Swimming the Deep End of the Ocean
Chapter 1- Blue Sky
Standard disclaimer: I don't own Monk.
~Feb.14,2015 Notes ~ Sorry it's been a long time since I've posted-the past few years have been one sad event after another and I haven't felt like writing (or doing anything else, to tell the truth). But this past week I read Hy Conrad's new Monk book and huzzah, I was struck by an Adrian and Natalie jolt of happiness. Anyway, I was thinking about FF and checked my stories traffic stats and was pleasantly surprised that I still have a lot of readers. I wrote this chapter and a good bit of chapter 2, including the notes, ages ago-so since its Valentine's Day, (& the anniversary of my first FF), (&, damn it, Hy Conrad is not writing any more Monk books) let's try and continue A&N adventure.
Notes: Yippee, A&N are married and here comes the honeymoon! ~~~A preemptive warning here- while the first chapter is completely 'PG' rated, please take note that with chapter 2 we'll be wading into a lot of adult content. This is a honeymoon story after all! But considering how many hits I still get on 'Rendezvous', I suppose it won't be a problem for most. ;)
Also, for this Monk story you'll probably see some weird chapter titles. Oftentimes a particular song inspires what's happening in the chapter & I thought it'd be fun to include a 'soundtrack.' For example, our story starts with A&N traveling the scenic country roads to Big Sur. Imagine the hum of the wheels on the tarmac, the sun and shadows as the trees fly by, the cloudless blue above… Anyway, a road trip must-have album is The Allman Brother's Eat a Peach- 'Blue Sky' is the perfect song as the miles roll by.
With the one hundred and fifty mile journey from San Francisco to Big Sur nearly complete, Adrian shifted restlessly in the passenger seat. Rolling his shoulder, he turned his head and gazed at Natalie, his beautiful gorgeous funny smart sexy desirable bride. After three hours of shared laughter, quick glances (since Natalie, of course, had to keep her eyes on the road) and teasingly addressing each other as 'Mr. Monk' and 'Mrs. Monk', Adrian had but one burning thought-
Damn it! Why couldn't I be just a normal detective…..or at least have an 'off-switch'?
True, the past few hours spent bantering had been, dare he say, fun. Yet as the miles rolled on, despite his bride's cheerful words and tender touches, Adrian felt an ill-wind tickle at his spine.
The World's Best Detective suspected, no, he knew something was amiss.
And no, he didn't need to raise his hand and scan through his parted fingers, the clues were impossible to ignore. Natalie's hands, normally so steady, were white-knuckled,gripping the steering wheel a smidge too tight, the usual brightness in her eyes was obscured, veiled by a measured determination, and despite her smiles and cheerful banter, a tautness had settled in her jaw.
Though most troubling of all was that, as they slowed and made the final turn, the pitch of Natalie's voice lowered, the tone too familiar. So when she said 'We're finally here,' Adrian also heard the familiar unspoken warning- 'Let's stay calm and assess the situation.'
As they pulled up to the gate that protected Sam Philips' seaside estate and Natalie distractedly hummed as she lowered her window, Adrian could no longer ignore his intuition.
"Is something the matter, Natalie?" He ventured.
"That's Mrs. Monk, remember?" She grinned and patted his knee, her hand fluttering like a small bird.
He trapped her hand. "Natalie,' He repeated, his voice a low rumble. I've seen the clues, please tell me what happened.
"Adrian," She breathed, bordering on a sigh, "It's nothing. Maybe I was just a little on edge because of the drive." Her smile dissolved as she leaned across, pressing her lips to his. Before he could react, she was gone, retreating back into her seat, turning and pressing the call button on the gate's keypad.
A female voice, professional with a melodic accent, came from the callbox, "Yes, can I help you?"
"Yes Ma'am, this is Mr. and Mrs. Monk. Sam Philips sent us." Natalie eagerly announced.
The gatekeeper's voice turned warm and animated, "Oh, our honeymooners! Come on in! We'll be waiting for you in front of the house." With an inaudible click, the gate swung open.
"Our honeymooners?!" Natalie chuckled, throwing Adrian a wink.
But the wink did not dispel his worries. The detective manufactured a weak smile and held his tongue, hoping she would be more forthcoming after they settled in.
Coasting forward, they followed the winding driveway through an alley of stately trees. With emerald grass hugging the roadside and a dusky pink sky glowing above, splashes of light dappled a patchwork of vivid, newborn greens. Natalie took her foot off the gas pedal, enchanted by the unworldly beauty. "Wow, it feels like we're driving through a living painting- like a Monet or a Renoir… I bet the house is beautiful."
