How I Met Your Mother- "Of Course…Michael…"

Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended

Summary: There was a little more to the "Of Course" episode as Mr. and Mrs. Scherbatsky-Stinson relate after a chance meeting.

General Note: If you prefer to stick to ending one as aired, fine by me. But they did create an upbeat alternate ending which can be viewed (sorry can't put the web link up on ffnet but try google search or youtube or go to my Buffy Rebecca verse in a few days.)

And oh, come on. After that Canadian rehersal dinner and the proposal, how could Barney ever let Robin go? And you know she'd kill him first. You want "in the real world", fine…Robin's not right for him and Ted's a fool to risk his happiness over the wrong girl but the right best friend.

Part I…

Maclaren's Bar…2019

"So…" Ted, reclining in The Booth, eyeing Robin, nursing a club soda…A heavily pregnant Robin… "The Dyad Clinic came through…"

"What can I say? Canadian science, however briefly illegal and unethical, came through…" Robin beamed. "But I owe it all to the Barnacle hus-bro and the Marshall friend-bro for putting the screws to them when Goliath-Gotham took over."

"And you're going to have Barney Stinson's baby…" Tracy, beside Ted, gave mock anxious look. "Bringing another Barney or his female counterpart into the world."

"Oh, he's already got the female counterpart in wife-bro." Robin, proudly. "But also in her, if you get me." Sly grin. "High-five!" raising hand.

The Mosbys eyeing each other…

"Guys, I had to have major surgery for this and I could die…Minor risk, do not tell Barney…" Robin, pleading look, holding hand up yet…

Ted, at Tracy's urgent look, returning the slap.

"Die?" he eyed Robin anxiously.

"Minor, teensy-weensy risk…Less than twenty percent." Robin shrugged. "Believe you me, Ellie is gonna see the light of day if I have to yank her out with forceps myself. And of course, I'll live to see her become Prime Minister of Canada or something nearly as good...Like President of the US."

"No desire to keep it a mystery?" Tracy asked.

"Eh, the hus-bro was all…'Since it's just one time only, a little girl I can make up to for all…' "Sob… "'Your father…'" Weeping… "'Did to you…' Oh, God, I love that man so…" Robin, head on table sobbing. Ted and Tracy staring…

Hormones…Tracy mouthed. Super-duper level, I'd say, probably part of the protocol…

"So yeah, a girl…" Robin raised head, wiping quickly with napkin Ted offered. "But a boy next, there's gotta be a Barney Jr."

"But…" Ted blinked. "You just said…"

"Eh, like ridin' a Zamboni…Once you've done it once, it's a piece of cake." Robin eyed watch. "I got three-thirty, that sound…?"

"For the fourth time, yeah, your watch is right." Tracy nodded. "What's up with the concern for precise time, Scherbatsky-Stinson?"

"Yeah, why are you so anxious about the time?" Ted chimed in. "This isn't some practical joke of Barney's where you're not pregnant and only pretending to still be married?"

"What?" Robin stared.

"Say, what, Mosby?" Tracy frowned.

"Just a guess…A detection…Mosby Boys!"

"More like a Mosby Boy fantasy…" Tracy sighed.

"Trace…" Ted, anxiously.

"Ted, I get you still have the occasional fantasy…And believe you me, given your history, I'm relieved it's only about the fat hippo chick here…" grin at Robin.

"Excuse me?" Robin blinked.

"…And I can deal since I happen to know I'm the One and the best thing ever to happen to you… But, there are limits, Mosby. Loving warning." Shrewd nod.

"I'm a what…?" Robin blinked.

"I was a blimp each time and maybe will be again, get over it." Tracy shrugged.

"Trace…?" Ted, eagerly.

"No, no signs…" she sighed. "God, no, please…For another year or two."

"I didn't mean anything by…" Ted began. "Well, maybe a little speculation…"

"That Barney and I aren't still married?!" Robin glared. "God, Ted…Why did I ever tell you of all people about Argentina? Geesh…"

"Why did you?" Tracy asked, a bit coyly.

"Not you too…" fuming stare, sudden weeping… "My best friends…"

Uh…Ted eyed Tracy…Tracy, Ted.

Well, she is undoubtedly pregnant…This is not some Stinson prank or magic trick.

