Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men: Evolution.

Note: Okay, so here it is. The last chapter of Change of Heart is here. I'm currently writing this from my office in the production office of a short film called Red Light. I'm sure you'll never see it (unless you're in a high school health class and learning about road rage or something). Anyhow, I lied about the name of the final story in this epic (using that last term as a joke). Well, I didn't lie so much as I forgot what I was really going to call it. The name of the story that will conclude this series is going to be "Ever After." It will NOT be called "One Soul." Sorry for the confusion.

Another note: At the end of this story, I mention some things that are out of continuity of both the show and the comics (X-Men, X-Force, and Excalibur). Once again, I've just changed things to fit my story. I hope no one minds.

Yet another note: I owe a debt of gratitude to all of my regular readers (you know who your guys and gals are). I would also like to thank everyone who has reviewed (and even those who haven't) for reading my stories. I haven't had as much fun as I have writing these stories in a long time, and a large part of that is due to you. Thank you so much.

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*** The Fourth Day or Leaving on a Jet Plane ***

Kitty woke up the next morning with a killer of a headache. She shook her head gently, as if to wake her up. She had floated in and out of sleep for the last three hours, and had finally settled in a state of being awake, but not completely. She yawned, and opened her eyes. The light seeping in from behind the blinds of her window stung her eyes, and she quickly closed them, trying to shut the light out. Her head was really beginning to throb, and she wasn't looking forward to the rest of the day. She finally edged off of the side of her bed, and stumbled towards her closet. She got dressed slowly, and when she was finished, she opened her bedroom door and walked down the hall. Upon reaching the stairs, she noticed how quiet the mansion seemed. She had seen the clock before leaving her room, and it was about 10:30 a.m. Normally, everyone was out and about at this time of the day. Logan should have woken her up, forcing her into the danger room. However, the mansion was quiet, as if someone had thrown a gigantic funeral shroud over it.

Upon reaching the kitchen, she found Scott. He had his back turned to her, and he was eating his breakfast.

"Morning, Scott."

Scott didn't say anything to her. He kept his back to her, and he seemed to not even notice that she had said anything to him.

"Ahem. Good morning, Scott." She said, a little louder this time.

"Good morning." He said, sounding a little cold.

"I guess you're mad at me."

Scott turned to look at her, and she was sure that if she could have seen his eyes that he would have been glaring at her. She stopped for a moment, wondering if he could really be that mad at her over Kurt. "No, Kitty. I'm not mad at you. I'm sad that I'm losing someone important to me."

"What? Is something wrong with Jean?"

Scott shook his head, and got up from his chair. He threw his leftovers into a garbage can and washed his dish. Then he walked straight past her and towards the stairs. She turned to watch him go. He didn't even look back at her. Kitty turned back to the kitchen and sat down at the table. She put her head in her hands, trying to massage the headache away.

"What in the hell am I going to do?" she wondered. She knew that she never should have yelled at Kurt. She didn't know, however, what she was going to do about him. Should she break up with him? Should she apologize to him and beg for forgiveness? She couldn't believe that she had taken this series of events this far. She should never have even let Lance finish that conversation with her. As soon as she thought that, however, she felt guilty. She wanted the best for Lance. She wanted the best for Kurt. She wasn't sure at this point if she was the best for either of them.

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Kurt was in his room, packing his bags. He looked over his room, wondering if he had missed anything. Looking over his room, he grew nostalgic, and remembered the moment that the Professor had first shown it to him. It was such a large room, and it had seemed like it was too big for him. He settled into it quite comfortably. Now looking over the bare walls and stripped closet, his heart broke for the fourth time in about as many days.

Kurt was zipping up his last bag when he heard a knocking on the door. He didn't answer it at first, wondering if it could be her. Then he heard Evan calling through the door.

"Open up, Kurt."

Kurt felt a small smile playing at his lips when he opened the door to find a sad looking Evan standing there.

"Vhat's up?"

"Scott told me. Is it true? You're really leaving?"

"Jah. Now you can move back into your old room, and haff it all to yourself." Kurt said, joking.

"Why?"

"Vell, you're new room isn't all zat large, and. . . "

"Stop joking, Kurt. Why are you leaving?"

"I just don't vant to hang around here anymore. Zhere's nozzing her for me." Kurt said, turning back to his bags.

"What about school? What about the X-Men? What about your friends?" Evan finished, a little angry.

Kurt sighed, putting his bags down on the floor.

