Secret Santa (PART 5)
PART 5
Chapter 4: Twelve Days of Christmas
Prompt #4 (by bitchesquared): "I'd like to see a fic where Stefan has to leave town over Xmas, something that will keep him away for at least a fortnight.
So Damon decides to cheer Elena up, by enacting the twelve days of Xmas vampire style...by the time he's sent the last pressie, she must realize that Damon is the one who gets her..."
*special thanks to my twitter friends: somethinpretty, cgsa_cher, dobrevalders, vampirebarbies, scarlett2112, LilianeGrouse, and EEMAS_91 for their help in coming up with ideas for this fic!
TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
DAY 1
"But today is Christmas!" Elena stated incredulously, not quite believing what she was hearing. "You're leaving today, of all days?"
Stefan shifted, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking as if he'd rather be anywhere else other than standing on her doorstep. "These things can't be planned," he tried to explain, "When information comes, we have to follow it before the trail becomes a dead end. I'm doing this for you, Elena. You know that."
"I know," she crossed her arms, not caring that she didn't sound the least bit grateful. "But spending the holidays with the people I care about is what I want right now."
"You'll have those people here," Stefan's voice became patronizing, "We broke up, remember?"
"My memory is perfectly fine," Elena shook her head, stepping back into her house. "Fine, do what you have to do. Be careful."
"I will," he hesitated, looking like he wanted to say something else. However, in the end, he only nodded his head at her once. "See you in a couple weeks, Elena."
She leaned against the door, watching him walk down the steps and to the car that was waiting in the driveway. The engine roared to life as he neared it, and Elena saw Klaus glance over at her from the driver's seat. Stefan paused before getting into the car, looking up to meet Elena's gaze. "Merry Christmas," she said quietly, knowing that he would be able to hear her. "I hope you find what you're looking for."
Then she went back into her house, shutting the door firmly behind her.
...
"This was a really nice idea," Jeremy said to her, placing his arm around Elena as she snuggled into his shoulder. The night was startlingly clear, with only a few snowflakes falling around them and disappearing immediately into the ground. "I know Alaric appreciates it."
Elena smiled sadly, reaching out her cold fingers and brushing them against the headstone in front of them. She traced the name once, not noticing that her fingertip was trembling. Alaric Saltzman. "He should've been here," she murmured, "He should be here."
Jeremy rubbed her back soothingly, looking over her shoulder at something. "Don't worry," he told her softly, "He is here."
She followed her brother's line of sight, though of course she knew she wouldn't able to see anything other than darkness. "Good," she whispered, interlacing her fingers with Jeremy's. "That's good."
...
It was almost midnight when Elena tiredly walked up the stairs to her room. Her gaze was automatically drawn to the window seat when she entered, but there was (as she should've expected) no one there.
She didn't even have the energy left within her to feel disappointed. Instead, she carefully sifted through the pile of Christmas gifts sitting in a heap on the floor until she found the red silk pajamas that Caroline had given her. She slipped into them and then slid into bed, pulling the covers down to get comfortable. It was then that she saw the thin, white envelope peeking out from under her pillow.
Her name was on the front, but there were no other indications of who had given it to her. She curiously opened it, finding two pieces of paper inside. She pulled the smaller one out first, reading:
On the first day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
A single ticket to set me free
The second paper inside was an airline ticket set in her name, though it said she couldn't use it until the fourth of the following month. There was a post-it note attached to the front, which merely said: 'Because sometimes you don't appreciate what you have until you get away from it all.'
DAY 2
"What?" Caroline sounded harassed, "No, no, I didn't send you anything." Then she paused, sounding offended, "Are you saying you didn't like that pajama set I got you? Because you said you didn't even want anything for Christmas, plus Jeremy got you that photo album and obviously there was nothing that could top that and well, I'm sorry I can't do fancy spells like Bonnie to make you magical objects-"
"Never mind," Elena hastily interrupted, "Sorry to bother you. Um, is everything okay over there? You sound more...Caroline...than usual." There was a long pause, during which Elena could hear hurried footsteps from the other end of the line. "Caroline? You still there?"
"One second," her friend muttered into the phone, "I just have to find a room that's far enough away so that he doesn't hear...ah, this should work!" There was some shuffling, then Caroline let out a gust of air. "It's Tyler. He's here."
Elena tried (and failed) to see what the problem was. "So?"
"So?" Caroline hissed, "He found the Christmas present that Klaus left for me! I've never seen him so angry in my life. He's even more upset than he was that time he found out I kept that picture Klaus drew of me."
"Klaus gave you a gift?" Elena teased, "Tell me, what did Mr. Original Hybrid have for the small town girl from Mystic Falls?"
"It was..." Caroline sounded evasive, "A keychain."
"A keychain," Elena repeated flatly, "Why on earth would Tyler be upset about that?"
"It may have been made out of...diamonds...and, um, well it's a globe. And there's an inscription on the bottom that says 'for when we travel the world together' which sort of explains why Tyler is mad," Caroline rambled nervously, "I'm trying to tell him it's not a big deal but I don't think he believes me."
"Elena?" Jeremy knocked on her bedroom door, "Can you come out here for a second?"
"Sure, come on in," she called back, promising to call Caroline later as she hung up the phone. "What's up?" Elena asked her brother, who looked disturbed about something. "What's wrong?"
"This package came for you," Jeremy told her, handing her a snowglobe and an envelope. "I signed for it, hope you don't mind."
She opened the envelope first, recognizing the handwriting scrawled on the front as the same one from the envelope she had found in her bed the previous night.
On the second day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Two black crows
"Crows?" Elena frowned, "I don't get it." She experimentally shook the snow globe, only to see that instead of snow falling, two mini black crows flew back and forth within the tiny globe. And if she wasn't mistaken, the setting within the globe was a cemetery. "That's..."
"Creepy," Jeremy offered bluntly, "Sorry, but what kind of Christmas gift is that? Who sent that to you?"
"No idea," she answered slowly, though a vague memory was pulling on the edges of her mind. Something about the scene in that globe was so familiar, but she couldn't quite place why that was. "And I don't think it's creepy," she decided, tucking the snowglobe away in a drawer. "The crows are cute."
DAY 3
"Sorry about this," Matt sounded sheepish as he fiddled with the fuse box. "I guess we just have to wait for the power to come back."
"It's okay," Bonnie reassured him, a secret smile playing at her lips, "Watch this." She closed her eyes for a second, murmuring some indiscernible phrases under her breath. A few moments later, candles in every room suddenly illuminated and Bonnie grinned, obviously pleased with herself.
Caroline clapped her hands together, "Your magic is back!"
"It's a slow process," Bonnie admitted, "But Shane has been more help than I ever would've thought was possible."
The blonde flipped her hair over her shoulder, striking a pose. "Oh, do you mean hot older guy, Professor Shane?"
Elena laughed, exchanging an amused look with Matt. She relaxed into the sofa cushions, sipping the champagne that Caroline had enthusiastically opened. It was just like old times.
...
"Well, it wasn't exactly the night I was expecting," Elena said four hours later as she laced together her boots, "In fact, I think it was even better."
"Thanks for hanging out," Matt leaned forward, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "It felt good to pretend we were all normal for a while."
"We should do this more often," she squeezed Matt's arm before waving goodbye to Caroline and Bonnie. She traipsed down to her car, frowning when she saw something white glistening on her windshield. Elena lifted one of the windshield wipers, carefully tugging the envelope free.
On the third day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Three old friends
Elena heard laughter coming from the house behind her, and she looked towards it, a faint smile on her lips. Whoever was leaving her these gifts seemed to know exactly what would make her happy. She only hoped that she deserved it.
DAY 4
"Huh?" Bonnie yawned, sounding tired. "No, Elena, I did not purposely make the electricity at Matt's house go out. What kind of question is that?"
"I was just wondering..." Elena trailed off, trying to sound casual. "By the way, have you heard from Damon?"
"I thought he left with Stefan and Klaus," Bonnie answered sleepily, "I haven't seen him since before Christmas."
"Yeah, I haven't either. I don't think he went with them though...Stefan would have mentioned it."
"Have you gone by the Salvatore house?"
Elena shuffled her foot back and forth against the carpet, mumbling out her response. "I haven't felt right going there ever since Stefan and I broke up."
"Well, Stefan isn't there now," Bonnie pointed out, "No harm in looking."
...
An hour later, Elena returned home, feeling oddly empty. No one had been at the Salvatore house, which held no signs that Damon had even been there recently. She knew that he wouldn't just take off without saying anything...or would he? Her mouth turned down at the corners as she walked up the stairs to her room. If she wanted to be honest with herself, she missed him. A lot.
Her gaze was drawn to the window seat again as she pictured Damon sitting there, as he had so many times before. But he wasn't there this time, just like he hadn't been there the last hundred times she had looked at that particular spot in the past few days.
There was something lying on the seat this time, however. Another envelope.
Elena eagerly blurred forward and ripped it open; it was irrational, but for some reason she felt like someone was trying to communicate with her through these letters. If Damon hadn't been out of town, then she would've been so sure that it was him.
On the fourth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Four teddy bears
Elena's brow furrowed as she looked around her room. She didn't see anything out of the ordinary...what bears? It was only when she walked towards her bed that she saw them. Her teddy bear was sitting against her pillow, cutely tucked into the covers. On either side of it were two smaller bears, and Elena felt a smile tug at her lips in spite of herself. The setup was undeniably adorable.
She noticed a small tag on the fourth bear and she curiously turned it over to read it:
-because everyone needs a family.
That night, Elena slept peacefully, surrounded by her new presents.
DAY 5
When she opened her eyes the next morning, there was already an envelope sitting on her bedside table. It was placed against her clock, though this time her name wasn't on it. Elena took it, but didn't open it immediately.
A familiar scent clung to the air around her, almost as if the person who had dropped it off had been in her room recently. Perhaps they had only left when she had begun to wake up. Elena looked towards the window, noticing that it was open a crack. However, her room wasn't cold-meaning that the window hadn't been open for very long.
