AN: Hi there! ok, long wait for this one, i know. but totally worth it! it's time to explore our feelings and move in close. ooh yeah!

thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews! keep em coming! i love hearing what you think :D

Beyond the ruined streets of Agrabah, over the waves of solders that crashed against the palace's weakening gates, and into the silence of the white marble halls, a suspenseful calmness filled the air. The golden light of sunset cast its last beams through open window-ways. The silence of the stone, from which the magnificent halls, pillars, and moldings were cast, seemed to hang in these great empty spaces. Nothing moved, nothing breathed. The walls themselves seemed to hold their breath, waiting for that last moment when the outside world would break though and the swelling silence that rung through their eves would shatter and be lost forever.

Through these halls of hallowed stone, the smallest sound was heard around every corner. In one of the western great rooms, the flawless floor began to move, a square slab suddenly lifted and slid ever so slowly revealing a passageway beneath it. From the darkness, voices peeked out.

"Jafar, hoist me up." Jasmine said.

"Not so fast, Princess, we should be sure the room is clear first."

"Good idea, Jafar, someone should go take a look, be sure that it's safe and all." Iago agreed. There was a pause. "Wait, what are you lookin' at me for?"

"Iago, just fly up and take a look." Jasmine encouraged.

"No way, I'm tired of being your little canary, send the fluffy turkey, I'm not going up first." There was a flash of red light from Jafar's scepter followed by a yelp of pain from Iago, and the parrot was quickly on his way up toward the opening above them. Muttering under his breath, Iago reached the top and peered out over the open room.

"It's clear!" He shouted, and flew out of the hole, the owl following closely behind him. Jafar raised himself up using his magic. Reaching the ledge he hoisted himself out and into the golden light of the palace. The royal rooms were so clean, the nobility they held represented in the elegance of their architecture. It had been so long since Jafar had seen such splendor.

Before his banishment, the sorcerer used to walk these halls at his leisure, as if he was the Sultan himself, overlooking the grandeur of his home. That greed, that need to take control that conjured such fantasies still thrived inside him. If anything, his banishment to the cavern had only increased these desires, and his desperation to reach them. But now there was something different. There was Jasmine.

Jafar had always desired her, her beauty striking at something within him that wanted to own her, to have that beauty for himself, to do with as he pleased. But within these last few hours, he had suddenly seen more in the young Queen then he had before. There was a look in her almond eyes when she pleaded with him, a gentle curve to her mouth when she looked at him after he had saved her. The twinge he had felt in his chest before was now an intense beating as he thought of these things.

He wanted her, not just to own but to protect, to love and to care for. He realized now that he would do anything to keep her safe. It was an odd feeling for the Sorcerer, and he found himself confused by it. Jafar reasoned it would take an eternity to truly understand the emotions Jasmine conjured in him, but as long as he was with her, he could live with the confusion.

Jafar turned back to the hole and called out to Queen who was waiting below.

"Remain still, your highness, I'm going to pull you up." Jasmine nodded to him from the darkness and positioned herself arms outstretched, and waited. There was nothing at first, and she wondered how this would work. Then, slowly, she felt a tingling warmth coil around her, making her body feel oddly light and secure. To her surprise the young Queen's feet lifted from the ground as the Sorcerer's magic pulled her up toward the opening where he stood.

In another hall, a pair of guards had been patrolling for break-ins from the Serbs. They had been near by when the scraping sound of the party's entrance reached their ears through the otherwise silent rooms. Convinced it was the army attacking, they quickly headed toward the eastern court where the noise had come from, armed with their weapons and ready to attack.

In the hall, Jafar had successfully pulled Jasmine up from the passageway, catching her in his arms as he steadied the young Queen just before her feet touched the ground. She hovered there for a moment, the warmth of Jafar's magic still surrounding her as his slender hands held her waist in a stable yet gentle grasp.

Jasmine was getting used to the peculiar feel of Jafar's magic, but as she met the powerful gaze of the man who held her so close to him, she felt at odds by what she saw there. He looked directly into her eyes, he held her body up against his own, he said nothing. Neither did Jasmine. She didn't know what was keeping them from separating but as she shared his gaze, she didn't mind it. The embrace between the Queen and the Sorcerer didn't last more then a few moments, the two of them returning to reality as soon as Jasmine's feet touched the ground.

At that moment, the guards entered the large white room where the two stood, their noisy armor-clad-entrance catching both of the intruder's attention. They turned in surprise as they were caught under the gaze of the guards. The hands of the banished Sorcerer still wrapped around the waist of the kidnapped Queen, though not what the guards were expecting, was still reason for them to act aggressively.

After a moment of dumfounded shock, they jumped into protective action, pointing their swords and addressing the banished one.

"Jafar!" one of them shouted. He stuttered silently for a second as his mind tried to figure out the appropriate way to command a situation he knew nothing about. Finally he managed, "Step away from the Queen!"

Jafar sneered at the clueless guard, his grip tightening possessively around jasmine. Seeing the palace guards, Jasmine was suddenly pulled from her heart fluttering daze as she remembered her authority here. She pushed away from Jafar's grasp, surprising the guards at how easily she did so, and went to them.

"No, stand down! Jafar is with me and is not the threat to worry about right now." Jafar noted that she still referred to him as a threat. He didn't know if he was pleased or disappointed by this. The Guards slowly began to lower their weapons, looking warily at the evil man who loomed behind the Queen. One of them leaned in toward Jasmine and whispered slightly,

"You're … you're not hypnotized are you, your majesty. He has that power you know." Hypnotism, Jasmine thought, if only. She shook her head,

"No soldier, a just thought but not the case. I assure you, your Queen is of completely sound mind." He nodded and stood back, replacing his sword at his side.

Their Queen addressed the three then, regaining her complete authority as she spoke with a voice that would have commanded respect from anyone.

"Now we have to move. You will escort us to the throne room; your accompaniment will hinder any confusion concerning Jafar's presence. While here, I grant him complete clemency from all his crimes and he will not be bothered or harmed. I want you," she pointed to the other soldier, "to retrieve any other guards around the palace and bring them to the throne room. If I'm correct, that is where the citizens are gathering and we need to base our defense around them. Their protection is our priority. Now go!" the solder nodded and ran off to collect the others. Jasmine didn't hesitate, as she ran in the other direction down the chamber hall, headed toward the throne room, Jafar and guard following close behind.

AN: Warning: it's about to get real!

Please leave me a review of what you think, Jasmine and Jafar appreciate it as well 3