Chakotay grunted in frustration. The mapping app on his phone was no good without a signal and the paper map B'Elanna had packed for him wasn't detailed enough to find his way. He'd been driving around on country roads outside of Bloomington for 20 minutes now, asking the very few people he found for directions.
"Goldenbird Inn? Yeah, just go straight ahead. You can't miss it," is what he kept hearing, but the damn inn was nowhere to be found. He pulled over multiple times, scanning the shitty map, slamming his hands on the steering wheel before continuing to drive again. He already hated Indiana and he hadn't even arrived properly yet.
Just as he was about to pull over again to vent his anger, a small wooden sign caught his attention. It was tilting to one side and covered in moss and snow, but Goldenbird Inn was clearly readable. Chakotay slowed down, peeking in the direction the sign post was pointing. No wonder he hadn't found it. The road was old and snowed over and looked more like an old farming track than anything.
Tree branches scratched along the outside of the car as he made his way up the snow-covered dirt track, making him internally thank B'Elanna for being wise enough to pick out a horrible car with good traction for him on which additional damage wouldn't matter. He would've probably been in tears if he'd had to drive this road with his Jaguar. Fairly quickly, the dense woodland cleared and before him stood a large white farmhouse, on top of a hill.
The landscape was already covered in snow. Daylight slowly disappeared over the horizon and the lighted Christmas decorations, which illuminated the old homestead, made the place look almost romantic. After parking his shabby truck, he grabbed his duffle and made his way into the house. A small bell attached to the door gave Chakotay's presence away as he stepped into the cozy warmth of the building. He had barely reached the unoccupied check-in counter when a small, gray haired woman emerged from the left. She held her arms open and before Chakotay knew what was happening, she had wrapped him into a tight hug.
"You must be Jack", she said as she squeezed him. Confused, he quickly wrapped his arms around her small frame and patted her back.
"I am."
Slowly she let go of him, keeping her hands on his elbows to look at him. "Welcome to Goldenbird Inn. My name is Gretchen and I'm the owner. I've been expecting you."
She pulled her lips into a lopsided smile before she finally let go of him. Giving him a gentle pat on the arm, Gretchen turned to the counter to grab a room key. Just as she was about to hand it to him, Chakotay extended his hand, but she snatched her key-holding fingers back.
"No, before I give you the keys, let me give you a quick tour of the house", she added hastily and Chakotay tugged his ear. He was only going to sleep here, spending the evenings working on his laptop in his room to lessen B'Elanna's and Mike's workload while he was gone, but if Gretchen insisted, he couldn't really object.
"Oh-Okay."
Gretchen smiled before she led him into a large living room, which was richly decorated with Christmas ornaments. She pointed out all the room's highlights, showing him the firewood bin and explaining to him how to light the fireplace, before she moved on to the kitchen to show him where she had hidden snacks and drinks. She led him out the back of the house to point at various farm buildings, then upon returning to the kitchen, fed him gingerbread cookies and showed him how to operate the old kitchen gadgets.
Before Chakotay could comprehend everything that was happening, he was sitting in his room, a hot cup of cocoa in one hand and the keys to the barn in the other. Somewhere along the line Gretchen had put him in charge of firewood chopping and carrying it into the firewood bin during the whole duration of his stay.
"Everybody must pull their weight," she had said and Chakotay was still unsure how she had managed to make him agree to it. She had let him off the hook for tonight since it was already dark outside and because he had a long drive behind him, but tomorrow he was on duty. He hadn't chopped wood since his teenage years in his hometown of Trebus County, but he could still wield an ax without hurting himself… or at least so he hoped.
Chakotay took a sip of his hot chocolate before he placed the barn keys on the small sideboard and pulled out his phone and laptop. He promised Annika he'd phone her and he still had some work to get on with before he would dive into the full 'Indiana experience' tomorrow.
The wooden floorboards creaked as Chakotay walked down the staircase. He had slept better than he could ever remember and was eager to get his day underway.
"Good morning, Jack," called a male voice, and as soon as Chakotay turned the corner of the stairs he spotted a young, blond-haired man fiddling around at the check-in counter.
"Good morning," he greeted him back, walking closer to the stranger. "You are…?"
The man gave him a boyish grin before he extended his hand over the counter to shake Chakotay's.
"Tom. Tom Paris. Gretchen's nephew."
