Diego found himself slightly disoriented as he woke up in a room that was not his own bedroom. He quickly recalled where he was as Victoria's hair was draped across his arm. He took in a deep breath and allowed the scent of her to fill his nostrils. Victoria stirred against him.

"Zorro, your sword has been making it difficult to sleep," he heard her mumble.

"My sword is on the floor with my boots," he casually responded.

Victoria quietly laughed.

"What is so funny mi amor?" he asked as he didn't realize what was funny about that.

He felt her wiggle her backside against him as she responded, "No, your other sword."

Diego realized that she had definitely not been talking about the sword he had carefully placed on the floor. She continued to wiggle her body against him while he found himself in a rather enjoyable fight with his self control. He responded by kissing her on the back of her neck and then began to caress her shoulder. She turned to face him and looked into his still sleepy eyes. He felt her arm slip under his arm which still held her against him. Victoria felt so good in his arms. He could see her face with the small amount of light flowing in from her window from the night shifting to morning.

"I can't take this anymore," she said as she broke the silence between them.

Victoria leaned against him with all of her weight until he had ended up on his back with her on top of him. She had begun to straddle his waist with her arms embracing him, and her head on his chest. Diego felt his thoughts of self control begin to melt as he felt her moving just enough to cause friction where she shouldn't be.

"Please Diego, put me out of my misery," Victoria softly begged.

Finding what little self control he had left he reminded her, "I promised my father that I would behave like a gentleman even though I could have behaved more."

Victoria was a determined woman on a mission. She sought out his chest hair and began to toy with it.

"You would still be behaving like a gentleman if you marry me in the end like we planned," she replied, trying to convince him to let his guard down.

She leaned forward with her face above his.

"You still plan on marrying me don't you?" she asked with a serious expression.

Diego felt as if he couldn't hold on to his ability to restrain himself any longer.

"Of course I want to marry you, and I promise we will get married as soon as we figure out how to do that as me," he responded as he felt himself reaching the point of no return.

He rolled his body to where Victoria ended up underneath him.

Looking down into her pleading eyes as he was just shy of completely losing control he asked, "Are you sure that this is what you want?"

"More than anything," she assured him.

He began to unbuckle his belt and quickly removed his trousers, tossing them down to land on his boots. Victoria quickly helped him to eliminate his shirt and he added it to the growing heap of his belongings by her bedside. Diego pressed his body against her as he hungrily sought out her lips while blinded by the flooding desire to finally be able to claim her as his own. Victoria suddenly surprised him by hastily removing her night gown just before running her tongue along the underside of his jaw.

There was no more holding back. He responded by allowing himself to have complete carnal knowledge of her as they began a sensual dance in the sheets. He was lost in a sea of ecstasy and Victoria was the beacon that whispered his name as the waves ebbed and flowed continuously. As the final wave surged and overtook him he collapsed and embraced her as all of his pent up tension released. He loved Victoria with his body and soul. The damp sheets clung to him as they remained in a tight embrace while waiting to get control of their breath again.

Diego found himself grinning like a misbehaving school boy as he lifted himself up onto his arms. Victoria was smiling at him and had a look about her of a cat who had just gotten away with stealing a taste of fresh cream.

"Mi corazon late por ti," he reassured her if there were any doubts in her mind.

"Este corazon es tuyo," she quickly responded.

He leaned down and softly kissed her.

"Unfortunately the sun is rising and I must leave you," he reluctantly admitted.

Victoria reached up to lightly caress his face.

"Yes you must, but I will see you soon enough," she lovingly responded.

He slipped out of the sheets and began to dress himself as she appeared to enjoy watching him.

"I enjoy watching you buckle your belt as much as I enjoy you unbuckling it," Victoria openly admitted.

Diego grinned as he stepped into his boots. After gathering up the rest of his ensemble from the floor he was ready, yet discontent about leaving her.

He stepped over to the window, tipped his hat, and gently said, "Te amo mas hoy que ayer pero menos que manana."

Victoria blew him a kiss. He checked for signs of anyone moving about the streets. Finding them empty, he exited through the window.

Diego once again dressed as Zorro expertly lowered himself down the side of the building to the ground. Once again he found himself sneaking around corners under the rising sun. He was appalled at his scandalous behavior with Victoria, but he didn't regret it. He felt as if many years of tension from all of the suppression of his feelings for her had finally melted away. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of an opening door and footsteps. He stepped back into the shadows near him. Several men walked past him. It was DeSoto and the stagecoach bandits. The unscrupulous alcalde was allowing them to walk free.

