EJ and Barney were walking through the bustling streets of New York, heading towards Marshall and Ted's apartment. EJ had just picked up some coffee after an early open house and was looking forward to spending some time with his friends.

"So, you actually think The Empire Strikes Back is the best Star Wars movie?" EJ asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

Barney scoffed, "Of course it is. It has everything: the big reveal, the epic battle on Hoth, and Han Solo being a total badass."

EJ laughed, "Yeah, but A New Hope started it all. It's the classic underdog story."

Barney rolled his eyes, "Classic schmastic. Empire has the best twist in movie history. 'No, I am your father.' Come on, that's iconic!"

EJ grinned, "You're such a nerd, Barney."

"You're the one arguing about Star Wars," Barney shot back with a chuckle.

They arrived at the apartment and walked in, only to find Marshall in the living room, bent over with a marker in hand.

"Um, hey buddy. What's going on here?" EJ asked, raising an eyebrow.

Barney burst out laughing, "Are you coloring in your butt?"

Marshall looked up, his face flushed with embarrassment. "I have a big interview coming up, and my suit has holes in it. I can't sew, I don't own Navy boxers, so, yeah, I'm coloring in my butt."

Barney shook his head in disbelief, "So wear another one."

"I don't have another one," Marshall replied, exasperated. "I'm flat broke. My only other suit options are track or birthday."

Barney looked horrified, "Dude, you show up to an interview in that, even the hippie lawyers from Granola Mountain Earth Pals will hackey sack you straight out the door."

EJ chimed in, "Even the bad lawyers from the defense attorney offices will gladly kick you to the curb."

Marshall sighed, "Okay, it's the National Resource Defense Council, and it's my dream job. Except it's only an internship, and I won't be getting paid. Mostly getting people coffee. But the people I'm getting coffee for... their bosses are going to save the world."

EJ nodded thoughtfully, "Okay, well in that case, maybe you don't need a suit."

Barney interjected, "Okay, tomorrow... oh, and I should mention this is going to rock your world-- tomorrow I'm taking you to my personal tailor."

Marshall looked skeptical, "A tailor? Barney, I make negative $300 a week, and I need every negative penny of that for my wedding."

EJ offered another suggestion, "Or, you just wear something casual, something that makes you look professional but not like a stick-up businessman."

Marshall brightened, "See, I like where this is going."

Barney dismissed the idea with a wave, "No, you don't need that. My guy does everything for one third the cost. And there is no way you're getting married in that sarcastic-quotation-marks 'suit.' Tomorrow, noon, my tailor."

Marshall hesitated, "No thanks, dude."

Without warning, Barney grabbed Marshall's pants and tore them apart, leaving Marshall standing there in shock. "Noon?" Barney asked with a smirk.

Marshall sighed, defeated. "Noon."

"See you then," Barney said confidently, as he and EJ exchanged amused glances.

——

At the familiar bar where the gang often gathered, Grace walked in, spotting Lily and Robin seated at their usual booth. There was an unfamiliar woman with them, chatting and laughing. Grace approached with a friendly smile.

"Hey, girls," Grace greeted.

"Hey," Robin and Lily replied in unison.

Grace's eyes shifted to the unknown woman. "Who's this?" she asked, directing her question to Victoria.

"I'm Victoria, just a friend," Victoria said with a laugh.

Lily added with a grin, "And Ted's girlfriend."

Grace's smile faltered momentarily. She remembered Ted asking her out for coffee recently, and she had been looking forward to it. Now, this woman, Victoria, had come into the picture?

"Hi, I'm Grace," she said, introducing herself. "I'm a friend of Lily's and EJ is my brother," she added, trying to keep her tone light but feeling a bit butthurt, something Lily immediately noticed.

Victoria made a playful remark, "Hey, I'm on my way to meet Ted. It's our two-monthiversary, so we're going out to dinner."

"Great! Well, that answers all the questions I didn't ask," Grace responded, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Grace!" Lily exclaimed, giving her a reproachful look.

"Oh, come on. That's how I talk to everyone, with sarcastic humor," Grace defended herself.

Victoria, seemingly unfazed, laughed. "Really? Oh," she said, and then spontaneously hugged Grace.

Grace pulled back, surprised. "Whoa, we're not there yet. See, I did it again!"

