1. Chapter 1

**"This story is an amateur, not-for-profit publication produced solely for the enjoyment of other Zorro fans and is not intended to infringe upon any rights by Goodman/Rosen Productions, New World Television, Zorro Productions, the estate of Johnston McCulley or anyone else.**

**A stranger's face**

**Chapter 1**

He woke up in a large bed that was covered with a blanket in red and orange design. It was a large room and some flowers were standing on a small side table. The sun coming through the closed shutters told him that it was already day. In his nightshirt that he didn't recognize, he opened the window to look outside.

The window was on the ground floor, opening up to the garden of a large hacienda. Behind the walls, enclosing the garden, he could see the stables where servants were already busy. The bright sun from the window blinded his eyes and increased his headache. He touched his head and felt a big lump on the side of his head where he had probably hit himself somewhere.

In the mirror on the wardrobe he saw the face of a tall man with Spanish features, blue eyes and a mustache. It was the face of a stranger.

Looking into the wardrobe, he found man's clothing that seemed to fit him. After doing his morning toilet at the washstand, he dressed himself in a blue suit and a white ruffled caballeros' shirt. Stepping out of the room, he followed the hallway where he heard some voices. He was about to pass by an open door that led into a study, but was stopped by an older man who approached him.

"Ah Diego, have you finally decided to get up? It's nearly noon!" The man from the study greeted him. He looked at the man bewildered. He didn't recognize him. What was his name? Only then did he realize that he couldn't remember his own name either. The man had called him Diego. Was that his own name? It must be, since the man seemed to know him.

"I'm sorry, I think I must have bumped my head," he replied, carefully avoiding to address the man.

"Did you fall from your chair when you were reading late again?" The man shook his head. "When will you ever change, Diego?"

He wanted to protest that he hadn't fallen from a chair, but then he stopped. How could he deny it when he didn't know himself what he had done last night? It was one of his least problems now. He needed to find out who was and get back his memory.

"Your breakfast is waiting for you in the dining room, Diego," the man said. "I'll tell the cook to brew you some fresh coffee."

"After you have finished, I want you to come with me to the pueblo. I'll meet with some friends there and we can have lunch together in the tavern. It's been some days since we have eaten in the tavern. Victoria will start to miss us."

He left the study to look for the dining room that could be anywhere behind those closed doors he had passed by or even further down the hall. He went to the left, farther down the hallway, and opened the next door by chance. It wasn't the dining room but a library with bookshelves, filled with books on both sides of the large fireplace in the center of the room.

He took randomly some of the books from the shelf and looked inside. One was a poetry book and on the inside there was a name written. Diego de la Vega. The book looked new, only a few years old, so it was probably his own book and his name. He was Diego de la Vega. Scanning through the pages, he couldn't remember any of the poems he read. He sighed. Either he hadn't read the book or it was one more memory that he had lost.

"Don Diego," a servant entered the room, "the coffee is ready. Your father told me to make some for you. I put it on the breakfast table. Do you need anything else?"

"I'll come with you and I'll tell you." So the man in the study had been his father who was the patron of the house. He put the book back on the shelf and followed the servant who led him to the dining room that he had passed by on his way from his bedchamber. Sitting down at the table, he helped himself to some breakfast that was laid out for him. He poured himself coffee in the hope that it would help him with his headache. If he could get rid of the headache, he might get back his memory too.

Without knocking, a teenage boy in an orange shirt and loose trousers entered the room and started to sign. He looked at him uncomprehendingly. What were these gestures about and why wasn't the boy saying a word?

"What do you want from me?" he asked. "I don't understand you."

The boy started to sign more agitated, but stopped soon again with a questioning look on his face when he got no reaction.

"You can't speak?" The boy looked at him surprised and shocked. "I don't understand your signs, so unless you have no other means of communication, I don't know what you want from me." The mouth of the boy gaped open at his statement and gestured again.

He waved his hand. "Please stop signing. This is futile. Can you write?"

The boy nodded, but was shocked again by the question. The boy left the room only to return with paper and pencil a few minutes later.

_What happened? _The boy wrote.

"I don't know what happened. I can't remember anything. Who are you?" The boy look scared at his question.

_I'm Felipe. I'm in your charge and you are my guardian._

"Can I trust you, Felipe?" he asked the boy.

The boy nodded vehemently, a gesture that needed no explanation.

"Can I ask you some questions?" The boy nodded again. "You can hear but not speak?"

The boy nodded, but started to write again. _I can hear, but it is a secret between us._

"Why?"

Felipe sighed. _It's complicated. You can't remember anything?_

"No, I'm sorry. I can't even remember my own name. Who am I and what happened to me?"

_You are Don Diego de la Vega and Zorro fell from Toronado last night when the horse was frightened by a bullet._

"If I'm Diego de la Vega, why does Zorro's fall affect me? And who is this fox? Is this a kind of unusual pet? What does a fox have to do with a storm?" He could see that Felipe's exasperation grew with every question.

_No, Zorro is a man. You are Zorro! And Toronado is your horse._

"Why am I called Zorro? I thought my name is Diego?!"

Felipe threw his hands in the air. This was getting more and more annoying by the minute.

"I'm sorry, Felipe, that I ask so many stupid question, but can you imagine how it feels to wake up knowing nothing about yourself?" He asked, trying to make the boy understand. To his surprise the boy nodded. "You do?" The boy nodded again.

_I lost my parents when they were caught in a battle of the rebellion. You found me and took me in when I could neither speak nor hear after that day. You called me Felipe and gave me a home. I regained my hearing, but not my ability to speak and I never remembered my parents. So I know how it feels!_

"Felipe, I'm sorry to hear that about your parents, but I also know now that I can trust you. So we are friends?"

