Title: Pink Plastic
Characters: Summer Dylan, Bob, Adele, & Nessa Dylan, James Page Jr, Hayley Plant, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, Cameron Crowe
Word Count: 4379
Rating: PG13 [tension, mild language]
Warnings/Spoilers/Summary: Everyone gathers for Easter in New Orleans, making the house very full. But the weekend is not without surprises.... LOTS of spoilers.



Friday, April 1, 1988
New Orleans, Louisiana

It was a recipe for disaster. She knew that from the beginning. Her house in New Orleans had five bedrooms. With her in the master suite, her son in his room, and her daughter in her nursery, that left two rooms for guests. And her expected number holiday guests exceeded the number of rooms available. Her parents offered to rent a suite at a hotel, but she quickly declared she would figure it out; they were supposed to be together on the holiday. Normally her parents and her sister would take separate rooms, but even if Nessa stayed in James’ or Hayley’s room, a single empty guest room would not do.

She was not making Jimmy and Robert share a single room. There would be enough tension with Cameron’s presence. While Jimmy had a standing, open invitation to visit whenever he wished, Robert’s expected arrival was different. Since Hayley’s birth, he had not missed a holiday with her, even though Summer and Robert were no longer together. Jimmy phoned the day before, informing of his intentions to spend Easter in New Orleans; Robert had not confirmed his arrival but Summer did not doubt it.

It was going to make the house full of people and tension. Two ex-lovers, her children with them, her parents, and her current boyfriend would never give her a moment to think, much less relax. Maybe she should run away and hide before her parents or Jimmy arrived. Or just convince Cameron to pack up the kids and return to California.

“Summer?”

Blinking, she looked up to the source of her name and smiled, “Cameron.”

He leaned over and kissed her forehead, “You look worried.”

“I... how are we going to manage Easter with my parents and sister, Jimmy, and Robert here? This house is not big enough.”

He chuckled, “Bob offered to stay at a hotel.”

“I know, I know. But family shouldn’t stay at a hotel,” she responded.

“By proxy, Jimmy and Robert are family too,” he pointed out.

“I know,” she glanced over at her son flipping through a large picture book with his ten-month-old sister. “Which is why they’ll stay here too.”

“Have you even heard from Robert?”

“Not yet. But he hasn’t missed any of Hayley’s first holidays. He won’t miss this one.”

“Are you sure? He is on tour...”

Her eyes widened, “He is?”

Cameron nodded slowly.

“Watch the kids,” she declared, getting up from the armchair and heading into the other room.

Pulling out her small phone book from a drawer in the kitchen, Summer easily found Robert’s page. Glancing over the list of numbers, she tried to figure out which to dial. Settling on his management’s office, as they would best know where he was, she snatched up the phone and carefully pressed the lengthy numbers. Discovering he was at his Black Country home, she thanked the assistant, hung up and dialed that number.

Three rings later, Robert answered, “Hello?”

“Hi,” she replied.

“Summer,” she could hear his smile in his voice. “What a pleasant surprise. How are you, darling?”

“A bit stressed, trying to figure out where everyone is going to sleep here in New Orleans.”

“Are you having a lot of guests this weekend for some reason?”

Summer paused, “Easter.”

“Oh fuck. Summer...”

“Does this mean you’re not coming?”

He paused and sighed, “Summer, love, I really want to. But I have a show Sunday. And Monday. I just... even if I left right now, I would arrive with only a couple of hours before having to return home.”

“Works for me. We’ll hold off on the Easter egg hunt until you arrive,” she declared.

Robert remained silent for a moment, “Okay. I’ll call you once I have flight information.”

Hanging up the phone a minute later, Summer returned to the living room, sitting next to Cameron, “Robert will be here tomorrow, long enough for the Easter egg hunt.”

“I suppose this means Jimmy doesn’t have to share a room with him?”

She laughed, shaking her head, “It does not. Nessa can bunk with Jamie. It will all work.”

“And what of me?” he teased.

Leaning over, she kissed him on the cheek, “Well I suppose you can bunk with me, as you have since I managed to get you to take a break from work last week.”

His arm looped around her shoulders, “Damn. I was hoping to room with Jimmy.”

Shaking her head, Summer elbowed him playfully, “Always the Jimmy fan.”



