PART 5

Beta: Roland44

A/N: Posted tonight by popular demand for magpieinthesky and sbmshaneomaniac. And now I shall fall onto my bed. BED!

Barney hadn't seen Ted's kids in a decade – or just about. He still got a few Christmas cards from them but he wasn't big on Christmas.

So he got a new suit for the occasion, cleaned up good. His eyes might give something away, he wasn't sleeping that much – aside from that he looked awesome.

He was patiently waiting with Marshall – who was still as tall as ever.

"Nervous?"

"Hehehe," he chuckled hoarsely, "please." He paced the floor one more time. "Do you think they'll remember me?"

"I don't know," Marshall said looking through the latest news.

"Well, did they ever talk about me?!" Barney became anxious.

"Uh, maybe... Look at that, FOX news is facing bankruptcy!"

"Marshall, focus!" He used his classic two fingered focussing manoeuvre. Marshall couldn't help but smile. "What?"

"Barney, you haven't done the 'focus' thing in 7 years."

"Oh," he paused to think. "Really?"

--

"I'm fine, really!" Ted insisted, trying to convince Robin. She wasn't, but she knew that pushing the topic further couldn't do much good. "How are the kids?" He changed topics; they were the ones who really mattered. He turned and pretended to rearrange something on his bed side, anything.

"They're good... They're drawing pictures in the living room..."

"Good..." He wished his voice didn't make that noise.

"Ted?" She hesitated. "We have to talk."

"What's there to talk about?"

"Well, for one David keeps asking me where daddy is, and," she hesitated but gravely added, "Linda wants to know if you're sick too."

"Me-?..." Ted stammered, "oh God, no... I ..." he fell back on his bed, griping his forehead. He let out an aggravated sigh, angry at himself. All they had left was him, and he couldn't face them. He felt his lips quiver.

"It's okay, Ted," her comforting voice rang in, penetrating his head. She sat down beside him, and he sat up.

"No, no it's not okay. My wife, my 'the-one'... she's... she's gone. She died and I'll never see her again; I'll never hear her again; I'll never get to make her laugh or kiss her again; all I have, all that's left, are those two beautiful children. She left them behind, 'cause I'm supposed to be able to take care of them, and I'm not!" He fell back down on his bed. Robin thought for a second allowing him to add, with a small sob, "I should've been the one to go..."

"Ted," she said as sweet-fully, as caringly, as seriously as she could, "don't say that. What happened was terrible. And it wasn't your fault, it wasn't anybody's fault." He sat back up. "She's gone. And I'm sorry. But you do have two wonderful kids. And I know you're a great dad."

He gulped and blinked away what tears had formed.

"Ted, I know it's hard to believe you can pull through this. But you can, and you will. And – and I don't want to rush you, but one day, some day, you will heal. And some day, you'll get together with someone new. You're a gre-"

She never got to finish her sentence. It's hard to talk while someone's kissing you.

--

"Hi," the aging blond man said. He stood a good fifteen feet from the door, one hand nervously tugging at his suit, the other in his pocket. It was hard to tell if he was smiling or about to cry.

David was the first to step forward.

"Hey, I'm –"

"David, I uh... I know, I'm Barney – Uncle Barney." A grin spread across his face. "You look just like your dad."

"Uh..." He turned to his sister, who awkwardly introduced herself, as well.

"I'm Linda. Hello," she smiled politely, "Uncle Barney."

"Hi..." he said softly as his smiled widened. "Wow... You two have grown so much..."

"So we have met you before!" David smirked, and gave his sister an 'I told you so' glare. She immediately frowned and mouthed 'no'. When David turned back around he saw that the blond suited man's joyful expression was broken. He looked away, licking his lips, hoping to find a secret get-away somewhere.

"Hey," Lily interrupted, wanting to salvage the situation, "you kids want a snack?"

--

"I'm sorry, Barney," Ted said as soon as Linda was gone.

"Sorry? You're sorry?" His temper flared. "You slept with.. Robin. Ro-..." His jaw clenched up again. The pain, the painful truth of the situation came up again.

Robin was spending all her time with Ted, at Ted's – at first it was to help him, to help with the kids, with the house, with the bills; to help him cope. But it had been months. She spent more time with Ted than with Barney. She and Ted even started doing their "private" jokes again. Last month, the three of them went out to eat and Barney felt like the third wheel.

"Ted..." he bit down, biting into his lip, trying to stay strong – to look it at least; trying not to cry. "Ted, I love her." It came out as a desperate plea, his voice breaking as he spoke. All he could think, all he could wish for, he tried his best to demonstrate but the words never quite made it out; Please, don't take her from me...

--

"How was I supposed to know he'd remember us!" David hissed to his sister. She aggressively handed him a pouch of juice.

"'How was I suppose to know'," she mimicked, mocking his tone. "I told you to play it cool!"

"No you didn't!"

"Uh, hello! Anybody in there!?" She continued to whisper angrily, gently tapping his head.

"Hey!"

"Sshhh!" She turned around to make sure no one had heard them before glaring once more at her younger brother. "Love triangle! Dad, Aunt Robin and Bar – Uncle Barney. How could you not see the division? They were all, like, best friends, Dad even admitted to already dating Aunt Robin and Bar –", she sighed, once more correcting herself, "Uncle Barney was crushed when they were 'friends with benefits'."

"I still don't get that term..."

"Focus!" She pointed her index and middle finger to her eyes. "She and Dad got married, and we've never even heard of him before! How's he supposed to feel about that?"

--

Barney took another shot. "Wendy!" He mumbled, "I wannanother..."

"What?" Carl frowned. Wendy was at a table; Barney was sitting at the bar.

"More please," the clearly intoxicated man smiled to his provider.

"No, Barney, I'm cutting you off tonight." Carl took Barney's glass back – wrestling it away.

"GAH! I hate you, I hate you all!" He folded his arms and pouted. "I am a paying customer, citizen! I vote and stuff... Do you know who I am!"

"A drunken jackass..." The woman who had just installed herself on his right murmured. Barney shot her a look, taking a few breaths which he exhaled angrily through his nose. She ignored him for the most part; she was waiting for a refill.

"No!" He finally spat out like a child, upset over the truth. "I...I'm Barney. Is who I am..."

The brunette smiled, though utterly confused, she had to admit he was cute. "Well, Barney, I suggest you head home." She winked; drink now in hand and prepared to get back to her table. "Y'ain't getting any tonight."