CPOV

I had rushed from the back yard, towards the front gate seeing a mob of people there. Some I had seen enjoying our show earlier, still dressed in their best clothes. Others were dressed in scruffy, dirty clothes like they had spent a long time travelling in them.

"WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT" My father shouted over the roar of the angry crowd, that he was keeping back from entering the circus ground with a line of roustabouts.

"I know she is here" I heard a man shout as Elliot and I got closer.

"Who is here," My father asked the man.

"My daughter,"

"What is your daughter's name. If she is lost here, we will help you find her" I asked.

"Find her, you took her" he spat at me.

"What, what are you talking about."

"Last year when you were back here, when you left she left too. You charmed her with this life only to take her away from me."

"Sir, I do not mean to appear rude but that is not the truth. We work on a two-year rotation, so the last time we were here was two years ago, not last year" I told him which stopped his words, making the other men he had obviously asked to be here, turn to him for the truth.

"They took her, I know they did," he said getting angry now.

"Sir, I can assure you we were not even in this state last year. That is why we do a two-year rotation as it can take so long to tour the country" my father told him.

I watched this man, seeing him fluster his words, a fact that made me nervous. His words, what he was speaking about could have been about Ana. I knew it was lies that tumbled out of his mouth then as his story was changing by the minute making me doubt he had a daughter at all. I was just about to inform my father of my suspicions when we heard the fire bell ring out.

"GUARD THE GATE" my father called out to all that were around before he started running after me. As soon as that bell had rung, my feet had started to move, knowing in my gut that the man out front was connected to that bell.

Emerging in the back yard, we could see flames coming from the direction of the cookhouse and that is where we all ran to. All throughout I looked for Ana but could not see her.

"She will be with the animals" my father called to me as we bucketed water from the small stream nearby, hoping that the fire cart that we could hear approaching would get here fast and this would be out before it reached the main tents.

I saw him then, recognised him from Ana's description although I had never seen the man's face before this moment. I had seen the same smirk on one other's face though and it hit me at that moment just who else was here.

I should have known that as the fire bell continued to ring, there would be more.

"ANA" I screamed, dropping my bucket as I spun around to try and find her.

"Christian," my father said, gripping my shoulder.

"Raymond is here," I told him. "GRAB THAT MAN" I screamed before I started running towards the menagerie.

The cookhouse always being at the end of the circus ground was tucked away around the side of the top. As I was about to emerge fully into the back yard where I could see all that was going on, I nearly knocked Bell over in my haste to find my wife.

"Menagerie, there is a man in there," she said out of breath.

I did not respond to her, I could hear her though, shouting for more help to come. The closer I got to the menagerie tent, I was greeted with agitated animals and also flames coming from the top.

I could see the girls pulling someone from the tent. Elena who was struggling to breathe on the floor. I was about to run into the menagerie when Daisy, Growler and Hera appeared.

It was my breath that was gone as in Daisy's trunk she carried Ana while both cats gripped her arms. I found Cora lay beside the train carriage as far away from the burning tent, Ana's boot in her mouth.

"Ana, Ana please keep your eyes open, please stay with me," I spoke to her, my hands cradling her face. "No, no, open your eyes, please wake up," I cried.

Hearing cracks and bangs from the burning tent, I gathered Ana into my arms, moving us over towards the train. My father despite Elena complaining she was too heavy, picked her up and moved her closer to us.

I heard someone beside me then as I tried to wake Ana, my body starting to protest at the man who was touching my wife now, wanting to push him away. My mother's hand on my shoulder calmed me as she spoke that he was a doctor who had been visiting the circus with his family and had come to help.

I watched him move his fingers from her neck to her wrist, watched as he checked her breathing. He declared both Ana and Elena needed to be in a hospital so leaving our burning home behind, that is where we headed to next.

Ana had taken in a lot of smoke they told me, add to that the injury to her throat and she was struggling to breathe. I could see the finger marks he had left on her beautiful skin, wanting to kill him myself for even being in her presence. How he happened to be there, at the moment I do not know but I will find out. He was committed to a supposedly secure hospital. He did not stay there though, why.

