A/N: Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing, you rock! I hope I don't disappoint anyone as we get closer to our climax. Nothing really major in this chapter, but it is needed to move the story along so the next chapter should be a little more exciting for you all ;) Please let me know what you think and I'll see you next time!

Chapter Twenty-One: The Fox and the Snake (Part 3)

Alejandro and Bernardo sat quietly at the table in the sala, the two of the concentrating hard on their game of checkers. Reaching out, the elder moved one of his pieces and crossed his arms over his chest. "Your move." Bernardo tapped his cheek, pursing his lips as he thought about a possible choice when the chest of shelves behind Alejandro opened to reveal Diego. The motion was so silent that the old man did not notice his son enter. Diego smirked at this and gestured for Bernardo to remain silent and continue the game. Nodding his head as he gave a mischievous grin, Bernardo continued to play the fool and focused on the game once more. He reached out to touch one piece, hesitated, and pulled his hand back. He thought again, then repeated the process: reach, hesitate, and pull away. After doing this about five times, Alejandro made a face at him. "You're stalling. What's holding you up?"

"The right opportunity," Diego whispered in his father's ear, making the old man yelp and jump out of his chair. Diego and Bernardo could not contain their mirth as they laughed heartily, clutching their sides and stomachs at his reaction. "I'm sorry, Father, I could not resist!" Diego apologized, shrugging innocently as his father rose to his feet.

"Well, you're certainly in a good mood!" Alejandro snapped, only to end up smiling as he realized his words rang true. "I take it the mission was a success?"

"Better than expected!" Diego beamed, grasping his father's shoulders. "We caught Riviera in the act, just as Bernardo said!" He laughed as Bernardo smugly pretended to spit on his nails and polish them on his vest. "Gracias, amigo!" His eyes shone brightly as he held out his hand and continued, "That's not the best part. Lolita figured out that Zorro and Diego are one in the same!"

"On her own?! You're certain Consuela didn't tell-?"

"I'm certain of it, and she never mentioned Consuela knowing!" Running his fingers through his dark, wavy hair, he shook his head and laughed, almost as if he himself didn't believe what he was saying. "You were right, Father… she loves both of me. Of course, she was very angry at first when we spoke-"

"I can imagine, especially if she was anything like your mother – God bless her soul," Alejandro said, making a sign of the Cross. He smiled at his son and embraced him. "I am proud of you, Diego, and overjoyed… but what will you do now that Lolita knows who you are? I thought you wanted that kept as a secret until Riviera was taken care of-"

"There is nothing I can do about Lolita knowing. As for the former Commandant, he will kept locked away until Fernandez returns from Monterey with the governor," Diego answered, sitting at the piano. Clasping his hands together, he rested his chin atop his hands and became silent, thinking. Seeing Bernardo gesture, he responded, "I'm all right, Bernardo. I just can't believe it's come to this point…once this is over, I want to marry Lolita. Believe me, I never imagined I would want to marry someone so willingly or so quickly, it's just…I feel like this was meant to happen."

"And…Zorro?" Alejandro asked, questioning what Bernardo had on his mind as he drew the infamous 'Z' in the air.

"Zorro must continue to do his work until all is well…and I have a feeling things will never be completely perfect. There will always be some injustice, but I shall be sure to stop it," Diego said firmly. "Lolita has already acknowledged and agreed on that point, so I'm not worried about having the two of us face future hardships together…however…" Glancing up at his father and friend, he gave a wry smile. "I think it's time I start learning how to manage the books and rancho on completely my own."

~Z~

Wedding bells rang loudly from the San Gabriel Mission in the late afternoon, the doors bursting open to release an elated Capitan Jorge Fernandez and a glowing Yolanda Fernandez-Sanchez. Children from the pueblo threw rice at the couple, and everyone clapped in jubilation as they ran to the awaiting carriage with two white horses. Everyone followed them out, the single females screaming wildly as Yolanda prepared to toss her bouquet into the air.

"My little girl…oh, Carlos!" Catalina wailed, sobbing on her husband's shoulder.

He sighed and shook his head, a wry grin on his lips. "The capitan is a good man, Catalina-"

"My baby is married!" she cried. "We're going to be abuelos!"

"Ay chihuahua, I can't image how she'll react when the other two wed-"

"Excuse me, Don Carlos, Doña Catalina?"

