One Night Changes Everything

A week had passed since that day. A week that Monk had sworn he had been in hell. Besides the fact that the evidence that they had found was little to nothing, Monk had found himself on edge.

Upon Julie bringing him back home he had found himself oddly wanting Julie to stay with him. It was an odd feeling. Normally and under usual circumstances, he felt crowded and uncomfortable around others. Yet when Julie was around now……he felt like something was right.

Monk had only felt this way about one other child. Benji.

It was odd to think that he had not seen Benji in years now. Sadness always enveloped him as he thought about him. But Julie……Julie had filled that void in him that had appeared - as Benji no longer was a constant in his life.

Julie had grown up before his eyes. Monk had watched as Julie grew into the beautiful woman she now was.

Pride filled him when she accomplished something, or when others would compliment her. He never showed it, or even said anything to her about it. Always feeling that it wasn’t his place to say such things, he never said a word.

That night Julie had talked about how she missed her father but that John was not the man she wanted her mother to marry. Insisting that John was not the one she should be with.

Julie had stared at him for the longest time after her ‘tirade’. In all honesty he had agreed with every word she had said.

The only problem was that he didn’t know what to do. Constantly telling Natalie that he didn’t trust Night had done absolutely nothing from dissuading her from continuing a relationship with John. In fact…Natalie had been out with John three times in one week.

Monk had had to endure the sight of John picking her up for dates, and the quick kisses John took even though Natalie tried to pull away as Monk was within sight. He stayed with Julie when Natalie went out.

Julie would get annoyed at him for his many phobic habits, but nonetheless would assist him in whatever he wanted to do.

Weeks passed as Natalie continued to see John, and neither she nor Monk talked about it during the day or in front of the captain. Neither of them willing to bring up a discussion of whys and what ifs.

Monk had been babysitting Julie for almost a month when something odd occurred.

Julie had insisted that they watch a movie, a horror movie. It had been a while since he had actually watched any sort of movie…and he commented on all the mistakes that they had made in the film. Julie didn’t get angry - if anything she would rewind the tape and look at the part of the film again. Of course this annoyed Monk, but he tried to say nothing…tried being as he let a few words slip out.

It had become very late, and Julie had slowly shifted around on the couch, closer to him. Monk tried not to fidget with the proximity of her but when she rolled her body from one side of the back of the couch, to have her face pressed against his shoulder, Monk became extremely uncomfortable.

Uncomfortable wasn’t even the word for what he felt. Scared, petrified, astounded, and confused were better but not nearly all of the emotions that made him stiffen and want to move away.

He tried not to move, tried to remain calm….but that just wasn’t him. Squirming a little he almost managed to get her head to move off him when she mumbled one word that made him stop dead in his tracks.

“Daddy…” Julie mumbled out it her sleeping state.

Monk stopped and looked at Julie’s face. For an instant Julie reminded him of Trudy. Julie looked like an angel sleeping.

Julie cuddled closer, wrapping her arm around the figure beside her. Her head snuggled down to a position between his chest and shoulder.

Monk felt something inside him in that moment that he had never really felt for Julie - kinship.

Both of them had lost their fathers, both of them had had to live without one. He knew more than anyone…it hurts more as time goes on. You never get over it. It always stays with you.

Maybe that’s why his fear subsided for a few seconds, maybe that’s why he suddenly felt very protective of her, or maybe it was the fact that for the first time in his life – he wanted nothing more to be called that word…by this girl.

He was sweating from the proximity, but he mustered the courage to stay put. Disturbing her might result in a very awkward discussion.

Julie was obviously dreaming about her father, and Monk would much rather suffer then to take that away from her.

Tolerance for these situations for him was very low, but he pushed himself to stay put longer.

All of it changed as Julie’s next mumbled words made Monk’s heart open for her.

“I’m sorry I love Mr. Monk like you.”

Brown eyes stared down at blonde hair attached to an angelic face. Trying to swallow the swell of emotion that entered his being was no use.

A tear fell into her blonde hair, making him realize he was crying.

Phobic and fearful, Monk forgot himself in those few minutes. Slowly his hand came around her back and held her to him. Allowing himself this one moment, this one little moment in his life – that made him realize that Julie was the closest thing to a daughter…that he would ever have.

Time passed till Monk knew he couldn’t stand to be close to her anymore. His phobias were too strong to allow him to hold her for as long as he had.

Not wanting to leave her on the couch, Monk slowly held her closer. Julie snuggled closer, allowing Monk to uncurl her legs and slowly with all the strength and agility he could muster, to lift them both off the couch.

As he stood he had to stay still as the fear of falling over with Julie in his hold became a close possibility as his muscles protested the action.

It took a few seconds for him to begin to move Julie up the stairs and to her own room.

He thanked God as he laid her carefully down in her bed. He was sweating and was extremely tired, and it was way passed the time that he normally was in bed.

But he didn’t want to leave her. Natalie was still not home and the idea of going down stairs and waiting on the couch for John to bring Natalie home was not a pleasant thought.

Turning around he took the chair that Julie had and brought it close to the bed. Sitting down he stared at Julie as she slept, remembering the first time he met her and Natalie. The idea of never having met them truly terrifying him.

Where would he be today if he had never met Natalie or Julie?

Monk really didn’t want to know.

Feeling the burning in his eyes he glanced down to his watch. Even though the bedroom was dark, the moonlight from outside provided enough light to read the watch.

Realizing just how late it was he began to really worry about Natalie. She was never out this late. Especially when she knew how horrible a night person he was.

The sound of a door opening from down stairs making him sigh in relief……until he walked down stairs.


