A Family Matter
The wheels bounded over the rocky terrain, the driver carefully controlling the horses so that they were not frightened by the loud voices and gunfire.
The banditos were quickly closing the distance between them and what they believed would be a glorious feast for their starving bodies. Not only was the wagon they were chasing one filled with delicacies but filled with one young, beautiful senorita as well. If they had their way, it would not only be their bellies that were sated this night.
The sun was setting into a deep black night and Victoria could no longer see the bandito's chasing her poor wagon clearly enough to see their proximity. "Not far now boys," the whip snapped loudly in effort to push the horses faster towards town. The closer she got to town, the less worried she would be so far as those banditos were unable to catch her. She noticed a few small lights in front of her and realized that she was closer to the de la Vega hacienda then she had realized. Not caring for the goods and merchandise that she carried she brought the horses to a quick stop, one wheel of the wagon catching on a brick and splitting almost tossing Victoria from her seat. She bounded from her seat quickly and raced toward the door, crying for help as she ran.
She tripped over something in the night and one of the banditos caught her, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist and pinning her arms to her sides. One of his hands lifted to cover her mouth as he carried her away from the doorway.
Just then, the door opened to reveal a startled Alejandro.
"Excuse me senor," he stared at Victoria, pretending not to recognize her, "What do you think you are doing on my property?"
Another bandito galloped up to the door and jumping from his steed, he quickly drew his pistol and pointed it toward Alejandro.
"Get off my land," Alejandro growled.
"Back," the man with the pistol ordered and backed Alejandro into the hacienda. Victoria and the other bandito followed and while the third, much younger man closed the door and kept watch for any other suprises.
"Father I heard the commotion and ...." Diego rounded the corner and stopped short as he saw a pistol aimed dangerously close to his father's head.
"Too many witnesses," the youngest bandito whispered, loud enough for everyone to hear. His pistol wavered in his shaky hand and Diego's eyes darted from Victoria to his father, wondering which one of them the young bandito would shoot at first. He had to be faster and not allow that to happen.
"Ah shut up Juanito," the man who held his pistol towards Alejandro growled, "No one is going to find us here."
"Joaquin," he replied, " we just broke into a caballeros home. You don't think he will let us..."
Just then Felipe walked in from one of the back doors, startling young Juanito and Diego made his move.
He leaped for Juanito, startling him just enough to cause his aim to go wide and miss Felipe. The shot caught Felipe's oversized shirt instead but he was knocked down when
Diego impacted with little Juanito.
"Diego!?" Alejandro's eyes widened.
The man with his pistol pointed at the older de la Vega shoved the old man back into one of the overstuffed chairs and whirled to point his pistol at Diego who was regaining his balance after knocking Juanito to the floor.
Felipe now held Juanito in a vice-like grip to prevent him from moving. His face contorted with the strength he was using to keep the bandito from standing.
"No," Victoria screamed, struggling against the man that held her. The pistol discharged and Diego was not able to get out of the way in time. The bulled grazed his head and he stumbled towards Victoria's captor.
"Diego!" Alejandro called and reached for the man who had just shot his pistol, grasping him by the arms and smacking him hard across the face.
Victoria stomped on the banditos' foot, forcing him to release her. Diego reached for the man, eyes blazing, and the bandito stepped back just enough to draw his pistol from his belt.
Victoria rushed to stand beside Diego and she reached towards him to check his head.
"Victoria," he yelled, startling her, "out of the way!"
He reached for her just as the pistol discharged and managed to step in front of her just in time...
Victoria's eyes widened as the fright and anger in his normally clear blue eyes faded to pain as he reached to hold his side. As his body slid to the floor, she struggled to break the fall, his weight almost too much for her to bear.
"No!" Alejandro punched the bandito a few more times until he slid to the floor unconscious then rushed to where the other bandito stood stunned, pistol in hand. Alejandro wrenched it out of his grip and smacked him against the temple, the man collapsed to the floor moments later.
Alejandro turned to see his son's head lying in Victoria's lap, his head and chest covered in blood. He rushed over to them, ignoring the young boy Felipe still held.
"Diego," he knelt and brushed his hand against his son's forehead, then to his neck to feel for a pulse.
He turned sharply to Felipe, "Hurry to town. Get the doctor and the alcalde. Quickly!"
The mute boy released the young bandito and raced out the door towards the stables.
