Thanks for all the great reviews! This chapter is a little shorter than usual but I didn't want to keep you guys waiting too long. Hope it holds up :)
Marshall and Lily's Apartment
"Try Ted again," Lily suggested, and Marshall picked up his cell once more.
"I don't get it, I thought he said he'd be back." Marshall replied as he waited for Ted to answer.
"Yes, he just wanted to go over to Robins and convince her to come too."
"Maybe he and Barney got into another fight?" Marshall suggested.
"Probably… still, one of them could have called." Lily put the last evidence of the dinner she'd made hours ago away, and followed Marshall into the living room.
"I hate worrying like this." Lily said as she sat down next to Marshall.
"I bet it's nothing." Marshall tried to comfort her.
Barney's Apartment Present Time
"Open up Robin!" Ted was banging on the bathroom door, trying to get in.
"Leave her alone." James pulled Ted away from the door.
"Robin? Are you okay?" he asked through the door.
"Of course she's not." Ted interrupted, "unlock the door Robin."
"Jesus Ted, don't you have a building to design or something?" James asked.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"That you shouldn't be here. This is Barney's apartment after all, his wife you are desperately trying to get to, I bet he'd be furious if he knew what's going on."
"I am not going to stand by and watch while he is hurting Robin." Ted answered under his breath.
"Go home Ted, Barney is not purposely hurting Robin." James replied.
…
Robin could hear them batter outside the door, and really wished she could just escape and be by herself again.
She was sitting on the floor, still waiting for Barney to call her back. She couldn't take it anymore and send him another message,
Barney – where r u?
She put her head back and tried to think about something else entirely.
Christmas Morning 2 Weeks Prior
"Robin? Are you awake yet?" Barneys whispers close to her ear woke her up.
She stirred a little and he continued, "oh good, you are awake."
"Yeah, thanks to you." She mumbled.
"It's Christmas Morning," Barney wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him.
"Yeah…all morning long, not just at…" she opened her eyes and glanced at the radio clock on her nightstand, "6:42 am."
"I couldn't wait any longer." He sounded like an excited four year old.
"For what? I hate to see you disappointed but I don't think my gifts are THAT great Barney."
He laughed, "I was referring to our Christmas Morning Tradition."
"Our Christmas Morning Tradition?" She replied, rather clueless.
"Don't tell me you forgot."
"Of course not." Robin lied, while trying to remember last year. Knowing Barney it probably was related to sex. Had they done something kinky in bed? Had she agreed to do something Christmas morning that she usually wouldn't?
"I can't believe you forgot." Barney sounded disappointed, and Robin felt instantly guilty.
"Give me a hint?" She asked.
"The video?" He supplied.
Robin was still at loss, "don't you just film us whenever you want anyways?"
"What? No! The Robin Sparkles tape! Remember last year, I came over to your apartment early and surprised you with hot chocolate in bed? We'd stayed in our pajamas all morning and you got "Sandcastles in the Sand" out? How could you forget that?"
Of course, now Robin remembered. He had been sitting on her bed in his Armani pajama pants, with the best hot chocolate she'd ever tasted, complete with marshmallows and a chocolate covered spoon.
"That was the best Christmas morning I ever had." She whispered.
"Mine too, and you promised we'd watch a new Robin Sparkles tape every year, making it a Christmas morning tradition."
Robin hated herself for forgetting about it, "tell you what, you snooze a little bit longer, and I will run home and get the tape, okay?"
"Nah, it's fine, we can watch it tomorrow morning," Barney replied.
"It's not fine, I shouldn't have…"
"Robin seriously, it's not a big deal. I waited a whole year, one day more or less doesn't make a difference. In fact, it gives me something to look forward to." Barney kissed her and prompted her shortly after to elaborate on how they celebrated Christmas when she was growing up in Canada.
Barney's Apartment Present Time
The vibrating cell phone in her hand made her snap out of the memory.
"Barney!" she almost yelled as she answered.
"Hey, what's going on Robin? Are you okay?" He asked. There was loud music in the background and it surprised her.
"Yes… I'm…Where are you?" She checked the clock on her phone, it was past midnight.
"Belize." He giggled.
"Are you drunk?" She asked baffled.
"Just buzzed…what's the big emergency? I don't really have time to talk."
"Are you at a club? Why didn't you call back sooner? I was worried sick!" Literally.
"I was….busy." He replied.
Robin sighed, she didn't like this, there was something he wasn't telling her.
"You need to come home." She whispered.
"What? Why? Did something happen?" He sounded a lot less drunk.
"No…I…James showed me the text Barney. I am scared, and I want you to come home. I know you love this job…"
"Give it up for Honey!" She could clearly hear the announcement over the phone.
"Are you at a strip club?" she asked surprised.
"Robin look. James is an idiot for showing you that text. Can we talk about this tomorrow morning?" Barney replied.
"No, how dangerous is this trip Barney?"
"It's not."
She rubbed her temples, this was hard; "you'd come home, right? If there was the slightest chance of something bad happening to you, you'd get on the next plane, right?"
"Robin, I really got to go."
"Barney please, promise me."
"Barney come on, I got us private rooms with CC and Leila." She could clearly hear a guy talking to Barney.
"Just give me a sec." Barney replied.
"Who is it? Your lame wife? Hang up and come, you can have CC again."
"Shut up." Barney snapped, it took a moment but the music got quieter.
"Robin?" Barney asked, he must have been walking into another room, or maybe outside.
"Promise me." She repeated.
"Nothing is gonna happen."
Robin hated that he wasn't really promising anything. "Call me first thing tomorrow morning?"
"I will."
"Barney what's taking you so long?" She heard a female ask.
"I got to go Robin." He whispered into the phone.
"Yeah…I heard…."
"Robin…" Barney sounded unhinged.
"Just call me when you wake up." She interrupted him, and added, "I love you."
She hung up before he could say anything else.
It took her a minute before she managed to get up and walk over to the bathroom door. She found James and Ted sitting on the bed, waiting for her.
Ted jumped up immediately and rushed over to comfort her.
"Are you okay? Did you eat something bad?" He asked as he stroked her back.
Robin pushed him away, "I am fine."
"Was that him on the phone?" James asked, they must have heard her talking.
She nodded, "he'll call first thing in the morning."
"So he's not coming home?" James clarified.
"Not right now, no." Robin replied.
"What an ass." Ted didn't even try to hide his disgust.
"Ted, you don't even know what's going on." James interrupted.
"I don't have to know what's going on. Robin asked him – 24 hours after almost getting killed because of him – to come home, any decent husband would rush back immediately, but not Barney Stinson. Who knows what he is doing right now."
"Guys, it has been a really long day. I just want to be alone, okay?" Robin interrupted both of them.
Both James and Ted hesitated.
"I am fine. James I will call you as soon as I hear something from Barney again, okay?" Robin asked, James nodded reluctantly.
"Come on Ted." He said.
"I'll stay just a little bit longer." Ted replied.
"No you're not." James grabbed Ted by the shoulder.
"We'll talk tomorrow too, okay?" Robin suggested. She knew Ted well enough to know that he wouldn't just leave without a fight.
Ted hesitated for another second, before he nodded and went with James.
Robin really hoped he wouldn't be back as soon as James let him out of his sight.
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