A/N: Oh thank you ever so much for your reviews/encouragement/feedback! I really really appreciate it and I'll be sending you review replies! It's been a crazy busy week for me and I wanted to get this next chapter out before the weekend. Thank you all again and please continue to let me know your concerns and thoughts on this story! You all are the best!

Witnesses

The rain fell steadily on the sidewalk as Natalie and Adrian walked to the grocery store, Natalie quietly laughing as she watched Adrian sidestep the puddles and yet refuse to let go of her hand. The large golf umbrella she carried above their heads kept them dry and comfortable. Thankfully Natalie had chosen a shoulder-strap purse that stayed out of the way of the umbrella.

It would be another story, carrying groceries back in the rain, and Natalie half-wished she had driven her car the four blocks from Adrian's apartment to the grocery store, if only to avoid juggling bags along with a purse and an umbrella. It also was a shame that she and Adrian wouldn't be able to hold hands on the way home, for both of their hands would be full.

The pair walked up to the intersection of Post St. and Stockton St., glancing across the way at a small park as the rain continued to pour down. Mud puddles were beginning to show on the grass underneath several palm trees planted in the small lot, making Adrian inadvertently shiver, a sensation felt by Natalie through their linked hands. The light was red at the intersection, and Natalie led them over to the pole where she hit the walk signal button.

All of a sudden, there was a loud splashing along the street like the sound of a rapidly approaching vehicle. Natalie and Adrian spun around to see a green SUV speed towards the intersection at an alarming pace. Did the driver not see that he had a red light? Monk glanced at the intersection again. A small red car was beginning to cross the intersection, the driver moving through the intersection without appearing to notice the green SUV. Someone honked from behind the car as if to warn it, but the car continued to move rather slowly. The SUV was almost upon the red car. Suddenly, it slammed on its brakes, water spraying from all sides as it hydroplaned and slid sideways into the red car, completely crumpling the passenger side door of the red car.

Adrian and Natalie were splashed with the muddy water of the stopping vehicle, both frowning as they watched other pedestrians shaking out their equally splashed clothing.

"Are you going to call the police, Natalie?" Adrian inquired, shaking out the cuffs of his dripping trousers. "That SUV was 100% at fault. What was that guy thinking?"

"They should probably be doing that on their own. This accident is going to have to be reported," she replied, hearing the red car shut its engine off. Horns began to honk impatiently from every angle of the intersection.

"What—are they just going to park there, right in the center of the intersection?" Adrian quipped, throwing up his free hand. He watched intently as the door of the red car opened, the driver of the vehicle leaning over towards his glove compartment to probably fetch insurance information and then extending a leg to step onto the wet pavement.

The man now emerging from the red car was surprisingly tall, his ill-fitting bright blue jacket making him look even larger than he actually was. He was a good-looking man, with light brown hair and a moustache-goatee combination peppered here and there with gray, though he looked utterly awkward in his jacket. At his emergence, Natalie unexpectedly turned to face Adrian, her head down, rather than watching the man's next move. Monk was too absorbed in the unfolding situation—the worst of humanity being elicited by this kind of situation, to notice his fiancée's sudden coyness. He watched the man stride silently across to the driver's side of the SUV that hit him, throwing his hands in the air as if to say, 'what the hell, buddy?'

The man in the SUV rolled down his window, leering at the guy from the car who had approached his vehicle.

"Sorry about that, man," he confessed. "Hydroplaned."

"You got insurance?" the man from the car asked loudly, putting his hands on his hips.

"Oh yeah, right. Let me just get you that info."

Monk continued to watch as the man in the SUV leaned over to fetch something from the glove compartment. It seemed like he was searching forever when Natalie, absentmindedly digging through her purse, heard a voice.

"He wouldn't shoot him," Monk muttered under his breath, suddenly realizing that Natalie wasn't paying a bit of attention.

Alarmed, Natalie's eyes went wide but she did not turn her head to look at the scene.

