A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you to JuliaBC and SunRise19 for still bothering to stick around and review :) I really appreciate it! Hope you enjoy this chapter and I'll see you all next time!

Chapter Seventeen: Soldiers in Love (Part 3)

"Ay chihuahua," Consuela whispered to Bernardo, seeing Riviera making his way around the room, his brows furrowed together. "This is not good."

The two servants leaned back against the wall, staring off at the ceiling mindlessly as Riviera approached them. "You two!" he snapped, making Consuela jump while Bernardo continued to stare calmly. "Where is Don Diego…? Agh," he grimaced, waving a hand in defeat at Bernardo as if to swat him away. "That's right, he's deaf…you then," he sniffed, earning a cool glare from Consuela. "Where is Don Diego?"

"He said he had business to attend to at the hacienda," she informed him. "Why do you ask?"

"None of your business," he scowled. He had the misfortune of insulting Don Alejandro's lineage and now the elder refused to even acknowledge him. He had hoped he could persuade the young, lazy don to lend him some money for his reckless schemes, but Diego de la Vega was nowhere to be seen. Seeing how Consuela ignored him after his previous comment, he realized she was Lolita's servant. His mind flashed back to the tempting young woman, with a fiery tongue and large brown eyes that haunted him constantly. He couldn't figure out just what he felt for the girl, but he knew this much: he would own her, or no one would have her.

Stepping away from the servants, the Commandante failed to see Bernardo gesturing to Consuela his concerns. "Don't worry, Bernardo. I saw Lolita leave with Sergeant Garcia, Capitan Fernandez, and a third party." She winked as he made a 'Z' in the air. "The very same."

~Z~

"Be careful, señorita!" Sergeant Garcia called to Lolita as he struggled to keep up with her. "Slow down-!"

"We need to hurry up and get Doña Alicia away from this man!" she called back, immediately sparking his interest again.

"Onward!" he bellowed, pointing his sword out as though he were a military hero.

Lolita would have laughed if she wasn't so preoccupied with worry. Up ahead, Zorro and Capitan Fernandez urged their horses to move faster, the officer holding a lasso, the outlaw carrying his whip. Lolita winced as she heard a gunshot sound off, praying to God that Miguel Elvarez was a bad marksman. "Hurry, Bonita, hurry!" she spoke to her horse, her heart beating wildly as she came closer to the carriage. Another gunshot made her scream in surprise when she saw Zorro flick his whip out, the pistol flying through the air and landing forgotten in the grass around them. In the pale moonlight, she could see him jump onto the carriage, shoving Elvarez off once Fernandez had lassoed him. The thief cried out in panic and pain as he was dragged along the grass while Fernandez followed the carriage in close suit.

Biting her lip, Lolita braced herself and stretched her arms out, a yelp escaping her as she was yanked off of her horse and clung for dear life onto the rail of the carriage. Both Alicia and Yolanda gaped in awe and terror, fearful that she would fall, but as Zorro reached out to her, she felt herself calm down. "Don't worry about me," she shouted over the wind. "I'll untie them, you stop the horses!"

Without waiting another moment, Zorro grabbed a hold of the reins and shouted, "Sergeant Garcia! Do as Lolita did – jump onto the back of the carriage!"

"What?!" Garcia blanched, terrified at the idea of hopping off of his horse onto a moving vehicle, especially with his weight.

"For the señora and señoritas!" he insisted.

"Sergeant, that's an order!" Fernandez demanded.

"Oooh…! This is going to hurt," the sergeant whimpered, closing his eyes and holding his breath before jumping off of his steed and grabbing a hold of the back of the carriage.

The four horses immediately stalled and halted, shocked by the sudden added weight at the velocity they were moving. Garcia cried out in panic before collapsing on the ground, heaving a breath of relief.

"Yolanda!" Lolita gasped, untying her as quickly as she could. "Are you all right? Señora Alicia-!"

"Gracious!" the widow exclaimed, laughing as Zorro saluted her and commenced to untie her. "Is it always this exciting here in California?"

