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 Note: I know, another story before I finished the others. But this story is finished, I promise. Flames of Passion is stuck. I knew exactly how I wanted to finish it, but wrote it out and I absolutely hate it and it's giving me grief. So since I had this one sitting here I thought I'd post a chapter to see if anybody liked it.

Setting: Originally started from the conversation in the hacienda when DeSoto first arrived. Then I realized no one hated DeSoto yet…after writing 4000 words or so. That's left some of it awkward I think, but hopefully I updated everything. So it's set after DeSoto has been causing trouble for awhile.

Diego waved Sergeant Mendoza over to sit with him and Felipe when he saw the man enter the tavern. Mendoza smiled at the thought of a free meal with good company. "So what have you been up to this morning?" Diego greeted him.

"You know we found Hernando Perez this morning? He's the one who's been robbing travelers on the road. I never would have thought Hernando would do such a thing. He's so young," Mendoza said sadly.

"Yes, it is curious. But many people are finding times hard. Especially the way the alcalde is always thinking up new ways to take money from the people," Diego observed.

Mendoza looked around the tavern and leaned over to say something privately to Diego, but they were interrupted when Senorita Escalante walked up to the table. "Why so sad, Sergeant?"

Mendoza smiled up at her, but his words were serious. "I just put Hernando Perez in jail."

"What? Why?"

"Zorro caught him last night. He has been robbing people." Mendoza took a deep drink of the tea Victoria had brought him.

Victoria set the pitcher down hard on the table and the three men jumped. "The alcalde has gone too far. Hernando is just a boy. But when the alcalde steals their farm on a technicality, what is he supposed to do?"

"Well, I wrote to the governor last week about this sales tax the alcalde has invented. Maybe we will see a change soon." Diego suggested hopefully.

Victoria smirked at Diego. "Letters. What are letters going to do? No one cares about us."

Diego sighed. "You're saying Zorro is the only one who can change things, I guess?"

Victoria blushed. "Well, he is the only one around here who seems to do anything about the alcalde." Diego grimaced and clenched his hands beneath the table.

"But Zorro cannot fix everything," Mendoza defended Diego. "Diego's letters and papers help many people. The alcalde was very mad last month when you helped the Castellano's with that contract," Mendoza pointed at Diego accusingly.

Victoria looked at Diego in surprise, but Diego acted like Mendoza hadn't spoken. "And what if we do win? If we get a new alcalde, and tyranny and injustice become things of the past in Los Angeles. What will Zorro do then?"

"Then Zorro will keep his promise to me," Victoria replied confidently, glowing at the idea of Zorro being free.

"Will you still love him once he's no longer the dashing hero in a mask, but just an ordinary fellow…like me?" Diego asked.

"Diego, Zorro could never be ordinary, even without his mask."

"Oh, so you know what he's like without his mask, then? Who he is when he's not surrounded by lancers?"

Victoria looked flustered. "Well, no. But…" Victoria thought about what Diego said for a moment. Really, what did she know about him? "Oh, Diego, you're right. I don't know anything about him."

She looked so concerned, Diego was quick to reassure her. "I didn't mean anything by it, I'm sure everything will be fine. You probably already know him."

"Diego, do you…" She hesitated. "You don't really think we know him, do you? The man behind the mask?"

She looked so horrified at the thought, Diego winced inside. He had to do something or she'd never forgive him once she found out.

"Would that be so bad? He might be your friend already." He smiled, encouraging her to like the idea.

"But that would mean he'd been lying to me!"

"Lying to you? I thought you understood why he kept his identity secret," Diego said weakly, barely able to breathe.

"No." Victoria recovered from the idea. "Zorro would not do that to me. If he were my friend, that would mean he'd know who I was, could visit me, and at the same time I'd be worrying about Zorro every day. He wouldn't put me through that, Diego. I think he must be someone not from the pueblo. Maybe he has friends here, and hears about things and knows when he is needed."

Victoria smiled, reassured in the honor of her hero. Diego, on the other hand, couldn't hide his crestfallen expression. "Diego, are you alright?"

Felipe shook his shoulder to knock him out of his stupor. Diego seized on the distraction, quickly made his excuses and left the tavern.

Alejandro called out once again for Diego. Where was he? He was never around! He was always sleeping or hiding in a book or somewhere doing experiments. His only son, and they didn't understand each other at all. So much for his hopes when he wrote to ask him to leave university and come home early.

