A/N: I'm soooo sorry it took so long! I got a new job in August and it's taken over my life. I had no time or interest for a while to finish up until about three week ago and now I finally have the last two chapters written out. I apologize if they are not up to par with the rest of the story since it's been a while (I was also re-reading my work and, yeesh! What a mess of typos! I'll have to go back and edit it...someday...eventually...like all my other work...argh.) Anyways, please enjoy and let me know what you think. Thank you for being so patient (or just forgetting and coming back anyways, that's good too).

Chapter Twenty-Six: The Future of the Fox

Three Months Later…

"Don't let them get away!" Fernandez shouted, leading the men onward as the two men disguised as visiting priests drove off in a large wagon, with Padre Felipe hostage in the back as well as most of the church's gold and gems dedicated to the Lord Jesus and the Virgin Mother. He leaned forth, urging Phantom to move faster to reach the two thieves.

The two criminals glanced back to see Fernandez leaving the mission, hot on their tails. "Drive faster!" the second man snapped, hoping his partner could coax the horses to move onward, and quickly. Turning his attention to the limp and shuddering robed figure at the bottom of the stolen wagon, he grabbed the padre's arm and sneered. "You should have been more careful, being kind to everyone doesn't guarantee a change of heart."

"I know, but I had hoped it wouldn't be this way," the shuddering prisoner shook his head.

The thief snorted. "People like us don't change-"

"Sí, you've made that quite clear," the priest cut him off, his voice suddenly deep and firm. The bandit's eyes widened in horror as the simpering priest they had abducted pulled back his fist and punched him squarely in the jaw. His partner looked over his shoulder, a yelp of surprise escaping him as the priest stood up and lunged for the reins, his hands large and strong. The driver blanched at the sight of a set of mischievous eyes under the infamous black mask, shadowed by the priest's hood.

"Zorro!" the driver cried just before he was shoved unceremoniously off the wagon seat, causing him to scream like a child as he grabbed onto the side of the wagon.

Zorro nimbly hopped onto the bench and gripped the reins, tugging the wild horses to a halt. He smirked as he remembered how he had hidden Padre Felipe in the church cellar with the help of the Indians before disguising himself in the priest's rough robes and allowing the bandits to capture him. He acted so frightened and docile that they didn't even bother remembering to bind him, having been so occupied with snatching the church's gems.

"Look, mi Commandante!" he could hear Sergeant Garcia cry, making him laugh as he felt the horses slowly surrender under his grip. The wagon began to slow, enabling him to withdraw his sword as he prepared to face his two adversaries. The two bandits sluggishly regained the footing, but not before he sliced the harnesses, allowing the horses to run off and leave them stuck in the wagon. Whistling sharply, Zorro kept an eye on the two criminals as he waited for his steed to appear. Fernandez and Garcia were approaching fast, and while they had no arrest warrant out for Zorro, officials would be arriving from Mexico City, and they had appearances to keep up.

"You'll pay, perro-!" the first snapped, his tongue freezing as the tip of Zorro's blade was suddenly between his eyeballs.

"I believe the one who will be paying is you, amigo." Zorro grinned as Tornado galloped towards him, rushing by just before the soldiers could arrive. Saluting the villain mockingly, he leapt for his horse's back. "You'll be paying about ten years' sentence if I'm not mistaken. Buenas noches!"

Garcia nearly reeled back at the sudden departure of the elusive bandido as he rode past them. "Good heavens! Where is he off to in such a hurry? The arrest warrant was removed months ago!"

"Never mind that," Fernandez said with a small smile, his eyes trailing from the black-clad man to the two men in the jewel-infested cart. "We have more pressing matters to attend to."

~Z~

"Another job well done, Tornado," Diego congratulated his loyal steed, removing the mask from his face before petting the horse's muzzle. Tornado snorted affectionately, blinking as he noticed a third party approaching. He nickered and nodded his head, prompting Diego to turn and face the visitor. "Bernardo, how is everything? Any late night visitors?" Diego asked, shedding his cape and gloves as his friend took the items from him. He raised an eyebrow as Bernardo just smiled knowingly and waggled his eyebrows at him. "What are you up to?"

