Disclaimer: Not mine. And I meant to get this up yesterday, but I had a personal crisis that I was working through. Still working through it actually, but I woke up this morning and realized that I hadn't posted and felt bad.

The Daddy Group

House leaned against the kitchen island; his space had been invaded again, for Wilson's baby shower. Wilson had the place of honor in his new rocking chair. House smiled as Wilson's hands kept stroking the arms, enraptured with the chair.

"House, want one?" Derek held up his beer.

"This is where you snuck off? Wilson's kitchen?"

The dark man grinned and handed over one of the bottles. "We've learned to let them run the show."

House saw the two other men with Derek. The younger one was holding a little girl. Dahlia. "You must be McGee."

"Tim." He saluted House with his bottle. Dahlia blushed and hid her face in his shirt. The older man poked her side. "You've met Mr. House before, Dahlia."

She shook her head and refused to look at them.

"Gibbs," the other man introduced himself. "Tony's partner."

"Leo is very well-behaved today." Today, when he wasn't helping Ella carry presents to Wilson, they were playing with blocks.

"We had an incident before we left the house. Got a good smack on the ass, then had to sit in his car seat."

"Broke your heart," Derek punched Gibbs. "We all know he's your baby."

"Keeps telling me he isn't a baby anymore. He and Ella are five now."

"What about your two?" House asked McGee.

"Same age as Livi, three."

"And three quarters," the men chorused. Derek grinned. "Yeah, Dahlia and Patrick are three months younger than Livi, and Ella is one month younger than Leo."

"Ella and Livi are close together too."

"Eighteen months," Derek nodded. "And both are potty-trained."

"Really?"

"Once Spencer found out he was pregnant again, he potty-trained Livi in no time. He wasn't going to be changing diapers while pregnant again."

"Daddy?" Dahlia tugged McGee's sleeve. "Potty."

"Do you want Mommy?"

"No."

"Excuse me." Hoisting Dahlia on his hip, he carried her down the hall.

"How are you holding up?" Gibbs asked.

"Why? He's the one carrying."

"Please," Derek snorted. "We're the ones that have to help with the shots and then their bodies start to change and the strange hormones mess with their systems and their personalities and at times-"

"It's like dealing with a different person," House sighed. "Sometimes he'll be all right with this bed rest thing and other days he's so damn stubborn about it that I threaten to tie him down." He rubbed his thigh. "Damn leg doesn't help either. I want to help him, but I can't be much use."

"Tony has always been so self-sufficient. When he was pregnant with Leo, he depended on me for everything from shelter and food to reassurance that he wasn't going to screw the kid up." Gibbs gripped the bottle. "His father's neglect really messed with his head."

"Spencer got so caught up in the science of it that he forgot to worry about it. It wasn't until we got home from the hospital with Ella that he panicked. Then he started worrying about messing her up and passing on his genetics."

"Ella does have his genius."

Derek shook his head. "His mom is schizophrenic and he worries about them getting it."

"Wilson is going to be a great dad," House said.

"What about you?"

"I'm a recovering addict, I used to drink too much and I'm crazy."

"Spencer's a recovering too," Derek said. "He's great parent."

"You never met me…before. I was a real asshole."

"It's Gibbs, second b for bastard."

"House?" Derek gestured to Wilson with his beer bottle. "Wilson seems to think you're going to be great. Something about singing lullabies to his belly."

"I thought he was asleep," House murmured.

"When Tony finally dropped off, I would talk to Leo, mostly about Shannon, Kelly and Tony and how much I loved them all and I couldn't wait to meet him." Gibbs snorted. "Turned into a real sap."

"Papa!"

They turned to the party, where Livi was hauling herself onto the couch to sit by Spencer. He had just enough time to put Trey in his carrier before Livi planted herself in his lap. Sticking her thumb in her mouth, she reclined against him.

"Man, she's been waiting for that!" Derek laughed. "She hates it when anybody touches her Papa, including me and Ella. Then he couldn't hold her."

Spencer finger-combed her wild curls and handed Tony an envelope. Tony peeked inside and chuckled. "These are for all of us."

Frowning, Wilson took the envelope and opened it. "This is a really high class spa." He whistled. "Four massages?"

"When you lose the baby weight, call us and we'll all go together," Abby said.

House turned to Gibbs, Derek and the returning McGee. "Do we get anything cool like that?"

They raised their beer bottles.

"I want to join their club."