a/n: This is for bibi for the Delena Holiday Exchange '12. I hope you enjoy it!

also, this story is not necessarily canon with the show and I'm skipping the sire bond thing. This is a oneshot for fun :)

Holiday Revelations

Elena paced in front of her bed. She alternated running her fingers through her hair or rubbing her face as she relived the conversation she had finished with Stefan nearly an hour ago. She wasn't quite sure what it was, but throughout the entire conversation, she realized that something was off between the two of them and it was beginning to drive her crazy. She went over and over the words that were exchanged, but it was doing no good. Whatever it was that seemed off had nothing to do with what was said. She paused for a moment and looked at the door where she had hugged Stefan upon his exit. Her head tilted to the side as she remembered how awkward it had felt. What made her shudder was when she remembered saying that she loved him and even though it felt right to say it because she knew she did love him, it didn't sound right to say and it made her cringe.

Her eyes slowly wandered over to the bed where she had last encountered Damon. He had jumped into the lake with her to save her from the rising sun after she had tossed away her daylight ring in the aftermath of killing the hunter. She remembered the way she had felt just staring at him, thinking of all the things that she had been too afraid to say out loud, things that she said to Stefan every day.

She shook her head and closed her eyes. She didn't want to think about either of the Salvatore brothers at the moment. She just wanted to have a moment of peace and that was something she was not going to get here with the memories of both of them playing before her eyes. With a frustrated sigh, Elena grabbed her jacket from the foot of the bed and before she knew it, she was outside.

She knew it wasn't the best idea to be out by herself with everything that was going on in Mystic Falls right now, but it was also because of what was going on that made her want to take a walk to clear her head. She made it to the park at the end of her neighborhood stood at the edge of the parking lot looking at the expanse of well manicured grass nestled between a row of houses and the edge of the forest. There were benches as well as multiple playground areas for the many children that were tucked into their warm beds for the night. Elena shook her head and rolled her shoulders, trying to think of something else before her mind wandered back to her parents and the times she had spent with them at the park before her eyes.

As she turned around every fiber of her being told her that she was no longer alone and her vampire senses spanned out into the night. The sound of familiar laughter filled her ears as she whirled around with her canines elongated only to be greeted by hands around her neck from behind and a whisper in her ear in her own voice. "Merry Christmas." And before she could put up a fight, her neck broke and everything went black.

Elena came to with a jolt. Her eyes snapped open and she sat up quickly, taking in the sight of the room she was in. Nothing about it was familiar and it sent a slight panic through her system. She got to her feet and rubbed her neck. As she did, she remembered her own voice and the feel of hands around her throat. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and she whirled around once again in full vampire mode only to see Katherine lounging in a chair. She had her back resting on one arm of the chair and her legs dangling over the other. She rolled her eyes at Elena and reached for the blood bag in her lap. "Sorry about breaking your neck, but you know me. I like to be dramatic." She tossed the bag at Elena and took a drink from her own.

Elena caught the bag and felt her face return to normal as she processed everything. She remembered the words Katherine had said at the park and shook her head. Once it dawned on her, her eyes went wide with realization. It hadn't even occurred to her with everything going on that the holidays were upon them. She remembered Halloween because of the party with Damon, but Thanksgiving had gone by without her noticing and now it was Christmas.

"Are you really just going to stand there and gape at the wall all night or are you going to be the spirited teen I know you are?"

"I can't believe it's Christmas already," Elena breathed, making it more of a reality.

Katherine rolled her eyes again and swung her feet over so that she was sitting properly in the chair. "And why is that, Elena?"

She stared at Katherine and narrowed her eyes. "Where are we?"

"We're in a little bed and breakfast in between Mystic Falls and Fells Church."

Elena was taken aback by how fast Katherine parted with that information. Everything else she had wanted to say escaped her as she asked, "Why?"

"Because we need to talk," Katherine answered, getting to her feet. She nodded towards the blood bag Elena was still holding. "You really should eat." Elena nodded slightly and raised the bag to her lips, watching carefully as Katherine moved closer to her. "I was partying in New York City when I overheard a conversation about how Katerina was up to her old tricks with the Salvatore brothers in Mystic Falls. At first, I thought I was just just hearing things, but then they went on to talk about how Katherine was losing control being sloppy and I knew something wasn't right. I came back about a week ago to find that everything had changed."

"You've been here for a week?" Elena asked, surprised that it had taken that long for her doppleganger to announce her presence.

"I've been watching. I thought, hoped, that someone was impersonating me, but no. It was just you learning to cope with being a vampire."

Elena's eyes went wide as she saw the sadness that showed on Katherine's face. "Hoped?"

Katherine shrugged and folded her arms across her chest. "Believe it or not, but I didn't want things to be this way for you. We may have our differences, but you're still my family, Elena. I chose this life. Not because my life was in danger, but because it was something that I truly wanted. I always hoped that if you became a vampire it would be because you wanted to, not because of a freak accident." She shrugged and went back to her chair, gesturing for Elena to sit in the one next to her. "But it is what it is and nothing can change that."

