Author's Note: For those who don't like slash, here's a special alternate ending to this story. You need read no further than this. It is NOT, however, the actual ending, nor does this have much in common with the actual ending. This is just something for the people who won't have anything whatsoever to do with slash. For those who have been reading this story and dislike slash, well, I've said in every Author's Note of every chapter that this story was going to turn into a slash story. Normally I just write what I want without too much care of what other people think, hoping that those who read over my work while it's still in progress will give me honest opinions (for which I must say, "Thanks guys!"). Narrow minds irk me, however. Hence, I give you this alternate ending.

Let me repeat, though that this is not the real ending that I have planned.

For those who cannot see that love is love no matter what form it offers itself in, I pity you. Anyway, in this chapter, Todd turns his back on the friendship he's been offered, thus losing all chance at the redemption he's been gaining in previous chapters. In other words, Todd's "new beginning" becomes a dead end. The next chapter will take off where Part 3 left off. I just had to go off on a tangent and make a point with this chapter.

Alternate (Not the Actual) Ending

Todd awakened from dreams of blue-furred demons tormenting him. For a moment, he thought he was still trapped in his dream when the red light from his alarm clock gleamed at him like a pair of monstrous eyes. Todd crawled out of bed, stretched, and scratched himself both in mentionable and unmentionable areas. Slipping into his clothes, the same ones he'd worn yesterday, Todd went to scrounge up some breakfast.

Only slowly did the previous day's events come back to him, and when they did, Todd wanted to bang his head against the wall. What the hell had he been thinking? He was as good as dead if he was seen hanging out with Blue Boy and the X-Freaks!

All through the walk to school, Todd began convincing himself that Fuzzy couldn't possibly want to be friends with him. Kurt had to be plotting some terrible humiliation. Yeah, that was it! No one would really want to hang around Todd the Toad willingly. As his classes went on through the day, Todd repeated to himself his new mantra. 'Nobody likes me. Nobody likes me.'

Todd knew exactly what he was: a tool. He did was he was told, and the Brotherhood offered him a bare minimum of acceptance. He wouldn't dare lose that on the off-chance that the X-Freaks weren't trying to trick him. 'Nobody likes me. Nobody likes me.'

Lunchtime rolled around. 'Nobody likes me.' Kurt motioned eagerly for Todd to join him at a table. 'Nobody likes me.' Todd gave Kurt the middle-finger salute and went to join the Brotherhood. 'Nobody likes me. Nobody likes me.' He'd not been aware of Darkholme in the cafeteria until she came up behind him and touched his shoulder lightly. "You made the right choice, Todd," she murmured. Of course she would have been watching, would have guessed what was going on.

Todd made no response, embracing the emptiness he felt inside. The X-Freaks were not for him, nor was Kurt. Todd was free to sink back into the iniquity and lonliness which was the Brotherhood. Friendship... Love... Kurt... He had no need for such things. 'Nobody likes me. Nobody likes me...'

The Alternate End

(Not bad for something thrown together in about 15 minutes, huh? Hopefully the point I'm trying to make comes through.)