fancifulwritings

[fancifulwritings]

10 Questions Every Fic Writer Secretly Wants to be Asked

There are a lot of fic questions that float around online, but rarely do they ever ask specific questions about the fics themselves. Ask any writer one or more of these ten questions to learn more about the fic and show support.

1. Of the fics you’ve written, which is your favorite and why?

2. Which scene was your favorite to write in [title of fic]?

3. Which part of [title] was hardest to write?

4. If you could change anything in [title], what would it be?

5. Did you make an outline for [title]? Did you stick to it?

6. Which scenes did you cut, and which were added in [title]?

7. Who was your favorite character to write in [title]?

8. Which came first, the title or the fic?

9. Which idea came to you first in [title]?

10. What are some facts readers may not know about [title]?

[fancifulwritings]

send me a made-up fic title and i'll tell you what i would write to go with it

[fancifulwritings]

I’m so glad you are posting again! Your stories are always so well written and unique. Can’t wait for more 💕💕💕💕

thank you so much!!! i honestly so happy to be posting again!

[fancifulwritings]

The Song Remains The Same

after quite a long time (i am so sorry this took so long to anyone that’s been following for a while) here’s chapter 17! i’ll probably start working on the next chapter almost right away, but i’m more than happy to have any recommendations/wants to write next, my ask box is always open!

A small panic fell upon the room. No one said anything, but they all knew the cause. The word, the simple word of problem, didn't sit well with anyone. Things had seemed to be going so well. What could this so called problem be? What had they done?

     One by one, they all looked at Jimmy. Those who had been together at that dinner, the one that seemed so long ago after the concert, knew he liked to push buttons. Bonzo might not have been there, but his head still turned. The dynamic between Robert and Jimmy wasn't lost to him. They fought like cats and dogs, like true brothers. It got on everyone's nerves back in the day. Even Jimmy, for a few moments, wondered if he was the one to blame. He didn't think he had overstepped, not yet at least.

     Calypso, of course, felt the most nervous. She was the less sure of this whole thing. Her footing into their world was weak. She might have been the once to cause this, but that didn't guarantee her a place. One word from Robert and she would be sent packing. An eternity, alone, stuck forever at twenty-one, with her so-called soulmate refusing anything to do with her? It sounded like hell. Her thoughts, after focusing on Jimmy causing this, naturally turned to herself.

     John Paul, like everyone else, thought it was Jimmy. It was where his thought stayed for the longest. But then they turned away from them. Perhaps this was no one's fault. Perhaps it was something to do with Robert. Had he not shared that their stay had a limit? Did he need a few moments to himself? John Paul understood why his house was so far out into the woods. Sometimes a man just needed his time to himself. Was that it? Or did Robert had prior arrangements he needed to uphold?

     The anxiety stayed over the room for a few seconds. Robert noticed this, watched everyone's eyes and heads shift to Jimmy. It was amusing to him. But he didn't let it sit longer for a moment. That felt a bit too cruel to do to them. He burst out laughing before he could talk, though. All of them were too easy to wind up, even all these years later.

     "They're not real problems, not problems like we used to have," he said with a roll of his eyes. A few more chuckles left his body before he could talk again. "Just a few things that need to be taken care of. Physical problems, not social ones, lads. You lot need to calm down just a little bit," he said.

     Once he finished speaking, silence again fell over them. They were waiting for him to announce what these problems were. They were all wracking their brains. No one could think of what was wrong. The few moments of silence, as Robert collected himself from his laughing fit, seemed to be a bit too much for some people.

     "Well, will you spit it out lad!" Bonzo roared with a smile. "I know we technically got forever and all, but I don't wanna sit here that long, waiting for you to find your words," he said. There was a clearly playful tone in his voice. It brought a smile to Calypso's face.

     There interactions seemed so lighthearted. Robert's own face had a smile growing, one that was different from his laughing. It was a fond smile, Calypso realized. He had waited years for this. Robert had gone years and years, likely praying for one more day with his best friend. How many times had Robert dreamed that Bonzo was alive again? It was touching. Calypso counted herself lucky that she got to see this wishes and dreams come true.

     "Well, first, you lot are disgusting. You're absolute pigs!" He said with a smirk. "And while this is partially about the dishes, don't think me and Calypso will be doing them all ourselves, it's actually about how much you eat. Though, Bonz, I do expect a thorough cleaning of your room before you leave, I remember what your hotel rooms looked like," he said. There was a twinkle in his eyes. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that Robert had missed teasing his best friend.

     "And you haven't been eating a grossly inappropriate amount, especially for a bunch of twenty something year olds," he said. Calypso thought for a moment he was getting more comfortable with the whole situation. That was immensely good. It made her feel a bit more at east. "But I hadn't planned for," he paused to count them all off, "five guests plus me. I had just enough or about a week or so," he said.

     His thinking, then, was that it would be enough time to hide out. The people he interacted with on a normal weekly basis of course knew who he was. But they also didn't make a huge fanfare of who he was. The town, no doubt, would be swarmed with Zeppelin fans after the concert. People seeking out him or any of the other two. They would make a huge deal out of who he was. Robert was passed the age, at that point, of wanting people to make a deal out of who he was. So he had wanted to hide away for a week. But now that was all gone out of the window. He hadn't exactly planned for this.

