Recalling the feelings evoked by the sight of the nearly empty fridge and his mother's phone call, Jack did his shopping in a supermarket on the way home. Now she doesn't have to worry about me starving… - he thought, carrying the food he bought to his floor. It will surely be enough for a week… Especially considering how much time I spend at home.

He had barely put the bags down in the kitchen when the doorbell rang.

- Jackson Hudson? You have a package – said the man at the door. – Sign here, please. Thank you, have a nice evening! – he gave the package to Jack, who said thank you and took it to the kitchen.

- Thanks, Mum – Jack said aloud, taking the contents of the box out. – This place could be locked down for a month, and there would be still no lack of food. And the new ice-age can come, I still wouldn't feel too much of that… - he took out the warm clothes, making up half of the package.

He was packing the food in the fridge when the doorbell rang again.

- Hi Bobby, glad you got here so soon.

- Hi! Your apartment looks really good – the man stated. – I see you are well stocked with food… - he grinned, pointing at the boxes.

- Yes, my mother is convinced that I'll starve to death… or freeze in the spring cold… I couldn't have talked her out of this. Actually, I didn't even try it, I know her too well… if I did that, I would have surely had to listen for an hour to her lecture about since I haven't lived far from her for a long time before, I cannot take care of myself properly.

- Familiar situation… but my mother lives in Australia, so I rarely see her… we can only talk on the phone.

- I'd better call her, because otherwise she will be worried and do this herself, but then it won't last anything less than one hour… - Jack replied, and stretched his arm to grab his telephone. His mother answered the phone immediately.

- Hi Jackie, I'm glad you've called. How was your day?

- Hi Mum. Very good, just tiring. Thanks for the package, I've just received it.

- I'm really glad it arrived, son. Have you put the food into the fridge? You know that it can go bad soon.

- Yes Mum, it was the first thing I did.

- I'm glad you listened to my advice, son. So now you will surely not starve, and not freeze to death.

- No, Mum, indeed not. But I have to go now, I'll go out with a friend; this day was hard, we need a little relaxing.

- Somewhere? I hope not to a place where there are all kinds of women with bad reputation? You know that I didn't teach you this, son.

- No, Mum, we'll just have a drink, no reason to be worried.

- All right, Jackie, but don't drink too much, you have to work tomorrow and you know how important it is to be able to devote all your attention to work.

- Yes, Mum. But you know that I rarely drink alcohol, and if I do, I only drink a little.

- All right, son, I trust you. But you know, it's hard to get used to the thought that you don't live with us any more.

- I know, Mum, I miss all of you too, but I'll visit you soon. But I have to go now, my friend is waiting for me. Kiss Dad for me!

- All right Jackie, and take care of yourself. And don't forget to put on the warm clothes I sent you, you know how bad a cold you can catch if you don't dress properly.

- All right, Mum, I won't forget.

- I trust you won't. Good night, son.

- Good night, Mum – Jack ended the call. – This lasted surprisingly short… - he stated, turning towards Bobby. My mother is famous for being unable to end her phone conversations in a short time.

- Yes, my mother also wants to tell me a lot if we talk on the phone, but she can be understood, we only meet once a year, if we are lucky…

- Do you miss her?

- Yes, very much… Although it's good to live alone, when your parents don't tell you what to do.

- This is what I like in living alone… and although I love my family, it was a good decision to come to Washington. But I'm glad that I'll go home to visit them soon.

- I would also like to go home more often, but since my family lives „a bit" far… So as long as we only see teleportation on Star Trek, I have to accept the thought that I can only go home once a year, provided I'm lucky.

- I'm glad I only have to go as far as Wisconsin… I can see my family often – Jack replied. – But we'd better go, if we want to get home in a human time… - he added. – I'll just change and come back in a minute.

- We can go – Jack came out of his room a few minutes later, and the two men headed towards Bobby's favourite bar.

- Hi Larry – Bobby greeted the counter worker when getting to the bar.

- Hi Bobby, you are here again? You haven't been here for a long time…

- Yes, I have a lot to do nowadays… but I'll try and come more often. He is my teammate and friend, Jack Hudson – he introduced the rookie. – He is Larry Sanders, my favourite employee in this bar. And hopefully he'll become your favourite as well – he added, smiling at his friend.

- Hi, Larry Sanders – the man offered his hand.

- Jack Hudson – the rookie shook hands with him.

- Bobby said you've just moved to Washington. Great place, you'll see that soon.

- Yes, it is very beautiful indeed. I've had a lot of work so far and didn't really have time to discover the city, but hopefully this will also happen soon.

- You can be sure about that, Jack – his friend replied. – As soon as this case is over, I'll show you the city.

- That would be great… - the rookie said. – It's good if one also sees something of the city where he lives.

- What made you want to work for the FBI? – Bobby asked, after they received their drinks.

- I have always been attracted by the idea of serving my country… Although I must admit that I decided to apply to the FBI when I realized that there wasn't too much hope for my dreams about becoming a professional hockey player to become true – Jack smiled.

- Although we would have loved to watch you play in the World Championship final with the national team… - Bobby grinned.

- Well, it was a great shock when it became clear that I have to wait with this until my next life, but let's look at its brighter side. I love this job and I'm happy I can serve my country – Jack replied. – And you? What made you decide to work for the FBI? – he asked.

