SURPRISE, EVA. THIS IS FOR YOU. LOVE YOU.

Thank you and much love to Kimminnee for beta reading it for me.

Looking out of the window of her fourteenth floor office, Elena stares down at the busy streets below. Snow is lightly falling from the sky and it makes for a beautiful scene below. The sidewalks are filled with shoppers going in and out of stores, carrying brightly colored packages. Sighing heavily, she wipes the tears that are beginning to form before they can fall down her cheeks. Despite the height she is looking down from above, she's struck by the merriment of the throngs of people. If she closes her eyes, she can almost see the two of them hand in hand, the way it was between them once upon a time.

Running her fingers through her hair, she walks back to her desk. With the papers lying haphazardly on the top, she tries to put them in some kind of order. Her mind is clearly not on her work. Throwing her arms up in frustration, she finally gives up and collapses into her chair. Dropping her face into her hands, she can't help but wonder what happened to him. Pulling open her desk drawer, she lifts up the papers and pulls the photo out from under the stack. Staring at his soulful blue eyes, Elena runs her fingertips wispily over his face. Every time she has a weak moment and looks at it, the crack in her heart splits a little more.

"Hi," she says excitedly. Without wasting even a moments time, she hurries over to him, cups his face in her hands and pulls his lips to hers.

"Mmm," Damon purrs, reaching up to cradle her face to drop another heady kiss to her lips. As soon as they break apart, he wraps her in his arms and holds her tightly to his chest. Their hearts beat together as one and Elena knows she'll never sense anything nearly as perfect as being in his arms. After plying her with another kiss, he links his hand with hers and they walk down the sidewalk to look at all the twinkling lights and Christmas decorations. Along the way they stop in the grill. Damon orders each of them a brandy spiked egg nog. Taking a sip, her tongue darts out to lick the creamy goodness from her lips.

"This is good."

"My mother used to love blackberry brandy mixed with egg nog. When I was old enough to imbibe, I developed a taste for it myself."

"Thank you for enlightening me," Elena smiles, leaning in against him when he wraps an arm around her shoulders. Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, he breathes her in. He's so in love with her but he's afraid to tell her for fear he'll scare her away. She told him that she's not the type to fall in love, not after being burned badly by the guy that came before him. Although he'd like to think he can convince her to have a change of heart, he doesn't know if he'll be able to. However, he's not quite ready to throw in the towel just yet. He loves her too much not to put up a fight. Picking up his drink, he clicks their glasses together then takes another sip, closing his eyes as he savors the taste as it goes down.

When they finish, Damon stands up and offers her his hand. The band is playing a sentimental tune. With her arms around his neck and his around her waist, they sway back and forth to the song. Unable to take his eyes from hers, he feels his heart thundering like a runaway locomotive inside of his chest. He wants to tell her the truth but he's a coward.

As soon as the song is done, Damon leans in to capture her lips in a moldering kiss. It's so intense and full of love and want that Elena has to pull away. With wide fearful eyes, she shakes her head back and forth and ghosts her fingertips over her lips.

"You can't," she stammers, backing away from him.

"I am though, Elena. I'm completely in love with you."

"No, no, no," she utters in shock. Feeling her throat tighten up and her gut twist, she backs away. Unable to cope with his revelation, Elena's eyes fill with tears. When Damon takes a step forward, she widens the distance and then without looking back, she grabs her jacket and disappears out the door, leaving Damon behind with not so much as a backward glance. Although he left her messages by the dozens and tried to see her untold times, she refused all of his overtures. Having no other choice, he finally gave up.

"Elena?"

Snapping out it, Elena looks up as Caroline pushes her office door shut. Closing the distance between them, she pulls Elena into her arms. "Thinking about him again?"

"Is it that obvious?" Elena asks, a sad smile forming on her face.

"It is. I know you're my best friend but I have to ask, have you ever tried to find him?"

"No. I haven't seen him since that night. It's like he disappeared into thin air."

"Oh, Elena," Caroline utters, looking mournfully at her best friend.

