DISCLAIMER: House isn't mine.

AN. Remember, I don't have children, so this is going off imagination and accounts from my friends who do have kids.

August

"Where do you think you're going, young man?"

Lucas looked up at his mother with his big blue-gray eyes as she placed the safety rail at the foot of the stairs to keep him from crawling up the stairs. As she calmly and unrelentingly met his gaze, his lower lip trembled and he sat back and began to cry.

"What's up, Luke? Mommy being mean and not letting you upstairs?"

Cameron rolled her eyes at her husband as he addressed their ten month old son. At least at being talked to Lucas stopped crying.

"I'm sorry I don't want to risk our son breaking his neck on the stairs," she said sarcastically.

"So you should be."

House avoided his wife's exasperated glance and instead scooped Lucas onto his good leg and returned his attention to the TV, The Lion King, put on for Lucas' entertainment. It was Lucas's favourite movie, although Cameron suspected her husband liked it just as much.

Cameron turned away and began picking up the toys that her son somehow managed to spread through the entire house daily, a feat she had never quite learned how he mastered it; but supposed he was aided and abetted by his father. Lucas giggled at the screen, although Cameron herself had never seen the humour in the hyena scene; but Luke laughed at it every time.

They may have been slightly biased but Cameron and House both were in agreement that they had the cutest, most intelligent child on the earth. At ten months, Lucas's personality was quite developed and Cameron could, and had, spent hours with Zoe, Emma and Kate analysing which traits came from which parent. Lucas was still the image of House, although with Cameron's eyes and hair.

His personality though, was the combination of the best elements of each of his parents. He loved music, all kinds, although Disney music could put him to sleep instantly. This meant that House, albeit reluctantly, found himself playing all music from Disney movies, which Cameron loved. There were certain aspects of his personality which everyone was in agreement had to come from House, such as his pure delight at watching people fall over. House could, and had, spent hours watching clips on youtube of people falling over with his son; and for this reason, Funniest Home Videos was the show that had to be watched without fail every week.

Like his mother, however, Lucas was sweet and empathetic. He somehow knew when Cameron had had a bad day or was feeling down and would cuddle up to her, or offer her a mashed up handful of whatever he could find to make her feel better. Indeed, the handful of half-eaten banana he had handed her last week when she was dealing with her monthly PMS cry-fest wasn't the best example she could think of, but she couldn't deny it had made her feel better.

Although they had never consciously told Lucas that "Daddy had a bad leg", Lucas instinctively knew that too and always went to sit on his father's good leg. Then there were moments where no one could quite work out where Lucas learned that from, but supposed it was just Lucas developing his own unique personality. Like his mother, Lucas adored all animals. Unlike his mother however, at eight months, Lucas had developed a particular fascination with earthworms. Cameron and House couldn't understand what was so interesting, but after it rained, Lucas would sit outside for hours and watch as the worms slowly slid through the earth. Cameron's personal favourite though, was his fascination with his hands, which he had discovered a few months ago, but ever so often, re-discovered to great wonder and amusement.

They had taken him to the zoo for the first time only last month, along with Emma, Kate and Zoe and their respective families. He had enjoyed looking at all the animals, he and House had shared a moment over the antics of the monkeys in particular; but Cameron couldn't wait until he was a little older and could appreciate it more. She was hoping to have a petting zoo at his first birthday party in November; it was just convincing House that took the effort.

Lucas squirmed impatiently to be let down, and House relented immediately. At ten months, Lucas was standing on his own, and House could practically see his impatience at wanting to walk, he just wasn't quite there yet. Happy to be on the floor, Lucas turned his attention from the TV and crawled over to inspect the remnants of his lunch that he had dropped all over his walker only a few hours prior.

"Uh, Al? I think your son's hungry," House called out, watching warily as Lucas studied a brown piece of apple, clearly debating whether or not to eat it.

Cameron looked over, saw what House saw and then saw her husband sitting there half-watching Lucas, half-watching the movie and rolled her eyes.

"Oh, don't get up hon. I got it," she said pointedly.

"I figured," House replied and Cameron sighed. Sarcasm was wasted on him.

"Luke, want a cookie?" she asked her son, going over to the pantry.

Lucas reacted to her voice and turned to watch her. His eyes lit up as she pulled out a cookie, one of his favourites and he abandoned the piece of apple, and he shakily pushed himself to his feet. House watched him carefully out of the corner of his eye, something he couldn't help but do now, after last month when he had stood up, wobbled, and promptly fell down again, hitting his head on the coffee table.

Asserting that he was in no danger, House went to turn his attention back to the movie, when something happened that made his jaw drop. Lucas took a step.

"Uh, Allison?"

Cameron caught the difference in his tone immediately and looked over. "Wha- oh my god!"

She froze for a moment in stunned surprise, before recovering and squatting down to Lucas' level.

"Luke, come on baby. You can do it!" she murmured.

Lucas continued confidently towards her, his eyes fixed not on his mother, but the cookie in her hands. A lump appeared in her throat as Cameron watched her son walk towards her, and as soon as he was in arm's reach, she grabbed him and pulled him in close.

"Good job, baby. Good job," she beamed at him, handing him the cookie and looking over his head to meet House's gaze, who looked just as moved as she felt.

"Oh my god," she murmured and House nodded in silent agreement.

Blinking back tears, Cameron set Lucas back on his feet and turned him towards House.

"Luke, can you walk to Daddy?"

House startled for a moment, but when he met his wife's encouraging smile, he moved to sit on the coffee table, facing Lucas and held out his arms.

"Come here, kiddo," he called and Lucas looked over.

Hesitantly, Cameron released her hold on him and Lucas began to walk to his father. House studied his son as he walked closer towards him and a small stab of fear pierced his gut. When had Lucas suddenly become so tall? Had he ever noticed before that his son now had six teeth? Or that the dark fuzz that had covered his head since birth was now replaced by dark brown hair?

As Lucas reached his goal, and beamed triumphantly at his parents, House scooped him up and inhaled his scent deeply. The 'baby smell' was long gone, but he still smelt sweet; and his skin was still velvety soft, which soothed House slightly.

"Good work, buddy," he said to him brightly. "Now are you gonna finish the movie?"

House's gesture to the TV reminded Lucas that moving pictures were before him, and he returned all his attention to the Lion King again, satisfied that he had fulfilled his quota of walking with the trip between the living room and the kitchen.

House carefully stood up and went over to his wife, who was watching Lucas with a sad smile on her face.

"He's done it... he's walking," she said quietly and House nodded.

"I know."

Cameron was surprised to find herself crying and laughed sheepishly as she brushed the tears away. "I'm going to kill Emma and Kate! They didn't warn me about this stuff!"

House grinned. "Of course not. Where's the fun in that?"

Cameron smacked him playfully then sighed wearily. House, sensing that his wife was feeling a little nostalgic and at a loss, pulled her into his arms and rubbed her back comfortingly.

"I'm glad you were here for this," she whispered to him and House smiled.

"Me too."