She nearly dropped the phone, the sweat from her hand had it almost slip from her fingers. Elena braced herself on the wall in front of her as Lily started tugged on Damon's jacket asking what was going on. "He's alive?" She was sure she had just imagined him saying that.

"Yes, ma'am. He was air lifted to the hospital and is in surgery right now and I am standing right outside the doors. He is stable and the doctors are saying everything is going well. He should be in recovery in a few hours. He was rescued in a terrorist raid of one of their camps early this morning. Your husband was found among the hostages, Elena. He is safe now and was asking for you before he even went into surgery."

Elena turned around, leaning more onto the wall and felt her legs weak beneath her. She slid down the wall, still holding the phone in a death grip. Lily crawled into her lap and looked worried, likely at the shocked expression on her mom's face.

"Damon's alive…" she breathed out and Lily tilted her head up.

"Daddy?" she cried out. "What about Daddy?"

"You need to get to the hospital ma'am. We can explain more when you arrive. I will meet you when you land."

Elena stumbled over a goodbye and leaned her head back on the wall in absolute shock. She turned to Lily, who's blue eyes just like Damon's, were so wide now and she looked ready to cry. "Baby, Daddy is alive. They said we can take a plane to go see him right away." She still didn't even believe the words coming out of her own mouth but Lily's smile and trust in her mom's words helped her process it herself.

She walked back to their gate attendant who showed her the already changed tickets and escorted her and Lily to the International terminal and the flight to Germany. They sat down and buckled up and Elena still could not believe what she had heard.

The flight was long but her head was full of thoughts and feelings and in what felt like no time at all they were stepping off the flight and into the airport. One of the flight attendants had helped entertain Lily as they flew, even taking her for a tour of the cockpit, to see the pilots. The little girl had not even said a word about missing going to Disney World the second she knew her daddy was alive.

Elena had played the voice, Damon's voice on Lily's camel over and over on the flight and now too on the ride to the hospital Lily kept pushing the buttons and hearing the message Damon had so sweetly left her when he gave her Lumpy.

"I miss you SO much Lily bear. I see real camels all the time here. I want you to hold it tight till the next time I can hold you in my arms. Daddy loves you, till forever and back..."

Elena sniffled and could not seem to stop crying since she found out Damon was alive. Lily seemed obsessed with hearing his voice now that she knew that her daddy would be able to hold her again, just like he promised.

It felt surreal, everything that was happening. She had no idea how this was true but all that mattered was he was really alive. She didn't even know if she would fully believe it till she could see him with her own eyes, hold him, touch him, feel his arms around her.

Sure enough Officer Hopkins had met them when they landed and had come with them in the vehicle to the Military hospital. It was the largest military hospital outside of the U.S. Elena saw the sign for the Landstul Regional Medical Center and they pulled up to the doors and stepped out.

Rudy said he would take care of their bags and Elena thanked him and picked up Lily and started almost running into the hospital. The nurse on the surgical floor said Damon had been transferred to recovery an hour ago and had just woken up. Elena asked her to watch Lily for a few minutes just to go in alone first. The woman nodded and held out her hand and Lily nodded staying with her just outside the door of his room.

Heart racing, Elena caught sight of a mistletoe hanging a doorway nearby and moved to grab it and tucked it behind her back as she turned to face the door that she was told her husband was behind.

Elena swallowed thickly, having no idea what shape he would be in, but knowing no matter what, she would be with him through anything. Pushing the doors open she walked around the corner of the curtain that had been pulled around the bed.

"Oh my God Damon," she breathed out walking slowly toward him. Her legs felt like jelly and she leaned on the edge of the bed to steady herself. She was so scared this wasn't real. That she was dreaming and he wasn't laying just in front of her.

She slipped out of his leather jacket and scarf, tossing it on the chair and knelt by the head of the bed. She had felt closer to him wearing his jacket but now was in awe that he was right here alive and needed nothing more than him. Her hand was shaking as she stroked a piece of his raven hair back from his eyes, blinking and gasped out seeing his chest moving up and down. He was breathing. He really was alive!

