"I do not see why it has to be you who does this!" Annika's voice was filled with disapproval, and Chakotay couldn't help but let out an annoyed huff. He had tried to explain it multiple times to her already, but she didn't seem to understand it. Or didn't want to understand it. He placed the neatly folded lumberjack-style button-up shirt into his duffle bag before he looked up at Annika. She was standing on the other side of the large bed, her arms crossed in front of her. The sour expression in her face told him that even if he tried to explain it to her one more time, they would end up arguing about it again.

After 2 years of dating, Annika was becoming clingy, pushing him to take their relationship to a phase he was not prepared to enter yet. If he was honest with himself, her being this forceful was one of the reasons why he was doing this. He needed time and space to think. He had always had a thing for blondes and Annika was totally his type. She was several years younger than him and had a promising career as a model ahead of her. Her feminine attributes made men sweat for a good mile around her and she was decidedly smarter than his previous girlfriends, which was a bonus... but an engagement and then marriage? He wasn't in love with her enough to make this kind of commitment. Attracted - yes, compatible lifestyle - yes, similar goals in life - yes, but love… real and true and honest love? Chakotay wasn't so sure.

"It is my company, Annika, and these employees are my responsibility. If you don't understand it, then I am sorry, but I am doing this. End of discussion."

He flung another pair of socks into the bag before closing its zipper. He was getting tired of having to justify his every action. B'Elanna was waiting outside and he didn't have the time nor the energy to discuss this any further. He grabbed the bag, lifted it off the bed and headed towards the door. Annika stopped him by placing a hand on his chest and giving him a puppy-eyed look. Chakotay let out a short breath before wrapping his arm around her to touch her lower back. She had always managed to make him mad quickly, but she also always managed to pull this innocent facial expression that made him forget how upset he was and made him forgive her.

"It's only for a few weeks."

Annika nodded. "I know. Just promise me you'll be back in time for Christmas."

He knew it wasn't Christmas itself she wanted him back for. It was the Vogue magazine charity event, but he nodded anyway. She wanted to fly out to the Caribbean afterwards for New Year's and Chakotay was in need of a nice holiday as well. The last year at the company had been rather stressful and a bit of sun after his upcoming stay in miserably cold Indiana would probably do him good. He placed a quick kiss on her lips before he whispered "I promise."

He patted her butt before he pushed past her. "I've really got to go now. B'Elanna is waiting in the parking lot for me."

She nodded. "Ring me when you get there."

"I will." Chakotay smiled briefly before heading out of the room, leaving his penthouse apartment to meet B'Elanna.

"I thought you'd never get out of there!" B'Elanna was lazily leaning against a large, pale blue pickup truck as Chakotay approached her, chewing on a piece of gum. "Let me guess, your stick insect girlfriend wanted to guilt-trip you out of it again?"

She watched him closely as he dropped his bag to her feet and put both of his hands on his hips before letting out a long breath. His best friend pushed herself off the vehicle. Chakotay did not respond to her question, which B'Elanna took as a confirmation of her suspicions. She had never made her disapproval of Annika a secret and she wasn't about to start now either.

"I honestly don't know why you're dating her," she said as she reached for his bag. "She's a gold digger and you know it. You're twice her age and the two of you have nothing in common."

B'Elanna was lucky she was one of Chakotay's oldest friends, otherwise he would've never put up with her constant nagging about Annika. He didn't like it as it made him uncomfortable because deep-down he knew she had a point. A good one.

He tugged his ear. "Are you done?"

"I'm done when you get it into that thick skull of yours that you should dump her," she mumbled as she turned her back to him to pull open the door of the pick-up truck to throw his duffle in. The car looked like it was at least 30 years old; mottled beige leather seats rounding off the altogether shabby and rusty look.

Chakotay's mouth fell slightly open. "Don't tell me that's my ride?"

She grinned as she slammed the door shut. "It is, boss."

"You have got to be joking!?"

