A Challenge For Us All (defending jacob/andy barber x daughter!reader)
Summary: No part of life following Jacob’s accusation has been easy, but when y/n experiences a heartbreak, Andy and Jacob are by her side.
Warnings: a breakup, fighting/arguing, mentions of murder
Requested: No, one I’ve pulled from my Google Docs
A/N: y/n obvi = your name, y/n/n = your nickname, y/m/n = your middle name
The evening sun was finally beginning to set. The stadium was still alive with the hoots and cheers of Newton fans, proud and giddy over a win at the first football game of the year. It was hot, since it was still August. Y/n tried to do all she could to soak it in. It was her first and last football game until after her brother’s trial - an event that had been looming all summer and was now upon them, just a few days away. It could be her last football game ever. If, God forbid, her brother were to be found guilty, she’d lose cheerleading forever. As heartbreaking as that would be, she didn’t care. She’d give up cheerleading any day if it meant keeping her baby brother safe. At least her coach had fought with the athletic director, principal, and parents of other cheerleaders, to let her stay on the squad this long.
Y/n slung her glittery royal blue cheer backpack over her shoulder and made for the boy’s locker rooms. She waited outside as players began to drift out. They were all damp - some from showers, some still from sweat. Finally, Ty emerged. Ty, her boyfriend, the one person who didn’t look at y/n with suspicion or pity. She waved timidly.
He walked over to her, unsure of where to start, how to begin. How do you tell the girl you love so much that you can’t be with her anymore? Ty knew his words, no matter how gentle, were going to destroy her.
“Hey,” Y/n said. Right about now was when Ty would normally slip his arm around her waist and lean in for a short kiss. He was alluring and mature like that, which Y/n liked. She couldn’t stand those couples that were all over each other in public, especially at school. When Ty didn’t go in for his usual greeting, worry immediately washed over Y/n’s face, though her smile attempted to mask it.
“Is everything okay?” Y/n asked after a moment of silence.
“No. Uh, y/n, listen…” Spit it out, you jerk, Ty thought. “My parents don’t want us to be together anymore.” The words struck Y/n like she’d just waltzed into an iron pole. Her stomach lurched and her blood seemed to thin. She knew her face was turning bright red as tears gathered in her chest and made their way to her eyes. She pursed her lips, trying to abate the tears for as long as possible. Not here, not now, she told herself. Not in front of all these people, though no one seemed to be paying any attention to them.
“Why would you tell me that, right here, right now?” she choked. Her tears were now brimming, unable to be restrained.
“I’m so sorry, Y/n, I-” Ty began, but she cut him off.
“No,” she commanded. “You’re just doing what you have to do, to protect yourself, right?” Tears began to spill. Her tone told Ty that the words, however true, were like poison coming from her mouth. That was exactly what his parents had said. They assumed everything about Ty’s future would be on the line if he continued to fraternize with the older sister of the accused murderer, though Ty’s parents pointedly left off the word “accused”.
“It’s fine,” she shrugged, putting on a show of manufactured cheeriness, her red eyes and tears the only evidence of the sadness behind her anger. “I get it, really. I’ll leave you alone. Wouldn’t want anyone to get suspicious.”
“Of what?” Ty asks, turning to watch her walk away. She turns but keeps walking backwards.
There’s an awkward silence during the car ride home. She managed to wipe the last of her tears (for now, anyway) before getting in Andy’s Audi. She knew her eyes were probably red and her nose was stuffed up, but she figured appearing calm would at least let her get safely away from the football stadium, maybe even up to her bedroom to be alone.
If only she were that lucky. Her dad had barely put the car in park before speaking.
“Go change and then come downstairs, please.” She nodded and went inside, her father not far behind her. Her mother noticed right away. She always noticed; you couldn’t hide the tell-tale signs of crying from Laurie Barber. She’d had too much experience dealing with crying, upset children. Y/n said nothing as she walked by so fast Laurie barely had time to decide what to say to her. Laurie looked at Andy as he shut the door behind him. They communicated in only looks, hers saying What the heck is going on? and his saying Don’t question it yet, I’ve got it.
