"Zorro? Zorro, can you hear me?" A woman's voice resounded, and the masked man found it both strange and familiar somehow. "Relax! Everything will be fine." She told him as she saw he was beginning to wake up. "It's just me here, Doctor Kent."

He forced himself to open his eyes.

"Where am I? What happened?" He asked, his voice hoarse.

"We're about four miles north of Los Angeles. You're safe, Zorro, at least for now. Can you tell me what happened to you so I know where to look for whatever injury made you pass out in the middle of nowhere?" She asked.

He didn't answer, just stared at her.

"I don't imagine you were just taking a nap, were you?" Jessie questioned at seeing his look.

Again silence. The man just stared at her as if he wasn't able to make sense of her words, then looked at his hands and feet.

"Why did you call me Zorro?" He asked, and the young woman sighed, looking worried. "I am a man, not a fox."

"But that's your name. Zorro. Don't you remember?" She inquired.

"That's not my name. My name is…" He knew it, as if it was right on the tip of his tongue, but his lips were stubbornly refusing to utter it.

"You really shouldn't tell me your name. You're an outlaw. I would never betray you intentionally, but I sometimes speak in my sleep, and I am also very bad at lying. I really don't want you on my conscience." Jessie uttered.

"Why can't I remember my name?" He asked.

She looked at him, and shook her head. "What can you remember?"

"I… I'm not sure." He answered, taking a hand to his head and letting out a groan as he touched a sensitive area. Pulling off his glove and trying to feel his head again, he noticed the mask and reached to remove it.

"No! You mustn't take that off." Jessie said as he was about to lift the piece of cloth, turning her back at him.

"Why not?" The black-clad man wondered, as he put the mask back on.

"Didn't you hear a word I said? Your identity is a secret. You are a wanted man. I don't want to know who you are for I might unwillingly out you to my husband!"

"You're married? That's a shame…" He uttered with a disappointed smile, then an idea crossed his mind. "But, if you don't know who I am, how can you know I am not your husband?"

"Believe me, of that I am certain! God knows you have humiliated him enough times! Besides, you are in love with Victoria, so let's make that clear!" She answered.

"Victoria?" That name sounded familiar and brought a smile to his lips.

"Yes. Don't you remember her? You remember Victoria, don't you?" She said, hopeful, although she felt herself panicking.

"No. What's she like?" He inquired.

"Fantastic!" She uttered.

"Fantastic." He repeated, a dumb smile on his lips.

"No… I mean… Victoria is great. She is a wonderful woman. But this… you not remembering who you are, is a real conundrum. What am I supposed to do with you now?" The young woman wondered.

Jessie cursed their luck. In order to check on his wound, she needed to take off his mask, which she absolutely couldn't do.

Trying to avoid that, she felt the area through the silk, and, although there was no blood from what she could tell, she realized that there was an inflammation.

"You must have suffered a blow to your head." She concluded. "It would explain why you were here, unconscious. Do you have a medical kit in Tornado's saddlebags?"

"Whose saddlebags?" He wondered.

"Why am I even asking?" She chided herself, and went to the horse to check.

The stallion backed away a few steps as she tried reaching in his saddlebags.

"Easy, Tornado. I'm just trying to help your master." She said, and he seemed to have understood as he stopped backing away, and allowed the search.

Jessie found a water flask, bandages, and a bottle of strange-smelling liquid that she hesitated to use.

Taking the flask, she poured the water still in it on a folded bandage, then reached to place it under the mask, above his wound, doing her best not to look towards his face.

"It's not much, but it will have to do for now. I need to get help... I know! Diego!" She muttered mostly to herself.

"Diego?" He asked, as the name sounded just like the one on the tip of his tongue.

"Yes. He has more knowledge when it comes to head injuries than I do. I will get him to help!" She answered, then looked around. "But I can't leave you here. Can you get on your horse?"

He slowly got up and, with Jessie's help, was able to mount.

Going ahead to make sure the road was clear before returning for Zorro, Jessie wondered whether to go to the pueblo, where she was certain Diego was, or to the De la Vega hacienda. Considering it was safer to go to the hacienda, she resolved to head that way hoping one of the De la Vega men was home and might be able to help. As she reached the nearby hills, she left Tornado behind some boulders with instructions for his rider to await her return, and made her way to the house.

