*Note: This fanfic takes place about 4 years after the motion picture. The Return of Jafar and Aladdin and the King of Thieves have been taken into account. However, nothing that happened in any episodes of the TV show has happened, since I haven't seen most of them and I won't try and pretend I do know what happened.
The sun sank slowly as the day came to a close. Aladdin leaned out over the balcony and watched the heat of the day visibly lifting off the cooling sands surrounding the palace. It was nights like this that he liked to think about where he had been before becoming Sultan and where he had gone afterwards. Being a street-rat had been tough, but being Sultan was even harder. His father-in-law, the old sultan, was sick and on his deathbed, so he had to continually console Jasmine. He knew Jasmine had been very close to her father, so he had to be extra comforting when that fateful day finally arrived. On top of that, he had a two year old son to take care of; granted, Jasmine did all the motherly things and there were servants and teachers and nannies and a whole slew of other people to look after little Jebu when he was busy, but since he had never had a father figure in his life before he was reunited with Cassim, Aladdin would be damned before he would disappear out of his own son's life. Then there was the normal job of being Sultan: meeting with petitioners, making sure consumption didn't exceed production, keeping the city in working order, and there had been a faint fear of trouble from the east that needed constant watching.
It did help to have a magic carpet on hand, plus a freed genie to help out when he could. After being freed, though, Genie's power was halved at best, but he was still useful when it came to minor constructions and keeping the petitioners in line on a busy day. Aladdin sighed as the sands glinted the last rays of the desert sun; he wished Abu were still around. As dexterous and lucky as that monkey was, he was no match for sickness and old age. Abu was the best friend Aladdin had had and Aladdin was sorry that he hadn't lived long enough to at least witness the birth of his son. Jebu was very intelligent and he and Abu would have gotten along so well.
Aladdin turned and smiled as Jasmine stepped out onto the balcony behind him. He took her into his arms then noticed that she was holding a rolled piece of paper. "What's that?" he asked simply, bending down to kiss her cheek.
"Jebu is asleep and so is Father…finally. And this is a letter for you. It came today, but you were so busy, I forgot to give it to you earlier," she answered, handing him the letter while pulling him back inside. She was having such a hard time watching her father deteriorate before her eyes, she hated to see him suffer so much. Aladdin had been nothing but a blessing since the first moment they met so long ago in the Agrabah market place. He was strong, confident, caring, unfaltering…In Jasmine's mind the list went on and on. They sat on the bed, Jasmine leaning her head on Aladdin's lap as he opened the note. She felt him tense and she looked up to see his face a mask of confusion and concern. "What's wrong, Aladdin? Who is it from? What does it say?"
Aladdin shook his head. "I…I can't tell you right now…" It hurt him to say that. He and Jasmine held no secrets from each other, or so he had thought. The letter brought back memories of an old friend, a friend whom he thought he'd never see again. He read the letter through again:
"Aladdin: You still owe me. Meet me in Etruskel as soon as you can and I'll explain the rest in person. It's too risky to write it; unwanted eyes may see it. Yours forever, an old friend." Under the writing was a simple line drawing of a raven, a familiar image that made Aladdin's heart skip a beat.
Jasmine rolled over, facing away from her husband. Like him, it hurt her that he was keeping something from her. If it was important, though, she knew that he wouldn't keep it a secret forever. They were so trusting of each other, but she had seen the pain on his face and that helped to ease her own. He would tell her when he was ready. "Goodnight, Aladdin. I love you," she said before drifting off into an uneasy sleep.
"I love you, too," Aladdin whispered, almost faltering. He laid back and stared at the ceiling as memories 10 years past rushed back into his mind…