He was surprised to find Diego in the library. He was staring off into space, his book long forgotten on his lap. It didn't seem as if he'd heard his calls at all. "Diego?" Once again, no response. Alejandro walked over to stand in front of him, noticing how tired Diego looked. He was paler than usual, with dark circles under his eyes. Sitting slumped over in the chair, his bloodshot eyes stared into nothing even though Alejandro called his name again.

Alejandro gently shook his son's shoulders, growing concerned. "Diego?" When the man finally shook himself and looked up at him, he continued "Are you alright? You look terrible."

"Sorry, Father, I was just lost in thought. Did you need something?"

"Son, what's wrong?" Alejandro put his hand on his son's forehead, smoothing back hair that was dirty and unkempt. Come to think of it, his clothes looked like they'd been slept in. Was that the same outfit from yesterday? Diego was always immaculate in his appearance, much to his own frustration. "You retired early last night yet you look as if you haven't slept in a week." Diego dropped his eyes guiltily and held open his book again to avoid his father's probing gaze. "You know you can talk to me if something's bothering you, right?"

Diego smiled, trying to reassure his father. "Oh, I'm fine. I've just been a bit preoccupied lately. There's nothing wrong." But Alejandro saw pain in his son's eyes.

He stared silently at his disheveled son. "I was about to go into the tavern for lunch. Come with me. It's been several days since you've been into the pueblo. Maybe some good food and some good company will help cheer you up. I'm sure Victoria will cook you anything you like." Alejandro's eyes widened when Diego flinched when he said Victoria's name.

Diego recovered quickly and forced a lazy grin on his face and slumped back into the armchair. "No, I'm not really hungry, Father. I think I might just take a ride around the ranch. Maybe check on the new foal born last week."

Ok, so something was definitely wrong with his son. He never expressed an interest in the ranch before. "Is something wrong between you and Victoria?" When Diego didn't respond, Alejandro continued, trying to probe a little. "You usually go to the tavern every day. I'm sure she misses your visits. You haven't been to the pueblo since…"

"Father, I'm really not up for company today." And Diego just walked away, leaving his father staring after him.

Alejandro had a hard time making it to the tavern that morning. He kept being stopped by people asking for Diego. Some tried to give him pesos or animals, as if in payment of some debt. Others had papers with them, wanting Diego's opinion on something. Another excited farmer tried to explain about chemicals and new growth on fallow land but Alejandro didn't understand a single word of it. Apparently his son was missed. He started to think maybe he didn't give Diego enough credit.

Wanting to talk to Victoria, Alejandro sat at the bar rather than a table. "Don Alejandro! Buenos tardes. What can I get for you today? Will Don Diego be joining you?" She looked toward the door as if expecting Diego to be following his father inside. Alejandro noticed she frowned a little when she didn't see Diego, but she smiled before looking at Alejandro again.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about Diego. Victoria, did you and my son have an argument?"

Victoria was surprised. "Argue? With Diego?" She chuckled. "No, but I don't I've seen him for a few days. Is he sick?"

"He says he's fine. I just don't know what's wrong with him. He looks as if he hasn't slept in days. He hasn't been to the pueblo in a week. I don't know what's gotten in to him."

Victoria frowned. "Well, he seemed fine last time he was in here. That was the day Hernando Perez was arrested."

Taking a chance to get some information out of Victoria after seeing Diego's reaction to her name, he continued. "I don't think I saw him come home from the pueblo that day. He's been acting strangely ever since. If you talked to him, do you remember anything that could have upset him?"

"We didn't talk that much. I remember he left in a hurry. Maybe Felipe knows. Felipe seemed to remind him of something then Diego left quickly. Maybe that was what upset him. I know we talked a little about Zorro, and he never wants to talk about Zorro." Victoria frowned and set her knife down, still worried herself about what he'd said. She'd been looking closely at all the men she knew this week. Even though she believed what Zorro wouldn't lie to her, Diego's comment had sparked doubt.

"Did something he say upset you?" Alejandro asked when he noticed her frown.

"Oh no, nothing like that Don Alejandro. He just made me think. He suggested I might already be friends with the man who is Zorro! Could you imagine!"

Alejandro's eyebrows went up. "That makes sense, I would think that'd make you happy."

Victoria huffed. "Of course not! To think… a man pretending to be my friend during the day then hiding behind a mask professing love and getting shot at and disappearing to who knows where. It's outrageous. Zorro would never do that to me!"

