Chapter 4 A Mother's Desperate Wish
Six weeks since Claire's Abduction
Nathan and Matt were hovered over Nathan's desk with all of the drawings and clues they have gathered from their countless failed attempts to find Claire. Neither one notices the girl's mother who goes quietly into the room to observe the men in question. Matt was moving around some of the papers as if he was trying to piece everything together, while Nathan stands idly by as she perceives that his eyes were a lighter shade of brown today. Over the past two weeks she discerns that his eyes change color to match his mood. When they were light brown like today, Nathan was pretty much useless, and did nothing but wait to be told what to do. But when his eyes were chocolate brown, he was focus and giving directions on where Danko could be heading next. The second version of Nathan was more intense, more fixated on finding Claire. She did not believe Nathan had a split personality but if he did...she wanted the second version of him to come out to play more often. Sandra also caught on immediately that wherever Nathan was, Matt was close behind. In fact, Noah and Angela were also tracking his every movement. She figured out quickly the second night she was in New York when they all panicked when Nathan and her were on that little trip.
Sandra was in Nathan's town car for almost five hours now. She didn't know where she was going or why she was there. Nathan's driver Charles had instructed her that the elder Mr. Petrelli had requested her attendance. She went into the car as instructed and now nearly five hours later, she felt it stop. The door opened to reveal a milk chocolate brown eyed Nathan Petrelli extending his hand to Sandra. She slid her hand into his and allowed him to escort her into an abandoned building. They walked into the open door of the building. "Nathan, what are we doing here?"
"This was the second building I found that Danko was holding Claire hostage in," Nathan explained to her.
Sandra looked at the man with wide eyes, "Why am I here?"
"I know you are very angry at your husband," Nathan said, "for keeping you in the dark about everything. Out of common decency, I will not disclose the horror I found in this room and I respectfully request you do not ask me to share that information. No mother should have to endure that…no child of hers either." Nathan got quiet as he looked around the room.
Sandra watched him with a hawk-eye as she observed he was struggling to not remember what was in this room. She took note that he also would not touch anything in the room. As if the mere touch of it would bring him back to the day he first walked in the room. A cold shiver quickly ran through her body as countless horrific images ran through her mind of what Senator Nathan Petrelli could have walked in to that would make him literally sick at the memory of it.
"Danko is one sick crazy son of a bitch, there is no doubt in my mind about that," Nathan continued bringing Sandra's attention back to him and driving her thoughts away, "but he's not stupid. He knows our abilities and he knows how to keep under the radar. I think Bennett and Angela are underplaying how intelligent Danko really is."
"Angela?" Sandra asked as she wondered if she heard him correctly. Did he really just address his mother by her first name?
"Yeah," Nathan said, "Ma seems to think her dreams will find Claire. But her dreams are not useful to us. They involve things that do not include Claire or so I am told."
"Why are you telling me all of this?"
"You are the girl's mother," Nathan said, "Bennett was wrong. He shouldn't have kept this from you. And I wanted you to be aware of what we are dealing with." Nathan turned his attention back to the older woman. "I promise you I will do everything in my power to bring her home to you…not Bennett, but you."
"Thank you," Sandra replied, "Nathan…" She was interrupted by the sound of Nathan's cell phone.
"Excuse me," Nathan told Sandra as he took the call, "Parkman what do you have?...I'm with Sandra….I took her to Syracuse ….well I don't care what Bennett says he doesn't own her…I….you found what?....I'll be right there….Charles will take her home…bye." Nathan hung up the phone and directs his attention back to Sandra. He put his hand on her elbow and guides her towards the door and to the town car. "Parkman might have a lead on Claire. I'm going to fly back there and help out. Charles will take you back. If you get tired, he was instructed to pull over and pay for a hotel…"
"Go," Sandra instructed, "We'll be fine."
"Take good care of her Charles," Nathan said, "She's very important to Claire." With that, Nathan flew into the sky and back to New York.
