Summery: A routine trip off-world has long-lasting effects for SG-1. Meanwhile, Jack has terrestrial trouble too, when his half-sister is recruited to the SGC and his worlds threaten to collide and all his secrets are in danger of being exposed.

Disclaimer: I do not own "Stargate SG-1" the series. I believe it is owned by MGM. No copyright infringement is intended. No disrespect is intended. I am merely intrigued by the possibilities.

A Matter of Degrees

by: Visions2share a.k.a. Vi

"Uncle Jack is back! Can I go see Sam now?" Colonel O'Neill had barely walked back through the infirmary door when Cassie spoke.

Janet glanced at the colonel - he'd just come from Sam's iso room and would know if she was up to a visit from their goddaughter.

"Yep," the colonel said, "she needs your help to get ready and keep Grandpa Jake from making her crazy. You up to it?"

"Sure, Uncle Jack! I'll help."

"Alright," Janet acquiesced, "but if Sam gets tired, remember to let her rest."

"Okay, Mom!" Cassie squeezed the colonel in a fly by hug and was out the door.

Dr. Mallory was sitting on one of the infirmary beds while Janet ran through a thorough list of pre-gate travel protocols. The colonel took off his uniform blouse and hopped up on the table across from her for his pre-mission medical checks. The rest of SG-1 should be in shortly to get theirs as well. Unless Daniel got distracted again and Janet had to find somebody to fetch him.

If one of Janet's sisters were here, the two of them would be chatting to beat the band. Dr. Mallory and Colonel O'Neill didn't exchange a single syllable. Had it been a mistake for Sam to insist the other woman attend the wedding? Maybe Colonel O'Neill didn't get on with his sister? Then again, the man wasn't shy and Janet couldn't imagine him remaining silent if he'd opposed her being invited. Unless ... maybe he was trying to keep Sam calm? While the Colonel wasn't one to bite his tongue on his true feelings, he was also never one to put his own comfort before that of his team.

"Morning Jack, Janet, Dr. Mallory," Daniel called as he and Teal'C entered the infirmary.

"Pull up a gurney, gentlemen," Janet said as she finished up with Dr. Mallory and handed the blood vials off to the waiting lab tech.

"Morning, Campers!"

"How are you, Dr. Mallory?" Daniel asked as he chose the gurney next to hers. "Are you excited about your first trip through the gate?"

"Please call me Susan, Dr. Jackson. I am excited, but my stomach is full of butterflies."

"Daniel, please. Gate travel is incredible - and worth all the butterflies. I promise."

"To what purpose would one acquire multi-hued moths to store in the digestive organs?"

"'Butterflies in the stomach' is an idiom. It means she's nervous," the Colonel explained.

"I see. You need not be apprehensive, DoctorMallory, Stargate travel is dependable and expeditious."

"Ah, thank you?"

Janet smiled, Teal'C took some getting used to.

She listened to the Colonel's heart and took his blood pressure. She was pulling up the tray with the paraphernalia for his blood draw when an airman came in and stood at attention at the foot of Colonel O'Neill's gurney.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, sir," he started.

"What do you need?" the Colonel asked.

"There's a phone call for you sir - the caller had your extension and says it's urgent. Line four, sir."

"Alright, Airman, dismissed."

"Sir, yes, sir."

"Give me a minute, Doc?"

"Sure, I'll start on Daniel while you take your call, sir."

Janet focused on Daniel and tried not to eavesdrop on the colonel's conversation as it got progressively louder until he was calling across the infirmary.

"Hey, Suz! Henry's on the phone. He says your folks just showed up at my house out of the blue. You know anything about that?"

"Damn it. I'd hoped they wouldn't do this when we moved out here. I'm so sorry, Jack."

"Do what?"

"They used to just show up at our house occasionally when we lived in Chicago. No warning, they would just suddenly be on the front step."

"Occasionally?"

"Three or four times a year."

"And stay how long?"

"A week or ten days, usually. Sometimes more."

Colonel O'Neill frowned and spoke into the receiver, "Susan and I will be back in four or five hours. Just tell Frank you don't know where to settle them and don't want to overstep. I'll handle them when I get back. ... No. Absolutely not. People who show up uninvited don't get to kick anyone out of their beds. If Frank throws a fit or she cries, just remind them it isn't your house. ... Would you rather I send some MPs over to deal with them? Wouldn't bother me at all. ... You sure? ... Don't worry about dinner. We'll bring pizza, or maybe Chinese, just to piss the old bastard off. ... Alright, see you later."

The colonel stalked back to his gurney.

"I'm so sorry, Jack. I can skip the trip and go deal with them."

Colonel O'Neill blew out a breath and seemed to make a conscious effort to relax his posture. "No, Suz. It's fine. There's no need to change your plans for them."

"If you're sure?"

"Oh, I'm positive. I am surprised, however, that you let Leah and Amy anywhere near either Frank or Angela."

"The girls are never, ever, alone with either of them. Henry won't even use the bathroom without sending the girls to play in their room first. Who knows what the old man might say if given even half an opportunity?"

"Good. That's good."

Author's Note: Kind of a short chapter today. Sorry. Remember I don't post on Sundays so chapter 46 will go up on Monday. And because of the restructuring I did to elongate some chapters there are now only fifty chapters in this story, meaning the last chapter will post next Friday. Thanks for reading! ~ Vi