Bennet House, Costa Verde California: Noah sits in the kitchen and stares at the image on his laptop showing Claire in someone's arms while Noah lies on the floor with a bullet where one eye ought to be. Sandra enters with Mr. Muggles under one arm. She notices his expression as he closes the laptop and he asks her if Claire's met anyone. . . like a boy or something. The wrong person could be disastrous for their family. Claire herself comes downstairs and they ask her. If there is someone, Noah would like to meet them. She hesitates, but denies any involvement.
Suresh Apartment, Brooklyn, New York: Molly wakes up screaming and Matt rushes in to comfort her. Mohinder follows a moment later. Matt puts her back to bed then he and Mohinder move to a corner of the room. It's getting worse, she's having two a night now and when Matt tries to hear her thoughts, he keeps getting thrown back. They don't know what to do. Mohinder sits with her while Matt goes to get her a drink of water.
A Private School, Washington D.C.: Nathan, in a suit, stands outside the iron gates of the schoolyard. He calls to Monty and Simon, who come running. He kneels at the gate, talking to them through the bars. His boys don't like the beard. He tells them that Angela's in the hospital and that they should get Heidi to help them call her. He's sorry for not being around, but he promises he's coming home, and Petrelli's keep their promises. The teacher wanders over and tells him he's not supposed to be there. She takes the kids back to class.
Mexican Desert: Maya, Alejandro and their new friend Derek drive along a dusty road. Derek's from New Jersey even though his car's from California. Derek can only take them as far as the border because the authorities will probably be looking for them now. Maya speaks some English, but Alejandro doesn't, and she's translating for him when Derek suddenly slams on the brakes. There's a body on the road and they get out to investigate. It's Sylar, weak and dehydrated. He begs for help.
Dawson Home, New Orleans: Micah is awakened by another boy dumping a cup of water on his face. They dress, grab backpacks and move into the kitchen. Nana is watching a cooking show and trying to imitate the tomato rose being demonstrated. The other boy asks Nana for $65, which she doesn't have. A girl enters, dressed in a fast food uniform. She's buoyant and confident. They're posting the results for regional manager testing, and she aced the test. The $65 is for a wrestling match on pay-per-view, but no one has the money. The girl bounces off to work, promising to bring dinner home from the restaurant again. After she leaves, Micah tells the boy that he knows a way to get pay-per view.
Hospital Room, New York: Angela Petrelli, in a hospital bed, confesses to killing Kaito. She killed him because of sex and money, and then she attacked herself in the interrogation room because she was overwrought. Matt's partner (I thought he was the chief) accepts the confession and heads out to get the paperwork. Matt hears her thinking that if Matt presses this, they'll find out about all of them and what they can do. Matt has to let it go.
Costa Verde High School: Claire's approached by a member of the cheerleading squad. They like the way she stood up to Debbie and want her to join. She's brought the parental release form. Claire, clearly uncomfortable, promises to consider it. West approaches, all happy about yesterday. Claire tells him they can't hang out. He's tries to figure out whether it's because he can fly, or the marks on his neck or. . . (or you're just plain creepy, dude). Claire explains that her father doesn't want her to date. West is cool with that, tomorrow. Tonight he's asking her on a date, anywhere she wants to go. She agrees, just this once.
Hospital, New York: Nathan enters, smooth-faced and brisk, furious that they coerced a confession out of his mother. Matt knows she's innocent. He draws Nathan to a corner and confesses his ability, and that he knows Nathan can fly. He let the investigation end. He's got a girl at home suffering nightmares about the symbol scrawled across the photographs, which he shows to Nathan. Nathan agrees to help, then goes to talk to his mother alone. She refuses his help. Nathan's shaved, but he's got to get into a program and get his family back. He can't let his kids grow up hating him. She's done so many bad things that it doesn't matter what she's punished for. Nathan wants redemption, and he can't get it through her. He'll just get killed and she can't bear to lose another son. She almost weeps as they hug, but then Matt and his partner come to take her away.
