Uh, hi! Remember me? Yeah, I'm sorry this took so long. I don't even have enough words to apologize. I kind of lost motivation for this story and I didn't really know how to wrap it all up. I'm still not entirely happy with it but I felt bad for making you guys wait so long that I just decided to post it. I hope you all like it! And now that this story is finally finished. I just want to thank anyone who took the time to read, review, favorite, or follow this story. It means a lot that you guys actually liked it and every review that was left is what finally inspired to finish the final chapter. So yeah, thank you all so so so much! (Also I don't want to make any promises but I do want to have the next chapter of When We Were Young up sometime this week.) Okay, anyway, on with the final chapter!

Barney leaned against the doorway to his daughter's room smiling widely as he watched Robin gently rock her to sleep. He would never get tired of watching this scene. He had a family. Sometimes he thought back on his old life, how happy he thought he was running plays every night and now thinking back it felt so empty. Bringing home a different bimbo and waking up alone the next morning. He thought it was perfect, no one could hurt him, but he never allowed himself to think about the benefits of opening up his life. And neither had Robin.

Ten years ago, they both would have assumed that in ten years they'd be in the exact same places. Single and successful. He chuckled lightly at how much had changed.

Robin glanced his way and eyed him suspiciously.

"What's so funny?" Barney shrugged walking further into the room. Robin raised an eyebrow in confusion as his smile widened. "Barn?"

"I just-" He shook his head smiling down at his sleeping daughter. "I never thought I'd be this happy." Robin followed his eye line down to Aubrey and nodded in agreement.

"Me either."

"Could you imagine telling yourself ten years ago that this is where you'd end up?" He remarked thoughtfully. "I didn't even have a real oven at that point in my life, much less any interest in a real relationship." Robin snorted quietly.

"Ten years ago…" She trailed off before letting out a long breath. "Ten years ago I was still with Ted." Barney's fists clenched involuntarily at the mention of Ted's name. He hadn't spoken to Ted since Marshall and Lily kicked him out weeks ago and Barney was grateful. He asked Ted to stay away and Ted had. All that being said though, he couldn't help but think back over the huge rift Ted tried to create between him and Robin. He never wanted to lose Robin and he certainly wouldn't let something stupid Ted did cause that, but Ted's behavior had caused Barney to think about how lucky he truly was.

"I'm about to get cheesy on you, Scherbatsky. Are you ready?" Robin smiled fondly up at her husband and nodded. "You and Aubrey are, without a doubt, the best things to happen to me. And no matter what happens, I don't want you to doubt that." Robin's eyebrows creased in concern.

"Should I be worried?"

"Absolutely not. But next time I do something stupid, I want you to remember this conversation." He smirked and Robin rolled her eyes.

"Duly noted." Barney leaned forward placing a quick kiss on top of Robin's head and running a finger down Aubrey's arm. Their moment was interrupted by the doorbell and he huffed in irritation. She smiled gently leaning up to pat him affectionately on the cheek. "Can you get that? I'll put her down and then I'll be right out." He nodded and walked toward the front door already thinking of the quickest way to get rid of whoever their unwelcome guest was. He sighed swinging the door open.

"Sorry, we're-" He managed to say before realizing who was at the door.

Of course it was Ted.

"Before you slam the door on me!" Ted yelled as Barney started to close the door. "I came to apologize."

"Let him in." Came Robin's tired reply from the hallway as she made it to the living room settling down on the couch. Barney waved his hand semi-invitingly ushering Ted into the house. Ted paced nervously in front of the couch and Barney sat down next to Robin, throwing an arm around the back of her chair.

"Can you please sit down?" Robin requested. "All your pacing is driving me insane." Ted flashed an apologetic smile and sat down in the chair across from them.

"Okay, you came to apologize. Apologize." Robin elbowed him in the side and he winced.

"Play nice." She hissed quietly to him and he grumbled out an agreement.

"I am sorry." Ted started and folded his hands together nervously. "I know that's kind of a blanket statement, but I'm sorry for everything. I'm not going to try and excuse my behavior in any way. I know what I did was wrong. You two are obviously very happy with each other and I deluded myself into thinking you weren't. I feel awful for interfering in your relationship. It wasn't at all my place. I was at a really rough place and I-" Ted broke off shaking his head. "I honestly don't even know what I was thinking. But I am truly truly sorry for causing you problems and I can promise it won't ever happen again. I'm really happy that you guys are happy." Ted licked his lips and stood up. "That was all I wanted to say. I'll get out of your way now."

Barney sat there in shock trying to absorb Ted's speech. This was clearly a more mature version of Ted than the last one Barney encountered.

"Ted, wait!" Robin called after him getting up off the couch. Ted stopped turning around to look at her curiously. "Look, this reunion may not have started out on the best ground but…" Robin took a deep breath and smiled at Ted. "We were your best friends at one point and we really missed having you around. Do you, uh, do you want a cup of coffee or anything?" Ted's eyes looked like a deer in the headlights as his gaze flickered toward Barney.

