Chapter 6

"No rest for the wicked," Diego muttered as he slipped quickly into the black clothing.

The urgency in Felipe's eyes urged Diego to spare no haste and soon he was galloping Toronado across the few miles and into the pueblo. The familiar ka ka of the Raven echoed in his ears and Zorro glanced up, seeing, for seemingly the first time, the dark wings gliding beside him.

By the time he arrived, it was nearly over. The bandits had been chased out of town by de Soto and the garrison, but the soldiers, thankfully, had not yet returned.

Zorro crept along the rooftops and slipped into the tavern, needing to make sure his lady had escaped the ordeal unscathed.

When she noticed him, she stared unemotionally at the man she loved. Pilar's eyes widened and she slipped out of the kitchen to let the two speak alone. But she ran into Don Alejandro on the way out and he nodded knowingly upon seeing Zorro. He allowed Pilar to take his arm and turn him in the other direction.

"Well, this will be interesting." Alejandro sat at his customary table and stared at the curtain.

"Why is that?" Don Ricardo cast a sidelong glance at his good friend.

"Oh, Zorro just popped into the kitchen and the look on Victoria's face was not, as I would say, cordial." Alejandro kept his eyes focused on the curtain, hoping, with some measure of glee, that she treated him a lot worse than she'd treated his son the previous night.

Rumors of those events had spread through the pueblo like wild fire. He wasn't sure whether his son's reputation had been damaged or aided by what had happened. But he couldn't stop the small chuckle that escaped when he remembered the look on his son's face, or even their conversation on the ride home.

"Well, I tried." Diego muttered.

Alejandro couldn't suppress another laugh. "We noticed."

"At least she was laughing by the time we left. My dignity and pride is a small price to pay for that, I suppose." Diego smiled woefully at his father.

"Diego, son, you should have known better." Alejandro found it difficult to look at his son's disheveled appearance without laughing, so kept his eyes on the road ahead.

"I wanted to help –"

"Never comfort a woman who has just broken with the man she loves," Alejandro advised. This was a lesson his son should have learned long ago. But there was a first time for everything.

Diego was truly confused. "Why?"

"Because she likely isn't going to have a high opinion of any man, that's why!"

Alejandro was drawn out of his reverie by the sound of a shattering dish.

"She keeps that up, we'll all be eating off the tables. There won't be an unbroken dish left in the place," Don Ricardo chuckled as he, too, turned his gaze to the closed curtain.

"I waited for you! All these years!"

Another shattering dish.

"And now you don't want to marry me!"

And another.

The men in the taproom couldn't hear his replies but they all winced at the enraged señorita's tone, each glad it wasn't them with whom she was so furious.

Mendoza stepped into the tavern with a large satisfied smile and every eye that was trained on the kitchen curtain snapped away.

"We caught the bandits and we didn't even need Zorro's help!" Mendoza stated proudly as he approached Pilar and ordered a large serving of whatever the lunch special was today.

That's because he's here dodging dishes instead of pistol balls, Alejandro chuckled to himself.

"You made a promise to me!"

Another dish shattered.

Mendoza glanced toward the curtain and turned wide-eyes on Alejandro, "Don Diego isn't trying to help her again, is he?" Pilar set a glass in front of him, hoping to distract the soldier from the scene going on in the kitchen.

"Not – quite, Sergeant." Alejandro buried any further reply in his wine glass.

But the alcalde had stepped into the tavern, his already smug smile growing. Finally. That masked fiend was his.

"Ah, alcalde!" Alejandro stood immediately and stepped in de Soto's path. "I wanted to speak to you about your new tax."

"Not now, de la Vega," De Soto said, his eyes focused over Alejandro's shoulder and at the curtain separating the kitchen from the dining room.

"I really must insist!" Alejandro said loudly. Hoping it was enough to alert Zorro to the danger. "Since this tax now affects myself and the other caballeros, we really must –"

De Soto drew his sword and pushed Alejandro out of the way with a curt, "Not now." He stepped to the curtain and pushed it aside.

Victoria stepped away from Zorro, whose arms were extended toward her as if trying to make her understand something.

Alejandro sighed and Mendoza nearly choked on his juice.

"If you will come with me, please," De Soto grinned happily. "You are under arrest."

Zorro simply stared at the man. "You have interrupted a very private conversation, alcalde."

"For the last time, I assure you." De Soto announced confidently.

