"Right. Now all we have to do is wait." Carefully, Diego put down the glass beker with the mixture he'd been stirring, and took out his pocket watch. "I have some errands to run in the pueblo anyway. So let's leave this till tonight and see how it turns out."

"Shall I come with you?" Felipe signed.

"To the pueblo? Thank you for offering, Felipe, but no. I just have some work to do for the next issue of The Guardian. Besides, it was awfully late last night. You better have a proper siesta."

Felipe glowered at him. "It was just as late for you. Besides, I'm not a little kid anymore."

Diego smiled despite himself. "I know, I know. But I'm afraid that deep down, you'll always be 'little Felipe' to me."

Felipe rolled his eyes, and Diego tucked away his pocket watch.

"So can I come with you?" Felipe insisted.

Diego shook his head. "Some other time, amigo. You really look like you could do with a quiet siesta."

"I'm not tired!"

"Then I'm sure you can find more fun ways to spend the afternoon than hanging around the office watching me proofread." Diego patted his shoulder. "The work I'm planning to do really doesn't require your help – I'm sorry. So you had better enjoy your afternoon off, okay?"

Felipe gave him that dark puppy-dog look that said he didn't like being left out. But Diego put his arm around his shoulders and began to lead him towards the cave's exit in the library. "Actually, if you're not tired, this might be a good time to work on your physics project. Remember what I told you the other day?"

Diego kept talking as they entered the library and continued on outside to the stables. But Felipe had tuned out. For this was what... the fourth time? The fifth? Recently, Diego had been going to town a lot for siesta. That was already odd in itself, especially after a night like this when it had been past two o'clock in the morning before he had gotten back from Zorro's exploits. For years, the siesta after such a late night had been practically sacrosanct – Zorro couldn't afford to lose his vigilance due to a severe lack of sleep. And now...?

But what really bothered him was the fact that Diego had a million excuses every time to make sure he didn't come along to town. He enjoyed going to the pueblo as much as the next young man, even if it was a sleepy pueblo at siesta time. Perhaps what Diego really wanted was to be alone; that was something he could understand. But why go to town when you want to be alone? And why didn't he simply say so?

No. Felipe had the distinct impression that Diego was keeping something from him. And after all they'd been through together – with secrets, charades, danger and stress – after all those years of being his trusted, his only confidant, it really hurt to be left out. It hurt deep to think that Diego could be keeping a secret from him.

So he silently helped Diego to saddle Esperanza, and merely raised his hand at his parting greeting.

And the very moment Diego disappeared around the corner of the hacienda, he turned around to saddle his own horse.

For a few minutes he kept watch from behind the hacienda wall. There was no doubt about it: Diego was going to the pueblo. And as soon as he was out of sight, Felipe spurred his horse on to go after him.

It wasn't far to the pueblo, and riding fast, he reached the gate within minutes. The plaza was already deserted in the burning afternoon heat, and he immediately spotted Esperanza in the shade of the town's stables. So Diego was indeed in town. Then let's find out what secret activities he was up to in The Guardian's office.

Felipe steered his mount to the stables as well, and tethered him next to Diego's. He made sure the animal had hay and water within reach, and then he crossed the plaza to go and check the tiny newspaper office. Or rather: he stealthily stole around the plaza, staying close to the buildings until he reached The Guardian's office.

What now? Just try the door and barge in? Or sneak a look through the window? The latter was more his style, so he crept to the side window and glanced inside. And raised his eyebrows in surprise – the one-room office lay deserted.

He crouched back down. Where was Diego? And why was he lying? He certainly wasn't busy proofreading as he said.

Felipe frowned. This was a serious situation. If Zorro was needed – and that was usually a situation where time was of the essence – he'd have no idea where to look for him. He could hardly go around the plaza and wake everyone from siesta to ask if Diego happened to be there.

This really merited further investigation. He'd definitely have to ask later what he'd been up to this afternoon and why he hadn't gone to the office as he had said he would. But for now all he could do was keep watch. With Esperanza in the stables and very little headstart, chances were that Diego was indeed in town. He'd have to show up again sooner or later.

Perhaps he had gone to the tavern? Despite it being closed for siesta, it was actually the only plausible alternative Felipe could think of. So he crossed the plaza again and peered through a crack in the closed shutters. He couldn't oversee the entire room from here, but the part he saw lay as quiet and deserted as the plaza. No Diego. And no Victoria. Not even a sound.

He turned back and leaned against the wall. This was a fine mess. Diego had disappeared to heaven-knows-where, and on top of that, he was lying to him, his trusted confidant of years! What the heck was going on here?!

