Author's Note: So, on my Wattpad page, i'd actually posted this chapter months ago. I usually used to upload a chapter on each website at the same time, since I knew people who had a preference for and the same for some with Wattpad. Somehow I must've missed out uploading this chapter here! I've been receiving some lovely reviews on this fanfic lately urging me to update, and it's tempted me to do just that. I gave up on this story due to college getting on top of me as it was exam season, but now i'm all done and am also suffering with the heartbreak of the ending of Season 4 as we all are - so I thought screw it, perhaps i'll give this another try. I have the power to keep our dear Norma alive, y'know, so I gotta use it. My fear had been that people wouldn't be interested now since the story is outdated a little since it's far before Alex and Norma's marraige, etc - started merely from the Season 3 finale and had been my own spin on the events after it. Hopefully people will still enjoy since I feel like we're all kind of trying to forget that the latter half of Season 4 even happened, so maybe this will help - we shall see!

POV: Alex

Norma had come out of questioning before I had, standing just outside the room i'd been in. As I got let out, I waited until Deputy Lin had walked off in the opposite direction to turn to Norma and say;

"Are you out of your mind?"

"Well," She let out an amused huff, shrugging her shoulders. "Debatable, I guess." It seemed she wasn't interested in having this conversation with me, as she immediately darted off down the corridor in the form of a sassy strut.

"Rhetorical question, Norma, you are out of your mind!" I said with a slightly raised voice, making sure she heard me while also trying not to shout to the point where it echoed down the entire corridor.

"Oh, you mean for saving both our asses? Yeah you're welcome." She uttered sarcastically as she continued strutting down the corridor. I followed, attempting to keep up with her speed while also trying not to look like a puppy tailing along behind it's owner.

"Saving-" I shook my head, a sarcastic laugh escaping my lips. "Please, Norma, you did no saving. All you did was drop us in it even further. Do you know they think the two of us are together now?"

Now she decided to listen. She turned around and stopped abruptly in her tracks, almost causing me to bump into her. "They think what?"

"Yeah, thought that'd catch your attention. You see the impact of what you did now?" I brushed past her small frame and pushed open the door just ahead of us, walking outside the station. Now the tables had turned; I was in front of her, leading her, and she was the abandoned puppy trailing behind. Somehow it was a satisfying feeling; felt like I was the one in position of power. She wanted to talk to me now, and now she'd experience how irritating it was for someone to walk away as you're trying to have a conversation with them.

"Well why in the heck do they think that?" Her voice was raised; louder but also higher, almost like a squeak. A quiet and almost just as high-pitched noise escaped her lips just after; a sound that resembled a huff, the offended kind. I looked back to see the reasoning of such a noise; watching her as she just about managed to squeeze through the gap after i'd opened the door, blatantly offended that I hadn't held it open for her. It was an amusing sight to say the least, and I had to turn away to hide the amusement on my face as it was highly likely i'd receive nothing short of a punch to the face if she saw.

"Because, Norma, you put me-" Someone from the office came through the door just after Norma, and I briefly stopped what I was saying. Grabbing her arm, I pulled her to the side away from prying eyes. I lowered my voice incase our conversation was heard; although still holding a stern tone to make sure my message was received. "You put me in a difficult position. You put forward information about my whereabouts that didn't match up to what I said, so obviously that's going to look suspicious. All I did was patch up your mess, so in actual fact, you should be thanking me."

"Thanking you? Thanking you?! Alex, the entire station now think that we-"

"Norma we've only just left, I doubt the entire-"

She held up a finger to silence me, raising her voice as she repeated what she'd started to say before I interrupted. "-The entire station...now think that we are having some scandalous love affair! What were you thinking? I mean really, Alex, do you honestly think you and I could ever pass off as a couple? Or even anything close?"

"They don't need to see it to believe it, as long as they think it's true that's enough."

"Well what the hell was the point then?!" She inquired, once again raising her voice; her tone more harsh and angry than the squeak that'd escaped her mouth previously. "Why couldn't you have just said that you came over as my friend? What would've been wrong with that? Us being in a relationship doesn't make us look any less suspicious than if we were only friends!"

