Chapter 8:

Victoria woke up when the soft light of the morning sun entered the small cave they had been sleeping in. Enjoying the warmth Diego's body was giving her. She looked up to see Diego still asleep.

"I wished I could spend forever in these arms," Victoria whispered softly while thinking about their lovemaking last night. It had hurt in the very beginning but soon it was turned into the best feeling she had ever experienced.

"Soon, my love. I promise." Diego whispered with his eyes closed. He wasn't pretending to sleep, he just didn't want to let her go just yet. He groaned with the thought that he couldn't stay asleep so he decided to react, "I just wished I could hold you longer but we have a long trip to go home."

Victoria buried her head in the crook of his neck, "Do we really have to?" Victoria was never one to whine like that but she was still coming to terms with what almost happened.

Diego chuckled lightly seeing this side of is otherwise strong tavern owner. The one who slapped any man in the face when they act improperly towards her or the one who had hidden his old friend so hard with a candle holder that he lost his memory.

"Come on the sooner Toronado is back, the better. He needs his rest for when Zorro is needed because, "I can't let Zorro die yet, querida I hope you understand that." Diego said now in a serious tone of voice.

"I know what I'm getting myself into, Diego. Don't worry so much." Victoria smiled while standing up from the floor and started to pack everything while eating a piece of bread that they had brought with them.

Diego did the same and walked outside. For once he didn't need to whistle. Toronado was standing where Diego had left him. The stallion was happy to have a full night rest even if it was one of the larger trips he had to take. The only other time he had a trip like that was when Diego went to help Victoria's father out of California's most notorious prisons, Devil's fortress.

The young De La Vega caressed the stallion's neck softly, "Come on boy time to go home, time for you to be Toronado again full time before you think of yourself as two horses."

Diego also saddled black mare, so they were ready for their trip home.

They both mounted their horses each holding one extra mare for the final miles home. They still had to ride a few hours though.

"What are you going to do with Toronado when we are in Los Angeles? What if someone recognizes him even with his white forelock?" Victoria asked whispering the name of the stallion to be sure nobody had heard it even though she didn't see anyone.

Diego smirked, "No problem my love. Esperanza is waiting for me in Toronado's stable. Felipe will ride her for a few hours so that it's like she was with me to Santa Paula and not Toronado. We will have to make a stop to pick her up before riding towards the hacienda. If you don't mind, I am going to see that you get to the tavern safely. Probably with Felipe on our heels when father knows about me finally starting to court you."

Victoria smiled, "I don't mind Diego. I want to see where Zorro's lives when you are well you."

Diego shook his head while smiling, "I thought as much. We will have to leave the horse in a little valley about ten minutes' walk from the cave if we were on foot but with Toronado, it takes only a few minutes."

The rest of the trip was filled with peaceful silence varied with small talks. This was the chance for Victoria to have a talk with the real Diego. Not Zorro nor the man he pretended to be for the pueblo but an amazing mix of the two.

This Diego had a temper and wasn't a coward but he was still very smart. She was honored that she got the chance to know this real Diego. Even if it meant that she had to pretend to love the more studious Diego which if she had been honest she loved from the start.

"We are going to leave the main road now." Diego suddenly said after hours of riding. Victoria nodded in agreement, "Is it going to be far off-road?" she asked curiously. She was happy to be in Los Angeles again. There was a moment in the end that she thought that she wouldn't see it or her friends ever again. She would use this to explain why the sudden change of heart. Why she felt that she wanted to marry Diego instead of waiting for Zorro.

They rode about fifteen minutes until they stopped in a valley with lots of trees and places to hide our horses.

"We will tie the horses up over there, nobody will see them from up the road or even closer to the valley," Diego said while dismounting Toronado. He helped Victoria to dismount her mare after he had tied the other two extra horses to a tree.

He lifted her on Toronado's back before mounting Toronado himself and took his seat behind her, "when I say duck you place yourself in the neck of Toronado. I don't want you to hit your head and lose your memory of me." Diego smiled while wrapping his arm around her and motioning the stallion forward.

"How could I ever forget you, Diego." Victoria sighed lovingly while leaning against his chest enjoying the last minutes they had alone. This statement made Diego chuckle.

The young De La Vega suddenly stopped the stallion and looked around, "The last kiss before we go back into reality?"

"Are you intending to stop stealing kisses?" Victoria giggled leaning her head against his shoulder looking up to him.