Paved Highway, Somewhere in Mexico: Maya tends to Sylar in the back. He claims to have been robbed and walking for three days. He's going home to New York, which excites Maya. Over Alejandro's protests, Maya shows him her copy of Activating Evolution. Sylar knows Suresh. Maya grows more excited. She helped him, now it's Sylar's turn to help her. She doesn't reply when he asks why she wants to see the doctor. It's a sign from God that she found someone who knows Suresh. Although Alejandro is less enthusiastic, Maya is even more convinced when Sylar gives his name as Gabriel Grey, just like the angel. Sylar's watch is broken, and the hands are stuck obscuring the word “Sylar.”
Burger Bonanza, New Orleans: Monica Dawson, the girl from Nana's house, cuts tomatoes and sings. She tells another clerk, Camille, that she took the management test. If she gets the position, she'll earn enough money to go back to school and move her family out of New Orleans. Katrina took her mother, her college education and her dreams. Camille's not impressed. Monica's had schemes like that since kindergarten, and nothing's ever come of it. Without realizing it, Monica has cut a perfect tomato rose, just like on Nana's cooking show. The manager calls Monica aside before they can figure out how she did it. She's not right for management. Her family situation would prevent her from the kind of travel a manager trainee would need to do. Monica needs the job. She's the breadwinner. The manager figures she should be happy she's got a job.
Bennet House, Costa Verde: Sandra suggests the family go out for ice cream, and everyone's pleased with that except Claire. She's going to the library to start on a school report. Lyle mentions the internet. Claire covers: the report is on how the internet is making libraries obsolete. Noah's not convinced. When she turns down a ride, he becomes very suspicious. Claire leaves, and Noah follows her at a discrete distance. She rounds a corner and meets West. By the time Noah gets there, they're airborne and he doesn't see them flying off.
Petrelli Apartment: Nathan goes through old photos. He's seen the one that Matt's photos (the ones with the symbol on them) were torn from. Matt sees a photo of Nathan's children, but Nathan doesn't know Matt well enough to talk about them. Matt figures he knows so much about Nathan, it's only fair that Nathan know about him. He talks about Janice's affair, and how she was carrying his ex-partner's baby, how his power kicked in and now he's looking for answers. Nathan finds the photo and begins naming the people in it: his parents, Linderman, Deveaux, some guy named Bob. (Back Row: A blond woman, Linderman, Mr. Petrelli, Angela, Kaito, Bob, A dark-haired woman in a black jacket and purple dress, A smiling man with a gold tie. Front Row: Hispanic woman, Charles Deveaux, and two more we aren't shown). He doesn't know any of the others, but Matt recognizes Gold Tie man as his father.
Burger Bonanza Patio: Monica sits thinking about what Katrina did to New Orleans. Camille brings her a drink. Monica worries that God is punishing her. In church, everyone else is praying for the community, but all Monica prays for is a way out. She believes she's meant for something more, but she's stuck slinging burgers. Camille assures her that she's normal. Monica believes it, but isn't happy.
Hollywood Sign, California: West can't believe that, with everywhere open to her, she's chosen the top of the Hollywood sign for their date. It reminds her of the old gravel tower in Texas. So many bad things happened there that she's afraid to trust anyone. West suggests she jump. Trust begins with a leap. She hesitates, then stands up and throws herself off. West catches her. He knows she can heal, but he never wants to see her hurt. They kiss.
Dawson Home: Micah fiddles with the wires on the back of the T.V. set, which shows static. He puts his hand on the set and concentrates until the picture shows a wrestling match. Nana's asleep in a chair with a book in her lap. The boys are just settling in to watch when Monica enters. She's upset that Micah's broken the rules and messed with the cable. She promised Micah's mother she'd take care of him while he lived with his cousins (Monica's mother and D.L. are brother and sister, maybe). Micah apologizes and comes to hug her. He wishes he could fix her dreams. He grabs some food and sits by Damon. Monica watches the wrestling with a dazed look. The moves replay, reflected in her eyes.
Suresh Apartment: Molly and Mohinder arrive home to find Matt pacing with Nathan's photograph in his hands. He needs their help. He needs to find his father, who stole a lot of money from a lot of people, then left him with a pat on the head and $120 when Matt was 13. Matt hasn't seen him since. He wants Molly to find him. Molly agrees, although Mohinder is upset by the request. However, when Matt points out his picture, Molly grabs it and throws it on the floor begging him not to make her look for him. He's the man in her nightmares. As she says this, the half-helix symbol flashes in her pupils.