Seeing how he was so close to the cave, though, Tornado took his rider there as soon as Jessie was out of sight, ignoring his commands.

The young woman knocked on the door, and a still-sleepy Don Alejandro came to answer.

"Doctor Kent! It's good to see you! We've been worried. Please, come in!" He uttered.

"Thank you, Don Alejandro, but I am here because I need your help." She said, then looked around. The older didn't need more clues to understand that she didn't want anyone to overhear her.

"Please, come in! The servants are still sleeping, and they are rarely in this part of the house, anyway, so you needn't worry. What is this about?" The Don asked.

"It's Zorro. He has a bad injury putting him in some serious trouble. I need Diego's help." She replied.

"I believe he's still sleeping. He looked exhausted when he returned this afternoon. I doubt he slept a wink last night. But perhaps I can help, instead. Where is he?" The caballero asked.

"He's in the hills behind the hacienda. I left him there with Tornado." She answered. "I found him in a field… I didn't know what else to do."

"You did well to bring him here. We can take him to one of the unused stables, but you must take me to him, first." The don told her.

Jessie nodded and, after Don Alejandro saddled his mare, they both headed for the hills.

ZZZ

Felipe had also been awaken by the knocks on the door, and, having made his way towards the front rooms just moments after his grandfather had opened it, he was able to hear the entire conversation.

The moment they were out the door, the young man hurried towards the cave, hoping to find Zorro before they could, and bring him back.

He didn't need to search, though, as the masked man was just dismounting in the cave as he entered it. He sighed, relieved, but felt less so at noticing the inquisitive look his adoptive father gave him.

"Who are you?" Zorro asked. "What is this place?"

Felipe stared at him for a few moments. "It's me, Felipe!" He signed.

"Do I know you?" Zorro wondered.

"I am your son." The younger man signed.

"You're my son?" The older man wondered.

Felipe nodded, looking cautiously at him.

"Is that why I understand your signs?"

Felipe nodded.

"Do you know my real name? Is it Diego?"

Again, the younger man nodded, then signed, asking what was wrong with him.

"I seem to have lost my memory. A young woman saying she was a doctor told me it was a blow to my head." Zorro explained.

"Another one? You just got over a bad blow to your head!" Felipe signed.

"That might explain why I lost my memory this time. Do you know a… Victoria? Is she your mother?" He answered and asked.

Felipe nodded, then rapidly shook his head. "You are not married, but you are engaged."

"So… we had you out of wedlock?"

"No. I am not really your son. You found me as a child, and adopted me recently." Felipe explained. "The Doctor, does she know who you are?" He proceeded to ask.

"No. I wanted to take off the mask, but she didn't want me to."

The relieved smile appeared again on Felipe's face. Then, remembering Jessie and Don Alejandro had gone in search of the masked man, he told him to wait there and hurried to exit the cave in the hope there was still time for him to erase the tracks.

ZZZ

"Now where has he gotten to?" Jessie wondered as she returned to the place where she had left Zorro and his horse. "He was just here!" She told the don.

"We must search for him." He answered, looking at the ground.

ZZZ

Returning inside, Felipe found his father at his desk, his belt and weapons discarded on the floor, and Tornado happily chewing on some hay in his stall. Felipe collected the weapons, then made some cactus tea. After convincing the older man to drink it, he spent a few moments fighting with him to take off the mask since Jessie had asked Zorro not to let anyone remove it.

He then checked the wound and replaced the bandage with one soaked in ice-cold water. After setting up the cot they kept in one of the cave's adjacent small rooms for such occasions, he led a sleepy Diego to it and let him rest.

ZZZ

Jessie and Don Alejandro returned about an hour later, empty-handed and worried about the pueblo's masked hero. Since there was no reason for them to wake up Diego at that point, though, they let him sleep. The young woman left for the pueblo at that point, but only after Don Alejandro promised to keep searching, and let her know if he found Zorro.

ZZZ

The elderly caballero watched her leave, then thought about taking some medical supplies with him. As he managed to pack a small bag of supplies, he decided that he might need some help with the search. Hesitating a little, he headed for Felipe's bedroom, hoping his grandson was less tired than his adoptive father. Not finding him there, he exited to notice Pinto in the stables, so he started looking for the young man, first asking his men about him, then calling his name as he re-entered the house, despite knowing the boy couldn't hear. His callings did have the desired effect, however, as well as the side-effect of waking up Diego.

