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Chapter Text

(Episode 1: The Return of Monastario )

Salesman Dante Montalbán, tied to a wooden chair in the middle of the cuartel, let out another yelp as two of Sergeant Garcia’s men whipped him in the back, his tan shirt beginning to stain with traces of blood. Tears were beginning to sting at the corner of his eyes from the vigorous burning sensation as a result from his several whippings. But despite being on the verge of a breakdown, he never shed a tear and shivered violently as Privates Morales and Ortega got up into his face and glared at him with a venomous gaze.

“I’ll ask you one last time,” Morales hissed. “Next time it won’t be a question.”

“Where did you get this money from?” Ortega asked, with a snarl.

“I told you, I found it in an abandoned barn house outside of the pueblo. I was bringing it here to report to the Commandante,” Dante exclaimed.

“Abandoned or hidden?” Ortega asked.

“Buried away so you and the rest of Black Lobo’s men that still breathe could come back to it later and flee to Mexico, perhaps?” Morales pressed.

“I would never support that monster, I’ve told you that a thousand times now,” Dante said. He cried out in pain as Morales whipped him again. 

“You make me sick,” the private hissed. “Protecting that beast even from the grave.”

“I’m not one of Black Lobo’s men, I swear on my mother’s grave. Had I’d been able to, I would’ve killed that monster myself.” 

“Oh, you wished to have power yourself, is that what I’m getting at?”

“I don’t want power, and I don’t want any of that blood money. For God’s sake, let me go, I’m just a simple salesman.” 

“Which gives you even more motive to follow in that man’s footsteps.” 

“You realize a little girl almost lost her father because of your gang?” Ortega sneered.

“She just about died herself when she thought her father was dead.”

As the two privates continued to grill the trembling salesman, from above one of the rooftops Zorro’s little daughter silently climbed over to the side facing the courtyard and crawled over a bit before coming to a halt. She began thinking of a fight strategy as she observed the proceedings below. She reached up to straighten her father’s hat, who had given it to her to wear until he was well enough to join her again and for good luck, then focused her eyes on the two privates and the frightened man she was determined to save. 

“I heard what happened to Diego de la Vega, and I know the torture that little girl went through when she thought he was gone,” Dante remarked, sheer terror ringing in his voice. “I know the de la Vegas, I would never do anything to hurt them.”

“If you feel as bad as you do for little Carolina, then you will open that mouth of yours and tell us everything you know.” Morales snapped. “For the last time, where are the rest of Black Lobo’s men hiding?” 

“I don’t know,” Dante cried. “I just came here to report my findings to the Commandante so he could make a report. I’m not one of Black Lobo’s supporters, I’ll never support that filthy animal.” 

Morales whipped Dante again, and the salesman cried in pain as he received a sharp whack on his shoulder. 

The private gave the salesman a cold, dark stare before turning to Ortega. “Bring in the box,” he ordered. 

“Box?” Dante shivered. “ What box?” He watched as Ortega and Corporal Reyes pushed over a large wooden crate with lots of snarling and growling coming from inside it. Dante shook his head frantically, beads of sweat beginning to form on his face. He turned back to face Morales, who was watching him like an eagle ready to come in for the kill. 

“I hear you’re afraid of large dogs, Señor Montalbán ,” the private said coolly. “Attacked by one when you were a child.” 

Dante began to shake violently as a sharp chill ran throughout his body. “Where did you hear that?” He barely croaked.

“Your father was very cooperative with us when we questioned him earlier. Told us all sorts of things about you,” Morales said.

Dante shook his head, his eyes widening to the size of dinner plates. “No,” he said. “No. My father wouldn’t betray me like that.” 

“Your father doesn’t support any of Black Lobo’s men like the rest of Los Angeles,” Ortega remarked.

“Sweet little Carolina screamed and cried when she faced her greatest fear; now it’s time for you to scream and cry as you face yours ,” Morales said.

“It is only fair that you suffer the same agony you made that little girl suffer from yourself.” 

“I’ll do anything you want,” Dante said, straightening his posture. “Anything you want. Beat me, shoot me, throw me behind bars, anything but this.” 

“It’s too late,” Morales answered, with a snarl. “You had your chance to avoid all of this, now you’ll suffer the consequences of your crimes. Stealing, arson, murder, attempted murder of Diego de la Vega, emotional trauma on an innocent little girl, you’re lucky just to be avoiding the death penalty right now.” 

“Please,” Dante begged. “Please. Please . I’ll do anything, please. Don’t let those things come near me!” 

Morales gestured with his head to Ortega. “Open the box,” he said, his eyes never straying from his prisoner. 

“No,” Dante screamed, trying to pull up his tied legs to his chest as he began to cry. “No. No. No! Zorro! Zorro! Zorrrrrrrrooooooooo!”

Knowing it was time to act, Zorra grabbed the edge of the roof as she carefully climbed over, then let go and softly landed on the ground and pulled out her saber. She watched as the three soldiers turned at the sudden soft thud, and their eyes nearly fell out of their heads.

“Zorro!” Ortega exclaimed.

“That’s not Zorro,” Morales said.

“Yes, it is, it’s Zorro.” 

“No, he’s too little, look at him.” 

Zorra tilted her head to the side and gave a mischievous grin. “You might want to change that pronoun, there,” she teased.

“A girl ?!” The two privates gasped.

“My father sends his regards,” she answered. 

“Fa, fa fa fa, fa fa fa fa fa, Father?” Morales stuttered.

“Oh no,” Ortega whimpered, as he closed his eyes and turned his head to the side.

Reyes pulled out his saber without hesitation and immediately began fighting Zorro’s daughter, quickly proving to be nowhere near her and her father’s match. Soon she was shoving Reyes away and watched as the corporal fell over a bunch of crates filled with gunpowder, while the two privates began fighting Zorra. They, too, struggled to unarm the young girl, and it eventually led to Ortega tripping over a rock and falling flat on his back, leaving Morales the only man left standing. 

Zorra fought the private for a good while, but she came to defeat him, as well, and shoved him backwards before Morales screamed and fell down the well with a loud splash.

Taking advantage of the quick opportunity, Zorra sprinted to Dante’s side and sliced off his ropes to free him. 

“Grab a horse from the stables, and get out of here. Monterey, Santa Barbara, San Diego, anywhere but Los Angeles,” she told him. 

“ Sí, Señorita Zorro. Gracias ,” Dante said, with a gentle pat on the shoulder, then did as instructed and quickly rode off into the hills.

“Sergeant Garcia!” Reyes cried, getting into a sitting position. “Sergeant Garcia, it’s Zorro’s daughter. Zorro’s daughter is in the cuartel.” 

Zorra watched as the fat sergeant and several other soldiers stormed out into the courtyard and used the box of angry dogs as a diversion. She took the tip of her saber and slipped the lid off, releasing seven large, angry dogs and began chasing after the soldiers in a fury. She then took off to a corner near the gate and climbed up several stacked crate boxes, while Garcia and his men screamed and ran away from the dogs or tried to climb up something to where they couldn’t be reached.

Three soldiers tried chasing after Zorra in attempts to grab her, but as Zorro’s daughter sat on the edge of the wall, she kicked the stack of crates and watched as the boxes and soldiers all went tumbling down in a heep.

Meanwhile, Garcia and his men continued to run from the infuriated dogs, the fat sergeant himself and Reyes jumping up onto a bench and trying to bat two dogs away with the butt end of their rifles. Other soldiers tried reaching for rooftops, locking themselves into prison cells, or climbing up poles if they weren’t being chased around the compound. Some screamed, some cried for more lancers, and a few even broke into tears and begged for help.

Hearing all the commotion, Commandante Leonardo Cabrera came barging out of his quarters and walked down the steps of his porch with an agitated glare on his face. 

“Sergeant Garcia,” the captain hollered. “What in God’s green earth is going on out here?” 

As he tried to figure out what was happening in his pueblo, he failed to see a large brown dog running at him and biting the end of his pants. The dog began growling and shaking his leg violently as Cabrera tried to kick him away.

“Get this mangy mutt off of me,” Cabrera shouted. “Sergeant Garcia! Sergeant Garcia!” 

As the commandante continued to shout furiously at his head sergeant, Garcia shivered up on the bench and did all he could to pull himself away from the two dogs snarling and barking before him and Reyes.

Watching from the safety of the wall ledge, Zorra began giggling and covered her mouth with her hand as she watched for a moment longer. She then swung over to the other side and fell to the ground on her feet before making a loud whistle. Soon the friendly faces of her father’s horse, Tornado, and Bernardo appeared from the shadows, and she quickly climbed onto the horse’s back before galloping off into the night laughing with Bernardo.

Back at the de la Vega hacienda, Diego lay on the living room sofa reading a book, while Alejandro sat near the window with his son’s guitar and tried to teach himself how to play. Besides for a few chords and the short beginnings of a few simple songs, he wasn’t getting very far with his goal and became quite agitated about it quickly. When he tried to play ‘Here’s to a Soldier of the King’, he only got a couple bars in before strumming a chord that sounded like an angry bull.

“Ehyah,” Alejandro cried, with frustration. He set the guitar to the side of him and shook his head. “Stupid wooden piece of garbage. It’s completely defective.” 

Diego chuckled lightly as he set his book on the coffee table and placed his hand on his belly, which was still fairly swollen due to his healing injuries obtained by the infamous Black Lobo. “Father, you can’t blame the guitar for something it has no control of. It can not play itself, you know.” 

Alejandro scoffed. “It may not be able to play itself, but the strings are far from being up-to-date. No wonder it sounds like garbage.” He paused in his rant when he heard the slight sound of leaves rustling from outside the window. He turned to look and felt his blood pressure rise as he saw his new mule again eating from his late wife’s flower garden.

The older ranchero grabbed his bullwhip from the table and whacked the animal away from the house. “Dog gone it, Bandit, get out of there. I gotta tell you a hundred times to quit eating this garden, now get! Go back to the field where you belong.” 

“Bandit,” Diego chuckled.

“It was Carolina’s idea to name him it,” Alejandro answered, sitting back down on the couch. He shook his head. “Get a mule, they said. It’ll make ranching much easier.” He scoffed. “Well, that is certainly the last time I ever take advice from Don Pizzaro.”

“Don Pizzaro,” Diego said. “Isn’t he your friend that’s always trying to give you and your other friends love advice?”

“And look where all of his advice has left him. Four annulments, and he’s about to have a fifth one.” 

“Sounds like he should stop giving love advice to you.” 

“He should stop getting married , is what he should do. By how much they have in common, I’m beginning to think maybe he and your Uncle Esteban should marry each other.” 

Diego silently chuckled as Bernardo and Carolina came out from the living area closet and were laughing about something in particular. 

Bernardo started doing hand gestures and facial expressions displaying how Garcia and his men had run around the cuartel crying from being chased by the angry dogs. Carolina laughed in response.

“They looked like chickens with their heads cut off,” she giggled, causing the two of them to laugh again.

“Alright,” Alejandro said. “What are you two cackling about over there? I take it Zorro’s daughter had a successful night?” 

Carolina grinned with mischief. “I might have let a few dogs out of the bag tonight.” 

Diego smiled. “You mean cats , my sweet.” 

“Nope,” she answered. “Dogs. They were going to torture Señor Montalbán with his biggest fear of dogs, so after I got him out of the cuartel, I opened the crate the angry dogs were being held in and let them chase after all of Sergeant Garcia’s men while I escaped.”

Alejandro began busting out laughing and nearly bent over from how hard he was cackling. “That’s a girl, Carolina, very good, Angelita . You are becoming a fine young Zorro already.” 

Carolina turned to look down at her father and smiled. “I’ve got a good teacher,” she said. 

Diego returned the same smile and gently rubbed her arm. “And you are a remarkable student,” he told her. “You’ve picked up on quite a few things quickly these last two months. I’m excited to see you in action starting tomorrow.” 

“Action?” Carolina’s face lit up like sunshine when it came to her. “You’re go, you’ll get t, you’re gon…” 

She was cut off by Diego chuckling. “Dr. Hernandez just cleared me today. As long as he lays off heavy lifting and strenuous physical activity for a while longer, Zorro is able to ride again starting tomorrow.” 

The little teenager squealed and jumped up and down a bit, causing Diego to laugh.

“I thought you would like that good news,” he told her, getting an eager nod in response as he reached his hand up and placed it on Carolina’s cheek.

“Speaking of Zorro, I think it is way past his daughter’s bedtime,” Alejandro said, turning his gaze to his granddaughter.

“Ah, Abuelo,” Carolina groaned.

“You must get all the rest you can get if you’re going to help me with the bulls tomorrow.”

“Alright, I’m going, I’m going,” she said, and gave her grandfather and father each a hug and kiss goodnight before heading to her room and leaving the men all to themselves.

“I better get to bed myself,” Diego said, slowly rising to his feet and holding his middle. “Zorro will need all the sleep he can get if he’s going to start riding again.” 

“Indeed, he must,” Alejandro answered back.

The two men exchanged goodnights, then Diego and Bernardo walked in one direction, while Alejandro walked in the other to turn in for the night. Tomorrow would come soon and bring many surprises with it.

Chapter Text

Diego, dressed in his favorite green suit with golden embroidery sans the vest, tie, and sash, woke up the following morning without any urgent errands to run, and Carolina found that she had no morning chores to do. So while Bernardo was in the other room reading, and Alejandro was out in his ranch, Diego and Carolina snuggled up on the couch and had some father-daughter time, enjoying the peace and quiet that surrounded them.

While Carolina rested her head on her father’s chest and soaked in all his warmth, Diego held her close and gently rubbed the back of his daughter’s head as he gave it occasional kisses. He smiled down at her. 

“I missed having these while you were gone,” he told her softly.

“I missed them, too, Papa,” Carolina answered, nuzzling the side of her face into her father. “I enjoy coming home to these instead of going back to my room and hearing Mariana complain about her father not buying her something she wanted. Dresses, jewelry, perfume, scarves, shoes; God forbid it be shoes.”  

Diego chuckled as he continued to rub his daughter’s head. “I can see where that would get quite annoying,” he said. 

“Did you have any classmates that irritated you when you were in Spain?” 

“Oh, good Heavens, yes. You want me to count them all for you?” 

He beamed with joy when he heard Carolina giggle. She shook her head. “No, just the one at the very top of your list.” 

“Oh, let’s see,” Diego said, searching his mind for an adequate answer. “There was one man I recall. Enrique Tabora, he lived in the room next to mine at the university. So arrogant and completely adamant that he would be the next big thing after Beethoven. But the man could not play an instrument to save his life. I swear I lost months of sleep because of that man and his screeching viola. Your grandfather’s singing sounds better than that wretched noise.” 

Carolina giggled again. “Don’t tell Abuelo that.” 

“It’s a little too late for that, my love. I already told him that years ago. Just ask him to sing something next time you see him and watch his reaction. You’ll see just how agitated he gets.” 

“Mm mm,” Carolina said, with a shake of her head. “I’ll do anything to avoid that from happening. Making Abuelo irritated is almost as dangerous as poking a sleeping bull.” 

Diego laughed at the analogy and nodded. “Now that I can’t disagree with you on.” 

Carolina giggled more as her father gently rubbed her cheek with his finger, when she looked down at Diego’s belly and saw how swollen it still was even two months after being injured. His right hand rested over where his surgical sutures had been tied, and the traumatizing images of that night plagued her mind all over again. Finding him bleeding out to death, being told he would die without specialized care, the night where she thought she was saying ‘goodbye’ and never going to see him again. Even then it still tore her heart to shreds, and a massive wave of guilt hit her like a ton of bricks. She sniffled as burning tears came to her eyes and placed her hand over his before she started to shake and cry.

“I don’t deserve you as my papa,” she sobbed. “I deserve a mean, nasty old ranchero that whips people.” 

“Now, why would you think such a horrible thing? You deserve every good thing life has to offer.” 

“No,” Carolina cried, her father gently holding her cheek and rubbing it with his thumb. “No, I don’t. You almost died because of me, I almost killed you, had that argument never happened that night, none of that stuff would have happened with Black Lobo.” 

Diego softly shook his head and gave her an empathetic gaze. “No, my little love.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes, I could’ve done something, I could’ve done anything to prevent it had I never said those awful awful words to you.” 

“Carolina, you couldn’t have prevented any of that from happening. How were you to know Black Lobo would be Zorro’s match? Lots of things contributed to that night. It was dark, the lighting was bad, Tornado was acting up, I lost my focus on fencing…not a single reason had anything to do with you.”

“But I cursed it. I said I didn’t need you, and I cursed it into happening, I’m the worst daughter you could ever have.”

“Now, stop that,” Diego said, taking her by the arms. “Don’t you ever say such a horrible thing about yourself.”

“But it’s true, Papa…I yelled at you. I said horrible things to you when you were trying to protect me, and I cursed that night with my angry, vile words.” 

“My baby, that argument could’ve never happened, and it still wouldn’t have changed any of that from happening that night. We could’ve been laughing and singing and making jokes at each other, and Black Lobo still would’ve severely injured me in that field. You didn’t cause any of that, my little love. I made a dumb decision, and I went to fight Black Lobo alone. I should’ve taken some of Sergeant Garcia’s men with me, but I thought Zorro could do it solo. And I was wrong, and I learned my lesson by nearly losing my life.” 

“I said I didn’t need you. I said I could live without you, and I can’t, Papa. I can’t, I’ll die without you.” 

“Sweetheart, we always say nasty things when we’re angry, and unfortunately, most of the time we take that anger out on people we love most. It doesn’t mean we mean any of it. You know how many times your grandfather and I have said awful things to each other? I promise you some of the things we’ve said to each other were a lot more mean than the words you told me that night.” 

“But you’re my best friend. You’re my Papa, I love you, you didn’t deserve any of that.”

Diego gently wiped the falling tears from his daughter’s cheeks and looked at her lovingly. “I know you love me. I know that with everything inside me. I saw it that night in San Diego how much you love me, and I see it every time I look in your eyes.” He kissed her wet face and again wiped her falling tears away. “Don’t blame yourself for what happened, my sweet. Don’t blame yourself for something you had no control over.” 

Carolina sniffled and shook her head as tears continued to burn down her face. “I yelled at you. I said horrible things to you, I said all those hurtful things to my best friend, and you nearly died after all of that…and you think I won’t blame myself for that night.”

“I know you do, sweet girl. That’s why I’m telling you not to. If you want someone to blame, blame Black Lobo for what happened. He’s the one who committed the crime, he’s the one that put you through all that grief and sadness. But had it not been for you, I wouldn’t be sitting here talking to you right now.” He smiled and held his daughter’s cheek. “You were the only one brave enough and who loved me enough to risk their life to try and save mine. When the Commandante was kidnapped, who did Sergeant Garcia and his men turn to? Zorro. And when I was stabbed and given a death sentence if I didn’t get specialized medicine, who did you turn to? Yourself.” 

“I’d do it all over again if it were for you, Papa.” 

Diego smiled. “I know. And because of that, you are the reason I’m still alive. You’re the reason I get to spend many more years with you and your grandfather. You are my biggest hero, my little one. To me and to all of California.” 

“I am?” 

“Yes, you are. You are a remarkable little Zorro. You know what’s right and what’s wrong, you take a stand for others that can’t, and you’re willing to sacrifice your life to protect those you love. That is something not many people have the ability to do. Zorro’s proud of his daughter, and I’m proud to call you mine . I could never and will never ask for another child better than you. It isn’t possible. Besides, I’ve got an interesting looking scar now to boast about to the other caballeros.” 

He felt his heart lighten with joy when he heard his daughter give a short giggle.

“Is that what all the caballeros talk about these days?” She asked.

“Well, that and how to impress women by lassoing and taming a wild bull.” 

Carolina scrunched her nose up and sniffled. “And you thought me being Zorro’s daughter was stupid,” she finally said.

Diego silently laughed and shook his head. “Alright, you got me on that one,” he chuckled, then rubbed her head tenderly. “You feel better now?” 

A small grin came to Carolina’s tear stained face as she nodded and lay her head back down on her father’s chest. She felt Diego’s hand hold her head in place followed by a gentle kiss on her forehead, and she smiled with content. 

“I love you, Papa,” she whimpered. “How do you always know what to say or do so I’m not scared or sad anymore?” 

Diego smiled as he continued to rub the back of his daughter’s head. “It’s my job. And one I take very seriously.” 

There was a brief moment of silence as Carolina absorbed her father’s warmth and blanket of love before she said his name. “Papa?” 

“What is it, my sweet?” He asked.

“Can you sing me my song? I always feel better when you sing it to me.” 

Diego looked down at his daughter lovingly. “Of course , I will.” 

Carolina gave a small smile and closed her eyes as she nuzzled her face into her father, and Diego gave her a gentle kiss on the head and continued to rub it as he started singing.

Diego and Carolina lay on the couch for another hour just snuggling, Diego occasionally asking his daughter if she was feeling better if they weren’t talking about something in particular. She eventually asked if they could dance with each other if it was slow. That it had been one of the many things she feared that she’d never get to do with him again after he nearly died. She was very pleased when her father said he’d love to and found one of the servants to play the piano for them as they danced.

It was nothing more but Diego swaying his daughter from side to side as he held her close, but it was absolute heaven to the little de la Vega. Carolina rested her head on her father’s chest and closed her eyes as she soaked in her father’s warm love and the calming swaying motion that flowed well with the music being played. 

Every once and a while Carolina would look up at her father and find him smiling down at her before returning the same expression and resting her head on his chest again. It only made her smile more when Diego started rubbing the back of her head and softly kissing the top of it every so often. Such simple little gestures, but it made the father-daughter duo feel like they were in their own little world of paradise. Nothing but each other and the sound of beautiful music surrounding them. 

As they continued dancing, Alejandro walked into the living area to get Carolina to help him with his bulls, but came to a halt when he saw the sight before him and beamed like sunshine. He hadn’t seen Diego dance with his little girl since everything that happened with Black Lobo, and it filled his heart with joy seeing them happy and together again. Diego gently kissing his daughter’s forehead as he swayed her from side to side, Carolina with her eyes closed and happily resting in her father’s arms, the old rancher was determined to keep the scene undisturbed for as long as possible.

Soon Bernardo came into the living area and tried to get Diego’s attention, when Alejandro grabbed a hold of him and shook his head. Bernardo made a few hand gestures, but Alejandro held his finger to his mouth and pointed in his son’s direction. When the little man saw Diego and Carolina having a special father-daughter moment, it then dawned on him, and he smiled as they watched the duo finish their recent dance. 

Diego and Carolina leaned their foreheads together as the servant finished the last bar and nuzzled their noses together before Diego kissed his daughter’s, and they again embraced each other. The younger de la Vega lifted his gaze from Carolina and smiled a bit more when he saw his father and good friend standing across from him, while the servant rose to his feet and left the family to themselves. 

“Father,” he said. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

“I didn’t want you to,” Alejandro answered, with a grin. “I want you two to have all the father-daughter time you desire without any interruptions. You two were apart from each other for too long, you shouldn’t be separated for a minute more.” 

Diego held Carolina’s face to his chest and rubbed the back of her head again as he turned his gaze to her. “Carolina was feeling guilty again about what happened the night I was injured. I thought some dancing would cheer her up after we had a long talk about how she was the hero instead of the offender.” 

“That’s right,” Alejandro said, with a nod. He turned to Carolina. “ Angelita , had it not been for you, we wouldn’t have your father standing here with us right now. Yes, you argued with your father that night, but what parent and child don’t from time to time? You know how many times your father and I have been at each other's throats, I can’t even count them anymore.” 

“But that didn’t mean we didn’t love each other anymore. We always forgave each other at the end of the day and knew what we said earlier wasn’t true. Yes, some of the things you said that night hurt my feelings, but I still knew you loved and needed me. And I felt it when you promised me Zorro would get justice before going out looking for Black Lobo.”

A small smile came to Carolina’s face as her father continued to brush her hair back with his hand, unshed tears coming to her eyes. “You heard me,” she croaked. “You heard me when I was talking to you.” 

“Every word. And it made me fight like hell to come back to you. You saved my life, my sweet baby. Before and after taking that madman down. I will never be grateful to anyone more than I am to you. Your love kept me alive. And that is something no argument will ever take control over.” 

Carolina’s face brightened as a couple tears streamed down her cheeks and rested her head back on Diego’s chest as she carefully wrapped her arms around her father’s belly. Diego smiled in return and held his baby close to him as he softly kissed the top of her head and put it to where she could hear his heartbeat. 

“Unless it’s about you going off to business school instead of following in your father’s footsteps,” Alejandro grumbled to himself.

“Or destroying my dream of becoming a matador,” Diego muttered back. 

“Oh Diego, it was twenty years ago, let it go already.” 

“And it’ll be another twenty years before my childhood self is able to move on from that trauma.” 

The older de la Vega let out a frustrated sigh and shook his head, while Carolina softly giggled at the usual banter between her father and grandfather. “Speaking of bulls, I need you to go into town and buy me a new bullwhip. The one I have is beginning to unravel itself and will soon become ineffective in my bull training.” 

“Yes, Father,” Diego said, with a nod. He looked down at Carolina, who was still in her father’s arms, and a smile returned to his face. “How would you like to go into town with me? We can make a whole day out of it.” 

“Oh Papa, I’d love to,” Carolina said, a long frown growing on her face. “But I already said I would help Abuelo with the bulls today.” 

“I think Bernardo would be willing to take your place for today, wouldn’t you, Bernardo,” Alejandro said, turning to the short man.

Bernardo nodded, then did a double take and pointed at himself with a worried expression. When he saw the rancher nod, Bernardo shook his head promptly, while Carolina’s face lit up like sunshine. 

“Really?” She asked hopefully.

“Surely you aren’t afraid of bulls, Bernardo,” Alejandro said.

Bernardo nodded with a frantic expression plastered to his face. He then imitated a matador and a bull shortly before being followed by an angry face and slicing his neck with his finger while making a cracking noise with his throat.

“Ahck, don’t be ridiculous, Bernardo,” Alejandro remarked. “Bulls won’t break your neck…Not unless you make them angry, that is.” 

The mute man’s face drained even further of color as his eyes nearly fell out of his head. He turned to Carolina and began shaking his head furiously and begging her to stay and handle the bulls herself. He was deeply disappointed when he saw the littlest de la Vega shake her head.

“Mm mm,” she said. “I’m not giving up spending time with Papa for anything.” 

“Come along, Bernardo,” Alejandro said, starting to walk out to the backdoor. “If Lorenzo’s in a mood, it could take hours to get all of the bulls out for exercise and grazing.” 

Just the mentioning of Alejandro’s meanest bull sent chills down Bernardo’s spine. He made a loud gulp and turned to Diego with eyes filled with terror. He only received nodding in return before Diego gestured with his head to the backdoor. 

“Go on, Bernardo,” he said. “You know how Father is if you keep him waiting.” 

The faint sound of Alejandro yelling at one of his bulls shortly followed by a loud whip sound and bull roar made Bernardo shudder at what he expected to lie ahead of him for the day. He turned to Diego for one last attempt in changing his mind, but immediately knew his efforts would be pointless. He let out a deep sigh and soberly put on his black hat before sulking out of the living room filled with dread.

Once their friend was out of sight, Diego and Carolina turned to each other, Diego gently running his fingers through his daughter’s hair. 

“Is Bernardo truly afraid of bulls, or is he just trying to get out of doing ranching chores?” Carolina asked, out of curiosity.

“Well,” Diego began. “I’ll put it this way. When Bernardo and I were over in Spain, we went to a matador show with some of my classmates and…well, let’s just say Bernardo got a little too close to the railing and became a part of the show himself.”

“He got stuck on the bull?” Carolina gasped. “Was he okay?” 

“Oh yes, he was fine. A few bruises here and there, but he was better in a few days. As for his liking for bulls, I think that died along with the flag the bull ripped away from the matador.” 

“And you? Did that incident make the official end to your matador career?” 

Diego checked his surroundings to make sure his father wasn’t in hearing reach and leaned his head over slightly to his daughter. “My little sweet, I’ve been over that way before you were even born. I just like to give your grandfather grief about it from time to time for fun. But that’s just between you and me,” he said softly. He grinned when he heard Carolina giggle.

“Papa, you’re silly,” she said.

The man shrugged his shoulders. “Keeps my life interesting that way.” He smiled back at Carolina and gave her a kiss on the side of her head before taking her into his arms. “Come on, my little love bug. Let’s go get that new bullwhip before your grandfather decides to use it on me .” 

Chapter Text

It was as if the sunshine had spread through the entire pueblo as Diego and Carolina rode into town. People were laughing and dancing, musicians sang upbeat melodies as they played their guitars and were accompanied by other instruments. Even some of Cabrera’s men were singing and dancing instead of patrolling the streets. 

Once Diego carefully stepped down from the horse, he straightened his hat, helped ease his daughter onto the ground, and took her into his arms for a moment. He beamed with joy when he felt Carolina snuggle up against him and gave her a kiss on the head before they started walking over to several of the shopping stands. And as they enjoyed their little stroll through town, about every three seconds someone either smiled and waved at the duo, or a man would grin and tilt his hat before going on his merry way. Even a four-man choir of army officers greeted the de la Vegas with a song, a pink flower for Carolina, and a courteous and well-choreographed bow at the end of their musical number.

After about ten people, Diego lightly chuckled and looked down at Carolina. “Looks like you’ve made many new friends during my absence,” he said.

Carolina shook her head. “No, they’re happy to see you out and about again. The only ones I really socialize with are Sergeant Garcia, the Commandante, and Dr. Hernandez…and this strange lady always trying to tell me fortunes from time to time.” 

Diego silently laughed. “I think I’ve got an idea of who you’re talking about.” 

The father-daughter duo finally reached their desired stand, and while Diego greeted the new stand worker, Carolina scanned the table for a bullwhip fine enough for her grandfather. She grinned when she found one with blue ribbons at the top of the whip and picked it up in her hands.

“This one’s pretty,” she said. “You think Abuelo would like this one?” 

Her father looked over at her and laughed. “I don’t think your grandfather has too high of standards when it comes to bullwhips.” 

“But it’s so colorful and much more appealing.” 

“Carolina, my sweet, bullwhips are not designed to be used as decoration. Their sole purpose is to keep a bull from acting up on you.” 

Carolina frowned. “I want Abuelo to have something pretty to look at, though, when he uses it. Especially when he’s trying to tame an ugly, mean bull.” 

Diego chuckled and shook his head. “You pick whichever whip you think your grandfather deserves most.” 

The little teen returned her gaze to the table and scanned over every option before her. She finally settled on a black one with a thin wire and red and yellow ribbons tied at the top.

“This one, Papa,” she said, turning to him. “It’s got Spain’s flag colors on it, and Abuelo’s very patriotic.” 

“Indeed, he is,” Diego said. “Alright, that one it is.” He dug into his pocket for the correct amount of money and handed it over as he briefly turned his gaze to his left. He made a quick double take when he saw a familiar man walking by hundreds of feet away from him. A tall, slender man with thick black hair and a bushy goatee, wearing the same uniform as Cabrera did. 

Just as quickly as he appeared, he was gone within the blink of an eye, and it left Diego wondering if it had really been who he thought it was or nothing more than a hallucination. So lost in his thoughts, he momentarily failed to notice his daughter’s worried expression and the slight shaking of his arm.

“Papa?” Carolina asked. “Papa.” 

The handsome de la Vega shook his head and made his gaze to his daughter.

“Are you okay? You’re not in any pain, are you?” 

Diego gave her a warm smile and took her into his arms before giving a gentle kiss on the forehead. “Not at all,” he told her. “I hardly notice a thing when I’m with you.” He held her for a while longer and caressed the back of her head before they walked away and headed for the hat stand, where Diego considered buying a new cordovan from.

They were about halfway over, when they paused in their step and saw a jolly Sergeant Garcia making his way over. The sight of his best friend out of the house and walking around again made him shine as much as the sunlight did.

“Don Diego, mi amigo ,” he cried, with glee. “You are out and about again, it’s so good to see you.” 

“ Gracias , Sergeant,” Diego said, with a bashful smile. “Believe me, I’m probably more happier to be out of that hacienda than you are.” 

“Oh, you look wonderful, Don Diego. You can barely tell you were ever sick.”

Diego smirked. “Tell that to this fat belly of mine,” he answered, gently patting his middle.

“It will go away with time, Don Diego, do not worry about that.” Garcia’s smile widened when he saw Carolina wrapped in her father’s arms and resting her head on the side of his chest. “Carolina, my little friend, and how are you doing today?” 

The only response he got from the girl was a grin and a little nodding, while Diego gently rubbed the top of her head.

The sergeant turned his gaze back to the caballero. “I do not understand it, Don Diego,” he said. “It’s been two months since we first met, and I still can hardly get a single word out of her.” 

“Give her time, Sergeant, she’ll talk when she has something to say. Carolina’s more of a listener than a talker.” 

“But when does she have something to say? She talks to you all the time, you never have any trouble in getting her to speak.” 

Diego chuckled. “I’m her father, Sergeant, that’s a very big difference relationship wise.” 

As the two men continued to converse, the faint sound of upbeat music and three women singing reached Carolina’s ears. She lit up like a Christmas tree as she immediately recognized the voices’ owners and began to sway her head side to side, when Garcia caught her movement from the corner of his eye. He smiled at her.

“You hear the Montoya Sisters singing from the tavern, don’t you.” 

“The Montoya Sisters,” Diego remarked. “I don’t believe I’ve ever heard of them.” 

“Oh, they are wonderful, Don Diego. They moved all the way down here from San Francisco a little over a month ago. You must see them sing at least one song.”

“I don’t suppose one song could hurt. Lead the way, Sergeant.” 

As he followed his daughter and Garcia into the tavern/inn, Diego cautiously looked around at his surroundings for a moment, hoping to not find anything suspicious. Though his alarm was ringing furiously, he could find nothing out of place. He eventually shook his head and briefly lifted his fingers to the side of his head to massage his temples. He shoved his worries to the back of his mind and walked with his daughter inside the building.

Both de la Vegas were greeted to a packed tavern and three beautiful young women singing and dancing in front of the fireplace, only one of them with their hair down. All three of them wore white shirts with long black skirts that had green, white, and red stripes going around the bottom. Any young man would’ve been lucky to swoon one of them over.

While Diego smiled and watched their performance, he felt his daughter swaying her head again and briefly looked down at her lovingly. He held her close and gently rubbed her head as he returned his gaze to the three sisters singing, a little Mariachi band playing accompaniment off to the side. 

When they finished their number, the Montoya Sisters were met with their usual standing ovation and thunderous applause from the audience. Several rancheros threw money at them for their performance, while the sisters turned to Carolina and gave their littlest fan a few waves, the middle one blowing her a couple kisses. 

Diego’s daughter grinned back at her growing acquaintances, while Diego did a double take and again saw the man he saw earlier walking out back of the tavern. The man who was very familiar to him, but he again vanished when Diego blinked his eyes. 

The young de la Vega again shook his head and rubbed his suddenly tired eyes as he desperately tried to figure out what was going on with him. He again put his fingers up to the side of his head, when he felt someone gently shake his arm. Diego looked down and again saw his daughter looking at him with a concerned gaze.

“Papa, what’s wrong?” Carolina asked. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Diego smiled and gently placed his hand on Carolina’s cheek, rubbing it with his thumb. “I’m just fine,” he promised. “Don’t worry about me, my little love, I will let you know if I start feeling ill.” 

“Why do you keep acting like you have a headache, then?” She wondered curiously. 

“Oh, I just thought I saw something, that was all. I think my eyes are getting tired and starting to see things that aren’t there.”

“What kind of things?” 

Diego kissed her face and brought her close to him, placing her head against his chest. “Don’t worry, my little one,” he told her kindly. “It was a ridiculous idea to begin with.” 

“Are you sure? Last time you said that it led to our argument and-” she was cut off by her father shaking his head.

“We’re not going to think about that night anymore, remember? It’s all gone and thrown behind us. We can focus on making new memories and forgetting the ugly ones.” 

Carolina gazed up at her father with a loving expression and nodded her head as she closed her eyes and rested her head against his chest. She felt every ounce of stress and anxiety evaporate from her body when she heard her father’s steady heartbeat and felt him gently kiss her head. 

The two enjoyed their embrace for a long moment, then Diego kissed his daughter’s forehead again and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, while Carolina wrapped hers around her father’s waist.

“Come on, my sweet,” Diego said. “Let’s go take a look at those hats, then head on back to the hacienda. I’m beginning to feel tired and wouldn’t mind some more snuggles with you.” 

Carolina smiled. “I won’t complain about that ,” she answered, earning another kiss on the forehead before walking out of the tavern and back into the compound. 

Diego and Carolina started their path towards the hat stand, when Diego stopped dead in his tracks and felt his eyes widen as he again saw the familiar man just hundreds of feet away from him. Except this time, the man did not vanish from sight. A man he thought he had done away with for a long while now. A man he prayed he would never meet again. Yet there he was, walking and strolling around Los Angeles like nothing ever happened. There right before his eyes was the man that started it all. The man who brought Zorro into reality. There in front of him stood Captain Enrique Sánchez Monastario, a free man again.

Noticing the change in her father’s demeanor, Carolina looked up at Diego and felt an eerie chill run throughout her body when he saw the color draining from his face. “Papa?” She asked, worried. “Papa? Papa.” 

Diego could only shake his head, his eyes never straying from the sight of his arch nemesis. “It can’t be,” he said, to himself. “It’s not possible. He was sent back to Spain to be put into prison.”

“Papa,” he finally heard his daughter wail. Diego shook off the cobwebs in his brain and looked down at Carolina, who looked like she was terrified that he was about to drop dead. He took her into his arms and held her close, gently rubbing the back of her head from comfort.

“I’m alright, my sweet,” he promised her. “I’m alright, I just…” Diego shook his head again as he looked back up ahead of him and saw Monastario with another officer and a patron, all three of them laughing like old friends. “I just can’t believe what my eyes are seeing.”

“What do you see?” Carolina asked him curiously.

She watched her father gesture with his head in the captain’s direction. “You see that tall man over there in the military uniform? The one with the dark facial hair?” 

Carolina nodded her head.

“That’s Capitán Monastario . The commandante I told you about in my letters.” 

His daughter’s face paled a bit as her eyes enlarged to the size of saucers. “The one with the scary blue eyes?” She quivered.

“ Sì , my little love. The one with the scary blue eyes.” 

“I thought you said he was in prison.” 

“I did think he was in prison. Until now, that is.” 

Carolina nuzzled up to her father’s side as much as she could, being cautious of not pressing on his healing surgical scars. She bowed her head slightly and buried her face into the top of his belly before she started shivering. Her anxiety and growing fear faded a bit when she felt Diego’s warm arms around her and gently kissed the top of her head before rubbing the back of it.

“It’s alright, my little sweet,” he told her softly. “I won’t let him hurt you.” 

“He, he just, he,” Carolina gulped as she turned her gaze back to the captain. “He looks a lot scarier in person, than I thought he would.” 

“He’s a mean man, for sure. But one you do not need to fear with me around.” Diego kissed his daughter’s head again and hugged her as close to him as possible. “Keep your eyes down, and stay as quiet as possible. If we’re lucky, he won’t notice us.” 

Carolina nodded again, then she and her father began their walk back to their horse, doing all they could to stay as silent and invisible as possible. They were about halfway there, when their luck ran out, and Monastario caught sight of them. 

“De la Vega,” he said, in a friendly tone. 

Diego internally cursed himself.

“Papa,” Carolina barely squeaked.

“Stay quiet, my baby. Let me handle him.” He gave his daughter another kiss on the head before they turned around and watched as a smiling Monastario walked towards them, another man in a military uniform following closely from behind. Much younger than the captain himself was. 

“Diego de la Vega,” Monastario said courteously. “It is good to see you again.” 

Diego replied with a short nod. “ Capitán . I see they let you out of prison.” 

“On the grounds of good behavior, my friend,” he answered. “I heard you’ve been ill for quite some time now. I can hardly notice a thing just looking at you.” 

“I had very good medical care to thank for that. But why would you care? I would think me on the verge of death would flatter you.” 

“Oh, de la Vega, quite the contrary. I am a changed man now. I have put all that selfishness and narcissism to rest. Prison has a way of opening your eyes, you know. When I was locked away in that dark cell, I finally woke up and saw the true matters in life. Friendship, peace, contributing to the greater good of society, it was almost a refreshing revelation. I feel like I was brought back to life again.” 

“You realized all of that just by being in prison?”

“Being behind bars, you start to look back on things in your past. Mistakes and deeds that you wish you could go back and stop yourself from ever committing to begin with. I wish to lead a new and prosperous life by helping others in the community I consider my home. All I can do now is apologize to those I have hurt in the past and make up for all of my wrongdoings while I was here as commandante.” 

Diego raised his eyebrow with skepticism, but played along with Monastario’s proclamation and kept his queries to himself. “It is very impressive to hear that from you, Capitán , but I have no idea what you could do here for a living when we already have another commandante in command. One that is very well respected and appreciated, might I add.” 

“But that is the best part, de la Vega; the high command has allowed me to come back to Los Angeles and work under Commandante Cabrera’s leadership as his adjutant. Oh sure, it will not be the same as leading the pueblo myself, but I think this is a good start in the right direction for me to redeem myself with the people. And I have my right hand man, Teniente Horacio Blanco , here to help me should I come across any trouble.” 

“I hope the Commandante was notified of this order?” 

“De la Vega, I told you, I am a changed man. All the lies and trickery, that is all left behind me in the dust now. I can assure you that Commandante Cabrera is aware of my return and has given me a chance to prove myself worthy of the people’s respect. I only hope that I can do as much good for Los Angeles as he has done so far during his command here.” 

“Very noble of you, Capitán . I am intrigued to see how things will go with two capitáns in command instead of one.” 

“Indeed.” It was then Monastario finally took notice of Carolina, and his grin brightened as he bent down a bit to be at her eye level. “And who is this pretty, little señorita ? Surely, she is too young for marriage.” 

“This is my daughter, Carolina.” 

Monastario went to take a respectful bow and give a courteous greeting, when he did a double take and turned to Diego with wide eyes. “ Daughter ?” He gasped. “You have children, de la Vega?” 

“Just my Carolina,” Diego said, gently rubbing his daughter’s head for comfort. “She’s all I need.” 

“I was not aware you were a father, de la Vega. How come I only hear of her now?” 

“She was away at school in San Diego during your command here. I couldn’t bear to think of her without my heart breaking, so my father suggested I go back to the university in Spain and take my mind off of my grief. I was completely lost without her, and even after I returned to California it still pained me just to hear her name.” Diego looked down at Carolina and smiled lovingly. “She’s the love of my life.” 

“Of course, she is. The love you have for her is quite evident by the look in your eyes. I am glad you are very close with her,” Monastario said, a smile returning to his face. He looked back to Carolina and gave a short bow. “ Señorita Carolina , I am Capitán Enrique Sánchez Monastario . A pleasure to meet you, little lady.” 

Carolina gave the man no response other than stare back at him with a frightful gaze. She began to shiver violently, and her teeth chattered as if Monastario’s eyes made her cold to the bone. She latched onto her father tighter as a sharp, eerie chill rolled throughout her body. 

As Diego brought her close and gently rubbed her head, the captain looked on with concern. “Are you feeling alright, little one?” He asked her kindly. “Surely, you can not be freezing on such a beautiful day.” 

Again, he received no answer. Just a bunch of chattering teeth and a shaking body in response. 

Diego held his daughter’s head to his chest and gave it a kiss before turning back to Monastario. “Be easy with her, Capitán . She’s very shy and afraid of strangers,” he told him. 

“It is completely understandable. With everything going on these days, it’s sometimes impossible to tell who to trust.” 

“I, uh, I hate to cut our talk short, Capitán , but I think it’s time Carolina and I returned home now. I still tire out fairly easily, and I think I’ve had all the excitement I can handle for one day.” 

“Certainly, de la Vega,” Monastario said, with a nod. “Do not risk your health for my sake. It has been very pleasant to catch up with you. I hope to see you and your daughter again around here very soon. And tell your father I say ‘hello’.” 

“I will be sure to tell him, Capitán .” 

Monastario gave a salute to both de la Vegas, then turned on his boot and walked away with Blanco at his side, leaving the father-daughter duo again to themselves. 

Carolina shook her head. “I don’t like him, Papa,” she said softly. “He scares me.” 

Diego petted her head to ease her nerves. “You have nothing to fear with that man when I’m around.” He looked back in the direction Monastario had gone off in with a skeptical gaze. “It just doesn’t make sense to me. Monastario gone good, after all the things he has done to hurt people. It just doesn’t quite add up.”

“Papa, Abuelo’s going to be madder than a bull when he finds out about this.” 

Diego let out a heavy sigh and nodded. “I can hear him yelling already.” 

“What do we do, Papa?” 

“First, we go back to the hacienda. I think I need a good nap before I figure out how to explain all of this to your grandfather. We’ll go from there by ear.” 

“Can you take one for me, while you’re at it?” 

Diego silently laughed at the remark and kissed his Carolina’s forehead before wrapping his arm around her and escorting her back to their horse. 

Chapter Text

Monastario stormed into his quarters, Blanco following from not too far behind, and slammed the door shut before taking his saber and whacking a tea kettle off of his desk. It landed on the ground with a loud shatter as Monastario grabbed his hat and threw it down at his feet. 

“A daughter,” he hissed. “A daughter , I can not believe it!” 

“What is so wrong with Diego de la Vega having a child?” Blanco asked curiously. 

“Don’t you understand, de la Vega being a father, he has someone to carry on Zorro for him after his time. Zorro will never die, then.”

“ That little girl be another Zorro?” Blanco remarked. “ Capitán , that little girl is as harmless as can be. You saw the way she shivered under your stare, there’s no possible way she would one day follow in her father’s footsteps.” 

“And no one believes de la Vega is Zorro because of his mild-mannerisms and love for the fine arts. It’s an act, Blanco, it’s nothing more than an act to fool the people of Los Angeles. Underneath that spineless weakling of a man is a cold blooded killer. An outlaw who wishes to bring destruction and disarray to this community and military ruling. Well, I’m not letting him get away with it, not again. He humiliated me once before, now it’ll be him that pays the price.” 

“Well, what do you exactly plan on doing, Capitán ? I’ve only heard of Zorro in passing, but from what I understand he’s a friend of the people. A hero, to some. How will you get rid of Zorro when he has an entire community protecting him from the enemy?”

“I will find a way. Mark my words, Blanco, I will find a way. It is the very reason I came back to Los Angeles. To finally kill de la Vega, put an end to Señor Zorro , and regain command of my post. But in order to do so, I must make myself appear as a friend of the people. Someone to protect them. Someone to help them in times of need. Someone to save them from all sorts of evil. Once I have them in my hands, I shall set my trap and again be the commandante of Los Angeles.” 

“And how do you plan on doing that, Capitán ? I in no way underestimate your capabilities or anything, but surely it will not happen overnight. Half of this community must still remember your reign of terror in the previous year, they will not become your friends that easily.”

“Then I will just have to show them that I am their friend. The new and rejuvenated Capitán Monastario is all about spreading joy and good-cheer amongst the people. Every evil I see poses a threat to the community will be driven out by my effervescence and sense of justice. As far as they’re concerned, the old Monastario is as good as dead. Just like Diego de la Vega will be once I have finished with him.” A sly grin came to his face as he began to rub his hands together. “And I think getting to know his precious little girl better is the perfect starting point.”

Alejandro banged his fist onto the table in response to the news his son had to bear, his blood boiling as his temper skyrocketed. Diego had already had to step in once and calm his father down after hearing him bellow a few dozen cusses in Spanish and covering his sweet daughter’s ears from the vulgarity. He now feared he would have to intervene a second time soon.

“An outrage,” Alejandro spat. “An outrage, an absolute outrage, I can not understand it!” He finished by slamming one of Diego’s books on the ground, causing Carolina to shutter and bury her face into her father’s belly. “Released on the grounds of good behavior, what idiot gave that order?!” 

“Father,” Diego warned, feeling his daughter shaking in his arms.

“This is a crime against humanity. A crime against everything good and fair in the world, and they let that beast of a man go free and back to his corrupt ways!” 

“Father, your temper.” 

“What is wrong with this world we live in?” Alejandro slammed a glass dish down with a loud shatter as he continued ranting and raving. “ Capitán Monastario , out of all people, why would anyone let that monster go back on the streets and cause havoc on the community? It’s a disgrace!” He whipped one of Diego’s books with his new bullwhip in a fit of fury, then shattered three crystal glasses with it before Diego finally had had enough.

“Father,” he barked.

Alejandro seemed to snap out of his trance as he watched his son gesture his head down to Carolina, who by now was shaking violently and had tears streaming down her face from all the hollering and yelling. Diego gently rubbed her head and hushed her as he gave her a soft kiss and held her close to be her warm and comforting blanket of security.

After seeing his beloved granddaughter in so much distress, Alejandro let his muscles relax and let out a heavy sigh as he shook his head. “I’m sorry, Angelita ,” he told her sincerely. “I did not mean to lose it like that in front of you…” He shook his head again. “I just can not understand it.” 

“Believe me, Father, I dislike this situation just as much as you do,” Diego said. 

Alejandro scoffed. “Released on good behavior my horse’s stable. He paid someone to let him be released, that is the only explanation I can think of. No one in their right mind would allow Monastario to go free. Now he is back in Los Angeles and going to undo everything Commandante Cabrera has done for this city. I can not allow that.” 

“Father, even if I were to agree with you, and I do, we still have no proof that those are his true intentions returning to California.” 

“Then we will find some. I will not sit back and do nothing like the rest of the pueblo. I’ll leave no stone unturned, I will not rest until Monastario is back behind bars where he belongs.”

“He claims to be a changed man.” 

“Ha! Changed man, you say. He has changed just as much as a rabid animal would. The fact he is trying to convince everyone of that idea is almost laughable.” 

