A/N: as always, many thanks to lbindner for checking my translation :)

Chapter six

The blood was viscous and warm. Diego felt it was running down his ribs and arm. He was trying to ignore the pain emanating from his shoulder and pressing to the wound a piece of cloth he had found in his saddlebag. Fortunately Toronado didn't need his constant attention; the clever animal knew he had to go back home. Diego only clenched his teeth and focused on reaching the cave. He didn't know what damage the bullet had done, but he had to stem the bleeding, if he wanted to minimize the consequences. He was lucky it was so late. It was hardly possible he would meet anybody at the hacienda before he reach his room.

Diego greeted the familiar scent of hay in Toronado's stall with a moan of relief. He slipped carefully from the saddle, trying not to hurt his arm more.

"Forgive me, my friend, I will take care of you later," he said and breathed deeply. The stallion snorted in response and poked him with his nose. Diego went out of the stable part and cursed. Felipe wasn't in the cave and Diego needed his help. The young de la Vega looked around, thinking what to do. He couldn't risk looking for the boy all around the hacienda in Zorro's clothes. Changing to his caballero's outfit without tending the wound didn't make any sense. Diego put apart a bloody cloth and took a clean towel. He pressed it to his shoulder and realized what he could check. He went to the wall and looked through the eyehole.

"Gracias a Dios!" Diego sighed in relief, seeing Felipe sitting on the sofa with a book. He went quickly up the stairs and turned the candlestick. "Felipe, come quickly," he said in an undertone. The boy jumped and looked at his mentor worriedly. He left the book and quickly joined Diego, closing the entrance behind him. The young de la Vega felt his questioning look and almost smiled when Felipe signed to him on the stairs.

"No, it's not because of Victoria. Briseño showed himself in the pueblo," said Diego. "Help me take off this shirt," he asked. The boy deftly unbuttoned it and took away the black fabric. Diego wiped some of the blood away and winced. The bullet got stuck under his clavicle, right next to his armpit. The problem was, that the bullet had to be removed.

"We will need water," said Diego. "Prepare bandages and give me this thin knife," he asked. Felipe nodded. He put the knife on the desk and forced his mentor to sit down, while he was preparing all the things that were needed. Diego obediently sank to the chair.

"Give me that whisky that stands there on the shelf," he asked. The boy rose his eyebrows in surprise, but fulfilled his request. Diego drenched the blade with the alcohol to disinfect it. He turned a bit so he could see his wounded arm. He tried to put the knife into the wound to take the bullet away, but a paroxysm of pain forced him to take his hand back with a moan. He inhaled deeply a few times to calm himself down, trying not to pay attention to Felipe's worried looks. Another try also didn't let him break the blockade of pain. Diego miffed and moaned when Felipe put his hand on his good arm.

"It... hurts," strained the young de la Vega through clenched teeth. He took a few more deep breaths and looked at his charge. "I won't be able to take the bullet out on my own." He had to admit it. Felipe glanced at him with fear, when he understood what Diego was asking him to do.

"You will do it, don't worry," said Diego calmly, trying to hide the fact, that he was feeling really bad. "Clean the wound again," he instructed. "You see the bullet. It's not deep inside. We have to take it out."

Felipe nodded, unsure. He stood in the way he wasn't covering the light and tried to remove the bullet. Only when the blade touched the bleeding wound, Diego involuntarily moved back. Felipe stepped away at once.

"No, it's alright," Diego tried to calm him down. "It has to be done this way, but I..."

Felipe hesitated despite his mentor's reassurance. He didn't want to cause him pain, but he knew that the bullet had to be removed. Only then did he realize that some help stood right in front of them. The boy reached for a glass and filled it with whisky. Diego winced. He didn't like whisky, and more – the way it affected a man when he drank too much.

"I guess you're right," he admitted finally, resigned. He grabbed the glass and took a long sip. The alcohol burned the throat, especially someone's as unused to strong drinks as Diego was. He thought sarcastically that he avoided overdosing alcohol for years only to purposely get drunk as fast as he possibly could now.

"I will drink no more," he protested finally, when Felipe wanted to fill the glass again. The bottle was now almost half empty. So much at once Diego hadn't drunk since he got back from Madrid. He already felt humming in his head. More alcohol could make him sick instead of just desensitize him.

"It won't get any better than this," he said after a while and sat more comfortably. "You have to remove..."

