You truly fall in love only once?

A/N: Sadly enough, this is once again dedicated to Lilli, seemingly the only source of creativity I have – I probably should seek out a few livejournal prompts, maybe that would change these author notes. Then again, I'd probably have Lilli correct it, anyway.

Also, this is AU-ish. Because even though characters, settings and backgrounds stay the same, this strays pretty far from what the writers probably do have in mind. Enjoy.

"Kids, remember when you asked me how I met your mother?" There's a little pause while two teens nod, disinterested; as if just waiting for another pointless tale that wouldn't tell even a bit how their father had met their mother. "Well, I figure that I've probably taken enough time by now."

"Is it because mum and you will go to that coffee shop, again?" The young male asked, one eyebrow raised. "I mean, you're probably late by now since you took so long to answer our simple question."

His sister nodded in agreement, though she admittedly quite enjoyed the story her father told them. "I bet you're right; it's their anniversary after all! Which is, by the way, the reason we asked today – nobody could have guesstimated that we'd sit here from 9 AM to –" She checked her wristwatch. "5.45 PM."

"Okay, okay, I get it!" The narrator says, pouting before coughing and continuing. "I'll get straight to the point now – " He would run late otherwise, really. "But I have you know that you miss out on a great story!"

"Whatever, dad." The boy answered, rolling his eyes rather obviously; he wasn't usually this brat-ish, but keeping your cool after so much rambling by another person? Patience wore thin here.

His sister shot him a glare before looking at their dad again, enthusiastic. If their dad really would answer her question then she was more than glad to listen. "Go on, dad! Just ignore my sunshine of a brother."

Ted chuckled at the heavy sarcasm before once again narrating his favourite story.

"So, kids, it all began on a particularly rainy day in May..."

Ted Mosby had always believed in true love.

Not just any kind of love; he had believed in that kind of love that became obvious the moment that you spotted the other, knowing they were the one person you couldn't live without.

They say that you only truly fall in love once – yet he thought 'She's the one' more often than not; his friends already knowing it wouldn't work before he even thought about that possibility.

And after so many years of waiting and hoping for the best, Ted was tired.

Yes. Ted Mosby was tired of waiting. Of believing. So he wouldn't. Why should he wait for something that would simply never happen?

"See, life?" Ted grumbled once he realised that he was tired of waiting, of hoping, of hurting. Was love really worth the pain it caused? Ted was having doubts here. "You managed to make Ted Mosby lose faith! What else could you possible do to screw with me now, huh?"

Ted honestly intended this to be black humour on his behalf. He didn't expect life to react with the worst rainfall he had seen in a while. But that was, of course, exactly what happened.

"Oh, come on! Is that all you can do, you stup –" Life didn't let him finish that insult; just before the word would leave his mouth, Ted heard loud thunder. He stopped mid-sentence and just kept quiet. It was just very obvious sarcasm wouldn't get him anywhere now.

With a huff, he sprinted for cover. Of course, it would be a day like this when he for once didn't have an umbrella with him. Usually, he would have settled for a tree to get some kind of cover – but with all the thunder, he doubted that it was a good idea. So instead, he kept running, trying to shield himself with his coat which he had pulled over his head, looking rather ridiculous. It was better than getting himself all wet, though.

After a few minutes, the young architect sighed in sheer relief once he finally spotted a suitable cover: a small coffee shop that probably caught nothing more but a few second glances in a big, busy city like New York. Ted noted that the shop looked very friendly and inviting, warm light and delicious smell luring him in. He opened the door, wondering why he never noticed the wee shop prior to this rainy afternoon. Inside, it was even cosier and cuddlier than he first imagined.

The outside had looked like your usual coffee shop, smell and red décor the only things giving away it might be fantastic to go in and enjoy a cup of coffee. Once inside, however, it smelled so good Ted felt his tummy growl in anticipation. Maybe it wasn't too bad he landed in this cottage-styled coffee shop. He felt hungry all of a sudden and realised that he hadn't eaten at all in at least two days – work was hard as of late and Ted thought that, maybe, the universe was just telling him to take better care of himself for the next few hours. He really deserved it, too.