     What was the problem with the food? None of them exactly got it. Surely they all had the funds to go out and get the food. Robert couldn't be that low on cash that he couldn't afford to eat. "Now, mate, you're not telling me you're broke, are ye? Because I think anyone of them," Bonzo pointed to everyone else, "can afford a bit of groceries."

     To that, Robert only tutted and shook his head. Surely everyone else would get it. But even Calypso wasn't piecing together what the food problem was. "Do I need to show everyone a mirror?" He asked with a sigh. "We can't exactly go out like this. Unless someone has enough cash to buy stock in a grocery market, I'm not exactly sure how we can go about getting food," he explained.

     Calypso realized he was right. The one thing that had her in constant awe, she had forgotten. Without any real interaction with the outside world, she had momentarily forgotten it wasn't 1970-something. It was easy to do, being surrounded by all their faces for only twenty-four hours.

     Robert very much was right. They would need a large amount of food, an insane amount so they could stay hidden for a little bit. Six months to feed on just strictly three meals a day was going to be a lot for anyone. Someone who hadn't prepared? Someone who couldn't exactly go out in public like they were? If anyone used their card, they could be found out immediately.    

     A card gave a name, and with the increasingly familiar face, the cashier was bond to recognize them. That was assuming that no one stopped them in the shop because how much they looked like whatever member of Led Zeppelin. The voice, the looks, the everything about them would give them away. There was only so much they could lie their way out of. They still held a bit of popularity. If they didn't, the reunion concert wouldn't have been a big deal, or a deal at all. If they didn't, Calypso never would have fallen in love with the band.

     "I can do it," Maureen piped up after a moment. They all turned to her, a bit confused. How could she do it? To that, she just laughed a bit. "No one knows what I look like, who I am. No one's gonna think twice about me. I might be young again, but I wasn't the famous one, remember?" She said with a grin. "And I think I've got more than enough money in my bank account to cover it. Well, John does, but you all know it's the same difference," she said with yet another laugh.

     In that moment, it was pretty easy to see that Robert felt a fool. All of them did, Calypso included. After a few seconds, Robert busted out laughing. How could that be forgotten? He'd managed to project his problems onto everyone, and not everyone shared them.

     It wasn't like he had forgotten about Mo. If asked about it, he would defend himself. He knew she was here. It was more that he had simply forgotten she wasn't famous. Sure, she had been in that one scene in their movie, ages ago, and a few pictures here and there, but how many people really knew what she looked like? She was the only one in their little group with easy access to a bank account who wouldn't get caught.

     That didn't solve their next problem. As much as Robert would love for the answer to be Mo doing everything, it just wouldn't work. It also wouldn't be fair to her and Jonesy's bank account.

     "The other little problem is a little less life or death, but it'll certainly need to be solved," he said. "None of us have proper clothing. I feel like I'm drowning in my old man's suit whenever I get dressed. And poor Bonz doesn't anything besides what's literally on his back," he paused to chuckle, "it might look like 1973, but we can't wear the same outfit for days on end anymore. He'll reek."

     This was not a problem that had occurred to Calypso. It wasn't even really a problem, more a dilemma they needed to fix. The food issue had been somewhere in the back of her mind. After all, Robert had mentioned last night he didn't have enough food for all of them. The fridge and cupboards were becoming more and more bare as she watched him cook.

     Eventually, she would have voiced her concern about the food to Robert. But he had beat her too it, before it was a truly pressing matter, so she didn't have to think about that. Having four full grown men in a house without food and those same four fully grown men couldn't leave sounded like something out of a nightmare.

     Clothing wasn't something that would have ever crossed her mind. It simply wasn't a problem. She'd packed as much clothing as she could fit into her luggage. Whenever she ran out, she could have just laundry. The rest of them didn't have that sort of luxury. Their clothes didn't fit them anyone. Bonzo had it the worst with the one singular suit he wore that was obviously just a bit too big for him. It had been fitted for a much larger Bonzo.

     Calypso glanced around the table and the clothing issue become more apparent the more she focused on it. Robert sat adjusting himself, no longer comfortable in the casual outfit he had on. With the long curls that cascaded to almost halfway down his back, the button up and slacks combo he had on looked out of place. Once again, he embodied a 1970s rock star but his clothes suggested retired dad.

     Jimmy looked just as equally out of place and simply wrong as Robert did. He'd always been the skinniest out of the band, even now. But the clothes he was currently in ate his small frame. It was almost like his clothes were swallowing him up until nothing was left. The silver locks were gone, placed by his dark mop of hair, and it a startling difference for Calypso.

     Jonesy didn't appear too out of place. His clothes were too big for him, just like the rest of them. But, as far as Calypso was concerned, he'd always dressed rather normally. His build and hairstyle could easily just be a normal, everyday. It was part of the reason he had been able to blend in with a crowd and escape back in the day.

     "I don't need any clothing," Jimmy said after a moment of silence.

     Bonzo scoffed at that idea. "What? You just gonna deal with what ya got until we all see your ass?"

     That was met with an eye roll from Jimmy, barely noticeable underneath his wild fringe. "No, I still have most my stuff from back in the day. It should all fit just fine now. No need to give you the privilege of my bum." Jimmy chuckled as he spoke. "That is, whatever didn't end up in museums or archives."