"_You have been like a father to me; you raised me and you had me educated."_

He smiled at the boys sincere expression of love. "I need to find out what happened and get back my memory. So you say that I or Zorro was thrown from my horse, because I was in a fight. Who was I fighting with? And I haven't understood yet what Zorro means. Is that a nickname for me?"

Felipe sighed again, but patiently he started to write again.

_Zorro is a black rider whose identity is hidden behind a black mask. He has taken over the task to protect the pueblo from bandits and from the alcalde. Zorro is an outlaw!_

"So I have a secret identity as Zorro?" The boy nodded. "So I was riding as Zorro last night and I got a concussion during that trip? How do you know that?"

_You told me and I helped you when you got back. _Felipe smiled proudly at him.

He wanted to asked another question, but his headache overwhelmed him. Bracing his head in his hands, he tried to fight the sudden dizziness and the blurring of his sight. Felipe looked at him concerned, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Have you finished breakfast, Diego?" his father asked, entering the dining room. "Are you ready for our trip to Los Angeles?"

"I'm sorry, Father, but I can't join you. I hit my head yesterday and now I may have a concussion. I will go back to bed." He apologized, still holding his head. Getting up, he swayed a little and he saw the sudden concern in his father's eyes.

"I'll talk to Dr. Hernandez when I ride to the pueblo and tell him to come looking for you."

"Thank you, Father." Leaning a little on the boy, he let Felipe guide him back to his room. Putting on his nightshirt again, he slipped between the covers. He noticed Felipe closing the curtains before he fell asleep.

Z Z Z

When he woke up again, he saw a white-haired man standing by his bed who was examining him.

"Don Diego? How are you feeling?"

He blinked at little, trying to focus on the man. "Dr..., Dr. ..?" He tried to remember the name of the doctor. Hadn't his father mentioned the name?

"Yes, it's me, Dr. Hernandez," the doctor assisted him. "You told your father you had a concussion. What are your symptoms? Headache? Dizziness? Problems to focus?"

He nodded to all of them.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

"I don't know, I can't remember. I can't remember anything!"

"That happens quite often that the patient doesn't remember his fall after a concussion. You will remember it eventually."

"You don't understand, doctor. I don't remember anything, anything at all."

"Please explain, Don Diego, what can't you remember?"

"I can't remember who I am, my family, this house, you, ..., I have no memory at all."

"I see, a memory loss is the result of your concussion, but most of the time it's only partial. Patients lose the memory, how they got hit or sometimes they are missing some time of their past. Tell me, Don Diego, what is the last thing you remember?"

"I remember waking up this morning here in my bed and from that time on."

"What about yesterday or last week? Or your childhood?"

He shook his head, only to have his headache return. "Ow! Nothing. I know my name is Diego de la Vega because others told me, but I can't remember myself!" He tried not to show his frustration. "When will my memory return, Doctor?"

"The human brain is still a mystery to us, Don Diego. I can't give you a prognosis. I may return in a day, a week or never."

"Does that mean that I may never remember at all?" He was shocked.

"It's a possibility that I can't keep from you. I'm sorry, Don Diego. But you must not lose faith. There is hope that you will remember all. Just give it time."

"Is there anything I can do, doctor?"

"You need to rest now and stay in bed at least today until your headaches are gone. I'll come back tomorrow and look at you again."

He leaned back into the pillows and closed his eyes. This was a nightmare. To imagine he'd never get his memory back!

	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 **

"Diego, you're awake again?" He saw the man who was his father put his head through the door. "Felipe looked into your room earlier and he said that you were sleeping soundly." His father came into the room, closing the door behind him.

"The doctor told me you suffer from a concussion and a loss of memory. How are you feeling?"

He sat up in his bed and the dizziness was back again for a moment. He closed his eyes and waited for the spell to pass.

"Diego, you should better lie down. A concussion has to be taken seriously." He felt his father's hand on his shoulder, pushing him back into the pillows. "Why didn't you say anything in the morning? It's dangerous to walk around with a concussion! Normally, you go to bed at the slightest cold and when you're serious ill, you get up." His father shook his head.

"I don't remember anything, Father, not even my own name."

His father looked at him with a mixture of shock and compassion. "I'm sorry to hear that, Diego, but I'm sure you will get back your memory in no time. Victoria missed you in the tavern today and when I told her you were ill, she sent you her best wishes. She'll will visit you as soon as it's less busy in the tavern. But the market day will hardly leave her a free moment."

He wanted to ask him some questions, but then someone called for his father. "I'm sorry, Diego, Juan is calling for me. One of the mares is foaling and there are some problems. We'll talk tomorrow when you've rested some more."

He couldn't sleep anymore, staring at the ceiling, he soon became bored. He reached for one of the books that was piled up on his nightstand. He started to read, but it explained some complicated chemical experiments. The drawings and letters began to blur in front of his eyes and he couldn't concentrate either.

Frustrated he put the book back on the pile. He hated this forced inactivity. He wanted to get up and move around. He wouldn't get back his memory if he stayed put in his bed. Nonetheless he didn't want to take a chance on losing his memory for good by getting up against the doctor's advice. He'd stay in bed today and if his headache was gone tomorrow, he'd get up again.

Dozing on and off, the time passed by slowly. A light knocking on the door woke him up again. He hoped for Felipe to come visiting, but it was only a servant.

"I'll bring your dinner, Don Diego," the maid said shyly. "It's some soup that Maria has made for you."

"Maria is the cook?" he asked.

