Author's notes: I still haven't watched season 4, but I know one fact which has kept me away from watching it. I don't think I can handle Norma not being alive in the show and not having a happy ending with Romero. Of course, I know the movie and how it ends but I'm too invested in Nomero at this point.

This is fanfiction, right?

*We're going to pretend Oregon is only 3 hours away from Washington. And this scene takes place in the evening.

As always I value what readers think, feel free to let me know. I've never felt so unsure and self-conscious of a story as I do with this one. Literally nothing is planned with these chapters, it's just me taking it one step at a time.

I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 3: Picture Perfect

After a few deep breaths, Alex decided the best thing to do is to hear more details about the situation before stepping back into the house. The question though, is he ready to hear the truth? Could Norma be up to her old tricks again? Maybe she truly isn't capable of change.

Alex quickly peeks around the corner, relieved noticing the door he walked out of minutes ago remains closed. He stares at his phone before finding Dylan's number. Deep down he's unsure if he wants to call the young man, nervous about what he might hear.

When the ringtone blares in his ear, he's tempted to hang up but after the 5th ring the young man answers with a rather unfriendly tone.

"What do you want Romero?" Dylan asks with a huff. "I'm alive, you can tell Norma and Emma. Now leave me alone."

"Wait! Don't hang up! It's important," Alex grits and then pauses when he hears complete silence on the other end of the phone for a few moments.

"Are they alright?" A meeker voice then responds.

Alex is unsure if he means just Emma and Norma, or if Norman is grouped into his question also.

Under all the anger Dylan harbors toward his family, he ultimately cares for them. Even after all the pain both Norma and Norman put him through over the years, he cares for them unconditionally.

"Yes, they're fine." Alex assures.

Dylan clears his throat agitatedly, then hardens his tone once again. "Never mind, it's none of my business. I'm done with the both of them. I'm done with their lying, their scheming, their selfishness… I'm DONE!"

Alex holds his phone from his ear and grimaces as Dylan screams the last words of his speech. Ok, maybe this situation is going to be tougher than he thought. "Dylan," he treads carefully with his words. "I get it, but I really need to know the information you have about Norman and then I won't talk about either one of them again until you're ready to."

"Fine, I'll talk but not right now. I'm pissed and to be honest it's been a long fuckin' day that the mere thought of talking about either of those two right now, well, let's just say it won't end well."

As much as he wants to hear everything right now, Alex knows this isn't the right time. The last thing he wants to do is make the situation worse for the young man, who clearly has been through enough. "Ok, sure. Look, I have tomorrow off. I'm not sure where you are right now because I know you and Emma had an argument. But – "

Dylan promptly cut him off mid-sentence. "How do you know that? How do you know that we had a fight and that I'm not at home? How?"

After hearing the continuous questions, Alex realizes maybe it would've been best to leave Emma out of this altogether. He feels almost like an unwanted intruder bringing up the young woman. "Well, Emma called me and mentioned you had a disagreement, which ended in you leaving. She is worried about you." When the other side of the line was still silent, Alex continues with an attempt to smooth over this situation. "Emma just needed to speak with someone," he pauses again. "She told me you're always the first person she thinks of to talk to. She doesn't feel comfortable talking with her father about you. Obviously Emma couldn't talk with Norma because she respects you too much to ever do something like that, even though Norma is like a mother to her. I was literally her only option."

"Oh," Dylan responds in barely a whisper. "I'm not walking away from her, if that's what you think."

"I didn't think you would be." Alex responds quietly.

"Yeah, well, as long as that is cleared up then." Dylan asserts, a bit harshly.

"Anyway, I'm not going to tell Emma or Norma where you are or that we even talked. But, I really would like to have that conversation with you. If you don't want to tell me where you are, that's fine. Then why don't we meet somewhere –"

"I'm on the way to my cabin." Dylan replies, again interrupting the other man.

"In Oregon?" Alex questions, not expecting that answer.

