"I wasn't in trouble, though. I had everything under control, and I helped you find out what was in the crates!"
In what crates, Alejandro? Joaquin." Elena was getting impatient, worried.
"I really should go change," Alejandro said quickly.
"Alejandro!" Elena demanded as he walked off, whispering in Joaquin's ear, quickly and quietly, "Being dragged off a cliff, caught in a rope, is not what I call under control."
Joaquin started to protest, but Alejandro whispered hurriedly, "Later, promise."
"Alejandro, we are not done discussing this!" Elena called, then to herself, but loud enough Joaquin could hear, "He's always running off. Why is he always running off?" Joaquin laughed, and then she turned to him, "Now, Joaquin, what was your father was talking about?"
"I really think it would be better if we waited for him to get back." Joaquin responded nervously.
Elena threw her hands in the air in defeat, but saying, "I will get the story of what happened today, Joaquin, you and your father are not getting out of this, especially not with that cut on your arm, not to mention your shirt. Let me see."
"It's okay, papi already…"
"Took care of it," Elena agreed upon examining his cut, "Of course he did. He always is looking out for you. Oh, Joaquin, you have no idea how much you mean to him. Not to mention how much you are like him; lord help me."
Joaquin laughed.
Later that evening, over dinner, Elena brought it up again, "So, once again, what did you two get into today?"
"You know what, I think it's time for Joaquin to get to bed, it's been a long day. Don't you think, Joaquin?" Alejandro replied.
"Yep, definitely, I should get to bed." Joaquin agreed, rising from the table with his father.
"Alejandro and Joaquin de la Vega sit down!" Elena yelled, "You two are not getting out of this. Now tell me this instant what happened that you two not only are so eager to keep from me, but also that got you, Alejandro, of all the stubborn people in this world, to change his mind about telling his son the truth!"
They froze mid-rise, Joaquin looking at his father to see what he should do, and then followed his father, as he sighed and sat back down.
Alejandro looked at Joaquin and said lightly, "Never get your mother mad, Joaquin. She isn't quite what seems, either."
Elena stared at her husband, annoyed.
"Mama? What does he mean?"
Elena just sighed, though, "Your father, Joaquin, just means that I once fought by his side. Now, that wasn't so hard to admit. So, why don't you two stop dodging the question and admit what happened."
"You once fought by his side? Why did you stop?" Joaquin asked, surprised.
Elena smiled, glancing at Alejandro as she answered, "Because someone had to stay home and take care of you, and you needed a mother, not a fighter, nor a priest caretaker. Now, once again, and I hope this will be the last time I must ask. What happened today? You mentioned crates? What crates? And, Alejandro, please tell me Joaquin doesn't mean Cortez."
"You know Cortez?" Joaquin asked, surprised and marveling.
"I guess that answers my question. Joaquin, what were you thinking!?" Then she turned to Alejandro, "And what were you thinking!? Letting him run off after him! Just look at his arm!"
"Mama, I'm fine. Papi was amazing and I help…"
"Joaquin, maybe you should let me explain this to your mother."
He nodded.
"You helped." Elena repeated, terrified and furious. To Alejandro, "You let him help you fight Cortez!?"
"No. Stop yelling and calm down and let me explain."
"Sorry, but then, explain, now."
"So, Joaquin had seen Cortez at the election and so he was," Alejandro began slowly, now looking at Joaquin pointedly, who had a sheepish smile on his face, "curious and wanted to see what he was really up to, and smart kid he is, he did."
"Oh, and what was that, and just how did he do that?"
"Soap was what it was; what that means yet, I don't know. And what happened was…"
"Why don't you let Joaquin tell me? After all, he was the reason for this. Joaquin?"
"Papi is telling it fine. I don't have anything to add."
Alejandro covered up a smile while shaking his head once, slightly, not to the point where either his son or wife saw. He knew what her response would be and he'd have to let Joaquin tell some of it. Elena wouldn't have it any other way; because she knew he could cover up a story. He just hoped Joaquin could too.
"Then you know exactly where to start."
Joaquin looked at his father, who just raised his eyebrows and nodded.
Joaquin took a deep breath and continued recounting the day's events, "Well, alright. I didn't really do anything. I just walked off a bit from the lesson to hear better and overheard them, and, alright, saw, them talking about and unloading crates of soap. Then Papi saw me and stopped to ask why I was so far off from my class and I just told him I could still see my class, but these men got me, curious, and so I went to see what they were about. When he asked me then if I did find anything out, I told him what I saw - soap."
"Uh huh. And then, what happened to your arm?"
"Oh, that, I tripped and fell on a rock, that's all. No big deal, really."
"Alejandro, is that what happened? Don't you dare lie to me."
"Yes, Elena, that's all that happened. I told you, it was nothing."
"Oh, but I don't believe that, because if it was nothing and that was really the whole story you two just told me then one, you both wouldn't have been dodging the question all day, and Alejandro, I'm sorry, but I know you, that wouldn't have been enough to change your mind about our secret."
He sighed, "Women. You can never get anything past them."
Joaquin laughed. Elena just stared at them, arms folded, determined to get the story.
"Alright, Joaquin was just listening; trying to hear and see what was going on, but one of the guys spotted him. He was fine! Elena, you should have seen him! He held out with those guys well enough till I got there you'd have thought I'd trained him myself. He just got the scratch when he did fall on a rock on a tumble."
Joaquin beamed at his father's praise.
"So you did let him fight them?"
"No, I saw it as I was coming up. I had gotten a lead on the men and was following them when I saw him. That's when I jumped in between him and the men, got him out of the way, took care of the other guys, then brought him home."
"You're keeping something from me."
"I got caught up in a rope and was sliding off a cliff," Joaquin stated quietly.
Both his parents turned to him.
"WHAT!?" Elena yelled, panicked and terrified. "Alejandro, please tell me…"
Alejandro was staring shocked at his son that he told his mother that.
"I guess that answers my questions."
"I'm sorry, Elena. I should have been there sooner."
She was exasperated, angry, terrified, and shook her head, "No, Alejandro. No, I know you got there as soon as you could." Then she turned to Joaquin, "Joaquin, what were you thinking?!"
"I'm sorry, mama, I just wanted to be like Zorro, help him out. And, you had said I was more like papi than I thought. At that time, I thought it meant I was too lazy or something and so I figured I could try to be more like Zorro."
Alejandro was trying not to laugh, successfully, probably by remembering the heart attack he'd about had when he had first seen Joaquin earlier.
"Oh, Joaquin. Joaquin. Are you all right?" Elena sighed.
"Yes, I'm fine, and in the end, I did help him, didn't I?"
Alejandro smiled, "Yes, you did son, but I do have to agree with your mother on one part and repeat what I told you earlier. "This isn't a game. Those men are killers, and they're still out there and I know I said you did well today, but that does not mean I want you going after them again, understand?"
Joaquin's face fell a fraction, "Okay."