Victoria's heart was racing. She was covered in blood and she held her dear friends head tightly, her hand pressed to the bullet wound to stop the bleeding. She realized the head wound was not deep but if he lost much blood ........
Alejandro stood and raced towards the cocina where he gathered a basin of water and some clean towels and raced back to where Victoria sat holding his unconscious son.
Alejandro opened Diego's blood covered shirt and began to wipe away the blood. He pressed the blood stained towel to his chest as Victoria wiped the blood away from his head and held her towel there to put pressure on the wound. She held the towel tightly and stared at her friend, for the first time noticing his strange resemblance to another that she knew and cared for. She slowly slid one end of the towel over his face to cover his eyes and sighed.
'It couldn't be," she chuckled to herself," Diego would be no match for Zorro.' But her mind raced as she played back the events that had led them to the predicament that Diego was now in. He had called her name to warn her with a tone in his voice that she seldom heard, then had taken a bullet for her. Diego moaned, his head turning in her lap, drawing her out of her reverie.
The towel slid from where she held it across his face.
"Hold on Diego," she pleaded, brushing a strand of hair that had fallen over his eyes when she moved the towel. "You won't die." Then more of to herself then to him, she said, "I won't let you."
Alejandro, busy working on the seeping chest wound, heard Victoria's whisper but said nothing. He was becoming frustrated because the wound would not close, it would not stop bleeding. "Where is Felipe and the doctor! If they don't get here soon....!"
Alejandro's hand pressed tightly to his son's chest, trying to stop the bleeding, causing Diego to moan in unconscious pain. Victoria reached to him and placed her small hand over his in a comforting gesture.
Suddenly the door swung open and Felipe led the way to the wounded Diego.
The doctor dropped to his knees to examine the unconscious man while Mendoza clasped the young Juanito in irons and held him steady.
"Madre de dios," Mendoza cursed, "will he be ok?"
"That is undetermined at this time Mendoza," Alejandro snapped," kindly remove these creatures from my hacienda." He indicated the three banditos.
"Oh my," the alcalde pressed a kerchief to his nose in disgust upon seeing the sight in the de la Veda home.
Mendoza nodded. "Lancers, chain the two unconscious men and lets get them to the jail." He turned to Alejandro and a wet-eyed Victoria, " I will pray for Don Diego."
"Thank you Mendoza," Alejandro muttered.
"And I will do everything in my power to see that these three bandits are hung for their crimes." the Alcalde sneered.
"You do that alcalde," Victoria snapped. She was in no mood to hear his proclamations unless he actually had the guts to go through with them. She glared at the man as he followed Mendoza and the criminals out the de la vega hacienda.
"We must move him so that he will be more comfortable." Hernandez looked toward Alejandro.
"Yes," Alejandro nodded and sent Felipe to fetch some of the kitchen hands.
As Juan and Ortiz lifted Diego, Victoria grimaced. She hadn't noticed that the weight of his head and shoulders on her legs had been so great. She looked at her blood stained clothes and hands and fought back the tears as they threatened to slip from her dark eyes.
"Cry Victoria," Alejandro reached down and lifted her small frame from the floor where she was sitting in a daze. "cry for him, and then pray. Pray that my one and only son will not die because of some insignificant bandits."
"Some bandits that I led here because I was afraid." The tears spilled down her cheeks as she continued, "They were chasing me and I thought," she fought back a sniffle, "I thought I could get here and away from them in time. But ..."
Alejandro nodded and embraced the young woman, holding her tightly to stop her from shaking. "I don't blame you Victoria," he whispered.
"I blame myself." She wiped at her tear stained face." And I will blame myself if Diego dies as well."
"No," Alejandro held her at arms length, brushing at her tears," He wouldn't want you to blame yourself. He..."
She shot him a questioning look.
Alejandro sighed," he cares for you very much and would not want you to feel guilty about this."
She sighed and allowed Alejandro to lead her to a guest room. "Sleep here. We have plenty of room." he smiled," you have been through much tonight."
"I..."
"No arguments," Alejandro smiled as he walked toward the door. He turned with a small grin," besides you are just down the hall from Diego should he wake."
She smiled slightly and sat on the edge of the plush mattress. Alejandro kissed her cheek and walked away and she was left with the question of what she would wear. Her clothes were bloodstained and she was not about to dirty the bed with them.
She heard a knock at the door and cocked her head when Alejandro entered again with a white nightshirt. "It was Elena's. " He laid the garment in her hands," I suppose I have been a fool to keep it all these years, but..."
