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 Warning: This story is unfinished at about 18000 words, and might remain that way for awhile. It's at a good stopping point, however, covering the reveal and conversations. When I find the time, I hope to add the courtship, a villain and marriage. Feedback is encouraged because I'm still not super confident on this story (though I love the final scene I've written so far).

**Edited 12/25/2013** I will eventually finish this fic. School is harder than anticipated, so it might be awhile. I had no idea I started this story so long ago, and I am sorry. I hope you enjoy the other stories I have here and the new stuff I write while I finish this story. Since it's at a stopping point, I won't add till I have the entire thing finished.***

Thanks to Marla for beta-ing this forever ago.

Summary: A new spin on A New Lease on Love. I changed dialogue and some events. Victoria is also pretty dense about Diego's feelings towards her, like she is in the show. I hope you like it.

zzz

Diego tugged at his tie and swatted at the annoying ruffles on the front of his shirt as he stared at himself in the full-length mirror. He was attending another wedding today…a wedding not his own. His birthday was coming up in two months. Victoria's birthday was in four months. He was tired of being alone.

"Diego, are you ready yet? We're going to be late!" Alejandro rushed into Diego's room looking harried. "Good grief, son, you act like a woman. You look fine, let's go!"

"Father, I'm going to invite Victoria to dinner tomorrow night." Diego flicked an invisible piece of lint off his shoulder as he straightened his jacket, still focused on the mirror.

Alejandro paused, turned back to Diego and leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. Curious at his father's odd look, Diego turned to his father and looked down at himself to see if the mirror was hiding something from him. "What?"

"Victoria Escalante?"

"How many Victorias do you know? Why are you staring at me like that? I thought you were in a hurry. Let's go." Diego walked past his father, not in the mood to discuss his sudden interest in having a woman to dinner. He hadn't thought it through yet. If he courted Victoria himself, he'd be asking her to choose between Diego and Zorro. When she found out he was Zorro, she would hate him. Something had to change, though, and he didn't want to wait much longer.

It turned out Victoria was later than the De la Vegas. He didn't mind, since it prompted her to ask to sit with them. When his father had indicated the seat on his other side, Diego had glared. Alejandro had gotten the message and made room for Victoria to sit next to Diego, grinning behind Victoria's back.

So, she liked Diego enough to sit with him in church. He thought she considered him a good friend. She also probably thought he was vain and selfish. After the wedding, he'd invite her to dinner. They'd talk more at the reception tonight, maybe dance a little. Surely by now she must be as impatient as he was to marry and start a family?

Before Diego could extend the invite after the happy couple left, however, Doña Maria leaned forward between them.

"It's time you got married." The old woman apparently read minds, and Diego was afraid his expression of shock might offend Victoria. "Oh, not to each other, of course. That would be ridiculous!" Both women were oblivious to the scowl Diego shot the matchmaker.

"You, Diego, you're a lost cause. You don't have a romantic bone in your body. But you, Victoria, you should find a good husband and have little ones."

The conversation paused as Alejandro moved to leave, but Diego waved for his father to walk around him and remained seated.

Doña Maria sure enough poked her nose back in where it wasn't wanted. "Let's face it, Victoria. Zorro's not the marrying kind. Champions of liberty have never been good providers, and the pay is dreadful."

Diego's eyes narrowed at the interfering woman, but then he raised an eyebrow at Victoria. It couldn't hurt to get her to think of giving up on Zorro. "I have to agree with her there," Diego shrugged one shoulder at Victoria, and then he turned to face Doña Maria, "but I'm not a lost cause! I can be romantic, and I could get married whenever I want!" Diego bit his tongue and hoped he didn't sound like a child.

Diego crossed his arms as he gave each woman a stern look. He didn't want the matchmaker setting Victoria up with men just when he was planning to do something about her marital state himself, and he didn't want her telling Victoria that he wasn't romantic.

"Diego?" Victoria looked confused. "You want to get married?" Victoria wasn't sure why that made her sad.

"Doesn't every man want to get married?" Diego didn't know what to make of Victoria's expression. "Maybe I'm just waiting for the right woman. You should only marry the one person you can't live without. You wake up in the morning and can't wait to see them; you fall asleep dreaming about seeing them again. When you never quite feel like a whole person if they're not beside you. Everything you do…anything that happens…if they're not there, you can't wait to tell them about it. Someone you know is the perfect match for you."

Diego's eyes were hot when he spoke to Victoria, but icy when he turned to Doña Maria. "You shouldn't get married because some interfering woman says you should have children." Doña Maria sat back with a huff, but Victoria felt her skin come alive at Diego's words.

