A/N: This is probably my favourite chapter yet!

Tour stops had passed, but not without incident. Not long after JJ's revelation about Will, both McKayla and Aly had gotten injured while performing on the same night. Aly had been ok to perform after being checked out by a doctor and resting for two weeks, but McKayla hadn't been so lucky. A hard landing to her knees had resulted in a broken bone, and as such, she was yet to return to the tour.

And the excitement didn't end there. As the show worked its way around the southeastern corridor of the United States, murmurs of the superstorm brewing in the northeast had distracted the girls. They had watched the news as one by one, cities went into lockdown, until finally, a few days before Halloween, Hurricane Sandy unleashed her own personal hell on the northeastern region of the country. Unbelievable footage of Manhattan being plunged into darkness had followed, accompanied by the news that the New York subway system was underwater.

Aly had been overcome with anxiety when footage of the storm surge in Massachusetts surfaced online. Even though Needham was far enough inland that her family was safe from the raging seawaters, Boston was still her city, and it pained her to see it being beaten down by the storm.

Similarly, JJ was worried for her own city. Pittsburgh was far enough out of the storm path that major damage wasn't expected, but the city was still forecast to receive abnormally high winds and large amounts of rain. So when the storm had eventually passed, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake, the two girls had banded together in Cincinatti and gotten permission to leave the tour for a few days and head back home.

Sitting on the couch in the lobby as she waited for Aly to come down, JJ was silently glad to be heading home. The tour directors didn't really listen to the girls, and often treated them as though they were just performing monkeys. Going home meant she would get a breather from the environment, and she would only have to put up with it for either 2 or 6 more performances - depending on when she rejoined the group.

"So," came a sly voice to her left, pulling her from her thoughts and making her turn. "The star of the show is leaving the show"

JJ took a deep breath as she narrowed her eyes at Jordyn. She knew the girl was hurting. God, if that had been her in her position, she would hurt too. But did she have to continually take it out on someone who had had no control over the decision?

"The storm didn't even hit Pittsburgh. You're being dramatic," Jordyn said darkly, coming a little closer and leaning on the back of a nearby chair.

"Maybe the storm isn't the reason I'm going home," JJ replied coolly, turning away from Jordyn and looking towards the elevator bank. Where the hell was Aly?

"No, you're going home because you're underperforming. And people are starting to realise what an oversell you are"

JJ closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Jordyn was baiting her. She wasn't going to bite.

"I hope you're grateful for the gifts you got in London, because you realise it's never going to happen again?"

Leaping up, JJ tossed her phone onto the couch as she turned to face the younger girl. "How about you just accept the fact that I made the team and you didn't. God Jordyn, it was four months ago, the Olympics are done, at some point you are going to have to get over it! I know you're upset, ok, I would be too if it was me, but I had nothing to do with the decision! Maybe if you knew how to hit a beam routine and land a vault without nearly destroying both of your knees, you would've been chosen over me!"

A stunned silence hung between them as the weight of JJ's words settled on her own shoulders. Jordyn stared at her, seemingly surprised by her outburst, her fingers tightening against the back of the chair as she tried to figure out what to say next.

"You… god, people think you're so sweet," Jordyn stammered out, clearly surprised by JJ's outburst. "If only your newfound fans knew how much of a b-"

"What's… going on?" came Aly's voice. JJ turned around, her eyes wide, before looking back at Jordyn.

"N-nothing, can we just… let's just go," she said hurriedly, grabbing her stuff off the couch she had been sitting on and making her way hastily towards the front doors of the hotel.

The words she'd said to Jordyn hung over her like a dark cloud the entire way from Cincinnati to Pittsburgh. She hadn't meant to be so nasty. But Jordyn seemed to have it out for her, and after nearly two months of snide looks and whispers, she had had enough.

As she let herself in through the front door, she forced herself to push it out of her mind. When she got back to the tour, she would be the bigger person and attempt to set things straight with Jordyn. For now, she was just going to enjoy the time at home with her family.

"I'm home!" she called as she dragged her bag through the door.

"Hey!" Michael called back. She dropped her bag, kicking the door closed with a loud thud.

"How many times have I asked you not to throw that door around?" Sandy said warningly as she walked through to the kitchen and found her parents in the finishing stages of lunch.

"Sorry," JJ said with a grin, getting an eye roll and a shake of the head from her mom. "How's it been back here? How bad did the storm get?"

"Nowhere near as bad as New York, thankfully. But the wind did get a little crazy, and there was a little flash flooding in the city," Michael replied as he dried off the plate he'd been using for lunch. "You know, you really didn't have to leave the tour and come back, it's not like the house washed away"

"It's ok," JJ said softly, her stomach giving a painful tug as she thought of how she'd left things with Jordyn. "I kinda needed a little breather from the tour anyway. Steve and the tour directors weren't all that keen on letting me leave, so I might have embellished how much damage there was"

Michael laughed as Sandy looked up from her own plate with a quizzical look.

