FADE IN

Gabrielle's cell. She manages to get her hands free from the rope and gets up. She tries to reach the window, but it's just a little too high. Voices are heard outside the door. Gabrielle looks around for a place to hide.

GABRIELLE (to herself):
     I hope they're not too smart...

She runs up to the door and stands against the wall so that she will be behind the door when it opens.

Abderus and Balasi push the door open and walk in. They can't see Gabrielle.

BALASI:
     Hey--where is she?

ABDERUS:
     Maybe it's the wrong cell.

BALASI:
     Gascar definitely said it was the second cell down the corridor...

ABDERUS:
     Well--maybe when he said "down," he really meant down at the end of the corridor--

BALASI:
     Huh?

ABDERUS:
     Did he say "up" or "down"?

BALASI:
     You're getting me all confused. Come on, we've got to find her. Hurry up--Gascar wants us to get going on this raiding party. If we don't do it right, well--forget Gascar, she'll be furious with us!

BALASI (trembling):
     Oh no! We wouldn't want to get her angry...remember what happened last time--?

ABDERUS (shoves him roughly):
     Shut up about that!

They walk out of the cell, shutting the door but not locking it, and move down the corridor. Gabrielle looks around carefully.

GABRIELLE (smiles to herself):
     They're not too smart. (frowns a little in puzzlement) Greba? They're scared of Greba?

She shakes her head, then carefully opens the door and dashes out of the cell and toward the near end of the corridor. Hearing voices, she hides in a doorway. A guard passes, and then she moves on. Finally, she sees an open courtyard, and a door. She waits around the corner, and is about the make a dash for it--when a hand claps onto her shoulder.

GASCAR:
     Going somewhere?

Gabrielle tries to fight back but she is quickly surrounded by guards. Abderus and Balasi approach as well.

GASCAR:
     Take her down to the stables and put her on a horse. Let's get this raiding party going!

GABRIELLE (disbelieving):
     You're going to make me take part in a raid? And how do you propose to do that?

GASCAR (sneers):
     You know that little boy you're so fond of? (Gabrielle turns pale) You wouldn't want anything bad to happen to him, would you?

GABRIELLE (trying to stay calm):
     You haven't got Darion.

GASCAR:
     No? Well, how do you explain this?

He waves his one hand. Greba approaches and, with a flourish, holds up the toy dragon we saw Darion buy in Britannia. Horrified, Gabrielle covers her mouth with her hands.

GABRIELLE:
     You wouldn't--

GASCAR (sneering):
     I think you'll cooperate. Now go get up on that horse. I can't wait to see Xena's face when...

XENA (off-camera):
     You don't have to wait.

Pan to Xena, who is standing behind Gascar, a chilly and unpleasant smile on her face. Gascar whips around. She punches him directly in the face, and he falls to the ground. Gabrielle shakes herself free of her captors.

GABRIELLE:
     Xena! (runs up to Xena) Where's Darion?

XENA:
     What do you mean, where's-- (Gascar gets up behind her and she knocks him down again with a backward punch) --Darion? Back at the barn with Klymene and the other kids--Aphrodite's keeping an eye on them.

Gabrielle lets out a sigh of relief. The courtyard is suddenly filled with people--Ares, Hercules, Iolaus, Eve and Virgil.

The guards hold back a moment, until Gascar gets up again and lets out a roar. Then they rush at the intruders. Virgil pulls Gabrielle back, but the others rush into the fray, with swords clashing and punches flying. Several guards rush at Hercules, but he flicks them off and they crash against a far wall. Iolaus participates in a particularly intricate sword fight with Balasi, who looks thoroughly confused.

Ares and Xena fight side by side, making short work of the guards who rush at them, and exchanging occasional grins. Hercules, after throwing one man across the yard, pauses and watches them for a moment before shaking his head and getting back into the fight. Gabrielle and Virgil join the fray as well.

Xena backs Abderus up against the wall, her hand at his throat.

XENA:
     I remember you. Over at the farm-- (shakes her head) Up to your old tricks, huh?

ABDERUS (wheezing):
     He led me astray! (nods toward Balasi, who has lost his sword and raises his hands in surrender)

BALASI:
     Me? You were the one who led me astray!

ABDERUS (gasps):
     It was her, really...it was all her!

GABRIELLE (shocked):
     Greba?

BALASI (nervously):
     No, not Greba--

XENA (narrows her eyes):
     Discord.

Suddenly Discord appears in the fray. She clicks her fingers, and the guards fall back.

ARES (chuckling):
     You know, when Zeus hears about this, you are so grounded.

DISCORD:
     Hey, it was only a joke! (turns and growls at her guards to get out of there)

XENA:
     Not so fast.

GABRIELLE:
     Where's Gascar?

XENA (rubbing her shoulder):
     And where's Greba?

They look around, but there's no sight of them at all. Xena still has Abderus by the throat, and he croaks something. She throws him down, and he rubs his neck, wincing.

ABDERUS:
     They got out of here when the fight began...they've been gone for ages!

Gabrielle throws Balasi down next to the pitiful Abderus. They look terrified and repentant.

XENA:
     Last time I saw you, you were on your way back to Mamma! What happened--she wouldn't take you?

DISCORD:
     I recruited them again--once I got my head back on. (glares at Xena) Didn't realize they were particular pets of yours...

BALASI (whines):
     I never wanted to do this, honest! It was all his fault. (nods toward Abderus) I was back on the farm with Mamma and he talked me into this!

