Oh life is waiting for you...it's all messed up, but we'll survive.

Lee woke up on his right side, his face next to Emily's, who was lying on her left side. Her right hand was holding his right one, her fingers curled around his lightly.

And she was snoring.

He bit his cheeks, trying not to laugh. It was just a gentle snore, but it was still snoring, and he wished he could document it to show her later. He enjoyed seeing her mortified over things the body did naturally.

Snoring aside (and to him, it really was the cutest thing ever), she looked beautiful in her bed head and no makeup. He wished that they'd met in a different time and place, that it hadn't been at their friends' wedding or again after their tragic deaths but instead had been just somewhere random. He felt like things would have been very different.

He knew he couldn't stay there, so he slid his hand out of hers and managed to roll away without waking her up. He rolled up his sleeping bag and stashed it under the bed. He turned off her alarm to let her sleep in and grabbed his clothes and checked the hallway before going to the bathroom and getting dressed. When he made it downstairs, Barney wasn't on the couch. Lee knew his friend barely slept on a good day, so he wondered how many times he'd gotten up in the night to sit and ponder on things.

He hustled to the office, slipping inside to pretend he'd been there all night. He didn't want to be asked any questions. He met Barney in the hallway as he came back inside from a smoke.

"Mornin'," Barney said, tipping his head at him.

"It is," Lee replied.

"This is a nice neighborhood," Barney went on, nodding his head towards the back door. "Charlie did well."

"House cost a fortune, though."

"Inheritance helped with that."

Lee nodded as they went into the kitchen together. Barney had already made coffee and picked up the mug he'd put on the counter before going outside. He sipped it as Lee poured himself one.

"How did that couch treat ya?" Barney asked, tilting his head. Lee felt like it was a trick question. He felt like Barney already knew he didn't sleep there and was testing him.

"Just fine," he lied. He looked at Barney, daring him to voice what he was really thinking. A slight smile was on his lips, but he didn't say anything further. They both heard the rapid footsteps of Teddy coming barreling down the stairs and towards them.

"Good morning!" he exclaimed, beaming at them.

"Mornin', Teddy," Barney replied, still smiling.

"Sleep well?" Lee asked, patting Teddy's head when he came to hug him.

"Uh huh."

"What does a strong man like yourself eat for breakfast?" Barney asked. "And where can I get some?"

"Here," Teddy said, going to the pantry and pulling out a cereal box.

"Lucky Charms, huh?" Barney asked, examining it.

"It's my Saturday cereal," Teddy explained seriously. "I have to eat Cheerios or Rice Krispies the rest of the week."

"Oh, I see," Barney said. "No Raisin Bran?"

"Ewww! No!"

"What's wrong with Raisin Bran?" Barney asked.

"It's yucky," Teddy replied logically.

"It's good for the muscles," Barney said, showing him.

"Good for the back end chute more like," Lee commented with a smirk. "You clogged up?"

"Shut up," Barney retorted. He went to sit down beside Teddy as the boy chattered on about his favorite marshmallow in the cereal. Lee heard Jenna making her high pitched noises that indicated she was ready to get up. He decided to let Emily sleep in still and went up to get her.

"I envy how happy you are in the morning," Lee commented, reaching to pick her up when he got there. "That dies off with old age, you know?" She grinned and twisted left and right to look at everything as they walked down the hall to the stairs. Lee avoided looking at all the photographs. They just made him feel pain.

"There's my favorite girl in the whole world," Barney said, smiling at Jenna as Lee carried her into view. Jenna let out a squeal of excitement and reached for him. Lee handed her off and went to get her breakfast ready. Barney set her on his lap and bounced her a little while letting her grasp his index fingers with her hands tightly.

"She's almost walking," Teddy said proudly.

"Really?" Barney said, bending his head to brush his whiskers against Jenna's ear, making her giggle. "Well, look who's gonna get into everything in no time."

"Apple," she said, looking up at him.

"No, I'm Barney," he replied.

"She's looking for this," Lee said, setting the plate of cut up apple pieces on the table.

"Ah, I get it," Barney said, reaching for one to give to her. "I'm your favorite until you're hungry." Jenna took it from him in her fingers and popped it into her mouth, pursing her lips out and smiling a little before beginning to chew.

