Hey, its my first himym fic (my first fic in awhile actually) I'll try and be good and keep updating regularly. I hope the grammar is ok (its not exactly my strong point). I hope you enjoy it! Please read and review- thanks G xx

Oh and sadly I don't own any of the characters- himym does

As soon as she walked into the bar they could all tell it had been a bad day- and they were right- it had been awful.

As much as she enjoyed looking down and seeing an ID hung round her neck that was she was actually proud of she didn't know how much more 'report research' she could bear. Yes she wanted to be a network anchor, and yes she knew that didn't just happen, but she had spent the whole day researching the origins of the word 'LOL'- which was now actually recognised as word according to the Oxford English dictionary...She'd found out everything there was to know about it; including origin (strangely it was first used in the 60's when people in England had used to describe little old ladies), famous users, even a two page lists of alternatives- you name it- she had researched it. But yet again, for the sixth time, out of six, the producers had chosen to take it no further. She was sick of it. So as she slid into the booth, Ted wrapped his arm protectively round her shoulders and Lily took hold of her hand.

'Rough day?' She just nodded; she didn't want to piss them all off again with the same story as yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that. It just felt like she was going round and round in circles, and it wasn't being made any better by the big birthday that sat looming in two weeks time. 30, she was going to be 30 years old and what had she got to show for it?She wasn't in her dream job, she didn't own any property, she'd barely travelled and she was still single. She was surprised by how much the fact she was single was starting to bother her, almost more than the other stuff combined. It was like everywhere she looked people she knew were either getting married, having children or at least in a relationship that looked convincingly as if it was headed for either or both of those things. But she wasn't even close. She hadn't been on a date in a long time, and it wasn't as if this was the problem- she didn't enjoying dating. Getting that nervous feeling in your stomach as you sit either over a meal or drinks telling each other mindless details about yourselves; depending on what you do or do not say then either makes you 'compatible' or not, and even if you are 'compatible' this just leads to more mindless conversation- which in return usually leads to average sex. God she was cynical now. But she'd been through this scenario so many times- it was almost becoming mandatory.

Well, almost always. As the gang carried on talking round her in the booth, she thought back to her most recent relationships. First of Ted, as much as she'd tried to force herself to be happy with Ted, she had to admit, although great as friends, in a relationship they weren't right together. Besides, he was so happy with Zoey right now. They genuinely seemed like the perfect fit. Zoey loved all the things Robin had either pretended to like, or sometimes when the pretence was even too much had just had to come out and say. Take the cowboy boots, Zoey had even bought a matching pair just to humour him...that just wasn't her style.

Her mind then wondered aimlessly onto Don. He had been everything, to a tee, that she had ever wanted. He ticked every box she on every list she had ever written (in her mind of course...Only Ted would be that lame...) But then why when he left she did she not go after him? He said all the right things without even being asked, but as much as she had convincingly kidded herself at the time, something was missing. And the only reason she knew that 'something' was possible, was because that 'something'- pretty much completely personified- had just walked into the bar.

Barney. He was impossible, had been impossible and would probably always be impossible but my god he got her. Effortlessly, he'd say things that sounded so wrong to everyone else, but to her, just sounded, well, perfect... And there was no doubt about the fact that he was the best sex she'd ever had, by miles. But it didn't feel rehearsed, maybe he was just that good, it was just like he knew her, right from the first time. She still couldn't help but smile at the irony of Ted attempting to teach him how best to make love to her. Ted had never got it- Barney had, every single time...

She flicked back to reality and just watched him at the bar, he was talking to some pretty twenty something girl, who was probably lapping up every word of his latest lie. But then he smiled and walked away. And then she remembered, even he was in a relationship now, a relationship she'd helped set up. She didn't know this why, but this point seemed to be the tip of the iceberg, oh who was she kidding, it was the frickin' iceberg wasn't it? It had been ever since that day he'd come up to her appartment- she'd berated him for not calling Nora, but secretly, she could feel her smugness rising, he had chosen her; but it the plug was snatched out when she realised her wires had been severely crossed, so he hadn't chosen her after all- he had chosen Nora. And it had hurt more that she thought it would.

