"He... really said that." The last thing Max knew, after telling Erik he needed some time and space, was that his former vampire master had vanished. He was gone from the ship and no one knew where he went. Max always blamed himself. He thought maybe telling Erik to go away made him disappear into the terrible Nothing. But if he's been here all this time instead...?

"I want to be friends," Max bursts out suddenly. "I... I was so afraid something bad happened to him. But if he's here and he's with you then... it's okay." Relief washes over him with so much force he has to lean on the table to not fall over. "Everything's... okay." He says it with so much disbelief it's like he's trying to convince himself about it.