Well hello all my wonderful readers!

I know it has been a long time and I promised myself that when I finished this story, I would never come back to it. Unlike Damon, I can't keep my promises... so here is a little gift this christmas.

I came up with it last night and wrote it all in one go, its not half as long as my usual chapters but I hope you enjoy anyway.

Disclaimer: Everything other than Gracie doesn't belong to me.

December 24st

DPOV

Well this was like doing a walk of shame. Here's a question: how do you make a pound of dogs stop barking? Have a vampire walk through the door. Oh I was sure if they weren't all caged up they'd be using my throat as a chew toy. We didn't mix well.

"You know what? I was having second thoughts about this dog idea. I've never seen you look so scared before, looks like you'll be the one being put into line" Elena leers, complacently and squished my cheeks together.

With a swish and bat of my hand, I'm free from her grasps, "Put in line? Excuse me but I have no idea why we are here, you already have an invisible leash on me and as good as had me castrated" perhaps I was taking the comparison to dogs a little literal as I traced a hint of a whine in my voice.

"Hey, Mr, you were the one that promised my Daughter she could have absolutely anything she wanted. As for the castrating thing - I believe your balls are completely intact. I would have no use for you if they weren't." She had a thing with my cheeks as she was now patting them. Perhaps it was the stubble, or maybe, just maybe she loved reminded me who was boss. Noooo, it couldn't possibly be that! Elena Gilbert ruling over me? Why, that's nothing I've ever seen before. I do hope you all took on board the sheer sarcasm.

"Funny" Crosses my arms, "I was just thinking that about your ass!" Her smirk is absorbed upon my own face as my protruding tongue is clamped between my teeth, leaning left upon what I though was a sturdy wall. Maybe I was too distracted with making sure she clearly noticed my look of fantasy upon my face while admiring her rear. It was still as ripe and biteable as when she was eighteen years….

My train of thoughts are abruptly lost by an attack. I hadn't realized I'd been leaning upon some metal meshing, nor of the yapping Jack Russell who really didn't like me, triggering a forceful leap with fangs dominating its mouth, its seconds from mauling me to… well we not say death, but you get my drift. Anyway, I was a lot faster and my senses more intense that any incident was avoided…

EPOV

In other words he means he screamed out like a child and fell back on his ass.

DPOV

Shhh!

That didn't happen. And I didn't need to climb off the floor and Elena didn't nearly pee herself with laughter. Although the latter I would have loved to see so I could have reversed the roles and it be me laughing in her face.

However I have to suck up and ignore the spoiled child inside of me.

"Maybe its best you wait outside" Elena voiced once she had curbed her laughter for a few seconds to mutter out the words.

Leaving her giggling to herself in the reception I headed back out into the fresh yet cold air. Smiling as I see the girl that never takes the piss out of me and is always reliable. Yes baby, the Camaro is back where she belongs.

We'd been reunited a few of months ago, it had been a long time. I hadn't brought her with me when I moved here to New York all those years ago. One it held too many memories I was in no position to be weaken too, and it was too recognizable. I could hardly 'stalk' Elena – as she puts it - in the car she knew so well. She'd spent more time that last few months together, naked in the back of it driving me wild than I actually spent driving the car.

Elena had missed her too, and once she'd found out the date of my Birthday and the fact she believes it is worth celebrating she decided there was nothing better than she could get me. I have to agree.

So what else can I tell you about while Elena is off trying to adopt a puppy? (No comments please on how I've changed, whatever Elena says the puppy was NOT my idea).

Oh so I've been back in Elena's life now for six months. I could give you specific amount of time even down to the last minute but… I'm not.

By the way we haven't left Gracie home alone or anything, she's with her father. Not that that is much reassurance but the gimp apparently deserves time with his daughter, and since it would be our first Christmas the three of us, it wouldn't be the three of us without Gracie so they'd come to the agreement that Lancey Boy could have Gracie the week before Christmas until Christmas Eve. Gracie of course didn't mind, she got to have two Christmases. Elena however, she hadn't spent more than a couple of days away from her so with the usual stress of Christmas, which ever woman is faced with apparently, she was rather touchy at the moment. But I'm doing my best to distract her.

