Author Note -

Here's a fanfiction based on the Bank episode. It's written by a Monk/Natalie shipper so will be Monk/Natalie implicative :)

Please don't anyone go on and on about the whole Randy/Natalie is better or the platonic thing. I don't do that to stories by those who ship contrary to Monk/Natalie or only write Monk and Natalie in a platonic sense. If you must flame, flame the writing not the subject matter.

It was started before the tragic loss of Stanley :(

Trudy's Bracelet

"You should be proud of yourself, Adrian. What you did was something that even some regular people couldn't do. And the newspapers said that you handed it over willingly," Dr. Kroger was impressed with this step that his patient, Adrian Monk, had taken.

"Captain Stottlemeyer exaggerated the truth a little. I hesitated for about 30 seconds. Maybe 31 seconds," Adrian said pessimistically.

"No, Adrian, you see, that's to be expected in this kind of situation. The point is that you gave up Trudy's bracelet to help yourself and your friends escape what could have been a disastrous end. I know you've been in tough situations before, but this one is monumental. It's a very big step forward for you, Adrian," Dr. Kroger continued his positive praise of Adrian's actions. He knew that for him to give up something so precious not only to him, but that had been to his late wife Trudy, was a possible step closer to the closure Dr. Kroger desperately wished for Adrian to reach.

"I'm not afraid of dying," Adrian sighed, although deep down it wasn't necessarily the truth, but more of a defense mechanism he was prone to believe was the truth. "I know Trudy is somewhere waiting for me."

"That's another good thing to hear you say, Adrian," Dr. Kroger encouraged. "Most of my patients are either scared to death of death or believe that once they die they'll be done for. It's good to have hope for something. In your case, it's to see Trudy again. And it's important you keep on believing that."

"I will. I have to," Adrian said before pausing and cocking his head ever so much and pushing his arm forward slightly. "But I couldn't stop thinking about Natalie and Julie. Natalie isn't ready to die. She has Julie to take care of since Mitch is already gone. I don't have any one here for me to take care of and I kept thinking what if Julie ends up like me. Losing the only person in the world left to care for her. Not knowing what to do next. Living everyday in a downward spiral."

"Not a downward spiral, Adrian," Dr. Kroger corrected quickly. "Your concern for Julie is evidence you're starting to make a conscious effort to connect to the world around you."

"I knew Trudy would have given up her bracelet to save someone and so I knew she would want me to do the same," there was deepness in Adrian's dark eyes as he said it.

"I'm sure she would have, Adrian. Which means, you were able take something from the past and let it fuel your present actions in a healthy way. This is another step for you. You have a strong tendency to let the past hold you back from change and progress," Dr. Kroger said, making a mental note of it to write down later.

"I got a new toaster," Adrian said, suddenly smiling with the pride of a school boy that comes home to report he made the honor roll or something else of the sort. "I didn't want to, but Natalie insisted and it was free."

"Good for her. How do you like it?"

"My other one lasted for 27 years. I doubt this toaster will," Adrian said with a sigh.

"Well, maybe not 27 years…" Dr. Kroger said, used to hearing the quirks of his patients. "But I suppose it's only because things aren't made with quality these days."

"That's what I said," Adrian smiled excitedly. "But Natalie said it was time to let go. It is a nice toaster, but I can't tell her that or she'll say, 'See what'd I tell you, Mr. Monk' and I hate it when she does that."

Dr. Kroger chuckled to himself a little. "Well, it sounds to me like Natalie deserves a little bit of gloating every now and then. You have to admit she's helped you quite a lot since Sharona left."

"I don't know why she hasn't left yet," Adrian's smile quickly vanished at the, what he felt inevitable, thought of Natalie abandoning him.

"Now, Adrian, just because Sharona left, it doesn't mean that Natalie plans on doing the same thing. You can't judge a person's actions based solely on another's," Dr. Kroger said wisely. "I know Natalie and I don't think there's even a slight chance she's leaving anytime soon, ever really, and I think you should trust her on that."

"But she's been dating again and dating leads to marriage and marriage leads to no more taking care of me," Adrian was determined that the worst would come of any serious relationship Natalie stumbled into. He specifically remembered how she had left him at the hospital. True, she had come back, but only in the nick of time. That was enough to cause the idea of Natalie dating to become almost worthy of making his infamous list.

