A/N: Now that the two biggest chapters are done, I'm excited to keep going!
The day following the all-around was the first of two rest days for the artistic program at the Games while the trampoline discipline took place. For the most part, the morning had been like every other day. The girls had risen and headed down for some breakfast, before grabbing their things and going to their morning training session.
They had the afternoon free of training, since JJ and Gabby were slated to have an interview with NBC presenter, Bob Costas, and knowing it was still going to be busy nonetheless, JJ had hoped to grab a half hour nap before they left the Village again.
But that had gone out the window when her phone buzzed loudly against the nightstand, Will's name lighting up the screen.
"Hey you," she said teasingly as she answered it, dropping onto the edge of her bed.
"Hey tiny. Do you still remember my name and what I look like from all the way up there on top of the world?"
"Were you Mitchell, or… wait, wait… Ben?"
"Ha ha," Will replied dryly, making her laugh. "In all seriousness, you've been amazing. I'm really proud of you"
A warm wave rolled through her chest, her cheeks growing a little warm as she smiled. "Thanks Will"
"Still convinced you're just finding ways to show me up"
She laughed, shaking her head as she shuffled across the bed and settled back against the headboard.
"But really. Have you been having fun? Like it looks super intense when we've been watching"
"It can be intense," JJ replied. "But we are having fun. This is what we love doing, what we've trained our whole lives for. If we weren't having fun, there'd be something seriously wrong"
"The British commentators love you by the way," Will chuckled. "I thought the lady commentator was going to have a stroke or something while you were on beam, she was going nuts over how good you are"
JJ laughed, a little blush creeping up her cheeks. "Thanks, I think?"
"You're killing it anyway," Will said warmly. "I bet you're having more fun than I am"
"Oh yeah, how's your college stuff going?"
"Pretty good. I've got most of my books, and my class schedule is sorted. I've got orientation next week, which should be good. I'll get to meet my classmates and find my way around the campus"
"You're not boarding on campus are you?"
"No, typical momma's boy… I'm commuting"
JJ laughed. "At least you're willing to admit it, you big sook"
"Hey, don't knock it… you'll have me around to annoy you when you're home"
"Great," JJ said dryly. "And what about Isabelle, are you gonna annoy her?"
"Oh… I didn't tell you… I broke it off with Isabelle. I just… couldn't see it going anywhere, and after she bit me, I didn't really want it to"
JJ's heart leapt in her chest. Will was single… he wasn't seeing Isabelle.
'Calm down Jareau… it doesn't necessarily mean what you want it to mean,' she scolded herself mentally.
"I… sorry about that," she offered lamely.
"I mean, it's fine. We obviously weren't right for each other and… well, there's someone that I… I don't know if she feels… I don't wanna push something that isn't there, you know? But then sometimes it… I don't know. It's fine though"
JJ laughed, even as her heart sank a little. "Have you been talking long? I don't think I got one complete sentence out of that"
"Yeah, yeah… I don't know Jayje, it's just a little complicated. It's probably for the best, you know, with college starting in a couple of weeks, it's probably best if I stay focused on that for a little while"
"Yeah. Are you excited for college?"
"Yeah, it should be good! Bit of a change to high school I guess. It'll be weird not copying off you in math"
JJ let out a laugh. "I knew you were copying me! But I couldn't prove it!"
"Ah, I'm a better liar than you thought!"
Shaking her head as Aly came into the room, JJ grinned. "Careful, you'll get a big head"
"I already have a big head. Yours might be bigger though, when you come home with those Olympic medals"
Catching Aly's eye, JJ blushed when Aly pulled a kissy face, before making a heart with her hands. She flipped her off, grinning when Aly laughed and disappeared into the bathroom.
"You're just jealous," she teased to Will.
"And so it begins," Will chuckled. "Anyway, I gotta go Jayje, I've got a few more things to do today. Hopefully I'll talk to you before your other finals, but if I don't, good luck!"
"Thanks Will," she said softly.
"I l-look forward to seeing how you do. You're gonna kill it, as always," Will stammered in reply. JJ giggled.
"You need to stop talking, you're really struggling today"
"Ha ha. Talk later Jayje"
Hanging up, JJ sat for a moment, a happy little smile on her face. She didn't want to get her hopes up for nothing… and she still had a job to focus on. Despite her feelings for him, Will never failed to make her laugh and smile, and right now, that was all she could ask for.