"There's a cure," Elena said as she sat down.

Katherine snorted. "If there was truly a cure, don't you think Klaus would have gotten it by now? For four hundred years I was the only doppleganger and if there was a cure, he would have gone through hell to get it. This is what you are now; who you are now Elena. Get over it."

Elena looked down, but didn't comment.

"That's what I dragged you out here to talk about," Katherine continued.

"What do we have to talk about? I'm a vampire now, end of discussion."

"Yes, you are, but you're still acting like a pathetic human by clinging to the idea that you can normal. You're better than normal, Elena; you're a vampire. I could show you how to be a vampire and still be you."

"No thanks," Elena said rather quickly. "I don't want to end up like you."

Katherine snorted again. "No matter how hard you try, you will always be like me."

Elena looked down again, ashamed that it was somewhat true. "It doesn't matter. I'm not going with you."

Instead of putting up a fight, Katherine simply nodded. "Then just do yourself a favor and stop wallowing. If you hadn't had any of Damon's blood in your system that night, you would have died and that would have been that."

Of course Elena had known that, but to actually hear it aloud made it more real. A shudder rippled through her body and sent chills up her spine.

Saving Elena from having to say anything, Katherine continued. "Which brings me to the Salvatores."

Elena looked back up at Katherine. "What about them?"

"You got a second chance at life and you're not doing anything differently. Normally when people have brushes with death they see things more clearly, but you..." she stared and shook her head. "You're hiding your feelings just as you were before."

"What feelings?"

"Oh come on, Elena. Don't play dumb with me. I'm talking about your feelings for Damon."

"I-"

"Just listen to what I have to say and then you can tell me whatever you want."

Elena stared at her for a moment, letting her unspoken words die on her tongue. "Fine."

"When I came to Mystic Falls with the other vampires it was to stop running and settle down. I didn't think it would be possible considering the fact that I was still on the run from Klaus, but the moment I met Damon and Stefan, my attitude changed. For the first time I actually felt as though I could make this work and really settle down. As you know, I started seeing both of them and it wasn't long before the entire town knew about our threesome. The humans of the time were shocked by the behavior, but they didn't know what exactly was going on, only that there was something juicy going on between me and the Salvatore brothers. The vampires knew exactly what was going on and they were starting to get angry.

"One day, I went to visit Pearl and she told me that she and the others were fed up with what I was doing. She said that if I wasn't serious about settling down and keeping my true nature hidden that I was to find another town to terrorize. I told her that my feelings for the Salvatores was different. It wasn't just about the game and the thrill of having them both." Katherine laughed in a way that made Elena feel sorry for her. "She told me that it wasn't right and that if I were going to fit in I would have to chose. It was only normal to love one person at a time, not two." She looked at Elena and winked. "But we both know that isn't true.

Elena turned her head and swallowed over the lump in her throat. "Get to the point, Katherine."

The elder vampire shrugged and leaned back in the chair. "Instead of lashing out, I simply told Pearl that I would think about it and left. On my way to the Salvatore manor I thought about the reasons I loved Stefan and Damon and tried to weigh the pros and cons of both of them. I knew she was right on some level; that 1864 wasn't the right era to be the kind of woman that has two men at her side. By the time I got to the manor, I thought I had made my choice, but when I opened the door, everything changed.

"Damon and Stefan were standing in the foyer holding a picnic basket between them. They stared at each other and then at me, giving me that awkward smile of theirs that revealed I had walked in on a surprise. They said they wanted to spend the day together by the waterfall; all three of us. They were both well aware of the fact that I was seeing them both, but yet they still wanted to be together. And that was the moment I knew."

"The moment you knew what?" Elena asked, watching Katherine's expressions; ones that she had never thought she'd see cross the elder vampire's face.

"That it was okay to love them both," she said and got to her feet.

Elena's jaw dropped slightly from her words and she was speechless until Katherine's hand hit the doorknob. "Where are you going?"

"I said what I had to say and now I'm going. Consider my parting words my gift to you."

Stunned, Elena could do nothing but watch as Katherine placed the younger vampire's phone on the small table by the door and then wave before disappearing into the night. After the shock at worn off, Elena got to her feet and took the phone from the table. She turned it on and discovered a series of missed calls and texts, mostly from Damon. Seeing his name made her feel strange and the longer she stared at it, the more Katherine's "gift" made more sense. Before she could stop herself and change her mind, Elena pressed redial on her phone and held it up to her ear.

Elena leapt to her feet the moment she heard the familiar sound of Damon's engine. She checked her appearance in the mirror for a split second before she heard him knock on the door. She opened it without hesitation and stepped back to let him in. He stepped past her and looked around before staring at her. "What the hell are you doing all the way out here?" he asked once he was sure that she was fine.

"Katherine."

Damon's eyes went wide at the mention of her name and he looked around again with a bit more enthusiasm. When he was sure she wasn't there, he went back to Elena and grabbed her shoulders. "What did she do?"

