...
"I think I want to see Norman."
Alex wanted to throw up right then And there.
...
"You- you what?" Alex just prays that she misheard norma. She wouldnt do that, she wouldnt.
Right?
Norma can only keep a deep frown on her face. She looks up at alex with tears in her eyes, although she was secretly praying alex never heard her either. "Im sorry." She whispers, her sniffles easily being one of the worst sounds on the planet to alex. "I do."
"Okay." He says calmly, trying to keep his composure. "What's bringing this up?"
"I never told him." She murmurs.
"About the baby?"
"No. Never. I want him to know, Alex. He's my son."
"I know." He replies, his hand on Norma's stomach. "I would just never forgive myself if you both got hurt."
"Norman wouldn't hurt me. Ever."
All Alex could do was stay silent at her statement. Norma didn't want to say anything either, but the thought still lingered in her mind.
"If you really want to see him, then that's what we'll do."
"Really?"
"Well, do you?"
"No." She squeaks.
"Norma-"
"I just miss him, okay? It's stupid but- I feel bad for starting over without him, you know? I want him to know about the baby."
"It's not stupid. This is a big thing you're hiding, you have to let him know." Alex sighs. "If you really want to see him, then that's what we'll do."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I want you to be happy. And if this can bring you even a little bit of peace, then we'll do it."
"I love you." She sighs back, her arms instantly being wrapped around Alex.
"Just- promise me something."
"What?"
"If we see him, we just tell him. And we don't take any risks."
"I promise." She sighs.
Alex smiles softly, his fingers intertwined in Norma's hair. She laid her head down on Alex's chest the way he liked it, her hair close enough to his nose that he could smell her sweet conditioner. "Then I guess we're seeing Norman."
Part of Alex knew this was a bad idea, but who was he to intervene? Nobody can get in between Norma and Norman, everyone knew that. Part of him felt scared, was he really going to let her do this? He wanted to say no, but he couldn't. He could imagine Norma's heart break in his mind, those small pouts she gives and how silent she goes when she's sad is enough to break anyone's heart. He hated it more than words. But he also mostly hated the people around her for causing her such pain. He didn't want to be one of those people again, not again. And if keeping her happy means making what could easily be the worst decision ever, then what does he have to stay about it? All he has to do in pine view is just stand back and nod anyways, it could be that complicated.
Oh what am I saying? He thought. This is Norman, that asshole is going to make this much harder than it needs to be.
At least seeing Norma's soft smile made the decision worth it. All Alex had to do was just pray it goes well.
...
Pulling up and parking in front of the place had to be one of the longest processes ever.
Norma stared at the building in front of her, the place looked sophisticated from the outside and sure, maybe the inside. But it was the memories that made norma constantly feel as if a dagger was piercing through her heart. The building was a simple place, but part of it felt cold. Like no comfort was provided. Even on that hot day it felt like a dark cloud of darkness was covering it.
"Are you ready?" Alex murmurs, his hand caressing normas thigh (which she didnt really realise until alex corrupted her constant thinking).
"I dont know." She sqeaks, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Alex knew at this stage to not ask about turning around and going home.
"Im scared," she finally reveals after about 30 seconds of complete silence. "Last time i ever did anything relevant to norman was right before i almost lost the baby. What if norman freaks out and tries to hurt me? o-or you?"
"Norma." Alex says in the stern tone she should be used to. "Its okay, he wont try to hurt you. And if he so much as lays a finger on you, I'll kick his ass and we'll get out. Okay?"
"..okay." She says reluctantly.
Norma stares at the building, a feeling of guilt taking over her in an instant. This is it.
Shes going to see her son for the first time since he tried to kill her. This surely would be a bad idea to norma, this should be a bad idea to norma. But she just cant help it.
The last time she saw her son, her own blood was before she even found out she was pregnant. Now she was almost nine months pregnant with a baby girl, and every single day was just a constant reminder of the person she was leaving behind.
She gets out of the car in an instant, first stroking her oversized jumper (which she bought in extra large specifically for this day) to get rid of any wrinkles and then putting her coat over. It didn't even take five minutes for Norma to get hot. August was just coming to an end and normally people would be at the beach at this time to get the last bit of the hot weather in before school starts again. But not Norma, she just had to be dressed in four layers to hide her bump. If she could go back in time and just write Norman a letter telling him she's pregnant as soon as she found out, she would in a heartbeat. But it was too late to go back now, this was her mess and she had to clean it up. She's put it off long enough, and this had to be done, whether if she wanted it to or not.