Sandra watches him leave and shortly after she sees a shooting star. She closes her eyes and did something that she has not done since she was a child. She made a wish. Sandra did end up staying the night at a hotel only for Charles' sake. It was getting late and it would have been a long drive. When she got back to the Petrelli apartment the next day, she notices Nathan's confidence and demeanor has changed along with the shade of brown his eyes.
"Matt," Sandra said getting the attention of the two men. She sees Nathan's eyes were now a darker shade of brown since she walked into the room.
"Yes Sandra?" Matt asked.
"I was hoping you would take me to the airport," Sandra inquired, "I would rather die than be stuck in a car with Noah or Angela. No offense Nathan."
"None taken," Nathan responds as he moves more pieces around, never really giving the older woman his full attention and she would have been offended if his fixation was not on finding her daughter.
"There you are Sandra," Noah said coming into the room, "Come on, we need to leave for the airport if you are to make your flight."
"I'm not going anywhere with you," Sandra stated coldly, "Matt will take me."
"Parkman…"
"Noah," Matt said cutting him off, "the lady asked for me to take her and I will take her." He paused wondering if he really wanted to add fuel to this inferno. "Can you really blame her after what you put her through?"
Noah scowls at him and was about to retaliate when Nathan cut him off.
"Really Ladies," he says as he walks towards the two men, "don't you think we have more important issues to attend to then to sit around squabbling like little school girls?"
"Nathan's right," Angela stated as she saunters into the room, "our focus needs to be on Claire right now."
"You two little delinquents can continue this display of testosterone later," Nathan commanded as he went back to the desk.
Noah grits his teeth at Nathan as he continues to undermine him in front of his wife. It also did not please him to see his wife walking after the condescending jackass.
"Nathan," Sandra said, "I don't mean to intrude." She noticed he dropped the papers he was looking at and gave her his undivided attention. Sandra observed his eyes went from milk chocolate to dark chocolate in the span of five minutes.
"You can never be a nuisance Sandra," Nathan remarks as he grabs a hold of her hands gently placing his other hand on top of hers, "Are you sure you don't want to stay longer? I do have a private jet that will take you home at a moment's notice."
"I'm sure," Sandra told him, "As much as it pains me to say this, Noah is right. The last place Claire was at was closer to Costa Verde than here. I want to be at home if she manages to get away and goes there. Besides, Lyle will be coming home soon from camp." She raised her free hand and patted the top of Nathan's before he releases her hands.
"I never pictured Lyle as the camp dork," Nathan sneered in a Sylar like tone.
Sandra gave him a cross look as she defends her son, "It's a summer camp for children with special needs," she instructed the Senator, "He is a camp counselor and the more volunteers like him, the more children can attend camp."
"Mother," Nathan directed over Sandra's shoulder, "we need to make a donation to that camp. All children should have the opportunity to spend some of their summer roughing it outdoors."
"Sure dear," Angela replied as she traded a worried look with Noah.
"It was good to see you again Sandra," Nathan stated, "I wish it would have been under better circumstances."
"Again?" Sandra asked, "This is our first meeting."
"That is correct," Nathan agreed quickly, "I guess listening to Bennett talk about you over three years, it felt like I had met you already."
"That's quite alright," she said as she extended her hand to him, "thank you for everything. For taking me there and for telling me what you could. I know it wasn't easy for you to be there."
Nathan shivered at the memory of the amount of blood that was scattered all over that warehouse. His need for vengeance grew with each passing day. He shook his head at her as he pulled her into an embrace. "I promise you Sandra," he whispered into her ear, "I will get out of this prison and I will get your daughter back to you."
Sandra looked at him perplexed at his statement of getting out of this prison. She ran several reasons through her head and the only one that made sense to her was her goodbye was keeping him from following a lead that would free Claire from Danko and in return free everyone from this nightmare as well. "Thank you," she whispered back to the man. "Matt," Sandra said, "I'm ready when you are."
