1. Chapter 1

**Victoria's day**

**Introduction:**_ This takes place after the episode Ultimate Justice. On his chase after Zorro alcalde de Soto has crossed some holy burial grounds of the Indians. As a result the Indians sentenced the alcalde to burn over a fire. To prevent a war between the Indians and the Spanish army Zorro offered to walk the path of pain to free the alcalde. The path of pain consisted of three parts: walking a row of Indians beating him with stick, a duel with a long stick and climbing the wall of death i. e. a steep rock._

_Zorro managed all three parts winning the alcalde's freedom, but he was also supposed to marry Washdea, the daughter of the Indian chief Wise Eagle. After he tried in vain to talk himself out of it, he preferred to sneak away._

As soon as Zorro was out of sight from the Indians he slowed down his horse. Now that he was no longer fighting for his life, he started to feel the pain from his wounds. If he didn't want to risk an infection he needed to get them treated as soon as possible.

Normally he would simply ride home and have them tended by Felipe, but unfortunately Felipe was accompanying his father to a bull auction in Santa Barbara and wouldn't be back for the next three days. Since he didn't want to reveal his secret, there was only one person he could ask for help: Victoria.

Quietly he slipped into the kitchen and leaned against the wall, his exhaustion slowly taking over.

"Zorro!" Victoria exclaimed startled when she noticed him. "Is everything alright?"

"Actually senorita, I came here to ask you for your help."

"What do you need?" Victoria stepped close to him and he drew her to him half leaning on her.

"Could I use your back room for tonight? The extra guest room you mainly use as a store room?"

Victoria wondered how he knew about that one, but well he was Zorro.

"Of course, you can. What do you need it for?"

"I need some place to rest for some time and your help with medical treatment. Unfortunately I can't visit Dr. Hernandez without revealing myself." He tried to hide his pain behind a smile.

"You are injured! Is it bad?" Victoria worried if his obvious exhaustion was the result of a serious injury. "I'm sorry Zorro. It's all my fault that the afternoon you planned for us got so ruined," Victoria said remorsefully. "Go to the room and lock it. I'm coming to you as soon as I can. Wait for my knocking."

He didn't have to wait long for Victoria to knock at the door. "It's me. Can I come in?" Opening the door while standing behind it, he let her in, so that he couldn't be seen from the outside by anyone passing by. As soon as she was inside he locked the door again.

Hidden under some sheets and towels she normally stored in this room, Victoria had brought some bandages and other things she needed to treat him.

"Where are you hurt?" Victoria inquired. Only then she noticed that his shirt was slashed in the back. "What happened to your back? Remove your shirt and I'll have look at it!"

Without protesting Zorro sat down on the bed and did as she asked. Victoria gasped shocked when she got sight of his injuries. "How did you manage that? Tell me what happened this afternoon! And your hands," she exclaimed after he had removed his gloves. "What did you do with your hands?"

Lying flat down in the bed on his stomach he let her treat him. While Victoria cleaned his cuts and bruises, Zorro told her about the path of pain conveniently leaving out the part of the Indians daughter not knowing how she would react to that.

"You did that for the alcalde?" Victoria asked incredulously. "Why did you do that?"

"If there is a war between the Indians and the Spanish, it will result in many deaths on both sides. The Spanish Army will win in the end, but Los Angeles itself is not well defended and in an attack on the pueblo many people would get harmed and mostly the innocent ones. I couldn't let that happen."

The alcohol she used to wash the slashes on his back made him hiss in pain and cramp his fingers in the pillow below him.

Victoria pressed a bowl into his hands. "Drink this, it will ease the pain." He had already swallowed most of the liquid in one gulp before he recognized the bitter taste. "It is cactus tea, I got this from a friend, Don Diego as a painkiller. But I have never needed it before, so I was not sure about the dosage." From the immediate effect it had on him, she must had put quite a lot into it. "Oh great! Knocked out by my own medicine!' was all he could think before he fell asleep from it.

Victoria realized that she had overdosed the medicine and promised herself to be more careful the next time. While Zorro was sleeping from the medicine, she took care of his wounds. Carefully she continued cleaning the cuts with alcohol and bandaged his back. He had been beaten severely and she wondered how he hand been able to climb a rock with these wounds.

When she was done with his back, she took a look at his hands. They were swollen and bruised and needed to be treated as well. She had never taken a closer look at his long slim fingers, but she remembered the times when he had cupped her cheek with his hands or caressed her neck while he was kissing her. Victoria came out her dreaming and set her mind back to the task at hand. She cleaned the cuts and wrapped his fingers together under some cloth leaving only his thumbs separate.