The envelope wasn't sealed shut this time, and she only had to turn it upside down to shake out its contents. The piece of paper came fluttering out into her hand.
On the fifth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Five lapis lazulis
Elena looked at her finger, but the ring she wore was untouched. She swung her legs out of bed, her eyes darting around her room to see if anything was out of place. It was then that she saw the jewelry box that she normally kept in the corner of her dresser had been moved so that it was in front of her mirror.
She flipped open the top compartment, and her mouth dropped open at the five new pieces of jewelry lying within the case: a pair of earrings, an amulet, a bracelet, anklets, and another ring. All of them had a lapis lazuli stone.
There was a note taped to the top of the jewelry box, which she only saw because this one had her name on it:
-To Elena: for the next time you feel like getting rid of your daylight ring,
just know there are five backups waiting to be worn
Elena could feel her heart pounding in her ears. It was Damon. It had to be. No one else knew.
DAY 6
"This is like the millionth message I've left on your phone," Elena tried to sound patient as she spoke to Damon's voicemail, "Would you just please call me back?"
"Phone tag?" Jeremy joked as he hurried around the kitchen, getting ready for work. "Where's Damon been, anyway?"
"I don't know," she answered grumpily, "And it only counts as phone tag if the other person tries to call you back. Which, by the way, he hasn't."
"Didn't Bonnie say he was out of town?" Jeremy pulled on his jacket, checking his pockets for his cell phone and keys. "Did you try his house?"
"Yeah, but-"
"Shit," Jeremy swore, looking down at his watch. "I'm gonna be late. Sorry, sis!" he called over his shoulder as he nearly raced out the door, "I'll see you tonight for dinner!" He swerved around the delivery person waiting at the door, not even acknowledging the fact that someone was standing there as he sprinted down the street.
"Ahem." Elena whirled around to see someone standing at her door, holding a bouquet of flowers. "I'm looking for an Elena Gilbert?"
"That's me," she tentatively reached for the roses, frowning when she saw how many there were. "Do you know who sent these?"
The delivery man only shrugged, "There's a note attached to them, miss."
"Thanks," she smiled at him before shutting the door. Elena studied the roses curiously, wondering if she was counting them wrong. There were six white roses, surrounding a single red rose. The note was clipped onto the stem of the red rose, and she carefully maneuvered it off.
On the sixth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Six roses blooming
And, somehow, Elena knew what to do. She pulled out the red rose and wandered into the kitchen, finding a slim crystal vase and filling it with water. She then placed the rose in it and left the vase by the window.
...
"Hi, Ric," Elena said as she sat down cross-legged in the cemetery. "It's just me today," she told him, "Because Jeremy had to work. We'll both be here tomorrow night though. Do you know what tomorrow is?" She smiled, taking a deep breath to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. "Tomorrow is New Years Eve. It's gonna be the start of a whole new year."
Elena patted the ground beside her, smoothing down the dirt. "Sit down next to me, if you're here," she said quietly. "I'll tell you all about how Damon has been leaving me these gifts...At least, I think it's him. There's no one else that knows me like he does." She gave a small laugh, "Sometimes I think he knows me better than I know myself." She sat there for the next hour, sometimes talking and sometimes sitting in silence. When darkness began to fall, she rose to her feet.
"Damon misses you, too," Elena said softly, laying the six white roses by the gravestone. "He wanted me to give these to you."
DAY 7
"It's so cold," Matt complained, narrowing his eyes at the people who stood next to him. "Aren't you guys cold?"
"Nope," Caroline said cheerily, wrapping her arms around Tyler. "Perks of being a vampire."
"Or hybrid," Tyler added, looking towards the podium as his mother climbed onto the stage. "Pretty good turnout this year."
Elena nodded, glancing around the crowd that had shown up for the annual Mystic Falls New Year's Eve Bash. "I'm not cold either," she told Matt, "But Bonnie must be...where is she, anyway?"
"Probably off with your brother," Caroline grinned, "Are they together again?"
"No idea, I try to stay out of Jer's love life."
Caroline looked appalled, "Since when?"
Elena rolled her eyes but didn't answer. She had one hand in her pocket, fingering the slip of paper that she had found wedged next to her mirror this morning. Unlike the others, she had no idea what this one was supposed to mean:
On the seventh day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Seven bells ringing
"We'd like to thank everyone for coming out tonight to celebrate the start of a new year with us," Mrs. Lockwood's magnified voice echoed into the night. "It's been a hard year for many of us in Mystic Falls. We've all dealt with our fair share of tragedy and loss." She paused, "And I'd like you all to join me in remembering some of the people this town has lost." Everyone grew silent, now paying attention. "I won't name names," the mayor added, "But I'd like to take this time to have a moment of silence."
The bell tolled seven times.
Mom. Dad. Jenna. Alaric. Isobel. John. Me.
DAY 8
"Happy New Year!" Matt welcomed Elena into The Grill, grinning. "What do you think of the place?"
"Very nice," Elena approved, looking around at all the decorations. "Who did this? Caroline?"
"Nope, me!" April popped up from behind the counter, holding various balloons in her hands. "I thought it would be fun to spruce the place up a bit for the start of the new year."
"I like it," Elena took a seat in the booth closest to her, "Where's everyone else?"
"Rebekah is already here," Matt gestured vaguely to the back of the bar, "I think she's trying to track down more alcohol."
"I didn't know you invited her."
"Well, since Stefan and Klaus both aren't here," Caroline whispered, suddenly appearing behind her, "I figured that it would be safe."
Elena turned around to see Caroline, Tyler, Jeremy, and Bonnie all enter the restaurant together. "Well," Tyler eyed Rebekah suspiciously, "This should be interesting."
Rebekah ignored him, holding up a bottle of champagne with a red bow on it. "Look what I found," she smiled widely, "The good stuff."
"Where did you get that?" Matt frowned at the bottle, "Isn't that really expensive?"
She shrugged, "It was back there next to the champagne glasses. Elena, do me a favor and bring them into the room?"
"Sure," Elena hopped over the bar counter and knelt down, searching for the glasses that Rebekah had mentioned. "Where are they?"
"Near the last shelf."
"Oh, found it!" Elena called over her shoulder, reaching out to grab the nearest one. She stopped, however, when she saw the small slip of paper folded neatly inside it.
On the eighth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Eight glasses fizzling
DAY 9
"Yesterday was so much fun," Caroline sighed as she leaned against the locker next to Elena's. "Ugh, remind me again why we had to come to school today?"
"So we don't get kicked out before graduation," Elena answered mechanically, repeating the mantra that they had all memorized.
Caroline turned her head to look at Elena, but then her eyes widened. "Oh my god, where did you get that necklace?"
"It was a gift," Elena fingered the pendant self-consciously. It was still a locket, but the symbol on the front this time was a phoenix outlined with red rubies. Nine rubies, to be exact.
"Wow," Caroline said enviously, "Whoever gave that to you must really love you. It looks like it cost a fortune!" She eyed it more closely, "The phoenix is a nice touch. Since this is like your second life and everything." She glanced up at Elena, "What did you put in the locket?"
"Nothing, yet," Elena responded honestly, "I'm still thinking about it." Once Caroline had left to go to class, Elena opened her locker to re-read the note she had found earlier that morning.
On the ninth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Nine gems sparkling
DAY 10
"It's Damon, I know it is," Elena said to Bonnie the next day as they stood in the living room of the Salvatore house (which was still empty). "But I can't figure out where he is!"
"Are you sure it isn't Stefan?"
"Positive," Elena answered firmly, "Trust me, Damon is the only one who could've known...just trust me. It's him."
Bonnie gave her a smile, "I believe you. But what do you think all those keys unlock?"
Elena examined the keyring she held in her hand, where ten old-fashioned keys hung precariously. "They must unlock ten doors in this house...that's what the note implied, don't you think?"
On the tenth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Ten doors unlocking
"I don't think there ARE ten doors that are locked in this place," Bonnie frowned as they reached the upstairs wing of the house and saw all the doors gaping open. "Maybe the keys open something else."
"Like what?"
"Like..." Bonnie stopped outside Damon's room and pushed the door open. Or at least, she tried to. It was locked shut.
"That's weird," Elena placed her hand on the door, "I've never seen it locked before."
"This must be where the first key goes," Bonnie surmised, "Then there will nine other things for you to unlock once you get inside." She winked at Elena, backing away and making her way to the stairs. "It's like an adventure into the life of Damon Salvatore."
DAY 11
When Elena woke up, she was momentarily disoriented. Why was she in Damon's bed? It took her minute to realize that she must've fallen asleep while finding all the objects in his room to unlock. Besides the bedroom door, there had been six drawers, two chests, and one safe-making use of all ten keys that she was still holding in her hand.
The drawers had all held various items from Damon's past: clothes, letters, some of his mother's things. Elena had been fascinated by it all. Damon was such a closed book most of the time that she never got a chance to see what made him tick. Speaking of which...
She picked up an old pocket watch of Damon's, smiling when she saw his initials engraved into the back of it.
"Having fun?"
Elena jumped, staring in complete disbelief at the person standing at the doorway. "Damon!" She took two steps towards him before coming to a halt, "Are you actually here?"
He raised an eyebrow at her, "Do I look like a mirage?"
"I just..." She looked down before admitting, "I've just wanted to see you so much that I didn't know if I'd dreamed you being here. It seems too good to be true."
The corner of Damon's mouth lifted in amusement. "I take it you missed me, then?"
Elena's head shot up, "Of course I missed you! You just disappeared without saying anything, you didn't answer any of my phone calls-"
"I haven't been far," he replied simply. Then he tilted his head at her, "I wanted to see how long it would take you to figure it out."
