This is for you, May.


Damon takes off his hat to rub his temples. He always gets a headache this time of year from all the hammering and chattering in the workshop. Things are pretty chill at the North Pole for most of the year but then when summer turns into fall and the calendar hits October, they really kick it into high gear. They spend hour upon hour in here, building toys, carving building blocks, putting together toys and bikes and scooters among other things. Then there's the needle and thread. He hates sewing the stuffed animals and dolls together. And the bane of his existence, E le na, he sings songs in his mind, she's always squealing at him how cute they are.

He walks over to the pot to pour himself a fresh cup of Mrs. Claus' amazing hot chocolate. He takes a sip, savoring the cocoa and vanilla flavors as they blend and ignite his taste buds. Sighing with delight, he then walks over to the window to look outside. The windows are frosted over like something out of a Currier and Ives painting. Santa brought one home for Mrs. Claus one time. He has a hard time seeing with the snow whipping around but he can see the strings of lights twinkling on the pine trees. Just as he's about to take another delicious sip...

"Damon, get back here. There's no time for a break. We have so much to do."

"Yeah, yeah," he mumbles, crinkling his nose at her.

"Don't look at me like that, you know I'm right."

He rolls his eyes and after taking another swallow of his drink, puts the mug down and then goes back to his workspace. He picks up a needle and thread, sliding them under the magnifying glass and after threading it, he picks up the teddy bear and starts to sew one of the legs on. Soon he feels a breath of hot air behind his pointy ear.

"You're using the wrong stitch Damon. It will come apart," Elena points out, trying to show him the correct one.

"Since you know so much, why don't you do it yourself?" he snaps back, shoving the teddy bear at her.

"Ouch," she snaps, having been stuck by the needle. "I'm going to tell Santa on you."

"Really Elena, what are you 12?" he retorts, picking up the naughty list. He rolls open the scroll, perusing it intently. He feels bad for these kids. He knows they're not bad, they just maybe had a bad day. There's Jimmy, Tommy, Matt, Sarah, Danielle, two Jaimes, eight Billys and that's just the beginning.

"Why are you looking at that? Those kids don't get toys."

"They're little kids Elena. They should get toys too. I'm going to talk to Santa myself."

"You can't take up his time with something like that. They were bad."

"Who are you to say they were bad? Maybe it was only a temper tantrum or a hungry kid stealing a piece of candy? They shouldn't be punished."

Elena shakes her head. There is no reasoning with him. She picks up the panda and starts to sew it up since he refuses to. Soon Enzo walks over and plops down beside her, he picks up her carving knife and starts to work on the wooden blocks for the toddlers.

"I could use some help too, Enzo," Damon protests, glaring at the other elf. Enzo finishes the block and then walks over to Damon. He picks up the screw driver to put the Tonka mixer truck together.

"Why do you two fight all the time?"

"Because he's wrong about everything," Elena retorts, raising her eyebrows at him.

"I'm always wrong? What about you, you can't even paint the lips on a doll? You always go out of the lines and then I have to clean up your messes."

"That's not true and you know it!"

"It is so," he replies, sticking his tongue out at her.

All of the other elves are busy building toys. Having observed all of their bickering, Caroline huffs, "I'm going to tell Santa. Everyday we have to listen to the same thing from those two."

"You shouldn't interfere Care. It's not like they're shirking their responsibilities. They get their assignments done. "

"It's not like it's a one time thing, Tyler. They fight all the time. We never fight."

"Yes I know but it's not worth it to stir up trouble. Besides that, I always let you have your way," he points out, raising a knowing eyebrow at her.

"Well, I don't care, I've heard enough. She sets her tools down then slips out of the room to find the man himself. With light footsteps, she walks down the long hallway taking time to breathe in the scent of the candles that illuminate her way. She loves Christmas town, she wouldn't want to live anywhere else. When she hears a braying like sound, she pulls a carrot out of her pocket and feeds it to the donkey. She ducks outside to give each of the reindeer one too. Vixen is her favorite. Tyler has a soft spot for Blitzen and Prancer is Elena's but Damon likes Rudolph as he's the lead one when they're harnessed up to pull Santa's sled around the globe every Christmas Eve. Just as quickly she darts back inside but is immediately stopped when she runs into a body.

"It's you Santa!"

