This is for my good friend, Kimminnee.

Christmas 1872: Oklahoma Territory

With the cold wind blowing and the snow lightly falling, chilling him to the bone, Damon pulls on the reins, leading his horse back to their camp. It's a frigid evening but with several head of cattle escaping through a downed fence caused by the recent blizzard, Damon has no choice but to help round them up. Pulling his cowboy hat down over his ears, he tries to calm the horse when a coyote's mournful cry fills the atmosphere. Shivering, he guides his horse, Storm, over the now treacherous terrain. He breathes a sigh of relief when he sees the campfire burning in the distance from a hill top. Finally pulling up to the where his friends are, he slides off of the horse and ties the reins to the tree next to the other animals. Rubbing his hands together, he walks straight to the fire to warm up.

"Did you find anything?" Brady asks, pulling his collar up around his ears.

"Their tracks disappeared at the edge of the Ouachita Mountains." Placing his hands over the orange and yellow flame, he closes his eyes and lets the heat envelope him. When he can feel his fingers, he glances down at his friend.

"So I guess that's where we go come daybreak?"

"It is indeed," Damon adds, pouring himself a cup of coffee. Bringing it to his lips, he takes a long pull, savoring the warmth as it envelopes his body. Pulling the flask out of his duster, he pours some whiskey in the bottom of the cup and then tops it off with more hot coffee. Offering some to Brady, Damon pours some into his cup and then screw the lid back on it. About to put it to his lips, he looks up when he hears more horses neighing. Seeing his fellow cowpokes, Elijah, Nick and Kol pull up, he nods when they near the fire.

"Any luck, Damon?" Elijah asks, pouring himself some of the hot coffee. When he tries to hand the pot to Nick, the man brushes it off and pulls his own flask of whiskey out, taking a deep swallow.

"I tracked them as far as the Ouachita."

"This is a fine way to spend the day right before Christmas," Nick snorts, shaking his head, lamenting the fact that he'd much rather be with his favorite lady, the widow Petrova.

"We'd all rather be elsewhere but right now this is our life," Damon points out. Getting up, he walks over to the wood pile and drops a few more logs on the fire. Staring into the flames as it crackles and pops, he hopes that in time, he'll have his own ranch and will be safe and warm at Christmas time rather than nearly freezing beneath the harsh winter sky. Tired, Damon retreats to the bunk house. Although it's shelter, there's no wood cut for the fireplace which frosts Damon. They're all supposed to be responsible for making sure they have wood for nights like these. Deciding here and now that once the warm weather arrives again, he's going to insist to Mr. Gilbert that he add a wood rack so this doesn't happen again. Frustrated, cold and knowing it'll be Christmas Eve when he awakens, Damon closes his eyes and dreams of a better future for himself and her.

When he wakes up the next morning, Damon slowly drags himself out of his bunk. After throwing on his duster and putting his hat on, he goes outside and towards the chow hall so he can have some breakfast. As soon as he finishes eating, he'll saddle up Storm and head towards the mountains and with any luck they'll round up the longhorns so they can hopefully be free to spend Christmas day as they choose. Although Mr. Gilbert is a scalawag, he does treat his workers well, always making sure they have a turkey for Christmas dinner. Damon and Brady actually shot four of them for his cook to make for their meal this year. Once he has a couple of cups of coffee and some pancakes under his belt, he and Brady saddle up and begin the trek into the Ouachita Mountains.

