For years, I felt the story of New World Zorro was unfinished and I love reading here the story's for what could have happened. It inspired me to try something as well.

Let me start by apologizing This is my first effort for a story and English is not my first language. So please be not too harsh on me if you review. (to be honest my English teacher will never believe me ever trying this. English being always my worst subject at school).

The story is almost finished and has 4 more chapters. If some people like this first try I will put the rest online as soon as I really finish a chapter

It is just a reveal story so do not expect too much of adventure.

One more thing I do not own anything that has something to do with the TV show or characters.

You want to talk about it?

Victoria was cleaning the counter of the tavern It was a busy as always around this time of day. Just after noon people came in to have their lunch.

At his favourite spot Diego was sitting. In front of him the piece of applepie he ordered over half an hour ago and hadn't even touched.

It had been like this now for almost a fortnight. Ever since it turned out Gilberto Risendo was his brother. Everyone in the pueblo was shocked when they found out what had happened. For who would believe that a midwife would steal a baby and raise it herself only to fill the child with hate and need for revenge. Señora Risendo had claimed that she had done it out of love for the child and that Alejandro really had rejected Gilberto. While everyone who ever had met the Don knew that to be a lie.

The woman had refused to tell the truth. And was now in jail in Monterey.

Victoria sighed too much had happened these last weeks. Don Alejandro finding out he had another son only to lose him in the same hour it saddened her. Alejandro would have loved to have more children with his beloved wife. She knew that they had tried for years to receive a second child. Only for Dona Felicia to die giving birth to a daughter who had also died the very same day. It had broken Don Alejandro's hart and now it turned out that there had been a second child. Victoria wiped away a tear that ran over her cheek. Why was life so cruel for some people?

De Soto had being called to Monterey as well and left 5 days ago for killing Risendo. And then there was the question about what had happened to Zorro.

Had he been trapped at Diablo's canyon? Had he died? Mendoza had found his cape and hat so De Soto had ordered a pose to find the body but it soon turned out to be too dangerous and so no one knew what had happened to Zorro. Or he was alive or not. Had he managed to escape Risendo somehow like the fox he always claimed to be?

Victoria hoped so, she needed to know fearing the worse. Sure Zorro would have let her know in some way if he was alright. If he was alive he must have heard the rumours of his death. She sighed again so many questions as she went on waiting on customers trying not to think of her loved one she might never know what happened to him and went into the kitchen to prepare some more meals for lunch.

About an hour later Victoria had just closed the door for siesta than noticing Diego still sitting at the back of the tavern. He looked sad his mind miles and miles away as it happened now he was always even more distracted by his own mind than normal.

Victoria poured in two large glasses of lemonade putting one in front of Diego at the table seating herself next to him placing her hands on his left hand.

"You want to talk about it?"

With a slight shock he finally seemed to notice where he was and seeing her. A look of sadness was in his eyes. "I am just fine Victoria thank you." As he started to stand up.

"Diego, please do sit down." It was the look in her eyes that forced him to obey that order.

"I have always thought of you as my best friend. The one person I can tell everything without being judged. Please, let me do the same for you. Tell me what it is that is bothering you so much."

Diego did not move, not even to blink his eyes.

"It has to do with your brother, isn't it? Tell me perhaps I can help you."

Diego swallowed "yes, we have always been good friends."

"Then tell me what it is that is bothering you so much. It can not be easy finding out you had a brother all your life. A twin brother even. I still can not believe how cruel that woman must have been to do this to your family."

"It is not just...that." he hesitated." It is..." Diego looked at her. She saw something that looked likes tears in his eyes. "What if it had been me? What if Gilberto had been the one. And I..." unable to finish the sentence he left the unsaid words hanging in the air.

Victoria thought about what he was trying to say. And she thought she understood what he meant.

"You mean if you had been the one taken away by that woman?" She whispered softly

He nodded "yes, do you think I would have tried to kill father to get my revenge. I always convinced myself I could never be a murderer, but we were twins so what if...?

Victoria needed to think about this. Was this what had concerned him so much. What an awful thing to have to deal with.

"Honestly? I do not know I haven't given it any thoughts" being silent for a while for she was thinking about what to say to assure him. For she just knew he would never hurt anyone on purpose no matter what.

"You want to know what I think?As she saw a slight little nod she hesitated before starting talking not sure she was going to be able to find the right words and or it would make any sense at all.

"Diego, I have 2 brothers who are separated in age by little over a year. They were raised by the same parents in the same pueblo. Learning the same values in live.

I love them both just as much and I know the both love me as well. But still both are different like night and day.

Ramon is more like me impulsive always acting before thinking. Never thinking a first impression might be the wrong until finding out the hard way. And also never afraid to speak out load what is on his mind.

Francisco is more careful and thoughtful he would never blurt out things on his mind in the way Ramon or I do all the time. It has always been like that even when we were children. I do think that you can tell a lot about grown people by how they were as children."

She noticed how Diego was listening intense and moved on

"Why the one child likes to bully and the other despite it? Why one child seems to be in trouble all the time and the other is sitting shy in a corner. I have known you ever since we were children."