"Adrian, Natalie dating again is a good example for you. You both lost those you loved the most and it hasn't been easy on either of you," Dr. Kroger was determined to bring this irrational thinking to a halt. He looked at Adrian, expecting a response, which came after a bit of thinking on the Monk's part.

"She has it easier," Adrian finally said in a voice low enough that it was almost as though he felt ashamed of making such an accusation.

"Adrian, you know that isn't true. Losing a spouse is not easy on anyone," Dr. Kroger wouldn't hear it. "And to put things in retrospect, Adrian, you're the one who has it easier." This caused Adrian to snap his head up and stare at his therapist a little baffled by his accusation. "I'm serious, Adrian. Natalie lost her husband after having not seen him because of his tour in the war. She was left to raise a daughter all on her own. You said when you met her she had a lousy job as a bartender. I'm sure that's not the sort of job she felt comfortable having with a child to take care of." Dr. Kroger paused to let this sink in, noticing the gears whirring deep behind his patient's sad yet quixotic eyes, before continuing. "And if that wasn't enough, Adrian, she took on the task of looking after you and putting herself in the line of danger."

"It is dangerous," Adrian nodded slightly. "It was dangerous for Trudy too," he said softly, sadly.

"It wasn't your fault Trudy died," Dr. Kroger said for what felt like the billionth time since Adrian had first become his patient.

"Yes it was. Someone wanted me to suffer. I know they did," Adrian was convinced and nothing Dr. Kroger could say would change that. "Maybe Natalie should take Julie and leave while she still has a chance."

"I have a feeling Natalie knows the risk, if it exists, is worth taking," Dr. Kroger said as he glanced down at his watch to see there were approximately ten minutes left in the session. "Natalie is a strong woman and you need to realize that."

"I do realize that," Adrian defended himself. "I…I…I let her wear Trudy's bracelet. Well, not actually wear it, wear it, because I couldn't do that, but I let her admire it against her wrist which is almost like wearing it, right?" Adrian turned his gaze on his loyal psychiatrist for approval.

Dr. Kroger smiled a heartfelt smile. "Adrian, that's wonderful."

"So you don't think it was like cheating on Trudy?" Adrian asked overdramatically.

"No, Adrian, of course not. Not a because of a bracelet, no," Dr. Kroger had to admit Adrian Monk was one of his most amusing patients, with some of his childlike tendencies. His undying love for his late wife was something not even the best romance writer in the world could come up with. Shakespeare had nothing on Adrian Monk in Dr. Kroger's opinion. "It's a good sign. I'm curious though what spurred you to allow Natalie such an honor."

"I don't know," he admitted. "I didn't sleep last night because of that question. I knew you'd ask me if I brought it up." Adrian Monk could read anyone like a book and as long as he'd known Dr. Kroger, some

things were no longer a surprise to him. "Maybe I thought she deserved to see it. After all, she's been so loyal and all women love jewelry. Maybe I wanted her to see the most beautiful piece of jewelry in the world. And maybe it was because I knew we were dying and I thought it would be my last chance to ever see the bracelet adorned again and again it would give Natalie some last moment pleasure with such a piece so close to her." Adrian shook his head, clearly torn as he sat there thinking about it all. "Or maybe…" he started very slowly but stopped."I don't know."

"Or maybe what, Adrian?" Dr. Kroger urged his patient on. He felt he was on the verge of something bigger than even he could have imagined.

"Or maybe I didn't care if we were dying," Adrian sighed. "Maybe I just wanted to see it again. It had been locked away for so long, cared for but not really loved like it used to be. Just like me." Adrian sighed, almost as if discontent with the words he'd said and was about to say. "And the only person I wanted to see it on besides Trudy, of course, was on Natalie. Natalie reminds me of Trudy in a lot of ways, so maybe I thought it was as close as I could ever come again to seeing the bracelet in its former glory."

"That's actually quite beautiful, Adrian," Dr. Kroger wanted to encourage the good in Adrian's words and not the bad. "From what I'm hearing, it sounds as though you actually were able to see past Natalie as your assistant and see the very close companion she's become to you over the years. Allowing her to admire the bracelet so closely was a beautiful, selfless gesture. It sounds to me that Trudy's bracelet spent its final moments loved again."

"Now if only…" Adrian started but was surprisingly stopped short by Dr. Kroger.

