***Sorry! Forgot the disclaimer. Here goes!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to Zorro in any way, and I'm just having fun with the NWZ version.

It all started a month before, and Diego de la Vega was not aware of what was happening. Ramon Palos, a well-built man of medium height, moderately handsome, about 30 years of age, and apparently of some wealth, came to town for an extended stay. What his original plans were, no one knew, but when he met Victoria Escalante, it was obvious he promptly fell in love with her.

It had been on one warm summer day when Ramon first gave her any indication of his feelings, and he had done it by gathering a large bouquet of flowers and presenting them to her at siesta. The young proprietress of the tavern thanked him with a smile, but when he asked if she would sit with him to chat, she demurred, saying she had work to do. It went like that for a week, with Ramon content with her acceptance of his gifts of flowers, but soon he became a little more persistent, asking her to go on walks with him- only to chat, he reassured her- and giving her more than just flowers. One time he gave her a necklace, which she only accepted if he acknowledged they were only friends, and another time he bought her an expensive bolt of fabric for a dress and hired a seamstress to make it for her. To him they were steps in the right direction.

Victoria was quite flattered by all the attention and did not know what to make of it, content in the knowledge that she loved Zorro and he loved her, and that one day he would come for her. But eventually, as the weeks went by and Ramon persistently wooed her for over a month, her friends started encouraging her to take him much more seriously. After all, he was apparently a man of means, quite obviously in love with her, and his romantic nature was providing her with many more gifts than Zorro had ever given her.

Still, the señorita denied any deep feelings for Señor Palos, saying the walks they occasionally took were strictly for conversation only, and his gifts were as a friend. She repeatedly told him that she already had her heart set on another man, and eventually she even told Ramon that she was in love with Zorro. That did not deter him; if anything, he became more persistent yet. He began writing love letters, nothing overpowering or repulsive, but simple explanations of his feelings for her and his impressions of her. Victoria eventually had to admit to herself that Ramon Palos was to be taken seriously.

During all this time, Zorro only showed himself once, quite early on, and then only for a moment to Victoria, after he had turned in some stage bandits to Sergeant Mendoza. She saw him ride in, dashing and audacious as ever, and as he left he reined Toronado to a halt in front of her and told her how beautiful she was. Then he was off, the lancers running after him, trying to bring their unwieldy muskets to bear. They shot at him, but as usual they missed.

As for Diego de la Vega, he had no idea what was happening with Victoria, because shortly after the episode with Zorro, his father, Don Alejandro, sent him to Monterey to conduct some business for the hacienda. While he was reluctant to go, hating to leave the pueblo undefended for so long, he had no choice unless he wanted to antagonize his father. So it was that while Ramon Palos was ardently wooing Zorro's fiancée, the man who was Zorro was hundreds of miles away, reluctantly tending to his father's business and chafing to be able to go back home.

- Z -

There had been no sign of Zorro for well over a month, and one day Victoria commented on the fact to a friend as they lounged in the tavern during a lull in the business. Ramon, who was never far from her, overheard her remark and went over to the table where she was sitting.

"Perhaps Zorro has gone away," he said in a slightly triumphant tone, managing to hide a smirk.

Victoria shook her head. "He would never leave the pueblo. I wonder where he is?"

"I heard that some banditos burned a peasant's barn down yesterday," Victoria's friend Maria said. "Poor Rivas certainly hoped Zorro would show up, but he didn't, and the rogues got away. It is such a shame."

"Zorro is only a man, señoritas," Ramon said with a casual shrug. "You make him into a legend he is not."

"You do not know him," Victoria retorted quickly, frowning.

"Si, my sweet," Ramon said soothingly as he laid his hand on Victoria's. "I have heard of his deeds, and he is a very brave man. But he is only one man. What if some accident has befallen him and he is dead? We cannot know for sure."

Preoccupied with her thoughts, Victoria realized belatedly that Ramon was touching her, and, self-conscious, she wondered if she should pull her hand away when she saw Maria smiling at her. The young woman winked and left the table.

Ramon did not notice the señorita's preoccupation. "I know I cannot be like Zorro, Victoria, but please, hear me out. I can give you everything he cannot. I can give you a home, a family... Are not those things what you want?"

"Yes, but..." Suddenly Victoria realized what he was saying, and she looked at him in obvious surprise.

Ramon nodded as if in answer. "Si, Victoria... Think about it. I have money. I will keep you safe and comfortable. I offer you all the things you want now. I want a family, too. How do you know Zorro will ever come for you? How do you know he is not dead already, or will not be killed by the alcalde? Do you wish to be a widow before you are even married? Do you want to risk being childless until it is too late? How do you know he can offer you everything I can?"

"Ramon, I..." Victoria began, but she suddenly stopped. He was right, as unwilling as she was to admit it. He had touched on the very things that troubled her most about Zorro.

