A/N: I know that the previous parts made a whole story, but what IcyWaters once wrote was still in my mind:" The solace is that one day, sooner or later, she ultimately will. There is no escaping the Gray Lady forever". And so I wrote that part.
Thanks to Arianka for her translation and patience. And to Amiga, who made me return to this story.
Part four – one more kiss
When the Grey Lady comes again, Diego de la Vega rises to welcome her. The years that passed changed his dark hair into silver, washed some of color from his eyes and took the strength from his muscles, but he is still a caballero and he knows it's impolite to greet the lady sitting. So though he had only a can instead of a sword, he rises. He doesn't know who is that person hurrying through his garden, but he will greet her.
When she comes closer, he recognizes her. There are no canyon rocks, no mine passages nor abrupt roofs this time, there are no flying bullets nor crackling flames. Only the heat of the sun is as big as it was that day, when they saw each other last time, among the crowd surrounding the gallows.
But now it's the garden around the hacienda, hundreds of flowers shining in the sun and the air vibrating in the heat. And among this all stands a woman in a grey dress and Diego looks at her face for the first time. She is beautiful and calm, like he imagined her years ago, the Grey Lady's eyes are still like a sky reflecting in the steel.
When the lady carefully touches his cheek, Diego de la Vega, Zorro, smiles audaciously one more time and pulls her closer to him. He hushes her surprised exclamation with a kiss and he feels that she returns this kiss after a moment of astonishment.
It's both sweet and salt, burning and delicate, brings memories of fight and peace, cheerfulness and grief. Everything he experienced in his life closes in this one touch of lips. The kiss stuns him to dizziness and for the first time Zorro doesn't fight it. There is no longer a sunny afternoon in the garden, no sand under his toes nor pain in old wounds and tiredness of the senility. There is only this woman in his arms and this kiss, a gift given and returned.
When the Grey Lady steps back, her eyes are wide open and darkened, and her pale cheeks colored by the blush.
"It was worth to wait for you to give me this kiss freely, Fox," she whispers. And then she says louder, with a smile as mocking as Zorro's. "But, my insolent Fox, you will have to explain yourself!"
She steps back, and Diego sees a woman standing behind her. Victoria de la Vega wears a colorful dress and a frilly shirt, her hair are black again, not silver, and her dark eyes seem to hurl thunderbolts. Judging by her expression, she's not pleased with her husband's behavior.
Toronado's neigh and a marital quarrel effectively howl down the laugh of the Grey Lady.