“Abuelo,” Carolina said softly, still holding onto her father tight. “I don’t mean to sound like I’m defending him or anything, but…is it possible that maybe Capitán Monastario really is a changed man?” 

“Never,” the rancher remarked. “There are two types of men in this world, Carolina; men that are able to see right from wrong and learn from their mistakes, and the men that are so blinded by evil they are completely incapable of changing their actions. Capitán Monastario is one of those men.” 

“But until we have reasonable suspicions or observe any unusual behavior from Monastario, I’m afraid there is nothing we can do, Father. Not even Zorro can do anything about it right now,” Diego logicized.

“Diego, there must be something we can do, anything at all. We can not just sit here and let that man walk around free in the streets when we know what he’s capable of.” 

Diego put his arms behind his back and began to pace throughout the living area, his mind racing for a possible solution. They may have had no proof of Monastario still being the crooked and corrupt man that he was before, but his father was right. They could not just sit there and wait for some awful event to occur to show the captain was still up to his evil antics. They had to take some sort of action and now if they wanted to prevent Los Angeles from suffering under another tyranny. If Monastario regained power, it would be near impossible to get him out of it a second time.

A light flickered on in the younger man’s mind and raised an eyebrow as he turned to face his father and daughter. 

“Zorro may not be able to take any action right now, but that doesn’t mean he can’t do a little eavesdropping and spying on Monastario.”

“That is very true,” Alejandro said, with a nod. 

“We must keep our eyes and ears open, now. Watch or listen for any abnormality even in the slightest bit. Body language, choice of words, the people Monastario interacts with and where he goes during the day, that alone could be enough to knock out Monastario before something dire happens.” 

“But how will Zorro pull it off? It’ll be extremely dangerous for him to try and get close to that man. One slip up, and he will be on you in a minute’s notice. Zorro will be unmasked, and you will be killed without question.” 

“Then he’ll have to do it from afar. At a distance. Hide in the shadows and make sure Zorro remains unseen by the public. I will go out tonight and shield myself in the trees just at the outskirts of the pueblo. Zorro follows Monastario’s movements from a distance and picks up any sort of information that we can use to our benefit.”

“And when we have enough evidence to prove Monastario guilty, what will we do, then?” 

Diego smiled at his father. “We’ll worry about that when we have enough evidence.” 

“Just remind Zorro to use his wit this time instead of his teeth. The last thing we need around here is the Fox re-injuring himself.” 

“Believe me, Father, Zorro has learned his lesson. From now on he will listen solely to his logic, not his emotions.” 

Her father’s words made Carolina hang her head and frown as a wave of shame blew over her. “You mean like how I did,” she barely said. 

Diego and Alejandro exchanged befuddled glances before staring at the littlest de la Vega. 

“What do you mean ‘like how you did’?” Alejandro questioned. 

“Come on, Abuelo, you and Papa know what happened the day Black Lobo died; I almost killed Zorro’s legacy because my grief for Papa flashed into anger and rage. Zorro’s philosophy left me before I got a chance to realize what was happening, and I let revenge take control over me.”

Alejandro shook his head. “Carolina, it is not something you learn to manage overnight. You’re young, you’re still learning Zorro’s ways. And because of who you were fighting for, that makes that task ten times more difficult than it originally is. It’s always more difficult when the person you’re trying to save is someone you love dearly.” 

“I remember when Monastario shot your grandfather,” Diego said. “You have no idea how much I wanted to just take him by the throat and strangle him for what he did. He didn’t just hurt anybody that time, he hurt my father. A man I look up to and love extremely so. It took all my strength to keep level headed and calm so Zorro could do what he needed to. It’s like taming a bull, my little love. It’s almost impossible at first, but you gain the upper hand and learn the proper techniques with time. It will happen for you, it just takes a lot of practice and patience.” 

“But I almost killed him, Papa,” Carolina said, her father gently running his fingers through her hair. “I almost killed a person, Zorro never kills people.” 

“ Angelita , had Black Lobo not been killed, he would’ve turned around and done the same thing to you, Sergeant Garcia, and everyone else that helped you that day. Frankly, I saw no other solution to the problem. Black Lobo had to die, it was the only way to save Los Angeles and the rest of California,” Alejandro told her. 

“And Zorro has had to kill people in his past,” Diego added, placing his hand on his daughter’s cheek. “Discovering my identity, trying to kill me, trying to kill innocent lives, I’ve had to use my gun and sword more than once to protect someone’s life, whether it being mine or someone else’s. It is an unfortunate part of Zorro’s work, but one that is sometimes necessary in order to stay alive.” 

“You and Abuelo aren’t disappointed in me?” 

“Of course not. It’s just as your grandfather said; you’re still learning. It will take time for you to learn all of Zorro’s methods and tricks. Gaining control over your emotions is one of them. But as of right now, we think you’re the greatest little Zorro that ever lived. You’ve learned many things in such a short time, I don’t think it will take you long to catch on to the rest of Zorro’s tactics.”

Carolina smiled and shook her head. “No, Papa. No one will ever be as great of a Zorro as you are. Señor Zorro is irreplaceable.” 

Diego returned the same smile, his eyes gazing down at her lovingly. “So are you,” he said. 

“Speaking of Zorro, I think he should start getting ready for his first night back tonight. It’s been a while since he last rode, he could be a little rusty,” Alejandro cut in.

Diego lightly chuckled. “You’re right, Father; Zorro should start his preparations immediately. And uh,” he said, placing his hand on Carolina’s shoulder. “I think he could use a little helper.”

The father-daughter duo exchanged knowing grins, making Carolina giggle. Tonight would be Zorro’s returning debut in Los Angeles, once again riding through the night swiftly and stealthy. But he would no longer ride alone. He would ride so cunning and free again, but he would have a new little kit riding by his side. A little kit he was honored to call his daughter.

As soon as dinner had been finished, Diego and Carolina made their way down to Zorro’s secret hideout to get changed and prepare for Zorro’s return to the pueblo. The masked hero finished tying his sash around him and made a quick check to make sure it wasn’t pressing hard on his healing scars or tight around his swollen belly. 

Once satisfied, he looked at his daughter and smiled as he made his way over to her. He gently grabbed Carolina’s eye mask from her hands and tied it underneath her hair, while Carolina tugged on her slim black gloves.

“Papa,” she said.

“What is it, my little sweet?” Zorro asked her kindly.

“I’ve been thinking it over for the last few hours, and I want your opinion. What if I became a silent Zorro?” 

“A silent Zorro. What do you mean by that? Many people have heard your voice by now, especially Sergeant Garcia and Corporal Reyes.”

“But Captain Monastario hasn’t. I feel like if I’m silent, it’ll give me an eerie presence. Make me more intimidating to him. Enemies take you seriously because you’re good with a sword and cunning; if I become a silent Zorro, then Captain Monastario will take me seriously. Because he won’t be able to predict what I’m thinking or what I might do. An element of surprise, so to say.” 

“Well,” Zorro said, thinking about the matter. “I suppose you make a good point there.” He smiled. “Alright, a silent Zorro you are, then.” He finished tying his daughter’s eye mask and watched as she turned to him.

“How do I look?” 

“Like an adorable little Zorro.” 

“ Adorable .” 

“Well, to me , at least.” 

The father-daughter duo exchanged loving grins before taking each other in their arms and snuggled together for a brief moment. Zorra looked up at her father as he smiled down at her and tenderly rubbed the back of her head. She lay her head back on his chest and closed her eyes with contentment. 

“I love you, Papa,” she said. 

“I love you , my little love. Forever and ever,” Zorro answered, and gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead. 

They savored their sweet moment for a while longer, then Zorro rubbed his daughter’s shoulder. “Alright, my little one, let’s get going. I want to see this gallant horse of yours.” 

Zorra grinned before turning her eyes to the concealed entrance and made one long whistle before her elegant black and white horse galloped inside. She came to a halt several feet before her master, then made a loud neigh to announce her presence. 

The young girl walked over to her four-legged companion with her father by her side, then stopped just inches before the horse. Zorra petted her horse’s nose and smiled as she turned to her father. 

“Papa, this is Luna,” she introduced. “Luna, this is my Papa. The great and wonderful Señor Zorro .” 

“Ah, Luna,” Zorro said, lifting his hand and patting the horse’s nose. “Such a nice horse. It is good to finally meet you in person, my friend. I thank you for protecting my daughter in times where I couldn’t.” 

Luna neighed before bowing her head to the outlaw, causing Zorro to laugh.

“I told her all about you,” Zorra said, her father turning to her. “I think she admires you just like I do.” 

Zorro held his daughter’s face in his hands and kissed her forehead before wrapping an arm around her. “There will be plenty of time for admiration, my love. Right now, we must worry about Monastario and get back here before sunrise. Come on, my sweet. We’ve got a bit of riding ahead of us.” 

Zorra nodded eagerly, and she and father climbed onto their horses, turned them in the direction of the exit, then sped out of the cave and rode side-by-side as they made their way to the city.

Chapter Text

Through the darkness of night, Zorro and his daughter rode swiftly through the hills and fields until they came to the mouth of the forest bordering the pueblo. The duo climbed down from their horses and tied them to a tree trunk before Zorro turned to his little sidekick. 

“We’ll walk the rest of the way from here,” he told his daughter, who nodded in response. 

Zorra followed her father into the wooded area and tried to be as silent as she possibly could, taking great effort to check her surroundings for any twigs, leaves, or bushes that would give away their location. She briefly admired her father’s stealth and elegance, as if he knew where everything was like he was in his sleep. He avoided every stick, rock, and rustle effortlessly and moved through the night just as a fox would. 

She continued walking until her father came to a halt when he heard the muffled sound of two men talking. Zorro quickly turned to his daughter and held his finger to his lips. Zorra mirrored the same gesture back, and her father gestured for her to follow him towards a nearby tree. Once Zorro had his back turned to the trunk and resting against it, he took his daughter into his arms and gently held her head next to his chest. Soon their ears and eyes were solely focused on Monastario and Blanco, standing several hundreds of feet away from them and wandering around the pueblo alone. 

“Darn you, de la Vega,” Monastario growled. “Even when he’s not around, he still manages to make me feel like a fool.” 

“But you can not be certain Zorro is de la Vega, Capitán . You have never physically seen Zorro remove his mask and reveal his true identity.” 

“I don’t need to see him remove his mask, I know the identity of Zorro, and I intend to reveal it to everyone else around here as well. Oh, they laugh and mock me for the idea now, but once I am through with Zorro and de la Vega, they will see just how wrong they were to misjudge me.” 

“But how will you catch him? You said it yourself, no one has managed to capture Zorro successfully.” 

Monastario snapped a fiery gaze to his adjutant. “Do you underestimate me, Teniente?” 

“No, Sir, I am just reiterating what you have already told me.” 

“Diego de la Vega was assumed to be dead by his daughter for some time after this Black Lobo nearly mortally wounded him, no?” 

Blanco nodded. “ Sì , this is true. But what does she have to do with capturing Zorro?” 

“She has everything to do with capturing Zorro. If Diego de la Vega is truly not Zorro, then Carolina will surely have no problem helping me find him. After all, he is an outlaw just like the one that nearly killed her father. I can’t imagine how much anger she would feel inside her if it were true.” 

As Monastario and Blanco continued to converse with themselves, Zorra frowned and looked up at her father with a wary gaze. She watched as Zorro briefly turned his eyes downwards at her, then made them back in Monastario’s direction. She then closed her eyes and rested her head back on her father’s chest, tightening her hold around his waist as she nuzzled the side of her face into him. She let out a silent breath of air as Zorro began to tenderly rub the back of her head for comfort.

“I think I would advise against that, Capitán ,” Blanco said. “The de la Vegas probably guard that little girl with their lives, it could be impossible for you to make contact with her.” 

“Tell me, Teniente,” Monastario said, clasping his hands behind his back. “What do we know about this Black Lobo the people still speak of?” 

“He was a monster. Burned down houses, brutally murdered innocent people, stole every last peso a person had, nobody seems to be able to count how many lives that man destroyed.”

“Exactly. And any person against Black Lobo is a person the little de la Vega will support. She will support me in banishing every last outlaw that lingers within Los Angeles. Every bandit that walks these grounds to be shot, tortured, and killed. That includes Señor Zorro . I will get her to fight on my side if Zorro means nothing to her.” 

“And if she refuses?” 

Monastario let out a low chuckle and rubbed his hands together. “Then I’ll have all the proof I need to know Zorro is Diego de la Vega. And if and when that happens…I’ll kill him.”

“I’m sorry, Don Alejandro, but there’s nothing else I can do,” Cabrera said, as he walked with the de la Vegas and Bernardo in the pueblo that following morning. “The orders came directly from the Governor himself, I can not get rid of Captain Monastario even if I tried.” 

“Surely his greatness would not support such a foul scoundrel,” Alejandro remarked. “After everything he has done to the people of Los Angeles, I would think he would want to do everything in his power to rid California of Monastario.” 

“And with the new leadership in Spain, the Governor has his hands tied together more than a knotted rope.” The commandante sighed with frustration. “I am sorry, Don Alejandro. But unless Captain Monastario commits some sort of crime, he is free as a bird. He is to remain stationed here in Los Angeles and aid me in any way he can.” 

“But with his criminal background and several offenses against the law, certainly they’re must be penalties that would affect him from working here,” Diego stated, his arm wrapped around his daughter’s shoulders.

“I have tried going through every loophole I can find, and every one of them fails to succeed in the end.” Cabrera sighed and shook his head. “I detest the situation just as much as you two, but there is nothing I can do about it. Not until Monastario has violated a regulation in his parole.” 

“There has to be something we can do,” Alejandro said. “The longer Monastario is around, the more of a threat he will become to us and all of Los Angeles. We can not allow that.” 

Diego paused in his step for a moment and looked down at his daughter before gently rubbing the back of her head. “Carolina, my little sweet, you and Bernardo go over to the tavern and get something to eat. I’m certain you are tired of all of this adult talk. I will meet you there in a little bit.” 

“ Sì, Papa ,” Carolina answered softly. Diego kissed her on the forehead, then walked away with Bernardo, leaving Diego, Alejandro, and Cabrera to talk alone. 

The two entered the tavern and were immediately greeted with piano music, a ranchero playing some Italian melody as others danced along to the upbeat tune. 

As Bernardo followed Carolina to a vacant table, she turned to her friend and made a brief scan of the area before speaking to him. 

“Stay over here, and keep your ears open. Just in case Captain Monastario or his adjutant appear and start talking to someone.” 

Bernardo nodded and did as instructed, while Carolina walked to a nearby table and sat down. She was thankful when she realized she didn’t need to ask for her meal, as the bartender brought over her usual order made and ready to eat: scrambled eggs, a few strips of bacon, and a warm, buttery biscuit with a glass of milk. She gave the man a shy smile and nodded in thanks as the bartender smiled back at her and gently patted her shoulder before heading back for the bar. 

Carolina started with a forkful of eggs and savored every bite before taking a drink of her milk. She continued to enjoy her breakfast in peace, when Monastario came into the tavern from the back and gave a sly smile at the sight. The littlest de la Vega was all alone, and there was no sign of her father or grandfather anywhere in the nearby vicinity. The perfect opportunity to take in speaking to her without any interruptions. 

To appear polite and proper, Monastario removed his cap and held it over his chest as he walked over to Carolina. He came to a stop just several feet away from her and bowed his head. 

“Little señorita , fancy meeting you here again, no?” He greeted her.

Carolina snapped her gaze to her right and froze stiff and still in the captain’s presence. Her color began to pale, her eyes dilated in size, and almost appeared to be shivering. She debated for a brief moment whether or not to answer the man, but Monastario beat her to it. 

“Sweet, little Carolina, you do not need to fear me. I’m your friend. A person to come to if needing protection. Surely there’s no need to cower in my presence.” 

“Ma, ma, ma ma,” Carolina trembled. “My Abuelo said no, no not to speak t, to you.”

Monastario simply chuckled. “Ah, yes, your grandfather. I should’ve known he would put bad thoughts of me into your mind. Fortunately, I am glad to say those things are no longer true. It’s just as I told your father the other day, my little one; I have changed since going away to prison. The whole thing truly opened my eyes and has made me see things in a new light. I wish nothing more now than to help the people and better this country for everyone that steps foot into it. Wouldn’t you agree with those intentions?” 

Carolina licked her lips as she again debated whether to respond with something or not. She tilted her gaze downwards and began fidgeting with her dainty fingers. “You really shouldn’t be over here, Capitán ,” she said softly. “You’re going to get in a lot of trouble if my Abuelo sees you talking to me.” 

“Carolina,” Monastario cooed. “You can not listen to everything your grandfather tells you, my dear. He tends to hold grudges against people for many years, even after they’ve proven themselves to be a changed man.”

The little girl shook her head. “My Abuelo doesn’t lie,” she squeaked.

“Of course not, my little one,” Monastario answered kindly. “But I think he would be rather supportive of me in my new assignment of catching dangerous outlaws.” 

The youngest de la Vega turned her head to the side and looked at the military officer with a curious gaze. “Dangerous outlaws?” She questioned.

“But of course,” Monastario remarked. He gently helped Carolina to her feet and placed his hand on her shoulder before continuing. “Captain Cabrera informed me of the whole event that occurred with this infamous Black Lobo everyone is still speaking about. He even told me about everything that happened with your father as he fought for his life. The whole situation that unfolded has awakened my mission in putting an end to these vicious crimes committed in our beautiful California. And after almost losing your father in such a traumatic way, surely you would wish to put an end to every outlaw’s life, as well. Even this glorified Señor Zorro of ours.” 

Carolina closed her eyes and shuddered as the ugly images replayed in her head. Her beloved father bleeding out in that dark field, hugging his body tight and crying vehemently when she thought she was saying ‘goodbye’ to her best friend, then her kind father’s face dressed as Zorro morphing into Black Lobo’s and hearing the man’s evil cackle of triumph and malice. As if he were still there and continuously haunting her with those images and the guilt she felt for her father nearly dying because of her.

She shook her head. “No…No, I don’t wish to get involved with any more outlaws. Once was enough in a lifetime… More than enough…” She trailed off as she tried to shut out those memories as her father had told her to.

“Certainly, my dear,” Monastario said, with a courteous nod. “I know how you feel. And I would like to help you with the revenge you no doubt feel in your father’s honor. I would be honored for you to join me in my movement of destroying every last one of these outlaws that walk the land. Locking them away, torturing them, and firing a bullet through them to inflict as much torture and pain as they do on the people they hurt. Like the debilitating pain you must have felt when you thought you lost your father. Surely you wish to make other outlaws suffer the same amount of agony you did in revenge. That heartbreaking grief, the idea of never seeing your father again, all that anger and pain that’s built up inside you, don't tell me you don't wish to seek revenge for all of that misery you went through.” 

Carolina’s eyes began to glisten with unshed tears and shook her head right as Bernardo looked over from his table and spotted the two conversing. His eyes widened to the size of dinner plates when he saw Monastario interacting with Diego’s daughter, the grief-stricken look on Carolina’s face instantly telling the short man that Monastario was reminding her of the worst night of her life.

On sheer instinct, Bernardo bolted out of the tavern and desperately searched for Diego and Alejandro. He momentarily sighed a breath of relief when he saw the two men still talking to Cabrera. He dashed to their sides and immediately tugged on Alejandro’s sleeve the minute he was in arm’s reach. Bernardo pointed in the tavern’s direction, imitated Monastario talking, then used his hands to imitate Carolina and again urgently pointed in the tavern’s direction.

Diego’s eyes widened with fear as he realized what had happened. He turned to his father. “Carolina, Capitán Monastario is trying to talk to her,” he said shaky. 

“Go as fast as you can, my son. Capitán Cabrera , Bernardo, and I will get to her until you can.”

Diego nodded as the three men raced to the tavern, doing all he could to keep up with them as much as possible to get to his baby. He held his belly in the area his scars were healing and took off running as fast as a man recovering from major surgery could.

Meanwhile, Monastario was still trying to persuade Carolina to fight on his side, but seemed to be traumatizing the little lady more than convincing her to join his personal vendetta. Tears burned down her face and her throat closed up as her heart began to ache, an intense stabbing sensation hitting her full force in the chest as Monastario continued to give his soapbox speech.

“Your father pale, his body lifeless, lingering on the brink of death, remember that night and all the pain you felt, little one.”

“Please don’t make me think about it,” Carolina sobbed, as if she were again reliving the night she believed her father died. 

“You want revenge, my little one, remember the rage, the pain. Remember what that man did to you and what every other outlaw like him does to people. Remember, Carolina, remember.”

“PAPA!” Carolina began screeching repeatedly, her body shaking violently with fear.

As the bartender rushed over to try and pull Carolina off to the side, the door to the tavern slammed open, and Alejandro, Bernardo, and Cabrera came racing in and to the little girl’s side. Bernardo and the bartender pulled Carolina away, while Alejandro and Cabrera yanked Monastario back and barked at him to get away from the little de la Vega.

Soon Diego was next to enter inside and turned his head slightly to the right to assess the situation. He heard and saw his daughter bawling and tried to go to her. “Carolina,” he said.

Before he got a chance to move a foot, Carolina bolted to her father’s side and latched onto him for dear life, burying her face into his belly as she screamed and cried hysterically. Diego immediately held his daughter close and gently hushed her as he rubbed the back of her head and kissed the top of it. He then sat down in a large chair and had Carolina sit beside him, never letting her go for a second. He continued to comfort her and reassure her that he was there and well, while Alejandro turned to the bartender with a fiery gaze. 

“What happened?” The older ranchero demanded.

“I don’t know, Don de la Vega,” the bartender answered. “I heard Carolina sob something about not wanting to remember something, then after the Capitán growled at her, she started crying and screaming for Don Diego. It was like she wasn’t even here anymore, but having a horrible nightmare while awake.”

“I was not trying to inflict any harm on little Carolina, I was merely trying to persuade her into helping me with my mission to protect the people of Los Angeles by executing every outlaw known in the countryside,” Monastario said in defense, still being held by the arms of his commanding officer. “I mentioned Black Lobo’s name, and she became erratic.” 

Alejandro snarled his lip, bearing his teeth slightly as his gaze darkened. “You made her think of the night she thought she lost her father?”

“Only in passing. Just to get her to remember the rage she felt and the revenge I no doubt believe she had to get even with that monster.” 

“Do you have any idea how traumatizing that was for her?!” Alejandro hollered. “She thought it was the last time she was ever going to see her father.” 

“Poor little Carolina, her heart broke into a million pieces that night. She ran off and fled to San Diego because she couldn’t stand the idea of living a life without her father in it,” Cabrera said, with disgust. “She almost married a young man she didn’t even love just so she wouldn’t spend the rest of her life alone.” 

“And I don’t plan on letting her feel like that ever again,” Alejandro added, then returned his burning stare to Monastario. “If I ever catch you talking to my granddaughter again, I’ll-” He trailed off as he reached for his pistol, cocked it, then fired a round into the ceiling of the tavern/inn and caused everyone to go into a brief moment of shock. “ That’s what’ll happen to you.” 

When the captain came out of his short trance, Monastario narrowed his eyes at the older man and snarled. “You wouldn’t dare,” he said.

Alejandro again snarled his lip, pushed Monastario to the side with the muzzle of his gun, then fired another round out the back window facing the open countryside, causing Carolina to bury her face back into her father’s belly. Diego gently rubbed the back of her head and kissed the top of it as a stunned Monastario stared baffled at Alejandro, who was returning his pistol to its holster.

“I would ,” the ranchero said threateningly. “I’ll do anything to protect that sweet little girl from predators like you.”

“Fear not, Don de la Vega,” Cabrera said, his scolding eyes never leaving sight of his second-in-command. “From this moment onward, Capitán Monastario is forbidden to have any contact with your granddaughter unless under thorough supervision of one of you, me, or Sergeant Garcia and Corporal Reyes. I do not wish to see another incident like this happen again. Or I will shoot you myself   on the grounds of causing mental anguish upon a child.” 

“And that supervision he’ll never have,” Diego said, still holding his daughter close. “I don’t want that man to come anywhere within spitting distance of my daughter. Not if his intentions are to hurt her in any matter, especially in this way.” 

“Don’t worry, my son. I’ll make sure she never sees this man ever again,” Alejandro said, then turned his eyes to Monastario, and his expression darkened. “ Capitán Monastario , you may have bought everyone else’s trust in the pueblo, but you certainly haven’t bought mine or Diego’s. I know who you really are under this new façade of yours, and that is a man that’s completely incapable of changing his old ways. For three years now I’ve been dying to tell you what I think of you. But with my granddaughter present, I will spare her of those foul words. Mark my words, Capitán Monastario ; you will not succeed in your plans this time. My family will not allow that, I promise you that.” 

Without another word, Alejandro turned on his heels and made his way over to his son and granddaughter, who were joined by Bernardo standing to the right of Diego. The ranchero placed a gentle hand on the top of Carolina’s head and rubbed it a bit before making his gaze to his son. 

“How is she doing?” He finally asked.

Diego looked down at his daughter and rubbed her back. “A little shook up still, but she will calm down soon enough,” he answered.

“Come, my son,” Alejandro said, patting Diego’s shoulder. “Let us take her home so she can rest in private.” 

The three de la Vegas and Bernardo casually walked out of the tavern/inn through the front door, while a fuming Monastario turned sharply on his boots and stormed out the back, leaving Cabrera alone with the baffled bartender. 

The bartender scratched his head as a perplexed expression fixed itself onto his face. “ Commandante Cabrera ,” he said. “What just happened, Commandante ?”

“Something I dare not say, Señor ,” Cabrera answered. “For I fear cursing a repeat to occur.” 

Chapter Text

In the privacy of Monastario’s quarters, Blanco toyed with a saber possessing a very dull and worn-out blade by pretending it was a baton used in ceremonies and parades. He tried to make it standup and balance in the palm of his hand, twirled it in his fingers, then started doing spinning tricks with it as if he were practicing for a dancing event instead of its intended fencing duels. The lieutenant even started making a dance routine as he hummed a happy little tune he learned back in Spain, when the door slammed open and Monastario came barreling in with a huff. 

Blanco jumped a few feet off the floor with a short yelp, and the saber went flying out of his hands and crashing into a pot of flowers that landed on the ground with a loud shatter. He stared at the mess for a moment completely anxiety-ridden, then hesitantly turned to his commanding officer, who seemed to care very little about his recent destruction. He watched as Monastario slammed the door behind him, pulled out his saber, and shattered three brandy tumblers on his desk with the weapon, imagining each one to be Diego, Alejandro, and Cabrera.

“Ahck,” Monastario cried, then tossed his saber to the side and heard it land on the floor with a loud clang. 

“I take it it didn’t go well with the little de la Vega girl?” Blanco faltered.

“ No , it didn’t go well with the de la Vega girl,” Monastario snapped back, causing the lieutenant to jump a bit in response. “That cursed Diego de la Vega, even when he’s not trying he's still putting a foil to my plans.” He shook his head and gripped onto the edge of his desk. “Stupid girl, started screaming and crying for her father when I reminded her of Black Lobo, and that was the end of it.” 

“You can’t really blame her, Capitán ,” Blanco said softly. “She just went through something most people don’t even want to think about.”

Monastario turned a fiery glare to his adjutant. “Who’s side are you on?” He snarled.

“ Yours , of course. All I’m saying is that if you’re going to gain the little de la Vega girl’s trust, you have to do it subtly, gently. See you in a softer lighting.” 

“Well now I can’t do it at all thanks to those blasted de la Vega men. I can’t even get within 15 feet of her without the risk of being shot on sight.” Monastario wrung his hands together as he shook his head again. He pounded his desktop with his fist. “I’ll never be able to regain command of my post here, at this rate…as long as de la Vega’s alive. If I can’t get it from his daughter’s mouth, I’ll have to get it from the horse’s mouth himself.” 

“But there’s no way on this earth that Señor Zorro will willingly give up his real identity, how will you possibly get it out of him when his mouth is tighter than an oyster’s jaw?”

Monastario clasped his hands behind his back and strode over to his desk before an eerie smile came to his face, his dark eyes twinkling with malicious mischief. “ Teniente ,” he said. “Have you ever heard of a blue ruby?”***

“Blue ruby,” Blanco remarked. “Sounds fictional, why?” 

Monastario opened one of his desk drawers and pulled out a sparkly dark-blue gemstone attached to a long chain and held it up for his adjutant to see. “A rare beauty, isn’t she,” he said. “There’s only seven in the world, all suspected to be hidden somewhere deep in the Iberian Mountains. Legend says the beauty of one of these rubies is so powerful that if waved back and forth in front of somebody, you can hypnotize them within seconds. They become completely under your control and will do whatever you tell them to do.” 

“And you think Señor Zorro will fall for it?” Blanco asked, befuddled. 

“I don’t think he will fall for it, I think he will become my slave. He will be so mesmerized by this stone that he will obey my every beckon call. Even remove his mask for the whole world to see the face of Diego de la Vega beneath it.”

“But how do you plan on getting him to stand there long enough for the spell to work?” 

Monastario chuckled softly. “Certainly after upsetting little Carolina Zorro will confront me later tonight and give a warning of going near the de la Vegas again. And when he confronts me, you will hide in the corner and give him a blow to the head while I have him distracted. We will then tie him up to a chair, I will use the blue ruby on him when he regains consciousness, and Zorro and de la Vega will be mine.” 

The same eerie grin came to Blanco’s face. “And then what will you do, Capitán ?” 

“I’ll do what I’ve wanted to do to that man since the day I met him,” Monastario said, rubbing his hands together with anticipation. He withdrew his pistol, centered an empty tumbler on the corner of his desk, then cocked his gun, aimed, and fired.

As Diego lay back in a chair with a glass of brandy in one hand and snuggling his daughter, who was covered in a blanket, with the other, Alejandro angrily paced back and forth across the courtyard as he was still fuming with rage. Bernardo sat underneath the tree tuning Diego’s guitar while watching the older de la Vega in utter silence. Despite having a terrible temper, it was when Alejandro de la Vega fell quiet that he was dangerously mad. Neither he nor Diego dared to say anything to the man until he spoke on his own. 

Alejandro shook his head. “I can not believe the nerve that man has. The nerve to come right up to Carolina and remind her of the most horrific night of her life. I could’ve killed that man had I gotten the chance.” 

“It’s no use to be angry with him, Father,” Diego said. “It will not change the kind of man he is.” 

“But that’s the thing, Diego; he’s not a man, he’s a filthy animal. An animal that needs to be put down once and for all.” 

“He was trying to recruit me to help him with his new movement, Abuelo,” Carolina said softly. “He wants to liquidate every outlaw known in California so there’s never another Black Lobo ever again. He even wants to kill Señor Zorro for extra measures.” 

“Oh, and he supposes making people scream and cry will get them to come to his side.” Alejandro scoffed. “Sick, twisted monster.” 

It then clicked in Diego’s mind, and his eyes slightly widened in size. “So that’s what Monastario’s come back for,” he said. “He wants to get revenge on Zorro and is determined to do away with him once and for all.” 

Alejandro shook his head with disgust. “I should’ve known he would come back for Zorro. After humiliating him in front of the entire pueblo, he’s come back to California and put a massive target right on your back.”

“And he won’t stop until I’m dead and six feet below the ground,” Diego added.

Carolina closed her eyes and let a few whimpers out as tears began to flood her eyes. 

Diego turned his attention to her, sat his drink down on the table beside him, then frowned and held his daughter closer to him. “I’m sorry, my baby,” he said sincerely. “Poor choice of words on my part.” 

“I don’t want you to die, Papa,” Carolina squeaked.

Diego gently hushed her as he rubbed her back and gently kissed her forehead. “I’m not going anywhere,” he promised her. “Alright, you have nothing to worry about. I’m going to stay with you for many, many more years. No one, not even Monastario, is going to change that.” 

“But how do we get rid of him?” Alejandro questioned, throwing his arms up in the air. “With the people of Los Angeles believing him to be a changed man and Capitán Cabrera having his hands tied with the law, he is a free man until otherwise. I’m beginning to struggle to find a way out of this mess.” 

“Suppose now is time for Zorro to make a little visit to Monastario. Give him a strong warning if he chooses to pursue this ‘movement’ of his.”

“Are you sure you are ready for it, my son?” 

“Zorro can not hide forever, Father. And Carolina can certainly not take Monastario down on her own. It’s time, Father. It’s time for Zorro to come out of the shadows again.” 

“I don’t want you to go alone.” Carolina whimpered.

Diego smiled down at her and gave her another kiss on the head. “I had a feeling you were going to say that,” he told her. “Why do you think I said neither one of us could do it alone?” He gave her a wink and felt his heart lighten when Carolina smiled back at him and returned the same wink. 

Bernardo grinned before whistling as he made a big Z and a little Z with his finger. 

Diego repeated the same gesture, making his daughter giggle in response. The young de la Vega was soon laughing himself and gave Carolina a third kiss on the side of her head. A hunt between the fox and the hound had signaled to begin.

Zorro and his daughter zipped through the night on their horses and came to a slow gallop as they neared the pueblo. Once in the city’s limits, Zorro and his daughter dismounted from their horses, gestured for them to go hide, then continued the rest of their way on foot. 

They continuously watched for any soldiers and checked for the coast to be clear before turning each corner, when they finally spotted their predator leaning on the side of the tavern’s walls smoking a cigar. The two heroes clothed in black hid back in the shadows and turned to each other.

“He seems awfully calm after being humiliated in the entire tavern today,” Zorro told his little sidekick. 

“You think it might be a trap?” Zorra questioned, wary.

“You can never be certain with that man.” 

“What do we do? You can’t just go out there and confront him, you’ll get killed.” 

Zorro took his daughter into his arms and softly hushed her as he came up with a battle tactic. He looked upwards at the roof of the building they hid beside and got an idea. He let go of Zorra and placed his hand on her cheek. 

“Wait here, my baby,” he told her quietly. “If you sense immediate danger, run and get out of here. I’ll come back for you when I’m done.” 

Zorro kissed his daughter’s forehead, then climbed up the building and jumped from roof to roof before he reached the tavern. Once on the designated building, he climbed down to the compound and withdrew his saber. He slowly walked his way towards Monastario with the stealth of a lurking wolf. He caught the captain off guard when he finally reached his mortal enemy and poked his back with the tip of his saber. 

“Make no sound, or this sword goes straight through you, Capitán ,” Zorro said calmly.

Monastario narrowed his eyes and snarled. “I know that voice from anywhere,” he remarked, then turned around to find just who he suspected standing there. “Zorro. I was wondering when I would see you again.” 

“You never learn from your mistakes, do you, Capitán .” 

“The only mistake I ever made was not killing you the night I first met you.”

“I’m very aware of this new movement of yours. Wanting to kill every outlaw in California. And while not opposed to getting rid of malicious criminals, I know your motive comes with vile intentions.” 

“And you’re the very first outlaw on that list, Señor Zorro .” 

“I know how you made the little de la Vega girl cry today. Reminding her of a disgusting event in her life. Do you wish to better all of California, or do you wish to make everyone cower under your presence so much they’ll do anything and everything you tell them to?” 

“I wish to better California by getting rid of you once and for all.” 

As the two men continued to converse, Blanco came out from behind the back holding an empty wine bottle and snuck up behind Zorro before clobbering him on the back of the head. He and Monastario watched as Zorro fell to the ground on his side and became unconscious. 

Watching from her spot in the shadows, Zorra’s watery eyes widened with horror as she covered her gaping mouth and tried with all her might not to scream her father’s name.

“Help me get him inside,” Monastario said, turning to his adjutant. “The sooner we have him tied up, the better.” 

The two men wrapped Zorro’s flimsy arms around their shoulders and dragged the lifeless outlaw inside the tavern, every so often checking to make sure no one was prying on them.

When the trio became out of sight, Zorra struggled to think of an idea to save her father as a wave of sheer terror swept through her veins. Despite having her father’s studious behavior, she was nowhere near as clever as he was. Zorro just seemed to pull solutions out from thin air, and Zorra had yet to figure out where he found all of them. 

As tears streamed down her face, she snapped her head back and forth for something to strike an idea, when she noticed a long rope hanging from one of the cuartel’s roofs, saw it had a direct hit to the tavern’s window, and the idea she had been yearning for finally hit her. With a determined look on her face, Zorra checked for anyone watching her, sprinted for the rope that was her saving grace, and began to climb.

*** The blue ruby I mention earlier is a fictional item I created for the purpose of this story. 

Chapter Text

When Zorro began to come back to reality, his head was pounding and his vision was blurry as could be. He moved his head around and closed his eyes a few times before everything became clear again. He watched as two blurry figures in soldier uniforms before him became Monastario and Blanco and realized that he was no longer outside, but inside the tavern with a bunch of people staring at the trio. 

An eerie smile came to Monastario’s face. “Have a nice nap, Señor Zorro ?” He purred.

Zorro gave him a glare and went to pull out his saber to attack, when he was unpleasantly surprised to find himself tied to a chair. He wiggled and thrashed around to break free, but it was no use. He was tied stiff as a board. He returned his fiery gaze to the captain, who was now laughing with pleasure at his misery. 

“Give it up, dear Zorro. There’s no escaping me this time,” Monastario said.

“You won’t get away with this, Monastario. I won’t allow it,” Zorro remarked firmly.

“You’re too late, Zorro. In another few minutes you will be my slave. And I will finally unmask the real identity of Zorro in front of everybody in this tavern. We will then all know who Zorro really is.” 

“I wouldn’t be your slave even if you killed me.” 

Monastario made no response other than pulling the blue ruby out from his pants pockets and holding it right in front of the outlaw's face. He began to swing it from side to side. “Have you ever seen one of these, Zorro? A blue ruby, only seven of its kind known in the world. Worth thousands and thousands of pesos, you know.”

Zorro could not stop himself from being mesmerized by the stone’s beauty. He had never seen such a deep blue in his entire life. Zorro slightly cocked his head to the side as he continued to stare at it blankly. “It’s beautiful,” he answered.

“Indeed, it is,” Monastario agreed. “A real eye-catcher, wouldn’t you agree?” 

Zorro’s eyes followed the stone as it waved back and forth in front of him, his surroundings quickly fading away into blackness. His mouth slightly fell as he slipped into a mindless trance, feeling as if he had left his body completely and all that remained was the body itself.

“I think you’re getting sleepy again, Zorro,” Monastario said. “Very, very sleepy.”

Zorro’s eyelids began to grow heavy and fought to stay awake, but kept nodding off more and more as the beautiful stone continued to wave before him.

“Zorro, when you hear me snap my fingers, you will fall into a very deep sleep. Nice, peaceful, quiet sleep.” He snapped his fingers. “Go to sleep.” 

Zorro almost instantaneously became unconscious, and his head fell forward. The captain began to laugh.

“I’ve done it, I’ve finally done it,” Monastario said. “I’m going to find out the true identity of Zorro once and for all.” He looked back at the unconscious outlaw. “Now to finish him. Zorro, listen to me, and listen to me good. When I say the wor-” 

Before Monastario could finish, the glass pane of the tavern window shattered as Zorra came swinging inside and leaped to her feet and pulled out her saber simultaneously. The captain and Blanco turned around and gasped from the sight of the little Zorro, who glared at them with a threatening gaze.

“Hot tamales, there’s two of them,” Blanco exclaimed.

“Who are you?” Monastario demanded. “Who are you, and what are you doing here?” 

Zorra gave no answer. 

“Well, answer me.” 

The only response he got was Zorra slightly cocking her head to the right, her facial expression not changing for a second.

“Say something,” Blanco begged, his body beginning to shake with fear. “For the love of Heaven, say something !”

Zorra made her eyes to a vacant table briefly, then returned her icy stare to Monastario and Blanco and directed her saber to one of the empty chairs.

“I, I I I I think she wants us to sit down,” the lieutenant stuttered.

Monastario glared back at Blanco. “Surrender to a girl, are you that much of a coward?” 

“A very frightening one, Capitán .” 

Monastario growled as he drew his sword. “I’m not so easily frightened,” he said. “I’ll show her .”

The captain went to throw a single swing down on Zorra, but she almost automatically blocked the blow with her saber. Monastario went for another swing, but was again greeted with a quick block. She shoved Monastario’s sword to the side, and the two began a vigorous fencing match over the unconscious Zorro, while Blanco cowered and crawled underneath a table for protection. The lieutenant covered his head with his hands and every so often looked up to watch the fight before him.

As Monastario continued to face off with Zorro’s daughter, he did everything in his power to show no mercy, but the young lady’s fencing skills were impeccable. Almost as powerful as Zorro himself was. He gritted his teeth together as he struggled to regain the upper hand and disarm his little opponent. 

“How, are you, so, strong, for a, girl?!” He exclaimed.

Eventually, Monastario lost the battle, and Zorra shoved the captain over a table and went crashing to the floor with it. She immediately ran to her beloved father and sliced the ropes tying him down, then made a quick check to make sure he was alright. 

Seeing the little Zorro was distracted, Blanco mustered up enough courage to come out from underneath his hiding spot, pulled out his sword, and took a fighting stance. 

“Ha!” He cried.

Blanco watched as Zorra snapped her icy gaze back at him, and his cowardly nature returned to him as he began shaking under her stare.

“Back under the table,” he whimpered, and again crawled underneath his makeshift shield. 

Seeing she had put the lieutenant in place, she turned to her father and picked up his head to softly slap his cheek to wake him up. 

Zorra did all she could to get him to wake up right as Monastario stood up and regained his footing. He growled at the sight of the little Zorro, grabbed his saber, and charged for her. 

Zorra let her father’s head fall back down as she backed away, withdrew her sword from her black belt, and began round two with the man she was quickly growing to detest greatly. They clanged sabers together, broke glasses or flower pots, and dodged each blow directed at them right as Zorro began to come to. He blinked his eyes and shook his head a bit to rid him of all the cobwebs, then saw his baby fighting Monastario and jumped to his feet while pulling out his saber. 

“You are mine , little Zorro,” Monastario snarled, as he took another swing to Zorra’s head. But she was too quick for him and ducked down, causing him to shatter another hanging flower pot instead.

Zorra clenched her teeth together and bore them as she found enough strength to throw Monastario back and send him falling over a chair. She lowered her hands and put them in front of her as she slightly cocked her head to the side and watched the down captain with a careful eye.

Monastario struggled to get back on his wobbly feet, put a hand to his head, then saw Zorra and growled again. He went for another charge, when he felt a saber poking him in the back and froze.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Capitán ,” Zorro said. “Drop your weapon.” 

Monastario did as told and let his saber fall to the ground with a loud clang.

“I see you have become acquainted here with my daughter.” 

Monastario did a double take as his eyes nearly fell out of his head. “ Daughter !” He shouted, snapping his gaze to Zorro. “You can’t have children, it would be an outrage.” 

“And yet, I do. My personal life is of no concern to you.”

“I will get you for this, Señor Zorro . Mark my words, you will suffer the consequences for this.” 

“As long as you stay away from the de la Vegas, you won’t be seeing me for quite some time. That is my only warning to you. Next time it will be a sword straight through your back. Do you understand me?” 

“Loud and clear,” Monastario said, with a snarl. 

Zorro pointed with his saber to the wall near the door. “Over there,” he ordered. “Close your eyes and count to a hundred. Look anytime before, and I’ll kill you. Now get.” 

Monastario gave Zorro a fierce glare, one that spoke of deep revenge, then did as the outlaw told. Once he was halfway to 20, Zorro wrapped his arm around his daughter’s shoulders and snuck out the back after drawing a Z and a little Z on one of the walls.

When they got near the mouth of the forest and the faint sound of a piano playing in the tavern reached their ears, Zorro and Zorra turned to face each other. The famous outlaw gently ran his fingers through his daughter’s hair, while she looked up at him and frowned.

“Papa,” she said softly. “Something tells me that this isn’t over yet.” 

“I’m afraid you’re right, my little love,” Zorro answered. “There’s much more yet to come.” 

“ Capitán Monastario won’t stop until you’re gone.” 

“Well, I’ve got bad news for him; I’m not planning on leaving here anytime soon. Not until you tell me to.” He tapped his daughter’s nose, making Zorra smile. 

She shook her head. “You might be waiting another hundred years, then.” 

Zorro chuckled as he took his daughter in his arms and kissed her on the head.

“Come on, my sweet,” he told her lovingly. “Let’s go home.” 

With Zorra still in his arms, Zorro and his daughter began their walk to their horses and rode back to the hacienda through the night just as fast as they came.

(End of episode one...)

Chapter Text

(Episode 2: Meet Me in Monterey)

“And the three sisters were burned alive in the house fire, burned beyond recognition,” Garcia said, surrounded at a table in the tavern with Diego, Carolina, and Reyes as he told them a ghost story taking place in a little town in between Los Angeles and Monterey. “The sisters became mad with rage at the man responsible and soon were angry with the entire town. So it’s said that every night for the next two years the sisters found someone wandering around the town to stalk and tortured them to the point of death.

“Now, here’s where it gets frightening. It is said that whenever someone is traveling to Monterey and happens to stop in Fantasma City during the middle of the night, the sisters’ spirits, their faces scarred and gnarled as a result of burning alive, will appear and give a single warning to turn around and go back to where they came from. If they proceed to go through, though, the sisters will start stalking them, appearing from thin air in different places as they moan and scream, and as soon as they get near you, BAM!” Garcia slapped his hand down on the table, causing Reyes to yelp and dive underneath for cover, while little Carolina buried her face into her father’s chest and began to shake violently. “Dead as a doornail. No one who ever sees the three sisters makes it out of Fantasma City alive.” He then looked down, spotted his right hand man cowering below with his hands over the back of his neck, and frowned. “ Baboso, what are you doing under there?”***

“Hiding,” Reyes answered shaky.

“Get out from under there, stupid. People are beginning to stare.” 

As Reyes hesitantly got back in his seat, Diego smirked and playfully rolled his eyes before turning down to his daughter and held her close as he gently rubbed her back. “Ah, my little love,” he chuckled softly. “It is just an old wives tale. There are no such things as ghosts.” 

Garcia scoffed as he took a drink of his brandy. “To you , maybe. I still have nightmares of the Ghost of the Mad Monk on foggy nights. Sometimes I can’t even go back to sleep because of how terrified I am.”

Diego felt a smile spread across his face and held back from laughing, remembering Zorro’s scheme to rescue an imprisoned Native American all too well. Even after a year, it still made him light up every time it crossed his mind. He again looked down at his daughter and saw she had again buried her face into him, only this time to keep Garcia from seeing the wide grin on her face and to muffle her giggling. She was all too familiar with her father’s wild scheme, and it was probably one of her favorite Zorro stories to that day. A special story that was between just the two of them.

“I’ve seen a mad monk once,” Reyes said. “He put a Sicilian curse on me because I disturbed him when asking for directions to Los Angeles.”

“Have you ever seen a mad monk without a face?” Garcia prodded. 

“No,” Reyes said, shaking his head. “How could he live without a face? He wouldn’t be able to see where he was going or breathe.” 

Garcia groaned with frustration as he took another sip of brandy and shook his head. 

“He wouldn’t be able to eat, either.”

“Forget it.”

Diego laughed at the banter between the soldiers, when a short, sharp pain hit him in the area he had been stabbed in. He gasped and grimaced as he put his hand on his belly and tried to breathe through the pain.

“Papa!” Carolina cried.

He held up his other hand as the pain faded away. “I’m alright, my sweet,” he promised her. “It’s alright. It’s just another cramp, is all. Dr. Hernandez said that would be a recurring thing as I continue to recover from my injury.” 

“It’s been three months since you were injured, Don Diego,” Garcia said, with genuine concern. “Are you sure it isn’t something you should have looked at? I would have thought those cramps had gone away by now.”

“Maybe you should see the doctor and get his opinion,” Reyes interjected.

“I’m alright, Sergeant,” Diego said sincerely. “If it gets any worse, I will have Dr. Hernandez check me over. But I’m just fine. A little sore every now and then, but I’m alright.” He turned to Carolina and gave her a loving smile before caressing the back of her head. “And that’s a promise.” 

Carolina gave a small smile back before resting her head on her father’s chest and hugging him tight. A sense of peace fell over her as Diego held her close and kissed the top of her head before gently rubbing the back of her neck.

As Garcia opened his mouth to say something, a chirping-screeching sound began to echo throughout the tavern and caused everyone to spot a black bat flying around the ceiling. Many of the women screamed, some of the men began batting at it with planks of wood or empty wine bottles, but Monastario, who had just entered from the back, spotted the small winged animal and screamed bloody murder.

“Bat! Bat, bat, bat, bat!” He jumped up onto the bar countertop and pulled up his legs to his chest as he continued to point at the culprit fearfully. “Shoot it. Shoot it. Sergeant Garcia, shoot it!” 

As people continued to shriek and whack at the bat, Carolina lifted her eyes to see where it was and raised her right arm up as a makeshift perch for it. The bat seemed to pick up her location as it flew down at her and softly landed on her arm. She gave it a visual lookover to make sure it wasn’t hurt.

“Don Diego!” Garcia cried, shooting to his feet and pulling out his pistol.

“Don’t,” Diego ordered, holding up his hand. He turned to his daughter and watched as she slowly rose to her feet, walked towards the door, and stepped outside. Carolina carefully lifted her arm up in the air and watched as the bat flew away into the night, making a little chirp sound as if it was thanking her for saving it. 

She grinned with satisfaction as she came back inside and sat down by her father again. Carolina was greeted with a smile full of pride and a soft kiss on the side of her head, while Monastario was still bunched up on the bar countertop on the verge of tears. 

“Kill it, kill it,” he begged. “Somebody shoot it, shoot it, make it go away.” When he realized the bat was no longer inside, he quickly regained composure, got down on his feet, and brushed himself off and straightened his hat as if nothing had ever happened.

“You’re afraid of bats, Capitán ?” Garcia questioned, he and Reyes rising to their feet. 

“No, I jumped up there out of my own free will.  Baboso, yes , I’m afraid of bats. That filthy thing could have killed me!” 