"Figure what out?" When he only stared at her, she realized what he was referring to. "Oh, the gifts! I figured it out pretty early on." Elena took several more steps in his direction until she was standing directly in front of him. She looked up at him through lowered eyelids, "Who else would know exactly what I wanted?" She took a deep breath, amending, "Exactly what I needed?"
Damon was stroking her shoulder now, his thumb brushing against her bare skin. Elena reached up to close her hand over his and moved his fingers to touch her cheek instead. She closed her eyes when he rested his hand there, cupping her face gently. "I love you for doing this for me," Elena found herself saying, and she slowly opened her eyes to look into his shocked expression.
"I've been falling for you for a long time, Damon Salvatore." She closed the gap between them, sliding her arm around his neck to pull him into a tight embrace. "Thank you for making me see it. For making me realize how much I love you. I don't..." She paused, running the words through her head and deciding that every single part of it was true. "I don't know what I would do without you in my life."
Then she was kissing him, and he was lifting her tank top over her head, throwing it to the side to join the black button-down that she had already ripped off of him. He backed her into his bed, and she fell backwards onto it. Given how long they had waited, he took his time pulling off her jeans and getting rid of his own before slowly moving on top of her.
Elena's lips parted slightly as he begun planting soft, sensual kisses along her collarbone and down her chest until he reached her breasts. With shaking hands, Elena undid the front clasp so that her bra fell open, exposing her breasts to his eager mouth. Her hips instinctively bucked upwards, grinding against his erection as he nipped lightly at her pebbled nipples. His warm fingers trailed down her body, leaving her skin burning heatedly until he reached the apex of her thighs.
She could hear herself mumbling something, what exactly, she didn't know. She moaned out loud when he let a single digit enter her body, then added a second finger, expertly moving them back and forth until she found herself gasping out his name. "Damon...you..." If she sounded incoherent, she didn't care. "I need you," Elena gripped his shoulders tightly, suddenly hitching her legs up so they wrapped around his hips.
Damon looked surprised for a brief instant before his eyes darkened with lust and he shifted his position, abruptly sheathing himself within her to the hilt. Elena cried out, throwing her arm back to grab ahold of the headboard. He withdrew from her almost completely then slammed into her again, and the entire bed shuddered as his pace quickened. His face made it clear that he was on the verge of losing control and within seconds he vamped out, sliding his fangs neatly into her neck. The pleasure from both forms of penetration had Elena immediately catapulting into her first orgasm.
DAY 12
"It's past midnight," Damon whispered into her ear at some point in the night, "Welcome to day 12."
"Day 11 is over?" Elena rubbed a hand across her face, confused. "But you didn't give me anything for it."
"Oh really?" Even in the darkness, she could see his broad smirk. "Did you count how many times you orgasmed last night?"
Elena sat up abruptly, the sheet falling to her waist and exposing the top half of her naked body to Damon's gaze. "You didn't," she gasped, the blood rushing to her cheeks. "That's why we had sex so many times!?"
"Well, I did have a goal to fulfill," Damon grinned, reaching out with both hands and suddenly lifting Elena onto his lap. The sheet became entangled between them and he impatiently flung it off the bed so there was no longer anything separating their bodies. Elena's breasts pressed against his chest and he let out a sigh of contentment before whispering seductively in her ear, "Plus it helps that vampires never get tired."
"Clearly," was Elena's only response as she felt his arousal against her stomach. With a mischievous grin, she lifted herself off the bed and suddenly impaled herself onto his length. Damon groaned out loud in pleasure, and Elena smirked in satisfaction. "It's a whole new day," she told him, her teeth tugging at his lip as she gave him a long, lingering kiss. "Time for me to return the favor," Elena murmured as she moved her lips to his ear, "Twelve times."
*happy new years everyone! one more prompt to go!
Chapter 5: Twas the Night Before Christmas
Prompt #5 (by morvamp): "I want a spin off of A Christmas Carol. Jenna visits Elena Christmas night. From there, the two depart on a supernatural adventure where Elena revisits her past relationship with Matt, present relationship with Stefan and discovers who awaits in her future (Damon)...Elena comes to terms with who she was, thinks she is now, and who she's meant to be."
'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
"I'll do whatever it takes to make her whole again," Stefan said vehemently, "I don't care what it takes."
Caroline looked up at him, her eyes wide and trusting. "I know you will," she nodded confidently, "And Elena will realize how perfect the two of you are together once this is all over." She smiled, reaching over to lay a hand on Stefan's arm. "She's just not herself right now. You guys will find your way back together again, I know you will."
"Thank you," Stefan said sincerely, flashing her a grateful smile. "That means more to me than you'll ever know."
...
Elena stood outside Caroline's house, her hand raised to knock on the door. Upon hearing what her ex-boyfriend and her best friend were talking about, however, she let her arm drop back to her side. She stood there for a full minute, contemplating their words. Were they right? Were she and Stefan inevitable? It was possible, of course. The two of them had been through thick and thin together, and they had survived almost everything that had been thrown against them.
But was it enough?
Those four words haunted her all the way back to her empty house. She knew she had made the right decision in breaking up with Stefan, but was it only right for right now or for her future? Unbidden, Damon's face flashed in her mind's eye and she drowsily drifted off to sleep. Striking blue eyes were the last conscious thought she had.
...
"Elena."
"Hmm..."
The voice was more insistent this time, "Wake up!"
That caught her attention and Elena sleepily pried apart her eyelids. She winced as she massaged her neck, which was cricked at an uncomfortable angle. "Why am I sleeping on the couch?"
"You used to do that all the time when you were little," a familiar voice answered nostalgically, and Elena immediately froze. "Then your dad would have to carry you back up to your room. You used to wake up right when he got to the top of the stairs and-"
"Stop," Elena whispered, raising a trembling hand in the spirit's direction, "Don't say another word."
"It's okay," Jenna said soothingly, "I understand that me being here must be a little...shocking...for you."
Elena got to her feet, taking several hasty steps backwards. "Whoever's doing this," she warned in a shaky voice, "It's cruel and j-just stop! Who are you? WHAT DO YOU WANT?"
"It's really me, sweetheart," Jenna didn't make a move towards her, perhaps afraid of scaring her off. Instead, she smiled sadly and gestured to her body. "Non corporeal of course, but I'm sure that was the best that your friend Bonnie could do."
"Bonnie?" She frowned, "What are you talking about?"
Jenna looked relieved that Elena was no longer covertly edging out of the room. "This is her Christmas gift to you, sweetie. Bonnie thought that you could use a little magic-"
Elena cut her off, "Bonnie doesn't have magic right now. So tell me why I should believe a single word that comes out of your mouth?"
"Some professor that she knows has helped her tap into her reserves of power," Aunt Jenna explained, though she herself looked like she had no idea what that meant. "The spell called for pure magic, because it was only meant to help you face something you've been struggling with for a while now."
"Which is what, exactly?" Elena slowly walked forward, now more curious than she was skeptical. "What are you going to help me with?"
"Let me show you," Aunt Jenna held an arm out to her invitingly, "Do you trust me?"
For some reason, Elena didn't have to think about the answer to that question. "Yes," she replied after a second, "I do."
I.
"I don't understand," Elena said as she and Jenna stood outside Mystic Falls High, "Why are we at school?"
Jenna shot her a secretive smile, "You'll see soon enough."
A few seconds, Caroline and Bonnie exited the school building, both of them speaking in hushed tones. Whether because of the spell, or because Elena now had enhanced vampire senses, she was somehow able to hear them clearly.
"Don't go causing trouble," Bonnie was saying in a warning voice, "They're good together, just let them be."
"But have you seen Elena lately? It's like she doesn't even want to be with him!"
"You're being ridiculous," Bonnie said under her breath, "Elena has always been happy with him, and I don't see why that would change. They're going to be that obnoxious couple at our high school reunion-the ones that stayed together and had kids and have a perfect family. Trust me, you'll see."
Caroline crossed her arms, not looking convinced. Her gaze drifted to the left, and Elena followed her line of sight until she was looking at...herself. "This is so surreal," she murmured to Jenna, "What's going on?"
"Haven't figured it out yet?"
...
"I love you," Matt smiled down at her adoringly, kissing her softly on the lips. "You know that, right?"
"I love you, too," Elena stroked Matt's cheek, "Always have, always will."
He suddenly tugged on her arm with a mischievous grin, gesturing to the bleachers next to them, "Come on."
"What?" Elena giggled, allowing him to reel her forward. "But the game starts soon!"
"You know I can't get enough of you in that cheerleader outfit," Matt wrapped his arms around her waist, planting a kiss on the tip of her nose. "You should wear it all the time."
Elena swatted his arm teasingly, letting out a peal of laughter as he picked her up and spun her around. "I will," she promised between giggles, "Just for you."
...
Jenna had her arms folded as she watched the scene unfold before them with a loving smile on her face. "You and Matt were such a cute couple," she commented, glancing at Elena out of the corner of her eye. "Don't you think?"
Elena opened her mouth to respond, then shut it again, re-evaluating her answer. "I never realized," she responded slowly, "How young and...naive we were. We thought we were going to be together forever, but we knew nothing..." Her brow furrowed as she struggled to explain, "We didn't know anything about the world, we were just stuck in this childhood fantasy that was laid out for us by other people."
"But were you happy?" Jenna pressed, gesturing to what they had just witnessed. "You seemed like you were enjoying yourself, but clearly I didn't see what Caroline happened to pick up on."
"I..." Elena hesitated, "I was happy with Matt. I think there were times when I might have resented how he always talked about how we would be together forever, because it made me feel like my future was per-determined and I hated feeling like that..."
II.
The scene had shifted to the cemetery, where Elena saw herself and Matt holding hands. "I'm so sorry," Matt was saying, sounding as though he was holding back tears. "What can I do, Elena? I'll do whatever you want me to do."
"There's nothing anyone can do," Elena whispered, letting go of Matt's hand and turning around to face him. "But there is something you can do for me."
