Lessons of Love
Chapter 17 Home
Standard disclaimer: I don't own Monk.
Notes: Okay, time to get back to San Francisco! We're finally nearing the wedding (yeah!) but not without a bit of drama first ;)
Sorry for any typos-after reworking this over multiple times, it's time to quit obsessing & just post.
A great big thank you to everyone who reviewed and PM'd, your support has been so wonderful! ~Also, thanks MonkNat08 for the reminder to include the family's reactions to Natalie's condition. I'll try and include some in the next chapters. :)
For Natalie, Adrian and Julie, the journey home was gleeful and lively, a stark contrast to last week's trip out to Lake Tahoe. Eager conversation about tomorrows wedding erased the distresses and troubles of the previous week and restored their joyfulness. The miles rolled by quickly and, as if by magic, they were soon at the city limits.
To their shocked delight, San Francisco had turned picture postcard. With the sky cerulean blue and the flowering trees alit with blossoms, winter had given way to an early spring. Traveling the last few miles home, Natalie and Julie pointed to this and that, oohing and ahhing, marveling at all the vivid colors. Adrian meanwhile fell silent, his heart warmed by the girls' excitement and comforted by familiar sights.
As soon as Natalie parked the car in their driveway, Julie excitedly grabbed her bag from the floorboard and spilled from the backseat, "Yeah we're home!" Unhooking the hanging garment bags that contained her and Natalie's dresses and Adrian's suit, she abandoned the slower moving adults and raced to the house.
While Natalie unbuckled her seatbelt, Adrian remained motionless, his eyes riveted on the house. No, not house…this was their home. Although he naturally had long since memorized the minutest of details, Adrian felt something unexpected as he looked at the front porch that needed a fresh paint job, the windows that needed washing and the front shrubbery that needed to be trimmed.
Today he felt an inexplicable want to spruce up the home's exterior…with his own hands.
Of course he always wanted things neat and clean; it was a compulsion he had lived with, grudgingly accepted and, as of late, tried to tame.
But before today, Adrian had been a firm believer in hiring outside help, professional tradespeople, to tackle particularly unpleasant tasks. After all, what was the allure for homeowners in doing these messy jobs themselves? From having read a stack of baby-preparedness books, he now recognized it was a phenomenon called 'nesting' and he, to his shocked surprise, had willingly fallen victim.
He, Adrian Monk, wanted to tackle these dirty jobs!
Although he would, of course, need protective gear- gloves and coveralls and safety glasses and-
Natalie's voice brought him from his revelry, "Glad to be home, honey?" Eyes aglow, Adrian nodded, unable to verbalize the enormity of his shifting emotions. Smiling in return, Natalie reached over and unclasped his seatbelt. "How about we go in then?"
Opening his door, Adrian startled when Natalie popped the car's trunk and called out, "Let's get our bags first."
Adrian joined her at the back of the car, "Nat, we're leaving again tomorrow. Why don't we just leave the luggage in the trunk?"
Natalie reached into the trunk and turned a bag upright. "Sweetie it's like 75 degrees and we're going to be going to a beach house! We need to swap out our flannels and snow pants for t-shirts and shorts!"
"Oh, yeah!" Adrian unenthusiastically replied, aware that Natalie would undoubtedly insist he wear shorts and go barefoot on the beach.
His negativity quickly dissolved though when Natalie, her eyes crinkled with joy, happily started singing, "Beach Baby, Beach Baby, give me your hand, give me something that I can remember-" * Natalie held her hand out with a flourish and Adrian, shaking his head in amusement, handed her her lightweight overnight bag. She continued to hum as she practically skipped to the house and he followed his bride, dutifully lugging the heavier bags.
Julie was just coming down the staircase from her bedroom as Adrian and Natalie began their ascent. She stepped aside to let them pass and offered, "I'll get lunch started while you two get yourselves situated."
"Thanks angel, that'd be wonderful." Natalie called as she followed Adrian into their bedroom. Dropping her small bag on a chair by the doorway, she pulled her suitcase from Adrian's hand and tossed it on the bed. Within seconds she was gleefully removing her heavy sweaters and flannel-lined pants, "Sun and surf, here we come!"
