Billy had watched Alan's futile struggle for the first half hour, a satisfied smile on his face. Jeff Tracy really knows how to scare off the weaker bidders. Already we are down to the last ten…one more bid will weed out the rest and we could probably do the blind bid, Billy thought happily. He already knew that one of his buyers was in the same economic league as the Tracy's and one other could keep up, barely. Tracy's only mistake was bidding so high so fast, the other bidders know he's a true threat, while the others hid themselves better with small bids.

Alan's shoulders and wrist ached from pulling on them, making him groan when he moved. Every now and again he would switch which leg was bent, trying to cover his naked torso as much as he could. Alan also leaned his head back and gently tapped it against the wall, really debating hitting his head harder to knock himself out. That would just make things worse though, he thought grumpily, a concussion would only serve to give me another headache and come with the other symptoms.

After the live feed, Billy turned off the camera. "Alright, Alan," he said sitting down on the bed and tilting the boy's head forward, "Shouldn't be too much longer now." Undoing the gag and wiping it off as he took it out, Billy lifted Alan's chin. Alan pulled his head away from the touch and turned his head to the side. "Take it your still angry," Billy said humorously, "Oh well, you can give the silent treatment all you want, but you're still going to be shirtless and gagged for the next bid."

Alan frowned deeply as Billy began undoing his legs. When both were free, he tried to kick out, but Billy caught his foot and then put a knee over both his legs. Putting most of his body weight on to Alan's legs, Billy said coldly, "I understand that you're angry, but what would you have accomplished with your arms still tied?" Grabbing Alan's face in a tight grip, Billy forced it to face him.

Alan fought, trying to pull his face away while also trying to buck Billy off. It was a losing battle, and soon he stopped, breathing hard. Brining his face inches from Alan's, Billy's next words were whispered harshly, "I said I wouldn't hurt you, boy, but I can always change my mind. I can also make you much more uncomfortable and appealing to the buyers," Billy paused to let that sink in, "So you can make this easy on yourself or I will have you sit in only your boxers and dump ice water on you."

Alan was glaring at Billy behind the blindfold, but gave a curt nod in answer. Billy released his grip on Alan's face and took his weight off Alan's legs. Alan groaned in pain as Billy undid his wrists and let his arms drop. As his shoulders burned from the sudden new position, Alan barely noticed as his hands were cuffed behind him; tighter than the last time.

Billy tightly gripped a small shoulder and hauled the blonde to his feet; keeping him standing as Alan's legs gave out. Unceremoniously dumping Alan into a chair, Billy stalked out of the room.

Rolling his shoulders, Alan winced, damn! I really hope they are only sore and not really hurt or something….

Lost in thought, Alan didn't hear Billy come back into the room. The sudden rope wrapping around his bare abdomen and chair made him flinch and, regrettably, let out a yelp in surprise. "Sorry about losing my temper," Billy said as he tied off the new rope, "But you need to know that I have my limits." Undoing the cuffs, Billy gently worked Alan's arms to the front.

Rubbing his wrists, Alan tested the new restraint; it effectively held his back to the chair and kept his arms pinned above his elbows. "You did want rebellious," Alan retorted dryly.

"Doesn't mean I won't get angry though," Billy said picking up one of Alan's wrists, "And I meant what I said, I will make you uncomfortable if you act out like that again."

Alan hissed as Billy put something on his wrist that stung and tried to pull away. Billy gently, but firmly, held the wrist, "It is just an ointment. You managed to rub your wrists raw; this will make them hurt less."

Alan nodded and grimaced as Billy continued his work. As Billy took his second wrists to repeat the process, Alan asked something he had been thinking about, "How many times have you done this?"

Billy paused his work and glanced at Alan. Continuing, he replied, nonchalantly, "How many times have I done what?"

Alan clenched his jaw to keep from snapping, like you don't know what I mean! "Taken a…kid and sold them to the highest bidder," he paused at the word, "You seem prepared for a lot of situations."

Cleaning up his supplies, Billy sighed, "You really don't want to know."

"Yes I do," Alan insisted, "After all you have put me through I want to know how many others had to suffer through it too! And how many never saw their family again!" Alan finished with a yell, his emotions slipping out of his control for a second.