"You might want to stop bouncing her while she's eating," Lee pointed out, and Barney stilled his legs.

"I think I know why Charlie didn't appoint me guardian," Barney commented.

"I think there's more to it than you playing horsey at mealtimes," Lee retorted.

"You're probably right," Barney agreed, sweeping Jenna's hair behind her ear with his fingers as she chewed another piece of apple.

"Hey, slow down," Lee said to Teddy, who was shoveling his cereal into his mouth as fast as he could. "You're gonna choke."

"No I won't," Teddy said, his mouth full. Lee gave him a look, and Teddy swallowed loudly. "Sorry."

"So, what are we doing today?" Barney asked, looking at Teddy now.

"Something cool, right?" Teddy said hopefully.

"What is considered cool these days?"

"Ummm," Teddy said, pulling at his chin as he thought. It was another Charlie gesture, and Lee had to stop himself from picturing his friend sitting there.

"Are bugs still cool?" Barney asked.

"It's on the list," Teddy answered, "but it's not at the top."

"Ah, so what's at the top?"

"Skateboarding?"

"The day I step on a skateboard is the day I break my back," Barney chortled. "Sorry, kid. Try again."

"Arcade?"

"Getting warmer."

"Laser tag!" Teddy exclaimed.

"Hmm," Barney said, "that is pretty cool."

"Rock wall climbing!" Teddy declared next. Barney snapped his fingers and pointed at Teddy.

"We have a winner," he said.

"Woohoo!" Teddy cried, doing a happy dance in his chair.

"You think you can pull that old bag of bones of yours up a wall do you?" Lee asked, lifting a brow at Barney. His friend gave a snort and flashed him the finger under the table. Lee snickered.

"Dad took me for the first time before Christmas," Teddy explained. "I loved it."

"Your dad was a great climber," Lee agreed. He and Charlie had done races in the past with Charlie mocking him the entire time he was ahead of him.

"Will Auntie Em come with us?" Teddy asked.

"Oh, I don't know," Lee answered. "I think she has to do some work today."

"Ohhh," Teddy said, sticking his bottom lip out.

"I'll see if I can twist her arm," Lee promised, and Teddy's face broke into a smile instantly. Then Jenna chucked a piece of apple up at Barney's face, making him jerk in surprise and her shriek with laughter.

"I'll go wake her up," Teddy said, sliding off his chair. Lee caught him by the collar before he could escape to the stairs.

"We're letting her sleep in a little today," he told Teddy. "She's earned it."

"Gotcha," Teddy said, nodding emphatically. "Hey, Uncle Barney, you wanna see my cars?"

"Of course," Barney answered, standing up while holding Jenna. She was kicking her legs emphatically. Lee took her, grunting when her foot connected with his stomach. He cleaned up the kitchen with her on his hip, listening to Teddy talk excitedly with Barney. He went out to feed the birds next, something he figured Monica did because Charlie couldn't keep a goldfish alive to save his life. Jenna squealed and laughed at everything as usual, and then they went inside. Lee went upstairs to change her, and he stopped outside of Emily's door, thinking. It was almost eight. He knew she'd be annoyed to sleep in any longer, so he decided to wake her up. He nudged the door open and hitched Jenna up a bit higher as he walked towards the bed. Emily was on her stomach now, one leg out from under the sheets.

"Let's wake up Aunt Emily, shall we?" he said to Jenna, and the girl bobbed her head with a smile. Lee turned around with his legs against the bed and looked behind him to make sure he wasn't going to land on her, and he jumped up and dropped onto the edge of the bed with all of his weight, legs rising up a bit as he landed. Emily bounced awake and thrashed with disorientation before she finally saw him.

"What is happening?" she asked, trying to breathe.

"Again!" Jenna hollered.

"This is your one and only wake up call," Lee said to Emily, smirking. She groaned and pressed a hand to her face.

"What time is it?" she asked.

"Just eight."

"Eight?!" she yelped, whipping her head to look at her alarm clock. "Oh sh...sugar." She swapped out the real word she wanted to say for Jenna's sake.

"Did you have somewhere to be?" Lee asked as she scrambled to get out of bed.

