First off, Merry Christmas everyone! And if you don't celebrate, happy Tuesday! This chapter is not all that exciting, it's mostly setting up the action for the rest of the story. Anyway, thank you guys so much for the reviews and feedback thus far! I appreciate every review and favorite and follow this story gets and you guys are the best ever! Okay, enjoy!
"Seriously, thank you guys so much for doing this." Ted said as he carried the last of his stuff into Marshall and Lily's house. Ted was suddenly realizing how much he regretted cutting off contact all those years ago. Marshall and Lily were his best friends since college. How the hell did he let that go so easily? Just because he thought he found the one, what a joke.
"It's really no problem, Ted. We're happy to have you around." Lily assured him with a small smile on her face. "Plus Marvin and Jamie will love having a new person in the house." Well, at least there would still be kids in his life. Since Aidan had no place to stay with Ted, he was stationed at Stella's house for the time being. Another reason Ted really needed an apartment. And a job. God, he had to find a job. How was that going to happen? He hadn't even been working the last 5 or so years. No one would want someone that outdated. Ted rubbed a hand over his face and let out a weary sigh. Marshall gave him a sad smile as if he knew exactly what Ted had been thinking.
"C'mon buddy, let's get your stuff to the guest room." Marshall said hauling one of Ted's bags upstairs. Ted quickly followed him surveying the house as he walked past everything. He was happy for his friends. They seemed to have really created a great life. He could see traces of the family everywhere, the tiny crayon marks on the walls, the baby pictures lining the walls, and toys scattered throughout the house. This was what he had with Stella. Admittedly less happy and more stressful than this one, but still they had had a life. One she threw away to be with Tony, and yeah maybe Stella wasn't the love of his life but it still hurt like hell. "You okay?" Marshall finally asked once they were in the bedroom. Ted laughed humorlessly and shook his head.
"How can I be? Stella left me for another man. And he's not even a decent guy. He's been missing from Lucy's life for years and now, what? That's all fixed just because she's in love with him?" Marshall nodded glumly.
"That's how love works, Ted, at least when you finally find the right person, that's how it works. You can forgive almost anything. Because the alternative is them not being in your life, which is too hard to even think about." Ted thought back to the summer after Lily left Marshall. He remembered how completely destroyed Marshall had been and yet just a couple months later, they were back together.
"What if I never find that?"
"You will." He assured Ted clapping him on the back. "She's out there. Hell, maybe you've already met her and don't even realize." Marshall said with a laugh. Ted's mind immediately flashed to Robin. It was always Robin. He never would stop thinking about her because at one point he had been so, so sure that she was the one. After all, she had met every one of his criteria except that she didn't want marriage or kids, which unfortunately had been the two biggest points. But now she had that, with Barney Stinson of all people. He couldn't help but wonder how that came about. If they really were in love or if they had sort of ended up together out of convenience. He hadn't spent really any time with them as a couple. Whenever he had been with one of them the other one left or was conveniently absent.
"So, Barney and Robin?" Ted said after a few minutes of silence. "That's kind of crazy." Marshall laughed and nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, it was a little unexpected but they work. They're a surprisingly conventional couple." Dammit Marshall. That didn't tell him anything. He wanted to know how they got together and why and how the hell had they ended up with a baby? He felt like he'd been plopped in the Twilight Zone just thinking about the fact that Barney and Robin had gotten married, much less procreated.
"How did that even happen?" Marshall shrugged.
"Well, you got married and moved to New Jersey, while Lily and I started focusing on having a family. They hung out a lot just the two of them. Lily and I would leave MacLaren's and they'd follow us out and head to the cigar bar or laser tag or whatever the hell it is that Barney and Robin do for fun." Marshall laughed slightly shaking his head good-naturedly and Ted winced slightly at the fondness in Marshall's voice. Ted thought he would always kind of have claim over Marshall. But then he disappeared for seven years. Obviously Marshall had grown closer to Barney and Robin. Ted couldn't begrudge him for that. "But I guess after spending all that time together, they realized they worked. I'm actually still a little fuzzy on the details. Barney and Robin are both pretty secretive people. And if anything it's just gotten worse."
So that was it? There was no giant declaration of love from either of them. They just realized they worked? Okay, Ted could do something with this. He had to at least try, right? The one reason he didn't end up with Robin had been made irrelevant. Of course there is the whole issue of her marriage to Barney, but he was going to ask around about that. There was no way that they could be as content and happy as they seemed around him. It was Barney and Robin, they probably both wanted out.
Marshall hadn't been too much help, which wasn't his fault. He had obviously been kept in the dark. That further reinforced Ted's point. Ted was sure that not everything in the Stinson household was what it seemed. Now he just needed to talk to Lily, then he would go straight to the sources. He had a feeling Lily would be more help than Marshall though, since she at least had an in with Robin. After all when Ted was with Robin, Lily had known everything about their relationship. Yeah, he would talk to Lily later when Marshall wasn't around. He didn't need anyone thinking he was fishing for information. And he wasn't really…he wanted to know Robin was happy. That was it. As her former ex-boyfriend it was his job to make sure she was happy and if she wasn't. Well, maybe he could do something about that.
Barney and Robin were lounging comfortably in their bed after an extremely long and tiring Saturday. They had had lunch with his mom, Tom, James, and the kids. Then they went over to his dad's for dinner. Of course he was thankful to have his family in his life, but seeing both parents in one day especially with a two month old had taken a toll on them. Aubrey fell asleep on the car ride home and he had his fingers crossed that she'd sleep at least a couple of hours. He really needed some decent sleep.
