Hi everyone. ;) This one is a One shot for the author to author exchange on LiveJournal. I want to dedicate this one to Sar for hosting it and cecevolume (LJ name) for making this amazing idea! I loved it and I hope you enjoy it.

Prompt: Damon is at the Boarding House on Christmas Eve, not wanting to spend the night with all the children at Caroline's party. He thinks back to a time when he loved Christmas (childhood, when he first became a vamp, whatever) and realizes that now that he doesn't have Elena, he has no hope. Elena, however, shows up, sick of the party herself (elaborate, please). They share a few drinks, talk about old traditions, and, finally, about their feelings.

Enjoy ;)

Damon doing his usual thing: sitting in front of the fireplace with a glass of bourbon dangling from his right hand. Christmas was tomorrow and everyone was currently at Caroline's house, attending her Christmas bash. Christmas just did not have the same pull it once did. When Damon was a child, he reveled in Christmas even after his mother died. He made sure Christmas was the best time of the year for Stefan because his little brother just would not understand why Christmas would be canceled. He did everything to make sure Stefan was safe, sheltered, and had the best life possible. It was starting to seem like a mistake. He should have shown him the world more, piece by piece, so that Stefan did not think that everything was going to be given to him on a silver platter. Damon could remember his last Christmas with his mother, Stefan had just turned five and Damon had turned twelve, but it was everything. Damon had decorated the tree with their mother as Stefan and Giuseppe watched. It was one of the best moments of his life.

"Damon, son, maybe you should let your mother put the angel on the tree." Giuseppe said as Stefan ran around his father's chair.

"But father, I grew four inches this year. I want to put the star on the tree." Damon said with a frown.

"Peppe maybe Damon could put the star on this year. Just have one of the maids bring him the stool from the kitchen. The boy has been asking for years."

His mother smiled down at him as she smoothed down his tousled hair. Damon could hear his father speaking to a passing maid as Stefan ran up to him.

"Damon, father says the Lockwoods will be joining us tonight for our dinner. Can I play with you and George? Please, I never get to play with the big boys." Stefan begged with his pout.

Damon smiled down at his brother. It was hard to say no to Stefan a lot, usually it was their mother telling Stefan no, it seemed like neither Damon nor his father could ever do so.

"I'll tell you something Stef. I'll sneak you into the barn with us. How does that sound? But you cannot tell anyone. Promise?"

Stefan's smile grew to take up most of his face as he hugged Damon's level half.

"Thanks Damon. I won't tell anyone. I promise!"

Damon smiled down at his younger brother as a maid put the stool down on the floor. Damon detangled himself from his little brother. He climbed onto the stool and reached for the top of the tree. He placed the glass angel on the top of the tree gently and smiled. Stefan began to clap as Damon came down from the stool.

"It's beautiful son." His mother cooed as he smiled up at her.

Damon's heart was filling with warmth as he looked around. He was happy, happy with everything going on in his life. He had no clue about what was going to come into his life. How much pain was awaiting him in his not so distant future … Damon did know this love though. He knew the love that was surrounding him now and how he would cherish it for the rest of eternity.

Three months later his mother died, it was from cancer. Back then, the technology would not have been able to save her as it could now. Sophia Salvatore never had a fighting chance. His father changed. It was heartbreaking. He turned into a cold person, everything was handled like business even his children. The darkness and silence became his best friends next to Stefan until Katherine broke them apart. Elena was trying to fix them, and Damon could admit she was helping. Her indecision was putting them on edge but saving her was bringing them back together. Damon knew he was losing her though; he let her go. He decided to do what he always did: cater to his baby brother's need from this lingering need to protect him. Elena had called and texted him to no avail. He would not give in.

"That's just the story of my life." Damon mumbled to the fireplace imagining Ric was there with him.

Stefan told him he should come to Caroline's party but he had enough of tweedle dee and tweedle dum. Damon had never wanted to smash two people's heads together more than he did when Caroline and Stefan were together. It seemed like their stupidity was fueling off one another's ego. Stefan was one thing by himself. Damon thought back to their first Christmas together as vampires. Stefan was still feeling the deep guilt of killing their father and slowly was losing control.

Damon walked into the old mansion he and Stefan were currently residing in. He could hear female laughter echoing through the nearly empty halls. Damon approached the giant dining room to see a girl laying on the table and Stefan drinking from her thigh.

"Say hello to Damon Natalie." Stefan said after standing up and grinning at Damon through a bloody smile.

"Hello Damon." The girl said with a soft voice.

