The following takes place about a month after the car-scene installment ;) In my mind, this chapter would be the equivalent of the premiere of season 4 if I had my hands on the scripts! I hope you enjoy the long overdue update.

"I wish I could have stayed longer, Alex. Friends of mine is waiting for me back home…"

Alex took Octavia's bags from her hands as they walked toward the terminal. They stopped walking as Octavia snatched the bags from him.

"As much as I love having my stoic big brother taking care of me and suffocating me with personal surveillance and interrogations…"

Alex threw his hands up in defeat with a tinge of guilt about his protectiveness during her visit.

"Well, I'm glad you came. I was starting to worry you were dead." They chuckled, but Octavia knew there were serious undertones in his voice.

"It's time I left anyway. Getting in the way of you and Norma…" Alex looked down and a blush crept up his cheeks. As they made eye contact again, she smiled knowingly at him.

"I know you hate mushy talk, but you've already softened up at the mention of her name so I'll ask. Do you love her? Is it serious?"

Not squirming under pressure, Alex blinked and considered. He went blank. The only thought he could think of was: Yes. Tragically and terrifyingly so. He was deep in thought, but was able to check back into reality. Realizing the pause had gone on a little longer than it should have, Alex cleared his throat. "I do love her. I couldn't tell you if she actually feels the same." His throat was closing at the admission he had made. Octavia stepped closer to him and her smile curled into a disappointed pouted.

"I already knew you felt that way. If I can see it, I'm sure she can. When I saw you two at least, neither of you could hide those sappy eyes for each other. At times I had to leave because I was uncomfortable with the tension filling the room, you know that! Alexander Romero, you are a profiler if I have ever seen one. You don't have to pay too much attention to see how she looks at you. Do something about it, okay?"

Her words made him glow with optimism; a feeling he hardly ever felt had now washed over him and was ringing in his ears.

"You should stay over at the house more often. Hell, I'm going to make it mandatory that you report back to me with advice. " Alex placed a hand on her back and lead her inside before hugging her goodbye. Her eyes began to water, but she repressed them and kissed his cheek quickly.

"Pushy as always," Octavia sighed, rolling her eyes at his smug expression.

"Have a safe trip back."

"I'll call you. " With that, she turned away and began walking into the crowds of people and baggage.

When Alex returned home, he made his way straight to the shower. He turned the water up to the hottest temperature and waited until the room was steamy. Stripping away the sweaty clothes of the day, he stepped in and let the water rush over him. He closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and let his hand run down his body. Alex bit his lip as he allowed his hand to grab his length. Rubbing himself in a slow massage, he thought of the one thing that made him swollen in frustration. Her. The tension in the past weeks had been excruciating. They had not been intimate together since the night in the car. They'd flirted, spent time together, even cuddled when Octavia had left them alone, but she hadn't made a move. This caused Alex to doubt if she knew how much he cared. How much he wanted her to make it clear like she had that night. What was stopping her?

Alex finished off in the shower and threw on a pair of sweat pants. Heading for the scotch on the coffee table, there was a sudden knock at the door that caught him off guard. He hastily ran a hand through his wet hair and opened the door. Crossing his arms in embarrassment, Norma was standing at his doorway, eyeing him up and down. There was something in her eyes that made him instantly on edge. Shaking her head as if pulling herself out of a trance, she frowned and stepped closer to him. Alex didn't move a muscle, but he knew he'd flinch if she got any nearer. He went back inside, letting her follow behind him. He was sure she'd bring up the fact that he was shirtless, but instead she began to whimper in that cry out for help he was accustomed to hearing. Norma would unravel in his hands, and Alex wasn't sure if he was up to dealing with her in his current state.

"What's wrong, Norma?" His face immediately softened at the growing concern on her face. Every action, every word of this woman affected him.

Norma sat down on his couch and crossed her legs. Her foot began to move nervously and she didn't say a word. He spoke up again.

"I'm going to get changed." Now she was peering up at me, eyes watery and weary.