"It's my own fault, Caroline. I was so afraid of getting hurt again that I rid myself of the best thing that's ever happened to me. I know he loved me, I could see it in his eyes and I felt it when he kissed me that night," she mentions, unconsciously raising her fingertips to her mouth. "I panicked and ran and I'll regret it till the day I die. With the distance of time, I can see how silly I was to be afraid of him and what we could have had. I have wasted five years, Caroline and now...," she finishes, her voice trailing off.

"You said that you've never tried to find him. Why not?"

"I guess I was afraid that he'd reject me the way I rejected him."

Brushing a strand of her friend's hair behind her ear, Caroline tilts her head slightly. "I think you should hire Elijah to find him."

"Caroline?"

"It's true, he may have a new life now with another woman. But at least you'll be able to say to yourself that you tried. And besides that, I don't want you to have to life with regrets and what ifs for the rest of your life."

"I rather doubt that he's unattached anymore."

"That's the risk you're going to have to take."

Sighing heavily, Elena squeezes Caroline's hand and then sits down at her desk. When Caroline shoves the rolodex in front of her, their eyes meet. Seeing Caroline's nod, she starts to thumb through it to find Elijah's phone number. Taking a breath, she picks up her phone and forces herself to dial. As soon as he picks up, Elena asks him to come to her office, promising to explain as soon as he arrives. Leaning over, Caroline gives her a hug and then walks out to get them each a strong cup of coffee.

When Elijah arrives, Elena offers him a cup of coffee and tells him to have a seat. "What is this about, Elena?"

Swallowing thickly, Elena delves into the sad saga of her romance with Damon. If she had to do it over again, even drop into Groundhog Day itself, she would do so to have a redo of that night. It's haunted her for all of those five long years and although there have been other men here and there, none of them could nor would ever measure up to Damon.

"Do you know anything about him, Elena?"

"Meaning?"

"Do you know where he came from, you know where he grew up? What was his occupation?"

"I think he grew up in Indianapolis. He talked about working at the race track when he was in high school."

"Okay, that's something. Do you have a picture of him?"

"Yes." After staring at Caroline for a few moments, she pulls his picture out of her desk and hands it to him.

"I'll do my best to try to find him for you, Elena."

"Thank you, Elijah. I can't ask you for more than that." Standing up when he does, she shakes his hand and accompanies him to the door of her office. With a nod, he says goodbye and walks away, their eyes meeting one last time when he steps into the elevator.

"Damon, what are you doing out here?" Katherine asks, pulling her hood up over her head.

"Axe, wood, what does it look like?" he asks, shaking his head.

"Well duh!? But it's cold out here and we have plenty of wood chopped already. What's going on with you?"

"Not a thing, Katherine," he sighs. Putting the axe down, he carries to pieces of wood up towards the house, Katherine following behind. After stacking them up, he picks a few up again, carrying them into the house to add fuel to the fireplace. Once he finishes, he walks into the kitchen to pour himself a strong cup of coffee. Dropping onto one of the kitchen chairs, he rakes his hand through his hair and then takes a deep pull from his cup.

"Uncle Damon, whatcha doin?" his niece, Mandy asks as she crawls onto his lap.

"I'm just warming up."

Pressing her tiny hands on each side of his face, she squeezes his cheeks together, laughing at the fish face he makes. "You is cold." Pulling his face down, she gives him a sloppy kiss.

"Uncle Damon needed that," he tells her, hugging her close to his chest. Raising his eyes, he sees his sister standing in the doorway with her arms crossed, smiling at the two of them. After Elena walked away from him that Christmas Eve, he moved back to Indianapolis. It was a shock when he found out that his brother in law was abusing Katherine. The first thing he did was talk her into filing divorce papers. But Richard wasn't one to let a mere piece of paper stand in his way. Coming home to find the man terrorizing his family yet again, Damon fought back. He punched Richard with enough force to send him sprawling backwards, receiving a fatal blow when he hit his head on a rock. Damon spent thirty months in prison for manslaughter and although the stigma of ex con is now attached to him, Damon wouldn't change a thing. At least his sister and niece are safe. On the day he was released a year ago, Katherine and Mandy were waiting for him at the gate.

