It had been one slow week for Alex. Meals were always tense and quiet, and sleep rarely came. Tonight, Alex was feeling especially lonely since it marked one official week since Kara's departure.

She was looking at the picture, and tears were pooling at the bottom of her eyes. She brushed her finger over Kara's face, her hair, her hands. And all she wanted in that moment was to be with her. Whatever Kara was going through, whatever pain she was feeling. Alex just wanted to be there to help her get through it. But she knew that wasn't a possibility right now.

Alex also couldn't help but notice the impact Kara's capture had on the family. Jeremiah barely ever came to eat meals, he was always locked away in his study trying to find some answers. Trying to find Kara. He had become almost cold, hardened by his resolve. He didn't have time for anything except finding Kara.

Eliza was just all over the place. She was an emotional wreck. Sometimes, she wouldn't even come home until midnight because she was throwing herself into her work. Trying to forget. At times, she would try to stay strong for Alex, and be overly peppy. The other times, she wouldn't even try to hide her true sadness and desperation. She would break down and sob for hours.

Alex found everything changing. School was about to start, and she really was not in the mood to be spending hours a day in that prison. Especially without Kara there. It would be the first time in half a year that Alex wouldn't have Kara there. Everything was going to be different.

She was also suffering from major depression and withdrawal. Sometimes she wouldn't even eat, too distraught to work up an appetite. The only thing keeping her going was her promise to Kara.

Kara, I swear on my life. I will come for you. I will find you, okay? Even if it takes months, years, decades. I will find you. I promise you that.

She had promised that she would find and save Kara from whatever hell she was stuck in. The hell she chose to suffer through, in order to save her family.

And that promise alone was enough to give Alex the will to go on.

She realized sitting around and moping wasn't going to help anyone, so she decided to take action.

She quietly crept down to her father's study, so as not to wake Eliza, and opened the door a crack.

Jeremiah's shoulders were slumped, his eyes fighting to stay open. He looked like he hadn't slept in days. But he was still vigilant enough to notice Alex's head peeking through the door.

"Hey, honey. Come in." He beckoned her forward. "It feels like I haven't seen you in days."

Alex responded simply,"That's because you haven't. You don't come out for meals, you don't even come out to say hi anymore. It's only been a week, and all of us are already getting run down. I can't help but think... Dad, what's going to happen to this family if we can't find Kara?"

Jeremiah's eyes glimmer with unshed tears. "That's not a possibility we should be thinking about." He looked at his daughter's frown. Her tear streaks. And he realized what a horrible father he had been. He was too busy trying to save one daughter, that he didn't even notice how badly the other was suffering. He needed to apologize.

"Alex, I'm so sorry that I have been neglecting you. I didn't realize you felt this way. It's just that I made a promise to her that I would find her, and I have every intention of keeping that promise. I guess I have been working a little too hard trying to save her, that I've been ignoring you. I'm sorry."

Alex's face softened. "It's no problem, Dad. Seriously. I don't feel like you've been ignoring me, I was just worried because I didn't get to see you these past couple days. I had no idea how you were doing." She walked towards Jeremiah and wrapped him in a hug. They melted into each other's embrace. It was each of their first hugs since their goodbyes to Kara. And it felt so comforting to know that they were not in this alone. As Alex pulled away, something fell out of her pocket.

Jeremiah dropped down to pick it up, and discovered the picture. He immediately teared up when he saw her face. "I remember this moment. This day. I can't believe it was only last week. Did Kara give this to you?"

Alex nodded. "There were two, so we each took one. They represent the promises we made to each other, the night she was taken. She promised that she wouldn't ever give up hope that I would find her and that she wouldn't cry. That she would stay strong, for us. I promised her that I would find her, no matter what. I swore to her that I would come and save her." She felt on the verge of a breakdown, remembering their last conversation. She paused to compose herself. "Dad, we have to find her."

Jeremiah wiped the falling tears from his face, and hugged his oldest daughter. With all he had. "Trust me, Alex. We will. I didn't know you made her the same promise as me. I guess it falls on both of us now to find her."

Alex looked into her Dad's eyes. "That's right, Dad. It means that you don't have to do it alone, anymore. We both told her we would save her, and that's what we're gonna do."

Jeremiah nodded, determination building. "We can do this. Together. It's what Kara would have wanted." He paused to look Alex dead in the eyes. He saw how serious she had become, and realized just how quickly Alex was forced to grow up. What, with Kara's sudden arrival and her subsequent sudden leave.

He attempted to lighten the mood. "I hope you realize this doesn't mean you're getting out of school, young lady." He cracked a small smile.

Alex returned it with a tiny laugh.

Barely noticeable, but still there.

"Aw man, I was really hoping I would at least be able to weasel out of a couple weeks." She paused and pretended to consider. "Not even a day?"

Jeremiah laughed, too. "Not even an hour."

They both shook their heads, lightly laughing. Enjoying each other's company.

The future looked bleak, but the night had given both father and daughter a tiny speck of hope. And that's all they needed to renew their resolve.

Alex sobered up, returning to the main concern at hand. "Dad, where do we start? And more importantly, how can I help?"

Jeremiah couldn't help but feel slightly emboldened by his daughter's renewed enthusiasm. His daughter's willingness to help. He thought to himself.

Maybe everything will work out. We'll find Kara soon and things will go back to normal. Alex will have her sister back, and she'll have her happiness back. Our family will be complete again. Everything is going to be just fine.

Oh, how wrong he was.