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Natalie opened the door as quietly as she could. Exhausted from the day she had had her movements were sluggish. Trying to keep her eyes open, she was basically sleep walking.

Removing the light jacket from her torso a pain shot up her back. Making her way over to the couch she promptly collapsed onto it. A grimace formed as a pain radiated from between her shoulder blades and up her neck.

Teetering on the line between sleep and the waking, her eyes flew wide open as she heard the sound of someone coming down the stairs. Trying to push herself up from the sofa proved to be difficult, the pain in her shoulders almost making it impossible to move.

It took longer than she cared to admit, but she sat up – only to find one Adrian Monk staring back at her.

“You’re home late…” He stated. No accusation in his voice at all.

Natalie was thankful for small miracles.

“Yeah……John took me to see an opera.” Grimacing she said this as she tried to reach behind her head to massage her neck, but the sharp pain made her stop and drop her arms. Even this resulted in pain.

“Are you ok?” Monk asked. His voice and face full of concern. If John had done something to her he would never forgive himself.

Natalie didn’t want to say anything, knowing how Monk tended to downplay her ailments – it actually saddened her how little he thought of her needs. But shockingly she found his eyes to show extreme concern.

“Those chairs are extremely uncomfortable…I think I have a pinched nerve.” Natalie mumbled as pain once more radiated up her back.

Monk was not one that handled pain – in any way- well. As a matter of fact, Monk handled pain horribly. It was also very hard for him to sympathize with people. At the moment he remembered how he had told Sharona to ‘suck it up’ with her fear of elephants, and how she had repaid him by making his life a nightmare afterward. No wipes, just those three words that he had stupidly said to her.

Still, Monk was Monk. He didn’t…touch…people.

But the pain etched in Natalie’s face made him do something he never did…he slowly moved and sat down beside her. Perched so close to the edge of the couch, Natalie had no clue that he had moved – until the firm push of his fingers needing through her shirt into her back muscles made her almost jump. The pain though prevented her from doing so.

Instead tears leaked out of her eyes as the pain radiated up her neck and down. The pain so intense that the absurdity of Adrian Monk giving her a massage wasn't even thought. Monk’s face was comical in nature as he tried to ‘massage’ Natalie’s back. Looking as though the task was distasteful - yet unsure if he was supposed to be massaging her in such a way.

It wasn’t long until Monk found the area that sent scorching pain through Natalie, Natalie jerked and spun, trying to get away from his hands. Monk though, having discovered it was determined to ease the pain and reached around her and massaged the spot as Natalie’s arms were now confined between their chests as Monk’s fingers kneaded the spot with such concentration he didn’t realize that Natalie was crying against his neck as he finally pushed in just the right way that Natalie actually relaxed against him.

Monk didn’t move as he realized the very intimate position that they were now in, but as Natalie let out another big sigh against him he knew that she was falling asleep against him.

Panic soon took him as he realized he was stuck between the couch and Natalie’s body. Natalie’s body……Natalie’s very feminine body….nononoNO!

Phobias and fear suddenly engulfed Monk. Her breath and mouth were right next to his neck. Germs and saliva….oh god NO! He began to sweat as his claustrophobia took him over. He tried to calm himself but couldn’t help but squirm against her.

It was her hiss of pain and jerking away from him that made him stop and look at her. Her eyes didn’t open, they just remained closed, but the pain etched into her face stayed intact.

Monk mentally berated himself at hurting her, yet the selfish part of himself told him he had every right to feel uncomfortable. Natalie was very much in his personal space.

And it happened again, the memories of that night played like a film reel in his mind, and he remembered how Natalie had forever crossed his personal space. At the moment, he realized that in fact Natalie had even claimed his personal space as her own.

It was no use, Natalie didn’t wake up and Monk was not going to cause her more pain by moving her. It was fruitless to even consider removing her, since the late hour claimed him as its victim. Within minutes, Monk…was asleep.


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It was around four in the morning when Julie awoke with an extremely dry mouth, the popcorn she had eaten during the movie a few hours earlier leaving her incredibly thirsty.

Sleepily she began her tread to the kitchen, concentrating on not tripping down the stairs and killing herself. Finally making it down, she searched the cupboards for a glass as she tried to rub some of the sleep out from her eyes. Reaching for the fridge, the light spilling out from the door illuminating the figures that lay on the sofa, but she didn’t notice them. The first thing she did was take out the gallon of water and promptly filled her glass. Drinking a generous sum she then refilled her glass. As she turned from the counter back to the fridge, she noticed something in the living room.

Slowly and carefully, leaving the refrigerator open for the light it provided, she walked slowly towards the couch.

Now even though she was close to being a legal adult, and even though she was no longer a little girl imagining a fairy tale ending……nothing could have prepared her for the sight that literally lay before her.

Adrian Monk was lying down with his arms wrapped around Julie’s mother. And Natalie’s arms……were wrapped around Monk’s middle as her head lay on his upper chest.

Julie stood there - trying to take in the scene – the sleepiness from seconds ago vanishing as her mind finally processed the sight.

Julie was confused. It showed on her face…then slowly her wrinkled brow fell.

Julie’s eyes traveled down the two forms that held each other intimately close. Noting the peaceful faces of both as they blissfully slept entangled within the others hold.

Slowly…very slowly Julie understood what the scene before her really meant, what years of being together day in and day out had led to.

Pink lips slowly formed a smirk as the sight before the owner’s eyes felt that the scene was right. It was what it was suppose to be.

Julie stayed there staring at the two for a long time, before finally giving into the tug on her mind to go back to bed. Walking back to the fridge she closed the door, encompassing the room in darkness once more, then with a smile on her lips…went back to bed.