Summary: Set in the last scene of the S4 episode "Into The Wild." What if Damon hadn't seen the tattoo and had killed him? Will they get the cure in time for Damon?
It was a dark night in the woods, as Damon Salvatore, hurt emotionally by not wanting the cure because of not wanting to lose Elena, as well as not wanting to lose his brother to the cure, walked through the woods.728Please respect copyright.PENANAGSPun2xKIT
He stopped, senses alert, senses telling him someone was there. And not very far away, he could hear a heartbeat. Then, a moment later, he was stabbed in the side with an arrow. He groaned in pain and took it out, tossing it to the ground.728Please respect copyright.PENANAeX480OiZNk
"Really?" he said, groaning in pain.728Please respect copyright.PENANAJ61HrnUMt2
Suddenly, someone tackled him to the ground from behind. That someone put an arm around Damon's neck. Damon grabbed the arm and twisted it to that someone's side. Then he let go and rolled on top of that person, before grabbing the stranger's throat, getting them both to their feet. Then, without question, he killed him by snapping his neck.728Please respect copyright.PENANAtRNndrPhlh
After his body fell to the ground, he saw the tattoo on his hand.728Please respect copyright.PENANAb1REmi2LBf
"Oh, great," he said. "Just what I need."728Please respect copyright.PENANAAfRgSow6qc
He knew he had to get back to the others. He had killed one of The Five and he knew what would happen soon. The hallucinations would start like they had when Elena had killed Conner.728Please respect copyright.PENANAFyZROFTMYy
He started towards the direction of the camp. He wasn't feeling that great, so he didn't use his vampire speed.
Elena was worried sick, wondering where Jeremy, Bonnie, and Shane were at. So she headed towards the trees to go in search of them.728Please respect copyright.PENANA0FO5y1d8bZ
As she walked through the trees, almost to the heart of the forest of trees, she heard something and followed the sound. Someone was close by, but it wasn't human. That meant it was a vampire. She could tell, since she couldn't hear a heartbeat.728Please respect copyright.PENANAsiSLQvfYzd
When she entered the heart of the forest of trees, she saw which vampire it was; the only vampire that she was in love with. He was leaning against the bark of a tree, eyes closed. She saw blood on the side of his shirt.728Please respect copyright.PENANAoOw8wjxT23
"Damon?"728Please respect copyright.PENANANi0iGdhs61
She was instantly in front of him. She could tell something had happened and he wasn't feeling well, as she stood there and looked at him. She rested gentle hands on either side of his face.728Please respect copyright.PENANA41tDd1pnmu
"What happened?" she asked.728Please respect copyright.PENANAH8pKZ44Zqg
"I didn't see the tattoo before I killed him. He attacked me first."728Please respect copyright.PENANAMHHbAGE3mc
"What tattoo?"728Please respect copyright.PENANAJDKYUvAaX8
"One of The Five."728Please respect copyright.PENANAqQUTNxDltn
She realized what he meant and what had to be done about it.728Please respect copyright.PENANAptrPnpBNLR
"I'll get Stefan and Rebekah, but right now we have to get back."728Please respect copyright.PENANAC3J3iSp4AQ
He opened his eyes and looked at her.728Please respect copyright.PENANAZHKpOh0iWv
"It started."728Please respect copyright.PENANAND3Ej0aVQ2
"We have to get back," she told him.728Please respect copyright.PENANArY2TR19ppl
She put an arm around him and he put an arm around her shoulders. Then they started slowly heading back together.
Half an hour later, Elena had him in her tent on a sleeping back on his back.728Please respect copyright.PENANA0JAWMi4UMq
He groaned.728Please respect copyright.PENANAe3s3hg7M2z
"We'll fix this," Elena promised him. "Hang in there."728Please respect copyright.PENANAVwDToIiEhR
Elena took her phone out and called his brother.
