"How long was I asleep?"

"A few hours. How do you feel?"

Shifting beneath the blankets, she squeezed her eyes shut. "Honestly, I feel like I was run over by a wagon."

"I can understand why. You released your magic three times."

"I did?"

"You did. Cara came by; she told me that it wasn't the first time this has happened."

Sitting up, she fought the dizziness and urge to touch him. "You're angry with me," she said quietly, trying to find an explanation.

"I'm not angry, Kahlan. I was for a moment when she told me, but not anymore."

She was surprised, but tried not to show it. One of the things he was learning at the Palace of the Prophets was to control the anger with his magic. "Why not?"

"Because I let myself think for a moment about how you felt." It was then he moved to face her comfortably, bending his right knee onto the bed. "It didn't take me long to realize why you didn't tell me and while thinking about that, how could I be upset with you? You were trying to keep me from feeling responsible, but Kahlan, you don't have to keep things from me to protect me."

"I'm sorry." Laying her hand over his, she smiled genuinely and nodded. "I promise I won't keep anything else from you."

"Else?" he said jokingly. "What else have you been keeping from me?"

She looked away for a brief moment and swallowed. "I don't like you being away for so long." It almost pained her to say the words out loud, afraid that they would make her seem weak and needy, like the woman she felt inside when he was gone. "I know you're only a few feet away, but... I'm sorry, it's nothing."

"It's not nothing, Kahlan. When you miss somebody, it's a powerful feeling and each time I'm more than a foot from you, I feel it too. I know how you feel, I do and it's far from nothing. If I knew how to get through this, to quicken this process I would do it in a heartbeat because I hate being away from you. I'm lying in my bed, staring up at the ceiling and all I can think about is how cold the room is without you pressed against me." He grinned and raised a single eyebrow. "And it's not only my body that misses your presence, it's my entire being."

Moving his entire body onto the bed, he pushed her back and moved to lie above her. "Last night, all I could think of was laying with you, just like this and never breaking our kiss for a breath as we lost ourselves in a-"

"Night of endless pleasure?" she purred as she lifted her head to touch their lips together, doing her best to keep from fully responding to his deep growl that vibrated her entire body. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she hugged him down to her. "It seems so long ago..."

"You were asleep for a few hours..."

"It would seem that we have more time to make up for."

******

Just as soon as he returned, he was gone again and Cara was back to her side. The night was cold, cruelly reminding the Mother Confessor that she was alone once again. Throwing another log into the roaring fire, Kahlan moved closer and began rubbing her stomach. If she closed her eyes, she could fool herself into believing he was there with her. It would be another few weeks before he would be able see her again and she cursed each minute.

"You're going to love him," she said to her stomach, a smile growing onto her lips. "I can't imagine anyone being a better father. He's going to spoil you and even when you can barely control your magic, he's going to be right there at your side. He will teach you all kinds of things; help you see a part of the world many of us have never seen." Lowering her voice, she stared into the flames. "There will be a time when you have to be extra careful around him, you can't confess him and I don't know if it makes any sense to be saying this to you, but if there's some way you can understand me, I need you to hear this. You must never let go of your magic near him and I know that it will be difficult, some days you may want to lock yourself into your room just to keep those around you safe, but Richard won't want you to be alone." Her smile grew as her mind wandered. "That's one of the things that make him so special. He's not afraid of us and he loves us too much to let us deal with something so difficult on our own. He's going to be a wonderful father."

Feeling dizzy once again, she laid down before the room went dark, knowing it was only a matter of time before she lost consciousness. She was on the floor not a moment too soon.

******

Kahlan clung to Cara's arm, fighting back most of the cry of pain that wanted to leave her lips. For the past three hours, the Mord'Sith had sat with her friend, who had just begun to go into labor, while waiting for Richard to arrive. It started just over an hour before, a round of pain that seemed to shove all others away. She pushed herself back against her friend, gritting her teeth as she cried out after a moment of struggling. The sound ripped through the air, echoing around the small cabin.

The blonde continued telling her that he would arrive any moment and help her through it, but the more she said it, the harder it became. The Mother Confessor would grow calm for a moment, believing her friends words, but when the Seeker didn't come through the door, it started over again. Having given birth before, Cara knew part of what she was going through and she knew it was only part because of the way she was trained to handle pain. She tried to comfort her, but it was still a new experience to her. The leather covering her hands grew warm as she rubbed them up and down her friends arms, hoping someone would hurry through the door.