It was probably the best he was hiding in her tavern tonight. These bruised hands were difficult to explain and couldn't be hidden under a shirt. To wear gloves all the time would definite rise suspicions.

Now that she was finished she looked at his sleeping form in the bed. His upper body was naked except for his bandages and the mask covering his face. For a moment her hand reached for the knot that held his mask in place to remove the black cloth. Without pulling at it, she retreated her hand. Zorro came to her because he trusted her and she wouldn't violate it by revealing his identity while he was unconscious. Instead she covered him with a sheet, closing and locking the door behind her. She would look for him again later when she had closed and the tavern was empty.

In a quiet moment before dinner time she managed to sneak into the room again to find him still sleeping. Putting his dinner on the table she moved some crates and shelves in front of his bed. It made the room look smaller and hid the bed behind it. Enough for a superficial search of the room.

Z Z Z

She was serving dinner at the tavern porch when the Indians came into the pueblo stopping at the center of the plaza ignoring the coming and going of the people around them. The group consisted of an aged warrior, the chief of the tribe from the way he was decorated, three warriors and surprisingly a young woman.

Mendoza went over to the group and addressed them. "I don't know what you want here in the pueblo, but you had better step aside to make room for the people."

One of the warriors stepped forward and looked at him self-confident. "We will not move until we have finished our business here."

"What is your business and can't you finish it also at the side of the plaza?" Sergeant Mendoza suggested, not really enthusiastic to take measures against the Indians who had behaved peaceful.

"Our business is with Zorro. We know he belongs to this pueblo."

"Zorro?" Mendoza let out a surprised smiled. "And what do you want from him?"

The warrior pointed at the young woman. "This is Washdea. Zorro will marry her."

Victoria had come closer after she heard Zorro's name mentioned. "This can't be!" She burst out.

"Tell me how you come to believe that Zorro will marry her!" She would have attacked the woman if Mendoza hadn't restrained her.

Alarmed by the noise the alcalde came out from his office, looking at his best again after he had changed clothes. "Mendoza what is going on here?"

He looked at the sergeant who still held Victoria back with his arm. "I should have guessed. Whenever there is trouble, Senorita Escalante is surely involved."

Then he turned to the Indian who had spoken for his group before. "What do you want here, Angry Eyes? Aren't you satisfied with Zorro's heroic actions? Don't think I'll get back to your camp to face your justice. Your in my territory now. Here my word rules. Go home now."

"Our business is not with you alcalde, but with Zorro. He has agreed to accept our rules when he walked the path of pain for you."

"The path of pain?" Mendoza asked curiously. "What did Zorro do?"

"To save your alcalde from the trial by fire, Zorro agreed to be beaten by sticks, fight with a long stick and climb the wall of death."

"Zorro climbed that wall?" Mendoza swallowed. "I wouldn't even look down from above and it would be suicide to attempt climbing it." Then he asked, "Zorro did all that and actually climbed that wall?"

The Indian nodded. "Yes, he did."

"Well, he is Zorro after all," Mendoza smiled, not hiding his admiration for the man he considered a friend. "If someone would manage it, it would be Zorro."

"And what has that to do with Zorro marrying that woman?" Victoria asked icily. "He is already spoken for."

Angry Eyes spoke again. "Wise Eagle has promised to marry his daughter to the man who walked the path of pain. Zorro has succeeded and now he has to marry her!"

"And if he doesn't?" Victoria challenged him.

"Then there will be war!" Angry Eyes declared threateningly.

Alarmed the alcalde stepped in. "You can't be serious, Angry Eyes. Your tribe can't win in a war and a single outlaw is not worth the lives of your people." Thinking frantically the alcalde thought of a way out. "You may have heard that Zorro is always vanishes after he has made an appearance, so you must give us time to find him and persuade him that it is for the good of the pueblo to marry Washdea."

De Soto turned to Victoria not hiding his glee. "Don't you agree, Senorita Victoria that Zorro has always had what is the best for the pueblo in mind? He will surely make that sacrifice."

"You can't be serious, alcalde. You owe him, alcalde. He saved your life and how do you thank him? I never thought you would sink so low." Victoria was furious.

Angry Eyes and Wise Eagle had finished their quiet discussion about the alcalde's request for more time.

"Alcalde, we will give Zorro three days to present himself. If Zorro isn't here at noon on the third day, our tribe will be at war with you." Angry Eyes declared before he followed Wise Eagle out of the pueblo."

"What will you do now, alcalde?" Mendoza asked. "How will you find Zorro and even more make him marry that woman?"