Fortunately, Damon's childhood friend, Nick owns a body shop in town and he hired Damon immediately. He's always loved to work on cars so it's been a good fit for the two of them. Then there's the fact that Nick is now dating Katherine. He's had a crush on her for years but after everything that went down with Richard, he knew she needed time to find herself again.

Having some of his inheritance tucked away, Damon bought a parcel of land in the Martinsville, Indiana area. Using his hands and with help from several of his childhood friends, he built a log home. Although the only family Damon ever imagined having was with her, the house is large enough should the earth turn on its axis and he meets someone else. But deep inside he knows that no one will ever be able to take her place in his heart. She was his only true love and even though he tries to keep it buried, he knows that his love for her still burns deep inside of him.

"Uncle Damon, can we go chop a Christmas tree down tomorrow?"

"I'd like that Mandy," he says, dropping a kiss to her hair. Picking up his coffee mug, he swallows what's left in it and then sets it back down. With the girl in his arms, he stands up and puts her on his shoulders to give her a piggyback ride up to her room. "I don't want to take a nap," she pouts when he sets her down on her bed.

"If you want me to chop drown a tree for you, you're going to have to take a nap."

"But uncle Damon."

"No buts. Close your eyes and go to sleep for awhile. I'm going to make some homemade chicken noodle soup for supper."

"Yummy. Will you hand me my dolly?"

With a smile on his face, he walks over to her dresser, pulls her big rag doll off of it and then hands it to her. Once she's snuggled up against her doll, he pulls up the covers and drops a kiss to her forehead. He takes the time to close the curtains and then walks out of her room, pulling the door closed behind him.

Laying on his back under the car, Damon picks up the wrench and starts working on the vehicle. With the radio playing in the background, he doesn't hear the sound of the door opening. Nick took the day off to do some holiday shopping with Katherine. Although Christmas for her and Mandy has been better since Richard died, this will be the first one that Damon is free to celebrate with them. He was freed just after the holiday a year ago. Despite the loneliness he still feels inside, he is looking forward to watching his niece open her presents. When the music stops, he slides out from under the car, stunned to see a man standing there.

After grabbing a rag to wipe the grease from his hands, Damon approaches him. "Can I help you?"

"I'm from out of town. My car is giving me a little grief. I was hoping you would be able to look at it so I can be on my way."

"Of course. What seems to be the matter?"

"The check engine light came on. I looked under the hood but I didn't see anything."

"Let me have a look," Damon says, raising the hood himself. Not seeing anything either, he tells Elijah to pull it into the garage. Once he does, Damon hooks it up to the diagnostic machine. Finding it's the oxygen sensor, he explains to Elijah that the O2 sensor is a critical part of the exhaust system and that replacing it will protect critical engine systems and keep his vehicle running at peak fuel efficiency.

"How much will it cost?"

"Around one hundred and fifty dollars. It shouldn't take more than an hour or so. You're welcome to stick around or there's a coffee shop just down the street if you'd rather not wait here."

"You from around here?" the man asks.

"I am an Indiana native but I grew up in Indianapolis. Yourself?"

"Forgive me, my name is Elijah Mikaelson and I grew up in New York City but I live in North Carolina now."

"Really? I lived there for a few months. It's beautiful there."

"It is a small world," Elijah adds, shaking Damon's hand. When Elijah starts to pry a little deeper, Damon looks at him curiously. "Sorry, I'm just trying to make conversation."

"No worries but I need to get busy on your car or you'll be stuck here another day."

"I'll leave you to it then. I'll just head down to that coffee shop you mentioned. Which way?" Elijah asks.

"It's about a block and half down the street," Damon says, pointing him in the right direction.

"I'll be back in about an hour." With that the man walks off and down the block. Shrugging his shoulders, Damon blows out a breath and then gets the part he needs to fix the man's vehicle.

Sitting at desk typing some reports, Elena doesn't even look up, just utters, "Come in," when she hears a rap on her office door. The sound of a chair moving causes her to look up. All of her nerve ending light up at the sight of him. Staring at him for a few seconds, Elena finally blurts out, "Elijah?"

"Hello Elena."

"Forgive me, would you like a cup of coffee?" she asks, standing up.

