A/N: Just so excited for what's to come! Last section contributed by Jordon!

*two photos of JJ and Will on the front porch of their new home. Will is holding JJ bridal style in both photos. In the first one, JJ has an arm flung towards the sky and both are smiling widely. In the second one, JJ has her hand on Will's cheek as they share a kiss*

jenniferjareau

Surprise, we bought a house! Super excited to create a bunch of amazing memories here with this guy as we finally start off on our own in the world!

alyraisman aw my little babies are all grown up! *heart eye emoji* I'm so proud of you guys! Can't wait to see the place once you're all moved in!

nastialiukin awww congrats guys!

simonebiles so exciting! Biggest congrats!

samlam hope you've got a guest room purely for B-Rose! She's already talking about coming to stay with you guys!

Looking around the room at the boxes still to be unpacked, JJ heaved a sigh as she dropped down on the end of their bed. It had been a long day of moving their accumulated stuff from Sandy's place and Will's storage locker over to the house. Will and Matt had gone off in Will's truck around midday to pick up the appliances they had ordered a couple of weeks earlier, while JJ, Sandy, and Paul had started unpacking the basics.

But now, it was just the two of them. Alone, in their own house. JJ could hardly believe it. All those years of loving Will, imagining what their future together was going to look like… this was the start, right here.

Hearing the rattle of glassware coming from the kitchen, JJ smirked, lifting her chin to call out to her fiance. "Babe… what are you doing?"

"Two seconds!"

Giggling, she flopped back onto the bed, spreading her arms across the mattress as she stared up at the ceiling. They had decided to go with a whole new set of bedroom furniture, rather than amalgamating what they already had, and Will had eagerly convinced JJ to size up to a king sized bed. Once she had realised how much extra space they would have, it hadn't taken much for her to agree.

"Champagne, m'dear?"

Lifting her head, she found Will standing in the doorway holding a bottle of champagne and two glasses. Smiling, she sat up, shuffling over so he could come and sit beside her. He handed her a glass as he sat down, setting the other one down beside him before bringing his hand back to the neck of the champagne bottle. With a quick twist, he popped the cork, holding out the bottle to her. After filling both of their glasses, he set the bottle down on the floor in front of them, turning to look at JJ with a happy smile on his face.

"To us," he said softly, lifting his glass to hers. JJ smiled, tapping their glasses together.

"To us," she repeated, taking a sip as she finished speaking. Will grinned, leaning in and pressing a kiss to her temple, before draping his free arm around her shoulders.

"I can't believe we're here," he said softly. "It's been the most insane year… we did it. Onwards and upwards"

"Without a doubt," JJ replied, turning her head and catching his lips in a sweet kiss.

It just felt so surreal. They had a home, a home that was all their own.

A little over a week later, JJ pulled into her mom's driveway and shut off the car. With just a couple of months until the wedding, it felt like there was a never ending list of things to be done. She pulled a box of decor plans and seating arrangements out of the backseat and walked to the front door. Pushing it open, she tried to manage the bulky box as she crossed the threshold, before kicking the door closed behind her. "Mom?"

"JJ?" she heard her call from the living room.

"Hey. I know I'm early, but Will's cadet partner invited him over for a poker game so I figured I would go ahead and come over." She put the box on the dining room table and walked towards her mom's voice. "I thought maybe we could get a pizza or something- what's wrong?"

Sandy's eyes were red and watery and she wiped self consciously at her nose. "Nothing, I'm fine," she said dismissively.

"Mom, you've been crying. What's wrong?"

"JJ, nothing's wrong. You said you're hungry for pizza?"

Food was now the last thing on her mind. "Did something happen?"

"Just drop it, please!"

"Mom." She waited until Sandy looked at her. "Please talk to me."

She sighed. "JJ, there are certain things a mother just can't discuss with her daughter, okay? Leave it alone." She crossed to the table and began to pull stuff out of the wedding box. "Have you heard back from the florist yet?"

"Mom, stop. You're upset. Let me help you."

"Leave it-"

"You're the one who's always saying that I can't push stuff down, that I have to talk it out. Right?"

Sandy gave a resigned nod.

"Then talk to me."

"It's… I'm serious. It's not something you want to hear."

"Try me." JJ sat in one of the chairs and waited. Sandy slowly took a seat across from her.