"What I will do? Search for him of course, Mendoza. You will start right now with the tavern." De Soto stretched out his arm and pointed at the tavern. "And then you will look at the hands of all men, if they have bruises from the climb. Zorro can't hide that."

"You have no right to search my tavern, alcalde. You are disturbing my guest!" Victoria protested.

"It's for the security of the pueblo. That gives me all the rights I need. And you should better cooperate or the sergeant might be forced to open the doors with force." The alcalde smirked.

"You will pay for any damages, alcalde." Victoria retorted furious, but then she hurried behind the sergeant who just entered her tavern.

"I'm sorry senorita, but I have to look in every room," the sergeant apologized. "I have my orders."

Grudgingly Victoria led the sergeant and his men to the guest rooms. Starting with her own bedroom, Mendoza looked in every room though he wasn't very thorough with it. Just stepping inside and looking inside was enough. Occasionally he opened a wardrobe and looked inside, of course without finding Zorro.

Victoria's heart was beating faster when Mendoza demanded to look into the back room.

"What kind of room is this, senorita?" he asked.

"This is only a store room, but if you like you can start counting my table cloth and towels."

Victoria said aloud, hoping Zorro would be quiet in case he was awake. Annoyed by the order for this fruitless search, Mendoza merely looked into the room and looked at some shelves with towels and table cloth and some crates in the back.

"No, Zorro inside," he said to his men who were standing near him. "Now we have to inspect the hands."

Mendoza and his men inspected the guests in the tavern for bruises on their hands. But they either hadn't any or didn't look at least like Zorro. Then the soldiers continued their search elsewhere.

	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

It was late in the night when Zorro woke up again. After some moments his eyes became accustomed to the darkness and he could make out the shapes in the room by dim moonlight that came through the closed shutters. He lighted the small lamp on the nightstand, but kept the light low to raise no suspicions outside why there was light in the storeroom at this hour.

To his surprise he found a tray with a meal on the table that served also as a washstand. Victoria must have put it there while he had been sleeping. The rumbling of his empty stomach made him aware how hungry he was after all the exercise and having missed dinner.

Fortunately the meal was some stew that he could easily eat with the spoon she had provided. Cutting meat would have been difficult while his hands were wrapped up. For a moment he considered to remove the bandages around his hands to get back the use of his fingers, but it wouldn't be helpful in the healing process. He needed his hands to heal first, because they would easily give him away if the alcalde went looking for a man with bruised hands from his climb up the rock.

Still dizzy and sleepy from the cactus tea he went back to bed again, carefully extinguishing the light and locking the door from the inside again to save himself from unexpected visitors.

Z Z Z

In the morning Zorro woke again by a knocking on the door. He felt warm and feverish, probably some of his wounds got infected. Sometimes that couldn't be avoided even if all precautions were taken to prevent it.

Victoria could hardly refrain herself from storming into Zorro's room, but she couldn't risk his discovery even if the tavern was still closed and empty. So she quietly knocked on the door and it was opened soon after. As soon as the door was closed behind she let out her fury.

"I think you have forgotten to tell me something about yesterday, Zorro," Victoria snapped at him.

"I don't know what you're talking about?" Zorro asked her uncomprehendingly, though he had an inkling what she meant.

"I'm talking about you marrying that Indian woman!" Victoria didn't hide her anger at all. "The Indians came to the pueblo yesterday evening demanding you to marry her, since you have won her hand! So what are you going to do about it?"

"To do? Well nothing. I don't want to marry that girl." Zorro answered trying to figure out the situation.

"The Indians threatened with war, if you don't!" Victoria replied.

"Do you want me to marry her?" Zorro asked her uncomprehendingly.

"If I want you to marry her? How can you think that," Victoria was enraged. "Of course I don't want you to marry her. You have made your promises to me and I intend you to keep them. So what are you going to do about it?"

"Well, hm," Zorro didn't know what to do. "I think I'd just hide and have them leave when they can't find me." When he looked at Victoria, he realized she had something else on her mind.

"Or.." Victoria added.

"Or what?" Zorro asked.

"Or you could marry me right now." Victoria suggested with a smug smile. "If you're already married, they can't make you marry that woman."

"Victoria, I don't think this is a good idea," Zorro tried to find the right words while he felt the fever affect his thinking.

"What do you mean, it's not a good idea?" Victoria nearly shouted at him, but tried to keep her voice low. "Don't you want to marry me?"

"Yes, no, I do want to marry you, but not under these circumstances." Zorro tried to explain.