Adrian gently placed his suitcase at the foot of the bed and stared in disbelief at Natalie's wild repacking. As she squashed, rolled and flattened her skirts and shorts and blouses, he lamented, "Natalie, all your clothes will be wrinkled!"
Tossing a pair of sandals into the bag, she zipped it closed and knowingly chuckled, "Hey, all yours are going to be wrinkled too!"
"Highly unlikely." Adrian scoffed, methodically buffing out a microscopic smudge on the suitcase's buckle.
Natalie sidled over, grinning, "I guarantee they'll wrinkle." Turning to face him, she squeezed between Adrian and the bed and playfully plopped onto his still-closed suitcase. She looked up at him with a wicked smile, "That's what'll happen when they're lying in a pile on the floor next to mine."
"Natalie hush." Adrian admonished, glancing at the open door.
Natalie teased, "Julie can't hear, she's downstairs." Taking his hands, she smirked, "What happened to that bold, spontaneous man from Lake Tahoe?"
Taking Natalie's teasing as both a challenge and invitation, Adrian took a step back, tugging her to her feet. Keeping ahold of her hands, he wrapped his arms around her back, trapping her in his embrace. Barely smiling, his eyes drifted from her eyes to her parted lips. When he raised his eyes again, his gaze was raw and direct and wanting.
Natalie went still, color rising in her cheeks, her breath catching. The air was tense between them, crackling with anticipation. He dipped his face, his eyelids dropping, their lips hovering ever so close-
"Hey folks!" Floating up from the kitchen, Julie's voice broke the silence, "Ten minutes till lunch."
Adrian blinked several times and, with his face relaxing and his eyes twinkling happily, kissed her forehead. Loosening his grip, he puckishly growled, "Go downstairs woman, you're distracting me from packing."
"Fine, but-" Natalie slid from his arms, huffing dramatically, "let me just nudge you along."
She quickly raided both the closet and dresser, stacking his lightweight shirts and khakis on the bed. Pointedly placing his only pair of cargo shorts on top of the pile (shorts she had forced him to purchase and were, as of yet, still unworn), she gave his a quick kiss, "Okay, I'm leaving. Don't dawdle."
Left alone, Adrian methodically unpacked, putting away his winter clothes with care. When the suitcase was finally empty, he hesitated, suddenly feeling hot. It's not really empty.
Adrian drew his burning fingers along the zipper that secured an inner compartment. Inside was Sharona's 'pre-wedding' gift, something Adrian wanted to divulge to Natalie last night but, for some unnamable reason, hadn't. Instead, when they retired to his room, his planned speech simply dissolved on his tongue. Forgetting both past and future, he had freely given in to that moment- to her warm embrace and eager kisses, her touch stirring a hunger that, as they joined together in the tangled sheets, softened to an unrushed tenderness.
Adrian gasped, suddenly realizing he had acted spontaneously!
Natalie's voice, calling him downstairs, yanked him from the memories of last night and back to the task at hand. He grabbed the cargo shorts and, in the spirit of being bold and impulsive, hurriedly packed his suitcase, wrinkles be damned! Lifting the bag off the bed and placing it by the door, he bound down the staircase. With no set plan in mind, he excitedly wondered where today, the last day of their engagement, might lead.
~~~~~LOL~~~~~
TK Stottlemeyer was admittedly annoyed.
With her husband downstairs in his home office on the phone, she grumbled under her breathe as she unpacked her suitcase, "He was supposed to have the rest of the weekend off. Damn it, I can't believe he has to work."
When TK finished unpacking both her and Leland's bags, she headed downstairs. Veering off into the kitchen to make lunch, she was happily surprised to find Leland leaning into the refrigerator. Sneaking up behind him, she gave him a playful slap, "I hope this means you're 'off the clock'."
Straightening upright, the Captain yelped, "I wasn't working." Closing the refrigerator door, he grinned sheepishly, "Actually, I'm working on a special project. A surprise for the wedding."
