Author's Note : This story was, exceptionally, not beta-ed by Kezya. Thanks to Rhap-chan for going through the difficult process to transform my writings into the Queen's English. Thanks also to Kezya, who made me discover the show to begin with, and who allowed me to post the story here.

Title : Unlikely Alliance

Main characters : Zorro/Diego de la Vega, Alejandro de la Vega, Alcalde Luis Ramon, Victoria

Rating : Pretty safe read, except if the mention of death and blood bothers you.

Disclaimer : They don't belong to me.

Historical accuracy : Not much to say, but I did do some research about the governor of California at the time the Zorro series takes place. His name is the real one, the rest is completely made up by me.

Spoilers : Only if you don't know that Zorro is actually don Diego de la Vega... just kidding ;) Spoilers for episode ten of the second season, "white sheep of the family".

Set : Shortly after episode ten, second season : "white sheep of the family".

Summary : After being kicked out of office, Luis Ramon is forced into a reluctant alliance with his worst foe, and what happens next teaches Diego that he should not take certain things for granted.

Feedback : Yes please !


Chapter 1

Sprawled in the armchair in his office, Alcalde Luis Ramon considered whether it was worth it trying to stand up to refill his glass. He was not sure he would be able to sit up, let alone stand; but on the other hand, it was hardly eleven in the evening yet, and he felt he would need some more alcohol to make the night bearable. Finally he heaved a sigh and reached for the bottle. He brought the bottleneck to his lips, not bothering with the glass - after all, it was not as if anyone could see him.

"You make for a rather sorry sight, Alcalde."

Choking and sputtering, Ramon let the bottle drop in surprise and raised his head to meet the steady gaze of Zorro. His first reflex was to draw his sword, but then he remembered it was on his desk, out of reach, and he slumped back in the armchair. Eyeing speculatively the fallen bottle and the widening puddle of alcohol underneath, he wondered if he had drunk enough yet to be hallucinating. Zorro seemed infuriatingly real as far as he could tell, but if hallucinations did not seem real, they would not be hallucinations. He contemplated for a moment this fascinating paradigm, then decided he did not really care and reached a second time for the bottle before it was completely empty. Zorro was faster than him, though, and removed it swiftly out of range.

"I really think you've drunk enough for tonight," he said matter-of-factly.

Well, that settled it. Only the real Zorro could annoy Ramon so much in so short a span of time. The Alcalde groaned wearily. "What do you want? Or is it simply the sole purpose of your life to make mine a living hell?"

The question was, of course, rhetorical.

The masked man sat on a corner of Ramon's desk and stared at him critically. "It's been almost three days and you haven't executed, tyrannized, beaten or imprisoned anyone. I was wondering what you were up to. I must admit I did not quite expect that. Have your sins finally come back to haunt you?"

Ramon glanced discreetly at his sword. If he was fast enough, and if he managed to grab it before Zorro moved... But first of all he needed to stall. "I don't see what you're referring to," he said, speaking carefully so his speech would not be slurred by the effects of the alcohol. "I protect the law-abiding people of my pueblo. You're the one who has a price on his head."

With an amused chuckle, Zorro lifted Ramon's sword from the desk and weighed it. "If you like," he conceded agreeably. "I have not come to argue about that."

Surprised to see Zorro step down so easily, Ramon glared at him. Then he saw Zorro's gaze focus on the papers on his desk, and his blood ran cold in his veins. The letter, if that damn fox saw the letter... he plunged forward, but his inebriated state made him somewhat clumsy and he tangled his feet, falling to the ground. He stood up painfully, leaning on the desk to remain upward, but by then it was too late and Zorro was reading the letter.

Anger helped dispel the clouds of alcohol in his foggy mind, and Ramon noticed his sword that Zorro had laid back down on the desk. Taking advantage of the damn fox's inattention as he read, the Alcalde seized the handle of his rapier and tried to deal Zorro a deathblow. But by the time he had pulled the sword from the sheath, his masked opponent was ready and had his own sword drawn, on the defensive. He negligently dropped the letter back onto Ramon's desk. Furiously, the Alcalde thrust forward, but much too slowly. Zorro did not even have to use his blade; he caught Ramon's wrist in a steely grip and twisted it painfully until he dropped his weapon. The Alcalde fell to his knees, breathing in short gasps, and Zorro sheathed his sword calmly, not having even broken a sweat.

"My condolences, Alcalde," he said quietly.