     That struck Calypso as a bit odd. Why would he bother keeping all of that? It wasn't like he thought he should keep it around so that if he lost the weight he could wear it again. No old man could want to wear his clothing from the 70s, could he? Especially one that probably hadn't taken the best care of himself. What condition would the clothes even be in?

     As Calypso mulled over her thoughts, something clicked inside of Robert. None of the rest of them had kept their clothes. That was what normal people did. Got rid of their clothes as the fashion changed drastically and they out grew things. There was only one answer.

     "You little slimy bastard, you were always ready for this to-" He began, anger apparent in his voice, before he was cut off.

     "Boys, let's not fight right now. We've done enough of that, I think," Maureen said quickly. "It doesn't matter why Jimmy doesn't need anything. Just count it a blessing none of us will witness his bum." She gave a cutting glance to Robert, almost daring him to challenger her.

     "Alright, well, that settles one out of four of us," Robert said. His voice gave away his clear annoyance. "One or two of us might be able to sneak out, but not all of us. That's asking to be recognized, no matter how good we disguise ourselves." At that, Calypso couldn't help but chuckle. How exactly could any of them disguise themselves?

     After a moment, Jonesy spoke up. "I can go for myself and Bonzo," he said. Robert cocked his head a bit quizzically at the statement, as did Calypso. There was something so sure in his statement, in his voice.

     "It's not the first time I've done it," he said with a laugh. The statement might have been meant as clarification, but it didn't seem to clarify anything, at least for Calypso. Robert's head remained cocked as well.

     "Someone, back in the day, liked to under-pack for tours. It was a chronic condition," Jonesy said as he shot a look toward Bonzo. "Whatcha pack for that one American tour? Two briefs, a singular sweater, and maybe three pairs of shorts?"

     "And what was on me back!" Bonzo pointed out.

     "Yes, yes, of course. How could I forget that important detail?" Jonesy asked with a playful smile painted on his face.

     "Not everyone loved life on the road, you know. I had a family!" He replied, seemingly in defense of himself. This apparently was an age old fight, though maybe not started by the issue of clothing.

     Robert rolled his eyes at the comment. "We all had families, my boy, that is besides Jimmy." Bonzo turned a bit red, but didn't bother to respond with anything. It was obvious that this fight was one they had time and time again, and had been settled long before Calypso had come along.

     "But, either way, John Paul will go clothes shopping like the old days," Robert said with a smile. The feeling in the room lightened a little bit at that.

     "Well, I think you should obviously go, Robert," Calypso piped up after another moment. In her mind, who else could go for him? He was too tall for Jonesy to be able to accurately judge what size he might need.

Jonesy and Bonzo had an almost similar sense of style, or Bonzo just put up with Jonesy's clothing choices. That alone told her that Jonesy didn't have practice buying for Robert as well. Robert seemed a bit pickier than that. And Jimmy seemed to have checked out about the clothing problem, not wanting a thing to do with it. He'd probably shame them all for not simply keeping their clothes.

Once it was out of her mouth, though, she regretted it. Everyone turned to look at her. It was as if they had forgotten she was there. Which, she couldn't fully blame them for. That wasn't the reason for her regret, though. With everyone leaving the house, she'd be left with Bonzo and Jimmy.

It wasn't like she didn't like either man. It would just, it was an uncomfortable thought. She didn't know them too well. Bonzo had literally just come back from the dead. If she stayed… She'd feel like she was getting in the way of a long overdue reunion rather than bonding with people she'd be trapped with.

"Well, I suppose you're right on that," Robert said as he looked at her with a smile. "But," he began as he put a hand on her thigh, "I'll only go if you agree to go with me. A pretty girl like you will distract the paparazzi from an old man like me." He had a toothy grin on his face that she couldn't say no to, one that showed off his missing tooth.

Her gut told her to say no. Calypso could already tell exactly what Robert was thinking about. It was a ploy for him to buy her more clothing. That was something that made her a bit uncomfortable. Having things paid for by other people just wasn't something she was used to. Could she really manage to get the word no out of her mouth, though?

"Well, of course I'll go," she said with a bright smile. Her face didn't show a single sign of her internal fight. She'd regret it later, give the look he gave her, but now wasn't the time to worry.

[fancifulwritings]

howdy hey y’all!

thanks to those who followed me from the old blog and a nice welcome to the new folks! i know i had said on the other blog that i was hoping to get the newest chapter of the song up today but it’s not quite where i want it to be right now (honestly i spent a lot of time rereading what i had already written because i was a little rusty with the whole story writing thing) so it might be a few more days. 

that being said, i plan on making a page on my blog of people/bands/other media i’d feel comfortable writing for! i have a TON of ideas that i’ve just been dying to get out. i wanna be more interactive with y’all (hence the whole reason for a move to a new blog) and plan on reblogging a couple of those prompt sort of asks if y’all are interested? i know i had done at least one on the old blog and it had gone fairly well. i also think that those short little things do get the creative juices flowing a bit god knows i need them writing for robert  so if anyone has any good blogs/prompt games they’d like to suggest, i’d love some! (also a side bar if you know any good bootlegs for any of the guys i’ve written for, but especially zeppelin, i would love them for “research” purposes

but i don’t wanna leave y’alls input to just short little prompts. so i’ll be taking requests for what story everyone wants the next chapter of (i know the song is the easily the most popular story i have but i’ve got a lot of love for the two others in the works rn) but i also want to open it up for longer requests, so if y’all really want some sort of fic/one shot  written and it’s within my range, i’d love to be the one to try my hand at it! i also have a couple stories that i’ve outlined a couple chapters of/the basic plot for so i might throw those up on a page/post and see if there’s any interest for those stories as well (there’s at least one zeppelin story in there)

i don’t want this to just be about me, though. i wanna interact more with other fic writers too! so if y’all know a great writer/story/whatever you’ve been following, pls send me their @. 

i think that’s about all i have for now, if you’ve made it this far, thank you so much for dealing with my long ramble and for for supporting me thus far, new or old!

