With a look of great personal satisfaction, Julie Teeger rocked back and forth upon her heels, graciously thanking each of the shocked guests for attending her mother's wedding, a gleeful smile upon her face. Within minutes, her uncle Jonathan slipped in beside her and the two conspirators gave each other a 'low five' behind Julie's back.

"How did she seem?" Julie whispered in his ear.

"Great." He smiled. "Relieved. I handed her the keys and told her where I parked the car and she was off faster than I think I've ever seen her run. Wonder where she'll go to?"

"Oh, I think we both know that answer." Julie winked.

"Her detective?"

"Of course." She replied.

"I like that guy. Guess we'd better get used to having a professional snoop in the family." he noted.

"Mr. Monk isn't a snoop. He's brilliant and doesn't miss much. I think if they can get past this little speed bump, he'll make my mom a very happy woman." she replied.

"I think you just may be right." Jonathan nodded as he blindly shook another guest's hand. "Bravo sis. Way to go."

Coming through the line were the Stottlemeyers and Randy Disher who was stunned at the development and wondered why Leland and his wife T.K. didn't seem to be.

Leland was the first to speak. "Well, young lady…I must say, lovely wedding, lovely wedding. One of the best I've been to...especially that ending." He chuckled.

Randy looked at him confused, assuming that the family would be as shocked as he was and that they'd be upset at how tactless Leland was being; but, when Julie giggled and gave him a hug, he relaxed considerably.

"I am so glad you could be here to see it." She smiled. "Wow…that was close! Do you all have plans? My grandparents paid a lot of money for a big reception and it'd be a shame to let it all go to waste."

Randy looked at Leland "Food? I could always go for food."

Stottlemeyer grinned. "Sure, Randy. Why not? I certainly feel like celebrating." He looked at Julie. "See you inside?"

"Sure thing, Captain." She winked before turning to the next family members in line who seemed equally delighted in what had happened, not because they had any investment in Natalie, but for the scandalous story it would allow them to tell all of their friends.

In a back room, things were not so happy. Steven Albright was furious and Natalie's father was standing with him, checkbook in hand, attempting find out what price he needed to pay in order to soothe Steven's embarrassment.

"How could she have done that?" Albright growled "Did your little princess just think she could accept my proposal and then walk away and leave me empty?"

"Now, Albright. I'm sure she didn't mean to embarrass you. Natalie is a good woman."

"A good woman? What sort of good woman does that? I'll be she's already across town throwing herself into that reject's arms."

"Hey. Adrian Monk is no reject." Jonathan Davenport said having heard the whole thing as he entered the room. "He's accepted by my sister." He reached forward and straightened Steven's corsage. "And I can tell you right now that she won't change her mind. Best to move on and forget her. That would be my advice."

"Yes, forget her." Bobby Davenport repeated. "How much to make you forget her? A cool million? Million and a half? Name your price."

Steven's eyes narrowed as he ripped off his tie. Grabbing the pen from out of Bobby's hand he hurled it across the room where it bounced off the wall leaving Davenport standing there with a look of surprise.

"Oh, your little girl is going to pay. Trust me." He growled. "Nobody does this to me. Not Mitch. Not Caroline. Not Natalie. Trust me. She and Freakshow will definitely pay." And, with that, he stomped out of the room leaving Natalie's family behind.

Bobby stood there with a look of confusion on his face so Jonathan decided to help him along.

"Say Dad, why not let's head to the reception. No sense in spending all that money and not enjoying it." Jonathan said, putting his arm around his father's shoulders.

"I should say not. Boy, that Albright fellow, he really is a bit of an ass, isn't he? Who turns down a million dollars?"

"Someone we're glad didn't just join our family." he replied.

"You've got that right. Between him and your mother's sister, it really would have made Christmases quite unbearable."

"Indeed, dad." An amused Jonathan smiled. "Indeed."

A light drizzle peppered the windshield as Natalie drove her brother's Mercedes in circles around the city, trying to gather her thoughts and figure out precisely how to approach Adrian. He had hurt her greatly by sending her away and a part of her wanted to shield herself from further pain; and yet, her love for him would not allow her to do so. She knew that his actions were spawned from a heart that was so utterly tattered that he likely wasn't thinking straight. And so, even though she was angry, she was more than willing to forgive and forget what he had done – especially when she herself understood that pain.

