FicWad

Zorro climbed the back wall of the tavern and knocked at the glass panel to have Victoria open the window of her bedroom for him to get inside.

"What's happening?" she asked, helping him in. "Have you been seen by soldiers?"

"No, everything is quiet outside, don't worry."

"Have you come to retrieve your papers?"

"My papers?" he asked, at a loss.

"Or rather, the de la Vegas'..." she clarified.

"Oh, yes!" he remembered. "Err, no, I didn't come for that. In fact," he added, "I just wanted to see you..."

She smiled.

"Good," she said, "I wanted to see you too."

Excellent, Zorro thought, she seemed to be in a good mood, less troubled than the night before.

She stood on tiptoe and kissed him lightly on the lips. And then again, far less lightly, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Excellent mood indeed Zorro thought, kissing her back.

She seemed relieved – and even delighted – by his response. When she finally pulled back she looked at him in the eyes.

"I was a bit worried, you know," she told him. "About you." Earlier this afternoon you didn't say a word, not even a mere 'buenos dias' when you brought this child back. I was wondering... if everything was alright. I even feared that you might have been wounded."

"I'm not, I assure you! Safe and sound, as you can see..."

And as to prove his word he took a step back and spread his arms wide, for her to see that he was indeed unscathed.

"In one piece," he went on to reassure her. "Uninjured, as you can note."

She smiled mischievously.

"Well, as much as I truly appreciate the display that's currently before my eyes," she replied, "for me to indeed assess how truly unscathed you are, I'd have to have a good look at you without all those clothes of yours on."

She playfully arched an eyebrow and it's only Zorro's training at hiding his surprise and emotions that prevented him from starting and gaping at her words. Yet he couldn't suppress the blush that came to his forehead and cheeks, thankfully hidden by the mask and the dark of the night.

He chose to prudently change the subject:

"I'm sorry I didn't pay you the attention and homage you deserve earlier today" he apologised. "I meant no disrespect Señorita, and I certainly regret having worried you. I'm decidedly not worthy of your attention, my dear. Please accept my apologies for my earlier discourtesy..."

"Oh, don't mention it. After all, it was quite a strange moment, wasn't it?" she replied. "I can understand that just like everyone in the pueblo before today, you would have never suspected that Don Alejandro... well... you know..."

He nodded slowly and gravely, keeping silent.

"As for me," she said, "I certainly wouldn't have ever thought that he... err..."

"Tell me about it!" Zorro answered a bit gruffly.

She gave him a sidelong look, thinking.

"Well," she finally said, "of course that's much unexpected, especially of him... I would have never thought that of him... but he seems to truly care for this child, after all..."

Surprisingly, Zorro let out a sort of grumpy exclamation, halfway between a humph and a grunt.

"What?" Victoria asked him.

"Yes, yes," the masked man said in a rather lifeless voice, "he seems to really dote on her... Totally besotted..."

He sounded a bit grim, Victoria thought without knowing the cause of this subdued mood.

"Well..." Victoria commented, "whatever. This is no one else's business after all, isn't it? Don Alejandro is a grown man, and he hasn't to answer to anyone. Not anymore. He has been widowed for a long time, and he took responsibility for the girl, so this shouldn't be anyone's concern... In fact," she added somewhat wistfully with a benign smile, "they were rather sweet together, weren't they? And she is so clearly a de la Vega that it was rather funny and endearing to see them together. All together, since Don Diego joined them afterwards..."

Zorro felt rather miffed at seeing how nonchalantly she was taking all this and how forgiving she was toward his father, as opposed to how hard she had been on himself – or rather on Diego – just the night before when she suspected him of exactly the same demeanour. Or misdemeanour.

"I must admit I'm surprised by your words and by your sudden indulgence, Señorita," he told her crossing his arms. "You didn't find her likeness with the de la Vegas that much endearing last night when you thought she took it after Don Diego; and you certainly weren't that lenient or forgiving when you believed he was the one who fathered this child. Why such a difference in treatment? Did Don Diego kill your pet or anything like that? What's so wrong with him which is alright in his father?"

Victoria gaped at him. What had got into him? There was absolutely no matter with Diego de la Vega, but what was suddenly the matter with Zorro?

"Nothing is wrong with Don Diego," she retorted slightly heatedly. "He didn't do anything."

"I know, I know," he replied, a bit upset. "I know, 'he never does anything', et cætera, et cætera. Well, you know what, I'm sure he does what he can!"

"Of course he does, I didn't mean that! What's suddenly got into you? Don Diego is currently facing a certainly uneasy situation, and I'm sure he'll finally handle it rather well! At least, he didn't take it out on the girl, or on her mother either, it speaks loads about how decent and controlled he is."

"Well," Zorro retorted, "isn't it precisely what everyone holds against him? His self-control, his calmness and collectedness? Never giving in to impulse or anger?"

"You say this as though it were bad things! I'll have you know these are great qualities, contrary to what you seem to be inferring!"

"That's good to know," he told her with a tinge of coolness in his voice, "since you usually appear to find this behaviour of his rather dull, apathetic and overall irking!"

