Chapter 10

The time seemed to fly by, and Diego had been busy with preparing everything for the planting of the young vines he expected to arrive from France with one of the next ships. Victoria didn't work at the tavern anymore as she often didn't feel well because of her pregnancy, and there was enough to do at the hacienda. She regularly went to the pueblo to check how her helpers were doing in the tavern and have a chat with friends. Pilar had taken over the day to day management of the tavern while Victoria kept the ownership and the general management. Being so busy with their new tasks neither Victoria nor Diego came as often to the pueblo as they used to, and Diego saw his father only rarely as there were no more joined meals in the tavern.

The recent weeks had been relatively quiet, and there had been no need for Zorro until that day.

The new tax on all sales would hurt especially the peasants who had nothing to spare and Zorro decided to take the matter in his hands.

It was Alejandro's birthday, and he had come to the pueblo for some final preparations for his dinner party with his friends at his hacienda tonight. Not being invited to the party, Diego and Victoria had nonetheless sent him their best wishes together with a small parcel that contained a new pair of riding gloves.

Alejandro was standing next to Victoria when Zorro rode into the pueblo. As usual Zorro overcame the soldiers quickly and made the alcalde rescind the tax after a short fight with the sword. After he had achieved his goal he mounted Toronado again to return home, but he still had the time for some greetings.

"Victoria," he saluted her who smiled in return.

"Don Alejandro, happy birthday to you," Zorro smiled at Alejandro's surprised face, before he was on his way. Then out of nowhere there was suddenly a shot. "Get him," De Soto shouted at his soldiers waving his pistol in hand, but the soldiers were still locked in cuartel.

"Zorro!" Victoria cried out in horror when she saw him falter on his horse from the shot that had hit him. Zorro quickly sat straight again and was already halfway out of the pueblo when he saw her crumble down to the ground in pain. Turning Toronado around, he rode back to where she had fallen.

Ignoring the pain in his shoulder, he dismounted as fast as he could and knelt down beside her.

"Victoria, are you alright?" he lifted her a up in his arms.

"It hurts, it hurts," she whispered in pain. The whole situation reminded him terribly of the moment when she had been shot by Bishop and he had feared for her life. It was something he never wanted to relive again and now he was.

"Where do you hurt, Victoria? What's wrong?" Zorro held her body that was shaking with convulsions.

"The baby, I'm losing the baby," she cried.

When she touched his shoulder, she felt the warm wetness under her touch and her hand was red when she retreated at it. "You're injured, you must go, Zorro," she urged him.

"Everything will be alright, Victoria, you have to only think of yourself and your baby. Lie still, the doctor will be here soon," he tried to soothe her.

"Go, save yourself," Victoria cried and he realized that she wouldn't calm down until she knew he was safe. Caressing her gently, he kissed her hand before he rose again.

No one present to their encounter could miss how deeply they loved each other, and it drove tears into the eyes of some women surrounding them.

Among the bystanders was also Alejandro who was shocked by the events. It hurt him to see how these two lovers had been separated by the actions of his son. How could Zorro still love her when she was expecting a child from another man? And how could Diego marry a woman who was so deeply in love with someone else?

He wanted to express his sympathy for the man he held in such esteem, but the doctor made his way through the crowd that had sheltered them for the moment from the soldiers. Zorro knew it was time to leave.

"Do everything you can for her," Zorro commanded the doctor and was met with a nod. "I will, Zorro, be sure of that."

Glancing back, he could see his father and the doctor carry Victoria into the tavern.

Z Z Z

Later Diego couldn't remember anymore how he had gotten home. He had been halfway on his way to his father's hacienda until he remembered that it was no longer his home. Fortunately, it wasn't a big detour and he reached his new cave in no time.

Somehow he managed to take care of his shoulder without any help. The injury wasn't as bad as it felt at the moment the bullet had hit him. It had mainly been the impact from the hit that had made him falter for a moment, making Victoria to expect the worst.

It weren't more than a few minutes he had been sitting in the parlor when a servant arrived bringing the news about Victoria's breakdown from the pueblo. Not hiding his shock, he immediately had a horse saddled to ride back as Diego.

Victoria had been brought up to her former bedroom in the tavern and the doctor was finished treating her when he arrived. Alejandro had left shortly before on the doctor's insistence.

"How is she?" Diego had never been that afraid before. His mother had died in child bed and he feared he might lose Victoria too.

"She suffered a bad shock today, and she may lose her child." The doctor kept it simple.

"Is there something I can do?" He looked down at Victoria who was sleeping now.

"She needs rest and must stay in bed for at least a week if she is to keep the child." Dr. Hernandez recommended.

"Can I take her back home?" Diego inquired, shocked by the news.

