A Few Author's Notes: So, I may have lied a bit. There will be another chapter to this story, an epilogue. I didn't complete it yet, but I thought I'd at least post this part while I continue to write the official ending of this fiction. I don't want to give away what I exactly have planned for the final chapter, but I will say it will be Normero overload. And even though ultimately I will be writing this, I will happily take suggestions from readers on what they may like to see in the end.

** This is completely unedited, sorry! I'll look it over soon **

I hope you enjoy…

Chapter 13: A Disturbing Sight

"Are you alright Norma?" Emma glances to her right to see her mother figure gazing blankly through the windshield at the open and somewhat barren road ahead of them. "Do you want to talk about it?"

The car ride has been silent minus the occasional sniffle Emma hears from the passenger seat. The older woman is obviously confused about everything that happened a little earlier, not sure how to process this new information. Confronting her brother minutes prior has left Norma feeling a variety of emotions. The combination of fear she's never fully challenged before, the sense of freedom from the one demon she hasn't been able to shake for all of her years, and the embarrassment of her family secrets being exposed.

"Norma?" Emma tries to gain the older woman's attention again, but fails when she notices no change in demeanor from her passenger. Since she's received no response, Emma decides to remain quiet for the remainder of the trip to the motel figuring maybe the quiet is somehow soothing Norma.

It's not until the VW bug pulls into the motel parking lot and stops in front of the house that the older woman breaks the stillness of the car. "Does he treat my son well?" She asks Emma in barely a whisper.

"Who?" Emma isn't stupid. She knows exactly who Norma is referring to, but thinks it might be a little more therapeutic for her pseudo mother to acknowledge Caleb in a peaceful conversation. She turns off her vehicle and shifts her body in an attempt to make eye contact with the other woman.

Now focusing on the fidgeting fingers resting on her lap, Norma deeply inhales and tries to calm her shaken nerves before meeting Emma's eyes with her tearful ones. "My brother."

Emma smiles as she notices Norma directing her stare toward her. She reaches out for the older woman's hand, ultimately resting her palm on her trembling knuckles. "Yes, he cares for Dylan very much. It was rough in the beginning for obvious reasons, but I know they care for each other like a real father and son."

Norma keeps Emma's comforting on hers and then lifts her free hand to her face to wipe away the gathered wetness from the corner of her right cheek. "Okay. That's all that matters," she returns the smile with a tiny whimper.

"You've mended things with Caleb too. Sure it's not perfect between the two of you, but you both had been on the road to recovery until-"

"My accident." Norma replies softly with a wavering voice, earning a nod from Emma. "I just feel so lost right now and confused. I hate this!" She exclaims in frustration, ripping her hand from underneath Emma's. "It's difficult to know I've gained so much, only to lose it in the matter of minutes. I wish more than anything I could remember the past."

Emma feels absolutely helpless in witnessing Norma's struggles. The only thing the young woman can do is concentrate on the positive in the situation. "This has helped you in some ways," she states with hope in her tone. "Your relationship with Dylan has improved greatly. I've never seen you two have a deep and genuine conversation about your past. He's always guarded, but that talk you had with him allowed his mother to break down his walls. That's amazing Norma. It was truly wonderful to see," she informs with a reassuring grin.

"Really?" Hearing those words uttered from the young woman suddenly puts everything that has occurred over her several days of darkness into perspective. A smile begins to creep onto her lips as she starts to feel a little better about her ordeal. At least there is a thread of positivity to shine through the hopelessness she's been feeling for so long.

"Yes, to speak about his childhood experiences was intense yet cleansing for him. Just by listening to him and the trauma he suffered as a child helped your relationship tremendously. He has always tried to shove his true feelings about John, Sam and Norm-" Emma instantly stops speaking and widens her eyes in horror with the realization she almost mentioned Norman. She quickly clears her throat to mask her mistake, hoping the older woman is oblivious to the name that almost slipped out of her mouth. "Norma. I-I mean you," she immediately says with a slight stutter.

Norma is noiseless for a second as she squints her eyes and tilts her head, noticing Emma fluster suddenly.

"Maybe we should go inside now." The young woman suggests, in hopes of directing Norma's attention elsewhere. "After this emotional rollercoaster you just went through, you deserve a rest."

