A/N: Enjoy! Lots of tears here.
"I'd like to win an all-around title. National, World, Olympic, I'm not that fussed... although Olympic all-around champion has a nice ring to it"
She couldn't help it; the second the scores had shifted, she had been overwhelmed once again with tears. As they flooded her vision and turned the arena again into a blur of green, Simone was pulling her into a hug, beaming from ear to ear even through tears of her own.
She wasn't even sure she'd read the scoreboard correctly. So as Simone started to pull away from her, JJ looked up, managing to focus her eyes on the top three names up on the jumbotron.
RK
1 - JAREAU. J – USA - 62.231
2 - BILES. S – USA - 62.198
3 - MUSTAFINA. A – RUS - 58.665
"I DON'T BELIEVE IT! POINT ZERO THREE THREE SEPARATING JJ AND SIMONE! THIRTY THREE THOUSANDTHS OF A POINT!"
Unable to keep it together, she collapsed to the ground, burying her face in her hands as the arena became a deafening roar of applause. The tears were coming thicker and faster than ever, tears of every emotion under the sun. And then, there were hands on her arms, pulling her back to her feet just as Nick reached her through the swarm of photographers.
"I won," she sobbed as Nick swooped in and hugged her tighter than he'd ever hugged her before. "I really won"
"You did, kiddo, I've never been more proud of you," Nick said tearfully, pulling away and cupping JJ's face in his hands. She was smiling through the tears, which were coming with an uncontrollable vigour. The crowd was still at a level of deafening roar, and JJ was sure half of that had to be coming from her family.
"Your dad would be absolutely beside himself right now," Nick said softly, making JJ nod as more tears spilled down her cheeks. "You better get up there and wave to that crowd before they go crazy," he said with a watery laugh, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before gently nudging her towards the podium.
The tears were starting to slow, but her eyes were still bright as she walked over and pulled herself up onto the vault podium. Lifting her hands to her mouth, she blew a kiss to the crowd before waving to all sides of the arena. When she turned to where she knew her family was sitting, she blew one more kiss.
"Jennifer Jareau is the 2016 Olympic all-around Champion!"
But without Simone, it just didn't feel right. So she turned back to where Nick and Aimee were standing with her teammate, and beckoned for her to join her. Simone beamed through tears of her own, leaping up onto the podium and walking straight over towards JJ.
"I'm so proud of you, JJ," she said, wrapping her arms around JJ and giving her a quick squeeze. When she pulled away, they grasped hands, before lifting their arms into the air and waving to the roaring crowd together. For the first time in over a month, JJ felt like her smile was genuine.
She just hoped that, somewhere up above, her dad was beaming with pride.
Up in the stands, Sandy had burst into tears the second the scores had changed. Having witnessed firsthand just how hard losing Michael had been on JJ, she could hardly believe her baby girl had come this far. In the row in front, Aly and Laurie were hugging each other, tears streaming down Aly's cheeks as Laurie and Maddie cheered ecstatically.
Whereas he had leapt out of his seat with a triumphant yell when JJ had been revealed as the winner, now, all Will could do was sink into his seat, bury his face in his hands and cry.
Finally, he understood what JJ had been chasing all these years, the hard pressed pursuit that London had given her a taste of.
It wasn't the gold. It was every obstacle she'd overcome, every minute in the gym when her arms felt like lead and all she wanted to do was cry. It was the hard work, determination, and the belief in herself that she could make it back. It was the grief that weighed on her shoulders this very minute in the Olympic arena. The thing she had desired most was the experience of a lifetime that could make every sacrifice, every day when she'd come home crying, every ounce of grief and pain, absolutely worth it.
And Will couldn't have been prouder.
With her tears now dried, and their podium gear on, JJ and Simone stood behind the medal podium as the same gentle Brazilian music played amidst the excited noises of the crowd. Aliya Mustafina had already received her bronze medal, waving serenely to the crowd as she had accepted it.
Simone seemed antsy as she waited, but finally, her turn came.
"Medalhista de prata, representando os Estados Unidos da América!"
"Silver medalist, representing the United States of America!"
"Médaillé d'argent, représentant les États-Unis d'Amérique!"
"Simone Biles!"
Beaming, Simone stepped up to the podium to an encouraging roar from the crowd. Even if she hadn't reached the heights everyone expected (and really, was 0.033 that much of a miss?), the watching crowd still adored her.
JJ watched, clapping for her teammate as the older IOC official hung the silver medal around Simone's neck. As she waited for the second official to approach with the trinket logo, Simone lifted her silver medal, waving to the TV camera closest to her and lifting her fingers up to indicate number two as she giggled.
