Lesson of Love

Chapter 5 Adapting to New Roles

Standard disclaimer: I don't own Monk.

Notes: Apologies for the delay in this chapter and thanks so much for all the encouraging PMs and reviews. ;)

~ To recap, it's Monday morning, the day after the avalanche, and Adrian's initial misgiving has blossomed into suspicion. Meanwhile, Sharona and Benji are the first wedding guests scheduled to arrive in Lake Tahoe.

Special thanks to Monkwriter for your unwavering support and critical insights. ~xoxo

"Huh, what?" Sharona slurred, shrinking away from the hand on her shoulder. Her eyes fluttered open and she noticed the flight attendant hovering in the aisle. Though groggy, she added civilly, "I'm sorry, what?"

"We're about to land, ma'am." The steward's gaze drifted to Benji, "I need you and your son to bring your seats upright."

"Okay, thanks," Sharona rasped, stretching as she straightened in her seat. Turning to wake Benji, she paused, struck by how he looked bathed in the pink morning light that filled the plane. He was almost 19, a young man. A grown man. But, as he slept curled up with a blanket pulled to his chin, Sharona saw her little boy. Pushing aside a lock of hair that had fallen across his forehead, she gently prodded, "Time to wake, Benj."

"We're there?" He yawned, his eyes sliding open. Letting the blanket drop to his lap, he extended his arms above his head, stretching his 6 foot frame. Clearing his throat, his deep voice rumbled, "Wow, I slept through the whole flight, even the layover. That was cool we didn't have to change flights. Did you get any sleep, Mom?"

"A few hours," Sharona answered as she rooted though her purse. Finding her compact, she covered the dark circles under her eyes. After reapplying her lipstick, she chuckled, "But I look fresh as a daisy."

"Better than any daisy I've ever seen!" Benji smirked as he loosely folded up his blanket.

Sharona grinned and tugged the blanket from Benji's hand. "Oh, you smooth talker!" She shoved the blanket under her seat then fixed her son with a serious eye, "Benji, just a reminder. I know you've been looking forward to doing your own thing on this vacation, but remember the rules. I expect you to adhere to your curfew and answer your phone when I call. But most important, no drinking, no dangerous stunts and, if you meet any girls, behave like a gentleman, understand?

"Understood." Benji snickered, his eyes twinkling. "I promise, no mischief, no hijinks!"

"Good," Sharona relaxed in her seat, closing her eyes, "I'm looking forward to a restful, drama-free vacation."

When the plane began its descent and the landing gear deployed, Sharona held her hand out, palm side up, and waited. Benji took her hand and suddenly chuckled. "Hey Mom, since we're staying in the same lodge as Mr. Monk, do you think there'll be a murder?"

