ACT TWO

FADE IN:

EXT. SEA - NIGHT

Gabrielle, Soroi, and the rest of the Amazon crew stand at the railing looking down into the still churning sea.  Shattered bits of wood, are all that remains of Xena’s ship.   They float in and among the frothing, angry swells of the ocean below.

SOROI

Dear gods.

AMAZON CREWMEMBER

They’re all dead.

GABRIELLE

No they’re not.  Not all of them.

SOROI

(doubtfully)

My Queen....

GABRIELLE

(pointing)

Look!

A young woman, barely conscious, is seen gripping a splintered wooden plank, floating at the mercy of the sea.

Without thought, Gabrielle begins to climb the rail in preparation for jumping into the waters.  Soroi pulls her back, one hand in the straps of her top.

SOROI

Wait!  We’ll use the rowboat!

If there’s one, there’s bound to be more!

Gabrielle nods, and follows captain and crew as they head for the rowboat.

CUT TO:

EXT. SEA - NIGHT

Gabrielle, Soroi and two crewmembers crew the boat.  Between them, they have managed to rescue ten Amazons from the sea’s rage.  All are suffering from exposure to the cold water.  Some are unconscious; most are bleeding from various injuries sustained when the ship disintegrated.

Gabrielle and Soroi work together to drag up another Amazon, barely conscious and bleeding heavily from a cut above her left eyebrow.

AMAZON

T... thank you.  I... t... thought I

was going to d... die out there.

GABRIELLE

(urgently)

Have you seen Xena?

AMAZON

Y... yes.  Sh... she saved my life.

SOROI

Cydell?  Did you see Cydell?

AMAZON

Sh... she was helping Xena.

GABRIELLE

Do you know where they are?

AMAZON

N... no.

Gabrielle and Soroi exchange a look.

SOROI

We need to go back to the ship.

GABRIELLE

No!  We can’t!  Xena’s still out there!

SOROI

As is my sister.  But our boat is

full and these women need care.

Gabrielle reaches out and grabs Soroi’s wrist.

GABRIELLE

I’m not leaving without her, Soroi.

SOROI

You won’t have to.  As soon as

we’ve gotten these women to

safety, we’ll return.  I swear it.

After a long moment, Gabrielle nods and releases her grip on the captain’s wrist.

GABRIELLE

Just hurry.  Please.

CUT TO:

EXT. SEA - NIGHT

The crew has managed to rescue seven more Amazons, including Cydell, who is found unconscious and tied to a large plank.

GABRIELLE

Xena....

SOROI

What?

GABRIELLE

Those knots.  Xena uses them.  She’s

the one who tied Cydell to this board.

She’s close by. I know she is.

SOROI

I’ll praise her name to the ends of

the earth when this is over.  Now,

help me get my sister on board.

She realizes to whom she’s talking.

SOROI

(Cont’d)

My Queen.

With Cydell safely aboard, the crew begins rowing through the remaining wreckage, searching for any more survivors. 

There are none.

SOROI

(hesitantly)

We need to get back to the ship.

GABRIELLE

(fiercely)

No.  Not without Xena.

SOROI

There’s no one left here.

You’ve seen it yourself.

GABRIELLE

Don’t tell me that.  Xena’s alive.

SOROI

(compassionately)

Gabrielle....

GABRIELLE

No!  You listen to me.  Xena is alive.

And we’re not leaving here until we

find her.  Do you understand me?!

SOROI

I know you want to believe

Xena is alive, my Queen, but....

Soroi is interrupted by a firm hand on her shoulder.  She turns her head to see her sister sitting behind her, shivering in the chilled air.

CYDELL

Xena and Gabrielle were joined before

we set out.  It was a blood bonding.

Soroi’s eyes widen.  She turns to look at Gabrielle, a new respect in her eyes.

CYDELL

(Cont’d, to Gabrielle)

Can you sense her?  Do

you know where she is?

For a moment, Gabrielle is confused.  She doesn’t know what to do.  Then instinct takes over and she closes her eyes, drawing on the meditation techniques she’s learned in India, and from Xena.  A very short time later, her eyes snap open, and she stares off to her left into the slowly calming sea.

GABRIELLE

That way.  She’s over there.  Hurry.

Soroi nods, grabs an oar, and helps her crew start rowing in the direction indicated. 

They get no more than a few strokes forward before a cresting wave almost swamps them.  A dark figure seems to glide along the top of the wave, holding a smaller figure’s head just above the water.

GABRIELLE

(Cont’d)

XENA!!

Soroi immediately sticks her oar out, and Xena grabs it with her free hand, using her great strength to pull herself next to the boat.  With a mighty heave, she tosses her unconscious charge, ESME, into the boat, then pulls herself aboard, with some help with Gabrielle.  She is chilled to the bone, soaked to the skin, and bleeding from at least a dozen cuts and scrapes to her body.

She is the most beautiful sight Gabrielle has ever seen.  Gabrielle pulls Xena tightly against her.

GABRIELLE

Xena!  Thank the gods you’re all right.

Xena returns the hug, burying her face in Gabrielle’s sodden hair.

