TITLE: Fighting the Doppler Effect
RATING: PG-13
PAIRING: Max/Alec of course
SUMMARY: Challenge response…Challenge #4 Added 4/21/02
Max, Alec, Joshua, and
Original Cindy take a break and head up to Logan's cabin for some down time!!
Alternate Universe fic!
Required
1) Max and Alec share a bed
2) Max gets stung by a bunch of bees and Alec tends to her stings not Original
Cindy
3) Joshua and Original Cindy do a lot of friendship bonding
4) No talking about Logan at all!!!!
5) No talking about Manticore either at all!!!!
6) Super soakers must play a major part
7) Skinny dipping must play into the story somehow
8) A bug zapper on the front porch has to be in there somewhere
9) A huge pillow fight with everyone!
10) Last but not least...Max and Alec have to at least kiss by the end of the
story
AN: My other fics were getting kinda angsty so this is my break to do some pure
fluffy humor
AN2: Only this part will be Max POV the rest will be 3rd person
~~~
You got me feeling hella good
So lets just keep on dancing
You hold me like you should
So I'm gonna keep on dancing
~Hella Good~ No Doubt~
~~~
Doppler effect
n.
A change in the observed frequency of a wave, as of sound or light, occurring when the source and observer are in motion relative to each other, with the frequency increasing when the source and observer approach each other and decreasing when they move apart. The motion of the source causes a real shift in frequency of the wave, while the motion of the observer produces only an apparent shift in frequency. Also called Doppler shift.
The Doppler effect is a scientific phenomenon that I have actually found myself able to understand. Not being much of the scholarly type I need a demonstration before I can fully understand it. Fortunately the Doppler effect is easily demonstrated. I also attribute my understanding to the fact that I have found another use for this particular concept. This discovery is partially the result of long sleepless nights, induced by enough caffeine to make the normal person's hair stand on end and the knowledge that often the fate of several hundreds rests on my shoulders. Not exactly the ingredients for a good nights sleep. Instead, a monster is born. An idea which has me second-guessing every person I meet and over-analyzing every word they say. I've dubbed it the Doppler Syndrome and it goes as follows…
The Doppler effect, to sum it up simply, is the phenomenon that occurs when two objects are moving in relation to one another i.e. you and an ambulance. The ambulances wailing siren changes pitch as the vehicle approaches then passes you. It starts out as a high-pitched scream that causes you to instinctly cover your ears and let out a wail of your own. It climaxes when it is next to you then as the frequency of the sound waves decreases the sound becomes more and more tolerable until it is bearable and for a bizarre few even pleasant. You're now curious as to where the ambulance was going and why but by the time you have removed your hands it's already too late.
This is where my obsession began. Imagine that ambulance was a person. They may come off as obnoxious and rude. Annoyingly cocky. But what if that's just their disguise. Their tough exterior used to hide all the sweet gushy insides. The romantic insides that send you roses and chocolate and tell you you're beautiful. But by the time you're seeing that side of them, or hearing that more tolerable sound they're already gone. Already out of reach.
Of course this idea came about with a particular person in mind. I thought back on all my failures and realized how many people I may have pushed away without giving it time for the Doppler to kick in. Time for their more pleasant siren to sound.
Ambulance Alec came screaming at me with the force of a sonic boom. The most annoying siren that made you want to run for a bomb shelter. Only this particular ambulance had a very pretty outside. A new coat of paint and leather interior which begged for a second glance. Alec had passed me months ago but I can still hear that siren ringing. Extending the time I have. Giving me time to let go of my reservations about him and find out if this more pleasant side that was showing through is for real.
The only way to stop the Doppler Syndrome is to throw yourself in front of the rushing ambulance. Take the chance that that good sound will still come and you will be happy. Of course you risk being crushed under the wheels. Being left broken in bleeding in the middle of the road until the next ambulance comes by only to hurt you more. But there is also the possibility that they'll stop for you. Maybe Alec is my ambulance that's picking up hitchhikers.
I've tired this idea out on O.C. and Joshua but neither of them got it like me. Joshua started laughing manically when I started on Ambulance Alec and Original Cindy couldn't grasp my logic. "Is the Doppler syndrome good or bad?" she asked. As if it wasn't perfectly clear. "Are you relating people to ambulances or their personality to the sirens?" Writing it down now it sounds incredibly disjointed and illogical but I can only hope that you think like me. You think like a girl who's obsessed with the product of her delusional late night ramblings. I read this to Alec, posing it as a hypothetical question and pretending a friend at work had come up with it. He told me to market it. It was just twisted enough to make sense to someone. I wasn't sure if that was a complement or if he was just teasing me so I went for a friendly punch on the arm. It sounded like an insult so I made sure it was a friendly punch that was hard enough to bruise. Then he told me my hair looked nice and he transformed into the ambulance in 10 seconds flat.
Now I just have to take the leap.
~~~
TBC… Weird I know… bear with me it'll get better.
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