"I'm supposed to meet Andy and Craig at nine," she answered, almost tripping as she headed for the door. "I still have to shower and prep notes..." She stubbed her toes on the door frame and grunted and groaned and made nonsensical sounds with her lips that Lee just knew she was pretending to be swear words.

"I'm sure they can wait for you," he reasoned as she finally stood up straight from dealing with her pain.

"I hate being late," she said, her voice strained from still being wounded.

"Really? I didn't notice," he said lightly. She huffed and went to the bathroom down the hall. Chuckling, Lee took Jenna to her room to get her dressed for the day.

...

Emily's toes were still throbbing as she crammed her feet into her high heels. Lee had explained what he and the others were doing today, and because he had the kids, Barney let her take his rental car. She cranked up the radio as she drove, trying not to think about the fact she shared a bed with Lee last night. She wasn't sure why her alarm hadn't gone off, but she realized that Lee had probably turned it off to let her sleep in. The gesture was kind of sweet, and it made her feel warm inside despite her panic at being late.

She parked and got out, heading to meet Andy and Craig with her binder crammed under her arm. She found them sitting at a table by the back and laughing.

"Sorry I'm late," Emily said, sitting down beside Andy. "Rough morning."

"It's okay," Andy replied, smiling at Craig. "We were just chatting about Paris." Emily slightly stiffened at this. Paris had been a dream of hers for a long time, but she never made it there. It was still a little bit of a sore spot for her.

"You really should go one day, Em," Craig said on cue, and Emily felt Andy's anxiety suddenly. She knew Andy still beat herself up for taking Emily's spot beside Miranda over the fear of getting fired. Emily felt a little bit of satisfaction knowing that.

"Maybe one day," she commented, setting the binder on the table. She didn't bother ordering breakfast. She still didn't really eat much, which was something she knew Lee was noticing.

"Oh, this looks great," Andy said, flipping through it. Craig leaned in to get a better look, and Emily caught a whiff of his cologne. It made her feel slightly dizzy. He smiled at her, noticing her flushed neck. His leg touched hers shortly after.

"Yes," Andy went on, jabbing her finger at the page in front of her. "I love that!"

Emily tuned her out as she looked around the cafe. She noticed a family come in with two young children who were bouncing up and down and picking out what they wanted to eat. She looked at the parents and felt a pang of sadness as she thought about how Monica probably loved the simplicity of a Saturday morning with her family.

"Em?"

"Huh?" she said, bringing her focus back to the table. Craig was looking at her expectantly. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I asked if you had a chance to think about the new hair stylist I had heard about," he repeated.

"Oh, yes," Emily said, nodding. "Bring her in, and we'll interview her." She hadn't been entirely impressed with the last hair stylist. There were a couple of photos she kept going back to in their spring edition that made her feel like something wasn't right, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

Craig smiled at her again, and she did her best to keep her focus on their conversation and not on the sadness of her current living situation. After almost two hours of going back and forth with new ideas, they called it quits, and Emily was suddenly free. She felt unsure of what to do. She knew she could go back to the house and enjoy the quiet, but she suddenly wanted to be with the kids.

And Lee. She found herself wanting to be around him right now, too, because he was the other person who was in her situation and understood it.

Smiling to herself, she put the car in gear and headed to where they were currently hanging out.

...

Lee had left Jenna with Brenda, deciding that it would be difficult to watch her and participate with Barney and Teddy the way Teddy wanted him to. Brenda had been happy to entertain Jenna for a few hours and told him to have fun.

Now, he was laughing as he scaled the wall quick and easy while Barney huffed and puffed and groaned. Teddy was moving slower than both of them, and Lee kept looking down to make sure he was alright, which he seemed to be. He kept shouting encouraging words to Lee about winning. He cheered when Lee reached the top a moment later.

"Damn it, Christmas," Barney spluttered, finally getting to the top as well. "You weren't supposed to make me look bad in front of the kid."

"It's not my fault you're old."

"If he wasn't watching right now, I'd cut you out of that harness for saying that," Barney threatened.

"Pfft," Lee scoffed. "I can free climb."

"I'm pretty certain I didn't used to have the muscles that are currently screaming at me," Barney complained.

"That means I'll beat you again even faster this time," Lee said, pushing off and dangling in the air. He extended his arms and made a face at Barney as he started to get lowered by his spotter. Barney got lowered next, and they both stood at the bottom and looked up at Teddy, who was now halfway to the top.