She was actually doing better than I thought until yesterday, but I think that is because of the move. Yes Elena had had phenomenal success in telling the world how much of a dick I used to be in her book that she'd been able to upgrade from that pokey little apartment in the middle of the city, to a more sizable house just on the outskirts.

We'd spoken about moving back to Mystic Falls and despite her memories of her family there she decided she had nothing to go back to. She wanted a quiet life with the safe neighbourhood so Gracie could play in the front garden, but still have the vision of breathing city life on the doorstep. It made her happy; at least I hope it did. I get to see her smile every day so that means something right?

Oh how I wish it had been a smile I'd been graced with when she left the pound, but no, she comes storming over to the car, face like thunder and makes me cringe with how hard she slams the car door.

"They sold him! They already fudging sold him!"

"Fudging?" My snicker is quickly demolished by the look of devilment in her eyes.

"Oh, we'll find another one. Maybe this is telling us that it was a bad idea…" I offer my services, but I don't think she appreciates me trying to help.

"Bad Idea?!" She grabs and tugs fiercely at her seat belt. "This is your fault! Take me home"

"I thought you needed to…"

"No. I just want to go home" She shuffles and looks out of the window, back angled to me telling me it's safer for me not to speak, so instead I whistle through my teeth and start the engine. Like I said before – she's a bit temperamental at the moment.

We managed majority of the journey in silence before her sniffling has me unclamping my teeth from my tongue.

"Are you crying?" I blurt, sitting forward, looking from the road to her, and she attempts to lie to me and turn her head away more. "Yes you are. Oh come on babe. It's not worth crying over. She'll understand" I reach out for her hand but it is pulled away from me.

The muscles in my jaw begin to tighten and my hand upon the wheel clenches, causing the rubber to squeak. There are many things I can withstand; her pulling away from me is never going to be one of them. Especially when this runs a lot deeper than a damn dog.

Once we pull up into the drive of the new house, she's out of the car and once again slamming the door before I even get chance to stop the car properly.

Inside the house, I place the few bags of Christmas Gifts upon the sofa, the smell of fresh paint, varnish and plastic from the wrapping of the new furnishings pollute the air, but nothing a few open windows couldn't solve.

"So do you care to explain?" Wandering after her into the kitchen where she is furiously clanking about, unloading the dishwasher, no doubt chipping each item in the process.

"Oh nothing, I'm just trying to make this Christmas perfect and all you can do is make a stupid joke of it all. But then again I should have expected it; you don't take anything else seriously, do you?" Her words are like hundreds of little cocktail sticks being shot my way.

"Well I take you biting my head off for no reason being pretty serious. I don't get it, I know you are missing Gracie but she'll be back in a couple of hours."

"No Damon, you won't get it. You'll never get it because she's not…" she catches her words before they spew from her mouth, no doubt something she would regret.

I had no intentions of letting her back out, I was angry. "Oh no Elena. Go on say it! Go on say I will never understand because she isn't mine. Go on! We both know that's what you were about to say." I loom over her, my shadow leaving her standing in the dark.

"I… wasn't…" She whispers weakly. "I just mean… actually you know what I do mean it!" Her voice is suddenly rising to match the anger in her eyes. "What is it Damon? This not what you expected? Family life too much for you? Or is it me? Maybe I'm not the same as you remember. I have a different life, I'm older… I have stretch marks. Well I'm sorry, baby, but all women who've had a baby get them. And I'm not getting younger."

Not all that often I'm dumbfounded but for a few long seconds I was. My mouth screws up trying to make sense of where any of this was coming from. I'm snapped out of it when she pushes against my chest to get past me.

If I didn't love her I'd shake her or bang her head against a wall, wondering what the hell had gotten into her to come out with all this… crap. Because that's all it was, complete and utter bullshit.

"No, but you are losing your mind. Where the hell is all this coming from? What the hell have I done to make you think any of that shit is true? I've done nothing but love you, I've spent six months on my fucking knees worshipping the ground you and Gracie walk on, so you both know how much you god damn mean to me. What Elena? WHAT?!" All my patience had worn thin. So much for the perfect Christmas.

She's now crying with rage as she tears open one of the kitchen draws and rummages until she finds whatever she was looking for. I stand and wait, I hadn't been waiting for her to throw a piece of paper at me, but she was always unpredictable.

