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I'm rating this Chapter "M" just to be safe!

Reborn (Chapter 9)

The feel of lips caressing her shoulder gradually began pulling on her senses, dragging her from the peaceful depths of slumber. She sighed contentedly, a smile creeping across her face as she felt his tongue sneak out for a taste as well.

Soon a hand began caressing her arm as well as he pressed himself closer against her back. He lifted his leg, hooking it over hers, keeping her securely in bed with him. She could feel his heart begin to pound as his hand snaked its way around her side to touch her belly, his large hand cupping the swell of her growing womb. His fingers began tenderly stroking over the bump that was his daughters.

It had been so long since she'd been able to sleep in this bed that now that they were in it, Kahlan didn't plan on leaving it any time soon. They had made quiet tender love before the fireplace last night before Richard had carried her to their bed, insisting that now that he was back, he was not allowing her to sleep on the floor any more.

Kahlan nestled back into his kisses as his lips worked along her neck until he found her ear. His breath, warm and enticing, combined with his tongue and lips were rapidly awakening her ever simmering need for him. The tender exchange they'd shared last night rose to the forefront of her thoughts, causing her stomach to flutter with the stirrings of desire. Even though it had been slow and tender, it hadn't been any less passionate.

"You are much too thin," Richard murmured into her ear as he took her earlobe into his mouth, eliciting a gasp. "I hear that you haven't been eating or sleeping very well the last two months."

Kahlan was having a great deal of difficulty focusing on his words with his lips and hands rapidly strumming her desire to unbelievable heights. They had a lot of lost time to make up for and she intended to take full advantage of her husband's first day back in Aydindril.

"I…eat…and sleep…" she throatily moaned as her hand quickly covered his as it rested over her belly.

"That's not what I've heard," he said as he nuzzled the sensitive spot behind her ear that drove her mad with desire.

"Cara told you, didn't she?" Kahlan huffed with annoyance, her head tilting back with the feel of his lips on her flesh. She could feel Richard laughing softly against her neck. "I'm going to have to have a talk with her about what it means to be a friend."

"She's just concerned about you…as am I," he murmured softly.

Rolling her over onto her back, Richard swiftly moved over her, pinning her to the mattress. Held up by his elbows, he gazed into her thin face, taking in her frail appearance. He was thankful that the light had at least returned to her beautiful eyes. It had definitely been missing last night when he had first seen her.

"Kahlan, I really am worried about you. I'm afraid I'm going to break you," he fearfully admitted as his eyes roamed over her slim form that lay beneath him.

Pressing his forehead against hers, he closed his eyes against the heated rush of concern and guilt that flooded him knowing that it had been his fault that she had not been well since he had left. The feel of her hands suddenly cradling his face brought him out of the inner turmoil that was threatening to swallow him whole.

"Richard, I'm fine. You're back and that's all I need…you are all that I need," she softly told him, tears shining in her eyes. "Besides, the morning sickness is starting to get better."

"I hope so. I can't bear to watch you suffer, Kahlan."

He quickly buried his face into her hair, his nose nuzzling the dip of her clavicle. He couldn't accept losing her even for the babies she carried. As desperately as he wanted to have daughters with her, he would sacrifice that future before he would sacrifice her.

Running her hands through his hair, Kahlan held him to her, comforting him and soothing his fears. "I promise I'll take better care of myself and our babies."

"I don't want you leaving the Palace for any reason," he told her, lifting his head and kissing her deeply.

"Richard," she began, attempting to catch the breath he had just taken away as she brushed her nose against his, anxious for him to take her again.

"I mean it, Kahlan. Someone is after you and I do not want you out in public especially after what happened to Dennee," he adamantly insisted, immediately regretting that he had brought up her sister as he watched sorrow shimmering in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Kahlan, but I cannot watch someone take you away from me."

"I don't want anything to happen either, especially to the babies, but I will not live as a prisoner in my own home," Kahlan heatedly replied. "I am the Mother Confessor. You know that Confessors have always been hunted. I cannot hide because someone wants me dead."

"I love how passionate you are and your fearlessness in the face of danger. It's just a couple of the many things I adore about you, but I'm not asking you to hide or give up your title. I'm just asking that you stay safe within the confines of the Palace until Zedd, Cara, and I can get to the bottom of this. The vision I saw terrified me to death, Kahlan. I cannot allow that prophecy to come true."

"Part of it already has. You said that one of the two doves was killed with an arrow. That part of the prophecy has already come true," she reminded him as tears began to slip from her eyes at the thought of her sister.

"I believe so, but I don't know that for certain. That's why Zedd and I have to study the books on prophecy in the Keep. I will not rest until I have found whoever is trying to get to you, Kahlan," he promised, his chest beginning to rise and fall heavily with the weight of his fears.