Soon enough, she had her keepsake, and the crowd was starting to wind up for JJ's turn on the podium.
"Medalhista de ouro e campeão olímpico, representando os Estados Unidos da América!"
"Gold medalist and Olympic Champion, representing the United States of America!"
"Médaillé d'or et champion olympique, représentant les États-Unis d'Amérique!"
"Jennifer Jareau!"
Smiling from ear to ear, JJ stepped up to the top of the podium, waving to the cheering fans. There was a lump of emotion in her throat as the older man approached her and lifted her gold medal off the medal bearer's tray.
"Congratulations, you performed wonderfully," he praised as he shook her hand.
"Thank you," JJ said through a smile, before leaning forward as he hung the hard earned prize around her neck.
"If you had told me in London that four years later, Jennifer Jareau would be the Olympic all-around champion, I would've told you that you were out of your mind"
She couldn't believe it.
She was the Olympic all-around champion. Something little gymnasts across the world dreamed of doing, something she had dreamed of doing but had never thought she would achieve. At least, not with Simone around, that was for sure.
A few moments later, with own keepsake tightly in her hand, the music died away.
"Senhoras e senhores, representei o hino nacional dos Estados Unidos da América"
"Ladies and gentlemen, please stand for the national anthem of the United States of America"
"Mesdames et Messieurs, veuillez vous lever pour l'hymne national des États-Unis d'Amérique"
The three medallists turned to their left, where the flags were going to rise. Just moments later, 'The Star Spangled Banner' filled the arena as two American flags and one Russian flag started to rise towards the ceiling.
With her hand over her heart, JJ had a lump swelling in her throat as she watched her flag rising towards the ceiling.
Cameras clicked all around her as the anthem played for the proudest moment she had ever experienced in her career. Thoughts of her dad filled her head and her heart, thoughts of how she wished for nothing more than for him to experience this moment with her.
As the anthem came to a triumphant end, the emotion bubbled over once again. Tears spilled down her cheeks as the three of them turned back to the front of the podium. Lifting her medal to her lips, she kissed the glittering disc, before lifting it high into the air above her head as she looked up towards the ceiling.
"Look what I did Dad!"
"Oh wow... that really tugs on the heartstrings"
Choking back her sobs, she resettled the medal back around her neck. Simone and Aliya both came up onto her podium, Simone wrapping her arms around JJ's midsection again as Aliya put an arm around her shoulders.
Grateful for their unspoken comfort, JJ wiped away her tears, before the three of them lifted their medals for the official photographers.
After the podium photos, they were led to the edge of the arena for more photos, after which Simone and JJ rejoined Nick and Aimee to head out into the mixed zone. The first people they saw out there were Marta and Rhonda.
"JJ, I'm so happy, so proud, you performed so well!" Marta said ecstatically, pulling JJ into a hug once they had reached them. "You have worked so hard this year, all years, and it has paid off for you, I couldn't be more pleased"
"Thank you Marta," JJ said with a smile, wiping away a stray tear that was clinging to her eyelashes.
"Jennifer, Simone, the media would like to interview you," the mixed zone manager said, directing the two over to where the reporters and journalists were waiting. JJ walked over straight away, while Simone hung back to speak to Marta.
The first journalist JJ approached was a young man who she immediately recognised as one of the reporters from London.
"Hi JJ, I'm Mitchell Hagan, do you remember me?" he said with a beaming grin.
"Yes, of course!" JJ said with a smile. As small as it was, the familiarity was helping her stay relaxed for the interview phase, despite all the microphones and phones being held out towards her.
"First of all, congratulations on an amazing competition. Did you come in today thinking you could win?"
JJ chuckled. "No-one in their right mind comes in thinking they can beat Simone"
Mitchell laughed. "Ah, but you did it anyway. How do you feel after the final? You showed a lot of emotion out there that I don't think people are used to seeing from you"
"Yeah... it's been a really long and emotional couple of weeks. I miss my dad so much, it's actually really hard without him here, but tonight... I think I went out there and made him really proud, and in the end, that was my only goal today, so to come out as the Olympic Champion is pretty incredible... although I do feel a little bad for Simone"
"Why's that?"
JJ sighed. "Well, she's had all this pressure on her, all year, to win the Olympic title, and she ended up falling short of her goal. Although, I wouldn't call 0.033 falling short by any means. I honestly thought she was going to win, right up to the very end. I just hope she knows what an amazing job she did today, and she should be very proud of herself"
"Will you get to see your family tonight?"
