TITLE: Paradise Found

AUTHOR: LOTSlove®

CHARACTERS: Richard / Kahlan / Zedd / Cara/ Darken Rahl / Other Seeker Characters (Surprise Appearances)

RATING: R/M

WARNINGS: Author Chooses Not to Use Warnings

TIMELINE: Alternative Universe

DISCLAIMER: I'm completely obsessed with the show Legend of the Seeker and all things Richard and Kahlan. I love to write about them even though they cancelled my show and now I'm fighting to get it back!

SUMMARY: My very first AU fic! Team Seeker and gang set in the Wild Wild West. Hope you enjoy the adventure!

Chapter 10

Richard's head lolled to the side as he slowly opened his eyes as cold realization began to creep to the surface of his subconscious. His head throbbed in perfect unison with every beat of his heart as he tried to get his mind to focus. His vision slowly cleared as he looked around to find himself in the barn surrounded by crates. Ribbons of bright morning sunlight streamed in through the layers of dirt that coated the windows.

His head felt so muddled and heavy, his tongue thick. He attempted to move but found himself tried to a chair, a low groan escaping from somewhere behind telling him that Chase was in much the same condition as he was. Tied up like he was behind Chase, it was difficult to tell, though.

Richard struggled against the ropes that held him hostage, attempting to break free as icy dread shivered through him. It was morning already. Kahlan's wedding was swiftly approaching as was her death if he didn't do something to get out of here and stop her in time. Getting to her was all that really mattered to him now.

"Chase!" he softly growled.

A low rumbling groan was his only response this time as the sheriff began to finally stir, awareness slowly rising to replace the thick hazy fog that enveloped him. Richard could feel him begin to tug and pull on his ropes as Chase tried to move.

"Richard?" he muttered, his voice groggy. "What happened?"

"We go caught that's what happened," he snapped as he twisted his wrists in a futile attempt to break lose. "We have to get out of here. The wedding is in a few hours."

"I don't think we're going anywhere," Chase grimaced, fighting to clear the cobwebs from his brain.

"We have to find a way to get free before they come back to kill us," Richard told him. "Then, Kahlan has no chance."

"Richard, what are you two doing here?"

Richard looked up to find Michael sneaking in from the back, a scowl etched on his face as he crouched low behind a crate. "We're trying to stop Darken Rahl…unlike you," he retorted.

Michael's eyes grew hard as he finally straightened up, drawing a little closer to his brother. "You don't know anything about it, Richard," he spat out. "You're naïve if you think you can say no to Darken Rahl."

"There's always a choice, Michael," Richard reminded him. "You could've come home. We would've helped you."

"And bring trouble upon the family?" he snorted. "I was trying to keep you both out of this."

"It looks like your plan didn't work," he bristled. "Father paid the price for your involvement with Rahl whether intentional or not."

"Don't you think I wish I could change what happened? It was because of me that our father was murdered like that," Michael growled at him. "If I had known what Darken Rahl was planning to do to him, I would've done something to stop him. Instead, I have to live every day of my life knowing that father was killed because of me."

Richard's eye flickered to the silver chain hanging from his brother's vest pocket. "And yet you still manage to carry his silver pocket watch that they took from him when they killed him."

Michael looked down, taking the watch from his vest pocket. "Nass brought it back to me…streaked with our father's blood on it," he said, his voice suddenly soft, tears pooling in his eyes as he caressed the smooth metal with his thumb. "I didn't know what to do, Richard. I was…afraid. I had no idea if they had killed you as well or what else Rahl would possibly do."

"You could've come to me, Michael," Chase interjected from behind Richard. "I would've done whatever I could've to help you."

"You don't know what that man is capable of, Chase," Michael bitterly replied, a mask of horror filling his face. "Once he gets a hold of you…he owns your soul. There's no way out except for death."

"There is always a way," Richard flatly stated, unsympathetic despite the obvious guilt that suddenly clouded his brother's eyes.

"Not always," Michael murmured, shaking his head. "Not for me."

"Michael, let us go and we'll help you," Richard insisted. "We'll stop him. We won't let him destroy your life too."

"It…it's too late for me, Richard."

"Michael, listen to me," he demanded, his panic rising knowing that time was swiftly running out for Kahlan if it hadn't already. "Rahl can't be allowed to continue ruining people's lives like this. Kahlan is being forced to marry Darken Rahl. She doesn't deserve to be condemned to a life like that. No one does."

Michael stared at his brother, noticing for once the fear that filled him, the intense emotion that stormed in his warm brown eyes as he spoke about Kahlan. "You really do love Kahlan Amnell," he frowned, stunned by the revelation. "I thought Rahl was just being paranoid with his delusion."

"I know it sounds crazy because I just met her a couple of days ago, but I feel like I've known her my whole life. I do love her, Michael," Richard told him. "That's why I have to get to her to save her."

Michael's gaze suddenly hardened once more, his entire body stiffening. "It's suicide, Richard. Rahl will have your head. She's not worth losing your life over."

"She is to me," he ground out, his chest beginning to heave. "Besides, stopping Rahl will free you as well."

