The Ellisons returned to Los Angeles the following day, with promises to come back in a month's time for the wedding – and Peggy, now that she and Marcia had reconnected, had prevailed on them to spend a week at the Davenports' Monterey home following the festivities.

Natalie and Adrian met with Cassandra almost daily, sorting out various wedding details. It was truly astonishing to realize just how many details there were to take care of, Adrian thought. He hadn't been fully aware of how much work Marcia and Trudy had put into planning his first wedding so long ago, until now.

Even so, Cassandra made the process a hundred times easier than it otherwise would have been. They heavily relied on her expertise and advice in most matters, although Natalie called her mother occasionally for a second opinion — a concession that gratified Peggy immensely.

Amid the activity, Adrian was happier than he'd ever thought possible. HIs OCD had subsided enormously, to the point where he'd even conceded to having a receiving line immediately after the wedding ceremony (to Peggy Davenport's great relief, as she'd nearly fainted in shock when Natalie had mentioned not having one). He was going to voluntarily shake hands with approximately one hundred people, and he wasn't even dreading it… much.

He could drive again. He could laugh again. Every day, he felt happy instead of miserable. And despite feeling, especially at night, that he was going to die of sexual frustration, even that was a glad reminder that he could feel desire again — and anyway, it was only temporary. Their wedding night was fast approaching, and some days he could hardly contain his anticipation and longing. In that regard, it was like the weeks before his first wedding all over again.

It was actually a good thing that Julie had finished her freshman year at Berkeley and had moved back in for the summer, because having her around as a "chaperone" of sorts kept them from getting into too much trouble.

Natalie had recovered with rapid speed. She was now eight weeks out from the accident, and officially off all restrictions. Only those who knew her intimately, as he did, would see the occasional twinge of pain on her face, or notice that she tired a bit more easily than she once had. He was immensely grateful that she was back to her old self again, save her inability to drive and her heightened anxiety.

It was a bit ironic that she'd had mental issues flare up at the same time his had finally abated somewhat. But her anxiety wasn't nearly as debilitating as his OCD had been, and she was learning to manage it with Dr. Bell's help. They'd mutually agreed to put off any discussion about her attempting to drive again until after the wedding, as they both accepted that they had enough on their plates at the moment.

Adrian was most worried not about the wedding, but about his upcoming bachelor party. Leland had refused to give him the slightest hint or clue about what he was planning. Even Randy was in the dark. All he knew was that Leland would pick him up on Saturday, two weeks prior to the wedding, at seven o'clock sharp. He didn't even know what time he'd be back home. And despite the progress he'd made in overcoming his OCD, he was beside himself wondering what Leland had planned, so much so that he spent all day Saturday cleaning obsessively.

Julie had fled the house earlier, opting to spend the day with friends. Natalie had had enough by five o'clock and ordered him upstairs to shower and dress, just to keep him from scrubbing the kitchen floor for the third time. He obeyed, albeit grumpily — there was still a smudge or two on the floor he could have taken care of — but he had to admit, it helped having something a little more constructive to keep himself occupied.

When he came back downstairs nearly two hours later, Natalie, who was curled up on the couch with her laptop, did a double-take. "Adrian," she said, her eyes as wide as saucers, "you're wearing jeans."

Her astonished stare made him squirm miserably. He looked down at his outfit — blue jeans, a silvery-gray T-shirt, and a black sport coat, cut very casually — then back up at her.

Her mouth was hanging open, and she abruptly snapped it shut. "I didn't even know you owned a pair of jeans."

He sighed. "Julie took me shopping again."

Her eyes lit with humor. "Oh, is that what you two were doing yesterday?" He and Julie had mysteriously disappeared for the afternoon and, after they'd returned, all they would say was that they'd been out running errands. Adrian had hustled the bags he'd carried up to the guest room before she could peek into them. Assuming it was a wedding-related surprise, Natalie hadn't pried.

"She said she couldn't let me show up to my bachelor party looking like her history professor," Adrian explained with another sigh. "The next thing I knew, we were at a store and she was shoving all these clothes at me, and making me try them on. And then, for some strange reason, I bought them. I'm still not sure how it happened."

Natalie couldn't hide a grin. Trust Julie to have Adrian wrapped around her little finger without him even knowing it. She'd done the same thing to Mitch.

