Okay, so I wanted to do another fic but with this one I'm not sure if it will be a one shot, it feels like a one shot but can be more so there might be more to this story. For now though, this story is based around an alternate ending of season 7's finale and the last scene between Barney and Robin right before 8.01 and the box from their relationship. So, the alternate end to that scene is this idea I had, I've wondered about what if Robin took Barney saying they should run away together, in this story they don't go as far as talking about the box instead Robin doesn't stick around to talk to Barney or anyone else she leaves and goes home. This, is from Robin's POV of what she is thinking this night.

I hope you like this, it's just another one of my seasonal fics that goes along with the other longer fics I have going on right now. Enjoy reading, would love comments and opinions on if I should continue this because I have ideas for more to this story so I'm going to leave this open while still being a one shot.

Robin, couldn't sleep. She kept thinking about what Barney said to her earlier about running away together. She, thought he was probably just joking but the more she thought about it the more she realizes that maybe he was being honest. The, way he sounded when he asked her if she's okay with marrying Quinn, the way he looked at her when she said she was happy for him and the way he sounded when he was kind of asking if there's still a chance for them to be together. The, more she thought about it the more she thinks he was being very forward and truthful in his proposition. It's true, the moment he walked into the apartment and announced that he was engaged brought her entire world to a halt. She, couldn't believe what she was hearing and seeing Barney's engaged she kept repeating in her head at the moment. Then, the fake smile she pretended to have to support him because he looked happy… with another woman. But, she shook the thought off her mind until they were alone.

It's true, her heart broke into a thousand little pieces when he first announced that he's engaged and it wasn't to her. It broke even more when she had to tell him that she is happy for him. But, really is she? She couldn't help but think that that was their last chance. And, she blew it again. What is she so scared about? Is what she kept asking herself on the way home from the most heartbreaking moment of her life. The, moment her soulmate, yes she knew it. It took so long to realize it, but all along she's known that he's her soulmate. The love of her life walks in and tells the most beautiful, romantic (damnit, why did that proposal have to be so god damn romantic?) epic proposal story she's ever heard. Breaking, her world all over again. It was like last year but even worse, at least then she knew that they had some chance at being together but now… now she's lost it. He's engaged, the love of her life is going to get married, in a big white church, she's going to wear a long? Maybe short white wedding dress, with all of their family and friends gathered to witness their nuptials. And, her? Who knows what she'll do, will she attend, will she have to move away or will she be mature to go and watch the man she loves marry another woman.

She doesn't think she can do that without breaking down into a fit of emotions in a public place with witnesses. She was never good at public displays of affection or emotions or having the courage to announce to the world and the people in attendance that she doesn't take these two in lawfully wedded marriage, because he shouldn't make the biggest mistake in his life and marry someone else. She, can't bear the thought of Barney married to someone else and having to be around him/them that would be unbearable to witness.

But, the memory and thoughts of what happened earlier can't stop circling in her mind. Did he really mean it? Because, he seemed to be brushing it off and joking about Canada. She, can't forget the moment he announced to her that he's engaged, the smile on his face said he was happy and sure she is happy for him but was it all faked for her benefit? Or, was he being truthful about marrying Quinn? She, keeps thinking that maybe he was being honest with her about running away even if he seemed like he was joking. Then, she remembers their conversation a few years ago in that hospital room, she remembers them Mosbying each other, playing around while kind of being serious about their feelings. She, thinks back to that moment and then the moment earlier and realizes that he was serious.

"Oh, my god he is serious. He, was dead serious." She says to herself aloud.

Now, what?

All, she can think about now is. Is it too late for them?

The next thing she does is she takes her phone in her hand playing with it a little for a moment to think if she should be asking this now, at this time at night. But, she closes her eyes for a second then opens them and starts to type a message…

Is it true?

She has to know, is it too late for them? Is he really in love with Quinn and wants to marry her and if that's the truth then that means it really might be over for them and she's lost him forever. But, that can't be, she can't lose him. She regrets deeply what happened last year, if she could she would go back and change the outcome of that entire night both on that boat and at the hospital with Kevin. If, she could she would get the courage to tell Kevin that she cheated on him, that her cheating meant something to her, that she's been in a deep denial for years over her ongoing feelings for Barney, that she's in love with Barney and can't deny it anymore. She, would tell both men the truth when she had the chance. She kind of used Kevin as her crutch the rest of their relationship and the reason she couldn't marry him is because she's in love with someone else and that would be an awful thing to do, to marry someone she wasn't truly in love with because that would be wrong and misleading to a man who is a good guy, but a good guy for someone else not her because her heart is with someone else.

If, she could she would go back and choose the right path, the right man because all that it did was make her even more miserable and feeling alone. The, world was at her finger tips but she couldn't be the confident woman she tries being in public so she made the wrong choice and broke the heart of the actual man she loves.

