Here's part two. I want to thank everyone who has followed and favorited so far. Requests for certain episodes or anything to do with Amanda having an autistic meltdown are welcome. I will be updating the description of the story. Go check out strength in numbers on the autistic Spencer Reid tag on archive of our own. It is also available on here but it is updated more on there. The inspiration for this story comes from that one. I have not watched the current episodes very much so I am not sure where to go but I have some ideas. As I said, next will be Gamblers fallacy, then beasts obsession and possibly postmortem

blues. After that I believe it will be forgiving Rollins but I'm not completely sure. I will be changing Amanda's testimony a little bit to fit with the autism story but I'm still going along with the show and the dialogue. Just wanted to clarify since it will be a little different.

Today was the day opening arguments began and everyone was on edge. Amanda was still nonverbal and Barba just hoped she began speaking before she had to be on the witness stand.

"You all came?" Liv asked as she saw Fin, Amanda and Nick. "We've got your back," Fin said gently before Barba appeared.

"What are you people doing here?" "You know you can't watch the trial." "You are all witnesses," he said, glancing at Amanda who had immediately gone over to the brunette and had sought out physical contact and he sighed, wondering how to convince her to part from her friend.

Olivia, seeing the look on Barba's face sighed before speaking to the blonde who had wrapped her arms around her and was leaning into her, rather calmly for the moment and she knew this wasn't going to go well. "Amanda, sweetie, I need you to stay with Fin," she said softly and Amanda looked at her for a long moment before speaking. She only said yes or no, one or two words or what someone else had just said followed by yes, no or a single word to indicate what she wanted, which worried everyone around her.

"I need you to stay with Fin." "No," she said and Nick once again rolled his eyes before roughly taking Amanda by the arm and attempting to lead her toward Fin but she wasn't having it.

"No, Olivia," she said, beginning to rock on the balls of her feet and both Barba and Fin glared at Nick, not understanding where this behavior was coming from.

"Baby girl, you can't stay with Liv right now," Fin said softly, his heart breaking when she moved away from Nick, a sad expression on her face, vissibly upset by how he was treating her and moved to Rafael.

"Olivia," she said, pointing at the brunette and he gently took her hand.

"You can't stay with her," he said and she just looked at him, now even more upset.

"Stay," she begged, reaching towards the brunette but Nick just glared, roughly moving her towards Fin and she lost it, once again trying to move back towards the brunette, her arms extended as if she wanted a hug.

"Nick, what is with you?" Cragen asked, having seen the exchange and he sighed, turning to face his boss. "It's her fault," he yelled, making her cover her ears, looking at Olivia as tears ran down her face.

"It's her fault, it's her fault." "No, no, no," she sobbed, finally realizing why he was mad at her and attempted to hug him but he just turned away, making her distress levels increase rapidly, not able to process this emotionally and no one knew how to help her.

"Amanda, baby," Olivia said, moving to her side and taking the upset blonde into her arms and beginning to rock her before continuing her statement.

"You have to stay with Fin." "Remember, you have to testify."

"Remember, you have to testify." "Yes."

"Good girl," the brunette praised lovingly, kissing her forehead, glad she was somewhat communicating.

"Well, that's why you can't come in." "Fin isn't coming in either."

"Fin isn't coming in either." "Rafael," she said and Liv smiled softly.

"Honey, he's prosecuting," she explained gently and the blonde nodded, hugging her one last time before turning to Nick and quietly speaking.

"It's her fault," she repeated before speaking her own words. "Sorry, didn't mean to," she said and he just looked away, making her tears come pouring out once more, not used to his anger with her. .

Rafael glanced at Amanda on the stand. She had just explained entering the Mayer's bedroom the best she could.

He took a deep breath, praying she could answer his questions. "What did you find in the closet?" He questioned softly.

"What did you find in the closet?" She repeated immediately. "Mrs. Mayer, hanging, bloody, burned, burned, burned," she said before calming slightly.