It had been many years since she had been in such straights, but she could still recall the time when Mitch died like it was yesterday. She literally felt like burying herself alive and if it hadn't been for Julie, could have easily seen herself becoming a recluse. Now, Adrian had lost two people who were very important to him, one an extension of his love for the other. "What torments had to be going through his mind" she thought.

Dr. Bell had mentioned that social withdrawal was a top sign of serious depression and the fact that Adrian had isolated himself from her and the world was not at all unusual; however, being alone was also the very last thing that he needed at this time. She had tried in vain to reach him and he had shut her out. But, it had been weeks since that time and judging by his work on Mitch's case, he appeared to be at least somewhat functional; so, she figured she would try again.

Even if she had to encamp around his apartment building every day, she figured she would stay until he saw her, stay until he talked with her, stay until the two of them had worked things out, and stay until he understood that he wasn't alone and didn't have to be going through this by himself. The grief and anger he felt, she felt too. Maybe not to the same extent but she loved Molly and felt the loss too. And so, that was her simple goal with this round – to communicate. She loved him too much to see him destroy himself and his relationships, and so she needed to try.

As she entered the San Francisco community of Russian Hill, the drizzle became a deluge. Still, the least of her worries was in getting wet and she thought nothing of it until she walked up Pine Street and reached the building next to Monk's then saw her reflection in one of their windows. I look a mess! She thought as she saw her hair was dripping wet and her crème colored dress had become so saturated with tears from the sky that she was grateful that she had worn extra-thick undergarments or else she surely would have offended his modesty.

"I'll just have to borrow one of his t-shirts." She said, without thinking. But then, she paused. "Borrow? Well, maybe take." So unsure of herself and her relationship with him was she in that moment that she even wondered if he might not want it back.

As she took the final steps towards his front door, she rehearsed in her mind the things that she wanted to say, but all of that came to an abrupt end when she suddenly noticed the sound of music in the air. Very loud, very heavy and very dark-sounding music. She angled her ear towards the melodious strains and considered what a perfect accompaniment it was for what had been a bleak and dismal day.

Walking a few steps further, she stopped again when she realized that the sounds were coming from above, from Adrian's building and very likely from his apartment. This was something that she had never seen him do and her heart was all at once filled with apprehension. What sort of straights was he in?

Walking up those familiar stairs, she reached the second floor and traveled along his hallway as the symphony began to play. It was so loud inside the building that she was surprised he hadn't had the cops called on him; yet, seeing that it was afternoon, it was apparent that none of his neighbors were home or they likely would have done so. It was so unlike him. With dread, she knocked on his door, mentally preparing herself for their conversation.

A minute passed and she knocked again. There was no answer, but the music was so loud that she figured he wouldn't be able to hear her anyway. She had given him her keys when she quit and knew that wasn't an option, so she thought about using the fire escape but first decided to try the doorknob. To her surprise it was unlocked.

Opening the door, her heart immediately sank. The pictures that usually hung in perfect order along the entryway to his home as well as his light fixtures were now smashed and lying on the floor, shards of jagged glass littering the area. Slowly, she entered his home.

As she walked further down the hall, she smelled the distinct smell of alcohol – Scotch whiskey she deduced. Beyond that, as far as she could see, wreckage trailed throughout his home, from his living room entrance all the way to the kitchen and bathroom at the end of the hall.

Immediately, she considered an intruder must have broken in and she began to fear, but that fear was overwhelmed by one even worse when she saw bright red blood on the kitchen floor, cabinets, in the hallway and on the doorframe to his living room. Unarmed, she backed up towards the door and grabbed the remaining umbrella from the wall figuring she could use it to defend herself if something malevolent lurked around the corner.

Please let him be okay. Please let him be okay. She prayed, as a feeling of foreboding swept through her soul.

She tried to be quiet as she edged towards his living room door, but the crunch of glass under her feet made that next to impossible. Looking briefly to her right into his dining room and seeing no one there, she turned left and rounded the corner with the umbrella held in her hands as if it were a baseball bat. Swiftly, she moved a little further, prepared to fight whatever she might face. Again, seeing nothing, she breathed a sigh of relief even as she surveyed the utter destruction of what used to be Adrian's living room. It was unsettling to say the least.

Stepping across the floor, she went to turn off the record player and that is when she saw finally him, crumpled up in a ball in front of the ottoman with blood-soaked sleeves and lying face down on the floor. She immediately threw her hand up to her mouth and began to shake as tears filled her eyes and she feared the worst. In horror, she stepped backwards and nearly lost her footing as she bumped into his coffee table which was overturned and moved at least three feet out of place. The sound that this made caused him to stir and he raised a bloodied hand up towards his throbbing forehead.