If, Barney is being honest with her about wanting to run away together then she has to know. It takes two minutes to get a response from Barney but when he does respond Robin braces herself for his answer.

Is what true?

She response right away.

What you said before about running away together

It took kind of a longer time for him to respond but when he does her heart is pounding so hard in her chest that she feels it pumping when he finally does respond.

Of course I did

In that moment her heart slowed down and a smile was placed on her lips. A smile that she hasn't had in a long time. And, the next thing she says might be bad timing but she means it.

Okay, I want to

You want to what?

She breathes in a breath and lets it out and types…

I want to be with you, let's do it. Let's get married... or something. I want to be with you.

And, for the next hour she waits patiently for his response but it never came. She, gives up around 1:00 in the morning and tries to go to sleep.

But, at 2 am in the morning there was a knock at her front door. She, didn't get up right away at that first knock, she thought nothing of it until there was another knock and another one which gets a bit louder as the knocks continue. She, gets out of bed when a fourth knock comes, grabbing her gun in her night stand table and quietly walking out to her living room area. This, apartment is kind of bigger, actually it's the biggest, most spacious apartment she's ever lived in and it only took her to have that mishap with the helicopter to get her here in this apartment.

She, braces herself again thinking that the knocking stopped but once again the knocking continued causing her to sigh in frustration brushing her hair back from her eyes and grasping the gun in her hand.

"If, you're an intruder I have a gun and I'm not afraid to use it." The next thing she hears is.

"Oh, I know and you really need to relax Robin it's just me." A, smile is placed again on her lips wondering why Barney's outside her door at 2am knocking repeatedly because it's just so annoying.

She, opens the door to see him smiling lightly. His, blue eyes lighting up bluer as he looks at her from head to toe. She is bare foot and she's obviously been sleeping but the smile on her face says everything he needed to know.

"Gees, Barney you were really annoying with all that knocking." The, hair that she brushed back had fallen back in her view of sight so she brushes it back again still smiling.

"Well, it's really annoying when you text someone at almost 1 in the morning asking them if they mean what they say." She, rolls her eyes and he shakes his head both kind of annoyed and kind of happy just to see the other one in front of them.

"What are you doing here?" She, asks kicking herself for that stupid question because she knows why he's here she's just kind of shocked.

"As, I said you texted me asking me if I meant what I said and my answer is me standing here outside your apartment wondering if you mean what you said about being with me." She, steps aside to let him inside the apartment and closes the door.

"But, what about Quinn?" Is the only question she had to ask not knowing if it's the right thing to say at the moment.

"We, a. Broke up." The shock of this sudden knowledge sent her heart racing faster than the moment she sent him that text about wanting to be with him and waiting patiently for his response for an hour and not getting a response but she's shocked of this knowledge.

"Huh?" She can't believe it. Just, a few hours ago they were planning a wedding and talking about the engagement and now he's not marrying her.

"We broke up. I couldn't be with someone I wasn't in love with." That statement is both very true because she felt that way a few months ago after Kevin proposed out of the blue and because she literally can't believe what she's hearing. They, broke up she's truly shocked.

"Then, why did you propose to her if you weren't in love with her?" Honestly, she's thanking any god there is that he's not marrying her but she can't help but think that him proposing when he wasn't in love with her is really a stupid thing to do.

"Because… I thought you were out of the picture. I thought I didn't have a chance with you again and my only shot at being in a committed relationship and actually wanting that for once in my life was with Quinn. But, it's not and I know that now. In, fact I've always known it. Your text proved that I can't marry another woman when there's only one woman I should be marrying and that woman just showed me that there's a real chance at being together the way we should have been last year. We, wasted too much time, Robin and I can't pretend anymore. I've done that my entire life and it made me nothing but miserable and it made me insane. When, we broke up I was in such a pain that pretending, faking, picking up as many women as I can because I can made me feel more and more empty, I wasted too much time thinking, re-thinking, pretending, running, and in pain because I thought that there would never be a chance for us again. But, that text said that we do… so is it true?" She, was listening to him intently, the smile on her face went from a light one to a bright one as he continued with his emotional speech and all she's thinking is that she must kiss him like she wanted to do last year in the rain storm but didn't because she was so scared of risking their relationship and losing him forever…

And, then she did and was in her own deep denial and pain for two years not just last year in the storm. But, now he's here, actually standing in front of her confessing his feelings after he did break up with Quinn. This, is insane but he makes her insane. Insanely, happy and she's the happiest she's been in a long time at this very minute.

"Did, you just um propose to me?" She asks kind of in a joking way like they did when they had that conversation a few hours earlier but she can't stop smiling…

"Robin. What do you think I was doing?" In, that moment her heart pounding again this time in a happy more toned down motion.

The, next thing she knew is that they were kissing for the first time in months she felt like she could fly in this moment. She, felt like she was finally touching the ground and taking the chance on real love for once in her life… all because of one question in a text.