Sitting on the back porch swing, Summer gently swayed back and forth. In her arms, her young daughter finally dozed off. With the excitement of Bob and Adele, coupled with Jimmy’s presence, getting Hayley to sleep had been a chore. Summer finally excused herself from the company and headed outside with the baby, hoping out there she could ease the baby into dreams. With a few softly sung lullabies, the rocking of the swing, and the soft buzz of crickets, Hayley finally fell asleep. Summer was afraid to move, to take her back into the activity.

Hearing the soft creek of the porch door, she glanced up and smiled at Jimmy. His eyes instantly flicked to the young girl, he nodded, and quietly headed towards the two. He sat next to Summer on the swing, smiling softly. They remained seated without speaking for a few minutes, the baby completely unaware of Jimmy’s presence.

“She’s as beautiful as her mother,” he complimented softly. 

Summer smiled again, brushing the baby’s golden curls across her brow, “She is rather precious.”

“I am lucky that you mothered my son,” he declared. “I know he has an excellent life with you as a mother. I regret I could not be the father he needed or deserved.”

“That was not in our cards, Jimmy,” her blue eyes met his. “I know that, at least now. Hopefully, some day soon, Jamie will see it, understand it.”

He sighed, “I hope so.”

“He’s just... protective of me, Jimmy. It means a lot to both of us that you’re here this weekend, though. I think the more he sees us together and sees you, the more he’ll relax and begin to trust you,” she declared.

“One can only hope.”

“I did want to talk to you about something.”

“Oh?” 

“Jamie is... struggling some in school,” she stated. “He’s very bright. I just don’t think the school he has been attending is the right one for him.”

“The one in San Diego?”

Summer nodded.

“What are you thinking instead?”

“Moving back to Los Angeles and enrolling him back in the school he was in before,” she stated.

“If you think it will be better for him, then by all means, I defect to you, princess.”

Her thoughts arrested at his pet name and she looked down at her daughter to silence her old emotions, “Cameron’s mother had convinced me that moving him to the San Diego school was the right course when we returned from England.”

“Trust your own mothering instinct, Summer. It has never led you astray,” Jimmy declared.

She nodded slowly, before saying, “Do you ever...?”

“Do I ever what?”

“...regret what happened?”

“Yes,” Jimmy nodded. “And yet no. I could not have given you the life you need and deserve. Even Robert could not. I was too lost to my own addictions and depressions and obsessions to be a good enough man for you, much less for our family. And once my subconscious realized that, I sabotaged our relationship. It seemed easier to give you reasons to leave me than for me to leave you.”

“Would you have really left me?” her eyes returned to his.

He considered it for a moment, “Not in a million years. But as I said, I was not worthy of being with you forever. I caused you too much pain. If I could take it back, I would. Yet, I know I cannot. We will be forever bound, but not forever lovers. I accept that.”

“You mentioned Robert, but... what do you think of Cameron? I trust you to tell me the truth,” her gaze flicked to the back door before returning to Jimmy.

He smirked, “You want the truth?”

“I do,” she nodded.

“I am bloody jealous of him.”

Summer blinked, “Jimmy...”

“It is not that he touches and kisses you now; nor that he sleeps in the bed we bought together, in the house I bought you. It is not because he makes you smile in ways I never did; nor the way he seems to know your every thought just as you think it. I am jealous because he loves you completely and totally. I am jealous because he loves you and takes care of you in ways I never could. I am jealous that he is to you, what I could never be,” Jimmy confessed. “I do not harbor any ill will towards him, however. He is the dad to my son, that I cannot be. And the light in your eyes... I have not seen in a over a decade. Cameron is... everything you deserve, my princess. Everything.”


Saturday, April 2, 1988
New Orleans, Louisiana

Finding an appropriate Easter outfit for Hayley had been difficult. More than James, the infant was quite active, crawling any and everywhere. With plans to pick up Robert at the airport and then head to an Easter Egg Hunt in the park, Summer was struggling to get her dressed. Thus far she had only managed to get the girl’s frilly diaper cover on. The short Easter dress was a completely different story.

“She is just like you,” Adele’s voice came from the doorway. “I couldn’t get you to wear anything at her age either.”

Summer glanced over her shoulder at her mother, “Yes, well, I can’t really let her just run around in her diaper now, can I?”

