Breaking Through—Embry x OC

(Set During Eclipse)

This story is dedicated to those diagnosed with autism or any form of disabilities (specifically for two of my five siblings...and myself, as well), and those who faces struggles and obstacles every single day, as they've tried to be equal to everyone that surrounds them. Having a disability doesn't make you look, act, or seem stupid and incapable; instead, it represents who you are as a person, just one who has more challenges than most people do.

Diagnosed with autism, Kenna Mallory has spent most of her life in the shadows. Though her family loved her, the challenges that Kenna has to face day in and day out has always been difficult for her. During her youth, she was placed in a self-contained classroom, but because her parents wanted to help her to be switched over to mainstreamed. On her first day in high school as a sophomore, Kenna nearly had a breakdown. What she didn't expect was to run into the arms of a man who could help her...and possibly, her potential love interest.

Embry Call has spent most of his life in the shadows of his two best friends. He was always a quiet guy, but when he started to phase, his perspective on the world changed drastically. What he didn't expect that fateful day he was on patrol, was that he would imprint on a woman who was autistic. What first started as friendship, Embry tried to understand more about Kenna; finding ways to help her communicate better without getting frustrated every so often. But, more importantly, Embry wanted to help Kenna understand feelings; specifically his.

When their friendship soon turns into a romantic prospect, how will Embry be able to help Kenna understand what "love" means to him and her? Can Kenna understand, and be able to show affections for the guy who would always be there for her, or will her disability always get in the way?

A/N: Thank you again for reading this story, and I'm amazed by how many people have already liked this story. Obviously for anyone whose struggled most of their lives, it's hard to touch a topic that's pretty sensitive for most people, including ourselves.

Im amazed by the outpouring support and fans whom have also known what it's like to bottle up something that shouldn't be a big deal. For me, all I ever knew was that I was hearing impaired. It wasn't until last year that I was diagnosed with autism as well. For me, it was harder to accept in the beginning, but now that I have, I'm not ashamed of it. There's a variety of people who have autism, and there are many categories that you could be placed under. In my case, the only kind of autism I knew was what my brother has, and his autism affected his verbal communication and his social skills. For me, it's primarily social skills and cues. There's nothing to be ashamed of, because whatever it is you have, it makes you who you are.

Anyways, back to the story at hand, I know that a lot of you are hoping for me to write a longer chapter, and I'll try my best to do so for this and future chapters. Oh, by the way, April is Autism Awareness month! Until then, here's chapter three!

Chapter 3

Embry knew that it would be a long shot, but Sam was right. He had to at least talk to Kenna's parents to learn more about it. However, it would seem a bit weird that a boy would ask a parent about their daughter's condition. Actually, her disability. Either way, it's still creepy. Embry took a deep breath, once he found the house where Kenna lived. Luckily, he recognized her scent from a mile away after they met, and he had no trouble finding her.

The only thing he hoped for was for her parents to be accepting of him.

Walking up the steps, Embry's heart was racing already. He didn't know why he was feeling nervous, but as his palms started to sweat, he already knew he was a nervous wreck. Knocking on the door, he wasn't sure if this was right thing to do...but, in order for him to connect with Kenna, he had to know more about who she is. The door opened, and Kenna's mother stood on the other side of it. Though Kenna's mother was shorter than him, he could tell that she had a kind, nurturing side of her. He just hoped that Kenna's mother would like him for who he is. "Hello? Can I help you?"

"Um, yes." Embry coughed, trying to clear the nervousness from his throat. "I'm Embry Call,"

"Oh wait, are you the boy who found my daughter in the woods?"

Embry nodded. "I know that this seems out of the ordinary for her to run off like that, but that's how she reacts in intense situations. My husband and I wanted to thank you for finding her. I hope she wasn't any trouble,"

"Oh no, she was great. Um, Mrs. Mallory—"

"Please, call me Lorelai."

"Uh, okay? Lorelai? I know this might be odd, but I wanted to ask you about Kenna."

