This is my final addition to the DE Holiday Exchange on LiveJournal. Hope you all enjoy it. This was for a prompt by longliveDE. Hope you enjoy it.

As always let me know what you think. Reviews are love. :)

"So you figure out what you're getting Damon yet for Christmas?" Caroline asked me as we walked around the mall the day before Christmas.

"I did. It took absolutely every penny of my savings but I'm sure he's going to love it. I know it's been something he's been desperate for even if he won't say it out loud." I told her.

"The only thing I can imagine Damon Salvatore being desperate for is you without clothes, but he gets that all the time anyway." Caroline murmured dryly.

"Haha, very funny. You don't know him like I do. I know what he wants and its way overboard for a Christmas gift but it's Damon. He deserves everything good in the world.

"I may not understand your feelings for him but I can appreciate it. Everyone can see how you look at him and how he looks at you. It's real, no matter how much I wish it wasn't sometimes." She told me honestly. Caroline and I have been getting along much better since Damon came back. All the awful things she's said about him have been more or less forgotten, I think it's because of her newfound relationship with Stefan. She's happy with him so that means she's allowing everyone else to be happy.

"He's so much different than he used to be Caroline. You've got to see that. He's not the man that used and abused you." I told her.

"I know, it's just hard to get past that person, you know. He's done more good than bad but I can't let go of what he did to me. Even if he did save my life on more than one occasion." She admitted and I nodded. I could understand that now. I just wished she would eventually give it up. She wouldn't be here at all if it weren't for him.

"I appreciate that you're trying to get past it. That's all I ask of you." I told her and she nodded.

"Good, now what are you giving Damon for Christmas? I'm taking Stefan away for a weekend somewhere. We need to get away from Mystic Falls." She told me excitedly.

"Well great minds think alike then. I'm taking Damon out of the country for a month." I told her and she gasped.

"Out of the country? A month?" She asked her eyes wide.

"Yep, Italy for a month. I know he needs to get away and I couldn't think of a place far enough. So I settled for Italy because he has history here. Mars wouldn't have been far enough away." I told her.

"Makes sense. I can't believe you're going to Europe without me." She whined but I knew it was good naturedly.

"I know, end of the world." I said shaking my head and playing along with her. She laughed and grabbed my arm so we could continue walking through the packed mall.

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Damon POV

"Elena, I love you. Will you do me the honour of being my wife?" I practiced in front of my mirror. That didn't sound right either, so I cursed and tried to think of something more.

"What are you doing?" Stefan asked standing in my doorway.

"How long have you been eavesdropping?" I demanded.

"Long enough to know that you're planning on proposing." He said and I scoffed.

"So why did you have to ask if you already knew?" I demanded.

"Because I wanted to know why you were proposing to your mirror instead of Elena." He told me and I laughed slightly.

"I want to get it right if you must know. Everything I say doesn't sound right. It all sounds so empty, not at all what Elena means to me." I admitted.

"Just make sure she knows how you feel when you ask her. Tell her how much you love her and how much you need her. Tell her how she made your life a better place and then ask her." Stefan suggested.

"Well if you plan on coaching me through this, then come on in and take a seat. You're better at this mushy, corny bullshit than I am." I told him and Stefan laughed.

"Just don't use the words "mushy, corny bullshit" in your proposal and you'll be just fine." He said taking a seat on the chair in the corner of the room. He pursed his lips and motioned for me to try again. I took a deep breath and tried to think of something romantic for Elena. This was going to be the best proposal in history, I would make sure of it.

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Elena POV

"So tell me again why we're hosting a Christmas party with Broody and Blondie?" Damon asked me and I laughed taking in the new couple name he gave his brother and my best friend. It couldn't just be Stefan and Caroline, it had to be something funnier and somewhat ruder. Damon fashion.

"Because they wanted to and it's the right thing to do. We should have everyone over to celebrate. We lost people this year and it's been a pretty crappy year some things aside and I want to enjoy Christmas. Maybe we'll get lucky and we'll have some drama free time." I told him.

"Drama free. I think that's a novelty that we'll never truly enjoy." He said and I laughed and reached up on my toes to kiss his cheek.

"Go check the turkey." I told him and he walked off.

"I know something you don't know." Caroline sing-songed as she practically skipped over to me.

"What?" I asked.

"I can't tell you. It involves your Christmas present, I got it out of Stefan. Let's just say that it's possibly better than yours." She told me and I scoffed.

"There's no way his present for me is better than mine for him." I said not believing for a second that his was better. I was giving him a month away from Mystic Falls with only me. I booked us a small cottage that was ours for the entire month. It was quaint and beautiful according to the website and I couldn't wait to leave tomorrow morning.

"I don't know. How about you wait and see." She said before skipping off again. If Caroline was excited about it then it must be good. I wanted to know what it was immediately.

We sat down and ate our dinner before cleaning up together. No one wanted to wake up to a dirty kitchen in the morning and have to clean it up.

"I think we should sing Christmas carols." Caroline said enthusiastically.

"Okay." I agreed, I loved Christmas carols and it was such a normal thing to do. I loved the idea even though I was anxious to see my gift from Damon.

"Whatever you want sweetheart." Stefan said to Caroline and she practically swooned.

"Oh hell no. I don't sing carols." Said Damon and we all laughed. I totally predicted that reaction.

"Oh come on Damon. Stefan's doing it for Caroline." I pleaded with him.

"Oh hell no. I'd do anything for you Elena but I won't do that." He said shaking his head emphatically.

"Come on, just a couple songs. We'll open gifts afterward." I promised him and he shook his head.

"I am not singing. I'll happily sit by you and listen to you sing, but it's not happening baby. I'm not neutered unlike my brother." He told me and I had to laugh.