Looking up into his heated gaze, Kahlan began stroking his forehead, brushing aside his hair. Dread veiled his face and she knew in that moment that she needed to do whatever it took to stay alive for him even if it meant pushing aside her desire to fight, even if it meant being a prisoner in the Palace for a time.

"Promise me that you'll do whatever it takes to stay safe…please," he softly pleaded with her, his voice cracking with emotion.

"I promise, my love. I'll do whatever it takes to protect our babies."

"And yourself," he resolutely added with a small smile. "Who would keep me company in this big bed if you weren't here with me?" he asked, attempting to lighten the mood and return it to the passion that it had been just moments earlier.

"There had better not be anyone else!" Kahlan agitatedly stated, her fiery gaze narrowing at the thought of Richard being with another woman.

"There never has been another woman and there never will be. You have always held my heart, Kahlan, even before I knew you existed," he affirmed as he captured her lips in a heated kiss.

Kahlan quickly wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer as her hands began to stroke the muscular planes of his back. She knew he was afraid of crushing her or the babies. Despite her frail appearance, she was not as fragile as he thought and she was going to show him.

She took him by surprise, swiftly rolling him over onto his back and molding her feminine form against him. He moaned as the sensation of her breasts pressed against his chest caused heated desire to suddenly rush through his entire body. She was just so seductive and alluring, captivating him with her intense beauty and yet there was such a sweet innocence about her that drove him wild.

Richard growled low in his throat as Kahlan kissed him, thrusting her tongue into his mouth and drawing his fears from his soul and into herself. Intertwining their fingers, she pinned his arms to the mattress on either side of his head. He was in need of healing, of the sense of security that only she could bring him and she was going to do everything in her power to do that for him.

Blazing a trail of wet kisses along his cheekbone, Kahlan breathed into his ear. "Not as fragile as you thought, am I Cypher?"

The throaty tone of her voice sent tingles surging up his spine as he bucked his hips up into her. Turning his head, he swiftly seized her lips, breaking her hold on him. He ran his hands down her sides, finding the bony prominence of her ribs, causing worry to spring anew in his heart at the feel of her skeletal form, but it was swiftly pushed aside when she broke the kiss and began grazing her lips and teeth along his neck.

Kahlan smiled against his throat as moans and gasps escaped his lips, his hands burying themselves in her thick hair. The feel of her body pressed against his, her gorgeous form moving over him was causing his heart to thunder in his chest. Spirits, he needed this woman so badly.

As afraid as he was to be more physical with her than he already had been, his desperate hunger was quickly taking over logic. Wrapping his arms around her, he flipped her over, eliciting an excited gasp from his lover. He began devouring her, his fierce need to be buried in her warm depths taking over.

Panting heavily, Richard began nipping a trail down her neck before finding her breasts. Kahlan arched her back, begging him to take her into the wet warmth of his mouth. He eagerly complied with her unspoken request, taking her into his mouth while he stroked the other with his hand. Hearing his name breathlessly chanted, he knew he was rapidly bringing her to the precipice of ecstasy with his focused ministrations.

Pressing his forehead against hers, his desire for her swiftly exploded inside of him, pounding through his veins as he entered her. A rapturous cry slipped from her lips with the feeling of being completely joined with him once more, infusing the room with the intensity of their desire. Lifting her head, she smashed her lips against his as she wrapped her long slender legs around his waist, drawing him in even deeper.

All the fears of the world outside their suite began to slip away as they made passionate love, healing the hurts that lingered in their hearts. Right now there was only Richard and Kahlan and the babies they had already created from the pure depths of their love.

XXX

Entering the Confessor's dining hall, Cara was surprised but actually pleased to find Zedd already sitting at the table, although she would never admit it. The old Wizard smiled brightly as Cara entered the room for the evening meal.

Cara shouldn't have been the least bit surprised to find Zedd here ready to eat. He was usually the first one at the table, waiting impatiently for the others to arrive. The food never came until everyone had been seated around the table, though.

Taking her usual seat beside Zedd, Cara couldn't help but feel comforted by the Wizard's presence. It had been so long since she had been able to eat with someone else at the table with her. Aggie had come to keep her company a few times, but she was often busy, attempting to cajole Kahlan into eating something. Now that Lord Rahl was back, Kahlan would hopefully eat and sleep better.

"Cara," Zedd beamed. "So glad you came to eat with me. I was afraid I was going to be the only one at the table tonight."

"Actually, poor Cara has been the one eating in here by herself the last two months," Aggie interrupted as she entered with a large tray full of food.

"I'm sorry, my dear. I know that our absence has been most difficult for Kahlan and you, but we're back now and hopefully everything will get back to normal around here," Zedd replied as he tilted his head back to try to get a better look at the tray of food that Aggie was setting down on the table. "What did you make us for dinner, Aggie?"