"Well…I guess there was a reason…" Robin, suddenly as she'd started weeping, calm again. "I figured it couldn't hurt if Ted knew we'd hit a hard one but made it through. I mean, just in case…"

"After we'd been together three years and had a baby…" Tracy eyed her.

"You were the one who got after Ted just now…" Robin frowned, looking to Ted.

Oh, ho, ho…No, no, no way am I offering that argument any support here, dear, he eyed her innocently. Say what?

"I'm the Wife and Mother, I'm allowed festering worry regards the Mosby…"

Ted, horrified look…

"It's ok, honey. We're good." Tracy patted him. "But look I'm no Victoria, content to just shove this and you, no offense Robin, I really do love you, honey, you're family, forever into the memory hole, supposedly forever banned, gone, and forgotten. I deal right out in the open. And I play to win. No 'nobly repressed secret passion' crap with Tracy Mosby." Cool nod.

"Keep this girl, Mosby." Robin noted. "This is almost exactly what I say to each and every former bimbo Barney and I run into. Except I often kinda threaten them with a gun…"

The others stared…

"Only if they start assaulting Barney…" she put up a hand. "Which does happen rather often…Then it gets worse and I have to intervene with maximum force."

"What, they try to really kill him? Not that surprising…" Ted noted.

"No, not often enough…That would be easy if they were all just psychos. No…They get all 'Oh, Barney…Varney…Baron von Stinson…You finally are settling down? Committing?'. Then the bitches get all doe-eyed and coyly wondering how we're doin' and I know I gots to lay the law down and put the gun out, on the table." Robin, firm nod. "I mean…I trust Barnabas J. with my life, no question, but these bitches I trust as far as my bullets can have lasting impact."

"But after all…" she sighed fondly. "Argentina's where I found out what Barney was up to when he finally got me to admit I felt I'd cheated him babywise. And admitted how much I wanted his kid. And offered him the out which he refused to take…Oh…" fond sigh.

"He was researching with Marshall on all those biotech places Goliath-Gotham held shares in, that was so sweet." Tracy nodded.

"And while working on that blog of his, which as you know, did turn out to be quite the little money-maker, ads- and products-wise for Scherbatsky-Stinson, Inc." Robin, proudly. "'The Gentlemanly Bro's Guide…', available now in book form and audio CD or on Itunes." She turns to us, breaking the fourth wall.

"Yeah…Great, especially considering you're rich and Barney made a fortune before he pulled the plug on Greg at Goliath." Ted, somewhat brittlely.

"Isn't it good to know it's only greed that's kept Ted's interest in me all these years…" Robin archly to Tracy.

"All right…Anyway, I'm sorry, ladies…I didn't mean to…Dwell…Honestly…" Ted sighed. "I won't do it again…"

"Especially not in the bathroom, with a cloth…" Robin grinned wickedly. Tracy, wry smile…

"Guys…" Ted sighed.

"Hmmn…" Tracy pondered. "Well, I suppose I'd feel better if I had you lobotomized but then I could never leave you alone with the kids again…And Mama gotta have her some me time, sometime."

"Thanks…I think." Ted blinked.

"Calm down, Mosby." Robin noted with smile. "Your girl's Mountie caliber and just makin' her claim on you clear. Fortunately there is no one on God's Earth like Barnabas J. Stinson and much as I fondly cherish our past and our current and forever platonic friendship, you just never did quite do it for me, babe. Wonderful as you admittedly are, for me there's only Barney. Dear God…" she grinned. "Whoda thunk it, ya know? But after all, we are Canadians."

"Well, at least we can all agree on that…There is no one on God's Earth like Barney Stinson." Ted raised beer mug. The others following.

"And no one like Tracy McConnell Mosby…And thank you, God, she's put up with me so far." He noted, holding raised mug.

"And will never let go…The secret to a lasting relationship with Ted Mosby." Tracy noted, clinking his mug with hers.

"Mosby, yous a lucky man. And three-fourty, right?" Robin eyed the bar's clock, then her watch.

"So again, what's with the time obsession?" Ted asked. "Are you supposed to take meds or something. God…" he blinked. "Tell us you're not about to blow."

"Nah…Two months yet and only under ICU care at Dyad." Robin shook head.

Ted and Tracy eyeing each other.

"You oughta see the medical team Barney's lined up…I think one of them is an ex-Prime Minister of New Zealand. No, it's not about my Ellie girl here…" sigh.

