[Me after reading reviews: "yay! Good reviews! These guys are the best!" *do happy dance*
A few seconds later: "oh no! Now I have to actually write a good story so they're not disappointed..."
But seriously, I really appreciate the love. Waking up to a few good reviews is the best feeling in the world! (so from now on I'm gonna try to write reviews for the stories I read). I do feel a little bit of pressure to write a really good story but I think that's a good thing. :) Hope this is good enough...]
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
"Is it just me or has Robin been really quiet lately?" Ted announced to the gang the next day. They were hanging out at Ted and Robin's apartment with the TV on but no one was really watching.
"Huh?" Robin turned to Ted.
"Yeah, you have been quiet, and it's like your mind is somewhere else when we're all talking," Marshall added.
"Something on your mind, sweetie?"
"No, I'm fine. I don't know what you guys are talking about."
Lily looked at her, worried, but dropped it. She knew pressuring Robin to talk would never work, especially with Ted and Marshall around. She made a mental note to find some alone time with Robin.
Robin quietly scolded herself. And Robin sat up, and started paying attention to her friends' conversation and tried to join in.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Later that night, Robin found herself in front of Barney's door again. She had never known that without Barney, she couldn't enjoy hanging out with the gang as much as she thought she would. After a few moments of hesitation, she knocked on the door.
"Scherbatsky?"
Robin gave Barney a smile, noting that his appearance was still unkempt. She wondered if his job, whatever it was that he does, was taking a toll on him. She didn't say anything, but lifted a bottle of scotch to Barney's eye-line. She saw a glimmer of a smile and that shouldn't make her this happy, she thought.
Barney stepped aside and let Robin in, then closed the door behind them. Robin went straight to his couch while he retrieved two glasses. "What's up?"
"Just one of those days. Do you mind if I hang out here for a while?"
"Uh, no, it's fine."
"I just haven't seen you in a while, Barney."
"You were here a couple days ago."
"I meant... I haven't talked to you in a while..." Robin looked at Barney.
"Oh. Is there something you want to talk about?" Barney sat down next to Robin and poured the scotch, handing one glass to Robin.
"No – not really. I just..." Robin quickly shut her mouth before the two words stuck in her throat could slip out. She averted her gaze from Barney to her scotch and took a sip.
Barney picked up his TV remote and turned it on. They sat there, not really watching, but not talking either, for hours. Both of them felt comfortable with each other's company, without the pressure to find topics to talk about. The bottle of scotch was slowly emptied. Then Robin suddenly realized that it was past 2 a.m.
"Oh, crap. It's late. I should go back," Robin said, standing up.
Barney looked up and saw that she was at least a little bit tipsy.
"You sure you're gonna be okay going back?"
"Yeah, I'll just call a cab," she grabbed her phone from her purse and dialed a number.
Barney bit his tongue. He wasn't sure if he wanted her to stay or just to be a gentlemen and offer her his bed. He didn't say anything.
"Cab should be here soon. I'll wait downstairs." Robin started walking to the door.
"Uh, I'll walk you down."
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
The next day, Robin was alone at the bar, waiting for her friends. Yet again, her mind wandered to Barney. She still couldn't figure out why he's acting strange – it must have something to do with Ted siding with Zoey, but he wasn't acting out like he usually would; he's just... distant. But she was glad that at least the previous night Barney was willing to just sit there with her through the silence.
Robin turned around when the door opened and saw Lily and Marshall walk in. She gave the both of them a smile that was returned instantly.
"Marshall, why don't you go sit at the booth, baby? Robin and I will get drinks and we'll be there soon." Marshall obeyed, and Lily walked up to Robin.
"You've been acting strange lately."
"What do you mean?"
"You've been really quiet, not paying attention to any of our conversations. It's like your body is here and your mind is elsewhere. What is it, sweetie?"
"Nothing, Lily."
"Come on, Robin. Now that Barney's not here as often, it gets really quiet. We need you to be here and help us make things less awkward."
Robin responded with a little nod.
"Is this about Barney?"
Robin's eyes darted to Lily. "No–" But she left the word hanging and Lily caught it.
Lily smiled softly, "I miss him too, Robin. We all do. But don't worry, he'll come around and he'll be back soon!" She threw one arm around Robin and gave her a half-hug.
"Three beers please, Carl?"
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
"Our friends suck! They've all went to bed already," Robin said, when Barney opened is apartment door. She passed the bottle of Johnny Walker she was holding to Barney.
"Huh. The bar must be lame without my awesomeness present," Barney smirked, seeing the clock on his wall pointing to 11 p.m.
"It kinda is." Robin thought that she shouldn't be this delighted that they're talking again. They're friends. Bros even. Talking shouldn't have felt so important.
"So, you think you're gonna come down to the bar one of these days?"
"Yeah, I'm just really busy right now."
"Barney..."
Barney locked eyes with Robin. He didn't say anything, but Robin felt his expressive eyes trying to tell her something. She couldn't decipher the information hidden behind the blue eyes.