Suddenly she saw of Scotch under her nose. She looked up and saw him smiling, or at least that's what everyone else saw, but she saw the glint of concern in his eyes- she bet Nora couldn't spot that. Ok enough with the pettiness, that's never going to help...well, maybe a little bit.

'Thanks,'

'No problem, looked like you needed it. So what topic was it today?'

'L.O.L,' she sighed as she ran her finger round the rim her glass, still avoiding eye contact with everyone.

'LOL? Are you going new age on us all Schebartsky?' His tone was so whimsical she couldn't help but smile. She looked up to confront his 'mockery'

'No, that was my topic, the word LOL. According to the Oxford English dictionary it is now officially a word'

'You spent a whole day researching a three letter acronym?' She looked back down at her glass; it was all part of their act. She wasn't remotely angry, in fact she was smiling for the first time all day. She heard him trying to stifle his laughter which was silenced only by Lily's death stare which made him look down into his drink, but he was still smiling. Before adding one more LOL. This made her smile more, even though she tried to hide it, he wasn't winning that easy! God she was lame, but he made her smile...

'Don't listen to Barney; I think it would have been a very interesting feature' Marshal- ever the diplomat.

'No, its fine, I completely agree it the most pointless story. I'm sorry I've been so down, the thing is I quit my job to do something I could be proud of and I'm now getting paid less for something I hate doing,' She needed to stop this rant, the last thing she wanted to cause a scene or have everyone give their advice of what she should do. She just wanted to change the topic, but she knew it was coming, yep, Lily opened her mouth an-

'So, guess who's got a hot new secretary?' Barney pipes up, to everyone else in the booth he seems insensitive, but it was just what she needed.

'Barney, we're kinda trying to talk to Robin...'

'No guys its fine, so how hot we talking here? An 8, or even a 9?'

'A 9?Scherbatsky would I even reference her if she was anything below a 9.3?'This made her smile, god why was he so good at doing it! 'Coincidently, she was a 9.6- up high!' Ted meets his hand over the table, only to be met by more death stares from Lily.

'Well you shouldn't really be referencing it at all now should you?' Lily pipes up again. And so, yet again, she's reminded that her fellow terminally single friend is now no longer in her club, and she stops smiling. And then, almost as if right on cue, she walks into the bar. She turns heads, far more than Robin ever had, but she doesn't care, she just walks straight over to Barney. She kisses him on the cheek and gestures to Ted and Robin to scoot down the booth a little- how dare she? Why can't she just get a chair like a normal person? But of course they scoot, after all she is freakishly small, she only needs about half the space Robin needed anyway. After small talk was exchanged a brief silence fell on the booth, until Robin heard Nora clear her throat,

'So did you tell them?' The whole booth looked at Nora intently,

'Tell us what?' Lily asked reflexively. Robin could sense this wasn't going to be good news, or rather, it was depending on who's point of view you looked at.

'You haven't told them?' Nora was now looking incredulously at Barney, and Robin suddenly felt very protective- couldn't she just give the guy a break once in awhile?

'Told us what?' Lily asked again, this time with more urgency, her tone also echoed the hopeful tone of Nora's. God, why was everyone so hopeful? Ok, definitely starting to sound like a bitter sixty year old now, enough with the cynicism...

'I wanted to wait til th-' Barney started, but he was interrupted by a high pitched British accent,

'We're engaged!' The whole booth went silent, just as her head exploded. They were engaged, ok, no! Not ok! Cynicism didn't even play a part in this! They had just met, they, he, w-. Even her mind couldn't keep up, so as everyone else had got up to congratulate the happy couple, she was still sat motionless. But then she realised, she wasn't. She was smiling, and before she knew it she was up on her feet, in the queue to congratulate Nora. What was she doing? She was definitely in shock. Because as she reached out to hug Nora she could feel herself boiling over inside. She wanted to go home, she needed to be alone, but she never could be, because Ted would want to talk about it. Ted would make her cocoa and sit her down and analyse every little thought. God, no, she wasn't going home. She'd pretend she had a date, or something, god, no-one would buy that. She just had to get out of here,

'Well, I'm off- but congratulations you two. Move over Lil, I am indeed the match maker supreme,' She followed it up with the least convincing laugh she had ever heard, God she was playing this badly. But it didn't matter as she could feel her feet moving her away from the thing that was pushing her more than a hundred times closer to breaking point than she was when she first came into the bar. She finally made it outside, she couldn't breathe. God, why was she being so dramatic? This was not her, and she didn't know how to deal with it. So she deals with it the only way she knows how- by going to shoot stuff.