Alejandro was astounded at her ire. "But if he couldn't be with you as Zorro, don't you think he'd want to be your friend when he wasn't saving the pueblo?" Victoria's mouth gaped open. "Then, when the pueblo was safe, Zorro could retire and you could marry your friend. Friendship is an excellent foundation for marriage! Yes, I think it's a great idea."

"Well, Diego thought so, too. Men. You will never understand women." She chuckled as she walked down the bar to tend to another customer. Alejandro looked after her, sad to realize he still didn't know what had caused his son's present mood.

Felipe shook Diego's shoulder to get his attention, once again he'd been oblivious to his surroundings. Felipe took the forgotten book resting in Diego's lap and placed a tray with some food in its place. Felipe gestured for Diego to eat.

"Felipe, I'm sorry I'm just not hungry." Diego was surprised when Felipe got angry at him and refused to let him stand up and return the tray. "Felipe, I'm not acting like a child." He waited while Felipe scolded him some more. "Fine, I'll eat. Will that make you happy?" He took the piece of bread, dunked it in the stew and took a big bite. "See? I'm eating. Now go away," he growled.

Felipe roughly pushed Diego's feet of the footstool and sat down on it. I'm your friend, he signed.

Diego sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…" he threw the rest of the bread on the tray and stood to set it on a nearby table. "Victoria's never going to forgive me. She's in love with a perfect man with no faults. A legend. She'll never be happy with me. And now she'll never forgive me for lying to her." He walked over to the window, staring off towards the pueblo.

Felipe joined him, signing slowly. "What good would talking to her do?" Diego responded. "She's already made it clear. If Zorro was friends with her, it would be a betrayal of her trust. She's got that in her head and she's not going to change her mind."

"I'm not pouting," he said indignantly when Felipe signed more. Felipe pushed a hand into Diego's side, where he was still wounded from last night. Diego let out a cry of surprise and backed away from Felipe. "Ouch! Why'd you do that? You know the stitches aren't ready to come out!"

You were careless last night, Felipe signed.

"So I'm not perfect. So I get hurt once in awhile. It doesn't mean—" Diego sighed. "Ok, Fine. I wasn't paying attention. I may be a tiny bit preoccupied. What do you suggest I do?"

Victoria sighed as she closed the tavern for the night. It'd been a busy day, and she was sad that Zorro hadn't come to visit her this week. She admitted she missed Don Diego as well. It was strange that he did not come into the tavern. As she climbed the stairs and entered her room, she decided she'd drive out to the hacienda tomorrow and bring him some lunch. Maybe that would cheer him up.

As she lit the lamp beside her bed, she gasped as she saw Zorro standing behind the door. She smiled brilliantly and started toward him but stopped when he held up his hand to keep her away.

"Querida, please. Stop." He sounded upset… or hurt!

"Zorro, are you injured? Please, let me help!" Her immediate concern was like a knife straight through Diego's heart.

"No, I'm sorry. I'm not hurt, I didn't mean to alarm you." He said quickly. "I never meant for you to worry about me. I never meant to cause you pain." He said sadly.

Victoria stopped just beyond the hand he was holding up to prevent her approach. "You haven't caused me pain." Now she was confused.

"Victoria, I must talk to you. I don't want to, because in five minutes you might very well hate me. And that would devastate me."

"But I could never hate you! Why do you think I'd hate you?" She took a step back "Are you leaving? You don't love me anymore?"

"No, never that." At this he started pacing in her small room. His boots were heavy on the floor, and his sword seemed to knock into everything as he passed. Finally he seemed to get angry at his sword, and paused in his pacing to remove it and violently throw it into the corner of the room. She took another step back, she'd never seen Zorro so upset before.

"Querida, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. And I love you more than life itself, never doubt that." She hesitantly smiled at that, a little reassured. "I need to tell you something you don't want to hear. And I can't do that if you come closer. Can you promise me you will listen? And just stay where you are for a few moments and not say anything?"

Victoria pulled her shawl tighter around herself against the sudden chill in the room and didn't move. At least he was here and he was safe. She nodded warily at him. She could handle anything he told her, as long as he still loved her.

He looked at the sword he'd tossed into the corner. "It's that blasted sword. All of this started and I didn't realize it would drag on so long." He started to pace again. "When I was in Madrid, I didn't want to come to California— sit around, watch crops grow, raise babies. I wanted excitement! Well, be careful what you wish for."

He stopped pacing and looked at her again. Then, startling her, he took a few steps toward her and dropped to his knees in front of her. He sat on his heels and his entire body seemed to slump in defeat. Seeing the legend like this was disconcerting to say the least, and only remembering her promise kept her from moving to comfort him.

