N: Hey guys, I really hope you like this little one shot. I decided to keep it cannon because most of the stories seemed to be as far away from cannon as possible. As mentioned in the summery, this was written for the A2A exchange on LJ.

Please don't forget to review!

Ps: I took too long to write so I didn't have time to send this to my beta, I hope there aren't too many mistakes and I apologize for the ones you might find. If you find any major ones, please let me know in your review or a PM and I will try fixing it as soon as possible; thanks!

The perfect gift

It was a dark, cold night. The fog was covering Mystic Falls, making it look like a deserted town from a horror movie where a bunch of young people will adventure just to be killed one by one until there's only one left. A strange noise came from a bunch of bushes and Elena looked in the direction the noise came from as she squeezed the crossbow tighter underneath her cloak. Elena's phone starting vibrating in her right pocket and she immediately reached for the device. A part of her still hoped in was Damon, but all her hopes died once she read Caroline's name on the screen. She ignored the call, just like she did every time the blonde vampire would call and she placed the phone back in her pocket. Maybe it was better that Damon was doing such a good job avoiding her. She wanted to surprise Damon and lying to him was like lying to an unbeatable lie-detector.

After a few more minutes that took Elena deeper into the forest, she stopped, placed her weapon on the ground and pulled a tiny, purple rock from her pocket. She crushed the rock in the palm of her hand and predictable enough it turned into dust. Elena took in a deep breath and blew the dust all around her. The dust floated around for a few long moments before moving deeper yet into the forest, creating an illuminated path for Elena to follow. Twenty or so minutes later Elena finally arrived at the destination. The purple dust went right through the door of the old wooden cabin and a minute later the door opened.

"Are you sure you haven't been followed?" the woman asked from inside the cabin. All Elena could see from under her oversized cloak was some of her incredibly white hair, cascading on each side all the way to the woman's waist.

"Yes, I am sure," Elena said confidently. Who would follow her anyway? Stefan was barely talking to her, she and Caroline were on the odds, Jeremy and Bonnie returned to campus to take advantage of the free dorm-room. If Damon wouldn't have decided that she'd be better off without him Elena would've thought he might be following her to make sure she was alright, but Damon had been avoiding her even since he broke up with her. There was no one left to follow her.

The woman came out of the cabin keeping her head bent to make sure Elena will not get a glance of her face. From the posture, statue and the color of her hair, Elena guessed the woman was very old, but her hands seemed smooth as a baby's.

"Did you get what I asked for?" she asked and Elena nodded as she told her she had everything. She handed to the old woman a handkerchief that seemed to be soaked in blood, a man's ring and a few pictures.

"Are you sure this would work?" Elena asked softly.

"It will, but like I said, only for six hours, no more, no less. And you have to make sure nothing happens to the anchor."

"Nothing will," Elena assured her.

***D&E***

Elena took off her black cloak and left it in the car. She hesitated for a few moments in front of the Boarding house door. The memory of Damon opening that door what seemed like a life time ago came to her mind.

"If you wanted me dead I'll be dead," Elena said confidently and Damon admitted she was right with a slight nod. "But I am not," she went on gaining more confidence.

"Yet. You are not dead yet," he said enjoy the way Elena's expression changed from confident to scared and unsure in a few seconds.

A small smile appeared on her lips at the memory. She tried to recall a time when she didn't love him so damn much, a time when her heart wouldn't break every time she looked his way, a time when she didn't miss him like a vital part for herself had been ripped away, but she couldn't. In some way or another he had been part of her from the start. From the very beginning when she had met him at the party she and Matt had their biggest fight, he connected with her in ways no one else before or since.

She pushed the door open and stepped inside. It was the first time in two weeks she was back inside the Boarding house. Predictably enough she found Damon in the living-room, by the fireplace with a drink in his hand. He seemed so caught up staring into the flames that Elena thought for a movement he hadn't noticed she was there.