"I may have told Steve that a tree fell through the roof," JJ said meekly. Michael laughed again, Sandy rolling her eyes in defeat.

"Well, there's a few loose shingles, so I guess you can get away with it. William's actually on his way over to help me fix them, should be here any minute," Michael said, coming around to the table to take away Sandy's now empty plate. As if summoned, there was a knock on the door, before it opened. With a friendship spanning ten years, the two families almost never waited to be invited into each other's homes anymore - they were always welcome, no matter what.

"Knock knock!" came the thick Southern drawl of Will's dad, William Sr. "I come bearin' shingles and two helpin' hands!"

"Hey William, thanks for coming around," Michael said with a chuckle as William Sr walked into the room carrying a bag of tools.

"Not a problem. At least it's not like when I had to fix up my momma's house after Katrina. A few shingles ain't nothin'"

"You guys were ok?" Sandy asked warmly.

"A little floodin' in the basement, but Janine's thrilled, she's gettin' a new washer out of it," William chuckled.

"Oh, I could only dream," Sandy sighed, giving Michael a pointed look.

"You don't get a new washer just because the hurricane so happened to be named after you," Michael said dryly.

"After me?"

Hearing footsteps amongst the chatter, JJ turned to find Will walking into the room carrying an armful of shingles from his dad's truck. His eyes locked onto her as he set the shingles down on the table, his face lighting up in a surprised smile. In a second, he had crossed the room, and before JJ even knew it, he was pressing a kiss to her lips.

Her heart hammered in her chest, her eyes widening as he pulled away to a now completely silent room. "Sorry," he breathed. "I didn't think"

JJ stared at him blankly for a moment, before reluctantly pulling her gaze around to meet the faces of three bewildered adults. Moments later, Sandy's lips were quirking into a grin. "Something you two wanna tell us?"

Will stepped forward, trying desperately to find his words. "We… I… we're not… we're-"

"Dating," JJ cut in softly, reaching for his hand. "We're dating"

The silence was uncomfortable at best. It felt like an hour before anyone spoke, but was probably less than a minute.

"Well," Michael said dumbfoundedly, setting the dish towel in his hands down on the counter. "That roof isn't gonna fix itself!"

"Better get out there," William replied, turning and following as Michael left the room, leaving the two teenagers alone with Sandy. They stood in yet another silence, Will avoiding Sandy's gaze while JJ slowly looked up at her mother, not quite sure what to say.

"Since when?" Sandy asked softly, leaning on the back of the nearest chair.

"The day I got home from London," JJ said quietly. "We were gonna wait and figure this out when I came home at the end of the tour, but-"

"I'm sorry," Will said again, his voice a little stronger. "I wasn't expecting you to be here and when I saw you, I just…"

"It's fine," JJ replied, squeezing his hand. "Really. I'm just… I'm gonna go take my bags upstairs"

And then there were two left in the kitchen.

Sandy gave Will a warm smile, moving a little closer to him. He looked so nervous… he had absolutely nothing to be nervous about.

"Don't look so worried," she said gently, making him look up from the floor.

"I just kissed your daughter with absolutely no prior warning or any indication that I would do that… in front of you and Michael," Will said dryly.

Sandy chuckled, walking closer and clapping him on the shoulder.

"Sweetie, I wouldn't have been surprised if you'd done that when you were twelve. I have eyes you know," she teased. Will flushed pink, making her chuckle as she gave him a gentle squeeze.

"Go take those shingles to the handymen. I'll go check on JJ"

The house was quiet as Sandy made her way up the stairs to her daughter's room. She found JJ sitting on the edge of her bed, twiddling her hands as she stared at the opposite wall. Her bags were discarded near her desk, telling Sandy her mind was definitely elsewhere.

"Hey," Sandy said softly, knocking lightly on the frame. "You ok?"

Looking over at her mom, JJ sighed, before nodding. "Yeah"

Smiling, Sandy came into the room, pulling over JJ's desk chair and taking a seat in front of her daughter.

"Are you sure?" she asked knowingly.

"I am," JJ said quietly. "It's just… a lot to take in"

"It happened really quickly, Jayje… I mean, is this something you want?"

"Yeah," JJ breathed, finally allowing herself to smile. "I know to you, it looks like we just kinda rushed into this, but… I've been agonising over this for months. God, I think I realised around Trials that I liked him… but I didn't allow myself to accept it until after the team final… I just had myself convinced that if I went for it, it wouldn't work out and I'd lose my best friend. Or that Will just wouldn't feel the same way. In the end, I decided I was going to fess up when I got home, I had rehearsed what I was going to say and everything, but… he kissed me the day I got home from London, so I guess he beat me to it"

Sandy laughed, reaching out to take JJ's hands. She held them tight, looking happily at her youngest child.

"I knew something was up with you when you got home, but I couldn't work out exactly what was going on, other than that it probably involved Will," she chuckled. "Are you happy? With this?"

