House walked briskly through the hospital, the usual cynical expression on his face, but today something was different. Holding the hand of a three-year-old, he looked almost... normal. You, his spouse, walked beside him, effortlessly managing the energetic toddler who seemed to be excited about everything in sight.

When you entered the main area, the staff froze. Nurses, doctors, and even Cuddy, who was in the middle of a conversation, stopped in their tracks.

— "House... Is that... your kid?" Foreman asked, eyes wide in disbelief.

House turned to him with an amused grin.

— "Surprise," he replied dryly, his tone still laced with sarcasm. "Yes, I’m a doctor, a husband, and a father. Quite the revelation, huh?"

The little one tugged at House’s coat, demanding attention.

— "Daddy, I’m hungry!" the child whined, causing House to sigh, though there was a rare softness in his eyes as he looked down.

— "Yeah, yeah. We'll get you something. Gotta keep the tiny human alive, right?" he mumbled, more to himself than anyone else.

Cuddy raised an eyebrow, walking over to the three of you.

— "You never told us you had a family," she remarked, trying to hide her surprise. "And I thought you weren’t the... fatherly type."

House smirked, bending down to ruffle his child’s hair, then looked back at her with a casual shrug.

— "I’m full of surprises, Cuddy," he replied. "Personal life is personal."

The toddler wriggled out of House’s grip, clearly impatient.

— "Daddy, candy!"

House sighed, rolling his eyes, but couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at his lips.

— "Alright, kiddo. We’re going to the candy store. You coming, sweetheart?" he said to you, clearly making plans.

With a nod, you both followed, leaving behind a hospital full of confused doctors. House, as always, had his own way of keeping everyone on their toes.

— "Don’t worry," he murmured, "They’ll figure it out... eventually."