Chapter 3- Robin

Robin didn't know what do. 20 minutes earlier she had been just walking in the door from a busy day at work. Now, she might have a stepdaughter. She had managed to get Barney back off the floor, which hadn't been easy given how upset she was. He was in the shower now. Then they were going to head over to the hospital. Robin picked up her cellphone to call Marshall, they were going to need a lawyer.

"Marshall Eriksen's office." She heard Marshall's assistant Lucy say in her usual perky voice. Lucy was like a guard dog despite her perky voice. Marshall needed someone like her, he had quickly become one of the more popular judges in the city.

"It's Robin." She managed Lucy said nothing. "Sherbatsky."

"Oh yes." Lucy said, her tone changed to slight impatience. "His honor is in a meeting for about 15 more minutes, Can I have him call you back?"

"Yes, please as soon as possible, we have a bit on an emergency." Robin explained Lucy still kept her tone flat.

"I will let him know as soon as humanly possible." Lucy assured. Robin was struggling to keep it together, but she knew she had to. Barney needed her to be strong right now, for both of them. As she had the thought he appeared in the hallway. He was wearing a pair of boxer shorts and nothing else. His blond hair was wet and disheveled. He still looked paler then Robin had ever seen him.

"I'm gonna go get dressed." He said. "then we can go." He made no mention of where they were going to. She was both worried and relieved. She stepped into the bathroom herself, she didn't look much better then him. Her eyes were red and puffy. She looked like she needed a drink, but that would wait until later.

"Ready?" Barney said peeking into the doorway. He looked a little better, more normal in his Navy blue suit and tie. Robin gave him her best smile. Even in the horror of the last 30 minutes she still loved him ridiculously. He was her's and she couldn't help but admire him.

"Yeah." She managed. "I called Marshall, hopefully he'll give me a call back before we get there."

"Okay." Barney managed. He didn't deny he needed a lawyer. "I called Ted, I want a friend there with us and Ted's the best at this kind of stuff." Without saying anything Robin agreed.

They walked hand in hand down the street and hailed a cab. As soon as they were inside Barney looked nervous again. Robin squeezed his hand as tightly as she could. After several more seconds of silence he managed to speak.

"I'm scared." He said. It was a big emission for him. He had never been very good at speaking his feelings. "It's like when I got hit by that bus."

"I know it's scary." Robin said not denying the severity of the situation, but trying to comfort him.

"The truth is I'm scared for two reasons." He said. "On the one hand, I might have a daughter. I have no idea how to deal with that. I was always careful, and yet here she is. I know I slept with that girl's mother. I knew the name the moment she said it. I really could be her father."

"I could tell you knew the name. But that doesn't mean..." She started to say but Barney cut her off.

"I know that it doesn't mean that it's definitely true. There are tests that will need to be done and we will do all of them, but that's the second thing Robin. What if we run the tests and she is my daughter, what does that mean for you and me?"

"What? What do you mean?" Robin said not fully wrapping her head around Barney's question.

"You hate kids, or at the very least your afraid of them. You were relieved when they told you that you couldn't have them. I put that to bed a long time ago, because I loved you, and decided that being with you was more important to me then being a father was. You aren't going to want some kid around all time, and if she is my daughter I can't just abandon her to child protective services." He said "I'm terrified that if she is my daughter I'm gonna lose you. I can't deal with that."

"Barney." Robin said she grabbed his face kissing him as firmly and passionately as could. She smiled at him as they pulled apart "I love you Barney Stinson. I married you. Yes it's true I don't love kids, but if this girl is your daughter, we will work through all of this together. I never wanted a kid, but I wouldn't leave you because you had one. I wouldn't even know how to be me without you." He looked as if a 10 pound weight had been lifted from his shoulders. The Cab was stuck in traffic and the cabbie was clearly trying his hardest not the listen to their conversation. As Robin was wiping the tears from Barney's eyes, her phone rang.

"Hello." She said. The caller ID told her this was Marshall's phone.

"Hey it's Marshall." he paused sounding a little winded. "Lucy said there was some sort of emergency." Robin quickly explained the whole story to him. He listened without saying anything. After she was finished Marshall said nothing for several seconds.

"Bernadette Chase." Marshall finally managed. Robin didn't fully understand him. "She's the best family law attorney in the city. I've worked a few cases with her. I will see if she would take the case. She'd be much better then I would. I don't know that much about family law."

"Thank you." Robin said Barney was clinching her hand again.

"What hospital did you say?" Marshall asked.

"Midtown." She said.

"Lily and I will be there as soon as possible." He said then he hung up, before Robin could protest. It looked like all the members of the their little make-shift family would be there for them. Robin tried not to be overcome. As she looked out the front of the cab. The hospital appeared in front of them. The driver pulled over, Barney paid the meter, and they ran for the doors. Ted and his wife Tracey were already standing in the waiting area hand in hand.

"She's still seeing the doctor." Ted explained. "They wouldn't really tell us anymore."

"Thank you." Barney said, he was white again.

"Sit down, I'll get you a glass of water." Robin managed.

"No stay with him." Tracey said. She pushed a short brown hair behind her ears and disappeared.

"Where's Ella?" Robin asked as they sat Barney down. She was referring to Ted and Tracey's Infant daughter.

"Tracey's mom is watching her. We didn't really want to drag her here." Ted said He had a comforting hand on Barney's shoulder.

"I let the desk know you were here." Tracey said as she came back with the water glass. "The agent from Child Protective Services has cleared the two of you to see her as soon as the doctor says it's okay. They are going to keep her overnight for observation."

"Thanks Trace." Robin said giving the shorter girl a tight hug. Tracey may have been the newest member of their little family, but she fit like a glove. Robin had loved her from the first moment they had met.

"We will figure this out." Tracey whispered in Robin's ear.

"I hope so." Robin said back, for the first time since everything had gone down she let her composure slip a little. Let it really sink in that Barney had a daughter. She slipped down, lucky there was a chair beneath her.

"Well looks like the gangs all here." Ted said using his corny humor to announce Marshall and a very pregnant Lily's appearance. He was trying to lighten the moment, but it didn't really work. Tracey gave him a soft love slap. Robin smiled a little. Even in all the craziness, they were together.

"Mr and Mrs Stinson." A pretty nurse that looked like she couldn't have been more then 20 entered a clipboard in your hands. Barney and Robin both raised their hands. "The doctor says you can go in whenever you are ready."