Lewis stood up to question the blonde this time and Barba let out a deep breath, praying with everything in him she could get through this.

"How are you today, Amanda," Lewis asked, almost sounding pleasant.

"Oh, I'm sorry, detective," he corrected.

"How are you today Amanda," she repeated, words coming out of her mouth before she could stop them, not making eye contact and Barba glanced at the judge. Luckily he was aware of Amanda's autism and echolalia so he didn't hold it against her.

"We do have history though, don't we?" He asked before continuing. "You stopped me while I was jogging in the park last May."

"You stopped me while I was jogging," she repeated. "When you were running away after an elderly woman caught you exposing yourself to two female tourists I arrested you on the spot," she answered quietly.

"Could you tell the jury what happened to those charges?" he asked.

"Could you tell the jury what happened to those charges?" "They were dismissed by the judge," she said, beginning to tap her temples and rock slightly and Barba prayed she wasn't getting overwhelmed.

"But you still think I was guilty, don't you?" "I-I know you were," she said, her rocking increasing in speed.

"So, I assume you were upset when my last trial ended in a mistrial and I walked away?" He asked, and she took a minute to process the question. "Yes, actually I was."

"Angry enough to concoct a plan with your fellow detectives to frame me for detective Benson's kidnapping?" "Lie on the stand?"

"That's ridiculous," she said. "Your honor," Barba spoke.

"This whole line of questioning is objectionable," he said. "I'm entitled to my cross examination," Lewis responded and the judge agreed.

"He's right, Mr. Barba." "Answer the question, detective Rollins."

"answer the question, answer the question," she repeated before taking a deep breath. "What question?"

"Did I frame you?" "No."

"My question was could you have," Lewis said.

It was the day Olivia was to testify and Amanda was nervus. Cragen entered the kitchen to see her pacing back and forth as her hands flapped not quite at chest hight as she mumbled to herself.

"Amanda," he said softly, gently touching her arm. "Are you ready?" "No," she whispered but followed him out the door anyway.

Arriving at the courthouse he knelt down in front of her. "If it gets to be to much tell me," he whispered, sighing when she hugged him and he could feel her shaking.

She was barely holding it together. The more Lewis continued questioning Olivia, the more overwhelmed she became.

"Did you not beat me with that metal bar while I was restrained?" Lewis's voice boomed and she seemed to lose all control, not able to handle it anymore.

"Stop, stop," she screamed, standing up and attempting to walk to Olivia but was quickly stopped by Cragen.

"Amanda, sweetie, let's go outside," he whispered, beginning to guide her out the door. "Liv," she begged, motioning towards the brunette on the stand.

"Liv come to," she said and he just held her, pressing a kiss to her head when she began sobbing into his shirt.

Once the verdict was in and Lewis was lead away everyone convened outside the courtroom. "I'm going for the max." "Let's get you home," Barba said gently.

"Liv, are you coming?" Brian asked and she nodded. "Give me a minute, please," she said before slipping into the stairwell.

Suddenly Cragen felt a tug on his sleeve. "What is it, Amanda?" He said softly.

"Liv, be there for her, like she is for me," she said before following the brunette.

Entering the stairwell, she saw Olivia and as soon as she knew she was crying she walked over to her.

Everyone stared as the usually overwhelmed, scared and sometimes socially inappropriate detective who was always labeled as freak or retard, pushed aside the emotions that wanted to come bursting forth along with the urge she had to hit and did what she knew she needed to do. She wrapped her arms around the person who had always been there for her, not saying a word.

Olivia, immediately knowing who was hugging her, pressed a kiss to her friends hair before quietly saying, "thank you, honey." "I'm so proud of you."

"I'm so proud of you," she repeated, smiling at Cragen who smiled back, proud of Amanda.

He knew this wasn't easy on her, seeing Olivia upset, but he was proud of her and so was everyone else.