This is it: the final chapter! Thanks to everyone who followed along and offered their lovely feedback. I am halfway through writing the epilogue, so that should be on its way shortly. It will give you an idea on where the Mosbys and the gang will be 10 years later. For now, I hope you enjoy this one!
Ted and Tracy had a long drive to Farhampton that morning, running slightly behind after a last-minute breakfast meeting with one of the head partners of Morgan, Shepherd & Baldwin law firm in Spokane, Washington, who reached out to Ted about the possibility of him designing their new headquarters. It was an amazing opportunity that Ted couldn't pass up, even if the meeting didn't end up amounting to anything.
So they left the city later than planned, nonetheless still taking a detour to (finally!) check out the childhood home of buckle magnate Dr. Florian van Otterloop, before arriving at the inn late in the afternoon. Ted walked into the familiar lobby of the Farhampton Inn, Tracy by his side, happy to be back where it all started.
He recalled sitting alone at the hotel bar a year earlier, to the day, waiting for his room to become available. He was comforting himself with a gin and tonic and the crossword puzzle, wondering what his future in Chicago held. He was slightly despondent, confused over his feelings for Robin and uneasy about the move, but had a brief feeling of hope. Something inside him, the part of his soul that—despite all the emotional beat-downs—still believed in destiny, told him that someone was out there for him. He had no idea who she was, or when he'd meet her, but he somehow knew she was on her way. And he vowed that he'd bring her back to the Farhampton Inn with him one day.
And now, he and Tracy walked up to the front desk, where Curtis was still holding court a year later. He looked at Ted, and then over at Tracy, giving her a warm smile. He definitely recognized them. "Well, well," he said happily. "The two singles from the wedding last year are back, and are now an item! I am very pleased to see this."
"That's right, Curtis," Ted said, a bit too smugly. "And that means I can go up to the lighthouse!"
"Oh, I'm sorry," he told him. "You can't go to the lighthouse."
Ted's face fell. "But, but... I'm not alone! See? I have a girl with me!" He pointed to Tracy as proof. She waved at Curtis for Ted's benefit.
"I'm sorry," Curtis said again. "But the lighthouse is closed for renovations. It won't reopen until the fall."
"But I wanted to take her up to the lighthouse!" Ted cried, disappointed. He looked at Tracy. "I wanted to take you up to the lighthouse."
"It's ok, sweetie," Tracy said with a gentle laugh, putting her hand on his. "I know you've been dying to show me the view up there, but we don't need the lighthouse to make this weekend special."
Ted sighed. "I just really wanted to take you up there." He turned to Curtis. "If I give you 100 bucks, can you look the other way while we climb to the top?"
Curtis glared at him, displeased. "Of course. Your 100 dollars will make the stairs that aren't there magically appear," he responded sarcastically. "Would you perhaps like a jetpack to get to the top instead?"
Ted looked at him hopefully. "Do you have a couple of those? I mean, the technology exists, so..."
Tracy gently pushed Ted aside and looked at Curtis. "I'm so sorry about him," she said, flashing him a friendly smile. "It's just our anniversary, and he really wanted to make it special. I mean, we were both so alone last year, and your romantic inn just brought us together."
"I recall," Curtis said seriously. "He was just so pitiful, and you... Oh, you walked into our inn so heartbroken and lonely... I am overjoyed that the Farhampton Inn is where your love story began! I will send a complimentary bottle of champagne and chocolate-dipped strawberries up to your room tonight for the inconvenience of not being able to go to the lighthouse."
"Thank you so much, Curtis," she said sweetly, sincerely. "And thank you for your hospitality last year, taking in a drifter like you did. I truly appreciated it."
Curtis beamed. "It was my pleasure! And if you require anything else this weekend, do not hesitate to ask."
Tracy turned away and looked at Ted, flashing him a grin and a wink. Ted shook his head, amazed at her powers of persuasion. He went back to Curtis, ready to check in.
"Oh, I'm sorry," he curtly told him. "The maid still hasn't gotten to your room yet. You can wait at the bar, and I'll come and get you when it's ready."
Ted glared at him, and sighed. "You're really enjoying this, aren't you Curtis?"