The two glanced over to see Ricardo del Amo with Carlotta clinging to his arm, the young woman rather starry-eyed as she gripped the man. "Don Ricardo? If you're looking for Lolita-"

"Actually, I'm here to talk about Carlotta," Ricardo winked, making the two adults' eyes widen in disbelief. "I know this must be a lot to take in, but I was hoping to ask for your permission to marry your fine daughter in the near future."

"How near?" Catalina asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Just a moment! I thought you wanted Lolita-" Carlos began.

"I thought I did, too…but I see she was never interested in me, I was just too stubborn to acknowledge it." He turned to face Carlotta, whose cheeks were crimson as he confessed, "I've fallen in love with your daughter, Carlotta."

"Oh, Ricardo," she cooed.

Carlos raised an eyebrow at this, suspicious. Ricardo was well known for being a prankster, and a part of him did not want to forgive him after disguising himself as Zorro and insulting Lolita in public. Still, seeing how Carlotta hovered over him and Catalina gave him a look, he grumbled, "It's a bit too early to speak of marriage, considering we just gave away Yolanda…I'll be open to discuss this at a later date."

"I understand, Señor. Thank you for giving me a chance," he nodded, shaking hands with the don. Winking at the lady, he whisked her off towards the crowd as the girls all pleaded and cried out to Yolanda, waiting anxiously now that she was in her carriage to toss the flowers.

"Catalina, mi amor, how can you allow Carlotta to go with that man?" Carlos scowled.

"I know you're still upset with what happened when he dressed up as Zorro," she said kindly, patting his shoulder. "You know that I was upset about it, too, but even Lolita has moved on, and I see that Carlotta's so happy…his father's a very influential man in San Francisco, and he'll inherit land and cattle that will make him rich, perhaps almost as rich as the de la Vegas. Please, Carlos, give him a chance to prove himself. I think he's an appropriate match for her."

"Oh, very well," he sighed, his eyes moving to watch Yolanda throw the bouquet into the air. The fragrant blossoms flew overhead, narrowly missing the fingertips of many single women, when it landed in the unsuspecting hands of Doña Alicia de la Cruz, whose face became red with embarrassment before she thrust the flowers at Beatriz, who giggled and patted the woman's arm in consolation. "Well…I wonder who Alicia will find," Carlos jested, winking at his wife as he noticed how Alicia accepted Sergeant Garcia's arm.

"Hmm…I have an idea, but I don't want to spoil it," she laughed, kissing Carlos's cheek. "Come, Carlos. We need to get the guests to the hacienda."

The wedding ceremony had been short and sweet, and the entire pueblo turned up for the event, wishing their faithful capitan and the kind señorita all the best. With that part of the day finished, everyone went to the Pulido residence to partake in the fiesta. As the sky turned orange, the newlywed couple entered the enormous sala, applauded by the people. After the couple had shared their first dance together, the food was brought out and the meal began. Chicken, goose, beef, and pork were drenched in sauce and gravy, while cooked potatoes and an assortment of vegetables were offered, as well as bountiful amounts of rice. Freshly baked bread and melting butter was placed at every table, and wine was constantly being poured for all, especially Sergeant Garcia. For dessert, oranges and a moist cake were brought out, along with delicate bonbons and marzipan sweets.

"This is certainly quite the party, eh, Bernardo?" Diego asked jovially, laughing as Bernardo gestured that he would be next. "You think mine's will be grander?" The mute man nodded his head smugly, crossing his arms over his chest in confidence.

"I will take that to heart, Bernardo. Don't let me forget it," Alejandro winked. His eyes drifted to see Lolita rising from her seat, walking around to greet the guests. "Diego, why don't you ask the señorita for a dance? She looks rather lonely," the elder shrugged carelessly, grinning as Diego pointed his finger at him accusingly.