"How do I look?" Norma asks, trying to stand in a normal position and not hold her bump (which has become a huge habit since she started to show).
"You look hot- literally."
Norma scoffs, although she knew she was right. "Well, I have to do this."
"You don't have to do anything." He states. He walks over to her, his eyes narrow. "If this is too much, we're leaving."
Norma can't bring herself to fight against it. She wanted to, but the moment she felt a small kick at her stomach she knew it was for the better. "Okay."
...
"Hi, I'm Norma bates." Norma says softly as she walks towards the desk. The receptionist smiles softly, typing away at her computer. "I'm here to visit my son, Norman bates."
"Alright." The receptionist answers in an (unusually) cheerful tone. She presses a couple more keys on her keyboard, then gives Alex and Norma the directions to a visiting area.
As soon as they sat down on the chairs, Norma felt tears welding up in her eyes. This is much harder than she thought. Every single moment passing felt like about 10 years of her life wasted away. This is it, this is actually it. There's no going back now, she's visiting her son.
All these memories go through her head as she waited. She remembered how much he loved playing in the garden when he was six, the day they moved into that shitty motel, the day Norma put up the "bates motel" sign and wasn't able to get over the fact that the lights were Norman's favourite colour. All of these were different now. Did Norman still like spending time outside here? Did Norman "start over" in here, leaving his beloved mother behind? Is his favourite colour still blue? Norma felt like she should've known all of this, but she didn't. And it hurt. There was so much regret over the past 20 years with the way she raised Norman. All of those times she stopped him from hanging out with girls, trying to control him in a peculiar way, there was so much. It felt like it was her fault. Was it? No, no. It couldn't be.
"You're trying so hard to protect him, that you can't see what's right around you!"
"He's dangerous."
"Maybe you need to try and let go a little."
If Norma could just shoot herself every time she didn't listen to people's warnings, she would in a heartbeat.
Did she make her son crazy? Is she to blame? Was she able to fix this all from the beginning? Oh god.
Luckily, the busy thoughts in her mind was disturbed.
"Norma." Alex says in a clear tone of voice. He placed his hands on her arms, Norma could tell he was trying to get her attention for a while. "It's okay, breathe."
Norma didn't even realise how fast she was breathing until Alex instructed her to calm down. She takes a deep breath, the colour slowly coming back to her pale face.
"Do you want some water?" Alex asks.
"N-no." She stammers.
"Norma, you're pregnant with about five layers on." Norma doesn't have the heart to correct him on her four layers. "I'm getting you some water, okay? Stay here."
Great, now she's alone with her thoughts again.
It seems like about five years has passed, although it was only around 30 seconds. She kept whispering to herself, her words targeted at baby unicorn. Her poor baby girl, she doesn't have a clue about anything. But it was going to be alright.. she hoped. It can't go that bad, maybe he just had a blackout that night? Maybe he doesn't remember anything he's done?
Norma just hopes that he doesn't remember anything he's done.
As soon as Norma hears a door open, her head perks up. She sees a familiar boy walking to her direction with a nurse by his side, that 'familiar boy' was once her favourite person on the planet. Norman walks up to her slowly, though Norma can tell he's excited to see her. Well... to an extent.
"Mother." Norman sighs, hugging Norma tightly without giving her a moment to start speaking. She hugged him back reluctantly, kneeling forward so her baby bump doesn't touch him.
"Hi sweetie." She sighs, rubbing Norman's back lovingly. "God, I missed you." She separates the hug, her fingers twirling through Norman's hair. It's gotten longer since he's been there, that was something she noticed.
"I missed you too mother." Norman murmurs, that sweet smile killing Norma inside.
Norma didn't really know what to say. She had a full conversation planned out in her mind which she perfected for this moment. But actually being there in front of him left her lost for words was a different feeling entirely. Everytime she opened her mouth she had to stop herself. She set herself a rule; don't talk about baby unicorn or Alex. Who knew that was literally all she talks about?