"Anything," Matt covered her hands with his own, "What do you need me to do, Elena?"
"Space," she took a deep breath, closing her eyes, "I need space."
...
"Dude," Tyler clapped a hand on Matt's shoulder as they stood in the locker room after football practice. "You need to get the fuck over her. She treated you like shit, why are you still pining over her!?"
"I loved her," Matt answered, sounding bitter. "She said she needed space, and I gave that to her. I didn't think she meant, like, a permanent break up."
"Like I said," Tyler repeated, "Get. Over. Her." He paused, then grinned, "What you need is a good ol' fashioned rebound girl. How about that blonde chick that Elena always hangs out with?"
"I'm not rebounding with Caroline," Matt said firmly, "Elena would-"
"Who cares about what Elena thinks?" Tyler raised his voice angrily, "Haven't you seen her hanging around that new tool Stefan Salvatore? Is that the space that she wanted? Space to date other people?"
...
"Why did you never go back to Matt?" Jenna questioned as the two of them materialized outside the Salvatore Boarding house. "What drew you to Stefan instead?"
For the second time that night, Elena was forced to stop herself from blurting out the first response that came to mind. Instead, she took a minute to contemplate her reasoning. "Matt was...is...a good guy. He deserves everything he's looking for."
Jenna gave her a knowing look, but didn't comment.
"And that wasn't me," Elena continued, almost speaking to herself. "I wouldn't be happy getting married right after graduation. I wouldn't be happy not being able to see the world, to explore my options. Breaking up with him felt like closing a chapter on that part of my life. I grew out of our childhood romance, and I couldn't go back to that, no matter how much I wanted Matt to be happy."
"And Stefan represented something new," Jenna surmised, "He was dark and mysterious and charming."
"He was sweet," Elena corrected, "And he made me feel something for the first time since my parents' death...He made me feel alive, he made me look forward to each day. That was something I hadn't been able to feel in such a long time." With a soft sigh, she peered up at the house in front of them. "Stefan was so protective and strong and...he made me feel safe, like nothing would ever happen to me."
Jenna nodded understandingly, touching her arm. "And after everything that had happened, you needed that."
III.
"What are you doing here?'
Elena blinked in the sudden darkness, momentarily confused when she saw that they were now standing outside her own house. She only grew more confused when she heard her voice speak words that she never remembered saying.
"A failed and feeble attempt at doing the right thing," Damon's voice answered quietly. Elena gaped, moving forward to see what was happening more clearly. Beside her, Jenna also shuffled along.
"Which was?"
"It doesn't matter."
"Katherine," Elena breathed, spinning on her heel to look at Jenna with wide eyes. "This is the night..."
"Yes," Jenna answered simply, "It is."
"You know, I came to this town wanting to destroy it. Tonight, I...found myself wanting to protect it." Damon peered at her, looking genuinely lost, "How does that happen?" When Katherine didn't say anything, his gaze shifted away. "I'm not a hero, Elena. I don't do good. It's not...in me."
Elena swallowed down the sudden pang in her chest, but her heart still ached at the expression on his face. "It is," she whispered, wanting to reach out and touch him, wanting to do something-anything-to make the pain he was feeling go away.
"Maybe it is," Katherine echoed her very sentiments, and Elena's nails dug into the palms of her hands.
"I didn't know," she said to Jenna, though her eyes never left the scene in front of her. "I never knew what happened."
Jenna nodded, not looking away either. "That's why we're here now."
"Somewhere along the way," Damon was saying, "You decided I was worth saving." His eyes burned with an intensity that took Elena's breath away and she found herself walking even closer to him, wanting to be as near to him as she could get. "I wanted to thank you for that."
Elena lifted a hand to her face as she watched Damon lean forward and brush his lips against Katherine's cheek. Her heart was beating painfully fast and she felt an odd mix of emotions as Damon and Katherine kissed right in front of her. The first and foremost of those emotions was jealousy.
...
"You're crying," Jenna's voice broke through her thoughts, and Elena hastily wiped away the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "Elena?"
"Sorry," she mumbled, turning away so her aunt wouldn't see her break down completely. "I just...I was remembering how I treated Damon afterwards, and..." She shook her head, ashamed. "It must have cost him a lot to admit those things to me, and I never..."
"Shh," Jenna murmured comfortingly, "It's all in the past, Elena."
Elena could feel the sobs wracking her body and she faced her aunt pleadingly, "I love him, Jenna. I can't help it, but I f-fell for him and I can't...I can't turn back from that."
"I know, sweetheart. I know."
"He's a good person," Elena whispered earnestly, "He really is. He loves with his whole heart, everything he does...he does for love."
"When did you start falling for Damon?"
"I don't know," Elena answered honestly, "It just sort of...happened."
...
Elena was staring at her dead body.
Damon was carrying her in his arms. After the shock had worn off, she realized he was saying something. "If you come back as a vampire, I'll stake you myself, so don't."
She frowned.
He laid her on the sofa, stroking her face gently. "Because I can't stand the thought of you hating me forever."
...
"Why are you showing me these things?" Elena asked numbly when the scene had shifted and they were standing in the cemetery again. "It hurts, Jenna."
Her hand moved to her chest, directly over her heart. "It hurts to see him like this."
"Like what?"
"In pain." Elena's words died in her throat when both Stefan and Damon appeared in front of her, oblivious to her presence there with Jenna.
"I'm not going to let Elena lose anybody else."
"I wouldn't make any promises, brother."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Elena stepped forward in horrified fascination as Damon showed his wolf bite to Stefan, whose expression quickly morphed into one of despair. "We kept Elena human," Stefan whispered, "We found a way when there was no way." He stared at his brother, looking determined. "I will do this."
IV.
"There and back again," Aunt Jenna quoted as Elena suddenly found herself back in her living room. "And as they say, my dear, here endeth the lesson."
"We're back?" Elena felt the sofa beneath her fingertips, "Really?"
"Really, truly."
She raised her eyes to look at her aunt, "I feel like I should say thank you."
"It was Bonnie's gift to you," Aunt Jenna corrected her gently, "I was just along for the ride."
"But...why? I mean, what was the point of it all?" Elena tilted her head, "A stroll through memory lane?"
Jenna shook her head, taking a seat on the sofa next to her niece. "You've been feeling lost, confused. Wondering if staying a vampire is the right thing to do. Whether becoming a vampire has changed who you are. Your identity."
Elena's voice was hoarse, "Yes."
Her aunt suddenly turned her head to the side, either seeing or hearing something that Elena couldn't. "It would appear that my time here is up," she said regretfully, "Elena, promise me that you will think about everything that you have learned today. Will you do that for me?"
Tears sprang to her eyes again but she quickly nodded, watching Jenna slowly fade away, "I promise."
...
"Elena?" Damon stared at her as she stood on his doorstep, looking uncertain. "What on earth are you doing here in the middle of the night?"
"It's, ah, Christmas," she offered lamely, peering over his shoulder to ensure that they were alone. "Can I, um, come in?"
"Well yes, I suppose that 3AM does technically count as Christmas," Damon replied sarcastically, even as he stepped aside to allow her in. "But don't think that you're getting your presents early-"
"I'm not here about presents," Elena inadvertently used her vamp speed to whirl around to face him, and he took a startled step backwards. "I mean," she took a deep breath, attempting to calm down. "I'm here because..."
Damon looked at her expectantly.
"Oh screw it," she said under her breath, her arms blurring as she abruptly reached forward to grasp his shoulders so that she could slam him into the back of the door that she had just kicked shut. Then her mouth closed desperately over his, frantically pouring all the emotions from the night into the kiss.
"Elena," he tried to move his face away, but she wouldn't let him. "Elena!"
She drew back, breathing heavily. "What?" she mumbled, running her lips across his jawline, "I need you, Damon. You won't believe the night I've had but-"
"Try me," Damon firmly grabbed ahold of her shoulders, "Tell me what happened. Why are you acting like this?"
She looked up into his eyes, her gaze never wavering, "Because I love you."
Damon blinked, looking quite wrong-footed. "Sorry," he said politely, "But what did you just say?"
"I love you," Elena repeated, smiling slightly at the dumbfounded expression on his face. She stroked his cheek gently with the backs of her knuckles. "You are a hero," she whispered strongly, "And you have done good. It's in you, Damon. It always has been."
The look on his face was priceless. "How did you...?"
"I told you," she methodically began unbuttoning his shirt, "I've had a very interesting night." She glanced up at him coyly, "Care to make it more interesting?"
Damon grinned, suddenly reaching down and literally sweeping her off her feet. "Always," he murmured, his breath tickling her ear before he blurred them upstairs and into his room. She giggled as she landed on his bed and bounced several times before coming to a stop. And then before she knew what was happening, he was moving on top of her, clothes flying off their bodies at a supernatural pace.
She moaned as she felt him spread her legs open, teasing her with the tip of his erection. Her hips arched off the bed, seeking friction. "So impatient," Damon nipped at her lip, chuckling to himself when she only moaned again, this time in frustration. "Alright, alright," he smirked, "Only because I love you too much to see you suffer for too long."
Then, without further warning, he sheathed himself to the hilt, causing her to gasp loudly in surprise. "Oh god," her head fell back in pure ecstasy, "Damon..."
"Music to my ears," Damon mumbled against her lips, kissing her deeply as her hips lifted, meeting him thrust for thrust until she could feel herself getting close. He seemed to know too, because he suddenly vamped out and sunk his fangs into her neck, causing her to cry out with pleasure as the force of her orgasm hit her. Good thing she didn't need air to breathe, she thought incoherently, because she was quite certain she had forgotten how to do so.
It was only later that night, when she lay cuddled in his arms, that she remembered what she had promised Jenna. She had told her aunt that Matt had been a chapter in her life, and clearly Stefan had been, as well. But she had closed both those chapters, and now she was looking ahead to her future. To a new chapter.
And Damon Salvatore was a chapter she never wanted to finish.