"No, she can't be moved at the moment. Rest and quiet is all she needs now. I have given her something to make her sleep and relax. Having you by her side will help her when she wakes up."

"Thank you, Doctor," Diego wanted to sit down at his wife's bed, but was stopped by the doctor who closed and locked the door from the inside.

"I won't leave, before I haven't taken a look at your shoulder, Don Diego," the doctor said firmly.

Diego looked at him surprised, "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm fine."

"Zorro was shot at the shoulder today, and I don't think you could dress your injury very well with only one arm." Since the doctor's resolve didn't falter, Diego gave in and removed his shirt.

"As I expected," the doctor stated, "not very well done." He removed the bandage that Diego had wrapped hastily around his shoulder and examined the wound. "You were lucky with that shot, it could have been worse. It's only a grazing shot that will heal quickly."

"Since when did you know?" Diego asked, while the doctor treated his shoulder.

"That you are Zorro?"

"Yes," Diego winced a little about that statement. It was the first time he had told it someone. He hadn't even told Victoria. She had found it out during that night.

"I had my first suspicions when you had your concussion, because you fell from the old mare while Zorro was supposed to be dead from a fall into Perdido canyon. It was mostly a suspicion I had over the years, but I was never able to prove it. And then there was your sudden marriage to Victoria. I couldn't believe that Victoria married someone else than Zorro and that you forced yourself on a woman who is in love with another man. Your drama on the plaza today was only the final part in the puzzle."

Diego was concerned by the doctor's conclusion. "Do you think someone else has figured it out, too?"

"You mean the alcalde? No, I don't think so. He wasn't alcalde in Los Angeles when you had your concussion, and he is a man who always believes the worst of other people. That's why he doesn't doubt the story about you and Victoria." Dr. Hernandez assured Diego.

"You should rest now, too. I want to you lie down next to your wife until you have recovered a bit from your exertion today. I will tell the girls downstairs that you want to be alone with your wife and are not to be disturbed. Unless you need me during the night, I will look after you both tomorrow again."

"Gracias," was all Diego said, before he did as the doctor told him. Lying down beside Victoria, he drew his sleeping wife into his arms, so that her head rested on his good shoulder. Listening to her even breathing, he gave in to his tiredness and exhaustion.

Z Z Z

While Diego and Victoria were recovering in the tavern, Alejandro was having his party, but he never felt as miserable before on his birthday.

Not in the mood to celebrate, he wished for his guests to leave, already regretting his idea of inviting guests at all. He'd rather have a quiet dinner with Diego and Felipe like last year, and he was missing their company.

The good wishes of his guests only reminded him of the fact that he was getting older and while most of his friends had one or more grandchildren, he was still without any. If Victoria lost her child, he might never have some. Concerned how she was faring, he hardly managed to concentrate on the surrounding conversations. Sensing his mood, his friends soon left, leaving him alone to the quiet of his hacienda he still hadn't gotten used to in the months since his sons had abandoned him.

Z Z Z

Victoria had to stay three days in the tavern, before the doctor allowed her to be moved to the hacienda lying down in a cart. Diego stayed by her side and left her only for short periods of time.

After Victoria had returned home, she began to feel better and was soon bored and irritated having to stay flat down in bed. She wanted to get up again, but Diego insisted she heeded the doctor's advice and stayed put.

"You can't really force me to stay in bed," she pouted annoyed, although she knew it was a childish behavior.

"No, I can't," Diego agreed, "and I won't, but there is one thing I can do."

"What is it?" Victoria asked, surprised.

"I can make you promise me that you'll do as the doctor says," Diego was sincere.

"Oh," she hadn't expected that.

"I know it's hard for you to lie down all the time, Querida. But will you do it? For us, for our baby?" he pleaded her.

"I'll do it, I promise. I'm sorry, I was so selfish for a moment," Victoria apologized. Then she suddenly began to cry at his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Diego. I'm so afraid. I don't want to lose the child, and I can't lose you either. Before I knew it was you behind the mask, I never worried so much. Zorro never seemed to be get hurt and always overcame the soldiers so easily. Now I see my husband facing the soldiers, and I know you can be killed as any other man by a simple bullet. When you faltered on Toronado after the shot, I thought for a moment you were dead, and I simply couldn't stand it. Please, Diego, don't you ever leave me."

"Don't cry, Querida. It's not good for you and the baby. I'll never leave you, Victoria. I promise." Stroking her back to calm her, he held her shaking body close while he made a decision.

Z Z Z

It was the second time in his life he gave up Zorro, and he knew it was final. Zorro had cost him years of his life, his father's love, Felipe, and now nearly his wife and unborn child. That was more than he was willing to pay for Zorro and the safety of the pueblo. He couldn't risk another incident like that. He had already given so much, but not anymore. It was enough.

There would be no more fighting as Zorro.