Title: Midnight Shift: Chapter Forty-four, Sunny Promises
Rating: PG-13 [drinking, language, mentions of sex]

Summary: Cameron and Summer share a few final moments. Robert attempts to go after Summer. Jimmy decides what is best to cheer up Summer is... a change in location.

Author's note: There is a month jump in this chapter. Finally pushing the story ahead!



Sitting at the breakfast table alone, Cameron lifted the silver dome and stole a sausage from the plate. His brown eyes glanced at the double doors, hoping Summer had not become distracted by Jimmy again. Breakfast would get cold if that were the case. Cold breakfast would distress the pregnant girl more than he wished to allow. He would just get up and remind her about breakfast again and —

The door opened suddenly before he could stand. Dressed in a flirty, gauzy dress he had not seen before, Summer skipped out of the room. Though she did not bother to close the door, it swung closed behind her. Cameron quickly surmised Jimmy was out of the shower and closed the door. Awkwardness was upon him.

“So, Cameron,” Summer stopped in front of him, her big blue eyes turned up to his, “what are we doing today?”

“Um, I don’t know,” he rubbed the back of his neck. “You should eat before it gets cold.”

“We should eat,” she corrected, grabbed his hand, and pulled him to sit beside her. “Did you sleep okay last night?”

His eyes focused on the door for a moment, certain Jimmy would step out and interrupt his response, “Yes.”

She leaned over after taking a deep drink of juice, “Me too. I think I slept better with you next to me than… anyone.”

Cameron quickly flushed and reached to remove all of the silver domes, “What looks good this morning?”

Her eyes danced over the plates, “Definitely waffles. And bacon. Oh and those grapes look fantastic.”

With a slight smile, he quickly pulled her requested items in front of her before settling with what was left, “I… um…”

“Yes?” she looked to him, a smear of whipped cream on her nose.

“Need to be going back to California,” he stated, picked up a napkin, and wiped her nose.

Summer frowned, “You’re going to leave me?”

Instantly recognizing the emotions shooting through her eyes, Cameron tossed the napkin on the table and cupped her cheek with that hand, “Jimmy’s here now, Summer. You won’t be alone.”

“But, Cam…”

“I have work to do, Summer. And this isn’t my home.”

“But…”

His thumb caught an escaped tear, “I will call you all the time. And we can write letters.”

“I don’t know how to —”

“You can practice with me,” he offered.

She sighed, “I don’t want you to leave, Cameron. I don’t know what I’ll do —”

“Jimmy is back,” he stated. “Jimmy is back.”

“Yes, he is,” Jimmy’s voice interrupted, darkness lacing his words.

Both pairs of eyes turned to him. Cameron’s hand instantly dropped from touching Summer’s face. He shifted away from her slightly. Not the least bit threatened by Jimmy’s dark glares at Cameron, Summer’s hand dropped into his lap and grasped his. Cameron attempted weakly to pull his hand free, though he really did find her soft hand reassuring. His hand remained in hers, hidden in her lap under the table.

“Come eat breakfast with us, Jimmy,” Summer said happily.

“With pleasure, princess,” he stated coolly before slipping into the chair across from hers. “And what are your plans today, beautiful?”

“I don’t know,” her eyes went from her lover to her best friend. “Cameron hasn’t said anything about it.”

Jimmy’s dark eyes turned to the young man, “And what plans do you have for mygirlfriend?”

“Um… none,” Cameron responded softly.

“No?” he sipped a cup of coffee. “She seems to think otherwise. You had best not disappoint Summer.”

“Um… well,” he glanced at the girl on his right, feeling her squeeze his hand gently, “what do you want to do?”

“We should go to a movie. And get lunch. And things like that,” she chirped.

“If you want,” he responded softly.

“Excellent,” Jimmy spoke up. “I’ll have a car out front to take you anywhere you wish to go.”

“Do you want to go with us, Jimmy?” her sparkling blue eyes turned to his.

“I would love to, princess,” he quickly covered his mouth to conceal a yawn.