"I don't have friends; that's what's wrong with that." The comment wasn't a beg for sympathy, merely a fact. Not even one that bothered me, really. "And remember, this the people I work with i'm talking about. They are well aware that I lack a social life. Besides, if it was nothing more than a friend going to see a friend then they'd be suspicious as to why I didn't mention it. I went with what I knew they'd buy, and it worked. You want to be pissed at me for my choice of alibi, then be my guest, but know that i've been Sheriff here for way longer than you've even lived here. I have experience in this shit, I know how it all works, so I did what I thought was best."

"Well you should've-" She began ranting, her voice lowering and eventually coming to a stop. Not like Norma, I thought. Then I realised that there was a reason she decided to shut up when I heard a familiar voice from behind me.

"Sorry to interrupt. I thought i'd best ask, do the two of you need dropping back?" We both turned around to see Deputy Lin standing in front of us.

Seemed oddly nice of her, I thought, but then again it was the honourable thing to do. She'd brought us here, so obviously we would have no other transport back-besides walking, which i'm sure we'd have managed, but it would've been tiring. Difficult too at this time of night, perhaps even dangerous.

"Yeah, actually, thanks." I nodded, and I could see Norma in the corner of my eye reluctantly agreeing in the form of a nod after I had. She didn't seem to like Deputy Lin, though then again she never really seemed to like anyone.

She reached into her back pocket for her keys, looking between the both of us. "Back to the Bates Motel is it?"

"I think that was the plan, yeah?" I looked towards Norma, placing my hand on her back. It'd seem like a comforting gesture to anyone else; which it half was, but it was mainly my way of urging Norma to respond accordingly.

Despite my encouragement, her reply was still delayed; not seeming eager to play her part. For once, a game that she didn't want to play.

She glanced up at me briefly with a small smile, then towards Deputy Lin. "Yes, please. That would be great." The smile she flashed at me might have looked like one of admiration to Deputy Lin; but I knew it held a 'You owe me for this' message behind it.

"Alright then. Follow me." She began walking, spinning her keys around her finger as she led us towards the car she'd escorted us here in.

We both followed her, my hand staying resided in it's place on Norma's lower back as we walked. Deputy Lin opened the door to the backseat and gestured for the both of us to get in. I pushed my hand against Norma's back just slightly, allowing her to get in the car first. I sat down after her, tucking my legs under the front seat as the door was closed.

Our 'argument', although that was a slight exaggeration, would have to remain on hold. We could hardly argue about the lies we'd told about each other in front of the woman who'd been made to believe them. I was sure Norma would already be making mental notes of the points she'd want to make the next time this running argument was triggered; all the things wrong with my method of saving her ass from a lie that could've gotten her into shit. I had my own responses saved, perhaps ones i'd never actually use more than anything. Anger-driven ones filled with bluntly told truth, self-pitying ones that practically begged for at least a small ounce of recognition for all that I did for her and her family, the revealing type that'd show my feelings for her; hinting at why I constantly saved her ass like this. It seemed that I was full of words i'd never say to her; ones that were too revealing of my feelings, and sometimes, my mind drifted to a place where I wondered if she was in the same boat. Probably not.

Considering there wasn't much we could say to each other in front of prying eyes, the car was silent for the most part of the journey. Silence was something I relished in, so it honestly didn't bother me. Norma, however, was a different story. Being the type to never shut up; you could imagine that situations like these must make her feel entirely uncomfortable. So much so, actually, that it seemed she was trying to do anything she could think of that created some kind of sound. First it was a quiet hum; subtle and soft, but easily audible in such a compact space. That was fine; bearable, actually close to being rather adorable. Then she raised her arm and rested her elbow on the frame of the window, tapping her fingers against the plastic that held the window into the door. Nearing irritating; but still, nothing shy of the usual Bates behaviour. Then she flipped up the unaccompanied seatbelt buckle in the middle of the two of us, pushing her thumb down on the red button and lifting it up again, resulting in a clicking sound; repeating the action over and over again. Fourth click in, and that was enough. Throughout her entire car orchestra performance, she'd been in a trance out of the window, blatantly unable to see any of my hints at being irritated. The moment I saw her reach for her fifth click, I decided enough was enough, and reached my hand over and closed it over hers.

"Jesus, Norma, enough. Please."