"Why yes, Caroline. Were you giving them treats again?"

"Yes, Santa," she confesses, her hands clasped behind her back, her eyes beaming up at him.

His laugh soon turns serious. "Why aren't you in the workshop? Tomorrow is Christmas eve."

"Damon and Elena are fighting again. They fight all the time."

"Hmmm, lead the way, maybe I need to have a word with them. She nods and leads him back to the huge room. They slip inside, Santa presses his finger to his mouth so the others won't say anything. He stands back in a shaded corner and listens in, a smirk on his face.

"Damon, you have to use the gold paint to finish the nails. Whoever heard of black nail polish on a Barbie doll?"

"Who cares? What's wrong with black?"

"Little human girls don't want black polish. Maybe a teenager but they're too big to play with dolls."

"What about you, making a boy's baseball mitt pink?"

"Pink is nice."

"Maybe but boys don't want pink baseball gloves."

Elena scowls and is about to retort when someone clears their throat.

Having heard more than enough, Santa studies them for a moment and when a lightbulb goes off in his mind, he clears his throat to make his presence known. Both swallow thickly when they see the big guy, his arms crossed over his chest. "Do you two always fight like this?"

"Um, uh.. ehm," Damon sputters. He couldn't lie even if he wanted to.

"But Santa, he does all of these dumb things and he thinks the kids on the naughty list ought to get a present too."

"That's because Damon was naughty once, weren't you?" he asks, meeting Damon's gaze head on.

"Yeah, I know Santa but they're not bad kids. I wasn't."

"That remains to be seen Damon. Tomorrow night, you and Elena will accompany me on the sleigh. We leave in twenty four hours, I expect you to be done with the toys in time. Get back to work and no more fighting. Caroline, I expect you to tell me if they can't behave themselves."

"I will Santa," she squeals, clapping her hands like a seal. Damon and Elena both roll their eyes at miss goodie, goodie elf. When Santa looks down his nose at them again, they quickly stiffen their posture and smile, hoping he didn't see the gesture.

"I'll see you first thing in the morning so we can start packing the sled. Get back to work." He gives the two elves one last look before he walks out of the workshop. This time it's Elena who gets herself a stiff mug full of hot cocoa. She gulps it down and then without saying another word to Damon starts to paint more lips on baby dolls.


It's Christmas Eve. They just finished loading up the sleigh, Damon is standing outside petting Dasher and the other reindeer. He doesn't know where Elena is but he expects Santa to show up soon, after all, they do have to circumnavigate the globe tonight. When Rudolph grunts, Damon laughs but it's soon overshadowed by Santa's. Looking over his shoulder he sees him lumbering over towards the sled, Elena is directly behind him. When they reach the sled, Santa directs them to get in. He nods and crawls in behind Elena. Santa climbs in, grabs the reins. The other elves are outside, waving excitedly when the reindeer break into a trot, the clicking sound of their hooves against the frozen snow is soon silenced when the sled becomes airborne.

Elena stares with wonder at the stars twinkling, she almost feels like she could reach out and touch one. Looking over the side, she pokes Damon to show him the city lights below. It's magical. After they finish delivering all the presents in Australia, New Zealand and the nearby Island nations, Santa guides the sleigh to Asia and then across Europe before steering it out over the Atlantic ocean. Elena is mesmerized by the way the moon reflects off the stillness of the water. It's so beautiful. When they reach New York City, he lands the sled on the rooftop of one of the many skyscrapers. He steps out, motioning with his finger for them to get out too.

Elena swallows thickly, looks at Damon and then carefully steps out, Damon right on her heels.

"Have you ever heard of Gilbert and Sullivan?"

"Yes, Santa," Elena replies, sharing another look with Damon who's shaking his head back and forth.

"They were composers, wrote a memorable song called "Let the Punishment Fit the Crime."

"Yes, sir."

"Tonight you'll either find a way to work together or you'll punish yourselves far better than I ever could."

"What do you mean Santa?" Damon asks, his eyes darting around.

"Well Damon, you think the kids on the naughty list deserve Christmas too. You'll have to find one of those naughty ones and prove to me why I should spare them a gift."

"I don't understand. We don't know where to find one of those kids?"

"That, Elena, is why you'll have to work together. You'll need to be back in this spot before day break so I can pick you up, if you're not here, I cannot wait. Do you understand?"

