Burn (Barlyle) (COMPLETE)

03

Face lined, Barnum fisted his hands in his hair as he tried to focus on the paperwork spread out before him on his desk. With the circus gone, he had no idea how he was going to pay for the—

Somebody knocked on the door.

Barnum sighed. "Come in," he called wearily.

The doorknob twisted and the door swung open, revealing Phillip - bandaged, but alive. He managed to give the ringmaster a small smile.

Barnum gasped and jumped to his feet. "Phillip! I had no idea you were being released today. What are you doing here?"

"I had to come see how my partner was doing, didn't I?" Phillip shuffled into the room.

"About that." Barnum visibly backed up. He pressed his lips together, shoulders stiff, and stared at the younger man. "I don't know how I'm going to keep the circus alive," he sighed after a moment. "After the fire, and all of the expenses—"

"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about," Phillip interrupted. Then he launched into an explanation, telling Barnum all about how he'd saved up his part of the profit - and he was willing to spend it all if it meant saving the circus.

Barnum stared at him, dumbstruck, for a moment. Tears briefly stung his eyes. "You don't have to—"

"I want to, Barnum." Phillip's bright eyes shun and the soft, somewhat shy smile returned. "After all, you saved my life. How could I ever repay that?"

"I was only doing what was right."

A pause. Phillip made no mention of what happened in the building and Barnum deflated like a balloon.

He didn't remember.

"Well, this is what I believe is right. Let me do this, Barnum. After all - we're family."