I pinched the bridge of my nose with my thumb and index finger as the beeping of Jeremy's heart monitor echoed in my mind. I had a migraine and everything was making it worse – the lights, the dripping of the IV bag, the nurses' footsteps outside the door.

I had gotten this ridiculous headache as soon as Jeremy had been loaded into the back of the ambulance. I think it might be the way my body has chosen to react to the recent events; giving me a headache so bad I couldn't possibly think of anything else.

My phone call to Jenna had been quick and to the point. I told her Jeremy had been hurt and was in the hospital. The doctors said he had a broken rib and leg, but no internal bleeding. They were a little worried about head injuries, but they wouldn't really have much information about that until Jeremy finally woke up. Jenna told me she was on her way and we got off the phone.

I told the hospital that Jeremy had been "jumped" by some guys hanging around my neighborhood. It wasn't a stretch, really; I didn't live in that decent of an area. They didn't question me further about it and for that I was thankful.

The nurse walked into Jeremy's room and gave me a sympathetic smile. She had given me that smile every single time she had come to check on Jeremy. I wanted to punch her at this point.

I sighed and closed my eyes. It was just the migraine making me so hostile.

"How are you doing this morning, dear?" she asked me sweetly as she adjusted Jeremy's IV.

"I have a migraine," I answered bluntly.

"Awe, I'm sorry to hear that. Would you like me to go get you some medicine?"

God, yes. I nodded. "I would like that, thank you."

I listened to her soft-soled tennis shoes squeak against the overly-mopped marble flooring as she walked away.

Sooner than expected, I heard footsteps coming back into the room, but the sound of the steps on the floor had changed. These steps sounded like they were coming from boots instead of tennis shoes.

I opened my eyes and gasped, my heart stalling in my chest.

"Hi," Stefan said quietly, glancing over at Jeremy.

I stood up, crossing my arms over my chest; instant defensive position. "What are you doing here, Stefan?"

He looked down to the floor and I didn't miss the sadness that washed over his eyes. "We need to talk, Elena."

The nurse walked in through the door and stopped short when she saw Stefan and the expression on my face. "Um…sir, visiting hours are –"

"I know," he interrupted her. He took a step forward to look into her eyes. "But you're going to make an exception just this once. Right?"

I bit down on my lower lip. I knew Damon was keen on using his compelling powers, but I never thought Stefan would be so quick to use them. It made me nervous; I hadn't taken vervain in weeks.

Slowly, she nodded. "Yes. An exception." He smiled softly at her then backed away. She shook her head once then turned to me. "Your medicine, dear. This should help you feel better in no time."

I took the small plastic cup that held two pills and nodded. "Thank you."

The nurse turned around and left without another word and I looked back to Stefan. "This is really not the best time for me to have a talk."

He sighed. "Elena, we have to."

I narrowed my eyes. "What if I don't want to?"

He ran a hand over his face with a groan. "Then I guess I can't make you," he replied. He dropped his hand and looked over at me. My knees felt weak as soon as I saw how brightly his green eyes were shining. "But I hope you take the medicine then join me in the room next door. It's quiet and we won't be interrupted. I'll be waiting." His eyes lingered on me for several more seconds before he finally turned and left.

Instantly, I dropped back in my chair. Everything around me felt so disconnected; even my brief conversation with Stefan. It was as if my body was here, but it really wasn't me.

I knew Damon was to blame. After he hurt Jeremy, I felt everything about myself shut down. Mentally, I was numb.

I tilted the small cup side to side twice and watched the pills roll haphazardly. That's what my life felt like right now. Like my life was someone's cup, I was the pill, and they were tipping everything back and forth; making me dizzy and befuddled.

And maybe nothing would settle back into place. Maybe my life was destined to be chaotic and I wasn't supposed to settle into happiness for too long. Maybe it would go on like this forever. Of course, until I died.

