Lessons of Love

Chapter 3 Teamwork

Standard Disclaimer: I don't own Monk.

Notes: Confused about the Jonathan Davenport/Lake Tahoe connection? This chapter will clear that up plus (cue some ominous music) the plot thickens.~'New characters' alert!

After placing several red pins on the topographic map of North Mountain, Mike Philips glared across the Ski Patrol office. Fixing his eyes on his step-mother Tiffany, he snapped, "Tiff, I saw you with James Kelly, don't try and deny it! You better stop seeing him or I'm going to tell Dad you're screwing around with the guy who's trying to buy-out Sugar Pine Resort!"

Standing by the window, Tiff Philips briefly glanced out at the ski lifts of Sugar Pine Ski Resort, counting the chairs full of skiers. She forced the smile off her lips and turned to face her step-son, "Mike, I swear, it's not what you think. I was just trying to persuade him to leave Sugar Pine alone. But," she blinked back a sudden onslaught of threatening tears, "but if you want me to stay away from Mr. Kelly, I promise I will."

"Yes, I want you to stay away from him. I-" Mike stopped in mid-sentence when his emergency radio let out a squawk. Releasing it from his belt, he pressed the talk button, "Go ahead, Ski Patrol 2."

Jonathan Davenport's voice came through the walkie-talkie loud and clear, "I'm taking my break now, Ski Patrol 1. Are we still triggering that avalanche on North Mountain this afternoon?"

"That's postponed until 8AM tomorrow morning because one of the plows is being repaired this afternoon. Roger that, Patrol 2?" As Mike spoke, he looked at his map of North Mountain, his finger tracing below the red pins.

"Yes sir," Resignation bled into Jonathan's words, "but tomorrow's my day off. Mike, remember I put in a special request because my family is in town."

Mike looked over the work schedule posted next to the map. "We'll just need you for the road block; it shouldn't take more than an hour. You can take the rest of the day off, okay?"

"Thanks, I appreciate it. I'll contact you when I'm back from break. Over."

"Over and out." Mike returned his walkie-talkie to his belt and walked across the room. "I need to go," he frowned at his step-mother, a diminutive woman who was but five years his senior. Grabbing his coat, he stood in the doorway and lowered his voice, "I'm serious, Tiff. Straighten up or I'll tell Dad."

"Mike, please don't say anything," Tiffany Philip rose from her chair and assured, "You know I would never do anything to hurt your dad or the Resort." Mike nodded, donned his coat and left her in the office.

Once alone, Tiffany slipped her cell phone from her pocket and, with her eyes scanning over the map of North Mountain, pressed redial. After two rings, the call connected. Without waiting for his 'hello', she growled, "Jimmy baby, we have a problem."

~~~~~LoL~~~~~

"WOW!" Julie squealed as she leaned forward and bumped against the back of Adrian's seat. With her arm brushing his shoulder, she pointed up the meandering driveway, "This place is awesome!"

"It's beautiful!" Natalie gasped and gently patted Adrian's leg, "We're here, sweetie." Roused from his unplanned nap, Adrian opened his eyes and followed Natalie's nod, gazing toward their final destination.

Sugar Pine Lodge and Ski Resort stood proud on a hill, overlooking the town's namesake, crystal-blue Lake Tahoe. Though only four stories tall, the Victorian-era structure was imposing and grand. From its redwood timbers to its green tin roof, with floor to ceiling windows corralled by balconies, it embodied a rugged elegance. Suitably impressed, Adrian silently agreed with both Teeger girls.

As they made their way up the winding hill, Natalie looked in the rearview mirror, catching her daughter's eye, "Julie, remember you're the only one who knows about the baby, so don't say anything to anybody. We're going make an announcement during the rehearsal dinner."

Julie barely suppressed a sigh, "I know, Mom. You told me like a million times today."

"Or twice," Natalie snickered, turning the car into the Lodge's parking area. "Thanks Angel," she added as she parked the sedan behind a 4X4 truck under a portico, by the check-in office.

Natalie opened her door and waved to an approaching figure. She laughed, "Look who's our welcoming committee- Jonathan!" As Natalie was picked up, and then swung around, by her grown-up little brother, Adrian bristled, rolling his shoulder. Clearly Jonathan knew nothing of Natalie's condition. Julie grabbed Adrian's arm and shook her head, warning him to relax.

"Hey guys, welcome to Sugar Pine!" Jonathan released Natalie and tightly hugged his niece, offering a little wave to Adrian. "I'm so glad to see you all!" He motioned to the doorman to attend to their luggage then turned back to Natalie, "I wish I could show you around, but I have to get back to work."

Natalie tugged at his bright red ski jacket, "Poor you, having to hit the slopes!"

Julie poked her uncle, "How cool, they pay you to ski!"

Jonathan slung his arm over Julie's shoulder and pulled her into a headlock, "No Julie, they pay me to rescue people who get in trouble while skiing. Speaking of which," he checked his watch, "I need to get going. Nat, I thought we could all have dinner together. I already made reservations so when you check in, the front desk has the details."

Natalie beamed, "Wow, you really have become a 'take charge' type of guy."

Jonathan shrugged, "About time I took on some responsibilities, Nat." Returning to his 4x4 truck, he called as he climbed in, "Go get settled in and I'll see you later."

