#joy struthers

[marril96]

Set after season 10. Following a family dinner, Joy and Alison have a talk.

[marril96]

Set before 10.09. Alison confronts Joy.

[fatalitysficbakery]

Innocent Verdict. (Joy Struthers-Rossi x Black Fem!Reader)

Genre; Angst/Fluff.

Warnings; VOMIT, Talks of Abuse, Child Molestation, Rape, Our Corrupt Justice system that doesn’t protect black women, hotchner being a supportive dad figure, PTSD!reader (i have ptsd so i’m gonna write it how my attacks feel in my experience but everyone’s attacks won’t feel the same.), Adult adoption (Not common, but happens sometimes. this is what Aaron is to the reader, her father), yes Elle is in this. why? because in heavens bakery she never left 😍. Also- subtle hints of an age regression relationship between Joy and Reader(coping mechanism, nothing sexual ya nasties), reader has autism!

Synopsis; After an innocent verdict turns your life upside down, your wife is there to help you back up. Along with your Quantico family.

↳ ❤︎ Heaven’s Baked Goods (Masterlist) ❤︎

↳ ❝He who spares the guilty threatens the innocent❞⁣ -Legal Maxim

~•~~•~•~~•~•~~•~ + ~•~~•~•~~•~•~~•~

Innocent. The judge had ruled him innocent. Your mouth went dry, the scene went blurry, and you could only barely hear your wife asking if you were okay. It was hot and stuffy in the room and you felt dizzy, you needed out. Turning, you run from the courtroom before anyone has a chance to stop you, the bathroom seemed so far away, your stomach lurched— You only just made it before you spilled your guts into the nearest toilet, tears in your eyes. It was all for naught. The trauma. The abuse. You could still feel his every touch like it was seared into your skin, a memory of a sin you never asked to commit. At least— A sin is what he called it; Begging for forgiveness whilst he dealt trauma to your skin, and yet he never stopped.

The door swung open, scaring you into a corner of the stall. Another scar he’d left on you psyche— PTSD. He was coming back, he was gonna take you again, you weren’t safe, it was him, it was him; Until it wasn’t. Your wife bent down in front of you holding your inhaler, her face was his for a moment, her voice was his voice— You curled into yourself to make it stop until you heard a familiar nickname, “Bumblebee”. Your breathing finally slowed as she helped you take your inhaler and stand up. You grimaced her way and sighed, “Take me home”.

↳

Y/N Hotchner-Rossi. She’d met Joy Rossi after she’d met Aaron Hotchner, the man who’d saved and adopted her. Ever since her mother had died her step-father had turned his abuse from his wife to his only step-daughter. While his sons got his love and affection, she got abused, molested, and neglected. When she found Aaron, she was traumatized, barely a shell of a person so he took her in. He gave her the father figure she never had. He gave her the courage to stand up against her abuser and finally take him to court. But what was it all for? To see his smugness as he won one over her once again? Surely, Hotchner couldn’t predict this— He told her this would be hard, it didn’t mean she’d win but it meant she would fight, all with the help of him, the team, and Joy. Her Joy. It was puppy love the moment they’d met at a BBQ at Aaron’s— Celebrating the fact she’d got into college and moved away from her dad to her very own apartment. Joy was there with Kai, It turned out she’d gotten divorced after realizing she wasn’t into men at all. They clicked instantly and from there bloomed a friendship that turned into a lovestory no one was able to predict, not even our beloved profilers. They’d gotten married three years into their relationship when it happened— The last assault.

Y/n felt confident she could face the man now that she was no longer his daughter, he happened to be in the same coffee shop one day when she realized she couldn’t but it was too late to realize that with a gun pressed against your back. He assaulted her again in his truck, smiling and telling her it was just like old times before leaving her a shell once more. That’s when she finally took Aaron up on his offer to take the fool to court. Now it was her that felt like the biggest fool. She could see how the judge favored him from the beginning and in her gut she knew it was doomed from the start but she kept at it. She wanted to show him he had no power over her. Now she realized that he did— Or at least that’s how it felt.