He suddenly jumped out in front of the unsuspecting men. DeSoto was clearly angry with him as he bared his teeth as if he were a dog preparing for attack.

"Zorro, you have some nerve showing your face around here after stealing items that were recovered from these criminals!" DeSoto growled.

With his hand on the tip of his sword Diego asked DeSoto, "Where are you taking these men?"

An evil laugh rose up from his adversary.

"I'm escorting them to be judged by my firing squad," the conniving alcalde lied through his teeth.

"Firing squad!" one of the bandits called out.

A second bandit whipped around and loudly exclaimed," That wasn't part of our deal!"

Suddenly the third bandit began walking towards Diego with a look of pure hatred on his young, but weathered face.

"Zorro you killed my brother Juan, prepare to die!" the man screamed as balled up his fists.

Diego knocked him on his backside with a punch to the man's jaw.

He looked down at the bandit, and admitted, "I apologize for the loss of your brother, but he was the one who pulled the trigger."

DeSoto suddenly yelled, "Oh no you don't!"

The bandits who had remained upright were beginning to corner the nervous alcalde.

"We don't take kindly to those who betray us!" the angry outlaw informed DeSoto.

He looked up and saw Victoria watching the scene unfold from her bedroom window. She put her hands up in a gesture of prayer as she locked eyes with him.

The touching moment was interrupted by DeSoto calling out to the snoozing soldiers who were supposed to be guarding the pueblo, "Soldiers shoot these criminals, and by that I mean Zorro as well!"

The soldiers jolted up from their slumber and began to rapidly fire shots which struck all three of the bandits while DeSoto grinned and laughed like a mad man. Once the immediate danger had been dealt with they turned towards him with their shots aimed at his chest.

He whistled for Toronado who should be grazing just beyond the entrance of the pueblo. His loyal horse thundered into the pueblo with no fear of the shots being fired and stopped by his side. With practiced skill and agility he leapt up into the saddle as Toronado kicked dirt and debris into the faces of the soldiers. He turned to face Victoria and waved. Together he and Toronado fled from the haphazard shots, thundering out of the pueblo.

Once again, he had evaded being shot at as if he were protected by an invisible shield. Victoria's prayers were surely responsible for the many times that he had come through near misses as well as the injuries that he had obtained in the past. He was still feeling the adrenaline coursing through his veins as he followed the path to the hacienda. Toronado seemed to have been fueled by adrenaline as well. The sunrise was worthy of a painting session, and he was nearing his cave.

He imagined himself choosing the brushes and colors needed to capture its beauty. Toronado stopped in front of the cave as he patiently waited for it to open. Diego slipped down out of the saddle and led Toronado into the cave. Toronado nuzzled Diego's neck.

"I know my friend, it was a long night for you," he responded as he gave the tired horse a well deserved treat.

He grabbed a brush and began to brush the dust from Toronado as he complimented his fine work in the pueblo.

As soon as the grooming session had been completed he changed into his regular everyday clothing.

Toronado seemed to say, "See you later," as he shook his mane and grunted.

Diego opened the access to the library. He stepped through the fireplace and saw his father and Felipe in conversation. Their faces were full of relief when they saw him.

"Did you manage to find the strong box?" his father asked as he abandoned his prior conversation.

Diego leaned against a wall as he prepared to fill his father in.

"I did, but the situation grew more complicated overnight," he informed his father.

His father didn't need to know how many situations had become complicated during the night. Diego only volunteered the information about finding the strong box in DeSoto's office, giving the contents of it to Don Luis, and discovering DeSoto attempting to allow the bandits to escape. His father didn't seem surprised to learn that the bandits were shot and killed during the confrontation.

"As long as you are safe my boy, that's all that matters," his father said in response as he stood up.

Diego found it amusing that Felipe signed to him just beyond his father's blind spot to ask if he had been with Victoria.

"I spent the night with her," he signed back to the young boy.

Felipe grinned, pointed at his father, and shook his head.

"I won't tell," he signed to Diego.

Some secrets are fun to keep, especially when they belong to Victoria and himself.

His father walked over to him and placed his arm around him saying, "Diego, how about some eggs and pastries after a job well done."

That sounded like a great idea to him.