When Ramon looked up again, the damn fox had disappeared, silent as a shadow - or as his namesake. Slowly, he made his way back to the armchair, and took the letter. He read it again, though he already knew each word by heart. Perhaps he should be happy with the news the letter brought, but in spite of everything, he could not find it in his heart to rejoice in his twin brother's death.


The next morning found Diego sleeping in. After all, he had to make up for his short nights at some point, so he felt absolutely guiltless. That did not change the fact that his father thought he was just being lazy. Of course, that was useful for Diego's cover as a spineless and cowardly intellectual, but that was also terribly frustrating at times. He had lost count of the number of times he had been about to spill his secret to his father, because he could no longer stand it. Each time, he had held back just in time. Each time, he had been just a fraction closer to genuinely dropping the mask.

Rolling over, he sighed, and eventually rose. From the amount of light that filtered into the room through the shutters, he could tell it was at least mid-morning. His father had probably been up since dawn.

Having washed and dressed, Diego decided it was too late for breakfast; he would wait for lunch. Besides, he was never very hungry in the morning. Instead, he headed for the living room, where he found his father reading a book, though he closed it immediately when his son entered.

"Ah, Diego. Up already?" Alejandro asked, his voice slightly ironic.

Diego decided to play along. "Yes, father, I decided to get up early today."

"Humpf. Well, I was about to go in town. Will you come with me?"

"With pleasure," Diego agreed readily. Going in town meant almost certainly stopping by the tavern, and stopping by the tavern meant seeing Victoria.

A moment later, father and son were riding side to side towards the pueblo. It was only two miles, but neither of them was inclined to hurry. The autumn day was nice and warm, and there was no urgent business to take care of, so they simply enjoyed the pleasant ride. Diego relaxed and let himself be lulled in a comfortable daze by the movement of the horse. Therefore, he was taken completely by surprise when his father broached a sore subject.

"Diego, have you thought about marriage of late?"

The young man had a sudden coughing fit, and his father tapped him in the back.

"Well, I had no idea I would trigger such a reaction," Don Alejandro observed, amusement shining in his eyes. "Still, my question stands."

"Father," Diego choked. "I think I am, um, too young yet."

"Ridiculous," his father waved the argument away. "When I was your age..."

"...you were long married," Diego finished, rolling his eyes.

There was an uncomfortable silence before the older de la Vega continued.

"Diego," he said gently, "I know that you harboured... and perhaps still harbour, certain feelings towards, um, a señorita in the pueblo. But I think her heart is already taken. You shouldn't mope around. Perhaps it is time to move on, don't you think?"

Diego felt his face flush, and he tilted slightly his head to the side to hide his scowl. He had not realized his feelings for Victoria were so obvious, but of course, his father knew him better than anyone else - he just had had the delicacy not to mention it until now.

"Father, I... I don't think I am ready to consider marriage yet," he said finally.

"All right," Don Alejandro replied softly. "But if you ever need to talk about it..."

"I'll keep that in mind," Diego cut hastily. He had no wish whatsoever to speak about that particular matter to anyone, including his father. He suspected that his father had been considering potential brides, and he had no desire of hearing about that particular list.

The rest of the way was silent. Diego kept biting his lip furiously; he hated to be the cause of yet another disappointment for his father, and he knew how much he wanted grandchildren and a daughter-in-law. Don Alejandro's patience and gentleness with the whole matter only made him feel worse.

Could he not just tell Victoria? He trusted her, she would never betray his secret, and he would be, at last, free to marry her... but even as he indulged in pleasant fantasies, he knew it could never be. Everybody knew Victoria's feelings for Zorro; if she married Diego, his secret - and likely his life - would be forfeit, not to mention the unavoidable consequences for his loved ones. He would not see his father or Victoria hurt because of his selfishness; he had hurt them enough already.

Enough wallowing in self-pity for one day, Diego decided. He would do what he had to, as he always had. As tempted as he was to confide in his father, a secret stopped being a secret when more than one person knew about it - and Felipe did not count. Oh, he trusted his father of course, but if he knew the truth, it would not be long before Don Alejandro felt compelled to do something to defend Diego's honour, or worse, to help him when he rode as Zorro. He shivered at the very thought of his father trying to take on some of the Alcalde's men. Although Alejandro was prone to forgetting it, he was not as young as he once had been.

However, as they rode in town, Diego's mind was pulled from his gloomy thoughts by the unusual activity he could see on the plaza, and he shared a glance with his father.

"Something must have happened," Don Alejandro said.

Diego nodded. "We'd better go and see what this is all about."

