Hello, everyone! As stated in the description, this one shot is based off the episode "The Tease." This story was inspired by LaCorelli and a discussion we had a while back about the scene in the tavern where Victoria finds out about Amanda Herrera staying at the De La Vega hacienda. This conversation got my imagination running, and this is the result. Thanks for the inspiration, my friend, and I hope you and all the other readers enjoy it. :)

Victoria's eyebrows rose in surprise at the alcalde's words. "She's staying at the De La Vega hacienda? Alone?"

Ramone glanced at her and nodded distractedly. "At least until her father finishes the surveying of the northern territory..."

Victoria leaned against the bar, taken aback by the news. She'd seen Amanda Herrera in the tavern a couple of times since her arrival in town a week ago. The woman had been sending most of the men in Los Angeles into a frenzy - a frenzy that had quite obviously managed to encompass even poor Sergeant Mendoza. And now to find out she was also staying at the De La Vega hacienda with Diego and his father, of all places? Victoria felt a swell of unexpected irritation rise in her. Why hadn't Diego mentioned this to her when he'd been at the tavern earlier?

Her exclamation seemed to fly out of her throat without thought. "Oh! The first single woman to appear in two years, and suddenly he's the gracious host!"

The alcalde suddenly glanced up at the sharp tone in Victoria's voice, a sudden gleam of curiosity lighting his eyes. "Do I detect a...hint of envy?"

Victoria's head jerked up, her annoyance quickly dimming at the realized impact of her words. What was she doing? She was sounding like some jealous shrew... and all because of Diego De La Vega. She had no business acting this way. Her grip on the bottle in her hand tightened. Diego was her friend, and nothing more. He was not obligated to tell her anything about his and his father's houseguests. Even if they were young, beautiful, and single females...

She shook herself lightly. She needed to stop this. She had Luis Ramone watching her with a now avid interest, an interest she'd incited with her rash words. She quickly flashed the alcalde a bright smile, but her dismissive laugh was weak at best even as she prepared to wave away his words, and she found herself unable to look him in the eye as she spoke. "Don't be silly," she insisted unevenly. "Diego's not my type at all..."

The alcalde watched her for a moment longer before giving a preoccupied nod, his momentary interest in her reaction seeming to wane as he returned to his own thoughts, and for once Victoria was grateful for Ramone's selfish nature. She certainly didn't need any more questions from him about her reaction to Diego De La Vega's hospitality to Amanda Herrera - especially when she wasn't sure she understood that reaction herself.

As if on cue, Diego suddenly appeared in the doorway, his eyes coming to rest on Ramone as he entered, and Victoria felt her earlier irritation surge forth again as he approached.

"Alcalde - I hope you're not too angry with Mendoza," he began, his hands folded in front of him in a peacekeeping gesture. "He's had so little experience..."

The alcalde slammed his hand down on the bar, effectively cutting Diego off. "Experience? The only experience he's going to get is on foot patrol at dawn!" He gave a brief nod to Victoria before turning on his heel and marching out of the tavern.

Diego watched Ramone leave, then turned with a surprised smile to Victoria. "He's moody, isn't he?"

Victoria gave him a fiery look, slamming the bottle in her hand down on the bar with a resounding thud before marching around him towards the kitchen. Diego's eyes followed her in surprise. He's not the only one, apparently, he thought as he watched her disappear behind the curtains. What in the world had gotten into Victoria? He glanced back to the front door after the alcalde. Was it something Ramone had said? His brow furrowed. She hadn't seemed angry at him before he left. In fact, her ire had seemed aimed at him instead. His confusion only grew deeper as his brain filed through their recent interactions. What had he said or done to incite such anger in her? They'd talked about nearly everything in the last few weeks, just as they usually did when he came to town. They seemed to be talking more and more recently, in fact, sharing everything from the tavern's business to their shared childhood memories. He'd begun to look forward to each visit to town to see her more now than ever. Victoria had always engaged him in conversation, but lately their conversations had begun to seem... different. Victoria had begun to seem different. She seemed to want to linger more, talk more, held a smile for him that he'd only seen from her as Zorro. Diego leaned an elbow on the bar. She'd seemed to be warming to him, a feeling he'd never dared to hope would be. But he'd grown more confident in her changing feelings the longer he'd seen the changes in her. His mouth quirked in thought. Which made her behavior tonight even more perplexing.

