Skaara slapped an exuberant hand against Daniel's arm before he practically bounced down the steps to greet the others. His face was alight with joy as he spoke to Jack, to Teal'c, to Sam - as himself, not as Klorel's host. After three years of daily, hourly torment, he was finally free.

Daniel felt the happy expression on his face congeal as he watched Skaara turn away from Jack's embrace to formally clasp hands with Teal'c in a gesture of acknowledgement and acceptance. He forced himself to keep his smile in place and fought down yet another wave of regret.

This Skaara wasn't the laughing, mischievous good brother he had known and loved in his year on Abydos, the youth who had dared to storm the very gates of heaven to battle at his sister's side and throw down the greatest of the System Lords. This was a man: wiser, graver, his knowledge infinitely expanded and his psyche almost irretrievably wounded. He wore Tok'ra clothing as casually as Klorel had donned his elaborate costumes, and Daniel wondered if Skaara would ever be as comfortable in Abydon robes again.

No, Daniel told himself firmly. You're happy for Skaara. You are.

He covered the spasm of pain with a casual rub of his nose. The smile, still a little frozen, stayed firmly on his face... and if his regret at Skaara's unseen scars was compounded a thousand fold by the wave of bitter resentment that the Tok'ra hadn't done the same thing for Sha're - well, that was no one's business but his own.