"You'll alvays be mein freund, Evan. No matter how far from zis place I live, you'll all still be my friends."

"Yeah, but. . . "

Kurt crossed over to his friend, holding out his hand. Evan slowly gave him five. The two grabbed each other's hand, and brought themselves together, throwing their other arms around the other teens back in a kind of "man hug."

"Don't vorry, Evan. I'll keep in touch."

"You better. The Spike Man'll find you if you don't."

The two smiled at each other, and then Evan left.

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Jean was in her room, reading a book. She, like Evan, was completely oblivious to what had been going on. She was half way through her book when she heard "bamf" outside of her room, and then a knock on the door.

"Come on in, Kurt."

Kurt opened the door, and she suddenly felt his emotions. Jean hated the fact that, even without focusing, she could sometimes pick up on the emotions of others. What she felt from Kurt now made her want to cry.

"What's happened?" she asked, immediately alarmed.

"Are you reading my thoughts?" Kurt asked, looking at her with his head cocked.

"No, but I've picked up on your emotions. Is someone hurt?"

"I guess you can say zat."

"You're leaving." Jean said, closing her eyes.

"Jah. Do me a favor and don't look in here for vhy." Kurt said, tapping his forehead.

Jean opened her eyes and smiled at Kurt sweetly. "Too late. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I guess I don't really mind."

"Are you going to tell her?"

"I don't know yet, to tell you ze truth. I just vish I knew vhy she vas so mad at me ze ozzer day."

"Want me to find out?"

"Nein. I'm afraid it vould mean nozzing if it didn't come from her."

"I understand. Will you be back?"

"I don't know."

"I'm going to miss you, my little blue demon."

"Und I'll miss you, my guardian angel."

She smiled and hugged him.

"We'll see each other again, though." She said.

"Jah. I know ve vill. Just do me a favor and take care of Scott."

"Of course, Kurt. I love you."

"I love you too, Jean." Kurt said, and then disappeared.

Jean put her book aside. She knew that Kurt didn't want her to do it, but she wanted to see Kitty.

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Kurt looked all over for Rogue, but couldn't find her anywhere within the mansion. He began to walk around the outside, and finally found her on the edge of the grounds, sitting in his tree. Kurt had called it his tree since he found it. It was one of his many places that he went to when he wanted to be alone. The tree was great for someone who wanted solitude. It was so far away from the mansion that no one could see him when he teleported to a bough big enough to lie down on.

Rogue watched him approach. He could see that her make-up had ran down her face. She had obviously been crying, and he knew how hard this was going to be.

"Hi." He said.

"Hi."

"What's up?"

"Nuthin."

He teleported next to her, and slung his legs over the same branch. The two sat in silence for a few moments.

"Professor Xavier told me."

"I figured zat he vould."

"I don't want ya to leave."

"I don't want to leave you, but I cannot be here."

"Why not?" she asked, suddenly mad.

"Marie, I can't concentrate vhen I'm around her. I can't take zis kind of pain. I'm not saying "goodbye" forever. I promise."

"Ah don't want ya sayin "goodbye" at all." She said, tears beginning to run down her face again.

Kurt watched, and using a piece of his shirt so that he wouldn't touch her skin, he wiped the tears from her eyes. She turned to him and hugged him, touched by how sweet her was.

"Ah'm gonna miss my little brothah." She said.

"And I'm going to miss my big sister." He said, and hugged her.

"Ah'm gonna kill her." She said.

"Don't bozzer her, Marie. Promise me you von't."

"Ah promise."

They broke their embrace, and Marie turned her head from him so that she wouldn't cry.

"When are ya leavin?"

"In about zirty minutes."

"Call me when ya get there?"

"Jah. I love you."

And with that, Kurt disappeared again. He had two more people to say goodbye to.

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Scott sat in the middle of the danger room. He got up, kicking a piece of machinery that he had destroyed in his last run through the room. It skidded across the floor and bounced against the wall.

Kurt appeared suddenly, and Scott turned away from him.

"You know, I've been looking all over for you. I should haff known I'd find you here."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"So I'm leaving soon."

"So I hear."

"Are you mad?"

"Yeah."

"Listen, Scott. . . "

"No, Kurt. I understand why you're leaving. I'm just not all that happy about it."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

"So, I just vanted to say goodbye."

"Are you leaving for good?"

"I zink so. Jah."

