"You didn't forget your birthday, did you?", she teased. "I know Molly has been the one throwing your party for the past two years, but now I want to do it."

"Natalie...", he stammered, "there is really no need."

"I don't want to hear that", she retorted sharply. "Do you remember the party I gave you three years ago? I managed to fool you, even though you were convinced I wasn't smart enough to outwit the famous detective Monk", she said, laughing sweetly.

Of course he remembered, now more than ever. Not only did this beautiful woman manage to trick him and throw him a party to remember, but she cunningly managed to get under his skin and make him fall madly in love with her.

"You didn't forget your birthday, did you?", she teased. "I know Molly has been the one throwing your party for the past two years, but now I want to do it."

" Trudy sent you someone to love."

Adrian was grateful for every moment he spent with his stepdaughter and hoped there would be more. She had taken over the organization of his two previous birthdays and he had no objection to it.

However, it was different now. Now Natalie was all he could think about, and he knew he couldn't refuse her.

"Mr. Monk?"

He was so engrossed in his own thoughts that he flinched at her words.

"Yes?"

"Where have you wandered off to?"

"I was thinking about the past", he said.

"I hope you have been thinking about the birthday party, since you are in for a much better party."

"Natalie, I don't know what to say."

"Mr. Monk", she whispered and took his hand. "I really want to do that for you." Then she paused and sighed deeply. "There is something I haven't told you."

"What?", Adrian frowned.

Natalie looked into his eyes, and he was sure he could drown in the green of those eyes.

"After we found out about Steven's transfer, I decided to look for a job in Atlanta. I applied online and this morning they told me that they have an opening next month. I will be working as a personal assistant to a businessman."

Monk shook his head in disbelief. All this was too much for him. She couldn't leave him, especially since Steven was a murderer! But Monk still wasn't completely sure and had to keep quiet.

"That's why I want to organize a party for you, I want to say goodbye to you in a special way."

Then she hugged him tightly, and he hugged her back, for the first time. She was too shaken to think about it, and Adrian let his emotions get better of him and nuzzled his head into her neck.

Natalie cleared her throat and wiped away the tears she knew were inevitable, and rubbed Adrian's shoulder.

"I talked to Randy. He's going to walk me down the aisle on my wedding day. I'm sorry I dared to ask you, I should have known it wasn't a good idea."

"Natalie...", he said, but his voice was almost broken.

"You don't have to say anything", she said and walked towards the exit. "I can't tell you anything about the party, but it's enough that you know about it", she winked. "Be assured that it will be the best birthday party of your life."

"Planning to bring cowboy Hank?", he teased.

"It will be much better", she replied. "By the way, I won't be able to come early tomorrow morning, I have to help Julie with the preparations for the move, I have left too many responsibilities to her, but I will take your coats now."

"Coats?", he winced.

"Yes, I'm taking them to the dry cleaners tomorrow. I was wearing shirts today. Did you forget?"

"No", he shook his head sharply, "I didn't forget, I just don't think you should wear them now, they are clean."

Natalie gave him a confused look.

"Today is Tuesday, and on Tuesdays I take your shirts to the dry cleaners, and on Wednesdays I wear your coats. I have been doing this for the last seven years. What has changed?"

"Listen Natalie, I will do it myself, there's no need for you to stress", he stammered.

"Don't make this difficult for me, Mr. Monk", she said, agitated. "You know it's not hard for me and I want to work for you until the last day, so let me do my job."

Saying that, she reached for the coats that were hanging in the hanger, but as she folded them, something fell out of the floor.

Natalie bent down to pick up the bag that contained the ring and looked at Adrian in amazement.

"Mr. Monk, why is Steven's ring in your pocket?"

Adrian swallowed the dumpling, unprepared for this development.

"Natalie, I...I don't know what to tell you", he admitted.

"How do you mean", she frowned.

"Please come inside and sit down, we can't talk here", he suggested.

"What is it about, Mr. Monk? I don't understand, why and when did you take Steven's ring? It was a gift from his uncle, he doesn't wear it often, but I know it's his ring."

He went back into the living room and she followed him. He poured water into a glass and handed it to her, and she looked at him in surprise. Then he sat down close to her and for a few seconds he looked into her eyes without blinking.

"Mr. Monk", she spoke, breaking the imposed silence. "Will you finally tell me what this is about?"

"Natalie...You know I can't lie, but I also don't want to hurt you..."

He knew he would be wrong if he told her, but he would be even more wrong if he lied. He had to play with open cards.

"For God's sake, Mr. Monk, how can you hurt me? You've become quite mysterious lately. Are you hiding something from me? Does it have anything to do with Leyla?"

"Leyla? No, she has nothing to do with this, in fact, maybe she does…" he trailed off.

Natalie raised an eyebrow and gave him a sly smile. Monk understood what she meant and shook his head vigorously.

