The phone finally rang at 6:15 AM. Natalie was sitting in a fetal position on the couch, eyes red from crying and arms around her shin bones, rocking and staring. TK tried to get her to eat something, to keep her energy up for the babies, but she had only managed to take a bite of toast and a sip of tea with milk and sugar. They had refused to watch television because, after hours and hours of no news, every new story grated on their nerves since there was only one thing that they really wanted to know. Was he okay?
At the sound of the ring everyone jumped. Checking caller ID, Leland noted that it was a local area code and fielded the call.
"Monk residence." He said, with apprehension written on his face. Not hearing anything from Adrian for almost an entire day, and Natalie's subsequent hysterics had worn on his nerves as well. In his gut, he felt Monk was okay. It was only in hearing his voice that he visibly relaxed.
"Oh, thank God!" he said – meaning that in the fullest sense of the phrase and not just as a cliché. "Where are you buddy?" he asked quietly, turning to Natalie and TK and mouthing– "It's him!"
Natalie began shaking and crying tears of relief, reaching her quivering hand out and asking Leland to give her the phone.
"Buddy, there's someone who wants very much to talk to you. She's been worried sick. Here, I'm handing her the phone now." Leland stated, as Natalie's fragile frame took hold of the receiver and she put her head up to the earpiece.
"A-Adrian…" she said, with a broken voice.
"Natalie! Sweetheart!" he softly replied. "I…I'm so sorry…"
"Oh…Adrian…" she said, sobbing uncontrollably. "I…was… I thought…."
She couldn't complete a sentence. Just hearing how broken up she was, broke his heart as well and, made him angry. They didn't have to recruit him that way. Couldn't they see what this would do to his sweet wife?
"I know, sweetheart… It's okay… I'm okay… It's all going to be okay." He said, trying to reassure her between her sobs. "Natalie, sweetheart. I'm on Highway 95 right now. I'm assuming you all have my keys. They'll drop me off and then we can take a cab later in the day to go pick up my car… But right now, there is nothing I want more than to be home… Please Natalie, don't cry. Honey, I'm so sorry…."
Natalie took a deep breath and touched her hand up to the mouthpiece of the phone as if she were touching his face. "Please hurry home, but be safe. I…I love you." She said.
"Sweetheart, I love you too." He replied, as he hung up the receiver.
Natalie took a few more moments to regain composure and then looked up at Leland with a relieved but broken smile.
"You okay?" he asked.
She didn't answer, but just took a deep breath and shook her head a tentative yes.
"Never a dull moment." TK said, nonchalantly. "Never a dull moment."
While they waited, Leland decided it would finally be safe to see what was going on in the world – plus, he wanted to check the weather for their last morning in Boston.
As the news played, Natalie became increasingly interested in what was happening on the screen.
There was a report on the President, including footage of him at a desk in a dark room reassuring the nation that "good would prevail. Then, there was a summary of what had happened thus far. Finally, as almost an afterthought, they mentioned structural changes in the Department of Justice – noting that there was a new Associate Deputy Director being brought on working as 3rd under Director Sharon Grier.
Mr. Adrian Monk, long time investigator for the San Francisco Police, and most recently a lead agent at the DOJ, is replacing Carl Lawrence, who had been at the agency for 30 years. It is believed that Monk's keen eye for detail may help the agency make strides in solving this latest series of events.
[Cut to Sharon Grier] – Adrian Monk is someone whose skill and insight are second to none. With a proven track record of solving crime, we felt there truly would be no better fit than to move him into this very important role as a part of my team at the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
[Cut back to Announcer] – Grier, who has served under President Stoddard for 4 ½ years worked with Monk a couple of years ago in the case involving former Secretary of State Luis Fernandez, and later in the case of Billionaire murderer Sinclair Martin. She indicated that she and her team were looking forward to working closely with him and learning from him on what may the most difficult case they have faced to date.
As the story ended, Leland looked over at Natalie and she was no longer crying. A look of shock and betrayal covered her face.
"Oh, boy." Leland said under his breath.
"He's going to work with that woman?" she said, after a long pause.
"Who? Director Grier? Is that a problem?" he asked nervously.
"Yes, Grier. Only that that woman wants to bed my husband!" she stated with anger in her voice.
TK looked at Natalie and shook her head "Natalie, honey. You have nothing to worry about. If you could see how Adrian looks at you…"
Natalie's mouth tightened in anger, "TK. I know, or at least I believe, that Adrian would never actually ever cheat on me. But…"
"But what, honey?" she asked.
Her voice raised. "How could he? How could he take the job knowing how I feel? How could he jump into this position without so much as talking to me? How can he continue to just risk his life and our future and the future of…" she said, stopping mid-sentence. After a pause, she continued. "No. This is not right. Not right at all. It's not going to happen this way."
"Well, what are you going to do?" TK asked.
Adrian's ride pulled into the driveway a little before 8:00 AM. Entering his house, he was thrilled to see baby Lee and Abby, sitting up in a stroller being played with by TK. But, the moment he caught TK's eyes and then looked over at Leland, sitting at the kitchen table, he knew all was not well.
"Where is she?" he asked Leland.
"Outside. On the patio." Leland replied.
