Notes: Seriously, I love when Charles gets to let loose, too. The X-Men are all powerful in their own ways, but there's a reason they follow his lead. And it's just JUST down to philosophy.
As for Jubilee... I hear you. And so does Jean, as this chapter shows. ;)
Chapter 12: I'm Not Going to Leave
Noh found himself, yet again, in front of the door to Charles' office, feeling like a cadet barely out of his growth pod.
After everything that had happened, this was the first time he was coming to Charles not for telepathic defense or for permission to be part of the team… but to seek Charles' help in a professional, psychological manner.
When Charles called out for him to enter, Noh let out a breath and came in, actually relieved to see that Jean was there as well; he could really use her reassuring presence. Even in a temporary home with an office off to the side… Jean was a steady presence he hadn't expected to enjoy as much as he did.
They didn't go into his mindscape, as they usually did. Instead, Charles leaned forward with a sort of gentle smile. "Noh, I'd very much like to hear more about the people you lost when you came here," he said. "It's clear to me that you haven't been able to truly mourn them when the initial loss was so overwhelming and you had a new reality to acclimate to. I would like to help you process not only that loss but everything that has happened with Bastion and his followers that led you into Erik's orbit."
Noh blinked at both of them. "I… don't even know where to begin," he admitted.
"I'm sure," Charles agreed, his expression perfectly sympathetic. "For something this big, it's difficult to know how to put words to it. But as you told me before, to your view, the only thing that has happened since you arrived on this world is that you have been forced to change and adapt to our way of doing things. You found yourself in a reality that denigrated or destroyed everything you knew. You've been forced to see the shortcomings of your own people." He let out a sigh. "But you should be allowed to celebrate them as well, Noh. I would like to hear your good memories of them, as you would like to remember them."
"I wouldn't want to change the reality of what we were," Noh said with a frown.
"And I wouldn't ask you to," Charles assured him. "Please, tell me about your family, your friends." He gave him a gentle smile. "I want you to remember them well — not just when you're mourning."
Jean was still smiling to herself as she slipped down the hallway. It had been nice to sit in on that session with Noh and hear the good memories he had. It was clear that, despite everything he had learned in this world, he truly loved his home, and she couldn't help but feel sad for him at how much he had lost.
But he wasn't the only one who had been hurt.
Jean made her way quietly down the hall, knowing that she would be able to catch Jubilee before Noh did, if only because Charles had asked him to stay for a moment so they could discuss a schedule for a few more sessions. And Jean wanted to talk to Jubilee… She had an idea she had been mulling over for a while now…
She wasn't surprised to find Jubilee sitting by herself, munching on some candy, and Jean let out a breath as she came to sit by her friend. I'm not as good at bear hugs as Logan is, I know, but do you think you'd accept me as a stand-in until his class is over?
Jubilee glanced up at Jean and then shrugged. I guess you'll do, she replied, with only some of the usual teasing in her mental tone.
Jean smiled and then shifted to give Jubilee a hug, making sure to hold her tightly for a long time before she broached any other subject. I know it feels like he ran out on you, she said gently.
Jubilee stiffened slightly in the hug. No offense, Jean, but that's not really any of your business.
I'm just trying to help—
Don't, Jubilee said, her mental tone ringing with resignation and bitterness. Just don't.
Jean frowned as Jubilee pulled back from the hug. She really did want to help, especially because she could hear in Jubilee's thoughts how much pain she was projecting, how much hurt she was holding too close to her heart. Jubilee always hated being left behind, and this latest incident, with Noh leaving to fight for her — without her — had only opened up those insecurities and fears all over again.
And Jean knew that Jubilee was also dealing with massive guilt and mourning Monet's death. So if Jean could try to step in and alleviate at least some of that pain, keep her from having even more of an abandonment complex… why wouldn't she at least try?
"I think..." Jean said at last, slowly, then paused. "I was wondering if I could get your help on something else, too."
Jubilee glanced up at Jean, her eyes narrowed, obviously not trusting the situation so soon after Jean had tried to help. "Okay…" she said, just as slowly as Jean was speaking.
"I know you're still miffed at him," Jean said, "but I think it might help if you came into his mindscape with me." When Jubilee raised an eyebrow, Jean held up a hand. "It would help him."
Jubilee narrowed her eyes further and then let out a little huff and shook her head. "You're a terrible liar, you know that? Never play poker."
"I'll work on that," Jean said with a quiet kind of smirk, then paused and, when Jubilee didn't say anything else, asked, "So… will you?"
Jubilee held her breath for a moment and then pointed a finger at Jean. "Is this actually going to help or is this just one of those things where you try to get involved in stuff that's not your business?"
Jean put a hand over her heart. "It will actually help, I promise."
"Then… fine. But I reserve the right to paff you into next week if you're lying to me. Which I think you are."
"Let's try it first, and then you can make decisions, okay?" Jean said.
Jubilee let out another little huff but nodded all the same — which was perfect timing, really, because it was only a couple minutes later that Noh arrived, obviously looking for Jubilee after he had finished with Charles.
