A/N: Enjoy!

"Are you going to come out and be a socially functioning member of society?"

JJ rolled her eyes, dropping her gaze down to her lap as her dad chuckled in the doorway. She'd been sitting in solitary in her room, scrolling absently through her phone ever since she'd come home from training. Her meltdown the previous evening had concerned her parents, and she was more than aware of the fact they were watching her a little more closely than usual.

"Your mom and I are a little worried about you. You're not normally like this," Michael said gently.

"Will's not normally being a dick," JJ snapped.

"I know," Michael replied, keeping his voice level and calm. "It's just... you don't usually get this upset without knowing exactly what's going on... is there something else going on?"

"Dad, no, please just-"

"I haven't seen you like this since... since Rosaline died"

The name was enough to trigger the breaking of JJ's defense. Turning away, she pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her face into her arms. She was trying desperately not to cry; her eyes were still sore from the previous day.

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm sorry, I didn't want to upset you," Michael said hurriedly, finally coming into the room. Walking around the bed until he was in front of JJ, he sat down, placing an arm around her shoulders. JJ took a deep breath, lifting her face as she exhaled heavily, her eyes filled with fresh tears. They sat in silence for a moment, JJ laying her head on her father's shoulder as she wiped away her tears.

"You know its ten years... this year?"

Sighing heavily, Michael tipped his head, resting it against JJ's as he gently rubbed her back. "I know... I've been trying not to think about it," he admitted quietly.

"I miss her so much," JJ whispered.

"Me too peanut," Michael replied, turning and kissing the top of JJ's head as he tightened his hold on her.

He could already tell it was shaping up to be a rough year.

Stressed, upset, and exhausted, JJ had not had a good weekend. She'd found herself inexplicably worked up over whatever was going on with Will on Sunday and it had led to her making herself sick on more than one occasion.

As a result, Monday training was not going well.

"Come on JJ, I don't know what else to say to you. You've been doing this skill since you were twelve, I don't know why you all of a sudden can't do it anymore," Nick said exasperatedly after JJ had fallen on her Tkatchev for the sixth time.

"I just can't, ok!" JJ shot back, turning her back on her coach as she went over to the chalk bucket.

"Get up there and do it again," Nick said sharply. "You're going to catch it this time"

After furiously rechalking her grips, JJ returned to the bars with an expression akin to a thundercloud. Ignoring Nick's pointed look, she jumped up, grabbing the bar and casting up to handstand.

Two giant swings, followed by a tap into her release.

Her hands missed the bar, and she was on her knees on the mat.

"Maybe we'll just take it out and you can go back to doing a level 10 bar routine," Nick said, his voice dripping with frustration.

"I don't need to take it out," JJ spat, pulling herself up and starting to walk away from the bars as she undid her grips.

"JJ, get back here, we're not done! You're staying here until you catch one Tkatchev!" Nick called after her, the authority in his voice suddenly clear.

JJ suddenly threw her grips on the floor, turning around looking intent on shooting something back at her coach. But seconds later, she'd burst into tears, taking Nick completely by surprise.

"JJ, what's going on with you today?" Nick asked, his voice much softer now.

"Will's being an asshole," JJ sobbed, sinking down onto a stack of mats and resting her head on her arms.

Sighing, Nick sat down beside her. "He's a male, JJ, we're all assholes"

"It's just... everything's stressing me out, the last thing I needed was for him to start being a dick as well," JJ replied.

"What's stressing you out?" Nick asked.

"Everything!" JJ exclaimed, lifting her face to look at Nick. "Gymnastics, Will, life in general"

Nick shook his head. "I don't want you to stress about your gymnastics, ok? If we don't count today, you're looking excellent leading into the year. I'm here to guide you through all this, alright? I'm going to get you through this year just fine, and I don't want you worrying about it. Competition pressure is ok. Stressing in general... just leave that to me, ok, I do a fine enough job of that on my own"

JJ managed a weak giggle.

"Why don't we break early today? Go home, get your dad, and go for some ice-cream, or go home, watch a movie and relax for a while. We can tackle bars later, but I don't want you in here as upset as you are now. It's a recipe for disaster," Nick said gently. "If Will wants to come to his senses, he will, but in the meantime, you gotta start kicking ass and showing him what he's missing"

JJ cracked a smile as Nick gave her a tight squeeze.

"Thanks Nick," she breathed, rising up from where she was sitting and scooping her grips up off the floor.

"Get back here for three, ready to absolutely slay!" Nick called after her.

Laughing, JJ turned, nodding before heading back to the locker room to grab her things.

Slay she would.