"What are you talking about?"

Monk turned his head, indicating with a hand the small crowd that had gathered to watch the accident unfold, the cars backed up on Stockton and Post.

"There are too many witnesses," he replied. "The SUV guy wouldn't do something that stupid—though he could prove me wrong."

"Are you saying that he has a gun?"

"What? Not visibly, no. See for yourself, Natalie," Monk said, indicating the drivers. She began to turn her head then decided against it.

"Don't you think they could just exchange insurance information, file a police report, and be on their way?" Natalie questioned, gritting her teeth and keeping her eyes low. "There are decent, law-abiding people out there, you know."

"You're right," Adrian replied. "But… why is he taking so long?"

Suddenly they heard the men speaking again, as the SUV man produced a thick stack of papers to the red car man.

"I'm gonna get my papers soaked out here!" the man from the red car exclaimed, holding a hand in front of his face like the bill of a baseball cap as he spoke. "Mind if I sit inside your car to get your insurance information?"

"Sure, buddy," the SUV guy replied. "Hop in."

The man from the red car in the too-small jacket walked around the car as Monk shut his eyes to avoid watching the SUV man back over him and crushing his body to a pulp. But nothing happened. The man simply walked to the SUV door, opened it, and got into the vehicle.

Once inside the car, the man from the red car shifted around as if uncomfortable, unzipping his jacket as he pulled a pen out of his pocket.

"Adrian, let's get going before the rain picks up even more," Natalie's voice sounded, interrupting his reverie of crime and crooked human nature.

"What difference does it make," he snapped back irritably. "My clothes are already soaked—thanks to that wannabe speedboat captain."

"This is boring," she replied, wanting to slap her forehead for coming across so positively whiny. "I'd like to get back to the apartment before it begins to thunder. I don't like walking in electrical storms."

"There's not supposed to be a thunderstorm today," he replied, noticing the close proximity of her face to his. Why was she deliberately trying to steer him away from this situation? She was a terrible liar. "You never see thunderstorms in January," he added.

"True," she replied, feeling foolish. Of course he'd catch her in a blatant mistruth. "—but I could've sworn I saw something about sporadic lightning and—"

"Natalie, why don't you watch what's going on? It's not every day you—"

"—watch people exchange insurance information," she interrupted in a dead-pan mumble.

"Don't you feel like we should do something?"

"What? We aren't involved, Adrian…"

"The main reason I want to stand here a bit longer is I have half a mind to tell that SUV to stay more centered in his lane, or to tell the responding officer to tell him for me. His tire must've gone right over a storm drain, because he got me—well, you and me—completely soaked," Adrian grumbled. He looked down at her shoes. "And not only that, but he got your favorite shoes wet."

She looked down at her feet. When she looked back up her expression was that of confusion.

"How did you know that?"

"I know more about you than you'd be comfortable with," he replied, looking a bit embarrassed.

Natalie gave him a mischievous side-eye, challenging him.

"Like what, hmm?" she asked, giving his hand a little squeeze.

"Like the way you grit your teeth when you're anxious… Ah—and while we're on the subject of teeth, I know that you don't use Davenport Toothpaste…"

"How would you know that?" she replied. "I always have a tube in my medicine cabinet. You've never watched me brush my teeth—have you?" she responded, her expression that of curiosity.

"No, I haven't—I know it because it fits your personality… You probably have some sense of guilt that you didn't continue the family trade, and rather than consciously acknowledge it, you're secretly punishing yourself for it by not using whatever free lifetime supply you're entitled to. Instead you buy it for Julie to use."

"I never told you that. You deduced that from…?"

"From you, Natalie," he said to her, looking into her eyes. They could hear the SUV running, the men inside inaudible though they were speaking as they kept their heads down as if writing something. However, neither Monk nor Natalie paid attention to the two men as they continued their conversation.

