Disclaimer: X-Men is not mine, but Angel, Ian, Kendra, Ms. Simmons, and Maria are mine.

Chapter 21 - When a Door Closes, Another Opens: "Well, there should be other stops. We're definitely stopping in New York City, maybe you can get off there," Angel suggested.

"Maybe," Storm replied as she sat down. "So, what are you going to do now, Angel?"

"Get enrolled in school, get a job and somewhere to live, obviously. Other than that..." the blond girl shrugged.

"In Tennessee?"

"Probably not, no. I'll keep moving, for a while."

"Where are you going to go?"

"I don't know, and if I did... the Professor sent you here; would he really let me go?" Storm frowned.

"I..." She stopped. The truth was, she didn't really know.

"Exactly. You're one of his, and even you don't know. I'm not risking it. All I want is a normal life, you know? Hiding my mutation doesn't bother me."

"You don't have to do this," Storm said, trying one last time. "People will get over it; you don't need to run."

"Yes, I do. Not from the school, maybe, but I do need this. I have to find my own way, Storm, and I'm not going to do it at the Institute. I liked it there, but I was never meant to stay. I don't have the faith in humanity the Professor wants to instill in us, and I'm never going to. I learned a lot, but it's time for me to move on."

"You were always going to do this, weren't you?" Storm asked the girl.

"Maybe not so abruptly, and maybe I'd've graduated first, but yes, I was always going to do this. I always wanted to do it, it's been my only dream, other than being with Mom again. Now that I've got it, I don't plan to waste it." She smiled, a bright smile unlike anything Storm had seen on the girl's face before. She knew that this was the end of it. Angel wouldn't be coming back; but she didn't have to. She wasn't like most of the other kids; Angel didn't need the school anymore. Maybe she never really had.

"You shouldn't. Not enough people get their dreams," the woman told the girl quietly, and then they were silent.

At Grand Central Station, Storm stood to get off. She looked back at Angel. "Good luck, Angel. I hope you find what you're looking for."

"Bye, Storm. Take care of yourself. Oh, and ask Logan out before you both go crazy," Angel replied with a smirk. Storm stared for a moment before leaving, shaking her head. Why would she ask Logan out? Really.

She got back to the Institute and went straight to the Professor's office. "Storm, why didn't Angel return with you?" Charles wanted to know.

"She didn't want to. I won't force her, Professor," Storm replied.

"If Erik..."

"He tried. She told him no. She just wants a normal life. Oh, Ms. Richards is a spy."

"What?"

"I know." She turned to go.

"Storm?"

"What?"

"Do you really think leaving Angel alone is the best course of action?"

"Yes, I do. She would never have stayed, Professor. I think we both know that." She smiled at him. "This way, everyone gets what they want, more or less." Then she left.

A week later, Angel finally stopped running. She landed in St. Louis, Missouri. She knew there were difficulties ahead, balancing school with the job she'd need to support herself, but she had some money saved up to help get herself started. She'd be alright. And she was free. At last, she was the mistress of her own destiny, she was in control of her fate. She was going to live her life here, and she was going to live it well. She didn't know how yet, she just knew that she would.

A/N: So, that's the last regular chapter. The epilogue will be up next, and six years will have gone by. There's also going to be an implied crossover - which was set up here in Angel's final destination - that has to stay implied because fanfics of that particular series are not allowed on the site. There are other sites, but as of now, I'm not inclined to risk getting sued for it.