He smiled. "Quite a bit, actually, yes."
90 minutes later—after a couple of drinks at the bar—Ted and Tracy finally made it up to their room. Ted dropped their bags to the floor and they both plopped down onto the bed, exhausted.
"Oh, man," Ted said, enjoying the feel of the pillow under his head. "I was hoping we could squeeze in a nap for an hour or two before dinner."
"We can't, baby. Dinner's at 7, sharp," she said, patting his leg. "Get up. I want to give you your gift before we head downstairs."
She sat back up and he joined her. "I haven't celebrated a one-year anniversary in forever," Ted admitted excitedly. "My gift's gonna blow your mind!"
"Well, let me blow your mind first," Tracy said, reaching for her tote bag, pulling out a wrapped gift. "I really hope you'll like it."
She nervously chewed on her lower lip as Ted tore open the gift eagerly. His jaw dropped as he gazed down at what looked like a pretty pristine 1st edition copy of Love in the Time of Cholera. "Whoa..." he whispered.
"Look inside," she told him, her tone giddy. He flipped over the cover and, to his surprise, there was Gabriel Garcia Marquez's signature on the first page. "I even have a letter of authenticity back at my apartment."
He looked up at Tracy. "Babe, this is amazing. How did you even find this?"
She laughed. "Months of research and contacting people," she admitted. "Finally found a guy who was selling it. He tried to double the selling price when Marquez passed away last month, but I used my usual charms to talk him out of it." Tracy flashed him a grin.
Ted was floored. "This must've been pretty expensive." Not that money was ever an issue for the both of them, and they weren't the type of couple to compare who contributed more financially in the relationship. But Ted did make significantly more money than Tracy; non-profits didn't really pay all that handsomely. So, naturally, Ted was slightly concerned that she took her hard-earned money to buy him such an amazing, but pricey, gift.
"It's ok, sweetie," she assured him, reaching a hand up to cup his cheek. "I had to dip into my savings a bit, but it was worth it to see the look on your face."
"Trace, you were saving your money to buy that piano," he said.
Music being a huge part of her life, Tracy constantly went on about how she wished she had a piano at her apartment. She particularly wished to own the one on which she first learned how to play when she was six years old, the same one that presently sat in her parents' living room. But it was impossible, given that her mother still taught piano lessons on it a few times a week. So she'd been saving her money these last couple of years, foregoing the occasional vacation or little indulgence in favour of her ultimate goal.
He remembers going over to Tracy's parents' place back in January, after Tracy's nephew Christopher was born, for a celebratory supper.
They had all gathered in the living room for drinks after their meal, Tracy settling down in front of the keys, playing classic Irish songs that her dad and brothers were (drunkenly) singing along to. He saw it on her face that night, the wonderful time she was having; she loved the power music had in bringing people together. And when it came time for requests, someone shouted out "Heart and Soul".
"I need a second person for that!" Tracy pointed out, looking over at her mother, the only other person in the room who could play the piano. Or so Tracy thought.
Ted got up from the couch and walked over to her, setting down his beer on top of the piano. He sidled up next to Tracy on the piano bench, and she stared at him curiously. He reached for the keys and started to play. Tracy looked rather perplexed... but delighted.
"Heart and soul, I fell in love with you heart and soul, I fell in love with you madly," he sang out as Tracy stayed put, still gob-smacked. He nodded his head towards her fingers, hovering over the keys motionless, urging her to play along.
She started to press at the keys, singing along with Ted: "Because you held me tight, and stole a kiss in the night..."
They continued to sing, the rest of Tracy's family joining in, and Ted and Tracy just continued to play and grin at each other goofily.
When they were done and everyone started to applaud, Ted playfully nudged Tracy's shoulder with his. "And you said I have no rhythm," he whispered.
She laughed and gazed at him in amazement. "You are just full of surprises, Mosby," she said lovingly, and leaned over to give him a peck on the lips.
It was a great day, and Ted simply loved playing music with Tracy, and sharing in her passion. And he vowed to himself that he'd make her dream come true.
"That piano will be mine soon enough," Tracy now assured him. "So don't you worry too much about that."
