A/N: First of all, I AM SO SORRY for the delay in updating. The finale episode and the fact that Bates ended in general has gotten under my skin and affected my muse big time.

So, did you already forget what happened in this story? Here's a quick reminder: Norma is the one having blackouts, Norman is weird, Dylan is troubled, and Normero consummated their relationship in the last chapter. Oh, and some murders took place. For more details, you will have to re-read the previous chapters. Sorry again. All the more I hope you enjoy this. Provided there are still people around reading Bates/Normero stories.

The usual disclaimer applies.

Alex expected it to be odd. The morning after always is. But not with her.

Not when she comes down the stairs and her smile lights up the entire room.

"Good morning."

Is it okay if you sleep down here? she whispered in his ear the previous evening when they were about to fall asleep on the couch. I don't want you to leave. We drank too much and it's still dangerous outside, but you sleeping in my bed… it would be too much. And the couch is way too small for both of us to sleep on it.

Of course he was okay with it. He would have slept on the floor if it meant she let him stay.

Not when she makes him breakfast and he steals the one or other kiss in between.

"I'm not sorry about what happened."

"Okay. I'm not either."

And not after he took a quick shower and she suddenly appears in the doorframe, watching him.

"You're awfully pretty."

He frowns, towel in hand, water drops dripping off his body on the floor. No woman has ever said that to him. Not with these words.

"I'm… I'm not sure what to say."

She steps closer. "Do you have to leave already? The street looks as if it is not passable yet." Meaning her sons won't be here any time soon. She leans into him.

"Norma, you're going to get wet."

She slowly pulls away the towel, eyeing his naked body up. Her pupils are dilated, her smile predatory.

"I don't mind," she whispers.

When she kisses him, it is not gentle like the night before. Not gentle at all.

Norma sighs. Her sons are moody. Both of them. They came back in the early afternoon, not long after Alex had left. Dylan at least said hello to her, but Norman basically ignored her, walked past her with a curt nod. They disappeared in their respective rooms, leaving the house silent, the atmosphere just as tense as it was when she threw them out. Norma looked forward to having them back despite their argument. Not like this though. It doesn't feel good; she has to do something about it.

She knocks on Dylan's door first. For some reason, Norma is more inclined to talk and re-bond with him than with Norman. Ever since Dylan helped her when she got sick, it feels as if she could rely on him if she only allowed herself to do so. Maybe the time has come.

"Are you hungry?" She sticks her head in at the door. "I could make us dinner but since no one seems to be interested in talking to me anymore..." Norma shrugs as though the situation didn't affect her, aware that her words sounded like an accusation. That wasn't her intention; however she can't help it. It just comes out whenever she talks to her firstborn.

Dylan was lying on the bed, reading, and sat up when she opened the door.

"Norma, I'm sorry," he blurts out, not even sure what he is apologizing for. It was Norman who betrayed her confidence by telling him about her blackouts. And it was Norma who preferred to drink the lemonade he brought her instead of Norman's tea. He was just caught in the middle, as always. And yet, it feels as if what happened was his fault. As always again.

These are their roles. She blames him and he defends himself or blames her too, depending on his mood. Something has changed between them. That doesn't mean, though, that they are able to break this cycle at a moment's notice. Norma sits down on the bed next to him. It hurts when he imperceptibly flinches because they are not used to being close to each other in every respect albeit she knows it's essentially her fault due to the way she raised him.

"You didn't do anything, Dylan," she assures him. "Norman, is just… He is different. A very sweet boy but very sensible. He feels too much. Sometimes it gets to him and he overreacts."

"Okay." Dylan nods. What else is he supposed to say? His mother is sitting right next to him, talking to him as in really talking to him, not yelling at him, not blaming him for something. Just talking in that soft voice that usually is reserved for his brother. It makes him say the strangest things, something he never would have thought he'd hear himself say to her. "I'm going to help you. You just have to tell me what to do."

