Disclaimer: I own nothing

Arachnophobia

Back and forth. Back and forth. For some, swinging on a trapeze bar was nerve wracking, but for Wendy, she rather enjoyed it. It was peaceful, the swing taking her higher each time as the momentum pushed her forward until she let go and leapt for the next bar. Peter was across from her, like always, and she swung backwards once more, knowing she had two or three more swings before she could match the distance between them.

She swung back again and her eyes darted to the roof of the tent, following a single thread, nearly invisible, that swayed down from the top of the tent and stopped nearly in front of her nose. And on the end, just inches from her as she swung forward, so close she could nearly see herself reflected in its hundreds of beady little eyes: a spider.

Wendy shrieked and let go prematurely and though Peter flailed he couldn't catch her. She landed in Dagger's arms luckily, and he grunted with the effort of catching her, "What was tha' about then?"

"Spider!" Wendy shrieked and Peter saw it too. Peter was never one to be afraid of something as silly as a spider, but it was a big spider. He swung back far enough to snag his toes on the perch they leapt from and clambered onto it, sliding halfway down the ladder and hopping down to the ground.

The spider, meanwhile, continued its descent to the ground where it landed in the dust and watched the humans frozen in fear before it. Dagger nearly dropped Wendy but held her tight as the spider came forward on its long, spindly legs.

"Whatcha doin'?" Doll asked as she came around the corner, umbrella in hand, and Wendy pointed, "Spider!"

Doll searched for it with her single eye and found it, "Tha' one?"

Unfortunately, Doll was pointing to a completely different spider, and Wendy whimpered. Peter skid to a stop beside them, "I found another."

Three spiders stood before them and without hesitation the four circus performers raced from the practice tent, screaming and yelling, nearly colliding with Joker. He placed his hands on his hips, a teasing grin on his face, "What's the matter with you lot?"

"Spider invasion!" Dagger yelped, tugging the tent flaps closed, "We'll have to burn the tent down."

Joker laughed, pushing past him into the tent, "Honestly. All the things we've done and you're scared of a wee spider. I don' even see one."

The four peaked around him and indeed, there was not a spider to be seen. Suspicious, Doll cried, "They're waitin' to strike!"

Joker chuckled again and turned back to face the tent, to find himself nose to nose with one of the spiders, nearly as big as his hand and staring at him with its multitude of eyes, "Right then. Found it. Burn the tent."

They fled to the safety of the outside, where Beast rounded the corner, adjusting her corset, "What are you doin'?"

"Spiders!" They all cried and Beast snorted, storming into the practice tent. Not again, really, she thought. She swatted the spider to the floor and stomped on it, seeking out the others and returning to the entrance of the tent, "They're gone. Yer safe."

Struggling from the weight of the hug forced upon her, Beast pat Doll's head, "You saved us!"

Beast rolled her eyes, "Just a wee spider. Honestly, every time! Ya call yourself the ringleader!" She shot at Joker who grinned sheepishly, "It was a big one this time."

"Always is," Beast chuckled. Maybe she should change her act from beast tamer to spider tamer.