A/N: Our favourite lovebirds!

Surrounded by the gardens of The Chadwick, the initial excitement and fervour of the day had given way to a moment of peace and serenity as JJ and Will sat together in the shade of a large willow tree. Rays of sunlight poked through the gaps in the foliage, creating an ambience they were sure the photographer nearby was capturing, but right now, they only had eyes for each other. Off in the distance, they could hear the six members of the wedding party goofing off with each other, talking and laughing easily as they relaxed after a busy day.

Relaxed back on the bench under the tree, Will had pulled JJ into his lap, his strong arms winding around her waist as she looped her right arm across the back of his shoulders.

"I can't get over how amazin' you look in this dress," he chuckled, his thumb running gentle circles along the seam at her waist.

"Better than the paper bag?" JJ teased.

Will laughed, nodding in agreement. "Although, the paper bag would probably be easier to get you out of later," he said softly, a cheeky glint in his eyes that made JJ laugh.

"Down boy, you've got a long time to wait," she reminded him with a chuckle, bringing her left hand up to cup his cheek as she leaned in to press a kiss to his lips. The cameras clicked nearby, capturing a sweet candid moment between the young couple.

"I can't believe we made it," Will said softly as they pulled apart once more, but maintaining only a small separation as they did. "There's been so much throughout the years that could have torn us apart, but we got through it"

"And now you're stuck with me," JJ giggled, getting a laugh out of Will as he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Darlin', I wouldn't have it any other way"

After an enthusiastic entrance from the wedding party (complete with Simone and Matt twerking together while everyone dissolved into hysterics), the first round of drinks was served, and the time came for a few words to be shared. Gathered together in the beautiful alfresco setting, surrounded by the rapidly darkening sky, thousands of fairy lights, and their closest family and friends, Will and JJ were at ease, excited to celebrate the rest of their special day. Their MC of the evening was none other than their old school friend, Clayton, who had eagerly accepted the offer to delight and entertain for the night.

"We've got a few people tonight who are going to share some words.. well, maybe more than some. So bear with us, sit back, relax, grab your drink, and listen as we take a little walk down memory lane with a few of JJ and Will's closest friends and family," Clayton said, smiling widely as he gestured towards the head table. "Now, traditionally, our first speech would be from the father of the bride, but as he cannot be here with us today, we're actually going to hear from JJ's lovely mom, Sandy, so please give her a warm welcome!"

Rising from her seat as she was given a light round of applause, Sandy smiled as she walked up to Clayton and took the microphone from him, taking his place at the edge of the dance floor where everyone could see her.

"You know, as a teacher, it may surprise you that public speaking is not necessarily my forte, so just bear with me for this," she chuckled.

"Yeah Mom, you got this!" Jason yelled out from the family table, making everyone laugh as Sandy grinned.

"Thank you Jason," she replied, furthering the laughter as she glanced down at the notes in her hand. "Firstly, I just wanted to thank everyone for coming today to celebrate this special occasion. I know a lot of you have come from far and wide, I can especially see a few faces I recognise from within gymnastics arenas around the world, and we all want you to know how much it is appreciated that you're here. This wedding has been in motion for... well, if you ask JJ and Will, they'll say about nine months, but if you ask me or Will's mom, Janine, we'll tell you the truth, that it's been on the cards for about sixteen years"

Laughter rippled through the guests, making Sandy feel a little more relaxed as she stood there looking out over a sea of faces.

"It's been a pretty extraordinary journey, I won't lie about that. JJ was, well, she was our surprise. Jason was ten, and Roslyn was six when she came along, and at first, Michael and I were freaking out, thinking 'what the heck are we going to do with three kids?'. Turns out the answer to that is... you just have to love them. She may have been a surprise but she was the perfect addition to a frankly, crazy little family. And as soon as she could walk and talk, she was like a clone of the older two - picking up Jason's potty mouth, slamming doors like her dad and her sister-"

Laughing even as she blushed, JJ locked eyes with her mom, her grin growing even wider.