Zorro drew his blade and saluted the man. "I'm sorry, but today is not especially good for a hanging."

"It is for me!" De Soto lunged but Zorro parried the advance with ease.

The familiar ka ka of Zorro's totem echoed around the tavern but Zorro was too preoccupied with de Soto to notice.

Without another look towards Victoria, the masked man proceeded to parry each move the alcalde threw at him. Round and round the tavern they went but as Zorro attempted one of his famous moves, encircling his opponent's blade several times in quick succession – which had always resulted in the disarming of his opponent – his blade slipped out of his hand and went sailing into a nearby post.

Mendoza's eyes shifted slowly to the blade imbedded mere inches from his nose and reached out to carefully stop the shaking blade. His hand trembled and he swallowed nervously before fainting into a solid, motionless heap.

The raven screeched again, this time the sound echoed right over their heads. Zorro ignored it again, choosing, instead, to pay more attention to the man who was about to thrust a meter of Toledo steel into his heart.

De Soto pressed his advantage with grunt of triumph as Zorro backed up quickly and grabbed the nearest thing to parry the oncoming blade – a chair.

The steel slid between the chair legs and Zorro twisted his weapon, wrenching the blade from de Soto's grip. But as Zorro raised the chair to bring it down on de Soto's back, a piece of it broke in his gloved hand, and it fell away, useless. Zorro scowled the chair and then remembered –

Believe.

Zorro was distracted by the broken chair, by his memory, as de Soto pushed himself to his feet, clutching his blade. He glanced up to see familiar golden eyes looking down at him. Sitting on top of the candelabra, calmly as could be, was a black raven. Zorro nodded, finally understanding.

I do believe.

A screech so loud, that everyone in the tavern had to cover their ears, echoed off the walls. Only Zorro did not flinch. He accepted the aid of his spirit totem without question.

By the time Zorro had returned his attention to the battle at hand, he noticed de Soto flailing on the ground, trying desperately to escape the talons that scratched at his hands and face.

Seeing that his way was finally clear, Zorro made for the exit without a backward glance.

Another screech halted his steps and Zorro gasped, remembering his forgotten sword, embedded into a post beside the unconscious Mendoza. He quickly pulled it from the wood and gazed wondrously at the winged creature. He stepped back to salute his totem, as if he were an ally or a foe and then made for the door.

As an afterthought, he turned and tipped his hat to Victoria, offering a simple, final farewell "Señorita."

Victoria simply glared at him. "Get out of my tavern!"

Once Zorro had gone, the raven soared out of sight and de Soto pushed himself to his feet, wincing as he touched his face. His hands bore long, bloody scratches and he could only imagine that his face looked the same. He stalked toward Victoria. "For consorting with the criminal Zorro, you are under arrest!"

Victoria glared darts at the man. The knife she held, and had held ever since he'd barged in on her argument with Zorro, clattered to the floor as he led her out of her tavern and toward the jail.

"Not again," Alejandro muttered.

"Alcalde!" Diego stepped into the alcalde's office, followed by his father.

"What is it de la Vega," De Soto muttered disinterestedly. "I have a hanging to prepare."

"You can't honestly think that hanging Victoria now will bring you Zorro?" Diego's eyes were innocently wide, but beneath that calm exterior, well-cut muscles tensed.

"And why not?"

"Alcalde, you didn't hear their fight," Alejandro interjected, hoping to help his suddenly spirited son. As soon as he'd told Diego that Victoria had been arrested yet again, Diego hadn't wasted a moment in returning to town. "It's quite clear they are through."

"We'll see then, won't we," De Soto smirked at the men. "If he comes to rescue his lady from the gallows at sundown."

"Don't do this, Ignacio," Diego's voice was firm, "If he doesn't come, you cannot hang her."

"Oh, we shall see. If he doesn't come for her, I just may hang her for all of her past association with that bandit! "

"Don't be so heartless," Alejandro protested. "She's just broken with a man she's loved for years. Have you never loved and lost?"

De Soto stared at the men for a good long moment. "What I have loved and what I have lost is none of your concern. Now get out of my office."

"I want to see Victoria," Diego demanded, ignoring his father's curious look.

"Yes, she is allowed visitors. You may go." He waved toward the door that led to the cells.

As Diego and Alejandro made their way toward the door, de Soto added, "one at a time."

Victoria was sitting on the bed when Diego arrived. She leapt to her feet and wrapped slim fingers around the bars, hope spreading across her face.

