Chapter 12 - Last Forever, Part 3
June 2039
Ted and Robin rushed into the waiting room to see Marshall, Lily, Ellie, and Ben. "Any news?", Ted asked as he hugged Ellie.
"They're still working on him. Quinn went to go call James," answered Marshall.
The six of them sat down, holding onto each other for dear life. Not like this, thought Ted, not this young. Barney had just turned 63 a month ago. And he was so happy at the wedding. Ted was brought out of his musings by return of Quinn.
"Anyone come out yet?", she asked, tears streaming down her face.
Lily answered, "Nothing yet. Did you get a hold of James?"
"Yeah. He and Tom are on their way." Quinn broke down again. "He can't leave me, he just can't."
Robin got up and gathered Quinn in her arms. "Oh, honey, this won't get him. This is Barney Stinson. The man who was hit by a bus and survived. He'll beat this."
Just then, a doctor came into the room. "Mrs. Stinson?"
"Yes?"
"Would you like me to discuss your husband's condition here or in private?", the doctor asked.
"Here is fine. They're family," she smiled at her friends and hugged Robin tighter.
"Well, not to put to fine a point on it, but your husband is a very lucky man. If he hadn't gotten here when he did, we wouldn't have been able to save him."
"So, tell me. How is he now?"
"He's stable. We had to perform an emergency angioplasty and stent placement to clear the artery. He won't need surgery, but he will have a tough road ahead of him. He's asleep right now, and he's going to be sore for a while, but he's going to make it."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and began hugging and laughing with each other. "Can I see him?"
"As long as you're quiet."
"I'm bringing our kids, too." She motioned for Ellie and Ben to follow, and they all went through the double doors.
HIMYM
Later that day, Barney woke up to a bed surrounded by his family and friends. "Hey guys. Why is everyone all crowded around my bed? And why do you all look so serious?"
Quinn smiled at her husband. "Because, you big idiot, we love you," she said while gently hugging him close.
"Don't ever do that again, Dad," Ellie cried as she too grabbed hold of her father.
"Believe me, I won't." He smiled at the rest of the group as Ben joined the family hug. "Well, I guess this qualifies as a big moment."
Ted laughed, "Yes, Barney, but all you had to do was come over if you wanted to hang out."
"Definitely. Don't scare us like that again, Stinson," added Robin sternly.
"Believe me, if I have anything to say about it, I never want to go through that again."
March 2044
Ted was packing the last things in his study in preparation for the move. He looked around at the bare walls and smiled. It was time for Penny and his grandchildren to build memories here. He was startled by a knock at the door. he looked up to see Luke standing there. "Luke! I wasn't expecting a visit today!"
"I know, Dad, but I have something to tell you."
"Have a seat."
Luke sat and looked at his father and smiled. "Dad, I'm getting married."
Ted could not cover the look of shock on his face. "I didn't even know you were seeing someone."
Luke smiled again. "Well, we've actually been together for two and a half years. We've been keeping it quiet. But we don't want to anymore. We're ready for everyone to know."
"What do you mean, everyone?"
"Well, it's Ellie."
Ted felt like he had just had a bomb dropped in his lap. "Wait, what? Ellie, as in Ellie Stinson?"
"Yup."
"Oh my god. Seriously?"
"Yup. In fact, she's telling Uncle Barney and Aunt Quinn right now."
HIMYM
"Wait, what? Luke, as in Luke Mosby?", Barney exclaimed.
"Yup."
"Oh my god. Seriously?"
"Yup, he's telling his dad right now. Aunt Robin's on her way back from Vancouver, so he couldn't tell her yet."
Barney looked completely flabbergasted. "But, how did you guys keep this a secret? WHY did you keep it a secret?"
Quinn laughed at that, "Honey, look how you're freaking out right now. How would it have been if you had known all this time. You would have tried to interfere, no matter who she dated."
"That is so true, Dad. I know you wanted me to go out and live life for a while, like you did. But I'm not you. I may have loved the little games when I was younger, but I love Luke more."
Barney deflated. "If you're sure, then I won't stop you."
Ellie smothered her parents in a hug. "Thank you."
December 2044
The gang sat in the booth at MacLaren's that they had occupied so often in their youth. They had gathered there after the final wedding of the younger generation. Ted looked around the bar, which had not changed much since he had started hanging out there over forty years ago. He then smiled at his friends, who had all gathered at the bar for the last time before their big move. "I wanna make a toast. To family."
