A/N: Hey all! How do you like this for an update? Pretty fast huh? Since I don't have time to for the shoutouts, I just want to say thanks! I have thirty reviews! I've never had that many!

Chapter Six: The Date Part One - Monk Gets Hitched
After Natalie dropped me back off at my apartment, I thought of all that had happened that day. I asked Natalie out on a date. I admitted I was in love with Natalie. I said my final goodbye to Trudy.

I sat down on my bed and rubbed my temples with my fingers. Today was too eventful. Even for a former cop, such as myself. I laid my head down on the bed, thoughts of today still swimming through my head. I sprung my head back up as the thought "I haven't been on a date since the PR woman from the power plant, and that was horrible!" ran through my head. I grabbed the phone off my beside table and hurridley punched numbers.

"What now Monk?" Came Disher's voice on the other end.

"I-I don't know what to do on the date." I admitted.

"Well, I don't have time to help you. I do have a job you know."

All hope of tomorrow night's date going over somewhat smoothly, drained from me.

"But relax, I know someone who can. And he just so happens to be vactioning here in San Friscisco." He told me, making me feel loads better.

"Well, who is it?" I asked impaitently.

"His name. . .is Hitch."

It was afternoon the next day. Natalie had driven me to the zoo - the zoo of places! It wasn't her fault; I had asked her to drive me there. And she couldn't understand why I wanted to go to the zoo. She also couldn't understand why I had asked her to come back in a few hours. She argued of course, saying she couldn't just let me wander around in public. After I persauded her by saying that I was better when it came to crowds (which wasn't a lie. . .persay), I looked for the elephant cages. I found them 20 minutes later, and along with the elephants, I saw a man dressed in a bussiness suit - minus a tie. That must him. . . I thought, smiling inwardly.

I started walking towards him, when he saw me and started walking towards me. When he came up to me, he gave me a half smile and held out his hand.

"Name's Hitch. How ya doin' Adrian?" I reluctantly took his hand and shook it. I had wipes in my suit jacket anyway.

"Not well, thank you." I replied. After he let my hand go, I grabbed the wipe packet from my jacket and pulled a wipe out. As I wiped my hand clean, Hitch looked on with a confused look on his face. Once I was done, I smiled and said, "Sorry. . .You see, here's the thing. . .I have a number of phobias and--"

"Man, you must be trippin'!" He said, rather loudly.

I looked down at my feet, then back up at Hitch."No, I'm pretty sure I'm staniding still."

Hitch shook his head at me. "Never mind that," He told me. "First thing's first, how long have you known you've been in love with this girl?"

I got nervous and shifted my feet a little. "Well. . .since. . .yesterday." I looked back down on the ground.

"Uh huh," Hitch said while rubbing his chin and nodding thoughtfully. "And, uh, does she know that you're, uh, pysco?" He asked me, using crazy hand signals.

I shook off the insult and replied. "Well, here's the thing. . .she's. . .well she sort of. . .works for me."

Hitch smiled again and let out a little laugh. "Well, I'd say she definitly knows then."

"I-I can't go through this. . .It won't work. . .thanks for trying anyway. . ." I turned to leave, but Hitch spoke up.

"Woah, wait up Adrian." He grabbed my shoulders and turned me around. It took everything within me to keep from screaming in fear. He looked me square in the eye and asked, "How much do you love this woman?"

I smiled and said, "I'd do anything to make her happy."

Hitch patted me on the chest and said, "Good. Now we just have to figure out what do with your wardrobe."

Somehow, I knew I didn't like the sound of that.

"Julie?" Natalie called for her tweleve-year-old daughter. "Julie, could you come and help me please?"

It was nearing five thirty. Natalie had made a trip back to the zoo a few hours earlier and was surprised to find Adrian with shopping bags in hand. She inquired about them of course, but Adrian avoided answering anything that had to do with the bags and where he had been. Natalie knew right away that something was up.

Julie soon came bounding up the stairs. "Yeah, Mom? What's up?"

Natalie was in her bedroom, trying to find just the right dress. Or skirt. Or dress slacks. She just couldn't decide what she was going to wear. She truned and faced her daughter, hangers of. . .well. . .everything hanging off of her arms. "Honey, I need your help picking out an outfit for my. . ." What could she call it? It wasn't a date. . .Was it?

"Date?" Julie suggested.

Natalie shook her head and said "It's not a date, sweetie. It's more like a. . .a. . ." She just couldn't find a word for it. Until the perfect word came across her mind. "It's like a dinner engagement."

Julie rolled her eyes. "Still sounds like a date to me."

Natalie let her daughter's slight disrespect pass for the moment. "Please, just help me. Okay?"

"Yeah, okay." Julie walked closer to her mother, and while just using her thumb and index finger, picked up a piece of clothing in disgust. "Really, Mom," She said. "Did you honestly think this was gonna work?" She threw the clothing item on her mother's nearby bed. "When's the date?" She asked.

"It's in a few hours."

"Well, we don't have much time, now do we?"

It was later that night - and I was going out of mind. I promised. . .I promised Trudy I would tell Natalie. . .Tell Natalie I loved her. What was I thinking! I scolded myslef. I can't do it! What if she rejects me? What if she quits? Then what I've been wanting to avoid will just happen anyway.

I picked up a picture of Trudy and I on our wedding day. "I'm sorry, Trduy," I told the picture. "But how am I supposed to tell her?"

I placed the picture back down and then it dawned on me. I was breaking my promise. I was breaking a promise I had made to my wife. Adrian Monk never breaks his promises. Until now. . .

I strightend out my shirt and looked at myslef in the mirror. I wore a plain white dress shirt with the top button not just undone, but missing. Hitch had guessed that I was going to fix it so he tore off all the top buttons off of all my shirts.

