"I still dont get why we have to be at this meeting."

Sam sighed. That had to be the third time the colonel made his thoughts known on the subject in about as many minutes. "Elrond said what happens at the meeting will have bearing on whether or not we go home, sir."

Jack fingered his navy robes. They were all wearing the same color today (something he was sure was no accident), waiting for the others to show up. Elrond was talking to his sons while Gandalf was comforting Frodo, who looked like a ghost. He hated seeing the kid look like that. Merry, Pip, and Sam assured him that Frodo had only become so grave after becoming the 'Ringbearer', whatever that meant. "He couldn't just tell us this sometime after the council?"

"Calm down, Jack. He probably just wants us here so he doesn't have to repeat himself," Daniel said from his place next to Teal'c. From what he'd been told, this form of meeting hadn't occurred in Middle Earth for at least a thousand years. "Whatever has people coming from all over Middle Earth had to be important."

Jack slumped down in his chair. Last night had been great. The ice cream was in high demand, especially the peach and 'choke berry', which looked suspiciously like blueberries. Then this morning they got their invitation to this council. He sighed, sinking further into the cushioned seat. This was going to be a great day, he just knew it.

"Are you sure that stuff didn't give you a hangover?"

Jack glared at the archeologist, silently willing him to burst into flame. "Yeah, Danny, I'm sure. Why?"

"Just checking."

"I knew there was a catch, there's always a catch."

Gandalf and Elrond watched as Jack paced back and forth, a state he'd been in since discovering what they wished of him.

"You should calm yourself, Jeanathan," the elf said, a slight entreaty in his voice. "This is the best way to ensure that all of you reach your destinations."

Jack turned around. "You're telling me that we have to travel into Mordor, which from what I've heard is equivalent to my peoples Hell, to find something that might or might not be there, and you think I should calm myself? No offense, but we've been to Hell, and none of us would like to go back."

Daniel stood up before Jack buried himself any deeper. "We were not counting on having to travel so far, Elrond. The gate should be here, not thousands of miles away."

Elrond nodded. "I understand your arguments, Daniel. But this is the only way we can think of. The only ones we believed could help you were the elves of Lorien, and they have named Mordor as the holding place for the restinna. We can spare no one here to guide you, but the Walkers are heading in that direction. It is only logical that you accompany them."

"With our weapons, of course," Jack muttered, running a hand through his hair. When Elrond first mentioned destroying the ring he'd suggested just blowing it up. They had ten claymores, they could spare one. It wasn't until the smoke cleared and the ring was sitting happily in the crater instead of being in glittering shards that what the elf had been saying really started to sink in. If a mine couldn't put a dint in the thing going to Mordor was the only other choice. Right when he was starting to feel like this place was home, they had to leave.

"Unless of course, you have decided to stay here," Elrond said into the silence. "In which case we would be more than happy to have you."

'While the rest of them go off to places and dangers unknown,' the statement hung in the air, and Jack felt a grudging respect for Elrond. The guy knew how to lay it on you. "They leave at dusk, right?"

Gandalf nodded. "We leave with the setting sun, Jack."

"Good. Think you could give us our gear back? I don't know about you, but these robes wont last long on the open road."

Elrond released the breath he'd been holding as the four walked out of the room. Convincing them to travel with Frodo had been easier than he'd thought. "I don't like manipulating them, Gandalf."

The wizard nodded gravely. "Nor do I, old friend, but we have no choice. They wish to go home, and Galadriel and Celeborn have spoken true of the restinna's whereabouts. In the meantime, their weapons will help assure that we reach our destination."

"And if the ring claims one of them?"

"Then Elsbereth save us," Gandalf muttered.

Lunch was slightly solemn. The representatives were quiet, watching the fellowship and their four man attaché with guarded looks. The hobbits were the only ones who didn't seem fazed by the fact that they were walking towards this world's equivalent of hell. Jack was suffering from pre-mission anxiety, something he'd sworn he'd gotten rid of years ago. Their gear was waiting to be checked, cleaned, and loaded. Everything seemed to be in order.

Now all he had to do was find the will to leave.

"You have strange tools, Colonel."

Jack looked up from where he was cleaning his P-90. The redhead, Boromir, was looking out over the valley. "It serves its purpose," he said, knocking the sight into place. The sun was near setting, and everyone was up and about. They had checked and rechecked their gear, making sure everything was in working order. Three P-90's and four small side-arms with about five clips each, four zats, one staff weapon, ten claymores, and about two week's worth of MRE's.

Now they were just waiting.

"Aragorn says your weapons are very advanced."

Is this guy digging or what? "Yeah, they are, but only as long as we have ammunition, after that they're just a lot of weight to carry around." He slapped a clip in, put the safety on, and shouldered the weapon. "They do come in handy when they work, though." He gave Boromir a once over. No body armor like Gimli, but heavy, durable leather gauntlets and wrist guards and light mail. His gear was nice, but well worn. He wasn't a momma's boy playing soldier, which was a good thing in Jack's book.

Boromir nodded. "Then they are most welcome on this journey. We will no doubt have need of them before it is over."

"Sir?"

Jack turned around. It was good to see Carter in fatigues, geared up and ready to go. Felt good to be it too. Rivendell had been a great break, but now he was itchy, needed action.

"My Lady, I did not know you would be traveling with us."

Jack smiled. A woman warrior always threw the big macho ones for a loop. "She's dangerous, Boromir. Don't let that cute exterior fool you."

The man blushed, turning to fiddle with his packs.