"I'm fine, Damon. She just wanted to talk."

Damon let go of her and raised an eyebrow when Elena didn't step away like she normally did. "What did she want to talk about?"

"She told me that she had heard rumors about herself. That people were assuming Katherine was back in Mystic Falls with the Salvatores and losing control so she came here to see what was going on for herself. She offered to help me and then said some really helpful things."

"Helpful? Elena, you can't believe anything that comes out of her mouth."

"Katherine may be many things; a thief, a cheat, a manipulative bitch, but not a liar." Damon opened his mouth to protest, but Elena rushed on. "Think about it, Damon. Has she ever really lied to you?"

Damon did think about it and then slowly shook his head when he realized she was right. "That really doesn't mean anything, considering. What did she say?"

"She said that in order to be able to learn control and stop wallowing, I need to come to terms with some of the feelings that I've had since I was a human. The ones that have gotten stronger from turning into a vampire."

"Such as?" Damon asked, already knowing the answer.

She looked up at him through her lashes and paused before she said, "My feelings for you." She closed her eyes for a second and continued. "Since our trip to Georgia there's been something between us and it wasn't until I turned and was able to remember the night I officially first met you that I realized that something was real and wasn't going away. I've tried to fight it and it's only made things worse, so I won't fight it anymore. I love you, Damon."

Damon searched her eyes to see how exactly that realization was affecting her. When he saw that it truly was something she wasn't afraid to admit and that she was waiting for something, he took the initiative and pulled her to him for the earth shattering kiss he had been longing for. He had always thought their kiss in Colorado had been amazing, but it was like a peck on the lips compared to the way she was moving her lips against his. Her hands gripped at his clothes in efforts to pull him closer. She moaned into his mouth as he slammed her back against the wall, allowing her to feel just how much her words affected him. He was enjoying the raw hunger that he felt from her and he was fully prepared to hold nothing back; she certainly wasn't going to.

It was the moment that he heard the buttons on his shirt pop off of his shirt and her hands raking down his chest that his conscience got the better of him and he pried his lips from hers. "What about Stefan?" he asked, his voice gruff with desire.

Elena took a deep breath and let her hands slowly trail down his chest until they stopped at the waistband of his pants. "I won't know how we'll be together until we can be together and we can't find out if I'm still dating Stefan," she breathed, slowly undoing the button. As she began lowering his zipper, she added, "I'll talk to him in the morning, but as of right now, it's just you and I."

Satisfied with that answer, Damon recaptured her lips feverishly and helped her get rid of his pants by stepping out of them and kicking them away. His hands moved to her waist and tugged at the hem of her shirt. She raised her hands and broke the kiss long enough for Damon to remove it and toss it in the direction of his pants. She tilted her head back and moaned as his lips found her neck and began working their way down to the valley between her breasts. His trail of hot kisses had her body blazing with desire. He shoved her bra to the side and shuddered as she gasped from the pleasure of his tongue flickering over her hardened nipple. As he teased her relentlessly, he worked on removing the rest of her clothes, shoving her bottom layers down in one fluid motion.

Elena hissed at the feel of his fabric clad erection hit her bare core as he surged back up to kiss her lips. She was in no need of foreplay and in sensing that, Damon reached down and grasped her thighs enough to lift her up. She wrapped her arms around his waist and placed her hands on his shoulders to brace herself. He reached down and tore away the remaining bit of fabric, nearly crying out at the feel of her wet heat against the head of his throbbing cock. Elena placed her hands on either side of his neck and stroked his jaw with her thumbs as she kissed him passionately, a sign that she was ready. With that, Damon slid himself inside of her as far as her body allowed.

He waited long enough for her body to adjust before starting a slow pace of thrusts. He gained speed with each one, causing Elena's head to fall back, hitting the wall on occasion. Her nails dug into his shoulders to keep her balance and Damon's lips closed over her nipple once again. It wasn't until he hit near vampiric speeds that they knew their releases were coming. Elena moaned loudly as her canines descended, a sign of pure arousal. Damon nearly lost it at the sight of her and with one final thrust, he buried his face in her neck and bit down. The taste of her blood, the sound of his name escaping her lips, and the feel of her inner walls clenching his cock sent him over the edge and into an orgasm with Elena following him down the same path.

When the effects of their highs wore off, Elena leaned down to nibble on his earlobe. "Merry Christmas, Damon."

Damon set her down and looked at her in shock. He reached up and tucked some of her hair behind her ear. "I didn't know it was Christmas."

"I didn't either until Katherine told me."

Damon smirked and pulled Elena to the bed with his vampire speed, landing on top of her in one fell swoop. "Well, if it's a holiday, then I guess we better celebrate until it's over," he murmured and captured her lips sweetly. "I love you, Elena," he added, his lips moving down to lap up her blood from the already healed bite marks.

"I love you too, Damon," she replied and they continued with their celebration until exhaustion prevented them from celebrating any more.