Garcia stood there for the longest time with a blank look on his face, then started to snicker and burst into full blown laughter. He turned to Reyes, who was beginning to laugh himself, and pointed in Monastario’s direction before both soldiers were busting their sides hysterically.

The captain, on the other hand, stood there turning a bright red and let out steamy breaths of air out of his nose as he glared at the two venomously. It only infuriated him more when they began mocking him seeing a bat and screaming like a little girl. Even Diego was doing all he could to keep himself from laughing, covering his mouth as his body shook with silent chuckling.

“Oh, you two think you’re such comedians,” Monastario growled. “How about the two of you keep laughing while I put you in front of a firing squad .” 

“There’s a bat coming at you from the back, Capitán ,” Reyes said, pointing to the back of the bar.

“Bat,” Monastario screamed, then dove underneath the table Diego and Carolina sat at. “Get it away from me, get it away from me!” 

Garcia and Reyes resumed cackling like idiots, even Diego and some of the dons present joining in this time.

Monastario poked his head out from under the table, saw it was nothing more than a joke, then growled with distaste and stormed out of the tavern with the door slamming shut behind him. 

As everyone else continued to laugh at Monastario’s misery, Diego winced as another sharp stab of pain hit him in his healing wound area. He let out a muffled groan as he placed his hand back over his belly, grateful for all the laughing muting Carolina’s ears from his malady. A malady he had been keeping to himself for over a week now. 

For the past seven days he had been experiencing the same, short stabs of pain at least once a day. He had been fortunate to not have them in his daughter’s presence, but how frequent they were coming tonight, he was becoming concerned that the problem would grow worse within the next several days. Then he would have to face his greatest fear: his daughter suffering from the same grief Black Lobo had caused her to go through a second time.

It took both hands gripping onto the railings of his chair to keep Alejandro from falling out of his seat laughing. Diego and Carolina had just come home from dinner at the tavern and relayed everything that had occurred earlier regarding the bat. Finding his father sitting out in the courtyard, he had just finished his storytelling, and Alejandro was on the verge of tears from how hard he was laughing. His laughing was so contagious, Diego even almost started chuckling again at the matter.

“Monastario, deathly afraid of bats,” Alejandro said. “Oh, that is just too good to be true. Out of all the things a military captain could be terrified of, Monastario is afraid of a little…” He started snickering again before his boisterous laughter returned. This time, Diego joined in and held his middle to keep himself from doubling over. 

“It is quite outrageous, isn’t it,” Diego answered. “For a man as corrupt and menacing as Monastario, the fact that he is severely afraid of one little bat is practically hysterical. And how could one ever cause anyone great harm; in fact, bats do everything in their power to stay away from human interaction.” 

“I could not tell you, my son, but you certainly made my night. I can’t remember the last time I’ve ever laughed like that.”

“I don’t think Monastario will be laughing like that, though, the next time he encounters Zorro. He might just have a few little winged friends along with him.” 

As the two men continued to amuse themselves with Monastario’s distress, Carolina remained dead silent and frowned as she hung her head. Her cheeks were flushed, and she fidgeted with her fingers as she found the courage to finally speak. 

“Are you two gonna laugh at my fear, too?” She softly croaked.

Diego and Alejandro turned to her with stunned expressions.

“ Laugh at you,” her grandfather gasped.

“What fear are you talking about, my baby? What are you afraid of?” Diego asked, his voice filled with concern.

Carolina swallowed a growing knot down her throat and did all she could to fight back the hot tears blurring her vision. “Losing you,” she said shaky.

Diego’s jaw dropped as his eyes widened with horror. He then frowned and shook his head. “No, my sweet. No.” He walked over to his daughter and took her into his arms. He gave her a kiss on the head. “I would never ever laugh at you, especially over something like that. What you fear is something far more terrifying than a fear of bats.” 

“We would never poke fun at your fear, Carolina,” Alejandro said, joining his son’s side. He put a gentle hand on Carolina’s shoulder. “Certainly not after everything that happened with Black Lobo.” 

“But I’m not going anywhere for a long, long time,” Diego promised. “I’m going to be here with you for many, many more years. Someone needs to stick around and embarrass you.” 

Carolina sniffled as she snuggled the side of her face against Diego’s chest. “Papa, if that’s what you’ve been trying to do all this time, you’re doing a horrible job at it.” 

The younger de la Vega man chuckled and gave her another kiss on the head and held her close. “I love you, sweet little girl,” Diego said. “Don’t ever change who you are.” 

The duo enjoyed their sweet moment before Carolina spoke again. “Papa…what are you afraid of?” 

“That’s an easy answer; something happening to you. I’d never forgive myself for it. If I lost you, I wouldn’t have a single ray of light in my life. My heart’s still beating because of you. You’re my little angel. You always will be.” 

He watched as Carolina blushed, but a big smile came to her face as she again soaked in her father’s warmth and loving arms, feeling as if no one could hurt her as long as she was safe in his arms. She opened her eyes after receiving another kiss on the head and turned to her grandfather.

“Abuelo,” she said. “Are you afraid of anything?” 

Alejandro sighed, as if the question made him remember something extremely embarrassing. “Yes,” he answered with reluctance. “And I will tell you if you promise not to laugh.” 

Carolina shook her head. “I won’t laugh at you, Abuelo. I promise.”

The older man again sighed with hesitance, but eventually gave in and answered. “Geese.” 

“ Geese ?” Carolina remarked, furrowing her eyebrows together in confusion.

Alejandro nodded. “ Sì ,” he said. “When we were still children, your Uncle Alfonzo thought it would be hilarious to put an angry goose inside my room and surprise me when I opened the door. I ran around like an idiot for almost an hour before my father was finally able to kill the devil. Honking and cackling and trying to bite me in a fit of fury. And to this day, every time I see one of those devil birds wandering nearby, I run in the opposite direction and never look back until I’m safely inside the house.” 

He watched as the corners of Carolina’s mouth started to twitch and could see a grin trying to break through. She eventually buried her face into her father’s belly, no longer able to contain herself, and her body shook as she fought back from laughing.

Alejandro rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Fine, go ahead and laugh,” he said reluctantly. He couldn’t help but smile seeing his granddaughter was feeling better, and her giggling was music to his ears. His face became firm and stern the minute her laughing died out, and he wagged a finger at her. “Don’t you ever tell another soul that story, or I will make you listen to my guitar playing for two hours straight.”

Carolina giggled and shook her head. “No, Abuelo, I won’t tell anybody. I promise.” 

“Good,” he said. “Now go to bed. You’ll have to get up early to help with your chores if you want to go horseback riding in the afternoon.” 

Carolina looked up at Diego. “Can you come too, Papa?” 

“Oh, I might, if I feel up to it. You know I still get tired easily once and a while.” 

The little teenager frowned again, this time out of worry. “Papa, are you sure you’re okay? Your eyes look kind of funny.” 

Diego gave a smile as he placed his hand on her cheek. “I’m just fine, my little sweet. I’ll be alright, I just haven’t been sleeping well the last few nights is all. A few days to catch up on some sleep will do just the trick.”

“You sure? I can stay home tomorrow, if you’re not feeling well.” 

“Absolutely not. I insist you go on that horseback ride with your grandfather and enjoy yourself. You’ve been looking forward to that for weeks now. I will be fine. Bernardo will be here if I need something, I’ll be in good hands, I assure you.” 

Carolina nodded, not too fond still over the idea of leaving her father when he wasn’t feeling well, but nodded and gave him a small smile back. “Alright, Papa. I’ll go. Promise me you’ll send Bernardo for me if you need something, though?” 

Diego’s expression brightened. “You’ll be the first one I call for.” 

Carolina looked up at her father with a loving gaze, then snuggled up against him and hugged him. The feeling of Diego wrapping his warm arms around her and holding her close only lifted her spirits higher. She got a kiss on the head before again looking up at him. 

“I love you, Papa,” she told him. “More than Heaven and Earth combined.” 

“I love you , my little sweet. Forever and ever and ever. Sweet dreams, my little angel.” 

Carolina hugged her father for a moment longer, then gave her grandfather a ‘goodnight’ kiss, received one on each cheek, then she climbed up the stairs to her room, and left the two de la Vega men to themselves. It was shortly after Carolina disappeared into her room did Diego have another pang in his stomach. He placed his hand on his somewhat swollen middle and groaned.

“You’re getting worse, my son,” Alejandro said with a frown. “Those cramps should have gone away by now, yet they’re getting bad again.” 

“I know, Father,” Diego answered, rubbing his belly. “I know that, but I don’t want to upset Carolina. If she knew what was going on the last seven days, she’d be in tears. I can’t stand the idea of hurting her like that again.” 

“ You didn’t hurt her, Diego; that evil monster Black Lobo is the one that hurt her like that. But if you keep avoiding these cramps you’ve been having, Carolina may really lose you. Poor Angelita , she’d be heartbroken without you.” 

“I know, Father…but what if it’s something serious? What if I have to have another operation? How would I break that news to her? How would I reassure her that everything will be alright and that I’ll come right back to her? She still has nightmares of me dying that night on occasion.” 

“Carolina may have a gentle soul, but she is strong just like the rest of us de la Vegas. If it comes to the worse case scenario, Bernardo and I will help her get through it until you come home. Besides, knowing Dr. Hernandez, he’ll probably let Carolina sit by your bedside the entire time you’re recovering. She won’t leave your side for one moment.” 

Diego gave a small smile. “I know she won’t,” he answered. “Perhaps you’re right, Father. Maybe she’ll be able to stay with me the whole time I’m recovering. Then I won’t have to worry about leaving her.” He let out a heavy sigh. “Alright. Tomorrow morning I will go into town and get a physical done by Dr. Hernandez and hopefully be back in time for you and Carolina to get home.” 

“It will be alright, my son,” Alejandro promised. “Like I said before; if worse comes to worse, Carolina will be right there by your side until you’re well enough to come home. You two won’t be apart from each other this time.”

“I hope you’re right, Father…’cause I can’t stand Carolina hurting like that again. It’ll kill me.” 

*** Fantasma City is a fictional city I created for the purpose of this story.

Chapter Text

The following morning went by quickly. Carolina and Alejandro were done with chores a little after breakfast, then saddled up their horses and took off into the open country on their grandfather-granddaughter horse ride along the coast. Diego still felt under the weather, making Carolina hesitant on going, but her father insisted she go and have fun. Despite her worries, she listened to her father and continued as planned, while Diego rode into town an hour after their departure to Dr. Luis Hernandez’s office. An older, yet very wise doctor trusted among everyone in Los Angeles with their health and medical care. Illnesses, surgeries, rehabilitation therapy, he could do it all and more. The same medic that had saved Diego’s life from inevitable death.

As he lay on the examining bed, Diego watched as Dr. Hernandez listened to his chest and stomach with a wooden stethoscope then pressed on his belly with his hands in various spots. When the doctor got to the area his healing scars were located, Diego let out a short groan and nodded. 

“You hit it right on the nail, Doctor,” he told him through just barely gritted teeth. He tried to focus on his breathing as Hernandez straightened his posture and frowned. The doctor proceeded to feel Diego’s middle with a gentle hand and was extremely displeased to feel how swollen his patient’s belly still was. He then unbuttoned the bottom of Diego’s shirt, made a visual scan of his fresh scars, then buttoned it back up and slowly shook his head.

“I don’t like what I’m seeing, Don Diego,” he finally said. “Not even in the slightest.” 

“But last time you checked me you said I was recovering well.” Diego protested.

“And you are externally. Internally, however, I’m a bit concerned. Abdominal spasms, your belly is still awful swollen from where it should be by now…my recommendation is to go to the hospital in Monterey and have what we call a diagnosis operation to make sure everything internally is healing properly. I have a colleague there, Dr. Manolo Murrietta. He’s a remarkable doctor and a top-of-the-line surgeon. If he finds something wrong with you, he’ll be able to correct it.” 

“ Surgery ,” Diego said, rising to sit up. “You think it’s something that serious?” 

“You could just be healing slower than expected due to the severity of your injuries, but I would still prefer Dr. Murrietta perform the operation just to single out any underlying conditions as a result of the stabbing. Just as a necessary precaution. The last thing we need is for you to suffer a relapse.” 

“We-, How long would I be there for? Is it a lengthy recovery time?” 

“I wouldn’t say more than a week or two. It’s a fairly simple operation. If it proves to be nothing more than your injuries healing slowly, you should be out of the hospital and back in Los Angeles in no longer than a week. But I want you on your way to Monterey by tomorrow morning. The sooner the operation’s performed, the better your prognosis.” 

Diego closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. What he had feared most was becoming a reality. What he wanted to have spared his daughter of was re-emerging from the shadows and clinging onto him like a vice. He shook his head.

“Would he at least permit Carolina to see me before I go in for surgery? Just so I can reassure her I’ll be alright until I wake up again.” 

Hernandez’s frown became longer, his eyes holding a deep apology behind them. “I’m afraid Carolina won’t be going with you to Monterey, Don Diego,” he said softly.

“What?” Diego remarked wide-eyed.

“The hospital is far too small to permit any visitors inside throughout your stay there. It will be crowded enough as it is with all the doctors that will be hovering over you at all times. I’m sorry, Don Diego; Carolina will have to stay here and wait to see you until you come home again.” 

“After everything my daughter’s been through with Black Lobo, you wish to separate us a second time? Do you have any idea how heartbroken she was when I found her in San Diego? I thought her grief was going to kill her because of how devastated she was without me.” 

“And if it were up to me, I would let Carolina go with you without a second thought. But I can not change hospital protocol and regulations. I can write a letter explaining the situation to Dr. Murrietta and see if he can’t give Carolina a pardon, but there’s nothing else I can do, Don Diego. The hospital just simply won’t permit her to be there.” 

“Well, you tell this Dr. Murrietta that if nothing else he’s to come down here and perform the surgery at my hacienda, because I’m not leaving my little girl again. She’s been through far too much, I won’t make her suffer all that agony twice.” Diego gave a short cry out as another cramp hit him and just about doubled over on the bed. He placed his hand on his belly as Hernandez put a hand on his patient’s shoulder.

“Are you alright, Don Diego?” The medic asked.

Still grimacing, Diego nodded and let out a shaky breath through his mouth. “I’m alright, Doctor. Just another cramp, that's all.” 

“I will write a thorough report to Dr. Murrietta tonight explaining your injury’s history in full and have it sent with you along with a carriage to transport you to Monterey early tomorrow morning. I don’t want you riding alone when you’re having these cramps unexpectedly.” 

“You’re certain Carolina can’t come with me?” 

Hernandez shook his head as he gazed at Diego with a sympathetic expression. “I’m sorry, Don Diego,” he finally answered. “She must remain behind with your father and that silent manservant of yours.” 

“Then how do you suppose I break the news to her? My baby will be in tears when she learns she can’t come with me. She’ll be in tears just at the mention that I need to have another operation.” 

“Would you like me to be there when you tell her? So I can explain everything to her in further detail.” 

Diego shook his head, his heart growing heavy just at the image of his daughter falling to tears. And because of him, out of all things. “No. If she’s going to have to hear this bad news, I want her to hear it from me. Now I just need to find the right way to break it to her the easiest.” He let out another sigh. “But there is none.”

Alejandro dragged his tired body into the courtyard and felt a two hundred pound weight be lifted off of his shoulders the minute he saw a nearby chair. His feet ached, his shoulders were heavy, and his back felt like it had just gone through the wringer. To say he was exhausted would have been an understatement.

When he reached one of the lounge chairs he collapsed back into it and let out a sigh of relief as all the tension in his body evaporated. He straightened his black hat, which had almost covered his eyes, and closed his eyes to soak in the warm sunshine. He had almost transported himself to his own oasis, when the door opened, and he watched Diego walk in. 

The younger de la Vega gave a fatigued smile as he walked to the second vacant chair before his father. “You look as exhausted as I feel, Father,” he said, slowly sitting down as he held his middle.

Alejandro scoffed. “I would love to see you track down a loose bull and nearly have a wrestling match to get it restrained and follow you back to the ranch.” 

Diego gave a light chuckle. “Someone left Lorenzo’s gate open again, didn’t they, Father.” 

“I don’t know how many times I have to tell the servants to keep Lorenzo’s gate locked at all hours unless given my strict permission. Yet one always forgets every now and then, and then I have to go out there and nearly head-butt that stubborn thing just to get him to follow me back to the rancho so I can lock him up again.” He shook his head. “It’s becoming such a problem, I even had to put a sign on his door gate saying ‘DO NOT OPEN’. Even that is proving to be fruitless.” 

“Have you ever considered selling Lorenzo off to another ranchero ? Taming and disciplining doesn’t seem to be working, perhaps getting rid of him would take the load off of your shoulders,” Diego suggested.

Alejandro jeered. “You don’t think I have tried that already? I have tried to trade him off to almost a hundred vaqueros now, but no one will take him based off of his history with rampaging and charging at his handlers. He even charged at me a few times at first before he learned to back down and obey my orders.”

Diego let out a hefty sigh. “I wish my problem was as simplistic as yours, Father.” 

Alejandro furrowed his eyebrows together as he gazed skeptically at his son. “What do you mean by that , Diego? Did your physical with Dr. Hernandez not go over well?” 

There was a brief moment of silence before Diego softly shook his head. “No,” he answered. “He’s very concerned that I’m still having abdominal spasms, and my belly is apparently more swollen than he’d like it to be based on how far along I am in my recovery…He wants me to go to the hospital in Monterey and have a diagnostic operation to see if there’s anything not healing properly internally.” 

“ Operation . He thinks it could be that bad?” 

“He wants me to go as a precautionary measure, but I could see it in his eyes that he was deeply troubled by my symptoms. He said if anyone could fix a possible complication with my injury that it would be the doctor at the Monterey hospital. Dr. Murrietta, I think is his name. I’m to leave tomorrow morning and have my surgery the following day.” 

“ Dios mìo …But why would it come up now? You’ve been recovering beautifully until recently.”

“Anything is possible with a stab wound as severe as mine, Father. All I can do now is pray that they’ll find nothing wrong and I’ll be able to come home after a week-long stay there.”

“Does Carolina know yet?” 

“No,” Diego said, shaking his head. His frown grew longer. “Father, I don’t know how to do this. This is going to break her heart. How do you ease the pain of a broken heart to your own child?” 

Alejandro shook his head. “You can’t , my son,” he said, with a grim expression. “As much as you want to protect your child from all that pain and shield them from all evil, it just isn’t possible. All you can do is console her and reassure her that you will be alright. Kiss her cheek before you go in, and give her a smile once you’re in recovery.” 

Diego closed his eyes and could feel his own heart breaking remembering Hernandez’s words. He let out a shaky breath of air. “That’s the worst part of it, Father. She’s not going with me.” 

The older ranchero’s eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. “What?!” He gasped.

“Dr. Hernandez said it’s the hospital’s protocol. They will not take visitors due to the small size of the hospital and the fact that I will have many doctors monitoring me the entire time I’m there. Dr. Hernandez is sending an appeal up there tonight to see if they can’t make an exception due to the situation’s history, but he doubts it will get approval. Carolina must remain behind with you and Bernardo here in Los Angeles until I am well enough to come home…I couldn’t get through to him no matter what I said.” 

“They can not deny a little girl visitation rights to see her father,” Alejandro spat, shooting to his feet. “Staying there overnight I can understand, but not allowing her to see you at all is downright vile. There’s no way they can refu-”

“If it’s hospital policy, Father, they can implement that regulation for as long as they want, whenever they want. I want my little sweetheart there with me every minute of the day so I can hold her and tell her everything will be alright, but there’s nothing we can do to change that, Father. Not unless a miracle occurs.” 

“If she can not be with you in the hospital, then she and Bernardo can at least get a room at the inn and be near you until you are released. I will make the reservations immediately.”

Diego shook his head. “You already know that isn’t possible, Father. That huge ranchero festival is currently going on in Monterey, every room at the inn will already be booked and occupied. And I couldn’t ask Anna Maria to let them stay with her. She’s still grieving the loss of her own father, she’s probably swamped with stress trying to take care of all of his assets and final expenses. 

“I have tried to find any possible loop-hole to this situation, but there is none. I am left with no other choice than to leave my baby here and go to Monterey alone…And it breaks my heart already imagining the sound of her cries in my head.” 

Alejandro sighed with a frown, knowing his son was right. He shook his head. “Poor Carolina…it’ll break her poor heart to know there could be something seriously wrong beneath the surface.” He turned his gaze back to his son and saw the pain Diego felt in his chest shining through his eyes. “Would it make it easier for you if I am there with you when you tell her?” 

“ Nothing will make what I have to tell Carolina easier…but I would appreciate your presence when she hears the news. She’ll depend on you for everything while I’m gone.”

“And I promise you she will have me at every hour of every day. If she needs me to hold her while she cries, I will. If she needs someone to talk to, my ears will be open. I will protect her with my life for you, Diego. She will never be alone while you’re away.” 

A grateful grin came to Diego’s face, his eyes twinkling with unshed tears. “ Gracias , Father. I feel more at ease knowing she will have you until I can be with her again.” 

Alejandro returned the same grin and patted his son’s shoulder. “That’s what fathers are for, my son,” he told him. “And you so far have done a wonderful job being a father and a mother to Carolina. I can see why she loves you so dearly. Come, my son. She’s in the sala with Sergeant Garcia, Corporal Reyes, and Capitán Monastario trying to find a song to sing at an upcoming wedding.”

“A wedding ,” Diego remarked, rising to his feet. 

“Sergeant Garcia’s brother is getting married at the end of the month. And he’s chosen Sergeant Garcia himself to perform a song at the reception with Corporal Reyes.” Alejandro rolled his eyes with distaste. “They have been pounding my brain with so many different melodies this afternoon my head is ready to explode.” 

“Was this before or after wrangling up Lorenzo?” 

Alejandro let out a low growl as the two de la Vega men made their way inside the living room, finding Garcia and Reyes singing a song about Santa Barbara, Carolina playing an upbeat little tune on the piano with Bernardo as her page turner, and Monastario standing off to the left with his arms crossed, completely agitated that he had gotten stuck ‘babysitting’ the two soldiers all day.

When the two guards sang the lyrics ‘ Santa B ’, the bitter captain stepped in with the song’s flaw.

“Guards,” he said. When Garcia and Reyes didn’t respond, he said the same word a bit louder.

Still no response.

“Guards,” he said, sticking his neck out to project his voice. When he still received no reply, he stormed over to the group of four and barked for their attention, causing Carolina to nearly jump off of the bench two feet in the air.

“GUARDS!”

“ What ?!” Garcia and Reyes snapped back. They tried to make themselves smaller in size by hunching their heads into their shoulders and shivered under the stabbing gaze Monastario was giving them for back talking to him. 

“You called, Capitán ?” Garcia raised hesitantly.

“You simpletons,” Monastario scolded. “You can’t address Santa Barbara as Santa B, no one will know what you’re talking about. It makes no coherent sense.”

“But what’s a word that rhymes with ‘Barbara’, Capitán ?” 

“Carbara, darbara, larbara, tarbara, sarba-” 

“Oh, shut up, you baboso .” Monastario snarled back at Reyes. 

“You know, Capitán ,” Garcia said, an idea coming to him. “You could probably help us write a song quickly with your wise knowledge. Why don’t you sing with us at my brother’s wedding?” 

“What do I look like to you, some choir boy? I’m a high-class military officer, not some hopeless musician.” 

“And a rather cranky one, at that,” Reyes muttered to Garcia, though Monastario’s ears were as perceptive as a hawk and caught on to what the corporal had said.

The captain growled in response, when he felt the presence of someone new in the room. He looked behind him and saw Diego and Alejandro watching him carefully. Even after a month, the two de la Vega men had kept their word on him upsetting Carolina again, and by the looks in their eyes, they were ready to act the minute he caused the littlest de la Vega any form of distress. 

Monastario looked back at his soldiers. “Follow me, lancers,” he ordered. “Our time to leave has come. I’m sure the de la Vegas wish to have their privacy now.” 

“But Capitán , the song-”

“MOVE!” Monastario cut off Garcia.

“ Sì, Capitán ,” Garcia said shaky, and he and Reyes hauled out of the de la Vega hacienda like a couple of chickens with their heads cut off. 

Monastario followed from behind, gave the de la Vega men a quick glare, then looked back at a stunned Carolina and let out another growl while shaking his fist in front of him. “Stay out of my way,” he barked at her, then walked out of the sala while slamming the door behind him. 

Once the shock had worn off, Carolina turned her befuddled gaze to Bernardo, who simply shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.

Diego chuckled softly before turning to his father. “You should consider yourself lucky, Father,” he said. “You may have had to deal with an angry bull, but at least you did not have to put up with an angry Monastario.” 

Hearing her father’s voice, Carolina turned to the door, spotted Diego standing beside Alejandro, then grinned as she bolted to his side and wrapped her arms around him. Her expression only brightened more when she felt her father take her into his warm arms and kiss the top of her head. Diego looked down at her lovingly as he rubbed the back of his daughter’s head with his hand.

“You make everyday brighter for me, you know that?” He told her. 

Carolina gave a bashful smile. “If I’m your sunshine, you’re my rainbow, Papa.” 

“Awe,” Diego gave her another kiss on the head and held her close. “I love you, my little sweet. My little angel baby.” 

“How did your doctor’s appointment go?”

“Oh, he picked and prodded and stuck me with things, normal physical examination stuff.” 

“What about your belly? Does he know why you’re having all those random pangs recently?” 

A long frown returned to Diego’s face, his dark eyes aching with heartbreak knowing the task he had at hand now. He lifted his gaze to his father for help.

“Carolina,” Alejandro said. “Why don’t you go out into the courtyard, and we can discuss that matter further.”

Carolina’s face seemed to start draining of color, and she looked up at her father with a worrisome expression. She felt some sort of comfort when Diego gently rubbed her back.

“Listen to your grandfather, my love. It’ll do no good to argue with him,” he told her.

Despite the sharp chill beginning to run up her spine and wanting to lock her body in place, Carolina slowly nodded and did as her father and grandfather told. Once she had closed the door behind her, Diego returned his attention to Alejandro and shook his head.

“Father, I can’t do this. I can’t break my baby’s heart like this.” 

“I’m afraid you have no choice, my son,” Alejandro answered, with a sympathetic tone in his voice. “Just be easy with her. Leave no stone unturned. Hold her close and promise her everything will be alright when she needs your guidance for answers. I will assist you as much as I can, but it’s you she’ll need the most now.” 

Diego let out a heavy breath of air, then nodded. “Yes, Father,” he said.

Without another word, Alejandro patted his son’s shoulder, then the two de la Vega men walked out of the sala and closed the door behind them with a soft ‘click’. 

Diego and Alejandro stepped into the courtyard to find Carolina sitting on the brick circle surrounding the single tree in the center of the terracotta flooring. The sound of their footsteps made her lift her gaze from the ground and watched as her father stopped at her side and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“Over here, my sweet. Where I can sit down and lean back for a bit,” Diego said, gesturing over to the two reclining chairs facing each other.

Carolina rose to her feet and followed him towards the vacant chair, Alejandro sitting on the edge of the other one. She watched Diego ease himself into the second chair, then sat down beside his legs once he patted the side on the right. A mixed feeling of comfort and fear hit her when Diego put his hand on her cheek and tenderly rubbed it with his thumb.

“Papa, what’s wrong?” Carolina croaked, a large knot forming in her throat. “You’re okay, right?” 

Diego let out a slow breath of air before explaining. “Carolina, my sweet,” he began. “Dr. Hernandez is awfully concerned about the continuation of my cramps when my surgeries happened over three months ago. He’s also worried that my belly is still as swollen as it is. The swelling should have been completely gone by now, and he said it feels warm where my incision scars are located…Dr. Hernandez wants me to go to the hospital in Monterey and undergo something he calls a diagnostic operation to make sure my injuries are healing the way they should internally.”

“ Surgery ,” Carolina wailed, unshed tears glistening in her eyes.

“It’s just a little one, nothing too grand. If all looks normal and is just healing slower than usual, I’ll be home in no more than a week. If they find something wrong, they’ll correct whatever’s going on right then and there, and I wouldn’t be gone for more than two weeks at the most. The doctor’s name is Dr. Murrietta. Dr. Hernandez reassured me that he’s one of the best in all of California. He’ll take very good care of me.”

Carolina started to whimper a bit, yet she didn’t shed a single tear yet. She simply wrapped her arms around her father’s and hugged it to her as hard as she could. As Diego softly hushed her and rubbed her cheek again, Alejandro stepped in.

“Carolina, I have heard of Dr. Murrietta many times in my past, and not a single time was a bad thing said about him. I have never met him personally, but he is one of the best doctors known in the country. Your father will be in very, very good hands with him as his surgeon.” 

Though tears began to stream down her face, Carolina sniffled and turned her attention back to her father, wiping the tears away with the sleeves of her dress. “Will I…Can I see you when you come out of surgery?” 

Diego’s heart broke into even more pieces as he heard the question he dreaded to answer. He swallowed a knot forming in his throat as he searched for the right words to say. He finally shook his head. “I’m so sorry, my little love. I’m afraid you won’t be coming with me.” 

“What?” Carolina’s small voice cracked.

“The hospital in Monterey is too small for you to visit with your father, Angelita ,” Alejandro explained. “No visitors are permitted inside the hospital for medical purposes. Dr. Hernandez is going to send a letter with your father to see if they can make an exception for you based on the history of his injury, but it is a very long shot. I’m afraid you will have to stay behind with me and Bernardo.” 

“I leave tomorrow morning,” Diego said. “Dr. Hernandez says the sooner I have the operation, the better my chances are.” 

Carolina furiously shook her head, the waterworks finally beginning. “No…” she cried. “No, Papa, no. Don’t let them take you away from me, Papa, don’t let them take you away from me.” 

“Oh, my little sweet,” Diego said, taking her into his arms. “They’re not taking me away from you, it’ll just be for a week or two, not a day longer.”

“No…no, I lost you once, I can’t lose you again, Papa. I can’t, I can’t, I can’t breathe without you here.” 

“You’re not going to lose me. Alright, you’re never ever going to lose me. I’m going to come right back to you when I’m well enough again. It’ll just be a few days, and I’ll be home again.” 

Carolina continued to cry, burying her face into her father’s chest. “Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me, Papa, don’t leave me.” She sobbed.

“Aw, my baby.” Diego held his daughter close and tried to hush her, but the strong feel of fear was holding onto Carolina like a vice. He rubbed her back, kissed her forehead, and hugged her tight, but nothing could console her, and he began to feel tears stinging his own eyes. “Sweetheart, you’re breaking my heart here. If I could, I would take you with me within a heartbeat.”

“I want you here…I want you here where I can see you and hug you.”

“I’m going to be alright, my little love. I’m going to be just fine. I’m coming back to you the minute I can, I promise. And I don’t break my promises, do I?” 

“Papa…Papa. Papa…don’t leave me.” 

Diego resumed hushing her and rocked her from side to side, giving her an occasional kiss on the head and resting his against hers. He started to sing her song to make her feel better and held her close to his heart while doing so, the gentle beating of it soothing Carolina’s raging nerves. 

Once he finished singing, Carolina was still in tears and crying softly, holding onto her father like he was her lifeline. Diego hushed her again and kissed her forehead, then lifted his gaze to Alejandro for a moment before looking down at his daughter again. There was nothing more he could do for her at that moment. All he could do was hold her. 

Chapter Text

Night came and went, and morning came sooner than anyone wanted it to. With his suitcase packed and ready to go, Diego and Alejandro talked with each other as the carrier lifted Diego’s belongings and packed them away for the trip.

“Write to us when you get to the hospital. Just so we know you got there safely,” Alejandro said.

Diego smiled back. “It’ll be the first thing I do after being admitted, Father.”

Alejandro patted his son’s shoulder. “Good luck, my son. I will be sending nothing but good thoughts your way.”

“Thank you, Father,” Diego answered with a short nod. He parted ways with his father, then walked towards Carolina, who was already sobbing silently. Diego took his fingers and gently lifted her eyes to him. He gave her a smile for encouragement, and Carolina began to cry. She buried her face into her father’s belly and held him tight, terrified at the idea of letting him go. 

Diego hushed her as he rubbed her back. “You be strong for me, now, alright? A week will have come and gone before you know it. Then I’ll be back again.” 

“Papa,” Carolina cried, then shook her head. “I can’t, Papa, I can’t, I’m scared.”

“You are a lot braver than you think you are, my little one. I’ll be right here with you while I’m away. In your mind, in your heart, everywhere you go this next week I’ll be right there by your side. And when I get back from Monterey, you can give me as many hugs and kisses as you want. I’ll have no objections to that.” 

Carolina tried to swallow her fear and be strong like her father said, but the antagonizing anxiety would not let go of her, and she continued to cry. “I’m scared, Papa,” she sobbed. “I’m scared, Papa, I don’t want to lose you.”

“You’re not going to lose me, sweet girl. I’m going to be just fine. Dr. Murrietta will take very good care of me, he won’t let anything bad happen to me.” 

When Carolina could not stop crying, Diego hushed her, held her close, and began to sing her song to her, smiling every time she looked up at him with her tear-stained eyes. When he reached the end, Diego kissed his daughter’s head, then took her face into his hands and looked lovingly at her.

“Be brave, my sweet girl,” he told her softly. “I’ll be home very soon.” 

Though tears continued to fall, Carolina sniffled and nodded, then gave her father one last hug, trying to soak in as much of his warmth and love she could. To last her until he came home again.

“I love you more than anyone, Papa,” she croaked.

“I love you , my little love. Always and forever.” 

They hugged each other for a little longer, then Carolina reluctantly let go and allowed Alejandro to take her into his arms. 

Diego made his way to the carriage before looking back once more. He saw Alejandro and Bernardo standing there with encouraging smiles, while Carolina looked at him with grief-stricken eyes and doing her best to say ‘goodbye’. Diego smiled back at all of them, waved his hand, then boarded the carriage and took off into the horizon for Monterey.

Once Diego was out of sight, Carolina’s chest again fell heavy, and she buried her face into Alejandro’s chest as she resumed crying. The older ranchero rubbed her back and did all he could to ease his granddaughter’s anxiety away.

“No tears now, Angelita . No tears…Your father will be home again very soon. You must be strong for him, now. He needs all the love and prayers we can send his way. In fact, he’s probably more scared than you are for him.”

“What if Dr. Murrietta can’t help him? What if he can’t save my Papa?”

“I highly doubt that will be the case. It’s just as I told you the other day; Dr. Murrietta is one of the best doctors in the country. If anyone can help your father, it’s him. But you have to remember they’re could be nothing wrong at all. Your father’s injuries could just be taking longer to heal than normal, this operation is just a precautionary measure.”

Carolina sniffled and let out a few whimpers before Alejandro continued.

“Your father is a very strong man, Angelita . Very kind and very gentle, but he fights as hard as a bull. Remember how hard he fought for you after being injured by Black Lobo; the love he has for you is ten times stronger than the blade that severely wounded him. He fought through and won once, he will do the same thing again.”

“I miss him, Abuelo. He’s only been gone for a few minutes, and I miss him terribly.” 

“I know, my little one. I know. I miss him already myself.” 

Carolina turned her gaze to the ground and fell silent, when she felt her grandfather gently pat her shoulder. 

“Come on, Angelita ,” he said, with the gesture of his head towards the sala. “Why don’t you come and help me with the bulls. Take your mind off of things for a while.”

The littlest de la Vega just barely nodded, and she and Alejandro walked side-by-side to the living area, while Bernardo followed them from behind.

That same night was one of the hardest nights Carolina had to ever live through. Her father, who had arrived at the Monterey hospital by now, would have his surgery tomorrow evening, and not knowing if he’d be alright or not once in recovery made it impossible for the little lady to sleep. Her body was worn, but her brain was buzzing with thoughts. Thoughts that made her shake, her heart pound against her chest, and made sharp chills run up and down throughout her entire body. The only thing keeping her from going crazy with fear was sitting in the sala next to the window and looking up at the moon shining high in the sky.

As she continued to gaze up at it, she could hear the faint sound of lonely howling in the far distance. It echoed inside her and reminded her just how alone she felt without her father there. She wondered if he was looking at the same moon and if he was alright. Not being able to be with him there made her feel like a hundred knives stabbing her in the chest all at once. She missed his voice. She missed his smile. She missed his hugs and kisses the most and longed for one so much that it made her want to scream. 

The pain of his absence again became too much, and she buried her face into her arms and started to cry softly. She was so absorbed into her raging emotions that she almost failed to hear her grandfather walk inside and say her name, Bernardo walking alongside him.

“Carolina,” he said, furrowing his eyebrows together. “What are you still doing up at this hour? It’s after midnight, Angelita .” 

Carolina shook her head and sniffled, her gaze never leaving the window’s view. “I can’t sleep, Abuelo,” she said meek. 

“You’re worried about your father, aren’t you.” 

The little lady hung her head and clenched her eyes shut as burning tears escaped and rolled down her cheeks. She started to break down again and was soon joined by Alejandro, taking her shaking body into his arms and holding her close. He tried swaying a bit from side-to-side in attempts to soothe her aching heart.

“He’s going to be alright, my dear,” Alejandro promised her. “Your father is going to have his surgery tomorrow night, the doctors are going to care for him until he’s strong again, and he’ll be back home before you know it.” 

“I want to be with him,” Carolina sobbed. “I want to be with Papa, why can’t I be with Papa?” 

“And I know he wanted you to be there with him just as much as you do. But we can not go against hospital protocol, my dear, we can not go against the law. Even if said rules and laws are absolutely asinine.”

“Papa,” Carolina wept. “I want my Papa back.” 

“He will come back, Carolina. It’s just for a few days, Angelita , he’ll come back to you in a few more days. Dr. Hernandez sent your father to Monterey because he doesn’t want you to lose him. He’s a very good doctor, he wants you to have your father for many, many more years. Just like I do.”

Poor little Carolina continued to cry, her mind scared blind that something would go wrong during her father’s surgery and cost him his life. By how intense the fear had a grip on her, she became completely inconsolable. 

Alejandro tried to find the right words to make his granddaughter feel better and give her some sense of courage, when an idea struck him. He shuddered at it, but he was willing to go through with it if it meant bringing Carolina to peace and helping her sleep the rest of the night soundfully. 

He let out a regrettable sigh and shook his head. “I can’t believe I’m about to do this,” he muttered to himself. “But if it makes you feel better, that’s all that matters to me right now.” Alejandro cleared his throat and started to sing her special song Diego always sang to her. It was out of tune in some places and a little rattly at times, but he sang it as best as he could to give his granddaughter some courage.

The tears continued to roll, but Carolina’s sobbing soon faded away, and she sniffled every now and then. Her body began to relax, and for a moment, she even felt like her father’s spirit was there with her. Wrapping its warm arms around her and kissing the top of her forehead as if it were a special message from Diego himself saying he was well and that he was going to be okay. It caused more tears to fall, but she began to feel some of her father’s love and strength radiate around her, and it gave her the bravery she needed to get through the rest of the night.

Alejandro finished singing, and while Bernardo silently snickered at the old man’s poor singing skills, the ranchero himself looked down at Carolina and rubbed her back. 

“Are you feeling any better, Angelita ?” He asked her.

Carolina was dead still for a moment, then she softly nodded and sniffled. “A little,” she croaked. “Thank you.” 

Alejandro smiled and kissed his granddaughter’s head. “What’s an abuelo for other than to crack jokes and poke fun with?” 

A small smile came to Carolina’s face, and she rested her head against her grandfather’s chest, while Alejandro looked behind him and saw Bernardo snickering at him in regards to his singing. He gave a long frown.

“Oh, you hush up,” he spat, causing Carolina to laugh a little. “I didn’t say it would be good music.” 

“Better than how I imagine Captain Monastario to sing in my head,” Carolina said softly.

Alejandro scoffed. “A dying mule would sound better than that man’s singing.” He grinned when he got another little laugh from Carolina, then he kissed the side of her head and rubbed her arm. “Come on, Angelita . It’s time for bed. The sooner you go to sleep, the sooner your father’s surgery will come. And the sooner your father’s surgery is done, the sooner he will come home again.”

The minute breakfast was finished, Carolina and Bernardo went into the pueblo to pick out ‘Get Well’ flowers and a card for Diego. While a small music group from Texas sang western songs near the tavern, the duo passed through a few floral stands, but Carolina was not satisfied with any of the bouquets. They were either too big, too small, didn’t have the right colors, or they were far too expensive for her to afford. 

Despite being a de la Vega and coming from a privileged family, Carolina was given so much money a month by her father and grandfather to spend wisely. To teach her the importance of hard work and that you have to earn something you want instead of just having it handed over to you on a silver platter. And after buying a stack of new books earlier that month, she was a few pesos lower than she wanted to be. Her papa deserved nothing but the best in her eyes, and unfortunately, the best was far too outside of her budget this time.

Coming to a halt in the center of the square, Carolina’s shoulders fell as she let out a disappointed sigh and frowned. “I feel so selfish,” she said. “Papa’s having major surgery, and I can’t even afford to get him a nice bouquet of flowers…Me and my stupid books.” She shook her head before turning to Bernardo. “You wouldn’t happen to have a few extra pesos I could borrow, do you?” 

The short manservant shook his head, pulled out his coin pouch, then shook it with the opening pointed downwards to show nothing was inside. He again shook his head as he shrugged his shoulders and held his arms out, much to the little de la Vega’s dismay.

Carolina’s frown grew longer and let out another sigh, this time her expression looking as if she were about to cry. “Wonderful,” she said shaky. “ Now what am I going to get Papa?” She closed her eyes and hung her head as Monastario’s right hand man, Blanco, walked past her and noticed her distressed demeanor. He frowned. 

“What’s the matter, little señorita ? There’s no need to frown on such a beautiful day like this,” the lieutenant said, sounding genuinely concerned.

Carolina sniffled and shook her head. “Please, Teniente ,” she said softly. “I don’t want to talk about it.” 

“It is not a good idea to keep your feelings bottled up inside, little señorita . Do not shut me out, little one, I am not your enemy.” 

The littlest de la Vega fell silent for a brief moment before answering. “My Papa is very ill…He’s at the hospital in Monterey to have surgery this evening, and…he’s sick, and I don’t have enough money to buy him a nice bouquet of flowers as a ‘Get Well’ present.” She felt the tears beginning to burn down her face. “Papa does everything for me, and I don’t have enough pesos because I’m selfish and bought a bunch of new books instead.” 

Blanco’s eyebrow raised slightly and became more intrigued than before. “Really,” he remarked.

Bernardo tapped Carolina on the shoulder and did some hand gestures to suggest she write a ‘Get Well’ song for Diego. 

Carolina shook her head. “Mm mm,” she said, then continued with several hand gestures in response. “I’m horrible at writing songs. That’s one of Papa’s specialties; not mine.” 

“I must be going now,” Blanco said. “But do tell your father when he comes home that I wish him a speedy recovery.” 

With her eyes turned to the ground, Carolina just barely nodded as the lieutenant gave her a tip of his hat, then walked off. When he was certain Carolina could no longer see him, he began sprinting towards Monastario’s quarters, while Bernardo’s careful gaze saw the change in behavior. 

The little man turned to his master’s daughter and tugged on her sleeve to get her attention. Bernardo made some gestures to explain how Blanco had run off in Monastario’s direction like he was in a hurry. He couldn’t explain why, though.

Carolina looked off curiously in the direction Blanco had run off in, then returned her attention to Bernardo. “We better check this out, Bernardo,” she said softly. “Monastario and the lieutenant might be up to no good again.” 

With a quick nod, Carolina and Bernardo took off after Blanco and tuned their ears to be ready the minute they got to the captain’s quarters. It seemed Zorro’s daughter might need to come out again. And this time with fangs. 

Chapter Text

Monastario was sitting at his desk working on paperwork, when he heard the sound of someone knocking on his door. 

“Enter,” he said, never lifting his eyes from the documents before him.

He finally looked up when the door opened and watched as Blanco came in and stopped before him at the desk.

“ Capitán , I’ve just learned some very interesting news. News that might be of great favor to you,” the lieutenant said.

Monastario raised his eyebrow as he gazed skeptically at his adjutant. “And what might that be?” He questioned.

“The little de la Vega. She just told me Don Diego is ill and in the hospital in Monterey undergoing surgery. I don’t know the specifics, but it sounds very severe, Capitán . This could be your chance to take him out without difficulty, Sir. Especially when in such a weakened state.” 

Monastario’s eyes twinkled a bit as his expression brightened. “ Ill ,” he said pleased.

“What better time to kill Zorro when Zorro is so weak he can not defend himself.” 

The captain began to rub his hands together as he let out a diabolical laugh, while Carolina and Bernardo reached the open window of Monastario’s office. They lowered their heads down, then tilted them to the side, their ears facing up near the open sill.

“At last, Zorro will finally be no more. De la Vega will be completely defenseless, and I’ll do away with him in one shot.” He gestured for Blanco to step forward. “Look at this, Teniente .” Monastario pulled out a syringe filled with a clearish liquid from one of his desk drawers and gave a sly grin. “Do you know what this is, Teniente ?”

Blanco furrowed his eyebrows together as he visually examined the substance. “Looks like some sort of liquid, Capitán ,” he answered.

Monastario’s grin widened with pride. “It’s poison,” he said. “Curare. Comes from the gourds of a calabash tree. Enough in here that it can stop the heart and lungs within minutes. By the time the doctors find de la Vega, it’ll be too late to save him. His entire body and all of his organs will have become paralyzed and no longer be able to function.” 

“As good of a plan as it is, how will you get into the hospital to give it to him without being detected?” 

“Certainly they will allow another doctor to enter the hospital for his shift, will they not?” 

“You mean you’ll disguis-”

“I have a costume and medical bag already to go in the back. I shall bury this syringe into the bag, slip into the hospital as another doctor, then I will find de la Vega’s bed, inject him with this, and it will be adios to both Señor Zorro and Diego de la Vega.”

Both officers began to laugh as Carolina’s mouth nearly fell from its hinges. She shook her head as hot tears blurred her vision.

“When do we leave, Capitán ?” She heard Blanco ask.

“Early this evening. I will tell the Commandante that I wish to represent the pueblo of Los Angeles at the big ranchero festival going on in Monterey, and we will go an hour after that. I will have the horses ready, all I need you to do is meet me at the stables by 5:00 sharp. We shall make our way to Monterey then.” 

“I shall certainly be there, Capitán . I wouldn’t miss the death of Señor Zorro for anything in the world.” 

“They’re gonna kill Papa,” Carolina croaked. Bernardo quickly held a finger to his mouth and gestured for her to follow him before speaking any further. They found a vacant part of the cuartel and stopped beside one of the concrete walls. 

“Bernardo, they’re going to kill Papa. They’re going to kill Papa, and I’m not there to save him,” Carolina said, tears streaming down her face.

Bernardo quickly shook his head before wiping her tears away with his thumbs and whistled as he made a ‘Z’ with his finger.

“But what can Zorro’s daughter do to stop Monastario? She won’t make it to Monterey before he does.” 

The short man tried to think quickly on his feet like Diego did before it hit him. Bernardo began to sway around and held his arms out to imitate a ghost.

“A ghost, what will a gho-” A light then went on in her head, and her eyes lit up with mischief. “A ghost…I’ve got it, Bernardo. You remember that ghost story Sergeant Garcia told us? The three sisters and Fantasma City, and how you have to go through there to get to Monterey? If Monastario is planning on leaving around this evening, then he should be hitting Fantasma City just shortly before midnight.” 

Bernardo pretended to moan like a ghost, and Carolina nodded with a grin. “Exactly, Bernardo. I think Zorra and the Villacorta Sisters are going to give Monastario a little visit tonight at midnight. But it’ll take more than just the two of us. I’ll need some help to pull this off…and I think I know just where to find it.”

“Kill your father,” one of the Montoya sisters, Catalina, gasped. She and her sisters had just finished hearing Carolina’s story as they and Bernardo gathered around a table in the tavern.

“But that can’t be,” another, Delia, said. “Your father is so good, what crime could he possibly have hanging over his head?” 

“Captain Monastario has this wild obsession that Papa is the real identity of Señor Zorro ,” Carolina explained. “He wants to kill Papa and expose him as the man behind the Fox’s mask. But Papa doesn’t have a mean bone in his body, he’d never fight anybody, especially when the results could lead to death. I need your help to save him. If Monastario gets to Monterey before he can be stopped, my Papa will be gone. And I can’t lose my Papa, not again.” 

“Of course we’ll help you, our sweet little one,” the third sister, Alma, said, placing her hand over Carolina’s and gently patting it. 

“What do you want us to do, little de la Vega?” Delia asked. 

Carolina wiped her tears away and straightened her posture to feel stronger. She sniffled. “Have you three ever heard of the story of the Villacorta Sisters?” 

“The Villacorta Sisters,” Alma said. “Aren’t those the three women that supposedly haunt Fantasma City every night at midnight?” 

Carolina nodded. “ Sì . That’s right.” 

“But what does that have to do with us saving your father, Carolina?” Catalina questioned.

Carolina gestured with her finger for the Montoya Sisters to lean forward, then she whispered her plan into their ears.

As Zorra and Bernardo raced through the night on Tornado to get to Fantasma City in time, Monastario and Blanco took their time on the path to Monterey. The world soon became dark, and the full moon shined brighter in the sky than usual that night. 

The two military officers were just a little more than a few miles out of Santa Barbara when they reached Fantasma City around 11:50. The little city and the environment around them was dead still, not a single gust of wind blew past them, while a thick cloud of fog surrounded them and caused an even more eerie setting. 

Monastario and Blanco dismounted their horses and walked a little ways into the abandoned city. All the two could make out were shadows and black objects ahead of them. Whether those objects were buildings, trees, or some other sort of natural formation was beyond their knowledge. 

The captain scanned his surroundings as best as he could before speaking. 

“We’ll have to ride through here and into the next city before stopping for the night. It looks like this place has been deserted for years.” 

