort and all of his heart.

"Mrs. Skalko." He couldn't quite manage a smile. "I'm glad you and your family are okay."

"Marco, what's happened?" She reached up to his face, and he instinctively bobbed his head away.

"Maia's been kidnapped."

Eyes wide, Mrs. Skalko withdrew her hand to cover her gaping mouth. "Has anyone been..."

"Nothing serious. Mrs. Benke was tied up, and Diana is understandably upset. Do you think you could help them? They could really use a calming influence right about now. Maybe your husband could talk with Mr. Benke? It might be a while before she can leave Diana's place."

"I'll do what I can. But what about you?"

"Diana...doesn't want to see me at the moment." He couldn't help but smile as Mrs. Skalko reached out to give his arm a comforting squeeze. "Besides, someone has to get the investigation started."

"Who would do such a thing?"

"I have a few ideas." There were countless people who would want revenge against Diana, the most obvious of whom were those currently on trial. Pulling out his wallet, he handed her a card. "If anyone gives you trouble about getting in, tell them to call me."

Nodding, she took the card then reached up to touch the uninjured side of his face. "Good luck, Marco. Be careful."

"Thank you, Mrs. Skalko."

Just then, the elevator opened to let out a couple Marco presumed, by their suits, to be police detectives. Wondering how he and Diana had arrived before they had, he slipped past them, and they both gave him a look.

"Hey," said the woman. "Who are you?"

The man finished her thought with a, "And where d'ya think you're going?"

Marco cut them off by flashing his NTAC ID. They turned away by the time the doors closed. Pulling out his cell phone, he dug up Nina's personal number from its memory and dialed.

"Jarvis here." Her voice was always so businesslike.

"Hello. It's Marco." How to say this? "Sorry to bother you at home, but Maia Skouris has been kidnapped."

"I know, the police chief just contacted me."

The elevator reached the first floor, and he made his way to the doorman's station. "I'd like permission to start an investigation."

"Granted. Who do you plan on using?"

"Baldwin and Brady, maybe a few others." He offered a wave to the pair of police officers interviewing people in the lobby, and they responded with nods.

"What about Skouris?"

"I don't think she's up to it." It made him cringe to say so, but he managed to sound reasonably detached.

"And Adams?"

Mention of the name brought Marco to a dead halt, and he abruptly recalled the funerals of agents Mortimer and Falcone. There had been nothing he could have done to prevent their deaths, but he had never escaped the vague feeling that he should have somehow foreseen the possibility of what had happened to them, maybe warned them or objected to their assignment. He knew no one could have predicted their biohazard gear wouldn't be enough against Jean Baker's virus. Still, it had been a hard lesson, and because of it, he'd determined to never let anyone come to danger due to a lack of foresight on his part.

Despite this, he'd completely forgotten the quartet of agents assigned to watch Diana's place during the trials. Apparently, it was Adams' shift. "I..." He scanned the street outside and spotted an ambulance beside one of the paramedic trucks. There was a flurry of activity next to a car on the street, someone being loaded onto a stretcher. Thankfully, there was no body bag or obscuring blanket that would indicate the patient was dead. "Looks like he's headed to the hospital."

"I'll check on it. Let me know if you need anything else."

"Thanks."

None of this would have happened if it hadn't been for you!

Diana's words rang painfully in his head as he watched the ambulance pull away, lights flashing. Logically, he knew it wasn't true. Regardless of whether or not he and Diana were dating, whoever had done this would have found a way, but, at that moment, he felt the heavy weight of responsibility on his shoulders. Had they grown complacent after weeks of trials without incident? Was there something they could have done to prevent this? Why now?

"Hey, Marco!"

Forcing his gaze away from the fading lights of the ambulance, he turned to find Alberto walking up to him, still nursing the back of his head with an ice pack.

"What happened to you?" The doorman patted him on the shoulder. "Man, you look like I feel."

Marco's mind clicked back into gear. "If that's the case, you can't be feeling too badly." He tugged at his suit jacket to complete his attempt at humor and got a half-amused snort out of Alberto. "Seriously, though, I'm glad you're okay. Actually, I was wondering if you could do something for me..."

"Will it help catch the bastards who did this?" The heat in the older man's voice was understandable.

"That's the plan."

"What do you need?"

Digging into his pocket, Marco pulled out his keychain and unclipped a memory stick. "I'd like a copy of all relevant security camera footage."

"Let's get to it."

