Valentine

2030

"Scherbatsky! Get your skinny ass in here!" Barney caught the brioche deftly as it popped up from the toaster, spinning around for the smoked salmon and poached egg. He arranged the food on two plates, ladle-ing hollandaise sauce over the top of both eggs and wandered jauntily over to the table, grinning.

Robin emerged from the bathroom, her silk robe tied tightly around her. "Put some clothes on, lover-boy," She laughed. She had a rich, warm laugh. He loved her laugh. Even after all these years he loved her laugh.

He rolled his eyes. "Nah. You take yours off?"

Robin sat down, picking up a fork. "Wow. When you said you were going to cook me dinner, I didn't realise it would be… brunch! Barney, it's seven o'clock at night!"

Barney shrugged. "And we've been in bed all day. What did you want, steak?"

Robin grinned as she began to eat. "Mmmm, Eggs Bene? Barney!" She laughed delighted as he popped the cork on a bottle of Dom Pérignon.

"It's Eggs Royale, but since you're Canadian, you wouldn't be expected to know that."

She mumbled something around a mouthful of food.

"What's that?"

She rolled her eyes and swallowed. "Nothing." He reached forward and wiped a splodge of hollandaise off her chin with his finger. "I just wondered what you wanted to do this evening?"

Barney shrugged, cutting into his Eggs Royale.

"Strip club?" Robin suggested.

Barney laughed. "Marry me, Scherbatsky?"

Her eyes twinkled. He loved asking her just to see that reaction. He asked her to marry him at least once a week. "Really? Today? On Valentine's day?" She said, incredulously.

He grinned. "Hey it gives me the element of surprise!"

"You know, this is delicious."

"Of course it is."

She mumbled again, too busy eating to question his strange and sudden acquisition of culinary expertise.

"Happy birthday." He said, just watching her eat. She looked so, so beautiful; she was a heartbreaker, even now.

"S'not my birthday for another week," she mumbled.

"Yeah, but when that comes around, everyone else will go crazy."

"Barney, please don't let them throw me a huge party. I still haven't quite got over yours."

He laughed. "I'll tell them all you're still 49, I swear. But I thought we could do something. You know? Something special?"

She smirks. She's still such a ball-breaker. She hasn't mellowed, not one bit. "Maybe. But did I tell you about Singapore? They're sending me for three weeks to report on the big financial crisis there."

"Wow…" He drawled. "You know, I could see if I can arrange something. Something work related. In Singapore?"

Robin ran a hand through her wet hair and grinned. "No pressure."

He shrugged. No, of course. No pressure. That meant that she absolutely wanted him to go. Twenty years with the girl and he'd at least gained some experience in translating Robinspeak. "Of course. You know, only if it works out." He gave her a casual grin and she didn't meet his eye at first. But then she looked up and she smiled - the smile that threw him back against the wall and skewered him, like a butterfly pinned to a cork board. So much between them was settled in grins and glances. "So…" He said, chuckling. "That strip club…?"

She dabbed her lips with a napkin and giggled. "Maybe later. Right now, you know what I really, really need?"

"More sex?" He asked, hopefully.

"A cigarette."

*--*--*

They ran along the sidewalk, him holding her hand like they were teenagers. It wasn't far to the nearest store from his brownstone (their brownstone? She didn't even bother to have an apartment in New York any more) but she was soon clutching her side with a grimace of pain.

"You okay?" He asked her, hovering over her.

"Yeah… it's just that Eggs Bene. I can't take rich food these days."

"That's bull-crap. You eat pizza every day when you're working nights!" He laughed as she stood up straight, breathing deeply. "Come on, this is the only place I can think of that still sells cancer sticks."

Robin laughed. "When did the world turn into Mary Poppins? It's lucky you dressed up. They might not serve me." She grinned. "Nice suit by the way!"

"It's new…" He chuckled, as they ducked into the store.

It was pretty much deserted but Robin insisted on looking around before they went up to the counter. While she was browsing the shelves he grabbed her from behind and nuzzled her neck. She made a kind of adorable sneezing-giggle and slapped him away. Well worth it.

They were just getting into a more serious teenager-style make-out when there was a very large bang and they jolted away from each other. "What the f-?" Robin said before Barney dragged her down to the ground, cowering behind the shelving. There were two more loud bangs - gun shots - in quick succession, and then screaming.

"Someone's got a gun," Robin whispered, comically loudly.

"No kidding," Barney muttered, peering through the packets of cookies to try and see what was going on. "Don't suppose you have yours in your purse there?"

She clicked her tongue.

"No. Of course not." As he silently moved one of the packets, Barney could see a man holding a gun at the guy behind the counter. Someone was on the floor - he couldn't quite see, but that was where the screaming was coming from. He shifted, carefully, and the entire scene came into view. "Oh my god, he's shot a kid!" He hissed.

"No!" Robin covered her mouth with her hand, eyes wide as saucers.

"Look, stay here…" He said, adrenalin pumping through him. He couldn't get the image of the kid out of his mind - a little girl, blood pooling around her on the floor.

"Barney!" Robin grabbed his arm. "Don't!"

"Shh…" He held up his hands. "Call 911. I won't do anything stupid." He grinned at her and she glared back. "Phone? Come on! Focus, Scherbatsky?"

He left her and crept around the stacks and peered around the corner by the door. The guy with the gun was yelling something about taking money out of the cash register. All his attention was focussed on the store's owner and the screaming kid. It would be easy to get behind him and…

Barney darted out and grabbed the guy's wrist, sending the gun skittering out of his hand and across the floor towards the kid. He span the guy around and landed an angry punch across his jaw. Stepping back, he gave the owner a half grin and a nod, confused by the terror in the man's eyes. Okay, so that was a pretty awesome and badass move he'd busted, but really? What did the shopkeeper have to fear from a fifty-five year old white dude in a suit? Come on!

The man lifted his arm and pointed to a spot over Barney's shoulder.

Then something punched him in the back…

*--*--*

Robin held on to him, her arms wrapped impossibly tight around him. She kept saying his name over and over and over and it was hard to concentrate on that one repeated word. He felt cold and she was so remote. He was slipping…

Then she smiled, the smile that lifted his heart and scooped up his insides and pinned him to the wall and pulled his lungs out through his windpipe and so he asked her, of course: "Marry me, Scherbatsky?"

He blinked. It was strange because you don't normally notice when you blink but he could see his eyelids move up and down. Up and down.

So cold... Blink…

Slipping... Blink…

She pressed her face against his, cheek to cheek, but he couldn't feel her. Couldn't feel her…

He opened his mouth to ask her again. Perhaps she hadn't heard him? Because her eyes weren't twinkling…

Blink…

Perhaps she hadn't-