Norma nods in agreement while watching Emma hurriedly unbuckle her seatbelt, hastily grab her purse and exit the vehicle. The younger woman's sudden unusual actions cause questions to form in her mind, but she soon forgets them when she unclasps her own belt and steps out of the car.

Too tangled in their own thoughts, neither of the women notice the phone slipping from Emma's bag nor do they dwell on the fact the front door isn't locked.

XXXX

Dylan is frantic.

In addition to his first call to the Sheriff going unanswered, his second call to Deputy Evans is also a fail. The idea of calling his mother completely bypasses his mind since she probably doesn't even realize she has a cell phone. Calling the house phone is a bad idea because if Norman happens to have found his way home, he would most certainly answer it. Only one other person comes to mind for him to call, Emma.

Taking his focus off the road momentarily, Dylan takes one hand off the steering wheel and searches for her number until he finds it. The tires from his truck hitting the gravel patches on the road's shoulder quickly remind him he's driving causing him to jerk the wheel back into place to continue his journey. "Come on Emma. Pick up, pick up, pick up," he chants to himself as the phone continues to ring on the other end of the line.

"Shit!" He swears while tossing the phone to the passenger seat. He then smacks the steering wheel with the palm of one of his hands before gripping it tight enough for white knuckles to be displayed.

Even with the speed he's driving, Dylan is still too far away from town to be at the motel any time soon. Possible options swirl in his head as he drives causing him to occasionally lose concentration. Yes, in theory he could call 9-1-1, but if he did call the emergency line there is a chance another officer who isn't familiar with the volatile situation could be disastrous for everyone involved.

The only hope he has left is the Sheriff gets the urgent message and is already on his way.

XXXX

Norma sits at the kitchen table, completely lost in thought. Noticing her mother figure's inward distress, Emma decides to make some relaxing tea to help unwind the woman's overworked mind.

The young woman places a steamy teacup in front of Norma and joins her at the table. "Are you okay?"

Norma blinks herself back into reality after trying to pull memories from her psyche, making her head ache and her body become increasingly more exhausted. She reaches for the cup in front of her with a shaky hand and touches the rim to her bottom lip to test the temperature. Judging the heat to be safe, the older woman sips from the cup before placing it in front of her again. "I'm fine Emma," she exhales with an attempt at a reassuring smile.

"I have a lot on my mind," Norma's voice wobbles and her nervous grin fades after a stretch of silence. "Seeing Caleb was, well, unexpected." She shakes her head once and then drops her focus to her trembling fingers prior to meeting Emma's concerned eyes. "Maybe that's not the right word to use because it was so much more than that," she sighs while picking up the teacup and swallowing the warm liquid a little more aggressively at the memory. "I don't understand how everything is resolved between us? How is the past so easily forgotten?" The older woman suddenly gasps loudly, dropping the now empty cup to the tabletop. "Oh my God Dylan, he knows the secret. My poor baby boy!" She openly weeps, covering her face with the palms of her hands. "What he must think about me, what you must think!?"

Emma reaches toward her mother figure and then gently strokes her back to soothe the distraught woman. "I promise you Norma, everything is alright," she murmurs calmly. "Dylan is fine."

Norma slides her palms down her dampened cheeks to focus her reddened eyes back to the young lady. "Is he?" She sniffles with a tremor in her tone in almost a whisper. "How did he find out?"

Emma shifts awkwardly in her seat, uncomfortable with the questions being asked. Her small frame fidgets and her eyelids seal shut briefly while remembering the disturbing sight of the visibly destroyed young man slumped over in his truck, unconscious. Dylan was somewhat of a mystery to Emma back then, but even at that time she felt oddly drawn to him. "Um, well, I don't-" She pauses for a moment, trying to choose her words carefully to not upset Norma further. "He didn't take it well at first," Emma states while glancing at the older woman. "But, he was in shock. He's put all of it behind him, just as you have." The young lady flashes a smile, sighing in relief when she notices a change in Norma's expression. "He cares for you, Norma. No matter what he says or does, he cares."

Norma whimpers and attempts to wipe her tear stained cheeks dry with her unsteady fingers. "Thank you Emma."

Fifteen minutes of comfortable chitchat pass before Emma notices the older woman yawn discreetly. "Maybe you should rest Norma," Emma suggests cautiously. "You've had a difficult day."

