The Guest From Greece who commented on "Athens I": Are you serious? I googled: Greece Names, and Gus was one of the first ones that popped up. Great. I don't think I am going to change it now though, maybe his parents are from wherever Gus is a popular name. Any tips you could give me on the culture or like a meal I could use as something Robin tells Barney about?

New York Reunion

Pick up at Newark Airport, tomorrow at six pm, ok? United flight from Athens. Come alone!

Barney re-read Robin's text for the hundredths time, he had bombarded her with texts after receiving hers, but she had never replied again.

He wiped from one foot to the other, watching the exit doors like a hawk.

Why would Robin be visiting New York? Did she and Gus have a fight? But Robin wouldn't be the type of girl who would run from her job like that.

More probable would be that a surprise visit was triggered by her job.

He checked his phone once again, but Robin hadn't answered. He checked the board of arrivals, the plane had landed twenty minutes ago.

He rubbed his eyes, Marshall and he had gone to a college bar the night before, and Barney had stolen yet another girl from Marshall.

He scanned the crowd for Robin once again when someone pulled on his sleeve and he turned around. The girl was brunette all right.

"Lily...?" He asked surprised.

She looked nervous, "hey Barney."

Barney looked back to the exit doors, "I am guessing it's just a coincidence that the United flight landed at the same time."

"No, I was on it." Lily explained.

Barney turned back to her, "come here," he pulled her in to a hug.

"Are you back for good?" He asked once he let go of her.

Lily nodded, "yeah."

Barney smiled, and grabbed her luggage, "did I have something to do with that?"

Lily smiled, "yeah."

Barney nodded, and lead the way to the town car that was waiting outside.

Once they were situated in the car Barney asked, "so you visited Robin in Athens?"

Lily nodded, "yes, after we talked I decided that you were right, but I wanted to do one last adventure before returning home."

"And you picked Athens for that?" Barney grinned.

"Well, I'd been in touch with Robin this whole time, and it's where she's stationed right now." Lily shrugged.

"You have been?" Barney asked surprised.

Robin had never mentioned that she and Lily were still keeping touch.

Lily nodded.

"How is Robin doing?" Barney asked.

"Good, the apartment CNN got her is really nice. Everything is very modern, and she is doing a lot of interesting interviews. She's really spending a lot of time learning about the financial markets."

"Yeah the apartment is nice, she's showed me around on skype before. I think it's the nicest so far."

Lily nodded, "yeah. So I went there and stayed with her, it was nice. She had to work, but we'd usually get breakfast together, either in one of the Café's or just on her rooftop patio."

"Did you meet Gus too?" Barney asked.

"I did, he's nice."

Barney nodded.

There was a short break before Lily asked, "jealous?"

"What? Why would I be jealous of a banker named Gus?"

"Maybe because he is stealing Robin's heart." Lily clarified.

"Oh come on, they have been dating two weeks. As far as I am concerned this could crash and burn any second."

"I doubt it. They are really clicking Barney, and I mean have you seen pictures? That guy is an Adonis."

Barney rolled his eyes, "I didn't mean him as a person, why would I be jealous of anyone Robin is dating? We are friends."

"Robin told me that you've been secretly hooking up whenever she's in New York."

"That's just great." Barney muttered, while thinking sarcastically; way to go Scherbatsky.

"I am not going to tell anyone Barney." Lily assured him.

He rolled his eyes, "whatever."

There was another pause before Lily said,

"Robin also told me that for a moment she thought it was more than just hooking up."

Barney looked back at Lily in surprise.

"She did?"

Lily nodded.

"Oh great, I can't sleep with anyone without them catching feelings, can I?" He joked.

"So it's just sex for you, huh?" Lily asked.

"What is this? Did Robin put you up to this?" Barney asked annoyed.

"No, she moved on Barney. She gave you the chance to tell her it was more than sex when she asked you whether or not you'd be okay with her dating Gus. You didn't, and now she's with him."