In one swift motion, I brought the cup to my lips, threw my head back, and swallowed both of the pills. With a deep breath, I stood, threw the cup into the trashcan and went to talk to Stefan.

He was sitting on an empty hospital bed, his hands in his lap, his head hanging low. The blinds were down and the curtains were closed; the only light in the room coming from a small lap hanging on the wall. When he heard me entering, he looked up and a small smile formed on his lips.

I shut the door behind me and leaned against it, preparing to leave if need be.

"What did you want to talk to me about, Stefan?" I asked, not wanting to take any time beating around the bush.

He lifted a hand and motioned to a blocky, navy-blue cushioned chair in the corner. "Will you sit?"

I shook my head. "No."

He sighed. "Okay, then." He stood up and walked over to me, stopping about three feet away. "I need to apologize to you." I automatically pulled my lower lip in between my teeth, feeling my nerves being rattled. "Those things I said to you the day you left were wrong to say."

"They were true, though," I interjected.

"Nevertheless, they were wrong of me to say," he repeated. "You're a grown woman and we were no longer dating. If you wanted to have…a relationship with Damon, then that was your right. I shouldn't have treated you unkindly for it."

I shrugged. "It's good that you did, I guess. It got me away from here."

"Elena, I wish you didn't feel that way." He reached forward and took my hand. "I miss you."

Slowly, I pulled my hand back out of his and felt myself shrink against the door. "Stefan…I'm sorry. I don't feel that way about you anymore."

He nodded to himself and slowly walked back to the bed. "Because you feel that way about Damon."

"No," I responded quickly. I didn't even need to think about it anymore. Whatever I once felt for Damon was gone; as soon as he touched my brother, he was dead to me. "I don't feel that way about Damon, either. You saw what he did to Jeremy, Stefan. How could I feel anything for a monster like that?"

"Maybe you should reconsider that," he said, surprising me. "It isn't all Damon's fault."

My brow furrowed. "What do you mean isn't his fault? He did this to Jeremy. No one else."

He looked up at me. "I know, I'm not saying he didn't. But what you need to understand is that Damon hasn't been doing this for very long. This whole good vampire thing. When an attacker advances on a vampire, something clicks inside of us and we fight back automatically. It takes a lot of skill and determination not to."

I rolled my eyes. "Am I supposed to forgive him because of that?"

"Maybe eventually."

I stared at him completely dumbfounded. "I'm confused, Stefan. Do you want me to be with your brother or not?"

He chuckled. "No, I don't want you to be with Damon for my own selfish reasons. Do I want you to be happy? Yes. Would being with Damon make you happy? I'm assuming so. So, I'm willing to ignore my selfish side."

I watched him for several more moments before pushing off the door and walking across the room to him. "Why do you always do this, Stefan? You keep trying to protect me, help me, comfort me, when I absolutely don't deserve it from you."

"It's called love, Elena," he stated matter-of-factly with a small shrug.

I dropped down into the chair he had motioned to earlier and just stared at him.

Why couldn't Stefan be the one I was in love with? Besides lying to me about being a vampire, he hadn't really ever done anything wrong to me. He had gone out of his way to protect me at every possible moment. So why was I…had I fallen for his brother?

But I did love Stefan, I realized slowly. Just not the way he loved me. Not the way I…loved Damon.

I closed my eyes and tilted my head back. "Stefan, I really don't know what to say," I said quietly.

"I know," he said. "And I didn't come here expecting you to say that you love me back. I just needed you to know these things."

I nodded and looked back to him, deciding to change the subject. "How did you know we were here?"

"Damon."

I furrowed my brow, remembering what Damon had told me last night. "Did you catch Katherine? I thought you were looking for her?"

He looked to the floor and I watched an expression of…shame? cross his features. "I haven't found her yet," he admitted.

I rolled my eyes. "And it begins again," I muttered. "You know, this is another reason I couldn't be with Damon, Stefan. He claims he's protecting me, yet he doesn't even consider the possibility that that homemade jail cell would be too weak to keep Katherine locked up."

