Author's Notes: Here it is, the penultimate chapter of this story and the longest one as well. This story is nearly done. I'm really grateful for the all the responses, and hope you all enjoy this chapter. Also, once again I have to thank Ghetto Outlaw for his skill at fine-tuning chapter endings.
Chapter 4
"Then she leaves me in a cool, cool sweat"
During his father's celebration at the tavern, Diego had managed to pour the remnants of his earlier drink into the love potion vial and bring it home. He had to plead utter exhaustion to get away from his father, and during the quiet of siesta he sneaked down to the cave to try to analyze this particular concoction which is where Felipe found him some time later. The younger man had heard the news from Don Alejandro and was bursting with questions that Diego tried answering.
"Yes, Victoria and I are engaged," he said, "and no, I'm not entirely sure how it happened." He looked at the glass tube in front of him and took another note, while Felipe was more insistent. "You remember how I told you about the strength potion and Mendoza and how the alcalde confiscated the box."
Felipe nodded.
"Apparently the alcalde's brilliant idea was to test the love potion on Victoria and me for reasons I can't fathom (maybe he was hoping for a Shakespearean tragedy with Zorro stabbing Victoria, me, and then himself— I don't know), and now she thinks she's in love with me, and for some reason I told her I loved her, and then father came in when she kissed me, and now we're engaged..." He stopped for a moment as his own words sank in. "All right, then I know how it happened, but I don't know why." He sighed as he translated Felipe's next question. "Of course, I want to marry her but not like this... What do you mean why not? She's not in her right mind."
Felipe pointed at him and then at his own head.
"I don't know that I'm in my right mind either; otherwise I never would have told her the truth about how I felt. It's too dangerous, and she's always been interested in Zorro not me."
The younger man shook his head vigorously.
"You don't think it's too dangerous?" Diego asked incredulously.
Felipe nodded but then made the sign for Victoria and pointed at Diego.
"Wait; you think she's interested in me too?" he asked. First Padre Benites and now Felipe. What were they seeing that he wasn't?
Nodding again, Felipe signed that Victoria had always seemed jealous of other women interested in Diego and that she worried about him. He asked why he was afraid to take the chance.
At least with Felipe he could actually state the problem aloud. "You know it's too dangerous while I ride as Zorro. I don't want to put her in danger."
Felipe ran his hands through his hair in frustration, signing that she was already in danger and when did he think it would be safe? When they were both old? There seemed to be no end for Zorro.
Diego sat down at his desk. "I know you're right about that, but how can I ask her to share the secret I won't even tell my father? And she'd have to know." He looked at Felipe. "It would be impossible to hide from a wife; she'd have far more reason to wonder where I was going than my father." He leaned his head in his hands. "And despite what everyone keeps telling me, I find it hard to believe that she wants to marry me."
Felipe gestured at him with a Z.
"You think Zorro should find out? I suppose..." Diego said thoughtfully. "I'd also like to get the rest of Dr. Wayne's potions out of the alcalde's clutches. Yes, I think it might be a good idea for Zorro to ride this evening. Thank you, Felipe."
~Z~Z~Z~
Zorro was perched in the high window of the kitchen as Victoria finished locking up the tavern. To his relief, the intoxicated feeling from earlier in the day had passed, leaving only a slight headache and an increased urge to knock Ramone senseless. He hoped that if it had worn off of him, it had worn off on her, so they could have a truly sensible conversation. However, as he waited, he wasn't sure this was the wisest procedure despite his earlier conversation with Felipe. Was it really a good idea to appear to her as Zorro just now?
Deciding that it was too late to back out, he dropped into the kitchen quietly, hoping he wouldn't startle her too much. As he stood in the middle of the room, he was having difficulty deciding how to behave, torn between his doubts about her feelings and the realization that no matter how she really felt there could be no future with Zorro. It would definitely not be right for him to press his attentions on her as a masked man, not even to prove that he hadn't forgotten his promise or that she wasn't interested in Diego.
When Victoria entered the kitchen, the first thing he noticed was that her eyes were red as if she'd been crying, and the second was that she didn't look surprised at all, as if she'd expected him to be there. He hated seeing her look so upset, but perhaps that meant that she'd recovered her senses. If that was so, his father would simply have to accept that it was a temporary insanity on both their parts. He had no intention of letting her get pressured into marrying him because of something the alcalde had done. And maybe with some luck they could salvage their friendship by pretending that none of this had ever happened, though there's no way he would ever be able to forget kissing her— that would be burned into his memory forever.