Although it's a cold day, the sky is clear and the sun is shining so it's not quite as frigid as it was yesterday. It doesn't take long for them to reach the mountains. Knowing that the weather could turn treacherous quickly, they stop to find some shelter for the night just in case. There's a cave that they've made use of before so that's the direction they take. They get off of their horses long enough to gather some wood and rocks so they can start a fire later to keep themselves warm. Afterwards, Damon takes the right fork into the mountains while Brady takes the left. As Storm leads him up the mountain, he stops when he reaches a plateau that rests beneath a craggy outcropping of granite. With the sun beginning to set, the chill is moving in and Damon knows that he'll need to head for the cave soon. It's then that he sees his missing cattle. "Yes," he says out loud, pulling on the reins to steer Storm in that direction. And then it's as if time stops because at the same time he hears a roar, a mountain lion jumps him, knocking him off his horse and onto the rocks. The huge cat plunges his teeth into Damon's arm, not once but several times. He tries to fight the animal off but his arm is so chewed up, it's literally useless. When he struggles to turn onto his belly to protect his face, a shot rings out. The cat releases him and runs off. Raising his head, he sees a shadow but before his eyes can focus in on the figure, he succumbs to the darkness.

Having rounded up the longhorns, Brady leads them towards the cave. Jumping off of his horse, he pulls him into the cave. Not finding Damon, he walks out again, taken aback when he sees Storm trotting towards him. Jogging over to his buddy's horse, he takes the reins and pulls him into the cave too. Now worried about Damon, he pulls his gun out of its holster and starts to walk on the rocky ledges. Finding nothing, he gets back on his horse and leads it the way he saw Damon take off earlier in the day. But with darkness falling, he won't make it very far before he has to turn around. Just as he's ready to steer his horse back towards the cave, he notices blood and a lot of it. Fearing for his friend's life, he jumps off the horse and looks all over but finds nothing. For his own safety, he mounts his horse and goes back to the shelter they readied earlier. Once safely inside, he builds a fire to warm himself and the animals. Seeing how jumpy Storm is, he can't help but wonder what happened to Damon. Knowing there's nothing else he can do for now, he gets under his blanket and lays close to the fire. As he closes his eyes, all he can do is pray for a miracle that his friend will be found alive.

Feeling himself starting to become alert, Damon groans when he tries to move, his arm burning with an intensity painful enough to make him literally feel sick to his stomach. Struggling to open his eyes, everything is blurry at first and ever so slowly it begins to clear. It's then that he sees her, standing by the fire place, using a dipper to ladle some soup or stew into a bowl. With his head pounding, he closes his eyes again and tries to comprehend what's going on. The pain is unrelenting so he raises his right arm and runs it down his left. Although it's bandaged, his fingertips come back red. Swallowing thickly, he looks over at the woman again. Not realizing that he's awake, her back is still turned to him. The pain is so intense it feels like his arm is literally on fire so using every ounce of strength inside of him, he pushes himself upright but not without inflicting more pain on himself. When a spontaneous curse leaves his lips, she turns around and looks at him. Recognizing her as Elena, he breathes a sigh of relief.

"Elena?"

At first she doesn't speak, she just stares at him. Although he's certain she knows English, he also knows that she's pretty much a recluse. The times he has seen her in town, she keeps to herself ignoring the stares and disagreeable looks that greet her. For the life of him, he can't understand why she's such an outcast. She's completely beautiful with sumptuous curves and a bosom that he knows would fit perfectly in his hands. He's dreamt of her many times and how wild she'd be above him in the bed. Rumor has it that she's been shunned because of who she is, the bastard daughter of his boss, Grayson Gilbert. From what Damon has been told, the girl's mother was one of the tribal ladies. Sadly some small minded people bear prejudice but Damon harbors no such feelings. Although Damon can see no resemblance to Mr. Gilbert, perhaps it's because she most likely carries her mother's looks. Elena is dark and exotic and breathtaking in his humble opinion.

"Elena?" he asks again, his chest heaving with the effort it took for him to sit up.

This time when she turns around, she gasps, "What are you doing up? You were mauled by a mountain lion. I shot at him but he jumped and got away."

"A mountain lion did this?" he asks, his eyes dropping down to his bandaged arm.

"Yes, Mr. Salvatore. You're lucky I happened along when I did. We, my dog and I were tracking it when I saw him tearing into you. You're lucky to be alive."

"You saved my life. Thank you," he starts to say, looking up in fear when he remembers his horse. "Did Storm get away?"

