Never had Victoria been as relieved as she was finally let go from the De La Vega hacienda, finally, after what had seemed like forever but had actually only been a bit over a week did Alejandro deem her well enough to let her go home.

These last couple of days had been awkward to say the least, and Victoria knew it was her own fault. She couldn't even look at Diego anymore, and anything he did to try and approach her seemed awkward and was already a failed attempt, so they ended up just cooked up in each their room… Or, Victoria was cooked up in her own room. When she checked on Diegos he was gone, and somehow that didn't even surprise her.

Where do you go Diego? Are you really putting on a mask? Or am I just fooling myself?

No… if that was what Diego was doing, he would have told her these last couple of days. If he was Zorro it would absolve all of their problems in one fell swoop.

It certainly didn't help that Zorro hadn't come to see her, not even ones. There had been no word nor message from him.
That did sting a little bit. Zorro had to know she had been at the De La Vega Hacienda, he had to have known she had been sick. And there hadn't been as much as a good well soon card.

Victoria exhaled deeply as she tied her luggage to her horse, it sure would be nice to return to normal every day life.

"So erhm… Do you have everything?" A nervous timid voice sounded behind her.

Victoria closed her eyes, it was Diego, he had tried his best to be a gentleman these days but really Victoria wished he wouldn't, this wasn't easy on her either, she had no idea what to say.

"Yes, it's not like I took much with me here in the first place. It was only supposed to be a few days. Not over a week like it turned out to be." Victoria reminded Diego, still with her back to him though, not even looking at him.

"Ah, yes. Ahem." Diego cleared his throat. "I'm sure people will be happy to see you back at the tavern, I hear your cooking is greatly missed."

"Oh." Victoria replied in a rather disinterested voice. "I see. That's good I suppose."

"You sure you don't want me to escort you?!" Diego then finally blurted.

Oh god no! Really Victoria just wanted to get away from Diego quick as possible! These days has been way to awkward and embarrassing. "I… I'll be fine!" Victoria exclaimed still not even turning around to look at the young man. "It's not a long ride at all. Haha!"

"Yes I know. But some areas are still slippery after the storm." Diego pointed out. "No one should be riding alone right now."

"I said i'll be fine!" Victoria snapped finally turning to him and Diegos eyes widened in surprise as he stood back.

Then Diegoes mouth opened and he halted, he swallowed as he bit his lip. "Victoria." he then tried but halted again. "I… erhm. What I mean is." he hopelessly tried.

"I think we should forget about what we said to each other that evening." Victoria stated sternly. "I already made a promise, a promise that I would wait. And it's a promise I did not make lightly nor intend to treat lightly now. An Escalante wont make any such promises on a whim, and I shall wait." she stated as she as she finally mounted her horse throwing her leg over its beg and took the reins then she kicked the horse though it only took a few steps before Diego jumped forward.

"Victoria wait!" Diego shouted as jumped forward in front of the horse blocking it.

"What?" Victoria asked.

"Well I just, look." Diego hesitated. "What if… What if there was no Zorro?" he asked.

"Isn't that a pretty irrelevant question?" Victoria asked. "If there was no Zorro, who knows! The Alcade would probably have ruined me long ago, perhaps even hung me. He sure tried plenty o times." she pointed out.

"That's not what I." Diego tried but halted. "You know what I mean don't you?" he asked.

And Victoria bit together but then she deflated as her anger left her and she looked to the side. "I don't know." she then admitted. "I care about you Diego, but no matter how much I care about you. I don't know you." she pointed out. "I know you're lying. You're lying to me, to your father. I just don't know about what. I don't think I could be with a man whom I don't even know. No matter how much I love him. It just hurts to much." she said then lifted her head. "Please let go, I want to go home." she asked.

"Victoria." Diego breathed then finally stepped aside allowing Victorias head to step forward and finally, finally Victoria was allowed to be on her way home.

She didn't look back, she already knew what she would see if she did. A young man with hung shoulders and painful eyes. And she know to see it would just hurt her even more.

But of course it wouldn't be so easy.

Victoria went home, business continued as if nothing had happened. Peons whom's houses had been washed away were working together to re-build and Victoria would spend a great deal of afternoons at those places distributing food among the workers.

Diego was there to, he helped making plans about the houses. Where the put the foundations so they wouldn't be washed away again if something similar happened.

As it happened though, both Victoria and Diego seemed to do their best to just avoid each other and when they were finally forced to speak, they just spoke a few polite words to each other nothing else. It felt very impersonal.
Don Alejandro was his own warm self, happy to see Diego taking an interest in helping the community and was helping Victoria as much as he could. He seemed to be completely unaware of the changed air between Victoria and Diego.

Or at least if he was aware he didn't say anything. Phillipe on the other hand seemed annoyed with Diego and Victoria did appreciate it in a strange way.

And still, no sign of Zorro. None at all, it was not the first time Victoria hated the fact she had no way to contact him. But right now in particular, she would do almost anything for a bit of re-assurance from him. She knew she would remain faithful, still.. It would be nice to be held by him, and talk a bit to him just to be reminded. But no such luck. Everything seemed to be going just fine these days.

That is of course until the Alcade decided to bud in his ugly head in regards to the re-construction of the houses.

"You haven't paid any income tax for the food you're selling out here." De-Soto pointed out.

"That's because i'm not selling food, I am giving it away. It's charity." Victoria snorted as she rolled her eyes.

"That needs to be filed." De-Soto pointed out. "And these new houses, are they legal? Where is the paper work?" he asked.

"I believe my son hand delivered the plans to you days ago." Alejandro pointed out.

"Oh. Did he now?" De-Soto asked with a lifted eye-brow.

"Si Mi Alcade he did." Mendoza pointed out. "Don't you remember? He was very specific with.."

"SHUT UP!" De-Soto shouted right into Mendoza's face forcing the poor sergeant to keep quiet. "I don't believe I have any such papers in my possession." he pointed out.

"Oh honestly!" Victoria hissed. "Well if I know Diego right he must have copies! He… Where is he?" she asked looking around.

That made Alejandro blink as well then he groaned. "That boy. He was here just a short while ago i'm sure of it." he muttered then crossed his arms. "He must be in the area. He better not be sitting in a corner reading a book! He was just doing so well!"

And Victoria looked up…. Diego had disappeared again. But if that… Then.. If Zorro appeared right now that would mean that.

And just on cue people were shouting as a masked rider came on his great black stallion ready to put the Alcade into his place.

Right on cue, Diego had vanished from sight, even though he had been in the middle of helping.. And Zorro had appeared.

There was no denying it any longer, it was far to convenient.

Diego always disappearing and no one knowing where to. Zorro having a separate life somewhere but no one knew who he truly was.

Inside of Victorias mind, all the pieces fell together and they all fit perfectly. The thought train had started and nothing could stop it.
Every single little observation she had made about Diego, it all made sense now.
Every question she had had about Zorro was answered, it all fit. All of it!

There was only one possible answer and it could not be denied. Diego was Zorro! And Zorro was Diego.

Wide-eyed did Victoria look at the masked bandit as people laughed and cheered, she saw him perform those stunts no one believed Diego could do.
Duh of course! That had been part of the act. he had always been such a wild boy when they had been children and he still was. Deep inside.

It was incredible how much sense it all made now! How clear Victorias mind finally felt.

Then Victoria hissed. So Diego had put her through all this stupid junk, it was all his fault and she knew now this was a fact.

She was going to kill him…. Slowly and painfully.