Outlandos D'Amour	   Outlandos D'Amour

 by Alex SisterWolf

  

 Author's website: http://neverpromise.badb.net/

 Disclaimer: No copyright infringement is intended or implied.

 Author's Notes: The song in question is "Can't Stand Losing You," by the
Police.

 Story Notes: 

 

 

 It was one of those rare warm days in March in Chicago, those brief days
that promise that spring is right around the corner, crusty dirty snow
melting on the sidewalks and bright blue sky stretching out over the lake.


 Ray slumped comfortably in the driver's seat of the GTO, one hand on the
steering wheel, one hand beating a rhythm on the sun-warmed metal of the
door. Fraser, though aware of the statistics regarding one-handed driving
and traffic accidents, kept from chiding Ray with an effort. Ray was in a
good mood, and after the last few weeks of irritable, moody Ray, Fraser
was willing to put up with a little reckless endangerment if it kept his
partner smiling. 

 Ray was singing along to the radio in an odd falsetto. "I see you sent my
letters back-- and my LP records and they're all scratched-- I can't see
the point in another day-- when nobody listens to a word I say--" 

 Fraser listened to the lyrics of the song in slowly increasing horror.
"Ray!" 

 "What?" Stopped at a traffic signal, Ray now beat out the rhythm with
both hands. 

 "Ray, do you realize what the lyrics of this song are about?" Fraser
couldn't quite believe Ray was smiling and bouncing while singing
something so deeply, profoundly disturbing. 

 "What? Fraser, this is the Police. Classic Police. Outlandos D'Amour."
The traffic signal changed and Ray accelerated abruptly. "I guess this is
our last goodbye-- and you don't care so I won't cry-- but you'll be sorry
when I'm dead-- and all this guilt will be on your head--" 

 "Ray! This is a terrible song. It's practically celebrating teenage
suicide." Fraser's hand hovered near the on/off switch for the radio. 

 "Fraser! Do not touch that dial. Never, ever, touch another man's radio."
Ray gestured emphatically with the hand that had been on the wheel,
leaving the car completely uncontrolled for a few brief moments. Fraser
clutched his Stetson compulsively with white-knuckled fingers. 

 The song trailed off discordantly and Ray switched off the radio. "It's
not about teenage suicide." 

 "It most definitely is!" 

 "It is but it isn't. It's about... it's about being a teenager, how
everything seems so huge, so monu-- monu--" 

 "Monumental?" 

 "Yeah, that's the word. You get dumped by your girl, it's the worst thing
that ever happened to anybody in the world, ever. This is exactly how I
felt when Stella dumped me in the tenth grade for Charlie McShane. Like my
life was over, I might as well kill myself. But at the same time it's so
over-the-top, you know you can't take it seriously." 

 "It's a parody." 

 "Exactly!" Ray shot him a grin. "It's like he knows exactly how it feels,
but he's making fun of it, too." 

 "And the high, whiny tone of his voice, that's part of the parody as
well." 

 Ray winced. "No, that's, uh, that's just Sting. The singer," he answered
before Fraser could even get the question out. 

 "I see," Fraser replied, somewhat dubiously. 

 "Didn't they have music in Upper Frozen Whatsitsland?" The teasing, sly
smile that came with the question made Fraser almost smile back, though he
was trying to keep a straight face. 

 "Well, Ray," and Fraser proceeded to tell Ray more than he'd ever wanted
to know about traditional Inuit music, as high, fleecy white clouds
floated across the bright blue sky that stretched out over the lake they
called Michigan. 

 end 

End Outlandos D'Amour by Alex SisterWolf: alex@badb.net

Author and story notes above.