“How is she”? Garcia walked up to the group of Agents, noticing that Joy and Y/n were escaping from the back of the court, fearing the cameras that would ambush them the second they walked out in the front.

“Not good. Joy’s taking her home, she had a panic attack”. Hotch looked over to his daughter, concern painted on his face. He wanted to go hug her, but he knew that right now all she needed was to go home and let this verdict sink in before picking herself back up. It was never an easy thing to do, the law had favorites and unfortunately a black woman testifying against her white step-father wasn’t one of them.

“The judge was a piece of work. We should’ve known this would happen”. Dereks jaw clenched, he was angry. You’d turned into one of his favorite people— His bestfriend, and to see the justice system fail you so badly made him want to do nothing more than turn around and tell that judge what’s what.

“I’m gonna go check on her later if either of you would like to come with me”.

JJ smiled sadly, Garcia and Elle quickly nodded and although Hotchner wanted to say ‘Hell yeah I wanna go check on my daughter’ He didn’t know if it was the best idea for a male figure to be in her face at the moment— Especially knowing of her PTSD. He remembered the first time they argued, it was something petty and silly, it wasn’t even an argument really. It was them baking a cake for Beth and Jack and they disagreed on the frosting. Hotch raised a spatula to put frosting on her nose when she’d suddenly backed away and curled into the fetal position begging him to wait because she had school the next morning and didn’t want her teachers to see the bruising, something she frequently begged her step-father to do as a teen because she knew him abusing her would happen either way.

“You guys go. I’m not sure it’s a good idea for her to be around a bunch of men right now. She has bad PTSD”.

~•~~•~•~~•~•~~•~ + ~•~~•~•~~•~•~~•~

You were silent the entire way home and even at home you still weren’t talkative, one thing hadn’t changed though, Jordan noticed— You clung to her for comfort, looking around at everything else with an unsure paranoid glance but not her. You seemed to cling tighter, stare at her more for safety, security. Even through the midst of all the bullshit, Joy was glad she could grant you that.

“Do you wanna go upstairs and speak to Kai, Bumblebee”? Joy asked softly, standing you in front of her, a sweet inviting smile on her face to put you at ease— You nodded lightly but it seemed Kai had beaten you to it, running down the steps to greet you and Joy. Joy saw the look in your eyes and shushed Kai as you hid behind her, the footsteps triggering.

“Mama, why does Ma look so sad”? Kai asked, trying to move to hug you. Joy stopped him. Kai didn’t understand PTSD, let alone the trauma you’ve been through that would’ve made you adverse to his hugs, he knew you’d always loved them so why not now?

“Ma just needs some space right now, okay? Go wash up for dinner and you can talk to her then. Okay baby? Go wash up if you wanna spend time with ma”.

Kai’s eyes lit up; You were his favorite person, he immediately ran back upstairs to wash up, much to your discomfort, flinching, you covered your ears and Joy cringed.

“No running”! She tried to say loud enough for him to hear but soft enough not to trigger you.

“Hey, hey, hey. Come here, Bumblebee”. She turns back to you, opening her arms and you immediately take the offer to jump in them and break down into choked up sobs— Rubbing your back, Joy sighed. She didn’t know what the judge was thinking, there was piles of evidence that your step-father had done this, hell there were even videos and yet..

“Can you do something for me, Princess”?

You looked up at her with those big doe eyes she adored so much, the eyes she hated seeing the hurt and pain in— She squeezed you lightly for your comfort and hers, to reassure you but also to reassure herself, to reassure herself that you were safe and nothing could harm you with her around. That’s what it meant.

“Can you go take a relaxing bubble bath with Maxine the duck while I order dinner? I’ll get your favorite and bring up some strawberries so you can eat them in the tub and watch your favorite show on the projector— Sound good”?

Although you hadn’t talked, she was proud of you for each nod or shake of the head you gave her. It let her know you were still that strong warrior she’d fallen in love with. It let her know things would turn out fine.