"Yeah, I had to go there for my business. It's still one of my top locations, even if it isn't my biggest plant. I mean, I wasn't planning on driving here tonight but after the argument with Emma, I had to get out the hell out of Washington for a little bit."

Actually it doesn't sound like such a bad idea. Alex can't say he's not thinking about getting in his SUV at this very moment and driving out of town after this latest deception by Norma. In fact, he's not even sure how he's going to go back into the house and pretend he doesn't know about Norma's little jail break escapade today. "Let's meet at the coffee shop there, around 9 tomorrow morning."

"Don't you work?" Dylan asks with a hint of sarcasm.

Alex chuckles. "I have the day off. I was going to spend time with Norma but with the events of today, I've changed my mind."

"Can't blame you on that." The young man snickers, "I'll be there."

After those words, the line went dead. Alex isn't surprised, the young man has had a rough day. Leaving the house in the early morning for a 3 hour drive, seems almost serene.

Now Alex finds himself sitting on the bench outside the home he shares with Norma and as of today, apparently Norman. His mood doesn't match the peaceful atmosphere with the sky clear and the stars shining bright, instead he feels nothing but his own heartbeat racing. He'll have to bury his true feelings deep if he's going to make not only his words, but also his need for time away tomorrow to be believable. Norma is expecting for them to spend the day together; however, with her youngest son joining them he'd rather be doing anything else.

In his distraction, Alex doesn't realize Norman has had his bedroom window open just enough to hear the entire one sided conversation with Dylan. Not only did Norman find out about Dylan's fight with Emma through this stealthy eavesdropping, but also that Romero is after him.

Romero is threatening his relationship with Mother, which simply can't happen.

Norman will use any means necessary to stop Romero and by the sound of it, his own brother is against him. This means war.

And Norman doesn't play fair.

XXXX

After another hour of sitting in muddled meditation under the calming clear evening sky, a deep breath and an internal pep-talk, Alex slowly moves toward the house. He knows what he has to do, lie. But, in all honesty Alex is not as skilled as his love in this type of situation. Sure Alex can lie if he needs to, though when it comes to Norma, he never wants to.

The delicious aroma of Norma's home cooked meal hits his nose immediately and draws him in with a tiny smile on his face. The mashed potatoes, the roast she was probably cooking for hours and fresh homemade rolls all should make him hurriedly take a seat at the dining table.

Regardless of how appealing the smell of Norma's evident hard work with this meal, the sight of Norman giggling with his mother while setting the table together for 3, makes him lose his appetite in an instant.

While Alex stands in the kitchen alone with a perfect view of the dining room, the couple doesn't notice his existence yet. Part of him wonders if they would notice him anyway, mother and son appear to be in their own little world. Alex knows it had been only the two of them against the world, for quite some time but this scene in front of him just doesn't seem right.

With a raised brow, Alex continues to analyze the scene of mother and son, he's an investigator after all. Alex notices Norma's oblivious giggle and Norman's odd smirk. It's true he doesn't know Norman all that well, not like he knows Dylan but again there's something sinister behind the young man's eyes.

As Norma attempts to make this meal into a perfect damn Rockwell painting, Alex can't help but feel like an intruder in his own house.

When Norma finally looks his way, she rushes toward him with a large smile and arms opened wide. "Oh honey isn't it perfect? It's Norman's favorite meal for his happy homecoming." She says wrapping her arms tightly around his torso.

In straining her neck upward, Norma's bright sapphire eyes connect with his pair of brown ones, making Alex's heart swell and skip a beat. With seeing genuine love in her eyes, Alex struggles to follow the plan he created in his head mere minutes ago. However with one glance toward the other room, Alex quickly remembers what he has to do. In noticing Norman's scowl and both hands in tight fists hanging by his sides while his mother's back is turned, Alex knows he needs the truth.

