CHAPTER ONE
DISCOVERIES
ROBIN'S APARTMENT
Holding Marshall's hand tightly in hers, she walked down the hallway towards Robin's apartment. It was time to thank the most amazing of all women for what had taken place the night before. It was time to treat their new lover to perhaps a morning delight in her own home. She couldn't keep the smile from spreading across her cheeks. Her heat began to rise even more as she just thought of the perfect image which was Robin Scherbatsky.
Marshall couldn't help but sign under his breath. He felt his wife's excitement on seeing their best friend lover once more. His growing excitement grew even more – because of his wife. He wasn't excited to see his lover again for his own shake – no he would never betray Lily like that. But, he was excited for Lily's sake. He fully knew that Lily needed another go with their new lover. Their only lover they had besides one another. So he was excited and happy for his wife.
Lily suddenly stopped and pushed Marshall against the wall. Her mouth capturing his as she took in his essence. She could still smell her on him. They hadn't brothered showering before they rushed out of the apartment to get back to her. It truly overwhelmed her to distraction. First in the elevator down to the street. Than in the cab. She almost ravaged Marshall in the cab; but the cab driver kept up with a set of coughing – to remind her that they weren't alone. Than in the elevator to her floor. She couldn't stand it any longer, she had to just get to her husband, to receive more of her smell. Just to tidy over until Lily saw her once more.
Marshall wanted his wife here and now. Even through this was a very public place. Although the hallway was empty – there was still a chance that someone would interrupt them. The danger of suddenly being caught excited him. He pictured men, women, children coming upon them. His eyes opened and he pushed his wife away. The thought of a child coming upon them brought him back to the planet earth. "Let's wait till we are alone with her." He ran a finger down his wife's chin. "I don't want to have to explain to a child the meaning of making love. At least not until it's our own child."
"Oh Marshall." Lily said with a slight blush. Stepping back she slipped her hand into his once more, they continued their way to Robin's apartment.
Marshall saw the door a moment before his wife. "What the -" Lily whispered as she noticed the ajar door. "That's not safe. Robin knows better than this. I know she's from Canada and all. But she has been in New York long enough to know the way of the city." She quicken her pace to the door. "Robin -" She said in a motherly voice.
Her hand on the door she pushed it open and than stopped dead.
Marshall looked over his wife's head and saw an empty apartment. Not just empty of Robin. But empty of every piece of furniture. His heart dropped.
"Oh God, Robin." Lily cried out as she rushed into the apartment. "Marshall she might have walked in on the robbers. She may be hurt." Looking wildly around – first in the open kitchen than down the hallway that led to the bed and bathroom. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she rushed towards the hallway. "Robin! Robin! ROBIN!" She screamed and cried.
Marshall slowly walked into the apartment and blinked back the tears that wanted to come. He had noticed something that his wife hadn't. He knew that no robbers had been in the apartment. That Robin was safe and sound. But she wasn't in the apartment any longer. He stopped and knelt down. Picking up a folder and a cell phone.
"Oh my God, Marshall, where's Robin?" Lily cried as she walked back into the apartment. "I have looked every where. There is no sign of a struggle. So perhaps Robin came home this morning, and found her apartment like this. So she must be at the police station filing a report."
Marshall stood to his feet and slowly turned to face his wife. "She left this." Holding out the folder. Lily didn't take it. She just shook her head. In denial. "She also left this." Showing the cell phone in his left hand.
Lily just stared at the cell phone for several minutes. She than turned and rushed from the apartment. Marshall closed his eyes and tucked the cell in his jeans pocket. Opening them he looked around the empty apartment. He followed his wife out and locked the door behind him.
TED'S APARTMENT
Lily banged open the door surprising Ted out of his seat. "Shit Lily, careful with that door. I have to pay for it. I can't afford a new door right now." He was nonplussed when she just stormed all around his apartment banging open all his doors.
"Lily!" Ted stormed as he heard the bathroom door banging against the wall. He knew the mirror was wobbling like there was no tomorrow. Shit if she breaks anything in her mad dash around his apartment – than she sure in hell is going to be paying for it. Full freaking place.
