Title: Good in His Life
Characters: Robert Plant, Summer Dylan, Jimmy Page
Word Count: 1,287
Rating: PG-13
Warnings/Spoilers/Summary: It's Robert's birthday, 1975, a few weeks after the car accident in Greece that nearly killed him and his wife. Summer visits him in his full body cast - against her will.

MAJOR SPOILER. DO NOT READ IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO LEARN SOMETHING THAT WILL BE REVEALED IN A FEW MS CHAPTERS.

Author's note: This IS canon with the epic.



Despite everything, I really did not want to be there. My heart and soul still hurt from his abandonment and yet there I stood, just outside his makeshift hospital room in Jersey. I was taking care of and bonding with his children. Twice I had already seen him, but he had been so out of it, so doped up on whatever it was keeping the pain at bay, that he had slept through the entirety of each visit. Not that I expected him to care that I came to him; he was the one who left me anyways.

And yet there I was again, this time under duress. I understood it was his birthday, but why should I care? He. Left. Me. And yet I was expected to return to his side to take care of him. I did not understand it at all.

Jimmy stepped up behind me, swept my hair from my shoulder, and kissed my neck softly before whispering, “Go on, princess.”

“This is completely ridiculous, Jimmy. I don’t want to be here. He doesn’t give a shit either. This is–”

He turned me around and looked into my eyes, “Summer, he has asked for you repeatedly. Trust me, he wants you here.”

“Aren’t you worried that by making me do this, I’ll go back to him?”

“No,” he reached up and fixed the white nurse’s cap buried in my golden curls. “I do not worry at all.”

“But, Jimmy, he could very well convince me to–”

“He will not,” his fingers unbuttoned the top button, exposing more of my small rounded breasts. “You made your decision already. Robert will not sway you. I have faith in you.”

“But he’s the fa–”

His lips touched mine, “I have no fears. Now go wish him happy birthday, Nurse Summer.”

Sighing I stepped around the guitarist and entered Robert’s room. My eyes went to the familiar man all wrapped up in a plaster body cast. Though it was as hard now as it always was to see him in such a state, I reminded myself that he left me, he abandoned me. Perhaps that was not enough reason for him to have nearly died, but that mattered not. I could not let sympathy suck me into him. I just could not.

Slowly I approached his bed, hearing the door click close behind me. I glanced slightly over my shoulder, needing verification for some reason that I was now left alone with the injured singer. Eyes returning to his slack face, likely caused by the drugs coursing through his veins, I slowly approached his bed. Perhaps finally sensing my presence, his eyes slowly opened and looked in my direction. I halted at the end of his bed. Though I was attired in a white nurse’s outfit Jimmy bought me, I could not bring myself to act the part. My fingers did not reach for the chart at the end of his bed, but rather I headed to the seat beside him.

“Summer?” he uttered as I sat down.

“Hi,” I responded.

“I… I can’t believe you’re here. I have been dreaming about you for… weeks now,” he breathed.

I forced a smile, “I’ve visited you before, Robert, but you slept through it.”

“You did?” he frowned.

I nodded, “But don’t worry about it. It’s no big deal.”

His fingers wiggled in his cast. Without much delay, I reached for his hand, clasping his fingers with my own. I felt an instant spark at that connection but tried so very hard to ignore it. He left me. Just because he nearly died, nothing changed. It really had not. And no amount of convincing would convince me otherwise. He left me.

“Summer, there’s something you should know,” he stated, squeezing my fingers slightly.

I swallowed, “You as well.”

“I… I love you. The accident… the accident happened because I… I told Maureen that when we returned to England, I was… I was filing for divorce,” Robert said.

Keeping my cool, I responded, “And why should I be concerned with that?”

He frowned, “Because I’m leaving her to be with you.”

I snapped my hand out of his, “I am not available for you, Robert. You left me.”

“But, baby–”

“No, but baby,” I got to my feet. “We’re over. You made that very clear some time ago. I’m sorry. Feel better.”

As he could not move to restrain me, I turned and headed towards the door. His fingers stretched in the cast, reaching for me, but I did not turn back to him. I could not… I just could not look at him, see the emotion in his eyes. Despite Jimmy saying he did not fear I would fall back into Robert’s arms, my heart still flittered for him. Or perhaps it was not my heart, but something else within me that reached for Robert. I could not remain; damn if it was his birthday.

Stepping out into the hallway, my eyes met Jimmy’s. His hands quickly went to my face and he kissed me softly. His thumbs wiped away tears from my cheeks and he led me out to the living room. Bonzo looked up when we entered, frowned, but said nothing.

“He said… he said the reason they crashed is… he told her… he told her…” I muttered.

Jimmy kissed me softly, “I know.”

My eyes searched his, “You do?”

He nodded.

“Then why did you…?”

“It’s his birthday, princess. He needs good news in his life too,” his hand dropped to my abdomen.

I sighed, “Jimmy…”

“He needs it more than any of us.”

It took almost as much time convincing me to get me to re-enter Robert’s room, as it had been to get me to Jersey period. After an hour of listening to Jimmy’s soft voice, I relented and headed back to the singer’s room. Slowly pushing the door open, my eyes went to Robert’s bed. His eyes were closed, his breathing slow. I knew with little thought he slept and slowly approached him once more.

Sitting once more on the chair, I reached up, removed the nurse’s cap from my head, and tossed it aside. Jimmy might have found the nurse outfit sexy, but in my mood, I had not liked it one bit. Robert had not noticed anyways; it was pointless. My eyes focused on his relaxed and calm face. As I looked over his features, I realized I still held great affection for him, perhaps even love. But I could not forgive the fact he left me when I needed him most, even if it had been over four months ago. I might love him, but I did not like him in that moment. He abused my love. He did not deserve what I had to share with him.

But he deserved to know, that much was true. And Jimmy seemed to think today, on Robert’s birthday, was the day to tell him. I did not understand his reasoning at all. And yet I was doing exactly what he wanted.

I could not linger and wait for Robert to wake. I did not want to be there at all. Jimmy would understand, I hoped.

Getting back up, I leaned towards him and kissed his ear, “Happy birthday, Robert. We’re going to have a baby. You’re going to be a father. Again.”

Kissing his ear once more, I stood fully up and turned away. Slowly I headed to the door and paused, glancing back at my sleeping golden prince. He would always be a part of my life, even if he was not a part of my heart any more.