Only one kiss
Disclaimer: This story was written solely for the enjoyment of other Zorro fans and is not intended to infringe on any copyrights held by Goodman/Rosen Productions, New World Television, Zorro Productions, the estate of Johnston McCulley or anyone else.
The vaquero in the tavern demanded another drink after he already had several and Victoria refused.
"Senor, you had already enough. It is better if you leave now," Victoria denied the request with a firm voice.
"Why are you so unfriendly?" the drunken vaquero asked impolitely, restraining her by the arm. "Why don't the two of us have ha little fun?"
"Let me go," Victoria demanded, but the vaquero only laughed. "What will you do if I don't?"
Diego had risen from his chair in her defense. "Let her go!" he demanded angrily.
The vaquero paid him no heed but instead produced a pistol from under the table that he pointed at Victoria.
"You should better keep to you own business, Senor," he addressed Diego. "Now the lady and I will have a little fun."
He began to drag Victoria to the stairs leading to the guest rooms, the pistol pointed between her shoulders the whole time. Victoria was terrified and with wide eyes she looked at Diego who had stopped a few steps before them. The rest of the guest were paralyzed and and only looked at the scene in shock.
"I said let her go!" he repeated in a deep angry voice, but the vaquero continued in the same direction which brought him closer to Diego who was standing by the stairs. The moment they passed by, Diego stepped between Victoria and the pistol. He was fast, but not fast enough to fully distract the shot that loosened from the pistol. He knocked out the man with his right fist when he felt the pain from the shot at his left arm.
The moment it was over, everybody moved to action again. Mendoza quickly came over to manacle the bandit and bring him to prison while he was still unconscious.
"This was marvelous, Don Diego. I never thought you were able to do that," he congratulated him.
"Why did you do that?" Victoria asked still shocked. "You could have been killed if the bullet hadn't missed you." But then she saw the growing red stain on his upper arm.
"You are injured!" she exclaimed. "Let me help you. Remove your shirt and I'll take care of your wound."
Diego tried to ignore the pain in his arm, he knew if others saw the scars on his body it would rise suspicions where a studious man like him got them.
"It is just a scratch. You need not bother about it. Are you alright?" he tried to move the attention away from himself. "I'll go up to one of your rooms and take care of it there."
"Why are you be so demure, Diego?" Victoria asked uncomprehendingly. "But if you insist I will bring you some bandages and something to clean it. You can take the room on the right side of the stairs."
Diego went up to the room where he sat down on the bed relieved to escape the attention of the tavern guests. A few minutes later Victoria arrived with water and alcohol for cleaning and some bandages. Expectantly he waited for her to put down everything and leave again.
"Diego, don't be so coy. Remove your jacket and your shirt and I'll have a look at it. It is the least I can do after you saved my life today. How will you treat yourself with only one arm? I know what to do I have treated my brothers before."
He tried not to move, still waiting for her to leave, but she only stared at him. The pain in his arm made him give in and he sighingly removed his jacket and the left arm of his shirt covering himself as much as possible with the remaining half of his shirt.
"Oh please, Diego! But if you insist," she said annoyed by his shyness.
She looked at him after she had bandaged his arm and couldn't explain why she felt suddenly so attracted to him. Not being able to avert his eyes she wanted to feel his naked skin under her hands and she put her hands on his shoulders under the open shirt. When she kissed him, the world exploded around her. Diego responded to the kiss with a passion she had never expected. Zorro had always restrained himself and kept their kisses short and tender, but Diego was too surprised to hold back giving her the most passionate kiss she had ever received. His muscles felt so good under her touch and the way he explored her mouth left her breathless.
When they drew apart she was stunned by his passion and his suddenly revealed love.
"Oh Diego, why didn't you ever say something?" she whispered. She wanted to say that she hadn't wanted it, but it would be a lie.
But she was in love with Zorro, how could she want Diego at the same time? Confused by her conflicting emotions she turned around and ran out of the door into her room locking the door behind her.
Some minutes later she heard Diego's soft knock at the door, but she ignored it and didn't open to the repeated knocking.
In the evening Zorro came to visit her as she had expected it, but how could she look him in the eyes after she had betrayed him today by kissing another man? She loved him but she couldn't ignore her feelings for Diego either. She loved Zorro, but she wanted Diego as well. When he reached out for her with his hand she didn't rush into his arms as she used to but turned away from him instead.
"Please go, Zorro. I need to be alone tonight."
Zorro was shocked. It was the first time she was sending him away.
"Is something wrong, Querida? Are you angry at me because I wasn't there for you when you were attacked? Tell me what bothers you."
"No, Zorro, I'm not angry at you and I don't want to talk about it. Just leave me alone. It was an eventful day and I need to rest," she said impatiently.
Zorro knew her well enough that when she wasn't in the mood for talking she wouldn't change her mind about it.
"Sleep well then," the hurt by her behavior audible in his voice he turned around and left as quietly as he had come.
Instead of sleeping she threw herself on the bed crying in her pillow. Why had she made such a mess out of her life? It had been only one kiss that had turned everything upside down. She never knew Diego had such feelings for her. Who would have thought he would kiss her so passionately, showing her how much he wanted her and she wanted him the same. Now she knew she was the woman he loved for so long who was in love with another man.
When she saw Diego the next day in the tavern, she felt the tension between them. The easy friendship she had taken for granted had vanished, now that she knew what he had hidden all these years from her. Diego tried to talk to her in private, but she avoided him as much as possible by making sure she wasn't alone in his company for a single moment until he gave up his efforts having understood the message.
Alejandro soon realized that something was amiss between the two of them and asked Diego if they had a quarrel.
"No, Father, we didn't have a quarrel." It was the truth, since kissing each other couldn't exactly be defined as having a quarrel.