“You, yo, you mean…You want us to go through here ?” Blanco stuttered, a wave of anxiety covering him like a thick blanket.

“What do you mean through here, yes, through here. Do you know another way to get to Monterey?” 

Blanco gulped. “I think I’d prefer to go back to Santa Barbara and go through here come morning, Capitán .” 

“Don’t tell me you’re scared.”

“ Sì, Capitán. Very .” 

“Boulderdash, grow up and be a man, Teniente . There’s nothing to be frightened of.” 

“ Capitán , I’ve heard bad things about this place, especially at night. Things happen here that I wish not to know whether they are true or not.” 

“Ahck,” Monastario scoffed. “All those things, they’re nothing but lies. Folk stories to scare little children at night before bedtime. Just another city like no other. We ride until we reach Gaviota. Then we shall rest for the night.” 

He went to turn and head back for his horse, when the sound of a church bell began to ring twelve times for midnight. The sudden sound made Blanco scream and jump in his spot. Monastario turned back to him and frowned.

“Oh, stop that, you fool,” the captain said slightly irritated. “Nothing more than a church bell, that can’t signify any nearby danger. Come, we’ll be in Gaviota by sunrise if we keep stalling.” 

Monastario again went to head back for his horse, when Blanco’s face went as pale as a bedsheet and subconsciously lifted a shaky finger to point ahead of them. 

“ Capitán ,” he gasped. “Look.” 

Monastario turned to see and briefly froze in his spot as he saw three moaning women appear from the fog in dark clothing, their hair singed and matted, while their faces were misshapen and gnarled together as if they had been burned alive in a devastating fire.

The captain snatched his gun from its holster and pointed it at the eerie women with a shaky hand as he stepped back and tried to keep himself from shivering in fear.

“Caaaaptain Monastaaaaario,” the first ‘ghost’, Alma, moaned.

“Captain Monastaaaaario,” the second, Catalina, said.

“Caaaptain Monastaaaaaario,” the third, Delia, said.

“Who are you,” Monastario demanded, a hint of fear wavering in his voice. “What do you want?” 

“Goooo baaaaaaaaaack.”

“Gooo baaaaaaaack.”

“Gooo baaaaaaaaaaack. Recaaaaall the cuuuuuuurse.”

“Niiiiiiight prevaaaaaaaails.”

“And moooon will defeeeeeeend.” 

“Reeetuuuuuurn to hooooooome, or meeet your eeeeeeeeend.”

Monastario put his shaky finger on the trigger of his gun as the three women cackled and disappeared back into the fog. He stood there for about thirty seconds before cautiously putting his pistol back in its holster and again checked his surroundings, only this time from paranoia. He took a step forward, when Blanco’s voice nearly made him jump in his spot.

“Wait a minute, Capitán . I don’t really want to kill de la Vega this much. I’ll catch up with you in the morning.” He went to go for his horse, when Monastario yanked the sobbing lieutenant around and glared at him.

“You coward, are you a soldier or a child? De la Vega probably sent three women out here to play a trick on us, there’s no stupid curse. Follow me.” 

The two officers tentatively walked further into the city, when the sound of a wolf howling nearby was the last straw for Blanco. The lieutenant screamed and sprinted back for his horse, literally jumping onto its back and galloping straight back to Los Angeles.

“Come back! You coward.” Monastario yelled out. He let out a low growl. “Very well. I’ll get to Monterey and finish de la Vega myself.” 

Monastario resumed walking through the heavy fog, old abandoned buildings becoming visible with each step, when a loud screech caused him to jump. He turned to his left and saw a large spotted owl perched on the roof of an old tavern glaring down at him as it gave a few spooky hoots.

“Ohhhhh,” he grumbled. “Stupid bird. Shoo. Shoo. Go away, shoo.” 

The owl ruffled its feathers and made a few more hoots as Monastario continued walking, when he again stopped and gasped at the sight of the three ‘ghosts’ before him again. No words, no moaning, just gawking at him with a haunted gaze.

Swallowing his growing fear, Monastario took off to his left and stopped when he reached an old well. He put a hand over his pounding heart and tried to catch his breath as he thought of a way to get to Monterey without continuing through the ghoulish city.

“Get a grip, Enrique,” he told himself. “There’s no such thing as ghosts, it’s just one of de la Vega’s tricks.” He looked to his right to see what was nearby, when he again saw the three sisters standing there with the same gaze. He let out another gasp accompanied by a short yelp and took off running back to his horse, when one of the sisters blocked his way. 

Monastario let out another yelp as he bolted back for the direction he had come from, only to be blocked by the other two sisters, all three beginning to crowd around him. 

The captain frantically looked back and forth from each sister, desperately trying to figure out how to escape from the grasp of imminent death. He crouched down and bolted underneath one of the sisters’ arms to free himself from the circle and kept running until he was several yards into the surrounding forest. He came to a screeching halt when he reached a large boulder and placed his hands on the side of it. The captain wrapped his arm around his aching middle and gasped for fresh air, completely unaware that close by Zorra hid behind a giant tree trunk, while Bernardo took cover behind a bunch of bushes and shrubbery. 

Bernardo just barely lifted his head above the bushes and looked across the forest floor to where Zorra was. He watched as the little lady stuck her head to the side, made eye contact with her friend, then gave him two nods to signal his cue. 

Bernardo put his pointer and middle fingers together and started blowing air as he tapped his lips rapidly.

As Monastario straightened his posture and hesitantly looked around him, Zorra put one of her hands beside her mouth and made high screeching noises, making a sharp chill run up and down Monastario’s spine. He froze and felt his eyes nearly fall out of his head as he begged for what he heard to not be true. 

Bernardo then took Zorro’s cape and flapped it up and down to imitate bat wings flying through the night, being the final straw for the usually unperturbed captain. 

“BATS! Filthy vermin!” Monastario screamed bloody murder as he sprinted back the way he had come, located his horse, then literally jumped onto its back and bolted back for Los Angeles.

Zorra and Bernardo began to laugh as they watched Monastario make a run back to Los Angeles, while the captain zipped by Blanco’s horse and retreated down the steep incline. 

“ Capitán Monastario ,” the baffled lieutenant cried. “Where are you going, Monterey’s the other way.” 

“Los Angeles. Mexico City…back to Spain , for all I care!” Monastario shouted back, and continued riding for his safety. 

After a brief moment of trying to unwind his perplexed mind, Blanco came out of shock and realized he was being abandoned. 

“Wait,” Blanco exclaimed, riding after his commanding officer. “Don’t leave me here!”

Zorra and Bernardo continued to laugh, then the duo turned to each other, and Zorro’s daughter gave her friend a smile. 

“Come on, my friend,” she said, with the wave of her hand. “Los Angeles awaits us.” 

Chapter Text

It was a thick, black fog that surrounded Diego. None of his senses seemed to be functioning as he struggled to come to from the anesthesia he had been given. It was like he was swimming in a deep, dark pool, and he couldn’t figure out how to swim back to the surface. Then his ears began to pick up on what sounded like peoples’ voices, but muffled. He couldn’t comprehend what they were saying, nor could he open his mouth to ask for clarification. 

Diego began to slowly move his head from side to side as he desperately tried to get his eyes to open. He just barely got his eyelids to flicker open, but all he could see still was nothing but black. 

“Diego,” a calm woman’s voice said. “Diego? Can you hear me?” 

Diego subconsciously let out a low moan as he continued to make sense of his surroundings. He suddenly felt someone grab his immobile hand from his side and gently squeezed it in their delicate fingers. 

“Wake up, Diego,” the woman’s voice urged. “Diego, please open your eyes.” 

Diego let out another low moan as he turned his head back to the right and felt his eyelids starting to flutter. His vision was completely blurred. Like someone had taken water and smeared the picture into a hazy mess. He could see that a woman was sitting beside him and what appeared to be a mint green curtain behind her, he could tell he was dressed in white clothing, and his belly felt tight and bloated to the point he thought it would explode. 

The young vaquero blinked a few times to try and clear his vision as the woman spoke again, her face slowly becoming visible to him.

“Diego,” she said. “Can you hear me, Diego? Diego.” 

Soon Anna Maria’s beautiful face came into clarity, her long turquoise dress accentuating her dark eyes and perfect face. She gave Diego’s hand another squeeze and smiled when it appeared he was coming to. 

Diego couldn’t help the grin that instantly came to his face and softly sighed with content. He closed his eyes again. “Anna Maria,” he just barely said.

“About time you opened your eyes,” she answered. “I’ve been sitting here talking to myself for over an hour.” 

Diego swallowed to try and aid his hoarse, dry throat. “What happened?” He asked raspy.

“You had surgery, remember? You’re in the hospital in Monterey.” 

Diego again swallowed as he realized his left hand was resting on his belly. He looked down, saw it was once again swollen, then let out a breath of air through his nose as he rubbed his middle. “Is that why it’s so difficult to breathe right now?” He took in a deep breath of air, while it felt like someone was squeezing him inside with a vice. 

“Dr. Murrietta said you would have a bit of tightness in your belly for a few days, but it should start to go away after that.” 

“And the swelling?” 

“That, he wasn’t sure of. Anywhere from a few weeks to another few months. Your abdominal muscles and wall are still awful swollen from your last surgery, this one just only added to that swelling.” 

“Swell,” Diego took in another deep breath of air. “I keep swelling up like this, I'll be as big as Sergeant Garcia is.” 

Anna Maria giggled. “Oh no, Diego, you’re nowhere near that big. It only feels that way to you.” 

“And if my eyes are still working, it certainly looks like it. Unless they did a diagnostic operation on them, too.” 

Anna Maria giggled again. “I think your recovery is going to go by very fast. Your sense of humor is returning already.” She gave his hand another squeeze. “I think Carolina is very anxious to see you. Would you like me to bring her to you?” 

Diego again closed his eyes and swallowed, both the exhaustion and heartache hitting him like a ton of bricks. “She’s not here with me,” he answered softly. “I didn’t bring her along.” 

“What?” Anna Maria exclaimed, her facial expression showing great appalment. 

“They wouldn’t let me bring her with me. I tried to…I tried to convince the doctor otherwise…but she couldn’t come.” Diego opened his eyes and returned his fatigue gaze to the young lady. “I’m surprised they even allowed you to come back here and see me.” 

“Oh, what a horrible, horrible thing to do to a poor child,” she spat. “They can’t do this, after everything Carolina went through with Black Lobo, she deserves to be here with you.” 

Diego’s eyelids began to grow heavy and struggled to keep them open. “You have no idea how much I want her here with me, too…Let her know…I’m alright.”

“I won’t allow it,” Anna Maria said, shooting to her feet. “I won’t allow this, Diego, I simply won’t. Your baby will be here like she should be, I promise you that.” She went to storm out of Diego’s unit, when she ran into Dr. Murrietta, who was already coming in to check on his patient. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t believe I know you,” the old man said. 

“I’m Anna Maria Verdugo. Diego is my good friend, and I want to know why you won’t let his little girl be here with him as he recovers.” 

Murrietta shook his head soberly. “I’m sorry, Señorita Verdugo , but I can not allow any visitors based on the size of this hospital. It’s a great disturbance to other patients and could prolong their recovery than it already needs to be. I can’t make any exceptions, even for a child. I’m well aware of what happened with Black Lobo and the history behind Diego’s initial surgery, but even that is not enough to violate hospital protocol.” 

“My father donated thousands and thousands of pesos over the last several years to this hospital, and you are forbidding a little girl to see her father after everything a monster like Black Lobo did to her. He would be ashamed if he were here and knew how you were handling this situation.” 

“I’m aware of what happened to your father, Señorita Verdugo . I’m very sorry for your loss.” 

“If you’re so sorry for my loss, then allow Carolina to be with her father when I can no longer be with mine. Or I will stop the yearly donations, and you will lose most of the money you use to fund this hospital until changes are made.” 

“Stop the donations,” Murrietta gasped, his eyes nearly sticking out against his wire-framed glasses. “Oh no, Señorita Verdugo , those donations are what we run off of. How will we pay for new equipment and medications for all our patients?” 

“They will just have to go to the hospital in San Jose for treatment, then. Their facility actually allows patients to have visitors and even provides nearby housing so they can be close to their loved ones until they can go home. I am in full control of my father’s assets and finances as decreed in his will, and I won’t hesitate to fund better clinics and hospitals for one moment. Allow Carolina to be with her father, or you can find a generous donor elsewhere.” 

The color of Murrietta’s face began to drain slightly as he swallowed a large knot forming in his throat. He just barely began to shiver under Anna Maria’s fiery gaze and knew the beautiful Verdugo would not back down on her threat either. He cleared his throat and corrected his posture as he pulled out a quill pen from his upper coat pocket. 

“I will have a letter written and delivered to Don Diego’s daughter within the hour. Carolina is her name?” 

“ Sì ,” Anna Maria said, with a nod. “Carolina de la Vega of the Pueblo de Los Ángeles . She lives with her father and grandfather, Don Alejandro, at the de la Vega hacienda.” 

“I shall have it taken care of immediately, Señorita Verdugo .” Murrietta turned his head to the side. “Nurse,” he called out.

A tall young man with jet black hair wandered into Diego’s section and approached his supervisor. “You called, Doctor,” he remarked, with a nod.

“Get a carrier ready within the hour. I need an urgent letter to get to Don Diego’s daughter as soon as tomorrow morning. I’m going to write it now.”

“Tomorrow morning ,” the nurse gasped. “Doctor, the carrier will have to ride all night to get there by morning.” 

“Do you want to get transferred to the sanitation unit, Nurse?” 

“No, Sir,” the nurse answered with hesitation.

“Then get moving. NOW, andale, andale, andale !” 

“ Sì , Doctor. Right away, Doctor.” 

As the nurse bolted out of Diego’s section, Murrietta let out a steamy breath of air through his nose and shook his head. “So hard to find good help these days,” he muttered to himself, then left Diego and Anna Maria to themselves once again. 

The young de la Vega’s eyes were closed, but he gave the pretty woman a fatigue smile. “Thank you, Anna Maria,” he barely said. 

Anna Maria smiled back at Diego as she sat down in the chair beside his bed. She ran her hand across Diego’s head and rubbed his thick hair back. “Get some sleep, Diego,” she told him. “Your baby will be here soon.” 

Diego was already one step beyond her. He hardly nodded in response as his head lay to the side and again fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. He only hoped that when he opened his eyes again, it would be his Carolina sitting with him instead.

By the time breakfast was over, Garcia and Reyes were again at the de la Vega hacienda to have Carolina help them with a song for Garcia’s brother’s wedding. Only this time they had brought outfits that the groom-to-be had picked out for the duo to wear for the big day. They went into the back to change, while Carolina studied over the new song they planned on performing, Bernardo every now and then pointing at certain symbols he needed her to explain. Meanwhile, Alejandro was out in the fields checking his land and certain prairie grounds that needed to be burned again. 

So consumed with her piano music, Carolina failed to notice Reyes shamefully wandering out into the sala wearing a sparkly black suit and tie, a silky red sash and bow tie, and a black hat with a glitter band around it to match the suit. When he got to Carolina’s side, the little de la Vega turned to him and nearly felt her eyes roll out of her head at the sight. Her jaw dropped from its hinges as she lifted her eyes to the corporal, Bernardo standing behind her with the same expression. 

“Well,” Reyes said, in a gloomy tone. “How do I look?” 

Carolina struggled for a moment to find a polite reply, then swallowed a lump in her throat before answering. “Like an over-the-top, blithesome Mariachi band member.” 

“Just play the music,” the corporal moaned, his self-esteem quickly going down the drain.

The little señorita began playing the music as Garcia came out in the same outfit with a grouchy look on his face. When he joined Reyes’ side, Carolina caught a glimpse of him and did a double take, her eyes again bugging out of her head. She and Bernardo quickly turned their eyes back to the music sheet, Carolina doing all she could to not gawk at the two soldiers as she continued to play with great discomfort.

As Carolina went on with the song’s opening, an exhausted and agitated Monastario walked in to check on his subordinates, when he saw what Garcia and Reyes were wearing and nearly felt his heart stop. His eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, while his jaw dropped to its hinges in sheer horror. Once the shock wore off, Monastario, now completely outraged, stormed over towards the piano as Garcia began singing, soon joined in by Reyes. 

The two soldiers managed to get through one verse and the chorus before Carolina came to a dead stop and simply sat there with a long frown on her face.

“Why’d you stop?” Reyes asked dumbfounded.

“ Sì , my little friend, there’s a whole second verse we haven’t sung yet.” Garcia added. 

Carolina shook her head. “I’m sorry,” she said, finally turning her eyes to them. “You two in those outfits are just too weird.” 

“I told you she wouldn’t like the outfits,” Reyes muttered to Garcia. 

The sergeant scoffed and looked at his second-in-command. “Stupid, I didn’t like the outfits the minute I saw them.” 

“What are you babosos doing in those outfits?” Monastario snarled, his tone raising with each word.

“They are the outfits my brother wants us to wear at his wedding, Capitán ,” Garcia answered timidly. 

“Is your brother blind ?! Take those things off before someone catches me with you in them,” Monastario snapped. 

“ Sì, Capitán ,” Garcia said. 

The two soldiers began to turn, when Alejandro came running into the house with a bright grin on his face and a piece of paper in his hand.

“Carolina,” he cried. “Carolina! You’ll never guess what I just go-” Alejandro trailed off when he saw what Garcia and Reyes were wearing and nearly felt the air get sucked out of his lungs. “What in the-”

“Don’t ask,” Carolina pleaded to her grandfather, abandoning the piano. “What is it, Abuelo?” 

“I just got a letter from the hospital in Monterey. Your father’s surgery went beautifully, and Dr. Murrietta is permitting you to come see him until he’s well enough to come home.”

“Really?!” Carolina cried, her eyes lighting up like stars as her face brightened like sunshine.

“I already have transportation arrangements set and ready to go. You will be in Monterey and with your father come dinnertime.” Alejandro turned to Bernardo and started to do several hand gestures. “Bernardo,” he said. “You are going with her. I have a friend staying at the inn for the ranchero’s festival, he will let you stay there during Carolina’s stay at the hospital.” 

The short man simply nodded. He then pointed curiously at Garcia and Reyes, and Alejandro shook his head in response. 

Not able to contain herself any longer, Carolina bolted out of the hacienda to pack a bag, when she returned to her grandfather’s side and shoved the piano music in his hands. “Help them with that,” she said, with a few pats on the arm. “Good luck.” And before Alejandro could say anything, Carolina was sprinting out the door and up the stairs to her room, Bernardo following quickly in toe.

“Now wait a minute, what am I supposed to do with…ahck, forget it,” Alejandro said, with the wave of his hand. He lifted the sheet music up to look at, saw the title of the song, and made a quick glare to Garcia and Reyes. “ “ Te Tengo mi Querida” . Really? For a wedding?” 

“I think we should go back to my idea,” Reyes said to Garcia.

“We are not having a piñata party at my brother’s wedding,” the sergeant remarked.

Monastario moaned as he lifted his fingers to his temples and let out a frustrated sigh. First Zorro had nearly caused him to have a heart attack in Fantasma City, now his two subordinates were giving him a migraine. If he was unfortunate, then he would become bedridden by the end of the day. And if he became bedridden, he only prayed to the heavens that it would not be the two idiots before him that would be in charge of caring for him.

As her grandfather had predicted, Bernardo and Carolina arrived in Monterey a little after dinnertime, both of them surprised to see how many rancheros and vaqueros were wandering around the city and participating in a variety of events. 

The driver dropped Bernardo off at the inn, where the duo was greeted by a huge dancing party going on in the lobby/tavern. Live musicians stood on a makeshift stage singing and playing their instruments, while men and women in a variety of fancy outfits and vibrant colors laughed and cheered the night away, alcohol being served all around and on the house.

After what felt like a near impossible task, Bernardo and Carolina finally found Alejandro’s friend, and he agreed to let Bernardo stay a few days with him so Carolina could be at the hospital with Diego.

The duo parted ways, and Carolina was soon dropped off at the hospital and walked inside the front entrance to find that Dr. Hernandez had not been joking. It was a far cry from the hospital she had seen back in San Diego, about half in size. Beds were almost scrunched together to make room for new patients, doctors and nurses walked by carrying trays and cups in almost a zombie-like manner, and what was called an ‘operating/examining room’ was a large opening behind the front desk with a long, tall metal table and surgical tools she was completely unfamiliar with either lain out on trays or near a bucket of cleaning solution, where she assumed the surgeons washed their hands before and after surgeries. She could smell it even from far across the room, the scent making it feel as if it was burning the inside of her nose. 

Finally laying eyes on the front desk, where a disgruntled young man sat and did paperwork, Carolina approached in her quiet manner and waited for the man to take notice of her. It was about a full thirty seconds before the man lifted his eyes from his papers and glared at her.

“Can I help you, little señorita ?” He asked snippy. 

Carolina barely nodded, her shyness beginning to act up. “I want to see my Papa, please,” she answered softly.

“ Niña tonta , can’t you read the sign on the wall?” The man threw his pointer finger to the wall beside him, where Carolina found a large sign with a giant red circle with a slash through it and two stick figures underneath it. One lying in a bed, the second one standing beside it. Written at the top in all capital letters and bright red paint read, ‘ No se permiten visitas !’ ‘No visitors allowed!’

Carolina looked back at the man and shook her head. “But I got a letter from the doctor caring for him. He said I could see Papa,” she said meekly.

“I don’t know who’s forging letters and claiming to be from here, but no such letter was ever mailed out to anyone. No visitors. At all. Now get out. Before I call the guards in here and have them throw you out.” 

“But, Dr. Murrietta-”

“You’re not seeing your father, and that’s final! You want to get these patients sicker than they already are? You can see your father when he’s wheeled out in a chair or brought out in a casket. Now get out!”

Tears flooded Carolina’s eyes as her heart shattered to pieces. She was in a strange city she hardly knew all alone, she had no idea where her father was in the hospital or how he was doing, and now she was being yelled at to leave when she had been told otherwise. 

Being both scared and incredibly embarrassed, the little de la Vega broke down and began to cry. “Papa,” she squeaked. “Papa, my Papa.” 

“Don’t do that,” the man hissed. “Don’t stand there and pretend to cry, I’m not falling for that old trick.”

As Carolina continued to cry for Diego, Murrietta walked by after checking another patient, saw the little teenager in tears and the nurse that was berating her, and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. 

“What the heavens do you think you’re doing?!” The doctor exclaimed, running over to defuse the situation. He placed a hand on Carolina’s shoulder and glared at the nurse. “Are you out of your mind, Nurse?” 

“Doctor, this intruder is refusing to leave, and I’m about to call in the guards to throw her out of here,” the nurse said.

“This intruder is little Carolina de la Vega!” 

The nurse suddenly went pale as a ghost and shot to his feet with a fearful expression. “De la Vega ,” he gasped.

“Daughter of Diego de la Vega. The little girl that is not to be upset or distressed in any shape or form? The one Señorita Verdugo said to allow in or else?” 

The nurse licked his suddenly dry lips and swallowed the large knot sitting in his throat before his demeanor took a 180 degree turn. A wide grin came to his face as he gestured for Carolina to turn to the right.

“Right this way, little señorita , no hesitation now. Come, follow me.” 

Carolina momentarily stared at the nurse with a skeptical gaze, turned her attention to Murrietta, and watched as the old doctor nodded to her.

“Forgive him, my little one,” he said respectfully. “He has a tendency to be a bit ornery.” 

Still uncertain of everything, Carolina looked back at the nurse and followed him down a long hallway with Murrietta following from behind. 

It felt like three years to get down to where her father was located, but the nurse eventually came to a halt in front of a closed mint green curtain with a vacant bed on each side. Carolina watched as the nurse gestured for her to go forward and again studied him cautiously before allowing Murrietta to step inside first.

The doctor slipped behind the curtains and grinned when he saw his patient. “Don Diego,” he said. “There’s someone here that would like to see you.” He stepped to the side as the nurse held the curtain back and let Carolina walk in. 

Her jaw dropped slightly when she saw Diego’s current condition. Slightly pale, swollen belly, and what appeared to be deep in sleep. She was pleasantly surprised when Diego’s eyes began to flutter open, spotted her standing there, and gave her a fatigue, yet grateful smile.

The energy the little teenager had felt earlier returned to her body, and Carolina lit up like a Christmas tree before dashing to her father’s side and gently wrapped her arms around him. She rested her head on his chest and placed her hand on his belly as Diego took her into his arms and kissed the top of her head.

“Anything I can get you, little señorita ?” The nurse asked, sounding desperate to please her. “A cup of water, a nice warm blanket? Are you hungry, I’ll bring you something to eat.”

Without opening her eyes or ever turning her head back, Carolina simply shooed the nurse away with the wave of her hand and continued to soak in her father’s warmth and enjoy her reunion with her best friend. 

Murrietta turned from the sweet sight to the frantic nurse and glared at him. “Stop that,” he said, whacking the nurse in the chest. “Patients are starting to stare.” 

“But you heard Señorita Verdugo , Doctor, we are to please the little de la Vega girl in any matter she-” He began to repeatedly whine ‘ow’ as the medic grabbed him by the ear and walked him away to give the father-daughter duo privacy. 

Carolina giggled as she turned to look at her father, who was rubbing her head with his fingers as he looked down at her lovingly. “I don’t know what Anna Maria threatened them with, but I owe her a ‘thank you’,” she said. 

Diego just barely smirked. “She doesn’t want anything in return, my little love. Just knowing you’re here with me is enough for her.” 

Carolina began to frown. “Aw, Papa,” she whimpered. “You look exhausted.” 

He hardly shook his head. “ No one looks good after surgery, my sweet.”

“What did Dr. Murrietta say? Are you going to be okay?” 

A smile returned to Diego’s face. “I’m going to be just fine,” he reassured her. “Dr. Murrietta said the random cramps are from muscles healing together again, and the swelling is slowly going down due to the severity of my injury. I should make a full recovery within another few months. But uh, you might have to deal with this fat belly of mine for a little longer.” He carefully patted his middle.

“Papa,” Carolina said, her expression bright as she rested her head back down on Diego’s chest. “I love you and your big belly.” 

Diego gave a faint chuckle. “And you? How are you doing? Monastario hasn’t been giving you any trouble, has he?” 

“Oh…let’s just say a little bat had a talk with him.” 

Another faint chuckle escaped from Diego as Carolina giggled, then the two nuzzled their noses and rested their heads against each other as they again took each other into their arms and snuggled. Diego gave his daughter a soft kiss on the forehead, then the duo closed their eyes and hoped no ‘bats’ would disturb them anytime soon.

(End of episode two...)

Chapter Text

(Episode 3: Diego by the Double)

It was a beautiful, sunny day in Los Angeles around mid-February. The air was warm, but pleasant, a slight breeze blowing in from the waves of the Pacific Ocean. Peons were at their stands in bright spirits as customers came over and pondered through their merchandise, rancheros wandered around on business, and some civilians stood in various spots of the pueblo singing and playing live music, earning an occasional tip or two. Even Commandante Cabrera’s men seemed to be in a blissful temperament. 

As the people of Los Angeles carried on with their daily routines, Ricardo del Amo walked through the square in a nice gray suit with a light blue tie and sash, leisurely looking around and trying to get a better idea of the little city he had heard many good things about. He lay eyes on the tavern/inn, where he heard live music coming from inside, and raised his eyebrow in curiosity while pursing his lips. 

Intrigued, the tall and handsome señor wandered inside the little building and was pleased with what he was greeted with. Four vaqueros in matching tan suits and hats with different colored ties and sashes played guitars near the fireplace as they sang various melodies; drinks went all around to the patrons sitting at tables; people were laughing, dancing, or singing; even the very few soldiers present were even drinking and dancing. 

A wide grin came to Ricardo’s face as he crossed his arms and watched the upbeat scene before him. He spotted a vacant table near the singing vaqueros and sat down as the bartender brought him over a cup and a bottle of wine. Ricardo nodded with gratitude, poured himself a little wine, then took a sip as he continued to watch the performing musicians and various patrons that sang and danced along with them. Soon even he was bobbing his head, singing, and tapping his fingers on the table from the catchy little tune.

As Ricardo continued to enjoy himself, outside was Diego leaning against the tavern wall and hugging his little daughter. He gently rubbed her back with his fingers as he kissed the top of her head and had his other hand placed over Carolina’s on his belly, which was still fairly swollen from his recent operation. 

Diego gave his daughter another soft kiss as he looked down at her lovingly. “You go inside and listen to the music,” he told her, with the gesture of his head. “I’ll come and meet you the minute my appointment with Dr. Hernandez is over.”

Carolina, although hating the idea of being out of her father’s warm arms, nodded and got a kiss on the forehead as she turned her eyes to Diego’s face. He smiled back at her and placed his hand on her cheek while tenderly rubbing it with his thumb. 

Diego gave Carolina one last kiss, then walked off to the doctor’s office, the little teenager watching until her father was out of sight. 

She frowned and began to miss him already, but did as the young ranchero told her and went into the tavern. She grinned at the sight of the familiar vaquero quartet performing and looked for an empty table, when her sight went to the bar table, and her face brightened more. She watched as Ricardo paid for a second bottle of wine to take to his room, then walked back towards his table, spotted Carolina, and smiled.

“Well, well, well,” Ricardo said, setting the bottle down on the table. “What a beautiful sight to first see in Los Angeles.” 

Carolina sprinted from her spot and shared a hug with her ‘uncle’. 

Ricardo squeezed her tight, then the duo released each other, and he put a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “How is my favorite niece? Last time I saw you you just barely went above your father’s waistline.” 

Carolina gave a silent laugh and nodded eagerly, her eyes lighting up like stars. 

“Still a quiet little thing, aren’t you,” Ricardo teased. “Probably the most quiet and littlest de la Vega I’ve ever known.” He grinned when Carolina actually giggled that time. He chuckled with her and rubbed her shoulder. “You know, I was just about to go sit back at my table, why don’t you join me, and we can watch these guys together.” 

Carolina nodded as she walked with Ricardo back to his table, then the two sat right next to each other as they continued watching the musical group. 

The four man vaquero quartet soon finished their current song, was greeted with loud clapping, then started to play a new melody on their guitars, when Carolina turned to Ricardo and gently tugged on his sleeve. When she had the man’s attention, she pointed to the makeshift stage for him to go up there and sing with them. 

Ricardo pointed at himself with a surprised look as the little de la Vega’s eyes twinkled more and nodded eagerly.

With the confidence he needed to sing in front of a bunch of strangers, and the sheer fact that he could never turn down his ‘niece’ when she wanted something, Ricardo tugged on his suit, rose to his feet, then walked over to the side of the stage and grabbed the lonely guitar sitting there. He strummed it a couple times to make sure it was in tune, then made his way to the side of the quartet, started playing the same melody, and was soon being welcomed in by the other vaqueros . 

The five men began singing as Carolina’s face brightened like sunshine. Her uncle’s voice blended in with the others beautifully, but she still tried her best to pick up his voice specifically and succeeded every now and then. 

As Ricardo continued his little number, Diego entered the building and turned to the singers before smiling a bit at his old friend being one of them.

Carolina soon noticed her father’s presence and abandoned her seat as she ran to his side and wrapped her arms around him. Diego lifted his arms and was taken back by surprise for a brief moment before noticing who it was, again smiled, then held his daughter close as they continued to watch the musicians.

Ricardo eventually moved away from the group and walked over towards the two de la Vegas and began singing specifically to Carolina. He got down on his knees as if he were serenading a beautiful señorita , making Carolina grin as Diego looked down at her lovingly and rubbed her back. She then rested her head against her father’s lower chest and belly and continued to smile as Ricardo rose to his feet and finished his number with pride. Even Diego watched with a bright expression to his face.

The five men sang their last line and were greeted with clapping and even a standing ovation by some of the rancheros.

Ricardo made his gaze back to Carolina and bowed. “Satisfying enough, little señorita ?” 

Another grin came to the little teenager’s face and softly nodded. 

Ricardo handed the spare guitar back to one of the vaqueros , exchanged handshakes, then the tall man turned to Diego, who was giving him a teasing glare. 

“I see you are trying to steal the spotlight again, no?” Diego questioned.

“I can not turn down the request of a beautiful, little señorita , Diego,” Ricardo said. “Her father would never forgive me if I made her cry.” 

“Oh, I don’t think he would be so heartless to never forgive you; but uh, he may release an angry bull or two after you.”

“And would this be before or after the forgiving?” 

The two men laughed before Diego shook his head and returned his gaze to his old friend. “Ricardo, what are you doing all the way down here? I thought you had gone back to San Francisco by now.” 

“Well, I did , but an old friend of mine back from college wrote to me and asked if I would come down and visit some of the gang for a couple weeks. Granted, I’ve never been to Los Angeles, but I thought it would be a nice little getaway for a while. Then I saw this little one here, and it further confirmed that I made the right decision.” 

“And what about me?”

“Oh, well,” Ricardo began, stuffing his hands into his pants pockets. “I guess it’s good to see you, too.” 

Diego whacked his friend’s chest with the back of his hand. “Shut up, you idiot, and sit down with me for a little,” he said with a grin. “We’ve got lots to catch up on.” 

Ricardo led the two to his table, then the three of them sat down, Diego facing across from his old friend, and Carolina sitting next to her father. Diego removed his hat as Ricardo poured him a cup of wine, then handed it over and poured one for himself. Both men took a drink before the young de la Vega spoke.

“I take it you heard of what happened to Black Lobo?” 

“I wish I hadn’t ,” Ricardo said, setting his cup down. “My best friend’s cousin died in one of his house fires. He was devastated by it. Land, money, the lives of everyone that occupied that hacienda, he lost everything that night.” 

“Unfortunately, he and many other innocent people lost everything dear to them. Even my daughter thought she had lost everything, at one point.” 

“Carolina, what did that monster do to her ?” 

“I almost died, Ricardo. Black Lobo stabbed me in the belly and left me there to bleed out and die. The doctor said I was very lucky she and my father found me when they did. Had it been a minute more, there would’ve been nothing they could do to save me.”

“Oh my God,” Ricardo gasped with horror. “And my sweet little niece here had to watch all of it happen?” 

Diego let out a heavy breath of air and nodded. “ Sì . They didn’t even think I would make it one night. Not able to handle a life without me in it, Carolina took one of my father’s horses and ran away to San Diego during the early morning hours to get away from all of it. Had it not been for Dr. Hernandez and three operations, I wouldn’t be sitting here with you right now.” 

“So that’s why you’re heavier in the middle. I just thought you’ve been eating one too many quesadillas.” 

“Oh, save it for another one of your stupid jokes.”

“ Stupid ;  Diego, I’m offended. I think my jokes are rather hilarious, wouldn’t you agree?” 

“Oh, just absolutely hysterical. So hysterical, I’m not even laughing.” Diego went to take another drink, when he heard sniffling and soft whimpering. He turned to his right and found Carolina hugging herself and trying to keep her crying soft so she didn’t ruin anything.

“Aw, my little love,” Diego said, with a frown. He brought his little girl close and softly hushed her as he kissed the top of her head. “It’s all over, now. It’s all over, my sweet, I’m alright. I’m just fine, Dr. Hernandez is very pleased with how my recovery is going. I’m right here, my little love. I’m here, I’m not going anywhere until you tell me to.” He gave Carolina another kiss on the head and continued to hold her close as she buried the side of her face into his chest.

Ricardo shook his head, his heart breaking seeing just how much almost losing Diego had traumatized the little girl. “I’m so sorry, Carolina,” he said sincerely. “I’m so sorry that you had to go through that nightmare, especially at your age.”

“Thankfully for Zorro, I’m still alive,” Diego said. “Unfortunately, the nightmare of Black Lobo has ended, and a new one has taken place of it: Capitán Enrique Monastario .” 

“ Monastario ,” Ricardo remarked. “I thought they sent him back to Spain to face prison time.”

“That’s another unfortunate thing. They released him early on good behavior and is now claiming to be a changed man. The worst part of it is that half of Los Angeles believes that to be true. Especially with his ‘movement’ of putting an end to all known outlaws and beyond.” 

“And you don’t agree with this movement?” 

“Ricardo, Zorro may be an outlaw, but he saved my life. I can not wish for someone to die when they just did something so selfless. I literally owe my life to Zorro. I would not be with my daughter now had it been otherwise.”

“Yes, you do make a fair point with that one, my friend.” Ricardo let out a breath of air and picked up his cup. “Well, here’s to it that another Black Lobo never happens again, and to Señor Zorro , whoever he is, a mighty ‘thank you’ for saving the life of a good friend and an even better father.” 

Diego smiled as the two men clinked cups together and took another sip of wine. He set his cup back onto the table, again took Carolina in his arms, and snuggled her close right as Monastario walked into the tavern.

“Speak of the devil himself,” Ricardo muttered to his friend. “Maybe I should play one of my jokes on him .” 

“No need for that, my friend,” Diego said, shaking his head. “Just say the word ‘bat’ in his presence, and he’ll jump enough as it is.” 

“Captain Monastario is afraid of bats?” 

“BAT!” Monastario cried, jumping a few inches off the floor as he used his arms to cover his head. Realizing he was in a safe environment, the captain turned to Ricardo and growled. “Don’t say that word.” 

Ricardo stared at the man for a few moments before turning to Diego and started to snicker. Soon it became boisterous laughter, and Ricardo just about died from it. He slapped and pounded the table as he cackled hysterically, earning another growl from Monastario as Diego began to silently chuckle.

“I’d like to see you laugh when someone mocks you of your biggest fear,” he hissed.

“Hey Captain,” Ricardo said. “How about a few bat kisses.” He took his two fingers and blew some air as he rapidly touched his lips.

Monastario shook his fist at Ricardo as the rest of the tavern began laughing. “I warn you, Señor , you haven’t seen the last of me.”

“Of course not, Captain. I’ll just let the bat finish you off before you do.” 

“ Capitán ,” Diego said, and waited for the man to turn to him. “BAT!”

“Bat! Bat! Filthy vermin.” Monastario went bolting out of the tavern screaming, leaving everyone else bursting with laughter.

“Now that’s a practical joke I do find funny,” Diego said, turning back to Ricardo.

The two men joined in with the others laughing, then clinked their cups and took another drink of wine. Diego thought things would be very interesting during Ricardo’s stay in Los Angeles. And he welcomed it immensely.

Chapter Text

It was nothing but joy and laughter at the de la Vega hacienda that night. While one of the servants played piano in the sala, Diego, Alejandro, and Carolina sat at the table with Ricardo, a drink in each man’s hand. Carolina snuggled up in her father’s arms, and Diego gave her a kiss on the head every now and then as Ricardo told the de la Vegas a story about his recent travels around California. 

“And that , my friends, is the reason you should never get involved with a woman you meet on a ship,” the handsome caballero said, taking a sip of his wine. 

“Ricardo del Amo, you made that story up,” Diego scolded playfully.

“Quite the contrary, Diego,” Ricardo said. “Why, I even have the whip marks to prove it. Perhaps even scare Monastario more than his little bat friends do.” 

Alejandro laughed as he took another sip of his wine. “I see you two have gotten acquainted with each other,” he said.

“Oh, I wouldn’t say we’ve gotten that far. Just a mere few words in passing, nothing more.”

“Yes, eh,” Diego said. “Was this before or after threatening him with the bat?” 

The three men again erupted into full laughter, while Carolina rested her head against her father’s chest and fought to keep her heavy eyelids open. 

“Carolina, don’t tell me you’re tired already,” Ricardo said, being the first one to take notice of the exhausted girl. “I haven’t even got to my one night stay in Santa Barbara yet.”

“I think it’s time for someone to get some sleep,” Alejandro said, turning to his granddaughter.

Carolina softly shook her head, her eyes closed. “I want to hear about Santa Barbara,” she muttered sleepily. 

“You can hear all about it tomorrow at the festival,” Diego told her, then kissed her head. “Come on, my little love. Let’s get you in bed before you fall asleep at the table.” He helped his daughter up to her feet, then the duo wrapped their arms around each other, and Diego walked Carolina out into the courtyard and up the stairs to her room. 

“Festival?” Ricardo questioned curiously. “I wasn’t aware of any festival going on.” 

“The first ranchero festival in Los Angeles starts tomorrow,” Alejandro explained, taking a sip of his wine. “Lots of stands with food, games, getting your picture painted; auctions going on throughout the day on cattle, horses, and pigs; awards given out to those with best cattle or horses in show, all sorts of fun things to do. Carolina’s been looking forward to it for weeks now.”

“You mean she’s never been to one before?” 

“There was never one close by to take her to one when she was a little girl. Then when she went to school in San Diego she didn’t feel like going to any because she missed her father too much. It made trying to enjoy anything outside of school practically a chore for her.” 

“So this is Diego and Carolina’s first festival together. It’ll be a special time for them together, perhaps I would rather not intrude on their special day.” 

“I don’t think they would find you intruding. In fact, I think it would make Carolina very happy to have you along. She hasn’t seen you in many years.”

“Will Diego be alright with it, though, that’s the big question.” 

Alejandro scoffed. “Of course he’ll be alright with it. Have you ever known of Diego wanting to exclude someone from an activity?” 

Ricardo pondered the thought for a moment and shook his head. “No, I suppose you’re right. Alright, I’ll go along with them. I just have one warning for him.” 

Alejandro set his cup down and stared at the young man quizzically. “Warning, what warning?” He prodded.

Ricardo picked up his wine cup and took another sip. “He’s going to get his rear end kicked clear to China in the gunfire target game.”

Diego tucked in Carolina and made sure she was all nice and warm before smiling down at her and rubbing her head. 

“You excited for tomorrow?” He asked her.

Carolina grinned and nodded. “Are you going to teach me how to play the gunfire game?”

“And I’ll buy you a quesadilla with the most cheese in it possible to celebrate your win afterwards.” 

Carolina’s face brightened for a moment, then frowned. “Papa, I know it’s expensive, but can we get our picture painted together, too? I lost the old one I had of us in the school fire.” 

Diego smiled at her, his dark eyes twinkling like stars in the night sky.

“Do you want me with or without my hat on?” He asked her.

Carolina pursed her lips together and smiled. “Surprise me.” 

Diego laughed. “Alright, we’ll have our picture painted, too.” 

The little teenager suddenly sat up in bed and hugged Diego tight, her face lighting up again as she felt her father wrap his warm arms around her and held her close. He kissed her forehead before Carolina looked up at him and smiled. 

“I love you, Papa,” she told him. 

“I love you, my sweet baby.” He kissed her head again then tucked her back into bed. He gave her one more kiss on the forehead, then gently caressed the side of her face. “Have sweet dreams. We have a big day tomorrow.” 

Diego sat beside Carolina as she drifted off to sleep, softly kissed her cheek, then rose to his feet, blew out the light by her bed, and walked out and closed the door behind him.

“You called to see me, Capitán ?” Blanco asked, as he entered Monastario's quarters.

“ Sì ,” Monastario answered, and gestured for him to come in. “Close the door behind you, Teniente .” 

Blanco did as told, then made his way over to his commanding officer, who was casually pacing back and forth in front of his desk.

“It’s been almost four months since I returned here to Los Angeles, and that blasted Zorro has been a thorn in my side ever since,” Monastario growled. “Every time I try to catch him, he wiggles out of my hands somehow by some God given miracle each time. Someone’s always trying to help that scoundrel, and he escapes my clutches every time.”

“They don’t call him the Fox, so cunning and free for any random reason, Capitán .” 

“Well, I’m determined to put the Fox to sleep once and for all. Diego de la Vega will be mine this time around, I won’t accept any other outcome.” 

“Please tell me your idea doesn’t involve any ghosts again.” 

Monastario snapped his gaze to his adjutant and let out a low growl before speaking. “No, you coward, there are no ghosts involved whatsoever. I’m going to kidnap de la Vega and torture him senselessly until he cracks and tells me the truth.” 

“ Kidnap .” Blanco gasped.

“It’s the only way, Teniente . We’ll hide him in an isolated location, one he will have no tellings of where it is. I’ll lock him down in shackles and chains, and he won’t be put out of his misery until he snaps and comes out with everything. And once I have the proof I’ve been digging for for years, I’ll do what I’ve been dying to do since the first moment I laid eyes on Señor Zorro ; I’ll snap his neck and get rid of him once and for all.” 

“Suppose he doesn’t crack, Capitán ,” Blanco said. “Diego de la Vega does not seem like the person that will talk so easily. You could whip him a hundred times, and he still may not open his mouth.” 

“Then we’ll go with Plan B.” 

“And what’s Plan B?” 

A sly grin came to Monastario’s face as he rubbed his hands together anticipatingly. “Another Diego de la Vega.”

Live Mariachi music, people dancing with their lovers or laughing with their friends, a fun game or food stand on every corner, everyone in Los Angeles seemed to be in attendance to the first ranchero festival. The smell of fresh hot tamales and enchiladas lingered through the streets as patrons participated in competitive game booths, put their horses and cattle on display for judges, and the faint sound of an auctioneer’s voice echoed throughout the square as he sold anything from live cattle to priceless jewelry from South America.

At the gunfire target stand, Diego stood behind his daughter and held her arms as he assisted her in pointing her pistol at the colored ring target several feet in front of her. Ricardo stood off to the side and sipped on fine wine as he watched the duo have some special father-daughter time together.

“Just close one of your eyes, keep the other firmly on the little yellow circle, then steadily aim the muzzle at your target and gently press down on the trigger,” Diego coached Carolina.

Carolina did as her father told, took her time in making sure she had her aim dead on straight, then lightly pulled the trigger and watched as a blank fired out and hit the target right in the center.

“Bullseye,” Ricardo cried. “Someone give this kid a medal.” 

“Very good, Señorita de la Vega ,” the game booth owner said. “And on the first try, too.” 

Carolina blushed as she turned her face downwards, while Diego took her into his arms and kissed the side of her head, his heart full of pride. 

“You did excellent , my little love,” he said. “Even better than your Uncle Ricardo.”

“Now wait just a minute,” Ricardo interrupted. “I wouldn’t go that far.”

“Oh, you’re just sore because she got it on the first try.” 

“I’m telling you, that gust of wind screwed everything up and blew that blank off course. Had it not been for that slight breeze, I would’ve landed dead center.”

“Oh yes, keep telling yourself that.” 

Carolina giggled at the short exchange before Diego looked back down at her, chuckled, then took her into his arms and kissed the top of her head.

“Alright, you,” he said. “Let’s go get that picture of us done, then I need to stop and buy one of those enchiladas. I’m gaining weight just by smelling them.” 

Carolina again giggled as she walked with her father and Ricardo to the painting booth, while unknown to the trio, Blanco was watching them from the shadows of the tavern. 

The lieutenant lowered the paper he was reading as a man in a black suit and sombrero joined his side. The duo kept their gazes fixed on the young ranchero as they exchanged words with each other. 

“Everything in order?” Blanco asked.

“The cell is prepped and ready, and Captain Monastario is there waiting for us as we speak,” the man in black answered.

“Good. Now how do you plan on doing it?” 

“Well, uh,” the man said, pulling out a wooden rod from behind his back. “A little clobber on the head with this outaugh take the fight out of him, wouldn’t you agree, Lieutenant?” 

Blanco let out a low chuckle and nodded. “Indeed, it will. When do you plan on making the blow?” 

“Leave that to me , Lieutenant. All in good time, all in good time.” 

“Very well,” Blanco said, with a short nod. “I’ll be over at the tavern when you’re ready.” 

The two men bowed their heads at one another, then Blanco split from the strange man’s side, and the man began his trek down the long lane of game booths. He stopped a few booths down from the one where Diego and Carolina were getting their picture painted and pretended to play the horseshoes with wine bottles game to keep the attention off of him.

As he made occasional glances over to his victim, the painter finished the small picture of the two de la Vegas and handed it over to Carolina after doing a quick air dry. 

“There you are, little señorita ,” he said, with a grin. “I hope it brings you as much joy as the one you lost in your school fire did.” 

Diego put his hat back on as he looked down at his daughter and felt his heart warm when he saw the smile on her face. She gazed at the picture as if it were precious, rare jewels from South America. 

Carolina was in her beloved father’s arms and gently resting her head on his chest, while Diego, dressed in his light blue suit and black tie, held her close to him as they both were looking at the painter and smiling. 

“ Gracias, señor ,” Diego said to the painter with a nod. “You’ve made my daughter very happy today.” 

“Anytime, Señor de la Vega ,” the painter said, putting his seven pesos in his bank bag. He turned to Carolina and smiled more. “Don’t give your father any grief, now, little señorita . He’ll get enough gray hairs as it is with age.” 

Diego chuckled as he took his daughter in his arms and kissed her head. “I don’t have to worry about that. My daughter gets into as much trouble as a sleeping turtle would.” 

The painter laughed. “I should’ve known better,” he answered. “By how close the two of you are, I highly doubt there’s ever a tense moment between the both of you.” 

“Are you señoritas done chit-chatting, they just set up the béisbol game,” Ricardo said playfully. 

Carolina giggled, while Diego smirked and shook his head. “ Adios, señor . Thank you, again.” 

“Take care, now, Señor de la Vega ,” the painter said with a wave.

As the trio made their way further down through the booths and made a left, the man in black stopped in his game of horseshoes, grabbed his rod, and lurked after his prey. He had to make a few stops and hide behind polls and booths when other people walked past him, then he continued with his mission. He stopped and hid in the shadows of the cuartel wall when he spotted Diego, Ricardo, and Carolina standing in a line to bat a few baseballs and see how far they could hit them. The man just barely peeked his head around the corner and carefully observed the group of three, Ricardo being first in line to swing. 

“Stand back and watch me, my little one,” Ricardo said, twirling the bat in his hand. “Take notes on how the professionals do this.” 

“And yet, that was the exact same thing you told her at the shooting range booth,” Diego refuted teasingly. 

Carolina giggled, while Ricardo rolled his eyes. “I’ll show you , de la Vega,” he remarked. “I’m good at more than just singing and playing jokes on people.” 

