TITLE: The Sixteen 'No's'

SUMMARY: Barney counted the nos that Robin had rabbled out when Bla-bla asked how Robin and he met. This is the story of each one of those No's until he finally confesses his love for her.

CATEGORY: Friendship/ Family/ Romance/ Hurt/Comfort/ Drama/ Angst/ Tragedy/ Spiritual/ Suspense/ Crime

RATING: T

PRELUDE:

THE KEY

"So how did you and Barney meet, Robin?" Bla-bla asked with a wide smile on her face.

Robin's eyes widen and she began to shake. She was about to open her mouth to say that she and Barney were just friends – not dating. Just friends. That way Ted's on line 'girlfriend' would get the hint and leave her alone. What came out was this - "No, no, no, no," She tried to tell her self to shut the hell up – that Barney would get the wrong idea. "no, no, no, no, no, no" She felt her head shake and her hands messing with her legs. She felt Barney leg began to shift up and down – sideways into her leg. She quite liked the feeling. It was a something that he was doing just for her – only her. "no, no, no, Barney and I aren't together." She burst out with a nerves laugh. Her face grew hotter than before – and her voice began to crack even more. Lowered even, "No, no, no." Her mouth finally obeyed her brain and allowed her to shut the hell up.

She felt Ted's eyes on her. She bowed her head slightly and shrugged. He smiled in understanding. She nervelessly looked across the table at Lily and Marshall – Marshall shrugged and picked up his beer. It was over for him – he wanted to move on to something else. But Lily smiled in a knowing fashion. She would deny it all – that was the wisest and safest course of action. Sides all she had to wait was for Barney to make a smart ass comment – than life would go on.

Only, Barney's leg stilled as her No's kept bursting through. His leg gave her the pressure and the safety she needed during her melt down. "Really," She finally looked over at him – just waiting for him to say a smart ass sentence - Just praying that he would allow her to get away from her torture that much sooner.

"Sixteen 'No's'." Barney said with a smile and something else in his eyes. Something that she didn't understand – something she truly and really didn't want to understand.

She shrugged her smile was awkward, breaking eye contact she grabbed her mug and lifted it and took a nice long soothing drag of the beer inside.

She didn't pay much attention to the rest of the conversion – it was how Ted meet the others. The group knew how she came to be part of them – so she wasn't in the stories much. The others were having fun reminiscing about how tight they were.

"Sixteen 'No's huh?" Barney's voice said in her ear. "I'm actually impressed."

Breaking out in sweat she moved away from him. Her hip hit the table as she shot out of the booth, "I h-have to g-g-g-o." She didn't take in any of the eyes that were looking at her as she just turned and, well run into a brick wall.

"Hey there now sweetheart – what's the rush." Arms wrapped tightly around her waist and pulled her tighter into him.

"Let me go." She said in a chocked up voice. "Just let me go."

"Come on baby, let's go have some fun." The brown eyes looked into her own. "You and me now."

She tried to struggle out of the arms that were holding her tightly and firmly. Suddenly she felt someone behind her, she became even more urgent to get out of the arms that were holding her. She was suddenly pushed backwards against another male chest, turning around she wrapped her arms around his back – resting her head in the neck that was her safe place.

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He just glared into the eyes of the man that had tried to man handle her. He truly wanted to rush him and beat him to a bloodied pulp. But she was in his arms. She needed him. He just wrapped his arms more securely around her – pulling her even closer to him. His head tilted to the right as the man tried to move forward once more.

But the man was blocked. By Lily, so he just rested his cheek on the side of her face – while she just pulled herself back once more. They just stood there for what felt like forever. But in reality had to been just mere minutes – but in that time he just took in her essence.

She lifted her head and looked into his eyes. Smiling softly into her open brown eyes. "So want to go play battle ship?"

She laughed gently and still unsureness in her voice. "Thanks." She whispered. Licking her lips, "I don't know what got into me – I mean I can take care of myself, you know. Me, the very independent girl."

"Not so independent that she doesn't need her friends ever once and awhile." He said with a smile. He let one of his arm slid from her waist. "Seriously, how about we get out of here."

She pulled away suddenly, "You stay. I just want to be by myself." Her hands were shaking at her sides. She turned and managed to rush from the bar without another incident.

He watched her go with open eyes – turning back to the table – at six pairs of eyes looking numbly at him. Tapping the table as he raised his hand, "Wendy, I want the scotch bottle – on the double baby." Sitting back in the booth, "So where's Bla-bla ?" He turned to Ted.

"She left." Ted said with a shrug. "She actually said she wanted to go meet someone else on line – someone whom doesn't have any 'real' friends."

"Crazy that Blah Blah is." Barney said as he grabbed the shot glass that Wendy had set in front of him. "Thanks baby." He nodded as he lifted the glass to his lips. He swallowed half of the glass before setting it back on the table. Picking up the bottle next to it – he pored and kept on poring.

