I know I already have another story I'm currently working on, but I just had to write this. This idea would never leave my mind for the finale. In my opinion, Barney and Ellie ended up having the greatest love story (excluding the split ones of course). Marshall and Lily have a great relationship, but I found Barney and Ellie hauntingly beautiful and magical. I really have no idea what direction I'm going with this, or if Swarkles will get together or not, we'll see.
2025
"Daddy, you're home!" she squealed.
"Ellie! How was your day?" he crouched down to her level. After such a tiresome day at work, he needed his little bundle of energy to make him feel better.
"It was legendary! Lucy helped me make crafts for Valentimes Day." she smiled.
"I can see that!" he said laughing. Her blonde hair was covered with assorted colors of glitter. Her hand was colored with red and pink markers and she had been wearing an art smock covered in splatters of paint.
"Yeah, sorry. We lost track of time, and Ellie ended up having too much fun." Lucy giggled.
"Lucy, it's fine. I deal with this stuff everyday." he said reassuringly.
"Daddy, can I go to my room and finish my crafts?" she was practically asking with her blue eyes pleading.
"Okay, five more minutes then." he ruffled her hair.
"Thank you!" she exclaimed before hopping off to her room.
"She's so enthusiastic, how do you even handle all of it?" she asked.
Barney gave her a bit of a confused look at first. "The same way you do. I mean, I think you would know, you're a single parent too. Lisa has come over for play dates with Ellie multiple times, and she's not exactly... the quietest one."
"I guess it's just all the stress that's been building up. Lately, Lisa's been coming up to me a lot, asking questions about why she doesn't have a dad." she explained.
Barney nodded. "I get it, I've been getting the same stuff lately. Ellie wants to know why I've met to marry a princess, move to a castle, and live happily ever after as a family."
There was a small pause. "Kids really don't get it, do they? How hard that fantasy it is?" Lucy said.
"Yeah, it gets really tough, and I don't think I'm ever going to try again." he replied glumly.
"Yeah, I've pretty much given up on the whole 'trying' thing too. I believe that I already got my chance at perfect, I failed, now it'll probably never happen to me again." she said sounding somewhat frustrated.
"Tell me about it," he rolls his eyes understanding her pain. "I've watched all my friends grow. My best friend, he's been with the girl of his dreams for twelve years now and has two kids. My other two friends have been together for almost thirty years, and have three kids. And well, I'm.. here." he stammered.
"Well, I mean, you've got Ellie." she tries to reason.
"As much as I love her, she was never a part of the plan. That's kind of the reason she has no mom." he admits.
"Lisa happened kind of late for me, my husband and I never wanted kids, but I was still willing to raise her. I never thought it was going to reach the point where he'd just disappear in the middle of the night and never come back." she shrugged.
"That seems like the kind of crap I used to do." he said.
"What do you mean?" she was puzzled.
"My past wasn't.. the best. I slept around a lot, especially after my divorce, when I was really depressed, and eventually, Ellie happened," he says truthfully. "I'm not that person anymore though, I can't be that person."
"I think that no matter how bad the things people have done in the past were, it's never good to look back at it to beat yourself up, especially if you're a good person now," she realized that he seemed ashamed and tries to make him feel better. "All we can do is look to the future."
"You're right, but it's hard not to when I haven't been giving Ellie everything she needed." he hung his head.
"Oh come on! Ellie loves you. She talks about you all the time. You should have seen the stack of cards she made for you today," she argues. "And, I've been around you guys long enough to know you have been a good father. If you weren't, she wouldn't be so fantastic."
He was so glad to have Lucy as not only Ellie's sitter, but as his own friend. The gang drifted apart after a while, so he couldn't always get his usual speeches from Tracy and Lily, Lucy replaced that when they weren't around. "Ellie is pretty awesome, isn't she?" he says smiling.
"Yeah, she is." Lucy nods happily.
"You do a great job with Lisa too." he compliments.
"Thanks," she says softly. "I have to go pick up Lisa from a sleepover now, so I think I'll-
"Lucy! Lucy, wait!" Ellie came out of her room running.
