ACT FOUR

FADE IN:

36 INT. DIANA'S ROOMS - DAY

Meg holds the knife to Lias' chest. Lias looks confused and pained. The door opens and Xena and Joxer appear. All hell breaks loose.

Xena whacks Agis and Alcibiades with a split kick.

Gabrielle grabs a spear from one of the henchmen and, using it as a staff, starts cracking heads.

Meg takes advantage of the chaos and tries to escort Lias
out of the room.

Xena sees that one of the henchmen is advancing on Meg and
Lias. She grabs the guy by the back of his hair and hurls
him head first into a wall. Lias and Meg exit.

Xena is about to follow but she has to pause to backhand the
guy whols pulverizing Joxer. She whacks the thug into
unconsciousness and then sets out in pursuit of Meg and.the
King, who now have a head start.

37 INT. CORRIDOR #1 - DAY

Meg and Lias move down the corridor. Meg has to support the
King as she goes.

KING LIAS
You're not my daughter, are you?

MEG
Not officially.

She opens a door and enters:

38 INT. GUEST BEDROOM - DAY

Meg brings the King in and sits him on the bed.

MEG
You're on your own now, Pops.

She turns to go but finds herself facing:

XENA

She's holding her sword and she looks real tough..

MEG
Hey, your little friend just thumped my butt. I don't stand a chance against YOU. Why don't you just kill me and get it over with?

XENA
'Cause I need you to stay here and take
care of the King.

MEG
Me? You must not have been paying
attention. I'm no good.

XENA
You just got the King to safety. I saw
you.

MEG
That was my good deed for the year. Believe me, you don't want to leave anybody's life in my hands. I'm a lowlife.

XENA
I don't care about what you've done in the past. Do good now and you are good.
(beat)
Lock the door after I leave and keep
him warm. A chill now could kill him.

She exits. Meg reflects for a moment, then strolls over to the bed and throws a blanket over Lias. She then sits down at the bedside.

KING LIAS
You look so much like my daughter.
It's amazing.

MEG
Yeah, it is. Three women look so much alike, but inside so different. One's a warrior, one's a princess and one's a tramp.

As Lias gives Meg a sympathetic look, we:
CUT TO:

39 INT. DUNGEON - DAY

The dungeon has been converted into a nursery. The Nurse
sits rocking the baby in a small basket-like cradle. One of
Agis, hired thugs is standing guard. The door opens and
Agis bursts in, grabs the basket holding the baby and exits.

CUT TO:

40 INT. GUEST BEDROOM - DAY

A weak King Lias lies in bed. Meg sits next to him talking
up a storm. It's like she's saying things she's been
wanting to say to someone her entire life.

MEG
So then I lived in Athens for a while.
I got by any way I could. I actually
did some honest work there. I was a
cook. I have quite a touch when it
comes to spices. You like spicy
foods, King?

She looks over to Lias. His eyes are closed. He's very quiet.

MEG
King Lias. King Lias?

CUT TO:

41 INT. THRONE ROOM - DAY

Agis enters. Several of his men, including Alcibiades, have assembled there.

AGIS
Put a rope over that chandelier.

Alcibiades tears a rope off one of the curtains and, standing on the shoulders of his men, he hooks the rope on the chandelier.

AGIS
Tie this basket to it.

He's about to hand up the baby basket when we hear:

XENA'S VOICE
Hold it, right there.

They turn to see:

XENA

standing in the doorway, dressed in full Xena garb.

XENA
(moving toward them)
I'm coming to get that baby. Anybody
who tries to stop me is going to taste
my sword.

She draws her sword, loses control of it and let's it bounce off her foot. It's Diana. Hobbling on one foot, she then grabs the chakram.

DIANA
Don't move. I can still get you with
my round killing thing.

Alcibiades walks up to her and grabs the chakram away from her.

DIANA
Please, give me my baby. Then you can
go in peace.

ALCIBIADES
It's Diana.

AGIS
Run that basket up on the rope. We'll see if she gives us what we need when her baby is about to take a bad fall.

Alcibiades ties the basket to the rope and pulls it up to the level of the chandelier. He ties the rope off on the leg of a table. The baby is now high up on the ceiling.

DIANA
Please. What do you want?

AGIS
I want you to turn your army over to me. Do that, and continue to cooperate, and your baby will be safe.

Diana is at a loss as to what to do. She's about to answer when:

XENA'S VOICE
Everyone stay away from that rope.

They turn to see:

XENA

standing in the doorway in full Xena garb. She holds the chakram ready to throw.

XENA
It'll take only a blink of an eye for my chakram to split the skull of anyone who comes close to that rope.

