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: Just a quick reminder: Lozano was the guy who hypnotized Diego. This isn't a follow up to my Wicked Zorro story, but imagine that episode had a more realistic ending, and a more lasting effect on both characters.
So many people to thank on this one. Marla, Katie, KlingonKitten, LaCorelli, you guys are amazing. Thanks to everyone who joined the New World Zorro Fanfiction group on Facebook, cause it is so awesome to talk to you! I hope more people come join us!
Pam supplied the Spanish curse word which is in italics (means damn). KlingonKitten once again came up with an awesome title.
Few steamy paragraphs next chapter, but nothing over the top I don't think.
zzz
"No, Zorro, please! Please don't kill me! I'll do as you say." DeSoto knelt on the ground, begging for his life. "Think of my family. In Madrid."
"You'll do as I say? Whatever I say?" Zorro asked.
DeSoto froze, then dropped his hands and eyed Zorro in distrust. "Why, what do you want?"
"Why don't you go home to your family in Madrid?"
DeSoto's fists clenched. "Not until I see you hang."
Zorro put his sword to DeSoto's neck. "You really think that's going to happen? I just gave you a courage potion. You fought better than you ever have, I'm quite impressed." Zorro nodded. "But you are never going to capture me, and I am never going to let you get away with your schemes. Why don't you call it quits? Go home to your family."
DeSoto glanced at Victoria but Zorro put his sword to the alcalde's cheek and returned his attention to the matter at hand. "And if you touch her again, I'll make you pay for it. It was the potion. You know it, I know it." He glanced at Victoria. "She knows it. Go ahead and look at her if you want, she's not looking love-struck right now, is she?"
DeSoto growled. "Even if I go home to Madrid, the next Alcalde would read of your crimes. Those accounts won't just go away!"
"But I thought you said anything I wanted?" DeSoto swallowed as the sword touched his neck this time. "I'll take a pardon, too. If you leave, Zorro can disappear. It would be nice to have the paper all the same."
DeSoto glared, and Zorro took a step forward. "Changing your mind? I wouldn't try my patience today, alcalde. You've made quite a spectacle of yourself with the woman I intended to marry. There's a ship leaving Santa Monica in the morning. I expect you to be on it."
Zorro waited a beat while DeSoto grit his teeth. "Speak, alcalde. And say the right thing, or you might not speak again."
DeSoto's eyes widened at the cold threat from a usually civilized villain, if such a thing could be said. "Fine, what do I care anyway. I hate this dusty little pueblo with no decent food or culture. It's embarrassing that I thought to marry a—"
Zorro reached the end of his temper, and his foot shut the alcalde up before he could offend Victoria any further. He stared down at the unconscious man a moment before sheathing his sword and turning to Victoria.
"So the alcalde never had any courage. Or passion for me. He just thought he did." She glanced down at the unconscious man. "Just as he and I thought we were in love."
Zorro rested a hand on his saber as he looked at her. "All the result of Doctor Wayne's colored water and the power of suggestion."
Victoria took a step forward and frowned when he stepped back. "I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"
"For trying to drug me?"
"Drug you?" Victoria shook her head. "But you said it was colored water. There was nothing in the potions."
"You didn't know that."
Victoria took a deep breath, not used to suspicion and anger in Zorro's eyes being directed at her. "I'm sorry. It's just I was so eager to believe in Doctor Wayne's potions because there's not an hour in the day, not even a minute I don't think about you. But unfortunately, I only get to see you if there's a crisis in the pueblo."
"So giving me a potion of everlasting love would change that?"
Victoria watched him for a moment, then stared down at her hands. "I guess not."
"You are so desperate for me to love you, even against my will?"
"No!"
"After what Lozano did to us, you tried to drug me?"
"Zorro, no! I would never…" Victoria faltered and hated the tears which came to her eyes, remembering how difficult it was for both of them after Zorro had robbed her. "I love you. I wanted to know if you loved me, too."
Zorro walked over and picked up a bottle of wine, remembering how eager she was for him to drink with her. "The everlasting love potion was to create love where there was none."
Victoria stared at the bottle and felt a little sick.
"Maybe you wanted it for yourself. Convince yourself you could love the stranger behind the mask."
Victoria wanted to curl into herself, not sure how things had gotten so out of hand. All her fault. She struggled to find her voice. "How can you say that? I love you. Don't you…don't you care for me at all? Don't you want a life aside from Zorro?"
"I have a life, which is put on hold because of this mask and this..." Zorro pointed down at DeSoto and shook his head. "Maybe you needed the potion to convince yourself you wanted a life with a man you didn't know. I love you every day. Even when you ignore me…even when you're mean to me, I love you. Every day I'm terrified you'll find out that I'm really just an ordinary man."
"I can love the man without the mask…I do want to share your life…if you'll only let me."
Zorro chuckled harshly to himself and bent down to pick up DeSoto's sword and tuck it in his belt. "What if I'm a terrible bore? What if I'm ugly? Poor? Maybe a rich snob? You don't know anything about me. How can you love me?"
