FADE IN

The kitchen in Lila and Sarah's house. It's morning and the sky in the window is bright blue. Xena, Gabrielle, Haimon, Eve, Darion, and Lila are sitting around a table laden with bread, fruit and pancakes, huddled rather closely because the table is too small for such a large crowd. Darion is sitting between Gabrielle and Haimon. Sarah comes in carrying a pitcher and starts pouring milk into cups.

SARAH:
     So, you've decided to go out and get a tree at the Grove of the Nymphs.

GABRIELLE (makes a face):
     Don't rub it in. (with a forced smile) At least it'll be an adventure.

XENA (wryly):
     Yeah, maybe some nymphs will come after us and we'll have to kick their butts.

EVE:
     Gabrielle, I almost forgot. You said something about a surprise.

DARION (looks up, animated):
     We're going to have a surprise?

GABRIELLE (smiles):
     Wait and see. It could be here any minute.

DARION:
     Can I go out with you to get the tree?

GABRIELLE:
     Sure you can. (points to the cup) If you finish your milk.

Darion picks up the cup and takes a sip, then makes a face and spits it back out.

DARION:
     Ewww! The milk tastes gross.

GABRIELLE (sternly):
     Darion! Sweetie, that was not a nice thing to say.

DARION:
     I'm just telling the truth. You try it.

GABRIELLE:
     You know it's perfectly good milk. Sarah just milked the cow this (tastes the milk in her cup, then winces and finishes with her face scrunched up) morning. (looks at Sarah) He's right. The milk is sour.

SARAH (amazed):
     Can't be--I got it less than an hour ago. (sniffs at her milk, then sticks out her tongue and tastes it carefully) Well...yes, it is. Sorry about that. We'll just have to do with water, then.

She takes the cups and pours the milk back in the pitcher, then goes to rinse the cups in a basin. There is a knock on the door.

DARION (excited):
     Hey, we have more guests!

GABRIELLE (smiles):
     Maybe that's the surprise.

Lila rises from the table. Gabrielle follows her.

CUT TO

The front door of the house. Lila opens the door. Standing on the porch is Virgil with his brother and sister--Kara, who looks about thirteen, and Theon, who looks about eleven--at his side. They are all wearing coats.

GABRIELLE (beams):
     Virgil! I'm so glad you could come.

VIRGIL:
     Thanks for the invitation, Gabrielle.

Virgil and Gabrielle hug.

GABRIELLE (to Lila):
     Lila, this is my good friend Virgil--he's Joxer's son...you remember Joxer, right?

LILA:
     Sure. A pleasure to meet you.

GABRIELLE:
     And his brother and sister, Kara and Theon. Well, come on in.

CUT TO

The kitchen. Gabrielle comes in followed by Virgil, Kara and Theon, now without their coats.

EVE (looks pleased but also a little taken aback):
     Virgil! (smiles at the children) And Kara and Theon. (to Gabrielle) So that was your surprise?

GABRIELLE:
     Yeah--I wrote to Virgil in Athens and asked him to come spend Solstice with us.

EVE (quietly):
     Good to see you again, Virgil.

VIRGIL:
     You too, Eve.

Close-ups of Virgil's and Eve's faces as they look at each other a little tensely, then smile.

CUT TO

The main room in the house, where everyone is sitting around the fireplace. The sounds of children shouting and laughing are heard from the outside.

CUT TO

The yard outside. Darion, Kara and Theon are running around playing ball.

CUT TO

Inside the main room.

SARAH (looks out the window, a little wistfully):
     Darion is such a great kid, Gabrielle. You're lucky to have him.

GABRIELLE (nods pensively):
     Yeah...I know.

XENA (rises to her feet):
     So...why don't we go out and get that tree.

EVE:
     I think I'll stay here and help decorate the house.

VIRGIL:
     That's a great idea. I can help too.

CUT TO

Xena, Gabrielle and Haimon, wearing their warm clothing, come out of the house. Gabrielle goes over to Darion, who is running around with Kara and Theon still playing ball. She talks to him while Xena and Haimon watch (we don't hear what she's saying). Darion shakes his head and goes back to playing with Kara and Theon while Gabrielle rejoins Xena and Haimon and they walk toward the barn behind the house.

CUT TO

Xena, Gabrielle and Haimon walk into the barn.

HAIMON:
     I guess Darion is really taken with his new friends.

GABRIELLE (nods):
     It's good for him to be around other kids.

They walk up to their horses and Xena rubs Argo's muzzle.

XENA:
     Hey, girl--good morning. (Argo neighs) I've got good news for you. We're going out for a little ride.

Argo nuzzles Xena. Xena smiles, then pauses with a puzzled look on her face as she notices that Argo's mane has been braided.

XENA (looks strangely at Argo):
     Well, that's weird. (bringing Argo out into the light, she notices that her tail has been braided too) And this is even weirder.

GABRIELLE:
     What?

XENA:
     Argo's had a visit from a hairdresser.

GABRIELLE (looks at her horse):
     Not just Argo. Look at this.

HAIMON:
     It's all the horses.

GABRIELLE (smiles):
     Personally, I think it looks kind of pretty.

Xena rolls her eyes and Argo whinnies and tosses her head.

XENA (chuckles):
     Argo obviously disagrees with you.

HAIMON:
     Why would anyone do such a thing?

XENA:
     Bad taste?

GABRIELLE:
     Look, it's obviously a prank. Why worry about it? Let's just go.