"Yes or No, what is it?" Victoria demanded inquiringly.

"I don't think, it will get us out of the situation. I tried to explain it to the Indians yesterday, but he didn't seemed to mind if I had a woman already and have you thought about de Soto?"

"What can de Soto do if we're married?"

"Do you think he would risk the security of the whole pueblo for the sake of one woman?" Zorro shook his head. "I think he will rather kill you and have me marry that Indian than face an attack of the Indian tribe."

Victoria looked at him shocked. "Do you think he would go that far?"

"I think he might. He is a ruthless man." Zorro drew her to him. "I want to marry you and not that Indian woman. But I don't want to risk your life. I should better go now."

In his arms Victoria felt his unnatural warmth. "You are feverish," she exclaimed. "You need to stay in bed."

Zorro swayed a little. "I have been here too long already."

"You're no in the condition to go anywhere. You're safe here. No one will find you." Victoria assured him. "Besides you can't go anywhere without your clothes." Victoria smiled smugly.

Alarmed Zorro looked around him to find his shirt and his coat gone. In his hand Victoria held his boots she had just snatched. "What have you done with my clothes?"

"The shirt was torn. It needed to be mended just as your cape. I fixed it, so you can wear it again on your way home. You'll get it back as soon as you're fit to leave and at the moment you're not."

Victoria looked determined and he knew better than to argue with her when he knew that she was mostly right. He didn't feel that well and knew the fever was still rising.

"You have me at your mercy. I'll give in, but you know how risky it is to keep me here." He gently touched her cheek.

"It's safer than running around in the area half naked and with a fever." She smiled at him. "I'll bring you some breakfast."

"Wait," Zorro caught her by the arm, before she could rush out of the door. "Why don't you return me my shirt if I promise I won't leave and I'll join you for breakfast in the kitchen while the tavern is still closed? Or did you already have breakfast?"

Victoria shook her head. "All that excitement made me forget it."

"We have an agreement then?" Zorro smiled at her.

Victoria put down the boots and nodded. "Yes, we have. I'll meet you in the kitchen." She headed for the door, but she couldn't stop herself to glance at his naked upper body while he was busy putting on his boots. Quickly she left the room before he caught her watching him.

She went up to her room to get his shirt and cloak that she had mended last night and put it on a chair. Zorro entered the kitchen and covered himself with his shirt while Victoria still had her back to him, preparing breakfast.

The tavern was still closed and empty, but she knew it would be very busy soon.

"You'll be utterly compromised if someone discovers me here." When he looked at the food she put on the table, he suddenly felt nauseous. "I'm sorry, but I'm not hungry. I can't eat anything."

"It's probably the fever, Zorro. But you need to drink," Victoria handed him a glass of water. Zorro took it, but he saw her disappointment when she looked at the tray.

"Please sit down and have your breakfast with me," Zorro smiled at her.

While Zorro drank some water, Victoria ate some of the breakfast she had intended for both of them.

"I love to have breakfast with you in the morning, querida. I wish we could be married soon." With his bandaged hand he cupped her cheek. Victoria noticed the longing in his voice. "So do I, Zorro, so do I," she whispered not knowing if she should cry or be frustrated about their situation. She copied his gesture and put her hand on his partly covered cheek that felt hot to her touch. For some moments they simply looked in each others eyes.

Zorro wanted to start some conversation but somehow the fever made it difficult for him to put his thoughts to phrases. Stumbling for words he soon gave it up. "I'm sorry, Victoria, somehow I can't think at the moment. I wish I could find a solution to this mess."

"You need to get back to bed now, I'll have a look at you again later." Victoria put her hand on his arm feeling the feverish heat emanating from it. Before she could pull back her hand, Zorro took it and kissed it. "I'm in your debt, querida."

Z Z Z

During lunch time the Indians and their request that Zorro married Wise Eagles daughter were the main topic. All were speculating what the alcalde would do up if Zorro didn't show up. A few actually expected Zorro to come and marry the woman for the safety of the pueblo. Those talks stopped immediately as soon as Victoria approached their table, but she overheard it anyway.

The situation was heightened when the alcalde entered the tavern for lunch. The conversation more or less changed to other topics, since no one wanted to offend the alcalde.

After de Soto had finished his lunch, his rose from his table to make an announcement.

"You have all heard of the grave situation the pueblo is in at the moment..." Before he could continue, Victoria interrupted him.

"And whose fault is that? Yours! If hadn't trespassed the Indian burial grounds, all this wouldn't have happened." Victoria made her opinion clear.

"It was Zorro's fault who made me chase him," De Soto retorted.

