Everyone looked stunned as Caroline walked over to Klaus, who was talking to Elijah about him forgetting the wine, and placed a kiss on his lips. He was speechless. Everyone was speechless. She didn't much care about being the center of the attention, neither did Klaus- still holding his head in her hands, Caroline looking at him now said,"I want to be with you!" 

And upon these words Klaus now pulled her into a searing kiss.

Bonnie looked at Elena with the biggest grin on her face. There definitely was some magic going on. She was not wrong.

The doorbell rang and Kol entered with Rebekah and Stefan following.

"You haven't decorated the tree yet?!" Rebekah remarked immediataly seeing the tree bare.

"We waited for you" Bonnie said with an underlying tease in the tone helping Kol with the drinks he had brought in.

"Why are those two kissing?What have I missed?" Kol looked amazedat Klaus and Caroline, who were starry-eyed, still wrapped in the world of their own.

"They made up, obviously!" Elijah remarked as he took the plates from Elena who was taking them over to the table.

"Well, this calls for champagne already!" Kol said opening a bottle,"where are the glasses?"

"Here" Bonnie opened the cupboard passing on the flutes.

"Great" Kol went on pouring the Champagne.

"A bit of  strawberry juice to make a cocktail.  It's more christmassy." Bonnie said as dhe grabbed the carton of juice.

"Sure. Great idea. Want a job at the bar?" Kol chuckled.

"Uhm - no, thanks."

"Shame. You'd be a great cocktail mixer." Kol said.

As the Kol handed each and everyone the glasses, they all stopped for a second for a toast.

"Shall we toast to Love!" Rebekah said looking at Stefan and then at Klaus and Caroline.

"Yeah, to Love!" Caroline said taking a sip and then placing a peck on Klaus' lips.

Of course, Kol looked at Bonnie, who was taken aback for a second, but disregarded it as something significant.

Elijah sneaked a look at Elena catching her eye as she glanced at him blushing somewhat. She put the glass away announcing that soon the Christmas Eve Confetti pasta would be served.

Kol, Bonnie, Stefan and Rebekah were now busy decorating the tree. Elijah went with Elena over to the kitchenette.

"Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Yeah, these appetizers- can you take them out? Thanks."

"You managed all this?" he was amazed at how efficiant she was.

"Not really- we bought stuff and I just assembled it. Anyway- pasta- not really much, ha? I just thought of doing something quick and easy? It doesn't really look so great."

"Hey- the food is not why we are here- oh, don't get me wrong- this all looks delicious" and then he switched the subject off to Caroline and Klaus.

"I don't know what had happened - when I left her in the room, she didn't look like she would ever really consider dating again, let alone kissing him the way she did in front of everyone." Elena replied.

And then there they were. A look. Butterflies in the stomach rising- and Bonnie's voice breaking up the spell as she got in the kitchen asking for something so irrelevant beating herself up immediatelly as she saw that she broke a very important moment for both of them. Elijah took the trays with food outand Elena gave her friend a did-you-have-to-get-in-the-kitchen-now look.

"Sorry" Bonnie said in a half tone.

"It's ok" Elena said taking the other two trays out with her.

Inside, she was burning with the wish to tell him what she felt, she was sure that she wanted more, not just friendship. But it had to be put on pause as everyone now stood around the tree for Rebekah, who was unanimously chosen to turn the lights on as it meant so much to her.

"I just want to say something," Rebekah started, but Kol cut right in the middle of the sentence, "Oh, no- I 'm hungry- and I know where this will go"

"Let her talk!" Stefan interjected throwing a poignant look at Kol.

Rebekah melted seeing her man sticking up for her.

"Yes-let her"  Elijah said.

"Right, sorry, sis. Just don't do a long speech speech!" Kol said apoligizing.

"Ok- right. This has been a crazy year- for all of us. And- I live you guys- my even more crazy brothers, even this overbearing one" she looked at Kol, whosmiled a little putting a hand up as he knew this was directed to him, "my friends, never really had such good girl-friends- and," the blonde then looked at Stefan,"my wish really came true!" He smiled back at her. And they seemed to be gone in a moment to.

Flashback

Couple of hours ago as they got out of the cafe

"This was nice" Rebekah said,"thanks- ahm, I am going over to Elena's, I guess, you're invited, too?!"

