Christmas Day was busy in the Gilbert house, Jenna was running around frantic cooking the roast and trying not to burn anything. Elena set the table while she waited for their guests to arrive.

"Elena, where's Jeremy and Anna? Why aren't they helping?" Jenna yelled from the kitchen to Elena in the dining room.

"In bed, sun makes vampires sluggish you know, without their lapis lazuli"

"Their what?"

"It's a gem that protects vampires from the sun, Stefan, Damon and Anna have some but Jeremy does not, yet" She knew Anna had made Jeremy a ring for Christmas.

"Do me a favour?" Jenna asked

"Sure"

"Throw some water on them"

"I'm sure that will go down really well" Elena added sarcastically.

"Just get them down here" Right then the doorbell rang

"I'll get it" Elena told her, and opened the door to Stefan and Damon, both wielding gifts in their hands, she smiled at the sight.

"Hey, come in"

"Merry Christmas Elena, wow I don't get to say that very often" said Damon, unusually cheery, he placed a kiss on her cheek and stepped inside.

"Merry Christmas" Then it was Stefan's turn, instead of doing the same, he opted for swooping her up in his arms and kissing her passionately, she giggled and kissed him back.

"Come on lovebirds" she heard Damon say from inside the house. Elena took Stefan's hand and led him inside to the lounge room.

"Come on, let's go unwrap presents"

Soon everyone was gathered around the Christmas tree, including Jeremy and Anna, who were sitting on the two seater love seat; happily in love. Elena sat between the Salvatore brothers on the three seater and Jenna sat on the floor leaning against Alaric's legs, he stroked her hair. The room was so full of love and Elena couldn't help but feel sorry for Damon who was the only one alone, but he was still family, her future brother-in-law, they already fought like family.

Everyone handed around their gifts; Alaric gave Jenna a diamond necklace and Jenna gave him a first edition book about the battles of the civil war and a military Jacket, he adored them. Next Anna gave Jeremy his Lapis Lazuli heirloom ring that used to be hers; she now wore her Mother, Pearl's ring. He kisses her and gives Anna his gift; a Pandora bracelet with a few charms that meant something to them, a letter V for Vampire, a little guitar for her love of music, and a small heart with an engraving on it, "J & A forever", she smiled and kissed him while he put it on her.

Next it was Elena's turn, she pushed a large box towards Jeremy.

"What's this?" Elena didn't answer, just smiles, he opens the box; the easel.

"Wow awesome, iv always wanted one, thanks Elena"

"Your welcome" she told him as she picked up two more presents; one for each Salvatore Brother. Stefan made Damon go first as he wanted to see his reaction to the book. Damon realised everyone was watching him,

"It's not a box full of vervain is it? Coz that would be so not funny" He rips open the paper and stares at the title of the book he held in horror.

"Does my grammar really suck that bad? No pun intended" he says after a few silent moments

"Yes" added Stefan and Elena in unison, they couldn't help but laugh.

"Great. Thanks guys, very funny" a little embarrassed, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out two items, Elena wondered how she didn't notice them because one was a wine bottle shaped one and the other was a baseball. He hands the bottle shaped gift to Elena first and she tears open the paper, staring at the label.

"I've never seen this before, what is it?" It was an almost blank label apart from two words in dark purple italic writing; Black Magic.

"Only the bestest and rarest wine in the whole wide world, I bought up the last supply of it"

"Best" Stefan and Elena correst him in unison

"Shut up" retorted Damon

"This is the last bottle left in the entire world? I can't accept this"

"One of twelve last bottles, and you can, my gift to you. You haven't lived until you've tried Black Magic"

"My mother told me about this" said Anna, "apparently you can't tell if you're getting drunk, and it has remarkable healing qualities"

"Then I want some" added Jeremy.

"No" replied Jenna sternly with no hesitation.

"If it's so rare then I can't drink it, but thank you Damon, I love it"

"Knew you'd like it" He tossed the baseball to Stefan.

Stefan turned the baseball over and over in his hands, a look of awe spread across his face.

"This is mine, where did you…I lost this when I was ten"

"I know, I took it, I'm sorry"

"You had this all this time? Why wait until now to give it to me?" Stefan's awe turned to anger and he looked like he was going to pounce on Damon.

"Our first Christmas with Elena. Look man, I'm sorry, its Christmas, lets just forgive and forget, you have it back, that's all that matters" Damon then realised Elena was staring at him with her mouth open.

"What?"

"Did you go to the Wizard of Oz and get a brain or a heart?" Elena asked him

"Yeah who are you and what have you done to my brother?" Stefan laughed, and all was forgotten between the brothers that Christmas. The humans sat at the table and ate Jenna's wonderful food and the vampires drank blood, well Anna and Jeremy had straight O positive that Jenna had picked up from the blood bank, Stefan went for a whiskey from the bottle he had given Damon; his favourite from 1864, and Damon had a whiskey/blood cocktail; Stefan still didn't know how he could stomach that.

This scene could look like your perfect family get together at Christmas, but all it did was make Katherine sick and jealous, she stood outside and watched them through the living room window. The truth was that she did miss the brothers and she did want someone to love, but playing games with them…she couldn't give up that, she wanted that more.

Elena goes out the back door to empty the garbage and hears a noise and sees shadows, but dismisses it because she's had a little too much to drink and figures it's just the wine talking. She shrugs it off, empties the trash can and is suddenly grabbed from behind and everything goes dark.

Katherine waits outside the Gilbert house for Damon; he walks out the front door and sees her.

"Katherine why are you here? I thought you didn't want me"

"I lied, again, my bad, I do miss you Damon" she tells him seductively, walking up to him, placing her hands on his muscular chest. Damon can't resist her, so he asks her again.

"Why are you here? Really?"

"For you" she leans in to kiss him, he pulls back

"Don't lie to me!"

"Fine, I'm here to kill Elena"