"How is it here?" She suddenly asks, fighting the urge to rub her bump when she's feeling kicking.
"It's okay." He reluctantly shrugs. "But I want to discharge myself as soon as possible."
Norma couldn't help but stay silent. If this was any normal occasion, she would say yes to that in a heartbeat. But the constant reminder that he tried to kill her told her otherwise. If she brought him home, what then? Is she willing to put herself in that danger? Her husband? Her daughter? She didn't want to. If she did and Norman hurt her family, she would never forgive herself. Baby unicorn was supposed to be a fresh start for Alex and Norma, to give Norma the life she wanted. A loving husband and a sweet child. If Norman ever laid even a finger on her baby, she would live in guilt for the rest of her life. She doesn't want her daughter to grow up in fear like Norman and Dylan. If anything, she just wants to pick her baby up and shove her in her pocket to protect her from the scary world. Norman can't come home, that's certainly not a choice.
"Are you aloud?" She asks, her tone of voice can't be louder to a whisper.
But Norman stays silent.
Alex confidently walks back into the room with a plastic cup filled halfway with water. His pace slows down when he sees the young man standing In front of his wife. He walks up to Norma slowly, but he doesn't let his eyes meet Norman's.
"Here." Alex whispers, handing Norma the cup. Norma immediately brings the cup to her mouth, the cold liquid touching her throat bringing instant relief.
After taking a couple sips, Norma looks up at Norma, which Alex does the same. There's a pure look of hatred in his eyes, as if all he could see is red. Norma gulps, taking a step back.
"What's he doing here?" Norman spits.
"He's gonna be here, Norman. He's still my husband."
"Still?"
"Yeah." She squeaks, turning to Alex's direction.
"You're doing great." He whispers into her ear. "Remember why you're doing this."
Norma nods, looking back at Norman. "Norman," she sniffles, tears filling her eyes. "How about me and you go outside? Take a walk?"
"Of course, mother." He immediately replies. "I'll lead us outside."
Norman begins walking away, with Norma following behind. She looks back at Alex with a scared expression, which just kills Alex inside. But he knew that Norma needed this,
He just wished he could protect her.
...
At least outside was peaceful.
Both Norman and Norma walked around in a daze, nobody really saying a word to each other.
The afternoon sky was a pale blue, with fluffy clouds scudding by in the gentle breeze. Norman and Norma took a slow walk with no one else around. They could hear the faint sound of birds chirping in the distance. The air was fresh and crisp, and the grass was damp with moisture. Norman was quiet, as were Norma. It was a peaceful afternoon, and they enjoyed each other's company. Well, Norman did. Norma, not so much.
Norma continually had to wipe some sweat off her forehead. She just had to be hiding a pregnancy. Although the four layers did seem a bit excessive looking back at it, but Norma took no chances.
"Mother, are you not hot?" Norman suddenly asked.
Shit.
"Not really, why?"
"Well, I'm hot in my jumper. And you're wearing your winter coat."
"I know. I was just a bit cold when I left the house, that's all."
It wasn't a complete lie. Luckily (apart from January) she never needed to heat the house. She doesn't even go into the basement anymore. She hated the basement before Norman even lit it that December night. But now? She hated it more than words could ever describe. So much to the point that even in January, she would rather just let the house freeze. It was only the fact that Alex bought a heater for her bedroom that Norma didn't end up freezing everyday.
"Okay.." Norman replies, sounding skeptical. "Mother?"
"Yeah?"
"I want to discharge myself."
Norma just felt her heart drop.
"N-Norman." She stammers. "I don't think that's a good idea."
"Well, why not?"
Why not? How the hell was she supposed to answer that? "Because I'm starting a life without you"? "Because I'll break your neck if you hurt my unborn child"? "Because you tried to kill me"?
"Because, Norman." She eventually answers. "I just don't think it's a good idea. It's better being in here, where you're getting help."
"You can't stop me from discharging myself again, mother."
"I know the nurses can." She blankly replies. "They know what happened last time, they'll stop you."
"What happened last time?"
All norma could do was stay silent.
"It doesn't matter." She shrugs. "Anyways, me and romero have something to tell you."
"What is it?"
"...I think we should go inside."
...
