Note From The Author-- Yay for a new chapter. I like this one, but then I would since I wrote it : )

Flack could only grin as he stood back and watched his wife hum as she wrapped presents. Their little girl's first birthday was the next day, and they were having a party with all of their friends to celebrate the occasion. He'd been helping where he could most of the day, for the moment he was content to just lean against the door and look his fill.

Without turning around, Stella's hummed tune broke off and she spoke to him. "Are you going to stand there and look at my ass all day or are you going to come and help me finish this?" she asked, her voice filled with humor.

Laughing, Don walked across the room to wrap his arms around her. "I like looking at your ass," he told her quietly before bending to kiss her neck. "It's very nice."

"Thank you." She turned around long enough to give him a real kiss then returned to her task. "Now grab that last present."

"Stell, you realize Sophie's not going to remember any of this, right?"

She nodded. "I know, but I want to make sure that she gets to experience all of the milestones."

He didn't have any reason to argue with her. He knew that Stella sometimes felt cheated that she'd missed out on so much not having a family, and he knew that she wanted to make sure Sophia never had any reason to feel that way. So he leaned over to kiss her again then picked up a little stuffed hippo. "She's going to get it all Stell. Now how the hell am I supposed to wrap this?"

The party the next day was a smashing success. All of their friends from the lab were there, and they were all thrilled to be present. They came with a battalion of presents that made Stella and Lindsay grin and Flack and Danny shake their heads a bit. The biggest surprise was the gorgeous little cake that Adam and Kendall brought with them.

"Is there anything you don't know how to do?" Lindsay asked Kendall.

She shrugged. "I told you I bore easily."

Cameras came out and flashed like crazy as Stella and Flack sat with Sophia and blew out the candle for her. In a moment she was covered in bright pink frosting and cake crumbs and Don could only laugh as she decided to share with Daddy and reached up to press her frosting covered hands against his cheeks.

They all watched as she opened their presents, cooing over everyone's adorable choices. Then everyone laughed as, in true one year old tradition, discarded the stuffed animals and dresses to play with boxes and wrapping paper.

Danny and Flack stood together sharing a beer, watching Stella and Mac talk as the baby sat between them on the floor. Flack grinned as Sophia picked up her wrapping paper and handed it to Mac piece by piece. The older man took every piece with a smile and a bright thank you, until he had a mountainous pile on his lap. "He's good with kids," he commented to Danny.

"Yeah he is," Danny responded. "It kind of amazes me how domesticated we've all gotten since you and Stella had a baby."

"I wouldn't say domesticated."

He laughed. "Please, domesticated's exactly the right word. Look at us all oohing and aahing over stuffed purple hippos and little pink dresses. I'd call it domesticated."

Lindsay sidled up next to her husband and kissed his cheek. "Lamenting your misspent bachelorhood?" she asked.

"Course not," he told her. "I just never imagined all of us standing in Stella and Flack's living room for a baby's first talking about stuffed animals and baby clothes."

She smiled up at him. "You'd better get used to it. We'll all be doing the same thing all over again once our little boy or girl comes," she told him casually.

Danny's mouth fell open as he looked down at her. "You mean? We?"

She nodded, smiling radiantly. Then everyone's heads turned and Sophia burst into tears as Danny hit the floor.