At her touch, ice blue eyes slowly opened and his lips turned up into the most beautiful smile. "Elena?" he gasped out weakly. "Oh my God baby... I can't believe you are here."

His chin quivered and his one bandaged hand reached out to touch her cheek and she felt tears brimming at her lashes.

"I can't believe 'you' are here," she cried out and moved in closer. She held the mistletoe over their heads and Damon looked up at it and smiled weakly, his blue eyes shining. She leaned in and captured his lips and stars exploded behind her eyes.

Kissing him felt like coming home. God, she had missed him SO much.

Elena felt pure joy bubbling up in her heart as she felt his lips move over hers, his hand caressing her cheek and wiping the tears away. They kissed, leisurely and slow, tasting what they never thought they would ever taste again. She felt her legs weak from crouching down and moved to sit on the bed beside him. He pulled her closer, his one hand around her neck, tangling in her hair,

She tasted his tears at her lips as they mingled with hers as she broke down in his arms. "I can't believe you are here," she kept whispering over and over between kisses. She finally pulled back to look at him, his eyes so soul deep, locked on hers and his head bent so their foreheads touched.

Damon looked absolutely perfect.

His gorgeous face now that she looked more, had bruises and scrapes, his head had a bandage wrapped around it hiding most of his hair. She saw a cast on his one arm, the one not presently caressing her face and running down her neck and into her hair. That hand had a bandage just wrapped around his hand with the I.V. and tubes coming from it.

"God I missed you Elena," he breathed out, his voice so low. Damon lifted his one arm a bit, moving the cast closer and she ran her fingers down it. "I'm okay Elena. Its just broken. Nothing more. I got so lucky baby."

She looked him up and down more, pulling her head back. "You, you had surgery...they said."

Damon lifted the blanket by his waist and showed the bandages on his stomach. "Knife wound when the army came in and the bastard guarding a bunch of us, tried to kill me. But he missed anything serious. I lost my spleen and they repaired any other internal damage but nothing more. I have a few more cuts on my arms trying to fend him off before he got shot."

He reached up and cupped her face. "I'm okay Elena. Really. You aren't dreaming..." She touched his cheek and ran her fingers up into the little bit of hair not tucked in the bandage. "Mild concession I'm told too."

"But how…?" She still had no idea how he was here with her. But did she care? Elena laid her head to his chest and heard his heart beating so strongly. It was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard.

Someone cleared their throat at the door. It was the nurse that was watching Lily. "Oh goodness Damon Lily is outside." She wiped her face of her tears and nodded at the nurse that she could bring her in. She had been so overwhelmed in seeing Damon alive that she had forgotten she left their daughter waiting.

Lily stepped slowly into the room, her dark head down like she was scared to look. Elena gave Damon one more kiss on his forehead and then moved to kneel beside their daughter, helping her out of her jacket first. "Hey sweet girl. There is nothing to be scared of. Your daddy is really okay! You can look, trust me." Lily moved closer, and wound her arms around Elena's neck, her raven head buried at her mom's throat.

Elena glanced back up and saw Damon was quiet and moved to pull himself to sit up more in the bed. His eyes lit up at the little girl standing at the foot of his bed, his smile so wide.

Lily looked up slowly, peeking past Elena's shoulder. "Daddy?" Her voice trembled and Elena could feel her shaking in her arms. She picked her up and walked her over to sit on the bed. Damon nodded slowly and reached his one good arm up toward his little girl.

"Daddy!" she cried out and Elena passed her into Damon's arms. Lily laid against his chest and closed her eyes so tight, her little arms all the way around his body, squeezing tight. He put his bandaged hand over her head, stroking down her dark hair. Lily looked up in his eyes and reached up to pinch his cheeks as if to assure herself that he really was there and she smiled more, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I'm right here Lily bear. Right here," he soothed. His eyes went up and locked with Elena's and he mouthed I love you to her and she smiled through more tears and mouthed it back. She lay her head on his other shoulder, nuzzling his head and Damon kissed her hair.