"It's wonderfully romantic Alejandro," Victoria smiled deeply," but I can't......"
"I would be honored, senorita, please."
She shook her head.
He sighed and smiled slightly trying to make light of his son's dangerous situation. "It is either this or I will go get you one of Diego's nightshirts." There was a slight twinkle in his eyes.
"Oh, um, no" Victoria turned the material over in her hands, relishing the feel of it's soft quality," that's ok. This will do."
"Goodnight Victoria," Alejandro smiled and closed the door behind him, leaving the young woman to her very troubled thoughts.
No one slept peacefully in the de la Vega hacienda that night.
As morning crept over the vast desert landscape, Victoria crawled out of bed to find a beautiful cream colored dress lying over the edge of an antique chair. She brushed her hands against the soft, delicate fabric and sighed.
"This is beautiful."
She reached the note that was attached to the dress. It was from Alejandro. "Your clothes have been dirtied by the events of last night. Please wear this until we can fetch some of your clothes from the tavern. It will look beautiful on you. Humble an old man."
"Indeed." She shook her head, grinning softly, "Or what? Are you going to get me some of Diego's breeches and shirts." She smiled, the thought of Diego brought her mind back to the present and she pulled open the door, which was slightly ajar, and ran straight into Alejandro.
"Alejan..."
"If you do not wear that dress, yes, I will be forced to bring some of Diego's breeches to put you in." He stared at her, "We have an excellent tailor. They could be made easily to fit you." He grinned widely.
She couldn't help but laugh. She decided to play along with this comedic act. "But make sure that you get me his finest clothes. If I am going to be dressed like a man, it might as well be his best!"
Alejandro chuckled, "Go and dress my dear," he led her back into the room. "Then, I believe, my son would like to see you."
Her eyes lit," What? You mean...."
"He awoke early this morning and I didn't have the heart to wake you." Alejandro smiled.
"But..."
"And he expressly forbid me to. He said you needed your rest." Alejandro smiled, "Never interrupt a woman's beauty rest." She noticed him smiling broadly as he turned on his heal and left.
She quickly shed her nightwear and donned the beautiful cream dress that Alejandro had set out for her. She felt oddly awkward in such finery and she brushed absently at the material. On her walk down the hall, she passed a mirror and she paused. Again she ran her hands over the embroidered lace and finery of the material hanging from her shoulders. She felt uncomfortable in such finery and was about to turn around when a deep voice stopped her.
"It looks wonderful on you, senorita." large blue eyes danced as they looked at the now wide eyed woman with affection.
"Diego," she rushed toward him." What are you doing out of bed?"
"I didn't want..."
"You are deeply hurt and need to be in bed resting," She took his arm and began to lead him back to his room.
He was silent as she walked slowly with him back to his room. He ignored the pain in his side and allowed her to help him into the bed.
"If you have opened your wound, I'll...."
His eyes twinkled, "You'll what senorita?"
She chuckled and whispered, "put you in my clothes for the day."
A confused look spread across his features.
"A joke between your father and I," she smiled and told him what she and his father had been discussing earlier in the morning.
"Ah Diego," Alejandro smiled," I am off to town to witness the bandito hangings, care to join me?"
"Alejandro," Victoria started," he is injured and should not be out of bed so soon after..."
"You concern for me is touching, Victoria," his voice was a octave deeper then normal and she snapped her head, a little more sharply then she would have liked, towards him," but I am fine. I should think I would like to make an appearance to let them know that they did not indeed kill me."
"Then I am coming with you, if you insist on this unnecessary act of machisimo. Who will wrap your wound should you open it again," she huffed and left the room to gather her belongings.
Diego chuckled." Father, help me to dress?"
Alejandro nodded and carefully assisted his son into some looser fitting clothes then what he normally wore.
"Are you sure you would like to come, Diego?" Concern etched itself into Alejandro's forehead. He knew his son was still in pain and wasn't sure that he didn't disagree with Victoria about his staying home.
"Yes, for many reasons, Father," Diego smiled and allowed his father to lead the way out of the room.
The lancers were just leading the banditos out of the quartel, to the tune of some drum beats, toward the gallows , as the de la vega wagon arrived. The crowd turned to them and a murmur echoed through the assembled people.
"Ah the de la vegas," the alcalde sneered," here to watch the executions?"
"Here to see that justice is observed," Diego interjected as his father began to speak.
