Title: A Nightmare to Remember
Written: 7/5
Synopsis: What if things had gone a bit differently in the episode 'An Affair to Remember'.
Notes: This is my feeble attempt at humor. I'm really far better with angst and romance….but, alas, those of you that dare to read this funny little tale . . . do so at your own risk! Muah.
A Nightmare to Remember
Diego felt more excited than he had in a very long time. Victoria was in the cave and they were going to have dinner together. Perhaps tonight was the night he would tell her everything. His heart longed for it, even if his mind feared for her safety.
He carried the food-laden tray in through the fireplace, thinking only of the wonderful meal and the even better company.
He was so distracted by thoughts of Victoria, he completely forgot that he had changed out of Zorro's clothes when he'd left to go get the food.
And he realized too late to do anything about it.
Felipe skidded to a halt behind Diego, grateful that the man's height and size hid him from the wide-awake and currently gaping señorita. Felipe had no doubt that she would soon be a very upset señorita and the mute carefully began backing toward the steps that would lead to his freedom.
"Diego?" Victoria questioned, her eyes scanning her friend's stunned face.
"Uh – Victoria . . ."
Victoria simply stared at him, her mind frantically trying to understand what he was doing in Zorro's cave. Every possibility she thought of was more ridiculous than the last until she squeaked out the question burning in her mind. "What are you doing here?"
"I –"
"You've brought me dinner?" Victoria's eyes narrowed suspiciously as she noticed the tray in his hands. But Zorro had left not long ago telling her that they would have a . . . "A nice, romantic dinner . . . " She repeated what Zorro had said to her moments before he disappeared up those stone steps.
Diego cursed his inability to form a coherent thought. Of all the ways he'd imagined Victoria discovering his secret, this had not been one of them.
"Victoria –"
Victoria's eyes widened and she pushed herself to her feet, favoring her injured ankle. She hobbled toward him, a murderous look in her eyes.
Diego swallowed nervously as he recognized that look. He backed up quickly but soon found himself with nowhere to go. The stone wall behind him would not be moved. He was trapped – with a very furious señorita.
"You are Zorro!"
Cruelly betraying his nervousness, the slight tinkling of the utensils on the tray Diego held was the only sound in the room for several long, painful moments.
Victoria gave him a scathing look, which prompted a gulp and an attempted, "Victoria – I –"
"Yes, I've heard you say my name enough. Now I want an explanation." She seethed, her eyes shooting darts at her trusted friend.
"Diego!" Alejandro rounded the corner in search of his son but only found Felipe nervously pacing a hole in the library floor.
"Ah, Felipe, have you seen Diego?"
Felipe steadfastly refused to look at the fireplace and simply shook his head at Alejandro.
"Ah, well, I wanted his help with something but I suppose it can wait." Alejandro turned to walk out when he heard a crash. He whirled around and quickly scanned the library for the source of what had broken.
Felipe gulped nervously casting an annoyed look at the fireplace. If they didn't keep it down in there, Victoria wasn't going to be the only one who discovered Zorro's secret today!
"What was that?" Alejandro muttered to himself, eyes narrowing. As he stepped closer to Felipe, who was now standing with his back to the fireplace, he could hear the muffled words of a very familiar voice.
Felipe shrugged and started signing rapidly, hoping to distract Alejandro with signs he could not easily understand.
Alejandro continued to look around the room and as he stepped closer to Felipe the muffled voices became a bit more clear.
"That sounds like Victoria." Alejandro's eyes narrowed suspiciously.
Felipe shrugged again and pointed toward the door. He made a sign for Diego.
"So Diego is home? And –" he listened carefully, "It sounds like Victoria is here too." Alejandro's eyes snapped toward the mute. "Is she arguing with Diego?" The possibility seemed ridiculous. His frustratingly calm son, arguing with anyone, was something that simply never happened.
Felipe swallowed hard and took his patron's arm. But as he tried to lead Alejandro toward the door, they heard a very clear, very loud, "I trusted you!"
Felipe stiffened and risked a glance at Alejandro, who was staring at the wall with an unreadable expression. Slowly, the man's head swiveled to stare at the mute and the tone in his patron's voice left no room for argument. "What is going on here? That was Victoria's voice." Alejandro's eyes swept over the mute's tense frame. "I may be old but I am not blind -" Alejandro stared suspiciously at Felipe, "or deaf."
I was going to tell you today. After dinner." Diego carefully deposited the tray on the desk and turned to the furious woman.