"Please let us come with you, Santa. We'll won't fight any more will we Damon?"

"No, we'll be good."

Glancing at the night sky, he knows it's time to get back in the sleigh. "The clock is ticking, remember to be back here before the sun comes up."

With that admonition, he climbs into his sleigh and with a flick of the reins, the animals click their hooves and in the next moment, Elena and Damon watch the sleigh ride across the front of the moon. When he hears a blubbering sound, he looks at Elena. "This is all your fault. If you'd just follow my instructions, we wouldn't be in this mess now."

"My fault? That's your problem, Elena, you think you're right all the time. You're not," he spits, tightening his lips.

Elena glares at him and then next thing he knows, she takes off like a rocket, disappearing through the rooftop's door. Knowing that they have to stay together, he takes off after her, running down flight after flight of stairs. He sees her run out of the building, he follows along, stunned at the sights in front of him. His reverie is broken when he hears the loud intense blare of a horn. He leaps forward and pulls Elena out of the way before one of those big machine like things runs her down. They're laying on the sidewalk trying to catch their breaths when he suddenly realizes how tall they are.

They're both in shock, their mouths hanging open at the realization. Elena the first to stand offers Damon her hand to help him up. "How did this happen?"

"I have no idea," he mumbles, his eyes wide as saucers. Suddenly someone is shouting, Damon acts quickly pulling Elena against his chest before they get run over by a bicyclist. "It's dangerous here. We need eyes on the backs of our heads. You okay?"

"I'm okay. What do we do now, Damon? How do we find any kids on Christmas Eve?"

"I don't know either but we won't find any staying here. Come on, let's get going," he extends his arm, gesturing for her to lead the way. She sucks her lower lip between her teeth, her eyes dart all around for a few seconds before she nods and starts walking. Damon has to run to keep up with her, she's going so fast, he feels almost light-headed being so far off the ground, he's used to his short little elf legs now suddenly, he's tall. He can't help but notice how people are staring at him and Elena. He notices their attire is very different from his and Elena's elf clothes, he can't explain how their clothes grew three sizes too.

"Elena, wait up, we have to stay together, that's what Santa said."

"I'm thirsty, I want some hot chocolate."

"That sounds good. Where do we look for some?" He looks all around and when he sees a sign saying beverages, he grabs onto her elbow and pulls her along. They step inside, again stunned by the flashing signs, the loud music, boxes with people on them. They stick out like sore thumbs, a few people point and laugh, others pay no attention.

"It feels like we're in a different world," Elena whispers.

"That's because it is." Together they walk up to where all the bottles are and take a seat at the bar.

"What's your poison?" the bartender asks.

"Poison?" Damon repeats, his eyes meeting Elena's.

"Drink, what do you want to drink?"

"Hot chocolate."

"We don't serve hot chocolate here. We serve hard liquor for people that want to get drunk fast. Now what will you have?"

"Um, uh, mulled wine?"

"Get a load of these two," the man laughs. He bends his finger in a come hither motion and the next thing Damon and Elena know, they're back outside in the cold air.

"I don't like it here, Damon. Let's just go back and wait on the roof. Santa won't leave us."

"He might if we don't complete our mission. Come on, let's keep walking." Both frightened, they continue to walk with the hands joined. When they turn a corner, Elena hears a whimpering sound.

"What's that?" She looks all around, gasping when she sees a little human tucked into the corner of a stairwell. She lets go of Damon's hand and hurries over to him, Damon on her heels. It's dark and cold. The little fella has on a tattered coat, stocking cap pulled over his ears and mittens that don't cover his fingertips. She eyes Damon before she stoops down next to him.

"Do you need help little boy?"

"I don't know where my mama is?" he blubbers, wiping his eyes with his fists.

"We'll help you find her. What's your name?"

"Tommy."

"Okay Tommy. Where do you live?"

"Mama told me to wait for her. I saw Santa Claus so I chased after him. I couldn't find my way back." Elena looks at Damon, a knowing smirk as if saying I told you so. "He's one of the good ones," she whispers in Elf language. She doesn't know how she knows but she just does. It's a miraculous sensation, like electricity buzzing through her veins. It takes Damon about a millisecond to roll his eyes at her but he nods his agreement, marveling himself at the revelation before looking at Tommy again.