Gently she rubbed his hand with hers. "You were never able to hurt someone. Always standing up for the less fortuned never turning your back for any kind of injustice. I have always felt save with you around me. As adult, you have changed a lot I agree you are less careless and have more difficulty standing up for yourself and others but I feel in your hart you still have those values only carry them out in a different more... thoughtful way."

A grim on his face "a cowards way you mean"

"No, not as a coward. You never have been a coward. You only do things differently than people who have known you as a child expect of you. Your father wants you to carry a sword, fighting against everyone who dares to threat anybody or anything. You are not like that any more but that doesn't mean you do not stand up against injustice in other ways."

He didn't seem to believe what she was saying as she went on returning to the subject she had started with

"But we were talking about you and Gilberto so let me continue on that.

Gilberto, I do not know what he was like as child. But I do know as an adult he was just …. cruel.

He did come here for revenge on your family. But on his way to get that revenge he hurt so many people. That captain Hildalgo he was bragging about how many men he had killed? And Gilberto was proud of it to tell. Those men had brothers, sisters, parents and other loved ones.

De Soto and Mendoza had nothing to do with the affair until he made them part of it and as soon as possible he tried to execute them for no real reason whatever.

Zorro was not Risendo's enemy until he made him his enemy. So I think he was harsh and perhaps also cruel by nature. Not only by the way he was raised. He seems to me like that boy on a plaza that does kick a little dog for only crossing in his way. Or making a little girl cry just for fun."

Victoria sighed hoping she was making a point

"What would have happened if it had been the other way around...? I really do not know. But I do know two things for certain.

First of all I would not have such a close, good and best friend as you have always been to me.

And you would have acted differently than Gilberto.

Even if that woman had filled you with hate and you would have come to Los Angeles for revenge on Don Alejandro wanting to kill him First you would have demanded answers for why he acted like he did.

You would have understood Gilberto being a victim just as much as you.

You both were babies when it happened. It was not like you had any choice in the matter. Still, he wanted your death as much as your fathers. Not even wanting to get to know his own twinbrother.

You would never only wanted revenge. You would have wanted truth and answers and maybe even could have found it in your hart to be forgiving."

Not knowing what else to say Victoria went silent giving both the opportunity to think about what it was she had just all said. Minutes past when Diego started talking.

"That is nice of you to say and maybe you do have a point."

There was hesitation in his voice. He wanted to believe what Victoria told him to be true on some level. He remembered himself as a young boy. Yes he had teased her but he had never bullied. He had always taken care of sick animals once he had taken care of a dog which was injured by another boy. Maybe there was a lot to see in the character of a child reflected as they grown older. Surely Victoria had not changed much. She had always been a wonderful generous girl always willing to help people whenever she could and seeing the best in them. Also, a lot of this was to say for animals so why not for humans as well. Some stallions were never to be trusted while he could trust Toronado with his life as the horse had proved over and over again.

"I know I have, you are a terrific person Diego. Your father is very proud of you and loves you a lot."

Now Diego shook his head "You know that is not true."

"Diego, he is proud of you of everything you are and do. As I said you do help people whenever you can. Dios you are a Don, Heir of the most important man in the pueblo, family to the King himself. Still, that doesn't stop you from teaching peons to read and write. Helping them increase their crops. Giving medical aid if the doctor is not around and helping Indians with their landclaims. Name me one other caballero in the territory who does all those things, Although perhaps it would help if you didn't sleep late every morning." a small smile went up to her eyes.

"Yes it is true, you do not run around waving a sword but in the end I think a child you learn to write now is still thankful for that 50 years from now for having been able to teach his own children and grandchildren as well. Most things you do are for the long-term but that does not mean they are less important. Not everyone can be Zorro. In the end this pueblo maybe needs you even harder than it needs Zorro."

Diego looked at her amazed. He had never even dare to consider she would think something like that.

She took a sip of her drink before she went on. "Your father is only just like me..."

She did not want to say this, but she felt she needed to. "Sometimes he misses the Diego you were before you went to Spain. I do not know what happened there but I do miss that Diego to. The one that never turned his back on anything that he believed to matter what was worth fighting for. And not only the save things and turning his back from the dangerous ones."

Victoria looked at Diego who had a small shyly smile on his face.

"You better not tell anyone about this. They will never believe you." A sigh escaped him. Maybe there was some hope for the two of them after all.

"It is true Diego I have people coming in the tavern almost everyday asking or I have seen you or I know where you are because they need to ask you for something."

She looked him in the eyes. She never did that for he almost never allowed that always staring away when someone tried. He was so shy on that matter. Suddenly she felt a shiver running over her spine. She saw something that she had never seen before reflected in his eyes.

No, that was not true. She had seen it before. Twice before Diego had looked in her eyes in that kind of way. The way that made sending shivers down her spine. Making her forget the whole world around her.

All of a sudden she saw what she indeed never had seen before.

"Madre Dios you never did that, did you? You have never run away from anything. … You have always faced it head on." Putting a hand over her mouth amazed "you are Zorro!"