"Yes, your horse ran off as soon as the cat jumped you."

"I don't care about that. A horse is no match for a mountain lion." Feeling weak from blood loss, Damon stumbles to the floor when he tries to stand up. Elena is on him in a heartbeat, helping him back to bed. As soon as she has him sitting down, she glares at him with a lethal intensity.

"Stay in bed. I will get you something to eat," she adds, turning around quickly when she hears him starting to squirm again. "I said to lay down."

After he does, she brings him over some soup. Having a little self respect, he refuses to let her feed him so after promising her that he won't try to stand up again, she allows him to sit up. Sliding a chair in front of him, she goes over to the fireplace to grab the bowl of stew and a spoon. After setting it down, she hands him a spoon.

"Thank you," he grumbles. Tasting it, he's surprised at how good of a cook she is. Raising his eyes, he adds, "This is good."

Nodding, she retreats back to the other side of the room to get herself something to eat too. Once she finishes, she puts the dirty dishes on a table top. With his eyes trained on her, he watches as she reaches into the cupboard to pull out what looks like some dried grasses along with a mortar and pestle. Setting them on the table, she grinds up some of the grasses. From there she walks over to the fire place, using the ladle, she pours a little water into it. Setting the mixture on the chair beside his stew, she opens a cedar chest and pulls out some strips of muslin.

"Are you done eating? I need to rewrap your arm."

"I'm done. How did you get me back here by yourself?"

"I'm a strong woman, Mr. Salvatore."

"I realize that. Not many women could survive out here in the wilderness. Do you like being all alone out here?" Damon asks, truly interested.

"I like the solitude plus I have my pets and my rifle. The wildlife keeps me company too. I love listening to the coyotes cry, the howl of the wolves and even the bears growling. I'm not really alone you know?"

"Elena, I've seen how people in town spurn you. Why is that? I mean, you've always been nice to me."

"Surely you can figure that out."

"Your heritage?"

Shaking her head up and down, she meets his eyes and then starts to remove his old, soiled dressings. Grimacing in pain, Damon squints his eyes when she pulls the old off. With careful hands, she packs the wound with her herb mixture and then rewraps his arm. When she sees that he's flushed, she presses her soft palm to his face, sighing at how feverish he is. "I'm going to make you some tea and then I want you to sleep."

"My friend Brady was with me. He's probably worried sick, especially if he found Storm without me on him."

"I can't do anything about it tonight, Damon. It's Christmas Eve and it's snowing right now."

"I need to go back. I don't want him to risk his life coming after me," Damon adds, his eyes drifting around the room, only now noticing her little Christmas tree.

"If the weather clears, I'll hook the litter up and take you to Mr. Gilbert's ranch."

"Thank you, Elena."

Standing up, she makes her way back to the fireplace. Stooping over, she puts several logs on it to keep them warm through the night. He will admit that it feels good to be warm and dry despite the pain in his head and his arm. About to lay back down, Elena sits down on the chair and hands him the cup of tea. Placing the cup to his nose, he breathes in the aroma of verbena and rose buds and other native grasses. He blows on it and then takes a sip. It's hot but it warms his insides. After taking a few more swallows, he is suddenly bleary eyed with fatigue.

"Is this supposed to make me sleepy?" he asks, his shoulders swaying as he tries to stay upright.

"It is," Elena admits. Taking it from his hands, she sets the cup aside while he lays down. Once he's covered up, his eyes drop closed. Smiling at his beauty, she brushes a loose strand of hair from his forehead and then runs the back of her hand wispily across his cheek. Wishing that things could be different, she sighs and then covers him up. After blowing out the lamps, she crawls into her own bed and lets her eyes drift closed to the sound of his mournful snores.