Determined to get to the bottom of this – Diego must have a good reason to keep secrets from me, but I'd rather he'd acknowledge that need to me! – he decided to make himself comfortable on the porch of the tavern to await Diego's reappearance from wherever he'd gone. He pulled one of the wooden chairs into the shade of the balcony, and sat down on it, leaning back against the wall. From here he could oversee most of the plaza, so when Diego showed up, he'd at least have some clue as to where he could have been and what he'd been up to.

But the sun was hot. The plaza simmered. The night had been too short. And before long, and despite his struggle to keep his eyes open, Felipe was quietly snoring away.

Diego started slightly as he came around the corner of the church to cross the silent plaza to go to The Guardian's office. Was that... What was Felipe doing, dozing on the tavern's porch? Was there trouble?

He all but ran over to him and shook him awake. "Felipe! What's wrong?"

A bewildered Felipe jerked upright.

"What's wrong?" Diego urged. "Is there trouble?" If Zorro had been needed while he was with Victoria...!

But Felipe shook his head. "Where were you?" he signed nonetheless. "You weren't in the office!"

A sigh of relief. "No, I went to ask Victoria something first and... well, we got talking." His insides churned at the ease with which he was now lying even to his trusted young confidant, but he couldn't tell the boy that... He'd be horrified! Felipe's searching gaze made him even more uncomfortable, so he quickly inquired, "So why did you come looking for me? Is something the matter?"

Felipe hesitated a moment; then he shook his head. "You said I should enjoy my afternoon. And I decided I wanted to spend it with you, even if it meant watching you proofread copy for The Guardian. But you weren't there." Maybe there was nothing to it after all. Diego's explanation of ending up talking with Victoria was perfectly plausible after all. At least he wanted it to be perfectly plausible, but... "I didn't see you two in the tavern though," he added. "I looked."

Diego laughed a little – it sounded rather embarrassed to his own ears. "No, we ended up in the kitchen." The window there was so high that it was unlikely for Felipe to have taken the trouble to climb up there just to take a look. And fortunately, the boy seemed to accept the story. So he pulled him to his feet. "Come on, let's get to The Guardian's office and see if we can finally get some work done."

"Your beauty, Señorita, as always brightens our humble pueblo." With a flourish and the familiar handkiss, he took his usual hurried leave. And she watched him as he jumped up on Toronado's back, saluted the crowd and under deafening cheers made for the pueblo gate.

"After him!" the Alcalde bellowed as usual, and as usual, a number of lancers ran to get their horses and rifles to pursue the town's masked hero. To no avail as usual – by the time they reached the pueblo gate, Zorro was long gone. As usual.

And she sighed as she turned back to her tavern. This was the third time this week. The third time of Zorro coming into the pueblo to thwart the Alcalde's schemes or to deliver some bandits to jail. And invariably he sought her out in the crowd, with a smile, a few romantic words, a kiss on her hand.

But as usual, it was all going much too fast. Much too fast to even ask him to come to the tavern that evening because she needed to talk to him. And tomorrow was Wednesday! Would she be forced to cancel her... well, appointment with Don Diego? Or would Zorro finally show up at her door that night? He was just so unpredictable...!

But apparently Fate – or Zorro himself, albeit unwittingly – took pity on her, for that evening after she had locked the doors of the tavern, she found him waiting for her in her kitchen.

"Zorro!"

"Señorita," he murmured before pressing a passionate kiss on her hand. And with soft, dreamy eyes that never let go of hers, he continued, "It's been far too long since I held you in my arms..."

Victoria gulped, and absentmindedly put away a bundle of spices. "Yes. You're always in such a hurry when you come to town..." Her voice trailed off a bit. This was the perfect occasion to tell him – but what should she say? The absolute last thing she wanted was to ruin her passionate relationship with Zorro!

"I'm not in a hurry now," Zorro was saying as he took a step closer to her.

"What – no lancers aiming at your back? No Alcalde trying to run you through?" she teased.

But it sounded strained to her own ears, and obviously, Zorro heard it, too. For he cocked his head and asked, "What is wrong, Victoria? You seem... preoccupied tonight."

"Nothing!" she said in a voice that was slightly too shrill. "Nothing is wrong. It's just..."

"What?" he prompted gently as she fell silent.

She kept her eyes averted. "It's just..." A deep breath for courage. "You know that I love you, don't you."

He smiled – that bright smile of his that she loved so much. "Your love, Señorita, is the sole fuel of my existence."

