Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all, enjoy the holidays and this joyful chapter.


Sometimes, he doesn't believe it and other times he does. Three years into marriage and he's still as happy now as the day he married her. In, those three years there has been some ups and some downs, some fights and some making up (sex) usually, always. Particularly, last year in which they decided to take the leap and have the baby they didn't know they wanted or could have. Barney, doesn't know how lucky he got, he's married to the woman of his dreams and they are going to become parents. As, unexpected as it is, he's completely and totally happy and feels like his life is complete.

It, is Christmas Eve and each Christmas Eve they sit in bed and have breakfast together. But, this year is a little different. Barney, had woke up early this morning to prepare and then make breakfast for Robin and himself. But, this breakfast is mostly for Robin because after everything they had gone through together, in the past and present she deserves to have sometime without worrying about anything and to enjoy this Christmas. After all, they are going to have a baby and the next Christmas will be spent waking up early in the mornings or waking up during the night. Next, year will be completely different and their usual casual mornings will be filled with diapers, feedings and crying all day. So, this is the last Christmas they get to have with just the two of them before they have the baby next year. Barney, wanted to make this Christmas and breakfast a special one for Robin. After, they spent four days preparing for Thanksgiving he wanted to make Christmas less hectic and crazy.

It, is just the two of them this weekend. With, no work, no phone calls (their phones are turned off Barney made sure of that when he woke up this morning), no computers and no family drama. They, had enough drama last year to last another few years. Or, maybe in 7 months when the baby is waking them up in the middle of the night and they argue over who changes himorher or feeds himorher. So, this Christmas is going to be a quiet, relaxed one for the both of them and Barney hopes that today and the next day will be the same… quiet and relaxed.

It, was early this morning when he started to make the breakfast for Robin. She, was still asleep passed out from the night before when they went out to celebrate a late engagement anniversary. They, didn't get to celebrate this anniversary this month as they do every year because they were at Barney's mother's house so they decided to have a night out together, they went to dinner and then to a night club in which they hadn't done in years. The, last time they had gone partying and gotten drunk was when they went to that strip club a couple of months before they got engaged. But, last night they decided to let loose, after all this is the last chance they get to do something fun before their lives change forever. So, they went out for the night and didn't come back until the early morning. But, Barney got up early, even with a hangover still lingering on in his head. His, head was pounding but he didn't care, he took some Advil and some water and took it. He, didn't like having this headache but he couldn't go without making this annual breakfast. Every year, since they got married he did this breakfast for her, it started out randomly one morning in December, the first year of marriage. Robin, had been sick on that morning day, so Barney made her tea and toast. Then, she asked him for breakfast, she was hungry and sick so she wanted a full meal. He, laughed and told her she's just sick and needs to rest but then an hour later he surprises her with a whole meal. Breakfast, with the whole trimmings, bacon, eggs, pancakes, hash browns and some more toast. She, ate the whole thing.

So, that's how Barney's annual breakfast tradition had started. But, in the next year that will change so he wanted to make this breakfast extra special for her.

Robin, woke up to the smell of freshly made coffee and pancakes coming from the kitchen. She smiles to herself and realizes that it's Christmas Eve, Barney is making her breakfast in bed. She, goes back to sleep and pretends to sleep when he comes into the bedroom with a tray in hand.

"Good, morning Robin. Merry Christmas Eve, as always it's that time of the year for breakfast in bed." He, says smiling as he holds the tray in front of her sleepy face.

She smiles and sits up all the way on the bed.

"Wow, pancakes in the shape of a mom and dad and little silver dollar pancakes in the shapes of a baby?" She, looks at the pancakes on the plate in front of her weirdly but then she turns and smiles at her husband and shakes her head in amusement.

"Well, I wanted to do something completely different with the pancakes this year because next year we are going to have a baby, so we won't get to do these traditions much when the baby comes. So, I wanted to make this years breakfast extra special for you." He tells her, he sits down next to her on the bed after she moves over a little for him to have some space to sit down.

"Well, this is really kind of cheesy but it's sweet. Thank you, babe!" She, says leaning in to give him a quick kiss on the lips.

She's, really surprised. Barney, had been catering to her like this ever since they got married. She, always thought that marriage would be hard, she never imagined herself being married but being married has really changed her whole thinking about this subject. For, years she didn't want any commitment, her job was mostly the thing she committed to. But, after three years of marriage, even with the ups and the downs of it. She, surprisingly finds it wonderful. To, wake up like this to freshly made food and her incredible and surprisingly gifted (cook) husband is something she never expected seeing when they got married.

"So, for the next two days all we are going to do is stay in, watch our big screen TV, watch movies and enjoy our free time and freedom, because in seven months we are going to have our lives change. After, the year we had last year, I wanted for this day and tomorrow to be just about us." She, smiles when he says this, she started nibbling at her food as he talked to her.

