Two weeks later, a coach from San Pedro entered Los Angeles just as Diego, his father and Felipe were exiting the tavern.
"Life is filled with unforeseen events, Son! This is why I always tell you to find a good wife. Have at least a child of your own!" Don Alejandro was pleading, having just had a long discussion with Victoria about Francisco.
"Father, I already have the best son I could have ever hoped for!" Diego replied, looking proudly at Felipe.
"I know, Diego! Felipe is a true De la Vega. Maybe even more so than you, my son, since this young man is much braver than you'll ever be!" Don Alejandro stated.
"Felipe certainly is the bravest young man I know, Father!" Diego confirmed with no hidden irony, and Felipe just looked at him, grateful for the compliment.
At that very moment, the coach stopped right in front of them and, a few seconds later, the door opened and a little black-haired girl emerged, heading straight for Diego He smiled at seeing the child who was staring up to him, not sure as what to do.
"Papi?" She asked, surprising the caballero.
"Papi?" Diego repeated, wondering if he had understood the question, as Ramon Escalante was emerging from the carriage.
"You look like Uncle Ramon said!" She uttered, raising both her hands as to indicate she wanted him to pick her up, and, entranced, he obeyed as she secured herself around Diego's neck. "See, Uncle Ramon? I found my new Papi!"
"Ramon!" Diego exclaimed. "So this little princess must be Marisol. It is good to see you, my friend!"
"Don Diego, Don Alejandro, Felipe!" Ramon greeted. "I am also happy to see you all, although I would have preferred it to be under better circumstances. How's my sister holding on?"
"It affected her a lot." Don Alejandro told him. "Losing a brother is never easy... Our condolences to you, as well. Francisco was a good man."
"Ramon!" Victoria cried at exiting the tavern, throwing herself into his opened arms. "I am so glad you are already here! Where is Marisol?" She asked, having passed right by her niece who was firmly attached to Diego's neck.
"Well, dear sister, I tried to describe her future father on the way here - since I know he's the only man you would ever consider marrying - as a certain dashing, tall man with a mustache, and she decided it was Don Diego!" He answered, grinning, indicating for Victoria to turn around, as a shiver went through the tall caballero at realizing Ramon had just pointed out the obvious resemblance between himself and Zorro.
Victoria was surprised to see the girl in Diego's arms and she smiled wholeheartedly for the first time since that letter had reached her, not even considering why her niece, after her brother had described Zorro, headed straight for her best friend.
"Marisol! I am your Aunt Victoria," she introduced herself, "but, from today on, I shall be your new mother. Come, my sweetheart, I will show you to your new room. Diego, can you pass her to me?" She went on asking.
"I want to stay with Papi!" Marisol answered. "Papi take me!"
At watching the scene, Ramon, Felipe and Don Alejandro were very much amused, unable to help themselves form chuckling.
"Well, Diego," Don Alejandro said, "if the child wants you to be her Papi, I really don't believe you have a choice, Son!"
Diego faked a resigned look for his father's benefit, then turned to Marisol and smiled. What a clever child! He thought. "I will accompany you to her room," he told Victoria, who was grateful and amazed to see that Diego was so good with children. She never did think of him as a father, despite knowing he had raised Felipe and that their relationship was, quite officially at that point, that of a father and a son. Somehow, in her eyes, they were more like close friends or brothers, probably also considering there was only a 12 or 13 years age difference between them.
"Thank you, Diego!" She replied.
As they took the girl in, followed by Ramon, Victoria guided them to her chamber.
"You will stay with me, for now, Marisol. And when you grow up, you will have your own room. Well? What do you think, my treasure?" She asked, showing the girl the room she had just redecorated and refurbished with the help of the three De la Vegas, now fitting the needs of a mother and her small daughter.
"Where does Papi sleep?" The little girl asked at noticing only two beds in the room, and both Diego and Victoria blushed.
"Diego has his own room, in his own home, and he is not your new Papi, either, sweetheart. He is my friend." Victoria replied.
"No, he is not! He is my new Papi. Uncle Ramon said so!" The child contradicted her.