Natalie swallowed hard in relief and she closed her eyes in thanks that he was not dead.

Deftly, she moved over towards his record player to turn off the sound, careful not to slip as she sloshed through the trail of wine that soaked into his floor. Flipping off the switch, she heard an immediate groan coming from behind.

"Wh..where's my music? Who turned off my music?" he slurred as he moved to sit up on his elbow.

Natalie stepped forward and stood over him, trying to appear calm. "I did. It was way too loud."

"Too loud?!" he snapped. "Isn't that for me to decide?" He continued, looking down and scrunching up his face into a bearish scowl.

Natalie tightened her jaw and pursed her lips already deciding beforehand that she wasn't going to take any verbal abuse. Rather, she'd meet him one-for-one until they hashed everything out.

"Not when you're playing it loud enough for the entire neighborhood to hear." She replied.

Attempting to sit up more, he cursed under his breath as his painful palms reminded him of their encounter with the glass doors of his bookshelves. Natalie reached out to help him but he twisted himself away from her. "I'll do it myself." He snarled, and so she stepped back, folding her arms in front of her, she waited.

Once he was upright, he looked up at her with an irritated look. "What are you doing here?" he asked. "Shouldn't you be with your husband?"

"Excuse me?"

"Don't you have a reception to attend or something?"

"Never mind, my presence." She replied. "What happened here?"

He looked around the room without answering and then let out a disgusted sigh. "New form of interior decorating." he stated sarcastically.

"What? Nuclear War Chic?" Natalie quipped.

He grimaced and shook his head, not wanting to play games. "Seriously, Natalie. Why are you here?"

"I wanted to see you." She replied. "Are you okay?"

Sitting on the floor, he looked at his hands, his sweat and wine-covered clothing, and at the general state of his house and let out a bitter laugh at his own expense. He looked up at her and shrugged, pathetically. "I don't know. Why do you even care?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" she said, taking a step forward.

He sighed. "Natalie, let's not pretend. You stayed with me for eleven years, largely out of pity. You should be happy you're finally free."

"What?!"

"Yeah, that's right…poor defective detective, tugging on people's heartstrings because he has no wife and he has no life and he's just so sad… blah-de-blah-de-blah-blah…"

"Have you been drinking?" she asked.

"No. I haven't" he replied. "I can't even do that right apparently. Tried to get drunk. Wanted to get drunk. Wanted to numb my brain from all of these voices in my head reminding me of what I've lost… and what I never had…" he trailed off as a disturbed look appeared on his face.

"I'm calling Dr. Bell." She said, moving to the phone.

"NO!" he shouted as he stood up and snatched the phone out of her hand then slammed it against the wall so hard that it left an indentation in the plaster and pieces of broken telephone all over the floor. Natalie jumped backwards in alarm. She'd never seen him like that before, particularly not towards her.

He lowered his voice and moved in her direction, a desperate sadness in his eyes. "It's MY life – okay? My own damn mental health…it's up for me to decide what happens to me, isn't it?"

She stared at him with concern.

"Well ISN'T IT?" he shouted.

Natalie shrank back in such a way that Monk began to feel a bit of shame for how he was acting. Closing his eyes, he shook his head. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I know you just want to help." He said, in a softer, more even tone. "I'm going to ask you again. Why are you here, Natalie? Why aren't you with your husband?"

She stepped forward. "I told you. I came to see you." He lowered his head in a broodful stare, then she added quietly, "And, for your information…I have no husband."

The room was quiet for several seconds as he raised his eyes and looked at her, trying to figure out what she just said. He blinked his eyes and moved his head, unsure. "What…what do you mean that you have no husband?" he asked. "Y-Your wedding was today, wasn't it?"

Natalie swallowed then raised her chin a little. "Yes. There was a wedding, that is true. And, things changed. There WAS a wedding; but, at the end of the day, there was no marriage."

"Huh?"

"I didn't say 'I do.', Adrian. I walked away and didn't marry Steven. In fact, I left him standing at the altar."

Monk stumbled over to his leather chair, moving some debris out of the way so that he could sit on the arm. He ran his hand along his stubbled cheek then winced. But, then he looked back up at her in shock. "You didn't marry Albright? I don't understand. I thought – I thought that he is what you wanted – that he would be able to make you happy."