"Fine. Let's just talk about how lame our friends are," Robin let it go. Just a couple more glasses, Robin thought.
"Let's talk about something else." Barney looked down, but he felt Robin's gaze on the side of his face.
Robin talked about work, about nothing in particular. Barney would make some throw-away comments, but neither was really focusing on the subject. She was just filling the void. Just until Barney finished his third glass of scotch.
"Now you've had three. Time to spill, Stinson!"
Barney looked at her, and then straight ahead to his wall TV. But she could see that he wasn't watching. She could see him thinking.
"What does this all mean?" Barney asked, very quietly.
Robin could barely hear him, but she was touched by the sincerity of his voice. "What does what mean, Barney?" She was now sitting facing Barney.
Barney was still staring at the wall in front of him. "Everything?"
Robin didn't know what to say, didn't know what Barney wanted to hear. So she put one hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze.
Barney turned to look Robin straight in her eyes, "what's the point of doing anything, if everyone keeps hurting you and leaving you?"
Robin started to understand him. "No one is leaving you, Barney. I'm really sorry we hurt you, but we still love you."
Barney smiled at her, "you don't have to be sorry, Robin. You didn't do anything." Barney took Robin's hand from his shoulder, and held it in his hand on his lap.
"We're still here, Barney. We're still your friends. You should come out and hang out with us again, we've all missed you very much?"
"But what's the point?"
And with that, the pair fell silent. Barney poured each of them another glass of scotch and the drank them quietly.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Robin was awaken by Ted's voice from their living room. Sleepily, she tightened her robe around her and walked out.
"What the hell, Ted? It's not even 7 a.m."
"Oh, hey. Sorry. I've been trying to call Barney but he's not picking up."
Robin was shaken awake from her sleepy haze when Ted mentioned Barney. She walked towards the kitchen looking for coffee – or any other form of caffeine she could consume, now.
"Why are you calling him this early?"
"Uh... Hold on a sec." Ted talked into his phone, "Barney, it's Ted, again. Where the hell are you? Come on, dude. Call me back. I need to talk to you. NOW!" Ted glanced at Robin, then back at his phone. "I was called in to GNB. Most likely about, you know, me single-handedly destroying their project. And I usually have Barney backing me up whenever I have to face the higher-ups."
Ted was staring at his phone, hoping to summon one Barney Stinson through it. And Ted was getting irritated. He dialed Barney's number one more time. It went straight to voice mail.
"Okay, seriously, Barney. I have to leave for the GNB in a few minutes. Dude, I really need you, buddy. You're gonna be there, right? I'll just see you at the office, I guess?"
Robin watched Ted scramble around the living room a little bit before he waved her goodbye and ran out the door. She had to restrain herself from running out herself and go to Barney's place to see if he's okay.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Ted never realized how scared he was in meeting with his bosses when Barney wasn't around. Especially since he was acting against his employers. Throwing away his job for his girl. Throwing away a job that Barney got him. Barney... where was he?
Ted went upstairs to see if Barney was in his office. He saw quite a few people inside Barney's office, but Barney wasn't there. Ted stood by the door and randomly asked anyone in the room, "um, sorry, but is Stinson here?"
The people looked among themselves, then went back to doing what they were doing, ignoring Ted's presence. What were they doing? It looked like they were looking through Barney's files and other belongings. Questions fired up in Ted's brain, but he was late for an important meeting and he was sure that everyone would keep ignoring him even if he stayed. So he saved all his questions, for the next time I see Barney, he thought.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Walking into his apartment, Ted found Robin, Marshall and Lily sitting on the sofa watching TV while drinking beer.
Robin noticed his long face. "Hey, Ted. How was the meeting?"
Ted sighed, loudly, and dropped his suitcase on the floor. "Terrible," he said, sitting down at the chair and stealing Robin's beer. "Without Barney there, I'm just another low-level employee. One who had cost them one of their biggest projects this year, no less. They didn't fire me, because that would be too simple. I'm still tied to their contract and basically I'd get sued if I help Zoey make The Arcadian a landmark. Or at least that's what I understand."
A pause.
"But where the hell is Barney? How could he just leave me hanging like that? I must have left him at least 15 messages telling him that I need him to back me up or at least show up as a friend to support me!"
Ted went on a rant about how Barney should have been a better friend. Robin tuned him out. She was doing everything she can not to throw the TV remote she was holding at his head and defend Barney.
After Ted was done, Lily and Marshall were trying to calm him down, but Robin wasn't listening. She had her eyes locked onto Ted and her brain was filtering away words she shouldn't say to a friend. The only ones that finally came out of her mouth were, "stop taking Barney for granted, Ted."
Three pairs of confused eyes fell on Robin.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
[End of part 2]
[Whoa, this is getting a lot longer than I planned it to be. For now, it looks like this is going to have five parts, but it's taking a slight turn than how I intended it to be so I'm not really sure.
Comments, reviews, criticisms, ideas are very welcome and greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading.]