[fancifulwritings]

The Song Remains The Same

Chapter Sixteen

     At some point in the night, everything started to blend together for Calypso. Where her body ended and Robert's began, she wasn't sure anymore. They had spent hours wrapped around each other. If Calypso didn't know better, she would have thought Robert was dying. But it was quite the opposite, wasn't it?

     If Calypso had been capable of coherent thought, she would have pondered it. Was this his celebration of life? Or a man dealing with news he didn't know how to deal with? Besides another death, this might just have been the worst news Robert could have gotten. At least, that's how it seemed to Calypso.

     Her brain wasn't working, though. Robert had effectively, for that night at least, shut off any thought processes. She didn't need them.

     By the time they had finally passed out, they were both sticky and sweaty. They were just a pile of limbs and sore muscles. Neither cared, though. All they had wanted was to continue touching, to never let each other go. The good fight against their eyelids had been lost.

     Robert was the first of the two to begin to stir. His eyes flicked open, adjusting quickly to the little streams of light in the room. He began to move, but soon realized he couldn't. Calypso was carefully tucked into his side. Her head rested carefully on his arm. Even if his heart had felt a little cruel, his arm was asleep. The rest of his body might want to stretch, but it would have to wait.

     His attention turned to the rest of his body as he thought of it. It ached. But, this was an ache that Robert had long forgotten. It was no longer the aches and pains of old age; the pains of all the harm he had caused his body gone. It was almost easy to forget they had ever been there.

     Calypso shifted slightly. Robert turned to face her, but noticed she was still lost to sleep. Let her have a few moments more, he figured. It was tough for him. He couldn't imagine the thoughts running through Calypso's head. He hoped he offered her more solace than pain.

     His spare hand, the one not curled in Calypso's hair, ran down his own torso. It was a physique he had long forgotten. It was one that he had only managed to maintain on the road; mountains of cocaine had made it all possible. Now that he had been given it back, would it be back to those old vices? Robert hadn't thought of anything harder than marijuana in years. But what was to stop him now?

     The one part of his body Robert could stretch, he did. It was the leg he had injured years ago in that accident. It felt like a lifetime ago to him. To this body, it had never happened. Perhaps it was what he was most grateful about now. That leg had never felt right again after, never healed completely as it should have. On rainy days like today, it would ache and protest his every movement.

     It was only natural when Robert's attention shifted back to the warm body against him. It was a familiar feeling. Most of his life had been spent like this: a pretty face in bed that he hardly knew, but had already grown comfortable with. Perhaps that was his true vice. Robert's love flowed freely. He'd never been one to believe in having a single love.

     It hadn't been until recently that the stream of girls had stopped. Finally, he had gotten too old. Or, the world had moved past him, his rock star status meaningless to those women. This one had changed that, though. Unknowingly, she had even made it possible for that stream of women to return.

     Another old vice Robert wasn't sure he'd like to return to. His bed had gotten lonely. There was no denying this. But now he had a new girl to fill it, one he rather enjoyed.

     She was a pretty face, there was no denying that. Looking at her now, Robert would be a fool to suggest anything else. At least, he would feel one. Any sign of concern or worry was wiped from her face. Despite her age, Robert had noticed her eyes always carried some anxiety in them. All he found himself wanting to do was wipe that away.

     Looking closer at her, he could see a faint smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks. It seemed her tanned, olive skin usually hid them from the world. Robert counted himself lucky to see them.

     His mind, and free hand, quickly wondered from her face to elsewhere. It never took him much to get going. Even in his old age, he had still gotten there quickly when he needed to. Unable to stop himself, he leaned in and placed a kiss to her lips.

     At the sudden new pressure, Calypso woke. Her eyes fluttered opened and she gave him a sleepy smile. It was still so much for her mind to process. In her groggy state, she half thought the vision of him was a dream.

     It took a second kiss for her heart to really jump into action. This was real. It was all real. Her only physical reaction was her smile grew just a bit more.

     As she came a bit more too, she reached a hand up to play with his hair before returning his kiss.

     "Good morning," she mumbled. It was obvious that sleep was still in her voice. For a faint moment, Robert debated letting her sleep. As much as he would have loved to spend the morning lazily making love, he couldn't keep her up like that. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and smiled.

     Before any words could leave his mouth, there was a loud banging downstairs, accompanied by some vague grumbling. Robert could only sigh and run his hand down his face.

     "Good morning to all of us, it seems," he mumbled. Calypso just chuckled softly before she leaned in to kiss his cheek. "As much as staying in bed with you all day sounds perfect," he said as his hand ran down her body, "I do believe that we have our guests to attend to."

