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.537Please respect copyright.PENANAi801g3R6DV
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.537Please respect copyright.PENANAK4iAusj6pE
"Really?" he said, groaning in pain.537Please respect copyright.PENANAsVaB554vgr
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.537Please respect copyright.PENANAhQ3ApVkb1X
After his body fell to the ground, he saw the tattoo on his hand.537Please respect copyright.PENANAyIjFOsj1z5
"Oh, great," he said. "Just what I need."537Please respect copyright.PENANAUt4FQmmog1
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.537Please respect copyright.PENANADoiDVjllgb
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.537Please respect copyright.PENANAMiU2iTkCEv
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.537Please respect copyright.PENANABghNArvRJy
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.537Please respect copyright.PENANA1GaIBJTamW
"Damon?"537Please respect copyright.PENANAq5gZosVrgI
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.537Please respect copyright.PENANAKjZn6ihOCS
"What happened?" she asked.537Please respect copyright.PENANA5YwyICuUYq
"I didn't see the tattoo before I killed him. He attacked me first."537Please respect copyright.PENANA9zDJed8gNP
"What tattoo?"537Please respect copyright.PENANAEztsLa60Ww
"One of The Five."537Please respect copyright.PENANA2CIrObkP0l
She realized what he meant and what had to be done about it.537Please respect copyright.PENANA0qATNWqYSN
"I'll get Stefan and Rebekah, but right now we have to get back."537Please respect copyright.PENANAeEW6edOsOg
He opened his eyes and looked at her.537Please respect copyright.PENANAcWuN1DMKhV
"It started."537Please respect copyright.PENANA6X6h24kdVd
"We have to get back," she told him.537Please respect copyright.PENANAUEWpwPo2dH
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.537Please respect copyright.PENANAaGZ0Z1zcPr
He groaned.537Please respect copyright.PENANA9ZHRUwaU0c
"We'll fix this," Elena promised him. "Hang in there."537Please respect copyright.PENANAFMLMWKQqHY
Elena took her phone out and called his brother.
Rebekah and Stefan were deep in the woods, when Stefan's phone rang.537Please respect copyright.PENANAWhKs5gWJzw
He sighed, seeing it was Elena.537Please respect copyright.PENANASnmxojH0gL
"Elena."537Please respect copyright.PENANADQCI8rjsEZ
"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."537Please respect copyright.PENANAGnEP6lOWun
"Where are you?"537Please respect copyright.PENANAt4Qn6pNvRS
"In my tent with Damon."537Please respect copyright.PENANAyG4y2RAXu0
"Stay there. We'll find a potential and the others."537Please respect copyright.PENANA6gVqPVrzVn
They hung up.537Please respect copyright.PENANAmbhBF9czbm
Stefan and Rebekah looked at one another.537Please respect copyright.PENANARqzLO7wt21
"We best get going," Rebekah said, having overheard the conversation both ways.537Please respect copyright.PENANAiBUw7p01cp
Rebekah and Stefan continued walking, searching for them first. They figured they could have Bonnie locate the potential. It would be so much faster.537Please respect copyright.PENANAWQvyETGBu9
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.537Please respect copyright.PENANAQAYtCOgfNW
"He's a witch," Stefan said. "Any suggestions?"537Please respect copyright.PENANALhBYTGFEqN
"I take Shane. You do the rest," she replied.537Please respect copyright.PENANARG6LhSx995
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.537Please respect copyright.PENANATBI4J2XTpn
"Call them off," she ordered, knowing compulsion wouldn't work.537Please respect copyright.PENANAe2ReK4KAwK
"I thought you wanted the cure."537Please respect copyright.PENANAvNqpNJScV6
"Not at the expense of this," she replied.537Please respect copyright.PENANAmIm0ufGVOc
"Fine."537Please respect copyright.PENANAQ6zYuQwmvE
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.537Please respect copyright.PENANAwPNI6epk3J
"I heard," Jeremy told his sister.537Please respect copyright.PENANA7nMkCx6Zqw
Elena looked at him.537Please respect copyright.PENANAf4vntqYydx
"Are you okay?"537Please respect copyright.PENANAFG7cjRKM7B
"I'm fine."537Please respect copyright.PENANAlswxbr74Xx
She sighed in relief.537Please respect copyright.PENANA03WYKRFOw5
Her gaze went to Rebekah.537Please respect copyright.PENANAuVDgGJv60X
"Thank you."537Please respect copyright.PENANA9rfz7IHgzT
"I didn't do much. I just told Shane to stop it."537Please respect copyright.PENANAuLFzPtDeXf
"Shane?"537Please respect copyright.PENANANudB59fpfF
"Yeah. He was about to do something. I don't know what."537Please respect copyright.PENANAaafiguX8Mw
She watched the Original walk away.537Please respect copyright.PENANAi4juqhn6aO
"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.537Please respect copyright.PENANAPBL5aYCXTM
Jeremy left.537Please respect copyright.PENANAi8bcwbNSEh
Elena looked down at him.537Please respect copyright.PENANArjv7dDsfDa
"A massacre?"537Please respect copyright.PENANADENwaydSA9
"He said he needs three massacres before he can raise Silas."537Please respect copyright.PENANAIwpL3dPJnl
Rebekah and Stefan watched Bonnie do a spell to locate the potential.537Please respect copyright.PENANAm30rJmXxB9
Soon after, they found the potential close by, had him kill a vampire that would start the mark, and Damon was back to himself.