Norma smiles and leans forward to kiss him on the cheek. "Just give him time. He'll come around. I'll make you a sandwich, okay? I guess none of us is in the mood to have dinner today. Let's give each other some space. Tomorrow is a new day and everything will be better."

"Yes, sure," Dylan pretends to agree although he would have liked to have dinner with his mother and his brother for once. He puts emphasis on his cool appearance, but the times they had a nice family dinner together can be counted on the fingers of one hand, and aside from everything that is going on, the idea of having a family is comforting.

"Norma?" She is about to leave and stops, turning around to look at him. "What about these blackouts?" He had a lot of time thinking about it when they spent the night at the place of Norman's classmate. The howling storm wouldn't let them sleep, anyway, and the possibility that Norma might be seriously ill worries him much more than he would admit to anyone.

A shadow flits across her face before Norma slaps her smile back on. "It's nothing. I haven't had them for a while now. It probably just was a depressed phase or something." She shrugs it off like she does it with everything that doesn't fit into her plan of a perfect life. Norma is so good at lying that Dylan catches himself smiling back at her, reassured by her pretense.

After she left, Dylan remains sitting on his bed, staring at the closed door, his cheek burning where she kissed him. Something is always about to go wrong in Norma's life sooner or later. The only question is whether he will be there when it happens or will have got lost before like he always does.

"Hi, honey. How are you feeling? Are you hungry?"

Norman didn't react when she knocked on his door; therefore Norma entered the room without further ado. He was sitting at his desk, doing… nothing as far as she could tell. Just sitting there and staring into space.

"Don't be mad that I threw you out. I was angry because you told Dylan about my blackouts, but he's your brother and you needed to talk to someone. I understand that. And I'm not angry anymore."

Only now Norman seems to notice her presence or acknowledge it, the mood of a teenage boy volatile, so who can tell. When he looks at Norma, the distance and cold in his eyes catch her off guard. Then he composes himself and the Norman she knows and loves is back, smiling at her.

"I'm not mad at you anymore either, mother. I'm sorry for the trouble Dylan and I caused. It was stupid." Their fight about who is allowed to cater for her, whether she prefers tea or lemonade.

Norma snorts relieved. "Yes, it was."

Their eyes meet and they both chuckle. This is her son, her everything. They can never be angry with each other for long.

"I'm going to make Dylan a sandwich. Do you want one too? We'll skip dinner today, but you have to eat something. You can come over to my room and we'll watch a movie together."

Norman starts to nod before his smile disappears, his expression thoughtful all of a sudden. "I think I'll rather stay in my room tonight."

"Norman… You don't need to punish yourself because of what happened. It's over. Done."

"I know, mother. It's just that I'm really tired. I didn't sleep well last night. The storm…" Something feels off about his words and him in general. However Norma can't pinpoint what it is. Maybe he really didn't get enough sleep, maybe there is still something wrong between him and Dylan. She'll find out tomorrow. For today she has calmed the waves sufficiently.

Norma kisses her youngest son on the corner of his mouth as she always does. "Okay. I'll get your sandwich and then you can go to sleep early." She will probably do the same since she didn't get much sleep last night either. Norma blushes when she remembers the reason why, turning away from Norman so that he doesn't notice.

She has almost left the room when she hears her son's voice behind her. "Oh, I meant to ask you. Was someone else here last night?"

Norma freezes. "Why?"

"Because there were two used towels in the bathroom on the floor."

Crap! She forgot to put them in the laundry. After her encounter in the morning with Alex, she needed another shower too.

Norma turns around, trying to act casually. "Of course not. One of the windows leaked and some rain came in. I needed the towels to wipe up and forgot to put them away."

She walks out and rushes to the bathroom, picking the towels up from the floor. One of them still faintly smells like Alex. Norma can't help but smile wistfully, getting lost in memories for a moment before she scolds herself. How could she forget to put them away before her sons came home? And when will she see Alex again? She stares at her reflection in the mirror. Don't make a big thing out of it, she reminds herself. Despite their closeness, last night probably only was about sex. She can't even say what it meant to her. So why would it have meant something to him? He's just a man and men are all the same; she knows that. Norma buries her face in the towel Alex used and inhales deeply. Then she puts it in the laundry basket.