"What?" Stefan countered quickly, his brow pulling together in confusion.

"Yeah, I mean, I probably could have told him it wouldn't hold her for long."

Abruptly, Stefan let out a small chuckle and shook his head. "Damon really knows how to surprise you," he said to himself.

Now it was my turn to be confused. "What?"

Stefan sighed and looked back to the floor. "Katherine didn't just escape. That cell is built specifically for vampires. It would have held her for centuries."

"But Damon told me…why did he tell me that, then?"

"I let her out," he said quietly.

I sat up a little more straight. "What?"

He nodded slightly. "She, being the amazing liar she is, convinced me that she wanted to be with me and that's the only reason she had come back. And I was still…upset about what happened between you and I. Anyway, I listened to her, let her get in my head, and I let her out. Before I realized what was happening, she was gone."

I stared at him, my mouth hanging open. Stefan had just let her out? How could he do that? He had to have known she was being deceitful.

"I still don't understand why Damon lied to me, then," I told him.

"Damon knew how ashamed I was about what happened, Elena. I had put you and your family back into harms way because I was careless. Damon was trying to cover for me. He didn't want you to think badly of me." He looked back down and laughed again. "He was being my brother."

Why was this happening? Just when I was sure I hated Damon, small things showed up that proved to me he wasn't all that bad; that maybe one day I could have a decent relationship with him.

No. There was no way I could have anything with Damon. The proof of that was lying in a hospital bed in the next room.

I stood up. "Well, Stefan, I need to be getting back to Jeremy." I suddenly felt an urgency to get away from Stefan and this conversation. I'm sure it was bound to take me down an emotional road I wasn't ready to face.

Just as I started to move, Jeremy's scream broke through the wall and I turned to look at Stefan, my eyes wide.

Stefan was out the door much more quickly than I was and when I rounded the corner, Stefan was gently pushing Jeremy back down in the bed, his hands on his shoulders.

I rushed over to them. "Jeremy what's wrong?" I maneuvered myself so that I came between Stefan and Jeremy, Stefan's' arms on either side of my shoulders, still pressing Jeremy down.

He looked up at me and the sheer terror in his eyes nearly made me cry. "What was he, Elena?" he asked, his hands turning white as he gripped Stefan's forearms.

I looked over my shoulder at Stefan, not sure how to answer that question for my brother.

"I can make him forget," Stefan whispered to me, his eyes troubled.

I nodded and moved out of the way without even bothering to think about it. I didn't want Jeremy to be introduced to this world. I didn't want him to worry about me as I ran around with vampires.

I watched as Stefan bent over Jeremy, coming face to face with him. Jeremy shot one quick glance to me before looking at Stefan.

"You were attacked," Stefan began and Jeremy nodded, his face immediately falling into a blank stare. "Elena went to turn in her apartment papers when you noticed a group of young men following her. You confronted them. You protected her. You saved her."

Jeremy repeated his words and a new wave of guilt washed over me. I was messing with my brothers' mind now. I was as bad as Stefan and Damon.

"You should sleep some more. You're tired from the attack and have some injuries," Stefan said.

Jeremy nodded again, settled back into his pillows, and quickly drifted off to sleep.

Stefan stood and turned back to me. "He'll remember only what I told him when he wakes back up."

I felt the first sign of tears prickle at my lower lashes. Jeremy was here because of me. As the first tear rolled down my cheek, Stefan was instantly in front of me. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me tight against his chest.

"Hey, it's okay, Elena," he said softly into my hair.

I just nodded and let him hold me as the tears I couldn't stop poured. Everything had started to get better when I was in Mystic Falls. I came back for one night and it all went to hell. I should've just said screw the stuff in my apartment and let them throw it all away. Nothing in that apartment was worth all this. My family didn't deserve to be hurt because I fell in love with a boy; a vampire.