"Yes, it's cold outside," he adds, rubbing his hands together.

After pouring a cup for each of them, she's about to sit back down when Caroline bursts into the room.

"I saw Elijah walk in, I was hoping maybe you have some news for us." Shaking his head, albeit with a smile on his face, he takes a long drink from his cup. Keeping the hot cup in his hands, he looks at Elena.

"I do have some news, Elena. Your Damon is living with his sister and her daughter in a small town in Indiana."

Stunned speechless by the fact that her heart is hammering so hard against her chest that it literally pulls the air from her lungs, Elena's mouth falls open. Her eyes dart from his to Caroline's and back. She opens and closes her mouth a couple of times without any sound coming out. "His sister?" she asks when she can finally speak.

"That's a story in and of itself, Elena. She was in an abusive relationship with her husband. There was an altercation with Damon and the man ended up dead. Damon Salvatore spent two and half years in prison for manslaughter."

A startled gasp leaves Elena's lips, "Prison?"

"Yes, he's an ex con. He's working in a body shop in Martinsville. Well, it's small by our standards, approximately eleven thousand people live there."

"How did you find all this out? It's only been a few weeks."

"When you have a police record, it makes things easier. Are you sure you want to seek him out?"

"You said it was an altercation with his brother in law?"

"Yes. According to the police report, Damon walked in on Richard Lockwood when he was pummeling his sister. Damon went after him and when all was said and done, Lockwood was a dead man."

"Obviously it wasn't premeditated. He was trying to protect his sister."

"Yes, I would agree with you, Elena but.. he'll always have a prison record attached to his name. Do you want that kind of scandal, given your business?"

"Elena, you love him. Like you said, he was protecting his family. If anyone has a problem with it, you can tell them to go to hell."

With so much to take in, Elena sighs and presses her hand against her still clamoring heart. When she hears Caroline start to speak, she looks up at her best friend.

"As much as I don't want to bring this up, he may not want to rekindle your romance." After holding Elena's gaze for a few seconds, she turns to Elijah. "As long as you did so much digging, do you know if he's dating anyone, engaged, anything?"

"As far as I know, he doesn't have a girlfriend."

"The ball is in your court now, Elena," Caroline adds, giving Elena's shoulder a squeeze.

Taking a deep breath, Elena rubs her temples, her head suddenly throbbing. "Thank you, Elijah. I have some thinking to do. I'll see you out." Pushing her chair back, she stands up and walks him to the door. After giving him a hug and thanking him, she watches him disappear down the hallway. Pushing her door closed again, she turns around to find Caroline in front of her with open arms. As her tears begin to fall, Caroline embraces her and reassures her that whatever she decides, she'll always have her back.

Staring out the plane window, Elena nerves are on fire. Her plane is scheduled to land in Indianapolis in an hour. From there she'll rent a car and drive the forty six miles to Martinsville. Elijah gave her the street address of Damon's shop. After doing a little more digging, he also found his home address. Her belly is roiling so much so that she can feel the bile burn the back of her throat. It scares her to think that he may shun her and ask her to leave and never to darken his doorstep again. Always by her side, she looks to her left when she feels Caroline lacing their fingers together.

"Thanks for coming with me, Care. I'm so afraid that he'll reject me but I'm more afraid of not trying."

"We'll have our answer soon enough," she adds, using her head to gesture to the buckle seatbelts light that just came on. Elena feels her heart start to pound, pumping her blood at a furious pace with each beat. The roar in her ears is almost deafening. With clammy hands, she lets go of Caroline's and fastens her seatbelt. Turning her head to look out of the window, she watches as the ground gets closer and closer till finally she feels the jolt when the plane's wheels hit the runway. When the plane finally pulls into the gate, Elena and Caroline take their turn to step into the aisle to exit. As soon as Caroline pulls bags from the overnight storage container, they walk out and head directly to the luggage carousel assigned to their flight. Because they don't know how short this trip may be, they only packed one suitcase for the two of them.

