Disclaimer: I don't own Aladdin.

Read on, oh faithful ones...

...

Kovac slipped out of the guard's quarters, his fingers wrapped about his amulet as he tried to search for the source of power that was keeping him awake. His amulet was cloaking his magical presence, but didn't do the same for his physical one, and Kovac was unaware of the brightly coloured bird that followed him overhead.

At first, Iago had been annoyed at Cassim's request to watch the guard, but as time passed, and Kovac did things that no other Agrabah-born person could possibly know how to do, Iago's own curiosity was tempted. He kept an eye on the amulet about the man's neck, seeing how often the man held it, and despite the fact that it was made from pure jade, Iago had no desire to steal the thing. There was something inherently wrong with the amulet, and it made him feel ill if he looked at it for too long.

Frowning when he saw that Kovac was making his way to the prohibited area of the palace - more specifically, the sleeping quarters of Jasmine, Aladdin, and Jewel - Iago stopped in mid-flight, turning and flying to Cassim's room as fast as he possibly could.

Despite being awoken at such a late (or early) hour and the fact that Iago was breathless from his flight, Cassim figured out that something was wrong that had to do with his granddaughter and the guard from the Black Lamp tribe. He ran across the rooftops, his sword ready in his hands, ready to completely destroy the man who would hurt his family.

The genie had altered the baby walkie-talkie so that he would be the first to hear Jewel's crying, and so he arrived in her room in a puff of blue smoke mere seconds after she started to cry loudly. He had a fleeting concern at her sound since Jewel had slept calmly through the night for the past week, and on arriving in her room, the genie discovered that his concern was well-founded. The new guard, Kovac, was standing above Jewel's bed, his sword by his side, and his arm displaying the insignia of the Black Lamp tribe. As Kovac leant over the crib, Jewel stopped crying for a moment to try and grab his amulet, and the genie darted forward before she could touch it. He pulled Kovac back by his shirt, and with the motion, his amulet swung around and hit the genie in the chest. Propelled across the room at the sudden force, the genie hit against the nursery bookcase with a loud crash, stuffed animals and large silk pillows falling off the shelves to surround his still form.

Kovac was still surprised at the sudden movement - he hadn't heard the genie come up behind him - but he didn't have time to help the genie, as he heard Princess Jasmine getting out of bed through the thing that was sitting beside Jewel's crib. He couldn't leave the nursery without being caught, and if he was caught, he'd be killed in an instant. Removing his amulet, Kovac pocketed it and then made himself melt into the shadows.

"Jewel? Are you all right, my baby? Oh, precious Jewel, stop crying now, shhh," Jasmine soothed, picking her daughter up gently and hugging her to her chest.

As she rocked Jewel back to sleep, Jasmine turned to take a walk around the nursery, and saw that the genie was collapsed among the stuffed toys and pillows, and the bookcase behind him was cracked in half. Gasping loudly at the sight, she called for Aladdin loudly, setting Jewel back in her crib before making her way to the genie carefully.

"Genie? Are you still alive?" she asked, suddenly overcome with a fear that the genie was dead.

Jasmine had no idea if genies were immortal, and decided that this would be the most awful way to discover the answer. The genie groaned, blinking his eyes groggily as he moved to sit up. Jewel gurgled in happiness, watching between the bars of her crib.

"Oh, thank Allah you're all right. What happened?" Jasmine asked, helping the genie to sit up properly.

"Juggling... I was juggling and fell back. Sorry, won't happen again," the genie said apologetically.

He couldn't tell Jasmine that a man from the Black Lamp tribe was here; that would result in too many questions about how he knew of the tribe, and eventually to why they had formed, and his past in all its gory detail would probably come into light. His friends might think him somewhat eccentric now, but if they knew the truth of who and what he was - had been - then they'd never let him near again. He'd never be able to see Jewel again.

"Juggling?" Jasmine asked, her eyebrow raised in suspicion.