"You doing alright?" Lee called up to him.

"Yep!" Teddy called back.

"I miss youth," Barney lamented.

"How were the 1800s anyway?" Lee asked, ducking the flying backhand that came his way afterwards. He laughed and cracked his knuckles.

"How about you give me a head start this time?" Barney suggested.

"Fine," Lee agreed. "It'll make my victory that much sweeter." He crossed his arms and watched as Barney started to climb again. Then he saw her.

"Hey," he said surprised. "What're you doing here?"

"Oh, you caught me," Connie said, laughing a little. "This is my favorite haunt."

"Really?"

"Yes. My brother and I used to do it together all the time, and we still have competitions when we get together, so I have to keep up my ability to kick his ass," Connie explained, still laughing.

"Come on, Lee!" Barney called down now. "I am not gonna have you beat me with less than two feet left to go at the top."

"Excuse me," Lee said to Connie. "I have to put my friend to shame."

"By all means," she replied, smiling. Lee started his climb easily, overtaking Barney in moments.

"Stop that!" Barney hollered after him as he reached the top with the speed and agility of a teenager.

"I was right," Lee mocked. "It does feel sweeter to beat you after giving you a head start."

"I made it!" Teddy called from Barney's left, and Lee turned to give him a thumb's up. Barney groaned.

"Even the kid beat me," he panted.

"What more proof do you need that you're old?" Lee inquired. He pushed off and rappelled down easily. He landed on his feet and noticed Connie was still standing there watching.

"You're good," she noted.

"I am," he agreed.

"I'm better," she insisted. He lifted a brow.

"Oh yea?"

"Yea," she confirmed.

"Smoke his a...arse," Barney corrected as he landed on the ground next to them, mindful of Teddy, who was now in earshot. Lee knew otherwise some other pretty words would be coming out of his mouth by now. "Someone needs to."

"With pleasure," Connie said, smirking and going to get harnessed up. Barney looked at Lee in surprise.

"Who is that?" he asked.

"Teddy's teacher," Lee answered.

"Oh, so you're hot for teacher," Barney teased, nudging him. Lee felt his face grow warm a little bit.

"No," he denied.

"Liar."

"Miss Williams!" Teddy called. "Watch me!"

"I'm watching," Connie promised as Teddy started to go up again. "Good job!"

"Oh yea," Barney said, looking at her. "You got it for her bad."

"Shut up," Lee muttered, casting a nervous glance in Connie's direction. He hoped she couldn't hear Barney talking stupid right now. So maybe he did like her. He also liked Emily, which thank God Barney hadn't picked up on yet. He couldn't take all that ribbing right now.

"You're only proving it to be true that much more," Barney pointed out. Lee shot him a glare before going to stand in front of the wall. Connie was ready to go to his right.

"It's so nice to see Teddy happy," she commented.

"It is," Lee agreed.

"We must have you to thank for that," Connie said to Barney.

"For what?"

"Making Teddy happy. He was a bit down this past while."

"Well, I am his favorite uncle," Barney said proudly.

"No, you're not," Lee retorted. "I am."

"Is there a prize for winning this race?" Barney asked innocently, changing the subject. He gestured to the wall.

"No," Lee started.

"I think loser buys dinner," Connie said sweetly. Lee resisted laughing out loud. Was this her way of getting a date out of him?

"Hope you have deep pockets," Lee retorted. "Cos I like a fine restaurant."

"I think I can afford a hot dog from the stand," Connie replied, her eyes twinkling. Barney was full out laughing now. Lee felt a flush inside. He enjoyed her banter very much.

"You're gonna regret saying that," he told her.

"We'll see."

"Okay, let's get this show on the road," Barney interrupted. "Three, two, one, go!"

Lee yanked himself up, but she was fast. He matched her speed, but he realized she was going to beat him. He suddenly didn't care.

"Ha, ha!" Connie exclaimed when she reached the top. She fist pumped before pressing her fingers in an "L" shape on her forehead while pointing at him to indicate he was the loser. "I hope you know that I'm a lobster girl."

"Oh, now you tell me," Lee said, reaching the top a moment later.

"Too bad. A deal's a deal," she replied. He just smiled.

"Just say when," he told her.

