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.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡenLbjJ5h3t
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.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDJpmflomYa
"Really?" he said, groaning in pain.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Qbng1ZkD7
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.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsntXIJTQHQ
After his body fell to the ground, he saw the tattoo on his hand.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj9qsCPM4to
"Oh, great," he said. "Just what I need."628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwHtpN2kaNS
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.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzr9d9d2FRo
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.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIH5f2641zp
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.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCROEru21o9
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.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5WvyoU7B9V
"Damon?"628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpuesstddjC
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.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFF5XHoPB6J
"What happened?" she asked.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEopyhCOg1o
"I didn't see the tattoo before I killed him. He attacked me first."628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTf3MUQMRGB
"What tattoo?"628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVvLBod2fHA
"One of The Five."628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZxb2uv0Fkh
She realized what he meant and what had to be done about it.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1IhS47jj5
"I'll get Stefan and Rebekah, but right now we have to get back."628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2dwEeO7y6k
He opened his eyes and looked at her.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo03sdv3Fix
"It started."628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH4rAz9xlrR
"We have to get back," she told him.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM9F5suEIod
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.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAPoyxCRzoI
He groaned.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDkXixSW2f
"We'll fix this," Elena promised him. "Hang in there."628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0LRGFk9ytY
Elena took her phone out and called his brother.
Rebekah and Stefan were deep in the woods, when Stefan's phone rang.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsx8YfpYgbW
He sighed, seeing it was Elena.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV6ryHPRNSj
"Elena."628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuEMk8wzOo8
"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."628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLRLd84yp48
"Where are you?"628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpoQkhf30BI
"In my tent with Damon."628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMypoFOzlWp
"Stay there. We'll find a potential and the others."628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpI9ygJm0CJ
They hung up.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiZJL8lAtZf
Stefan and Rebekah looked at one another.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJinYsIm9PX
"We best get going," Rebekah said, having overheard the conversation both ways.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZQ38NJSwo6
Rebekah and Stefan continued walking, searching for them first. They figured they could have Bonnie locate the potential. It would be so much faster.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1JckGn0WIr
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.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ80tlPFczgf
"He's a witch," Stefan said. "Any suggestions?"628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf68cQL4NVv
"I take Shane. You do the rest," she replied.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA2EnuwiwNp
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.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFa0Yu9C4Rd
"Call them off," she ordered, knowing compulsion wouldn't work.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb97bLiVFeT
"I thought you wanted the cure."628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc7xubJqNVs
"Not at the expense of this," she replied.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnvDjaFmNd6
"Fine."628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSLq2SHgZAJ
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.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9wKjHgoQG
"I heard," Jeremy told his sister.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0K0CbggRwp
Elena looked at him.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUBPK7qj4eb
"Are you okay?"628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDTKikBglDU
"I'm fine."628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ2qB3u2Xrm
She sighed in relief.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr1HaROARNK
Her gaze went to Rebekah.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1mupckQGrC
"Thank you."628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBEReXI58f
"I didn't do much. I just told Shane to stop it."628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ177sBGsGZf
"Shane?"628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡljk8ZBzbN1
"Yeah. He was about to do something. I don't know what."628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf1FMK88zrU
She watched the Original walk away.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7QtxMndnYS
"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.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnXQSo1NKnp
Jeremy left.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVx8O3vgsZI
Elena looked down at him.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Opb8yLvE3
"A massacre?"628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9bAjo3Ixnu
"He said he needs three massacres before he can raise Silas."628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMvwVYjGIy8
Rebekah and Stefan watched Bonnie do a spell to locate the potential.628Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs7y3V3s6Wm
Soon after, they found the potential close by, had him kill a vampire that would start the mark, and Damon was back to himself.