"Pleasure to meet you, Tom."
The two of them had barely finished eyeing each other when Gretchen turned the corner. She looked extremely cheerful, her eyes sparkling as she watched the two handsome young men in her hallway. She was clad in a red polka dotted apron and smiled warmly. "I see you boys have met," she prattled as she pushed Tom aside to inspect something behind the counter.
"Oh, Tom," she sighed in exasperation, staring underneath the edge of the counter.
"I can fix it, I promise", he defended himself and she stood back up firmly before patting him on the back.
"You can do it later… after you've had something to eat and showed Jack the way down to his new workplace." She smiled brightly, heading back towards the kitchen. "Now come, my dearies, breakfast is ready."
Chakotay looked at Tom, slightly confused because his booking didn't include breakfast. Tom only smiled, gesturing towards the kitchen, urging him to follow Gretchen.
"The lady of the house has spoken. You better do as she says or you're in for a hard time," he joked as he gave Chakotay a slight nudge to get him moving.
Fresh waffles, homemade jams, delicious syrup and fruit greeted Chakotay as he stepped into the kitchen and took a seat at the table. Gretchen triple-checked if he was happy with waffles for breakfast and Chakotay found that he couldn't stop smiling. She was fussing over him more than his own mother had ever done, and he decided that he liked Gretchen and Goldenbird Inn very much. It had such a homey vibe. The conversation during breakfast flew easily and Tom was surprisingly funny.
By the time he was done eating and wrapped into his winter clothing, Chakotay knew that Gretchen had two daughters (one married with two kids, the other dating the local doctor), that her husband died many years ago in a tragic accident and that she relied heavily on her brother Owen and his son Tom to help run the farm. Gretchen also loved working in the kitchen - a talent that one of her daughters never inherited. He had also found out that the road he'd driven up to the house yesterday wasn't the way he had been supposed to come-it was the backroad to the homestead.
"Ready?" Tom finished tossing a scarf around his neck.
Chakotay nodded. "Ready."
The duo exited the house and climbed into Chakotay's truck. Almost immediately, Tom cranked up the heating, even though it wouldn't be blowing out warm air straight away. He rubbed his gloved hands to warm himself.
"So, how long are you staying?"
After the third try the engine finally jumped on and Chakotay drove carefully down the main driveway. Overnight the temperatures had dropped immensely and a thin layer of ice, as well as fresh snow, covered the road.
"Just up til Christmas."
Tom blew his fingers to keep them from going stiff. "Three weeks, huh? That's not very long."
Chakotay only smiled. Even though everyone he met so far was nice, Indiana wasn't exactly his dream location. After years living in the city, the rural way of life wasn't what he was used to anymore. Perhaps B'Elanna had been right about him getting too used to luxurious comfort.
"What kind of training are you doing at Maquis?"
After a few minutes of driving, the houses gradually began appearing closer together and the surrounding area started to look a lot more civilized. Even though he was in the countryside there was more to this little place than he had remembered from his initial visits years ago. The small town actually looked quite lovely. Slow paced and perhaps a dash out of date, but welcoming nonetheless.
"Aerodynamics… Well, not aerodynamics per-se. More the whole production process of aerodynamic shuttle parts, the assembly of components and the whole logistics around it."
Interested, Tom nodded. "I'd always wanted to work at Maquis. Hopefully to become a mechanic and do test flights."
Chakotay glanced at him sideways. "Why didn't you?"
Tom began fiddling with the buttons of the car's heating and radio. "Failed the entry exam. Apparently I'm not smart enough."
Chakotay somehow doubted his words. From what he had gathered Tom was quite the handyman when it came to fixing things. Gretchen was boasting at breakfast just how great Tom was in repairing cars and tractors and all sorts of engines from neighbouring farms. He had apparently even built his own drivable vehicle at the tender age of thirteen.
"Yeah, I've heard the test is pretty hard," Chakotay agreed with him, knowing well enough, of course, how strenuous and demanding the application process for test pilots was. He and B'Elanna had developed it to make sure only the most qualified personnel would be handling their prototypes. "Why didn't you start working as something else and then see if you can shift departments?"
Tom snickered sarcastically. "Maquis isn't really a company where you can work your way up. My cousin has been working for them for 5 years and she's still stuck in the same position where she started, earning the same shitty wage. I think I'll give that a pass."
