I'm a Gilbert-Petrova [5]

days of future past

Nobody POV
Dallas Texas 2016
Stefan bound to a chair at Caroline's news station while Rayna and Damon (who is still weak and woozy from the werewolf venom he was shot up with and is slumped over the news anchor's desk) try to convince him to take Rayna's deal

"Sun's coming up, Stefan. Make your choice" she said

"It's a pretty big deal, you know? Me offering to take this scar from you? But, hey, I've been on the bench for quite a while, and you look pretty tired. So, let me tap in and give you a breather! Hashtag "you're welcome." Are hashtags still a thing? I don't know, it's been three years..." Damon said

"Say yes, Stefan. You can stop running. You'll get your life back" she said

"All it's gonna take is one itty-bitty transfer spell. Any more suspense, I might pass out, little brother. Of course, I might pass out anyway" Damon said

Stefan sighs "Phone's in my pocket. Valerie can do the spell" he said

"Hallelujah, he's seen the light. Now, I'm just gonna loosen these love-knots a little bit, just to get his phone" Damon said

Rayna aims her gun at him as he does as he said "Make sure he behaves" she said

Damon's hands sizzle as he loosens Stefan's restraints

"You okay?" Stefan asked

"Brother, I'm so full of werewolf toxin, I can't even feel my face. A little vervain's not gonna hurt me now" Damon said

Damon and Stefan share a significant look before they each nod at the other. Just then, Stefan breaks through his ropes before shoving Damon across the room, where he hits Rayna and causes them both to fall in a heap on the floor. Rayna accidentally shoots her gun, which hits one of the windows and shatters. Stefan then takes Rayna's sword and vamp-speeds away with it while Damon takes a piece of broken glass and cuts Rayna on the back with it before grabbing a nearby power cord and wrapping it around her neck, squeezing it tightly

She gasps "If you kill me, you kill anyone I've marked with my sword. That includes your brother" she said

"Don't worry about Stefan. I'm just giving him a head-start" he said

He tries to use the cord to put her in a sleeper-hold to knock her out, but she manages to pick up her gun and shoot him with another werewolf-venom-laced bullet, causing causing them both to pass out on the floor

******************
Flashback Salvatore boarding house three years ago
Valerie is sitting on the couch in the parlor, looking at something on her phone, when she sees Stefan coming into the room with a packed duffle bag

"See? Now I'm in St. Petersburg! Red pin, I'm in Malaysia. Red pin... Oh, dear. I've landed in the ocean" she said

He chuckles as he grabs a bottle of bourbon from the liquor cabinet

"They do sell liquor elsewhere, you know. It's best to travel light" she said

"Yeah, but... it's my favorite kind. I'm wondering how many more of these I can have, now that I'm on a time limit..." he said

"No time limits here. The night is young, my friend" she said

"I'm not talking about tonight. I did the math. Rayna Cruz won't live forever, therefore neither will I. So, tick-tock" he said

"And you've found mortality doesn't trouble you?" she asked

"No, actually. Funny thing is, it makes me feel human again, like every minute counts" he said