Matt nodded to Sandra as he looked back at Nathan; Sylar was clawing his way back to the surface. He knew what he was directed to do, put the dog back down as Noah would say. Matt's only regret today was the amount of work wasted during Sandra's goodbye. Nathan will be useless in about 30 seconds. He asked Sandra for a few moments and when she left the room he went to Nathan, "Nathan," he said getting the older man's attention, "You are Nathan Petrelli…"
Sandra noticed that Noah had grabbed a suitcase, and smiles, remembering her first night here when she opened her suitcase to realize all she packed was her sock drawer in a hurry to get to New York. Nathan's generosity extended to clothes and toilettes as well. Sandra did not know if she could ever repay this kindness. "Thank you for everything, Angela."
"You are Claire's mother," she stated, "and that makes you family. I would do anything for my family."
"And that's not just a statement," Matt mumbled sarcastically as he came in at the end of their conversation. Angela gave him a disapproving look as he raised his voice, "Are you ready?"
"Yes," Sandra answered as she followed Matt out the door. She knew it was a waste of manpower to ask Matt to accompany her to the airport when Charles could take her himself. But she felt like he needed to be here.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Matt asked.
She smiled at the younger man and pushed the button to bring the divider up. "I was thinking about Nathan and the night he took me to the warehouse."
"What happened that night?" Matt inquires, "Neither one of you would speak of it."
"Did you ever notice Nathan seems to have a split personality?"
"Excuse me?"
"It seems his whole demeanor changes with the shade of his eye color."
"I'm sorry, I'm not following," Matt replied as inwardly he was panicking. Did Sylar come out to play that night? Does she know what her husband and Angela forced him to do to Sylar?
"I prefer the Nathan with the milk chocolate eyes," she told him.
"I do too," he wanted to tell her. He wanted to tell her everything and pray for her forgiveness, for her to tell him the right thing to do. Matt was lost in Angela and Noah's morally gray world and no longer could he remember a world of black and white thinking. He was lost and needed someone to show him the way back.
"He's less like a politician and more like a hunter," Sandra explained, "and the intensity that he is focused on finding her is much greater. I wish he could stay like that, but I know why he can't."
"You do?" Matt said shocked. All the thoughts running through his mind center around the thought that an outsider who observed him for two weeks noticed more than Peter did in two years.
"Energy," Sandra states not noticing the relief and anguish washing over Matt's face, "one cannot be going that fast for so long before he crashes."
"Ah," he told her, "and the warehouse?"
"It felt like someone else was there," Sandra said, "Nathan wouldn't touch anything as if it would bring back memories he didn't….no couldn't endear it again." Sandra glanced as Matt and could tell he was trying hard not to invade her mind. "It's okay if you want to," Sandra encouraged, "Nothing happened that night. Charles drove me there alone and I came back alone."
"Sorry," Matt apologized.
"Why is Noah afraid of me being alone with Nathan?"
"Jealousy, I don't know."
"I'll let that one go for now," she told him as the car came to a stop. Matt went to open the door but she put her hand on his arm to stop him. "One second please."
"What is it Sandra?" Matt said, "You don't have to be a mind reader to know something is troubling you."
"Am I a bad mother?"
"What? No!" he replied immediately, "Claire's abduction does not automatically qualify someone to be a member of the bad mother's club."
"Noah hid it from me for a month," Sandra vented her frustrations, "I…I…"
"Sandra it's not okay what he did to you," Matt said, "He should have been honest with you since the beginning. Remember before even seeing that DVD you had already purchased your ticket."
"Okay," Sandra told him, "I wish I didn't feel so useless."
"To be honest," Matt said, "Most days I feel useless too, but I keep working on locating Claire, trying to get one step closer to Danko who seems to be at least three steps further than me, if not more."
"That night after Nathan left," Sandra abruptly changed the subject. She knew she wanted this, the truth, but right now it was too much to bare, "I did something I haven't done since I was child."
"What?"
"After Nathan flew off I saw a shooting star," she recapped the story, "and I made a wish."
