After everyone had filed out of her room Buffy stood carefully on two very shaky legs. It was odd that all her cuts and bruises had healed and yet she still remained weak and shaky. Perhaps it was some side effect of travelling by portal - like portal lag. She hoped she would be back to her normal strength soon. Upon standing up she realized she was swathed in a long full nightgown that covered her from neck to feet. She had a sudden vision of herself as Clara in The Nutcracker. Who had changed her clothes? So far the only people she had seen here were men. At the thought of one of them dressing her Buffy blushed a little then shoved the idea aside. She had work to do. Carefully she walked back and forth across the room until her legs carried her with ease. She could feel some of her lost strength seeping back into her bones though she was still not at fully recovered. Well, at least she could walk now without collapsing. She threw a couple quick punches and attempted to do a kick but it proved impossible in the nightgown. She had just sat back onto the bed to relieve a little dizziness from the activity when a soft knock sounded at the door.

"Come in," she called and the most beautiful woman Buffy had ever seen walked in the door. Her long dark hair was pulled back from her face in intricate braids to reveal two delicately pointed ears and her bright blue eyes shone in the daylight. She balanced a tray of food in one hand and a bundle of clothing in the other with amazing gracefulness.

"Good afternoon, my name is Arwen." She sat the tray down on the bedside table and lay the clothes on the bed.

"I'm Buffy."

"I am pleased that you have awakened Buffy. We were very worried."

"We?"

"Aragorn and I. He took care of you, he is a skilled healer and I helped when it was needed."

"My clothes?"

"They are being cleaned. Truly they are fashioned of the most wondrous fabrics. Do you have a name for them where you are from?" Arwen uncovered the top from the tray and offered a piece of fruit to Buffy.

"Um. . . cotton and polyester," Buffy took a bite of the apple and her stomach growled in approval. She hadn't realized she was so hungry.

"Polyester," Arwen tested out the word. "It must cost a fortune in your land."

Buffy hid a smirk, "Oh yeah the cloth of Kings they call it."

"My father, Elrond, bid me to help you prepare for the Council. I have brought a dress for you and if you wish I could help you with your hair." Arwen unfolded the bundle of cloth to reveal a beautiful yet simple dress of dark red silk. The sleeves were long and fitted but the full skirt fell in a crimson cascade to the floor.

"It is wonderful," Buffy fingered a delicate sleeve. "But I can't wear it. I'd never be able to fi - er on second thought I'd love to wear it." She wasn't here to fight vampires and she rarely got to play dress up at home. Besides it really was a nice dress.

"Let me assist you with putting it on." Arwen moved towards Buffy, who quickly edged to the side and grabbing the dress ran behind the dressing screen in the corner of the room.

"That's okay I don't need any help." Buffy pulled the nightgown over her head and quickly tried to put on the shift and underskirt. Problem was she couldn't figure out what went where.

"Um, Arwen?"

"Yes?"

"I need help."

* * *

Legolas sat impatiently in his seat waiting for the Council to begin. Buffy wasn't there. Frodo also had yet to arrive and since he was the ringbearer the Council could not begin without him. A tug in Legolas's mind made him turn his head to the stairs at the right. She was close he could feel it. Only moments later a dainty foot appeared on the steps and Buffy walked in with Arwen at her side. Her dress was of a deep almost blood red, a color which for some reason seemed so appropriate for her. Her hair was pulled back partially and two thin braids fell before her ears in elven fashion. Legolas was pleased to see her garbed in the manner of his people but he did not wish to consider why this pleased him so. He was not the only person aware of her arrival. In fact everyone present seemed taken aback by her appearance since the last time they had seen her she had been an unconscious heap on the floor. One other in particular seemed affected, the man from Gondor, Boromir. Legolas thought it rude of him to stare at Buffy so. She was recovering from a terrible ordeal at didn't need men leering at her. He turned his eyes back to Buffy as she took a seat next Elrond and could not pull his gaze away.

"Legolas is staring at me again," Buffy whispered to Elrond.

"I believe he is a little taken with you," the older elf smiled faintly.

