Disclaimer: I do not own Zorro, nor do I make any money from writing this story. Dialogue and situations used from the episode are property of ZPI, the rest of the story is my property and cannot be printed or used without my permission.

Author's Note: Probably posting too soon, but today is a big day and I could use the boost it gives me to see people reading and reviewing a new story. Even as I write this author's note after uploading the file, it has no title. It's called 01. Exciting, eh? It's been awhile since I've shared, and I like sharing with you guys. LaCorelli started this again, and I have had some fun with it.

Consider yourself warned, this chapter has...an abrupt ending. I hope you like it.

zzz

Diego bumped into an angry man as he entered the tavern. Dona Maria was running after him, but she paused to glare at Diego.

"That woman's impossible!"

Diego grinned. He knew that. He loved her temper. He sobered as he caught site of an angry Victoria wiping the table. He did love her temper, however he didn't particularly like it when it was directed at him. He'd come to have a serious talk with her, and was disappointed that she seemed rather upset right now.

"Another disheartened suitor? He looked very handsome. Very suitable."

Victoria put her hands on her hips and scowled at Diego. "And very conceited. The man never stopped talking about himself!"

Diego put his hands to his chest, crossing a line. "Well, I'm not conceited."

Victoria glanced up at Diego, completely missing the connection. She laughed at the idea of someone like Diego being conceited and shook her head. Just being born a De la Vega gave the man every right, yet the man never did anything, never made a nuisance of himself.

Diego grinned. "Your standards certainly are of the highest order." Diego wondered if he'd meet her standards. "Victoria, there is something I must talk to you about."

Victoria sighed heavily. "Now, Diego? It's almost noon and I have lunch to prepare."

Diego took a few steps after her. "It sounds like you could use some help."

Victoria froze and turned back to the caballero in disbelief. "Help?"

"I can cook…" Diego shrugged as his confidence wavered. "…maybe."

Victoria raised an eyebrow, and Diego quickly went on. "You're the expert. You could tell me what to do. I could chop onions, wash dishes, ummm…" Diego lifted a hand to scratch his head. "Stir soup?"

Victoria laughed and Diego looked offended. "We're friends, aren't we? Friends help each other out, right?"

Victoria's eyes trailed down the long length of him and his pretty blue suit. His perfectly tailored suit…which fit him quite well… Victoria shook herself. "Diego de la Vega working in my kitchen?"

"Why not?"

Instead of answering, Victoria turned and headed back to the kitchen still shaking her head. She was surprised when she reached a counter and turned, because Diego was right behind her. So close. How did such a clumsy man move so silently? She jumped back after bumping into his chest, but Diego didn't move back, as if he didn't see anything wrong with standing so near.

Diego's eyes were focused completely on her, and Victoria forgot for a moment she was supposed to be doing something.

"Where do you want me?"

Victoria was afraid she might be blushing, so she pointed…not at any place significant, just further away from her. Diego looked down on her for a moment- since when was Diego so tall?—then he walked in the direction she pointed.

"Dishes?" Diego asked, disappointed, as he eyed the large pan with something strange burned onto it. "Okay, I can do dishes." He'd rather do something where he could stand next to her. How could they talk if he was scrubbing a pan? Determined to impress her, however, Diego tossed his jacket over a chair and rolled up his sleeves. This pan would sparkle by the time he was done.

"Don Diego?" Victoria hadn't moved from her spot near the counter. Diego looked up with a smile as he dipped something which looked like it was meant for scrubbing into some water. Victoria stared, then crossed her arms in disbelief as she leaned against her counter. "You're going to wash my dishes?"

"I said I'd help. I'll do whatever you need."

"Don't you have to meet your tailor or something?"

Diego crossed his own arms and mimicked her pose, and Victoria's eyes widened when she realized he was offended.

"Victoria, is that all you think I do?"

Victoria put a hand to her head. "No, I'm sorry. I'm just…Diego, you don't have to do that." She glanced around the kitchen and honestly considered what he could help her with. "You can peel potatoes if you want."

Diego wiped his hands on a nearby towel and came to stand next to her at the table as she showed him the bag of potatoes and a sharp knife.

Diego held up his first potato and the knife. "Why are you taking off the skin? I like your mashed potatoes with the skin."