Elena nearly jumped back when she felt their baby kick and grabbed for his hand and pulled up her shirt fast and placed it on her belly. Damon's eyes focused in on where she had just laid his hand. Maybe he wouldn't feel it with the bandage in the way?

Within seconds he jumped back, his eyes wide. "I felt it! I felt our baby kick!" he cried out and Elena laughed and she felt the baby kick again. He moved his head in closer to hers and rubbed his nose with his wife's. "I love you so much Elena, so much."

Elena smiled at him, overwhelmed at how happy she was and kissed the tip of his nose. "I love you too, Salvatore." She moved his hand back where she felt more kicks. Lily put her hand down on her moms belly too and soon she was squealing about feeling her brother kick her. I guess Kat wasn't the only one already assuming it would be a boy.

Elena leaned her head to Damon's and closed her eyes. His arm went around her shoulder and cradled her head. Elena saw Lumpy was laying on the floor and she bent to pick it up. Passing her daughter's camel to her. Lily shook her head.

"I don't need him Momma. I have Daddy right here like he said. It's the best birthday gift ever! Just like I asked for. I told Daddy I didn't want presents...just him and I got my wish!"

Elena looked at the clock and did not even realize it was after midnight, they had flown through a bunch of time zones and here they were with Damon, who she thought she would never see again and on their big girl's birthday too!

Yes, this was all she could ever wish for.

Lily looked up at her mom. "I know I can't tell time but I asked the nurse lady if it was tomorrow yet and she said it was, so it is my birthday then right? I am 5 years old?" Both her parents nodded at her and Lily curled up against Damon's chest as the two smiling parents sang their daughter Happy Birthday. Lily yawned and smiled saying she was so tired. All the traveling must have caught up to her and to Elena's surprise she was asleep in barely a minute on Damon's lap.

Elena chuckled. "I guess being 5 was hard work." Damon laughed too and winced a bit that laughing hurt his stitches.

She could still not believe how different everything looked, only a half a day ago back in Nashville. There she was, ready to head to Florida on an all expense paid trip for kids that have parents lost in the war. She was planning on moving back home and having her mom help her raise the baby and Lily and try to move on with her life when her heart felt missing.

Now she had gotten back everything she had been mourning so deeply for. Elena closed her eyes, feeling more tears. Damon saw her crying and lifted his hand to caress her face again. "Everything is going to be okay Elena...I promise."

She lay curled up on her side, her belly against Lily asleep in his arms, her head on the pillow beside him turned toward her. "Damon, is Stefan...?" She didn't know if she wanted to ask but as far as she knew Kat lost her husband too and Elena had to ask, for her sister.

Before she could put any more thoughts in her head into words, Damon shook his head, tears at his lashes. "No, he didn't make it. He was crushed by the rocks in the cave in trying to get us out. When the building collapsed we were totally sealed in under the rocks. The whole main floor fell sideways, part of it still solid and angled so it gave me some shelter as the rocks crashed down. But Stefan was trapped too far away and up closer to the surface without any protection from the falling cement and wood beams. He was so close to the hole that they had dug to get us out."

Elena saw him sniffle and she brushed her hand over his face, wiping the tears away.

Damon looked lost in his story and Elena was quiet letting him talk. "I knew he was dying babe. Hell, he knew it too and we both saw he had internal injuries from the rocks crushing him. He had been choking and coughing bad and with only the one flashlight between us I saw he was coughing up blood.

But he begged me to be able to see Kat one last time and I saw the rocks had been crushing his chest and he could not reach her picture in his pocket. So I passed him my picture of you guys and me since Kat and you were twins he said he was so grateful to see her one more time. He reached his other hand out and I gave him my dog tags too when he said that he might be able to push his other hand above the rocks. We were trying to figure out some way to let people know we were still alive under there."

Elena listened, wide eyed and rubbed her hand up and down his arm as he talked. He was here, safe and sound with his family now so however scary his story to get back to them was, she was going to be brave enough to take it in. She didn't have to live it but she was damn well going to be there for him in any way he needed her.

