Genie took out his notebook, and scribbled in it for a while.

"Right you are, Al!"he said, as he went through it, again. "I'd better go inform those guys that class will be in session a little early tomorrow. Any late comers, will get an extra hour of being the guinea pig. The parrot still hasn't served all the time he owes. Keeps disappearing...but I'll find him"said Genie, muttering under his breath about Iago.

Aladdin rolled his eyes as he watched Genie's back to back to his room that he had set aside as his classroom, library, study area, work area, training area, and many other areas that he used in learning himself, and teaching Iago, Abu and Carpet. He sighed.

"Well, at least they won't be taken by surprise so much."he said, smiling.

Iago flew out of a vase, and perched on Aladdin's shoulder.

"Whew! Almost had me there. That Genie is starting to get to know my every move."said Iago. "But he'll never find me in the vase!"said Iago evilly.

"Iago, why don't you just tell Genie?"

"I've thought about that, Kid."said Iago. "But now if you were to intervene for me, now..."

"Iago, isn't this between you guys and Genie?"

"But I'm desperate!"exclaimed Iago, clutching Aladdin's shirt, and pulling as he begged, and began to cry.

Aladdin removed Iago from his chest.

"You'll be fine, Iago."

"I'll be dead! But what do you care! What does anyone here care! I haven't even been able to eat for days! He won't even do that out of kindness. Let me enjoy even a small piece of fruit."

"Iago, you just ate a big dinner. More than any of us."

Iago stopped crying.

"That was just to keep you from suspecting, but now you know the truth! You've gotta help me, Kid! Think of all the things I've done for you!"

Aladdin sighed.

"I'll see if I can't talk to Genie and convince him."

Iago hugged Aladdin's arm.

"Thank goodness I managed to convince you, Kid. My life depends on you now."he said, as he flew off.

Aladdin smiled. Just like Iago. And Genie. Those two would obviously never change. He walked upstairs. Jasmine was already wearing her nightgown. Aladdin walked across the room, and put his arm about her.

"Iago has just finished begging me to save him from Genie's class."he said.

Jasmine looked up from the book she was reading, or rather, pretending to read.

"Those two!"said Aladdin. "At least hopefully, the baby will take Iago off Genie's mind, and Genie off Iago's."

"And yours off what, Aladdin?"asked Jasmine.

"Huh?"

"What's wrong? There's something on your mind, isn't there? And it isn't Genie or Iago."

"Oh, well, Abu might also be tired of Genie's lectures. Perhaps I really should talk Genie out of this."

"They'll survive, I'm sure."she said, smiling. "But what is really bothering you?"

"Nothing."

"Aladdin, I know something is. Tell me."

Aladdin looked out towards the balcony, remembering.

"Well, I was just thinking, it's a beautiful night. I mean, the stars are very bright."he said.

"You've always noticed the stars, Aladdin. But they're not what's on your mind right now."

"I've never really noticed them."

"You always look up at them. You think I don't know?"

Aladdin looked down at her. He remembered that he had always liked Agrabah's sky. He would stare at it for hours at a long time, sometimes counting the stars, wondering how many there could be. What it would feel like to reach up and touch one of them. They always seemed so...unattainable, so unreachable.

And just like just a little while ago, out in the garden, his mother had been able to tell something was bothering him, now Jasmine could tell the same thing.

"I was simply thinking,"he said, taking her hand. "How fortunate I am to have you by my side."he said.

Jasmine smiled.

"Oh, I'm the one who's fortunate."she said, putting her arms around him.

Aladdin thought that his mother would have said the same thing, if he had said just that to her. He really was very fortunate to have had them both, to have someone with him here, who cared about him. What fate takes, it gives back in other forms, he thought.

Thanks to JaFaRCrAzY, who gave me the idea, for the last sentence. Those were her words, and they really...moved me, really struck me as perhaps the kind of thing that Al would think, when thinking of Jasmine and his mother. For next ch, I'm thinking of a special little Genie's class ch, to see what Iago, Abu, and Carpet go through. But I'm not sure yet.