"What are you doing here, Elena?" he asked coldly. More than once Elena had wondered if Damon had turned off his emotions, but then he would look at her, his eyes matching the pain residing into hers. They were both torturing each other, because that was just what they did. There would be no happily ever after for them, no peace and tranquillity, they were both too passionate and too stubborn for that. "You are still living with Bonnie, right?" he went on seeing she wasn't answering.

"Yes," Elena said simply.

"Do you need something? Stefan's not here. He still refuses to come home even if you moved out," he said, keeping his back turned.

"No, I know Stefan's not here, I am not here to see Stefan; I am here to see you."

"I thought we agreed to stay out of each other's way for a while," Damon said and judging by the movement of his elbow Elena guessed he took a sip of his drink.

"No, you agreed to that, I don't remember being consulted in the matter," Elena shouted. She hadn't realized she had done so until after the last word came out of her mouth. She didn't mean to shout, but being a vampire, she realized gave her little to no control over her emotions. She remembered Stefan telling her it would take a few years before she will be able to stop acting on impulse of strong emotions.

"I wasn't your choice to make, it was mine. Is that why you are here to try to change my mind?" he asked and Elena swallowed with difficulty, doing her best to keep from breaking down right there and cry and beg for him to take her back and put a stop to the never-ending pain in her chest.

"I still think you should stop making decisions in my place, but that is not why I am here. I have a Christmas present for you," she said. She took a few steps towards Damon, but stopped once she noticed her words had no effect on him.

"Christmas was two days ago."

"I know that. Certain things had to be in certain places in order for your gift to be…made. You are a pain to shop for, did you know that?" she asked in a failed attempt to lighten the mood enough so that he will turn around.

"Just leave it on the table; I'll get to it later."

"It's not an object. I thought I should get you something you need. You'll have six hours, I'm afraid at midnight he'll vanish," she made a gesture with her hand, but then she remembered Damon can's see her. She turned around, slowly making her way towards the entrance-hall. In the doorway, she stopped and turned around once more. "I love you, Damon. If I have to wait eternity for you I will. Merry Christmas!" and with that she vanished.

A second later Damon turned around ready to say something, but the words died on his lips as he turned around to find nothing but thin air in the place Elena had been just seconds prior. A moment later Damon heard the engine of her car and the piercing noise of scratching tires letting him know that Elena was gone.

Damon didn't realize he was tightening the grip on his glass until it broke in his hand. He cursed loudly and walked towards the liquor cabinet. This time he didn't bother with a glass. He grabbed the bottle and took a few gulps.

"That won't help. You should know that by now," a voice came from not too far behind. Damon almost dropped the bottle. It couldn't be. He must be imagining things, Damon thought. But he wasn't even close to being drunk yet.

"Ric?" he asked unsure, avoiding turning around so the illusion of having his best friend there wouldn't vanish. He remembered Elena's words about his present, but he didn't want to allow himself to believe. Was in even possible?

"The one and only. Apparently you have been very good this year, because you are getting me for Christmas."

Finally, Damon decided to turn around. Amazingly enough, his best friend was standing just a few feet away. "How is that even possible?"

"Maybe the universe decided to get me here to talk some sense into you before you end up screwing everything up beyond repair," Alaric said walking towards Damon who was smiling slightly, for the first time in weeks. They hugged and Damon didn't care it didn't look too manly, when Alaric pulled back, Damon pulled him right back into another tight hug.

"Easy there tiger, you wouldn't want to crush Jeremy now would you?"

"What is Jeremy got to do with anything?" Damon asked raising his eyebrows.

"In order to do the spell, Elena had to provide a human anchor, Jeremy volunteered. He decided, and I agree with him, that you need a friend."

"No matter what I do, I always seem to end up babysitting a Gilbert."

