Sunlight shines through the dirty window and begins to creep across Elena's face, awakening her. She's disconcerted for a few moments as she considers her surroundings, only then remembering that she sought refuge in this old shed.

Exhaling heavily, she gets to her feet, wipes the dust off of her coat, and steps outside to look around. Winter trees shiver in the bitter wind, naked branches are adorned with ice. Clusters of twigs, gnarled and twisted, extend like the very hands of old man winter, ready to catch the soft falling flakes. Against the dark mossy trunk, the brilliant white drifts rise in soft curves and fall again to the hidden ground. It will be some time before the trees awaken and when they do it will be a slow stirring, gradually growing unnoticed buds until finally the delicate papery leaves and blooms within are ready.

Elena walks across the road expecting to find her car but is confused when it's not there and the snow is pristine. In every direction she turns there are houses where there were none before.

Beyond them is vacant land, with some of it graded for construction. Next to it is a large sign with an artist's rendering of an idyllic home, nestled between magnificent oak trees.

"Live in the home of tomorrow...today! Mystic Estates is scheduled for completion next year." There are a few foundations and several wooden frames... and the familiar high tension wires. Elena's in shock.

Continuing down the sidewalk, she spots a discarded magazine laying on the sidewalk. Her eyes nearly bulge out of her head when she sees the date at the top- December 2021 issue.

"No, how can this be?" Elena asks herself, grabbing onto the edge of a bench when she feels herself begin to sway a little bit. When she feels steady, she spins around, astounded at all the car models, none of which looks at all familiar. As she continues forward, she finally finds something that she knows.

The town square is immediately recognizable because the gazebo is still there although it's without holiday decorations. Sucking in a breath, she catches sight of the theatre with 'Ghostbusters: Afterlife' on the marquee.

"I don't understand? Where is everything?" she continues.

"Mam, are you okay?" A young woman approaches her.

"I...I...everything is different," Elena stammers, her mouth hanging open and her eyes big and round. She starts spinning in place again, not understanding any of this.

"Mam," the young women's companion gently nudges her arm. "Do you need help?"

"I do-don't understand?" she squeezes her eyes shut, hoping this is just a dream.

"Come with us, we'll take you to someone that can help," the young man says. He extends his arm, gesturing for Elena to come with them.

"Please, come," the girl adds, taking Elena's hand. The two of them lead her across the street and into the police station.

"Do you have a headache, pain anywhere?" the doctor asks Elena as she examines her.

"No. No, I don't," Elena replies forlornly. "I just don't know what's happening."

"Do you know your name?"

"Elena Sa...um Gilbert," she replies reticently.

"Do you know where you are?"

"Yes, of course, I'm in Mystic Falls," Elena responds, sucking her lower lip between her teeth.

"Year?"

"It's 1945."

"Who's the president?" Meredith Fell locks eyes with Elena.

"Harry S. Truman."

"Okay. If you'll wait here; I'm going to speak to Elijah."

"If I must." Elena wrings her hands together as she watches him step out of the room.

"How is she?" Elijah stands up as soon as the doctor approaches.

"She knows everything but she thinks she's in 1945. Whether she truly believes it or if she's a grifter, I can't say," Meredith explains as she pockets her penlight.

"Look, it's almost Christmas. She seems so confused; I'm going to take her out to the farm. She'll be safe there," Elijah states.

"Are you sure, Elijah? If she is some kind of a con artist, aren't you setting yourself and your family up for a scam?" Gia points out, her brows drawing together.

"I don't know. There's something about her; I can't explain it but I think she actually believes what she's saying."

"Alright. But if you need anything, let me know." Meredith gives Elijah a nod as she opens the door, gesturing for Elena to come out.

"I will. Thanks, Meredith." Elijah smiles at her, looking up when Elena appears.

"Come, Elena, I'm going to take you to my parent's place. They have plenty of room and you'll be comfortable there."

"I don't understand any of this. It's all wrong. Nothing's the same as I left it." Elena's face contorts in confusion and fear.

"You'll be safe. Try not to worry," Elijah assures her.

"Thank you for your kindness," Elena's voice warbles.

Elijah urges her forward with his palm against her back as they exit the office. He opens the door of the police cruiser for her and when he pushes it shut, he looks up to see Gia- his fellow officer- staring at him from the door of the police station.

"I'll be back in a little while," he calls aloud, climbs behind the wheel, and drives off, waving to Gia as he passes her.

Elena leans her head against the backrest as she stares at the countryside. It's been put to sleep under a blanket of white. The boughs glisten with frost; the air hangs silent and cold. The fields are so quiet, the cows and pigs are hiding in the warm barns and pens instead of roaming.

