Title: Midnight Shift: Chapter Fifteen, Rally Around Her
Rating: PG-13 [language, alcohol]

Summary: The boys try their hardest to make Summer feel better. But does it result in more issues?





There was a long silence on the phone, long enough that Robert pulled the handset away from his ear and glanced at it. Hearing a scratchy voice, he quickly held it back up to his ear.

“Is Summer okay?”

“Um, well...” he glanced at Bonzo. “Not really.”

“What’s wrong? What did you do to her?”

“Nothing! I didn’t do anything to her at all. I love your daughter. I would never hurt her,” Robert claimed.

“You love her? She is a child, only fifteen years old. How can you really think that—”

“I don’t care about her age. I love Summer for the woman she is. Just because her birth certificate says she was born in—”

“I should call the police and have you arrested for rape.”

His eyes went wide and he dropped the phone. The entire purpose of the phone call was to reach out to Bob, to hopefully find Summer someone else she could hold onto. He was doing a good thing, not... not... fuck. Was Bob really serious? He couldn’t be. He just couldn’t be.

Before Robert recovered enough to pick up the phone, Bonzo had snatched it up, “You see, Bobby, we all get that Robert and Summer are not what you would consider a traditional couple. But you have see them to believe it, Bobby. I don’t even think that the fact you don’t know Robert nor your daughter would mean you wouldn’t see how perfect they are together. Fuck that she’s fifteen. When it’s real, it’s real. Love didn’t really ever ask permission, ye know?”

“Who is this?”

“John Henry Bonham,” he responded. “One of Robert’s best mates. And the closest thing Summer has to family now.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well,” he shifted in the chair to reach the phone better, “she called her mother today and let’s just say it didn’t go that well at all.”

There was a long pause, “What did Adele tell her?”

“You’re gonna have to ask Summer that. All I know is she’s been crying almost all day,” Bonzo replied.

He sighed, “Let me talk to Robert.”

Unable to hear Bob’s side of the conversation, Jimmy was completely bored and disinterested. And he was running out of Jack, which meant that sitting around listening to Robert talk with the man who might one day be his father-in-law was going to become that much more dreadful. Bonzo seemed to be the supportive one anyways, he was not really needed there any more than... where was John Paul? Why was it he always seemed to disappear? Maybe he was checking on Summer. Or maybe he wasn’t and someone should be. He would take that on as his task while Robert worked on convincing Bob to... whatever it was he was trying to convince him of.

“I’m going to check on Summer,” he muttered as he got up, only Bonzo seeming to notice he spoke.

Slipping out of the room, Jimmy crossed the hallway. His fingers circled his doorknob as he glanced down the corridor. For some reason it felt like it was wrong for him to enter his own room, like he was breaking some sort of unspoken rule. Shaking his head, he pushed the door open and slipped into the dark room. Lighting a single candle before closing the door, his eyes went to the sleeping girl in his bed. For a moment he just looked at her sleeping oh so peacefully.

Moving to the bed, he knelt beside it. She slept on her stomach, her left arm tucked over the edge of the light blanket, curling up so that her hand almost slipped under the pillow but not quite. Her golden hair curled about messily, covering much of the pillow, her face turned towards the door. The corners of her mouth appeared to be down turned and that instantly concerned him. She should never dream anything but happy dreams of butterflies, rainbows, puppies. Sadness was not meant to be had by this golden girl.

Shifting slightly in her sleep, Summer turned her hand over, her palm facing the ceiling. Without much thought, Jimmy reached up and placed his hand in hers. Her fingers easily curved around his and she sighed, sadness touching her movements. It broke his heart.

Her eyes fluttered open, her hand tightening about his. Jimmy’s eyes instantly snapped to hers in an effort to gauge if he was intruding or not. But then a tear trickled out of her eyes and he absolutely knew he could not leave even if she asked. He wiggled his hand out of hers and quickly caught the dripping tear. He gently caressed her cheek, his heart seizing when her face scrunched up in pain again.

“No no no. Don’t cry, beautiful one,” he declared softly.

“I’m not b-beautiful,” she stuttered.

“Of course you are, princess,” Jimmy replied, his fingers gently tracing her facial features. “You’re perfectly proportioned. Your eyes have to be the most brilliant shade of blue. Your lips have just the perfect curve to them. There is nothing about you that is not beautiful. From your cute nose down to your dirty little toes. You are beautiful, Summer.”

She closed her eyes in an attempt to keep her tears from rolling down her cheeks, “Why... why...”

