It had been just two weeks and already Lucas and Brooke were experiencing a crash course in Parenthood 101. It made Lucas think about those talk shows he saw on TV where there's always a 13 or 14 year old girl claiming she wants to have a baby. Teens with no money and no education, the little smart asses who throw their hands in the hair saying things like "whatever" and "I don't need a man to help me raise my child". Boy, if they only knew what a wake up call it all was. He and Brooke loved their baby and were beyond thrilled to finally have her but it was hard work.

Before either had kids they would look at them, especially little babies and think how easy it must be. You feed them once a day, change them once a day, and play with them for a little while then they'll sleep for 18 hours a day. Wrong! By all accounts Harmony was a pretty good baby, calm and relatively content but still it was difficult work and Brooke, determined not to get a full time nanny, didn't know how she ever would have managed without Luke's help. It was a two more months of the off season and Brooke, who had decided to lighten her own work load, was seriously dreading his return.

Her new schedule consisted of waking up about seven in the morning to breast feed Harmony. Then she'd wash and sterilize the baby bottles by hand. Next, she pumped milk from her already sore nipples into the bottles for later feedings. The Scott's lives now revolved around the schedule of someone else. At night they slept when Harmony slept and when Harmony was awake, she had her parent's undivided attention. Although she seemed like a happy baby, sometimes Brooke felt totally helpless when she cried and cried for no reason at all.

It was two a.m. and Brooke was exhausted! It had been a long day. She had been up since six that morning only catching a few catnaps here and there. She'd spent the entire day tending to Harmony's needs. Just as her tired my finally closed, she heard the familiar wail coming from the bassinet located a few feet from her own bed. Please Harmony, Brooke thought to herself. Just be quiet for five minutes. No such luck and she didn't have the energy to raise her weary head.

"I'll get her", Lucas offered, his voice heavy with sleep, as he knocked on Brooke's bedroom door.

He trotted over and picked up her but she still screamed. It was loud and high pitched as if she were in pain.

"Lucas, I'm really scared. What is wrong with her?"

"She's okay", he tried to reason. "She's just been fussy lately, that's all."

"What if it's her heart? What if…"

"Brooke, don't do this. Come on now. We said we wouldn't freak until we got the test results back. Everything is fine, okay? Harmony is going to be fine. Now go back to sleep. I'll sit with her."

"Is she wet, Luke?"

"No but I got her", he said. "You've been at this all day and I know you must be beat. It's my turn."

"Thanks ", Brooke mumbled but it was no use.

How could she possibly get any sleep at all with that constant screaming added to the nagging feeling that something was wrong with her child and she couldn't help her?

Two hours later, the pair was still going at it. Lucas had been holding her nonstop and nothing seemed to work. She had a clean diaper, she'd already eaten and was refusing Brooke's breast as well as the bottle. They didn't know what was wrong. Brooke looked at the clock. It was almost four thirty in the morning. She knew that the West Coast was three hours behind but she was at her wits end. She took a deep breath, picked up the phone and began to dial. After four rings the line finally picked up and she was greeted by the sleepy sound of her brother in law's voice.

"Nathan, it's Brooke", she said. "I really need to talk to Haley."

"Okay. Um, is everything alright?"

"Yeah. Look I know it's late and you guys are sleeping and I'm sorry but I really need Hales right now."

"I'm sorry I can't hear you. What is going on over there?"

"That is your niece unfortunately now please put your wife on the phone."

After some shuffling, Brooke heard her sister in law's tired voice. For some reason just hearing Haley speak made Brooke want to break into tears.

"Brooke? Sweetie, what's the matter?"

"Hi Hales, it's me. Um, sorry to call so late or whatever..."

"It's alright. Are you okay? You sound like you're crying."

"No...no I'm fine", Brooke lied. "Uh, I was just wondering, you know, since you've done this twice before and all. Harmony is doing great and everything is fine but um, she's uh...not sleeping."

What an understatement! Harmony was now wailing so loudly it was as if she and her mother were in a contest to see who Haley could actually hear.

"I hear that, Brooke."

"Yeah she's not sleeping...at all. It's gotten worse within the last few nights."

"Is she sick? Does she have a rash or a temperature?"

"No."

"Did you feed her?"

"Earlier. Now she doesn't seem to want anything else."

"Dirty diaper?"

"No."

"Hhhhmmmm..."

"What do you think it is? What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing? Haley, do you hear her? I mean, are you deaf? She sounds like we're lighting her on fire. Something has to be wrong."

"No Brooke, she's just being a baby. That's what they do. Babies cry...a lot and they don't sleep. These first few weeks and even months are going to be a little rough. It just takes getting used to, that's all."

Haley said it so casually.

"I feel like I'm going nuts. I know Luke is in the same boat. We love her

more than anything but this is crazy, Hales."

"I know. I went through it myself...twice. It gets on your nerves and it's frustrating but you get used to it. What other choice do you have? Just be thankful those little lungs are healthy enough to make all that racket."

"I am, Haley."

"What is she doing now?"

"Besides screaming bloody murder? Lucas is holding her and he's walking the house with her."

"What happens when you put her down?"

"It gets worse and a lot louder."

"Do you tilt her face to the side? You know, so she won't get smothered in the crib?"

"No...I mean we put her on her back."

"All the time?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Haley laughed in spite of herself.

"Silly ass. That's the problem. Lay that baby on her belly, rub her back and talk or sing to her. Guarantee unless it is colic or she's sick, she'll drift right off. Call your pediatrician tomorrow and if it is colic, try running the vacuum cleaner when she cries. Believe it or not that really helps."

"Haley, we're scared to put her on her stomach."

"Scared?"

"You know, crib death and SIDS."

"It'll be okay. If it'd make you feel better, put her in bed with you. Just make sure her face is slightly tilted to one side. It'll be okay. I promise."

Though a little hesitant, Brooke followed the instructions and sure enough, Harmony was out like a light within minutes. The funny thing was, neither Brooke nor Lucas got any sleep for staying up watching to make sure she was still breathing. Finally they drifted off around sunrise. It seemed like their eyes had only been closed for a few seconds before Harmony stirred again. This time she was hungry.

"You sure you don't want to reconsider the nanny?" Lucas quipped.

"Ask me that after I've had more than three hours sleep", Brooke answered with an exhausted smile on her face.

"Keep sleeping Brooke", Lucas said. "I'll feed her from the bottles you made."

"Thanks. I honestly don't think I have the strength to move."

"It's okay", he said stroking her face.

"I'm sorry, Luke. I know this is so hard..."

"Yeah it is", he said as he scooped up their daughter. "But I wouldn't trade it for the world."