Turning his horse about, Fernandez took great pleasure in hearing Miguel whine and groan as he continued to drag him along the floor. Arriving at the carriage, he dismounted and helped the sergeant up, a feat that took all his strength and patience. Once Garcia was back on his feet, he scurried for the carriage door and offered his hand to the woman. "Señora Alicia, are you all right?!"

"Quite. Gracias, Sergeant…that was very brave of you, to stop the carriage like that," she smiled sweetly, pressing her lips to his cheek. His eyes widened to the size of chickens' eggs before he felt his knees buckle, a goofy smile on his face.

"Yolanda!" Fernandez exclaimed, running over to help the girl down. "Querida, are you hurt?"

"No…I'm all right," she answered honestly, remaining in his arms as she gazed into his blue eyes. "…you came for me."

"I always shall," he murmured, leaning down and stealing a kiss.

Zorro wasted no time in assisting Lolita out of the carriage, embracing her tightly before excusing himself to go to Miguel Elvarez and yank him onto his feet. Snatching the bag out of the battered man's coat, he tossed it to Garcia. "All right, Elvarez. I believe it's time to speak up and say some apologizes before you get taken away."

Miguel grunted as Zorro shook him and forced him to turn around, facing the men and women he had endangered and worried. Heaving a sigh of defeat, he bowed his head. "…I'm sorry, Señora… Señorita…I never meant to harm you, really. I couldn't have you running off though."

"They didn't need to. I came looking for my sister, and that was when I saw you threatening them," Lolita frowned, standing her ground before the criminal. Taking a step towards him, she snapped, "How dare you put their lives in danger? How dare you steal from such a kindhearted woman who has already suffered enough?!"

Miguel winced listening to the young woman, not daring to show his face. "…like I said, Señorita, it's all I know. Besides, the Commandante was very specific in his orders."

"Riviera ordered you to steal from the lady?!" Garcia fumed, his brows furrowing together in anger.

"More proof that this man is dangerous. I shall have to ride to Monterey to alert the governor," Fernandez noted. "I shall ask for testimonies from those he has persecuted. This should bring him down." Glaring at the servant, he added, "As for you, Elevates, you shall have to be taken to the cuartel-"

"Please, Senor, spare me, or at least let me go to another prison!…once Riviera knows I've been caught, even if I say nothing in front of a judge, he will kill me," Miguel admitted, his voice pleading the captain sincerely.

Zorro, Fernandez, and Garcia all shared concerned looks at this – what Miguel said was true. Already, any other accomplices from previous schemes were found missing or dead in their cells. Riviera dismissed them as suicides for wishing to avoid the law, but they all had a sense there was something much more sinister behind the acts of death.

"Por favor, señores, let the man go," Alicia pleaded gently, placing one hand on Garcia's arm, making his eyes bulge as his cheeks went red. "He was a hardworking servant to me, despite his intentions…I would feel responsible if anything were to befall him. Please…"

"You are a generous and kindhearted lady, Doña de la Cruz," Zorro said, tipping his hat courteously to the woman. "Capitan, it is your decision to make."

The captain looked to the young thief, then the lady, weighing his options cautiously. Feeling Yolanda's hand on his arm, he glanced down to see her looking at him with sympathetic blue eyes. "Please, Jorge, don't let him die because of us…what he did was wrong, but it is not our right to kill anyone…please?"

A repressed sigh came from Fernandez, facing the outlaw and conman once more. "You will leave Los Angeles at once…and never show your face again, lest you wish to face the law, or our unkind commandante, Elvarez. I'll give you a ten minute start before I ride back and report you to Riviera."

Nodding his head, Elvarez waited until Zorro removed his hands off of him before facing Alicia, kneeling at her feet. "…I cannot thank you enough, Señora. Truly, I am sorry."

"Oh, Miguel," she shook her head. "You are so young, full of potential. I wish things had not been this way…I would offered you another chance."

