Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to either Treasure Planet or Tangled or any of the characters. I write purely for my own entertainment and that of my readers.

Over the past few days, most kids had learned to avoid him. Even some of the older kids had become wary of crossing Eugene's path. Saying that he was in a foul mood would be an understatement. He had not left the orphanage for four straight days and the effects were becoming clearer by the day. Kids were hoarding the food they had left, unwilling to share with anyone else. The entire place was buzzing with negative tension. It would not be long before a fight broke out over one of those hoards and then all hell would break loose. Something had to be done. Seeing as no one else was going to do it, Susie took it on herself to find Eugene. It didn't take long. Like the previous days, he was sprawled across what a charitable person might call a sofa, in the common room closest to the entrance. She didn't really know what to do next, so she just kept standing in the door for a while.

"Go away." That was Eugene of course. There was no one else in the room.

"No, I won't." She knew this conversation was not going to be pretty. It would probably be like sucking the venom out of a wound, but Eugene had to be saved from himself. This would not do at all. "I won't leave until you've gone out again."

"Fine. Then stay. I don't care." She couldn't really see him from where she was standing. The sofa's back was parallel with the door, so Susie walked in and picked out a dilapidated lounge chair facing the couch. Eugene had his arms crossed behind his head and his feet were dangling off the other side of the sofa. "Gaah, Susie. Leave me alone!"

"I won't! I will not leave you alone until you go out and bring us back some food!"

"You know, did you ever think that maybe you are not the center of my universe and that I might have some personal issues I need to deal with?"

"Eugene, everyone is very much aware you have personal issues to deal with. But this is not the way to do it. The children are doing as much as they possibly can, but they don't know how to steal food! They don't even know how to beg properly! Everyone is going hungry and we need you." There was no point in playing games. This was an all-or-nothing situation and Susie was putting all her cards on the table. It didn't look like it was enough. She was right.

Eugene muffled a half-hearted "Well, tough love," and turned over on his side, so that he wasn't looking at Susie anymore.

"Eugene, you are being so selfish!"

"I'M being selfish? ME?" He had jumped up and was glaring at Susie now. "I have been in this common room ever since I learned about Fitzwilliam, so that this time I won't screw up again and I'll be here, but you want me to give up my one chance at a way out FOR SOME FOOD?" It was clear Eugene had not bought the story the Patroller had fed him. That was not an excuse though.

"YES EUGENE! Because let's face it: that man is not coming back. He left as soon as he left this orphanage and you know it. You know it and still you won't pull yourself out of this lethargy! But the kids need you Eugene, and you won't be able to keep this up. You need food as well and you know how to get it! So yes, you are being selfish. You need to give up this poison dream of living a happy life with a happy family in a happy home where no hunger will ever exist, because it's not going to happen. Snap out of it already!" All throughout her tirade, it had seemed as if the air was blowing out of him and he sank down on the sofa. His head was hanging down, hair falling so that his face was almost entire obscured. He was deflated and Susie hated that it was because of what she had shouted, but she also knew it had been necessary. "Come on Eugene. You know I wish it could be different. But we are orphans. You, me, all of us. And orphans fall under the category of 'unwanted' in this world. We are a burden on society. We are a burden on everyone who comes in contact with us. We only have each other. We are each other's family. And family helps each other. We need you back Eugene."

"Okay." Susie almost didn't catch it, but she got up and walked out the room. In the door she stopped and looked back. His shoulders were shaking, so she closed the door behind her.

Susie had been right of course, but that didn't make going back any easier. He just couldn't get his mind to focus and that would not do if I he was supposed to come back with something to eat. Maybe it would help to just go through the movements, the routine. Take up the position next to the coat stand. Scout out the alertness of the staff. Choose a target. Get the job done. Who knows, it might work. So that's what he did. The corner for the coat stand was nice and secluded, it offered a limited view of the dining room through a large arch from where guests were guided to their seats. From that corner it was not possible to see all the diners, but that wasn't usually necessary. If there was no appropriate target, Eugene could just wait until the pool had shuffled a bit: people left, new people came in, and there was always someone. Just like now. Like usual it was someone he had never seen here before. She was an adult human, just finishing her meal. She looked wealthy enough: she wore earrings and a bracelet around her wrist. Being a human, she might be less likely to be suspicious of her own species, but that might just as easily not be the case. You just never knew, which meant Eugene had to go with his gut a lot of the time. But his gut had also said that the visitor at the orphanage had been for him. So why hadn't the Patroller managed to get the guy to come back? Wherever he threw his thoughts, all he found was more riddles. Riddles wouldn't do right at this moment though, it seemed he had blanked out for a moment and the lady was almost at the coat stand already. He quickly grabbed her jacket. She looked strangely at him but accepted the situation, holding out her arms for Eugene to slide the jacket on. He was feeling rushed though, because he had only snapped out of his thoughts a few seconds ago. He didn't have control yet. He knows the motions and turns on the automatic drive, putting his hands in the deep pockets of the coat. And she noticed. She immediately turned around and pinned Eugene's hands, coming out of her pockets.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Eugene had no answer ready that wouldn't make him look bad. He was standing there with her wallet in his hand. So all he could manage was:

"Ah.. Uhmm.. well..?"

"Explain yourself young man. I do not appreciate a thief." Then Sarah – the inn keeper – came up to the two of them.

"What is going on here?" She was probably trying to prevent a scene, because that would definitely be bad for her business. Eugene had never talked with Sarah before, though he was sure she knew about his exploits. After all, he had come here quite a few times already. He had been considering moving on to a different turf, but he found it difficult to let the Benbow Inn go. It was warm and dry and had mildly wealthy clientele. And sure, yeah, he liked the feeling of it as well. It was old and it was still here. You don't see something like that often. And now he might not see it ever again, as soon as Sarah told him to leave and never come back.

