Another Daddy!Barney story because I just love them so much! It's really going to focus around him and his daughters relationship, but I haven't really figured everything out.

Sorry if it takes a few days between chapters. I'm writing this as I go and sometimes I end up taking awhile to get everything perfect.

I own nothing. Please review!

"Thanks for doing this, Ted," Barney said putting two bags on the floor, "I couldn't get out of this meaning."

"It's no problem," I smiled, "Hey Zoë."

The three year old was cuddling into Barney's chest, but when I said her name she looked over at me. A small yawn came from her lips before she buried her head in her Daddy's neck once more. It was three in the morning after all.

Barney had called me half an hour ago saying that his boss needed him to give a presentation at four o'clock. In the morning! What job does that? Barney's job apparently. Based off his voice and how quickly he was ready it happened quite a lot.

He had never had someone to take care of though. That meant he needed someone to take care of Zoë while he was at work. I was honestly glad that the man had chosen me. Even if it was really early.

The was when I noticed something I rarely saw. Barney didn't have a suit jacket on. No, that was wrapped around Zoë like a small blanket. It was so…Something I never though I'd describe Barney as…Adorable.

In all the years I had known Barney I had never thought of what the man would be like if he ever had children. Him with kids honestly seemed laughable and not just to me, but our whole group.

It was a ludicrous thought. Until you looked at the two of them together. Seeing him like this I wondered how I could have thought he'd be horrible at this. The man was a complete natural.

I closed the door behind him when he walked into my apartment. Barney had said that he only had enough time to drop his daughter off, but now he looked like he was tempted to call in sick and stay.

Zoë had only been in Barney's life for a little over a month and he had changed so much. Well, I think he had a lot of his spare time had been spent with his daughter. The two just getting to know each other.

Because of that no one had really gotten to spend a lot of time with Zoë. Though we did wonder how the man had enough vacation time to pull all of this off. Barney didn't tell us. Not that we expected him to.

Today was his first day back and he had already been called in early. It wasn't going exactly to plan for the guy, but all things considered I though he was doing fairly well. If he would put Zoë down and go to work.

"Bro," I spoke quietly.

"I know," Barney sighed, "Just…She's allergic to onions. She likes playing pretend. She'll never tell you if she doesn't feel well. If she mentions her Mother do. Don't push her. She likes…"

"Barney…"

"Yeah, I know. I'm being one of those…"

"You're being a Father. But if you don't leave you'll be in trouble at work. I got her and I'll call if I need anything. Go."

Barney let out another sigh but shifted Zoë into my arms a second later. Once she was secure he stepped back and cleared his throat. I never thought I'd see the day Barney Stinson didn't want someone to leave.

"It should have been you," Barney whispered not looking away form his daughter.

"What?" I asked in confusion.

"You should be the one someone is calling Daddy."

"You're a good Dad, Barney."

"Maybe. But you deserve it."

Before I could say anything in return the new father kissed Zoë on the forehead and left. It wasn't often that this happened, but the blonde had left me speechless. And it had nothing to do with a harebrain scheme that he was cooking up.

I couldn't believe I was about to think this, but was Barney…Was it possible that the man that had just left wasn't as self-assured as I had always though he was? It just made no sense to me.

Barney was a man of a thousand plans. All more ridiculous than the last and doomed to failure. If they had been planned out by anyone, but Barney. The wildest, craziest things happened to the guy because of that confidence.

Don't get me wrong I knew he still had that in him, but not when it came to Zoë. For the first time in a long time Barney was a regular guy and I found that I couldn't enjoy it nearly as much as I wanted to.

I had always wanted to see Barney be a real person. To stumble and trip. Not to be mean or anything, but because I thought it would make the guy a little easier to deal with. A little more human.

Now seeing the Great and Awesome Barney Stinson like this just made me worry about him and Zoë. Worried that the man was going to change too much and what should be amazing would end horribly.

Barney was a good guy, even with all of his flaws. Yeah, I knew there was a lot, but he did have good intentions when it came to the people he cared about. And there was no doubt that he loved Zoë.

"You're a lucky kid," I whispered to the now sleeping child, "I just hate how you had to meet him."

It was horrible to think it, but if Zoë's mother had never gotten sick than Barney never would have met his daughter. And with how he was acting I truly hated myself for being happy that they two now knew each other.

Sighing I shook my head and put Zoë in my bed before going back into the living room. The couch wasn't all that uncomfortable it would be fine to sleep on for the rest of the morning. Which is exactly what I did.

The sun was up by the time I was woken up, but I couldn't focus on that with a pair of blue eyes staring at me. Blinking a few times I sat up trying to figure out what was going on when I remembered Zoë was here.

"Hey, Kiddo," I spoke sleepily, "What's…"

"Potty," Zoë said quickly bouncing where she stood.

Pointing towards the bathroom door I watched the three year old run chuckling softly to myself. She was such a beautiful child. That was going to be horrible for Barney when boys started to notice her.

I could just see the boys lining up to date her and her Father scaring each and everyone away. I mean, after everything the blonde had done to the female of the species he'd never let anyone near his daughter.

As funny as I knew that was going to be I also knew that it was going to be hell for Barney and Zoë. Who really wanted an overprotective Dad stopping their love life before it even began?

I didn't think I'd ever get used to thinking of Barney as a Father, but I truly couldn't wait until I got to spend a day just watching him and his daughter interact. If it was anything like this morning I'll be proud.

Was it weird that I felt proud seeing one of my best friends acting mature? It wasn't like I was his Father or anything I had just never seen him like this before. It was really something else to see.

Shaking my head of the thoughts I picked up my cell phone and saw that it was almost seven. Is this when Zoë normally woke up? It didn't really matter, I wasn't going to be sleeping anymore today.

"Hey Zoë," I said with a stretch, "You awake now?"

"Yup," Zoë responded her black hair on the unruly side.

"Alright. How does breakfast sound? I make a mean bowl of cereal."

"With cocoa milk?"

"Your Dad gives you chocolate milk with breakfast? Sure, I think I have some…"

"No. Cereal make cocoa milk?"

"Cereal make…Oh. The cereal turns the milk chocolate. That I can do. Sorry. I don't really know how to speak kid."

"Daddy too."

Biting my lip I told myself I wouldn't pry, but I couldn't help myself. I needed to know how everything was going with the two of them. Even if it meant asking some questions to a sleepy three year old.

I wasn't sure if that made me a bad person, but I had to know. No one could really blame me for wanting to know, could they? It was just something that I had to know. Hopefully Barney didn't get mad at me for it.

"What's it like living with your Daddy?" I questioned getting the cereal down.

"Fun," Zoë nodded, "He's good Daddy."

"I'd bet. What's your favorite part?"

"Story time!"

"Your Daddy reads to you a lot?"

"Yeah. And…And…And he does voices! He sounds scary when the Big Bad Wolf, but he said…He said he'd no get me with him around. He'd protect me."

I couldn't help but smile at that Barney had pushed past being a good Father in my eyes with that. He had surpassed every thought I had in my mind and that was amazingly awesome to see.

"It sounds like you really like your Daddy," I smiled putting the bowl in front of her.

"Yup, Daddy good," Zoë agreed, "Miss Mama."

"I'm sorry, Zoë. It must be hard"

"Have Daddy. He's not leaving, right?"

"No, I doubt he'd leave you. He loves you."

"Love him too."

"I know. Hey, after you eat what do you say we play with some of this things Daddy brought with you? I'm sure we can come up with something fun."