A/N: I really like the end of this chapter!

Summer was over. Sandy was back at work, teaching English to high school students who were not ready to be back from their holidays. Michael was working harder than ever; his law firm had had three of their top prosecutors leave for other firms, and the case load was most definitely piling up.

After a long day for both of them, Sandy was sitting at the vanity applying her night cream while Michael was already in bed, reading by the light of his bedside lamp.

As much as she had tried to brush it off, she hadn't been able to stop thinking about what Will had said to JJ at Nationals. It had been two weeks, and she felt like she was going to burst with how big this was.

Even though it wasn't. JJ didn't want it to be a huge thing, she knew that, regardless of whether her daughter had verbalised it. But to her it was. Because her shy, introverted daughter who was completely new to the world of navigating a relationship, had found something far more deep and meaningful than most people ever found in their entire life.

"Hey Mike?" she said as casually as she could muster, still focusing on where she was dabbing the cream into her skin.

"Mm?" Michael replied, his eyes still travelling across the pages of his book.

"JJ told me something... I mean, it's not really a big thing, but it also kind of is-"

She was cut off by the sound of Michael's book snapping shut, and she turned in surprise to find him sitting up and throwing the covers back.

"If she's pregnant, I swear to God-"

"No, no!" Sandy said hurriedly, holding out her free hand to slow him down. She set her cream down on the vanity, letting out a little laugh. "No, nothing like that"

Michael relaxed, sitting back against his pillows as he fixed his eyes on his wife.

"She... well, remember the night at Nationals when we went to see if Will wanted to come to dinner and we couldn't find him, so we assumed he was with JJ?"

Michael nodded.

"JJ told me about a conversation they had that night, and... it's... I mean at first I was a little shocked, but she assured me they weren't talking about any time in the near future"

"What is it?" Michael asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

Sandy took a deep breath, a small smile forming across her face. "Will told JJ that he wants to marry her one day"

Michael raised his eyebrows. "He did?"

Nodding, Sandy let out a soft laugh. "I don't know why I was as surprised as I was... I've known since they were twelve that that was how he felt about her... but I guess knowing that he has actually said it to JJ, I mean... that's huge, Mike"

"How did she take it?"

"She said at first, she felt like she wanted to panic, like it was too much too soon. But then he assured her it wasn't a now thing, he's talking about in the future, and she said she could just... see how much he loves her. And then admitted that it was probably why she came out so guns blazing on Sunday night"

Michael chuckled. "She really did have a fire beneath her that day, didn't she?"

Sandy nodded in agreement, screwing the cap onto her cream and setting it back down. She got up from the stool, moving around to her side of the bed and pulling back the covers. She switched off her bedside lamp as did Michael, and both of them shuffled underneath the covers.

"He's a good kid," Michael said softly after a few moments of silent darkness. "I've always worried about JJ getting hurt by others... because she's so tiny and she's been so shy her whole life, it's just naturally a lot easier for people to take advantage of her... but I guess I've never worried about that with Will. I know I kinda put on the protective father act, but... I genuinely really like him. He treats JJ like an absolute queen, and you can see how much he loves her. And that's all I've ever wanted for her. To find someone who loves her for the amazing person she is and supports all these crazy things she decides she wants to do"

Sandy chuckled. "Well, Will has certainly been around long enough that he knows what to expect with her"

"You know... I'm just so glad she's happy. And she's coming into her own. And if Will wants to marry her in the future... I don't think she could do any better," Michael said warmly.

Sandy reached over beneath the covers, grasping her husband's hand. "Promise you won't tell JJ I told you. She doesn't want it to be a huge deal, but I just... I couldn't keep it in any longer"

Michael laughed, leaning across and pressing a kiss to Sandy's forehead. "I promise, my love"

"So, how have you and Michael been now that you're back into travellin' everywhere for JJ's competitions?" Janine asked conversationally as she stirred sugar into her coffee. She and Sandy had met up at their favourite cafe in downtown Pittsburgh for a Saturday morning catch-up, since it had been months since they had had a proper conversation.

"We've picked it up like nothing's changed," Sandy laughed. "Although I feel like Will will be tagging along more often now"

Janine smirked. "They are pretty joined at the hip, aren't they? Do you hear much from JJ about how they're goin'?"

