N: Hi guys, it's been like…forever since I posted something. Author2Author exchange, feels now to me like another Christmas tradition so I had to go for it. You don't mess with Christmas right? Hopefully this is not too dreadful. Not very detailed smut like you guys are used to from me. I unfortunately did not have a lot of time for this, so I preferred to keep it brief rather than write bad quality smut.

Thank you Morgan (morvamp) for your quick beta work and for being a supporting, amazing, long distance friend!

Well, I hope you will enjoy this for what it is and not be to mad for what it is not.

Love you guys, I wish you all the best for this New Year and don't forget to review!

One Last Christmas

Elena opened her eyes and realized with a sigh that it was still dark outside. Which meant she woke up too early again. She turned around with a small wince of pain; the clock on the bedside table informed her that it was only 5:12am. Biting her lip from the effort, she stretched her hand to touch the old-fashioned lamp near the clock and a soft yellowish light filled the room. A bone cracked somewhere in her body as she manoeuvered herself into a sitting position. Being old sucked. Yet, deep down, Elena knew she had no right to complain. It had been her choice to live, grow up… grow old. She choose life over immortality and progress over stagnation. Not everyone had the opportunity to be young forever, but she did, and she chose not to. Being human had always been one of Elena Gilbert's most prised possession. Now that she could feel the end approaching so fast, she felt that she might've made the wrong choice. Each time this happened, she remembered her children and just like that, she knew she made the right choice.

With trembling, wrinkled hands, Elena tried to smooth out her blue night gown. Looking down, the color reminded her of a different time in her life. A time when she was young and beautiful, fit to participate at the Miss Mystic Falls. She wore a dress of the same color as the night gown she was now in.

A smile appeared on her face as she remembered the way she danced with him.

It had been beautiful, magical even. That had been the first time Elena allowed herself to really appreciate just how sexy he was. Of course, she noticed it from the first moment they met, but she was not supposed to. Yes, it came back to her now, the first time they met, as if it just happened the other day. She'd just had a huge fight with Matt. Deep down she knew, she always knew that Matt was not "the one". Sweet and carrying Matt… he died just a few years back.

At the memory, Elena shook her head as if she was trying to chase the memory away. She wanted to go back to the memory when she first met him. Her parents were still alive then. They were about to come get her. That was why she was standing at the edge of the road. He had been a beautiful, mysterious stranger. A stranger who somehow knew what she wanted after knowing her for three seconds and had told her he hoped she'd get it.

In a way, she had. The time she spent with him and his brother, all they'd been through had counted as adventure, passion and danger. Sometimes, too much danger. He made a mark on her from that night and no one besides Elena knew just how much he affected her since.

Later on, when they met again "for the first time" she couldn't understand why she felt so connected to him. It took her years to get the answer to that question, years before she was turned and her compelled memories rushed back to her. And when those came back, that night when they first met was not the only thing she remembered. She also remembered the most beautiful, selfless and heartbreaking declaration of love she had ever witnessed. How could he had ever thought of himself as selfish was beyond Elena's comprehension. He had been one of the most selfless people she had ever met.

"Mom," a woman's voice interrupted Elena's thoughts. With hesitation, she shifted her stare from her lap to the doorway. Her eyes found the woman just as she entered the room and closed the door behind her. She smiled broadly at Elena before making her way towards the bed. The woman looked very familiar to Elena, but she had trouble remembering her name. She was tall and lean. Her hair was black as night and her eyes were of a warm brown, just like hers.

The woman took a seat by the edge of the bed and Elena noticed she had something in her hand. It looked like a tiny plastic glass.

"The nurse is telling me you refuse to take your pills, mom. Again," the woman said with a sigh.

'Mom', the word resonated in Elena's mind before her memories resurfaced.

Yes, now she remembered.

The woman seated by the edge of the bed was her daughter. It all came back to her just as fast as it went away. Her whole life played before her closed eyelids, like a movie on fast forward. She never married. No relationships lasted more than a few months, except the one she had with the father of her children. That one lasted for twelve years.

