Ch2: Regretful Decisions

As hard as it is being so awesome all the time, Barney STILL managed to use his connections from work to score him and (ever so conveniently) four of his closest friends on a trip to...

"Argentina!" Barney announces, slamming both palms on the table-top.

"Oh my gosh- we're going to Argentina!" Lily squeals in excitement.

"Yeah you're not invited." Barney quickly dismisses. "So, anyway-"

Of course, Lily eventually reasoned with Barney and through a calm, delicate conversation, was able to convince him to allow her to tag along.

"Invite me or I'll chop off your dick and stuff it down your throat!"

Barney puts his hands up defensively. "You're invited!" He settles, and looks around the bar skeptically. "God..."

And though everyone else seemed excited to go, Lily was likely the only one who wanted to. Meanwhile, Robin was harboring a past-experience in Argentina she's rather not recall, where as Ted had felt a little... uncomfortable around Barney lately. As for Marshal; joining the gang in Argentina this week would mean he'd have to reschedule his visit to Saint Cloud, and he wasn't looking forward to disappointing his family with the bad news.

"So?" Barney questions, glancing at each of them. "Who's pumped?!"

"Yeah..."

"Argentina..."

"...woo."

Both Barney and Lily seem estranged by their lack of enthusiasm.

"Come on, people! A week away from the city!" Lilly prompts.

Nothing.

"There's a mini-bar in the hotel room?" Barney tries.

"Yeah!"

"Argentina!" Robin cheers, raising her beer.

"WOO!"

They clash bottles, and drink. Nearly everyone, even Barney, was thinking the same thing, though.

What the hell have I gotten myself into?

Back at his apartment, Barney slouches onto the couch. Just what has he gotten himself into this time...?

He hadn't been thinking right. He knew that. He knew this trip wasn't a solution- that it was in fact the OPPOSITE of a solution, and he would regret it terribly. And here he was- regretting it entirely. Me and my crappy judgment...

ever since I had that dream.

As he closes his eye, he recounts it all. Ted getting drunk... carrying him up stairs... Bringing him water...

getting into his bed...

Barney's startled by a knock on the door. It was past midnight, who...?

"Scherbatski?" Barney questions as he opens the door.

Robin steps inside without invite, and sits herself on the couch.

"No, it's fine. Please enter my house in the middle of the night. You aren't disturbing me." Barney sarcastically remarks, then shuts the door.

"Barney I can't go to Argentina." Robin sighs.

Barney raises a brow, then takes a seat next to her.

"I'm sorry, and I appreciate your offer, but I just... Can't. And I can't tell you why."

"Is this because of your insomnia? Because-"

"No. Yes. Kinda- I don't know!" She spazzes. "It's a personal thing, okay?"

Barney thinks for a moment. "Is this about your ex?" He had forgotten about that...

"No." Robin instantly defends. "Now please stop questioning me. I... I'm sorry." She repeats. "I just..." Before she finishes her sentence though, she stands up and leaves.

That was... peculiar.

It's true Barney had forgotten all about Robin's ex-boyfriend from Argentina. But that seemed like so long ago. Why was this bothering her now? Barney sighs, and wonders if he should dig deeper or just leave it be. Scherbatski did seem pretty stressed.

He contemplates for a moment. No, he couldn't just leave it. He picks up his cell.

"Lily?" He questions when the phone stops ringing on the other end.

"Barney...?" Lily grumbles. "Barney it's like twelve in the morning. This better be important."

"Lily is Marshal with you?"

She looks to the sleeping man beside her. "Yeah. We're kinda in bed. Why?"

"I need you to go somewhere private."

She pauses for a moment, wondering if it's worth getting out of her warm cozy bed. She shrugs, and steps outside the room. "Okay. I'm alone, now what's going on?"

Barney takes a deep breath. "I think you were right before. Something's going on with Robin. More then we think."

Lily rolls her eyes. "I know. She has insomnia- where have you been the past four days?"

"I'm not talking about the insomnia." Barney clarifies. "I think something from her past is bugging her, but she won't tell me what. I was hoping maybe you could get her to open up to you."

Though concerned for her friend, Lily smiles a little. "Aw...! Barney, I didn't know you cared so much to worry about her! That is so-"

"She canceled on the trip and I have no one else to give the ticket to."

