"So, Barney," Ted said to Barney as the two of them sat together in their usual booth at MacClaren's after everyone else had gone home. "When are you going to tell her?"

"Ted, really, I don't want to talk about this," Barney answered, swallowing down the rest of his scotch.

"Barney..."

"No, I can't tell her. She doesn't feel the same way. You should have heard her..."

~*~

"He's not like you, you know?" Robin asks, not noticing the sad way Barney shakes his head. "Besides we're friends, I don't want to screw that up by getting involved. Dating friends never works out... So, uh, you wanna get a taco?"

~*~

"You seriously told her that you love tacos?"

"Ted..."

"Right, not the point," Ted conceded. "So what's the plan? Be in love with her forever and never tell her how you feel?"

"That, Theodore, is exactly the plan," Barney answered standing up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have meetings all day tomorrow so I have to get up early. See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, see you," Ted said back and watched Barney walk out of the bar.

Barney groaned as his alarm clock blasted the song at him from his bed-side table. He rolled over, throwing his pillow over his head to try and drown out the words.

Take time to realize, oh, oh, I'm on your side, didn't I, didn't I tell you? Take time to realize, this all can pass you by. Didn't I tell you?...

Barney finally had enough. He rolled over and nearly broke his alarm clock by slamming the off button so hard. He resigned himself to get out of bed, remembering why his alarm had gone off so early this morning; meetings all day. Looking around something felt odd, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it so he shrugged it off and proceeded to get ready for work.

The strange feeling he'd felt so early in the morning didn't fade as the day progressed, though. He felt more and more like something was wrong, but he couldn't place it. So he went along his day, sitting through boring meeting after boring meeting. He finally got a break and decided to see what Marshall was up to and see if he could talk him into drinking beer on the roof with him. The strange feeling he'd had all morning intensified when he walked up to Marshall's desk and saw someone else, someone that he'd never seen before, sitting in Marshall's chair. Gone were all the trinkets that Lily got him to display at work, along with all of Marshall's photos... including the one of his and Lily's wedding.

"Um, excuse me," Barney said clearing his throat. He was a little surprised when the guy nearly fell out of his seat in shock.

"Mr. Stinson! Hi. Um, hello. What can I do for you?" He asked hurriedly.

"Who the hell are you?" Barney asked rudely.

"Um, Thompson, Sir, Henry Thompson," he answered and Barney noted that he looked more than a little afraid.

"Great, Thompson, Sir Henry Thompson. Where's Marshall, and why are you at his desk?"

"Marshall, Sir? I don't...I don't know a Marshall. Um, this has been my desk for the past three months, but if you'd like me to find Marshall and ask him to sit here, I'd be more than happy to oblige, Sir."

"What's with all the 'Sir's? And quit looking at me like I just kicked your puppy. Now focus. .Marshall?" Barney repeated the question slowly; as if hoping it would make Thompson understand him better.

"Marsh... Sir, I don't know who..."

"Marshall Erickson? C'mon! He's hard to miss. Tall guy, kinda looks like Big Foot?" Thompson just shook his head with the same scared look on his face. "Fine!" Barney finally conceded. "I'll find him myself while I think about whether I'm going to fire you or not." Barney swore he heard Thompson whimper as he walked away, but ignored him because now things were acting weird and it wasn't just a feeling anymore. He tried calling Marshall's cell phone but got the message saying the phone number was not in service. Frowning, he decided to call Lily's school.

"Yes, hello, can I speak to Lily Aldrin," Barney asked when the school secretary answered.

"Who may I ask is calling?" She asked sweetly.

"Barney Stinson," he answered before being put on hold.

"Mr. Stinson?" The secretary asked as she came back on the line after he'd waited for what felt like five minutes. At Barney's acknowledgment she continued. "I'm afraid Ms. Aldrin said she doesn't know a Barney Stinson. She's terribly busy at the moment and can't be bothered by prank phone calls."

"Prank phone calls? But... she knows who I am. She's one of my best friends. Could you just put me through?"

"I'm sorry sir, but no. Have a nice day." And she hung up, leaving Barney staring stupidly at his phone. Okay, so now something really weird was going on. First Marshall and now Lily? Barney decided to try Ted's number next.

"Ted!" Barney exclaimed after Ted picked up on the third ring. "You don't know how happy I am to hear your voice!"

"Who is...?" Ted began, but was cut off by Barney.

"Something weird is going on, man. First Marshall doesn't show up for work and some spaz, Henry Thompson, is sitting at his desk, then when I called Lily's school she refused to talk to me, claiming she doesn't know who I am. I mean, can you believe that?"

"Um," Ted began again. "Who is this?"

"Seriously, man? It's Barney."

"Barney...?"

"Barney Stinson? Your best friend?" Barney prompted.

"Marshall's my best friend. I don't even know who you are."

"Ted, c'mon, that's not funny."

"I'm sorry, I don't know how you got this number, or how you know who my friends are, but I'm hanging up now. Don't call back or I'll have to get the police involved."

"What?! Ted! I..." Barney began, but was cut off by a dial tone. He sat there staring blankly at his phone. What the hell was going on?