A/N: This one is light and then dark. Just warning ya.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Melbourne. We have crossed the International Date Line, making today's date February twenty second. It is currently 6:41am and the outside air temperature is sixteen degrees. Today's forecast is clear skies, with temperatures expected to reach the mid twenties. If this is your first time visiting Australia, on behalf of this wonderful country, welcome to the land down under! As always, we want to thank you for choosing to fly with Qantas and we hope to welcome you back onboard soon"

An early morning arrival in Australia saw the two girls making their way bleary eyed through immigration and customs. But despite the offloading of some 450 passengers from the massive Airbus A380 jet, the queues moved quickly, and they were following their driver from the arrivals hall just over an hour after the wheels had touched the ground.

The car had whisked them off into the Melbourne CBD, a near 45 minute journey with the peak hour traffic. Despite their jetlag and tiredness, they had both been glued to the window, watching the buildings of Melbourne grow larger in their vision. Standing out was the tallest building in the skyline, Eureka 88, a gold topped black skyscraper that seemed to be glowing in the golden early morning sun.

Eventually, they reached their home for the next five nights, the Grand Hyatt Melbourne, one block back from the bustling centre of Federation Square and Flinders Street Station. By some stroke of luck, their room was ready, and they had gratefully headed upstairs to drop their bags and shower after the long trans-Pacific flight.

As Aly was starting up the shower in the bathroom, JJ was interrupted from her half asleep daze by her phone buzzing in the side of her bag. She reached for it, smiling when she saw it was her mom calling.

"Hey Mom, good timing, we just got to the hotel," she said as she answered, leaning back against the pillows of the bed she had staked as her own.

"Mother's intuition," Sandy chuckled. "How was the flight? Fourteen hours over the ocean, you won't catch me doing it in a hurry"

JJ grinned. "It was pretty good. I slept most of the way, Aly wasn't so lucky though"

"What time is it right now?"

"It's about quarter to nine on Wednesday morning"

Sandy groaned. "God, that time difference. Considering you left LA on Monday night"

"I know right," JJ said with a laugh. "We've got the first day of the World Cup starting this afternoon, but we don't want to go to sleep or we'll be up all night, so once we've both had a shower, we're going to go out and explore. Aly's been to Melbourne before, like seven years ago, but I haven't, so it'll be fun to have a look around"

"Well, I'll leave you to it then. I need to go and make some dinner for myself, but I'll talk to you later, ok? Stay safe and have fun. Don't worry about everything else, just enjoy the time you have there"

"I will. I love you," JJ said softly.

"I love you too JJ"

As she ended the call, she felt her phone buzz again, her eyes falling to a new text that had popped up on the screen.

Were you going to tell me you were flying halfway around the world or did I just have to find that out from your mom?

Not missing the snarky tone of the message, JJ rolled her eyes, her thumbs flying over the screen as she typed out a response.

When was I supposed to tell you, you can't even stand to be in the same room as me unless someone is forcing you.

Closing the message, she tossed her phone down on the bed, turning towards her bag in order to find some fresh clothes.

About an hour later, they were showered, changed, and feeling more refreshed. After finding a coffee shop to get a late breakfast and the caffeine fix they both sorely needed, they had set off down Collins Street to get their bearings and start exploring the city.

Despite a small crowd that had drawn for the first day of qualifiers, the Hisense Arena in Melbourne's east was abuzz with excitement. Very rarely did gymnastics fans in Australia get the opportunity to watch some of the world's best compete, and even waiting behind the scenes, JJ could tell there was an unmatched level of excitement in the arena.

Around her neck was her all-around gold medal, carried carefully from Pennsylvania to Australia after the event organisers had requested she bring it for photo opportunities.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen, you've met the gymnasts who will be competing tonight, now it's time to introduce you to our special guest... except... we actually have not one, but two special guests! They have flown all the way here from the USA, and it is our pleasure to welcome them both here to Melbourne to celebrate the first World Cup on Aussie soil! So please put your hands together and give a warm welcome to three time Olympic gold medallist, Aly Raisman-"

A cheer started up as Aly walked towards the curtain separating the waiting area from the competition floor, increasing in volume as she stepped past the black fabric and out underneath the lights.

"-and Aly is joined here in Melbourne by none other than five time Olympic gold medallist and reigning Olympic all-around champion... Jennifer Jareau!"