He smiled when he saw the two of them and sat down next to Jubilee to kiss her cheek. "Do you mind if I steal one of your Twizzlers for myself?" he teased.
Jubilee shrugged. "Go ahead."
Noh smiled again as he pulled apart one of the red candies, and Jean watched the two of them doing their sort of awkward dance before she cleared her throat. "Noh, do you think you'd be up for another dive into your mindscape?"
Noh looked surprised at the request. "Certainly," he said. "We didn't do much work in our session with Charles — is that your concern?"
"Actually, I was hoping we could take Jubilee with us," Jean said. She did try to keep a poker face, but the glare Jubilee gave her told her that she wasn't doing very well. "I think she could help."
Noh raised his eyebrows again and then shrugged before he turned to face Jubilee. "Is that alright with you?"
Jubilee shrugged almost as carelessly as Noh had. "Yeah. Whatever."
"Then, yes, that would be acceptable," Noh said, turning back to face Jean.
Jean smiled between the two of them before she reached out into both of their minds, linking the three of them together before she pulled them into Noh's mindscape. And then she really just wanted to step back and watch Jubilee take it all in: the painted sunset, the pinks and yellows, the music store, the slowly strengthening mental shield that looked like a bubble gum bubble…
And for as much as Jubilee had been giving Jean a hard time about not having a poker face, Jean almost laughed when she saw the expression Jubilee had on: concentrated, raw surprise.
"So," Noh said after a beat of silence, "what is it that you want to do here?"
Jean smiled at him. "For now, why don't you just show us around?"
Noh nodded and then offered his hand to Jubilee, who took it but was still looking around at the mindscape. It was still very Kree… but the parts of it that weren't had her fingerprints all over it, and Jean could tell Jubilee didn't know what to do with that information.
"And this is one of my favorite places," he said, indicating the little area where Jubilee could see a sort of reconstructed version of the mall — though the only stores in the mindscape were for music and places that they'd gone for food on dates.
Jubilee blinked at him and then spun around to point at Jean. "Are you serious?"
"You said I was a bad liar, remember?" Jean said. "This is how it's been in here for months now."
"Is something the matter?" Noh asked, looking between the two of them with an obvious frown.
"No," Jubilee said sharply,then shook her head. "Well, yeah. What's up with…" She gestured around the mindscape, though Jean saw it when her expression turned from shocked to troublemaking. "Are you trying to steal my look?"
"No," Noh promised quickly.
"Then what…" Jubilee let the sentence hang as she looked around.
Noh frowned and then took a step forward, taking both of Jubilee's hands in his. "I thought it was obvious," he said gently. "I love you, Jubilee. Deeply. You've made such a mark on my heart and my soul — how could you be anything but ever-present in my mind?"
Jean couldn't stop her smile even if she wanted to as she watched the two of them, taking a step back to give them as much privacy as she could manage. This was going according to plan — or, well, at least as well as she'd hoped it would.
Still, Jubilee looked a little taken aback, though she did pull Noh into a long kiss and then spun to look at Jean. "Break the link. I want to talk to my boyfriend in private."
Jean nodded quickly and did just that, bringing all of them back into the real world. She got to her feet. "I'll just go find Scott," she said — though on her way out, she made sure to project to Noh how Jubilee had been feeling, sure that he probably needed the roadmap. Even if he wasn't still learning about their world, he was a guy, after all.
I had no idea, Noh projected back to Jean.
I figured as much, Jean said. That's why I stepped in.
Thank you.
Jean smirked to herself at that. She really did like having Noh around — if for no other reason than that it was nice, sometimes, to be thanked.
Once Jean was gone, Jubilee turned to face Noh, obviously gearing up to say something, but Noh got there first, reaching out to take her hand and give her his most apologetic look. "I'm so sorry that I gave you any reason to think I didn't love you," he said. "I never meant to hurt you. I was wrong."
Jubilee frowned and narrowed her eyes at him before she said, simply, "Yeah, you were."
"And I will do whatever you ask to make it up to you," Noh continued.
Jubilee looked around and then shook her head. "Can we do this somewhere that's not the middle of the kitchen?"
Noh blinked at her and then nodded quickly. "Yes, of course. Privacy," he said before he swept her up in his arms to take her down to where his ship was still occupying its own little space in the hangar. He carried her in and then set her down once the ship was sealed behind them. "Better?"
Jubilee nodded and then didn't wait any longer than that before she closed the short distance between them, throwing her arms around his neck to kiss the sense out of him. And when she finally did stop kissing him, she pulled back just enough that he could see her sharp expression as she poked him in the chest with every word that she said next: "If you ever leave me in the dust again, you can forget about trying to make it up to me, because I'm out. You got that?"
Noh blinked, trying to concentrate on the serious conversation when his head was still back in the kiss. "Yes. Of course," he said, a bit belatedly.
"Good," Jubilee said before she kissed him again — and then smiled when Noh scooped her up once more to get a little more involved.
That was exactly the kind of kissing up he needed to do to get back in her good books.
Final Notes: This is the last chapter of this volume! I haven't picked out a volume title for the next one yet, but it's coming... I promise. Keep your eyes peeled!