A/N: Dang, forgot the disclaimer the last time. Well, you can honestly tell that I don't own Genie or Carpet, I'm just using them for the purpose of this story. I'm actually updating a lot faster than I thought I would. Though I'll pretty much be busy this whole weekend, so a third chapter might be a little while in coming. Sorry, guys.

Chapter 2: The Deal

Marid sulked for a greater part of the night. Genie had already made sure Carpet was taken care of before going back into his lamp, more or less to avoid his new master. The jinni was fairly sure the boy would not have been too happy if he knew that his little falling-out had been seen, although he had the feeling this 'relationship' was no secret. Just something of a hunch.

And, given that many of his experiences as being the slave/servant of many, many a selfish, self-centered human, it would be better if Carpet was simply kept out of the picture for now. In the lamp, his mind roved over the night he and Carpet had met.

This master had been what he would have classified as a magic-hoarder, his hovel-like home abounding with both potions, and other magic-based ingredients of a questionable nature. Most of the time he couldn't look at about half without suppressing a shudder. This was among the kind of people that could take without regret, and his first wish had been for an enchanted carpet.

It only took a second, considering that he was bringing something that was already alive, not a conjure that would vanish when the wish was done. The rug that lay behind as a result sat in the middle of the floor. Despite the fact that it had no facial expressions, he could get a general sense of confusion that radiated from the immortals mind. Considering it was a summoned object, pulled from somewhere in the world and brought here. Somehow, he didn't want to just conjure something. It would be just another construct that would vanish once his time with this master was up. The man practically wet himself with excitement, feeling all over the rug with a fever that made Genie wonder when the last time was that this guy left his little hidey hole. The Carpet, meanwhile, handled this all with a confused air of neutrality, right up until Genie's master tried to pick him up off the floor. That was about the moment that the rug decided it had had enough and bolted for the top shelf on a nearby bookcase, eliciting a few [MANY] angry curses from the master/wizard/crazy man. Genie cast a sympathetic glance to the slightly cowering mat, and then turned his attention to the fact that the furious sorcerer had stomped out of the room, still bellowing curses for the mice and spiders that no doubt dwelled in the walls to hear. Almost wearily, Genie turned back to see what the new arrival was doing.

Except, he wasn't there anymore. Genie's head did a 180 as he searched for the wayward rug, only to pretty much put his head through the roof when he realized the carpet was behind him.

"Geez! If genies could get heart attacks-!"

Almost immediately the poor thing began to cower again.

"Whoa, cool it! I'm not the creepy guy that just walked outta here. You can trust me." The jinni said, attempting to get the seemingly-schizophrenic carpet to just relax for a minute as he proffered a hand in an offering of friendship. For a long second, it looked like he was going to be left pretty much standing there until he grew cobwebs, then the carpet's 'head' looked up, and tentatively placed a tassel on the blue hand.

A fond memory if there ever was one, but the azure jinni's thoughts were drawn by the sound of voices from outside the lamp. He had a much greater awareness of things when he had a master to serve, he found.

"Son, I have to tell you something."

"Yes, father?" Marid replied, voice only partially hiding the raw disappointment he was feeling. If the parent noticed, he chose not to comment.

"Remember the healer? The one who came to see you mother, when she first fell ill? With the crops being the way they are, we have no way to pay for his treatment."

"Not that it did anything."

"The man did his best, it is all we can ask for."

Marid subsided, though the tension was still felt, even in the confines of the lamp. Genie suddenly got the feel that he had landed right in the middle of a very tense situation. It…wasn't really a sensation that he liked. He was able to forget about it briefly when the father spoke again.

"Your mother would at least like it if you said goodbye to her son."

He was ready in the morning, bright and early. A small pack prepared, with a few things. Marid had deliberately left Genie's lamp for last. Since he was the master, he supposed Genie would have to come with him; he hadn't taken the time to ask. Still, he felt as though he should at least give the entity a heads up as to what was going on. Rubbing despondently at the cool metal, Marid was rewarded with a flow of blue smoke that gathered up into Genie, who came with an extravagant 'You called?'.

"I'll be going to work for someone, a healer." He started, glancing up at Genie to make sure he had heard and understood. He seemed to get it, so Marid moved on. "It's to pay for my mother's treatment, she's very ill right now. You can come with me, right? No rules against that, is there?"

Genie shoved down a flinch. Last night and the fact that jinnis could not grant true love had not had a nice effect on Marid's mood. This just made everything even more unbearably awkward. Still, he tried to alleviate the tension a bit.

"Nope, everything's all ship-shape and ready to go, Cap'n!" And with that, Genie disappeared into the lamp, eager to avoid contact with his altogether too unpredictable master. There was a persistent edge that dulled his façade; what would he do about Carpet?

The Healer was waiting at the door for him. His father patted him on the back, a signal to go forward.

"A bit scrawny, but he should be good for the heavier work." The man commented, eyes shrewd and cold on the boy's frame. Marid all but shrunk away from them, feeling as though he were being put under the thumb of something predatory and fierce. Albeit, when the time came, he was ready to walk out that door.

The much older man had not even looked back to see if he had followed, though he needn't have worried. Marid was right behind him, with Genie's lamp tucked away firmly in his pack.

Carpet, meanwhile, was hidden over on the hill, where Genie had told him to go when he had to go back to his master. It was not that he wasn't grateful to the entity, or anything, but this set up made him a little antsy. For one, he had come all this way to find the jinni, and now he had to be hidden. He had been nothing but hidden this whole 50-year-search! Still, Genie was Genie, so he must have had a good reason. After all, the jinni had been the only one that had ever looked out for him, ever seen him as more than a thing.

So, he would wait, until Genie came back, like he told him to. He could do this, he wasn't a fraidy-rug like Genie sometimes joked.

The sudden sound of voices caused the rug to easily break that internal vow faster than a melting ice cube in the bowels of a volcano. Flying up to the tree tops, he peered down at the invading party, wondering if they'd go away soon.

Something clicked when he saw the smaller figure in the two-person party; it was the boy that Genie had mentioned was his master. Carpet immediately felt the urge to follow; the last time Genie's master had left without him, Genie left.

But Genie said to stay put!

He might not have known this was going to happen. I should follow anyway.

But he said-!

Carpet cut off his internal debate when he noticed the two were already part of the way down the hill. Snapping to a decision, he slipped down after them.

So, yeah, reviews would be great. It keeps my muse alive.

See you next time, guys!

Blackmoondragon out.