He knew what she was trying to ask even though she could not quite get the words out. He had no good answer for her; he doubted anyone ever would. Because he certainly could not understand why anyone would give up a girl like Summer, especially a mother. All he knew was he would never give her up nor give up on her. No matter what.

“Summer, princess,” he spoke softly, his fingers trailing down her neck to find her hand again, “I cannot give you the answers you want. I don’t know that it’s possible. But there are many things I can tell you.”

“Like what?”

Jimmy’s fingers curled around hers, his eyes holding hers, “Like you will never, ever be alone.”

“I don’t believe you.”

He frowned. Getting to his feet, he moved to sit on the bed. Deciding against that, he crawled onto the bed behind her. Sharing the same pillow, his arms circled her from behind, his lips near her ear. He gently kissed her earlobe, letting her wiggle closer to him as she wont. Within seconds of his crawling onto the bed with her, Summer practically touched all of her to all of him, the thin blanket and their clothing the only barrier between flesh. They were as close as they could be without actually touching.

“Benji, who is taking over Cole’s job since I fired him,” Jimmy spoke softly, “has been working on the paperwork so that we can take you anywhere in the world. Earlier today, he found your birth certificate.”

“Really?” she glanced over her shoulder at him.

Struggling to not kiss her in the moment, he responded, “Yes, princess. And Bob Dylan is listed as your father on it.”

“Oh,” she turned back to stare at the wall. “But what if Benji can’t get it all done? Then what is going to happen to me?”

“Sweetheart, Summer,” his hand reached to her chin, turning her head again, “if by some chance he cannot get the paperwork completed by the time we leave America for our shows in England, if we cannot sneak you out of the country in some fashion, then I vow to you right here, right now that you will not be stranded alone. I will put you up in New York for those few days I am in England, the closest to me as possible. And as soon as the last concert is over, I will not entertain publicists or fans or even the rest of the fucking band, but get on a plane, even if I have to charter a private jet, and fly back to you. You will not be alone for long if I can help it, princess. Ever.”

Not saying anything, Summer turned over to face him, bunching the blanket up between them. Her eyes searched his and for a brief moment she saw far greater affection in his eyes than she ever had before. But it quickly clouded as he leaned forward to kiss her. Summer’s hand instantly came up, her fingers touching his lips before they could touch hers. He kissed her fingers, imparting his emotion in that action.

“Jimmy...” she breathed.

“I promise you, Summer. You will never be alone, never be left behind,” he reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear. “I promise you.”

She nodded slightly, “I... I believe you, Jimmy.”

He smiled and leaned forward in an attempt to kiss her again. Again her hand came up and halted his action. He instantly wished to ask why she would not let him kiss her, why she kept stopping him, why he could not have her as she had him. But Summer gave him no opportunity to do so, instead she quickly rolled away, grabbed her purse, and headed into his bathroom, leaving the guitarist with only her scent and warmth clinging to his bed.

But he had meant every word. He was never going to leave her behind. Ever.



He probably should have checked on Summer, especially since he hadn’t seen Jimmy in a good thirty minutes. But the butterflies dancing in his stomach meant he needed to focus on one thing at a time. Currently that was Bob’s arrival to the Riot. Robert knew there were legions of LA Queens surrounding the hotel and technically he wasn’t even supposed to be there himself. Both made the act of meeting Bob downstairs dangerous, if the folksinger could even get into the hotel through the fray. He should have suggested meeting at the beach bungalow, bringing Summer to him. But that idea hadn’t come to him until right then as he waited in a corner of the lobby unseen.

“He’s here,” one of the nearby bodyguards muttered to the singer.

Nodding, Robert waited for him to be escorted in. The two men met at the elevator but said nothing, not even shaking hands as they stepped in. But once the doors closed, Robert could bear it no longer and turned to the slightly older man.

“Thank you for coming. I know this will mean a lot to Summer,” Robert stated, holding out his hand in hopes of shaking Bob’s.

Bob looked down at Robert’s hand and grudgingly shook it, “I am only here for her. Do not get any idea that we are going to be—”

“Allies at least as we rally around her?”

“Mayhaps. Tell me again what happened,” he glanced at the numbers as they continued up.

“She called her mother. Her mother denied everything and said she had to return to the farm. It ended with Summer hanging up on her,” he summed up quickly. “As far as I know, her mother is done with her.”

Bob sighed, immediately stepping out of the lift when the door opened, though he didn’t know where he was going, “Adele was always... I suppose the best way to phrase it is unpredictable. She was a free spirit and yet so stubborn as well. But this... this I cannot understand at all.”

“None of us can,” Robert responded, stopping outside Jimmy’s door. “She doesn’t... she doesn’t know you’re coming. I didn’t tell her.”