Realizing that she was waiting for him to speak, Zorro pulled himself together and said politely, "Buenas noches, Señorita." He stood still, not moving towards her though he desperately wanted to take her in his arms and tell her everything would be all right.
"Señor Zorro," she said in a slightly trembling voice. "I suppose you've heard the news about my engagement to Don Diego."
"It would have been almost impossible not to, Señorita," he said. "It seems to have shocked the pueblo..." Pausing a moment as he watched her face which seemed distressingly blank despite the signs of tears, he continued, "I've also heard that the alcalde was responsible for it."
Victoria flushed slightly, and she looked down. Zorro took the chance to step a little closer to her though he kept his hands loosely at his sides.
After what seemed like an eternity, Victoria looked up and said, "I suppose he was, though not in the way you seem to think."
"I don't understand," Zorro said.
Victoria kept her eyes fixed on his, and he had the terrifying impression that she was looking past the mask to see him. However, when she spoke, she gave no indication that she saw him as anything other than Zorro. "I don't know how to tell you this," she said softly.
"What, Señorita?" he prompted. Maybe he should have come back as Diego; it would probably have been easier for her to explain what a mistake it all had been. On the other hand, ironically it would be far more scandalous if he had stayed after closing as himself.
She was very hesitant when she started. "I'm not sure how to explain this. It's been so confusing..." She paused for a long moment, her brow furrowed. "Though I've tried to ignore the possibility... and hope for a future for us, I've been forced to see that your crusade for justice may never end and that you may never unmask. I'm not sure you even want to unmask."
"No..." he tried saying before she interrupted.
"It's all right," she said, not in a tone of regret but as if to reassure him. "I understand that it might never even be safe, but I want a chance for a family, and Diego..."
"What about Diego?" he asked more harshly than he meant to. Was she saying that she was taking advantage of an opportunity to get a wealthy husband or to get back at him for not making a commitment? No, Victoria wasn't mercenary or vindictive (temperamental but not vindictive). However, maybe she wanted a family badly enough that she didn't care if it meant marrying Diego. That didn't seem any better. He was still confused.
Victoria eyes fell away from him then, not hiding a sudden pained look. "He's always been there for me, even when you couldn't," she said slowly, her hands twisting the folds of her skirt. "Not that long ago, when those pirates raided Los Angeles and kidnaped a group of us, he followed them at the risk of his own life, without even a sword, just able to leave a trail of buttons, and even though he got caught, somehow I felt safer with him there. And he got into a duel with Sir Miles Thackery because he was trying to defend me..."
"You've never given a sign of caring about him before," Zorro interrupted.
"How can you be sure?" Victoria asked softly, her eyes drifting back to him. "Besides what would have been the point? He's a caballero. The kindest, gentlest, most compassionate man I know, but still a caballero, and I'm just a tavern owner."
"Do you think that makes a difference to him?" He was getting thoroughly confused; surely she didn't think that class mattered to him or his father for that matter.
"I'm not sure. He's always been my friend, but at times it's hard to know what he's thinking or feeling," Victoria said. "He's always been a bit of a mystery to me."
"Mystery?" He hardly thought his unmasked self fit the term.
"Yes," she said with a trace of a smile. "Not exactly like you, but in his own way he's unpredictable and so contradictory that sometimes I think I know him well and other times I don't think I know him at all."
Zorro wasn't sure what to make of that, but he was more interested in what she said earlier. "Señorita, what did you mean about the alcalde not being responsible for this situation in the way I'd think?"
Victoria turned away and walked over to the kitchen curtain. "When I found out he'd put a love potion in our drinks, I was horrified— not at the thought of falling in love with Diego but at the thought of him being forced to fall in love with me. I don't know what was really in that potion (there must have been something more than water), as I felt odd and light-headed, and then when Diego came into the kitchen, it suddenly seemed the most natural thing in the world to tell him how I felt about him, all those feelings I'd been pretending didn't exist because he was as impossible in his way as you are in yours. It just seemed simpler when he told me that he'd loved me for a long time. It made me think that all that drink did was make us say what we really felt. But he wouldn't believe that I was telling the truth, and then he was practically trapped into the engagement by his father, and that was my fault because I kissed him. He didn't... Maybe for him it was the potion after all, and that's why he wouldn't believe me because deep down he knew what he was saying wasn't true."
The world seemed to be tilting around him. That Victoria had been thinking much the same as he had was almost too much to comprehend. And she wasn't solely to blame for the kiss. He certainly could have broken it off before his father had come in. "Is that why you've been crying?" he asked gently, taking another step forward.
