Evolution

*Hi everyone. I want to thank you for taking the time to read this story. I really appreciate that, and I'm also grateful for any feedback you would like to share. This story takes place during episode 201, just before Sophia is chased by the walkers. So it essentially veers off into this story, starting at that point. I'm new to WD, but I've seen every episode (some more than once) and I think it it is a quality show. Thanks again for reading!

Chapter One

"Natural Selection, as we shall hereafter see, is a power incessantly ready for action, and is as immeasurably superior to man's feeble efforts, as the works of Nature are to those of Art."

-Charles Darwin, from The Origin of Species, 1859

Rick awoke with a start. His eyes adjusted to the predawn darkness. He stayed stone still as he cautiously surveyed his surroundings. He detected no movement nor could he hear or smell anything that aroused any sense of anxiety. It continually amazed Rick that his senses had so quickly and efficiently adapted to serve him in the horrific reality of the past days. He wondered if those that survived the devastation of recent times had experienced that same surge in their sensory activity. He quickly determined that the other members of his group had certainly learned to modify their behavior in order to survive. Humankind, once the most formidable hunter on Earth, was now the most sought after prey.

Deciding he was all clear for movement, Rick shifted onto his back. He grimaced at the pain in his left hip. He cursed the hard, damp ground that he and the rest of the group was forced to sleep on the night before. However, it was a necessity. The day before was what Daryl aptly named "a complete clusterfuck". The morning started with their caravan hitting a roadblock on the main road, and Dale's RV needing repairs. Fortunately they were surrounded by enough abandoned cars that Dale could have his pick of spare parts. In addition, Shane had found fresh water and the others amassed clothing, weapons and canned food. The dismal beginning to their day had certainly started to look up.

Of course, no one expected the large band of walkers that came tromping along the highway through the obstacle course of cars. Andrea was nearly killed by a ravenous walker who happened upon her in the RV and, had it not been for Daryl's quick thinking, T-Dog would not have lived to see another day.

However, the roving army of undead finally passed them by and the group was able to attend to their setbacks straight away. They packed up any needed supplies, gassed up the vehicles and got cleaned up. However, by the time they got themselves together, dusk began to descend upon them. Stress levels were also raised due to Daryl's scout of the road ahead, which proved to be impassible. They would have to backtrack to find another feasible route to their desired destination, Fort Benning.

"We'll move at first light." said Shane.

Rick nodded in agreement. "He's right. Our best chance is to lay low tonight. We got enough food out of these cars. We'll eat and then settle in." He looked to his wife, Lori. She offered an encouraging squeeze to his shoulder.

The general consensus was that the group would be safest in the grass just off the highway, down a hill and shielded by heavy brush. Rick had found a small pond close by where everyone could wash up the next morning before they made their way back on to the road. He suspended a bed sheet using some low hanging tree branches. He joined Lori and his son Carl under their crude tent for the night.

As Rick pondered the events of the day before, he felt Lori begin to stir next to him. She mumbled something he couldn't quite hear. "Hmmm?" he said quietly.

"I said you're up early," whispered Lori, laying a hand softly on his chest. "Did you sleep at all?"

Rick nodded. "Yeah, a little. You didn't move much." he whispered back.

"Uh huh," said Lori, yawning. "I actually did sleep, surprisingly enough." She felt the beat of his heart under he hand. It was a comforting feeling. Since her reunion with her husband, Lori had been sleeping a little better. Despite the lingering effects of her affair with Shane, Rick's best friend, she was starting to feel as though her family was whole again.

At first she was wracked with feelings of utter guilt and shame because of what she'd done. However, Shane had insisted that Rick was dead. Lori had resigned herself to the fact that she would never see him again. In a strange way, making love to Shane had helped to alleviate her grief. In addition, Shane had been fiercely protective of her and Carl. Her son had needed a father figure and he had proven time and again that he was up to the task. She knew how badly it hurt him when she pushed him away upon Rick's arrival. However, she felt as though her choice was only logical, despite any feelings she developed for Shane. She would continue hr life with Rick and be grateful to Shane for what he had done for her and Carl, however brief his service was.

Lori shook her thoughts away and instead decided to focus on her reality. She wanted only to feel Ricks beating heart. The strong, healthy pulse emanated from deep within his chest. He felt warm and solid next to her. He breathed deep and rhythmically, like rolling ocean waves. Her eyes began to close again. She was about to drift back to sleep when she felt Rick jump.

Daryl was crouched next to them, crossbow laid by his side, eyes wide. He moved his index and middle fingers across the palm of his hand.

Walkers.

Rick turned to Lori and she saw the alarm in his blue eyes. Rick was a man of few words most times, but his eyes always spoke on his behalf. Lori knew the drill. Stay down and be quiet. That was easier said than done.

Rick mouthed "How many?"

Daryl swallowed hard. "By the sound of it…a lot." he whispered.

"Where?"

"Sounds to me like down near the pond." said Daryl.

Rick grabbed his gun and crawled to Shane. He shook his friends arm and Shane was sitting up with his gun in his hands in mere seconds. The new bit of information was revealed to him. He looked around at the others, still sleeping soundly. "Should we just let them pass?" he whispered.

Daryl shrugged. "No way to tell yet if they'll come right through here or just pass us by yet. I say the three of us get a little closer and see what we can see. No sense getting everyone all panicked."

Rick and Shane nodded in agreement. Rick turned back to Lori and pointed in the direction of the pond. She nodded and watched the three men quietly move away from the hilly area just off the highway to get closer to the source of the noise.

As they got to the bottom of the hill, Rick was finally able to hear the footsteps. He looked over at Daryl. Apparently his sense of hearing developed quite rapidly as well. The man was a hunter and therefore had keen senses to begin with. However, Rick decided, he was now quite a valuable asset to the group if he was able to detect danger from so far away. Chances of a sneak attack were reduced with Daryl in their midst.

Daryl nodded to the east and settled himself behind a tree. Shane and Rick found similar hiding spots. There, they simply listened. Dawn was beginning to bleed into the sky. Pink and orange light crept through the trees. As the footsteps got closer, Rick realized that Daryl had been correct. This was a large group. They were coming right towards the three of them, which meant their camp was no longer safe. The horde would stomp right through the camp, killing everyone in sight.

Rick got closer to Shane. "Let's move." The three of us can't fight them off. I say we get up to the top of the hill and instruct everyone to hide, just like yesterday."

Daryl came up next to the two men. "Hang on. Listen for a second. The footsteps are too clean, too sharp. Nobody is stumbling around. And, wait, I hear something else."

Rick and Shane concentrated but could only hear the rapidly approaching footsteps. Rick heart began to throb. "Daryl, let's make a got of it. I think if we just warn the others we…"

"Shhh," said Daryl softly. "Do you hear?"

"Hear what, man?" whispered Shane through gritted teeth. "I hear a goddamn killing squad making their way towards us and camp. Let's frikking go!"

"No wait, Shane," said Rick. "Daryl's right, I can hear…I can hear this, this…what is that?"

All three men turned towards the source of the sound.

"Echo 33 you there? Over."

"Echo 33 here, over."

"Echo 33, what's the story up there, over?"

"Just crossing a small pond. My guess is the highway is up ahead a third of a mile or so, over."

Rick, Daryl and Shane blinked in surprise.

"Well," said Daryl. "Unless walkers have miraculously learned how to talk it looks as if we've got some honest to goodness people coming our way."