"Really?" Buffy admitted he was certainly attractive and she did have a hard time keeping her eyes from straying in his direction. She was drawn to him for some odd reason and she knew he felt it too. Still she wasn't about to get involved with anyone, it never turned out well and she was not about to put herself through all that grief again.

"Ah! Here is Frodo and Gandalf." Elrond stood and welcomed the wizard and his small companion. He turned and addressed the rest of the Council. "Here, my friends, is the hobbit, Frodo son of Drogo. Few have ever come hither through greater peril or on an errand more urgent."

Buffy was glad to finally see someone shorter than her and she immediately felt an affinity with little hobbit. He carried a great burden and Buffy knew all about that. She could tell that it was affecting him already as there was a hard glint in his eye that she had seen quite often before in her own. He took a seat next to Buffy between her and Gandalf.

"My name is Buffy." She held out her hand for Frodo to shake.

"Frodo," the hobbit said and looking at her hand in confusion took it and gallantly kissed the back of it. Buffy's face reddened. No one had ever kissed her hand before.

"Frodo, the ring." Gandalf gestured to the wooden pedestal in the center.

Frodo slowly approached the pedestal while fishing in his pocket for something. Buffy watched him curiously. He pulled a small gold band from his jacket and placed it carefully in the middle of the pedestal before returning to his seat. He breathing hard as if he had just run a marathon. Buffy was about to ask if he was alright when her eye was pulled to the simple ring. The moment her eyes touched it a sharp buzz sounded in her head and she shook it as sweat beaded on her brow. That thing was EVIL. Pure EVIL. Buffy squirmed a little in her seat. She had fought many monsters and demons in her day but she had never been confronted by a darkness this strong. This made Glory look like a sunday school teacher. Tearing her eyes from the small gold circlet she noticed Frodo was faring worse than her. He was shaking like a leaf and Buffy put reassuring hand on his arm and smiled gratefully.

Elrond began to explain why they had all been summoned. The One Ring had been found and this Council was to decide what was to be done with it. He began to tell of the forging of the Rings of Power in the Second Age and of the defeat of Sauron by Isildur. Buffy sat engrossed in the tale as Elrond spoke of the Ring's betrayal of Isildur and how it came to be in the hands of Frodo's uncle Bilbo Baggins who sat quietly on the other side of Gandalf. She listened as the dwarf , Gloin, spoke of his meeting with Sauron's messenger and as Legolas described the escape of the creature Gollum. Once the full story had been relayed to all present Boromir stood and addressed the Council. Buffy's eyes widened a little. Were all men in Middle-Earth this attractive? She had yet to meet any elf or man who was not easy on the eye. He told of what had come to pass in Gondor and of his mysterious dream that had sent him seeking the counsel of Elrond Halfelven in Imladris.

"We should use the Ruling Ring ourselves," he finished, "to have such a formidable weapon at our disposal and to not use it is insanity!"

"None but Sauron can wield the Ring. It must be destroyed!" Buffy was surprised at the forcefulness of Strider's words.

"What would a ranger know of these matters," sneered Boromir.

"That is no ranger you speak of so," Legolas stood up. "That is Aragorn son of Arathorn, Isildur's heir."

"This is Isildur's heir?"

"The rightful king of Gondor, you owe him your allegiance." Legolas replied. Buffy blinked. Strider was a king? Well that explained the air of authority.

"Gondor has no king, Gondor needs no king." Boromir said. "I still believe we should use the Ring against Mordor."

"Did you hear nothing?" Asked Legolas still standing. "The Ring must be destroyed."

"He's right," Buffy stood and stepped forward meeting Boromir's burning gaze. "That thing is evil. Pure evil, I can feel it. Whatever is needed to destroy it must be done for nothing good will ever come of something so terrible."

"What could you know of this matter girl?" queried Boromir in a dangerously low voice. "You came from nowhere. You could be a servant of Sauron for all we know!"

