There were diapers everywhere from that morning when Angel had changed Jacob. He was still new to it, and very nervous, so in his panic to grab a new one from the Huggies bag, he'd pulled about ten out and they had been tossed all over the room. The bowl from Buffy's cereal that morning still sat on the coffee table, and there were cups all over. Angel had planned to clean the entire house, and had done every room but that one, but Joyce had called and begged him to come in to meet some new clients. He had been reluctant, but then Buffy had insisted it would be all right.

Sighing, Buffy began picking up the diapers when all she wanted to do was collapse. She was so tired. The couch looked so warm and inviting with the cushions and the quilt that had been laying on it ever since they'd brought Jacob home from the hospital three days earlier.

"Buffy, don't worry about that." Angel insisted in a low voice as he came into the room, dressed for his meeting. "I'll clean up when I get back, you get some sleep."

"This mess is driving you crazy." Buffy argued.

Angel shook his head. "You need sleep. Please, just rest. It makes me feel better that at least I can clean the house for you."

Buffy sighed and smiled up at him. "I love you."

"Love you too." He replied, kissing her softly. "Now rest."

He got her tucked under the blankets on the couch and walked over to the bassinet. "Good bye, Jacob. Be good for Mommy." He whispered, placing a feather-light kiss on his son's cheek.

As soon as she heard Angel pull out of the driveway, Buffy got up and headed through the house, shutting the blinds. Once it was free of sunlight, she opened the basement door.

"Is he finally gone now? I'm almost late for my show!" Spike said as he walked through the door.

"Shh... Jacob's sleeping." Buffy told him.

Spike nodded. "Don't wake my brother, got it."

Buffy smiled as he headed over to the couch and turned the television on so he could watch his beloved soap. Buffy was about to head over and join him when there was a knock at the door.

Yawning, she trudged over and opened it to find Cordelia. "Hey Cordy, what's up?"

"Lovely little sign you've got here." Her friend replied, gesturing to the sign Buffy had taped to the door that said the doorbell had been disconnected and to please knock.

"Hey, keeps people from waking Jacob." Buffy answered as Cordelia walked through the door and she shut it behind her.

"Is he sleeping *again*?"

"Yes... and he just fell asleep so keep your voice down." Buffy told her.

Cordelia walked over to peer down at the infant. "He's so cute."

Buffy smiled proudly. His chocolate brown eyes- just like his father's- were sure to make it difficult to say no to him as he got older.

Cordelia turned and looked at her friend. "No offense, but are you sure he's not retarded or something? I mean, babies are supposed to laugh, kick and stuff... All he does is sleep and cry and eat and make dirty diapers."

"Cordelia! He's not even four days old! They don't do anything besides sleep and cry and eat and make dirty diapers for a while!" Buffy hissed.

"Well, excuse me, I just asked a question." Cordelia replied, shaking her head. "Brought your homework for the past week."

"Thanks." Buffy said as she took some papers from her hand.

"Dr. Engles has been lecturing from chapters twenty to twenty-three this week, he says if you read it, you should be okay. He also gave out the outline for the paper we have to write by next Thursday for our final, and your copy is in there. Your art teacher says you just have to complete the final project you've been working on and send it with me to turn in any time next week. Professor Martin just gave me these two worksheets for you and she says you can take the exam on the Internet site any time after Monday morning at nine when she adds it. She also said to tell you to sleep every chance you get. Lastly, Dr. Gallagher was not at all pleased that your son was so rude as to arrive two weeks before her class was done. Big surprise there. Whatever is shoved up her ass must be really sharp. Anyway... you need to do chapter fifteen's review... it's a one page paper about Pavlov. She wants you to call her Monday to schedule your exam... Oh and she's only free for you to take the final before ten a.m."

"But... I have nobody to watch Jacob." Buffy sighed, depressed at the realization of how much schoolwork she had to do. She just wanted to sleep.

Cordelia shrugged. "I told her that. She says you can bring 'the little child' with you."

"Oh great... I'll be trying to take my Psych 101 exam while breastfeeding."

"Eww." Cordelia replied. "Well, I have to run. It's Friday night and I have a date."

"Thanks Cordy... tell Xander 'hi' for me."

"How did you know it was...?" Cordelia began then rolled her eyes as her friend arched her eyebrow knowingly. "Bye."

Buffy took all the papers and deposited them on the coffee table, trying to decide where to start. This was horrible. Even without having to take care of Jacob, it would be hard for her to get all this work done so soon... and now she was suffering from sleep deprivation.

So much for getting any sleep.

The thought depressed her so much she began to cry. She was just so tired, but instead of sleeping, she had to take care of her baby and do her homework. Why hadn't she listened to Angel when he suggested taking the semester off?

"Shh... It's all right, Pet." Spike comforted, wrapping his arm around her and laying her head on his shoulder. "They'll get Timmy out of the well."

Buffy couldn't help but laugh at Spike and his 'Passions' obsession. She closed her eyes as she relaxed against him. He began rubbing his hand over her arm and the small act of comfort was enough to lull her into sleep.

Buffy awoke with a start to the smell of Chinese food and the evening news on the television. Groggily, she pushed herself into a sitting position on the couch.

"Hi Sweetheart." Angel greeted, smiling warmly at her with Jacob sleeping in his arms as he sat in the recliner. "Feel better?"

"What time is it?" She asked, it was dark out, so she'd been asleep for a few hours.

"Five-thirty. Spike says you fell asleep at about two. I'm glad you got a bit more sleep than usual. Jacob managed to stay asleep until almost 4... Even then, he wasn't hungry. He'll probably be waking up soon, though, so I'm glad I don't have to be the one to wake you."

