016 - HIMYM: Lifeline
Title: Lifeline
Fandom: How I Met Your Mother
Pairing/Characters: Barney/Robin, mention of the rest of the gang and Future!Ted.
Rating: G
Spoilers: None really.
Summary: Written in response to a drabble-a-thon prompt by da_phoenix13 in the barneyrobin community: Barney goes on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, and Robin is his Phone-a-Friend.
Notes: I rarely watch this game show, so after a little bit of wiki research (lol) I figured I knew enough to bang out a short fic. Sorry if there are any errors pertaining to how the game show is done, I did my best. Also, I timed out the 30 second sequence, and if it plays out the way I imagined it in my head, it works out perfectly. :) I kinda went off on a tangent at the end, haha. Anyway, enjoy and please review! :)
***
Barney's mouth went dry as he stared at the question on the screen. He wasn't into the really big money yet, but he had no idea the answer to the question, and he wasn't about to lose this early in the game.
"Regis, I'd like to phone a friend," he said after a moment of contemplation.
"Alright, you're using your second lifeline. Who you gonna call?"
"My friend, Robin. She's -"
"Oh yeah, she's a firecracker! I remember her from that burger joint," Regis exclaimed, excitedly. "Tell me, Barney, is she single?"
Barney chuckled, and shook his head in disbelief. "Uh, yeah, she's single. As far as I know." The last part came out slightly constrained and he chalked it up to nerves.
Regis turned his head to the camera. "Alright! Let's call Robin!"
The ring of the phone echoed over the studio speakers and he gripped the seat in anticipation. Pick up. Pick up, pick up, pick up, pick u-
"Hello?" Robin's voice, crackled loud and clear over the speakers. Barney instantly felt a wave of relief wash over him.
"Hi Robin. This is Regis from 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?' I'm here with your friend Barney Stinson and he needs a little help with this next question." Regis smiled and nodded to Barney to go ahead.
"Sherbatsky!" Barney began as the 30 seconds on the clock grew smaller and smaller. "What year was Wayne Gretsky inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame? 1997, 1998, 1999, or 2000?" he rattled the years off as fast as possible and checked the clock. "Robin, 24 seconds left!"
Robin let out a sigh, and he could almost see her pinch the bridge of her nose in thought. "Oh! Umm..."
"19 seconds!"
"Okay... I believe it was 1999."
"Are you sure?"
"Barney, are you questioning my hockey knowledge on national tv?" Her voice was all around him in the studio and he grinned.
"No. Thanks, Sherbatsky," he managed to say before the time ran out and the phone line went dead.
Regis raised his eyebrows and stared at Barney across the console. "So, Barney. Your friend says 1999. How much do you trust her to have the correct answer?"
Without missing a beat, he replied, "She's the only person in the world I'd trust with this answer. So, Regis. My answer is 'C. 1999'."
"C. Final answer?"
"Final answer."
"Alright." Regis' face remained blank as he watched his screen.The lights in the studio swirled around then dimmed for effect and the audience went eerily silent as they waited for the confirmation either way. The sound of his own heart was pounding in Barney's ears, almost deafeningly so.
After what seemed like an eternity, Regis gave him a grim look and he felt his heart drop. "Well, my friend..... it looks like you've put your trust in the right person because 'C. 1999' is the correct answer!!"
The studio errupted in applause and cheers and Barney closed his eyes, took a deep breath and smiled to himself. He knew now not to doubt Robin, especially when it came to facts about hockey. She was his lifeline, the only person he knew he could always count on.
***
"So, Barney," Lily asked, nudging his foot under the table. "You gonna share the wealth or what?"
"Lily, please." He glanced at Robin who sat next to Lily and across from him in their booth. "We both know that if I gave you a wad of cash you'd be down at the mall faster than a dung beetle on fresh zebra crap."
Lily's eyes darted away and Marshall placed his hands lovingly over hers across the table. Robin snorted and grinned at Barney.
"Besides..." Barney continued, "I'm throwing the most awesomest party ever this weekend, I'm gonna need every cent of that money, thank-you-very-much."
Ted piped up, eager to correct him. "You don't need $16,000 to throw a party."
Barney looked over at him, mildly condescending, and said, "Ted, the kind of parties you throw are no where near the sheer awesomeness that will be my party. Trust me, you'll see. The guest list alone will blow your mind."
"Really, who are you inviting?" Marshall asked, now thoroughly intrigued.
"Oh, you'll all see..." he said mysteriously, and winked at Robin.
She smiled back at him and held his gaze slightly longer than usual. Ted watched as they seemed to be in their own world, completely oblivious to Lily and Marshall arguing over the logistics of having a giant chocolate fountain that one could bathe in.
One of the barmen brought over a scotch for Barney, on the house, and without taking his eyes off of Robin, Barney raised the glass making a silent toast to her, and mouthed the words, "thank you."
***
The Year 2030
"And kids, that's how Uncle Marshall and I got to meet Harrison Ford, along with a bunch of other really awesome people that Uncle Barney invited to his party."
Ted's daughter stared back at him, completely confused. "Who's Harrison Ford?"
"He's that guy from that lame sci-fi movie, Star Wars," his son explained.
Across the couch, Ted gripped his chest and tried not to freak out. He took several deep breaths and kept repeating to himself, 'Stay calm. Stay calm. You're not having a heart attack. Stay... calm...'
In the next room his wife called out to him, "Ted, are you okay, honey?"
"I'm fine, sweetie." He looked over at his two children who were obviously bored and uninterested in the rest of his story. "I'm just fine."
Ted made a mental note to call Marshall and Barney in the morning to discuss how to get his kids to understand the awesomeness of Star Wars.