"That you bastard! That's how much we mean to you that you plan on leaving us on Christmas eve!" Her vocal cores cause vibrations off each wall and surface, as I scoop down to pick the paper up from where it had fallen on the floor.

It was just you typical A4 paper folded roughly into four. I don't even have to open it to know what it was. "Oh god" I close my eyes and drop my head back.

"Y-yeah, Damon. Oh god, you got found out. Bit of advice, if you plan on running away - hide your flight confirmation somewhere better than in your jeans pocket that you've put to the wash." She's now breaking her heart in rhythms of sobs.

Pushing the flats of my palms against my eyes, I don't know whether to continue being angry with her, laugh or 'fudging' cry.

"You stupid… woman" I blurt and I don't think that made her feel too better. "You haven't even looked at it fully have you?" Holding the sheet out to her between my fingers.

"No Damon, I figured if you were leaving I didn't want to know where you're going. It might help me forget you once and for all." She bushes away her tears, quite brutally.

"Charming" I sink down onto a stood, unfolding the paper and looking down at it. "When did you find it?"

"Yesterday" She mutters, holding her arms around herself as though if she were to let go she would fall to pieces.

"Why didn't you say something then?" enquiring into her motives and logic, since an hour ago she was laughing and joking with me.

"I thought… I thought maybe you'd changed your mind. I thought if you could see I could make it perfect… that you'd stay. You'd stay with me" She sobs, and covers her eyes. "But then you seemed so disinterested when we couldn't get the dog, like you didn't care because you wouldn't be here anyway…"

Despite being pissed off with her for her lack of faith and trust in me I rise to my feet and approach her determinedly. She tries to fight against me, but I'm stronger and I get to wind my arms around her and hold her against my chest, even if the move isn't reciprocated.

"You really should have read it all, and let's face it you should trust that I'm not that much of a dick to leave you, never mind to leave you both on Christmas eve." Sits my chin on the top of her head.

"Then… then… what is it?" No human ears could understand what she said because her face was buried so deeply into me.

"A Christmas present. But you were right…" She immediately jolts back, "I do need better hiding places." Using my knuckles to rid of those tears of sadness, but there was nothing I could do about the doubt that plagued her beautiful hollow orbs, especially when a knock comes from the front door, and I can hear a familiar voice outside.

"Try and trust me" Letting her go and taking the paper, pushing it into my back pocket.

Lance as always had shit timing, Gracie wasn't due back for a couple of hours yet, but Lance had a habit of dropping her off early; hoping, no doubt, that he can interrupt whatever alone time Elena and I were having. But I don't think he expected for her to be crying. Well hopefully he wouldn't know that part.

"Daddy, just open the door" I wander into the hallway to see Gracie pushing the door open and barging on through with her arms full of her early Christmas Presents from her father and rosy cheeks on her olive tinted skin. He'd taken her to Disney Land for their Christmas together.

Behind all the presents she was wearing a little yellow ball gown with a little tiara, while huffing and puffing and tripping over her own feet, her dad surprisingly beating me to the rescue.

"Well well, who might this little princess be?" I announce my presence and she looks up with that bright gleaming smile she got from her mom.

"Damond, tis me. Gracie!" arms now free, she holds out her dress and twirls.

I act shocked, and squint my eyes. "Gracie? It is you!"

"No Damond, dat is what I suppose to say. What Belle says to the beasty" she was a little madam who kept me in my place and I wouldn't have her any other way. Especially when she comes launching forward to give me a cuddle. I hadn't realized until that moment how much I'd missed her. I hadn't allowed myself to think about it that much, trying too much to distract Elena, but in truth I'd been trying to distract myself just as much.

Swaying her in my arms for a moment, I chuckle internally. God how things had changed. The fact she was such a key figure in my life still frightened the living daylights out of me. But because it was her, and only her I could look past all that fear. To her I was just her Damond. And that, well let's face it is going to be the most special thing to ever happen to me.

"Where is Mommy?" She inquires and wriggles out of my grip, where I place her on the floor.

"She's just in the kitchen, why don't you set out all your presents so you can show her when she comes in" I no doubt knew she missed her mom but I didn't want her to see Elena if she was upset, I wanted to just give her a moment to compose herself.

