A/N: I literally wrote this in the spur of the moment in my notes on my phone. I hope this is somewhat okay... enjoy :) xx Mariah

Ned climbed the stairs slowly, feeling the wear and tear of the day. The last forty-some hours had been just too long for him. Too many moments had been spent stressing of cases and there had been too many moments where he wanted to punch the wall. Plus, there had been no movement in his newest case. If he could even call it new at this point.

He'd been working it since he'd gone back to work and hadn't found a new lead in almost two weeks. How was he supposed to tell this young woman that there were no leads on her sexual assault case? That he hadn't found a match to the DNA found on her dress. That even the skin cells found under her fingernails weren't matching to anyone in the system that was. That the person who did that to her was still out there with her wallet and knew where she lived.

He was an utter failure. Not to mention he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen Asher. Was it when he'd spit peas all over his shirt or was that last week? Fuck. Katie must hate him. He couldn't think straight and rubbed his eyes as he stumbled up the last few stairs and into their bedroom.

He could hear the sound of his son breathing, hoarse and worrying. The sickness from the last few days was still affecting him but there was soft innocence that warmed his heart as he caught sight of Asher asleep on his wife's chest. A year old and Katie still didn't let him out of her sight. Not for longer than a few hours and that was only when had to, but with their baby boy sick he would be hard-pressed to convince her to let him move him to his crib across the hall.

So he took the initiative and moved the baby without asking. What Katie didn't know wouldn't hurt her and if he could help her get a good night's rest then maybe he wasn't the absolute worst husband ever. Asher slept peacefully, even as Ned pressed a kiss to his sweet baby cheek and turned on the sound machine in case of a bad dream, along with the baby monitor.

He made his way back to their bedroom quietly and sat down in the bed with a tired sigh, taking off his watch first and then going for his work belt next. He quickly unloaded his gun and placed it in the small lockbox inside his side drawer safely. After making sure the box was closed and locked, placing his belt on the floor, he felt a pair of arms wrap around his chest.

Lips pressed against his neck, while slender fingers undid the top of his work shirt for him and felt up his chest slowly. "Today was rough... Asher still has that head cold and has been finicky. I'm surprised he didn't fuss when you put him down."

"Katie," he whispered. "Are you mad?"

"About what?" She asked. Her hands slid deeper down over his stomach and went around his shoulders, throwing his shirt to the floor.

Should he go with the obvious? No. That was never smart. "About moving Ash. I know you worry about him, especially being sick."

"It's probably for the better. I've already ruined any progress I made on sleep training when I moved him back into our bed last week," she sighed, pressing her face into his shoulder. "You've been working so much that I was tired of sleeping alone. I feel like I haven't seen you in three days."

"It's this case," he replied defensively, touching her hands as she pulled his undershirt off too.

"It's every case," she laughed, interrupting him as nipping as his ear. "You love your job. You're devoted to upholding justice and I love you for it. Don't think I don't and even if I have my separate problems with the department, I know that you will give our son someone to look up to as he grows... but he needs his father here too. I need you here."

He nodded and turned to look at her. "I'm sorry if I've let my work take me away from you and Ash," he explained, sighing. "I know it's only been a few months since I've gone back... but I haven't closed any of my cases and I just feel like a total failure not only to Grandview but now our family too."

"Hey, I didn't tell you this to make you feel guilty about the past. You can't change the last few months and it's been rough for both of us in different ways, but I just didn't want to hold in too many feelings and end up getting mad at you without you even knowing why," she told him. "We've worked too hard to fall into old habits."

"You're right. I love you," he said, leaning in to meet her with a kiss. "I'm sorry that I've made you feel like a single parent. Can I make it up to you?"

She melted into him and as soon as he invested enough time into their next kiss, "We'll see," she said as he reached over and moved her to his lap. Her hands traveled down to his belt, undoing it and slipping her hand inside his pants.

He continued to kiss her, his hands going to her face and running through her hair. He wanted her now and later. He wanted to keep his cake and taste it too.

"Mmm someone's ready," she purred, pulling away to kiss his cheek, nipping at his jaw.

"After more than three days? Of course, I am," he chuckled, gasping as she ground her hips against him.

She slid down, pulling his pants and boxer briefs down to free his cock, and dropped to her knees. Wrapping her hand around his cock, she pumped him until he swelled in her grasp completely. His head tipped back as he issued a soft groan, and his hand released the bedside to grasp her hair, palming the back of her head as she took him into her mouth.

Ned inhaled sharply and dropped his chin to watch her. He always liked to watch her. She tried to maintain eye contact with him as much as possible; his pupils grew fatter and his nostrils flared, his mouth parting as he breathed deeper, faster. She sucked him harder, her hand pumped the base of him and her tongue pushed her pooling saliva around him as she bobbed her head. His eyes were heavily lidded now and he moaned faintly, guiding the movement of her head with his hand.