Barney had been surprisingly quiet during the whole exchange. He still felt slightly betrayed by everything that had happened regarding Ted, but, like Robin said, they used to be best friends. Barney did want that back. Despite feeling abandoned, Ted was still an important person in his life. He knew this might be his last chance at regaining their friendship. So, Barney nodded reassuringly at Ted hoping he would accept Robin's invitation.

"Yeah, coffee sounds good."

Ted breathed a huge sigh of relief as Robin led him to the kitchen. He knew he wasn't back on solid ground and he still had a lot to prove, but he was happy that they hadn't completely wrote him off.

"So, how's the divorce going?" Robin questioned as she grabbed mugs from the cabinet. Ted shrugged hopping up on one of the stools.

"It's been hard. But Stella's been good with letting me see the kids, so I'm grateful for that."

"What's little Mosby like? Is he building skyscrapers yet?" Ted laughed good-naturedly but shook his head.

"No, he's much more into the tearing down thing, than the building up." Robin nodded knowingly.

"Sounds like he'd fit in well with Marvin and Jamie." Ted felt lighter at the mention of Aidan actually getting to know the Erikson kids. He was so worried he had permanently ruined his place in the group.

"Thank you," he said softly and Robin looked over in surprise. She shrugged.

"I missed you, Teddy Westside." They both laughed at the mention of his old nickname. "If we can still fix this, then I want to."

"Me too." He agreed.

"By the way, my offer I made twelve years ago still stands. She's still out there, Ted. There may have been a lot of speed bumps along the way, but I still want you to find her. You deserve to be happy as much as the rest of us." Ted moved into the kitchen wrapping Robin up in a sudden hug. She patted him back uncertainly.

"Why don't you go back to the living room, I'll bring the coffee out in a minute." Robin said and he heard the unsaid words. Go talk to Barney.

Barney froze when he saw Ted come back into the room without Robin on his heels. Ted must have caught the look on his face, because he quickly explained.

"She'll be out with the coffee in a second." Barney nodded tapping on his knee impatiently. "I know I already apologized for coming in between you and Robin, but I think I have something else to apologize for."

"It's fine, Ted." He murmured.

"No, it's not. You were my best friend, Barney." He was momentarily surprised that wasn't followed up with an except for Marshall. But then Ted continued. "I didn't mean to abandon you guys like that. I got so caught up in my life with Stella and being a dad that I forgot to think about you guys. Which I regret so much now because I let myself drift and I missed so much. I never want that to happen again." Ted admitted and Barney nodded understandingly.

"I guess I understand why you did it. I mean, if I could stay in this house with Aubrey and Robin all day, I would." Barney stated truthfully. "I don't, but I definitely understand the appeal. It doesn't mean it makes it okay, but I get where you're coming from."

"Stella worked constantly and it was hard to take a baby and an 8-year-old on the subway to come see you guys. I wish I would have tried harder, but it seemed like the right thing to do at the time. Now that Stella's not around to control everything, though, it'll make it easier."

"Please tell me you haven't sworn off dating completely! Because I haven't gotten to run a play in so long and Robin let me keep a back-up copy of The Playbook when we got married." Barney informed Ted finally allowing himself to relax around his old friend Ted. That's what it felt like now. This wasn't Ted who had tried to ruin his marriage (although it would be awhile before Barney could completely forgive that). But this was Ted, his hopeless romantic best friend. And while they might never be as close as they once were, he could feel some of the loose ends finally being tied up and it was good.

"I'm not ready to date yet, but I promise that you'll be the first to know when I do." Barney smiled widely holding his hand out for a high five, which Ted gladly returned. They were silent for a moment, before Ted spoke hesitantly.

"Do you think Marshall and Lily will forgive me?"

"Of course. We all wanted you back in our lives, Ted. You were just…you were kind of like a tornado sweeping through. We have families to protect now and we couldn't get swept up in your chaos. But now you're just a slight wind and that we can handle." Barney stated firmly. "All you have to do is give them a classic Mosby speech about fate and destiny and friendship and they'll be putty in your hands."

"Really?" Ted asks unsure and Barney nods with certainty.

"Look, you admit you made a mistake and you apologized. That's all we wanted. As long as you don't do it again."

"I definitely do not intend to. You and Robin are happy. Marshall and Lily are happy. I would never try and screw that up again. I'm already mad enough that I did it even once."

"Then you're fine." Barney waved a hand dismissively. "Besides Robin probably already made dinner plans for tomorrow with everyone."

"Marvin has a soccer game tomorrow." Robin informed breezily walking into the room. "But we are all having dinner on Friday. Ted, that includes you, and your kids if you have them."

"Yeah," Ted muttered and Barney could hear the slight awe in his voice. "We'll all be there."

"Good." Robin nodded decisively and sat down next to Barney threading their fingers together. Sure, everything had changed a lot since the group had actually been the group but for the first time in awhile Barney finally believed that it would all be okay.