Disclaimer: No copyright infringement meant with story. Characters owned by ZPI, not by me. I only wish to borrow them for a little while. Some dialogue and scenes from the NWZ episode "Sanctuary" written by Tim Minear. Research assist provided by PamZ via her marvelous transcripts.

Summary: Examining Victoria's feelings re: the possibility of Diego having a romance with another, unknown, woman, as mentioned in a scene from the NWZ episode "Sanctuary". She realizes that somehow, in the intervening years, her feelings for Diego have developed into more than friendship.

AN: Thanks for checking out another one of my stories. Still working my way through the episodes, chasing whatever plot bunnies hop my way. Hope it's as entertaining for you as it is for me. Helps keep these wonderful characters and TV series alive in our minds and hearts, after all.

Victoria noted with interest the return of her old friend Diego in the tavern after being absent for several days. Throughout the years, Diego had been away from the pueblo for various reasons. This time was different, though, because his own father didn't know where he had gone off to. It was slightly ironic when she herself comforted Don Alejandro when he first spoke of his worry about Diego being gone. But it was his reply about Diego "out there doing what young men are supposed to do" which got her imagination going. Which then resulted in her beginning to wonder. And worry.

Often, when thinking of her friend Diego, romance certainly didn't come to mind. Diego often acted clumsy and unsure of himself around eligible young senoritas, especially when they were forced upon him as possible marriage candidates. If she did think about Diego and romance in the same sentence, she often pushed them aside, believing he really wasn't interested. After all, most men would have returned from Spain married or engaged after being on their own for so long. Instead, he had returned without a single story about possible romances. Much less any scandal.

Scandal and Don Diego? Such thoughts made Victoria laugh out loud. Her friend was certainly the last person on earth to ever be involved in something scandalous. He often acted too prudish, even for his own father, who was himself the model of gentlemanly behavior.

She didn't know why, but the reason behind Diego's absence seemed to interest her a little too much. No matter what she told herself, no matter how much she attempted to distract her mind off of it, the topic still tickled her curiosity. So when she observed him accompanying his father and Felipe into the tavern this night, she bit down a burst of impatience and casually walked over to the table as they sat down.

"Good evening, Senors. How are you this evening?" she asked with a huge smile.

"Wonderful, Victoria. Lemonade for all of us, por favor," Don Alejandro answered with a huge smile of his own.

"Yes, Don Alejandro. One moment."

She hurried away, but looked back to see the three men great Mendoza as he approached their table. When she returned with the juice, Don Alejandro was just finishing telling Don Diego about the 'joke' he and Victoria had played upon the Alcalde. In one fair swoop, they had gotten rid of fraudulent paintings and gotten money out of the Alcalde for the replacement of the Turron barn. Rightfully so, since it had been his fault it had burnt down in the first place.

When the conversation hit a lull, Victoria decided to stir things up a little and tease her old friend. Not to mention getting answers to her questions. She crouched down beside Diego with a saucy smile, searched out Diego's eyes and asked, "So is what I hear true, Don Diego?"

Diego turned in surprise towards the tavern keeper. "Is what true?"

"Well some say you were involved in a…" Victoria looked directly into Diego's eyes, "burning romance."

Felipe looked at Diego with his own sly smile and waited for his reply, apparently as interested in it as Victoria was.

"If you must know, there was a woman…"

Don Diego considered Victoria with a sideways look as she held her breath, waiting for his reply.

"But I fear the fire has gone out now," Diego looked at Victoria with a sly smile over his glass of orange juice. He took a sip, surprised Victoria was still staring at him, and raised his glass to her in a small salute.

Victoria could only stare at her friend, astounded by his reply. Her quiet, unassuming friend Diego. Did he just claim to have had a love affair while he was gone? She came up with an excuse to hurry back into the kitchen and rushed out of the room. Upon reaching the back room, she leaned against her cupboard and covered her burning cheeks with her hands.

It seemed to her hundreds of feelings and thoughts were rushing through her head with such an admission. What was the most prevalent, was confusion as to why she was having such a reaction in the first place. As she heard her name being called by one of her employees, she wiped her hands on her apron, straightened her skirt, and rushed back into the dining room. She pushed all thoughts connected to this incident and Diego from her mind.

~~Z~~Z~~Z~~

Later, at the end of the day, as she cleaned the tavern for the night, Victoria considered the events of the past several days. All the information she had gathered regarding this supposed lady love of Diego's was sketchy, to say the least. Thus resulting in knowing nothing about Diego's mystery woman.

Suddenly she stopped wiping a table mid-swipe. Why am I so enthralled in the love life of one Diego de la Vega? What do I care who he is interested in? It is about time he gets married, after all, as any normal caballero his age would do.

Victoria shook her head and continued to wipe off the table, as well as the next two tables as well. She tried to tell herself it was because Diego de la Vega was her best friend, and could be considered naïve in the area of romance. He needed to be protected. What other reason could there be for her interest, after all? But when she realized she was wiping the tables so hard it was practically hurting her hand, she had to stop and ponder her actions.

She suddenly shook her head. Was it more than just fear over the loss of his friendship once he'd gotten married which was troubling her? Diego was always ready with a helping hand, or a shoulder to cry on, or even protection at times. (More so in name only, since he didn't like to fight. But with his broad shoulders and deep voice, he did present a formidable sight to someone looking for trouble. As long as they weren't aware of Diego's passive ways).

Victoria shook her head. It wasn't that she wasn't aware of Diego's positive qualities all these years. It was actually she was very much aware of them, but considered him to be totally out of her reach. Why would a caballero be interested in her? Even one as open-minded as Diego? Of all women he could have, the thought he would choose her? Truly unthinkable.