"Do tell." TK, intrigued, led her husband over to the kitchen table.
As the Captain explained his plan, TK sat quietly, enraptured. When he finished, she stroked his face, completely pleased, "You really are the best Best Man."
Remembering how encouraging Adrian had been when Leland and TK's engagement hit a rough patch, a smile formed under Leland's mustache. "Well, I learned from the best."
~~~~~LOL~~~~~
After enjoying Julie's simple yet satisfying lunch, Adrian and Natalie stood side by side at the kitchen sink, sedately doing dishes. With 'the cook' banished to the living room, lounging in front of the TV, the couple lapsed into a comfortable silence, Adrian washing and Natalie drying, their hands touched every time he passed her an item.
Distracted by a blur of pink, Adrian raised his eyes from his task and looked out the window. Caught in a gust of wind were flower petals from the pink flowering cherry, a tree Mitch and Natalie had planted in the backyard to celebrate Julie's birth.
As Adrian watched the petals scatter, he remembered how, as a boy, he had sat in his pitifully nondescript bedroom (alone, of course) looking out the window. Every spring the backyard in Tewksbury had been awash with color- a saucer magnolia towering above a blanket of blue muscari, a verdant lawn bordered by a hedge of bridal-wreath spirea and scattered tufts of bleeding hearts, hyacinth, crocus and narcissus.
Alas, Adrian was aware these flowers, faithfully tended by a helpful neighbor after Jack deserted the family, were all planted when the house was originally built. Not one thing had been planted in remembrance for the Monk boys.
"Adrian?" Natalie gently tugged a plate from his hand.
Pulling his eyes from the window, seeing her loving gaze, Adrian knew. He needed to make tomorrow's ceremony perfect for Natalie.
And to do that, he had but one option.
~~~~~LOL~~~~~
After placing a small overnight bag and his garment bag containing his wedding suit into the backseat, Adrian looked over the sedan's hood, "Natalie, you know you don't have to drive me. I can take a taxi."
"It's not a problem." As Adrian settled into the passenger seat, Natalie opened the door and slid into the driver's seat, saying, "Besides, I'd love to see your brother." Clicking her seatbelt and starting the engine, she chuckled, "And maybe I'm a little curious about what Sam Philips' caterers are doing to Ambrose's house."
"Oh, so you're going to snoop?" Adrian teased.
Her eyes focused on the road ahead, Natalie exclaimed, "I am not a snoop!"
"Hmm, unless I'm wrong, and, you know, I'm not, yesterday in Lake Tahoe you said you wanted to be surprised." Adrian smugly reminded her.
Lightheartedly debating about surprises and surprise-alerts, the couple soon found their way to Tewksbury. As they turned onto Ambrose's street, Natalie became serious. "Adrian, are you sure you want to do this alone? I can stay and help."
Adrian remained silent, momentarily distracted as they approached the blue Tudor- style house. Parked in the driveway were two white vans, both bearing the 'Sugar Pine Lodge' logo. Adrian's heart leapt when he noticed that the front yard was freshly mowed, the rickety swing set moved to a neighbor's yard, and the porch tastefully decorated with ribbons and flower arrangements.
Once they parked by the curb, Adrian turned back to Natalie, "No, I can handle this. You should spend the day with Julie- she's not home much since college."
Not wanting to worry her, Adrian left unsaid his fear that, if he didn't stay the night, Jack would somehow ruin the wedding - either by disappearing or, under the guise of celebrating, his over-indulging in his love of bourbon.
Dropping his eyes, Adrian reached over and lightly palmed her belly, "Enjoy your 'girls only' night, Nat."
Placing her hand atop his, she sighed happily, "It amazes me how sure you are the baby's a girl."
"It's a gift," Adrian smirked, leaning over to give her a soft kiss before withdrawing his hand and unbuckling his seatbelt. Exiting the car, he opened the back door and reached in for his luggage. Head inside the car, he didn't notice the front door of the house opening.
