14.

~ Norma was never down in the basement, which made it the perfect place to stash the suitcase Alex had found. He wasn't sure what to do with the dirty robe. The husband in him, the man who loved his wife and didn't think she was involved in Audrey's disappearance, wanted to burn it in the furnace. Quickly getting rid of the evidence forever.

But what if it was evidence that Norma was somehow innocent? He wasn't sure how. Maybe Norman was trying to frame his mother. It all seemed so unlikely that she would kill someone in a robe and keep wearing it while disposing of the body. Only then to stuff it in a suitcase and bury it on her own property. Any amateur defense attorney involved would call reasonable doubt on that. The more Alex thought about it, the less it made sense.

It was better to keep the suitcase just as he found it until he could make sense of what had happened. Until he knew all the facts.

~ Norma woke up alone. Alex's side of the bed was empty and the house was making the creepy, hollow noises that always made her feel someone was lurking in the shadows.

"Alex?" she called even though she knew he wasn't in their room. It was already dawn and she wondered if he'd left for work or for PineView without her, despite his promise to take her.

Reluctantly, sadly, she roused herself out of bed and got dressed. Winter had just begun and she already wished it was over. It was always too cold here and the spring and summer months were far too short. Despite White Pine Bay's picture perfect scenery, she sorely missed the dry heat of Arizona. She was always cold here and the sun never seemed to want to come out.

She didn't venture downstairs until her clothing, hair and makeup were perfect. A habit she'd picked up as a child from comparing her own mother to the seemingly perfect mothers of her friends and in old movies. Her mother was constantly in bed asleep or on the couch mindlessly watching tv. She'd observed how her mother was never dressed and never did anything for her children. Almost like she was a ghost in her own home. By contrast, Norma was shocked to see her friends mothers getting involved with things like cheerleading, bake sales and making elaborate dinners every night.

They were phenomenal women and Norma idolized them for the fact that they had the clean homes and the well tended families she so desperately wanted for herself. So, even from a young age, Norma would settle for nothing less than to be the kind of wife and mother who could do it all. Who's children were well behaved and had things like ballet, soccer practice, and college prep. Who were involved and took excellent care of their families.

Things hadn't turned out like Norma had planned. She hadn't mastered the art of the perfect family. Fate always seeming to have other plans for her, but at least she could 'look' the part of a perfect wife and mother. At least she could cook the meals and care for the family. Even if they didn't appreciate it.

Her mind was wandering over her sons. Her wayward Dylan and her precious Norman when the basement door opened and a figure appeared.

She gasped in alarm.

"Oh, you scared me." she accused her husband when he casually strolled into the hallway with an innocent yet guilty look on his face. She knew that look. She was the mother of two boys and she knew a look of 'Hey, I haven't been up to anything bad.' when she saw it.

"What were you doing down there?" she asked suspiciously.

Alex looked back at the basement door.

"Making sure the heater is still working." he told her lamely. She saw through the lie right away. "We're still going to see Dr. Edwards together? Right?" he asked trying to divert her attention.

~ Norma still hadn't gotten used to the over all grandness of PineViews' front rooms. A place for visitors and what Alex correctly called 'The Show off Rooms'.

The rest of the facility certainly wasn't as nice. No crystal chandlers or marble fire places in the inner hallways and dorms of the facility. The rest of PineView was like any other hospital. Only with tightly knit wires between the glass and electronic key cards on every door and hallway. Orderlies watching you as if you meant to attack at any second.

Still, it was far better than the over crowded chaotic county hospital. Norma hated to think of her son spending even one day there. All those horrible crazy people who might have hurt him.

"Dylan says they have yoga here. Creative writing classes." she told Alex who'd put a hand on the small of her back. She wasn't used to having hands on her body. Especially the way he'd so easily allowed his hand to find the small of her back, but with Alex, it always felt very natural. Their steps falling into time with one another as if they had planned it.

'Dance with me, Mrs. Romero.'

It was difficult, walking into a place like this. The staff knowing they were here to see Dr. Edwards and that she was Norman's mother. That she'd taken him out and quickly brought him back. Conversations were halted when Norma and Alex walked past. No doubt knowing all about Norman Bates.

"Sheriff Romero? Mrs. Romero?" came a calm voice and Dr. Edwards seemed to have appeared as if from nowhere.

"Yes." Alex said quickly moving to shake the doctor's hand.

"Glad you could come. Did you have a nice drive?" Edwards asked.

"Can I see Norman?" Norma asked eagerly. Her focus was only on seeing her son. She wanted to make sure his clothes were clean and he was eating enough. She wanted to see where he was sleeping to. She just knew he wasn't sleeping or eating well. This place probably had some kind of dreadful cafeteria food that was all fried and not nearly enough vegetables.

