Authors Note: In the previous chapter, I introduced Ellie's mom as Tridesa Jedan. It is pronounced like this - Tridesa (Tree-dessa) Jedan (Yay-don). Tris for short, like Trish without the h. Points to the person who can figure out the significance of her name :). Also, I know that this jumps ahead a year and a half, but I am not looking to write novel length fic. I feel this will go about 5 more chapters at most, unless I continue writing after 2030.

Chapter 3 - Loss Compounded

Fall 2026

The sky was bright and blue in huge contrast to the storms raging in the heart of Ted Mosby. Two years. That thought continued to echo in his mind as he drove into the wooded Banks Cemetery. He pulled his car off to the side, turned the key, and sat. He had been here numerous times over the past year, but today was different. "Okay, Ted, you can do this." He opened the door, grabbed the small bunch of flowers from the garden, and headed down the well known path towards Tracy's grave. He stood in front of the familiar headstone, placed the flowers in the small vase attached to the stone, and began to cry. Not a so called, teary-eyed 'manly' cry, but the cry of a man who has had his soul ripped from his body. He sank to his knees and continued to weep for what seemed to him an eternity. When his tears finally ran dry, he sat cross legged on the ground and stared at her tombstone. "Hey, Trace. It's been two whole years since you left. I really have no idea how I'm going to do this. I've been trying so hard to keep things together, but lately that ache in my chest just won't go away. I-I just miss you so much, more each day then the last." He sat quietly for a few minutes, then with a sigh, got up, dusted himself off, took one last look at the cold, hard ground that held his beloved, got into his car, and drove home.

HIMYM

Ted arrived home to find it empty. This was strange as he had left his two children with Robin, and intended to take them to the grave site upon his return. "Robin! Luke! Penny!" Ted began to worry, but just then spotted a note on the kitchen counter.

Ted,

I tried to call you but your phone must have been off. Straight to Voice-mail. Anyway, I took Penny and Luke into the city. They were getting really sad about going to see their mom, and refused to go. I knew this would upset you, so I decided to take them into the Bronx Zoo to take their minds off of things. Take a deep breath and don't go crazy. We'll be back around 2.

Robin

Ted closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. He was thankful that Robin was able to help with the kids, but at times, he wondered if that was a good thing. He took three deep breaths, Tracy's preferred remedy to think things through calmly, and relaxed. He knew Robin had the best of intentions, and he would have been highly upset if the kids had refused to his face to go to Tracy's grave. He sighed, grabbed a book, and headed into his office to relax and await their return.

HIMYM

Ted was startled awake by a giant stuffed lion staring him in the face. He screamed and jumped up off the couch in his study, and heard giggling coming from the doorway. He narrowed his eyes at the three laughing culprits, and then joined in the laughter. "Welcome back. Did you guys have fun?"

"Dad, the lion was so cool. He had such a big mane!" Luke said.

"The monkeys were so much cooler!" exclaimed Penny.

"Well, sounds like you guys have some favorite animals. Go get washed up, and we have to start on your homework. You have school tomorrow." Ted laughed as his two children grumbled on their way up the stairs. "You gonna be around for dinner?" he asked Robin.

"No can dosville, baby doll," smirks Robin as Ted gives her a dirty look. "I'm going out tonight with Eddie."

"Nice. So he's back in town?"

"Yeah, just for a couple weeks, so we're gonna spend some time together while he's here before he goes back out on assignment."

"Cool. Tell him I said hi," and Ted waved to Robin as she walked out the door.

HIMYM

Later that night, Ted was having a video chat with Marshall. "Hey, Marshall. How are things?"

"Great buddy. How's today been?" Marshall said with concern.

"Well, to tell the truth, it started out rough, but then I came home and got to relax. Robin took the kids to the zoo."

"Really? Robin came over? I thought you guys were still fighting?"

"Nah. I gave that up about a month ago. I realized that she was really hurt when Tracy… Hooo… sorry, give me a minute bro." Ted looked away, silently shedding tears as the memories began to slam into him full force. "Marshall, I'll call you back." He turned off the video phone and wept silently, not wanting to wake the just sleeping children upstairs. His video phone chimed that he was receiving a call. He wiped his eyes, took a deep breath, and checked the ID. His mother was calling. He thought this odd, because he had just talked to her two hours ago. "Hi, Mom. Did you forget something?"

"Sweet pea, I have some very bad news."

Ted inhaled sharply, taking note of his mother's red-rimmed eyes. "Oh, god, what, Mom?"

Virginia looked at her son through the video screen, barely containing the tears threatening to leave her eyes. "Ted, your father died."

HIMYM

The trip to Cleveland for his fathers upcoming funeral was extremely morose. Ted had not spoken to anyone but his children since the night he had found out his father had died. It turned out his father had been dead for more than three days before his body was found in his apartment. He had had a brain aneurysm while sleeping during a week of vacation from work, (which is why no one had missed him) and had felt nothing. Virginia was still listed as his emergency contact, so was phoned when his body was found. Ted continued to stare out the passenger window of the SUV being driven by Barney.

"Ted, just a couple more exits. Are we going straight to your mom's house?" Barney asked. Ted silently nodded. "Ted, you'll have to tell me the exact location."

Ted turned dead eyes to his friend, and wordlessly input his mother's address into the in dash GPS. He then sighed, and went back to looking out the window.

HIMYM

After the funeral, Clint and Ted's mom had held a luncheon at their home, honoring their friend. After everyone left, and had gone to hotels or home, Ted was sitting alone in the living room of the house he grew up in with a bottle of scotch in front of him, and glass in his right hand. He sighed, and took a sip. He heard soft foot steps entering the room, and Robin came and sat beside him. "Ted?"

"Yeah?"

"Penny and Luke are worried about you. They say you seem worse, more sad. What's going on? I mean besides the obvious. They say its been like this for a couple months." Robin looked worriedly at her friend.

Ted took another sip of his scotch, poured a glass for Robin, and started talking. "Yeah. It's getting harder to deal with. Ever since I started back teaching, I keep just thinking about her. I have trouble concentrating, and I only eat with the kids, to make sure they're eating."

"Oh, Ted. And now with your dad dying, it must make it so much worse…"

"You know what? I'm sad that he died, but we weren't really that close. His death is so much different than hers. With him, yeah, he was my dad, and raised me, but when your parents get into their 70s, you kind of expect to get that call. With Tracy, God, it felt like my heart was ripped into tiny pieces, with only two little pieces left for my kids. The biggest thing about my dad's death was hearing it on the anniversary of her death."

Robin sighed "Yeah, I can see that. I know I've been thinking about my mom and dad and that inevitable phone call."

With this, Ted laughed. "You're kidding? Your dad? that guys gonna live to be 100 and die fighting bear or something."

Robin laughed "Yeah, you're right. Probably a wolf instead though."

Ted stood up, and went to the window, looking out at the stars. "If it weren't for my kids, I don't think I would've made it. And now that I'm away more with my job, it's even harder. I can't keep going like this."

Robin got up to join him at the window, and held out an envelope to him. "You're ready for this now. See you tomorrow." With that she walked out the door, and to her rental car.

Ted's hands trembled as he saw the writing on the envelope. She had done it again. She had left him another letter.