Legolas and Aragorn started forward in offense but Buffy waved them down. She stepped up close to Boromir's much taller frame and looked at him with steel in her eyes. "First of all I may be a girl but I could kick your ass from now to Sunday without breaking a sweat. If you want to believe me to be working for Sauron go ahead I can't make you trust me but that Ring's purpose is nothing short of unleashing total chaos on this world. I've seen and fought against evil you could not even fathom and that one little ring lying over there scares me to death. Now back off and open your ears to what everyone else has been trying to tell you from the start: the Ring must be destroyed."

To the shock of everyone present Boromir backed down. He turned silently and walked back to his seat. The Council watched with mouths agape as Buffy returned to her chair and folded her hands on her lap.

Elrond stepped forward hastily to cover the stunned silence. "It is the will of the Council that the Ring be destroyed. Who will then take the Ring into the fires of Mount Doom?"

There was silence. Then Boromir spoke wearily from his seat, "It is not so simple. To go parading into Mordor with the One Ring right under Sauron's nose, it is madness! More than just orcs guard the gates. This is a perilous journey indeed."

"It matters not. Someone must go." Legolas said.

"And I am sure you think you are the one to take it!" cried the dwarf, Gimli. "I will die before I see that ring in the hands of an elf!"

Buffy was sensing some hostility here and sure enough suddenly everyone was on their feet yelling to be heard. She sighed, men could never do anything sensibly. It was always about who was the loudest, the strongest. It was getting very heated and Legolas was trying to keep the elves from attacking the dwarves but things did not bode well for a peaceful resolution. Buffy was about to get up and put a stop to all this nonsense when she noticed Frodo pick the Ring up from the pedestal and approach the group of arguing men, elves, and dwarves.

"I will take the Ring." he said but was not heard over the din. He repeated this but to no avail. Everyone was still slinging insults back and forth like schoolchildren. Buffy saw this and walked over to Frodo. She gave him a comforting squeeze. Using the shoulder of someone nearby, she thought it might have been Aragorn, she launched herself up onto the pedestal with alarming ease.

"HEY!"

Everyone shut up. Legolas looked up and started in surprise. Buffy stood on the pedestal with her hands fisted on her hips and her eyes snapping with green fire. How had she managed to get up there?

Once she saw that every eye was on her Buffy spoke, "Frodo has something he wishes to say."

All eyes turned to the little hobbit who nodded his thanks to Buffy, "I will take the Ring but I do not know the way."

"I will be happy to lead you there my friend," said Gandalf with a touch of sadness in his voice. "You have my staff at your service."

Aragorn kneeled before the hobbit, "You have my sword."

"And my bow!" cried Legolas.

"And my axe!" Gimli shouted.

Suddenly a small figure darted out from the bushes to stand at Frodo's side. It was another hobbit Buffy saw with some amusement at his surprising arrival. He declared his intention to go with Frodo as well and Elrond acceded with laughter in his eyes. It was then that two more hobbits appeared from their hiding spaces, joining Frodo in the circle. They too wished to journey with Frodo and were given permission by an exasperated Elrond. After the commotion died down everyone returned to their seats, with the hobbits seated on the ground in front of Frodo and Gandalf. One them kept turning around and winking at her, it was all she could do not to laugh.

"The other issue to address," Elrond was saying, "is the remarkable appearance two days ago of Lady Buffy daughter of - of - ?"

"Hank." Buffy supplied. She didn't much like being an issue to be discussed. What was Elrond up to?

"It is my belief that Buffy has been sent here by Iluvatar, in answer to the prayer I spoke yesterday." Sent here? She hadn't been sent here. She fell - okay well - she jumped through a portal and came out on the other side. "We are lucky that Iluvatar saw fit to provide us with someone who I believe has been chosen," Buffy stiffened, "along with Frodo to save all Middle-Earth from the shadow of Mordor. She must also journey with Frodo to Mordor to see the ring destroyed for it is her destiny that she play a large role in defeating Sauron once and for all. Her presence is a gift from the light of Iluvatar. She can save us all."

Buffy saw heads nodding in agreement and stood shoulders stiff with anger. "No." she said in a firm and dangerous voice.

"Pardon?" Elrond looked shocked.

"I said no. Absolutely not."