She gave him a nervous grimace in return. "Yeah, well..." A sigh. "I... It's just..." Dammit, she couldn't do this! She couldn't just tell him... he'd be devastated! Or furious, or... or deeply disappointed with her... or all of the above! She couldn't endanger what they had together – their love, their future... Face it: she needed his love as much as he needed hers! But then how...?

Zorro was still watching her with that patient, loving, but mildly worried look that he seemed to reserve for her alone.

And suddenly the words came to her – a godsend perhaps? "You know I love it when you come and see me in private at night."

His smile broadened somewhat, and with a genuine smile of her own, she closed the distance between them and placed her hands on his chest. For a moment, he seemed to oddly stiffen, but then he put his arms around her waist in return.

"I love it when you come and see me at night," she repeated. "But lately... I really think it would be better – for both of us, I mean – if you limited those private visits to the kitchen."

His eyes widened a bit – he probably raised his eyebrows under the mask. "The kitchen?! Why? I thought you liked finding roses on your pillow."

"I do, but..." She rubbed his chest a little, and let one hand crawl up to the exposed skin of his neck.

He shivered, and caught her hand in his. "Querida..."

But her other hand already began to seek its way into the neckopening of his shirt. Odd idea that her experience with Don Diego would one day be the basis for her love-making with Zorro. Two such total opposites of men... For a moment, she wondered what making love with Zorro would be like. Don Diego was actually pretty amazing at it now that they had gotten over their initial awkwardness, but of course she had nothing to compare it with. And even if she was unable to imagine how, no doubt that Zorro's love-making would be far more exciting than Don Diego's!

"Victoria..." came Zorro's voice again, hoarsely interrupting her thoughts as he caught her other other hand as well and pulled them both away from his exposed neck.

Victoria forced herself to get back on track. And the next move sure wasn't difficult. "I want you," she breathed huskily, her eyes burning into his. "I know we can't – not yet – but I want you... So badly..."

He brought both her hands to his lips and kissed them. "I know," he said softly. "I know, Victoria. Nothing haunts me more than my passionate longing to make you mine – and the knowledge that there is no telling when I will finally be able to make that dream come true. We simply must restrain ourselves, no matter how difficult it may be."

"That's what I mean," she murmured. "Lately when you climb into my bedroom, all I can think of is getting you in my bed." A touch of naughty amusement flitted across his features, but she continued, "I'm afraid... I'm afraid that one of these days I won't be able to control my passion any longer. Especially in there, with my bed ready to receive you..."

Zorro pulled her close. It felt oddly familiar, as if she knew that embrace. (But of course she did – after all, this was Zorro.) "Oh querida," he was saying over her shoulder. "Fate is truly cruel to us, isn't it."

"Fate and the Alcalde," she corrected him, and she felt him chuckle against her chest.

"That's my Victoria – always the pragmatist." He let go of her and instead took her by her arms again. "So what are you saying – I should stay out of your bedroom?"

She nodded. "I really think it would be for the best. Well, for now at least," she amended quickly, eliciting another chuckle from him.

"Yes, I would hope that one day..."

"One day we will be able to give into our passion and make love on my bed till we can't see straight anymore," she promised.

His eyes lit up with that irresistible twinkle that she loved so much. "I look forward to it," he said, and kissed her hand again.

"As do I," she beamed back at him. "But until then, I think we should have our nightly rendezvous somewhere away from my bed. To avoid temptation."

"The kitchen it is then," he agreed, and took her in his arms again. "Although I'm sure I can get up to a lot of mischief here in the kitchen as well!" And with that, he cupped her face in his hands and pulled her in for a kiss so passionate, that once he let go, there simply were no words to say.

Instead, he left by the high kitchen window.

Outside, Zorro leaned against the tavern wall for a moment, carefully blending into the shadows. Good heavens, this was going to be much more difficult than he thought!

He took a couple of deep breaths, to try and calm down his racing heart, as well as some excited other parts of his body. Clearly, now that he had tasted love-making with Victoria, even a simple touch of hers could set him on fire. The problem being of course that he had to adjust to a drastic role switch. From now on, Diego was the one who had a regular outlet for their desire. And to prevent Victoria from making the connection, the previously more romantic Zorro now had to keep a tight rein on his passion to make sure that he would not go any further with her than he used to do. With the way he now reacted to her mere touch, that was likely to become the hardest part of his charade so far...

He sighed, and shook his head. What was it Confucius wrote somewhere? Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. Well, he sure was a prime example of that...

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Author's note: I apologize if that quote is misquoted – I just went looking for something suitable on the internet :-)