"You do?" Victoria glanced up at him, his compliment warming her. Victoria shook her smile away and went back to chopping tomatoes. "You don't like potato skin in your bread, do you?"

"Bread? You put potatoes in bread?"

Victoria laughed, then watched in amazement as Diego peeled the skin from his first potato. She reached over and picked up the long slivers of skin, with hardly any potato cut off. "You've never peeled potatoes before?"

Diego immediately set his new potato down on the table with the knife. "Was I doing it wrong?"

Victoria wondered how he made it look so effortless. "No…I just…you're very good at it."

Diego grinned and picked up his potato, wielding the knife like an expert. "Thank you."

Victoria picked up her knife as well, then elbowed him because he was putting her off balance. She smiled when he acted injured, then grabbed a tomato and chopped it into tiny pieces. She frowned, because now they were too small. Why was Diego making her stomach flip over and her heart race?

"I never imagined you'd be good with a knife."

Diego set another potato down and looked at the knife. This was an opportunity. He could tell her he was good with knives…and then tell her he was also good with a sword. Or maybe he could wrap his arms around her as he showed her how he peeled potatoes.

He wound up scowling as they were interrupted by a man in uniform. As if he didn't already know how dangerous it was to tell her he was Zorro, now he had visiting officers intruding on his plans. He gripped the knife, then remembered he was dressed in blue and not black. He stabbed the knife into the table as he assessed the newcomer.

"Diego, don't mess up my table!"

Diego released the knife and took her hand where she'd covered his, the chance to touch her making him forget about the situation. What situation? The newcomer didn't know he was Zorro any more than Victoria did.

They glanced up when the officer cleared his throat, and Victoria shook Diego's hand away when the intruder's eyes dropped to it. "Juan."

Juan? Who was Juan? And why was she smiling like that? Diego picked up the knife and ignored the potatoes as he watched Victoria hug the new guy. Why didn't she hug me?

Juan eyed Diego with suspicion, but Diego just glared back. Victoria gave Diego a strange look, but dismissed him and focused on Juan.

"Victoria, I wanted you to know… I'm being promoted to Captain."

Victoria smiled at her friend. "That's wonderful! Congratulations!"

Diego scowled. Did she have to hug him again? "Yes, that's wonderful. Congratulations."

Victoria's eyes widened at the tone in Diego's voice. She stepped away from Juan, for some reason feeling guilty as she watched the men size each other up. Victoria came around to grab the knife Diego was once again jabbing into her table. When he pulled his eyes from Juan and looked down at her, she seemed caught in his gaze. What was wrong with her today? She released Diego's hand which held the knife and stepped back.

"Victoria, can I speak with you?" Juan asked when he grew tired of being ignored.

Victoria glanced at Juan, confused by her strange reactions to her friend Diego.

Diego leaned forward on the table. "She's busy preparing lunch, as you see."

"Oh, is that what you were doing?"

Victoria put a hand on Diego's arm…for some reason she felt as if Diego might leap at Juan any second. She met his eyes, and eventually they both picked up their respective vegetables. "Of course we can talk. What did you need?"

"I hoped we could speak alone."

Victoria glanced sideways at Diego, then shook her head at Juan. "Diego's my friend. I must prepare lunch. We can talk like this or later."

For once he felt confident as Diego standing next to Victoria. He stepped behind her, put his hands on her shoulders as he looked at the officer. "Victoria, it's fine. I'll go over here and wash the pans." With a small squeeze to Victoria's shoulders, Diego backed away. He grinned at Juan's scowl, who didn't miss the obvious sign of possession. "Unless you'd like to help?" Diego offered Juan. "There are two pans here which could use a good scrubbing."

Diego smiled at Juan's look of horror. See if Victoria talks to you after that!, Diego thought. He turned and looked down at the charred metal. Maybe he could just buy her a new one and he could throw this one away? He sighed and bent to his task, determined to impress her. He kept silent so he could hear Juan when he lowered his voice.

"I shall be at the Admiral's office in Monterey. No more sailing." Victoria smiled at Juan's good fortune and bent back to chopping her tomatoes, still distracted by the caballero scrubbing a pan in her kitchen.

Juan pressed on, even though he didn't get a reaction. "I'd like you to come with me…as my wife."