A vampire that even though I was so angry with for hurting Jeremy, I still loved down to my bones. Damon and I were not right for each other. We were entirely different in every way and I don't know that I could ever just accept what he is….But we were destined to be together. As awful as it may be, Damon was damned and I was his curse. Better yet, maybe I was damned and he was my curse. We could separate ourselves, but we both felt the ache from the distance.

Being in Stefan's arms right then made me realize all of this. It felt nice to be in Stefan's arms, but I couldn't help to think about how Damon's arms felt even better. I wondered where he was.

Several minutes passed before I finally stopped crying. I gave Stefan a hug and took a step back, wiping at my nose with my sleeve. "I'm sorry," I whispered.

He shook his head. "Don't apologize, Elena. I saw all of this building up the minute I came into the room earlier. You're not capable of going without emotions for too long." He smiled softly at me.

I rolled my eyes and muttered "Geeze, thanks."

He laughed and hugged me again. "Well, I've got to get back out there and find our escapee. Who knows how long that'll take." He kissed the top of my head. "It was really good seeing you, Elena."

He stepped away and I smiled up at him. "You, too, Stefan."

As he walked away, I felt a small tug in my chest. I would always care about Stefan.

Part of my heart would always belong to him.

"Merry Christmas!" Jenna yelled, jumping onto my bed like a child.

I laughed and rolled over, bringing my pillow onto my face. "It's too early, Aunt Jenna," I whined, trying not to let her see my smile.

She jerked the pillow away from me and tossed it across the room. She stood over me with a finger pointed in my direction, a very serious look on her face. "It is never too early for Christmas," she said sternly, and then a small smile broke through on her lips and she started laughing.

I sat up and shook my head. "That's what you think," I mumbled.

"Come on! Come on!" she said as she grabbed my hand and pulled me from the bed.

Together we walked down the stairs and I smiled as I spotted Jeremy. He had been sleeping on the couch ever since he came home from the hospital – he wasn't able to climb the stairs just yet.

"Merry Christmas," he said with a grin.

"Merry Christmas to you, too," I replied, plopping down beside him on the couch and stealing his covers to wrap around myself.

Jenna sat cross-legged by the tree and stared at us, her face bright and giddy.

"Are you waiting for permission?" I teased.

She rolled her eyes. "No," she answered, drawing out the word. "I'm just waiting until you guys are ready."

I looked at Jeremy. "Ready?"

"Ready," he responded and Jenna squealed as she started pulling presents from under the tree.

Of course she pulled out all of Jeremy's and mine first. She would never be excited for Christmas for selfish reasons; she loved making others happy. She stacked Jeremy's presents beside him on the couch and she left mine in a pile at my feet. She sat back down by the pile of her presents at the tree.

"So who goes first?" she asked. It was a tradition in our little family. We opened presents one at a time and went clockwise until they were all opened.

I looked at Jeremy. "Go ahead, Jer."

He smiled and picked up the first wrapped box. When he got the wrapping paper off, his face lit up when he saw the picture of the speaker stereo dock for an iPod on the outside of the box. I remembered him saying in passing it would be nice to have one. He gave me a huge hug and started removing it from the packaging immediately.

Jenna was next and she unwrapped a present from Jeremy. It was a beautiful bracelet dripping with emeralds. She was ecstatic, of course. Honestly, it could have been a piece of paper with a drawing from him and she would have been just as happy.

It was then my turn to open my gift. I lifted a box about the size of my hand, decorated with bright yellow wrapping paper and a sparkling silver bow; it was definitely from Jenna. I pulled the loose end of the bow until it slid apart and then carefully pulled up the edges of the wrapping paper; I had always been like that, meticulous and tidy in the way I unwrapped. When the wrapping paper was removed with no tears and folded like an article of clothing, I opened the brown box. Inside was a dark blue electronic device. I picked it up and smiled – a smart phone.

"I remember how you said yours had been broken back at your old place," Jenna told me.

