"Get back here you little brat!"

Eugene didn't dare look back, clambering over boxes as he raced through the cobbled streets.

"STOP!"

Oh, he wasn't stopping, not when he had this priceless necklace in his hands.

"SOMEONE GRAB THAT CHILD!"

Thankfully, a lot of people were against the guards and did nothing to help them as Eugene climbed up a pile of crates, before nimbly hopping over a wall and rushing home.

"'M back!" he called out as he burst through the door and into the small room, "Look what I got!"

His Dad's didn't look very impressed, both of them with their arms folded over their chests.

"… What?"

"What do you mean, what?!" Tulio sighed wearily, "You were meant to be at the local school today, the teacher was expecting you!"

Eugene scowled, "What's school gonna teach me. I already know everything!"

"You know how to pickpocket…" Miguel knelt down in front of him, "… you need to learn how to read and things like that. Counting. Geography. They're all important!"

"But they're all boring!"

"You like it when me and Papa read to you. Wouldn't it be good to read all those books by yourself?"

"No!" Eugene stomped his foot slightly, "I just want to stay with you and Papa!"

Before Miguel could say anything else, Tulip groaned and spoke up, "Miguel, we're not getting anywhere. We've tried to nice approach, and now we're going for the strict one. Eugene, you're going to school tomorrow. In fact, I'm going to take you and I'm going to make sure you stay there."

"You can't do that!"

"Yes, I can!"

Before Eugene could start to raise his voice again, Tulio held up his hand. "Enough. I'm not arguing with you all night… give me that necklace."

The child pouted, "It's my prize. I stole it fair and square."

"Don't care, hand it over."

Eugene did, practically throwing it at his Papa before storming over to his bed. "I'm gonna be a guard when I grow up! And I'll arrest you and throw you into jail!"

"Eugene!"

"No, no, no…" Tulio held up a hand, shaking his head as Miguel's mouth opened in shock, "… He's just saying that to hurt us. Well…" he turned to his sulking son, "… I've got a bit of bad news for you kid. You have to go to school to be a guard!"

"I hate you!"

"Yeah, I'm not that fond of you at the moment either!"

As Eugene started to kick his feet against his straw mattress, fists banging against the pillow, Tulio turned to Miguel and pulled him into a gentle hug. "Give him some time…" he whispered into the other man's ear, "… he'll be fine."

"Are you- "

"- Just let him sulk."

Miguel nodded, trying to shake off the hurtful comment shouted by Eugene previously as he and Tulio moved over to their own area of the small house.

….

"Do you remember going to school?"

Tulio frowned at the question. Eugene had gone to sleep hours earlier, so it was probably safe to talk about this again. "Not really…" he whispered, "… I know I didn't enjoy it either, but it was important, I know that know."

"…. I remember school back in England." Miguel softly replied, "I could never concentrate on anything, but when I came here, I couldn't speak a word of Spanish. There was really no point in going to school again. I learnt the language, and then got myself a low-paying job."

"Thank God I saved you from that."

Miguel buried his face into his pillow in order to muffle his laughter, nodding in agreement as Tulio chuckled by his side.

….

"Freedom! I want freedom!"

Tulio nodded at the other thieves and con-men of the city as he dragged his son past them, rolling his eyes as the Stabbington brothers laughed at him.

They could try and force a five-year-old to go where he didn't want to, see how much they liked it, or how good they were at it.

"I don't want to go!"

Eugene's protests were ignored as they came up to the old school building, trying the new tactic of going completely limp as he was dragged on behind his Papa.

"Eugene, I'm starting to lose my endless patience!"

As they approached the door, a young woman, dressed in simple, yet new clothes, was waiting for them, a fond smile on her face.

"There's one every year." She shook her head, bending down to try and look Eugene in the eyes, "Hello, and what's your name?"

Almost instantly, Eugene stopped his protests and turned to look at the pretty, young teacher who was speaking to him.

It was like Tulio was holding a completely different child.

"Hi, I'm Eugene!" his son exclaimed eagerly, holding out his hand for the teacher to shake, like his parents had taught him to.

"Hello Eugene…" The teacher beamed, gently shaking the offered hand, "… you may call me Madam Kiki. Would you like to come in?"

And just like that, Eugene was back to being his shy alter-ego, burying his face into Tulio's legs.

"No? But we're having a music lesson? Do you like music?"

Tulio nodded along with his son in answer to this question. Miguel was a huge music lover, and was trying to encourage Eugene into learning how to play the lute, allowing the five-year-old to pluck on the strings.

Loudly.

With Eugene often trying in the early hours of the morning.

"Well, why don't you come in and join the rest of us?"

Eugene nodded, keeping a hold of Tulio as he started to walk inside, only for Tulio to stop and shake his head. "I'm not coming in as well kiddo. School is just for children."

"That's right. You'll see your Papa in three hours, okay?"

Clearly a few seconds away from protesting, Eugene started to pout, not looking Tulio in the eyes when the older man got to his knees.

"Eugene…. You'll enjoy it, I promise. But you don't want me in there, not when you could be making new friends, right?"

"… Not even for five minutes?"

At the question, Tulio glanced up at Miss Kiki, who frowned and shook her head.

"No…" he sighed, "…. Not even for five minutes."

"…. You'll come and get me though, right?"

"Of course I will. As soon as school ends, I'll be right here."

Mollified by this, Eugene nodded and headed inside, giving his Papa one last look.

"I know it's hard…" Miss Kiki sighed, "… but I find that most parents actually can't wait for their children to spend longer at school."

"Really?"

"Wait for it… you'll know what I mean sooner or later."