Ted let out an irritated groan, then. He searched for a free table and realised that he by far wasn't the only one to have the glorious idea of looking for shelter here. It was not necessarily crowded, but there weren't many tables to begin with. He registered that there were two tables which each had one free seat. One was used by a rather intimidating business man, typing and doing god-knows-what on his large laptop. Hadn't it been for the fact that the guy was huge and kind of scary, he might have asked him whether he'd mind sharing the table with him but later on, Ted told himself that the reason he didn't ask was that the other had this space-needing laptop and there just was no room left for another person. Truly, he was just a bit scared by the glare he received from the guy as his gaze lingered on the empty chair for a second too long.

The other chair it had to be, then. A young female sat there, elegantly sipping her beverage while reading a book. Ted gulped. Usually, he'd probably just go over, asking whether he could take a seat. However, it hadn't been his best day so far and he had the irksome feeling that he looked just like he felt: terrible. In a mood like that, Ted never was very social. He felt nervous; screwing up was not nice – what if she thought he tried to flirt with her and took offence or something?

He didn't quite have a choice, he then thought, might as well simply go. It's not like he'd see her again after this evening, right? It didn't matter what she thought of him in his ridiculous suit, with the strangely blood-shot eyes and his soaking wet hair.

"Excuse me, Miss..." Ted trailed off while the woman looked up from her book to meet his eyes. After a second, he continued, "I, erm, I wanted to ask...Is this chair still free?"

He could feel her eyes on him, looking for something, apparently also finding it. She gestured for him to sit down with a small smile. "I take it that the rain surprised you, Mister...?"

Her voice indicated that this was a double question; Ted took the hint immediately and answered, "Ted, Ted Mosby. And yes, I was just walking when this –"He motioned to the rain pour outsides, "Suddenly happened. I'm sorry for taking this seat, I hope you don't mind."

The woman just smiled a crooked smile, shrugging while closing her book shut. "It was empty anyway and I don't mind the company." For the first time, she actually took in his whole appearance, raising one eyebrow in question. As he finally sat down opposite to her, Ted could muster a smile despite his shitty day. "You're staring. It's the suit, isn't it?" She just flashed him a grin at this statement and nodded. "That, too. But not only."

Ted looked at her quizzically. She just smiled sympathetically. "You had a hard day, right? Do you want to talk about it?"

A sigh escaped his lips – of course his eyes, his eye circles and his overall gloomy expression gave him away. If even strangers could see it, it must be really bad, he just thought. "I don't think I want to talk about it just yet. I mean, I don't really know you and it's also pretty ... fresh."

"Talking with a stranger can really help sometimes, you know? I'm a good listener, so I wouldn't mind." She looked trustworthy enough with these large brown orbs and her small, yet comforting, smile. For a moment, Ted hesitated. But then he remembered that he'd probably never see her again – so where was the problem in telling her?

"It's just that there's been so much going on lately and it's very difficult." He sighed, his eyes meeting hers, giving her a last chance to back out; this was a story in which most people wouldn't side with him, he knew that. However, she just smiled another reassuring smile, trying to show that she cared – he couldn't understand that, since they were practical strangers; but something about these caring, understanding eyes made him tell her anyway. "My best friends married today."

That obviously took her by surprise: she looked confused as to why that would be bad news. Then, realisation dawned on her pretty face and Ted prepared for the judging glare. He waited for the 'Why can't you just let them be happy?' or maybe a 'You should be supporting them, not crying over a lost love any longer.'; however, she said none of these things. That, in turn, surprised Ted. Hell, he even judged himself already, so why wouldn't she?

"I think I get the problem. And now? Now you're going to put some distance between the girl and yourself?" Now he was even more surprised. Just how could she know that? "I just think that you're not the kind of person that tries to break a couple apart when it would risk making his friends unhappy. I can tell that because you're actually depressive about what happened. Were you scheming something against their marriage, you'd be less honest about your sadness." He watched as she struggled with the words. Seemingly she had a hard time trying to explain her observation; he knew what she meant: he simply looked like the guy who just gave up. And he knew it.

"I guess I'll have to do that. Or else I'm going mad." He just answered truthfully. What else could he really say to that, anyhow? "It's only been eight hours since that wedding and it just hurts so much."

Another understanding smile lit her face, as she gently patted his hand. "Let's talk about something else, maybe that will lift your spirits?"

