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 8

Slipping stealthily through the thick darkness, Richard couldn't help the hurt that continued to linger in his heart, the things Kahlan had said to him still echoing painfully through his mind. He knew she hadn't meant it, but the words still stung nonetheless.

She had given up hope and that scared him almost more than anything he'd encountered so far. She had resigned herself to her fate, had lost the will to fight for the future that they wanted. If he didn't do something soon, she'd take her own life tomorrow and that was not something that he couldn't begin to live with. He would have to fight for the both of them now.

"I don't like this plan of yours," Chase grumbled under his breath.

"Then why did you come along?" Richard retorted.

"To keep you from getting your head blown clean off your shoulders that's why," the sheriff scowled. "I'm just lucky you didn't try something stupid when Rahl came to our table."

"I almost did," Richard replied. "I think that he suspects something."

Chase glanced at his friend, barely able to make out his silhouette against the darkness of the night, clouds partially obscuring the moon from view. "Well if he didn't before, he might now that he knows you share the same last name as Michael."

"I wanted him to know I was here," he ground out, knowing it might not have been the wisest move. "I want him to be looking over his shoulder, worried about what I might do knowing that he killed my father. Maybe it'll cause him to trip up, make a mistake."

"Or he might just take you out once and for all," Chase reminded him. "Then he won't have to worry about you know or don't know. You'll just be dead."

"I hope he tries."

"Darken Rahl is the one of the fastest draws around these parts, not to mention the deadliest," he informed him. "He never misses, Richard."

"Well, maybe I'm faster," he replied, doing his best to keep his anger in check.

He wanted a chance at the man who had not only taken his father from him, but had hurt the woman that he loved. He wasn't about to let him get away with the heinous crimes that he had committed.

"I'm just relieved that you didn't try to kill Rahl when he kissed Kahlan like he did. We'd have both been dead for sure."

"It took every ounce of strength I had not to beat the life out of him right there," Richard admitted with a growl. "I will not let that animal touch her ever again."

"We have to get through tonight first," he reminded him as he came to a stop behind the safety of a tree. "We might not live long enough to see tomorrow."

Chase paused to peer around the trunk as Richard came to a stop behind him. Soft lantern light created a hazy halo around Michael's ranch, the sound of voices being carried on the cool night breeze despite the heavy humidity that hung in the air.

"There's definitely something going on over there," Chase whispered, his eyes narrowing as he tried to make out the shifting shapes in the fullness of night's shadows.

"We need to get closer so we can find out what's really going on over there," Richard said as he began to move past Chase.

"Let me go first," Chase scowled, grabbing a fistful of Richard's blue shirt and dragging him back behind him again. "I am the sheriff here, remember?"

"Fine; then let's go and get what we need so I can get back to Kahlan and you can go home to Emma," Richard hissed. "I don't like leaving Kahlan alone like this longer than I have to."

"Don't get your britches in a hot bundle," Chase frowned. "You'll be back to see your woman soon enough. Just stay focused on the task at hand instead of getting your hands on Kahlan's skirts."

Shooting Chase a dirty look, Richard's hand found his revolver at his hip, ready for whatever they may find, prepared to do whatever was necessary to end this once and for all. Stopping Rahl and saving Kahlan was all that mattered to him now.

His brother had made his choice long ago, preferring wealth and a partnership with the devil over his very own family. Because of it, their father had been murdered. He didn't know how he could ever begin to forgive something like that.

"Stay close and don't start shooting unless we're provoked," Chase murmured.

"I know what to do, Chase," Richard muttered in annoyance.

"I just don't want your anger getting the best of you," he replied, his voice losing some of its previous edge. "You deserve revenge for what Rahl did to your father, but it's not worth the guilt that you'll carry for the rest of your life for taking another man's life."

"You act as though you speak from experience," he said.

"I do," he whispered.

Silently cutting a path through the inky darkness, Richard couldn't stop the thousands of things all running through his mind at the same time. So much had happened in the last several weeks, more than he cared to dwell on.

His heart had been so hard and full of bitterness over his father's death that he thought for certain that nothing would ever be able to touch it ever again. But then, Kahlan had suddenly walked through that saloon, stirring his heart and breathing new life into him, spreading warm light into the cold desolate shadows of his world.

Nothing in this life had ever been more right, felt more real to him than Kahlan.

The sounds of men's voices grew a little more distinct the closer they got to the ranch, the shadows growing darker with the intrusion of light the lanterns were casting, helping to keep them both well hidden from view. The soft rustle of the cattle as they settled in for the night brought Richard an unexpected sense of comfort, reminding him of being back home.