She forced tears to her eyes. "He won't come for me, Diego. Not this time."

Diego smiled inwardly at the ruse. Even with her friend, she continued to pretend that Zorro would not come for her. He was proud of her acting ability and reminded himself to tell her so when she finally knew his secret.

"He's never been known to let anyone suffer from injustice, even one whom he supposedly no longer loves," Diego countered and leaned closer, his voice dropping to a mere whisper, "I won't let Ignacio hang you. I'll stop him. Perhaps not with Zorro's dramatic flair, but I will." At her skeptical look, he added with a small smile. "Trust me."

The determination in his voice caused Victoria to regard her friend with a grateful smile. She wrapped her fingers around his hand where they rested on the bar above hers. "Thank you, Diego."

When Diego left the cell, Alejandro took his place and Diego was grateful for the time alone with the alcalde.

"An agreement, Ignacio," Diego began, resting his hands on the desk opposite the alcalde. "You cannot hang Victoria. Not now. She's heartbroken over this breakup as it is." If he had to resort to threats, he would, but for now, Diego wanted to see if reason would work for a change.

De Soto raised an amused eyebrow. "You've never shown any interest in the hanging of Zorro's woman in the past. Why now?"

"Because she firmly believes he will not come to her aid. In the past, I was comfortable with letting him engender your wrath. But if he will not come, I have to do something to help her."

De Soto snorted as he rose from his seat and stared at the docile caballero. "If he does not come, I will fine her severely as a penalty for her past aid to that man. And if I catch her aiding him after this day, she will be shot where she stands. Do you understand me?"

"Completely." Diego nodded and moved to the door, confident that the groundwork had been successfully laid for Victoria's breakup with her masked love.

Later that evening, Victoria was led, yet again, to the gallows that had been prepared.

Diego and Alejandro stood close by, agitated that things had come to this.

"It would be best if Zorro just lets his romance with her die, Diego," Alejandro muttered to his tense son. "Its not right that her love for him continues to endanger her life."

"I agree." Diego's tone was anything but light and Alejandro paused to look at his son. Diego gritted his teeth. It had to be this way. He had to force the people to realize that they needed to stand up for one another. They couldn't continue to depend on Zorro to do it for them. He hoped de Soto kept the agreement they had made – to simply go through the motions of hanging Victoria and if Zorro didn't come, he would release her – but if he didn't, Diego was prepared to rescue Victoria from the gallows with his own unmasked skills.

As the sun began to set, no Zorro rode into the pueblo to save the lady. The people glanced expectantly around the plaza as de Soto raised his arms.

"With the authority given to me by the King of Spain, I hereby convict Victoria Escalante of consorting with a known criminal. The sentence for this crime is death by hanging." He turned to a very nervous Mendoza.

Diego swore beneath his breath and stepped forward. "Alcalde!"

De Soto smirked at the indolent caballero. "Yes, Don Diego?"

"My father and I will pay any fines associated with the señorita's charges." Diego's eyes never left de Soto's. "Let her go. You will gain nothing by hanging a woman."

"Intend to lead a revolution against me, de la Vega?" de Soto laughed.

"I don't think I will have to." Diego said, as he looked around at the determined faces of the peasants surrounding the platform. "An oppressed people will only stand such treatment for so long before they revolt."

Sensing that his words may have reached the dark, greedy heart, he hurried on. "Remand Victoria into our custody. We will see to it that she behaves herself."

Victoria's eyes flashed toward her friends, incensed that he believed he could in any way control what she said or what she did with her life.

De Soto glanced at the señorita and laughed. "It appears your masked lover has decided you are no longer worth his time. He's left your weak-willed friend here to do it for him."

"I told you, alcalde!" Victoria seethed, "he is not my –"

"Yes, yes, so you say," De Soto waved his hand disinterestedly and turned hard eyes on Diego. "Keep her out of that masked fiend's arms, de la Vega, or I may hang you beside her."

How fitting, Diego mused with a grin he hid behind his hand. He strode confidently toward the steps and held out his hand. "I'm sure you have nothing to worry about, Ignacio."

The alcalde nodded slowly to Mendoza who cut the rope binding Victoria's arms with a relieved, shuddering sigh.

Victoria rushed down the steps and hugged Diego gratefully. He led her away from the gallows as de Soto continued on with some rhetoric about defying him by consorting with known criminals. Diego ignored this and together with his father led Victoria into the tavern.