THE END
Chapter 4: Twelve Days of Christmas
Prompt #4 (by bitchesquared): "I'd like to see a fic where Stefan has to leave town over Xmas, something that will keep him away for at least a fortnight.
So Damon decides to cheer Elena up, by enacting the twelve days of Xmas vampire style...by the time he's sent the last pressie, she must realize that Damon is the one who gets her..."
*special thanks to my twitter friends: somethinpretty, cgsa_cher, dobrevalders, vampirebarbies, scarlett2112, LilianeGrouse, and EEMAS_91 for their help in coming up with ideas for this fic!
TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
DAY 1
"But today is Christmas!" Elena stated incredulously, not quite believing what she was hearing. "You're leaving today, of all days?"
Stefan shifted, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking as if he'd rather be anywhere else other than standing on her doorstep. "These things can't be planned," he tried to explain, "When information comes, we have to follow it before the trail becomes a dead end. I'm doing this for you, Elena. You know that."
"I know," she crossed her arms, not caring that she didn't sound the least bit grateful. "But spending the holidays with the people I care about is what I want right now."
"You'll have those people here," Stefan's voice became patronizing, "We broke up, remember?"
"My memory is perfectly fine," Elena shook her head, stepping back into her house. "Fine, do what you have to do. Be careful."
"I will," he hesitated, looking like he wanted to say something else. However, in the end, he only nodded his head at her once. "See you in a couple weeks, Elena."
She leaned against the door, watching him walk down the steps and to the car that was waiting in the driveway. The engine roared to life as he neared it, and Elena saw Klaus glance over at her from the driver's seat. Stefan paused before getting into the car, looking up to meet Elena's gaze. "Merry Christmas," she said quietly, knowing that he would be able to hear her. "I hope you find what you're looking for."
Then she went back into her house, shutting the door firmly behind her.
...
"This was a really nice idea," Jeremy said to her, placing his arm around Elena as she snuggled into his shoulder. The night was startlingly clear, with only a few snowflakes falling around them and disappearing immediately into the ground. "I know Alaric appreciates it."
Elena smiled sadly, reaching out her cold fingers and brushing them against the headstone in front of them. She traced the name once, not noticing that her fingertip was trembling. Alaric Saltzman. "He should've been here," she murmured, "He should be here."
Jeremy rubbed her back soothingly, looking over her shoulder at something. "Don't worry," he told her softly, "He is here."
She followed her brother's line of sight, though of course she knew she wouldn't able to see anything other than darkness. "Good," she whispered, interlacing her fingers with Jeremy's. "That's good."
...
It was almost midnight when Elena tiredly walked up the stairs to her room. Her gaze was automatically drawn to the window seat when she entered, but there was (as she should've expected) no one there.
She didn't even have the energy left within her to feel disappointed. Instead, she carefully sifted through the pile of Christmas gifts sitting in a heap on the floor until she found the red silk pajamas that Caroline had given her. She slipped into them and then slid into bed, pulling the covers down to get comfortable. It was then that she saw the thin, white envelope peeking out from under her pillow.
Her name was on the front, but there were no other indications of who had given it to her. She curiously opened it, finding two pieces of paper inside. She pulled the smaller one out first, reading:
On the first day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
A single ticket to set me free
The second paper inside was an airline ticket set in her name, though it said she couldn't use it until the fourth of the following month. There was a post-it note attached to the front, which merely said: 'Because sometimes you don't appreciate what you have until you get away from it all.'
DAY 2
"What?" Caroline sounded harassed, "No, no, I didn't send you anything." Then she paused, sounding offended, "Are you saying you didn't like that pajama set I got you? Because you said you didn't even want anything for Christmas, plus Jeremy got you that photo album and obviously there was nothing that could top that and well, I'm sorry I can't do fancy spells like Bonnie to make you magical objects-"
"Never mind," Elena hastily interrupted, "Sorry to bother you. Um, is everything okay over there? You sound more...Caroline...than usual." There was a long pause, during which Elena could hear hurried footsteps from the other end of the line. "Caroline? You still there?"
"One second," her friend muttered into the phone, "I just have to find a room that's far enough away so that he doesn't hear...ah, this should work!" There was some shuffling, then Caroline let out a gust of air. "It's Tyler. He's here."
Elena tried (and failed) to see what the problem was. "So?"
"So?" Caroline hissed, "He found the Christmas present that Klaus left for me! I've never seen him so angry in my life. He's even more upset than he was that time he found out I kept that picture Klaus drew of me."
"Klaus gave you a gift?" Elena teased, "Tell me, what did Mr. Original Hybrid have for the small town girl from Mystic Falls?"
"It was..." Caroline sounded evasive, "A keychain."
"A keychain," Elena repeated flatly, "Why on earth would Tyler be upset about that?"
"It may have been made out of...diamonds...and, um, well it's a globe. And there's an inscription on the bottom that says 'for when we travel the world together' which sort of explains why Tyler is mad," Caroline rambled nervously, "I'm trying to tell him it's not a big deal but I don't think he believes me."
"Elena?" Jeremy knocked on her bedroom door, "Can you come out here for a second?"
"Sure, come on in," she called back, promising to call Caroline later as she hung up the phone. "What's up?" Elena asked her brother, who looked disturbed about something. "What's wrong?"
"This package came for you," Jeremy told her, handing her a snowglobe and an envelope. "I signed for it, hope you don't mind."
She opened the envelope first, recognizing the handwriting scrawled on the front as the same one from the envelope she had found in her bed the previous night.
On the second day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Two black crows
"Crows?" Elena frowned, "I don't get it." She experimentally shook the snow globe, only to see that instead of snow falling, two mini black crows flew back and forth within the tiny globe. And if she wasn't mistaken, the setting within the globe was a cemetery. "That's..."
"Creepy," Jeremy offered bluntly, "Sorry, but what kind of Christmas gift is that? Who sent that to you?"
"No idea," she answered slowly, though a vague memory was pulling on the edges of her mind. Something about the scene in that globe was so familiar, but she couldn't quite place why that was. "And I don't think it's creepy," she decided, tucking the snowglobe away in a drawer. "The crows are cute."
DAY 3
"Sorry about this," Matt sounded sheepish as he fiddled with the fuse box. "I guess we just have to wait for the power to come back."
"It's okay," Bonnie reassured him, a secret smile playing at her lips, "Watch this." She closed her eyes for a second, murmuring some indiscernible phrases under her breath. A few moments later, candles in every room suddenly illuminated and Bonnie grinned, obviously pleased with herself.
Caroline clapped her hands together, "Your magic is back!"
"It's a slow process," Bonnie admitted, "But Shane has been more help than I ever would've thought was possible."
The blonde flipped her hair over her shoulder, striking a pose. "Oh, do you mean hot older guy, Professor Shane?"
Elena laughed, exchanging an amused look with Matt. She relaxed into the sofa cushions, sipping the champagne that Caroline had enthusiastically opened. It was just like old times.
...
"Well, it wasn't exactly the night I was expecting," Elena said four hours later as she laced together her boots, "In fact, I think it was even better."
"Thanks for hanging out," Matt leaned forward, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "It felt good to pretend we were all normal for a while."
"We should do this more often," she squeezed Matt's arm before waving goodbye to Caroline and Bonnie. She traipsed down to her car, frowning when she saw something white glistening on her windshield. Elena lifted one of the windshield wipers, carefully tugging the envelope free.
On the third day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Three old friends
Elena heard laughter coming from the house behind her, and she looked towards it, a faint smile on her lips. Whoever was leaving her these gifts seemed to know exactly what would make her happy. She only hoped that she deserved it.
DAY 4
"Huh?" Bonnie yawned, sounding tired. "No, Elena, I did not purposely make the electricity at Matt's house go out. What kind of question is that?"
"I was just wondering..." Elena trailed off, trying to sound casual. "By the way, have you heard from Damon?"
"I thought he left with Stefan and Klaus," Bonnie answered sleepily, "I haven't seen him since before Christmas."
"Yeah, I haven't either. I don't think he went with them though...Stefan would have mentioned it."
"Have you gone by the Salvatore house?"
Elena shuffled her foot back and forth against the carpet, mumbling out her response. "I haven't felt right going there ever since Stefan and I broke up."
"Well, Stefan isn't there now," Bonnie pointed out, "No harm in looking."
...
An hour later, Elena returned home, feeling oddly empty. No one had been at the Salvatore house, which held no signs that Damon had even been there recently. She knew that he wouldn't just take off without saying anything...or would he? Her mouth turned down at the corners as she walked up the stairs to her room. If she wanted to be honest with herself, she missed him. A lot.
Her gaze was drawn to the window seat again as she pictured Damon sitting there, as he had so many times before. But he wasn't there this time, just like he hadn't been there the last hundred times she had looked at that particular spot in the past few days.
There was something lying on the seat this time, however. Another envelope.
Elena eagerly blurred forward and ripped it open; it was irrational, but for some reason she felt like someone was trying to communicate with her through these letters. If Damon hadn't been out of town, then she would've been so sure that it was him.
On the fourth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Four teddy bears
Elena's brow furrowed as she looked around her room. She didn't see anything out of the ordinary...what bears? It was only when she walked towards her bed that she saw them. Her teddy bear was sitting against her pillow, cutely tucked into the covers. On either side of it were two smaller bears, and Elena felt a smile tug at her lips in spite of herself. The setup was undeniably adorable.
She noticed a small tag on the fourth bear and she curiously turned it over to read it:
-because everyone needs a family.
That night, Elena slept peacefully, surrounded by her new presents.
DAY 5
When she opened her eyes the next morning, there was already an envelope sitting on her bedside table. It was placed against her clock, though this time her name wasn't on it. Elena took it, but didn't open it immediately.
A familiar scent clung to the air around her, almost as if the person who had dropped it off had been in her room recently. Perhaps they had only left when she had begun to wake up. Elena looked towards the window, noticing that it was open a crack. However, her room wasn't cold-meaning that the window hadn't been open for very long.
