Remember how I said I'd re-written chapter 13 about a thousand times? I wasn't lying... This was the first go, but I abandoned this version because, as you'll understand once you read it, there really isn't a feasible way out. The only elements I really like were how it portrayed Lukas. I wasn't able to recover the traits this version would have given him, I'm afraid, but enjoy the fluff regardless. I'll post another version in a few days or so.

BTW, this is just as Tyler's meeting Thea and Damon to go hunting for the vampire. And, no, I haven't really proof-read it, but, to all you grammar Nazi's out there - have fun, lol

Chapter 13 - Outtake version 1

"Hey, thanks for this," I said sincerely, "I hate to put you on the spot, but… we don't really have another option." He nodded stiffly, his eyes darting uncomfortably from me to the ground and back.

"So, when are we doing this?" he asked quietly.

"No use in waiting." I shrugged, "We may not even see him today." Time seemed to freeze. Panic and rage stormed through both Damon and Tyler at the same time, but neither could react quickly enough. Suddenly, I realized that even this was part of his plan.

"Hello, Little Bird." I felt the gust of wind as a blue sped around me and tackled Damon. I heard a crack and felt agony flood through his neck. Tyler's eyes burned gold, but, with a hard punch to his temple, he, too, crumpled.

Black eyes. I could feel his hunger, his exhilaration. There was no threat now. Damon's weak thoughts begged me to run, but I couldn't… I couldn't leave them. With a desperate shout, I flung myself at him, buffeting with wing and fist alike as my mother had done. He toyed with me a moment, laughing, before catching the crest of my left wing in his hand. Dread. Oh, god… I didn't hear my scream. I didn't hear the sickening crack. I merely felt the gut churning fracturing of the bone splintered in his grasp. Crimson splattered over his hand. I barely noticed the drops fly to his face; didn't see his tongue lap lustfully as the tiny red drops.

Crushed. Couldn't breathe. My legs collapsed. I could feel the shattered bones grind against each other, the hot blood soaking the feathers. It was crushed. The far half of the wing bent unnaturally forward. I didn't feel his fangs tear into my neck. I didn't feel the cold steal over my body as he drank greedily. I noticed him force his torn wrist to my mouth only because I choked as the sickly sweet, think fluid assaulted my throat.

I struggled desperately; futile. Couldn't escape. Hot agony bathed my left wing, radiated through my entire left side. Crippled me. My arm wouldn't move. My lungs couldn't fill. Black. Everything was growing black. He'd planned all of this.

Gasping, I shot up; skin slick with cold sweat. Someone quickly tried to ease me back, but I couldn't understand the muffled words. Only pain. I think I was screaming; a clawed hand reaching desperately for the agonizing limb. With a whimper, I curled onto my side. Vaguely, I heard someone shout for a doctor, and I knew this should have startled me, but I couldn't bring myself to care.

"Help her!" the voice ordered.

"We can't risk giving her anymore!" someone else replaced, fear tinting their voice. Too much and her heart could stop!" A tiny spasm. Again I screamed.

"Give. Her. More." The order was given in a voice so cold, I couldn't help but flinch. Something cold crept up my arm. Panicked, I clawed at the foreign feeling, but was helpless to stop it. Murmurs. Quiet and slow. I found myself actively trying to still my flailing body to hear him.

"Easy." Muted. "Just give it time to hit." Sluggish. "It's going to get better soon." All I could hear was the crunch of shattering bone. My neck; his neck… Damon! "It's alright," I started as I realized his arms cradled me against him, hand smoothing back my damp hair. "I'm right here." Instantly, I remember everything through his eyes: the sudden presence of the other vampire, the bones in his neck separating just as he tried to react, blind, but just able to hear Tyler's body hit the ground. And my scream. Through his ears, I heard my scream, cut off by a choked heave. For mere seconds I had struggled. And then all was still. Minutes later, Steffen's voice broke the silence. I didn't want to think about the scene the younger brother had returned home to.

Still shaking, I tried to glance back at my wing; just that tiny pull on the muscles in my neck sent fresh pain surging through the limb. White. I could just glimpse white bandaged covering the wing and wrapping it flush against my body. A sob shook through me.

"It'll heal." Damon assured me. When I didn't respond, he guided y gaze toward his; away from the ruined limb. "Thea," he called, voice near breaking, "It'll heal." Shaking my head, I turned into him; hiding in his embrace. But I couldn't rid the image of my mind. Effortless. He had merely closed his hand; willed it.

My hearted stopped. I could feel him. Damon called me, but I couldn't respond. I could feel the vampire. I could hear the laughter that reached his ears. I could smell the pine and dirt… and blood. And I knew there were six: two males, four females. I could smell the beer emanating from their camp and hear the crackling of an oversized fire. I could even smell the eager lust settling over them. And I knew they were about to die. Oh god. All of them. He was going to kill all of them. Panic. Had to help. Please help them!