"Just as long as it isn't an Escher," Adrian made a wry face, "You know, with all those zigzagging staircases."
Natalie tapped on the brakes, laughing, "Adrian Monk, telling jokes. Who'd have thunk it?""
Adrian shrugged, "Yes it was a joke but, now that I think of it, I am kind of worried about the house. What if it's one of those chrome and glass, futuristic monstrosities? One time Trudy took me to a museum and there was an Escher exhibit-" He rubbed his brow distractedly, "All those crazy, chaotic angles-"
"Shhh, we'll know in a minute." Giving his bicep a reassuring squeeze, Natalie piloted the car forward.
The couple sighed in unison when they rounded a bend and the house came into view. The two-story, weathered-grey cedar building was both tasteful and unassuming. With the only pop of color a painted sign that gave the home's name, 'Beach Haven', the house had a wide welcoming front porch, numerous balconies and was, to Adrian's relief, fairly symmetrical.
Natalie waved to the older woman and young man who were descending the front porch steps. "Look Adrian, our welcome party."
Getting out of the car, Adrian sensed a warm, enthusiastic reception. Naturally, he hid behind his bride.
The dark-haired woman took hold of Natalie's outstretched hand like a long-lost friend, her words flying, "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Monk- welcome to 'Beach Haven'! I'm the housekeeper, Mrs. Naji Haddad, Mrs. H., and this is our groundskeeper, my son Frank, Jr. Please come in." Her eyes flicked to her son, "Frankie, please bring the bags to the guest suite."
Once inside, Mrs. H. guided the newlyweds around the house. From kitchen to library, from home gym to bedroom, she pointed out various amenities, such as the many fireplaces (gas-powered, some already aflame), balconies, and the swimming pool and hot tub out back (which, to Adrian's relief, were sterilized earlier that week- he noticed the receipts on the desk when they passed through the home office.).
Having finished the house tour, Natalie and Adrian followed Mrs. H. through the living room's patio doors onto an expansive deck. As they stood at the railing, Mrs. H pointed to the path that would lead them to the beach and also pointed out the many trails that wove through manicured gardens, the wildflower fields, or into the deep woods.
On a rugged hilltop in the opposite direction, a moss-covered roof peeked out from a thicket of trees. Natalie craned her neck, "What's that over there? It looks like a cabin." She turned to Mrs. Haddad, "I thought Sam said we'd have complete privacy."
Mrs. H. replied, "Oh you will. That cabin has been empty for years and years. It's all that's left from the original estate, from the early 1900's."
"Oh wow. Maybe we should check it out." Natalie raised an eyebrow at her husband.
"No!" Mrs. H. spoke and her voice, Adrian noticed, contained a tremble. "I mean, no, why bother? It's just an old cabin. You should spend your time enjoying the pool and the ocean." She pointed in the opposite direction and pressed her hand against Natalie's back, propelling her forward. "Lots of dolphins frolic in our waves. Go look."
As Natalie walked to the far side of the deck, Mrs. H. blocked Adrian's path and whispered, "You all stay away from that cabin."
'But if-"
Her fingers cold as ice, she poked his hand. "No ifs. Troubled sadness roams there."
Adrian rubbed his wrist on his pant leg, snickering, "Don't tell me you think it's haunted?"
Her voice hardened, "Some things are beyond our understanding. They should not be mocked. Just steer clear."
"Not a problem." Adrian answered with resignation. Locking eyes with Natalie as she returned, he smiled, "See anything?"
"No dolphins today. What'd I miss?"
Adrian fought a smirk, "Mrs. Haddad was just telling me about-"
"-The butterflies." Mrs. H. interjected. "Oh yes. We have a eucalyptus grove where the monarchs stop during their migration. Alas you may not see them either-" She growled a curse. Giving Adrian a pointed look, Mrs. H. tisked, "But enough with such sad talk. No more. Now we talk of happy things. Come inside now."
Taking the newlyweds into the kitchen, Mrs. H. touched the refrigerator, "I have you stocked up for the week. Mr. Philips emailed me a grocery Iist - made out by a Miss Julie Teeger. I also made some specially requested meals, like pot-pies and a tomato-free lasagna in a square pan. I also got rid of the milk- was that right?" As the couple nodded, Natalie giggled a 'thank you.'
