A/N: This one's a bit of fun after the first section!

It was with a hesitance in her step that she moved out towards the floor where Nick was dragging around the mats. Weak sunlight filtered in through the windows along the upper half of the walls, highlighting the dust and chalk that was swirling through the cool morning air. Today was her first day back at training, after her physio had cleared her for some light impacts, but instead of being excited, her mind was preoccupied with something else.

"Hope you're ready to work your ass off," Nick said with a chuckle as he dropped a mat in place with a thump. "Time to start gearing up for season if you want to make a comeback and take time off after the wedding"

JJ smiled, stopping in place as she toyed with the hem of her sweatshirt. "I… I actually wanted to talk to you about something first"

Nick straightened up, his full attention immediately divulged on the young blonde. "Sure kiddo, what's up?"

JJ took a deep breath, and almost straight away, Nick noticed her eyes growing bright.

"I've had a lot of decisions to make for this wedding, some with Will, some on my own… but there's one decision I've been putting off because I knew it was going to be hard," she said thickly, swallowing hard as she finished speaking. "And I can't put it off any longer. I think I'm finally at a place where I'm ready to accept the reality"

Nick watched her, his brow furrowing with sadness as he waited for her to continue.

"Obviously my dad isn't here. I've known that the whole time. But… when it came to the discussion about who's going to walk me down the aisle, it hit me really hard"

Nick nodded slowly, taking a small step towards her. JJ took another deep breath, but as she did, a sob escaped, her eyes brimming with tears. She looked up at Nick, managing a watery smile even as the last of her composure slid away.

"In his absence, there's no-one else I'd want to walk me down the aisle than you," she said tearfully. Nick's eyes widened, his lips seeming to quirk into the smallest smile.

"M-me?" he stammered.

JJ nodded. "You practically helped raise me. I wouldn't be half the person I am today without you. I wouldn't be the athlete I am, I wouldn't have been spared the pain I managed to avoid, if it wasn't for you"

Nick's mouth wavered into a weak smile, his own eyes growing exceptionally bright as he moved even closer to JJ. "What about Jason? Or your mom?"

"They agreed with me. They both want you to do it," JJ said softly, reaching up to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "They're both involved in different ways… besides, it was either have you walk me down the aisle or do the father daughter dance with me, and you can't dance-"

Nick laughed, nodding in agreement.

"-so the choice really made itself," JJ said with a watery giggle. "So will you? Will you give me away?"

Nick let out a watery chuckle, stepping forward and swooping JJ into a tight hug. "JJ, I'd be honoured," he said quietly, squeezing her even tighter as her tears returned in full force. "No-one can replace your dad. Not a chance in hell. But it would be my pleasure to do this for him"

A little over a week later, Aly and Simone were both in town, joining JJ for a little bit of wedding work, but mostly just for a weekend of catching up after what had been a heavy couple of months for all three. It had been a little while since JJ and Simone had cleared the air after their Twitter blowup, and so far, they were doing ok. JJ was just glad to have the bubbly young girl she remembered back in her life.

With Will at work, JJ had gone to training in the morning, Simone accompanying her for some conditioning to keep up her comeback efforts, while Aly sat at the edge of the floor next to Nick, shouting orders at them while Nick laughed. They hadn't achieved a whole lot by the end of the session, with Nick more amused at his five foot tall general who had clearly taken command of the whole gym.

Now, they were back at JJ's, a variety of snacks spread across the coffee table, talking and giggling while JJ worked through her physical therapy exercises for the day.

"So, only like… eight weeks until you're officially Mrs LaMontagne!" Simone chirped as she flopped onto her belly on the floor, nibbling on a pretzel as she did.

JJ screwed up her nose. "I'm not changing my name"

"Oh, we finally decided, did we?" Aly said with a smirk.

"Well… I don't know," JJ sighed, making Aly laugh. "I just… I love Will, and I have nothing against his name, I just… I like my name"

"Why don't you hyphenate it?" Simone suggested. "Jennifer Jareau-LaMontagne?"

"Has a nice ring to it," Aly offered with a shrug.

"Our poor children," JJ said dryly, making both girls laugh. "Not one, but two names they'll be spelling for the rest of their lives"

"You don't have to give any of your kids the double barrelled surname. They can just be LaMontagne-"

"-so Will can strut around like a peacock for the rest of his life?"

Aly giggled. "Whatever floats his boat. But seriously. You could hyphenate your name, and everyone else would just be LaMontagne"

Raising an eyebrow, JJ shrugged. "It's… not the worst idea"

"See? I'm smart," Aly said happily, flopping back on the couch as the other two laughed.

JJ leaned forward, stretching out her ankles as a comfortable silence fell in the room. Only moments later, Simone pushed herself up until she was sitting cross legged, toying nervously with her hands as she looked quizzically at JJ. JJ, sensing she was being watched, looked up, giving Simone a curious grin.

