Norma parked her car down the road from Alex's house. She knew Alex had work today so he wouldn't be home until late. She walked onto his porch and turned the front door. The knob stops before it can turn all the way. Locked.

"Damn it." Norma mumbles, looking around for a key. He didn't leave a house key lying around. Why would he? The only person who needed a key was him.

Norma removes her jacket, wrapping it around her right hand. She balls her hand up into a fist and punches the window on his front door as hard as she can. It doesn't budge on the first punch, but on the second punch, the glass shatters, allowing Norma to stick her hand through the broken window and unlock his door from the inside.

Normally, she would've felt bad for breaking his window, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Besides, she wouldn't have to break in if he had just given the flash drive to her when she asked for it.

She begins by digging through the moving boxes in his living room. She opened the first box, a framed photo on top. She smiles softly as she pulls out the photo of Alex as a young boy, hugging a beautiful woman with the same smile as Alex's. She had the same dark eyes framed by thick, long lashes. This woman had to be his mother.

She set the photo aside and pulled out a beautiful vintage looking dress with embroidered flowers along the bottom of the dress as well as on the sheer sleeves. It was the dress the woman was wearing in the photo. His mother's dress. This box must be what he has left of his mother after the fire. The next thing Norma pulled out was a small box. Norma had a feeling of what this might be but she opened it anyways, gasping once she sees what's inside.

The ring was beautiful; a large, circular diamond sitting upon a silver band. The large diamond was lined with small diamonds. It was an expensive looking ring.

Norma took it out of the box, wondering if this ring belonged to his mother or if Alex had a special someone that Norma didn't know about.

She quickly put the ring away, placing the dress and photo back into the box on top of it. She moves to the next box, trying to find the flash drive. Once she went through each box in the living room, she moved to what looked like his office, her patience wearing thin. He had so many boxes, so many places to hide such a small flash drive. She moved to the writing desk, shuffling through the papers on it. A book falls from the desk, landing next to her foot.

She slowly bends down and grabs the small book, opening it to find Alex's hand writing. Each page was filled with his writing, every thought and feeling written down onto the paper. She knew she shouldn't read it but stops when she sees her own name. It was dated just two days after they had first met on the motel porch.

Norma Bates was her name. I had heard about her in town but no one had spoken of how beautiful she is. Even with her hair tied back in a messy ponytail, she was striking. Though I am pretty sure she is a suspect in the Keith Summers case.

Norma chuckles at the last line. He could always read her all too well. She flipped through the pages again, stopping in a random spot.

I was quiet, but I was not blind. I could see that Rebecca was not interested in me as a person, but my title. It is power she is drawn to. This could be the end of something.

Norma had never even heard of Rebecca. Was he dating her? She glances at the date and is relieved to see that this entry was two years ago. She continues reading.

Everybody knows how to love but few people know hot to stay in love with one person forever. I still haven't learned. Perhaps because I know that the more you love someone, the more you'll be hurt in the end. Love is cruel. It smashes into you, leaves you raw. I'm better off alone. Times like these that I realize that I am caught between trying to live my life and trying to run from it.

Norma closes the book slowly, setting it back on the desk where she found it. She had no idea how much Alex truly felt. It was so easy for her to pretend like he wasn't human, like he didn't have feelings. Easier for him to be her protector rather than to think of him as someone she must protect.

Reading his thoughts has changed the way she looks at him. She feels the need to protect him now. Not from other things or other people, but protect him from himself.

No.

What she needed to focus on right now was finding the damn flash drive to save her son. She begins shuffling through the papers again when she hears Alex.

"You've gotta be kidding me." he says. She turns to see him holding a gun in his hands.

"My son isn't going to prison because some rich, perverted asshole killed two women. He doesn't deserve to be dragged into this." she says, going back to her work of looking for the flash drive. She didn't understand why Alex was so against helping her.

"And put your damn gun down. Like you're gonna shoot me? That'll be the day." she says, walking to a different place in the room to look.

"I hate you." he spits at her. Her heart breaks at the words but her anger was quick to respond.

"Well I hate you too. So what?" she spits back, turning back to the boxes and taking her anger out by searching through his things.

"Where is it? Where's the stupid piece of computer gear that's ruining my life?" she asks with frustration.

"I turned it into the DEA." he tells her, putting his gun away. The words hit her like a train.

"You what?" she asks with disbelief.

"It's becoming too much, Norma. I am sick of jumping through hoops to keep Bob Paris from burying you in the ground! I'm sick of trying to accommodate everything and everyone. I'm done." he tells her.

"How could you do this to me?" she asks, feeling like she might cry. She was helpless and that was a feeling she didn't like to have.