"Sorry..." She mumbled apologetically, and I couldn't help but find the look of embarrassment on her face truly adorable. I was quick to assume that the noise-making was something she did purposely to irritate me, as it was no secret that that was an enjoyable activity for her, but perhaps this was actually an exception to that. Perhaps what she was doing was simply an automatic reflex by her subconscious; an urge to fill the awkward silence with something, anything.

I dismissed her apology with a shake of my head, releasing my grip on her hand and bringing my arm back to rest casually on the surface of the seat next to me. "It's alright."

Norma simply nodded, going back to gazing out of the window but unable to be quiet for too long. This time, thankfully, she refrained from the annoying noise and decided to actually speak up instead.

"Oh yeah, by the way, you can come pick up your jacket when we get back. God it's gonna gather dust if it stays with me any longer." Throughout her sentence, her voice consciously descended from a normal noise level to a mere whisper, peering up into the rear view mirror as she neared the end of her sentence. Her facial expression merged into one of subtle distaste as she realised that it seemed our conversation was being watched by Deputy Lin.

"Christ. Will you be quiet about that damn jacket?" I shook my head, not being able to prevent the quirk at the corners of my lips in amusement. "It's only been with you a few hours."

"Still," She shrugged. "It's yours. There is no way you can go to work tomorrow without it. I mean-Alex Romero, big daddy of White Pine Bay, without his staple brown leather jacket? Even the thought, it's tragic." She teased, pressing her hand to her chest like the thought really was tragic.

I closed my eyes, shaking my head once again-though this time out of disgust rather than amusement. "I thought that nickname died out."

"You know, I thought so too, but then I remembered how funny your pained expression the first time round was..." She tilted her head, like as if she were reminiscing. "And yep. Just as funny the second time. I'm satisfied now though so you're good for a while."

"Oh great, thanks. Much appreciated." I nodded, looking out the window.

The car went silent again then; this time staying that way for the rest of the journey back. No annoying noises, no talking, in fact-no anything. It was an odd silence; unnatural with Norma sat in the car. I thought nothing of it as I sat there watching the world go by through the car window, and it was only when we pulled up to the motel that I realised why the car had been so silent-why she had been so silent.

"Here we are, guys."

Deputy Lin announced, breaking the silence in the car.

In the corner of my eye, I saw Norma's whole body jolt forward slightly. I turned to look at her properly; watching as she sheepishly brushed her stray blonde curls behind her ears and cleared her throat. Quirking an eyebrow, I kept my voice to a low and quiet tone as I posed the question; "Did you just fall asleep?"

She frowned at me, straightening herself up. "No..."

"Hmm," I snickered and shook my head, opening my door. "Of course not." I spoke down to her with subtle sarcasm as I stepped out of the car, peering over into the front seat to address Deputy Lin. "Thanks for the lift, Patty, we really appreciate it."

Norma stepped out of the other side of the car after me, shutting it behind her. "We really appreciate it..." She rolled her eyes, folding her arms across her chest stubbornly. "I am my own person, you know."

"And you'd have thanked her if I hadn't, would you?" The car drove away just after Norma shut the back door and I began walking towards my own car, looking back at Nowith a subtly amused expression as I awaited her response.

"Yeah!" She said in a high-pitched tone; the type she used when she was blatantly lying, but the situation wasn't serious enough for her to care about me noticing.

"Hmm, alright." I narrowed my eyes and nodded; completely unconvinced. I reached around in my back pocket for my keys; and the key for Room 11 just so happened to come out along with it. I went to shove it back in my pocket, then hesitated for a moment. "Uh, hey-" My eyebrows knitted together and I turned around to look at Norma, the key for Room 11 hooked around my finger. "I still have this, sorry. Should've given it back to you after I left." I walked over to her, dropping the key into her palm. "Think I must've got so used to the routine of taking it everywhere that I forgot I needed to give it back to you-I wasn't an official guest, you know, so it wasn't like I had a check out time."

"Alex," She shook her head, as if to dismiss what I was saying before I could even properly finish. "I don't want it back. Do you not think i'd have stormed over to your house and demanded you give it back to me by now if I did?"

My expression morphed from one of guilt into one of confusion. How could she not be bothered that I kept one of the keys to the motel-her business? What would happen if the motel suddenly started getting busy, say all the rooms went and the only option left was Room 11-what would she say?