Leaning down, she kisses her way up his injured arm, the curve of his neck and their lips collide in a heated frenzy. He slides his tongue deep into her mouth while she crawls onto his lap. With their lips still attached, Damon ghosts his hands along her bare skin after he pulls her shirt loose from under her skirt. With shaky but aggressive hands, Elena somehow manages to undo the buttons on his shirt. Letting her fingers graze his chest and abdomen causing goosebumps to erupt in response to her explorations. Pulling his lips away with an audible pop, Damon moves his mouth to her jaw line placing hot kisses as well as suckling and nipping on the soft spot just above her collar bone. Gasping each time his calloused fingers scrape along her skin, she drops her hands to loosen his pants.

"I've wanted to do this since the first time I laid eyes on you," he murmurs, his lips still pressed to her skin. Lifting herself up, she pushes his pants down his legs and lifts up her skirt before crawling back onto his lap. Using her muscular legs, she starts to grind against him. Wanting to see her full and heaving breasts, he grabs the corners of her shirt and rips it apart. His mouth drops in awe at the sight of her. Needing to taste her, he pulls one nipple into his mouth. Threading her fingers through his now damp hair, she moans aloud as he suckles on her breast. With one hand holding his face to her chest, she uses her other one to grab his and guides it towards her aching center. Not one to disappoint, Damon begins to massage her clit with his fingertip, causing her to grind even harder against him.

"Yes, Damon, that's it, right there," she pants. Moving his lips to her other nipple, he moves his fingers to run them along her folds, finally dipping one of them inside, a euphoric sounding hiss escapes from her mouth as he plunges it in and out.

"I want you, Damon. I have for as long as I can remember." A hiss leaves his own lips as he wants nothing more than to oblige her. After kissing again with a fierce intensity, he places his hands on her hips. Their eyes lock at the same time she lowers herself onto the rigid shaft.

"God, Elena, you feel so damn good," he pants before pressing kisses to her breasts as she continues to move over him. Needing more, Damon meets her thrust for thrust. Feeling her belly begin to tighten and burn out of control, she's enraptured by the way each of his touches feels like an electrical impulse arcing between them. Moving harder and faster, she feels her body heat up even more. The moment Damon lowers his mouth to the space between her neck and shoulder, biting down firmly but gently, she screams when her orgasm rocks her body sending her flying in a column of orange and yellow flames. Needing his completion, Damon grips her hips firmly and with one final upward thrust, he spills himself inside of her, her name leaving his lips as if in prayer. Unable to hold himself up, he collapses against her. Not wanting to let him go just yet, Elena holds his body against her breasts as he continues to pulsate inside of her.

Waking up in a lurch from the magnitude of that dream, Elena's heart is beating like a locomotive against her chest wall causing her to feel somewhat light headed. She knows she's blushing profusely when she feels her face heat up. Shivering , she presses her palm against her still stammering heart. Never has she had a dream so intense that her whole body is alight. With her breaths coming in spurts, her eyes drift to Damon who's still sound asleep on the other side of the room, her insides react viscerally all over again. Swallowing thickly, she tries to tamper down her desire. Only now does she feel the chill in the air. Expelling a breath, she throws the covers back and slips out of bed. After stirring the ashes with the poker, she throws several more logs onto the fire. Hearing the crackles and pops as the fire roars back to life, she crawls back into bed. Staring first at the flames and then at Damon again, Elena is struck by how beautiful he is when illuminated by the fire. When fatigue starts to settle in again, she pulls her cat into her arms and closes her eyes, her mind still a maelstrom of unfamiliar emotions.

As soon as Elena wakes up the next morning, she uses a blanket to cover herself while she dresses. Damon is sleeping with his back facing her but she still doesn't want him to see her in a compromising position. Still shook by the intensity of that dream, Elena can feel herself blushing all over again when she thinks about it. Putting it aside, she finishes dressing and then puts her hair in a long braid. After stoking the fire, she puts her coat on and then goes outside to bring some more wood in. Once that's done, she grabs her bowl of seeds that she collects during the spring and summer and goes back outside to feed the birds. Dropping her hand in, she curls her fingers around the seed and then sprinkles it on the light blanket of snow. The crows, intelligent birds that they are, are always the first to arrive in the mornings. The air is crisp and Elena can see her breath when she talks to the birds. The sky is blue but the wind is blustery so she thinks that maybe she should get Damon back to her father's ranch before another heavy snowfall moves in. Standing up, she tosses out one more handful of seed and then goes back inside.

