Well, CC, you asked for moar Jubinoh...

Chapter 2: Let Me Help

That morning before class, a few of the X-Men were listening to the news Bobby had turned on. It wasn't too different for them — they'd heard people beat the war drum against mutants before — but the added push from the Sentinel program was concerning the team itself. And this new player, Bastion, was fast proving himself to be a real threat, even if he'd only kept things to the public sphere thus far.

"So," Noh said as he sat down next to Jean at breakfast. "When are we going after the people they are talking about?"

"We don't," Jean said, though it was clear that she and Scott were going to be leaving soon. "We need to point out that what he's pushing is unconstitutional and a breach of basic human rights — then hope the public can see it and agree."

"Yes, but he seems to be entirely intractable. I thought that meant it was past argument."

"He's not as powerful as the Shi'ar," Jean replied.

"Then you fight him as you do Magneto, yes?"

"Unfortunately, he's not a mutant, so we have to treat him a bit more delicately," Jean told him with a little tight smile.

Noh shook his head. "When that doesn't work, let me know, and I will help you fight him."

"When that doesn't work, we'll try another route," Scott said. "You should ask Logan and K about how that works out. I'm pretty sure K's entire horse training theory runs around that premise."

Noh tipped his head to the side. "Perhaps I will."

"You're perverting it, Scott," K muttered from the other side of the table, half hidden by the newspaper she and Logan were going through. "The horses are much smarter than that jackass."

"Then what is your philosophy?" Noh asked.

"Ask often, demand nothing, and reward generously. It works with two-thousand pound animals, kids, and everything in between — but that guy's brain can't be any bigger than a walnut, so I don't think there's much hope."

"Ah," Noh said, nodding. "So he's gene trash."

Bobby dropped his coffee as he whipped around to stare at Noh — and K simply broke down laughing.

"Yes. yes. That exactly," K giggled.

Noh shrugged openly. "It's an apt descriptor."

"We don't stoop to their levels," Scott said sharply, obviously taken aback by the casual way Noh threw the slur around.

Noh turned his way. "But if they are going to involve eugenics in their arguments, at least we should be clear about which way the advances are moving. And it is away from them."

"We're not involving eugenics," Scott replied flatly.

Noh looked around the kitchen and then let out a little breath. "If it bothers you all so much, I won't use the phrase," he said, almost sullenly.

"It's just childish, that's all," Jean told him, though she was most definitely entertained by Noh's outlook.

"Perhaps the way they are using it," Noh said with his arms crossed. "I use its actual meaning. Therefore, I am in the right."

"Yes you do, stardust," K said with a smirk. "Have a seat and do what we have to … watch Jean and Scott look good on TV while they make their argument."

Noh smirked her way for a moment and then sat beside her — with her coffee refilled for her. "You have so many strange rules," he told her in a low tone.

"I thought you heard me earlier; I only have three rules."

"You abide by the X-Men's rules," he pointed out.

She raised her eyebrows as Logan chuckled to himself. "Yes. Yes I do. All the time."

"Then you have more than three," he said.

"Yeah, I guess number four is 'try not to give Scott an arrhythmia'."

He smiled and nodded her way. "Yes, of course."

"We still need work on that one," Logan muttered, his focus still on the paper.

Noh smiled his way for a second before he patted K's arm and got to his feet. "I was going to Charles' office again — do you need anything else?"

"I don't think so," she said. "Do you need anything?"

He smiled and shook his head. "No, I was going to go to the costume store with Jubilee later. For Halloween. Apparently, I need to be Mr. Spock."

"Appropriate," she said with a little nod.

"Yes, because a dark-haired, pointy-eared person in blue is definitely my doppleganger," Noh said dryly.

"It's not the look," Logan pointed out. "It's the … everything else."

"I… am not emotionless," Noh said, though it had taken him a moment to think of something, considering the science angle and the speech patterns.

Logan just raised an eyebrow at him over the paper, but didn't say anything as he went back to the news.

Noh shook his head before he headed down the hall, though he was still thinking of how he was not nearly like Mr. Spock. He was just… trying to learn how to express himself in this reality. He did feel things — deeply — it was just the culture that was hard to get used to.

He was still preoccupied with his thoughts when he arrived at Charles' office, though he tried to put them aside for the moment so that they could go into his mindscape.

In the weeks since the trip to Hala, the mindscape had been slowly changing. And while Noh had been disappointed at first that the gaping chasm in his mind wasn't filling, Charles had pointed out that he was focused on the wrong thing. The hole wasn't filling from the bottom up, but the edges were slowly moving in. Now, rather than being hundreds of yards in either direction, the hole was only about the size of a football field. Still impressive, but not unwieldy.

They had also been working on his defenses — which didn't manifest themselves as walls, like Jubilee's had. To Noh's surprise, it had been more like… a giant pink bubble slowly expanding to protect his mind, particularly the gaping hole, so that no one could get in.

At first, Charles had been a bit concerned. With all of the color changes, the music store, the sunset that was just starting to peek out behind the clouds as the fog cleared, he had been a bit worried that Noh-Varr was far too tied up with Jubilee. He had honestly been worried that Noh was simply reaching out for another influence to guide him rather than looking for his own way.

But as the hole filled in, the things that were taking its place were not all tied to Jubilee. Rather than the sleek streets around them, the hole was closing in with a field covered in orange and red leaves, trees springing up even in the streets. There was even an area with a winding sort of path that had clearly been tread by horses.

