Zorro paused near the window where he usually ducked into the tavern. Listening hard, he waited for the stragglers to head to bed, and swung into the building. He didn't want to be seen today, he reminded himself.

He stayed in the shadows of the hall. The English were not known for their siesta taking, he reasoned. If anyone would be awake and wandering, it would be an Englishman.

He listened at doors, slowly moving when the snoring told him what he needed to know. He moved slowly, silently downstairs, taking his usual route via the kitchen. Thankfully, Pilar was at siesta, and wasn't alarmed by his entrance. He paused near the curtain, listening intently.

"I need to know where the de la Vega hacienda is, senorita. If you refuse to tell me, I will have to hurt you," a man said softly. Zorro hardly heard him, but drew his sabre as a reflex, stepping silently through the curtain. The tall man had his back to him, gripping Pilar firmly around the wrists, preventing her from escaping. With a frown, Zorro recognised the man as Katherine's cousin.

The location of the hacienda wasn't that hard to discover, Zorro thought. The fact that a woman was being threatened to divulge it, angered him.

"Senor," Zorro said softly, the tone of his voice authoritative. "Unhand the senorita."

"Who the blazes are you?" The man growled, still keeping Pilar in a firm grip.

"Introductions do appear to be in order," Zorro replied. "I am El Zorro, protector of this pueblo. And you are?"

"Insolent dog! I am a gentleman."

"I doubt it," Zorro murmured. "Name, senor?"

"Edward Thorogood," the man said with a snarl, drawing a handsome rapier, and thrusting the frightened woman away from him. "I have come for my harlot of a cousin."

"Really?" Zorro effortlessly blocked the blow of the rapier. "Who might that be?" It was remarkably hard to maintain an air of indifference under the circumstances, he found.

"She married Diego de la Vega, but he will cast her off when I inform him of the truth of her past."

"Perhaps the newly weds are content with each other, and don't wish to be parted?"

"The Spanish are stricter in their rules of relationships than we English are. He will cast her off."

"I doubt it," Zorro said softly. The blades clashed. "Don't bother the senorita again," he added, glancing at the tavern keeper, shaking in the corner.

"I will find them and I will have my revenge."

"Strong words," Zorro murmured. "Try your revenge without a blade," he added, bringing the sabre down hard on the thinner rapier, breaking the sword near the hilt. "Don't bother the de la Vegas either. If you know what is good for you."

Edward stared up at Zorro with another snarl. He threw his ruined sword to the side, and attempted to attack the masked man with his bare hands. Zorro frowned, and floored him with a single punch to the head.

"Zorro," Pilar said. "I….I thank you. The man was going to hurt me. I am sure of it."

"The man is a coward, senorita. He is no gentleman, despite his insistence."

She gave him a rare smile, and he raised her hand to his lips, but didn't kiss it.

"People were saying that you were dead," she murmured, withdrawing her hand. She nervously chewed her bottom lip, smoothing her creased apron. Anything to actually meet his eyes, he thought with a slight smile of acceptance.

"Well, the need for justice never dies."

"I think perhaps the soldiers may have been alerted by the noise, Zorro. I think you might have to leave for you own safety."

"Adios," he said, moving swiftly for the back door, well aware of the noise of soldiers out the front. He whistled for the stallion and was gone before the soldiers caught even a glimpse of him.

Zzz

Toronado fussed and tossed his head as Zorro rode outside of the pueblo. The steady canter was obviously not fast enough for his four legged friend, he realised, relaxing the reins a little more. The gallop stretched the stallion's long legs and would settle the horse's spirit for a few days.

"We're in for a nasty storm soon," Zorro murmured, near the stallion's ears, as if the stallion was interested. "I doubt we'll make it home dry, my friend."

Toronado increased speed a trifle, or so it seemed, and Zorro agreed that it was a noble enough challenge, easing himself in the saddle to make it easier for the stallion to reach top speed.

"What on earth…?" Zorro said, under his breath. His voice was drowned out by the deafening clap of thunder. "Easy, easy," he soothed, slowing the horse gently, aware of the shudder of the stallion's powerful shoulders. Toronado didn't like thunder.

Zorro hoped he had been mistaken. A trick of the light, he had thought. He had hoped. The white mare was still a way off, but he had not been mistaken. With the clap of thunder, Dulcinea had reared, and the slender rider had fallen from the saddle without much of a fight.