Robin snorted with laughter at the exchange.

Victoria smiled, looking around. "What are you guys up to?"

Lily perked up, "Oh, dress shopping."

Victoria's eyes lit up. "You know, I make wedding cakes for a lot of fancy bridal shops. If you want, I could take you shopping, maybe get you a discount."

Lily's face brightened with excitement. "Really? That'd be great."

"Yeah," Victoria nodded. Her phone buzzed, and she glanced at it. "Huh. I should take this. Hello," she said, stepping away to answer the call.

As soon as Victoria was out of earshot, Robin turned to Lily. "Hey, I thought it was going to be just us tomorrow. What's with inviting Punky Brewster?"

Grace nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I thought it was just going to be us."

Lily looked exasperated. "Grace, what is your problem? You just met this woman. Can't you be at least a little nicer?"

Grace sighed. "The best I can give you is a fake smile and sarcasm. Sound good?" Her tone betrayed a hint of jealousy over Ted and Victoria.

Lily sighed but accepted it. "Sold."

Victoria returned, looking a bit flustered. "Sorry about that. What's wrong?" Lily asked.

Victoria took a deep breath. "I've just been offered a fellowship at a culinary institute in Germany."

——

Marshall was standing in front of a mirror at Barney's tailor, admiring the sharp suit he was trying on.

"Guys, I'm kind of screwed here," Ted admitted, his voice heavy with worry. "I don't want to lose Victoria, but I can't ask her to stay just for me. And long distance definitely isn't an option."

Marshall shook his head emphatically. "No. No, no, no. No way. You know who likes long distance? Girls. It's all talking and no sex. Kill me now."

EJ, sipping his coffee, chimed in, "Long distance never works out. Trust me."

Barney raised an eyebrow. "Don't knock long-distance relationships. I really think they can work."

EJ looked skeptical. "Really? You?"

"Absolutely," Barney said with a grin. "I'm juggling four right now. There's Lisa in Madrid, Erica in Tokyo, Laura in Denmark, and Kelly on 34th Street. The lass thinks I'm a humble sheep shearer from Killarney."

EJ chuckled, "Remember Naomi?"

Ted's face lit up with recognition. "Oh right, your college girlfriend."

Marshall joined in dreamingly, "Ahhhh Naomi."

EJ sighed, "Yeah, remember when she decided to take a gap year in Spain to 'find herself'? We tried to make it work but after a month, we ended it. Wasn't going to work. It killed our relationship."

Barney leaned back, smirking. "Naomi is such a hot name."

EJ laughed, "Oh, she was ridiculously hot. But that was years ago."

Marshall shared his own story, "Ted, do you remember in college when Lily did that summer art program in Paris?"

"Yeah," Ted nodded.

Marshall continued, "Well, she kept talking about this cheesy French guy, Gabriel. So, I went out to visit, and there was this party. And who shows up but Gabriel. And he's got this weak-ass, thin French mustache. I'm not much of a fighter, but I knew I could take this weird little dude. So, I took him aside, and I got all creepy quiet, I got the crazy eyes going, and I said, 'You stay away from Lily, or I swear to God I'll eat that mustache right off your ugly French face.' Yeah. Yeah, he literally ran away. I think he was crying. I never told Lily about it. To be honest, I'm not very proud of it. To be even more honest, I am."

Ted looked at Marshall, puzzled. "Um, other than confirming a lot of European stereotypes about Americans, did that little story have a point?"

Marshall nodded earnestly. "Yeah, the point is that even though Lily is my soulmate, long distance still almost killed us. If you think that there's any chance that Victoria is your soulmate, you should ask her to stay."

Ted hesitated. "Well, I don't know if she is. It's still so early, but yeah, she could be."

Marshall pressed further, "Oh, please. You barely know this girl. What's her favorite color?"

EJ added, "Is she a cat person or a dog person?"

Barney jumped in with his usual flair, "Is she open to a three-way?"

Ted groaned. "Barney, I do more research than this before buying a cell phone. FYI, yes, I have three-way calling."

Ted took a deep breath. "Look, she can't be a cat person. I'm a dog person, I'm attracted to other dog people."

EJ looked at Ted doubtfully. "Are you sure?"

"All right," Ted said, pulling out his phone and dialing Victoria. "Hey, random question. How do you feel about cats?"