I screamed as they screamed. I fought as they fought. I tasted their blood coat his tongue. I felt their terror, their desperation as they ran. And he laughed. How long? Fifteen minutes? Twenty? He could have finished it in seconds. He could have made it last for hours. This hunt didn't matter. The blood he stole wasn't even a matter of sport. He just wanted me to know. He wanted us to know… he bonded himself to me.

My body heaved at the though. Damon froze. Fear. Pure, unadulterated fear flooded him. The vampire had won. If he knew how to use a familiar's power… he'd already won.

For days, we sat in terror. The silence seemed more unnerving than his present. Bonnie had been released and come straight to us, but could do nothing without the other vampire present. And then she gave us a warning.

"If you both try to access that power, if two vampires try to use that link… it'll kill you." I wanted to stick my fingers in my ears and pretend she'd simply left. I wanted to somehow remove that knowledge from Damon's mind. As the days wore on and it got harder to move, to breathe, I wanted to pretend it had nothing to do with vampires and werewolves and wings. The guilt tormented Damon night and day.

"Familiars aren't meant to have more than one link." She continued, "And, even then, it can weaken them." She'd paused briefly, not wanting to state the simple, terrifying fact, "You have three." I wanted to pretend nothing was wrong; that my body was merely healing. But we both knew the truth. I was weak. Impossibly, agonizingly weak. Just standing left me gasping. In less than a week, I couldn't even hold a cup of water to my lips.

I'd never seen Damon so frantic. Based on Steffen's ever darkening expression, neigther had he. I was sure the floor was starting to wear from his pacing. His phone seemed to be constantly ringing. Various people flowed through the manor like water. But Damon was never gone for more than a few minutes at a time. I knew what he feared most; the image constantly flashing through him mind: still; diaphragm finally too weak to even draw breath into my lungs. I wouldn't let that happen. With a chill, I knew neither would the vampire. He was just waiting.

He didn't want me to know that. Was he getting sloppy in his anticipation? Or had he underestimated the strength of a familiar? Confidence. Dread. Confident because he had underestimated us. Dread because we were falling straight into his hands. With my body weakening, Damon refused to feed from me. The strain of which had long since begun to show. I was worthless in a fight and Damon not far behind. He had to feed. Regardless what it did to me, he had to feed.

No. He responded absolutely. I ached with guilt before the thought had finished, but couldn't stop it.

Then you sentence us both to death. He visibly faltered at the simple, painful truth of it. I said nothing more, merely remembered what I had felt from the vampire.

Thea. He struggled, torn.

I know.

What if-

I know.

I can't lose you. I sighed deeply, trying to force back the ball in my throat.

Then you have to trust me. I begged. His jaw clenched and, for a long while, he said nothing. But, finally, he agreed. Steffen had noticed a change in him, but Damon dismissed it.

I didn't know who else crowded the manor, offering suggestions and comparing strategy. As I grew worse, Damon had withdrawn, so Alaric had taken charge. I knew he had exhausted all long-due favors and we seemed no better off. But they kept trying. I didn't know what they were looking for, but, somehow, I knew they would fail; knew that it would come down to Damon and myself alone against the one whom we still hadn't names, the one who seemed to know everything about us. Who came from the darkness and, effortlessly, tore out lives apart.

It was maybe three hours before Damon returned to the room for the night. I had fallen asleep shortly after convincing him to feed. The drugs he had to help my wing heal and numb the pain kept me in a near comatose state on their own. It was difficult to tell time or direction or up or down. If not for Damon, I'd be completely incoherent.

"You're not strong enough for this." He said resolutely, desperately, almost begging me not to press, to just go back to sleep and hope the other found some resolution. I weakly shook my head and his heart dropped. I saw myself through his eyes: impossibly pale, eyes dark, just barely alive.

"Drink." I ordered, trying, failing, to use a joking tone. He collapsed onto the bed beside me and gathered my limp body in his arms.

"Thea," he started, voice breaking. My arms wrapped around him.

It'll get worse before it gets better, but the only way to fix this, the only way we survive, is to beat him. I offered a small smile. And the only change we have at that is you. Without giving him time to argue, I exposed my neck to him. The hunger immediately darkened his eyes and his hearted shuddered, but he didn't move. I could see his muscles tremble, see his control begging to falter.

"I'll be okay." A new fear consumed him.

"What if I can't stop?" I merely smiled and rolled my eyes. His jaw tensed. "I haven't fed in… a while. Thea, I might…"

"Damon." I called, voice stronger than I should have been capable of. "Come here." Almost against his will, his body obeyed me.