"She was just... a ball of personality, rolled into this tiny human. And that only continued when we put her into gymnastics, which, for any of her gymnastics friends that are here today, only came about because after seeing... god, I think it was the 1998 national championships on the TV, I caught her at least once a day trying to imitate the uneven bars routines she'd seen using a broomstick she'd propped across the stair rails. So rather than have her hurt herself, I figured it was better to put her into gymnastics," Sandy laughed. "But I think the real turning point in JJ's young life was one day when she was about... eight. And she came home incredibly irate with the new boy in her class," she said, cocking her head as a smirk spread across her face. Everyone who already knew the story was already grinning from ear to ear.

"I still remember the conversation I had with her that day. She climbed up onto the kitchen counter and started telling me that there was a new boy in her class. Before I could even ask her anything about him, my sweet little eight year old goes 'Mommy, he's an ass'"

The space was immediately filled with loud, raucous laughter from every table, none more so than the head table, where Will was thoroughly enjoying Sandy's recollection of their meeting.

"I said to her 'Jennifer Jareau! You're spending too much time with your brother' and she replied, very nonchalantly might I add, 'but he is Mommy, he made fun of my muscles and called me the Incredible Hulk'. So I said to her, 'well, what did you say to him? Did you say that's not very nice?'. And she goes 'no. I stomped on his foot'"

The laughter in the space only increased. Over to her left, JJ could see Jason slapping the table with his hand - the story of JJ breaking Will's foot was definitely one of his favourite.

"I was appalled. I immediately told her off for using her hands and feet to solve disputes instead of her words, and let me tell you, this child could not have cared less," Sandy laughed. "And then she proceeded to make fun of his accent. Now, imagine my surprise a couple of weeks later when she asks if she can bring a friend home from school to play, and who should walk through the door? None other than William LaMontagne, wearing a moon boot and speaking in the most adorable Southern accent I have ever heard"

Taking a breath, Sandy smiled, flipping the first page of her notes over and lifting the microphone back to her mouth. "From that day on, they've been inseparable. Now, it didn't take me long to realise that Will had quite the puppy crush on my youngest child, but it definitely took JJ a lot longer to cotton on. But sure enough, come 2012, JJ came home from the Olympics and… I'm not sure who made the first move, but a few weeks later, Michael and I were very quickly brought up to speed when Will unexpectedly kissed JJ in the middle of our kitchen"

Giggling, JJ tipped her head onto Will's shoulder, gripping his hand and giving it a loving squeeze.

"It's been one hell of a journey since then. Relationships aren't easy, and they take a lot of work, but they take considerably more work when one half of the couple is an elite athlete training as much as forty hours a week. But I never saw it faze Will. Even as young as eighteen, JJ and Will very quickly mastered the art of time management, making sure they took as many opportunities to spend time together as possible, and it has very clearly paid off, or we wouldn't be sitting here today," Sandy said warmly, looking across the room at the couple sitting at the top table. "You guys have been through a lot of ups and downs, especially in the last two years, but through it all, you've learned so much, and it shows every day when you're with each other. JJ, I've watched you grow from the shy, somewhat vulnerable young girl you were in 2012, to an amazing young woman whose confidence shines out from within, and as I said to you just after your nineteenth birthday… I think a lot of that has come from Will. Because Will, you are one of the kindest, loveliest, most genuine people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing, and I know I speak for everyone in our family when I say that we are so happy to be officially welcoming you into our midst today. JJ may have thought you were an ass when she first met you, but now she thinks you hung the moon, so you're obviously not all that bad"

As a little ripple of laughter made its way through the space, Sandy paused for a moment. She took a deep breath, wanting to keep her composure right to the end. "I am so incredibly happy to be standing here, seeing you make this commitment to each other… and JJ, I know your dad would be so proud as well. My one wish for you as you move into this exciting chapter of your lives is that you get to experience as much love, laughter, and joy as I did in my own marriage, and that if there are ever tough times ahead, that you are able to remember what you've already survived through. I'm so proud of both of you, and I love you both so much. Here's to a long, wonderful life ahead"

As she finished speaking, everyone lifted their glasses, clinking them together in celebration of the young couple. Making her way back to her seat beside Paul, Sandy locked eyes with JJ, blowing her a quick kiss as she reached the table. JJ broke into a watery smile, returning the gesture as Will leaned over and pressed a kiss to her temple.