He smiled sadly at her. "You remind me very much of my mother, Señora…I shall never forget you."

"Take some of my possessions…so long as you use them for good, I will rest easy," she offered, only to see the man rise to his feet and shake his head.

"No, Doña, you have been far too generous already…this time, let me give you something in return." Slipping his hand into his vest pocket, he took her hand and curled it around his one prized possession as he kissed her hand. "Adios, Señora de la Cruz." With his free hand, he withdrew a pouch from his pant pocket and tossed it harshly to the ground, filling the air with a misty smoke.

Everyone coughed and waved the airy substance from their faces before the smoke finally cleared. When at last they could blink their eyes open and see their surroundings, Garcia gasped in shock. "He's gone!"

"Sí, Sergeant, and so is your horse," Zorro noted, a wry smile growing on his face as the officer yelped and cried out in indignation. "Well, he certainly couldn't go running on foot to get out of town so quickly." This earned a laugh from Fernandez and delicate giggles from the women.

Alicia raised her hand to her mouth to conceal her laughter when she realized that the magician had left her a gift. Opening her hand, she felt her heart ache when she saw Miguel's beaten pocket watch, the only real treasure he carried with him. "Gracias, Miguel…vaya con Dios," she whispered, pressing the gift to her bosom.

"Well muchachos, señoritas, I am off!" Kissing Lolita's hand, he whistled to Tornado, who ran to his side at once and allowed him to leap on. "Hasta luego!" he saluted them, riding away into the darkness.

Lolita waved as he left, a wistful smile on her lips. "It's sad that you missed out on the fun, Diego," she shook her head, wondering where he had run off to while she had gone for help during the party. Facing her friends, she gestured to the carriage. "Let's go back. After all, Doña, you have a fiesta to host."

Smiling at the young woman, Alicia nodded her head in agreement before allowing Garcia to help her up. "Since you have lost your horse, Sergeant, will you do me the honor of riding with us?"

"Oh, it would be my honor, Señora!" Garcia exclaimed, beaming like a little boy as he joined her.

"Will you ride with me, Señorita Yolanda?" Fernandez asked, offering his hand to the girl. He grinned as she nodded her head, murmuring her agreement before allowing him to help her onto the horse. Feeling his arms around her, she leaned back and closed her eyes, indulging in this special moment.

Lolita rode alongside the pair, smiling as she saw Alicia laughing at something the sergeant had commented on. Swaying comfortably on her mare, Bonita, she looked over and said to her stepsister, "I'm very proud of you, Yolanda. You were very brave."

The brunette shook her head, the light dimming from her eyes. "No, I'm not, Lolita."

Her brows began to knit together as she heard these words. "Yolanda, why-"

"I'm not brave like you, everyone knows it," Yolanda admitted, her cheeks burning red as she faced her stepsister. "You've always been so kind to me, looking out for me and including me in activities and socials…but I'm not like you. I…I do wish I could be more like you, Lolita. You do brave things all the time, that's why men like you…I'm not anything special-"

"That's not true," the capitan spoke up suddenly, startling the two girls. Tucking his hand under her chin and getting her to face him, he said gently, "You may not be as outgoing as Lolita, or as extravagant as Carlotta, Yolanda…but to me, your sweet smile, your kind, encouraging words, your reserved nature…you are perfect just as you are."

Lolita smiled, her heart warmed by the words spoken to her stepsister. Placing her hand over her heart, her eyes widened as she realized something was wrong. Looking down at her collarbone, she was horrified to see that her mother's silver locket was gone. "No…" she whispered, tears stinging her eyes. Her hands trembled as she fought to remain silent, her lips pressed tightly together as she held back a cry of pain. The locket was nothing extraordinary, really, just a silver oval with a portrait of her mother and herself when she was a baby, but it was all she had to remember the woman by. "I must have lost it in the chase," she told herself, inhaling deeply and silently to appear as though nothing was wrong. She knew that the locket could have ended up anywhere, so her hope dwindled with each step though her eyes frantically searched the grassy floor for a shining object with an opaque ribbon in the darkness.

