The Greatest Showman (Anne Wheeler x Male OC)

Chapter Two: This Is Who We Are

The next few weeks were a blur to William. Shows every night, rehearsals all day. Sounds tiring, but it was what made him happy. Over that time, Anne had become his best friend and the two would always spend time together after a show or during breaks of rehearsal. A new addition to the circus, for that was the name Barnum gave the building, was added through Mr. Phillip Carlyle, who was a good friend. However, with the rising fame of the circus, a mob of angry men wanted them all to leave.

"'Shame of the city'," Barnum read in a paper as the oddities surrounded him. "'The protests cement Mr. Barnum's reputation as a purveyor of the offensive and indecent'."

"'Offensive and indecent'?" Lettie asked as she groomed her beard. "Mr. Bennett, I'm blushing."

"No, I'm blushing," Helen said, a fake beard tied around her head, causing W.D. to laugh.

"What do you care what Bennett thinks?" a woman asked.

"He's a prig," Lettie said.

"And a snob," Tom added.

"Yeah, and all the snobs in New York read him," Barnum said. "He does their thinking for them."

"Whatever happened to thriving off controversy?" Anne asked as Phillip and William walked in.

"Yeah, well - hey," Barnum said, walking up to his partner and act. "Do you two have any thoughts on this?"

"William!" Helen said, running up to the young man, who got down on his knee and gave her a large hug as if he were her big brother. Anne smiled on how great he was with kids.

"You know what?" Phillip asked, pulling a letter from his coat. "As a matter of fact, I do." He then handed Barnum the letter, who read it.

"'The master of the household has it in command of the Queen to invite Mr. Phineas T. Barnum and his theatrical troupe to a reception at Buckingham Palace'." Anne's smile then faded, knowing exactly what would happen to her and her brother.

"The Queen Victoria?" Charity asked. "Is this real?"

"He had to pull a few strings," Spider-Man said to his boss's wife, pointing at Phillip with a thumb. Anne and W.D. then looked at each other.

"If you want society to accept you," Phillip said, handing William his hat to put on Helen, "you may as well start at the very, very top." Helen giggled as William put the hat over her eyes. Anne then stood up to face the two.

"Are we all invited?" she asked. William's smile then faded after seeing the look in her eye, knowing what she meant. He then had an idea.

"Phillip," he said to his friend, "can you please tell the Queen that all of us go or none of us do?" Anne then smiled as she gave a nod of approval.

"I certainly can," Phillip answered. Everyone then started getting excited.

"Queen of England?" Tom asked. "Can't get much better than that!" William then carried Helen on his back and spun her around, much to her amusement and Anne's smile.

A few weeks later, the group set sail for England. At Buckingham Palace, the troupe entered the palace with a guide.

"Why aren't we in tails?" W.D. asked Barnum, for Barnum and Carlyle were wearing black and white suits, whereas the acts were all wearing their bright and colorful costumes.

"We're the entertainment," Barnum answered.

"I don't see you in a costume!" Lettie hissed.

"Yeah," William agreed, unrolling his mask to pull over his face, placing it on his head like a bandana. "You two look picture perfect. We look like an ordinary circus act." Phillip then stopped the troupe as the guide introduced them.