~~~~~LoL~~~~~

As the concierge finished processing their check-in and relaying the restaurant reservation, he handed Natalie a copy of the resort's brochure, "If there's anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask." Natalie and Julie exchanged a look and immediately poured over the brochure, exclaiming over various activities and giggling about the vast array of spa treatments. Since Natalie was distracted, the clerk held out three sets of room keycards to Adrian, "Enjoy your stay with us, Mr. Monk."

Adrian found himself smiling as he accepted the keycards, amused by the girls' giddiness. Rooms 409, 410, and 411 were officially theirs for the next week. But, as he looked from Julie to Natalie, indecision suddenly washed over him. Who should be in each room? He wouldn't have minded being in 409 because the number was so evocative, so clean. But room 410 seemed equally appealing, so perfect. Number 411 simply perturbed him. And yet, he knew he didn't want to inflict that room on either of his girls. Deciding he should sacrifice and take 411, he let out a small sigh. 411 it was… or maybe 410…

Natalie raised her eyes and saw his 'indecisive' look. With a smile, she handed the brochure to Julie and took the three sets of keycards from his hand, "I've got this." She turned to Julie and gave her the first small envelope, "Angel, you'll be in room 409. I'll be next door in 411 and Adrian," she passed him his envelope, "you're across the hall in 410."

"Thank you." Relieved, Adrian gave a nearly imperceptible nod and pulled his keycards out, inspecting them. When Natalie abruptly handed him one of her keycards and took one of his, he startled. "Nat, what are you doing? They're meant to be a pair and you're splitting them up."

She shooed Adrian away from the check-in desk and, as Julie skipped over to catch the elevator, Natalie looped her arm with his, "No, we're a pair and I'm just making us even." Before he could respond, Natalie stood on her tiptoes and whispered against his ear, "Trust me, you'll thank me later."

~~~~~LoL~~~~~

Hearing the quiet whoosh of the door, Adrian looked over and relief crossed his face, "Natalie, thank God you're here."

Natalie paused to hang the 'Do Not Disturb' tag on the doorknob and laughed, "See, I knew you'd be thankful! What's the problem?"

He waved her into the large room and motioned urgently between his two bags of luggage and the five-drawer bureau, six-drawer dresser and the double-wide closet, "Who runs this hotel, a sadist?"

After giving him a quick kiss, she coaxed him out of the way, opening the first suitcase, "It's a lodge, not a hotel, and no, I don't remember the AAA review mentioning ample storage, courtesy of a 'sadist owner.'" As Adrian hovered a step behind her, Natalie set to work unpacking. Turning a deaf ear to his fretting, she purposefully organized his dressers and closet. When done, she had Adrian place the empty bags on the shelf in the closet while she walked around, inspecting the room and view from the window.

"Pretty nice place, isn't it? I do like you're view better though. I can see the ski slopes but you have the mountain wilderness out your window." she observed, sitting on a small loveseat that faced the balcony. He shrugged as he stared into the closet, the irregularly spaced clothes taunting him. Natalie stretched and slung her arm over the back of the couch, patting the cushion, "You can reorganize later if you want sweetie, but now, come and keep me company."

The cushion dipping under his weight, Adrian rigidly settled against her shoulder. He recognized today's compulsion for organization for what it was- a distraction from his churning thoughts. He felt adrift, desperate to reach dry land.

Over the past year, Natalie had helped him through unfathomable changes, challenging him to grow, to dream, to fight his fears and to trust his heart. Now, in a mere six days she would become his wife, in six and a half months she would bear their child. These were all blessings and he was fully grateful. But it was a lot of change and he was overwhelmed, trying to stay afloat. Adrian stared at his hands and managed a husky, "This is really happening, isn't it?"

"It really is." Her fingers brushed along the nape of his neck and he turned to meet her gaze. Her blue sparkling eyes, the twitch of her mouth, her soft touch, everything about Natalie captivated him, soothing his unrest. He watched her sly grin bloom into a smile as she asked, "You're not getting cold feet, are you?"

"No, never. But," Adrian shook his head, tears welling in his eyes, "But I sometimes think this is just a dream. An amazing, wonderful dream I might wake up from."

"A dream come true," Natalie whispered, leaning in for a deep lingering kiss.

When she finally pulled away, Adrian smiled, his nervousness calmed. She was his life raft, his heart tethered by her love. Shifting back onto the sofa, Adrian wrapped his arms around Natalie, resting his chin atop her head. Their fingers threaded together and he teased, "You know, I won't get cold feet if you don't make me go out into those frigid wastelands."

Natalie snickered, "Very funny, but don't worry, I'll warm you up if you get cold." Nuzzling against his chest, they both fell silent. She closed her eyes, her body desperate to nap. After several minutes, she murmured sleepily, "Did you want to do anything before dinner? Julie's already gone to explore all the resort's amenities, so it's just you and me."

Suddenly aware of her tiredness, Adrian insisted,"No, let's stay here." Tightening his embrace, he kissed her temple as his gaze wandered to the window. Watching a hawk slowly circle the sky, Adrian felt unexpectedly confident this trip would be perfect.