Victoria's voice came through the line, "Cats. Hated the musical, love the animal."

Ted sighed. "Good to know. Um, okay. Good-bye." He hung up and looked at the group. "She's a cat person. I don't know this girl at all."

Barney grinned and turned to the tailor. "Oh, excellent. We'll take this one."

Marshall looked indignant. "Whoa. Hey, hey, it's my suit. Shouldn't I be the one to choose?"

Barney handed Marshall a pin cushion. "Here. Play with this."

Marshall reluctantly put on the suit and glanced at himself in the mirror. He couldn't deny it. "God. I'm going to look hot."

Barney clapped him on the back. "Marshall, I can't let you waste a suit this nice fighting a losing battle for our planet's survival. This is a suit for winners. I am getting you an interview at my office. We need good men like you in our legal department. We get sued a lot."

Marshall shook his head firmly. "No way. The Kid does not sell out."

Barney tried again, "Oh, come on, dude! Three months working with me, you'll make more than Lily makes in a year."

Marshall remained resolute. "No. I've made my decision."

Ted sighed, coming to a conclusion. "So have I. If I ask this girl to give up her dreams for me, and two weeks later, it's not working out, I'm, like, the biggest jerk of all time. It's just too much pressure on a new relationship. I'm going to tell her to go."

——

Meanwhile, at the bridal shop, Lily, Victoria, Grace, and Robin were surrounded by gowns of every shape and style. A saleswoman approached them with a critical eye.

"What kind of dress are you looking for, dear?" she asked Lily.

"Nothing too huge or poofy. I'm not really a girlie girl. But I would like to look like a beautiful princess," Lily explained.

Grace chimed in, "I saw a couple up front that were nice."

The saleswoman sniffed. "By the window? No offense, dear, but those are a little out of your price range."

Lily bristled. "Where does she get off? She doesn't know how much money I make."

Victoria laughed. "Oh, these women are experts. They can guess your net annual income just by looking at your underwear."

Lily sighed. "Damn you Old Navy and your reasonably-priced three-packs!"

Victoria smiled. "At least we get free champagne!"

"And cake," Robin added.

"And mimosas," Grace said with a grin.

Robin turned to Victoria. "Speaking of which, have you decided what to do about your doughnut fellowship?"

Grace added, with a bit of condescension, "Yeah, what about your donut fellowship?"

Victoria sighed. "You know, I don't know. I mean, I want to go, but I don't want to lose Ted. I even thought about long distance, as if that ever works."

Lily groaned. "Ugh. All talking and no sex. Kill me now."

Victoria nodded. "I know it sounds lame, but I actually think that Ted might be The One. That's pretty hard to walk away from."

Grace looked skeptical. "Well, I don't know. I'd feel a little Stepford turning down a huge opportunity to chase some guy I'd only known two months."

Victoria smiled. "But this isn't just some guy. This is Ted. He's amazing. He's the best guy I know."

Grace shrugged. "Yeah, in America, but German guys? Whew! I would let them bread my schnitzel any day, if you know what I mean."

Victoria looked confused. "I really don't..."

Robin laughed. "Sex. Oh, excuse me, ma'am. This bastard's kicked."

The saleswoman returned with another dress. "Thanks," she said, handing it to Lily.

Victoria and Robin looked at the dress and made faces. "It's okay, guys, I hate it," Lily said, trying to be diplomatic.

Victoria shook her head. "Just horrible."

Robin agreed. "It's bad, it's really bad. Short in front, long in the back? That is the mullet of wedding dresses."

Lily sighed. "You know, Victoria, Marshall and I did long distance once. In college, I did an art course in Paris. I was the only American there. It was really lonely. I only had one friend, Gabrielle. She was kind of homely and strange-looking, and she was really self-conscious about this little mustache she had. Anyway, halfway through the semester, she just stopped talking to me, and I never figured out why. And then I had nobody. The only thing that got me through was knowing that my soulmate was back at home waiting for me. If Ted's your soulmate, then it may be worth it to hang onto him."

Victoria looked thoughtful. "But how am I supposed to know if we're soul mates? It's too soon." Her phone rang, and she answered. "Hello."

Ted's voice came through the line. "Hey, random question: how do you feel about cats?"