"Do you really want people talking about Diego de la Vega making a move on the señorita?" Diego smirked. "It could ruin my reputation as a carefree dandy!...then again, Lolita is looking extremely…" He paused, sensing his father and servant's eyes on him. "…stunning," he said at last, cautious with his words. This earned a laugh from both his father and Bernardo, urging him to excuse himself and take off towards the solitary girl. Straightening his cravat, he strode to Lolita and tapped her on the shoulder before bowing lowly. "Señorita Lolita," he said coolly, loving how her rosy-hued gown clung to her torso and waist before flaring around her legs and pooling around her feet. The short sleeves and bodice were coated with lace and white ribbons, some small, delicate pearls stitched into the gown to add a hint of elegance. He accepted her hand when she offered it, thankful that the lace gloves she wore were thin enough to feel her skin through the fabric. Raising his eyes, he saw that she wore her hair in curls that evening, most of them pent up on her head, though a few tendrils remained loose to rest on her exposed shoulders and collarbone. She wore only her locket, as per usual, and a breathtaking smile.

"Don Diego," she answered back calmly, loving him in his new suit. She had never seen him in it, but she hoped it would make another appearance soon, for he looked dashing in black, his white shirt pristine and brilliant against the dark fabric of his coat and pants. Scarlet ivy had been embroidered onto the lapels of his coat and sides of his pants, and his boots had been polished for the special occasion. He had opted for a red cravat for a change of pace, but kept his dark hair combed back while his eyes twinkled mischievously. His smile made her heart flutter, and the kiss on her hand made her blood race. "I do hope you are enjoying the party."

"I would enjoy it more so if you would accept a dance with me," he said, offering her his arm.

"You are too kind," she winked, slipping her arm around his.

Leading her to the center of the room, Diego turned to the orchestra Don Carlos had hired for the evening and snapped his fingers. "Señores, play 'El Pañuelo Rosado'."

The men nodded and immediately struck a chorus. Lolita curtsied while Diego bowed, initiating the dance. Standing erect, Diego clutched his lapels and looked over his shoulder, stomping and tapping in time to the music whilst Lolita gathered her skirts and swayed them slowly around her, twisting her body to match his movements. Taking her hand in his, Diego tugged Lolita towards him, making her spin, her skirt twirling uncontrollably around her. She pressed herself against his chest, making both their heartbeats quicken. Taking her in his arms, Diego led her around the room, the words of the musicians floating above them:

"I offered her my hand and asked to dance,

She kissed me on the mouth and did not say 'no',

She stole my heart when she gave this one chance,

And offered me a token, su pañuelo rosado!"

Lolita thought the dance would never end, and she wished it wouldn't. The song was innocent and sweet, but the music called for dancing that was a bit more risqué. Many couples would ask for this song to test their significant others or dance partners, to see if they shared the same passion and desire the other had. She knew that Diego had no reason to test her…but she could see in his eyes the want and need to be with her, to show her how he felt about her, and it made her blush. The music finished with a flourish from the guitarist, allowing Diego to dip her in his embrace before bringing her up so that they could look each other in the eye, breathless from the activity. Applause filled the air, signaling that the guests had indeed been interested and enjoyed their display. Lolita ducked her head shyly as she realized her parents were probably watching, but Diego merely kissed her hand and winked. Looking over her shoulder, she could see that both her father and step-mother were rather taken with the idea that Don Diego would want to dance to that particular song with her.

"Nicely done, Diego, Lolita."

The pair turned to see Ricardo approach them, a humble smile on his face. "Mind if I steal Diego for a minute?" he asked Lolita.

"Of course not," she replied, though she was stunned to see him so calm around Diego. It had been some time since Ricardo had approached her, and even though Carlotta had told her he was interested in her, she remained wary. Kissing Diego's cheek, she excused herself and began to walk away when a young woman walked up to her.

"Excuse me," the girl said, cocking her head at Lolita. "You are Lolita Pulido, aren't you?"

"I am," she nodded. "I'm sorry, I don't believe I know your name."

"I'm Rosarita Cortez, I knew Diego as a child," she introduced herself, curtsying to the young woman. "I've been away for some time visiting relatives and I only just arrived about a week ago. Diego came to see me and mentioned you. He seemed very taken with you." Raising an eyebrow at her, she asked, "Forgive me for being so forward, but…do you care about him? I mean, the way he cares about you?"

"I love him, yes, if that's what you mean," she answered honestly and kindly. "I can't imagine being with anyone other than Diego…I hope you'll forgive me for asking you now, but do you love him?"