Times, like this was always so nice to get to have. With, the big fight they had last year and the big change they decided to make. It, was the right time to just be together without anything or anyone bothering their free time.

"That, sounds… wonderful." She, smiles and all she can think of is that this is the life.

This, is everything she needs and being married isn't as bad as she once thought.

"So, I wanted to give you this." He states, getting up from the bed and going over to his dresser to get out the present that he wants to give her. It's, the first Christmas gift of many to come from him to her. He, didn't want to wait for tomorrow to give her this because he has been wanting to give this to her since last month.

He, comes back over and sits back on the bed after he hands her the gift he wants to give to her.

She, puts her fork down on the tray and sets the tray down next to her on the bed then takes the present from Barney and starts to open it slowly, with a smile plastered on her face. She's really interested and a little excited to see what Barney got her.

When, the gift is fully unwrapped she slowly opens the top of it. It's a square box, a jewelry box. When, she opens it she finds inside a heart shaped pendent, with his, hers and their baby's birth stones all around the edges of it.

"Oh, Barney this. This, is so beautiful, thank you." She, says getting a little emotional, her voice is low and sweet, choking back tears she smiles as she looks at the heart shaped necklace in her hand.

"Also, if you look at the back of this you will see an inscription." He mentions, she turns the pendent over to see what was written on the back of it.

It says: you are the loves of my life now and forever

It, also has his name and her name on the bottom of the inscription.

More, tears start to come and soon she was uncontrollable with emotion.

"Aw, Barney this is so beautiful. I am, really happy and excited to be having this baby with you." She, tells him a couple of minutes after she breaks down in tears.

"I, wanted to get you this to show you how happy I am with the choice we had made to have this baby. I, wanted something that would last forever and I knew something like this would. I'm glad you like it." And, this isn't the only jewelry he has for her, but that is for Christmas morning, along with a couple more presents that he had bought a couple of months ago that has nothing to do with the baby.

"I love it, I love you and I am thrilled to be having this baby with you too." She, kisses him. This time much longer than a little while ago.

She, forgets the breakfast beside her and gives in to her emotions and feelings as she kisses her husband more passionately then before.

A couple of hours later, they sit together on the bed and eat the breakfast he made for them. Hers, had gotten cold so he warms it up and gets a plate for him. They, sit and talk for another few minutes before they turn on the bedroom TV and watch whatever was on as they snuggled closely after they made love. They, watched movies and other things well into the night. They, didn't leave the room unless they had to, which was for the takeout they ordered for dinner. But, they stayed in bed all day just enjoying spending time together, after all the drama and hectic problems getting in their way. The, next morning is Christmas Day, they set their phones back from silent to sound but they didn't do anything else. They, spend Christmas together opening presents, sipping eggnog later in the day and yes there were pancakes, extra pancakes that Barney made the previous day. They, ate that for breakfast, then after that he called his mom and wished her a merry Christmas, and then they opened the rest of the presents they had for each other.

Barney, bought her two other things to go along with the pendent necklace he gave to her the morning before. And, she had bought him four presents but neither was counting the amount of gifts they gave to each other.

The, two gifts Barney gave to her was another piece of jewelry. This, time it was a diamond ring that matched the pendent he gave to her. This, ring had two birthstones on it, his and hers, with the diamond in the middle that is emerald green, the birthstone of the month of May which is the month they got married. And, the second gift out of the two he gives her on this day. Is, the book he had been writing for the past three years. The, marriage playbook titled the husband guide to a successful and happy marriage, she didn't know that he was doing this book. It was talked about, about a couple of months after they got married but he never followed up on it.

"Barney, you really wrote this. I thought you weren't going to do this." She, looks at him with a weird look on her face, she seems disappointed that he did this without telling her or even talking to her first before writing it.

"Well, I thought about it again last year. You, know when we were having those fights." She, nods knowing that that time was not a really happy time for them but they pulled through it and came out of it happier than ever, by making the decision to have a baby.

"I, thought about it and then when we were having those problems and you went off to London. I started to write somethings out, even though we were fighting and having problems, and it wasn't a great time for us. I started thinking about doing this again, so I wrote about one whole chapter for the book when you were away. Even, if it was not a happy time for us I still wanted to do this book. I talked, to a publisher after giving her a few copies of what I already wrote. She, loved it and decided to have me write more, into a whole book. I wrote two more chapters by the time you came home. So, when you came back I put this on hold again when we made the decision to have a baby. After, that I had more inspiration to write the rest of the book. I, didn't tell you about it because we were having those problems last year and weren't talking for a few weeks. I'm, sorry I didn't tell you I wanted to when the time was right but by then, the book was complete. I had about a week to complete it, I finished it and the publisher set the date for it to be released. Read, the inscription to the book." Her, face didn't change from the disappointed look but she did what he told her and looked at the first page of the book.