Scott walked to the other side of the room, with Kurt following him. Scott hated this. All his life all he ever wanted was a family. After Xavier took him in, and the institute gained more and more students, he believed that he had finally found what he had been looking for. Kurt had been the first student Xavier had taken in after Scott and Jean. Scott had grown closer and closer to him until the two were close enough for each to consider the other family. Scott hated losing his other little brother.

"You know, Kurt, what I said last night about you being family. . . I was being serious."

"I know you vere, Scott. It's hard to leave, especially leaving my big sister. And my big brozzer. But it doesn't mean ve'll never see each ozzer again. Zhere's no reason zat ve vouldn't.

"I know."

"Vell, just zink of all ze headaches zat you von't be suffering from now."

Scott turned back to Kurt and embraced him like a brother. They both held the hug for a couple of moments, and then they broke, and Scott tussled Kurt's hair.

"I think I may actually miss the headaches. Do me two favors, though. Write me, and stay out of trouble."

"Vhat? Me get in trouble?" Kurt asked with a grin, and then disappeared.

Scott sat back down on the floor.

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Kitty was sitting in the library, reading a book. She had escaped there. For some reason, both Scott and Evan had given her angry looks, and she wanted to avoid them. Maybe they all knew about the kiss, and they were mad at her for hurting Kurt. She wanted to find Kurt to explain things to him, but she felt that their relationship was beyond repair now. She still couldn't forgive Kurt for hurting Lance. She couldn't even understand what that meant for their relationship.

"Good book?" she heard, over her shoulder. She turned her head around to find Kurt perched on a bookshelf.

"It's okay." She said, turning her back to him.

"Listen, Katzchen. . . "

"Oh, you're talking to me now?" she asked. Her face grew red.

"Vell, I haff to say somezing."

"Well, so do I! You had no right to beat up on Lance that way!"

"I still don't know vhat. . . "

"Don't play stupid, Kurt! I can't believe you did that!"

"Kitty, vould you let me. . . "

"I mean, what were you thinking?"

"Kitty! Vould you please listen to me?"

"What?"

"I'm leaving."

"Well, thanks for letting me know when you're leaving the mansion! I'm not your mom!"

"Zat's not vhat I mean. I'm leaving."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, finally turning back around.

"I'm leaving ze mansion."

"Where are you going?"

"Ze Professor is sending me to meet viz an associate of his. A Ms. McTaggert. I'll be studying viz her for ze next year or so."

Kitty looked deep into his eyes, and decided that this was just a ploy to make her feel guilty.

"Yeah, okay, Kurt. Have a good life." She turned away from him again.

Kurt's heart hurt, and he was having problems thinking straight. He jumped down to the ground, and stood behind Kitty.

"I'm not joking, Kitty. I'm leaving."

Kitty put her book back up and pretended to read it. She refused to believe him. He wouldn't leave her. He loved her and he wouldn't leave her alone. She knew it deep in her heart. She refused to answer him, and he tried once more.

"Kitty, I'm leaving. I'll not be living here anymore. Do you haff anyzing to say to me?"

"Kurt, would you, like, leave me alone? I've got to call Lance and see if he's okay from the beating you gave him." She said, taking out her cell phone.

Kurt felt his eyes sting and closed them. He reached his hand out and ran his three fingers through Kitty's hair. He caressed her earlobe, and trailed his fingers to the back of her neck. She closed her eyes, and bit down to suppress the moan that lingered in the back of her throat. Kurt bent over, and softly kissed her neck and then her cheek. Then he put his mouth to her ear, and she could feel his breath against her as he spoke.

"Goodbye, Kitty. I love you."

And then he was gone.

Kitty put her head in her hands, and began to cry.

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Kurt walked towards the Blackbird with two of his bags in hand. He saw Logan and Ororo waiting for him on the ramp. He smiled sadly, and teleported the rest of the way to the jet.

"Hallo." He said.

"Hello, Kurt. Logan and I will be accompanying you to Muir Island. Your bags have already been loaded."

"Zank you, Storm."

"You're welcome Kurt."

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Jean looked at the clock as she ran down the hallway. She had learned from Kurt when she read his mind what time he was scheduled to leave, and that time was in about five minutes. She still hadn't found Kitty, and it hadn't dawned on her that it was this late. She reached out with her mind, and found Kitty in the library. Kitty's head was in her hands, and she was crying. She reached out to try to find out why Kitty was angry with Kurt, and she could see the conversation that Kitty and Lance had in the hall previous to the kiss. Putting what she saw from Kurt's mind and what she saw in Kitty's mind together, she knew that Kurt hadn't done it, and rushed to Kitty's side. "Kitty! Go to him! He didn't do it!"

