"Why is Salvatore out and about? It's still early - he should be drunk in a corner somewhere," Billie commented as they drew up to the newly assembled circus tents.

"I don't know, but he doesn't look too pleased," Lola remarked, frowning at the ringmaster who was stood with his shirt hanging open, his large black whip in his hands.

"You don't think he heard about the Rube fight do you?" Juan groaned.

"Nah, you're alright buddy - the makeup covers your black eye," Billie winked at him.

"Doesn't stop it hurting," Juan whimpered as he turned to paw at a sympathetic Anita.

"Hey," Billie whispered to Dean, "Whatever Salvatore's issue is, just let me deal with it okay?"

Dean looked like he wanted to argue but gave a curt nod instead.

"I'm not leaving you alone with him though," Dean added after a moment.

"Deal," Billie agreed, feeling secretly relieved.

Salvatore extended his arms towards them as they approached, a wide smile on his face, "My family! How delighted I am that you've returned!"

"This is going to be bad," Lola muttered, drawing up behind Billie.

"You should get out of here," Billie whispered back to her.

"I trust your little expedition into the town went without any hiccoughs?" Salvatore enquired with an innocuous expression. Billie could already see Jack stood beside the ringmaster, he was eyeing the rest of the group with a shifty expression.

Evidently, the bimbo had run back to tell Salvatore everything that had happened. Billie had never liked him, Jack had grown even more vindictive after his squeeze Lucille decided she preferred the magical wiles of the circus' enchantress Bernice.

"Yeah great, Salvatore!" Billie piped up cheerfully. "We got rid of all the posters, drummed up some crowd enthusiasm, reckon we'll get a sell out tomorrow night."

"I'm so glad to hear it," Salvatore replied, "I would hate to hear that there had been any bad publicity. Anything that might put people off coming to see our little old circus."

"Nope," Billie replied, shaking his head. "Nothing like that. So we'll just be off now to practise if that's okay-"

Billie made to walk away as there was a loud cracking sound and Salvatore's whip smacked down on the grass in front of him, narrowly missing his nose. Billie gasped as Dean reached out to grab him, pulling him back before the other boy rounded on Salvatore furiously,

"What the hell are you doing? You could have blinded him!" Dean snarled.

"Stay out of this Dean," Salvatore growled. "You're still new here so I'm only going to count this as your first offense, but if you want that record to remain un-blighted I suggest you stay away from our little Billie. He has a nasty way of attracting trouble."

Billie sighed and threw his hands up in the air, "What do you want from me Salvatore? I didn't start the damn fight!"

"Like you didn't start the last one?" Salvatore drawled, coiling his whip back in across the ground like a snake, readying it to strike again.

"Billie says he didn't start it and that's good enough for us," Juan announced firmly, taking a step forwards and glaring at Salvatore.

"Hernandez, unless you want the next stretch of the journey to end in you being thrown head first from the train I suggest you walk away now," Salvatore snapped.

"Oh and who's gonna throw me Salvatore?" Juan retorted angrily. "You? Because I don't see anyone else in the circus doing it!"

Salvatore's expression slipped into an ice cold stare as he regarded Juan, "Acrobats are a dime a dozen Juan. What with other circuses going bust all the time, never forget how replaceable you are."

"Yeah well good luck with that," Juan huffed. "Because I'm pretty sure ringmasters are replaceable too!"

Billie let out a low whistle as Salvatore's face flushed with rage.

Suddenly, Salvatore turned on his heels and stalked off in the opposite direction without even looking back.

"Well...that was anticlimactic," Billie shrugged at Juan who was staring after the ringmaster with a puzzled frown.

"He'll get you both back for that," Lola sighed behind them. "You know he'll plan something horrible."

"Let him plan," Dean growled in a low voice as he drew closer to Billie.

"It's alright for you," Billie chuckled, "You've got an army of trained wolves, what am I going to do? Throw sequins at him?"

"You've got me," Dean stated firmly before grabbing tightly hold of Billie's hand. "And don't underestimate the sequins. I got an eyeful of them last time I helped you stretch and I thought I was going to go blind."

Billie let out a loud guffaw as he pressed his face up against Dean's shoulder. He was still enjoying the warm feeling spreading through him from Dean's protectiveness.

"If your romantic moment is quite over we should all go start practising our various routines," Lola announced as Juan made a throat-clearing noise and Anita giggled behind them.

Billie bit his lip as he drew back sheepishly and glanced tentatively up at Dean. The older boy was smiling softly back at him.

"You going to go work on the animal act?" Billie asked but Dean shook his head,

"Not letting you out of my sight with Salvatore in this mood," Dean stated firmly.

"Great - then you can help us with the heavy beams," Juan said loudly, clapping Dean on the back and winking at Billie.

"The show must go on!" Billie laughed as he wrapped his arm around Dean and followed Juan towards the practice tent.