"Si, senor," the maid answered surprised. He started to hate that reaction. He needed to know about the people in this house, but to others he gave the impression as if he had suddenly become plain stupid, asking all these questions.

"Where is Felipe?" That was a safe question to ask.

"He is in the stables with your father, supervising the foaling of Fatima." He noticed that the woman was eager to return to the kitchen and he refrained from asking her any more questions.

Z Z Z

The next morning he felt much better. The headache and the dizziness were gone when he sat up in his bed. He felt refreshed as if he had gotten enough enough sleep for the first time in weeks.

Thinking of the double life Felipe had told him about, it was probably the case. It sounded crazy to him to stay out all night as a masked man and live another life by day. How had he managed and how long had he been doing that?

He had just finished the breakfast, the same maid from the evening before had brought him, when the doctor came for his visit.

"Good morning, Don Diego, how are you today?" Dr. Hernandez greeted him.

"Much better, Doctor." He couldn't await getting up again. Patiently he endured the doctor's examination of his eyes, his head and general constitution.

"The headaches and dizziness are gone, Don Diego?"

"Si, I really feel much better today," he assured the doctor.

"What about your memory? Any progress in that direction?"

"No, not at all. My memory starts with yesterday," he replied depressed. "Shouldn't there be any change, now that the headache is gone, doctor?"

"I think you expect too much, Don Diego. Because you're feeling better today doesn't mean you're healed again. It takes time and with the brain you'll never know. The memory may return slowly or all at once, there is no rule. Sometimes it's an item or a situation that reminds the person of what he has forgotten. Strong emotions may trigger the memory too."

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked.

"Nothing special, Don Diego, you should give yourself time to heal and not overexert yourself."

"Can I get up again?" he asked eagerly. "I need to get out of this room."

"I'd prefer if you stayed in bed for some time, but I can see that I can hardly keep you here, now that you're feeling better. You may get up for a short time if you promise to return to bed immediately if your headaches return. And don't stay up for too long. I want you to lay flat as much as you can."

He suppressed a face at the doctor''s restriction, but he was relieved to get up at all. As soon as the doctor had left, he finished his morning toilet and dressed himself. With more confidence than yesterday he left his room. He found his father sitting in the parlor that was adjacent to the library, reading his mail.

"Diego, you look much better today. The doctor told me you shouldn't stay up too long and not strain yourself."

"Thank you, Father, I feel better. The long rest helped a lot."

"Is there anything I can do for you, Diego?" His father put down his mail and looked at him. He sat down on the chair opposite his father's.

"I don't know if you can understand it, but I know nothing of myself. Tell me about our family. What about my mother?"

His father hadn't expected that question from the astonished expression at his face.

"Your mother, Diego? You have forgotten her too?"

He nodded. "What happened to her? Is she dead? How did she look like?"

"I think you will remember her, Diego, once you get your memory back. You were already twelve years old when she died. You were an only child and we always wished for another," his father sighed. "So we were very happy when she got pregnant again after all these years. Unfortunately she had a miscarriage and both your mother and the child died."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Father," he put a comforting hand on the man's arm. His father wiped a tear from his eye and stood up to fetch a small picture from the mantel. It showed a portrait of a young woman with curly brown hair and striking blue eyes.

"As you can see, you have the eyes of your mother. You remind me a lot her and not only because of her eyes. She had a quick wit and a hot temper, but she was able to control herself. One of us had to or our marriage would have been a fiasco if we both had said what we later regretted. She was very interested in arts too. I think you got your talent for painting from her."

"I'm painting pictures?" he asked.

"Yes, and they are really good, but I haven't seen new pictures from you for some time."

"So, I have no siblings. What about other relatives?"

"I had two brothers, one was killed during a campaign when were soldiers and the other died ten years ago of an accident. He has one son, Rafael, who lives in Monterey with his family. On the way back from you uncle's funeral, you found Felipe who had lost his parents in a battle near Guadelajara and brought him here. Though you were still a teenager then you took care of him as if he were your son."

"That made me really proud of you, Diego. You never cared that the boy could neither speak nor hear. And Felipe will never forget what you did for him either." His father smiled at him.

His father's eyes followed him when he started to walk around in the parlor. Though this was his home, he felt like someone who explored an unknown territory. He opened the piano and let his fingers run over the keys, playing a short melody that came into his mind.

"That's Beethoven, Diego. Do you remember that whistling bandit who robbed the pueblo? Stealing even your mother's bust!" His father made an angry face, remembering the incident.

"No, I don't remember, Father. I still haven't gotten back my memory." Frustrated he closed the piano with a loud bang. "I'm sorry."

Looking for other things to let out his frustration, his eyes fell on some swords that were loosely attached to the wall, ready for use.

He took one of the swords from the wall and weighted it in his hand. "Why do you keep these swords here, Father?" His father looked at him surprised. What was wrong with this question again?

"They aren't of a good quality, very light and not much use in a real fight. A good Toledo steel will easily cut the blade at its hilt."

He made some fencing moves with the blade in his need to do some exercise. "It could be better balanced," he continued his evaluation of the sword. With one quick movement he cut through the base of the row of candles on a sideboard. "At least it's not dull." His father stared at him open mouthed. And Felipe who had slipped into the room unnoticed was standing behind his father with his hands on his head and a shocked expression.

"Why are you staring at me?" he asked, not understanding their reaction. "Since I have lost my memory, everything is new to me. What's wrong with asking some questions?" He became annoyed with their staring. Gracefully, he rapidly swung the blade in the air with no effort and enjoyed the feeling of an extended hand though the sword was too light for his taste.