"I will."

They got back to the bottom, and that's when Lee saw Emily approaching cautiously. His heart skipped slightly at the sight of her, which confused him because he'd just been flushed around Connie.

"Hey," he said to her. "I didn't think you'd come."

"I finished up and decided I wanted to see what the fuss was about," Emily explained.

"Just a bunch of men getting sweaty from the effort of hauling their asses up a wall," Barney told her after checking Teddy was out of earshot now. "Oh, and Lee getting a hot date."

"What?" Emily asked, surprised. Lee groaned inwardly at the sight of Barney's face as he took in Emily's surprise. It was showing that his friend was noticing something.

"I lost a race," Lee advised. "I have to buy Connie dinner as a consequence."

"I see," Emily said. He watched her carefully, and he wondered if his going on a date was bothering her. He couldn't imagine why it would. She was dating Craig.

"I told you I was the best," Connie said, coming over to them in that moment. "Oh, hey Emily! Nice to see you."

"You too," Emily replied, smiling tightly.

"Auntie Em!" Teddy called, excited. "Are you gonna climb?"

"Oh, no," Emily answered, shaking her head. "I don't do heights."

"But it's fun!"

"I'm sure it is."

"Okay," Barney said, reading the room and sensing the slight tension suddenly. "One more time for this aching pile of bones, and then we're calling it a day."

Lee didn't even respond. He looked at Emily and wondered what she was thinking.

...

Emily was wondering why Connie was even there. She suddenly disliked this woman and didn't even know why. She wasn't interested in Lee, so why should she care if he goes on a date? Good for him. She was dating Craig anyway.

"So," Connie said, turning to Lee now. "When is good for you? I'm actually free tonight."

Oh, dear Lord. She was witnessing the date being created right in front of her. What the actual hell?! Emily dug her nails into her palm, wishing she was anywhere but here.

"I've got company this weekend," Lee said, gesturing up to Barney. "Unfortunately."

"Don't worry about me!" Barney called down, overhearing. "I can hang out with Mr. Teddy and Miss Jenna while you have dinner. I won't miss you for a few hours."

Lee gave a nervous type of chuckle and shot his friend a look over his shoulder that Emily caught. Did he not want to go on a date with Connie? Emily felt confused. She was seeing something between him and Connie, so why was he so hesitant?

"Great," Connie said, smiling brightly. "Pick me up at six. Here's my address." She handed him a folded over piece of paper, and Lee took it. Emily swallowed.

"Okay," Lee said. "I, uh, will see you then."

"I look forward to it," Connie replied, giving him a flirty look before walking away to climb the wall again. Lee stood there holding the piece of paper in his fingers, looking a bit befuddled.

"I suppose I can take care of all the routines myself tonight," Emily said, making him look at her.

"Em, I'm sorry," he said. "I don't even know what happened..." He turned to look at Connie, who was halfway up the wall by now. Teddy was almost to the top, as was Barney.

"It kind of ran away from you there, didn't it?" Emily asked as he looked back at her.

"Yea..."

"Don't worry. I'm sure it'll be just fine," she said encouragingly. She was trying not to feel weird about it. Why was she feeling weird about it? Oh, perhaps it had something to do with envisioning Connie as the step-mother to Jenna and Teddy. Yep, her brain went there awfully fast.

"I know it will," Lee countered. "I have gone on dates before."

"Really? Shocking," Emily teased. He made a face at her before starting to remove his harness.

"I did it again!" Teddy called, waving at them from the top.

"Awesome!" Emily replied, waving back. She watched him get lowered down slowly. Barney was next. Connie was already on the ground again and going back up.

"Are you gonna be with us for the rest of the day?" Teddy asked Emily once he was free of his harness and bounded over to her. She put her arms around him as he hugged her legs, his head resting on her waist. He was going to be tall like his father, Emily was pretty certain.

"I am," Emily answered, ruffling his hair fondly. "I finished up with work for today."

"Yay!"

"You overdid it," Lee was commenting to Barney as the older man walked towards them stiffly.

"Not at all," Barney retorted, barely holding in his wince as he moved.

"Some pain killers and a bath will help," Emily told him.

"You spoil me," Barney said to her jokingly.

"Come on," Teddy said, taking Barney's hand in his. "We still have to go to the park!"

