A/N: I'm so in love with Bates Motel. I really wanted to write something about Norma and Romero that could take place in the show (so nothing too out of character). It was pretty late when I wrote this, so I hope there aren't many grammatical mistakes. I know it's a one shot, but I was thinking about perhaps writing more. So If you liked it, (or if you didn't like it :p) please let me know. Reviews are really appreciated :)
It was late and cold. Normally she would be cooking in the kitchen. Bathing herself in the delicious scents of her and Norman's dinner.
But now she found herself sitting in the chair of the office. Her back stiff and her hands cold. Searching on the internet for nothing in particular. Bored she typed some words. She glanced at her house. Norman was probably busy with his animals. He found a dead scarecrow in the garden this morning. He'd smiled all day, like he won the lottery.
But even though he did the same things as he did before, nothing felt normal anymore. His smile wasn't the same smile as it was before, even the tone of his voice had changed. But the thing that scared her the most was the weird spark in his eyes. She didn't trust it.. She didn't trust him anymore.
The door of her office smashed open.
Norma nearly jumped, while quickly closing her laptop as if she was searching for something forbidden.
"Norman!" she yelled.
"I'm sorry mother, I didn't mean to scare you" her son said in a high pitch voice, his hair all messy.
She placed a hand at her chest, trying to regulate her breathing.
"You're not scaring me" she lied in multiple ways "I just didn't hear you come in. What is it sweetie?"
"Oh, I just wanted to say that Emma's father invited me for dinner" he said staring at her eyes, but somehow not making contact.
Norma nodded. "Ah that's great, give her my love."
"I will mother" and with that he walked out of the office.
Norma saw how Emma picked up her son and dared to exhale. Burying her face in the palms of her hands.
She should probably get back in the house and make some dinner, now that it was safe to enter.
Norma turned off the lights in the office and was about to lock the door when suddenly two headlights lightened the motel, and the sound of wheels on the gravel reached her ear. Instinctively she stepped away from the window.
The sign outside said 'no vacancy', so if anyone came for a room she had to turn him down.
She narrowed her eyes. The car pulled over and a strong-build man stepped out.
Norma bend forward, looking more closely.
The man took a few more steps, the light of the moon revealed his identity.
She was barely able to suppress a scream.
Her heart pounded like crazy, both of her hands were pressed against her mouth and quickly she took a few steps back.
No, no, no.. please don't let this be true..
All she ever wanted was a normal life for her and her son.
Her brother, Caleb, stared at the motel. But then turned around and walked the stairs that led to her house.
What was he doing here?
Why had he come back? What did he want from her?
Once he found out that she wasn't in the house, he would probably come back to the office and search for her there.
She had to get out. Hide.
What to do? Where to go?
She glanced over at the key holder, and quickly grabbed key number eleven. The one key from which she knew the owner wasn't in the room.
Tiptoeing and stooping she walked over to room eleven and opened the door.
She placed her back firmly against the wall and looked out the window.
Her brother ran down the stairs again. Quickly ran to the office and banged on the door.
"Norma! Are you there?" his voice bellowed.
The beats of her heart fastened.
"Come on! I just want to speak to you" Caleb yelled and tried to open the door.
She saw his brother shake his head. Finally giving up.
He was about to go away when another pair of headlights showed up.
Norma could only think of two persons and unfortunately it was Romero who stepped out of the car.
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Alex Romero didn't like what he was seeing.
An agitated man banging his fists on the door of the motel's office.
The sheriff pulled over in front of it, intentionally letting the headlights on for a few seconds to startle and examine the man.
Strong-build, blonde hair, sloppy clothes, despite his age still a youthful face. He hadn't seen him before, but his temper didn't promise anything good.
Alex stepped out of his car. Took big steps toward the man. Not once breaking eye contact.
"Hey" the man greeted.
Alex nodded.
"Can I help you with something?" he cut to the chase, lowering his voice a bit.
"Uhm yeah, I was looking for the owner of the motel" he made a gesture to the office.
"Well I guess she isn't in, it's pitch dark" Romero said without looking at the office.
The man puffed, semi-irritated, semi-amused.
"But I know that all the rooms are taken, so if you came here to rent a room than I think you better search on."
The man shook his head. "I'm not here for a room."
Romero tilted his head and slightly raised an eyebrow.
The man looked more closely at him.
"You know Norma well?" the man asked.
So he knew her name, an acquaintance, a friend, a henchman from Ford?