"That doesn't really make me uncomfortable for you to know which toothpaste I don't use…"

"Yeah, that…. Well, here's the thing: I know the last thing you look at before you go to sleep at night…"

She was instantly skeptical. He had only been in her bedroom maybe three times in the last five years, and only for a minute or so, and during the daytime, no less. As for the trips they had taken together, they had stayed in separate rooms—save for that awkward case at the 'haunted' motel* early in their partnership. He'd never guess what it was that she looked at, being as she wasn't even in her own bedroom during the only opportunity he'd had to observe her….

Suddenly he spoke, jarring her mind for a moment.

"It's a picture… on your nightstand," he began. "A family picture of Julie, you… and Mitch."

Natalie felt her brain screech to a halt. Had her heart stopped in her chest? When had Adrian seen that picture? That had to have been a year ago at least, the last time he had been in her bedroom. Then again, how had he known it was still there? Most of all, how had he known that she still looked at it?

She didn't know how to begin and felt her face getting hot. This was awkward, to say the least.

"Adrian, I…"

He graciously cut her off.

"See… I knew that I know more about you than you're comfortable with. And now I've made you uncomfortable."

"No—it's not that—" she began, feeling the sting of tears coming on. "Adrian, it's not what—"

"It's okay, Natalie," he replied quietly, lifting his free hand and placing it on her cheek. "I understand completely…."

Oh, God. The tears were going to start soon. She could feel them in her eyes, probably glistening at this point, teetering on the brim of her lower eyelids. Immediately she repositioned her umbrella so that some rain poured down on her head and face for a couple of seconds, and then before Monk could protest, she righted the umbrella.

"Oh, sorry about that. Looks like I got my face all wet," she replied in a thick voice, feeling the tears sliding down her cheeks, visibly indistinguishable from the raindrops. She couldn't look so weak, especially at such a strange time. A car accident in front of them, a familiar face less than forty feet from her, and here she was, tearing up over her sense of guilt.

It was then that Adrian's thumb, large and masculine, moved as softly as a feather across her cheek, wiping a tear from her eye. Through the mist of her teary eyes she couldn't tell if his eyes were glistening in turn.

A particularly loud honk stirred Adrian and Natalie from their intimate exchange. They both looked up simultaneously and glared at the impatient vehicle at the intersection, Natalie immediately diverting her gaze to her shoes while Monk turned to look at the wreck.

As she looked at her shoes, she smiled. Monk was right: these were her favorite shoes, a pair of comfortable leather flats. It was too bad it had to be raining today. The forecast predicted it very accurately, and it was stupid to presume they'd be able to safely make it to and from the grocery store in what was to be a sizeable downpour. It was entirely her fault that they were now standing here, half-soaked….

Natalie watched the men with her peripheral vision, the umbrella low across the front of her face, as the two men sat inside the SUV exchanging information. The men shook hands before the man in the blue jacket zipped his jacket back up and stepped out of the vehicle, running back over to his own vehicle as he seemed to stare in their direction—namely, at Natalie.

"Why don't we get to the store? I think it's all over now," Natalie remarked, feeling a rush of relief, keeping her head low.

"That man is… looking at you," Monk said. "I'm sure of it. I think he's checking you out."

"What man?" she deadpanned, not moving her head.

"The man from the red car. I don't blame him, really," he admitted. "After all, you are the prettiest girl in San Francisco... and you're inconceivably holding hands with me."

"Stop that kind of talk!" she said, giving him a little elbow. She barely suppressed a sigh, noticing the man's feet positioned in front of her, probably only twenty feet away from her. Even if it were true, that's not why he's looking at me…

"They forgot something," Monk suddenly asserted, having changed the subject. Before Natalie could say or do anything, Monk raised his voice.

"Aren't you going to call the police, file a report?" he asked the man from the red car, who was unabashedly staring at Natalie while striding to his car looking completely disheveled in the pouring rain. Natalie immediately pulled her hand away from Monk's, rapidly switched the umbrella to her right hand and shielded her face with her left hand.