He didn't know what to say to this, apparently Robin had told Lily everything.

"Do you regret it?" Lily asked tentatively.

"What? No. I am glad she's happy. I mean she's my best friend, sometimes even with benefits, but that doesn't mean I am in love with her."

"The happiest marriages are usually those where people marry their best friends." Lily interjected.

"Oh jeez Lil. Just stop. I don't want to be lectured on marriage, because I will never, NEVER, get married myself. It's just not how I roll. I am too awesome for one girl anyways, it's like with mother Teresa, I can't focus all of my attention on one needy girl, and let the rest die…"

"I get your point, just stop talking please."

Barney smiled, and finally said, "I am glad Robin is doing good. You might not realize this, but she was in a pretty dark place when I first met her."

"Really? Cause I always assumed your, "this girl needs friends" speech you gave me that day was just an act."

"It wasn't. She really did need friends. But I don't want to talk about that, bottom line is; I am really happy that she's following her dreams, and gets to do what she's always wanted."

"If you say so." Lily shrugged.

"So, what are your plans?" Barney asked.

"I don't know…by the way, where are we going?" Lily asked.

"Right now? To my apartment, but that's only because I thought Robin would be on that plane and not you. Where should I drop you off?"

Lily shrugged, "a hotel, I guess."

Barney contemplated whether or not he should offer that she could crash at his place, a good friend would do that, but he really didn't want to.

"And then?" Barney asked to end this awkward silence.

"I don't know. Do you think Marshall would take me back right away?"

"Yeah, he loves you."

"But I ran away Barney."

"So? You got scared, it happens. The important thing is that you did come back, and that you do love him, and want to spend the rest of your life with him."

Lily nodded, "yeah."

Barney smiled reassuringly at her, "it'll all work out."

They sat there in silence for a couple of minutes before Barney turned back to her,

"Do you really think that things are serious with this guy and Robin?"

Lily shrugged, "like you said, it's only been two weeks."

"How was it to live in San Francisco? Did you meet a lot of interesting people?" Barney changed the subject.

"Yeah…it's such a nice place. And the beaches are right there too, I can't even tell you how many times I've been to Ocean Beach. And the shopping is pretty amazing as well, Union Square has so many nice shops, and the malls around there are huge."

"Did you get to explore the area a bit too?"

Lily nodded, "yeah, I went to see Bodega and Tomales Bay, visited the Redwood Forest, and went on a weekend getaway to Lake Tahoe."

"Sounds pretty amazing. Did you date other men?" This was the big one, he wanted Marshall and Lily to still be the couple who had only had sex with each other, but what if Lily had discovered her wild side while in San Francisco.

Lily shook her head, "I did go on two dates, but nothing serious at all."

Barney smiled happily at that, "Marshall won't believe his eyes when he sees you. He's been hurting pretty bad."

"That's what Robin said."

"Right, she visited when he was still in his whining phase."

"Yeah, she said she even took him to a shooting range to get his mind off things."

"She did?" Barney asked surprised.

Lily nodded, "you were on a business trip or something, so she spend her days with Ted, Victoria and Marshall."

Barney nodded.

"I can't believe you let her stay at your apartment while you weren't even in town, Barney. That's huge for you! I mean we have rarely even been to your apartment and we are your closest friends."

"It's really not that big of a deal." Barney waved it off.

Ranjit stopped the car, they were at Barney's apartment.

"Can you take it from here?" Barney asked.

"Yeah, I'll get a hotel room, and come down to McLarens tonight. Marshall should be there, right?"

"Yes."

"I'll see you then?" Lily asked.

Barney nodded, "but no word to anyone, okay? I was never in San Francisco, and as far as everyone else is concerned; Robin and I have never hooked up, agreed?"

"I won't say a word." Lily ensured.

Barney nodded and got out of the cab, before closing the door he said, "it's good to have you back Lily."