“Oh no,” she quickly frowned, released Cameron’s hand, and reached across to Jimmy. “You have slept in over twenty-four hours, Jimmy. You should stay here and rest.”

“I am fine,” he sipped his coffee again.

Summer shook her head, “No. You stay here and rest up. Tonight you can show me the black box.”

Cameron shifted uncomfortably next to her, certain he was seeing Jimmy’s arousal double as he looked across the table at the young blonde. Turning his focus to his breakfast, the young man attempted to ignore the rest of their conversation. The more risqué it became, the more jealous he found himself. Nothing about that was okay at all, so he muttered an excuse and pushed away from the table. Silently, he headed to his room and dug the Rolling Stone’s office number out of his pocket to book his flight. It at least seemed to be something constructive to do with his time — and would distract him from thinking and feeling things he should not.

Pushing away from the table a few minutes later, Summer moved around the table. She kissed Jimmy softly, her hand running down his chest and over his waistband. He groaned as she groped him. With little regard to the fact Cameron could walk out on them at any point — or perhaps counting on it — Jimmy pulled her into his lap and continued to kiss her. His hands hungrily cupped her breasts, squeezing gently.

“Mmmm, Jimmy,” she grinded against him. “Let me tuck you in bed.”

He kissed her once more, “Only if I get to —”

“Yes, of course,” she pulled away. “I want to make sure you sleep really, really well.”

“Oh, baby, how I’ve missed you,” he muttered, trailing her back to the bedroom. “So very much.”



Walking through Central Park, Summer’s bright blue eyes focused on the brilliant yellow balloon bobbing at the end of a white string. She giggled happily as it bounced with each step she and Cameron took. Such a simple trivial thing brought such sunshine and happiness to her eyes. It was not the first time she had seen balloons, as they had been at her birthday party and at some of the places Jimmy took her, such as Disneyland. But Cameron had not hesitated in purchasing the yellow orb for her, putting a bit more bounce in her steps.

He could not resist her. They had seen another movie, browsed some shops, and eaten lunch. Every moment seemed like it was stolen, but he could not tell her no. The balloon illustrated that perfectly. Never before had he seen such innocent happiness in her eyes as the moment he handed over the purchase. She grinned, giggled, and kissed his cheek. He would cherish the memory of that day for all time — especially since he knew it was his last day seeing her for… he was not sure how long.

“Uh oh,” she stopped, turning to face him.

Cameron’s eyes went to Summer’s, “What?”

“You’re frowning.”

“Oh.”

She reached up and lightly poked the corner of his mouth until he could not help but smile slightly, “That’s better. No being sad.”

“I… I was just thinking about the fact I have to leave soon.”

Summer instantly frowned, “I don’t want you to leave.”

“I know,” Cameron responded, guiding her towards a park bench. “But I need to.”

She pouted, “I don’t know what I’ll do without you.”

He reached for her hand, slipped the balloon from her fingers, and tied it around her wrist, “You have Jimmy now. You don’t need me anymore.”

Her blue eyes went to his eyes, “I will always need you, Cameron.”

“I don’t know about that,” he released her hand.

She watched the balloon bounce for a moment, relieved it did not float off, before responding, “I will. No one makes me feel like you do.”

Cameron remained silent, not sure how to respond.

“You don’t make me feel… I don’t know how to describe it. I feel safe to be completely and openly who I am. I feel okay telling you anything, like how I can’t read and write. I don’t know… I feel like I’ve learned more in the past couple of weeks with you than… I have in a long time,” she stated.

“Do you love Jimmy?” he asked softly.

“Yeah, of course I do.”

He stared at her for a moment, saying nothing.

“He takes care of me. And he loves me.”

Cameron snorted, “No offense, Summer, but I find that really hard to believe, especially since the only interaction I’ve seen between the two of you consists…mainly of sex.”

“If he didn’t love me, why did he come back?”

“True…”

“And he is going to help take care of the baby.”

He said nothing.

“He is. He promised.”