Carter came to stand in front of O'Neill. "Daniel's almost ready, Teal'c's finishing Keel-no-reem, and everyone else should be here soon, sir."

"Good." Jack resisted the urge to call Daniel on his radio. No need to frighten the locals just yet. "Looks like the hobbits are up and about."

Correction. They were up, but definitely not about. Almost all of them, with the exception of Pip, were dragging their large feet, looking more asleep than awake. "Didn't Gandalf make them take a nap or something?"

"That seldom means they will, Colonel O'Neill," the wizard said from behind him. Jack resisted the urge to jump. The old man had been doing it almost all week, and if he didn't know any better, Jack would say the old geezer enjoyed making him jump. "Like all children, Hobbits often do not do what they're told."

That gave Jack pause. Sounded suspiciously like what what'shisname of the Nox told him, just before practically booting them through the stargate. "Are you sure you've never been to another planet? One with these people who could make themselves and anything else disappear? Call themselves the Nox?"

Gandalf shook his head, his large gray hat almost flying off. "I have been many places, but all are in Middle Earth, and I have never heard of these 'Nox'."

Jack shrugged. "It was worth a shot."

Another fifteen minutes and they were giving good-byes. He hated good-byes. They made you wonder if you were really coming back. The elves had been nice, one or two even kissed him, drawing snickers from Daniel and Carter and 'raised eye-brow # 17' from Teal'c. The 'is there something we should know' eyebrow that always made him feel guilty.

Damn it. He hated good-byes.

Daniel watched Bill's tail as they made their way through the thick forest. Walking out of Rivendell was like walking out of a dream. He knew, almost instantly, the moment they passed its borders into the wild. The sense of safety, of security, was gone, replaced by the average sounds of the night.

"Are you well, Daniel?"

Daniel looked up, meeting Legolas's concerned eyes. "Yeah, I'm just a little awed. I didn't realize Rivendell had been...felt... like home."

The elf nodded. "Most who enter the house of Elrond do not wish to leave, and seldom are ever forced to do so. The sense of unease will pass soon."

Daniel nodded, turning around to catch a last glimpse of the place they'd called home for almost two weeks, lights barely visible between the trees. If they found the stargate, they might never be able to come here again, and the thought made his heart ache. They had no address, no way to know how near or far the planet was from earth. A planet with wizards and ogres and elves that lived and breathed. There was no pollution that he could detect, nothing to obscure the moon as it climbed higher. They were hurrying to leave paradise.

"I too shall miss Rivendell," Teal'c said from his side, taking his own last look. "It is seldom that I have felt such peace pour from the very waters themselves."

"You should'n worry yerselves, ye know," Pip said, slapping both men as high on the back as he could reach. "Once all this is over, we'll come back fer a victory party!" with that he bounded ahead, falling into step with the other hobbits.

Daniel shook himself, and started forward again. As the night wore on he wondered why they weren't using horses, since he knew for a fact that almost everyone had ridden in on one. It certainly would have cut the travel time in half. Instead, they were trudging over a place that Gandalf called the Steeps, heading south-east towards the Misty Mountains.

He groaned in relief when they stopped, making a fast camp. It always surprised him how different other worlds were. They had been walking from sunset to dawn, and had yet to see another person, or even a building. On Earth, even when you were in a national forest, you could see a plane or helicopter; the same could be said for any world that had flying technology. This world could have passed for uninhabited.

"Tired?"

Jack's question broke through his thoughts, which consisted of getting his pack off as fast as humanly possible. Twenty pounds didn't seem like a lot, not at first. Not until you passed the first mile or two, then it just kept getting heavier and heavier. "I'm a civilian, Jack. We're not trained for this kind of thing."

"It seems the young one isn't much for traveling," Gimli laughed, setting his axe down.

Aragorn smiled. "You shall grow used to it, Daniel. The first and last days are the hardest."

"Don't let his whining fool you," Jack laughed, tossing Daniel his canteen. "He's probably had harder treks in the Andes. He's just trying to score sympathy points."

Daniel made a face before taking a long swallow as he listened to Jack explain what the Andes were. He'd had harder positions, but that was when he was still working on his doctorate years ago. True, running from the Goa'uld kept you in shape, but this was a long haul, not a short burst fueled mostly by fear and adrenaline. "I'll give you another day before your knees start calling it quits, Jack."

The colonel smiled. "Twenty bucks."

"Fifty, and dinner at O'Malleys."

"Deal."

"Do they always behave in this way?"

Sam turned to Legolas, who was watching the two men with barely contained amusement. "Usually. At least they aren't arguing. That can last for hours and not go anywhere."

The blond elf smiled. "I shall enjoy a demonstration of this."

"You'll get one soon. They can't go more than a day without arguing about something."

"I heard that, Carter!"

THANK YOU!!!! thanks so much for reading my drivel, and I apologize for taking so long getting this very short chapter out. I'm suffering from lack of computer, so I'll crank out chapters when I can, but its going to be touch and go for a few months. Please, leave a donation in the feedback box on your way out!!!!!

Special thanks goes to Lady Cinnibar, Frances Holland, Harriet, brianne, Cheysuli, stormy, CelesteAmelia, organized-chaoLizzie, Mike, J, BRUMMIE-BABEKrissy, otsi, Obsidian (twice :)), Shanna, silverkeeper, and Falan for the great reviews!!!! Reading them fills me with unholy glee, so keep sending them!!!!

And Obsidian, they're speaking Sindarin, mostly because it was the best translation that I could find.