“I told her to go change and come right back down,” Andy said. He gripped the edge of the counter and Laurie set down her mug of tea to busy herself with making her daughter a cup. The tea bag is still steeping when Y/n comes down the stairs, her hair still up but now sans hairbow. She wore a soft, slouchy tee shirt and a pair of running shorts.
“Sit down, honey,” Andy told his daughter, though the girl standing in front of him was nothing like the Y/N Y/M/N Barber he’d known a year ago. Y/n sat on the kitchen bar chair closest to her parents.
“What happened?” he asked. Y/n licked her lips and trained her eyes on the ground. Tears began to well in her eyes again. She wasn’t just angry and upset. She was scared; scared to tell her parents that another person was gone from their lives as a result of Jacob’s accusation. It would rip them apart. They were already so distraught that Jacob couldn’t go to school or play baseball. They didn’t need this on their plates as well.
“Is it something with cheerleading?” Laurie asked. Y/n shook her head.
“A friend? Did someone say or do something?” Andy added. Y/n sat still.
“Ty broke up with me.” Y/n’s words rushed out, desperate to stop her father from the “we can’t help if we don’t know” speech.
“What? Why? What did he say?” Laurie interrogated.
“He, he said he just didn’t want to be in a relationship anymore.” Y/n shrugged.
“You’re lying,” Andy stated matter-of-factly.
“No, she’s lying. I’m an attorney, y/n/n. Did you think you could get a lie past me?” Andy sympathetically reaches his hand out and rests it on her cheek, his thumb rubbing back and forth soothingly. Y/n’s whole body becomes racked with sobs, unable to hide her pure anguish any longer. Ty hadn’t just been a boyfriend. He’d been her best friend. She took a risk dating him. She knew if things didn’t end well, she’d lose a boyfriend and her best friend. She had no idea it could ever come crashing down like this.
Andy envelops her, pulling her into his chest. He wanted nothing more than to be able to hold her until the pain stopped, until she could be her old self again. Andy feared she would never be her old self ever again.
“Ty did break up with you, but that wasn’t his reason, was it?” Y/n shook her head.
“Was it because of me?” Andy let go of Y/n so she could turn her head toward the source of the question. Jacob stood on the bottom step. Y/n tried to sit up straighter, look more brave than she felt. She took being the big, brave older sister very seriously.
“It’s not your fault, Jake. You didn’t do anything wrong. People are just…”
“So it was because of me.”
“Jake, don’t-” Y/n began, cut off by the pounding of Jacob’s feet on the stairs, retreating back to his room. She slid off the chair and raced after him. She couldn’t let him blame himself for her failed relationship.
“Jake! Y/n!” Andy called.
“Let them work it out for a few minutes.” Andy took a deep breath and stayed where he was.
Y/n hadn’t caught up with Jacob before he slammed his bedroom door shut. He hadn’t locked it, so she let herself inside and locked the door behind her. She didn’t want her parents right now and she knew Jake didn’t either. Jacob sat on his bed. Jacob never made noise when he cried. Tears just spilled, like they were right then. Y/n sat next to him.
“Jake. Please. This is not your fault.” Y/n pleaded.
“Yes, it is. If I had just-”
“Just what?” Y/n asked. “Not tried to see if your classmate was okay? Not gotten into arguments with him when he was a jerk to you? You had no idea any of this would- could, even happen. So stop blaming yourself.” The siblings looked in one another’s eyes.
“It’s gonna be okay, Jake.”
“I can’t. All I can promise is that I’m by your side no matter what.” Y/n took her brother's hand and interlaced their fingers. It had been a long time since they’d been so affectionate with one another. As little kids they were always hugging and kissing, but that had worn off years ago. With nothing much else left to say, they sat in silence for a few minutes. Their breaths evened out, their shudders and sniffles quieting. A few more minutes passed. Y/n stood and unlocked the door, waving for Jacob to follow her. She hadn’t eaten dinner, after all, and now that her grief was somewhat subdued, hunger was setting in. Andy and Laurie were both surprised and relieved when their children came down the stairs, seemingly happy. It seemed it would be the last time they would see them like that for days.