She was bursting into his bedroom when he finally caught up with her. "Lily!" He said again. "What the fuck is going on with you. I have never seen you like this before. Not even when you moved in." he was worried about this. He had never seen Lily freaking out like this before. This was actually way worse than when back in high school -
She turned to face him and his heart dropped. "Where is she?" She gasped.
"Where is whom?" Ted asked wide eyed.
Without answering she just turned to the closet and jammed opened the sliding doors. She jerked back the clothes, trying to look at the entire closet in one for sweep. She than turned and dropped to the floor and laid out – so she could look underneath his bed.
"Lily!" Ted cried out.
She got to her feet and pushed passed him and out of the bedroom. Ted hurried after her. She burst into the bedroom which used to be hers and Marshall's – than it was Robin's for the few weeks that she had stayed with him. He watched numb as she tore the room apart.
"Stop this Lily. I won't allow you to destroy my home." Ted said in a angry freaked out voice.
She turned around and rushed him. Grabbing both his arms she shook him. "Where is she? Where are you hiding her?"
"I'm not hiding anyone from you." Ted loudly said trying to get control of his body. He didn't want to physically hurt Lily, but if it is the only way for her to stop – than he had too. He managed to wrap his hands around her arms. "Lily calm down." He said in a slow breath.
Lily just stared at him. Searching his eyes. Tears sparkled and she pushed away from him. Rushing past him before he could move. He heard the door slam just as he reached his hallway. Rushing to the door he yanked it open and had time to watch Lily rush into the closing elevator.
Pulling out his cell from his jeans. Quickly dialing, "Marshall, Lily was just here -"
"Stay there Ted. Barney and I will be there in twenty minutes." Marshall broke in.
"Lily left." Ted said in a quiet voice. "She's real upset. She thinks I'm hiding someone from her."
"I'll fill you and Barney in when we get there." Marshall said in a quiet and tight voice.
"What about Lily, should I give chase?" Ted sighed leaning against the frame across from his still open door.
"No." Marshall sighed. "She needs to do this in her own way."
"What's going on?" Ted asked in a fearful voice.
"I can't do this on the phone." Marshall quietly said and hung up.
Ted lowered the phone and finally felt like something had truly happened in his safe world. That the moment Marshall came and told him what was freaking Lily out – than his world would crumble.
BARNEY'S OFFICE
Marshall opened the door and found his best friend hard at work. "Drop everything you are doing today, Barney."
Barney looked up, "I'm sorry man, I can't. I have important meetings all day." He shook his head. "I'll try to meet you all at MacLaren's . But I'm not too sure that I can make it there."
"This is important. It can't wait." Marshall said tucking his right hand into his pocket, gripping Robin's cell in his hand. The folder was safe under his arm. "We need to get to Ted's."
"Is he all right? Lily? Robin?" Barney stood to his feet quickly. Closing the folder.
"I'll fill you and Ted in when we get to Ted's." With that Marshall turned and walked from the office.
Barney's heart dropped when Marshall didn't make mention of either Lily or Robin. This was serious. He would tell his secretary to cancel all his meetings for the day. Stepping into the receptions area. "I'm going to be out of the office all day, Marie. I'm not going to answer my phones. Please cancel all my meetings today – tell them that I apologize but something important came up in my personal life."
"Yes Mr. Stinson ." Marie said with a small concerned nod.
Barney followed Marshall out of his office.
TED'S APARTMENT
"About time you showed up." Ted growled as he heard the door open. He didn't even brother to turn his head to greet his two male best friends. He was just moodily staring at the wall. "I'm suggesting you go into the spare bedroom. Than come out and tell me what the fuck is this all about."
He watched as Marshall and a confused Barney go down the hallway. Barney was soon back with a nonplussed look on his face. "What sort of torpedo hit?"
"Lily." Ted said in a steady voice. He didn't allow his eyes to leave the wall. Not yet. Not till Marshall came back into the room. Marshall was taking a very long time. Ted's heart dropped even more. He firmly held onto his anger – hoping that the anger would help ease the hurt that the truth was going to bring him.
Marshall slowly made his way into the living room, and sat down on the couch. "Robin has left." He breathed out.
