ACT THREE

FADE IN

The camera zooms in on a man who is on a tall platform by the city walls, which serves as an observation post.

MAN ON THE PLATFORM:
     It's Treius and two other men! They're going to kill them!

Gabrielle races up the ladder to the top of the platform. The camera pans over to the grounds by the town walls. Three men, their hands tied, are on their knees with three soldiers holding their swords over them.

SOLDIER #1:
     That'll teach 'em how to try to escape from this stinking town!

Just as they swing their swords, Gabrielle throws her sais, killing two of the soldiers. The third looks up, frightened.

GABRIELLE:
     Get me some rope! Eve! Come up here!

Somebody throws Eve a coiled rope and she races up the ladder to the top of the platform. Meanwhile, underneath the walls, three more soldiers come running.

GABRIELLE:
     Eve, I know you don't believe in fighting but I really need your help right now. (points to the three kneeling townsmen who look up with a mixture of terror and hope on their faces) They need your help. (as she speaks, she ties the rope to the top of one of the pillars supporting the platform) Follow me!

Gabrielle slides down the rope. Eve hesitates for a moment and then leaps over the wall, in a spectacular jump reminiscent of Xena herself. She lands on the ground in a fighting posture.

SOLDIER #2 (sneering):
     Well, what d'you know. Someone in this town actually wants to fight.

The soldiers charge. Gabrielle and Eve fight back, striking out with their fists and with ferocious kicks. Gabrielle retrieves her sais from the bodies and uses them to fight the soldiers.

The three kneeling townsmen manage to get up, despite their hands being tied.

RESCUED MAN #1 (looks admiringly at Eve and Gabrielle as they fight):
     They're good.

All the soldiers are now lying unconscious on the ground except for the last one, who continues to get up even after Gabrielle and Eve repeatedly kick him and he falls back. Finally, he runs off toward Nicodemus' camp, which is visible in the distance.

EVE:
     Looks like we scared him off.

GABRIELLE:
     For now...but he'll be back and he'll bring others with him. (raises her voice) Open the gates, quick!

The gates swing open; Gabrielle, Eve, and the three men who were about to be killed by Nicodemus' soldiers run quickly inside, and the gates shut behind them again. The crowd cheers and claps for Gabrielle and Eve.

RESCUED MAN #1:
     Thank you so much. We would have died if it hadn't have been for you two. By the way, I'm Treius and these are my friends...

GABRIELLE:
     What were you doing?

RESCUED MAN #2 (shamefaced):
     We just lost hope that anything could be done to save the town...we didn't want to starve to death and so we decided to escape. They caught us right away.

GABRIELLE:
     Lucky for you Eve and I were here.

Eve looks down, troubled. The crowd cheers again.

XENA (off-camera):
     Did I miss the party?

TREIUS (gesturing to himself and the two others):
     We would have been killed by Nicodemus' soldiers if these wonderful ladies hadn't come to the rescue.

GABRIELLE:
     We took care of them, Eve and I.

XENA (looks at Eve with mixed emotions):
     So you fought?

EVE (raises her eyes):
     I had to, Mother. Innocent lives were at stake. I have the skills...not using them would have been like...letting someone starve even though I had the food to give them.

Xena nods thoughtfully, and then crosses her arms in mock pique.

XENA:
     So you choose to pick a fight without me, huh?

GABRIELLE:
     Hey, you can't be here for every fight. Don't be greedy.

They chuckle briefly.

GABRIELLE (to Xena):
     So, how'd it go with Nicodemus?

XENA:
     He's determined to stick around until the town surrenders. (smiles slyly) Maybe that can be arranged.

GABRIELLE (gives her a shocked look):
     What do you mean?

XENA (to the crowd):
     Come on over here and I'll tell you.

CUT TO

Gabrielle is walking along a street. The air in front of her suddenly starts to solidify. She stops, a hopeful look on her face. Joxer appears.

GABRIELLE:
     Joxer! I was hoping to see you again...I didn't have a chance to tell you--I'm so sorry that you died because of me.