     Her heart froze a little at least. She knew it was foolish. Time and time again he had said they were their guests. Hell, last night he had asked her to stay, indefinitely. But there was still something that got to her. Maybe it always would. It was hard for her to guess how things might play out.

     The memory alone of last night had her wanting to cry. Not the sex they had, she would never be saddened by that. But rather, how gentle he had been when talking to her. She knew Robert had a way with words. It how he had won over the whole world; his lyrics spoke right to people. Having that magic worked on her personally would always get to her.

     "I'll go deal with them now," he mumbled. He finally wrangled his arm out from under her and sat up. His arms went above his head to stretch, and Calypso couldn't help but reach over and tickle at his sides.

     "You devil!" He roared with laughter as he turned to face her. "Just for that, you're on your own with the shower!" If Calypso hadn't seen the twinkle in his eyes, she might have thought he was serious.

     "You wouldn't do that, now," she said as he laughed again.

     "No, I suppose I wouldn't want to do that," he said with a laugh. Calypso stood up from the bed, and all at once began to realize how sore she was. It hadn't hit her before then. Or, perhaps it hadn't mattered until her legs tried to give out from under her.

     "Worked you a little hard last night?" Robert asked with a chuckle. Calypso just rolled her eyes and laughed.

     "Nothing I can't take again," she said with a wink. Robert offered her his arm as he kissed her forehead.

     "I'll walk you there, maybe be so kind as to explain how the shower works," he said with a smile. She nodded and simply followed him. It was a bit unnecessary, after a few seconds of standing she had gained her bearings again, but the contact was nice. She'd never refuse it.

     Once in the bathroom, Robert let go of her arm to grab a towel and place it on the sink. "Now, this contraption can get a little tricky." He spoke with a grin as he slid the shower curtain over. "This little thing here controls the pressure, and the other controls the heat. I do hope you enjoy yourself," he said. The grin he had on his face lit Calypso's insides on fire again.

     "But, if that's not good enough for you, feel free to take a bath. If you don't, I might just try and con you into one later." Calypso could only smile and lean up to kiss his cheek in response.

     Once she started the shower, she looked back at Robert with a grin. "I might just let you con me into that bath later."

     Another loud bang came from downstairs and Robert rolled his eyes. "I'll leave you to your peace now, and go deal with our rather raucous guests," he said before disappearing. As much as she hated parting with him, watching him go, especially naked, was such a sweet sight.

     Calypso held her hand out under the water, waiting for it to get warm enough. That didn't take too long. How he managed to have such a lovely shower in the middle of nowhere she didn't quite understand. But, that mattered not now. She stepped into the shower and closed the curtain behind her.

     Once the water hit her back, she was unable to keep herself from letting out a gentle moan. Any of the knots in her back seemed to come undone between the pressure and the hot water. It was exquisite.

     For a few moments, she just stood under the showerhead and enjoyed the warmth. Her eyes flew open when she thought she heard the door open. Would Robert be joining her in the end? No noises seemed to follow immediately, until she heard Jimmy yelling from downstairs. The door made a quick slamming sound not long after. Perhaps he had thought about it, but their guests were too much. She'd have to gaud him into that bath later.

     All of Robert's hair products smelled amazing. It wasn't something that should have surprised her. He always smelled divine. It would only make sense his products would as well.

     It wasn't until she began to wash her body that she realized how much Robert had marked her up. Nothing but hickeys, of course. She doubted he would be capable of the things she heard Jimmy did. But, she found her body littered in hickeys. None were in plain sight, something she was incredibly grateful for. Her thighs, in particular, seemed to be the most marked up. She could remember him eating her out, how could she ever forget, but she didn't think he had put that much work into it.

     As she stepped out of the shower and reached for the towel on the sink, she realized she hadn't picked out any clothing. For a moment, she began to wonder where her suitcase had gone. She hadn't seen it this morning, or even last night. Had Robert moved it on her?

     She wrapped the towel around her and noticed that, on the closed toilet seat, there was an outfit picked out for her. It seemed as if Robert had picked out something for her. He already seemed too sweet to be real. It was just a pair of black jeans and a sweater, but it would do. Now she wouldn't have to worry about leaving the warmth of the bathroom completely naked.

     She slipped the jeans on, and then the sweater. It looked similar to one she owned. Of course it would have to hers, right? It was just a tad bigger than she remembered, and she certainly didn't remember packing it. But, with the whirlwind she had been swept up into, she couldn't blame herself for forgetting some things.

     She ran the towel a couple times through her hair, just to make sure it wasn't completely soaked. From there, she found her way downstairs. The smell of good food filled the air, and she knew that she had to head toward the kitchen. It was where Robert would be. At least, she assumed that's who was cooking, based on dinner last night. Perhaps things would be changed up.

     Walking it the kitchen, the first thing she saw was the back of Robert, his curls halfway down his back. How he managed to get them to look so nice, seemingly without any effort, was lost on her.

     "It smells delicious," she said after a few moments. A girl had to enjoy a view, right?

     "Just in time," he said as he turned around to face her. His face lit up as he made eye contact with her. "I cooked up whatever I could find for a good English breakfast, I hope that you don't mind," he said.