"I think you're right. I'm just going to lay down for a bit." Norma sleepily agrees as she stands up slowly from her chair, instantly discovering all of her body's tension has withered away. Thanks to the calming tea and the emotional afternoon, all of her limbs are weary. The muscles in her extremities are beyond relaxed, crossing over to the point of immobile. However, the sluggish woman politely refuses Emma's offer for assistance and continues to shuffle out of the room.

Norma stands at the bottom of the stair case with her left hand gripping the post and one foot on the lowest step. She takes in a deep inhale and then slowly exhales while mentally preparing herself to take the long hike upstairs. Gradually Norma drags her feet up the stairs, continuing to grasp the banister for balance.

Once Norma reaches the top and starts to approach her bedroom, she hears a noise coming from inside. Regardless of her exhaustion, her body tenses and her pulse races as an automatic response.

As far as she knows, Emma is the only other person in the house.

Standing frozen to the side of the doorway to her room, Norma's theories go wild within her head while trying to figure out the answer to her question. However after a few moments of deep consideration, the woman's nervous invisible shield slowly crumbles when she convinces herself how silly she's being and how paranoid she has become. Wiping all negative possibilities from her thoughts, Norma's mind instead persuades her to believe her husband is the originator of the unexpected noise.

Without further contemplation, Norma decides to plan a sneak attack and surprise Alex.

A playful smirk forms on her face as she attempts to gracefully move forward, trying her best to be quiet even though her heels are most likely emitting some sort of sound against the hardwood floors. As she creeps inside the room on her tip toes Norma notices the man inside her bedroom is not her loving husband, but a younger male she can't recognize. Her jaw drops ajar and a loud gasp leaves her lungs at the sight, prompting a quick reaction from the stranger seated at her lit vanity with what appears to be one of her perfume bottles secured in his grasp.

The young man snaps his neck to the direction of the noise and focuses on the female figure standing in the room. He instantly drops the scented bottle from his clasp to the floor with the screeching sound of glass shattering causing both mother and son to flinch dramatically. Seeing Norma sets Norman into a confusing descent as he rushes to stand from the bench he had been seated in, hearing it also crash to the floor when he stands in haste.

Unfortunately, Emma hears nothing.

While Norma had walked from the kitchen to the hallway, Emma had found the earbuds and small iPod she had hidden inside her bag. The urge to make Norma's pantry more user friendly had overtaken any sense of alarm. As the young woman obliviously continues to arrange various food containers in the large storage cabinet, a confrontation unleashes upstairs between mother and disturbed son.

Norman moves aggressively toward his stunned mother. Upon registering the movement of the young man wrapped in her light blue robe moving closer and closer to her, a vision consumes Norma's mind. Flashes of the past flood her thoughts which leads her to stumble as she attempts to step backward out of fear.

Snippets of the night of her fall suddenly become clear.

Over a month ago….

"Norman!" Norma shouts throughout the house with a little sharpness in her voice.

After receiving a phone call mere minutes before from her husband regarding the young man's recent behavior and outrageous threats directed to his new stepfather, the woman realizes she can no longer allow this type of attitude to continue. Her son needs to accept the notion that the Sheriff isn't going anywhere, no matter how poorly the young man acts.

This is Norma's chance at real happiness. A happiness the woman hasn't felt in years or maybe ever when she remembers her past filled with broken relationships with men who claimed to care about her, but only ended up hurting her both emotionally and physically. The scars are finally healing from the memories she's endured for years, Norma can't lose the one Band-Aid she's been able to lean on and receive unconditional love from.

Upon finding her son's usual hiding spot in the basement empty, Norma decides to check the only other space he likes to be. As the irritated woman walks up the long staircase to Norman's bedroom, she decides to lower the volume of her voice and sweeten her tone, hoping to receive a better response. "Norman honey, I'd like to talk with you."

When there is still no reaction to her words, Norma peeks inside the young man's room only find it empty as well.While standing confused and concerned in the hallway, she hears a noise radiating from her and Alex's bedroom. Her husband is obviously still working so it can't be him, but perhaps her youngest son has decided to sneak in.It wouldn't be the first time she's caught Norman in her room. The pair used to spend quality family time together in her room, watching movies on the bed at night or even catching a nap on a lazy afternoon prior to the Sheriff coming into the picture.It's possible this is the young man's way of expressing his defiance against all of the changes the family has gone through recently. His way of continuing traditions with his mother he's so afraid of losing? Can she really lose her temper with her son who is obviously struggling?