Barney made a sound in his throat that resembled either agony or joy, depending on who was interpreting it.

"Keep up, old man," Lee said, poking him as he passed. Emily walked behind the three of them, taking a look back at Connie before they exited the building. The woman was watching with a smile on her face until she caught Emily's gaze. Then she put her head down and turned away.

...

Lee was still trying to wrap his head around the fact he was going on a date with Connie that night. He barely focused on anything Teddy was chattering about as he climbed up the play structure to go down the slide. He'd ordered Barney to wait for him at the bottom, which Barney was all too happy to oblige with. Emily was sitting on the bench and watching. Lee felt a strange energy coming from her ever since the whole Connie episode, so he couldn't help but wonder if it bothered her that he was going out tonight.

"How was your meeting?" he asked, sitting down next to her now after deciding Teddy was more invested in Barney's attention than his right now.

"It was fine," Emily answered.

"Things moving along well still?"

"Yes. I think we're gonna do very well," she said, a small smile on her lips now. Lee could tell she liked talking about her work.

"That's great," he said, smiling back. They were sitting there quiet for a while, and he saw her watch Teddy lead Barney to the swings and hop on. Something wistful went across her face then. It made him feel curious.

"Holy!" Barney yelped as Teddy nearly clipped him with his feet.

"Push from behind!" Lee called over to him. Barney blatantly rolled his eyes back and went around behind Teddy to push him on his back and not his feet like he was doing.

"Git," Lee muttered.

"He doesn't have children, does he?" Emily asked, smirking a little.

"No." Lee shook his head. "His only experience is Teddy and Jenna."

"He's not bad," Emily reasoned.

"No, but then he'll do something like push one of them on the swing by their feet like an idiot and wonder how he got kicked in the head," Lee snorted, and Emily couldn't help but snicker a little as well. She smoothed her hands over her legs, and he could sense that wistfulness again.

"You okay?" he asked her. She looked like she was going to say she was, but then she surprised him.

"My dad and I would always go on the swings together," she answered. "It was one of our favorite things to do together."

Lee knew she wasn't looking for a response, so he stayed quiet, but he was listening.

"I haven't been on one since he died," she said softly. "I just can't bring myself to. It hurts too much." Something clicked into place in Lee's mind then, and he remembered the day she'd gone into work instead of going to the park with them. Teddy had asked her to swing with him, and now he knew why she'd avoided it.

So there had been more to it than just her struggling with having a family unit.

"Maybe it's time to face that," he suggested, and she turned her head to look at him.

"I'm afraid that all the pain I shoved down will resurface if I do," she confessed.

"What if it doesn't? And even if it does, isn't that better than keeping it locked inside?"

She said nothing, but he could see her thinking.

"Uncle Lee, watch me fly!" Teddy shouted, and he looked to see the boy leap off the swing and hit the dirt on his feet before falling over and giggling madly. Barney was smiling and shaking his head in amusement.

"Gotta work on that landing, bud," Lee commented as Teddy scrambled back up to his feet.

"I know," Teddy replied, still giggling. He got back on the swing, demanding Barney to push him harder this time.

"Is Brenda watching Jenna?" Emily asked him.

"Yea. I thought Teddy could use some guy time."

"That's nice."

"You sure you don't mind me going out tonight?" Lee asked, feeling like that was still unresolved. "I feel bad leaving you to do it all."

"I have Barney," she reasoned, waving her hand in his direction.

"I predict he won't be as useful as you think he will be."

"I guess I'll find out," she said, crossing her legs and leaning back against the bench now. Teddy was racing towards them now with Barney loping behind him.

"You ready to go?" Lee asked him after the boy threw himself into his lap and made him grunt from the impact.

"Yep."

"Yup," Barney said at the same time.

"Gotta get you ready for your dinner anyway," Emily said, jostling him.

"What dinner?" Teddy asked. Apparently he hadn't heard what took place between him and Connie earlier.

"I'm having dinner with Miss Williams to discuss your school progress," Lee told him. He didn't want to say it was a date. He didn't want Teddy to feel weird about it.

"Yes! You're taking her to dinner!" Teddy exclaimed, surprising him.

"Erm, yes," he said.

"She still likes you. She asks me about you all the time."