"You coming in?" I ask Lance who is already in the doorway, looking around at the house as he has get to see it for himself.

"No Christmas Tree?" His words disapproving.

"We moved in five days ago, we figured Gracie would want to help since it's our first Christmas together and all" I can't help myself but have a little dig. Yeah he was Gracie's father, I've learned to accept his presence. It doesn't mean that every time I look at him, I'm mot reminded of a time when I didn't have what I did now.

"Do I hear my little China doll?" Elena comes from the kitchen looking fresh faced and wearing a gorgeous smile when she claps eyes on her child. Gracie bounds to her, nearly tripping over her dress several times before she makes it safely into her mother's grasps.

As if I could ever leave them.

*U*P* *C

"Look, look!" Gracie decided she had to show me something; she like her mother and father didn't have the best timing being as I had my face prickled by Christmas tree needles while trying to get the tree level in the tub - Easier said than done. You'd think they would come already potted, even if it cost more. They probably do for all I know, but trying to get a normal tree the week before Christmas wasn't the smartest idea.

"What am I looking at, Little E?" I attempt to turn my head to the left to look at her, while holding the base and trunk.

"Look!" She demands before opening her mouth wide and grasping her front bottom tooth to wriggle it in its loosening foundations.

"Your first wobbly tooth! That looks pretty loose; you might be having a visit from the tooth fairy tonight as well as Santa." Her eyes light up like a Christmas tree, unfortunately not ours as it might be new years before I get this damn thing right.

"I remember losing my first tooth. It had been loose for weeks, I'd been so excited. But then I was playing outside, tripped over… and it was gone." Letting go of the tree to do actions with my hand, BIG mistake.

"DAMON!" Elena cries out from behind the tree, where she had been trying to judge when level or not and I'd lost my grip and she was now pinned up against the wall, getting frisky with a falling tree.

Gracie is laughing, so am I, Elena is furious. That's nothing unusual.

"I told you to leave me too it" pulling the tree effortlessly off of her, even though with the mood she was in I was tempted to leave her there.

Gracie had left to inspect her tooth in the mirror just out in the hallway, while Elena brushed herself down, "This isn't how I imagined it" She utters, and she knows by now that I can hear to all too well.

"Well maybe if you lightened up a bit and had a little faith in me, you might see the funny side and it be better than you imagined." I offer her.

"Mmm, think you said that the first time we slept together – I was disappointed then too" She brushes past me with a shrug, and my tightened eyes followed her.

"Not how I remembered it"

"A man never does" she leaves me to it and wanders off into the kitchen.

She didn't mean it. I still had the mental scars of her tearing into my back to prove it.

Half an hour later and I laugh in smugness that I had won my battle with the tree.

"It's lopsided, but it'll do" Elena judged from where she was checking the lights.

"I could say that about your nipples"

I suppose two of us could play her game. We both know who would win at it. Especially when ten minutes later, I caught her in the hallway mirror checking. My laughter was received with the typical 'Bastard'.

God how she loved me, I knew it because nobody irritated her as much as I did and yet she was still here. She was still smiling; you might be surprised to hear. She wouldn't let the bickering between her and I affect Gracie. She was just trying her best to put on a scowl any time we made eye contact.

*U*P* *C*

As expected the finishing result of the tree left me feeling that it was finally Christmas. It was pretty idyllic and picturesque as it turns out. The sky outside had long turned dark, the clear warm glow of the lights on the tree set the room off perfect by the fire, even if it was Electric. The inked sky had a mist of white about it, announcing snow was on its way and Nat King Cole was singing 'The Christmas Song' on the music channel on the TV, drowned out by Gracie telling us every last in and out of her trip to Disneyland.

We'd had an easy meal of bread and cheese around the coffee table in the living room, where we all sat on the floor, and my fingers were idly playing with Elena's hair, to which she didn't pull away. It was an added bonus to a pretty special evening. Even if doubt still ran through Elena's mind, I didn't see how the night could be any more perfect.

When The Pouges' video of Fairytale in New York finished, and the nine o'clock news came on the TV, Elena announced it was far past Gracie's bedtime. She put up a bit of a fight but when Elena reminded her that the sooner she went to bed, the sooner it would be Christmas morning - she was upstairs in a flash.