Following Aly's path, JJ stepped out into the lights, the roar somehow increasing to levels that were deafening even when the arena was only half full. Waving to the spectators, she followed Aly up onto the podium where the beam was set up, her smile bright and genuine for the first time in a long time.

Headlined by names such as Wang Yan and Liu Tingting of China, as well as Australia's own Emily Little, Emma Nedov, and Georgia-Rose Brown, the competition got underway. As was standard for a world cup in a post-Olympic year, the level of gymnastics was not quite as high as most fans were accustomed to, but the vibe and atmosphere in the arena was fantastic nonetheless.

About a quarter of a way through the program, the girls were standing on the opposite side of the floor to the majority of the spectators, watching as Rianna Mizzen took to the uneven bars for Australia, when a small group of people were led up to them by a familiar face.

"Hey... Mary-Anne, right?" JJ said with a smile as she turned to see them coming. "You were in Tokyo and Nanning for Worlds"

"That's right!" Mary-Anne replied, closing the distance and embracing JJ in a friendly hug. "How are you guys? I heard you only flew in this morning"

"We're pretty tired," Aly said with a wan smile. "But it's exciting to be here"

"Well, I have here our eight wonderful VIP guests... they're all pretty excited because obviously they booked in knowing they would be meeting you, Aly, and now they get to meet JJ as well," Mary-Anne chuckled, stepping back so the guests could come forward. JJ gave them all a warm smile, relaxing her posture as the first young girl was gently nudged forward by her mom.

"You can say hi," her mom said with a chuckle.

"Hi," the little girl said nervously. JJ softened, crouching down to the little girl's level.

"Hi. What's your name?"

"Maddie," the little girl replied shyly. "I'm six"

"Wow. Do you know you have the same name as one of the girls that Aly and I went to the Olympics with?"

Maddie nodded. "Maddie Kocian... she has pretty bars"

JJ chuckled. "She does, doesn't she?"

"Can you and Aly sign my bear?" Maddie asked, holding out an orange bear with a white Melbourne 2017 T-shirt. JJ obliged, taking the bear and a Sharpie from her hands, quickly signing an autograph on the side, before passing it to Aly.

The little meet and greet session got underway, with JJ and Aly posing for photos both together and individually with each VIP guest. One of the girls was only seventeen years old, and had flown by herself for the first time from Newcastle in New South Wales. She was clearly overwhelmed at being in the presence of two of her idols, and hadn't been able to hide the shakiness in her voice.

As Aly was finishing up getting photos with one of the kids, JJ was approached by another girl who looked to be about the same age as herself, maybe a tad younger.

"JJ, I wanted to give you this... I drew it for you as a gift," she said softly, holding out a plastic sleeve with a sheet of paper in it. JJ gave her a touched smile, turning it over in her hands and gasping when she realised what it was. For in her hands was a black and white photorealistic drawing of her and Simone hugging for the cameras after the all-around final.

"Oh my god, this is amazing! You actually drew this?" she asked in disbelief. The girl nodded, her cheeks starting to turn pink. "This is incredible, thank you so much! I'm definitely going to send a picture to Simone when we get back to the hotel"

"I'd... I'd also love it if you could sign this one for me," the girl said nervously.

"Yeah, of course!" JJ said, taking a second piece of paper from her hands. It was another drawing, this time one of JJ on her own, a picture that JJ recognised as the one taken on the medal podium with her all-around gold. "You're really talented," she said warmly as she uncapped the Sharpie and signed her name in the top corner, before passing it back. "Here, let's have a selfie with the medal for you"

The girl giggled as JJ lifted her medal over her head and placed it around the younger girl's neck. They leaned in together, cheesing for a selfie. The joy and light in both of their faces was clearly evident, and even as all the guests eventually were led back to their seats by Mary-Anne, JJ was feeling a little more like her old self. Even if everything was falling apart at home, the gymnastics world still showered her with love and belonging... and for now, she would relish in it as much as possible.

"He did it to me too"

They were in bed, exhausted from the long journey and the day they had had. Almost asleep, JJ wasn't sure she had heard Aly correctly, and in her stupor, she rolled onto her back, tipping her head towards Aly's bed.

"What?" she asked in confusion, her voice catching in her throat. There was a poignant silence before Aly spoke again.