"Oh." Lee refrained from looking at Barney's waggling eyebrows.

"Sounds like Miss Williams has a crush on Uncle Lee," Barney commented, unable to help himself, and Teddy brightened even more.

"I like her a lot," Teddy said. "So it's okay if you like her back, Uncle Lee."

"Thanks..." Lee replied, unsure of how else to respond. Teddy jumped off of him then, and he walked towards the van beside Barney. Emily went to Barney's rental car since she had met them there. Lee was thankful that he'd taken out his cache of weapons the night before and hid them in Charlie's locked box in the garage. He saw her look back at the swings before getting into it, and he had an idea, but he just had to figure out how to execute it well and when the right time was to do it.

...

Emily paused as she walked by the office and saw Lee standing there in dark jeans and an unbuttoned white dress shirt. She felt that dropping sensation again as she looked at him. He hadn't noticed her yet as he worked to button up his shirt. She hadn't seen him shirtless in seven years, but she remembered feeling the way she did right now back then.

"All set?" she asked, making him look up at her a bit startled.

"Yea," he answered. He left the top two buttons undone, and she suddenly wanted to smooth her hand against his skin there. She gave herself a mental shake as she stepped closer to him.

"You just have to..." she trailed off, reaching to straighten his collar before smoothing her hands over his shirt across his shoulders and checking to make sure it was fixed. "There. All better."

"Thanks," he said, looking at her almost intently. Emily realized she hadn't taken her hands off his shoulders yet, so she did now as if she'd been burned.

"Very impressive for a first date," she commented, clearing her throat. Whatever cologne he was wearing was making her slightly weak in the knees.

"I like to look nice," he replied.

"Well, you've accomplished that," she said, feeling a little bit flustered suddenly. "Good job."

"Emily!" Barney called. "Crisis!"

"I believe that's code for Diaper Change," Lee said, smirking a little.

"He will be doing it by the time this weekend is over," Emily promised.

"Make sure you take pictures if that happens."

"I will."

They both laughed a little, but Emily still felt a little bit awkward in his presence right now. She was feeling jealous of Connie. Craig didn't really get dressed up for her let alone smell nice for her specifically. He'd wear cologne, but that was usually for some meeting or other purpose or just for himself. She just got to benefit from it afterwards. She was the one who put in more effort in that area when she was meeting with him after hours.

"I should get going," Lee said, and she nodded.

"Right. Sorry. I'm holding up the show," she said, stepping backwards to get out of his way.

"If you don't want me to go, I won't go," he told her, taking her by surprise.

"Oh," she said. "Um, no. No, you should go. You're cooped up here in the house too much anyway. Some fresh air will be good for you."

"Ha, ha," he said sarcastically. "Alright. If you're sure."

"Do you not want to go?" she asked curiously.

"I'm not sure," he admitted, smoothing a hand over the back of his head. Emily continued to feel surprised, but she closed the office door to stop Teddy from coming in there to give Lee a chance to talk it out.

"You like her, right?" she asked.

"I do."

"Then what's got you unsure?"

"I don't really know. I guess...I guess I keep thinking about the what ifs. I mean, what if it works out? What if we got together and then she's involved in this family? What if that means we don't live together and do shared custody? What if that hurts the kids? Or, what if it goes badly? What if she hates me and then takes it out on Teddy? What if...?" He was stopped by her stepping into him to place a hand over his mouth gently.

"You actually do get anxious," she commented. "I have to say, it's very weird to hear my own thoughts coming out of your mouth." He went to talk again, but she pressed her hand on his mouth harder to stop him.

"But...life is messy, Lee. It's messy enough without us making it that way in our heads for no reason, so how about you just live in the moment and take her to dinner and see what happens?" she suggested. "Okay? Don't overthink it. Just do it, and if something comes out of it, then we'll figure it out. We'll survive. I promise. Just...don't avoid life because you're worried about what's going to happen."

He closed his eyes briefly, releasing a very slight chuckle before nodding and looking at her again. She took her hand back.

"Thank you," he said.

"You're welcome."

"Why can't you follow your own advice?" he asked.

"I don't know," she answered. "It's just easier to tell people what to do than do it myself."

"Uh huh."

"Go on, get out of here," she urged, waving her hands.

