Sorry this took so long, it was actually the next chapter that wasn't fitting in, I've decided to just cut it, there's no way of making it work.


Somehow he wasn't disappointed that the message was from Robin.

The next morning

"So where are you right now?" Robin asked Barney over the phone.

"Just taking a little drive."

"Well you sound a little better."

"It's the clothes, nothing like a fresh suit." He grinned.

He wasn't driving, he had woken up in the morning with yet another happy family, and it had put him in a lousy mood, so he had packed up, rented a car, and had located the nearest strip club, he had tried going in but decided it was too fancy a place and had driven till he found a seedier one. But the women in that one reminded him of Quinn and he had kept thinking of all the poor fools who loved these individual women. At the third place he was convinced all the women had been warned off him, that's when he realized that strip clubs may never be the same again. That had really bummed him out, the only thing good to happen that day, was the call he got from Robin outside the third place.

After he hung up, he decided Atlantic City would be the way to go.

Robin had woken up unsure of where she was, the last three nights had been three different beds.

Her neck was a little wet that meant John, he always tried to wake her by kissing her neck, was never able to pull off, she smiled to herself with her eyes still closed there was some things he just had no talent for.

He had gone down to the bagel place to get breakfast for them. they sat at the breakfast nook eating, drinking coffee and sharing the paper. It was a nice start to the day after the last two crazy ones.

"I should go, have to get changed." Robin said.

"I cleared a drawer for you."

Robin smiled, the pace felt right again. "Ok."

John smiled as well, "Ok."

Yesterday had been such a nice day after she had given the rest of it to him. There was just so much less drama, ok so she had lied a couple times in the last couple of days, but she was on the right path now. She would help Barney survive this as best she could, but she would leave more of it in their hands.

As soon as she left the building, she called Barney.

"Where are you?"

"The coast, I'm staying in a nice little place right by the water, "

He still sounded a little off.

"Where are you really?"

"OK fine, I'm in by Atlantic City. "

"How much have you lost? "

"I'm great, I'm up. "

He was still wandering, she wished he would just come back to the city and try to get Quinn back, or flirt with some just-turned 18-year-old, but here in the city, where tracking him down was simple, and more predictable. But the truth was, in some ways, Atlantic City was good for Barney, although he would have to combat his gambling addiction again, there was something about that place that always got him focused, and right now he needed to figure out what he wanted to do about Quinn and everything else.

The next three days Robin spent her evenings with John and her mornings talking to Barney, he was was a little distant, but he was sounding more like his old self, and for three days he promised to come back the next morning. She wasn't exactly sure where he would actually stay when he came back, she was avoiding going anywhere near his place in case she ran into Quinn again, so she couldn't actually check if she was still there, Marshall and Lilly no longer had a spare room, and Ted was with Victoria in his studio, the only place there was any room was her place and while she was practically living with John that was still very different from actually doing so.

On the third day at lunch with John, Robin was distracted with how to get Barney back into the city, and Ted had been texting her all day, asking how he could be less pushy cause he felt like he was in a losing battle with Victoria, John didn't and couldn't know any of this, her mind completly distracted by the other men in her life seemed like far too much for their still rather fresh romance. She was so distracted all she heard was the tail end.

"i know this is fast, and I don't want to scare you, but this is what I want, you are what I want, "

She froze had she just faked interest during a proposal?

"It is a little fast," her mind raced, "Lets start a little smaller, how about the trip to Milan? Why don't we start off with that." She really hoped that hadn't been what he had been talking about.

"Is it, though you're practically living at my place already? i mean i know you have a great place as well and we can always sub-lease it, if you still need to hold onto it."

Moving in, that was the conversation, ok that she could handle, that way Barney could take her place, and she could just move in with John. That was a big step though, she needed more time to think this all over. "I'm sorry I'm going to need a little more time for this one."

He paused like he was going to say something, then seemed to change his mind and said "One small step at a time, I'm exited about Milan, I'm so glad you've agreed to it, there's a festival in..."

She was lost in thought again, it really was time to get Barney back, if for nothing else, so that her brain wouldn't get stuck on him and stayed focused on this off the rails relationship she seemed to be in.