"Good day?" Robin questioned letting her head rest against his chest.
"Mmhm," he grumbled in affirmation slinging an arm around her waist. "But let's wait a couple months before we try and do all that in one day again."
"Let's make them come here next time." She murmured sleepily into his shirt.
"Then we'd have to clean our place, though."
"Ugh, good point." She sighed. "So, things are good with your dad?" Robin asked propping her head up at on her elbow.
"Yeah." Barney nodded. "He's trying, y'know? I mean it might have come a little too late, but he really wants us to have a relationship." He said toying with the strap of Robin's tanktop. "And I want that too."
"I sense a 'but' coming…" Robin trailed off cajoling him to keep speaking. She was so good at that. Not forcing him to tell her anything, but giving him enough encouragement that he would continue to talk.
"I don't know." He shrugged. "Sometimes it's hard to see him with little Jerry because he wasn't there for me like that. And I know that he's a completely different guy than he was when I was kid, plus my mom cut him out of my life. But I wish I would've had that with him. I mean as much as I love my mom she wasn't really around when I was a kid either…" He ran a hand through his hair letting it drop limply at his side before smiling slightly. "Maybe it's for the best though. Now Tom and I both know what not to do with our kids." He chuckled and Robin smiled rubbing his arm comfortingly.
"Yeah, Aubrey's lucky. She's got a pretty awesome dad."
"Pretty awesome?" Barney asked teasingly raising an eyebrow.
"Alright," she conceded. "Really awesome."
"That's more like it." He nodded approvingly before turning the conversation serious again. "How are you?" Robin squinted up at him confusion on her face.
"I'm fine?"
"I meant about your dad." He said rolling his eyes and she smiled up at him shrugging her shoulders.
"Yeah," she sighed and Barney raised an eyebrow unconvinced. "Really, Barn, I'm fine. I mean, I've always known my dad wasn't going to change."
"That doesn't mean you're not allowed to be upset." He pointed out.
"I know. But I don't need my dad. I have more important people in my life now. What he thinks about me doesn't matter." They laid there in silence for a few minutes enjoying each other's company and the peace and quiet before Robin finally asks the question she had been wondering about since her father's visit. "What'd you say to him?"
"Hmm?" He asked half-distracted by whatever he'd been thinking about in the silence.
"I know you went after my dad. What did you say to him?" She repeated rolling over onto her stomach, so she could look Barney in the eye.
"The truth," he murmured with a small smile reaching up and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Barney," she laughed trying to give him a stern look.
"I told him that he was an idiot and you turned out amazing despite his total lack of skill where parenting was concerned." Robin smiled and leaned up to kiss him soundly.
"You know if your father didn't turn out to be so great, I would've given him the same speech."
"I'm pretty sure half the reason my dad stuck around was you." He said wryly.
"Yeah, Jerry does love me." He rolled his eyes lovingly.
"Speaking of mending fences and everything, when are you going to talk to Lily?"
"I was thinking of going over there tomorrow, but then I remembered Ted's staying there." She grumbled and Barney laughed softly.
"Go over there and just be civil with Ted. I know you miss Lily."
"I do," Robin conceded. "But it's hard to not be upset with her over everything with Ted."
"I know, but she's your best friend. And Ted's going through a hard time, maybe we should be happy Marshall and Lily are there for him." He said with a sigh. It wasn't that Barney was entirely happy with the situation, after all Marshall and him had become really close the last couple of years. But he knew that Robin was way more upset for him than he was. "Just-try not to be so hard on Lil, okay? She's trying to please everyone here." Robin nodded reluctantly and he knew he'd won her over. He was looking out for her. He knew she missed Lily. "Besides you're more angry with Ted than you are with Lily."
"I'll go over there tomorrow." She promised. "But you're coming with me."
"Of course," he assured her. "Plus it's been so long since Marshall and I have gotten to watch a game."
"Hey Lily," Ted greeted catching her in the kitchen long after the kids had gone to bed, while Marshall was in the shower.
"Hi," she smiled turning around in surprise. "Did you need something?"
"Oh no, everything's great. Thanks." He said gratefully taking a seat at the kitchen table.
"So, what's up?"
"Nothing, I was just thinking about how much everything has changed in the group." He started trying to lead into the topic as discreetly as possible. "I guess I always figured you and Marshall would have kids eventually. But never thought Barney and Robin would." Lily nodded in acknowledgment, a smile on her face.
"Yeah, no one did but I think it was good for them." She said wiping down the counter.
"I really can't wrap my head around it." Ted shook his head. "Marriage and children and Barney and Robin were words I'd never thought I'd hear related to each other." Lily sighed draping the towel she was using over the sink and turning toward Ted.
"Look Ted, I don't know where you're going with this but you should stop. Marshall and I welcomed you into our home and lives again and we still love you, Ted, but Barney and Robin are our best friends. We've all been there for each other these past couple years and we'll continue to be there for each other. Robin and Barney are happy and they love each other, okay? If you do anything to mess with that, Ted Mosby-" Ted quickly cut her off when he realized this was going nowhere good.
"I was just asking, okay. Don't worry. I wouldn't mess with their relationship." He said mustering up as much sincerity as he could and Lily nodded in satisfaction.
"Good."