Sharona's eyes popped open and she shot him a tense look, "Don't jinx us!" After glancing out the window, she smiled and decisively shook her head, "You know, I really think Adrian's luck has changed. I predict a-" she laughed as she spoke, "a vacation free of dead bodies."

~~~~~LOL~~~~~

Because of the black-out curtains, the pink morning light failed to invade Adrian's room. Although the nightlight near the bathroom emitted a faint glow, the room remained fairly dark; it could have been the middle of the night or high noon. Whatever the time, Adrian stirred awake, astounded he had actually fallen asleep. Last night, despite thoughts of avalanches and foul play and in spite of the overpowering temptation Natalie brought to his bed, his restlessness had quickly abated and he had slept soundly. And even this morning, though his thoughts once again began to nag at him, the desire to fall back to sleep hummed in his mind. Maybe… if it was still early.

Still spooning around Natalie, he reluctantly opened his eyes and glanced to the clock on the nightstand. Seeing it was 6:35 AM, Adrian let out a small sigh. His sense of duty was prodding him to get up, go seek justice for Mike Philips, and yet he didn't move. He couldn't move. After letting his gaze fall to Natalie's slumbering form, he sunk his head into his pillow and purposefully closed his eyes.

His heart was burdened, his emotions in turmoil.

Throughout his life, the need to enact justice had always been Adrian's driving force. Regardless of who was involved, whether it was his pal Hal or Leland's girlfriend Linda or even Leyla and her mother, Adrian Monk always uncovered the truth. If anyone got hurt along the way, it was unfortunate but inconsequential. This case, however, gave the detective pause.

Adrian knew that as soon as he mentioned his suspicions, a shadow would darken their celebration. And although Natalie would undoubtedly support his need to investigate, she would lose some of the joy she so rightly deserved. Feeling her steady breaths and unconscious movements, Adrian wrapped himself tighter around his soon-to-be wife, wishing the impossible. For this next week, he wanted to protect her, not just from the outside world, but also from his 'gift'. His 'good karma', the force that brought a perpetual procession of death into their lives, was now simply a curse.

Guilt joined anger as he thought about Mike Philips. This poor soul had died, probably because of malevolent forces, but grief and outrage over this death eluded Adrian. Although he knew it was wrong on so many levels, Adrian resented this innocent victim. And contrariwise, he resented his resentment. Layer after layer of conflicting emotions boiled together, threatening to overtake Adrian. He fought the urge to get up and straighten the room. Without noticing, he gave his shoulder a modified roll, shaking the bed.

Natalie yawned and began to stir, her limbs uncurling. Fluidly conforming to her movements, Adrian murmured against the nape of her neck, "Nat, it's too early to wake, keep her eyes closed."

He hoped she would stay in this carefree moment and drift back to sleep. But instead, Natalie let out a muffled chuckle and continued to stretch against him, determined to greet this new day. And once she was awake, what then? Without reflection or design, Adrian began dusting light kisses from her shoulder to her neck. Still in that no-man's-land between sleep and consciousness, Natalie purred and tilted her head down, granting him further access. Adrian suddenly had visions of rolling her onto her back, liberating her from her skimpy shorts and tank-top, letting his own clothes join hers on the floor…

Adrian groaned quietly, his hips unconsciously rocking forward, his breath suddenly labored. He returned his lips to the nape of her neck, his hand gliding from her hip down her outer thigh, then caressing up her inner thigh. As his hand neared her shorts, her fingers sprang to live. She caught and encircled his wrist, stopping any further explorations. Now wide awake, Natalie scooted away from him, "I'm sorry Adrian, I didn't mean to, to tempt you."

"I know," answering softly, Adrian rolled away from Natalie. He settled on his back, letting out a frustrated sigh and slinging his arm over his face.

Natalie twisted onto her stomach, propping herself up on her elbows. When he remained silent, she grew concerned, "Sweetie, are you mad at me?"

"What? No!" he gasped, surprised by her question. He immediately dropped his arm and met her gaze, a knot forming in his chest. Adrian could see anxiety on her face. He braced himself and began to explain, "Natalie, I, no, I'd never be mad at you because we aren't, you know-" he made a small circular motion with his hand, distracted by what he needed to say. His gaze momentarily shifted away before his troubled eyes returned to her face. "But I, I've been thinking. About yesterday, the avalanche, and I, ah-"

"Don't think it was an accident." Natalie finished his sentence, not as a question, but as a statement.

"Right. Something happened on that mountaintop and, I am so sorry Nat, but I need to find out what." He winced, awaiting her reaction.

"Of course you do," Natalie gave a small smile and reached over and touched his cheek. "Don't apologize, Adrian, you didn't do anything wrong." He rolled his eyes and humphed but Natalie quickly scolded him, "Adrian Monk, you listen to me. You have a wonderful, God-given gift and you need to appreciate it. You see things no one else does and then you make things right. It's who you are, and I love you."

Her words were a balm for his angst-ridden heart. Adrian's lip twitched as he breathed a sigh of relief. "I love you too Nat. But," he grimaced, "I am sorry our plans are ruined."

"Nothing has been ruined yet. Let's just solve this case before our wedding day, okay?" After he nodded, Natalie nuzzled close, settled against his side. For a minute, they remained entwined, still, the mood sober and bittersweet. Without warning, Natalie squirmed and grasped his shirt collar. She trailed kisses from the hollow of his collarbone up to below his ear, stopping only when she elicited a laugh from Adrian. With an impish grin, Natalie rolled over and reached to turn on the light, "Okay detective, play time's over. Go take your shower."

"Yes dear." The light clicked on and Adrian paused, squinting at the sudden brightness. When his vision cleared, Adrian's gaze automatically skimmed over Natalie as she kicked away the covers; the tiny pair of sleep-shorts and two snug, thin-strapped tank tops, pink over white. Modest but at the same time, alluring and sexy. His mind went blank as his eyes drifted, memorizing every dip and curve, every glorious detail. His gaze eventually found her face, her expression telling him to snap out of it, 'play time's over'.

Adrian slid out of bed, a mix of exhilaration and anticipation jolting through his veins. He reached for his robe, pausing when Natalie snorted loudly. Seeing her bemused expression, he followed her gaze and blushed deeply, embarrassed. There was no denying how easily Natalie distracted him. Hastening to the bath, he stoically accepted that cold showers would be the norm this week.