“Summer, Jimmy is the kind that…”

“He loves me, Cameron. He came back for me,” Summer declared. “That’s how I know he loves me. Robert never came back…”

He looked away for a moment, unable to handle the sadness that drifted over her face, “Do you think Jimmy is the one?”

Her eyes went to his, “I guess.”

“That doesn’t sound very convincing.”

Her fingers began to play with the hem of her flirty dress, “I guess I don’t really know what you mean by the one.”

“Well… it basically means the person you were meant to be with all your life,” he explained. “Is Jimmy that to you?”

Her eyes left her fingers to meet his briefly before dropping back down, “I don’t know.”

“I see.”

“He takes care of me. He loves me. He is very sweet to me…”

“But?”

She shook her head, “Nothing.”

“Summer…”

“I can… I still keep hearing his voice.”

“Who?”

“Robert’s.”



Waking up nude in a bed with a bird, Robert suppressed a groan and rolled away from her. He rubbed his sleepy, hung-over face before glancing around. He was in a hotel. That much was certain. The woman, he was less than certain who she was. Turning around, Robert lifted the bed sheet and looked her over. She was beautiful, but unfamiliar. Likely someone set up with him by Peter.

Carefully getting out of bed, Robert found his clothing scattered around the room, dressed, and quietly slipped out the room. He did not want to deal with the awkward moment of introducing himself to whomever he slept with the night before. Instead, he headed down the hallway, intending to ring Peter from the front desk.

He needed a flight to New York. Immediately.

As he rode the lift down to the ground floor, Robert checked his pockets. Finding a slip of paper, he pulled it out. His blue eyes dropped down to the card. It was the same blank business card from the club the night before. He turned it over a few times, as if expecting something to magically appear. It made no sense to him. Who would promise to solve all his problems and then hand him a blank card? It was almost… sadistic.

Stepping out of the elevator as it reached the ground floor, he tucked the blank card back into his pocket and headed up to the front desk. A pretty brunette looked up and instantly flushed when she recognized him. Stuttering a greeting, she asked how she could assist him. Turning on the charm, he complimented her necklace before requesting her to ring a particular number. Still blushing, the young woman dialed the number and handed the phone to Robert.

“Hello, Grant,” he stated. “I hope I woke you. We need to talk.”

A few minutes later he sat in the back of a vehicle, bound for the airport. He felt rather smug that Peter acquiesced to his request so easily, especially since the manager seemed intent on keeping him and Summer apart. Perhaps calling the band manager when he was hung-over was a good move on his part. He would keep it in mind for the future.

Stepping out of the car at the airport, Robert happily followed Grant’s people to the airplane. It did not even faze him that the plane was apparently waiting for his arrival to take off. He flirted with the flight attendants as he climbed onto the plane. Paying little attention as the door was closed behind him, Robert headed towards his seat in First Class. Vaguely listening to the pilot announce their immediate take-off, he buckled up and glanced around the cabin.

His blue eyes settled on the woman seated next to him and his breath caught, “Maureen?”

His wife leaned over and kissed him sweetly, “I was worried you would not make it in time. Luckily, Peter called ahead to let us know you were on your way.”

He glanced beyond her, seeing his two children, “Lucky indeed.”

“This would not be worth doing without you,” she declared, her hand grasping his as the plane taxied down the runway.

“Of course,” he responded cautiously, looking around for any indication of where they were actually going.

Maureen turned her attention across the aisle, softly assuring Karac that the flight would be okay. Pulling his hand free from his wife’s, Robert reached for the literature in the pocket in front of him. He quickly flipped through the glossy pages, but nothing gave any hint as to where they were going, only international. His blue eyes went to the flight attendant and he waved her over.

“Yes, Mr. Plant? Can I get you anything to drink?”

“Yes, please,” he nodded. “Vodka on the rocks.”

“Of course, sir,” she responded, turning to retrieve his drink.

When she pressed the small glass in his hand, he leaned closer, “Tell me where we are going?”

