Author's Notes: To begin with, I think I ought to make it clear that I don't think it's actually necessary to have seen Monster Squad to understand this story, though I certainly wouldn't discourage it as I love the movie, but for the most part, this is very much a stand alone story with minimal references to events of the future.

I also need to thank Ghetto Outlaw for my new story image and helping me a bit with Diego and Alejandro's conversation.

~Edited to shift notes to the end~

Chapter 1

A Fatherly Talk

Diego sat at a table watching Victoria with a strange sense of foreboding that had little to do with the stormy weather outside. It had been two weeks since the death of the brother he had never known. Two weeks since he had finally told his father the truth about Zorro. One week and six days since Gilberto's burial. One week and three days since his father had spoken to him and Felipe, insisting both that he would be the one to adopt Felipe (an insistence that Diego yielded to with the greatest reluctance after Felipe had indicated that he loved them both and didn't care how he became part of the family as long as they reached an agreement) and that it was past time for Felipe to stop pretending to be deaf (an insistence Diego thoroughly agreed with as he felt Felipe deserved to live to his fullest potential without the burden of pretense that had been making Diego's life increasingly intolerable). And it had been one week since his father had taken him to task for his behavior in regard to Victoria.

He could remember every detail with embarrassing clarity. His father had clearly been brooding on it since the day Diego had revealed his secret and admitted that Victoria didn't know. Alejandro had said nothing at the time; he was so obviously still in shock himself that he needed time to absorb everything before speaking his mind about Victoria.

It started simply enough after dinner. His father had told him that he needed to speak with him privately and taken him back to his study which alarmed Diego a little as his father rarely used the room except for important business matters. When they both sat down, his father started without preamble.

"Diego, what are your intentions towards Victoria?"

"What?" Diego asked in surprise.

"It's a simple enough question, son. What are your intentions? Are you planning on marrying her or have you been trifling with her affections all these years?"

"Father!"

"Don't 'Father' me, Diego. I must admit I have been blind to so many things about you; I feel ashamed of every undeserved reproach I gave you. There is no apology that I can make that can be sufficient to atone for them."

"There's no need, Father; I understood, and my behavior seemed to warrant them," Diego said quietly.

Alejandro shook his head but continued, "It still doesn't make it right. Now so much that was mysterious has become clear to me, but the one thing I cannot understand is Zorro's all too public courtship of Victoria. That makes no sense to me." His father paused briefly. "Do you love her, Diego?"

"Of course, I love her. And I fully intend to marry her. In fact," he hesitated, feeling certain that his father wouldn't approve, but then pressed on, "I... that is... Zorro has already proposed... and been accepted."

Alejandro stared at Diego in disbelief. "Zorro?... Zorro has proposed? And still not told the woman he's proposed to who he is? This is not the act of a gentleman, my son." Diego squirmed under his father's stare. It got worse when his father said, "I don't like to ask this, Diego, but I feel I must. Is there any particular reason why Zorro needed to propose?" At Diego's blank look, he continued a bit more directly, "Just how little like a gentleman have you behaved with her, my son?"

Diego's face reddened as he finally understood what his father was asking. "No, nothing like that. How could you think I'd dishonor her that way? I'd never... I have never..." Diego choked off his words, torn between wanting to reassure his father that he'd never under any circumstances done what he was implying, being embarrassed beyond reason that his father felt the need to ask and being well aware that it was becoming more difficult to remain a gentleman with Victoria.

Alejandro looked relieved though skeptical. "I was almost positive you hadn't, but I know how sense can disappear when passion takes over," he said, then added with a smile, "And if nothing else, I'm positive that Victoria would make quite sure the mask came off under those kind of circumstances."

"Father!" Diego wished the floor would swallow him up. This was a conversation he did not want to be having with Alejandro, even though he knew his father was correct. He and Victoria had been courting temptation for a while now, and all it would take would be one weak-willed moment for temptation to win. He kept his eyes firmly away from his father, not wanting to see whether or not Alejandro knew exactly what he was thinking.