     "I've yet to have a proper one, and I can't imagine a better, or more handsome, cook," she said with a grin. Robert grinned and just rolled his eyes. "Was it you that snuck back into the bathroom to gift me with my clothing?"

     "Well, the sweater is mine, but it looks better on you than it ever did on me. One of the few things I found I had lying around from a different era," he chuckled.

     Calypso, on the inside, could only melt in that. Now it made sense why the sweater looked so familiar. It wasn't one that she owned. Rather, it was one she had likely seen him photographed in. But, also, he was giving her his clothing to wear. It was stupid, but it was probably the most romantic gesture someone had ever done for her.

     "I'll make sure to give it back to you," she replied quickly.

     "Darling, you don't need to. Like I said, you look much better in it," he said with a smile. "I didn't want to go searching through your bag too much, privacy and all," he said while waving a spatula around. "You'll have to unpack your bag eventually. I'll clean out some dressers for you."

     "Oh, you don't need to do that," Calypso mumbled.

     "Nonsense, I will. Now, I hope you don't mind helping me carry this to the table?" He asked as he held out a plate to her.

     "No, not at all," she replied as she took the plate. It was all so domestic. Setting the kitchen table for breakfast while wearing his clothing? It felt unreal. Calypso wasn't sure what to make of it all. How could she? It wasn't like she had gone to the concert with the plans to tie down the mysterious and ever illusive Robert Plant. Hell, she hadn't even been planning to sleep with him.

     There was just so much to process all at once. For the most part, she could handle it. But there were small pockets were she felt overwhelmed with anxiety. She didn't want to lose this. It was good; honestly it seemed a little too good. What if she managed to screw this up? The spell might say they were meant to last forever, but what if she took a wrong step? What if he found another woman?

     It wasn't like Robert was known to fall for one person. Even back when he was freshly married, he was a notorious womanizer. There was nothing keeping them together. She hadn't had problems with his ways when Robert hadn't been so real to her. Now he was, and he was back to his Golden God looks, what would stop the Golden God ways?

     Touring was the big question. With all this, she refused to believe that Jimmy would press to get the real band back together. Logically, she knew he probably wouldn't go on tour again. At least, not with Zeppelin and probably not on his own for a while, with the new looks and all. That was assuming they ever went public with this whole disaster. Though, she wasn't sure how they manage to hide it forever. There would be other woman all over him on the road. It wouldn't be hard to find a prettier, more experiences girl than her.

     Now wasn't the time to be freaking out about that. It was too early in their relationship, if she could even call it that, to start to worry. If she did, she'd look crazy. It was a roller coaster she was going to have to learn to just ride. It's what Robert always seemed to do.

     "You'll be joining us for breakfast, right?" She asked as she looked back at him.

     "Of course, I didn't cook all this for nothing. I'm not getting paid," he laughed, "Just tell everyone to wait for me, I just gotta finish this." Calypso just smiled and walked into the kitchen.

     She took a few minutes to set the table. Of course she knew this wasn't all the food. Robert would likely be bringing in more. It looked like he had been planning to feed a small army. Maybe with these men, and Jonesy's wife, it would be like feeding an army. Robert knew them better than she.

     From the kitchen, she went to the living room. The sounds of idle chitchat and the morning news filled the room. It seemed to be some news story on their concert. If only the reporter knew the goldmine that might come out of Zeppelin one day.

     "Morning everyone!" She managed to get out before the shock hit her. The sight in front of her was one that was still shocking. Jimmy and Bonzo sat on two chairs, side by side, with Jonesy and his wife cuddled up on the couch. If the news hadn't just said the day's date, she would think it was 1972 again. It amazed her. It took everything in her body to not have her jaw drop. As it were, it was clear she was still a bit shocked because Jimmy chuckled under his breath.

     "Morning Calypso," Jonesy said with a smile. It seemed he was the only morning riser. Everyone else sluggishly turned to her with a smile, and mumbled their good mornings under their breathes. Bonzo and Jimmy practically grunted.

     "Rough night boys?" She asked with a teasing smile.

     "Would have been a lovely night, if someone hadn't been managed to keep me up most the night," Jimmy mumbled. The look he said it told her everything. They'd all heard her and Robert, likely all night. Her face turned a bright red from sheer embarrassment.

     If Jimmy had heard them, there was no doubt that the whole house had heard them. Were the rest of them just going to put up with it? Never tell them they had been horrendously loud?

     "Oh god, I'm so-" she opened her mouth to apologize by Jonesy cut her off.

     "Now, Jimmy, there's no need-" he said, but was cut off by Robert as he walked into the room.

     "Consider it payback, for all those nights on the road, especially during the 90s tour," he said with a laugh. "We've all lost sleep and years off our lives because of the noises you and your little girl friends made," he said.

     Jimmy answered with a roll of his eyes before he spoke. "All in good fun, Robert, of course it's all in good fun," he said with a wink. Robert just rolled his eyes before he motioned for everyone to follow him.

     "The kitchen table fits us all better, wouldn't you agree?" He asked. "Besides, some of you are messy eaters and I'll be damned if you stain the furniture," he said with a smile.

     Everyone laughed at that and followed Robert to the dining room. It seemed that he had brought out a few more plates than Calypso had assumed, because there was much more food than she had remembered.