On our second day in this hospital room, we were visited by Elena and the girls. They were all visibly upset at seeing Ana still sleeping, wanting to hear her laughter as much as me.

"He said some horrible things to her, words a lady like Ana should have never heard" Elena spoke, stroking my wife's hand before she brushed her tears away.

"He has been saying words he should have never been saying to her, her whole life. I had hoped I could save her from that" I whispered.

"You have Christian, you gave her a life, a real life away from being a prisoner in that room."

"She is correct" we heard from the doorway as I turned to see my mother and Carla stood there.

She quickly moved over to my side, looking down at her sleeping daughter. Refusing to brush the tears away that fell, Carla looked to me, a look of pain and agony I had seen on my Ana's face so many times before, all caused by that man.

I pulled Carla to me, letting her sob on my shoulder as there was not a dry eye in the room. We sat then, waited as a family for Ana to come back to us.

It was a cough that alerted us to Ana waking the next morning, a loud hacking cough as if she yet again struggled to breathe. Opening her eyes, she looked around the room before turning onto her side and vomited all over the floor.

"Better out than in," her mother told her, rubbing her back as I held Ana's hand.

"Hurts," she said, her words but a whisper.

"I know Ana, it will get better" I spoke, kissing her head before she yet again vomited.

Her doctor came in, realising quickly that there was no shooing us from the room. Unless Ana felt uncomfortable with us being here while the doctor spoke of her condition her mother and I were staying put.

"Where is he, Elena, the animals" Ana asked, panic filling her voice once the doctor had left us.

"They are all fine. Elena is resting, look."

I pointed to a chair where Elena was sleeping in the corner of the room. She still had a barking cough one she says annoys her but also one she will get used to. She had air in her lungs and her family was alright and that is all she needed.

"Where is he" Ana whispered.

"Gone, you will never see him again."

"He was there when I entered the menagerie. I did not see him at first until he stepped out, the animals though, they were agitated by his presence. I thought… I thought it was because they could smell the fire" she told me before letting out a hacking cough.

"Easy Ana, take a sip of water."

I held the cup, moving it to her lips so she could take little sips. Upon telling me she had had enough, I put it back down, taking hold of her hand once again.

"Thank you…. His eyes, they were crazed, struggling to focus, I had never seen such evil in them before. I mean I was a source of amusement for him growing up but that man there in the menagerie it was like a stranger was in the room."

"He was supposed to be in a secure facility, only family visits on certain dates," Carla told us, brushing a tear away. "Oh Ana, it was Katherine, she is the cause of all this. As we are no longer married and she is the only family he says he has, she took on the role of his next of kin, removing him from the hospital. She should not have been allowed to though, he was placed there by the courts so either someone has messed up or been paid to look the other way. Either way, it nearly resulted in the death of my daughter" she cried.

"Mother please, I am here, I survived," she told her tiredly as she cuddled into my side where we sat on her bed.

"I will thank the lords for that Ana, sleep now, get some rest."

"You will all be here" Ana mumbled.

"Do not worry my love, you will never be out of my sight again."

"Mine either" Carla added before kissing her sleeping daughters forehead.

As my wife slept, a steady stream of visitors came in and out of the room, all to check on her condition. Each shuddering breath she took, although painful for her, let me know that Ana was with me. I could have easily lost her and I think I would have if he had not been stopped. He attacked his own daughter, hurt her so much that she struggled for breath. If he was not already dead, I would kill him myself.

When Ana woke up later that afternoon, the only thing she wanted to know about was the fires. What was gone, was anyone hurt and if anyone was dead.

She shed a tear when I told her the top itself was gone although we managed to save most that was inside. Despite the fire being put out as we all protected the home that we loved, it was too damaged to be used again. The menagerie where the main fire had been was gone, nothing could be saved in there. The animals were alright and that is what mattered most to us although Hera has a few singed hairs and Daisy, a small burn. I will not tell Ana about those yet, because I know she will want to see them immediately and she, herself needs to get better first.