~~~~~LoL~~~~~

Sitting next to Natalie, Adrian studied his future brother-in-law seated beside Julie across the restaurant table. Gone was the timid young boy who had almost perished at the hands of the black-widow, Theresa Scott. Today, Jonathan Davenport was a man, confident, self-assured and full of life. Not having heard the full story from Natalie, Adrian waited for a break in the conversation and asked, "So how did this Lake Tahoe/Ski Rescue thing happen?"

Jonathan leaned forward and earnestly began his narrative. "Well, the short version is- after surviving Theresa's murder attempt, I came up here to get away and think. Sis knows I've always been an avid skier and I'm really good, pardon my bragging. Anyway, I met Mike Philips and we struck up a friendship; he's a few years older than me and his dad owns the resort. He's also happens to be the director of the Search and Rescue Ski Patrol.

"After being here about a month, Mike started bugging me about settling down, about 'finding purpose in my life.' And then he offered me this job. Pretty sneaky, right? But he was right. I needed to do something with my life. I realized I want to help people in trouble, like you and Nat do."

Softly rapping her knuckles on the table, Natalie smirked, "Knock on wood you don't have dangerous murderers lurking around the ski slopes!"

"No murderers, just hot-shot skiers who overestimate their skills." Jonathan rolled his eyes and sighed.

Natalie feigned desperation, "And poor little ski-bunnies who need to be rescued."

Jonathan blushed, "Yep, them too!" He shrugged and managed to push the grin off his face, "But I do love being here. I have a meaningful job and I ski nearly every day."

Julie squirmed with impatience and touched Jonathan's arm, "Hey speaking of skiing, we're skiing together tomorrow, right? Like super early?"

"Not early, I got called in to work." A frown of resignation shot across Julie's face and Jonathan quickly added, "I have to initiate an avalanche at 8AM. That'll take about an hour, but then I'll be yours for the rest of the day."

"An avalanche?" Julie brightened, now in awe. "No way! Can we go with you?"

Jonathan shrugged while looking from Natalie to Adrian, "Sure, it shouldn't be a problem if you guys want to tag along."

"Sure," Natalie agreed, "that sounds like fun." Seeing Adrian recoil, she leaned against him and whispered, "Avalanches were never on your list."

Adrian cringed, "I didn't include them because they're not very common in San Francisco."

"And soccer riots are?" Natalie teased, raising an eyebrow.

Adrian retorted, "Hey, I remember things getting pretty rough at Julie's soccer games."

Natalie rolled her eyes and turned to Jonathan, "Count us in, bro. We'd love to see what you do."

"Thanks, that means a lot to me." Jonathan turned and met Adrian's gaze and reassured, "Don't worry, I promise it'll be safe. We've never ever had an accident while cleaning snow from slopes."

"'Cleaning snow?' How funny!" Natalie snorted, her eyes twinkling.

Julie began quizzing Jonathan about avalanches and Adrian gave Natalie a wry look, "That's not-" He nearly jumped from his seat when her hand slyly came to glide along his thigh under the table.

"Not what?" She smirked when his hand quickly descended upon hers, stopping her explorations.

Shock, then amusement, registered on his face. In a playfully threatening tone, he whispered, "Natalie Jane!" His dark eyes locked on hers and a full conversation played out without one word being spoken aloud.

Jonathan broke their silent communications when he called across the table, "Adrian? Julie tells me you've never skied before but, if you want, I can teach you."

Adrian flinched at Jonathan's offer. He refrained from blurting out 'over my dead body' and instead simply replied, "I'll pass, thank you."

Giving a secretive squeeze under the table, Natalie innocently added, "Adrian's already got enough excitement in his life."

~~~~~LOL~~~~~

It was well past midnight when Adrian finally reached across the nightstand and picked up the phone. Dialing room 411, he smirked when he heard the phone ringing across the hall. On the forth ring, she mumbled a sleepy greeting. Leaning back against the headboard, he teased, "No weather forecast phone call for tomorrow? Is my assistant shirking her responsibilities?"

Natalie paused to look at her clock then laughed, "Adrian, I believe your associate is taking some time off- she's going to be tying the knot in a week."

Imagining their wedding day, Adrian let out a satisfied breath, "I bet the groom can't wait."

"He can't sleep, that's for sure!" Pushing her pillows up against the headboard, Natalie snickered, "Adrian, you know I've always know these forecast requests were a pretext. What's up- besides you?"

He chuckled, his scheme exposed. Of course she knew he used to call simply to hear her voice. But that excuse was now unnecessary, now he could simply admit his need.

"I just wanted to hear your voice," he sighed, "just talk to me, Nat." Turning off the bedside light, his eyes roamed the dark room. He ended up gazing at the thin slice of light that slipped under the door, drawing comfort knowing that the very same light was sneaking into Natalie's room. Natalie's voice filled his ear, her words woven with tenderness, and before long his eyelids became heavy. Once again Natalie had soothed his restless heart.