He nodded.

“Let me just make certain she’s awake first.”

Without knocking Robert opened the door. For a brief moment fear overcame him as he stepped in, seeing Jimmy in the messy bed, a single candle flickering to light the room. Summer was no where to be found. Before he could ask the guitarist where his girlfriend was and what he had done to her, the young woman stepped out of the bathroom. Her eyes instantly went to Robert’s and she rushed to him, throwing her arms around his neck.

“Oh Robert,” she muttered and kissed him quickly. “I... I love you so much.”

“I love you too, baby,” he responded, kissing her back. “Someone is here to see you.”

Her eyes instantly widened, fear filling her blue orbs, “I don’t care. I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying here with you.”

“Oh no, baby, no one is going to take you anywhere. I promise,” Robert stated, glancing at Jimmy as the guitarist casually made his bed. “We’re just going to talk with him for awhile.”

“Him?”

“Come on, darling,” he slipped his hand around hers.

As he opened the door, her eyes fell to the man leaning against the wall directly across from Jimmy’s door and she gasped. Instinctively she dropped her boyfriend’s hand and rushed across the corridor, falling quickly into Bob’s arms. He hesitated in embracing her, but relaxed and wrapped his arms around the young girl. Robert instantly noticed her shoulders tremble, knew she was crying yet again. Maybe bringing Bob in had not been a good idea. Maybe bringing Bob in—

“D-dad, she d-doesn’t w-want m-me,” she muttered.

Robert instantly threw out all of his doubts in that moment. She had called him Dad, that alone had to be good news. This was going to be a good thing for her and that was what mattered first and foremost.

Jimmy stepped up behind Robert, “Oh.”

Robert glanced at his friend, “Oh?”

“You talked Bob into coming here.”

“Yeah.... is that bad?”

“Not for her,” Jimmy stated, before addressing the two. “Do you want to come in and sit down?”

Bob eased the girl out of his embrace long enough to guide her back into Jimmy’s room. They sat on the couch while the two rock musicians found places to sit as well, Jimmy fetching drinks for everyone, though he hadn’t really known what to give Bob. No one spoke for a few minutes, everyone’s eyes flicking around the room, but mostly focusing on Summer. Her tears had dried upon her cheeks, her eyes no longer actively tearing.

Her eyes settled on the man next to her, meeting eyes a similar shape and color as hers, “It is okay that I called you Dad, right?”

A crooked smile stretched across his face, “So you believe that I am, eh?”

She nodded, “And that was before Jimmy told me that you’re on my birth certificate.”

“I am?” he glanced to the guitarist. “I cannot believe Adele would do that.”

“She did,” Jimmy responded, before sipping his Jack. “Our manager got a hold of it this afternoon as we’re trying to get Summer a passport so we can take her with us when we leave the States.”

“If you think that I am going to sign off on that, you are mistaken,” Bob declared.

Both Jimmy and Robert bristled at that.

Robert was the first to respond, “Why not?”

His blue eyes went to the singer, “Because I just found my little girl. I am not about to allow you to take her on tour with you. I do not even think she should be with you now, something I intend to change by the end of the night.”

“Dad, I’m staying here with Robert. He’s my fa—”

“I’m your family, Summer. I’m returning to New York in a few days and I’ll take you with me. You can get to know your stepmother, Sara, and your sisters and brothers,” Bob stated.

“Sisters and brothers?” she asked.

He opened his mouth to answer her query, but Jimmy interjected instead, “All respect to you, Bob, but how will taking Summer from people who know and love her and placing her in a strange situation going to improve things? It is not like you are going to be home to play Dad as it is.”

The folksinger turned to the guitarist, “And letting an impressionable teenager travel around with a bunch of hooligans is better? How so, Mr. Page?”

“You are discounting how strong the girl is. Just because she’s young does not indicate she is going to be... whatever it is you think she is going to be doing. She can and has said no to us on a number of occasions. Summer is a very bright young woman,” he defended. “While life on the road is never ideal, being with people who care about you is. And I can guarantee you right now, Bob, Summer is cared for more by this band than she ever has been by anyone else. There is nothing any one of us would not do for her.”

“Except let her go,” Bob responded.

Bonzo who had apparently slipped in when attention was focused all on Bob, spoke up, “I think yoi are all missing the easiest solution to this.”

The folksinger looked to the drummer, “And you are?”

“John Henry Bonham. We spoke on the phone.”

“Bonzo!” Summer exclaimed, jumped up and into his arms.

“Hey , sweet pea,” he smiled, hugging her. “You feeling better?”