"Have you found someone like that?" Diego hesitated a moment before nodding.

"But what if I never know him?" Her look was sad for a moment, but then she shook her head confidently and glared back at Maria. "I love Zorro. And I don't need a man's money."

She stared at her hands where they fidgeted in her lap. "I don't understand why he won't tell me his name. I want a family. I want to share my life with him…like you said. Maybe… Doña Maria's right…maybe he doesn't think he has enough to offer. He's wonderful with children, there's plenty of room at the tavern. I could teach him to cook, but he wouldn't have to do much. I love what I do, he doesn't have to take care of me. But we can't get married if I don't know who he is."

Diego sighed and stood, the conversation giving him a headache. He would laugh if his chest didn't hurt so much. Did she ever think about the real man behind the mask? She thought he was homeless? How did she know he was good with children when he didn't know that himself? Was she just in love with some perfect hero, someone to kiss her hand occasionally but not mess up her independent life? He knew what he wanted. Did Victoria? How could she? Victoria didn't know the real Diego at all. He was already busy, had too many responsibilities. He wanted a partner. He wanted a family, but knew…no, he wanted his life to change. He needed her to want that, too. Victoria did love her tavern. She had to love him more.

Right now, it sounded like Zorro was the only man in the village to her, even though Diego was sitting right there. Any marriage meant compromise, but their marriage would also have a deep layer of danger hidden beneath the surface. Victoria made it sound like all he had to do was tell her his name and they'd live happily ever after. He wanted the happily ever after, but they couldn't get it if she expected him to be perfect.

He waved at his father at the door, no longer looking at her. "I want to get married. But, maybe I'm waiting, too." It also wasn't fair for him to push her into a marriage she'd resent. He needed to be patient, to give her time. "Waiting for her to give up on the man she cannot have and see the man who'd do anything for her." He gave her one final look before following his father out of the church. He had a lot of thinking to do.

Victoria felt chills race up her back at the love she heard in his voice. The matchmaker was wrong. Whomever Diego chose as a wife would be a lucky woman. She might even be jealous of this mystery woman. Diego was way out of her league, but he was a nice man. Not the man for her, but it would be something to be loved like that.

Victoria became lost in her thoughts and was unaware she was the last one in the church.

"Victoria?" She turned to the padre after she watched Diego and his father walk out of sight. "You seem troubled."

Victoria sat back in the pew. She was most definitely troubled. "I need your counsel, Padre. There is no one else I can turn to. It has to do with a problem of the heart."

"How can I help?" Padre Benitez said as he took the seat next to her.

"I am basically without family, and I so much want to have a family of my own."

"To have a family requires a husband, but you still wait for Zorro."

Padre Benitez waited patiently while Victoria stared at the front of the church. "I understand his secret protects the people of the pueblo, but would it be so bad to tell me his real name?" Benitez continued to be silent as Victoria fidgeted a bit before turning to face him. "My birthday is in four months. That will be the third birthday I've spent without the one thing I want."

Padre waited to see if she had more to say, but she just looked at her hands. "What is the one thing you want?"

"I want to get married, isn't that what I said?"

Padre Benitez had seen Diego watch Victoria since he'd arrived in the pueblo. Diego had talked of Victoria often in his letters, and when Benitez had arrived at the mission, he was surprised they weren't already betrothed. Padre Benitez had waited two years to do the one thing he wanted… to marry his friend Diego to the woman he loved. Patience and waiting for God's will wasn't always easy. He wasn't sure if he could give Victoria unbiased advice.

Zorro had saved his life, had taken good care of the people of Los Angeles. Benitez didn't think he was good enough for Victoria, though. If the man loved her, he would have come forward by now. In his eyes, Diego and Victoria made a perfect couple, complementing each other. Victoria was the social leader of the pueblo and Diego was the brains. He thought Victoria was a smart woman and would enjoy hearing about things Diego studied. He also thought Diego could be quite charming and eloquent when he wanted, and didn't understand why he didn't pursue Victoria if he loved her so much.

Padre Benitez looked lost in thought until Victoria thought he wasn't going to say anything. "Is your heart so set on Zorro?"

"You don't think I should wait for him? He's so important to the people. He deserves a family, too."

"Is that why you love him? Because he fights for the people? Is it your duty to love him as it is his to protect the people?" Benitez asked in disbelief.

Victoria shook her head sharply, but stopped mid-shake. "No, I love him. It's not a duty." Victoria's voice lacked conviction now.

"You're on your own. God did not intend for you to be alone, especially in this new world. He meant for you to share your life with someone. Have children. If you want that and Zorro doesn't, maybe it's not meant to be."