After lunch, and a rest, the girls were taken to the Team USA hub in London, where JJ and Gabby were scheduled for their interview. Each wearing both of their medals, the two girls had been ushered through the building, given a rundown of how the interview was going to work, and then introduced to Bob Costas, the host of the segment.
Sitting beside Gabby on the sleek but comfortable white couch, JJ was beaming from ear to ear as the cameraman counted them onto air.
"Good morning, I'm Bob Costas, and I'm coming to you from London, England. The Olympic Games are well and truly underway, we'll bring you some of the latest results a little further on, but right now, I am here with two of Team USA's stars, Gabrielle Douglas and Jennifer Jareau. Last night at the North Greenwich Arena, these two young ladies took medals in the most coveted final in all of gymnastics. Welcome ladies!" Bob said cheerily.
"Hi," Gabby and JJ said in unison, both a little giggly as they spoke. It felt a little surreal to be at the centre of the media attention. Neither of them felt particularly special; they were just two girls who loved gymnastics.
"First off… congratulations on a spectacular performance last night, you both performed so beautifully, I'm sure you're very proud. Did either of you expect to win a medal?" Bob asked.
The girls glanced at each other. Smiling, JJ motioned for Gabby to go first.
"I don't think we went in expecting a medal, because if you go in with high expectations and then make a mistake, it's nothing but disappointment. I know for me personally, uh, I just wanted to go in and hit four for four, I knew I had the ability to make it big, I just had to keep calm and focused out there," Gabby replied animatedly as she turned back to Bob. Bob smiled, before both of them looked to JJ.
"I wasn't expecting one at all. People seem to have it in their heads that I'm not a strong all-arounder, and when enough people say it, you start to think it. So I walked in there thinking that if I hit really well, I maybe had a chance at top eight, but here I am with a bronze medal," JJ said with a smile.
"That must do wonders for your confidence to have people telling you what you're apparently not good at," Bob said in disbelief.
JJ nodded. "Yeah. But I know what I'm capable of, and while sometimes it's really hard to not let people get into my head, I know all the work I've done and how hard I've trained, and I just have to remember that when I go out on the competition floor"
"And what's that moment up on the medal podium like? What was it like in the team final?" Bob asked with a smile.
"Amazing," Gabby said with a laugh. "It's the moment all your dreams come true"
"It's so emotional though. Up there with the girls, I wanted to bust out in tears, but I couldn't stop smiling to let it happen," JJ chuckled. Bob laughed.
"All five of you are America's sweethearts. The Fierce Five. And Gabby, you've now become the first African-American gymnast to win the all-around title, as well as the first American of any race to win both the team and all-around gold at the same Olympics. You've made yourself famous overnight," Bob chuckled. "Has that sunk in?"
"No, not yet," Gabby laughed. "I'm sure it will once the Games are over"
"You both have a couple more finals. Gabby, we'll see you on the uneven bars, and JJ, we'll see you on the uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise. How are you feeling in preparation for those finals?"
"Pretty good," JJ said with a grin. "We've done the hard work all year, now it's just about staying clean and consistent"
"You're the reigning world champion on beam, JJ, does that add some pressure?"
"A little, yes, it always does because you know there are people out there expecting you to win. But for me, beam is my favourite event, and I rarely feel fear up there, so I'm just going to go out and have fun with it"
"Always the way to go," Bob chuckled. "Well, that's unfortunately all the time we have left today, but I'll hopefully get you back here before the Games are done. Good luck in your remaining finals, ladies, and know you have the entire country at your back. Ladies and gentleman, Gabrielle Douglas and Jennifer Jareau!"
They smiled at the camera, remaining fixed in their seats until the signal was given to indicate the cameras had stopped rolling.
She normally hated the attention. But being here at the Olympics, enjoying the successes she had already had, was proving to be the ultimate confidence booster.
Filled with excitement at the prospect of seeing her parents for the first time in almost a month, JJ practically bounced into the family at Team USA headquarters, which was abuzz with activity.
It didn't take her long to spot her dad, towering over the other groups of people, her mom smiling from his side. Breaking into a huge smile, she crossed the room in a flash, throwing herself into her dad's waiting arms as her medals clinked around her neck.
