For every time we choose, there's another one of us somewhere who didn't. In another life, we'd go and choose all over again. But we can't. And we don't know what we'd have missed out.
And how can you miss something you've never had?
In the December of 2012, one version of Robin Scherbatsky never chose Maclaren's eight years before for a drink. She never met one Ted Mosby, and most certainly was not getting engaged to a certain blond figure that Christmas night.
She's not clinging to his hand for dear life or kissing him so hard she has to come up for air; he's most certainly not dragging her into the limo and slamming the door behind him to the knowing smiles of one Ranjit Singh.
This Robin Scherbatsky won't spend 2am looking at cars whiz past as she feels the weight of the rock on her finger. She won't be playing with her fingers on his back, drawing patterns as she counts his breathing to remind her it's not a dream.
Instead, this Robin Scherbatsky spends Christmas night at Maclaren's with a few friends from work. She sits, more pensive than usual, at the bar, as her colleagues look to be heading back. It's almost as if a part of her knows today is, for some reason, supposed to be special. But it isn't.
In another universe, another Robin Scherbatsky is waiting for a lift at a certain building, her heart pounding because she knows what she has to do - to stop a certain heartbreaker from marrying someone else.
For all her tough exterior, once in a while (like with a cigar in the tub), this Robin Scherbatsky, like most Robin Scherbatskys in the universe, lets herself sit in silence and just think about things.
Its been a good year. She's travelled, she's gotten better at her job, she hasn't let herself think about her dad and Canada for a while now -and she most certainly isn't doing it now- and she's had a couple of steady boyfriends, who were fun enough to keep around but clingy enough to be short term. The latest of her additions is Kevin - he's a really nice guy, and he does seem to care. She'll have to let him down easy.
But she wonders if it's time for her to settle down, at least with a stable someone. A someone like Kevin. She isn't getting any younger and Kevin's dependable and kind and he doesn't expect too much from her. She thinks she likes him.
In another universe, she's thinking about Kevin too. And why she chose him instead.
"Another round, and two scotches, neat. One for the lady."
A voice next to her startles her somewhat.
"For me?" she's only a little surprised. More so that he noticed her drink earlier.
The other Robin Scherbatsky is currently furious at the scotch drinking idiot for knowing her too well, he always noticed the small things.
"To whom do I owe this drink to?" she plays it coy. She's used to drinks from strange men in bars. Though this one doesn't look so strange.
He looks gorgeous, another Robin Scherbatsky thinks.
"Barney Stinson." He reached out his hand. "I just thought I'd seen you before." A tingle goes down her spine before she reaches her hand out.
Oh she's heard that line loads of times. But something keeps her from rolling her eyes, this strange feeling in her chest.
"I'm a reporter." Sort of, she almost adds. Well she is a real one now - that she has a good job now takes a bit of getting used to. "I have a boyfriend."
"Oh dammit!" he pauses, thinking quick. "Look, here's a piece of paper, you just gave me your number and I've gotten it written right here, um" he takes out a pen, pauses and looks expectantly at her. She smiles against her judgment. "Robin Scherbatsky's the name." "Robin," he scribbles.
In another universe, it's this moment he says her name too - as he gets on one knee and asks her to marry him.
But this Barney continues, ".. I am going to show my friend Ted that I've still got it! I'm always going to be way awesome-r than he is."
This Robin looks over at the professor-ish dude in the tweed coat in the booth the stranger gestures to from the corner of his eye. He has his arm around a dark haired girl with a small waist and he's laughing and pulling her closer. She knows the type.
"You probably are anyway."
"Why thank you, Rachel."
"It's Robin."
"Robin, right." He looks up, meets her eyes with his piercing blue for a few seconds longer than she expected. She's disarmed. "But really Robin, do I know you? I feel like we've met before."
I do too, she wants to say. "No, you've probably gotten me mixed up with someone else.."
His eyes linger on her face a little longer than she expects.
"Well Robin, you seem like a nice chick, and you're smoking hot" she flushes slightly "so care to join us for a drink? I've already paid for yours."
And because some part of the usually logical Robin has this nagging feeling she cant place, she follows him. She meets Lily and Marshall, the sweet ever-loving couple (that her parents never were), she meets the earlier Ted, who's girl seems to have disappeared.
"See Ted! Who said I wouldn't get her!"
Thank you Ted, a Barney Stinson in another universe is thinking.
Ted rolls his eyes and Lily hands Marshall a bill.
"Still got the charm." Barney's smug.
"I thought she looked smarter than that," Lily whispers. Robin hears it anyway but she can't help but agree.
So they talk, and Robin can't help but feel that she likes these people. Lily's a kindergarten teacher, Marshall's a lawyer, and Ted's some architect who's building party they've just come from (no one seems to know what Barney does). They joke, they laugh. She agrees to go shopping with Lily in the weekend because she really has no plans -holiday leave- and she thinks she might take Kevin to meet these people next week. She's pretty happy on a Christmas day.
Other Robin is really happy too.
"Barney! Has he behaved today guys?" a blond girl and the earlier girl she figures to be Ted's girlfriend (he hasnt stopped talking about her) walk towards the booth. The chirpy blond slips in the booth besides Barney, her hand on his.
Robin sees the ring on her finger.
Other Robin is looking at the same ring on her own hand.
"Ooh who's this girl Barney," Ted's girlfriend gestures towards her.
Robin's going to be my wife, other Barney in another universe thinks.
"Haha this one's my fault." Ted chimes in. "i bet Barney couldn't do the phone number in five minutes thing anymore."
"And I so did! Even monogamy can't contain my awesomeness!" Barney interrupts.
Other Barney says the same line after other Robin stops kissing him long enough to in the limo.
Ted gives a fake splutter and continues, "But hey, this is Robin. Robin this is Quinn," he points to the blond, "and Hayley," he gestures to the brunette.
In the other universe, Hayley doesn't meet Ted till 6 months later.
"So do you like her, Quinn? Does she get to stay? Please Quinn?" Lily perks up. Barney laughs, his hand lingering on the blond's shoulder.
"Well she doesn't look dumb enough to sleep with the fool I have for a husband anyway," Quinn smiles. "I approve."
I love him, other Robin thinks as she lies next to Barney.
"Totally not getting bossed around by the wife five!" Barney raises his hand to Robin expectantly. She rolls her eyes and high fives him.
Other Robin has done that for years now.
The night goes on, and eventually Robin has to go. This Robin Scherbatsky has enjoyed herself immensely, and she's bringing Kevin to meet them the week after. Everything's just like any other day. But today's she met a group of nice people she'd like to see more of.
But as she leaves the bar, she stops at the door. For reasons she cannot explain, she turns just to look at Barney again. He's smiling at Quinn, arm around her waist. But there's something about him. Something about him she just think... seems... familiar.
His eyes meet hers for a second, and she suddenly she sees a mental flash of a ring, and a rooftop.
But this Robin Scherbatsky just wonders where she knows him from.
Hey guys, thank you so much for the reviews! This is my first ever fic, I meant it as a one shot but I suppose I might add on after all. Thanks again guys for reading and please review!