"This kid just tried to steal my wallet, and that might just have been the start! These street rats are not to be trusted. You can be sure I won't come here again."

"Now let's not be too hasty! I am sure this boy here feels very bad about what he just did, and that he would want to apologize." Was that directed at him? He didn't feel bad about stealing, he felt bad about being caught in the act! No way out now though. He tried on his most remorseful look – which was not convincing anyone – and looked up at the woman.

"I am very sorry for trying to steal from you miss." He quickly looked down again and thrust his hands out to give her the wallet back. "I won't do it again." Which was true, because he would bet anything he had that she would never be coming back here.

"You better not!" she huffed, and turned on her heel, slamming the door behind her. Sarah also turned on her heel, but she meant to talk to Eugene. He expected that she would want to give him a scolding, so he did not wait and had already entered the kitchen, racing for the door on the opposite side.

"STOP HIM," Sarah yelled, and one of the waiters caught the back of Eugene's coat, hauling him back to the entrance room, where Sarah was already tapping her foot. The perfect image of the disappointed mother. Why was she doing that? She wasn't his mother. No one was. "Now you listen to me, and you listen carefully. I need to have a serious talk with you, because we both know that this was not the first time you stole from my guests. Please follow me." She pulled a curtain to the side, going up the stairs hidden behind it. The waiter was still hovering, so Eugene had no choice but to follow her up the stairs. They went in a room that must be over the dinner hall, because you could hear the people downstairs talking and eating. The room seemed to take up most of the space on this floor. There was an alcove with a tech-window, and another small window up in the rafters. There wasn't a lot of furniture, mainly a square wooden table with two chairs, and one fauteuil in a corner viewing the alcove. "Please have a seat." Eugene chose the chair facing the door through which they had come. He never felt comfortable if he couldn't see at least one way of exit. So far he hadn't really done any talking, mainly trying to take in these new surroundings and trying to adapt to these very different circumstances. Now was the moment to turn the tide.

"Alright, so you know this was not my first time. I can't give back what I have stolen previously, if that's what you're hoping. That's all gone."

"Is that so? And how did that happen then? I last saw you here only a few days ago!" He could make up a lie. But what with the events since his previous visit to the Benbow, and being caught here for the first time, Eugene felt there was no point anyway. Whatever happened now would happen, and it didn't matter whether Sarah knew what was going on or not. It wasn't like it was going to change anything.

"I feed the orphans with it."

"What?" Clearly she hadn't been expecting that.

"I steal whatever I can and use it to buy food, which I divide among the orphans back at the House."

"Oh. Oh, I see. Well, that changes things a bit." What? How did that change anything?

"Huh? How..? How does that change anything?"

"Well you see… Uhm, what's your name? Mine's…"

"Sarah, I know. I've observed you talking with some of the guests. I'm Eugene." First name was enough for now. His last name would only create more questions.

"Right. Well, Eugene, I thought you were either stealing for yourself or for a gang. I didn't expect that people would depend on whether you managed to steal anything. And don't you think you've been the only one observing around here! I know you try to make sure you don't steal from the poorest guests around here. Now, here's the stitch. You won't be surprised that I have been getting a bad name recently. People talk, mainly at the Spaceport. I can't have that Eugene. I'm trying to run a business here and your exploits are interfering with that. I appreciate that you do what you believe is all you can do under circumstances. I appreciate that you try to be decent, once again considering circumstances. Also, I am not going to turn you in." Huh. Now there was a pleasant surprise. It seemed too good to be true, so there must be a catch.

"Yeah? And what do you want from me in return?"

"To stop stealing."

"Done." That was easy enough. He would just go somewhere else, like he had been planning to anyway.

"No, I think you misunderstand Eugene. I want you to stop stealing altogether. You can be so much more than just a petty thief. You care for those children. A lot, if you are willing to put yourself out there at risk of being taken to juvenile jail. I know that any promise you make me will not be worth anything, because I understand you care for the kids back at the House. But Eugene, you're a kid yourself!" Oh, here it goes. The sermon. You're just a kid, a child really. He shouldn't have to go out there and rustle up food. He shouldn't have to defy the law. Well, you know what, Eugene couldn't say it any better.

"I agree! I am just a kid! But you know what, that doesn't matter one bit, does it? Because being a kid is not enough to get food on the table. So yeah, I have to go out there and steal. I have to go out there and make sure the kids back Home can eat something!"

"Good, then we're on the same page! I want you to stop stealing, and instead I will give you food." What was even going on here? This had never happened before. Again, too good to be true, so there must be something else going on.

"What do you mean?"

"Instead of having you on the street, stealing from people, you can come here and pick up any and all leftovers. We will make sure that we keep what can be kept, so you can take it back. I don't want you on the streets, so if you agree not to steal I'll provide you with at least what you would have been able to bring Home otherwise."

"That's it? That's all I need to do? Not steal?"

"Yeah. Yeah, that's about it. If you would agree to it, I'd appreciate it if you could hand guests their coats for the first few days. That way, they will learn no one is stealing anymore in the inn and I can make sure you're not off stealing somewhere else. Because I am very serious about that." How was this happening? There must be a catch!

"Uhmm… This is all a bit overwhelming. Would it be all right if I think about it?"

"Of course! Of course. Please do come back though. I'll promise you some food even if you decide to go on stealing, but I would like to speak with you again before I won't be able to find you."

"Alright, sure. I guess that's fair enough."

Sarah escorted Eugene downstairs and let him out the front door. For a change.

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