"Uh dude," Marshall said with a roll of his eyes, "You are literally washing the table mate."

Barney just kept pouring.

"Okay," Ted sighed as he just watched as the scotch went all over the table and onto the floor – on to all them in turn. "Time to call it a night."

Barney looked around in shock – than he looked down. "Sorry." He got to his feet and reached into his pants pocket. "I'll pay for the entire round. Plus the time that it will take to clean this mess up. Plus a hundred percent tip." He handed the money clip towards Ted. "I just can't be here right now."

"Sure." Ted said gripping the wad of bills in his hand. He watched Barney turn and leave the bar. Just as fast and awkward – as Robin. Something began to click in his mind. But, he wasn't ready to admit or deal with what he knew was the truth.

Not yet.

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"What are you doing here?" She looked surprised and uneasy at the sight of him sitting very comfortably in the chair. "I never invited you in?"

"Didn't you." He just lifted his right eye brow and a key.

"Give me my key back." She said in a dead pan voice, her hand out. "I didn't give it to you – so you can come in whenever you damn well please."

Barney just slipped the key back in his pocket.

"I said give it back, Barney." She said suddenly in a voice full of fear.

"I'm not going to let you abandon me." He said leaning back in the chair, his hands resting comfortably on the sides. "Sixteen 'No's' Robin, sixteen." He just looked at her eyes as she tried to hide behind her mask. Well he wasn't going to let her run away from this. From him.

"We aren't together, Barney, we never have been. Never will be." She sighed in annoyance. She tried to show her annoyance at his play at trying to get into her pants – trying to get her feelings locked behind the door once more. But she could feel his pull. His pull that wasn't making this easy on her.

"I don't want to be in your pants, Robin." Barney said in a soft and serious voice.

She just stared into his eyes and knew the truth. Hell she knew the truth the night that he tried – and they ended up playing battle ship. The night that he realized that she had fallen for Ted. He had kept the secret from everyone. Only speaking of it when Marshall hinted to Lily.

Yeah Lily told her about that after Ted and her finally got together.

"Then go home, Barney. I'm fine." Robin said her hands playing in front of her.

"You are so afraid of getting hurt, that you can't even stand friendship." Barney said in a knowing voice.

Her eyes flashed fire - "Look who's talking." She saw his eyes widen. She didn't allow him to speak up. She rushed on "Barney 'I'm so awesome to show any real emotion' Stinson!" Barking in harsh laughter, "I can't believe that you are seriously here lecturing me about being afraid to show emotions. To allow emotions in me."

Barney just let her get all of this. The more angry she was – than the less time she had to get her true self locked away.

"Unbelievable. I can't believe I was stupid enough to let you have a key to my place. I can't believe I trusted you enough to watch my place – my dogs when I went on business trips. My God, the things you did with your hoards of women in front of them have literally scarred them for life." Biting her lip and tears welling up in her eyes, "I'm glad I left them with my aunt, they are much safer."

"I can't believe I trusted you into my life. I knew better. I knew better." Angry tears rolled down her cheeks. "I knew better than to trust the unemotional boyish good looking jackass – untrustworthy Barney 'the freaking freak who's afraid to allow emotions to rule his life' Stinson." She let out a scream of frustration and self beating out.

"So how are the dogs?" He asked in a calm voice.

"What?" She blinked.

"How are the dogs?" He asked again.

"They love my aunt and they are loving the fields that they are running around in." She shrugged. "They are dogs. Give them space to run around in and they are happy. Chasing cats and chickens." She nodded, "That's a dogs life."

"Are they happy every time you go and visit them?" Barney's head tilted to the right.

"I don't want to talk about my dogs." She said, "I want you leave Barney, and never come back."

Standing to his feet. "I can't do that." He walked the few paces that separated them. "Ted's my best friend. My best bro." He said.

"Yeah so." She shrugged.

He reached over and took her hand, "You are my best female friend. My best female bro. You are my sis."

Swallowing hard as his words and the feelings washed over her. Seeping into essence – into her soul. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, you don't mean this Barney. No, no, no, no you can't mean this. No, no, no, no you don't know what you are saying. No, no...." She ran out of breath as she began to hyperventilate.

She felt his arms around her, and the next she felt was that she was sitting on her couch. Leaning forward with her head between her legs, and his arms tightly around her waist. His breath on her ear. "It's all right, Robin, it's all right. Just breath easy. Think of your dogs. You are safe."

Before she knew it, she was leaning her head against his chest. He had them leaning back against the couch and he just simply held her. His hands rubbed around and around her back – as she felt her eyes close and she felt herself fell asleep listening to his heart beat.

END PRELUDE