"So, what do you say? Will you marry me?" After, they kiss for it seems like forever they don't know how long that kiss was but they both needed to feel each other again in that way and it felt like the most relieving kiss of their lives and relationship.

"Yes. You, should know that by the way I just kissed you." She says smiling against his lips.

They, kiss again and this time they didn't stop until morning.

"I wanted to give you this." He, says once they were fully recovered from making love for the rest of the night. It is now 8 in the morning but it wasn't until 7 that they stopped to breathe still not taking their hands or lips away from each others bodies.

He, opens a square red box that he had in his suit jacket and took out a minute ago when he got out of bed to do something. This, was the something he was doing before he rejoined her in bed.

The last few hours was the most blissful and relieving of a time for them. They, missed out on so much time together because they were so scared of losing each other and the only way to avoid that would be to ignore their feelings and keep their friendship the way it was before feelings became too much for them to deny anymore.

It's funny, last night went by so fast that she didn't even realize he had a box in his jacket because she was too busy stripping him of his clothes to feel it or notice it. But, she can't help wondering about this ring which is why she asks.

"That isn't Quinn's ring is it?" It was kind of ruining the moment saying that but she had to know.

"Of course not. It's your ring, only your ring." He still holds the box open in front of her as her eyes lit up looking at that gorgeous ring that she never knew he even had and realizing that question was stupid and ridiculous to ask because Barney might be thoughtless sometimes but not when it came to her or being honest with her.

"When, did you get that how long have you had this ring?" Is, the next thing she had to ask because she had no idea he had that ring.

"For a while." He states, it's a fact he's had that ring for a few months now. A year almost, he got it from his dad when he visited him right before he and Robin slept together.

"How long?" She wants to know, she must know when he got that ring as stunning as it is she can't help but think that ring is for someone else.

"Since, last year." Wow, she had no idea. Did, he have this ring the night they were supposed to get back together, and talk about them?

"When last year? When, we were supposed to talk about our relationship? That night was horrible, such a disaster." True, they both thought but they overcame that horrible time and are better because of it and stronger, their relationship is stronger and their love never went away it just got stronger and more real in the last year.

"Yeah, around that time. About, two months before that."

"Wait, a minute. This… you, were with Nora. Was this ring for her?"

"No, absolutely not. This is your ring, it was always your ring. It's meant for your finger only, it just took our moment in that rain storm last year to make me realize it. Then, we slept together and I thought there were feelings still there between us so I was going to propose if we had gotten back together then, but obviously that never happened. But, this ring was always your ring and nobody elses." That, fact changed the mood back to romantic from being serious.

"And, my answer is still a yes you know." His smile was brighter than the sun in that moment. The moment that the love of his life said she will marry him twice in the last few hours.

He, takes the ring out of the box and she opens her hand and extends her left one for him to slip the ring on HER finger because this is a Robin Scherbatsky ring and nobody else's.

"Wow, this is one gorgeous ring Barney you've done good." After, the seriousness is toned down they go back to a more playful conversation but she can't stop staring at the rock on her finger.

"You don't know how good I've done." He kind of says that in a sexy tone, the one he used to use in his sleazy pick ups of women but it's also kind of serious because he's looking in her eyes as he says it.

"Oh, I know you've done good. Obviously!" She says in a sexy tone of her own in reference to their love making in the last few hours.

They kiss for a few minutes then break. "I love you." It's the first I love you from Robin in a while she hasn't said the L word since a couple of weeks before they broke up and this I love you is true. She, does for the longest time and she's never loved anyone more than Barney Stinson and knowing that she hasn't lost him forever kind of makes her a little emotional.

"Oh, wow Robin if you're going to start crying we probably don't even need to get married because you would be all cried out by the time we do get married." He, jokes but she's serious as her tears keep coming stronger.

"I'm sorry, I'm just… I'm so happy, and I love you so much and I regret the last year of being in denial and pretending I wasn't so in love with you. These are happy tears. For, once in a very long time I'm crying because I'm happy." He smiles because he's never been happier than he is right now and never will be. Robin, is his forever and he's over the moon happy and can't wait to marry this wonderful woman who really does love him which gets him to cry a little as well.

"Great, thanks now I'm crying and I hate crying especially in front of you." She laughs and pulls him towards her kissing him all over his face but his lips.

"I'm really happy too. I've waited for so long to be with you, and now I get to for the rest of my life. I'm the happiest I've ever been and it's all because of you. I can't imagine my life without you and I can't pretend that friendship is enough. I need you, only you to be truly happy and I am." She smiles brightly against his face then pulls back still smiling.

"I've waited a long time too, for you. I didn't realize it but it's always been you, that's why I couldn't be happy with anyone else because you have my heart." And, for the next few hours they spend them making love, eating, going to the bathroom and then making love again. They, never leave the room or the bed much on this day they just bask in them being engaged and being happy that they're finally together for good and forever.