The envelope wasn't sealed shut this time, and she only had to turn it upside down to shake out its contents. The piece of paper came fluttering out into her hand.
On the fifth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Five lapis lazulis
Elena looked at her finger, but the ring she wore was untouched. She swung her legs out of bed, her eyes darting around her room to see if anything was out of place. It was then that she saw the jewelry box that she normally kept in the corner of her dresser had been moved so that it was in front of her mirror.
She flipped open the top compartment, and her mouth dropped open at the five new pieces of jewelry lying within the case: a pair of earrings, an amulet, a bracelet, anklets, and another ring. All of them had a lapis lazuli stone.
There was a note taped to the top of the jewelry box, which she only saw because this one had her name on it:
-To Elena: for the next time you feel like getting rid of your daylight ring,
just know there are five backups waiting to be worn
Elena could feel her heart pounding in her ears. It was Damon. It had to be. No one else knew.
DAY 6
"This is like the millionth message I've left on your phone," Elena tried to sound patient as she spoke to Damon's voicemail, "Would you just please call me back?"
"Phone tag?" Jeremy joked as he hurried around the kitchen, getting ready for work. "Where's Damon been, anyway?"
"I don't know," she answered grumpily, "And it only counts as phone tag if the other person tries to call you back. Which, by the way, he hasn't."
"Didn't Bonnie say he was out of town?" Jeremy pulled on his jacket, checking his pockets for his cell phone and keys. "Did you try his house?"
"Yeah, but-"
"Shit," Jeremy swore, looking down at his watch. "I'm gonna be late. Sorry, sis!" he called over his shoulder as he nearly raced out the door, "I'll see you tonight for dinner!" He swerved around the delivery person waiting at the door, not even acknowledging the fact that someone was standing there as he sprinted down the street.
"Ahem." Elena whirled around to see someone standing at her door, holding a bouquet of flowers. "I'm looking for an Elena Gilbert?"
"That's me," she tentatively reached for the roses, frowning when she saw how many there were. "Do you know who sent these?"
The delivery man only shrugged, "There's a note attached to them, miss."
"Thanks," she smiled at him before shutting the door. Elena studied the roses curiously, wondering if she was counting them wrong. There were six white roses, surrounding a single red rose. The note was clipped onto the stem of the red rose, and she carefully maneuvered it off.
On the sixth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Six roses blooming
And, somehow, Elena knew what to do. She pulled out the red rose and wandered into the kitchen, finding a slim crystal vase and filling it with water. She then placed the rose in it and left the vase by the window.
...
"Hi, Ric," Elena said as she sat down cross-legged in the cemetery. "It's just me today," she told him, "Because Jeremy had to work. We'll both be here tomorrow night though. Do you know what tomorrow is?" She smiled, taking a deep breath to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. "Tomorrow is New Years Eve. It's gonna be the start of a whole new year."
Elena patted the ground beside her, smoothing down the dirt. "Sit down next to me, if you're here," she said quietly. "I'll tell you all about how Damon has been leaving me these gifts...At least, I think it's him. There's no one else that knows me like he does." She gave a small laugh, "Sometimes I think he knows me better than I know myself." She sat there for the next hour, sometimes talking and sometimes sitting in silence. When darkness began to fall, she rose to her feet.
"Damon misses you, too," Elena said softly, laying the six white roses by the gravestone. "He wanted me to give these to you."
DAY 7
"It's so cold," Matt complained, narrowing his eyes at the people who stood next to him. "Aren't you guys cold?"
"Nope," Caroline said cheerily, wrapping her arms around Tyler. "Perks of being a vampire."
"Or hybrid," Tyler added, looking towards the podium as his mother climbed onto the stage. "Pretty good turnout this year."
Elena nodded, glancing around the crowd that had shown up for the annual Mystic Falls New Year's Eve Bash. "I'm not cold either," she told Matt, "But Bonnie must be...where is she, anyway?"
"Probably off with your brother," Caroline grinned, "Are they together again?"
"No idea, I try to stay out of Jer's love life."
Caroline looked appalled, "Since when?"
Elena rolled her eyes but didn't answer. She had one hand in her pocket, fingering the slip of paper that she had found wedged next to her mirror this morning. Unlike the others, she had no idea what this one was supposed to mean:
On the seventh day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Seven bells ringing
"We'd like to thank everyone for coming out tonight to celebrate the start of a new year with us," Mrs. Lockwood's magnified voice echoed into the night. "It's been a hard year for many of us in Mystic Falls. We've all dealt with our fair share of tragedy and loss." She paused, "And I'd like you all to join me in remembering some of the people this town has lost." Everyone grew silent, now paying attention. "I won't name names," the mayor added, "But I'd like to take this time to have a moment of silence."
The bell tolled seven times.
Mom. Dad. Jenna. Alaric. Isobel. John. Me.
DAY 8
"Happy New Year!" Matt welcomed Elena into The Grill, grinning. "What do you think of the place?"
"Very nice," Elena approved, looking around at all the decorations. "Who did this? Caroline?"
"Nope, me!" April popped up from behind the counter, holding various balloons in her hands. "I thought it would be fun to spruce the place up a bit for the start of the new year."
"I like it," Elena took a seat in the booth closest to her, "Where's everyone else?"
"Rebekah is already here," Matt gestured vaguely to the back of the bar, "I think she's trying to track down more alcohol."
"I didn't know you invited her."
"Well, since Stefan and Klaus both aren't here," Caroline whispered, suddenly appearing behind her, "I figured that it would be safe."
Elena turned around to see Caroline, Tyler, Jeremy, and Bonnie all enter the restaurant together. "Well," Tyler eyed Rebekah suspiciously, "This should be interesting."
Rebekah ignored him, holding up a bottle of champagne with a red bow on it. "Look what I found," she smiled widely, "The good stuff."
"Where did you get that?" Matt frowned at the bottle, "Isn't that really expensive?"
She shrugged, "It was back there next to the champagne glasses. Elena, do me a favor and bring them into the room?"
"Sure," Elena hopped over the bar counter and knelt down, searching for the glasses that Rebekah had mentioned. "Where are they?"
"Near the last shelf."
"Oh, found it!" Elena called over her shoulder, reaching out to grab the nearest one. She stopped, however, when she saw the small slip of paper folded neatly inside it.
On the eighth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Eight glasses fizzling
DAY 9
"Yesterday was so much fun," Caroline sighed as she leaned against the locker next to Elena's. "Ugh, remind me again why we had to come to school today?"
"So we don't get kicked out before graduation," Elena answered mechanically, repeating the mantra that they had all memorized.
Caroline turned her head to look at Elena, but then her eyes widened. "Oh my god, where did you get that necklace?"
"It was a gift," Elena fingered the pendant self-consciously. It was still a locket, but the symbol on the front this time was a phoenix outlined with red rubies. Nine rubies, to be exact.
"Wow," Caroline said enviously, "Whoever gave that to you must really love you. It looks like it cost a fortune!" She eyed it more closely, "The phoenix is a nice touch. Since this is like your second life and everything." She glanced up at Elena, "What did you put in the locket?"
"Nothing, yet," Elena responded honestly, "I'm still thinking about it." Once Caroline had left to go to class, Elena opened her locker to re-read the note she had found earlier that morning.
On the ninth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Nine gems sparkling
DAY 10
"It's Damon, I know it is," Elena said to Bonnie the next day as they stood in the living room of the Salvatore house (which was still empty). "But I can't figure out where he is!"
"Are you sure it isn't Stefan?"
"Positive," Elena answered firmly, "Trust me, Damon is the only one who could've known...just trust me. It's him."
Bonnie gave her a smile, "I believe you. But what do you think all those keys unlock?"
Elena examined the keyring she held in her hand, where ten old-fashioned keys hung precariously. "They must unlock ten doors in this house...that's what the note implied, don't you think?"
On the tenth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Ten doors unlocking
"I don't think there ARE ten doors that are locked in this place," Bonnie frowned as they reached the upstairs wing of the house and saw all the doors gaping open. "Maybe the keys open something else."
"Like what?"
"Like..." Bonnie stopped outside Damon's room and pushed the door open. Or at least, she tried to. It was locked shut.
"That's weird," Elena placed her hand on the door, "I've never seen it locked before."
"This must be where the first key goes," Bonnie surmised, "Then there will nine other things for you to unlock once you get inside." She winked at Elena, backing away and making her way to the stairs. "It's like an adventure into the life of Damon Salvatore."
DAY 11
When Elena woke up, she was momentarily disoriented. Why was she in Damon's bed? It took her minute to realize that she must've fallen asleep while finding all the objects in his room to unlock. Besides the bedroom door, there had been six drawers, two chests, and one safe-making use of all ten keys that she was still holding in her hand.
The drawers had all held various items from Damon's past: clothes, letters, some of his mother's things. Elena had been fascinated by it all. Damon was such a closed book most of the time that she never got a chance to see what made him tick. Speaking of which...
She picked up an old pocket watch of Damon's, smiling when she saw his initials engraved into the back of it.
"Having fun?"
Elena jumped, staring in complete disbelief at the person standing at the doorway. "Damon!" She took two steps towards him before coming to a halt, "Are you actually here?"
He raised an eyebrow at her, "Do I look like a mirage?"
"I just..." She looked down before admitting, "I've just wanted to see you so much that I didn't know if I'd dreamed you being here. It seems too good to be true."
The corner of Damon's mouth lifted in amusement. "I take it you missed me, then?"
Elena's head shot up, "Of course I missed you! You just disappeared without saying anything, you didn't answer any of my phone calls-"
"I haven't been far," he replied simply. Then he tilted his head at her, "I wanted to see how long it would take you to figure it out."