More speeches came, most notably from Will's brother Sam, who had the whole room entertained as he told anecdotes from Will's childhood, all interlaced with the prominent accent of the South.

"...I have known Will his entire life… on account o' bein' his big brother an' all. And I can quite honestly say that while he is a great guy, and I love him dearly… he is punchin' wayyy above his weight class. I mean, don't get me wrong. Will has his charm. He's a nice guy. And not in the self proclaimed nice guy sense, I mean he is actually a nice guy. He's decently good lookin'. But he set his sights on Jennifer Jareau from day one and he never backed down. Like we are talkin' eight year old Billy, eyes full o' the biggest stars you've ever seen anytime someone mentioned Jennifer Jareau…"

But eventually, they were winding up, and Clayton was approaching the top table with a huge grin on his face.

"Now we're going to hear a few words from the man of the evening, our groom, Will!"

Their gathered guests clapped as Will rose from his seat, pressed a kiss to JJ's cheek, and took the microphone from Clayton's outstretched hand. As he lifted it up to his mouth, someone let out a loud wolf whistle, followed by an entire table dissolving into laughter. Knowing it had to be the girls, he grinned, setting his notes down on the table before him as he looked out across the room. Taking a deep breath, he smiled out at the space before him.

"Before I get too stuck into it, I wanted to thank everyone for bein' here and celebratin' our special day with us. Some of you have travelled a long way to be here with us today," he said, pausing as he looked up and caught the eye of Ellie Black, the gymnast from Canada that JJ had grown pretty friendly with. Grinning as she smirked, he chuckled. "Yes, Ellie, Canada is a long way." The room filled with soft laughter as he shook his head. "But seriously, it means the absolute world to both myself and JJ that you're all here with us, and so we wanted to thank you all so much"

Glancing down at his notes, he took another deep breath. "I really can't believe I'm standin' here. Married to this amazin' woman. If you've known either of us long enough, and of course, been payin' attention to everyone who's spoken before me," Will started with a chuckle, "then you'll know exactly how this began." Looking down to his right, he caught JJ's eye, grinning as he watched the smirk spreading across her face. "I was eight years old when I first met JJ. And, you know, I've never been terribly good at first impressions because when I met her, I managed to insult her enough to entice her to break my foot within half an hour"

Laughter filled the room yet again. It may have been an old, well told story, but it never failed to entertain.

"Me, bein' the lovesick dumbass I usually am, ended up in a cast and struck by Cupid's biggest arrow. And I just knew then. I had to get to know this girl. I mean, I won't lie, eight year old me had eyes, at first I was just struck by how pretty she was. But it was that fiery personality that hooked me in just a little bit further"

His mom smirked at him from the very first table, making him grin as he continued.

"We became fast friends. We were joined at the hip, practically inseparable, but I was completely head over heels. JJ could've told me to go and lay on the train tracks and I would've done it if I thought it would've made her happy. Now, did I act on that feelin' as I got older? You bet your bottom dollar I most absolutely did not"

More laughter filled the room.

"No, no, I was too scared. Until we were eighteen. Jayje was on the Olympic team. Representin' her country over in London. Winnin' medals left right and centre. I was at home watchin' and by then it had been ten years and I felt like I was suffocatin' under how much I loved her. And when she came home from the Olympics, I was part of the motley crew who had come together to welcome her home. I was helpin' her take her stuff back up to her room, so for about ten minutes, it was just the two of us"

Another wolf whistle sounded, this time from much closer to where he was standing, making Will look up just in time to catch Aly dissolving into giggles.

