"What did she say?" his voice was filled with concern as she sat down at the table. Her eyes were red and she had tear stains on her cheeks, telling him that she had been crying.

Ignoring his questions, Kahlan tore a small piece of bread and stuffed it into her mouth, chewing slowly so that she couldn't answer him. Reaching over the table, she grabbed the bowl of fruit and pulled it toward her, glancing over at him as he sat down beside her. "Are you hungry?"

"No. Kahlan, what happened?"

"Did you know that pregnant women can have visions? I didn't."

He watched her fight back the tears, forcing herself to eat instead of cry. "It's all real?"

"Everything." Laying her hand on her stomach, she swallowed a strawberry and turned to face him. "This child, his child, has given me a look into a future where I watch you die, where everything around me turns into dust and I can't do anything to stop it."

"I'm not going to let it happen. I'm not going to allow anything to bring you pain. We're going to get through this and-"

"You cried my name. When you died. I tried to get to you, tried to stop it, but I couldn't move. They tortured you for days. I saw it all. I watched them tear you apart."

"What about everyone else? Your child?"

"She was the one who-" Turning her head, she leaned over and threw up onto the floor. Gasping for air, she fell from the chair and onto her knees in tears. "I am carrying a monster."

Moving to her side, Richard pushed her hair out of her face, gently rubbing back as she continued to vomit. "It's all right." She pushed into his side and wiped her mouth, trying to breathe without making herself sick again. The smell made it harder for her to breathe as she clung to his shirt. "You're all right."

"I can't have this child," she whimpered through tears. "The things she did to you..." Breathing heavily, she dug her fingers into his chest, trying to remind herself that he was there and still alive. "I can't have her- this monster inside of me has to- I cannot give birth to-"

"Don't say that. Kahlan, you don't mean it. You're afraid, that's all. Everything will be all right. I promise."

Gritting her teeth, Kahlan pulled out of his embrace and looked up at him. "You didn't see the look in her eyes. She enjoyed it. She knew how much it hurt you and she liked it. Her laugh, I still hear it mixing with your cries... I can't have this baby." Suddenly pushing him roughly away from her, she jumped up and grabbed something off of the table.

He thew himself on top of her, knocking her to the ground. Screaming, she tried to kick him off of her, tried to free her arms from his hold as she brought the knife to her stomach. He was surprised by her strength, her determination to rid herself of the child. He didn't recognize her. Kicking at his legs, she knocked him off of his knees and onto her, releasing a soft sigh with her cry as his chest pushed the knife into her. Moving quickly, he attempted to pull the blade from her skin, but she wouldn't let it go.

Tears flooded his eyes as blood began to stain the white cloth of her Mother Confessor's dress. The smile that came to her face terrified him. It wasn't her smile. She held the handle of the knife, her knuckles white as she tightened her hold on it. Taking napkins from the table, he laid them around the wound, hoping that in some way, it would stop the bleeding. He jumped as the door opened; he instantly shielded her body with his. Meeting his grandfather's eyes, he motioned to Kahlan, terrified.

"You have to help her!"

"No!" she shouted as he rushed to them. "Don't save her!"

Richard held her arms down, keeping her from pushing the wizard away as he pulled the knife from her stomach. Her body jerked around, wiping up the vomit with her dress as she tried to stop him from healing her. "You didn't hurt the child," he said quietly, finishing healing her wound.

"No..."

"Take her back to her room. She has lost a lot of blood. She needs to rest." They talked over her as if she wasn't there, ignoring her cries and whimpers. "I'll give her something to help her to rest. It will block the dreams."

It took them both to get her back to the room. Almost halfway back, she lost the will to fight them and went limp in Richard's arms.

The bedroom seemed bare now; Richard had taken everything that she could use to hurt herself out of the room. A single chair was all that remained beside the bed. The dressers, candle holders and mirrors, now rested in the hallway on the other side of the door. She was laying naked in the bed, he had asked her handmaiden to wash her dress, not wanting her lie in her own vomit. He hadn't left her side, he heard every word she whispered and everything she shouted at them until at last sleep took her over. It broke his heart seeing her like this, but he didn't know what to do.

Leaning back in the wooden chair, he brushed his fingers back through his hair with a sigh of frustration. Every thought that he had was dismissed as he tried to find a way to help her. The child was a part of her and he didn't want to lose it and he knew Kahlan well enough to know that she didn't truly want to lose it either. She coughed, pulling him from his thoughts and bringing his attention to her as she opened her eyes.

"How long?" her voice was timid as she ran her hands over her stomach, hoping to feel the wound.

"Almost a day. It's almost midday." Laying a hand on top of the blanket, he stopped hers. "Zedd healed you. I didn't tell him what happened. He thinks it was an accident."

"It wasn't."

"I know. I saw the look in your eyes when the blade went in." He pulled back, shaking his head, wanting to drown out his heart pounding in his ears. "How could you do that? Kahlan, she is your child."

"I don't want her." Turning her head, she met his eyes. "Kill her."

"What? No!" he shouted, horrified. "I will never do anything to harm you or your child."

"Then I want you to leave. If you won't help me, I don't want you here."

"I'm not going to leave you. I am helping you by being here. I don't know what is going on with you, but I know that one day you will realize that this child is a blessing. She is important and a wonderful joy."