"Figure what out?" When he only stared at her, she realized what he was referring to. "Oh, the gifts! I figured it out pretty early on." Elena took several more steps in his direction until she was standing directly in front of him. She looked up at him through lowered eyelids, "Who else would know exactly what I wanted?" She took a deep breath, amending, "Exactly what I needed?"
Damon was stroking her shoulder now, his thumb brushing against her bare skin. Elena reached up to close her hand over his and moved his fingers to touch her cheek instead. She closed her eyes when he rested his hand there, cupping her face gently. "I love you for doing this for me," Elena found herself saying, and she slowly opened her eyes to look into his shocked expression.
"I've been falling for you for a long time, Damon Salvatore." She closed the gap between them, sliding her arm around his neck to pull him into a tight embrace. "Thank you for making me see it. For making me realize how much I love you. I don't..." She paused, running the words through her head and deciding that every single part of it was true. "I don't know what I would do without you in my life."
Then she was kissing him, and he was lifting her tank top over her head, throwing it to the side to join the black button-down that she had already ripped off of him. He backed her into his bed, and she fell backwards onto it. Given how long they had waited, he took his time pulling off her jeans and getting rid of his own before slowly moving on top of her.
Elena's lips parted slightly as he begun planting soft, sensual kisses along her collarbone and down her chest until he reached her breasts. With shaking hands, Elena undid the front clasp so that her bra fell open, exposing her breasts to his eager mouth. Her hips instinctively bucked upwards, grinding against his erection as he nipped lightly at her pebbled nipples. His warm fingers trailed down her body, leaving her skin burning heatedly until he reached the apex of her thighs.
She could hear herself mumbling something, what exactly, she didn't know. She moaned out loud when he let a single digit enter her body, then added a second finger, expertly moving them back and forth until she found herself gasping out his name. "Damon...you..." If she sounded incoherent, she didn't care. "I need you," Elena gripped his shoulders tightly, suddenly hitching her legs up so they wrapped around his hips.
Damon looked surprised for a brief instant before his eyes darkened with lust and he shifted his position, abruptly sheathing himself within her to the hilt. Elena cried out, throwing her arm back to grab ahold of the headboard. He withdrew from her almost completely then slammed into her again, and the entire bed shuddered as his pace quickened. His face made it clear that he was on the verge of losing control and within seconds he vamped out, sliding his fangs neatly into her neck. The pleasure from both forms of penetration had Elena immediately catapulting into her first orgasm.
DAY 12
"It's past midnight," Damon whispered into her ear at some point in the night, "Welcome to day 12."
"Day 11 is over?" Elena rubbed a hand across her face, confused. "But you didn't give me anything for it."
"Oh really?" Even in the darkness, she could see his broad smirk. "Did you count how many times you orgasmed last night?"
Elena sat up abruptly, the sheet falling to her waist and exposing the top half of her naked body to Damon's gaze. "You didn't," she gasped, the blood rushing to her cheeks. "That's why we had sex so many times!?"
"Well, I did have a goal to fulfill," Damon grinned, reaching out with both hands and suddenly lifting Elena onto his lap. The sheet became entangled between them and he impatiently flung it off the bed so there was no longer anything separating their bodies. Elena's breasts pressed against his chest and he let out a sigh of contentment before whispering seductively in her ear, "Plus it helps that vampires never get tired."
"Clearly," was Elena's only response as she felt his arousal against her stomach. With a mischievous grin, she lifted herself off the bed and suddenly impaled herself onto his length. Damon groaned out loud in pleasure, and Elena smirked in satisfaction. "It's a whole new day," she told him, her teeth tugging at his lip as she gave him a long, lingering kiss. "Time for me to return the favor," Elena murmured as she moved her lips to his ear, "Twelve times."
*happy new years everyone! one more prompt to go!
Chapter 5: Twas the Night Before Christmas
Prompt #5 (by morvamp): "I want a spin off of A Christmas Carol. Jenna visits Elena Christmas night. From there, the two depart on a supernatural adventure where Elena revisits her past relationship with Matt, present relationship with Stefan and discovers who awaits in her future (Damon)...Elena comes to terms with who she was, thinks she is now, and who she's meant to be."
'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
"I'll do whatever it takes to make her whole again," Stefan said vehemently, "I don't care what it takes."
Caroline looked up at him, her eyes wide and trusting. "I know you will," she nodded confidently, "And Elena will realize how perfect the two of you are together once this is all over." She smiled, reaching over to lay a hand on Stefan's arm. "She's just not herself right now. You guys will find your way back together again, I know you will."
"Thank you," Stefan said sincerely, flashing her a grateful smile. "That means more to me than you'll ever know."
...
Elena stood outside Caroline's house, her hand raised to knock on the door. Upon hearing what her ex-boyfriend and her best friend were talking about, however, she let her arm drop back to her side. She stood there for a full minute, contemplating their words. Were they right? Were she and Stefan inevitable? It was possible, of course. The two of them had been through thick and thin together, and they had survived almost everything that had been thrown against them.
But was it enough?
Those four words haunted her all the way back to her empty house. She knew she had made the right decision in breaking up with Stefan, but was it only right for right now or for her future? Unbidden, Damon's face flashed in her mind's eye and she drowsily drifted off to sleep. Striking blue eyes were the last conscious thought she had.
...
"Elena."
"Hmm..."
The voice was more insistent this time, "Wake up!"
That caught her attention and Elena sleepily pried apart her eyelids. She winced as she massaged her neck, which was cricked at an uncomfortable angle. "Why am I sleeping on the couch?"
"You used to do that all the time when you were little," a familiar voice answered nostalgically, and Elena immediately froze. "Then your dad would have to carry you back up to your room. You used to wake up right when he got to the top of the stairs and-"
"Stop," Elena whispered, raising a trembling hand in the spirit's direction, "Don't say another word."
"It's okay," Jenna said soothingly, "I understand that me being here must be a little...shocking...for you."
Elena got to her feet, taking several hasty steps backwards. "Whoever's doing this," she warned in a shaky voice, "It's cruel and j-just stop! Who are you? WHAT DO YOU WANT?"
"It's really me, sweetheart," Jenna didn't make a move towards her, perhaps afraid of scaring her off. Instead, she smiled sadly and gestured to her body. "Non corporeal of course, but I'm sure that was the best that your friend Bonnie could do."
"Bonnie?" She frowned, "What are you talking about?"
Jenna looked relieved that Elena was no longer covertly edging out of the room. "This is her Christmas gift to you, sweetie. Bonnie thought that you could use a little magic-"
Elena cut her off, "Bonnie doesn't have magic right now. So tell me why I should believe a single word that comes out of your mouth?"
"Some professor that she knows has helped her tap into her reserves of power," Aunt Jenna explained, though she herself looked like she had no idea what that meant. "The spell called for pure magic, because it was only meant to help you face something you've been struggling with for a while now."
"Which is what, exactly?" Elena slowly walked forward, now more curious than she was skeptical. "What are you going to help me with?"
"Let me show you," Aunt Jenna held an arm out to her invitingly, "Do you trust me?"
For some reason, Elena didn't have to think about the answer to that question. "Yes," she replied after a second, "I do."
I.
"I don't understand," Elena said as she and Jenna stood outside Mystic Falls High, "Why are we at school?"
Jenna shot her a secretive smile, "You'll see soon enough."
A few seconds, Caroline and Bonnie exited the school building, both of them speaking in hushed tones. Whether because of the spell, or because Elena now had enhanced vampire senses, she was somehow able to hear them clearly.
"Don't go causing trouble," Bonnie was saying in a warning voice, "They're good together, just let them be."
"But have you seen Elena lately? It's like she doesn't even want to be with him!"
"You're being ridiculous," Bonnie said under her breath, "Elena has always been happy with him, and I don't see why that would change. They're going to be that obnoxious couple at our high school reunion-the ones that stayed together and had kids and have a perfect family. Trust me, you'll see."
Caroline crossed her arms, not looking convinced. Her gaze drifted to the left, and Elena followed her line of sight until she was looking at...herself. "This is so surreal," she murmured to Jenna, "What's going on?"
"Haven't figured it out yet?"
...
"I love you," Matt smiled down at her adoringly, kissing her softly on the lips. "You know that, right?"
"I love you, too," Elena stroked Matt's cheek, "Always have, always will."
He suddenly tugged on her arm with a mischievous grin, gesturing to the bleachers next to them, "Come on."
"What?" Elena giggled, allowing him to reel her forward. "But the game starts soon!"
"You know I can't get enough of you in that cheerleader outfit," Matt wrapped his arms around her waist, planting a kiss on the tip of her nose. "You should wear it all the time."
Elena swatted his arm teasingly, letting out a peal of laughter as he picked her up and spun her around. "I will," she promised between giggles, "Just for you."
...
Jenna had her arms folded as she watched the scene unfold before them with a loving smile on her face. "You and Matt were such a cute couple," she commented, glancing at Elena out of the corner of her eye. "Don't you think?"
Elena opened her mouth to respond, then shut it again, re-evaluating her answer. "I never realized," she responded slowly, "How young and...naive we were. We thought we were going to be together forever, but we knew nothing..." Her brow furrowed as she struggled to explain, "We didn't know anything about the world, we were just stuck in this childhood fantasy that was laid out for us by other people."
"But were you happy?" Jenna pressed, gesturing to what they had just witnessed. "You seemed like you were enjoying yourself, but clearly I didn't see what Caroline happened to pick up on."
"I..." Elena hesitated, "I was happy with Matt. I think there were times when I might have resented how he always talked about how we would be together forever, because it made me feel like my future was per-determined and I hated feeling like that..."
II.
The scene had shifted to the cemetery, where Elena saw herself and Matt holding hands. "I'm so sorry," Matt was saying, sounding as though he was holding back tears. "What can I do, Elena? I'll do whatever you want me to do."
"There's nothing anyone can do," Elena whispered, letting go of Matt's hand and turning around to face him. "But there is something you can do for me."
"Anything," Matt covered her hands with his own, "What do you need me to do, Elena?"