"Barney's touring some of Goliath-Gotham's sleazier assets?" Ted suggested. "And promised to do it with Marshall and to be here right at the time you calculated would take to physically walk fast through them?"

"Good, but not quite…" Robin nodded, considering. "Look, you can't tell Barney. He'd want to prove himself and…That could mess things up. Plus, he might be hurt if he knew what I was up to."

Tracy, puzzled…Ted, suddenly horrified.

"Oh, God you've put a Michael Corleone on each and every one of Barney's one-night stands who still call him pretending to be mad…You're having them all killed at the same time."

"No…" Robin frowned, shaking head. "I mean not a bad idea but…"

"But…" Tracy, shrewdly… "It does have to do with Barney's girlfriends…" Arch look to Ted as Robin hesitated.

"McConnell Girls!" she noted in triumph offering Ted a high-five which he glumly answered.

Damn…The Mosby Boys could've cracked this one with just a little more…Oooh!

"Ah, it's a special one. Oh!" Ted gasped. "You're whacking only the best of them…And that would be…Oh, my God, poor Nora!"

"Ted?" Robin glared. "Much as I might enjoy seeing Nora's body lifeless on this floor, she's a work friend, sort of. In the sense we worked together once and sometimes she and I encounter in the business…And Barney sees how much more successful I am." Smile.

"It's not whacking, Ted." Tracy noted, shrewd look at Robin. "Though you do fear this one…"

"Ah, ah!" Ted raised hand. "Quinn! It's Quinn! You're having her arrested and deported or something. Or maybe fixing her up?"

"Come on…Quinn's happily married, Ted." Robin shook head. "Barney and I were at her wedding and we get Xmas cards from her every year."

"Really? You and Barney keep in touch with her?" Tracy asked.

"Sort of…Yeah…"

Cut to shot of Robin at desk receiving surveillance report on Quinn from middle-aged detective. Hugely pregnant again and not taking off the weight in between…Excellent, she nods, eyeing surveillance photo.

Sending her those gift boxes of prime steaks and gourmet cookies is worth the hefty cost.

"So if it's not Nora…And it's not Quinn? And you're sure you're not having them whacked…" Ted pondered.

"We'd better hurry, honey…" a passing girl noted to her male companion. "Ms. Appleby's book signing starts at four."

Ted, stunned look…Oh!

"Anita Appleby! It's Anita Appleby." he gasped. "Mosby Boys!" he raised hand.

Tracy and Robin frowning…Come on…

"The writer of those crappy self-help books?" Tracy stared. "Oh, right. She dated Barney once, Ted told me."

"I said she tried…" Ted noted.

"And never stopped trying…" Robin frowned.

"And you don't want Barney to know she's here? Robin…" Ted began.

"I don't want her to know Barney's going to be here, at five." She frowned. "Ted. I trust Barney completely. I just don't trust that self-programmed psycho. You remember how she kept trying to get him back after he broke up with her. Brainwashed by her own psychobabble…" slight nervous glance round, then eyeing Tracy's sympathetic look.

"Barney is a hard act to miss…" nervous shrug.

"Well, I remember that night here…She kept trying everything. But that was it, the one night…" Ted blinked…No…? He stared.

"That's right. Barney didn't tell you everything." Robin nodded.

…..

Goliath National Bank, 2010…

"Leave a message…" Barney told the phone. "And, sorry, the previous owner of this phone is deceased and this company bears no responsibility for his actions."

"Barney! I know you're there!"

"Beep…" Barney put down the phone.

"Wonder who that was…?" he pondered. "I nailed five chicks in succession last week…Three were likely callers, two were likely determined callers…Well, who cares." He looked to see Marshall Ericksen in his doorway.

"Is it time for our conference call?" he asked as Marshall entered, looking anxious and quickly shutting the door.

Ok…Clearly not our rooftop cigarettes and beer break…Hmmn…

One day that man will learn to wear a suit on his own, Barney, waiting expectantly for a request on suit adjustment or maintenance.

And perhaps be able to afford one worthy of being called a suit besides the one I had made for him. Which is starting to show its…Dear God! "Is that a fray?!" Barney gasped, pointing.

"Dude…" Marshall sighed. "You gotta take your calls from these girls. One of them has been calling all over the office, finally found me. And this one knows me."