"Calm down Tommy. We'll help you find her."

"I'm scared. She says not to talk to strangers."

"Your mommy is right but you can trust us. Our job is to make kids like you happy."

"Ha?"

"Damon is right," Elena says softly, brushing his hair under his stocking cap. When the boy finally nods his acceptance, Elena smiles and steps out of the way.

"Let's go find her." The little with his big wide eyes looks from Damon to Elena and after a moment's hesitation, takes Damon's hand and stands up. He's cold and tired so Damon lifts him into his arms. The three start to walk down the sidewalk to see if anything looks familiar to the little guy. Even though it's Christmas, the crowd is still bustling. Damon thinks they should be at home, tucked under their covers for a long winter's nap. He intends to do just that as soon as they get back to the North Pole. As they continue on their way, they come across one of those machines, this one has a flashing bar on the top of it. Two men in uniforms are talking to a frantic woman that's crying.

Tommy raises his head from Damon's shoulder, he struggles to get down, screaming, "That's my mommy."

"Hold on, we'll take you to her." He keeps the boy in his arms and when he shouts her name, she looks up, covers her mouth with her hand and runs over to the three of them. Damon loosens his grip so his mother can take Tommy from him.

"Thank you so much," she cries, hugging her boy tightly against her.

"You're welcome, mam," Damon replies, bowing his head slightly.

Elena smiles at him and then at Tommy. She reaches into her pocket and inexplicably finds some candy. She hands him a chocolate bar then she and Damon wave goodbye and continue their trek to find another child.


"See that just proves that there are good kids and bad kids, Damon. The candy magically appeared in my pocket, if Tommy was a naughty boy, it wouldn't have."

"You don't know that."

Elena glowers at him but snaps her head when she breathes in the aroma of freshly baked Christmas cake coming from a huge lit up square amidst the bustling streets of New York. Alluringly, she's drawn to it as if a magical wisp is pulling her forward. She takes her lingering gaze off of the enormous Christmas tree adorned with glistening ornaments and glowing fairy lights draped around it. Strolling alongside the magnificently structured buildings, they watch as people swarm in and out of the bustling coffee shops and bakeries like bees. Brilliant stars twinkle in the sky above whilst the amber light of the street lamps spills on the stone-paved streets. In turn, the elegantly decorated place reveals its wonders.

An ice skating rink is illuminated with blinking Christmas lights, vibrant ornaments and brightly colored signs, all lined up along either side of the street as they make their way to the place. Warm smiles greet them as they slip through the crowd to get something warm to drink. Elena breathes in the smell of freshly roasted, golden brown chestnuts. She watches as they're handed out in paper cones. They get in line for a cup of the creamy hot chocolate topped off with a generous layer of whipped cream. When it's their turn at the counter, Damon asks how much, the lady clerk tells him it's free because a generous donation from one of the city's benefactors.

Neither can't not smile when they see the beaming grins of the children with their chocolate mustaches and the loud, spirited laughter of the adults can be heard over the continuous chatter surrounding the vivacious atmosphere.

When someone starts speaking from the stage beneath the Christmas tree, Elena's mouth drops in awe at the size and beauty of it when she sees it up close. The man introduces himself as Paul O'Neil and that the group of assembled humans on the stage are known as the "Trans Siberian Orchestra." Soon music starts to fill the air, echoed by boxes that amplify the sounds. There's so much they don't know about the human world having never been here before. Damon silently hopes they never have to come back. He prefers the solitude and the festivities and his nice warm bed at the North Pole. As he watches Elena sway to the strains of the band's holiday repertoire, he knows she's enjoying herself.

Damon swallows what's left of his chocolate. Suddenly the points of his ears start to flutter ever so slightly alerting him to the crowd. It's then that he sees a little girl. He immediately knows she's one of the naughty ones. He sees her eyeing a man's pocket. Just as she starts to extend her hand, Damon comes up behind her, putting his hand on her shoulder. She slowly turns around, her brows drawn down. She jerks away from him, about to break out in a run when Elena stops her in her tracks.

"Why were you going to steal from that man?" Damon asks, stooping down so he's eye level with her. Although she's not hurting her, Elena holds on tight enough so she can't get loose and disappear amongst the crowd.

"How do you know I was going to steal anything?"

