This is an AU story following the events of the episode Broken Heart, Broken Mask. Some of the opening dialogue is taken from the episode which was written by Eugene Pressman. There are lines here and there from other episodes, probably too many to name.
A Price To Pay
Prologue
Diego de la Vega stood in front of the fireplace in the library, a length of black silk in his hands. He stared at the flames for a long time before he held up the piece of silk, two eye holes clearly visible. If you die, Victoria, Zorro will die with you. His own words came back to haunt him. Perhaps Zorro should die regardless, he thought bitterly. How much had he given up in his quest for justice? The respect of his father, Victoria's love, a family of his own. How much more would he have to sacrifice before justice was won? A wave of guilt came over him as he looked at the silk mask, and for a moment he thought he might be sick. With some disgust, he tossed it into the fire, watching as the flames licked at the edges before finally catching in a quick burst. Within moments, nothing of the mask remained and Diego stalked from the room.
Week One, Day One
Victoria could hear the soft, rhythmic ticking of a clock as she struggled back to consciousness. Her eyes fluttered open and for a moment she did not know where she was. She put a hand to her fuzzy head, trying to clear it enough to take in her situation. The pristine, white walls were not her room at the tavern. She took stock of her surroundings, surprised when her gaze fell on Diego, slumped in a chair next to her bed, sleeping. She blinked and looked around again, realizing she was at the de la Vega hacienda. Yes, she was remembering now. She had been in front of the tavern, saying goodbye to Zorro, when she saw Bishop taking aim at her masked man's back. She remembered the sharp, searing pain in her side as she yelled a warning at Zorro, pushing him out of the way. And she remembered the lancers emerging from the cuartel, the alcalde calling for them to arrest Zorro, who had been reluctant to leave her side.
"Diego," she said, her voice coming out as nothing more than a squeak. She tried to swallow against the cottony dryness in her mouth and tried again. "Diego."
Diego's eyes came open with a start, and for a moment, he sat staring at her, not believing she was finally awake after all this time. When he was sure he was not dreaming, he dropped onto his knees next to the bed and grasped her hand.
"Victoria, you're alive." Diego said in relief.
"How long have I been here?"
"A week." The worst week of my life, Diego added to himself.
"And Zorro?" she asked, still struggling to remember.
"He escaped," he swallowed past the lump that formed in his throat. "We brought you here. He hasn't been seen since."
"What? Why?"
"When the bullet hit you instead of…him, he knew he could no longer endanger innocent people."
Victoria's brow narrowed as his words sunk in. "One bullet is a small price to pay for Zorro."
"It's a very big price to pay, Victoria. You almost died."
"But Zorro-"
"Zorro is only a part of our past now."
Victoria was surprised by the conviction in Diego's voice, and wondered how he could speak so confidently for Zorro. She was about to ask when Felipe rushed in carrying Don Alejandro's pistol case. He held it up to show that it was empty.
Diego rose and eyed the empty case for a moment. "My father's dueling pistols."
Felipe nodded, and began to sign frantically. Victoria was unable to follow, but obviously Diego did. Color began to rise in the caballero's neck.
"He went to the pueblo to face Bishop?" Diego asked in surprise.
Felipe nodded.
"Surely Zorro would not abandoned Don Alejandro," Victoria said.
Diego didn't respond, but Felipe saw his jaw clench.
"Rest, Victoria," Diego said through clenched teeth. "I'm going after my father."
"Be careful, Diego," she called after him as he rushed from the room, Felipe on his heels.
Once they were out of Victoria's sight, Felipe grabbed Diego's arm and signed a 'Z' in the air.
Diego shook his head and pulled his arm free. "No," was all he said as he rushed through the hacienda and out the front door. Felipe was left behind in stunned silence.
ZZZ
Diego arrived in the pueblo to a small crowd gathered in the plaza. Low murmurs started when he arrived, but he ignored them, his eyes scanning for his father, who was nowhere to be found. His horse slid to a stop and Diego leapt from the saddle, frantically looking for his father.
Don Emilio stepped out of the crowd and approached Diego with caution. "Diego, I'm so sorry-"
"Where is my father?" Diego interrupted.
Don Emilio looked to the crowd for support, but people were all the sudden moving away, not wanting to witness what was to come. He looked down at his own shoes.
"Where is he?" Diego roared, causing those that were left to look at Diego in surprise. They were not used to such outbursts from the mild mannered man.
"Dr. Hernandez's office," Don Emilio admitted quietly. "But Diego-"
Diego didn't wait to hear the rest, a chill settling over his heart as he ran to the edge of town where the doctor had a small office. It was in the back of the same building that held The Guardian office, and Diego rushed around to the back, bursting through the doctor's door. What he saw stopped him in his tracks.