Victoria's fingers turned numb and the knife fell onto the cutting board. "Wife?" She jumped as the pan Diego was washing fell against another, the clatter echoing in the silence. She turned back to Diego, but his back was still turned and he'd picked the pan back up already.

Juan stepped closer. "Please, don't say anything just yet. Victoria, we've known each other all our lives."

"That's true." Victoria wiped her hands on her apron and stared at the vegetables she was supposed to be chopping. "We were childhood sweethearts, but we are no longer children." She grinned at Juan and shook her head at the absurdity.

"No, but I never stopped loving you," Juan insisted as he stepped even closer. Both turned as a pan smacked against the counter again, and Victoria wondered if she should have shown the clumsy caballero how to wash dishes. She turned back to Juan. Was he still talking? "I never will. You were in my heart all those years I was away at sea."

Victoria stifled a chuckle. "You love me? You don't even know me anymore. You left…what, ten years ago? You only visit once or twice a year."

"Of course I know you. You didn't change that much. I would be by your side every day. My prospects are excellent. I will do everything in my power to make you happy."

Victoria crossed her arms. "If you knew me, you would know there is someone else in my heart now."

Juan laughed. "Zorro? The outlaw? You can't be serious."

Diego gave up pretending to do dishes. He turned to face them and crossed his arms and legs as he leaned against the counter to glare at Juan.

Juan glared back then looked down at Victoria. "He's a criminal. And he can't have good intentions if he's left you alone to deal with all the rumors I've heard since I returned. I don't care what people say. Marry me and I'll take you away from all this!"

Diego's eyes widened in surprise, aching when he saw Victoria drop her head and slump her shoulders. What rumors?

Diego walked up behind Victoria and put his hands on her shoulders again, now to offer comfort. "You have a strange way of proposing marriage when it's laced with insult."

Juan bristled. "I said I do not care. I care more about Victoria than this character. I could give her a good life, away from all this corruption she hates so much. This…Zorro will only get her in trouble."

Diego's heart sank, his hands falling away from the woman he loved because he knew Juan was right. He'd thought about confessing…planned to tell her he loved her, that Zorro could maybe go away. They could be married.

But Zorro would be hunted forever. If anyone found out…

"Please leave," Victoria uttered, running a hand along the table of the tavern she loved.

"Victoria, I…"

"I'm sorry, Juan." Victoria squared her shoulders again and faced him. "I don't love you. I love this tavern. I love Los Angeles. Thank you for the offer, but I don't want to leave."

Juan glanced over Victoria's shoulder at Diego, who was no longer guarding Victoria. Diego had wrapped his arms around himself, was staring at the ground as if Juan had hurt Diego's feelings instead of Victoria's. Maybe Diego wasn't trying to court Victoria for himself. He still had a chance.

"I'll be in town two more days. Maybe we can talk again."

Victoria shook her head. "My mind is made up."

Victoria watched the curtain a long time after he left. Diego poked at the potatoes on the table next to her.

Now what was he supposed to do? He wanted to marry her, but it would put her in danger. This morning the risk had been far from his mind. And what about these rumors? But could he really stand by and watch her marry someone else?

"I'm sorry you had to hear that."

"Why are you sorry? He was the rude one."

Victoria glanced up at him, wondered what had changed. Diego looked oddly happy to be doing kitchen work a few moments ago, yet now he seemed sad. Victoria slowly scooped up her chopped tomato and put it in the bowl, then hissed as the tomato juice told her she'd cut herself when she wasn't paying attention.

She sucked her finger deep into her mouth, confused tears coming to her eyes. This morning she told Padre Benitez she wanted a family. Juan was right…Zorro was an outlaw. Juan reminded her of the rumors she tried to ignore…who would want to marry her? Even Diego was having second thoughts about helping her in her kitchen after being reminded of Zorro.

Diego heard her hiss and grabbed some water, pouring it into a small bowl. He pulled her finger gently from her mouth, but it really was just a small cut. He dipped her finger in the cooler water. Diego's kindness amplified the mess her life had become, and she sniffed to try to keep the tears from starting.

"Oh, hey…it's just a small cut. You'll be okay." Diego set the cup on the table and held her wrist and it so it wouldn't tip over before wrapping his other arm around her. "Does it hurt that much?" Snuggled up to Diego's chest, Victoria started crying in earnest.