Damon is awake and sitting at the bedside when she opens the door. "Morning," he says, grimacing a bit when he cradles his bad arm with his good one.

"Good morning, Damon. It's Christmas Eve and although it's beautiful outside right now I fear that more bad weather is coming. Do you think you can ride with one arm or do I need to hook up the litter?"

"I think I can ride a horse. I've ridden with a bullet in my chest so I think I'll be okay."

"Alright then. I'll make us some breakfast and then we'll go. I want to get back here before the snow comes."

"What are we about two hours out of town?"

"About that, yes."

"Um, do you know where my coat is? I need to relieve myself." Feeling herself blush all over again, Elena gets his coat for him. Although painful, she helps him put his bad arm through the sleeve. Once his coat is on, she stands by while he gets up in case he starts to wobble again. This time his knees stay locked. With a nod of his head, he gingerly walks outside and away from the house so he can do his business. He can't help but wonder about his horse though. The best that he can hope for is that Storm went back to where Brady was and hopefully his buddy took him back to the ranch with him. If not, he'll have to borrow one of Mr. Gilbert's horses and try to find him. As soon as he finishes, he walks around her property for a little bit. He knows that she must've had help to build her cabin. It's not huge but it's sizeable for a woman alone. Blowing out a breath, the white puff of it wafting away from him. When he hears his stomach growl, he goes back inside, immediately hit with the smell of salt pork and biscuits baking over the fireplace.

"That smells mighty tasty," he mentions. After taking his coat off, he sits back down at the edge of the bed. As he watches her behind sway while she turns the meet, he feels his manhood begin to harden. Not wanting her to see that, he covers his lap with one of the blankets and tries to think of something that will tone down his lust. And then he finds it, Mrs. Lockwood, his grade school teacher who was all of seventy years old and full of wrinkles and her breath smelled like leather and skunk. Sighing with relief, he doesn't dare look at Elena again until she's facing him.

As soon as they eat, Elena helps him with his coat again and after she bundles up herself, she goes outside to bring her horse around. Once Damon is up, he offers Elena his other arm to help her get on too. With her hands around his waist, he pulls on the reins and they start down her mountain towards the ranch. His body is alight with energy where her hands are holding on to his midsection. He would like nothing more than to explore that with her. He makes up his mind right here and now that as soon as his arm heals, he's going to try to court her properly and be treated in the way a fine lady should be treated. As the sun rises higher in the sky, he can see the darker clouds looming in the distance so he tugs a little tighter on the reins to get them back before the storm hits.

Although it seems like no time at all, a couple of hours later, the ranch comes into view. Pulling up next to the bunk house, Damon helps Elena slide off. Grimacing when he has to use his arm, he climbs down too. Elena wants nothing more than to get right back on the horse and head home but Damon insists that she at least should come inside and warm up a little bit, that is if the guys got some fuel for the fireplace. After much convincing by Damon, she finally agrees but only to stay long enough to have a cup of hot coffee. Pulling the door open, he steps back so she can walk inside first. The hairs on the back of her neck stand up when all the other cowboys look up, their eyes immediately focusing on her.

"Did Brady get back?" Damon asks, breaking the tension that's thick in the air.

"You're alive," Kol mentions when the shock at seeing his friend wears off. Before Damon can speak, he add, "Yeah, he came back with the steers and Storm. He looked for you, thought you'd been killed when he saw blood."

"I would've been killed if not for Elena," Damon adds, his eyes meeting hers for a moment. "Is Brady around?"

"Yeah, he went up to speak to Mr. Gilbert about you as a matter of fact," Nick adds, his eyes drifting from Elena to Damon.