Her eyes looked at his for a moment and she whispered, “You don’t know?”

He glanced as his wife moved away to speak with the children, “I do not.”

“We are bound for Switzerland,” she responded.

Robert sighed, “The rest of the band?”

“Yes, Mr. Plant.”

His heart stammered at the thought, thinking Jimmy would bring Summer, “Including Jimmy?”

“I believe so.”

He smirked and leaned back, sipping his drink, “Thank you.”

Watching the flight attendant walk away, Robert turned the events over in his mind. He might not be directly bound to New York City, where he knew Summer now was, but they would be close soon. All he would have to do was slip away from his family and coax her away from Jimmy. He would be near his little love before long. Switzerland was the perfect location to beg her forgiveness. And that was enough to bring a slight smile to his lips.



Seeing luggage next to the door, a typewriter sitting on top, brought tears to Summer’s eyes. She refused to speak to either Jimmy or Cameron, keeping to herself out on the balcony with the dog. She turned her gaze away from the hotel room, trying to focus her vision on the trees in the nearby park. Despite their fantastic day in the city, he was still leaving her. Like everyone before, he was leaving her. Her mother was gone forever; her father was off doing whatever it was he did. Robert left to break up with his wife, leaving only a baby behind in her body, never to return. Jimmy had left her too — but he was the only one who returned. 

Though she had no reason to, she just knew Cameron would never return; she would never see him again. He would never tell her silly stories or help her read. They would see no more movies together or share a basket of French fries in the park. Her baby would never know the man who made her feel like a real person. He was leaving her.

“Summer,” his voice spoke softly, drawing her tear-filled eyes to him.

She met his eyes briefly before turning away as large tears rolled over her cheeks. Slowly, he moved to stand before her, blocking her vision of the park. Saying nothing, Cameron squatted in front of her, his hands reaching for hers. Summer evaded his grasp. He frowned, but did not reach for her hands again.

“Summer,” he repeated.

Her eyes returned to his, “You’re leaving me.”

“I’m going home. For awhile,” Cameron stated. “We’ll see each other again.”

“No, we won’t.”

“Yes, we will,” he argued. “I’m not about to go the rest of my life without seeing you again. I will make certain we see each other again. And I’ll call all the time. And we’ll write letters. Just because I’m leaving, we are not stopping being friends.”

“You’ll disappear and forget about me,” she claimed.

He reached for her hands, grabbing them before she could avoid his grasp. His lips touched her knuckles, making more tears run down her cheeks. One hand released hers, reaching up to wipe away her tears. That hand then softly touched her slightly thickened waist.

“I will never be able to forget about you, Summer. Even if the world keeps us apart, I will always think of you,” his hand remained on her abdomen. “But that won’t happen. I’m going to see you again soon and frequently. And I’m going to hold this beautiful little baby when it’s only days old. You’re not losing me.”

“But… but…”

“I promise you, Summer, I will not be gone long.”

Her large eyes looked into his but she said nothing.

“I will call you as soon as I’m home.”

“Promise?”

He nodded, “I do.”

“I want you to stay.”

“I know you do. But I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Summer.”

She sighed, “I know… I know. You have work to do. And you’ve been here too long with me. And your mom misses you. But I still want you to stay.”

“I know, but I’ll be back,” he claimed, standing back up. “And Jimmy is here with you now. You won’t be alone.”

“But…”

“Summer, I need to go.”

“Cameron…”

“I will call you as soon as I’m home.”

She nodded slightly.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead, “This is not good-bye. It’s just until we meet again, Summer.”

She nodded again, closing her eyes to keep the tears from dripping again. His lips touched her forehead again, ever aware Jimmy watched their interactions. Slowly Cameron stepped away from Summer. Before he reached the door, she jumped up and hugged him tightly from behind. He pried her fingers off him and slowly turned around. A breath later, she embraced him tightly once more. His arms slowly folded around her and he softly hushed her cries once again, repeatedly promising that they would see each other again.