Kahlan stopped crying for a moment at the sound of a large boom outside. Growing fearful that something had happened to Richard, she tried to crawl out of Cara's arms and move to the door. The pain almost all but disappeared as she frantically worked to get to him.

"Stop moving!" she told the other woman, tightening her hold on her waist. "Richard can take care of himself and he won't miss the birth of his child. Stay still!"

It was then that the door flung open and there he was. He looked frazzled and he was covered in dirt, blood and everything one could think of, showing them that he had gone through some sort of trouble to get there. Racing inside, he dropped to his knees before her and allowed her to take his face in her hands. Tears were dripping down her cheeks, both from the pain and relief to see him alive. Fighting the urge to cry out again, she wiped her thumbs across his skin to try and remove some of the dirt.

"I did it, Kahlan. I finished my lessons. I'm never going to leave you or our daughter again." She gave a quick smile before giving into her pain, falling back against her friend's chest. "Where's the midwife?" he asked as he looked around the room.

"She sent her away, she was afraid she would confess her."

Richard was just about to ask why she hadn't sent Cara away, when it was answered before the words left his lips.

Lunging forward, Kahlan motioned her hand to her friend. "I can't hold it much longer!" The blonde moved from behind her, coming to her feet and standing a few feet away from her. "Gah!"

"She's released her magic every half hour for the past three hours."

"I'm sorry," she panted with a look over her shoulder to the other woman. "I tried to hold it a little longer."

"I know."

Looking up to the Mord'Sith, Richard moved to sit behind Kahlan. "You've delivered a baby before, right?" When she nodded, he motioned for her to move to the front of them. "We need your help. It will be easier for you to move away when needed to."

***

Twelve hours passed slowly as her body prepared for the baby's arrival. Kahlan was exhausted and barely able to keep her eyes open, but the continuous flow of encouraging words in her ear made it easier to push each time she was instructed to. Her hold on his hands tightened until they were both numb, her strength not surprising him at all.

"I can't..." she panted through a soft cry.

Pushing the side of his face against hers, he shook his head. "Yes, you can. Kahlan, you can do this. Listen to me, I know you can do this and I'm right here. I'm going to help you through. This is our daughter, Kahlan and I can't wait to meet her."

Turning her head, she met his eyes with hers filled with heavy tears. "I'm afraid."

"Why?" he asked in her ear. "You are going to be a wonderful mother, Kahlan. I know that you know that deep down and I understand that this is scary, but you're not alone. We're doing this together. We won't be perfect, but I promise you that we will be the best parents we can. Our daughter will love us." Kissing her cheek, he gave her a warm smile. "You're almost there, just a few more pushes and you're a mother."

She nodded and turned he head back to her friend, letting out the cry she had withheld. "Here comes the head. You're going to feel a little more pain as she tears through, push!"

Her cries grew louder and her hold on the Seeker's hand tighter. "Here she comes, Kahlan. Our daughter."

The excitement in his voice fueled her for the next few minutes, helping her through the pain of each push. She felt like her body was ripping into two, while being set on fire, a feeling she prayed would end. After another several long minutes, the loud cry of their daughter echoed through the room. Kahlan cried in relief, all pain seeming to fade as she watched her friend wrap her daughter in a blanket.

Pulling the small baby into her arms, the Mother Confessor beamed down at the pale girl and took in the precious sight. She looked the way she imagined she would, a perfect blend of each of their features. Her cheeks were a light pink, framed by the surprisingly large amount of hair that covered her little head.

"She's beautiful," Kahlan said aloud as Richard rested his chin on her shoulder and looked down at their daughter.

"She looks like you," he agreed. Reaching around her he touched the back of his index finger to the tiny cheek. "She's more beautiful than I imagined."

Leaning back against him, she turned her head and met his eyes. "We have a daughter."

They shared a slow and deep kiss, savoring the moment before he pulled back. "We have family."

"What's its name?" Cara asked, pulling their attention from each other.

"Hannah," they spoke in unison, a wide smile on both of their lips as they returned their eyes to the small infant who wiggled in her mother's arms.

Turning her head, Kahlan smiled at him. "Do you want to hold her?"

"Yes," Richard beamed. He moved to sit beside her, and gently took Hannah into his arms, rocking her as she began to fuss at the sudden movement out of her mother's arms. "Hi, beautiful."