That was why Zorro was so attractive to her. Not only was he so romantic, and mysterious. He was more…attainable for someone of her station. If she were being honest with herself, which, at the moment she was. For the first time in a long time.

She sat down at a table, her back to the main door, and put her head into her hands while her elbows rested on the table. Her heart actually hurt from the longing to be married once and for all, to have all these issues settled. To have her life settled. Why, oh why, couldn't that happen sooner than later?

In the middle of all this thinking, who should happen to sneak into the tavern but one of the men in her thoughts. Zorro was caught by surprise by the sight of Victoria, sitting alone in her tavern, her shoulders sagging, her body communicating her despair. His heart went out to her as he wondered what had happened to have caused her such pain. Not wanting to scare her, he softly cleared his throat instead.

She startled, but turned around and attempted to give him one of her usual bright smiles but he sensed it was difficult for her. "Oh, Zorro, am I so glad to see you!" However, instead of the smile reaching her eyes, Zorro watched as they filled up with tears.

"Oh, dear, Victoria, what is wrong? Has something happened, my preciosa?"

His question only brought on huge sobs, which wracked her body as he gently pulled her into his arms. He led her to sit down once again on the bench and waited until she stopped crying.

"Victoria, please, tell me what is wrong?"

Looking up into his eyes, Victoria suddenly realized she wanted it to be Diego who was there comforting her, who would take care of her. Thinking of the young caballero, she looked into Zorro's eyes, when she suddenly could only see Diego instead. The same eyes, the same moustache. The same strong chin. Zorro watched as the sadness disappeared from her face, replaced with confusion, then amazement, as suddenly her sobs stopped.

"Diego?" she whispered, as she was unable to clear the vision of her best friend from her eyes. Instead, she could only see Diego wearing the mask in front of her.

Zorro didn't know what to think. Either Victoria had suffered a small stroke and she was hallucinating, or…something happened and she'd realized who was under the mask. By the look in her eye, Zorro knew it was the latter choice. He swallowed deeply and slowly slid his mask off his face.

"How'd you know?" Diego softly asked, heart in his throat as he waited for her reply.

Victoria looked in disbelief, seeing indeed her best friend in front of her, dressed in Zorro's clothes. Suddenly the door opened and Mendoza walked in, saying, "Victoria, has there been a…"

Victoria looked in alarm at Diego, who luckily was able to react quickly and got his mask back on in a matter of moments. He leaped from the bench turning around and asked, "Sargent Mendoza, what seems to be the trouble?"

"Oh, no, not you Zorro! Why are you here tonight? I was looking for a bandit who was supposedly in the pueblo. You haven't seen him, have you? Either of you?"

While Mendoza was preoccupied with his question, Zorro took the moment to run out the back door, avoiding more lancers coming in via the main entrance. As Victoria could only sit there in amazement, she watched Mendoza give the order to follow Zorro. Suddenly everything was just too much, and she began to cry again in huge spasms, letting all the tension and frustration out.

Mendoza ran back through the tavern, not having caught Zorro and wanted to ask Victoria some more questions about the other bandit. He stopped in shock at the sight of the usually strong woman crying so hard.

"Senorita Victoria, oh my, what is the matter? Are you hurt? Did one of my lancers trip and hurt you or something?"

Stopping her sobs in order to answer him, Victoria could only gulp air as she tried to find her voice. Finally she was able to give him an answer, in between struggling for air. "I'm not hurt, Mendoza. I'm just very, very sad."

Mendoza, being a single man, hadn't had much experience with crying women, but suddenly recalled it was a full moon outside. Perhaps it was Victoria's….um…that must be it. A slight blush rose on his cheeks, and Mendoza said, "Um, I'm sorry to hear that, Senorita." Struggling to figure out what to say, he asked, "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"No, Sargent. Thank you." Recalling he had exited the tavern, but had returned, she asked, "Was there something you came back for, Mendoza?"

Startling, Mendoza remembered. "Oh, yes, I'm just wondering if you knew anything about any strangers in town at all."

Victoria shook her head. "No, no. I haven't." For some reason, tears returned to her eyes. Mendoza turned a little darker red and stuttered that he would leave now and he'd see her tomorrow.

As silence returned to her tavern all Victoria could do was remain sitting in her exhaustion, looking around the room at nothing in particular. Her brain remained numb as she attempted to make some possible sense at what all had happened over the course of the past fifteen minutes. It was simply too much for her brain to process.

One thing was for sure. Perhaps Diego, and only Diego, would return tonight to discuss what had happened. It would be the safest thing to do. They then could discuss what they needed to without worrying about the Alcalde. However, Victoria wasn't certain whether she wanted Diego to return tonight.

Perhaps he wouldn't. Either he will decide it was too late to return without causing scandal, or he might decide she needed some time to process everything. Or to cool her anger down, she thought with a wry smile. Because, surely, she should be angry, because, after all, Diego did keep a huge secret from her. Zorro had kept a huge secret from her. How could he do that, in either guise, when he had expressed how much she meant to him? In either guise?

After waiting for an hour, and almost falling asleep three times, Victoria decided to lock up the tavern and go to bed. She needed her rest, and she was sure she'd see Diego tomorrow. She was amazed how she could stop thinking about such a momentous happening, but no doubt she was partly in shock with the discover. Because of her exhaustion, Victoria decided she would allow herself to sleep, and think about it all tomorrow. Which she did.

AN: This started in a certain way, but then it took a total left turn somewhere, and this is what ended up being written. Hmm. Quite a different reveal than the one I originally thought. But interesting I think. Especially with Victoria wishing Diego was there to comfort her. Hope you thought so too, and you'll return for the next chapter. Huge thanks as always for reading and reviewing!