The ironic thing about Barney Stinson, she thinks, is that he is both the best and worst actor she's ever known. He has hundreds of disguises under his sleeve. That slick, corporate bravado he puts on like a suit. The I-don't-give-a-damn-about-anyone-else attitude.

Only people who know him, really know him, recognize it's just a façade.

That the true Barney is a kid who never really grew up, still sweet and a little naïve, always sincere, fiercely loyal. They've always felt a little protective of him. Like she does right now.

He hasn't spoken once since they've left the Museum of Natural History. Nobody else seems to notice; Ted has been recounting his night with Zoey enthusiastically for their opinion.

The cab drops Lily and Marshall off at their apartment first, then rounds up at MacLaren's. Barney offers to pay for the fare.

'You sure?' Ted asks.

'We all know daddy earns the big bucks here, Theodore.'

The joke falls flat. When he tries to grin, it comes off awkwardly.

They start to trudge up into the building when she stops, makes a show of digging through her purse.

'Shoot. I must've left my lipstick in the cab. . .You go ahead.'

She walks back to the cab still waiting, knocks her fist on the glass loudly. Barney looks despondent. He rolls the window down, surprised.

'Let me in.'

She expects a protest from him, an excuse along the lines of 'I'm tired, Robin'. But he says nothing, just pushes the door open and moves to give her some space on the leather seat.

'I don't want to talk about it.'

'I wasn't going to.'

He looks at her curiously. 'Then why are you here?'

'Because one of my best friends just found out who his long-lost dad is. And, I think, what he really needs right now is a good game of laser tag. Don't you?'

He smiles gratefully.

'Come on. Loser buys the soft pretzels.'

Well, it looks like it's gonna be just you and me.

'You didn't come home last night,' Ted says suspiciously, the group together for Sunday brunch. 'You ran off to get something back at the cab and never came back.'

Barney coughs.

'I was out with a friend,' Robin explains, kicking Barney under the table.

'Went out getting wasted, you mean,' Lily adds. 'Come on. You're obviously hungover—you've drowned three cups of coffee already! So who was it, Robin? Tell us everything.'

'Now that you mention it, Barney's ordered five cups already, 'Marshall points out.

'Did you guys—?'

'Ted, I am offended you don't think Robin and I can get drunk separately.'

'It just seems to fit, that's all.'

'After I got my lipstick from the cab, I ran into Sam and he offered to buy me a drink, all right? He's someone I knew from Canada.'

'Canada,' Barney snorts.

She shakes her head. He smiles.

And that is what makes you the most amazing, strong independent woman I've ever banged.

Everyone calls their dads. Even Robin. He knows more than anyone how much she struggles with her father's dejection.

One day he'll tell him. He'll tell that old man that Robin Scherbatsky is one of a kind, a class all by herself, that there is nothing he wouldn't do for a girl like her.

He calls Loretta up with shaky fingers.

Hey, mom. I'm ready to meet my dad.

All night long he's been hitting on as many girls as he can, half because of a self-imposed challenge, half just to fill the minutes. He's waiting for them to leave—everyone except Robin. Rephrasing words is driving crazy. He can't think straight.

When Ted, Marshall and Lily stand to leave, he quickly buys two drinks and slips into the booth. Robin already step out. She takes one look at him (he loves how she just understands), raises her eyebrow and shrugs, taking one of the beers from him. He sits back.

'So what's up?'

'I'm going to meet my dad.'

He lets it sink in for a few seconds. The bar rush around them, just them. It brings him back to their early relationship, how they spent days and nights and everything in between inseparably, playing laser tag, eating out, watching movies, talking (bickering) and making up. As if they knew then that they had an expiration date.

He sometimes misses the craziness they were together. Because ironic as it is, he never felt safer than when he was with her.

'After what happened with Marshall's dad, what he said. . .I realized how much of a coward I was being. I called my mom and she gave me this.' He pulls out a card from his suit, slips it across the table. 'His address.'

'I have a confession to make.'

She pulls out something of her own, a folder, and hands it to him. It's heavy. 'I've been compiling stuff for weeks now. It's mostly basic information, you know, photos and stuff.'

'You're a stalker, Scherbatsky,' he says, half in wonder. He smiles. He refuses to set his eyes on anything too long, words or pictures. He's not sure he wants to know all of it. 'Why didn't you tell me?'

'I didn't know how you were going to react. And I'd had to do it during breaks at work. You're not the only one with resources now, remember?'

'How's the new job?'

'Hard. But I really do think it's where I'm supposed to be, finally.'

'And please never take those glasses off. Ever.' He grins. 'You look like a hotter version of the librarian I banged last week.'

'I think that was a compliment.'

'One more thing.'

'Yeah?'

'Come with me.'

I've seen Barney work hard to get women, and I've seen him work hard to get rid of women. I've never seen him work this hard to keep one around.

She couldn't say no.

It's Barney, after all. A little lost, growing up Barney.

They take a cab to the address (somewhere outside town) where they find a house with white picket fences. Straight out from fairytales. He's quiet all throughout. They stop short of knocking on the door.

'Okay, before I do this,' he tells her, taking a deep breath. 'I just want to say I'm glad you were with me in the museum that night. I'm glad it was you, and not anyone else. And I'm glad you came today.'

Uncharacteristically she tiptoes slightly to hug him. Tightly. She hopes everything she can't say yet comes through this one act, something along the lines of I'm proud of you, and she counts a good six seconds before letting go. She tugs at his lapels with a smile.

'There. Now you're perfect.'

' I'm ready.'

She raps her knuckles against the door. Four knocks. There's a scurrying of feet and voices inside, before a man—about sixty years old, still spry—swings the door open with an impish smile. And she swears it looks familiar.

'Hi, dad.'

See you on the other side.

Hope you guys liked it! The style is loftier than in my other fics. Anyway, the quotes are from different episodes throughout the show. I wanted to give a bit of perspective.

Please leave a tiny review. Thank you. :)