A/N: This is a Christmas story that I am really, really excited about! It is a series of one-shots depicting the Cullens' Christmases. The first chapter takes place on Christmas Day during Breaking Dawn (my favorite book, for the record), after Bella, Edward, Jacob, and Renesmee return from their hunt. I hope you all enjoy it!!

The First Christmas

Emmett closed the bedroom door softly before turning to look at his wife. He recognized the sad look in her eyes for what it was, and knew he would probably have a long night before him.

In what was no doubt simply a ploy to make him feel as though he understood even less than he thought he did about women, Rosalie bit her lip and walked towards him, removing her sweater as she did, the sad look disappearing from her eyes. He was so shocked by her turn in behavior that he was powerless as she pushed him heartily into the wall and began to kiss him fiercely.

"Rose," he murmured, though it was awhile before he had the chance. "What are you doing?"

His lovely wife pulled back and frowned at him. "What do you think I'm doing, Emmett?"

His grin was arrogant as he replied, "Seducing me, of course." Rosalie smiled wickedly and leaned towards him once more. He halted her with his hands on her shoulders. "What I want to know is why, love."

A frown marred Rosalie's features as she took a step back. "Are you telling me you don't want me right now? That the passionate speeches we heard tonight reminding us of what we stand to lose didn't make you want to be with me then and there?"

Emmett sighed, taking her hands in his. "If we had just come from there, then yeah, I would believe you meant that."

Rosalie hissed lightly at him, pulling her hands from his and crossing her arms over her chest. "I think you need to say what you mean."

"Rose, we had our own fun while Bella, Edward, Jacob, and Renesmee were out hunting, and that was great, don't get me wrong." Emmett almost grinned as a smug smile crossed Rosalie's features. "When they came back from hunting, we spent almost an hour with our niece, and I saw how it affected you."

The smile slipped slowly off of Rosalie's face as she scoffed, "Yes, I do believe I was there for that."

Emmett suppressed the urge to groan at his stubborn wife. "Look, all I'm saying is that being around Renesmee on Christmas Day had to make you think…." He let his words fall; they both knew exactly what Rosalie had been thinking.

"Made me think what, Emmett?" Rosalie said quietly after a moment of stretched silence. "About how much I wish we had children of our own? A strapping young boy, just as crazy about competition as you are? A little girl with gorgeous dark curls and a love for fast cars? How I wish more than anything that we had a child who was a part of each of us?"

Rosalie sank on to the edge of the bed and put her head in her hands. Emmett crossed the room immediately and sat beside her. "Rose, you know if I could… if there was any way…." He put his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. "I would do it in a heartbeat."

"I know," she said quietly as she wrapped her arms around his waist. Emmett lightly kissed the top of her head. "This time of year just makes it all worse, that's all."

Emmett said nothing, preferring instead to pretend he believed what she said. She wanted a child year-round… it had next to nothing to do with Christmas.

Rosalie shifted in his arms and placed her lips against his neck. "Thank you for being you," she whispered, sealing her words with a gentle kiss on his neck.

Emmett moved to look at her, smiling brightly before kissing her passionately. "You're welcome. I think I'm rather good at it," he added with a wink. Rosalie laughed and the sound made Emmett feel as though he had successfully completed the most difficult challenge ever imagined. Then again, when Rosalie was feeling upset about not being able to have children, it often seemed to be the biggest challenge he could ever face.

"I love you," Rosalie said, kissing him fiercely again.

"I love you, too," Emmett replied, burying his hands in her hair as he lost himself in what would not doubt prove to be a very long night spent in a very good way.

Earlier that night…

Edward sat cross-legged on the floor of Carlisle's office, grinning at the sight before him. Rosalie had agreed to subject Emmett to a few rounds of 'horsey' for Renesmee's sake. Bella was enjoying it nearly as much as Edward was, but she didn't have the benefit of Emmett's thoughts to make the entire situation even more enjoyable.

"I wish Alice could see this," Edward joked for Emmett's sake. "I hate to think of Jasper missing out on this wonderful sight."

Emmett glared at him as he rounded the corner of the desk once more, Renesmee giggling on his back. I hate you right now, Emmett mentally hissed at Edward. Edward's only response was to grin.

Bella took his hand then, distracting him instantly. She twined her fingers through his and leaned into his side, resting her head close to his ear. "Do you think they're all right?"

Edward nodded in reply. "Yes, of course they are."

Renesmee placed her hand on Emmett's cheek, signaling that she was ready for him to stop, and he ceased moving immediately. Thank God, he thought. Rosalie lifted Renesmee into her arms and Renesmee placed her hand to her aunt's cheek with excitement, giving Rosalie a play-by-play of what her uncle had been doing and adding that she wanted to do it again soon.