"Larry… he… he did it to me too. Abused… he sexually abused me"

Aly's words were so soft they were barely audible. Suddenly, in the darkness of the room, she seemed vulnerable. Broken, even. And somehow, that only served to push the weight in JJ's stomach further down. Her best friend, the girl who had always been tough as rocks, was breaking apart. Suddenly, Aly's quiet demeanor all day, which JJ had put down to jetlag, was making a bit more sense.

"I… I know," JJ replied, just as quietly, her eyes stinging with tears as the reality of Aly's words began to sink in. "I think I've known since that day in the treatment room at camp, I just… I wanted it to be up to you if you wanted to say anything to me or not"

The second she finished speaking, Aly burst into tears. Sleep now long forgotten, JJ clambered out of her bed, scrambling across to where Aly was lying, wrapping her arms around the brunette and pulling her into a tight embrace. Tears of her own began to fall down her cheeks, but for Aly's sake, she suppressed her sobs as best as she could.

For two years, she had wondered if she could've done something. What if she hadn't left the room to take a shower that night in London? What if she had really told Nick how weird Larry's hands always made her feel? What if she had spoken up when Aly told her two years ago that one of his treatments involved putting his fingers inside her? How had she, a 20 year old adult at the time, so naively believed that it was a legitimate medical treatment? What adult heard something like that and didn't think it was sketchy?

Her mind wandered to her friends. Girls she had shared podiums with. Girls she had travelled the world with since the age of 15. How many others had he hurt? Aly had mentioned discussing the treatment with other girls, and had been surprised when she didn't know what it was. It made JJ sick to think there were more girls out there battling the same emotional pain her friend was currently going through.

"I knew it wasn't right. For years. But I believed that he was the best doctor and he was helping us," Aly said shakily through her tears, breaking into JJ's thoughts. "That time I brought it up in the therapy room… I think part of me was hoping you had experienced it too… which is awful, and I hate that I thought that… but I knew you would know if it was right or wrong. And when I told you, I saw the look on your face. And I knew it was weird, but I didn't know what to do. I didn't even realise for sure until Glasgow what had happened to me, which is so weird… how can someone convince you that letting them stick their fingers inside you is an actual medical treatment for sore calves? I was so stupid"

"No, Aly," JJ breathed in disbelief. "You're not stupid"

"It's funny when you think about it," Aly said quietly, now sounding much more composed than she had just moments ago. A little laugh escaped her. "We always talked about how you were so much more experienced than me… but I guess I did that before you"

JJ felt as though she couldn't breathe as Aly slowly lifted her eyes to meet her gaze. And then, she crumpled again, the tears coming through with a vengeance as JJ squeezed her arms tighter around her friend. The sounds coming from Aly's mouth were hardly human and it was taking everything JJ had not to break down with her.

"I didn't even want to tell anyone," Aly sobbed. "Why did I say that? I'm so stupid"

"No you're not Aly," JJ whispered, clutching her friend even closer. "I'm glad you told me"

Aly let out a sob that threatened to break even the strongest of JJ's emotional defences.

"I won't tell anyone… I promise," JJ said softly, her voice cracking.

"I'm sorry"

JJ looked up in surprise, shaking her head. "Please don't apologise. If anyone should be sorry, it's me. All those times you tried to tell me…," JJ said quietly.

They sat in silence for a little longer, before JJ slowly pulled Aly back into another hug.

"I'm so sorry this happened Aly"

Hours later, Aly was fast asleep, but JJ's mind was racing. Huddled on the bathroom floor, tears poured relentlessly down her cheeks, her chest heaving with the sobs she was trying so hard to keep quiet.

Her best friend was being destroyed from the inside out by a monster that had been inside the walls. Will was still angry at her, and she couldn't help but agree that he had every right to be. Her dad was gone... her life felt like it was a shambles, a rocket ship to nowhere that was breaking apart by the minute.

She just wanted it to be over. Because despite all the smiles, all the fun she was telling herself she was having, the truth was that the pain was cutting deeper and deeper with each day. Hurt and pain of her dad's death, the grief that refused to let up, compounded even further by the shit that had gone down in LA and Will's anger at the whole situation.

Hugging her knees closer to her chest, she tipped her head back against the wall, trying to stem the flow of tears as she forced herself to breathe.

Every day felt like one step forward, immediately followed by ten steps back.