Title: Beautiful One
Characters: Summer Davis-Dylan, Robert Plant, baby Plant, Jimmy Page, young Page
Word Count: 1,726
Rating: PG [cuteness]
Warnings/Spoilers/Summary: It's a few days after Father's Day, 1988. Summer has recently given birth to Robert's child, making him a father for the fourth time over. He darts home during a break in touring to spend a few days with his family. Contains spoilers.


June 22nd, 1987

Cradling their week old daughter, Robert paced back and forth in front of the hospital window. He rocked her slowly, softly singing to her. He smiled as her face instinctively turned towards his, making him wonder if perhaps she remembered his singing to her while still in the womb. Robert did not think that could possibly be true, but liked to think that it was anyways.

His eyes left his beautiful daughter to glance at his sleeping girlfriend. He smiled again, hoping he could keep their child calm and quiet as long as possible, letting her sleep. They would be returning home that day and he knew it would be far more stressful and less likely for Summer to get any rest. James was a good kid and currently staying with Jimmy, but that could not last long either. The longer she slept the better in Robert’s mind.

The door to the hospital room opened and before Robert could say anything, James ran into the room and to Summer’s bedside. The young woman’s eyes instantly flashed open, whirling to her son. She did not hesitate to open her arms, beckoning the nine-year old into her embrace. He scrambled onto the hospital bed and buried his face on her shoulder. Confused but trying to hide it, she lovingly embraced him, kissed his head, and whispered that she loved him.

Noticing the boy’s shoulders shook as he sobbed, Robert frowned. His eyes went back to the doorway, narrowing slightly on Jimmy’s silhouetted form. Rather than say anything, he turned his back on the room again, singing softly to the newborn in hopes of keeping her calm while her mother quieted her older half-brother.

“Mama, I wanna come home,” the young boy declared.

Summer pushed his dark hair from his eyes and kissed his forehead, “And I want you to come home too, James. But today you ought to spend time with Jimmy.”

“I’ve been with him all week. Can I please come home with you?” he whined.

She kissed his forehead again, “I’m sure I’m going to need your help with your baby sister. You are more than welcome to come with me, but first you must make certain it is okay with your father.”

“I’m not talking to him.”

Summer sighed, “James…”

“I’m not!”

“Okay… okay. I’ll ask him,” she responded and squeezed him again. “Do you want to hold your sister?”

Though ignoring Jimmy, Robert had been listening to the conversation and quickly approached the bed with the baby. James shifted in the bed beside Summer, smiling as she let him press the button to move the bed into a seated position. Once the boy was situated, Summer’s arm around his shoulders, Robert eased his baby into James’s arms. With Summer’s soft directions, James adjusted how he held the baby, making certain she was fully supported. The baby gurgled in response but did not cry.

“Do you think she likes me, Mum?” he asked softly, afraid to speak too loud and disturb the baby.

“Of course she does,” she brushed his hair from his face again. “Why wouldn’t she like you?”

James frowned but did not say anything. Robert instantly noticed the silent declaration and headed directly towards Jimmy, his blue eyes tinged with anger. Wordlessly he directed the guitarist into the hallway and closed the door behind them.

“Why is James upset?” he instantly asked.

“I do not see why that is any of your business,” Jimmy responded coolly.

“Oh for Christ’s sake, Jimmy. He spends more time with me than you. The boy is clearly upset.”

“He misses his mother. That is all.”

“I don’t bloody believe that,” Robert retorted. “What did you say to him?”

“Nothing.”

“Summer and Hayley come home today. The plan was for James to stay with you until the end of the week, but I see absolutely no reason he should not come home with us today as well. Whatever you said to him was unfatherly and you should not get another minute with that boy until you apologize,” he declared. “Which I’m sure will never happen. Please leave.”

Jimmy’s eyes narrowed, “Just because you feel threatened by my presence here does not mean I need to leave. My son–”

“Came into the room crying. Summer does not need to deal with that right now,” Robert interrupted. “I don’t bloody care what you think. Leave, Jimmy.”

“But–”

“Robert?” Summer’s soft voice interrupted the men’s conversation. “Where’s the camera?”