She nodded. "Earlier, I thought he was being stubborn only because he didn't believe me, but now... well, I'm not going to force him into anything he doesn't want. No matter what his father says, my reputation isn't worth the price of making him miserable. After all, I'm to blame, not him. He tried to stay sensible; I didn't. I know I should have, but..." She trailed off, looking more unhappy than before.
He was having a hard time taking all this in. That Victoria had really meant what she'd said. He had to make certain he understood. "Are you telling me that you are in love with Diego de la Vega and want to marry him?"
Victoria glanced at him. "Yes, I am and I do, but not enough to let him be dragged into a marriage he doesn't want," she said looking near tears again. "And I'm not sure what to do, what he wants to do."
Hearing the pain in her voice, Diego knew he didn't want to lie to her anymore, didn't want to let her think he didn't care when he did, but he had to ask this question. "What if, somehow, there were hidden dangers involved in a relationship with him?"
Leaning back against the side of the doorway, Victoria looked up at him. "My mother was shot for aiding a revolutionary. My father died fighting in Mexico. I run a tavern on my own. Every day, our alcalde threatens our freedom and our lives. I wasn't meant for a safe life, and I'd rather take my chances living with the man I love than die alone regretting the missed opportunities." Victoria stopped and sighed. "But it's not really my decision, is it? It's his. He needs to want this as much as I do, to believe that in spite of danger and uncertainty that it's worth the risks." Then she looked him directly in the eyes. "Did you really mean it when you said you loved me... Diego?"
He froze the moment she said his name, but she was right. There were no promises of safety in life. A lancer could get off a lucky shot tomorrow; an accident or illness could take her away from him. He didn't really want to pretend that things were the way they had been, and he was tired of putting off his feelings for her. He wanted them to have a chance. Taking off his hat, he set it on the table before pushing the mask off his head.
"How long have you known?" he asked, as he stepped closer to her.
"I had a vague suspicion this afternoon, though I don't know why. It was only while we were talking now that I knew for certain," she said, moving closer on her own. "Your face can be very expressive. I'm amazed I was ever fooled at all." She looked in his eyes. "I do love you, Diego, both sides of you. It's just that you could be so exasperating that I could never be sure of either of you. I'm sorry I fought with you earlier. I don't blame you for not believing me; I must have sounded a little crazy." She shrugged. "Maybe I was a little crazy, but I wasn't lying."
Diego shook his head, still trying to absorb everything. They definitely both had been a little off their heads, but he hadn't been lying either. "I meant every word I said to you, but it seemed impossible that you could feel the same. I'd been acting so long," he said, tentatively putting his arms around her, relieved when she slid her arms up around his neck to return his embrace. "I never meant to deceive you, Victoria. In the beginning, everything seemed to escalate so quickly with the alcalde— and you— and before I knew it I was trapped by the disguise. But I do love you," he tightened his arms around her, "and more than anything, I want to marry you, if you really do want to marry me, of course."
Victoria's face brightened with relief. "Of course, I do," she said, a slight teasing tone entering her voice. "I feel like I've been trying to tell you that all day."
He leaned down to place a gentle kiss on her lips, but it didn't stay gentle for long. When they finally pulled apart, they were both having trouble controlling their breathing.
Diego smiled at Victoria, as he held her in his arms. "I think it's a very good thing we're getting married in a month."
Victoria nodded slightly as she leaned against him. "All thanks to our alcalde— and your father. After all this morning's mess, nobody is going to think this at all suspicious. Sudden and strange, but not suspicious."
It seemed amazing to Diego that something that only hours ago he'd looked at as utter disaster was now the answer to all their problems. However... there was one thing he still needed to do. "Yes, I should thank Ramone," Diego said, with a sly smile.
"Diego... what are you planning?" Victoria asked, looking worried.
"Well, Zorro has just lost you because of the man's plotting. Don't you think he should be a bit cross? Besides, I don't want to leave Dr. Wayne's potions in Ramone's hands. They might not be as effective as claimed, but they certainly aren't entirely harmless." He kissed her forehead. "Not that I'm ungrateful for the results."
"That's true," she said, watching as he put his mask and hat back on. "You will be careful, won't you?"
"Of course," he said, with a cheeky grin and a quick kiss. "After all, I've a wedding to look forward to." And with a final salute, Zorro climbed up and out of the tavern.
~Z~Z~Z~
It was a simple enough matter to slip into the alcalde's office and open the safe. He'd have thought that Ramone would have tried harder to secure it by now, but the man seemed not to learn from his mistakes. For instance, Zorro knew full well that the man was awake and waiting for this visit, and yet he made it so easy in the vain hope that the masked man would drop his guard. Zorro took out the box of potions and wrapped it securely in a heavy cloth before putting it in the pouch he'd brought specifically for that purpose.