Mrs. Mallory crossed her arms over her chest, looking me up and down. "What do you want? If you laid a hand on my daughter..."

"Oh no, no, no. You're misunderstanding this! I just wanted to get to know her, but I just don't know what's wrong with her?"

"Are you saying that my daughter is crazy?"

This wasn't going so well. "No, that's not what I meant. I, uh, I just...oh hell, I just want to be your daughter's friend. It's just that, I've never been friends with someone who has more obstacles than most people would, and I just want to know what I'm getting myself into, in order to be a part of Kenna's life."

Lorelai Mallory was left speechless. A boy, one who found her daughter in the woods, wants to be her friend. He wants to learn more about her, in order to know what to do in case something happens. She gave Embry a soft smile, then opened the door wider. "Come in," she said, as she led Embry inside the house and into the kitchen. She gestured for him to sit down, while she grabbed a binder and an equipment that seems like a talking device. The binder had Velcro all along it, and inside of it. "This was what we used before Kenna was able to speak. We still use it sometimes, but Kenna wanted to try speaking on her own, without any devices."

Lorelai gave Embry the binder, as he flipped through the pages, seeing some cartoon-like images and words placed at the bottom of each. "This binder is called a PECS book."

"Peck?"

"No, P-E-C-S book. Picture exchange communication system; it's a form of device for children with autism or whom are nonverbal uses to communicate. We would start off with the basic, and increase the amounts of words we would use for her as she'd improves." She then turned on the device that Kenna has been using currently, and started to show Embry how to navigate through it. "This is a newer, more advanced version of a PECS book, but it's more stressful for Kenna to use sometimes."

"Why is that?"

"Well, mostly because of the colors. She's very sensitive to sound, touch, and sometimes sight. With this device, the bright colors are sometimes too much for her, but she's adapting to the device a bit better than before. It just takes some time to practice using it."

"Can I ask you what she has, that is, if that's okay?"

Lorelai sighed, then put the device down. "Kenna was diagnosed with moderate-functioning autism. What that means, is that even though she can adapt in the real world on her own, she needs more support. Her social cues are lacking, and her verbal communication skills are not at the level of where she should be. Her reading level is of a third grader, and she's also undergoing therapeutic treatment."

"Treatment?"

"Well, she has speech therapy, and she also have help from an occupational therapist during the weekends and after school sometimes. Not often, but sometimes. I shouldn't be telling you any of this, but it might be best for you to know what you're getting yourself into by becoming friends with my daughter. She knows that she's different from everybody, but she doesn't know how different she really is."

It was risky for Embry to ask, but he had to know. "Has Kenna ever had friends before, ones who didn't know what she has?"

Lorelai shook her head. "She mostly had to rely on her specialists, her father and I...and sometimes Lauren, when she wants to."

"What do you mean?"

"When Kenna was two, she stopped talking one day. She wasn't adapting well, and when we took her to specialist after specialist, we discovered that she has autism. For Lauren, she didn't understand what was going on, and because her father and I focused on Kenna's well-being and what we could do to help her, Lauren felt left out. We've tried to explain to Lauren that we still love her, but that Kenna needs us to help her, but she doesn't want to hear it. I think because Kenna is different, Lauren felt alone. Lauren started hating Kenna, and after today, I had to ground my eldest, because she wasn't there to help her sister when she needed her." Lorelai placed a comforting hand like a mother would on her child's hand, and asked, "Please, don't hurt Kenna. She doesn't understand much about feelings and emotions, and although she might be overwhelmed, I think she likes being around you. Promise me that you won't hurt her,"

"I would never hurt Kenna, not intentionally. I just hope that she'll allow me to be her friend, even though I don't go to the same school as she does."

"Well, what matters is that you're willing to be her friend no matter what. I just want you to know what you're getting yourself into. Kenna may not be able to understand most thing, but she's very vulnerable, and there's no telling what might happen if something goes wrong between you and her."

If only she knew how much Kenna means to Embry...if only...