DISCLAIMER: House isn't mine.

October

House opened the front door and listened as he took off his jacket and threw his keys on to the table next to the front door. The house was quiet, and he wondered for a moment if Cameron and Lucas were even home. Then he heard a splash and a giggle that could only be his son and House grinned as he headed for the bathroom. Bath time was Lucas' favourite activity, he loved the water and was fascinated how the water wrinkled his soft skin. He had been five months old the first time he'd realised that he could splash the water and make it move, but he seemed to find a new delight in it every time, even six months later.

"Lucas James House will you sit still for two minutes?" he heard Cameron's exasperated voice as he reached the doorway.

"Where's the fun in that?" he asked, and Cameron's head whipped around to the door.

"Hey, you're home! How's the patient?" she asked worriedly. The department was dealing with a difficult case at the moment, and Cameron had been worried about leaving; but Emma and Adam, who usually took Luke if Cameron and House had to work late, were out of town, and the hospital daycare was only open so long.

"She's stable," House replied.

Cameron nodded in relief and turned back to Lucas. "Luke, look who's home!"
Lucas turned in the direction she was pointing and a wide grin spread over his face as he saw his father.

"Can you say hi to Daddy?" Cameron asked him.

They had been encouraging Lucas to talk for awhile now, but nothing yet. However, Lucas reached out a wrinkled hand in House's direction and clearly uttered,

"Dad dad dad."

Although they had been encouraging Lucas to talk, neither Cameron nor House were expecting it and their jaws both dropped.

House finally found his voice. "Yeah, that's right buddy. Dad dad dad."

"Dad dad," Lucas repeated, laughing.

Cameron was beaming as House knelt down beside her with difficulty and picked Lucas up out of the bath, wet and squirming.

"Here," Cameron said quietly, handing him a towel and wrapping it around Lucas.

House bundled him up and rested him on his leg. "Luke, can you say mom?"

"Mu," Lucas stumbled and Cameron laughed.

"Close enough," she giggled, kissing the top of his head and pulling the plug out of the bath.

"Has he had dinner?" House asked her.

"Yeah, he had pasta. Hence the bath," she smiled, referring to Lucas's trend of decorating his clothes and high chair with whatever he was eating. Anything with sauce, especially.

"So bed time?"

"Bed time," she confirmed.

House stood up slowly, Lucas still in his arms and leaned down to kiss his wife. "I'll change him and tuck him in," he offered.

Cameron, of course, didn't refuse, simply kissed Lucas' soft cheek, murmured "Goodnight baby," and headed off to clean the kitchen.

As House placed Lucas in the crib fifteen minutes later, in fresh diaper, pajamas and with his favourite bear (a gift from Uncle Jim) near his side; and watched as Lucas endured his nightly struggle to resist closing his eyes. He still felt a strange thrill in his chest from the memory of Lucas finally saying "dad", and it seemed to be only yesterday that he had been a tiny newborn.

Cameron was just finishing wiping down Lucas's highchair when House entered the kitchen and he headed straight for the fridge for a soda.

"Did he go down ok?"

"Out like a light," House replied.

"I spoke to your mom tonight while I was feeding Luke," she said to him.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, she and your dad were thinking of coming out next month before Luke's birthday, for like a week or so."

House paused for a moment. "And stay where?"

Cameron rolled her eyes at him, knowing what was running through her mind. "At a hotel, hon."

"Oh. Ok then, that's fine," House answered.

Cameron shook her head in exasperation.

"We're not going to make a big thing out of his birthday are we?" House asked warily.

Cameron paused thoughtfully. "Well... I've had a few ideas. He's only going to have one first birthday, Greg."

"Yeah, but he's one. He won't remember it," House said reasonably.

"But I will," Cameron said quietly.

House sighed, already foreseeing his defeat in this matter. "How many people were you thinking of inviting?"

Cameron, also foreseeing her triumph over her husband, smiled as she answered. "Not that many. Our parents; Steve and Tess, and the kids; Jim, Lisa; Chase and Sam; Eric and Zoe; Kate and Jeff and the kids; and Emma, Adam and Maddy. Just the family."

House just groaned, wondering if it was possible to set a time limit on the event. Preferably one of about half an hour, if that.