Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS nor Lord of the Rings, though I do own both on DVD.

A/N: Yes, this is another update in 24 hours! (Sorry about the double post for chapter 8 last night that was actually chapter 7. This website sometimes confuses me. If you are following this story and did not read a new chapter within the last 24 hours, there is another new chapter the chapter before this that you should read first) I have made chapters before that I just knocked around for months before finally posting, but since I felt awful about not updating for a while I decided to post it. Not sure how I feel about it, and yes it follows canon very closely, though I am planing to diverge from here on out from Lord of the Rings canon. I just felt that the Council was important to keep true to movie canon. As always, reviews and critiques are appreciated.

~Lady Ryn

Rivendell, Middle Earth

Ziva had just pulled her hair back in a ponytail when she heard a soft knock at her door. Smoothing her shirt down she made her way towards the door and opened it, trying to push down the immediate "on guard" urge that seemed to always follow that action. As the door opened to reveal the persons on the other side, she smiled.

"Good morning, Ziva," the dark-haired Elrohir said, his mouth curling up into a smile as well. "We are here to escort you to the council," he added, with a mock bow.

Stepping out of her room and shutting the door behind her, she snorted. "You two look like hell," she said as she took in the scratches on both their arms and faces, as well as the exhausted looks in their eyes. At their smirks she then jerked her head in the direction of the area where the council was being held and started walking.

Elladan laughed as he fell into step beside the Israeli, Elrohir flanking her other side. "Why thank you, you look wonderful too."

"When did you two get back?"

"Early this morning. The orcs have been dealt with, though we know it won't be the last." Elrohir answered, his voice oddly solemn as he itched at one of the scratches.

Ziva shook her head. "I wish you two would not coddle me so much and let me help you one of these times. Your injuries would not be so extensive then."

Elrohir rose an eyebrow and smirked at her. "You are that confident in your abilities, aier (1)?"

Elladan slung an arm around Ziva's shoulders as he laughed. "Do you even have to ask that question, brother? This is Ziva David. She could gut us all with a spoon in the blink of an eye. What match would poor orcs be for her?"

Ziva pulled away from the much taller elf and slapped him upside the head. "You mock me, yes?"

"Never!" Elrohir exclaimed, his eyes wide with mock shock. When she raised her hand to slap him he ducked, yelling: "I'm an injured elf, I'm an injured elf! Spare me!"

Ziva rolled her eyes with that and continued walking, though a small smirk appeared on her face. "This should be an interesting council."

Elladan shook his head as he caught back up to the Israeli. "If tempers do not flare here, then I am an orc's son."

As Elrohir walked up again on her other side he added, "It should definitely be interesting."

As the three entered the meeting area, Ziva glanced around at the gathered people. Many of these people were the same as those she had seen at dinner the night before. She spotted Frodo and Gandalf at one end of the semi circle, Legolas with other unfamiliar elves whom she guessed were also from Mirkwood, the gathering of dwarves, the man from Gondor who had watched her the night before, and then Aragorn at the other end of the semi circle, but there was no sign of Arwen. Elrohir and Elladan took the two empty seats next to Aragorn as Ziva sat next to them on the end. She did not miss the questioning looks that she received from all the races, though she was pleased to receive smiles from Frodo and Aragorn. As she sat, Elrond stood and surveyed the gathered group.

"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old," he began, his stern gaze sweeping over everyone and his deep, solemn voice easily filling the space. "You have been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle-Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate-this one doom. Bring forth the Ring, Frodo," he finished, his hand sweeping towards the pedestal in the middle of the grouping.

With that Frodo rose and hesitantly walked towards the pedestal and reached out his hand, dropping a ring. Ziva sat up straighter, as did most of the rest of the people in attendance. Her eyes narrowed as she studied the ring, and though she could not explain why, she could feel that that thing was evil. She almost felt as if it was whispering to her, reminding her of all the lives she had taken and how fruitless her fight back home had been. Suddenly her study was broken as the Gondorian spoke softly beside her.

"So it is true."

Ziva turned her gaze away from the ring and to the man, her eyes still narrowed. An eyebrow rose in surprise as the man stood and walked forward away from his chair, addressing the rest of the council.