"Fine, I'll give you that." I told him and we went to sit on the couch right next to each other. Caroline pulled out a few song books and handed them out including one to Damon.

"I'm still not singing." He told her and she shrugged.

"I have no doubt that you'll sing." She said and went to sit down next to Stefan. She started the first verse to "jingle bells" and we all joined in. Beside me I could hear Damon humming a little bit so I smiled at him and kissed his cheek and sang louder.

By the end of the sing along Damon was singing softly along with us. He was only doing it for me and I didn't care if anyone else heard it. It was unlikely with how loud Caroline had Stefan singing.

"Thank you." I whispered while Caroline got up and started gathering up gifts. She started handing them all out and I laughed when I saw that Caroline even bought Damon a gift.

"Aw thanks Blondie, you do love me." He teased and she scoffed.

"Hardly, it's Christmas and you're technically family I guess." She shrugged and I laughed.

"Alright everyone open your gifts." Stefan said and I laughed again. He was right into this Christmas thing this year and it made me happy to see everyone enjoying themselves.

"Open the one from me last." Damon told me and I nodded. I knew whatever it was I was going to absolutely love it.

I opened up the gift from Caroline first and saw a white dress that I was willing to kill for but she told me wouldn't look good on me.

"Ah so you did like it." I said to her.

"I loved it and it's so you. I just couldn't let you buy it." She said and I smiled.

"I love it." I told her and she grinned. From Stefan I unwrapped a brand new leather bound journal that was engraved with my name.

"I hope you like it. I know you always used to enjoy writing down your thoughts." He said awkwardly.

"Thank you, I love it. My other journal is almost full." I said to him and he nodded. It was a beautiful gift and I really appreciated that he still knew me so well. Beside me Damon opened up two bottles of bourbon and he was as happy as he could be.

"This is awfully flat. There is definitely no bourbon in here." Damon said with a smile on his face.

"Open it and find out." I urged him. Stefan and Caroline were both sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for us to open our gifts from one another. I'm sure Caroline told Stefan when I got him. Stefan had his arm around Caroline and he was holding her gift in his hands tight. It was clear he loved it. Damon pulled the flap of the envelope up and pulled out the ticket confirmation I had wrapped.

"Italy for a month?" He asked his eyes wide.

"Yep." I told him.

"How did you afford this?" He asked knowing how much I hated compulsion. It could have been a very cheap trip but I wanted to buy it for him.

"I drained my savings. It's okay, I don't need the money. I need to take you away. This gift is as much for me as it is for you." I told him and he grinned.

"I love you Elena. Now open mine." He told me and I was excited. I was sure that whatever it was I was going to love it more than anything. I started slowly pulling up the wrapping on the tiny box as Damon moved from the couch to the floor. Caroline was jittering in excitement but I barely noticed seeing Damon kneeling on the floor before me.

"Damon…" I started as I pulled the paper off the box. He took the box from my hand and turned it so it was facing me.

"Elena I love you more than you know. Every single hard time we've been through has only brought us here. I will love you for all of eternity if you'll let me. Will you marry me?" He asked and by now the tears were coursing down my face. He opened the box to reveal an obviously custom made ring. It was equal parts antique and modern looking. It was perfect, it captured us perfectly. It wasn't too large but it wasn't small either. The diamond was bright, clear and quite large. All in all it was the perfect ring.

"Yes." I answered not sure if I could make anything more eloquent come out of my mouth. That was definitely as good as it was going to get. His responding smile was so bright and beautiful that it made me cry again as he slid the ring onto my finger. He kissed me and I kissed him back even harder than he was kissing me.

"Get a room." Caroline chanted happily.

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The next morning I woke up at the crack of dawn with the sun shining through the window. It nearly blinded me when I looked at the new diamond on my hand with the sun shining on it.

"Hey wake up. We have to get ready to go." I gently shook Damon.

"I don't want to. I want to stay in bed all day." He whined with his eyes still closed.

"We have to go to Italy. Declare it a pre-wedding honeymoon." I told him.

"Ah yes, we're getting married." He murmured grabbing my left hand in his and twining our fingers together.

"We're getting married." I repeated with a stupid smile on my face. I'd never been happier and I couldn't wait to share my good news with everyone. When Jeremy got home I would tell him everything but of course he decided to take a road trip at Christmas time, stating that he needed to get away before he lost his mind. I let him kiss me a couple more times before I reluctantly pulled myself out of his embrace. "It doesn't change anything though, unless we want to miss our flight we have to get up now."

"I know, doesn't mean I want to though." He said snuggling deeper into the pillows.

"Neither do I but it's really not an option." I sighed, swinging my legs out of the bed and stood up. I pulled the robe that was sitting on the chair by the bed only my frame and tied it up. "You have until I get out of the shower."

"What if I want to join you in the shower?" He asked seductively.

"Then you have to get up." I told him walking into the bathroom.

Only about thirty minutes later we were ready to go. Our bags were packed and sitting by the door. The ideal situation would have had us being packed last night but alas we were distracted. Newly engaged and all that.

"Ready to go lovebirds?" Caroline asked us from the kitchen table where she was drinking a cup of coffee.

"We are. We're running late so there won't be any mushy goodbyes." I told them giving Caroline a quick hug.

"Have fun and so help me God if you guys elope while you're gone. There will not be any sort of Christmas or New Year's weddings while in Italy, you hear me? I am not being robbed of my right to be your maid of honour. I have not been your friend for this many years to be robbed of that particular privilege." She warned me and I laughed.

"Don't worry. I would never get married without my brother." I comforted her.

"Good, now get out of here. You don't want to miss your flight. Besides I'm looking forward to a month of alone time with Stefan." She said to us and I hugged her one more time and left the house with Damon.

"Ready?" Damon asked when we were both in the car.

"Ready." I replied.