"Do these swords have a special meaning, father?" He tried to understand. "Did you mind me touching them?"

"No, Diego, not at all. I was only surprised by your skill with the sword." His father had gotten up and went over to the candles, examining them, lifting each in a row to see a clear cut. His father sat down again, shaking his head. Looking forward and back between him and the candles, his father was still upset by something.

He put the sword back on the wall. "You haven't told me about the new foal that kept you busy last night," he switched the topic and both were eager to tell him about it during lunch.

	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

He had slept a little after lunch and now he was sitting in the library, trying in vain to read a book. Somehow he couldn't concentrate on anything and he heard his father talk with a woman in the hallway. They were talking loud enough for him to overhear every word.

"Hola Victoria, it's nice of you to visit Diego when you're so busy at the tavern." His father said.

"Of course, I need to look for Diego," the woman replied. "He's always there for me too, Don Alejandro. How is he? I heard that he has lost his memory?"

"Yes, he doesn't remember anything about his past. Today he asked me about his mother."

"It must be scary, not being able to remember one's past."

"Yes, it's scary, but not only for Diego, Victoria."

"What do you mean by that, Don Alejandro? "

"I always thought that I knew my son, but somehow he's a stranger now. And I am starting to think that I never really knew him. And that I never saw his true self after he returned from Spain."

"That sounds really scary, Don Alejandro. But how can he be different? He's still Diego even if he has lost his memory."

"I can't explain, Victoria. You'll see for yourself when you meet him. He's in the library if you want to see him. I have to go to the stables now to look for the new foal. Do you want me to introduce you to Diego first?"

The woman laughed a little. "Why would you introduce me? I've known Diego all my life. That's about the silliest thing I have heard. Don't let me keep you, Don Alejandro. I know my way around."

He heard the woman's light steps come closer and he rose from his seat to greet her. He didn't know who to expect, but her sight had him speechless. His heart was beating fast when he saw the stunning woman enter the library.

"Excuse me my staring, Senorita. You must be Victoria. I heard you talk with my father in the hallway. You are the most very beautiful woman, I have ever seen," he took her hand and kissed it. "Are we engaged?"

Victoria only stared at him. "No, we aren't," she stuttered.

"I wish we were. Even if I don't remember you, I can't believe any man wouldn't want to marry you at first sight."

Victoria gaped at him. "I don't know what to say, Diego. You and I are just friends. And besides that, there is another man in my life."

"That's too bad. It that the reason we aren't married?" Victoria looked at him scared, but he wasn't finished yet. "Then why aren't you married yet? You say there is another man, but why didn't he marry you? Who is he? Did you only meet him recently?" Victoria couldn't stand his questions anymore.

"Please excuse me, Diego, but I have to go now."

He realized that he had shocked her somehow. "I'm sorry, Senorita, I didn't want to upset you." He looked at her and deep inside he knew that he loved her with all his heart.

"I think I didn't start this conversation very well. Will you please forgive me?" He took her hand and placed another kiss on it. For a moment they looked straight into each others eyes, before Victoria turned her eyes away. She wanted to leave, but he didn't let go of her hand. "You didn't answer my question, Senorita. Will you forgive me?"

"I will, if you let me go now." Victoria's voice trembled and he could see that she was very nervous.

"No, you can't go yet," he stopped her. He was still holding her hand and he kissed it once more. Even if his mind had forgotten her, his body hadn't. He knew the smell of her skin, the taste of her lips. Without releasing her hand, he drew her into his arms and kissed her. She put her hands on his chest, trying to push him away. But then her initial resistance to his unexpected kiss melted away as soon as her body remembered too and her arms found their way around his neck. "You!" she exclaimed, looking him into the eyes. He couldn't stop kissing her, now that she responded to his kiss. "I could never forget my love for you, Victoria," he whispered.

He remembered the feeling of having her in his arms, the warmth of her soft body under his hands. And he remembered kissing her before. He knew without thinking how to hold her and how she loved to be touched.

"We should get married soon," he said softly, as she started to moan under his kisses. "I don't know why we haven't yet, but we will redeem that as soon as possible."

Her arms around his neck felt too good, just where they belonged. But his suit was somehow more confining than expected. He needed her in his arms and he wasn't willing to let go. There was this overwhelming love for her that made him kiss her breathless.

When he kissed her, pictures and memories started to appear in his mind. He was wearing black and she was lying in his arms while her white blouse turned red from her blood. He had wanted to help her, but she had urged him to leave. He had never felt that scared and helpless before.

Somehow other memories came up on his mind where he was holding her in his arms or kissing her hand, but all were overlaid with the feeling of danger that made him leave much earlier than he wished. He saw her putting her his ring on her finger, smiling happily at him. More and more memories came back to him, all centered around the woman in his arms. How she smiled at him when he was wearing black or was angry with him while he wasn't.

The pictures were flooding him and his head started to spin again. Releasing her, he tried to cope with it. He swayed a little and put one hand to his forehand. Victoria looked at him concerned.

"Diego, are you alright?"

"I need a minute, Victoria. I'm starting to remember. There are so many memories. So much information." He sat down on the couch, pulling her with him, still holding her hand. For some minutes he leaned back, closing his eyes, trying to make sense of his memories. He was Diego, but he was Zorro too. It was as if his life was given back to him. Relieved he breathed in heavily.

"Are you feeling better now? What do you remember?" Victoria asked when opened his eyes again.

"You! I remember you, Victoria! Who you are, who I am; my whole life centers around you!" He was now Diego again who looked at her with a happy smile and caressed her cheek tenderly. He had gotten back his name and his self.