"I just hope the Alcalde is not up to something," the older de la Vega muttered as they urged their horses forward.

Diego shook his head. He remembered the state he had found Ramon in the previous night, and he highly doubted the man was in any shape to do any mischief. He was probably too busy suffering from a hangover. Unless he had decided to take his anger on someone... that idea was rather worrisome, given the man's temper.

However, as the two men reached the center of the plaza, it became obvious that no punishment was about to take place. The reason for the whole commotion was also quite obvious, as a small troup of men in military uniforms stood there, having just arrived in Los Angeles. That was quite unexpected, and Diego wondered whether he was about to hear good or bad news. His father dismounted, and the young man followed his lead, then they walked towards the newcomers.

Their leader wore a Capitán's uniform. He was a short and stocky man, with black hair and dark brown eyes, and a beard closely trimmed. When Diego and his father approached, he gratified them with a faint smile that did not quite reach his eyes. Next to him stood another man who did not seem to be with the military, and Diego eyed him curiously. A wide-brimmed, feathered hat cast a shadow over the man's features, but somehow he seemed vaguely familiar - yet Diego could not recall ever meeting him.

"Hello, señores, and welcome to our pueblo of Los Angeles," Don Alejandro said politely. "I am Don Alejandro de la Vega, and this is my son, Don Diego."

Diego smiled nervously to the two men, and the Capitán tilted his head curtly back.

"Señor de la Vega," he answered, "it's a pleasure to meet you. I am Capitán Rodrigo Alvarez." He waved at his companion. "And this is my friend, Don Clemente Villegas."

"Pleasure to meet you," Diego's father said politely to Villegas. The feathered hat tilted forward in what seemed to be a nod.

"The pleasure is mine, Señor de la Vega," Don Clemente said in a raucous voice.

"Now," Alvarez continued, "I hate to be rude, but I do have some business to attend to in Los Angeles."

"Can we be of any assistance?" Don Alejandro offered.

"I doubt it," the Capitán smiled. "We're here to arrest the Alcalde Luis Ramon."

Diego and his father shared an astonished look.

"Excuse me," Diego said, blinking. "I thought I heard you say you were here to arrest the Alcalde."

"That's right," Alvarez nodded. He tapped his breast pocket. "I've got here an order, signed by the governor of California, Pablo Vicente de Sola, which gives me the authority to remove Luis Ramon from his office."

"Well, that's certainly great news," the older de la Vega said. "And it was long overdue."

Perplexed, Diego looked at the Capitán and his friend. As his father had said, the removal of the Alcalde from his office was long overdue, so why now? And did it really have anything to do with the people of Los Angeles?

"Excuse me," he said, "but what exactly is the Alcalde accused of?"

Alvarez gave him a piercing look. "Why do you want to know?" he asked.

Diego shrugged, surprised to receive such an answer for such an innocent question. "Just curious, really."

"Of course," the Capitán sneered. "Luis Ramon is accused of murder, if you must know."

Diego received his second shock in less than five minutes. If the Alcalde was arrested for theft, or embezzlement, or consorting with criminals, he would believe the charge without a second's hesitation. But murder? Ramon certainly did not mind when people suffered or died because of his schemes, but he was not the kind to dirty his hands. Even Diego's father seemed less than convinced.

By then, a small crowd had gathered around the four men, and Diego had little doubt that in less than a few hours, the whole pueblo would know the details of the conversation that was being held. Sergeant Mendoza had elbowed his way to Diego and now stared, gaping stupidly at Alvarez, who did not seem to have even noticed the sergeant's presence.

"Who is the Alcalde accused of murdering?" Don Alejandro enquired.

However, Alvarez did not have time to answer, for at that same moment a familiar shout could be heard on the plaza, coming from the Alcalde's office.

"Mendozaaa!"

Predictably, Luis Ramon strode out of his office, looking for the sergeant. Next to Diego, Mendoza uttered a squeak and seemed tempted to hide somewhere - too late, as the Alcalde had already spotted him and strode in his direction. The crowd opened in front of Ramon, nobody wanting to be in his way when the result could be twenty lashes for some imaginary offence.

"What is this gathering about?" Ramon demanded to know, before his eyes landed on Capitán Alvarez. He paled noticeably when he saw the officer.

Alvarez had a predatory smile. "Hello, Luis."

Diego raised an eyebrow in surprise. That man was on a first name basis with the Alcalde? Now that was a surprise... He did not recall having ever seen Alvarez before in Los Angeles, so they must have met a long time ago.