"You wished that we find Claire."
"No," she said as she noted Matt's stunned expression, "told you I was a bad mother."
"I…no Sandra…"
"Hold that thought," Sandra instructed him, "That night, I wished Sylar was still alive."
"What? How? Why?" Was the first three questions he asked before he could even process he was speaking.
"I know it's a horrible wish to make, but I was…no I am desperate."
"I don't understand."
"I was staring into the vastness of space watching Nathan disappeared when it happened. I saw it," Sandra recalled, "And all I could think about was my daughter…and Sylar." She looked at Matt as she wiped the tears that escaped from her eyes. "It didn't matter how hard Noah tried to hide Claire from Sylar," she continued her explanation, "He always found her. There wasn't a corner of this earth that Sylar wasn't able to track her to. Two years ago when he was masquerading around as Nathan," she was too entranced in her story to notice when Matt flinched, "He sought her out and kept her close to him." She paused for Matt to process everything she was saying, "I'm not saying his fascination with my daughter warms my heart. But all I could think about when that star flew by is Sylar can always find Claire and for the most part Noah can find Sylar…which means, we could get Claire back quicker."
"For the most part?" Matt said, "Noah would think it would be exchanging a psychopath for a sociopath."
"He saved her," Sandra disclosed to the former police officer, "I don't condone his...whatever he has towards Claire. But he saved her from the vortex that would have taken away from all of us permanently."
"What are you saying Sandra?"
"I'm saying that God help me, I wish Sylar was alive," Sandra confessed, "Because his hidden talent is locating my daughter without Molly's ability. He can track her under any circumstances. Six weeks Matt, do you honestly believe it would take Sylar over six weeks to find her. Wasn't his ability figuring out how things work and couldn't he figure out Danko's mind? Wasn't Danko trying to control Sylar?"
"That was a joke," Matt commented, "but Danko soon found out dealing with Sylar means he humors you as long as it suits his purpose. No one controls Sylar; he's secretly controls the situation as he's waiting to make his next move."
"Trust me when I say this next statement disgusts me," Sandra stated firmly, "But Claire is his purpose. They both will live forever. They're the only constant in each other's lives since Sylar learned to mimic her ability. Danko has her and is intent on destroying her. Out of all of us, Sylar would have the most to lose. He would lose his cornerstone." She shook her head of what she thought were nonsense thoughts. "I feel like that father Michael Keaton played when his son was dying and the serial killer could save him by donating some body part….I think it was his kidney."
"The movie was Desperate Measures and it was bone marrow not a kidney," Matt corrected her as he tried to follow what she was saying. It felt like an episode the Twilight Zone, Sylar and Claire…correction, Nathan and Claire used to watch every night before bed.
"That's it," she said, "He was hoping something evil could be the thing that saves his son. That something good could come from that evil man."
"I'm not sure that's what the movie…"
"But then again, I'm probably just romanticizing this, that I would over look the terrorizing and seek comfort in the fact he could always find her, no matter where she was."
"So let me see if I understand this," Matt said after a few minutes, "You wish there was some way to bring Sylar back to life because you believe he would save Claire? And you romanticized the villain into a hero?"
"That about sums it up," Sandra agreed, "Do you still think I'm not a bad mother?"'
"I think you are a good mother," Matt replied honestly, "By asking this, you are using all of your options."
"But unfortunately it's not an option." Sandra said as she leaned over and gave Matt a hug, "Please continue to keep me informed on everything. No matter how hard it might be, I need to know what is happening with my daughter."
"I will," Matt promised, "And I am going to do everything in my power to grant your wish."
"You already have," Sandra told him, "and I'm grateful." She exited the car after insisting that she can get in by herself. She did not want to take Matt away from the Claire search anymore.