"No Natalie, I'm not in love with Leyla."

"I didn't say anything," she giggled. "Okay, how is she connected to Steven's ring? Why don't you explain to me what it is?"

Monk sighed deeply and ran a hand through his hair.

"Okay. I'll put this as simply as I can. It's a case I'm working on. I have reasonable suspicions that Steven was involved in the murder of the model. I think he killed her."

Natalie was thankful she was sitting because she was sure her legs would have given her out if she had stood.

She stared at Adrian Monk with wide eyes and wondered if she had heard what he said correctly. Her throat was dry and she grabbed the glass and drained the water.

"Natalie, are you okay?"

Adrian's face was worried, so much so that he regretted his words, but it was too late. She sighed deeply and shook her head in disbelief.

"What did you say?"

"Maybe we should forget about it and…"

"Mr. Monk!" she raised her voice, "how can you accuse my fiancé of something so heinous? Why?"

She looked at him with tear filled eyes and he felt his heart tighten. He knew it would be hard, he damn well knew it!

"Natalie, there is some evidence . . ."

"Evidence? You mean to say that the man I love was the lover of some model over there, and in just a month he's going to be my husband?!"

"You have no idea how sorry I am," he whispered.

Natalie shook her head violently, wiping away tears.

"Is your evidence reliable? Is that ring your evidence? Are you absolutely sure of what you are saying?"

"I haven't yet," he admitted, "but I will be after I take the ring in for the fingerprinting. Leyla helped me with this investigation. I found Steven's ring in the hotel room the victim was in a few days ago."

"Leyla..." Natalie frowned. "Why don't you and your new friend commit to each other and leave my fiancé and I alone?!"

"Natalie, please..."

She looked at him carefully. It was her boss, the infallible Adrian Monk. He always had the ability to sniff out the culprit and unmask him, no matter how smart he was. She wholeheartedly supported him in everything, but this time he spilled the beans. She could never imagine that he would do something like this to her.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked quietly, looking at him as if seeing him for the first time.

"Natalie..."

"Why do you want to destroy my happiness? Don't you care about me at all, even though you said you were sorry for everything you did in the past just yesterday?

Adrian jumped to his feet and looked at her in disbelief.

"Of course I care about you Natalie, more than you can imagine!"

"Really?" she asked mockingly, moving closer to him. "Then why are you telling me all that? Do you think I'm going to believe that the man I love and have known for three years is capable of killing?"

Adrian suddenly became angry.

"Are you going to think that a man you've known for almost eight years is lying to you?"

"Come on, Mr. Monk," she snorted angrily and headed for the exit. "You're no liar, you just don't want to lose your faithful assistant. That's why you told me about your change, begged me for forgiveness...", she paused and let the last tear slide down her cheek.

"I'm only sorry that I trusted you and hoped that you would be able to change. Goodbye."

Adrian stood by the door and stared at it for a minute. She left. He did what he had to do and now he may have lost her forever. He hadn't kept his promise to Leland, and he still wasn't sure of Albright's guilt.

"Damn me!" he cried and collapsed next to the door, emotions overwhelming him.

The night found Monk sitting stiffly on his couch, holding a photo of Natalie, Julie and him, smiling and happy as a family. Adrian usually held a photo of his wife when he felt depressed, but now he couldn't tear his fingers away from Natalie's beautiful hair, her pointed nose and the sparkling eyes in which he saw all the meaning of life. Julie saw a father figure in him, he knew it, and he was now overwhelmed with love for the two of them.

"Natalie..." he murmured in a voice that didn't seem to belong to him..."I love you, I never wanted to hurt you..."

His confession was interrupted by an unexpected doorbell.

"Natalie..." he repeated excitedly and hurried to open them, not looking through the peephole. That's why he stopped short when he saw Lieutenant Steven Albright in front of him.

Monk recoiled at first, staring into Albright's large blue eyes, but quickly regained his composure and normalized his breathing.

"Lieutenant."

"Mr. Monk. May I enter?"

His face was sly and a little sinister, Monk thought, but he let him in.

Albright entered and slowly walked towards the armchair, where he sat down.

"Natalie's not here," Monk started babbling, trying to buy time.

"I know," he answered completely calmly. "I didn't come because of her. I heard that you have something of mine, so I came to see if it's true?"

Monk knew that Natalie had told him everything, she loved and trusted him too much and now it could complicate the investigation, but he didn't blame her. On the contrary, he blamed himself.

What is that?", Monk pretended to be clumsy.

Albright smiled and snapped his fingers on the chair.

"My ring. The last gift from my uncle."

Adrian shook his head and pulled a bag out of his pocket.

"So you admit this is your ring?"

"Of course," he replied, looking like a sly fox stalking its prey. "That is my ring, Mr. Monk. Will you give it back to me?"