Zorro was active that night. He rode out to where MacKay had mentioned was a great place for a tripwire mechanism, dismounted several paces before it. He made sure it was dismantled, and the trapdoor was fixed. It wouldn't do to have others fall into the trap just because he knew about it and could avoid it.

Mounting Tornardo again, and turning back to the town, he wondered what the consequences could be. No doubt more action would be required. MacKay might connect the damage to his contraption with Diego and the risk factors could rise on both of his identities. It was quite likely.

Diego could explain it away with the possibilities of lack of privacy in such a place as a tavern, but the man would probably not accept that.

Zzz

Victoria was about to head to bed when Zorro swung down into the kitchen.

"Are you alright? I needed to talk to you today. A man has planned to trap you. Tripwires and trapdoors…"

"As you can see I am still standing," Zorro said, as Victoria ran to him, examining his shirt and giving him a concerned glance. Her eyes followed her hands as they ran down his body, hunting for any hidden injuries, her hands stopping at his waist. He caught her hands in his, and raised them to his lips.

"Sit down," she said, her tone commanding.

He obeyed with a tired smile. "Now what?"

"Are you bleeding? Are you hurt?" Victoria demanded.

"No," Zorro said bluntly. "I discovered the danger and prevented it."

"How?" Victoria asked. "How could you know?"

"I have my ways," Zorro said gently. "I would love a cup of hot chocolate, if you aren't too tired to make one."

"I was just about to make myself one," Victoria said, distracted for a moment. She began to prepare and heat the milk.

"Does this mean you're staying for a while?"

"If the alcalde isn't suddenly roused from slumber, yes," Zorro said. "Unfortunately, I can't stay very long."

"Why are you staying?"

"What?"

"You are normally very fast on your feet."

Zorro stood up and spun her around, kissing her as she faced him. She responded equally as desperately to his embrace.

"I'm still very fast on my feet," he murmured into her hair as she clung to him.

"You could have been killed today, and here you are joking with me," she said, pulling away from him a little awkwardly.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Zorro answered, looking down at her. "I'm not dead. I'm not hurt."

Victoria glanced up at him, and he saw the tears in her eyes.

"Oh, Victoria," he said with a sigh. "I am sorry."

She brushed the tears away with frustrated fingers. "It's not you, you didn't make me cry," she said.

"Oh yes I did," Zorro said, watching her carefully. "The way this is going, I might get hurt."

"Yes. That man, that MacKay, he wants you dead or alive. He spoke to Diego about his plans…"

"Yes?"

"How did you know about the plans? Is...is Tornardo hurt?"

"My horse is fine, Victoria."

"Then how did you know?"

"The tavern is a busy place, especially during certain parts of the day. The walls have ears, my love, and so do I."

"You were here?"

Zorro shrugged. "I am at lots of places."

"I see you everyday?" Victoria grew thoughtful. "I never considered that."

"I cannot live without seeing you at least once a day, my love."

"That is why you grow frustrated with me?"

"My words of the other night were careless and hurtful," Zorro said. "I want you to forget my lapse in manners, and forget those demands."

"But if you love me so much you cannot bear to be apart, what does that say about me? I really should be in love with two men, and one would be the man without the mask," Victoria answered. "What if I am not?"

What if she was not? Zorro paused, his confidence wavering a little. If she didn't love two men, then his fears were realised. The legend had her heart. She merely loved her hero, the symbol of freedom, of resistance, not the man himself.

"But I must be," she said, and Zorro found he could breathe again. "The courage that lives in you lives in you with or without the mask."

There were soon two mugs of steaming hot chocolate on the table. Zorro sat on the bench and sipped his mug. It was smooth and thick, just as he had always liked. Victoria sat on a stool, a little distanced from him. She watched him drink his chocolate, slightly fascinated.

She had never seen him drink anything before. He had never been still long enough to eat or drink. It made everything seem more human, less mythical. Men ate and drank, not legends.

She blushed a little as she reached for her mug. Zorro glanced at her and noticed the colour on her cheeks. That was unusual for Victoria, whose main emotion was defiant anger. He wondered what she was thinking about, and the blush made him determined not to ask her.

He drained the mug of the chocolate quickly, deciding that perhaps he was staying a little too long for comfort. Standing up, he handed the mug to Victoria, who thanked him.

He turned towards the chimney.

"Before you go," Victoria said. "Please be careful. Please."

Zorro paused and turned back to her. "I am always thinking of you, Victoria. Of our time together. The future is ours, and I always try to be careful. For your sake, if for nothing else."

She ran to him, and caught him in a hug. He lifted her face to gaze at it in the candlelight, and kissed her again. She responded in a fierce and desperate way, as if it might be her last chance to kiss him, and he matched it. When they broke away, he stroked her cheek with his gloved hand, and smiled.

"I love you so much, Victoria. We will be together one day, without the mask. You'll see," Zorro whispered, and then he turned and left the kitchen via the chimney as usual.

Zzz

Zorro arrived back at the hacienda, tired but satisfied. Felipe took charge of Tornardo and Diego crept through the house towards his bedroom. This time his father wasn't awake to interrupt him, and Diego made his way to bed.

He slept deeply and undisturbed until mid morning, waking to a day of cold rain. He sighed with a bit of frustration, but yawned and stretched with the energy of a well rested man.