Arriving at Alicia's hacienda, the group dismounted only to be surrounded by a flock of people. Questions flooded the air around them, prompting the hostess to hold up her hands. "It's all right, everyone! Please, go back inside. I'll explain later, but first, my dear hero needs to wet his whistle."

"Oh, you are too kind, Doña Alicia!" Garcia blushed, laughing timidly as he offered the woman his arm.

"Capitan!" Riviera called out, marching to the officer. Standing tall and firm, his brows seemed to have been crushed together as he demanded to know, "What happened? Where were you?!"

"Chasing after a servant and conman named Miguel Elvarez, Commandante," Fernandez answered coldly, helping Yolanda down before bothering to face his superior. "He had stolen some valuable items belonging to Señora de la Cruz, and he took the Señora and Señorita Yolanda as hostages."

"WHAT?" Riviera fumed, his eyes seeming to appear on fire. He glanced around, curious that Miguel was not with them. "Where is the man? Did you kill him?"

"No. He escaped," Fernandez said, standing his ground as he held out his arm before Yolanda, as if to shield her from the corrupt man. "Garcia and I managed to save the ladies thanks to Zorro."

"Zorro?! That mangy outlaw-!" Riviera started, only to nearly topple over when Diego de la Vega appeared magically and clapped him fiercely across the back.

"What a wonderful party, eh, Commandante?!" Diego laughed cheerfully, snapping his fingers suddenly. "Oh! I just remembered! Capitan, that servant who works for Doña Alicia – Miguel, was it? – I saw him when I was riding back from my hacienda. I had to stop by for an urgent matter concerning my father's cattle, you see. But I saw the man riding towards Los Angeles."

"Los Angeles!" Riviera exclaimed, running off without another word.

Diego watched him leave, making a face and shrugging at the laughing capitan. "What could have gotten into him?"

"Never mind that. Don Diego, you seem to have impeccable timing!" Fernandez grinned, shaking hands with the don.

"Well, I do my best," Diego winked.

"Yolanda! Lolita! There you are!"

The men and women looked up to see Don Carlos, Doña Catalina, Carlotta, and Ricardo rush over, all of them talking at once until Fernandez held up his hand. "Just a moment," he said aloud, his booming voice silencing them all. "I'll explain briefly. A servant to Señora Alicia tried to steal precious items and kidnap the lady and your daughter, but we managed to stop him."

"Is he dead?" Ricardo asked.

"No, he escaped, but we retrieved the stolen goods, and the ladies are safe and sound…" Looking at Don Carlos, he received a nod, prompting him to turn and take Yolanda's hands in his own. "Señorita, if I may…I have a confession to make. Ever since I saw you when you arrived, I…I fell in love with you."

"Jorge!" she gasped, her blush returning to her face.

"I've spoken with your father and received his approval…all I need now is yours." Bending down on one knee, he withdrew a handkerchief from his coat pocket and pulled out a simple golden band with a ruby at its center. "Yolanda Sanchez del Castillo…will you marry me?"

With her hands pressed to her cheeks, her eyes filled with tears, Yolanda felt herself smile widely before nodding her head. "Yes…yes, I will!"

All cheered and applauded at this, especially when Fernandez arose and slipped the ring onto her finger, kissing her knuckles tenderly. All showed great happiness…except Carlotta. Her eyes filled with hot tears, she felt a pang of jealousy and sadness fill her, making her spin and run away. No one noticed, however…just as no one had noticed how Lolita, who was elated for Yolanda, still gripped her throat self-consciously.

"Come, let us go inside," Carlos laughed, leading the way back.

Lolita followed, her heart torn as she entered the establishment again. She barely noticed a second figure coming up behind her until she felt his hand on her shoulder. With a yelp of surprise, her head whipped around to face the culprit of her surprise. "Oh…Diego," she breathed, shaking her head as she chastised herself. "I'm sorry-"

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," he said sincerely, noticing how she continued to be distracted. Raising an eyebrow, he tapped her shoulder. "Lolita…where is your necklace?"