"Ha, just blame it all on Zorro," Victoria challenged him.

"Silence now," de Soto stopped her. "Listen to what I have to say! You have all heard of the grave situation the pueblo is in at the moment," de Soto started his speech again, "and that requires extraordinary measures."

There was some murmur as speculation started what these extraordinary measures could be. "I have therefore decided to grant Zorro a full pardon if he comes to the pueblo in two days and marries the Indian woman as Wise Eagle requested."

"Oh no," Victoria exclaimed. This just couldn't be. The pardon was something she had always dreamed of. It was the day Zorro would finally be free and they would get married. But if he married the Indian woman there would be no future for them together. What could she do? Was it selfish of her to deny Zorro his freedom and the pueblo its safety?

	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

When Victoria checked on Zorro again during siesta, she found him asleep and burning with fever. Concerned by his condition she decided to consult Dr. Hernandez knowing it would be risky and could lead to Zorro's discovery, but she trusted the white haired doctor.

Quietly slipping into his house while the tavern was closed, she knocked at his door. "Senorita Victoria, come in. What can I do for you?" the doctor greeted her.

"I would like you to come over to the tavern, I have a guest who is not feeling well." Victoria replied.

"A guest, you say?" The doctor eyed her suspiciously. "What ails him?"

"He has high fever, you'd better look at him."

"Just a moment, Senorita, I need to get my bag and some medicine."

A few minutes later he followed Victoria to the tavern, his suspicions somehow confirmed when Victoria kept to the shadows and even took a slight detour, so they weren't seen by the soldier in front of the alcalde's office.

Once in the tavern Victoria led him to the back room, removing some of the crates to give the doctor better access to the bed with Zorro.

The doctor said nothing when he saw the man with his mask lying in the bed. Victoria looked at him inquiringly. "You can be sure, senorita, I won't tell anybody. As a doctor I'm sworn to secrecy."

Relieved Victoria took a breath, leaving the room to give the doctor the time to examine his patient.

"You have done good work, bandaging and cleaning his wounds, I couldn't have done more," the doctor declared, emerging from the room again. "But now some of them got infected and his body is fighting the infection with fever."

"How bad is it?" Victoria asked concerned.

"He is a strong young man, I'm sure he will overcome it. But it takes some time for him to get well again. He won't go anywhere in the next days," the doctor was well aware of the situation and the demand for Zorro to present himself at the plaza in two days.

"Is there something we can do to help him?" Victoria asked worriedly.

"I'll give you some willow bark to keep the fever at bay and he should drink a lot."

Doctor Hernandez noticed the stress Victoria was under since she had to hide Zorro's presence while tending to the tavern as normal. "It will be fine if you make him drink something from time to time," he tried to take some stress away from her. "I'll come back here after you have closed the tavern. If you could give me a chair to sit in, I'll take the night watch at his bedside."

Relief flowed over her face. "You would really do that? It will be very uncomfortable for you in that back room. It isn't really a guest room and full of storage."

"It wouldn't be the first time, I spent a night in a chair at a patient's bed. That goes with being a doctor. And," he added, "Zorro has done so much for this pueblo. It's my honor to pay back some of it when it's in my power."

Z Z Z

While the doctor was keeping vigil at Zorro's bedside, Victoria lay tossing and turning in her bed thinking about the man she loved. Not only was he concerned about his health, but she needed to find a solution their situation that wouldn't require Zorro to marry that woman without risking the safety of the pueblo. The whole day she had been thinking about it and she was growing desperate, finding no sleep. It was well after midnight when she finally had an idea. With a smile on her face she fell asleep.

	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

In the morning she approached sergeant Mendoza who was having a lemonade before he was off on patrol in search of Zorro. Making sure the alcalde was nowhere in sight she addressed him.

"Mendoza, what do you think about eating in this tavern for free for a week?" Victoria smiled at him.

"A week for free?" Mendoza could hardly believe that offer, especially from Senorita Victoria who was a too good business woman to give away her food. "What do you want me to do for that? You know I would do anything for it as long as it doesn't contradict my direct orders from the alcalde. You know I can't stop searching for Zorro if that is what you want." Mendoza looked at her apologetically.

"I know that Mendoza," Victoria said understandingly. "I don't want you to stop searching for Zorro, just the opposite. You will talk to many people during your search and all I want from you is to ask them to do something."

"That's all? Ask people to do something?"

"Yes, that's all!"

"And it's not illegal as starting a revolution or something like it?"

"No, Mendoza, no revolution. I only want them to come to the plaza the day after tomorrow to help Zorro when the Indians return."