↳

Joy was finally alone for a moment and able to process this, herself. She finally cried. The hurt on your face was something she hated to see and the moment you’d ran from the courtroom, her heart shattered; You looked so small and fragile curled in the corner of that bathroom stall, not recognizing her for a moment and backing away so she wouldn’t hurt you. You were so strong in her eyes. You are so strong in her eyes. You’d helped her through everything and now she’d help you. She’d be your backbone when you couldn’t stand on your own.

She was snapped out of her stupor when the doorbell rang, clearing her throat she wipes the tears away and goes to get the doorbell, having a pretty good idea who was behind it.

When she opened the door, JJ, Kate, Elle, Tara, and Garcia stood there bearing food and gifts, sad smiles on their faces.

“Can we come in”? Kate asked softly almost like she didn’t want to scare Y/n either. Everyone was cautious and for good reason, that’s what Y/n needed at the moment. Cautious.

“Uh, y-yeah of course. I just sent Y/n upstairs to take a bubble bath. She’s not talking right now but I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you guys” Stepping aside she lets them in and tries to hide her sadness and the fact she’d been crying; Unfortunately, Garcia’s expertise included tech and empathy.

“Oh, lovebug. You look like hell, I knew this would be hard on both of you so I brought something for you as well. I couldn’t find that book you wanted so I hope a knitted plushie is okay”.

Joy laughed, a genuine one. Garcia never stopped being herself, even in the roughest of moments.

“This is why we love you, Pen. Our ball of energy and sunshine” Elle chimes in, putting the sushi on the table and taking a seat. Joy looked around at all the support you had, an entire team of people that loved you, an entire family that loved you. She started crying then and there, all of the women cooing and gathering around her to give her a group hug.

↳

No one was expecting to hear Y/n’s voice for awhile, she was known to go non-verbal for periods of times after an attack and Joy usually just let her be, comforting her and being close to her, because that’s where Y/n felt safest. In Joy’s arms.

“Can I get a hug too”? Your voice croaked out, raspy from all the sobbing you’d done. The women flinched and turned to see you, opening their arms happily.

“Wouldn’t be a group hug without our beloved Bunny” Tara jokes as you walk into their arms, covered in the warmth of a group hug with some of your favorite humans.

Bunny. That made you smile. You’d been given that name the first night your dad let you meet the team, you were a bubbly person, and when overexcited you’d hop around and bounce a little— That’s when Reid dubbed you Bunny, saying that you’d acted just like one and even assigning you a breed “Harlequin rabbit” and from then on, that was your name for everyone.

~•~~•~•~~•~•~~•~ + ~•~~•~•~~•~•~~•~

“Are you ready to go in, Bumblebee”? Joy asked, kissing the back of your hand. You were currently stood in front of your fathers house for the first time in months. Sure, you’d seen all of the Quantico men but in small doses because of the trauma you’ve been through they didn’t want to overwhelm you. Finally, one day after months of therapy and your psychiatrist suggesting it, you, Hotch, and Joy planned a barbecue, to get you back in the swing of things.

“I think I am, hold my hand the entire time”? You asked, mostly joking but Joy would do it anyway.

“Of course, mama. I’ll be right there with you, okay? If at any point you get overwhelmed just come get me and we’ll leave immediately. Understood”? She was stern with her words but you knew she was just looking out for you, protecting your peace and security. You didn’t know why it made you so emotional, but you found yourself hugging your wife tightly. She’d been your rock for 4 1/2 years now and that hadn’t changed. Your safety lie with her and so did your heart, soul, and body.

“I love you, I just- Thank you, Honeycomb. I truly don’t know what I’d do without you”.

When you pulled away, you stood on your tiptoes, pressing a short but sweet kiss to her lips; She was shocked for a moment before kissing back, you hadn’t called her Honeycomb in a bit— She didn’t realize how much she actually missed the name until she felt a tear fall from her eye. She never felt a lacking of appreciation from you, she knew with you she’d always feel loved and cared for; Even through your toughest hours, you always made sure she knew you cared. Whether it be through small touches, simple gestures, a note in her bag when she left for work, you’d always find a way.

“I, I love you too, Bumblebee. I got you, yeah? Let’s go in, people are probably worried”.