Her words sparked images in my mind I had long forgotten – Damon scaring me that first night and me dropping my cell phone. How we had gone back to his club. How we had…

I shook my head as if to scatter the memories. "Thank you, Aunt Jenna," I smiled at her. "This is great." I looked back down at the gadget. "It's going to take me forever to learn how to use, though," I laughed.

We went on like that for the next half hour. Jeremy opened a gift, then Jenna, then me. We each had 10 presents total; Jenna had kind of gone overboard…like she did every year.

Just as Jenna and I started to get up to clean up the wrapping, I heard her squeal again. I turned to face her and watched as she pulled one more gift from under the tree.

"I must have missed it!" she said as she searched for a name. Suddenly she looked up at me. "It's for you, Elena." She walked it over to me.

I sighed. "Aunt Jenna, you really didn't need to get anything else for me."

She shook her head. "This isn't from me."

I looked over at Jeremy and was about to berate him as well, but he shook is head just as Jenna had.

My brow furrowed in confusion and I looked to the tag. Written in very elegant script was my name and nothing else. The box was covered in black and pale gold damask wrapping paper with a sheer lace bow on top. I unwrapped it and my heart started to beat a little harder as I took in the antique wooden box, about the full size of my palm, with an intricate "S" carved on the top. Very slowly, I place my thumb on the lid and raised it.

My jaw dropped when I saw the necklace. It was beautiful and absolutely something I would wear. It was a silver locket with a raised design pattern on the front and a single blood-red ruby in the center. Beside it was a folded up piece of paper. I took it out and sat the box on the coffee table.

I unfolded it and my eyes were met with the elegant script once again.

Elena, it began.

I had hoped to present this gift to you in person. However, due to the current circumstances, I have acknowledged that it would be better and easier for you to receive the gift this way.

The locket inside this box belonged to my mother. There is no one else in the world I would prefer to have it than you.

Inside the locket, you will find bits of a finely shredded plant; it is vervain. I ask that you wear this necklace and do not remove it; it will protect you when I cannot.

I miss you. I know that what I did to Jeremy is unforgivable; I have accepted that. I only hope that one day you will find it in your heart to give me another chance, though it is wholly undeserved.

I love you, and I promise I always will.

-Damon

I hadn't even realized I had started crying until I heard Jeremy struggling to get off the couch to come and comfort me.

"No, no, Jeremy," I said, wiping at my eyes. "Stay there." I looked up at Jenna who was staring at me with motherly concern in her eyes. It made me uncomfortable. "I'm just gonna' go upstairs for a few minutes. I'll meet you guys back down here for breakfast."

Before either of them could respond, I grabbed the box with the locket from the table and sprinted up to my room.

I shut the door loudly behind me and leaned against it. I looked down at the necklace in my hands and the tears returned.

I no longer felt like a 24-year-old woman having Christmas at her parents/aunts house. I felt like I was a teenager again, weeping ridiculously over a crush. To make the feeling even more real, I was surrounded by the same place I actually had spent my time crying over boys.

I walked over to the mirror at my vanity and sat down on the stool. I swooped my hair over to one side of my shoulder as I removed the silver locket from its cozy position inside the box and brought the two loose ends around either side of my throat, latching it at the nape of my neck.

As the cold silver rested against my skin and the locket weighed it down on my chest, goose bumps rose up along my skin and I shivered.

"I knew you would like it," he said softly from across the room.

A scream caught in my throat as I jumped up from the stool and spun around, my heart pounding rapidly.

My eyes locked with his and I felt my knees grow weak. "W-what are y-you doing here, Damon?" I asked no louder than a whisper, finding it hard to catch my breath.

Without answering, Damon crossed the space between us quickly and smoothly, his eyes burning intensely with determination. Before I could ask what he was doing, his lips collided with mine, and the force shoved me against the vanity.

"Damon!" I gasped against his lips. I placed my hands on his chest and pushed him back with as much force as I could muster.