"I'm sorry, son, but your behavior with Victoria has invited a certain amount of suspicion. You have not been courting your lady as you should. In fact, I must say that Zorro's courtship of Victoria has been most improper and ill-advised and should, in actuality, have never begun."

"How can you say that? I love Victoria. I have always loved her," Diego protested, surely his father could understand that at least.

"But not enough to woo her as yourself," Alejandro said sharply. "Not enough to protect her by courting her as a de la Vega rather than a masked man with a price on his head."

Diego winced at that all-too-pertinent criticism. "But, Father, it was Zorro she fell in love with," Diego said, weakly, knowing full well that it was no excuse at all but the only one he had.

Alejandro raised an eyebrow. "Oh, and you never encouraged her, my son? Not with flirtation, compliments, kisses, promises you might never be able to keep?"

Diego sighed. He couldn't really explain it to his father; he'd never been able to understand how he'd gotten so deeply involved himself. The only thing he could find to say was: "I just never expected to be Zorro so long or for things to get so complicated."

"I understand that, but I think it's well past time you started uncomplicating things. And I don't think there is a better time than now. Zorro won't be able to show himself, at least until your arm heals."

Diego looked down at his injured arm wryly. "Yes, I think it would be just a bit too obvious if Zorro suddenly started fighting left-handed just after I've very publicly hurt my arm. I don't think that is the kind of simplification we're looking for."

"No, it's not. However, there are rumors that Zorro was killed or badly hurt in that rock slide, and this might give you the opportunity to free yourself from the burden and take back your own life."

Diego thought about it. After all the excitement following Gilberto's death, no one had thought to check if Zorro had gone to Diablo Canyon until after the Royal Guardsmen had left taking the war tax with them. Of course, all that could be found at the site of the land slide was the cape that he'd had neither the time nor inclination to grab before rushing home. At the moment there was a flurry of rumors, the main ones being what his father had mentioned, primarily because it had been Diego not Zorro who had fought Gilberto to save Alejandro. People were saying that if Zorro had been uninjured, surely he would have been there instead, and Diego had been too shaken to decide what the best response to the rumors would be, though he had managed to take the time to see that a note from Zorro was left in Victoria's room. He wouldn't have her think Zorro dead for the world, even if Zorro didn't dare make a personal appearance.

What had most perplexed him was Ignacio De Soto's complete indifference to the rumors of Zorro's death. He'd been very subdued after his talk with Padre Benites and had been sticking to his office. He'd sent a squad to check Diablo Canyon but treated it as a matter of little importance. He seemed more concerned with getting the lancers better prepared to defend the pueblo. He was, in fact, doing his job properly if only from his office, and Diego was uneasily waiting for the other shoe to drop. If this change were genuine and if De Soto were to continue on this path, it truly might be time to let Zorro fade away. But he'd had that feeling before only for another threat to rise, and this is what prompted him to ask:

"But, Father, what if Zorro's needed?"

"Then we can resurrect him," Alejandro said mildly, "but I think it's time the people learned to band together for their own protection, and you have sacrificed enough of your life in this cause. Victoria has sacrificed enough. You both have the right to be happy."

"But what if she can't accept me without the mask?" Diego asked. That was the fear more than any other that had kept him silent over the years, the one that had gotten him into this tangled mess to begin with.

Alejandro made an impatient sound. "If she can't accept who you are beneath the mask, then you let her go. It isn't fair to tie her to a mystery. But I think you underestimate how attached she is to you, Diego. I've watched the two of you together. When Zorro isn't around, you are the one she turns to. You are the one she worries about. And I think, Diego, if Zorro had not made his interest known, you are the one she would have chosen."

"I wish I could be so certain," Diego said quietly. "It's the one thing I've always been afraid of."

"Then face those fears. Victoria has a right to know. And if you're worried about arousing other people's suspicions, remember that De Soto will be leaving for Monterey in less than a week and won't be returning (if he returns at all) for a month. A lot can happen in a month. A woman can decide that her best friend would make a better husband than a masked bandit. And love— especially successful love— can change a man: make him bolder, more resolute. I don't think anyone would truly be surprised if you became less passive and retiring with Victoria's love to inspire you. You could truly become yourself again," Alejandro said persuasively.