An unsettling feeling begins welling inside of her. There's something wrong- but Elena can't quite tell what it is. It feels as though she has entered a house with the gas stove left on; the atmosphere is dense and strange, though invisible to her eyes.

Suddenly, she lurches upright in her seat. "Stop the car!"

Elijah quickly pulls over, cuts the engine, and turns to face her.

Elena bolts out of the vehicle. Her heart is pounding at an increasingly rapid pace as she runs until she reaches her destination.

Elijah follows after her. "What's wrong?" he blurts out he catches up to her.

She's running her fingers over the now nearly invisible initials D with a heart shape and an E carved into the trunk...

"Let's sit down a little bit," Damon plops himself down beneath the big Oak tree.

"Okay," Elena sits down beside him and looks up. The tree branches spread across the early summer sky towards the clouds which are passing like ships above them. The clouds appear as if brought into their world by oils upon canvas, by an artist who knows there is both beauty and order in chaos. "I love this old tree; it's so pretty."

"I think you're pretty too, Elena." Damon lifts her chin.

Elena looks at him questioningly as he leans forward. His lips hover over hers for a millisecond and then he's kissing her.

"Elena?" Elijah asks, interrupting her musings.

She smiles. "This tree. The first time my husband kissed me was right here under these branches."

"Tell me about it."

"We were in eighth grade. We were walking home from school. It was a hot day...I froze at first, I had no idea what to do. My heart was pounding," Elena explains as her cheeks warm despite the brisk breeze. "A few minutes passed and he kissed me again. I was thinking this is fast and pushy so I backed away a little but then I ended up kissing him back...and it was magical."

"These are your initials?" Elijah notices her eyes are focused on them.

"Yes, Damon loves Elena."

"Did he carve them that day?" Elijah's eyes dart from the tree trunk to Elena.

She shakes her head. "No, that came later. This was our special place."

A sudden gust of wind lifts her hair off her shoulders and blows snow in her eyes. Her breath is pale against the numbing air. Elena rubs her arms vigorously.

"Let's go." Elijah gestures towards the car.

Elena nods and as she follows beside him, she can't help but wonder what new revelations this day will bring.

As Elijah drives, Elena continues to watch the scenery pass by her. Ripples and mounds in the snow reveal the sculpting of wind and water. The winter palette's colors are vivid though subdued. A snowy winter landscape reveals a range of icy colors, from crystal-white hills and fields to creamy yellow sunlight on snow to the light blue-purple of shadows or the silvery blue-gray of tiny brooks and ocean waves. The tans, browns, and forest greens stand out against the white backdrop. On the horizon, colors make a winter blue sky all the more tingly and brilliant and serene at times. Elena's always loved the season, especially winters with Damon.

Elena shrieks when a snowball slams into her chest.

"What the? " Elena blurts out and runs for shelter behind a big tree. She quickly makes her pile of snowballs and starts lobbing them at Damon, making a direct hit when one of them nails him in the face.

"Who taught you how to throw?" Damon brushes the snow out of his eyes before aiming another one at her.

Elena ducks behind the tree when another one comes sailing toward her. "Surely you can do better than that?" she teases, sticking her tongue out to mock him.

"You're going to pay now," Damon growls, a muscle in his jaw tightening. He rears back and launches one after another with precision, smacking her in the chest, her legs, and the side of her face.

"You did not do that!" Elena narrows her eyes in on him and then towards him, knocking him into the snowbank. She picks up a handful of it and smashes it into his face.

To her delight, he starts laughing and pulls her mouth to his...

"Elena, we're here," Elijah announces, pulling her out of her reverie.

"This is the Donovan Farm. We get our milk, eggs, and butter from here," Elena mentions as she steps out of the police car.

"My parents live here. They bought the farm from the Hopkins family...my sister Rebekah and her daughter Ellie recently moved back in."

"What year is this again?" Elena asks as she looks out over the frozen landscape.

"It's 2021," Elijah reveals, tilting his head slightly as he watches her.

Elena considers him for a moment. "I can tell that you don't believe me. I don't even know if I believe it myself. It's not possible." She rubs her eyes as if to erase this strange new world.

Elijah inhales deeply. "Um, let's just go inside," he replies, without answering her question as he opens the door and gestures for her to enter.

When they reach the living room, Elena forces a smile as a feeling of unease creeps up from the pit of her stomach.

"Elena, this is my family, mom, and dad." Elijah gestures towards them. "And this is my niece, Ellie, and her mom, Rebekah."

"Hello, Elena. My name's Evelyn," Elijah's mom stands up to greet her. "Why don't you have a seat; I'll get you a cup of coffee."

"That would be wonderful; thank you," she sits down on the couch beside Ellie who smiles at her. Elena wraps her hands together in her lap and smiles at the little girl.