"We don't have a lot of time here," Chase suddenly announced. "You need to decide once and for all where you're going to stand. Whose side are you going to choose, Michael?"

Lighting a cigarette, Demmin Nass came to a stop before five of his men standing guard outside of the barn. "Darken Rahl wants us to dispose of these two and get back to town before his wedding. He wants to make sure that nothing gets in the way of marrying Kahlan today."

"I wouldn't mind taming her myself," one of them smirked in response, elbowing the man next to him.

"You'd better get that thought right out of our head," Nass spat out as they entered the barn. "She belongs to Rahl. No one will be allowed to touch her especially after what happened last night."

"What happened?"

"Ike attacked her last night, roughed her pretty good," Nass informed them. "Rahl's furious. He's increased security all over the saloon. He doesn't want anyone getting near her."

Demmin came to an abrupt stop, stunned to find no sign of their prisoners. The only indication that Richard and Chase had even been there was the two chairs in the back of the barn and the rope lying uselessly on the floor.

"Where could they have gone?" Nass sneered.

"They must have escaped out the back somehow."

"I told you to make sure the back of the barn was secure," Nass glowered at them.

"They were tied up," one replied with a shrug. "We didn't think they could get out."

"Well, you thought wrong," Demmin spat out, grabbing the man by the collar of his shirt. "Find them. They couldn't have gone far."

"Actually, you don't have to look very far, gentlemen," Chase suddenly announced, his deep booming voice filling the barn as he stepped out from behind a tower of crates.

Nass and his men froze at the sight of Chase, Richard, and Michael standing before them, their guns drawn and aimed directly at them. All three cocked their guns at the same time, their fingers coming to rest on the triggers. They were more than prepared for a fight.

Demmin slowly raised his hands, a low chuckle rising from deep within his chest. A wide grin spread across his broad face, his dark eyes dancing with amusement. He took a step forward, causing all three men to immediately tense.

"Michael, Michael," Nass tisked. "I should've known you were too weak to see this through to the end. I must admit, though. I thought that murdering your father would've proven to you what happens if you attempt to cross us."

"You didn't have to kill him!" Michael shouted. "I was doing what Rahl wanted. You didn't have to involve my family."

"Yes, but we had to ensure that you weren't going to change your mind," Demmin informed him.

"He never did anything to you," Richard seethed. "He was a kind man who never hurt anyone."

Nass chuckled as he slowly took another step closer, his gaze now locked on Richard. "Do you want to know what your father's last words were as I drove my knife into his gut and split him open?"

Richard began to tremble with the rage that seared through his veins at that moment, his breaths coming out in exerted pulls as he fought against the urge to pull the trigger. Finding his father hanging from that tree, having to cut him down and bury him had been the hardest thing he'd ever had to do in his entire life.

Seeing Richard's reaction, Nass continued, lowering his hands. "He begged me over and over again not to hurt you," he told him, his gaze cold and depraved as his soul. "His only thought was of you."

Richard growled, tears stinging his eyes as his gun began to shake ever so subtly in his hand. His bottom lip began to tremble as a tear suddenly broke free to slowly trickle down his cheek. "He didn't deserve to be murdered!" he shouted, clenching his jaw. "You took him away from us!"

"He never even tried to fight back or asked why, never asked us to spare his life," Nass smirked. "He was only worried about his boys."

Michael suddenly took a step forward then, tears filling his eyes as well. "I'm going to kill you, Nass!" he yelled. "I should've done it long ago."

"You think your quick enough to go up against me?" he taunted, his fingers slowly inching closer to his holstered gun.

"We'll soon find out, won't we?" Michael retorted.

Nass and his men immediately went for their guns, the barn erupting in a shower of bullets as everyone dove for cover behind crates. Richard, Chase, and Michael quickly began returning fire, picking off each of Rahl's men in a matter of minutes.

The barn was suddenly quiet as the smoke began to clear, Richard cautiously easing out from behind a stack of crates to assess the damage done. Looking at the bodies strewn before him, he felt a great measure of satisfaction finding Demmin Nass lying on the ground, a bullet hole right between his eyes.

He walked over to him, leaning down to look at him. He didn't know which one of them had actually been the one to kill him, but it didn't matter. He felt a sudden sense of relief knowing that the man who had killed his father was finally dead.

Standing to his feet, Richard turned towards Michael and Chase. "You made the right choice, Michael," he told his brother as he holstered his revolver.

"I'm just sorry I didn't make the decision sooner," he replied. "If I had, then maybe our father would still be alive."

"You don't know that for certain, Michael," Richard told him. "Rahl could've done any number of things if you had chosen to stand against him."

"At least father received some justice now that Nass is dead," Michael said. "Now, we just have to find Darken Rahl and stop the wedding before it's too late."

XXX

Sitting before the mirror brushing her hair, Kahlan felt a sick knot twisting more painfully in the pit of her stomach with every moment that passed by with no sign of Richard. He had been missing since last night and she had no idea where he was. She knew that if he had been at the saloon last night, he would've come to stop Ike, to at least comfort her.

She attempted to stifle the sob that was stuck in her throat, the tears that kept creeping closer and closer to the surface. She had been so scared last night when Ike had attacked her. If Cara hadn't shown up when she did, there was no telling what Ike would've done to her.