"If it could only work out that perfectly," Diego said, still unsure.

Alejandro sighed and pointed out. "Even if your worst fears come true, you still have the time to come to terms before De Soto returns. And it is better to find out now than continue to wait for an uncertain future."

"You have a point. I just wish you and Felipe weren't going as well. I could use your support."

"I know," Alejandro said wryly. "But since De Soto saved your life, I owe it to him to speak on his behalf, in case there are repercussions to his shooting the king's emissary. And you are the one who suggested taking Felipe to the man who's specialized in helping people with speaking difficulties. In any event, I think it will be easier for Felipe to make the transition from apparently deaf to hearing away from home, not to mention taking care of the legal matters in relation to his adoption."

Diego nodded; he'd been in correspondence with Señor Montez for some time trying to discover the best way to help Felipe regain control of his speech. It was fortunate that he'd recently moved to Monterey; it was too good an opportunity to pass up. He did so want Felipe to be able to express himself fully and no longer have to hide his abilities.

Diego sighed. In any event his silence with Victoria was his doing, and he was the one who had to face the consequences— alone. "I've just been holding this back so long, I'm afraid that Victoria is going to be very angry with me."

"Then let her be angry and do what you must to show how very sorry you are for hurting her," Alejandro said. "Give her time if she needs it. Be patient. And be strong enough to accept whatever answer she gives you. Be the gentleman I raised you to be, my son."

Diego closed his eyes. "I have made a mess of everything, but I will try to unravel it, Father." Not sure what else to say, he rose to leave his father to finish his preparations.

Before he reached the door, Alejandro spoke again. "Diego?"

"Yes, Father?" He turned to face him.

Alejandro sighed. "I know I just advised you to be patient, but if you are able to convince her to marry you while Felipe and I are away, you should waste no time in doing so. Don't feel that you should wait for our return."

"But... Father..." Diego began to protest but was silenced with a wave of Alejandro's hand.

Alejandro leaned forward a bit. "I'm not a young man anymore. I know how unforgiving time can be, and I have seen my share of missed opportunities. Don't you do the same. I've hoped for so long to see you married, but I don't need to see it to be happy."

Diego didn't know what to say. He knew his father was right, but that didn't make it any easier to do what he needed to. Or to be confident that Victoria would ever forgive him much less agree to marry him. He really hadn't meant for things to get so involved. Every time he'd even thought about telling her the truth, either something she said made him draw back or circumstances conspired against him. He could face a brigade of lancers without flinching, but Victoria Escalante had the power to frighten him out of his wits, and he knew that he had never acted sensibly where she was concerned. He also knew they couldn't go on as they had been, but fear was still gnawing at his insides.

Diego stood by the door indecisively. "Father, if— if, mind you— things go well, I will keep what you say in mind, and if— if, again— she agrees, then we'll do as you suggest."

And that was the end of the conversation.

With less than a week until the Alcade's departure, Diego decided it would be most prudent to avoid going into town, since at the moment he had no plan and wasn't even sure how he would or could act around Victoria. It gave him time to think— and dream— and that's when the nightmares began.

~TBC~

Tomorrow: Chapter 2 - Preparations and Nightmares.

End Notes:

While this is stand alone, it would probably help to search YouTube for a few clips of Regehr's Dracula in action as there are a couple of things his Dracula does that I haven't seen any other Dracula do, and they do appear here. First is his love of explosives, and second is his ability to channel lightning; both of which play some part in this story. And of course, he's just plain awesome as Dracula except for that one thing that annoys me.

Also, I'm a bit nervous about these first three chapters as they mostly cover the two week period between "Discovery" and the prologue, and they're really about getting all the pieces into place for Dracula's arrival. It's mostly set-up, but I hope entertaining set-up. By mid-chapter 3, events will have caught up with the prologue, and everything will be moving steadily forward from that point.