Finally, Dorian came to the conclusion that she didn't love him as much as he loved her. He realized she never would and decided it was not the kind of relationship he wanted to be in for the rest of his life and left her. They reconnected a year later and stayed friends since, raising their children together, yet apart. She stopped trying to build a new relationship after that, because she knew that she would never love another man as much as she loved him.

She remembered their last conversation perfectly, because she played it in her mind a thousand times.

"You deserve whatever you want, Elena. After all you've been through, if a human life with children and a swing on the front porch is what you want, you should have it," he told her. "I love you enough to let you go. One thing though."

"What's that?" she asked. Tears were fighting to break out from the prison of her eyes. She was afraid that if she allowed herself to cry, she would never stop. She needed to be strong or she would give in and never give him up. Her choice was made. She wanted to be human, to be alive.

"If you have a girl. A beautiful girl with your chocolate brown eyes, promise me you will name her Clarissa. I have always loved this name and since I will never be able to-"

"I promise," she interrupted. She couldn't let him go on. Because she knew, even if she would never tell him, she knew he was the one she wanted to have a little girl with. Unfortunately, there was only one cure and it was resting now in the palm of her hand. And even if they managed to find another cure, Damon had told her clearly that he didn't want to be human. Not anymore. It was too late for him. It had been too long since his heart had beaten.

"Clarissa, I don't want to take the pills. We both know they are useless. I am 97 years old, at this point nothing helps," Elena said. Her voice was a little hoarse, but just as strong as always.

For some reason, the memory of the first time she yelled at him popped up into her mind.

She told him that people dying around him mattered. Even then she could see right through him and she knew that no matter how much he pretended nothing got to him, it was all a façade. Elena knew not a lot of people understood him, but she did. She always had. Maybe because he let her…only her. A simple look into those breathtaking blue-gray eyes of his and she knew what he was feeling.

"Take them anyway. For me," her daughter urged giving Elena the puppy dog eyes. The eyes she used on him so many times.

How well she remembered begging him for the device that almost killed him later on. The building had been burning with him inside. A wall of fire was between her and him. She thought for a second he might've already been dead and the thought burned worse than the fire ever could. So, without much hesitation, she reached for the door. Luckily, Bonnie stopped her and helped Stefan get his brother out.

"Damon," Elena whispered softly. There were so many things she wished she could tell him. She wished she could see him one last time, touch him one last time and smell his cologne. She wanted to tell him how much he meant to her, to thank him for the opportunity he gave her to love him and for the way he loved her in return.

"He will be landing tonight. We will come back tomorrow together and we can open the presents," Clarissa said.

"Presents?"

"Yes, mom. Tomorrow, it's Christmas."

That explained it. The tiny Christmas tree on the table in the corner of the room made sense now. She wondered what it was doing there.

"I wasn't talking about your brother," Elena admitted.

"Oh. Then is it that guy again? Damon Salvatore, right?"

"Vampire," she corrected. "Yes, it's him." A smile appeared on her face. "My twin flame," she mumbled, more to herself than to her daughter.

Her daughter nodded, but Elena knew only too well, she didn't understand the true meaning of those words. No one did. They called Damon "the love of her life" but that was not what Damon was to her. It was beyond love.

Elena's thoughts fell back to their first dance. She remembered clearly how it had felt. Once they started dancing, they looked into each other's eyes and everything else faded away. Bonnie had been mad, Stefan had been on the edge of losing himself, but none of it had mattered as they danced.

After that particular memory played out, another took its place. Another memory of them dancing.

It had been another decade dance. They were all there to get Klaus. She was scared and yet, once she found herself in his arms, she felt safe. He made her laugh. He always found a way to make her laugh. She lost herself in him in a way she hadn't been able to do with anyone before, or since. The way she felt around him, it excited her and terrified her in equal measure.

"Mom," Elena heard a hesitant voice that pulled her once more out of the trip down memory lane.

"Katherine?" she asked a little scared.

"No, it's me, Clarissa," the woman said. Now that Elena looked closer, she realized that the woman in front of her was too old to be Katherine. Her hair was straight and black too. There was sadness in the woman's voice. She remembered when she first saw real sadness in Damon's eyes.