"I'm going to run up there and tell them that I'm okay thanks to her. Would you please give her a hot cup of coffee, she wants to get home but she needs to warm up first," he adds, shares a look with Elena and then walks out of the bunkhouse leaving Elena alone with the others.

With a wink at his brother, Nick approaches Elena. "Come on honey, surely you'd like to join us," he insinuates, giving her a wink.

"No, thank you," she says, raising her chin in defiance. Her mother taught her not to cower in the face of bullying and innuendo and prejudice.

"Oh come on, we know you like it. We've heard stories about you and how you make your money. I've got a couple of dollars if you want to show me."

Not one to be trifled with, Elena slaps him. Raising his hand to cup his cheek, she watches as anger fills his eyes. Launching himself at her, he has her pushed up against the wall and starts to grind against her. It sickens her when the other guys start chanting, "Do it, do it, do it." Turning his head, he gives then a wink and then lowers his hand, snaking it between her legs. Even though she's squirming and fighting like a caged animal, she's not strong enough to fight him off but she won't give up. Using his hand, he starts lift up her skirt. In his vigor, he leaves himself wide open to one of Elena's knees in his groin. Groaning aloud, he bends over and cups his crotch. When she tries to make a run for it, one of the other ranch hands blocks her escape. As soon as Nick can stand up, he's on her again, practically spitting fire in her face. Forcing her to look at him, he slams his dirty mouth against hers. When he tries to force his tongue inside, she bites it. With a smirk on his face, he soothes his tongue with his lips and then without warning, he grabs her breast, squeezing painfully. With her heart pounding like a steam engine, a feeling of desperation begins to cloud Elena's senses. Just as Nick lets go of her breast and before he can lay another hand on her, Damon walks back in.

The sight of her now disheveled appearance rockets his temper into the stratosphere in a millisecond. Fueled by adrenaline, he grabs Nick by the scruff of his neck, pulls him off of her and lands a solid punch to his jaw sending him sprawling to the floor. Only then does Damon feel the painful sting in his arm. Raising up on one arm, Nick cups his chin with his other hand. "What the hell, Damon?" he spits out, his eyes burning with rage.

"What the hell were you thinking attacking my guest this way? She's a human being and a lady and doesn't deserve this kind of treatment from you or anyone else. What's the matter with you? I know damn well that your mama didn't raise you to treat women like trash, Nick?"

Dropping his eyes in shame, he knows Damon is right. He's never taken a woman against her will and he's not about to start now. Damon offers a hand and pulls him to his feet then glares at the others. "What about the rest of you? You were just going to sit there and let him molest her? I've known all of your guys for years. Never have I seen such abhorrent behavior. If it happens again to Elena or to any woman, you'll have me to answer to?" Damon snaps. Turning to face Elena who's still standing against the wall, he takes a breath and closes the distance between them.

"I'm so, so sorry, Elena. I know these guys, never in my wildest imagination would have expected them to behave in such a despicable manner. Please forgive me."

"It's not your fault. They all think that of me. I'm not a whore," she snaps, pushing a now stray strand of hair away from her eyes.

"I'm very sorry for my behavior, it was monstrous and undeserved," Nick says contritely. Elena can see by the shame in his eyes that he means it. The other men get up and approach her too. Damon stays close when he hears her breath hitch. Although he's certain that she's no longer afraid, he knows that her adrenaline must be starting to wane.

"We're sorry too, Miss Elena. We behaved abhorrently," Elijah adds, offering her his hand. When she extends hers shakily, he takes it between his. "I'm speaking for all of here but you have my word, all of our words really... this will never happen again. And I personally want to thank you for helping our friend here," he adds, turning to Damon. After they all take turns apologizing, they walk out of the bunkhouse leaving Damon and Elena alone.

"Let me get you that coffee now," Damon says, leading her over to one of the chairs. Unable to stop himself, he brushes a loose strand of hair from her face, letting his hand linger for a few seconds. With a smile on his face, he fills one of the tin mugs for her then takes another for himself. Sitting down in the chair opposite of her, he again apologizes for the men's behavior and for leaving her alone.