"In a dream, I saw the eastern sky grow dark. But in the West a pale light lingered. A voice was crying: Your doom is near at hand," he said, approaching the ring. "Isildur's Bane is found." His hand crept towards the ring as Ziva tensed. He again repeated, "Isildur's Bane."

With that Elrond leapt up, glaring at the Gondorian. "Boromir!"

As Ziva made to stand as Elrohir and Elladan stood beside her, Gandalf also rose and began speaking, speaking in a tongue that made all thoughts of standing flow out of her head as she watched Elladan, Elrohir, and Elrond sit, grasping their ears as other elves did as well. The sky then seemed to grow dark as the foundations of the ground beneath them shook. "Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul." As he finished Boromir sat again, a horrified look on his face.

Elrond, as if pained, glared at the wizard. "Never before has any voice uttered the words of that tongue here in Imladris!"

"I do not ask your pardon, Master Elrond," Gandalf responded, almost out of breath, "for the Black Speech of Mordor may yet be heard in every corner of the West! The Ring is altogether Evil!" he finished, swinging his staff around as he glared at Boromir before returning to his seat. Ziva continued to take a couple of deep breaths, feeling almost out of breath herself, but then rolled her eyes as Boromir retorted, shaking his head.

"It is a gift. A gift to the foes of Mordor. Why not use this Ring?" he said, standing. "Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people are your lands kept safe!" With that she felt Elladan tense beside her as he hand seemed to almost grasp for his sword that was not there. "Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy. Let us use it against him!"

Elladan's body relaxed as Aragorn's voice finally chimed in: "You cannot wield it! None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master."

"And what would a ranger know of this matter?" Boromir answered, turning to face Aragorn. For that Ziva also reached for her knife that was not there, making to stand before she felt Elladan's hand on her shoulder and saw Legolas stand almost opposite her.

"This is no mere ranger," he said, his voice full of pride and veiled anger. "He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You owe him your allegiance."

"Aragorn?" Boromir responded, surprise on his face as he faced Aragorn. "This... is Isildur's heir?"

"And heir to the throne of Gondor," Legolas finished, almost smug. Ziva saw the shock ripple among a few people, one of them Frodo, at this revelation. Arwen had informed her of this not too long ago when the subject of Isildur had come up, so it came as no shock to her. It was something, though, that Aragorn seemed to try to ignore.

"Havo dad, Legolas (3)" Aragorn responded, shaking his head and waving his friend down.

"Gondor has no king," Boromir retorted, glaring at Aragorn. "Gondor needs no king," he finished, finally sitting back in his seat, slumped almost in defeat. Elladan then turned to Ziva and raised his eyebrows, and Ziva snorted, sitting back in her seat.

Yes, there are definitely tempers flaring, she thought.

"Aragorn is right," Gandalf said, breaking the silence, and all turned to face him. "We cannot use it."

Elrond then spoke up, his voice as calm and even as ever. "You have only one choice. The Ring must be destroyed."

"Then what are we waiting for?" a gruff voice sounded from the dwarves, and Ziva was startled as one stood, grabbing his ax and swinging it down on the ring as the ax exploded. Ziva, out of instinct, ducked as the dwarf was thrown back and other dwarves stood up to help him. That was when Ziva noticed that the ring was still intact, and the look on Elrond's face told her he was not surprised.

"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Glóin, by any craft that we here possess." Elrond said as the dwarves helped their companion up. "The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you must do this."

Silence reigned over the council as everyone just stared at the ring, transfixed. Ziva couldn't believe what she had gotten herself into with this world, and almost tried to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. That was when Boromir's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"One does not simply walk into Mordor." Ziva rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Its black gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. And the great Eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland. Riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly!"

As Ziva saw Legolas start to stand again, she beat him to it, standing herself and stalking over the unshaven man. "What is your problem? Since you came in here you have not shut up with all your yacking! How old are you?"

Boromir seemed taken back as he stared up at her confused as she heard Elladan and Elrohir sniggering. "What?" he asked, his brows furrowed.

"How old are you? Because you are acting like a child! And you are contradicting men and…and…elves who are much older and wiser than you! Grow up! And shut your…your…oh, how do you say it?"

"Piehole?" Elladan offered, his smirk now a full on grin. He had heard her use the saying before and knew she sometimes forgot her sayings while angry.