"That's the problem, Sherlock. That's what you thought. But you never bothered to ask me what I thought. You and Mom and Dad and Steven just kept pushing me."

"But isn't that what the last four years have been about? Getting together with him so you could eventually get away from me?"

"Incredible. Smartest man I know and sometimes the stupidest as well."

"Excuse me?" he asked, offended.

"Oh, forget it. You wouldn't get it." She waved, as she began to walk away.

He stood to follow. "Try me."

"No, forget it."

He moved quickly and stood in front of her then got in her space holding her loosely by the arms and looked her in the face.

"You forget, Natalie. I'm Adrian Monk. I forget nothing. Now tell me, why didn't you marry Albright? You owe me that much!"

Natalie snapped, pushing his hands off of her sleeve. "I OWE YOU? I have given you the last eleven years of my life. I have set aside my social life for you. I have worked slave wages for you. I have raised my daughter around your schedule. I have given up sleep for you. I have spent money I didn't have just because you acted like you were broke. I've put my life in danger for you, and you actually dare to say you think I owe you something?" she said, backing him into the wall.

"Well, when you put it that way…"

"Adrian, you don't get it and you never will. I had hoped you would and then I put it all behind me."

"Put what behind you?" he asked.

"Years of self-talk, just to get my head straight…telling myself what I wanted…what I really wanted could never be. It just wasn't possible, and that was almost good enough. But you know almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. It doesn't count where we live. It doesn't count when your heart is breaking and you're lonely and when you're just dying for someone to hold you, to tell you are desirable, to make you feel like something ..."

"Natalie, you are someth…"

"LET ME FINISH!" she screamed and he stood silently. "YOU have had full say over our lives for the past eleven years. You're the boss. It's your prerogative. I stood by you when you mourned over a wife that will never come back. I stood by you while you tried to get your badge back and even stepped aside, even though it hurt, because you got it back and I thought that is what would finally make you happy, at last. I stood by your side when you buried Molly because I knew you loved her and you were hurting and because it hurt me too and I thought that was something we could share. Then, I even walked down the aisle with someone that I hardly even know because it's what you requested of me and I almost married him today because I thought it's what you wanted.

All the while, you sit at home in your protective shell and trash your apartment like some petulant child having a temper tantrum…" she began to cry "while the woman who is supposedly your best friend is standing in front of her parents, daughter, brother, God and everyone telling the guy she's at the end of the aisle with a resolute 'no' when the world was waiting for her to say 'yes.' Do you know how that made me feel, Adrian? Do YOU even care?" she sobbed, lowering her head and walking away.

Adrian was silent for a few seconds as he considered the pain she was in, pain that he had evidently caused. That wasn't how this was supposed to go. Having him out of her life was supposed to make her happy. She was anything but.

He took a few steps forward, hesitantly raising his hand to touch her but then drawing it away.

"Natalie. I'm sorry." He said softly.

Natalie sniffed, wiping her face with the side of her hand as tears continued to flow. "It doesn't matter, Mr. Monk. You don't have to worry about losing an assistant. I'm still going to be here."

"Natalie, this isn't about me losing an assistant. Not at all." He said as she continued to cry. "This is about you and why you're crying. Please, tell me - why didn't you marry him?"

She looked over at him, his features now softer and reaching out. "Adrian," She said softly. "I said forget about it. I don't want to talk about it."

"I didn't ask you if you wanted to talk about it, I asked you why?"

"And I said to forget about it, it's not important."

"Of course, it's important! What are you talking about, not important? You were just about to get married to this guy and suddenly you just called it off?" he tilted his head. "He didn't hurt you…did he?"

She closed her eyes and shook her head no. "No…don't be silly…"

"Because if he did, I swear I'll…"

"Adrian! Steven did not hurt me. He's never hurt me. Just get that out of your head."

He took a step back. "Then, why?"

"I told you…I don't want to talk about it."

"You need to talk about it!"

"No! I don't"

"Yes, you do!"

"Why do you care?"

"Because I do…and don't try to change the subject. I asked you a question. Why?"

She began to whelm, "Why?"

"Yes! Why?"

"Fine, I'll tell you why."

"Okay…why?"

"Because." She sniffed.

"Because is not an answer. Tell me Natalie. Why didn't you marry Steven Albright? Look me in the eyes right this minute and tell me. Why?"

She turned to him as the tears once again filled her eyes and eleven years of anguish came boiling to the surface. "Fine. You want to know why?"

"That's what I asked."