"Alexandra Raisman, you know very well that that's exactly what didn't happen"

They all started to laugh again, Aly shaking her head as she waved Will back towards the microphone. He grinned, lifting it once more before he started speaking again.

"What happened that day was my heart grabbed ahold of my brain… told me to stop being a coward… and I kissed JJ for the first time. And even though at first she tried to talk herself out of it… we've never looked back. And it has been… amazin'. Truly amazin'. I've had the privilege of standin' by JJ's side as she chased goals and dreams that are honestly way bigger than I can ever wrap my head around, and seein' her push herself towards that ultimate achievement was really special. Over all the time I've known you, JJ, you've blown me away by just how determined and ambitious you are, and I'm excited to see where that takes you in the future… if you ever retire from gymnastics that is," he said with a laugh, inciting the rest of the guests. "You'd think ten Olympic medals and god knows how many World medals would be enough, but apparently I'm wrong. I think she's gonna keep goin' until they cumulatively weigh more than her"

"Not long to go then," Aly chimed in, making everyone laugh as Will nodded in agreement, a huge grin on his face.

"Look, I'm gonna keep this short from here. We've had a really incredible journey to get to this point, and I wanted to say thank you to everyone who's been there for us at some point or another. To my mom and dad, and JJ's mom, Sandy, you've always been… absolutely incredible to both of us. You allowed us the space and the room to explore and grow our relationship in those very early days, and more recently, you've all stood by us when we were goin' through really hard times. Your love and support has been instrumental to both of us makin' it to where we are today, and I can't thank you enough for everythin' you have ever done for us. To my brothers and my sister, thank you for always bein' my soundin' board whenever I needed to talk about anythin', and thank you for welcomin' JJ so easily into our family. And our bridal party up here with me… thank you for helpin' us make today so easy. You've all been absolutely wonderful, and JJ and I are so grateful to have each of you in our lives, because you're all so important to us"

As he wrapped up his speech amidst the clinking of glasses and happy applause, JJ got to her feet, looping her arms around his waist and leaning into him for a tight squeeze.

They were surrounded, everywhere they turned, by people who loved them so deeply. And as the full extent of that became clear to JJ, it was filling her heart with such an immense gratitude, one that she was sure she would never be able to explain in words.

"Now before we all dance the night away, we of course have to open up the dance floor with a very traditional moment. As I'm sure most of you know, our lovely bride tonight does not have her father at her side, but we all know he is watching on very proudly from above. Stepping into his father's shoes will be JJ's brother, Jason, to take JJ through what is normally performed as a Father/Daughter dance"

JJ stepped onto the floor as their loved ones clapped and whistled. Her brother approached her, holding out his hand, a warm smile on his face. In the dim light of the room, it suddenly struck JJ how much her brother had grown to look like their dad.

"Ready for me to school you on dance moves?" Jason teased. JJ giggled, taking his hand and allowing him to guide her across the floor as the music began to play. It was a gentle ballad, with soft country overtones, a story of a father reluctantly watching his little girl grow up, one that JJ recognised as a song that her dad had always liked. After all, it was Jason who had planned this part of the night - she had decided to have no say in it, and she knew whatever he had planned would be special nonetheless.

The words drifted around them, the watching crowd ever so silent as Jason danced her gently around the floor. She had worried that morning that she would be a wreck during this part of the evening, but despite a few tears in her eyes, she was holding up remarkably ok.

She was just so grateful that her ever protective big brother had decided to step into his father's shoes.

"I believe it's time to pass your hand over to someone else," Jason said gently after a few more moments had passed. JJ turned, wiping the tears on her cheeks as Will came towards her. She looked back, reaching out to hug her brother once again.

"Thank you. Thank you," she said softly as he gave her a tight squeeze. Letting go, she turned, taking her husband's hand, the tears giving way to love and smiles as he swooped her easily into his embrace.

