I DO NOT OWN MONK.

Here it goes, another chapter. Two more to go. Hope you enjoy it, and thank you for the reviews!

MR MONK MEETS THE REDEEMER
CH 38

Twenty-five minutes later, Natalie was in Monk's room, showered and freshly clothed, seated in an armchair placed near the balcony window with its back to the bathroom door. Her legs were stretched and supported on a stool. She had her eyes closed. Monk was still in the bathroom and had just turned off the shower.

"Mr. Monk, I'm over here already." Natalie said aloud, without standing up or opening her eyes. Monk did not answer. She tried again louder, worried he had not heard her and inadvertently entered the room without enough clothes. "Mr. Monk, I'm over here already!"

It was not typical of him to exit from the bathroom wrapped in towel, not that Natalie hadn't already seen him leaving the bathroom immediately after a bath or even seen him leaving the bathroom, but she could not conceive of Monk walking anywhere even in its own home without anyone around in scarce clothes. Natalie laughed when picturing the scene: Monk opening the bathroom door with a towel rolled at the waist and another on the head whistling, wearing slippers and being surprised by Natalie. Well at least the mental image of Monk that she created was very interesting. Maybe the tiredness was weighing on her and Natalie let herself go; she began to imagine the scene in slow motion, focusing on a strong man showing nice toned muscles, hair still wet, tall, skin tanned by the sun, leaving the bathroom wrapped only in a towel, approaching her with a seductive look gently calling, "Natalie."

"Hmmmm .... Yes, that's me." She lazily answers.

"Natalie?" He calls her again, this time closer.

"I'm here my love, I'm here." Natalie says almost inaudible; she yawns in her chair and lifts one hand to draw the dream man's attention. The man does not reply, but Natalie feels his presence near her. She smiles broadly, stretches her arms and, slowly, begins to open her eyes to meet the tanned man with the seductive look on his face in front of her.

"Oh my God, Mr. Monk!" Natalie stood immediately, not knowing for sure if she had called Monk 'my love' or not.

"I'm glad you're ready already, and not just wearing a towel . . . I mean, I was dreaming and... no, I mean .... I was not dreaming of you wrapped in a towel, I ... not that I was dreaming of a man, I mean, not that you are not a man I could dream of, I mean … Oh, God! I'm sorry, Mr. Monk." Natalie decided that to stop talking was the best way out of the situation. She was quiet for a few seconds just looking at Monk who remained quiet listening to her.

Natalie took a deep breath, looking for courage and asked Monk in a shy way, "Did I call you 'my love'?" Monk did not verbalize the answer; he tilted his head to the side and adjusted his shirt collar.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Monk. I did not mean to embarrass you. Me! Look, I was just dreaming, randomly, and then you appeared ... I'm sorry, I did not mean to call you my love." Natalie finished.

Monk received that information as a coup. He did not understand why it hurt to hear Natalie had not intended to call him 'my love', and could not disguise the disappointment. Natalie saw his reaction and how what she had spoken could have hurt Monk.

"Mr. Monk, I'm sorry for the misunderstanding." she started in a gentle tone. "I did not want to offend you. You are a 'loveable man', no doubt about it, and I for sure could call you 'my love'."

Monk faked an understanding smile at the corner of his mouth, and turned his face away. She pulled his face back, holding his head with both hands and looking directly into Monk's eyes, she said "I mean it."

Natalie gently touched her lips on Monk's, not finding any resistance.

"Natalie? Natalie, are you okay?"

She opened her eyes.

Monk was standing beside Natalie, looking at her strange position: she was on the armchair with both hands up and face projected upward, like she was holding someone's head.

"Uh? Yes! I guess I was dreaming. I'm okay, Mr. Monk." she said, standing up right away and blinking a couple of times, "Are you ready?" she asked in a youthful tone placing her hands on her trousers back pockets. She stood up too fast, and felt a stitch in her wounded leg.

"Natalie, you are standing on one leg only." He looked down at the carpet. "You're acting strange… are you sure you're okay?"

"Are you really worried about me, with my leg or with the carpet?" she changed the course of the conversation.

"I can be a person who worries about other things besides a spot on the carpet, Natalie."

Natalie sat on the arm of the chair, rubbing her leg, "Can you?"

"Yes, I can, and I will prove it." Monk said walking to the closet. The last few days' events had changed the way Monk perceived world around him and strangely it had made him perceive there were some people, if not just one person, that really cared about him. Cared enough to put her life in danger to help him. And also strangely, he cared about this person enough to put his own life in danger for her. As he was not good at dealing with people he had practiced the speech in his mind during the shower, and decided that this was the best time to express it. "I was thinking about the last few days . . ."

"I'm listening" Natalie shouted from the room.

"... and I think we faced some hard moments"

Natalie got up, without understanding if she had heard it right. She started to walk to the closet. "You mean ... us?

"I was deeply disappointed in you for letting me end up in a place like this, Natalie." Natalie was approaching the closet, and started to make faces while Monk was once again being Monk. She was right, he wasn't meaning what she thought he was.

"I was kidnapped, remember? Kissed by old hippie rock stars; I walked out in open air with no shirt, got sun burned. Went on a taxi and a jeep. I fought. I was accused of trafficking, a crazy young woman was hitting on me; I had to wear another person's clothes, got a cut in my forehead and still have to get in a plane again to get out of here."

Natalie had already reached the door of the closet and was watching Monk fixing his bag, "But look at the bright side, Mr. Monk: you found out more things about the Judge."

Monk stopped a bit and raised his head to her "I found out that I cannot do anything. I could not do anything again, thank you."

"Are you inferring that everything bad that happened to you these past few days was entirely my fault?"

Monk zipped the bag, looked at Natalie and continued, "I was deeply disappointed in you Natalie, now I'm only disappointed. You Natalie, you came and stayed here with me." Monk said, putting his jacket on. "Okay, you being here also brought me more bad events, but even so, you came here. You accepted by coming back that everything was your fault and stayed here to redeem yourself, even after I say I would not pay you. Your attitude made me revise my decision: I will pay you." Monk finished buttoning his jacket, and smiled at Natalie, certain the he had said how important she was to him and how much he cared about her.

"Are you kidding me? I cannot believe you just said that! And you were still thinking of my payment checks? Redeem myself?" shouted Natalie furiously looking at Monk. The phone rang. Natalie was standing still at the closet door, blocking the passage for Monk, looking at him threateningly.

The phone rang again.

"The telephone" Monk said, with some fear in his voice, not knowing what he had done wrong. He tried, "Aren't you going to get it?"

"Yes, I should, and I also should celebrate, afterwards I'll get my full paycheck next month, right Mr. Monk?" Natalie said with an acid tone, turning her back to Monk and limping to the phone.

She didn't know if she felt more anger for the pain in her leg or for that man in the closet; the same one she had just dreamed about whose tender kiss, even if hypothetical, could still be felt on her lips.

Monk left the closet in time to hear Natalie say on the phone "Yeah Bianca, he could not leave without your farewell kiss and hug! You can come with us for sure!"

"Kiss and hug?" Monk mumbled.

"We have ten minutes, Mr. Monk. I'll get my bag." Natalie said, hanging up the phone and going back to her room without further explanations.

Thank you, Jayna!