"If that's all I'll do it, Senorita Victoria," Mendoza agreed, "but I don't know how they could help Zorro in this matter."

"Well, Mendoza, there is one more point to it," Victoria smiled.

"What point? You didn't say that before," Mendoza was alarmed feeling cheated by her.

"I want the men ..," Victoria started to say, but then the alcalde could be seen at the tavern entrance.

Afraid De Soto might overhear her plan, Victoria bent down and whispered the rest in Mendoza's ear.

"You can't be serious, Senorita," Mendoza exclaimed aloud.

"Of course, I am," Victoria declared.

"What are you talking about, Senorita Victoria?" the alcalde suspiciously stepped in. "Don't think your Zorro can get out of this. Either he marries tomorrow, but unfortunately not you," the alcalde smirked, "or he will be responsible for the death of many innocent people losing the support of those he wants to protect."

"I wasn't talking about Zorro," Victoria countered self-confident. "I was just reminding the sergeant that he won't get any more food if he isn't able to pay. And I know exactly how much he earns a month." Victoria looked knowingly at Mendoza, who started to sigh.

"One week, you said, Senorita?" he asked again.

"One week, sergeant!" Victoria confirmed. "And I intend to make tamales today."

"Tamales with green sauce and peppers and chilies?" Mendoza rubbed his belly in anticipation.

"Can't you think of anything but food, sergeant?" the alcalde interrupted his daydreaming. "This is disgusting. I want you to be ready in front of the cuartel in ten minutes, sergeant or you won't be able to afford a lunch in this tavern for a long time, because I'll cut your pay." Annoyed the alcalde returned to his office.

"I'll spread the word, senorita, just as you want," Mendoza rose from his seat and hurried behind the alcalde. Victoria smiled. There was hardly anything the sergeant wouldn't do for her food. Now she needed to talk to the customers in her tavern to inform them of her plan. And also to their wives who would have to do most of the work in preparation for tomorrow.

Z Z Z

During the day Victoria sneaked several times into the back room to look for Zorro while the tavern was empty. The fever was still high and he slept most of the time, but she managed to make him drink some juice and eat some soup.

In the evening the doctor came to relieve her and keep vigil as he had done the night before. He was satisfied with Zorro's progress when he left in the morning.

"He was able to talk coherently during the night when he woke up and spoke to me. The fever is nearly gone and I think he will be up and about again in no time."

"So soon?" As much as she wanted him to be well again, she couldn't have Zorro appear in the plaza today. It would ruin everything.

After a short pause the doctor added, "Zorro asked me what was going on."

"Did you tell him about the Indians and the pardon?" Victoria asked him anxiously.

"Yes, he expected some move from the alcalde."

"And about the plan?"

"No, he wasn't awake long enough for me to tell him." The doctor was aware of her plan as everyone else in the pueblo, except the alcalde, and saw her concern. "You're afraid, Zorro might come to the plaza today?"

Victoria nodded, biting her lips. "Isn't there something..?" she asked hesitantly not finishing the question.

The doctor looked at her thoughtfully for some moments, considering her question, before he started to rummage in his big bag and soon produced a small vial. Carefully he poured a few drops into a glass of water on Zorro's nightstand before he handed it to Victoria.

"I normally don't do it, but I think it's the best for the pueblo. Make him drink it and he will sleep until the afternoon."

"I hope he will understand it," Victoria replied nervously, showing her bad conscience.

	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Before noon the plaza was busy with the farmer's market. The farmer were displaying their products on their stands and the women were doing their shopping. It could have been a normal day if there hadn't been the tension that was tangible everywhere.

De Soto knew that something was going on, but he couldn't figure out what is was. He didn't expect that Escalante woman to give up her love without a fight. It would be very interesting to see how she would react if Zorro was forced to marry the Indian woman.

Around noon the alcalde came out of his office in anticipation of the coming events. He was very sure that Zorro would come, the offer of a pardon was something he wouldn't be able to resist, even if it was for the price of marrying.

The Indians came through the Northern entrance of the pueblo. The women made space for them, until they reached the center of the plaza that was kept free.

The group stopped at the center and Angry Eyes spoke for the tribe again. "The three days are over. We have come for Zorro to honor our rules. Where is he?"

De Soto looked around on the plaza that seemed to be half empty in comparison to the bustling in the morning. Also his soldiers were missing. Irritated the alcalde called out. "MENDOZA!" There was a movement from the tavern and the circle of women surrounding the plaza opened to make space for Victoria Escalante and the men who escorted her. Other men were slowly seeping into the crowd from the sides.