"Selfish..." Lily finishes with a sigh. "But, thank you for telling me. I'll see if I can't get her to spill the beans." She claims, before Barney hangs up.

"Best of luck." He nods, and ends the call. "By the sounds of it, you'll need it." He scoffs to himself.

As he lay in bed, Barney wonders if he's missed his out. Seeing as though they wouldn't have five people, it was the perfect excuse to call the whole thing off. ...okay, maybe not the perfect excuse, but close enough. All he needed was a reason and it's possible he'd just let it go.

...Robin did seem pretty upset though. Maybe a vacation was what she needed. Whatever the case, the issue was in Lily's hands now.

He'd like to say that he'd hope Robin would come around and join them on the trip, but he knew deep in his consciousness her rejection could mean an easy scapegoat out of this ordeal he'd caught himself up in.

New rule: never make impulse-decisions on the basis of a wired dream he decides before closing his eyes and drifting to sleep.

He blinks a few times, and when his eyes open again he's laying on a water bed, which is rocking back and forth.

No- he's not in bed. He's on the seat of a boat.

Barney squints at the sunlight, and shields his eyes as he gets to his feat. The waves were subtle, but enough to gently rock the boat back and forth.

What in the world...? How?

He looks around to get a sense of where he was, but all he found was water, and a man sitting at the wheel.

"Where…?"

"You're awake!"

Barney's eyes widen. "Ted?!"

Ted turns around to face him. "Yeah?"

"Ted where the hell are we? And why are you wearing that dumb hat?"

Ted furrows his brow. "What do you mean- we're on a boat, Barney." He takes off the sailor's hat, looking slightly offended. "I thought you said I looked cute wearing this. Isn't that why you bought it for me?"

"I what?"

Ted shrugs, and laughs. "Oh, I get it! Someone had a little too much to drink last night, huh?" He drops the hat atop Barney's head.

Barney keeps a puzzled expression trained on his friend as Ted moves in closer and wraps his arms around Barney's neck.

"You just sit down and relax, alright? I'll take care of you, Barney." He smiles sweetly, bringing his face closer. "I'll take care of everything."

After he woke up for real, Barney found himself on-edge all day. At the apartment, at work- name it. For starters, he couldn't quit checking his phone. He was impatiently awaiting Lily to text him back with the news on whether she'd convinced Robin to attend the trip or not. That, and last night's dream was still on his mind.

That was the second time he's dreamt of Ted in that way. The first was as if he wasn't even in control of his actions. Like being with Ted was routine, and there was nothing strange about it. Which… may have been even worse, seeing as though kissing Ted would be nothing Barney would consider 'routine'. Then there was the second dream, where Ted was acting as though they were a couple or something, and as if that were completely normal. Barney shutters, pushing the thoughts back down.

Is that why I keep having these dreams? Is it because I keep shoving these feelings back down?

…feelings…? No, th-that's not what this-"

His cell tone goes off, and Barney nearly rockets out of his chair. He settles down, and picks the phone up off his desk to observe he'd received a text from Lily.

Please say she can't go please say she can't go please...

He opens the message.

'Just wanted to let you know there's no need to worry. Had a talk with Robin and she's back on for the trip. Argentina, woo!'

"Damn it!" Barney says, pounding his phone on the desk. So much for his 'scapegoat'.

So, that was it then, right? He was stuck going on this trip that he thought would be such a good idea. Right. Like spending a week in such a confined environment with Ted would help in get past these bubbling thoughts he'd been having. What was he thinking?!

Well, he wasn't. For one he couldn't just invite Ted. That would seem suspicious. With the five of them, he figured he had everything worked out; Marshal and Lily would obviously room together (he intended to invite her right from the start- he just wanted to give her a hard time), and to make sure nothing was awkward between him, Ted, and Scherbatski, Robin would take the single room. It was the perfect excuse!

…so he thought. His intentions were clear from the start- even if he himself hadn't seen it. Secretly, he wanted to live out the dream he'd had that first night. Even if he knew that was what this trip was all about, he could never admit it. Not even to himself.

'Glad to hear it.' He types in his phone. Send.

The work day seemed to drag on. Barney kept himself occupied by folding paper into little airplanes with his number on it and aiming them at his client's breasts, or shredding files of some random important thing that he assured himself he didn't need. That was the extent of his productivity for the day.