It had happened the night she went with him in the tomb and he had realized Katherine was not there. He had been so broken. And she had done the only thing she could think of, she comforted him. She had wrapped her arms around him and comforted him. The stubborn need to comfort him had always been there, just like hunger or thirst, a natural need.

Many more memories played out in Elena's mind. Their first kiss when she thought he would die. The passionate kiss against a vending machine in Denver when she was trying to figure out how deep her feeling for him went. The first time they slept together and how amazing it felt. The sire bond and how she fought to convince him her feelings were real. The confession she made after she switched her humanity back on that she was in love with him. The look in his eyes when she told him she decided to take the cure.

No one could say that Elena Gilbert hadn't lived a fascinating life. They could have made a movie after it.

***DE***

Elena woke with a gasp as she felt a soft touch on her cheek. Her eyes opened wider as she recognized the shape hovering over her bed.

"Damon," she mumbled, reaching for the trusted lamp by her side. As she touched the object that would help her see better, she took a quick glance at the clock. It was 10:30pm. She realized she had only been asleep for a little over an hour.

It was ironic how when she was young and had no time for it, sleep had come easily to her and now that she had nothing better to do than sleep, she couldn't.

The familiar pale yellow light surrounded the bed and Elena turned to take a look at the man by the left side of the bed. The man who stole her heart at the fragile age of eighteen and never gave it back.

"Ohh," she let out a combination between a sigh and a cry. Her eyes filled with hot, heavy tears the moment she saw him. He was… just as beautiful as she remembered. His skin just as flawless, his hair just as black and his physique just as perfect. There had been 78 years since she'd seen him last, yet she remembered every single detail about him. Every detail with the exception of the breathtaking color of his eyes. She thought she did, but looking at them now, she realized not even her most vivid memories did them justice.

"Elena Gilbert, are you checking me out?" Damon asked with a smirk.

Elena let out a soft giggle, but the shiver that went all through her body at the sound of his voice had no humor in it. "What if I am?" she meant to sound cool and indifferent, but indifference had never been the right word as far as Damon was concerned.

"By all means, have at it!" he urged throwing his hands up in the air.

His sense of humor had always been something Elena loved and hated about him. She hated it because sometimes Damon would find the most unappropriate moments to use it. She loved it because he had been the only one who could make her smile just when she thought she might never smile again.

"So, you were in the neighbourhood then?" she asked and this time it was Damon's turn to smile.

"Yep. Thought I should pay you a visit. Maybe break you out of this depressing place, take you to our bar in Georgia," he winked. Elena rolled her eyes, but truth be told, she didn't hate the idea. If only she didn't know deep in her bones she would not make it through the night.

Stefan had visited too. About a month and a half ago. However, Stefan lacked the terrible comedic timing Damon had. He had been sulking and brooding, just like she knew he would. He left Elena with a two weeks depression after his visit.

That had always been the main difference between the famous Salvatore Brothers. Even though technically they were both dead, one of them made her feel alive in every possible way. When she had turned into a vampire many years ago, Stefan had made her feel out of place, ashamed… broken. Damon on the other hand made her feel strong, sensual… alive. That was one of the main reasons why she never apologized for falling in love with the elder Salvatore.

"You can drop the act, Damon. I know you're here to say goodbye. Stefan and Caroline came too. I have been waiting for you and I have a request."

Damon swallowed loudly and nodded. The sexy smirk in the corner of his mouth disappeared and his eyes became unusually sparkly once more. Elena could only imagine how all this felt for Damon. Forced to watch her die. To look at her all old and fading, while he stayed young and beautiful, just like he had been 82 years ago when she met him.

"I want you to," Elena paused as she took off her necklace. "Give me one last Christmas," she finished and let the silver chain drop to the floor.

"Anything specific? Anyone else you want there besides your children?" At Damon's questions she shook her head.

"No, not with my children. I had many Christmases with them. This time, I want a Christmas with you. Just you and me, young and careless at the Boarding House. A big Christmas tree in the living room and a furry blanket in front of the fireplace. Make it romantic and beautiful. Lie to me and tell me we will have many Christmases together, make me promises you are never going to keep and tell me about places we will visit together."

