Hey guys. Sorry again for the delay. Still having a little bit of writers block and I've been busy with school but I am about to finish up and go back home so I should have more free time to write since I will just be focusing on my certification courses. Hope y'all enjoy. If anyone can help with Amanda being autistic I'd appreciate it.
The next morning Amanda was awakened by the smell of bacon and eggs from the kitchen.
She sighed. It was an important day for the blonde. She got out of bed before walking into the kitchen where Olivia stood cooking at the stove.
"Good morning, Amanda," her captain said kindly. "Would you like some breakfast?"
"Would you like some breakfast?" "Yes, please," she responded quietly as she moved closer to Olivia.
"Therapy," Amanda said after a few minutes and the brunette gave her a look.
Sometimes she would only say one or two words vs sentences which made it difficult for the brunette to understand what she was trying to say.
"What about therapy, baby?" she asked. "Therapy," the blonde repeated immediately.
"Sweetheart, can you try using a different word?" She asked but then mentally slapped herself. "Different word?" "Different word?" The blonde repeated and the brunette let out an exasperated sigh.
Sometimes this was the only way Amanda new how to communicate.
"Therapy," she said once more and Olivia tapped her notebook that was on the counter.
"Can you write it down?" She asked.
"i have to go to therapy," Amanda wrote before reading aloud.
"Yes, you do," she responded softly.
"You?"
"What about me, honey?" She asked.
"Therapy?" Amanda spoke and Liv tried to remain patient.
It wasn't her friends fault. She knew what she wanted to say but her autism made it difficult sometimes.
"Baby, I don't understand," the brunette spoke softly. "I really need you to write it down."
"You're struggling right now to use your words so I need you to write for me." "Do you understand?" She continued and frowned when she saw Amanda clench her fists.
She really prayed a meltdown wasn't coming on.
"struggling to use your words, need you to write for me," Amanda repeated before beginning to pace the length of the kitchen.
The brunette just continued cooking. She saw no reason to intervene unless the blonde went into a full-on meltdown and began hurting herself and at this point that had not happened yet.
As if to refute her point, she was startled by an all mighty crash and she sighed.
Turning quickly, she saw half of the items on the counter now scattered about the kitchen.
She knew this wouldn't end well.
She quickly turned off the stove before walking over to her friend. Alex would be here soon. She just hoped she could get her calmed down before then.
"Amanda?" She said quietly. "go
away," she hissed, a deadly serious tone in her voice that put the brunette on alert.
"i can't do that," she responded, even though she wanted to grant the blonde's request.
"Go, away," She repeated, turning to face Olivia with a wild look in her eyes, her chest rapidly rising and falling as she angrily breathed through her nose.
"You're feeling destructive," she said. "Talk to me," she continued, glancing at the mess on the floor.
Suddenly Amanda moved forward as if she was going to lunge at the brunette.
"Hey, no," Olivia said as Amanda attempted to hit her.
She carefully grabbed her wrists, being careful to only grip as tight as she needed to as she kept the flailing fists from hitting her.
"Calm down, baby," she said softly. Amanda's response was to try kicking which caused Olivia to have to restrain her and gently press her into the wall behind her while crossing her small arms across her chest, effectively using the blonde's own arms to restrain her.
"Come on, baby, let's calm down," she tried. "You're ok."
Amanda attempted to strike out once more at the brunette but when that didn't work she took a different approach.
With a cry, she began banging her head into the wall behind her, over and over.
"Amanda, no," Liv said firmly.
A key turning in the lock caught the brunette's attention and she sighed in relief when she saw Alex entering the kitchen.
Alex arrived at the apartment a little while earlier before exiting her car. She had decided to spend the day with Olivia and Amanda.
Walking up to the door she could hear sounds coming from inside. Concerned, she decided to use her key. Entering the apartment and walking into the kitchen, she stopped at the site before her. She could tell Amanda was in the middle of a meltdown and rushed to help her friend calm the upset blond.
She could see Olivia was straining with the effort of trying to keep Amanda still.
"Liv?" Alex asked. "What's going—," she started but stopped at the brunette shaking her head.
"Get a couch Cushion and put it behind her head," she mouthed and the attorney did so, all be it carefully.
Amanda let out a growl when she realized the pillow was preventing her from getting the feeling she wanted.
"Hey, honey," Liv said once more. "I'm gonna help you, but you have to calm down."
"Enough of this," she said softly. "You're ok."
She sighed in relief when she felt Amanda's struggling lessen.
Amanda finally stopped trying to bang her head and just let it rest against the cushion, as she continued taking deep ragged breaths.
Alex still kept the pillow in place though, just incase but she shared a knowing look with Liv over the other blonde's head.
"That's it, good girl," Olivia continued, letting up slightly, testing the waters to see if Amanda would strike out again.
"Liv?" Alex asked, and she braced herself for an adverse reaction from Amanda that never came.
"What was that?" She questioned and Liv just shrugged.
"I have no idea," the brunette answered.
Then the familiar post-meltdown sobs started and Liv nodded to Alex who removed the pillow.
"Shhh, you're ok," She whispered.
"Do you need a hug?" She asked and Amanda nodded but Liv was shocked when the blonde turned, hugging Alex.
"Hey, sweetie, what's wrong?" Alex cooed, rocking Amanda and returning the hug, occasionally squeezing to help the young detective regulate.
"Liv," She answered.
"What about her, sweetie?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.
"Doesn't understand," the blonde answered.
"What do I not understand, baby," Liv asked, having a pretty good idea what caused this.
"My question," she responded and Liv looked at her sadly.
"About therapy?" She asked and Amanda just whined, before nodding and Alex shushed her softly trying to avoid another meltdown.
Olivia thought for a few seconds before it finally clicked.
"Were you asking if I was going with you?" She asked, and sighed in releef when the blonde nodded against Alex's shoulder.
"Of course, I am," she answered and Amanda moved from Alex's arms and into her own, sniffling tiredly.
"You wanna take a little nap?" She asked and her friend just cuddled closer.
"Ok, sweetheart," she whispered, beginning to walk from the kitchen, through the living room and back to the kitchen, knowing she would be asleep in minutes and she soon was proven right as she felt her friend go limp in her arms. "That's it, my love, go to sleep," she whispered, kissing the blonde head buried in her neck.
"How is therapy going?" Alex asked once they were seated in the living room with Amanda still sleeping peacefully in Olivia's arms.
"It's actually going better," the brunette responded with a smile.
"This has been a challenging month but we've gotten through it."
"Will she be returning to work?" Alex asked and Liv sighed.
"I honestly don't know." "Not right now, but Dr. Phillips thinks she might be ready soon," the brunette continued and at the look on her friends face Alex raised an eyebrow.
"Are you not happy?" Alex asked and Liv just sighed once more.
"Of course, I'm just not sure she's ready yet," Liv said and Alex just gave her a look.
"We have to let Dr. Phillips decide," Alex said and the brunette nodded.
A little while later, Alex and Olivia were sitting in the waiting room when the door opened and out came Amanda and Dr. Phillips.
"Well?" "What's the verdict?" "Does she get to come back to work?" Olivia asked.