"Do you want to look at my book?" Ellie reaches for it on the end table and opens it in her lap.

Although her heart is beating like a runaway train, Elena smiles at the young girl as she drops her eyes to the pages in the book.

"Are you sure about this, Elijah?" Evelyn follows him into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee.

"You're going to probably think I'm crazy too but..."

"But what?" Evelyn asks, scrutinizing her son.

"I don't know what it is but I just feel a need to help her. It's strange. I've never felt anything like this before," Elijah explains as he rolls his shoulders.

"I trust your instincts," Evelyn replies with a shrug.

"Listen, I need to get back to the station. I'll see you later." Elijah kisses his mom's cheek and walks out the door with a wave of his hand.

"Momma, can Elena go with me to take Buddy for a walk?" Ellie looks at her mother and closes her book.

"Um, why don't you watch a movie or something instead? I'll take Buddy out."

"But, mom?" the seven-year-old protests.

"No buts!" Rebekah scolds gently as she crosses her arms over her chest.

"Okay," Ellie sticks her lower lip out.

"You can watch a movie here? In your house?" Elena asks in astonishment, her eyes darting back and forth between Rebekah and Ellie.

"Yeah," Ellie squeals excitedly, jumps off the couch and runs over to the DVD cabinet where she pulls out a disc. "Put this one in mommy."

Rebekah chuckles. "I'm sure Elena will enjoy this one."

Elena scrutinizes the blonde closely as she puts the disc into a machine and as a picture appears in a big rectangular-shaped something.

"Is that a television?" Elena's eyes go round. "I've seen them before but they didn't look so sleek. They were big boxy things."

"Yes, technology has come a long way," Rebekah explains and sets the movie box down.

"This is Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Elena. It's very cute." Ellie puts her palms over her mouth as she giggles.

"Everything just feels so surreal..." Elena leans into the couch cushions and watches mesmerized as the movie begins to play.

"Well?" Gia remarks as soon as Elijah steps through the door of the police station.

"Well what?" he replies as he hangs his jacket on the hook and sits at his desk.

"You know very well what!" Gia retorts.

"Why are you so upset about this?" Elijah locks eyes with her.

"Because she could steal you blind. We know absolutely nothing about her. What if she is insane? What if she's dangerous?" Gia puts forth as her hands land on her hips.

"Dangerous? Really?" Elijah rolls his eyes.

"Surely you don't believe her?" Gia asks incredulously.

"I'm certain she believes what she's saying."

"That's not what I asked you!"

"Look, Gia, I don't know why you're so animated about Elena but I'm taking full responsibility. If anything happens, it's on me, okay?" Elijah shakes off her stare.

"What exactly is going on between you and this girl?"

"Are you even hearing yourself?" Elijah jumps to his feet, grabs his jacket, and slips it on. "I'm going out for coffee; do you want anything?"

Gia visibly deflates. "Sure; the usual."

Elijah nods on his way out the door...

Covering his mouth to stifle a yawn, Elijah walks into the kitchen. "Thanks," he says when his mother hands him a cup of coffee.

"Morning, uncle Elijah," Ellie mumbles with her mouth full of pancakes.

"Good morning to you!" he winks at her. "Um, where's Elena?" he asks, taking a seat.

"She hasn't come down yet. She was pretty exhausted after watching movies with Ellie. I'll go check on her," Evelyn sets her cup down and leaves the kitchen. When she reaches the guest room, she raps lightly on the door. "Elena, are you awake? Breakfast is ready."

Hearing nothing, she twists the knob and peaks inside where she finds the bed made and everything in pristine order. Evelyn snaps the door shut and runs downstairs.

"Elijah, she's gone!" she blurts out when she bursts through the kitchen door.

"Gone? She probably went back to town." Elijah empties his coffee cup and rushes into his car. With a wave of his arm, he drives off to find Elena before she gets herself into trouble.

Elena opens her eyes. In the dark stillness, she can't see much, but the dim glow of the bedside clock and the vague shadow of the lamp next to it. Half asleep, she fumbles with the covers and stumbles to the bathroom. After tiptoeing into the bathroom, Elena checks her reflection in the mirror. Her haunted eyes and the dark smudges beneath them make her almost unrecognizable. She waves her hand and the person waves back.

A dozen needles dance their way across her forehead. After splashing some water on her face and hands, Elena switches off the bathroom light. Once her eyes adjust to the murkiness, she walks across the hall and back into the bed. She glances around the room, noticing her clothes hanging neatly over the back of the chair. "My purse," she mumbles, only now realizing she must have dropped it somewhere.

