FADE IN

On the same scene, Eve staring at Virgil.

VIRGIL (dubiously):
     You--don't seem too glad to see me.

EVE (finally able to speak):
      I--am. It's just that...things are complicated right now.

VIRGIL (smiles):
     You mean, as opposed to--how simple they usually are.

Eve can't help chuckling. Virgil steps closer and takes her hands; after a moment's hesitation they embrace each other, and when Virgil moves to kiss Eve she does not resist but responds. It's a long, sweet, tender kiss; after a few moments Virgil pulls back and smiles at her.

EVE (sighs):
     Very complicated.

CUT TO

A hut. Gabrielle is lying on some fur bedding, staring pensively into the ceiling. Xena comes in.

XENA:
     Hey. You all right?

GABRIELLE:
     Yeah....

XENA:
     Where's Darion?

GABRIELLE:
     Lykia should be bringing him back soon. (she sits up) I went to see Scyleia.

XENA:
     How's she doing?

GABRIELLE:
     Okay, considering the circumstances. (She sighs) I hate seeing children at the mercy of laws like this. If Scyleia is banished, where is she going to go with her baby? His father is dead. She has no one. (shakes her head) It's not right.

XENA (looks at her sympathetically):
     Maybe Eve can do something.

GABRIELLE (sighs as she looks down):
     It got me thinking about--my own baby--and-- (she trails off)

Xena comes over and sits down next to Gabrielle.

XENA:
     Gabrielle--do you wish you'd told Haimon?

GABRIELLE:
     I had to let him make his own choices. (looking into the distance) I'm sure he'll be back...someday.

She turns and looks at Xena with a wistful smile; Xena smiles back at her.

GABRIELLE (continues):
     But for now--I guess it's just you and me again, huh?

XENA (nods):
     I guess...

Her smile slowly fades and Gabrielle looks troubled.

GABRIELLE:
     Xena, look--I--I didn't mean to suggest that it's over between you and Ares. I--

XENA:
     It's okay.

GABRIELLE:
     Have you seen him since--

XENA (curtly):
     No. (She looks away)

GABRIELLE:
     Talk to him.

She gives Xena an encouraging smile. Xena smiles back uncertainly.

XENA (changing the subject):
     Eve is having a hard time.

GABRIELLE:
     You should have faith in her. (pause) I do. That's why I gave her my place as queen.

XENA (sighs):
     And now she's facing the same problem that you were. She's been trying to find some loophole in the law...

GABRIELLE (shakes her head):
     There is none. (She gets up) I think I'll make some supper before Darion gets back.

XENA:
     Need any help?

GABRIELLE:
     No thanks--I'll be fine.

XENA (after a moment's hesitation):
     I'll be back later.

GABRIELLE (looks at her, understanding):
     Good luck.

CUT TO

A field outside the Amazon village (the same one as in the "Scorpion and Swan" scene in PATH OF VENGEANCE). The sun has set and it is almost dark.

Xena walks through the field in a determined stride, then stops.

XENA (calls out, her voice loud and harsh):
     Ares.

There is no answer as the camera pans over the empty field, a few fireflies dancing in the dusky air.

XENA (louder):
     Ares. (still no answer) Ares, we need to talk.

CUT TO

A close-up of Ares' face, looking very grim.

The camera pulls back to show that Ares is in the great hall of Mount Olympus. Zeus is seated on his throne, with Hera and Athena seated on smaller thrones next to him. Ares, Artemis, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Hades, Persephone, and Apollo are standing in a semicircle in front of the throne, while Hermes is slumped in an armchair by one of the walls. He looks pale and sickly.

ZEUS:
     I want a full report on what's happening.

The camera zooms in on Ares and Artemis, who is standing next to him. Zeus' voice fades into the background.

ARTEMIS (whispers):
     So I heard the king of Crete heard about you abandoning King Melodic after you gave him your blessing. That big temple he was building for you? (she clucks her tongue in mock sympathy) I hear it's being rededicated to Athena.

Ares doesn't say anything as the camera pans over to Athena who is listening intently to her father, then back to Ares and Artemis.

ARTEMIS (chuckling):
     It was all fun and games when Xena used to mess up your plans years ago. Now it's a matter of life or death, and she's still screwing you over.

ARES (snaps at Artemis, aloud):
     You're just jealous because you are losing worshipers much faster than--

ZEUS (shouting):
     Ares!

Ares turns his head to see Zeus looking furious and all the other gods are glaring at him. Ares looks over at Artemis, who is staring innocently at Zeus.

HERMES (angrily):
     This is ridiculous! I'm over here suffering and he doesn't even care because he has enough worshipers to survive!

ARTEMIS (venomously):
     For the time being.

APOLLO (to Hermes, sarcastic):
     Come on. Don't go all postal on us, Hermes.

He laughs loudly at his own joke; Hermes snorts.

HADES:
     He's got a point. (everyone directs their attention towards Hades) I spend all my time worrying about the underworld; I don't have time to sit around all day gathering up a fan base.

HERA:
     We are a family. We should be working together.

APOLLO (rolling his eyes):
     So I'm supposed to share my worshipers with a god who goes around on his flying slippers delivering messages all day. I don't think so.

APHRODITE (to Apollo):
     Come on! Have some sympathy, Mr. Popularity.

ARTEMIS (laughing):
     You're one to talk. You're probably going to outlive us all--after all, (mocking) you're the goddess of luuuve. Those stupid mortals--

ZEUS (off-camera):
     Enough!

Silence falls as the camera pulls back for a wide shot of the hall. Suddenly, Persephone cries out and points at something.

PERSEPHONE:
     Look!

The camera pulls around to show a ghostly figure approaching from the hallway. It's Demeter.

