2010

"What if we all just had like a movie night for her?" Asked Ted.

"Chimichanga" Lily murmured to Marshall.

"Um, we have to go" Marshall said excitedly grabbing Lily's hand and rushing out.

"Is it just me or are those two doing it more often than usual?" Ted laughed.

"It's disgusting, what sane human being would want to have a child?" Barney scowled.

"Come on, they're ready" Ted insisted.

"Lily's obviously not in her right mind, that hot dog guy looked nothing like me"

"That's how we know she's ready, deep down she didn't want to wait for the 5th doppelgänger, and Marshall's wanted this for a long time, remember what he said at his thirtieth?"

2008

Marshall was walking with Lily up the stairs to their apartment holding hands. "I wish our apartment was ready" Marshall groaned thinking of the slanted floors at the apartment he and Lily had just bought. "I wish you'd worn pants" Lily replied. Upon getting to the door Marshall was surprised to find it locked. "The door's locked, Ted must have gone out, do you have your keys?" he said.

"Dammit Ted!"

"Lily calm down, he's probably at the bar, wait here" Marshall turned to head downstairs.

"No, no, why don't we just wait here for a minute and" Lily paused and looked at the door "maybe Ted's in the apartment!"

"...he's probably downstairs..." Marshall insisted.

"Or maybe he's in the apartment!" Lily shouted hoping Ted would hear and open the door. "Okay... I'm just going to see if he's in the bar" Marshall said starting to get freaked out with his wife's behaviour. "Where the hell is he?" Lily sighed.

Earlier that night

Ted was setting up a 'happy birthday' banner over the fireplace while Robin spoke on the phone; they were setting up the apartment for Marshall's 30th. "That was Lily, she's with Marshall and it's all going according to plan" Robin said, putting her phone down.

"Great! Barney should be here any minute with the cake, although who knows with those crutches" Ted replied stepping down from the step ladder he had used to set up the banner. "Oh my god!" Robin shouted as she read something on her phone.

"What's wrong?" Inquired Ted.

"I just got a text from work, I have to go in, they want me to cover a story" Robin replied, looking up from her phone. "Are you kidding? You can't do that, Lily and Marshall will be here soon" said Ted.

"Yeah, of course, yeah... It's just, if I don't go they'll give the job to someone else and what if that becomes permanent?" Robin frantically asked.

"Come on Robin, that won't happen, you're a great anchor, and this is Marshall's 30th!" Ted shouted hoping he would get through to her.

"Yeah, yeah you're right but umm, this is a big story and if the substitute is really good-"

"They'll not be as good as you" Ted interrupted.

"I am pretty good" Robin smirked, admiring her reflection on her phone screen.

"You know what? You never told me what happened on Lily's 30th birthday" said Ted hoping to change the subject. Robin smiled back at him and replied "yeah, and I never will"

"Come on!" Ted insisted.

"No, Ted" Robin said turning away as the she thought about the event.

"Well if you think-" Ted was interrupted by his phone "hang on I got a text from Barney... he's outside, he needs some help getting upstairs"

Ted left the apartment leaving Robin alone. She looked at her phone and bit her lip. "I've got time" she said to herself. She quickly ran to the door and left the apartment not long after Ted hoping she'd be able to sneak past him and get back before Marshall and Lily arrived. To her surprise she caught no sight of Ted or Barney on the stairs or outside. "Where are they?" she wondered before hailing a cab to get to work.

Later that night

"Lily? Where are you?" Asked Robin over the phone on her way out of Metro News 1. "Where am I? Where are you? And where's Ted? He's not picking up?" Replied Lily outside the apartment.

"He's not back yet? I'm so sorry, I'm on my way, I swear"

"Back? Where'd he go?"

"Last I saw him he left to help Barney up the stairs"

"Barney!" Lily hissed.

One week ago

"...and then she takes the spoon back off the guy and uses it to-"

"Enough Barney! We're not hiring a stripper for Marshall's party" Lily shouted bringing an end to Barney's graphic description of his ideas for Marshall's 30th birthday party. "I don't think I can use a spoon ever again" said Ted, disgusted. The gang had managed to buy some time without Marshall by making up a story about a great Viking lamp at a flea market. "Come on, this isn't fair, I didn't even get to go to Ted's 30th birthday party, you all owe me this" said Barney.

"You slept with Robin" replied Ted.

"Yeah I did" Barney smirked and raised his hand for a high five off Robin. She simply smiled shook her head leaving Barney to lower his hand and say "you guys need to start appreciating me"

"We'll keep that in mind" Robin smiled back at him. Barney was about to reply when the sight of Robin smiling at him made him lose his train of thought. He shook his head, looked at the ground and wondered how long this 'love' thing would last.

"Oh! You know what Marshall would love? I should phone up his mom and get the recipe for her seven layer salad" Lily said ecstatic while everyone else looked at her confused. "Seven layer salad?" Ted asked.

"Oh yeah... I helped make it that time we went to Minnesota for thanksgiving, it's like 80% mayonnaise but Marshall seems to love it" she replied looking disgusted as she remembered having to eat it. "Are you guys seriously not going to let me hire Violet for the party?" Barney whined in a high pitched voice.

"No!" Yelled Ted, Lily and Robin all at once.

"Fine, you know what? I'm going to throw my own party!" Replied Barney.

"You do that Barney, but no one will be there because we'll all be at our party" said Lily.

"Oh, we'll see, we'll see..." said Barney as he rose to his feet "Mwahahahaahhaha!"

One week later

"Okay... I'm just going to see if he's in the bar" said Marshall as he began to head downstairs. "Where the hell is he?" Lily sighed.

"You say something, Lil?" Marshall shouted from the stairs.

"Uh yeah, I just need to make a phone call, I'll be down in a sec" she shouted back as she selected Ted from her contact list. "Okay!" Marshall yelled as he continued to go downstairs. "Going to find my buddy, Ted, down, down, down" he sang to himself as he walked down the stairs.

Marshall strolled into the bar and went to speak to Carl "Hey, Carl, have you seen Ted? We can't get into the apartment"

"No, sorry, man" he replied. Marshall went outside and looked around again, wondering where Ted would have gone at this time of night. "Psssst, Marshall!" he heard a voice coming from a limo parked outside Maclaren's. He approached the vehicle, not exactly sure what to expect. When the window rolled down more Barney stuck his head out and smirked "hey! We've been waiting ages for you man! Get in!"

"Barney?" Marshall stepped into the limo and saw Ted sitting there too "what's going on?"

"Dude it's your birthday! Did you think I was just going to let you sit upstairs with your hand in your pants while you watched Seinfeld reruns?" Asked Barney sarcastically.

"Yeah I don't know buddy, I had a nice time with Lily now I just wanna relax, don't make a big deal outta this" said Marshall.

"Come on man, I just talked Ted into this don't tell me I have to convince you too" replied Barney.

"Sorry, guys, Ted, can I have the keys" Marshall asked going to open the door. "Sure, I understand, glad you had a good time" Ted said reaching into his pocket. "Ranjit! Drive!" Shouted Barney and the limo immediately pulled out and accelerated onto the road in response "let the party begin!"