The rain pelted down, hitting dry ground in seriously large droplets.

"Dulcinea!" He called, raising his voice above the rain. He hoped that terror hadn't dulled the mare's hearing, or her meagre affection for him. In no mood to respond, the mare galloped back towards the de la Vega stables as fast as she could.

Zorro urged Toronado to gallop towards where the rider had fallen. He vaulted out of the saddle, and raced towards the still figure of Katherine. If she'd hit her head on a rock, if she'd broken her neck, if she was dead…his thoughts raced in a spiral… He turned her over carefully. A trickle of blood ran from a small cut on her forehead, mixed with riverlets of rain water, and smeared with mud. He sighed, and gently felt for a pulse on the side of her throat.

Well, her neck wasn't broken. Her heart was beating, a soft breath met his hand before he even thought to check. The knock to the head was a concern, and so was the fact that they were becoming completely saturated. It was a worry in more ways than the obvious, he realised, noticing more of his wife's feminine shape that he was prepared for, as the cotton garments seemed to cling to her frame more and more.

"Katherine," he murmured, shaking her gently, trying to rouse her. Her skin was getting cold to his touch, and he shifted her into his arms. Glancing around, he wondered if the lancers would bother with their usual patrol in this storm, or sit it out for a while. In other words, just how much time did he have to dither around?

"Best to get you warm," he murmured, more to himself than to her. "Don't worry, I know somewhere close." As he stood up, he drew her more towards his chest, and as he did so, she murmured something.

"Katherine?"

"Diego…have to help him…please…" She murmured, and her hand clutched at his silk shirt, before she collapsed again.

"Of course, Senora," he murmured. He heard the hoof beats of a galloping horse, and ducked behind a large rock, thankful that Toronado seemed to have moved a little faster and had already disappeared.

It was a lone rider. One poor lancer had drawn the short straw, and had been pushed out on patrol in the storm. Zorro sighed with frustration, leaning against the rock behind him. It had absorbed some of the sun's warmth, but was becoming as cold as the rest of the environment. He peeked over the edge, suddenly curious as to the identity of the soldier. The lieutenant, he realised. The man was a menace… He'd probably volunteered. He was ambitious and at times conniving. However, he also loved to cut corners as much as possible. He was gone as fast as he had come, neglecting to patrol as carefully as he should have.

Zorro moved again, whistling for the stallion. He would need the supplies in the saddlebags, and once Katherine was feeling better, transport home. There was a cave system running under the ground, and if his memory served him well, a sizeable cave itself close by. The storm was going to be with them for a while, he realised, as another clap of thunder boomed above them. Toronado shivered at the noise, and nuzzled his back for reassurance, almost making him stumble.

Locating the cave was simple enough, and Zorro found he could lead the stallion under cover as well, to his growing relief. He laid Katherine on the ground, reluctantly, and shifted the saddlebags off the stallion. There was a thin but warm blanket stored inside, as well as some normal clothes and some emergency supplies of herbs and bandages and kindling. The oilskin cover had kept everything dry, as it should have.

He set up a fire near the opening, so the smoke wouldn't bother them too much, and spread the large blanket out near a raised part of the cave. There was always the possibility of flooding with the storm, and he didn't want Katherine harmed any further.

Laying his wife on the blanket, he realised she was drenched through to the skin. The blue tinge to her skin was a concern. Removing his gloves again, he hesitated to start to remove her clothes. He needed to get her out of the wet things, and into dry, but he felt as if he was violating her privacy. He shook his head. Did he want a dead wife?

To distract himself, he fetched the white shirt from the saddlebags. It would do at a pinch for a nightdress for warmth and modesty. Then with trembling fingers, he undid ties and buttons to remove several saturated layers of female clothing. She was icy, he thought, brushing against her skin. He hurriedly placed the shirt on her, and draped Diego's jacket across her chest. He started to chaff her hands. If he could increase the circulation a little…perhaps there was medicinal brandy in the saddlebags…his mind was racing again – he didn't even carry brandy with him.

"Stop it," he told himself aloud. "Brandy won't help anyway…"

Toronado snorted in the dark at the unexpected sound.

He focussed instead on retrieving bandages and salve. Examining the head wound, he discovered it was mainly harmless, if any head wound could be harmless. A slight contusion to the forehead. The blood had come from a graze and scratch caused by the fall, but not associated with the bump to the head. No stitches required, luckily. He applied salve to the scratch and bandaged her head carefully. Wake up, Katherine…show me those green eyes of yours….