Felipe nodded and took the knife again. He knew that if he had decided to get Diego drunk, he had now to rely on his own judgment. He hesitated for a moment, and then sat on the young de la Vega's knees to possibly limit his movements. Then he immobilized him with his left hand and started groping in the wound with his right one. Diego stiffened and moaned, but he didn't move so nervously. The whole unpleasant manipulation didn't last long, but when the bullet was out, they were both soaking wet. Now Felipe bandaged the wound, but he glanced at his mentor with growing anxiety.

"Don't worry, it will be alright," Diego reassured him, but not convincingly. With unsure movements and Felipe's help, he put on his white shirt. The cave was always cool, but he started getting cold. "It's not the wound, it... it's the alcohol," he warned and stood up unsteadily. The wound wasn't serious, but Diego felt that the whole weariness and tension was leaving him now. The alcohol was relaxing, even more than he would wish. Bed was now the best solution.

ZZZ

For the first time Felipe wasn't angry at Diego for leaving him with Isabel. Diego managed to get a good sleep, but a promised trip with his daughter would certainly be a stupid idea. The young de la Vega cursed in the morning the effects of desensitizing with whisky the previous night, but apart from that he reassured Felipe that nothing bad was happening. He could easily avoid his father or give him some more or less believable excuse. The problem was with Isabel. The little one was nosy and observant and it worried Diego. Because of that Felipe spent half of the day with the girl wandering around. It was safe, now that the gang was in jail. They went back for a late lunch. By that time Diego had put himself in order and ate with them, but then he excused himself and went to check something very important. Isabel wasn't complaining, because Felipe promised her to look for his old bow he had once used. The girl was delighted and the duo disappeared in the garden right after the dinner.

ZZZ

Diego had bad luck in the evening. It was dark outside, when Felipe and Isabel finally returned to the hacienda. The little one had red cheeks and was bustling with energy and enthusiasm, contrary to Felipe, who had enough of the girl's company. They found the young de la Vega by the piano, where he was writing something.

"Papa, do you know how Felipe shoots?" asked Isabel enthusiastically. "He showed me how to play!"

"That's good," Diego raised his head from his notes and sent his daughter a tired smile. "I'm glad you liked it."

"Will you go with me tomorrow?" asked Isabel with hope. "Felipe found a wonderful place, but I wanted you to show me..."

"I can't, Isabel," Diego cut her off before she went too enthusiastic. "I have a few important things to do," he said. A smile disappeared from the girl's face.

"Recently you always say so," she pointed out. "You always disappear and never want to go with me, to show me something," she said accusingly.

Diego's face fell. Yes, he recently had very little time for his daughter, but it was because Zorro had his hands full of work. If it wasn't for the real danger for the people, he would gladly sit at home and teach his daughter. Well, but he couldn't tell her that.

"You wouldn't refuse Victoria," stated suddenly Isabel, making her father even more uncomfortable. "You never refuse her. Do you think I don't know? Why can't you love me like you love her?" she asked.

"Why do you think I love Victoria?" Diego answered with a question, trying to make it sound nonchalant. Inside, all his senses were screaming, he wanted to curse, but he couldn't in the presence of his child. Yes, to hell, he loved Victoria, he wanted to admit it, but he couldn't. And right now his shoulder was pulsing with pain and making him crazy.

"Because I can see it," answered simply Isabel.

"Isabel," started Diego unsurely. "There is a strong bond between Victoria and me, because we've known each other since we were children. Victoria is my friend, nothing more."

"If you say so..." the girl suddenly didn't press him more. "You are sure you won't go with me tomorrow?" she asked again.

"I can't," answered the young de la Vega. "Go to the kitchen, Maria has a supper for you," he said, changing the subject. "I have already eaten," he added. Isabel went after Felipe, but she suddenly turned back.

"Papa? What's wrong?" she asked.

"Everything is fine," Diego calmed her down. "I'm just tired," he admitted. He didn't even realize the mistake he was making. "Good night, Isabel," he said, hoping that the girl won't be thinking about his relationship with Victoria.

ZZZ

The tavern was full of customers as usual. Victoria served as always, but she could barely hide her bad humor. She had listened to the soldiers and knew that they didn't pay much attention to the fact that Zorro was wounded. This had calmed her a bit, but not completely. And there was Zorro. He had irritated her with his sudden visit. For two days she had been wondering why he wanted to break their engagement. What affairs in his private life had made him even think of that? He had reassured her that it wasn't because of a woman. So, what was it? And what if he was lying? Victoria creased her eyebrows. What if Zorro lied? What if the feeling he had for her, the engagement was merely a mockery? A part of game? A wish to show off? No, Zorro was a gentleman. He was never improper... But, in fact, what did she know about him? He told her he couldn't give her more details because he didn't want to reveal his identity. And what if he didn't tell her anything because he wasn't treating their relationship seriously? Victoria tried to get rid of that thought, but she couldn't.