And he said I was crazy.

I stiraightend out a wrinkle that had appeared on my black dress pants. I looked back up at my refelction.

"Well. . .here goes nothing." I paused and began to practice what I was going to tell her. There was no way I was going to break my promise to Trudy. No matter how much I didn't want to do this, I just wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did break that promise. "Natalie. . .I have something that I need to tell you. . .I. . .I. . .I. . .love. . .you." I turned to the wedding picture. "There," I said. "How was that?"

Just then, there was a knock on my front door. I peered at my bedside clock - The chauffer must have been at the door.

Hitch had told me to rent a limoziene. He told me it would show her that I was letting someone else do the driving. And that it would make her little heart melt at the sweet, romantic gesture.

Before I went to answer the door, I grabbed the dozen roses off my bed. I looked at them made a disgusted face. In the middle of eleven red roses, was a single white rose. Hitch had told me that "chicks" (as he refered to women) loved to get things like this. He said that this would also make her little heart melt. I fought back the ever growing urge to just pluck the white rose from the boquet.

Another knock. I rushed out of my room and to the door. I opened the door to see a tall English gentleman looking down at me. "Pardon me sir," He said, a thick English accent appeared. "But are you Mr. Adrain Monk?"

I nodded. "Yes, yes I am."

"Ah, wonderful," He said as he held out his hand for me to shake. "Good evening Mr. Monk. I will be your chauffer for the night."

I nodded again and (ignoring his extended hand) said, "Uh yes, that's great. Just one question. . ." I stepped out of my apratment, closing the door behind me. "When was the last time you disenfected the seats?"

The limo pulled up into Natalie's driveway ten minutes later. When it came to a complete stop, I stepped out of the limo. I walked up to Natalie's door and knocked.

And knocked.

I rasied my hand a third time, but the door swung open and out appeared Julie.

"Hi, Mr. Monk." She said cheerfully.

"Uh, Hi Julie. Is-is your mom ready?" I asked.

"Not quite." Her eyes averted to the flowers in my hand. Her smile increased. "Mr. Monk, are you taking my mom out on a date?"

"Um. . .well. . .I guess you could call it that. . "

"I knew it! I was right!" She lowered her voice a little. "Mom said that it wasn't but I could tell she was just lying to herself and to me." She placed a hand over my wrist. "Just to let you know Mr. Monk," She said, while looking down at her feet. "You may confuse me and annoy me sometimes, but you're my friend." She paused and looked up at me. "And I think you're cool."

I smiled at the young girl as I looked up to her mother standing behind her, almost in tears, but smiling all the while.

Julie looked behind her and moved to the side as soon as she realized her mother was there. "Here you go Mr. Monk! She's all yours!"

I grinned at the sight before me. Natalie had pulled one side of her beautiful blonde hair back with a silver barret. The dress she wore was long, black, and (from what it appeared to be) silk. On the side was a split that ran up to about her knee. I tried to think of one of the compliments Hitch had told me to say, but my mouth (and mind for that matter) wouldn't work.

"You, uh. . ." I tried to to say something intelligent. "You look. . .very. . .you look very pretty." I finally said. I smiled some more than said, "Uh, I mean . . .you look very. . .beautiful? Yes, beautiful."

She smiled at me as if she thought that my sad, pathetic attempts at flirting were cute.

I watched her as she looked me up and down. She remained smiling as she did so. "Thanks, Adrian. You don't look so bad yourself." Then, her eyes settled on the top of my shirt. "Your top button is missing," She said. "And you came out in public?"

Oh no! She noticed the button! What am I going to tell her?

"Uh. . .Just one of the many surprises I have in store for you."

She seemed satisfied with my answer, so she must have decided not to push it. I looked her straight in th eye. . .and I noticed something I hadn't seen in years. Directed to me, anyhow.

Natalie's eyes had a sort firting, twinkiling quality about them. It's as if, dare I even think it, she was attracted to me.

Is that even possible? I asked myself.

Natalie drew me from my thoughts by her melodic voice asking me something about roses.

"Huh?" I asked stupidly.

She pointed to the boquet in my hand. "The roses?"

I looked to where her delicate finger was pointing to. "Oh! Yes. . .They're-they're for you."

I handed her the roses as gently as I could. She reacehd her handsaround to grab them with care, and as she did, her finger tips lightly brushed against my hand. Something deep within me yelled for a wipe, but I didn't listen.

I watched her as she slowly lowered her angelic face to sniff the roses. "Thanks Adrian," She said, after her cute nose took in the sweet aroma of the boquet. "This is really sweet of you." Then she looked at the white rose. "But this one's different."

"I know," I replied. "Just a. . .I thought that. . .Do you like it?"

"No," she said. My smiled dissapered. "I love it." I laughed a little at Natalie's little trick that nearly made my heart stop and she laughed with me, the flirting twinkle even more present.

She passed the roses over to Julie. "Sweetie, do me a favor and put these in a vase please."

"Sure, Mom." She said. Then she winked at me and whispered, "Good luck, Mr. Monk." Julie walked into the house to carry out her duty.

"Be good for Grandma and Grandpa, okay?" Natalie shouted in the house. She closed the door and looked at me.

I extended my arm galantly for Natalie to take. "Shall we?" I asked with a playful smile on my face. She smiled back as she slipped her arm around mine and answered, "We shall."

As I walked her to the limo, I looked at her and watched her face light up. "Adrian!" She exclaimed. "A limo? I thought you were just going to call a cab!" She turned to face me. Her face was just inches from mine. "This is. . .too much. You really shouldn't have. That means this is. . .is. . ."

"A date?" I suggested.

She nodded.

"Well," I placed my hand on her slender waist. "Maybe it is."