I set to clearing away the remnants of our feast, and enjoy a glass of B Positive, while I fill the dishwasher, and begin prepping the veg for tomorrow's dinner. Elena wanders into the room, looking exhausted.

My chest jitters with a light short chuckle, which resembled more of a heavy exhale, "Here" I hand her a glass of wine, "Why don't you take that and go have a bath, I'll take care of the presents."

"As nice as that sounds, no" She sips her wine and places it on the counter, "I enjoy doing the presents and anyway, Madam isn't asleep get. She wants another bedtime story"

"Oh and you feel she doesn't deserve one?" snickering, as I clear the counter of all the vegetable ends and skins, thinking of a reason why she wouldn't be reading her one.

"Oh no, apparently my storytelling isn't adequate enough, she wants you" She bounces a brow over the glass she had returned back to her hand.

"Me?" The corner of my lips turn skywards as I tie the bag of scraps in a knot and places them in the bin.

"Uh-huh" She nods and takes my place at the counter, "And I wouldn't keep her waiting if I were you."

"As if I'd do that" Wiping my hands and taking a sip of water to swill my mouth of any blood.

"Damon?" She stops me as I'm just about to leave the room, "There is enough food here to feed the five thousand"

Chortling, I give a short but sweet reply, "It's Christmas"

*U*P* *C

"I heard him exclaim, 'ere he drove out of sight. 'Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!" My impression of Santa and the way I wriggled her nose had her giggling, before she tries and mimics me.

"You wouldn't make a vewy good Santa, Damond"

Acting shocked, I crossed my arms "And why not, little madam?"

"Because you don't have a fat belly or a beard" She's nestled in bed snuggly while I lean from the chair beside her, the soft glow from her bedside lamp gave her eyes a glistening from where they were beginning to glaze over with sleep and yet she still fought it.

Scratching my stubbled jaw, I pretend to think for a moment, "Well I could always grow a beard. Plus Santa doesn't always have a beard. When he was at Macy's it was false, so you proved" I remember it clearly, she'd gotten his cotton wool beard somehow wrapped around one of her buttons and as she got off… PING!

"Dat wasn't Santa, Damond. Dat was someone working for Santa"

"Ahh, well now you say that. It explains a lot," nodding. God she was smart.

"How does Santa go to evewy house in one night? Wouldn't the weindeers be tired?" she asks me with wide, inquisitive brown pools.

"Well…" I begin, never imagining I would ever have to have this conversation, so having nothing planned, "It's the magic of Christmas. They have had all year to sleep and get ready." I wing it.

"But Darcy Layton at school said there was no such fing as magic"

"Well I can promise you sweetheart, there is such thing as magic." I knew for certain magic was real. "Plus, you know what I like to think?" She nods, "Well I think, that Santa's magic comes from all the little children believing in him and their excitement for his visit. And of course Santa couldn't do it all without his reindeers, so they are just as important. Plus look at all the Carrots they get to eat" she giggles and squirms when I lightly tickle her tummy through her bed sheets.

With a final hum of humor, I see she has more questions, "He won't forget us right? Because I've already had a Christmas with Daddy?"

"No" Shakes my head with ferocity, "Of course not. Don't you worry, he'll be up on that roof later. But don't forget if you hear him… you have to close your eyes really tightly. He can't know you're awake. He has to sense that you are all tucked up cosy in bed for his magic to work. Can you promise me that?"

Her eager nods and smiles show that my little explanation has worked. It doesn't work so much with Elena, who when an hour or so later I am up on the roof, stamping about with bells.

"You've lost your mind" She hisses up, thankfully Gracie's room is on the back so she can't hear her mother.

I must say now not to try this at home, vampire abilities have their perks. If you're human you'll probably break your neck.

After a little while I stomp and run the length of the roof for effect and jump off the end onto the soft, wet blanket of snow that was beginning to cover the ground.

"You do realize she's probably asleep and heard none of it" Elena and her forever negativity.

"I heard her gasp, she heard." Proving her wrong with covering her already pink nose with snow. She squeals quietly and rubs it off frantically, wriggling it. I resist the urge to suck it, getting us back inside.

