"Ugh I feel like I'm on Survivor or something," Caroline complained as they trudged further and further into the woods.
Damon stage whispered to Caroline, "Wanna form an alliance? We can vote Steffy off at the next tribal council"
"Now is not the time," Stefan said seriously.
"Don't take offense, little bro," Damon joked as he ruffled Stefan's hair jovially, "but you are," he paused for dramatic effect, "the weakest link."
"Wrong show, dick," Jeremy said walking backwards to better join in the conversation.
Damon made a buzzing noise before schooling his features into a mock serious face, "We were looking for 'asshole' not 'dick,' I'm sorry Little Gilbert but you will not be America's Next Top Model."
"And I suppose you think it would be you, don't you?" Rebekah said.
"Don't worry, Barbie Klaus, I know you think I'm gorgeous and you're only rude to me to hide your feelings. If that's what you need to fix your broken heart... Ow!" He shouted, massaging his ribs where Elena had elbowed him only moments before. "That actually hurts now that you're a vampire."
"It's kind of funny if you think about it," Matt said. "You've had sex with every girl here" he paused, "Actually, you've had sex with pretty much every girl I know..."
Awkward did not even begin to describe the mood as everyone shifted around and refrained from meeting each other's eyes. Now that Matt had pointed it out, it was a little disturbing to see how many different pairings had been forged amongst members of the group.
"We really are an incestuous little group, aren't we," Damon said merrily.
"Speak for yourself, manwhore. I never slept with you," Bonnie said over her shoulder.
"Not for lack of trying. If I had a dollar for every time you've hit on this hot body-"
"You'd have even less money than you have class, and that's saying something."
"Damn, she showed you," Tyler said as the rest of the group laughed.
"Stop" Bonnie said stopping so suddenly that Jeremy ran into her with a loud "oomph" "Do you hear that?"
"Hear what?" Damon said, body instantly tensing, senses on high alert.
"The whispering. You guys can't hear it?" Bonnie asked the surrounding vampires.
"Nothing," Elena said, straining her new senses as far as they could go.
"Jeremy, let me see the map," Bonnie said suddenly tense. Jeremy stepped forward so Bonnie could better look at the markings covering his body as the vampires looked around nervously. Seemingly without conscious thought, Rebekah positioned herself in front of Matt, the lone human, to protect him from whatever unknown entities were waiting for them.
"Well that can't be right," Bonnie muttered to herself, gazing at Jeremy's body with a bemused expression on her face.
"Wanna share, witchy?" Damon said testily.
"According to the map, we're here," Bonnie said, looking around.
"Where's 'here'?" Stefan asked looking around as though the answer to his question would be magically revealed to him.
"The cure," Bonnie replied simply.
"But we're in the middle of the forest. There's nothing here," Elena said with a hint of panic creeping into her voice. Damon reached over and gently squeezed her shoulders in a show of solidarity.
"What does this mean?" Rebekah asked sharply. "Is the map wrong? Did someone already get the cure? Is it a myth?" By the time she finished there were tears in her eyes and desperation in her voice. Surprisingly, Matt reached for her hand before giving it a simple, quick squeeze and letting it go with a sad smile on his face.
"No, it has to be here," Jeremy said forcefully. "If it wasn't the map wouldn't have led us here and Bonnie wouldn't be able to hear those voices. Bonnie, what's the cure supposed to be?"
"Uh…" Bonnie started hesitantly.
"Oh great," Damon mumbled. "Ok troops, spread out and look around."
"Look for what?" Tyler asked.
"I don't know, Wolf-boy. Anything. Anything that seems out of place or like it doesn't belong in the middle of this forest. Rub the two brain cells you have together and use some common sense."
Tyler shot Damon a filthy look before spreading out with Caroline to search the nearby area while the rest of the group did the same. Barely a minute had passed before Matt's voice sounded from somewhere in the tears.
"I think… I mean… I don't know but I think I found it," Matt said with hesitant joy.
Stefan was the first one to reach Matt who was standing bent over a single blood red rose.
"Do you think this is it?" Matt looked up questioning Stefan with his eyes.
"I don't know," Stefan said in awe, looking down at the delicate thing that could change the course of his future. As if drawn by an invisible force, he reached out carefully to touch one of the petals before drawing his hand back in with a yelp of pain and the smell of singed flesh.
"Well, I'd say there's something not normal about that flower," Damon quipped as he walked up behind Stefan. "What's say we let the adults handle this one, huh Stef? Witchy, your services are needed."
Bonnie reached out for the flower with trembling hands. When her hand brushed along the petals, everyone let out a collective breath of relief that she was able to touch it.
"So… now that we found it, what are we supposed to do with it?" Caroline voiced.
Everyone's eyes shot around to each other noticing that everyone else seemed to be at a loss too. They had focused so hard on finding the cure that they had never thought passed that moment. They now realized with a sickening feeling that though they had the cure, they still had no idea how it worked or what to do with it.
"Well fuck me," Damon muttered in frustration.
"I don't know what you're so upset about," Stefan spat out bitterly. "You never wanted the cure in the first place. You love being this monster. And you love that Elena is sired to you. And you love that I'm miserable. Don't act like you care, Damon. Don't act like you know what it's like for those of us with a conscience and a heart."
Elena rushed between the two of them in an attempt to stop the fight she could tell was coming from the clenching of Stefan's fists to the twitching of Damon's jaw.
"Go ahead, Stefan," Damon said with ice in his voice. "Say all the things you've been dying to say about how miserable I've made your life. Keep complaining about all I've took from you. Keep pretending to be the saint. The good brother," he spat angrily. "Just remember, she. Chose. Me."
"No! She chose me that night. ME! The only reason she wants your pathetic ass is because she is sired to you. Do you think she would have wanted you otherwise? No. Without out that bond, all she feels for you is pity. How does that feel, brother? The closest thing you ever get to true love is true pity. I feel sorry for you. Because we both know that SHE CHOSE ME," he finished with a scream of rage.
Before Damon could react, there was a sickening snap followed by Stefan's body hitting the ground. Rebekah stood over him before looking at Elena, "Good God, do you have an magic vagina or something? How on earth do you get all these men to go absolutely crazy over you?"
Elena ignored her and turned to catch the utter pain that shone brightly in his eyes. She knew better than anyone the kind of insecurities Damon had about their relationship and she knew that Stefan's words had ripped open the sensitive flesh of those insecurities. Before she could say anything, however, Jeremy's gasp caused all eyes to turn to him.
"Something's happening to Bonnie," he whispered as he looked deep into Bonnie's completely white eyes. Her body went rigid as her lips began to move furiously. Her eyes shifted abruptly to pure black before returning quickly to white, then back to her normal brown.
"I know how to use the cure," she said.