AN: I never saw the whole Natalie Monk thing until I read some fics and then I was like oh yeah that makes sense, and I had a bunch of little ideas and eventually started to write. I now have a lot of chapters that I am making into one story. I have not written anything in about 20 years but life isn't going well, and I thought this would make me feel better. I understand I am not the best writer, sorry. Anyway, I loved the idea mentioned once that he calls her late at night for weather reports and these first few chapters are those phone calls. Let me know what you think

Disclaimer, not mine.

Chapter 1 Midnight Calls – The beginning of a friendship.

January 27, 2005, 12:00 AM

Natalie was curled on the couch it was raining outside, and it was perfect weather to read a book. She had a blanket and a mug of hot chocolate and was just getting into the story she thought her day could not get any better until the door opened.

"You're home!" She exclaimed.

"Hey beautiful," he greeted as she jumped off the couch and ran to him. He hugged her fiercely before lifting and spinning her around kissing her as he put her down. "We got in two days early, and I thought I would surprise my girls. Good surprise?"

"The best," Natalie agreed as she kissed him again. "Mitch, we missed you so much I'm just so happy to have you home." The phone started to ring, and Natalie turned to answer it but couldn't find it. As she turned back around Mitch was gone. She suddenly startled and awoke in her bed shaking her head for a moment before realizing it had just been a dream. The ringing continued. She looked over and saw the ringing phone on her nightstand. "Hello?"

"Natalie, it's me Adrian Monk." He answered.

"Mr. Monk," Natalie said, "why are you calling, is something wrong?"

"Yes," Adrian answered, "I need to know the weather report for tomorrow."

"Then watch the tv or look in the paper." Natalie groaned at him unhappy that he had interrupted her amazing dream to ask about the weather.

"Natalie if I get back up I have to repeat my entire night routine," he explained, "and if I do that, I won't get to bed until 2 and if I do that I am off my schedule."

"Mr. Monk I am on a schedule too," Natalie was exasperated, "I am on a schedule that involves me sleeping at midnight which is exactly what I was doing until you woke me up."

"Since your up can you check the weather report for me?" He asked either not noticing or not caring that she was

upset.

"Will it get me off the phone with you?" Natalie asked

"Yes," Monk answered.

"Okay," Natalie agreed, "but this is a onetime thing, Mr. Monk. I need to sleep; please don't call me late at night unless it is an emergency," Natalie got up and found her paper on the desk turned to the weather section and started to read.

August 3rd, 2006 12:00 AM

"Hi Mr. Monk" Natalie greeted as she picked up the phone

"Hello, Natalie it's me Adrian Monk." He answered her.

"Mr. Monk I know it is you," Natalie responded.

"How?"

"I have caller ID," Natalie explained.

"Not in your bedroom," Monk said.

"I'm in the living room," she explained, "besides who else would be calling at exactly midnight?"

"I don't know," Adrian said, "I don't know who calls you at what times, how could I?"

"Nevermind Mr. Monk, Natalie sighed, she used her remote to turn to the weather station. "I have to wait a few minutes for the local weather to come on."

"ok,"Monk agreed, "so why are you in the living room?"

"I couldn't sleep I am watching a movie on tv." Natalie pulled the blanket closer to her as she spoke

"What are you watching?" He asked, his curiosity peaked.

"The Thin Man," Natalie said.

"I always liked that movie," Monk answered almost wistfully, "what channel is it on?"

"28," Natalie told him and then waited for the inevitable.

"My tv doesn't get it," Monk said almost sadly.

"Your tv gets channel 28, Mr. Monk," Natalie informed him.

"No," Adrian denied "I can't watch it."

"Mr. Monk," Natalie said, "you can watch other channels besides channel 10."

"I don't think so," Monk said actually confused by the idea and its absurdity.

"Fine then don't watch the movie," Natalie concluded.

"What part is it?" He asked still wishing he could watch it.

"The dinner scene." She said.

"Well then, it's almost over anyway." He tried to feel better, he wasn't missing much of it.

"It is," Natalie agreed hoping she would get to flip back for the end of the movie. "Oh, here's the local weather, ok tomorrow is going to be cloudy but no rain with a high of 87 and a low of 72."

"Thank you." He said.

Natalie flipped the channel back to her movie, "ok, do you need anything else, Mr. Monk."

"yes," he said, "I mean no, I mean…"

"Mr. Monk," Natalie cut him off, "do you want to listen to the last few minutes of the movie with me?"

"Yes, thank you." He admitted. Natalie turned the volume up slightly careful not to wake her daughter sleeping upstairs, she then turned on speaker phone and settled back on the couch watching the last few minutes of the film. As she watched Nick and Nora leave on the train at the end, she heard a small voice, "Thank you, Natalie."

"It was no problem," she turned off speaker phone and spoke into the receiver, "are you ok Mr. Monk?"

"I am," Monk said although his tone sounded anything but ok, "it's just Trudy, and I used to watch those movies together."

"Oh, sorry," Natalie said understandingly.

"No," he said, "it was nice to hear a little of it at least, I haven't seen those movies in years."

"You should watch them again it will be a happy reminder of good times." Natalie tried.

"They are never on channel 10." Even Monk realized how pathetic that sounded as he said it.

"ok, Mr. Monk" Natalie gave up knowing she would never win this, "I'm going to try to go to sleep now, I will see you in the morning."

"goodnight Natalie."