"Fine. I'll tell you why I didn't marry him…because…"

"Because, why?" he asked.

"Because, Adrian!" she cried. "Because he's not you!"

Monk stood in stunned silence as his heart pounded in his chest and his breath hitched in his throat. "Me?"

"Yes, Adrian! I didn't marry him because he's not you…because you've ruined me for any sort of a deep relationship with any other man…because I look at other men and all I can do is compare them to you and I see how I can never have you and I…"

Suddenly, Natalie felt Monk's arm wrap around her waist pulling her to his body while his other hand cupped the back of her head and he pressed his lips against hers, nearly crushing her against the wall. In that moment - that beautiful moment -all of the longing and want and love and romantic affection she felt in her heart for this man was given back to her ten-fold as he poured out every ounce of repressed feelings and joy and fiery passion upon her, ravaging her with searing kisses and melting her heart with such a fervent heat that she felt undone.

He stepped back a moment when they needed to breathe but didn't release his hold on her at all, leaning back and looking her in the eye.

"I…I thought you were better off without me. I pushed you away because I thought I was hurting you." He breathed.

"Hurting me?" she replied. "Adrian, don't you know that just being with you makes me so happy that I have to pinch myself that it's real."

"But…"

"But nothing." She answered. "I have loved you for eleven years, but never ever thought that you would return the feeling so I've had to just try to make due and settle for something else."

"Not return the feelings? Oh, Natalie." He replied. "I…I think I've loved you for a long time, but frankly it scared me to death. My feelings for you…they aren't, they're not like my feelings for Trudy because our relationships are different, but they are just as strong. Only recently was I able to see that…well, I'm in love with you too. Very much so."

Natalie's eyes filled with joyful tears as she clasped his face with her hands and kissed him furiously as she had wanted to do so long. "Oh, Adrian…I love you so very much. You, and only you, always."

"My Natalie!" he said, returning her embrace.

Slowly, they walked their way over to his chair, neither one daring to break the kiss, and they fell into the seat, with her sitting in his lap, her legs draped over the chair's arms and her arms wrapped around his neck.

From his lips, she trailed kisses along his chin and cheek and neck, introducing him to pleasures that he'd never experienced, even with Trudy. Then, when she reached a spot behind his ear that was particularly sensitive, something inside him snapped. All of the restraint that he held within and all of his reasons for that restraint were suddenly gone out of his head. Primal urges took over.

As he pulled her lips to his once more, Natalie suddenly felt the earth move from underneath her as Adrian picked her up and moved her across the room, carrying her towards his room. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her heart fluttered as her resolve was cast aside and she succumbed to the need to be with him, to love him and to be loved by him in every way.

Reaching the bedroom door, he broke the kiss for only a moment so that he could find his doorknob and then they reconnected. His hand trembled as he reached for the handle, feeling the coolness of the brass against the heat of his palm. Turning the handle, he opened the door just a bit and was about to carry her inside when suddenly they both heard a sound coming from the end of his hallway.

"What the hell happened here?" The words echoed throughout the apartment drawing all action to a complete and total halt.

Monk stopped in place and turned slightly, affording himself and Natalie the ability to turn their heads to see who was there, without breaking the kiss. As their eyes turned that way, they saw Captain Leland Stottlemeyer standing the middle of the hall with his hands upon his hips and his eyebrows raised in surprise. Randy Disher stood at his side, his mouth agape.

"Wellllll, hello." Leland said with a combination of awkward embarrassment and total amusement.

Natalie blushed red and bowed her head then squirmed out of Adrian's arms to where she was standing next to him but hiding her face in his shoulder. Monk wrapped his arms around her.

"Impeccable timing as usual, Leland." Monk jabbed, an unamused look on his face.

Disher was astounded. "Wow! Oh…wow!" was all he would say.

Monk moved Natalie in front of him. Wrapping his arms around her waist as she bashfully bit her lip.

"Hi, Leland" she smiled, looking like a teenager who had gotten caught doing something that she wasn't supposed to be doing.

"Natalie." An amused Stottlemeyer replied.

"Did you two need something? Or, did you just come here to gawk?" Monk asked, still glaring at his friend.

Stottlemeyer pursed his lips then grinned, "Well…actually, I was at this wedding a little earlier that ended up missing a bride and I wanted to see if she was okay. I figured I'd find you here, Natalie. Looks like you're doing just fine."

"I'll say." Randy interjected. "Hey, did you see how they were going at it?"

"Leland…" Monk replied, a hint of anger in his eyes.