"No, it doesn't hurt," she managed to say after a few minutes. Diego's hand rubbing up and down her back had her nearly completely relaxed. But Juan and Doña Maria were still right.

She stepped back from his support and looked up at him. Diego pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her cheeks, then pulled her hand out of the water. He examined the nearly invisible cut, dried her hand and left the handkerchief in her fist. Victoria smoothed out the fine silk, wiped her face and tried to gather her composure.

"Why are you here, Don Diego?"

Diego put his hands in his pocket to keep from touching her again so he could focus on her words. "I don't know. I thought you needed help. I wanted to help." His pockets failed, and his hand came up to touch her upper arm. "Why the tears? I thought you loved Zorro. I never even knew about Juan."

Victoria chuckled, still playing with the expensive cotton and tracing Diego's monogram with her fingers. "I do, but Doña Maria is right. Juan is right. If Zorro loved me, he would have come forward by now. And people talk…I want to live in Los Angeles, but no one here would want me after I consorted with an outlaw."

"Consorted?" Victoria shrugged. "I didn't know people talked. I'm sorry."

Victoria shook her head. "It's not your fault." Victoria picked up her knife, but Diego took her hand and set the knife back on the table. He didn't want her cutting herself again…

Or stabbing him…

"You love Zorro, but it's too dangerous for you to be together."

Victoria shrugged again. "I told him I don't care. It wouldn't be more dangerous…everyone already knows I love him."

"You really don't care that he's an outlaw?"

Victoria dug around on the table to find some carrots, but once again Diego prevented her from picking up the knife. "Everyone knows he's an outlaw. None of that matters. If he's caught, people will still assume I knew who he was. The people who believe I don't know just make it worse because I'm consorting with a stranger. He knows this, yet after three years I'm still waiting."

"If you knew who he was, you would act differently around him. You might call out his real name instead of Zorro."

Victoria met his eyes briefly, but looked back down at her carrots. "I wouldn't. I'd know who he was. I could help him, or I'd stay out of the way."

"Do you think I'm conceited?"

Victoria's eyes widened, confused at the change in topic. "What?"

Diego shrugged a shoulder. "Do you?"

Victoria smiled and put a hand against his chest. "No. You have a good heart. You offered to do my dishes. Thank you."

Diego took her hand and held it against his chest when she tried to remove it. "I play the piano, but I'm not a big fan of the guitar."

"Don Diego…" Victoria tried to speak, but her mind was turning to mush. Did he have to stand so close? She tugged at her hand again, but when Diego didn't release her, she let herself feel his heat beneath the silk. Diego was making a fine impression even without a guitar.

"You like my stories, don't you?" Diego reached a hand out to cup her cheek when she turned slightly pink. "You like hearing about my experiments… remember how much fun we had with the sodium?"

Victoria's fingertips pressed into the muscles beneath his shirt, suddenly very aware that Diego was a man. Always before, it was like talking to a younger brother. A bit foolish, a bit of a klutz, but not a giant of a man who seemed to be drawing her in with so little effort. "Why are you asking me these strange questions?"

Victoria gasped when he stepped into her. One of his hands went to her waist and the other to her cheek to keep her eyes focused on his. Her fingers curled into his shirt, goosebumps and heat spreading over her skin as he pulled her body close to his.

"Because I need to know that you like me. That you really don't care about the risk." Diego's thumb stroked over her cheek, and his lips came down to taste hers ever so gently. "I need to know you love me…before I risk our lives and tell you that I love you." Diego said a quick prayer he was doing the right thing. "And that I am Zorro."

zzz

Author's Note: Thanks to LaCorelli for the inspiration, and Marla for the beta. LaCorelli gave me brilliant ideas to fix the next chapter, and Marla can still fix a huge problem with a simple word change. I'm not sure how she does it, but I hope you guys benefit and see an improvement in my writing. All because of her. Also, now I will always have to thank my new friends on the Facebook group as well, cause they're just awesome. I hope more of you come join us.

This was going to be my ending. Once again, LaCorelli and Marla nixed that idea. Too bad, right? Don't you think this is a great ending? Another chapter will be out...eventually ;)

I love all my reviewers. It's lovely when you write where you're from if you're anonymous. I learned a new country yesterday :) Always nice to get reviews or notifications on an old story. Thank you.

Hope you enjoyed, hope you review.