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Diego de la Vega was up with the sunrise. Walking into the garden, he smiled as he heard the birds welcoming in the new day. He surveyed the roses on the trellis at the side of the hacienda, glistening with morning dew in the golden light of the rising sun. They were exquisite, and he almost didn't want to take the few that he needed. He wished Victoria could see them now, in their natural setting. Taking a sharp knife, he carefully cut several of the best ones and placed them into a vase. They were part of a special plan for later that day.

 

Victoria felt a sense of anticipation as she urged her horse along the dusty road. "Meet me for lunch today," Zorro's note said. "Come to the de la Vega hacienda at noon for further instructions." Arriving there, she found Felipe outside watching for her. Grinning, he handed her a beautiful pink rose and another note like the first one. She inhaled the fragrance of the rose and said, "Gracias, Felipe!" Opening the note, she read, "Go to the fallen log by the two large oak trees to the west of the hacienda." She looked at Felipe. "Do you know what this is about?"

Felipe shrugged but his eyes were twinkling.

Victoria continued, "Well, it looks as though Zorro has a surprise for me! I'd best be on my way." Carefully she placed the note and the rose in her saddlebag, bending the flap back so the rose would not be crushed. Then she scanned the horizon. As she spotted the two trees, she urged her horse in their direction.

Riding along, she thought back over the six months that had passed since she had learned Diego's secret. The time had been an unexpected gift as her relationship with him had grown. He seemed to have let some of his guard down over time. What an amazing man he was—generous, caring, and intelligent, with a decidedly clever sense of humor. And his dark good looks didn't hurt at all.

But there was more to him, much more than she had realized before. She had always seen Diego as a good and decent person, and she had always known Zorro to be courageous in his defense of freedom and fairness for all people. But knowing Diego and Zorro were the same person revealed another trait that was perhaps most important of all: Diego was one of those rare individuals who was willing to put the good of others ahead of himself—ahead of his own convenience and even reputation. In a word, he was selfless.

She'd particularly come to realize this truth as she recalled how he'd put up with ongoing condescending remarks and even criticism from others for his apparent apathy. It embarrassed her even now to think back on times when she had made such remarks. It just goes to show how dangerous is it to judge another person, she thought. She realized now that his selflessness, his willingness to sacrifice for the good of others, would make him an excellent husband and father. She had not the slightest doubt that this was the man with whom she wanted to spend the rest of her life.

She was also growing more and more uncomfortable keeping her knowledge from Diego. But she wasn't quite sure how to tell him. And the longer she waited, the harder it became. After all, what could she say when Diego asked how long she had known and why she hadn't told him sooner?

Coming upon the fallen log, she saw another rose and note tied to a dried limb. Dismounting, she untied the cord holding the note and read, "You are getting closer. Ride to the creek and look for the large boulder where the creek bends." Adding this note and rose to those already in her bag, she remounted and rode toward the creek, which was only a short distance away. The day was pleasant but growing warmer, and the water sounded refreshing as she drew nearer. Then the creek became visible as she came to the top of a small rise, and she saw a large boulder a little upstream. Coming upon it, she saw another note enclosing a rose, held down with a rock.

This time the note said, "Follow the creek to the hills southward. I'll meet you there." If she could have urged her horse to a gallop, she would have. But the terrain was too uneven, and she reminded herself not to be too impatient. After all, she often admonished her students the same way. Her students...that was another wonderful part of the last six months. After talking with Diego about her plan, she had approached Padre Benitez about teaching the children part-time at the mission. He had welcomed the help, and the children had blossomed with their much-needed attention and instruction.

And apparently word of the mission school's success had reached the Alcalde, because to everyone's surprise, he had made a payment from the community funds in support of the school. The Alcalde had definitely not been acting like himself since the whole event with Gilberto Risendo. At first, both she and Diego had been suspicious about the change, wondering when the former Alcalde would appear. But the months passed, and the changes remained. The result was that Zorro had less to do at the pueblo, which had given him time to court her in a more traditional sense, as he was doing today. And that she was enjoying very much.