JJ let out a breath, her smile widening. "Yeah. I mean… we've barely been official for five minutes, but… he makes me so happy. Every time I've spoken to him since I've been on tour has just been… so great. He makes me feel larger than life… like I can do anything"

Pulling herself a little closer, Sandy leaned forward, still clutching JJ's hands.

"Going from friends to a couple can be a little weird at first… but if you're willing to persevere through the initial awkwardness, it can be one of the most rewarding relationships in your life. For what it's worth… I think Will is a wonderful person. You two have been thick as thieves for years, but it's always been astoundingly clear how he feels about you. Someone who can so politely hang on for that long… definitely deserves a chance if you feel the same way"

JJ smiled, leaning forward and resting her forehead against her mom's. "I do. It took me forever to realise it, but I do"

"As long as you're happy. And comfortable," Sandy said gently, pulling back and cupping JJ's cheek. "I just want you to be happy"

"I know," JJ said softly, covering her mom's hand with her own. "I am"

Standing up, Sandy leaned down, cupping JJ's face in her hands and pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"Am I interrupting?"

Both women looked up towards the door, finding Will standing there with a shy smile on his face.

"Not at all," Sandy said warmly, straightening up and pushing JJ's chair back to her desk. "I'm heading downstairs anyway"

She walked towards the door, turning back as she passed Will on his way in.

"Door open," Sandy said gently, smiling over her shoulder as she left the room. JJ rolled her eyes, shooting her mom a little smile before turning to face Will.

"I'm sorry," he said immediately. JJ shook her head, reaching out and taking his hand as she sat down beside him.

"Really, it's ok… I've spent the last couple of weeks wondering how the hell to tell my parents about us, so… you just solved that for me," she chuckled. Will smiled, lifting a hand to tuck her hair out of her face.

"I was just surprised to see you. And I've missed you," he said gently. "My heart went before my head and next thing I knew… I let it out of the bag"

JJ giggled, lifting an arm to wrap it around his shoulders.

"It's ok," she said softly. "Really, Will… I'm not upset"

"Good. Because I'd really like to kiss you properly," Will chuckled. He slipped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him as as he cupped her cheek and pressed another kiss to her lips. JJ's stomach gave a little flutter of excitement, her entire body relaxing into the kiss. Will captured her lower lip between his, brushing it with his tongue. She followed her instincts, parting her lips slightly, which allowed Will to brush his tongue against hers, the hand not on her back coming up to the back of her head. A thrill ran through her body, and she tilted her head slightly, leaning further into the kiss. The skin above her lip brushed against his cheek, his dusting of stubble tickling her. Without even thinking, she giggled, breaking away from him suddenly.

"What?" Will said, a hint of a grin playing on the corners of his mouth. "What did I do?"

"Nothing," JJ giggled, bringing her hand up to cup his cheek. "You're just a little prickly"

"Oh," Will chuckled, rubbing his chin. "Sorry. I'm due for a shave"

JJ smiled, looping both of her arms around his neck and smiling at him. "It doesn't bother me that much"

"Oh, so you want me to grow a beard?" Will said teasingly. "I'll start tomorrow"

JJ laughed, leaning in and pressing another lingering kiss to his lips.

"Hey, do you- oh, sorry!" came Sandy's voice at the door, making the two of them spring apart. JJ avoided her mother's eyes, only looking up when the older woman laughed softly. "Guess I'll have to get used to that if I don't start announcing myself on the stairs"

Will let out a little laugh, reaching out for JJ's hand.

"I was just coming up to see if you guys were hungry," Sandy said warmly. "I've got plenty of things for sandwiches. Ham, salad, relish, you name it. There's even some of Michael's lasagne in the fridge from last night, I know you like that Will"

"That actually sounds amazing," Will replied, slowly getting to his feet with JJ. She smiled, nodding at her mom as she pulled her hand from Will's grip. Sandy beamed, turning and leaving them alone again as she headed back downstairs. JJ started to follow, but was stopped by Will taking her hand again. He tugged her back to face him, looking down at her with the handsome smile that she had come to know and love over the years.

"You called us an 'us'," he said softly, squeezing her hand. "Maybe it's time we have that talk"

JJ let out a soft laugh, glancing down at their hands before looking back up at him. "I don't think we need to"

"Yeah?"

She took a deep breath, biting her lip as her smile grew wider. "I think we've always been an us. From day one. We just… took a while to realise it"

Will cleared his throat, looking pointedly at her. She laughed, moving a little closer as he looped an arm around her waist. "Ok, I took a while to realise it"

"So, Jennifer Jareau… does that mean I get to call you my girlfriend now?"

She pretended to think for a moment, before looking up at him with a smile still playing on the corners of her mouth. "You know, I think I might just be ok with that"

The smile that crossed Will's face was one of pure adoration. He leaned down, capturing her lips in one more sweet kiss, sealing the deal wholeheartedly. And JJ couldn't have felt happier. Here she was, an amazing Olympics under her belt, finally getting to enjoy the more normal aspects of life.

She, Jennifer Jareau, had a boyfriend.