Ted slowly turned to face Marshall, just as Barney dropped onto the couch. "So Robin must have had an a sudden assignment is all. She'll be back in a few days." Barney said in a soft but forced chipper voice.
"She left this." Marshall said pulling out the cell from his jeans pocket, and setting it on the coffee table.
Ted tried to blink back the tears, but he couldn't stop them. A chocked out sob broke those from his dry throat. Leaning forward he wrapped his arms around his bowed head. He just wept.
"She just forgot her cell phone is all. She'll call after it as soon as she realizes her mistake." Barney said in a forced hyper chipper voice. "Nothing to be worried or concerned over." His knees couldn't stop jumping up and down. Jumping up he rushed towards the kitchen. He was soon back out with an uncapped beer in his hand. He chugged it down in one fall swoop. He turned and rushed back for another. Before he went back to the living room – he manged to chug down two more beers. With the forth one in his hand he went back to his friends.
"You are out of beer, Ted." Barney said sipping from the bottle.
Ted jerked his head up and glared up at Barney. "All you can think about is beer, when Robin has left for good."
"Not for good man, just for a little while. She'll be back very soon. Laughing at her mistake over forgetting her cell." Barney said sitting back on the couch. "Nothing to worry about here."
"She's left for good, Barney." Ted quietly said.
"No," Barney smiled and shook his head. Picking up the bottle once more, he took a long swag of it. Leaving half of it. "She'll be back."
"She also left these." Marshall set the folder down on the table. Next to the phone.
BARNEY'S APARTMENT
She banged the door opened as she let go of the key. Pulling the key out she slammed the door behind her. She didn't want Barney's neighbors to witness what she was going too do. She didn't want to embarrass the man after all. She just wanted to kill him.
"Barney where the fuck are you – you wimp ass of a fucking lousy man." She stormed as she rushed towards the kitchen. Thinking the rat was in there making his breakfast. Even through the loser couldn't cook to save his damn life.
After seeing the kitchen was empty – she tore the cabinets and the cupboards apart. The kitchen was free of people. But there was a linger of her perfume in the air. She had been there. Lily knew that she was on the right track now. She was wrong at Ted's, but she knew she would find her here at Barney's.
"You can't hide her from me too long, asshole. You can't hide yourself from me long either. I'll find both of you. Than she and I will leave." Lily shouted as she moved towards the hallway where the bedrooms and bathroom was. She searched the tie room first. Flinging ties every which way as she rapidly searched behind every nook and canary.
"Please Barney let me see her. I can make things right again." She sobbed as she burst into the master bedroom. She soon tore the room apart and still found nothing. She heard the full length mirror break from the shoes and books that she tossed that way. But she couldn't feel too guilty over that – not when she was so close to finding her.
She stormed through the door of the master bathroom. Nothing. She was desperate now. She just had to find just a clue on where he was hiding her. She had to get to her to make whatever she did wrong right again. She had to be the one to comfort her from whatever pain she was feeling.
Turning suddenly she looked herself in the mirror. Her hair was a mess, her makeup was running down her face. Her eyes were wide and crazy. Screaming she banged her fists against the mirror. Breaking it into a million shades. "Where is she? Why are you keeping her from me!" She fell to her knees and bowed her head to the floor.
TED'S APARTMENT
Marshall opened the folder and pulled out the first paper that was in the first opening.
Marshall & Lily:
I know that I made you promise not to tell the boys this. So, I'll make it easy for you. Marshall I know you are the one reading this. Read it out loud,
He cleared his throat and started the note from the top. He kept his eyes clued to the paper.
Boys, last night I had a threesome with Marshall and Lily. Now before you Ted jump up and kill Marshall, and you Barney start in on your cheesy bad ass lame jokes – know this. The threesome was totally my idea. I'm the one whom had gone to them solely for this reason last night. I'm the one whom had started things – and I am the one whom convinced both of them that it was the right thing to do.
That said.
I'm leaving New York. For good. I don't want to be found. So don't even try. I know you four so well; so I know that you will try. I hope once everything comes back blank – you will be able to move on with your lives.
To make sure you know I'm serious I have left my cell phone. I have also deleted my email, chat, face book, and my space. Please respect my wishes and let me go.