When she tugged on his sac, rolling it in her free hand, his head fell back and he groaned louder. "Fuck Katie," he hissed, untangling his hand from her hair to grip the bed again. "I'm gonna come," he warned her, lost in a haze of euphoria and his head tipped forward again to watch her again. He struggled to keep his eyes open as she locked gazes with him, her lips wrapped tightly around him. It was so erotic that he had to will himself not to lose it right there and when her mouth pulled off slowly, she grinned knowingly. "Come here."

She stood, pulling her nightgown off as she straddled his lap. He grasped her hips, spanking her as he pulled her panties to the side. She aligned himself with her and he pushed inside her, feeling her cling to him. He moved quickly, building speed and releasing all of his tension into her.

"You're stressed," she gasped, kissing his neck. It wasn't odd for them to talk during sex, but he didn't want to talk about this. Not now. "Tell me what's up."

"I can't disclose anything," he grunted, pushing up into her and taking her nipple into his mouth.

Katie squealed, grabbing at his hair and arching her back. He knew what to do to distract her. "Stop, I'll wake-" she gasped as he moved quicker, lowering onto his back rolling over to push her up the bed and lean back against her.

"I put his noise machine on," he gasped, nipping at her neck, marking her and moving down to her collarbone, marking her there too. "We should be fine." He touched the wetness of her folds, spreading her warmth before entering her again.

She met her peak not long after that, leaving her gasping against his chest as he finished inside her. After a few minutes, she felt his weight move as he pushed himself up off her and on his back. Once she had regained a steady heart rate and began to move, he grabbed her hands and pulled her to lay near him, looking at her with glowing yet satisfied eyes.

"Well, that was interesting," he said with a chuckle, kissing her forehead. "I was gonna shower first, but you had other plans."

"What, are you complaining?" She asked, unable to suppress her grin.

"Hardly," he replied, still somewhat dazed. It had been a long time since they'd had time to themselves. Asher was a lot of work, more than they'd expected, but nothing they couldn't handle. Things would hopefully get a little easier soon. "I just wasn't expecting you to be so willing."

She looked at him, smiling as he gazed upon her. "I'm not completely unreasonable Ned. Stop letting your cop buddies and their cold wives make you think I would ever hold that against you. My dad had to find his balance too and I don't ever remember him being a terrible father or husband because of it."

They hadn't had such a moment alone like this since before their son was born. Just blissful silence. It was the greatest gift and relaxation there was. Just being there with her.

He moved his finger over her cheek, brushing hair away before giving himself more support to push himself toward her and connect their lips again. His lips were firm against hers, but the kiss remained soft, gentle, and slow like it usually did. He cherished the way his wife kissed him, how sensual she was with him and how she moaned when his tongue met hers.

He moved to take her again. To make love to his wife and she met him, helping him guide himself into her. Kissing him, he did, feeling her dip into him as she let out a needy gasp. It was moments like this when he nearly lost his mind. She craved him, just as much as he did her. Those sounds made him want her even more. He could feel himself throb watching her relax her face in ecstasy and wrap her long legs around him.

It was a dream he never wanted to wake up from. He moved slowly, groaning with each move and burying himself deeper and deeper into her neck. He loved this woman so much. She deserved so much more than he could give her sometimes. He'd never in his life that he'd be able to find someone to unconditionally love him as she did and be able to give back each ounce of that love in return, but he had. He'd found her. Katie.

There was something about being in her embrace that made the world stop still on its axis. There was no time, no wind, no rain. His mind was at peace. He felt her body press in, soft and warm. This was the love he'd waited for, prayed for. A love like this was to be cherished for life.

Katie stared into Ned's eyes and couldn't help her smile. She captured his mouth with her, mumbling that she loved him against his lips, causing him to smile too.

Soon enough they are nestled back down under the blankets. Her head lay on his chest, her arm around his waist, one of his hands holding hers, while the other played with her hair. Slowly, the serenity of steady breaths and the on-and-off crackling sound of a baby monitor was destroyed by the shrill scream of their small son.

She groaned out loud, trying desperately to smother herself with her pillow. He laughed next to her, coming to burrow himself under the pillow with her. "Just let him cry. He's fine."

"I love you. I do, but how many books have I made you read about that? I don't care what your mom says," she groaned, feeling his lips on her shoulder. "I need to go get him. He's just a baby and if I can comfort him then that's what I want to do."

"You know I'm on your side. I just think there are benefits from both," he told her. "At some point, he has to soothe himself."

She pushed herself up and grabbed his shirt off the floor, buttoning it and walking toward the hallway. "He will. Just not today," she quipped.