"I do…but not the way you think," Rosarita answered with a small smile, something in her voice sounding pained and wistful. "I remember when he was a boy…he was so…so daring and reckless, he was never afraid to fight back…he's still a thoughtful man and very caring, but he's not at all what I had hoped he would be. Still…I'm happy for him, and for you, too." Her face brightened as she took Lolita's hands in her own and insisted, "You simply must come and visit me! I'm dying to get to know more girls my age in the area that aren't married off yet."

"I shall," Lolita promised. Rosarita's offer was tempting and rang true with her own reasoning. It was time to get out and get together with other girls now that she had been living there for some months now.

Across the room from them, Ricardo leaned against the far wall, crossing his arms over his chest before looking down at his boots. "Diego…I want to apologize."

"Apologize?" Diego asked, raising an eyebrow as he placed his fists on his hips. "Whatever for?"

Glancing up at his friend, he admitted, "I know you and Lolita are very close…I'm sure you've already confessed your feelings for one another by now."

"Well," Diego shrugged.

"I wanted to wish you both the best," Ricardo said, offering his hand to his old friend. "I'm hoping to speak with Don Carlos soon to discuss Carlotta. My father wants me back home, but when I told him I found someone I plan on marrying, he extended my time away from home."

"But it was originally Lolita," Diego noted.

Ricardo nodded, taking a look at the three sisters as they stood together and whispered amongst each other. "Carlotta was always there and I didn't realize how special she was to me until Riviera tried to hurt her. If it wasn't for you and Lolita, I don't know what would have happened to her. I got so worried…speaking of worried, you got me worried, too. You haven't gotten into a fight since we were kids. What made you want to stand up for Lolita?" He watched Diego curiously as his friend stumbled to find the right words.

"What can I say, eh? She has the face that launched a thousand ships from Troy!" Diego jested, becoming serious soon after. "I can't explain it, but I felt rage when I saw Lolita in trouble. I didn't want to fight, but I had to do something to protect her."

Ricardo smiled at him, shaking his head. "It looks like this time around, we both won. We just had to be open to what was in front of you."

"You had to be open, you mean," Diego smirked.

"I suppose you're right. I realize now that Lolita would never be happy with me, and in the end I'd probably tire of her. Carlotta may not seem like it, but she's sharp and knows how to handle a household…" His eyes darted over to her, a soft smile playing on his face. "And very beautiful."

"And very loud," Diego thought, but decided it would be best simply to answer back, "Well, in that case, I congratulate you and wish you the best, Ricardo."

"Gracias, Diego," Ricardo said, shaking hands with him. "…you know, there is one more thing we could compete at."

"Oh no," Diego rolled his eyes. "All right, now what is it?"

Grinning widely, Ricardo nodded his head at the women and joked, "Who gets married first."

~Z~

It was late that evening when the guests had finally gone and the Fernandez couple got on their private coach, saying their goodbyes to the few that remained.

"Take care, my dear," Catalina whispered, kissing her daughter's cheek and embracing her tightly. "Come back to us soon."

"I'll be back sooner than you think, depending on the Governor," Yolanda promised. Smiling, she grasped both Carlotta's and Lolita's hands. "Behave yourselves and stay out of trouble!"

"The two of us getting into trouble? Where would you get an idea like that?" Lolita grinned, kissing her sister's cheek.

"Be careful, Yolanda, and be happy," Carlotta said, smiling as she patted her little sister's head.

"Keep an eye on Garcia for me, Don Diego," Jorge winked, shaking hands with the don.

"But of course, I will keep a vigilant watch over him, Capitan, I swear it," Diego professed.

"Oh, no, Capitan! I would never cause you any trouble-" Garcia protested.

"You might not, but someone else may," Fernandez said, his eyes locking with the sergeant's.

Diego kept his mouth shut as he understood the secret message, acting clueless as he patted the sergeant's back. "Not to worry, my friend, I'm sure we'll still have plenty of time to visit the posada."

"Oh, of course," Garcia smiled weakly, worried as he realized Riviera would be under his supervision from now on.

"Safe journey to you both!" Alejandro called out as the driver flicked the reins, letting the horses trot onward into the night. Waving goodbye, he glanced over to see Lolita resting her head on Diego's shoulder, his arm wrapped around her waist. A smile grew onto his face as he realized how deeply in love they were. "I have a feeling we'll be having another wedding very soon."

