I don't own HIMYM and never will. No copyright infringement intended.
Tracy didn't want to believe it at first, especially when she was sick, but she couldn't help but think about Ted and how he talked about Robin. But she kept seeing it and finally snapped a few months after the cancer went into remission. "I'm not crazy, am I? Ted's still in love with Robin?" she asked Lily.
Lily really didn't want to answer the question. It wasn't going to end well at all, but she had to be honest. Tracy deserved that, especially after everything she had been through in the past year. She closed her eyes when she answered her friend. "Yes."
Tracy sniffled. "That's what I thought. Thank you for being honest, Lily."
"You're welcome. And what are you going to do?" Lily wasn't sure if Ted and Tracy's relationship could survive this.
She laughed nervously. "I can't do this anymore. I can't be Ted's consolation prize. That's not fair to me or the kids. And I hate to do this, but it's the right thing to do." Damn it.
Lily wiped a few sympathy tears off her own face. "You need me, Marshall, or Barney to help you out?" How had things gotten so fucked up? That weekend at Barney and Robin's wedding, everything (well, almost, anyway) had gone well. They had been happy.
Tracy looked up at her in shock. "You'd help me and not Ted?"
"I love Ted. I've known him for a long time, but what he's doing to you? To Robin? To Barney? It isn't right. Tracy, we love you too. You're a wonderful addition to this group, and we'll help out any way we can. Don't worry about a thing." She was still pissed about Barney and Robin's divorce and didn't understand how they could have fallen apart so quickly. Plus, the group was already fractured already, so what was one more break-up?
"Thank you." Tracy hugged her friend. "Can you help me get the kids packed? Where am I going to stay?"
"You're staying with us until you get back on your feet, and of course I'll help you pack up the kids. And you're welcome." Lily smiled at her and then hurried to the kids' rooms to find their suitcases.
Tracy headed to her and Ted's room and got out their suitcases. She couldn't believe this was happening, but she had made the right choice. She, Penny, and Luke would probably be better off and happier once they were out of the house. But she sat down on the bed and cried for a few minutes anyway. Fortunately for her, Lily picked the kids up at school and set them down on the couch so they could explain what was happening before Ted got home. "What's going on, Mommy?" asked a confused Penny.
This was the hardest conversation Tracy ever needed to have in her life, and it was only going to get worse from here on out. "The three of us are staying at Aunt Lily and Uncle Marshall's house for a while. You get to play with Marvin, Daisy, and Iris as much as you want!" She hoped they bought her faked excitement.
"Daddy's not going with us?" Luke asked.
Tracy shook her head and then failed to come up with words to explain what was happening. Luckily, Lily took her over. "Your mommy and daddy just need some time apart, but they love you both very much. And so do me and Uncle Marshall! We're going to have lots of fun tonight. You can even have ice cream for dinner! How does that sound?"
Both Penny and Luke were still confused, but they cheered. "We love you, Aunt Lily," the little girl murmured.
Lily smiled at them, her heart breaking for her godchildren. "I love you too, babies." She was glad it was her dad's turn to pick up the kids from school today so she didn't have to worry about them right now.
Ted came home about an hour and a half later. Lily was in the kitchen coloring with the kids and tried to eavesdrop on the conversation. Ted looked around at the house for a few seconds and noticed how off it was immediately. "What's going on?" he asked his wife.
Tracy's lips curled up into a sad smile. "I'm leaving you. The kids and I are all packed up and ready to go to Marshall and Lily's."
He did a double take. "What?" Ted had not seen this coming – he thought they were fine. She had just recovered from an illness that had very nearly killed her. He thought they had come out the other side stronger, but clearly that wasn't the case.
"You're still hung up on Robin, and that's not fair to me. It's not fair to Penny and Luke. I can't be married to you anymore, and it kills me to say that. I thought we'd last forever. And I think that deep down, I hesitated on marrying you so long for a reason. But we'll both move on. It's the best thing for us."
He was still in shock. "Trace, please. I've never cheated on you! I love you."
"I know you never cheated on me, Ted, but it's too late. I will always love you – you're the father of my children, but I can't do it. It's gone too far." And fuck, there were the tears again.
He rushed to her side and put his forehead on hers. "Don't go," he pleaded.
Tracy choked back a sob. "I'm sorry." And then she turned around and walked into the kitchen. She hugged Lily and the kids, and then the four of them made their way out of the house.
"I know it doesn't seem like it now, but you made the right decision," Lily assured her after the kids were in bed.
"I know. Will you go with me to the lawyer tomorrow? God, I'm actually filing for divorce. This is something that's happening." God, she wished she could go back to being naïve about Ted's feelings for Robin.
"I will definitely going with you tomorrow." Lily grinned at her and then patted her shoulder.
Ted and Tracy's marriage ending had been the right thing for their family, even though Ted and Robin never did get back together (she rejected him the first time he asked her out). Everyone was happier for it, even though Ted regretted screwing up the best thing he had in his life. And Tracy ended up moving on and falling in love with someone who truly appreciated and loved her.