What has he done? He watches her leave the bar and through the stained glass he sees her figure pause momentarily. Her shoulders look like they're shaking, no; it's probably just the effect of the glass- it's got to be. She obviously just had somewhere to go, on a Wednesday night, at 9.30. But why would she have been upset? Sure him and Robin were closer than ever right now, but she'd been the one to set him up with Nora. She'd been the one to turn him down and practically force her number on him. For suit's sake! She had no right to react like this, none whatsoever! If she was even reacting like this... but let's say hypothetically that she was- then she didn't have a leg to stand on, because he'd come up to her appartment, offered himself on a plate, and then used some lame excuse. The handwriting thing, come on! He'd read her handwriting thousands of times before, and what other digit was a 5 supposed to be anyway? It was the like the least confusable digit, cause 8 could be 0 or maybe even a particularly curly 3? Maybe or 1 could be 7, and 2 and 4- don't even go there! What ab- no Stinson focus, your best friend is upset. Woah, hold up, she's your best friend now? Ted will be heartbroken, don't tell him. Because well- what if Marshal and Lily run away- and then Ted's like, hey bro, you're my only best friend right bro? Oh no, he'd have to lie- or run away, OR dress up as a ladybird like his first grade teacher did once because it had got out the tooth fairy wasn't real, god knows why, but who needs a reason? Let's be honest, a lie is a lot less hurtful in a ladybird costume. Then, because she'll be cynical about it, pick up a chick, still dressed a ladybird, just to prove to Robin how awesome he is. He is smiling now.

But then he remembers. He can't pick up chicks anymore, because he's engaged. And now he's stopped to think about it, he doesn't have a clue why. It's not like he even planned the proposal. It was all Marshal's stupid fault, he'd practically challenged him to do it- and you can't just be like 'challenge not accepted'? Pfft. But then this wasn't a normal challenge, this wasn't a gimmick or a bit- this was potentially the rest of his life. He suddenly felt his heart beating faster- and not in the good way.

But then he looked over at her. He could do a lot worse. She had a nice smile, and she liked girly things, which would mean his house will always smell nice. That will be nice. And it's not like he's the same man he was eight months ago, he's grown... (Mental high five!) And he loves Nora. He does and his mum and now, hey, even his dad will be proud. They've both met her and they both think she's cool. Everyone who meets her thinks she's cool, and yeah, she is cool- she's from England! Like Mary Poppins!

But then, he remembered why he'd entered this serious conversation with himself. Robin I'm-a-walking-conundrum-with-good-boobs-who-likes-to-shoot- stuff- and-smoke-cigars Scherbatsky. Her favourite childhood film was Mary Poppins- they'd watched it together about a month ago when she'd been sick. No-one else had been around, so they'd curled up on the couch and watched it together. He'd never seen it before; which was apparently 'completely outrageous' -he smiled as he remembered Scherbatsky's terrible British accent. Her nose had gone all crinkly and she'd had massive lines up her forehead as she strained to try and make the different vowels, but no English person EVER looked or sounded as in pain as she had! But she had still looked cute. And no, cute didn't mean ugly anymore, well it did in universal terms, but not when describing her. Wait, could a bro be cute? Too big a question, concentrate Stinson! But she'd fallen asleep half way through, and as she slept she repositioned herself so that her head rested on his shoulder. When he'd told Lily about it later, she'd gone crazy. Asking him all these questions about Nora and stuff. He didn't understand why, as far as he was concerned his favourite bro (sorry Ted) had needed him, so he'd pyjama suited up! It's not like he was still in love with her or anything.

He loved Nora. End of discussion. Stinson, over and out- joining the real word again, in five, four, three, two, one- now laugh damn it, laugh, everyone else is laughing.

Please press that lovely button- part 2 will follow soon hopefully :)