"I should be home by 8:30," he added.

"Don't rush on my account," she warned. "Have fun."

"Alright."

They exited the office to find Barney standing there holding Jenna out to them.

"Crisis," he repeated.

"Come on, you," Emily said, catching his collar with her fingers and pulling him behind her. "You're doing this."

"I don't do these kinds of crises. I do other kinds."

"Too bad."

"Seriously, I don't do diapers."

"I said too bad," she repeated, catching Lee's smirk as he grabbed the keys and slid his jacket on in the foyer. She felt torn between wanting him to have a good time and wanting it to not go well so he wouldn't date Connie again. She ducked her head away, not wanting to see him leave.

"Why does it burn?" Barney asked, wincing as she made him remove Jenna's diaper once they were in the nursery.

"I'm not the right person to be asking that question," she replied. She marveled at how much this was bothering him since he looked like a tough, stone cold killer almost most of the time. "It's just poo, Barney."

"It's worse than Gunner's farts," he gagged tossing the diaper into the receptacle in the corner. "Hang on, are you filming me?!"

"Noo," Emily denied, keeping her phone up. She'd promised Lee after all.

"Aw, great," he sighed. "I'm never gonna live this down."

"Sorry," she laughed, not sorry at all. She refrained from laughing further when he made faces and finished cleaning Jenna up and put a fresh diaper on her. She recalled her and Lee's first time doing this and having the same reaction. She knew Lee would never admit that to Barney, though. She kept it their secret.

"See? All done," she said, putting her phone away and kissing the side of Jenna's head when Barney picked her up again.

"Stinky girl is no longer stinky," Barney added, bouncing Jenna and making her laugh.

"Let's get dinner out of the way, shall we?" Emily suggested, moving to the stairs.

"Oh, man...that's gonna fill up the tank again isn't it?" Barney groaned.

"Sure is," Emily said sweetly, going to the kitchen. Teddy was quick to join them, telling Barney about the time Charlie had to fish out one of Jenna's poops from the tub during bath time. She tuned their talking out as she worked, trying her best to not think about what Lee was doing right now.

...

Lee was doing his best to enjoy himself, but for whatever reason, he just couldn't relax. He kept feeling Emily's hand on his face and remembering that she somehow managed to smell like something he'd never smelled before. There were no words to describe it.

"Is this weird for you?" Connie asked, picking up on his tension. She hadn't gone all out in the end, instead choosing her favorite Italian place with its reasonable prices.

"A little," he confessed.

"You keep seeing me as Teddy's teacher," she said, getting it.

"Yea," he confirmed, wincing slightly.

"How can I help with that?" she asked.

"I don't know aside from you not being Teddy's teacher anymore," Lee answered.

"Well, that's in a few months," she said. "He moves on to grade two next fall, and I will no longer be his teacher."

"It seems really stupid to be so hung up on that," he advised. "I mean, I like you. If we'd met elsewhere, this wouldn't be a problem." Her mentioning that Teddy was going to be in grade two reminded him that the boy's seventh birthday was coming up. It made him start to think about it being the first milestone without Monica and Charlie there. God, he sucked at this grieving thing. It hit him hard at all the wrong times. He dug his fingers into his palm, trying to stay in the moment.

"Would it help if I told you that Monica wanted to set us up?" Connie asked.

"She did?"

"Yea. I didn't know what to think at the time, so I had told her I wasn't interested for the moment, and then I met you anyway. I mean, like I said before: I really hate that this is how we met, but...I'm glad we did."

Well, it made sense now why Monica hadn't mentioned Connie to Lee. She hadn't wanted to meet him yet.

"It is interesting how life's circumstances can either bring people together or tear them apart," he reflected.

"So true."

"So, what do we do here?" he asked. She leaned forward slightly, and he noticed that she also smelled really nice. Who was he kidding? He and Emily were not going to happen. She hadn't been interested seven years ago; she wouldn't be interested now. He had to let that go, and he was feeling like he could as he sat there looking at Connie's really pretty smile.

"I think we just have dinner, and if we want to have dinner again, so be it. If not, that's fine," she answered.

"Alright," he agreed. "Fair enough." She leaned back and smiled, and he started to feel less tense. He also stopped thinking about Emily.

He was just in the moment and enjoying it for once.