Disclaimer: Richard and Kahlan belong to Terry Goodkind. Legend Of The Seeker belongs to Ted Raimi, Robert Tapart and all the other good people at ABC.

Hello everyone this is set between episodes 13 and 16, so after the episode with Kieran and Vivian, and before Richard and Kahlan rejoin with Zedd. I decided to have a little fun with these two after re-reading some Wizard's First Rule. Note: This is definately not suitable reading for anyone under 16, I tried to write this tastefully and I don't think I did too badly. I'll um rate this PGR since as we all know episode 13 was very PGR *Wink Wink* I may carry this on, I may do something completely different, let me know what you think. Enjoy!

The Burdens Of A Confessor

Richard's eyes shot open. He was gasping for air, and sweat was on his brow. He'd had another dream, one that was becoming far too frequent for his liking. It was the one about Kahlan again; they were in the tomb, with the spirits of Kieran and Vivian. Kieran was making love to Vivian, only using Richard and Kahlan's bodies to do it. Richard had been present there the whole time, able to see what was happening but unable to feel it. Unable to stop it, although at the time he would never have stopped it. He was sure the experience had been the same for Kahlan, although he knew she was far too embarrassed to talk about what had happened. The dream was simple. Richard lived out his most passionate moments with Kahlan before Zedd interrupted. He couldn't be sure if the people in the dream were Kieran and Vivian, or himself and Kahlan. He wasn't sure it mattered much either, only that it left him feeling frustrated and angry upon awakening.

Richard rolled over to gaze at Kahlan.

The fire had long since gone out, and Kahlan had pulled her blanket tightly around her. He could see her body shivering under it. The nights had grown unusually cold and even wearing her thick green traveling dress was no longer enough for her to keep warm.

He stood up; picking his own blanket up with him then placed it atop hers. She rolled over to face him. "Richard, you'll freeze."

"I don't think so." He grinned before sliding under the blankets next to her.

"Richard what are you…"

"Trying to keep you warm." He interrupted sliding his arms around her waist, holding her close to him."

"We can't…." Her teeth chattered.

"Don't argue. Can't sleep?" He asked.

"No; just a bad dream. Now it's too cold to get to sleep."

"A dream?" He prompted.

"We were back in the tomb; you were Kieran, and I Vivian, only this time, I confessed you. Richard it was awful."

"I've been having the same dream, only there was no confessing involved." All of a sudden his lips were inches away from hers. "Kahlan." He whispered against her lips.

"Richard we can't do this." She whispered back, the pain apparent in her voice. "You know that."

"I'm not afraid Kahlan. I love you, and you love me. Let me try."

"No." She told him firmly, but not pulling away from his embrace either.

His warm hands slid beneath her dress, coming to a stop between her shoulder blades, holding her closer to him. Her breathing rapidly increased. He moved his lips to her neck and slowly began kissing the spot in the crook of her neck making her arch up against them. He began to whisper in her ear. "Kahlan, you won't hurt me. Back in the tomb, when I was Kieran, and you were Vivian, we did much more that what I'm doing to you now. If you were capable of confessing me it would have happened then."

"But I wasn't in control then Vivian was." Kahlan protested.

"But your power would have still been there, coursing out of your body. It didn't touch me. You had me naked and inside you Kahlan. I need to know how that felt, I want to know. I think you do too." He resumed working on her neck. His hands making quick work of the ties holding her dress together above her breasts. She cried his name as the pleasure built inside her.

"Richard." Her hands gripping his hair.

"Tell me you want me to try. If you feel yourself losing control I swear to you I'll stop myself." His hands had moved from behind her back and were pulling off her corset. His hands came to a stop at her breasts. "Tell me Kahlan."

"Yes!" She said, her arms now clinging to his broad shoulders. His lips claimed hers with an uncontrolled passion. She kissed him back just as his hard. His lips moved down her throat and across her chest, his hands never far behind. She pulled him back up to her face, and kissed his lips again. Her hands were at his belt buckle frantically trying to remove his pants. He slid them off and with his knee parted her thighs. His hands pushed her skirt up around her waist and then began to caresses her, his lips now on her breasts.

Kahlan's breath began to rapidly increase. She could feel her power rapidly flowing through her, barely able to contain it. She knew that if Richard entered her, and they truly consummated their love, it would be all over.

"Richard!" She gasped. "Richard stop!" It was as if he was simply ignoring her, his lust was driving him over the edge. He continued kissing, moving his hips closer to hers, she could feel him so close to her, too close. "You have to stop!" She shouted at him, using every last ounce of self control to pull him up and off of her. He rolled to the side, panting.

"Richard are you insane? I almost lost it. I almost lost you." She began to cry.

"Kahlan, I'm so sorry." He pulled her into his arms, his legs snaking around hers. "I couldn't stop I…I just wanted you so badly."

"I know." She whispered, crying into his shoulder.

"I love you Kahlan, and I swear that if there is a way for us to be together then I will find it."

Kahlan didn't say anything.

He kissed her head and held her tightly against him, warmth no longer an issue. She could feel herself drifting off to sleep so she detached herself from Richard and rolled over. Concerned, he propped himself up on one elbow.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't risk this Richard, even you holding me while I sleep, I could get too comfortable, I'm not in control while I'm asleep." She snapped.

"I'm sorry, I've upset you."

"Go to sleep Richard."

The next morning, Richard rolled over to find Kahlan up and sitting alone by the river.

"Good morning."

She turned startled out of her thoughts. "Richard."

He approached her slowly. "I'm sorry. About last night, I never should have pressured you into anything. But I promise I'll find a way to be with you."

"Will you stop saying that!" She told him angrily. "Richard, if there was a way, don't you think I would know about it?"

"I don't understand."

"Every confessor dreams of being able to be with the one they love, without turning them into their mate. Surely we would know how if it was possible."

"Their mate?"

"Being a confessor has a heavy price. In order to stop our race dying out, we are supposed to take a mate, a man we confessed, and use them to reproduce. If the baby is a girl, then that's great."

"And if it's a boy?" Richard asked wearily.

"They are killed. Why do you think you've never seen a male confessor?"

"But why?"

"It is believed male confessors are unable to control their powers." She said simply. "Long story short Richard, if there was a way, we would have found one."

"It's not fair."

"No its not. But we can't dwell on what we can never have. We have to focus on the mission, defeating Darken Rahl. You can't do that if you're confessed. So last night has to be the end of this silly infatuation we have." Kahlan wore her confessor's face.

"Infatuation? You're just going to disregard this, us, as a silly infatuation?" Richard asked angrily.

"What else are we supposed to do?" Now Kahlan was angry.

"You told me you loved me!"

"To save you from Darken Rahl, to stop you giving him the box!" She shouted. "It didn't mean anything." She added.

"I don't believe you."

"Believe whatever you want Richard. It still doesn't change things." Kahlan wouldn't look at him. He walked up to her tilted her chin up to his and lowered his lips onto hers. At first she resisted, but sure enough, Kahlan melted into his kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. When they broke apart she whispered, "I'm sorry too."

Knowing they wouldn't have much time left before rejoining up with Zedd, Richard made the most of his time alone with Kahlan. That night he slid into the blankets beside her again.

"Richard? What are you doing?" She asked calmly.

"Just keeping you warm." He replied with a grin, sliding his arms around her waist, her back still facing him. "I'll keep my clothes on this time, I promise. From now on, I'll let you call the shots."

She rolled over to face him, snuggling into his shoulder. "I love you Richard."

"I know. I love you too Kahlan."