Flashback: Year 2000!

"I'm home." Barney shouted as he entered his childhood home. It has been a while since he's been home, being in college for 2 years without many breaks for him to go home and see his family. So, in March he decided to pay his family a visit without telling them he was coming home. And, boy was this a surprise because his mother wasn't home when he got to the house.

"Anyone here?" He calls out hoping someone's home. He knows that without calling first to tell his mother he was coming home was debatable because he didn't think about them being there.

It has been months since Barney saw or heard from Robin and when she suddenly appeared from the kitchen the look of shock to over his face. They, were both very shocked and surprised to see each other again after all these months.

"Robin, what are you doing here?" Barney asked, wondering why Robin was in his house.

"I, I'm taking care of the house while your mother is away." Robin said smiling lightly. It's been a while (7 months to be exact) since she saw Barney but in this moment she realized how much she had missed him since he's been gone.

"Oh, where's my mother?" Barney asked, he should have called first but this visit was supposed to be a surprise so calling first wasn't an option.

"She met some guy and went away with him for the weekend." Barney is shocked but not surprised that his mother met a guy while he was away but she could've told him before he planned this trip.

"Okay, well she could have told me. So, who's this new guy she's seeing?" Barney wanted to know who this guy his mother is seeing without telling him about first.

"His name is Peter, she met him when she was out shopping one day a couple of months ago. She has been seeing him for a month now I think they're getting serious." Serious isn't what Loretta would be getting into she's always been a non commitment independent woman, as long as he has known, Loretta Stinson never gets serious with guys, while he and James were growing up, she had mostly just sleeping around, but when they were older she stopped and suddenly she just became a dotting mom. At least that's what Barney knew her to be and it shocked him that his mother could be getting serious with a guy he didn't know.

"Wow, this is shocking news." Barney took his bags and put them in the living room while trying to figure out how to tell his mother that he's back home and why his mother kept this secret about seeing a new guy from him.

Barney sat down on the couch pondering what to do next. Barney had planned to come for 3 weeks and was hoping his plan of not telling anyone about his visit would be a nice surprise but it isn't and it's a little sad that his mother didn't say anything to him about this guy she's seeing.

"So, what are you doing here? I thought you would still be in school." Robin sat down across from him in a chair wanting to talk with Barney some more because she really did miss him.

"I wanted to surprise my mother and thought by not telling anyone that I'm coming home for three weeks would be a nice way to surprise mom and spend sometime with her. So, how did you get in the house when nobody was home?" Barney asked wondering why Robin was in his house without anyone here.

"Your mom asked me to house sit while she's away and since I had nothing to do I decided to watch the house for her. Your mom and I have gotten much closer since you've been away." Yes, Robin has had a few relationships since Barney left but none of them lasted long enough for her to leave town, the last boyfriend she had was the one she broke up with before showing, unexpectedly at his dorm room door in September, but she hadn't been in a relationship since then. Her original plan after high school was to go to a college outside of the state but decided to stay in the state, so when she goes to California State University in September, she's ready for that next step. After, high school is over in June she had gotten a full scholarship to this school, it wasn't her first choice of schools but it was close to her mom and in California. She, wanted to try to go to Wesleyan to be with Barney but didn't get in, so her other options were schools in California and NYU, she decides to stay in California to get her Masters in journalism which is what she's always wanted to do when she gets older.

"Oh, well I'm glad to see you again Robin it's been a while." Barney smiled at Robin and she smiled back feeling much happier about her day because Barney's home again and she has someone to talk to since his mother isn't home.

"So, since you're home I think I'll get going and let you get settled in." Robin said standing about to leave before Barney asked. "Hey, why don't you stay? I could use the company and since mom isn't here and we haven't seen each other for a while maybe we can catch up or go out somewhere." Barney didn't want to admit it openly to her but since being away in college he has missed her. The last time he saw her, he had been starting to date, to get over her but when she showed up it changed things... even though he still dated Shannon, his heart wasn't really in it. But, because Robin was in California, far away from him. He had to find a way to move on so that's why he started to date Shannon more seriously. But, he broke up with her before coming back home to see his mother so he's again single.

Both would never admit it but neither one of them wanted another person to take the place of each other in their hearts and minds. The, both still loved each other even after two years of being apart from each other. Being with each other was the only good thing in their lives and they missed being around each other, ever day. Robin, went to see him because he was the only person who understood her and would give her the advice she needs, and it helped because just a few months later her mom, herself and sister all moved to an apartment and has lived there ever since. And, since Robin is leaving for college soon she won't be staying at home, because she's going to Southern California.

"Um, okay I guess I can stay. I have nothing else to do today anyway." Robin replied in a low sweet voice, she hasn't used that type of voice in a while and only uses it when she's around Barney. It's something she missed doing, she really has missed her best friend.

"Great, let me put my stuff upstairs and then maybe we can go out to eat?" He asked this in a question hoping that she would want to go out to eat instead of being in the house with nothing to do.

"Yeah, sure. Let me go home quickly and change my clothes. Can we meet outside in 10 minutes?" Robin asked really glad that Barney's back home and they're being friends again.

"Okay, see you soon." Barney smiled as he walked Robin to the front door. After she left he took his suitcases and bags up to his old room and then changed into something more lighter than the clothes he traveled in. And, Robin went home to change into something Barney always loved on her.

To be continued...