“Yes, I know. You’re also the biggest troublemaker in the world.” 

Carolina again giggled as she watched Ricardo shake his head and began to practice his swinging, while Diego looked down at his daughter and kissed her head.

“You stay here and make sure he doesn’t rile Monastario up. I’m going to the tavern to get something to drink,” Diego said softly.

“But, but you’ll miss me bat,” Carolina said, beginning to frown.

“I wouldn’t miss it for anything in the world.” He took Carolina in his arms and held her close before kissing her head again. “I’ll be back before your Uncle Ricardo shatters any windows.”

Carolina laughed and gently lay her head on her father’s belly. She looked up at him lovingly. “I love you, Papa,” she said.

Diego kissed her forehead and smiled. He placed his hand on Carolina’s cheek and rubbed his thumb back and forth against it. 

“I’ll be right back in a minute,” he promised her. Diego gave his daughter one last kiss on the head, then parted ways with her and made his way to the tavern. 

The young de la Vega casually walked back through the booths, the man in black silently following not more than a few feet behind him. 

He watched Diego walk for a little while and make a left turn behind a clay wall. Being completely out of sight now, the man took his wooden rod, swung it back, then made a hard blow on the back of Diego’s head. The young ranchero collapsed onto his left side and went limp. 

The man leaned over and tried to sit Diego up in a sitting position, when a baffled Blanco joined his side.

“Good God, you didn’t have to hit him that hard,” the lieutenant spat. 

“ Capitán Monastario said as long as we didn’t kill him, he didn’t care how hard I hit him.” The man gestured to the unconscious Diego. “Come now. We’ve gotta get him out of here before anyone notices he’s gone.” 

While the man put his arms underneath Diego’s, Blanco grabbed the ranchero’s legs, then they lifted him off the ground, and the duo carried their victim away.

Chapter Text

Ricardo struck his fifth and final ball across the compound and watched as it hit the ground, bounced, and came to a stop. He was greeted with Carolina clapping and an audience of rancheros roaring about his impressive score. It filled Ricardo with pride and bowed before handing the bat back to the pitcher. He walked over to Carolina and placed his hand on her small shoulder.

“And that , kiddo, is how you play the game,” he told her, with a grin.

Carolina shook her head. “Oh, I don’t think I can compete with that ,” she answered softly.

“Why certainly you can compete with that. Your grandfather taught you how to properly use a whip, it’s the same muscles, just different technique.”

“Those rancheros are going to do nothing but laugh at me. I’m no opponent to them.” 

“Carolina, look, it’s fairly simple. You just watch for the pitcher to throw, wait until the ball’s at the right reach, then you swing that bat as hard as you can and hope to make a homerun. I could do it blindfolded.” 

“But I’m not you, Uncle Ricardo. I’m just a fragile, shy girl who’s terrified to say barely one word in public.” 

“Nonsense. You’re a de la Vega, and de la Vegas don’t cower in fear when in the public view. You have a lot more strength and confidence than you believe yourself to.” He patted the young girl’s back. “Now, go out there and put a sock in those rancheros’ mouths. Pretend that ball is good old Montacaro’s face.”

Carolina giggled. “His name is Monastario , Uncle Ricardo.”

“Monastario, Montacaro, makes no difference.”

Still unsure of herself, Carolina took the bat from the pitcher and made a few practice swings, her self-esteem quickly going down as she heard some rancheros snickering in the background. She clutched onto the bat’s handle as best as she could, but her clammy palms were making the simple function more difficult than trying to tame a rabid coyote.

“Ready, little señorita ?” The pitcher asked.

Carolina swallowed a lump down her throat and shivered slightly, but nodded and waited for the first pitch. She went to swing, but missed the ball by a landslide, resulting in several rancheros starting to laugh. 

“Don’t be afraid of it, Carolina,” Ricardo called from behind. “Just go at it.” 

The little teenager acknowledged her uncle by nodding, her cautious eyes never turning from the pitcher’s sight. The pitcher threw the second throw, and Carolina swung the bat so hard she spun around in a circle and missed the ball a second time. The rancheros were now laughing even harder, and Carolina could feel burning tears of embarrassment stinging in her eyes. 

“Come on, Carolina,” Ricardo muttered to himself. “I know you’ve got it in there somewhere.” 

It was then that Carolina closed her eyes and tried to channel her grandfather as much as she could. Her tall, gallant, strong and mighty abuelo . A man that didn’t back down to anyone and could roar as loud as an angry lion. A man who brushed off humility like water running down a cup and stood straight, proud, and full of courage in the face of danger. How she yearned to be just as strong and unabashed as Alejandro de la Vega was. 

She began to feel his presence, her body feeling warm as if her grandfather were right there now and holding her in his arms to give her strength. A little bit of that strength and courage she yearned for ran throughout her veins, and she opened her eyes. Carolina let out a steamy breath of air through her nose, straightened her posture, and tightened her hold on the bat. 

The pitcher threw the third ball, only this time Carolina didn’t miss. She whacked the ball as hard as she could and watched as it flew in the air, landed on the roof of a building several yards away from her, then rolled off and landed on the ground with a ‘thud’. She was greeted with silence as the once laughing rancheros now stood there with their eyes gaping and jaws hanging.

“Nice swing, Señorita de la Vega ,” the pitcher exclaimed. 

“And you said I had no competition.” Ricardo called out from behind her. 

Carolina giggled softly, then sent an abundance of love to her grandfather, hoping he could feel it back at the hacienda. “Thank you, Abuelo,” she said to herself. She looked back and hit the remaining two balls with the same force and energy as she had before and watched as they flew in the sky and landed several yards away from her each time. The last one flew so far it would have been considered a home run had it been a centimeter further away.

Carolina handed the bat back for the next person to use, then joined Ricardo’s side and let him drape his long arm around her shoulders. 

“You got quite an arm on you, my dear,” he commented. “Could be a professional ball player for a career.”

Carolina smirked and shook her head. “No, that was all Abuelo’s doing,” she told him. “I tried to think of him and his stature as hard as I could, then I felt him, and it gave me the confidence I was desperately yearning for.” 

“Looks like your grandfather’s short-temper comes in handy after all, does it not?” 

Carolina softly laughed as she turned in the direction she had last seen her father. But he wasn’t there, and she frowned. “Papa?...Papa…Papa?” She turned a worried gaze to Ricardo. “Where is he? He said he’d be here.” 

“Oh, he probably just got held up at the tavern, nothing more. Come. For all we know, he’s still stuck in that ghastly line.” 

Ricardo and Carolina walked through the bustling crowd of patrons and eventually reached the tavern, where a live ranchero band was performing for a packed tavern crowd. People were laughing and singing, wine glasses and cups clinked in the background, and the barmaid was somehow bouncing from table to table without a breakdown. 

“Do you see him?” The little de la Vega asked.

“No chance in this place,” Ricardo said. “Come on, he’s probably over at the bar table.

The duo swiftly made their way through a herd of people to the bar table. Ricardo waved his arm up to get the bartender’s attention.

“Excuse me, señor ,” he called out. “I’ve got a question for you.”

The bartender, a young man who looked like he was just out of college, swung a towel over his shoulder and approached the two with a frown on his face. 

“I’m sorry, señor , we’re all out of brandy,” he said.

“No, no, no, we don’t want anything to drink, we’re looking for a friend, a Diego de la Vega. Have you happened to see him around here, by chance?” Ricardo asked.

“Diego de la Vega? Tall, dark hair, small little mustache, and a calm-like voice?” 

“That’s him.” 

The bartender shook his head. “I’m sorry, señor , I haven’t seen him.”

“What do you mean ‘you haven’t seen him’? He said he was coming here for a quick drink then back to us at the baseball game.”

“I never saw him come in, señor , I would’ve known had he come in here. I’m sorry, but he’s not here. Never came in, never went out.” 

“You mean he’s missing?” Carolina wailed, a sharp chill starting to run throughout her body.

“Now wait a minute, Carolina, wait a minute,” Ricardo said, moving his hand in a calming motion. “There’s no need to panic yet, perhaps your father just got sidetracked and wandered off somewhere else for a bit.” 

“No,” Carolina said, shaking her head. “Papa said he’d come back, he always comes back for me. Something’s wrong, something happened to Papa.”

“Alright, alright, now let’s not freak out just yet. He could’ve just got lost in the crowd outside. I’ll check the auction ring and cattle showings, you check the food stands and that makeshift stage where the pretty flamenco dancers are performing. We’ll meet back at the square by the fountain in an hour and give one another an update.”

Carolina quickly nodded, and the duo sprinted out of the tavern and off their separate ways.

“Papa,” Carolina cried out, running through a few game booths. “Papa. Papa!”

Lying on a cold clay bench and strapped down with cuffs on both wrists and ankles, Diego began to stir his head from side to side, moaning as he was welcomed to a pounding headache. He continued to softly moan as he fought to open his eyes.

“What happened?” He grumbled. “Where am-” His eyelids flashed open and sat up as best as he could when he saw Monastario hovering over him with a sly grin. Diego’s expression darkened. “Captain Monastario.” 

“About time you woke up and joined the living,” Monastario cooed. “I hope you had a rather peaceful slumber?”

“What’s the meaning of this? Where’s Carolina?” 

“Dying.” 

“What?!”

“Dying from fear thinking something tragic happened to you, if I could guess at the moment.” 

Diego snarled as he stared Monastario down with venomous eyes. “So the saints help me, if you lay one hand on my sweet baby, I’ll-”

“You will be reunited with her soon. You can go free and back to your daughter as if this never happened. But first, I want some information from you.” 

“I don’t know what you want, but you certainly won’t get it from me.” 

“Who is Zorro’s true identity?” 

“I know that answer as much as you do. Now let me go. My poor daughter must be close to a heart attack by now.” 

Monastario ground his jaw as his short patience began to wear thin. “I know you’re the face behind el Zorro , de la Vega, now out with it. Admit it. I want to hear it from the Fox’s mouth himself.” 

“No,” Diego remarked firmly. “I won’t lie just to give you any satisfaction. I want my daughter, now bring her to me.” 

“You don’t get to make the orders around here, de la Vega. Help me or not, I already have a plan B to uncover the truth about Zorro’s identity, and I don’t need your assistance to accomplish it.” Monastario turned his fiery gaze to the metal, black barred door. “ Teniente .” 

Blanco hurriedly made his way into the cell carrying a bottle and a white washcloth in both hands. He straightened his posture and clicked his heels together. 

“You called for me, Capitán ,” the lieutenant said.

“Put him out,” Monastario ordered. “Prepare for plan B.” 

“ Sì, Capitán . Right away, Capitán .” 

Blanco walked towards the bench Diego was chained down to and trying to break free from, set the bottle down on the ground, then took the wet washcloth and covered the young ranchero’s nose and mouth with it. Diego struggled to turn his head away and could be heard yelling something in protest, then he fell silent, closed his eyes, and again became unconscious as his head slowly rolled to the right.

The lieutenant made a brief check to make sure Diego was still alive, saw his chest rising and lowering softly, then returned to his commanding officer’s side for further instruction.

“Get Corporal Labastida and tell him to put on the costume. Send him here with the mask once he’s dressed and settled,” Monastario said.

“ Sì, Capitán ,” Blanco said, with a nod.

“And make it quick. The sooner we expose de la Vega for his crimes, the sooner I can get rid of him.” 

Blanco again nodded and ran out to carry out his orders, while Monastario remained with the unconscious Diego and turned to glare at his sworn enemy. He approached the bench again and looked down at Diego with malice. 

“You have been a thorn in my side since day one, de la Vega,” he snarled. “Mark my words, though, after tonight you will be as dead as a doornail. The people of Los Angeles will again take me seriously, and I will be able to regain command of this pathetic little city and resume what I came here for to begin with; become a benevolent dictator of Los Angeles and maybe even all of California, if I play my cards right.” 

He continued to stand there gazing at Diego and began thinking of the perfect way to end his life, when a man’s voice brought him out of his thoughts.

“ Capitán , looking for me?” A tall man with slick black hair, dark eyes, and dressed in Diego’s tan suit and red tie called out, doing a poor imitation of the handsome de la Vega’s voice.

Monastario turned to his left and saw Corporal Labastida giving him a skeptical gaze and holding a mask in one of his hands. 

“Perfection, Corporal,” Monastario greeted, with an impressed grin.

Labastida’s skeptical expression turned into a sly grin as he turned his head and put the mask on. Once it was secure, he returned his gaze to Monastario, only this time it was the face of Diego de la Vega looking at him instead of the corporal he had once been.

The captain’s jaw dropped from its hinges, his eyes nearly bugging out of his head at the almost identical twin of Diego. He briefly turned to look at the real de la Vega, who was still deep in sleep, then looked back at the fake Diego, who was leaning against the doorway and grinning at Monastario with his arms crossed.

“ Astounding ,” Monastario gasped, then began to cackle will devilish glee. He picked up the pillow lying beneath Diego’s feet and walked over to hand it to Labastida. “Put this under your shirt. Time for the foxhunt.” 

The new ‘Diego’s’ grin grew wider, his eyes twinkling with roguery as he turned to exit the cell and began to unbutton his shirt, while Monastario closed the door behind him as he continued to laugh maniacally.

As the auctioneer put the next bull up for bidding, Ricardo did all he could to project his voice above everyone else’s as he continued to call Diego’s name, while Carolina cried for her papa and did all she could to yell over the musicians and dancers on every street corner. 

“Diego. Diego. Diego, can you hear me? Diego.” 

“Papa. Papa. Papa, where are you? Papa. Papa!” 

The duo soon met by the fountain in the square as promised, both of them frowning with disappointment. 

“Did you find him?” Carolina asked, her voice filled with anxiety.

“Not a chance,” Ricardo said, looking around his nearby surroundings. “It’s gonna be harder than finding a needle in a corn field trying to locate him in this crowd.” He let out a heavy sigh. “Perhaps it’s best we go back to the hacienda and bring your grandfather and Bernardo here to help track him down.” 

“No,” Carolina said, her voice breaking as her eyes welled with tears. “I’m not leaving without Papa. He would do the same for me.” 

“Now look, I don’t want to leave him behind either, but there’s no chance in-” He paused when he and Carolina saw several feet in front of them ‘Diego’ walking through the game booths and appeared to be completely lost. Like he wasn’t sure what or who he was looking for. 

“Papa.” Carolina cried, as she dashed for her ‘father’s’ side.

Labastida turned in the direction of the voice’s path and furrowed his eyebrows together as the little teenager reached his side and hugged him tight. 

Carolina instantly sensed a change in her father’s body build as she rested her head against his chest. His height felt off, his aura felt off, his hips felt different, his belly felt squishy instead of fluffy. Instead of the strong sense of warmth, love, and security her father always brought her, he now brought her discomfort, callousness, and a bit stand-offish. Her alarm only rang louder as Labastida hugged her back, and his arms practically squeezed Carolina’s small body. She fought back from wincing as her father’s once gentle and warm hugs now tight and somewhat painful. 

“Diego,” Ricardo said, soon joining the duo’s side. “Where in God’s green earth have you been? You just about gave us a heart attack with your disappearance.” He saw his ‘friend’s’ change of clothing and frowned. “Were you wearing that before, or did you change while we were looking for you?” 

Labastida shook his head as he opened his mouth and rubbed his neck with his hand.

“You lost your voice?” Ricardo questioned. “How?” 

The fake Diego tried to quickly think of an explanation, heard the Mariachi music playing in the near distance, then pretended to play a guitar as he opened his mouth as if he were singing. 

“Too much singing, huh? I think you’re in need of some rest, then,” Ricardo said. “Why don’t we go back to the hacienda, and you can lie down for a while before your father’s party tonight.” 

Carolina watched her ‘father’ cautiously as Labastida nodded with a smile. He started walking off to the left, when Ricardo’s voice stopped him.

“Diego,” Ricardo pointed behind them. “The horses are this way.” 

Labastida made an expression as if it then dawned on him and shook his head with embarrassment. He started in the direction of their rides, leaving Ricardo and Carolina to themselves once again. They turned to face each other, and the handsome caballero raised his eyebrow questioningly. 

“You don’t think your father hit his head on something while he was missing, do you?” 

Carolina shook her head. “That isn’t Papa, Uncle Ricardo. I don’t know who he is, but he isn’t my Papa.”

“Are you sure?” 

“I know my Papa, Uncle Ricardo, and that isn’t him. The way he walks, the way he stands, the way he smells. He nearly crushed my spine when he hugged me just now, and he’s not wearing the same outfit as before. Papa’s gentle and makes me feel warm and safe. I’m not getting any of that with whoever this is.” 

“You think he’s a fake?” 

Carolina again shook her head. “I don’t know, Uncle Ricardo. All I know is that that man isn’t my Papa, and my Papa’s in trouble.” She croaked.

Ricardo put a gentle hand on her shoulder. “We’ll find him, little one. We’ll find him. Right now, we have to figure out who this guy really is and what he’s looking for. The sooner we know who he is, the sooner we’ll be able to figure out where the real Diego de la Vega is.” 

“But how are we going to do that? He won’t even speak to us.” 

“I’ve got one idea. And his name is Alejandro de la Vega.” Ricardo patted the back of Carolina’s shoulder and gestured with his thumb over his. “Come on. If anyone can settle this and figure out who this Diego de la Vega is, it’s your grandfather.”

The young girl nodded in response, then the two of them turned on their heels and sprinted back for the horses.

Chapter Text

As the Mariachi band practiced by the courtyard stairs, Alejandro wandered around making sure all the decorations and drinks were placed in their rightful spots, taking close attention to any defects visual to the human eyes. He marked his checklist as he went through each item with a fine-toothed comb, when Bernardo came running down the stairs with a fancy black suit and golden embroidery in hand. He rushed to the eldest de la Vega and held it up to him with a grin.

“No, Bernardo, I said my green suit, green ,” Alejandro remarked displeased. 

Bernardo stared at him for a moment, then lifted one of the sleeves and gave him a questioning look. A look that appeared to say ‘What’s wrong with this suit?’ 

“Just get the green suit, Bernardo, and quickly. Guests will start arriving in another hour.” 

The short manservant gave Alejandro a short nod and disappeared up the stairs again. Just as he vanished into Alejandro’s room, Carolina, Ricardo, and Labastida came through the front door and entered into the courtyard.

“Ah, Diego,” Alejandro said, casually making his way towards the trio. “You’re home just in time…” He trailed off when he saw the outfit his ‘son’ was wearing and gazed at him skeptically. “Were you wearing that when you left, or did you change outfits before coming back?” 

“He can’t answer you, Don Alejandro,” Ricardo said. “He lost his voice from singing too much down in the pueblo.” 

“Lost his voice,” Alejandro gasped. He looked back to Labastida. “Diego, you’re always singing around here. How did you manage to lose your voice?” 

Labastida stared at the older man for a moment before spotting the Mariachi band off to his left. He turned back to Alejandro, pretended to play a guitar, and opened his mouth as if he were singing over the loud instruments.

The ranchero studied Labastida carefully, briefly turning a glance to his granddaughter for an explanation. When he saw the uneasy expression on her face, he looked back at Labastida and nodded. “Very well, then. Go upstairs and rest for a while, Diego. Perhaps your voice will return a bit after some rest and relaxation,” he told him.

Labastida nodded in return with a small smile, then walked up the stairs and froze for a moment before choosing the correct room to enter. When he was out of sight, Alejandro made his eyes to Ricardo and Carolina and lowered his voice.

“Who is that man?” He asked.

Carolina shook her head. “I don’t know , Abuelo,” she answered. “But he’s not Papa.”

“You picked all of that up, and you only spoke to the man for a few seconds?” Ricardo questioned, impressed.

“It was an easy giveaway,” Alejandro said. “Diego has specific mannerisms and postures when he speaks or addresses certain people. His eyes didn’t appear the way they should, either. I’d know my son from a hundred yards away, and that wasn’t him.” 

“Well, we all know the man upstairs isn’t Diego, so how do we find out who he is and locate the real Diego de la Vega?” Ricardo asked. 

“What if Papa’s in real danger?” Carolina quivered. “What if Capitán Monastario is behind all of this and is torturing Papa to death?” 

Alejandro placed a hand on his granddaughter’s shoulder. “We will find him, Angelita . Right now, we must figure out who this imposter is and dig information out of him on why he’s here. If you’re right, and Monastario is behind all of this, then he probably sent that man here to prove Diego is Zorro like he believes to be true.”

“Diego be Zorro? Ha,” Ricardo scoffed. “No offense to Diego or anything, but he wouldn’t even hurt a fly, let alone use a sword and fight enemies off.” 

“Carolina, go upstairs and check in on him. Pretend you’re up there to make sure your father’s alright,” Alejandro told her.

“ Sì, Abuelo ,” Carolina said, with a nod. “I will.” 

As Alejandro and Ricardo continued to discuss the current situation, Carolina quickly climbed up the stairs and made her way to her father’s room, where she found ‘Diego’ snooping around through things. Books, his desk, his dresser, the fireplace, papers and bedsheets were thrown all over the place as if he were looking for something. A hidden entrance or secret compartment with Zorro’s outfit inside. 

Carolina frowned. “Papa,” she said.

Labastida froze for a moment before turning to the little lady and smiled at her.

“You looking for something?” She questioned.

Labastida stood still for a moment before acting like he was holding a suit on a hanger, as if he were looking for a particular one for this evening’s party.

Carolina simply lifted her finger and pointed to her left. “Your closet’s over there , Papa,” she stated dubiously. 

Labastida looked in the given direction, then shook his head and patted the top of his head as if he were stupid. He grinned at Carolina and nodded in gratitude before making his way over to the closet and started to pretend to be searching for a nice suit for the party. 

As she watched her ‘father’ cautiously, Carolina pursed her lips and crossed her arms as she tried to identify who was standing before her. Had she’d seen the man once before, or was he a total stranger to Los Angeles? Was he here on Monastario’s behalf looking for evidence Diego was Zorro, or was his mission something completely different? And then the big question that kept racing through her mind; where was her father and was he alright?

As the sun began to set, Alejandro’s party was just beginning. The Mariachi band was in full swing, men and women danced freely around the courtyard, rancheros stood off to the side with a drink in hand and made conversation with each other, and the servants occasionally brought around refreshments and appetizers for people to munch on. 

Half of Los Angeles was present for the party. Sergeant Garcia, Corporal Reyes, Commandante Cabrera, Captain Monastario, several of Alejandro’s close friends, and Ricardo. As for Bernardo and the de la Vegas themselves, they were constantly moving around and watching the phony Diego from a distance for any suspicious behavior or actions. Alejandro stood by the refreshment table, Bernardo stood beside the staircase, and little Carolina sat in one of the lounge chairs in a powdered blue dress and holding a glass of lemonade.

Labastida himself was constantly checking his surroundings and began to grow tense when he saw the de la Vegas and Bernardo watching him every so often. When he found a moment where he wasn’t under observation, the Diego impersonator made his way over to Monastario and lowered his voice after checking if the coast was clear. 

“They’re getting onto me, Capitán .” 

“Just keep quiet and make a run to de la Vega’s room when no one’s watching. His Zorro stuff is hidden in there somewhere, I know it is.”

“And how do you expect me to do that? The old man and little kid are constantly watching me like a hawk.” 

“Look, there’s a window out back that leads into de la Vega’s room. Just excuse yourself to use the baño , then climb up the vines to get inside. When you find what we’re looking for, come back and find me, and we’ll go from there.”

“ Sì, Capitán .” 

“And don’t come talk to me again until then. We’ll start to draw attention if someone sees us talking to each other.” 

“ Sì, Capitán .” 

As the two men exchanged conversation, Carolina looked up from taking a sip of her lemonade and frowned when she saw Monastario and Labastida together. She craned her neck up to make an attempt at reading lips, but she couldn’t make out anything they were saying. 

Carolina casually rose to her feet and walked over to her grandfather, checking every now and then to see if the military officer was watching her movements. When she reached Alejandro, the older de la Vega took her into his arms and pretended to kiss her head. 

“Abuelo, look over there,” Carolina softly said. “The man pretending to be Papa is talking to Capitán Monastario .” 

“ Monastario ,” Alejandro gasped, then turned into the direction she was speaking of and saw the same thing. He furrowed his eyebrows together. “Now, why would those two be making any type of conversation with each other?”

“You think they know where Papa is?”

“Or discussing their plan to expose your father and Zorro’s identity.” Alejandro turned to look down at Carolina and rubbed her shoulder. “Keep an eye on both of them. If either one of them tries to leave, come get me. We’ll go from there.” 

“ Sì, Abuelo .” 

“Go inform your Uncle Ricardo of what’s happening and tell him to keep an eye out for them, too. The more security we have, the less of a chance we have of one of them escaping.” 

Carolina nodded and did as told, leaving Alejandro again to himself. With his eyes fixed on the two men before him, he took a sip of his wine and continued his observation.

It was blurry as Diego regained consciousness, and his mind swam in a pool of fog as he tried to remember what had happened to him. Once his vision had settled in, it all came back to him and he tried to sit up. He was shoved down due to the way he was chained up to the bed. He tried to yank on the chains and rip them out of the wall, but they wouldn’t budge.

Diego put his head back and internally moaned. He had to get out of the cell. He had to find Monastario and stop him before he tried harming his father and/or daughter. But how did he free himself, was the question.

He tried to think of an idea quickly and began looking around the cell room. He did a double take when he saw a nail sticking out of the wall a little above where one of his chains were hammered into the wall.

A light turned on in Diego’s head and stretched his left hand up to try and grab it, but his fingers just barely touched it. He extended his arm and fingers as far as they could go, clenching his eyes and teeth shut to fight back from grunting. He pulled against his chains, used his other hand to hold his left arm in place, then finally got a grasp on the nail in between the tips of his fingers. 

Diego gripped on to the tip of the nail as hard as he could and started to pull and tug on it. He mustered up all the strength in his body and tried pulling for almost a minute before the nail finally dislodged. He held it tight in his palm, then picked the left cuff off of his hand and repeated the same motion to his right hand and legs.

Once all the cuffs were off of him, Diego sat up and swung his legs over the bench as he started thinking of his next plan: getting someone to come in and open the door so he could make a run for it. He pondered his options for a moment, looked down at the cuff that had been attached to his right leg, and it hit him.

Diego silently grabbed the cuff, threw it behind his back, then slammed it down onto the ground with as much force as possible. It smashed into the ground with a loud ‘clang’, startling the sleeping guard standing outside.

“What the,” the guard gasped. He swiftly turned on his heels and struggled to get the cell keys out with his shaky fingers. It took him a few moments to unlock the door, then heard a soft click and hesitantly opened the door.

“Don Diego,” he called out, gradually stepping into the dark room. “Don Diego? Are you alright here? I heard a loud noise, are you alright? Don Diego…”

As the guard turned to the bench, Diego came out from the shadows and banged the guard over the shoulder with his fist, causing Monastario’s man to fall to the ground unconscious.

Without a second glance, Diego bolted out of the room, quickly looked left and right for an exit, then saw a long hallway off to his right and took off running.

Chapter Text

As Alejandro’s party continued to linger throughout the night, Ricardo and Carolina danced with each other to an Italian folk song, both of them keeping a constant eye on Labastida. Alejandro continued observing from his spot at the refreshment table, and Bernardo walked around serving appetizers to people as he did his own careful observation.

And while Monastario watched the de la Vegas in return, Labastida tried to take attention off of him by dancing with a pretty señorita in a purple and black dress covered in frills. He spun her around and dipped her every now and then, doing his best to seem interested in her physical features instead of being agitated with the halt in his assignment. 

“You’re pretty good on your feet there, Don Diego,” the señorita said. “And here I thought you were only talented with your fingers.” 

Labastida feigned a touched smile and nodded to her in gratitude. He brought the lady in close and continued to dance, making a silent snarl as he looked back at Monastario, who remained by the stairs sipping on his wine. All he received in response from the captain was a glare and subtle nod. 

The Diego doppelganger continued to dance for a while longer, then pulled away from the señorita and held up a finger to excuse himself. He began walking for the front door, where Ricardo and Carolina were dancing off to the side. The little de la Vega’s eyes widened as her body began to be victimized by a sharp chill running throughout her spine. She snapped her gaze back to Ricardo.

“He’s leaving,” she softly gasped.

“Go grab his arm and act like you want to dance with him,” Ricardo instructed her. “I’ll get your grandfather and see what he advises us to do next.” 

Carolina quickly parted ways with her uncle and grabbed a hold of Labastida’s hands before he had a chance to reach for the doorknob. He turned his stunned gaze to the little girl, who was smiling up at him.

“Care for a dance, Papa?” She asked sweetly.

Despite the strong urge to shove her away in disgust, he spotted Monastario watching him and reluctantly continued his façade as Diego. Labastida took Carolina in his arms, and the two began waltzing around the courtyard tree, while Zorro silently came out of Diego’s room and descended down the stairs before stopping at the foot of them. 

The masked hero made his eyes to Labastida and Carolina and made an attempt to start towards their way, when one of the rancheros caught a glimpse of him and froze in his spot.

“Zorro!” The man cried, pointing in his direction.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked in Zorro’s direction, coming to an abrupt halt at the sight of the heroic outlaw. 

As Monastario snarled, Labastida roughly shoved Carolina over towards Alejandro, pulled out a pistol from his holster, then swung it around at Zorro’s chest.

“Freeze, Zorro,” he cried.

Zorro gave a slight nod. “Corporal,” he said coolly. “I was wondering when you would do that.” 

“What?! You mean you saw through this whole disguise?” 

“It is not very difficult to notice the difference between someone who is and isn’t wearing a mask, Corporal. The tubes you used for Diego de la Vega to breathe through while making the mask, I could spot the defect in the nostrils instantly.” 

Labastida ripped off his mask with his free hand, causing all of Alejandro’s guests to softly gasp. “Diego de la Vega, or you , Zorro? Care to rip off your mask?” 

“I appear to have been mistaken,” Zorro remarked, his hand hovering over the end of his sword. “You appear to be as delusional as Capitán Monastario is with his outrageous accusations regarding my identity. Perhaps, Corporal, you’re just as insane as he is.” 

Labastida threw his pistol to the side and yanked out his saber. “I’ll show you who the insane one is, Señor Zorro . En guarde!”

As the two men began their duel, Carolina gasped as her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates and bolted inside the sala, while Zorro and Labastida clanged swords, sliced tree branches and leaves off, and shattered glasses. 

No one could divert their eyes away from the fight as they watched from one man to the other, Garcia and Reyes sipping on their wine as if they were watching a bullfighting match. But Monastario was more than displeased and let out a low growl as he pulled his own sword out and went to charge into Zorro’s side. He was unpleasantly surprised when Zorra came swinging down from the balcony with a vine and kicked him into the front door. 

The captain shook his mind of all the cobwebs, lifted his gaze from the ground, and snarled at the sight of Zorro’s daughter. He grabbed his sword as Zorra began fighting with Labastida, while Monastario fought against his biggest nemesis. 

Labastida swung his sword around while trying to make a strike on Zorro’s daughter, but the little lady was more of an opponent than he originally imagined. He was even struggling to hold onto his weapon because Zorra’s strikes were so intense. Labastida broke into a sweat as he grew apprehensive and began to fear Zorra.

“ Capitán ,” he cried. “She’s playing dirty.”

Zorra swung her sword through the air as Labastida dodged the blade.

Fearing for his life, Labastida threw his sword to the side and made a run for it out the door. Unfortunately for him, Cabrera was one step ahead of him. The commandante pulled out his pistol, aimed it, and fired, sending Labastida tumbling onto the ground limp and still. 

Monastario continued to clang swords with Zorro and made a wide swing for the outlaw’s neck. Zorro dodged the strike, but slipped on his feet and fell backwards, striking the back of his head on a rock and became unconscious.

Zorra silently gasped as Monastario went in for the kill and charged after him in her father’s defense. The captain dodged out of the way and began a new duel with Zorro’s daughter. She was still much more of a competitor than before, maybe even stronger than the last time he had fought with her. 

Monastario used every last bit of energy in him to try and take down Zorra, but she was able to disarm him and throw his sword over the courtyard wall. She then pinned him to the tree and held him there for a moment before putting her sword away and running to her father’s side.

The captain snarled and tried leaping onto her, but Cabrera and Alejandro grabbed onto Monastario’s arms and restrained him back.

“Captain Monastario,” Cabrera exclaimed. “What in the world is going on here?!”

“Let me finish him,” Monastario spat back. “Out of my way, let me unmask him once and for all.” 

“Are you out of your mind, you could kill somebody with this reckless behavior.” 

“Perhaps he already has ,” Ricardo said grimly, pointing in Zorro’s direction.

Everyone fell silent and watched as Zorra got down on her father’s left side and gently grabbed him by his shoulders. She tried shaking him awake, but he wouldn’t respond. She shook him harder, but he made no movement.

Hot tears began to blur Zorra’s vision as she shook her head and choked back on a sob. “No,” she mouthed. “No…” She sniffled and shuddered as she buried her face into her father’s chest, wrapped her arms around him, and started to softly weep.

Zorra continued to cry as Zorro’s eyes slowly fluttered open and turned his gaze to his daughter. He lifted his hand and gently placed it on top of Zorra’s head, causing the young girl to lift her eyes and nearly felt her heart stop at what she saw. Her eyes nearly bulged out of her head as she mouthed, “Papa,” and received a small smile in response.

“What did I tell you about crying over me,” he told her softly.

Zorra’s face began to brighten as she helped her father sit up a bit against the staircase. She watched as Zorro looked down at his belly and let out a deep breath of air. 

“I thought this swollen belly of mine would break my fall, not cause it to swell even more,” he joked, patting his middle. He grinned when he got a giggle out of his daughter, and she shook her head.

“Papa,” she barely said, then lay her head back down on her father’s chest, and they held each other close, Zorro kissing the top of his daughter’s head before resting his against hers.

While most people smiled with relief that the famous outlaw was alright, Monastario let out a low growl and tried to walk towards them, when a shrill cry stopped him in his tracks. He turned to one of the courtyard wall sidings and gasped as he saw two bats sitting there and chirping their presence. 

Without a second thought, Monastario bolted for the front door, but Cabrera and Alejandro were too quick and grabbed onto his arms before he could make his escape. The captain began to cry and yell in fear as the two men turned him around and dragged him back to the center, Monastario pointing at the bats in fear as they continued to chirp merrily. Like they were even laughing at him shivering under their stare.

“Let me go,” Monastario begged. “Let go of me, those things will kill me.” 

“Settle down, Captain,” Cabrera ordered. “Those bats are as harmless as a house fly, they don’t harm human life.”

Monastario continued to tug back on Cabrera and Alejandro’s holds and eventually broke free before dashing underneath the staircase and crawling up into a ball with his hands covering his head. The whole scene made Zorro and his daughter chuckle softly.

The father-daughter duo rose to their feet, and Zorro placed a gentle hand on Zorra’s shoulder.

“Come on, my little one,” he told her. “Our work here is done.” 

They made a start for the door, when Cabrera’s voice stopped them.

“Zorro.” 

The two looked back at the captain. 

“I’ll let you go free this time,” he said. “But next time you may not be as lucky.”

Zorro nodded in acknowledgement. “Duly noted, Capitán . Let’s hope our paths don’t cross again.” Without another word, Zorro and his daughter fled out the front door and left all the party-goers utterly baffled as they rushed into the secret cave and came to a stop in the dressing room. 

Zorra ripped off her mask, revealing the face of Carolina before looking up at Zorro and smiling. She hugged her father tight and felt a surge of warmth and love run through her when he held her close and rubbed her back. He kissed the top of her head. 

“Get on back to the party before anyone notices you’re missing,” he told her kindly. “I’ll be there to meet you in a minute.”

Carolina gave her father a nod before running upstairs to change, then entered the sala through the hidden door in the cabinet and crawled underneath the coffee table as if she were taking cover. She made herself dead still and closed her eyes as she heard her grandfather’s voice and footsteps growing louder.

“I know I saw her come in here,” she heard Alejandro say.

The door opened to the sala, and Alejandro and Cabrera walked inside searching for the littlest de la Vega.

“Carolina,” her grandfather called out. “Carolina, where are you?” 

“Here I am, Abuelo,” Carolina said, meek.

Alejandro and Cabrera snapped their gazes behind them, spotted Carolina under the coffee table, then the ranchero pulled her out from underneath and took her into his arms.

“Oh Angelita ,” he said. “Are you alright?” 

“I saw Zorro, and there was too much sword fighting. I got scared and came in here.” 

“No need to fear any longer, my little one,” Cabrera greeted, with a smile. “I’m glad to say that there is no more fighting, and your grandfather’s guests’ have gone back to dancing and drinking.” 

“Don Alejandro,” came Ricardo’s voice shouting over the music. 

Hearing the urgency in the man’s voice, the trio bolted out of the sala, looked out into the courtyard, and all of their eyes nearly fell out of their heads.

“My God ,” Cabrera gasped.

“Papa.” Carolina cried, leaving both men’s sides. She bolted in her father’s direction, who was in tattered, dirty clothing, had messy hair, and appeared to be staggering around the place.

Diego feigned a tired smile at the sight of his daughter, but felt genuine joy when he took her into his arms and held her close. He kissed her forehead and rested his head against hers, relieved that she was safe and unharmed.

“Diego,” Alejandro gasped, running to his son’s side. “What on earth happened to you? Where have you been?” 

“Why don’t you ask Capitán Monastario that question,” Diego said. “He knows exactly where I’ve been.” 

“Oh?” Cabrera replied, raising his eyebrow as he turned to the stairwell. He narrowed his eyes when he spotted Monastario cowering and still taking cover. “Captain! Get over here before I give you a real reason to be afraid.” 

Monastario slowly raised his head, made a quick scan to make sure the bats were gone, then got to his feet and brushed himself off before making his way towards his commanding officer. He straightened his posture and stood at attention once reaching Cabrera’s side. 

“You called for me, Capitán ,” he said. 

“I have quite a few words to say to you, Monastario. Now get marching back to the cuartel before I call for those bats to come back and have them deal with you.” 

Monastario went pale as he gasped, then sprinted out of the de la Vega hacienda without a second thought. Cabrera came chasing after him and stopped at the front door’s threshold as he watched the captain run throughout the night. 

“Monastario!” Cabrera shouted. “Monastario. Get back here, you coward. Monastario.  Baboso, you forgot your horse. Monastario!” 

“Man, he’s still running,” Ricardo said, him and Bernardo watching the man grow smaller and smaller in the distance.

“And it doesn’t look like he’s stopping until he gets back to the pueblo, either,” Alejandro added. 

“I think he’s bat crazy,” Carolina said to her father. 

“ Literally , too,” Diego remarked. 

The de la Vegas, Bernardo, and Ricardo all turned to each other, looked off in the direction Monastario had run off in, and began to laugh. 

(End of episode three...)

Chapter Text

**Author Note** Hello, my lovely readers. I'm leaving this warning now, as this episode ends on a very, very sad note. But keep reading for the final episode. There's a lot of twists and turns headed your way, so buckle in, because you're in for a wild ride from here on out. Here's the two-part episode finale of "The Return of Monastario"! Enjoy. 

(Episodes 4 and 5: An End to the Monastario Era - Part 1)

The de la Vega courtyard was packed with people. Live musicians, Bernardo, Ricardo, Commandante Cabrera, Sergeant Garcia and Corporal Reyes, nothing but music and laughter filled the air that night. A celebration for Diego’s full recovery from Black Lobo’s injuries that he received six months prior. His scars were no longer raging with anger, the swelling had subsided completely, and his weight had returned to how it was before being injured. And after everything his son had gone through to reach this point, Alejandro decided it was a cause for celebration and threw a party that night in Diego’s honor.

While most guests danced or had a few drinks, one of Don Alejandro’s good friends, Don Santiago Abarca, socialized with the guest of honor and took casual sips of their wine. The older de la Vega himself was going around and seeing how everyone was doing. 

“Ah Diego, look at you,” the old cattle ranchero said with a grin. “Look at you, it’s like you were never injured to begin with.” 

Diego chuckled. “ Gracias, Don Santiago . It’s very nice to not have my clothes be so tight around me anymore,” Diego answered. “And I can actually look down and see my feet now, too.” 

“Nonsense, you weren’t that big in the middle. You look fantastic, my boy. It’s as if Black Lobo never existed.” 

“Believe me, I wish he hadn’t.” 

“It’s all done and put behind us now, Diego. Now you can pick up on where you left off and focus on being a father and a free man again. Maybe even pick up one of these beautiful señoritas to dance with tonight?” 

Diego laughed. “Now you’re starting to sound like my father.” 

“Oh, good heavens, don’t say that , now. I could never be your father, he hasn’t got a single funny bone in his body.” 

“It’s hard to be humorous when you’re surrounded by stubborn bulls all day.” 

“ Sì , but he doesn’t need to turn into one himself , now does he.” 

Both men chuckled, when Alejandro sauntered over and joined them.

“You two better not be having too much fun here,” he joked.

“Oh, I’ve just begun, Alejandro,” Abarca answered. “I haven’t even gotten to the story where we went camping that one time, and you almost wetted yourself after seeing that goose flying around.”

Alejandro gave his dear friend a glare. “Now you promised me you would never share that story with anyone else unless I told you it was alright,” he remarked, while shaking his finger.

“It’s alright, Father,” Diego said. “At least you never had an angry chicken run you up a tree and needed help to get back down.” 

“Swell,” Abarca remarked, unamused. He took a sip of his wine. “Now he’s got something to hold over my head.” 

All three men began to laugh, when Diego’s eyes caught something off to the side of him. He looked to his right and found his sweet daughter sitting on a chair and appearing very lonely and grim. He parted ways with his father and family friend and sat down beside the love of his life. 

“Are you alright, my little love?” He asked. “You look awful sad for such a happy occasion.” 

Carolina faintly shook her head. “I’m just being selfish, Papa. Go on and have fun, I don’t want to ruin your big night.” 

“Now, how can I have fun when you’re not having any,” he questioned, placing his hand on her cheek and gently rubbing it with his thumb. “What is it, my sweet? What’s got you all in a slump?” 

“It’s, it’s just tha...I guess I hate sharing you, that's all. You’ve been going around from guest after guest all evening, I’ve hardly been able to talk to you myself .” Carolina shook her head shamefully as her father tenderly ran his fingers through her hair. “It’s just my shyness ruining everything, as always. I’m not having any fun because I can’t have any fun with you.” 

“Well, I’ve talked to everyone at least once, now,” Diego said. “I don’t see why I can’t spend some time with you for a little while. If it makes you feel any better, I’m a little worn out socializing myself.” 

She lifted her sad eyes up to him. “Can you dance with me, Papa?" She asked softly. "I’ve wanted to dance with you all night.” 

Diego smiled at his baby. “Of course I’ll dance with you. You never have to worry about me opposing that.” 

Carolina’s face soon lit up, then Diego helped her to her feet and walked with her to the center of the courtyard. Once they reached a spot that wasn’t too crowded, Diego took Carolina in his arms, and the duo began dancing to the upbeat melody the Mariachi band was currently playing. They became lost in their own happy little world, when Alejandro walked up to them and stole Diego’s dancing partner. 

“Looks like you could use a refresher in dancing, my son,” Alejandro teased him. “ This is the proper way to dance, Diego.” Soon Carolina was dancing with her grandfather and grinned from ear to ear. She eventually pulled him by the arm back to Diego and wrapped an arm around each of them. 

Catching her cue, the two de la Vega men smiled, and the three of them began dancing together. They waltzed, twirled Carolina around, or just swayed back and forth while singing to whatever song was being played. Eventually, everyone else was shut out, and the three de la Vegas were by themselves and the Mariachi band. Carefree, energetic, and filled with joy, the little family danced the night away. The darkness was behind them, and there was nothing but light and glee ahead of them. 

The rain had finally passed by, but the hurricane had yet to come.

Monastario sat in the vacant tavern and sipped on his drink as he went deep into thought. To think of a plan to finally reveal Zorro’s identity and to get rid of the de la Vegas once and for all. Everything he had planned so far had been foiled by the masked hero and his family, resulting in him looking like the fool with a crazy accusation that he was obsessed with. But this was the final straw. He would make all of Los Angeles look like an idiot and prove to all of them he had been right the entire time. Their precious Zorro would be exposed, Diego and his family would be executed, and he would once again gain command of the small city and be the powerful and ruthless leader he had once been. 

As he continued to lose himself in mind, Blanco entered the building and was surprised to see his commanding officer sitting there. 

“ Capitán ,” he said. “What are you doing here? I thought you would be at the de la Vega party.”

“ Baboso, do you think the de la Vegas would invite me to any party of theirs?”

“Everyone else is there. The Commandante, Sergeant Garcia, Corporal Reyes-” 

Monastario slapped the table as he rose to his feet. “You heard Don Alejandro, if I ever stepped onto his property again I would be shot without warning. It would be suicide if I pulled such a move.”

“But if you can’t go onto their property, how will you reveal Don Diego to be the man behind Zorro?” 

“I don’t know. I haven’t thought of anything yet.” 

“Perhaps if you got Don Diego on peoples’ bad sides instead of you, everyone would listen to you more about him being the infamous fugitive.” 

Monastario’s eyes widened as a light turned on in his head, and he turned to his adjutant. “What did you say?” He asked, as if he hadn’t heard the lieutenant the first time. 

“I said if Don Diego was on peoples’ bad sides instead of good, then maybe the vaqueros and peons would listen to you more about him being Zorro.” Blanco repeated himself. 

Monastario slapped the table again as a wide grin came to his face. “That’s it,” he said. “That’s it, that’s how I will get Zorro. As long as the de la Vegas are on the peoples’ good side they’ll never take me or my suspicions seriously. But if we get Don Diego to do something so foul and on everyone’s bad side, then my proclamation of Zorro’s real identity will be heard, and I will do away with de la Vega once and for all.” 

“But how will you get Don Diego to do something like that? The de la Vegas, they value themselves on justice and well-treatment of other people. Getting him to commit a vicious act is as likely as snow falling in the Mojave Desert.” 

“Leave all the planning to me,  Teniente,” Monastario said, waving him off. “Leave all the planning to me.” 

Chapter Text

The following day brought nothing but sunshine and a clear blue sky for the city of Los Angeles. While Alejandro took care of his ranch and cattle, Diego and Carolina went out in the valley near Zorro’s cave and practiced their fencing. The father-daughter duo clashed sabers, and Diego was highly impressed with his daughter’s professionalism and advanced skill level. He went in for a fake stab, when Carolina blew him away with a block he had yet to teach her.

“ Excellent , Carolina,” he cried with a smile. They took a break from their training, and Carolina ran into her father’s arms. Diego held her close and kissed her head. “Beautiful work, my baby, absolutely beautiful. When did you learn that block, though? I had yet to teach you that move.” 

“My instructor in San Diego showed me that move. It took me quite a while to master it, though. Almost three years I had to practice that move.” 

“Ah, you can’t even tell you struggled with it to begin with anymore. You’re becoming a fine young fencer. Soon you’ll be able to fight with the best of the best.”

Carolina blushed as she rested her head against her father’s chest. “I’ve got a wonderful teacher, that’s why,” she said sincerely. 

Diego looked down at her lovingly and gave her another kiss. “Well, you are a remarkable little student. You’ve learned a lot these last several years. I still remember when you first wanted to learn how to fence, and you’d stand there and cry when I told you to take a jab at me. I’d always have to hold you for a minute like this and reassure you that you weren’t going to hurt me.”

Carolina gave a small smile. “I know that now ,” she answered. “It’s funny how things change like that. When you first taught me to fence, I was so scared that I’d slip and hurt you by accident…Now it’s so easy to practice with you I feel like I could do it with my eyes closed.” 

Diego chuckled softly. “You’ve grown up a lot these last few years. Becoming Zorro’s daughter, overthrowing a dictatorship school administration, defeating Black Lobo, fighting against bandits and soldiers and Monastario, you should be mighty proud of yourself.”

“It doesn’t take much to fight against Sergeant Garcia, Papa.” 

Diego laughed. “You make a good point there, my little love. A very good point.” He held her for a little longer and gave her a third kiss on the head before rubbing her back. “Alright, that’s long enough for a break. Let’s get back to the training. I have a few new techniques I want to teach you before we call it a day.” 

“Only if we can go horse riding together afterwards.”

Diego grinned at her as he gently rubbed her cheek with his thumb. “I wouldn’t love anything more,” he told her. He brought her head close and kissed her forehead. “Now, on with the training.” 

The two of them retrieved their swords, got into their fighting positions, and resumed fencing.

As night began to fall, Blanco met Monastario in his quarters and got dressed in an outfit that was identical to one of Diego’s before putting on the mask. Once his disguise was complete and he looked in the mirror to make sure he looked exactly like the young ranchero , Blanco approached Monastario, who’s facial expression was hard and flinty.

The captain simply gave him a short nod of approval before handing over a fully loaded pistol. Blanco grabbed it by the nose, cocked it, then slid it into his holster as he returned his gaze to Monastario. 

“You have your orders,” he simply said. “And you know your target.” 

Blanco nodded. “ Si, Capitán .” 

“Now hurry up and get back here before someone catches you. Be seen only long enough to mistake you for de la Vega, then come back to my office and change before the soldiers come out and start questioning people.” 

“ Sì, Capitán . I won’t miss my shot, I assure you of that.” 

“Good. Now get going. The sooner we get this done with, the sooner I can execute de la Vega.” 

Blanco gave Monastario one last nod, then exited the captain’s quarters and blended in with the night as he took off on foot. 

The lieutenant began to linger in the building shadows, stealthily making his way around the compound as he searched for his clueless victim. He paused for a moment and leaned against one of the plaster sidings as he took notice of his target exiting out of the tavern. A tall, slender man with receding black hair and bushy beard to match, his body clothed in an expensive dark suit with silver embroidery designed on it. Don Alfredo Gomez, one of the fifty men of Alejandro’s civilian army, casually turned to his right and began to stroll around the corner. 