     Robert took his seat first, and motioned for Calypso to sit down next to him. Everyone else filled in around them, with Maureen on her other side.

     "How did everyone else sleep?" Robert asked as he began to pass the plates around.

     "I couldn't get to bed," Bonzo said as he began to pile the food onto his plate. No doubt he was hungry. Calypso couldn't really blame him. "I suppose taking a twenty something year long cat nap will do that to you, he said. There was a nervous tone in his voice.

     But at least he was joking about it, Calypso thought that was at least good. It was an uncomfortable subject. Looking around at the table, she could see the mix of reactions. It was clearly a joke, but a joke no one was quite ready for. How did you joke about your buddy's death with the dead buddy?

     "First time in years I got to wake up without that crick in my neck," Jonesy said. There was a smile on his face that was suggesting something else.

     "And you, Mo? I hate to think we kept you up like the princess here," Robert said as he pointed a thumb at Jimmy. Jimmy, in return, just hugged and rolled his eyes.

     "Oh, no no," she chuckled. "Both me and John slept just like babies." Her grin matched Jonesy's and that was what made the spark in Calypso's brain go off.

     She knew very little of Jonesy's marriage. It didn't seem to be very well publicly documented, and honestly she never really did the research into Jonesy. It never hit her to. But the way they were grinning and looking at each other? Perhaps her and Jonesy were the ones that kept Jimmy up, not Calypso and Robert. She couldn't help but chuckle a little bit at that.

     Breakfast, from there, seemed to be a roaring conversation about nothing as they all passed plates around. Once everything seemed to be piled high on people's plates, the conversation died down as they all ate. It was clear the stress of yesterday had made plenty of room in all their stomachs.

     Once Robert was done, he looked around the table to notice that everyone else seemed to be just about done as well. "I'll go put the kettle on," he said as he got up. It only took him a few minutes to return and sit down, clearly waiting for the scream of the kettle before he returned.

     "Before the tea, though, I don't want anyone to go anywhere. I think we have a few problems to deal with. The first is the dishes, I'm not washing up after all you animals," he laughed. "But, there are a couple other, bigger issues I think need a bit of our attention as well."

[fancifulwritings]

The Song Remains The Same

Chapter Fifteen

     The question as a mere formality. They both knew that. Calypso couldn't say no to him. Not like she wanted to, anyways. Where would she go? Upstairs to his room, in his house, alone? Or just stand and watch him? Neither option seemed even somewhat polite.

     Saying no hadn't really crossed her mind. She wanted to spend as much time with him as she could. Alone time seemed like it would be few and far in between.

     The cleaning they did was relatively surface level. Robert wasn't going to try and tackle the mess himself. All six of them had made the mess. All six of them would have to clean it in the morning. Everyone would be doing their fair share; he'd make sure of it.

     The two of them did clean a few plates. Granted, they were the ones that already looked clean, but it would help. Food was removed from their pots and plates and put into the fridge. Whatever hadn't been eaten yet could be their lunch tomorrow. Robert didn't have enough food to supply a whole new meal.

     This went on for a few minutes, until Robert wiped his hands on a towel. "Looks good enough for me, for now at least. How about you darlin'?" He asked with a smirk. Calypso felt a small shiver go up her spine.

     "I'm hardly one to order you around your own house," she said.

     "That's what I was hoping for." As he spoke, he picked her up and placed her back onto the counter. Without hesitation, her arms and legs wrapped around his neck and waist.

     It felt like she was in a dream. This whole situation was already so easy for her. Calypso couldn't believe it. A domestic life with Robert Plant hadn't ever occurred to her as possible, it shouldn't be. Now it was all she could think about. It was sickening how it consumed her. Nothing seemed to be holding her back; and that was what seemed to be the most terrifying.

     "Hmm, such a pretty little vixen," he said. She laughed as he did before she silenced him with a kiss. A direct move, something that was rare from her. She often lacked the courage. But now she hadn't felt like waiting for him. Everyone else had fully disappeared from her mind.

     Robert wasted no time in taking control. She might have started things, but Robert rarely left the ball in anyone else's court. It seemed impossible to him.

     His hand went to the back of her head so he could move her where he wanted her. Calypso put up no fight to this. Why would she? With the new body, Calypso could only imagine the wicked things he had in store for her. She was excited. Never was she more thankful for their first couple days together.

     Before all this, he had been hard to handle. Calypso felt like she had always been a bit behind. Now she was sure to be left in the distance. The ease between the two would help. It would mean that she at least wouldn't be left in the dust.

     The wild ride she had unknowingly signed up for was accelerating. Robert tugged on her hair, meaning she couldn't focus on that. Effectively, he had tugged her back into the real world. It was hard to believe that this was her real world now. Calypso just sighed into the kiss and moved with him. Undeniably, he demanded more as he pressed closer to her. She was more than happy to relent.

     For some time, they stayed like that, only lips and hands moving between them. For them, time had simply ceased to be. What rush did they have?

     It wasn't until Robert's hands were snaked into Calypso's pants that they were drawn out of the daze. She pulled back. It wasn't an objection to the action itself. God, it felt like a natural procession.

All she wanted to feel was him between her legs, inside her. She was already wet, that much she could tell. A few more seconds and she would be begging for him.