He nodded as a minimal response. "You?"
"I'm her brother" he said, his eyes sharp.
He felt a little shock in his body, like someone pushed some barbed wire against his skin. He kept his face straight.
"I didn't know she had a brother" he said truthfully.
"No, you're kidding" he smiled sarcastically.
Romero didn't respond at the vague comment but nodded in the direction of the house.
"You tried the house?"
The brother looked at him, hesitating, weighing.
"Yes, she wasn't there. Look could you do me a favor? If you see her could you tell her I'm looking for her. I just want to give her something an then I'm gone. She won't regret it" he said at an almost intimate tone.
"Why would she regret seeing her brother in the first place?" Alex kept his tone a bit amused.
"Ah you know how it is right.. families" he smiled vaguely "have you ever heard of a happy family?"
Romero smiled along. That meant; curling the corners of his mouth just enough to see some change. "Actually I have."
"Well then they hadn't have Norma as a sister" he countered.
"So what can I say that it is you want to give her?"
He sighed, got annoyed with all the questions from the sheriff.
"Let's just say it's a new found piece of her heritage. I will be waiting for her at the restaurant at the dock tomorrow at seven. Could you tell her?" he asked again.
"Sure" Romero turned around but was stopped by the sound of his voice again.
"Oh and if you would be so kind not to tell her sons I'm in town, I would be really grateful."
Alex raised an eyebrow.
What was up with all the mystery?
"Why?" he asked.
"It's just that I came here for Norma, to give her some piece of the past and then I'm gone. Nothing that the boys should care or know about."
"Okay" he gave a barely visible nod.
"Okay then" the brother walked to his car and drove out of his sight into the black, black night.
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Norma saw Caleb finally leaving after what felt like forever. He had talked for quite some time with Alex.
What did he say? What did Alex know?
She was overwhelmed by fear.
Fear that only increased once she saw the sheriff walking directly to his room.
Oh God.
She had hoped that he would walk to the house or something.
Damn, he was going to walk in on her hiding in his room.
What to do, what to do..
Norma nervously ran to the closet, the light was turned on and blinded her for a moment.
She could hear how the sound of the footsteps stopped.
Quickly she grabbed a few spare towels from the closet.
Alex Romero looked at her. Stunned for a second. Then recovered and shut the door.
"Norma, what are you doing in my room?" he asked dryly.
"What do you think I'm doing, I'm changing the towels" she said in a duh-tone, while holding the towels up to underline her statement.
"Ah, so you decided to change the towels in the dark, using the spare towels that I just literally saw you grab from my closet" the sheriff walked over to her.
"Yes" her voice sounded very small.
"Norma, why are you hiding from your brother?" and sure enough a frown of concern appeared on his face.
She let her shoulders hang and rocked from one foot to the other.
"I don't see how that's any of your business" she defended.
Romero shook his head.
"Believe me, I don't really care, but you kind of make it my business by hiding in my room" he puffed.
"I'm sorry sheriff Romero, then let me make it none of your business again" she took firm steps to the door, ready to leave his room.
She could see him flinch a bit when she called him sheriff again instead of calling him by his first name. Just like she intended.
Once see grabbed the handle of door, he stopped her.
"Norma wait" he said.
She turned around.
"He wanted me to tell you that he came by to give you a piece of your heritage."
"What?" she didn't understand. A piece of her heritage? What did Caleb mean by that?
"Yeah, that's what he said. He said it was something he found and he wanted to give it to you. Tomorrow at seven, in the restaurant at the dock. He told me that you wouldn't regret it and that he would leave after he gave it to you."
She stared at him, waiting to hear more. He looked confused back.
"Yes and..?" she said impatiently.
"And what?" he shook his head in confusion.
"And what was it?" irritated she through her hand in the air.
"Well I don't know! He didn't say. It's not like he is my brother."
She couldn't help but frown.
Why was it all so damn cryptically? Couldn't Caleb just say what it was? A piece of her heritage...
She felt fear creeping its way back to her heart again. Whatever it was she didn't want it. She wanted nothing to do with her past. Nothing. And that included her brother. She wasn't going to see him tomorrow.
Norma refused.
And why would he say that she wasn't going to regret it.
She could just hear him say it in her mind.
'You are not going to regret it Norma'
A wave of nausea hit her.
The same thing he'd sometimes told her before he took her to his bedroom.. 'you are not going to regret it'
Tears were burning behind her eyes. Her head became heavy. She lost her coordination.