 

From his vantage point behind a small grove near the falls, Zorro watched Victoria ride along the bank of the creek. In fact, he hadn't been able to resist watching her as she found each note, always staying one step ahead of her and safely out of sight. She seemed delighted, and that delighted him.

He and Victoria had been engaged now for almost a year, which was far too long. And he had been fighting tyranny as Zorro several years longer. Finally it seemed that he was making a difference, which was gratifying. But all this time he had been postponing his own life. Had only his own needs been at stake, he wouldn't have minded as much. But his choices affected Victoria as well, and it wasn't fair to keep her waiting indefinitely.

On the other hand, how could they share a life together? If he told her who he was and she agreed to marry Diego, wouldn't people put two and two together, given her very public affections for Zorro? Diego couldn't help smiling as he thought of that, and he wondered—should he consider revealing Zorro's identity openly? Or should they perhaps just go somewhere far away and marry there? But what if Zorro were still needed? And what about Felipe and his father? He always imagined they would be part of his life once he married. There didn't seem to be any easy answers.

"You mustn't take the weight of the world on your shoulders, Diego!" The angel Don Fernando's words echoed in his mind. He had fought a good fight over these last several years. And there were other ways to make a difference—for instance, his work on the Los Angeles Guardian. Not only that, Victoria had been true to her word and had asked him several times to help with science lessons at the mission school. The children had been fascinated with the experiments he had helped them conduct, and he had watched their confidence grow along with their knowledge of the world around them.

Had the time come to put up his sword? Zorro thought back to one of the padre's recent sermons in which he had quoted Ecclesiastes: "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven . . . a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love . . . a time of war, and a time of peace."

And the truth was, he couldn't stand living apart from Victoria any longer. Today he would talk to her about finding a way to begin their life together.

 

As she followed the creek upstream, Victoria scanned the landscape for any sign of Zorro. The trail grew steeper, and as she came around a bend, she looked up and saw a waterfall a little distance away. It took a moment, but her eye gradually registered black among the light and shadow of the trees. She waved and called out, "Hola, Señor Zorro!"

Zorro walked out into the open and returned her greeting. "Buenas dias, Señorita." Making his way down to her, he took the bridle of Victoria's horse and guided them around the trees where he'd been waiting. He tethered her horse, then reached up to help Victoria dismount. Her feet had barely touched the ground before he bent down and kissed her tenderly.

"I've missed you," he said. Victoria found his statement amusing, since she and Diego had been spending a fair amount of time together. Still, she knew what he meant. Neither of them could let their true feelings show while he was without his mask.

"I've missed you too," she said, and she meant it.

"Are you hungry?" Zorro asked her.

"Very much so," Victoria answered. "Following the clues you left for me has given me quite an appetite!"

"Then come," Zorro said. As he helped her sit down comfortably, she took in the scene around her. They were in a sheltered area almost completely ringed by trees, except on the side by the waterfall. Sunlight dappled the ground, and wildflowers grew in patches here and there. A large red and white checkered tablecloth had been spread on the ground, and on it sat a wicker basket. It was a perfect spot—serene and lovely.

"How did you find this place?" she asked him. "It's amazing!"

Zorro sat down himself and started to take the food out of the picnic basket—fresh fruit, a basket of fresh blackberries, some bread, and cheese. "I've known about it since... since I was a boy."

Had she not know his secret, she might have been tempted to ask more questions about such a clue. But she simply responded, "I've always loved waterfalls."

Zorro smiled. "Then I'm doubly glad to be sharing this place with you. In fact"—he paused for a moment—"perhaps this can be a special place for us, a place we can come often."

"I would like that," responded Victoria, taking the plate of food he handed her. They enjoyed a leisurely lunch, talking about the mission school, the latest news from her brother Ramon, and how the Alcalde actually seemed to have changed. As they talked, Victoria found herself drawn in by Diego's eyes. They were so expressive, but she wondered if she would have realized how much, were it not for the way Zorro's mask accentuated them.