Then five forty-five rolls around, and suddenly the day could not have gone by faster as he realizes he'd planned to meet the gang at MacLaren's at their usual time for a week day. He had to pass out plane tickets, coordinate rides with everyone…

Everyone. Including…

But he didn't want to see Ted! Who the hell does that guy think he is, popping up in his dreams and then being there all evening too? Can't he give a guy a break? He-"

The clock strikes six. Barney swears it was just five forty-five, but apparently the day goes faster when you don't want to leave. The work day had ended, and tomorrow they would all be leaving for their vacation. And the only thing that's worse then time speeding up when you don't want to leave; the opposite's true too.

This is going to be a long week.

At the bar, the crew discuss taking Marshal's car to the airport. Ted argues that it would just be cheaper for them all to split a cab, though, seeing as though over-night parking anywhere in New-York wasn't cheap. Lily then brings up the seating, to which Barney passes out the tickets.

"First class!" Lily excites. "Aw Barney you didn't have to-" She pauses as she looks over the details, and her expression quickly fades. "Limit one bag-check?"

Barney closes one eye in confusion.

"Lil, what are we gonna need more then two bags between the two of us-"

"Four including carry-on." Ted corrects, like he always does.

Marshal half-rolls his eyes. "What are we going to do with four bags for only a week's trip?"

"Are you kidding me?!" Lily freaks. "We have to pack the- …a-and the-! …" She ponders. "What do you pack to Argentina anyway?"

"Well wait- Robin's been to Argentina before." Ted recalls. "What did you pack when you went away?"

The attention was focused on her. Barney notes her uneasiness, and glances briefly at Lily to see if there was concern on her end too.

"Oh." Robin replies dryly. "Um, well… there's a beach, so, pack a swim suit and sun-tan lotion." She shrugs.

"Is it hot in Argentina? I mean, I know it's a tropical climate, but-"

"It'll be warm where we're going." Barney interrupts, before Ted could continue.

"So, summer clothes. Check." Lily mentally notes aloud.

"What else?" Marshal asks, again directing the attention towards the only one of the five who'd ever been to Argentina.

"Uh-" Robin squints. "You know, just the usual. Socks, underwear, pink fluffy unicorns- so Marshal how did your family take the news?" She sporadically blurts, trying desperately to change the subject.

"The Eriksens were upset, but mom said we could visit Saint Cloud after we got back."

"We?" Lily questions. She places her hands over Marshal's arm, and rubs up and down while smiling sweetly at him. "Sweetie, I thought you told her I wasn't coming with you to Saint Cloud this time."

Marshal shrugs uncomfortably. "Well it's just- I already said that I had to post-pone the trip, and when she said 'you and Lily can just visit next week' I'm not going to bombard her with more bad news!"

"How is 'Lily isn't coming' bombarding her?" Lily asks.

Marshal drops his shoulders. "Baby…"

While they argue about this to the side, Ted continues to ask questions about the trip to Barney and Robin.

"So where exactly are we staying?"

"Not some lame cabana like Robin and what's-his-face stayed in." Barney scoffs, and Robin looks slightly offended. "I picked up some rooms at a hotel on the beach."

"A hotel?" Robin clarifies. "Wait, isn't the whole point of this getaway to, you know, get away? As in no technology, or tall buildings, or-"

"Or comfy beds or personal hygiene or hot showers?" Barney finishes for her.

Both he and Ted wait for her reaction.

"…yeah, that kinda sucked." Robin shrugs, and takes a sip of her drink.

"We're just fated to be city-people for the rest of our lives." Ted agrees, and also drinks his beer.

Robin had a point. Yeah- about the lifestyle being sucky, but about the 'whole point' to this getaway. Maybe this wasn't going to be as bad as he'd thought- maybe Barney could make a good thing out of the situations he'd roped himself into.

"Fine!" Marshal shouts, throwing up his hands. "I'll tell her you can't come."

Lily nods in achievement. "Good." She smiles, and takes a sip of her drink, and turns to face Barney. "Now about that bag-check limit…"

"Take mine." Barney replies instantly. Marshal… Robin… this girl might be better at convincing people than I am. He figured better just to give in now. "Besides, I already know what I'll be packing." He smirks. "No clothes necessary." He nods proudly, and per-usual receives disgusted looks from around the table.

Losers.

As he suspected, the night flew by, and before he knew it they were in the air. The plane came in right on time, and they board at 2:01am.