A/N: I'm a true believer in the fact that if you change one thing, it changes everything. So don't expect the same out come as the original ending. Things are going to get a bit, different in this ending.

Alternate Ending

Chapter 22
More than Anything

This was it; she realized looking in to the mirror. She was going to make her decision and she was worried about the outcome. How was this going to affect her life, how was this going to affect her relationship with Tyler, with Reid, with Pogue, and with Caleb?

"Caity," She looked up to see her brother standing in her doorway.

"Hey Cale," She forced a smile as he walked in to the room.

"You look beautiful," He commented with a small smile on his lips.

"Thanks, you look great as usual,"

"You wanna talk about it?" He questioned taking a seat at her desk.

"About what?"

Caitlin played with the hem of her skirt, really not sure what her next move was going to be. She looked up at her brother and saw the look in his eyes. He was her big brother after all, she couldn't fool him.

They had a bond like no one else. A special bond and she couldn't help but tell him the truth when he gave her that look.

"I'm still really confused," She whispered shortly. "I thought I had it all figured out but…"

"You don't," Caleb offered.

"Exactly," She pursed her lips together in thought and turned to look at her brother completed. "What if the decision I make is wrong?" She questioned.

"What if it's not?"

"Seriously Cale, what if I choose the wrong guy, tear out the heart of another and I just… I have nothing after that…"

"Stop worrying about the 'what ifs'" Caleb told her shaking his head. "Everything happens for a reason," He told her calmly. "Whichever route you decide to take, I'll be right there…" He grabbed her hands and smiled. "I'm going for the ride with you; ok… you'll always have your big brother to fall back on…"

"So, if this all goes to hell… you're going to pick up the slack?" She laughed shaking her head. "That's kind of sick… and twisted…"

"You could always run away with Pogue…" He grinned.

"Even more sick and twisted," she laughed shaking her head.

"Just got out tonight, don't worry about what decision you've got to make. It's one of our best friend's birthdays…. One of the biggest nights of his life and we've got a party to get to…"

Caitlin smiled at her brother, "You always know how to make me feel better…" She grinned.

Caleb grinned pulling her off of the bed and towards the door. Caitlin glanced back at the journal that was sitting on her desk. She wasn't going to worry about the 'what ifs', she was going to focus on the now, and what she wanted to make herself happy.

They arrived at Reid's party, late, but with good reason.

They entered and found Reid in the middle of the chaos drinking and having a hell of a good time. Pogue, Kate, and Sarah were entertaining him as he tossed back a shot, and smiled seeing Caleb and Caitlin approach them.

"Caity," Reid said her name a bit too excitedly and she smirked.

"What's going on birthday boy?" She asked giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Not much, waiting for you to get here so that I can get my birthday dance in…" He grinned.

Smirking she nodded her head and followed him out on to the make shift dance floor. Bodies all around them were bumping and grinding all over each other. She knew her attention should probably be on Reid, since it was his birthday but she couldn't help the feeling in her stomach.

She hadn't seen him at all since she walked through the door. Was he even there? She felt her eyes wander over the room and land on the pair of blue eyes that were looking at her, blonde hair falling in to them as he sighed.

Reid leaned in a gave her a kiss on the cheek, "He's in the kitchen,"

Caitlin stood dumbfounded as Reid walked away from her, her eyes never leaving the back of his head. She swallowed hard, her eyes leaving his figure for a moment and looking in the direction of the Garwin kitchen.

She willed her feet to move and once they finally began to listen she entered the kitchen. Reid had been right; he was in the kitchen, a half a bottle of Jack Daniels at his lips and a miserable look adorning his handsome face.

"Tyler," His ears perked up hearing her voice.

"Lin," Her name slurred and she sighed approaching him.

"What's this all about?" She asked. "Shouldn't you be enjoying the party?" She grinned at him, though forced.

"I am enjoying the party," Tyler mumbled, his eyes focusing in on her as she appeared in front of him. His blue eyes were full of doubt and that killed Caitlin.

"What's going on with you Ty?" She asked resting her hands on his knees.

"I can't stop thinking," Tyler muttered angrily, looking down at the small hands that were clutching his jean clad knees. "I'm analyzing everything," He shook his head. "I just wanted to get the thoughts out of my head,"

"So you're drinking like this?" She asked pulling the bottle out of his hands.

"Yep," He answered watching her push it to the edge of the counter.