The newest addition, of course, was a little bookstore, though the reading nook was on the rooftop, and this area was different from all the others in that it had a view of the stars rather than a sunset.

It was eclectic, and none of it was angular or led in straight lines — which was honestly the best sign that it was Noh's own doing than anything else could have been.

They spent a bit of time strengthening the defenses, and Noh walked the perimeter of the chasm one more time before they left again, though Noh had to ask when they were through, "Do you think my defenses are strong enough now?" he asked. "To join the team, I mean."

Charles raised both eyebrows. "I didn't think you'd still been considering it. I know that was the directive you were given…"

Noh tipped his head to the side as he considered his answer. "I want to help you," he said. "Not because I was asked to, but because I hate that people hate you."

"I think you're on the right path," he said. "And that as long as you continue … I don't see any reason why not."

Noh broke into a huge smile at that. "Then I'll ask Scott," he said.

Noh had to wait until Scott and Jean returned from their public speaking tour before he could speak with Scott, and both of them looked a bit worn out from the whole ordeal — though as soon as Jean skimmed what Noh was thinking, she started to smirk at Scott and kissed his cheek to slip off so he could talk to the young man. After all, she knew that Scott had wanted to talk to their alien visitor about the team practically since he dropped in their laps.

And seeing as Noh hadn't quite mastered anything like small talk — which he considered to be a waste of time — he just jumped right into it. "I was wondering if I could join your team — and if so, where you could use me."

Scott broke into an honest grin and nodded. "We'd love to have you," he said. "You'd have to clear it by the professor; I know you've been working on your telepathic defenses."

"I asked him already," Noh said, which just got another grin out of Scott.

"Great," he said, nodding. "Then we'll start you on the junior squad. You can learn how our team works and how to deal with the different threats we deal with." Scott nodded to himself as he thought it over. "It'll be good for you to see how we operate; I know it's very different to what you're used to. And you won't be out in the field until you can work with the team and until I clear you."

Noh grinned and nodded. "I can agree to those terms. I'm sure Jubilee will have plenty to show me," he agreed.

"Are you going to be able to take your cues from the junior squad?" Scott asked. "I know you're trained, but not the same way we are."

"Of course I can," Noh said. "After all, they have been doing this longer than I, and I know for a fact I still don't understand a lot of your tactical decisions on dealing with threats." He held his hands out at his sides and shrugged. "I would take my cues from them even if you had not told me to, because I still don't know when it's time to fight or not."

"Great. You'll have to come to team practice."

"Of course."

Scott smirked and rested a hand on Noh's shoulder. "I think you'll catch on fast," he said. "Jean says you're already making significant progress."

Noh grinned. "I'm working on it."

"I know," Scott said. "And that's half the battle."

"The other half being, of course, actually protecting my mind," Noh pointed out.

Scott smirked. "True," he admitted. "But everything we do required practice. You know that — training and discipline."

Noh nodded. "Of course," he said, drawing himself up the slightest bit before he met Scott's gaze. "This means a lot to me, I hope you know," he said, his tone suddenly more earnest. "You have all become like family to me, taken me in when I had nothing else. I want to be part of your battles, to share your successes and your failures and help where I can."

Scott stopped and turned more fully Noh's way at the sincere tone before he smirked lightly and nodded. "I know," he said. "This team is a family. Always has been."

"Then… I thank you for letting me into your family," Noh said. He smiled brightly at Scott before, with that, he simply tore down the hallway to go find Jubilee — who absolutely hadn't been expecting it when he swept her off her feet.

"Woah!" Jubilee was wide-eyed for a moment before she realized who it was that had swept her off her feet — literally — and resettled so that her arms were around his neck. "Hey there, handsome."

"Hello, my lovely Jubilee," he said with a smile.

"So, what's going on? Or is this just your everyday run-of-the-mill sweeping off my feet?" Jubilee teased. "I mean, I'm not complaining either way…"

"I thought I should tell my team leader first and foremost that I obtained Scott's permission to join the team," Noh explained, grinning wider with every word — and especially at the fact that Jubilee had broken into a sort of shocked grin.

"That's great," she said, almost searching his face. "When did this happen?"

"Just now," Noh admitted. "I wanted to speak to Scott after my session with Charles." He beamed at Jubilee. "I'm making a lot of progress with Jean and Charles in protecting my mind."

"They showed you how to build walls?"

"Actually, that's not quite…" Noh smiled and shook his head. "My mind has created more of a … protective dome." His smile widened as he looked down at her. "A big, pink bubble."

Jubilee's eyebrows shot up, and she blinked at him for a moment before she turned as pink as the aforementioned bubble. "That's… nice," she said.

"I was worried about its structural integrity at first, especially because it popped so easily during that attack by the Cuckoos," Noh continued, giving Jubilee the chance to recover at least a little bit as she tried to get the blushing under control. "But actually, it's surprisingly durable now that we've been shoring it up."

"Well, you are working with the two most powerful telepaths ever," Jubilee pointed out.

"I am," he agreed before he readjusted the way he was holding her and then smiled a little wider. "And now, I will be working with you. I can think of nothing better."

Jubilee blushed. "You say the sweetest things."

"I mean them from the bottom of my heart," Noh assured her, getting another little blush out of Jubilee. "Because I care about you, Jubilee."

Jubilee didn't exactly know what to say to that, so she could only bite her lip as she looked up at him before she very carefully stole a quick kiss.