"Thanks." Adrian said, as he walked away from the babies and went out the patio doors, missing the anxious look that TK and Leland threw each other.
As he stepped out onto the concrete, he saw Natalie, sitting with her back to the house looking out over the water. She appeared stoic and stiffened when he put his hand on her shoulder.
"Sweetheart. I'm home." He whispered.
She did not respond, only looked forward towards the ocean.
"Darling?" he said.
"I heard you." She said flatly.
"Are you okay?" he asked. "Is there something you need? Something I can do…"
"Where do you go?" she asked.
Adrian stopped. He desperately wanted to tell her everything, but he also desperately wanted to stay out of jail.
"Um... I can't tell you that." He replied.
She furrowed her brow.
"Okay, then what were you doing?" she asked, staring straight ahead.
"I'm sorry. I can't tell you that either." He replied. "I…would if I…"
"Doesn't matter." She replied, with anger welling up inside her.
"Doesn't matter?" he replied.
Ignoring his confusion, she pressed further. "Can you tell me this? Why did I have to find out on the morning news that my husband is going to be working for Sharon Grier?"
Adrian shut his eyes. Oh, man. This was bad.
"I..I didn't know." He said.
"You didn't know? You didn't know you were up for a promotion? Really?" she said turning towards him.
"No. Natalie, I swear." He said.
She looked at him through narrowed eyes. "Then riddle me this, Batman…knowing how I feel about the beguiling Ms. Grier, why did you just not say no to the offer? That would have been simple enough."
"I…I…I couldn't." he said, nervously.
"You couldn't or you wouldn't?" she asked accusingly.
"Couldn't. Natalie, I really want to tell you everything but the truth is…" he said, trying to explain.
"Truth? Truth! You don't know what truth is!" she said standing up and walking towards the beach.
As he stood to follow her, he said "Natalie, come on, be reasonable. Please listen…"
"No. I'm done listening. I'm done being patient. I'm just not going to do this! This is not going to happen!" she said, walking out onto the sand.
He caught up to her and grabbed her arm. "You're not going to do what?"
She jerked her arm hard from him and turned to face him.
"This! I'm not going to do this! I'm not going to sit here at home while you go off to work with some two bit floozie. I'm not going to worry about what you're getting yourself into while I just waste away. I'm not going to stand here and worry…" she began to cry. Putting her hand to her mouth, she turned and faced the ocean, then turned back to him.
"I'm not going to stand her and worry that the next call I get…or that next knock on my door…is going to be telling me that I have once again become a single mother, or have to explain to those two beautiful babies why their daddy isn't around…I…I just can't. I can't do this." She said, with tears flowing down her cheeks.
Adrian's heart sank and he was afraid to say another word, but ultimately the quiet became too much.
"What…what are you saying?" he asked timidly.
Natalie clinched her jaw, looked back out at the water and then through wounded eyes looked him straight in the face.
"I'm leaving." She said.
"What?" He said as the very words sent electrical impulses traveling through his body. "What do you mean?"
"Adrian. I'm leaving. I'm…I'm going back to California with Leland and TK. I'm taking the babies with me." She said.
"Nat…" he said as he felt his very life's blood drain from his face and his heart pulsate in despair.
"No." she said, stopping him by putting her hand over his mouth. "Don't say anything. I…I just can't do this. I have to get away. I have to have time to think. To evaluate...I'm sorry." She said, as she turned back towards the house, tears streaming down her face, leaving him standing alone on the beach.
"You can't…Natalie…you can't go…Please…Natalie…don't…go…" he said, as he reached towards the house with one hand and watched her shut the door behind her.
A few minutes later, Adrian stood at the door holding baby Lee and Abby kissing both of their little heads and enjoying every aspect of being with them. As Leland loaded their last bags in the car, he came over and put a hand on Monk's bewildered shoulder.
"It'll be okay, buddy. She loves you. She'll come around." He whispered. Adrian had no words to say back to his friend, but just looked to him with eyes of disbelief that this was even happening.
As Natalie came to collect the babies, she looked at the sadness inscribed on his face. She took Lee from him and handed him to TK, and then she took Abby and put her in the car seat herself. Turning back around, she took a good long look at him. As she saw the great tears that were rolling down his face, he reminded her of an abandoned child, hopeless and alone – and she had compassion for him.
Walking back up to him, she wrapped her arms around him and let him hold her as sobs convulsed through his body.
"This doesn't mean I don't love you." She said, through tears. "I love you with all of my heart and every fiber of my being. And nothing…nothing can ever change that."
"Then please…don't go…" he cried, one more time.
She pulled away and touched his face. "I have to. You have a job to do and I have to get myself pulled together. I can't go with you on this one. I'll call you when we reach my parent's house. Please, Adrian...take care of yourself." She said, as she turned from him and got into the car.
"Take care of yourself?" How could she even say those words. He relied on her so much.
Leland nodded his head at Monk, as he jumped into the driver's seat and TK said goodbye, but Adrian remembered none of that. As he stood on the front porch of his house in Swampscott, all he could see was Natalie's blue eyes looking back at him as they pulled away, and all he could feel was that his heart and reason for happiness went with her.