Luckily apart from the small injuries to the animals, there were only a few people with small burns. They were mostly from the tent as it burned, small cinders that dropped down from up high.

Who was dead, only one although at this moment, I wish it was three. Raymond's body was pulled from the menagerie before it completely burned to the ground and hearing from my father how Katherine screamed for her own father despite knowing what he had done and what she had a part in, I wish she had been in the burning tent too.

Ana was able to leave the next day, although she was put on rest. Before we left the hospital, I passed Ana something my father had given to me.

"It is a little singed," I told her. "The daisies are a little darker than when I first carved them."

Giving Ana her cane was the first time the tears had come. Pulling her into my arms, she sobbed into my chest soaking my shirt.

I heard the door open but I did not address our mothers who entered, both who had tears on their faces. Instead, I continued to hold my wife.

"I am sorry" she mumbled, lifting her head from my chest as she tried to brush the tear stains away.

"Do not ever apologise for crying Ana, believe me, I have shed a few tears myself in the past few days."

"You have" she whispered, bringing her hands to my face.

"Of course, for a time there I thought I had lost my wife."

"Never, we refused to allow him to keep us apart when we were children and we will not allow him to have his way and keep us apart now."

"Agreed," I said before I kissed her lips.

The carriage ride from the hospital to the circus ground was quiet and long. We were at the other side of town from where our circus had stopped and despite us all usually looking out at the new places we get to see on our journey, today Ana especially focused on the inside of the carriage, her focus on me.

"Ana."

"Yes, mother," Ana answered, turning her head so she could see her mother.

"At some point, while we are here, a policeman will need to speak to you about what happened in that tent. Do not be afraid my child, never be scared, to tell the truth even if your anger shows about that man. He is gone and can no longer hurt you" Carla spoke, her fingers touching her daughters face before they moved to the marks on her neck.

"I am not afraid of him mother, I was not afraid of him in that tent either. I spoke to him, letting him know just what I thought of him being in my home. His power was gone even then, leaving only the bully behind. As you told me when I was a child, bullies never win."

"They do not" Carla agreed with a sad smile.

Pulling into what once was a bustling happy circus ground, now lay rubble and cinders. If you could ignore that with our people still rushing around it would look like any normal day for packing up if there was not the smell of burnt wood in the air, that was made worse by the rain that fell.

"It is all gone" Ana whispered.

"No, not all. What was saved has already been packed away."

I helped Ana down from the carriage, wanting to get her out of the rain. It was like she was rooted to the spot though, trying to take everything in.

"Ana, come please I do not want you to get sick," I told her, taking her hand as I slowly led her over to the only tent that was still up.

This was the cookhouse, the new one as the old one burnt in the fire. This was where most spent their days, waiting for our family to be reunited, waiting for my father to tell us what we do next.

"ANA" Leila let out a squeal upon seeing my wife, her and the other girls quickly on their feet before they surrounded Ana in a hug.

I worried for a moment that they would overwhelm her but seeing the smile upon Ana's face, my worries were unfounded.

"Are you all alright" Ana asked them, knowing that not only was Elena in the tent but so was Leila and Susannah.

"You are asking us" Susannah laughed, hugging Ana tightly.

"I do not want to lose any of you" Ana spoke quietly, stopping any laughter. "He has already taken so much throughout my life, to take my family too."

"Hey, no tears, we have shed enough. We are all here, the only one who does not deserve to be in your presence is gone" Leila told her.

"I know, but look at what he took with him."

"He took a few tents Ana, some hay and a little animal food. He could not take the most important thing from us, you" I told her, pulling Ana into my arms.

"No more tears my dear, he is not worth them," Carla told her, reaching out to squeeze her daughter's hand.

"I know, what happened to..."

"Katherine and Boyce" Carla finished, those names despite one being her daughter said with such distaste.

"Yes."