Natalie came around and leaned against the car, studying his back. "Seriously though, call me if you want me to come back. I can even bring Julie. This is a lot to deal with- there's the house and yard, the food and flowers." Her eyes drifted towards the home and her voice softened, "There's your brother-" then hardened, "and your father."
His back to the house, Adrian straightened, the overnight bag weighing down his right shoulder and the garment bag clasped in his left hand. He closed the car door using his elbow, his brow suddenly furrowed, "Ambrose will be fine, but Jack? I don't know -"
Touching his arm, she whispered, "No Adrian. They're coming toward us."
He turned; Ambrose and Jack were coming down the walkway.
Adrian's chest tightened, his emotions suddenly skirmishing. He couldn't help but feel pride as he watched his brother, albeit a bit hesitantly, venture out of the house. However, since he hadn't seen or spoken to Jack since that Christmas visit almost five years ago, he felt not only a swell of excitement and anxiety but also, he had to admit, a bit of resentment.
Still ten feet away, Ambrose paused and raised his hand timidly, "Hey brother." His eyes then darted to Natalie and, with his face completely lighting up, lurched forward and closed the distance quickly. "Natalie, salutations and congratulations!"
Natalie gave him an enthusiastic hug, "Ambrose, I'm so happy to see you!"
While Ambrose and Natalie stood arm in arm cheerfully chattered about the wedding and his being outside, Adrian and Jack shared an awkward hello and, as Adrian juggled his luggage, attempted, then quickly terminated, a clumsy one-armed hug.
Father and son fell into a scattered conversation, jumping from the wedding (tomorrow, right here at the house!) to Jack's truck driving (yep, I'm still doing the long hauls) to Jack's health (doing great, just some minor aches and pains) to Adrian's also looking well (I am well…I'm happy).
Five lost years covered in less than two minutes, their give-and-take came to a grinding halt. Unnerved by the silence, Adrian fidgeted and shifted his shoulder.
Although her attention was on Ambrose, in her peripheral vision Natalie saw Adrian's restlessness. She quickly steered her and Ambrose's conversation to a close, promising to continue their talk tomorrow. She then turned to face Adrian, her hardened eyes and stilted expression saying 'okay, I'm ready to meet him. I'll try and be nice, but, since I know how he mistreated you, no promises.'
Although he had a sense of her sudden fury, Adrian was happy he could not read Natalie's exact thoughts, fearing he might be scarred by the condemnations and obscenities she undoubtedly wanted to hurl at Jack. And yes, she was most likely right- Jack most likely hadn't changed and was probably still a self-centered, narcissistic 'b'… bastard.
Yet Adrian held on to a small flicker of hope. Maybe Jack's return signified he was, at long last, ready to be a father. And in an odd twist of fate, as Adrian suffered both the intense joys and crushing fears of impending fatherhood, he realized he finally wanted Jack back in his life. (Although why he was ready to accept Jack was an inscrutable mystery; it was obviously not for guidance or advice- Lord knows Jack was not a parental role model.)
In the mere moment Adrian held Natalie's gaze, he wordlessly acknowledged her anger, thanked her for being his protector, and pleaded for her restraint and patience. She gave an imperceptible nod and looped her arm through his, her jaw hardening.
Adrian's voice was gravely, solemn, "Nat, I'd like you to meet Jack. And-" Tilting his face up, heart full of pride, he beamed, "Jack, this is Natalie Teeger, my betrothed."
"It's a pleasure to meet you." Jack smiled easily and held his hand out, only to retract it in embarrassment when she unflinchingly ignored it. Natalie remained silent and Jack, with forced enthusiasm, offered, "I've heard so much about you."
"You have? That's strange, considering you haven't spoken to Adrian in years." Natalie growled though clenched teeth, her fingers tightening around Adrian's bicep.
The Monk brothers exchanged a look while the color drained from Jack's face. Mired in an excruciatingly awkward silence, Jack cleared his throat and shot a look to his eldest son.
Ambrose sprang into action, stammering, "Natalie, I'm sorry, that's my fault. When Dad came home I told him about Adrian and… you..."
