Alex smelt blood. It was a strange sensation, to be aware of that metallic coppery scent filling his nostrils while he was still mostly asleep. He blinked his eyes open slowly, before letting them drift shut again, trying to figure exactly what it was that he was breathing in, recognising the scent with a gasp. It was blood. Alot of it.

He rolled over, fear flooding through him as he threw back the covers, gasping brokenly when he saw the huge patch of dark crimson staining her nightgown, the sheets, the mattress. It was everywhere, it was all over him, but he didn't care. The baby...

"No, no, no." He ground out, rolling back over to the nightstand, searching wildly for his phone, tears filling his eyes. She'd be devastated. HE was devastated, feeling tears begin to fall, as he searched desperately for his phone.

"No. No..." He breathed out brokenly, slamming his hand down on the table where he knew he'd left his phone the night before, letting out his rage and helpless, hopeless anger onto the dresser.

"Fuck!" He sobbed out, punching his fist into the wood weakly, terrified to look at her, scared to witness the broken expression on her face. "I'm so sorry honey." He started, as he rolled back over, casting his eyes up to her face, finding her staring blankly up at the ceiling. She was still, too still and he reached out for her, feeling her ice cold skin under his fingers.

"Norma? Hey! Hey! Don't do this. Wake up!" He choked out frantically, pulling her onto his lap, his fingers searching for a pulse, finding none, her body limp and freezing in his arms.

"Please... Please, wake up... Baby?" He pressed his hand against the dark stain that stood out so horrifically against the stark white of her nightdress, frowning as he realised it was too high. It was up around her abdomen, not between her legs and he gasped, reaching one stained red hand over to flick on the light, trying to figure out what was happening.

Light flooded the room, illuminating the small figure huddled by the bed. Leaning over the pale corpse of his wife, his eyes landed on Norman's terrified face, lifting up from where he was hugging his knees against his chest, his face streaked with tears.

"Norman?" He gasped, confused, as the boy stared at him helplessly, sobbing hard, his eyes flicking from Alex's tearful face, to his mother's cold dead stare and back again.

"I... I thought she was you." He choked out, and Alex frowned, not sure he'd heard him right, until he lifted one hand from where it was wrapped around his knees, a blood covered kitchen knife dropping limply from his numb fingers. He held his crimson stained hands out to Alex, like a child looking for help.

"I thought she was you." He said again, and Alex just tightened his grip around Norma's body, not daring to let go for what he might do if he didn't try and hold on to the last of her grounding presence.

"The man always sleeps closest to the door." Norman explained slowly, through his sobs and Alex frowned at him, cocking his head at him in disbelief.

"See!" A voice came muffled from against his chest and he pulled back to see her staring up at him with those glassy, pale blue eyes, her skin still deathly pale, but her lips curling into a smug smile. "I told you!"

He let go of her, backing up across the bed a few inches, scrubbing his hands across his eyes in shock as she smiled up at him, her body flopping like a rag doll when he let her go. When he opened his eyes again, she was gone, her blonde hair and pale skin replaced with long dark brown waves and tanned olive skin.

"Mom?" He whispered, freezing as he reached for her. She was wearing the same white nightgown as Norma, but the stains were different now, her abdomen clear. This time, the dark ruby stains were around her wrists, soaking into the sides of her dress, spreading out in wide red pools either side of her. She was smiling gently at him, and he smiled back out of habit, before she gazed at something over his shoulder and a wide, beaming grin broke out across her face. One dripping red hand raised up, pointing at something outside the window.

"Look honey. It's that bird you saved!" She trilled, and he began to turn, his eyes almost landing on the window, when he woke with a start, sitting up abruptly, casting his eyes to the window. There was nothing there, just the closed curtains, thicker, more opaque curtains he had protectively bought for her the day he'd moved in. They were still, the windows closed against the cold of the winter's air, the light from the moon filtering in slightly through the fairly thick fabric.

He glanced over his shoulder to where Norma stirred lightly in her sleep, her skin glowing, her hair gleaming almost silver in the pale moonlight. He panted, trying to slow his breathing, trying desperately to rid his mind of the images from his dream, watching her wriggle her nose adorably in her sleep.

She was most definitely alive, stirring gently as he watched her, her breathing slow and deep, but he couldn't resist inching the covers down, eventually yanking them down in a panic when they got caught on her hands. He rose up on his knees, pulling the covers away from her completely, breathing out a sigh of relief when there was no blood, no red stain marring her pale skin or the baby blue of the strappy nightie she was wearing. She shivered a little and he immediately felt guilty for uncovering her, but he couldn't resist pressing his hands against her abdomen for a second, trying to imagine the little life she was incubating in there.

"Alex, I'm asleep." She complained grumpily, her eyes remaining closed, her hands covering his own where they lay against her stomach. "But ok." She smiled, misreading his intention, sliding his hands up to cup her breasts, reaching up to pull him down on top of her.

"Honestly!" She muttered, as if she were scandalised by his actions. "Waking a pregnant woman in the middle of the night for sex. You brute." She giggled sleepily, hooking one leg behind him, freezing when she realised he wasn't moving, his hands sliding limply from her chest to hold his weight off her. Her eyes blinked open and she frowned up at him.

"What's wrong?" She muttered, her hands gently stroking the back of his hair. He shook his head, not able to verbalise it, feeling ridiculous as he shook in her arms. "Alex. Come on. What's happened? Are you ok?"

She took his face in her hands, looking up at him intently, fully awake now.

"I just... I had a bad dream." He said in a small voice, like a child, and he instantly felt pathetic. How was this woman supposed to trust him to protect her, when he couldn't protect himself from his own nightmares? She nodded back at him seriously, her expression softening.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

He shook his head immediately, and he lowered his weight slightly to her side, feeling her wrap her arms soothingly around his neck.

"It's ok." She whispered gently, and he slithered down her body, pressing an innocent kiss against her chest, before nuzzling his nose against the satin of her nightdress, resting his head on her stomach.

"Is this ok? Am I too heavy?" He asked quietly, his arm curling up around her waist, using her belly as a pillow. Her hands drifted to run through his hair, smiling in confusion as he settled himself.

"No. You're fine." She breathed out, biting her lip to suppress a tiny happy sob when he pressed a soft kiss against her belly, his hand stroking up and down the curve of her waist.

They lay like that for a long time, stroking and petting each other very gently, until their hands slowed to a stop, their breathing evening out.

"Norma?"

"Mm?

"Can I sleep on that side from now on?" She frowned, taking a long, tired, half asleep breath.

"Alex...?" She started, sounded mildly annoyed.

"Please?" He sounded so small and frightened and she knew it was only because he was half asleep but something in the broken way he begged her frightened her. She couldn't bear him being sad, even if she didn't understand why.

"Ok." She whispered, feeling him wriggle back up her body, just as the weight of his head was starting to become uncomfortable. He rolled her over his body and she was only mildly annoyed at his actions, snuggling into his arms as he wrapped them around her, pulling her against his chest.

"Ok." He echoed back to her, feeling much happier, before falling back asleep, his contented breathing lulling her back to sleep with him.


Credit to wherearewegoing for planting this idea in my head many moons ago when she said "Also why to I have a feeling that the "sleeping closest to the door" thing could be revisited in a more serious manner once (gulp) Norman is back?" And because I'm twisted and fucked up, I was like "Oooh yeah! Maybe he could kill her?" lol. We can share blame for this VICIOUS chapter. :) THIS is why I love your reviews and why I love chatting with you guys because I always love sharing ideas and getting inspiration from our chats.