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.668Please respect copyright.PENANAAzlK5oyzJp
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.668Please respect copyright.PENANAajKTb926t2
"Really?" he said, groaning in pain.668Please respect copyright.PENANAL2FGYfsNHa
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.668Please respect copyright.PENANALNLnIfKjpL
After his body fell to the ground, he saw the tattoo on his hand.668Please respect copyright.PENANAsRmc3eUkve
"Oh, great," he said. "Just what I need."668Please respect copyright.PENANAD0z9CsRFne
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.668Please respect copyright.PENANAeVDcI6Ly4Z
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.668Please respect copyright.PENANABz1DpNcvMc
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.668Please respect copyright.PENANANq0tqzz1cC
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.668Please respect copyright.PENANAPVtyoqEExS
"Damon?"668Please respect copyright.PENANA97wx7tev97
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.668Please respect copyright.PENANA7Tj7xYg9xB
"What happened?" she asked.668Please respect copyright.PENANAoZzMwfnD3W
"I didn't see the tattoo before I killed him. He attacked me first."668Please respect copyright.PENANAwAylOtkDyD
"What tattoo?"668Please respect copyright.PENANANJnCF2jZcf
"One of The Five."668Please respect copyright.PENANACJuiZjx9Fe
She realized what he meant and what had to be done about it.668Please respect copyright.PENANAD8Qz1ZB2o5
"I'll get Stefan and Rebekah, but right now we have to get back."668Please respect copyright.PENANAixThd4qNR8
He opened his eyes and looked at her.668Please respect copyright.PENANA8DpVZeJjsP
"It started."668Please respect copyright.PENANAA8ooBhUILd
"We have to get back," she told him.668Please respect copyright.PENANAxylrPAtdTa
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.668Please respect copyright.PENANAnO4DM8AIr0
He groaned.668Please respect copyright.PENANA8DsMDOojdT
"We'll fix this," Elena promised him. "Hang in there."668Please respect copyright.PENANAabbUFMy2xK
Elena took her phone out and called his brother.
Rebekah and Stefan were deep in the woods, when Stefan's phone rang.668Please respect copyright.PENANA8L0aKzGu1c
He sighed, seeing it was Elena.668Please respect copyright.PENANAMEqdJShZEJ
"Elena."668Please respect copyright.PENANAwjcQ26tySp
"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."668Please respect copyright.PENANA0bwR6G8mcR
"Where are you?"668Please respect copyright.PENANAILI2neiWqP
"In my tent with Damon."668Please respect copyright.PENANAJvdNuUqOtU
"Stay there. We'll find a potential and the others."668Please respect copyright.PENANAxvjhav3B5u
They hung up.668Please respect copyright.PENANAKdEDACgCuE
Stefan and Rebekah looked at one another.668Please respect copyright.PENANAjnHuOmbdhp
"We best get going," Rebekah said, having overheard the conversation both ways.668Please respect copyright.PENANAsRqnXliMFi
Rebekah and Stefan continued walking, searching for them first. They figured they could have Bonnie locate the potential. It would be so much faster.668Please respect copyright.PENANAklNrHNCFPU
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.668Please respect copyright.PENANAjq52I6gDsK
"He's a witch," Stefan said. "Any suggestions?"668Please respect copyright.PENANA9OE5hkhYLT
"I take Shane. You do the rest," she replied.668Please respect copyright.PENANA9tZvJiBnWw
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.668Please respect copyright.PENANAIdf8qBciZY
"Call them off," she ordered, knowing compulsion wouldn't work.668Please respect copyright.PENANAJFqwzuf8nU
"I thought you wanted the cure."668Please respect copyright.PENANAmb6Wi4CZDf
"Not at the expense of this," she replied.668Please respect copyright.PENANAX2MNKp6qsc
"Fine."668Please respect copyright.PENANAod7VIQ1MhD
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.668Please respect copyright.PENANARffu34CONE
"I heard," Jeremy told his sister.668Please respect copyright.PENANA3Kt5jb2udH
Elena looked at him.668Please respect copyright.PENANAd82qhXSTUR
"Are you okay?"668Please respect copyright.PENANA1RBcCTDatn
"I'm fine."668Please respect copyright.PENANAGecgWfkfpN
She sighed in relief.668Please respect copyright.PENANAD7Y2Q3DlWJ
Her gaze went to Rebekah.668Please respect copyright.PENANABmp987iRQY
"Thank you."668Please respect copyright.PENANAdzAcM6K0IK
"I didn't do much. I just told Shane to stop it."668Please respect copyright.PENANACFVnVrEJr4
"Shane?"668Please respect copyright.PENANAt08r9PLXBj
"Yeah. He was about to do something. I don't know what."668Please respect copyright.PENANAsCpOGjfkow
She watched the Original walk away.668Please respect copyright.PENANAGLRb71ZJoE
"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.668Please respect copyright.PENANAAInnbRfKU6
Jeremy left.668Please respect copyright.PENANAsPtvI5brP9
Elena looked down at him.668Please respect copyright.PENANAmD8wUd2p8E
"A massacre?"668Please respect copyright.PENANAPTl6jjZ0RA
"He said he needs three massacres before he can raise Silas."668Please respect copyright.PENANAr4q3Dw3QNJ
Rebekah and Stefan watched Bonnie do a spell to locate the potential.668Please respect copyright.PENANAJYuu2BEpc9
Soon after, they found the potential close by, had him kill a vampire that would start the mark, and Damon was back to himself.