It took almost an hour before she could cry. At first it was just too fresh, too new, for her to set aside and make room for tears instead. She could think of nothing but her father, of all the things he'd accused her of, and she was full of hate. Then her thoughts were of no one but Mode, of all the things he'd done for her, and she was full of despair. She'd lost him. All they had gone through was now, it seemed, for nothing, because he had been taken away from her again.

The last time had seemed hopeless, but at least she had known he was not in Charybdis. Now he was. He was locked away, and while she had been quick to promise that she would save him, now it seemed so... bleak. Kat remembered bleak. She also remembered being alone, and the loneliness she had held at bay while Owen helped her escape now engulfed her, and she began to cry.

Mode... Mode... how can I live without you?

She buried her face in her hands and curled on the bed, sobbing brokenly, her breath coming in harsh, strained gasps as she struggled to breathe around the tears. It hurt so much, being by herself again; it had been too long since she'd had to survive without him, and although deep down Kat knew she could do whatever it took to get him back, her grief was too much to be reasoned away.

Please... please, Mode, I'll come for you, but... you have to live until I reach you. Please live. For me, for Jacks, for... for us. Live for us, and I swear, I'll do anything to save you. Anything. I promise.

Kat cried every night of that two month journey, but when the transport landed and she took her first step back onto Earth, there were no tears left.