Much later- nearly sundown, in fact- Diego was in sight of Los Angeles. He had made no effort to hurry home, taking the entire day to walk back, still lost in his thoughts. Now, though, he was almost home. He could see lanterns lighting the homes of his pueblo, and he could see the tavern.

Victoria would be gone now; he was glad he hadn't had to see her leave, the wife of another man. He was glad he hadn't heard the church bells ring in celebration of her wedding. Most of all, he was glad he hadn't tried to make himself play for the ceremony. He knew he would never have been able to endure it.

The sun was setting, and he realized he could see the gallows set up in the plaza. That would have been for the kidnappers, or at least three of them. A fourth had gotten away, but he never bothered to try to track him. At the time, he was in too much of a hurry to get away- his heart was too broken. The wedding was imminent, and he was much too close to the pueblo.

Mendoza had not wasted time, then. That was good... unless the sergeant was expecting him to appear as a witness to implicate the bandits... He hadn't even considered that before. He was too used to being Zorro that he had forgotten he had done everything the day before as Diego. Still, he had told the sergeant what he had seen, and later, when he brought the men in, he had told Mendoza that they were the same men who had killed the alcalde. He hoped that was enough. He did not want to have to relive yesterday, even in a court of law.

Toronado shook his head impatiently. He was nearly home, and he was waiting for Diego to head in the right direction. After a moment, Diego dismounted and turned him loose.

"Go home, boy," he said tiredly. "I want to find out what happened to those bandits. I will be home later."

The black stallion sniffed him for a moment, then nickered once and headed for the hacienda. Diego watched him trot away, then he walked slowly toward Los Angeles. He would find Mendoza, find out what happened, then leave. He had no wish for company or idle talk. He wanted to be alone, and only the need to know if justice had been served drove him toward the one place he did not want to be.

One sentry was on duty near the gate, so Diego carefully avoided him, not wanting even to have to answer a challenge. Most of the garrison was dark, including the alcalde's office, but Diego watched and listened for signs that Mendoza was still around. After a few minutes, he decided he would have to wait and turned to leave.

The tavern door was still open, and Diego found himself being drawn quite involuntarily to it. He saw Victoria's part time relief, Pedro Carreras, wiping off tables. Standing outside in the shadows for a moment, the don finally decided to find out the news and went in.

Pedro heard him enter, looking up to tell him he was closed. But when he saw who had come, his mouth dropped open and he gasped.

"Don Diego!" he exclaimed.

Before De la Vega had a chance to ask him anything, the middle-aged man dropped his towel and ran through the curtain to the kitchen. Surprised and annoyed, Diego left. He felt too painfully Victoria's loss to endure the tavern any longer, and he was not about to track down a rude innkeeper.

"Diego?" someone called. It was a woman's voice, and for a moment he thought it was Victoria's. He forced the thought from his mind and continued on, sure that his mind was playing tricks on him.

"Diego!"

He whirled around to see Victoria silhouetted in the door.

"Diego!" she said again, hurrying out after him. At the last moment she paused, all too aware of his coolness and distance.

"I didn't expect to see you still here," he said after a moment.

"I didn't expect to see you, either," she answered softly. "Your father said you told him you had to go. He did not know why or where. All he said was you were not going to play the piano at my wedding."

"I apologize if I inconvenienced you," he muttered, trying to sound like he meant it.

"Do you want to tell me why?"

He shook his head. "It does not matter."

"It does to me."

For a moment he was silent, then he quite deliberately changed the subject, asking, "Did those three men hang?"

"Yes. Mendoza tried them all. Of course he looked for you to testify against them, but it did not matter. He had other witnesses, one of them hostile, and it did not take long to convict them."

"A hostile witness?" Diego asked.

It was Victoria's turn to be silent for a moment. "The fourth bandit who was there. Little Alicia recognized his voice."

"Alicia?"

"One of the children from the orphanage. She is blind... Anyway, she recognized his voice, and then the other three were quick to implicate him, too. To save himself, he agreed to testify against them."

Diego nodded. He had taken all he could take of the young woman's presence. "Thank you for telling me," he said in a formal tone. He bowed slightly. "Buenas noches."

"Diego, wait!" This time she ignored his remoteness and closed the distance between them, taking his arm. He did not make an effort to remove himself from her touch, but he stiffened, more reserved than ever.

In a wavering voice, Victoria said, "I did not get married yesterday."

It was a few seconds before he dared reply. "Why not?"

"The fourth man..." she hesitated a moment, long enough for Diego to realize there were tears glistening on her cheeks. "The fourth bandit was Ramon."

Quietly, he said, "I'm sorry."

