Oh gosh. It's been sooooo long since I've updated. But my play closed last weekend so now I have more time to write! And Bates Motel is coming back on real soon! I made this one longer than usual to make up for how long I made you wait. Hopefully you like it!

Her Eyes

Chapter 68: IF LIFE WAS EVER QUITE THIS SWEET

She felt soft in his arms. It was in these moments that he truly knew her. Her innocence was a light breeze blowing softly, escaping only at the feeling of his touch. She placed a gentle kiss where his jaw met his neck. He moaned lightly in response, pulling away to look at her eyes. They were closed from anticipation.

He let the pad of his thumb graze across her smooth cheek. She smiled, eyes still closed. He yearned to see her eyes…those beautiful sparkling blues. They opened for him at last. He fell in, drowning in the sea of them.

Her hands ran up under his shirt. He smiled at the tickling sensation, reaching for her hands and pulling them away from his gentle skin. He brought them to his lips, giving the flat of each hand a soothing kiss. She smiled, laughing softly at his action. She leaned in and kissed him, pulling back to check his response.

He smiled back at her. "I'd do anything for you." She knew that was the truth. She slipped her cardigan off, tossing it to the floor teasingly. He chuckled softly as she moved closer, reaching for the buttons on his shirt. Her eyes looked up at him and he smiled, watching her play with the fabric of his uniform. He slipped it from his shoulders and pulled his black t-shirt over his head, reaching for the buttons on her blouse to tease her the way she had teased him. He undid each button slowly—he knew she hated that. She ripped his hands from her shirt, impatiently tossing her blouse to the floor before reconnecting their lips. They fell onto the bed where she straddled him, pulling her camisole over her head. His hands trailed up the sides of her ribcage, resting just beneath her breasts.

Her eyes fell as she stroked his arms and chest. "Thank you."

His brow furrowed with a laugh. "For what?"

She brought her eyes to his. "For loving me." She stood up from the bed and let her skirt pool at her feet before making her way over to the window to close the curtains.

He sat up, his eyes following her. "You got new curtains."

She laughed, nodding softly. "It was time." She stood there staring at him, the light from the sunset casting an aura around her.

He stood up from the bed and made his way towards her, resting his hands on her waist. "I think you're beautiful."

She smiled lightly. "So I've heard." He resumed their kiss as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. He pushed her into the wall, gently stroking her legs. She reached down and undid his belt, sliding it out of the loops before allowing it to fall to the floor. The sound echoed throughout the quiet room, filling his ears. He stared at her devious smile. She was the most incredible woman he had ever met. She slipped past him and climbed beneath the covers of her bed, lifting up the blanket and patting the spot next to her.

He sent her a teasing look, undoing his pants and kicking them off. He climbed in beside her, the warmth of the bed creeping up the sides of his legs. They smiled at each other, inching closer until he moved on top of her. He enjoyed the feeling of her beneath him. It sent a comforting feeling to his heart, giving him the courage to continue on.

She arched her back so he could reach beneath her and unclasp her bra. He fought the urge to stare. He'd never seen them in the daylight. But he cared about her comfort more than anything. He could feel his body start to tighten as she wrapped her legs around his waist. The heat from her chest radiated into him as he placed kisses down her neck. This was what forever felt like. He never wanted to leave.

He got up and slid off his boxers before pulling off her panties and returning to their original position. He always felt a little nervous around her. She scared him. She was a hurricane of emotions, waiting to destroy him. And one day she would, but not today. He kissed her a little too hard as he made his way inside. He winced as she bit his lip in response to his actions. He glared at her as she smiled back at him playfully. She never gave him a break. He smiled back at her after a while, picking up the pace to wipe the smirk from her face.

He liked that he could calm her—that in these moments they spent together he was saving her. She pulled him closer to her, tightening her grasp on him as her breathing became uneasy. "I love you," he whispered to her. That was the honest truth.

She frowned as he stood up from the bed. "Where are you going?"

Alex turned around to face her after slipping his boxers back on. He was hoping to avoid an interrogation. But he knew Norma…she wouldn't let him go that easy. "I'm going down to Room 11."

Her eyes fell to the blanket as she pulled it over herself. "Oh."

The last thing he wanted to do was upset her. "Norma—"

"No, Alex, it's fine. Go." He hated when she got like this, but most of all he hated that he was the reason for it.

"I just don't want Norman—"

"No, Alex. Go." She stood up from the bed and started to put her clothes back on. He watched as she wrapped her robe around her, making her way over to him. "Leave if you want to."

"I just don't want Norman to—"

"Mother!" Norman called from the steps.

"Shit." Norma whispered. "Get under the bed."

Alex furrowed his brow. "What?"

"Get under the bed." She nearly glared at him, pushing him gently.

Alex scoffed lowering himself down to the floor. The things he did for this woman. He crawled underneath the bed and peered beneath the bed skirt.

"Mother?" Norman called from the doorway. "What are you doing?"

