Ted was sitting at the train station, waiting for a train to Chicago. His friends were there a minute ago and they all made a deal. To meet at the bar, at their booth in one year. Robin and Barney were going on their honeymoon and then coming back to New York and getting settled in. Lily decided that she did not want to go to Italy and decided to become a High School Art teacher while Marshall worked as a judge. Ted was moving to Chicago, he needed a break. He needed to get out of New York and his friends understood that, but he did not need to know that Barney bought his home, under a false name. For when he comes back.

Ted boarded the train that just pulled in and took the window seat at the only two seats left. A few minutes later, the bassist from the wedding sat beside him.

"Hello, my name is Tracy" smiled the bassist.
"Ted" nodded Ted.
"Ted, say, like T-Dog" smiled Tracy.
"You were in that class I walked into" moaned Ted and Tracy giggled.
"Yes, for some weird reason I haven't stopped thinking about you since" shrugged Tracy.
"Wow" nodded Ted, smiling.
"What are you doing when you get back?" asked Tracy, just making polite conversation.
"Moving to Chicago" admitted Ted, he did not know why but he wanted to tell Tracy everything.
"Cool, well, I have to find a place to live because my horrible ex decided that he would become a stalker, he wants me back" Tracy rolled her eyes.
"Well, my flat in Chicago has a spare room, if you want to..." Ted quietened as he realised he was inviting a stranger into his home to stay.
"That would be awesome, a break is what I need" smiled Tracy.
"So we are moving in together" Ted nodded, Tracy smiled.
"Don't you think this relationship is moving to fast" she joked and they both laughed.

A year later, Ted sat in the bar. He was waiting for his friends to arrive. He knew the four of them were in contact in the past year, as they live close to one another but he had a year free of them. He wanted a break, and they knew that, so why was he so nervous?

Oh, yeah, the wedding is next month. He smiled at Tracy, who was performing on the stage. She smiled and carried on singing.

The door opened and the first person he saw was Marshall. He looked around the bar and saw Ted, just sitting there and watching him.

"Ted!" he yelled and ran over to the man, and grabbed him into a bear hug. Over his shoulder, Ted could see a pregnant Lily, Robin and Barney.

"Ted!" they called and dragged the man over to their booth.

"So, how have you guys been?" asked Ted, he saw Tracy watch him out the corner of his eyes and he smiled slightly.

"Well, I can't talk to Robin, but I have taken to marriage really well" smiled Barney. Robin hit him.

"We have both taken to marriage really well, we fit like two pieces of a puzzle" smiled Robin, "thank you Ted for bring us together."

"And, well we are expecting another baby, a girl called Willow this time" smiled Lily and she patted her stomach.

"And, being a Judge is awesome, I seen many cases from divorce to murder" smiled Marshall.

Tracy got off the stage and headed to the bar, she shook her head at him and he pulled a sad face, his face mistaking his look.

"Oh, Ted, we are so sorry if we have been boastful about our lives, if your plan for a break hasn't worked out" said Robin and Ted laughed, slightly scaring the others.

"My life is perfect" he smiled.

"Perfect?" asked Barney. Everyone shared a look. Ted saw Tracy get handed two glasses of scotch.

"Yeah, perfect" and Ted smiled.

"What's happened?" asked Lily.

"I'm engaged" said Ted, and he saw Tracy giggle at their reactions, their mouths had dropped.

"You met a woman in Chicago?" asked Marshall.

"No, on the train to get to the airport. We were talking and suddenly I invited her to move with me and she agreed" said Ted.

"When's the wedding?" asked Lily.

"Next month, and she has agreed on you two being bridesmaids, and you two will be my best men" smiled Ted.

"Can we met her? Or is she still in Chicago?" asked Robin.

"Actually..." said Ted and the others leaned in but jumped when a woman dropped onto his lap.

"We really need to stop meeting like this" said Tracy as she dropped into his lap.

"Like what?" asked Ted. She raised his scotch to his lips and poured it down his throat before quickly doing the same to herself.

"Like, I dunno, just like. I perform and there you are, sitting at the bar, all alone and checking me out" smiled Tracy.

"Ted?" asked Lily, her eyes light up in delight at the sight of Tracy.

"Guys, this is Tracy. Future Mrs Mosby" smiled Ted and Tracy nodded her head.

"So, how did you guys meet?" asked Barney.

"At your wedding. As she said, she was performing and I couldn't seem to stop myself from staring at her but I knew I was leaving New York so I saw no point in a relationship but she got on the same train as me and we got talking and she moved in" said Ted as he hugged Tracy closer to herself.

"After a week, we stared going out, and last month Ted surprised me by organising an entire wedding" smiled Tracy as she leaned into Ted.

"And do you want to know the best thing?" asked Ted, they all leaned forward, nodding.

"I haven't slept with Barney" winked Tracy.