Both women watched for a moment, admiring the sight of the new father holding his Confessor daughter so comfortably. Cara had never seen a man hold one as a baby and though she would never admit it, she enjoyed the vision. After a few moments, she came to her feet, gaining one of her friend's attention.

"I'll find the woman to help prepare you to move. The bleeding will continue for some time."

Kahlan felt sorry the blonde, knowing how she must feel about the loss of her own child. "Thank you, Cara."

"You're welcome," she responded quietly before walking to the door.

"Cara, wait," the Seeker said with the rise of his eyes. "You don't have to get anyone. I can do it. I can heal her." He looked toward the brunette and tilted his head. "If you'll allow me to, I can try to heal you."

"Of course."

"Cara, will you come here, please?" She was at their side quickly, taking their daughter into her arms. "She likes you."

"Of course it does," the Mord'Sith said factually.

Kahlan chuckled, "'She' knows how important you are."

"Here, lay back." She did as he asked without hesitation, though she required his help to move. "Are you alright?"

"I will be."

Richard lifted his hands and brought them just over her hips. Closing his eyes, he focused his attention on the pain within her, letting it lead him through. It was almost unbearable, a pain he couldn't imagine before, but would now never forget. He drew it into himself, feeling lightheaded as each moment passed. When it lessened in agony, he opened his eyes to the peaceful expression on her face.

"Spirits, Richard..."

"Better?"

"Yes, thank you."

After helping her sit forward, he connected their lips passionately. The kiss heated before they took a breath.

"Stop it or you're going to be shoving out another one of these things."

Breaking apart, the Mother Confessor laughed. "You can admit that you like her, Cara. It won't make us think any less of you."

"Maybe a little," Richard teased.

"Take it," the blonde said as she gave the baby back to her mother. "I'm going to go kill something."

"Have fun!" he called after her before she closed the door behind her.

******

The sun was rising when he opened his eyes, instantly panicked when he realized they weren't lying beside him any longer. Sitting up, he quickly searched the room and let loose a sigh of relief when he saw her. She was sitting across the room, right in front of the window with their daughter feeding in her arms. He couldn't help but smile as he watched, his body softly whispering for hers. Stretching his arms, he moved to the edge of the bed and waited for her to look up.

"Did we wake you?"

"No," he hummed. "How long have you been awake?"

She looked out of the window and shook her head. "I don't know, not long. Hannah was hungry; I thought I would feed her before we had our breakfast." Looking back to him, she smiled widely. "How did you finish your lessons so quickly?"

Standing, he walked over to her and knelt down at her side. "Sister Verna knew that I wouldn't miss the birth of our daughter and came up with a plan. I do not yet understand what happened, but when she told me I wasn't ready to leave and that I couldn't be here with you, I suddenly knew she was wrong. I could feel it, Kahlan and the next moment I knew what to do. I went through the last of my lessons in just over an hour, trusting my instincts as my mind filled with thoughts of you and Hannah. Now I'm here; we can go home, together."

"A part of me was afraid I wouldn't see you again for a while."

"And the other felt differently," he said with a grin before lowering his eyes to their daughter who continued feeding without pause. "She may be more like Zedd than we thought."

"You did say, we may need to build a bigger kitchen."

"I did." Stroking his index finger over Hannah's hair Richard looked to the Confessor. "But I'm not sure I'm going to like sharing you with her."

Kahlan laughed, moving her left hand from beneath their daughter to the front of his shirt, pulling him closer until their lips grazed. "I'll be all yours when she falls asleep again."

"I'm not sure I can wait."

"I've been waiting for months, I'm sure you can wait a little while longer."

With a chuckle, he walked to the bed and pulled off a blanket, bringing it back to her, laying it over her right shoulder to cover her other breast. "It may be easier if I can't see you so well." Before he finished covering her, he kneeled down once again, pressed his lips to her shoulder and held them firmly until a quiet moan left her throat. His tongue then slid across her skin and down to her breast.

It was there for only a moment, but it was long enough to set her on fire. "Spirits, Richard..." Opening her eyes, she looked at him in confusion. "Why'd you stop?"

"I don't want to spoil my appetite."

"For lunch or me?" she asked seductively.

Kissing her quickly, he beamed. "My appetite for you never fades, Kahlan. Even when my body can't move, it's still wants yours." Standing, Kahlan walked quickly across the room to the crib that the Sisters of the Light had provided the day before. "She's asleep?"