Norma shifts backward from his embrace while still wearing a genuine grin, reaches out her right hand to take his left and starts pulling the man into the other room to join her son. Of course, Norman takes a seat in Alex's normal chair at the head of the table. It's possible Norman may not know that chair has always been his, but everything that young man does seems to have a some sort of motive behind it.

Instead of taking a seat in another chair, the whole situation starts to actually make him feel ill. Norma is as perceptive as ever when she notices. "Are you alright honey? You look a little pale." She says out of pure concern.

"Um, actually I think I'm going to lie down. It's been a long day, but can I talk with you for a second in the other room?" He asks, nodding his head once toward the direction of the kitchen. Before making any movement though, he feels the need to at least say something to the young man sitting in his spot. Mainly to avoid Norma's suspicion about his distaste for Norman being in their house, he directs an attempted genuine greeting. "Good to see you here Norman. We'll celebrate properly soon," he grits out earning a fake and maybe even a sneaky smile from Norman.

Norma steps away from the table and moves quickly toward him, look of distress still etched on her face. "Are you alright?" She asks right away in a quiet tone.

"Well, unfortunately that call I had was from the lead detective. There's an urgent case I've been assigned and because I'm still new to the position, I have to take it." Alex watched her expression turn to sadness and disappointment, which kills him a little on the inside. He hates seeing this look on her face. "I'll make it up to you, I promise. It's going to be an early morning for me tomorrow and I'm not really hungry because I ate a late lunch at work. I apologize, I didn't realize you were going to cook like this."

"I understand," she whispers. "I should've told you about Norman, but I wanted it to be a surprise for you, Emma and Dylan. I just wanted to celebrate as a family with Norman and continue getting ready for the opening, since we had to delay our initial bookings for another month," she sighs sadly. "Emma called me while you were outside saying her and Dylan both are sick. I didn't want to ruin the secret, so they still don't know Norman's finally home. Hopefully, they'll be feeling better soon so we can all share this moment." Norma flashes a tiny smile, though her grin never reaches her eyes. He knows she's terribly disappointed, but trying to remain optimistic.

"I hate that I have to disappoint you love," he replies quietly before leaning forward to kiss her forehead.

"I know," she sniffles briefly. "I'm proud of you Alex and I'll always stand by you." Grabbing both of his hands in hers again, she gives a tiny squeeze in her grip before releasing him from her hold. Norma steps behind him with a giggle as she shuffles him out of the room. "Now, off to bed with you." Norma says lightheartedly as she swats his behind, with a gentle hand. "I sure do like you in a suit. You were perfection in your Sherriff's uniform, but you in a suit on a daily basis may be even better." Norma mentions with an alluring smile. Norma blows him a kiss in the hallway before mentioned one last thing. "I'll prepare a plate for you and put it in the fridge in case you get hungry later. I love you."

Alex can't help the heavy sense of dread in his heart as his deception starts to eat away at him. After a couple of hours of hearing muffled talking and frequent bouts of laughter coming from the other room, Alex remains wide awake. So much for any attempts to sleep tonight.

When he hears the bedroom door slowly creak open and a shadowed figure tip toe across the floor, Alex quickly slams his eyes shut. He tries to steady his breathing as to not cause any doubt of his phony deep slumber.

When he senses the bed dip slightly after the other figure gently slips into the bed beside him, Alex also instantly feels the softened touch of Norma's arm carefully drape around his waist. Surprisingly, with her by his side he finally drifts off to sleep.

XXXX

Alex wakes with a slight shiver, almost as if he has a pair of eyes staring at both him and his love. When he glances over toward the bedroom door, unable to shake the feeling of being watched, Alex notices the door is now left ajar. He carefully removes himself out of Norma's unconscious embrace and steps quietly toward the door, closing it all the way again.

Even while pretending to be asleep when Norma entered the room, Alex is sure he heard the door close completely against the frame hours ago.

As he carefully returns to bed without waking his love, Alex realizes sleep won't return when the question of the ajar bedroom door remains on his mind.

XXXX

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