"It's rotten weather out here, man!" he replied. "I'm soaked to the bone!"

"Can you drive it?" Monk added, indicating the car with his newly freed hand. The man looked at it. Finally he had taken his gaze off of Natalie. But why had Natalie jerked her hand away so quickly? He'd ask her after this whole situation was over.

"Should be okay to drive," the man muttered, shrugging as he spoke. He wiped rain out of his eyebrows as he dug in his pocket for his car keys. "It better be."

"You'll never pass inspection with your door bashed in like that—and your headlight broken," Monk pointed out. "You should get a full police report. That guy's insurance won't pay for your car if there's no proof something even happened."

Really it wasn't Monk's concern for proper procedure that had caused him to confront the driver of the red car. It was the fact that the man and his battered, uneven car would be driving around in Monk's locality without being repaired. If the vehicle had been totaled, that would have been a different story. Drivable cars had no immediate reason to be fixed—to be made even again. Adrian Monk would not be able to sleep at night thinking about it.

The guy stopped completely and thought for a moment, standing directly in front of Adrian and Natalie. This time Natalie dipped the umbrella too sharply, causing rain to fall freely onto Monk's back and shoulders. He glanced with alarm at her, afraid to ask why she was acting so oddly. Women.

"You're right," the man muttered. "There'd be no written proof that this happened."

Within a second, the man turned around, pulled out his cell phone and walked back to the SUV. He made his call and within minutes, and then the police arrived and took both men's information. The man from the red car showed the police officer his insurance information and indicated he had exchanged the information with the SUV driver.

"It's not illegal to exchange insurance information inside the other guy's car, is it?" he asked the officer. "This is my wife's coat—it's already too small on me, and I really didn't want it to shrink anymore from getting any more soaked than it is."

"It's not illegal," the cop assured him. "Don't worry about it, buddy. No need to explain. You won't be cited for what happened here. That other man clearly was at fault."

As the man from the red car finished up with the police officer, Monk couldn't help but notice him continue to glance over at Natalie, who was trying ever so hard not to be noticed, her hand firmly in front of her eyes. As he headed for his car, he stopped directly in front of Natalie, who had momentarily refrained from breathing. He opened his mouth to speak, his eyes twinkling.

"Natalie… Davenport?"

Monk felt absolutely violated as the man directly approached Natalie, saying her maiden name again. This time she couldn't help but react, being as the man was less than two feet from her.

"Hello," she muttered, slowly uncovering her face.

"Remember me?" The smile on the man's face was ever-increasing, dimples appearing on his stubbly cheeks. Monk couldn't help but size him up as he stood in front of his fiancée, unabashedly grinning now. He was probably Monk's age, a good three or four inches taller than Monk, and there, upon the man's left ring finger—a wedding ring. Monk sighed with relief.

Natalie scratched her hair in an almost violent manner in her attempts to recollect the name she most certainly already knew.

"Pete?"

He let out a pleasant guffaw.

"Geez, took you long enough! What are you up to now?"

She blushed uncontrollably.

"Well, I have a teenage daughter—Julie. She's going to be in college in a couple of months. Time flies, eh?" Monk shifted uncomfortably, and she took his arm in hers. "And this is my fiancé, Adrian Monk."

Pete held out a friendly hand to Monk.

"Me and Natalie go way back," he said, his eyes crinkled with happiness—and just a hint of pride. Monk did not extend a hand, eyeing the man warily.

"Natalie and I."

Pete paused for a moment, looking confused, his hand still thrust into Monk's personal space. He raised his eyebrows when it was clear that Monk wasn't going to say anything more.

"Natalie and you what?"

"Natalie and I is the proper way to say it. Natalie and I go way back." His shoulder twitched as he spoke, friendliness absent from his face.

Pete dropped his hand at his side, his good-natured smile returning.

"You an English professor or something? Your name sounds kinda familiar to me…"

Suddenly Natalie cut back in, a sly smile on her face.