He nodded plainly. That would be way more comfortable; though, admittedly, it felt nice talking about this with her – mainly because she didn't judge him. Ted felt very thankful for that. "Any suggestions for a topic then?"

"I've seen you before," She pointed out, mater-of-factly, "But I can't pinpoint where..."

Ted thought about the statement for a second before he had an idea. "Maybe on the cover of New York Magazine?"

She flashed him a big grin. "Am I talking to a super star without even knowing?" She was teasing him and he knew it; it felt nice how she wasn't treating him like a poor misguided guy after his story – because that's what most people did.

"No, not at all!" Ted grinned right back; something about her grin was simply contagious. The heartbroken man knew that he shouldn't be able to smile right now, but he was. "It was a story concerning me and my 'big' future as an architect. Now I am a simple professor at a university, though."

She gasped all of a sudden. "That's how I know you! You're that professor that lectured our class before realising that you were in the wrong room!" Ted blushed in embarrassment when he heard that, "You've been the centre of gossip till my graduation! And you also dated my room mate back then... Oh, sorry, that's probably embarrassing for you. If it helps you any, I thought you were pretty cute back then." Said professor was now very red, very embarrassed and very flattered all at once. "Well, anyway. Architecture, huh? That's fascinating."

"It's .. Wait, really? You're serious?" It's not like he never met anyone that found architecture fascinating but, you know, it's been a while.

"Yes I – " The young woman was cut short by her mobile. "Wait a sec..."

He watched as she took out her mobile, read a text and then began packing her things. "It's rather late by now and I have a train to fetch. But, Ted..." She locked eyes with him, concern in her voice now, "Everyone goes a long way before finding what they didn't know they were looking for. Give yourself a chance to fall in love, because no matter how often you fall, destiny will lead you to that one person. You just have to open your eyes instead of closing them and clinging to a person you'll never have a chance with."

"How can you be so sure of that? Maybe somebody stole the person I was meant to be with! What then?" He really wanted to believe her, he wanted to believe in fate. But it was difficult to do so.

She paused a little, before gently smiling and answering, "Do not be afraid; our fate cannot be taken from us; it is a gift."

Silence settled as he thought about the sentence; it was a Dante quote, he knew that. Before he could really respond however, she had her put her coat on, grabbed her umbrella and said her goodbye, "It was nice to see you again, Ted. And, hey, we should really go out and get some coffee once you think you can, you know, move on. I'll visit my parents during the next two weeks. If you'd like, we could meet here the Monday in two weeks? Same place, same time, same people? I'll take your silence as a yes."

And with that, she was gone. He watched in stunned silence as she left the coffee shop, opened her bright yellow coloured umbrella and escaped his sight.

She was extraordinary, a bit weird, even. But she did have a point. The Robin-thing had been so long ago; of course the wedding was just recently, but...

Then, suddenly, he felt his whole face heat up – she had just asked him out on a date, hadn't she? Oh good god, she had. And since he didn't have her number he couldn't say no.

..Maybe that was not half as bad. Maybe that was just what he needed. Maybe this was good.

…...Maybe meeting her was fate. Maybe, Ted thought with a small smile, I just shouldn't give up on love yet.

And as he was musing like that, he noticed something – she had forgotten her book. Ted took it carefully, staring at the cover. "Love in the Time of Cholera" He read out loud. Still remembering how much he himself had liked the book, he opened it, the paper used as a bookmaker falling down onto the table. The side itself was nothing special. He remembered the sentences faintly, browsing the book for a minute or two, before a brightly marked text passage captivated his eyes.

"He allowed himself to be swayed by his conviction that human beings are not born once and for all on the day their mothers give birth to them, but that life obliges them over and over again to give birth to themselves."

His breath hitched. This also used to be his own favourite quote in the whole book. Ted was now sure that this must be fate. Meeting a beautiful, understanding, smart, philosophical woman that liked the same authors he did and that actually found architecture interesting? His wounds were fresh, yes. He still felt something for Robin, yes. But he also felt his heart beat increasing, his hands getting sweaty and butterflies occupying his stomach. He knew what the meant; he was starting to fall in love. He could try to protest but he felt like he deserved a little happiness: She was interested, he was interested; and the date was settled anyway.

