Challenge Accepted(A Barney Stinson/HIMYM Fan-fiction) BOOK ONE

Chapter Seven: Slapsgiving

I looked up from my phone upon hearing the clunk of a frozen turkey on our table at McLaren's.

"All right, we have a turkey!" Lily said excitedly.

"Yeah we do!" Lily sat down beside Ted and I, while Robin, Barney, and Robin sat on the other side.

"Isn't this exciting? Our first Thanksgiving together as a group."

"Yeah, this is gonna be the best Slapsgiving ever." Marshall agreed.

"What?" Barney and I asked together.

"I said, 'This is gonna be the best Thanksgiving ever.' " I furrowed my eyebrows, not understanding what was going on.

"Yeah, this is gonna be great. Just the six of us, right?"

"Oh, that reminds me. I invited Bob." Robin told us.

"Bob? You've been on, like, three dates with that guy. We haven't even met him."

"Well, he didn't have anywhere else to go, and I didn't know what to say. Is it really that big a deal?"

"Yes. This is our first Thanksgiving. Thirty years from now, we're going to look at the photos and say: "Oh, there's the five people I love most in the world. And Bob."

"I'm sorry, sometimes I forget how seriously you guys take American Thanksgiving. Real Thanksgiving happened over a month ago?"

"Real Thanksgiving?" I asked.

"I'm sorry, " Barney said in a Canadian accent, "Did you just say that Canadian Thanksgiving was, and I'm quoting, The 'Real' Thanksgiving?"

"What do Canadians even have to celebrate about." I said in my own Canadian accent. Barney high-fived me from across the table.

"Canadian Thanksgiving celebrates explorer Martin Frobisher's valiant, yet ultimately unsuccessful attempt to find the Northwest Passage." Robin explained.

"Why are you guys even a country?"

"Hey, by the way if anyone wants to come over early on Thursday, we can watch the Slapsgiving Parade."

"Why do you keep saying that?" I asked.

"You hear it too!" Barney asked.

"Hear what?" Marshall asked.

"Slapsgiving."

"Oh, I guess I did say that.  You know why? I've invented a new holiday. Slapsgiving. It's the one day we set aside each year to gather together and give slaps." He said menacingly.

"Ok, did I miss something."

"A year or so ago, Marshall made a bet with Barney, and won the right to slap him five times at any point."

"Ha! Oh my gosh that's legit. What was the bet." Robin looked uncomfortable and Barney smirked.

"Come to my place later...allow me to enlighten you." I gave him a weird look. He then realized something. "Wait, no, no, the countdown ends at 3:00 P.M. the day after Thanksgiving. I counted it out."

"How many days are in October?"

"Thirty."

"Dude!" Ted scolded. "I thought we cleared this up last year."

"Wait, you're gonna slap me on Thanksgiving."

"Slapsgiving."

"That's not allowed. Lily, you're the slap bet commissioner. Is that allowed?"