"You want me to be human?" Damon asked, his voice cracking slightly towards the end.

"Why would I want that?" Elena's eyes opened wider. "After all, I want passion, adventure and just a little danger."

"You remember that?" Damon asked, surprised.

"My memory is not what it once was, but there are a few things I never forgot."

Damon gave her one of his most rare smiles that allowed Elena to feel it all the way into her soul. She loved his smile. She loved his cocky smirk too. She loved everything about him. If she were to live ten lives, she would still love him in all of them.

"Anything else?" he asked.

"Make love to me on that furry blanket in front of the fireplace."

"I always liked your dirty mind, Miss Gilbert."

Elena smiled shyly and moved aside to make space for Damon to join her in bed. He lay down, his body slightly cold, but familiar. The smell of him overwhelmed Elena for a split second. For a whole second she was seventeen again and she was in her bed, telling Damon he would be the one to save Stefan from himself. He took her into his arms and whipped the hot tear lost on her cheek. After stroking her hair a few times, he whispered in her ear to relax and close her eyes.

"I bet you say that to all the girls," Elena teased, but did as told.

"You know you are the only girl for me."

He always was a smooth talker.

"You can open your eyes now baby," he whispered and Elena's eyes flew open. She let out a squeaky sound of pure joy.

"Oh Damon, it's perfect," she said happily. The big tree was everything Elena wanted. It was tall and fluffy and decorated in red and silver. She turned around and threw herself in Damon's arms without any warning.

"You like it then?" Damon mumbled in her hair. Over his shoulder, Elena caught a glance at themselves in the mirror. Her skin was no longer thin and wrinkly, but smooth and toned. Her eyes were not foggy and tired, but sparkly and alert. The thin, white hair turned back to it's smooth, thick, chocolate colored glory. She thought she also seemed a lot taller. Then she realized she was wearing high heels. Heels and a red dress. The dress was long. A cascade of red silk, going around her neck and enveloping her curves while leaving her back exposed.

"I love it. I love you. Thank you, Damon," Elena said before Damon's mouth captured hers. Once their lips touched, Elena felt the familiar ball of fire she came to associate with Damon's touches and kisses form inside her stomach, making the blood boil in her veins. Oh it did feel incredible kissing this man. His left hand was resting on the small of her back while his right one cupped her face, maneuvering her chin to deepen the kiss. His lips were firm and his tongue was playful, caressing every inch of her mouth. Kissing him felt like warm silk. She was melting in his arms and she didn't care.

When they finally broke apart, Elena noticed she wasn't the only one dressed up. Damon was wearing a classic tuxedo. He looked…

"You look very well, Mr. Salvatore," she said.

"I know." He smirked. Typical Damon Salvatore. He was impulsive, he was passionate, he was cocky, he was hot and loyal to a fault. He was a sexy, beautiful mess and she loved him. "Wine or champagne?" he asked.

"Well," Elena pouted as Damon broke away from her, making his way towards the mini bar. "Since it's a special occasion we must have champagne," Elena finished with a shy smile.

Damon nodded and proceeded to open a bottle that Elena had the impression he pulled out of nowhere. Even though she was expecting it, the noise as the cork flew from the bottle made Elena jump and giggle. Damon stopped what he was doing to look at her. "I love that sound."

Elena frowned.

"Not that. The sound of your laugh," Damon explained and Elena felt her cheeks warm up. She knew the blush wouldn't show on her olive skin face. She was grateful for it. After all, she'd known Damon for years, it was silly that he could still make her blush. Elena shook her head to bring herself back to the present just in time to receive the glass Damon handed to her.

"Come," Damon urged after she took a sip from her tall glass. He took her hand in his and pulled her towards the fire place. It didn't really surprise Elena to see that there was a big furry blanket on the floor with a pillow on the left side and another fluffy blanket folded on the other side. However, her eyes still stung with hot tears at the sight before her. She didn't shed them as she thought it was not the moment for that. She wasn't about to ruin Damon's careful planning with her sobs. So she just allowed Damon to help her take a seat on the fur at their feet with her legs tucked underneath her, facing the man responsible for the ache in her heart.

