A/N: Explicit sex scene in the second part of this chapter so if that's not your thing, then skip it I guess haha!

The familiar smell of chalk hit her nose as soon as she walked into the gym on Saturday morning. Almost immediately, she felt a wave of calm settle over her. No matter what was happening in her life, the gym had always been a sanctuary for her.

The last few days had been up and down, but since talking with her grandmother, she had slowly started to work through her grief. Forcing herself to get up every morning and spend time with Will and her mom had helped stave off the early stages of reactive depression, and she was feeling lighter and happier than she had felt when she first came home.

The kids at the gym were all busy, so no-one noticed at first that she had joined their midst. As she stood at the edge of the foyer, watching them as they practiced all their skills, she couldn't help but smile.

Her eyes wandered along the edge of the gym. Up on the far wall, a new poster had joined the myriad of posters already hanging there. From the left, the posters JJ had practically grown up with hung, somewhat faded and dusty. A USA Gymnastics banner, a London 2012 logo banner, photos of the teams from the all the World Championships JJ had competed in, and a long white banner listing all of JJ's national results. Next to the national banner was the one Nick had gotten after the London Olympics; a photo of JJ on the beam podium, with her gold medal around her neck. Down the right hand side, her results were listed.

2012 Olympic team gold
2012 Olympic balance beam gold
2012 Olympic floor exercise silver
2012 Olympic all-around bronze
2012 Olympic uneven bars bronze

Beside it was the new poster. This time, it was a photo of her holding her all-around gold medal. The tears were still fresh in her eyes, but her smile was brighter than ever. Along the bottom in bright white block letters, the banner read 'JENNIFER JAREAU, 2016 OLYMPIC ALL-AROUND CHAMPION'.

2016 Olympic team gold
2016 Olympic all-around gold
2016 Olympic balance beam gold
2016 Olympic vault silver
2016 Olympic uneven bars bronze

Seeing the cumulative listing of the ten biggest achievements in her career was an incredible thing to experience. It almost sent a shiver down her spine.

"JJ!"

Turning around, JJ beamed as Teagan came up and pulled her into a tight hug.

"You were absolutely amazing in Rio, and all that success was well deserved, you worked so hard this year!" Teagan praised. "We had a gym sleepover night for team and all-around finals, so all the girls were here watching you live"

"What were their thoughts?" JJ asked with a grin; some of the younger girls were rather opinionated.

"Lexie still doesn't understand why you get to be on TV and not her," Teagan chuckled, making JJ laugh. "And when you did your Moors in the all-around, and Tim Daggett lost his mind, Lexie goes 'ok, she did a flip! What is the big deal?'"

JJ laughed again. "I love that kid"

"She's such a crackup," Teagan said with a grin. "Why don't you come out and see the kids? They're all dying to hear from you"

Nodding, JJ hoisted her bag a little higher, before following Teagan out onto the floor. Nick was talking to his group of young gymnasts, who were all sitting cross legged with their backs to JJ and Teagan. Behind them, Kate and Clem were also listening to Nick's every word.

Seeing them coming, Nick broke into a smile.

"Hey girls, we have a visitor"

Almost in unison, every girl on the floor whipped around, their faces lighting up when they saw JJ standing there.

"JJ!" a few of them shrieked, leaping up to run over and hug her. Kate was the first to get to her, throwing her arms around JJ's middle and hugging her tightly.

"Hey," she laughed, hugging Kate back with one arm and managing to give the other girls a half hug with her other. Looking down at Kate, she grinned. "When did you start getting so tall?"

Kate laughed. "Well, it won't be long until I'm taller than you"

"Do you guys want to see the medals?" JJ asked, looking out at the sea of little faces looking up at her.

"Yes! Yes!" they shrieked, jumping up and down in excitement before Nick gestured for them all to sit. They did, forming a little circle around JJ as she unzipped her bag and pulled out the five wooden boxes that housed her prizes from Rio.

"Which is your most specialest one?" a little girl named Kennedy piped up, bouncing on her knees from where she was sitting.

"Probably this one," JJ said as she lifted her all-around gold medal from its housing. "This is my all-around medal"

The kids crooned over it as she laid it out before them. They were patient, watching in awe as she laid all five medals out in a row on the carpet.

"JJ, you tell us about the 'lympics?" another little girl asked in a shrill voice. JJ grinned.

"Of course!" she obliged. "Well… I was very nervous when we got to Rio. I was also still a little sad because my dad wasn't there, but the other girls kept making me laugh and helped me really stay focused on our job…"

Moonlight spilled through the window as the shower stopped running in the next room. It was late, so late that Sandy and Nandy had both been in bed and asleep for at least an hour if not more. But JJ was still awake, waiting for Will to finish showering before he joined her in bed.