“Some,” she responded, before leaning to his ear and whispering. “I don’t want to go live with people I don’t know.”

He nodded, before turning his attention back to the three other men, “So instead of squabbling over her like she’s some prize, why don’t you just ask Summer what she wants to do? She’s old enough to know what she wants.”

Robert looked to her, “What do you want, Summer?”

She pulled out of Bonzo’s arms and approached the singer. Without pause she sat in his lap, kissed him sweetly, and then re-adjusted her position in his lap so she could see everyone else in the room.

“I want to stay with Robert, Dad,” she stated, looking directly at Bob. “He loves me.”

“Summer,” Bob sighed, “you’re fifteen. He’s... thirtysomething. There is nothing okay about this at all.”

“Twenty-six,” Summer corrected.

“What?”

“Robert is twenty-six, Dad.”

“A few years does not change how wrong this is.”

Bonzo interrupted, “I already told you that it was a very non-traditional relationship. But Jesus man, she’s not at all like those prepubescent girls downstairs who crawl all over us. This here is love. I can’t explain it. None of us can. But I’ve known Per—Robert since he was just a lad. And seeing him with Summer is far different than anyone he has ever been with. You don’t have to believe me, even if it is true. This is the real deal. Don’t you want your daughter to be loved more than life? Don’t you want your daughter to have everything she has ever dreamt of? Don’t you want your daughter to—”

“She’s just a child!” interrupted Bob. “And you are all grown men. She is only—”

“Sitting right here,” Robert finally spoke up, his fingers intertwining with Summer’s. “I understand your concerns, Bob. I do. It is rather awkward for me knowing that the father of my girlfriend is only a few years older than me. But I cannot focus on that at all and neither should you. What is important and the entire reason I asked you to come here is seeing that Summer is happy. That is of the utmost importance. If I thought she would be happy living with your family in New York or wherever, I would help her to do so. But she herself not five minutes ago said she wants to stay with me, to stay with us. And like Jimmy said, this isn’t an ideal situation, but it’s much better than leaving her stranded somewhere miserable. If it’s the being on the road that bothers you, this will be my last tour. I unfortunately cannot do anything about the years between us, but I assure you as I have her a number of times, age is merely a number and I do not think on it much at all.”

“What gives you the right to—”

“No,” Summer spoke up. “What gives you the right to dictate where I belong? Just because you fathered me, doesn’t mean you get to decide my life for me. I do want to get to know you and I do think that maybe you’ll be a better father than Adele has been mother. But you can’t... you can’t just suddenly become a part of my life and force me to do things. That’s not fair.”

“Summer, life isn’t fair,” Bob replied.

“Don’t you think I’ve already had enough unfairness shoved on me? For fifteen years my mother lied to me. You suddenly happen to be a party that Robert took me to and everything changed. Don’t you think that’s enough unfairness? Can’t I just stay with the ones who love and care for me, the ones I love too?” she asked. “Can’t I just stay with Robert, Jimmy, Bonzo, and John? Please?”

“Summer, I...” he looked down at the glass in his hand. “I have heard the stories about this band. I cannot in my conscience leave you with them.”

“Stories that they eat up girls and toss them out the window? Stories that they fuck girls with fish? Stories that they do drugs on bathroom floors? They’re just stories, Dad. And you can’t tell me that you’re completely innocent and an upright citizen while you’re on tour,” Summer declared. “I know better than that. But you know what? They’re not going to make me do anything I don’t want to. If I wanted to fuck a fish, I would, no matter where I was. If I wanted to snort powder off the tile, I could do that pretty much anywhere. Being with the band is not going to give me any more access to it than anywhere else. I’m not going to get in more trouble with them. If anything I’ll be less likely to because these guys protect me. Just yesterday they got rid of a someone who tried to shove his cock down my throat. If they were really as careless and reckless as you think they are, don’t you think they would have cheered that on?”

Bob sighed and looked up to her, “Are you having sex with them?”

She smiled crookedly, “No. Just with Robert.”

His eyes darted to the man whose lap she sat in, “Do you intend to make an honest woman of my daughter?”

Without considering the answer, Robert replied, “As soon as I divorce my wife.”

Bonzo swore softly, reaching for the nearest bottle of booze he could find. Jimmy quickly gulped his own. Wiggling some in Robert’s lap, Summer’s hand tightened on his, sudden nerves striking her with Bob’s response, though she had already come to the conclusion that she was staying with the band no matter what.

“You’re married?”

The singer nodded slowly.

“So that makes my daughter a homewrecker?”

Summer flinched at that statement.