Fandom: How I Met Your Mother
Pairing/Characters: Barney/Robin, mention of the rest of the gang and Future!Ted.
Rating: G
Spoilers: None really.
Summary: Written in response to a drabble-a-thon prompt by da_phoenix13 in the barneyrobin community: Barney goes on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, and Robin is his Phone-a-Friend.
Notes: I rarely watch this game show, so after a little bit of wiki research (lol) I figured I knew enough to bang out a short fic. Sorry if there are any errors pertaining to how the game show is done, I did my best. Also, I timed out the 30 second sequence, and if it plays out the way I imagined it in my head, it works out perfectly. :) I kinda went off on a tangent at the end, haha. Anyway, enjoy and please review! :)
***
Barney's mouth went dry as he stared at the question on the screen. He wasn't into the really big money yet, but he had no idea the answer to the question, and he wasn't about to lose this early in the game.
"Regis, I'd like to phone a friend," he said after a moment of contemplation.
"Alright, you're using your second lifeline. Who you gonna call?"
"My friend, Robin. She's -"
"Oh yeah, she's a firecracker! I remember her from that burger joint," Regis exclaimed, excitedly. "Tell me, Barney, is she single?"
Barney chuckled, and shook his head in disbelief. "Uh, yeah, she's single. As far as I know." The last part came out slightly constrained and he chalked it up to nerves.
Regis turned his head to the camera. "Alright! Let's call Robin!"
The ring of the phone echoed over the studio speakers and he gripped the seat in anticipation. Pick up. Pick up, pick up, pick up, pick u-
"Hello?" Robin's voice, crackled loud and clear over the speakers. Barney instantly felt a wave of relief wash over him.
"Hi Robin. This is Regis from 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?' I'm here with your friend Barney Stinson and he needs a little help with this next question." Regis smiled and nodded to Barney to go ahead.
"Sherbatsky!" Barney began as the 30 seconds on the clock grew smaller and smaller. "What year was Wayne Gretsky inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame? 1997, 1998, 1999, or 2000?" he rattled the years off as fast as possible and checked the clock. "Robin, 24 seconds left!"
Robin let out a sigh, and he could almost see her pinch the bridge of her nose in thought. "Oh! Umm..."
"19 seconds!"
"Okay... I believe it was 1999."
"Are you sure?"
"Barney, are you questioning my hockey knowledge on national tv?" Her voice was all around him in the studio and he grinned.
"No. Thanks, Sherbatsky," he managed to say before the time ran out and the phone line went dead.
Regis raised his eyebrows and stared at Barney across the console. "So, Barney. Your friend says 1999. How much do you trust her to have the correct answer?"
Without missing a beat, he replied, "She's the only person in the world I'd trust with this answer. So, Regis. My answer is 'C. 1999'."
"C. Final answer?"
"Final answer."
"Alright." Regis' face remained blank as he watched his screen.The lights in the studio swirled around then dimmed for effect and the audience went eerily silent as they waited for the confirmation either way. The sound of his own heart was pounding in Barney's ears, almost deafeningly so.
After what seemed like an eternity, Regis gave him a grim look and he felt his heart drop. "Well, my friend..... it looks like you've put your trust in the right person because 'C. 1999' is the correct answer!!"
The studio errupted in applause and cheers and Barney closed his eyes, took a deep breath and smiled to himself. He knew now not to doubt Robin, especially when it came to facts about hockey. She was his lifeline, the only person he knew he could always count on.
***
"So, Barney," Lily asked, nudging his foot under the table. "You gonna share the wealth or what?"
"Lily, please." He glanced at Robin who sat next to Lily and across from him in their booth. "We both know that if I gave you a wad of cash you'd be down at the mall faster than a dung beetle on fresh zebra crap."
Lily's eyes darted away and Marshall placed his hands lovingly over hers across the table. Robin snorted and grinned at Barney.
"Besides..." Barney continued, "I'm throwing the most awesomest party ever this weekend, I'm gonna need every cent of that money, thank-you-very-much."
Ted piped up, eager to correct him. "You don't need $16,000 to throw a party."
Barney looked over at him, mildly condescending, and said, "Ted, the kind of parties you throw are no where near the sheer awesomeness that will be my party. Trust me, you'll see. The guest list alone will blow your mind."
"Really, who are you inviting?" Marshall asked, now thoroughly intrigued.
"Oh, you'll all see..." he said mysteriously, and winked at Robin.
She smiled back at him and held his gaze slightly longer than usual. Ted watched as they seemed to be in their own world, completely oblivious to Lily and Marshall arguing over the logistics of having a giant chocolate fountain that one could bathe in.
One of the barmen brought over a scotch for Barney, on the house, and without taking his eyes off of Robin, Barney raised the glass making a silent toast to her, and mouthed the words, "thank you."
***
The Year 2030
"And kids, that's how Uncle Marshall and I got to meet Harrison Ford, along with a bunch of other really awesome people that Uncle Barney invited to his party."
Ted's daughter stared back at him, completely confused. "Who's Harrison Ford?"
"He's that guy from that lame sci-fi movie, Star Wars," his son explained.
Across the couch, Ted gripped his chest and tried not to freak out. He took several deep breaths and kept repeating to himself, 'Stay calm. Stay calm. You're not having a heart attack. Stay... calm...'
In the next room his wife called out to him, "Ted, are you okay, honey?"
"I'm fine, sweetie." He looked over at his two children who were obviously bored and uninterested in the rest of his story. "I'm just fine."
Ted made a mental note to call Marshall and Barney in the morning to discuss how to get his kids to understand the awesomeness of Star Wars.