A/N
Hope you enjoy, and I'm sorry I haven't updated for months. I've been really focused on other stories, but I finally got back to this one :)
…
It was past midnight, Eli and Sadie had gone to bed hours ago. James, Tom and Robin had been in the living room, talking in hushed voices about Barney for quite a while, when Robin stood up.
She yawned. "Okay, I should probably go now. I have to be up for work-" she paused to the time displayed on her phone, "-in six hours. If I leave now, maybe I can get a little sleep."
"I'll drive you." James stated, getting up.
"No, don't be ridiculous, I'll get a cab." She argued.
James shook his head, insistent. "I know you're independent and strong and everything, but you live in New York City. There are a bunch of jerks, and you know Barney would kill me if something happened to you. I wouldn't be able to live with myself, either. Please, just let me drive you home. I will be able to sleep better if I know you're safe."
Robin sighed. James was stubborn, like Barney. There was no arguing with a Stinson boy. "Alright. Come on. If it'll make you feel better."
The two went outside. It was freezing and still snowing. They got in the car and started to drive. Robin checked her phone to find twenty-eight missed calls from Barney and thirty texts. She read a couple of them.
Barney: Babe, where are you?
Barney: Come home, please.
Barney: I'm really starting to worry, Robin. Please just come home.
Barney: You've been gone for six hours, please just text me back so I know you're okay.
She ignored him. She'd be home soon anyways. There were also a few texts from Lily and Tracy, Lily wanting to know where she was, and Tracy wanting to know if she was okay.
…
James pulled up outside Barney and Robin's apartment. She reached over to hug him, but he put the car in park and pulled the keys out of the ignition.
"I'm coming in. I need to talk to my brother." James said. Robin nodded and they both walked inside.
The doorman looked relieved to see her. "Mrs Stinson, Barney told me to watch for you. He's really worried."
She nodded. "I'm going up now." She and James took the elevator up to her and Barney's floor. The light was still on in the apartment, which meant Barney was still awake. She felt slightly guilty, but then remembered what he had done, and stopped. She opened the door to find Barney pacing the living room, his head down in his phone, texting her. He looked up at the sound.
"Oh, thank god you're okay." The worry on his face melted as he ran to embrace her. She remained motionless, not excepting or denying the hug. She was pissed at him, but it felt amazing to be in his arms.
"I'm going to bed." She announced, chucking her bag on the table and her coat beside it. She disappeared down the hall, into the bedroom, closing the door behind her. Barney had cleared away all the medical equipment and changed the sheets, because there was marinara sauce on the other ones. Good, at least he had some bones in his body that still knew how to be a good husband. She flicked off her shoes and changed quickly, then climbed into bed and quickly fell asleep.
James and Barney stuck to small talk until they were a hundred percent sure Robin was asleep. Barney quietly tiptoed into his and her bedroom and checked on her. The only motion was the rise and fall of her chest and the only sound was her softly snoring.
"She's asleep." He announced, closing the door and going back into the main area of the apartment. "So, what's going on, bro?"
"Don't bro me. What the hell is wrong with you? I just spent seven hours consoling your wife because you're a jerk. I don't mind, obviously. But I do mind why I was doing it, and because her selfish husband faked being sick for eight months, isn't okay. What you were thinking? What idiotic, malicious part of your body thought this was a smart idea?" James asked, accusingly.
Barney sunk into the couch. "I don't know, James. I honestly don't."
"Don't give me that! You lied to everyone! You lied to me, to mom, you even lied to your nieces and nephews! Tell me Barney, what are you going to tell them?"
He hadn't thought of that. "I don't know."
"But worst of all, the icing on the cake, was that you lied to her. You lied to your wife, Barney. This is the worst thing you've ever done. You didn't see her like the rest of us saw her. She was considerate and rarely broke down in front of you. But when she was alone or with one of us, she was a mess, Barney. I've never seen anyone like that." James was starting to yell. Barney looked horrified. Good, that's what he was going for.
"What do you want me to do, James?" Barney snapped. "I can't go back in time. All I can do is tell you how much I love her, and how much I'm sorry. Let me tell you, I've never regretted anything more in my life. And Robin? I love that girl so damn much. I don't want you to tell me how upset she was because I know, okay! I know she was devastated, and I know how crappy of a person I am!"
