A FAMILY AFFAIR

A man goes in search of his dog only to be killed by some (as yet unrevealed) creature. Back at the fateful lava pit, Joxer is laying flowers in memory of Gabrielle. Suddenly, Xena grabs his wrist as she climbs out of the pit! "She's alive," Xena explains. "I had a vision." Joxer's not convinced but he follows Xena to Potadeia anyhow. Xena hears a group of kids cheering for a story and does a double take. But the storyteller isn't Gabrielle. Joxer sits and listens to the puppet show and Xena, quite suddenly, senses something. She turns around. Gabrielle? As they begin to walk towards each other, Joxer steps between them, amazed. She gives him a hug and a quick kiss and he faints. Xena and Gabby happily hug, Joxer heads off to let them catch up, and Gabrielle explains how she had sent out messages. Xena explains that she never got them. Gabrielle "got knocked into a niche in the wall" but Hope didn't survive. Next, Gabby tells Xena that there is danger in Potadeia. Joxer returns. "You guys better take a look at this." It's the remains of the man from the beginning. Later, Joxer and Xena are introduced (or reintroduced) to Gabrielle's family. Her father is harsh towards Xena because he feels she's had a bad influence on his daughter. Later still, Xena sets bait and has a fight with the creature. Sunlight scares it away. "That thing is Dahok's grandchild, the Destroyer." Worse news? "The girl in the other room is not Gabrielle; it's Hope!" And we're back to not knowing if Gabrielle is even alive. Soon "Gabrielle" and her sister, Lila, go for a walk. Xena catches up. Hope causes a broken bridge to collapse, endangering Lila, and then disappears to visit her child/monster. Xena goes on a "search and destroy" mission. Joxer is elsewhere, helping Xena. He crosses paths with Hope. Xena crosses paths with...Gabrielle? "Is that you?" Reunion! Xena let's Gabrielle know that Hope's alive. Joxer has been gagged and hung up by Hope where the Destroyer can eat him! Back at Gabrielle's home, Hope has convinced the family that Xena has wounded her. So, when Xena arrives, they kick her out. The real Gabrielle sneaks in and gives Lila the lowdown. But Hope sneaks up on Gabby! Xena frees Joxer and lets the monster chase her. Hope and Gabrielle share words and then Gabrielle escapes the household. Xena is fighting when Gabrielle walks in and pretends to be Hope. This distracts the Destroyer long enough for Xena to stab it in the back. When Hope comes in, the poor confused beast stabs her! They die together. Later, at night, Gabrielle tells Xena that the same things seem to come around -only they're wearing a different face. "You talk about trying to find your way," Xena says to Gabrielle, "but, to me, you are my way." "How can I be your way when I'm lost myself?" Gabrielle questions. How they look for the answers doesn't matter, reassures Xena. "As long as we look for them together."