"I was very upset when Ramon told me you were interrogating him about himself. I did not know why you thought it was any of your business."

Again he apologized, but Victoria shook her head. "You were right to ask. I was too quick to trust him. He didn't earn his money by selling horses, as he told you. He used to work with those other three men. They were thieves... but then he took all their combined money and ran. He wanted to change, I know it... but then they happened to hear that he was here and was going to get married. They blackmailed him to join them again for one last time... That was why they kidnapped the children and demanded so much money. They wanted their share back."

"Why did they want Zorro?"

"Because he is nothing but trouble to men like them. They wanted to make sure he could not stop them. They hoped the alcalde would bring him. It really wasn't in their plan to kill the alcalde... it certainly was not Ramon's idea."

For some time Diego was silent, but then he asked the question he had to have the answer to. "What was Ramon's sentence?"

"Mendoza did not give one. He is going to turn him over to the territorial magistrate. He thinks he might be lenient since Ramon testified."

Diego nodded. He was not satisfied, but he did not want to hurt Victoria any more than she already was. Gently he extracted his arm and resumed his distance.

"Again, I apologize. Now please excuse me; I should go," he murmured. "I am sure my father will expect an explanation..."

"He does not need one," Victoria replied, reaching for his arm again. She was not about to let him leave, even though he desperately wanted to get away from her. Her touch was pure torture. "He knows why you left so abruptly."

"No, he doesn't," Diego retorted, freeing himself again. He turned to leave.

Behind him, Victoria exclaimed, "The whole town knows, Diego," she said in desperation. "We know who you are... who Zorro is."

Diego stopped in his tracks, but he did not turn around.

"It was the little girl who first said it," Victoria said, hurrying to explain. "She said she heard Zorro when you went to exchange yourself for them. At first no one believed her... how could we? We all know you too well... But when Alicia was right about Ramon, we realized she also had to be right about you."

He turned to face her. "I don't know what you are talking about," he managed to reply.

"You do, too, Diego. Whatever doubts I had were ended when your father came in to town. He still expected the wedding to go on. He knew nothing about the kidnapping or your bravery..." She paused for a moment. "I told him what happened, then I told him about our speculations. I also told him how you singlehandedly brought them all in. Of course he couldn't believe it, either, but when I showed him the ring Zorro had given me..." She struggled to control herself. "He recognized it immediately. I thought he would. That was why I showed him... to prove to us both who Zorro is."

When Diego said nothing, Victoria approached slowly and took his hands. "I have hurt you so badly," she whispered, tears in her eyes. "I am so sorry. Can you ever forgive me?"

"Of course," he replied hoarsely, not allowing himself to hope. He could not look at her eyes. "What about Ramon Palos?"

"He might get away with his life, but... I don't know. I was trying to convince myself I could love him, but even when I was with him, I still thought about Zorro... about you." Suddenly she threw herself into his arms and held him close. "Will you still have me?" she asked pleadingly, her voice breaking as tears fell.

He held her tightly, not realizing the strength of his embrace was almost hurting her. "Yes," he whispered fiercely, burying his face in her hair.

For some time they held each other, until Victoria realized that he, too, was quietly crying.

"I have hurt you so much," she whispered. "I'm sorry."

His only reply was to kiss her with a passionate urgency that overwhelmed her. After a moment she pushed herself away, breathless.

"How can you... after what I've done to you?"

He shook his head, smiling sadly. "I love you."

"But..."

"But you did what you thought you had to do, Victoria. No one could know about Ramon or those other three. Who knows? If things had been different, perhaps you and he could have had a happy life together..."

"I would have lived my life wondering what I lost with you..." When he tried to interrupt, she laid a hand over his mouth. "I mean it, Diego. Even if I never found out your name... I meant it when I said you would be my first love. I could never have stopped loving you."

Diego kissed her fingers tenderly. "I never would have stopped loving you," he replied in a pained voice.

Victoria wiped his tears away. "I don't deserve you," she whispered. "I don't deserve your love."

"I disagree," he replied with a smile. "I love you. I want you. You are everything I could ever want." Then he took a deep breath, his expression pensive. Quietly, after a moment, Diego asked, "Did you love him?"

Victoria sighed. "I was trying to make myself... I liked him. I liked the things he did for me. He is a kind man... a gentleman. Or I thought he was. But... I was always comparing him to you. I was always thinking about you. No matter how I tried to tell myself I was doing the best thing... all my friends thought I was... no matter what, I knew I could never love him like I love you." She paused for a moment. "Please forgive me, Diego. I was so wrong. I was so selfish." Then, with a long sigh, Victoria laid her hands on his chest. "You really would have just let me go?"

"If Ramon would have made you happy, yes. I couldn't deny you that. You were right, Victoria. I made you wait far too long. If only I knew..."