PERSEPHONE (softly):
     Mother.

DEMETER (to the gods):
     You fools. The more divided you become, the faster you will die.

The gods stare at her silently. Persephone starts to cry.

DEMETER:
     Then you will become nothing but ghosts for eternity. (anguished) Without powers--without feeling--without the ability to appear to mortals.

Persephone runs to her but Demeter vanishes.

The stunned silence is interrupted by a "whoosh" and a flash of light when Ares vanishes into the ether.

CUT TO

Xena in the field. She looks around and rolls her eyes.

XENA:
     Well, if you want to play hard to get...fine with me.

She turns to walk away when there is a flash of blue light behind her.

ARES (off-camera, dryly sarcastic):
     And I thought I was the one who hated that game.

Xena looks around. Ares is standing with his arms folded across his chest.

ARES:
     So, what did you want to talk about?

Xena is silent for a moment. She looks down, then raises her eyes.

XENA:
     How are...things?

ARES:
     You mean, the Twilight? I'm alive, thank you for asking.

XENA (quietly):
     I'm sorry this has...come between us.

ARES:
     Well, I didn't ask for this.

XENA (snaps):
     You think I did? (Off his silence) Look, if my daughter has something to do with it, I'm sorry. But if it's meant to be...

ARES (finishes for her wryly):
     ...then we're all supposed to just roll over and die.

A tense silence between them. Xena steps closer to him.

XENA:
     Ares--I know you need worshippers to keep you alive. (She reaches out to touch his hand) I understand that. But--

ARES (cuts her off, catching her wrist in his hand):
     Do you? Demeter is still around, but she's a ghost--without body or powers, without ability to affect the world in any way. For all we know, she will linger on like this for eternity. We can see her because we're family--and we're gods. If this happens to me, I lose everything... (he stares at her, then finishes quietly) including you.

Xena looks at him, tender and anguished. He lifts her hand and kisses it, then lets go and vanishes before she can say another word. She stands silent and sad as the night deepens around her.

CUT TO

Xena walking back through the village. It is now dark and the village street is lit only by a few torches.

Xena is about to head toward the hut she shares with Gabrielle; then she stops in surprise, seeing Eve walking with Virgil at her side. He is leading his horse.

XENA (surprised):
     Virgil?

VIRGIL:
     Hello, Xena.

XENA:
     What are you doing here? Is everything all right?

VIRGIL:
     Yeah. I just... (he glances at Eve, who looks away, then back toward Xena) ...I just wanted to see Eve.

XENA (looks at him intently):
     Just a social call, hmm?

EVE (to Virgil):
     Come on--I'll take you to my hut. You can stay there tonight... (visibly embarrassed) in--in the spare room. (to Xena) Mother--I really have to talk to you and Gabrielle about the situation with Scyleia.

XENA:
     We'll come over.

VIRGIL (looks from Xena to Eve):
     I guess I picked a pretty bad time for a visit, didn't I?

There's a brief silence. Then Eve smiles at him.

EVE (quietly):
     Virgil...it's okay. I am glad to see you.

She and Virgil walk away while Xena stands still for a moment, looking after them.

CUT TO

The Queen's hut. Eve is clearing the remnants of a meal from the table. Xena and Gabrielle come in.

EVE:
     Oh, there you are.

GABRIELLE:
     Where's Virgil?

EVE (smiles):
     Asleep in the other room...it was a long journey.

Her smile fades as she looks at Xena and Gabrielle, who come into the hut. Gabrielle sits down while Xena remains standing.

EVE:
     What am I supposed to do? As if things weren't already difficult enough...

GABRIELLE:
     He's in love with you.

EVE:
     Yes.

GABRIELLE:
     And you--

EVE:
     Even if we can somehow put the past behind us--what are we supposed to do about the fact that I'm an Amazon Queen? If the council agrees to my taking him as a mate, I could see him a few times a year as the law allows. Or I could resign as Queen and leave the tribe with Virgil as my husband...the way your friend Ephiny did when she married Phantes.

Xena comes over and puts a hand on her shoulder, sympathetic.

XENA:
     Eve, I'm sure you'll--

EVE (looks up at her, smiling wanly):
     --do the right thing? (sighs) I wish I knew what that was. (she shakes her head, as if forcing herself to snap out of it) Actually, I wasn't going to talk about my personal troubles. I was going to ask you about Ephiny.

GABRIELLE (puzzled):
     What about her?

EVE:
     She had a son--a centaur boy. Wasn't she able to keep him with her in the village? If you know how she managed to get past the law, maybe I can use that to help--

She stops, noticing Gabrielle's stricken look.

EVE (alarmed):
     What's wrong?

GABRIELLE (shakes her head, looking almost ashen):
     She...she wasn't. (looks up at Eve, in a stronger voice) At least, not past his first year. It's just that I...I remembered when Ephiny and I talked about it and... (she shakes her head and trails off)

GABRIELLE:
     It really hurt her to give him up. (She sighs and instinctively places a hand on her own belly.) I don't think she talked about it to anyone else except me. Like she told me--Amazons aren't supposed to talk about such things.

Xena suddenly gives her a very thoughtful look.

XENA:
     You know...maybe Ephiny has given us a solution to this problem after all.

EVE (puzzled):
     What do you mean?

GABRIELLE (looks at Xena, smiling):
     She means she has a plan.

XENA:
     Just an idea...it may or may not work.

GABRIELLE (teasing):
     And she's going to be cryptic about it.

EVE:
     Look, whatever it is, I hope you're right. Because if we fail, then Scyleia and her baby will be thrown out of here in a week.

They exchange worried looks as we:

FADE OUT

END OF ACT TWO