Once More, With Feeling

PG-13

Drama/Romance

Summary: An annual charity ball leads to romance for none other than Adrian and Sharona.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters...

Prologue

In between the pre-moistened wipes and the dust-free tables lived a lonely man. His only real friend was the can of Lysol he kept in his kitchen, under the sink, to the right of the pipes, perfectly proportioned to the can of Lysol he kept in his bathroom.

Of course, no one really understands him. It was probably because of Trudy's death, they liked to say. He felt responsible, and that's what sent him over the edge. That isn't what happened, not really. Sharona saw as much when they visited his brother.

He led such a sad life. So afraid to let anyone get close, to really get inside the real Adrian. The only person that knew that Adrian was Trudy, and now she was gone. So he continues his daily routine – sweep, dust, mop, and clean the windows – until he feels the comfort and need to open up to someone.

Oh, his psychiatrist doesn't count. He gets paid to listen to people's problems, but don't we all? What about Sharona? You ask. What of her? She's his nurse, and, more recently, assistant. She complains enough without having to listen to him talk about the stain on the living room carpet one more time.

All right, let's talk about Sharona for awhile. Sure, she acts like she could care less about the minor problems that annoy him, but if he were to confide in her… She would listen. She knows him, and she knows how hard it would be for him to open up to someone, let alone her, with her constant whining and badgering.

Don't get me wrong – Sharona is as great as they come, she just has the kind of personality where you really don't want to piss her off. Most men would kill to take her out, too. With a body like hers, and the tight, short, Lycra outfits she wears, any straight man would be crazy to NOT want to.

That's why no one understood him. He worked side by side with her for 24 hours a day at times, yet he never mentioned being attracted to her, not even physically. Granted, he wouldn't admit if he were, so…who's to say he's not?

Chapter 1: May I Have This Dance?

It was the 12th Annual San Francisco Police Department's Charity Ball, and although Monk and Sharona weren't officially members of the police department, they were called in on enough cases to be cordially invited by Captain Stottlemeyer.

Of course, Monk didn't really want to go. There were too many people; the music was too loud… But Sharona insisted that they both go, even if he spent the entire night nervously wiping sweat off his forehead. The captain had taken the courtesy to invite them, after all. The least they could do was make an appearance.

The pair walked into the plush dining room of La Scala, an upscale restaurant on the city's south side. The dining room was lavishly decorated in hues of burgundy and gold, and a few couples were waltzing to the sounds of an orchestra that was brought in especially for the event.

"Wow, would you look at this," Sharona breathed, awestruck by the beauty of it all. She had never really had the chance to attend anything as high-class as this ball since…well, ever. The richness exuded by everything just blew her away.

Sharona turned to Monk, who was picking invisible lint from the tuxedo she had taken him to get. "What's wrong?" she asked patiently. She wasn't about to let anything ruin her evening, especially not Monk.

"You know how I feel about all this, Sharona," he confided. "I don't know why this couldn't have been held somewhere else… without the massive crowd… and the music."

Sharona rolled her eyes. "It's a ball, Adrian. People are supposed to dance. You can't dance without music. Plus, it's for charity." She scanned the dance floor and soon saw Captain Stottlemeyer and his wife, Karen. "Hey, there's the captain. Let's go say hi." She grabbed Monk's hand before he could say anything and headed across the spansive dining room.

The captain turned and saw them heading over, and managed to worm his way out of Karen's grip. "Monk, Sharona, glad you could make it."

Karen ran up behind him, a hand-held camcorder in her hand. "Leland, could you say something meaningful about Adrian and Sharona for me?"

"What are you working on now, Karen?" Sharona asked. Monk was using the lens of the camera as a mirror and fixing his hair.

Karen brought the camcorder to her side and responded, "It's a new documentary on the police department. I mean, since that last one went to pieces and all."

Sharona nodded thoughtfully. "And I'm sure 'Leland' here would love to say something meaningful about Adrian and me." She laughed sweetly, knowing it would do nothing but annoy the captain.

Karen turned to her husband expectantly. "Oh, would you really, dear? It would mean so much to me."

Stottlemeyer shrugged defeatedly. "Sure. Why not. I'm sure I could tell you a lot of interesting things about those two." He shot a triumphant smile at Sharona, who smirked and shook her head.

Sharona turned to Monk again, who was now wiping some confetti into a tidy pile in the center of a table. "Adrian," Sharona groaned. He looked up at her innocently. "Can't you just try to have fun? That's what this night is supposed to be about."

"I-I don't know how to have fun," he admitted, turning his hands upwards in apology.

"C'mon. I'll show you," Sharona insisted, grabbing his hand once again.

"What…what are you doing?" he asked her nervously.

"We're at a ball, Adrian," she announced. "We are going to dance."