Just as Ted grew comfortable with the thought, he took a closer look at the bookmarker; it was a train ticket, probably used as a bookmarker so the owner wouldn't forget the ticket. Ted froze before jumping up, sprinting out and hailing a taxi. He'd feel horrible if he was the cause she missed her train. Also, he felt like he should tell her that he really looked forward to that date. "Farhampton, please. Fast."

It was still raining like crazy, and Ted once again damned the fact that he didn't have an umbrella with him. He tried to cover the book and the train ticket with his jacket as he clumsily tried not to slip on the mud. Once he finally reached his destination, he couldn't find the strikingly yellow umbrella among the very few people; he panicked, but a glance at his clock told him that he was simply early. And since she would probably walk here instead of hailing a taxi and yelling at the driver that 120 km/h wasn't much, it was to be anticipated that he was to be here faster.

Ted sat down on a bench, sighing and happy to be finally out of the rain. He opened the book, once again, staring at the quote.

It simply had to be fate, right? Because nothing else would explain why he met her today. Why she liked what he liked. Why it rained. Because he would not have met her without the rain.

When he finally spotted the yellow umbrella, he shot up and felt his mouth go dry. What exactly would happen now, what would he say? He swallowed his worries. Most important was that she got the ticket. He could think about everything else later.

He walked up to her, coughing to get her attention. She turned around instantly, grinning when she saw it was him. "Ted, what are you doing here?"

"You forgot this. I thought you might need it." When he handed her the ticket and the book, he also gave her the lilac that used to be part of his outfit. "And this is so you won't forget about our date in two weeks." She took everything a little awkwardly and clumsily, for she had only one free hand. Surprise was written all-over her face before she said a happy 'thank you' and grinned even wider. "That's so thoughtful of you! Thanks, again."

They both heard the train by now, coming closer. And with it, their farewells came closer as well. She glanced at him again, before lowering her gaze. He could clearly see that she was thinking hard about something, before she gave him the book and her umbrella, put her ticket into her pocket and rummaged through her bag before finding a pen. The pen quickly glided across a sheet of paper which she handed to him. Then, she quickly grabbed her suitcase and tiptoed to swiftly and gently kiss his cheek. "Let's stay in touch, alright? I don't think I can wait two weeks before hearing your voice again. And don't forget, I won't judge nor push you. I'll adjust to your pace in this relationship. So take your time getting over things, first."

And then, she was gone.

For two weeks only, Ted reminded himself.

That was more than enough to sort things out.

He stared at the book and the paper that rested on it. It was her number, he realised. Also written on the paper was 'Poca favilla gran fiamma seconda'.

Ted smiled fondly, knowing the quote all too well. "From a tiny spark may burst a flame. We'll see about that..."

"That day, with that umbrella firm in my hand, I had no clue how much my life would change. I thought it would only be a short relationship, but it wasn't. Obviously, I wouldn't follow Uncle Barney's three-days-rule. I called her the same evening; even then I probably sensed how much more we would have. I didn't dare to hope that she was the one – afraid that I might be disappointed again. But I wasn't. Whenever we met, it was usually the coffee shop. And whatever we discussed, I was falling again and again, every time a bit more. But not the bad kind of falling. No, the good kind. The kind of falling when you knew that you'd be caught by the other person any time. I realised I was in love when she laughed at the 'shellfish-selfish' joke. I was afraid to admit it; I have tons of bad memories with being the first one to say 'I love you'.So she did it first. It was the first time ever that a woman said these magical words to me first.

What I want you to understand, kids, is that you don't fall in love only once. No, kids. Believe me, I'm falling in love with your mother every day all-over again."

A/N: Short explanation of certain facts.

No need to explain the yellow umbrella, right? It's also stated that Ted, even though it's raining throughout the wedding, can't do anything about it; he doesn't have an umbrella with him.

In the episode "The Three Days Rule", Ted mentioned that he called the mother right away once he got her number.

In „The Leap", Ted teaches in the wrong class (Economics class) and the Mother happened to be in said class.

It's revealed that he meets her during the day of Barney's and Robin's wedding. She's supposed to be the bass player – however, this OS is kinda AU-ish, so I did this differently.

In „Double Date" Ted says the Mother laughed about Ted's "shellfish-selfish" joke.

I added a little twist to the Farhampton thing. Actually, the back story's different, of course.

The Mother's favourite flowers are lilacs.