"What else has happened then?" Alejandro inquired. "You saved her life with this foolish act and now she doesn't want to talk to you?"
"Father, I don't want to talk about it." Diego continued drinking slowly his lemonade making clear he wouldn't provide further information about the matter.
Annoyed Alejandro went to the kitchen to talk to Victoria. Victoria was in deep thoughts and hadn't heard him enter. Surprised she dropped the dishes she was carrying when he addressed her.
"Victoria, I'm sorry I startled you. I wanted to know what is wrong between you and Diego. Has he somehow behaved improperly towards you?"
"No Alejandro, it's not Diego's fault, he has done nothing wrong. But if you excuse me, I have to clean up this mess and my customers are waiting to be served."
Frustrated by this insufficient answer Alejandro retreated to the main room again.
Not only Alejandro was frustrated by Victoria's behavior. Diego knew he needed to talk to Victoria but as long as she eluded him there wasn't a chance.
The next time Zorro came to town she turned around evading eye contact with him and retreated to the tavern until he was gone. She was still too ashamed of herself to face Zorro again.
This was welcome fodder for the local gossip. Not only did the tavern owner have a quarrel with her best friend Diego, she was also cross with Zorro.
Diego didn't know what to do. Victoria's behavior was a puzzle to him. He could understand that their friendship had changed now that his true feelings were revealed, but why she didn't talk to Zorro either?
Or had she found out that he was Zorro and was angry with both sides of him for deceiving her?
When he had visited her as Zorro on the day of the attack he had wanted to remove his mask and reveal his identity to her, but her refusal to talk to him had made it impossible.
His mood deteriorated with every day this was going on, until Alejandro couldn't bear it any longer. His son who was normally quiet and well-tempered showed his mood by either getting easily angered or brooding to himself.
"Diego, I don't know what kind of problem you and Victoria have, but you should work it out by talking to each other. Victoria is snapping at her customers and won't soon have any left if she continues like that and you are hardly to bear either. I have invited her over to dinner tonight. First she refused and only after I told her you wouldn't be here, did she agree to come. Tell me Diego, what have you done to her that she suddenly avoids you at all costs?"
When Diego remained silent, he got angry again.
"Aargh, just keep your secrets to yourself, but work it out tonight." Annoyed he waved with his gloves and strode agitated out of the room.
Victoria was surprised when she saw Diego standing in the the library at her arrival.
"You must apologize my lie, Victoria," Alejandro said. "It was my idea to lure you here by telling you that Diego wouldn't be here tonight. He didn't know anything about it until I told him an hour ago. What kind of problems you have, you should talk about it. Why don't you go outside to the garden, there you'll be undisturbed and nobody will hear your yelling," he glanced at Victoria who started to blush, "or talking or whatever you have to do. But don't take too long, dinner will soon be ready."
Nervously avoiding Diego's eyes she let him lead her to the garden until they were out of hearing distance.
"My father is right, Victoria, we have to talk about last week."
"Please Diego, can't we simply forget what has happened? It was only a kiss and I don't know what came over me that made me kiss you. I never wanted it."
"Don't lie to me and yourself, Victoria. You can't deny that we both wanted it."
"But can't you understand, Diego, I'm in love with Zorro and I can't betray him with you. I feel so bad about it." Victoria started to cry.
"Don't cry, Victoria, everything will be alright, just trust me."
"How can you say that, Diego. I don't want to lose Zorro because of you and I don't want to lose you either."
"Close your eyes please, Victoria," he said with a low voice that sounded much deeper now.
Unable to resist him she did as he asked. Slowly he took her in his arms, holding her as he had done so often as Zorro and gave her one of the tender kisses like the ones he had given her as Zorro. She immediately recognized the familiar touch and responded by throwing her arms around his neck. Slowly he intensified his kiss until they were kissing as passionately as the day she kissed him as Diego. Only then did she realize what was happening. Surprised she opened her eyes and looked at Diego.
"You are Zorro! And I thought I was going crazy because I felt so attracted to you, Diego, but you are one and the same! Why didn't you tell me?"
"I had wanted to tell you the truth that night when I came to you as Zorro but you didn't give me the chance to talk to you."
"I'm sorry, Diego, but I was so confused. I wanted Zorro's love, but at the same time I wanted the passion you gave me as Diego and I didn't know what to do."
"It's alright, Victoria. I love you and I want you. I will give you any kind of kisses you want, if you still want to marry me?" She didn't need any further invitation to throw herself wholeheartedly into his embrace.
They were both out of breath when they finally drew apart again. They just wanted to start all over again, but were interrupted by Alejandro who was calling them for dinner.
Alejandro had expected to interrupt them in an argument and not to see them so passionately entangled.
"Arrmph," he cleared his throat loudly audible. "Can you please explain to me what is going on here? Diego? Victoria?"
"Father, I think you can congratulate us. Victoria has agreed to marry me." He laid his arm around Victoria's waist who smiled happily at him.
"And what about Zorro?"
"What explanation do you want to hear? The one for the alcalde or the real one?" Diego prompted.
"Why are there different ones?" Alejandro asked uncomprehendingly.
"The real one is that I'm Zorro and the official one will be.." Diego didn't finish the sentence.
"That I'm tired of waiting for Zorro and that I found out how much Diego means to me after he saved my life last week which is the truth." Victoria continued smiling.
It took Alejandro a while to overcome the shock of this sudden revelation, but then he learned a lot that evening about his son who had to answer many questions from both his father and Victoria. But when he asked them why they had this sudden change of heart after all these years Victoria told him that it was only one kiss that changed everything. He didn't understand because Diego and Victoria only looked at each other lost in their own world where only their love counted and the marriage three weeks later didn't come to soon for them.