She held up the keys like they were a prized possession before dropping them into his hand. "Nope. That's your new car."

He snorted. "New?"

She held up her hands in defense. "Hey, you were the one who wanted to go undercover. You can't show up there with your sleek, green Jag, claiming to be a new trainee from headquarters."

He slowly exhaled. She was right, of course. If he wanted to avoid having to shut down that factory he had to play his role well and find the reason why Bloomington was losing them millions of dollars.

B'Elanna loudly chewed her gum as she watched Chakotay do his thinking. She could tell he didn't like it. Ever since Maquis Industries took off ten years ago and he started earning a multi-million dollar fortune, he had gone soft. Spoiled. This experience was certainly something that might bring him back to his roots and normal sense of thinking. At least, so she hoped.

"Anything else I need?" He grunted while he swung the keys in his hands.

"Except your fake ID and HQs paperwork...no." She pointed at the car. "I've put them on the passenger seat. Your name is Jack Tay, you started working at Maquis two months ago and are required to undergo several training sessions in various Maquis locations, so you can help the shuttle design department max out our production capacity."

Chakotay pulled up an eyebrow at her. "Jack Tay? Wow, that's very original, B'Elanna."

She folded her arms in front of her chest while giving him an annoyed look. "Chakotay, they're a bunch of farmers in the middle of nowhere. Nobody is going to figure out you're actually their boss. Besides, nobody ever refers to you as Chakotay. It's always Mister Miller."

He sighed. "I guess you're right."

"Of course I am." She formed a chewing gum bubble, which she let pop loudly. "Now, you better get going. Otherwise you might get lost on your way. Apparently they don't have as many street lamps there as we do here in New York."

Chakotay rolled his eyes. "It's a big city. It's not that different."

"Yeah, but you forget that our factory isn't actually in Bloomington. It's a few miles outside in some village… or small town… or whatever."

He slowly approached the car, opening the driver's door before giving the interior disapproving lookover. "Why do you make me drive anyway? It's 13 hours of driving and flying would be so much more convenient."

"I know." She tapped her fingers on the bonnet. "But I figured you need time to think ...and when you fly I can't check what rental car you pick up."

He eyed her suspiciously. "You don't trust me?"

She smiled, waving a hand through the air. "Well… you have turned into a bit of a... comfortable... bear."

"Are you saying I've gotten fat and lazy?"

She snickered. "I wouldn't put it that way but since you've said it… You're not the chiseled handsome warrior you used to be. Your athletic physique has turned into a bit of a squishy dad-body and your down-to-earth, nature-admiring, outdoorsy and friendly-guy character has gotten replaced by a glamor-loving, luxury bachelor persona."

His mouth fell briefly open, then snapped shut.

"Okay, I've heard enough," he grumbled before getting into the truck. "I'm going."

He slammed the door shut so violently that a small piece of rusted paint crumbled off and dropped to the floor. He hastily wheeled down the window, internally cursing himself for letting her sort all this out. He seriously hoped his stay in Indiana wasn't as bad as he imagined.

"You better take care of my company." His warning tone was not lost on B'Elanna, yet she still smiled at him cheekily anyway. She pushed herself away from the car before she gave him a mocking salute.

"Aye-aye, boss. You didn't make me vice president for nothing."

He snorted. "I made you vice president because you helped me get this company off the ground and because you are an excellent engineer; not because your skills in diplomacy and responsible management are top notch… because… they suck."

She squinted her eyes, placing both hands on her hips. "Get going old man, before I go and change your hotel booking from the lovely inn I've chosen to a run-down motel with no heating."

Chakotay laughed before he started the engine. Torres really was something else. As much as they've argued, he was really going to miss her in the next few weeks. He had no doubt that B'Elanna would manage the company well in his absence, but the thought of him actually leaving made him slightly uncomfortable. Yes, he had somewhat looked forward to it, but Indiana was a long way off and God only knew what unfamiliar territory would await him there.