A warm hand tightly grabbed her upper arm.
"Are you okay?"
She looked up, into the intense, hazel eyes of her sheriff.
She managed to give him a faint smile.
"Yes, thank you. Have a good night" she said, shook off his hand and quickly closed the door of room eleven.
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Norma Bates was acting weird. Weirder than normal. And a weird acting Bates was never a good sign.
Last time she acted weird, she got the two biggest drugs lords of the town killed. Okay 'indirectly' to be fair. But still, Norma had a way of getting into deep shit real fast. And if he wasn't careful she would drag the whole town with her.
What could have been so bad that Norma would hide from her brother?
Alex stared outside his window and saw a girl walk by.
Time to do some digging.
"Emma" Romero called out, a bright and shiny teenage girl turned around.
"Sheriff Romero" she said sweetly "is there something I can do for you?"
"I was just wondering if you'd seen Norma" he said making sure his tone was just heavy enough to raise some worries.
"Why, is something wrong?" Emma's expression immediately changed from happy to scared.
"Oh no, she's fine... It's just that her brother came by last night" he dropped the piece of information, seeing if there would be any reaction, if Emma was useful, if she could give him any information.
Her eyes became big. Fearful. Instinctively she placed her hand on her mouth.
Romero immediately anticipated.
"Yeah I know" he shook his head, mimicking Emma's emotion.
Emma lowered her hand.
"You know?" she asked like she couldn't believe it. Her eyes still big.
He nodded.
"But I thought Norma didn't want anyone to know" Emma was still in a state of disbelieve.
"She doesn't" he tilted his head as if he was examining her.
"How much do you know?" he asked.
Emma sighed. "Everything, Norman told me the whole story. Poor Norma! She must've been so scared. What did he want from her?"
"Norman told you?" he asked, ignoring half of what she was saying.
"Yes, but Norma doesn't know that" her cheeks turned red "she wanted to keep it a secret. Which I totally understand. If it had happened to me I wouldn't want anyone to know. Please don't tell Norma that I know."
An awful, eerie feeling manifested itself in his stomach.
He didn't like where this was going.
"Yes it's terrible" he corroborated.
Tears were filling her eyes.
"I just remember that I even asked her what is was like, you know, 'the first time'. I feel like such an idiot now. She must have felt so sad when I asked her."
Alex felt how his mouth became dry.
"Her brother raped her?" he dropped the act. He couldn't believe what she was implying.
Emma blinked.
"Y-you said that.. you said that you knew?" she stuttered.
He let out a deep sigh, shook his head and stared at the sky.
Norma was raped by her brother.
He couldn't believe it, he didn't want to believe it.
Emma still looked at him, waiting for an explanation for why he had crushed her faith in people.
"Well I lied" he said bluntly.
Emma shook her head. It must have been hard for her. If sheriff Romero was one thing, than it was honest. He was always truthful, a man of his word. Now he had betrayed her and that betrayal was written all over her face, together with fear.
"Please don't tell Norma that I told you" she begged.
He gestured her to calm down.
"It's okay Emma, I won't tell Norma. And you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone about this conversation."
Emma quickly agreed.
"What is going to happen now? Is her brother still in town? Is Norma okay? Does Dylan know he's in town?" Emma nearly tripped over her own words.
"Don't worry. No one knows, except for us. And let's keep it that way. Don't worry about Norma, I'm going to take care of it. Trust me."
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Norma was absent minded all day.
She watched how Norman was busy doing homework. All she ever truly wanted was for him to have a good life. Safe with her. No worries.
Every night she tried to silence the nagging voice in her head that told her that ship had sailed.
And now with her brother back in town things were back on the wrong track again. Caleb had told Romero that he just wanted to give her something and then he would leave. But just the idea of facing him made her sick.
What if she didn't show up tonight at that restaurant? Would he still leave? Or stay? What if he will try contact Dylan?
Oh no...
She couldn't handle that. Him hanging around, trying to sneak his way back into their lives. Using Dylan.
Maybe going there wasn't such a bad idea, if that meant that she could get rid of him. And it was a public place, so nothing really bad could happen.
She sighed.
"Mother are you alright?" Norman looked up.
"Yes" she abruptly stood up and gave him a faint, fatigue smile "I'm going out tonight, there are some leftovers in the fridge."
She pressed a kiss on the top of his head, ignoring the question mark in his eyes.