I have left letters to each one of you. I'm sorry that I had to do it this way. But I had always known that I would have to do it one day.
Good bye,
Robin
Marshall set the paper onto the coffee table next to the cell.
"She actually done it." Ted whispered. Tears rolled freely down his cheeks. His hands were shaking and he wrapped them across his chest. "She told me she would, and she actually did it."
"She'll be back." Barney said in a numb voice. "She just forgot her cell is all. She'll be back. We will all be laughing over this."
"Robin told me when we first hooked up – that when she was ready to disappear from my life. She would hook up with all my closets friends." Ted said in the silence of the room. "I thought she was kidding. Being kinky to get me hot. It worked. We had one of our best sexual times after that comment." Biting his lips and moaning, he began to rock back and forth. He was so cold. Ever so cold. "I didn't think she meant it. Especially when she bonded with you guys so quickly and well."
Marshall's tongue touched the sides of his mouth. He thought of the night before. He had felt foreboding when Robin had started to seduce Lily. He should have spoken up and stopped it. If he had than Robin would still be there.
ROBIN'S APARTMENT
Lily slowly unlocked the door and pushed it open. Walking into the empty apartment she shut the door. Making sure to lock it. She didn't want anyone to break in. She had to protect Robin's home after all.
She made her way to the center of the living space and knelt down across from the fireplace. "I'm going to sit here and wait for you. When you decide to get this foolish idea from your head, girl, I'll be here waiting for you." She softly said as she wrapped her arms around her raised knees.
She didn't even turn when the sound of the lock unlocked on the door. Nor did she turn to look as the door opened. She it wasn't time for her to return. Not yet. She didn't flinch as she felt warm and strong arms wrap themselves around her. She felt the air move three times. But still she just remained still.
"She left letters to each of us." Ted said from the right of her.
"I saw my apartment." Barney said from the left of her.
"I'm sorry." Marshall said as he tighten his hold slightly pulling back against his chest.
"We also know about the hot lesbian sex you had with Robin last night." Barney said with a chipper smile on his face. "Marshall is one lucky man to have witnessed that – and to be able to get with both of you."
Lily just turned and glared into his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Lily, it's how I deal with things." Barney said with a bowed head. He didn't like the look in Lily's eyes. It scared the hell out of him. After seeing the bedroom at Ted's, and his own apartment -
This was bad. Very bad.
Barney tried to lock down his heart, and emotions once more. He tried to hold back the tears; but they suddenly felled, and the sobs came next. He laid down in a fetal position and completely broke down.
Marshall felt Lily pull away from him – he didn't fight it. He just simply dropped his arms and watched as his wife crawled the few feet to lay next to Barney on the floor. She wrapped her arms around him and began to softly hum.
I looked at the two most important people in your Aunt Robin's life – lying on the floor broken. All because your Aunt Robin couldn't handle knowing she was finally safe and loved. I have to admit kids, I was mad as hell with Aunt Robin at that point. How dare she so willing break and hurt my two best friends as she had done.
I wished I had never met Robin Scherbatsky in that moment. I damned myself to hell for being Robin to meet my three best friends. If I had any sense, kids, than I would have taken one look at Robin and turned firmly away.
But within moments my anger at Aunt Robin went away; only pain and loss stayed. Because I knew that we may never see Robin ever again. I had a feeling that if she didn't return on her own – in her own time; than there would be no hope in finding her. Sure we could actually physically hunt her down – but she would be lost to us if we found her; before she was ready to be found.
END CHAPTER ONE
Author's Note: I promise this story won't be a totally dark one for Lily. Just for the first few chapters she is very angst. I mean come on she just lost her best friend here – and she doesn't know why. So Lily is going through the Anger stage of the seven stages of emotions. Barney is going through Denial. Ted has all ready reached the Acceptance stage. Marshall is just staying strong for everyone.
The story is set in season four. Which by the way I have yet to seen. I just saw four episodes of season three on ON DEMAND and feel in love with show. I still have to watch the shows. This story is truly the work of reading what other fans have written for this – what I am feeling is such an amazing show. So to everyone whom has written in this fandom, you have gotten a follow just by your words.