Speaking to the little girls had humbled her incredibly. It had made her laugh when Lexie had piped up with the statement that she 'just didn't get why the Olympics are so special', and it had reminded her that while little girls across the country idolized her as the Olympic gymnast, to the girls at her gym, she was still just JJ.

They'd filled her with so much hope… even after a terrible loss, life still went on, and how better to view her life than through the innocent eyes of the kids who loved her like a big sister? Seeing them again after all the hurdles life had thrown at her lately had really shifted her perspective. She felt… better. Happier and lighter than she had felt in a long time.

But, she thought as she shifted beneath the covers, deep down, something still weighed on her like a lump of concrete. She still felt like something was missing. She still felt a little numb… she just wanted something that could push away the residual grief for a little while.

"Remind me in the morning to fix the pressure in your shower," Will said absently as he walked out of the bathroom in nothing but a pair of flannel pyjama pants, toweling his hair dry as he did. The moonlight coming through the window fell across his chest, highlighting every muscle, illuminating the bronzed glow of his skin.

JJ's heart leapt in her chest.

He was what she needed.

"You haven't fallen asleep on me already have you?" Will chuckled at her silence as he walked around to his side of the bed, dropping his towel in the laundry hamper as he went. When he pulled the covers back and got into the bed, JJ slowly sat up, her eyes locking onto his.

"What's up babe?" Will asked softly, stopping in his tracks.

Shuffling a little closer, JJ reached out towards him. Her hand snaked around the back of his neck, gently pulling him in for a deep kiss. His hand slowly went to her hip, holding her gently as they kissed, bathed in the soft white light of the moon.

"I want you to touch me," JJ whispered when they broke apart, resting her forehead against Will's. "I… I want to make love with you"

At those words, Will swore every drop of blood in his body started to race south. But before he get too ahead of himself, he lifted the hand from JJ's hip, gently wrapping it around her own hand and holding it gently.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" he asked. "You're still healing… I don't want to take advantage of you"

JJ nodded, lifting her face until her lips were mere millimeters from Will's. "I don't want to feel so numb… I want to remember what it's like to be so close to you… it feels like it's been forever since we've been intimate," she said softly.

He studied her for a moment, before nodding slowly. "If you're sure"

"I'm sure," she breathed, before pulling him back in for another kiss. This time, it was filled with burning desire, a desperate need for sexual pleasure that they hadn't felt for each other in over two months.

"We need to be quiet," JJ whispered as she lay back down beneath Will's handsome form. He never replied, simply bringing his lips down to nuzzle the sweet spot beneath her ear he knew she liked. When her breath hitched in her throat, he smiled; it worked every time.

She tilted her head, allowing him better access to her neck as her hands roamed across the warm expanse of his back. He fixated on the spot under her ear, just long enough to get her body humming without leaving a mark, before he slowly started to kiss his way down to her chest.

"Arms up," he murmured, sliding her T-shirt up her torso and over her head. Casting it aside, he continued the trail he was burning into her skin.

Lingering on the curves of her neck, then her collarbones, he finally found his way to her breasts. His mouth went to work on one, eliciting a breathy moan from JJ, while his hand came up to gently cup and squeeze the other.

He was surprised when JJ pulled him back up to her lips. He almost melted at her touch when just seconds later, her hand was beneath the waistband of his pyjama pants, gently stroking his already hardening length.

"You have to have some fun too," she said, a hint of a smile playing in the corners of her mouth.

"Trust me… making love to you is more than enough," Will choked out in reply, dropping his head and letting out a gasp as her finger ran over his tip. "JJ… I'm not… I won't last if you keep that up"

"At least get out of those pants," JJ replied, already pushing the waistband down over his hips. His swollen penis came free immediately, sending a rush of heated arousal straight to JJ's core.

Kicking the pants aside once they were at his feet, Will dipped his head again, kissing his way down the toned muscles of her abdomen, and down to the waistband of her panties.

Teasing her lightly through the cotton of her underwear, he smiled when her breath caught in her throat.

"You like that?" he asked softly.

"Please," JJ breathed, pushing her hips down towards his hand, already begging for more. It was surprising, and at the same time, not so surprising just how quickly she had gotten aroused.

Will gently stroked her through the cotton, feeling incredibly satisfied as the material grew damper with every second.

She was already building up for a climax, he could tell by the way her body was responding to his touch. Every breath, every moan just sent more blood rushing south in his body. He was aching… but first, he would give JJ the release she wanted so badly.

Pulling her panties down her toned legs, he cast them aside, before slipping two fingers deep inside her and gently curling them to find that sweet spot.

She let out a cry which she quickly stifled as she came, rocking her hips towards Will and begging for more.

Never one to leave her hanging, Will dipped his head down towards her secrets.