"Ambrose, it's okay." Adrian gently interrupted. Staring directly at Jack, he diplomatically ventured, "We all have a lot of catching up to do- it'll take time…and everything's exponentially chaotic right now because of the wedding."
Ambrose interrupted, "Actually Adrian, the wedding preparations seem to be going quiet smoothly. The caterers showed up early this morning, 7:AM to be exact. All day it's been a nonstop whirlwind of activity." Eagerly focusing in on his future sister-in-law, he waved a hand towards the house, "Natalie, did you want to come in and see?"
"No thanks, I want to be surprised," she smirked, playfully bumping her hip against Adrian's. She then reached out and gently pried the garment bag from Adrian's hand, passing it over to Ambrose, "But why don't you take Adrian inside and show him what they've done?"
Holding the bag reverently, Ambrose turned, obviously anxious to return the safety of the house. "Come on Adrian."
Adrian's mouth fell open to protest but Natalie grasped his now empty hand and tugged him sideways, murmuring, "Go on, Sweetie. I'd like to have a few words with Jack. In private."
In private? Adrian took a small sidestep, shielding Natalie from Jack and Ambrose's curious eyes, and cocked an eyebrow, "Natalie?"
"It'll be okay, I swear. I just want to have a little chat." She winked, whispering, "I promise I won't kill him."
He rolled his eyes, "Of course not. I'd, you know, know you were the guy and be forced to arrest you." She gave a small snicker in agreement and they both fell silent. God, he did not want to say goodbye. He shrugged and lamely murmured, "Anyway-"
"Anyway." She repeated, taking a deep breath. "Go on inside and," Natalie smiled and placed her free hand above his heart, her eyes misting over, "I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Monk."
Already imagining Natalie in her wedding dress, promising to love him forevermore, his heart was a wild bird, fluttering in his chest. He rested his hand atop hers and tears found their way to his eyes.
Oblivious to their surroundings, he stooped down and lightly kissed her lips. As he leaned away, he whispered, his voice quivering and husky, "I'll be counting the minutes."
"I know you will," She smirked. After a moment, their smiles faded; it was time.
Natalie slid her arms up around his neck and they folded together, murmuring vows of love and devotion. But while saying their final goodbye, Adrian's arms only tightened, unwilling to let her go. Natalie rubbed his back, whispering, "Until tomorrow." Withdrawing from his embrace, she smiled encouragingly, "Now go inside and make sure everything's level and even."
Too choked up to return her banter, he nodded. Blind to Jack and Ambrose, Adrian silently repeated her words as a mantra- until tomorrow, until tomorrow, until tomorrow- as he headed straight for the house.
Ambrose quickly nodded farewell to Natalie and was immediately at Adrian's heels, garment bag flapping behind him. Eyes ahead and unspeaking, the brothers strode up the walkway and across the front porch.
It wasn't until they passed through the open door that Ambrose looked back and questioned, "Should we wait for Dad?"
With his eyes quickly adjusting from the bright sunlight, Adrian mutely scanned the foyer, completely in awe.
White miniature lights woven through garlands of ribbon, hydrangea and baby's breath radiated a soft glow while a scattering of arrangements comprised of orchids, sweet peas and lilies of the valley sweetly scented the air. The room was warm and welcoming and elegantly beautiful.
It was, alas, almost perfect. Adrian sighed, ruefully noticing the floral arrangements had flowers grouped in odd numbers and at different heights.
"Adrian?" Ambrose prodded, gingerly touching the door.
Distractedly wondering where the caterers were so he could ask them to fix the flowers, Adrian stepped next to his brother. Without a glance outside, he decisively closed the front door, unable to hold back an impetuous laugh, "Nope, he's on his own."
~~~~~LOL~~~~~
*Music trivia- The song Natalie was singing, "Beach Baby", a quintessential California surf tune, was written by British songwriter John Carter & his wife Gillian Shakespeare and recorded by the UK one-hit-wonder band The First Class.
A/N: Sorry to keep delaying the wedding but we first need to deal with Jack's return. So next chapter we'll see if Jack survives Natalie's 'chat' and then, lol, we'll spend the night with the Monk men.