Ted laughed lightly, shaking his head as he reached for his smartphone. "Well, maybe it'll be yours sooner than you thought."
She gave him a quizzical look. "Huh?"
He swiped through his image folder until her new upright piano appeared on the screen. "It was too big to bring with me, obviously, but it's sitting in my living room for now." He handed the phone over to her.
She looked down at the photo of the instrument, and then back up at him. "Babe, you didn't..."
"I did!" he said. "You can now put your savings towards something else."
"Ted," she breathed out, scooting closer to him to give him a slow, lingering kiss. "You're amazing. Just... thank you so much." She truly seemed touched.
"My pleasure," he said, pressing his forehead to hers. "When we get back, I'll have it delivered to your apartment."
Tracy smiled, and reached for his hands, taking them in hers. She didn't look him in the eyes, but kept her lashes low, her gaze averted. "How about we just keep it at your place?"
"What do you mean?" he asked.
She finally looked up at him. "I mean," she said shyly, hesitantly. "Maybe we can keep it at your apartment. And maybe me and the rest of my stuff can join you there. Permanently."
"Trace," Ted began, sure of what she was saying, but not quite believing it. "Are you saying you want to move in together?"
"Well, I kinda like seeing your ugly mug every morning," she teased, Ted feeling her hands shaking lightly in his. "So, I just thought—"
"You thought right," Ted interrupted her, overjoyed. "Yes! Yes, God, let's move in together!"
"Yeah?" Tracy asked, relieved. "Ok! So, we're actually doing this?"
Ted smiled. "We are, but only on one condition." Tracy gave him a quizzical look. "We move into your place."
"Why mine?"
Ted shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Mine has always felt like a bachelor pad, and it's just big and cold. It only really feels cozy when you come over. But your place: it actually feels homey and inviting."
Tracy smiled and squeezed his fingers. "Mine it is," she said. "We'll just have to eventually empty out my office when, um, a baby enters the picture."
Ted's eyes widened, and he looked down at her stomach. "You're not... are you?"
"No, no!" she assured him with a laugh. "Not quite yet. But, you know, someday."
"Well," Ted began. He figured now was as good a time as any to bring up the house in Westchester. "For now, I'll move into your apartment. Which will now be our apartment." Ted couldn't help but smile at that. "And when it comes time for kids and stuff, we can just... move into my house."
"Your... house?" she asked, confused.
"In the suburbs. Up in Westchester," he clarified.
Tracy laughed nervously. "Where your secret wife and secret children live?"
Ted sighed. "Ok, this may sound a bit weird. Or, you know, a lot weird. But I bought a house a few years ago. I was in this weird place, and I made this impulsive purchase, just to have a home for my future family. I renovated it and it's beautiful and it's just... sitting there." He was rambling now. "I mean, you can come see it, of course. We don't have to live in it if you don't like it; you clearly have a say on where we raise our kids and where we spend the rest of our lives together—"
"Whoa, sweetie, slow down," she said, placing a reassuring hand on his. "I'll admit, this is a bit of a shocker..."
"I didn't mean to keep it from you, baby," Ted told her desperately. "I was going to surprise you with it eventually."
"It's ok," she insisted, giving him a comforting smile. "It's a lot to process. How about you just show me the place first, huh? And we'll take it from there."
Ted let out a sigh of relief. "That sounds good," he said.
After a brief moment of silence, Tracy spoke up. "I have to ask, though: how long ago did you buy this place?"
He averted his gaze. "About four years ago," he admitted.
"Wow, you weren't kidding last year when you said you were ready to settle down," she teased him lightly.
He looked into her eyes, at her smiling face. For eight long years, Ted had one goal: to find the woman of his dreams, marry and have kids with her, and to grow old together. He had the desire, he had his heart and soul exposed... He also had a stable career and, perhaps prematurely, the house in the suburbs. There was just that one piece of the puzzle missing.
