Diego was a little concerned when she stopped talking to him completely. It meant she was thinking. He couldn't see her in the dark, and she couldn't see him, but they were in each other's arms.

Maybe they shouldn't have left the main cave? He was starting to doubt the wisdom of the move. He shook his head at himself. If he was going to trust the alcalde's ability to save them, he would have to be half dead. The man didn't even mean well.

Destara might be worth trusting, but he was such as much a selfish, grasping man as the alcalde was. He sighed. Was that really true? He was angry with the man that was true. His opinion was clouded by jealousy and irritation. The truth was they had been friends, as close as brothers, with all the frustrations, jealousies and irritation related to being brothers. Francisco had been the peacemaker, and he was gone. Diego wondered if the Capitan had taken it upon himself to volunteer for the mission. He would have been upset by the death of Francisco just as much as he had been.

Destara would have to step up and over the alcalde to arrange a coordinated rescue. Paonessa and his men would have been killed or arrested by now. Destara's mission was complete. They had been friends long ago. He couldn't rely on the man's loyalty, especially after their last fight. Destara had been a hairs breadth away from death, and he had seen it. Max Destara would never beg unless he feared for his life.

No, Diego thought. He could only rely on himself to get them out, as usual. There was no way out via the main cave. He had to keep looking, and try to remember the layout of the cave system as best he could. He had mapped it once, probably at the age of 12. His memory was clouded, but as he walked, clouds parted at every step.

"There is a side passage close by…" Diego murmured, and his hand felt the gap as he spoke. He stopped, and Victoria turned in his arms. She was facing him now. That little face was a few inches below his. He mastered the temptation to kiss her again, and she didn't attempt to kiss him.

"Diego? Do you know where we are? Could this be a way out?"

Diego paused, and tried to think. It was a sensible question. She didn't want them stumbling about in the dark, getting thoroughly lost.

"I can't promise that it is, but I think it may be. Is that enough?"

He felt a small hand reach up to his face, and stroke his cheek. He took the hand, and kissed it, holding it, and warming it.

"Querida, you trust me to save you?"

"Of course, Zorro," she murmured. "Diego…."

"Yes?"

"What do we do when we do get out?"

He startled a little. They weren't even out yet, and if he thought rationally about it, there were possibilities that they were not going to escape. She trusted him instinctively enough to believe that they needed to consider the future.

"I don't know yet. What do you suggest?"

"I would like…."

"Mi Precisosa? What would you like?"

"I would like to marry Diego. If he would ask me, I would say yes. He's a good man."

"Diego? I thought Zorro had your heart?"

She sighed, and ran her finger over his moustache thoughtfully, as if reminding them both that the moustache belonged to both men.

"Do we have to keep playing this game?"

"Yes. The alcalde may have Zorro arrested, and Diego will die along with the outlaw. That is why it was a secret."

"Keeping it a secret doesn't make the reality of it go away, Diego."

"No, I suppose it doesn't," Diego said with a sigh. Her reasoning did make sense on some level. "I'll go first and scout ahead. There is something making me uneasy about this route, but I cannot remember what…"

"Diego?"

"Ow…Oh…Great…"

"Diego?"

"Stay right where you are, Victoria. Don't step forward blindly. There's a deep hole. I managed to stumble into it."

"Are you alright?"

There was a muffled moan, and a sigh. "Diego?"

"Ahh. I will be fine," he said. "Oh."

"What happened?"

"My ankle. It took my weight badly, and I went down on it."

She drew in her breath. "A broken ankle?"

"Typical Diego," he murmured. "What a stupid injury!"

"The alcalde will think you a simpleton and a clumsy fellow…"

"Just as he ought." Diego's voice sounded far away, and Victoria was a little worried about it.

"Diego? I'll have to work out how to get down to you," she announced. "Stay right there. I think I saw a rope."

"Victoria? Wait a minute. Victoria!"

Zzz

Diego had landed hard. He hadn't heard a sickening crunch of bone, so the ankle wasn't broken. He had shifted from his bottom to his hands and knees, and breathed deeply as he helped himself to his feet.

Leaning against the rock wall, he gingerly put weight on the foot. Pain cried out and raced through him, but he breathed it out. His pride would not allow him to yell with the intensity of the pain, but he closed his eyes tightly for a moment.

Two injured ankles in the space of a couple of months….he would be even more of a laughing stock than usual.

He knew he should elevate the ankle, or perhaps strap it somehow, but without the light to see by, that would be impossible. He had managed to stand on it, without dissolving back in pain to the ground, so it was a bad sprain. At least it was something he could be grateful for.

He didn't know where she had run off to. He hoped she was safe. He was exhausted, and had almost forgotten what he had been meaning to do with the picnic. He had been going to tell her everything, and go down on his knees, and propose like a gentleman.

He was momentarily startled by the fact that he could see his hand. There was light in this section of the cave. Somewhere there was an opening to the outside. He scanned the area, trying to work out where the light was coming from. Somewhere to the right of him.

He glanced upwards at the inky blackness, and sighed. She had told him to wait. He should wait. He should wait for the sake of his injured ankle, but the possibility of escape was too great a temptation. Using the wall as a support, Diego stumbled along, peering at the light. He'd be back again. Victoria would take a while to find the rope and then a little more time to climb downwards to him. He'd find the way out and be able to communicate it to her. Then he would feel less like an incompetent fool.

Zzz

Victoria had found the rope, quite quickly. Her sense of direction was good, even in the dark. There was a sack of supplies, and a blanket, and she brought them with her as well. Walking back through the dark passages, she counted steps and ran her hand along the wall, turning at the appropriate times to make her way back to Diego.

"Diego!" She called out. She was alarmed to hear nothing but her own voice echo back up to her. "Diego!" Great, she thought to herself. I told him to stay put, so he wanders off. What a pair we are!

She shifted a heavy rock, by pulling and pushing, and dragging the thing to where she wanted it, and then tipped it over onto an end of the rope. She tossed the rest into the inky darkness of the hole. Gingerly feeling where the edge was, she began a nervous climb down, wearing the bag of supplies over her shoulder. She hoped he was alright. He had to be alright.