Alaric pointed at the bottle that Damon placed on the table before hugging him. "Are you going to share or should I go get my own?" he asked and Damon grabbed a glass and poured a generous portion before handing it to the good old teacher. After two big gulps, Alaric licked his lips and placed the glass on the table where the bottle had been moments ago. "Damn I missed the taste of your precious bourbon. Now, let's talk about how you are managing to ruin the best think that's ever happen to you," Alaric urged and Damon looked away.

"Ric, you know as well as I do she's better off without me."

"That's her decision to make not yours."

"I am trying to protect her."

"No, you are trying to protect yourself. You're scared she will betray you like everyone else did. Your mother by dying to young and leaving you and your brother alone, your father because he could never bring himself to believe in you, Stefan for forcing you to turn, Katherine, for trading you for your brother, me by turning against you. I know you're afraid that she and Stefan have that destiny to end up together thing going on and it scares you. You fear the possibility of Elena betraying you by going back to Stefan." Alaric waited for Damon's reaction for a moment. "Tell me I am wrong!" he urged his friend.

"Look at Katherine, man. Five hundred years and the only guy she is still hung up on is my brother."

"Are you actually comparing Elena and Katherine? You might have more problems than I thought," Alaric commented.

"You don't understand. When Stefan was in trouble they both sensed it," Damon said bitterly. "Anyway, Elena and I can't be together because of me. She and Stefan had nothing to do with my decision."

"She chose you."

"Then she chose wrong. We both know she has a tendency to make stupid decisions."

***D&E***

Elena turned off her phone right after she got home. She'd been living with Bonnie even since Damon told her they have to break up. Caroline had come by multiple times trying to talk to Elena, but she had refused to see her. There was a strong chance Elena wouldn't have liked what Caroline had to say so she had decided to not even try. The last thing Elena wanted to hear was Caroline telling her that the break up up was for the best.

After three bottles of wine, she went to bed. In the top drawer by her bed there was just one, simple, black shirt; Damon's shirt. When she left the boarding house after taking Damon's indifference for three whole days, she packed only a few things. Damon's shirt was the first thing she packed. After putting the shirt on and rubbing some cream on her hands, elbows and knees, she collapse in bed and was fast asleep before she had a chance to think about anything else, just like she wanted to. That was her ritual even since she left the Boarding house: get drunk, sleep, wake up and get drunk again. It was the only way she could think of to get her through every day without turning off her emotions.

*DE*

After the second knock on the door, Elena jumped out of bed. In a blink of an eye she was opening the door. She expected it to be Caroline in another attempt to talk to her or Bonnie coming back a day early and she forgot her key she suspected everyone except the person that was now standing in front of her. She tried to find something to say but her mind refused to think of anything, plus her head was pounding a little because off the amount of wine she drank in rapport to the little more than an hour sleep she had.

"Hey," Damon said casually. It seemed he had the same problem she did. They were both just staring at each other as if they were waiting for something to happen.

"Hey," she answered simply.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

"Everyone's dead so I guess you can," she said moving aside. All off a sudden she was mad and she couldn't tell exactly why. Damon stepped inside and Elena closed the door behind him with a little more force than necessary.

"If you came here to tell me to stay away from you it's quite contra productive," she crossed her arms in front of her chest as a way to protect herself from all the physical pain that being so close to him caused her. The gesture made the shirt she was wearing rise and reveal her black boy-shorts. Elena became aware of how little she was wearing and wished she would've taking the time to put something on before answering the door.

Damon's eyes traveled all over Elena's figure from head to toe. He really hoped Elena would be too preoccupied trying to cover herself to notice the effect she had on him.

"Actually, I came here to thank you for your gift. It's the most amazing thing anyone's ever done for me. I am sure the price you had to pay was not cheap. You put Jeremy in harm's way again, that couldn't have been easy."

"He volunteered. Did you and Ric have a good time?"

"We did after he stopped trying to convince me that I should change my mind about us," Elena looked away. "Look, I already –"

"Save it, Damon! Don't try to tell me how you are doing this to protect me; because you are not, you are doing it because you are a coward. I guess it's just easier for you to not try, because it's easier to not fight, and that has nothing to do with me."

