AN: This is my first Tribe story. I've read a few on this site, and I'm a pretty big fan of the show, but I've never actually written anything about it before. Mostly I write Buffy the Vampire Slayer/ Angel fanfiction, and my specialty is original characters, which I try to work into the plots as best I can. (This is a deliberate scheme to get you to read my other stories, and if you look at my bio page, you'll believe me when I say that there's plenty more stories coming). Naturally, there's an original character in here too, but she's not as complex as my other characters, and this story should be shorter than most of mine. Relax, enjoy, and review, because I value reviews immensely. Tell me what you feel. Be honest. Complain all you like. Just send me something, OK?

Title: Readjustment Author: Seashell282 Rating: PG Summary: Set in mid-late Series 3. Sheriff Lex and his deputy, Pride, are patrolling the grounds surrounding the city, searching for the Guardian. However, a sudden misstep leads them to something they did not expect to find.

Note: Chapter One takes place in the point of view of Pride. I will switch perspectives occasionally, but never without telling you first. Usually a chapter will only contain one point of view. Be patient with the changes. Thanks.

READJUSTMENT- CHAPTER ONE

Pride walked carefully through the pathless clearing by the woods outside the city, his cautious gaze alertly checking either side of his surroundings for the missing Guardian. He lingered slightly behind Lex, who was strolling at the front of the group, looking every inch the arrogant sheriff who would find their missing criminal at any cost. Lex's other deputies and workers, various townspeople from a number of tribes, followed behind him, all on the lookout.

If there was any place that the Guardian could safely hide, it would be here, Pride thought. An Eco-Tribe member and himself a man of forests and nature, Pride knew much about the numerous places the leader of the Chosen could escape to.

Even though Pride was aware of the necessity to check places like this several times over, since the Guardian could always return to a previously searched location later, he urged Lex to abandon the hunt for today.

"Lex, it's no use. We've checked this place at least a dozen times in the last week, and it looks like rain is coming." Pride lifted his eyes to the darkening skies above his head, and Lex did the same, examining them for signs of bad weather ahead. "Let's go home."

Lex looked like he wanted to protest, but his common sense stopped him from doing so. "Well, all right," he conceded, turning the procession of people around. "Back to town, guys," he ordered.

Pride sighed under his breath in relief. He was eager to get back to the mall. To Amber. Or at least to get out of the rain, which was poised to start at any moment, judging by the greyness of the skies. This time outside turned Pride's thoughts to his home, and he became lost in imagining what it would be like to return to the old tribe.

Consumed by his own thoughts, he stopped looking where he was going, and it soon caught up to him. His foot hit a large rock in his path, and Pride went tumbling down to the ground. His hands went out to steady him, and that was all that kept him from hitting the ground without any grace at all.

Lex smiled and held out a hand to Pride, offering him help in getting up. "Nice job there, Pride," he teased good-naturedly. "In too much of a hurry to watch where you're going?"

But Pride barely noticed Lex's gesture. Instead he frowned, straining to hear again a sound he'd just heard nearby. It sounded like something scattering, a rat or a mouse or something. He leaned in a little, trying to listen.

"Pride?" Lex said, a little quieter and more hesitantly. "What is it?"

"Ssh," Pride responded, gesturing for Lex to come and crouch down next to him. Once the sheriff was beside him, he whispered, "Did you hear that sound?"

"No," Lex said matter-of-factly, but also quietly. "What did it sound like?"

"A rustling," Pride answered. "Like a person who didn't want us to see him."

He looked over at Lex, who mouthed "The Guardian", then gave him a questioning look. Pride nodded and discreetly pointed in front of him. The rocks in front of them, combined with trees, built a kind of structure or hiding place that they had not noticed before. Slowly, Lex and Pride crawled toward the formation, careful not to make too much noise, the other townspeople tiptoeing behind them.

Once they were right in front of the rocks, they studied them. Pride frowned at the opening, then whispered to Lex, "The opening's far too narrow for someone like the Guardian to fit through."

Lex thought a moment, then reached out and touched one of the rocks that surrounded the opening, testing for loose ones that could be moved. Within a few seconds he had found one, and he and Pride gently lifted it away and put it beside them. Immediately, whoever was inside skittered back, but the little cave wasn't even big enough for anyone to stretch out inside it- they would have to curl up the whole time, no matter how small. Only someone who was very scared would hide here.

"All right, show yourself," Lex commanded in his most superior and threatening voice. When no one appeared, Lex reached out to grab the person and pull them out, but Pride caught his wrist before he could make the move.

Slowly the person who was hiding peeked their head out so that they could be seen.

It was not the Guardian at all, but a girl. She was dirty, her clothes were ripped, and it looked like she'd been without food for a good length of time. Pride and Lex were confused- what did they do when they caught a person hiding who wasn't the Guardian?

It was then that she said something that none of them expected to hear. Looking around with scared eyes, she asked, "Is the virus gone yet?"

TO BE CONTINUED