Living Room, 2030
"Kids, there are cars that are just cars. They take you from point A to point B and mean nothing more. And then there are cars that are members of the family. That hold your secrets, your laughter, your tears. That smell of cheap cigars and spilled Thai food."
Ted Mosby leans back in his armchair with a nostalgic smile.
"Marshall's Pontiac Fiero was one of those. And when it was about to die, we discovered it wasn't just his. It was all of ours."
The Queensboro Bridge
The Fiero moved slowly, coughing, complaining, but still moving. Marshall was at the wheel with an ear-to-ear grin. Beside him, Ted watched the odometer with excitement.
"One more mile, Marshall! Your baby is going to hit 200,000 kilometers!"
"I know, I know. I can't believe it."
In the back seat, Lily and Robin celebrated with feigned enthusiasm. Alyx was squeezed between them, sketchbook on her lap, drawing the scene.
"I never thought I'd see this," said Lily.
"Me neither," said Robin. "And I'm not sure I should. It smells weird."
"It's the cigars," Marshall explained. "I bought them in Chinatown to celebrate. They're authentic Cubans."
Ted grabbed one from the glove compartment. He sniffed it. "Marshall, I hate to be the one to tell you, but... these are chopsticks wrapped in napkins."
"What are you talking about?"
The car hit a bump. A metallic noise. Then another. Then nothing.
"What was that?" asked Alyx.
Marshall looked at the odometer. 0.8 miles to go.
"No... no, no, no..."
The Fiero came to a complete stop.
Later
The group sat on uncomfortable plastic chairs in a mechanic's waiting room. Marshall had his head in his hands.
"He's going to be okay," said Lily, rubbing his back. "This is the best shop in the area."
"How do you know?" asked Robin.
Lily pointed at a certificate on the wall. "One of the mechanics ate a 64-ounce steak."
"That has nothing to do with mechanics."
"But it speaks to determination."
The door opened. Ted and Barney walked in carrying a folding table and a paper bag.
"Surprise," said Ted. "We felt bad you were missing the origami folding party, so... we brought it here."
"We insisted," added Barney.
Lily sighed. "Great."
While Lily tried to teach a group of bewildered mechanics how to make paper cranes, Alyx approached Marshall.
"How are you?"
Marshall looked at her. "It's just a car, right?"
"It's just a car," Alyx confirmed. "But it's also something more. I know."
"You too?"
Alyx nodded. "I had a car in my other life. Well, in the life I can't mention. It wasn't special, but it held memories. Trips. Moments." She paused. "The first time I rode in this car with you and Lily... I never told you that story, did I?"
Marshall shook his head.
"It was... it was important to me."
Flashback: Years Ago – The First Trip
It was a Saturday afternoon, a few weeks after Alyx had started dating Lily and Marshall. Lily had insisted on going to a specialty store in Brooklyn to buy paints, and Marshall offered to drive them.
"You sure you don't mind?" asked Alyx, sitting in the back seat.
"Not at all. The Fiero needs to stretch its legs once in a while."
Lily turned around from the passenger seat. "So what do you think, Alyx? How are you handling... us?"
Alyx hesitated. It was early, very early, but something in the way Lily asked, in the way Marshall looked at her in the rearview mirror, made her feel safe.
"Good," she said. "It's... different, but good."
"Different bad or different good?" asked Marshall.
"Different new. I've never been in a relationship like this before. With two people. It's like learning a new language."
"The language of us," said Lily, smiling.
"That."
The ride continued. They talked about everything and nothing. About painting, about law, about TV shows. Marshall put on music. A song played on the old cassette stuck in the player.
"I would walk 500 miles..."
"Oh no," Lily groaned. "This song again."
"It's been stuck for years," Marshall explained. "But it's better than nothing."
"Better than nothing?" asked Alyx. "It's a great song."
Lily and Marshall looked at each other, surprised.
"You like it?" asked Lily.
"Yes. It's optimistic. And it's about walking long distances for love. What's not to like?"
Marshall smiled. "I like this girl."
"We already liked her," said Lily.
Alyx felt something warm expand in her chest.
They arrived at the store, bought the paints, and on the way home, something happened.
Marshall braked suddenly. A van had run a red light. Alyx, who wasn't wearing a seatbelt (beginner's mistake), was thrown forward.
Marshall instinctively extended his arm, holding her back. Lily turned around, her heart in her throat.
"Are you okay?"
Alyx nodded, trembling. "Yes, yes, I'm okay."
"Sure?" asked Marshall, not letting go.
Alyx looked at him. Then she looked at Lily. And in that moment, in that old, beat-up car, she felt something she hadn't felt in a long time: safety.
"Sure," she said. "I'm sure."
That night, when they returned to the apartment, Alyx drew something in her sketchbook. A small, old car. Three people inside. A song playing. A sudden brake. An arm reaching out.
She titled it: "My First Time."
Back to the Present
"That day," said Alyx, "I knew I was in the right place with the right people. It wasn't a grand moment, or a declaration of love. It was just... a sudden brake and an arm that held me."
Marshall looked at her. "I don't remember that."
"I do. I drew it."
Barney approached, interrupting the moment. "You know what? I have memories of this car too. Bad memories."
"You?" asked Ted. "But you've never driven it."
"Exactly."
Flashback: Barney's Accident
One year earlier. Transit strike. Barney needed to get to Queens for a massage.
"Is Marshall here?" he asked, poking his head into Ted's apartment.
"No, he's at the library. Take the keys."
Barney took the keys. Then he looked at Ted. "Why don't you drive me? It'll be like a road trip."
"To Queens."
"Yeah. We'll buy jerky, Triscuits..."
"I have work."
"Fine, cancel."
"Wait." Ted stopped him. "You know how to drive, right?"
"Of course. I love driving. Getting out on the road, cruising the lanes, braking, honking. Except for women drivers. Don't get me started on women drivers."
"Which one's the gas pedal?"
Barney hesitated. "Trick question."
"It's not."
"Yes it is."
"It's not."
"Middle? Left? Right? I never learned to drive! I grew up in the city."
Ted sighed. "You're going to learn now. Barney Stinson, buckle up."
What followed was chaos.
Barney confused the pedals. He accelerated when he should have braked, turned when he should have gone straight. A dog crossed the street, and Barney screamed.
"What do I do? Tell me what to do, Ted."
"Hit the brake. Sometime in the next twenty minutes."
"Which one's the brake again?"
"The one on the left."
"Left... Oh no, I'm blanking."
"Make the L shape with your hand."
"We're not going to make it."
Barney, in a panic, turned on the radio.
"Why are you turning on the radio?"
"I don't know why I turned on the radio!"
The Fiero crashed into a billboard. It was minor—barely a bump. But for Barney, it was a revelation.
"Wait... wait... We're okay. We're okay! It's a miracle, Ted!"
He got out of the car, trembling. "Fate gave me a second chance. It showed me that our days are too few to waste. So from that moment on, I decided to live life to the fullest."
"So you decided to change nothing?"
"True story."
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