"It's… Paul." She folded her hands, staring down at them intently. "We've been dating for a while now and it's just… hard. It's hard because I don't feel like, like I can fully be with him, not that I don't like him, it's-"

"Mom. Just say whatever it is."

"We haven't slept together." Sandy clenched her eyes shut. "We've been seeing each other for almost a year, dating properly for four months, and we haven't… taken that step." She took a deep breath and opened her eyes to look at her daughter. "I don't feel like I can."

This was the last thing JJ had expected. "Okay. Okay, does it just… feel like he's not a good fit for you? Like you want to break up with him?"

"No, that's not… it feels wrong. The idea makes me feel guilty."

Everything finally clicked together in JJ's mind. "It feels like you're cheating on Dad?"

Sandy's face crumpled as the tears she had been fighting came back. "I slept with one man for nearly thirty five years. I never even had the want to sleep with someone else, we were so happy. He was everything I needed. And the idea of… going to bed with someone else… it's just not right. It feels like I'm erasing him from my life. There are so many things that are going forward without him. You're getting married. You and Jason will have kids someday. And he won't be here, and I hate it! I hate that I have to do all of this alone, without him. But I hate myself for even considering doing them with someone else."

JJ moved so she could sit next to her mom. "Hey. Mom. It's… okay to move on. Dad wouldn't want you to be miserable."

"But would he want me to have sex with someone else?" Sandy asked as tears ran down her face. JJ was taken aback at how frank her question was. She reached forward and took her mom's hand.

"I… I can't speak for him, but… if it's something you wanted, something that you felt good about… then yeah, probably."

Sandy sniffed. "I just don't know. And I feel like I'm jerking Paul around because every time it even feels like something could happen I just clam up and come home."

JJ frowned. "Is he pressuring you into doing something? Because I'm sure that Will would be more than willing to put the fear of god in him if need be-"

Sandy gave a shaky chuckle and swatted her lightly on the shoulder. "No, no. Nothing like that. He's being wonderful. I'm the one who's a huge mess."

"I don't think you're a mess. If anything it's understandable. I mean, up until now you've only slept with one person." Sandy gave a tiny cough. "…Right?"

She didn't miss her mom's cheeks growing a little pink. "That's not quite true."

"You… weren't a virgin when you and Dad got married?"

She gave a tiny shake of her head. "Remember when your grandmother so kindly told you that story about me and John Albury? She didn't catch us before… she caught us after. It didn't work out. Obviously."

"Seriously? Wow." She sat back a little. "Wait, was Dad?"

Sandy nodded. "I have no idea how, but yeah."

"Huh. I guess I always just… assumed you both were."

"I told you that you didn't want to know why I was upset," Sandy offered apologetically.

"No! I'm glad you talked to me. You've always been there for me when I had anything going on, and I'm glad I can do the same for you now." She squeezed her hand.

"This isn't something I ever thought I would have to think about."

"Not to totally pry but… If you do decide to move forward, remember to be safe."

Sandy burst out laughing. "I have about as much chance of getting pregnant as Paul does."

JJ began to laugh as well. "That's not what I meant, but thank you for that mental image. I was actually talking about STIs."

"Oh JJ, knock it off."

"I'm serious! You both have had previous partners!"

"And both of those partners are now dead," Sandy reminded her gently. "It's not as if he's been making his way through all of the widows of Western Pennsylvania, taking us all to bed."

JJ snorted. "I'm just saying, it's a thing! Actually, when I was at the doctor for my checkup on my foot, they had a pamphlet that talked about how apparently STIs are on the rise in older adults."

"Okay, I think we're done here," Sandy groaned.

"What was it Dad always told us? If you can't talk about sex, you shouldn't be having it?" JJ reminded her with a gentle grin.

Sandy smiled than sighed. "I miss him so much. I can't believe he's been gone for over a year and a half."

"Yeah, well you've been dealing with me losing my mind, Will and I splitting up, getting back together, me destroying my Achilles tendon; it's been a lot."

Sandy nodded, fully appreciating how much had happened since Michael passed for perhaps the first time. "It seems insane. When we lost him… it felt like the world would stop turning. I didn't know how it could keep going without him in it."

"I know," JJ said softly. "I felt the same way. But it did. Which is for the best, I guess. We have to just keep pushing forward, trusting that we're making him proud."

Sandy wrapped her arms around her youngest daughter. "And we're going to do just that, Jaybird."