A/N: What follows is an idea I've had that would make another story as a separate arc that has almost nothing to do with the gang, and has Ollie on his own. Review with a "yay" or "nay" towards this idea you do or you don't want me to post this story."

Chapter 7: Long Road Ahead

"So where do you plan on riding?"

"...I don't know yet."

Ben Tyler and Motorbike Seller

One Week (2008)


My tattoos each have a story. Although, I realize that I made a mistake: the one on my rib I didn't get for another 2 years. So what were they?

My first one was the outline of a bear. Basically only made of one thin line of ink, like an object in a book that had yet to be colored. That was part of a story which I told Barney and Robin a few hours after my fights.

The second and third ones I got together. Lucy's name was on my shoulder blade, but I forgot to mention that below her name, the numbers 17-6-03 were there. If you know my story, you don't need an explanation what the numbers mean.

My third was the one I had to go through the most pain to get. Dan, the guy who usually gave me my tattoos said it was a miracle I didn't get sick from it. I insisted that I would get an arrow tattooed right over my scar, to remind me of what it was that drove me away from Washington. The problem was, I was still healing from the wound, so not only did it hurt like shit, but like I said, I almost caught something. Luckily, fate decided that June was a bad month for me, and gave me a free pass out of there.

My fourth one I got a month later, after I got my bartending license. The water droplet on my keychain I got put on my ankle. While it looked like a simple water droplet, it also had a wavy line crossing it like a wave.

And for almost ten years, I didn't get another. But then I got my fifth one, the last one I got by May 2013. And the biggest: a white tattoo of tree branches on the length of my left back. That was to represent the growth in character I had when I returned to my family. Kinda silly, but I liked it. White tattoos look cool.


It was right after my fight, as I held a cloth soaked in rubbing alcohol to my face. The smell burned as much as my face.

As Ranjit started the limo, and drove up the dirt road, Barney's phone rang.

"Go for Barney." He answered. "Hey! Yes. Yes, he is. Uh, okay?" He looked over at me. "Uh, yes. Yeah, I'll let him know. Thanks. Bye."

"What was that about?" I asked.

Barney looked a bit worried. "Ollie, how were you planning on getting back to the city?"

That was one of the things I hadn't really thought of. I was busy training for getting to the wedding, I didn't think about how I would get back to the city from it.

"I was assuming that Keith would be flying me back."

Barney sighed. "That was Keith who just called. He wants to see you at the airfield. It's an emergency, apparently. We'll drop you off."

"How will I get back to the Inn?" I asked.

"It's a ten minute walk from the airfield."

After I finished my water, Barney called over to Ranjit to drop me off at Keith's workplace. A few minutes later I got out to a large field with a long Tarmac and I walked on, up the road to a small office, with a plane parked there. I recognized it as the one that dropped me here. I entered the office.

Keith was there. Hard to miss him with his bushy beard. But then again, he was also the only one in there.

"Ollie! Good to see you again!" He said. He got up and seized my hand in a monster hand shake.

"Same here, Keith. So is this where you work?" I asked.

"This is my nest. When I'm not flying, I'm working here." He gestured around proudly.

I sat down at his desk across from him. "So Barney told me you needed to see me?"

"Yeah. We got a problem." He said, seriously.

"What kind of problem?" I asked, a little scared.

"This here," He pulled out a clipboard with graphs on it. "is the readings that my weather instruments are telling me for future flying conditions. I consult these to usually determine my hours of operations for skydiving."

"Okay? So what's the problem?"

"Here." He flipped the page to a line graph. It was dated for tomorrow, and a huge spike was on it.

"What's that?" I asked.

"The conditions for tomorrow night. That huge spike will ground us, no doubt. And that's only wind conditions! The rest are unbelievable!"

"What is this all about? I'm a little confused."

Keith pulled a tv remote out from his desk, and turned the tv on. It was set to Metro News 1. This was like the most conveniently timed news broadcast in the world.

"-what meteorologists in the Northeast are calling the 'mother of all storms'. While nowhere near as destructive as Hurricane Irene, which tore through the East Coast almost 2 years ago, this storm is having meteorologists baffled. Michael is here with weather. Michael, what can you tell us about the forecast?"

The screen switched to the weather man, in front of the satellite map that they all stand in front of. Large dark clouds were rolling up from Virginia, towards- uh, oh.

"We have the storm rolling in towards the North, ever since it materialized in North Carolina. All flights up the East Coast are being grounded in anticipation for the storm. We can expect it to cruise through Virginia and Maryland tonight, then make it's way up to and through New York and Long Island tomorrow night."

Keith turned off the tv. "Now you see it? These readings on the charts are from instruments I had set up in D.C. If they're this high when it hits here, then we aren't leaving."

I cringed. "But we gotta have options, right? There can't be stranding ourselves out here as an option."

"Well, I live here. If I were to be able to get you back to the city tomorrow night, which I doubt I will, it'll be me getting stranded, not you. But yeah, we got options."

"What do we have?"

"Real simple: Either we leave tonight, and you back out of the job, or we stay here and you find another way home."

I thought for a minute. Juno had wanted me to take the train with her out here in the first place, so I should try to go back with her. But something told me that that wasn't the best option. Something almost like the voice of fate saying "stay the hell away from the train."

I needed to be here. There was no question about it. I came here to do a job, and I intended with full commitment to get that job done.

"There should be some guests getting rides back to the city that night. If I get back to JFK at least, then it's a straight shot. We're staying here. Doesn't matter that there's a storm coming. When it does, I'll be ready."


