[In light of his experiences, calling Trench a clean slate is clearly particularly traumatizing for John, and maybe, she thinks, it's understandable. She looks back at him, trying to maintain her calm in the face of his anger. It's fine. It's not directed at her.]

This place is what we make of it. If you want a fresh start, away from your old home, and all the problems you faced there, then you can have it. If you don't... Well, I don't know. It's not like there isn't plenty of new threats and problems here. Are you really sure you want to pick up that same path again? Especially given it's not the same threats, or the same people you knew before? Especially since there's people you care about getting caught up in the crossfire?

[He does care about them, doesn't he? All these young people he's rallied to his side, and the people from his own world who have found themselves here as well? She's relatively sure he does, otherwise the river wouldn't have such an affect on him, and probably, Never Mind wouldn't be putting them through this again.]