"Who's that?" He wondered.

Felipe signed that it was his grandfather, and he'd go see what he needed, then hurriedly disappeared through the passage leading to the library.

Intrigued, the older man, noticing he was feeling much better, soon stood up from the bed and made a few hesitant steps towards the corridor, only stopping when he noticed the mirror.

Taking some time to study his face, he found that he disliked how the bandage looked around his head, so he took it off. After arranging his hair, he nodded his satisfaction, and decided to go meet his father.

He was about to do just that when a white shirt caught the corner of his eye, so he returned to the mirror and realized there was something wrong with him being dressed in black with no mask. Taking the white linen shirt, he exchanged his black shirt for it, then headed towards the corridor.

Reaching a dead end, he looked around and noticed the candle holder. There was something about it, something he should, but couldn't remember. He raised his hand to touch it, and instinctively tilted it to the side. The panel slid open. Curious, he moved the candlestick back, and the panel door closed. A satisfied grin on his lips, he opened it again and stepped through it, looking around the room. Luckily, there was no one else there.

"Don Alejandro!" He heard a woman's voice call from outside, just as Felipe and his father were re-entering the house.

The young man had found the elderly don at the back of the hacienda, then had to listen to his search plan before informing him that he wanted to stay and watch over Diego. Consequently, remembering to have already noticed something was off about his son the previous night, Don Alejandro begun worrying and insisted on heading to check on him in his bedroom (where the older don assumed he was), when the taverness arrived.

Felipe, who was a few steps ahead of his grandfather, froze at seeing the tall caballero in the library, dressed half as himself and half as Zorro. Glancing back to notice that Don Alejandro had turned towards the taverness, who was dismounting her horse in front of the entrance, he hurried towards Diego.

"Victoria! What brings you here, my dear?" The two younger men heard Don Alejandro ask.

"I just talked to Jessie. Do you have any news of him?" Diego heard her reply as Felipe tried to drag him in the direction of the fireplace.

"I'm afraid not!" Don Alejandro's voice was heard again. "I was just about to check on my son before leaving to search for him again."

"Is that Victoria?" The tall caballero asked his son with anticipation, refusing to do as the younger man wanted.

"Is that Diego?" They heard Victoria ask the elderly caballero, before steps were heard heading towards the house.

Lacking time or another solution, Felipe eyed a blanket and, forcing his father to sit down, put it on his lap, covering his lower half in an effort to hide Zorro's pants and boots. Then, he placed a book in his hands, seconds before the other two people made their way towards them.

It was only then that the older man realized what he was doing. Clearly, his father and Victoria also didn't know he dressed in black and wore a mask, and his son didn't want them to find out.

"Diego!" Don Alejandro muttered. "When did you wake up?"

"Just a few minutes ago." He said sincerely, a silly smile on his face at eying the taverness.

"Well… You look… a little better… Which is lucky since you might soon be needed." Don Alejandro said.

"Needed?" The younger man asked.

"Yes. Son, Jessie was here earlier. Zorro has been injured. I was just about to leave to go search for him."

"You were?" He asked as Felipe took a few steps back to stand right behind his grandfather and Victoria, both of whom came to check on the tall caballero.

"Yes. Perhaps you should also come." Don Alejandro suggested.

Felipe shook his head.

"No… I'm not feeling very well." Diego replied.

"He must still be very tired." Victoria told Don Alejandro, trying to help her friend. "Perhaps I should go, instead."

"No, Victoria! I don't believe that would be wise. Besides, Felipe will go with me, won't you, young man?"

The youngest De la Vega looked worriedly towards his father.

"Don't worry, Felipe. I will take care of Diego. You go search for Zorro!" The taverness assured him.

Don Alejandro nodded, and stomped towards the exit to the hacienda, followed by his very doubtful grandson, who couldn't think of any reason why he should remain instead.

"I am certain I'll be in very good hands." Diego said as soon as they were leaving, the look he gave her making the young woman blush.

"I… I will go make you a tea." She said as soon as she came to her senses, embarrassed by the way her friend was looking at her.

Leaving the room, she closed the door to the corridor leading towards the kitchen and leaned heavily against it, trying to catch her breath and wondering how could such a simple look of Diego's make her knees weak.