In that instant of looking away from her daughter, Hayley wiggled free and instantly crawled to her grandmother. Adele scooped up the girl and showered her with kisses until she giggled. Letting her mother hold her daughter, Summer slipped the the frilly Easter dress over the girl’s head.

“Does she have a bonnet too?” Adele asked.

Summer laughed, “Oh no. I can’t get her to keep a single thing on her head. Not headbands and certainly not hats.”

“How about shoes?”

Her blue eyes went to her mother, “I don’t even like to wear shoes. Do you think she does?”

Her mother laughed, “Of course not. But I’m sure you have some for her to wear today?”

“I do. Hold onto her while I try to get them on.”

With everyone finally in their Easter finery, the group headed out to the cars. Glancing at Summer as she buckled the infant in her seat in the back of the family sedan, Jimmy quickly weighed his options. He could ride with her parents and sister, but that might mean a missed opportunity to interact with his son, who was the reason he was in New Orleans. Before he decided, James jumped in the car with Bob and Adele, explaining something to Nessa, his aunt who was two years younger than him. The doors were closed, leaving Jimmy’s only option to join Cameron and Summer. Shrugging he slipped into the front passenger seat as Summer sat next to her daughter.

Arriving at the airport thirty minutes later, Summer slipped out of the car and headed in to meet Robert with Hayley on her hip. She did not have to wait long for his arrival, standing at the gate for a few minutes with a fidgeting baby. Hayley instantly stopped wiggling when she saw her father approaching. His eyes went from Summer to the baby as he headed towards them. The smile on his face increased as the baby giggled. He quickly embraced both of them, his lips brushing Summer’s before she could protest, and slipped Hayley from her arms.

“Papa’s little girl is getting so big!” he declared, hugging her tight for a moment.

“She is,” Summer confirmed. “And beginning to get an attitude.”

“Never!” he grinned. “Not this little angel.”

“Yeah, we’ll see how long that lasts,” she rolled her eyes. “The cars are waiting out front. Let’s hurry.”

Robert nodded, shifting the girl to his hip. His free hand reached up and touched Summer’s cheek. He leaned forward to kiss her properly, but she quickly turned her cheek towards him. Saying nothing, she stepped away, heading down the corridor at a brisk pace.

Once again seated in the back of the car, between her daughter and Robert so Cameron could see out the back window, Summer felt the tension begin to rise. While Robert’s quick visit evaded much of the tension, she could not deny how awkward she felt on the drive to the park. The three men conversed pleasantly, but she questioned the sincerity of it all. Jimmy may have been acting mature about it all, but even Summer heard slight barbs under Robert’s words, thrown at both the other men. If it weren’t for her daughter and the desire to have a peaceful holiday, Summer might have spoken up. Instead, she remained silent, entertaining the baby with toys and pointing out things they passed in the window.

Arriving at the park, they met back up with Summer’s parents, who skipped the airport to make certain the family was signed up for the egg hunt. Having decided that he was too old for egg hunts, James plopped down on the picnic blanket with a book while Summer passed Hayley off to her father. Grinning, Robert followed Nessa to the hunting grounds, laughing as Hayley chewed on the handle of her basket.

With a sigh, Summer leaned on Cameron, “You brought the camera, right?”

“Shit. I left it in the car. I’ll be right back,” he quickly kissed her and hurried away.

Bob stepped up to Summer, “I’m proud of you.”

Her eyes flicked to his, “Why’s that, Daddy?”

“It’s not easy to do what you are, blending families and keeping on good terms with everyone,” he declared. “I would know.”

She nodded, “It’s not. And I can’t say everything is okay. Robert... tried to kiss me in the airport.”

Bob’s eyes darkened as he watched the tall blonde singer holding his granddaughter, “He still isn’t over you.”

“It’s been six months, Dad.”

“I know, but that doesn’t mean he has given up hope. I am certain he still expects you to change your mind.”

“It’s not my mind that would need changing. It’s my heart,” she stated softly.

He glanced in Cameron’s direction as he carried the camera bag back to the family, “He’s the one.”

“Daddy...”

His eyes returned to his daughter and he smirked, seeing her entire being glow just from looking at her boyfriend, “Good.”

“All set,” Cameron declared as he approached the family.

“Thank you,” Summer kissed his cheek quickly. “I’m going to go help Robert with Hayley. You sure you don’t want to come, Jamie?”