JJ shook her head. "No, I think I get to see them tomorrow... I'm actually happy that it won't be tonight, because I think I'm going to cry when I see my mom and my boyfriend. I'm all cried out for one day, I have a headache"
Mitchell laughed as JJ relaxed into a grin. After a moment, his expression became even more sombre. "Most people, when they lose someone very important in their lives, take a few days off work or training... you on the other hand, are here at the Olympic Games, you've just won your second gold medal from Rio and your fourth overall... what is this experience like for you? Obviously it's very different to last time"
JJ nodded. "It's hugely different to London. My confidence levels this time around are much better, and I feel more secure in myself. But having lost my dad... it's hard. It is the hardest competition I've ever put myself through, and while it's emotional and everyone will probably get used to me crying by the time it's all over... it's completely worth it. Before... before my dad passed away...," JJ trailed off, her eyes growing brighter for a moment. Taking a breath, she regathered her composure, putting a smile on her face to try and stop herself from crying. "He told me not to give up on this dream just because he got sick. He wanted me to go to Rio and live the Olympic dream again. I'm here competing for myself and the team, but more than anything else, I'm here competing for my dad, because I know he would be so proud to have seen me make this team"
"I think it was a loss felt throughout the entire team, am I correct?"
JJ nodded again. "The girls have been amazing though. We're all in this together, and they've been such an amazing support for me emotionally. I don't think I could've made it much further than team finals without these girls at my back"
"You definitely made everyone who loves you very proud tonight JJ, congratulations again, and best of luck for the rest of your finals"
"Thank you," JJ said sincerely, before turning away and heading over to the next group of reporters who were clamouring to speak with her.
It felt like hours and a million interviews later that the two girls were finally heading back to the Village, exhausted and ready to collapse into bed. Falling into the bus seat beside Simone, who was turning her silver medal over in her hand, JJ sighed.
"I'm wrecked," she muttered, leaning back on the head rest and closing her eyes.
"Me too," Simone agreed. "Need that Zac Efron pizza... stat"
At that, both girls laughed.
"Hey, Simone," JJ said softly, once they'd calmed down. "You're not upset, are you?"
Simone sighed, looking up at JJ with a reassuring smile. "No. At least, not with you. You're one of my best friends, and I love you, you know that"
JJ nodded, the worry that had been settling in her stomach slowly starting to dissipate.
"I'm just disappointed in missing out on the gold. Winning the all-around at the Olympics has been one of my biggest goals for years. But I'm not disappointed in silver, or in my performance. I still came away with an Olympic medal, which is amazing... I guess, maybe... deep down I feel like I could've done better"
"Simone, you performed better than I've ever seen you perform before," JJ said in quiet disbelief. "I even thought you'd won, right up to the end"
"I think I let everyone's expectations get the better of me... but I'm actually kinda glad I didn't win... for two reasons"
JJ looked pointedly at her as the bus pulled away in the direction of the Village.
"I didn't meet the world's expectations of me... and the world didn't fall apart. It's ok to not be as great as everyone wants me to be, and I'm kinda glad that the pressure is gone. But mostly... I'm really glad you won. After everything you've been through, JJ... I think you deserve that gold medal a thousand times more than anyone else in the building today. We all agreed that none of us would be able to do what you're doing with everything that's happened. Just walking into that final today was so brave... I really admire you for that"
Biting back more tears, JJ reached over, giving her teammate a tight hug. Simone was so kind-hearted, it was threatening to make her cry again.
They'd settled back into their seats in silence for a few moments, when Simone spoke again. "And besides, you're older. I'll win it in Tokyo"
As JJ looked straight at Simone, the two of them stayed silent for a moment. Seconds later, they burst into a fit of laughter.
The two of them had been swamped with hugs the second they had walked back into the complex at the Village. More tears had been shed, but eventually, exhausted, JJ retired to her room with Aly for a bit of downtime before they headed down for dinner.
On her bed was a handwritten note. Immediately, JJ could see it was from Maddie and Laurie.
JJ,
Four years ago we watched you compete with Aly and the other girls in London, and it was when we saw you guys that we knew we wanted to go to the Olympics too. And look at you now, you're the Olympic Champion!
We know it's been so hard for you after losing your dad, but we also know he would be so proud of you. We wish we had gotten the chance to get to know him like Aly and Simone did, he sounds like he was a wonderful man.
We love you so much JJ, we're so proud of you!