"I don't know why people seem to think that of me. My only crime was being born a part of two races. My mother was a beautiful woman and we lived outside of her village till she died. Since I was still young, I was dropped off on Grayson Gilbert's doorstep. Yes, he's my father. I was sent away to school so he wouldn't have to look at me. Since I wanted to learn to read and write, I went. I excelled in everything but when I came back here, he still didn't want me in his sight. He gave me that parcel of land and built the cabin for me on the condition that I kept my parentage a secret. It's crazy really, everyone knows he's my father," she explains, taking a gulp of her coffee.

"I'd heard rumors but I didn't know if they were true or not. I'm sorry Elena. You shouldn't have been treated like that by your own flesh and blood."

"He's ashamed of himself for my birth but he hasn't abandoned me completely either. He makes sure I have meat and other things but doesn't want the two of us to be seen together."

Suddenly a need overtakes Damon. He gets up and drops to his knees in front of her. Their eyes join as he slowly moves closer. When she doesn't pull away, he captures her lips in a searing kiss, enough to take her breath away. "I've wanted to do that since the first time I saw you," Damon whispers, his eyes alight with joy.

"I like you too, Damon. But being with me...," she starts to say, her voice going silent but her eyes remain on his.

"I don't care what anyone says or thinks. I'm crazy about you, Elena and if someone has issue with that, it's their problem, not ours."

"Okay," she says softly, struggling to maintain her composure. No man has ever looked at her with such reverence as Damon is looking at her right now. Just as he's about to lean in and steal another heady kiss from her luscious lips, the bunkhouse door opens, revealing Brady whose eyes light up when he sees Damon and of all people, Grayson Gilbert.

"Elena?"

"Um, I'll be on my way now," she says, standing up. Tightening her coat around her, she starts to walk towards the door.

"Elena, stop. It's already snowing outside. I know I'm as poor of an excuse for a... as there's ever been but I'm not about to let you go out in this. Come up to the house and I'll give you a room for the night." Too stunned to speak, Elena just stares at her father. Not knowing what to do, her eyes drift to Damon. When he nods, she swallows thickly and shakes her head subtly. With Damon by her side, she follows her father up to the main house. Once they get to the stairs, Damon presses a kiss to her cheek and says goodnight and stays planted in his spot until he sees that she's safely inside of the house.

Since it's Christmas day, they're all invited into the main house to have Christmas dinner. It's the one day of the year that Mr. Gilbert allows into his house for anything other than business. With Brady at his side they follow the other men towards the main house.

"You like her don't you?" Brady asks, tilting his head slightly.

"I like her a lot and I intend to court her."

"You're sure?"

"I am," Damon reaffirms.

"I'm glad. She seems like a nice girl. She saved your ass after all," he laughs, giving him a nudge.

"She did indeed," Damon agrees as they walk up the stairs and into Mr. Gilbert's home. The maids take their coats and tell them to go into the main dining room. Looking around the room, a beaming smile graces his face when he sees Elena standing by the window. She's staring outside and not paying attention to anyone. Looking around further, he sees Mr. Gilbert who is visiting with his nephew Jeremy. He works as an artist for a newspaper in Dallas, Texas. He visits occasionally and is usually quite friendly. Damon can't help but notice how Jeremy continually looks over at Elena. Damon is certain that Jeremy must know of his uncle's dalliances though. Deciding to hell with decorum, Damon walks over to Elena. Looking up when she hears his footsteps, she smiles at him.

"You look stunning if it wasn't obvious," Damon tells her. Taking her hand, he places a kiss on top of it before letting go. Damon is completely smitten with her at his side. Moments later, the dinner bell sounds followed by Grayson telling them all to have a seat. Since Jeremy is his only family, Elena takes a seat on the other end of the table with Damon taking the seat beside her. After everyone says grace, the kitchen staff brings out the turkey placing two at each end of the table. With hungry bellies, they all dig in to enjoy their holiday meal.