She didn't believe him in the slightest, and the genie had to wonder just when his lying skills had become so bad as to be seen through by a mortal. A beautiful and highly intelligent mortal, but a mortal nonetheless.

"Jas? What's going on?" Aladdin asked, walking into the room and rubbing the back of his head as he yawned loudly. He stopped short on seeing the mess. "What happened?"

"Genie says he was in here juggling and fell," Jasmine said, folding her arms and still obviously not believing the genie's excuse.

"Oh, is that all? You'll fix up the bookcase, won't you, genie?" Aladdin asked, yawning again.

"Aladdin!" Jasmine said, staring at him in surprise.

He didn't think it was slightly suspicious that the genie had been in here practising juggling?

"What?" he asked, frowning at her. "Genie just fell over, that's all. He'll fix up the mess, and I'm sure next time, he'll find something a little less dangerous to entertain Jewel with," Aladdin said with a slight frown at the mess. "I've got a meeting with Razoul and the guards tomorrow, so let's go back to bed."

Jasmine was incredulous at Aladdin's apparent indifference to the fact that the genie was lying to them. It was obvious that genie hadn't been juggling, yet Aladdin only cared about the fact that he wouldn't have to fix the bookcase!

"I'll stay here and help the genie tidy up. You go to bed; you don't want to be tired for your meeting with Razoul and the guards," Jasmine said, but Aladdin missed the sarcastic tone in her voice and left with a cheerful goodbye.

"You should go with him, Princess. The guys and I can fix this up in a jiffy," the genie said, two copies appearing, complete with overalls and hardhats.

"Well, I'll just take Jewel to bed with me then so the noise won't bother her. Is there a way to turn that thing off too?" Jasmine asked, looking to the small white box on the bedside table.

"Sure, I can do that. Sweet dreams, Princess. You too, precious Jewel," the genie said, smiling gently.

Despite his gentle smile, the genie's heart was hammering in his chest, certain that Jewel would do something to betray her parentage, and he'd be banished from the palace. Or worse, bound to a lamp again. Or even worse, Jewel would be the one to be bound to a lamp. That existence never ended well for children of a mortal and djinn.

Jasmine was no mind reader nor an empath, and had no idea of the feelings that coursed through the genie at that moment. So she smiled back, kissed his cheek in thanks, told him to make sure he had a good sleep, and then left with Jewel in her arms. The genie floated after them for a few steps, trying to convey in his silent whispers that Jewel couldn't play with her bunny or magic the way she usually did. He had no idea if it worked - he'd never had cause to try it on a magical being before - but Jewel had gone to sleep soundly in her mother's arms, and the genie just had to hope she'd stay that way until morning.

Turning off the walkie talkie, genie turned and delegated tasks to his copies, watching as the shelves were pulled apart, fixed, strengthened, and rebuilt in a matter of minutes. Despite his usual desire to make as much noise and use as much magic as possible, that hit from the Black Lamp gypsy's amulet had depleted some of his energy, and the genie was close to exhausted by the time the bookshelf was completed.

Seeing that his friend was about to collapse, the carpet flew out of the corner to catch the genie just as he swayed and fell over, the copies disappearing with bright blue bursts of smoke. Careful not to drop him, the carpet flew out of the Jewel's room and took the genie to his own room and bed.

A matter of seconds later, Kovac stepped out of the shadows, his breathing laboured as he'd spent so much of his magical energy in keeping himself hidden. He was barely able to walk, but he somehow managed to leave the palace and return to the guard's quarters without being caught.

By the window, Cassim stepped out of his hiding place, his hand loosely resting on his sword. He had seen everything, and was curious to know why the genie had lied about Kovac, but he decided that questioning him could wait until morning, when the genie was conscious once more. As Cassim was about to leave to his own room, there was a sudden movement in Jewel's room. His hand was gripping his sword immediately, already halfway through unsheathing it when he realised that it was simply Jewel's stuffed bunny. Chuckling to himself at his own paranoia, his laughter stopped abruptly when he realised that the genie was out like a candle.

