A/N: This is the fourth part in a cross-fandom series (with Parts 1, 2, and 3 in Veronica Mars, Smallville, and That 70s Show fandoms) This is new for me, I never wrote in this fandom before, but I love this ship and its Christmas so I figure its a special occasion and a good time to try something new!
Two important things to note:
1 - I haven't seen any of Season 4 so I'm making it up for Christmas!
2 - In this fic, Ted's kids are named after the actor and actress who play them, as their names are never revealed on the show (or haven't been so far!)
Disclaimer: All recognisable characters from How I Met Your Mother belong to Craig Thonas and Carter Bays and other important people that aren't me.
The Secret Santa Series, Part IV - Barney & Robin
*** Christmas Eve, 2030 ***
"Hey, kids. You okay?" Robin asked the pair, hastily stubbing out her sneaky cigar as they came out onto the snow-covered porch and caught her.
"Dad is trying to bore us to death with another tale from the past" David rolled his eyes, as they sat down either end of the porch swing, sandwiching her in.
"Let me guess, it's one you heard before, several times?" she checked as she spread the blanket from her lap across the two teens.
"Try a million times" Lyndsey sighed, "I wouldn't mind so much if he had a story to tell that was interesting and not repeated again!"
"Well, how about one of your Aunt Robin's stories?" she smiled at the two of them, "And I guarantee you haven't heard this one, since your Dad wouldn't know the details enough to tell it" she said, smile almost becoming a smirk which made the kids curious.
"A Christmas story?" David checked.
"Yes" Robin agreed, "A kind of romantic story actually"
"Okay" Lyndsey nodded, "So long as its not as long as Dad's story about how he met Mom!" she said definitely, as robin smiled and began the tale she'd been standing here recalling herself anyway.
"Okay, it was December 2008...
*** December, 2008 ***
"Mclarens bar decided to have a Secret Santa for the regular patrons. Me and your Dad, and Aunt Lilly and Uncle Marshall all decided to take part. Your Uncle Barney, he didn't seem so keen at first..."
"I'm just saying, if I want something for Christmas I'm not going to write my name of a piece of paper, throw it in a hat and hope somebody buys me what I want" Barney explained, even as his friends did just that, "I have money, I buy what I want myself"
"Don't you want to join in the Christmas spirit, Barney?" Lilly shook her head sadly.
"The only Christmas spirit I'm interested in is served behind this bar" he told her as he headed over to order drinks.
Lilly rolled her eyes with a glance at Robin as the brunette took her little piece of paper over to the bar to finish writing it. Sitting herself down beside Barney, he automatically ordered her a drink.
"So, what's it feel like?" she asked him, without looking up from writing.
"What? Being awesome?" he grinned, as he adjusted his tie proudly, but Robin shook her head.
"No, being the heartless Scrooge that won't join in the festivities of Secret Santa?" she said with a look as she glanced his way.
"Oh!" Barney's hand covered his heart, his expression pained as if she'd stuck a sword in his chest, "Robin, how could you be so cruel?... and at Christmas" he said as if he were shocked, though he was back to normal in a second, practically laughing at her for being so silly.
"I didn't know he had a plan, and now, so many years later, I still don't know exactly how he fixed it... but I'm getting ahead of myself. So, it was one week later...
*** one week later ***
"We were all at the bar, and they were handing out the Secret Santa gifts. Ted had his brand new sweater on already, and Marshall had just unwrapped a matching hat and gloves that honestly would've looked better on a man half his size, but he loved them. Sitting in our usual booth, it was just the four of us, no Barney, which was probably a good thing since when Lilly unwrapped her gift..."
"Oh my God!" Robin gasped as her friend pulled out a naughty festive lingerie set from beneath the layer of tissue in the box.
"Marshall, did you get my name in the Secret Santa on purpose?" she asked with a giggle and an eye roll at what she thought he'd done.
"No" her husband said definitely, eyes scanning the bar for the likely suspect who had dared to buy such a thing for his wife.