"Wish granted," Matt said as he thought about how he was going to do this and survive to tell the story. He also wanted to check his own heart to make sure he was not doing this out of spite. But how could he deny Sandra's wish, especially when he is aware of the times Sylar was coming to the surface. Matt Parkman was sure of two things; the first was that Sylar must be stronger than him because of the amount of times Sylar was caught breaking free from his mind control. And second, Sylar was the best option available to track Claire down. He was not choosing sides, he was choosing Claire. Matt knew he needed to get Claire away and hopefully not at the cost of his own life. The door was opened, before Matt knew they had stopped. He thanked Charles and ran to the elevator. As he waited he recalled the last argument with Noah on the subject.
"I thought I told you the last time we would not have this discussion again," Noah hissed at him.
"You have nothing to lose!"
"How about Claire?" Noah yelled, "Sylar could destroy her!"
"You're confusing Sylar with Danko," Matt said, "Because Danko is hell bent on making pieces of Claire!"
"This is not up for discussion."
"Sylar is coming out more and more," Matt explained, "He's stronger and more suited to track down Danko."
"Sylar is a sociopath," Noah said, "I will not be responsible for unleashing that killer back into society."
"Danko is at least three steps ahead of us," Matt said, "We need someone that can crawl inside of his head and know what Danko is thinking. Sylar is that person. He's already trying to help us…"
"Himself!" Noah yelled as Matt said 'us.' Noah took a deep breath before continuing, "Sylar only cares about himself and his motives. I will not put my family at risk."
"That's a joke and you know it!" Matt argued, "He has Claire's ability. He doesn't need her for that anymore. But he will kill my family in a heartbeat for what you made me do to him. I'm the one taking all the risk for the safety of your daughter!"
"Sylar stays trapped in Nathan's mind," Noah ordered, "We will not have this discussion ever again."
Matt shook his head as the doors opened to the Petrelli apartment. He heard Noah and Angela talking in the living room. Matt walks past them and goes into Nathan's office. Matt shouldn't be surprised to see him hovering over the documents they have collected. When Nathan's head snaps up he recognizes the darker shade of brown. Sylar was reaching his way to the surface again. This only assured him he was doing the right thing. Sylar stayed dormant right up until Claire was taken from him. Sylar wants out to get to Claire. Matt wishes it will not be at the cost of his life. "I need you to listen to me," Matt addressed the monster within, "I will let you out because it's Sandra's wish."
"What are you talking about Parkman?" Nathan questions as he feels Matt talking to someone else.
"I only ask you spare my family," Matt asks, "and find Claire."
"What the hell…"
Matt put his hand on Nathan's forehead as he pushes him down on the chair, "You are Sylar. You're a hunter and a killer. You collect abilities. You are Sylar, not Nathan Petrelli." Matt continued to bring the monster within to the surface as he silently prays to God that his family would be okay.
Sylar snapped his chocolate brown eyes open and with the lift of his hand flew Matt across the wall, pinning him to the wall. "Look who decided to let me come out to play," Sylar sneers, "Was I a good boy?"
"Please…"
"Please what?" Sylar said, "Not kill your son for entrapping me?"
"Sylar, I was following orders…"
"You were imprisoning me in a dimwit's mind!" Sylar accused the man, "Someone has to pay for it."
"Make it Danko," Matt stated as he gasped for breath.
"Oh Danko is on the top of my list," Sylar reassured him, "When Danko is checked off my list, I will move onto Angela, Noah, and little Mattie!" He pulled Matt towards him through his telekinesis. "But first, I want your ability." Sylar used his empathy to figure out the other man's ability. He wasn't stupid; Parkman had to live today so he could keep Bennett off his trail. When he discovered how Matt's ability works he let the man go and watched Matt fall to the ground.
"How did you except Angela to react when you killed her precious son?" Matt inquired, "You thought she'd be so grateful? Let you live your life…"
"Nathan deserved his fate," Sylar said cutting him off, "You of all people should understand that."
"What's that suppose to mean?"
"I know you're the family man now," Sylar mocked him, "But I'm sure you haven't forgotten Daphne already and the future you saw with her. She did have an interesting ability didn't she?"