"Hush up, Randy." Leland said. "It's personal."

"Yeah, but, it's Monk and Natalie…they were…"

"LELAND!" Adrian snarled. Natalie turned her head around and kissed his cheek quietening him as she stroked his jaw. "It's okay." she whispered. "I'm not ashamed."

Regardless, Leland took the hint it was time to go. "Well…since everyone's fine, I guess we'll be moving along." Stottlemeyer said, backing up towards the doorway.

"Yeah, sure." Randy added, with a grin on his face as he looked around the trashed apartment. "It sure is good to see you guys again. Love what you have done with the place."

"Randy, let's go." Leland said, tugging at his shoulder.

"Although…I must say…you've looked a little better. Maybe, you know…comb your hair a little…shave?" He continued, causing Monk to suddenly wonder about his appearance.

"Randy lets go." Leland replied, tugging the police chief out the door as Adrian gently moved Natalie aside. Walking into his bedroom, he flipped on the light and looked at his reflection in the full-length mirror. He turned his eyes towards Natalie who was leaning against the doorframe with a grin on her face, waiting to pick up from where they left off.

"Why didn't you tell me I looked like this?" he asked, incredulously.

She furrowed her brow. "What?"

"I look like a blobfish!" he replied.

She giggled. "You look like a what?"

"Look it up!" he replied, rushing over to his wardrobe and pulling out some bath towels.

"Adrian. You look fine." she replied, suddenly seeing her romantic evening going down the drain.

"No, I don't. You're just being kind." he said, taking her by the arm and moving her back into the living room. Moving some clutter off of the couch he made room for her to sit down. "Listen. Just…just sit down here and make yourself comfortable. I need to clean up, because I can't be out here looking like this. Maybe not so much blobfish. A hobo. I look like a hobo!"

Natalie snickered and tilted her head with a shrug in a gentle admission that he was right.

"A bloody, unshaven hobo! In front of a queen! This won't do." He continued excitedly, marching back through the house towards the restroom. "I'm going to go hop in the shower. If you want to change into something different, I put some of your things that you left over here in my armoire in my bedroom. You can change there. I promise, I won't come out. I'll just be a minute."

Natalie shrugged and smiled and told him okay as he rushed into his room for something different to change into and quickly came back out and stole a kiss on her cheek next to her mouth before leaving her, entering his bathroom. She reached up and touched her cheek and in that moment felt so happy that she wanted to scream. She would have called Julie at home, but she left her cell phone at the wedding and besides that, she figured that her daughter was too busy explaining to her parents why their daughter ditched her fiancé at the altar. They would talk later.

Just as he suggested, Natalie changed into some more comfortable clothes, choosing to throw her wedding dress, which she never really liked, into the trash and taking it out to the curb. While Monk was busy, she also picked up a bit around the house, sweeping up the glass shards and mopping up the spilled liquids before collecting some of the books from the floor of Adrian's overturned bookcases and laying them in stacks upon his desk. He could organize them how he wanted them later.

Looking down at the desk, she saw the picture of herself with him and Julie had survived. How amazing it was to think about how far they had come since that photo was taken. If you'd ever have asked her if she would be making out with Adrian Monk and nearly going even farther than that, she would have thought you were crazy. She sighed. What an incredible day this had been.

Two hours later, Adrian stepped out of the shower freshly cleaned, shaved, and minty-fresh. Having no idea that he was in there that long, he slipped outside expecting to find Natalie reading a book or watching television and instead found her sound asleep on the couch. She had cleaned up a good deal of his mess in the interim.

Looking over at her, he sighed when he considered how blessed he was. "Okay, I take it back." He whispered towards the ceiling with a smile as he felt supremely happy - happier than he had been in years.

Natalie stirred just a little and a crease in her brow manifested itself, leaving Monk with the impression that she was uncomfortable. Quietly, he walked over to where she was laying and gently picked her up in his arms. She was so tired from the day's excitement that she just snuggled up to him and never opened her eyes. He carried her into his room and laid her down in his bed, pulling the covers over her and then retreating to his living room, giving her a quiet place to rest while he finished up the rest of the house. And so, she slept comfortably until early evening when quiet music and dishes clanking from outside his room woke her up.

Opening her eyes, she immediately tried to acclimate herself to where she was and upon realizing she was in Adrian's bedroom quickly tried to recall what had happened after Stottlemeyer and Disher left. Looking at her state of dress she breathed easily as she recalled what had happened, not that she would have assumed anything untoward about Adrian, just that the two of them together had definitely gotten a bit carried away.