"Bob Paris is going to investigate my husband's death just to get back at me. I'm screwed! I'm li-I'm like totally screwed! How could you do this to me?" she asks. She had to leave. Leave town with Norman. Go off the grid and hide.

She began walking out of Alex's house when he grabbed her and pinned her against his wall. Norma gasped and tensed up, Alex's hands being replaced by every guy who has ever abused her.

Alex seems to notice because he loosens his grip a little but doesn't let her go completely. She looks into his eyes, seeing the hurt she has inflicted on him.

"Why'd you lie to me?" he asks.

"I didn't lie-"

"Oh come on!" he says, shaking her a little.

"Your husband didn't die in an accident. You know it and I know it. So just tell me the truth. For once in your life, Norma, just tell me the truth!" he shouts. She hesitates, feeling the tears form in her eyes. He's going to learn the truth and he will take Norman away and have Norma put in jail for covering up the murder. She won't allow it. She can't be away from Norman.

"I did it. I killed him!" she tells him, a last ditch effort to save her and her son.

"No, come on. The truth!" he shouts.

"He was abusive and I killed him. He was hurting me so I hit him over the head with a blender." she finishes.

"Stop lying to me!" he shouts, his voice cracking. She can hear the pain in his voice. He had been lied to and manipulated for so long by so many people.

"You know the truth don't make me say it." she cries, the tears freely falling down her cheeks. He reaches up and wipes her tears away with his thumbs, his forehead resting against hers as they cool down from their heated conversation. He knew everything. He always had known.

"Don't touch me." she whispers, trying to pull away.

"Don't push me away, Norma." he pleads.

"Please. Don't do it." he whispers. She can feel his hot breath on her throat, his eyelashes fluttering against her cheek. Her hands fall onto his chest, her fingers stroking his chest through his shirt.

"What's going to happen to me?" she asks softly.

"Nothing." he tells her surely.

"I won't let anything happen to you or Norman." he tells her softly.

His words had pulled at something within her. Whether it was her emotional state or the fact that he had said just the right thing, Norma leaned close to Alex. She pressed her lips against his, her hand holding the back of his neck. She pulled away for a moment, looking into his dark eyes before leaning back in and kissing him passionately.

This kiss was different than the last time they had kissed. Norma wasn't drunk and Alex wasn't afraid to kiss her back.

His tongue ran along her bottom lip, making Norma shiver, goosebumps rising all over her body. She opened her mouth, their tongues finally dancing together after months of anticipation. Alex slowly slid his fingers into her hair while she pulled him even closer against her.

All too soon, Norma pulled away, her eyes still closed. Alex watches her, the way her lips were parted and slightly swollen. Her eyes flutter open, looking right into his. Normally, they would quickly look away if their eyes caught each other. But this time, their gaze held. Things were different. Norma felt different. It scared her.

"I've gotta go." she whispers, slipping out from between him and the wall. He let her go, his body still frozen in shock of having kissed her. He walked into his house, despising her very existence. And now...he can't imagine life without her.

Norma hadn't seen Alex for a few days after that heated night. She didn't look for him and he didn't seem to look for her. Or maybe he had and Norma had unknowingly been avoiding him. Either way, things were still left in the air between them and she didn't know how to feel about it. She didn't know where she stood with him or what they were to each other now. Friends don't kiss, not sober anyways.

It was late at night, almost midnight, when Alex knocked on her door. He had just gotten off of work and already felt bad for knocking.

"Evening, Norma." he says once she opens the door. She smiles softly, wondering what he was doing on her porch.

"I...I just came by to...to give you this check." he tells her, handing her the check.

"For my stay. Now that the flash drive is turned in and...Bob Paris is out of the equation...well I was just going to go back home." he tells her, still holding out the check.

"Alex, i'm not taking that. What you did was...it was a favor. I can't accept your payment." she tells him. He slips it into the mail box on the wall of her porch and turns back to her.

"I haven't seen you around." he says awkwardly. He was just as confused as she was. He just didn't know how to begin the discussion of where they were with each other.

"Yeah." Norma says, leaning against the doorway.

"I-I just...the other night-"

"Look, Alex," Norma begins in a soft tone.

"Everything about that night was a mistake. Including our...our kiss." she whispers, looking around as if afraid someone might be eavesdropping.

"You caught me at a weak moment." she tells him, watching his heart break. She hated herself for pushing him away once again. It was what she did.

"I'm sorry. I uh...I didn't realize I was taking advantage of you." he says before turning around and walking away.

"Alex." she calls out, stepping onto her porch.

"It wasn't like that." she tells him. He ignores her and keeps walking, not wanting her to see the tears that fell down his cheeks.