A/N: New parents never sleep... here are some baby struggles Katie and Ned had with Asher! Enjoy xx Mariah :)

Ages:

Ned — 29
Katie — 25
Asher — 5 months

When Ned came home from his first double shift since Asher was born, he was both exhausted and starving. He'd been back at work for about two months now but had held off on working too much so that he didn't overwhelm Katie.

That was until Jamison had told him he was going to be retiring at the end of the year. That was only four months away and he couldn't imagine having a different partner, let alone having to be the one teaching a rookie the ropes.

Hopefully, he would just get someone off the new roster in Grandview, but Letrai had mentioned maybe bringing someone in from out of state. He just hoped they got along because either way he would be the one in charge and he didn't want to have to be a hardass unless he needed to be.

If he even had the energy to be a hardass. His legs were stiff as he made his way upstairs, having eaten his dinner in silence downstairs. Katie had left him a plate in the microwave (like she always did if he worked late) and usually, she would leave him a cute note on top but tonight she hadn't.

Ned could only imagine how tired his wife was right now if he was exhausted. He had gone into work with a few hours of sleep and those were only given to him by Katie driving around in the car with their son in hopes of getting him to fall asleep.

Asher was usually a halfway decent sleeper, but his current ear infection had not been treating any of them very well and it didn't help that his first tooth had poked through. Katie had also texted him today saying she could see another three were coming in as well.

At this point, he was on a mission to help his wife get some sleep even if he needed it too. He hadn't heard any crying in the last twenty minutes he'd been home but still braced himself as he walked into Asher's nursery. The crib was set up, but their son had only slept in it a few times.

With Katie going back to school in a few weeks, he hadn't expected to see her fast asleep with Asher in their bed. She'd been trying to ease him on the idea of being away from her because she was going to be starting work soon. Their mothers were even going to trade taking him for a few hours every day once his ear infection cleared up, but there was a soft spot in both of their hearts for their son.

Their living son.

It didn't take him too long to realize Katie was just barely asleep, her hand still rubbing up and down over Asher's back. He must've thrown up again because he was in just his diaper. Ned touched his back as he sat down on the edge of the bed, feeling that his fever had finally started to go down. That was a step in the right direction.

Ned slowly moved the baby from her arms, trying so carefully not to wake him up but Asher's face was scrunched up as he was moved and his list fists tightened into a fist. Their son was readying himself to scream his little lungs out, but he quickly ducked out of the room before he started to fuss, moving in soft rocking motions that he'd noticed his wife did when she tried to lull him back to sleep.

"Hey, we gotta try and let your momma sleep." He whispered to the baby in his arms as he brought him to the crib in the nursery across the hall from their room, but hesitated, looking down at him. "How does that sound bud?"

The five-month-old peered up at him from where Asher laid his head on his bicep, his eyes alert to everything. He was not showing any desire to go to sleep.

Ned sighed, smiling at him. "You're not tired, are you? Looks like we'll have to try and tire you out then, huh?" He muttered, kissing his son's head. Usually, he'd have the energy to stay up with him but not tonight.

Tonight he wanted to lay down in his bed, hold Katie close and try to get some sleep.

He walked around the room, rocking Asher slowly. "I heard you were starting to feel better..." He whispered, touching his little belly. He'd heard off and on from Katie all day in texts how their son was doing and had even snuck away from patrol once to go on a diaper run. "I hope that's true because I don't know how much more we can take. I'm running on E and your mom is on the fumes, but if you're doing better then that means we're doing something right."

When he glanced back down, Asher was asleep and he carefully brought him to lay in his crib. He looked so sweet when he was relaxed and asleep, but as much as he loved to just admire his son he knew he needed to try and get some sleep of his own.

He had the morning off but worked the overnight shift tomorrow and he was not looking forward to it. There was a full moon tomorrow night and he was not looking forward to it. It would be a long and never-ending shift. He could already feel it.

Katie had moved to the mattress by the time he got back. The light was off, her sleeping face mask on, and the blanket pulled snug around her. One thing he was certain of: she hasn't looked more relaxed than she did right this moment since Asher was born.

Her hair may be unwashed and she's only wearing a simple cotton nightgown, but to watch her embrace her new role of motherhood was by far the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

She didn't hear him come back this time or at least she hadn't shown movement to where he thought she was awake. He pressed a kiss to her forehead before he went into the bathroom, unclipping his work belt and hanging it on the door before pulling off the rest of his uniform.

