After I met your mother Part 1

Chapter IX

There was a sudden knock on the door, which Lily immediately stood up to open. There was no one outside of the door, until Robin and Barney jumped out, and scared Lily, as she gave a little shriek. "It's so great to finally see you guys. " Lily said after she had gotten over her own shock. "So how have you been doing? " She continued.

Robin went into a detailed account of her travelling and her job to Lily, while Marshall went to get a beer for the three of us. "Woompus."(Sorry if I got that wrong, but there was a guy who owned a brewery in one of the episodes.) Marshall said dreamily, taking a long drink. "It never gets old."

"They serve this beer in McLaren's now." I told them.

"Really, how long ago did that start?" Barney asked, intrigued.

"Um… about 3 weeks ago. Marshall your killing us, take of the hat." I told him finally.

Marshall was fond of this hat, which he had had for several years at that point, and he went through stages of wearing it constantly. I whispered to Barney," We are going to have an intervention for Marshall and that stupid hat."

"Yeah we should, that hat looks so- stupid." Barney said matter-of-factly.

"Wait. You guys don't like the hat. This hat is amazing in every single way. I don't understand how someone could dislike this, I can take it off whenever I want, and it goes well with everything." Marshall tried to convince the two of us, but we stayed with the same expression the entire time." Fine then, you win."

The day went quickly, as Marshall and Lily showed us around Rome. Firstly, the coliseum, and then we went to this restaurant, which was absolutely incredible, but it was a huge amount, so we all had to chip in for the triple digit sum.

After the restaurant we went to a nearby American bar, which we stayed into the early hours of the morning.

We got back at 3 in the morning and were all very drunk. Sleep came easily, but I was very confused to find that I was on Marshall and Lily's roof. "Guys, I said drunkly, how did I get up here." I asked staggering a little. The four of them were watching me from the window, and I could see Barney recording me as I danced on the rooftop, to the song Born in the USA.

After twenty minutes more on the roof making a fool of myself, they let me down, and I heard Barney say, "I'm going to send this to Tracy, she will find this hilarious."

"Fine do it, you just to chicken to send it." I told him.

Barney showed to me video delivered to Tracy McConnell. "Oh." I hope her parents don't see that. I haven't met her parents yet.

"Well too bad Teddy boy it's already done." Barney told me cheekily.

That day it was thanksgiving, and Lily was working incredibly hard to get everything ready in time, while the four of us watched the Vikings play against the Bears. It was a very exciting game, and none of us got that Lily was trying to hint at us to mash the potatoes.

We ended up having lunch at 2, because Lily took too long to make the food. We had run out of things to talk about over the last two days, but Lily broke the awkward silence of Cutlery against plates asking, "Ted, have you heard from Tracy?"

"Yeah, her flight was delayed for a few hours but she arrived safely. She is at her parent's house with her brothers. She has not seen her mother and father for a couple of years because of the big fight they had a few years ago, about Tracy leaving for New York and all that. So I think she found that very stressful beforehand." I replied.

"Lily, this is the bomb." Barney told her, waving a peace of Turkey around on his fork. "I swear this is better than last years thanksgiving." Barney told her." Don't get me wrong, that was good," Barney continued when he saw Lily's facial expression of anger, " but this is great, you put something in it to taste better?"

"No." Lily replied.

There was another awkward silence for a few minutes as someone tried to think of something to say. Robin broke the ice by asking Lily; " how far through the pregnancy are you now."

"She is 7 months now. Nearly there!" Marshall said excitingly. "Robin are you going to stay in New York for a bit or are you moving somewhere else now." Marshall asked Robin curiously.

"I am going to be in New York for the next couple months until Christmas and then I am going to see my folks in Canada. Barney agreed to go too. What are you guys doing for Christmas?" She asked the three of us.

"Well we are going to Minnesota to his brothers house in ." Lily told her, "Ted have you decided what you are doing yet?"

"I don't know yet. I might spend it with Tracy and her family, possibly. But I could go to my Mum's. I don't know."

That was the end of the conversation for that Thanksgiving; we posed for pictures for the memories in the future.

We went to the American bar that evening, but did not get too drunk because Robin, Barney and I were all taking the same flight back to New York at 10:00AM the following morning at the airport. We said our sad goodbyes the following morning. As they dropped us off at the airport. "I will see you guys… In mid-march." I told Lily and Marshall.

"That is a long time." Marshall said, "Well, take care of yourself and I hope everything goes well between you and Tracy, she's perfect for you Ted. Never let her go."

We walked through check-in and Marshall and Lily's waves were growing further and further away.