Damon knew Stefan compelled her to not be afraid. She looked pale and almost at her wit's end. Damon rushed Stefan pushing him into a wall and grabbing the girl. He bit into his wrist and fed her a small amount of blood. He looked her straight into her eyes, compelling her.

"You will head straight home and enjoy whatever activities your family will host. Hurry and make sure not to hurt yourself."

The girl nodded her head, hurrying from the mansion without running. Damon turned to Stefan with a look of disgust.

"One day, all I ask for is one day that you will not turn our home into a bloodfest. It is Christmas Stefan. Some people still value that. At least give that girl some hope." Damon lectured.

Stefan just stared straight at his brother without empathy.

"I would think you would enjoy this time. Last Christmas, we-"

"We had father and Katherine. Sorry if I have discovered that the woman I thought I loved was lying to me and I killed our father. Did you not understand Damon?" Stefan yelled.

"It was mother's favorite holiday." Damon stated simply.

"I barely remember mother Damon."

Something switched in Damon. Before Stefan knew it, Damon had thrown them both through the nearest wall and had pinned him to the ground. Stefan's eyes were full of shock as Damon's vampire face was full of anger.

"If we did not have the same mother, I would have gotten rid of you already. You have become a nuisance to me. The only reason I have not snapped your neck and buried you underground is that this is the time of year I honor our mother. You will do well to remember this little brother."

Damon sped out of the house and to the cemetery in a hurry. He quickly found his mother's grave and sat in front of it as the snow softly fell.

"Mother, I did not know what to do. I feel as if I should leave Stefan and maybe I should. It is hard. You asked me to watch over him so I have. I did not realize how hard it would be. He has become difficult. He has no control. I fear it is the consequence of father and my sheltering him. Give me a sign please. I need you to show me which way I go with this unfortunate situation."

Damon was met with nothing but the sound of the soft wind. He wiped the lone tear from his face and got up.

"I love you mother. You are missed." He said laying a single lily on the headstone.

Damon walked slowly out of the cemetery, the snow falling around him creating a sad picture.

"I guess it's just you and me on this joyous holiday buddy." Damon spoke imagining Ric again.

Ric watched from his ghost plane with a frown. Of course, Damon was alone. He wished he could be there, he really did.

"It's alright buddy. We'll make it work. We always do." Ric said smiling sadly even though he knew he was invisible to Damon completely.

"I'm like the director at a daycare for children with ridiculous needs Ric. Ugh, it is so exhausting. I have a shrill-voiced complaining Barbie, a whiny version of Edward Cullen, a witch attracted to trouble, a killer little boy, a defiant hybrid, and Elena. I have no clue what I'm doing anymore especially when it comes to Elena. I'm losing my mind here Ric. I wish you were here. At least I could pawn some of the kids off on you." Damon spilled out swirling his glass around.

Alaric let out a loud laugh at his friend's monologue.

"Sometimes I still feel you here buddy. If you could send me some ghostly help, I would appreciate it. I'm alone here." Damon added.

"Not so much."

Damon turned around to Elena dressed in a tight green and red sweater dress holding a pair of silver wedges in her hand. Her hair was wavy and he could swear that she was Katherine if it was not for her scent. Katherine smelled like lavender, she always had even when Damon was human. Elena smelled like coconut with a hint of cherries. Elena had bold blood red lipstick on as she leaned on the poster in the den.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be with the happy gang at Barbie's house?"

Elena smiled at Damon's attempt to get rid of her. They hadn't spoken face to face since Damon "let her go" two weeks before. At first Elena felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, the sire bond gone and dealt with. Then she began to miss the text messsages, the late night conversations, the laughter she shared with Damon, and just being with him. Stefan was calling again, checking to see if she felt different. She was avoiding him and Caroline, since it seemed as if they were a buy one get one free pair now. Elena could only fully talk to Bonnie, who despite had the biggest reason to hate Damon, supported Elena as long as she was truly happy. That was the biggest surprise ever.

"There's only so much of the people I can take now. I had to get away." Elena replied with a small smile, walking toward Damon.

"Join the club."

He waved his hand as an invitation to join him. Elena walked toward the couch and swung her legs over it. She sighed as her body melted into the comfortable surface.

"Enjoying the holidays?" Damon asked, attempting to make small talk.

"I'm happy to see Jer after these couple of weeks. He seems good." Elena told him through a smile.

Damon nodded taking a drink from his glass. Elena looked at him hesitantly before smiling.

