Summary: An AU twist on a scene from "The Tease", episode 2 x 4. Victoria decides, after recognizing her jealous feelings regarding Amanda Herrera during a discussion with the Alcalde, to have a conversation with Diego. Because she can't wait for Zorro forever, can she? One-shot.
AN: This came out of….somewhere…not sure where. An interesting premise that stayed in my computer for a while until I could finish it. I think Victoria gets impatient in waiting for Zorro and decides to act in certain stories. Hope you enjoy it.
The day Amanda Herrera entered the pueblo appeared to be no different from any other day. Victoria noticed how pretty the Señorita was, but didn't give it a second thought. At the lunchtime rush, she barely noticed Diego leaving with her. This was after Senorita Herrera had been wooed by almost all the gentlemen in the tavern, even Mendoza. Victoria hadn't had time to listen to any gossip to find out who the new Senorita was, but was certain her workers would catch her up sooner or later.
Victoria was busy waiting on tables in her tavern that evening when the Alcalde walked in wearing the most elegant outfit she'd ever seen him wear. The suit he had on was made of the finest material, and the ruby red sash he had over his right shoulder brought an extra elegance to the outfit, as well as make his shoulders appear even broader. The entire outfit appeared to have been tailored to his frame to the smallest detail. She finished waiting on the table in front of her until he rudely began to berate her service in a loud voice.
Hurrying over to the bar Victoria placed the dirty dishes she was carrying down at the corner and looked at the Alcalde with barely concealed disdain. "What is wrong with you tonight, Alcalde? I will provide you service, but only if you ask for it graciously."
A rare look of repentance crossed the Alcalde's face. "I apologize, Senorita. It's been a bad evening."
"And while you're dressed so elegantly? That is a shame. What happened?" Victoria reached below the bar for a bottle of brandy and poured some in a glass. She handed it to the Alcalde.
The Alcalde accepted the glass and took a sip half-distractedly. "I went to the de la Vega hacienda tonight at the invitation of the charming Amanda Herrera for a quiet evening, and the mood was destroyed by that idiot Mendoza." He gripped the glass tightly in his hand before slamming it on the bar.
Victoria's eyebrows rose in surprise at the Alcalde's words. She hadn't heard that. "She's staying at the de la Vega hacienda? Alone?"
Ramone glanced at her and dabbed his mouth with his handkerchief. "At least until her father finishes the surveying of the northern territory..." He looked off to the side, lost in his own thoughts.
Victoria leaned back against the counter, surprised by the rush of feelings flooding over her. Not completely understanding all she was feeling, she did recognize irritation with a certain Diego de la Vega as being dominant. Diego hadn't mentioned this to her when he was in earlier. Victoria wondered why.
"Oh! The first single woman to appear in two years, and suddenly he's the gracious host!" escaped her lips before she could think it through, considering who her audience was.
The Alcalde gave Victoria a searching look at the unusual tone in her voice. He considered the young senorita in front of him, not bothering to hide his amusement. A twinkle appeared in his eyes as he asked, "Do I detect a...hint of envy?"
Victoria startled at the Alcalde's question. Was she envious? Jealous? Of Diego? It was strangely feeling like it could be, but she had no business feeling that way. Diego was her friend, after all. Why would she be jealous of any attention he chose to pay on any woman? She gripped the bottle of brandy tightly.
But was he only a friend? Suddenly, Victoria realized she was bone tired of hiding the truth from even herself. Memories of past experiences of jealousy whenever any woman looked at Diego briefly, much less flirt with him, quickly sped through her mind. She had spent so much of her life trying to convince herself she'd never have a chance whatsoever in marrying the handsome caballero that she had pushed such feelings away. Why would he consider her? Even though much was modern in this new land, there were still some traditions which continued to be upheld. And a caballero of one of the largest ranches marrying a tavern owner? Unthinkable.
Victoria looked up to find the Alcalde continuing to consider her with amused eyes. She shook herself and forced a smile on her face. "Don't be silly," she insisted unevenly and attempted to laugh as if to dismiss such an idea. "Diego's not my type at all..." Even to her own ears, it didn't sound as convincing as she would have liked. She was suddenly absorbed in wiping the counter clean with a bar rag.