After hesitantly nodding,Norma leads Norma back inside to Alex. The three sit down, neither of them looking at the other. Norma and Alex sat on a couch next to eachother, Alex keeping his hand on Norma's thigh as an act of reassurance. Norman sat across from them on an arm chair. every time Alex even looked at Norma, norman would get madder. It was all too painful for Norma. In her eyes, she could still see the innocent boy she once knew. But he was gone. All that was left was the boy who tried to kill her. The boy who destroyed her old life. The boy who made her hate herself, and who caused her so much pain. And now, she had to tell him she was pregnant with his step father's child.
How the hell was she going to pull this off?
Norma slowly takes a deep breath, and turns to face Norman. She was shaking, but she couldn't back out now. She decided to get straight and to the point.
"Norman, there's something you need to know."
This was it. No turning back now.
Norman's eyes narrowed instantly. "What?"
Instead of speaking, Norma just decides that she might as well cool herself off at the same time. She stands up and sighs, looking at a confused Norman. She starts with her winter coat, then the jumper, then Alex's t-shirt, then she was in her favourite maternity dress, the one that was tight enough that there was only one answer to her bump.
Norman remained silent, his mouth gaping as he took in the sight of his mother. Her stomach was barely sticking out, although it was obvious she was pregnant. Why had she not told him? They used to never keep secrets between each other. And a pregnancy? Why?
Finally, Norman closed his mouth and looked back at his mother. "How long have you known?"
"I'm- I'm due in six weeks."
The information just hits Norman like a truck. Six weeks. His own mom is having a baby. With a man that he hates.
"Who's the father?" he says, his voice wavering.
Her eyes fill with tears as her bottom lips quiver. She looks back at Alex, who's already getting up from his seat. Alex quickly puts a protective arm around Norma's shoulders, which causes her to start crying. She couldn't even answer the question.
The answer was right there in front of Norman's eyes, but he still wanted his mother to say the answer directly.
"Look, norman. I know you don't like him." She says. She walks up to Norman as she sniffles, grabbing both of his hands and pulling him up off the chair. "But Alex really is a great guy and he's giving me a daughter, like how I wanted. You'd want a sister, wouldn't you...?"
Norman doesn't respond, just staring into his mother's eyes. Of course, he wanted a sister, but how was he supposed to love her when he couldn't even stand the man that fathered her.
"Why didn't you tell me?" is all he can say.
"Because I just got so caught up in stuff and-"
"Caught up?" he repeats. There was no way she had just forgotten to tell him. Norman knew better than that, he wasn't that dumb.
"Look, Norman. Your mom's been going through alot. Pregnancy, it's different for her. Don't get all mad because she forgot to tell you." Alex attempts to intervene.
In all fairness, that first punch surely would've been predictable.
Alex stumbles back, almost toppling over as his nose starts to bleed. Norma just freezes where she stands, her heart pounding in her throat.
"Norman, stop it!" She yells, trying to run over to her husband.
Norman doesn't listen, and quickly swings back, intending to land another blow. Alex sees this coming, and dodges quickly, causing the punch to hit the wall instead. His hand shook immediately from it hitting the wall with such force, but he doesn't give up that easily.
As soon as Alex could fight back, he goes into action. Alex manages to keep a grip on his fists holding him down.
A small part of Norman knows that this is going too far, but he just can't seem to stop. His eyes were so filled with rage, all he could do was attack. Alex keeps a careful grip on his arms, but it's taking all his strength.
Every moment without a nurse seems like an eternity. Norma rushes between the two, trying to separate them. But as soon as Norman's hands are free, he strikes. The only reason he went easy was because his mother was there, but now, nothing was stopping him.
Norman's fist crashes into Alex's stomach, causing him to loosen his grip just enough for Norman to push off of him. He then strikes Alex in the face, over and over again. It was like a rampage, with no one able to stop him.
"Norman!" Norma sobs, the way she couldnt help and protect her husband made her feel worthless.
The instant Norman feels his mother step in between them, he elbows her directly in the stomach, not bothering to hold back. Norma yells out in pain, her eyes watering from her stomach being hit. She backs away, holding her stomach.
"Shut up!" he cries out, turning his attention back onto Alex, and punches him in the face again. Alex stumbles to the ground, blood dripping from his nose.
Thank god the nurses came in.