- As a child I always dreamt of saving the world from the bad guys… and this dream remained later as well. So after college, I applied to the FBI … and I'm here since then. I am always happy at the thought that I can do what I like… although I have doubts about this… but these cease soon. I love my job, and the greatest feeling that fills me every day is that I've done something for my country again.

- Yes… I also love my job and know that this is what I have always wanted… although some factors often try to shake me in this belief… - the rookie smiled.

- Don't worry about Myles – Bobby reassured him, who immediately knew what his friend was talking about. – He received all of us with the same enthusiasm… and now our relation with him is quite good.

- I also hope he changes his behaviour… It's a bit hard to work while one's trainer, who should help in everything, looks more like a lemon than a person, always grumbles at everything, and never has a cheerful moment…

- After a while he'll be friendlier, he's just morose at the beginning… but you'll also see soon that in fact, he is a good person – Bobby replied.

- I hope that this „soon" will really be in a short time… - Jack sighed. – It's quite distressing to work knowing that you cannot expect too much support from your training agent.

- This will be the case, you'll see – Bobby assured him. – When he became my training agent, he behaved the same way with me, and I felt the same way as you… But then we got used to working together… and perhaps we even started liking each other a bit.

- But he isn't your training agent any more… And no matter what your relationship is like now, you are surely glad you got a new training agent.

- Yes… D is more helpful, and doesn't spend his days grumbling… although without doubt it is a real experience to watch Myles when he is angry at something and is trying to get out of it… which of course he does in vain and thus becomes angrier… and even funnier… - Bobby replied grinning.

- I hope I will also have the luck of meeting this Myles, otherwise these two years will be hard… - Jack sighed.

- Or you'll have so much luck that you'll get a new training agent… - Bobby said. – But if you won't, and survive the trials caused by Myles, you'll be a hero at the FBI, so think over what you would like… - he added grinning.

- Now that you are asking, what I would like the most now is to solve this case, so that Myles can see as well that I didn't get to the FBI by chance.

- He will, he just needs a little time – Bobby said.

- I hope this time will really be short… Moving to a new city, far from my family is enough for me, I don't need a constantly complaining training agent in the next two years – the rookie sighed. – But let's not talk about work now… we'll have a busy day tomorrow anyway.

- You are right… And, have you met a nice girl since you've come here? – Bobby asked.

- Nice girl? I haven't even met many people besides work, I had so much to do since I got to the FBI – Jack sighed.

- Well, if you haven't met any until now, you will definitely meet one in the near future… There are lots of beautiful girls in Washington – his friend said with the knowledge of an expert. – For example here – he looked round smiling.

- Yes, many beautiful girls go to bars… - Jack remarked. – In fact, I don't understand why.

- Maybe because they don't find a guy for themselves anywhere else… - Bobby replied. – But Jack… This sounded as if you would get to know women in bars often.

- Well, this has already happened… and not once… - his friend admitted.

- But you won't find the love of your life here… - the Australian man said.

- Who knows… we cannot exclude anything… But I believe that now that I broke up with my girlfriend, about whom I thought that our relationship would last for ever, I believe I won't look for another relationship for a while.

- You know that… but in the end, a girl may just appear and make you forget your promise – Bobby laughed.

- Maybe not… - Jack replied. – But what about you? Did you leave someone in Australia, or you've found the love of your life here?

- I haven't found any girl in Washington about whom I would know that she is the one I have been waiting for all my life… But I left a very nice girl at home… who is a very good friend of mine. Catherine… – he smiled, when recalling her face, her smile… the memory of the many days they spent playing together.

- Your gaze became dreamy… - Jack remarked. – Love?

- I don't know – his friend sighed. – We are so good friends that while I was living at home, I had never thought there could be anything more between us. But since I came here, I think of her very much… I miss her a lot…

- Sometimes we have to go to the other part of the world to see what is right before us… - Jack said the great truth.

- Yes, you are right… - Bobby replied, staring before himself.

- Do you know what you are going to do? – Jack asked.

- No… - the Australian man sighed. – But time and distance will decide that.

- Time is a great ally… - Jack remarked. – It gives the answer to our questions.

- Yes… Time will decide – Bobby mused. – It's really late… - he glanced to his watch suddenly. – And tomorrow we'll have a hard day…

- Time has flied really fast… - Jack stated. – But in good company… - he smiled at his friend.

- Well indeed, I could have talked until morning, but work is work – the Australian man sighed. – So we have to go… But we can come back later as well.

- Yes, I would be glad if we did so; I really like this place – Jack replied.

- So we've agreed on this – his friend said, then they said goodbye to Larry and stepped out to the street.

- Good night – Bobby said, when they got to Jack's apartment. – We'll meet tomorrow, have a rest… as much as you can after such a long day.

- I'll try… and thanks for taking me to the bar, it's a great place – Jack replied. – Good night!

Stepping into his apartment, Jack took his coat off and threw his keys on the table. He felt that although he missed his family, he started liking life in Washington. He loved his job, got to an excellent team, and found great friends in his teammates… at least in the majority of them. He hoped that sooner or later his relationship with Myles would also become settled. He and Bobby understood each other really well, and Jack felt this is the beginning of a great friendship. Yes… it was a good decision to apply for a job at the FBI – he thought, before drifting off to sleep.