However, the Alcalde wasn't deterred. "Now, Senorita, you may claim you're in love with the so-called masked hero of our pueblo, but I have seen how you look at the cowardly caballero. If I did not think you would incinerate him with your temper, I would think the both of you would make a good match. You are both such do-gooders, you know. You deserve each other."
The Alcalde had meant his statement to be an insult, so he never expected her to reply. Victoria stopped her wiping and looked him in the eye. "You know, you're right. I am tired of ignoring my feelings. I don't really know why I'm telling you this, but I'm going to have a talk with Diego. He is the most loving, caring, sensitive, smart man in this pueblo, and he's truly my best friend. I could do much worse than having all that in a marriage." Victoria slapped the rag onto the bar, and gave a definitive nod of the head. "Thank you, Alcalde, for helping me see the truth."
The Alcalde's eyes widened in shock by her change in attitude. "My goodness, Senorita, I'm taken aback." A new arrival caught the Alcalde's attention. Turning back to Victoria with a sly grin, he stated, "Prepare yourself, then, for here is your chance."
Looking towards the door, Victoria observed Diego de la Vega himself enter the tavern. He saw her looking his way and gave her the most charming smile. Suddenly, her stomach had more butterflies than she would've thought possible.
Diego made his way to the bar, and after acknowledging Victoria with a nod, turned to the Alcalde. "Alcalde, I hope you're not too angry with Mendoza," he began. "He's had so little experience..."
The Alcalde's pleasant mood, brought on by the discussion with Victoria, disappeared as he was reminded of the night's disappointment with Senorita Herrera. He slammed his hand down on the bar, interrupting Diego's attempt at leniency for Mendoza. "Experience? The only experience he's going to get is on foot patrol at dawn!" He gave a brief nod to Victoria, turned sharply, and marched out of the tavern.
Victoria had taken the moment to again attempt to examine her thoughts about Diego and didn't notice the Alcalde leave. She was startled out of her thoughts by Diego's question. "He's moody, isn't he?" Before she could answer, Diego asked, "Victoria, what makes you look so serious tonight?"
"Oh, Diego, I was just thinking about…things." Taking a deep breath, she asked, "May I have a word with you outside?"
Diego widened his eyes, nodded, and indicated her to lead the way. She smiled at him, and led the way to the kitchen. She stopped to tell Alicia to take over the bar, who looked at Diego with an inquisitive look in her eyes as she watched them leave.
Victoria found the night to be beautiful for a talk, with the moonlight just so, and a light breeze from the south. She swallowed hard, and wondered if she was making a mistake. Her resolve had lessened from her impulsive action of earlier, as it often did. Impulsiveness was a trait that often led her into trouble. Perhaps it would again? However, looking up into Diego's bright blue eyes, she resolved to carry through with her intent. No matter the results.
She led him over to a bench where she often sat when cleaning vegetables outside. Indicating he should take a seat, she sat down as well. When he turned to her, she almost again lost her resolve, but she swallowed and began.
"Diego, we have known each other all of our lives. You have always been there when I've needed a friend. I've tried to keep my feelings for you at that level, because I knew there wasn't a chance for anything else due to our difference in stations…."
"Difference in stations? What do you mean? You are a successful business owner. We are in the New World. Why would that affect our friendship?"
Looking down at her hands nervously twisting her skirt, Victoria wondered if she should take the opening Diego had inadvertently given her and change the subject. No, she told herself. She was tired of waiting for Zorro, tired of not having the life she wanted. If she couldn't have Zorro, she wanted Diego with all her heart.
"No, I meant I now wonder if there would be any possible chance that you…that we…." Victoria gave a little sigh and gave a determined shake of her shoulders. "I told myself I would just say it, so here goes." She looked down at her hands in her lap. "I'm interested in you as more than a friend and wonder if there'd be any kind of chance you feel the same way."
Whew, I said it, Victoria thought. She gathered up her courage and looked into Diego's eyes, when all of a sudden, she was met with the most tender kiss she had ever known as Diego's hands snaked around her waist.
Victoria was startled at first, and then her arms found their way around his neck and returned his kiss with more intensity. Diego's grasp on her strengthened, pulling Victoria closer to him as the kiss deepened. The two of them found themselves lost in long-held passions.