When he made sure no one else was nearby to intercept the bullets, Blanco lifted his pistol from its holster, aimed it straight at Alfredo’s back, and fired. He heard the man gasp as he pulled his hand up to his chest, and the lieutenant fired again, this time hitting the back of the don’s head. 

Alfredo collapsed to the ground as women began to shriek in fear and men hurried to the dead man’s side to see if there was any chance of saving him. All the while Blanco crossed his arms and began to laugh at a job well done.

Women began to sob and shake with fear as two dons checked Alfredo over, Commandante Cabrera soon hurrying to the scene with Sergeant Garcia and Corporal Reyes. All three felt their jaws drop at the horrific sight before them. 

“What happened?” Cabrera demanded.

One of the dons hovering over Alfredo’s lifeless body lifted his grave gaze to the captain. “He’s dead, Capitán .” 

“But how ?” Reyes questioned.

Theo, the head bartender of the tavern, turned to look behind him before doing a double take and pointing in the shadows of one of the buildings. “There,” he cried. “Don Diego.”

Seeing his mission had been completed, Blanco threw the smoking gun down on the ground and took off running, while several dons and rancheros grew blind with anger and revenge.

“I want him alive!” One don exclaimed.

“Halt,” Cabrera barked. “Now that’s downright ridiculous. Why would Don Diego kill Don Gomez? Diego de la Vega is not a murderer, he hardly even knows how to fire a gun.”

“Oh, that is absurd, Commandante,” Garcia said. “Don Diego is my best friend, he wouldn’t hurt anybody. He is too gentle.” 

“I’d hold that thought if I were you, Sergeant,” Reyes said, hovering over Blanco’s gun. He picked up and walked over to his commanding officer and Cabrera. “Look what I found. Don Diego threw it away before running off.” 

Cabrera snatched the gun into his hands and felt the barrel. He frowned. “It’s still warm,” he said. “And I can see bits of gun powder residue as well.” He looked back up at the corporal. “Are you certain that this is what Don Diego threw away before taking off?” 

“I don’t know what else he could’ve thrown away, Commandante. There was nothing else there but the gun.” 

“But it can’t be. Don Diego doesn’t have the heart to kill anybody, especially a friend of his father’s,” Garcia stated. He shook his head. “How does a kind, gentle-mannered man all of a sudden snap and turn into a murderer? It just doesn’t make any sense, Commandante.” 

“It doesn’t make sense to me, either…but there’s only one thing I can do.” Cabrera’s frown grew longer and sighed with regret. “He’s our only suspect and all fingers are pointing in Don Diego’s direction. It kills me to give this next order, but it must be done.”

“Please, Commandante, let us at least investigate this more-”

“I’m sorry, Sergeant Garcia, but it’s an open and shut case unless someone can bring me proof showing otherwise. Grab four of your men and ride out to the de la Vega hacienda. Find Don Diego and have him arrested. The man is no longer a friend to Los Angeles, but a criminal.”

Diego, Alejandro, and Ricardo laughed heartily as they drank wine in the sala and conversed with each other on numerous topics. Carolina quietly sat at her father’s side and read a book, while Bernardo went around with a duster and cleaned shelves in the living area.

Alejandro turned to his granddaughter and couldn’t help the amused smirk that came to his face. He shook his head playfully. “Carolina, I swear you are just as bad as your father. If you’re not playing piano or painting something you have your nose dug into a book and reading for hours.”

“Ah Father, there’s nothing wrong with being studious and wanting to learn new things,” Diego said with a grin. “Books are a wonderful way of educating people on things. Who knows; maybe she’ll read one about ranching next.”

“What are you reading there anyways, kiddo?” Ricardo questioned.

“ Julius Caesar .” Carolina smiled bashfully. “It’s one of my favorite plays of all time. It never gets old to me.” 

Diego reached out and gently petted his daughter’s head while giving her a loving gaze. “Just don’t read for too long, my little sweet. You’ll strain those pretty eyes of yours.” 

“I won’t, Papa. I know when to quit. Just one more chapter, and I’ll put it away for the night.”

“Uh huh, I know that phrase all too well. It’s never just one more chapter, my love. There’s always one right after it.” He tapped Carolina on the nose, causing her to smile before turning back to her book.

“I always wondered what it would be like to write a book,” Alejandro said, his mind beginning to trail off.

“Why don’t you write one and find out,” Ricardo suggested, taking a sip of the ranchero ’s finest wine.

Alejandro scoffed. “Me, write a book. I wouldn’t even know what to write about.”

“How about writing about an ornery old ranchero dedicated to his work and saves the town from an angry bull that gets loose.” 

Ricardo earned a glare back from Alejandro and laughed as the older man threw a napkin at him.

Diego chuckled as he took a drink, when the abrupt sound of knocking brought the three men back to reality. They watched as a frowning Sergeant Garcia and Corporal Reyes marched into the living area with three other guards following from behind. 

“Ah, Sergeant Garcia,” Diego said. “Surprise to see you at this hour, please, sit down and have a drink with us.” 

Garcia shook his head. “I’m sorry, Don Diego, I wish I could. But I am here on official business.” 

Diego’s expression began to grim. “Is everything alright, Sergeant? You look as if someone just died.”

“Someone did just die, Don Diego. Don Alfredo Gomez. He was shot in the back twice tonight and died instantly.”

Alejandro rose to his feet as his face paled of color, his eyes nearly bulging out of his head. “What?” He gasped.

“There was nothing anyone could do to save him, Don Alejandro,” Garcia said. “He was dead before a doctor could get to him.” 

“My God, that’s terrible ,” Diego said, his face growing as pale as his father’s. “What happened, some rogue bandits tried to jump him or something?”

“That is the only reasonable explanation I can think of,” Alejandro said. “Who else would want to kill Don Alfredo? He didn’t have any enemies.” 

Garcia and Reyes’ eyes turned to Diego and began to stare at the younger man blankly. Diego’s nerves quickly grew anxious and began to feel a burning sensation run throughout his body, his muscles tightening with an eerie vibe. 

“What are you looking at me like that for?” He questioned. 

“We saw a man that looked just like you run off from the scene of the crime, Don Diego,” Reyes said softly. “He threw a recently fired gun on the ground and ran away before anyone could catch him. He is the one that killed Don Alfredo.” 

Diego’s eyes widened even further, his heart freezing when he realized what they were thinking. “You don’t believe that…I would never…you think I killed him?”

“That is ridiculous,” Alejandro snapped. “Diego has been here all night, there’s no way he could be the man you’re looking for.”

“We saw him, Don Alejandro,” Garcia said. “He took off running and was holding a smoking gun in his hand before tossing it away. It was Don Diego, there is no mistaking for it.” 

“But it’s impossible,” Ricardo remarked, baffled. “Diego’s been sitting here all night. We had dinner and have been talking to one another ever since.” 

“I’m sorry, Don Diego,” Garcia said sincerely. “I must ask you to turn around and put your hands behind you. You are under arrest for the murder of Don Alfredo Gomez.”

“Papa,” Carolina cried, running into her father’s arms as two of Garcia’s men walked over to the duo. “You didn’t do it, I know you didn’t, tell them they’re wrong. Don’t let them take you away from me.”

“Sergeant Garcia, I demand you to order those men back to the pueblo,” Alejandro spat. “This accusation is absolutely preposterous. You have three witnesses here to confirm Diego has been here all night, now how can you arrest a man that’s never left his house the entire evening?” 

“It is the orders of the Commandante, Don Alejandro, I can only do nothing but follow them.”

“No,” Carolina sobbed, while one of the guards tied Diego’s hands behind him. “Papa didn’t do it, he’s not a murderer. He’s being framed, my Papa’s innocent, don’t take him away.”

“Don’t cry, my baby, it will be alright,” Diego promised her. “We will get your grandfather’s lawyer and prove that I am not the one at fault.”

“Now just a minute here,” Ricardo said, shooting to his feet. “You can’t just barge in here and arrest a man for a crime he didn’t commit. It’s completely unethical.” 

“Release my son at once, or I will press a serious lawsuit against all of you,” Alejandro threatened. 

Garcia approached Diego, his eyes appearing as if he were almost to tears. “I’m sorry, Don Diego. Please, come with me.” 

“I will not be taken away for a crime I didn’t commit, now let me out of these things.” Diego barked.

The fat sergeant turned to his men with a pained expression. “Take him away, lancers. The Commandante is waiting for us back at the cuartel.” 

Alejandro held back a hysterical Carolina, who was crying out her father’s name, while Diego argued and protested that he be released as he was shoved out the door. It closed with a soft click as Carolina continued to cry for her father, and Alejandro and Ricardo looked at each other with dumbfounded expressions. 

“Diego, arrested for murder, I don’t believe it,” Ricardo gasped.

“Neither do I,” Alejandro answered, holding his sobbing granddaughter close to him. “We’ve got to find a way to get him out of prison and clear his name.” 

“But how, Don Alejandro, how do we clear Diego’s name when we don’t even know who’s framing him for such a vicious crime?”

It was then an individual came to the older ranchero ’s, and his expression darkened as he ground his jaw. “ I have a certain idea,” he finally said. “And it’s about time someone put that animal to sleep once and for all.”

Chapter Text

Diego lay on his thin cot, his hands folded over his middle as he stared up at the mud ceiling. He was letting his mind go blank, when he heard footsteps approaching. Curious, he swung his legs over and got to his feet to make his way over to the barred doors, where he soon met Garcia. 

“Good morning, Don Diego,” he said. “I hope you sleeped well.” 

“Unless you’re here to release me, I’m not talking to you.” Diego growled.

“Oh please, Don Diego, I hate having to keep you locked up. I know you would never kill anybody, but all the evidence so far is pointing in your direction, there’s nothing I can do to refute it.” 

“I have three witnesses saying otherwise, now who are you going to believe; some outrageous accusation or three people that were in my presence all last night?” 

Garcia shook his head. “I am afraid it is not an accusation, Don Diego. We saw a man that looked just like you leaving the scene of the crime.”

“But yet you’re certain that it was me.”

“Practically identical, Don Diego.”

“Listen to me, Sergeant, you get me out of here, then you tell everyone in the pueblo that what they saw was nothing but an illusion. I never left my house last night, and I certainly never killed Don Alfredo.”

“Don Diego, if I could prove you innocent I woul-”

“Excuse me, Sergeant,” Reyes interrupted. “Don Alejandro and the little one are here to see the prisoner.” 

Garcia let out a solemn sigh. “Very well, bring them here. But only for a few minutes.” 

“ Sì , Sergeant.” 

Without another word, Reyes left Diego and Garcia again to themselves, the young de la Vega man giving his old friend a sharp, fiery glare. 

“If you were really my friend, you would be doing everything in your power to prove my innocence, yet you stand there and follow orders for an outrageous accusation against me.” 

“Don Diego, please , I-”

“I’m not interested in what you would do, I’m interested in what you will do. Unless you do something to get me out of here, I am no longer your friend and I am no longer saying another word to you.” 

“Oh Don Diego, please do not be mad at me. If I could help you, I would, but…” He paused when he saw Diego turn to the side and cross his arms in a huff. He made no eye contact with the fat man, nor did he even acknowledge his presence.

Garcia closed his eyes and frowned, wishing there was something he could do to save his friend from an ugly sentencing, when the sound of Alejandro’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Sergeant.”

He turned around to see the older ranchero and his little granddaughter there, gazing at him with concerned expressions. 

“Oh,” Garcia said. “ Buenos días, Don Alejandro .” 

“Is Papa okay?” Carolina asked softly.

Garcia sighed and gestured with his hand towards Diego’s cell. “See for yourself, little one. He will no longer speak to me. Stay for as long as you want, Don Alejandro…I am going to the tavern and…try to figure out how to make Don Diego my friend again.”

The sergeant sulked away in silence, leaving Alejandro and Carolina briefly concerned for Garcia’s well-being. It quickly faded when they caught sight of Diego and hurried to his side.

“Papa,” Carolina cried. She grabbed onto the bars as her father smiled and gently put his hands on her cheeks.

“Diego, how are you doing?” Alejandro asked. “They haven’t done anything to hurt you, have they?” 

“No, Father. I’ve hardly even been acknowledged by the guards. They haven’t even given me breakfast yet.” 

“I can bring you some from the tavern,” Carolina croaked, hot tears flooding her eyes. 

Diego looked at her lovingly and did his best to kiss her forehead through the cold metal bars. He again placed his hands on her cheeks and held them tight to make up for not being able to hold her close to him. 

“I’ll be alright, my sweet, little one,” he promised her. “I will be out of here before you know it.” 

Alejandro frowned and shook his head. “I am afraid it will be otherwise for another few days, my son. I just heard back from Señor Badillo earlier this morning,” he said, referring to his family lawyer. “He is held up in a major case in Santa Barbara, and he will not be able to get here for another three days.”

“Three days ,” Diego exclaimed. “Commandante Cabrera is pushing for my trial to be tomorrow, Father, three days will be too late.”

“I am doing everything in my power to find us another attorney by the end of the afternoon. You will not go into that trial unarmed, my son, I promise you that.” 

“This is Capitán Monastario’s doing, I know it is.” Carolina sniffled, holding onto her father’s wrists.

“ Monastario ,” Diego said.

“Corporal!” A familiar voice called out.

As if on command, the captain in question soon appeared and turned to Reyes, who was keeping watch nearby.

“What’s going on here? What is the meaning of this?” Monastario demanded.

“Don Alejandro and the little one wanted to see Don Diego, Capitán . Sergeant Garcia told them to stay for as long as they wanted.”

“Do you take orders from me or a bumbling sergeant, get rid of them at once. That man is too dangerous to have any visitors.” 

“You listen to me, Monastario,” Alejandro said, storming up to the captain until they were just inches apart. “You release my son now and tell everyone how this is a terrible misunderstanding. You’re the one that is making up this disgusting accusation in your aspiration to prove Diego is someone he is not. But you are sadly mistaken. Good will prevail, because good always beats evil in the end.” 

“I show no mercy for murderers, especially murderers that kill for no explanation. Whether you wish to acknowledge it or not, Don Alejandro, your son is a cold-blooded killer and he will face the consequences for his dark actions.” Monastario turned to Reyes. “Corporal, take these two away. Their visit is over, and no one else is to come near this cell to visit Don Diego.”

“ Sì, Capitán ,” Reyes said, not willing to test Monastario’s patience. He walked over to where Alejandro and Carolina stood and grabbed the littlest de la Vega, who was holding on tight to her father’s arms. She wailed and fought to stay with her father, but she quickly lost the battle and was again ripped away from her beloved papa. 

“Do as they say, Carolina,” Diego told her calmly. “We will not be apart for long, I promise you.” 

Alejandro wrapped his arm around his crying granddaughter. “Come, Angelita . We have little time to save your father from such a scoundrel.” 

The two walked off with Reyes from behind, leaving the two enemies to themselves and glaring at one another. Monastario let out a soft chuckle.

“Diego de la Vega,” he said. “I have waited for this moment for over a year and a half now.”

“I know you’re behind this, Monastario, now let me out and tell them this was all your idea.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” 

“You hired someone to kill Don Alfredo and pinned the blame on me just to get me in here and rid me from the world on your ridiculous idea that I am Zorro.” 

“You are Zorro, and I shall prove it tonight at your execution.” 

“ Execution .”

Monastario again chuckled. “Death by firing squad. I’ve already gotten Commandante Cabrera’s permission to move forward with the sentencing.” 

“You can not have me killed without having a fair trial. It is inhumane.” 

“And Don Alfredo’s death was just as inhumane. You did this to yourself, de la Vega. You have no one else to blame but yourself. And I will take personal pleasure tonight when I fire the bullet in you myself.” He turned to walk off, but looked back at Diego once more with a malicious grin. “Enjoy your last few hours on Earth, de la Vega. Try to think of what you would like for your last meal.” 

Monastario walked away laughing hysterically as Diego gripped onto the bars and tried to shake them. When his efforts proved fruitless, he turned around and kicked the side of his cot in fury. Diego plopped onto the thin mattress and ran his hands down his tired face. He shook his head and closed his eyes as he let out a heavy breath of air.

“Dear Saints, help me,” he begged, leaning his head back against the cold, rocky wall. “Tell me this is just a nightmare.”

As a gloomy Alejandro and Carolina made their way into the sala, they found Ricardo pacing across the floor and Bernardo watching all three of them. Once he took notice that there were new people present, Ricardo paused in his steps and made his way to the older ranchero ’s side.

“Any luck?” He questioned.

Alejandro sighed and shook his head. “Not a single drop. Monastario had us banished from seeing Diego before we could even plead his case.”

Ricardo closed his eyes and let a heavy breath of air out. “If that’s the case, that’s the least of our problems.” He pulled out a slip of paper and handed it to Alejandro. “This just came by while you were out. It’s from the Commandante himself.” 

Suspicious, Alejandro took the paper and unfolded it. He read it halfway through when his color began to drain and his eyes bugged out of his head. His jaw dropped in disbelief. “Execution by firing squad ,” he exclaimed. “Tonight at sundown.” 

Without warning, Carolina bursted into uncontrollable sobs and bolted out the door. 

Alejandro snapped his stunned gaze to Ricardo. “Stay here with Bernardo,” he told the younger man. He straightened his hat and quickly followed out of the sala, where he found Carolina crying on the courtyard ground after her fear got the best of her and caused her to collapse. He frowned as he walked over to his devastated granddaughter, then knelt down beside her and took her into his arms. He hushed her a few times before speaking. 

“Do not cry, Angelita ,” he told her softly. “We will get your father out of there in time.” 

“ How, Abuelo, how ?” Carolina sobbed. “No one but Zorro could save Papa now.” 

“We will find a way to clear his name before the time comes, I promise you, Angelita .” 

Carolina continued to cry as she shook her head. “No. No, you can’t promise me that. Monastario got us trapped this time, there’s no way out of this.” 

“There is always a way, Carolina. Do not let your fear crush your hope. You can not survive without hope. Zorro may not be able to help this time, but I’m sure as certain his daughter can do something about it.”

“I can’t take Monastario on my own, he’s too strong. I need Papa, I need Señor Zorro …” She fell silent for a moment as an idea struck her. Her eyes seemed to light up as something clicked together inside her mind. “Or maybe we need another Zorro. A substitute Zorro.”

Alejandro frowned and shook his head. “I’m sorry, Carolina, I’m not following you here,” he told her kindly.

Carolina gestured for her grandfather to come closer with her finger. Once he was in ear range, she lifted her hand to cover one side and whispered her idea into Alejandro’s ear. The old man’s eyes widened in size as they parted, and he looked at her with a troublesome expression.

“Carolina, I’m not sure if that’s a good idea,” he told her respectfully.

“Abuelo, it’s the only idea we have .”

“I want to clear your father’s name just as much as you do, but I don’t know if that’s the way to go about it.” 

“Uncle Ricardo wouldn’t say anything, I know he wouldn’t.” 

“Carolina, if your father found out about this he would be as infuriated as a bull.”

Carolina’s wet eyes blazed with fire as tears continued to burn down her cheeks. “I’d rather have Papa be mad at me than watch him die!” She cried, and lifted her hands to cover her face as she continued to sob.

Alejandro let out a heavy sigh as he rocked his granddaughter from side to side and rubbed her back. He looked up at the sky and could already feel the repentance weighing on his shoulders. “Are you certain your Uncle Ricardo would never tell a soul about this?” 

Carolina sniffled and whimpered a bit before nodding her head.

Alejandro fell silent for a moment before closing his eyes and letting out a soft breath of air. “Alright,” he finally said. “We’ll go with your plan. But we must act now. Your father will need Zorro’s help more than ever, and we don’t have any time to waste.”

Carolina nodded as they rose to their feet and hurried back into the sala. One problem was about to be solved. But another darker one was lingering their way. 

Chapter Text

“Diego is Zorro?” Ricardo gasped, sitting on the living area sofa. He had just heard everything Alejandro and Carolina had told him regarding his dear friend and he was more baffled than had he had been receiving a sucker punch to the gut. “But that can’t be. Diego doesn’t have any fighting spirit in him, how can he be Zorro?” 

“I understand it’s a lot to take in in such a short amount of time,” Alejandro said, with a nod.

“Diego de la Vega is the great Señor Zorro.” Ricardo shook his head. “Who would have ever thought that…So Monastario’s crazy accusations, they’ve been correct all along.” 

“Sí. But we can not let him find out about it. Ricardo, you are our only chance at saving Diego now. My granddaughter can not take Monastario down all on her own, and Zorro is unable to rescue himself. We are hoping you will be Diego’s saving grace. That’s why we are telling you all of this now; we need you to impersonate Zorro tonight and rescue Diego from inevitable death.”

Ricardo began to frown. “Don Alejandro, I don’t want to see Diego die either…but I just don’t have the fencing skills needed to be Zorro. I could never pull it off.” 

“You do , Uncle Ricardo,” Carolina said softly. “Your fencing is just as good as Papa. He needs you. He was there as Zorro to save you in Monterey, you can do the same thing for him now.” Tears began to flood her eyes. “ Please , Uncle Ricardo. Please , I don’t want Papa to die. I don’t want Papa to die.”

As Carolina began to cry, Ricardo felt his heart break just listening to it. He rose to his feet and took his niece into his muscular arms to hold her tight. He knew it wouldn’t be like when Diego held her, but he did all he could to make her feel as safe and secure as her father did. Ricardo rocked Carolina a bit from side to side to try and calm her, but unfortunately, she remained inconsolable. A look of determination then wiped across his face.

“I may not be as good as Diego,” he stated. “But I’m not going to stand here and watch a little girl lose her best friend.” He gave a firm nod to Alejandro. “ Sì, Don Alejandro , I will be your substitute Zorro. Where do I start?”

Alejandro and Carolina led Ricardo down the stairwell leading to Zorro’s hideout, the younger man blown out of the water by everything he saw. A hidden bookcase entrance in Diego’s room; a windy staircase that led to two different levels; a changing room with a table, map, and pencil in it; then the bottom of the cave floor where a spare cot, a closed chest where Carolina’s outfit was stored, and a little brook that served as Tornado’s watering hole. The black stallion himself stood near the vine covered exit chewing on a mouthful of hay.

“My God,” Ricardo gasped, his eyes bouncing from all corners. “How on earth did Diego do all of this?” 

“My son is a very meticulous man,” Alejandro commented, lighting up a bit with pride at Diego's work. “It is why his identity as Zorro has never been discovered.” 

“By God…” Ricardo said. “I’ve never seen such a thi-” He stopped at the sight of Tornado and furrowed his eyebrows together. “Now wait a minute, wait a minute.” He lifted his finger in the horse’s direction and pointed. “That horse is black as night, I saw Zorro riding a white horse in Monterey. Whose horse is this?” 

“That’s Tornado,” Carolina said, her grandfather’s hands placed on her shoulders for comfort. “He’s Papa’s, and a beloved companion of his, too.” 

“Tornado obviously couldn’t come with him to Monterey on the grounds of suspicion. The horse Diego rode in Monterey, Phantom, he was found wandering around the hills completely abandoned. So Zorro had one horse waiting here and another horse up there.” Alejandro explained.

Ricardo closed his eyes for a moment to stop the spinning in his brain. He shook his head. “Boy, is my head swimming,” he remarked. “I still can’t believe Diego is Zorro. Anna Maria has been in love with Diego this entire time.” 

“There will be another time when we can discuss that, but now is not the time,” Alejandro said firmly. “We have to get to the pueblo before sundown, or Diego doesn’t stand a chance at survival.” 

“But what do I even wear? Where are Zorro’s clothes?” 

Before the older de la Vega could speak, Bernardo came out with Zorro’s clothes and hat in his arms and handed them over to Ricardo. He bowed to the tall vaquero , then turned to Alejandro and repeated the gesture.

“Thank you, Bernardo,” Alejandro said. “That is all, for now.” 

Ricardo’s eyes widened as he pointed at Bernardo with a baffled expression. “He, he’s, he…you mean he can hear, too?” 

“This is no time for questions, Ricardo,” Alejandro spat. “Hurry up and get dressed, now. Time is of the essence.”

“Right,” Ricardo said, with a nod. “Right…Go and…get dressed…What have I gotten myself into?” The last part he murmured to himself.

As he ran off to change, the older de la Vega turned to Carolina, and his expression softened. He placed his hands on his granddaughter’s cheeks. 

“You hurry on and get dressed, too,” he told her. “I will meet you and Ricardo at the pueblo in an hour. We will discuss strategy from there.” 

“ Sì, Abuelo ,” Carolina said. She gave him a firm nod, then grabbed her clothes and hurried off to the other room, leaving Alejandro and Bernardo to themselves. He tapped the shorter man’s shoulder and gestured with his thumb up the stairs.

“Come, Bernardo,” Alejandro said. “We’ve got to get to the pueblo before it’s too late.” 

Bernardo nodded quickly as he followed the older man up the stairs and into the sala.

By the time Alejandro and Bernardo arrived downtown, the sun was just about to go down, the sky turning into a purplish pink color as every citizen in town stood and waited for the dreaded execution. The two men got to the very front of the group, finding themselves standing beside Garcia and Corporal Reyes, neither one of the soldiers looking bright. 

“Sergeant Garcia,” Alejandro called out.

The fat sergeant turned to see him, then turned his eyes down and sighed. “Good evening, Don Alejandro,” he murmured. 

“We are sorry about Don Diego, Don Alejandro,” Reyes said. “I never thought I would see the day that he would turn into a murderer.” 

“He’s not a murderer, and I know that personally,” Alejandro remarked. “Don’t you see it, Sergeant; Monastario is playing all of you a fool. This is part of his own personal vendetta to get rid of Diego on the outrageous belief that he is Zorro. There is still time to stop this, Sergeant, you can save Diego from an unrightful death.” 

“Don Diego won’t even look at me anymore, Don Alejandro,” Garcia said. “He no longer considers me a friend, but an ally of Captain Monastario’s. Even if I tried to overthrow the captain’s ruling, which is impossible, he would never forgive me for what I did.” 

Alejandro’s gaze softened at the sight of how hurt the senior sergeant appeared. Losing Diego as a friend had been more painful to him than had Monastario broken both of his legs with a ball bat. Not only did it prove his loyalty to Diego, but it showed that Garcia was on the same boat as he was. 

“I think you give my son a lot less credit than he deserves,” Alejandro said. “If you stop this execution from happening right now, I know Diego would forgive you for being misled by this wicked monster that’s about to shoot him.” 

“But how do I do it, Don Alejandro? I can’t overthrow a bunch of the guards and Monastario on my own, I would need several-”

Reyes cut him off by hushing him and pointing to his left. “Look,” he simply said.

The crowd fell silent as they watched two guards escort Diego to one of the cuartel walls and had him lean against it as they untied their prisoner’s hands. They backed away as he turned to his left and found his father, Bernardo, and Garcia standing there with grief-stricken expressions. It hurt his heart so dearly he had to look away from them and hang his head. He could feel tears in his eyes as he thought of his daughter, who was absent in the crowd. He instantly assumed it was too much for her to bear and could not stand the idea of watching him die. He couldn’t hold her. He couldn’t sing her to tranquility. He couldn’t tell her that everything would be okay this time. His fate had been sealed shut, and Diego could only hope that he would be put out of his misery quickly.

Monastario walked out of his quarters with a loaded pistol and made his way to Diego with a smug look on his face. He came to a stop in between the two guards aiming their rifles at Diego, then proceeded forward until he was face to face with his biggest threat to regaining his command. He softly chuckled. 

“Diego de la Vega,” he said. “How I have dreamed of this moment for over a year, now. Now it is coming true, and you and Zorro will be finished after tonight.” 

“You and I both know that I didn’t kill Don Alfredo, Capitán . You’re killing an innocent man and about to make an innocent young girl become an orphan. How can you stand to live with yourself?” 

Monastario’s eyes darkened and growled. “Because I’ve wanted Zorro dead since the night we first met. I have never wanted anything more than to put an end to Señor Zorro . Now I’m just one trigger away from it, and I will be able to take back command over Los Angeles in one move.” 

“You can believe anything you wish, Capitán , but I am not the man behind Zorro. If you’re going to kill me, then I want to see who Don Alfredo’s real killer is before I die.”

Alejandro stuffed his hands into his pants pockets and became antsy, fighting the urge to start pacing. “Come on, Carolina,” he muttered to himself. “Where are you and Ricardo?” 

Monastario fell quiet for a moment before nodding. “Very well.” He snapped his gaze to the right. “ Teniente Blanco .” 

Monastario’s adjutant, wearing an identical outfit of Diego’s, wandered over and stopped just several inches from the captain himself.

“Put on the mask,” Monastario ordered, his eyes never straying from Diego.

Without a word, Blanco pulled out a mask from inside his golden jacket pocket and slipped it on, soon becoming the Diego de la Vega who was guilty of murder. He and Monastario gave Diego devilish grins, while the entire crowd gasped and whispered.

“It is true,” Garcia said, his eyes bugging out. “Don Diego is innocent just like I assumed he’d be.” 

“He’s about to kill an innocent man,” a lady said.

“Somebody get Commandante Cabrera,” a vaquero cried. “ Capitán Monastario and his adjutant are the guilty ones, not Don Diego.”

Ignoring the cries and shouts for help, Monastario tightened his grip on his pistol. “Any last words, de la Vega?” 

“Just get this over with already,” Diego answered.

Monastario focused in on his target, aimed his pistol to Diego’s chest, then put his finger on the trigger. 

Chapter Text

Before Monastario could pull the trigger, a small black shadow jumped in front of Diego and turned its fiery gaze to the captain. Zorra bared her teeth and withdrew her saber with a low growl, taking Monastario back and putting him into a brief state of shock. Zorra took the opportunity to slap the pistol out of the man’s hand. It made a hard ‘thud’ sound on the compound, causing a live round to shoot up in the air.

Watching his firearm be knocked right out of his hand, Monastario glared back at the daughter of Zorro, drew his sword, and the duo began an intense, vicious fight over Diego. And as before, Monastario began to lose the upper hand and did all he could to block Zorra’s sharp swings and jabs. He just barely looked over his shoulder.

“ Teniente ,” he called out. “Run. Get out of here!” 

Still disguised as another Diego, Blanco nodded as he turned on his heels and made a dash for the back exit, when Zorro jumped out in front of him and held him at gunpoint. Blanco’s eyes nearly fell out of his head as his jaw dropped with horror and sprinted in the opposite direction, Zorro quick on his trail.

As Monastario and Zorra continued to duel, Zorro began to lose speed on Blanco, who was headed for another exit out of the cuartel. Seeing as he had no other option, Zorro withdrew his gun and fired, hitting Blanco directly in the chest.

The lieutenant placed his hand over his upper chest and jerked a few times before falling to the ground and becoming dead still. 

With one threat liquidated, Zorro ran back to where Diego was, while Cabrera pushed himself through the building crowd and saw the nightmare unfolding before him. His face drained of all color before turning a bright shade of red, his blood pressure rising as he realized it had been another one of Monastario’s schemes to get rid of his arch rival. The commandante turned to his frozen guards standing before Diego and shook his fist in the air.

“ Babosos ! Don’t just stand there, shoot him!” 

“We can’t, Capitán ,” one guard said.

“We can’t see where Zorro or his daughter are.” The second one added.

Completely baffled at the scene before him, Diego turned to his right and froze as he watched Zorro make a run for him. The famous outlaw grabbed Diego’s arm and pulled him away to safety, while Zorra and Monastario were still at it. She started backing away towards the guards’ barracks as Monastario began to advance on her. They were soon inside the captain’s office and continued to make forceful jabs and swings at each other.

Pots, windows, and tea cups were shattered. Papers and important documents flew in the air. Zorra jumped up onto the desk to gain an advantage on Monastario, who whacked a lit candle on the wall down and busted on the floor. The flame lit a wooden chair near the front on fire, and the room quickly became engulfed with flames and smoke. 

Zorra took in a breath of black smoke and started coughing violently. She fell backwards onto the ground to get away from the thick clouds above her, while Monastario finally took notice that his office was burning down. He threw his sword across the room and took off back into the compound in search of his gun.

“Commandante,” Theo, the bartender, cried. “Zorro’s daughter. Zorro’s daughter, Commandante, she’s still inside.” 

Zorro and Diego looked over at the guards’ barracks being caught into flames and felt their hearts stop. Knowing his sweet baby was trapped inside, Diego tried to take off and run inside, when Zorro grabbed his arm. Diego fought hard to break free, but Zorro shook his head and made a gesture at the ranchero ’s clothing. 

Diego looked down at his green suit, back at Zorro, then ran with the outlaw out back until they were beside the nearby trees and bushes. Zorro took off his hat and handed it to Diego and took the breath out of the young de la Vega when he ripped off his mask and revealed the face of Ricardo.

“Ricardo,” Diego exclaimed. “What in the world are you-”

“I’ll answer questions later, just get this on, and quickly. Carolina’s in there, and she needs her father.” 

At a loss for words or any other actions, Diego ripped off his suit jacket and began to dress as his alter ego.

Inside Monastario’s office, Zorra coughed and hacked violently as she lifted her gaze to see the exit. Her eyes burned as smoke, tar, and dust flew into them from the roaring flames. Her vision began to blur and grow cloudy as she continued to cough. Tears streamed down her face from how irritated her eyes were becoming.

“Papa,” she croaked. She coughed a few times. “Papa. Pa-*cough, cough*, Papa. Papa-*cough, cough, cough*, Papa.” She was hit with another coughing fit as Zorro zipped by the engulfed buildings, kicked a burning board out of the way, then stepped inside and put his hand above his eyes to keep them from getting burned.

He began to cough. “Zorra!” He called out. “Zorra. Zorra, where are you, baby?”

“Papa,” he heard faintly and followed with several coughs. “Papa…Papa.”

Several coughs were heard as he fought through the flames and got down onto the ground. He bellycrawled as he continued calling his daughter’s name. 

“Papa. *Cough, cough* Papaaa…*Cough, cough* I can’t se-” Zorra was hit with another coughing fit as her father crawled behind the desk and coughed a few times himself.

“Zorra,” he again called out.

“Papa,” Zorra cried meekly.

Zorro turned to his left, saw his blinded daughter reaching out to guide her way out, and met her halfway. He reached out his gloved hand and latched on tight to hers.

“Carolina, it’s Papa, sweetheart. I’m here,” he said, coughing.

“Papa,” Zorra croaked, crawling towards her father as she gripped tight to his hand. She again coughed a few times. “Papa…”

Zorro could finally reach for his daughter and scoop her up into his arms. He held her as close to him as he could and pulled out a handkerchief to hand her.

“Use this,” he shouted over the flames. “Put it over your mouth, it’ll help the coughing.” 

Zorra grabbed the handkerchief and did as she was told, while Zorro kissed her head in relief that she was alright and bolted into the compound with her before a blazing wooden awning collapsed in front of the doorway and blocked any entry or exit.

Zorro set his daughter on her feet, and they took each other in their arms and held each other close. Zorro rubbed Zorra’s head and gave her another kiss as she coughed a few times.

“Papa,” she said. “Water. Water, we need buckets.” 

“It’s too late, my baby,” he told her. “There’s no saving the building or anyone still inside, now.” He snuggled her a moment longer, then gave her another kiss and looked at it. “Come, my love. Let’s get out of here.” 

As the father-daughter duo made a run for it, Monastario found his gun and picked it up from the ground. He cocked it as he raised his eyes and saw that Zorra had trailed off from her father’s side. She started having another coughing fit as she leaned against the cuartel well and tried to figure out where she was. It was dark, blurry, and it hurt to keep her eyes open for long.

Monastario snarled as he spotted the lost fox kit and aimed his gun. It was then Zorro turned around and saw where his daughter was. He gasped as he acted on impulse and ran towards Zorra. He shoved his daughter down to the ground right as the captain pulled the trigger and hit Zorro right in the center of his belly.

Zorro gasped as he placed his hand over his wound then fell unconscious and slid down the cuartel wall in a slump.

“PAPA, NO!” Zorra cried.

Without thinking, Alejandro parted ways with the crowd and hurried to the masked hero’s side. He got down on his knees and tried to shake Zorro awake, when Monastario cocked his gun and fired again. It hit Alejandro a ways under his underarm, causing the older ranchero to grab his side, fall beside Zorro, and jerked a few times before growing still.

Zorra began to cry as a wave of fear grabbed her with a firm grasp, while the guards were finally able to storm in and restrain Monastario. One held him by the arms, one ripped the gun out of his hands, and the third was cuffing a ball and chain to his left ankle. They were soon joined by Cabrera, Garcia, and Reyes.

“Monastario,” the commandante barked, his eyes as engulfed with flames as the barracks’ quarters was. “What in God’s name do you think you’re doing?!”

“Getting rid of this outlaw once and for all. You even gave me permission to do so.”

“I said you could execute a guilty murderer, not burn down the cuartel and assault two unarmed men.” Cabrera snapped his attention to Garcia. “Sergeant Garcia, show these men to the nearest available cell and throw Captain Monastario inside it. Literally.” 

“ Sì, Commandante . At once,” Garcia said, with a salute.

Cabrera turned his fiery gaze back to Monastario. “Captain Monastario, I hereby have you under arrest for arson and assault on Don de la Vega and Señor Zorro .” He lifted his eyes to the three guards in front him. “Get him out of my sight.”

“ Sì, Commandante . Right away, Commandante,” one of the guards remarked.

As the guards shoved Monastario forward to the holding cells, Zorra bolted to her father and grandfather’s sides before kneeling down beside them. She saw the blood trickling out of Zorro’s mouth, took a hold of her father’s shoulders, and started shaking him.

“Papa,” she cried. “Papa, Papa, wake up. Wake up, Papa, wake up, wake up, Papa.” When she received no response, she turned her gaze upwards and began screaming. “Help. Help. Help, I need a doctor.” 

It was then Ricardo and Bernardo came rushing to her side, Dr. Hernandez quickly following in tow. The medic gently pulled Zorra away and into Ricardo’s arms before making a brief examination of his unconscious patients. He looked back at Ricardo.

“Quick,” he ordered. “Help me get them into my office. They need surgery, and they need it now.” 

Ricardo gestured for Bernardo to help him lift up Zorro, while Hernandez and Dr. Miguel Tejada, who had now joined the scene, picked up Alejandro and took a tight hold of his limp body. Once certain they had a good grip on Zorro and Alejandro, the four men rushed to Hernandez’s office, and Zorra ran behind them as she said a silent prayer that her father and grandfather would be okay.

Carolina, clothed in a long white nightgown and mint green bathrobe, coughed continuously as Miguel placed a cool cloth over her burning eyes, while Bernardo and Ricardo hovered over her in case she needed something.

“My eyes,” she whimpered. “They burn.” She coughed a few times as Miguel placed his hand on the young girl’s shoulder.

“Just sit there and try to relax, little señorita ,” he told her calmly. “The cool cloth will help the burning in a few minutes.” 

“No,” Carolina said, shaking her head. “I want Papa…Papa, Abuelo, I want them to be okay.” She suffered another coughing fit as Miguel hushed her and gently pushed her back against the chair.

“I will take you to them, you will see them. Right now, though, you have to lie still and keep that cloth over your eyes,” the medic said. “Your eyes have significant damage, little one. You’re lucky you didn’t lose your vision entirely.” 

“ Señor del Amo ,” Hernandez said, sticking his head from behind the makeshift curtain in his office. “I’d like to see you in private for a moment.” 

Ricardo turned his attention from the doctor to Bernardo and nodded at him. “Stay here with Carolina and Miguel. Try to get her mind off of things for a while.” 

Bernardo nodded in response as he followed the doctor into the other room, where Diego and Alejandro lay as lifeless as a statue in a queen sized bed. Their faces were drained of color, Alejandro wore a white nightgown with a dark blue robe, while Diego wore a white nightgown and his left hand rested on top of his very swollen belly. 

Ricardo turned his gaze from his friends to Hernandez and stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Doctor,” he said. “How are they?” 

Hernandez let out a heavy sigh. “Don Alejandro and Diego are lucky to still be breathing,” he said softly. “Had their shots been any further to the side, major arteries would have been severed. They would have bled to death within minutes.” 

“It’s that bad, is it,” Ricardo said.

“Alejandro’s bullet tore through several muscles and ligaments and nicked his right lung slightly. There’s a few cracked ribs from the intensity of the shot, and the bullet went straight through him and out his back.”

“And Diego?”

“Diego’s injuries are worse considering the entryway of the bullet. It just barely missed a major artery in his stomach and damaged a significant part of his stomach and the top of his intestines. Several abdominal muscles were torn, and both of them have lost a fairly decent amount of blood. Like I said, they’re lucky to even still be alive.” 

“So, they’ll be okay.” 

Hernandez fell dead silent for a moment before letting out another heavy breath of air. “There’s nothing more I can do for them here, Ricardo. If they remain here, death is inevitable. A matter of days or even hours. I want them transferred to my colleague in San Francisco. There’s a hospital there, a hospital with newer treatments and top of the line specialists that profession in gunshot wound trauma. It’s the only chance Alejandro and Diego have at survival, at the moment. And even then their chances are not good.”

“What…wha, wha, what are you saying, Doctor?” Ricardo questioned, his face draining of color. “Are you, are you sayin…Don Alejandro and Diego could die ?” 

The older medic mournfully shook his head. “I’m sorry, Señor del Amo …I don’t believe they’re going to make it.” 

Though tears began to flood Ricardo’s eyes, his expression became furious instead of heartbroken. “You’re a blasted doctor, you save peoples’ lives, and you’re just giving up hope and telling me there’s nothing left that can be done for them.” He spat.

“I’m not giving up hope, Señor del Amo …but I can do nothing more for Don Alejandro and Diego. They need medical care that I’m not trained to give them. They need advanced medicine, better procedures to save their lives, things that I have no resources to here. That’s why I want them on their way to San Francisco before sunrise. The sooner they get to the hospital, the better their chances will be at fighting through this.”

“Doctor, you don’t understand. I can’t tell Carolina that her father and grandfather are likely to die, they mean everything to her. She won’t be able to live in that scenario, maybe not even a day .”

“Carolina is going to need your support and guidance any way it goes. She’s going to need it now more than ever with her eyes failing.”

Ricardo fell silent for a moment, furrowing his eyebrows together in perplexion. He shook his head. “Her eyes , wha…What do you mean her eyes are failing, what is it?”

Hernandez let out a heavy breath of air before continuing. “The cuartel fire badly injured her eyes. All the smoke, tar, and dust that flew into them; its caused several burns and possibly will leave some scar tissue behind as the eyes heal.”

“Alright,” Ricardo said, with a nod. “I’ll just keep having her rest them and put a cool cloth over them if they ache or burn. How long will it take before she’s better?”

The doctor shook his head, his forlorn expression returning. “They won’t,” he said softly. “In fact, the condition only worsens before it starts to recover… Señor del Amo …Carolina’s going blind.” 

The color in Ricardo’s face began to drain, his eyes nearly bugging out of his head as his jaw slightly dropped. “Blind,” he barely said. He shook his head. “You must be mistaken.”

Hernandez shook his head. “I wish I were . You can have comfort in knowing the blindness will only be temporary…but she’ll never see as well as she did beforehand again. There will always be a slight impairment in her vision.”

Growing a bit shaky, Ricardo used a chair to steady himself as he walked towards the curtains and leaned his head against the wall. He held himself up by putting a hand on the wall and again shook his head. “No. No, you’re wrong. You’re…” He paused for a moment to collect himself. “The world wouldn’t be so cruel to a sweet little girl. You expect me to not only tell her Diego and Alejandro are likely to die, but that she’s also losing her eyesight?”

“I would not pile all of it on her in one night. Our biggest concern right now is doing everything we can to save Don Alejandro and Diego’s lives.”

Ricardo shook his head. “There must be…there must be something you can do .” 

“It would have to be in the eyes of a miracle. Something far beyond the capabilities of a doctor.” Hernandez swallowed. “I wish there was some kind of medicine or treatment to stop it…but there isn’t, Señor del Amo .”

Ricardo began to sniffle as he fought back tears in his eyes. “Rest…the cool cloths, resting, that must do something to help it.”

“It may help with the discomfort and aching, but it won’t be enough. Not for long…She doesn’t have much time left, Señor del Amo . She’ll need you and Bernardo now more than ever since Don Alejandro and Diego won’t be able to be here for her themselves.”

When he only got fast-paced sniffles in response, Hernandez walked towards Ricardo’s side and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Do you want me in there with you when you tell her?” 

There was a long silence before Ricardo shook his head. “No,” he said. “No, I want her to…I want her to hear it from someone she’s close to. Someone she feels comfortable with in her presence.” He let out a shaky breath of air to cool his nerves and wiped the unshed tears away from his eyes. “I’ve got to tell her her father and grandfather are dying.”

Chapter Text

Ricardo took a deep breath in before he walked through the curtains and into the front area of the doctor’s office. He found Bernardo sitting beside the chair Carolina sat in, and Miguel hovered over his patient with the cool cloth in his hand. He looked down and made a visual observation over Carolina, who had pink and puffy eyes that were watering in the light. Whether it was from the fire or being worried sick over Diego and Alejandro he had no idea.

“Carolina,” Ricardo said softly, making his way to her and Bernardo’s sides. “How are you feeling? Can you see anything?”

“ Sí ,” she answered meekly. “But it’s blurry. And my eyes burn.”

“I know, kiddo, I know. We’ll splash some cold water on them in a minute, it’ll flush out the dust and smoke that’s still irritating them.” He turned to Miguel. “How’s her coughing?” 

Miguel nodded. “It’s gotten better, but still persistent. Her lungs and throat are irritated from breathing in the smoke, but it should go away in a few weeks. Drinking plenty of water and keeping her activity levels down will help with the recovery.”

Ricardo just barely nodded, his expression growing dim. “Dr. Tejada,” he started, and cleared his throat. “Can I talk to Carolina alone for a moment?”

“Certainly. I’m in with Dr. Hernandez checking over Don Diego and Alejandro if you need something.” 

The younger man took off on foot and disappeared behind the curtains, Bernardo quick on Miguel’s tail. He got to the curtain, when Ricardo put a hand on his shoulder.

“No, Bernardo,” he said firmly. “You need to hear this, too.” 

The mute man stared at him puzzled for a moment, but sat down at Ricardo’s gesture next to Carolina and the vaquero himself followed suit. They watched as Carolina’s expression became both curious and anxious when she saw the austere gaze in her uncle’s eyes. 

“Uncle Ricardo,” she asked softly. “Why are you looking at me like that?” 

Ricardo let out a heavy sigh before speaking. “I just got done speaking to Dr. Hernandez. He uh, your father and grandfather are not in good condition right now. They’ve lost a lot of blood, their injuries are very severe, and they’ve gone into a coma. They need specialized care, and Dr. Hernandez does not have the medicine nor the tools to do that…He has a colleague that works in an exceptional hospital, and he wants to send them there where they have advanced treatments and procedures to help them and other trauma wound victims.”

Carolina sniffled as tears streamed down her face, fear gripping onto her heart like a vice as a tight knot formed in her throat. The idea of being miles apart from her beloved father and grandfather made her ill to her stomach. She wanted to be by their side at every moment. Kissing their faces and gently hugging their damaged bodies like they would do for her. But she knew that they needed intensive care to overcome their near mortal injuries, and she was for anything that would save their lives and bring them back to her. She swallowed and then nodded. “Okay,” she croaked. “So where do they need to go? Monterey?” 

Ricardo simply shook his head. “It’s not in Monterey…it’s in San Francisco.”

It was then Carolina’s heart break, and she couldn’t fight back anymore. “San, San Francisco?” She croaked, more hot tears streaming down her cheeks. “So far away? Can I go with them there? If not the hospital, at least an inn nearby.” 

Ricardo again shook his head. “I’m sorry, Carolina…but you can’t go with them…not when…” He trailed off as he tried to think of the right words to say. But there weren’t any. No words would be gentle enough to tell Carolina news that would shatter her heart to pieces. That would cause her to become a nervous wreck. He closed his eyes and tried to channel Diego with all his might, but it proved fruitless.

When he hesitated to continue, an eerie feeling came over Carolina and began to shiver from fear. “Not when what?” She asked. “Why can’t I go with them? I want to be with Papa and Abuelo, I don’t want them to be there all alone.”

“Carolina…I’m so sorry…due to the severity of…” Ricardo let out a shaky breath of air before continuing. “Dr. Hernandez doesn’t think they’ll make it.”

It hit the youngest de la Vega like a punch to the chest. Her heart stopped as her body froze in place, her throat closing in on itself, and her tears flowing like a rushing river. She tried to speak, but nothing would come as she continued to stare at her uncle with horror. 

“Die?” She squeaked. “I, I…Papa and Abuelo might…die?” 

When Ricardo closed his eyes and fell silent, Carolina shot to her feet and went charging through the curtains, when Ricardo leaped up and held her back. She squirmed and fought to be free and soon started screaming with grief.

“Let me see them,” she cried. “Let me see them, I want to see them.” 

“No, Carolina, you don’t want to see them like this,” Ricardo told her.

“Papa! Papa, Abuelo, I want to see them.” 

“Please, Carolina, I don’t want yo-”

“ Señor del Amo ,” Hernandez 's voice interrupted. He waited for Ricardo’s attention before giving him a soft nod. “Let her be with them.”

Ricardo let out a shaky breath of air, knowing the pain that lay ahead for Carolina, but closed his eyes and released her. He watched as she bolted into the other room, where Miguel stood off to the side with a sympathetic look.

When Carolina saw the condition her father and grandfather were in, it took her for a moment to remember how to breathe. Diego and Alejandro’s faces were so pale, they almost appeared gray. They were still as a statute, the faint rising and falling of their chests the only indication of them still being alive. And while Alejandro lay with his head slightly tilted to the right, Diego’s left hand rested on his belly, which was very swollen due to severe muscle swelling and medicine given to him during surgery. 