Cydell and Soroi grin at one another, and the group heads back to the ship.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. SHIP’S CABIN - MIDDAY

Xena and Gabrielle have worked throughout the night and into the morning, helping to care for the injured Amazons.  Of the thirty-two women who went down with the ship, twenty-one have survived... all in various states of health.

Only after the last Amazon is stabilized does Xena give in and allow Gabrielle to lead her to their tiny, cramped cabin below deck.

Xena is naked on the narrow cot, face down as Gabrielle tends to the last of her injuries. It’s a large, if shallow cut from left hip to her ribs on the lower right.  She is almost asleep when she feels Gabrielle press a kiss between her shoulder blades and slip off the cot.

XENA

Where’ya going?

GABRIELLE

It’s all right.  I’m just going to

check on the Amazons.

Make sure everything’s quiet.

Sighing, Xena pushes herself up to her knees.

GABRIELLE

(Cont’d)

And where do you think you’re going?

XENA

(coming awake)

With you.

GABRIELLE

No, Xena.  You need to rest.

XENA

(pointedly)

So do you.

GABRIELLE

Excuse me, but I wasn’t the one

who spent half the night in the

water rescuing Amazons.

XENA

Musta been someone else who

pulled me onto the boat, then.

Funny, she looked just like you.

GABRIELLE

Xena....

XENA

No, no.  Where you go, I go.

Package deal, remember?

Gabrielle sighs, trapped by her own words.  A yawn catches up to her, and she gives into it, betraying her utter exhaustion.

GABRIELLE

Well… maybe I am a little tired.

XENA

(smirking)

Mm hmm.

GABRIELLE

I suppose a few hours of

sleep couldn’t hurt.  But....

XENA

What?

GABRIELLE

I’m sure Adelia would welcome

some help.  She’s not a young

woman anymore, you know.

XENA

She has plenty of helpers, Gabrielle.

One more isn’t going to make

that much of a difference.

Gabrielle yawns again.

GABRIELLE

I know you’re right.  It’s… just.... If I’m

sleeping when I know that other

people are working, I don’t know,

I just feel… kind of… selfish.

Xena smiles slightly.  She holds out a hand, which Gabrielle willingly grasps.

XENA

I think we’ve earned the right

to be selfish once in awhile.

Gabrielle’s brow furrows, then clears as she allows herself to be drawn against Xena’s warm body.  A kiss follows naturally, and both are lost to it for several long, intense moments.

GABRIELLE

(gasping)

You know, I think you might

be onto something.

XENA

Ya think so, huh?

GABRIELLE

(grinning)

Well…I might have to experiment a

little more, just to be sure.  I wouldn’t

want to be wrong about this.

XENA

We wouldn’t want that, now would we.

FADE OUT.

EXT. SEAPORT -DAY- SEVERAL WEEKS LATER

Xena, Gabrielle and several Amazons walk through a bustling, colorful seaport, their arms laden with sacks of provisions for the next leg of the trip.  The group comes to a stop by the docks as Xena looks over at a large, beautiful ship offloading its cargo.

As if she can read her mind, Gabrielle puts a hand on Xena’s elbow and shakes her head in the negative.

Xena sighs.

XENA

Gabrielle....

GABRIELLE

We’ve gone over this already, Xena,

and my answer’s still the same.

We’re not splitting up again.

XENA

Gabrielle, Soroi’s ship isn’t built to carry so

many people.  This journey is going to take

months, with us all crammed in like sardines.

GABRIELLE

Then we’ll just have to learn how to

get very cozy with one another,

because I’m not changing my mind.

Rolling her eyes, Xena looks over her shoulder to Cydell, who smirks and shakes her head.

Xena grits her teeth.

XENA

Fine.  We’ll do it your way.  But if your

Amazons start going after one

another with fishhooks, you deal with it.

Gabrielle grins.

GABRIELLE

Don’t worry.  I will.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. SEA - LATE AFTERNOON

A month later, and so far, to the surprise of all, the journey has been a relatively peaceful one.  The seas are calm, the sunsets spectacular, and the Amazons have been on their best behavior.

Xena, Gabrielle and Cydell stand at the rail, looking over the vast expanse of open sea.

GABRIELLE

Xena, look!

Xena and Cydell look down into the water to see a school of DOLPHINS swimming beside the ship, keeping pace easily.  Gabrielle laughs as one of the dolphins leaps up, does a flip, and lands back in the water with a mighty splash.

XENA

Not a word, bard.  Not a word.

Gabrielle smirks.

CYDELL

We’ll be having good luck today.

GABRIELLE

What do you mean?

CYDELL

It’s said that Poseidon shows his favor

by sending dolphins to guide and

protect ships on their journeys.

GABRIELLE

Poseidon’s dead.

Cydell squints, looking out toward the horizon.

CYDELL

So’s our luck.

Gabrielle follows Cydell’s glance, but sees nothing.  Beside her, she can feel Xena stiffen.

GABRIELLE

What is it?

XENA

(grimly)

Pirates.

FADE OUT.

END OF ACT TWO

ACT THREE