"I was just getting ready for bed," his mother replied nervously.

Alex watched as the boy's footsteps came closer to the bed. He couldn't believe how anxious he felt. The fear of getting caught terrified him more than anything. "Did Sheriff Romero leave?" Alex let out a huff as the bed sank on top of him.

"He left a while ago. Why?"

"His car's still here." This was how he was going to die…trapped under the bed of the woman he loved. At least it was clean underneath—at least he wouldn't die by dust inhalation. He could feel his breath becoming short.

"Oh." Norma shouted. She seemed to have a harder time lying to her son than she did lying to him. "He's staying in one of the motel rooms for the night. Too late for him to drive home."

"It's eight o'clock."

Norma sighed impatiently. "Norman, what do you want?"

The boy shifted off the bed, moving over to the door. "I wanted to show you my groundhog." Alex let out a sigh of relief, waiting for Norma to follow her son out of the room before crawling out from under the bed. He brushed himself off, glancing out the door before climbing back in the bed. Guess he was spending the night now.

There were many things that terrified him about the Bates' house. The history of it, the look of it, …the inhabitants of it. It wasn't that Norman scared him. He was afraid of what he knew Norman was capable of…or, rather, what he didn't know Norman was capable of. Norma returned a few minutes later. She stopped in the doorway, her expression unimpressed. "What are you still doing here?"

Alex rolled his eyes. "I just didn't want to upset Norman. Or to have what just happened happen." He glared at her.

She shut the door behind her and made her way over to the bed, climbing in beside him. "Sorry," she replied sarcastically. He glanced over at her, waiting for her eyes to meet his. He smiled at her as she did. She leaned in and kissed his cheek, cuddling beside him. "Thank for you staying."

He kissed the top of her head, pulling her tighter. "I'll never leave."

Alex woke up early the next morning and snuck out before Norman got up. He kissed Norma goodbye and headed down the steps to find Sally standing outside her motel room. She leaned against the wall, casually smoking a cigarette. "What are you doing up this early?" she called to him before he could reach the door of his SUV.

He turned around to face her, sighing deeply. "I'm heading off to work."

She flicked the bud of her cigarette as she approached him. "Your girlfriend lets you park in the driveway now?"

He grimaced, knowing where this conversation was going. "You've started smoking?" Best way to avoid confrontation was to change the subject.

She rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I've changed a lot since you left."

Alex simply nodded, looking back at his SUV. "I gotta get going. Was there something that you wanted?"

She stared at him for a while. She wasn't the same shy girl he met back in high school. She wore contacts now, and the lisp he once found adorable had disappeared. She shook her head lightly as if caught in a memory. "No, not anymore."

He turned back to his SUV and got in, sending her a sad smile as he pulled away. He wasn't sure how to feel about her presence in his life. But he couldn't fight the ominous feeling creeping up inside of him.

It had been a few days since Alex had seen Norma. Things were picking up at the station and the Bradley Martin case was at the top of it all. Everyone in town was talking about Bradley Martin. Alex couldn't escape it.

He went inside the motel office one morning before he headed off to work. "Hey, Norma." He smiled, grabbing a cup of coffee. He could feel himself getting nervous, though he wasn't sure why. "I'm gonna head home tonight. Things are starting to pick up at work and Norman seems to be doing better. I don't think it'll do him any good if he finds me here. So I'm gonna head home."

She stood up from the desk, walking towards him. "Alex, you don't have to go—"

"No, Norma, I do. It's nothing you did. I just need a few nights away from here." He sent her a reassuring smile. It was her—the woman staying in the room a few doors down. That's what was driving him away. Though he'd never admit it.

She looked up at him, returning to a state of dejection. "Will you at least come to Emma's welcome home party tonight?"

He didn't want to hurt her feelings, but— "Norma, I barely know the girl."

"Alex." Her eyes met his and he was gone.

He sighed in defeat. "I'll come by after work." He'd regret it later, though it was worth seeing Norma giddy for once.

He headed to the Bates' house after work like he'd promised. He was the first to arrive, which only added to his anxiety. Alex wasn't a social guy. He wasn't comfortable at parties…he never was. And the glares he was receiving from Norman didn't help at all either.

It was in these moments that Alex wished Dylan were here. He'd much rather suffer through a potentially awkward conversation with him than the death glares he received from Norman. But Dylan had gone to pick Emma up from her house. Apparently this party was supposed to be a surprise party. Not much of a surprise party when you only have three people waiting for you. But Emma still pretended to be shocked even after Norma was the only one to yell surprise. She did, however, seem surprised to see Alex. She furrowed her brow after hugging Norma, offering him the best awkward smile she could muster. "Sheriff Romero?"

As if this moment couldn't be any more awkward for him. "It's officer now, Emma." She sent him an apologetic smile before following Norma down the hall to the kitchen. Dylan nodded in his direction and followed Emma down the hall. Alex turned to Norman unsure whether to follow Dylan or attempt a conversation with Norman.