"Actually, he's a detective. The best detective in the world. He works with the SFPD on especially difficult cases—and solves 'em all. He's brilliant."

Monk couldn't help but smile in spite of himself. Hopefully the guy would get the point and leave. The man eyed Monk up and down suspiciously. Interestingly enough, the man looked rather uncomfortable now.

"Good to see you again, Nat. You take care of yourself."

He turned to Monk, the smile having faded.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Monk."

And with that, he went back to his vehicle, started it up, and drove out of their lives.

Nothing else occurred and the two men drove away from the scene, traffic finally beginning to move again. Natalie and Adrian continued their walk to the grocery store, Natalie letting out a silent sigh of relief.

"Seven, E G F, five four eight," Monk muttered. "Nine, U T T, four four three."

"What are you talking about?"

"The license plate numbers, Natalie."

"Okay, and why do you feel the need to remember them?"

Monk squinted as he moved into the store, Natalie closing the umbrella close behind him.

"Something about that wreck just wasn't right."

"I think you're seeing things, Adrian," she remarked dismissively. "It was typical of what happens after a wreck."

"I don't think I want to ask how you know what happens after a wreck," Adrian said, rubbing his face with a sweaty palm. "And, speaking of seeing things, I don't think you saw anything. You didn't look at the wreck one time, Natalie. What was going on with you, anyway? It was like you were hiding in plain sight."

"Oh," she stammered, face involuntarily reddening, "I thought I recognized someone across the street from us. It wasn't who I thought it was though."

"No," he replied matter-of-factly. Natalie felt her heart almost stop.

"No, what?"

"When that guy from the red car—Pete, was it?—came over to us, it was like you were me—and I was you. He's the guy."

Now she couldn't help but look affronted.

"What do you mean by that?"

Monk stopped walking for a moment.

"You were terrified. It was like you encountered a bully from your childhood or something…. Believe me, I know the reaction. You didn't want him to recognize you."

"No, no," she replied, a fake chuckle on her breath. "That's not it at all. It was a person across the—"

His voice cut through, curious and intrigued.

"Who is he?"

She felt a rush of heat. It was like she was on trial. How could Monk, in all his awkward naïve Monkness, elicit this kind of sharp stinging burn with a simple question?

"Who is who?"

"Pete! That man who knew you before you were married. You can tell me," he said, placing a hand on her forearm.

"How did you know that he knew me before—"

"He called you by your maiden name."

"Ha! You pick up on everything; don't you? Ehh, it's a boring story, Adrian. It's not even worth my breath, really," she admitted. He didn't look satisfied.

"Here's the thing, Natalie—you were scared to be noticed. Every day, you have to listen to me telling you about my fears. I'm a detective, Natalie; reading you is what I do… whether I like it or not. What happened between you and him?"

Natalie sighed loudly, unwilling to explain herself at the given moment. Her face felt like it was on fire.

"It's nothing, Adrian. Really."

"I know better than to believe that. I'm not going anywhere until you tell me."

Rather than remain stopped beside him, Natalie continued to walk towards the grocery store, being as she had the umbrella in her hand. Rain pouring on his hair and curling it even more than usual, Monk moved as quickly as he could to Natalie and the umbrella. This time he grabbed her arm, causing her to halt immediately. His face was earnest—too earnest.

"Natalie—" he blurted, his hair askew, eyes wide. "Was he your… sex lover?"

*The info before the asterisk in this chapter refers to my story "Mr. Monk And The Haunted Motel." It takes place earlier in Natalie & Monk's relationship--and in it they share a motel room, amongst other things. If you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend it! *wink*wink*

A/N: So this chapter was a bit lengthy, but I couldn't come up with another way to divide it! Anyway, I hope you liked it! Please let me know what you think!! I was so happy and thrilled from all the feedback after posting the first chapter! It really pushes me to write more and faster and better when I hear from the readers!! Thanks again!