"Goodnight Mr. Monk" Natalie said turning off the tv and heading up her stairs. She had gotten used to the midnight calls over the last year and a half of working for Mr. Monk. She minded a lot at first, but over time she realized that he wasn't trying to be annoying. In fact, she suspected the real reason he called was that he was a widower who was merely lonely at night, and that was a feeling she could relate to. She made herself a mental note to buy VHS copies of the thin man movies tomorrow for Mr. Monk. Maybe the movies would help.

December 9, 2007, 12:00

Natalie was tired. She wanted to sleep, but the phone was ringing and wouldn't stop. She knew it was Mr. Monk and that it would be him asking for a weather report, and she couldn't deal. She had already taken him to seven different stores today looking for the exact right lights for his kitchen. The third store had told him that the company that made those lights had gone out of business a year ago but yet he made her keep looking. Because no regular 40-watt bulbs would do, they all had to match. At the seventh store, he found them and bought 50 asking if she thought that would be enough backup bulbs. Then he told her to be careful as he watched her carry all the bags into his place without any help. She had had enough of Adrian Monk today and honestly didn't want to talk to him tonight, so for the first time, she just let the phone ring.

Natalie was a little surprised when later that week Mr. Monk called her at midnight again. He usually limited the midnight calls to 1 or 2 in a month there were never two like this spaced so few days apart. She answered the phone this night, "Hello Mr. Monk."

"Hello, Natalie, it's me Adrian Monk." He greeted as always.

"I know Mr. Monk," Natalie said with a sigh, "what do you need?"

"Could you read me the weather for tomorrow?" He asked.

"Sure Mr. Monk," Natalie agreed before getting up to get the paper resigned to the fact that midnight phone calls were just part of her life now.

January 20th, 2008 12:00 a.m.

"Hello, Mr. Monk" Natalie answered her phone with a grin. She had been almost hoping that after what they went through at the bank the last two days that she would hear from him tonight.

"Hello, Natalie it's me Adrian Monk." He returned the same as always.

"Mr. Monk I know it is you," Natalie explained yet again. "How are you feeling?"

"I think I finally have most of my oxygen back." He said without a hint of humor in his voice.

"It was scary," Natalie admitted, "you handled it very well."

"I gave up and sat with you against the wall for a full day." He said knowing he had not handled it well, he had not been strong.

"You didn't shut down on us though, not completely, and when we needed it, you let us use Trudy's bracelet to get us out."

"It broke," Adrian said thinking of his wife's bracelet that now lay in pieces in her jewelry box.

"I know Mr. Monk," she placated him, "but don't worry we will get it fixed. You did do well in there you know I am not just saying that to be nice."

"I fell apart instantly and picked a place to die then cried with my head in your lap for a long time." He disagreed.

"Yes, you did do that at first, but later after the captain got to the bracelet you were better you didn't cry after that, you weren't happy, but none of us were. And last night when I couldn't sleep you let me cry, and you hugged me and made me feel better." She listened to Adrian clear his throat uncomfortably but pushed it just a little more. "Have you ever noticed that there are times when you actually like to be touched or hugged by a friend, you just usually need to be in a life or death situation."

"Maybe I can get the bank to pay for the repairs to the bracelet." Adrian changed the subject.

"I bet they would," Natalie agreed, "they already gave you the toaster and let you keep the uniform.

"I didn't ask to keep the uniform," Adrian told her.

"I know I asked for you," Natalie smiled again, "I just thought you never know when you may need to go undercover as a security guard again and it would be a shame to get rid of it when you look so…spiffy."

"I don't do spiffy." Mr. Monk disagreed.

"Sharp?" Natalie's question was met by a small groan of disapproval, "handsome, or I got it dapper."

"Dapper?" Adrian asked.

"Yes, you look very dapper in your uniform," she decided it was the perfect descriptor, "I bet Trudy loved when you wore a uniform."

"She said I looked nice in it," Adrian agreed, "but she didn't go on about it like you. What is it with you and uniforms?"

"I don't know I always loved a man in uniform, looking strong and sharp and brave, all shiny and strong." Natalie was picturing it in her mind her grin getting bigger as she spoke.

"You said strong twice." Adrian interrupted.

"It deserved to be said twice," Natalie defended herself, "You were strong last night when I needed you, Mr. Monk, maybe the uniform helped."

"Are you bantering again?" he wondered, knowing it was closer to flirting but unable to wrap his mind around the idea nevermind voice it allowed.

"Yeah, I was sorry." She admitted although she didn't feel sorry at all.

"I don't know how," Adrian admitted, far less dismissive of her than he had been just three days earlier.

"That's ok Mr. Monk," Natalie dismissed, "It was nothing, just an effect from the uniform."

"Ok…" Monk paused for a long moment before admitting "Natalie, I'm glad you didn't die, but I'm glad you were in there with me. I think I would have been worse if you weren't there."

"Well Mr. Monk, I'm your assistant, it's my job to be there to help you. But you want to know something? I am glad you were there too."

"Natalie, you remember last year with Hal?" Adrian confused her a little when he suddenly changed the topic

"Yeah?"

"I thought he was my friend, but I was wrong and not just because he wanted to kill me I am used to people wanting to kill me." Adrian explained, "But then I told you I had no friends, but I was wrong about that too, you are my friend."

"Well," Natalie said, "I told you that last year."

"I know," Adrian admitted, "but I still thought that it was just because I paid you or that you felt sorry for me. But, even if we didn't work together, I would want to be your friend I like talking to you and spending time with you, and I just thought you should know I think of you as my friend."

"You're my friend too Mr. Monk," She said with a soft smile blushing slightly and happy that he couldn't see her right now, "Oh and I just thought of it; you could wear the uniform for Halloween.