"When I stepped foot off that carriage, you were there." He looked up at her and she breathed easier when she saw the love in his eyes. But he also looked so worried...she ached to comfort him, but realized he had something important to tell her. Maybe he was finally going reveal who he was! He'd already told her where he was from. She tried not to hold her breath as she waited anxiously for him to continue.

He removed his hat and twirled it back and forth a few times, looking down at it as if it held the words he couldn't find to say before setting it aside. "I think I fell in love with you that first instant. I heard you standing up to the alcalde…your fire and spirit… suddenly sitting around raising babies like my father wanted didn't sound like such a bad idea. I hoped you'd like the idea too." He smiled up at her and she blushed and smiled back.

"Then you and my…" he really meant to say 'father' but chickened out as he looked down again. "you and Don Alejandro were arrested. I knew if I did anything, I'd be arrested, too. Then things happened and I put on this mask." He looked up at her again and he looked so miserable…but he still didn't hold her gaze longer than a few seconds "I swear I didn't know I'd wear it for two years."

"I need to keep wearing it, too. The new alcalde is no improvement from Ramon. I wear the mask so no one knows my identity. If you knew, you'd act differently around me. You might call out my name when I'm surrounded by lancers. My father would have a heart attack—he would hate that I am an outlaw. Now you both think I'm a coward and I tell myself it doesn't hurt, because it means you are safe. That you won't be hung beside me if I get caught."

He sighed deeply. "I couldn't court you or marry you and put you in danger. You don't even seem to see me as a potential suitor, the fool that I play during the day. But I couldn't stay away, either." Her heart stopped as he reached up and slid the mask off his head. She could only see black hair, with his head bowed, but he'd unmasked! Finally! She tried to concentrate on his words and locked her knees to keep herself from dropping to the floor to look at his face.

"Victoria, I love you. I've loved you forever. I wish you were my wife. But I also need to know that you are safe. That the alcalde is kept in check. I thought if we were friends, when I didn't have to be Zorro anymore it wouldn't be that big of a shock and we could get married." He seemed to curl even further into himself. "But the other day…when you said…" He took a deep breath and determined to finish. "I never thought about how this affected you. I was spending time with you, yet you were always worried about me. I didn't think of that." Victoria almost stopped breathing, the familiar words he was saying matching up with a very familiar voice. For a few seconds all she heard was the pounding of her heart.

"I lied to you to keep you safe, but I've deceived you about who I am. Honestly—I never intended to hurt you. I never laughed at you or thought you blind. Even my father doesn't know. I thought… well, whatever I thought was a mistake, after what you said… " He looked up at her then, and she really was staring into the face of Diego de la Vega. "I didn't see you again after you said that. I've been trying to… trying to think of some way to make you not hate me." He still couldn't seem to hold her gaze for more than a few seconds, and he slumped again to look at the floor.

Suddenly shots rang out from the plaza. Diego stood slowly, almost grateful for the reprieve and went to the window to look out. "Are they looking for you?" Victoria whispered, still staring at the piece of black silk he'd left on the floor. She didn't move from the spot where her feet had been planted before the earth shifted beneath her.

"No, no one knows I'm here tonight except Felipe." Her eyes widened and she looked up at him at this, but he didn't elaborate as he took a step back from the window and faced her. "I'd better go see what's happening." He said it, but he didn't move. It was surreal…her best friend's face on top of her hero's body. She couldn't seem to find her voice.

More shots and yelling as the sound of horses filled the plaza, and Diego finally pulled his gaze away from Victoria. He bent to pick up his sword, strapping it on without looking at her. He picked up his hat, then turned to see Victoria smoothing out the mask he'd crumpled on the floor. "Promise me you'll come to the hacienda tomorrow. Give me a chance to explain." He held out his hand for the mask, but she didn't hand it over.

"If you don't want me to go, I'll stay." She looked up at him and flinched as more shots rang out. "You're more important to me than anything outside that window. One word from you and Zorro will never be seen again."

Victoria finally regained control of her muscles and took a step toward him, gently putting the mask in his hand, careful not to touch him. He moved, though, taking the mask and her hand at the same time. "Promise me. I'm not a legend. I'm not perfect. I'm a foolish man in love who made a mistake." He took a chance and lightly touched his fingers to her cheek, and breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't back away from him. She closed her eyes and nodded, and when she opened them he was gone. She hadn't heard him leave. He didn't hear her tell him to be careful.