"Marisol," Diego said in a soothing voice, hoping to change the subject since the little girl had already caused him and the woman he loved enough embarrassment already, "Victoria has been looking forward to meeting you for quite some time now. Don't you want to give her a hug?"
"I guess..." she said resigned, and let go of Diego, who gave her to Victoria.
"I am never letting you go, my treasure!" The new mother exclaimed, embracing her niece, tears starting to pour from her eyes. She had never in her entire life felt about another person the way she was feeling, at that very moment, about Marisol, as if she had known and loved the little toddler her entire life.
"I think I should be on my way." Diego said, smiling at seeing Victoria with her niece in her arms, and sensing they needed some time alone. "Goodbye, Marisol. I will see you soon! Victoria, Ramon." He greeted them on his way out.
"Bye, Papi!" The child replied yawning.
ZZZ
"You know, Diego," Don Alejandro said a little later, as they were riding home for siesta, "it might not be such a bad idea!"
"What father?" The tall caballero asked.
"You and Victoria! That child needs a real family and you have already proven yourself a good father to Felipe. You might harbor just brotherly feelings towards Victoria, but, given the chance, I cannot see why they would not grow to, someday, become something more. You would make such a beautiful couple, Son!"
"May I remind you, however, that Victoria is in love with Zorro?" Diego replied. "What chances do you think I have against him?"
"Well, Son, if Jessie Kent chose Ignacio De Soto over you, maybe Victoria will chose you over Zorro! I really do believe you should think about it… although, you might be right... You probably have fewer chances against Zorro than De Soto had against you. But miracles do happen!" Don Alejandro concluded.
"Jessie never had to choose between me and Ignacio, Father. I never courted her and neither one of us ever saw the other as anything more than a friend!" Diego muttered.
"Keep telling yourself that, Diego, if it makes you feel better!" Don Alejandro ended the discussion and rode ahead, eager to talk with one of his men, who was waiting for him in front of the hacienda.
As the old don was far enough not to overhear their conversation, Felipe looked at Diego and asked by gestures why wasn't he proposing to Victoria.
"I already have, Felipe. And she agreed to marry me. The only inconvenience is that she doesn't know that, and, as long as there is a price on Zorro's head, I am not sure she should." He answered pensively as Felipe continued gesturing. "Yes, you are right! That child does change a few things..." He added. "You wouldn't mind an adopted sister, would you?"
Felipe shook his head with a wide smile.
ZZZ
Thoughts of the little girl who decided he was her new father the very moment they laid eyes on each other, and of finding a way to finally marry her new mother spiraled that evening through Zorro's head as he made his way down the hill towards where the five men he was chasing were camped.
He had heard rumors of possibly dangerous men spotted a few miles outside the pueblo just that afternoon, while he was in the tavern with his father and Felipe, and had decided to investigate. Now, since there had not been any crimes committed in Los Angeles the past few days, he was eavesdropping to find out if they were just travelers unwilling or unable to pay for accommodation, or, perhaps, bandits, set on some mischievousness.
"No! We should attack tonight!" One of them was saying. "Last time we got lucky to make it out with our lives. We shouldn't risk attacking during daytime again, at least, not here!"
"Are you afraid, Compadre? Because, if you're afraid of a few stupid lancers, who would miss you even if you were standing, a target on your chest, patiently waiting for them to take the shot, perhaps you should find yourself a new gang!" The man who seemed to be their leader answered.
"It's not that... it's just that they say the new Commander trains them better…"
"The lancers in Los Angeles are not even half as dangerous as the ones in San Diego, and you did not hesitate at all when we robbed the bank there…" The same leader replied as the other men were only nodding, munching on their bread.
Zorro had heard enough. They were dangerous. Most importantly, though, they were, on the one hand, pursued all over the territory after having committed the robbery they had just confessed to, and, on the other, sitting ducks, not even armed at the moment, waiting for Zorro to simply tie them up and take them to the garrison.
Of course, there was going to be a fight, however brief he was certain it would be. All the better, since he needed some distraction.
"But here we also have to consider Zorro." Another of the men contradicted their leader, supporting the first who had spoken.
"True, Señores! Here you must consider me!" Zorro agreed, as he stood tall on a boulder just a few feet away from them, Sword in one hand and his whip in the other.