Crawling out of his bed, she made her way across the room and quietly opened the door, poking her head out into the hallway. Something in the house smelled absolutely delicious and she was famished; but first, she wanted to go find Adrian and see what he was doing. Stepping into the hallway, she first looked into the kitchen which was dimly lit – using the light over the oven as its only light. Likewise, the hallway was lit only by a few nightlights, and when she walked into the living room and saw that it was adorned by candles and a couple of floor lamps set to dim, she got the feeling that her Adrian was definitely trying to set a mood.

Glancing over at Monk's chair, she spotted his raven curls over the top of the leather chair back, a book in his hands.

"Hey handsome, if you keep trying to read in this light, you're gonna need glasses." She said softly as she walked around the chair in front of him and saw he already had them on. He looked up at her and smiled, then stood, taking his glasses off and setting them on the end table, then wrapping his arms around her he drew her in for a tender and loving kiss.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked, pulling back from the kiss and brushing his thumb over her cheek.

She smiled, shyly. "Yes. I didn't realize I was so tired. Never even felt you moving me in there."

He nodded, then used the fingers of his right hand to brush some hair out of her eyes while maintaining his left hand on her waist. "Well, I tried to be gentle. I figured you'd had a tough day and needed the rest. You hungry?"

"A bit." She said, "Whatever you made smells delicious."

He smiled, taking her hand and walking with her to the kitchen.

"Just some spaghetti." He replied. "But with homemade marinara. It was my grandmother's recipe. I make it every so often and freeze it."

"Ah, that's what's in your freezer. Marinara." She replied, curiously watching as he put a pot of water on the stove and turned up the burner.

"I didn't make the pasta yet. Waiting for you to get up. Wanted it to be cooked right."

"That's fine. Was she Italian?" she asked.

"Huh?"

"Your grandmother. You said this is her recipe. Was she Italian?" she asked again.

Monk shook his head. "No. Lebanese. Right off the boat at Ellis Island." He explained. "But, she liked Italian food. They lived in a multi-cultural neighborhood once they reached San Francisco. I think maybe one of their neighbors was Italian."

"I see." She replied. "Well, it smells wonderful."

He stirred the marinara with a wooden spoon and then lifted it up to her mouth to offer her a taste. Placing her hand on the handle next to his to help steady the spoon she then raised it to her lips. Feeling it was still too hot, she puckered her lips and blew on the spoon, raising her eyes to look at him. She swallowed when she saw that his eyes were suddenly dark with desire and she shyly dropped her gaze, then tasted the sauce.

"Mmmm…yum." she said softly as she looked back into his eyes. Without looking away, Monk took the spoon from her hand then tossed it over his shoulder, effortlessly landing it in the sink. He leaned closer to her.

"You, uh…missed a little sauce." He teased before pressing his lips against hers and embroiling her in a passionate kiss. Once again, her knees became as jello as she melted into his lips. Pulling away, he looked at her with a mischievous grin. "Mmm…Delicious, indeed." He raised his brows and winked, much to her stunned surprise.

After dinner, they went into the living room and he took her by the hand, leading her to the couch. Sitting on the coffee table across from her, he looked her in the eyes with such love and trust as she had never seen. It was almost like a dream.

"We need to talk." He said. "There's some things I need to say to you. And, I'm not really sure how you're going to react, but I have to tell you."

She smiled softly, "Adrian, my love. You can tell me anything. As long as we're together, that's all that matters."

His eyes crinked with joy and he lowered his head. "Well…okay…um. First thing, I need to apologize to you."

"Apologize?" she said, furrowing her brow. "For what?"

"Well, for a couple of things really. First, for being such a jerk and sending you away." He said. "I really didn't mean for you to go, I guess…well, I wasn't thinking straight."

Natalie's eyes softened and her lips curled in empathy. "Sweetheart, don't worry about that. You were just in pain. You've been through so much."

"I know…I know I have, and I promise that I'll get back to Dr. Bell to try to deal with some of these things." He said. "I thought I could handle it on my own, but obviously, by the state of my apartment today, I need to go through some counselling."

"We can go together." She stated.

"You and me?" he asked.

"Sure. Molly was important to me too. And, I want to see whoever killed her brought to justice as well. And we will. I know you. You'll figure it out." She replied. Monk nodded.

Next, he took a deep breath then nervously let it out. "I…I also wanted to talk about this afternoon."