"You don't know what I am capable of," Damon cursed under his lips. Did she really think that any of this was easy for him? Didn't she understand that letting her go was the hardest thing he had to do in his long life?

"Oh I do. I know very well what you are capable of, Damon. There was never a doubt in my mind about who you are. I know the things you've done, because you did them to me," he anger was starting to mix with her pain, her frustration and lust that was burning in her veins for the man standing in front of her. Tears were pouring down her cheeks despite her better judgment. She was still trying to find a way to cope with having her emotions being heightened and she didn't seem to be doing a very good job with it. "I know the things you've done, Damon," she said in a softer tone. "Using my friend as a personal blood bank, almost killing my best friend, killing my brother," after passing her hand through her messy hair she took a deep breath. "But you have changed. Now you are trying to protect and help my friends and you saved their lives a few times."

"That's bullshit and you know it. I did all that for you; I couldn't care less about your friends. I am still a monster, my tactics changed, that's all."

"No, you are not that person anymore," Elena insisted.

"I'd admit, I tried, but after so many years of doing the things I've done, after killing so many people, I don't think I can be anyone else. It's too late Elena. You might've saved me eighty, seventy years ago, but you are simply too late now."

"Remember that night, after Tylor bit you," Damon nodded. Coming so close to being dead was not something anyone forgets that easily. "You told me you wished I met you when you were human, that I would've liked you then. Why? Why do you think I would've liked you then?"

Damon let out a loud sigh. "Because, Elena, I was nice and polite. I was a lot like you. I was a dreamer, a romantic that still believed in happy endings. Despite my father never believing in me, I always believed in others, just like you, seeing the best in people and trying to save them even if I knew there was no hope."

"Just like didn't give up on me even when I didn't even like you, or how you didn't give up on me when I was prepared to sacrifice myself or when I let go of my emotions and I hurt you more than I could ever make up for?" Elena reached for Damon's hand, but changed her mind right before touching him. The thought of feeing his skin, the thought of having him so close just so he can leave her again was too much for Elena to bear at the moment.

"That's different."

"How?" she asked but got no answer. "Your humanity is still in there, Damon, because if you were right and that part of you was really gone then you wouldn't have been able to love me the way you do, you wouldn't bother protecting me and the people I care about. I am sure that Damon is still somewhere in there, you just have to try harder. Admitting my feelings for you was one of the hardest things I had to do, but not because of who you are, because of who I am. I feel in love with you despite being with someone else. We've hurt people, Damon. You're telling me all of it was for nothing, all we've been through and all we've done for each other doesn't mean anything for you? Then maybe you should've done me a favor and shoved that cure down my throat, at least then I knew a day will come when I'll be able to let go of the pain. But no, you had to give me eternity and then rip away my heart. Now I have to live forever with this giant whole in my chest." Now it was Damon's turn to want to reach for her, except unlike Elena, his impulsive nature was too strong for him to stop and think of the consequences. His arms closed around her shaking body and then many things happened at once: her scent invaded his nostrils, her hair started caressing his chin, her tears starred soaking his shirt and her hands reached right back to get a hold of him. "You've done so many bad things, but I forgave you for all of them, I stood by you no matter what, do you really think I'd stop now?" she asked. "I want us to try together, to fight together for what we want and become the people we want to be."

"God, Elena you don't understand. If anything happened to you," he posed for a few seconds and Elena took advantage of the silence to cut in.

"I think it's time you stop taking care of me all the time and we'll start taking care of each other," she raised her hand and cupped his cheek. The last bit of restrain he had left vanished as he looked into her doe brown eyes. After all, he'd never been too strong when it came to her. "Please," Elena whispered as she stood on her tiptoes. "Don't let me go, fight for me; fight for us," she mumbled, her lips brushing slightly over his.