Five nurses came in all at once, one walking up to Norma and the other separating the two men. All Norma could do was watch, trying to ignore the sharp pain coming from her own stomach. She felt numb, her own son hit her. Even worse, her own son hit her daughter.
"Ma'am, are you okay?" The nurse asked, her voice loud and clear to keep Norma calm.
"He- he elbowed my.." is all she could say. Luckily, the nurse got the hint.
"Are you in any pain? How far along are you?"
"Thirty- thirty four weeks." She stammers.
"Okay." The nurse said. Somehow, her voice staying calm.
"Can you check if my baby is okay? Please?" Norma begs, her voice breaking as the tears in her eyes finally fall down her cheeks.
"We're going to take you outside and call a paramedic, okay?"
"..okay."
She didn't even look back when she was taken out.
...
After the paramedics took a Quick Look at her, Norma sat on a chair just outside the room, the commotion still being a surprise to her. Norman hit her. Norman hit her daughter. Norma didn't care about herself, she had a helpless little baby inside her who just got elbowed. Why did she let Norman do this? Why did she even want to come here in the first place? Is this her fault?
"I'm sorry." She chokes, rubbing her hand over her bump. Every small movement being the biggest relief to Norma. "I'm so, so sorry."
Norma sits there, her heart full of sorrow and remorse. She can't believe what just happened, it's like a nightmare she can't shake. Did she really just let her own baby get hit like that?
She presses her hands over her eyes, unable to keep them open any longer. She can't take the guilt. All she wanted was for everything to be okay.
As if hearing her silent pleas, a nurse comes out of the door and walks up to Norma.
"Ma'am, your vitals look okay, and the paramedic says your baby is fine. Are you feeling any pain? Do you need some painkillers?"
"No- no. Is my husband okay??"
"We're still taking care of him. But he is conscious and talking. He should be fine." the nurse says reassuringly.
"Okay." She whispers. "Can I see him?"
"I'll see what I can do." the nurse replies as she heads back into the room.
After a few minutes the same nurse comes back. "You can go see him, but we're going to continue to monitor him."
"Okay, thank you." She says silently.
Walking into the room was painful. She sees two paramedics at the same couch which Alex was sitting on before the fight, and her eyes fill with tears. He was covered in blood. Well, his face must've been stained. The pile of bloody tissues next to Norma made her want to cry every time a new tissue was placed. She slowly walked up to Alex, but not intervening.
Alex's face was a mess, his nose swollen and red at the tip, and his eyes swollen, but not shut. He sat there with a bloody rag pressed over his nose.
The paramedic hands his bag to the nurse, and starts to wrap a gauze over Alex's nose. "Should be okay after this" the paramedics mutters quietly.
"Oh my god." Norma quietly sobs, sitting next to Alex on the couch. She cups his cheeks gently enough for it to not hurt, crying to herself.
"The baby." Alex murmurs. "Is she okay?"
"She's okay, still kicking."
"Good, That's good." He nods, unable to look at her eyes while she sobs.
"Did Norman say anything?" he softly asks.
Norma shakes her head. She was so worried about the baby, that she wasn't even sure a word came out of Norman's mouth. She can't bring herself to tell him about the elbow to her stomach though. The man almost suffered a broken nose for gods sake, there's no need to worry him even more.
Alex nods, finally finding the strength to look at her crying face. He didn't want to see her upset. She has too much to deal with.
"Should we talk to him?" he asks, although he already knows the answer.
"No." She says blankly, wiping the tears from her eyes. "No way."
Alex nods. The two sit in silence, each of them too overwhelmed to do or say anything else. The paramedics finally finish cleaning up Alex's face, and after they leave, the room goes silent. No one said a single word, just two parents, their thoughts filled with mixed emotions.
Eventually, Alex breaks the silence. "I'm really sorry." his voice is soft, his tone genuine as he finally looks up at Norma, who was still trying to wipe away her tears.
"Alex no-"
"I really am. I shouldn't have let you come here. you were just scared, and I didn't take you seriously."
"that wasn't your fault. Nobody saw it coming. He didn't want to do it, he was just sick." Norma stops herself at the last sentence. If she had to convince herself that he didn't mean it, did he really? She was just beginning to believe the lies, she wanted to give Norman a chance, a chance to be in her life again with her family, and he ruined it. He actually ruined it.
