A guard walked among the slaves as they hauled a mineral filled sledge through the sands. He struck one of them with his staff. Suddenly a group of slaves pulled weapons from under their robes and turned upon the guard. O'Neill fired the staff weapon he held, killing Ra's soldier.

"Let's go." O'Neill and his men turned to walk back to the Stargate.

Kasuf was horrified. These men were crazy. Now Ra would surely kill them all. "You'll bring disaster to us all, son."

"Father, we will not live as slaves."

Kasuf dropped to his knees and commanded his people to do the same. He began to lead them in a prayer of supplication, hoping that Ra would show mercy.

Daniel watched as the Abydonians dropped in fear. "Kasuf! Take a look at your gods." He gestured to the fallen guard. Reaching down, he pushed a button on the side of the guard's retractable helmet. It folded in on itself, revealing a human beneath. "Take a good look."

Kasuf rose and moved slowly to the dead guard. His people had suffered for hundreds of years beneath - humans! Anger rose up within him and he marshaled his people.

O'Neill, his team and several of Skaara's group pulled the mineral laden sled across the sands to the temple. They lowered their heads beneath their head coverings, hoping the guards wouldn't look too closely. When they halted, the guards approached and began pulling the shawls from their heads. One guard had the bad luck to find O'Neill under one.

"How ya doin'? Hum?" He fired at point blank range into the man's stomach as the rest of the men threw back their robes and fired at the guards.

Daniel pushed Sha're down behind him and fired his pistol at the towering shapes. Maggie whimpered and hid behind a pillar, watching as her mild mannered master turned into a man who responded with violence, if needed.

Outside, the rest of the men heard the gunfire, pulled out their weapons and ran to help. Kawalsky ran up and saw a stone slab lowering over the doorway. He stepped up his pace, knowing that they'd be locked out in a few moments. A guard saw them coming and fired under the door just as they approached, keeping them from helping.

Jack lost his composure, gritted his teeth and fired at the SOB who had just shot at his men and the young boys with Skaara.

Flyers were released from the ship, which turned and fired at the men waiting outside. O'Neill realized that time was running out and he had to blow up the Stargate now. "Let's go!" he yelled at Daniel and took off running for the lower chamber.

Daniel, Maggie and Sha're found O'Neill near the Stargate, putting the bomb back together.

"What are you doing?" Daniel asked.

"Completing this mission." The colonel continued to reassemble the bomb.

"I thought we agreed to dismantle the 'gate on the other side?"

"And you will. That's your job now. I'm going to stay here and make sure this goes off." Jack clicked the key into the bomb, activating it.

"You've got seven minutes."

There was the sound of a staff weapon opening behind them.

Sha're swiveled around and saw a guard pointing the weapon at her. "Dan'yel!"

Daniel turned in time to see his wife of two days flung backward onto the stone floor. The red haze of anger took most of his remaining vision as he raised his staff weapon and unhesitatingly fired at the guard, dropping him. He tossed the weapon aside and dashed to Sha're's side. Maggie whimpered, nuzzled her new mistress and licked her face, hoping she could wake her up.

Daniel checked her pulse and breath. Nothing. She was gone. He wrapped his arms around himself, rocking slightly. Just once in his life he wanted to keep someone he loved.

A noise diverted Daniel's attention and he saw the light radiating from the roof and the sound of the ring transporter activating. Without a thought, he picked Sha're up and ran for the rings as they materialized.

"What are you doing? Jackson!" O'Neill strode angrily toward him. Time was running out and that idiot was taking off!

"Wait for me," Daniel choked out just before he was ringed up.

Daniel moved as fast as he could through the hall, up past the throne and into the sarcophagus room. As he approached it, it opened and he gently laid her inside.

Please, God, if You're there, make her whole again. I can't lose someone else!

Maggie pushed her nose into his hand to remind him that he had her and she wasn't leaving him.