They didn't speak as there was no need for words. They simply followed the familiar path towards each other. Damon's lips closed over Elena's, sucking in her bottom lip, making her moan deep in her throat. She barely acknowledged the fact that Damon took the glass from her hand and placed it a few feet away on the floor next to his. Her head was buzzing with the sweet anticipation, her skin tingled, eager to receive his touches, and the pulsating heat between her legs was asking for his attention. No matter what other people thought of Damon Salvatore, no matter how stubborn he was in certain situations or how selfish he could be when people he cared about were involved, Elena would dare anyone to try to prove that Damon was not the most giving lover they have ever known. Even though it pained Elena to even think about it, she was sure she could get a fair number of women to help her prove that.

Damon's wet, hot lips trailed lower on her chin, her neck, her shoulders. He slowly undid the knot at the back of her neck and the soft dress dropped like liquid down her upper body, stopping at her hips, leaving Elena's naked breasts exposed.

"You are so beautiful," Damon said softly as he cupped one in his hand, using his mouth on the other. "Your skin is perfection," he murmured against her chest. Elena's head fell backwards, her eyes closing in pleasure, determined to enjoy each touch and each stroke of his tongue as if it would be the last. Somewhere in the back of her head, she felt sure it would be the last time she could feel Damon's touch, hear his aroused voice or kiss his soft lips.

Elena was impressed with the patience Damon was showing. She moaned, cried, scratched and complained, but Damon would not budge. He told her he wanted to enjoy every inch of her. It took him over fifteen minutes to get Elena out of her silk dress and another twenty before he got rid of her panties and his own clothes. Once they were both finally completely naked with nothing keeping them separated, Elena used her vampire speed and straight to flip them around and get on top.

"Cheater!" Damon protested, but Elena knew right away he wasn't actually mad as she noticed the soft smirk in the corner of his mouth.

This time it was Elena's turn to take her time to explore his incredible body. When she finally made her way down to his torso, Elena squeezed a generous portion of lube – from a bottle Damon produced out of nowhere ten minutes prior – into the palm of her hand. She rubbed her hands together to warm it up before she finally grabbed Damon's thick, hard erection in her hands and started to stroke him slowly. The sounds he was making – a combination of a purring car and a roaring tiger – were driving Elena wild. She decided she needed to be the one riding this tiger, so she positioned herself on top of Damon and let his impressive length slide inside of her.

"Of God. Yes!" they both mumbled

"You are so tight, so perfect," Damon whispered against her ear before burring his hands in Elena's hair and kissing her in a way that made Elena want to stop time so that he can do it over and over again for years. When they reached oblivion, Elena's whole being shook and she was sure she would never be the same after.

A few minutes later, Damon held Elena in his arms, the blanket Elena spotted folded at the edge of the fur was now covering them. She had her champagne glass in her hand, taking small sips between soft kisses.

"I love you, Elena Gilbert."

"I love you too. I love you like I never did or ever will love again. With all my heart and soul."

They just sat there and Damon talked about Spain, Italy, Venetia, France and England. He promised to take her to all those countries. He promised they would visit places no one knew about. He promised her anything she wanted.

Somewhere in a room of the Mystic Falls Memorial Hospital, a tall, dark, beautiful man was holding tight in his arms an old woman with a smile on her face, the kind of smile that to anyone who could see her could only mean she was having the best dream of her life. The machine she was hooked to was the only sound in the room. Slow and steady.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

_.

Until it stopped.

The beautiful man let out a dreadful sound. Opened his wet, leaking eyes and blinked a few times. Slowly, he pulled his arm from underneath the woman, kissed her forehead and stroke her hair gently.

"Goodbye, Elena Gilbert," he whispered against her hair.

Before leaving the room, he bent to retrieve a small, silver chain with a pendent on it from the floor. Dropping the small object in the inside pocket of his coat, he took one last glance at the woman and jumped out of the window, disappearing into the night just in time for the nurses to storm into the room.

"Call it!" one of them yelled.

"Time of death 00:05 25th of December."