The housekeeper swiped a towel across the immaculate countertop, "I guess that's it. But honestly it's no trouble for me to come by and cook dinner fresh each night. I'm staying not too far-"
"No no no," Natalie quickly insisted. "This is your week off. Don't worry about us, we'll be fine." Planning on complete, uninterrupted privacy, she glanced at Adrian, who caught her devilish smile.
Mrs. H. wrung her hands, "But cleaning? I can-"
"Cleaning's covered, don't worry. You are officially on vacation, Mrs. H." Natalie arms slipped around his waist and Adrian chortled. Did she just give him permission to clean?
Mrs. H. hemmed and hawed, flummoxed that she wasn't needed. "Well, okay then….But just in case you need anything, anything at all, my number is posted next to the phone." She turned to leave but stopped short, "Oh my goodness, with all the excitement I almost forgot to show you the security system. It's right in here."
She opened a door off the kitchen, revealing a futuristic command center. The windowless room held a large desk covered with dials and keypads and a wall filled with video monitors. Pointing at a map of the estate, she showed Natalie and Adrian where the security cameras were placed and explained how to open the gates to the beach and the driveway.
Security concerns squared away, the newlyweds walked Mrs. H. to the front door and exchanged goodbyes. Frank Jr. was already waiting outside and courteously opened his mother's car door as she called out a final farewell, "Be happy!"
When their car started to move, Natalie tugged on Adrian's hand. "Quick, come with me!"
Careening through the house, Adrian was surprised when Natalie led him back into the security command center. "What's going on Nat?" he fretted.
"Wait, just look." She pointed at the monitors and they watched as the Haddad's car crept down the twisting driveway to the entranceway. Bouncing on her toes, Natalie muttered under her breath 'Almost there' when Mrs. H.'s son Frank reached out and entered the gate's code. As the barrier swung open and the car exited the property, Natalie inhaled sharply and her hand tightened around Adrian's.
There was a charge in the air. Adrian scanned Natalie's face but her eyes were still riveted on the security monitor. As the gate clicked shut, Natalie finally exhaled, her face flushed. Adrian sensed something monumental had just happened. He waited, feeling electrified.
"Come on," Natalie dragged him out into the living room, giddy. Stopping abruptly in front of the flickering fireplace, she whirled and faced him. Her arms slid over his shoulders, her lips twisting oddly, "I've a confession to make. You were right, something was bothering me during the drive here."
Dread lodging in his chest, Adrian gulped a breath. "Did I do something wrong?"
"You? Oh no sweetie. It's just, call me crazy but since the wedding was so wonderfully, absolutely perfect, I was convinced that when we got here-" She rolled her eyes, chagrined, "Things would be, you know, anything but perfect."
Of course! Anxiety drained from Adrian's shoulders. "You thought my bad karma would strike and we'd stumble onto a crime scene?"
"It's GOOD karma, but yes, I was expecting, you know," Her bottom lip poked out, "A dead body."
Tightening his arms around her waist, he cast an exaggerated glance around the room and snickered. "Surprise, no bodies here."
"I know!" Natalie laid her hands on his chest, the heat from her palms burning through his cotton shirt. Her smile faded, "Well actually, now that I think about it, that's not entirely true. There are bodies here…our very alive bodies."
She pressed against him, brazen, and a charge of electricity rushed up Adrian's spine. He dipped his head, their lips tantalizingly close, "What are you suggesting, Mrs. Monk?"
"Well Mr. Monk," Natalie's voice was sly, threaded with mirth, "With seven glorious days, away from any cares or responsibilities, and this huge, seclude, private estate, I'm suggesting the three 'R's'."
Adrian leaned back and titled his head, perplexed. "Reading, 'Riting and 'Rithmetic?"
"No, my silly, sexy husband. The three 'R's. Rest. Relaxation. And the most important 'R' of all-" She trailed kisses from his lips, along his jaw line, to his ear and slowly enunciated, "Ro-mance."
The room was calm, so quiet he could hear both their hearts beating. He could feel her fingers twisting a curl at the nape of his neck, pulling him closer. Though he hated storms, he almost wanted a crash of thunder or a bolt of lightning, something to echo the swell of his emotions.
Adrian smiled and stroked a hand along the curve of her hip. "So what 'R' should we start with?"
Slipping one of his shirt buttons free, Natalie's eyes danced in the firelight. "That's your first clue detective."
A/N: Sadly Mrs. H. speaks the truth about the huge decline in Monarch populations (and more importantly, bees). But don't give up hope, there are some things we can do to help our winged friends. Check out MonarchWatch for suggestions. Thanks!