Billy sat back and sighed, "You really want to know?" Alan gave a single nod, "Fine, twenty-five not including you. Twenty-five children all sold without me getting caught. Twenty-five children that never went home, because all twenty-five didn't have rich families that could compete with the bidding. You are the first upper class kid I grabbed, and also the first kid that has their parents fighting to get them back."

Alan's stomach clenched and he felt nauseous, twenty-five! All with some sick person that bought them for who knows what reason! Alan swallowed the lump in his throat and dropped his head in desolation. "Why?" Alan finally manage to find his voice, "How can you do this to a kid? How can you do it twenty-six times?"

Billy stood up and dragged the chair, and Alan, over to the camera, "I do it because that is how I make a living," he said simply, "And I can do it without a second thought or sleepless night."

"You couldn't find another job?" Alan said incredulous, "One that was legal and didn't ruin the lives of other people?"

"No, Alan, I couldn't," was Billy's gruff reply as he began to tie Alan's feet to the chair again.

"Why not?" Alan pushed.

"Will you stop asking questions if I answer?" Alan nodded, "And then you drop it. I don't want to hear any more about this, got it?" Alan nodded again. With a sigh, Billy explained, "I can't because this is all I have ever known, Alan," Alan frowned in confusion, but didn't interrupt, "I was younger than you when I was put into a similar position."

"The times were different than, not so much technology, but I went to the highest bidder." Alan's jaw dropped, "The man that bought me made me his pet, but I could never go outside and the only education I got was from reading books; teaching myself. Every night I slept in a dog kennel, every day I wore a dog collar and leash. He had me walk on my hands and knees. If I talked he beat me, if I behaved I got to eat. The only time I was allowed to walk on two legs was if he was out of the house."

Billy paused to compose himself as memories started coming to mind, swallowing hard, he continued, "I was with him until I turned sixteen, then he sold me to another person. This one used me as his play thing," Alan flinched at Billy's emotion, "For three more years I was molested daily, and still never saw the outside world except through a window. If I ever tried to get out or make contact with anyone, I was thrown into a basement and beaten for days."

Alan started to feel pity for Billy, but he didn't think Billy would appreciate any sympathy. "When I was twenty, I was sold to another man. But this one didn't humiliate or hurt me. He taught me," Billy said as he undid the rope around Alan's torso, and then tied his right wrist to the chair's back leg; making it so Alan's arm was pulled down straight and back a little. Repeating the process with the left hand, Billy continued, "I learned how I could do what was done to me. How to make a person suffer without permanently hurting them. He also taught me to control emotions and detach myself from other people; especially anyone I grabbed. For the first time in ten years I saw the outside world, and I could let my anger out."

As Billy finished tying off the ropes he went back to the desk. Grabbing the box there, he returned to Alan, "Eventually, I was let go, to live my life. But I didn't have the skills to get a real job, Alan, so I had to make do with what I did know. I quickly learned kids were my best option. And so here we are, me making a living."

Alan tried to suppress a shudder, "So now you're doing to kids what someone did to you? You're purposefully subjecting them to what you yourself consider cruel?"

"I never said it was cruel."

"You didn't have to," Alan countered, "It's in your voice, you hated what you went through, but yet you are doing it to me; you did it to twenty-five other kids. That's kind of two-faced, don't you think?"

"Maybe," Billy shrugged as he knelt down by Alan, "But it is all I know. If you went through ten years of that, can you honestly tell me you would be able to start a fresh life? You may never find your family, they could all be dead for all you knew, and if you did go back, neither you nor them would know what to do. I made do with what I had and you unfortunately got caught in the middle. But you are also lucky that your father is rich, because he is fighting rather hard to get you back."

"What do you mean, 'he's fighting hard'?" Alan asked as he felt Billy stick something to his upper left arm then chest.

"What I mean," Billy said, switching sides, "Is he has raised the bid high enough to scare off most of the bidders. Most likely after this bid, it will be him and one, possibly two others."

Alan's heart beat faster with hope, this is almost over! Dad is fighting to get me back! As Billy stuck more things to his right arm, and then chest, Alan asked, "What are you doing?"

Something was then placed above his belly button and one on his spine belowhis shoulder blades, "Getting you ready for the bid," was Billy's vague answer.