A short piece from Benjy's point of view, I wrote this after Mr. Monk is on the Run was aired. Enjoy! Please review!

Chapter 2:

I walk through the door, finally through another day at school, Mom and I will be packing up our bags and going to Mr. Monk's funeral this weekend, it's being held on Monday but the two of us will be going earlier to help Natalie and her daughter Julie with the final funeral arrangements.

The phone rings as I pass it in the hallway, I drop my backpack and car keys to pick it up "Hello?"

"Hi Benjy, its Randy," Lieutenant Disher's voice speaks from the other end of the line.

"Hello Lieutenant," I say, "Have the time and place for the funeral changed?"

"There isn't going to be a funeral." Randy said, "It turns out Monk isn't dead."

"What?" I gasp, the world is beginning to spin now; he isn't dead? I don't even realize I'm crying until a tear falls from my face onto my hand.

"Benjy, what's wrong?" Mom's voice cuts into the silent chaos I glance up and see her concerned face. "He's not dead Mom, he's not dead!" I say happily.

Mom shakes her head, "Benjy, I know you don't want him to be dead…" She started.

"No!" I say forcefully "Randy, tell her!" I speak into the phone; I give Mom the reciever and watch as she takes it and asks Randy to tell her what is going on.

She nearly staggers as she listens to Lieutenant Disher. I take hold of her arm to keep her steady as she listens to whatever Randy is telling her. When she finally hangs up the phone she's crying as well.

"He's not dead." She whispers, she wraps her arms around me and I hold her, Mom's whole body is shaking as she cries and releases the stress of her ex-boss's 'death'.

"Can we still go and visit him?" I ask once her shaking has stopped.

Mom looks up at me, "Of course, you do realize he'll be annoyed that you broke your perfect attendance streak, right?"

"I don't care, I want to see him." I said.

Mom smiles weakly "I do too." She says, "Let's go pack."

I get back on the plane, Mom and I are heading home now; Mr. Monk is standing in the airport waving good bye, next to him stand Natalie and Julie.

"Those two are good for him." I say, speaking of the two Teeger women.

Mom nods, "they are, he needs Natalie right now, much more than he ever needed me." As she says this she looks back towards the airport, a bit of longing in her eyes.

"You were good for him too Mom, He needed you then, but people change, even him." I say, trying to comfort her.

Mom smiles and puts her arms around me "He needed you too then, just like he needs Julie right now." she says.

I smile, "Yeah," I say.

Mom runs her hand through my hair, a move I usually don't tolerate, but I do today. "I miss him too Benjy, I miss him too." she says.