Title: Friendship
Author: MEG
Summary: It seams as if Victoria turned her heart toward Diego. However, she is only using him. Will their friendship hold after Diego get know that? Does Victoria know, that a sword had two edges?
Rating: PG
AN: Thanks Katinka for correction grammar errors.
First posted on nwzfanfiction (yahoo groups)
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Diego de la Vega slowly went to the tavern's back door. He wanted to invite Victoria for a dinner at the hacienda.
The last two months were incredible. He spent most of his free time with Victoria. They had a picnic together, they walked at moon light, having good time.
All this he could do as himself, as Diego, not as the famous outlaw Zorro. It seems as Victoria had no objections to it, more, she visibly encouraged him. The pueblo's gossip started slowly; people began seeing them as a couple. Even if a large part of Los Angeles' people wondered what Zorro will say to that.
Maybe there is hope she could love me, her simply, ordinary friend. There is nothing I would do more then court her, marry her... Should I ask her permission to court her today? He thought as he was going to knock the door. He saw it was open and he was ready to go inside when he heard his name.
"I never think you would play with a man's feeling, Victoria. Specially with don Diego's." Pilar, Victoria's helper, was a bit disgusted.
"I don't play with his feelings." Victoria answered, some sort agitate. "I really like to spend my time with him."
"Yes, Diego is a kind and gentle man. I think it's wrong you to use him against Zorro."
"I don't use him against Zorro." Victoria stressed the word.
"Well, dedicating him your almost whole free time in order to make Zorro jealous isn't something I could call reasonable." Pilar stopped, but after she didn't get answer went further. "What if Zorro decided to punish don Diego..?"
"Zorro could never do that." Victoria replied, however a bit uncertain. "Could he?"
"You never know what a man in love would do." Pilar answered, not bothered about her friend feelings.
The women in the kitchen silenced for a while, both unaware of the man behind the door, listening.
Diego stood there, not able to move. So this all was only an act? He never suspected Victoria to be so insensible. Didn't she think that every man, even plain Diego have some feelings...?
"And what about Diego's feelings?" Asked Pilar, as if she would read in Diego's mind.
"What with him?" Victoria seems to have mind somewhere else.
"What with his feelings. You spend all the time with him, giving him certain hopes..." Pilar put her voice off.
"Don't be ridiculous... He is my friend, I like him, but he knows I'm not in love with him. He doesn't love me, either. He isn't generally interested in women." Victoria answered more harsh then she intended.
"What...?" She asked now angry, probably because Pilar was starring at her.
"Didn't make you think... Since almost five years don Diego is coming almost every day to your tavern. He almost once a week ask you to eat a dinner with him... and his family. Whenever you have news, questions or want simply to talk he is there for you." Pilar took a breach, but didn't allow Victoria to interrupt. "He is always concerned about you, ready to help you in a way you never suspected. I assume that if you asked him, he would help you even in this unflattering case. Instead of that you swindle him badly..."
It was the longest speeches someone ever heard from Pilar, but Diego couldn't listen more. All he wanted... all he needed now was some place he could be alone.
His legs, almost without help of his mind took him to padre Benitez's garden. It was a beautiful place and Diego often came there when he needed to take a breath.
He sat on a bench and finally let go. He cried like had never ever done in his life, not even when his mother died.
Padre Benitez who, profiting from a little free time he had, strolled through his little paradise on earth, stopped astonished. At his favourite bench sat a person and sobbed as desperately as padre never heard in his long life. It took him few moments before he comprehended whom he was seeing.
He knew this man well. This man was the strongest man in pueblo, and not only in the physical way, but in the mental as well. To see him crying was scaring. Asking the Lord for help he went to him.
"Diego..." He said soft and seated himself at his side. Diego raised his head and then slit to the ground. He knelt and put his head on padres lap, like a child looking for comfort.
Padre Benitez stroke the young man hair and said soft words until Diego was too weak to cry more.
"Come on, Diego. Sit here and tell me what has you upset so much." Padre Benitez said gentle.
Diego, desperately trying to calm down himself, told the padre about the last two months. How happy he was to have Victoria's attention. "I didn't have to hide for her any more. I showed her myself, not the Diego I used to be; I used to play for the pueblo." He said. His words ware cryptic, but the padre understood this moment, that Diego knew, that he knew.
Then Diego told him what he had heard at tavern's door.
"You're disappointed that Victoria uses you as... a bait for Zorro?" the padre asked, but Diego shook his head.
"No, Pilar was right. I would help Victoria if she asked. I was always afraid that Victoria loves the legend, not the real man behind the mask." Diego whispered. "Now I know I was right. She could l never love her peaceful friend. She will never love the ordinary man." Diego's voice squeezed.
"Oh, Diego..." Padre Benitez wasn't so sure of that. He knows how much Victoria cared about her friend, and about her loyalty to the masked outlaw. However, he knows that Diego needed someone to hear him, and he didn't think that Felipe, the only one who else could come in question, should be the one. Diego stopped shaking, his voice became steady.
"I have always had the dream... The dream that the day justice will come or at least we become a new alcalde, I would tell her who I am. She would probably be angry at me, because I didn't tell her earlier... That we could live our life together then. I always looked forward to it. This was, what kept me alive all these years. But if she can't love the real Diego... not the Diego I'm pretending to be, nor Zorro... what I should fight for?" He sighed sadly.
"The people are so much accustomed that Zorro comes and will fight for them, that they do nothing. They allow the alcalde do what he want without a voice of objection. No one even tries to stand up. The only one who tries to protest is my father. But even he makes more noise, then giving reasonable solutions to the problems. However, at least he tries to do something..." Diego silenced for a long while, unaware of attentive look of padre Benitez.
The priest was aware of the burden Diego as Zorro must go through. He knows very well that people in this little pueblo didn't much against the injustice. However, only this calm analyse from Diego enlightens the magnitude of this problem.
If the people don't stand up for themselves now, in this time of troubles, when would they stand for themselves? Even if the alcalde will go away, will they be able to solve their problem themselves or will always they be waiting for someone like Zorro who would solve the problems for them? Simultaneous he knows that Diego's sense of responsibility wouldn't allow him to sit with his hands back, when he fees he is needed.
Suddenly he understands that they, the people and Diego, must learn it, and only the hard way to have a chance to be successful.
However, the only person who could make Diego stop riding as Zorro is Victoria. With that thought the padre's mind returns to the present situation."Diego..." Padre Benitez began, but Diego interrupted him.
"I don't understand. Why is she trying to make Zorro jealous? She knows very well how much he love her, doesn't she? Is Zorro not paying enough attention to her? I thought she did understand, that the much time they spent together the more dangerous is it for her... What's the matter for making him jealous at Diego? Did she really want Zorro to challenge me? Or is she having enough from me and that's a way to get rid of me? Somehow I can't believe it." Diego finished and sent padre Benitez sad smile.
"I don't think that either. She hasn't thought about it, I suppose." Padre Benitez agreed. "So, what do you want to do now?"
"Now? I don't know. I love her, but for now I don't think I can handle her as a friend. It simply hurts too much... And Zorro? I rather don't think about it now." Diego sighed deeply, and the next moment said in his light, 'Diego's voice. "Thank you very much for listening, padre. I'm sorry I take your free time." He smiled apologetically.
"I have always an ear open for you, Diego. Don't worry too much. Trust in God, and he will lead you through bad to good times." Wise eyes from padre Benitez escorted Diego until he reached the gate.