Daddy Issues (Andy Barber x OC)

29

Andy stared at Pippa, still not quite believing what she had just said. "Don't say that..." he began, "Don't EVER say that..." now holding her close for fear she may just shatter in his arms like glass. "If I lost you then I wouldn't be able to go on, and Isla? How do you think that she'd feel?"

She swallowed and looked at him, eyes red, "None of this would have happened if I hadn't..."

"If you hadn't what? Pip, we both ended up at the reunion that night. I chose to end my marriage, we chose to get back together again. If you leave me...I don't know what I'd do..." The fear of her walking away was overwhelming, and Andy began to wonder whether she had been thinking about it. "Don't leave me Pip...please. That's when Laurie will win..." He begged her quietly.

Pippa looked at him and broke down. "I just want us to get on with our lives without that stupid bitch always being in the background!" She cried, "I want to be able to walk properly again, not be dosed up to my eyeballs in pain relief - she's just always there..."

How could one person hate someone so much to want to continuously ruin their life, let alone try to take it.

"And now she won't be, she's gonna be taken to trial and she's gonna serve time for what she did to you." He kissed her gently, "We're gonna get you through this and better, and then we're gonna spend the rest of what's left of our lives annoying the absolute shit outta one another and the kids".

He'd already enlisted Joanna's help to represent Pippa when the time came around, and the lawyer was more than happy to do so, finding the lengths that Laurie had gone to, unbelievable.

She half laughed, half sobbed and nodded at the thought. "I'm sorry..." her eyes found his, looking at him apologetically.

He brushed some hair from her face. "Sweetheart, don't ever be sorry. I know things seem like complete shit right now, but they'll get better. You and Isla are staying right here with me and Jake. It's where you both belong".

He wasn't going to let anything or anyone come between his family.

Her lips met his again. "Damn hip". She muttered, "I can't even have sex until the doctor gives me the all clear".

Andy smirked and leant into her ear. "Looks like I'm gonna be using my mouth for a lot more than just talking then".

Pippa shook her head slowly in disbelief, "Well I'm going to be repaying you a hell of a lot more once I'm given the all clear."

"Fine by me" he kissed her cheek and then helped her to lie down a little more, seeing that she was tiring. "Get some sleep, and rest like the doctor told you to". He made for the door, "Oh and Pip?" He said now turning to her.

"Yeah?"

"I love you".

She lightly smiled, eyes heavy and exhausted from crying. Andy wondered whether some therapy would benefit Pippa, let alone himself. The doctor had said that it could be arranged if she needed it.

Her voice sleepily told him what he knew already, "Love you too..."

Closing the door, Andy exhaled to himself before returning downstairs. Isla and Jake were both on their phones, but his daughter took out her air pods on seeing him enter the room.

"Is mom ok?" She asked cautiously, sensing the upset that had come from her before she'd gone upstairs.

"She'll be fine sweetheart" Andy put on his best smile, "she just doesn't like not being able to do much - you know your mom, she's always busy".

Isla nodded as Andy made himself a coffee. "She will be ok, won't she?" She now asked again for some kind of clarification.

He briefly paused while making the coffee, then resuming it once more. "She'll be ok, she has us to support her, and right now that's what she really needs. It's not gonna be easy, but we'll get there".

The doctors had said the road to recovery would take a while, but Andy hoped that once the trial was over with, that would give Pippa the closure that she (and also himself) needed.