Inside it it says: This, is dedicated to my wife. We, have been going through some stuff lately but for the most part, our marriage has been a happy one. I love her every single day as our marriage moves ahead to the next stage. At, the time we were having some problems we decided to take a break but soon after made a decision that both of us really wanted. We, decided to have a baby after years of not wanting one and my wife's struggles with her infertility and her struggle with children in general. I want to thank my wife for being by my side through all of my craziness, all of my antics, all of my past situations I got myself into, we've been through a lot together but came out of it being happy. She's, not only the love of my life she's my guiding light in my life and I can't wait to be a parent with her.

Tears, are coming down her eyes as she reads this beautiful and touching dedication to her. This part was her gift, the book was everyone elses gift but this little piece. That, is just for her and she knows it because it's true. All, those things that is said is true.

"Aw, Barney this is… beautiful, I'm sorry for getting all mad for a minute there. I love it." She's speechless, she can't believe even through their rocking year he still managed to be somewhat happy even though all the problems they were having within their marriage. But, she loves this and is excited to read the rest of the book too.

"So, I have somethings to give to you too. So, give me one minute to go to the bedroom to get one of the presents I left in there." She, had one present that she forgot she put in the closet in a very hidden place. She, had this gift in the closet since last year.

She, comes back with the box in hand it looked as small as the jewelry boxes he gave to her for her gifts.

"So, I had bought this for you last year. When, I was in London. Even, if we were having problems then I still didn't forget you, so I bought this because when I saw it I thought of you." He, takes the present and opens it inside there is two suit jacket cufflinks.

"I, saw this in a store in London one day and I instantly thought of you." She, tells him. The two cuffs were blue with a teeny Eiffel tower on the stone.

"These, are lovely Robin thank you." He smiles and kisses her, but these aren't the only gifts he had for him.

"I, also have a few others." She, went over to the tree and picked up three more presents then went back over to sit beside him on the couch.

"These, aren't really big or special but I wanted to get you these things because I thought you would like them." She, puts the three presents on the coffee table and he takes on of them to start opening.

These, presents were a bit bigger than the small cufflinks she just gave him but he takes each one and opens them one by one with a smile.

In, the first one he finds two ties to go along with his cufflinks. One, is matching the cufflinks with the Eiffel tower on it and the other one was a plain simple tie with red and green stripes on it. The, next present was slightly bigger than the ties. In, this box it was shirts, suit shirts. And, finally the last present was the biggest, it's something that he always wanted but never bought for himself or had anyone get for him. He, opens this box and inside was…

"Oh, wow Robin. How, did you know?" She, looks at him with this kind of an evil look on her face but it's not evil it's a more knowing look that she knew he wanted this for along time.

"I, don't reveal my sources. But, he wants to tell you that he remembered." She, stops as she gives him a teasing look, he smiles and shakes his head.

He, had no idea anyone knew about this. That, he had wanted this his whole life and never got it, but Robin did know and somehow he knows how she found this out.

Inside, this box though was something he had always wanted… A magic kit. It's, something that isn't in stores anymore, so he had forgotten all about it because nobody got this for him. The, last time he asked for it was when he was five, it was the last Christmas he got to spend with his dad before he left him. He, really can't believe it this literally made his whole life.

After, the presents were given, dinner was eaten and movies were watched. Barney, knew how Robin found out about the biggest gift he's ever received in his life. He, will keep this to himself but he really can't believe he remember him wanting this kit. It's, actually the original box, it had changed years later but the box was its original and he's over the moon that Robin knew about this big secret of his that he never told anyone but one person in his lifetime. But, he will keep this secret to himself knowing that Santa had given him something he's always wanted… Robin.

The, next day they go to the doctors appointment. They, are finally going to meet their kid, and they can't wait to meet the baby they never thought they wanted or could have.

They, meet with their surrogate Sarah outside the doctors office and go inside together. This, appointment will find out so many things they want to know, so many things they have been nervous but excited to find out including the sex of their baby.

So, they wait in the waiting room to be called and a few minutes later they are called in to see the doctor. Sarah, remains clothed as Barney and Robin wait in anticipation for the doctor to come in. They, had yet to meet Sarah's OBGYN, because they weren't there when she had her first checkup after she was inseminated. So, they are just meeting her doctor on this appointment day.

The, doctor comes in a couple of minutes later and introduces himself to Barney and Robin.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Conrad. I'm, Sarah's OBGYN. I won't be the one who will be there when the baby is born. That, doctor will be Dr. Cameron. She's, Sarah's obstetrician." Barney and Robin shake the doctors hand and introduce themselves as the parents to be then Dr. Conrad begins the ultrasound.

A, few minutes later there was a sound coming from the machine next to them. It, was a strong heartbeat, or heart beats…

TBC...