Arthur liked to show off. This much Merlin knew. The way he liked to gracefully slide about the room and cart him about the forest was proof enough. Merlin didn't have the heart to tell him that he looked like one of those dancing birds in a documentary about mating rituals. Merlin was prepared for almost anything Arthur was going to present him with.

He still wasn't expecting the baseball.

"You play baseball," Merlin stammered, staring at the Pendragons in their matching uniforms. On any other family it would have been creepy, but hey. The Pendragons had their own scale.

"During thunderstorms," Arthur agreed. "You'll see why."

And Merlin could see why, because the cracking boom at every swing of the bat was obvious enough. Merlin kept his mouth shut, though, because the entire family seemed... happy.

Arthur never once glanced at him guiltily, Mordred never winced in pain by accidentally stepping too close, and even Uther was laughing. Merlin was shocked to discover a smile was natural on his face. It certainly made him a hell of a lot less intimidating. Superpowers aside, they were a normal family, and Merlin was enjoying himself. And Arthur said everything would end in disaster.

"Stop!" Morgana's panicked voice rang cried out, ringing through the clearing. "Come back!"

Arthur turned and his eyes met his sister's. His eyes widened and he was beside Merlin in a second, gripping his arms tighter than he ever had before.

"Other vampires," Uther breathed, his nostrils flaring. They all turned to look at the other ending of the clearing, clearly awaiting their arrival.

"Merlin, let's go," Arthur said, starting towards the jeep.

"It's too late," Morgana whispered.

Arthur closed his eyes, then held out his hat and quickly slid out of his shirt. "Wear these, they'll help hide your scent."

"Are these the vampires that killed Tom?" Merlin asked quietly, sliding into the shirt while Arthur's quick fingers buttoned it up. Arthur's guilty face was answer enough. They turned back to face the clearing, Arthur planting himself firmly in front of Merlin.

The vampires appeared a few seconds later, striding into the field as if the world belonged only to them. When you were immortal, maybe it did. There were two men- the first one had dark hair pulled into a ponytail; his leather jacket was unbuttoned and his bare chest was visible underneath, covered in intricate snake tattoos. The woman beside him also had dark hair, and her blood red lips matched her eyes, the red eyes that showed they were not above eating humans. The second man reached them first, nodding at Gaius.

"I am Edwin," he said pleasantly. Merlin tried to look away from his face, because there was something wrong with it, underneath the perfect porcelain skin all vampires seemed to have. "This is Valiant and Nimueh."

"We found this," Nimueh said, her voice tugging at Merlin's memory. She held up a baseball and tossed it to Gaius. "We wondered if you'd like to play."

"I'm afraid you've caught us at a bad time," Gaius replied, smiling at them. "We maintain a permanent residence here and your hunting has raised the nearby town's suspicion.

"We apologize," Edwin said, bowing slightly. "We were unaware this land was claimed."

"They tried to track us," Nimueh added. "But we led them east. You shouldn't have any problems."

"Thank you," Gaius replied. "We appreciate it. Now, you said you'd like to play a game?"

"I'd love to play." Valiant's voice was deep and chilling. Merlin had been avoiding his piercing gaze the entire conversation.

"A few of us were just leaving," Gaius announced, tossing them back the ball. "You can take their place."

Edwin smiled as they began to split up. "Excellent."

Arthur took a step back, ready to lead Merlin to the car when the when shifted, carrying his scent to the new vampires.

Valiant's head whipped around and he grinned, cold and predatory. "You brought a snack."

Arthur was crouched in front of Merlin before he even realized he moved, his teeth bared and a terrible warning snarl ripped through the air. Nimueh and Edwin were beside Valiant in a second; the Pendragons planted themselves around Merlin in a protecting arch. Each group tensed, waiting for the first attack.

"Merlin is with us," Gaius said calmly, speaking directly to Edwin. "I'm afraid he's off limits."

"Of course," Edwin agreed. "We'll just be going."

Nimueh and Edwin took a step back, but Valiant didn't move. His eyes flicked between Arthur and Merlin, and his grin grew.

"Valiant," Edwin said urgently. "We're leaving."

"Of course," Valiant agreed, finally easing up as he slunk backwards. But his eyes never left theirs, and no one moved until they were out of the clearing.

"Get Merlin out of here," Gaius said, his light and calm voice layered with urgency. Merlin found himself bundled into Arthur's jeep before he could process what was happening.