"Boyce is currently in the hands of the police, Katherine although we do not currently know what her part in this was other than following those men blindly, can join her father in hell for all I care."

"Mother" Ana whispered leaving my arms to wrap her arms around her mother.

"I am sorry Ana, you do not need to hear these words but I have washed my hands of her. I tried to speak to her only for the door to be slammed in my face. Her destiny is her own now, she is nothing to me now. I only have one daughter, you."

Ana hugged her mother more tightly before pulling on my arm.

"The animals, Daisy took me out, are they alright."

"They are fine Ana. We placed them back into their animal cars, they settled better in there."

"Can I see them?" she asked.

"Of course."

Ana said goodbye to her mother for a moment as I led us back out into the rain and toward the back of the train where the animal cars were. Ana had not asked about the animals that day at the hospital, saying she was relieved that they ran to safety from the tent. She does not know that three of them instead of one went back for her but she soon will.

"I think I startled them that day, especially Daisy as I had to smack her bottom to get her to move. I have never hit anything in my life before, well apart from hitting those two with my canes. I hope she can forgive me."

"Ana, those animals love you, you belong to them just as I do. They are protective of you and they showed just how much that day. Daisy went back for you."

"I felt her, although my mind is still a little foggy about that day. I felt myself being lifted though before being carried out of that tent. The air was cooler out there away from the flames and smoke, I still struggled to breathe though."

"You saved them all Ana, just like they saved you" I whispered, running my fingers over her arms where she had only the slightest marks. "Growler and Hera" I spoke, looking into her eyes. "They went back for you too."

Ana nodded her head, her throat hoarse as the tears started to fall again as I once again pulled her into my arms. The animals could wait another few minutes as I think seeing Ana in this state will only distress them too.

Ana eventually composed herself, making sure she stroked every horse and camel, I believe checking them for any sign of injuries. Moving onto the cat car was when the noise level rose. It was like they let out a cheer as we entered, all rushing over to greet us, surrounding us in moments once the gate to the pen was closed. That gate was needed to keep the cats from having fun in the other animal car.

Ana stroked each of them, stroked all along their heads, their backs and down to the tail. Stopping at Hera's tail, Ana immediately turned to me.

"She is hurt" Ana spoke, practically hugging the lioness.

"She has been checked over, she has a few singed tail hairs and one little sore patch that should she leave it alone and stop biting it, would heal that much quicker. Daisy, she has a little sore patch too" I admitted, getting it all out there now before Ana saw for herself.

She continued to shower the cats with affection, not wanting to rush them in their need for her attention but I know Ana needed to be with our big girl. Taking their attention away from Ana, I gave them all a treat while Ana slipped into the next car.

"What has he done to you" I heard Ana say through her sobs as I joined them, watching Ana run her hands over Daisy's skin. I am surprised I could actually hear her words over the noise Daisy was making.

She had Ana back and that was all she cared about and Daisy was letting the world know.

"She will be alright Ana, she just like the other animals are as strong as their owner."

"She is sore" she whispered.

"The veterinarian said it was a burn from getting too close to the hay bales, there are also a few red spots on her back. All which have already started to heal. All, that look a lot better than they did only days ago."

"When did you come back," she asked me.

"The day after the fire. The police here wanted to speak to everyone that was near the tent at the time of the fire, who knew that man" I said trying to hide the anger I felt at Raymond Steele. "I did not want them at the hospital, I did not want anyone near to you so I agreed to speak to him here. I checked on the animals while I was here."

"Daisy, Daisy what are you doing," Ana asked as Daisy's trunk wrapped around Ana and lifted her from the floor. "You silly girl," Ana said with a smile, placing a kiss on the top of Daisy's head before she lowered her down. "Soon, Daisy, soon, I promise."

"I do not think she likes being cooped up in here" I admitted.

"Can we take her outside with us."

"They are all your animals, Ana, you can do with them what you wish."

Ana pulled the door back on the side of the car, calling to some of those that were around to help with the ramp. Thankfully the rain had turned to a drizzle now so hopefully at some point today, it will stop.