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Her brother was already waiting for her when she reached the restaurant.
"You're late, I almost thought that you wouldn't come" he said, his blue eyes piercing into hers.
She took place on the chair across of him, avoiding eye contact.
The sight of him caused a lump in her throat.
"You have something for me?" she said directly.
"You have to be like this?" he asked, his voice a bit disappointed "can't you just be happy to see me?"
It was a dagger to her heart. Happy? How dare he even use that word?
"No" she swallowed "I came here cause you told the sheriff that you would leave after you gave me something. So what is it Caleb?"
Her brother looked at his hands and frowned.
"I will, if that's what you want. I will go, but please sis. Please don't be like this" he sighed, pleaded.
Norma felt how her eyes started to burn, how she had to hold back the tears of frustration and anxiety.
"You uhm.. told Dylan that he was my son?" he continued.
She looked away.
"Just because you..." she took a deep breath "just because you're his biological father, doesn't suddenly make you Dylan's dad. You don't get to play a father" she hissed.
He looked irritated.
"Why would say that? Why did you tell him I raped you?" he whispered, looking desperate and angry at the same time.
She was stunned. Couldn't breathe. She felt how heads turned. Eyes pierced.
"What did you wanted to give me?" she leaned back.
He shook his head, irritated. Grabbed something from his pocket and threw it across the table.
A small, red book landed in front of her.
She felt her heart drop.
"You know I never pictured you as someone who kept a diary" he mocked.
"How- how did you get this?" Norma stuttered.
Her cheeks turned red. She quickly grabbed the book and pressed it against his heart.
Her head became light.
"It was hidden underneath the wooden floor in dad's old office" he was quiet for a moment "it just didn't seem right to keep it" he sounded sarcastically.
She gasped for air, but it seemed like all the oxygen had disappeared from the air.
She stood up, stumbled and bumped into one of the costumers.
"Sorry" she muttered.
She reached the door and walked into the cold air.
Her pace increased, as did the footsteps behind her.
No, no, no she internally pleaded.
A hand grabbed her around the wrist and dragged her in an alley.
She was pushed against the brick wall.
"Why run from me?" she felt her brother spit in her face.
He shook her.
"Why Norma? Why did you tell your sons that I raped you? Why did you write those lies in your diary?"
"Because it's true!" she cried.
His body froze.
"No, no.. Norma we were in love!" he sounded confused.
"No Caleb" she sniffed "you were! I was never in love with you."
Caleb shook his head, not accepting what his sister was telling him.
"We were both in love, I never made you.."
"Yes you did! Everyday" she felt the tears streaming down her face.
"No.." he whispered.
"It's in your head Caleb, I was never in love with you. You were my lifeline back then! Growing up with mom and dad, I always held on to you. I trusted you, but you betrayed me!"
Her brother let out a long groan, while rubbing his hands in his face.
"It's not true.." he mumbled.
"I was thirteen.. I didn't understand what you were doing. I was too afraid to tell you no" she nearly pleaded to be heard.
"It's not TRUE!" his attitude changed abruptly, he grabbed her shoulders and threw her against the wall again.
"Aaah" a painful, almost surprised, short groan left her lips. The back of her head hit the bricks hard.
"You're lying!" he hissed in her ears.
The grasp around her arms tightened.
"You're hurting me" she cried.
Suddenly she felt how the weight of his body was pulled off.
Norma needed a moment to process what was happening.
Before her eyes a man grabbed her brother by his arms and pulled him away. His brother sputtered, trying to fight back, but the man easily pushed him away.
He flashed a light in his face.
"Calm down" she heard a familiar voice say.
Alex!
He came to her aid. Again..
"What do you think you're doing?" Caleb exclaimed.
"Take it easy. Are you the owner of the white van parked over there?" he pointed at a van in the distance.
Norma could tell that this sudden change of topic caught him off guard.
"Yeah, why?" he stuttered.
"I need you to come with me for a second" the sheriff mumbled almost indistinctively.
Her brother hesitated. Looked over at Norma and back to the sheriff.
Romero gestured him to come with him.
Both men walked away.
"You can go home now Norma" she heard his reassuring voice say.
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Romero couldn't hear what they were saying, but he could easily guess.
Then when he saw how he grabbed Norma Bates and threw her against the wall he let the adrenaline take over.
Rushed towards them and grabbed the bastards before he could hurt her again.
He could have kicked his ass, but he regained his composure.
He had to play this cool, for now.