"I didn't at first, because she was so insanely private about it, but around Valentine's Day she started to open up a little more, and now I feel like she's happy to share most of what goes on... of course, omitting the things I don't really need to know"

Janine laughed. "I know the feelin'. I found out they were sleepin' together from William, apparently Billy came and told him after the fact. But aside from that, I don't need to know"

Sandy laughed, nodding in agreement. "But they're so happy. And that's all I want for them. They've both grown up so much in the last year, and I'm proud of how far they've both come"

"Oh for sure. I mean, Will is in his sophomore year of college already, it's crazy! Time has really flown"

"How's he going with his classes?"

Janine shrugged. "I think he's doin' ok. He doesn't really say much. I think he likes to focus on his work when it's the time to do that, and leave it behind when he's not. Which is fair, he's become pretty good at his time management this year"

"Yeah, I think we all have. God knows it seems like the state education board has increased the workload for all the kids this year, I have so many pop quizzes to grade this afternoon," Sandy groaned. Janine laughed.

"Seems like the criminals are puttin' in longer hours too, William has been at the precinct so much lately I'm startin' to forget what he looks like"

"How do you guys feel about Will wanting to be a cop?" Sandy asked.

Janine sighed. "I mean... as a mother, I don't love it. I've seen how dangerous it can be, and god knows William has had his fair share o' close calls... but it's what he wants to do. Ever since he could talk, he's wanted to be a policeman just like his daddy, and it's not my place to stop him"

"It's terrifying, isn't it, when you realise they're finally adults and the real world is out there just waiting for them," Sandy mused.

"It really is. And Billy... well, he's the youngest by ten years. I've tried not to coddle him because of it, but I really have"

Sandy laughed. "I wouldn't worry. He turned out ok"

Janine feigned flattery. "Well, thank you, you know, he is the product of his mother"

Laughing, Sandy sipped at her coffee. "I don't know who JJ is the product of, because I certainly can't take credit for her being an Olympian, but I love who she's become. They've both grown into such great people"

"I'm proud of both of them"

Sandy smiled. "Me too. Me too"

JJ dropped down from the pull-up bars mounted to the wall and grabbed her drink bottle off the foam block by her feet. Taking a swig of water, she walked along the wall until she was standing at the edge of the floor, already seeking out her next round of conditioning.

A glance to her right made her stop in surprise. All along the wall beside the floor were mirrors; they had been there for years of course, but what had made JJ stop was her reflection.

While she knew she looked exactly the same, at the same time, she looked incredibly different. In London, she had thought she was in the best shape of her life. And at the time, she had been. She had been conditioned and strength trained well enough to go out and do what she needed to do to win the medals she had won. But she had also had the body of a young girl who had barely touched puberty.

And she knew that the changes in her body had not gone unnoticed, for she remembered all too well standing in front of the mirror before she and Will had first slept together, taking in how different she had looked compared to just six months earlier.

But that was before she had come back to training. And now, another six months down the line, the changes stood out once again. She still had curves, and she definitely had more boobs than she had had in London, and even in February (was that from her birth control?). But she had never seen her abs so well defined, the lines of every single muscle standing out stark against her pale skin. She had never seen her biceps so beautifully toned from hours of bars repetition. Somehow she seemed taller than ever, her legs seeming to go on forever beneath her bike shorts, her quads and her calves practically gleaming at her in the reflection.

Now, she really was in the best shape of her life. She felt healthy. She felt strong. She looked strong. Her body was her machine, her tool to do what she loved most, and in the year of rebuilding and working at a new pace, she had honed it perfectly.

"Whatcha lookin' at?" Nick teased, breaking her out of her thoughts as she turned to him with a blush in her cheeks.

"Just... it just hit me how much I've changed. I don't think I've ever had muscles like this," she said softly, smiling up at her coach. "I look really strong"

Nick nodded, leaning back against the wall and folding his arms. "You do. You've worked really hard this year and it shows. I think you're going to surprise yourself at the camp, and over the coming years. You're capable of... a lot more than what was in the programs we took to London. You might not think it yet, but I can see it. I don't think we've even begun to tap the potential that's there"

JJ couldn't help but smile, flattered by the comment from the man who had basically helped raise her. "You think I might be able to do like... some of the stuff Simone does?"

Nick nodded, surprising JJ; she hadn't expected him to agree. "Yes. I think you're easily capable of so much more, especially in your tumbling. And as you keep working like this and getting stronger in what is essentially a new body for you, you're going to find new skills easier and easier"

JJ looked over at the mirror again, her eyes raking over her form. Then, she turned back to Nick, a huge smile spreading across her face.

"I can't wait"