Bernardo merely made motions with his hands of a beautiful woman waiting for him upstairs, the message clear to Diego. "All right, all right, once I change I'll see Lolita," he chuckled, following the mute servant up the secret stairwell. He couldn't help but smile as he thought of his supportive and beautiful wife. She knew there would always be a need for Zorro, and so long as he fought for the people and returned home safe and sound to her, she would always be by his side. He thanked the good Lord each night for the woman, and his love seemed to grow stronger each day for her. He couldn't help but suspect, however, that something had happened as Bernardo urged him to hurry as he changed into a casual shirt, pants, and his dressing robe.

Leaving through the secret doorway into his room, his eyes shining as he caught sight of Lolita sitting on the bed, murmuring something to Consuela and Alejandro, both of them gleeful. "Buenas noches, familia," he spoke up, earning everyone's attention at once. Lolita seemed radiant as she arose from the bed, wringing her hands anxiously as he approached them. "What's with all the secrecy?"

"There's no secrecy, Diego, only good news," Alejandro grinned, crossing his arms over his chest as he glanced at Lolita.

Diego raised an eyebrow at her as she approached him and took his hands in hers. "Is everything all right?"

"Everything's…wonderful," she said carefully, her cheeks filled with blush as she looked into his eyes with joy. "…Diego, we've talked about Zorro before…how you might give up the mantle if someone could take your place."

"Yes," he answered, his brows furrowing in concern as he listened to her. "Though as I recall, I said I hoped we might have a child of our own to continue the work-"

"That might be happening sooner than expected," she said breathlessly, her heart skipping a beat as she watched his eyes widen. "Diego…you're going to be a father. I'm pregnant."

Bernardo pressed his fist to his mouth as he saw Diego's jaw drop for the first time in his life. He felt so giddy he ran over and embraced Consuela, who giggled at his excitement.

"Pregnant?" Diego echoed, his brain still processing the information.

Lolita panicked, the light in her eyes fading as she saw that he was in shock. "Yes…I thought that- OH!" She screamed in surprise when he picked her up suddenly and spun her around, laughing merrily as she clung to him. When he finally put her down on the ground, she could see his face was aglow with pride and happiness, his smile shining through his eyes.

"A child…we're have a baby!" Diego gasped, embracing her tightly. "Corazon, you've made me the happiest man alive again!" Kissing her passionately, he ignored his father's chuckle and enjoyed the feeling of her warm lips against his before pulling away and kneeling down. Placing one hand over her stomach, he whispered to the growing child, "Hello pequeño…do you know who I am? I'm your father…and I can't wait for you to join us here. You have many people to meet who love you already." He kissed her stomach as he envisioned the child he might have…whether it was a boy or girl, he hoped the child would have Lolita's eyes and smile. Rising to his feet, he saw that tears were streaming down her face as she smiled at his actions. "Te amo," he murmured, dipping his head towards hers as he took her once more in his arms.

"Te amo," she whispered back, closing her eyes as she accepted his kiss once again. Feeling their hearts beating in time, she prayed that this would only be the beginning of their joys in their new life as a married couple, for she couldn't imagine life without Diego, no matter what the trials.

~Z~

Five Months Later…

"It was so good of you to meet us halfway," Carlotta gushed, tossing her luscious red locks over her shoulder as she hurried from the stagecoach to see her little sisters. Both Yolanda and Lolita had rotund bellies, expecting their children to be born sometime within the next three months or so, hopefully in time for spring. Carlotta remained slim, having just encountered that she was with child last week. Seeing her little sisters waddle over to her, however, she was in no hurry to be in their place for a while.

The afternoon sun blazed over them in Monterey as the sisters shared a bright and joyful reunion. The girls were giggling and chattering away as they approached the inn, whilst the brothers-in-law shook hands and smirked at one another.

"You didn't waste any time," Ricardo noted, nodding his head at Lolita.

"Ah, but you have been taking your sweet time on this little matter," Diego grinned. "What's the matter? Afraid you can't handle a child?"