Daniel glanced down at the German Shepherd. "I love her, Maggie. I need her."

After the longest wait of his life, the sarcophagus slid open. He swallowed hard and reached for her. Probing his fingers through the hole in her robe, he found only soft, healthy skin, but she wasn't conscious. He knew time was running out on the bomb, so he grabbed her, called Maggie and dashed back to the rings. He had to dial home and get everyone back before the bomb exploded.

Daniel lay her down as gently as possible on the ring platform. Maggie growled and Daniel turned to find Ra reaching his hand out to him.

"I am no longer amused." Ra activated the hand device and began scrambling Daniel's brains. Maggie attacked, getting only a mouthful of Ra's flowing garments. Distracted, Ra kicked her aside and she tumbled against Sha're's side. Ra returned to Daniel, snarling in irritation and pleasure.

"You will die together."

Daniel tried to move. He tried to think, but his body wouldn't respond to his desires and all he could do was pray that O'Neill might activate the rings and get Sha're and Maggie away from Ra.

Once again, light flowed from an opening in the ceiling and rings descended. Ra pulled his hand back in surprise and Daniel shoved him away, pushing himself into the ring with Sha're and Maggie.

Ra roared in fury as Daniel was whisked away.

Daniel lay on the floor, just breathing. He felt as though thousands of tiny ice skaters were using his brain as a practice rink. He moved an arm and found Maggie, alive and panting. He moved the other and found Sha're, alive and breathing. Life was good.

He heard O'Neill walk back to the bomb and flip the "off" switch. Nothing stopped. He could still hear the count down ticking away the seconds of their lives. O'Neill squatted down and pulled out the activation key. Nothing. It was still counting down.

As he lay there, trying to organize his tumultuous thoughts, he heard rumbling noises coming from above the pyramid. Ra was leaving. Daniel finally gathered his himself together, rose and staggered toward O'Neill. "How much time do we have?"

"Forty-five seconds!"

"He's leaving! Turn it off"

"I'm trying to! I can't disarm it."

"What?"

"I can't stop it. They got it rigged."

Daniel heard Sha're moving and beneath the horror of the bomb, he was grateful that she was all right. She pulled Maggie away from the headless body of the guard O'Neill had killed and looked at Daniel in question.

The roof began to shake and the two men gaped at each other, then turned together to the ring platform and then back to each other again. "I've got an idea," they uttered simultaneously.

They hauled the bomb to the rings and O'Neill activated them with the device on the dead guard's hand.

The three humans and dog ran outside in time to see the sky illuminated by the ship's explosion.

XXXXXXXXXX

Jack stepped up onto the first step of the Stargate platform and turned to Daniel. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes, I'm sure." Daniel nodded firmly.

"Are you going to be all right?" Jack knew there was no way Daniel could change his mind. Once the team got back to Earth, they'd bury the Stargate and never open it again.

Daniel turned and saw Sha're waiting for him. He smiled back at Jack. "I'm going to be all right. How about you?" Daniel didn't know the whole story; just that Jack had lost a child and then lost himself.

Jack face went somber for a moment and then he nodded, "Yeah. Yeah I think so." He smiled at Daniel, knowing that this dweeb had given him a purpose for his life. He'd go home and get to know Sarah again.

The two men shook hands in farewell, finally comfortable with each other. Daniel reached out for Jack's arm as the soldier passed by him. He opened Jack's hand and dropped something into it. "Tell Catherine this brought me luck."

Jack looked down and saw the Eye of Ra necklace. He grinned at Daniel one last time. "I will."

O'Neill paused and turned back to Daniel. "Here. You might be able to use these." He handed his high powered binoculars to Daniel, who was rendered speechless.

The colonel turned just before he stepped through the event horizon. "I'll be seeing you around, Dr. Jackson." And he was gone.

Daniel took hold of Maggie's harness with one hand and Sha're's hand with his other. "Let's go home."