Nodding, the Mother Confessor turned and let dress fall to the floor. "And I require your attention."

His mouth fell open and his eyes slowly moved down her body. Though it had been months for her, for him, it had only been a few weeks since he had seen her naked and he could tell she wasn't as comfortable as before, her body different from just having given birth. Her breasts were larger, filled with milk for their daughter, her stomach, still swollen and her hips were wider, but he didn't see her the way she did. By dropping her dress, she was able to read his expression, test his reaction to see if she was pleasing to his eyes. She was still the most beautiful woman in the world.

Walking toward her, he pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it behind him. Her eyes moved to his chest, roaming over the chiseled flesh, making her a bit more uncomfortable. "Come here," he told her gently as she moved her arms to shield part of herself from him. "Don't cover yourself, you're beautiful."

Dropping her arms, she gave him another look, her eyes on the floor, missing the catch of breath in his throat. "This isn't beautiful, Richard."

"You're right," he said, gaining her attention. "You're far more than that." Pulling her to him, he walked her to their bed and lowered her to the blankets. Kissing her neck, his hands took hold of her breasts, squeezing gently to keep from hurting her as his lips moved toward them. Between kisses, licks and teeth grazes, he whispered, "You're breasts, Kahlan, they're - They carry food for our daughter, how can you think they're not beautiful?"

She didn't answer, she didn't have enough time. His mouth and hands moved lower, covering her belly diligently, ignoring her as she pulled his hair to try to stop him. "Richard, I'm not-"

Lifting his head, he met her eyes. "You carried our daughter, right here. You held a life, Kahlan and you're beautiful." He grinned widely. "I think the only way to prove it is to have my way with you."

"We can't," she countered softly.

Crawling back up her body, he pecked her lips. "We may not be able to fully make love yet, but I intend to give you every pleasure available." Sliding his hand down her right side, he grabbed her leg and hooked it around his hips. "I'll try not to wake her."

He was rolling his hips against her, driving her forward as he continued his hands journey over her body. Leaning her head back, she rewound her fingers into his hair and gently massaged his head. He spent a large amount of time at her breasts, quickly erasing all thought in her mind that he wouldn't like their change in size. Her moans grew louder, more than pleased with the work of his tongue and fingers. Milk dripped down her breasts and eagerly licked away before he continued for another taste.

Kahlan found it difficult to keep quiet, his name wanting desperately to leave her lips as he slipped his hand between them. Her body wasn't yet completely healed for his, his magic only being able to do so much, but it wouldn't stop him from giving her the pleasure she deserved and needed. His fingers moved between her legs, giving her wave after wave of ecstasy. As she climbed higher, she pulled his face to hers and pushed her tongue past his lips, greeting his warmly. He was rocking against her leg, his body close to the edge as well, but he stopped as she moved her hand between them.

Unlacing his pants, she reached inside took him in her hand. His eyes rolled to the back of his head as he struggled to keep his lips against hers. Throwing her head back, she gritted her teeth together as she tried to stop her loud moan. His hips stopped moving as she worked her hand over him, his motion not needed as she pleasantly touched him. Dropping his head to the crook of her neck, he growled in pleasure and quickened the speed of his own fingers on her.

Almost instantly, she was bucking wilding against him, a long set of continuous moans flowing freely from her lips and sending him over the edge. She felt his manhood jerk in her hand, his seed spilling onto her hand and leg, warming her further and the soft rumble of her name fleeing his lips in her ear set her off.

She continued moving her hand over him, slowly pumping what was left out of him the way he would if he had been within her. He kissed her neck and collar bone, gently nipping his teeth over her skin the way she always liked him to.

After a moment, she laughed softly and began running the fingers of her right hand through his hair. "Cara was right. We're going to be doing this again soon."

Lifting his head, he met her eyes. "Do you want to?"

"I don't know."

He smiled with a nod, shifting his body above her. "I can use magical protection until you do. We have time, Kahlan. You don't have to decide right now."

"I want the life you've imagined for us," she whispered tenderly. "Filling our home with our daughters."

"Then that's what we'll do, but considering you just gave birth, I think we should wait a few months before I make you do it all over again."

"I love you, Richard."

He grinned, nuzzled his nose against hers and pulled her bottom lip into his mouth. "And I love you."