He followed the burly doorman to the small, windowless room off the lobby that contained the computers and video equipment dedicated to monitoring the complex's public spaces. Watching Alberto flash through the footage of the various cameras on the central monitor, Marco couldn't help but wonder if he and Diana had ever been caught kissing on one of them. The thought made his heart lurch. All he wanted to do was be there for her, to hold her until she regained her equilibrium and could take over the job he was starting. He knew she'd want to be the one leading the investigation, and it disturbed him on some fundamental level that she was so shaken by this that he had to do it. It made him feel alone. Despite his doubts about being in charge, the possibility he might not succeed never entered his mind; Diana needed Maia.

"So who was it they said they were delivering a refrigerator to?"

"The new guy, Mr. Olmstead in 413," grumbled Alberto. "He's the son of a bitch who knocked me out just as I noticed that those other two were delivering to the wrong condo." There was guilt in his voice.

"Don't worry about it. There's no way you could have known." If the people responsible had gone through the effort to buy a condo to pull this off, that created a whole new set of wrinkles.

"The cops say there's no sign of him."

"Now that his part of the job is done, no reason to stick around." He gave the man a pat on his shoulder. "Do you mind if I make a call? I've got to get the ball rolling on this."

"Go for it." Then he nodded to the right. "The reception's best in the back corner."

While Alberto began copying the relevant files, Marco flipped open his cell and dug up another number.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Tom."

"Marco?" Tom never sounded particularly friendly, but there was a definite irritation in his voice. "How'd you get this number?"

It was the first time Marco had ever called the special agent on his home's land-line "I've always had this number."

"Why?"

"In case of an emergency." To help convey his point, he let some of his tension leak into his voice.

Suddenly, the agent was all business. "What's wrong?"

"Maia's been kidnapped." He was getting tired of saying that.

"What?" There was a concerned feminine voice in the background, and Tom repeated what Marco had said. "So why isn't Diana the one calling me?"

"She's...not in any condition to do this right now."

"Is she wounded?" There was a worried hitch in his voice like nothing Marco had ever heard from him.

"No, not physically. Look, I've already gotten permission from Nina to open the investigation, but I'm no field agent. I'd prefer for you to be in charge of that; I just need to know if you're in or out."

"I'm in. You headed for NTAC?"

"As soon as I've finished downloading the surveillance for Diana's building."

"Meet you there in half an hour."

"In case you get there before me, the abduction took place at approximately..." Marco looked over Alberto's shoulder to double check the time in the corner of the screen, "twenty after eight. So if you could start pulling up traffic footage, that'd be great."

"See you soon."

"Thanks, Tom."

Alberto detached the memory stick and handed it back to Marco. "All done."

"Thanks. I owe you one." He headed back to the lobby with the doorman beside him.

"The hell you do. You're the one who told me which system to recommend to the owner and earned me a big bonus last year. This is the least I can do."

Of course, Marco's motivation had been largely selfish; he'd wanted a reliable system to monitor Diana's place, just in case. He'd never imagined he'd be taking advantage of its superior technological features to rescue Maia from kidnappers.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. "Are you sure you're okay, man?"

Looking into Alberto's worried gaze, it took a moment to process the question; his mind was already busy planning what he'd do at NTAC. "Actually, I could use some aspirin and water."

"I've got Advil."

"That'd be great."

While Alberto dug up a pair of pain killers and a bottle of water, Marco asked the police if they had anything new. The only useful information they'd learned was that, apparently, the kidnappers had headed north. After popping the Advil, he thanked Alberto and the officers then headed back to his car. Upon stepping inside, he was briefly overwhelmed as the subtle scent of Diana surrounded him and made his heart feel like it was being squeezed. Switching on the fan, he drove the delicate odor away and focused on driving.

Once he was clear of the traffic surrounding Diana's block, he dialed Brady. As expected, he got the answering machine. "Hey, Brady, it's Marco. Pick up the phone." After a pause, he added, "I know you're home watching Sci-fi Friday. I wouldn't be calling if it wasn't important. Pick up the phone." He took a deep breath, trying to control his frustration. "You've got TiVo; use it. Maia's been kidnapped, and I need some backup in the Theory Room."

Finally, the phone picked up. "Why didn't you call P.J.?"

"He's on a date, and you know it." How could Brady be so petulant? Maia's life was at stake! "I don't have time for this. Should I be calling Lee?"

"No. I'll do it."

"Then I expect to see you at NTAC before ten." He hung up without waiting for a response.

At a stoplight, he drew another deep breath in an attempt to tap some inner calm, but he found himself lacking. All he could do was shove his irritation aside and focus on what needed doing. Just one more person to call.

Maia had once mentioned her aunt resided in Berkeley, but even without that detail, there were only so many people named April Skouris in the world. Fortunately, she was not unlisted, and before he'd reached the next light, he'd gotten her number from information.

