Lost Chances and Revelations by JuliaBC

A/N: This chapter jumps us forward to 'Zorro By Proxy', and is the last of my prompts from Kyla. Again, thank you.

Don Alejandro sat at his writing desk in the sala, laboring over the wording on a very important document. "Our children..." He murmured, trailing off and tapping his lip with the feather pen.

He heard hoofbeats outside but didn't register them, only looking up when he heard the creak of the sala door. Cresencia was letting their guest in.

He reluctantly turned, then greeted his guest. "Nacho! What brings you here?"

"Why, you do not know?" Don Ignacio Torres wore a riding cloak and an expression of panic on his face. "Diego was arrested yesterday afternoon. I rode to tell you as soon as I heard. Why, I thought I'd find you in the middle of a meeting to figure out a rescue plan. I thought I was late."

"I have heard nothing of this!" Alejandro said, staring at his friend. "What happened?"

"Late yesterday, Diego was discovered trying to rob the tavern. My friend, he was dressed as Zorro!"

The news took a minute to sink in and then Alejandro burst out laughing. "Do not be foolish, Nacho."

"These are the facts, Alejandro," Ignacio returned. "This is what happened."

Alejandro sobered. "Well, anyone can see the ridiculousness of the situation. Obviously, someone framed Diego. But who?"

"I could not say," Ignacio said. "With the discovery that Carlos Galindo was a traitor to the King, I no longer feel I can trust anyone."

"Si, si," Alejandro said. "We must go to Los Angeles. I'll saddle my horse."

"Ah ha ha ha," Teo bellowed with laughter. "I was terrified when I heard that Diego was arrested, and for being Zorro of all things! But here it is the next day, and he has been freed by the Fox."

He clapped Diego on the back, and Diego grinned, raising a glass. "I must say, this tavern seems to be your domain, Teo. I wish you hadn't sold it."

"I needed the pausa, and the pesos," Teo said cheerfully. But as he looked around the tavern, something changed in his face when he saw one of the brothers behind the counter. "I do miss it," he admitted.

"I am just glad to learn that it was simply a trap for the real Zorro," Diego said. "You know, for a moment there, I was really worried. Los Angeles has become a place that does not wait for the trial to determine guilt. Why, I could have been swinging from the hangman's noose by this time today, had Zorro not come!"

"Oh, no, Diego, that would never have happened!" Garcia said, who'd entered just in time to hear Diego's last words. "It was a trap!"

"I know, Sergeant, I was saying that I was relieved," Diego said.

"Oh, good," Garcia deflated and trudged over to where his young don friend sat. "So you are speaking to me again, Don Diego?"

"Si," Diego answered. "You were merely following orders. In fact, Sergeant, it was an ingenious plan."

"It wasn't my plan," Garcia said miserably. "And I hated doing it."

"Don't feel bad," Diego said. "Come, join Teo and me for a glass of the finest wine!"

"It feels odd to drink it with him at hand," Garcia said. "Tell me, Teo. Do you miss your days of owning this fine establishment?"

"I don't miss being the person in charge of your bill," Teo snapped back.

"You know, neither do I," Garcia mused. "The new owners are much more accepting of credit."

As they spoke, the door to the tavern banged open and Don Alejandro stood there, flanked by Don Ignacio and Don Alfredo.

"Diego!" He exclaimed. "We went to the cuartel to demand your release, but Senora Toledano said you'd been released. And by Zorro, of all people. How did this come to be?"

"Oh, father, do not worry," Diego said. "I was merely their bait for a trap. Zorro rescued me, and that proved my innocence. Senora Toledano made sure to tell me this morning that I was not wanted any longer."

Alejandro visibly wilted to see his son making the incident into such a light manner. "Diego, you were arrested!"

"I was let go," Diego said. "Besides, this fulfils my childhood dream of spending the night in a jail cell."

"It is not a fun place to be," Alejandro growled.

Teo and Garcia were already edging away. "We'll take that wine later," Garcia said, and they beat a hasty retreat. Don Alfredo followed, but Don Ignacio walked forward to sit with Diego.

"Come along, Alejandro, it is not such a heavy matter," Ignacio soothed. "It was merely a trap. Indeed, if the military had enlisted your help back in our day, can you say that you would have denied them a chance to catch a notorious outlaw?"

"Did they ask you beforehand?" Alejandro demanded. "Did you volunteer? Please, Diego, warn me next time you try to give me a nervous collapse."

"Why be so worried?" Diego said. "About me? I can take care of myself. It's just prison."

"It was the charges," Alejandro said.

"Well, everyone always knew that they could not possibly be true," Diego said, but when he met Alejandro's eyes, Alejandro saw the worry there.

I am too close to the truth. I would not be so worried if I didn't have an inkling...

"What if they were true?" Alejandro said. "Justice does not like to wait in this town. You could have been swinging from a noose by this time."

"I was just saying the same thing," Diego reflected. "But Zorro rescued me."

"How on earth is that possible?" Alejandro exclaimed, and then knew he was really in trouble. "You and Zorro...are not friends, I thought."

"Oh, he's all right," Diego said stiffly. "I can tolerate him sometimes."

"Oh..." Alejandro said, rubbing his forehead and trying to process this.

"He is safe," Ignacio said. "Now. A bottle of your finest wine," he called out to the waitress. "My treat."

A/N: This chapter is a little less Diego trying to tell, and a little more Alejandro coming too close to showing his cards, so to speak.

Yet, it could just be Ignacio's presence stopping Diego from speaking. I wouldn't know; I wrote this from Alejandro's POV.