Author's note: Hey all, I just wanted to say that I loved the movie Remember me. Rob did an amazing job I might add:) but I didn't like the way it ended, I walked out of the theater crying my eyes out. Anyway, here's another way it could have happened. Well, at least its my way. Enjoy:)

Survival Instinct

Summary: Tyler starts down the stairs before the plane hit on that fateful day. Why did he use the stairs? Why did he leave at all? What is the one thing that pushes him on?

Chapter one

"Leave Tyler"

Tyler couldn't take his eyes off his father's computer. The pictures of his brother and sister, and himself from when he was growing up continued to flash on the screen. The pictures of him and Michael that he had hardly seen after his brother was gone, the pictures of when Caroline was born, his sixteenth birthday, they were all flashing in front of him now.

"You want some Coffee?" the voice made Tyler jump, he looked up to see his father's secretary looking at him with a smile.

Did you know about these?" Tyler asked pointing at the computer screen which was now showing a picture of the three of them at Caroline's fourth birthday party.

"Who do you think scanned the pictures?" She asked her smile even broader as she passed him the steaming cup.

Tyler smiled as he took the cup and continued to watch the pictures play on the screen as she came around to watch beside him, "How old would he be now?" she asked as a picture of his older brother flashed onto the screen.

Tyler sighed, "Michael would have been twenty eight in May."

She shook her head, "Its hard to believe its been that long." she sighed and walked over to desk on the other side of the room.

Tyler nodded, "I know." he got up and ran a hand through his hair, he walked to the window and looked out. His father's office was on the 90th floor of the world trade center so saying that his view was nice was an understatement. He looked out over busy New York City, the early morning crowd entering the buildings that lined the streets below.

He took a sip of his coffee when he heard something sound in his head, it sounded like "leave." Tyler turned around to see who was telling him to leave his own father's office but when he did there was no one there. He shook his head, he thought he knew the voice but yet there was no one there, he must be tired. He walked back over to his father's desk and sat on the edge of it. Once again the voice sounded in his head, louder this time, "Leave!"

Tyler jumped, making Jane, his father's secretary jump too.

"Tyler, is everything alright?" Jane asked looking a little concerned, she had never seen Tyler this jumpy before.

"Yeah, sorry I'm just a little edgy I guess, not sure why," Tyler said with a shrug, what was wrong with him.

Again the voice sounded this time adding a lot more force "LEAVE TYLER!!"

Tyler had to bite his lip in order not to cry out in shock. He knew that voice and it was getting louder, though nothing he did was helping, he had no idea where the voice was coming from. "Get a hold of yourself Tyler," He said to himself. "Focus on something else." And that was what he tried to do, he focused on the screen saver once again trying to put everything else out of his mind. It worked for a minute then once again the voice was back. "TYLER JACOB HAWKINS, LEAVE THAT BUILDING RIGHT NOW!!!"

Tyler sat there in utter shock, now he knew why he knew that voice. It was the voice of his brother. He would know it anywhere, but it was impossible Michael had been gone for almost six years. Once again the voice sounded this time pleading, "Please Tyler, trust me, leave."

Tyler bit his lip again a nervous habit he had picked up from spending to much time with Ally. He looked at the clock, it was almost eight forty, if he just left the building and waited outside for his father maybe that would be enough for this weirdness to stop. He got up and turned to Jane, "Jane, its such a nice day I think I'm going to wait for my dad outside."

Jane smiled, "Okay, sounds nice, I wish I could go with you." and with that she went back to work.

Tyler smiled back before his lip once again snaked his way back under his teeth and he made his way to the elevators. Just as he was about to push the button the voice sounded once again in his head, "Don't." Tyler's hand froze. "Use the stairs" it echoed.

"There's 90 floors," Tyler said quietly feeling odd talking to someone who wasn't there though he talk to his brother all the time, Michael didn't usually answer back.

"Use the stairs," the voice repeated.

Tyler bit his lip even harder but backed away from the elevators and began walking in the opposite direction and pulled open the rarely used door to the stairs and began the long walk down.


Tyler surprised even himself at how fast he was moving it had only been about five minutes and he was already on the 77th floor. "I am glad I'm going down and not going up, that would be painful," Tyler said to himself trying to lighten the mood and fill the silence around him.

Tyler sighed still a little nervous and not sure why he was doing this in the first place. The voice sounded again, "can't explain, trust me, move faster." He sighed again but quickened his pace, as he did he pulled up his wrist to glance at his watch, eight forty three. Caroline's school started at eight forty, his dad would be on his way to work, he hoped he wouldn't miss him. If he did who would more then likely have to turned around and start climbing the stairs the other direction. 69st floor, he looked at his watch again eight forty five, The voice sounded again. "FASTER!"

Tyler started running as fast as he dared down the stairs, his phone began to vibrate, he started to stop, but the voice sounded again, "DON'T STOP!" Tyler listened. He passed floors 65 and 64 all within a matter of a minute. He reached the 50th floor when it happened. BANG!! something had hit the building sending a shutter though out it. What ever it was, it had hit with enough force to send Tyler flying down the next flight of stairs without even touching them.

Tyler flew from the 50th floor to the 49th landing with a huge thud against the opposite side of the wall which for some reason felt hot. He hit the wall and slide down it cracking his head on the hard wall and floor as he went. He lay there stunned. He knew he was in trouble, he knew everyone in this building was in trouble. Something had hit the building, something big.

Tyler told himself to get up, he had to get up he couldn't stay here. But he could couldn't get his brain to work with him as much as he tried to fight it he couldn't and slowly as the stairway began to fill with what he thought was smoke Tyler welcomed the darkness, his brother's voice echoing in his head.

Author's note: Well, should I continue?