When Norman arrived at the lab the other day, Emma was still reading her book and she sure fell in love with it. Still, he had other experiments in mind for her. This time, he took a bag full of CD's and audio files that he had home to see what kind of reaction Emma would have hearing them.

Actually, Norman himself was a great fan of music and he spend most of this time working while listening to music: Coldplay, Imagine Dragons, The Fray...he specially loved alternative rock music, but he also liked a bit of jazz and why not...pop, from time to time? 

Still, this time he went to the internet and downloaded some audio files of ocean animals sounds, whale sounds and melodies used to calm babies ( in case Emma would do something aggressive) to see how Emma would react to that

" Mermaids are known to sing and to be very sensible to music and melodies so I wanted to test that in you, Emma if you don't mind" 

"Norman!" - She said his name in a joyful way which Norman took as a "Yes"

" Ok! So let's try some! Frist a alternative rock music than... a whale sounds... and to end siren songs, all right? Are you ready Emma?" 

"Norman!" - Norman blushed a little: did she...liked his name that much? 

When Norman played "How to save a life" from the Fray, Emma made a very confused face...maybe the strong instruments and effects were to loud of her ears? Was the able to hear more than humans? Was the frequency of the music not right? Norman laugh a bit at her face

" Ok, so unlike me, you dislike rock, that's a pity but...let's go to the next one..."

When Norman played the whale soundtracks, she made a very pleased face and she actually laugh a bit! Norman tought that maybe...she was remembering the ocean and that made her happy, but why laugh? Were whales fun in the mermaids point of view? 

Were there some whale jokes on the ocean? That was fun to think about...

" Nice isn't it? I also like whale sounds to sleep...ok so now the last one, the siren songs! I'm really curious about this one"  

When Norman played the siren songs Emma changed her face drastically: She had a horror and yet sad expression. It seemed like she remembered something dear, something so dear and sad because she was far away from it...because it was gone

She was turning off her eyes and her hair even lost its bright color and was now a sad orange and yellow. The beautiful melody echoed in her mind and he just wanted to leave that place...be free and go back home 

* I miss you so much...Ray...Mama...but I can't go back. They caught me and it's my fault...I'm sorry for beeing so weak, so pathetic. Right now this Norman person is caring good care of me*

She knew that if wasn't for him, she would have suffered so much more...

* I know you always said humans are all evil, but I want to bealive this Norman person is not*

He touched her with so much care, he talked to her even if she couldn't understand...he had the most beautiful silver hair she had never seen before and blue eyes just like the deep ocean that once was all around her when she was free 

* I want to have hope...and learn more about humans...well maybe not humans, but...I want to learn all kind of things about Norman* 

Yet she felt so sad...the siren songs touched her skin just like her Mama Isabela did. Her voice was so beautiful, so perfect...Emma's voice and songs were nothing compared to hers and she vowed to not sing because of that. 

Ray's voice, her little brother, was also melodic as their mother and she missed their voices...actually those songs were so similar to their voices it sent a shiver down her spine and now she just wanted to leave, have wigs and fly to the ocean, to their open arms...she just wanted to know if they were safe. 

*Would I leave Norman? Right now I feel like if I had the change to get out of here I would leave Norman without looking back to even look at him or say goodbye?* 

Because life was just like that, Emma reflected with her sad eyes: everything comes and goes, we meet just as much as we say goodbye and leave to never meet again. So many lifes that crossed path with us and so many that we forgot 

* I would like to know if Norman cloud leave me like that...without a word...*

Norman was in panic....he never saw such a sad and terrified expression in Emma's face. He got the tank's wall down so he could grab her arm as she fell down, swallowed by the memory, swallowed by the sea...

Just like him, she was drowing in the memories of a past life 

" Emma!? What's wrong?"

"Norman!" - She reached for his arms...and she didn't let go. She felt that if she let go she would lose him to...the only thing she had left, her only hope...

" Don't worry! I'll turn the music off, but you have to let go! Emma?" 

She didn't answer and she didn't let go. She was holding him like her life depended on it as she pictured Isabela and Ray in her mind. Norman didn't say a single thing: he took her in his chest and holded her for a while, his hand patting her hair which had no color

" It's ok Emma...it's ok you don't have to say anything" 

There was some comfort in holding her like that, take the sadness he could never understand in language terms, but emotions were something universal, something that flew in each other's blood and he understood a bit of her pain, or tried to...