That mystery woman, however, was always this faceless person. Sure, Ted had assigned his future wife all these specific characteristics that he dreamed of, molding her into the "perfect" woman. But Tracy had taken his mold and reshaped it. Yes, she eerily possessed many of the characteristics and traits he was looking for; but she also came along with so much more that he didn't even know he needed in his life. Her compassion, her sense of humor, her kind heart, her all-consuming love. The way she makes jokes when she's nervous or scared, or how she gives her own commentary every time they watch a movie. These were unique characteristics that made Tracy Tracy.
She wasn't just some random woman he was going to deposit into the picture-perfect world he'd already created in his mind. Tracy was the woman he was meant to be with, helping him to build and create that picture-perfect life together. And right now, his life was better than anything he could've possibly dreamt up.
"I've kinda been waiting a long time for you to show up," he whispered.
Tracy's eyes glistened. "I'm here now, Ted," she said.
"You really are," he murmured, still amazed that he could call Tracy the love of his life. "And, sometimes, I just can't believe it."
As they sat on the bed, talking about their future and ready to take a rather big step in their relationship, Ted's mind went to the little midnight-blue velvet box that was hiding in a dark corner of his weekender bag.
"Tracy, I..."
This seemed like the perfect moment to do it. His plans to propose on top of the lighthouse that weekend clearly went bust; but could this simple and sweet moment be another opportunity to pop the question he'd been dying to ask? It seemed fitting. It admittedly wasn't the most glamorous spot; it wasn't a beautiful historic lighthouse, and there wasn't a great view of the trees and the blue sky, the colourful houses and the Long Island Sound before them.
And Ted knew, in the year he'd been with Tracy, that even the littlest moments, the tiniest gestures, were as wonderful and meaningful as the bigger ones. He knew that wherever he asked Tracy to be his wife, it would be beautiful and memorable, and pretty much the happiest day of his life.
But, Ted being Ted, he also knew that sometimes, going big was also important. He was happy with the small blissful moment they were having right then; they were about to take a huge leap in their relationship, and Ted was elated. There wasn't anything else that could make it any more perfect.
When the lighthouse was fixed in the fall, he would bring her back to Farhampton. It was only a few months away. He wasn't going anywhere, she wasn't going anywhere. And when they came back, he was going to go big for her; bigger than he had gone for anyone else before her. If anyone deserved that sweeping, romantic gesture, it was Tracy.
"What is it, babe?" she asked him now, noticing that Ted was lost in his thoughts.
He shook his head and gave her a smile. "It'll keep," he told her softly. "So, we're actually doing this?"
Tracy's smile widened. "Affirmative: we're shaking up!"
Ted grinned. "I love you so much," he said, hungrily reaching for her lips, his hands in her hair, reveling in her touch, her scent, her presence.
"Me, too. And we have 20 minutes until dinner," she said, crawling on top of Ted's lap, facing him. She ran her hands up his chest and onto his shoulders, and pushed off his blazer. "I think that gives us enough time to celebrate."
He shrugged off the coat. "I don't know. I'm kinda hungry now," he said playfully, reaching for the hem of her dress, lifting it up and off. "You wouldn't happen to have any more croissant crumbs in here, do you?"
Tracy laughed as Ted dipped a finger inside one of the cups of her bra, running it along the lace material, his nail grazing her nipple, which hardened at his touch. Her breath hitched at that and Ted, satisfied, moved on to the other cup, doing the same.
"What the..." he said, as he felt something stuck on her breast. He pulled out his finger, and sure enough, a large piece of flaky pastry was stuck on the pad of his index. "How on earth does half your food end up in your underwear?" Ted asked with a laugh.
Tracy laughed too, looking down at the tiny bit of croissant. "I could've sworn I got the last of it!"
Ted shrugged his shoulder and ate the morsel, then turned his attention back to Tracy. "Sex and a snack," he said, reaching behind her to undo the clasp of her bra. "You're just the best girlfriend ever!"
"Where are they?" Barney asked, craning his neck towards the entrance of the inn's restaurant. "We said 7pm. It's 7:15: they're officially late."
Marshall looked over at his friend, and Robin and Lily looked up from the latter's smartphone, where she was showing her friend photos of Daisy. "They'll be here," Marshall assured him. "It's their anniversary weekend; give them a break, buddy."