~~~~~LOL~~~~~

When he opened the bathroom door after his shower and shave, Adrian was surprised to find Natalie bright-eyed and ready to go. She was sitting on the made bed, freshly showered and dressed in jeans and a sweater. On reflex he reached up to secure his already closed robe, "Nat, what are you doing?"

"Waiting on you, silly. I went back to my room and changed, made some calls and-" she grinned and pointed to a stack of clothes piled atop the dresser, "picked out your wardrobe for today. Get dressed, we've places to go and people to see."

Leaving his robe on, Adrian turned his back to Natalie and stepped into his boxers and dark brown chinos. He looked over his shoulder at her as he threaded his belt through the loops of his trousers. "What's the plan?"

"I called the sheriff's office and they'll have someone meet us up on North Mountain at noon. Then at four o'clock, the coroner is performing the autopsy. I secured you an invitation. I also called Sharona. She and Benji should be here by nine, so we're going to meet for breakfast downstairs in the restaurant. Lastly, I called Jonathan, thinking you might have some questions for him. He has to work today but said he could spare a few minutes and would meet us at the restaurant around 9:30."

"Sounds good." Adrian chuckled, delighted at how easily she slipped back into the role of assistant. 'You mean Partner!' Natalie's voice whispered in his ear.

"Thank you, Natalie, for everything," he added as he shed his robe and donned a long-sleeve pullover. At the bottom of the clothes pile he discovered a sweater that looked similar to hers. After tugging it over his head, he glanced in the mirror and caught Natalie's eye. She slowly winked as a smirk played across her lips. His breath caught; she was amazingly beautiful and completely owned his heart. He turned to face her, his voice automatically deepening, "Anything else, my lovely a-partner?"

A thoughtful look crossed her face and she counted off the agenda on her fingers, "Nope- breakfast, crime scene and autopsy-pretty much an average day for us."

Seeing it was nearly 8:30, Adrian retrieved his boots and sat next to Natalie on the bed, his weight causing the mattress to dip. She leaned against him and her hand absentmindedly swept across his back. She let out a shaky sigh, "You know, I was just thinking, what if it had been Jonathan? Up there, on the ridge?"

"Oh Nat," He took her into his arms, his body giving comfort while his mind coolly calculated the odds of that scenario. He quickly decided that due to the circumstances, Mike Philips was the intended target. He brushed aside her bangs and kissed her brow, "Natalie, I could be wrong, but it seems as like a lot of effort was made to ensure Mike was caught alone and his death seemed accidental. I will keep my mind open to other possibilities, but I think Jonathan, and his co-workers, are safe."

She braved a smile, "Okay, I trust your intuition." Running her hand up to the base of his neck, she toyed with a curl, "And you are never wrong."