"It's not the child I'm worried about facing, it's my pregnant wife. I hear they become monsters once they start growing those bellies," Ricardo shuddered, causing Diego to laugh and slap his shoulder. "How's Fernandez, anyway? Is Zorro still keeping him on his toes?"

"You could say that," Diego shrugged. "He wanted to join us but his duties would not allow him to leave his post at the moment. There's a rumor going around that a bandido named Coyote is prowling the area and may be close to Los Angeles."

"I've heard of him," Ricardo nodded. "Still, nothing Zorro and Fernandez can't handle, right? Or Sergeant Garcia."

The two men followed their wives and sister-in-law into the inn, only to find the women speaking to another well-dressed lady with a little girl tugging at her maroon skirts. Diego squinted, unable to believe his eyes for a moment before asked, "Ana Maria?"

The group of ladies turned to see him, the fourth figure's eyes growing large and beaming as she saw the two men who had once fought for her hand. "Diego! Ricardo!" She opened her arms to them and embraced them both, chastely kissing their cheeks before pulling away and laughing. "I can't believe it! You both are married to such fine ladies. We were just getting to know one another!" Glancing down, her face softened as she gathered the little girl in her arms and held her close to her bosom. "This is my daughter, Esperanza. We're waiting for my husband, Reinaldo…we will be going on a trip to Mexico City to visit his family."

"Oh…that's nice," Ricardo stammered, in shock at seeing Ana Maria with a baby of her own. The girl couldn't have been any older than a year, but she possessed all her mother's beauty. She shyly looked away from Ricardo and Diego, though she did smile as Diego winked at the little girl.

"She's just as beautiful as you, Ana Maria," Diego said kindly, caressing his thumb against the child's cheek as she peered at him curiously. "I'm glad to see you so happy…you look radiant." Waving the girls over, he wrapped his arm around Lolita's shoulders and grinned. "This is my wife, Lolita."

"Diego told me about you, but I never imagined we'd meet," Lolita said with a smile, hoping that her own baby would be just as happy and healthy as Ana Maria's. "I'm so glad to finally get to know you."

"I'm flattered, gracias. And it's a pleasure to get to know you," Ana Maria answered back.

"Tell me, Ana Maria," Ricardo asked, cocking his head curiously at the woman. "Do you still think of him?"

"Who?" she asked her brows furrowing in confusion.

Ricardo raised an eyebrow at her suspiciously. "The man who once stole you away from both me and Diego years ago."

Her eyes widened as she realized who he was speaking about, and she waved it off with a light laugh, though the expression did not quite reach her eyes. "That was just infatuation…I love Reinaldo, and he's a wonderful father. Besides, it could never be…" Her voice became wistful despite her best efforts, and though Lolita knew she was technically once a rival for Zorro's affections, she couldn't help but feel sorry for Ana Maria. Diego's grip around Lolita tightened as he pressed a kiss to her temple, and she knew that no matter what Diego had once felt for Ana Maria, he would always love Lolita as the only woman in his life.

The sound of a carriage approaching made Ana Maria wary as she looked at her old suitors and their spouses once more. "Well, that's my carriage. I have to go…I should like to see you all again when I return, though."

"That sounds lovely," Yolanda smiled, bowing her head as Ana Maria curtsied to them all. "Have a safe trip."

Bidding them all goodbye, Ana Maria and Esperanza left immediately, almost as if she was suddenly uncomfortable after the mention of Zorro. "What do you suppose has gotten to her? Was she in a serious relationship with that masked outlaw?" Carlotta asked, eager for gossip.

"She was very fond of him," Diego said, hoping to save her honor from Carlotta's vicious and suspicious nature. "And I know that he was fond of her, too."

"Then what happened?" Carlotta demanded to know.

Glancing down at Lolita, Diego smiled lovingly at her beautiful brown eyes. "I suppose he moved on, just as she did…we'll never really know."

"I suppose," Carlotta pouted.

"I suppose," Lolita repeated softly, readily accepting a kiss from her husband.

