"Of course it's nice, knowing someone wants to protect you," I answered and I was teasing her a little, but at the same time, I was utterly sincere. Before Peter and the Island, I hadn't had that in my life. My mother had tried, of course, but my father had been a violent man when he was in his cups, which he often was. She did her best, but there was really only so much she could do when he would start in on her before he turned the violence on me.

On the Island, I'd had a pack of boys who looked out for me. Or so I'd thought. It wasn't until Darrow that I really began to understand what it meant to look after someone and to have them look after me in return.

"Maybe when I have to leave, I'll get a cat," I said, then looked at Rosie. "Weren't you frightened? Moving out?"