It was Ted who spotted the barman, Carl, looking their way and as he urged Lilly to look over, they were all a little surprised to see the man in black wink at her. Seems he'd developed a little crush and wasn't adverse to messing with a game for the patrons to make his point. Thankfully, Marshall didn't notice and was soon convinced by Lilly that his threat of manliness was enough, he didn't need to actually hit anybody on her account. That pleased him, since he wasn't so much a fighter.
"So, now we just have to wait for Robin's gift" Ted smiled as he drummed a roll on the edge of the table, "You think somebody got you a kinky little gift too?" he asked her like the large child he could sometimes be.
"I don't know, I..." she began, only to be interrupted as her name was called from across the bar, "Well, I guess we're about to find out"
Crossing from the booth to the bar, Robin had a immaculately wrapped box pushed into her hands. The size of the gift made her think jewellery, though she couldn't imagine anyone going to too much expense on her account, especially not for the sake of a Secret Santa gift. Curious, she had the wrapping off before she ever got back to the booth, and prized the box lid open seconds before her butt hit the seat.
It was clear to her friends that whatever was in the box had stunned her. Eyes wide and mouth opening and closing like a landed bass, poor Robin was beyond stunned and almost moved to tears apparently.
"What? Something awful?" Ted asked, as he slid from his seat at the end of the table, into the booth beside her.
"No, something beautiful" she smiled as she carefully prised the silver charm bracket from the box, holding it for all her friends to see.
"Wow, that is gorgeous" Lilly enthused from across the table, "Oh, and look at all the beautiful charms... or not" her expression shifted in a second as Marshall's eyes widened a little at the sight she'd seen.
This was no ordinary charm bracelet, with four leaf clovers and hearts or even mini high heeled shoes and purses. No, this bracelet was pure Robin, each of the six charms suited exactly to her - a microphone, a gun, a cigar, a little dog, a sandcastle, and...
"A boat?" Ted frowned at that last one, "Okay, I get the rest but I'm not getting the boat" he admitted, "Does someone think you sailed down from Canada?"
"It's not a boat" Robin said absently as she glanced away and across the bar where the very person she'd been expecting stood smiling at her, toasting her with the drink in his hand the moment he spotted her, "It's a battleship" she smiled.
Barney wasn't even going to play in the Secret Santa, but it had to have been him that bought her this gift. He did have a heart and the way he was looking at her suggested she held the biggest piece of it. That was a really special Christmas gift to receive.
*** Christmas Eve, 2030 ***
"Was that how you and Uncle Barney got together?" Lyndsey asked curiously.
"Not exactly" said a voice from the doorway and the kids turned at the same time as their Aunt Robin to see the very man they'd been speaking of standing there, "but that's a story for another time" he said, sharing a smile with the woman he had long since made his wife.
"We should get back inside before Dad misses us" Lyndsey said tactfully, signalling for her brother to move already.
David wasn't so dumb he missed the point and was up and through the door the second Uncle Barney moved out of the way. The older couple now left alone, they moved to stand together, leaning on the railing.
"Y'know I still have that bracelet" Robin mused as she pictured it in her minds eye, still in the box it came in, tucked in the back of a drawer at home.
"Why?" Barney asked her with a look, since he had bought her so much more better jewellery since that Christmas so many years ago.
"Because when you gave it to me, I knew you weren't just the womanising jerk you seemed" she smiled, finding his stunned expression amusing as she turned to glance his way, "I realised you could love, and that I could maybe love you" she admitted, wondering what he would say to that since even now he often surprised her with his odd reactions to things.
"Huh" was all he said at first, finishing the drink he'd been holding this whole time before he continued, "I was way ahead of you" he scoffed, "I knew from the moment we met you were different, Scherbatsky, and you and me together? It was always going to be legen-" he began, though his usual pause went on longer than even he expected as she pushed herself into his arms, initiating a deep kiss beneath the mistletoe.
"-dary" she added with a smile as they parted.
There was no doubting they really were a perfect couple.
- The End -