"What?"

Simone took a deep breath. "I wanted to ask you something"

"Why not me?" Aly crowed from behind them, pulling a smirk onto JJ's face.

"Because it's about something that I'm fairly certain you know even less about than I do," Simone shot back over her shoulder.

Aly laughed. "So it's about sex"

Simone didn't answer, instead looking back at JJ unsurely. JJ grinned, relaxing out of her stretch and pulling her knees up to her chest, even though considering it had only been two months since Simone came forward as a victim of Larry Nassar, she had to admit she was a little surprised the younger girl wanted to talk about anything related to the subject.

"No judgement," she reminded Simone. "What's going on?"

Simone chewed on her lower lip, before taking a deep breath and shrugging her shoulders. "Well… Stacey and I are kind of at that place. I mean… we've been headed that way… multiple times. But I always clam up. I'm just so… I don't know. I've spent months trying to process… everything, and I know, I know Stacey wouldn't hurt me, but I can't get the thought of my head"

Softening, JJ looked sadly at the younger girl. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to. Just because society thinks you should sleep with someone by a certain point in time, it doesn't mean you actually have to"

"I know… I know," Simone sighed. "I want to though. I really do. I just… can't get out of my head"

"Well, you've been through a lot," JJ offered gently. "But I think it says a lot about how far you've come and how much you've healed that you're feeling ready to take this step. And if it's something you really want to do, just try to remember that this is Stacey. He's a sweetheart, and he loves you and cares for you exactly like you deserve"

"Yeah"

"If you trust him, and you feel ready, there's nothing stopping you. You know, back before I slept with Will and I kept having mini meltdowns over it, my mom always told me that it's your body, and it's your life, so it's completely up to you what you do with it. Always listen to yourself first, because if you get all the way and then don't want to do it, you don't have to. Eventually, you'll feel more relaxed and the time will come"

Simone cracked a little smile as Aly giggled behind her. "Did you actually clam up with Will?"

JJ scoffed. "All the time," she said dryly, grinning at her friends as they laughed. "I was so afraid of having sex, for reasons I still don't even understand. I felt like it was going to change me, or change us, I felt vulnerable, I didn't know how I felt about him seeing me naked… but then, one day it just all fell into place. I knew how much he loved and cared for me. I trusted him to look after me. I liked the way he made me feel. And for the first time, when I thought about having sex with him, I didn't feel scared, or nervous. So we did. And it was ok"

"Just ok?" Aly teased, getting a giggle out of Simone. JJ smiled, shrugging her shoulders.

"It was pretty stock standard for a first time. It wasn't like... amazing, and it hurt a little, which is normal if you're a bit nervous, but it was still special. I loved him, and he made me feel incredible. And after it was all said and done, I felt like I loved him so much more than before, and it definitely brought us closer"

Simone took a deep breath, her brow furrowed as she pondered everything JJ had said.

"Try talking to Stacey. Tell him how you're feeling, what you want to do… if he really cares about you, he'll understand. And he'll do everything he can to make sure you feel comfortable"

"Yeah," Simone said quietly.

"You gonna be ok?" Aly asked from behind her.

Simone sighed. "I think so"

"The most important thing to remember… is that what happened to you does not define you. You don't have to let it take over your life. Your life is yours, and only yours"

Looking up, Simone's eyes were bright as she smiled widely at the blonde. "Thanks JJ. I… don't know what I'd do with a friend like you"

"Yeah, well, no more of that bullshit from January and we're good," JJ teased, wagging a finger at the younger girl. They all laughed, settling back in and grabbing some snacks off the table.

"You know, on a completely unrelated note, I really want to get more piercings," Simone said after a few minutes. "Wanna come with me?"

"Today?" JJ asked incredulously. "Like right now?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"I'm not getting any," Aly said quickly. "But I'll come along for support"

Simone turned to JJ, raising an eyebrow. "What about you?"

JJ paused for a moment, before shrugging. "Why the hell not?"

Giggling, Simone jumped to her feet, grabbing JJ's hands and tugging her up as well. "Ah, this is gonna be so much fun!"

A little over an hour later, the three of them were walking into Hot Rod Piercing Co, Aly staring around at the cases of jewellery while Simone bounced over to a case closer to the counter.

"Hi ladies!" called a voice towards the back of the shop. JJ looked up from the display in front of her, her eyes falling to a young girl who looked about her age, maybe a year or two older. She had bright blue hair, cropped to her chin, and piercings as far as the eye could see. But despite what most would call a fairly intimidating appearance, she had an excited, welcoming smile on her face that would make anyone feel at ease.

"My name is Ashleigh," she said as she walked over. "How can I help today?"

"We want piercings," Simone said with a wide smile, her eyes positively twinkling with excitement.

"Not me. Just them," Aly quickly clarified, getting a laugh out of her two friends.

"Awesome, awesome! Have we got any idea what we want?"