"Why didn't you tell me your brother was here?"

"I didn't think it was important," Michael replied.

"Well, it is important."

Richard bristled at the sound of Darken Rahl's voice, his heart beginning to pound with the anger that consumed it. Hearing him talking to Michael only fueled even more fire to his fury. Stopping behind one of the stables, he and Chase peered around the corner, hoping to find something that would finally bring an end to all of this madness.

"Are you going to kill him too just like you killed my father?" Michael spat out.

Darken Rahl sighed, shaking his head. "I warned you what would happen if you tried to back out of our deal, didn't I?"

"You didn't have to murder my father," Michael yelled, clenching his fists as he looked from Rahl to Nass. "You could've just taken everything I had instead. You didn't have to involve him."

"Now, why would I take everything that you have when I have you right where I want you?" he calmly said as he lit his cigar. "Michael, you have everything you've ever wanted. Why throw it all away now?"

"I never wanted it at the price of my father's life," he cried with barely controlled rage.

"What's done is done and there is no going back," Rahl shrugged, puffing on his cigar. "We can only move forward from here. I plan on making the exchange tonight. I'm getting married tomorrow and I don't want anything interfering with that, least of all your brother Richard."

"Why would Richard interfere in your wedding?"

"He seems to have taken a liking to my future wife," Rahl smirked. "Kahlan is mine and I'm not about to let her escape with him."

"I assure you, Richard doesn't even know her," Michael frowned. "Besides, he only came to tell me about our father's death. Nothing more."

"Too bad he made the trip for nothing," Rahl said. "Didn't you tell him you already knew?"

"No, of course not," Michael shook his head, crossing his arms against his chest.

"And does he suspect anything?"

Michael kicked a stone away with the toe of his boot, wondering how his life had suddenly become so complicated. "No…Richard doesn't know anything," Michael replied, finally making eye contact. "He only came to tell me the news, nothing more. He'll probably be heading home tomorrow morning."

"If he's smart, he's already heading out of D'Hara now."

Richard felt his stomach twisting painfully as he listened to them talk about him, thick knots of anger and dread forming. He didn't know what to think, what to believe anymore. Michael had known all along that Rahl had had their father murdered and never did a damn thing about it, never even came home for his funeral.

At the same time, Michael had just lied to Darken Rahl about Richard's knowledge of what was going on. Was his brother actually trying to protect him now? It didn't matter even if he was. Michael could not be trusted no matter what. There was only one person that his brother was looking out for and that was himself.

Just then someone approached out of the shadows. "Sir, the men from Kelton are here," he told Rahl.

"Thank you, Thaddeus," Rahl said. "Tell them we'll meet them in the barn shortly."

Chase growled to himself, cursing under his breath. "I should have known that old goat was conspiring with Rahl," he muttered. "Guess I'll be looking for a new deputy now."

"You can't let on you know anything until we stop Darken Rahl," Richard reminded him.

"But when we do, I'm going to skin old Thaddeus alive," he hissed.

"Shall we, Michael," Rahl pleasantly suggested, directing him to the barn.

Michael leveled a glare at him before turning and leading the way inside. The night grew eerily quiet as Chase and Richard waited, making sure that everyone was gone before proceeding. They couldn't risk getting caught now when they were so close to finding what they needed.

Even if Chase was the sheriff and Richard was Michael's brother, Darken Rahl would no doubt make sure their deaths appeared to be some sort of horrific accident if they were caught.

And by the sounds of it, if Michael wasn't careful, he could be joining them as well.

XXX

Lying in her bed in the hushed darkness of her room, Kahlan couldn't help the loneliness that pervaded her heart or the deep ache that filled it. Her mind was a torrent of thoughts and emotions, painful regret for the things that she had said to Richard continually playing over and over again.

She hadn't wanted to hurt him, but to save him from a fate that he didn't deserve. There was no need for them both to die so senselessly. She knew she could die happy as long as he was safe. He could always move on from here, find someone who could love him and build a life with him.

She squeezed her eyes closed against the images of the anger and hurt that had filled his gaze, knowing what she was planning to do. She had never wanted him to find out that she was going to take her own life if he should fail. She didn't want to add to the direness of the situation they both found themselves in. It was just a stark reality that she had come to accept.

But Richard and Chase had left soon after Darken Rahl had and he still hadn't returned when she had gone to her room. Now, her words of hurt and rejection would be the last words spoken to him, the last thing that he had heard her say to him.

