Title: The Discovery

Chapter 3: A few things you should know about

Rating: PG

Summary: Future Ted now needs to tell his kids a few things that happened over the summer of 2008.

Spoiler: Up to episode 4.03

Author Note: Has been Jossed and yes I using the new episodes plots too, with my own twists… Also thank you loveableme87 on lj – you might be on fanficion too but I rather not take a chance.

Disclaimer: I do not own How I Met Your Mother

So since your uncle Barney was stuck in a hospital for most of the summer I'll just skip over that part.

"I guess I'll just jump ahead to when your uncle Barney got rid of his cast. But before I do there are four important events that happened over the summer of 2008 which you should know about.

1. The Test Run.

You see kids the day that your Uncle Barney discovered that I proposed to Stella, I discovered, over dinner, that Stella had her own proposal to make."

"So the fish here's supposed to be really good... so they say." Ted began with the usual menu small talk, but it was plain to see that all he could think about was what Stella might say about his recent proposal.

"Ted?" Stella said nervously. His gaze met hers and the butterflies in his stomach started to make him feel kind of sick.

"Stella?"

"Yes."

"What?" His eyes widened as the butterflies started to do somersaults. "Really?"

She nodded. "But there are some conditions."

"Oh, of course, I agree. Number 1: I get to wear the suit. I know you might not agree, but Barney would kill me if I didn't wear one," he said jokingly and she laughed at his joke, making him smile. He loved it when she laughed.

"No, that's not what I mean," she said, still smiling. "Marriage is a big step, and I want to make sure that we aren't rushing into things."

"The rest of the night was spent talking about that subject and all the hundreds of things that could happen if we weren't 'meant to be' as she put it. So we decided to do what all serious couples do at some point in their relationship. We moved in together. And that lead to the next important event of the summer of 2008.

2. Robin's new place.

"Well that's the last box." Ted said as he carried out a brown box labeled 'S.W.'. It was the last thing he had yet to drop off at Stella's. The moving transition had been slow as he slowly brought everything to her home and as she slowly made room for his things. But they hadn't bickered over anything, unlike the time he and Robin almost moved in together. The past two weeks had been contently relaxed.

"I still can't believe you're moving out of here." Robin said looking around at the now almost half empty apartment.

"Yeah me neither, but..." A smile broke on his face. "But she's the one."

"You sure about that?" She and Barney still weren't totally convinced about Ted's marriage, but for now they supported his decision... sort of.

"Look, I know you guys are still a little 'iffy' about it, but she said yes, and she loves me just as much as I love her and her daughter. And come autumn 2008, we're getting married."

"Oh, you two picked a date already?"

"No, not yet. Fingers crossed though." She nodded in agreement before asking casually enough a question which had been running through her mind for about a week now.

"So now that you're moving out, and that Marshall and Lily are going to live in their own place... I should move in." Ted stopped at the door and turned to face her with a perplexed look on his face.

"You wanna move in?"

"Yeah. Well think about it. My current apartment is across town and my lease is about to expire anyway. If I move in we'll still have a place to go right by MacClaren's, I'll have a much shorter commute and it'll be easier for you since you already know who to sell this place to." He had listened while she counted off all the reasons, and couldn't help but notice how much she sounded like Barney.

"Those are good points. Alright then, I am going to Stella right now, but we'll definitely talk about this later."

"And we did, because one week later she was settled in her new apartment... my old apartment. At the time she still shared the place with Marshall and Lily, but that brings me to the third event that happened over the summer 2008.

3. Marshall's job.

"Hey Lily, where's Marshall?" Barney asked casually. He had been released from the hospital and although he still had a cocktail of drugs and regular physical therapy, he was doing relatively well.

"He's getting ready for another job interview," she said pointing to the bathroom.

"Cool. I'm going to see if his suit acceptable."

"Why? He has a very professional suit, you've seen it before."

"Uhh, yeah, but that was out of context. Lily a suit cannot be judged simply by its colour or its fabric. A suit should represent a situation, it should depict one's awesomeness." He would have continued to explain the elaborate complexity which was the suit but he had to see Marshall so he finished his little speech with a few words to think about. "His 'professional suit' may not apply its full potential in a job interview." He then walked in on Marshall who was mentally preparing himself in front of the bathroom mirror.

"You're flexible on salary. You're willing to compromise. You're not gonna cry this time," he said with a hopeful grin.

"You cried?"

"Barney!" Marshall jumped before turning around in surprise.

"Dude, I can't believe you cried... again. Actually, I can."

"What do want Barney?"

"I came to save you so you should sound a little more grateful." Barney walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. "My company has recently taken over Goliath National Bank. Took 2 months. Two thousand jobs lost."

"That's horrible, especially in this economy; it's really hard to get a job..." He could definitely relate.

"Nah it was great. Just came back from the last meeting, We had to finalize a few details, feels like a drug." He said grinning in delight thinking back to what must have been an adrenaline packed meeting. "Really helps distract you from you're real problems." He added as he slowly allowed his thoughts to drift to a certain problematic disease he had caught and whose existence had made itself clear the moment that bus hit him.

"If you're trying to make me feel better because two thousand other people lost their jobs, it's not working." Barney reentered the conversation which he was in the process of exiting and made his point clear.

"Marshall that's how take-overs happen. Some jobs are lost, while others are made. That's right." He let his awesome news sink in as Marshall's eyes widened then narrowed in hope that Barney wasn't about to make a sex related joke.

"Barney, are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Marshall my friend, I can get you a job." His first instinct was to jump at the offer, to celebrate the fact that he'll soon have a job and a reason to get up in the morning, to have something to do. But then there was Lily. Wonderful, beautiful, intelligent, incredible and supportive Lily. Lily who patiently waited for her husband to find a job but not just any corporate soul sucking job, the job of his dreams. He was a lucky man to have her, however at this point in his life, career-wise, he just needed a reason to get in the morning, and they did need the money.

"I have to think about it." He said turning back to the mirror to fix his hair, and mentally wincing for turning down a real job offer.

"What? Marshall come on. You and I both know you need a job, or a hobby. A job would be best though."

"I can get a job. Maybe I'll get this job, it's an environmental-"

"Yeah, yeah… When you get tired of getting turned down tell me. I'll keep a spot open for you." It was clear that Marshall did indeed need some time to think about it before coming to work for Goliath National Bank, now part of the AltruCell Corporation family.

"It took another few weeks before Marshall was sad and beaten down enough to accept Barney's job offer. And then a little while longer to get Lily on board with the idea.

So that's what happened during the summer of 2008."

"Uh Dad you forgot one."

"I did? Let's see… Stella and I move in together, Robin moves into my old apartment, Barney gets Marshall a job… Oh that's right I forgot to tell you that that summer your aunt Robin began to truly hate her job. She hated the poor production value, she hated the stupid stories she had to report and most of all she hated the puns. And so she wanted to quit but she needed the assurance that only a new job could bring. So she applied to another job, thanks to Barney's convincing, and she got it there was just one small problem it was in Japan."