Pulling herself away, Victoria looked up into the smiling eyes of her new love. "Wow, I guess you do feel the same way."
Eyes full of love, Diego told her, "I have loved you since you fell out of the tree and broke your arm at age seven."
"I think I have loved you since that day as well. And then, when you returned from Spain…"
"I felt it too, that day. I was struck dumb by your beauty and hoped you were still unmarried."
Victoria was suddenly confused. If he had truly felt that way, all this time, why didn't he say something sooner? "Why, then, didn't you say anything?'
"Because of Zorro…I mean..." Diego stopped himself from blurting out the truth about Zorro. He wondered if this was the right time to tell her. It would be dangerous, for the Alcalde might overhear, being somewhere in the pueblo. He also worried about her reaction, wanting to savor this moment a little bit longer before spoiling it with possible anger and hurt feelings.
Victoria thought of that time of Diego's return from Spain with new eyes. Diego observed the puzzled look on her face, and wondered if she would finally figure it out. He watched as she looked down, and thoughts crossed her mind with rapidity.
"Zorro appeared right after you returned from Spain…." Looking up into Diego's eyes, she thought again how the color of those eyes seemed to match Zorro's. How Diego's height seemed to be about the same as Zorro's. How that kiss….how that kiss seemed to be similar in some ways to the ones she had shared with Zorro…
"Diego, I had sometimes wondered…why are you so similar to Zorro, but act so differently. I would then convince myself it was some silly thought…..but now I wonder…."
Diego smiled, feeling torn between love, surprise, worry, and fear, and bent down to give her a kiss worthy of Zorro.
Victoria pulled away from him, and started to exclaim, "You are..." and was stopped by another kiss.
Victoria reluctantly pulled back from Diego, and smiled. "I suppose I should be angry with you. But I think right now I want to enjoy the fact that I'm in love with a most complicated man." Throwing herself into his arms, Victoria relished Diego's strong embrace. How could she be so lucky? Diego was truly the man of her dreams….how wonderful, how glorious….how….complicated…..
Pulling herself again out of his embrace, Victoria asked, "Diego, where do we go from here? I hope we can get married. I know you had said we cannot marry until your mission was complete...but…"
"Victoria, I had meant you and Zorro couldn't marry. You and Diego….well, that could be a different story."
"I'm so glad! I've loved you for so long, but I thought your father wouldn't approve. That society wouldn't approve…."
"So that was what you meant earlier!" Diego shook his head in wonder, loving the woman in front of him. "Victoria, you know me. I don't care about society's expectations. Father loves you as a daughter, and if he thought there'd been any hope he would've had us married by now."
Diego embraced Victoria again and kissed her on the top of her head. "You are a respected woman in the pueblo, you own your business, you are a leader of this pueblo." Making sure he caught her eyes, Diego said, "And you are the woman I love, and everybody else's opinions don't matter."
Victoria welcomed one more kiss, but she knew she needed to stop the conversation before they would be noticed. Pulling away from his embrace, Victoria said, "Should we let everyone out of their misery and announce our engagement tonight? I may have already caused the gossips to gather."
Diego looked at his love with a faux serious sideways glance. "What did you do, Victoria?"
"I may or may not have confided to our Alcalde I was going to confess my love to you tonight."
Diego's eyebrows crunched together as he tried to assimilate what she had just said. "What? Why would you do that?"
"Well, he noticed I got upset when he informed me the very single, very attractive Amanda Herrera was staying with you unchaperoned while her father is away."
Diego smiled. "Whatever the reason, I am grateful. Because we are now engaged. And I know you love me. Diego de la Vega."
Victoria looked up at him, with a twinkle in her eye. "Of course, I love you, Diego de la Vega." She winked at him. "Who else would I love?"
AN: well, I kinda liked how that ended…so that's why I went with the abrupt ending. Thanks for reading this slightly different version of a reveal. It's been sitting in my computer half-baked for a while now, so I decided to get it out and finish it. Good enough for a one-shot, I think. I suppose some will think Victoria being so forward is against the society of the time. But I just thought it would be a refreshing little tale anyway.
Hope you enjoyed reading it, and let me know what you think. Reviews always much appreciated.