Once they retrieve it, they head over to the car rental area choosing a four wheel drive in case it snows. Setting the coordinates of Martinsville into the car's GPS system. Since Elena is too on edge to drive, Caroline gets behind the wheel. Although it seems to take forever, they finally pull into the town. After securing a motel room, they drive to the body shop where Damon works. Finding it locked up, Caroline stops the car and asks Elena what she wants to do. "I wonder why it's closed so early. It's only two o'clock," Elena mentions, looking out of her window.

"We've come this far, Elena. Let's go out to his place. Elijah gave us his address."

"I guess you're right. I won't know unless I face him."

Taking her hand in hers, Caroline gives it a squeeze. With a smile to reassure her friend, Caroline puts the car in gear and drives to the address that they were given. Turning into the long driveway, Elena is taken aback when she sees the grand log home. She can't help but wonder how he could possibly afford such a place on a mechanic's salary. Putting that aside for now, she swallows past the lump in her throat and steps out of the car as soon as Caroline stops the engine. Grabbing her purse, Caroline steps beside her as they walk to the front door. With a shaky hand, she raises it to push on the doorbell.

Several moments pass like hours till someone finally opens the door. It's a little girl, around four. Elena guesses that she must be Damon's niece that Elijah mentioned. "Mommy, there's some people here," she yells aloud. Hearing footsteps approach, Elena smiles when she sees the woman. She looks a lot like Damon but her eyes are brown. Her hair piled into a messy bun on top of her head.

"Can I help you?" she asks.

"I came to see Damon," Elena tells her.

"You know my brother?"

"Yes, I do. We met when he lived in North Carolina. I was hoping to be able to talk to him."

"You're her?" Katherine gasps.

Speechless, Elena just looks at her, finally adding, "You know who I am?"

"Yes, I know who are, Elena. He is my brother, we talk... Forgive my manners. Come in. I'm Katherine, this is my daughter, Mandy. We're making some Christmas cookies. Damon has a bit of sweet tooth this time of year." She leads her guests into the kitchen and offers them each a cup of hot cocoa. "It'll warm you up. It's Damon's recipe."

"Uncle Damon likes to put stuff in his hot chocolate but mommy won't let me taste it the way he likes it," Mandy explains, crawling onto the chair beside Elena.

"He likes to add Bailey's," Katherine laughs as she pulls a sheet of cookies out of the oven. "Can I ask you why you're here? This will be Damon's first Christmas since he got out of prison. I want it to be special for him. He doesn't need anymore pain, Elena."

"My hope is that my presence won't cause him pain. I love your brother, Katherine. I just wasn't ready to admit that when we were together so I walked out on what we had. Believe me, I know how it must look..., " Elena adds, raising her eyes first to Caroline and then to Katherine. "But at that time, my head and my heart were at war with one another. I had been in an emotionally abusive relationship... I.. I couldn't accept that he loved me. I only hope that I'm not too late."

"I can't speak for Damon. But I need you to promise me that whatever he decides... you'll accept it."

"I will. If he wants nothing to do with me, Caroline and I will be out of here tomorrow," she starts to say, keeping her eyes focused on her. Just as Katherine is about to open her mouth, the closing of a door grabs their attention.

When he yells, "I smell cookies," her hearts starts jackhammering inside of her chest so painfully that it takes her breath away. Before she can even process hearing his voice again, he's standing in the doorway, a shocked look on his face.

"Elena?" he asks, his eyes drifting to Katherine.

"Yes, Damon. It's me."

"I don't understand," he asks, his eyes drifting to his sisters. "Why are you here? Ripping my insides out once wasn't enough for you?" he snaps. With one final glare, he hurries out of the kitchen. The slamming of a door is the next sound they hear.

After grabbing his axe, Damon stalks through the trees and towards the clearing. Confusion and anger warring inside of his body is causing his belly to roil painfully. As soon as he reaches the clearing, he yells as loud as he can, cursing her and the fates, damning them back to hell. And then he's angry at himself for cursing her because he still loves her although he struggles to explain why. Feeling his throat thicken and his heart thrumming chaotically inside, his breath comes in pants. Picking up a thick log, he sets it upright and wields the axe with the power of Atlas. Once one log is split he does a second and a third and despite his anger, the biggest part of him hopes she'll follow. Dropping the axe, he stares at the sky above with the word "why" repeatedly escaping from his mouth.