He swung the cape from his shoulders, and placed it near the fire with Katherine's clothes to dry. Some tinder for the fire had been supplied by the cave entrance itself, but he would need more. He glanced at the stallion.

"Felipe," he murmured. "We need Felipe…" He withdrew from the saddlebags paper and his graphite pencil. More blankets, bandages, salve…food…an excuse…Zorro smiled. Diego and his bride were having a little adventure, but where? He'd leave that to his creative son and act along with the story, as usual. Katherine would probably have no recollection of it, contusions were nasty, even small ones. She was a woman, after all.

He sent the horse away with the note tucked firmly inside the bridle. At least Toronado would be home and dry, and well fed. Zorro felt stings and aches all over his body, and crouched near the fire to warm himself a little more. His shoulders ached from carrying Katherine such a distance, and stings of tiny scratches from the earlier fight bothered him vaguely through the cold.

Zorro shrugged the dark shirt off his shoulders. Ow…Material caught on a tiny wound. You need to watch that arrogance of yours, he reminded himself, as he uncorked the salve and applied it gingerly. The salve stung, and he closed his eyes to steady himself a little, as the iodine burned.

Revenge was a strong word, why would Edward Thorogood use such a word? Edward didn't like to lose. He didn't like coming second. He seemed slightly obsessed with Katherine – and Katherine was instinctively terrified of him.

Katherine…he moved back towards her. Was she warming up enough? He was still wet, dripping. He didn't want to make her any colder. He thought of the spare trousers nearby, but they were Diego's. There was a possibility that she was only lightly knocked out, and would put two and two together. He had enough problems already without his impulsive bride trying to help Zorro.

His chest was dry, he reasoned. He could provide some body heat and warm her quicker. He sat next to her, and drew her into his arms. He supported his back, leaning against the rock wall, and stared at the fire. The orange and red flames danced, warming him with their colour, if not their heat, and he dozed a little.

Zzz

Zorro woke to a glowing warmth. The fire was roaring, and he and Katherine had been covered with a thick blanket in the night. He blinked in the glowing light with confusion, but soon spotted the teenager.

"Smells good," he murmured, shifting Katherine into a lying position. Fish? The aroma made his mouth water.

I didn't know what excuse to give, Felipe signed.

"I'll write a note," Zorro murmured.

Accident? Felipe gestured, glancing at Katherine.

"Not a bandit. She slipped and fell from Dulcinea."

He glanced at her quietly. Why hadn't he just taken her home? Her clothes were dry and warm now. He could.

She stirred, and moved herself as if she was snuggling into his side. Finding stone, she opened her eyes.

"Diego?"

"Unfortunately not, Senora," Zorro replied gently. "You had an accident and we waited out the storm in this cave."

She was staring at his chest, unblinking for a moment, and then her gaze shifted slightly to his right shoulder. Damn, he thought, holding his breath. Not that scar…she knows that scar…

Katherine glanced at the ground with confusion.

"My head hurts."

"It would." He reached for his dry shirt, and waved Felipe away. "It will for a while."

"Dulcinea…"

"I am sure the mare is fine. She has a huge self preservation streak." Unlike her rider, he thought, doing up the buttons of his silk shirt.

"Zorro…"

He waited.

"I needed to find…Zorro…" She glanced up at him, flushing a little.

"And here I am."

"Yes…I needed…I wanted…"

"Take it slowly," he advised. "Would you like some coffee?" Felipe had made some while they had slept.

"Diego…" She peered at him strangely. He waited, a trifle on edge.

"Yes, your husband?"

"He is in danger."

"And?"

"You are the defender of Los Angeles," she murmured. "You need to help…"

"Diego…isn't my friend, Senora," he said bluntly.

"You…helped…me."

It had been an impulsive move. He hadn't realised before. He sighed, and picked up a steaming mug of coffee. Sipping it thoughtfully, he waited.

"You…could help me again?"

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"Diego and I…are not friends." He knew he was repeating himself.

"Stupid…"

"We were rivals. We both loved Victoria," he murmured.

"Rivals…" She gazed up at him. "My cousin is in California, Zorro. He is an evil, wicked man. He wants to hurt Diego, to kill him. You would stand back and let him?"

"Diego is not a threat to anyone, Senora. Why would he be in this danger?"