His tongue met the most intimate part of her body, teasing and tantalizing the sensitive bundle of nerves between her legs. Automatically, her legs fell apart, allowing him easier access as he built her up towards her second peak. He could feel her muscles quivering with anticipation, still pulsating from the first release. Wrapping one arm around her thigh, he lifted the other hand up to her mound, placing his thumb against her clitoris as he plunged his tongue deep inside her.

The resulting orgasm rocked through her with a powerful wave, so strong that she very nearly forgot where she was and let out a scream. Will quickly shifted, crawling over the top of her and swallowing her breathy cries with a deep kiss. The second he removed his hand from between her legs, one of her own found her center, her fingers gently stroking as she coaxed herself through her second high of the night.

A few moments later, she slowly wrapped herself around Will's warm body. She was shaking with the intensity of the release, but somehow, her hands found purchase on Will's back, pulling him closer to her as he deepened the kiss. Gently, he nudged her legs further apart with his knee, placing his tip at her glistening core.

When he sank into her, she broke away from him with a gasp, her nails digging into the skin on his back. She'd already orgasmed twice… if she came again, she wasn't sure if her legs would hold her up come morning. But instinctively, she rolled her hips towards him, taking him deeper than he thought possible.

"Fuck," he groaned, dropping his head to the curve of JJ's neck. She let out a deep breath, bringing one hand up into his hair and holding him as they both stayed motionless for a moment. Her body was humming relentlessly after the first two waves… she needed a second to gather herself again before she went flying over the cliffs once more.

"Just stay here," she breathed. "One moment"

Nodding slightly, Will lifted his face, pressing a kiss to JJ's cheek. Retracing his earlier steps, he kissed a gentle, loving trail down below her ear and further down the side of her neck.

Her legs felt like jelly, but she managed to lift her right leg and wrap it over the back of Will's knee, allowing him to sink further into her. Eventually, they were completely joined as one.

"You feel amazing," Will murmured, his hips instinctively bucking as he chased the throbbing release he was aching for. "I love you"

Bringing her hands down to his jaw, JJ cupped his face and looked up at him lovingly. Her eyes were clouded with lust, burning with sheer desire, but nothing could erase just how much she loved him from within those crystal blue pools. As she pulled him down for another kiss, he rolled his hips slowly against hers, dragging out the pain of pleasure for as long as he was physically able.

She drew her leg tighter around his, rocking her hips back against his in a rhythmic match. Gradually, their pace increased, until Will was fighting to keep his groans of pleasure as quiet as possible. It had been so long since they had been intimate… it was building up so quickly. He didn't know if he could control himself much longer… but he wanted JJ to come first. He'd built her up this far.

"Will… I…," JJ said in a strangled breath, her fingers on her right hand winding into the soft brown waves of Will's hair, searching desperately for grounding as her third climax started to build deep in her gut. Her other hand scrabbled beneath them, clutching at a handful of the sheets. Her muscles started to tense as Will's rhythm became more frantic and broken.

"I'm gonna… Will, I'm gonna scream," she gasped, both hands flying up to the bare skin of his back.

"Not if I can help it," Will choked out, leaning down and capturing JJ's lips at the exact moment he pushed her over the edge again. Her cries of pleasure were short lived, drowning in his mouth as her nails left deep scratches on the backs of his shoulders. Her whole body had seized beneath him, leaving her clutching at him as tightly as possible to keep herself grounded.

In the midst of the release, Will finally came, having been holding himself on the edge. With one last thrust, he sank entirely into JJ, emptying himself deep inside of her. His groan of pleasure was muffled against the soft skin of her cheek. Unable to hold himself up on shaking arms anymore, he slowly lowered himself down over the top of JJ, burying his face in the curve of her neck as he fought to catch his breath.

He wasn't altogether surprised when JJ started to cry just a few moments later. It happened fairly regularly after they made love, but even so, he knew this time wasn't quite the same.

"You ok?" he asked quietly, lifting his face from her shoulder and shifting his weight slightly to the side.

"Yeah," JJ stammered through her tears, hastily wiping them away with one hand as Will brushed her hair out of her eyes. "I'm alright… just… overwhelmed, I guess"

Lifting her gaze to meet Will's eyes, she managed the smallest of smiles, prompting him to press a loving kiss to her cheek, then her temple.

"That was the best sex I've ever had," JJ breathed as Will finally moved completely off her, pulling the sheet back up over their naked bodies. He chuckled in agreement, but knowing that what she needed now was comfort and security, he pulled her into his arms, smiling when she tucked her head beneath his chin and placed a hand against his chest.

"I love you beautiful girl," he murmured against the top of her head. "I love you so much"

JJ tipped her head back to look up at him. Will's heart swelled when he took in her appearance. Her cheeks were flushed pink, her lips swollen with arousal… she had never been more beautiful to him.

She was his beautiful girl… and he would do whatever it took to help her get as much of her old self back as possible.