"Let's talk in my office." Edwards offered in that kind and soothing voice the Norma had to wonder about. Did they teach him that in med school or did it come naturally? She'd talked to other doctors who weren't so pleasant. She liked that Edwards was so well dressed though. It was what had caught her attention right away when she first met him. If only everyone dressed as nicely.

"How is Norman?" she asked as soon as Edwards had the door closed.

"Doing well in group and in private sessions." Edwards said offering her and Alex a seat on the large red sofa.

"I want to see him. I didn't get to see him yesterday for Christmas and he asked his brother to bring him clothes-"

"I asked Dylan to bring him a few things." Edwards interrupted. "I think it's best that Norman not have any contact with you for the time being."

Norma felt stunned he'd said such a thing out loud. She must have misheard.

"What?"

"Norman has some stress triggers." Edwards explained. "One of those being his complicated relationship with you."

"We don't have a complicated relationship." Norma said venomously. "I'm his mother. We're a mother and a son. We're very close. We've always been close-"

"Norma." Alex said.

"We've always had a very good… very normal relationship." she went on. She could actually feel her defenses rising. Having to protect every aspect of her relationship with her son. She had to keep secrets from Edwards, protect their past and all the things that should hurt Norman.

"Norma." Alex said again.

"Look, I need to see him. What does he say about me?" she demanded. "Is he blaming me? It's always the mothers fault isn't it? He blames me, doesn't he?"

She could feel a hurt, a pain, burrowing deep down in her stomach at the idea her son had done such a thing.

"Mrs. Romero." Edwards said when she'd finally calmed down. "Norman's issues are about him. It's easy to blame someone else. It's especially easy to blame the mother. A mother is our primary caregiver, our first teacher and the person who will always love us and take responsibility for us. So, when there's a problem, it's always a given to look at the person who raised us and blame them. Norman doesn't blame you and neither do I."

Norma was a little surprised by this attitude and wasn't sure of what to say.

"Norman thinks very highly of you." Edwards went on. "He seems very protective of you and even reveres you. He doesn't blame you for anything."

"Oh." Norma said meekly.
"You mentioned a diagnosis over the phone." Alex said cooly.

"Yes." Edwards told them. "I've diagnosed Norman with dissociative identity disorder. The amnesia, the blackouts are common along with the mood swings, paranoia and feeling detached from the body."

"Detached from the body?" Alex asked skeptically. "What does that mean?"

"It started small." Edwards explained. "His mannerisms would change. His voice and the way he would sit. Then, for hours we would hold conversations, myself and this other persona. The one he called 'mother'."

Norma blinked as if he'd sworn. It seemed an oddity. She was right there. What was he talking about?

"Norman, sometimes talks to you, Mrs. Romero." Edwards explained gently. "And sometimes he becomes you."

Norma shook her head. She didn't understand.

"Several times since he's been here, he's claimed you've visited him. Times when we knew for a fact he was alone. He's convinced you've had conversations with him. Made arrangements with him to go home, and when he becomes you-"

"Stop." Norma breathed. "I don't understand."

"Are you trying to say Norman has split personalities?" Alex accused.

"You have to understand that this is extremely rare." Edwards explained. "The 'mother' personality isn't at all like you, Mrs. Romero. 'Mother' is extremely dominate and manipulative. At the same time, she can be very charming. You should know, Sheriff, the 'mother' persona has freely admitted to strangling Audrey Decody and dumping her in a body of water somewhere. Although she wouldn't specify where."

"Alex?" Norma whimpered feeling faint.

"Do you have this confession recorded?" Alex asked.

"Alex?" Norma asked again. It felt like the ocean was rushing into her head and she couldn't focus on anything else.

She could vaguely hear Edwards and her husband talking. Words like 'Not mentally competent.' 'No jury would convict'. 'Legally Insane'.

"I want to see my son!" she suddenly exclaimed.

~ Norman looked healthy enough from where they stood in the dooway. He was sitting alone in a sort of dayroom while other residents watched TV or worked on puzzles. Still other residents looked doped out of their minds and stared into space. The winter snow outside casting a grayish tint to the room making everything dark and depressing. Depressing even for a mental ward.

Her sons' back was to them and he was concentrating on whatever he was writing in a notebook.

"Oh, Norman." she sighed and moved to go into the dayroom.

"We promised." Alex reminded her and held her arm to prevent her from disturbing her son. She was so close, yet so far away.

"If I can just talk to him. He's just confused." Norma whispered.

"We have to let the doctors sort this out." Alex whispered back.

"Right into prison!" she hissed hatefully.

