A/N: Thank you for all the lovely reviews! I love seeing what you guys think!

Hopefully this bit of fluff will help ease the tension created by the last chapter before another round of angst in the next few chapters.

I don't know if you guys saw but we had a Greatest Showman category for, like, a minute. I'll keep my eyes open and once it goes live I'll be moving this story into that category.

Edit: I realized, after going to see this movie again (and Wrox on AO3), I switched Helen and Caroline. Nothing has changed except their names.

Disclaimer: I own nothing and I gain nothing from writing this except your lovely reviews.

Anne turned up the collar of her coat against the bitter wind as Phillip helped her race up the steps and open the door into the warm foyer.

"Phillip! Anne!" Helen called, racing over to the couple and hugging their legs. "You're finally here!"

"You told us to be here at seven o'clock sharp," Phillip protested, picking up the youngest Barnum and walking over to where Charity and P.T. waited, "and it's five minutes 'til." Helen shrugged and Phillip laughed, setting her down and she ran off to Charity, who took her hand with a smile.

"I'm so glad you're here," Charity offered and both smiled warmly, greeting the Barnum's with hugs and a handshake. They joined the line of parents, relatives, and friends making their way into the auditorium.

"And miss Caroline's performance?" Anne questioned as though the thought would never have occurred as they waited to take their seat.

"It's all he's been able to talk about for weeks," Phillip elbowed Barnum with a grin, "I thought for sure he would create a ballet routine for a finale before the month was over." The men helped the women into their seat-Helen between Phillip and Barnum.

"Can I help it if I'm excited about my daughter's performance?" he stiffened jokingly and Charity leaned into him with a smile.

"How are the wedding plans progressing?" Charity asked, changing the subject and leaning forward to ask Anne at the end. The latter grinned and looked to Phillip, who decidedly started looking everywhere but his fiancee.

"Yes, how are the wedding plans coming?" Anne echoed, her smile audible as she grinned at Phillip.

"I'm missing something," P.T. said, looking between his co-worker and trapeze star.

"My family isn't going to attend," Phillip started, "and Anne's family is small, so I suggested we could save money and have a small affair."

"What's wrong with that?" P.T. asked at the same time Charity laughed and Helen gasped.

"You don't want a big wedding?" Helen asked Anne, as though the idea were foreign to her. "But you'll look like a princess!"

"She already looks a princess," Phillip interjected smoothly, picking up her hand and giving it kiss, causing Anne to blush but hold his gaze.

"Nice distraction," she quipped, "but that won't work." P.T. and Charity chuckled and Phillip opened his mouth to say something but the lights dimmed and the audience applauded politely as the curtain rose and the recital began.

Despite starting late, Caroline acquired her father's natural showmanship and her mother's grace-she was one of three soloists out of her class of 20. The practice Barnum told them Helen perfected paid off and she received some of the most thunderous applause. Phillip and Anne were among her loudest supporters.

After the performance, Anne took Phillip's arm and they followed Charity and P.T. backstage where they waited for Helen to emerge. Phillip held a giant bouquet for the young soloist while Anne held a package in her hands she wouldn't let anyone look in.

"Daddy!" Caroline squealed, jumping into P.T.'s open arms and giggling with delight as he spun her around. "Did you see me?"

"See you?" he asked, "How could I miss you? You were wonderful!" he beamed, kissing each cheek. Charity took Caroline in her arms and repeated the process.

"You're a born natural," she praised and Caroline glowed with pride as Helen gave her sister a hug.

"These are for the young ballerina," Phillip handed over the bouquet and it nearly toppled her over.

"Thank you, Uncle Phillip!" Caroline's voice caused the stems of the roses to shake and Barnum picked up the bouquet for her, holding it while she gave Phillip and Anne a hug. "What's in the bag?" she asked, pointing to the package in Anne's arms.

"It's for your fellow ballet...students," Anne replied knowingly. Caroline wasn't unfamiliar with being an outcast-seeking refuge from the cruelty of the ballet company at the circus and the performers. "Where are they?" As if on cue, a horde of ballet students descended to join the after party and dead-ended into the group blocking the way.

"Good job, girls!" Phillip praised enthusiastically, and unless they were familiar with his expressions, they wouldn't have noticed he put on his Ringmaster persona. "You did great."

"We brought you presents," Anne offered with her performance smile, handing out small wrapped bundles to their eager, greedy hands. They held them delicately, trying to hide their excitement at the prospect of a gift and not wanting to seem overeager to tear into it. They side-eyed the bouquet P.T. held for his daughter and they twittered at the potential gifts inside their own parcels.

"Are we ready to move on to the after party?" P.T. asked the girls once the package was deemed empty, hanging at Anne's side, and they nodded. "We'll see you there, ladies," he bid the classmates farewell and put his arm around Charity while Helen and Caroline ran off towards the afterparty. Only Anne and Phillip lagged long enough to hear the girl's reaction.

"PEANUTS?" the girls squealed in disgust.

A/N 2: I have amazing news: over the weekend I received a job offer. For those of you who are new, I studied engineering and graduated in 2014. This is my first engineering job-it's over 3 years in the making and I am truly blessed. It is a prayer answered and I couldn't be happier.

I don't know what the update schedule for this will be (there really isn't one) but work comes first. I'll try to keep this up but if I disappear for a while, you know why.

Also, it's not that Anne wants a "big" wedding but typical weddings in the 1900s meant very little in the way of...anything resembling a wedding today. She wants her moment to walk down the aisle in a pretty white dress, which was still a relatively new fashion for someone NOT in high society.

As always, if you feel the need to flame, flame responsibly :)