JOXER:
     No, no--it wasn't your fault. And you know what? If I had to do it over again, I'd still do it. (pause) You know, Gabrielle--I loved you. I know you told me you didn't feel that way about me...

GABRIELLE (moved and a little guilty):
     Joxer--

JOXER:
     And then twenty-five years went by before I saw you again, and I still loved you even then--even though I had a wonderful family and a wonderful life. I wanted to do whatever I could for you. And now, I don't want you to blame yourself for my death.

GABRIELLE (quietly):
     Thank you, Joxer. But I just can't stop thinking that I messed up...if I'd hadn't gotten caught then--

JOXER:
     No. You did everything right. You always have.

GABRIELLE (shakes her head):
     I didn't. I didn't treat you right, Joxer. It's not my fault that I didn't love you the way you loved me, but... (she smiles) ...I didn't have to be such a bitch to you.

JOXER (smiles back):
     Don't worry about it. I loved you just the way you were.

GABRIELLE (looks at him with tears in her eyes):
     I promise you, we'll free the people of this town. You can count on it.

JOXER:
     I know. I could always count on you. (blows her a kiss) Bye, Gabby.

GABRIELLE (tearfully):
     Bye, Joxer.

The camera pans over to Eve who looks out from behind a corner. Close-up on Eve's face, a look of anguish and guilt on her face.

The camera pans back to Gabrielle, who watches as Joxer vanishes, and then walks away in a different direction from where Eve is standing. As Gabrielle disappears behind a corner, there is a "whooshing" and Aphrodite appears at the spot where Gabrielle and Joxer stood. Suddenly Joxer materializes again.

APHRODITE:
     How sweet. (sniffs) You loved her...you missed her for twenty-five years...you died for her, and you still care for her even now. That is so incredibly sweet.

JOXER:
     Yeah? Well, why does it make me feel like a moron? I mean, you know, I wish I'd been able to let her know how I really felt years ago-- (chuckles) --before I turned into a prune. (points to his face, indicating the wrinkles; shakes his head) I am such a loser.

Music fades in: "I'm A Loser" {2.34 MB} (Right-click or Ctrl-click sound icon to save file)

Aphrodite looks at him sadly, seeing his pain. Unseen, Eve watches him with tears in her eyes.

JOXER (singing):
     I'm a loser
     I'm a loser
     And I'm not what I appear to be

A beat.

     Of all the love I have won or have lost
     There is one love I should never have crossed
     She was a girl in a million, my friend
     I should have known she would win in the end

Joxer looks at Aphrodite sadly.

JOXER (singing):
     I'm a loser
     And I lost someone who's near to me
     I'm a loser
     And I'm not what I appear to be

A beat.

     Although I laugh and I act like a clown
     Beneath this mask I am wearing a frown
     My tears are falling like rain from the sky
     Is it for her or myself that I cry?

A beat.

     I'm a loser
     And I lost someone who's near to me
     I'm a loser
     And I'm not what I appear to be

Aphrodite looks at Joxer and shakes her head. He looks sad.

     What have I done to deserve such a fate?
     I realize I have left it too late
     And so it's true, pride comes before a fall
     I'm telling you so that you won't lose all

A beat.

     I'm a loser
     And I lost someone who's near to me
     I'm a loser
     And I'm not what I appear to be

The music fades. Joxer sighs and looks down. Aphrodite walks up to him. Gabrielle steps behind the corner so that they wouldn't see her.

APHRODITE:
     Aww...no, of course you're not a loser. You were a great friend to Gabrielle and Xena, you know. You had a good heart. Oh, you may have fallen down on your face a lot, but at least you tried, you know? That's more than you can say about most people. And you ended up with great kids. You have a lot of things to be proud of, okay?

JOXER (stunned):
     Proud? Me?

APHRODITE:
     Yeah. You see anyone else here? (laughs) You may not have been a great warrior, but you were a great guy.

Aphrodite beams at him and disappears. Gabrielle walks away hastily.

Joxer stares blankly for a moment then starts to disappear when he notices Eve. Eve flinches, frightened and guilty.

JOXER (unreadable expression and tone):
     Hello, Eve.

FADE OUT

END OF ACT THREE