"Bet my dancin' is better now than it was on our first date," Will said cheekily as the music changed over to the soft tones of Miley Cyrus' When I Look At You.

"Yeah, but I can't make any promises about mine," JJ laughed in response as he held her close with a strong arm, guiding her easily around the floor.

"Yeah, when my… world is falling apart, when there's no… light to break up the dark, that's when I… I… I look at you. When the waves… are flooding the shore, and I can't… find my way home anymore, that's when I… I… I look at you"

Enveloped by the words, JJ looked up into Will's eyes, realising just how much they rung true for everything they had been through. They had almost been irreparably torn apart… but in her darkest hours, he had been there. He had saved her.

Their first dance as husband and wife seemed to pass quicker than she had imagined, and before they knew it, the dance floor was opened up for the rest of the night, love ballads giving way to the latest pop hits as they began to relax and have fun with their loved ones.

A little while later, the music was filling the entire area, filling the gaps in between the talking and laughter as their friends and family danced the night away. Not too far from where Sandy was sitting, Nick was dancing around with Tash, the two of them pulling out their goofiest dance moves as Will's nieces and nephews laughed from just a few feet away.

A little further away, Jason and Katie were dancing slowly, one of his hands resting on Katie's stomach as they moved. Sandy felt her heart do an excited flutter as she watched them; they hadn't yet told anyone other than her and Katie's parents, but come January, the two of them were going to be parents. Katie had debated all week whether she wanted to tell JJ and Will before the wedding, but ultimately, she and Sandy had agreed that it was best to wait until the young newlyweds had returned from their honeymoon, allowing them to be completely wrapped in their time together before returning to the real world.

On the other side of the floor, Simone and Stacey were a little more energetic, Simone's infectious laughter floating over the noise as Stacey spun her around. Beside them, Aly was dancing with Matt, laughing as she watched her two friends goofing off.

Even with all the activity, Sandy couldn't tear her eyes away from JJ and Will.

They were completely wrapped in each other, oblivious to the world around them as they soaked up every beautiful second of their special day. Will's arms were wrapped securely around JJ's waist, holding her protectively close as they danced in their own little bubble. Every now and then, Will would speak softly to her, making her laugh and every time, JJ lit up with a look of joy that Sandy hadn't seen grace her daughter's face for months.

"They look so happy," came Paul's soft voice as he sat down beside her, setting her refilled champagne glass down in front of her.

"They are," Sandy said, smiling happily as she tore her attention away from the newlyweds. "I'm glad today has been so perfect. They both deserve it"

They both watched on as Will took JJ's hand and spun her away from him, a laugh escaping her as she turned back into his embrace.

"This time last year… I didn't think JJ would ever be happy," Sandy admitted softly, her eyes never leaving her daughter. "Things between her and Will had blown apart, she was still grieving for Michael… every day… every time I looked at her, she was miserable. Her eyes were always red and swollen from crying… and there was nothing I could do to take that pain away. I just had to let it run its course… and as her mother, that was the hardest thing to do. I just wanted to take her into my arms and hold her until she smiled again, but I couldn't"

Paul put his arm around her shoulders, giving her a gentle squeeze as she turned her attention towards him. "And look at her now," he said gently, nodding towards where JJ and Will were entwined on the dance floor. "She's married… she's smiling… she's happy. Whatever you did… it was the right thing. She's come through it just fine"

Sandy smiled, nodding in agreement. She chuckled as she watched Will pull away from JJ and call out to Aly. Moments later, Aly had joined them, all three of them laughing as they wrapped each other in a goofy group hug.

"They're both so much tougher than people give them credit for," Sandy said with a soft laugh. "I'm glad we're here today"

"Me too," Paul smiled. "Come on… let's have a dance"

And with that, Sandy allowed him to pull her to her feet, following him to the dance floor to partake in the fun and laughter of the wonderful evening.

Swinging the door of the suite open, Will heaved a sigh as they staggered into the room, immediately tripping over one of the bags their family had brought up for them. Hastily, he threw his arms out, managing to grab onto the little counter that sat in the entryway as JJ laughed behind him.