"Really?" puzzled look… "I don't remember bothering to have any of my bimbos introduced recently except…"

"Yeah." Marshall nodded. "Anita Appleby. She wants you to call her."

"Ah…No wonder she keeps saying 'It's me' as if I should know or care. Call her, eh? Yeah. Like that's gonna happen. If she ever calls again…"

"She's been calling every half-hour and I swear I will give her your home address and tell her you're desperate to see her again but too ashamed to talk to her about last night."

The phone rang… Barney frowning. Marshall shaking head as Barney raised a forefinger and shook head. "It's another one…No, I think she's trying a fake voice now." He pressed button… "Ok, I'm having her calls directed automatically to the office of the chief of secret police in Zimbabwe. Sooner or later, he'll either make a date or have her brought in for torture." Marshall rolling eyes…

"So you knew who it was…And why she was calling…? Barney?"

"Eh…Ok…But Marshall, I'm the victim here." Barney, pleading tone. "You saw the other night. I was a decent guy, I told her I knew she was just doing it for Robin and that even if she'd decided she wanted to try to ride the Stinson superdate it wasn't gonna work for us. She was a professional, a truly worthy player foe, she should have been able to deal…It was her book's whole point after all. But then she went all 'crazy eyes' the whole evening, camping out at that booth near us and coming over to offer something else, every few minutes..."

"Yeah, that was creepy after the third time but dude you should have considered that trip to Rio and the Swiss bank account."

"That was quite an offer…" Barney nodded thoughtfully.

"Well, why don't you date her? Just a date, not a suuupper one. Just once to get you out of her system? I've no doubt one jolt of Stinson will clear her head." Marshall frowned. "I mean …Robin's with Don and it's not like you and she…" he eyed Barney who eyed him back.

Shake of head…

"Jesus. That's it. Lily's right. You won't date Anita because of Robin." Marshall pulled back a bit to eye Barney more fully, head to toe. "I see that foot trembling…"

"That's not true, entirely…" Barney frowned. "And my foot's just asleep…"

"Dude…" Marshall sighed. "This is Lily's spirit talking through her soulmate. She is never wrong about these things, except sometimes with Ted…And herself when she broke up with me. But on this I know she's right."

"No, that's not it. It's just I sorta promised…Robin…" Barney sighed.

Marshall, rolling eyes, exasperated expression…

"Oh my God…Barney? 'Sorta promised'? You pass on a girl like Anita? Who's more alluring with each return…? Well, at least the pot gets larger each time… It's impossible. Physically, for you. And you're gonna claim it's not…"

"Oh, really?" Barney, miffed tone. "Can you tell me how many girls I've been willing to take on after rejecting me? Well, I mean, after my overcoming their loathing of me to bang them the one time required by the Bro Code? And then their wanting to go on and have a 'relationship' afterward cause now we're 'stronger for having been through a rough patch at the start'."

"Uh…Not many…Of those."

"Two. Two, Marshall…And it was only two because they were twins…And how could I pass on a repeat that? High-five!"

Marshall frowning but…Well, that is awesome, twins in rerun…I…

Wait a minute?

"I know of only one twins set you ever hooked. The two college girls when you were supposed to be my wingman/bro, when Lily and I were broken."

"Yes, you and Lily are kinda like a concrete slab now…Flat, gray…Not even English grey with an e…And dull." Barney chortled. "But, kudos on a great memory."

"Law school training but thanks. And thanks forever, from both of us, for stealing every girl I could've wrongly hooked up with." Marshall nodded. "So it was my twin and the other…"

"Marshall? 'Your' twin? They're human beings, dude. Geesh." Solemn tone. "And god, they transcended their Humanity that night…Uh…What were we talking about? Twins, right? And you know I did a set once?"

"Barney?! We're talking about why you won't date Anita."

"Oh right, Anita. Nice girl if a bit full of her psychobabble self."

"You do owe her a super date."

"No, Marshall…I owed Robin." Firm nod.

"No, dude…You love Robin." Marshall smiled. "That wasn't a debt paid, it was a gift…A fairly unselfish one at that. But that still leaves you owing Anita."

"Dude…The lady tricked me, she was aiming to punish me, just for kicks and to prove she could." Barney frowned. "I just paid her back in kind." He noted.