The genie wasn't awake - and probably didn't have the magical energy - to manipulate the bunny.

His jaw slack, Cassim could only stare at the floating bunny for a moment. Then, as his years of being the King of Thieves overtook his shock and demanded that he investigate exactly what was going on, Cassim quietly opened Jewel's window and stepped into the room to follow the bunny. It was a short trip: the bunny made its way into the Princess and Aladdin's room, floating into the air and landing between them soundlessly. Jewel rolled over with a gurgle of happiness, clutching the stuffed animal to her tightly. She didn't notice her grandfather's presence and fell asleep in seconds.

His jaw hanging open for the second time that night, Cassim left before he disturbed his son or daughter-in-law's sleeps. He had a lot of thinking to do.

...

"I don't get it! First he says he wants to be woken up for breakfast, then he changes his mind and says he's not going to leave his room! I'm not his maid, or his alarm!" Iago muttered sourly and loudly, flying around the dining table. He landed near the bowl of fruit, picking off a small bunch of grapes to eat.

"Who said that, Iago?" Aladdin asked with a frown.

"Your father, who else?" Iago said around a mouthful of grape.

Jasmine and Aladdin frowned at each other. Jewel made a noise of demand, banging her small fists on the table so she could be fed.

"Shh, it's all right, precious Jewel. You'll get breakfast eventually," Jasmine murmured, soothing her daughter on her lap as she offered her a spoon of mashed up fruit.

"I'd better go see what's wrong," Aladdin said when Cassim still hadn't arrived for breakfast almost half an hour later.

There was a loud cough to the side, and he looked over to see Razoul waiting by the door for their meeting.

Sighing heavily, Aladdin turned to the genie. "Would you be able to go check on my father, genie? I'm really worried. It's so unlike him to voluntarily stay indoors."

"Sure thing, Al," genie replied, holding back a yawn.

Aladdin thanked him, kissed Jasmine and Jewel's cheeks, and left with Razoul.

Taking up a platter of food, the genie flew out of the room slowly, still tired from his ordeal the night before. His chest ached from where the Black Lamp guard's amulet had hit him, but the genie was just glad that it hadn't left a mark. That might have been difficult to explain, especially after his juggling excuse.

The genie went to Cassim's room, knocking on the door and calling out for him. After Iago's comments, the genie wasn't really expecting a response. But the door opened to reveal Cassim, looking tired but no worse for the wear.

"Come in, genie," Cassim said, stepping back for him to enter.

"I brought breakfast for you. Iago said you're staying in for the day?" the genie asked curiously.

Closing the door, Cassim took a moment to ensure that they were alone. The genie seemed more alert now, wondering at the man's paranoia.

"Just how long did you think it would be before someone noticed that Jewel is part-genie?"

This sort of blunt question would usually result in the genie doing something dramatic, his jaw dropping through the floor, taking his head off and juggling it as he attempted to avoid the answer, or any number of things in between. But he was still tired, sore and magically depleted from the night before, so he just slumped down onto a seat, feeling as sorry for himself as a genie could.

"How long have you known?" he asked softly.

"Since last night, but I had my suspicions earlier in the week," Cassim admitted. "Speaking of last night, I'm presuming you know that a guard from the Black Lamp tribe is here?" he asked, watching as the genie simply nodded briefly.

"I suppose you'll tell Al about Jewel now and have me banished? I won't let anyone harm Jewel or try to take her away," he snarled, his entire body flashing black.

Cassim wondered if the genie knew about the brief colour change, but decided not to ask. Not now, when the future of his granddaughter's life was at stake.

"You honestly think that I would let anyone hurt precious Jewel, or take her away from here either?" Cassim queried, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't know... How many guards are out there, waiting to capture me?" the genie asked, preparing the last dredges of his magic to bring out the big guns.

"None. I haven't told anyone, genie. I give you my word that I haven't," Cassim added.