Victoria noticed the change in him and looked at him questioningly. "Holding you in my arms made me remember the most important moments in my life. I will need some time to sort it all out, but I think I'll be whole again. The doctor said that strong emotions may trigger the memory and now I know what he meant. There's no one else I have so strong feelings for than for you."

"So you're Diego again?" Victoria asked him. "You were so different when you didn't remember me. Did you really mean that about loving me at first sight?"

"Yes, it was the same feeling I had on the day I met you after my return from Spain. You are the woman of my dreams." Victoria began to blush when Diego looked at her lovingly.

"What are you going to do now?"

"For a time I didn't have any memory of my past and it helped me to see everything from a different angle. I don't want to go back to this life as Diego and Zorro, always hiding myself. I think it was a mistake to have it going on for so long. What I said to you earlier was the truth, I have always loved you and I want us to get married without wasting any more time. Do you think you can love me even when I'm not wearing black?"

Victoria smiled at Diego. "You should have believed me when I told you that I'm in love with the man and not with the legend." She bent over to him, putting her hand on his cheek and kissed him.

"But how can we get married without making the alcalde suspicious?" Victoria inquired concerned.

"I'll tell him that my illness has convinced me to tell you of my love and you agreed, since you had a secret crush on me too and are tired of waiting for Zorro. And I can offer you much more than an outlaw."

"Do you think the alcalde will buy it? What if he doesn't?" Victoria wasn't convinced yet.

"Victoria, this time without memory made me realize what really matters in life. That's having you as my wife. And I don't want to live a life on hold anymore. If we wait for a change, we may never be together. We have to get married now and have a life together before it's too late. We need to risk it and no longer live in fear. Don't you want that too?"

"Yes, I do, but I'm afraid," Victoria confessed. "This is all going so fast for me. I never expected the day to turn out like this. I came here to visit a sick friend and now everything is different. You actually scared me when you greeted me as if you hadn't seen me before."

"I'm sorry, Victoria, I didn't want to scare you. I wasn't an act. I only said what was on my mind and what I felt. When I woke up yesterday, I didn't know anything about myself. Felipe tried to explain my life to me and I realized that it was a total mess. I wasn't aware of the restrictions I had put on myself to keep my secret identity and so blew my cover inadvertently. Not only with you, but also with my father. You should have seen him this morning when I played with one of his swords because I was frustrated." Diego chuckled at the memory. "I didn't even understand why he was gaping at my sword skills."

Turning serious again, Diego took hold of both of her hands and looked at her intensely. "Can you live with a short engagement, Victoria? Marry me on Saturday next week? I think a week is the shortest time between reading the banns and the wedding. How much time do you need for your wedding preparations?"

"Diego, I could never find Zorro, because you hid him too well under the mask of Diego, but I now I can see him in you. It is good you made up your mind and there is nothing I want more than to share my life with you. I won't need more than a week to dust off my wedding gown that I have ready ever since you asked me."

Diego's father interrupted their kissing when he entered the library. "Hrrmph!" Alejandro made himself heard. "Diego, Victoria! What's going on here?"

"Victoria has just helped me to regain my memory," Diego smiled, a little annoyed by the interruption. Diego kept an arm around Victoria's waist and looked at his father challenging. "She has also agreed to marry me in about a week, after I have spoken to the padre."

Diego had thought his father would be surprised again, but he didn't react as expected. His father only nodded as if it was the confirmation he had been waiting for. "So you have finally decided to marry your lady, Diego? Or should I rather say Zorro?"

"You're not surprised, Father?" Diego asked.

"Not after your little show with the sword this morning. It made me take a closer look at you and the differences were visible. You walked and moved differently from the Diego I saw the last years. There is only one man I know who moves with such grace and self confidence and that is Zorro. Seeing you here with Victoria is all I needed to know."

Z Z Z

"Hola, Don Diego," the alcalde greeted him when he entered the tavern. "Your father told me you were ill. Are you feeling better again?"

"Yes, I'm fine now." Diego smiled. "I hit my head somehow and lost my memory, but now it's back."

"I heard you and Senorita Escalante are engaged? Is that true?" de Soto inquired curiously.

Diego smiled broadly, "Yes, it's true alcalde. You can congratulate us. When I was ill and couldn't remember my past, I began to see some things differently. I have always loved Victoria, but I never dared to ask her. When I told her I loved her, she confessed that she loved me too and she agreed to become my wife."

"And what about Zorro?"

"Victoria may never love me as much as Zorro, but as long as she feels some love for me I can live with it." Diego was serious. "And an outlaw can never compete with a de la Vega," he added almost arrogantly.

De Soto looked at him surprised. "You have changed, Don Diego!" Diego was almost getting used to creating surprised reactions from others by whatever he did or said.

"Losing one's memory is almost like dying and makes a man think about his life. You should think about that too, De Soto. Have you given your life a thought recently?" Diego questioned him.

"Here you are in this pueblo that you despise, wasting your life, trying to catch an outlaw you will never get. Years have passed now, since you came here and nothing has changed. You are hated by the citizens and have no true friends, eating all you meals alone. Is that really the life you want to live? How you want to be remembered? It's not too late for you to change it, by either becoming a different alcalde or by returning home to Spain to your family."

De Soto looked impressed by Diego's speech and Diego could see that he had somehow hit the mark with the alcalde. "You have changed really profoundly, Don Diego. And you have given me something to think about. You may be right and it's time for a change not only for you."

Diego looked around in the tavern and saw Victoria coming towards him. "There you are, my dear," he smiled. He stretched out his hand to reach for her hand that she gave him happily. Holding her hand with a tight grip, Diego led her out the tavern. "Padre Benitez is waiting for us. He will read the bans tomorrow, but he wants to talk with us about the wedding next week."