She walks toward the rope, holding the chakram at ready. It's a tense moment as she's crossing to the rope. The tension eases considerably when HALF OF THE CHAKRAM FALLS OFF ONTO THE FLOOR. It's Meg.

AGIS
Grab her. It's Meg.

Alcibiades grabs Meg. He's distracted by Xena's war whoop. They turn to see:

XENA

somersaulting toward them. She lands in the midst of them, still dressed like Diana, sword at the ready.

XENA
Guess which one I am.

THE FIGHT IS ON

Xena slams her sword butt into the chin of one of the henchmen and moves toward the rope. She positions herself to defend the rope from the onslaught of all of Agis' men. She's kicking butt.

ON PHILEMON

He enters, sees the situation, draws his sword and jumps into the fray.

ON AGIS

AGIS
Kill Diana. We'll wipe out the entire royal family if we have to.

ON ALCIBIADES

Alcibiades moves toward Diana. Xena leaps forward and slams her sword butt into the back of his head. He goes down in a heap, but this has left the path open to the rope. Agis cuts the rope.

ON THE BASKET

As it falls, it tilts, and the baby plummets out toward the floor.

ON XENA

She dives for the baby and catches it just before it hits the ground. She scrambles to her feet and watches the thugs close in on her.

XENA
Meg!

She tosses the baby in the air toward:
MEG
who catches the baby. Bad guys charge her. She spots:

JOXER

as he runs into the room.

MEG
Joxer.

She tosses the baby to him. He catches it and then sees the henchmen charging. He's about to toss the baby toward Diana.

DIANA
No! I can't catch.

Joxer, carrying the baby like a football, dodges a few bad guys and then spots:

GABRIELLE

as she charges into the room.

JOXER
Gabrielle.

He tosses the baby toward Gabrielle.

GABRIELLE
Not again.

Joxer's toss isn't so good and Gabrielle has to dive to
catch the baby.

ON XENA

as she knocks out Agis and then leaps onto the last standing thug who is about to attack Gabrielle. Xena knocks him unconscious with a kick to the back of his head. All is quiet for a moment before Diana rushes over and takes the baby from Gabrielle. Philemon joins her to check to see if the baby is alright.

CLOSE ON THE BABY

She's smiling. This was fun.

RESUME DIANA AND PHILEMON

They admire their child for a moment before:

MEG
Diana. I just came from your father.

As they all turn to listen to Meg, we:

CUT TO:

42 INT. CORRIDOR OUTSIDE THE GUEST BEDROOM - DAY

Meg and Gabrielle stand outside the door. We see Xena in
the b.g. attending to Lias. Diana sits on the other side of
the bed holding the baby. Philemon stands behind her with
his hands on her shoulders.

MEG
I hope he pulls through. He's a good
man. I may even write him from jail.
(beat)
If I learn to read and write.

GABRIELLE
If it was up to me, I'd let you go
free. Give you another chance.

MEG
Well, you're a softy. Hey, don't worry
about me. I messed up, I'll take
what's coming to me.

Xena comes out of the room.

XENA
I think he's going to make it. He may
live for years to come.

MEG
Alright!

Philemon comes out.

PHILEMON
Meg, he'd like to talk to you.

43 INT. GUEST BEDROOM - DAY (CONTINUOUS)

Meg enters and sits on the edge of the bed. An alert, but tired, King Lias eyes her sternly.

KING LIAS
They told me of the plot you were mixed up with. You're right. You've done some bad things.

MEG
I told you, I'm trash.

KING LIAS
Stop it! I don't ever want to hear anyone talking like that about my personal cook.

It takes a moment for Meg to figure out what he's said and then her eyes light up in wonder.

MEG
You're not kidding me, are you, King?

KING LIAS
Not at all. And by the way, I do like spices.

MEG
I'm as spicy as you can get. Thank
you, King Lias. I won't let you down.

CUT TO

:

44 EXT. CASTLE - DAY

Xena, Gabrielle and Joxer are saying good-bye to Meg. (Gabrielle has her staff back.)

XENA
Bye, Meg.

MEG
Bye, Xena. It was good being you for
a while.

XENA
Just don't do it again.

GABRIELLE
Bye, Meg. Learn to read so I can write you.

MEG
I'll do that.

JOXER
Meg. I guess this is it.

Gabrielle and Xena Move away so Meg and Joxer can share good bye words.

MEG
Good-bye, Joxer.

She embraces him.

MEG
(under her breath)
Lose them as quick as you can and double back. I'll leave the backdoor of the castle open for you.

JOXER
Right.

As Joxer hurries to catch up with Xena and Gabrielle, and Meg beams a wholesome smile, we:

FADE OUT.

THE END