Once dessert has been served and everyone finishes eating, the staff clear off the table. Mr. Gilbert stands up and passes around their year end bonuses. As far as the way he treats his employees, he's a good boss, Damon just wishes he'd show the same respect for his own flesh and blood. With a nod of his head, Damon takes his envelope and thanks the man. He doesn't miss how he and Elena share a look before the man continues to move around the table, handing one envelope to each man. As soon as he finishes, it's time to vacate his home. Since it's only a little after two in the afternoon, Elena asks him to wait outside for her and then disappears. After thanking the staff, Damon grabs his cowboy hat and duster and goes outside to wait for her. Taking a cigarette out of his inner jacket pocket, he lights it and takes a long pull, turning around when he feels a hand on his arm.

"I'm going to go home now. I wanted to say goodbye to you."

"Well, Miss Elena, you're not going to say goodbye because I'm going to ride along with you," Damon adds, taking one more puff on his cigarette before stomping it in the dirt.

"Your arm is still healing, Damon. I'm perfectly capable of getting home by myself."

"I didn't notice that you brought your rifle along," he mentions, raising an eyebrow at her.

"I can take care of myself," she insists, glaring at him.

"Let's not fight, Elena. I know you can take care of yourself. Hell, you're probably more capable than a lot of men that I know but I want to ride along."

She stares into his eyes for what seems like hours till she finally nods her head. Walking side by side they go to the horse barn. With Brady's help, they saddle the two horses up, mount them and begin the trek back to the mountains and towards her home.

Although the trip back was a little more treacherous given the snow and ice which in turn made the rocks slippery, they finally arrive at Elena's house just as the sun is beginning to set. Gingerly, he hops off of Storm and then ties the reins on a tree branch right outside of her house. When Elena dismounts, she turns to look at him. "Why are you tying him up outside. Bring him to the barn."

"Are you inviting me to stay?"

"Yes," she adds, slightly embarrassed.

With a big ear to ear grin, he unties Storm and follows Elena into her barn. Once both horses are inside, she slides the door closed and then heads towards her home, Damon following behind. Once inside her cabin, Damon helps her to get the fire started to warm the place up. Feeling something rub against his leg, he looks down, smiling when he sees her cat.

"You must have to keep it inside? I mean, I would think she'd make a tasty meal for some of less than friendly wildlife."

"I do keep her inside and when I do take her out, I keep her in my arms."

"How many scars do you have from her scratching you to get away?" Damon laughs, stooping down to pet the cat. Rolling her eyes, Elena works the kindling till the flame begins to crackle and pop as it consumes the fuel. As soon as it's burning good, she adds more logs and before long the house is nice and toasty on the inside. Taking off his hat and coat, Damon hangs then on wooden tree that she has sitting by her front door. It's an old tree branch with many braches that she most likely sawed off to use for this purpose. Damon is struck by her brilliance. When he turns around, he finds Elena standing in front of him, the top buttons on her dress undone. Before he can utter a word, she launches herself at him, pressing her mouth to his in an ardent kiss.

"What was that for?" he asks, still holding her in his arms.

"I want you to make my dream come true."

"Oh, I'll make your dream come true along with a few of my own," Damon says softly against her lips. Lowering her to the floor beneath the branches of her Christmas tree and by the soft glow of the fireplace, that's exactly what he does, over and over and over again. And when he drops his mouth to hers one final time, he whispers, "This is the best Christmas ever."

I hope you like this, Kim.

Thank you so much, Eva. I love you dearly.

I posted a OS Friday called "Someday At Christmas". I will be updating "Same Old Lang Syne" soon. I also have another short Christmas story, "Run For The Roses". Watch for it to post. I did update "Through the Fire and Flames" yesterday. There's still a lot left to post for "I Can't Escape Myself".

Please remember to hit the review button. They mean the world to me and to Eva and I'm sure Kim would appreciate them too.

Hope you all have a phenomenal day and week ahead.