"I can hardly await it," Victoria beamed at him.

Hand in hand they walked across the plaza to the church.

Z Z Z

There were some more delays to the wedding, not only that Victoria's brothers and some of Diego's relatives protested that they wouldn't be able to attend on such a short notice, the padre rose some objections too. It would put the marriage into a bad light, hinting a scandal, if they insisted on a fast wedding when there wasn't really a need. Grudgingly they had agreed to marry in a month, the earliest day all parties consented to.

It gave them time to prepare everything for the big day he had been waiting for so long. Diego's father insisted on arranging the wedding party and inviting all the guests he was expected to host as a member of the de la Vega family.

Giving Diego's suggestion a thought, it took the alcalde less than a month to make his decision about his own future. After arranging everything for his successor, de Soto left with a ship to Spain, not attending Diego's and Victoria's wedding.

Diego was wearing a black suit and he thought that Victoria had never looked so wonderful as that moment when her brother led her down the aisle in her wedding gown.

"I love you, Victoria," he whispered, before he kissed his wife the first time, "and nothing can take that away from me."

**The End**

End file.

A stranger's face by katie1999


Hero's Price

Many of us have thought of the feelings the characters of Zorro have.
We have thought deeply about the feelings the characters would have,
much deeper than the TV show does. Lots of us have read and written
about them on our own. This is my take on the feelings of the
Dark Angle de Los Angeles, Child of Night.

*Hero' Price*

Don Alejandro de la Vega opened his son's door carefully. Moonlight
streamed into the room from the windows and the open balcony. On the
four post bed Alejandro saw Diego sleeping peacefully. He closed the
door and walked over to the bed as silently as he could. Diego lay on his
left side, his head resting on the pillow and his long legs spread out.
Alejandro looked at the bruise on his son's right shoulder. It was a
deep purple now and probably very tender to touch. His heart ached for
what Diego put himself through. But there was also an unmeasurable amount
of pride too. Alejandro watched his son sleep for some time, Diego's
face peaceful and his breathing even. It was very likely that Diego was
awake since Alejandro walked in and was only humoring his Father by
looking asleep. But Alejandro needed to just look at his son, to know
that he was there and safe. If only for the moment. Alejandro's
shoulders sagged and he turned to leave. As he reached for the door a
soft voice whispered out from the night. "Buenos noches, Father."
Alejandro turned to see Diego's hazel eyes open and looking at him.
Alejandro smiled sadly. "Buenos noches, Diego" He escaped out the door.

Diego laid on the bed for a long second before rolling across it and
swinging his legs over the side. He didn't react as the bruise on his
arm rubbed against the sheets. Going to the fireplace he pressed the
hidden button on the lip of the mantel. A door opened to the left of it
and he walked into the dark room. Quickly he dressed in black and put
on his cape. Grabbing his sword he ran down the passage. At the end Diego
emerged into a cave. A black stallion, saddled and ready pranced near the
cave's opening. Diego swung up and turned the horse to the opening.
Both rode out, the night surrounding them as if they were one.
Zorro would ride tonight.....

Upstairs, Alejandro looked into his son's room to find him gone.
Sighing he went back to his room to wait for Zorro to finish his work
for the night and return home. It would be a long night for both
Father and Son.

(I use the characters of Zorro for fun, but I always put back
my toys. I do not own Zorro in anyway, shape, or form.)

This was meant as a one piece story only! Go read my other story.

End file.

Hero's Price by Reona


Capistrano

Author's Note: Part of an experimental project to write at least one short every day for the next year. We'll see if I actually manage to meet my goal. This is The 365 Project, 2 January.

Disclaimer: Zorro (this version, at least) belongs to New World Entertainment and the Family Channel and is used without permission or intent to profit.

An AU from Season One, Episode One of 'New World' Zorro, "Dead Men Tell No Tales", where Alcalde Ramon uses an actor to frame Victoria for murder. What might have happened if Zorro hadn't managed to catch the actor before he could leave the pueblo...

* * *

"Capistrano"
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'

* * *

James Kendall arrived at his home in San Juan Capistrano after a long ride from Los Angeles. Most of the people in Capistrano were never quite sure what to make of this man with an English name and a caballero's appearance. When he had first arrived in the pueblo, rumors passed through the streets of everything from this Kendall being a spy for a British crown seeking to claim California after losing it's other American colonies to a revolt to him being a retired pirate hiding from people who wished to kill him after he had attacked their ships to him being a former officer in the Spanish army forced to retire after killing his superior in a duel.

None of them realised that the truth, perhaps, would be more unbelievable than fiction, but the last was the closest to the truth even if it were nowhere close.

Riding up to the gate of his hacienda outside Capistrano, James dismounted and handed the reins of his horse to a servant that was standing nearby.

"Here, Bernardo, you know what to do."

The servant nodded and patted the big black horse on the neck, getting a whiney of appreciation from the mount.

"Bernardo," James chuckled, "If you're not careful, I'll begin to think Tornado likes you better than me."

Bernardo shook his head, raised his left hand, then pointed into the hacienda.

"She's waiting?" James asked, looking into the courtyard, "Thank you, Bernardo."

* * *

James stopped at the doorway to the parlor and listened, smiling, as his wife played the piano until she finished the piece.

"You play almost as beautifully as you look, Senora," he said to announce his presence.

Her head turned sharply at the sound of his voice, "Jaime!"