XENA:
     Oh no. You may want to go out there on a horse that looks like an over-pampered lapdog, but you can count me out. (Argo whinnies indignantly) You're not going out there looking like that, are you, girl? (Argo whinnies again; Xena looks at Gabrielle and Haimon) See, she said no.

Xena starts to unbraid Argo's mane.

CUT TO

Xena, Gabrielle and Haimon riding through the streets of Potidaea.

CUT TO

Outside Lila's house. Eve and Virgil are decorating the house, hanging up ivy, ribbons, and long strings with sparkling pieces of glass and metal on them. The glass and metal sparkles brightly in the sun. The children are playing in the yard, occasionally stopping to watch Eve and Virgil decorating. They glance at each other until Virgil breaks the silence.

VIRGIL:
     So, Eve...is this the first time you're spending Solstice with your mother and Gabrielle?

EVE (her eyes seem to mist up a little):
     Yes, it is. (she smiles fondly, remembering) But you know, I loved Solstice time when I was young. Larus and I would always stay awake late on Solstice Eve waiting until our parents... (sighs) ...well, my adoptive parents...went to sleep, and then we'd sneak out of our bedroom and take a peek at our gifts without them knowing. That was so much fun. (her smile grows wistful) That is, until our parents caught us one night--after that, they started hiding the gifts in places we couldn't find them.

VIRGIL (gives her a surprised, warm look):
     Really? You're not going to believe this but the exact same thing happened to me when I was a kid. I used to get up at night and take a peek at my gifts until my parents caught me and started hiding them.

Eve and Virgil smile at each other, then grow clearly uncomfortable at the mention of parents as the implications of this sink in. They turn away and continue to hang up a string of sparkling decorations around the door.

EVE:
     I guess everyone has their favorite Solstice memories from childhood.

VIRGIL (smiles):
     Mine actually has something to do with your mother.

EVE (surprised):
     My mother? But you didn't even know her--

VIRGIL:
     When I was five, my father... (he stumbles and gives Eve an uncomfortable look)

EVE (softly):
     Go on, Virgil. I--I want to hear this.

VIRGIL (clears his throat):
     ...my father read me one of Gabrielle's scrolls for the first time. It was the Solstice story one about how Xena and Gabrielle helped an embittered king change his ways and find the Solstice spirit, and how they saved an orphanage. It was a beautiful story. (he smiles) I remember I was so captivated by it--right away, I knew I wanted to become a writer just like Gabrielle.

EVE:
     You knew what you wanted to be when you were five?

VIRGIL (smiles a little shyly):
     Yeah, I guess I did.

EVE:
     Well, I'm glad to see you stuck by your goals.

VIRGIL:
     I try to. It's just that, between working at the shop and taking care of Kara and Theon, I haven't had much time for writing--not as much as I'd like to.

EVE (gives him a guilty glance):
     It's tough for you--doing it all on your own, isn't it.

VIRGIL:
     It's all right. (gives her a slightly forced smile) But I do write. Maybe one of these days I'll write something for you.

EVE (pensively):
     For me... (she looks at Virgil and smiles) I'm really glad Gabrielle invited you, Virgil.

VIRGIL:
     I'm glad you're here.

CUT TO

Outside Potidaea, Xena, Gabrielle and Haimon are riding along a road through the hills.

GABRIELLE:
     We're close now--the grove is right over that hill.

The camera follows Xena, Gabrielle and Eve as they climb the hill and reach its top. They stop. The camera pans to their faces as they look down in amazement and dismay. Then it pans to the view below the hill.

There is a large patch of what obviously used to be a grove, but now there are only tree stumps left, as well as some evergreen branches and twigs lying around on the ground.

GABRIELLE (stares in dismay):
     The Grove of the Nymphs...

XENA:
     Obviously, the nymphs weren't doing a very good job of looking out for it.

GABRIELLE:
     Xena! This isn't funny!

XENA:
     No, of course not. We still don't have a solstice tree.

HAIMON:
     Obviously, other people who couldn't get a tree on the market had the same idea.

GABRIELLE:
     All right, call me an idealist--

XENA (chuckles):
     --oh, we will.

GABRIELLE:
     --but I can't believe the people in Potidaea would do this.

XENA (gives her a thoughtful look):
     Maybe they didn't. Let's take a look at the crime scene, shall we?

HAIMON:
     What do you think you're going to find?

XENA:
     I don't know yet.

She gives Argo a nudge in the sides and rides down the hill. Gabrielle and Haimon exchange a puzzled glance and follow her.

Downhill, Xena dismounts and walks around, staring at the ground, while Gabrielle and Haimon remain in the saddle, waiting patiently.

XENA:
     Aha!

GABRIELLE:
     What?

XENA (looks up with a triumphant grin):
     There's something to be said for cold weather.

GABRIELLE (runs her shoulders under the coat, her teeth chattering slightly):
     I'm glad to hear that.

XENA (points to the ground):
     Look at that. The ground was muddy when somebody made a footprint here. Then the freeze came, and here it is--perfectly preserved.

GABRIELLE (rides closer):
     And this footprint tells you what?

XENA (suddenly very businesslike, mounts Argo in a swift motion):
     We've got to track down those guys who were selling trees at the market yesterday.

HAIMON:
     We don't even know which way they went.

XENA:
     We'll find out. Come on, you two--we've got a job to do.

GABRIELLE:
     But Xena, it's--

XENA:
     Yah!

She takes off at a gallop over the top of the hill.

GABRIELLE (finishes into the empty air):
     --Solstice Eve.

She turns to Haimon and shrugs, helplessly turning up her palms in a "what can you do" gesture, as we:

FADE OUT

END OF ACT TWO