"Do I look ridiculous?" he asked, flushing with embarrassment as he fiddled with his coat sleeves.

"No, you don't." She swallowed, very much liking the way the T-shirt skimmed down his torso, and there was something extremely debonair about casual cut of the sport coat when paired with the blue jeans. "To be completely honest, you look sexy as hell."

He stopped fiddling with his jacket, and a small smile touched his lips. "Really?"

"Oh, yeah." Her eyes, alight with desire, traveled down his body.

The hungry expression on her face made his entire body feel tight. "Maybe I should skip the party and stay here," he suggested, his eyes glinting.

Natalie shook her head emphatically. "Leland would have my head."

There was a loud hammering at the door, and she grinned. "Speak of the devil," she said, hopping up from the couch to answer it.

"Hey, Natalie!" Leland Stottlemeyer greeted her enthusiastically as he stepped inside.

When he caught sight of Adrian, he recoiled slightly in surprise, but seconds later a wide grin crossed his face. "Whoa, look at you!"

"Pretty snazzy, huh?" Natalie said cheerfully.

"You look great!" Leland circled him once, then clapped him on the back. "And here I thought you were dreading this."

Adrian rolled his shoulders, a tic he hadn't been able to shed entirely. "I am dreading it."

"We're going to have a great time," Leland told him. "You'll thank me later!"

"I doubt that," Adrian muttered.

Natalie hugged him good-bye and kissed his cheek. "Have fun, boys."

"I promise I'll have him back in one piece," Leland said, all but dragging Adrian out the door. "Eventually."

Natalie giggled at the imploring look Adrian shot her, and waved at them as they drove away.

Leland insisted on blindfolding him and covering his ears with (freshly sanitized) ear protectors, the same type used at the police shooting range. Adrian's protests were useless. "If I don't, you're going to figure out where we're going in under five minutes, and then it won't be a surprise," Leland said firmly.

They drove for what seemed like hours to Adrian, but was in reality only about half an hour. When they stopped, Leland took Adrian's hand to carefully lead him somewhere. After a few minutes, he could tell they were inside a building — he could feel carpet beneath his feet, and, oh God, he could smell beer, and popcorn, and other concession-style food. Please don't let it be a strip club, he thought desperately. Or a karaoke bar. Either prospect was an absolute nightmare to even contemplate.

A few minutes later, Leland removed the ear protectors, and Adrian ripped off the blindfold in relief. A burst of applause and whooping, combined with the sudden influx of light, disoriented him for a few moments. As he blinked rapidly, the room gradually came into focus.

He was first aware of the people. Randy, Dr. Bell, and a few of the detectives he knew best from Stottlemeyer's squad were crowded at the bar.

He was pleased to see Joe Christie, whom he hadn't seen in years. Joe had transferred to another precinct shortly after his reinstatement, but they'd exchanged the occasional card and phone call. He'd been one of the few people Adrian had told about the resolution of Trudy's case immediately after it'd happened. Most recently, Joe had called him with congratulations after seeing the article about his engagement in the Dispatch, and again for moral support in the days following Natalie's accident.

Bobby Davenport was here, whom he'd expected, but so was Jonathan Davenport, whom he hadn't expected. Also present were his father and, to his shocked surprise, Ambrose.

Once his eyes had adjusted he glanced around the room, taking in his surroundings. A plush room with couches, tables, a private bar, and… and two bowling lanes?

"Bowling?" he said incredulously.

"Bowling!" Leland said, grinning hugely. "This is a private suite, so we have it all to ourselves for the evening."

Adrian smiled tentatively, although he felt trepidation. He hadn't bowled in years, not since he'd gone undercover at Warren Kemp's firm. And if Leland expected him to rent a pair of bowling shoes, he was sorely mistaken. Perhaps his OCD wasn't as bad as it had been, but he still drew a hard and fast line at sharing shoes with other people.

Leland seemed to know exactly what he was thinking. "Not to worry," he said. "I have a pair of brand-new, never-been-worn bowling shoes for you. And I made sure you'd have a ten-pound ball." He slapped Adrian's shoulder. "C'mon, let's go have some fun."