Victoria wiped at her leaking eyes, finally looking at things from his point of view. She'd never thought about it before, but it made sense that Zorro might be insecure, too. "I love you. I love your character. Your passion and courage. Your dedication to justice. That you can't hide."
Zorro barked out another laugh, but there was no humor in it. If she only knew… He hid it quite well, and that was the crux of the problem.
"Why can't we be together? I never know when I will see you again. If you're safe." Victoria's arms tightened around herself but she held her head higher. "I want to know you, help you. I want to make you happy. That's all I wanted." She squared her shoulders and strengthened her voice as she met his eyes. "You're the one who hides."
"To keep you safe!"
"How would it be more dangerous if we were together?" Victoria raised her voice to match his. Had they ever yelled at each other?
"Victoria, say we do get married." Zorro pointed at the alcalde at his feet. "If he catches me? I've been branded a traitor. If you're my wife, you would be found guilty, too. Your own mother was killed because she aided a revolutionary."
"How do you know that?" Victoria gasped and Zorro glanced around, uncomfortable. Victoria tried to stop, but she still spoke despite her tears, despite feeling slapped in the face with her mother's memory. "What does it matter? I love you. If you hurt, I hurt. If you're sent to the gallows, I will be right there with you. Why won't you let me in?"
DeSoto stirred and Zorro bent to haul the man to his feet. "I need to take care of the alcalde."
Victoria stepped in front of him, standing firm even though she was crying. "And then?" She wiped her face and put her hands on her hips. "You told him to sail for Spain. He said he'd give you a pardon."
Zorro looked at her beautiful, splotchy face. She thought that would solve everything, even as she cried. He was still an ordinary man. He wanted peace, he wanted to sit and read his books. He wanted to share that with her, but how could he compete with the mysterious hero she thought she'd fallen in love with?
She grew weak and fell into a chair when he simply dragged DeSoto around her. "I guess I have my answer then."
Zorro stared at the locking bar across the door for a long time. Then he shifted the alcalde, opened the door, and disappeared.
Zzz
Zorro found the alcalde's office conveniently empty. He dumped DeSoto in the corner and took out a sheet of paper. Diego had a few words to say to the guards in Madrid about their choice of authority figures. He sealed the letter and moved DeSoto to the chair before Mendoza stumbled into the office looking for his boss. The sergeant had the presence of mind to listen to reason.
It was a good thing Mendoza wasn't afraid of Zorro anymore as he splashed the pitcher of water in DeSoto's face to wake him up. DeSoto finally was afraid of the man in black with the unforgiving eyes. The esteemed alcalde woke to find Zorro's sword unsheathed again and quite close to the precious neck he valued so much. The pardon was already written. Even Mendoza knew Don Alejandro would make a better alcalde, and he'd been quite helpful. DeSoto should learn to be less hateful to the people there to protect him. For now, his reluctant signature at sword point was good enough.
Zorro gave Mendoza the note which he claimed was from Don Alejandro. They both agreed things had gone on long enough. Mendoza could see that Zorro's patience was gone. Everyone was upset about DeSoto and Victoria, so he couldn't imagine what Zorro must be feeling right now. Mendoza volunteered to see DeSoto to the ship.
Zorro stood in the middle of the plaza for a few minutes watching Mendoza and Sepulveda driving a cart toward Santa Monica. Glancing around the quiet pueblo, he wondered what to do next. Naturally, his eyes were drawn toward the tavern.
Diego had ridden to the pueblo tonight. He hadn't expected DeSoto and Victoria to be having an intimate dinner, had he? It was a simple thing to grab Zorro's extra gear from The Guardian and sneak into the tavern upstairs. It was not an easy thing to stomach what he saw.
His clothes were upstairs in the tavern. Had he planned it that way? He could have changed in his office. He looked down at the scroll in his hands. Zorro could disappear now, as long as Mendoza completed his mission. If he was discovered, he had a pardon. What was the next chapter in his life?
Zorro took his time sneaking back into the tavern. The rooms were empty, he knew Victoria was alone since he'd just left her. Maybe he wasn't thinking clearly, but he couldn't leave things as they stood. He was still hurt by all he'd had to witness this week, all the thoughts which plagued his every moment. Why had she wanted to use a potion on him? Why was she so easily smitten with a man like DeSoto?
Why did she claim to love Zorro at all when she had no idea who he was? That wasn't an excuse to lash out, though. He needed answers, and he needed to apologize.
He stared at himself in the mirror for several minutes after he changed back into Diego. Whatever happened would happen. The not knowing—for either of them—ended tonight.
Zzz
Author's Note: So yeah, this is a little bit of a tease because I'm impatient. Second chapter will be up tomorrow night.
Keep in mind, this is under 6000 words, and only two chapters, no plot. I'm breaking it into two chapters because I've discovered I hate having one chapter stories.
If you enjoyed, or if I drew you in, please review. And look us up on Facebook!