"Yes! Piehole! Thank you Elladan."

Boromir then laughed, albeit a bit nervously. "What is this? You are letting women now speak up and chastise the men?"

"Ziva is a guest of this house, Boromir," Elrond responded, the ghost of a smile present on his lips, "and has as much right to speak here as you."

Ziva and Boromir continued to glare at each other as the tension built until Legolas finally stood. "The Ring must be destroyed!"

At that Gimli leaped to his feet and she heard Elladan and Elrohir quietly groan behind her. "And I suppose you think you're the one to do it?" Ziva's eyebrows rose in surprise at the dwarf's animosity towards Legolas, until she heard Boromir's voice again.

"And if we fail, what then? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?" At that Ziva spun around and stepped towards Boromir, her face livid, and the man fell back against his chair as all chaos broke out behind her.

"I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!" Gimli shouted as a bunch of voices joined in angrily. "Never trust an Elf!"

As she narrowed her eyes at Boromir she heard Gandalf faintly behind her shouting a warning as she heard threats and insults being thrown by the dwarves against the elves, and the elves against the dwarves. "Do you not understand that while we bicker amongst ourselves, Sauron's power grows? None can escape it! You'll all be destroyed!"

Then, softly, she heard Frodo's voice through the din and turned to look. "I will take it! I will take it!" As if someone was turning down a radio, the arguments died down and everyone turned to face the tiny hobbit standing up proudly, though a bit uncertainly, beside Gandalf. "I will take the Ring to Mordor. Though- I do not know the way." Ziva's heart softened at both the lost sound in his voice and face at his last sentence and moved to step forward before she was interrupted by Gandalf.

"I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear." The wizened wizard smiled comfortingly at the hobbit as he placed his hand on his shoulder as Aragorn stepped forward from beside Ziva.

"If by my life or death, I can protect you, I will." The tall man walked up to Frodo, then kneeled down before him. "You have my sword."

Then Legolas stepped forward from among his companions. "And you have my bow."

Then the rough voice of Gimli broke the silence as he stepped forward, almost smirking at Legolas. "And my axe!"

Giving Ziva a wide birth, Boromir rose and approached the hobbit. "You carry the fate of us all little one. If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done."

Ziva made to step forward before she was surprised by a shout as Sam jumped up and ran around the group of bushes that were behind Frodo's chair. "Heh! Mr. Frodo is not goin' anywhere without me!"

Ziva looked towards Elrond as his voice, filled with amusement answered, "No indeed, it is hardly possible to separate you even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not." At this Ziva smiled before she was surprised by the last two hobbits brushing past her while making a beeline for Frodo.

"Wait! We're coming too!" Merry's voice rang out as Ziva almost laughed at Elrond's face that was a mixture of exasperation and surprise as the two hobbits planted themselves by Frodo. Merry nodded his head very seriously and added, "You'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!"

Pippin very proudly crossed his arms as his chin raised in stubbornness, staring Elrond down. "Anyway you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission…quest... thing." Ziva snorted as Gandalf shook his head no at Elrond, a look of almost disbelief and possibly amusement on his face as Merry turned towards his friend.

"Well that rules you out Pip."

Again Ziva made to step forward as Elrond began speaking again: "Nine companions... So be it! You shall…"

"Wait, Lord Elrond," Ziva interrupted, stepping forward and over to the group. Kneeling down before Frodo, Ziva looked him in the eye. "If you will have me Frodo, I would like to accompany you on this mission."

"Ziva…" Elrond's voice warned as Boromir's shout rang out.

"Unbelievable! A woman on this type of mission? This is absurd!" Ziva glared up at Boromir and he took a step back as Frodo's voice rang out again in the company.

"I would like your company with us Ziva." Ziva smiled as she stood up and stood proudly next to Aragorn, the twins and Aragorn all giving her looks of surprise tinged with amusement as Elrond sighed in exasperation at the young woman.

"Very well. Then you ten shall be the fellowship of the ring."

Ziva rolled her eyes and had to restrain herself from Gibbs's slapping the young hobbit when Pippin's voice rang out, "Great! Where are we going?"

Translations:

(1) short one

(2) One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the Darkness bind them.

(3) Sit down, Legolas.