Barney scoffed at that. "It's my anniversary weekend, too, Marshall!" he said. "But Robin and I were smart enough to leave the city in the morning, allowing us to bang in our hotel room all afternoon, ensuring we showed up on time for dinner. It's just proper sex-tiquette, bro! Not showing up in the late afternoon and squeezing in a not-so-quickie before dinner."
"Ted had that breakfast meeting with the guy from Spokane," Marshall reminded his friend. "They had no choice but to leave a bit later."
The gang had agreed a few months earlier that they should reconvene back at the Farhampton Inn for a celebratory weekend getaway once Lily and Marshall got back from Italy. They had flown back in the day before, not having a chance to see their friends yet, what with all the unpacking they had to do, as well as getting Marvin and Daisy ready for their stay with Lily's dad for the next couple of nights. It was a tight squeeze, but Marshall and Lily were happy to have some time away from the kids, and the opportunity to hang out with their friends just like old times.
"So, how are those two doing?" Lily asked Barney and Robin. "We've spoken to them both quite a bit over the past year, clearly, but I guess it's different actually seeing them together."
"They're doing pretty great," Robin admitted. "She's actually been real good for Ted. This is the longest relationship he's been in, what? Seven years? She's going to stick around, I can feel it."
"I'm kind of going to miss the old Ted who couldn't keep a girlfriend, though," Marshall admitted with a chuckle, and they all laughed jovially at their friend's expense.
"He's matured quite a bit," Barney added, and then leaned forward conspiratorially. "FYI, though: Tracy's ridiculously awesome as you know, but she's a dork just like Ted. Seriously, we had to live with double the anecdotes and "fun facts" this past year. She's lucky she's a girl and beautiful, so it doesn't come off as lame like with Ted."
Lily laughed. "Well, I guess it's good they found each other, then," she said, smiling at Marshall.
Just then, Ted and Tracy entered the restaurant, apologetic looks on both their faces. "So sorry we're late, guys!" said Ted, quickly giving Robin's shoulder a squeeze and patting Barney on the back, bee-lining straight for Marshall and Lily, who were now standing up. He launched himself into Lily's arms a bit too eagerly, happy to see his friends in person.
"Whoa there, Ted," she said with a laugh as he nearly knocked her over, hugging him back.
"I've just missed you guys," he said, squeezing her tight before pulling away.
Lily noticed the tell-tale, post-coital grin on his face. "Well, I'm sure you kept busy without us," she told him.
Ted glanced over at Tracy beside him, smiled shyly, and then moved over to hug Marshall. "Buddy, you look great!" he said. "Nice tan!"
For her part, Tracy gave Lily a warm hug. "Welcome back," she said. "It's so great to see you guys again."
"Likewise," said Lily. "And thanks for taking good care of Ted. In more ways than one."
Tracy blushed. "Well, a promise is a promise," she whispered, and gave Lily a wink. They both giggled and hugged again.
Tracy then gave Marshall a quick hug, assuring him she had a Tupperware of sumbitches in her room for later, and then they all settled down at the table, Barney ordering a round of drinks for everyone.
They all caught up a bit, even though they were all more or less up-to-date on one another's lives thanks to their regular phones calls and Skype sessions. But it was wonderful being in one another's presence, just to laugh together and shoot the breeze, talking about nothing and everything. It felt like old times, Tracy fully integrated into the gang, as if she always belonged.
At that moment, the waiter came by and dropped off their drinks—Glen McKenna 35 for everyone—Lily beaming at him as he deposited a drink in front of her. "Thank you, Linus!" He nodded at her and scurried off.
"Alright, everyone, drinks up," said Barney, everyone doing as told. "Now, Tracy, I know you've technically been part of the group for almost a year, but we've got to officially initiate you."
"Initiate?" she asked, giving him a skeptical look. "What are you guys going to do? Blindfold me, scream in my face, and give me a paddling?"
"C'mon, Tracy, this is the dinner table; it's not the place to go into detail about what you do to Teddy here in the bedroom," he told her.
"Barney..." Ted said in a warning tone.
"Well, at least someone here can actually make a girl scream in the bedroom," she teased, giving Barney a pointed look.
