Originally posted this on Tumblr way back when; before the auction date came out actually. Ah, the coincidences.

At Your Mercy
[1] The Auction

"A charity auction?" Jane asked, tilting her head in confusion. "Since when do we do charities?" This was certainly news for her.

"Every now and then," Addison answered with a roll of her eyes. "Whenever the university needs good publicity, I mean. The more popular it is, the more money it gets."

She snickered. "Makes sense. So what are the details for this auction again?" Jane didn't even know there was one coming up; showed how much she knew about university events. The university needed to hand out flyers or something; not everything could be passed around successfully just by word of mouth.

"Well, all our professors are participating," Addison elaborated, "along with some volunteer celebrities. You bid for a specific person and if you win, you get them for a week. It's in time for the break too." She eyed her friend, "Don't you ever listen to our dean's announcements?"

Jane shrugged. "If he announced this last week, I was half-asleep. I spent the entire night before writing Hunt's essay. You said a week?"

"Yup," the blonde answered with a nod. "They're supposed to be your "slave" for a week; there are boundaries, of course. Really, the whole point of this is to allow students to shadow a professional but since the students are paying money... servitude sounds more attractive. Can you imagine winning Professor Hunt? He'll have so much information and advice to impart on you."

She scratched her chin thoughtfully, an idea taking hold. "How popular do you think Hunt will be?"

Addison blinked in surprise. "Wait, you're actually thinking about going after Professor Hunt? I thought you two didn't like each other!"

"We don't," she answered simply. "But are you kidding me? Of course I'm going after him. After what he's put me through these past couple of months? When I win him—because I will—I'm going to make him cry."

Since they've first met, Addison knew that there was something special about Jane. She was assertive, optimistic, and usually level-headed but this was the first time, she suspected that Jane may be, in fact, evil. "Where are you going to get your money?" she asked. "I doubt your benefactor—no matter how generous he is—will give you money so you can humiliate a professor."

"I'm not going to humiliate him," she assured her friend. "I'm not that cruel. And I do plan on learning things from him; even if he's an asshole, he is good at what he does."

"And where are you going to get your money?" Addison repeated. "Professor Hunt may be a jerk but he's really popular. Everyone will be bidding on him!"

Jane shrugged. "Don't worry about it." She knew exactly how she was going to get the money. Of course, there was no guarantee that they would actually give it to her but it was worth the try. She paused, thinking. If she was serious, it meant she would need to get in contact with them for the first time since she arrived at university. Just so she could have Professor Hunt as a slave for a week... How far was she willing to go? Was it really worth it?

She hesitated. Hell yes. "Excuse me, Addison," she said, pulling out her cell phone. "I need to make a phone call."

They used the university's largest theater stage as the auction platform which turned out to be a brilliant idea since it was jam-packed with excited students by the time Jane arrived. "Oh wow," she breathed. "Is Beyoncé here or something?" Because if she was... Thomas Hunt? Who's that? She looked around, trying to find a free spot but wouldn't be surprised if they were all taken. Already, Jane could see people sitting on the floors.

"Jane!" a voice called. "Hey, Jane!"

She looked around for a moment before spotting Ethan waving his arm around, trying to catch her attention. "Ethan!"

"Come over here," he shouted above the noise of the crowd. "I saved you a seat."

She was such a lucky girl to have such amazing friends. "Free of charge?" she asked jokingly, walking up to him.

"We'll see," he joked in return. Jane wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't joking. It seemed as if the charity auction was one of those events where people would pay very good money just to get a better look.

"How did you get us front row seats, anyway?"

"I got my connections," Ethan replied with a grin. "I know someone working the event."

"Of course." She wasn't surprised.

"What about you?" he asked. "I heard from a little bird that you're pretty confident about winning Hunt."

Jane rolled her eyes. "Addison," she said simply, not even needing to guess. Addison was the only person that was with her when she made her declaration.

"A man never tells," he responded, grin widening. "You think you actually got the funds for him? He'll probably be the most popular one here."

"Really?" she asked but couldn't say she was actually surprised. "Well, he is sort of an ass. I can imagine a lot of people wanting to make him cry."

Ethan shook his head in amusement. "I think you may be the only one looking forward to that. Everyone else is here hoping that if they win him, he might just introduce him to the big people upstairs. He has some serious connections, you know?"

She waved him off as the entire room began quieting down when the dean stepped up to the microphone. "That comes secondary to what I'm planning," she whispered. "But I do plan on using him for connections."

"That's my girl," Ethan replied fondly.

They smiled at each other for a moment before turning towards the stage. Ignoring the dean who was standing at the podium waiting for complete silence, she looked behind him. True to Addison's word; it wasn't just professors that were up for action. She could see many different celebrities, none of them Beyoncé, thankfully; she was going to win Hunt and she couldn't afford a distraction. She spotted Chris and flashed him a quick smile and wave, which he returned before moving down the line.

Professor Singh was there too, surprisingly. The charity auction didn't seem like the older woman's style. Even if the auction was required of the staff, Singh had such a commanding presence that even the dean couldn't make her do something she didn't want to do. If Jane wasn't dead set on getting Hunt, Singh would have honestly been her first choice. There was so much she could learn from her; how does she put the dean in his place, for example.

Continuing on, Jane's gaze moved further down the line, bypassing one, two, three people before she spotted her prize.

As if noticing her stare, Hunt looked up, eyes meeting her own. His eyebrows immediately pulled together into a harsh scowl.