With tears in her eyes, Elena takes the Kleenex that Katherine offers her. Urging Mandy to get up, Katherine sits down beside Elena. Taking her hands in hers, she gives them a squeeze. "He's hurt, Elena. I know it's hard to be rejected but he's in shock. He hasn't seen you in what, five years? You came all this way, surely you won't give up without a fight?"

"I love him enough to let him go. I don't want to cause him anymore pain."

"You'll be causing him and yourself more pain if you don't go after him. There's place in the woods behind the house that he likes to go to think. Go after him."

Taking a deep breath and with a nod from Caroline, she gets up. "Show me," Elena asks, her hands shaking when she tries to put her gloves back on. Katherine leads her to the sliding glass doors and points her in the right direction. "If I get lost, you won't let me die will you?"

"I promise, we won't let you die. Go," she says, giving Elena a quick hug before sliding the door open. With a glance back at Caroline, she walks outside and in the direction Katherine pointed out for her. Hands in her pockets, she walks slowly till she hears grunts. Reaching the clearing, she sees Damon chopping wood, his strong back and firm arms setting her blood on fire. Closing her eyes, she remembers how good it used to feel to be enveloped in those same arms. Forcing her legs forward, she walks around so he can see her. Staring at her, he lowers the axe and splits another log.

"Do you know what you did to me? To my life?"

"I'm sorry, Damon."

"Yeah well, everybody is sorry about something," he snaps, dropping the axe.

"Look, I didn't come here to hurt you, Damon. And I'm sorry that I took so long to come after you but I love you, Damon. I know that's hard to believe after the way I pushed you away but it's true. I have no excuses for what I did other than I was afraid. Mason hurt me badly, Damon. I didn't believe that love was ever in the cards for me and then you came along and turned my life upside and inside out. I wasn't ready for it then but I am now if you can find it in your heart to give us another chance."

Staring at her, he turns away, dropping to his knees on the forest floor. Not willing to let him shut her out, she walks around him and then drops to her knees too. Placing her hands on either side of his face, she stares into his eyes. Unable to stop herself, she presses her lips to his. Damon stares motionlessly, too stunned to kiss her back. Pulling back, Elena feels tears begin to trail down her cheeks. "Goodbye, Damon," she whispers. Knowing that it'll have to last her a lifetime, she steals one more kiss from his lips before standing up. It takes every ounce of strength she has but she forces herself to turn around and put one foot in front of the next. Just as she reaches the edge of the clearing, she feels him grab her arm, whipping her against his chest. Unable to say anything, Damon kisses her with everything in him. When her lips part, he dips his tongue into the warm confines of her mouth. Her moan sets his own blood aflame, the heat in his belly burning out of control. Needing air, he breaks the kiss and clutches her against his chest.

"What took you so long?"

Christmas two years Later:

Sitting in front of the roaring fire and admiring their Christmas tree which is prominently displayed in front of the big bay window, Elena closes her eyes and leans back against her husband's firm chest. She's wrapped in his arms his hands splayed on either side of her now bulging belly. Elena can't help but think back over the last year. They're in a very good place now but when they first reunited, Damon still had a lot of anger built up inside of him. Although forgiveness came easily, the forgetting part was an entirely different story. On one particular night, it all came to a head. Katherine and Mandy were spending the night with Nick when suddenly Damon erupted. Because she knew he needed to release all the anger he held inside, she let him ramble on. When she'd finally heard enough, she explained everything that Mason had done to her. With both their chests heaving in anger, they came together in a flurry of tangled limbs and clothes flying haphazardly around the room.

Surprising him, Elena grabs the bottoms of his shirt and pulls it, sending the buttons flying and bouncing off of the hard wood floor. Not to be outdone, Damon does the same to her button down. With her nod, Damon releases her breasts from the confines of her bra. His eyes widening when he sees her ample bosom for the first time in years. Cupping them, he marvels at how they still fit perfectly in his hands. Feeling a sense of empowerment when she sees the sinfully sexy look on his face, she wastes no time in unbuttoning his shorts and pushing them down his legs. When she stands, he lowers hers, revealing their naked bodies to each other again.