Victoria replied, "Cats. Hated the musical, love the animal."

Robin laughed. "A cat person. Why am I not surprised?"

Victoria hung up and turned to the group. "Why does Ted want to know if I like cats?"

Lily shrugged. "Maybe he's going to buy you one."

Victoria's eyes widened. "I did hear barking in the background. Maybe he was in a pet store. Does he want us to get a cat together?"

Robin shook her head. "Maybe he's using an adorable kitty to guilt you into staying."

Victoria frowned. "That is low. Do you really think that's what he's doing?"

Grace interjected, "Oh, I wouldn't even wait to find out. I would be on the next plane to Germany."

Victoria and Robin exchanged looks and laughed. "Aw."

Lily gave them a knowing look. "Oh, God, you guys are sucky liars."

Robin nodded. "Ugly, ugly, ugly."

Victoria smiled. "You know what? We're doing this all wrong. I am going to get you one of those front window dresses, just for fun."

Grace watched them go. "You okay?" Lily asked.

Grace sighed. "I'm fine."

"Okay. Just kind of seemed like you're trying to hustle Victoria out of the country," Lily observed.

Grace hesitated, then confessed, "Ted asked me to that wedding, and we made plans. I don't know, maybe I'm slightly jealous. Even though I wasn't with Ted, he's definitely a lot more different than Josh. It was a nice change of pace I wasn't used to."

Robin smirked. "You hate that bitch, don't you?"

Grace shook her head. "Eh, she's warming up on me."

Lily nodded in understanding. "I get it, but Victoria makes Ted happy. And even though Ted's a good guy, you should just be happy for them."

Victoria returned, holding a stunning dress. "Somebody say 'beautiful princess'?"

Lily's eyes lit up. "Oh, my gosh, it's perfect! Oh! This dress is totally going to get me laid on my wedding night."

Victoria beamed. "Look how happy she is. You know, I've always thought of myself as one of those independent women who would never let any guy mess with my career. And now I'm actually thinking about it. I feel guilty, like it's un-feminist or something."

Robin nodded. "I know what you mean."

Victoria looked surprised. "You do?"

Robin admitted, "Well, I'm always putting my career ahead of my relationships, and... to be honest, there's a lot of lonely nights in that job description."

But then, she thought about EJ and the nights they shared, the hookups every night that turned into spending time together just the two of them. She smiled at the thought of EJ's quirkiness, their late-night talks, and the way he made her laugh.

She paused, a small smile crossing her face as she thought of it all.

"But then there are nights like the ones I've been having lately."

Victoria sighed. "See, that's what I'm afraid of."

Grace offered, "Choosing Ted over your career doesn't make you un-feminist. Maybe it just means that you guys would be happy together. I spent a lot of time making sacrifices to what I thought was the best thing for me, but I'm almost 27 and I'm not even married or have kids like my other friends. There's a lot I do regret."

Victoria's eyes softened. "Grace, Robin... I think that you are the coolest. I'm so glad that we're friends."

Robin smiled. "Oh, no way... you're the coolest."

Grace chuckled. "Okay, she's warming up on me."

Victoria grinned. "No, you are."

Robin conceded, "Okay, I am."

Victoria's face lit up. "I'm going to stay."

Victoria, Grace, and Robin hugged. "Aw."

Lily twirled in her dress. "Oh, I am so beautiful! Oh, don't tell me how much it costs. Just snap my neck now, so I can die this pretty."

Robin admired her. "Wow, you look incredible."

Grace agreed. "You look so beautiful, Lily."

Lily beamed. "Okay, how much is it, on a scale of never to never ever?"

Robin replied, "Never ever, ever, ever, ever... times infinity."

Lily sighed. "Well, it's okay. You know, what makes a bride beautiful is that she's just happy to be getting married." She sat down without noticing the cake. "Oh, guys, I know I look amazing, but the important thing is that Marshall and I love each other, right?"

Robin nodded. "Yes, you're right. But also... you just sat down in the cake."

Victoria grimaced. "But, you know what? It's going to come out because it's only... chocolate and raspberry."

Robin winced. "Okay. Come on, get up, let us see how bad it is."

Lily stood up, and the dress tore apart. The saleswoman arrived just in time to witness the disaster.

Lily cringed. "It was like this when I found it?"