Chakotay frowned. As far as he was aware his company offered excellent opportunities to rise in position, shifting departments and even locations if the staff handed in a request.
Tom pointed at the junction ahead of them. "Turn left there and we're here."
Chakotay was surprised to see that the building he had purchased 8 years prior looked a lot more run down than he remembered. A new paint job and quite a bit of repair work on the facade was definitely in order - assuming this company branch was worth keeping. He was still leaning over the steering wheel, staring out at the building ahead of him as he heard Tom open the car door.
"I assume you'll find your own way around and then back to the inn?"
"I will, thanks, Tom."
The young man nodded before he slid out of the vehicle.
"Oh Tom, how are you getting back?"
Tom smiled. "Don't worry about me. I'll pick up some stuff at the hardware store first and then I'll hitch a ride back. I'll be fine. You have a good day!"
"Thanks, you too."
After Tom slammed the door shut Chakotay let out a long breath. This was going to be interesting. From the outside the building looked nothing like the one he had bought, and he hoped that the inside was in better condition.
He buried his hands in his pockets after he entered through the heavy factory doors. The inside was much colder than he'd anticipated, and even the woman behind the reception was wearing a coat. So much for his hope that his first (or rather: second) impression might have been wrong.
"Hi. I'm Jack Tay", he greeted as he leaned over the reception counter to look at the woman who was typing on a keyboard while wearing gloves. She gave him a friendly smile, but didn't seem to be familiar with his name.
"Welcome", she greeted back. "How may I help you?"
"I'm the new intern from Headquarters."
Still, it didn't seem like the receptionist knew what he wanted. He quickly licked his lips, wondering why the front desk was unaware of his arrival.
"I've been sent from New York. I'm supposed to do some training in the aerodynamics department," he elaborated, but the woman only shook his head.
"I'm sorry, but I don't know of any such arrangement." She stopped typing before she picked up the phone. "Let me call staff management, perhaps they can help you."
Chakotay started pacing up and down the corridor - which was bathed in a dark yellow, horrible light - to keep himself warm. The staff manager took much longer to arrive than he had expected and he was on his twelfth turn when suddenly a small, red haired woman came towards him. She extended a hand and smiled friendly.
"Mister Tay, I presume?"
He took her hand and shook it. "That's right."
"I'm Kathryn Janeway, secretary of staff manager Mister Kim. I'm sorry you had to wait this long, but we were unaware of your arrival."
Her hair was pulled up into a tight bun, her milky white skin was sprinkled with fair freckles, but her blue eyes shone like diamonds. She wasn't Chakotay's type at all, and yet she had something about her that made him want to draw closer and closer. Perhaps it was that grin she had on her rosy lips.
"I've called Headquarters and a Mister Ayala confirmed your temporary transfer to our facility." She began to lead him down the corridor and into the production halls of the factory while talking comfortably. "I'm sorry I can't give you a detailed description of what your training here with us will entail as we're still waiting on further information from HQ, but I can show you the facility and acquaint you with your new colleagues."
He held open a heavy firedoor for her, unable to stop smiling for some reason. "That would be lovely, Miss Janeway."
"Kathryn, please. We don't stand on ceremony here." She waltzed past him and Chakotay caught himself looking at her backside as it swayed slightly while she walked. As she turned round to face him again, he feared she had caught him staring for a second and nervously tugged his ear.
"Here we are. Your new workplace, Jack." She tried out his first name.
He looked at her for a second and Kathryn shifted from one leg to the other, unsure if he was okay with her dropping formality too. Slowly she gravitated closer to him.
"Is it alright if I call you Jack?"
He removed his hand from his ear, placed it on his hip and smiled. "Of course, Kathryn," he said, liking the feel of her name in his mouth.
She patted him on the chest, surprising him with her action. "Good."
She let her hand linger on him as she turned to face a tall, dark man behind her; unaware of the sweet, exciting tingle that crept up Chakotay's spine due her warm touch. "This is Tuvok. He'll be in charge of you today and teach you our ways."
Chakotay didn't know whether it was her warm hand on his chest or her raspy yet sexy voice that did it, but suddenly a warm, calming feeling started to spread through his body.
She patted him again, before she let go of him and stepped towards the exit. "I'm gonna leave you boys alone then. I have some other matters to attend to, but I will drop by later when HQ has sent all the details for your temporary transfer."