"Of course, Nessie," Rosalie cooed, hugging her niece tightly. "We can do it tomorrow again if you want." Renesmee smiled. Emmett groaned.

Rosalie set Renesmee down and she walked quickly over to where Bella and Edward sat, instantly climbing into her father's lap. She grinned up at him as she placed a hand on his face to show him what she had been doing for the past half an hour or so. Edward couldn't quite contain his laugh as the image of Emmett crawling around on his hands and knees was replayed for him.

Renesmee stifled a yawn and displayed for him a picture of her bed, complete with her favorite book. Edward nodded and stood immediately. "Nessie is tired," he announced to his wife and siblings. Keeping her hand to his face, Renesmee showed him how much she had enjoyed her time alone with just the five of them.

"We can have time alone tomorrow, too, Nessie." He promised his daughter as Bella lead the way downstairs.

The process of saying good night to everyone took far longer than perhaps necessary due to all of the guests, but Renesmee enjoyed herself immensely, so Edward found himself simply standing beside Bella near the door and waiting with a smile on his face as his daughter was passed from person to person, joyfully saying good night to each.

He did his best to ignore all of the jumbled thoughts in the room, and took the chance to steal a glance at Bella out of the corner of his eye. She looked so troubled and worried that his heart nearly broke with the want to cheer her up and make her world all right once more.

He continued to watch as she suddenly forced a smile on her face. Edward followed her gaze to see Jacob coming towards them, carrying a giggling Renesmee like a sack of wheat. Jacob stopped in front of Bella and handed her daughter to her. Renesmee threw her arms around her mother and nestled against her, warm and comforted better there than anywhere else.

"Let's get you home to bed," Bella said softly, wrapping her free arm around Renesmee's back. Renesmee closed her eyes, trusting her mother to take her home safely.

Everyone waved goodnight as we made our way out the door and across the stream, Edward and Bella leaping gracefully while Jacob swam across. He grumbled as he climbed onto the bank and shook himself dry.

"The resemblance is uncanny," Edward joked. Bella rolled her eyes.

Edward took Renesmee gently from Bella's arms then, and passed her carefully to Jacob before he could muster up a proper remark to Edward's joke. "Jacob, could you tuck Renesmee in, please? I need to talk to Bella."

Jacob's eyes widened, but he said and thought nothing. Instead, he shifted Renesmee to a more comfortable position and took off slowly through the woods to the cottage.

Edward waited until they were alone before turning back to his wife. She was staring up at him with a calm, expectant look on her face, but she also looked worried about something.

Edward stepped closer to her and frowned down at her, "Bella, what's wrong, love?"

"I'm just worried about the Volturi and Renesmee," she said quickly. She had never been a great liar, and Edward knew she was hiding something very significant from him.

"You know I am here to talk to whenever you feel the need to."

"I know," she replied smoothly. She smiled up at him and it was such a true smile that he nearly lost his train of thought. "Merry Christmas, Edward."

"Merry Christmas, Bella," he replied, leaning down to kiss her softly. "'Next year, all our troubles will be out of sight'," he added absent-mindedly.

Bella took his hand in hers and began to tug him along towards their cottage. "Yeah, if the Fates allow."

Edward chuckled. "Leave it to you to quote the most pessimistic line of the carol."

They stopped just outside the front door to their cottage. Bella turned around and narrowed her eyes at him for his remark, but he merely reached around her and opened the door, pushing her gently through the doorway and into their warm cottage.

They peered in to Renesmee's room on the way to their own bedroom and saw that both Jacob and Renesmee had fallen asleep, though they hadn't arrived much later than them. Jacob was sitting sideways on the bed, his back to the wall, and the book open about halfway through. Renesmee was leaning against his side, smiling in her sleep.

Edward flicked off the light and then followed Bella to their bedroom. Bella sat down on the edge of the bed and looked out the window, her expression sad. "I don't mean to be so pessimistic, you know," she said quietly.

Edward leaned against the doorframe and smiled at her when she looked at him, trying to keep the mood light. "I know, love. You're terrified about the situation we're in, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't, also."

She closed her eyes and Edward took advantage of the moment to climb speedily onto the bed behind her. She had already opened her eyes at his initial movement, and she now settled herself against his chest, sighing lightly as he wrapped his arms around her.

He began to kiss her cheek before his lips slid lower and he kissed her neck tenderly. "'Have yourself a merry little Christmas'," she whispered to him.

Edward smiled against her neck before whispering beside her ear, "Trust me, I am." His voice nearly shivered with the promise of what was to come, earning a smile and a wink from his wife. Oh yes, a merry Christmas, indeed.