Six Months Later

Adrian Monk parked the car along the parameter of the cemetery gate. He slowly walked the path that he had walked so many times. It had a familiarity about it, and despite the morbidity of what it was all about, it was somehow comforting to him.

As the sun shined through the orange and red hues of the fall leaves all around, he walked up to the tombstone of his late wife Trudy Anne Monk and stood silently looking at her stone. He bent down and put a note on her grave, touched the top of the stone, took a deep breath of the fall air and said "Goodbye, Trudy." He turned and walked away.

Inside the envelope, the note read:

"Dear Trudy, I just wanted write this letter to let you know that I won't be stopping by here anymore. I have taken your advice, and I opened my heart, and well… I wanted you to know that I've found love again. I know that is what you wanted. You were always so selfless, putting my happiness over your own.

While my relationship with Natalie is different than my relationship with you was, I think you would like her very much. In some ways, she's a lot like you. She takes care of me and she puts up with my idiosyncrasies and habits, and she loves me. For my part, my heart skips a beat when she enters a room and it's like vibrant sunrays piercing the darkness when she does something as simple as laugh. Also like you, I can't believe that she wants me. Why would anyone want me? But here it is, the impossible has happened not once, but twice in a lifetime. I can only look at you both and say – God did that.

I hope you are finally happy and free and wanted to tell you I will always cherish the time we had together and will be eternally grateful to you for teaching me what love was. Goodbye my dear Trudy. Until we meet again. Adrian."

Natalie was pulling a chicken pot pie out of the oven in her apartment when the doorbell rang. She had long recovered from the injuries she suffered while in Washington D.C. and had returned to her normal weight after she had lost so much when Steven died.

Since Washington, her relationship with Adrian had only grown stronger. He had learned to trust enough that he didn't have to be within ten feet of her at every second of the day to make sure that nothing bad happened to her, and she had learned to let go and allow him to be her Protector from time to time. They were a great pair, the kind that if they were together long enough could finish each other's sentences. And yet, they were also quite different from one another – their differences only serving to make life interesting and build strength in their relationship. With Molly in L.A. and Julie finishing up school, they had a lot of time to spend together. Adrian found himself going places and doing things with Natalie that he never thought he would, pushing past discomfort just for the simple joy of seeing her happy. Oh, to be sure, she didn't push him too far or make him do something that was too much out of character. But, with their time together they were both growing as individuals and as a couple.

She walked over to the door and there stood Adrian in a suit and tie. Feeling greatly underdressed in her sweater and blue jeans, she nervously said "Hello, Sweetie. I'm sorry. I didn't realize we were dressing up. I'll go put on a dress or something."

"No, no. That's okay. You look beautiful" he stated, pulling a bouquet of symmetrically cut roses out from behind his back. "I brought you these."

"Oh, Adrian! They're beautiful!" she said, carrying them to the dining room table where she already had two place settings set up.

While she went to get a glass of water to pour into the flower vase, Adrian casually looked around, straightening up a pile of mail and other odds and ends that looked out of place.

"Where were you today?" she asked as she carried the Pot Pie over to the table, and returned for some salad that she had made to go with it. "I tried calling, but you didn't answer."

"Oh, I spent the morning with Leland. It looks like he's finally going to be getting that job in the Commissioners office that he always wanted." He said.

"Really? That's wonderful! Wow! Good job, Leland!" she replied.

"Yeah. It makes T.K. happy. I just hope he likes it once he gets there. Going from the action to essentially a desk job may not be the fit that he hopes it will be." he said, sitting down at the table.

"Yes, but it will be less dangerous." Natalie answered.

"True." Adrian replied. "But life isn't about the avoidance of danger. A lot of times it calls on you take risks that you could never imagine yourself doing and casting all fear aside to see what's behind the curtain."

Natalie stopped and stared at him for a moment. "What have you done with the real Adrian Monk? Are you listening to yourself? Five years ago, you never would have made those statements."

"I guess you're right." He said as she dipped them both out some chicken pot pie, poured them some water and began to eat. "I have changed a lot since you met me."

"And you've changed me too." She said.

"Good change." He said as he smiled and took a bite of food. "This is delicious."

"I know it is one of your favorites." She smiled. "Glad you like it. Anything new downtown? New cases or the like?"

"Yeah. There is a case I'm working on with Briggs where this woman went missing and we think her twin brother is the guy."

"What makes you think that?" she asked.

"Well, we've already caught him lying about his alibi and he had long white hair on his sweater." He answered.

"Human hair?" she said taking another bite.

"Dog hair." Was his reply.

"Annnnd, he doesn't have a dog?" she asked.

"No. No dog. Allergic to dogs. But his sister has a Great Pyrenees."

"Ahhh. I see." She said as he took a sip of tea.

"You know, Adrian. I miss this." She said.

"Miss what?" he asked.

"Miss going out with you on cases, helping you solve murders, being by your side as you figure things out and dazzle us with your summation." Natalie said. "I know that you were really worried after what happened in Washington and didn't want me out there again, but I really just want…" she said

"Fine." He responded. "I've missed you as well. And truthfully, I've needed you. Briggs is an awful driver."

"So, you're saying you want me around for my driving?" she asked incredulously.

"Hey, you should never underestimate the importance of good driving. It's a virtue!" Adrian replied.

Natalie rolled her eyes.

"What did I do?" he asked.

"That's all I am to you? Just the person who carts you around from crime scene to crime scene." She asked.

"You know better than that." He replied.

"Well, I thought I did." She said. "I understood when I first came back why you wouldn't want me on the trail again, but I waited and you never called me back to be with you. It's like you don't want me around."

"Nothing could be further from the truth, Natalie." He said.

"Then why don't you invite me back?" she said.

"Fine! I'll invite you back." He replied.

"Well, are you going to do it?" she asked.

"Sure, Natalie will you come back?" he asked.

"Come back where?" she replied.

"Come back and join me and be by my side." He said.

"As your assistant, or as your business partner?" she asked.

"As my wife." He replied, looking into her dumbstruck eyes.