Hatred filled her eyes, terrorizing him for a moment. "This child is a monster. This child removed every limb from your body with a smile, keeping you alive and awake each moment. This child cut the flesh from your bones, making an example out of you for standing against her. When she was finished with you, once she no longer felt pleased to hear your screams, she took what was left of you and... Get out. I don't want to look at you. Get out!" she shouted loudly, using all of her strength as she tried to get out of the bed. "Get out! I will be rid of this child!"

Grabbing her shoulders, he pushed her back to the bed, moving to straddle her as she attempted to move. "I'm not going to leave you alone. You need to lay back and rest. This is going to get better and you can scream at me, hit me and- you can do anything that you want to me, but I am not going to leave you. You mean more to me than anything else. I will protect you and this child, even if I am protecting you both from you."

"It's not us that you need to protect. Kill us, save everyone else."

"You both deserve to live. I am not going to murder you or your child because you fear the visions will come to pass." Wiping his thumb over her cheek, he removed the tears and sighed. "Everything is going to be fine. You'll see."

"It hurts!" Pushing him away, she threw the blankets from her body and screamed in pain.

Jumping back, Richard gasped as something pushed up against her stomach. Laying his hands over her, he tried to stop the skin from moving. Blood began to leak out around his hands as the knife wound began to reopen. "Help!" he shouted as loud as he could, knowing the guard on the other side of the door would get Zedd. A moment later, everything stopped.

Pulling his blood stained hands back; he looked down at her stomach. There was no sign of a wound; there was only a blood outline from his hands. Her eyes closed as he looked to her face, she looked exhausted.

"What happened?" Zedd's voice came in surprise.

"I don't know. One moment she was- She was bleeding, the wound had opened and she was screaming and then the next, she was calm and the wound was gone again." Realizing that she was laying there exposed, Richard pulled the blanket up over her and then sat back on the bed, lifting his bloody hands into the air. "She- she- Zedd something is wrong with her."

It took him hours to get through it all, to tell his grandfather everything that had taken place. He stared down at her, watching her sleep as he spoke, finding it comforting to see her relaxed. When he finished telling the story, he looked up to his grandfather for hope. "Please Zedd, you have to do something. This isn't Kahlan."

"No, it's not." Walking to the bed, he laid his hand on her forehead. It was burning and covered with sweat. Her head turned away from his touch, looking toward Richard as thought even with her eyes closed, she could see him. "Has she spoken to you about the dreams?"

"Yes."

"Everything?"

Grabbing her hand, he shook his head. "I thought so, but then she started telling me something before and I- I don't think she told me half of what she saw. Zedd, she didn't want me to know what she saw, but it scared her. Nothing scares her."

"She didn't begin to act this way until she dreamed of your death. That scares her."

Lying down beside her, Richard brushed his fingers through her hair. "Is there something you can do?"

"I cannot say for sure. It will take some time before I am able to determine what is happening. This may not be something that I can fix."

"You have to! Zedd, we can't leave her like this!"

Frowning down at his grandson, he shook his head. "We may not have a choice. If what you're saying is true and she tried to kill her child, the High Council will have her put to death. If she wakes up before I return, do not let her leave the room. We cannot let anyone know what is happening."

"Where are you going?"

Walking to the door, Zedd looked over his shoulder and gave him a small hopeful smile. "We need answers."

The moment the door was closed, Richard pushed himself against her, holding her tightly as he tried to think. He needed to find a way to save her, to save her child, even if she didn't want to. He felt connected to the child within her, he loved it. Resting his hand on top of her stomach, he moved his head beside it. He began to whisper to it, telling her that he and Kahlan loved her and that she would be safe.

"Richard?" He jumped at the sound of her voice. "What happened?"

Looking up at her, he moved away from her stomach and studied her face carefully. "You don't remember?"

"Remember what? When did you get back?" She sat up and looked around the room, confused. "What happened to all of my things?"

"You don't remember?"

Shaking her head, Kahlan tightened her hold on the blankets, realizing that she was naked. "No. The last think I remember was falling asleep in your arms." She suddenly darted her eyes with a gasp, "Richard, I'm-"

"I know. You told me two days ago."

"It's been two days? What happened? Why can't I remember and why are you looking at me like I just tried to kill you."

"You've had a hard few days." Inching to the side of the bed, he wiped his hands on his pants and sighed. "You should rest."

Grabbing his arm, she nearly climbed out of the bed, trying to get him to stay. "Richard, please. What did I do?"

The look he gave her, the pain in his eyes, broke her heart. "You did a lot of things. Kahlan, you should get some sleep. I will tell you what you want to know when you wake up."

"Why am I naked?" She whispered her question, embarrassed.

"You were sick. I didn't want you to lay in it. I asked your handmaiden to do it, I waited outside." Pulling his arm from her hold, he sat down in the chair beside the bed and leaned forward. "You should rest."

Laying her head back on the pillow, she stared over at him. "I did something terrible, didn't I?"

"Yes."

"What did I do?"

Lifting the covers, he shook his head, not wanting to tell her and keep her from resting. "I will tell you when you wake up."

Tears filling her eyes, she grabbed his hand. "Don't let me do it again."

"I won't."

Pulling on his hand, she pulled him from the chair. "Stay with me?"

"I'll be right here."

"No, here... I don't want to- I'm afraid I won't remember again."

She moved over as he crawled back onto the bed, pulling her into his arms as he wrapped the blankets tightly around her. "If you forget, I'll remind you."