AN: - Apologies again for taking so long to update this story. I hope to get quicker in the updating department now that my life has settled down.

I know this chapter is short having decided to cut the chapter into two as it was much longer and was not completely happy with second half, which should post in next couple of days.

All feedback is welcome as long as not to vicious with me.

As the desperate shout of "No" echo around the room, the still metaphorically smoking gun was snatch and thrown across the room in distaste.

"Here Daniel use this to stop the bleeding." Sam held out a handkerchief to Daniel who stared in fascination at the blood from Jack's head.

"So much blood." Daniel muttered applying pressure to staunch the bleeding.

Hammond moved to his office to call for assistance and to gather his thoughts on his bleeding' unconscious and goaulded Colonel.

"Daniel head wounds bleed like a stuck pig." Sam calmly explained patting his shoulder. "It's just a nick anyway."

Slowly brown eyes opened and focused on Daniel and Sam.

"Jack?"

"Sir?"

The eyes flashed and glowed, lips twisting into a satisfied smile.

"Thank you Daniel for stopping my new host from terminating himself." The distorted voice of the goauld gloatingly announced.

"Daniel the gun." Sam barked making to hold the goauld down.

Almost contemptuously Medusa backhanded Sam across the face knocking her out, and then turned her attention to the desperately searching Daniel.

"I have such a lot to thank you for Daniel Jackson." Medusa purred standing up to Jack's full 6ft 2 inch height.

Looking into the maniacal glowing eyes staring out from the face of his best friend, Daniel felt his heart stutter in fear and trepidation.

Reaching up the goauld touch the wound on Jack's head and brought bloody fingers to a grinning mouth to suck and lick at the blood. Daniel gasped and watch in fascination as the wound closed and healed. Then he tried to move towards where he had seen the gun while Medusa was distracted licking at Jack's fingers, but before he could he was grabbed by the throat.

"No I do not think so." Medusa giggled a truly awful sound coming from Jack's lips.

Daniel tried not to panic as the large and long calloused fingers tightened around his throat, threatening to cut off his air supply.

Groaning sounds could be heard from Sam as she began to come round from the vicious backhanded blow previously delivered from Medusa.

"Oh no we can not have that now can we." Medusa smiled at Daniel.

The goauld began pulling Daniel towards Sam, on reaching the still disorientated woman Medusa reached down with her free hand and then threw her across the room where Sam slammed sickeningly into the concrete wall.

"You BITCH!" Daniel snarled struggling to prise the fingers from his throat.

The demented gloating laughter coming from the body of his friend increased Daniel's struggles, but the fingers refused to be moved. Instead the fingers began to tighten and Daniel's vision began to grey around the edges.

"Die." Medusa distorted voice intoned.

"Stop!" a commanding voice yelled.

Medusa turned to face this new challenge and grinned evilly as General Hammond stood pointing a gun at her. Daniel hit the floor as he was discarded, and the painful sounds of him struggling for breath pierced the silence.

"Hello General Hammond." Medusa giggled.

Hammond growled at the giggling goauld.

Medusa started to stalk slowly towards the armed man.

"Stop or I will fire." Hammond ground out glaring at Medusa.

"Bah. You cannot kill me fool." Medusa bragged.

"I will dam well try." Hammond responded.

"This new host is special; I will survive even if you do fire your pitiful weapon." Medusa sneered and carried on advancing.

Hammond fired a single shot into the leg of the goauld, but Medusa never paused. Hammond then calmly fired into Jack's chest, the goauld grinned in defiance. Hammond emptied the remaining bullets into the chest of the goauld and then calmly reloaded.

Medusa/Jack was now down on the floor and blood began to pool around the body. Goauld eyes flashed briefly and then dimmed forever. Hammond sank to his knees beside Jack and gently felt for a pulse at his neck.

"General, sir." Warm gentle eyes focused on Hammond. "It's ok sir really."

Hammond smiled weakly at Jack as he saw that the man was fading before his eyes as the pool of blood spread around him.

"Sam, Daniel, Teal'c?" Jack asked.

Hammond suddenly realised that Janet, Teal'c and other SGC personnel had crowded into the area.

"I don't know son." Hammond answered.

He looked over to where Sam lay, but all he could see where medical personnel, turning to where Daniel last lay he also was blocked from view.

"I hurt them." Jack sadly stated.

"No Jack that was not you." Hammond gripped the failing mans hand. "That was the goauld but it's over now."

Jack began to choke on blood and struggling for breath, Hammond tightly gripped Jack's hand as the light of life faded from his eyes.

"It was an honour son." Hammond quietly murmured.

Hammond felt a jolt of energy go through him as Jack took his final breath; slowly he released the hand and laid it gently on the chest of the finest officer and man he had ever had the honour of serving with. Hammond felt a touch on his shoulder and turned to Janet and Teal'c, the first making no effort to hide her tears and the second coming as close to tears as a Jaffa can get.

"Daniel and Major Carter's conditions?" Hammond held his breath fearing the worst.

"They are sleeping GeneralHammond." Teal'c solemnly informed the shocked man.

"They are uninjured?" Hammond questioned.

"Indeed."