But as soon as they were out of Norma's sight he pushed her brother in an alley and forced his hand behind his back.
"You piece of shit" he hissed in his ear and squeezed his hand a bit more.
"Aargh."
"Listen and listen carefully cause I'm only going to tell you this one time. Here is how it's going down. You leave my town once and for all and never, ever think about coming back! If I see you harassing Norma again, or her sons, I will drag you to the highest mountain and throw you of. You understand?" he pushed his head against the wall.
"Yes" he quickly nodded, his voice trembling.
"Good, I'll give you one hour to pack up you things and leave. Now to be perfectly clear, I've happened to notice those drugs in your trunk, so I've registered drug possession. If you come back here, I'll have you arrested you hear me?"
"But I don't do drugs.." he stumbled.
"Doesn't matter, you do now" he whispered.
He pushed him one more time and then let him go.
Caleb quickly walked to his van and drove off, followed by the watchful eyes of the sheriff.
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Norma was numbed by all the fear. She stared at her diary and somehow felt like she was staring in a mirror. A portal that led her straight back to her youth. The foundation. All the dirty secrets and lies that never seemed to stop.
She wished she had never told Norman about what had happened. It was an impulsive mistake. She was comfortable being alone with her dark past. However weird it may sound it had also been her companion and that had offered her some weird comfort. But now that she had told Norman and Dylan she felt more exposed and vulnerable than ever before.
At least Norman and Dylan were family. What if Romero had discovered the truth? He had send her home and she had left him alone with her brother. What if Caleb had told Romero what they were arguing about?
She didn't want Alex to look at her with disgust, or worse.. pity.
She nervously moved her hands, watching at the clock.
Should she go over to his room? See if he was there?
Would he stop by her place? Or would he go straight to bed?
Did she even want to find out what Romero knew? It would change everything..
A hard knock on the door interrupted her worries.
She took a deep breath before opening it.
"Alex" she put on a fake relaxed smile.
"Hi, I'm sorry it's a bit late. Can I come in?" somehow she didn't expect him to want to come in.
She hesitated for a moment.
"Sure" she held the door open for him.
Alex walked pass her to the living room.
"Is Norman home?" he asked.
"No, I haven't seen him. Maybe he went to Emma, why?" she couldn't hide the worry in her voice.
"Oh no just wondering" he sat down on the couch and she followed his example "so I'm sorry for interrupting your talk with your brother. It looked a little heated though."
"Yes, you know how things go with family. There are always these fights, you know" she nervously laughed.
"Hmm" he didn't really respond, rather looked at her more closely.
Subconsciously she gently stroke the sore spot on the back of her head.
"Did he hurt you?" he asked with a sweet frown.
"Oh, uhm, it was an accident. I hit my head" she quickly withdrew her hand.
"Does it hurt? Are you dizzy or nauseas?" he genuinely seemed a bit worried.
"It's okay, I don't even feel it anymore" she lied.
"Are you sure? Maybe you should let a doctor check it?" he pushed.
"I'm fine Alex, thank you" she smiled.
He sighed a little.
"Okay then. Well there is now gentle way to put this. I came by to tell you that I discovered some drugs in the trunk of your brothers car. When I confronted him he took off and somehow managed to escape. I know he's your brother but I cannot let him come back to Pine Bay without arresting him."
She felt all the heaviness being lifted from her shoulders and dissolve in the air.
She exhaled and her muscles relaxed.
Her brother was out of town and was never able to come back. He would never be able to bother her or her sons.
She couldn't suppress a smile.
"That's okay, I understand you were just doing your job" Norma said gratefully.
Romero kept his pokerface on, but internally smiled when he saw how relieved and happy Norma was.
He nodded.
"That's what I wanted you to tell you" he stood up.
She didn't want him to go. Norma felt the crazy urge to hold him, wrap her arms around his waist and let her head rest on his chest.
She was surprised and embarrassed by her own thought. He looked at her, a question in his eyes as if he had read her mind.
She walked with him to the front door.
"Alex" she said when he grabbed the knob, ready to go.
He turned around looked at her.
Without any second thoughts she spontaneously leaned in and kissed him on his cheek.
"Thank you" she whispered softly, before closing the door.
Romero blinked a couple of times.
Trying to regulate his heartbeat that pounded so hard that he could swear that others could hear it.
He shortly touched the spot on his cheek where she'd kissed him.
And with a smile the sheriff returned to his motel room.