The moment she was out of the room, the caballero remembered the black pants, and, after a few seconds spent trying to guess how the panel opened, he instinctively pressed the hidden lever and hurried to the cave, where he put on the blue pants and boots he found there, then returned to the library, just as Victoria was coming back with the tea.

"Thank you!" Diego said, taking a sip. "It smells much better than that foul concoction Felipe had me drink earlier." He said.

"What did he have you drink?" Victoria wondered.

"I'm not sure. He said it would help me sleep." Diego answered.

"You must truly be exhausted if you need to drink some bad-tasting tea just to fall asleep." Victoria said. "I don't believe a couple of hours were enough, though, considering you have been keeping vigil on the injured men since yesterday afternoon and you are hardly used to exerting yourself like that. You should try sleeping a little more. I wish I had some of Zorro's awful cactus tea! That would surely help!" She uttered just as his stomach made a strange, loud noise. "When was the last time you ate, Diego?" She inquired.

"I… I don't really remember." He answered honestly.

"That must be why you're acting so strange and can't sleep! You've forgotten to eat! I'll go get you some food." She promised, and hurried to the kitchen.

Diego grinned at her when she returned with a plate of tamales, and ate everything in minutes before asking for another serving.

She looked at him curiously, and brought him another plate. After he also finished that one, Victoria suggested again that he should go to bed. He gave her a suggestive look, then remembered they weren't married. Rather disappointed, he stood up feeling dizzy, then headed for the front door.

He only realized he had no idea where his room was as he exited to the courtyard.

Victoria followed him to see he was looking around with some confusion.

"Diego? What's wrong with you? Your room is the other way." She uttered.

The caballero was about to ask for her help getting there, when he felt the content of his stomach about to burst out, and he kneeled next to the door to expel all he had eaten earlier.

"Diego?" Victoria exclaimed and went to help him, then called for Maria, the De la Vega cook/housekeeper.

When the caballero recovered, certain there was nothing left in his stomach for him to throw up, they helped him to his room and into his bed, then Victoria remained with him while the older woman headed for the kitchen to bring a remedy for stomach sickness.

The caballero fell asleep a while later, while the taverness was reading to him, and she stood up and left his room after spending a few minutes just watching him.

Since, besides having promised to take care of Diego, she was waiting for news of Zorro, the young woman headed for the library and continued reading the same book from which she had read to the caballero, hoping to thus distract herself.

About an hour later, she heard horses in the courtyard and headed for the entrance to come face-to-face with Don Alejandro and Felipe. She smiled at seeing them, but her grin soon faded at noticing they were being followed inside by several masked and armed thugs.

"Look what we have here, men! The taverness!" The leader of the bandits uttered.

"Run, Victoria!" Don Alejandro ordered, but it was too late. Two men hurried to grab her before she could take a step.

"Now, old man, where do you keep your money?" The leader inquired. "Speak!" He ordered holding his gun to Victoria's head.

"There's a safe in the library." Don Alejandro answered.

Forcing him to open it, they took out a red velvet bag.

"You want me to believe this is all your money?" The leader asked, reasoning there was no more than 1,000 pesos there. "Where's the rest of it? Speak now or watch these two die!" He said, indicating towards Victoria and Felipe.

"I don't keep more money in the house. Everything else is in the bank." Don Alejandro answered, looking spitefully towards the intruders. "But the bank is closed at this time."

The leader gave him a malicious smile. "You have a son, yes?"

Don Alejandro made no gesture.

"Where is he?" The bandit questioned. Nobody answered. "Check the hacienda!" He ordered his men.

They found Diego still sleeping in his room and, after taking some time to wake him up, they forced him to join the others in the library.

"The three of them come with us." The bandit leader informed Don Alejandro. "If you want to see them alive again, you bring us 30,000 –" one of his men interrupted him to whisper in his ear, "50,000 pesos. We'll meet you by the broken bridge to Santa Paula at midday tomorrow." He told the don as his men were tying up and gagging Victoria, Diego and Felipe.

"If you so much as –"

"What?" The bandit mocked. "You'll give praise to God if I decide to leave at least two of them alive, so don't try to threaten me, old man! And if I see any lancer with you, or anywhere in the area, I will kill the three of them on the spot."

Don Alejandro watched them leave with the young people who were, one way or another, his family. Swearing to himself to make the bandits pay, he then returned to the house to consider his options.