Just when Norma is downstairs a couple of minutes later, preparing the sandwiches for her sons, there is a knock on the front door. She walks across the kitchen, realizing that neither Dylan nor Norman has said something about the missing kitchen table. Perhaps they haven't even noticed it yet. And when they do, perhaps they will believe she got rid of the table because she was fed up with it since she likes to rearrange things. Preoccupied with her thoughts Norma opens the door to find Alex standing outside.

"You should check who it is before you open the door," he states.

"It's you," she retorts. Norma is surprised and happy. Very happy. She feels her facial muscles twitch as her smile gets more and more beaming and she has to suppress the urge to throw herself in his arms, her body aching to be close to his. However she doesn't do it because his expression is noncommittal at best, his posture tense. Her smile fades. "What is it?" There is only one reason why he would come over looking at her like that. Norma pulls herself together. "Look. If this is about last night, then you don't have to worry. I don't expect anything from you. I..."

"Norma..." Alex raises a hand to stop her and takes a step forward, making her step back thereby so that they are both standing in the vestibule. Then he reaches past her to close the door that connects the vestibule with the house before he closes the front door behind him.

She didn't turn on the lights. It feels strangely intimate to be so close to him in the dark, trapped in such a tight space.

"That's not why I'm here," Alex says. "I mean, I'm here because of what happened last night, but not because I want to end it."

"Then why are you here?"

He hesitates briefly. "Because I couldn't stop thinking of you all day. Because I wanted to call you and then realized it wouldn't be enough." Alex has begun to touch her, one hand at her waist, one at her neck. "Because I need to..."

Norma kisses him before he is able to finish the sentence. They stumble against the wall when he kisses her back, pulling her in his arms, his lips moving down to her neck, then back to her mouth, his hands pushing the hem of her blouse up to touch bare skin.

"Alex, wait. We can't..." She gently puts her hands against his chest to stop him. "My sons are here."

"We'll be quick and quiet."

Later Alex won't believe that he actually said that to her, but in that moment his desire outweighs anything else. All he can think about is that every fiber of his body longs to recreate what he felt the previous night and in the morning. Although to be fair, what happens next will feel even more surreal in hindsight.

In the dark, he is not able to make out the details of Norma's face, only the outline, but oh how he wishes he could see the look in her eyes right when her hands tug at his belt and unzip his pants before she changes their positions so that he is the one with his back against the wall.

"Norma, what are you..."

But she already got on her knees, and before Alex is able to process what is going on, he feels her lips and tongue on him and has to push his fist against his mouth to suppress the moan that is building in his throat. Quick – probably. Quiet – not so much. With the pleasure comes the guilt though. He didn't stop by to make her satisfy his needs.

"Norma," Alex pants just as her hands and lips find the perfect rhythm. "You… don't… have… to..." It takes tremendous effort to remember the words and get them out while she is squeezing and stroking and licking.

She pauses and he hears a mumbled, "Shut up," the arousal unmistakeable even in her whisper before he gives up and gives in. If she wants this as much as he does, he might as well enjoy the hell out of it.

Alex's fingers gently caress Norma's face and she turns her head a little, letting her tongue slide over them, the sensuality of this simple act sending new waves of arousal through his entire body. It is becoming difficult to remain standing, his thighs trembling with the effort to refrain from pushing into her mouth. This is heaven and hell equally, Norma's quiet sighs adding to the sensation. Alex fumbles around for something to hold on to and steady himself, but there is nothing. Therefore he ends up half turned around, pressing the side of his face into the wall. She is either going to kill him or give him the best release of his life. Norma's tongue alternately teases his shaft and circles around its top before she reaches around him, grabbing his ass with both hands and taking him all in.