"You're still so exquisite, Elena. I love you, I never stopped."

"I love you too, Damon. Pulling her to him, Damon captures her lips in a mind altering kiss. Laying her down, he spreads her legs, dropping his mouth to her core. Using his teeth and tongue and fingers, she is a writhing mess in zero point two seconds flat. Pushing his middle finger inside, Damon uses his tongue to work her clit, licking and nipping and sucking it till she erupts in a haze of bright lights and an array of brilliant colors. As soon as she regains her senses, she spreads her legs, inviting him to take his place in the cradle of her legs. As he watches her surrender herself to the throes of passion, Damon is enraptured by her beauty.

"I want you inside of me, Damon."

Taking himself in hand, he rubs the head up and down her wet and tender flesh to lubricate himself. When he does, she bucks her hips up, urging him to push forward. Wanting it as much as she does, Damon presses himself inside, joining them for the first time in years. "Oh God," she moans, feeling every glorious inch as Damon drives forward, stretching her deliciously. She can hardly see straight when she realizes how deep he is. Emboldened by the effect he's having on her, Damon pulls out and drives back in, the feeling of being connected to her overpowers all rational thought. Picking up the pace, pressing deeper, harder and faster, she raises her hips to meet each of his forward strokes.

Running her hands over the sinuous musculature of his Adonis like sculpted chest, she hangs on for dear life as he continues his punishing but altogether divine pace. Loving the feeling of being connected so intimately with him, she moans and whimpers as if in prayer. Lowering her hands, she digs her nails into the curve of his ass pulling him in even deeper.

"You feel so damn good, I love you so much," Damon pants, working hard not only for her pleasure but for his own too. Without missing a stroke, he flips them, letting her ride him. Using his hands to find purchase on her hips, he helps her to slide along the long hard length of him over and over again. Her pleasure increasing exponentially each time her clit rubs against his pubic bone. When she throws her head back her breasts lurch forward. Damon wraps his lips around one nipple, suckling and nipping, elongating it, first on one side and then the other. Taking his hand, he starts to vigorously massage her clit. In the next second, she screams, rocketing into the most intense orgasm of her life. Bright lights flash behind her eyes once more, her body quivers as chill bumps begin to dot her skin. With her body still shuddering, Damon slams into her one more time, his own climax nearly taking him out at the knees. Collapsing onto his chest, she listens to his heart as it thrums chaotically against her ear. A lazy smile forms on her lips knowing that she did this to him. Wrapping his arms around her, he holds her impossibly closer because he never wants this to end.

When their baby moves, Elena startles from her memory. With a smile on her face, she looks over her shoulder at her husband's now beaming face.

"I love that feeling," he says softly, rubbing that spot, hoping their baby will brush against his palm again.

"I love it too. I sometimes have to pinch myself. You're here and we're married and going to have a baby. It just seems to good to be true."

"It's real, Elena. I love you," he adds, dropping a kiss to the top of her head.

"I love you too.. Um, are you sure the turkey is big enough?" Elena asks, shifting her position so she can face him.

"It's a twenty five pounder. I had to go out and buy a bigger roaster."

"Well, we have Katherine, Nick, Mandy, baby Eliot, Caroline, her boyfriend Stefan and Elijah and his wife, Eva will all be here."

"We have a twenty five pound turkey, Mrs. Salvatore, I think we'll be eating turkey for the next two weeks."

"That's okay. I like turkey," she adds, leaning in to capture his lips. Cradling her cheeks, he uses his hands to tilt her head so he can deepen the kiss. When they part, he stands up and offers her hand. As soon as she's on her feet, he wraps an arm around her shoulders to lead her to their bedroom. Once inside, he closes the door because all he wants to do is recreate that memory for her over and over again.

I love you dearly, Eva and wanted to surprise you. I hope you like it. Biting nails.

Please remember to review. They mean the world to me and Eva will appreciate it too.

I will be posting another Christmas story in addition to "Same Old Lang Syne" soon. I also have "I Can't Escape Myself" and "Through the Fire and Flames" in progress.

Have a safe and wonderful day and thank you all again.