FADE IN

The same scene.

GABRIELLE:
     An old friend...let's see. (She smirks a little) Ares?

XENA (shakes her head):
     Close... (gives the chakram a spin) ...but no hit.

GABRIELLE (thinks):
     Another god, huh? (suspiciously) Did you say a friend?

XENA (shrugs):
     Well--we have a history.

GABRIELLE (skeptical):
     Right... Want me to come with you?

XENA:
     Nah, you'd better stay and keep an eye on the monster.

GABRIELLE (glances over at Talis):
     Which one? (Xena chuckles.) Do you have to leave me with him? I swear--if I hear any more of this "Xena this, Xena that," I'm going to-- (makes an angry face)

XENA (grins a little):
     Come on, Gabrielle--it can't be that bad.

GABRIELLE:
     Right. Just another man head over heels in love with the Warrior Princess.

XENA (smiles):
     Come on Gabrielle, it's not like you haven't had your fair share of admirers.

GABRIELLE (smiles a little):
     Well, at least I didn't leave you to babysit them!

XENA (grins):
     Good point.

As she speaks, she walks over to Argo, jumps in the saddle and starts to ride off, then glances at Gabrielle.

XENA:
     Read him a couple of your scrolls!

GABRIELLE (looks after her, thoughtfully):
     Now there's an idea...

CUT TO

The entrance in Hephaestus' cave--the one seen in the "Looking Death In the Eye" flashback. Xena comes up.

CUT TO

Inside the cave, illuminated by a red glow from Hephaestus' forge. In the corner, Hephaestus is pounding the metal of a finely crafted sword. As the camera moves closer, we see that this is not the Hephaestus from the flashback--the one with dreadlocks--but the other one with the scarred face (from "Motherhood"). This makes us wonder if The Powers That Be are trying to mess with our minds by switching the actor every other episode, or if the other actor was just unavailable.

XENA (off screen):
     Hephaestus. Hope you don't mind me stopping by.

Hephaestus' head darts up as the camera pulls around to show Xena in the entryway. He stops pounding.

HEPHAESTUS (not very pleased):
     Xena. To what do I owe the--surprise?

He holds up his hammer in a defensive move.

XENA:
     I need a favor.

HEPHAESTUS (laughs):
     A favor? In return for what, an axe in the chest?

XENA (hands on her hips):
     Well, if I remember right, I also saved you and the rest of your family from the depths of hell.

HEPHAESTUS (sighs):
     All right then--what do you want?

XENA:
     How about some chains? (off Hephaestus' look of mock shock) This is business, Hephaestus. Gods' business. Hades' dog, Cerberus, is on the loose and we have to catch him. He's no ordinary dog--only chains meant for the gods can hold him.

HEPHAESTUS:
     Why didn't you say so in the first place?

He puts down his hammer on the table, then walks to the corner and gets a cluster of large thick chains off a rack. They dematerialize in his hand, then rematerialize in front of Xena.

XENA:
     Thanks.

She picks up the chains and slings them over her shoulder, then turns to go.

HEPHAESTUS:
     Wait, wait, wait. (A piece of parchment materializes in his hand.) They're due back tomorrow before sundown. And you have to sign a rental slip.

XENA (raises her eyebrow):
     A rental slip?

HEPHAESTUS:
     New regulations. We've got to keep an eye on these things--we're still missing the ones you grabbed last time.

XENA:
     Don't tell me there's a late charge. (looks down at the chains) These can hold Cerberus, right?

HEPHAESTUS (scoffs):
     Cerberus? Those chains could hold Ares himself.

Xena stares at him thoughtfully, weighing the chains in her hand.

The camera pulls in on Xena, lost in reflection for a moment. Then she shakes herself slightly, obviously snapping out of it. Hephaestus looks at her curiously.

XENA (with a wry half-grin):
     Ares? That won't be necessary.

Hephaestus hands her a quill, she signs the parchment and heads toward the cave exit.

CUT TO

Forest clearing. Gabrielle is sitting on a small log, reading from a scroll, while Talis is walking back and forth behind her. Klio is grazing in the background.

GABRIELLE (reads):
     And when we left Ares on the farm, Xena realized something really important...

GABRIELLE (puts down the scroll):
     That's it.

TALIS:
     That was good. (with a goofy grin) So Xena dressed up as a country girl, huh? I bet she looked gorgeous!

GABRIELLE (rolls her eyes):
     Um...yeah.

TALIS:
     I bet she looks good in anything. Probably never had a bad-looking day in her whole life, huh?

Gabrielle thinks for a moment.

GABRIELLE (makes a face):
     We-ell...

TALIS (not listening):
     Say--does she have a boyfriend?

GABRIELLE (nods uncomfortably):
     You--might say that.

TALIS (cocky):
     I bet he's no match for me.

GABRIELLE (stares at him, exasperated):
     Right... How about if we read one more scroll?

She picks up a saddlebag and starts to rummage in it. A scroll falls out and rolls toward Talis; he picks it up and unrolls it.

TALIS (starts reading with an effort):
     And then--with nob-le indig-ni-ty...

GABRIELLE (corrects him):
     Indignation. What have you got there, anyway?

TALIS (continues to read):
     Xena said, "I don't think--"

GABRIELLE (laughs):
     Oh, that... That's not my scroll. (Shakes her head) Joxer wrote it...

GABRIELLE (sighs as she rolls up the scroll):
     That's not how it happened at all. (puts the scroll away) Here, let's try this one. (through her teeth) I hope Xena gets here soon...

CUT TO

Xena rides through the forest, the chains of Hephaestus slung over her saddle. Suddenly she slows down Argo and listens attentively. A growl and then a bark is heard faintly in the distance as we:

FADE OUT

END OF ACT THREE