Xx Laurie and Maddie
Swallowing back more tears, JJ smiled, setting the note down on her nightstand, her newest medal sitting right next to it in its stand.
After changing into leggings and a T-shirt, she sat down on her bed. Moments later, Aly bounced down beside her, beaming from ear to ear
"You should have a look at Instagram," she said softly, leaning her head on JJ's shoulder.
Obeying without question, JJ opened up the app. As if it had read her mind, the first thing she saw was a post from Will, from almost two hours earlier, with almost 10,000 likes already.
There were two photos on the post. The first was of her and Simone hugging after the final score, tears running down both their cheeks. The second was JJ on the medal podium, her gold medal hanging prominently around her neck.
will_lamontagne12
My beautiful, incredible girl... I am so proud of you. The last ten months of your life have been without a doubt, some of the hardest you'll ever experience. You've been putting up a brave front all this time, for your team, for your coach, for your fans, so only a few of us truly know how hard this has been for you. I've been there for it all. I've watched you selflessly care for your dad, tending to his every need, even after spending hours on end in the gym until you could barely hold yourself up any longer. I've held you and tried to find the words that would bring any sort of comfort as you've cried for the tragedy your family was facing. I've been there when you've broken down, swearing that that day was your last in gymnastics and you weren't going back. But look at you now. A month ago today, you lost your biggest cheerleader and with him, a piece of your heart. Tonight, you stand on the highest pedestal gymnastics has to offer – the Olympic all-around championship. I know your dad would be even more proud of you than I am, if that's even possible, and you should be just as proud of yourself. The tears you shed at the conclusion of your floor routine spoke volumes about how hard this has been, how much of this ordeal you've been holding in, and in that moment, all I could do was cry with you. Watching you tonight has changed my life; I never truly understood the Olympic pursuit until I was sitting there watching it unfold in front of me. You've made your own mark on this sport, and even better, that gold medal you earned tonight will forever be part of your dad's legacy. I hope you sleep better tonight knowing your dad is up there beaming with pride about what you've done. I can't wait to see you and give you the biggest hug. I'm so proud of you, Jennifer Jareau, and I love you to the end of the earth and back.
"He's almost too good to be true, hey," Aly said with a chuckle, wrapping her arm around JJ's shoulders as JJ's eyes filled with tears yet again.
"I can't wait to see him tomorrow," JJ breathed.
"It'll come in due time," Aly said. Nodding down towards JJ's phone, she smiled. "I think you better post some thoughts and feelings and keep your fans happy"
Chuckling, JJ nodded in agreeance as Aly got up, leaving her to write a post.
Twenty minutes later, she had posted a very thoughtfully written post. Accompanying it was one of the official photos she had found; one of her holding her gold medal up to the sky after the anthem.
jenniferjareau94
This moment. This moment right here is the one that means the most to me tonight. A month ago today, I lost my dad. He was my best friend, my biggest cheerleader, and the world's greatest dad. Tonight, I won this gold medal for him, and more than anything in the world, I wanted him to see it.
I still can't believe it... I'm the Olympic all-around champion. It's a dream that every little gymnast has at some point in their life... a dream that has been sitting in the back of my mind for the last four years. Because while I never allowed myself to think it was impossible, I was competing against Simone Biles, and that's not a challenge you take lightly. It's something that wouldn't have been possible without the support of my friends and family, and the dedication and patience of my coaches. I'm proud of myself for proving to myself, to the world, that I could do it, but I'm just as proud of my amazing teammate and friend. She's a rock star, and she's spent the entire year having people swear black and blue that she was going to be the Olympic champion. She may not have the gold medal for it, but she's as good as the Olympic champion. She stood up there tonight and accepted the silver medal with so much pride and joy, how could you not be proud of her for that? She learnt tonight that the world won't cave in if she falls short of people's expectations, but let's be real... 0.033 is hardly falling short!
It's hard to believe that five months ago, I had just received possibly the worst news of my life; that my dad was dying. On that day, I didn't care about the Olympics. I didn't care about Rio. It was hard for me to care about anything or anyone, because all I wanted was to reverse the clock and have more time with my dad. Losing him has been life changing, and it still hurts every day. I went out there tonight and performed for him, and it was the hardest thing I've ever done. He may not physically be here, but I know he was with me throughout the entire competition. I know he would've been proud of me even if I had finished last, but standing atop that podium with the gold medal was a dream come true for so many different reasons. Tonight, I won the Olympic title, but most importantly, I made my dad proud.
I miss you Dad. I love you. This gold medal is for you.