Buffy smiled and leaned over to kiss him. "Love you. Did you bring home dinner?"

"Of course. Got your favorite."

"Sweet and Sour Chicken? You're so wonderful." Buffy grinned, picking up the carton of her favorite food and using some chopsticks to begin eating. "Where's Spike?"

"Putting a load of laundry in." Angel informed her, looking adoringly down at his son.

Buffy quirked an eyebrow. "You got him to do a chore? He usually only does it for me."

"I convinced him he'd be helping you." Angel smiled. "Buffy, eat fast because someone's about to wake up and he looks cranky."

Buffy shoved some more food in her mouth as Jacob let out a loud wail. Angel attempted to calm the infant before Buffy took him, giving her husband a grateful smile. He handed her a small blanket so she could cover up in case Spike came back in while she nursed the baby.

Angel ate his own dinner as Buffy cradled her son in one arm and fed herself with the other. When she was half through with the carton, Jacob appeared to be full so she took a break from her meal to burp him. Hopefully he would either go back to sleep or just be peaceful so she could eat the rest of her dinner and start her schoolwork.

"I need to go do... something... on the computer." Angel told her as he stood up, bending to give Buffy and the baby kisses on their heads.

"Okay." Buffy replied, smiling weakly at him. She didn't want him to know what kind of pressure she felt. If he did than he would worry and when he worried, he hovered. She did not need a hovering Angel.

Luckily, Jacob seemed content in the warmth of his mother's arms, allowing her to finish her dinner while it was still warm. Her belly full, she leaned back on the couch, softly rubbing small circles on the newborn's back.

As he fell asleep, Spike came in. "'Ello Luv... Jake sleeping?"

Buffy nodded. "He just conked out. I suppose I should put him to bed upstairs so I can get started on my homework."

"Why don't you take the opportunity to get some rest, Pet?" Spike urged.

"Because I have so much work to do I doubt I will be able to sleep all weekend." She sighed, getting up and heading towards the stairs.

Buffy half expected him to follow her, but was surprised to find herself alone as she headed up the stairs. Shrugging, she walked into the nursery and began positioning pillows in the crib to lay Jacob on his side between.

"Honey?" Angel said quietly from the door.

Buffy turned and smiled at him. "What do you need?"

"I was just talking to Spike... go to bed."

"Angel." She sighed.

"No, you'll be able to get so much more done if you're well rested... you know I'm right." Angel argued, quiet so he wouldn't wake their son.

Buffy nodded reluctantly. "Fine..."

"Why don't you just take Jacob to our bed? Then you won't have to get up for him tonight?"

"Okay..." Buffy replied, surprised. Angel had been terrified of the chance of crushing him. "You want to join us?"

"Nah... I'm kind of wired. Besides, it's six-thirty, Buffy." He chuckled, grabbing the pillows out of the crib and leading her to their bedroom.

Buffy shrugged. "I have no concept of time anymore."

Angel helped her get all settled in bed with Jacob, then left them alone. Buffy immediately fell asleep. She didn't awaken until ten that night when Jacob was screaming as loud as his little lungs would let him.

Yawning, Buffy fed him, contemplating whether she should get her husband to come to bed. She decided against it, he was a grown man. Besides, ten o'clock was hardly late. So, when Jacob fell back asleep, so did she.

The baby awoke again at almost two in the morning. As Buffy began feeding him, she noticed Angel still wasn't in bed. That was odd... he hadn't been getting much sleep either, so he should have been exhausted. Just as Buffy was about to go look for him, he walked in the room.

"Hey... you just coming to bed?" She asked him.

"Buff, I've been in here with you for two hours!" He smiled, climbing back into bed.

Buffy laughed. "Sorry... I've been sleeping like a rock."

"I forgive you." Angel teased, kissing her on the cheek.

When Jacob fell back asleep again, he was safely protected between his mother and father.

"Whatcha looking for Luv?"

"All my homework that Cordelia brought me." Buffy answered looking throughout the living room to see if Angel had moved it when he'd cleaned up.

"Oh, it's over by the computer." Spike informed her as he plopped down on the couch and turned on some ice skating competition.

Sighing, Buffy went over to the computer in the small bedroom they had converted to an office and looked around for her papers. On top of it all, she found a bunch of printed pages.... with all her homework completed on it. The paper on Pavlov, her english paper and her two worksheets for history had all been typed up and printed out.

"Surprise." Angel smiled as he stood in the doorway holding Jacob.

Buffy looked at him in amazement. "What did you do?"

"Your homework. Or as much of it as I could do. I'll watch Jacob this afternoon so you can finish your art project, and I will take your history exam Monday. The only thing you have to do is take your exam with the evil wench next week, and I am totally prepared to help you study."

"How did you... know all this stuff?" She asked.

Angel blushed a bit. "I sort of like to read your textbooks behind your back. They interest me. Are you mad? I mean, I know you want to learn and that's why you're in college, but you were so tired and I figured sleep was more important."

Buffy smiled and shook her head as tears welled in her eyes.

"Why are you crying?" He asked, concerned.

"It's so sweet!" She exclaimed, walking over to him and wrapping her arms around his waist as she buried her head in his chest.

Angel smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Anything for you, Buffy. Anything at all."

Buffy looked up and returned the smile, before he dipped his head down and captured her lips in a passionate kiss.

Pulling apart, they looked down at the product of their love. Little Jacob with his blonde hair and brown eyes, looking completely angelic.

Simultaneously, they both kissed the baby, on either side of his head. They pulled back and laughed, as he looked a bit perplexed.

Buffy felt so much better without the weight of worrying about school on her shoulders. Now she could just be happy with her new family again.

The End

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