"We can't," I tried to say, but the sound wouldn't escape. He took a step away and his ice blue eyes were burning into mine, making their way to my soul. My lower lip trembled and I forced my lungs to accept the air I was trying to suck in.

Damon didn't even appear to be phased by my words. If anything, his eyes filled with more lust and love than I'd ever seen before. In one swift motion, his hands were on either side of my face and our lips were connected again.

This time, I didn't try to push him away. My body recognized its need for him and tears welled under my eyelids. I had missed him.

My hands wrapped around his shoulders and I brought my body closer to his. Damon reacted to this and his pelvis pressed into my own for a brief second.

My lips opened and his tongue willingly slid inside. I missed his taste. The coolness of his tongue made me shiver, but I didn't back away. Instead I tasted it greedily, hungrily.

Damon groaned and my breath caught in my chest. I missed his voice.

His hands slid down from my face and down to my hips, softly grazing the sides of my breasts as they passed. His fingers gripped at my hips and he lifted me slightly so I was sitting on top of the vanity. The mirror rattled behind me as my back hit it.

I pulled away from his lips, my breath escaping me raggedly. "Damon, we can't," I said, looking up into his eyes. He opened his mouth to respond, but I continued, "…here. We can't do this here. Jenna and Jeremy might hear this thing hitting the wall."

A small smile appeared at his lips and he wrapped his arms around my middle, pulling me into his arms. My legs wrapped around his waist and I laughed quietly as he spun me around. Quickly, he crossed the room, opened my closet door, stepped inside, and shut it behind us, leaving us in total blackness.

"Better?" he whispered, his hot breath flowing over my ear. His lips wrapped around my earlobe and he sucked it in between his teeth before moving his kisses down my neck. I sighed and closed my eyes, tilting my head back against the wall. The closet was basically empty besides a few pieces of clothing I had actually taken time to hang. My hand reached out and I gripped what felt like my leather jacket.

He pushed my back against the wall and I tightened the grip on his waist with my legs. I felt his erection through his jeans against my wet center and I drew my lower lip in between my teeth. Without even thinking about it, I wriggled my hips so he grinded against me. I missed his touch.

He chuckled against my neck. "What are you doing?" he whispered.

"Damon, I missed you," I admitted with a breathy exhale.

I heard him sigh as he kissed patterns across my skin. "I missed you, too, Elena," he responded, his lips not leaving my throat. His hands traveled up from my hips and slid under the hem of my pajama top. I sucked in a sharp breath of air as his cold fingers rested on my breasts. Very slowly, he massaged them and I felt my nipples harden against his palms. His hand pulled back slightly so his fingers pulled together to the tips of the soft mounds and he rolled the nipples between his thumb and forefinger.

Suddenly, his hands dropped to the back of my thighs and he raised me higher so his lips could seek out a nipple. When his tongue slid over the hardened peak, I moaned softly and felt him smile against me.

As his mouth sucked on the breast, his fingers ran across my stomach then to the hem of my pajama shorts and panties. His fingers hooked into the tops, but instead of taking me off of him to pull the clothing down, I heard the fabric rip and I laughed. Normally I would have chastised him for such an act, but I wanted him as much as he wanted me and I really didn't want him to put me down.

I heard the soft landing of the fabric on the carpeted floor. His hands then moved under my thighs to reach the zipper of his jeans. I heard the ziiiip of it being pulled down and I felt him shimmy them and his boxers lower on his hips.

He pulled up from my breast and he kissed me again. "Ready?" he whispered against my lips. I nodded frantically, feeling my center starting to ache for him.

His hands grabbed my hips and I loosened the grip my legs had so that he could move me freely.

I brought my head up higher to meet his lips again and our tongues danced as he started lowering me.

I shivered as I felt the tip of him brush against me. "Just do it," I begged against his lips.

As I asked, Damon pushed my hips down and rammed up into me.

My head instantly tilted back against the wall and a deep, throaty moan escaped my lips. I missed the way he filled me completely.