To his great astonishment, it was fun. His bowling skills were rusty at first, but he soon warmed up, and awed the crowd by bowling nearly perfect games. Amazingly enough, his father's skill was nearly equal to his own, and Ambrose didn't do too badly considering it was his first time at a bowling alley. In fact, Ambrose not only did a creditable job bowling, he actually seemed to be having a good time, despite the fact that he was in a unfamiliar locale surrounded by mostly strangers. Adrian never would have believed it if he hadn't been there.

After bowling two straight games, he had to sit down and catch his breath. There was food, and an open bar, but he eschewed both in favor of a bottle of water. Of course, Leland had made sure the suite was stocked with his favorite brand.

"That was some performance, Adrian," Jonathan Davenport said, plopping down in the chair across from his. "How long have you been bowling?"

Adrian chuckled. "I've only been bowling once before in my life, and that was several years ago," he confessed. "I seem to have a knack for it."

"I'll say," Jonathan agreed. He had a gin and tonic in his hand, and he took a long sip. "How's Natalie doing?"

"She's well," Adrian said. "I assume she doesn't know you're in town?"

Jonathan shook his head. "Actually, that's what I came to talk to you about. I was hoping we could meet for brunch tomorrow so I could surprise her. Mom and Dad want to come too, of course, and they've already invited Julie – she doesn't know I'm here yet, either. What do you say?"

"Sounds great." Adrian smiled, already looking forward to both Natalie and Julie's reactions. "Did you have someplace in mind?"

"Do you know Ella's, on Presidio?"

"Sure." It was a restaurant not far from his old apartment.

"We could meet there around eleven, if that works for you."

"Absolutely. We'll be there." Adrian filed it away in his mental calendar. "Do you fly back to Seattle tomorrow?"

"Actually, I'm staying in town until after the wedding," Jonathan said. "I felt bad that I had to miss the medal ceremony, so I figured I'd come out early and spend some quality time with my big sister and my favorite niece before the big day." He grinned. "And get to know my new brother-in-law better."

Adrian grinned too. "I'd like that." A brother-in-law was something he'd never had before, given that he had no sisters and Trudy had been an only child, so it was a new experience for him. He liked Jonathan, very much, and was tremendously grateful they'd managed to expose Theresa Scott/Darlene Coolidge/Phyllis Gaffney before she could execute her heinous plot.

Jonathan finished off his drink. "Well, I'm going to go get another one of these, and then I think I'll give my dad a run for his money on the lanes. I'll talk to you later."

A moment later, Joe Christie dropped into the seat that Jonathan had vacated. "Well, how the hell are you, stranger?"

"Joe!" Delighted, Adrian reached over to shake his hand. "Thanks for coming. It's great to see you."

"Likewise." Joe looked him up and down. "I gotta say, Monk, you look really great."

Adrian flushed, but smiled. "I feel really great these days."

"I can tell." Joe sipped from a bottle of beer. "I have to admit, I was worried about you when I heard Sharona had left, but it looks like it all worked out for the best. I can't wait to meet Natalie."

"She's looking forward to meeting you, too. She really liked the card you sent a few weeks ago."

Joe shrugged modestly. "Least I could do. How's she feeling?"

"Back to normal, for the most part."

"I'm glad to hear it." Joe shook his head. "That was a hell of a thing. What happened to the guy who hit her?"

Adrian smiled grimly. "He pled guilty to everything. Second-degree murder, grand theft auto, and felony DUI, plus a few lesser charges."

Joe raised his eyebrows. "No plea deal?"

"No." Only Leland Stottlemeyer knew about the fifteen minutes that Adrian had spent with Jerry Horn a few days following Natalie's discharge from the hospital - fifteen minutes that had convinced Jerry Horn that jail was the safest place for him, compared to the wrath of Adrian Monk if he tried to pursue a lesser sentence. "The district attorney refused to offer one, and the evidence was so stacked against him that a trial would have been pointless. He's in prison for sixty years, eligible for parole in forty — if he lives that long." But chances were that Jerry Horn would never be a free man again.

"Well, good," Joe said emphatically. "The important thing is that he's off the streets and he can't hurt anyone else."

Adrian nodded his agreement.

"Yo, Adrian!" He twisted in his seat to find his father calling his name. "We need a fifth man! Get over here!"

He grinned at Joe. "Duty calls, I guess."

"We'll catch up later," Joe promised.