Standing in what would have been the back yard with an elephant by our side was a strange feeling. It is something I have done, hundreds if not thousands of times before but this time it is different, there was no show to put on and at present, we had no idea what came next.

As if we were taking a dog for a walk, Daisy followed us as we headed towards the cookhouse, startling all that were there with our guest. Most laughed, others looked on amused but the man who was stood speaking to not only my parents but Carla as well, he looked positively terrified to be this close to her. She is gentle, we all know that here but some judge her on her size. Seeing how she started then searching Elena for peanuts who was now closest to us, should have given an indication of what this elephant was really like.

"I have none" Elena laughed before hugging Ana tightly. She is another who I owe a great debt too as, without her and this large girl, I would have lost my wife.

"Ana, this is the policeman I spoke to you about, he would like to ask you some questions," Carla said to her, as they all approached.

"Alright, what is it that you want to know," she asked him.

He asked about his reason for being there, money being the only answer she gave. He then asked her what had transpired that had resulted in his death.

"He had his hand on my throat and I could not breathe, I remember hitting him with my cane" Ana admitted.

"Could I please take a look at your cane?" he asked her, to which she passed it to him.

Wrapping my arm around Ana's waist to give her the support she needed, I pulled her closer still, my need to protect her even from this man so strong.

"No, this is not it" he mumbled.

"Not what," Ana asked him.

"Your father was not killed by the fire Mrs Grey, he was killed by being struck to the head."

"I am not surprised," Ana told him.

"Why would you say that."

"The tent was burning around us, the poles were coming down too. I felt the ground shake while I lay on the floor trying to breathe from his assault."

"Those poles," he asked, pointing to the mass of charred wood that we had seen when we arrived.

"Yes, the whole menagerie was alight, the poles creaking up above as the fire spread upwards before they started to give way."

"I suspect being hit by one of those poles would kill anyone."

"Yes, even men who had come there to try and kill me. What of Katherine and her husband" Ana asked.

"Your sister."

"No, sir. I have no sister, not any more. I would just like to know I can sleep at night without worrying that I am going to be burnt in my bed."

"They will not be bothering anyone for a very long time, neither of them."

Ana nodded her head, cuddling into my side as the policeman announced that he had all the information he needed. Finally taking a seat as my father escorting him from the tent I was startled when my wife bolted upright.

"Ana, what is it," I asked, but her focus was not on me it was on those opposite, Elena and Daisy. Daisy was still on the hunt for peanuts and from the look of it, she was receiving them too.

Elena smiled at the big girl, placing a kiss to the side of Daisy's head. I had never seen them that close before, never really seen Elena interact with the animals. It was like a bond had formed between them, survivors who escaped that tent.

"My father was over me and then he was gone, knocked away so I could breathe" she whispered, as we both looked back when we heard Elena's laugh. "If he had been hit by a pole from above, I would have been hit too."

"You think," I asked.

"I do not know."

I had known for a long time about Elena's own father and the way he treated her. The same as Ana's father treated Ana. If she did kill Raymond to protect mine and her girl, no one would hear a word about it from me.

"What are you doing" Elena laughed as Daisy pulled one of the wooden tent spikes up, one that Elliot tried to take from her so he could put it back in place.

Hearing Carla say that Daisy would be bringing the house down in a moment, made my wife laugh. We watched Daisy swing the pole around for a moment keeping it high out of Elliot's reach. When it did go back in the ground again, it was Daisy who put it there before banging on it with her trunk.

Daisy surprised us really as she has never done that before and I hope it is something she does not do again. Watching her swing the spike around does bring a question to the forefront of my mind though. Had she ever done that before, in a burning tent perhaps to protect one that she loves? We may never know.

As the rain finally stopped and everyone gathered for dinner, Ana asked to put Daisy back. I did not stop her, I watched her climb the stairs while Daisy climbed the ramp but I was surprised when Ana emerged from our carriage instead of out the door she had gone through only moments ago.