You nodded and kissed her cheek before finally opening the door, taking a deep breath because with this team? There’d always be chaos, but that’s why you loved them.

↳

When they saw you and Joy, everyone came rushing over voices overlapping each other before the booming voice of Tara stops them, “You’re gonna overwhelm the poor girl, back it up and give her some space”!

You and Joy giggled watching them frantically back away and apologize. That’s when you met the eyes of Aaron and Jack. Rushing over to your father and little brother, you hug Hotch first and then turn around to pick up Jack, “Jeez, kid. You’re getting too big for me to pick up anymore”. you pouted, booping the young boys nose before putting him down to go play with Kai who’d spent the night at their home. Too excited and impatient to wait till the next day to see them.

“Are you doing okay”? Hotch asked softly, rubbing your shoulder.

“Is it true? T-that he died”? You answered his question with another, your wife had followed you, her arms wrapping around your waist, resting her head on yours.

Aaron squeezes your hand, “He was murdered. Your 12-year-old step-brother Joshua was a victim of his after you’d left and after the verdict came out. He felt hopeless. The other three ambushed him after he’d come home drunk one night and assaulted Josh. They found Joshua unconscious and bleeding. That was the last straw for them”.

Your throat felt tight, you didn’t know what you were feeling. A strange mix of relief and sadness. Sad that your kid brother had gone through it too, he was the only brother that actually cared for you— The others would rather watch and laugh. You also felt relief, he could no longer hurt you or anyone else; The mental wounds would never fully heal, they’d scar over but at least you were safe now, at least Joshua was safe now.

“I’m just glad Joshua is safe now but…You know what sucks”? You laughed humorlessly, clutching onto your wife, your face nearly in her chest as a tear fell.

“They laughed when he did it to me”.

The team came to you, along with with the Jack and Kai. Joy held you against her, and as you cried you found yourself looking around through the blurriness of your tears and realized— This was the life you’d been dreaming of every night after your mother died and your step-father assaulted you. This was the family you envisioned, the love you fantasized of when in the clutches on the slimey monster you were forced to call dad.

Now is when you realized— Innocent Verdict or no innocent verdict. Dead or Alive. Luis Jones no longer held any power over you. You’d found your family, you’d found your way. You picked yourself up and went back to school, you worked your dream job at a doggy daycare…This was everything 10-year-old you would’ve wished for when he hovered on top of her with the face of a monster. This was all 17-year-old you would write about in her journal in the dark of that basement with nothing but a lantern light. And this? This was what 19-year-old Y/n was seeking when she’d met Aaron Hotchner. Her real dad.

↳

A family was something I’d been seeking out since my mothers death. Luis took a lot away from me, but then I looked up. I looked up at Joy Rossi. I remember Luis finding out I liked women and deciding he needed to rape the gay away. Well, Luis— You don’t hold any power in my life anymore, and I’ll make damn sure you have no power in Joshua’s.

Joy looks down at me and smiles gently, like always when she wanted to help reassure and make me feel safe; It always worked. For so, so long I never had a place to belong and now I not only have a big beautiful family but the most amazing wife. I couldn’t ask for more.

“I love you”. Joy mouths to me and I can’t help but lean up to kiss her cheek, ignoring the gentle teasing from the others, or the small ‘ews’ from from the boys.

“I love you even more”, I mouth back, and I mean it. With everything inside me, I mean it.

↳ “The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb”.

~•~~•~•~~•~•~~•~ + ~•~~•~•~~•~•~~•~

A/N: Because Joy is one of my favorite Criminal Minds minor characters.

[taralewis]

CM APPRECIATION WEEK, D5: FAVOURITE MINOR CHARACTER

— JOY STRUTHERS

[northmammon]

joy struthers icons <3 feel free to use!

.

inspired by this post by @tenemily :)

[euudaimonia]

joy struthers in criminal minds season 11 episode 7; target rich

[penelopegarciaevolution]

nothing should remind you that i am here alone

[babyara]

+ David Rossi & Joy Struthers

Criminal Minds, 10.09 - Fate