Tonight's shift had been a workout in itself. He'd run and ducked, sprinted, and slammed into things. During an arrest, a guy had thrown a lower right hook into his side and the purple bruises scattered up his side.

"Ned," Katie said, breathlessly. It caught his attention, but he felt her hands before he saw her. The soft feeling of her smooth fingers over his side startled him and he turned, catching her tired gaze. "You're hurt. What happened?" Her voice was scratchy as she wrapped her arms around him and laid her cheek on his shoulder. She was still so tired, but she'd still gotten up for him when she'd heard him.

"Someone threw a right hook during an arrest," he spoke softly as he moved to properly hug her, his arms wrapping around her. He felt her body press into him, soft and warm. This was the love he'd waited for, prayed for. She did it. The love of his life and now the mother of their children. "I'm okay. Don't worry. It was a last-ditch effort before I arrested him."

"I don't doubt you, honey," she said, rubbing her hands against his back and down his chest. "Are you coming to bed soon?"

Ned felt such comfort in her warm weight pressed against him; the turmoil of the previous week and a half already began to feel like something that had happened in a half-forgotten nightmare. "In a minute," he whispered, closing his eyes and pulling her closer into him.

He began to idly trail his fingers up and down her back, feeling his heart rate quicken as he did. A small, contented sigh escaped her lips, and he felt the heat of her breath warming his chest all the way to his heart. "I love you, Katie," his lips brushed over the top of her head.

In response, she tightened her grip on him. She lifted her head off his chest and their gaze met for a moment. "I love you too," she whispered before she gently pressed her lips into his. It didn't take long for the softness of their kisses to grow into something more desperate.

They hadn't been intimate in a few weeks. Things got stressful with a baby in the mix, but they made time when they had it. Like now. It was magic the way their lips connected. It was right and somehow, among all of the dizziness and the way she clung to him like a lifeline.

They broke apart for air and he pressed his next kiss to her forehead. "We could always ask my mom to watch Ash. That way you could catch up on some more sleep," he suggested softly. "Plus I'm on the night shift tomorrow. So then we'd have the day together."

"But he's still sick," she sighed, biting her thumb. "Shouldn't we just keep Ash home until he's back to himself? I think it would be good for him to have both of us around until you go to work."

He could see right through her. She was still so worried about him and he didn't blame her. After everything with Charlie… he had his worries too. Especially after Asher's fever had spiked to over a hundred degrees two nights ago and they had gone into the ER at three in the morning. Her father hadn't been working either, so today Jim had come by their house personally for a follow-up with some antibiotics.

"He's doing better," he reminded her softly. "Ash seemed more like himself when I put him to bed. He was quiet, but that's just because he was tired." He tried his best to ease her worries and she hugged him. "We could even ask your mom if you want someone you can trust a little easier... Emma's in 4k now and she would be able to focus on him. My mom would totally watch the store."

"I'll think about it," she whispered, winding her hands into his hair as they rocked together in each other's arms. "But let's just go to bed. We can see how Ash doing in the morning."

"I'll be right there," he said, sneaking a light squeeze of her ass.

Katie leaned into him, her hands moving over his chest and down into his boxers. "I want you to come with me right now," she told him, giggling when she found him hard and they kissed again, briefly. "Miss me?"

God, he missed being so sex crazy with her. "Yes, very much," he groaned as he allowed himself to be led away by her once again.

Once back inside their room, she turned to him, and wordlessly she slid her hands up over his body and around his neck, claiming his lips with her own again. He melted into her and deepened the kiss, probing her mouth with his tongue while his hands drifted lower over her body, coming to rest on her ass. She pulled away from him with a little gasp as she caught her breath, taking his hands in her own and walking backward until she reached their bed.

She spun them around and pushed him down onto the bed before beginning to undress. He tried to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat while watching his wife undress. Her nightgown was tossed away and soon it was just the sight of her in her panties, leaving him entirely breathless.

His eyes fluttered closed as they kissed again when she straddled him, but it was brief. "Do you think I'm still sexy?" She asked.

He had always tried his best to make sure she knew just how much he loved her and how grateful he was for everything she'd done. "Yes, so sexy baby." he breathed, smiling at her. In the moonlight, her skin bathed in the pale light, she was beautiful. "Katie, I love you. Plain and simple. For everything you are. I will never want anyone else."

She rested her head against his chest as he buried his face in her hair. "I'm so scared that one day that won't be true," she whispered, her voice muffled.

Outside the rain picked up again, beating its relentless sound against the bedroom window and he was beyond thankful to be indoors, in the warm and dry, with the woman of his dreams curled up in his arms. He only wished she knew that.

