I watched the finale of some other show last night and commented that it was pretty good. Much better than the finale of HIMYM. I know some people loved the finale. I didn't. From what I've read, there are many others here that didn't either. Not true to the characters, disrespectful to fans who've come to like these characters. Others have expressed thoughts similar to mine much better than I could. In the end, it's not a life and death thing, but when my daughter told me to write my own ending if I didn't like that one, some little voice in my head said 'challenge, accepted!'

I've watched the show off and on for a couple of years now (and reruns of earlier seasons), so I hope you'll forgive me if there are errors. My first HIMYM fic, though I'm currently juggling several Avengers stories. I'm probably nuts for starting something else, but sometimes these things just won't leave me along.

Another Alternate Ending

Robin Scherbatsky sat on the balcony of her London flat, sipping at her drink. She thought about the conversation with her boss at WWN a few days ago. She had loved her work as a foreign correspondent. The constant newness of her life, the possible risks and new adventures had been something she had dreamed of for a long time.

But now, things were different. She was no longer content to be running from locale to locale from one day to the next. She was starting to dread the calls telling her to pack her bag for the next assignment. The excitement had worn thin.

And it had cost her far more than she had gained. She had drifted away from the people who had been her best friends, her family for over a decade. Their lives had gone one way while hers had gone another. In spite of the promises they had made, the time between calls and visits had gotten longer and longer. She still sent cards and gifts to the kids on their birthdays and kept their e-mailed photos in a special file on her computer.

A file she was looking through now. The Erickson kids were a study in contrast. Marvin and Daisy had both inherited Marshall's size, while baby sister Violet had her mother's petite build. Marvin and Violet both had their father's easy disposition. Daisy, though, was Lily in miniature when it came to attitude. She was feisty and spirited, the protector of her siblings and a major cause of frustration for her mother.

Penny and Luke Mosby were both a perfect mixture of Ted and Tracy, though, thankfully they were a bit more realists than their parents were, especially Penny. Robin remained amazed that the couple had maintained their positive outlook on life in spite of everything it had thrown at them, both before their meeting and in the time they had been together. Penny's premature birth and the complications she had faced were the sort of stresses that really tested even long time couples, but the newlyweds had stayed positive during the long hours spent in NICU. If ever two people had belonged together, it was Ted and Tracy.

And Ellie. She was beautiful. Robin smiled through her tears as she looked at the photos of Barney's two year old daughter. The toddler was the light of her father's life, her blonde curls and sparkling blue eyes leaving no doubt about her paternity. Her mother had decided shortly after the birth that she wasn't ready for motherhood and had granted Barney full custody before heading to Hollywood to make her fortune.

And Barney Stinson, the proud creator of 'Not a Father's Day', was fine with that. The man who had told her he never wanted kids, was fine with never having kids, had turned out to be a doting father.

Maybe it was a good thing for him that their marriage hadn't worked out. He would have never had that experience with her.

She had never completely understood what had happened between them, but when he had seemed so unhappy, she had to offer him the out. And somewhat to her surprise, he had taken it. She had honestly thought they could work through it. She had fought the temptation to beg, and had given him what he wanted.

And it still hurt like hell.

Which was part of what was making this decision so hard.

Her boss had an offer for her. A position had opened up back in New York. She would still be working with the international part of the network, but they had decided that her experiences made her ideal for an analyst position that they needed to fill.

While the thought of settling in one place again had an appeal, she wondered about going back. The old gang had changed. She had changed. As much as she loved and missed them, would she fit in with them as she once had? Or would she find herself on the outside looking in again? The old friend that they felt sorry for and let hang with them, but really didn't fit in anymore.

They all had someone. She had...

No one.

Though, she could probably get another dog or two. Or cats. Was she ready to become a crazy cat lady?

Of course, being in the same general area of the country didn't mean she'd necessarily spend time with them. They had busy lives involving their kids and her job would still keep her busy.

Unconnected.

She downed the rest of her drink, irritated with herself for the direction her thoughts were going.

'Maudlin thinking for your birthday, Scherbatsky,' she told herself. Another one all alone. Not even a card or an e-mail from any of the old gang. That was fine. She would be fine.

Her phone rang and she picked it up, smiling to see the name on the caller ID.

"Marshall!"

"Hey, Robin," he said, his voice sounding slightly strained.

She was instantly on alert. "What's wrong, Marshall?"

There was a moment of silence. "We've got a bit of a situation here and we need your help."

Her worry increased. "What is it? Is Lily okay? The kids? What do you need from me?"

"They're fine. Actually," he told her, "it's Barney."

"Barney," she repeated.

"Yeah. He and Ellie were in an accident a few days ago."

"And accident? What happened? Are they going to be okay?" she asked.

"Ellie is going to be fine," he told her. "Just a few bumps and bruises. Their cab was hit by a delivery truck. The cab driver was killed instantly."

She waited for him to continue, but he didn't. "And Barney?" she finally asked.

"He's in bad shape, Robin. He suffered a head injury and has been in a coma ever since."

She closed her eyes for a few moments, reminding herself that she had no claim on him anymore and that the level of concern she was feeling was the same that she would feel for any of her friends. She stood up, pacing across the plush carpet.

"Are you still there?" Marshall asked.

"I'm here," she finally managed to get out. "What can I do?"

"The doctors need some decisions about how to proceed," he told her.

She snorted. "And why are you calling me about this?" she asked. "I have no authority to make any decisions about him."

"Yes, you do."

"We're divorced, Marshall. Remember?"

"Actually, you're not," the lawyer corrected softly.

"Yeah, we are," she argued, trying not to let him hear the tears that threatened. "He asked for it, had the papers drawn up, and I signed them."

"And you sent them to him to file."

"Exactly. I was out of the country and he said he'd take care of getting them filed with the court." She dropped back into her chair as she suddenly realized what she was being told. "You're saying he never filed them."

"Apparently not," he replied, sounding almost apologetic. "I was at his place yesterday, looking through some legal papers for a power of attorney or a medical power of attorney. The only ones I could find were the ones that you had signed after the two of you got married."

"I never filled out new ones either," she argued. "That doesn't mean we're still married."

"But I also found the divorce papers in there," he told her. "They had your signature, but not his."

"Probably just a copy," she answered. "We were supposed to keep a copy, right?"

"These were the originals, Robin. Besides," he continued before she could, "I did a records check. The courts have no record of the papers ever having been filed. In the eyes of the law, you and Barney are still married, Robin."

I'd appreciate knowing what you thought of this. Should I continue?

Thanks for reading. Time to finish the next chapter of something else I'm in the middle of.