"Ohhhhh!" the group cried happily at Tracy's retort, laughing at Barney. Even Robin gave her an approving high-five.
Barney raised his eyebrows, impressed. "Respect, McConnell," he said, ignoring everyone's laughter. "You've already got my vote. You're in." He looked over at his wife.
"She's in," said Robin, smiling at Tracy.
"She's totally in," said Lily.
"Agreed," said Marshall.
They all looked over at Ted, who hadn't really stopped gazing at Tracy since her hilarious burn against Barney. Tracy looked back at him, raising her eyebrows comically. Ted couldn't even pretend to hesitate.
"She's in," he said softly, his hand reaching for hers under the table.
"And once you're in, you're in for life!" added Lily.
Tracy sucked in a breath. "Oh, this is awkward, but the people at the next table kind of already invited me to join their group…"
They all groaned, Barney booing her and crumpling up a paper napkin, throwing it at Tracy's head.
"Ok, ok, I'm sorry," she said with a laugh, holding up her hands. "Thanks so much. You guys really know how to make a girl feel welcome. It's always nice to make new friends, and I'm lucky I met this one right here," she said, looking over at Ted lovingly, "since it meant I got to know all of you, as well."
"Aww," Lily said, sniffling, and fanning her eyes with her hands to keep the tears at bay. They all looked at her. "Sorry, guys. I'm just so happy! And I really love the shoes Tracy is wearing right now, since I think we're the same size!" She sobbed and blew her nose into her napkin.
"Ooookayyyyy," said Barney. "Next on the agenda: now that we're all together, one year later in the same place, I'd like to make a toast." He cleared his throat.
"First, to my wife." He looked over at Robin adoringly. "It's been an awesome year of marriage to the most amazing woman in the world. I can't imagine a time before you, and I certainly can't imagine a future without you. I love you so damn much, Scherbatsky."
I love you too, she mouthed to her husband.
"Marshall and Lily!" He turned to the Eriksens. "While the rest of us certainly kept busy without you, we would be lying if we said there wasn't something missing from our group. We're happy you had a great year in Rome, but I think I speak for everyone when I say we're really glad you're both back where you belong."
Marshall took Lily's hand and gave it a tender squeeze.
"And finally... " Barney looked over at Ted and Tracy. "Tracy, I don't know what you've done to my boy here, but you've turned him into more of a lovestruck idiot than he's ever been before—"
"Thanks, man," Ted deadpanned.
Barney continued. "We all bore witness to Ted's many romantic failures in the past..."
"Seriously, Barney?!"
"But, the both of you together, it's the first time in a long time where we didn't think, Man, he's going to fuck it up somehow." The rest of the gang nodded their heads in agreement.
"I hate you all so much right now," Ted muttered.
Barney laughed. "Ted, truly, we all think you've finally found that elusive "One" you've been nattering on about for years. And... she's quite something," he said in earnest. "Happy anniversary, you two."
Ted looked at Barney and smiled; his friend could truly surprise him when he wanted to. He raised his glass towards Barney, nodding his head in admiration. "Cheers to that," he said, everyone clinking their glasses together and taking a sip of their drinks.
They sat there in comfortable silence for a bit before Tracy finally spoke up: "So, you done with the sentimental crap now, Barney?"
"Oh, thank God!" Barney said, pulling out a folded piece of paper from his inside suit pocket. He unfolded it.
"Ok, guys, this is what is up for this weekend... Tomorrow, AM: for the ladies, you've got spa appointments, massages and some sweaty time in the sauna. My buddy Sean will take good care for you three."
"Your buddy Sean better not have a hidden camera in there," Lily muttered.
Barney pretended not to hear her. "And for my boys, we're doing brunch, bro-style: there'll be bacon! Booze! Babes!"
This let out a wave of protests:
"Barney..."
"And just who exactly are these babes?"
"So how much bacon are we talking about?"
"What on earth have you got planned?!"
"Remember what happened the night before your wedding..."
"And that is only the beginning!" he continued with a raise of his voice, ignoring them all. "It's going to legen-wait for it—"
THE END