This is it. "I'm going to…," Alex tries to warn her, but it's too late and she obviously doesn't mind, his fingers in her hair, his hips gently rocking because not moving has become an impossible task.

It takes him a moment to come back to himself. When he does, Alex realizes that Norma has already stood up. He fixes his clothes, suddenly embarrassed as she casually wipes her mouth with the back of her hand before she leans forward to kiss him fleetingly.

"You have to go now." Before Alex is able to process what she said, let alone respond, Norma disappears inside the house, closing the door behind her.

The situation is weird to say the least. He doesn't want to leave like that, but he also doesn't want to follow her inside when she made clear that she doesn't want that.

Only when Alex is sitting in his car, asking himself what the hell just happened, he becomes aware that he can't tell whether Norma did it simply because she was overwhelmed by the moment and her desire like he was or because she wanted to convince him and herself that their relationship actually is only about sex as she had implied earlier. He stares at the illuminated windows of the house, envying her sons that are allowed to spend time with her. He takes his time until he starts the engine and drives away.

"Your sandwich, honey."

Norman comes to the door and takes the plate.

"Thank you, mother." He studies her, and for a brief moment, Norma fears he can see what she did, has to stop herself from smoothing down her blouse and skirt. Then the moment is over and Norman turns around, walking back into his room.

"Sleep well, hon…," she starts, but his words interrupt her.

"Which window was it?" Norman doesn't turn back around, continues to walk towards his bed and puts the plate down on his nightstand.

Norma doesn't understand.

"The window that leaked," he explains, eventually looking at her. "The one you needed the towels for. Which one was it?"

She hesitates and then distorts her mouth to cover her insecurity. "One of those." Norma gestures towards the windows in the upper hallway. "Don't worry about it. It's all good now. Enjoy your meal. Goodnight, honey!"

Norma knows her voice sounded unimpressed. She has perfected the art to function in difficult situations. Her heart is racing though when she turns away abruptly and goes to her room. Why can't she tell Norman what happened with Alex? Because. Because of that one thing they never talk about but both are constantly aware of. She is his mother but for him, she is so much more and Norman has never liked to share.

Just when Norma has closed the door of her room behind her and Norman is about to close his, he spots Dylan standing in the doorframe.

"Were you gone in between last night?" he asks. "I woke up and you weren't there."

Norman shrugs. "I was outside for a bit, couldn't sleep."

"Out in the storm?"

They stare at each other. Dylan expects his younger brother to give in and look away, but Norman holds his gaze.

"Goodnight, Dylan."

But Dylan is not finished yet. "You went here to check on her," his voice is an angry whisper so as to not draw Norma's attention to her sons having another argument.

He might be wrong; Norman only might have been outside for a while as he told him. Deep down Dylan knows, though, that it's the truth. He watched Norman grow up, saw the bond between him and Norma build and become stronger every day. But now Norman is older and his and Norma's bond has turned into something dark, an unhealthy obsession. His brother didn't walk through a storm to simply make sure their mother was okay. That was one reason; however the other was that they had met the sheriff who had assured them he would look after Norma and let her know they were all right. The idea of Norma alone with another man tormented Norman enough to risk his life.

It's time to take the gloves off. "I see how you look at her," Dylan dares his brother.

This finally gets him a reaction. Norman's eyes darken, his mouth a thin, enraged line. Yet, he doesn't say anything.

"I saw you lingering right there when she changed her clothes." Dylan points at the door to Norma's room. "That's not normal." He contorts his face. "She might be crazy, but you need to stop that."

More rage reflected on Norman's face until it goes blank.

"Mind your own business," he says, his constrained voice the only implication that the situation is getting to him. "You will never understand the cord between me and her."

"The cord? What are you talking about?"

But Norman has already closed his door and Dylan knows he can't take this any further without Norma overhearing their fight.

He looks at the half eaten sandwich in his hand. Suddenly he is not hungry anymore. Maybe he should just pack his stuff and leave.

To be continued