A moved curtain in the kitchen door took her away from her grim thoughts. Señorita Escalante glanced over her shoulder, expecting to see Pilar and smiled, when she saw Isabel.

"Buenos dias, Victoria," said the girl merrily. Felipe slipped after her and greeted her.

"Again in pueblo?" asked the señorita. "What expelled you from home this time?"

"Boredom," said Isabel. Behind her Felipe rolled his eyes, which made Victoria smile reassuringly to him. She understood well what kind of companion a little girl was to a growing boy.

"Stay, if you want," suggested Victoria as always. "Felipe, are you staying too?" she asked. The boy shook his head and made a gesture meaning the mission. Recently he went there frequently, because he got on well with one of the young Indians from the mission, who knew sign language. He was probably going now to see him. Felipe left and Isabel started helping Victoria in the kitchen. The señorita allowed her to do it, though he suspected that don Alejandro wouldn't be pleased. As for Diego... Well, he himself was eccentric enough to bother with such details. Isabel started chatting about shooting, but Victoria soon stopped listening to her and fell into her own thoughts. Her bad humor returned and the girl saw it at once. Isabel asked her what was the problem until she told her it was because of Zorro, but she didn't want to say what had happened.

"Where is Diego?" asked Victoria, when Isabel sat in her favorite place near the fireplace. "I haven't seen him for a long time," she added, hoping to change the subject. She really got used to the fact that Diego was in the pueblo every day, so his three-day absence was something unusual. Even more than ever, because it wasn't the first time when Felipe came to the pueblo with Isabel and asked if she could leave her, or he was doing shopping with her for Maria. And Diego recently didn't come to her tavern, but rushed to his office.

"Papa is ill," answered Isabel. "He didn't want to tell me anything, but for two weeks he's always sleepy and disappears somewhere."

"Sleepy? Disappears?" repeated Victoria and smiled. "If he was ill, he wouldn't leave his bed," she said firmly. "Hasn't he gotten some new books? He must have been up late at night reading something and disappeared to make his experiments," she calmed the girl and leaned over a pot with soup to stir it.

"No," protested Isabel. "He wasn't reading, nothing new has come. I checked one evening, he wasn't at home. And yesterday he looked really bad."

"He wasn't at home? And maybe he was meeting some señorita, hmm?" laughed Victoria and sent the girl a questioning look, when she saw her face.

"Papa s in love," admitted Isabel calmly. "Didn't you know that?" Now it was her turn to be surprised. Victoria stirred the soup again and wondered if the nine year old girl was a good companion to talk about such matters.

"I knew... Well, Diego told me once about some woman, but nothing more. He said it wasn't important, because she was in love with another man," replied Victoria carefully. She was surprised when she saw a strangely familiar smile on the girl's face.

"I know who is it," said Isabel.

"Yes? Who?" Victoria glanced at her with curiosity.

"You."

The spoon the señorita was stirring the soup with fell inside. Victoria blinked rapidly and then laughed in disbelief.

"Me? No, you must have been mistaken."

"I'm not!" the girl was stubborn. "And papa is not ill because of you. Why didn't he want to tell me anything?

"I don't know, but I really don't think Diego is in love with me," repeated Victoria, this time calmly and turned around at the sudden noise. Felipe was standing at the doors and picking up the packages he had dropped. He sent her an apologetic smile.

"Never mind, Felipe," Victoria reassured him. Felipe sighed and signed to Isabel that he was finished.

"Already? So quickly? Are we going back?" asked the girl, and when she got confirmation, she started saying good bye to Victoria. To Felipe's despair, she grabbed his hand and they left together, not even realizing that Victoria had now a lot to think about.

When Diego came in the afternoon to set the next Guardian edition, Victoria involuntarily followed him with her eyes from her porch, remembering Isabel's remarks about his supposed illness. She must admit that he really looked pale from what she could see, but she didn't have a chance to talk to him. Diego just greeted her from the plaza and disappeared in his office, holding some notes. Victoria wanted to go to him, but she had too many customers and unplanned tasks that she forgot about it.

At the hacienda Isabel was looking at her ribbons. She was angry at Diego because he continued to almost ignore her, and at Zorro, because he'd offended Victoria. She had no idea what she could do, but from the other hand she just wanted to do anything. She could forgive her father now, but Zorro was another thing. Revealing his identity seemed like great fun and a task for a long time. And there was one more thing. Isabel promised herself to prove to Victoria, that she was right. It would also be interesting.