The young boy looked up from his book and shook his head before returning to his reading. Summer frowned slightly before turning away to join the egg hunt. Noticing the brief glimpse of sadness, Jimmy excused himself from conversation with Adele and approached his son. He squatted next to his son, waiting to be acknowledged.

James glanced over the top of his book, “What do you want?”

“I know that a man of your age has his own interests,” Jimmy began, “but don’t you think you could join your mother for a bit? She has been looking forward to this weekend for awhile now.”

He watched as his son fought back the desire to argue with his suggestion. Instead, James slipped his bookmark into his book and got to his feet. Saying nothing to Jimmy, he ran to catch up with his mother, sister, and aunt. With a slight smile, Cameron set down his camera bag and followed in pursuit as well, snapping a few pictures before he got too close. Smugly smiling, Jimmy sat down on the blanket and accepted a sweet tea from Adele. Soon the air was filled with giggles, including those of Summer and her children.



Sunday, April 3, 1988
New Orleans, Louisiana

Lying in bed in the early morning hours, Cameron’s eyes swept over Summer’s sleeping form. Her long blonde curls, lay in disarray and chaos around her pillow. Slight twitches of her eyelashes indicated she dreamed. He wondered what she was dreaming about, if he was even a part of them. He yearned to kiss her awake, but instead, let her keep dreaming. 

The weekend had been more stressful for her than he anticipated prior to agreeing to spend a week in New Orleans. Yet she handled it with grace, without letting anyone know how much she worried about her former lovers in a house too small for both of their egos. He saw the brief moments where it peeked through her facade, but never let on that he had. Even now, as they lay together, he could only think about how beautiful and graceful she was ― and how lucky it was he who laid beside her on that bed.

Slowly she stirred awake, her long lashes parted to reveal her sapphire eyes. Her gaze cast around in the dim light without purpose. Slowly her eyes turned to him. Her beautiful smile lit up her face and his heart. He smiled back and leaned forwards, brushing his lips across hers.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he muttered.

“Good morning, handsome,” she responded, kissing him again. “How long have you been watching me?”

“Years.”

She flushed and kissed him again, “Cameron...”

Telling her to relax and stay in bed for a bit longer while he checked on Hayley, Cameron slipped out of the bedroom. After a quick peek to make certain the baby still slept, he hurried down the stairs. Finding Bob, Adele, and Jimmy seated at the breakfast table, sipping coffee silently, he slowed his steps, trying to seem casual. Summer’s mother kept her eyes on him, even though the two men returned their interest to the newsprint in front of them.

“Good morning, Cameron,” Adele cheerily stated. “Sleep well?”

“Yes, yes, of course,” he responded a bit dismissively, looking around the kitchen.

“Missing something?” she asked.

“Um... yes,” he stopped and looked directly at Adele.

“Perhaps I can help,” she pushed away from the table.

“Summer’s Easter basket... I left it on the counter last night when I went to bed...”

Her mother smiled, “It’s in the parlor with the children's baskets.”

“Thank you,” he responded, before bolting into the room.

Finding the small basket, he quickly plucked a pink plastic egg from the paper grass and cracked it open. Jelly beans spilled into the basket. Swearing under his breath, Cameron checked two more, each filled with more candies. There was no way he lostthe pink egg. None at all. Turning to the children’s baskets, he checked each of their pink eggs too. Still nothing but candy. What was he going to do?

“Seems you’re still missing something,” Adele’s voice came from the entrance to the room.

His eyes went to hers, “Yes. A pink egg with something... special in it.”

“Oh really? Not just candy?”

He shook his head, “No. Something bigger than candy.”

“A ring perhaps?”

His heart stopped, “Do you have it?”

“Perhaps. Were you intending to ask her father’s permission?”

Cameron looked beyond Adele, his gaze falling on Bob as he sipped his coffee, “Of course, but not until after I ask her.”

“Well he is the keeper of the egg, so perhaps you should rethink your plan,” she stated and turned away, heading back into the kitchen.

Glancing back at the Easter basket, he frowned. He did not want to ask Bob for the egg back, in front of Jimmy. While Jimmy seemed amiable to his and Summer’s relationship, Cameron did not think it would extend to the contents of that plastic egg. Maybe he could convince Bob to return the egg, on promise Cameron would not act on it today. But no, he was going to act on it. He had not been carrying it around for nearly a month to not finally act on it. He was going to respectfully request for the return of the egg and then deliver the basket to Summer.

