Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. WPI owns characters of Zorro, Victoria, and Diego. I just own the original ideas found in this.

AN: With the marvelous feedback, reviews, and encouragement I received for the first chapter, the Muse decided to work on a second chapter. She decided she could find a plot after all.

Previously:

Diego again nodded. "I'll give you all the time you need, Victoria. Just don't shut me out."

"Even if it means we go back to the beginning of a courtship? Because I feel like I don't know you. The real you. Either of you."

Diego sighed. "If that is what you want, I'll gladly postpone the wedding. Just don't shut me out completely."

Victoria shook her head and sighed. "I wish I could stay angry with you, but I can't. But I need time. Time to get to know you, the real you. The one without masks. Either mask."

"I can certainly do that, my sweet Victoria. I only wish to make up to you for all of this, and I will spend the rest of my life doing that, if only you'll give me a chance."

"It will also take me some time to become used to such charming things coming out of Diego's mouth, when it's only been Zorro's I have heard such things from."

Diego took Victoria's hand, raised it to his mouth, looked deeply into Victoria's eyes and kissed the back of it as gently as he could. Victoria was reminded of that fateful kiss on the hand he had given her upon his return from Spain, and she blushed lightly again.

Diego smiled, as if he knew what she was remembering. "I suppose we should return to the tavern. You are still a working woman, until we get married, that is."

Victoria silently agreed, and took the arm he offered. As they silently walked back to the tavern, Victoria couldn't believe everything which had occurred. She quickly reviewed all that was ahead of her the rest of the day, looking for some time to herself. Victoria vowed to take some time later in the evening to think about Zorro and Diego, and everything that it would all mean.

She wanted to sort it out quickly, because part of her did indeed want to marry the man as soon as possible. But only when things were right. And, she vowed, with everything inside of her, things would soon be right again. Just as soon as she sorted it all out.

When they were almost at the tavern, Diego pulled Victoria behind the building. "Before I leave you, may I ask you to come to the hacienda for supper tonight? We have to discuss several issues, now that we're going to delay the wedding." In a quieter tone, he added, "We have to be very careful in what our story is for delaying the wedding, so we don't cause anyone, especially the Alcalde, to get suspicious."

Before she could hold her tongue, Victoria said, "If you had told me your secret before we set the date, we wouldn't be in this mess." Only then Victoria realized the full extent of the possible danger which existed for Diego. Her eyes widened and she whispered, "Oh, Diego, I'm sorry. I guess I'm still angry. But I never thought, what are we to do? How can we hope to protect you?"

Diego looked at her with pain in his eyes. "Again, I'm very sorry I developed this mess. I didn't think about all the implications. I was just so happy being able to finally show you my love, I lost all reason."

Victoria looked sideways at Diego. "Are you just being charming again?"

"No, I mean it, Victoria. I do. But, please come out for supper tonight, so we can discuss our plans." A small flicker of hope entered Diego's eyes. "I can start to show you the real Diego."

"But Diego, how can you show me that if your father does not know?"

Diego considered her statement. He acknowledged the wisdom of her question with a small nod and a rueful smile on his face. "Yes, I didn't consider all the consequences of this when I let it go this far. It might indeed be time to tell him the truth as well. Then I can truly show you my real self in the hacienda. Well, both you and my Father." He added, softly, "Finally."

Victoria closed her eyes. She suddenly felt a small drumbeat inside her head from the pressure of trying to think of all the implications involved with protecting Zorro. How indeed has Diego done this all these years, and with only Felipe to help him? She rubbed her right temple with her fingers and looked up at Diego.

"All right. I believe one of the girls will help me out and cover for me tonight."

Giving her a smile, Diego lifted her hand and again placed a kiss on the back of it. He dared not kiss her on the lips right now, for he knew she remained angry at him, understandably so. "I shall see you this evening then. I will send Felipe with the wagon to pick you up."

"No…it's all right. I'll bring my wagon." She gently pulled her hand away. "I'll see you later, then."

Victoria hurried inside the tavern, her mind already preoccupied with everything she had to get done before she could leave for the de la Vega hacienda. Diego watched her go, holding back a sigh and shook his head. The conversation, overall, did go better than he had expected. Of course, besides the fear of rejection he always held, Diego had been so certain Victoria would never forgive him for proposing without first sharing his secret. He was somehow blessed with a woman who was willing to give him a chance to make it up to her for such a blunder. He walked to his horse whistling.

~~Z~~Z~~Z~~

"So Felipe, I've decided to tell my father I'm Zorro," Diego said, while the two of them were sitting in the cave.

In answer to Felipe's question 'Why?', Diego answered, "Victoria brought up an excellent point this afternoon. How am I ever going to allow her to get to know the real me when I can't even be that around my own father, in my own home?"

Felipe signed a remark, and Diego laughed. "Yes, I agree. Victoria is very intelligent."

"Then why did she fall in love with you then?" Felipe signed with a grin then ducked as Diego attempted to hit him on the back of the head.