"Shut up!" Matt hissed, "You are not allowed to talk about her!" Anger clouds his judgment as it momentarily slipped his mind about how dangerous the other man was. Reality reminded him as Sylar flicked his wrist and sent Matt flying across the room. What caught him off guard was when he landed softly on the ground. He looked at the serial killer with the obvious question written on his face.
"I can't let Ma dearest," he mimicked Nathan's voice, before returning to his normal voice, "know that her precious little boy is dead yet," Sylar informed him. He paused for a second, "Would you like the chance to save your son's life?"
"Yes!" his mind screamed.
"Keep them off my back," Sylar replied before his voice dropped with a southern accident, "and follow my orders like a good little puppy dog you tried to make me be. Think you can handle that Padre?"
Matt lowered his head as a million reasons ran through his head how this was not going to end well. But he could only think of two reasons to go with it: The first being the chance of his son's safety and the second was Claire. "What do I tell them?"
"I don't care," Sylar ordered, "buy me some time."
"Who's Cassie?" Matt asked. After Nathan slipped that name two weeks ago, he could not find anything that tied a Cassie to the Petrelli family. Sylar stopped mid stride and Matt caught Sylar unprepared as he got a glimpse of a young teenager with dark hair and eyes.
"Stay out of my mind," Sylar demanded as he blocked the other man out.
"What happened?"
"It doesn't matter," Sylar said, "Claire's story won't end like hers did."
"Matt?" Molly asked from the doorway, "Who are you talking to?"
"And it's not even my birthday!" Sylar exclaimed as he turned back into Nathan.
"Molly?" Matt said, "What are you doing here?"
"Nathan called me and asked me to come over and help with Claire."
Matt looked back at Nathan and glared at him. "Keep her out of this!"
"Nathan called her," Sylar responded in his mind, "But since she's here."
"Don't you dare lay one finger on her you psychotic bastard!"
"Come here and let me look at you," Nathan said as he waved her over.
Molly felt her body move as if someone else was controlling it. She felt like Nathan had put her under a microscope with his intense stare. He stayed like that for a few minutes before he looked away, "What was that?"
"Just seeing how you'd respond if death was staring you in the face," Nathan replied half heartily, "You did well kid. Now go work your magic."
"Okay," she responded going to the desk. When the map came up empty again she gazed up and sees that only Matt was left in the room.
Sylar in his Nathan disguise stole Peter's favorite leather jacket, a shirt, and boots. He went to the window and flew off. Stopping only to steal a pair of jeans that fit as he finally shed the last of Nathan by changing out of the suit. He closed his eyes and replayed everything Danko had ever given them as well as his drawing he drew. He fixated on the last DVD Sandra brought to them as he remembered the promises he made to Sandra to bring Claire home to her. His mind worked in overtime trying to put that last piece of the puzzle he was working on before Matt shoved him back into Nathan's brain. It was a warehouse but where? His memory recalled a seeing half of a company's name on the wall. It was faded and had to have been closed for at least five years. Danko would not have put her in one that was close to whatever town this was. This building had to be on the outskirts. It bugged him because he remembered seeing it after he took the waitress ability in Texas. The memory hit him; he had stayed there the night before he went to see the cheerleader for the first time. When the last piece fell into place, he opened his eyes, "Odessa, Texas." Without hesitation he flew off to Texas.
Danko heard him hit something and knelt down to brush off the remaining dirt. He opened the coffin door and noticed Claire's blue skin starting to turn a health shade of peach as the oxygen flooded her system. He waited patiently has he observed her blue skin turn into a healthy shade of peach before he japed a spike in the back of her head. "It's not time for you to wake up yet," he told her, "I have to get you to the next place first." He carried Claire out of the grave and set her in a body bag. He threw the bag in the truck of his stolen car. He went back to the grave stone and closed the coffin lid. He placed flowers by the tombstone. "A little treat for you Bennett," Danko told himself as he placed the card in the black roses.