The rest of the gang clinked their glasses together. "To family."
"Do you think this will be the last time we're here?", Lily sniffled.
"We'll be back up to visit the kids, so I highly doubt it. What would MacLaren's be without us visiting at least once in a while?", Marshall answered.
"I am gonna miss it here. All the memories that are wrapped up in this city… But I won't miss the winters!", Barney said.
They all laughed, except for Marshall and Robin, who both shared a look as if to say that the cold of New York was nothing. "But it's good that we're moving. New York is a place for the young. We're all old!", Robin said.
"Says the second youngest here. But you're right. It's time to enjoy sun, warm beaches, and the rest of our lives," said Ted. "One more round?"
The gang all nodded in the affirmative, and enjoyed their last drink at MacLaren's, because even though they did visit the city from time to time, they never stepped foot in the bar again.
July 2045
Ted sat on the porch of Marshall and Lily's beachfront home, breathing in the salt air, and looked up as Robin handed him a drink. Marshall, Lily, Barney, and Quinn then joined them. As they all looked out on the ocean, Ted asked, "Lily, we're finally here. The front porch. Does everyone here pass the test?"
After the laughter died down, Lily replied, "Of course. Though I have to admit, Barney and Quinn weren't always here when I envisioned the future. And, neither was Robin."
"Yeah, I never really thought I would be here either. But, I'm glad I am." Robin leaned over and kissed her husband.
"Us too," said Barney. "Though, do you think we could still try to make Weekend at Barney's work?"
That earned laughter and a small smack from his wife. "Not on your life, Barney Stinson."
Ted smiled. "Well, even though we travel, Robin and I are glad that you guys are here when we get homesick."
"We love it when you guys come over. I'm sure your condo is nice, but it's not right on the beach," said Marshall.
"Actually, we wanted to tell you guys. You know the place next door to Barney and Quinn?" They all nodded, and Ted continued. "Well, we just bought it. We've decided to travel less and settle down."
A cheer rang up from the friends as they all hugged each other. "This is so awesome, we might finally need to learn how to play bridge!", Marshall said excitedly.
They all laughed again and settled into the deck chairs to watch the waves crash against the beach. Ted looked at his friends again with a smile and closed his eyes.
Robin kissed his nose. "What are you thinking about?"
Ted gave his wife a squeeze. "That this moment is just about perfect. And that I want it to last forever."
END
A/N: Well, there you have it. The end to my version of events in our favorite characters lives. I hope you have all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. And just for the curious, yes I am going to write a short Barney/Ellie/Quinn/Ben story set in this universe, but it won't be for a while as I have some pressing real life issues to deal with. But I am including here how everyone ended up.
- Ted and the gang live in Florida. They all decided to move there after Barney's second heart attack in 2042. The better weather and clearer skies were recommended to Barney by his cardiologist, and the rest of the gang was close to retirement anyway, so they decided to all move together. Ted and Robin still travel a bit, but mostly love their beach home. Barney and Quinn enjoy a very quiet lifestyle due to Barney's ongoing health issues. Marshall and Lily went on to become Bridge champions in their little community. The other four never really got into the game.
- Marvin and Bella Eriksen live in New York. Marvin followed in his fathers footsteps and became a lawyer. Bella is a stay at home mom to their three children, Little Marshall, Emma, and Rayna.
- Dr. Daisy Eriksen has never married. She lives in Africa as a medical missionary.
- Ted Eriksen married Laura Heidt in 2042. They have one child, named after Ted's favorite uncle, Barney. Ted is a police officer with the NYPD. Laura is a nurse at Bellevue Hospital.
- Penny and Jared Green live in Ted's old house in Pleasantville. They have two children, Ted and Tracy. Penny is a fashion designer and Jared is a financial analyst for a big Wall Street firm.
- Luke and Ellie Mosby live in Manhattan. They have two children, Erika and Michelle. Luke followed in his father's footsteps and is an architect. He, too, designed a skyscraper in Manhattan, that stands just five blocks from the GNB Tower. Ellie took over for her step-mother's restaurant business, and will eventually expand it to a global franchise operation.
- Ben Stinson (Barney adopted him) lives with his fiancee, Richard Morgan, in Boston. Ben is attending Harvard University, working on his MBA. Richard is a left fielder for the Boston Red Sox.
Thank you all again, and please review!
