Disclaimer: No copyright infringement meant with story. Characters owned by ZPI, not by me. I only wish to borrow them for a little while.

AN: Here we are, at the end of this story. I do apologize my Muse got stuck halfway through, and it took longer to get it out than I would have thought. However, I hope you have enjoyed it, and I sure have appreciated all your reviews, comments, and suggestions. Makes all this even that more enjoyable.

Previously:

de Soto turned to look at Diego. "I'll bring your lawyer to you as soon as he arrives."

Diego watched as his family left. There was still a slight lingering doubt within him about signing those papers, but for the life of him, Diego couldn't figure out any type of nefarious scheme the Alcalde might be concocting. He will wait to see what Don Cristobal had to say, and make the final decision then.

And….

Don Cristobal took the hand offered with barely hidden distrust and shook it firmly but quickly. "So you do not have anything to hide with such an action, Alcalde?"

"Indeed I don't. After considering the options, I decided I might not win in court, proving Diego should be hanged as an enemy of the King. Such an action may very well put me in unfavorable light with our Majesty, which is the last thing I want, when I hope to gain a position within his court someday."

Don Cristobal nodded. "I need someplace to write up such an oath then."

"Why don't we go to my office. You can use my desk, and then we will proceed to talk with Diego?"

Don Alejandro stood up a little straighter. "I will come along with you two, to watch this with my very own eyes."

de Soto coolly turned and looked down his nose at Alejandro. "I would expect nothing less, Don Alejandro."

Diego had alternatively paced the cell a hundred times, it seemed, and sat on the cot trying to stay relaxed while he waited for the Alcalde to return. Even though he had looked at the situation from all sorts of angles, Diego continued to not see anything wrong with the Alcalde's offer. Except, again, having to recommend Ignacio for a government job.

But…really, was that really such a burden to do? Diego had indeed seen the Alcalde become more ethical while in Los Angeles in his dealings with the townspeople. If indeed there had been a small miracle and Ignacio was now a different person, he could very well be a benefit to Madrid, to Spain.

His mind still whirling with his thoughts, Diego watched as the Alcalde preceded his father and Don Cristobel into the jail. The facial expressions of all three men were difficult to read. All three wore serious expressions as they approached his cell. He stood up to meet them at the bars.

"Buenas tardes, Don Cristobal. Thank you for making the journey to assist us with this…situation."

"My pleasure, Diego. I was rather surprised you needed these type of services, but…" looking at the Alcalde next to him, he continued, "these are dangerous times we live in. As such, after a discussion with your father and the Alcalde, I have determined there is no legal reason for you not to agree to the conditions of your release."

"Oh? None whatsoever?" Then why the strange looks?

"However, because of the doubts your family continue to have, I suggested I write up an oath for de Soto himself to sign, stating if he shares this information with anyone other than the King, he would be prosecuted himself for crimes committed against the pueblo during his term here as Alcalde."

"Which, if I may add, I am wholeheartedly agreeable to sign, Diego. I only want to return to Spain." His customary smirk appearing on his face, de Soto added, "Now that my goal of destroying Zorro has been realized."

"Destroy, Ignacio?"

de Soto gave a little shrug. "Maybe 'destroyed' is a little strong, but certainly I've caused him to never be seen again."

"Mainly because you will have left Los Angeles," Don Alejandro muttered.

de Soto gave a loud guffaw. "Touché, Don Alejandro. I must admit, you and your son have indeed been quite the adversaries for me. But, like I say, with everything settled, I can now return to my beloved Madrid in triumph, to continue my political career."

Handing Diego a sheet between the cell bars, Don Cristobal said, "This is the oath de Soto signed."

Diego took the paper, read it, and handed it back to Don Cristobal with a nod. His face getting a determined look on it, Diego said, "Well, let me sign the papers so we can get along with it, then."

de Soto nodded while having a most satisfied grin on his face while Don Alejandro could only give a little sigh himself. Don Cristobal handed the other two papers to Diego through the bars. Diego read them both again, thought for a moment, then signed his distinctive signature to both of them. He handed the papers back to the lawyer, who then handed them to de Soto. Ignacio walked with his head high and shoulders back to the cell door and unlocked it. Opening it with a flourish, he said to Diego, "There you go, Diego. Freedom at last."