"Then why did you do it?" James asked. "I know I'm your brother and I'm supposed to be on your team, but I'm not! I'm just not! What you did was awful! I remember a conversation we had a few weeks before your wedding, and you told me you would do anything and everything to make Robin happy. This act, this inconsiderate, disgusting move didn't make her happy. After marrying her, you changed so much for the better and I was so proud of that. It happened to me, too, when I married Tom. But, you reverted to your single life ways. You're a we now, not an I! You have someone else to put above your own needs, and if you're not careful, you're gonna lose her. Is that what you want, Barney?"
"No! Of course not!"
"Then you need to find a way to fix this. It's not going to go away on its own."
Barney nodded. "Okay." He looked up at James. "First though, can you please tell me how bad she got? I hate myself for causing her stress and pain. I guess I didn't realize how much she loves me."
"With every fiber of her being, Barney." James replied. He sat on the couch next to his brother, milling over whether he should answer his request. "Okay. I'll tell you how bad it was, but it's only because you deserve to feel guilty."
"I already do feel guilty. But, fair enough."
James nodded. "Remember how you first faked the illness?"
Barney swallowed and nodded. "Yeah, but Marshall found me, right?"
"No. He had been held up at work and didn't have time to stop by your apartment. Robin found you."
Barney wanted to punch himself in the face. He couldn't believe his wife was the one who found him looking like that. That had never been his intention.
May 2019
Barney looked around the kitchen, making sure everything was ready. He had taken cold and flu tablets, that had drowsy side effects, so that sleeping pills wouldn't show up in his blood. The effects should be gone by the time he got to the hospital anyway. He was already feeling drowsy. He had fake blood on the ground and on his shirtless body. That day he had stayed home from work, claiming to Robin that he didn't feel well, setting the scene well for his fake illness. Being in just pajama pants meant he didn't have to ruin a suit. He had asked Marshall to come over and bring him more Kleenex. He wanted Marshall to be the one to discover him.
He laid on the ground, and let himself fall asleep.
…
Robin opened the apartment door and pulled her shoes off. She put her purse down and opened the bag of stuff she had picked up from the pharmacy. Barney hadn't been feeling great that morning and she had been worried sick all day. It was so unusual for her husband to admit to feeling unwell.
"Babe, I'm home!" She called out, distracted by the contents of the bag. She looked up, to call him again. That was when she saw him. Barney was lying on the kitchen floor, eyes closed. He had blood trickling out of his nose and possibly other parts of his body. There was a lot. She dropped to the floor beside him, tears brimming in her eyes. "Oh my god, baby, please wake up." She was starting to become hysterical as she shook him. "Barney, please." She whispered, her throat too dry to speak.
Robin wiped tears away and stood up shakily. She reached for her phone to call 911. She managed to explain to the operator what was going on, and then hung up. She stood up and found some towels to mop up the blood with. She burst into tears as she was soaking up his blood.
Back to the present – January 2020
Barney looked at James. "Slap me in the face as hard as you can. I'm such a jerk. How could I have done that to her?" He closed his eyes for a minute, before quickly reopening them. "James, please tell me that was the worst it gets."
"Not even close. She broke down so many times. There were days at a time where she didn't eat anything or sleep. She was constantly dehydrated and sleep deprived." James looked over at his brother as he continued. "She collapsed at work at one point."
Barney jumped up, nearly yelling, "she what!"
"Shut up or you'll wake Robin up." The both paused for a minute, listening. When Robin didn't stir, they continued. "It was the longest she'd gone without sleeping and eating. Nearly a week. She was only at work because she needed something to take her mind off you."
"Why did nobody tell me?" Barney sounded mad.
James rolled his eyes. "It was just after they moved you to the ICU. We sure as hell weren't telling you that you caused that much stress to her when we thought you were really that sick."
"I would've abandoned the stupid act if I had've known!"
"We didn't think you were acting!" James stood up. "It doesn't matter. She's fine, you're fine. You have to do something to make it up to her. To apologize for what a jackass you were. She needs to know she comes first, Barney. I have to go."
"Bye." Barney said, distracted.
"Text me tomorrow, so I know Robin's okay."
Barney nodded. As the door closed behind James, the cogs in Barney's mind were working. Trying to figure out how to fix things with Robin. There was only one thing he could do…
…
A/N
This is my least popular story, and a totally random one to upload to, lol. Oh well. Hope you liked it, and there's one chapter left.