Benitez felt bad when he saw tears come to her eyes and he took both her hands in his. "Victoria, you have so much love to give. There is someone here God meant for you to marry. He's planned it perfectly. If you open your eyes, maybe you will see someone else. Someone who wants the same thing as you…a home and a family." That sounded unbiased, didn't it? "I'm not saying give up on Zorro, but you must also follow your heart. Waiting to get married shouldn't feel like a duty. Zorro is only part of a man. You must find someone you can love completely."

"Diego said you should marry the one person you cannot live without."

"Diego said that?" Benitez's smile broke through before he could hide it, but he covered his mouth quickly. Maybe Diego had gotten tired of waiting, too. Victoria looked so sad; he wanted to help at the same time he didn't want to cause trouble. If Zorro grew jealous of Diego…He didn't want to get Diego killed. Zorro didn't kill, but any man can be driven to desperation when it came to jealousy. Would Zorro leave if Victoria was no longer available? Matters of the heart were complicated indeed.

"The person you cannot live without," Benitez repeated. "You live your life without Zorro already. So does he, because he's only around when there is trouble. Find someone who makes every day brighter for you, Victoria. Not someone you're grateful to or who you feel obligated to."

"No one else has—"

"Victoria…" Padre Benitez leaned forward, still holding her hands tightly, looked into her eyes. "You know that's not true."

"You don't even know what I was going to say."

Padre Benitez sat back and released her hands. "Victoria, you're a smart woman." Victoria gaped as the padre got up and walked away. Weren't they talking? What did he mean?

Zzz

Victoria blinked as she stepped into the waning sunlight outside the church and tried to calm her thoughts. Was she really considering giving up on Zorro? Quickly catching up to the crowd, she found herself looking for Diego. He was her friend. If he'd found someone to love as he described, and was waiting as she was, maybe he had some advice for her. She found Alejandro holding what appeared to be Diego's jacket.

"Don Alejandro?" Alejandro turned and greeted her, and held up the jacket when he saw her curiosity. "Where's Don Diego?"

"I have no idea what goes through that man's head sometimes. He handed me his jacket and said he was going to walk home."

Victoria turned to look down the road, and sure enough, she saw Diego walking slowly away from the pueblo. "But that's two miles!"

Alejandro held his hands up, innocent. "That's what I said."

"He's not going to the party?"

"I would say he probably wanted to go to bed early, but then why is he walking home?" Alejandro looked after his confusing son.

"But it will be dark before he gets home," Victoria worried as she watched the sun setting.

Alejandro shrugged and started walking with her toward her tavern. "So are you coming tomorrow?"

"What?"

Alejandro glanced over at Victoria then back at his son. Did he not ask her? Well, if Diego had chickened out, tough. The boy needed a wife, and Diego wasn't here so he didn't get a choice. "Diego said he was going to ask if you wanted to have dinner at the hacienda tomorrow night."

Victoria stopped and Alejandro looked back at her. "Something wrong?"

"He was?" Alejandro nodded as Victoria turned to look after Diego. "He didn't ask."

Alejandro shrugged. "Alright, I'll ask you. Come to dinner tomorrow. Take the night off. It'll be fun."

Victoria looked back at the road where Diego was fading out of sight. "I'd love to." Victoria had wanted to ask Diego's advice. He spoke so passionately about love. He would be able to tell her what to do. But considering Alejandro's invitation, she thought back on what Diego had said. When his old fiancé from Madrid was here, he'd also said he was in love with someone who loved another. Surely, that couldn't be her. He never paid her much attention.

As soon as she thought it, she knew that wasn't true.

But Diego de la Vega! Sure, people thought he was hopeless, but that didn't stop fathers from trying to win him for their daughters. Victoria looked down at her rough hands. She'd neglected to put lotion on again last night. She worked for a living. Diego didn't have to work a day in his life if he didn't want to. She frowned as she picked at a rough nail. He sure didn't work much, because he was in the tavern all the time.

That didn't mean anything, though.

She didn't even know what Zorro's hands looked like. Victoria sniffed back tears. She didn't know if she could give up on her hero, but there would be time to think later. Now, she was going to enjoy the party. She wasn't going to think about how Zorro wouldn't be there to spend time with her. She ignored the disappointment she felt when her friend wouldn't be there for her, either.

Zzz

Author's Note: Seems even though I'm buried under brain chemistry, I am still addicted to reviews. The only difference is now I am trying to understand the pathways to addiction, but I don't have time to write and I miss you guys. I hope you like this start. I'll post some more next week after exams or something. Lots of talking, I want to try to make sure it all makes sense. If you enjoyed, please review.