Only a few hours later, Ted found himself standing in front of Robin's apartment building.
His kids had been a little bit worried to let him go. Especially alone.
They feared, he would forget his plan and try to win her back as soon as he saw her.
He took a few deep breath, reminded himself that he was doing this for Barney and rang the doorbell.
The building looked a lot like the one Robin lived in when he first met her.
Ted remembered the night, he stood in front of her door with the blue french horn.
That was 25 years ago. It was really time to let go of the hopes from back then.
"Ted?", sounded a voice from a window on the second floor and Ted looked up.
Robin had her head stuck out of the window and smiled at him.
"Hey", Ted shouted up and lifted his hand in greeting.
"Hey", Robin answered, surprised. She didn't expect to see him here.
"Eehm, will you let me in?", he asked.
"Oh, yeah. Sure", Robin answered and disappeared from the window.
The door opener sounded and Ted entered. He climbed the stairs and walked to Robin's apartment door. She was already waiting for him.
"Ted", she said. "Not that I'm not happy to see you... But allow me to ask, what are you doing in the city?"
Ted wasn't in Manhattan often anymore. Because of the kids, they all met up at Marshall and Lily's most of the time.
"I need to talk to you. Can I come in?"
Robin stepped aside to let him walk in and he took a seat on her couch.
"Can I get you something?", Robin asked. "Water, coffee, beer?"
"No, thanks. Please, just sit down and listen to me."
Robin sat down next to him and loooked at him expectantly.
"Yesterday, I told Luke and Penny the story of how I met Tracy", he said.
"You mean, how you met her at the train station and thought, she stole your umbrella?", asked Robin.
"No, the whole story. How I got the umbrella and brought it back to her, why we both were even on that train station."
"For my and Barney's wedding", Robin said easily.
Ted studied her face, hoping to catch a reaction to her own words. Maybe a hint of sadness over the thought of their divorce. But he found nothing.
She has always been good at masking her feelings.
"How you and Barney even met", Ted said now.
"Oh, Teddy-Boy", Robin sighed. "How long exactly was the story?"
"Well, I started with the night we met you and I went through the following 8 years in 4 hours."
"Eight years, Ted? That is torture", she said.
"I just thought that it was all important", Ted tried to justify his actions. Robin shook her head in amusement.
"Anyways", Ted started again. "So I told them everything that happened. Also everything that happend with Marshall and Lily and you and Barney. And when I was finished, they said..."
" "Boring"? ", Robin asked grinning.
"... that I was in love with you", Ted lied, without listening to her.
The smile fell from Robin's face.
Oh, god, no! Please, not this again!
"I've thought about it and I think... maybe, they're right", Ted said.
Robin started to panic and tried to stay calm on the outside.
"Ted...", she started, but Ted interrrupted her.
"I know, you said you don't love me, Robin. But that was nineteen years ago. Maybe time can change this things after all. We are not the same people from then. We've grown, become older and wiser. I found Tracy and thought, she was the one. But Tracy won the lottery for the second time when she met me and I believe that can happen to me, too. I never stopped having feelings for you, Robin and you've changed, too. I know that you're ready for a serious and long-term relationship and we could have that."
"Ted, we're not in our 20s anymore", Robin said. "What we do affects others. You have to think about your kids."
"Penny and Luke love you."
"I was married. What about Barney?", Robin asked. Ted could hear a slight trembling in her voice now and didn't know if it was from saying Barney's name or from her panic about this situation.
"What about him? You guys have been divorced for a long time", Ted said decidedly clueless.
"But we're still friends", Robin said. "He's my ex and you're friends with him, too. I have to at least talk to him, before making a decision."
That's the solution!, Robin thought to herself.
Barney wouldn't want her to date Ted. And she didn't want it either. She just had to ask him to tell Ted, he didn't want it, then she'd be off the hook. She only hoped, he would do her this favor, after the way she rejected him. She felt really bad about the situation, but she just couldn't go down that road again. It was tempting, but it would be a mistake.
We tried it, not once but twice. It makes no sense to try again.
"I already talked to him", Ted answered grinning.
"What?"
"Yeah, I went there earlier and he gave his blessing", Ted explained while beaming at her.
Robin's stomach turned to knots.
"Really? And he was... okay with it?", she asked.
"Completely", Ted said. "He even seemed happy about it."
Robin felt like someone had kicked her in the stomach.
How could I believe he really meant it? How could I feel bad? Barney doesn't love me anymore. He's totally over it, so why shouldn't I move on?
"So... would you like to go to dinner with me tomorrow?", Ted asked.
"Yes", Robin answered. "I'd love to, Ted."
"Great", Ted exclaimed happily. " Should I come get you here at 7?"
"Yeah", Robin said, while bringing him to her door. "Sounds good."
"Fantastic. See you tomorrow, Robin", Ted said and exited her apartment.
"See ya", Robin said and closed the door behind him.
She then leaned against the door and wondered what just happened. Everything happened so fast. She really agreed to a date with Ted.
But I don't feel that way about him. Haven't in a long time! Why the hell did I do this?, she asked herself.
But she knew the answer.
She did it because it hurt that Barney was okay with it. Only a few days ago, Barney told her he loved her. And now, he gave Ted his blessing to ask her out?
She believed him. She screamed at him and fled from the house, but she did believe him.
How could I be so stupid?
Ted was right. She was ready for a serious relationship.
She was almost fifty years old now and didn't want to spend the rest of her life alone. She was lonely. And maybe Ted was the right guy to do this with. He was a good guy, maybe the sweetest she ever met.
He would fulfil her every wish and never hurt her. Actually, she didn't like people fulfilling her wishes. She rather worked on making them come true herself. And technically, he wouldn't be able to truly hurt her, because he just didn't have that power over her heart. Unlike other people...
But it was better than the alternative. Becoming that creepy old lady with 20 dogs to keep her company, mourning her failed marriage.
Robin got a headache and started massaging her temples.
It's been a long day.
With that thought, she made her way to the bed.