"No, just come here. It's Norman. I don't feel safe, which I know is irrational, but I can't-"

"Norma, slow down." Alex sat next to her. Not too close, but close enough to rest a hand on the small of her back. He soothed her, finally pulling her in for an embrace and whispered comforting nothings into her ear. She sobbed into his neck and finally looked back up at him. She licked her lips as she realized her arms were wrapped around his naked upper body. Alex's frame overtook her, his skin silky, muscles firm. He smelled fresh and musky, she thought, trying to focus her attention at eye level.

She steadied her breathing and pulled her arms from his. "I keep getting daily phone calls from Pineview. It's Norman." Alex gave her a confused stare. They were very close; he knew that. So what was the problem?

"What's wrong with that?"

"No, no, no, you don't understand…I wasn't going to tell you this, but it's getting to be too much, Alex. I need you to fix it. Please fix it. For me?"

"Norma, you haven't even told me what's wrong with the calls!"

"Norman calls the house. It started with him asking how I was doing, but he started to ask me about you, Alex. He knows. Somehow he figured out that I've…been seeing you."

"How could he possibly know that? Have you said anything to him that would lead him to believe that…"

"Absolutely not! Then it became heavy breathing and quick hang-ups. Almost as if he was…he was expecting you to pick up. I don't know. I'm sure it was him. Then it got much worse. He started singing childhood songs without any context, just the same verses of Mr. Sandman over and over. I thought those Pineview people knew that they're doing! Because clearly not if they don't monitor or regulate the calls being put through! Alex, what if he were to escape? Come back and hurt one of us? At this point I think it's a serious danger." Norma began to spiral into hyperventilation.

"Norma, don't worry about it. I'll get to the bottom of it."

"Promise?" She murmured. Norma rested her head on his bare shoulder. But the comfort of their contact didn't seem to help. She began to shake and tears fell onto his skin. Alex looked worriedly down at her.

"I promise. Do you trust me?" He held his breath waiting for her response.

"I always trust you, I-I-" Norma gasped for air and cried in hiccups. She was growing sickly pale. Alex scooped into his arms, and lightly gasped as Norma spread her legs, each on either side of his body. He carefully guided her into him. Norma placed her hands on his chest, brushing his chest hair subconsciously. Alex fought back a moan. In this circumstance he refused to make it sexual, he couldn't.

"Norma, baby, I think you're having a panic attack," his low voice rumbling to calming sooth. Calling her baby was foreign on his lips, but it impulsively slipped out. He reluctantly brought a palm to her chest to feel her heart beat. It was escalating at an unhealthy rate.

"I-I'm fine. I just need to stay here…with you." Through her gasping breaths, she still had traces of lust in her eyes. Norma's hands slid down his chest, onto his stomach, and travelled further south, but Alex clamped down on her hands and brought them to his shoulders. Not now, he thought. Alex could have taken her right there; ripped off his sweats and pulled up her skirt, but the timing couldn't have been worse. She needed to be looked after, protected.

"Take a deep breath in and then exhale slowly, okay? Can you do that for me?"

Norma leaned against him and placed her head on his chest. He rubbed her back up and down rhythmically. She did as he asked. Her pain and anxiety hurt is heart. Alex's eyes fluttered shut as he put his nose to her hair, inhaling her while her breathing gradually slowed. Norma pulled him down with her on the couch. Alex could tell she was drained from the anxiety of opening up. She guided his arm over her waist so that he lay flush against her. This contact still made him nervous, but he let happen. His bare chest was against her back, and Norma reached for his hand. Their hands were intertwined, both palms sweaty like nervous teenagers. Neither minded. They were silent, with only Norma's sighs of relief filling the space around them. Alex softly kissed the back of her neck and rubbing his cheek against the exposed skin of her shoulder blades. This is as close to heaven as I'm getting, Alex thought, though he would never tell her so.

Jerking around, Norma faced Alex, noses touching. "You are the sweetest badass I've ever met," Norma giggled. Alex chuckled at this, fully smiling, which seemed to be a rarity. He wiped away her drying tears with his index finger.

"You're the most put together mess I've ever seen." Norma put a leg over his side and threw her head back in laughter. Her wide smile brought butterflies to his gut.

"Will you always be there to clean it up?" Both of them slowly stopped laughing and stared up at the ceiling. The silence continued for the rest of the evening.