One Night Changes Everything

Monk couldn’t think straight. This in itself was a novelty. But under the circumstances anyone who actually knew Adrian Monk would certainly understand why.

Normally when it came to rational thought and just plain logic Monk was the number one person to talk to – to work out problems in a diligent and calm manner. Yet as he stared at the empty space in front of him he found himself unable to think. As odd as it was, in some ways it was liberating. Most of the time his thoughts consisted of mysteries and random possibilities.

But none like these.

Standing there he realized he could still feel Natalie’s breath against his lips. Pressure of her fingers on his skin had left their impressions on him.

Sharona was talking to him but he wasn’t listening. In all honesty his mind was completely on Natalie. The moment he met her he knew he had found trouble…he just never imagined that it would be this kind of trouble.

Seeing it in her eyes had been both shocking and exhilarating. It was written in her eyes soo clearly that he knew that he was an idiot for not having seen it before. He had seen that look in her eyes before…even back when they first met…but he had never thought it…

Shaking his head he tried to tell himself that he was wrong. That he was just imagining things. Blue bright eyes flashed in his minds eye. Seeing her beautiful blue eyes shining like stars were caught in them, he knew that he was.

He barely realized Sharona putting on his coat and ushering them out the door. Before he realized what was happening he found Leland in front of him waving a hand in his face.

It took him a minute before he realized that he was at the precinct.

"I thought you said he snapped out of it." He heard Leland say to Sharona.

Blinking Monk finally spoke.

"I did...I mean...I'm back." Monk said with a shrug followed by a shoulder twitch.

Leland seemed shock that the statue in front of him moved and then a huge smile broke across his face.

"Damn it's good to see you!" Leland said with a laugh and a punch to Monk's shoulder...which of course made Monk wince in pain, and then cover the spot with his hand.

"Captain!" Sharona said suddenly as her eyes met Stottlemeyer's and then Monk's. "Can we talk in private for a moment?"

While Stottlemeyer looked quizzically at Sharona he agreed and slowly moved toward Sharona with his arm stretched out - inviting her into his office.

Monk stood their for a few seconds before moving over to a chair and sitting down, still contemplating this whole Natalie thing. As he did he couldn't help but notice the pencils on the desk in front of him were all different lengths. It was stronger than him...he had to make them all the same size.

A young woman that was handcuffed to the chair across from him stared at him in mild shock and...worry.

The woman observed him critically as he completed his task, after which she watched him try and turn away as another man who was cuffed to the chair behind him began to cough without covering his mouth. In little time she began to smirk as she watched with mirth at Monk's discomfort.

It took minutes for Monk to finally jump up and try to stop the man from coughing, in which time the young woman studied him. After he relented in his attempt to stop the man from coughing he again sat down in the chair he had previously been sitting in.

Monk raised his shoulder as he twitched again as the man behind him continued to cough.

"You know your going to get hurt whether you protect yourself or not."

Monk jumped slightly at the voice but soon turned to look at the woman.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Monk asked as he didn't really hear what she had said.

The woman smirked at him causing a weird sensation to overcome Monk. He was uncertain of the feeling but nonetheless it caused him to actually pay close attention to the woman.

"I said your going to get hurt whether you protect yourself or not. The harder you try to protect yourself the more you get hurt in the end."

Monk stared at the light blue eyes that were scanning his brown and could have sworn she was reading his mind.

"I'm sorry," the woman said as she saw just how distraught Monk looked, "my husband always use to say I had a nack for saying the most inappropriate of things." With that she looked away and then stared down at the ground. As if she had made herself sad.

"It's ok." Monk said swiftly and quickly examined her wording. "You said 'use to'. Does that mean..."

"Yes." She said quickly.

Seeing that she was handcuffed Monk assumed made the connection.

"Did you kill him?"

"No!" The woman said loud enough to cause others in the room to turn and stare at her.

Monk stared directly into her eyes and saw truth there...it wasn't often that he did...but he saw it in this woman's eyes.

"My name is Adrian Monk. I'm a consultant for the police department."

The woman said nothing for a moment, then looked at her lap again and up into his eyes once more.

"Gertrude Bakker. But my friends call me Trudy."

Julie jogged down the staircase to the door and rolled her eyes when she noticed John standing behind the door. She hadn't exactly been nice to John since Monk had been sick. In all honesty she didn't understand why her mom was seeing this guy. He always seemed so fake to her. In the past few months she had tried to do everything in her power to make John and her mother break up...but ever since Mr. Monk had gone into a catatonic state John had been over more and more. The utter sad thing was...mom didn't seem to care that he was around...at all.

"Hey Julie! Is your mom home?" John asked with an annoyingly sweet smile.

Julie faked smiled and said "No. She's working right now."

John scrunched up his face and then huffed out a laugh.

"I highly doubt that. I just came from the precinct. Sharona was with Monk but...Natalie was nowhere to be seen."

At this Julie's face dropped.

"Mr. Monk's ok? When did this happen?" Julie asked slightly shocked but the hope in her voice was undeniable.

"Apparently today." John lifted up his finger and made a face, "You mean to tell me you know nothing about this?"

"No! Why would I lie?" Julie said with an annoyed face.

It was then that something unexpected happened.

John quickly reached out and grabbed Julie by her neck and forced out of the house.

"Trying to keep mommy from me..." He said viciously into her face, with wild eyes that scared Julie stiff.

"Now.." He said slowly as he brought his face millimeters from Julie's face...almost as though he were going to kiss her. "Your going to be a good girl and tell me where she is." This was followed by a squeeze to her throat.

"I..I don't know." Julie said extremely frightened by this sudden look of insanity in his eyes.

It took a few seconds for John to look into her eyes and realize she was telling the truth. An evil smile spread across his face.

"Ok." He said in a fake sweet voice.

"You know Monk has no chance of getting back into the force......at least not without inside help. And your mom...well (smiling again) if she were to find out about this little conversation...well.....let's just say bad things happen to good people."

Julie was trembling in his hold as he increased the hold on her neck and brought his lips down on her own. Julie tried to pull away but he held her that much tighter.

Yanking back he looked into her eyes with such a glare that Julie then began to struggle and try and pull away.

John let her as he laughed at her.

"Remember. One word...and bad things can happen."