“Bob,” Robert began, “I love Summer. I love her more than anything. It is unfortunate that I am married, but that does not reflect poorly upon this beautiful girl. My marriage with Maureen has been under duress for much longer than I have even known Summer. Surely you can understand that.”

He sighed, “I do. All too well.”

Jimmy quickly picked up on the unspoken in Bob’s words, “So you’re saying that you and your wife are on rocky terrain as well?”

Bob looked to the guitarist, “Yes.”

“So wouldn’t that be a bad environment to introduce your daughter from another woman into?” he asked.

“Considering I adopted her daughter from another man when we married, no.”

“But at that time the two of you were head-over-heels-in-love, getting married,” Jimmy pointed out. “But now there is distress in your marriage. Who’s to say she wouldn’t take it out on Summer?”

“Sara would never—”

“You don’t really know that, do you, Bob?”

“No. Not really.”

“Let Summer stay with us. And we’ll help the two of you be together whenever possible to make up on the missed years,” Jimmy stated.

Bob looked to Summer, “What do you wish, Summer?”

Though she had already told him, Summer looked him directly in the eyes and replied, “I want to stay with them, Dad.”

He sighed, “All right. For now. It does not sit well with me. However I realize I am not really in a place to tell you what you can and cannot do, not knowing you or them well enough.”

She smiled, “Don’t you worry, Dad. We’re not going to let you down.”



Leaning against the wall, Robert’s eyes focused on the rising sun. It was not like it was his first time watching the sun rise and likely would not be the last. The reason behind it was a bit disturbing, but that’s how life was. Over three hours were spent with Bob, he and Summer discussing many things, including he suspected her relationship with Robert. But the girl seemed far more at peace than she had all day when the folksinger left and Bonzo led her to his room to rest. He probably could have joined her, probably should have, but instead he sought the solace of the roof for the moment. He lit another cigarette and watched the California hills comes alive with the blessing of the sun’s rays. 

They had a show that night so he would have to get some rest before then. It would be best to do so with Summer curled around him, but as he had left her sleeping alone, Robert could not imagine she would want to sleep later. Maybe he would just leave her here and return to the beach house for some sleep. She could entertain Bonzo for awhile and— what the fuck was he thinking? He wasn’t going to leave Summer behind at the Riot. Just because Bob’s obvious dislike of their relationship did not mean he needed to start distancing himself from her. He loved her, she loved him. End of story.

Only it wasn’t and he knew that. It had been one thing to be with her around the band, who didn’t really seem to care about her age. But it was something different being told he shouldn’t be with her by her father. Sure Bob had some influence in the situation, more than Robert actually cared to admit at the moment, but nothing was going to be radically different. He would still love her regardless of how taboo it was, how much her father looked down on him. It could complicate matters, but that was a big could. How much pull was Bob really going to have? They had won the privilege of keeping her instead of her being shipped off to who knows where, but how long would that last?

And what the fuck was he going to do about his wife?

“Morning, Percy,” John Paul mumbled as he walked pass the singer.

Pausing a few steps later, he turned around and returned to Robert’s side. Cocking his head to the side, he met his blue eyes. Not entirely sure of the emotions he saw in the singer’s eyes, he dug a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it, indicating to Robert that he wasn’t going anywhere just yet.

“I would ask why you’re still up, but I presume it has something to do with Summer?”

Robert nodded.

“Her mother?”

“Her father,” he responded.

“Bob?”

Nodding again, he flicked his cigarette butt off the roof, “He was here for a good four hours last night. Negotiating with us over her.”

“I bet it made her feel important that you fought over her,” John Paul stated.

“I suppose. But it complicates matters.”

The bassist smirked, “Because now you have to deal with a parent? Come now, Percy, we all have to eventually. None of us gets a free pass on dealing with the in-laws, as much as we would like to.”

“He wants to take her away from me.”

“Of course he does. You would too if you were in his place,” John Paul pointed out. “But he isn’t going to because he can’t offer her anything that you aren’t already. He isn’t so foolish to do something like that.”

“But...”

“Stop your worrying, Percy. Things are going to be just fine. You’ll see. Things are going to be just fine. Bob will see that we’re her family now. You have nothing to worry about,” he proclaimed. “Where is she now?”

“Sleeping in Bonzo’s bed.”

“Go join her. Hold her in your arms and remind yourself that is how the rest of your life is going to be,” John Paul suggested. “Remind yourself how perfect the two of you are together. Go on now. You look like hell.”

Robert smirked, “All right, all right. Hey, where were you last night? You disappeared after Summer’s call to her mother.”

He touched his nose and winked, “You’ll see... soon, I hope. Go get some rest, Percy.”