"Alex," Norma called from the hall. "What are you doing? Dinner's ready." Alex watched as her head poked around the corner, smiling at him. He followed Norman into the dining room, and now he reached the same dilemma as last time—where to sit. If he sat next to Norma it would seem suspicious, but Dylan and Emma had already sat down together…and he sure as hell wasn't going to sit next to Norman. "Are you gonna sit down?" Norma asked, setting some plates down on the table. He sent her his lost puppy look and she pulled out a seat for him. "Just sit here."

He sat down at the head of the table next to Emma, far away from Norman…and Norma. The dinner was nice and quiet. No one was brave enough to muster more than a few words every now and then. Alex could feel the tension in the air between the kids. He knew there was something going on between the three of them, but Alex didn't care enough to keep up with that shit. After dinner he heard Emma whisper to Dylan, "is there something going on between Norma and Romero?" Norma was in the kitchen with Norman, so they were spared the embarrassment.

Alex downed the rest of his wine and headed into the living room. He thought he'd give Dylan and Emma some space. He found a shelf with records and glanced at their selection, picking up an album and reading the back.

"What are you doing?" Norma appeared behind him.

He turned around to face her. "I needed a break from the gossip." She nodded softly before glancing down at the record in his hand. "Billie Holiday?"

"The house came equipped with stuff like that," she laughed, glancing up to meet his eyes. "Should we play it?"

"Norma, I—" Alex tried to protest, but she already had it playing by the time any sound escaped his lips. She turned around, smiling at him and playfully grabbing his hands to dance, the tune of Blue Moon playing in the background. "Norma, I—"

"Oh. Shut up, Alex, I know you dance." He gave in, leading her across the room. It was only when Dylan and Emma walked in that he felt a wave of embarrassment was over him. He dropped his hands from Norma's waist, taking a step back.

"Don't let us stop you," Emma called from the doorway, peering at them in amazement.

Alex shook his head. "We weren't. It's not…"

"It's fine, Alex." Norma whispered to him, grabbing his hands and beginning to dance again. It was through Norma that he was beginning to let go. He needed this.

Alex left after Dylan had driven Emma home. It was in his empty house that he realized just how wrong he was. He poured himself a glass of scotch and sat for a while in silence. It was then that he realized he didn't want to be alone anymore. As he picked up his jacket and headed towards the door, the doorbell rang. He peered through the window in the door to see Norma on the other side, smiling deviously. "You left your gun in the nightstand," she stated after he opened the door.

He grabbed it from her hand, giving her a disapproving look. "I could have picked it up before work."

She rolled her eyes. "Maybe I just wanted to see you."

"I've only been gone for an hour," he replied, opening the door for her to come in.

She shrugged. "I figured you'd need it. You never know who might break into your house in the middle of the night."

He shot her a look. "Tell me about it."

She shoved her hands in her coat pockets, making her way over to his couch. "I'm gonna tell Norman." Alex furrowed his brow, placing his gun on the end table. "About us."

"Are you sure?" he asked, making his way over to her.

She nodded, smiling as his hand came up to caress her cheek. "They were all beginning to find out anyway." He let out a laugh, closing the distance between them.

She spent the night at his house that night and left in the morning before Alex headed off to work. But this day was different. He headed into work with a smile on his face, scaring a few of the deputies. As he settled down into his desk chair he received a call from Norma. "Hey." He smiled.

"Alex, I need you to come over to the house now." He could feel his heart rate increase at the sound of her voice.

"What's wrong? What happened?" he asked, grabbing his jacket and keys.

"Just get over here." She sounded like she was crying or at least was about to.

Alex hopped in his SUV, flipping on the siren and heading over to the Bates Motel. He ran up the steps, flinging open the front door to find Milton Arbogast lying dead at the bottom of the steps. "What happened? Where's Norman?" Alex asked, bending down to check the man's pulse. He glanced up to find Norma in tears. His heart began to ache. He stood up and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm gonna take care of it, I promise." He glanced down at the sheriff, squeezing his eyes shut desperately trying to erase reality. "Come on, you're gonna stay at my house." He led her out of the house, closing the door behind them and helping her down the steps.

"We have to find him," she muttered between breaths.

He opened the door of his SUV and helped her inside. "I will." He kissed her temple and rushed over to the driver's side to climb in. He spotted Sally through the window of her motel room. She watched him drive off.

He laid Norma down on his bed when they got to his house. "What are you gonna do about it?" she asked as he tucked her in.

He glanced up at her, giving her a disapproving look. She was always so stubborn, especially when she didn't need to be. "Just trust me, okay?"

"Be careful," she whispered, reaching out to squeeze his hand.

He nodded softly. "I will." He gave her one last smile and headed for the door.

"Alex?" she called after him. He stopped just before the doorway, turning to face her. "Thank you."

He stared back at her. She was the only one that mattered. "I'd do anything for you." She knew that was the truth.