Friday
The next evening, the world wasn't any brighter to Robin.
Restless and nervous she was walking through her apartment.
She couldn't do it. She couldn't go out with Ted. It wouldn't be fair to him.
Yes, maybe he could fall in love and be happy again after Tracy. But not with her.
He was just fooling himself. Things between them were over. Had been for a long time.
Robin had been changing her mind about this date back and forth. At least twenty times during the last two hours. But right now she was sure to have finally made the right decision.
She changed from her dress back into simple jeans and a blue shirt and waited for Ted to tell him that she couldn't go out with him.
When there was a knock at her apartment door, Robin suddenly panicked.
She stepped up to the door and reminded herself of the best advice anyone's ever given her.
Sometimes even three deep breaths can change everything.
Robin closed her eyes and took three deep breaths.
Then she opened the door with renewed enthusiasm and determination. Only to throw it shut a second later.
She starred at the floor and let out a breath, she'd been holding.
This can't be happening.
She pinched herself in her arm, and winced in pain. Then she slowly opened the door once again and he was still standing there.
"Barney, what are you doing here?", she asked confused.
"Ted sends me", her ex-husband answered casually and strolled past her into the apartment.
Robin was too dumbfounded to protest.
She closed the door, turned to him and just asked: "Why?"
o
o
o
Earlier that day:
Barney didn't have to go to work today and after bringing Ellie to the school bus, he was now sitting on his couch and read the newspaper, when there was a knock on his door.
Barney closed his newspaper, put it down on his coffee table and went to answer the door.
It was Ted.
"Hey", he said and came in.
Barney felt like kicking him out, feeling a terrible rage inside him, when he saw Ted.
But he didn't, because he knew that he himself was to blame for this situation. He could have just told Ted, that he didn't want him to go out with Robin, because he too still had feelings for her.
Maybe, it's not too late to do it.
"Hey, Ted. What's up?", he asked casually, hoping to correct his mistake from the day before.
"So I went to Robin's yesterday", Ted told him.
Barney could practically hear his hopes crashing.
Someone's desperate, he thought scornfully.
"Really? Awesome!", he said. "How'd it go?"
"I asked if she wanted to have dinner with me tonight and she agreed", Ted said and Barney thought he could actually feel his heart breaking.
"That's just fantastic!", he called overly excited.
"I won't go", Ted suddenly said.
"What? Why?", Barney wondered.
"Because I don't want to go out with Robin. And neither does she."
"I don't understand", Barney said confused.
"I won't see Robin tonight. You will."
"What? Ted, that's just crazy", Barney said and turned away from him to not have to look him in the eyes.
"The ointment in the bathroom was almost empty", Ted said, which stopped Barney in his steps, his back to him.
"I sent Penny up with a new tube. She saw everything."
Barney didn't speak and didn't move for a few seconds. Then he sighed, let his head fall forwards and his shoulders sagged.
Finally he turned to Ted to answer.
"If she saw everything, you'd know I got shot down."
"I know", Ted answered. "But I also know, that Robin feels the same."
"No, she doesn't!", Barney answered angrily. "You're wrong, Ted."
"When I asked her out, she said she wanted to talk with you about it first. And when I told her that I'd already gotten your blessing, I could see how much that hurt her."
Once again, Barney was silent for a few seconds, before he looked back at Ted.
"Are you sure?", he asked with a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
"She looked like a kicked puppy", Ted clarified.
Barney smiled for a second, but then he sighed and swiped a hand over his face.
"No, Ted. It just... It's too late. We've been divorced for 14 years. I have a daughter from another woman. Even if she does have feelings for me, she obviously doesn't want to."
"But you have to try, Barney! You're always gonna regret it if you don't", Ted said urgently.
"It's over, Ted. I lost her!", Barney shouted in exasperation.
Ted looked him in the eyes and replied calmly.
"No, Barney. I lost my wife. You still have a chance."
Barney felt guilty, as he realized, that Ted was right. Tracy was dead. Ted couldn't get her back, no matter what he did.
"Ted...", he started, but was interrupted.
"Promise me that you'll try!"
Barney sighed and finally answered: "Okay. I promise."
And as he made that decision, it felt as if a terrible weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Barney realized that it was the right thing to do. Because if she rejected him again, at least he'd know that he did everything he could.
"Good", Ted said smiling and turned and went for the door.
But before he left, he turned around once more.
"Barney?", he called and the blonde turned to him.
Ted grinned at gave the same advice he gave Robin, almost 18 years ago.
"Go get her."
o
o
o
Now:
Barney ended the story and they two of them remained silent.
Robin couldn't look him in the eyes. He expected an answer from her and she didn't know what to tell him.
Finally she cleared her throat and looked up to him.
"That's it?", she asked and he looked confused.
"This time no week-long preparations with fancy lies and manipulations, all of which is supposed to make me fall into your arms?", she asked, reminding him of his proposal, the last time he wanted to win her back.
Barney just shook his head, before he answered.
"I vowed to always tell you the truth. So I'm just gonna do that."
He came a step closer and Robin looked at him expectantly.
"I love you, Robin", Barney said tenderly and she had to avert her eyes. "That hasn't changed in the last 14 years, and I want to be with you."
"Barney", Robin said and looked up. "It's not that easy, anymore. I mean... you have a daughter to think about."
"Ellie adores you", Barney told her gently. "And I know you love her."
"I just can't do this anymore", Robin said, sounding desperate. "I'm 50 years old and I'm sick of this back and forth between us."
"Me too, I don't want back and forth", Barney said. "I want the same things, I wanted 18 years ago. I just want you. I want to wake up every morning and go to sleep every night, with you next to me. For the rest of my life."
By now, Robin had tears in her eyes and she nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"I can't give you an answer, right now. I need time", she said.
"It's okay", Barney said. "I can wait."
"I'm not talking hours. Not even days", Robin said. "This- this decision could take me weeks, maybe even months."
"I would wait for years", Barney told her.
"Why?", Robin asked him.
She couldn't understand, why he was willing to do this to himself.
"Because, I love you", Barney said. "I have loved you for more than 20 years and I'm sure, I'll do it for the rest of my life. So, I'd wait for you until I take my last breath."
Then he walked to the door and left her apartment without another word.
Robin was left standing in the middle of her living room, starring at the closed door. She sunk down onto the couch, burrowed her face into her hands and cried.
