False Endings [Chapter 4]
Title: Happy False Endings
Author: breathe_it_in94
Fandom: AU Demi/Selena, unknown pairings
Chapter: 4/?
Rating: M/NC-17 for violence, language, and maybe sexual content
Summary: Just because an ending's happy, doesn't mean it was true.
Disclaimer: I don't own Demi, Selena, Braison, Miley, or any other adult characters in here probably. I own just the plot, and most of the kids.
A/N: See! I updated faster this time!!!! Granted, it's a shorter chapter, but that's because it's sort of an... extra, or something, I don't really know how to describe it. Hope y'all enjoy it anyways!
Chapter 4
When her eyes open, there’s that familiar disorientation that comes with being in a new place; it’s a feeling she should be used to by now, what with sleeping in a different place every night. She pushes back the loose hair that’s fallen from her ponytail to clear her sight and sits up. The mattress creaks, disturbing the body next to her.
And then it all comes rushing back.
The score, then the van, Demi leaving with Doran and that other pretty girl, the blind girl--“Just call me ‘Tay’”--then the city.
As much as Tay and Braison had tried to keep all of them together, the boys and girls ended up separated into different parts of the building. She hasn’t seen Cameron, Lucky, Terrell, or Braison in two nights. She knows Tori has to be terrified, not having her twin brother by her side for the first time in her eight-year-old life. Which also means she’s hoping--for Tori’s sake--that Terrell is doing alright on the opposite side of the building.
A small hand grabs at her waist, clutching the material there, and she looks down to see a just-woken-up Leto staring at her with half-lidded eyes. “Jay-jay?” the five-year-old says sleepily, and Janay know she doesn’t yet remember the events of yesterday. She doesn’t want to have to break that dream-world with the reality of y’alls lives, but she knows it’ll happen eventually.
“Yeah, Lee?” she says.
“Where--” her sentence is interrupted by a yawn, and so Janay takes the time to answer her unfinished question.
“We’re in the city. I can’t remember what the name is, you’ll have to ask Tay.” Leto’s fist tightened around Janay’s shirt, and the other freezes where it was rubbing the sleep her eye.
A desolate, “Oh,” is all that Leto says, and Janay feels her heart drop further into her stomach at the look of fear and sadness on Leto’s face. She puts her slightly larger hand over Leto’s and holds it. Leto sits up and leans against her, wrapping her small arms around her waist.
Janay wraps an arm around Leto and stands up, Leto’s legs automatically wrapping around her hips. Janay walks over to the bed with the pillow covered in a mass of blonde curls and reaches out to tap a shoulder. “Tay? Are you still asleep?”
Taylor shifts in the bed and sits up, facing slightly towards Janay and Leto. “No, sweetie, I’ve been awake for a while now. Sorry, who is this?” She reaches out a hand, and Janay places her own in her palm, letting Taylor follow her arm up to her shoulder, to her cheek, to settle in her hair. Janay speaks her own name, and Leto pipes up hers as well. Taylor smiles, “Well hey there, girlies. Whatcha need?”
Janay goes to speak, but Leto beats her to it, “I dunno, she just brung me over here.” Taylor’s smile widens at the cute statement, and Janay starts talking.
“I was just wondering if… if you knew what we’re gonna do?” Janay watches Taylor’s smile drop slightly, and wonders if Leto notices the same.
Taylor takes a moment in responding with, and Janay can tell she doesn’t want this to be her answer, “I don’t know.”
The door slams open, jerking Braison awake. A quick glance around the room tells him that the sound scared awake the rest of the boys, also. He turns back to face the doorway to see Lautner and Sterling standing there.
“Alright, midgets,” Lautner says coldly, “everyone here needs to come with Sterling… except the oldest.” At the boys’ hesitation, he barks, “Now!”
Braison nods to Terrell, who starts herding the younger boys out of the room. They walk with Sterling down the hall and out of sight, leaving Braison alone with Lautner. Braison stares blankly at Lautner, trying to remember everything Demi’s taught him over the years about situations like this.
“Where are they going?” Braison asks in the deepest voice he can muster. He tries not to let his anger flare at Lautner’s replying smirk.
Lautner takes his time before speaking, and it’s not with the answer Braison was looking for, “Walk with me.” His hand comes down heavily onto Braison’s shoulder, and he knows that there is no choice in the matter. He stands up and walks beside Lautner out of the room and down the hallway.
“It’s a nice and feisty bunch of kids you and Miss Demi have gathered, Braison,” he says, and Braison loathes the fact that Lautner knew his name, “but they ain’t very strong. They’re going to training.” When Braison tries to interrupt, his voice gets harsher, “It ain’t nothing harsh at all, just some laps and weight-lifting. We’re not that harsh here, Braison. Just good businessmen.”
“And what exactly is your business?” Braison asks coldly.
Lautner chuckles sickly. “You must have noticed the girls when you got here, didn’t you?”
Braison’s brow furrows in momentary confusion, but then realization sets in. “You sell these women for sex?”
Lautner laughs again. “Helluva profit it brings in, lemme tell ya. And since,” he talks over Braison’s attempt to interrupt again, “you’re of a fine age, a good-lookin’ boy, and the circumstances of our generation have most likely, um… inconvenienced you in this particular area, we’re gonna help you out a bit, little man.”
Braison glares. “What do you mean?”
One last laugh as they stop in front of a closed door. “Why, we’re giving you our best and brightest for the day, of course. She’s been with us since the beginning, one of our first girls. She’ll take real good care of ya.”
Braison suddenly finds himself being pushed through the now-open door and into the room. He turns around to try to leave, but the door is shut and locked now. He angrily bangs a fist against the door before resting his forehead against the coolness of it. He freezes as a voice rasps from behind him.
“Hey there, honey. So what can I do for ya? I’m all yours.”
Braison slowly straightens back up, his brow furrowing once again, this time in disbelief. He shakes his head slightly before slowly turning around. His eyes widen as he takes in the girl sitting in front of him. When he speaks, his voice cracks and is barely over a whisper:
“Miley?”