"You do know that from now on she is going to expect that every year" She hangs her coat up and rubs her arms as I silently close and lock the front door behind me.

"Well then… maybe I've found a family tradition I can keep to and that I'm actually good at" Sucking my bottom lip, kicking off my shoes.

"Family tradition?" She tries to hide the smile in her voice. The more I can do to prove her wrong about before, the better.

"Yeah," running my hands down the length of her arms, as she stares up at me with those doe eyes.

"So that's what we are huh?" She cocks her head towards her right shoulder, "A family?" she begins to lean into me.

"Well yeah, it's not as if I'm here for your cooking" my remark earns me a quick, sharp playful fist to the gut, triggering both of our laughter.

"Let's go to bed"

I'm not going to refuse that offer.

*U*P* *C*

Lying on our sides facing each other in our bed, she toys with the speckled hairs upon my chest. This was our bedroom, there was no official moving me in. I spent most nights with them anyway, and when she moved here… I followed and where I would stay.

"If you're not leaving, why would you need a single one way ticket?" her voice is weak as she asks, because I think she is worried about pissing me off with bringing it up again.

"I already told you. It's a present. Plus," seeing her clock on her bedside table, "it's no longer Christmas eve."

She peers over her shoulder to see I was right.

"So it isn't" she smiles with her eyes shut, the past few months of stress catching up with her.

"Merry Christmas, Damon" I end her wishes with a short kiss to her lips.

"Merry Christmas, Elena." I stroke her cheek, hypnotizing her into a serene slumber.

Timing has worked out pretty perfectly, because just twenty-five minutes after she fell into a deep sleep, my phone quietly vibrated. With silence and caution I slip from the bed, pulling on some clothes and leaving the room.

Once downstairs, I don't delay in making a beeline for the front door.

*U*P* *C*

December 25th

EPOV

A chill makes me shivers and hog the quilt, "Damon, its cold." Mumbling, still in a haze of sleep. I wanted him to cuddle me warm, but I feel no movements and no touches of warmth. I open my eyes, instinct telling me I was lonely.

"Damon?" I reach out, my eyes not adjusting just yet to the darkness, but my palm falls flat to the mattress. He wasn't there.

I'm launched up into a sitting position by dread.

"Damon?" I call out again, fumbling for the light, squinting for a moment as the light hit me.

On the clock it read 6:38am.

Where would he be at this time in the…

I didn't even get chance to finish my mental question when I see something, a rose, upon the pillow where his head should be.

No. No. No. This… NO! I mentally scream to myself as I relive history all over again. That trepidation boils up from your stomach, which latches itself upon your heart and tears it in two.

There is something attached to the stem of the rose, but I can't bear to look. If I look and feel - it will be real. It's a dream, a horrible haunting dream.

My eyes are flooded with silent tears. I grab the rose in betrayal and anger and snap and shred it, its wreckage falling into my lap as I drop my head forward, my body shaking but I seize to make any sound.

In the distance I can hear a squeal of delight. Gracie.

Oh god, it's Christmas! What on earth am I going to say to her?

Brushing the debris of Rose petals from my lap, I'm faces with the tag once again. It was a Christmas tag. Was he really that sick in the head?

Turning it over, I read:

Wipe your eyes babe, nobody should cry on Christmas. Now get your fine ass downstairs, we're waiting. X

What?

My eyes read and reread it over and over again until I make myself lightheaded, while hope begins to repair my heart.

My head snaps up as I hear a gleeful Gracie once more. Propelling myself from the bed, I pull on my dressing gown as I run, oblivious to both Gracie's and the guest bedroom door being wide open. Throwing myself to the balcony and peering over to the living room below where the tree was lit, the floor was swamped in presents. My little girl sat laughing with a… wait is that what I think it is?

Moving to the stairs I rushed closer. It was… it was a dog licking her face. Not just any dog. Thee dog, the most laid back dog you will ever meet. Too lazy to even acknowledge… Damon, never mind attempting to kill him.

"Gracie?" I call out, and her brown disarray of hair looks up.

"Mommy, Mommy, look what Santa got me!" Her delighted eyes and smile touches my heart and make me forget for the moment the confusion that keeps on clouding my mind.