But Kahlan somehow knew it paled mightily to what Darken Rahl had in store for her tonight.

Pausing to look at her reflection in the mirror, she was stunned by the intense sorrow that she found staring back at her, the fear that swam in those blue orbs. She was terrified for Richard, for what could be happening to him at that moment.

She lightly ran her finger along the bruise that was already forming on her face from where Ike had hit her last night. The corners of her lips abruptly turned up ever so subtly, remembering the deep anger that had filled Richard's eyes when he had seen the bruises on her arm last evening, knowing that Rahl had caused them.

It had filled her with such overwhelming joy knowing that someone actually cared that much about what happened to her, wanted to take care of her. A sense of longing washed through her as she closed her eyes, picturing Richard's handsome face, the strong line of his jaw, the warmth that filled his chocolate eyes whenever he looked at her.

She softly ran her finger over her lips, remembering his kisses that had only briefly hinted at the heated passion storming inside of him. She remembered how his taste had lingered on her tongue that night, his musky scent filling her senses as she had finally drifted off to sleep.

How she had longed for Richard to be there holding her after Rahl had visited her room that night, questioning her and forcing himself on her like he had. She was so thankful Rahl had stopped when he had. She had feared what would've happened to Richard if he had tried to come and stop him.

Now, though, she had no idea where he was or if he was even still alive.

The sudden feel of a hand on her shoulder caused her jump, a cry of surprise escaping her lips as her eyes flew open. Looking in the mirror, she noticed Darken Rahl standing behind her, his hand softly caressing her shoulder.

She quickly pulled her robe closed as she fought to banish thoughts of the man she loved from her mind. She couldn't let Rahl know about Richard. She was terrified of what he would do to him if he ever found out.

"I'm sorry to have startled you," Rahl calmly said, both hands coming to rest on her shoulders. "I was just coming to check on you, see how you were feeling on your wedding day."

"I'm fine," was her clipped response as she quickly picked up her brush and began brushing her hair again. "You shouldn't be here. It's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding."

"I don't believe in luck," Rahl smoothly replied, leaning in closer to her. "You look exquisite, Kahlan. I can hardly wait to see you in your wedding dress…or out of it."

"You really should go," she coolly told him. "I have a lot to do to get ready for today. I want to look beautiful on my wedding day."

Rahl leaned in, nuzzling his nose against her cheek and inhaling deeply. "You know, Kahlan, you're going to make an excellent wife. Just remember to do as I say and I will make sure that you have a very happy, very long life."

Kahlan bristled as he kissed her ear, his tongue and teeth playing with the lobe as his fingers began to slide through her hair. She ground her teeth, fighting the overwhelming urge to shove him away, but she knew that she couldn't. She had to play along for now until she knew what had happened to Richard.

"Did your business meeting go well last night?" she innocently asked, changing the subject of their future together as husband and wife.

It was Rahl's turn to stiffen as he suddenly straightened up, his hands finding her shoulders again as he stared at her radiant reflection in the mirror. "Well enough," he bit out, his fingers beginning to tighten their hold on her shoulders.

Kahlan smiled pleasantly, doing her best to remain indifferent despite her desperate need to find out what had happened to Richard. "I'm glad there weren't any problems," she replied.

His fingers dug painfully into her shoulder as his other hand slid towards her neck. His long fingers wrapped around her throat, startling her, but she refused to allow him to see her fear. Besides, if he killed her, he would be saving her from having to marry him.

Rahl leaned in close once more, his lips whispering against the shell of her ear. "If you are wondering about the wellbeing of your Richard Cypher, you can rest assured that he's dead."

Kahlan couldn't suppress the tremble that rippled through her or the tears that suddenly brimmed in her eyes. "I…I don't know…what you're talking about," she whispered, overwhelming grief making it difficult to breathe let alone speak.

"Oh but I think that you do, my beloved," he purred, his breath hot against her skin, his fingers tightening around her throat. "One of my men caught him and the sheriff snooping outside of one of the barns at Michael's ranch. Nass should have taken care of disposing of them by now."

Kahlan tried to swallow past the painful lump in her throat, tears rising and threatening to drown her in her anguish. It couldn't be true. Richard couldn't be dead. If he was dead, then her future, her life was truly over. There was no more reason to live. The only thing she loved and lived for was now gone.

"Don't expect anyone to come to your rescue, Kahlan," Rahl informed her, his voice smooth like silk and yet cold like ice. "You are mine and I am going to have you tonight whether you chose to participate or not. You can either enjoy it or fight me. It's your choice, but I will have you either way."

Releasing his hold on her, Rahl turned to leave, coming to an abrupt stop at the door. "I'll be anxiously waiting for you at the altar, my love," he sweetly said, a sinful smile on his lips.

Hearing the door finally close behind her, Kahlan broke down in uncontrollable sobs, a horrifying sense of loss twisting painfully deep into her heart. The light had just been extinguished from her life, her whole world suddenly growing inexplicably darker knowing now that Richard was dead.

The love that she had found in Richard had just been lost.