Ted's Narration (2030)
"Summer was moving along, and with it, our strategies for getting Marshall out of his hole were becoming more creative—or desperate, depending on how you look at it. Barney believed in shock therapy through adventures. Robin was for tough love. And Alyx, well... she continued with her quiet strength and care. But that strength had its cracks if you looked closely enough.
Day 44
The afternoon sun bathed the bleachers of the baseball stadium. Ted, wearing his Yankees cap, happily watched the field. Next to him, Marshall sat hunched over in the stands wearing a hoodie despite the heat. He wasn't particularly animated.
"This is fun, right?" Ted said, giving Marshall a gentle nudge. "We're outside, it's a beautiful day. The Indians are winning, but... it's live baseball!"
Marshall blinked slowly, as if he had just realized where he was. "I gotta admit," he murmured, his voice hoarse. "It is really nice to be outside."
Ted smiled, victorious for a second. He'd gotten him out of the apartment. It was a step.
On the Diamond Vision, a message appeared: "Yankees fans, please pay attention for a special surprise in the middle of the seventh inning."
The crowd murmured expectantly. The screen showed a cascade of rose petals and a beating heart. And then, a couple—a man with a ring box, proposing to his girlfriend romantically in front of the entire stadium. They looked happy and emotional as she said yes.
Ted paled. "Oh, no..."
Marshall stiffened. His expression, which for a moment had shown a hint of calm, dissolved into pure horror and distress.
"It's all a big lie!" Marshall yelled at the couple, standing up and waving his arms. Then he took aim and threw his hot dog at them. "You're going to break her heart!" he shouted, looking at the woman as two security guards approached to escort him out. "You can throw me out, but that woman has no soul!" They dragged him away, almost by his arms.
"Marshall!" Ted followed him.
The trip back to the apartment was silent. Marshall locked himself in his room. Ted found Alyx in the kitchen, furiously scrubbing the same spot on the counter for the tenth time.
"It didn't go well?" she asked without looking up, her voice tight as a wire.
"How did you know?"
"Because I know him. And the way he was, it wasn't likely to go very well."
Day 46
At MacLaren's Bar
Ted, Robin, and Barney were gathered at their table.
"We've tried everything: baseball, strippers," Barney sighed, playing with his beer. "Marshall still barely eats. I think there's no cure."
"See, this is the problem with men," said Robin. "You don't know how to deal with heartbreak."
"Ah, and what's your recipe, Dr. Estrogen?" Barney asked sarcastically.
"Eat ice cream and watch Love Actually until your periods sync," Barney continued, amused, as he and Ted started laughing loudly.
Robin looked at them, slightly annoyed by their nonsense.
Hours later, Robin and Marshall were at a shooting range on the outskirts of the city. The roar of gunfire was deafening.
Robin was cheerfully firing a weapon, showing Marshall how to use it.
"Oh my God, since when do you do this?" Marshall asked, surprised.
"Since I was little. I do it whenever I feel lonely or sad. It always reminds me how fun it is," Robin finished happily.
"You know Ted doesn't like guns," Marshall inquired.
Robin turned to look at him while aiming, accidentally pointing the pistol toward Marshall. "But he doesn't have to find out," she said threateningly.
"Hmm," Marshall hesitated, looking at the gun.
"Oh, sorry, that's not a threat," she quickly moved the gun away and spoke in a friendly tone. "I meant, don't tell Ted as a favor."
"Wanna try it?" Robin asked Marshall.
"Sure," he said excitedly.
"Oh, yeah, yeah, this is what I needed!" Marshall shouted, aiming the gun at the target. "I felt so powerless all this time, but this... this is power. This is..."
BANG!
The gun's recoil, stronger than expected, caused the weapon to hit Marshall in the face, and he fell backward.
"I probably should have mentioned the recoil," Robin said calmly.
That Night
Ted arrived at the apartment and stopped in the doorway. Marshall was on the sofa... and he was smiling. Not a full smile, but a small hint at the corners of his lips as he watched a silly TV program.
Alyx, from her desk, shot Ted a meaningful look.
"What happened?" Ted whispered, approaching.
"Robin came by a few hours ago," Alyx whispered back. "They went out. I don't know where. He came back like this."
"Robin? Robin got him out of this hole?" Ted was impressed. "You're sure you didn't sleep with him? Because I was actually about three days away from suggesting that."
Alyx rolled her eyes. "Apparently, Robin is more effective at this."
Ted approached Marshall. "Hey, buddy. You seem... better."
"Something like that," Marshall said, and the smile didn't fade. "Robin... was different. She didn't try to cheer me up. She just... was there. And she showed me something."
"What?"
"That you can feel something other than just the emptiness in your chest—even if it's getting hit in the face with a .45."
Ted didn't understand the reference, but he didn't care. He saw Alyx watching Marshall, and for the first time in weeks, her expression wasn't one of worry or control, but something resembling hope.
Day 55
"This is going to be great!" Ted said, packing a backpack. "Weekend at my aunt's beach house in Montauk. We'll finally have some time alone, without... well, without all this."
Robin watched from the bedroom door. "Are you sure Marshall won't have a problem with this?"
Ted went to the living room. Marshall was sitting there, flipping through a law book without really reading it. "Hey, Marshall. We're going away this weekend. Will you be okay?"
Marshall looked at him. "Yeah, of course. I'm a lot better. In fact," he added, searching his pocket, "take my car. The train to Montauk is hell."
"Really?" Ted was surprised.
"Yeah. Hey, and if you need anything, day or night, call me..." Ted interrupted himself. "You know what, please don't call me. I need... a weekend too."
Ted smiled, relieved. "Thanks, buddy. You're the best."
As Ted went back to his room, Marshall pulled out a brown envelope he had been hiding under the cushion. It was Lily's credit card bill. He had been staring at it since he found it.
Alyx, who had seen the conversation from the kitchen, approached just as Marshall took out the envelope. "Is it...?" she asked.
"It's... Lily's bill," Marshall admitted. "She must have forgotten to change her address."
"And...?"
"And I wonder what she's buying in San Francisco," Marshall said hesitantly.
Alyx sat down across from him. "Marshall, no! Nothing good can come from looking at this."
"I know, but maybe—"
"No!" Alyx snatched the envelope from his hands.
Marshall looked at her, and for a second, the old Marshall surfaced: tired, but lucid. "You're so strong with all of this, Alyx."
Attention, team! 🎉
I want to thank you AGAIN from the bottom of my heart, Sunduz_Karacaoglan and Batata_SAMA. Your support yesterday with the Power Stones was literally the spark I needed. So much inspiration came from it that instead of one chapter… I FINISHED TWO! 🍍📖
So today is all about a double dose of the story, courtesy of the incredible energy you sent my way. A thousand thanks for being so special! 🙏💖