Returning to the breakfast nook, Cameron stood a couple of feet away from Summer’s father and cleared his throat, “Uh, good morning, sir ― Bob. Adele seems to think you might have something of mine.”

Bob looked up disinterested from his newspaper, “Good morning, Cameron. And what might I have?”

Jimmy set down his section of the newspaper to watch the exchange.

“A plastic egg, a pink one in fact.”

“And why might I have a pink plastic egg? Do I appear as the Easter Bunny?”

Cameron tried to keep his voice even, “Bob, in the egg that I know you have is a ring, a ring I want to give to Summer, as a... a promise.”

“A promise of what?” the elder musician asked, reaching for his coffee.

“Iwanttomarryyourdaughter,” he quickly blurted out.

Bob smirked, “Do you now?”

“More than anything.”

The folksinger reached into the large front pockets of his robe and pulled out a pink, plastic Easter egg, “I will return this egg on one condition.”

“What?”

“You promise me to keep being her best friend first, before everything else,” Bob’s eyes met Cameron’s.

He struggled to not sigh in relief, “Yes, of course. Nothing is going to change that. Nothing has in thirteen years. Nothing will in thirteen decades.”

Saying nothing else, Bob tossed the egg at Cameron. Eyes wide, he cupped his hands, closing them over the precious egg. Thanking Summer’s father quickly, he returned to the parlor and snatched up the Easter basket. Though he could feel the three adults watching his every move, Cameron ignored them all. He headed out into the backyard, rushed to an archway under a flowering vine, and deposited the Easter basket. Returning the egg to the basket, he stepped back and looked at the composition of the setting. Rolling his eyes at himself for his own actions, Cameron headed back into the house and directly to the staircase.

Summer stood at the top.

“I thought you would be right back,” she stated softly.

“I thought I would be too,” he quickly ascended the steps. “However, the Easter Bunny apparently left you an Easter basket.”

Her eyes brightened, “Really?”

“Yes. Come with me,” his hand enfolded hers.

Not caring that he was only in pajama pants and a shirt and she in a mid-length satin nightgown, Cameron led Summer pass her parents and Jimmy and into the backyard. As the door closed behind them, Adele quickly jumped up, pressing close to the window to watch the proceedings. Purposefully leading Summer through the gardens to the bench, where being seen from the house was spotty at best, Cameron finally slowed his steps. His fingers released hers, allowing her to take the final few steps towards the basket alone.

Her fingers touched the soft, plush bunny dominating the center of the basket. Glancing at her boyfriend, she tried to discern exactly why he seemed so nervous that morning. She decided it had something to do with the basket and turned her attention back to it. A few other trinkets filled the grass, including a variety of different guitar picks, a scattering of loose jelly beans and covered chocolate eggs, and a small bottle of bubbles. Finding nothing about those items all that anxiety-inducing, her fingers reached for the plastic eggs and began to open them. Clips for her hair, a tiny bottle of nail polish, lip gloss, and more candy fell out of the opened eggs. Her fingers curled around a pink egg and Cameron’s breath caught. It felt as if she opened the egg in slow motion.

The top of the egg crashed to the stone pavers, making a hollow plastic sound with each bounce. Slowly, Summer turned to Cameron. Saying nothing, he reached for the egg and knelt in front of her. Summer gasped, her hands covering her mouth.

“Summer, you’ve been my best friends for over a decade. I never want to lose that,” Cameron stated, his voice barely above a whisper. “Your son was right a couple of summers ago: you are the one I should be marrying. I know it’s taken us awhile to get to this point, but I... No one knows me better than you do and no one knows you better than I do. I love you with all my heart. You make me want to be a better man. And... I know I can be. I know we can be so much more than just friends and lovers. I want... I want to be your husband and you my wife. Will you marry me, Summer?”

She did not even glance at the simple ring before nodding. Smiling, he plucked the ring out of the plastic egg and discarded the rest of it. Slipping the ring onto her finger, Cameron slowly stood back up, his eyes holding hers as tears dripped from her lashes.

“Yes, I will marry you, Cameron,” she breathed. “I love you.”