With a deep sigh, he said, "Never. That will never happen. Do you want to get under the covers?"

"Doesn't sound like you want to," she hummed, smiling at him.

"Katie," he breathed out, kissing her neck. "I want to stay up all night making love to you, but we need to be able to have enough energy for tomorrow."

"You don't think we can do both?" She smirked, turning her head to claim his lips.

He chuckled, a deep rumbling sound that resonated through his chest and into her, causing her to chuckle in response. "No, Katie, I don't think we can do both." He reasoned. "I've seen you in the morning, don't forget."

She playfully pushed him away in mock offense and crawled on top of him. "Stop it. It's not too late for me to put my clothes back on."

"You wouldn't," he gasped, smiling at her.

"Do you really want to push your luck?" She teased him, but probably wouldn't. "But you're probably right. I need sleep if I'm going to be human in the morning."

He smiled at her. "Don't worry. I've got everything covered," he said.

Ned woke again to the sound of Asher stirring on the monitor, rubbing his eyes. The boy had woken him a little bit earlier too, but he'd settled after a few ounces of breastmilk in the fridge downstairs. Katie was sprawled across his chest, still in just her panties from last night and he smiled, feeling his morning erection press into her.

God, she turned him on. Even at nine o'clock in the morning.

"Katie? Are you awake?" he said softly, trying to gently rouse her.

Strands of hair were cascading over her face and neck, and he tenderly swept them to one side so his lips could connect with the soft skin hidden underneath.

He kissed a line down the side of her neck as she rolled onto her back. "Katherine Ann, stop playing with me," he tried once more with a little more romance on the edge of his tongue, placing his lips on her pebbled nipple.

Katie stirred slightly underneath him, her eyes opening momentarily before fluttering closed once again. She really was playing with him and he groaned, lathering his tongue around the mound, sucking the skin with his tongue and dipping his head to the side and up to her cheeks, leaving a trail of kisses in his wake.

Ned was rewarded for his efforts with a sleepy, contented mewling sound as she brought her hand up to rest against the back of his head. He dropped his lips back to her collarbone and began to leave a path of kisses ever lower.

When he reached her abdomen, he heard her gasp as her fingertips gently massaged into his scalp. Taking encouragement from her pleasured sighs he dared to venture even lower while Asher was still quiet over the monitor, hooking his fingers over the waistband of her panties and pulling them down.

The languid smile that spread over her face as he pushed her legs apart and settled in between her knees made his stomach do backflips. He dipped his head to the apex between her thighs and deftly ran his tongue over her.

Her sharp inhalation of breath coupled with her increased grip on his hair told him that his method of rousing her was working. "Oh, Ned," she moaned as his tongue expertly moved over her.

His dick throbbed and he desperately wanted to bury himself inside her, to lose himself as he sought comfort within her, but the sight of her beneath him, the sounds she made, the taste of her, and the sheer eroticism of pleasuring her was just as exciting to him.

He became aware that her breathing had quickened and her hips were beginning to roll in time with his ministrations. She was close. Bringing his hand into play, he pushed two fingers inside her and curled them forward as he sucked on her.

Immediately, she grasped hold of her pillow and brought it over her face to muffle her cries. It had been too long since she'd come like this since their son was born, and she didn't want to wake Asher.

The noises she made were almost enough to send him spiraling over the edge. Her thighs clamped down around either side of his face as he continued to move his fingers slowly inside her until he felt her hand on his forehead pushing him away.

He slowly crawled up the bed to lie back down beside her, a wide grin on his face. "Morning," he said as he pressed a kiss to her shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

"Mmmm... well-rested and very pleased," she said, smiling at him. "Thank you, Ned. I love you."

He smiled at the sight of her, basking in the afterglow of her orgasm as he cupped the side of her face and brought her lips to his. "Good. Are you hungry? I could make us some food if you want."

"What about you?" she replied, lightly kissing him again. "I can't let you give me a wake-up like that and not return the favor."

That wasn't at the forefront of his mind. He wanted to spend as much time with her as he could before he had to work later today. "Do we have time?" He asked as he brushed a few loose strands away from her face and looked over at her bedside clock.

She glanced over her shoulder at the time and said, "Depends. How quick can you be? I still don't hear Asher… did you feed him when he cried earlier?" She asked.

"Fuck… I tried to be quick so he wouldn't wake you up." He sighed and kissed her cheek. "But yeah, he had about five or six ounces."