Turning he re-entered the hospital room, pausing to kiss Summer briefly. He glanced at James and Hayley, instantly understanding why Summer wanted the camera. Without a word, he dug it out of her bag that he packed earlier and snapped a few photographs of the children. He was vaguely aware of Summer conversing with Jimmy, the two coming to some sort of terms about James. A smile curved his lips as the older boy kissed his half sister’s downy hair. Wordlessly Robert took a picture before reaching over for Summer. Her words instantly halted, both hers and Jimmy’s eyes settling on the children. Even Jimmy’s eyes softened at the image.

However, the little girl beginning to cry quickly broke it. Panic filled James’s face, clearly thinking he did something to cause the girl to cry. Summer returned to the bed, sitting once more. She kissed her son’s forehead and eased the whimpering newborn out of his arms. Rocking the babe and speaking softly to her, she hoped to the quiet the child without further actions. However, the baby’s cries continued and Summer knew exactly what that meant. With little adieu, she bared her breast and turned the baby towards it.

James shifted on the bed, “Did I use to do that, Mama?”

She nodded, “Before you became a big boy, yes.”

“Oh,” he smiled slightly. “Does it hurt?”

“Only when something is wrong,” she explained.

“Is that why women have boobs and men don’t?” he asked.

Summer smiled crookedly, “It is. Daddies don’t produce milk for babies, only mommies do.”

“Why does Father like boobs then? He’s not a baby.”

Jimmy instantly flushed and cleared his throat.

Reaching over, she tousled his hair, “You know, that’s not one of those questions I can answer, James, because I don’t really understand it myself. I guess men just like them because they don’t have them.”

“Oh… I still don’t get it.”

“Maybe when you get older,” she chuckled. “Maybe when you get older.”



With Summer sitting in the living room with James, listening to her son read to her from his summer reading book, Robert rocked in the nursery with Hayley. The baby had long since fallen asleep in his arms, after nursing to her fill after supper. He could get up and ease her into her crib, but he was certain Summer would wish the baby to be by their bedside through the night. Plus, he could not get over the joy he felt as he held the precious little girl in his arms. She was his fourth child, second daughter, but first with Summer. Everything about her was beautiful, from her little button nose to her delicately curved lips to her tiny fingers and toes. Hayley was perfect and he was so very proud to call her his daughter.

He wondered as he rocked slightly in the padded chair what she would grow to look like, to act like. Hoping she looked just like her mother with the same cheery outlook on life, Robert knew he was going to love his little girl as much as possible. He had missed many of Carmen’s formative years because of Led Zeppelin, and even some of Logan’s, but he silently vowed to himself and to the infant in his arms, he would not miss Hayley’s. He was going to be the best father he could be, even a better one to his older children. In fact, he would invite them to come and spend the summer with him, Summer, James, and Hayley. It would be a full and busy house, but he was slowly beginning to realize that was what life was really about. It was not fame, money, drugs, or women. It was family and love. Gazing down at his newborn daughter, he understood that. And that was the greatest gift, anyone could ever give.

“Hey there, handsome,” Summer interrupted his thoughts.

Robert looked up from one love to another and smiled, “Hello, beautiful.”

She smiled and made her way over to the two, “James is finishing his chapter in bed, so I think it’s time to head to be too. Are you two coming?”

Nodding, he slowly got to his feet to not wake the baby, “It will be good to have you next to me in bed again.”

“I completely agree,” Summer kissed him briefly. “Did you change her diaper before she went to sleep?”

Nodding again, Robert replied, “We’re good for a couple of hours.”

“I feel like I could sleep for days,” she commented as they entered the master suite next door. “Move her cradle next to the bed?”

Offering the baby to his girlfriend, Robert did as she asked. His eyes focused on her as she kissed the infant and muttered how much she loved her before laying her in the cradle. She smiled at Robert and quickly peeled off the layers of clothing and climbed into their king-sized bed completely nude. Clicking off the light, he removed his own clothing and slipped into bed beside his girlfriend. He moved as closely to her as possible, snuggling against her nude body.

His hand roamed over her belly, “This is the first time I’ve been this close to you since Hayley’s birth. It’s so… strange to not feel her kicking against my palm.”

“I’m so fa–”

“Beautiful,” he quickly interjected. “You will always be beautiful to me, especially right now. You have given me a beautiful baby girl, Summer. You will always be beautiful to me. Always.”

“I love you, Robert,” she whispered.

“I love you, too, more than I can ever say.”

She kissed him gently, “You know, we did so well with her… maybe in a year or two we can have another?”

Robert chuckled, “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. Let’s just enjoy our beautiful baby now.”