"Ellie, what's gotten into you?" Lucy asked shocked.
"I made you a card. Happy Valemtimes Day." Ellie beamed.
Lucy crouched down to her level and hugged her. "Aw, thank you Ellie! This is so sweet!"
"Daddy, I made you these ones too!" Ellie exclaims, presenting Barney with what looked like about a dozen cards.
"All of these are mine?!" Barney said gratefully.
"Yup," she nods. "And I got theses for Auntie Tracy, Auntie Lily, Uncle Marshall, Uncle Te-"
"Whoa, slow down kiddo. I don't even know if you'll be able to give them these cards today."
"But, daddy! It's Valentimes day! We have to!" she pouted.
"Ellie, I'm with your daddy on this. He's probably had a long day. You can give the cards to them another day." Lucy tried to reason with her.
"But, I have to! Today, Miss. Cory's prince charming came into class and brought her a gigantic Teddy bear! She was so happy! I have to make my friends happy too!"
"Ellie.. you don't have to show big gestures to show how much you love someone. It shouldn't count." he can't help but think back to when he proposed to Robin thirteen years ago, he quickly shakes his head, trying not to think about it.
"Okay. But we still get to play Laser Tag on my birthday this year, right? It's our tradrition."
"If you think I'm going to bail on laser tag this year, you must be insane. Of course we'll do laser tag, it's always going to be our 'tradrition'." he laughs.
"Thank you, daddy! I love you. Sorry I gots mad at you." she hung her head.
"Aw, it's okay. You're still a good girl." he says hugging her.
"Well, you two have a good day. I have to go pick up Lisa now, I promised her brunch today." Lucy said.
"Say goodbye to Lucy, Ellie!"
"Bye, Lucy. Have a good Valentimes Day!" Ellie said energetically.
"Bye, Ellie." Lucy waved before shutting the door.
"So, what are we doing this Valentimes Day?" Ellie asks curiously.
"Well, I thought we could watch this Charlie Brown Valentines Day special, or we could just watch some Pixar movies." he gave her an option.
"Can we watch them all?!" Ellie asks ecstatically.
"All of them it is," he said nodding. "You can sit on the couch while I make us some popcorn."
"I'm so excited!" she exclaimed, leaping onto the couch.
He had originally planned to watch some Disney princess movies with her, but his conversation with Lucy really got him thinking. Those Disney fairytale movies really are full of bullshit. They make falling in love so easy. They make not being in love seem easy, because of course, the movie always had to open up with the princess singing about how wonderful her life was or something. As ridiculous as it sounded, he didn't want Ellie to be watching those movies anymore, they'd only make her falsely believe things. He'd preferred Pixar anyways, those ones always painted a good idea of friendship, something easier to find in life; and something he was blessed to have.
"Daddy, are you coming?" Ellie called out.
"Yeah, just give me a minute!" he replied back.
Barney rushed, nearly burning himself with the popcorn bag when pouring it in a bowl. He wanted to hurry because he'd promised Ellie he'd spend this day with her since he had such a busy week at work, that he couldn't even spend time with her.
"Daddy, I change my mind, I don't want to watch those movies." Ellie said sitting up.
"Well, what'd you have in mind?" he asked confused.
"I want to watch the trigoly with you, like you do with Uncle Marshall and Ted!" she said proudly.
Barney was truly amazed. He knew his daughter was awesome, but this was beyond his wildest dreams. "Of course!" he said trying to contain his excitement.
After having watched through the whole series, Ellie had fell sound asleep on the leather couch.
"That was legendary." Ellie said groggily as credits rolled down the 300 in. TV, illuminating the living room a bit.
"Time to get you to bed." he said as he picked her up and carried her to bed.
After having had a long day, he decided he should go to bed too. He went back into the living room to put some items back in the kitchen. As he was about to leave, he heard a knocking on the door. This late at night? He was ready to tell this person to leave, he was in no mood for visitors.
"Listen.. it's late and-" he was shocked when he realized who was at the door. "Robin?"
Lol, I'm sorry I pulled the, 'unexpected person at the door and end the chapter there cliche', I just had to. Should I continue, yes, no, maybe?