The alcalde smiled," I'm glad to see you are well," and turned to Victoria who still wore the dress Alejandro had given her.
"What is this," the alcalde faked a soft gasp," a dona are we now, senorita?"
His remark in front of the assembled crown made Victoria very self-conscious and Diego intervened.
"Her clothes were sullied when I was shot and we have given this dress to the senorita." His eyes twinkled as he looked at Victoria's stunning beauty," no more explanation is required."
The bandito leader suddenly broke free of his ropes, swiped a sabre from a nearby lancer, and bounded through the crowd toward the de la Vegas.
"Lancers!" Mendoza cried and raised his own musket.
Victoria and the alcalde were between the bandito's target and he swung wildly at the alcalde causing him to loose his balance before ever freeing his sabre from it's sheath.
"Victoria, out of the way," Diego grasped her arms and shoved her rather roughly to the side.
His voice had turned very deep and she was stunned again by this sudden behavioral change in her friend.
Had he been keeping something from them? Did he have a raging temper that he rigidly tried to control with his meek, cowardly actions?
Diego grasped his fathers sabre and released it from it's sheath as the bandito's sabre came down at Alejandro's head.
The sabre's clashed as Diego effectively blocked the blade and pushed his father to the side with an unusually strong arm.
"Diego, you..." Alejandro began but the clash of the blades broke his voice. His son couldn't use a sword to save his life and that was just what he was trying to do. He turned to his caballero friends who were standing nearby, " friends..."
The alcalde stood quickly, unsheathed his weapon and leapt into the swordplay.
"Ah," Alejandro sighed," the alcalde will take over for him." Victoria watched Diego carefully and Alejandro followed her eyes. His stance was perfect, how he held the blade, how he blocked the attacks. They realized at the same time that Diego had been keeping something from them. They just did not realize how extensive the deception had been.
"Enough de la Vega," the alcalde grasped Diego's shoulder and shoved him roughly out of the way," this bandito is mine!"
"Alcalde..."Diego suddenly remembered where he was and looked around the gathered crowd. He had all of a sudden revealed that he did indeed know how to use a sword and he knew explanations would be forthcoming. `Well, he thought,' I might as well make it good.'
"Alcalde!" Diego called to the man who was busy clashing swords with the very talented bandito," this is a family matter now and I insist you allow my family to take care of this bandito."
Eyes widened at this statement and Alejandro moved to intercept Diego as he strode towards the two combatants.
"Diego," Alejandro whispered," not here. not now." Louder he said," your wound has opened again. You need to rest." He looked at Diego's bloodstained shirt. Diego sighed and nodded tiredly.
Alejandro took his saber and sheathed it, held his son's arm and led him towards the tavern, Victoria following closely behind.
They did not reach the tavern however because the bandito quickly dodged a lunge by the alcalde, which put him off balance, and rushed towards Victoria's back, sabre outstretched.
Diego heard the people's cries too late as the bandito's blade impacted with the beautiful dress that Victoria wore, and then her soft skin.
She crumpled to the ground as Diego screamed and raced to her side. The bandito pulled the blade from her leg just as Diego reached him, hands balled into fists, impacting with his face and knocking him flat to the ground.
Alejandro knelt beside Victoria, putting pressure on her bleeding leg. They both watched as a change came over Diego and he donned the personality of someone they knew so well. Someone who's actions they had come to know as legendary.
The gathered caballeros unsheathed their weapons and extended them, hilts first, towards Diego. He reached for one and nodded. Taking position he saluted the caballero and then turned to the bandito.
Diego's voice deepened and he extended the blade towards his opponent, brought it to his face and swept it down to the side in one swift motion ," You have just hurt your last innocent , muchacho." hate formed in his clear blue eyes and venom dripped from his lips," Now you will meet the god that created you."
Their blades crashed and the crowd was stunned by the ferocity of Diego's swings. They were precise and accurate as he drove his opponent back time and time again until his back was against the wooden gallows," How *dare* you hurt an innocent woman!"
The man threw away the blade and smiled," You would not kill an unarmed man, would you senor?"
Diego sighed and lowered his blade. Even he would not cross that line. " No, you will receive far worse punishment." He turned toward where his father held Victoria and the doctor who was now attending to her leg. Relief filled his body as he realized that she had not been so injured as he had first thought.
"Lancers!" The alcalde bellowed," Tie him tightly to the gallows ! I want him hanged now! Forget ceremony!"