There was no doubt but that she loved the masked man, a brave, strong hero, clever and intrepid, unbeaten by his foes, but... The questions remained. Where was he? Who was he? Would he ever come for her?

The sum total of their relationship could be counted in hours, on the fingers of one hand, and of the four or so hours she supposed they had spent together during the entire course of Zorro's existence, over two of those had been in his cave, when she had been pursued by bandits and he had come to her rescue. He rarely came just to see her- perhaps three times in total- and only a few times did he ever give her anything. Sometimes it was a rose or a bouquet. Sometimes it was a brief letter. Once it was an engagement ring.

Always he promised the day would come when he would take off his mask and claim her as his bride, but that day never came. Would it ever? From the signs of the times, there were no new freedoms looming on the horizon of the very near future. There were noises about independence from Spain, but nothing concrete. And by his own admission Alcalde DeSoto was stuck in Los Angeles. As long as nothing changed, Zorro was effectively trapped in his self-imposed role as protector of the people.

Then suddenly the thought occurred to Victoria- Zorro had never actually told her he loved her. When they were face to face, he always begged off, muttering things about audiences or the proper time, or falling back on his old standby- it could only be said when the mask came off for the final time. Yes, he had proposed to her, but where were the words and deeds that normally accompanied such a momentous occasion? Since then he had continued as usual, the few times he had seen her- for only a few seconds each time- he had mentioned nothing about their engagement. He certainly was not courting her, even in secret.

Victoria never told Zorro how she felt; always she told herself not to trouble him with such things. His mission was vital to the pueblo's very existence. He was the sole defender of the people against their oppressive government, therefore he could not and should not be bothered with such personal matters. Still, sometimes it seemed that he understood, because the few times he spoke of such things, he had always been apologetic of her long wait, and once... once, early in their relationship, he even voluntarily told her in so many words she was free to find another man for a husband...

"Victoria?" Ramon said again.

The señorita shook her head to clear her mind. "What?"

Ramon gathered both her hands in his. "Will you marry me?"

Stunned, Victoria could only stare at her earnest suitor.

When she did not respond, Palos said, "Please tell me you will think about it. Please do not say no."

"Ramon..."

"Please do not say no. I beg you, please promise me you will think about it?"

After a moment, Victoria smiled. "All right, Ramon. I promise."

Palos laughed in relief. "Gracias, my dear! Gracias!" Then he stood and kissed both her hands, laughing again and hurrying out the door.

"What was that all about?" Maria asked with a curious smile as she watched Ramon leave and Victoria sauntered over to the counter where she was working.

For a moment Victoria was silent, then she blushed, smiled broadly and said, "He proposed to me."

"And?" Maria exclaimed excitedly. "What was your answer?"

The señorita shrugged. "I told him I would think about it."

"Think about it?!" Maria retorted. "Think about what? You are not still going to wait for Zorro, are you?"

"Why not?"

"Why not! Because Ramon is here, in flesh and blood, ready to give you everything you want! Zorro... where is he? When will he quit being Zorro? What if you don't even like him when he finally takes off his mask?" She shook her head. "Come on, Victoria, think! With Ramon you can have everything! With Zorro, there is no promise of anything... you can't even be sure he'll live long enough to retire his mask!"

"But I have known Zorro for years. He's..."

"You've seen him for years, Victoria. How much time have you actually spent with him? Do you really know him? Is he really the man you want to spend the rest of your life with?" Maria sighed and looked pleadingly at her friend. "Ramon is a good man, Victoria. He loves you desperately, he's got money, he is kind... You know him. You've spent time with him. Is there any reason why you would tell him no?"

"Maria..." Victoria said in protest.

"Well? Is there?"

"I guess not, but... I don't... I don't know him well. He has only been here – what? A few weeks. I don't know if I love him."

Maria smiled. "That is better than saying you don't love him!" Then she grew serious. "Please, Victoria, for your own sake, say yes. It is high time you started thinking about yourself. I know you want children... don't wait for Zorro until it is too late! You are far too close to thirty now as it is!"

"Yes, but..."

"I'll tell you what. Give yourself some time to think about it. If Zorro wants you badly enough, he will come for you now. If he doesn't, that's all the more reason to say yes to Ramon. Ramon is a good man, Victoria. Don't lose him waiting for someone who may never come!"

Victoria sighed. "I need time..."

"Just don't take too much, mi amiga. I want you to be happy. Don't forfeit your life in the vain hope of getting Zorro." She gave Victoria a hug. "I will take over for a while. Why don't you take a walk by yourself?"

Grateful for the chance to be alone with her thoughts, Victoria readily agreed and walked to a shady valley not far from the pueblo. There she sat underneath a broad old oak to think.