"I want to," Damon murmured into Elena's mouth. "God, you have no idea how much I want to," he went on, his hands sliding slowly on Elena's long, smooth legs. Without losing any time, she wrapped her legs around his waist and in a split second her back cracked slightly as Damon pressed her into the wall. "We're gonna tear each other apart," Damon said as he started pressing hot, wet kisses down Elena's throat. Elena let her head fall against the wall, letting out a long moan.

"I don't care," she screamed and Damon cupped her face, forcing her to look at him. He didn't have to say anything; Elena could see it all in his eyes. She's always been able to see it all into his eyes, even things he didn't see himself. "As long as you're there to pick up the pieces, you can tear me apart as many times as you need."

Damon kissed her tenderly, once, twice, and then he pulled back and whispered: "You don't know what you're giving up."

"Anything I have to give up it's worth it," Elena answered with a smile. "Damon, you and I, it will never be easy," her fingers started working on the tiny buttons of is shirt. "But I would rather have that then love someone else half way," she pushed the clothing over his shoulders and turned them around so that Damon was now the one with the back pressed against the wall. Her lower lip traveled from his jaw all the way to his ear. "I've missed you," she whispered between heavy breaths and Damon's eyes rolled in the back of his head. He opened all the buttons to the shirt she was wearing, making a mental note for himself to comment about the fact that she stole one of his shirts. Predictable enough she wasn't wearing a bra so Damon proceeded to cupping one of her breasts and teasing her hardening nipple.

Without even realizing, they made it to the living-room. In one rushed movement Damon brushed the ornaments off the table and placed Elena on it, dragging her bottom all the way to the edge of the table as he took her panties off. Elena thought he looked hungry and she was the main plate. He started with her neck, nibbling and kissing every sensitive spot. When he got to her chest, Damon moved his left hand from her legs to cup one of her breasts while taking care of the other one with his mouth.

"Damon" she moaned and Damon stopped for a second.

"I love the way you say my name," his tongue found its way into her bellybutton. "There is just so much," he continued his path along her hip bone, her joints and finally her core. "Passion," he finished and finally his tongue made contact with her heated center.

Elena let out a loud moan and her fingers got a grip of the table beneath her. Damon's tongue stated making up and down movements all over her labia and stopped for a double take once he got to her erect bundle of nerves that seemed to be begging for his attention. He was still as good as he remembered and Elena decided not to think of the many times he must've practiced on someone who wasn't her. He pressed his thumb right on top of her clit applying a little pressure and moving it in small circles. About five seconds later, Elena could feel his slippery tongue stubbornly pushing at her entrance.

She cried out his name again and again as she came. When she recovered, she pushed herself off the table. Damon was nowhere in sight. Elena made her way towards the kitchen and when she realized he wasn't there, she used her vampire speed to get to her bedroom. As predicted, she found him lying on her bed, completely naked. His lips and chin were still wet from her juices and as her eyes slid lower she realized he was stroking himself in lazy, slow movements. Elena found the image beyond erotic. She wanted him with every bone in her body, so listening to her needs, she advanced towards the bed.

"I thought you left," she said quietly.

"No you didn't," Damon called her on her lie. "A part of you must know I would never leave you," he goes on, his voice just a whisper, matching hers, bringing them closer and creating an intimate moment. Once Elena got close enough, Damon reached for her, pulling her naked body against his. He turned them around so that Damon's body's was covering Elena's. She loved the feeling his body pressed against her gives her.

"And a part of me dies every time I think you could leave me one day," she said. She stroked his cheek softly and as she did so a few tears left her eyes. "Make love to me, Damon," Elena begged biting her lip to keep in all the emotions that overwhelmed her every time she looked at him.

Damon doesn't wait to be told twice, he allows his throbbing erection to slide into her welcoming silk. His fingers tangled in her long, brown hair and he pulled her in for a long, passionate kiss that Elena could feel all the way inside her belly.

And he did, he made love to her; sweet, passionate love for hours. Between moans and cries of pleasure, they promised each other forever, even if they knew it might swallow them whole and tear them apart.