Sarah's initial reaction was a burst of laughter, because the comment and the look had to be some kind of joke. It wouldn't be the first time a Petrelli Prank War had dug out barbed comments in the name of the upper hand.
"Ha ha, she's kidding, right?" she asked, looking between them. "Cute prank, Nathan."
It took Nathan slightly longer to process just what exactly had come out of his mother's mouth. Just when in hell was she from anyhow, bringing up Niki/Jessica? Muscling a flare of temper under control, he looked at his sister-in-law.
"Not a prank," he said after clearing his throat, "because no one would find this funny. Ma's just arrived and doesn't know where she is."
"So she's not- well, in that case," Sarah turned to face Angela fully, posture gone from relaxed to radiating the slightest pit of overprotectiveness. It was one thing for the blondes and drinking comment to be busted out if this was some upper level prank, it was another if she wasn't going to be snotty to Nathan for real.
"You can help me by dialing back the attitude with Nathan, Mother dearest," she said, her mouthiness earning her a choice look from Nathan that she blissfully ignored in favor of laying out the status quo now. Sarah didn't relish starting all over again with the Petrelli matriarch, but she wasn't going to have the woman's first opinion be of a wilting nitwit. Nathan could explain the 'Mother dearest' part later.
"Also, as far as blondes? It's been well proven the Petrelli men prefer brunettes, as evidenced by the women they've chosen to spend their lives-"
"Sarah." Nearly a growl through gritted teeth, Nathan held up a hand and leveled a look at his mother.
"Ma, I don't know what you're getting at, but I'm-"