Petrelli Apartment: Nathan looks through old photos, finding one of his brother as a tween. He places it among other photos in the frame of a mirror and promises Peter he'll make things right. The mirror reflects his own face, swollen and burned and he smashes it with his fist, yelling at it to get away from him. The image vanishes, but Nathan's knuckles are bloodied.
Near the Bennet House: West lands with Claire in his arms. She glances at her watch and sees that she's late. She told her father she was going to the library, and even West doesn't believe that's a good lie. The best ones are the ones that make her look bad. Claire thinks for a moment, then comes up with a good one that'll allow her to keep seeing West. She kisses him goodbye.
A Store in Mexico: Outside the store, Derek sees a newspaper with drawings of Maya and Alejandro on the front page. He draws Gabriel's attention to it. Sylar fakes panic and convinces Derek to go into the store and use the pay phone there to call the police. Sylar picks up a half-brick and follows him in. (As a serial killer, I too would prefer the company of other mass murderers to that of a naive college kid?) He emerges just as Maya and Alejandro are beginning to worry. Sylar gets into the car and shows them the newspaper, demanding the truth. Alejandro wants to lie, but Maya tells the truth: the picture is them, but they didn't mean it. Sylar tells them that Derek's called the police and Maya starts to panic, developing blackeye, which Alejandro takes from her. Sylar's happy. They both have powers. He tells them that he's worked with Suresh before and the doctor can help. As for the police, Sylar has the keys and starts the car. Derek lies just inside the store, dead from massive head trauma.
Bennet House: Noah's still up, eating ice cream when Claire tries to sneak in. He's sure she was with a boy, but Claire denies it. She forged his signature on the release papers, tried out for cheer leading and made the squad, and then the girls took her out to celebrate. Noah's furious, but she convinces him that it's important to her, that she doesn't want anything else, just this one bit of a normal life. Noah believes her, although he's surprised that cheer leading means so much to her. He makes her a deal: she can join the squad, but she can't date. Not yet. Claire kisses him, and walks away with an uneasy look on her face. Noah looks unsettled as well, but he notices a wind chime hung up outside. He rises and goes out onto the back patio to meet the Haitian. There's a lead on one of Isaac's paintings in Odessa. Noah will have to think of something to tell his family.
Suresh Apartment: Mohinder has finally gotten Molly settled down and in her bed with a good book. He steps out of her room to where Matt waits with an apology. He has to get Molly to find his dad. Mohinder's furious, even after Matt pulls out the group picture and explains. Mohinder recognizes Bob and promises to take Matt to see him. Matt thinks that's a good idea, after Molly finds his father. Mohinder protests that he's asking Molly to face her worst fear. Maybe Molly needs to confront her fears. Matt's got father and abandonment issues, and Mohinder knows a fair bit about that. They're about to continue their argument when Molly appears from her room and agrees to find Matt's dad.
Burger Bonanza: It's late, the place is empty, and the manager gives Monica the key to lock the front door while he takes care of the back. As she's about to turn the lock, a man in a blue jacket and cap jerks the door from her hands. She tries to tell him they're locking up, but he busts inside, pulling a gun. He forces her into a chair and goes to empty the till. A strange look passes over her face and suddenly she jumps up and swings around a pole the way she saw the wrestler do on television. At the end of the swing, she kicks the robber over the counter and onto the floor. He stumbles to his feet, dazed, and runs out of the restaurant. The manager saw the whole thing, but neither of them can believe it.
Suresh Apartment: Matt and Mohinder hover protectively over Molly. She stares at the picture of Matt's father, then closes her eyes, opens her atlas and moves the stick pin. She sees Philadelphia, an apartment building, third floor. He knows she's there and he's coming. She sees the door of apartment nine. The door begins to open. Back in the apartment, she screams and Matt and Mohinder pull her back. She opens her eyes which are all pupil, then collapses. Mohinder checks her while Matt begins to panic. She's breathing, but she's in shock and won't wake up. Matt hears her screaming his name in her thoughts.
(No Peter or Hiro this week. Lot of M's though: Molly, Mohinder, Matt, Monica and Maya)