The doctor was just pulling a sheet over his father, a stunned Sergeant Mendoza looking on, his hat held firmly in the crook of his arm. When he turned to Diego, there were tears in his eyes.
"Diego, I'm so sorry," Mendoza said, echoing the words of Don Emilio.
Diego stood frozen as he stared at the covered form of his father. The chill he had felt forming over his heart was slowly being eaten away by rage. His fists clenched.
"Bishop?" Diego asked through clenched teeth. His eyes were still glued to his father's still form.
Mendoza shot a look at Dr. Hernandez before he answered. "Si, Don Diego, but the alcalde-"
"To hell with the alcalde," Diego whispered harshly. "Where is Bishop?" he demanded in a stronger voice.
Dr. Hernandez came around the table, blocking Diego's view of his dead father. "Diego, don't do anything foolish. It won't bring your father back."
Diego's eyes came up to the doctor, but then shifted to Mendoza. The sergeant had never seen Diego so angry.
"Where is he?"
"Don Diego-"
Without waiting for a response, Diego spun around and left the office, roughly pushing Mendoza out of his way. Mendoza and Dr. Hernandez shared a shocked look before Mendoza hurried out the door after his friend.
Diego didn't have to look very hard for Bishop. He was standing in the plaza, speaking with the alcalde. He had obviously been alerted to Diego's arrival, and turned to wait for the young don as Diego strode angrily across the plaza. There was a smile playing at Bishop's lips.
When Diego was close enough to hear, Bishop gave a mocking laugh. "Well, look who is here, alcalde. The pup has finally come to defend his father. A little late, however."
Diego didn't even spare the alcalde a look as he lunged for Bishop, his right hand shooting out in a punch that found its mark, sending Bishop reeling backwards. He followed it up with a left that put Bishop on the ground on his backside.
"Get up, you coward," Diego yelled at the downed man.
"Who are you calling a coward?" Bishop said as he regained his feet.
"You are a cheat and a coward. You cheated and killed a distraught man in Don Carlos, tried to shoot Zorro in the back instead hitting a defenseless woman, and you goaded my father into a duel. Let's just see how you fair against someone besides old men and women." Diego threw another punch and Bishop tried to duck, but Diego saw the move coming and adjusted his swing enough to catch the big man a glancing blow. With two more quick jabs, he once again had Bishop on the ground.
"De la Vega, what do you think you are doing?" the alcalde asked, but Diego ignored him, instead moving after Bishop. He pulled the other man to his feet by the collar, only to send him flying backwards once again with another punch.
"Lancers, arrest de le Vega!" the alcalde yelled. A crowd was beginning to form on the tavern steps and in front of the church, astounded by the anger being displayed by the normally docile Diego. Two lancers immediately came forward, muskets ready, but Diego was busy with Bishop and paid them no attention.
With a cry of rage, Bishop got back to his feet and swung on Diego, who easily ducked the blow, popping back up with a swing of his own, sending the bigger man back to the ground.
The lancers hesitated, unsure if they wanted to get in the middle of the fight. "I said arrest him!" Ramon bellowed. One of the lancers took a better grip on his musket and approached Diego from behind. Diego had eyes only for Bishop and didn't see the lancer's approach.
The musket connected with Diego's head with a sharp crack. Diego fell to his knees, trying to shake his head to clear it. It was all the opening Bishop needed. He jumped back to his feet, landing a heavy kick to Diego's ribs, who collapsed under the blow. Bishop followed up with two more kicks, but the last one, Diego caught, pulling the other man off balance. He tried to scramble to his feet, his head swimming, but was felled once again by the lancer's musket. This time he collapsed to the ground and did not move.
The lancer was about to land another blow when Mendoza stepped in. "That's enough, lancer!"
Bishop got to his feet once again, landing another kick to Diego's ribs and a withering glance from the sergeant. "He attacked me!" he said pointing down at the semi-conscious Diego as blood dripped from his nose. "He should be arrested."
"As he will be," Ramon said. "Mendoza, take him to the cuartel."
"But alcalde, Don Diego was just upset about his father," Mendoza protested.
"I don't care, Mendoza. He attacked a leading citizen of the pueblo and he is to be arrested."
"Leading citizen?" Mendoza scoffed, earning him a sharp look from the gambler. Mendoza flinched but looked to the alcalde, his eyes clearly saying that Bishop had been nothing but trouble since coming to Los Angeles.
"Now, Mendoza!" was the alcalde's angry response.