At length, their lunch finished, there was a lull in the conversation. Then Zorro spoke. "Victoria"—something in his voice made her catch her breath. She looked at him and waited for him to continue. "Victoria, I promised you that some day we would have a life together. I want to make that promise a reality."

His words took her completely by surprise, and she looked at him with wide eyes. The love she saw reflected back to her left her breathless. "Are you saying...?"

"Yes. Victoria, I love you with all my heart. I want to find a way to begin our life together—truly together."

Victoria realized she had been holding her breath, and she slowly exhaled. It hardly seemed possible that the day she had been praying for for so long was finally here. Zorro reached for her hand.

"Do you feel that Zorro's work is done?" she asked.

"I truly don't know," he responded, putting his other hand to her cheek. "I just know that I don't want to live apart from you any longer."

"Yes," she said. "That is how I feel as well." She looked into his eyes, questioning. "So, what shall we do? How can we make our life together?"

It was the right question, but Zorro didn't have an answer. He gazed up at the waterfall, trying to sort out his thoughts. As he did, something caught his eye near the top of the falls. It appeared to be a single red flower, though what type he couldn't tell from this distance. Impulsively, he jumped up. "Just a moment," he said, running toward the waterfall.

"Where are you going?!" she called out, surprised.

"You'll see," he called back, as he began climbing the rocky edge of the falls.

As he got closer to the flower, the climb became steeper. The rocks here were wet with the mist from the falls, but he was surefooted and tested each step carefully until he got to the flower. Carefully he plucked it and put the stem through one of his belt loops. Then he turned to looked back at Victoria and waved at her. But doing so affected both his concentration and his balance, and Victoria watched, horrified, as his foot slipped on the wet rock and he started to fall. Without thinking, she cried out, "Diego!"

Zorro caught a branch and stopped his fall, as what she had said registered. He pulled himself to safety and then looked at her, but she was looking down. Slowly, and with more care, he made the climb down, then walked back to Victoria. She looked up at him, uncertainty in her eyes. He sat beside her and handed her the flower, and she smiled in spite of herself.

"For you, Victoria." There was a long pause. "How long have you known?"

"Please, Zorro. . . Diego. . . it was a complete accident. Do you remember the evening after Gilberto Risendo died, when I brought dinner to your hacienda?"

He nodded slowly. His eyes were bright, intense. She wasn't sure how to read him.

"When your father showed me his portrait with your mother, I saw the ring on her hand and it was exactly the same as the one you had given me." She heard Diego draw in his breath and she continued. "When Don Alejandro said it had been specially made for your mother, and there was not another one like it in the world . . ." Her voice trailed off.

Zorro looked down at his hands. "You're not angry, are you?" Victoria asked anxiously.

Zorro shook his head.

"Please, say something..."

There was a long pause. "Were you . . . " Zorro paused again. "Were you . . . disappointed?"

"Disappointed!?" exclaimed Victoria. "Oh, no! I was surprised, definitely. You fooled everyone! And discovering your identity certainly explained a lot of things—for instance, Zorro and Diego quoting the same poetry to me." She looked teasingly at Zorro, who laughed self-consicously. "But disappointed? No." Suddenly serious, she continued: "If I was disappointed in anyone, it was in myself for thinking you to be less than you are."

Victoria watched as relief filled his eyes. Bending his head low, he took both her hands in his and moved them to the back of his mask. Unsteadily, she untied the knot and lifted the mask from his head. Then, putting her hand to his face, she said, "I love you, Diego. I love you." And there beside the waterfall, she kissed him for the first time... as Diego.

 

"And then what happened, Mother?"

Victoria looked down at little Alejandro, who was curled up against her on the sofa. "Well, Zorro said a prayer for help, and then an idea came to him. He yelled out 'Ataquelo'—which tricked the dog into thinking that he, Zorro, was chasing the same prey the dog was chasing. So the dog raced past Zorro and into the night. He didn't return to the pueblo until hours later! And by that time, Lopez was safely in jail."