~Z~

Two Months Later…

Diego was pacing the floor, his fists clenched so tight that his skin appeared white as snow. Bernardo stood ready with a whip, having received orders from Don Alejandro not to let his son leave the sala. It was considered inappropriate for a man to be present when his wife was giving birth, but Diego was near is wits end. Hearing Lolita's screams and cries through her labor pains made him want to punch his mute friend to the floor and throw his father aside to be with her and let her crush his hand during this difficult time, but Consuela agreed that it would be safer if he waited below.

Just as Diego was going to lunge for the library to sneak in through the secret passage, Lolita's cries subsided and were replaced by a thin, delicate wail that made him freeze.

"Diego!"

His father's voice sounded like it was a million miles from where he stood, and everything seemed to be happening so slowly. He could see his father come in and grab his shoulder, his face shining with exultation, but he couldn't make out the words. Running past him, he dashed up the stairs to the second floor of the hacienda and barreled through the door of his room, his eyes widening at the sight of the little bundle in Lolita's arms. Her hair was splayed out around her, her face shining with sweat, her body limp with exhaustion…and yet, her eyes shone with all the joy and pride in the world as she looked up at him and beckoned him to come closer.

"Meet your son, mi amor," she urged her softly, wishing she wasn't so tired so that she might laugh at his bewildered expression. Consuela watched them as she gathered her materials and cleaned her hands, beaming silently before shutting the door after herself to leave the family alone.

Diego cautiously approached the bedside, sitting down beside his wife as he gawked at the little pink face peeping out from the cloth. "…Lolita," he breathed, a smile growing on his lips as his eyes were filled with tears. "He's so tiny…"

"Would you like to hold him?" she asked.

His hands shook as he carefully took the child in his arms. The little one whimpered and blinked, his dark eyes staring up at the man in curiosity. His little fingers extended and curled instantly at Diego's face, as if he were saying, "You're mine, Papá." Diego felt his heart swell within his chest and he brought the baby to his face and kissed his forehead tenderly. "Lolita…he's perfect," he whispered, slowly scooting closer to Lolita and wrapping an arm around her before pressing his lips to her cheek. She sighed and rested her head against his shoulder, relieved and delighted that their child was well and finally out in the world. "What shall we name him?" he asked, tapping the baby's nose with his finger.

"…I rather like the name Alejandro," she murmured, smirking as he gaped at her.

Diego grinned at her, kissing her lips before placing their child between the two of them. "I rather like it, too. I'm sure my father will be grateful for the thought." Smiling as he watched his boy yawn and carelessly close his eyes, he said, "Welcome home, Alejandro…my son."

~Z~

The sweltering sun finally slunk down behind the dusty hills, much to the tired Indian woman's relief. Trudging back to her little hut, she smiled sadly at her child. "Rodrigo, come here, my son. It's time to come in."

The dirt-covered boy yanked one final weed from the meager garden, causing him to fall flat on his bottom. Grunting, the three year old boy kicked the wicked plant away from himself, brushing the dust off of his shirt as best as he could. "It's hard, Mamá," he whined angrily, accepting his mother's arms around him. "The other boys have fathers to help and play with them…where is mine? Why are we alone here?"

Tia felt her eyes prick with tears as she remembered the man whom she had offered herself to in hopes of taming his unkind, ruthless nature. "Your padre is a very busy man…he could not stay here with us." She would not dare to let him know that his father nearly killed her when he found out she was pregnant with little Rodrigo, nor would she tell him she heard news from California that he was long dead. "Your father was a brave and strong man who did not let anything get in his way…he was in the King's army, Rodrigo. He was respected and very important. He can't be with us now, though…it's hard for him to come back." Tia would never admit it to anyone, but she was glad he was dead. He terrified her after the way he reacted, and she knew that if he ever came back to Mexico and saw they, he would rather kill them then and there than risk such a scandalous secret get out about his illegitimate son.

Rodrigo looked out towards the horizon, his brows knitting together on his face. He was already very headstrong and stubborn, and deep within his little angry heart, he resented his father. Silently, he vowed to himself that one day, he would go out on search of his father, and if his father would not pay for leaving him and his mother alone, he was certain that someone would… it was only fair that whoever was responsible for his father's disappearance suffer just as he and Tia were suffering.