Carolina began to shake violently, her lip quivering as she felt like her body was about to fall to the ground. She let out a loud cry as she bolted for the bed and buried her face into Diego’s chest as she wrapped her arms tightly around him. Her cries were excruciating, as if she were in deep physical pain. 

“Papa…” she sobbed. “Papa…don’t leave me, Papa, don’t go.”

Soon she lifted her head and crawled up in between her father and grandfather and used each arm to wrap around them. She buried her face into their shoulders and cried uncontrollably before lifting her head for a moment and caressing Alejandro’s head with the tips of her fingers.

As she continued to sob and repeatedly called them by name, Hernandez and Miguel stood off to the left of the bed with broken expressions, knowing there was nothing more they could do, while Ricardo had to turn the other way and lean his face into the wall. His body began to shake as his heart shattered at the sound of Carolina’s grieving, while Bernardo hung his head and covered his eyes as he sniffled and grieved himself. 

Carolina returned her head to her father’s chest and shook her head a few times before letting out more heart wrenching cries and hugging Diego as hard as she could without squeezing him. 

“Papa,” she said. “Papa. Papa. Papa, Abuelo…” 

No one said a word. No one moved a muscle. All they could do was stand there and watch Carolina hug her beloved father and grandfather and kiss them ‘goodbye’ possibly for one last time. As they all possibly said ‘goodbye’ for the last time.

A couple days went by since Diego and Alejandro were sent to San Francisco, and Ricardo and Bernardo had officially become Carolina’s guardians. And while Ricardo and Bernardo took over Alejandro’s duties around the hacienda, Carolina did nothing but pray and hope. At breakfast, while playing the piano when her eyes were up to it, after dinner, before bedtime, any free moment she had she was praying for her father and grandfather to fight hard and soon come home again. To be in her papa’s warm and loving arms again. To hear his steady heartbeat as he sang to her and kissed her head. To listen to her grandfather’s ranting or help him with the bulls and horses again. To go horseback riding with them again. To just have them with her again. 

It was late at night, and Ricardo had just finished everything that had to be done for the day. Bernardo sat on the couch with a book, and Carolina was in her room with a cool cloth over her aching eyes. The young vaquero ran his hands through his hair and let out a heavy breath of air. He shook his head and turned to Bernardo, who set his book aside and rose to his feet.

“I didn’t realize being a ranchero was so much work,” Ricardo said. “My back feels like I’ve been sitting in the same spot for twenty years.” 

Bernardo did a few hand gestures and imitated an angry bull. 

Ricardo nodded. “ Sì, Bernardo . Lorenzo is the cause for most of my aching. That darn bull would just not settle down tonight. You know how many times I had to use my whip on that animal?” He swung his arm around in a circular motion. “My arm is killing me.” He then frowned. “How are Carolina’s eyes?” 

Bernardo shook his head and made gestures to imitate aching eyes and putting a cool cloth over them. 

Ricardo sighed. “That’s what I was afraid of. I just keep praying that Dr. Hernandez is wrong and she won’t…I can’t worry about that right now. Right now we must focus on Diego and Don Alejandro and pray that they can fight through this and recover from their injuries.” 

Bernardo was about to ‘say’ something, when a knock came at the door. The two men turned to each other with skeptical gazes.

“Are you expecting anyone, Bernardo?” Ricardo asked.

The short man shook his head and followed Ricardo to the sala door. Ricardo opened the door to reveal a messenger standing there.

“Is this the de la Vega residence?” He asked.

“ Sì , this is it,” Ricardo answered.

The messenger handed him a letter. “Message from San Francisco. A Dr. Alvarado.” 

Ricardo examined the letter for a moment before nodding.

“ Gracias, Señor. Buenas noches .” 

“ Buenas noches, Señor .” 

Bernardo closed the door and watched Ricardo carefully as he unfolded the piece of paper and began reading. He lifted his gaze for a moment at Bernardo.

“It’s about Diego and Don Alejandro,” he said. Ricardo returned his eyes to the paper and continued to read. But he deeply regretted it the further he went on. Ricardo’s heart dropped to his stomach as his jaw fell from its hinges, his eyes widening to the size of saucers. He shook his head. “No…Oh, dear saints, no.”

Bernardo’s face went pale as he repeated the young man’s reaction. He watched as Ricardo turned to him. Ricardo closed his eyes and hung his head back as the letter in his hands began to shake. “Oh Carolina…Oh God, why? Why God, why?...Diego…Don Alejandro, no…” 

Bernardo’s eyes filled with tears and was about to break down, when Carolina silently wandered in from the back and walked towards the two men. 

Ricardo heard her footsteps and turned to her, doing all he could to keep his composure.

“Carolina, what are you still doing up?” He wondered.

“I couldn’t sleep,” she said softly. “I keep thinking of Papa and Abuelo, and it keeps waking me up.” She spotted the letter in her uncle’s hands and frowned. “What’s that?” 

“Ehy uh,” Ricardo struggled to speak. “Just a letter, nothing more.” 

“Is it from the hospital?” She asked. “What does it say? How are Papa and Abuelo, are they okay?” 

It took a moment for him to respond, but Ricardo swallowed a growing knot in his throat and nodded. “Yeah…yeah, it’s from the hospital.” 

“What did the doctor say? Did Papa and Abuelo wake up yet? How are they?” 

“He…he uh…he said they’re not good.” 

He could see the fear growing in Carolina’s eyes, but she furrowed her eyebrows together. “What…what do you mean ‘they’re not good’?”

Ricardo couldn’t answer. All he could do was look at her with an empathetic gaze, making a sharp chill begin to run throughout her body. Hot tears flooded her eyes as her lip began to quiver.

“What’s wrong?” She croaked. When she received no answer, she spoke again. “Uncle Ricardo, please, you’re scaring me, what’s wrong?” 

Ricardo licked his lips as he tried to think of the right words to say. But there were none. Nothing he could say would make what he was about to say hurt any less than it would. It would break Carolina’s world to pieces. It would take away all sources of light and surround her in a pool of darkness. A darkness worse than the pending blindness that would soon take away Carolina’s sight.

Carolina shook her head. “No, no no, where are they? Where are they, where are they? Where’s my Papa and Abuelo…” 

Ricardo softly hushed her as he put a hand on her small shoulder. He gave it a slight squeeze before finally speaking. 

“They didn’t make it.” 

He watched as Carolina’s terrified eyes nearly fell out of her head, her skin draining of all color. Her breathing became shaky, while her heart pounded against her chest so hard it caused her great pain. She tried to speak, but nothing but whimpering came out.

Ricardo shook his head. “I’m so sorry, Carolina…They did everything they could.” 

The littlest de la Vega shook her head. “No,” she croaked. “No. No, Papa and Abuelo wouldn’t leave me, they said they would never leave me-”

“I know…I know…But they couldn’t fight anymore, Carolina. They just didn’t have any strength left to keep fighting.”

Carolina shook her head as tears burned down her cheeks as she began to break down. “No…no…”

“I’m so sorry.”

“No…no. Papa! Papa. Papa, Abuelo, don’t leave me, Papa…” She was about to collapse to the ground, when Ricardo grabbed a hold of her and held her close to him, doing all he could to comfort her like Diego would have done for her. “Papa. Papa. Papa, Abuelo, come back. Come back. Papa, Abuelo, come back to me.” 

She began to screech and heaved heavy sobs, crying for her father and grandfather repeatedly as she felt her heart stop and break into dust. The sound was so blood curdling that Ricardo couldn’t fight his tears back anymore. They poured down his face as he hushed Carolina and rocked her from side to side, continuously giving her his condolences. Even Bernardo broke down and buried his face into his hands as he sniffled for the loss of his dear friends.

“Papa…Papa…Papa, Abuelo, Abue ba guh uh…”

Ricardo shook his head. “They tried, Carolina…They tried everything they could, Carolina…”

Nothing he said could console her. Carolina screamed and cried hysterically, hoping to Heaven that she would wake up from the nightmare she had just entered into. Her eyes burned terribly, but her breaking heart hurt more than any kind of eye pain possible. She felt like she was losing oxygen as she realized she now had to face a world where Diego and Alejandro would no longer be in it. A world she would rather die than have to go on in. 

No one spoke. No one moved. All they could was grieve. Two well-respected figures in society. Two wonderful rancheros . Two great friends. A treasured father and grandfather most of all.

It took three days for Ricardo, Bernardo, and Anna Maria, who had been called down to help care for a deeply mourning Carolina, to even think about a funeral service. But after another four days of thinking everything over and sending off a letter to inform Diego’s uncle, Esteban de la Cruz, in Spain about the devastating losses, the day everyone dreaded finally arrived.

Everyone in Los Angeles and several people from Monterey showed up at the church that day. Don Torres, Sergeant Garcia, Corporal Reyes, Commandante Cabrera and his wife, Don Tejada, Miguel, Dr. Hernandez, the large church was filled with grieving friends, fellow rancheros , and relatives. But despite all the flowers, the nice weather, and touching ceremony done by the priest, Father Vinicio, it was a dark and rainy day for everyone in Los Angeles. Not a single eye that was there was dry. And while Carolina stood out back where Diego and Alejandro had just been buried, everyone inside came around to Ricardo and Anna Maria and either wished them condolences or got condolences themselves. 

“ Señor del Amo ,” Cabrera said, his hands clasped behind his back. “I don’t even know if there are words I can say to express my sorrows. Don Diego and Alejandro were two of the best people I ever knew. They will be honored and forever treasured in Los Angeles and all of California.” 

Ricardo and Anna Maria, whose heads were hanging down, gave a soft nod. 

“We appreciate your words, Commandante,” Ricardo answered. “I know Diego and Don Alejandro would, too.”

Cabrera nodded. “If you two, Bernardo, or Carolina need anything, anything at all, don’t hesitate to come to me. My wife and I will try to help you wherever we can. And I promise you, Monastario will hang for this. He will face the most unpleasant trial possible, I assure you.” 

Anna Maria sniffled as she wiped her wet eyes. “ Gracias, Commandante Cabrera .”

Not knowing what else to do, Cabrera patted Ricardo’s arm before parting ways, leaving the duo to try and collect themselves for everyone else’s sake, especially Carolina. Anna Maria took in a deep breath as Ricardo wrapped an arm around her, when a morose Garcia came up to them with a damp handkerchief clutched in his hands. 

“Uh,” he mumbled. “Hello, Señor del Amo. Señorita Verdugo .” 

“Sergeant,” Anna Maria greeted. 

“Sergeant Garcia,” Ricardo said. “I’m deeply sorry for the loss of Diego. I know you considered him your best friend…He would be glad that you came today.” 

“No, Señor del Amo . I’m the reason we’re all here today. Had I never arrested him and put him in jail, I…” He paused as he fought to keep composure, but the grief for his best friend was too much for the senior sergeant. He sniffled as a few tears streamed down his face. “He died thinking I was against him. I’ll never be able to make things right with him. I killed my best friend. He’s gone, and it’s all my fault.” 

Garcia wiped his wet eyes as Ricardo and Anna Maria looked at him empathetically. 

“No, Sergeant,” Ricardo said, shaking his head. “I know Diego, and I know that if he were here right now this would be the last thing he’d want you to accuse yourself of. You were played a fool, Sergeant, we all were. Diego knew that. And he knew how much you treasured his friendship. You were his good friend…to the very end.” 

Garcia began to break down and buried his eyes into his handkerchief. “Why Don Diego?” He whimpered. “Why Don Diego, why did he and Don Alejandro have to go?” 

Anna Maria placed a hand on Garcia’s arm as tears of her own streamed down her face. “‘Cause Heaven needed two angels to look down from above and try to help make this world a better place,” she answered. “What two better people to protect us than Diego and Don Alejandro.” She couldn’t continue. She hung her head and began to weep as she wiped her eyes with her handkerchief.

Ricardo held her closer and looked up at the ceiling with his own wet eyes. He let out a shaky breath of air before speaking. “They’re watching us, Anna Maria. They’re both sending us strength to get us through this hideous nightmare we’re now living in.” He sniffled as he wiped his tears away with his jacket sleeve. “If you excuse me, I need to go check on Carolina.” 

Without another word, Ricardo parted ways with Anna Maria and Garcia as he walked out to the back of the church. He looked around until he spotted the littlest de la Vega, who had still yet to move from her father and grandfather’s freshly dug graves. Stiff and still as a board, she was unable to move due to the grief that threatened to take over her. 

Carolina couldn’t think. She couldn’t feel. It was as if her entire brain had shut off and now all that was left was a shell of a human being, staring down at what once was her beloved papa and grandpa. Now they were bodies in buried caskets six feet below her. They were gone. She’d never see them again. She’d never hear their voices again. She’d never get to hug them and kiss their cheeks as she told them just how much she loved and treasured them. She was lost and all alone now. Wandering around in a world that felt dark and cloudy with endless rain falling down on her. It was a fate worse than death. A fate that made her want to die herself instead of face.

As her hair blew in the light breeze, the numbness began to wear off, and she again felt the worse stabbing pain in her heart imaginable, while a large lump formed in her throat. Her eyes blurred with hot tears as she knelt down and reached out to touch her father’s name on his grave stone. She repeated the same gesture with Alejandro’s, then broke down and couldn’t fight anymore. She hugged her father’s stone and cried uncontrollably. She turned her head to the sky and cried even harder.

“Papa…Abuelo…Papa, Abuelo, I need you. How do I live without you? How do I live when I want to die myself?” Her sobs became hysterics as she struggled to breathe and felt as if she would cry forever. “Papa. Papa, Abuelo, come back. Come back. Come back…”

(End of episode four...)

Chapter Text

(Episode 4 and 5: An End to the Monastario Era - Part 2)

FINALE

It was dark when Ricardo and Anna Maria entered the sala, Bernardo following closely from behind. Ricardo removed his hat as he looked out ahead of him and sighed. He felt Anna Maria place a hand on his shoulder and rub it.

“It was a beautiful ceremony, Ricardo,” she said softly.

“Yeah…” he answered, never turning his gaze. “I’m worried about Carolina. She hasn’t spoken in hours.”

“She’s in shock. She doesn’t know how to process all of this. She’s hurting most of all, she probably doesn’t know how to go on.” 

“I promised Diego I would care for Carolina with my life if something ever happened to him…and she’s falling apart already.” 

Anna Maria sniffled. “We and Bernardo have to do everything we can to help her through this. She’s living in fear and loneliness now. We have to help her so she doesn’t feel all alone.” 

Ricardo faintly nodded. “ Sí …Perhaps it would be best for her if she just started over and began anew.”

Anna Maria furrowed her eyebrows together. “What do you mean?” 

“Leaving Los Angeles,” Ricardo said. He looked around the sala and sighed while shaking his head. He hated the idea of the thought, but for Carolina’s sake it had to be done. “I’m going to sell Don Alejandro’s hacienda, and I’ll take Carolina with Bernardo and I back to San Francisco.” 

“Sell the hacienda,” Anna Maria gasped, her eyes widening. 

“Carolina is surrounded by too many memories here. Memories that hurt her heart and memories that remind her of two people she loved more than life and will never walk in these rooms with her again. If she stays here, her mental state will deteriorate as fast as her eyes soon will. Perhaps there’s a doctor in San Francisco who can save them before it’s too late.” 

“How much time does she have left?”

Ricardo shook his head. “Not a lot. Dr. Hernandez thinks it could be as little as a few weeks. We’ll start packing and leave for San Francisco as soon as Monastario’s trial is over.” 

Anna Maria shook her head as her blood began to boil. “That man doesn’t even deserve a trial. I think Commandante Cabrera should just shoot him now and get it over with.” 

“Commandante Cabrera is a fair man. He wants to kill Monastario just like the rest of us do, but that wouldn’t be humane or in his nature of handling things. He already knows the verdict that’ll be made, but a trial has to happen to go on the record.” 

The room fell quiet for a long moment before Anna Maria broke the growing silence. 

“Where’s Carolina?”

“In Diego’s room. She’s slept in there with his and Don Alejandro’s bathrobes ever since the night they died.” Ricardo turned to Bernardo and tapped him on the shoulder. He made hand gestures as he spoke. “Bernardo, go upstairs and check on Carolina. I don’t want her to be alone right now.” 

The short man pretended to understand the hand gestures, nodded, then walked out of the sala, leaving Ricardo and Anna Maria to themselves. 

“Sell the hacienda,” Anna Maria again said. “Don Alejandro would be furious if he were here and knew this.”

“Don Alejandro’s not here, though. He and Diego are gone, Anna Maria. Why make Carolina suffer by continuing to live here and be surrounded with times and memories she’ll never get to experience again? ‘Cause I know darn good and well that they would be heartbroken if they saw what’s happening to their little girl.”

“I just hate the idea of letting this place go. The furniture changing, the decorations changing, coming to Los Angeles for business and seeing a bunch of strangers wandering around in this house.” 

“I hate the idea of giving away this house, too, Anna Maria. Don Alejandro took much pride of this hacienda, he worked hard for this hacienda. He loved this place as much as he loved his friends and family. But I have to do this for Carolina. It’s the best thing for her in order to recover from her grief.”

Anna Maria shook her head. “I’m not sure she ever will recover from this, Ricardo. After losing her entire world, how can she go on living when she feels like she has nothing left to live for?”

“She has to, Anna Maria,” Ricardo said. He finally turned to her. “Or she’s going to lose more than just her vision.” 

As Anna Maria hugged Ricardo’s shoulder and rested her head on it, Carolina, wearing her father’s bathrobe and hugging her grandfather’s tight to her chest, wallowed in silence in Diego’s room. She sat on the floor against his old bed as she looked around at all her father’s untouched things. His hat lying lifelessly on his dresser, his clothes neatly hung and still as could be, his many books stacked in his bookshelf and guitar sitting lonely near his desk. The faint scent of his cologne still lingering in the room.

Though the candles were lit and a roaring fire was going in the fireplace, Carolina felt it was still dark and bleak. Whether it were from her crippling grief or the injury to her eyes, she couldn’t decipher. All she knew was that her wet, red eyes burned and ached, while her heart and mind were completely numb. Tears streamed down her face every so often, and she would hug Alejandro’s robe tighter against her chest for comfort. But the scent of her grandfather’s pipe mixed with his expensive cologne only caused her more pain.

Carolina looked off in the distance and began to think of them. Her two guardian angels that she kept praying would walk through the door and come back to her. Alejandro’s boisterous laugh, his occasional ranting, him and her playing tricks on each other, helping him around the ranch, laughing at jokes only the two of them could understand. Their horseback rides into the countryside as they pointed different fascinating things out to each other.

Then it was her papa. His warm and loving hugs, his gentle kisses and caressing the back of her head. Snuggling with him on rainy days, fencing with him, riding alongside him as Zorro, being in his arms as he sang to her beside the fireplace at night. Something she yearned for more than anything at that moment. Just to have one more minute with him and hear his voice. Wrapped in his warm arms like a blanket and hear his steady heartbeat as she closed her eyes and became at peace with the world. But she couldn’t. She couldn’t have her papa. She couldn’t have her grandpa. She couldn’t have her entire world back.

With the intense stabbing sensation returning to her chest, Carolina broke down and began to cry uncontrollably. She screamed and sobbed, sounding as if she were in great physical pain. Her heart felt as if someone was slicing it in half, then proceeding to stab it repeatedly. 

She hugged Alejandro’s bathrobe as tight as she could and continuously cried her father and grandfather’s names, begging them to come back to her and telling them how she couldn’t breathe without them there. Her breathing became fast and hyperventilated, her heart still hurting like it had never hurt before. Then everything began to come to a slow halt. Her posture straightened, her heart became numb, her mind went completely blank. She grew stiff and still, her arms still hugging Alejandro’s bathrobe locking in place, while she stared out at nothing and started to ignore everything around her.

Hearing her devastating cries for Diego and Alejandro, Bernardo hurried into Diego’s room and found Carolina on the ground. He frowned and knelt down beside her. He placed his hand on her shoulder, but she never acknowledged him. Puzzled, he waved his hand in front of her face, but she made no movement. Just a blank stare fixed ahead of her. 

Bernardo’s heart began to race as he gently slapped Carolina’s cheek and shook her by the shoulders. When she still remained stiff and silent, Bernardo bolted out of Diego’s room and down into the courtyard, where he found Ricardo and Anna Maria sipping on some wine. He ran to the young man’s side and shook his arm violently.

Ricardo turned his stunned gaze to the short man, who was making all sorts of gestures and pointing upstairs. He didn’t need any further information to understand his silent friend. Ricardo’s face began to pale as he snapped his attention to Anna Maria.

“Carolina,” he gasped. “Something’s wrong.” 

The three of them raced up the staircase and plowed through Diego’s room. When Ricardo spotted Carolina’s condition, he reached her side and knelt down beside her. He placed his hand on her shoulder and shook her.

“Carolina,” he called out. “Carolina…Carolina, can you hear me?”

When she made no response, Ricardo felt a sharp chill run down his back and his heart stopped as he turned to Anna Maria.

“Anna Maria, get Dr. Hernandez.”

After over an hour, Hernandez finally came out of Diego’s room and closed the door behind him. He was immediately greeted by a concerned Ricardo, Bernardo, and Anna Maria.

“How is she?” Ricardo asked. “What is it, what’s wrong with her?” 

Hernandez let out a heavy sigh. “Carolina’s had some kind of breakdown. She’s gone into a condition called a catatonic state.” 

“What’s that?”

The medic shook his head. “Catatonia. I don’t have an explanation for it. It’s unknown why it occurs in some people. But if I had to guess, the grief for her father and grandfather became too much pain for her to bear. In order to protect her, her mind just turned off to spare her any more heartache. It could last hours, maybe even days, I can’t give you a definite answer as to when she’ll come out of it.” 

“Catatonia, what is it? What does it cause to happen?” Anna Maria questioned.

“She is completely unresponsive to anything and everything around her. She won’t move. She won’t speak. I’m not even sure if she can hear anything we say to her.”

“And her eyes?” Ricardo asked.

Hernandez shook his head. “No change. They’ll progressively get worse soon enough. I don’t expect her vision to make it for another month.”

“Can I see her?” The vaquero questioned. 

“For a moment. She needs rest.” 

Ricardo simply nodded as he entered Diego’s room with Bernardo following him from behind. They found Carolina laying in bed covered up with blankets and sheets. She still wore her father’s bathrobe and was hugging her grandfather’s as if it were her lifeline. Her empty gaze remained fixed ahead of her and gave her the appearance that she had left her body and nothing but a shell remained.

Ricardo slowly approached the bed and sat down beside her legs. He watched her for a moment and touched one of her hands. 

“Carolina,” he called out softly.

No response.

“Carolina.”

He received no answer.

“Carolina…Come on, sweetheart, give me your grandfather’s robe, and I’ll hang it up so it doesn’t get all dirty.” He went to grab it, when Carolina pulled it back and held it closer to her. A few seconds of silence followed before she began humming the lullaby her father had always sang to her when she was sad or scared.

Ricardo turned his stunned expression to Bernardo, who was watching his little friend with great pain. He kept a close, empathetic glance at her as she continued to hum her song.

Ricardo slowly got to his feet and walked towards Bernardo.

“Stay with her in case she needs anything,” he told the short man softly.

Bernardo nodded, then grabbed a chair and sat off to Carolina’s left as she hummed the song a second time.

Ricardo let out a heavy breath of air as he closed his eyes, then turned his gaze to the ceiling. “Ah Diego,” he said to himself. “I don’t know how to do this. I don’t know how to care for her when she died along with you.” 

Chapter Text

As another week passed by, Ricardo began searching for potential buyers of the de la Vega hacienda all the while trying to care for Carolina. Although she had come out of her catatonic state the following morning, she continued to slip in and out of them when her grief became too much for her. Sometimes her spells only lasted for a few hours, sometimes they lasted up to three days. He, Bernardo, and Anna Maria did all they could to bring her out of the pool of grief she was drowning in, but her mind was slipping away as much as her failing vision was. 

But life at the de la Vega hacienda was not the only thing that was changing. Mexico had officially gained control over California, pushing the Spanish army out of command and back to Spain. While Cabrera, Garcia, Reyes, and four other soldiers remained behind, the new commandante of Los Angeles, Captain Valero Garrido of the Mexican army, gained priority ruling, yet had Cabrera work alongside him as his adjutant and encouraged the Spaniard officer for his opinion as much as possible.

Garcia, Reyes, and the other four Spanish soldiers became under Garrido’s and Mexican army command. They and everyone else in the pueblo watched as their Spanish flag was pulled down the pole, was folded neatly, then handed to another Mexican soldier to take away. Soon the colors of red and yellow were replaced with red, white, and green, and everyone was saluting to a new flag. A new ruling. A new California.

As Monastario and his cell remained under tight security, Garrido and Cabrera gathered in the commandante’s quarters and collaborated on the captain’s murder trial. Garrido stood alongside the wall with his hands clasped behind his back as he watched Cabrera pace back and forth across the room.

“ Capitán Cabrera ,” Garrido, a tall and thin built man with glasses, jet black hair, and a light mustache, said. “I don’t know how else we can give Monastario a slim chance of being acquitted. We’ve already called in the most acclaimed fiscal de distrito in California. Señor Guardado has never lost a single case, and I assure you after what Monastario did he will have very little chance of getting away free.”

“No, I want more than that,” Cabrera remarked. “I want Monastario to get buried into the ground. I want him to get the book thrown at him… literally . That man burned the entire cuartel down, he took the lives of a beloved father and grandfather from an innocent little girl, who is experiencing a painful grief no child should have to suffer from. I want Monastario to go down, and I want him to go down in flames.” 

“The only other thing I can think of, Capitán , is finding a judge, but you’ve turned down every one we’ve looked at.” 

“Because I want someone mean. Ruthless, firm, someone that doesn’t put up with the slightest bit of mischief. I want someone that will give Monastario a run for his money, I want someone that’ll give him the death penalty…and I know just the man for the job. A judge so domineering that every defense lawyer in California fears him just by name. A judge well known back in your Mexico.”

Garrido’s eyes widened in shock. His mouth slightly dropped as he realized who his second-in-command was suggesting to. 

“ Capitán Cabrera ,” he said. “You don’t mean-”

“The very same, Capitán .” Cabrera slapped the desk as he sat down and looked off to the side in determination. “Get me Judge Labordeta.”

“I just don’t know, Señor del Amo ,” Don Espina, one of Alejandro’s dearest friends, said as he walked with Ricardo into the courtyard. “It’s a very nice hacienda, but I just can’t see anyone else living here beside Alejandro.”

“I don’t want someone other than him to own this place, either, but I won’t just take Carolina and Bernardo with me back to San Francisco and allow some random stranger to buy out this place. I have Don Alejandro’s servants that work here to think of. I won’t leave them with someone that could possibly start to abuse them.” 

Espina, a tall, lengthy man with slick graying-black hair and a black suit, shook his head. “I can’t believe we are even having this conversation,” he said. “You shouldn’t be looking for someone to buy this place, Don Alejandro should be walking around taking care of his ranch, Don Diego should be here snuggling and singing to his daughter, this whole situation isn’t right.” 

“I agree with you, Don Espina,” Ricardo said sympathetically. “But they’re not . And I know if Don Alejandro were here he would want someone he deeply trusted with caring for everything he worked for and was proud of. This house and ranch was his greatest pride possession…and I know he would be at peace knowing a good friend like you were taking over his hacienda.”

Espina sighed. “I must think about it, Señor del Amo . I just don’t have the heart to own a house that belonged to my good friend. A friend who should still be here instead of six feet below the ground.” 

Ricardo nodded. “I understand, Don Espina. Take as much time as you need to, I will not be leaving until after Monastario’s trial.” 

“Ohhh, I hope they hang that monster for what he did,” Espina growled. “That man deserves something that’s worse than death.”

“He’ll get what’s coming to him. Commandantes Cabrera and Garrido will see to it.” 

Espina tipped his cap for a ‘goodbye’, then walked out of the courtyard, and Ricardo let out a heavy sigh. He shook his head as another one of Alejandro’s good friends rejected buying the hacienda for themselves. He had two weeks left until Monastario’s trial, and he was running out of people that Alejandro had been most close with. He had written a letter to his brother-in-law, Esteban de la Cruz, back in Spain regarding the situation, but it would never make it there in time. He had a friend that had been like a brother to Alejandro coming down from Santa Barbara to look at the house in a few days, but he didn’t know if that would go through either. He was stuck at a brick wall, and he didn’t have many ideas left of how to break it down.

Ricardo ran his hands down his face as he turned to walk towards the sala, where he found Bernardo reading, Carolina sitting on the couch lost in mourning, and Anna Maria arranging flowers. The young Verdugo turned to her friend and approached him with a curious expression. 

“How did it go with Don Espina?” She questioned.

“It didn’t go,” Ricardo answered. “He doesn’t want to see someone else living here other than Don Alejandro either.” 

“There must be someone out there that would buy this place.” 

“Someone that’ll possibly take this place to shreds. Someone that’ll treat Don Alejandro’s servants like their slaves. I want someone I know will continue to care for this house and ranch and who will carry out his philosophy till the end of time…and I can’t find a single friend of his that is willing to make an offer.” 

Anna Maria put a hand on Ricardo’s arm as she turned to him with a thoughtful gaze. “Don Marrero will be here in another few days, you said he sounded very interested in his letter back.” 

“They’re all interested at first, Anna Maria. That is until they get here. Then it’s the place is too big, too expensive, too much upkeep, too far from the pueblo, no one but Don Alejandro should be owning this house, the list goes on, Anna Maria. There’s just nobody with the heart to make this house anything other than the de la Vega hacienda.”

As the two continued discussing the house selling, Bernardo looked up from his book for a moment and did a double take when he saw Carolina grimacing with her fingers up near her closed eyes. He set his book aside and quickly made his way to her side. He sat down on her right and tapped her shoulder.

She slightly opened her eyes and turned to her friend, who made gestures asking if she was alright. He only got a soft nod in response. She grimaced again as the burning in her eyes returned. It was beginning to get worse, and now it  looked a lot darker in rooms than usual. Unless she was outside, she was constantly needing a lamp or source of light to make her surroundings brighter. Especially at night. Whether it be from the consistent crying or the injuries in her eyes, she had no clue.

Deciding she needed to go lie down and sleep it off, Carolina hesitantly rose to her feet and walked around the couch with her slightly squinted eyes. It was the darkness that soon got to her, and she ran into a table behind the couch, a clinky noise being made as an object fell to the ground. 

The abrupt noise brought her to Ricardo and Anna Maria’s attention, and they made their way towards the young girl.

“Carolina, are you alright?” Ricardo asked. “You ran into that table kind of hard.”

Carolina winced as she wrapped her arm around her lower abdomen, but nodded. 

“ Sí ,” she squeaked. “ Sí , I’m okay. I just didn’t notice that table there.” She turned her gaze downwards and began searching her nearby surroundings. “What was that sound that fell on the…” She paused when she spotted a silver band near her left foot and felt a horrible stabbing pain in her heart as she bent over to pick it up. She examined it in her fingers delicately, and hot tears began to blur her vision as a large knot formed in her throat.

A simple silver ring with a small blue zircon stone in the center and surrounded with tiny diamonds. It had been her father’s and bought it when she was a baby. So he could have and feel her everywhere he went. He had loved that ring almost as much as he had loved her and wore it all the time. A ring that had been so special to him that Carolina could almost feel her father’s warmth and love in her broken, scarred heart. 

As her tears began to burn down her face, she shook her head before breaking down and burying her face into her fingers, which clutched Diego’s ring tighter than a vice.

“Papa…” she sobbed. “Why did you leave, why did you and Abuelo leave?”

Anna Maria parted ways with Ricardo and made her way to Carolina’s side. She took the grieving girl in her arms and held Carolina tight as she swayed from side to side.

“Oh sweetie,” Anna Maria said, her heart aching as she listened to Carolina’s cries. “They’re right here with you, Carolina. They’ll always be right here with you.” 

Ricardo knelt down in front of Carolina and pointed to the center of his chest. “Right here, Carolina. Right in here.”

“I don’t want them there,” the little de la Vega snapped. “I want them here , where I can see them and talk to them and have them give me kisses.”

“I know, kiddo, I know,” Ricardo told her empathetically. “If I could, I would give them back to you without a second thought.” He hushed her when she continued to sob uncontrollably. “Don’t cry, Carolina, it’s bad on your eyes.”

Carolina made no response other than violent crying and the start of hyperventilation. Anna Maria brought her in close and hushed her as she rubbed the girl’s back. She rested her head on Carolina’s as she tried to find comforting words. She glimpsed down at the blue zircon ring, and an idea hit her.

“If I can give you one of my plain silver chains, would you like me to put your father’s ring on it? So you can wear it around your neck? Then he’ll feel a lot closer to you than you feel now.” 

It took a moment, but eventually Carolina softly nodded through her sobs.

“Abueloooo, Papaaaaa…”

As Carolina’s crying became more intense, Ricardo rose to his feet and took her into his big arms. He held her as close as he could, but he knew it was nothing like when Diego had done it. He comforted her as much as he possibly could, but when the sobs refused to die out, he squeezed her tight before looking up at the ceiling. He shook his head.

Diego , he thought to himself. If you’re up there listening, show me how to do this. Show me how to do this, Diego…‘Cause I don’t know what in Heaven’s name I’m doing here .

It was after 10:00 that night when Tato walked into the courtyard with a guitar in his hand. He stopped a few feet beside the balcony and looked up to see none of the lights were on. Some came from inside the sala, but he instantly assumed it was either Don Alejandro and/or Don Diego that we’re still up. 

Tato swallowed a knot forming in his throat at the idea of one of them coming out to find him there, but he refused to turn and back out. He needed to do this to apologize to Carolina for his uncalled behavior back in San Diego. To apologize to all of the de la Vegas. 

He made his eyes back up to the balcony, let out a nervous breath of air, then played a few chords to ensure his guitar was nicely tuned. Satisfied, he began playing a few bars before singing out a rather romantic song.

About thirty seconds into his song, Carolina, dressed in her nightgown and fluffy clouds bathrobe, stepped out of her room to check out where the upbeat melody was coming from. She approached the balcony, looked down, and was briefly taken aback when she saw her old classmate standing there smiling at her. She returned a small one, but her eyes displayed the intense heartache and grief that refused to lighten up.

Tato’s beautiful song went on for another minute before coming to a close, his eyes never turning from Carolina.

“What are you doing down there, Tato?” The youngest de la Vega questioned.

“A lot easier to ask for forgiveness through song than just throw a rock up at your window,” Tato answered.

“Serenading is how boys apologize now?” 

Tato shrugged his shoulders. “It’s all I got.”

Carolina tightened her bathrobe around her as she walked down the staircase and made her way towards him. She furrowed her eyebrows together as Tato sat his guitar against the tree.

“What are you doing here?” She asked. “I thought you were back in San Diego.” 

“My parents threw me out thinking I was old enough to live on my own, so I came to live up here with my uncle. He owns the tavern in the pueblo and is exchanging me a room at his house for working as a bartender. I’m staying with him until I can afford my own place.”

“How’d you get here?” 

“Took one of my father’s horses in rebellion.” 

“That's sure going to defuse the situation.”

“I didn’t have much time to think things through.” 

Carolina began to frown as her heartache acted up again. “It was a pretty song, Tato,” she said softly.

“Do I have your forgiveness, then? For all the nonsense that happened that night in San Diego with Domingo?” 

Carolina simply stared at the ground for a long moment before nodding. “ Sì ,” she answered. “Yes, Tato, you’re forgiven.” 

The young man let out a nervous breath of air and swallowed. “I uh, I owe your father and grandfather an apology, as well. Kind of afraid Don Alejandro will let me have it for being on his property, but I won’t be a gentleman unless I ask him for forgiveness. Is he in there? In the sala?” 

Tears began to flood Carolina’s eyes as she thought of her beloved grandfather. His voice, his laugh, his silly jokes, his scent of cologne and piped tobacco. It felt like her chest was being stabbed again as she shook her head. The tears began to burn down her face.

“No…” she barely answered. “He’s not here.”

Tato’s expression became puzzled. “What do you mean…Where is he now? Why isn’t he here?” 

“He…he and Papa, they…” Carolina began to break down. She shook her head. “They’re…they’re gone.”

Tato’s eyes widened to the size of saucers, while his jaw hung from its hinges. “What?” He gasped. “But ho…how did i…they’re gone?” 

Carolina started to sob. “Papa…Papa, Abuelo, why did you leave, why did you leave me?” 

Tato hurried to Carolina’s side and brought her into his arms. He held onto her tight as she buried her face into his shoulder and cried uncontrollably. He swayed her from side to side and shook his head.

“Carolina,” he croaked. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.” 

“Papaaaaaa, Abueloooooo,” Carolina cried. “Papa, Abuelo, come back. Come back…” 

Tato gently hushed her. “Just let it out, Carolina…Just let it all out.” 

Hearing the loud sobbing from the sala, Ricardo and Anna Maria hurried out to the courtyard and stopped in their tracks when they saw Tato hugging a hysterical Carolina. The young man looked back at the two, frowned, then shook his head. He returned his attention to his old classmate and friend and continued to hush her as Carolina sobbed her grief out.

There was nothing more Tato wanted to do at that moment than take Carolina’s pain away and suffer it himself. To find some way to bring Diego and Alejandro back to her. But there was no way. He couldn’t bring Carolina her father and grandfather back. He couldn’t take her pain away. He couldn’t put an end to this nightmare she was being forced to live in. All he could do was hold her and let her weep. 

Chapter Text

Tato began to come over every day to check on Carolina and help Ricardo and Anna Maria around the hacienda. He feared the bulls and cattle too much to care for them, so Ricardo had him clean out the stables, give the horses fresh hay, and prepared cattle meat to sell Alejandro’s loyal patrons. If he wasn’t doing that, he and Bernardo sat with Carolina and tried to take her mind off of things. But their efforts proved useless, as the last two days Carolina didn’t even cry anymore. She just sat and watched life fly by her.

Her emotional state wasn't the only thing that was quickly declining. As each day went by, her vision began to grow worse. She could now only read if she was outside during the day or was sitting right next to a lamp, things far away from her were becoming blurry, the aching in her eyes became a constant, and if she were in the mood to play a little piano she had to stick her face almost directly on the music sheet to read the notes. Ricardo continued to struggle in finding the right way to tell Carolina about her condition, but seeing her so lost without her father and grandfather, he just didn’t have the heart to tell her. The heart to take another thing away from her. He could only stand back in silence and watch the sweet girl’s sight quickly deteriorate.

But Carolina and the loss of Alejandro and Diego was not the big talk around the pueblo lately. The day before Monastario’s murder trial had come, and everyone was discussing it. About half of Los Angeles planned on attending to watch the captain hopefully receive the death penalty and to honor their beloved friends, who were now gone due to Monastario’s vicious crime. Garrido had to even up security around Monastario’s cell to ensure no one tried to kill him beforehand. With how enraged Alejandro and Diego’s loved ones were, he didn’t dare pass the risk of someone trying to break into the cell and finish the matters themselves. 

Don Marrero, a tall man with receding gray hair and wire framed glasses, arrived in Los Angeles that same day at the de la Vega hacienda, and Ricardo gave him the whole tour of the place. The sala, the library, the stables, the fields of land, the upstairs bedrooms, every inch of the place intrigued Marrero, and he went through a second time with a fine-toothed comb. Soon the two men wandered out into the courtyard, and Ricardo turned to Alejandro’s dear friend.

“Well,” he said. “How’s it look to you?” 

“ Señor del Amo , it’s just how I pictured it. The location is perfect, the house has enough room for all my friends to come visit, and Alejandro did a fine job taking care of this place. Not a single flaw or impurity whatsoever.” Marrero frowned as he stuffed his hands into his pants pockets and let out a heavy sigh. “I just wish the reason you were selling this place was for a more jovial occasion.” 

“So does everyone else in Los Angeles. I can’t imagine anyone else living in this hacienda other than Don Alejandro and my good friend Diego, but I know if Don Alejandro were here he would be honored to have you buy this place. A wonderful friend he trusted deeply to take care of everything he worked so hard for and was proud of. A man that will continue to treat the horses, cattle, and the many servants here with respect and compassion.”

“Oh, absolutely. Alejandro loved this place as much as he loved Diego and little Carolina. It would be an insult to his honor to let this place go to waste. Believe me, Señor del Amo , I will keep this place as spectacular as he did, and I will treat the servants here as if they were family.”

“So, do we have a deal, then?” 

Marrero gave a bright grin as he stuck out his hand for a shake.

“It’s a done deal,” he said, the two men shaking hands.

“Glad to do business with you, Don Marrero. Why don’t you come on over tomorrow after the trial, and we’ll sign the papers and exchange the money then.”

“Excellent, excellent. Oh, Señor del Amo , if I may ask for a favor.”

“Certainly, what is it?”

“Well, the trial will be such a gloomy cloud on everyone tomorrow, I figured why don’t we celebrate tonight with me buying the house and I throw a grand party here. Music, wine, laughing, give everybody something happy and to look forward to since Alejandro and Diego’s passing.” Marrero put his hands together. “What do you say, Señor del Amo ; may I throw a party here at my new house tonight?” 

Ricardo looked down at the ground for a moment and stuffed his hands into his pockets. “I don’t see any reason not to, and it might do Carolina a little good to be surrounded with joy and laughter instead of grief and quietness.” He nodded. “Alright, Don Marrero, you may throw this grand party of yours tonight.” 

“Oh, gracias, Señor del Amo, gracias . I shall go into town and spread the word, then I will be back here before five and start setting up the place.” 

“Anna Maria and I are looking forward to it.” 

“ Adios, Señor del Amo ,” Marrero said, with a bow. 

“ Adios ,” Ricardo replied. He watched as Marrero walked out of the courtyard and let out a breath of air. It was over. Alejandro’s house would no longer be known as the de la Vega hacienda, but the Marrero hacienda. The servants would have a new face to respect and work for, while Alejandro’s furniture, decorations, and clothing was packed away and sold for profit. Diego’s books, instruments, clothing, and bedroom furniture would be sold off, as well, in order to help Ricardo pay for new furniture and clothing that Bernardo and Carolina would need when they got to San Francisco. It felt wrong to do so and disturb everything as Alejandro and Diego left things, but it had to be done. Marrero was the house’s owner now, not the de la Vegas.

He ran his hands down his worn face as Anna Maria exited the sala and approached him. She placed a hand on his arm.

“Everything alright, Ricardo?” She asked.

“It’s over, Anna Maria,” Ricardo answered. “Don Marrero and I have settled on an offer, and we close the deal tomorrow after Monastario’s trial. He’s throwing a party here tonight to celebrate and to bring a little joy to this city after such a terrible loss.” 

“When will you guys start packing up and leave for San Francisco?” 

“Don Marrero’s moving in at the end of the month. I’d like to have Carolina and Bernardo at my place by the first of the following week. Marrero’s got a few things still to finalize in Santa Barbara before he can move down here, so we’ll take that time period to pack, sell off a few things, and we’ll be on our way to San Francisco.” 

Anna Maria frowned. “Does Carolina know you’re selling this place?” 

Ricardo sighed and nodded. “Yes. But she didn’t have any reaction to the news. She just sits there.” He turned to Anna Maria. “How is she?” 

“She’s with Tato and Bernardo in the sala. Her eyes started aching again, so I have her lying on the couch with a cool cloth over them.” 

Ricardo shook his head, then pinched the bridge of his nose. “Ah, Anna Maria…It’s not going to be much longer now until it…I don’t know how to tell her without sending her further down this spiral of depression she’s drowning in.”

“You mean you haven’t told her?” Anna Maria gasped.

Ricardo again shook his head. “No…No, she doesn’t know.” 

“Ricardo”

“Aw, Anna Maria, how could I? She just lost Diego and Don Alejandro, and now she’s having catatonic spells because her grief is killing her inside. How do you expect me to tell her she’s losing her eyesight, too?”

“It’s not any better to let her go without knowing and have her wake up one morning scared to death when she can no longer see anything. You have to tell her, Ricardo, it’s the right thing to do.”

“You mean to destroy Carolina’s life even further? To lose her father, grandfather, and her vision? How is that right, Anna Maria? How is it right to eradicate that poor child’s life even further?”

“If Diego and Don Alejandro were here, they would want her to know, I know so.”

“If Diego and Don Alejandro were here, she wouldn’t be rotting away like this to begin with!” 

Ricardo kicked a chair sitting near the tree before storming off to the staircase. He propped his head up with his fist, then buried it into his hand and groaned. “Why?” He muttered to himself. “Why, Anna Maria, why is this happening?”

Anna Maria gave the young vaquero a sympathetic gaze before making her way towards him and placing her hand back on his shoulder. She rubbed it tenderly. “God has a reason for everything that happens down here,” she told him. “We may not understand it. We may not like it. But it’s what He thinks is the right thing for everyone.” 

“How is taking a little girl’s beloved father and grandfather away along with her sight the right thing for everyone?” 

Anna Maria’s frown grew longer. She shook her head. “I think that’s a question only God can answer.”

Ricardo let out a heavy breath of air before lifting his gaze to the horizon ahead of him. “Look, can we not discuss this tonight? Tonight is supposed to be a fun, joyous celebration; something for all of us to look forward to when tomorrow will be filled with nothing but anger and grief.” He placed a hand on Anna Maria’s shoulder. “Help Carolina find a nice dress to wear tonight. I need to go check on something in Don Alejandro’s old room.” 

Without another word, Ricardo climbed up the stairs, made a right turn for Alejandro’s bedroom, and closed the door behind him.

For such a solemn and grim event that would come that following morning, it was all laughter and glee that night at the hacienda. Live musicians playing instruments and singing upbeat melodies, men and women dancing around the courtyard or sipping fine wine on brandy, rancheros and vaqueros telling jokes and sharing stories in the corners, it was as if Diego and Alejandro had never died.

Everyone around went up to Marrero, who was dressed in a nice black suit, and congratulated him on his new house if the man wasn’t on the dancefloor himself showing off his moves. 

Tato sang and played with the live musicians, Bernardo went around serving drinks and refilling peoples’ glasses, and Ricardo and Anna Maria enjoyed themselves either by dancing or socializing with their friends. But Carolina, however, was having anything but fun. Dressed in a befitting dark blue dress with a white lace collar and cuffs, simply sat in a chair and stared out at nothing. Her face was a total blank, appearing as if she were shutting out everything around her. The only movement that came from her was a bit of her chestnut brown hair blowing in the gentle breeze.

As Ricardo danced with Anna Maria, he did a double take when he caught Carolina’s state. He excused himself for a moment to join her side, then knelt down on her left and watched to see if she had entered another catatonic spell. He mentally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw slight movement with her head and eyes.

“Carolina,” he said softly. “Come on, now, enjoy tonight and have some fun.”

When he received no response, Ricardo began to frown.

“Carolina, please…Do you really want to spend the rest of your life drown-”

“No,” she answered monotone. “Papa and Abuelo aren’t here.” 

“And do you think they’d want to see you like this if they were ? Carolina, they would be devastated seeing you so broken without them.” 

“No, Uncle Ricardo.” 

Ricardo let out a breath of frustration before rising to his feet and gesturing for Bernardo to come. When the short manservant reached his side, Ricardo put a hand on Bernardo’s shoulder and leaned towards his ear.

“Take Carolina inside and get her away from all of this,” he said quietly. “This party’s doing her worse than any good.” 

Bernardo nodded before pulling Carolina to her feet. He wrapped a protective arm around her as he escorted the youngest de la Vega into the sala, leaving Ricardo shaking his head. He walked over to Anna Maria, who wore a concerned expression.

“Is everything alright?” She asked.

“No,” Ricardo said. “She wouldn’t even turn to look at me. She just sits.” 

“Her heart’s tired from crying, Ricardo. She’s gone numb to give herself a break.”

“This isn’t numbness, Anna Maria, she’s shutting down. Soon there won’t be anything left of her. I don’t even think she remembers how to smile, at this point.”

“You want me to get Dr. Hernandez to give her something to help her sleep?” 

“No. No, let’s just leave her and Bernardo be. Maybe he can get through to her better than we can.”

Anna Maria’s frown grew longer. “What should we do?”

Ricardo sighed as he looked around at all the people dancing. “Try to enjoy the rest of this party and forget all of our sorrows. Tomorrow is something no one is looking forward to, we might as well try to be happy and have fun before then.” 

He escorted Anna Maria back onto the dancefloor, listened to the music for a moment, then once getting a hold of the rhythm, they began to dance their problems away.

It was around midnight when the last of Marrero’s guests left the hacienda. As the future owner took leave for his room back at the inn, Ricardo stood in the courtyard looking up at the stars, while Anna Maria checked on Bernardo and the kids inside the sala. She soon made her way out to Ricardo and stopped at his right. She placed a hand on his arm when he shook his head in dismay.

“Tomorrow’s it, Anna Maria,” he said, without turning to her. “Tomorrow Diego and Don Alejandro get justice for their wrongful goings.”

“ Señor Guardado will see to it that Monastario gets the death penalty, I believe in him. Just about every defense lawyer in California fears him, Monastario won’t stand a chance.” 

“I’m not worried about Monastario’s sentencing, I’m worried about Carolina. Being surrounded by all those angry people, having to relive that night all over again and being reminded of what was taken from her. Being reminded of the two people she loved more than anything and how she’s never going to see or hear them again.” 

Anna Maria rubbed his arm. “She’ll need both of us tomorrow more than anything,” she told him. “Diego and Don Alejandro aren’t able to be here with her, so we have to be there for them.”

Ricardo fell silent for a moment as he briefly darted his eyes to the ground. “How is she?” He simply asked.

Anna Maria shook her head. “She ran into a door earlier. She was trying to find the library to find a piece of music to play. Tato and Bernardo had to go and look for it for her.” 

Ricardo closed his eyes and let a steamy breath of air out of his nose. He shook his head. “She’s getting worse, isn’t she.”