He would never hear how she truly felt, how her heart burned for him, her body ached for him. He would never know how he had reached inside of her hopeless world and turned everything right just in the very short time that she had known him.

She had never thought that a love could ever happen like this…especially for her.

Memories of her father came creeping up from the dark reaches of her mind, tormenting her with a past she'd sooner forget than remember. She was more than thankful he was finally out of her life for good, but the trade-off had been no better…only that much worse.

Rolling onto her side, she pulled the knife that she had gotten from Cara out from under her pillow. She fingered the sharp blade, the soft shaft of moonlight coming from her window illuminating the steel she held in her hand. She lightly touched the deadly point of it with the tip of her finger, wondering now if she'd really be able to go through with it.

The alternative, though, was not one that she could possibly live with.

Darken Rahl would ravish her like a wild animal, doing things to her that she couldn't begin to imagine. She had been able to hold him off until now, but tomorrow night would be a completely different story. It caused a shiver of terror to race up her spine. She refused to be subjected to his violence or depravity.

Shoving aside thoughts of her future husband, Kahlan allowed herself to dwell on Richard, wondering where he was at and what he was doing at that moment. She prayed that he and Chase were safe, that they wouldn't be risking their lives over her. She wasn't worth it.

She found herself longing to feel Richard's powerful arms trapping her against his muscular body, the roughness of his whiskers against her skin as he kissed her with a passion that she was yearning to experience in full.

She loved the way that he looked her, the longing in his gaze that seared through her like nothing she'd ever known before. He didn't look at her the way the other men did. There was no lust, no licentious motive behind his every glance or touch. Instead, there was a wonderment in his dark chocolate eyes, a desire to truly know her as a person, a woman. It melted her heart and created flutters in the pit of her stomach.

She felt special, beautiful when he looked upon her. She felt so very many things around him, emotions that were all jumbled up leaving her feeling giddy with excitement and a deep hunger to know every single part of him.

Slipping the knife back into its hiding place, Kahlan suddenly thought it strange that she knew so very little about Richard and yet she felt as though she had known him her whole life. It was just as if they had been meant for one another, finding that other half of herself that she hadn't even realized she'd been missing until their eyes had met that night.

Richard made her feel whole in a way that she'd never known was possible, completing the picture that was Kahlan Amnell. And she never wanted that picture of herself to be without him in it.

The problem was Darken Rahl still stood firmly in the way of the happiness that they both so desperately wanted together. She just hoped that Rahl hadn't seen her heart shining in her eyes when he had introduced her to Richard. She had tried so hard to hide the warm desire that permeated every fiber of her being every time she was near him or looked at him, but feared that she had failed miserably.

And try as he may, Richard's feelings had flashed through his eyes as well when he had looked at her, causing her breath to catch. The room had grown considerably warmer, the very air electric…or had it just been her that had felt those things when their eyes had locked on one another?

Sighing, Kahlan snuggled deeper under the covers of her bed, Richard's insistence that she stay with him tonight floating through her mind. She wished more than anything that he was here with her now, sharing her bed with her.

A small smiled touched her lips as she imagined him holding her close to him as they slept, his heavenly scent filling her nostrils as well as her soul. Sleep tugged as her senses as she envisioned running her fingers over the smooth contours of his muscular chest, her body molded so perfectly against his.

How she wished her dream would become a reality, but she knew her reality was tucked safely beneath her pillow, waiting for the right moment to end it all.

Glancing at her wedding dress hanging by the mirror on the far side of the room, she felt hot tears flood her eyes, wishing more than anything that she was marrying Richard tomorrow instead of ending her life.

She felt as though she had caused Richard nothing but pain since he had met her. She wished that she could have brought him half as much happiness as he had brought her. She was afraid, though, she had only brought him a death sentence.

XXX

Standing in the dark shadows of an alley, he stood leaning against the wall of a building, taking a long puff on his cigar. His cold dark eyes were fixed on The Keeper's Inn across the street from him, his calculating gaze wandering over every single window that stared back at him.

Clenching his jaw, he was still filled with hot fury, his mind continually replaying events of the other day, an encounter that refused to be ignored. There would be retribution for both of them. One way or another, he was going to get what he wanted and this time, no one was going to stand in his way.

Tossing his half-smoked cigar onto the ground, he stomped on it with the heel of his boot, grinding it into the dirt. He shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his breeches as he turned to walk away, a plan already taking shape in his mind.