Santa wasn't real… RIGHT?

My feet connect with the carpet of the solid ground of the living room, and that's when my eyes are torn from my daughter by three unsuspected figures lounging on the couch. Not one of them was Damon.

My heart was suddenly in my throat, "Jer?" I step closer, "Bonnie?!" My feet pick up pace. "Ric?!"

My baby brother stands and I throw myself into his arms, shocked, overwhelmed, elated and yes maybe still slightly confused but I'm too overjoyed.

"Merry Christmas, Elena" my chest quivers as my face burrows into my brothers neck, so astonishingly happy.

"What… what are you doing here? I thought… I thought with how far gone you are, Bonnie, you were staying home for Christmas with your mom?" Letting go of my brother for a moment, to place my hand to my head, as Bonnie anchors herself up off the sofa and places a hand on her swollen, rounded belly, but it doesn't stop me giving her an almighty hug, and she in return.

After I give Alaric a hug too, I back away so I could see all three of their faces, "We wanted to surprise you" Bonnie reveals.

"Well you did that" Still gobsmacked, "But Ric I thought you were working a Job in Vancouver? Is everything okay? Did you come to together?" My mouth was like a motor, fast with no idea when to stop.

"No, Jeremy and I drove here. Made a little stop yesterday morning on the way." Bonnie nods towards Gracie, and it clicks what she's getting at. The dog. They got the dog!

"And I flew in last night, Bonnie and Jeremy picked me up from the airport." Ric chirps up.

"You did? Oh I'm so pleased, I can't tell you how happy you're all here. I've missed you all so much and…" something registers in my mind and brings my rambling to a halt. "Wait? You… flew?" my tone falling quite flat in suspicion.

"Yeah, I flew. We didn't think I'd get a flight here so close to Christmas, but he managed it" he grins and nods over my shoulder.

He managed it. He being…

With a turn of my head, I see the most gorgeous man in the entire world, wearing a smirk that is almost as ridiculous as the Santa hat upon his head.

Swallowing sharply, my jaw clenches and my feet begin taking me in heavy footsteps towards him. I have no idea what I would do to him until I found myself stomping on his foot, grabbing the hat either side of his head, tugging it roughly down over his eyes and crushing my wet trembling mouth upon his.

Arms up around his neck, he grunts from my childish actions, there is laughter from behind but all I can do was kiss him as it settles in what he'd done. He'd done this. All of it. For me.

It wasn't the most pleasant of kisses for him I imagine because I'm a slobbering mess, but the way his arm grips me around my waist as my lips glowing with a smile.

Freeing him from the hat, I need to see his eyes; grasping his face in my hands.

"I love you." I roam his eyes with mine so he knows how much I mean it. "You're an idiot, and scarily good at sneaking, but as long as its not with another woman I don't care" He hoists me up so my legs are latched around his waist.

"Why would I ever need another woman when it's so much fun making you sweat? The only other woman in my life is four years old and covered in dog." He bites at my nose.

"It's not fun on my part, my heart broke" I whispered, "Maybe I love you too much, that I can't even think about you leaving us" I can feel the prickling of his course, short hairs peppering his jaw against my thumb.

"And maybe I love you too much too. Because I can't leave you, not your irritating mood swings, not your pain in the ass moaning, not even your lopsided nipples" He give my right breast a sneak squeeze and bites his lip to control his grin.

"You don't break a promise do you?"

"Not when I make one to you" He kisses me and settles me to my feet, still peppering sloppy kisses upon him lips until I could feel others in the room beginning to feel awkward.

Clearing my throat, "Okay enough of this! Lets open some presence!" I declare, giving his ass a cheeky pinch.

DPOV

Bowing my head slightly there is no more fighting the smile. Fuck it! I'm happy, why shouldn't I show it?

Wandering over to the tree I join everyone else, as the Christmas spirit runs high.

"Damond?" Gracie asks for my attention.

"Yes, Little E?"

"What are lopsided nipples?"

Cue death glare from Elena.

Whoops!

So there you have it, my little Christmas puddings. I do hope you enjoy it, it doesn't delve too much into their lives or future because like I said before, the conclusion is all down to you.

Please leave me a review, it is Christmas after all ;)

HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!

xxx