She grinned in response.

At that, his expression flickered, worryingly as if he was sensing his own impending doom. Oh, you don't even know half of it, she thought gleefully. Finally, the world was working with instead of against her for once. And she was going to milk it for all it was worth.

"And now, without further ado," the dean exclaimed into the microphone. "Let's get this auction underway!"

The room immediately erupted into cheers; Jane felt as if her very seat was vibrating from the noise alone. The auction continued on smoothly, although there were a few eyebrow-raising price winners. She winced; if a no-name celebrity could was won for over twenty thousand dollars, she didn't want to know how far people were going to go for Hunt.

"Oh man," Ethan whispered. "If you really do win this, you guys are going to kill each other before the week's even out."

Jane frowned and turned to stare at him, confused. "Why do you say that?"

He raised his eyebrows. "You mean besides the fact that the two of you just spent the last five minutes or so trying to out-glare one another?"

Was she really? Jane felt herself blush in embarrassment; she hadn't even noticed! With a sigh, she forced herself to relax back against her seat, waiting until it was Hunt's turn to be auctioned off. When Chris stepped up next to the dean's podium, she flashed him an apologetic look, hoping that he wouldn't be insulted that she wasn't going to fight for him. But, judging by the way his fans were shouting increasing price after increasing price, it didn't seem like he cared all too much.

Jane yawned; the next half an hour going by slowly for her. She was here for one reason and one reason only and it looked like the dean was saving Hunt for last. If they didn't hurry up, she was going to fall asleep in her seat.

Finally, in what seemed like forever, the entire room fell into a hush.

"And now," the dean said in a overly dramatic low voice, "our very own Thomas Hunt!"

The room erupted in almost-violent cheers, jolting Jane out of her half-asleep fog. "Woo!" someone screamed from behind her. "Looking good, Professor!" An increase in the volume of cheers backed up her words.

Although she could not hear what Hunt was saying, Jane could see very clearly that he was grumbling most distastefully under his breath; most likely telling off the poor student.

"Still think you can win?" Ethan asked, waggling his eyebrows.

Jane smiled and pulled out her auction card. "I'm going to win." Her gaze darkened. "I gave up way too much to go home without a prize."

He raised his eyebrows at her words but didn't push her to elaborate. Instead they both turned their attention back to the auction where prices for Hunt had already soared into the ten thousands.

He really is popular, Jane thought in awe. She knew he was extremely influential but he was such an asshole all the time, it was hard to picture him so popular in a positive way. Especially to students.

"Twenty-five," a voice called out, hushing everyone else. Jane winced at the voice; she knew exactly who it came from and she really, really didn't want to get into a bidding war with her.

"We got twenty-five thousand," the dean repeated. "Do we have twenty-six? Twenty-six? Going once, going twice—"

"Twenty-six," Jane interrupted, holding up her card.

For a brief moment, Hunt looked absolutely terrified but then he narrowed his eyes in contemplation. Jane flashed him a sweet smile.

"We got twenty-six thousand," the dean said, looking more than a little sorry for his celebrity-staff. Jane frowned at his tone; was her tension with Hunt so infamous that even the dean has heard of it? "Do we—"

"Twenty-seven!" Bianca called out.

Jane twitched; even without looking, she could tell Bianca was glaring at her. She cleared her throat, "Thirty." All around her, people gasped, giving her a look over. Many people knew of her benefactor, it was no surprise they were all wondering where she was getting the money from.

"Thirty-one!"

She pursed her lips. "Thirty-five."

Silence.

The dean cleared his throat. "We got thirty-five thousand! Do we have thirty-six? Going once, going twice—"

Eyes on the prize, Jane thought. Eyes on the prize.

"Thirty-seven!"

Jane groaned. Why was it that whenever she wanted something, Bianca was was always there to block her way? She took a deep breath, "Forty." Turning her head, she flashed a smirk in Bianca's direction. Let's go girly, she thought. I can do this all day.

"Forty thousand!" the dean cried out. "We have forty thousand for Thomas Hunt! Willing to go forty-one? Going once? Going twice? Going—"

"Forty—"

"No!" another voice interrupted. "Absolutely not, Bibi! I will not let you spend forty thousand to go on a date with your professor!"

Thomas looked offended. "It wouldn't be a date!" he shouted, horrified.

Jean snickered. Of course not, she thought. This is so much better than that.

"But daddy!" Bianca cried.

The dean cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Going once. Going twice. Last chance!" No one interrupted as they stared at the shouting match that was taking place between father and daughter. "And sold! Congratulations! Winners may come up and get their prizes but please be sure to stop by my office so we can finalize the payment and go over some rules."

"No!" Bianca screeched, gaping. "What do you mean she won?"

Jane grinned. "See," she told Ethan. "I told you I could do it." She ignored the angry shouts from behind her and made her way to the stage along with the other winners. "Now, professor," she said gleefully as she slowly approached him. Like a predator approaching its prey. "Where do I begin?"

His jaw clenched. "I am going to regret not protesting to this mindless idea more, aren't I?"

Jane's grin only widened in response and she rubbed her hands together in excitement.

Hunt glared up at her from his seat, "You do realize that after this week is over, I am still your professor and I will most definitely make it my life's goal to completely and utterly destroy you?"

Her smiled faltered for a brief second. "Not if I destroy you first," she replied before grinning. "Thomas."

He cringed.