"It will be hard to steal them though I can't visit you as Zorro anymore now we will have to be careful but I will always want kisses from you, my sweet love," Diego said before he kissed the lips of the woman who had stolen his heart.

"I know my black knight but it's only temporary. We will finally start our life together." Victoria smiled

Diego motioned Toronado forward and after a minute he said to Victoria, "Duck my love."

Victoria placed her body in the neck of the coal-black stallion, feeling the warmth of the body hovering over her while Diego ducked his head too. The entrance of the cave was low, "It's alright, you can come back up." Diego smiled while jumping of Toronado's back.

He held out his arms to help Victoria of Toronado's back. She took the opportunity to jump let herself slide into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck the moment her feet touched the ground.

Diego leaned in to give a kiss to Victoria when a voice startled him, "Diego finally!"

Diego and Victoria jumped away from each other after hearing Don Alejandro's voice. Felipe must have shown him the cave.

"Father!" Diego said while turning around to see his father coming from around Diego's desk. Diego and Victoria had been standing between Toronado and Esperanza so he was sure his father hadn't seen their almost kiss.

"You found Victoria!" His father said cheerfully before something dawned him, "If I hadn't been here you would have been alone with her, Diego. I didn't raise you like that."

"Father we have been alone for the entire trip. I just wanted to change my horse. So that nobody could recognize Toronado even with his white forelock. We do have good news though. Victoria has accepted my courtship." Diego said sternly. He could be himself now with his father that he knew about his secret identity.

"I am expecting a proposal, Diego!" Don Alejandro said while watching how Diego took care of the half-wild stallion with ease.

"What did you expect otherwise?" Diego smiled lovingly towards his Victoria, "I have a promise to fulfill."

"Victoria I am glad Diego found you in time. I am glad that you are back." Don Alejandro smiled now.

"You don't think I am beneath Diego?" Victoria asked shyly. She was afraid that she wouldn't be good enough now that she knew that her hero was a caballero.

"Victoria, I couldn't be happier that you found each other, finally." Don Alejandro smiled, "You were always my first choice for Diego. You have a temper to match his."

Victoria glowed from happiness. Having Don Alejandro's blessing was really important to her. He helped her when she was left alone without her parents. Francesco was a soldier in the military and Ramon had always loved to travel, leaving her with the tavern.

"Come on Toronado has everything let's mount Esperanza and let you officially come home to Los Angeles." Diego grinned.

He lifted Victoria on the back of Esperanza and started to walk the horse out of the cave. "I will see you in about fifteen minutes, father. You will see why."

His father nodded and saw Diego disappear out of the cave. Don Alejandro stayed a little while longer to watch the amazing animal only his son and probably Felipe could ride. He needed to ask where he found him and how he was able to make the stallion trust his son so easily. The horse had no mark so he wasn't born in captivity.

"I hope Diego would let you visit my mare from time to time." Don Alejandro said softly towards the stallion who was munching his hay happily.

Victoria sighed when her mare came into sight. She was leaning against Diego's strong chest again. The young De La Vega had waited until he was outside the cave before mounting Esperanza.

"What's wrong, my love? I thought you were happy?" Diego asked worriedly.

"Of course, I am happy, Diego but to be honest I am going to miss your strong arm around my waist." Victoria sighed again.

"Soon you will feel them every night, my love. Have a little bit more patience. We need to be careful." Diego said before he kissed the top of her head.

Diego helped Victoria on her black mare and took the two extra mares in his hand. He was used to mounting Toronado one-handed so no problem there, only to arrive at the other side of the hacienda about ten minutes later.

Don Alejandro was waiting for them already and saw what Diego meant with it could take a while. He clearly had bought three horses.

"Diego, where do these amazing animals come from?" Don Alejandro asked curiously while a vaquero took Esperanza and the two mare Diego had in his hand.

"I bought them from your friend in San Pedro for a good prize. Victoria needed a horse and I bought her one, you could see it as a courtship gift." Diego said with a tone of voice that said that he didn't regret it.

"From Emilio? She will soon be family Diego, of course, she needs a good horse. I don't mind at all. Let's talk about everything over dinner. Victoria do you stay for dinner and maybe I can let Maria take care of the guest room for you. I don't want to hear no. You had a hard time and you earned some rest." Don Alejandro said immediately calling for Maria.

Diego laughed and hugged Victoria before they both entered the hacienda. Knowing dinner would come with a lot of questions.

TBC