"You know now, my love," she replied softly. "Everyone knows who you are... who Zorro is. Mendoza was one of the first to see it, bless his heart. When he was talking to Alicia so she would not have to actually go to the trial... He realized she really believed you were Zorro. Since she was right about Ramon, he believed she was right about you. The rest of the pueblo came to the same conclusion. After all, Don Diego could not have singlehandedly overpowered three armed bandits..."

"You underestimate me," he retorted with a grin.

"No, I don't... not ever again. You were reckless that day, and finally we all understood why. Your father and I spent nearly all of today looking for you. We both have to apologize to you..."

"No," he murmured sadly, reaching up to caress her face. "I knew what I was doing to you, making you wait. I didn't like it, but I could not see any way to change things. I was afraid of losing you... I thought I had." He paused for a moment. "And my father..." he sighed, "he was part of my disguise. I had to make you both believe I couldn't be Zorro. I had to protect you both… and keep my identity secret so I could keep fighting."

"Your heart is too big for me, Diego. It is too big for the whole pueblo. We have asked the world of you, and you have demanded it of yourself. I can't ever apologize enough..."

"I don't want apologies," he murmured. "I want you."

"Oh, Diego..."

He caught her gaze. "Marry me," he whispered hoarsely, pleading. "Say yes, Victoria, please..."

"After what I have done to you?" she replied uncertainly, deeply ashamed of herself.

"Please say you will still marry me..."

"Yes, Diego. Yes." Victoria let him gather her in his arms, and she did not know whether her tears were of joy or of sorrow. She had hurt him badly, but he still wanted her. The depth of his love was so overwhelming and so comforting.

"Of course I will still marry you, Diego," she said softly, through her tears. "There is nothing I want more... No other man could offer me such love..."

He kissed her then, gently and earnestly, his relief blending with renewed happiness and a growing sense of urgency. It was some time before either of them chose to break it off.

Victoria looked at him and smiled, then touched his shoulder, belatedly noticing a long slash in his shirt and dried blood around it. "Diego...?"

Ignoring her implied question, he murmured, "I should go home. I sent Toronado home already. No doubt Felipe's noticed him by now. I don't want him to worry."

"Then please let me take you. I want to stay with you for a while yet... and someone should see to that shoulder, since you obviously haven't."

"I was preoccupied," he muttered with a trace of the old pain.

"I know." With an apology in her eyes, Victoria took his hand and led him to the livery where her horse was stabled. In no time they had it saddled.

Effortlessly he swung himself up, then helped her into the saddle in front of him. As he gathered the reins in his hand, he put his other arm around her. Victoria sighed happily and leaned against him. For a few minutes they rode in silence, Diego making no effort to urge her horse any faster than a walk and thoroughly enjoying her closeness. Then he kissed her neck, sending a shiver of excitement through her.

"When?" he asked quietly.

"When what?"

"When can we get married?"

She turned to be able to look at him. "When do you want?"

"Tomorrow." He kissed her full on the mouth, preventing her from replying. By the time he broke it, they were both somewhat breathless.

Victoria looked at Diego with a curious expression, then sank back against him again. "The whole pueblo will think I have gone completely mad," she muttered half-jokingly. "I've treated you abominably, forsaken you for another man, and the minute he is arrested I go and marry you! They will think you are only second best, and I am desperate."

"Then let them. As for me, desperate would not be a bad word. I am so tired of waiting. It is a relief to be done with Zorro."

"But Zorro..."

"He and I have suffered for years, Victoria, as you have. My one goal lately was to see his mission through... to achieve freedom and justice for the people and be done. I knew how hard it was for you to wait, because it was that hard for me. That was why I never dared visit you as... lovers do, or bring you so many gifts, or even write letters. God knows I wanted to, but I thought it would only make it that much harder for both of us. It was a struggle for me so many times... just seeing you every day, being so close..." He sighed and kissed her neck again, unaware of the effect it had on her. "I am so thankful I have you back..." he whispered fervently, hugging her against him, the pain of his heartbreak still too fresh, too obvious in his voice.

"You are right, Diego. I guess I knew that, deep down inside." She sighed. "I was so wrong. I should have been more patient."

He put both his arms around her and held her tight. "You were not wrong, Victoria... I can't blame you for anything. You had every right to do what you did. I was trapped by Zorro, and there was nothing I could do but let you go, unless I wanted to sacrifice the entire pueblo. I couldn't do that and live with myself. But at least I have you now, and tomorrow..."

Luxuriating in his embrace, Victoria smiled and closed her eyes. "Tomorrow it is," she whispered. "You won't have to make any more sacrifices."