The bandits rapidly got up, gaping at him, one of them stumbling and accidentally knocking the stew they were making off the fire, then falling straight into the flames. As he was panic-struck, rolling around to put off the fire now devouring his pants, and the man on whom the pot had landed was doing his best to get the boiling food off of him, Zorro's main job was to gather the other three thugs, as their first instinct in all the confusion was to run away.
ZZZ
Later that evening, after stopping by the garrison to hand over the thugs to the lancers, Zorro decided to pay Victoria a visit. He entered through the kitchen, leaving Tornado outside, and stopped in her room's doorway, just as she was lovingly caressing the hair of her sleeping niece.
"She may have lost both her parents," he said, his voice just above whisper, as he was watching her, "but she is still very lucky to have you, Victoria!"
"Zorro!" She whispered, careful not to wake the little girl. "Isn't she lovely?"
"She looks a lot like you, and I am sure she is just as smart as she is beautiful!" He replied taking in the scene.
"Should I wake her up?" Victoria said suddenly. "I do wish for her to meet you!"
"No, mi amor! Let her sleep! She must be very tired, and seeing a masked man may only cause her confusion, even distress." He decided to reply, partly because he thought the child might start crying, but mainly because he had the strange feeling that the little girl would take one good look at him, and know exactly who he was.
Victoria agreed and, slowly, got off the bed where she sat next to her niece, and came to him, carefully closing the door behind her, so as to let the little one sleep.
"You don't mind, do you, Zorro?" She asked, although what she was truly asking was whether he could learn to accept Marisol, and love her as if she was his own. She knew she would be heartbroken if he wouldn't be able to feel that way, since that would mean having to give up on their love. "I do so wish we would raise our own children one day, but… you still can't unmask… Don Alejandro doesn't have the power to give you a pardon… and she… she's my niece, and she needs me!" She added as if to try to convince him to accept her niece.
"Mind? But, Victoria, how would I ever be worthy of your devotion if there was any doubt in my mind that that beautiful little treasure of yours is to grow up as my own?" He replied, his words reassuring her, and renewing her hope that the moment she was dreaming of, the moment when they would finally be together, was almost at hand.
"Am I to assume you are to unmask soon, Señor?" She asked almost teasing.
"Yes, Victoria! I will." Zorro confirmed. "One way or another, by the end of this year you will know exactly who I am, and, if you still want to marry me, I promise to be as good a husband to you, and as good a father to Marisol as I possibly can be, my love."
"You mean that?" She asked, unsure she had heard him right. "Because you never have to doubt I will marry you, no matter who you are and how you look! Even if you are very ugly and scarred, I will still marry you, and I will still think you are the most wonderful man I have ever known!"
As she said that, he smiled and took her into his arms for a long, passionate kiss neither one of them wanted to end.
Alas, it did when Ramon, leaving his room to fetch some water, surprised the two lovers.
"Zorro!" He exclaimed with enthusiasm! "My friend," he continued as the masked man turned towards him smiling and the young woman turned away, unwilling to look her brother in the eyes after he had just witnessed that kiss, "I see you are still courting my sister, but you have yet to marry her! I expect you are getting a little closer to making an honest woman out of Victoria?" He added, encouraged by Zorro's big smile. "With Don Alejandro as Alcalde, you must certainly be considering retiring that mask soon! I highly doubt he would ever decide to hang you!"
"I am quite certain there is no risk of him doing that!" Zorro replied, almost adding He might decide to disinherit me, though. "But there is still a price on my head, Ramon, men intended on collecting it, and people who need my help. I may be of use to others even without this mask, but I could never endanger these two señoritas of yours by taking it off before the time is right. Now," he added regretfully, "since I am actually out chasing the bandits who had robbed the bank in San Diego, I believe I should be going... It was good to see you, Ramon! Have a good night, Victoria!" He added, bowing to kiss her hand.
He lied about the bandits, since the men, as mentioned earlier, were already in jail at that very moment, but Zorro was not going to give Ramon any reason to prolong that conversation.
As he said his goodbyes, he left the same way he came in, and disappeared into the night.