"He's not going to prison." Alex told her. "We don't know if she's actually dead yet and Norman is in a mental hospital. There is no way a jury would ever convict."

"He's saying I did it." Norma moaned.

"No, Edwards is saying this 'other' personality did it." Alex said spitefully. Clearly he didn't hold a lot of faith in the theory of split personalities.

"Will you look for her body?" Norma sighed.

"There are a lot of lakes and small bodies of water around White Pine Bay." Alex admitted sadly. "Not to mention the bay itself. I've got nothing to go on except what Norman is saying and his… confessions, have been inconsistent. One day he's saying he strangled Audrey for abandoning Emma as a child. The next day he swears he never saw her. The next day he's crying he had to protect you even though he thinks you've been murdering half of the guests that stay at the motel. He claimed he killed Blair Watson, then he says you did it. He says Bradly Martian is alive and then she's dead. Nothing is enough for a warrant because his story doesn't make sense."

"That's good." Norma said hopefully.

"It's not good." Alex told her. "That woman, Audrey, if she's really dead she deserves to be found and Emma told what happened. The same with Bradley Martian and Blair Watson. Their families deserve the truth."

Norma glanced at him and saw that stoic, coldness she remembered all to well.

Sheriff Romero. Their dance coming to a sudden end.

"I know. I know you have to protect him, Norma." he said apologetically. His words coming out in a breathy whisper. "But I have to a responsibility to-"

"I thought you had a responsibility to me. I thought you had to protect me." she interrupted. "Isn't that what you promised?"

She looked at him coldly.

"Right, Sheriff?" she asked.

~ It was a cold drive back home, and not because of the weather. It was still snowing and the freezing temperature was firmly gripping the air outside, yet inside the cab of Alex's Sheriff's SUV, things were just as frosty.

He'd dutifully turned on the heater and was thankfully a good driver. Norma had always felt safe and relaxed with him behind the wheel. Despite the icy roads and heavy snow, she wasn't at all afraid of having an accident. It occurred to her that she liked Alex driving and she never liked anyone driving. Ever. Norma was a classic backseat driver. Too terrified and too critical to let anyone else drive but her.

Maybe it was why Norman had been so afraid to learn to drive. So afraid to learn to be on his own. Maybe her youngest son had been right on that point. She'd kept him so close for so long he didn't know how to even exist apart from her. How to be a separate person without her. She certainly didn't know how to be a separate person without him anymore. How did she exist before Norman? How would she exist without him?

"Well, at least now you know." she said icily when her husband hadn't said anything for most of the journey home. Alex had flashed the police lights at a slow moving car on the freeway, effectively moving it out of his way. She liked that. Liked that he wasn't afraid to abused his power just a little.

"I told you I found Audrey Decody's suitcase." he admitted.

"Yeah." she sighed.

"Norman had put your robe in it. The one you're missing. The one with the patterns." he said. He motioned across his chest making swirls indicating the swirls of her missing robe.

"Why would he do that?" she asked.

"Are you missing any other clothes? Dresses? Shoes?" Alex asked.

"Why?"

"Are you?" Alex asked.

"Yes." she admitted. "My dress. The blue one. It's been missing for a while now. I thought maybe the cleaners lost it."

"I see." Alex said.

"You see what?" Norma demanded.
"Maybe Edwards isn't so wrong after all." Alex admitted. "Its' good for Norman. Proves he's not in his right mind. Maybe they won't even charge him."

"No, he's getting better." Norma insisted feeling that ocean sound flood her ears again. "He's getting help. So he can come home again."

Alex turned his attention away from the snowy road and looked at her in surprise.

He said nothing.

"I mean, he's going to come home. Right? Eventually." she said.

I wanted to comment on why I have Norma call Alex 'Sheriff' and why I have Alex call his wife 'Mrs. Romero' sometimes. Call me old fashioned all you like, but I feel Norma is old fashioned to and personally, I think nicknames like Baby or Honey would be a little cheap for them.

I like the idea of Alex calling Norma 'Mrs. Romero' because she challenged him by saying she was keeping her name. So he called her Mrs. Sheriff and all that just to tease and flirt with her. Always letting her know that she was his wife, not Sam Bates'. Calling her 'Mrs. Romero' on an occasion when he might have called her by a cutesy pet name is a more effective way of reinforcing his commitment that she's his wife and he wants to be her husband. It also feels way sexier than a generic name. After all, all of us would want Alex to call us Mrs. Romero.

As for Norma calling him, Sheriff, I wanted there to be a clear line between Alex her husband and the Sheriff of WPB. Norma even said so herself in season 3. 'Sometimes you're Alex, Sometimes you're a cop.' This will be especially important the more they find out about Norman's crimes.