"I think you should stay with us for a few days, my dear," Alejandro said once they'd reached the relative quiet of the tavern. "Keep you out of the alcalde's view."

"That might not be a bad idea," Diego agreed quickly. "I'm sure just the sight of you reminds the alcalde about your former status as Zorro's lady."

Victoria smiled kindly at her friends. Never once had they demeaned her in any way, unlike many customers who whispered unkind things behind her back because of her relationship with Zorro.

As customers began to file into the tavern, Alejandro was drawn into a conversation with Don Ricardo, leaving Diego and Victoria standing alone. He took her arm and led her into the kitchen so they could speak privately.

"Diego," Victoria began, not wanting to keep her friend in the dark any longer about what had transpired between her and Zorro. She didn't notice, as she told her tale, that a small smile crept across his face. "I don't quite know why he didn't come. I don't believe he would have let me die."

"Perhaps he was there, Victoria," Diego's voice was low, almost inaudible.

Victoria's lifted to meet his. "But then where was he?"

"Well, you said he wanted to court you as himself, yes? Without the mask?"

Victoria nodded, smiling dreamily at the thought.

"No doubt he was in the crowd, then, prepared to rescue you if the alcalde didn't let you go." Diego offered, longing to tell her that she was rescued by the man she loved.

"But then, why didn't he say something? You and your father were the only ones to say anything!"

Diego smiled wryly. "Drawing attention to himself would not have been the wisest of ideas."

Victoria frowned. "Well, I don't see how he intends to court me if he won't even speak up when I'm about to be hanged!"

Diego took her hands, brushing his thumb against her wrists as Zorro had done so often. "Perhaps you're looking in the wrong place."

Victoria looked at their hands. The gentle caress stirred something in her mind, but she pushed it away. "What do you mean, Diego?"

"Do you still expect him to act like Zorro without his mask?" Diego asked with a small grin. "If he did that, it would be easy to discover his identity and then it would be his neck in the noose instead of yours."

Victoria frowned. "That would mean he didn't act like Zorro when he was in town as himself!" She buried her face in her hands, "How will I know its him? I'll never find him!"

Diego carefully removed her hands and lifted her chin, "I think he would simply try to be your friend. Why don't you look for that, instead?"

She looked up at his familiar, kind face, and blinked. Diego was looking at her intently—something he seldom did. Suddenly nervous without knowing why, she withdrew her hands.

"Perhaps you are right, Diego. But today, you are the only friend I have to thank."

His smile faded, and Victoria suddenly regretted pulling her hands away. Impulsively, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek. If she had seen Diego's eyes at that moment, there would have been no doubt as to the identity of her love.

"Thank you," he said softly, not meeting her eyes. "Go get your things together. I'll wait for you."

"Oh, Diego, I don't think I need to impose at the hacienda. I don't think the alcalde will bother me any more."

"It's no imposition, believe me. Besides, " he added with a wry smile, "I promised I would keep you out of Zorro's way. Please let me do that." The resolve in his eyes surprised Victoria enough that she found herself complying without further argument. He wanted to help. He was such a good friend to risk the alcalde's wrath for her.

As she climbed the steps to her room, she reflected that Zorro's desertion had had some unexpected results. Not only were the people seeing that they needed to start standing up for themselves instead of always waiting for Zorro, but her passive friend was showing some remarkable spirit. He seemed quite another Diego . . .

At the top of the stairs, she gasped as his words finally sank in.

accept my friendship

She spun around, staring down at the man who waited for her. Madre de dios! Her eyes widened as she stepped forward and clutched at the banister

I think he would simply try to be your friend

He must have heard the creaking of the wood, or her soft gasp, for at that moment, he glanced up and she saw a familiar reflection in his unmasked eyes.

She stared into the eyes of her childhood friend with a newfound knowledge and for the first time recognized the all too familiar look radiating within his bright blue eyes.

END

Thethirdtroll - My LOTR muse has run away for the foreseeable future. Yes, I truly enjoyed mussing Diego's clothes – mussing anything about him really…tee hee. This is the last chapter finally. Hope you enjoy and don't think me tooooo evil for ending how I did. Heh.

Aurelia30 - Victoria isn't laughing at him now…she's gawking…hehe. Hope you enjoyed the somewhat funny story. Back to my angst and sad stories now! Next one papa gets shot!