'Oh, I apologize, you can't have this room, the Sheriff has the key for it. No no, he's not actually staying here. Not at the moment anyway-sure, it's his home away from home sometimes, but he just comes and goes when he pleases really. Oh yeah and he doesn't pay me for it, either.'

She'd already complained numerous times about how her business was plummeting and pinned the blame on herself, so it certainly wouldn't do her any favours to show signs of being irresponsible or unprofessional as a businesswoman.

"I can't just keep it, Norma, that's ridiculous. I'm not even staying here."

"Sorry, who runs this place again?" She raised her eyebrows, cupping her hand over her ear as she veered closer to me to hear my answer.

"Yeah, alright, you...but that's what i'm saying. This is your motel and you can't just-" I began, brought to a stop when she put a hand on my arm.

"Shut up, keep the key, use it whenever you need it. Okay?" She said sternly, placing the key into my palm and pushing my hand close to my chest. I didn't utter a reply, simply sighed-both out of defeat and annoyance.

"Okay?!" She repeated moments later, and my eyes shut briefly in reaction to her sudden yell.

"Alright!" I agreed in an irritated tone, knowing that she wouldn't shut up until she was certain that i'd do what she said. "For christ's sake, alright. I'll keep the damn key."

She flashed an irritatingly satisfied smile, pulling her hand away from my arm and stepping back so we were at a normal distance from each other again. "Good."

As I began backing towards the SUV, I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. I stopped in my tracks for a moment and pulled it out, allowing my tired eyes time to adjust to the bright screen. As soon as I read the text that popped up, a groan escaped my lips that I didn't realise was audible.

"What?"

"Just work-"

She raised her eyebrows, as if she was waiting for me to elaborate further.

"Nothing about tonight, don't worry." I shook my head. Nothing you care about, I may as well have said. "I've gotta go in earlier tomorrow morning, that's all. Would've had an earlier night had I known earlier, but whatever. I rarely ever get much sleep anyway."

"Well," she paused "The offer's still there if you want to make use of your key..." She trailed off and shrugged, holding her hands up in the air. "You wouldn't have to drive back then, you can just head straight off to sleep." She said, wiggling her fingers in motion of a running man then pointing over to Room 11.

"Uh..." I thought about it, looking back to the SUV then to Room 11.

"Oh for god's sake-" She rolled her eyes at me. "You know it's obviously going to be easier. Honestly, you're making out like it's a life changing decision. It's one freaking night, not an eternity. Stop being a drama queen and just go to your room."

"Right, alright, fine. Yeah-I guess it makes sense."

Still with an unimpressed expression on her face, she began to walk away, shaking her head. She span on her heel to look back at me, blonde curls flowing with the movement. "Is there anything you need before I go up to the house?"

"Don't think so..."

"Wait, let me guess-privacy? For me to not do your laundry? I actually think i've got all your rules and regulations memorised by now..." She snorted.

"Mm. Still don't go by them though." I stated flatly, watching the smug smile on her face dramatically disappear and morph into an offended frown.

She turned away from me and began to walk, then stopped in her tracks once again; looking back at me simply to tut and shake her head disapprovingly at my comment. She'd already reacted once, but obviously it hadn't been quite enough. She then turned her back to me again and continued her walk up to the house. "Night." She said bluntly; a quiet and muffled sound due to the growing distance between us as she headed off up to the house.

I snickered, shaking my head. "Goodnight, Norma."

I wondered how long she'd trick me into staying with her this time, how long she'd keep me around to be her loyal protector-or more so; her bulletproof vest. Seemed to me that I was merely the wall that prevented her from being hurt; and that my destruction wouldn't mean a thing to her.

'Well it looks like it went right through you'

She'd said when I got shot; told her I could've died. Looking back that was a blatant beg for her sympathy on my part, but in fairness to the past self-pitying Alex, my statement was true. I could've died, if the bullet had just been an inch closer to my heart, I could've. And it was highly likely that she probably wouldn't even have blinked an eye.

Thing is, at this point, none of that mattered. The woman could probably try to kill me herself and i'd still end up pulling up in her motel car park the day later. Her grip on the chains that had a hold of me were tightening by the second. No matter what she said, no matter what she did, I never strayed from the path that lead to her. Never once took any other turning. Every lie I told, every choice-every mistake-I made; it was all for her.

And there wasn't a pause button, nor a rewind.

There was no turning back.