"Are you enjoying the holidays?" Elena asked with hope.

"I haven't really enjoyed Christmas since my mom died. I always decorate the house in honor of her but that's about it." Damon said with a solemn expression.

"I would think you celebrate it often. Stefan seems to-"

"Stefan practically destroyed Christmas after we were turned. The first Christmas after we became vampires, he practically was draining a girl on our dining room table. Then he basically slapped me in the face by insulting our mother." Damon said with a smirk on his face.

Elena did not know what to say.

"Oh."

Her voice was small and lost. Damon instantly regretted his decision to make the comment.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't ruin your holiday spirit with memories of Christmas past." Damon said.

Elena looked down at the ground. She missed Damon, but she felt like saying anything would ruin the potential for her staying here.

"I remember the Christmas before my parents died. We had this tradition where we would all decorate the tree while playing the classic holiday songs. Jer and my Dad would pick out the most perfect trees and my Mom would inspect it to make sure it was perfect," Elena reminisced as Damon watched her face become soft and relaxed, "Christmastime was my Dad's time of the year. He dressed as Santa every Christmas even after we found out Santa wasn't real. It was just one of those things we did. Jenna dressed up the Christmas after they passed, it gave Jer and I a good laugh."

Damon gave Elena a small smile.

"Before my mom died, we all decorated the tree together. My Dad wasn't cold back then. He actually had a heart. My mom and I decorated the tree with the tinsel and the angel. When Stefan was old enough he just watched smiling at us. It was second favorite time of the year." Damon told Elena looking at her.

"What was your first?"

"My birthday. I always got whatever I wanted. When I came to age, it was really great."

Elena wanted to laugh but everything was so awkward between them now.

"Sounds like you had the time of your life."

Damon smirked at Elena, toasting her before downing the rest of his drink. Elena fiddled with her fingers before gaining the courage to say something to him. She just had to remember to tread lightly when having this conversation. She watched as Damon got up from his chair and poured two drinks. He handed Elena her drink and sat back down in his chair, drinking his new glass of bourbon. The fight continued in her head before she just said to hell with it.

"I've missed you." Elena spat out in a hurry.

Damon tensed up, setting his drink on the side table next to his chair.

"Elena, I thought I made it clear that we need to be apart from one another-"

"Damon, I don't care. At first … at first, it seemed like everything was perfect. I felt lighter when I came home but just a few days later, I was craving you again. It wasn't a sire bond thing. It was an 'I love you' and 'I don't want to be without you' type of thing. I have Caroline in one ear telling me about how I belong with Stefan and Stefan in another ear telling me what I should do now that I am a vampire. I don't know a lot about what I'm doing but I know one thing. I love you and I miss just being around you. It's a lot you know … just staying away from you after coming to terms with my feelings. It's hard." Elena said with finality.

Damon sighed before drinking some of his bourbon.

"I've come to terms with a lot of things I've done in my life Elena. I haven't fully come to terms with letting you go. I need to be. Because of a lot of things I've done, Stefan ended up with everything he wanted. He never learned control and, that hurt him and so many others when he turned." Damon explained.

"Damon, I don't regret us and I never will. I just think we should rethink your decision."

Damon said nothing as the two stared at one another, never breaking eye contact. Elena put her drink down on the table separating his chair and the couch she was sitting on. She got up from her seat and sat on Damon's lap. She kissed the bottom of his neck softly.

"We belong together." Elena said seductively.

Damon was trying his best not to show Elena how much she was affecting him.

"Elena, you should stop."

Elena kissed his neck again, rolling her hips into his pelvis.

"I don't think you want me to. I don't think the smaller Damon wants me to stop either."

Elena smiled into Damon's neck as she reached his chin. She pulled back to stare into his eyes. She bit her lip looking right into his soft blue eyes.

"Damon, you love me. I know you do. We love one another. Nothing will change that. The sire bond only happened because I was falling in love with you as a human. As a vampire, I only got closer to you and I want to relish in it. I love being with you, completely. I love kissing you, I love lying next to you, and I love being underneath you. Damon, we belong together."

Elena looked into his eyes waiting on an answer. Damon narrowed his eyes before smirking at her.

"Well I think I'm going to let you convince me. How about we start with tonight?" Damon said doing his signature 'eye thing'.

Elena's smile grew as she smirked back at Damon.

"Well it could take a while. How long have you got?" Elena asked, playing along with him.

"All night baby, all night."

Elena giggled as Damon sped the two up to his bedroom. Her laugh echoed through the entire house.

-FIN-