"This afternoon?"

"Yes, what almost…I mean…what we were…um…where I was taking you when Leland and Randy showed up." He finally said with embarrassment showing on his face.

Natalie smiled flirtatiously. "Oh…that. What about it?" she said, looping her finger just inside of his shirt collar next to his chest.

"Well, I just need to apologize. That's all." He replied, turning her smile into a look of confusion.

"Why are you apologizing?" she asked. "Did you not want…to…"

Monk looked at her and spoke a little too eagerly, making her fight back a grin. "Uh…no, I wanted too….I really….obviously did …want to…but…"

"But?"

"But…here's the thing. The timing is wrong."

"Oh?"

"Yes. Natalie, I love you with all of my heart and have no doubts whatsoever about us. But, the way I behaved this afternoon, it shocked even me. I was…I was a beast!"

Natalie laughed. "You were a man in the throes of passion."

"Yeah…but, I wasn't in control." He explained. "I mean I have beliefs about that sort of thing and I wasn't thinking about any of that as I was kissing you…none of that at all…I mean I didn't' even feel afraid. I was just going to walk right in there and do with you…well, what I never did with Trudy! You know what I mean?"

Natalie's grin spread even wider on her face and she leaned in towards him, biting her lip. "Oh, tell me more…" she cooed.

Monk began to speak but saw she was being flirty with him and stopped himself short. With a smile on his face, he looked down bashfully and took her hands. "Natalie, I'm being serious, now. You want me to be able to talk to you, right?"

Natalie straightened up, taking her hand and raking it through his hair. "Of course, I do. I'm sorry for acting silly when you're being so serious. Please, continue."

"Well, that's it, really. I need to apologize and I really think we should wait. You know, until the context is right." He said.

Natalie looked towards him with curiosity. "Context."

"Yeah. You know. The right context." He said, looking down.

Searching his eyes, she saw that he was getting more nervous the longer he talked so she reached out a reassuring hand and stroked his shoulder.

"Well that's fine." She replied. "We'll wait until the time is right."

"Which I hope is soon." He responded.

She laughed. "Yeah…me too…how soon you thinking?" She leaned in towards him and again played with a button on his shirt. While she was doing this, he reached his hand into the pocket in his trousers and pulled out a small square box.

"Very soon, I hope." He said softly.

Natalie's eyes widened and her lips parted in astonishment. Looking between the box and his face she waited anxiously for his next words.

Monk bit his lip then looked up at her with glistening eyes. "Nat…Natlie..." he sniffed and then swallowed. "When you came into my life eleven years ago, I knew you were different – special. I didn't know how special at the time, but from the moment I laid eyes on you I knew that you were someone that I wanted to know and that would do me good.

Not only have you done me good, but you've loved me when I've been rude, believed in me when I didn't believe in myself, encouraged me when I just wanted to give up, helped me to grow more than I ever felt possible…and somehow, in the middle of all that, you worked your way into my heart – first as my best friend and now as the woman that I can't live without."

Tears fell down his face as he opened the box revealing the beautiful square cut diamond ring inside. Seeing it, Natalie drew her hand to her face as her eyes began to also flood with salty tears.

"I know this seems sudden and I'm sure you need time to think about it, which is fine. I will wait as long as it takes. But, I wanted to let you know my intentions up front so that there is no confusion between us anymore. I…I would be so honored if you…if you would marry me and be my wife and…"

A torrent of kisses came upon Monk so suddenly that she almost knocked him off of the coffee table.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! I will marry you!" she exclaimed kissing him fervently and frequently as Adrian tried to maintain his balance. Finally getting a grip on the edge of the table, he smiled and looked at her with wide eyes full of love.

"Really?!" he asked in amazement.

"Oh, yes! A million times, yes!"

His chin quivered and he smiled as he removed the ring from the box and took her left hand. Looking down, they were stopped when they spotted Steven's engagement ring still resting where it had been.

Looking into Monk's eyes, Natalie grinned as she tugged the ring off and tossed it blindly to the side then thrust her hand forward with a radiant smile, looking expectantly between Adrian and her hand, anxious for him to adorn her left finger with his beautiful token of love.

Monk smiled with love then slipped it over her knuckle, then holding her hand leaned forward and kissed her once again.

"I vow to you Natalie, from this day forward, that I will live my life trying to make you happy – as happy as you've made me." He said.

"Oh, Adrian! I love you so much!" she replied. "You alone, forever."