"Because of me," she whispered. "Maybe that is the problem…"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Stop being an idiot," she murmured. "I brought this curse on him. I brought this danger, this monster here. I can't do anything about it….but you could…"

"I am retired," he said. "Zorro died with Victoria…that is what the pueblo understands."

"But he didn't. Zorro saved me. You didn't have to. You could have ignored me and my problems. As easily as you are turning away from Diego's problems," she answered.

She shivered, and looked down at herself. The fine shirt barely covered her, and was long enough to reach only to her knees. She reached for the jacket that had covered her, and stared at it.

She recognises it, Zorro thought. He sipped his coffee, angling himself away from her slightly, trying not to appear too concerned with her stare. Only Diego de la Vega wore such fine but plain clothes. It smelt of storage as well, which she couldn't miss.

Katherine's green eyes darkened with thought. Say something, he willed her. Accuse me, confront me, say something… She opened her mouth, and then closed it with a frown.

"What…would you have me do?" Zorro murmured. If she wasn't going to connect the dots, he wasn't going to wait for her to do so. Distraction was always his best method of hiding. "If I was to do anything? Kill your cousin, perhaps? I…don't do things like that."

"Just…I don't know," she said, her voice soft and slightly slurred. "Maybe I am being stupid," she added.

"It is quite a big thing for a wife to be so devoted to her husband's safety, Senora." He found himself saying. "Your husband would feel...," he searched for the word, "honoured."

She shook her head as if to clear it. "Diego would feel exasperated…he doesn't believe that Edward is in California."

"So you seek me out?"

She stared up at him, a little confused for a moment. A flush started from the tips of her toes to her face. "No…what…what do you mean?"

"You are disappointed in your husband. You seek me out. It…suggests that you are looking for something…Something outside of the marriage." Thoughts had begun to fill Zorro's head and they were not happy ones.

"I care about my husband!"

"Not…'I think I love him'?" Zorro saw the change come over her face as she understood the insult. Pure rage filled green eyes, turning them from pale to dark in seconds. Her fists clenched, and he resisted the urge to stand and back away. She needed to distance herself from him, not him from her.

She stood, and almost stumbled to the ground. Stablising herself with one hand resting on the rock wall, she stared down at him.

"How dare you?" She hissed. "You flatter yourself, Sir!" She had Diego's jacket clenched in her hands, and she threw it to the ground in anger.

"A seared conscience?" He had risen slowly. If she fell, he would have to catch her. He wasn't sure why he doubted her, why a slow burn of anger and jealousy was being kindled in his heart.

Slap! She could hit hard, he thought, rubbing his cheek ruefully.

"Take me home! Right now!" She growled, although her eyes had lost some of their rage.

Zorro tossed across the dry clothes she had worn the previous day.

"I wonder what your sainted husband will say," he murmured softly, giving in to a sense of retaliation. "Since you have been missing for most of yesterday and today?"

She sank to the ground with such despair, and dizziness, he felt sorry. She was concussed and confused. She wanted to help him. She wanted him safe. She wasn't after Zorro for heated kisses and embraces. Katherine wasn't trying to seduce a bandit. She was married to him, for goodness sake. What was he doing?

"Will he think…? I wouldn't do that to him…I'd never do that to Diego," she whispered. "I only wanted to help him."

"Lie down," Zorro said gruffly. "I am sure I can smooth things over with the man. Regardless of the lack of love between us." It was as much of an apology as he could muster.

"Will you help him though?"

"I don't like this, Senora. A wife is meant to trust her husband."

"A husband is meant to take his wife seriously." Her response made him startle, which she noticed. She frowned a little, and watched him carefully. What was going on in that head of hers, he wondered.

"Diego found me wandering after our last meeting…" She added, stretching out on the blanket. "I…thought it was a dream." A thought occurred to her, he could see her eyes light up. "Is…is this a dream?"

"Would you like it to be, Senora?" He murmured, fetching the extra blanket and covering her more securely with it.

"Can it be arranged?" She murmured with slight confusion. She was concussed, Zorro knew.

"Yes," he answered softly. "It can be."

"This is a dream?" He nodded.

"That makes more sense," she responded with a sleepy smile. "Because how…?"

"What, Senora?"

"How would I know who you are? If it is not a dream?"

"How indeed," he murmured, before he let the words sink in. "Wait…What?"

She was asleep. He wasn't going to get an answer…not right now. He stared at her for a while, and then went to fetch Felipe.