"Very funny, young man. Just you wait until you fall in love…." Felipe nodded then rose to start grooming Toronado.

Diego sat back and considered how he was going to tell his father. Unfortunately, Alejandro had been out on the range checking out the livestock when Diego had arrived home from the pueblo. Diego had wanted to tell Alejandro as soon as possible, before he lost his nerve, and had been somewhat disappointed with the delay. However, the goal of marrying Victoria as soon as possible was excellent incentive to motivate him to not change his mind about finally telling the secret he'd been keeping from his father for four very long years.

Also, it would be a lot easier to handle his father's reaction to the delayed wedding if Alejandro knew the real reason for the delay, as well as perhaps utilizing Alejandro's quick mind in coming up with an excuse for delaying the wedding.

Thinking of his father, and his legacy, Diego suddenly thought of an excellent reason. One that his father might not readily approve of, since some of his relatives weren't easy to get along with, but perhaps they could use as their excuse to delay the wedding having to invite family from a good distance away. Depending upon Victoria's reactions, they might have to consider inviting some relatives from Spain, to make the story look good. That, in itself, would certainly allow Victoria enough time to work out all the issues regarding Zorro.

Again, Diego tried to tamp down the self-recriminations for not telling Victoria right away about Zorro. However, it was difficult to have known when the right time would've been. Certainly before he proposed, but some lingering doubts had remained regarding whether Victoria could actually love him, Diego, versus Zorro. Recognizing this, he had to admit to himself that was partly why he'd taken the opportunity to propose to her without telling her the secret, to see for himself, once and for all, that Victoria truly loved himself, as Diego, and not just because of Zorro.

He could examine his reasons for not telling her his secret identity ad nauseam, but it would not take away the fact he had made a mistake. But, oh, how wonderful the past two months have been, simply enjoying being in love with Victoria, and accepting that she was truly in love with him. Certainly no one could blame him for wanting a little bit of happiness? However, he didn't think of the mess he now created for himself. Preventing the Alcalde from suspecting him to be Zorro, telling his father the secret. He shook himself, trying to stop thinking such maudlin thoughts. With love as the goal, how could he not succeed with sorting this all out?

~~Z~~Z~~Z~~

Diego was able to catch his father on his way to his bedroom to clean up before supper. He could tell by the way his father carried himself, muttering under his breath, that things didn't go well that day.

"Father! May I talk to you for a moment?"

"Oh, Diego. What is it now? Don't tell me a new book of poetry. No, wait, a new painting, I suppose?"

Diego blanched at the criticism apparent in his father's reply. Despite how the conversation goes, hopefully my father never will say something this disparaging to me ever again. "No, Father, just to let you know. I invited Victoria for supper tonight."

His father took a step back and rubbed his forehead with a dirty hand. "Oh, Diego, what a night to choose? It was especially rough today, trying to round up all the livestock, and discovering three were missing, for some reason. And we'll have a lady present for supper?" At Diego's wide-eyed, apologetic look, he let out a heavy sigh of frustration. "Oh, what do I do with you?" Walking away, he said, "I better hurry then. I will be down when I can. I feel like I brought back the entire ranch's dirt with me."

Diego cast his eyes toward heaven. Wouldn't you know it; my luck he'd have a bad day on the ranch? His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. He looked at his pocket watch, thinking it was too early for Victoria to arrive. Despite the thought, the senorita herself entered behind Felipe.

Looking down at himself, Diego was glad he had hurried to get ready early. "Buenas noches, Victoria."

"Buenas noches, Diego. I apologize if I'm too early, I…I wanted to continue our discussion from this afternoon."

Diego looked down at his beloved. Her eyes were shining, but had no condemnation or anger in them, and her cheeks were light pink. He was slightly comforted with the sight, but he also knew the Escalante temper could alight with barely a second's notice as well.

"My father did just arrive from the range, so it will be some time before supper will be served. We can go into the library. With Felipe around, it will be most proper."

Victoria nodded and took the arm Diego offered as he led her into the library. Felipe brought several glasses of lemonade and handed them to the couple. He smiled and nodded at Victoria, who returned his smile, and he silently went to the chair in the farthest corner of the library and sat down. He purposely picked up a book lying on the end table beside the chair and began to read.

AN: In an aside note, while I don't think there are very many viewers of Lois & Clark here, but that show enabled me to add a new wrinkle to Diego's fears. The fear whether Victoria truly loved Diego, and Diego wanting to propose before telling her about the secret identity to find out if she truly did love "the ordinary man". I didn't use direct quotes from the episode of Lois & Clark, but the episode I thought of was "And the Answer Is…". If you haven't given that series a try, you should. I think there are quite a few similarities between it and NWZ. Having Tim Minear be involved in both series is just the beginning of the list. Anyway, thanks for listening to that, and for reading my story.

(Oh, La Cuidadora, I had written that part before your review talking about the similarities, ha. I only recently realized that I did that. But it does agree with what you had said about the many correlations between the two shows.)