A/N: I am not entirely sure I will be able to create a Christmas story, as has been my tradition in past years. So I offer you this, the final drabble for 2013, which was inspired by abbyweyr.

May your holidays be joyful.

Story Notes: In Canon, Carlisle changes Edward in 1918 and Esme in 1921. In 1933, after Edward's Rebellious Period, Rosalie is attacked and Carlisle - thinking that Rosalie might be meant for Edward - changes her into a vampire.

In this AU, without Edward's change (because he's The Emrys), Rosalie was not changed, either. And without Rosalie, Emmett was not changed.

So, the dynamic here is a bit different…

Their First Double Date

Dateline: May 20, 1950

The moon was waxing at three quarters of its fullness, shining brilliantly in the dark velvet of the autumn sky. The Emrys, always a neat hunter, tucked his shirt back into his trousers while watching his Isa finish feeding. She was a thing of beauty to behold, launching herself from a tree to the back of an elk. It was not quite like the wapiti he had known in Europe, but these North American creatures were numerous and strong. And their antlers were a true challenge to avoid.

Isa's leap was all that was strong and lovely, in Edward's eye. He approached slowly, watching as she swallowed the blood from the animal. It was a sensual experience and he was entirely prepared to follow his instincts in this matter when his wife finished but —

They're here! A thought flew to The Emrys's mind along with an image of joyful reunions that he didn't understand at all.

Damnation. I know I caught wind of one of us, but what the hell? And there's Alice, looking like someone gave her a shiny new pair of shoes.

Memories of battle, vicious combat, cries and flames invaded Edward's mind. All thoughts of joining with his wife under the open sky were abandoned as he prepared to defend her, instead. "Isa!"

The flat command in his voice was more than enough to pull her from her kill. With drops of blood marring her dark blue blouse, she broke her prey's neck in a definitive matter to stop its suffering and turned on one bare foot to part the high grasses with her passage. My Edward! What is it? You're defensive! What's wrong?

Sending his mental awareness out through the surrounding forest, he tried to pinpoint the location of the minds he had heard. He believed them to be vampires; the images from the angry one's head were all about draining humans and dismembering red-eyed blood-drinkers. Over the millennia, he had encountered many of that ilk, but had so far largely kept Isa away from them. They tended to live on the outskirts and fringes, blending with humans in a limited way and, quite rarely, meeting others of golden-eyed persuasion with whom they could visit.

The warrior who approached, the one with the companion named Alice, was not one The Emrys wanted to meet, but it was too late now. "Someone is coming, Isa. A fighter. And his female companion. I'm trying to find out who they are."

He plunged himself deliberately into the female's mind so as to get a visual of the male. As different from his as night from day, the woman named Alice had thoughts that flew in light patterns, with hope and joy and alternate paths presented simultaneously. The speed was such that Edward drew in a breath and shook his head.

"Edward," Isa whispered, concerned as her hands cupped his jaw. "Edward!"

"I'm fine," he told her absently, intent upon getting what information he could.

Trees. Trees and light and stars and I smell them and they look like us! Just like in my vision, the woman's thoughts communicated with smug satisfaction.

She glanced up at her companion. My mate. He's so worried. I've told him three times that these were not warriors…

Mates. They were mates. That meant they'd fight twice as hard. Edward tensed, moving Isa slightly behind him instinctively.

Edward…

"Shhh, now, here they come, my Isa."

He heard her breaths come quick and fast but could do no more than press her tightly against his torso as a breeze ruffled the grasses around them. Ahead and to the north, a pair of pale figures emerged cautiously from the line of trees. One tall with hair the color of dripping honey, the other short. She was the female and her steps were those of a dancer.

"Hi!" she called aloud, waving as if she knew them and they were just meeting again after a brief separation.

Do we know them, my Edward?

He shook his head in the negative as the tall male across the meadow hissed. "Alice!"

"Jasper," the female said clearly, her voice lilting with laughter, "we're going to be great friends." Still, she stopped her forward progression and waited, just behind and to the right of the man Edward understood to be her mate. "I'm Alice!"

"I am Edward and this is my mate, Isa. We are only passing through, hunting, but will not linger in your territory." A mated pair of blood-drinkers was considered formidable as a fighting force, and Edward had more than once forestalled violence by informing other nomadic vampires that he and Isa were mates.