"I saw you about to put your hand in that man's pocket. I felt it."

"Huh?"

"Never mind. What's your name?"

"Who are you?"

"I'm Damon and this is Elena. We're here to help."

"Really? How are you gonna help me? I'm hungry."

Damon stands up and takes her hand in his. Although she tries to jerk free, neither lets go. They walk over to one of the food kiosks. Damon tells her to order herself something to eat. When the attendant tells him the price, Damon looks in his eyes, explains that the little girl is hungry and reminds him that it's Christmas. The man looks at the child and then hands over the food. The three of them walk over to sit down near a fire pit to warm themselves while the girl eats.

"You still haven't told us your name."

"May," she mumbles through her mouth full of hotdog.

"Why were you going to steal from that man?"

"I told you that I was hungry."

"Where are your parents?"

"I don't have any parents. I live at the Salvatore Group Home."

Damon swallows thickly and raises an eyebrow at Elena as if to say see this is one of those naughty kids who deserves a chance. As much as she hates for him to be right, she reluctantly nods, her own powers confirming his. "Why are you out in the cold if you live there? Don't they have Christmas for the children?"

"I don't know. I wanted to get Miss Sommers a present. When I got here... I didn't really want to go through with it but I was hungry and scared to go back in the dark. It's all lit up here, I'm not afraid."

"Who's Miss Sommers?" Elena asks, her eyes meeting Damon's.

She's a lady who works there. She's Mr. Salvatore's friend and mine. She's always nice to me."

"How did you get on the naughty list?" Elena asks, her pupils widening ever so slightly as she looks into May's eyes.

"We weren't supposed to play with a ball in the house. I broke one of Mr. Salvatore's lamps. I let Stefan take the blame for it, I wanted to tell them the truth but Stefan told me to be quiet. He got grounded for a whole week. I should have said something but I didn't. Even though he told me to be quiet, Stefan hasn't talked to me since," she pauses, her eyes dropping to her feet. "Part of the reason too why I wanted some money was to get him some gummy bears. He loves them."

"Are you going tell your guardian's the truth?"

"Yes," she says softly, stuffing the last bite of her hotdog in her mouth.

Damon nods at Elena and then smiles at the child. "I'm glad you told us. Now that you're done eating, Elena and I will take you home."

"But I don't have the presents and how come you two are dressed like that?" she asks, pointing at their elfin attire.

"We always dress like this on Christmas eve, it's a tradition with us." Winking at Damon, Elena then pulls a snow globe out of her pocket and hands it May who's little mouth drops. It's a scene of their Christmas village. "Do you think she'll like that?"

"Ah ha." May is still in shock, staring at the globe as the snow flitters around inside.

Elena reaches into her pocket once more, this time pulling out a bag of candy. She gives Damon a heartfelt smile and hands it to May.

"Gummy bears!?"

"You can give those to Stefan."

"Time to go," Damon interrupts. They walk on either side of May till they find a taxi waiting for a fare. When May tells him the address, they crawl inside. A half hour later, the car pulls up in front of a big brick house. They get out, Damon tells the man to wait, he and Elena walk May to the front entrance. The door flies open before the little girl puts her hand on the knob, a red headed woman and a man drop to their knees, asking frantically where she's been. The woman starts to cry when she hands her the snow globe. It's as if they don't see Damon and Elena. The adults stand up and urge the little girl inside. Just as the door closes, May mouths thank you and waves goodbye.

"Well you proved your point," Elena starts to say, her heart ratcheting up when she sees the eastern sky just beginning to light up. They need to get back to the building and right now. They jump back into the cab, he takes them as far as he can but there's a traffic accident and the driver has to stop. Damon's stomach twists uncomfortably realizing that he must pay the man for their ride but doesn't know what to do. His eyes dart from Elena to their building's rooftop and back to Elena.

Helplessly he stuffs his hands into his pockets to look for something, anything to give the man. In utter astonishment, he magically finds money in one. Pulling it out, he stares at it for a few minutes before a honk snaps him out of his reverie. After tossing it at the man, he takes Elena's hand and they run like wildfire hoping to get there in time. Suddenly, Elena pulls free. When he turns to see what's the matter, she's laying on the sidewalk clutching her ankle. It's getting even lighter in the east causing tears to burst from Elena.