The circle of women? De Soto noticed suddenly that all of the men were missing from the plaza. What was going on?

His question was soon answered when he saw Victoria's company. Behind her were the missing men and they were all dressed in black with a black cloth covering their face, just like Zorro. The man directly behind her with his distinguished beard and slightly round figure was unmistakably Sergeant Mendoza. He had obviously dyed his underwear black, as had some of his men behind him in lack of spare trousers not daring to dye their uniforms.

"Senorita Escalante, Sergeant Mendoza, what's the meaning of this masquerade? " He yelled at them angrily when they reach the center.

The black dressed man he had identified as Mendoza corrected him, stepping in front of Victoria. "I'm sorry alcalde, but you're wrong. I'm not Mendoza, I'm Zorro!" He took his sword in hand making some parries with it, cutting an invisible Z in the air. That was met with some laughter by the crowd who had also recognized him.

"Do you want to mock us?" Angry Eyes asked enraged. "Is that how the people of this pueblo think of us? That man is not Zorro!"

Victoria spoke out as she stepped in front of the group of men who surrounded her. "No, we don't want to mock you. We are meeting your request. You wanted Zorro to present himself. Here he is." Victoria pointed at the men behind her. "Each of them will tell you that he is Zorro and ready to marry Washdea."

"This is ridiculous, Senorita Victoria," De Soto stepped in.

"Your alcalde is right, it is ridiculous." Angry Eyes agreed. "None of these men are Zorro."

"And how do you know that? All you know about Zorro is that he is wearing black and covers his face, just like the men behind me. None of you have seen his face." Victoria retorted.

"And you, alcalde," she attacked de Soto, "should better think about on which side you are. If you have the safety of the pueblo in mind, you should take my side. The pueblo has presented a Zorro who is willing to marry Washdea, so there is no reason for war."

Grudgingly de Soto started to see her point. Even though he didn't like it, she was right. He couldn't risk a war with the Indians and that meant he had to agree with her argumentation, whether he liked it or not. "Unfortunately the senorita is right." De Soto addressed Angry Eyes again.

"You can't be serious!" Angry Eyes was outraged. "These men are not Zorro," he repeated again pointing at the group of men. "That one is a sergeant of your army and these ones," he pointed at some peasants who were wearing their normal outfit, now dyed black, with the only addition of a black cloth around their heads, "aren't even wearing boots or a sword."

"Then tell me who is Zorro!" Victoria challenged him. "Maybe it is him," she pointed at the man she knew as private Gomez and was quite good looking in black. "Or him." she pointed at another tall slender man. "Pick your Zorro or leave in peace."

The Indians realized that it was useless to insist on Zorro marrying White Eagle's daughter when they weren't able to identify Zorro in that crowd of black masked men.

After a short discussion among themselves, Angry Eyes spoke out. "You have won, woman," he addressed Victoria. "Zorro can be proud of you. We leave in peace." With no further words the group silently left the pueblo.

The crowd started to cheer. "You've done it, Senorita," she was congratulated by many and for the first time she understood how Zorro felt when he was acclaimed by the pueblo after he had saved the day.

The good mood was interrupted by the alcalde who called his men to order again, turning his anger of being outsmarted on them. "Mendoza, I want you and your men back in your uniforms in five minutes or you will be dismissed from duty. Have I made myself clear?"

"Si, mi alcalde," Mendoza replied a bit meekly.

"And take that silly mask from your face immediately! That goes for all of you!" De Soto shouted angrily before he returned to his office.

After that the crowd soon dispersed and everyone returned to their normal business while the men took off their masks and changed to other clothing if they had some.

Z Z Z

With his sword belt slightly clinging and his gloves covering his hands Zorro was completely dressed again and waiting for her when Victoria came looking for him.

"You are leaving, Zorro?" she asked disappointed. "Are you feeling better again?"

"The fever is gone and I can't stay any longer. I wish I could!" Zorro kissed her tenderly.

"Can't you stay at least until dusk? Then it will be safer for you." Victoria tried to convince him.

"Thanks to you, it will be quite safe for me this afternoon. With all these men running around in black I won't stand out so much today." Zorro smiled at her. "It was a brilliant idea to appeal to the citizens and make the men dress up as me today." Victoria blushed at his praise.

"I had no idea how get out of this, Victoria. The only thing I know is that it is only you I want to marry." Holding her tight he buried his head in her shoulder. "I want us to be together Victoria, to have a normal life with children where I can have breakfast with you every day and not only these stolen moments."

