Was Gary Blauman not the most perfect episode ever? Rewatched it and a few other episodes recently to get a feel of Ted and Tracy again for my other fics and, dammit, I felt I needed to showcase what was going on in Tracy's head between the time she tells Ted it's too soon for her to be dating again, and the moment she decides to kiss him. (Clearly not the hottest, but definitely the sweetest TV kiss in recent memory, IMHO.) I hope you all enjoy this.

"Its just too soon for me to be dating. I think I should head home."

Tracy couldn't believe she had actually said that. She'd let Lewis' sudden appearance cut short a date that was starting out pretty damn well. And a date with a pretty great guy. Tracy was left frazzled, a surge of feelings running around in her brain, and the first thing that her mind had the nerve to do was let Ted down, sending the accompanying signal to her lips.

She noticed the crestfallen look in Ted's eyes. They likely mirrored the disappointed look in her own. Tracy didn't want to put a stop to their date, far from it. But her freakout after seeing Lewis seemed like a sign that she just wasn't ready to put herself out there again. Not yet. Not even when the perfect guy landed right in front of her.

But Ted was a gentleman. He offered to walk her home, and he continued to tell his Gary Blauman tale, Tracy savouring every moment with him, every word he said, as they leisurely walked back in the direction of her apartment. He was a rapt storyteller, she noted, talking animatedly and using his hands a lot for emphasis. She loved that. Tracy enjoyed hearing him talk; she had since the train ride from Farhampton.

There was a spark right from the get-go. She really hadn't thought it'd happen that quick. Lewis' proposal prompted her to realize that she finally needed to let Max go; to move forward, and finally take a step toward finding real happiness again. She had spent a long time feeling lonely—even with Lewis, she would often feel alone—so Tracy knew she had finally reached that point where saying goodbye to Max was the right thing to do, however hard it may have been.

She'd been heartbroken and emotionally drained, but hopeful. She felt that the tides were soon going to change, that there was something good around the corner waiting for her. And 24 hours later, there was Ted, seemingly like a gift from the universe.

Sure, it may have seemed too good to be true. But Ted was perfect. Or, more specifically, perfect for her. So when they were initially to part ways when they made it back to the city that night, it was harder to say goodbye than she had thought. But then he had offered to split a cab, and she had eagerly taken that chance to spend a few extra moments in his presence. And when the cab rolled up to her building, Tracy lingered just a bit, hoping Ted'll say something.

Ask him for his number! her mind had cried. She knew it was cowardly, but she just hugged him goodbye and started to walk away. Tracy knew she should've made a move, perhaps ask him out for a coffee, but she was so inept and far-removed from the dating world, that she stupidly hoped he'd do the asking first. Tracy had inadvertently played a game of chicken, however, and the moment she began to walk away, she had heard his voice call her back.

Oh, thank God, she had thought as she turned back to face him, and he had shyly asked for her number.

And Ted had called her just 24 hours later, and here they were. Things had worked in her favour that night, but now she was throwing it all away, as if all of it was for nought. The world was clearly trying to tell her something, that she was meant to meet this guy who once had his hands on her lost yellow umbrella, who accidentally taught one of her classes, who used to date Cindy. It was fate, and yet she was tossing it all back into the universe's face.

The stroll back to her building was all too quick, making it back to the front steps in just under 15 minutes. A date that lasted all but 30 minutes; that's got to be one for the record books, she thought sarcastically.

Ted acted all adorable (Dammit, why does he have to be so adorable?), trying to prolong the date a bit more by insisting her place was still a few blocks away. But she sadly confirmed to him that she was, in fact, home. There was no point in playing coy; it was best to let Ted go. He deserved someone with far less drama and fewer baggage in her life.

But as she bid him goodnight and he reluctantly did the same, he then turned and began to walk away. She walked up the steps and stared at his retreating back, her mind willing him to somehow stop and head back towards her. But when he didn't, Tracy got scared.

As if her feet were moving of their own volition, she jogged back onto the sidewalk and called out his name. "Ted?"

He returned immediately, standing in front of her, gazing down at her curiously, eagerly. Crap, she was supposed to say something.

"Do you..."

Want to walk around some more? Kiss me? Come upstairs? Hold me forever and never let go?

"... at least want to finish your story?"

Smooth, Trace.

But he was happy to continue with his anecdote. And she was admittedly curious to see how the story ended. And as he described how his friend Marshall admitted that there were some people whom he never saw again after his wedding, and how Gary Blauman finally came to his senses after storming off and said he didn't want to miss the wedding, Tracy very quickly realized something:

In a few seconds, Ted could easily disappear from her life. The universe—the vast universe that now seemed oh-so small—had brought them together, and with one word, she could quite possible let this potential for utter happiness, maybe even true love, slip through her fingers.

Was she ready and willing to let that happen?

"So, I guess..." he now started to finish, his words lingering, dangling in the air between them. "Goodnight."

Tracy tried to act nonchalant, as if saying goodnight was the easiest thing in the world. "Goodnight," she said with a smile, her arms crossed in front of her, her guard still up.

But then she looked at him again. Looked at the hopeful look on his face, noticing the fact that he wasn't moving or walking away. And neither was she. Tracy knew: she didn't want to miss this opportunity, no matter where it took them. She wanted to keep him around, spend a little time with him, get to know him. And she knew she had to do something about it, before the chance just flew by her.

They looked into one another's eyes for a moment, and Tracy then took a tentative step forward. Her eyes still on his, the gap between them grew smaller and smaller, until she uncrossed her arms and her gaze fell upon his lips. In that moment, she knew exactly what she wanted to do.

And, by God, Tracy went for it.

THE END