Within seconds, she was off the piano bench and moving towards him only to be stopped by a pair of outstretched hands, "As much as I would love your embrace, my love, I smell like the road. Permit me to bath first, then you can greet me any way you wish."

"Very well," she answered with pursed lips and narrowed eyes, "But I doubt you'll be able to stop your son as easily - he's as stubborn as both of his parents."

"I only hope he doesn't take after us in other ways," James sighed.

"You're too late for that, Jaime," his wife informed him, "I've already seen him in the courtyard with a stick, proclaim he'll one day be as great as his father."

James sighed again and shook his head, "There is nothing great about his father, I'm a liar and a coward, I've broken promises and I've killed a man. By the grace of God, our son will take after you more than he will me."

"Jaime," his wife paused and looked around to make sure that no one was near, "Diego, you must stop blaming yourself - it has been ten years."

"I swore to never take a life, Victoria," James answered more harshly that he would have liked, "Still, when I was faced with the choice between breaking that promise and losing my honor or leting Ramon live and losing you, I killed him without hesitation. I pray to God every day that Edmund is never forced to make such a decision, that he'll become a better man than I am."

Not caring about the fact that his clothes were covered in trail dust, Victoria threw her arms around her husband, "Diego, it was _not_ your fault. You know what Fillipe's letter said, Ramon had actually gone so far as to kill his own friend to make sure there was no way to prove my innocence. If he would've done that, there was nothing stopping him from actually hanging me just to prove he could do so. Do not forgive him if you must, but forgive yourself."

"I'm afraid I don't know how," James admitted, "Zorro is a murderer and a traitor, Diego de la Vega is a scholar and a coward, James Kendall is a loving husband and father and wealthy landowner... and I don't know which of them is the real person anymore."

"None of them are the 'real person'," Victora corrected as she ran a hand through her husband's hair, "Because they are all just different parts of the same person... and I love all of him. Yes, I miss Los Angeles, I miss the tavern and the people, but I love you and I love our son and I wouldn't trade this life for any other, even if it meant Zorro was still a hero and I was Victora Escalante or even Victoria de la Vega instead of Victoria Kendall. Stop thinking so harshly of yourself and think of all the good you've done instead. The last time Father came to visit, he mentioned that the villagers were planning a jubilee to celebrate Alcalde Mendoza's tenth year in office - do you think they would have willingly done the same for Ramon? And Fillipe, he takes such pride in publishing the pueblo's newspaper after the written word being such a part of his life while he couldn't hear or speak. And I've seen few grandfathers who dote more than Alejandro does on Edmund Alexander. Yes, Diego, Luis Ramon is dead, and so are Victoria Escalante and El Zorro... but we're still alive, why can't you be happy with that?"

James cupped her cheek in his hand, "Do not think me ungrateful or unhappy, Querida, I only wish that we could have made a life together without such bad things leading up to it. Do you think it would have been possible?"

"I think," Victoria answered, "That whatever life we might have, it would be together."

End file.

Capistrano by turbomagnus


Rivals

**RIVALS**

Disclaimer - I don't own the rights, Zorro Production Inc does - I just like to play with the characters.

This is a small add-on scene to the second season episode "To Be A Man"

It takes place between the time Zorro helped Carlos de la Paz, as the teenager fought for Victoria's honour in the tavern and the following scene in the plaza where Zorro comes to Carlos's help once more. It explains why Zorro was late in getting to the plaza and was unable to prevent the bad guy from putting a rope around Carlos.

* * *

"... And next time, do not hide that handsome look behind a disguise."

Zorro grinned as he watched Victoria give young Carlos de la Paz a kiss on his cheek for his bravery and his defence of her honour. He knew that the teenager would be walking on air for the foreseeable future after receiving his first kiss. It was a feeling he knew well, after his own first encounter with the fairer sex when he had been about Carlos's age.

Victoria walked passed the curtains and saw a familiar shadowy figure behind it. Before she knew it, a black gloved hand came out, took her by the arm and gently but firmly pulled her into the kitchen.

"So, senorita, it seems I have a rival for your affections," Zorro said with a teasing gleam in his blue eyes.

Victoria smiled, "Perhaps you do," she replied, "He's a gentleman and he's good looking and he's -"

" - a little young?" he quipped.

She chuckled as she gazed up at him, "Oh I don't know, Zorro, I think he's just the right age," she teased back.

"So, he captured your heart then, did he?" he asked with a tiny smile tugging on his lips.

She shook her head and smiled, "No, he didn't because my heart belongs to another." she replied.

Zorro reached out to take her hand in his, "I'm glad because I would hate to duel against such an expert swordsman like Carlos de la Paz." he said with a smile before he raised her hand to his lips for a soft kiss, "I must go, Senorita. I don't believe your young champion is out of danger, yet. Adios." he said as he leapt up to the window, gave a shrill whistle and was gone before she knew it.

Victoria shook her head, "It would serve him right, if I do lose my heart to someone else." she muttered to herself.

* * *

The End

This is to celebrate my 3rd anniversary of posting Zorro fanfics to this site :)

End file.

Rivals by CrazyJan57


The Letter

**The Letter**

_Disclaimer: This story was written solely for the enjoyment of other Zorro fans and is not intended to infringe on any copyrights held by Goodman/Rosen Productions, New World Television, Zorro Productions, the estate of Johnston McCulley or anyone else._

Don Alejandro sat down in his leather chair behind his big mahogany desk and looked through the mail at his desk. The post had just arrived from Monterey this morning. Among some letters from his friends there was one from his lawyer in Monterey.

He took the small knife with the silver handle and opened the letter carefully. Enfolded were several official looking thick parchments and a short letter. As soon as he started to read, he realized his mistake. The letter was addressed to his son Diego. He wanted to put the letter aside but when he glanced at the first sentences he was compelled to continue reading.