"I want that too, Zorro." Victoria whispered into his chest.

"If I only knew a way out of this trap," Zorro showed his frustration.

"Are you angry, because you missed the chance of being pardoned today?" Victoria asked anxiously.

"No, I won't give you up for a pardon. There won't be any Zorro without you. You were really

marvelous today from what I saw." He smiled at her.

Surprised Victoria looked at him. "You were there? But how? I thought the potion from the doctor..?"

"The water tasted differently and I let it rinse by my mouth to make you think I drank it."

Determinedly he looked at her. "Victoria, promise me, you'll never try drugging me again to keep me out of the way. I make my own decisions."

"I promise, Zorro." Victoria agreed guiltily. "You can trust me. And I didn't look under your mask while you were ill," she answered his unspoken question.

Zorro let out a breath of relief. "I knew I could trust you."

"I was afraid you'd feel obliged to talk with the Indians today, Zorro. That's why I did it."

"I understood that as soon as I saw what was going on. I thought you might need my help, but I realized I would only ruin everything you planned if I made my presence known. I stayed unseen on the tavern roof. I don't like someone impersonating me, but I wouldn't want to have missed that. Mendoza in black underwear telling the alcalde he was Zorro." He chuckled in remembrance.

"This was too good. A whole pueblo trying to save me. I'd never have expected that." Zorro smiled again.

"Only a woman could come up with such an idea." Taking her hand he placed a kiss on it. "I consider myself very fortunate to have won the heart of the smartest and most beautiful woman of the territory." Happy that Zorro wasn't angry at her, Victoria melted in his arms, returning his kisses.

When he finally released her, she saw the love in his eyes and her heart jumped towards him. "I have to go now," he whispered. After a short whistle for Toronado he was gone, leaving Victoria staring at the empty space he had occupied only moments ago.

	6. Chapter 6

**Epilogue**

About a week later Diego walked into the tavern and headed for Victoria who was at her usual place behind the bar.

"Hola, Diego! Where have you been the last week?" Victoria greeted him.

"I went to Santa Paula to the bank and then I discovered a new bookshop there. And when they told me they were expecting a new delivery in a few days, I decided to stay rather than riding back to Los Angeles and returning again. Someone might snatch the best books while I was away."

Of course he couldn't tell her that he had to stay away until his hands were healed again. They would make even his father suspicious. But the story fit into the image they had of him.

"You and your books, Diego," Victoria shook her head.

"It seems like I have missed all the fun again." Diego smiled.

"Yes, again." Victoria chided him. "We could have used your help too."

"Take my apologize, Victoria. Since I haven't been here to help you, let me at least pay you for the meals you granted Mendoza for his help." Diego put some coins on the table.

Victoria stared at them. "This is too much, Diego."

"Let's assume Mendoza was very hungry last week and you can serve him an extra wine on it." Diego insisted she take the money. It was the only way he could repay her as Diego for what she had done for him and the pueblo.

As Zorro he had sneaked into her room last night and put a small wooden box framed by roses on her pillow where she would find it. He had hoped she would like the heart shaped ruby that came with the velvet band.

A few minutes later Victoria had entered her room. When she had opened the box, he saw her face light up. As she tried to fasten the band behind her neck, he had stepped out of the shadow.

"Let me help you, querida," he had whispered.

"Zorro," Victoria had stared at him surprised, but she had been standing still, to let him fasten it. "It's beautiful!" She had looked into the mirror on her dresser and admired it.

"You're the only woman who has my heart, Victoria and I can't thank you enough for what you did for me." He still remembered the taste of her sweet lips from the kisses they had shared before he had had to leave again.

"Diego, Diego?" Victoria got him out of his reverie. "What were you thinking of? You looked so happy for a moment."

"Oh just nothing, just nothing, only of books." Diego replied with a blank face coming back to his senses.

Diego looked around in the tavern. There were a lot men wearing black trousers since they had simply dyed their normal ones having none other to spare.

"You started quite a fashion here in Los Angeles," Diego smiled at her. "At least for some time until the color is washed out again, depending on the amount of oak bark used in the dyeing process."

"You're probably the only man in the pueblo who has no black trousers," she retorted. "But I don't think black suits you."

"Are you so sure about it?" Diego challenged her. Finishing the lemonade Victoria had poured him, he grinned before he walked out of the tavern. Victoria looked after his tall lean figure trying to imagine him all in black. The image of her black masked hero came to her mind, but then she shook her head. It just couldn't be. It was only her imagination playing tricks on her mind, wasn't it?

THE END

End file.

Victoria's day by katie1999