The saleswoman was not amused. "And how will you be paying for this?"

Lily fumbled for words. "Credit card... s."

Grace stepped in. "I'll take care of it."

——

EJ leaned back against the kitchen counter, sipping his beer thoughtfully as he listened to Ted's woes. "Damn, that sucks, man. I'm sorry," he offered sincerely.

Ted sighed, his thoughts still consumed by Victoria. "It was just too much pressure too soon. I mean, maybe it was silly to even think..."

"Yes, Marshall, I see your new suit, and it's awesome," Ted continued, acknowledging Marshall's attire.

Meanwhile, Marshall paraded around in his new suit, soaking in the admiration.

"Well, thank you for acknowledging it. It was weird that you hadn't," Marshall commented.

Look, I understand that you guys had to break up eventually, but why today?"

Ted explained with a heavy heart, "She's leaving tomorrow."

EJ chimed in, leaning forward with unexpected wisdom. "Yeah, but she's still in town. She hasn't left yet," he pointed out, surprising both Marshall and Ted with his perceptiveness.

"Yeah, she... she's still in town," Ted murmured, mulling over EJ's words.

Marshall, intrigued by EJ's unusual depth, probed further. "Yeah, so you spend one more amazing day together. Ted, think about it this way: if you knew that you were going to lose your leg tomorrow, would you sit on the couch and cry about it, or would you run, and jump, and do some awesome air kicks while you still could?"

EJ, known for his typically aloof and casual demeanor, surprised both Marshall and Ted with a rare moment of profound insight. He straightened up, his gaze thoughtful as he crafted his response. "Love is like a comet, you know? It's rare, it's bright, and it streaks across your sky so fast you barely notice until it's gone. When you find something real, something that makes you feel like you're soaring even when you're just standing still, you don't waste a single moment. You grab hold of it and hold on tight, because you might not get another chance."

Ted looked at EJ incredulously. "Who are you and what have you done with EJ Bennett?" he joked, not used to hearing such profound advice from his typically carefree friend.

EJ chuckled, shrugging casually. "Right here, man. I never left."

Marshall, always the one to dig deeper, prodded gently. "Seriously though, EJ. That was... surprisingly deep coming from you. You're usually the guy chasing after the next adventure, not dropping truth bombs about love."

EJ scratched the back of his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Huh, not sure. Just... been thinking, I guess."

Ted, sensing there was more beneath the surface, pushed gently. "Thinking about what?"

EJ glanced away momentarily, his thoughts drifting to the time he'd been spending with a certain someone, feelings growing against his usual instincts. He didn't voice it aloud, but the shift was evident in his demeanor.

——

Grace, Lily, and Robin sat at their usual spot in the bar, the hum of conversations and clinking glasses providing a familiar background. Grace leaned in, her voice low and urgent. "Lily, you have to tell him. That dress cost a fortune. It cost us a fortune."

Lily, nursing her drink, shook her head stubbornly. "No, I'm just gonna wait for the next time Marshall really screws up, and then, I'll just slip this in, and it won't seem so bad by comparison."

Robin raised her glass in a mock toast. "Well, here's hoping he cheats on you."

Lily snorted. "Yeah, but only, like, second base."

Lily got up to get another round, leaving Grace and Robin alone. Grace took a sip of her drink, eyes twinkling mischievously. "Speaking of telling people things," she began, dropping a sly hint, "what's going on with you and my brother lately?"

Robin tried to keep her expression neutral, but a slight blush crept up her cheeks. "We're just friends."

Grace continued gently, "I know you say that, but... EJ's different when he's around you. He's... softer, I guess."

Robin opened her mouth to protest but found herself at a loss for words. Grace pressed on. "It's very unlike my brother to be putting this much effort into something if it didn't mean something to him."

Robin sighed, stirring her drink absently. "EJ and I, we get along really well. We've been hanging out a lot, not just... you know. But I don't do feelings. I've never really done feelings or commitments."

Grace reached across the table, her tone softening. "Robin, whatever is going on between you two, just don't break his heart. My brother might be a playboy, but someone has to be really special for him to stick around."

Robin stayed quiet, her thoughts swirling. She nodded slowly, acknowledging Grace's words without fully committing to any decisions. As Lily returned with their drinks, Robin forced a smile, trying to push her complicated feelings aside.