He glanced towards the kitchen again before turning to look around the crowded dining hall. Everyone seemed very involved in their conversations and in the general genial mood of the place, and likely wouldn't even notice if he went to talk to her. His eyes drifted back to the kitchen entrance. If he'd said or did something to upset her, he definitely didn't want to leave it unattended to, particularly when he had no idea what it was. He didn't want to risk losing the fragile progress in their relationship that they'd attained in the last few weeks, and even if it meant further riling Victoria's renowned fiery temper, it was a chance he was prepared to take. He stepped to the end of the bar, pausing only for a moment before slipping quietly between the curtains and into the kitchen after Victoria.

She stood at the butcher's block in the middle of the room chopping vegetables, the high color in her cheeks from earlier still clearly evident with her head bent over her work. Her head jerked up as the curtains slipped back into place behind him, and she yanked her hand back just in time to keep from slicing into her finger. Her eyes went wide. "Diego!" Diego felt a vague pit of uncertainty build in his stomach when the knife in her hand remained pointed in his direction. Perhaps confronting her in a kitchen full of potential weapons wasn't the wisest idea. "What are you doing in here?" She demanded.

Diego's momentary disconcertion quickly began to fade as his eyes scanned over her face again, a flicker of curiosity that had inspired him to talk to her in the first place once again beginning to build. Her face remained flushed and her eyes were bright, and her chest rose and fell with shallowed breaths. His gaze lingered at the gentle swell of breasts before he quickly jerked his gaze back up to her face, his curiosity only hitching higher at the look in her eyes. In his past experience with Victoria Escalante, both with and without his mask, he'd come to know her current look could mean either an anticipation or anger at his presence. When he continued to watch her in silence, the fire in her eyes flared higher, and he quickly ruled out the former of the two. Nope, there was no doubt now in his mind that her look was most definitely one of anger, and by the way she had been furiously chopping away at the growing mound of carrots in front of her, it was quite clear that anger was a feeling that would not subside easily. However...

Diego continued to study her, his eyes moving slowly over her face again. A small glint of vulnerability passed across her gaze, small enough that anyone else would have missed it, but its brief presence was not lost under Diego's careful scrutiny. His eyes narrowed slightly. Victoria was not only upset, but also, for some reason, was feeling vulnerable in his presence. Why? Despite the knife still poised in her hand, Diego dared a step closer to her. "Victoria, what is it? Are you all right?"

Victoria stared at him for a long moment, then quickly cast her eyes back at the task before her, giving him a weak, dismissive shrug. "Of course I'm all right," she insisted without looking up to meet his eyes, the sharp snap of the carrots separating under the blade growing louder as she continued. "What makes you think I'm not?" The knife blade against the countertop seemed to contradict her words as it nearly slammed against the table top with each cut, the sound nearly reverberating off the stucco walls with increasing speed.

Diego's gentle grasp on her wrist startled her, halting her movements, and Victoria's eyes flew up to find him standing less than an arm's length away from her. She blinked up at him in surprised silence as his own gaze lit with mild amusement. His eyes flicked briefly to the orange pile on the table in front of her. "You mean aside from the fact that you've just chopped enough carrots to feed every single rabbit in the entire territory?"

Victoria's gaze dropped back to the table, her cheeks flaring in a renewed blush at the sizable mound of carrot slices piled high at its center. She quickly lifted her gaze back to his, trying to disguise her embarrassment, but her blush only continued to grow at his unwavering blue gaze and the sudden awareness of the warmth of his hand still holding her wrist. Victoria swallowed hard, his gaze holding her mesmerized as she took in a long, deep breath. She needed to step back, she told herself when she continued to stand immobilized before him, her feet seeming unwilling to move. She needed to back up now and pull her hand away...