"How much did you have to drink?" she asked with a grin.

"Too much. I'm so bloated," Will groaned, clutching the paper bag with the Taco Bell they had stopped for on the way to the hotel and making his way over to the massive king bed. "But I'm so hungry"

JJ giggled, holding out a hand to him. "Give me my burrito"

Will raised an eyebrow at her, looking up from rifling through the bag with an amused look on his face. "You probably wanna get out of that dress first. I've seen you with a burrito"

Laughing, JJ turned without argument and let herself into the massive bathroom. Closing the door behind her, she turned towards the mirror, taking in her reflection. Even though she looked tired, she still looked very much as she had when they had left for the ceremony earlier that day; her hair and makeup girls had done an incredible job.

Reaching around behind her, she was glad to discover that the button closures on the back of the dress were relatively easy to get off. She made quick work of it, carefully hanging it on one of the hangers and hooking it to the towel hooks on the wall, before tugging one of Will's old t-shirts over her head. Her hair was easy enough to take out of its style, and her makeup came off quickly with a couple of makeup wipes.

Feeling much more relaxed, she turned and left the bathroom, switching off the light as she went.

"I'm surprised you didn't want to be front and center for me getting that dress off, undressing me is like your second favourite pastime-" she said as she walked around into the bedroom, trailing off with a grin when she laid eyes on Will. She had been in the bathroom for less than ten minutes, but Will had apparently been unable to keep his eyes open. For he was now sprawled out on the bed on his back, his suit jacket half off, his mouth wide open in a silent snore. Clutched in his hand was half a tortilla chip from their Taco Bell, a clear sign he had passed out with it halfway to his mouth. A fragment of one was resting on his chin, moving ever so slightly with every breath.

Giggling, she slid onto the bed, gently jostling his shoulder to try and get him to stir. "Babe. Come on, you gotta get this suit off"

"No," Will mumbled, letting out a tired groan as he tried to turn away from JJ. "Tired"

"I know babe, I'm tired too, but you gotta take off the tux," JJ said with a laugh. "Come on"

"No," Will groaned, dropping the chip off the side of the bed as he rolled over onto his stomach and buried his face in the pillow. JJ couldn't help but laugh at him, deftly tugging the suit jacket off of him now that it was free.

It took a little bit of coaxing, but she eventually managed to get him to take off the rest of his suit. Eyes drooping from tiredness, excitement, and everything in between, they had clambered into the bed, the bag of Taco Bell between them as JJ snuggled up to her husband's chest, tapping away on her phone as he promptly fell back to sleep. But not even ten minutes later, she was right there with him, her phone clutched loosely in her hand, her head tucked beneath his chin, both of them finally fast asleep.

*photo of Will passed out in his tux, a tortilla chip held loosely in his hand, another one stuck to his chin*

jenniferjareau94

The 'wedding night' is a myth. I married a giant toddler who could barely keep his eyes open long enough to finish his Taco Bell. I was literally in the bathroom for five minutes.

alyraisman I CANT. OMG.

simonebiles HAHAHAHA this is the best omfg

samlam poor form little bro HAHAHA

|jareaumanar|

JJ AND WILL GOT MARRIED!

|like-a-kid-on-a-playground|

What? They only got engaged again in July!

|olympichampion|

Omg, she's not wrong, LOOK!

*screenshot of JJ's Instagram post*

|tkatchevmeifyoucan|

AHHH, omg! That's so exciting! I'm so happy for them!

|flyhigh101|

Omg that's so sweet! Also, Will is definitely my spirit animal because I too get so tired sometimes that I fall asleep eating Taco Bell.

|simonanar|

That's hilarious *laughing emoji*

|jareaumanar|

I'm so happy for them! My stan behaviour is out of control. I can't wait to see the wedding pictures! I bet JJ looked absolutely stunning!

|angrybeam|

Not hard when you have the genetics of an angel!