With a shake of his head, Mendoza instructed the lancers to help Diego up and followed behind as they half-dragged the caballero to the jail. Mendoza shot a questioning look back at the alcalde and was disgusted by the slow smile he witnessed crossing the alcalde's face.
Murmurs raced through the gathered crowd as the alcalde led Bishop toward his office. Once inside, Bishop rounded on the official.
"He attacked me, alcalde, I demand satisfaction."
"Oh, I'll do better than that, my friend. How would you like…say fifteen minutes alone with de la Vega in his cell?"
Bishop gave him a questioning look. "Why would you do that?"
"The de la Vega's have been a thorn in my side for far too long. You've solved one of my de la Vega problems, and I am offering you the chance to solve the second one for me as well."
Bishop hesitated.
"Or perhaps you would like to be arrested for public dueling instead?" the alcalde said.
"No, alcalde, I don't think I would like that at all," Bishop said slowly. "Perhaps if we were left alone, with a lancer or two, of course, de la Vega and I could work through our little problem."
"I'm sure you could," Ramon said slowly. "Wait here while I…focus the sergeant's attention elsewhere. I will give you fifteen minutes, no more, so make them count."
Bishop wiped a trace of blood from his lip. "Oh, rest assured I will."
With a smile, Luis Ramon strode through the door leading to the cells, calling for Mendoza, who was keeping careful watch over Diego. The caballero was struggling to sit up, one hand on his sore ribs, the other on the back of his head.
Bishop watched through the barred window as Ramon led Mendoza out of the cells, motioning for the two lancers to stay behind. As soon as the alcalde and Mendoza were out of sight, Bishop stepped through the door and smiled at the two lancers that were waiting.
"Hold him," he said as he rubbed his knuckles.
The lancers glanced at each other, but shrugged and moved to obey, leaving their muskets propped against the wall outside of the cell.
Diego had risen unsteadily to his feet as soon as he heard Bishop speak and stood waiting for the lancers to enter his cell. He knew his only chance would be to get the lancers out of the way first. If he could get Bishop into a one-on-one fight, Diego knew he would prevail.
The moment the cautious lancers entered the cell, Diego lunged, grabbing both men by their collars and yanking them together so that their heads collided with a hollow sounding thud. Both sank to their knees, stunned. Bishop however had been expecting a move like that from Diego and rushed into the small cell, his fist connecting with Diego's jaw and sending the caballero backwards onto the bunk. Bishop quickly followed Diego, who lashed out with a boot, catching the gambler in the mid-section. Diego quickly scrambled off the bunk, trying for the door of the cell, wanting more room to maneuver, but also eyeing the muskets.
His hope died as he felt one of the lancers grab at his leg, slowing him down. A rough hand grabbed the back of his collar soon after and he felt the fabric tear as he was flung backwards against the wall, a flash of pain running up his already sore ribs as his back impacted the rough adobe wall. He managed to duck under a punch by Bishop, hearing the fist impact the wall, followed by a grunt of pain. He quickly pushed away the small amount of satisfaction he felt, knowing he was still in a great deal of danger.
Diego once again made a dash for the cell door, but this time one of the lancers was on his feet and blocking Diego's path. He grabbed the uniformed man by the arm, twisting it around to the lancers back awkwardly, ignoring the lancer's yelp of pain and sharp crack of bones breaking. He turned to locate Bishop, but turned right into a punch that sent him sprawling backward. He felt a hand grab him by the hair, pulling his head back, then forward forcefully into the bars. Diego's legs went weak as blackness encroached on his vision. He was tossed backwards, into the opposite bars, and another flame of pain ate at him. Blood trickled into his right eye and further impeded his vision. He saw a blur coming toward him and did not know if it was Bishop or a lancer, but kicked out with a foot, hitting what felt like a knee. Another, larger, blur moved toward him and Diego brought his own knee up, hoping to connect with a groin or mid-section, but was disappointed when he impacted a muscular thigh and heard only an annoyed grunt.
Once more a hand grabbed Diego by the hair and forced his face into the bars, and this time Diego's knees gave out as he collapsed to the floor. He felt the sticky warmth of blood running down his face, but knew it didn't matter anymore. He let the darkness take him as blows rained down on him, his last conscious thought was I'm sorry, Father.
ZZZ
At the end of the fifteen minutes, Bishop stood over the motionless caballero with a grim smile. He wiped a trickle of his own blood off his face as he looked down at Diego's still form. With an angry grunt, he stomped on the cabellero's outstretched hand, wondering if he was imagining he felt the bones snap beneath his boot. With that, he turned on his heal and strode from the cell, ignoring the two lancers that were also sprawled on the floor.