"No, Adrian," he said firmly, yet with great care. "Let's end the session on that note."

"Okay," Adrian simply agreed. Anything Dr. Kroger said was usually for the best.

--o00o--

"Nat…Natalie, what are you doing," Adrian Monk detested surprises of any sort. They placed him in uncomfortable situations in which he could never tell if he would care for the result of the surprise or how to act toward the person giving the surprise.

"I know, I know," Natalie knew too well surprises were one of her boss's apprehensions; however, she wasn't going to let that stand in her way this time. "But you need to keep your eyes closed. I promise, promise, promise you won't be sorry. Believe me, Mr. Monk, this time you'll be thanking me later."

"I doubt that," Adrian said pessimistically.

"I don't," Natalie responded, the smile on her face able to be heard in the tone of her voice. "Okay, you can open your eyes now."

Sitting on the counter was a fine bracelet case. Adrian looked at Natalie and her daughter, Julie, who was also there, in confusion as he stumbled slightly over to the case to inspect it. Natalie hugged her daughter's shoulders in giddy anxiousness as they watched him slowly open the case with delicacy. The moment they had been waiting for…

Adrian's eyes grew wide as he pulled the bracelet from its case and draped it carefully across the tops of his fingers. He inspected it carefully. "Trudy's bracelet…"

"I had it restrung by the best in the city," Natalie answered, still excited she had thought of it.

"But it was evidence. How did you…" Adrian's question trailed as he looked at her.

"The captain knew how important the bracelet was to you and couldn't say no when I suggested the idea to him," Natalie explained. "He said he had to pull a few strings and take a few punches but he came through as usual. I know it's not the original in a sense but, I tried to get it back to its original state as much as possible."

"It's perfect," Adrian praised. "Every little piece is exactly in the same spot as before," Adrian passed his fingertip softly across every jewel as he spoke. "How did the jeweler manage it?"

"Well," Natalie wasn't the one to blush but she did feel a little bashful with the reason behind the bracelet's miraculous restoration. "I explained to him exactly how each piece had to fit together. I told him if he couldn't do it down to the last detail, I would take the bracelet to someone else who could. Something so beautiful and priceless should never be compromised for anything less."

Adrian had been letting the bracelet flow smoothly in between his fingers over and over but he suddenly stopped upon hearing her explanation. "But you only saw it once," his eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he said it. "You didn't even wear it."

"I guess you don't really forget something like that, Mr. Monk," Natalie said with great conviction.

Adrian looked at the bracelet and then to the nearest picture of Trudy he could see. It's what I want you to do, he could almost hear Trudy persuading him to carry out his sudden spontaneous notion. Adrian took a few steps closer to Natalie and Julie. "This was Trudy's grandmother's bracelet. Her mother gave it to her and Trudy always wanted to give it to our daughter someday. But you know we never had any kids," Adrian looked at Julie when he said this. He then grabbed Natalie's wrist and placed the bracelet on it. Natalie had to bring her other hand to her mouth to keep from gasping when he actually latched it. "I want you to give this to Julie when you think it's best."

"Mr. Monk, I…I…this was Trudy's," Natalie fumbled. She quickly moved her fingers to remove the bracelet but was shocked when Adrian kept her from doing so.

"Trudy wanted a daughter to have it, Natalie. But she never had the chance," Adrian seemed adamant. "So, please, do it for her. For Trudy."

"For Trudy," Natalie smiled, tears brimming in her eyes at the sentiment that Adrian sometimes had a hard time ever showing towards anyone in his life. She picked up the bracelet case carefully and then she and Julie followed Adrian into his living room. They stood and watched in silence as he went to the mantle to admire one of Trudy's pictures. "But why me?" Natalie finally choked. "Why us?"

There was another moment of silence, and it was clear Adrian was searching for the right words to convey his reasoning, "Because something so beautiful and priceless should never be compromised for anything less."

He didn't look at them as he said it, but Natalie didn't care. She looked down at the bracelet and felt an undeniable wave of emotion wash over her. For the first time, she thought that just maybe she understood a little how Trudy felt when she was alive. This must have been the Adrian Monk she had known.

Natalie moved her arm for Julie to admire the new heirloom and Adrian soon rejoined them, staring at the invaluable trinket in a way words couldn't describe. Trudy's bracelet had once saved their lives. Maybe now it would save their hearts.