(Untitled)

[slightlymonkish]

The sensation had been an all too familiar one to Adrian Monk -- he was falling, falling fast, through light and sound and his mind and body were spinning in sync until it all stopped, very abruptly, with a loud thud against the cold ground.

As he blinked the stars from his eyes, he noticed that something was very, very, VERY different.

There was

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[lilmsmiraclegro]

So. One minute Claire was returning to the house in the late evening, a book on Evolution under one arm, and a yappy Mr. Muggles cradled in the other.

The next, there's grass under her bare feet, and sunlight in her eyes, and a very very yappy Pomeranian freaking out at her shoulder.

"What the hell?"

[slightlymonkish]

Monk starts at the sudden sound of another person and sits up, blinking at her.

Um.

"Hi," he says, warily eyeing the dog.

(Some things just never change.)

[lilmsmiraclegro]

This'll be a very freaked out teenager whirling on him, not really holding Mr. Muggles like a weapon, but getting close.

"Who are you?"

[slightlymonkish]

"Adrian Monk."

... so yeah, this is bad. He was never any good with Julie, and the teens from Apocalyptica didn't really count --

He stands, brushing himself off. "I know you're probably really frightened right now, but you have to stay calm so I can... uh, try to explain what happened."

[lilmsmiraclegro]

Claire stares at him, suspicious but moderately calm, making shushing noises at the dog.

"Did you do this? Do you have like - teleportation powers?"

[slightlymonkish]

"No," Monk laughs, "no. I have superhuman cleaning powers, though!"

Which aren't at all helpful in this situation.

"This has happened to me before," he continues. "And this place is much nicer than the last place I was in. I think we're both very lucky."

[lilmsmiraclegro]

"Oh yeah, really lucky," Claire snarks.

Mr Muggles yaps as well.

"Did they do this?"

[slightlymonkish]

"They?"

Monk knows no 'they'.

[lilmsmiraclegro]

It's possible she thinks he was being serious about the healing powers.

"The company," she spits. "The one that does experiments. You're with them, right?"

[slightlymonkish]

Monk stares blankly at her.

"Uh, no. I used to work for the San Francisco Police Department, I --"

He fishes around in his pocket. Even though he's had no need for it at all, he still carries his wallet with him. He takes out his expired driver's license and offers it to the girl, smiling a little.

"I can't even go near sewing needles, trust me when I say I'm not involved with any kind of experiments."

[lilmsmiraclegro]

Claire has both her hands full, but she peers at it anyway.

"So. You can drive and still work for an evil corporation," she points out. "Where am I?"

[slightlymonkish]

"I haven't driven a car in..."

He pauses, thinking.

"... almost a decade," he deadpans. "And I don't know where we are, but at least nothing's trying to kill us."

Really, that's all he was worried about.

"I'm thinking we've been sucked through another hole in the time-space continuum."

(He is fully aware of how insane he sounds.)

[lilmsmiraclegro]

"What?"

Claire blinks at him.

"Why should I believe you?"

[slightlymonkish]

"Do you really have a choice?" he asks, frowning.

"I don't have my gun with me, I don't have any weapons -- you can check, just keep the dog away from me -- and really, do I look like I'm going to hurt you?"

Monk's like a big teddy bear that hates being hugged!

"If you're a vampire, though, we might have a problem," he adds, almost as an afterthought.

[lilmsmiraclegro]

Claire gives him an unimpressed look, and steps back.

"Look, I've just been pulled away from my family's home in my pajamas and my Mom's dog. It's the wrong time of day, I don't know who the hell you are or where I am, and I'm expected to believe you're just normal?"

He believes in vampires, though. And therefore crazy.

[slightlymonkish]

Monk is not normal.

"Hey, don't get upset. I mean -- I know you're going to get upset, I got upset, too -- but if either of us wants to survive, you have to believe me when I say I'm not going to hurt you. My job was to protect people," he says, sounding very honest, "I may not have a badge anymore, but that doesn't mean I'm going to go around kidnapping teenage girls or anything."