~Z~

Because of the urgent matter concerning Riviera, Fernandez had the coach driver drive for some time that evening until they arrived at the closest inn. The following morning, they left after the horses had been switched and continued on their way. The went on for nearly three days, thanks to their speed and constantly changing out the horses when they could, until the came to the outskirts of Monterey.

Leaning back against the seat, Fernandez heaved a sigh, anxiety churning within him as he awaited meeting the Governor that afternoon. Feeling Yolanda's hand on his arm, he gave her a tired smile. "Gracias, mi amor. I know this is not what most brides have in mind for a honeymoon-"

"Don't be silly. I don't care what happens so long as we are together," she insisted, accepting a kiss from her husband. She rested her head against his shoulder and began to close her eyes when the carriage came to a halt. "What on earth is wrong-?"

"Stay here," he said, pulling out his pistol and checking the road. Lying on the ground was a man who appeared to have been beaten, coughing as he reached out to the carriage. The driver had stopped upon seeing this, and when he saw that his passenger had disembarked, he took his hat from his head.

"I'm sorry, Señor, but-"

"It's all right," Fernandez said, motioning for the driver to join him.

"Please," the man wheezed. "Help…"

Jorge Fernandez took several steps towards him when out of the blue, a white stallion appeared and began to neigh wildly, pawing the air before running for the victim. Upon sensing the horse's approach, the man looked over his shoulder, his eyes widening as he realized the equestrian creature had no intentions of stopping. Rising to his feet, he ran off a few paces, pulling a knife from his belt to wave it at the animal. "I don't believe it," Jorge breathed, seeing how the steed remained relentless. His memory stirred as he remembered Zorro telling him of a time spent in Monterey, when he used a bold and brave stallion named Phantom, who seemed to wish for justice more than anything after his original rider had been killed. Zorro had told him the horse had been set loose when he decided to return to Los Angeles, and disappeared into the sierra.

"Señor, what do we do?" the driver asked, shocked that an injured victim would rise so quickly and have a knife on his being.

"I'll tell you what we'll do. You get back to the carriage and keep your whip ready if that man approaches," Fernandez ordered. "I'm going to teach him a lesson for trying to waylay us and get the horse." Keeping his gun at the ready, he waited until the driver had returned to his post before stalking forth, keeping his vision on the man's back. The horse did a brilliant job distracting him, enabling him to take the bandit by surprise by pressing the barrel of the gun to his back. "If you do not want to get trampled to death, you'd better tell me who you are and who sent you," he growled.

"N-No one sent me! I heard a coach was coming in from Los Angeles today, that's all!" the man insisted.

Frowning, the captain realized he had become nervous at the idea that this man might have been sent by Riviera. Still, it was better to be safe than sorry. "Drop the knife…now on your knees." The bandit did as he was told, his eyes rolling back as Fernandez smacked the back of his head.

"Capitan! What will we do with him?" the driver called.

Raising his eyes, Fernandez noticed that the great horse was calm now, nickering in a most friendly manner. "You knew he was up to no good, eh?" he murmured, raising his hand to the creature. The horse strode up to him and allowed the man to place his hand on his velvet nose. "You saved our lives, amigo…is your name Phantom?" He felt rather silly talking to a horse, but the animal's ears pricked forth the moment his name was spoken, nodding his head at the captain. "You must know Zorro." He laughed as the horse whinnied, using his lips to pluck at the captain's hat.

"Jorge, are you all right?!" Yolanda cried from the coach.

"I'm all right, dear," he called back. Looking to the magnificent animal, he cocked an eyebrow and grinned. "How would feel about having a new home in Los Angeles, in the cuartel? Would you like that, my friend? Will you help me protect the people?" Phantom reared and neighed proudly, landing once more and nodding his head so that his beautiful white mane swayed. "Come along, then. We have much to do, and very little time." Walking off, he sensed the horse's presence as he returned to the coach. "Driver, I'll need some rope to tie this bandito up so we may bring him to Los Angeles. Also, some rope for the horse."

"What a fine horse," Yolanda gasped, giggling as Phantom walked up to the window and sniffed her. "Is he coming with us, Jorge?"

"He is, amor. His name is Phantom…he's an old friend of Zorro's."

A/N: Again, I made up the cheesy lyrics, sorry about that P: Hope you liked it!