"Oh we have missed you!" Michael gushed, wrapping her in a ridiculously tight hug as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "It's only been 27 days since we saw you, but god it feels like forever"
"But who's counting, right?" JJ teased as she pulled away. Michael laughed, watching lovingly as Sandy pulled their daughter into a warm embrace.
"God, we're so proud of you! Especially for your bronze!" Sandy said happily, pulling away and cupping JJ's face in her hands. "Bet you didn't see that one coming?"
"Not at all," JJ said through a grin. "I still can't believe it. I can't believe any of it. I'm an Olympic champion!"
Sandy laughed, wrapping an arm around JJ's shoulders and pulling her back in for a squeeze as they both turned to face Michael.
"Where's everyone else?" JJ asked as they moved to sit on some nearby sofa chairs.
"When we spoke to the representative who gave us all the information on when to come and what to expect, she told us that the larger the group, the more of a hassle it is to clear security into headquarters. And apparently your grandparents wouldn't have been allowed in, they only allow immediate family in to prevent overcrowding. So in the end, Jason decided he would stay with everyone else while we came to see you," Sandy said with a smile. "You'll see him when you're finished competing. Your dad has to fly back the night after the floor final, but Jason and Katie are going to stay another week and make a bit of a holiday out of it"
"Is anyone else leaving after floor?" JJ asked.
"Just Nandy," Sandy said with a smile, referring to her mother by the nickname JJ had coined when she was just learning to talk. "She's got three doctor's appointments next week that she couldn't change, so she's flying back with your dad"
"But enough itinerary talk, peanut, let's see the hardware!" Michael cut in with a grin. JJ laughed, reaching up and lifting the two medals over her head. She passed them over to her dad, who took one in each hand, looking over them with admiration.
"Oh, I almost forgot too!" Sandy exclaimed suddenly, reaching down into her bag. She straightened up a moment later, holding out a small wrapped gift with a smile. "Happy eighteenth birthday!"
JJ beamed, leaning forward to kiss her mother's cheek as she took the gift from her hand. As Michael leaned over to pass Sandy the medals, she pulled off the wrapping to find a little jewellery box. Flicking it open, she found a pair of studs. They were the US flag, but done completely in tiny diamonds. Patriotic, but not so much so that it was in your face.
"I love them," she said happily, looking up at her mom with a smile. "Thank you!"
"I think they go quite nicely with these," Sandy chuckled, holding up the medals. "These are gorgeous, but it's a little surreal that you actually have them"
"Believe me, it hasn't sunk in for any of us. I found Gabby this morning just sitting on her bedroom floor staring at hers"
Her parents laughed, Michael nodding in agreement. "I would too," he said with a grin, getting another laugh out JJ and her mom.
"How are you feeling about your event finals?" Sandy asked gently, reaching over to squeeze JJ's hand.
"I feel pretty good," JJ replied. "I'm not really nervous for them at all, you know… I've already got two medals, so I'm just going to go out and do my best and have fun. If it results in more medals, then great, if it doesn't, it's not the end of the world. I mean… I might be a bit upset if I don't medal on beam, because I've wanted to be Olympic champion on beam since I learnt my first proper beam routine… but whatever happens, happens"
"Good attitude to have," Michael said warmly. "No matter how you do… we're proud of you and we love you. That's never going to change"
JJ stayed with her parents for almost an hour, until Steve Penny came to round all the girls up and get them on the shuttle back to the village. Even though she would see her mom again in less than a week, JJ found herself feeling childishly reluctant to leave them, hanging back as long as possible for one more hug before she had to go.
After dinner and a shower, JJ found herself staring in the mirror as she brushed her hair. Her eyes searched her face, looking for any signs of change. But the face looking back at her looked exactly the same as it always had. Except now, the face looking back at her was the face of an Olympic champion.
She took a deep breath, looking down at the earrings sitting on the counter top. With a little smile, she slowly removed the studs she was already wearing, swapping them one at a time for the US flag earrings her mother had given her that day. A minute later, she was gazing at her reflection again, her ears now glittering with the little diamonds.
A surge of confidence rushed into her chest and she had to smile.
She was still the same girl as before. Just now, she had the hardware to make all the sacrifices worth it. And come Monday, she was going to go out and give her routines everything she had one last time.
Because making it to one Olympics was the chance of a lifetime with the smallest odds… let alone making it to two.