Title: They say “life is like a box of chocolates”…..

Author: Monker

Disclaimer: Come on guys…if I owned MONK or any part of it, don’t you think I would have better things to do then write fan fics? I mean come on.

Rating: PG (Tell me if you guys think I should change it to something ells G, PG13 or R…never mind the R…I don’t think I will take it THAT far. Haha I rimed…R, far…get it?)

Spoilers: This is my take on what happened right after ‘Mr. Monk and the Kid’ so there are spoilers for that. And some from ‘Mr. Monk and the other woman.’ And there is some from ‘Mr. Monk and the three pies.’

Author’s Note: In one of these chapters I am going to have a ‘Lord of the Rings’ quote that will be very subtly. So all you ‘Lord of the Rings’ fans out there…see it you can find it. And if no one finds it then I’ll tell you where it is at the end.

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Natalie pressed button 3 in the elevator. As the elevator carried her to her destination, Natalie began to think…

‘Thank goodness for elevators. I think if I had to carry these groceries up three flights of stairs my arms would quit and go work for someone else. I wonder what it is about them that Mr. Monk hates so much…I mean their perfectly safe. Oh well…I guess there’s a lot of things about Mr. Monk that man kind in general is just not meant to understand.’

The doors opened and she stepped out. She walked over to apartment door 3B and got out her keys. She unlocked the door and walked in.

“Mr. Monk I have your groceries!” She shouted down the hall. She dropped her keys on the counter and set the bags next to them. Natalie stopped and listened…’what is that noise? …And where is it coming from.’ She thought to herself as she followed the sound. As she got closer she realized it was the sound of crying. She opened the door to the bedroom and saw Monk sitting on the floor, with his arm on the bed, his head leaning against his bed and tears running down his cheeks. In his hand was a picture of two people. One was a smiling Adrian Monk and the other was a happy little boy by the name of Tommy.

“Oh Mr. Monk are you alright?” She said as she knelt to one knee and tried to comfort him.

“Why did I have to let him go? I-I-I wouldn’t have been THAT terrible of a father would I? I mean…I would have never walked out on him like my Father did me! Or-or hit him! Or verbally abuse him! I would have NEVER let ANYTHING happen to him! He would have had a good place to live and-and he…he would always be clean. WHY THE HECK DID THEY TAKE HIM AWAY FROM ME!” He shouted as he dropped the photo, sat up a bit and placed his head in his hands.

“Mr. Monk………I know you would have been a great father but…I think you know why you could never keep him as your son.” She said as she rubbed his upper-arm.

Monk tried to stop crying and toughen up a bit. “Yeah I know…It’s just………well……………he was so cute.”

Natalie smiled at his honesty. “Yeah he was…” she said picking up the picture and looking at it. “He really did love you.”

Monk looked at the picture and smiled, blinking rapidly to keep the tears back. But it was no good they just kept coming.

“I don’t get it Natalie…what dose God have against me? What terrible thing have I done that’s makes him so ticked at me? I mean first I fall in love with a beautiful woman and she is so abruptly taken from me from a car bomb! Then I meet another woman that I’m interested in and hey guess what? SHE’S MARRIED! And goes to live with her husband again! Then I loose my best friend in the whole worldbecause she moves away and takes her son, another friend of mine with her! Then I meet this kid who is so cute so well behaved and all together PERFECT and some other family walks up and says, 'NO WAIT, HE’S OURS!' And to top it all off I have this OCD crap, which I’m beginning to think is causing all of this stuff to happen! Maybe if I didn’t have OCD…maybe I could have a “good” life……………I…I just wish…I was normal…I just…I just…”

Natalie grabbed him in a warm embrace and rocked the two back and forth.

Monk never ever felt safe anymore. He wasnever in a place where he felt comfortable. No mater where he was…the moment he opened his eyes everyday, he always felt like he wasout of place…like he didn't belong…or didn't fit. Ever since the second Trudy died he had neverfelt a good feeling.

But as Natalie held him…as her arms were draped over him like a warm blanket…and as he rested in such a sweet grasp, he felt…good. It was like stepping into a warm bath. So relaxing. He felt like for the first time in what seemed to be ages…he found a place where he truly belonged, a place where he didn’t her the laughs and whispers around him. A place where he couldn’t feel all the judgmental eyes starring at him. A place where he couldn’t see a group whispering and pointing and know that he was the star of their ridicule. No, no he felt good in this place. He felt calm, safe. Like he and Natalie were two puzzle peaces that just seemed fit. In Natalie’s embrace, he felt……comfortable.

To Be Continued