ABDERUS:
     This isn't what we were hired for, anyway... I thought it would be more indoor work--

Xena looks disgusted.

DISCORD:
     Well, I don't want them either. Get out of here!

They stumble, weeping and whining, out the door.

Xena stands threateningly over Discord.

XENA:
     If you ever crash one of our parties again, you'll lose more than a head, y'hear?

Discord holds her hands up.

DISCORD:
     All right, all right. (rolls her eyes) No one has any sense of humor around here, do they?

She disappears. The guards slink away.

HERCULES (shakes his head):
     Well, what happens now?

Xena claps a hand on his back.

XENA:
     I think cake is in order. Come on--let's go party!

CUT TO

The party, going at full blast once more. Everyone's talking, drinking, eating and laughing. The kids are racing around the room, screaming excitedly.

KARA:
     Let's do this again! This time I can be Gabrielle... (to Klymene) ...and you can be Xena.

DARION:
     Can I be Hercules?

Pan to Xena, Gabrielle and Eve standing by the table.

GABRIELLE:
     How'd you work out where I was?

EVE:
     Well, neither Ares nor Aphrodite could pick up where you were. They figured out that it meant a god was involved...

XENA:
     And we knew who was an expert at crashing parties. Discord's fortress happened to be not far away, either, and from the description of the two men in the tavern, I thought they could well be her boys.

GABRIELLE:
     They must have stolen Darion's toy dragon from my room after they knocked me out. Good thing you showed up when you did, or I would have spent years trying to explain to everyone that I was framed by a one-armed man...

XENA:
     I didn't expect Gascar--though maybe I should have, after Greba led me to that cave...

GABRIELLE:
     Are you all right? How many heads did that thing have, anyway? Gascar got his arm torn off with eight...

XENA (smugly):
     Ten, actually, and not one of them friendly.

They laugh, and Gabrielle puts her arm around her friend.

GABRIELLE:
     Happy birthday.

XENA:
     Thanks.

Suddenly, she turns her head as a knife is heard swishing through the air. She catches it expertly and turns--to look at Ares, who stands across the room, grinning at her. Xena raises an eyebrow. Pan to Hercules, who looks between the pair with some anxiety.

ARES:
     Cut the cake already!

Everyone laughs. Aphrodite brings out the cake, colorful and lit with many candles. They all gather around as Xena blows out the candles. Only one--one in the center--remains lit. She grins and looks up at Ares, before plunging a knife into the cake. Everyone cheers, as Gabrielle hurriedly rescues the cake before it is ruined.

She starts cutting the cake at the table, while Eve and Virgil find themselves engrossed in conversation in another corner. The children are still running around while Hercules and Iolaus are talking to Aphrodite.

APHRODITE:
     So, you like the decorations? That's so majorly cool! (to Hercules) Say--maybe I'll decorate for your next birthday party...

HERCULES (taken aback):
     Thanks, Aphrodite--but really I wouldn't want you to go to all that trouble--

APHRODITE (laughs and pinches his cheek):
     Are you kidding? It's no trouble at all!

Pan to Xena and Ares.

ARES:
     Kidnapping, sword-fights, ten-headed monsters, cake...I want a birthday too!

XENA (grinning):
     Sometimes I wonder what I've done to deserve this...

ARES:
     What, a birthday? All you need to do is live another year, right?

Xena slips her hand into his.

XENA:
     I think I can manage that.

ARES:
     Promise?

Xena moves closer and they kiss. Pan to Hercules, who stares at Xena and Ares, still unable to get used to this sight. Iolaus tugs discreetly at his shirt and coughs; Hercules turns to him.

IOLAUS:
     I guess when you catch up with old friends, you never know what you're going to find.

HERCULES:
     Yeah... (slaps Iolaus on the shoulder) Good thing some friends never change...

IOLAUS (winces slightly and rubs his shoulder):
     ...they just get older.

Just as the camera starts to pull back, Xena and Ares draw apart.

ARES:
     Another year of kidnappings, sword-fights, and ten-headed monsters?

XENA:
     As long as I get cake, too...

They move in for another kiss as we:

FADE OUT

THE END

[Greba and Gascar remain at large. If you see them, do not attempt to apprehend them yourself, as Gascar is one-armed but extremely dangerous.]

Xena: Warrior Princess Shipper Seasons Season 8 Episode 13 Surprises Story By: Tali Written By: Tali and Carly Written By: LadyKate Collage By: Aurora Images Gathered By: Aurora Cast Xena Lucy Lawless Gabrielle Renee O'Connor Eve Adrienne Wilkinson Ares Kevin Smith Darion Alexander Gandar Aphrodite Alexandra Tydings Hercules Kevin Sorbo Iolaus Michael Hurst Virgil William Gregory Lee Kara Kate Smeda Theon Gregory Stephen Klymene Andrea Simpleton Greba Charmaine Guest Abderus Mark Montgomery Balast Daniel Kirby Gascar Noel Coutts Discord Meighan Desmond Original Airdate May 17, 2003 Greba and Gascar remain at large. If you see them, do not attempt to apprehend them yourself, as Gascar is one-armed but extremely dangerous. DEDICATED TO KEVIN SMITH All characters and storylines that have appeared in the syndicated series Xena: Warrior Princess are a copyright and trademark of Universal and Renaissance Pictures. No infringement was intended during the writing of this script. All original characters and storylines are a copyright of the respective authors and of the Shipper Seasons. No script may be reproduced on a website elsewhere without the author's consent. © Shipper Seasons www.shipperseasons.com

This script is provided by GDev Resources.