Elena checks her watch. It's nearly 8 in the morning. Quickly, she dresses and rushes downstairs. Cautiously she sneaks out of the front door and starts walking toward the town of Mystic Falls. Maybe she left her purse in that shed?

It's a short walk and soon she reaches Mystic Falls. It takes her a few minutes to get her bearings as she scans the distance for familiar landmarks. Elena first walks to the shed but her search yields nothing. Frustrated, she blows out a breath of air and begins walking again.

There isn't much traffic but the cars look like something from a science fiction movie. As she passes people on the sidewalk, some smile, some look at her strangely, some even say hi. As she approaches the park, she can hear birds chirping and pigeons cooing. They fly from one branch of a tree to another. With a sigh, Elena sits down on the bench as the fragrance of the Evergreen needles fills her mind with memories...

"Elena," Damon begins, "Remember when we were kids and I saw you sitting on this very bench? You were crying because you fell off the swing and everyone laughed at you."

"We were only eight years old. Why do you ask?"

"That was the day I knew you would one day be my wife. After spending time with you, I ran home and told my mom that I had found the one. She said 'good for you, now go clean your room.'"

Elena laughs.

"It's true. She didn't believe me. I mean kids have crushes and puppy love but no one really knows if it will ever work out...do you know what she said to me the day she died?"

Elena shakes her head.

"She said, 'Damon if you don't marry that girl I'm going to haunt you...I told her I will but not until I'm ready. And now, after thinking about it long and hard I realize I can't imagine my life without you, Elena Gilbert. You complete me. It's like you're my other half."

With light snow beginning to fall, Damon gets down on one knee. He pulls a small, velvet-black box out of his pocket, and opens it to reveal a sapphire and diamond ring. "I know I can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but if you will let me, I promise to lay down my life for you every day, for the rest of my life. I love you, Elena. Will you marry me?

Elena's in shock for a moment. With tears sliding down her cheeks, and a look of surprised joy on her face she asks, "Is this real?"

A few soft words, hugs, and kisses later, Damon locks eyes with hers. "You did say yes, right?"

"Yes! Yes!" Elena blurts out as Damon slides the ring on her finger. Elena cradles his face and brings his mouth to hers.

And as she kisses him, they become one with the falling snow.

When a sudden gust blows up some leaves, Elena rubs her eyes. After taking in her surroundings, she heads east down the sidewalk...

"What do you mean you lost her?" Gia demands to know as she and Elijah drive through the streets of Mystic Falls in search of the elusive Elena.

"She must have snuck out early this morning. We have to find her, Gia."

"Why? Why is she so important? Rebekah told me you like her."

"I do like her. Is it a crime to like someone?" Elijah asks, his brows drawing together.

"No, of course not...you know what I mean." Gia crosses her arms over her chest and turns her head towards the window.

"Gia, why are you acting like this? I don't have any romantic feelings if that's what you're implying. I just want to help her," Elijah explains, and makes a left turn.

"Why? Who is she to you?" Gia turns to face him.

"I don't know, Gia. I can't shake this niggling feeling that I should know her."

"That's impossible especially if by some freak of the universe she is who she says she is."

"I know it defies logic; I can't explain it..." Elijah's voice trails off when he notices Elena pacing up at the next intersection. "There," he points to her and pulls up, stopping the car when they reach her. Stepping out of the vehicle, he and Gia approach her.

"Elena, you look upset."

"My house! My house...I don't understand any of this. Damon and I lived right here at the intersection of Lafayette and Elm. Now it's just gone." Elena turns away to wipe her eyes.

"You're right, there was a house here," Gia tells her.

"What happened to it?" Elena asks, her eyes shimmering with tears.

Gia looks at Elijah, continuing at his nod. "Lightning struck the house. It burnt to the ground... The firemen tried to save it but it went up like a tinder box."

Elena walks over to where one of the foundation bricks still lies and brushes her palm over it. "I wish I was home now," she warbles as she wipes away her tears.

"I know you do. Come, I'll take you back to the farm," Elijah leads her to the police car and opens the door, letting her slide in before pushing it shut.

"I'll drop you off at the station, take her home and then I'll be back."

"No," Gia shakes her head. "I'll walk back, it's not very far."

"You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Gia confirms.

"See you in a bit." Elijah slides into the car and drives off with a wave of his hand.

Massive thanks to all of you. You're amazing.

Thank you to Eva. Love you! Check out her story "Christmas Carol" by siberia21.

"Dreams of Fireflies" is in progress too. It's a 21st-century DE version of A Christmas Carol. The title comes from some additions we made to make it unique.

And I really enjoyed 'Ghostbusters: Afterlife". I'm going to see it a second time :D

Have a wonderful day everyone. We'll see you next week.