Damon swallowed slowly and closed his eyes.

This had to be hard for him, she thought. He had been there when his brother had died? She could not imagine that kind of pain.

"Damon, honey, you don't have to share it all tonight. You need to rest."

He was shaking his head. "No I need to get this out. I haven't told anyone yet and I need to Elena."

She nodded and let him continue.

"I shined the light at him enough for him to see you and imagine his Katherine as I heard him start gasping for air. I was sure his whole chest was crushed and it wasn't going to be long and I was going to be alone down there to die. I hadn't felt anything damaged except my arm. When we fell I protected a little boy as we ran from the building, tumbling down into the basement. I felt something crash into my arm and I couldn't move it much after. But Stefan gasped out that he could almost feel the empty air around his hand that he had forced the picture and my dog tags up past the rocks."

He had more tears in his eyes now and Elena moved in closer kissing them away, tasting the saltiness on her tongue.

Pain flooded his beautiful eyes as he spoke. "His last words to me were that he knew somehow I was going to get out of there. I had a baby on the way and a beautiful daughter and wife at home.

As he spoke he had been smashing the rocks with his free hand above him and his boots as hard as he could. I could hear them shifting again more. He screamed out that I wasn't going to die here and then the rocks fell burying him in them as they rained down all around me huddled in under the side of the cement floor."

"Oh my God Damon, I am so sorry," Elena held his head, stroking her fingers in his hair. "I can't imagine what you were feeling."

"I had my eyes closed so tight and just thought it would all be over in a moment. But I was alive and I could still breathe, barely, but I could breathe." He moved his bandaged hand to stroke it down her cheek now and Elena closed her eyes at how amazing his touch felt again.

"I wanted to die and just have it over...but then I remembered my promise to you, the last time we talked when you were so scared, baby."

She remembered… and felt the tears start to slip down her cheeks again.

"I promised you I would be strong for the both of us. And I meant that Elena, with all my heart and soul I meant that and I could not leave you. I was going to be strong for you, for Lily and our little 'us'. I had to get the hell out of there.

And I could not believe it but when I opened my eyes I saw a hole in the rocks on the other side of the roof and light shining down. I took one more look at my brother and said goodbye as I dragged my bruised leg and used my good arm and pulled myself up the rocks and to the surface. I made it out of there just like Stefan said I would."

Elena nodded and a sob broke through her lips. "You did. You came back to us."

Damon nodded back and kissed her tears too. "I did. But when I crawled out of there I could barely stand and I think I blacked out. I remember wandering down the street and seeing lights ahead of me thinking it was the army. But next thing I was in the back of a vehicle with a hood over my head and I felt my hands and feet tied. I could hear the voices in front of me speaking low but couldn't make anything out. We drove for hours it seemed and then I was tossed in a room and they kept all of us in the dark. I stayed there till the army raided the compound we were in and found us all there weeks later."

He sniffled and bent his head to kiss their sleeping daughters dark hair and looked back up at her. "All that matters is that I'm back Elena. Really. I got so lucky, only having such minor injuries. Being held captive with no medical care for weeks, if anything had been any worse I don't even want to know what could have happened."

Elena saw how tired he looked as he gazed back at her, his baby blue eyes starting to fall closed. "Just sleep Damon. I am right here." She bent to pull his bottom lip in her mouth and kissed him softly. "It's my turn to be strong for both of us. Let me be strong for you and you just rest and relax. Lily and I are right here."

He smiled weakly, his eyes so handsome even at half mast as he gave her a crooked smile. Elena moved around and lifted his hand back to her belly once more and he smiled more, his eyes falling closed. "I love feeling him kick. Its amazing..." And then he was asleep.

Elena gazed down at her husband, moving a strand of his raven hair from his eyes. She gently scooped Lily off of his lap and Elena saw a huge recliner in the corner of the room. Laying their daughter down she asked for help to move the chair right up beside Damon's bed and an orderly assisted her right away. She laid down, curling up as close to Damon as she could and Lily curled up on her other side all tucked up with her camo blankie and Elena put her camel in under her arm.

