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Challenge Accepted

From his place near the jukebox where some random woman is attempting to chat him up, Barney’s gaze follows Robin’s progress up to the bar.

Much as he’s wanted an opening from her - figuratively and literally, what up! - the 20, as he’s called her in his mind since he first laid eyes on her, has been ( Read more... )

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Playing with Fire

24 Hours Earlier

“Robin, are you still here?  It’s after eight.”

Robin looks up from the desk/makeup table of her tiny little walk-in-closet-sized dressing room at Metro News 1 to see Patrice’s concerned face staring back at her.  “I’m just finishing up on a new story,” she says, her fingers typing furiously ( Read more... )

A week and a half later, after a hectic Monday, Robin beats Barney home.  Walking straight through the empty apartment she makes a beeline for their bedroom and her stash at the bottom of her nightstand.  With her coveted box and lighter in hand, she opens the French doors and heads out onto the balcony to smoke a much-needed cigarette.

She’s ( Read more... )

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AN:  This is my no means an uninterrupted and steady account of everything that happens to them between 2013 and 2030.  Instead it will be little vignettes meant to be glimpses into those years, like opening up a time portal and saying “Okay, yeah, that’s what Barney and Robin are doing at that specific point in time”.  But it ( Read more... )

Author’s Note on the Future Set Chapters
Since 9.23/9.24 diverged so far from the rest of the show I felt it was necessary before posting the future set chapters to make clear where that AU atrocity differs from canon elements and what will therefore show up in my story (and what won’t) so that people aren’t confused or wonder why they’re seeing ( Read more... )

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MacLaren’s

“What do you mean you’re not coming?” Barney cries in outrage into his cell phone as he rides in the back of a cab on the way to MacLaren’s.  “Of course you’re coming.  And you’re suiting up!”
“Barney,” Ted petulantly protests as he picks at his fried potatoes at the diner down the street from the apartment where he ( Read more... )

“Never forget that on any day you can step out the front door and your whole life can change forever.  You see, the Universe has a plan and that plan is always in motion.  A butterfly flaps its wings and it starts to rain.  It’s a scary thought, but it’s also kind of wonderful. All these little parts of the machine constantly working....”

Partners
( Read more... )

Introduction

Just a little background on what this story will be so everyone knows what they’re getting going in:  This is a takeoff on the themes of fate and destiny that are so wrapped up in the concept of HIMYM (and just to state this upfront, as is the case with all my HIMYM writing I do not recognize that AU finale episode and only accept the ( Read more... )

I have died every day waiting for you
Darling, don’t be afraid
I have loved you for a thousand years
I’ll love you for a thousand more

Barney had walked into the tent just as Robin was turning and closing her eyes, clutching her locket in her hand along with her heels.  He didn’t say anything at first, didn’t interrupt her.  He just stood there ( Read more... )

For the past three minutes Barney has wandered through the church working on his vows, but he still hasn’t been able to piece together anything that feels right.  Finally he decides to go into the chapel itself, and when he does he comes upon a sight he wasn’t expecting:  Marshall and Lily standing at the altar where he and Robin will soon be ( Read more... )