After getting the storm warning from Keith, I walked around town aimlessly. It would be hard for me to find a way back to the city, but I could try. Worst case, I could call for a cab or take the train.

I headed down to a local marina, and saw boats rocking in the water precariously. Now I understood why: the incoming storm was already affecting the water levels with the wind. I needed someone other than Ted or Juno heading back to the city Sunday night. I continued walking around.

I ended up going down a back alley of a few bungalow houses. When I got to one of the garages behind them, I saw something that reminded me of one of my favorite movies.

Robin showed me the movie "One Week" along with the rest of the gang, to show them how awesome Canada is at making movies. This guy in Toronto gets diagnosed with lethal cancer and instead of getting treatment, buys a used motorcycle and heads to Vancouver Island.

I looked at the open garage to see a blue Ford F150 that had to be almost as old as I was. A cardboard sign was mounted on it's bumper reading "For Sale". The owner was sitting on the bumper drinking a beer.

"Hey there, young fella." He said, happily.

I nodded to him, and took a closer look at the truck.

"Ah, I see you're admiring my little beauty here. Yeah, she's seen some time with me, but I think it's now that moment where I say goodbye. You never think you'll ever have to move on from some things."

"How much?"

"I'd say a good 18 grand, or so. Are you interested?"

I shrugged. "I live in the city. Where would I drive it?"

"Don't drive it in the city!" He declared. "If anything, she deserves to see the long open road again."

"I'll think about it."

I wasn't thinking about it. I was positive that this was what I needed to get home. But why use so much money just to get back home, and then never drive it? Even with the 40,000 dollars I won from my fights just sitting in my pocket, I still felt a bit hesitant to buy it at this moment.

"What's your name, boy?"

"Oliver. Oliver Blake."

"Oliver, my name is Alan. And I will tell it to you straight: I will keep this truck on hold for you until I get a yes or no."

He took out a pad and paper and got my phone number from me, and I, the same for him.


June 17th 2013

It wasn't until a month went by that I made the decision to buy the truck. With Ted and Juno finally together, I felt that my work there was done, for now. I had went to that weekend to not only help with the wedding, but to also help fate bring them together. And I succeeded.

"I came back to Farhampton and bought the truck a few days ago." I said. "Happy birthday to me!"

The six of them just stared at me. I had just broken the news to them on the 16th of June, the day before my birthday.

"Are you 'One Weeking' us?" Said Robin.

"Wha? No!" I said.

"Then why are you running?" Said Marshall.

"Are you sick?" Said Lily.

"Are you going to die?" Said Ted.

"Guys!" Said Juno. "I've known Ollie longer than all of you, and I think that letting him talk would be the best for all of us. That's usually all he asks for."

"Thanks, J. Guys, I want to say that the wedding gave me the motivation to do the things I needed to do to make sure fate occurred. Now Ted and Juno met, and I think my work here is done. For now."

"And so you're leaving?" Said Barney.

"At most it'll be about a month. But I'll be back. You can count on me. I just realized something. I spent my whole life in only two places: here and home in Washington. I need to go out there, and see this world." I gestured out the window. "I need to have an adventure."

"Ollie, I tried to run away to Chicago, and you protested." Said Ted. "Now I must do the same for you. You have friends here who care for you. You've been here for us when we need you. Don't leave. We may need your guidance if things go to hell."

"If I don't leave, the investment I put into that truck will be worthless. Almost half of what I won in that fight, gone."

It took a while. To me it seemed pointless for them to protest, and ultimately I convinced them to let me go.

"When I return, I'll let fate decide wether or not it's my turn to find someone. I'll be back within a month." I said.


So on June 17th, high noon, I packed up the truck with a canopy had bought for the trip, and was about to set off.

Before I left, I sat down with the guys to have a quick drink before I left. Although while they settled for a bottle of champagne to see me off, I had a Coke. I know what happens to those who drink before leaving on road trips.

"So, anything to help us get through this while you're gone?"

"Only a quote. A quote to help you understand why I left. I quote Gandalf in The Hobbit:" as I did, I regressed to my best Gandalf impression. "'The world isn't in your maps and books. It's out there.'"


The gang all watched me as I climbed into the truck's cab.

"Where do you think you'll go?" Asked Juno.

"Don't know. South, most likely, then figure it out as I go."

I started the engine and revved it up.

"Ollie, before you go." Said Barney. "Here." He handed me an envelope through the window.

"What's this?" I said, looking at the envelope.

"2,000$. That's the equivalent of most of the free drinks you gave me at the bar. Use it on this trip, and use it well. All that money you got in this past month should be well spent. Don't waste a second out there."

"I will. And I know this trip will be legen- wait for it..."

And with that, I headed off, waving back at them.


It took a long month, but when I returned I had crossed through 24 states, 3 Canadian provinces, and thousands of miles. Truth be told, it was a trip where I was both running away, and chasing something. I was running away from the fact that I was alone, and I was also chasing fate. I was hoping that I would run into the One for me on that trip. I guess I was like Ted in that way. Instead, I was given sights and miracles that only the ones who dare to do what I did get to see. I met new people. I bought souvenirs galore. I drove on the road I nicknamed the "Highway to Hell". All during this trip, I hoped I would meet her, if the feather that I let go wasn't destined to land into her hands.

But it turned out that fate wanted me as well to stay in New York. Almost 8 months after I returned, I met her, and she was just as I hoped.