When she continued to remain rooted to the floor in front of him, Diego cocked his head slightly, studying her with interest. She hadn't seemed upset when he saw her here at the tavern earlier today, not until... His eyes lit with a sudden realization. Not until he'd mentioned Senorita Amanda to the alcalde. He arched an eyebrow at her. "This doesn't have anything to do with Senorita Herrera, does it?"

Victoria visibly tensed at his question before yanking her wrist free from his grasp. "Don't be silly, Diego." She shot him a challenging look. "You're free to have anyone stay at you hacienda that you like, even if it is a young and single woman like the senorita."

Diego raised his eyebrows at the obvious venom lacing her response, and he felt a slow smile begin at the corners of his mouth. Her anger did have to do with the senorita, and Diego suddenly found himself very interested in Victoria's reaction. The words slipped out before he could stop them. "Are you jealous?"

The word halted Victoria, a new blaze of anger coming to life in her eyes. She slammed down the knife on the table, moving to turn towards the counter behind her for more vegetables to chop. "Don't flatter yourself, Diego..."

She was stopped short when Diego snatched her hand and tugged her back towards him. Victoria's step stumbled slightly as she stopped short only a few inches from bumping into him. The boldness in his move caught her off guard, and her eyes flew to his in surprise. She swallowed hard at the sudden surge of confidence she saw there, and at the slight smile that played across his lips when her eyes fell briefly to his mouth. Suddenly uncomfortably aware of where her gaze was resting, she quickly jerked her gaze back to his, but her discomfort only seemed to grow as Diego continued to look at her, and he curled her arm in closer, quietly enjoying the inviting warmth radiating off her body. He raised his eyebrows in his own challenge to her words. "You're avoiding the question, Victoria."

Diego moved his thumb in a slow, nerve awakening path over the back of her hand, his grip on her fingers tightening reflexively when she weakly tried to tug her hand back. She swallowed visibly as her eyes moved over his face in confused awe. He smiled lightly, loving setting her off balance with just a simple touch. He knew he was at risk of giving himself away with the sudden confidence in his movements and words, but he no longer seemed to care. It was as if he now was daring her to discover him, to figure out the puzzle that had perplexed her for the last two years. His index finger trailed slowly over the sensitive skin at the back of her wrist, and she shifted uncomfortably, seeming to try to shake off the same intoxicating warmth that was now spilling through him as well. She gave her head a light shake before taking a small step back from him. "This is ridiculous..."

However, Diego had no intention of letting her back away, and only released her hand long enough to slide it to her wrist, the move leaving a trail of goose bumps on the soft skin under his fingertips. He leaned in closer, his voice lowering into a teasing conspiratorial whisper. "If it's such a ridiculous question, then why is it so difficult for you to answer it?"

Diego's other hand moved up her other arm, her breath catching in her throat when he tugged her closer still. Her forearms came to rest against his chest, her gaze unmoving from his, her feet that had been so anxious to step away from him a moment ago once again rooted to the floor, her legs unsteady beneath her.

"Answer me, Victoria," he insisted again. "Are you jealous of Senorita Amanda?"

Victoria's hands turned to rest against his chest, her simple touch making him draw in a long and deep breath. She looked down to her hands, watching as they rose and fell with his breath before lifting her gaze to his again. "Does my answer really matter that much to you, Diego?"

His gaze grew more intense. "Yes, it does," he answered softly. "It matters a great deal."

She regarded him with a curious stare and cocked her head slightly. "Why, Diego? Why does it matter?"

Diego's hands slid slowly down her arms, and Victoria took in a shaky breath, drawing his eyes back to her lips before they moved back to hers. He paused, trying to choose his words carefully before throwing caution to the wind as his grip on her arms tightened. "Because, Victoria, I want to know how you feel." His voice remained low, but his intense whisper only seemed to grow with each word. "I want to know how you feel about me. About us."

She stared up at him for a long moment before her eyebrows rose slightly. "Is that why you arranged for Senorita Herrera to stay at your hacienda?"