Anna Maria hesitated to answer, but she nodded. “ Sì ,” she said. “She is.”

The two of them just stood there for a moment in silence, neither one of them knowing what to say to comfort the other. It was as if the night Diego and Alejandro died was taking over everything. Their emotions, their living arrangements, the society in Los Angeles. It was all happening too fast. So fast that Ricardo and Anna Maria were beginning to fall behind in the race. A race they weren’t sure if they could keep running in for much longer.

Ricardo turned to Anna Maria and was about to say something, when a loud clang and shattering noise diverted their attention to the sala.

“ Señor del Amo , fire,” Tato could be heard yelling inside.

Ricardo and Anna Maria sprinted into the sala to find a table near the couch burning up and shattered glass at the feet of it. Tato and Bernardo had Carolina, who had a horrified expression plastered to her face, pulled off to the side as Ricardo turned to Anna Maria.

“Anna Maria, get a blanket,” he cried. He turned to Tato. “Get a bucket of water.” 

As Tato ran out back to the well, Ricardo grabbed the table where it was spared of fire still and took the piece of furniture outside right as Tato and Anna Maria returned with their requested items. Tato threw a large splash of water on the angry flames, while Anna Maria tossed the thick blanket over right as Ricardo returned and joined her side. They got on top of the smoldering blanket, pounded it down with their hands, and let out a sigh of relief when the fire was extinguished.

“It’s alright. It’s alright,” Ricardo said.

“I’m sorry,” Carolina croaked. “I didn’t mean to.”

“It’s alright, kiddo,” Ricardo told her. “The main thing is we got it out before it had a chance to spread. What happened?” 

Carolina sniffled. “I wanted to play some music, try to get my mind off of things…but it feels so dark in here…I went to get a lamp to see better…and I dropped it when I was trying to set it on the table.” 

Ricardo closed his eyes while wearing an expression of dread as Anna Maria went to Carolina and took the young girl into her arms. 

“I think it’s time for you to get some sleep, sweetheart,” Anna Maria said. “You’re going to hurt your eyes more than they already do.” 

Carolina closed her eyes as the strong aching feeling returned. “They ache again,” she answered.

“Anna Maria,” Ricardo said. “Take her upstairs to get some sleep. She’ll need it for tomorrow.” 

“I’m sorry, Uncle Ricardo.” Carolina whimpered. “I’m really, really sorry.” 

Ricardo shook his head. “Don’t worry about it, kiddo, alright? We got it out before it spread, that’s all that matters. Get some sleep, honey, we’ll clean it all up.” 

As Anna Maria escorted the little de la Vega girl to her room, the young vaquero rose to his feet and turned to Tato and Bernardo.

“Tato,” he said. “You and Bernardo get a mop and a broom and get this all cleaned up. I’ll be in to check on you two in a minute.” 

“ Sì, Señor ,” Tato answered with a nod. He tapped Bernardo on the shoulder and gestured with his head to follow, soon leaving Ricardo all to himself. 

He ran his hands down his worn face and shook his head. He let a steamy breath of air out of his nose before walking back into the courtyard, where a burned table lay beside the brick tree ring. Ricardo stuffed his hands into his pockets and turned his gaze to the sky, where he could clearly see all the stars that night. He began to wonder which ones were Diego and Alejandro looking down at all of them, and he let out a bleak sigh.

Carolina was falling apart without the two of them. Her catatonic spells came and went at unknown times, she had lost interest in all of her hobbies she had once enjoyed, her heart was scarred and mangled up with grief, now her eyesight was slipping away like water through his fingers. Ricardo felt as if he were failing Diego and Alejandro, and he was at a total loss at what to do next. The only thing that would bring Carolina back was something only God had the power of doing, and even then it was impossible to do. She was wandering in a dark, rainy field all alone, but her source of sunshine would never take those dark clouds away again.

“Ah, Diego,” Ricardo said, shaking his head. “Why did you and Don Alejandro have to leave her? Why does Carolina have to now live a life without you two in it?” 

The sound of approaching footsteps brought Ricardo back to reality and turned to find a frowning Anna Maria drawing near. 

“How is she?” 

Anna Maria shook her head. “She cried herself to sleep. She wouldn’t fall asleep unless she was wearing her father’s robe and hugging Don Alejandro’s tight to her…It’s happening so fast now.” 

Ricardo groaned as he rubbed his eyes. “And I’ve got to tell her.”

Anna Maria placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Do you want me to be there when you tell her?” 

Ricardo fell quiet for a moment before shaking his head. “No,” he answered. “No, I have to do it. Diego left me as Carolina’s legal guardian, I’ve got to fulfill that new role to honor his wishes. I’ll tell her tomorrow after the trial…I’ll tell Carolina she’s going blind.” 

Chapter Text

**Author's Note** You know how I told you to just keep on reading through this despite it being so sad? Well, you're about to find out why. Enjoy.

The day that every citizen in Los Angeles dreaded had finally arrived: Monastario’s trial in the murders of Alejandro and Diego de la Vega. A vacant building that had once been a school had become a makeshift courtroom, Cabrera and Garrido, with a marching band playing Mexico’s anthem to their side, watched from the side as Garrido’s men marched District Attorney Jacinto Guardado and Monastario’s defense attorney, a tall and intimidating man from Mexico City known as Miguel Abadi, into the courtroom, soldiers on both sides of each man. A group of guards surrounded the figure of Judge Inigo Labordeta, practically a slightly younger Alejandro with glasses and black and gray hair, as they marched him inside the building. All the while Monastario watched from his cell in frustration guarded by four soldiers.

While the pueblo was rustling with action, Ricardo straightened his black bow as he stood with Bernardo in the sala. He turned to the mute man for a proper inspection.

“How do I look?” 

Bernardo gave him a quick rundown before nodding and putting a thumb’s up. 

“Now remember, the two men coming on Don Marrero’s behalf to inspect the place will be here about an hour after we leave. You and Tato are to let them in and lead them to any part of the house they’re unfamiliar with. Try to stay out of their way, and they shouldn’t bother you two that much. Most of the time they’ll be outside anyway.”

Bernardo nodded as Anna Maria, dressed in her gray riding suit, came inside and made her way to the two. Ricardo turned to her.

“Where’s Carolina?”

“She’s helping Tato with his tie. Should be ready to leave in a few minutes.”

“I better go up and get her. Stay here with Bernardo in case the men Marrero’s sending here show up early.” 

Without another word, Ricardo hurried out of the sala and up the stairs in the courtyard to the balcony and into Diego’s room, where Carolina was tying a black bow to complete Tato’s outfit: a dark green suit with black embroidery designing and a black hat. One of Alejandro’s old suits that he had hardly worn. When she finished, Tato looked at his fancy wardrobe before turning back to Carolina.

“You’re sure your grandfather wouldn’t mind me wearing this?” He questioned.

“It’s not like he can wear it now,” Carolina remarked monotone.

Tato frowned. “Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to sound insensitive.” 

Carolina gave no response. Her expression was grave and lifeless. She turned her gaze when she spotted Alejandro’s robe still laying from where she had held it last night. She slowly gravitated to her father’s old bed, picked it up in her shaking hands, then felt a large knot forming in her throat as hot tears blurred her vision. She hugged it tight to her chest and began to softly weep as Ricardo stepped inside. He came to her side and brought her in for a hug. He hushed her.

“You got to be brave for them today, kiddo,” he told her. “Today they finally get the justice they deserve.”

Carolina’s weeping turned into full blown sobbing. She shook her head. “I don’t want to relive that night, Uncle Ricardo, I don’t want to say ‘goodbye’ again.” 

“I know…I know. But your father and grandfather are going to be right there by your side today. They’re going to walk in those doors right beside you, you’re not going to be alone. I’ll be there, Anna Maria will be there, you’re not going to be all alone. We’re all going to be right there when that judge sentences Monastario the death penalty.”

Carolina hyperventilated as she hugged Alejandro’s robe tighter. “Papa…I want my Papa.” 

Ricardo’s heart broke as he watched the poor girl re-experience all of those painful emotions a second time. “He’s here, Carolina…He’s here. He’s right here with you and kissing your head.”

She began to settle down as Ricardo carefully took Alejandro’s robe from her and set it down on the bed. He then wrapped an arm around her and brought her close while gesturing with his head for Tato to go out first. 

The three of them walked down the stairs and met Anna Maria and Bernardo in the courtyard. Anna Maria saw Carolina’s soaked, red eyes and took her into her arms before the little de la Vega began crying again. She kissed Carolina’s head and swayed her from side to side to try and ease her heartache. Anna Maria let her own tears fall, but she swallowed the knot in her throat and fought back her emotions for Carolina’s sake.

“He’ll pay for this, sweetie,” she promised her. “He’s going to pay for this.” 

“And he’s going to rot deep in the ground for the rest of eternity for it.” Ricardo added. 

Carolina’s crying faded away as she slowly parted from Anna Maria. The beautiful señorita rubbed Carolina’s arm as Ricardo placed a gentle hand on her small shoulder. He gave it a soft squeeze and rubbed it.

“You ready, kiddo?” He asked her softly.

Carolina grew quiet for a few seconds before sniffling and just barely nodding her head.

“Okay. Let’s go.” 

As Ricardo pulled her to his side, Tato lightly grabbed Carolina’s arm.

“Monastario’s going to get what he’s got coming, Carolina. Your father and grandfather will be avenged, I promise you that,” he said.

Carolina didn’t answer. She just stared down at the ground as Anna Maria wrapped her arm around the other side of the little de la Vega. Then leaving Tato and Bernardo behind, the trio walked out the front door in silence and began their ride to justice.

It was about an hour after Carolina, Ricardo, and Anna Maria had left to gone into town, and Tato was already bored out of his mind house sitting. In the sala, Bernardo played a solitary card game at the table, while Tato played aimlessly with a yoyo. After about four minutes, Tato kicked his legs down from resting on the chair’s arm and tossed the wooden toy to the side. He groaned and shook his head.

“Man, am I bored,” he said. He turned to Bernardo. “Aren’t you just sick of being alone here, Bernardo?”

The manservant furrowed his eyebrows together as he shook his head, then pointed up to his ears.

“Ah, forget it,” Tato said, waving him off. “I forgot you couldn’t hear…Maybe that’s a good thing in case I decide to rant about something later.” His eyes wandered to the piano, and he put his finger to his lips thoughtfully. He raised an eyebrow out of curiosity. “I wonder if I can still play something.” 

Tato walked over to the piano, Bernardo soon joining his side, and sat down on the bench. He played a few notes in a D minor scale, then a chord. Soon he slowly began to play a melody that turned into “ Mi Amor ” and started to sing along.

So lost in his music, he failed to hear the door open, and Alejandro and Diego stepped inside expecting to find Carolina there. They froze in their steps and their eyes widened when they saw Tato sitting at the piano instead of their little girl. Their stunned expressions quickly became full of skepticism as they watched the two men carefully.

Sensing a new presence, Bernardo, who now had a glass of wine in his hand, turned to the front door, saw his ‘deceased’ friends standing there, and his eyes nearly fell out of his head as his skin turned pale. His heart quit beating as he dropped the glass onto the floor with a loud shatter sound. 

Tato, still oblivious to his surroundings, finished singing with a few more piano notes and smiled. He shrugged his shoulders bashfully.

“Well, Bernardo,” he said, rising to his feet. “I may be a little rusty, but I still got it.” He turned to the short man, whose mouth was hanging from its hinges and pointing with a shaky finger to the door with wide eyes. Tato frowned. “Bernardo, what’s the matter with you? You’re acting like you just saw a-” Tato let out a loud scream when he spotted the same thing Bernardo had and jumped several feet back to the piano. “Ghosts!” 

As Alejandro and Diego stood there with unamused looks to their faces, Tato looked around for a weapon that would fight off the ‘evil spirits’ before him. He found a mop resting against the fireplace that he had used the night prior and snatched it into his hands. He swung it out while trying to give a menacing glare.

“I’ve got a mop, and I’m not afraid to use it!” He exclaimed.

“Oh, for Heaven’s sake, you’re being ridiculous,” Alejandro remarked. “Put that thing away, Señor , and tell us what you are doing here in my house.”

“Bernardo, quick,” Tato said, turning to the mute man. “Go find Father Vinicio. We need sage, holy water, salt, and a littl-” He was cut off when Bernardo again shook his head and pointed to his ears.

Realizing he was in hot water, Tato got down on his knees and clasped his hands together before the two de la Vega. “Don Diego, I’m so sorry for making your daughter cry in San Diego, Don Alejandro, I’m so sorry for acting like a fool in front of you, I’m so sorry for coming to your house late at night, I’m so sorry for wearing your suit, I’m so sorry-” 

“What is the meaning of all of this, get up on your feet and tell me where Carolina is.” Alejandro snapped.

Now finally settling in, Tato’s eyes widened as he slowly got to his feet and brushed himself off. He gawked at Diego and Alejandro as if they had three arms. “You, y, you mean you…You two are alive?”

“Well, of course we are, what kind of ridiculous question is that?” 

“But, but, but you…you two are supposed to be dead.” 

“Come again?” Diego questioned, craning his neck forward as if he hadn’t heard the young man right.

“There, there was a funeral. Carolina said ‘goodbye’...Monastario’s being tried for murder.” 

“What in the world are you talking about?” Alejandro pressed, his hands clasped behind his back.

“Carolina,” Tato answered. “She got a letter from San Francisco almost two months ago saying both of you had died while under medical care.” He abruptly reached inside his pants pockets and grabbed the letter. “Here, it’s all right there. It says the doctors did everything they could, but you two hadn’t made it.” 

Alejandro watched Tato with a careful eye as he snatched the letter into his hands and began to read it over, Diego reading it over his father’s shoulder. They furrowed their eyebrows as they reached the doctor’s name signed at the bottom.

“Dr. Gerardo Del Toro,” Alejandro said.

“Well, that isn’t right. The doctor that treated us was Dr. Adalberto Castillo, there’s no other doctor at the hospital with this name,” Diego said.

“But Carolina got it from the messenger over a month ago,” Tato insisted. “If this didn’t come from San Francisco, then where in the world did it co-” He paused as a sick, twisted thought came to his head. A thought that made him hate a certain military captain more than he already did. “Monastario.” 

“Monastario,” Alejandro repeated. “What does he have to do with this?”

“Forget about Monastario for a minute, Father,” Diego said, his face showing tremendous heartache as he turned to Tato. “Y, you…You mean to tell me that…My baby thinks I’m…”

He didn’t need to finish, for Tato was already nodding with a pained expression. He then shook his head. “She’s not doing good, either. She hardly eats, she rarely speaks, and her grief for you two sometimes hurts so bad she has to slip into something called a catatonic state. She won’t move, she won’t answer you when you speak to her…she just sits there and stares at you with this blank expression. It’s creepy…it’s like she’s not even there…only a shell of her that remains. Sometimes she’ll hum a little song to herself, but I don’t know what it means.”

“Do you remember what it sounds like?” Diego asked.

Tato looked around the room for his guitar, found it on a stand near the fireplace, then picked it up and thought to himself for a moment. “It might not be exact, but it goes something along the lines of this.” He began playing a few bars, and Alejandro and Diego recognized it immediately. It was Diego’s song he sang to Carolina since she was a little little girl. Her lullaby. The song he always sang to her when she was sad or frightened. It brought Diego to tears, his heart shattering into a million pieces knowing just how broken his baby girl had become believing the unthinkable about them. 

“Carolina,” was all he could say.

“Where is she, Tato?” Alejandro asked urgently. “Where’s Carolina? We have to show her we’re still alive.”

“She left with Señor del Amo and Señorita Verdugo for the trial…the trial .” Tato gasped. “We gotta go. We gotta go, we gotta go, quick. Follow me.” 

Without another word, Tato swung the door open and hurried into the courtyard, Alejandro and Diego following on the boy’s tail. The two de la Vegas paused in their tracks when they saw two strange men with rulers and tape measures scaling one of the courtyard walls facing part of the fields.

Alejandro raised an eyebrow as he approached the two peons . “Excuse me,” he said. “May I ask what you two are doing?” 

“Forgive us, Señor ,” one of the men said. “We’re just trying to see how much of the wall we have to tear down.”

“Oh. Well, as long as it’s nothing-” Alejandro did a double take. “Tear down.” He exclaimed.

“ Sì, Señor ,” the second man said. “The new owner wants to put in a pool, and we need to see how much of the wall we have to take down to make room for it.” 

“Mateo,” the first man said with a grin. “Maybe if we do a good job of building this thing, the new owner will invite us over, and we can swim in the pool ourselves.” 

“New owner,” Alejandro bellowed.

“Yeah…” Tato said cautiously. “I’m gonna need to get back to you on that.” 

Alejandro made a quick stare at the young man, then looked back at the two peons and gestured with his head to the door. “That does it, both of you out of my house at once.”

“But Señor , the new owner wants to-”

“I am the owner. There will be no pool, and there will certainly be no tearing down my wall. Now get. Both of you. Out.” 

Fearing to face the stranger’s wrath, the two men grabbed their tools and sprinted out of the courtyard without so much as a single word.

Once the workmen were gone, the trio resumed their way to the horses and into the pueblo and the trial that awaited them.

It took a little over thirty minutes, but Diego, Alejandro, and Tato finally made their way into town and tied up their horses at the tavern. Diego had to put his hand on his still swollen belly due to the minor aching from riding as Alejandro and Tato searched for the courtroom.

“There,” Tato said, pointing off to the right. “It’s down this block.” 

The three men took off on foot and began their trek to the courthouse, when they heard the faint sound of money rustling coming from behind the tavern. Curious, they tiptoed their way to the back and spotted a young Spanish corporal counting through a boot load of pesos with a large grin on his face.

“Oh, am I living good tonight,” the corporal said. “Thank you, Capitán Monastario .” 

The two de la Vega men glared at the corporal as Tato turned to them with a skeptical gaze. 

“Get on over to the courthouse without me. I’ll meet you two there. I’ll deal with the snake here,” he told them.

Diego and Alejandro nodded as the older man patted his son’s shoulder.

“Come, Diego,” he said. “We must hurry.” 

As Tato lurked over to jump the unarmed soldier, Alejandro and Diego made a quick walk down the next street and rushed to the courthouse’s side when they spotted the old, abandoned school. When they reached the doors, Alejandro pulled Diego to the side, and they hid in the doorway as they listened in on the proceedings.

They were stunned to see the small room packed with a full house. Cabrera and Garrido stood on a makeshift stage beside a large wooden desk with a gavel placed on top, while the lawyers sat at their own tables, two armed guards standing behind Monastario’s attorney. Off to the left of the benches were Garcia and Reyes, a marching band standing in the back, while the rest of the guests sat on wooden benches. While Anna Maria, Ricardo, and Carolina sat in the center near the front, several citizens of Los Angeles surrounded them with their full support: the tavern owner, Señorita Fuentes , Don Ignacio Torres, Don Cesar Tejada, Don Marrero, Theo Gonzales, several other dons that had been close friends with Alejandro, Miguel, peons , the barmaid Maria, other vaqueros scattered throughout the room, Dr. Hernandez and Father Vinicio were even in attendance. Just about everyone in town was there to see Monastario get the ax. It gave Alejandro and Diego a shock to see just how many people loved them and were there to honor their lives. 

Cabrera and Garrido straightened their postures as they watched four guards walk in surrounding Monastario, who was in shackles and chains, and gestured for everyone to stand. When everyone was on their feet, Garrido turned to his men in the back and nodded, signaling them to start playing a march. 

As the guards walked Monastario over to the defendant’s table, the captain looked around the room to find everyone giving him a death glare. Alejandro’s friends looked like rabid animals ready to attack at any moment, Cabrera and Garrido gave him looks of disgust as they ground their jaws, Guardado watched him as if he were a predator that needed to be put down. Even the looks from Garcia and Reyes were venomous. His last spot was Carolina, who was being held protectively by Ricardo and Anna Maria, both adults staring him down with a gaze that wished death upon him. 

Monastario finally turned his eyes to his lawyer, who gave him a careful glance before straightening his posture and letting out a breath of air through his nose. 

The four guards finally reached the defendant table and released Monastario to the two guards standing from behind. They unlocked Monastario’s shackles as they cuffed his ankles to the table. One chain linked his right foot to one of the stationery legs, while the other connected his left foot to a black ball and chain. Once their prisoner was secured, the guards exchanged salutes before parting ways, the two behind the table shoving Monastario down into his seat with a whack on the shoulder. The captain sneered, but he remained quiet on his lawyer’s advisory. 

As soon as everything seemed to be in order and everyone was right where they needed to be, Garrido looked back at his marching band guards and took his hand to cut them off. The room fell dead quiet as everyone stood as straight as they could when Judge Labordeta walked out in a black robe. 

Labordeta sat down in his chair, made a quick scan of the room to make sure everything was in check, then grabbed his mallet and slammed it down on the table. Trial was now in session.

Chapter Text

“Please be seated,” Labordeta said. He waited for everyone to follow orders before continuing. “We are here today on the matter of the City of Los Angeles vs. Capitán Enrique Sánchez Monastario for the murders of Don Alejandro and Diego de la Vega and the charge of arson to the old cuartel.”

As the judge proceeded to speak, Carolina began to break down and started to cry at the sight of who resembled her late grandfather so similarly. “Abuelo,” she sobbed. “You look like my Abuelo.”

Ricardo took the little lady into his arms and hushed her, while Labordeta frowned and looked on at the trio with an empathetic gaze.

“Are you little Carolina de la Vega?” He questioned softly.

A hysterical Carolina nodded, hyperventilating more and more as her cries for Alejandro became stronger. Ricardo and Anna Maria did all they could to comfort her as Labordeta tightened his grasp on his gavel.

“Carolina, I promise you no matter what happens in here today Monastario will face serious consequences for what he’s done to you. Your father and grandfather will get their justice, I promise you that, little one.” He swore. 

The young girl’s crying began to wane off, but her eyes began to burn and grimaced at the pain. She put her fingers to her eyes as Ricardo again hushed and pulled her to his side. 

“Just rest your eyes for a little bit, kiddo,” he told her softly. “Give them a little break, for now.” 

While the judge waited for Carolina to settle down, Diego and Alejandro’s hearts broke hearing her cries. The urge to run to Carolina and hold her in his arms became too much for Diego and tried to make a dash for it, when Alejandro grabbed his arm. They looked at each other, and the older de la Vega shook his head despite the deep pain completely transparent in his dark eyes.

“We must wait for Tato, Diego,” he said softly. Alejandro shook his head as the stabbing in his chest grew more intense. “Even when my heart hurts so bad for her I want to run to her as well.”

Labordeta turned to Guardado. “Is the prosecution side ready to plead their case, Señor Guardado ?”

Guardado and his assistant rose to their feet. “We are, your honor,” he said.

Alejandro’s mouth dropped at the sight of the lawyer. “Diego, that’s Jacinto Guardado. He’s the most feared prosecuting attorney in California.”

“And Judge Labordeta’s conducting this trial, too,” Diego added. “ Capitàn Cabrera means business in this case.”

“But who is the other officer with him? And why are all the guards different people and our flag not flying in the sky anymore?” 

“Your honor,” Guardado began. “This is an open and shut case. Capitàn Monastario has a wild obsession with the idea of the late Diego de la Vega being the caped crusader known as Señor Zorro . This very obsession led to blinding rage, and because of that rage, an entire military building was burned down and even worse, two innocent men lost their lives. An innocent child lost her beloved father and grandfather and will have to spend the rest of her life knowing what this monster of a man did to her family.

“I will have testimonies from Dr. Luis Hernandez, Father Vinicio, Ricardo del Amo, Sergeant Demetrio Lopez Garcia, and the commandante himself, Capitàn Leonardo Cabrera . These five witnesses will convey a clear and crystal picture of what the defendant is capable of doing and who he really is as a person. An animal . An animal that has caused a little girl to suffer such tremendous grief and pain that hurts so bad at times she slips in and out of catatonic spells to protect herself from an intense agony no one but time can heal. I can only hope that after hearing my case today, this court will see just how guilty Capitán Enrique Sánchez Monastario is, and he will receive the sentencing he deserves…the death penalty.”

“Your honor, my client has no control over the extreme emotions a young girl experiences from grief,” Abadia said. “It is not my client’s fault that a little girl has become emotionally and mentally unstable where she can’t function in daily life.”

“Objection, you honor.”

“Withdrawn.” 

Abadi sat down in his chair as Labordeta turned his fiery gaze to Monastario. “Monastario, does the defendant have anything to say before the prosecution begins?”

“ Sì , your honor,” Monastario said, standing tall and confident with his hands clasped behind his back. “This courtroom is filled with people thinking I’m the enemy in this situation. That I deserve pain and suffering for what I have done. That I should be guilty for the crimes that I have committed. But I would like to point out that any supporter of Zorro is an enemy of the King. I have several key facts of evidence to prove that Diego de la Vega was the famous outlaw known to California, therefore showing that Don Alejandro and Diego de la Vega were nothing but filthy traitors to the government. I disposed this country of two dangerous criminals who were a known threat to society.”

An angry red Marrero shot to her feet and shook his fist in the air as Miguel tried to pull him back down. “You get out of here, Monastario.”

“Order, order,” Labordeta demanded, whacking his gavel.

“You get out of here now. You bad mouthed my best friend, get out.”

Labordeta whacked his gavel another few times until Marrero settled down and gave in to Miguel pulling him back into his chair. The judge gave Marrero a warning glare before turning back to Monastario. His expression darkened.

“ Capitàn Monastario , do you realize if convicted of these crimes you’ll be sentenced to die?”

“ Sì , your honor. But I’m certain with the help of my attorney that won’t happen.”

“It better happen,” Torres shouted, rising to his feet. “Or I’ll come up there and do it myself.” 

“Someone let him hang,” Fuentes said, pointing at the captain in question.

“I oughta hit you in the head with a bottle,” another one of Alejandro’s friends shouted.

“It should be you buried six feet below the ground, not Alejandro,” Torres said.

“Ignacio Torres, sit back down in your seat at once,” Labordeta demanded, again whacking his gavel. He watched as he and the two other protestors lowered themselves into their chairs, their death glares directed at Monastario still prominent on their faces.

“I understand all of you are angry and grieving for what happened. I know there are many friends and loved ones of Don Alejandro and Diego’s sitting in here and are hurting. They want answers, justice, an explanation of why what happened happened. But starting a riot in my court isn’t going to solve anything but more pain and fire. And on behalf of little Carolina de la Vega, I wish to spare her from any more than she’s already been through.”

No one spoke. They just stared at the judge.

“Uncle Ricardo,” Carolina softly spoke. “Why is it so dark in here?” 

Ricardo and Anna Maria exchanged knowing glances before the young vaquero looked down at Carolina. “It’s alright, kiddo. Just rest your eyes for a little while, it’ll go away.”

Labordeta cleared his throat as Carolina rested her head back on Ricardo’s chest. “Now that we’re done throwing threats at the defendant, let us begin the prosecuting examination.”

“My first witness I would like to question i-” Guardado was cut off as Tato stormed in dragging a disheveled Spanish soldier by the arm.

“Stop, stop, everybody halt.” Tato turned to Monastario with a venomous gaze and pointed. “That man’s a monster and a liar.” 

“Excuse me,” Monastario’s lawyer said. “Disrupting court proceedings, dismiss this young man.”

“No,” Cabrera said, holding up his hand. “I want to hear what he has to say.” 

Tato turned to the Spanish corporal standing guard before the judge, who appeared like he could have cared less about the entire trial and was just waiting to be relieved of duty. Tato narrowed his eyes on him.

“I know what you did,” he said. “I know what Monastario paid you to do, and it’s not only blasphemous but disgusting . How can you live with yourself knowing what kind of pain you’ve caused.”

“Young señor ,” the corporal, Estevez, said. “You’re as bewildered and fired up as everyone else in this courtroom. You’re looking for someone to blame and trying to pin it on me. And if Don Alejandro and Diego were here, they would highly frown upon how all of you are acting. This behavior is no way to respect and honor their lives like they should be.”

Tato scoffed. “Honor their lives,” he remarked. “Lives that were taken from them so abruptly? A beloved father and grandfather taken from an innocent young girl? And you have the audacity to say that they would be frowning upon all of us for being angry and devastated for what happened to them. You and your so-called ‘sidekick’ are just as sick as the man that’s leading you.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Like the Saints, you do. I got your spineless friend here to crack open like an egg. I know everything about your part in this. I know that Monastario paid you two money, and I know what happened that night.”

Estevez appeared to become uneasy, but he did his best to bury it beneath him. 

“How can you stand there and talk about respecting and honoring them when it was you that wrote and delivered that letter to Carolina that night?!”

The whole courtroom gasped and cried out in horror, Ricardo and Anna Maria shooting to their face,  Monastario and Estevez’s eyes nearly falling out of their heads as their bodies froze stiff, while Diego and Alejandro were completely flabbergasted. Their jaws hung from their hinges as they turned to each other, then back to inside the courtroom, where Labordeta was banging his gavel and trying to retain order.

“Order. Ord- Silence in my courtroom, sit down, Capitàn Monastario .”

The captain’s face darkened as he slowly sat back down and turned to the two soldiers he had come to realize were complete simpletons.

Labordeta banged his gavel again. “Order in my courtroom,” he demanded, followed by banging his gavel several times.

“You diablo ,” Torres exclaimed.

“Ganado, you baboso ,” Estevez hissed.

“I’m sorry, Estevez, he threatened to kick my teeth out,” the squirmy private whimpered. 

“That letter from the San Francisco hospital is a fake?” Ricardo questioned, he and Anna Maria approaching the young man.

“The signature on the letter, Dr. Del Toro. He doesn’t exist. There’s no doctor at that hospital that goes by this name,” Tato explained.

“I’d like to see this letter,” Labordeta said, holding his hand out.

Ricardo took it from Tato’s hand and gave it over to the judge.

Labordeta unfolded the piece of paper and began reading it for himself. When he was finished, he turned to Estevez with an interrogating stare. “Corporal, you’d like to explain where this letter exactly came from?” 

Seeing he was in the hot seat now, Estevez began to turn a bright red and sweat all over his body. One could see the beads falling down his face and bushy mustache. He shook in his spot and swallowed a large knot in his throat. He turned to Monastario, who was giving him a warning glare to not croak. But when he turned to Cabrera and Garrido, their stares frightened him more than the captain’s did.

“Tell them,” Tato said. “Tell them what Monastario paid you two to do. Tell them how you took Carolina’s world away from her… TELL THEM .”

“Talk,” Labordeta hissed. “Or we’ll make Private Ganado do it for you.”

Realizing he was finished either way, the corporal sighed with surrender and shook his head. “Yes,” he said. “I did it. I’m the one that wrote and delivered that letter to the little de la Vega girl that night.”

More cries of horror arose from the packed crowd.

“ Capitàn Monastario promised us a boat-load of pesos and escape to refuge in Mexico before anyone could discover the letter was counterfeited.” 

“And the funeral?” Ricardo asked, his eyes burning with fire. “Was that staged, too?” 

“Yes,” Estevez said painfully. “We stole two fake bodies from a medical school in Santa Barbara to pose for Don Alejandro and Diego. The funeral was arranged to be a closed casket burial so no one would see that the bodies inside were fake. The letter, the funeral…it was all to destroy the de la Vega family in Capitàn Monastario ’s revenge for making him look like a fool in public twice. He wanted Don Alejandro and Diego dead…’cause he knew the little de la Vega girl wouldn’t last for long after their deaths. Even if they had survived their injuries, Monastario would have seen to it that they never made it back to Los Angeles alive.”

“You sick, twisted animals,” Anna Maria spat. “How could you do that to an innocent child?”

“Do you have any idea how much pain you’ve caused Carolina? Sometimes she cries for Diego and Don Alejandro so much at night that she can hardly breathe afterwards,” Ricardo said. “What kind of disgusting monster writes a letter to a little girl saying her father and grandfather died?” 

“How do you know they’re actually dead,” one of the dons asked. “That letter’s a lie.” 

“Because Dr. Del Toro doesn’t exist,” Torres snarled, clenching his fists to keep himself from socking Monastario a good one.

“Rest assured they are indeed dead,” Monastario said. “I knew exactly where to shoot to cause the most damage, it would have been impossible for Diego and Alejandro de la Vega to survive their injuries.”

“That’s what you would like to believe,” Tato said, then turned to the front doors. “Would my last piece of evidence like to enter the room, please.”

Nearly causing everyone’s hearts to stop, in walked Alejandro, in a black suit with golden embroidery and his hat on, and Diego, dressed in a blue suit with light blue embroidery minus the vest and sash, with stone hard faces. Diego placed his hand on his belly as he and Alejandro made their noxious glares at Monastario, Alejandro snarling at the devil himself.

The whole courtroom screamed as half of the crowd shot to their feet wide-eyed and pale as a ghost. Women put their hands over their mouths, while men tried to steady themselves with the bench rests in front of them. Monastario’s face drained of all color and his eyes nearly bugged out of his head when he gasped at the sight before him.

“Great Saints, say it’s a lie,” Theo said.

“Oh my God,” a peon woman wheezed.

“Hot tamales, they’re alive,” Reyes said, his and Garcia’s jaws hanging from their hinges.

As everyone tried to grasp what they were seeing, Tato turned to Carolina and grinned as he gestured to her miracle, when he did a double take and looked on at her with a worried expression.

Carolina, who had been dead silent until now, appeared to be in another catatonic state as she stared out in front of her. She proved Tato wrong when she began to shake her head and a horrified expression came to her face. What seemed like a badly lit room flickered like a candle flame a few times, then everything turned off and went dark. No light. No colors. No sunshine. Everything around her was black.

Chapter Text

As a sharp chill of fear engulfed her, Carolina blinked, rubbed, and massaged her eyes to regain any sort of vision. Unfortunately, it never came. No matter how many times she blinked or ran her hands over her eyes, all there was around her was blackness. She began to hyperventilate, her heart pounding a hundred miles a minute as she continued to try rubbing her eyes and blinking them. When she realized that her efforts were fruitless, she screamed for her father in a sound Diego and Alejandro had never heard before.

“Papa…Help me.”

The two de la Vega men sprinted to her side, while Ricardo and Hernandez were closer and reached her first.

“Papa, Abuelo…help me.”

“Carolina?” Ricardo asked, taking her into his arms and rocking her from side to side, while Hernandez knelt down before her with his medical bag.

“Help me,” Carolina screeched, latching onto her uncle like he was her lifeline.

“Carolina.”

“Papa, I can’t see…” She gripped on tight to her uncle’s arm as she shook her head and hot tears streamed down her face. “I can’t see.”

“I’m here,” Ricardo told her softly. “I’m here, Carolina, Uncle Ricardo’s here.”

“It’s dark,” Carolina cried, then turned her head upwards. “I’m scared, Papa, help me!” 

“Wha, wha,” Tato stuttered as Hernandez rose to his feet with a somber expression. “What does she mean she can’t see? Why can’t she see anything?”

As Diego and Alejandro joined Anna Maria and Tato’s sides, the older medic let out a heavy sigh and shook his head. “The cuartel fire,” he said. “When Carolina ran in to rescue her father after being shot, the smoke, tar, and dust flew in and severely damaged her eyes…So severe that it’s now caused her to go completely blind.”

“Well, don’t just stand there,” Alejandro remarked. “You’re a doctor, do something.”

“I can’t do anything for her now, Don Alejandro. All we can do now is comfort Carolina and reassure her that her vision will eventually return.” 

“How long might that be?” Tato questioned hesitantly. 

“Hours, days, maybe even years,” Hernandez said.

Anna Maria let out a soft cry as she placed her hand over her mouth and closed her eyes. Diego, with tears streaming down his face, went to run for his daughter’s side, when Alejandro grabbed him by the shoulder and stopped him. The younger de la Vega turned to his father, who shook his head.

“Let Ricardo get away from her first,” Alejandro warned. “The last thing you want to do right now is frighten her when she can’t see who you are.”

“You cursid, filthy animal,” Torres exclaimed. “I oughta burn your eyes until you go blind.”

“Ignacio Torres, one more outburst from you, and I’ll have you thrown out of here, understood?” Labordeta bellowed.

As Torres sat back down and gave a death glare at Monastario, Ricardo briefly turned his gaze to Diego and Alejandro as he continued to hold a hysterical Carolina, who continued to scream for help and that it was too dark. He looked back down at the young girl in his arms and rubbed her back.

“Carolina,” he said. “There’s two people here who’d like to see you…two people I think you need more than anybody right now.” He swallowed a knot forming in his throat. “I’m going to let you go, now, but don’t be afraid. You’re going to be in someone’s arms very quickly after it.”

Ricardo gradually released Carolina, rubbed her back, then rose to his feet and walked away as Carolina kept screaming for him not to leave her. When she sensed she was all alone, she began crying for her father again and begging him and her grandfather to help her and that she was scared.

Diego slowly walked over to his daughter’s side, sat down where Ricardo once had, then took Carolina into his arms and held her close as he held her head next to his heart. He gently hushed her as she continued to cry for him. It only broke his already shattered heart more and caused more tears to run down his face.

As Alejandro knelt down before his granddaughter and felt himself break inside, Diego softly spoke.

“I’m here, my little love…Papa’s here, you don’t need to be scared anymore…Papa’s here. I’ve got you, my baby, Papa’s here.”

“We both are,” Alejandro added.

“Abuelo,” Carolina screeched. “Where are you? Where are you, I can’t see you.”

Alejandro hushed her as he put his hand on her arm. “I’m right here, Angelita . I’m right here in front of you, I’m not going anywhere.” 

Carolina cried uncontrollably as they continued to hush her, Diego kissing her head every now and then as he faintly swayed her from side to side. “Papa, Papa, Papa, it’s dark. It’s too dark, it’s too dark, Papa, I’m scared.”

“I know it’s dark, and I know you’re scared, my sweetheart. But you don’t have to be scared anymore, my baby, I’m right here. Papa’s got you, I’m not going anywhere unless you tell me to.” He hushed her again. “I’m here. I’m here…Papa’s here, baby, I’ve got you.”

“Papa…Papa…I’m scared, Papa, I can't breathe.”

Despite their comforting words and loving gestures, Carolina could not be consoled. She was trapped in a dark, lonely place all by herself. She could hear her papa and grandfather close to her, she could feel their warmth and security, but she couldn’t see where they were. She wasn’t sure if she was dreaming of them or not, but she knew for certain that she would succumb to intense fear if they faded away. She latched onto father tighter as he held her close and continued to kiss her head.

An idea came to Alejandro’s mind, and he turned his gaze to his son. “Sing to her, Diego,” he said. “If anyone can make her feel better now, it’s you.”

Diego looked back at his daughter and hushed her as he brought her closer to him, then began to softly sing Carolina’s song as he swallowed a large knot in his throat and felt burning tears stream down his face. 

As he continued crooning to her, Carolina began to see faint light and a shadowy figure kneeling in front of her. She kept blinking to see if it would get clearer, while a smile came to Tato’s face.

“Look,” he said to Ricardo. “I think it’s coming back to her.”

Carolina blinked a few more times as her blurry vision regained strength, soon revealing Alejandro smiling at her. She silently gasped as her father neared her lullaby’s ending, then looked up and found Diego gazing at her lovingly. When he came to a close, she lifted a shaking hand up to his face and touched it with her fingertips. She ran them down his cheek a few times, causing his expression to brighten. 

“Papa…” She barely squeaked, tears again filling her wide eyes.

Diego smiled as he leaned forward and tenderly kissed her forehead. 

She then turned to her grandfather, who returned the same expression.

“Abuelo…” A grin spread across her face as her tears began to stream down her cheeks. Her eyes were lit up like a Christmas tree. “You’re alive?” 

Alejandro’s smile grew in size. He reached out to hold her chin and nodded. “We’re alive.”

Carolina took a few sharp breaths before falling out of her chair, Alejandro being quick and pulling her into his arms before she had a chance to fall. She wrapped her arms around her grandfather’s neck tight and let out heavy sobs and cried into Alejandro’s neck. He held her as close to him as possible, kissing her cheek and the side of her face from time to time as he gently rubbed the back of her head.

Soon the littlest de la Vega turned to Diego and could only reach her arms out to indicate she wanted her father from how hard she was crying. Alejandro helped her to Diego’s side and let his son take Carolina into his warm arms. He held her close, placing her head over his heart, then kissed her head and gently hushed her as she continued to cry uncontrollably. Alejandro then wrapped an arm behind his granddaughter and son, then reached his other one out and rubbed Carolina’s arm as he gave her occasional kisses.

Carolina soaked in her father’s warmth and love like a sponge to water. The smell of his cologne was like Heaven to her, while she could feel her grandfather on the other side of her. She felt safe, secure, warm, and loved for the first time since she could last remember. She buried her face into Diego’s soft chest as her father and grandfather gave her another kiss on the head.

As the three de la Vegas continued to reunite with each other, the entire courtroom seemed to become lighter. Everyone looked on with smiles on their faces, some having tears streaming down their faces. Even Labordeta shed a tear at the sweet reunion. The sweetest thing that had ever happened in any of his previous trials. The sweetest moment to ever occur in Los Angeles since Diego and Alejandro ‘died’. 

Near the window, Garcia and Reyes were sniffling and bawling as they wrung their damp handkerchiefs and wiped their wet faces. 

“Please don’t cry anymore,” Reyes sobbed. “Ah ha, I had a papa and abuelo myself once. Ah hahahahaha, uh.”

Hearing the dreadful noise, Cabrera turned to his two senior soldiers, and his bright expression became a rosy red. “Sergeant Garcia,” he barked, instantly causing the dynamic duo to come to attention. “Are you two soldiers, or a couple of pansies? Quit that incessant noise at once.”

Garcia sniffled as he turned his gaze downwards. “ Sí, Commandante ,” he answered.

Monastario began to growl, his eyes becoming like a wolf’s ready to kill, as he clenched his fist tight. “ How ?” He demanded. “How? By where I shot them, they should have died within days, hours even.”

“And that is the one thing in life you’ll never understand, Monastario,” Alejandro said. “Love will always conquer evil and hatred, no matter how much of it you throw into the mix.”

Marrero shot to his feet and slapped his hand on the bench rest before him. “ You’re the one that dies, Monastario.”

“Well,” Labordeta said, correcting his posture. “I believe there’s nothing more for me to hear nor see. I find that the verdict is rather obvious.” He turned to Monastario’s henchmen with a cold stare. “Corporal Estevez, Private Ganado, you are both charged with forgery, fraudulence, conspiracy, stealing, and treason to your king. You are both sentenced to die by firing squad…at sundown.”

The crowd in the courtroom gasped and began whispering to each other, Alejandro and Diego turning their gaping stares to one another as the two quivering guards were cuffed and taken into custody.

“You can’t do this,” Estevez said, his voice rising in octaves. “This isn’t right. It’s inhumane. You can’t just kill two people for mild offenses.”

“I didn’t mean it,” Ganado cried. “I didn’t mean it. I did it for money. Oh, I didn’t mean it.”

“Don Diego, Don Alejandro, tell them, please .” Estevez pleaded. He continued to babble his case, yet he only received two fiery gazes that told him and Ganado to go to a very hot place below the ground and burn alive there.

“Guards,” Garrido said. “Take these two filthy vermin to the holding cell until the execution. Just looking at them makes me want to hurl.”

“No, no,” Estevez said, him and Ganado being dragged out of the courtroom. “You can’t do this. You can’t do this. You can’t do this to an innocent man, we were framed.”

“I don’t want to die,” Ganado exclaimed. “I don’t want to die…I don’t want to die.”

As the guards closed the door behind them and muted the two felons’ cries for mercy, Labordeta turned his attention to Monastario, and his expression darkened.

“ Capitán Enrique Sánchez Monastario ,” he addressed. “Usually in given circumstances I would sentence you to die for your crimes. Personally, after learning what you did to this poor child, I’d like to shoot you myself…but death is too easy of a way out for you. I want you to suffer as much agony as you made that innocent little girl go through. I want you to spend the rest of your life, every waking moment of yours in utter misery until the day you die.”

“Exactly what are you suggesting, your honor?” Guardado questioned curiously.

“I’m talking about Capitán Monastario living a life full of shame and total embarrassment.” Labordeta returned his sight to the guilty offender. “Monastario, you are found guilty on the grounds of arson, fraud, embezzlement, conspiracy, and attempted murder on two counts. I hereby declare you ripped of your captain rank and use of lethal weapons and are sentenced to 60 days in prison. When you are released, you will be sent back to the rank of corporal, will serve under the command of Sergeant Demetrio Lopez Garcia and Corporal Carlos Reyes, and you are forever banned from obtaining an officer’s rank of status for the rest of your military career.”

Monastario’s face went pale as his eyes nearly fell out of his head and gasped. “No,” he said. “You can’t . I would rather die than face that.”

“Precisely my point. To see you wallow in shame for the rest of your life is the least I can do to make up for little Carolina suffering the awful nightmare you put her through. You told that poor girl her father and grandfather died. You had a fake funeral held to convince her they were gone. You caused her severe mental anguish, and you nearly took her vision away along with the people she loves most in this world. My verdict is final.”

Monastario’s jaw dropped as he shook his head. “I think I’m going to cry.”

“I’d pay money to see that ,” Alejandro muttered to Diego.

“You can’t do this to me, I’m a highly decorated officer,” Monastario pleaded. “I was protecting Los Angeles from dangerous outlaws, I was defending this city against Zorro.”

“I don’t take pleas from people who find it acceptable to harm innocent children,” Labordeta said.

“Guards,” Garrido called out, him and Cabrera giving the captain vile stares. “Get this animal out of my sight and see to it that he is under heavy guard.”

“Wait a minute, wait a minute,” Monastario protested as he was cuffed and dragged away. “You can’t do this. I have my rights, I demand for another trial.” He saw Diego and Alejandro and growled. “You cursid de la Vegas, wait till I get out of here. You’ll all pay for this, you hear me? You three will pay for this!”

The doors again closed, cutting off the rest of Monastario’s flighty vow for revenge. When it became quiet again, Labordeta looked at Carolina, who was still in her father’s warm arms with Alejandro’s hand on her shoulder.

“Carolina de la Vega,” he stated. “I will never be able to take away the horrific emotions and memories you were forced to go through, but I hope you find at least some bit of justice that happened today. Don Diego and Don Alejandro, this nightmare to your family is no more. Capitán Monastario is gone and will never hurt another soul ever again.” Labordeta smiled. “Take your little girl home.”

The courtroom exploded with cheering and clapping from vaqueros, peons , and soldiers alike, while the de la Vegas lived in their own little world. Marrero shot to his feet and called out over the crowd.

“Everybody, back to my new house for drinks, on the house.”

More cheering erupted as people began to file out of the building. Ricardo nodded in agreement, when it dawned on him. A horrified gaze painted itself onto his face and snapped his eyes back to the door.

“Don Marrero, wait,” he called out, then ran for the door, shortly followed by Anna Maria. “That house isn’t for sale. Don Marrero.”

Only the de la Vegas and Tato left in the room, the young man cleared his throat as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. He made his eyes on Carolina.

“Ehy um,” he said. “You uh, you think your grandfather will forgive me now?”

He only got a bright smile back as Carolina closed her eyes and soaked in her father’s warmth. Diego kissed her forehead as Alejandro smirked. He rose to his feet and placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder.

“You gave my granddaughter her life back,” he said. “Diego and I would like to thank you for it.”

Tato blushed slightly and shook his head. “It was nothing, Don Alejandro,” he answered. “I just wanted Carolina to be happy again.”

“You did a fine job of it today,” Diego said. “Had it not been for you, Monastario wouldn’t have gotten what he deserved.”

Alejandro scoffed. “He deserved to die in my opinion, but Judge Labordeta’s verdict will do.”

“My father and I misjudged you, young señor . Why don’t you come back to our hacienda for a drink or two…that is, if Ricardo has cleared things up with Don Marrero.”

“De la Vega wine,” Tato gasped, his eyes soon lighting up like sunshine. “I feel like a king.”

Carolina giggled softly as she and Diego rose to their feet, Diego still holding his daughter close. 

“Come,” Alejandro said, gesturing to the door. “Let’s get out of here.”

With that, the group of four walked side by side to the exit and closed the door behind them. Their case had finally been dismissed.

That following night, while Garcia, Reyes, the commandantes, and most of Los Angeles were at the tavern throwing a party about today’s earlier events, the de la Vegas spent a quiet night in their hacienda. Bernardo, Ricardo, Anna Maria, and Tato were down at the party drinking, singing, and dancing; leaving the house all to the little family alone. 

Diego lay in bed wearing his white nightgown with a sleeping Carolina in his arms and covered with blankets, while Alejandro was dressed in his nightgown and bathrobe and sat beside his son’s legs. They looked down at Carolina with loving expressions as she could finally sleep in peace, Alejandro reaching his hand out and gently rubbing her shoulder.

“I wonder what she’s dreaming about,” Diego said softly.

Alejandro shook his head. “Nothing,” he answered. “Poor little thing, her mind’s probably wiped with exhaustion.”

Diego looked down at his daughter and smiled as he gently rubbed her back. He kissed her forehead as he held Carolina close and made sure she was surrounded with warmth.

“I just hope Monastario’s scars will eventually fade away,” he said.

Alejandro returned a smile and nodded. “They will. You heard Dr. Hernandez, though; right now, all she needs is plenty of rest and lots of love.”

Diego gave Carolina another kiss. He felt content seeing how peaceful his daughter was resting for the first time in over a month. A month he hoped would eventually fade into the darkness and be forgotten about. He rubbed her hand that was lying on his belly and gave her a loving gaze.

“Sleep sweet dreams, my little baby,” he told her. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Never ever again,” Alejandro promised. 

As the flames in Diego’s fireplace crackled softly in the background, the two de la Vega men continued to sit there and checked on Carolina every so often to make sure she was alright. But she never stirred once. She knew she was safe, and she knew she was being loved. She knew that her family was together again. Forever.

The End :)