"What do you have there," I asked Ana, seeing something tightly gripped in her hand. Taking my hand into hers, she informed me that she needed to speak to me and my parents. "Ana, what is it," I asked again, thinking something new had upset her.

"This is for you" she spoke up, placing an envelope I had seen once before in front of my parents. "For you too Christian."

"No Ana, this is yours" My mother spoke up, pushing the envelope that contained the details of the account that was set up by her grandparents back towards Ana.

"No, in that tent when he asked about the money, I told him I had spent it on my home. This is my home and at the moment because of that man, it is in need of a little repair. For the first time in my life, I finally found where I belong and I will not let him take that away from me, from all of us. You created a place where no matter where you come from, no matter how different you are, the colour of your skin or if walk a little slower than everyone else, you still belong. I love you mother and I miss you so much when we are apart but my life, my home is here."

"It is Ana, you are alive here. I do miss you, sweetheart, when you are gone but despite what that man did, I know you are safe, your heart is safe with Christian. That man will never tear you apart."

"No, he will not," Ana said, looking to me as I placed a kiss upon her forehead. "What is mine is yours, including that money."

"You would spend it on the circus."

"We would spend it on the circus, our home" she added, placing a kiss to my lips.

"We have money Ana, we will rebuild, it will just take a little time," my father told her quietly.

"Money for a new big top, money to replace everything that is gone" she replied, earning a sigh from him.

"This is your money Ana, given to you not us for you to spend on what you wish," my father said, finally picking up the envelope.

"I agree and I wish to spend it on a big top, a new menagerie and everything else for us to open the show again. I do not think I will be able to pick those things up at the store though so you might need to help me."

If this is something Ana wanted to do, I would back her all the way. I have heard my parents worries about getting the circus back on track again, I just hope my father is not too proud to accept help now.

"We have seen what is in this," he stated about the envelope. "It is a lot of money."

"This place is worth so much more than anything in there. If you are worried about spending the money, spend what is needed then to replace what is gone. The rest can stay where it is, until I find a friend for Daisy that is.

Her words brought much-needed laughter, smiles too when my father agreed to touch only what is needed.

….

Leaving the town the next morning the whistle announcing our departure, I held Ana in my arms. This town held so much fun for us, an exciting opportunity for me too but it also held a pain that I could have lost my wife here. I know that will pass in the days ahead, we had a lot to do and thankfully not a lot of time to dwell on what might have happened.

I looked over to where my parents were sitting in the main part of the carriage, chatting away with Carla. She would be travelling with us for a while to wherever we go to next. Despite not saying anything, Ana needs her mother close and Carla was only too happy to come along.

"Where are we heading" Ana whispered to me. "What are we going to do."

"New York eventually but I do not know yet about stops on the way," I told her, seeing her head turn to me.

"New York," she repeated.

"That is where we got the big top from originally. My father has sent word ahead that we are coming and are in need of a replacement. New York also has places we can set up there, buildings my father knows he can use until we are ready to travel again."

"What then, where will we go then once the top is ready."

"Wherever we want, to the stars if need be" I spoke, making my wife giggle. "We are the greatest show on Earth and we have the greatest showman leading the way so who knows what awaits us."

"There are two showmen here, both as great as the other" Ana added.

"One day" I smiled, brushing a stray hair from her cheek. "Until then, we carry on. We create smiles, dreams, a million of them. From now on, we go forward, never looking back, we rebuild the circus the way it was, or maybe better, who knows."

"I love you," Ana said, with a beautiful smile. "Whatever is to come, I am glad I am here to share it with you, my showman."

Bringing my lips to Ana's, I whispered my words of love against them before deepening the kiss. Whatever is to come from this day forth, we continue what we have done in the past, because after all the show must go on and ours is the greatest show of them all.

Thank you for reading. The next chapter will be the final one of this story, a little look into their future.

With regards to if Raymond died from hand or trunk, I will let you decided.

Until next time, take care.

Caroline.