Alejandro smiled faintly as he folded the letter decisively. He knew the conventions better than his dear new friend. She had not needed a father's permission to marry, especially living outside his care, and thousands of miles away. She lacked confidence, and certainty. It did no harm to her to bow to her concerns, and it wouldn't hurt to have a good relationship with her father.

He called a servant and handed his letter to him. He didn't want to leave Diego while he was recovering to see to the message himself, but he trusted Juan and his men to run his errands for a few weeks.

Isabella had gone back to her own hacienda with her children. The hacienda was silent again. He sighed a little. He wouldn't have thought that another man's children would win his heart so fast, but of course they missed the confident strength of their father, a man obviously wise beyond his years.

He wasn't sure how he was going to broach the subject with Diego. A stepmother his own age may be a little disconcerting, but perhaps Diego was distracted with his own life at the moment. He had seen the delight in his son's eyes as Diego looked at his beloved when he had peeked in at his son, but Alejandro had left before making his presence known.

The doctor was due in an hour or so, and Alejandro would be proud to dispel last night's fears. The doctor himself had shaken his head, and declared Diego wouldn't last the night. Somehow the de la Vega arrogance had won through again. Perhaps that was how Zorro had survived for so long.

He wandered into the hall, and he walked slowly to Diego's room. He listened intently as he walked. He had picked up gentle sighs and whispered promises once already today, and it made him smile.

"Diego," he said, announcing himself this time.

"Don Alejandro," Victoria said, blushing a little. He wondered for a moment what he had interrupted. Diego was frowning slightly at something, and Victoria was flustered. "I….I need to check on the flan," she said in confusion.

"Impeccable timing, Father," Diego muttered.

"It was all sweetness and light not more than an hour ago, Diego. What happened?"

"Real life and its issues once again raise their horrible heads," Diego muttered. "Go away, Father."

Alejandro sat on the bed, and Diego rolled over to avoid talking to him.

Alejandro sat and stared at his son's back for a few moments.

"Well," he said.

Diego took a deep breath, held it and slowly let it out.

"I'm sorry…. What was that?" Both men said at the same time. Alejandro smiled, and Diego smirked a little at the wall he faced.

"You talk first," Diego murmured, deferring naturally to his father.

"I am looking forward to what you have to say for yourself, Diego, but very well…"

Alejandro sighed, and gazed at the floor.

"I'm sorry I didn't work it out the very first night you wore the mask. Close your mouth, young man, you gave me leave to talk first. I will say what I need to say without interruption." Alejandro gave his son a stern glance. Diego had rolled over to interject, and now frowning, he seemed to submit and sit in silence.

"It's all so obvious now that I know. All those disappearing acts… The deliberate slips… Those rapid declines into illness… The 'fall' from a horse? Just how far did you fall? Five feet or twenty?" Alejandro paused as he shifted into the vacated seat. "No Diego, don't interrupt…"

"The siege would have been a challenge." He watched his son frown and glance away, irritated by his imposed silence.

"Well?" Alejandro raised his eyebrows, and waited.

"I can speak? My turn now? The siege was incredibly frustrating…" He said shifting up to sit in the bed.

"I am sorry, Father. I never wanted this secret to come between us. I was a disappointment and an embarrassment to you. My adolescence promised much, my adult years delivered little."

"Not entirely. Your newspaper is an amazing way to give everyone insights into the world around them, dons as well as peons. Your mother would have been incredibly proud of that."

Diego gazed at his father for a moment.

"I am incredibly proud of that newspaper, and the clever way my son outwits the buffoons in this pueblo and the surrounding territory. Now I am proud of my son's vaquero skills… Jack was the best horseman in the territory. People still wonder what happened to him."

Diego smiled. "That was a foolish couple of weeks. I'm sorry for the worry I caused," he murmured.

"I'm sorry for providing the pressure that led to such a move. You were hardly in a fit state of mind to know what you were doing. It was a good thing you were Zorro. Such a move would have killed a frail scholar such as Diego."

"My French came in handy, and so did my boxing lessons in Madrid. I knew a few tricks that helped best my foes in the vaquero community. I was a force to be reckoned with."

"So was I, in the army." Alejandro chuckled. "You did enjoy it, didn't you? You even tricked me with your grime and grottiness."

Diego smiled a little. "It was a challenge. I found I was a little too polished – the lack of baths, fine clothes, and books was torture."

"Diego de la Vega, you are a mystery to me."

"And to myself, as well, I'm afraid."

"Well… what was that girl worried about?"

"Victoria?"

"Yes."

"She thinks I am too well born for her. Her position is too low for me," Diego said with a sigh.

"I'll talk to her. I'll set her straight Diego."

"Father," Diego said, reaching out with a hand to touch his father. Alejandro rose from the chair, and stopped. "Felipe told me about Isabella….is there something I should know?"

"Let's not overcomplicate matters while you are recovering Diego. I don't want you to have a relapse. We almost lost you, Diego. I don't want a night like that again. My heart was in turmoil."

"I'm sorry," Diego murmured with a yawn. "I will have to ask again later."

"I know. Have a rest, sleep for now. You're still exhausted."

Alejandro paused in the doorway just long enough to watch his son nod, and yawn, and then slowly settle back down into the bed. He rolled onto his side, as he had always done since childhood, and in a few moments, Alejandro knew his son was asleep. He smiled, and moved resolutely towards the kitchen.

What problems might a flan have in its construction? He wondered as he paused in the doorway, and Victoria almost bumped into him as she dashed through.

"Victoria," he said, grabbing her arm gently. "Please. We need to talk."

She nodded slowly. He gazed at her. She was red in the face – possibly from the ovens in the kitchen, possibly from other reasons. He stared hard at her cheeks, wondering if tear lines would be visible. He couldn't see her eyes, she had them cast downwards.

"Have you been crying?"

She sniffed a little, and backed away slightly.

"Why are you being cruel to Diego? Is it because he lied for such a long time? Do you hate him?"

"Hate him?"

"You hurt him dreadfully, Victoria. I can honestly say I can understand your motives, but overall I think it's a little harsh to refuse him out-right without a chance when he obsesses about you."

"I am wrong for him, Don Alejandro," she whispered. "Can't you see that?"

"All I see is two people in love, Victoria, who have been in love for years. I have always thought of you as one of the family, my dear. I would be delighted to welcome you officially into the family."

"All Diego's friends…the other caballeros…"

"Diego doesn't have many caballero friends, Victoria, or have you not noticed? He spends all his time in the tavern, talking to you and the sergeant. Sometimes it's varied with visits to the mission, or the local Indian tribes… Diego has no interest in social norms."

"I don't want to be an embarrassment or a disappointment to him. He does so much to help the pueblo. Zorro is the defender of the territory."

"You wanted him until you knew for sure he was Diego. You fell out of love with him?"

"Never…. I love him so much…. I always will…. But marriage…. Me, a Donna? How could I? I don't know the first thing…"

"Nothing to lose, everything to gain. Diego is a good teacher, you have always been a determined young lady. You can run a tavern, you can run a household."

She smiled, and looked towards Diego's room.

"He's sleeping. Perhaps you should rest as well. We all know you didn't get any last night. Lack of sleep makes everyone emotional, Victoria. Revisit the idea when you're well rested."

"Thank you, Don Alejandro."