Rebekah and Stefan were deep in the woods, when Stefan's phone rang.728Please respect copyright.PENANALKSuM34Z7Y
He sighed, seeing it was Elena.728Please respect copyright.PENANAGl9DGcliUP
"Elena."728Please respect copyright.PENANAYcnmL8JHqB
"Stefan, we have a big problem. Damon went off alone. He was attacked. He killed him before he realized that he was one of The Five. And the hallucinations are starting."728Please respect copyright.PENANAVDvcXsjQX4
"Where are you?"728Please respect copyright.PENANAjv2gv4R0oB
"In my tent with Damon."728Please respect copyright.PENANAzGEZDHxJoL
"Stay there. We'll find a potential and the others."728Please respect copyright.PENANAStbtF1tQJi
They hung up.728Please respect copyright.PENANAxsQKCR4ZsN
Stefan and Rebekah looked at one another.728Please respect copyright.PENANAfUmr80XuCq
"We best get going," Rebekah said, having overheard the conversation both ways.728Please respect copyright.PENANAY0gnih0Xgo
Rebekah and Stefan continued walking, searching for them first. They figured they could have Bonnie locate the potential. It would be so much faster.728Please respect copyright.PENANARPmc6UFm7e
Not long afterward, they found them. Shane was speaking to some guy whom had Jeremy chained with wrists and ankles chained along with his mouth duct taped.728Please respect copyright.PENANAVzMTAnnx4t
"He's a witch," Stefan said. "Any suggestions?"728Please respect copyright.PENANARldBv5mGkL
"I take Shane. You do the rest," she replied.728Please respect copyright.PENANAbBf5OskvpA
At vampire speed, they both left the shadows of the trees. Rebekah pinned Shane to the bark of a tree, hand tightly around his throat.728Please respect copyright.PENANApxsiRfYloo
"Call them off," she ordered, knowing compulsion wouldn't work.728Please respect copyright.PENANAqlCEjKX0D7
"I thought you wanted the cure."728Please respect copyright.PENANAaJmP9hSd5r
"Not at the expense of this," she replied.728Please respect copyright.PENANAwCTU38SvQA
"Fine."728Please respect copyright.PENANAMgEb0Gf9mI
He told the guy to go and Stefan and Bonnie helped Jeremy. Then she let go and left Shane alone.
Once at camp, Stefan headed for Elena's tent to see how everything was going. He had Bonnie doing a locater spell, while Jeremy stood at the entrance and Rebekah walked inside.728Please respect copyright.PENANAdBKyBcbVAn
"I heard," Jeremy told his sister.728Please respect copyright.PENANAMjsq5nzFqv
Elena looked at him.728Please respect copyright.PENANAeFAKCylkOl
"Are you okay?"728Please respect copyright.PENANAbhfDRUNkvH
"I'm fine."728Please respect copyright.PENANAAo1pzpxZOM
She sighed in relief.728Please respect copyright.PENANAur6ch1OEqc
Her gaze went to Rebekah.728Please respect copyright.PENANA3tAwpRYcHJ
"Thank you."728Please respect copyright.PENANAqODtTp8Rvk
"I didn't do much. I just told Shane to stop it."728Please respect copyright.PENANABXS6qFNUNM
"Shane?"728Please respect copyright.PENANAnk5juMuOgU
"Yeah. He was about to do something. I don't know what."728Please respect copyright.PENANAc5bEwx54Cp
She watched the Original walk away.728Please respect copyright.PENANAcJd90sLpZm
"A massacre. He brought us here to do the third massacre. He told me earlier before you walked in on us. I was going to find out how to stop him," Damon informed Elena.728Please respect copyright.PENANAQfuGD9R4vp
Jeremy left.728Please respect copyright.PENANAerkKX3zOIB
Elena looked down at him.728Please respect copyright.PENANAV6gkD9TQOp
"A massacre?"728Please respect copyright.PENANAeaEqJiYvL2
"He said he needs three massacres before he can raise Silas."728Please respect copyright.PENANAY9DaoOVYsH
Rebekah and Stefan watched Bonnie do a spell to locate the potential.728Please respect copyright.PENANAs2669G1c8O
Soon after, they found the potential close by, had him kill a vampire that would start the mark, and Damon was back to himself.