All hail the mighty Paramount. I hope you guys know what a treasure you have in these wonderful characters. Somehow I doubt it....
"Irony"
A long forgotten saying popped into Kathryn's head as she tried to digest Tom's unexpected news. Sometimes you just have to look reality in the face and deny it. That asinine piece of advice had come from Kathryn's first boyfriend, the never-lamented Cheb Packer. She had always considered that expression to be just as stupid as the boy who said promoted it; but now she wasn't so certain. Denial actually sounded pretty good at the moment.
Still, she needed to say something. "I guess I'd better start writing a letter, congratulating him." She could see by the look on Tom's face that he didn't believe her. Well, he was wrong. She would write to him. But she probably wouldn't send it. Kathryn had a stack of letters that she had written, but never had the courage to send. How the Borg Queen would laugh, to know what a coward she really was!
Although Tom knew she would never actually send him a subspace transmission, he was too kind to call her a liar to her face. Instead, he pretended that she actually meant what she said. "I know that would mean a lot to him. B'Elanna and I are hoping to attend the Change-of-Command ceremony; we'll be sure and say hello' for you."
Kathryn smiled. "Thank-you, Tom. I would appreciate that." She was silent for a moment, and the smile faded from her face. "Do you believe in irony, Tom? I never used to. The thought that there was some higher power arranging the universe for his own sick amusement always struck me as being a little too convenient."
Hoping to change the subject, Tom gave her a mischievous grin. "Of course, that was before you met Q!" That led into a discussion of Q, and from there, into other silly events from their time on Voyager. Tom knew how much Kathryn loved talking about her old ship; it was the only topic of conversation that she truly enjoyed.
When it was time for Tom to go, all of Kathryn's animation quickly faded. She began to think some more about irony. He had always believed in irony. Once again, hindsight was proving him correct. She now had empirical proof attesting to the existence of irony. The Maquis terrorist that she had been sent to apprehend ten years ago had received a full pardon, and had just been given command of a Galaxy-class Federation starship. She, the intrepid Starfleet Captain who had been sent to arrest the terrorist, was rotting in prison for flagrant violation of the Temporal Prime Directive. Two years down, thirteen more to go. Thank-you Admiral Janeway!
This reversal struck her as absolute proof as to the existence of irony, sufficient to satisfy even her scientific mind. She wondered what he thought of their relative positions. Or if Chakotay even thought of her at all.
-- The End