_Dear Don Diego,_

_attached to this letter you will find the documents you requested me to set up at your last visit. Besides the documents to legalize the adoption of Don Felipe, I have included a changed version of your will. In case of your death your son and your fiancee are now well provided for as you requested. Due to your changed familiar situation, I strongly recommend you to undo the waive of your heritage, you made me set up five years ago, before you get married, even if I must assume that the special circumstances you find yourself in are still valid._

_I would like you to visit me in my office again, so we can discuss the situation in detail._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Luis Cristobal _

_Lawyer_

Alejandro slowly put down the letter only to start reading it again. He was stunned and couldn't believe what he was reading. The whole letter made no sense to him.

Diego wasn't engaged, he would have told it his father, wouldn't he? Nothing would please him more than the prospect of grandchildren. Why did he expect to die before getting married? What reason was there to set up his will when he was a young and healthy man? And why would he disinherit himself? What special circumstances was the man talking about?

The questions were whirling in his mind, but he was unable to figure out an answer. He knew his son, and he would never take such profound measures without telling his father. He turned the letter around and checked the address once more. I didn't change under his inspection. The letter was addressed to his son.

He couldn't make the written words vanish from the letter. If the letter was true, then he didn't know his son at all. He had a son, who expected to die any time, and who was secretly engaged. What else didn't he know about him? What was the reason for this secrecy?

He might understand that his son hadn't told him about his engagement yet. He could think of reasons that lay in the bride's family, but what shocked him most was that his son had disinherited himself. His son was a de la Veg,a who should be proud of it, and there was no reason to deny that. What could drive a man to take such actions? Was it shame or desperation?

Why couldn't Diego trust him? Was he such a failure as a father that he didn't know his only son at all?

He must have read the letter a hundred times, and the questions had multiplied each time he did.

He went to his son' s room to talk to him, but his bed hadn't been slept in. Diego must have been out all night. Had he spend the night with his woman? Who was she that his son couldn't admit his engagement?

After he returned to the living room there was a knock at the door, and Juan Perez, one of his peasants, entered the hallway.

"Hola, Juan, what is it?

"Don Alejandro, I wanted to bring you the news from the pueblo."

"Some new tax from the alcalde?"

"No, not this time. Some bandits were causing trouble in the tavern last night, and one of them tried to shoot Senorita Escalante."

"How is she? Was she injured?"

"No, the Senorita is fine, but only because Zorro was able to turn away the pistol. He chased the bandits all night and brought them to jail in the morning. I have never seen him that angry, he was close to killing the man. When the alcalde made a bad remark about it, he had to find out that today is not a good time to start an argument with Zorro because he had instantly Zorro's sword at his throat."

"Then the alcalde should better keep that in mind. No sane man would willingly face Zorro's anger. Everybody knows how dear Victoria is to him. Thanks for stopping by, Juan. Have you seen Don Diego today?"

"No, he wasn't in the pueblo."

Alejandro let Juan to the door and returned to the living room when he saw Diego coming from the library. Diego was finally back. The questions that were burning in his mind needed an answer, and he called out.

"Diego, I have to talk to you."

Diego approached his father's desk. He wore the same blue suit as yesterday, and he looked tired with his disheveled hair falling in his eyes.

"Father, not now, please. I am not feeling well, and I need to get to bed. Let's talk later."

"No, Diego. I have been waiting the whole morning for you, and I want to know where you have been all night."

"I don't think this is your business, and I really need to go to bed now."

"Not my business?" Alejandro grew impatient. "Maybe it is my business when my son is spending his nights with some whore he intends to marry."

"Don't you ever dare calling the woman I love a whore! You will never say that again!" Diego growled, threateningly, with a much deeper voice.

Diego was angry as Alejandro had never seen him. Diego stood straight in front of him and looked down on his father. This was not the docile Diego he knew, but a very dangerous man, who was on the verge of attack. Alejandro felt as if he was at pointed end of a very sharp sword. The anger in his son's blue eyes made Alejandro's throat go dry.

Suddenly, Alejandro knew who he was facing, and he remembered his previous conversation with Juan. 'No sane man would willingly face Zorro's anger.' And he was exactly doing that now. He had seen the alcalde at Zorro's mercy, and now he knew how it felt like. He had the answers he wanted, but it was more than he had expected. Slowly, he backed up.

"I'm sorry Diego, I didn't mean that. Maybe it is better if we talk later when you feel better."

Diego calmed down a bit and in his normal peaceful voice he said: "No, I'm sorry. You are my father, and I shouldn't talk to you like this. But, if you excuse me now."

Diego turned round and headed for his door, leaving his shocked father behind. Alejandro heavily sat down again in his chair, picking up the letter again that suddenly made sense so dreadfully, now that he knew that his son was Zorro.

End file.

The Letter by katie1999


Twist of Vengeance

**Author's Note:** 100-word drabble prequel to the episode "The Arrival". It was originally intended to be the beginning of a longer story that I might still write. We'll see. *shifty eyes*

**TWIST OF VENGEANCE**

Gilberto Risendo glanced into the mirror. He looked every inch the caballero he truly was.

He sneered, remembering the story that his mother had drilled into his head from the day he was born. Of how his parents had told her to place their son in an orphanage because his leg was twisted.

One would think there had been nothing wrong with it at all. He could do anything any other man could do - ride, fence, run. . .

Today was the day he would avenge himself and his mother. The day he had been waiting for the whole of his life.

End file.

Twist of Vengeance by pamz