Chapter 21 — Something Borrowed (Rain, Ruin & Rescue)
Ted Mosby believed weddings were about fairy tales.
Barney Stinson believed weddings were about free champagne.
And Ivar Scherbatsky? He believed weddings were stress tests — the weak cracked, the strong adapted, and the wise drank whiskey while it all burned.
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The Outdoor Disaster
The gang arrived at the outdoor venue, where dark clouds were already gathering.
Marshall: "It's perfect. A garden wedding, under the sun—"
Thunder rumbled overhead.
Lily: "Oh no. No, no, no—"
Robin muttered, "Should've gone with a hall."
Ted, ever the optimist, said, "It'll clear up."
Megan snorted. "Correction: you're delusional."
Yvonne added: "This has disaster DLC written all over it."
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Spiral of Chaos
Within an hour:
The harpist quit because her instrument got wet.
The flowers wilted in the humidity.
The guests grumbled under umbrellas.
Marshall panicked, pacing holes into the mud.
Lily snapped at her bridesmaids until one cried.
Barney, of course, hit on the caterers.
Robin tried to calm Lily. "It's not that bad."
Lily shrieked. "My hair is frizzing like a science experiment!"
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Ivar Holds Back
Watching from the sidelines, Ivar sipped his whiskey under a dry canopy.
Megan leaned on his shoulder. "You're just going to let this happen?"
"Yes," Ivar said calmly.
Yvonne smirked. "Correction: he's letting them sweat until the lesson sinks in."
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The Breaking Point
Finally, Marshall grabbed Ivar by the arm.
"Please. I know you can fix this. You fix everything."
Ivar studied him, green eyes steady.
"Marriage isn't about control, Marshall. It's about weathering storms. Literally, today. If you two can't handle this, you won't handle the rest."
Marshall froze. Lily, overhearing, blinked through her tears.
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The Fix
Then, and only then, did Ivar move.
With a few quiet calls:
A portable tent canopy arrived within twenty minutes.
A jazz trio replaced the ruined harpist.
Northern Star generators powered lights and heaters.
The soggy chaos transformed into an intimate, candlelit evening.
Marshall and Lily clutched each other's hands as they finally said their vows, laughter mixing with relief.
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Megan & Yvonne's Commentary
Megan whispered, "You know, I hate admitting it, but he's kind of a genius."
Yvonne smirked. "Correction: terrifying genius."
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Closing Beat
By the end of the night:
Marshall and Lily had the imperfectly perfect wedding.
Ted wept more than the bride.
Robin drank more than the groom.
Barney tried (and failed) to hook up with the maid of honor.
Megan and Yvonne danced barefoot in the mud.
And Ivar? He stood apart, calm, watching his friends stumble through storms — and find their way through.
Because sometimes the best rescue wasn't avoiding disaster.
It was showing people they could survive it.
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End of Chapter 21.
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👉 Next is Chapter 22 ("Something Blue") — the season finale. Do you want Robin's job offer from Ivar at Northern Star Entertainment to be the big twist here, alongside Ted/Robin's breakup arc, or save that reveal for Season 3's opener?