She told him she needed some time to think it over, and left. She called Lily on the way who was buzzing with excitement, who then told Marshall and they were both on board let's keep the train going at 150 kilometers per hour. She then tried Ted, who was also on board, he tried to get Victoria's opinion, but quickly figured out she wasn't actually there. He mumbled something about her being at the neighbors again, and hung up. There was really something up with her.

She went home and looked the place over, she packed all of her more intimate clothing and belongings, if Barney Stinson was coming into this place, all that stuff needed to not be here, but she couldn't take it over to John's, and didn't really want to drop it off at someone else's place, so she took it all with her, and took a car service.

Barney's morning had started off great, he was still up, not as much as before, but still almost $6,000, by the afternoon though it had gone wrong and he was down around $11.000 he went up to the room to shower and change, he hadn't changed in a couple of days, as he was getting out of the shower there was a knock at the door, he opened it, Robin was standing there.

"Robin?"

His eyes looked exhausted again, how long had he been up for this time? "Ted needs you"

"Oh Ted needs me?" Barney grinned.

"Yeah, he's been having a hard time with Victoria, she's been acting strange, and he needs you to um... Ok I need you. "

"You need me then?"

"John is getting so serious, and I feel like we've skipped all these steps in the middle, like he's ready for something tomorrow and is in such a rush to get there, and everyone is telling me to go for it, and I don't know if I should. "

Barney looked directly in her eyes and everything else sort of faded, but she controlled her emotion and broke his gaze. What was it about him that always corrupted her? She looked back up, he was still there, in the moment, lost to her.

"Come home."

He turned away, "I don't really have a home right now."

"There's Ted's place." Robin suggested, after all that would be so much simpler.

"Two guys in a studio? I don't think so. And before you say it, the baby has the spare bedroom at Marshall's."

There was no scenario wherein this was a good idea and she would probably have to move in with John but she said it anyway, "There's my place."

"With you?"

He was standing far too close to her now, her heart raced.

"I'm not sure. After all we've proven that you are physically incapable of not getting into bed with me."

"You're the one that clearly can't sleep without me."

"I don't think we should do this, " He was right, he really was, but he clearly wasn't managing on his own,

"There aren't any other options, you shouldn't be on your own, and we need you in New York, everyone is out of control without you."

This was such a bad idea, but happy families hadn't helped, and Atlantic City on his own hadn't helped, how much worse could this option really be.

"Ok."

"Ok? Great, finally, I am so sick of worrying about you. now get dressed and let's go."

He went into the bedroom to change, but left the door a little open so they could talk through it.

"How did you do at the end?"

"I'm down."

"Life savings still intact?"

"Yeah, it didn't get that bad."

"When was the last time you slept?"

He opened the door, he was in his boxers, "I haven't. Not since the other night."

She hugged him, he felt some of the stress leave his shoulders, a part of him just wanted them to stay there, just spend the night, be able to sleep again.

Robin interrupted the thought, "Ok. That's it, you're coming home with me, you finish dressed, I'll pack up."

She found her eyes drifting a couple times to him getting dressed. Enjoying the view. As they were leaving the room he took her bag, lifting it up, he shook it and asked. "Is this a bag of dirty things?"

She took it from him, "No." She blushed a little.

He smiled "Robin, why are you traveling with all your intimates, exactly what did you have in mind for this weekend?"

"It started off as a good idea. Just give me the bag."

"Is the little red one in here, ooh the strappy one, the black lacy one? And..." Shaking the bag again. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Just give me the bag,"

"Not in on your life. Unless..."

"Ok, let's just go."

Robin went to rent a car, while Barney went to check out, she spent ten minutes outside the hotel, before she realized she had to go back in and drag him out of the casino.

Bareny fell asleep in the car on the drive back, still holding onto her bag. Looking out at the road ahead, a part of her just wanted tò keep going, put off moving in with John, and Barney's inevitable confrentation with Quinn and just keep feeling like this. Barney woke when they were just getting into the city, "So you didn't kidnap me, and take me to some secluded cabin in Vermont to seduce me back into your web?"

"So you're feeling more like yourself again?"

Anyone else had missed a week of work, they would have gotten fired. Barney got promoted.