"Hello?"

"Hi. April? My name's Marco Pacella-"

"Sorry, but, whatever you're selling, I can't afford it."

The line went dead, so he called again.

She answered with a resigned, "Look, I said I don't want any."

"It's about Maia." He blurted it out quickly, before she could hang up again.

That caught her attention. "Excuse me?"

"There's been a...situation. Are you driving?"

"I don't own a car. What's happened?"

"There's no good way to say this, but...Maia's been kidnapped."

There was a strangled gasp and the sound of the phone being dropped. This was followed by shuffling feet, other voices and the phone being picked up.

"Are you okay?" That was all he needed--to have caused Diana's sister to pass out.

"Hi," said a man's voice. "April will be with you in just a second." The phone was apparently set down, then he heard a distant, "No, it's not broken" and a, "Yeah, he's still there."

After about half a minute of indistinct conversation, the phone was picked up again. "Sorry about that. Not the sort of call you expect on a Friday night." There was an anxious quaver in her irreverent voice.

"I'm sorry to be the one to tell you about this."

"Don't be." She drew in a long breath and let it out in a huff. "Is Diana okay? I can't imagine her letting anyone take Maia without a fight."

"She wasn't home when it happened."

"Where was she?"

"Having dinner with me," he confessed.

There was a pause before she asked, "What did you say your name was, again?"

"Marco Pacella."

"Marco? As in the sweet geek my sister works with?"

There was an irrepressible flutter in his chest. "Diana says I'm sweet?" The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them.

"Maia does."

"Oh." He forcibly reminded himself that Diana had invited him on a weekend for two less than an hour earlier.

"So, if Diana's okay, why are you the one calling me?" Her tone was suspicious. "She would have called if she'd wanted me to know."

"She doesn't know I'm calling."

"Huh?"

"This has hit her pretty hard, and she could really use someone to lean on."

"What about you?" She seemed honestly puzzled.

Unsure what she meant by the question, he answered, "She's not in the mood for my company right now."

He'd thought he'd said it blandly enough, but there must have been something in his voice. "Oh, God! Don't tell me she blames you for this?" Despite being estranged, it seemed April knew her sister only too well. Her insight brought a grim smile to his lips--this was the woman best suited to get through to Diana.

"I was hoping you'd be up for a trip to Seattle."

"In a heartbeat, but I can't afford it."

"I'll buy you a ticket. Is Oakland the closest airport for you?"

"You'd do that?" She seemed sincerely awed by the idea.

"Yeah. How soon can you get there?"

"Uh..." She conferred with the people around her. "Twenty minutes."

"I'll call you back with the airline as soon as I get the ticket."

"Are you sure about this?" Her tone was plainly dubious. "She might not be in the mood for my company, either."

"Doing nothing is not an option."

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Marco."

One of Aunt Stella's favorite phrases came to mind--in for a penny, in for a pound. If irrevocable damage had already been done to his relationship with Diana, inviting her sister to Seattle couldn't make it worse. Of course, the phrase made him think of Maia, whose tastes were not dissimilar to those of most of his aunts. Was she hurt? Was she scared? Or did she already know the outcome? As far as he knew, Maia had offered no warning. Surely she would have mentioned a vision about a kidnapping, especially if it involved herself.

By the time he'd booked a flight and shared the details with April, he'd arrived at NTAC. Pausing just outside the entrance's sensor range, he finished his conversation before driving into the vast cell phone dead zone that was the parking garage.

"So you have enough cash to get from the airport to Diana's?"

"Yeah, my friends pitched in." In the background, there was the echoing sound of a boarding call.

"And you'll have a place to stay, in case she won't see you?"

"Don't worry about it. You focus on finding Maia; leave Diana to me."

"Have I thanked you for all this?"

There was an amused snort. "You're the one buying me a ticket and rescuing my niece, and you think you need to thank me?"

"You're dropping everything to fly up here on a moment's notice," Marco pointed out.

"Yeah, that is pretty cool of me. But, really, what else would anyone do under these circumstances?"

"Still, I'd like you to know how much I appreciate this."

There was a pause, followed by, "Do you have a brother?"

"Huh?" The blare of a car horn caused him to jump. Looking in his rearview mirror, he saw Brady hanging out his window, gesturing for Marco to enter the garage. "I've got to go. Call me if you need anything."

Stowing his cell, he rolled down his window while pulling up to the freestanding datapad set in front of the parking garage gate. Typing in his code, the gate dutifully opened, and he descended into the bowels of NTAC. No doubt his mood was coloring his perceptions, but in the gathering fog, the light from the garage's entrance seemed to glow like the gaping maw of Hell.