Leah hid herself in the shadows, her hand wrapped tightly around her stake. She glanced out of the alleyway and her eyes scanned for any vampires. She heard a group coming and pressed herself against the wall, getting ready to strike. When they were only a few feet away, the wind blew carrying her scent over to them. They froze and she tensed, a single word passing her lips.

"Shit."

The second that it took to make a break for it, they charged, the tallest of the six grabbed her roughly and sinking his fangs into her neck. She cried out, the stake dropping out of her hand.

"Daiman, don't drain her. She's pretty for a human. We can sell her, make a good amount of money," The female of the group spoke.

"Sell the girl. Less chance of other slayers hunting us down," Another spoke.

Daiman pulled away, placing a bandana against the wound he had left, a smirk forming on his lips.

"Let's sell the girl."

"I'd rather die," Leah hissed.

"You will," The female told her, "If you don't learn to shut up and respect those above you."

Leah spat at her.

Her eyes narrowed, "Let me beat her before we sell her."

"No, she has to be pretty."

"...Fine. Let's go."

Daiman stood and pulled Leah up with him, he began walking and dragging her along with him, "Fight and I take more."

She glared, and followed as best she could, thinking of an escape plan as they went.

Leah sold for a sum much larger than she expected, six-thousand dollars. The vampire who bought her was well-known among the slayers. She lost track of the days, of the amount of times he'd feed from her. Until for a few days, he stopped. Leah took the chance, and ran. He caught her just a few feet from the door. The last thing she remembered before waking up in an auction cage was his face. From there she was sold and bought, and sold and bought, multiple times.

"How many times have you been sold?" A boy, just a year younger than her asked one day.

"If I'm bought today, then it makes fifteen, in the last year."

"You've been sold fourteen times in the last year?" He asked, shock obvious in his voice.

She nodded and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "I'm still hoping one of them will kill me. I run, cause issues."

"You want to die?"

"I'd rather die than be a slave."

The boy opened his mouth to speak but before he could, he was pulled out of his cage. Leah watched as he followed the vampires in charge of the auction onto the stage.

She listened to the others be sold and watched as they were taken to the stage. They came for Leah last, her hands and ankles cuffed so she could fight or run. She held her head high as she brought onto the stage, glaring at someone who whistled at her exposed breast.

"Eight-thousand," He offered.

The auctioneer smirked, "Going once, going twice…"

"Sixteen-thousand!" Someone else offered.

Leah blinked in surprise and looked in the crowd for whoever made that offer. A blonde vampire stood, a soft smile on his face. He couldn't have been more than twenty-six when he was turned.

"Sold to Master Steve Rogers, for sixteen-thousand dollars."

Leah was brought down to Steve and the keys for her shackles handed to him. He wrote a check and handed it over before turning towards Leah.

"Let me unlock these," He unlocked and removed the handcuffs before handing her his coat.

She looked at him confused for a few moments before taking it and putting it on.

"Does she have any shoes? It's snowing outside," He removed the cuffs on her ankles.

"She comes with herself."

"I can walk, snow isn't going to bother me," Leah stated.

Steve looked at for a moment before nodding, "Alright…" He led her out after receiving her information.

She followed, ignoring the ice biting at her feet as they walked to the car. His driver stood outside and opened the door for them.

"Go ahead," Steve told her.

She looked at him for a few moments once again, before getting in. He got in after her and the car headed off.

The drive was long, and Leah could feel herself drifting off. Steve noticed but said nothing, taking the time to read up on the girl. By the time they arrived at his mansion, she was sound asleep. He carried her inside and got her situated into the room next to his.

"You bought someone," His friend Bucky commented from the doorway.

"I did, could you call a doctor Buck? I want to have her looked over."

"Yeah no problem," He nodded and walked off.

Steve sat down beside the bed and studied Leah's face. He couldn't believe she looked the way she did after everything she had been through. Her blonde curls framed her face but her roots were a dark brown.

"Doc's gonna be here within the hour," Buck said as he walked into the room.

Steve looked up, "Oh great."

He nodded and leaned against the wall, "She's pretty."

"Yeah, spent sixteen-thousand on her."

"Sixteen… Man, your sister's gonna kill you," He chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah I know. I had too, Buck."

"Who'd you outbid?" He asked, looking over.

Steve looked over, "Rumlow. He would've killed her, she's got spirit. Should've seen her in there."

"Damn…"

"Yeah, tell Steph for me?"

He sighed, "Yeah. I'll tell her."

Steve smiled, "Thanks."

"No problem," He shook his head and walked out.