"Mother, do you think God really answered Zorro's prayers?"

"I know he did, son. God always hears us when we pray to him, although the answers may not always be what we expect."

Diego smiled as he listened to his wife tell their son another Zorro adventure. He sat in the chair by the fire with their young daughter asleep in his arms. He didn't really miss his alter-ego; family life was an adventure all its own. On the day he and Victoria had married, he thought he couldn't possibly be happier. But as time passed, his life with Victoria grew richer and more fulfilling, even with the inevitable challenges. In fact, had he known how fulfilling it would be to be a husband and father, he might have put up his sword and cape sooner.

"I wish I could know Zorro, Mother! He's my hero," Alejandro said. Diego and Victoria exchanged smiles.

"You can!" Victoria replied. "You can know him through the stories I'm telling you."

"Yes, but I wish I could meet him! I want to be just like him."

His son's words affected Diego in a way he couldn't quite describe. Maybe in the future he would tell his son the secret. But for now...

"One more story, mother. Please?" Alejandro pleaded.

Diego laughed. "It's your bedtime, son."

"Please?"

Diego looked at Victoria, who smiled her agreement. So he said, "Okay, one more story, and then it's off to bed for all of us." He caught Victoria's eye and winked at her. Then he settled back comfortably in his chair, still holding their sleeping daughter, as Victoria began. "Once there was a young orphan at the mission by the name of Sergio..."

 

The End

 

Afterword

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this story. Along with many New World Zorro fans, I was left hanging when the series ended suddenly. As time passed, it became clear the series would not return, so I wrote the ending I wish I could have seen :)

A word of credit is due for the idea of the way Zorro escaped from Lopez. I borrowed it from one of my favorite stories told by Parley P. Pratt, an early missionary for the restored Church of Jesus Christ (also called "LDS" or "Mormon"). In his autobiography, Parley relates how he was once arrested on "a very frivolous charge," put on trial, and locked up for the night.

In the morning, he was served breakfast and was about to be taken to prison. Parley relates, "After sitting awhile by the fire in charge of the officer, I requested to step out. I walked out into the public square accompanied by him. Said I, 'Mr. Peabody, are you good at a race?'

"'No,' said he, 'but my big bull dog is, and he has been trained to assist me in my office these several years; he will take any man down at my bidding.'

"'Well, Mr. Peabody, you compelled me to go a mile, I have gone with you two miles. You have given me an opportunity to preach, sing, and have also entertained me with lodging and breakfast. I must now go on my journey; if you are good at a race you can accompany me. I thank you for all your kindness--good day, sir.'

"I then started on my journey, while he stood amazed and not able to step one foot before the other. Seeing this, I halted, turned to him and again invited him to a race. He still stood amazed. I then renewed my exertions, and soon increased my speed to something like that of a deer. He did not awake from his astonishment sufficiently to start in pursuit till I had gained, perhaps, two hundred yards. I had already leaped a fence, and was making my way through a field to the forest on the right of the road.

"He now came hallowing after me, and shouting to his dog to seize me. The dog, being one of the largest I ever saw, came close on my footsteps with all his fury; the officer behind still in pursuit, clapping his hands and hallooing, 'stu-boy, stu-boy--take him--watch--lay hold of him, I say--down with him,' and pointing his finger in the direction I was running. The dog was fast overtaking me, and in the act of leaping upon me, when, quick as lightning, the thought struck me, to assist the officer, in sending the dog with all fury to the forest a little distance before me. I pointed my finger in that direction, clapped my hands, and shouted in imitation of the officer. The dog hastened past me with redoubled speed towards the forest; being urged by the officer and myself, and both of us running in the same direction. Gaining the forest, I soon lost sight of the officer and dog, and have not seen them since." (The Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, edited by his son Parley P. Pratt. Published by Deseret Book Company: Salt Lake City, Utah © 1938, 1985)

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