"You don't need to do this,"

Tyler looked her in the eye and shook his head; he couldn't stop thinking about what Reid had asked him a few nights ago. The words plagued his head and he felt like an idiot. He hadn't known exactly how he felt about Caitlin, but now… now he did and he was afraid he was losing her.

"What exactly have you been thinking about?" Caitlin asked leaning forward trying to catch his eye.

Tyler stared at her for a second, holding her steady gaze, "Reid asked me something, and I couldn't give him a straight answer,"

"What'd he ask you?" Caitlin pressed. Tyler put his hands on top of hers and worried his bottom lip, not really wanting to tell her, "C'mon you can tell me, we're best friends…"

"He asked me if I loved you," Tyler answered her.

Caitlin's smile fell and she took a deep breath, she wasn't really expecting that. Technically, she didn't know what she was expecting. She inhaled deeply the smell of Jack Daniels' intoxicated her lungs and she let out a heavy sigh.

"I told him that I wasn't sure," Tyler continued, making Caitlin's heart stop. "But then I started thinking," He shook his head. "And thinking, and I just couldn't stop…"

"Did you at least find an answer?" Caitlin asked.

"To what?" Tyler asked looking at her confused, an eyebrow slightly raised in question.

"To Reid's question," She whispered softly. "Do you love me?"

Tyler sighed heavily and pulled her face in to his hands, she took a step closer to him, her body leaning in to his, "More than anything," He pressed his lips to hers.

Caitlin didn't know if this was a normal feeling, but she felt like she had just been electrocuted. Goosebumps formed on her flesh, a warm sensation swam throughout her body, her fingers dug in to his thighs and she felt completely at peace.

Tyler pulled away, her eyes were still closed, her lips slightly parted and her cheeks were flushed. A small smile played on his face as he watched her open her eyes. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held him close.

"Why couldn't you just say that?" She whispered looking up at him.

Tyler pulled his bottom lip between his teeth and sighed heavily, "I saw what I wanted for so long," He pursed his lips and pulled away from her, glancing down at her stomach. "I didn't think it'd ever be the same again,"

"Why not?"

"Because you're carrying his child, Lin… a piece of him is growing inside of you…" His lips pulled tight over his teeth. "I just felt like what I felt was inferior to what was going on there,"

Caitlin sighed and let her hands fall to his thighs, "You could never be inferior," She shook her head at him. "Never,"

"He loves you, and I love you… and it's just so confusing," He whispered.

"I know," She agreed squeezing his thighs. "It's really confusing," She caught his steady gaze with hers. "And what makes it all the more difficult is that I do have feelings for Reid, on that level…" She watched the sadness flicker in his eyes. "But, I just love you so much that I don't think I could let you go,"

Reid stood in the kitchen doorway and a small grin tugged at his lips. He didn't know how this whole thing was going to end, but now that he heard her confession to a drunken Tyler he simply nodded his head.

He walked in to the kitchen and her eyes immediately found his, "Reid," The way she said his name made Tyler snap around to look at him as well.

Tyler opened his mouth to say something but Reid stopped him, "Take her to the prom tomorrow, eh?" He grinned placing his hands on the island that the brunette was perched up on.

"But Reid," Caitlin went to object.

"I heard what you said," He lifted a hand to her face and Caitlin stared over at him a look of guilt on her face. "Don't look guilty babe," He smiled shortly. "You made your decision, and I'm gonna honor that… it was your decision to make…"

"Reid," Tyler started.

Reid shook his head and grinned, "Now, I've got twenty minutes until I'm about to go through the most agonizing pain of my life… and I would be more than thrilled if my two best friends were there to witness it…"

Caitlin's eyes lit up as she stared at the blonde boy, had she really been in here that long with Tyler? She took a deep breath and Tyler slid off of the counter, his eyes locked with Reid's. She could tell there was some kind of male bonding, or male telekinesis going on there and she wasn't about to interrupt.

"You sure?" Tyler asked out loud.

"Would you just get your fat asses out to the Humvee before I change my mind?" He asked with a wicked grin her way.

Caitlin watched as Tyler pulled out the keys to his car, she grabbed the keys and shook her head, "Neither of you are driving this time," She smirked and twirled the keys on her finger. "Let's go… birthday boy,"

I'm almost done writing Tyler's ending and I kind of like it too... darn it all to hades... lol... It's going to be set up a bit differently than Reid's and that's the plan... :)