"I am," Stefan replied, "uhm- Bekah-before we go there-"  he paused taking his hand out of his trouser pockets and looked at her lovingly continuing, "I was this guy with no feelings and no attachments- burnt too many times- but with you everything changed" and  then he just moved over and grabbed her by the waist and placed a kiss on her lips.

"Merry Christmas!" Rebekah exclaimed and finally pressed the lights on the tree.

"Merry Christmas!" everyone else shouted nearly in one voice.

And then Kol added, "Let's eat!"

They all moved to the table, that was just big enough to fit everyone around. For the Mikaelsons, this was the best Christmas Eve ever.

Since they were children everything was done beforehand, designer trees, best chef's dinner, presents were bought by Esther's PA. And when they grew up, they stayed out for Christmas Eve, which Mikael and Esther accepted, as long as they were there the next day for the family Christmas Day dinner. It always felt very rigid and cold. And this was all so different for them and they had the time of their lives, joking, chatting away, teasing and even bickering openly. Well, only Kol and Rebekah with Klaus and Elijah trying to keep the balance between their younger syblings. And as Elijah said earlier, they were there because with the three, plus Stefan, of them it was always fun and lively, and it was clear that their hearts would be pulled to so much more than just friendship.

All the way through dinner Elijah could not keep his eyes off the lovely Elena, who had thrown several starry eyes at him as well.

"Hey, Elena!" a voice that came from aside made her look away for a second, "they can't see us- well, not for a moment. I froze them for a second-well, you too in a way-"

"What? Eww-OMG - you are the one from my dreams" Elena looked at the women who looked exactly like her, but with extreme curles and with blue veins popping out around her eyes and fangs sticking out of  her mouth.  The woman pulled her fangs back in.

"I am real. You may not think so- but ahm- yeah- in another life- me - I was a vampire"

"What are you talking about?! What is this?!" Elena was fuming at the woman.

"It's Christmas Eve is not like any other. This is a pretty unique one. There's a supermoon out there if you hadn't noticed."

"So?" Elena said.

"This is the night when wishes actually come true."

"Really?" Elena said partly in disbelief.

"Really. But if you pull out of what your heart tells you, because you are kind of scared. I will have him in no time."

"I am not scared. I just think we are better as friends." Elena said.

"How about all those butterflies that jump in your stomach when he speaks to you, when he is near you, when he looks at you?"

"Who are you? Why are you doing this?" Elena then asked.

"I told you. I am/was a vampire. Why am I doing this? Well, if  I do one good thing- I get to go somewhere where I would get wings and cease being a selfish vampire."

Elena looked at her gone out.

"Right. I see that I have to show you what will happen if you now say to him that you don't really want to go out with him to the play tonight- I've watched you way too long doing this dance- and the whole we-are-friends-routine!"

The vampire now took Elena by the hand and they went out of the apartment and stepped into a church.

Elena saw Elijah standing at the altar holding hand with another woman with long brown hair that was not her.

"Huh," Elena exclaimed, her heart clenching,"what?"

"Yeah!" the vampire said,"So, I suggest you get that dress out you bought last month. The red one, it is Christmas after all- and - well, I really hate this- but- leave the dishes to me-"

"All right!" Elena said.

"Go now. Hurry!" the vampire said.

As by magic, or whatever you will, Elena put the dress Katherine suggested and went to the play.A few hours later she and Elijah were walking back discussing how they liked this take on Dickens' A Christmas Carol.

"I love it. It is one of the great stories"- Elena said and flinched a little bit as it was obviously very cold and she had the beautiful, but think coctail dress underneath her coat.

"I'm fine" she slipped.

"Oh, you're not-" Elijah now hailed a taxi that appeared out of nowhere and they got in. As Elijah gave him the directions, Elena took her gloves off and rubbed her numb hands.

"Here-" Elijah took Elena's hands in his and immediatelly she felt his warm hands give hers life again.

"Thanks" Elena slipped still keeping her hands in his.

"You're welcome" he slipped back. Then both them glanced at their hands not wanting to part from one another, and then their look locked saying finally the one thing their hearts already knew for a long while. They kinda smiled a little and then neared one another into such a long awaited kiss that burst like fireworks.

*
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