The male cocked his head a little and Edward focused on him. He's being honest; that's something. And the female is merely wary, not afraid. I guess we can move in some.

Edward blinked in surprise, for it was clear from his present thoughts that the male could understand emotive outpouring. Perhaps it was his gift?

Surprise? Now why would that be? Huh. Still, the warrior started walking, crossing half the open meadow in the space of a breath. "I'm Jasper Whitlock," he stated. The way he said his name carried expectation.

Isa gasped. "I remember that name," she whispered. "Remember, my Edward? The Wars in the south of this country?"

"Ah…" At Jasper's instant defensiveness, Edward held up one hand. "We have heard of you, Jasper Whitlock. You fought a long time. You do not need to fight us. As I said, we desire no territory."

"We only hunt animals," his wife said, gesturing toward her golden eyes.

Alice laughed. "So do we!"

At that, even Jasper chuckled shortly. "What is the world coming to when we meet vampires with golden eyes somewhere other than a mirror. Alice has been waiting to meet more of our kind for a long while." Bright eyes met and held as hands were shaken in a companionable manner. "This isn't our territory, either. We're just on our way to meet another pair of animal-drinkers." Jasper Whitlock made a face. "I am all for not killing humans, but I prefer predators to grass-eaters."

"My favorite is wild boar," Edward confessed ruefully. "It's harder to find, these days."

Alice made an impatient sound. "So! Where are you from? Where are you going?"

"Alice," Jasper said, sounding as if his patience were being taxed.

"No, it's fine," Isa said quietly, her voice sweet and firm. "It's been a long time since we've seen another pair of our kind." With a nod at Alice's blouse, she added, "I have done some tailoring, before. Who makes your clothes?"

Edward met Jasper's eyes and smiled with some apology. "Truly, it has been some time since we've seen anyone with whom we have prey in common. The last man we saw was a physician named Carlisle Cullen, in Chicago. That was more than forty years ago."

As often happened even among humans, the males and females separated themselves slightly from one another and discussed topics of mutual interest to their sex.

"Cullen," Jasper repeated, nodding thoughtfully. "I have heard of him. A nomad we met—Garrett—mentioned him and his eye color when we encountered Garrett last year. "A physician? Truly?"

The Emrys nodded, smiling a little as he gazed upward at the bright stars. "Truly. Isa and I spent two days with him. He is a curious fellow."

Jasper snorted. "If he spends time with bleeding humans, he would have to be."

The males exchanged a wry look and then glanced to their mates, who were engaged in conversation several yards away. Standing utterly still they were, and Edward knew his Isa looked almost divine.

Yes, my Edward? she asked silently.

He only smiled and shook his head before Jasper's mate spoke. "I want to meet this vampire doctor. I have seen him and his mate in my visions."

"Visions?" The Emrys took a step to one side as if to avoid a projectile.

Her gift! Damnation, the woman can't keep anything a secret, the scarred warrior mused with rueful affection. "She sees the future, sometimes. But only in dribs and drabs."

"I saw you!" the elfin female declared with a trill to her voice. "I knew you'd be here. And now I see all four of us meeting the blond doctor and his mate! They're not far, you know."

"Oh, can we, Edward? It would be nice to see Doctor Cullen again." Remember the elevator? his wife added privately. A quick memory of her silent seduction of him flashed in both their minds.

Now what was that about? Jasper's question was pointed, but only in his mind. A flare of some kind of sexual thing?

Ah, so the warrior was also gifted. Yes. Now it was clear and the Emrys was grateful to know what their gifts were. He gave no hint that he did, however, schooling his feelings and his expression. "We have just finished hunting. It would be a fine time to travel to see Carlisle."

Isa's eyes brightened with happiness. "Thank you."

With no more preparation than that, the two sets of nomadic vampires turned to Alice. "Show us where we're goin', Sugar," Jasper directed with the wave of his arm.

The little lady twirled with a dancer's grace, making Isa laugh softly. "My pleasure."

As the pairs of vampires ran into the night, Edward mused that this was much like a custom he had observed among American youth. The custom of courting done in pairs of couples. He had not understood why this might be a desirable arrangement, but this night, listening to his Isa laugh and visit with Alice as they ran, he saw that the custom had great merit, indeed.

He wondered how it would be to be in a group with three pairs? Soon enough, he would know.

They would reach the home of Carlisle and Esme Cullen before the sun rose into a hazy sky.