Ever so carefully, Cameron pulled away from Summer. He kissed the tears on her cheeks before turning and stepping back into the hotel room. His eyes briefly flicked to Jimmy, who stared darkly at him, his arms crossed over his chest. Saying nothing to the guitarist, Cameron headed to the door where the bellboy waited with his luggage already on a cart. He paused to squat and pet Queenie, telling her to take care of Summer until he could visit again. With a final glance over his shoulder at the young, crying woman, Cameron forced himself to leave the hotel suite.

“Your girl’s father making you leave?” the bellboy asked as he pushed the cart into the elevator.

Cameron’s brown eyes went from the elevator attendant to the bellboy, “Summer is not my girlfriend and Jimmy is not her father.”

“And if you want to remain in this job for longer than the few hours you have worked today, you will speak nothing of it to anyone,” the elevator attendant spoke up.

“Oh…”

His eyes focused on the hotel door, Cameron silently wished that Summer would burst out and run towards him. It was a foolish romantic notion, one that he did not think would actually happen. They were just friends after all — and she belonged to Jimmy. 

As the elevator door closed without her pretty face appearing, Cameron’s hopes sank. He silently reminded himself that all their stolen moments were just that: stolen. They were just friends… just friends.











Lounging on the sofa in just his boxers with Summer in his arms, Jimmy smiled. By nature he was a loner, not needing crowds of people around him. His profession often meant he was surrounded by fans, an entourage, or the like. Normally after a tour, he withdrew into himself to rediscover the music, the spark, oftentimes travelling with Robert in search of the music. But with Summer nestled in his arms, Jimmy did not want seclusion, isolation, or especially not Robert’s company. He wanted her in his arms, loving him.

It had been a trying four weeks since Cameron left. She had cried constantly until he called on the phone the evening of his departure. After a lengthy phone conversation, Summer calmed down and slept for nine hours without stirring. Exhausted himself, Jimmy joined her in bed and slept much of the night away curled around her. The morning dawned a new day and her smiles returned. They spent the morning making love, sweetly, tenderly, before he swept her out to shower her with attention and new clothing to better fit her changing body.

Settling into a simple routine seemed good for her and him. They loved in the morning, played music in the afternoon, and fucked at night. She spoke with Cameron every evening before dinner, movies, plays, or parties. He accompanied her to her doctor’s appointment, sharing in her joy at the baby’s health. He rarely left her side, except when band business swept him away for a day or two back in Los Angeles to figure out the fall tour schedule. Jimmy likely could have brought her with him on those brief business trips, but did not want to risk her running into Robert or Cameron. A three-day business trip garnered promises and gifts. Additionally Jimmy whisked her off to visit Bob on Father’s Day upon his return.

While he was content to remain in the New York hotel while the band was on hiatus, he knew Summer’s soul was slowly dying in the city. She needed out, where she could feel the sun on her face and taste the ocean breeze. He could not take her back to California, as that would re-insert Cameron as a real threat in their relationship. They could not return to Bob’s as Sara made it very clear they were not welcome upon their departure.

However, Summer had a valid passport now. Jimmy could show her the world. He could meet up with Robert and travel around to get ideas from Morocco, Cairo, and India. He did not think it wise to bring pregnant Summer on those voyages, because of the baby and because of Robert; he certainly could set her up in a nice beach house somewhere in Europe. She would be happier there.

“Summer?” he spoke softly, not sure if she was napping in his arms.

“Yeah?” she shifted, rolling slightly onto her back so she could look at him while he spoke.

“Do you want to leave New York?”

Her eyes brightened slightly, but she replied cautiously, “…yes.”

Jimmy kissed her gently, “I have a friend… who has a home in Rhodes. He has been suggesting a visit for some time now.”

“Where is Rhodes?” she asked.

“It’s an island off Greece. Would you like to go?”

She grinned and sat up quickly, “Oh, yes, Jimmy. Yes, yes, yes.”

He chuckled and kissed her quickly, “Well then my sweet girl, we are going to Greece.”