His mouth quirked in a brief smile at her answer, and he shrugged his shoulders lightly. "Ask my father. It was his idea, not mine." He took a small step closer to her, the scent of her surrounding him and intoxicating his senses. "Honestly, I think he wanted to see what my reaction would be to her being there."

Victoria gave him an affronted look at his words. "Then you agreed to it?"

His smile grew as he shrugged again and lowered his head, his mouth hovering briefly over hers to utter his teasing answer. "Maybe I wanted to see what your reaction would be to her being there..."

Before Victoria can argue further, Diego's mouth captured hers, stealing away her words. When she didn't try to pull away, Diego leaned back to gauge her reaction and found her regarding him with an unreadable look. She stared at him in silence for a long moment, the corners of her mouth slowly turning up as her breath escaped her in an aggravated huff. "Diego De La Vega, you are the most infuriating, exasperating..." She stopped mid thought, suddenly reaching a hand to the nape of his neck, yanking his head down to kiss him again.

Diego's surprise at her reaction quickly melted away at her mouth moving over his, and he tugged at her waist, drawing her closer as the kiss rapidly deepened and grew more heated. Diego reluctantly tore his mouth away, then reached up to cup her face against his palm, his thumb tracing over the curve of her cheek, the sight of her elegant and swollen mouth making his heart slam hard against his ribs. He drug his gaze back up to hers. "You have nothing to be jealous of, Victoria," he insisted in a husky whisper. "I swear. I'm not interested in Senorita Hererra."

Victoria smiled lightly, meeting him halfway as he leaned in to place another lingering kiss against her lips. Her expression suddenly fell slightly when he pulled back. "Wait... what about Zorro?"

Not about to be deterred by the mention of his alter ego, Diego instead only smiled lightly at the question. "I'm not interested in Zorro, either."

Victoria's eyes widened in surprise, her smile returning with her choked laugh. She struggled to regain her earlier seriousness and regarded him with an admonishing look. "I mean it, Diego - what happens when he finds out? What if..."

Diego's determination swelled. He was not going to allow doubts and fears to stand between them, not anymore. He quickly cut her off before she could continue further. "Victoria, do you love me?"

Victoria's gaze jerked up to his, momentarily stunning her with his question. "What?"

His expression was suddenly serious, his eyes slightly guarded against the vulnerability he could feel lying just beneath it. "Answer me, Victoria. I'm tired of the phantom of Zorro standing between us, and I'm tired of trying to pretend that you and I feel nothing for each other." He crooked a finger under her chin to bring her gaze to his, his voice firm but gentle as he carefully emphasized each word. "Do you love me?"

Victoria paused, staring up into his eyes for a long moment before her lips curved into a gentle smile. "Yes, Diego - I do." Her smile grew. "I love you."

Relief flooded Diego's eyes as he leaned down again, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to her lips before pulling back and giving her a dazzling smile. "Well, I'm rather glad to hear that, because it just so happens that I love you, too." He traced his fingers over the curve of her cheek, reveling in the feel of her soft skin and the beauty of her answering smile. "Now, with that being said... I think I might have a solution to our dilemma about Zorro."

Victoria blinked at him in surprise. "You do?"

Diego stepped back and took her hand, leading her towards the back kitchen door and holding it open for her as he grabbed her shawl from the peg beside the doorway and handed it to her. "And I hope that you see it the same way I do, but I think it's something we should probably talk about first."

Victoria's brow furrowed as she tugged her shawl around her shoulders and stepped to Diego's side. "Talk? About what?"

Diego watched her as she stepped outside ahead of him, and expelled a long sigh. This was going to be a long night, likely full of talking, arguing, revelations and risks... A smile returned to his lips as he watched her turn back to him expectantly, her beautiful face nearly glowing in the moonlight. But, at the end, even if their discussion continued until the sun came up, he was prepared to fight for the future he was becoming more and more hopeful would come after. No matter what risks and struggles were ahead for them, Diego was prepared to take them all on so long as she was at his side. He calmly reached to close the door behind them as he followed after her. "Well...there's something I've been meaning to tell you..."

THE END