"Space," she took a deep breath, closing her eyes, "I need space."
...
"Dude," Tyler clapped a hand on Matt's shoulder as they stood in the locker room after football practice. "You need to get the fuck over her. She treated you like shit, why are you still pining over her!?"
"I loved her," Matt answered, sounding bitter. "She said she needed space, and I gave that to her. I didn't think she meant, like, a permanent break up."
"Like I said," Tyler repeated, "Get. Over. Her." He paused, then grinned, "What you need is a good ol' fashioned rebound girl. How about that blonde chick that Elena always hangs out with?"
"I'm not rebounding with Caroline," Matt said firmly, "Elena would-"
"Who cares about what Elena thinks?" Tyler raised his voice angrily, "Haven't you seen her hanging around that new tool Stefan Salvatore? Is that the space that she wanted? Space to date other people?"
...
"Why did you never go back to Matt?" Jenna questioned as the two of them materialized outside the Salvatore Boarding house. "What drew you to Stefan instead?"
For the second time that night, Elena was forced to stop herself from blurting out the first response that came to mind. Instead, she took a minute to contemplate her reasoning. "Matt was...is...a good guy. He deserves everything he's looking for."
Jenna gave her a knowing look, but didn't comment.
"And that wasn't me," Elena continued, almost speaking to herself. "I wouldn't be happy getting married right after graduation. I wouldn't be happy not being able to see the world, to explore my options. Breaking up with him felt like closing a chapter on that part of my life. I grew out of our childhood romance, and I couldn't go back to that, no matter how much I wanted Matt to be happy."
"And Stefan represented something new," Jenna surmised, "He was dark and mysterious and charming."
"He was sweet," Elena corrected, "And he made me feel something for the first time since my parents' death...He made me feel alive, he made me look forward to each day. That was something I hadn't been able to feel in such a long time." With a soft sigh, she peered up at the house in front of them. "Stefan was so protective and strong and...he made me feel safe, like nothing would ever happen to me."
Jenna nodded understandingly, touching her arm. "And after everything that had happened, you needed that."
III.
"What are you doing here?'
Elena blinked in the sudden darkness, momentarily confused when she saw that they were now standing outside her own house. She only grew more confused when she heard her voice speak words that she never remembered saying.
"A failed and feeble attempt at doing the right thing," Damon's voice answered quietly. Elena gaped, moving forward to see what was happening more clearly. Beside her, Jenna also shuffled along.
"Which was?"
"It doesn't matter."
"Katherine," Elena breathed, spinning on her heel to look at Jenna with wide eyes. "This is the night..."
"Yes," Jenna answered simply, "It is."
"You know, I came to this town wanting to destroy it. Tonight, I...found myself wanting to protect it." Damon peered at her, looking genuinely lost, "How does that happen?" When Katherine didn't say anything, his gaze shifted away. "I'm not a hero, Elena. I don't do good. It's not...in me."
Elena swallowed down the sudden pang in her chest, but her heart still ached at the expression on his face. "It is," she whispered, wanting to reach out and touch him, wanting to do something-anything-to make the pain he was feeling go away.
"Maybe it is," Katherine echoed her very sentiments, and Elena's nails dug into the palms of her hands.
"I didn't know," she said to Jenna, though her eyes never left the scene in front of her. "I never knew what happened."
Jenna nodded, not looking away either. "That's why we're here now."
"Somewhere along the way," Damon was saying, "You decided I was worth saving." His eyes burned with an intensity that took Elena's breath away and she found herself walking even closer to him, wanting to be as near to him as she could get. "I wanted to thank you for that."
Elena lifted a hand to her face as she watched Damon lean forward and brush his lips against Katherine's cheek. Her heart was beating painfully fast and she felt an odd mix of emotions as Damon and Katherine kissed right in front of her. The first and foremost of those emotions was jealousy.
...
"You're crying," Jenna's voice broke through her thoughts, and Elena hastily wiped away the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. "Elena?"
"Sorry," she mumbled, turning away so her aunt wouldn't see her break down completely. "I just...I was remembering how I treated Damon afterwards, and..." She shook her head, ashamed. "It must have cost him a lot to admit those things to me, and I never..."
"Shh," Jenna murmured comfortingly, "It's all in the past, Elena."
Elena could feel the sobs wracking her body and she faced her aunt pleadingly, "I love him, Jenna. I can't help it, but I f-fell for him and I can't...I can't turn back from that."
"I know, sweetheart. I know."
"He's a good person," Elena whispered earnestly, "He really is. He loves with his whole heart, everything he does...he does for love."
"When did you start falling for Damon?"
"I don't know," Elena answered honestly, "It just sort of...happened."
...
Elena was staring at her dead body.
Damon was carrying her in his arms. After the shock had worn off, she realized he was saying something. "If you come back as a vampire, I'll stake you myself, so don't."
She frowned.
He laid her on the sofa, stroking her face gently. "Because I can't stand the thought of you hating me forever."
...
"Why are you showing me these things?" Elena asked numbly when the scene had shifted and they were standing in the cemetery again. "It hurts, Jenna."
Her hand moved to her chest, directly over her heart. "It hurts to see him like this."
"Like what?"
"In pain." Elena's words died in her throat when both Stefan and Damon appeared in front of her, oblivious to her presence there with Jenna.
"I'm not going to let Elena lose anybody else."
"I wouldn't make any promises, brother."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Elena stepped forward in horrified fascination as Damon showed his wolf bite to Stefan, whose expression quickly morphed into one of despair. "We kept Elena human," Stefan whispered, "We found a way when there was no way." He stared at his brother, looking determined. "I will do this."
IV.
"There and back again," Aunt Jenna quoted as Elena suddenly found herself back in her living room. "And as they say, my dear, here endeth the lesson."
"We're back?" Elena felt the sofa beneath her fingertips, "Really?"
"Really, truly."
She raised her eyes to look at her aunt, "I feel like I should say thank you."
"It was Bonnie's gift to you," Aunt Jenna corrected her gently, "I was just along for the ride."
"But...why? I mean, what was the point of it all?" Elena tilted her head, "A stroll through memory lane?"
Jenna shook her head, taking a seat on the sofa next to her niece. "You've been feeling lost, confused. Wondering if staying a vampire is the right thing to do. Whether becoming a vampire has changed who you are. Your identity."
Elena's voice was hoarse, "Yes."
Her aunt suddenly turned her head to the side, either seeing or hearing something that Elena couldn't. "It would appear that my time here is up," she said regretfully, "Elena, promise me that you will think about everything that you have learned today. Will you do that for me?"
Tears sprang to her eyes again but she quickly nodded, watching Jenna slowly fade away, "I promise."
...
"Elena?" Damon stared at her as she stood on his doorstep, looking uncertain. "What on earth are you doing here in the middle of the night?"
"It's, ah, Christmas," she offered lamely, peering over his shoulder to ensure that they were alone. "Can I, um, come in?"
"Well yes, I suppose that 3AM does technically count as Christmas," Damon replied sarcastically, even as he stepped aside to allow her in. "But don't think that you're getting your presents early-"
"I'm not here about presents," Elena inadvertently used her vamp speed to whirl around to face him, and he took a startled step backwards. "I mean," she took a deep breath, attempting to calm down. "I'm here because..."
Damon looked at her expectantly.
"Oh screw it," she said under her breath, her arms blurring as she abruptly reached forward to grasp his shoulders so that she could slam him into the back of the door that she had just kicked shut. Then her mouth closed desperately over his, frantically pouring all the emotions from the night into the kiss.
"Elena," he tried to move his face away, but she wouldn't let him. "Elena!"
She drew back, breathing heavily. "What?" she mumbled, running her lips across his jawline, "I need you, Damon. You won't believe the night I've had but-"
"Try me," Damon firmly grabbed ahold of her shoulders, "Tell me what happened. Why are you acting like this?"
She looked up into his eyes, her gaze never wavering, "Because I love you."
Damon blinked, looking quite wrong-footed. "Sorry," he said politely, "But what did you just say?"
"I love you," Elena repeated, smiling slightly at the dumbfounded expression on his face. She stroked his cheek gently with the backs of her knuckles. "You are a hero," she whispered strongly, "And you have done good. It's in you, Damon. It always has been."
The look on his face was priceless. "How did you...?"
"I told you," she methodically began unbuttoning his shirt, "I've had a very interesting night." She glanced up at him coyly, "Care to make it more interesting?"
Damon grinned, suddenly reaching down and literally sweeping her off her feet. "Always," he murmured, his breath tickling her ear before he blurred them upstairs and into his room. She giggled as she landed on his bed and bounced several times before coming to a stop. And then before she knew what was happening, he was moving on top of her, clothes flying off their bodies at a supernatural pace.
She moaned as she felt him spread her legs open, teasing her with the tip of his erection. Her hips arched off the bed, seeking friction. "So impatient," Damon nipped at her lip, chuckling to himself when she only moaned again, this time in frustration. "Alright, alright," he smirked, "Only because I love you too much to see you suffer for too long."
Then, without further warning, he sheathed himself to the hilt, causing her to gasp loudly in surprise. "Oh god," her head fell back in pure ecstasy, "Damon..."
"Music to my ears," Damon mumbled against her lips, kissing her deeply as her hips lifted, meeting him thrust for thrust until she could feel herself getting close. He seemed to know too, because he suddenly vamped out and sunk his fangs into her neck, causing her to cry out with pleasure as the force of her orgasm hit her. Good thing she didn't need air to breathe, she thought incoherently, because she was quite certain she had forgotten how to do so.
It was only later that night, when she lay cuddled in his arms, that she remembered what she had promised Jenna. She had told her aunt that Matt had been a chapter in her life, and clearly Stefan had been, as well. But she had closed both those chapters, and now she was looking ahead to her future. To a new chapter.
And Damon Salvatore was a chapter she never wanted to finish.
THE END