Being frozen by the memories of the past... the sadness of the beautiful moments that will forever stay in the past, never to come to life again...leaving a whole so great, a emptiness that could never be forgiven, that could never heal. 

Norman would call that "saudade" 

A portuguese term that would equal "missing" in English, but in some way different: a more deep feeling, a nostalgia that bring you to tears of both happiness and sadness. And Norman wondered if that was that Emma was feeling...if her "missing" was more deep and the ordinary miss of someone, of something. 

" You know Emma...I also miss someone so much, that whenever I think about it I want to cry" 

" M-I-S-S?"

" Yes...Miss " - Norman tried to think how he would make a gesture that would resemble "missing" but nothing came to his mind. Still, he noticed that Emma was now more curious than sad and he tought harder about how could Emma learn the term "missing" 

Maybe that way he could understand better her pain...maybe he could learn more about her 

" You see, this picture...this is a picture of my dad" - Norman showed her a picture of Yuugo and he smiled with a happy face. He haven't shown that to anyone in ages 

" Picture?"

" Yes...he is no longer here...do you understand? He doesn't exist anymore"

" Norman's dad?" - Norman looked at her shocked...she understood?

" Yes! That's right! He is my dad! But he doesn't live anymore...he died" - Now, saying it in such a direct way was something that Norman wasn't able to do before. He felt somehow in peace...it was strange

" Norman's dad...missing?" - Emma had the same face she had whenever she was trying to learn something new from Norman

" No...He is gone and so...I miss him, I wish he was here with me" - As Norman gesticulated a cross in Yuugo's picture and pointed to here he was and brought his hand to his heart Norman noticed something yet in this face 

What...? What was that? Was he crying?

" Norman...misses dad?" 

" Yeah - Norman's voice broke with half - a lot" - So without a word, Norman covered his face and his tears...she never liked to show them. Still, he felt something reach for him, for his face. Emma placed his hands on his and shoved his arms aside so she could wipe out Norman's tears and he didn't moved in shock... 

He was moved...moved by her 

" Norman...a pain?" - Emma took his tears and looked at her finger...such beautiful delicate tears could not go to waste

Norman looked at her in her eyes: Was it a pain? Remember the ones who were gone, remember the time that would never some again...was it a pain? He realized something... it was a necessary pain, it was a part of him and his life. 

If they were to erase his memories of this dad to get rid of the pain of losing him...Norman wouldn't want that. He wanted to remain with them...he wanted to smile and cry at the tough of him, remember everything he told him, all the legacy he left for him

" It's a pain Emma...but it's a good pain. I'm sure you feel just the same about your family and friends, Emma, you just can't tell me, right? I'm so sorry I can't help you right now..." 

" Norman...Emma is pain"

" I know Emma...I'll promise you will see them again, no matter what happens" 

" No...Norman is Emma a pain?" 

Norman looked at her: was she asking if she was a pain to him? He never tough she would ever had those toughs and he couldn't help it...he placed his hand in her face and he smiled in the most tender way as Emma felt a shiver down her spine...something that made her being more close to him 

" No you are not a pain Emma. You are amazing and I've learn so much with you! I love your company and to spend my time with you! What about you? Am I a pain to you?"

Emma made an wondering face...she wanted to use the English language right so Norman would understand her feelings...and she didn't wanted to be misunderstood in her feelings

" Norman...is a good pain" 

Norman looked at her: she was smiling with such a brite smile when minutes ago she had the most sad expression he ever saw. And now they shared emotions, and now they were closer to each other, they could understand... at least some of the pain

When Norman left the lab he huged Emma one last time as he turned around to say her goodbye. He smiled as he whispered with a bright smile, enough for her to hear: 

" You are also a good pain, Emma" 

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Thank you so much for reading this chapter! All the credits for the art , cape and AU ideia and comics of this fanfic are to @stray_tori on Tumblr, Twitter and Instagram! Please go check her fantastic art!

Note: Mika-hime changed her name so please search her art by the new name of her account!

Thank you so much and see you soon!