"Done as a favor to Robin. Overruled. Not a punishment, you are lawyered!" Marshall insisted. "And 'paid her back in kind'? Dude? You may be a worthless human being where women who aren't your mom or Robin are concerned but generally you've only been consciously mean to that girl of yours Shannon…Who, given the way she behaved when you broke up…I'll allow it."

"Well…" shrug… "Maybe that was a little strong. But I don't owe her a date."

"Barney? Why are you afraid of dating this woman? Do you like her?" Marshall eyed him carefully.

"If I 'liked' her, Marshall…In push-up bra and on all fours, you remember her last offer before I finally got the police to take her from my door? After I had you and Lily smuggle me home in that box from Maclaren's dumpster to try and convince her it was your place."

"Indeed I do…That was quite…Awful, it was awful." Marshall shook himself. "Just…Awful…"

"Jesus, is that your built-in Lily going off?…Anyway, if I liked her I'd be dating her tonight. Say, how about we remember that I'm your superior here and you go back to doing whatever the hell crap you were about to do when you decided to barge in here. Though whatever it was, there's never reason to allow a suit to be abused like that…" he frowned at Marshall.

"I am trying to do my job but your lady friend keeps calling..."

"Anita's not my lady or my friend…" Barney paused.

"Because you already have both…And they're named…Robin." Marshall smiled. "I know the feeling."

Barney glaring…"Alright…Alright Marshall." Narrow-eyed stare… "Challenge accepted. I'll call Anita…And I'll date her…And bang her… Just to show you how wrong you are."

"Barney, you did what you did to make Robin happy. Why not treat Anita decently, have a quiet nice date, and really impress Robin when you end things politely?"

Barney frowned. "I'm not trying to impress Robin. I'm done with her. She's done with me."

"As you say…But…Methinks thou doth…" arch smile.

"Oh, thou doth, dost thou?" glare from Barney.

"We're talking like Ted at the Re-naissance Fair, you know." Marshall sighed.

"Yeah, what's up with that? Oh, I know…" Barney, sneering. "You've got Teditis and you're spreading it. You're like 'Tedphoid' Marshall…Typhoid Mary's annoying cousin."

"Well, your only reason for avoiding Anita was that you didn't want to hurt Robin… So a good reason for dating her is to prove to Robin that Anita doesn't mean anything to you. No offense to Ms. Appleby meant there." He noted.

"Robin is with someone else, she doesn't care…" Barney began…

Marshall smiling…

"What?" Barney eyed him narrowly.

"I give it…Oh, say…Three months…" Marshall beamed.

"She's ready to move it with him…" Barney frowned.

"She was once ready to move in with Ted." Marshall pointed out. "And when she did, it didn't work out."

"Yeah, because Mosby doesn't…" Barney began…

("Wait…Barney told you all this?" Ted stared. "Sure…" Robin nodded.

"And he actually concluded…Being the mountain of sensitivity that he is…" Ted, frowning…

"Mosby. Shut up before you say something stupid, based solely on hurt ego." Tracy cut in, firmly. "Robin? Tell us more of how Barney instinctively knew you and Ted didn't have a future." Insistent tone.)

"…Well…It doesn't matter." Barney frowned.

"Dude. You don't think Robin and Ted are right…You think Robin belongs with you." Marshall noted. "And Lily and I know that deep down, there's some faint Anakin spark in you that would make you give up Robin to Ted if you didn't really believe that. Of course given Anakin murdered Jedi children looking to him for help and billions of others, despised democracy and the average Republic citizen, betrayed his wife's love…Saving his own son really didn't cut it redemption wise, did it?"

"Hello? What have I been saying all the years we watched the trilogy? But I never said that crap about Robin belonging with me. It's just…" nervous shrug… "I don't think Robin and Ted work. And I mean beyond the surface cloying horror of their hooked-up days."

Hmmn…Marshall sighed. Much as I hate betting against myself here, I hafta admit…There is something holding them back. A Stinson-something, I'd say. Though…Maybe not just holding Robin…

"But that's got nothing to do with me. Or Robin. We are done. And to prove that I was only trying to keep my promise and you wrong, I will date Anita Appleby. I will bang Anita Appleby. And I will then, dump Anita Appleby…"

"Dude?"