"Today? Today! What about all of the other days you could have told me?" Victoria's eyes shot daggers at him
"Victoria, please –" Diego held out his hands. "I don't know if the bandits are gone. If they hear you –"
Victoria huffed and closed her mouth, annoyed that he was right.
Hoping against hope, he pointed to the food-laden tray. "Sit down and eat. You must be hungry."
"Oh, I'm hungry, all right."
Diego swallowed nervously and sighed. "For my blood, no doubt."
Victoria limped along the laboratory table, eyeing the many empty containers sitting unused. Finding one she found suitable, she plucked it from the table and eyed Diego with a malicious glare.
"No! Not that one!" Diego pleaded, hands reaching toward her, his eyes full of fear. "I understand you are upset but I'd rather not loose a limb!"
Victoria's eyes narrowed in annoyance at her foolishness. An empty one, Victoria. If you're going to throw something, make sure it is heavy and empty!
Diego heaved a visible sigh of relief and was caught off guard when Victoria found a suitable empty, replacement.
Sliding her fingers around the large glass jar, she lifted it and hurled it in his general direction.
Diego barely dodged the flying missile as it shattered into a million little pieces behind the desk. He leveled an annoyed look of his own at Victoria, muttering. "At least it was empty."
Victoria huffed in annoyance, her rage calming slightly at the satisfying sound of shattering glass.
"Explain it to me. All of it. Make me understand," Her fury evaporated as the shock of his revelation wore away, leaving her emotionally drained.
Silence.
"Do you love me?" Victoria asked softly.
Diego, prepared to take more verbal lashing, didn't answer right away. His mind and his tongue simply were not on speaking terms tonight.
Victoria's eyes flashed but he found his voice before she could respond with the scathing comment teetering on the tip of her tongue.
"I love you with all of my heart, Victoria," Diego said passionately, his heart in her throat.
"Then why didn't you trust me?" she asked quietly.
Alejandro and Felipe had just stepped outside as Diego leapt from the fireplace and hurried down the hallway. Knowing exactly what he was looking for, and where to find it, he plucked the gold ring from the jewelry box and returned to the cave – only to find that Victoria was not where he'd left her.
His heart plummeted into his stomach as his eyes quickly scanned the cave. He hadn't far to look as he rounded the corner and found her standing in Toronado's empty stall.
When she looked up at him, her eyes were full of tears. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Diego closed his eyes and heaved a deep sigh. "Because I love you too much to put you in the kind of danger this knowledge would bring."
"Don't you think that was my choice?" she asked, stepping back as he reached out a hand toward her.
"Please – Victoria. Come away. If the bandits should hear us –"
"The great Zorro afraid of a few bandits?" she spat, eyes narrowing in anger.
"Afraid that if they find their way into this cave I will have to kill them to protect this secret," Diego admitted with a sad look. "Afraid that I can't take on all of them and protect you at the same time."
"What makes you think I need protecting?" came the quick retort. "I would have been fine if you hadn't – hadn't jumped on my horse like some –"
"We've already had this argument, Victoria. I won't risk your safety – for anything." Diego turned weary eyes on the woman he loved.
She turned from him but he was encouraged when he placed a trembling hand on her shoulder and she didn't pull away.
"I love you, Victoria. Give me a chance to prove that to you."
"What kind of relationship could we ever have when you don't love me enough to trust me?" Her eyes held a betrayed sadness that ripped at his heart.
"I love you enough to keep this secret to protect you."
"That was my choice! Not yours!" She whirled, the fire in her eyes returning as she glared at him.
"Then I made a mistake in not telling you. I'm sorry." Diego didn't want to argue with her any longer. He wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her until she relented, until she–. He glanced down at the ring clutched in his trembling hand.
Diego dropped to his knees in front of her and held out the ring. "I love you, Victoria. And I want you to be my wife. Will you marry me?"
Victoria blinked and stared down at him. Her eyes shifted from his face to the ring he held in his outstretched hand. A marriage was nothing without trust.
"No."
Diego awoke with a loud gasp, sweat beading his forehead. He glanced around his bedroom before tossing off the covers and rushing into the cave, a lone candle casting unearthly shadows on the walls.
He heaved a huge sigh of relief when he realized that he must have been dreaming. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes. No signs of broken glass anywhere.
"This is a nightmare that will haunt my dreams for the rest of my life," Diego muttered as he turned and walked up the stone steps.
It had all been a dream, hadn'tit?
Behind him, a piece of broken glass glinted in the candlelight.
END