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Whatever happened to Lance when you found him in the hall, Kurt didn't do!"

"How do you know about that?"

"It doesn't matter, Kitty! He's leaving! He doesn't even know why you're so mad at him! He didn't do it, Kitty!"

"He didn't?"

"No! I saw his mind! He talked to Rogue about you during lunch! He hadn't seen Lance since Lance attacked him earlier yesterday morning! And he didn't hurt Lance the way Lance claimed!"

"Are you serious?!?" Kitty cried, tears running down her cheeks.

"What have I done?!?" she thought.

"Kitty, he's leaving now. Go tell him you know!"

Kitty didn't phase through the floor so much as she plummeted into it, towards the hangar.

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"Are you sure about this, Elf? We can shut this thing down now."

"I'm sure." Kurt said. Logan thought his eyes looked dead. Whatever happened to the kid would take some serious healing time.

"Charley knows what he's doing." Logan thought, and revved the engines.

Kitty reached the hangar as the jet began to lift off of the ground. She skidded to a halt as the plane turned towards the entrance of the cave.

"Kurt! Don't leave! I've made up my mind!"

Kurt looked out of the window and saw Kitty yelling. He wished he could hear what she was saying. Then he thought better of it. She was yelling at him. She had always yelled at him. He put his hand against the window, remembering better times with the woman he loved. He cried silently, so that Ororo and Logan wouldn't hear him, and stared at her.

"I love you so much, mein Katzchen." He mouthed.

He watched as she continued to yell and scream.

"I love you, Kurt! I choose you! Please don't leave! Please!" Tears were running down her cheeks, and as the plane sped off towards the cave entrance, she fell to her knees. "Please don't leave me." She said quietly as the jet flew off into the distance.

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Time went by at the mansion as it usually did. Life returned to a somewhat normal state of being. The others couldn't be angry at Kitty when they learned of the condition she was in. She hardly ate for weeks, and hardly slept for at least a month. She trained, but that was about all that they saw of her for at least two months. Jean and Rogue were the only people she allowed in her room. Professor Xavier warned the others to leave her alone, that a broken heart takes longer to mend than a broken bone.

Kitty broke off all contact with Lance. When he learned that Kurt had left, he began showing up at the mansion outside of her window. He was finally chased away by Scott, and warned to never come back. When Kitty finally went back to school, he received the hardest slap in the face that he ever had. After leaving her alone, he settled with watching her, glowering at her. He finally left school, leaving Kitty in peace.

The mansion was completely different without Kurt around anymore. It seemed so much quieter, so much more peaceful. So much more boring. Even the Professor, Logan, and Ororo noticed how much more boring it seemed to be around the mansion with the King of All Pranksters around. New students were admitted to the institute, and Kurt's name was passed into legend among the newbies. Young mutants attending years after he left knew his name and face (largely owing to the many pictures Xavier put up of his first group of students). Every once in awhile, the Professor would give his charges news of Kurt's progress and what was going on in his life. Kitty secretly believed that both Scott and Rogue kept up a correspondence with Kurt. They seemed to be the only two who weren't surprised by the events in Kurt's life that Professor Xavier would tell them about.

Kitty went on with her life after awhile. She dated others, always comparing them to Kurt. None of them ever filled his shoes, even as she grew older. As she grew older, and graduated college, she stayed with the X-Men. News of mutants spread all over the globe, and at least half of the population was becoming comfortable with them. The X-Men were regularly featured in headlines in newspapers around the world. Each time the superheroes saved the world, the world grew more and more grateful. Kitty learned that Kurt had helped form another team in Britain called Excalibur, after fighting alongside a team called X-Force. The world had accepted Kurt, and from the pictures she saw, he couldn't be happier. Tabloids showed him dating royalty sometimes, and she had to grin. He had finally found acceptance, and she couldn't be happier for him. Each day she fell deeper and deeper in love with him, and she regretted the past more and more.

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The story is over and done with. Looooooooooooong chapter. I can't believe I wrote this all. People are all over the place in this office. Shooting is, well, okay. Anyhow, hope you all liked the story. Angsty, huh? Well, like I said, the next story will be called "Ever After." And trust me, I'm a Kurtty fan, and I won't let you guys down on a happy ending. I don't think so, at least. Maybe. We'll see. Okay, I'm going to upload this now. I really, really hope you guys liked it. Look for my new story soon. Bye.