Gripping her throat once again, Lolita felt her eyes fill once more with tears. "…I…I think I lost it…the ribbon must have unraveled…or snapped…when we were chasing after Yolanda…"

"You mean this locket?" Diego asked innocently, pulling said item out from his vest pocket and placing it in her hands.

"Diego!" she gasped, her tears spilling onto her cheeks. Looking up at him with a grateful smile, she asked, "How did you ever find it?"

"I suppose a guardian angel must have led me to it…all I know was that on my way back, I felt as though something was trying to tell me to ride towards the road to Los Angeles…when I looked down, there in the moonlight was your locket." His eyes softened as he saw that she continued to cry, his hand moving to wipe away her tears. "I'm sorry, I wouldn't have jested like that now if I knew you were going to cry-"

"Thank you," she choked, gripping it in her hands. "It's the only thing left of my mother's…it's all I have to remember her by…" Her heart swelled as she saw him smile sadly at her, turning his face so that he might fish out a handkerchief for her. Something within her urged her to move closer, and before she could think again, she inclined her head to kiss his cheek.

Unaware of her intentions, Diego finally tugged out his hanky, lifting and turning his face to her when suddenly, the familiar sensation of Lolita's lips brushed against his. His eyes widened at this, his heart skipping a beat. He watched in awe and disbelief as Lolita pulled away quickly, covering her mouth in shock before running away.

Shoving through the crowd, Lolita forced herself onward, her heartbeat wilder than ever before. In a flurry of motion, she squeezed her way past countless skirts and strapping figures, nearly crashing into Consuela and Bernardo on the other side of the room. "Hermanita!" the Indian woman cried, taking the shaking girl into her arms and guiding her off into a secluded hall of the house. Bernardo trailed behind faithfully, his fist pressed to his mouth in worry. "Lolita, what's wrong?! Did someone hurt you-?"

"I kissed him," she breathed, leaning against the wall and sliding down until she sat on the floor. "I…I lost my locket. Diego found it and brought it back…I was crying, so he was pulling out a handkerchief for me…I…I wanted to kiss his cheek, like I always do…I accidentally ended up kissing him…!"

"His mouth?!" Consuela gaped, glancing at Bernardo, whose eyes were huge. "Now, Lolita, I'm sure Don Diego will understand if you just apologize-"

"I can't apologize because I don't want to!" Lolita cried, covering her face. "I…I can't explain it…I felt a rush…a spark…it seemed so familiar…God help me, Consuela, I'm in love with Zorro! But…but I think…"

"What? What?!" Consuela begged, anxious to know the rest of the sentence.

"…I think I've been in love with Diego all this time, too…" Lolita looked up at the servant, absolutely mortified with herself. "How can I love two men at once and so equally?!" She sobbed in the woman's arms, unknowingly breaking Consuela's heart. As the servant stroked the girl's hair, she used her eyes to signal for Bernardo to leave: she knew he would tell his master what he had heard. "I'm sorry, Lolita, but I can't tell you the truth…Don Diego must be the one to do it, and the time must be right. Forgive me, hermanita…please forgive me…"

~Z~

Riviera stared at the empty coffers in hid quarters at the cuartel. Two whole boxes with thick locks had been tampered with, and their contents had vanished. Inside lay a simple note:

"Feel your people's pain – know that your stolen money has been returned to them. –ME"

A roar of rage filled the air as he tore the note to bits, his hair falling out of place. "That baboso thinks he can get away with stealing my private funds?! He thinks he can waltz in here and pretend to be Zorro! He took my money and gave it to simpletons and beggars?!"

Twisting his body around, he glared at the 'Z' carved into his bedroom wall, fury consuming his being. "You started all this," he pointed at the wall, hissing at the letter. "Mock me while you can…someday I'll find and kill Elvarez…just as I shall do to you – Zorro!"