His word must not have meant much to the genie, as he turned into a bright blue bird and flew out to check that the corridor was empty. When he returned, he looked so exhausted from that brief stint of magic that Cassim ordered him to go to sleep. The even more frightening thing was the fact that the genie obeyed.

...

Hours later, when the genie awoke feeling somewhat refreshed, he was surprised to find that he was still in Cassim's room. No chains around his wrists, no itty bitty living space, no dark and damp cell to cage him. He was still free... That meant Cassim must want something. Perhaps a guide to the Oracle again, despite it being completely submerged underwater?

"Ah, good, you're awake. I was starting to worry," Cassim said, coming into the room with a large tray of food.

"What do you want from me?" the genie asked immediately, thinking it best to get it over and done with.

"We will discuss details later. For now, you will join me for dinner, and we will simply relax," he replied, taking a seat at the table and indicating for the genie to sit across from him.

Wary, the genie did so, perching himself on the edge of the chair as if it was a rattlesnake rather than a solid wood object. Cassim pretended not to notice just how tense the genie was, and slowly, the genie began to relax. He wasn't stupid enough to drink any of the wine offered, though, and was cautious with every bite, but he gave the pretence of being relaxed at least. As they ate, Cassim coaxed the story out of the genie, from Aladdin's request designed to fool the Sultan that eventuated in fooling the Princess too. Cassim didn't miss the loving and tender expression on the genie's face as he relayed the Princess' words to who she thought had been Aladdin, nor the fact that the genie quickly skipped over the finer details of Jewel's conception, a blush on his cheeks.

"Now that your story is told, these are my demands," Cassim said as he pushed his dessert plate away.

The genie went still immediately, waiting for him to request the impossible.

"I want you to protect Jewel and teach her how to use her magic properly so that she can defend herself."

Genie's mouth fell open slightly when Cassim didn't continue with demands for gold and jewels. The man simply seemed amused at his expression, and went on to explain himself.

"I am all too aware of what the world is like, genie. There are men out there who seek people like Jewel, people with gifts. I used to be one of those men, and all I can say now is that Jewel must know how to protect herself. I will be teaching her the things of my clan, and things from my thieving days, but you must teach her about her magic if she is to survive the world beyond these palace walls. We both know that her parents will try to encourage her to leave as much as possible, to explore the world as her mother was unable to do, and as her father wanted to do. Yet, as world travellers ourselves, we both know that despite every good intention of the guards who may surround Jewel, there will be a time when she will be alone, when she will be vulnerable. I will not allow that to happen to my granddaughter, any more than you will to your daughter, am I correct?"

Cassim held out his hand to shake. The genie took it quickly, giving it a firm shake before letting go and pulling away suddenly.

"B-but what about Al? He's your son. He'll banish me if he finds out about Jewel."

"Yes, he is my son, and unfortunately, I know his temperament all too well, as I used to be the same. Aladdin is not very good at looking at the bigger picture, genie. He lives very much in the now, and is often temperamental and overly emotional because of this. He cannot know about this right now, or he will do something extreme that he is sure to regret later. Maybe not straight away, but eventually, when Aladdin realises that he too was also at fault. And Jasmine may have him beheaded for using you to trick her. I think he was lucky to have gotten away with lying to her the first time around," Cassim added, shaking his head. "There are very few women in the world who will declare themselves in love with a liar and cheat."

"I'll say," the genie agreed with a nod.

"Now, my friend, we shall work on teaching Jewel control where she cannot protect herself, and protection where she cannot control herself," Cassim said, clapping the genie on the back.

"She's not even six months old yet," he pointed out drily.

"In human years, yes. But as part-genie, she is most likely already years ahead of most children her age. We are wasting precious time here when there is a child who needs to be educated," Cassim said, indicating for the genie to lead the way.

Grinning at the thought of his daughter being the brightest kid in class, the genie left Cassim's room to find his precious Jewel. Chuckling to himself, Cassim followed the eager genie.

...

End of the eighth chapter.

Thanks for reading!