"I want to get my rook done. But I.. kind of also am intrigued by the idea of having my nipples done," Simone said without missing a beat. JJ snorted, while Aly gasped at Simone from the opposite side of the room.

"I can totally do both of those for you if you like," Ashleigh said with a smile. "I just have to check your ID"

As Simone reached into her bag to hunt for her ID, Ashleigh looked up at JJ. "What about you hun?"

Hesitating, JJ glanced back at the cabinets before her. "I honestly have no idea. Maybe some ear piercings? I literally only have my first and second lobe piercings, so I'm basically brand new"

"Yeah cool," Ashleigh said sweetly. "We could do a helix? Tends to be fairly straightforward if you've never had a cartilage piercing done before"

"Jayje, get your nipples done!"

At Simone's sudden statement, Aly couldn't help but laugh, while JJ shook her head with a grin.

"I'm good, thanks Simone"

"No, but seriously!" Simone insisted, handing her ID to Ashleigh before smirking at JJ and wiggling her eyebrows. "Will would love it. Imagine the sex"

"Oh my god Simone," Aly exclaimed as Ashleigh grinned at the exchange going on in front of her.

"You know, I can vouch for that," she said with a raised eyebrow, before chuckling and handing Simone's ID back. "Let's pick out some jewelry for you and we'll get you all set up"

As Ashleigh and Simone wandered over to one of the cases, JJ turned back to look at the display in front of her, pondering what she wanted to get done. Almost immediately, her eyes landed on a pair of barbells, silver titanium with bright sky blue stones, three on each end, glittering up at her from beneath the display lights.

"Screw it," she said suddenly, looking up towards Simone and Ashleigh. "I'll do it"

"Seriously?" Aly asked incredulously, gaping at her friend.

"Why not?" JJ shrugged. Then she smirked. "Besides, Simone's right… Will's gonna love it"

Thirty minutes later, JJ was laying on her back in the small room at the back of the shop, her T-shirt pulled up to her chin, a sterile drape covering her chest as Ashleigh prepared everything. Simone had already been pierced and was waiting out in the main shop with Aly; JJ could hear her infectious laughter carrying through the closed door.

"Alright… all ready to go?" Ashleigh asked with a smile as she moved back over to the table JJ was laying on.

"As ready as I'll ever be," JJ said with a grin. She laid there, her eyes closing as Ashleigh lifted the drape and began to prep her for the piercing.

"Ok… I'm just going to put this little clamp here to hold everything nice and still. It won't hurt, it'll just feel like pressure," Ashleigh said gently. "Alright… now I'm just lining up the needle. I'll get you take a big breath in for me… and out"

As JJ let out the breath, she felt the sharp sting of the needle pushing through her skin and couldn't help but let out a little gasp. "Holy shit," she said, a little laugh escaping as Ashleigh grinned.

"Yeah, don't worry, the first one gets everyone. It'll only hurt for a little bit, by tonight they'll just feel a little tender"

A few minutes later, both sides were done and JJ was allowed to stand up and look in the mirror while Ashleigh cleared everything away. She couldn't help but smile as she took in the image of her new body jewelry, bright blue and twinkling at her breasts. Even though she had never been one to suffer terribly from body insecurities, the piercings had immediately given her a rush of confidence.

She couldn't wait to show Will.

"Hey! I'm home!"

Leaping off from where she had been sitting on the edge of the counter at the sound of Will coming through the door, JJ was beaming from ear to ear as she rushed out of the kitchen, leaving Aly and Simone sitting at the bench.

As she ran into the hallway, her smile widened as she laid eyes on Will, excitement rushing through her whole body.

"Hey, how was your day?" Will said warmly, straightening up from dropping his bag and leaning down to press a kiss to her lips.

"So good. I want to show you something," she said with an eager smile, grabbing his hand and tugging him further into the house. They passed through the main living space, where Will barely had a chance to wave hello to their guests before JJ had dragged him up the stairs to their bedroom. Pulling him into the room, she closed the door, before turning to face him. Grinning at her fiancé, she gripped the front of her sweatshirt, pulling it up until her bare chest was on display.

"You got your fuckin' nipples pierced?" Will asked incredulously, his face lighting up like a kid in a candy store. JJ laughed, nodding as he came closer and put his hands on her ribs, steadying her so he could fully take in what he was seeing. "Holy shit. You never fail to surprise me, JJ"

"Do you like them?" JJ asked, her voice carrying a teasing lilt to it.

"Of course I do. They're hot as fuck," Will replied, lifting his eyes from her chest to her face. "More importantly though, do you like them?"

JJ nodded, dropping her sweatshirt back down and stretching up on her toes to press a kiss to his lips. "I do. They make me feel like a badass"

Will chuckled, reciprocating the kiss, before pulling back and tipping her chin up towards him. "You are a badass, Jennifer Jareau"