"Go Damon, you have to leave. We'll never make it if you have to carry me. At least one of us will get home."

Damon drops to his knees, pushes a strand of hair behind her ear. "Do you really think I'd leave you here?" He picks her up and they start to walk but by the time they get there, the sun is cresting over the horizon. Damon knows it's too late. He swallows thickly, wondering how they're going to survive in this foreign land. But he doesn't want to scare her so he smiles, hoping to convey that they'll be okay. Elena leans in and brushes her lips across his cheek as a silent thank you. Just as he sits down on a bench, they disappear. The next thing Damon knows is they're sitting in the sled beside Santa Claus.

"I thought we were too late?" Elena cries, only now noticing that they're both back to their normal size.

"You were a bit late but I'm proud of you two. Are you ready to go home?"

They both vigorously bob their heads. Damon takes her hand and holds it tight when Santa tells the reindeer to take flight. They look below till the city is smaller and smaller and then finally disappears, moments later they're both sound asleep as Santa steers the sleigh to make a right turn at the North Star the last leg on their journey home.


"Shouldn't Santa be back now?" Rebekah asks, staring at the sky through the dormitory window. "And what about Damon and Elena?"

"They might not come back because Care tattled on them," Tyler retorts, raising his chin at the aforementioned elf.

She crosses her arms over her chest. "Don't turn this on me. It's not my fault they fight all the time. Santa wouldn't leave them there."

"How do you know, Caroline? Santa was a bit testy when he left last night," Elijah interrupts stepping into the room, Enzo trailing after him.

"Because it's Santa. He'll bring them home."

"You better hope so." Rebekah turns around, glaring at her. It's then that they suddenly hear the sounds of jingle bells and hoofs clip clopping on the frozen earth. The others rush to the window, waving when Santa looks at them while untethering the reindeer. Dasher ambles to the sled and licks Damon's face with his big moist slobbery tongue. Damon bolts upright, his eyes huge till he realizes that they're home.

"We're home."

"We are. You can wake Elena so we can take the animals into their barn. Damon nods and drops his mouth to her ear to tell her to wake. He can't help but steal a kiss. She opens her eyes and smiles and for that moment, it's just the two of them. When Santa clears his throat, they get up and help him guide the reindeer to shelter. They give them food, water and a few reindeer treats. As soon as they step inside, Mrs. Claus hands them each a brimming hot mug full of her famous cocoa. Elena closes her eyes, savoring the taste. As soon as they finish, Santa's wife sends them back to their rooms. Damon takes her hand as they walk down the hall, he opens the door to let her go in first.

"You're home," Rebekah screams running over to hug Elena.

"What was it like, going with Santa and all?" Enzo asks, pulling up chair to sit down near the bench where Damon and Elena are seated. They tell them all about their excellent grand adventure in the Big Apple, they tell them about Tommy and May and the gigantic Christmas tree and the music and ice skating.

"We got a ride in a real car," Damon blurts outs. "What's the matter Caroline?"

"It's not fair, you two were supposed to be punished, instead you had a merry time in the city."

"One that we wouldn't have gotten if you hadn't tattled," Elena points out, raising a pointed eyebrow at her. Before long they're all yawning since it's nighttime again at the North Pole. After saying goodnight to everyone, Damon takes Elena's hand and walks down the hallway with her. He opens his door and gestures for her to come in. She smiles big and then the two of them crawl under the covers, wrapping themselves together for a long winter's nap...


We hope you enjoyed this, May. I got this idea in my head about how cute DE would be as Santa's elves, both Eva and I thought of you. It's our way of thanking you for the beautiful DE #Tomorrow esthetic you made.

The title comes from 'Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer'. I still love it all these years later.

Thank you so much Eva. I love you!

The bar scene is a hat tip to 'It's a Wonderful Life' and the Santa admonition on the rooftop is to my still favorite Disney movie, the original, Hayley Mills version of 'The Parent Trap'.

I will be updating 'EWAF' and 'IBSY' yet this week. Watch for 'Friends and Lovers', 'ICEM: Joy to the World' and the 'The Gingerbread House' sequel to post over the course of the next few weeks.

Thank you all so much. The DE fandom is the best of the fan fiction world. Both Eva and I appreciate each and every one of you.

Have a wonderful day and thanks again.