FADE IN

Snarling, Xena releases the would-be assassin from the pinch. He gags and gasps for breath.

XENA (stands up):
     Like I said...Claudius needs much better help.

The man starts to sit up. Just then, Domitius hurls himself at him and stabs him through the heart. The man's eyes bulge; he gasps for breath and slumps, dead.

The camera pans quickly to Darion, who cries out in terror and presses his face to Gabrielle's stomach while she hugs him.

GABRIELLE (shocked):
     Domitius! (strokes Darion on the hair, in a half-whisper) It's all right, honey. It was one of the bad men.

DOMITIUS (looks at her defiantly):
     Do you expect me to stand by and keep my cool while a man who nearly murdered my mother walks away? (his expression changes and he now seems almost ashamed) Gabrielle, I know you don't believe in revenge--but not all of us can be as noble as you.

Embarrassed, Gabrielle nods quickly and turns away.

XENA:
     We should have turned him over to the authorities.

AGRIPPINA:
     Xena, we're in Roman territory now. What judge do you think is going to detain one of the emperor's own assassins? He would have been free to attack again.

XENA (grimly):
     All right. (she drags the body off into the bushes, then turns to Agrippina) Are you okay? (looks at the cut on her arm) Looks like that arrow got a piece of you.

AGRIPPINA (wryly):
     Only a little piece--thanks to you.

CUT TO

Another stretch of the road. This time, Xena and Gabrielle are riding side by side, with Darion sitting in front of Gabrielle, while Domitius and Agrippina are visible in the background.

DARION:
     I really wasn't that scared.

GABRIELLE (pats him on the shoulder):
     Of course not, sweetie. You were very brave. (after a brief pause, she turns to Xena) Xena--I'm sorry.

XENA:
     About what?

GABRIELLE:
     About doubting Agrippina. You were right.

XENA (gives her a skeptical glance):
     Agrippina's all right. It's that kid of hers I'm not so sure about.

GABRIELLE (looks at Xena):
     Xena...I spent some time talking to him and--I liked him. (defensively) All right, I hated what he did--but can you really blame him for losing his head? I mean, he had just seen a gang of hired thugs try to kill his mother right in front of him.

XENA (sighs):
     I guess you have a point.

GABRIELLE (after a brief pause):
     You know, I never imagined we'd be going to Rome again.

XENA:
     Yeah, you'd think that Eve's ten-year banishment would be enough to keep us away. But something always pulls us back here... (grimly) ...like a curse.

GABRIELLE (with a somewhat forced smile):
     Don't be so negative. I have a feeling we're going to do good this time.

CUT TO

A crowded street in Rome at dusk. Vendors are sitting on the pavement hawking their wares. Xena and Gabrielle are making their way through the crowd. They are dressed like Roman ladies, Xena in a black dress, Gabrielle in a blue one. Gabrielle is leading Darion by the hand; he looks around, wide-eyed and excited. Agrippina, in a simple gray dress, and Domitius, in a short tunic and sandals, follow behind them.

DARION:
     Wow! So this is Rome... It's so--huge! I bet it's even bigger than Corinth!

GABRIELLE (smiles at him):
     I bet it is. (to Xena) That was a smart idea, for Agrippina and Domitius to disguise themselves as our servants. It got us past the guards at the city gates with no questions asked...

XENA (gives her a wry look):
     And you didn't have to play the slave girl.

GABRIELLE (exasperated):
     Xena, I don't mind playing the slave girl. I just don't want to be the slave girl every time.

Xena chuckles.

CUT TO

Xena, Gabrielle, and Darion walk into an inn, with Domitius and Agrippina behind them.

CUT TO

A room at the inn. Gabrielle is putting Darion to bed on a small cot. Xena is standing by the window looking out.

Darion yawns.

GABRIELLE:
     Tired, huh?

DARION:
     Yeah... (yawns again) Goodnight, Gabrielle.

Gabrielle pulls the bedcovers over him, bends down and kisses him on the forehead.

GABRIELLE:
     Goodnight, Darion.

Gabrielle puts out the lamp by Darion's cot and then walks over to Xena.

XENA:
     I'm going out to a tavern. Are you coming?

GABRIELLE (surprised):
     A tavern? We already had dinner.

XENA:
     Gabrielle, I want to find out what they're saying in town about Claudius. And about Agrippina.

GABRIELLE (surprised):
     Don't tell me you don't trust her now?

XENA:
     Oh, I do. But I did tell you that we were going to Rome to find out for ourselves exactly what's going on--before we jump to conclusions. Or take any action.

GABRIELLE:
     Yeah, you're right. You want me to come with you?

XENA:
     Well, you're better at talking than I am... (Gabrielle looks uncertainly at Darion) Come on, he's asleep. We can leave him here for a couple of hours.

CUT TO

The inside of a murky, crowded tavern. Xena and Gabrielle, still in their Roman outfits, are sitting at the bar with goblets of wine in front of them.

BARKEEP (a slightly paunchy, balding man, trying to be suave):
     I don't believe I've ever seen you two lovely ladies in my establishment before.