She looked back over at the love of her life and he looked so peaceful, a soft smile on his face. She moved her arm to find his hand and laid her palm in his as she closed her eyes.

Three months later…

The sky was so so clear, not a cloud in the almost night sky as the stars shone so brightly.

"Oh I see another one!" Lily called out. "That's the little dripper, right Daddy?"

Damon laughed deep in his throat as he pointed up to the sky and leaned his head closer to their daughter's. "No, Lily bear, that is the Little Dipper. A dipper, like a scoop. See the handle on the end?" He pointed it out and Lily nodded more.

"Oh, okay I think I see it Daddy. Just like the bigger one with the handle?"

Elena laughed and saw them snuggled close on the blanket. Lily was laying between them, pointing excitedly at the stars.

"Show me more!" she called out. "Is there another fun one?"

Elena laughed and listened to them talking about the stars and she snuggled in closer to Damon's head, leaning in for a kiss above Lily's head. They were laying on the ice, on a soft wool blanket as Elena watched her husband laughing and tickling their big girl.

She felt her belly start tightening as she curled her body in on her side and bit her bottom lip. It had been doing that a lot lately and they had even gone into the hospital on two false alarms. She was only a few days late of her due date but was so ready for this little one to make their appearance.

Damon saw instantly when she cringed in pain. "Elena? Are you okay. More contractions? Do we need to go?" He sat up and moved closer, spreading his palm over her shirt. He looked up fast back at her face. "Oh my goodness baby, that feels like your belly is a solid rock."

Elena was nodding, feeling the tightening get worse before it faded. It might just be Braxton hicks but man it was hard to breath for a bit there. She didn't want to leave yet. This was the last week the ice would still be here before their special place would be closed for the year again.

Damon had just gotten his cast off and everything was healing nicely and this was the first time in awhile they had been able to come here and enjoy the peace of the ice rink. They knew life would be more than busy with the new baby soon.

Her husband had been amazing, coming to birthing classes and practicing her breathing with her. He had rubbed her back and her feet whenever he could, tucked Lily in and laid and read her stories till she fell asleep. He stayed up late talking to the baby and Elena had just watched him laying at her stomach and telling the baby all about this new world they would soon be a part of.

He had been promised no more overseas tours and had been given a medal of honor for saving those children and teacher from the building. There was a ceremony that Elena and Lily had been front row for, so proud of him. He retired to teaching only and Elena could not be more excited that he was never going back in harms way again.

She nodded now, her palm on her belly as the contraction went back down. Damon's sweet look of concern was precious and she was so excited to be sharing this whole experience with him this time.

They had just been to Stefan's grave last week, Ric's too and she had brought a fresh bouquet of flowers to lay at each head stone. Ric's girlfriend Jenna moved off the base and back home right away after hearing of his death. Katherine stayed at their parents and Elena visited her when they got back from Germany, a few weeks after she had gotten the news that Damon was alive.

Katherine had been such an amazing sister and was so happy for her and Lily even finding out that Stefan had not come back with Damon. She had said that she would be okay and would visit often and was so happy that Damon would be there for the birth of his son. She kept insisting it was a boy, just like Lily and even Damon had said too but Elena wasn't so sure.

Katherine had been pursuing social work in college and now had decided she wanted to specialize in grief counseling and started a support group for widows in their mom and dad's hometown as she continued her schooling closer to home. Elena was so proud of how strong she was being and had shared with her sister that Stefan had saved Damon's life at the end and Kat had cried in her arms thanking her for telling her.

Elena was nodding that maybe they should head to the hospital again and felt another contraction pull tighter and tighter as she almost cried out at the pain.

"Elena, you might be in labor. We need to go." Damon held out his hand, his voice stern and she knew he was right. Lily jumped up so excited about the baby. Elena reached out and Damon pulled her gently to her feet. She felt like a whale, she was so big by now.

Just then she felt wetness and looked down seeing her jeans start darkening as she felt a small gush from standing up. "Oh my goodness! It IS time! I think my water just broke!"