"Don Diego isn't dull," Victoria contradicted. "And I don't think so of him. What on earth is wrong with you today? I thought you liked and respected him! I know I'm sometimes frustrated at his constant inaction, but–"

"Inaction, that's what you call it now? I think I remember hearing you tax him with do-nothingness..."

"It may have escap–" She suddenly paused. "Wait a minute! Were you here in my tavern that day?

Oops... his resentment and annoyance were making him careless. And in general, he was more careless in his words and attitudes when he was hidden behind the mask. As though the outfit, or even only the tiny piece of black material that was this mask made him lessen his caution, made him less careful; as though it turned him into someone else. Someone who won over the girl whose heart he hadn't been able to conquer by himself.

Hmm... now was not the time to dwell on this. He had to rectify his slip-up.

"I just heard about it, but according to your reaction I guess the person I take it from was indeed a trustworthy witness..."

Way to turn the tables on her, he thought. He mentally gave himself a pat on the back.

And it worked: Victoria looked a bit sheepish.

"Erm... yes, well... I might have gotten carried away that day..." she admitted. "I certainly didn't mean to hurt or insult him. I spoke without thinking, he knows that... He knows how I am, and anyway the state of my relationship with the de la Vegas is none of anyone's business," she stated, crossing her arms with a slight frown. Then, from slightly annoyed her frown became suspicious:

"But why are you suddenly so keen on talking about them?" she asked Zorro. "First Don Alejandro, now Don Diego... What's your quarrel with them?"

What? How on earth did this strange idea sprout in her mind?

"I assure you I have no quarrel with them," he told her.

"Really?" she said sceptically. "Yet you seemed to be rather annoyed at Don Alejandro a few minutes ago, and you wouldn't even speak to him earlier this afternoon!"

Zorro gaped at her. True, he reflected, at least she was right about that last part: in fact he hadn't known what to tell his father when he brought Leonor back to him. Hadn't been sure he wanted to tell him anything at that moment. Certainly wasn't ready to tell him anything about the situation. Even though he hadn't been Diego then, but Zorro.

He slightly shook his head to dispel this confusing thought: he was always Diego, deep inside; and even when he was Zorro – no! when he dressed as Zorro – he still was Diego. Period. When did he start thinking otherwise? This constant halving of himself was apparently starting to take its toll on him.

"I'm not..." he started to say. "I just thought... it was a personal moment for him, I thought I didn't have to interfere, that's all..."

Victoria didn't look convinced.

"And how did you know that he had a daughter no one ever knew about, not even his own son? How did you know the girl had been abducted? And how did you know she was his?"

Oh no, not that! Not these questions! It was making her far too close to find out the truth!

"I have my sources..." he simply answered.

"And when you heard that Don Alejandro had an illegitimate hidden child," she said, "you couldn't help but snub him..."

"What!? No, absolutely not!"

She looked at him, disappointed.

"I would have never thought you were the kind of person who would judge a man on a past lapse," she told him reproachfully. "A lapse which consequences he has partially taken responsibility for: it's not like he didn't want anything to do with the girl!"

"Only in San Diego!" he retorted. "Here in Los Angeles no one ever heard of her existence before today, not even his own family!"

"Yes, well, that's their own family business, isn't it?" she pointed out. "It's their own matter, and also possibly a concern for old family friends like myself, but what business is it of yours, after all?"

"I'm not snubbing him, I swear!" Zorro assured her. "I just think he's getting off lightly if he gets away with it with pats on his back and congratulations on his expanded family, that's all," he added with the hint of a scowl.

Victoria eyed him intently for one or two seconds, not saying anything, looking deep in thought. Then she told him:

"It's about your father, isn't it?"

A bell of alarm rang in Zorro's mind. Whoa, what?!

"What?!" he exclaimed aloud before he could help it.

"This... resentment... you express at Don Alejandro. In fact it's all about your own father, right?"

"I don't know what you mean, mi querid–"

"You're born out of wedlock, aren't you?" she asked, trying a guess. "And you resent your own father for–"

"WHAT?!" he cut her.

"Did he at least recognise you? He didn't acknowledge paternity, is that it...? Do you... do you at least know who he is?"

But where and how on earth did she come up with all this?!

"Mi querida, I assure you–"

"That wouldn't change anything for me, you know... You'd still be the same... the man I love... That's not your fault, you did nothing wrong, I wouldn't think less of you if that was the case..."

He was about to deny when he fortunately understood what she was doing. He sent her a lopsided grin, tilting his head to the side:

"Fishing for details and information, aren't you mi querida? Oh, mi corazón, you cannot teach an old fox new tricks..."

She looked a bit disappointed, but for once she was a good looser and made the best of this bad deal. She came closer, flung her arms around his neck and seductively told him:

"Well, you cannot blame me for trying..."

Then with her hands intertwined behind his skull she made him lower his head while she stood on tiptoe and raised her lips to his to win a forgiveness he was all too willing to grant her anyway.