GABRIELLE:
     No, we're new in town.

BARKEEP:
     Really! (smiles invitingly) Well, I hope you decide to come back.

GABRIELLE:
     In fact, new in the country. We have spent the last two years traveling in Greece.

XENA:
     So many changes while we were away... A new emperor...

GABRIELLE:
     And thank the gods for that! The stories we heard about Caligula--

BARKEEP (shudders):
     Ugh! Don't even mention his name. Gives me the creeps.

XENA (sips her wine):
     So Claudius is a good emperor, then?

BARKEEP (looks around, then lowers his voice a little):
     Well, let me tell you...he's not a bloodthirsty maniac like the other one. But things haven't been too good lately.

MAN #1 (lanky and middle-aged, sitting next to Xena):
     Not good? Talk about an understatement. If they raise my taxes any more, pretty soon the only choice I'll have will be to sell my own kids into slavery!

WOMAN #1 (in her thirties, sitting next to Gabrielle):
     This past solstice, they didn't even distribute bread to the poor the way they usually do. We nearly had a riot in the city.

MAN #2 (young, standing behind the woman with a mug of ale in hand):
     Nothing's been the same since Empress Agrippina was sent away.

A murmur in the tavern.

WOMAN'S VOICE (off-camera):
     They say she was a poisoner, that Agrippina!

MAN# 1:
     Lies! They just falsely accused her to get her out of the way!

MAN #2:
     Agrippina was always a friend to the people.

WOMAN #1:
     We've all heard about how she risked her life to save people in Pompeii!

BARKEEP (nervous):
     Hush, or you'll get in trouble and get this establishment shut down! (to Xena and Gabrielle) To tell you the truth, I myself think Claudius is a good man. Trouble is, his advisors have gotten way too powerful--especially since the Empress Agrippina went away into exile. (shakes his head morosely) And now, there's a rumor that he's very ill--who knows what's going to happen next...

Xena and Gabrielle exchange startled looks.

CUT TO

Xena and Gabrielle walking down a street in Rome, dimly lit by torches mounted into the walls.

GABRIELLE:
     You know, if the people in this tavern are typical, Agrippina's pretty popular.

XENA:
     If the people in the tavern are typical, the whole city is like a bunch of dry kindling--all it needs is a spark to go up in flames.

GABRIELLE (thoughtfully):
     Do we want to take that kind of responsibility?

XENA:
     Don't forget, Gabrielle, it's not just the fate of Rome that's at stake...it's the fate of Britannia, too, and who knows how many other lands.

GABRIELLE:
     But can we even be sure...

XENA:
     Maybe not. (pauses for a moment) Gabrielle, I think we need to try to talk to Claudius himself.

GABRIELLE:
     Xena--if he's the kind of person who would send assassins to murder his own wife--

XENA:
     We can't be completely certain that it was him. Who knows, maybe one of those advisors of his was behind it.

GABRIELLE:
     But then, if Claudius is behind it, he's going to know that you're in town and working with Agrippina...

XENA:
     Then we'll just have to act quickly.

GABRIELLE:
     How are you going to get in to see Claudius?

XENA:
     Time to call in a favor with a couple of senators who were on Caligula's blacklist when (she stumbles for a moment) he died. I'll go see them first thing tomorrow morning.

GABRIELLE:
     By yourself?

XENA (grins):
     I think I can handle it. Unless, of course, you think I should be escorted by a slave girl...

GABRIELLE (beams at her):
     That works fine for me. I can take Darion around the city.

CUT TO

The Roman forum. Day. Xena in her Roman outfit, her face half-covered with a veil (like in "Livia"), stands by the steps leading up to the massive building of the Roman curia, the meeting place of the Senate. A dignified-looking man of about sixty, with graying hair, wearing a white toga bordered with purple and gold stripes, approaches.

XENA:
     Fulvius Rufus.

Rufus stops and gives her a puzzled look. Xena lifts the veil.

RUFUS (gasps slightly):
     Xena! I didn't expect to see you here again.

XENA (smiles a little bitterly):
     Really. I didn't expect to be seen here again.

RUFUS:
     I, uh--I take it this isn't a social visit?

XENA:
     I need a favor, Rufus. (glances around) Can we talk privately?

RUFUS:
     Sure. Anything for you, Xena--I'm only alive today thanks to you.

CUT TO

Rufus and Xena enter a small room inside the curia, with only a desk, a couple of chairs, and a bust of the Emperor on a shelf. The bustling Forum can be seen through the window. Rufus closes the door behind them.

RUFUS (uncomfortably):
     Is this about your daughter's banishment?

XENA (shakes her head):
     No. Actually, it has something to do with the business of state. I need to see the Emperor.

RUFUS (looks alarmed):
     I'm afraid that's not possible.

XENA (harshly):
     Why not?

RUFUS:
     Because the Emperor Claudius is very ill--has been for nearly a week now. Only the medics are allowed to see him right now, and they don't seem to be doing him much good. (he shakes his head sadly) Xena, I think Claudius is dying.

Xena looks at him in shock as we:

FADE OUT

END OF ACT TWO