Diego strode towards the caballero who's blade he had borrowed and held it out for the man to take as he walked straight towards Victoria.
Victoria's eyes rested on Diego as he was fussed over by his father. They all moved into the tavern and she sat on one of the benches and watched as the doctor re-bandaged Diego's open wound.
"Diego..." his father began.
"Victoria," concerned blue eyes stared at Victoria and she gazed into them, momentarily lost the deep blue orbs," are you ok? "
"Si, Diego," she responded, breaking the stare, " I will be fine. It is only my leg. But I'm afraid that I have dirtied and ruined this beautiful dress."
Diego shook his head," don't worry about it. Material possessions are not nearly as important as ones life."
Victoria lowered her head to hide a blush," Thank you ," When she raised her eyes, they were directed at Alejandro," I will repay you for the damage to this dress or I will ..."
Alejandro held up a hand," Not necessary Victoria. Diego is right. You are more important then the dress."
He had phrased it differently then Diego which made her blush even more deeply when she thought of those words coming out of Diego's mouth. She had never actually thought of Diego. But in his actions over the past few days she had come to look at him in a different light.
He *was* brave in his own way. He *was* a man of action when there was a necessity. He just appeared to be different on the outside when around people. Perhaps there was more to him then met the eye. And there was no mistaking how he had used the sabre today. He was definitely hiding something and she couldn't stop his deep voice, a voice she often associated with another, repeating over and over in her head.
"Diego?" Victoria sat straight and steeled herself for the question and the response, "May I ask you a question?"
Diego's heart fluttered. He knew she was going to ask something that he was not prepared to answer at this time so he pretended to be tired and in pain. "Ah senorita," he shook his head, "I am not feeling too..."
"Enough Diego!" She raised her voice, and looked around at the few people that were gathered in the tavern. Most were still outside watching the hangings.
Diego went silent and prepared for the worst. An angry woman who was going to find out the man she was in love with had been right there in front of her all along would not be fun to deal with. He knew it would happen. He wished it had been under different circumstances.
"We need to talk," she lowered her voice," privately."
"Well then," Alejandro stood," before you do this, I need to ask a question as well." Alejandro stared at his son. "How long have you been able to fight like that?"
Diego lowered his head and then brought it up to stare into the faces of three very confused observers.
Victoria, Alejandro and the doctor looked on with interest.
"You did send me to Spain for that one reason, did you not?"
Alejandro sighed." And just *when* were you going to mention this little bit of information to me!" He was getting agitated. "You could have been...." His son knew how to use a blade better then anyone he had ever seen in his life , except maybe ....Zorro....He could have been helping to rid the pueblo of all ....Alejandro gasped as realization slapped him cruelly across the face and he stepped back in shock.
"You have fooled us all for years, Diego." Victoria continued when she noticed that Alejandro was visibly shaken.
"And for that I am truly sorry," his gazed melted into hers, "that is something I never wanted to do." His voice had changed again and he was not that clumsy, unsure man who stumbled over the right words. He was sure of his words and spoke them with a clarity and a firmness that Victoria recognized as belonging to another man. She shook her head. This could not be happening. She couldn't be in love with....
Alejandro found his voice again and interrupted her thoughts, "Diego, just what else have you learned that you did not share with me."
Diego lowered his head and then raised it, his eyes firm, "too many things to...." his head turned as the sergeant strode in the door with a smug look on his face.
"They have been executed."
"To discuss here," Diego finished and nodded to Mendoza.
"Then we shall retire to the hacienda then," Alejandro said," I want to hear everything about your time in Spain." Alejandro smiled," and leave nothing out this time."
Diego smiled warmly and turned to Victoria, extended a hand which she stared at for a long moment.
"Would you prefer a black gloved hand be extended to you instead?" When she said nothing, he asked her quietly," Come with us. What I have to tell my father I wish for you to hear as well."
She nodded quietly and slid her small hand into his. He helped her to her feet and placed an arm around her waist in case she stumbled. " I would carry you, but..." He said softly and she chuckled, "but we wouldn't want you to pull out your stitches again today."
Alejandro turned to the doctor, "Please accompany us." His eyes held a firmness and the doctor didn't dare decline.
He nodded and they all made their way out of the tavern and into the de la Vega wagon.
It would be a long day for those who listened to the tale of a young man summoned home early from his studies in Spain. A young man who was never given the chance to show what he had learned before he was thrust into the disguise that everyone in the territory knew....... as Zorro.
Back to the Fanfic Page