a/n: eh... this chapter's not very lively... more a less informational... on a better note, chapter 3 is completely written and will be up next week sometime... don't forget to review (wink)

disclaimer: i never have nor never will own kenshin no matter how much i want him to be my personal slave... (tear)

Exchange
Chapter 2: Expectations

Kaoru yawned heavily, stretching her arms above her head only to have them crash into a wall. Muttering a curse, she brought them back down to cradle protectively against her cramped body. She bit back a snarl, knowing that her situation was her fault. She'd been the one to extend the hand of an exchange. She was in no position to complain.

"Are you awake?"

"Have been," she answered, staring at the ceiling of her cage.

A delicate red brow rose over his burning amber eyes. "Really now."

"Yes."

"Would you like breakfast?" he asked, glancing towards the kitchen.

"If you're going to let me out, I'll eat," she compromised, purposely keeping her answers short and mystical.

He glowered down at her curled up form on the small mattress. She was anything but cooperative. "And if I were to put food in your cage?"

"I would starve."

The Battousai clenched his teeth before reluctantly withdrawing a key from his pocket. He didn't want her die on him like the other one had… He'd been more than upset when he learned too late how to care for a stolen demon female such as Tomoe. He'd taken the proper training this time. This time, the one he planned to claim as his, would be his.

The cage door swung opening with a satisfying creek and Kaoru took no time in getting out. She stood almost immediately, stretching out her cramped limbs. She let her hair out of it's tie and ran her fingers through it, trying to get out all the snags that had worked their way into it. Frowning, she realized a brush would probably work a little bit better. She looked up when she felt his gaze on her and leveled him with a glare.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing. What do you want for breakfast?"

"Something edible," she answered. She eyed his hair thoughtfully for a moment before speaking again. "Do you have a brush I could borrow?"

His eyes widened at the sudden question before settling back to normal. "Of course. It's in the second drawer next to the sink in the bathroom."

"Which is where?"

"Down the hall, first door on the right," he told her, pointing at it.

Before he could blink she was already on her way down the hall and the door slammed shut with a loud bang. He sighed and stared at the closed door. She was so different than what he had expected. She was so… cold. He glanced at the kitchen and decided that he should get started on breakfast… After all, she wanted something edible, didn't she?

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She filled the bath up as high as she dared. She muttered a connection spell under her breath and Megumi's worried face met hers.

"Kaoru! Are you alright! Why did you leave?"

"To stop this destruction of our kind!" she replied heatedly. "For all the younglings who lost a parent or someone they cared about."

"Kaoru, everyone misses you," she confessed. "Aoshi is a wonderful leader, but he will never have your exuberance."

"I will be back. Do not worry about it. This man will grow sick of me in time if my efforts have shown anything thus far."

"Kaoru… Be careful. This isn't an ordinary human," Megumi warned. "He's a half-breed."

"So… That's explains…"

"Why he can walk around our underworld so freely. Most humans have a time limit or can't take the nightmares," she finished.

"Great." Kaoru heaved a great sigh. "I'm going to take a shower. Dig up all you can on Battousai. Have Aoshi help you if it's necessary."

"Of course, Kaoru. I trust you'll be reporting back?"

"Sooner than you know." She smirked and said her good-byes quickly before shattering the mirror.

She drained the tub and thought over what Megumi had revealed. If he truly was a half-demon, she was going to have to watch her step. Stripping her clothing, she tried to find a way to make him talk. She turned the shower tabs on until it was hot enough for her. She stepped in the shower and let her thoughts drift away.

If he was half-demon, then he would know about the collars. She had hoped he didn't know, but chances were she would find herself face to face with a collar when she emerged from the bathroom. She looked along his shower, looking for some kind of shampoo that didn't smell like… well, she wanted something a little more feminine that what he had. She glanced towards the floor of the shower and found a few miscellaneous bottles.

White plum.

A growl rose up in her throat. That was Tomoe's favorite scent. She had worn it all the time. Kaoru picked up the bottle and held it to her chest lovingly, saying a silent prayer for her lost friend. She hadn't been terribly sure that Tomoe had perished in the human world. She was, after all, such a fighter. She used the shampoo to clean her hair and found that there was a body wash with a similar smell.

Once she'd finished with her shower she threw the bottle away. There was no use keeping memories that would make her angry. She towel dried her hair and reached for the brush in the drawer. She ran it through her unruly hair a few times before tying it back up in it's customary ponytail. She pulled on the same clothes she'd been wearing, making a mental note to ask him for new ones.

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She stared at his blank TV bored. He'd gone out hours ago, supposedly to get her new clothes as she'd requested, but she highly doubted it took six hours to find something else for her to wear. Her eyes were dazed and she wondered vaguely if she was going to fall asleep on his couch.

It was so much more comfortable than the small twin mattress she was forced to sleep on. She spared a look towards her cage. It wasn't much bigger than the mattress with only a few feet of height on it. She sighed, thinking back to the huge king size bed she had at home. Her world. She hadn't heard anything back from Megumi about Battousai or Aoshi and she was tempted to go contact them again to check in, but held off. After all her captor would be returning soon.

She dragged a hand through her messy hair and wished for a hair tie. Hers had snapped the day before leaving with nothing to tie it up with. She had told him to grab a pack of hair ties for her, but she didn't really think that he would do it. He hardly seemed the type to care about how she preferred to wear her hair.

She sensed him outside the door seconds before she heard the key slide in the lock. The door opened with close to no noise. In his arms he had several bags from several different stores.

"I'm back," he informed her.

"So I noticed," she returned, staring at a point beyond his shoulder.

He shot a look at her that was clearly meant to make her back down. She merely smiled at him. He tossed her a bag instead of choosing to pick an argument. She caught it with ease and looked into the bag and was pleasantly surprised when there was a pack of hair ties on the top.

"You," he started, pulling out another bag and handing it to her, "will wear this tonight. I am having a get together with my coworkers and I'd like for you to look… presentable."

She opened the bag and almost cried. It was a dress. It wasn't an elegant ballroom dress or anything too showy and it most certainly wasn't ankle length. She pulled it out and held it up.

"I thought you said I was to look presentable," she said, staring at it.

"In my business, that is more than presentable," he told her flatly.

She had half a mind to ask him just what business it was he was in, but thought against it. That might lead to awkward questions she didn't feel like asking.

"You're trained in the sword arts, correct?" he asked suddenly, setting down the remaining bags on the coffee table.

"What's it to you if I am?"

"I need you to use your knowledge," he said carefully.

Her eyes narrowed. "To do what?"

"What do you think?"

She snarled. "I will not kill off the scum of your race!"

Her collar burned. Just as she'd predicted, he'd held her down and forced one around her neck right after her shower days before in order to control her defiance. And she hated every second of it.

"You will do it. Or you won't live through the night," he told bluntly. "During the party you will complete your mission. Do it however you like. I will provide you with the weapon of your choice, but you will bring the body back here."

She closed her eyes to avoid glaring in his direction. This little deal was not getting her anywhere. Her people were probably still dying despite his promise.

"It will be done," she growled out, frustrated.

"Good. Now go get changed," he ordered before disappearing into the kitchen.

She stared towards the floor and silently promised herself she would check in with Megumi and Aoshi before the night was over.

She needed to know if he had a weakness.

a/n: chapter three will be much better i promise, but i needed this chapter... don't forget to review!