Damon looked down and then back up at her worried face. "Hey sweetheart. I'm right here. You will be just fine." He pulled her into his arms and held her close. Stepping back he cupped her face and kissed her as Lily pulled on his arm to be let up. He bent to scoop her into his arms too and Elena looked at him, scared for what was to come. She felt another contraction really pull tight and she whimpered out in pain.

They had brought the car and parked it right outside the rink and Damon helped her quickly into her door and buckled her in. He got Lily in her car seat and sat back in the drivers seat. Turning his head to his wife she was cringing again, holding her belly.

"Damon?" she cried out. "I know you are excited..and I am so excited that you get to experience this with me but I'm scared honey. I really am.."

Damon shushed her, kissing her tenderly. "It's going to be okay Elena." He rubbed his nose to hers and she smiled. "I'm going to strong enough for the both of us."

He brought out a sprig of mistletoe and held it up over their heads in the car. She was beaming and almost in tears but she wasn't sure if it was from pain or happiness. She was so happy he had come back to her. It felt unreal to be this happy.

Elena grabbed his face and kissed him hard, focusing on everything about him and not the pain. They could do this...they could do anything...together..

A few hours later they were holding their brand new baby...girl. They had all been wrong and she arrived screaming her little lungs out till she was laid on her mom's chest. Elena looked up at Damon with tears in her eyes. He leaned in and kissed her as they looked down in awe at their precious little baby. He had been an amazing coach and such a support through the whole night.

Damon looked back at her as they both kissed the soft head of their baby. She had chocolate brown hair and bright baby blue eyes. Damon picked the name Holly for all the memories of Christmas and mistletoe.

So little Miss Holly Faith joined the Salvatore family and Lily was brought in and bounded up on the bed to see her little sister and kissed her so, so gently.

Elena smiled through her tears when Damon picked up the little pink bundle and rocked her to sleep in his arms. His eyes were shining and his smile so wide back at her.

Everything was perfect. She had gotten her Christmas miracle, her husband back in her arms and healthy beautiful girls that would have a daddy to love them their whole lives.

Christmas would always be the most special time of the year for Elena. She treasured all the memories they made and was excited to experience more precious moments with her husband and sweet girls in the future. They had been though so much to get where they were and she was determined to never let him go again.

The End

I hope you made it to the end to see that it was a happily ever after story. I got the idea from a new article about the Snowball Express and The Gary Sinise Foundation.

1,722 participants went on the trip this year, including hundreds of kids from 650 families. Snowball Express started in 2006 and aims to create a 5 day experience for the families that is fun and inspiring and therapeutic, In 2017 the Snowball Express became an official Gary Sinise Foundation program.

The foundation also builds adaptive homes for disabled veteran, hosts free theater nights for veterans and helps pay for training and equipment for first responders.

Airports got in on the festivities as well. The Killeen Airport, a familiar location for service members deployed through Fort Hood Texas welcomed the Snowball Express participants and man in a Santa costume met the families.

In Nashville, where I had my story take place, other travelers stopped what they were doing and held a rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner. U.S. troops stood at attention and saluted as the song was performed. There were many tears as bystanders honored the fallen soldiers.

I hope you still enjoyed the story. My intent was to tug on your emotions and have you scared for him and in shock that he was gone and experience the relief like Elena felt when she was told Damon was alive. Even in following the Snowball Express story I could not make it a tragedy. I am not brave enough to write that yet and so I hope it made sense how he survived.

It was a huge honor to watch my daughter read this story and see the emotions on her face and tell me after that she had not cried like that for even any published books she has read. That was all I set out to do was emotionally touch you and I hope you did enjoy my little Christmas story.

Special thanks to Carol for the beautiful cover and for prereading for me too. You are the best.

Please do review and tell me what you thought. I tried something new, no dark backstories, or things happening fast. But more in a time line of life events, going back and forth from the past to present which I had never done before.

Thanks for your support in my writing and I am excited for another year of giving you more delicious DE stories to enjoy!