The thought of Norman just made Norma want to cry, even just looking at Alex made Norma want to cry. What was she supposed to do now? It was grief all over again. She was so far, and seeing Norman again made it feel like it was late December all over again. That Norma came into her mind, the Norma who cried herself to sleep, the Norma who did everything she could as a distraction, the Norma who tried everything to just not care, and yet it didn't work. She got so far, and here she was. She destroyed her process.
She was doing so well, and she only wanted to do this for her baby. If baby unicorn ever saw Norma like this she would never forgive herself. And yet she destroyed herself again.
"I'm sorry." Norma helplessly sobs. Alex was going to reassure her, but he noticed that the simple words weren't directed to him. Norma rubbed her stomach once more, her hand stopping at an area where she could feel kicking. "I know I keep saying it but I'm really, really sorry."
"You're okay, I got you." Alex whispers, wrapping his arm lovingly around his fragile wife, A feeling he remembers all too well.
...
After one hectic car ride home (which mostly involved Alex insisting that he would drive until Norma had to basically shove him into the front seat so she could drive), they were home. They were out of that place, and thank god. If Norma had to spend even a couple more minutes in that place, she was pretty sure she would've fainted.
Alex was laying down on the couch, keeping an ice pack near his eye, just above his elbow. Norma had just finished wiping the dried blood off his face with a baby wipe, going careful around the cuts. With a sigh, she sits down next to Alex, her hands resting on the top of her bump.
It was finally silent, the good kind.
"I'm scared." Norma eventually whispers, catching Alex's attention.
"Why?"
"What if- what if something happens to the baby?"
"Nothing's going to happen to her." he says, his voice barely louder than a whisper. "She's healthy, you're healthy. Everything's going to be okay." He puts the ice pack down, just for a moment, as he squeezes Norma's knees gently.
"When we were at pine view," she sniffles. "And Norman was punching you, he elbowed me. Right in the middle of my stomach."
Alex is shocked into silence. Norman had elbowed her? Why did she keep it to herself for so long? "Are you hurting?" he asks, feeling the worry and guilt fill his body.
"No." She says silently. "But ever since that happened, she just keeps moving. What if she's hurt?"
"I'm sure she's okay. She's kicking, as you said. That's a good sign that she's fine." he says, although he can't help but feel like he's lying.
"I'm really scared." She cries.
"Don't be." he whispers, leaning in and lightly kissing her forehead. "You're so close to meeting her, I'm sure everything will be alright. And if something does go wrong, we'll deal with it together, okay?"
"Okay." She whispers, wrapping her arms around him.
The two of them remain in silence again, just holding each other close. This whole situation is a mess, a complete mess. But at least they have each other to lean on. Maybe everything might be okay after all.
The two of them remain like that for a while, just silently holding each other.
After a few minutes, Norma speaks up again. She's feeling better than before, but still anxious. "Alex, will you forgive Norman?" she asks, her eyes still watering.
"No." He says blankly. "Will you?"
"...no."
Alex saw it coming, yet somehow he didn't expect it.
"Why not?"
"He's hurting you, Alex. And our daughter isn't even born yet and she's getting hurt too." The quiet sobs escaping Norma's lungs split Alex's heart in half. "I don't want you both to be scared, not ever."
"It's your decision, Norma." He says, his voice serious. "If you don't want to talk to him, I won't make you. Are you ready?"
"Yeah, I think I am."
Norma expected those words to hurt so much more than they did. It wasn't as bad as she thought, Infact she just felt..normal. To tears of sadness, no guilt, no grief, it just seemed like a small little saying that had to true meaning behind it. It could've just been the fact that she's already gone so long without him there, just she didn't really care. Norman hurt her husband. He intentionally hurt him. It was the most mortifying thing she's ever had to watch. She never wants Alex to be hurt. So if that means keeping her dangerous son away from her and her new family, that was a risk she was willing to take.
She just hoped she never had to tell her daughter the story of her big brother Norman.
...
Authors note:
After over a week, she's back with the longest chapter by far 😍. Anyways, hope you enjoyed! This took so long and I cba to look over it so whatever's here is here 🤷♀️. Hope you'll all enjoyed!!
- faye :)