However, Ramon quickly regained his composure and straightened, eyeing the newcomer coolly. But Diego, from where he stood, noticed that the Alcalde's lips were pursed and his jaw was tense.

"What are you doing here, Rodrigo?"

Alvarez drew his sword. "I'm here to arrest you. Please give me your sword and surrender yourself. Do not try to resist - it would be a pity if we had to hurt you, would it not?"

"Arrest me?" Ramon looked as flabbergasted as everyone else upon hearing the news. He stared blankly at Alvarez for a moment, as though unable to register the man's words, before shaking his head and scowling. "On what charges?"

"Murder," Alvarez informed him. "Your sword, Luis. I won't ask again."

The Alcalde folded his arms. "This is ridiculous. I did not murder anyone."

"That's not the opinion of the governor of California," the Capitán replied. "He was convinced by the evidence presented to him. But if you want to argue the point, feel free to do so when he comes to appoint a new Alcalde. In the meantime, you are considered guilty." He motioned his men forward. "Seize him."

Ramon was too taken aback to resist. Alvarez's men grabbed his sword and held him strongly by his arms, ignoring his glares. Alvarez turned his attention on Mendoza, who would probably have gladly given three months' pay not to find himself in such a situation.

"You, sergeant! What is your name?"

Mendoza licked his lips nervously. "Hum, Jaime Mendoza, sir."

"You will address me as Capitán. Go with my men and show them where the cells are. Make sure that Señor Ramon is securely locked and then give me the key. I'll hold you personally responsible if he escapes, so make sure you know where your loyalty - and your best interests, I might add - lie."

Mendoza glanced at Ramon, who glared daggers at him, and nodded nervously.

"Mendoza - Don't you dare...!" Ramon began in indignation, but he was silenced by Alvarez's humourless laugh.

The Alcalde - well, ex-Alcalde really - was swiftly taken away, his guards led by a miserable-looking Mendoza. The sergeant could not be that affected by Ramon's fate, but he was probably feeling uneasy locking up the man he had been taking orders from for so long. But Diego knew him well, and he could have bet the sergeant would be in no time in Victoria's inn, having a good lunch to get over these last surprising events. Still, he wondered...

Diego was snapped out of his reverie when his father spoke again.

"You haven't answered my question," Don Alejandro was saying. "Who did the Alcalde kill?"

"Ah, that," said Alvarez negligently. "He killed his own twin brother, Vicente Ramon."

"What?" Diego could not help but blurt out.

Only the night before, he had seen the Alcalde devastated by the news of his brother's death. And now Alvarez was telling him Ramon was the one who had killed his twin? Diego's first, automatic reaction was disbelief. Yet, as he thought about it, he was starting to wonder. After all, Vicente had tried to kill his brother, and the Alcalde had never been one to take kindly to attempts on his life. Was it so surprising that he would...?

Alvarez had an ironic smile, as if he could follow Diego's reasoning. "Eh, yes. Your Alcalde is just a common murderer. But don't worry, we'll take care of it."

"But who is going to act as Alcalde until Governor de Sola comes here?" Alejandro wanted to know.

The capitán bowed in front of Diego and his father. "Your humble servant, Capitán Rodrigo Alvarez, will be acting Alcalde until then."

"Oh," said Alejandro, a little taken aback at the sudden changes he was witnessing. Was it really the end of tyranny for the pueblo, after everything they had been through?

Diego hoped so with all his heart. If peace was reinstated, then Zorro would not longer be needed, and at long last he would be free of the figure he had himself created. At last, he could be himself. He could be with Victoria. He could ride Tornado, go to the inn, take her with him and leave on a honeymoon. They would marry, in a small chapel - or perhaps she would prefer a formal ceremony with a feast and the whole pueblo as witness. He could already see her ravishing smile as she said, "Yes, I..."

The hand of his father on his shoulder snatched Diego from his pleasant daydreaming before his fictitious Victoria could even agree to marry him, and he glanced up, realizing Alvarez had left, probably to invade the Alcalde's office, and that the plaza was almost cleared.

"Diego? Where were you? Certainly not in Los Angeles if I trust this faraway look..." Alejandro teased him.

"As a matter of fact, I was here, father," Diego replied stiffly. He felt a blush creep up his cheeks, and could not help but cast a sidelong glance towards Victoria's inn. "Very much here..."

Alejandro followed his son's glance and sighed softly. "Come on, Diego, let's take care of our business here."