In stepping through the doorway, the woman observes a disturbing sight.Sure, Dylan has mentioned a similar spectacle he witnessed before, but Norma didn't believe it. Not until this very moment could her mind even grasp such a thought.However seeing her youngest son, outfitted in her pale blue feminine robe with one of the sparkly dresses she owns clutched in his grip, suddenly allows her to accept the truth in the most shocking and jolting manner possible.

The loud sobs from his mother, stops the young man and causes him to focus intently on the woman standing in the doorway. Deep in his "Norma" headspace, Norman drops the shiny dress from his fingertips and moves hostilely toward the female figure. "How did you get into my house!?" He shouts with venom in a higher pitched sound with hands raised, preparing to attack the shuddering woman. "LEAVE or my sons will make you leave! Dylan, Norman, get this crazy woman out of my house!"

Norma steps back quickly when she trips over her unsteady feet and falls to the ground in fright, realizing her disturbed son does in fact believe he is her. The sound of uncontrollable sobs continue to radiate throughout the hallow walls as she quickly tries to scramble to her feet, succeeding only seconds before her Norman hovers above her.

Screaming and cries are the only noises filling the otherwise empty house while Norma frantically moves backwards, using the stairwell railing as the only guide to make her haste escape. However, once the heel of her shoe touches the top of the stairs, Norman lunges forward with all of his might and makes contact with the shaky woman's shoulders. With such incredible force, Norma's grip is ripped from the railing and she plummets onto the steps.

Her body is tossed and beaten ruthlessly as she tumbles down the stairs until her injured frame lands awkwardly to the unforgiving hardwood floor. In the midst of her fall she knocks her head roughly on the ground, causing darkness to envelop her vision.

Shaking her head in disbelief, Norma remembers every detail of that fateful day and every day before it. Everything is filtering back into her mind at this very second.

Unfortunately for Norma, she now finds herself in the exact same positon she did over a month ago, with her son rushing at her so aggressively she can't stop his momentum. The heel of her shoe once again hovers over the edge, with even the tiniest of force she knows she will fall victim to the same result. Desperately and furiously Norma claws at the banister to grab for any sort of safety, but she can't hold on. The woman now accepts her fate with the feeling of falling beginning to fill her senses.

Until… two strong arms embrace her, only inches away from her body making first contact with the steps. "I have you Norma," a deep voice whispers in her ear as she is lifted and carried down the stairs swiftly to the safety of the flat ground. A panicked Emma stands near and then rushes over to the couple to immediately reach for her mother figure, who is clearly in shock. The Sheriff can't bear to let his wife go at the moment so he continues to hold her tightly to his chest, completely unaware of the young man in his mother's robe jogging down after them.

All of a sudden, a vulgar slamming noise from the foyer area causes everyone in the room to wince. Instantly, the uproar of clambering footsteps run past the three other adults on the floor, quickly gaining their attention. A running blur races mid-way up the stairs and then tackles a stunned Norman to the steps with a bone crushing crash. The shadow turns out to be a wild eyed Dylan who has now taken control of the situation. As the younger struggles to break free of his older brother's grasp, another man rushes past the small crowd gathered in the room.

Deputy Evans immediately removes a pair of handcuffs from his side and attaches them to Norman's fidgety wrists. Dylan and the deputy both haul the troubled young man to his feet and into their clutches as they make their way down to the bottom floor. A barely aware Norma is whisked away into another room, still secured in her husband's arms while Norman is dealt with by his brother and Evans.

"Norma?" Romero asks quietly while he sits on the sofa with his wife resting comfortably on his lap, her body curled into his torso. "Everything is alright, love. I promise, you are safe."

The woman peeks her eyes upward as he lowers his to make an instant connection. A shy smile sneaks on Norma's lips as the Sheriff grins fondly in response. "You've never called me love before," she says between soft sniffles.

"I feel it fits you," the man sighs sheepishly. "It's how I feel when I see you." Romero then flashes a nervous smile, unsure of what her response will be and completely naïve to his wife regaining her memory.

Norma captures the right side of her bottom lip between her teeth playfully without breaking eye contact. "I think I love it." The woman smirks bashfully and nuzzles her nose into his neck to bathe in his natural musky scent.

She falls asleep this way, blissfully huddled in her husband's protective embrace.

** 1 more chapter left **

Author's Notes: As I mentioned above, prepare for a Nomero epilogue … As always, thank you for reading!