She snorted. "I wake up every time he cries Ned," she told him. It wasn't like she could just shut her instincts off. Even if he got up, she woke up when Asher cried. Even if she could roll over and close her eyes to will herself back to sleep. "Don't feel bad… okay? I love you for trying though."

She leaned in closer until her mouth met his with lazy kisses, his tongue sneaking into her mouth. He drew her into him for a string of longer kisses until she pulled away, just enough to let her hands slide into his boxers.

His skin was warm and soft when she took his dick in hand, his lips pausing briefly on her as he breathed a husky moan into her. "Fuck, Katie."

"That's the idea," she said, baring her neck to him again.

Taking her cue, he nipped at the spot she'd uncovered while his fingers slid down her waist and between her thighs, dipping inside her. He trailed his lips down her throat, his faint morning stubble a little rough but easily forgotten as he dipped down to take one nipple into his mouth, and then the other.

His hot tongue swirled around, his teeth joined just slightly, sending sharp jolts of pleasure through her as she pulled on his hair and cried out softly. His fingers hit a new spot, and the soft whine she was making changed octaves, and he kept touching it, kept touching it, kept touching— until she let go of him when her body lit up all at once as she cried out.

Ned had the fleeting thought that she'd been a little loud, just now. Katie didn't care much and neither did he. As long as Asher stayed asleep.

She was still panting, heart pounding, chest flushed, sweat at her brow, her body still quivering. His hand had stilled but rested on her. For a moment, neither of them spoke, but their lips met lazily as she took him in hand again.

He relished the feel of her hands on him, groaning into her mouth as she stroked him. Just as he knew how to make her want to scream from his touch, she knew exactly how to make him fall apart. "Katie," he groaned, unable to stop the slight jerk forward from his hips.

She slowed her motion, then stopped, her hand still on him. She turned her head back far enough to look up at him. "I still want you," she said, swirling a thumb around his tip as if he needed to be reminded of how.

His mouth pressed down on hers for another few moments, then a lot of things happened, very quickly: the appearance of the bottle of lube from her side table, his fingers stroking her again, a quick adjustment to align their bodies, and finally, finally, his cock sliding inside her.

God, it was so good. His hips thrust up, and she reared back to meet them, the motion making them both cry out.

"I love you," she whispered into his ear, and oh fuck, nothing got him going faster than when Katie moaned love confessions to him in bed. "I've missed this."

He thrust again, his hand now on her hip to stabilize her, then got a steady rhythm going, hitting that spot over and over, and oh— Ned was a little breathless now. "Katie," he crooned, a plaintive song with her name the only lyric.

They were both holding on by a thread, their hips moving together, his body wrapped around hers, their consciousness fully wrapped up in one another. Her third orgasm ambushed him and he followed straight afterward. Then they were a sweaty, exhausted tangle of limbs, silent for a moment as both worked to catch their breath.

Ned kissed her temple lightly. "Holy shit," he said, and they both laughed for a few moments until he unwound from her and rolled onto his back. "Incredible."

She followed him, turning around and climbing over him to press her lips to his again. Practical considerations would make her get up again in a few minutes, but it wasn't often they got to savor this.

He returned the kiss, then sighed happily as she found her familiar spot, nestled against his chest. "Don't get too comfortable," she warned him, giggling. "Ash will be awake soon enough. Frankly, I'm surprised he's stayed quiet for this long."

"I know," he sighed and took the hand splayed across his stomach in his own. "I'm gonna pay for this later at work. I can just tell." Neither of their bodies were as limber as they used to be, and his muscles were already starting to remind him of that.

"Worth it?" She asked, glancing up at him.

His chuckle rumbled in his chest; his fingers slipped gently over hers, bringing them to his mouth. "Every bit." He said with a wink. "We still don't have to rush off anywhere. If you want… you can go get Asher and we can lounge around with him."

Katie propped herself up on her elbow, a twinkle in her eyes at his suggestion, and leaned in with a quick kiss to his lips. "Okay. I'm gonna go get him," she whispered, sneaking one more peck before she clambered out of bed and threw on her nightgown from where she'd left it the night before.

Ned hopped out of bed to pull on a pair of pants when she came back with their son, who was asleep on her chest, with his stuffed elephant in hand and all when she got into bed. He never would've seen this coming as a teenager when he pictured his life. A family was never something he wanted. Not until he was with her.

She had made him want to be a better man. He wanted everything with her, and even today was in disbelief that he could be so lucky to have a wife and son.

"I think he missed you," she whispered as he climbed back into bed beside her. "I know I did."