"It's the logical conclusion of our relationship, Marshall…And what she really wants, once she's proven her psychobabble even works on her. Again, challenge accepted!"

"Ok, fine, but don't be nasty…" Marshall sighed.

"Nasty? Certainly not…Noooo…" Barney pondered, nodding. "Cause in her current state, judging by her calls and her increasing irrationality, 'nasty' would probably have her either kidnapping me and forcing a wedding at gunpoint or at least have her pounding at the Fortress of Barnitude every night. I mean unlike how she pounds at the entrance to my building and Jacques the doorman holds her off with his taser. 'Nasty' would only drive her to even greater efforts. No, I must tread Tedly here…Nicely…Yes…" careful nod. "You're quite right, Marshall. The way to break my self-hypnotized groupie is to cloy her to death with kindness. In short…To…Ted her."

"That might be going too far, Barney…" Marshall, alarmed tone. "Doing the Ted is a delicate maneuver…If you get it wrong…You could caught up in it…Forever."

(Cut to chapel scene…A reluctant Barney in groom's tux, a beaming Anita in wedding dress beside him. "What a wonderful day, darling." Anita, rapturous. "Yeah, and you look…Lovely…Darling…" Barney, sighing.

"Dude? When are you dumping her?" Best man Marshall stepping forward to hiss…

"I keeping thinking, no, it's not the right time. She'd be hurt, it's mean." Barney, desperate look. "I can't come out of Ted mode, help me, Marshall!"

"Sorry, dude…It's just…Too late." Marshall, shaking head.

Ted in pew alongside Robin and Lily… "See, if that were me, I'd've explained to Anita that we're not really right for each other and…"

"Oh, please…" Lily frowned. "You'd either text her a break up or let her find you with Robin.")

"Oh, believe me…Once she's had the Barnacle wrapped in a Ted skin, she'll be cured and revert to bitchiness."

"And you?" Marshall, careful eyeing. "You were pretty desperate to land her before…"

"The lure of the 'no'. She was right about that. It's like with those nerdy guys, like you and Ted, who ignore lovelies at parties and before the night is through the babes are actually hitting on you cause indifference is the one thing they and admittedly, I, cannot stand...But I am immune to her now."

"Thanks…" frown. "But you do have the Robin vaccine, true enough…" Marshall grinned.

"I do not!" insistent glare "I'm simply immunized against Appleby's disease." Barney frowned. "It's a case of inoculation with Appleby smallpox, not vaccination with Scherbatsky cowpox."

("But it was my cowpox…Oh, he's so romantic…" Robin cooed, tearing a bit.)

"Well then, you need have no fear. Call her and set up a date. And get her off my phone…" Marshall sighed. "Last time she offered…Unspeakable things…If I set her up with you."

"Dude?" Barney blinked. "You are here, setting her up with me. And what 'unspeakable things'?"

"Well, when I said no, she explained in that case she was threatening to do the unspeakable things and tell Lily…So…"

"Wow. How…'Unspeakable'? Not that that makes a huge difference."

"Because you're doing this for Robin…" Marshall beamed.

"No…Because I want crazy Anita off my back and my douche-bag inferior, namely you, not bothering me because she's crazy." The phone buzzed…He pressed a button on desk.

"Is that the imperial march?" Marshall, listening eagerly.

"Of course…My way of saying, babe your persistence has won you entrance to the trench to the Death Star portal…" Barney nodded.

"Dude? That blows up the Death Star." Consternation…

"And if I ever allowed persistence by a bimbo or even a cutie to pay off…I'd deserve to blow up." Barney, picking up phone. "Hey there, why Anita? How nice to hear your voice again. How've you been? Really? Not able to get through? Oh, yeah…The new phone computer system has been really fouled up here. But I'm glad you called, dear. Yes, I've been so anxious to see if you might let me…" he paused, listening…Uh…?

"What?" Marshall, picturing possibilities. "Let you…What?"

"Oh, my…Anita?" Barney pondered. "Well, how about we start with dinner, at my place? Tonight? Oh, no, I'll cook."

Marshall, blinking…

His place? Cook?

"Great, well I should be set up about eight, then we could meet at…Oh, well, if you want to watch me cook, say six-thirty at my place? Great. Looking forward to it. Bye…" warm tone…He pressed button. "And, done…"

"Dude…You know murder is not an option here." Marshall nervously.

…..