He let me get adjusted to his size for a moment before he began lifting me and lowering me back down. I made slow circular motions with my hips when he was deep inside of me so my throbbing clit rubbed against the base of his penis, sending electric shocks through my body.

Damon's breath flowed in jagged pants across my skin and it warmed me, making me feel more comfortable than I had in a long time.

He kept up a steady pace with one hand on my thigh and the other kneading a breast again. One of my hands gripped the back of his head, my fingers laced through his dark locks, and my other was lifted above me, my fingers wrapped tightly around the metal bar meant for hanging clothes.

I felt him sliding in and out of me and my stomach tightened as I became more and more aroused. He quickened his movement, pulling almost completely out of me before thrusting back up roughly. My back shook the wall behind me and I realized that it didn't matter if I was on the vanity or in the closet; sounds were bound to make their way down to Jenna and Jeremy.

But I no longer cared.

"I love you," he whispered in the darkness, crashing his lips back to mine.

I tugged lightly on his hair and mumbled my "love yous" against his mouth.

I took deep inhales and exhales with each of his thrusts, trying to prolong the experience.

Damon groaned again and my center reacted to the sound, pressing into his body.

"Unghhh," I moaned, running my tongue over my drying lips. "Daaamon," I huffed, matching his thrusts with my own hip movements.

Both of his hands moved just below my ass and he started lifting me up and down much more quickly, grunting softly with each impact.

I felt my body start to tremble as the orgasm began to creep up on me. Every time my clit rubbed against his body, a warm sensation washed through me and my abdomen tightened.

"Fuck," he sighed and I grinned, his voice making me tingle.

My palms became sweaty as he pounded me against the closet wall and I wrapped them around his neck, pulling myself close to his chest. I kissed him quickly before letting my head fall back again.

"Oh…fuck….Elena," he moaned, his movements becoming sporadic.

I knew I was close with a few more of his thrusts. As he slammed into me once more, I felt the tight coil in my stomach release and my clit twitched wildly as a warm rush exploded inside of me. White spots broke out behind my lids and I could hear my heart in my ears. "Oh Damon, Unghh Damon, Damon!" I cried out his name repeatedly, grinding my hips into his as I basked in the orgasm.

He thrust twice more before I felt him begin to pump under my skin. He buried his face into the crook of my neck and groaned. "Ohhhh," his voice rang quietly.

As we both came down from our sexually induced highs, he lowered us down to the floor of the closet. I kept my legs wrapped around his waist, not wanting to leave his embrace. I felt whole there. I finally felt complete. Vampire traits aside, Damon was my everything and he was perfect for me.

"Merry Christmas, baby," he whispered before softly placing his lips against mine.

Merry Christmas, indeed.

Authors Note: Okay, guys, I am very very very very verrrry sorry this update came nearly a month later. I really don't know what happened. I just got in this...funk and I couldn't write more than a few paragraphs a day.

It could be because it's the end of the semester here at my university and after writing term paper after term paper, I just wasn't really up to writing on this. It could be because I keep getting sick. It could be because I'm having some serious writers block. It could be because everything I wrote was crap and I scrapped it three or four times.

Either way, I apologize, but I got this to you as soon as I could. I didn't even send the chapter to my incredible beta to save some time between completion and posting.

If you follow me on twitter (APhobiac) or read my blog (writingtoberemembered(dot)blogspot(dot)com) then you've been kept up-to-date on the progress of the story. I even gave you guys a little sneak peak. So, if you're not following me at either, you should. Lol.

I still really don't feel out of the woods yet. It took a lot out of me to get this chapter completed so I can't promise that an update will come this week or the next, but I promise I will try my hardest to get some work done and hopefully even a full chapter.

So, all that aside, review and let me know what you thought of this chapter. Should she be accepting Damon back into her life so soon after what he did to Jeremy?

See you guys next chapter!

P.S., I'm hoping someone could help me make some banners for my stories to post on my blog. Send me a message. :)