Through Hellfire and Back,

Epilogue

Disclaimer: X-men Evolution is the property of Marvel and Kids WB. All the characters in this story are the property of Marvel and Kids WB.

Final notes at the end. Read'm when you're done, okay?

Enjoy!

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As Lance cruised down the highway, he gave a fast glance to his riding companion, and worry set in. Although she'd been in relatively high spirits ever since they'd left Snow Valley, Kitty had become overtly quiet, watching the scenery pass by, and Lance didn't need to be a mind reader to guess why. Aside from the fact that she was still recovering from what she'd been, whom she'd become, the nagging fact remained: even without the White Queen, Kitty Pryde wasn't out of hot water yet. Even after he got her back to Bayville, the resounding question continued in his mind: how long would she be able to stay there? Would her parents accept her role as an X-man this time around, or would they try to push away her mutant ability harder, shutting her up in some foreign Jewish convent somewhere for good, or keep her locked up at home. He'd argue that Emma Frost should have shown them that the dangers of being mutant existed everywhere, however somehow he doubted that Frost's memory would help the reputation of mutant kind in their eyes.

No doubt the same scenario had been riding with Kitty since they started driving.

"So...." there was hesitance in his voice. "What do you think you're going to do about your folks? Somehow, I don't think they're gonna agree with much of this."

Kitty continued to stare out the side. "Honestly Lance? I don't know." Her eyes remained on the passing scenery. "I suppose I'll have to ask the Professor if he can undo all the brainwashing the White Queen caused, but after that?" Her brow furrowed, as determination set in. "I'm an X-man Lance, no two ways about that. When I.. . when I was away from you guys, even before Frost, before the Hellions, I felt.... I felt like I'd lost a part of myself. I don't want to loose it again. Besides..." she breathed deeply, "My being a mutant isn't going to go away, and if I have to take sides, I'd rather stick to the one my friends are on. I don't know what Mom or Dad'll say, and honestly, I don't care. I've seen... done... it's all too much, too much." She closed her eyes solemnly." I'm not their little kitten anymore; maybe it's time they learned that."

Lance felt a lump in his throat. "What about their objections to... you know.... I mean..."

"Us?" Kitty's eyes opened once more, and she smirked, glancing in his direction. "I'm my own person Lance, and I'm going to make my own decisions about my life. Including who I date." She leaned close, almost a breath away, but her eyes were the far away as she observed the dashboard "That is, if you'll let me. I know I haven't been the most reliable of girlfriends lately."

"Kitty," Lance raised an eyebrow, one eye off the road, "In the past week, I've driven across-state, gotten the door slammed in my face, stayed at a roach heaven, been reprimanded by my friends and been kicked in the stomach for the sake of our relationship." As her face became more melancholic, one hand left the steering wheel to raise her chin, meeting her baby blues. Shock swept over her face as she saw him grin. "Face it girl," he chuckled, "you're stuck with me."

Kitty blinked, releasing a tear. Then, as if by magic, she smiled at him. A real smile, one he hoped he'd see more often.

"Besides," His hand and eyes returned fully to the task of driving once more. "Who knows? Your folks might just warm up to me one of these days. I'll just need to work a little harder at getting on their good sides. You know, caddie for your Dad when he's golfing, shaking up the hole when it's his opponent's time to putt..."

Kitty giggled. "I suppose it would be a start."

"Someday." Lance uttered, more silently. "Someday, I'll make it up to them. Show them just how much you mean to me."

"And even if they don't accept you, I do." Kitty breathed. "That's all that's important."

Lance nodded, eyes on the road, when a shocked expression hit his face full force. "Oh shit! I almost forgot!"

Kitty backed up in her seat. "Um, forgot what? Did you leave something back in Snow Valley?" Kitty grimaced. Much as she loved him, she did not want to return to that area anytime soon in her lifetime.

"No, something I picked up before," Lance's hand moved behind to his seat, as his attention became divided between the road ahead and his new quest. Almost reflexively, Kitty placed a hand on the side of the vehicle. It wasn't much of a danger, on a straight road with cruse control and very few other cars, however being prepped to phase at an emergency wouldn't hurt. Lance continued to search. "'S around here somewhere.. I ... a huh! Got it!"

Kitty blinked in surprise as a wrapped blue box with a purple ribbon landed on her lap.

"Hmm, what's this?" Kitty pointed with the curiosity of her namesake.

"Oh that?" Lance grinned ear to ear. "I stopped by a carnival a few days ago. Just thought I'd pick something up."

"Lance..." Kitty paused, knowing what a tight budget her boyfriend tended to be on. "You didn't need to get me anything."

"No, but I wanted to. Won it knocking an old fart into a bucket of water."

Kitty raised an eyebrow, a smirk over her lips. "Knocking, or shaking?"

Lance chuckled. "Both."

Kitty's full attention was riveted to the box on her lap. She carefully unraveled the wrappings and lifted the top to reveal a small, stuffed purple dragon, with a bright blue bow. It was the same size as Puff had been. "Oh Lance...." Tears, this time of happiness, threatened her eyes. "I.... I don't know what to say."

"Well, I figured moving around from school to school all the time must be kinda tough, specially since you lost half your stuff when the mansion first blew up. So I got you someone to take with you all the time." Lance took in Kitty's joyful expression with pride. "He's not much, pretty small for a dragon, but I figured, y'know?"

"Oh Lance," Kitty hugged the stuffed dragon to her chest, feeling the soft felt between her fingers. "He's gorgeous."

"Needs a name though." Lance remarked casually.

"A name? " Kitty blinked. An evil grin overcame her. "Lancelot maybe?"

Lance nearly coughed at the wheel, as Kitty chuckled to herself.

"How about Lock Head?" Lance chuckled. "I mean, after all the telepathic treatment you've been on, I wouldn't be surprised if the professor offers to install a full security system in your mind."

Kitty ignored the jib. "Lockheed," she mumbled. "Yes, Lockheed."

Lance beamed ear to ear, softly whistling as he shifted gears.

Hugging Lockheed, Kitty leaned foreword, pecking her boyfriend on the cheek, before she settled back into her seat, awaiting their return to the Xavier Institute.

For the first time in a long while, she was going home.


*****FIN*****

Whooooohoooo! It's done, it's finally done! Oh man, I'm sure those of you who have written your own stories know the feeling. Nothing like finishing off a large body of work, is there? Regardless, I do have a few notes

To my readers and reviewers: Thank you. No, seriously, although I wasn't able to show my appreciation by uploading new chapters all the time, or even once a month towards the end, your continued support was a big help. Every time I felt I was wondering if, after so long, I should just call it quits, someone would write and remind me why I shouldn't. So thanks, and if you see an author's story you enjoy, keep reviewing. Might just keep them going!

Lance and Kitty are back together! *L* Well, it'll be a while until I can catch the season four final where I live, but that's what I've been hearing, and I like it. Influential news that charged me into some of the ending.

Why these last chapters took so long: either I'm a little sharp shooter who's more ambitious then Magneto and never knows when to stop overloading herself, or, I'm just a lazy procrastinator who opted to take her time and torture her poor readers for a while. You decide.

Fan Art: Yep, this story has fan art! Not much, wish I'd been able to do more, but if you're interested, ya'll can check out a picture of X-Evol style Phantomclaw and Catseye in the (might need to give it a new section next upgrade) Misc. area of my studio, over at my site:

Shameless little plugger arn't I? Heh.

"If you think this was good, wait'll you see what I come up with next!"

S'long!