"No, I'm never wrong," he proudly repeated, secure in his prowess as a detective. Dropping his hand to her knee, he gave a light squeeze, grateful that she was willing to always by his side.

~~~~~LOL~~~~~

At first, the talk around the breakfast table was loud and jovial; Sharona and Natalie talked relationships and weddings, bragged about their children and significant others while Julie and Benji compared classes and traded college horror stories. With his thoughts distracted, Adrian offered small answers when prompted, but otherwise remained silent.

Sharona eventually turned to him, asking fatalistically, "So Adrian, you're being too quiet. And I don't think it has anything to do with this-" she smirked and pointed between Natalie and him, "overly-cute matching clothes business. Did something happen? A murder?"

"Mom!" Benji scolded, "I thought you said Mr. Monk's luck has changed."

"Well, something's going on," Sharona's eyes wandered between the couple. Resting her elbows on the table, she joined her hands together in a prayer formation, "Come on guys, spill."

Adrian was the one to talk, detailing the avalanche and his suspicions and then outlining his and Natalie's plans for the afternoon. Just as he finished, Jonathan Davenport approached the table.

After a round of greetings, Jonathan grabbed the empty chair beside Benji, his attention directed at his future brother-in-law, "Sorry I can only stay for a few minutes. Was there something you needed to ask, Adrian?"

The detective immediately questioned, "Did Mike have any enemies? How about his father or mother or siblings, and the resort, any problems you're aware of?"

Jonathan shook his head, "Everyone liked Mike, he's, he was, a great guy. I can't think of anyone holding a grudge against him. And his dad, Sam Philips, is wonderful- great to the employees of Sugar Pine, always trying to improve the resort. I don't' know if this is important but I did hear a rumor that someone was trying to buy-out the resort. Not that Sam would ever sell, he loves this place."

"And Mike's mother?"

"His mom died years ago. He has a step-mother, Tiffany. She's, ahh, kind of bossy? Mike never talked about her, but I don't think he liked her very much. And Mike was an only child, no siblings." Jonathan frowned a bit.

Straightening the silverware on the table, Adrian processed this information. He murmured to Natalie, "I think I would like to speak with Mr. and Mrs. Philips after our two, you know, appointments."

From across the table, Jonathan volunteered, "I could try to set up a meeting for you. I spoke with Sam first thing this morning; I know he's taking the afternoon off to make funereal arrangements. So maybe tomorrow?"

"That would be fine." Natalie answered, sharing a look with Adrian.

"Okay, I'll set it up." Jonathan checked his watch and pushed his chair back, leaping to his feet, "I'm sorry but I've got to run." He came around the table and playfully tousled Julie's hair, "I haven't forgotten about our ski date, Julie. I'm sorry things are a mess right now. I'll let you know when I get some time off." Julie looked up and nodded, accepting his apology.

"Jonathan, one more question. Has anything strange happen lately? Accidents?" Adrian raised an eyebrow thoughtfully.

"Yeah, now that you mention it. Last week, one of the ski lift chairs got tangled up somehow and almost broke loose. No one was on it, thank goodness, but it seemed weird. Okay, I really need to go-I'll see you guys later." With a final wave, he turned and raced from the restaurant.

"So, there really was a murder?" Sharona shook her head in amazement, "God Adrian, you can't get away from it, can you?" He shrugged in agreement and Sharona's gaze drifted to Natalie. "You poor thing, with everything you still need to do for the wedding! This is the last thing you need this week!"

"It's alright, I don't mind," Natalie stoically replied.

"Hey Mom, I got a great idea!" Benji's face lit up, "Why don't you help Mr. Monk? That way Miss Teeger can keep getting ready for the wedding."

Her silverware dropping on her plate with a clatter, Sharona stammered, "Benji, I didn't take a week's vacation to play assistant!" She looked to Natalie then back at her son, a devious look darkening her eyes, "But, you know, you are right about Natalie needing time off. Benji, you're old enough, why don't you help Adrian this week?"

"Me?" "Him?" Benji and Adrian exchanged a surprised look.

"It makes complete sense!" Sharona insisted, "You two can run around and do your crime-fighting while I help Natalie finalized the odds and ends."

"And make sure she keeps her spa appointments!" Julie chimed in, smirking at her mother.

"Exactly!" Sharona turned to Natalie. "Even though I'm sure you're happy to assist Adrian with his investigation, I bet you're also feeling a bit stressed this week. So why not let them work together? And while the boys go do their thing, I pledge to be your assistant, Natalie Teeger. I'll keep you calm and relaxed and focused- sound good to you?"

Natalie found herself nodding, as if in a trance. She startled when Adrian touched her hand, "Nat, what do you think?"

Natalie hesitated, "Well, I don't know, what do you think?"

Though he dreaded the thought of her not assisting him, he could see tension lurking in her indecisive gaze. Adrian decided immediately; Natalie didn't need to be chasing murderers this week. Sharona's offer was an unexpected gift. "I want you to stay with Sharona and let her take care of you. I'll be fine with Benji."

Sharona clapped Benji on the back and laughed, "Congratulations Benj, looks like we've both been hired."

~~~~~LOL~~~~~

With the impression of Natalie's goodbye kiss still lingering on his lips, Adrian followed Benji to the rental car. As they drove away, Adrian glanced back at the women standing on the curb. Natalie, Julie and Sharona waved goodbye and Adrian automatically returned the gesture, happy in knowing his girls would be safe at the lodge. But when he glanced at his young assistant, Adrian felt a little twinge of anxiety.

Little did he know, that little twinge would be just the tip of the iceberg.