Making sure the doors out of the office were securely locked to prevent interruptions, Zorro set the box on the desk and drew his sword. Approaching the door to the bedroom, Zorro leaned closer to listen. Satisfied that Ramone was near the door, he scratched at the bottom with his sword for a moment then stopped and scratched again. When he saw the door knob move slightly, he kicked it in, hitting the alcalde, knocking him back causing him to drop the pistol he had at the ready.
Giving into the impulse he'd been harboring all day, Zorro punched Ramone squarely in the face, sending him backwards onto the floor. Zorro had his sword at his throat before he could move again.
"Now, now, Alcalde, is that how you treat an expected guest?" he asked, as he pressed the blade in ever so slightly, not enough to pierce the skin as long as Ramone didn't try to move. "I know you were waiting for me."
"Zorro, I don't know what you were told, but this isn't my fault," Ramone choked out.
"Oh, I'd say it was very much your fault," Zorro said softly, moving the blade a little higher. "If you'd been a just alcalde, I wouldn't be wearing a mask. And if I hadn't started wearing the mask, I might have been able to gain Señorita Escalante's love. And now thanks to a love potion you administered, she's going to marry Diego de la Vega. Oh, yes, alcalde, I'd say that's very much your fault."
Ramone's voice was hoarse, as he tried to talk. "But he's the one marrying her."
"Yes, and she's the one marrying him. I have no intention of standing in the way of Señorita Escalante's happiness. She certainly deserves something better than a man with a price on his head," he said, before lowering his voice to a more threatening tone. "But mark me well, alcalde, I'm a man who's nearly reached the limit of his patience, and from now on, when I put on this mask I have absolutely nothing to look forward to other than thwarting your schemes." He moved the blade in front of Ramone's eyes. "I'd like you to think about that. And don't think a broken heart will make me careless. It simply sharpens the blade. Good night, alcalde." Zorro hit him again, knocking him out.
Going to the desk, he picked up the bag with the potions and slipped out the window. Whistling for Toronado, he was soon riding from the pueblo, fast outstripping the lancers who'd come running at the sound.
~Z~Z~Z~
When he and Toronado returned to the cave, Diego wasn't really surprised to see Felipe still waiting up for him, wanting to know what happened
"I'll tell you in a minute," he said, taking the potion box out of the pouch and putting it on his lab table before starting to change.
Felipe started untacking Toronado, while he finished changing.
Diego glanced in the box before going over to Felipe who prompted him with one hand.
"All right," Diego said. "It's simple enough. You were right; she meant what she said, and since I meant what I said..."
Felipe pointed at him and signed a Z in the air.
"No," Diego said with a soft laugh. "She told me." At Felipe's questioning look, he added, "She figured it out on her own, while we were talking. I never thought that would be a relief, but it was. And since Father has already set a date for our wedding we're going through with it, and I couldn't be happier."
Felipe pointed at the box on the table and made the sign for Ramone.
"Oh, yes, I also paid a visit to our esteemed alcalde to let him know that he's the only one I blame in this. I wouldn't want him to get the idea that I plan to challenge... myself," he smiled a little wryly, "for Victoria's affections. I don't want him looking that closely. Hopefully he'll be too worried about what a rejected Zorro plans to do to him." He looked at Felipe. "I can only thank the Lord that our alcalde is not nearly as clever or perceptive as he thinks he is." He sighed. "I just wish he wasn't such a blight despite that."
Felipe shrugged a little.
"True, we'll go on fighting, and maybe someday soon we'll be able to rid ourselves of him," Diego said. "At least Victoria and I won't have to wait for that elusive someday to start a life together— and all because of Ramone's plotting. I suppose I do owe him a small debt of gratitude." Diego paused and snickered at Felipe's next question. "No," he said firmly. "I have no intention of asking him to be my best man. That grateful, I'm not."
Diego nodded at the slashing motion Felipe made. "Good idea. Maybe, I won't cut a Z in his coat the next time I see him. After all, he'll probably be a guest at our wedding, and I should want him to look presentable."
TBC
Friday: Chapter 5 - "This thing called love, I must get round to it"
End Notes: While this chapter is still written from Diego's POV, I hope that Victoria's reasoning and motives come across clearly. This was initially supposed to be a completely fluffy, somewhat silly story, but Diego and Victoria ended up taking things more seriously than I intended them to. But in the end I hope it works. I always get a little nervous about my quirkier stories. Until tomorrow, for the final chapter...