"Zeddicus, have some patience!" Aggie scolded with a gleam in her eye as she removed several dishes full of food from her tray.

"I've been out in the wilderness for two months eating Richard's cooking, Aggie. I haven't had the joy of your delicious food! I'm wasting away."

"You're not wasting away, Zedd. It's the Mother Confessor who is wasting away, but I think all that will change now that Richard is back," Aggie gushed with glee as well as relief.

"I certainly hope so. She barely eats enough to support the babies let alone herself," Cara scowled as she passed a steaming plate of venison to the Wizard.

"Speaking of Kahlan," Zedd began. "Have you seen our dear Mother Confessor and Seeker today?"

"No, they've been held up in their suite all day. I've sent food up to their room a few times today. I'm hoping that Richard will get her to eat. I do worry so about her. She's always so concerned about everyone but herself," Aggie replied with a disapproving frown.

"I suppose that's what makes her such an excellent Mother Confessor," Zedd replied as he eyed a bowl full of beans.

"She's going to get herself killed if she keeps that up," Cara said with a disapproving frown.

"Maybe whoever is after Kahlan will give up now that Richard is back in Aydindril," Aggie offered with hope.

"I highly doubt that will dissuade them," Cara huffed as she took a piece of bread.

"Well, I'll leave you two to figure out how you're going to stop them. I need to go check on Kahlan and Richard," Aggie said as she left.

"I'm sure Lord Rahl and Kahlan are doing quite well," Cara replied with a smirk as she took a bite of meat.

"Well, if they've been in their suite all day, I guess that Kahlan has forgiven Richard for leaving like he did," Zedd chuckled softly as he shoved a big piece of bread into his mouth.

"We still need to get to the bottom of who is trying to end the line of Confessors," Cara stated in frustration.

General Franks and Captain Samuels had turned up nothing about who had killed Dennee. It was if the perpetrator had disappeared into thin air. They continued to comb Aydindril, scouring for any information they could find, but had come up empty-handed so far.

They had kept Dennee's memorial private, not allowing anyone into the Confessor's Palace for the service. They just couldn't risk another attempt on Kahlan's life. Now that Richard was back, however, Cara hoped that they could get to the bottom of this and eliminate the threat before anything more had happened.

"I'm hoping that the vision that Richard had will provide more clues as to who is after Kahlan," Zedd announced as he chewed his food.

"Part of that dream has already come true. The two white doves must have been Kahlan and Dennee."

"I would think so, but prophecy can take on so many meanings. It can fork and change at any given moment without any warning," Zedd explained as he paused eating long enough to pile more food onto his plate.

"You don't think that one of the babies will die, do you?"

"I hope not, but I can't say for certain," Zedd softly admitted with much dismay.

It frightened him to think that the doves could represent his unborn great-granddaughters. They needed to get to the Keep and start looking through the books on prophecy before something else happened. He shuddered at the thought of something happening to Kahlan. It had nearly devastated his grandson when Kahlan almost died out on that cliff. He feared how he would react this time if something happened to her especially now that she carried his twin daughters.

"What does it mean that Lord Rahl saw prophecy like that? Is he alright?" Cara worriedly asked.

She'd been concerned ever since Zedd had told her about the dream that Lord Rahl had that night. His Han had been so powerful at one point that it had caused crippling headaches that nearly killed him. Now, his Han was back and he was seeing prophecy.

"Richard is very unique, Cara. He possesses unbelievable powers the likes of which have not been seen in thousands of years. Some of that power is finally coming to the surface."

"Will the headaches return like before?"

"They could, but I was able to work with him quite a bit the last couple of months. We made some good progress in being able to touch his Han and controlling it, but we still have a very long way to go. And I'm afraid that I will only be able to teach him so much."

"Why?" Cara asked, sitting back in her chair as she cast a sidelong glance at the Wizard.

"His magic is so complex that it's beyond even my experience and abilities as a Wizard of the First Order. Some of this Richard will have to learn on his own."

"Isn't there anyone else who can help him?"

"None that I can think of. Like I said, there hasn't been anyone with his abilities in thousands of years. The only other person I can think of who would even come close would be Sister Nicci."

"Sister Nicci?" Cara spat out with contempt. "We don't even know for sure if she's still dead or not. Besides, she can't be trusted."

"I don't trust her either and, knowing her, she definitely won't stay dead for long. That is why Richard is going to have to learn some of how to use his Han on his own. There might be some things in the Keep we can find that will be able to help him, though."

"I just hope he is able to use his Han to find out who is after Kahlan because if he doesn't, I shudder to think what will become of him if she or the babies die."

"I couldn't agree more, my dear…I couldn't agree more," Zedd mumbled, his eyes growing sad with the fear that filled his heart…