"Yes, indeed freedom once and for all," Diego couldn't help himself saying as he left the cell, hopefully for the very last time. He wanted to be dignified, but he couldn't resist himself. He rushed out of the jail to the waiting arms of his beloved Victoria, standing outside the jail. Her laughter and tears joined his as he swung her around in his arms in jubilation for his freedom. Freedom from this latest predicament, freedom from the burden of Zorro's fight for justice, freedom to finally marry and be happy.

~~Z~~Z~~Z~~

Events proceeded pretty much how Diego had thought they would. Ignacio de Soto lost no time in packing his belongings and arranging passage on a ship to Madrid. Even though many of the residents had begun to tolerate his personality, most everyone agreed it was a welcome sight to see him leave the pueblo for the last time.

As Diego had hoped, Alejandro was appointed the new Alcalde of the Pueblo of Los Angeles. Diego and Victoria's wedding was scheduled and held a month later after the bonds were read in church, and life settled down into a well-organized, uneventful, but never boring routine. Diego gladly took on the duties of the ranch, despite Victoria's secret, unspoken worries that her husband would find them too boring for the person who once rode as Zorro. She herself was taken aback at first by the enormity of duties the lady of the hacienda was responsible for, but Adella the housekeeper was patient in her instructing, and after six months Victoria had firmly established herself as Mistress of the Hacienda, much to Don Alejandro's delight. How he had missed a woman's touch around the hacienda. A housekeeper was just not quite the same, even though he would never have hurt dear Adella's feelings with stating such a thing in her hearing.

And another one of Don Alejandro's dreams came true when, after supper one night eleven months after the wedding, the newlyweds broke the news that a baby was expected. Even the servants in the dark reaches of the hacienda heard Don Alejandro's whoops of joy.

Nothing marred the de la Vegas' joy except for the tiny nagging doubt of what was going on in Spain. Though they all vehemently denied it, even to each other and to themselves, the entire family remained concerned about the possibility, slim though it would be, that de Soto would still do something underhanded with those papers.

Nine months after de Soto had left, word reached the pueblo of the unfortunate mishap of the ship de Soto had been on. It had been caught in a terrible storm while on the high seas. No one survived.

Diego felt terrible for the loss of his former classmate, and the potential Spain would never see. However, one night when discussing it, everyone confessed their individual worries about the future plans of the man now dead. Even though they each felt bad about feeling at all relieved by another person's death, they still confessed relief but consoled each other with feeling that way.

And the legend of Zorro? None of the other residents of the pueblo admitted they knew what had happened to Zorro, or his true identity, but as the months and years went by, Diego was treated with much more respect and gratitude. And no one ever commented in public on how Diego became much more assertive, more active in the community, and had taken on a definite leadership role in the pueblo since his marriage.

However, if they would have commented upon it, within their tight circle of family or friends, such changes were probably attributed more to a happy marriage bringing out his true nature, or the influence of a strong woman on his personality. At least, that was what Diego told himself were the possibilities to explain his changes in personality. However, he was too happy with his family, too pleased with his new roles as rancher, father and husband to spend too much time worrying about it. And luckily, he ended up not having a reason to.

AN: I feel bad for disappointing those of you who thought de Soto was up to no good with the letters. Or more 'no good' than getting a position in Spain he may not deserve. I wish I could have thought of something….and I did try to think of something more nefarious, but I couldn't. I decided to stick with my original thoughts for the direction of this story, I hope it still flies fairly well on the winds of common sense. Ha.

As always, I thank all my readers and reviewers, as well as the favs and follows. We all help keep our favorite show alive by reading and writing stories about these wonderful characters. So I thank you again, and please return for new stories!