Before she disappeared she turned round again and gave him a lopsided smile and a pulled up eyebrow. "Welcome to the Bloomington branch of Maquis Industries, Jack. I hope you will enjoy your time with us."
He gave her a dimpled smile. "I'm sure I will."
After Kathryn had exited the room, Chakotay found himself staring at the grey door through which she had just left, still grinning. Perhaps Indiana wasn't so bad after all.
Lunchtime had come and gone and it wasn't until mid-afternoon that Chakotay saw Kathryn again. She stopped by only briefly to hand over Chakotay's training plan to Tuvok, and Chakotay felt sorry that she didn't stay a little longer to talk to him. Tuvok was a quiet but kind man, who explained everything precisely, though perhaps with a little lack of emotion.
Even though all the blueprints for new shuttles found their way onto his CEO desk for approval, Chakotay was surprised at the extensive knowledge he was lacking. His job focused nowadays on delegating and negotiating rather than engineering. This was his first hands-on experience with the newest Maquis shuttle design, the Voyager. It was their largest aircraft yet, especially designed for scientific research in remote areas. He had to hand it to B'Elanna and her engineering team, the design was rather impressive and the aerodynamics were outstanding. Built to withstand strong winds and harsh weather conditions, furnished internally with a small science lab and seating for a crew of 15, the Voyager was any research team's dream come true.
By the time his first day's work was over, it had gotten dark already and Chakotay struggled to find his way back to the Inn. After a mile or two the road became less and less illuminated by streetlamps and he drove past the inn's driveway twice before he saw the turn. Silly really, because if you came the right way, Goldenbird Inn looked like a glowing orb from the bottom of the small hill and hence couldn't really be missed.
"Don't bother taking off your coat, dearie" was the first thing he heard slipping from Gretchen's lips as he entered the cozy house. Before he could question her meaning, Gretchen handed him a lit oil lamp, a large basket and the keys to the barn.
"Don't think I'm letting you off the hook today," she teased, raising an eyebrow while a wicked grin graced her lips. "You'll find the axe to your right when you enter the barn. Three baskets full should be enough for tonight."
With that she sent him back out into the cold and Chakotay stood on the porch for a few seconds wondering how she had gotten him out of the door. Gretchen certainly had a way of getting what she wanted. He glanced down at the items in his hands, letting out a deep breath.
He crunched his way through the snow to the barn, surprised to find the door slightly opened. A faint light was visible at the back as well as clicking noises. As Chakotay walked closer, he spotted Tom crouched on the floor tinkering with the engine of something that looked like a mower.
"Hey, Tom."
Paris wiped his face before turning round to look at him. "Oh hey, Jack. What are you doing here?"
He held up the lamp and the basket and Tom knowingly giggled.
"Ah. I see Gretchen has already enslaved you."
"Does she always do that?"
Tom ran a cloth over one of his oily tools, still snickering. "No. Only when she likes you."
Chakotay grinned broadly. "I see. Chopping wood is considered a compliment here then."
Tom laughed, lobbing a small wrench into the toolbox on the floor. "Yes. Now you better get on with it or she'll take that treat from you."
Chakotay laughed, shaking his head before turning round to head towards the pile of wood. Indiana was definitely special, but he didn't want to disappoint Gretchen. He didn't know what he had done to deserve her approval, but he gladly accepted it. He quite liked the older woman who had treated him like he was her son up to this point. For lunch she had even packed him a sandwich and a flask of warm tea, so the least he could do is return the favour by taking this chore off her hands.
It didn't take long for Chakotay to work up a sweat, realizing that Torres had been right when she had said he had gone squishy. He wasn't used to this type of exercise anymore, but he enjoyed it. Beads of sweat were dripping down his forehead by the time he had filled the basket for the third and final time, lugging it back to the house.
Gretchen, of course, fussed all over him on his return, apologizing for making him work so hard, checking his hands to make sure he hadn't hurt himself and promising him a lovely dinner after he had taken a hot shower. Chakotay had originally intended to catch up on his emails and phone calls, but instead he found himself eating a bowl of hot stew and large slice of apple pie, followed by relaxing in the living room where he watched Gretchen's favourite quiz show with her, all the while laughing and chatting. New York and Annika were far away from his mind as he settled into a peaceful sleep that night.