"They're still here!" She hissed gently. One of their guests, in their far off room, had coughed. It was a gentle reminder that they weren't alone. They couldn't just fuck in the kitchen like animals.

"Are you saying you'd like to stop?" He cocked his eyebrow up as his finger traced her up and down through her panties. A soft moan escaped Calypso's lips. She couldn't help herself, as she managed to hold back so much more.

"Not here!" She barely managed to stammer out, face flushed red. The things this man could do to her… She'd be lucky to survive tonight, forget the week.

"Such a shame," he chuckled. His finger was unrelenting. "I would have taken you right here, right now," he said. "Mostly because I can," he whispered into her ear. She could only blush more and swat at his chest.

It seemed as if he already had his next move planned. He wasted no time in acting on it, in such a calculated way. Calypso almost felt like it was a play in his head. She would hardly object to him playing director a bit.

Robert picked her up, quickly, and hooked his arms under her ass to keep her pressed close to him, and walked straight up to his room.

"Showing off today?" She asked in between his endless stream of kisses.

"Only for you, just for you," he said with a wink. He placed her down gently on the bed, right in the center. Then, with a turn on his heels, he went to put a record on. Calypso barely noticed what he was doing. She only noticed he was gone as she spread her legs.

Whatever he threw on hardly mattered. Robert had mumbled what it was. Both of them hard more pressing matters at hand. He, especially, had his mind focused on so many other things.

It was a slow walk back to the bed. It felt almost like a show as he stripped off his clothing. Nothing could have ever made her wetter. Calypso couldn't help but gasp once he was fully naked.

The view in front of her was one of a God. She felt truly blessed to be able to see him like this. Calypso hadn't realized her good luck this morning.

The morning had been rushed, unlike now. They had been preoccupied with other thoughts. It had all been one been distraction. They had needed to work quickly. Now was a different beast. It felt like the world had stopped. There was no need to rush, tomorrow wasn't coming that quickly.

Any anxiety they might had felt, that she might had held, seemed to have simply melted away. Not to say that all the anxiety was gone forever. This feeling of ease was a talent of Robert's, she was realizing. No matter how bad anything had gotten, he had seemed as if he could just push it aside. Leave it behind, if just for a moment.

"You look more surprised now than you did this morning," he said with a chuckle. He crawled up the bed, and up her body. He hovered just above her.

"You would be too," she mumbled. Who wouldn't be surprised by all this? As she leaned up to kiss him, he began to pull her pants down.

"Babe, I swear, I'm never letting you leave this bed again if I get the choice," he whispered in her ear. She gasped and rolled her hips up against him. "My little Greek goddess," he said as he pulled off her shirt.

"Calypso was a muse," she mumbled. That, at first, seemed to only draw a grin from Robert.

He leaned into her, his lips barely an inch away from hers. "A muse, perhaps even more fitting," he said before kissing her. His fingers gently pushed up on her chin, forcing her to stay where he wanted.

His kisses quickly moved from her lips to her neck, eventually all the way down her body. Robert didn't stop until he spread her thighs apart.

"Now, would my muse mind? I believe I need a bit of inspiration," he said. He ran his finger down her slit as he looked up at her with a smirk.

Words were lost to Calypso. The sight between her legs, the feelings erupting from between her legs, were too much. Her brain and mouth were at a complete disconnect, and Robert knew this. Robert could see this. All she could manage was running her hands though his hair and smiling. Hopefully, he would take this as his yes.

Not that he would. She doubted things were ever easy right off the bat with him. It certainly seemed that way. He placed more kisses on the insides of her thighs. Clearly, he was teasing her. She knew this and just groaned. She squirmed in an attempt to get what she wanted.

He wouldn't give, though. "My dearest Muse, I am afraid I have to hear your beautiful voice to find my inspiration," he said. Robert looked up at her, both their eyes wild with lust.

"Who am I to refuse my Golden God?" She said after a few seconds. She wasn't sure where it came from, but she was grateful for it.

Robert, in return, only smirked. All at once, he was where she needed him most, licking and sucking expertly at her folds. Calypso's head rolled back against the pillow and her fingers grasped at his hair. Their teasing all throughout the evening had finally caught up to her.

She forced her hips up further into his face and wrapped her legs around his shoulders. It was the only way she could think to trap him there. Leaving her now might just kill her, she figured.

Just as she got to the edge, where she so desperately wanted to be, he pulled back. Calypso's hips canted up in an attempt to follow him, to follow her own pleasure. She just whined and looked down at him.

"What my dear?" He asked with a bit of a tut. Calypso didn't like this already. Now he had the stamina to keep up with her. More importantly, he had the stamina to keep up with his thoughts. That could be dangerous. She was at his mercy. Mercy of which she was sure no longer existed for her.

"Robert!" She whined as she arched her hips up a bit more.

"I can't read your mind, Calypso, babe," he said with a wink. "What is it that you want? You've just gotta ask." A wicked grin was painted across his face.

Her response, yet again, was to roll her hips. Maybe, she thought, just this time he would get the message? Or at least listen to it. Nothing could have prepared her for this. She needed him. He knew that, and yet she wasn't getting it. It was torturous.

"I want you," she finally mumbled. It was obvious that she wasn't getting anywhere without talking. The rules were to be made by him. She just had to play along.

"Is that so?" He said with a grin. Robert tossed his head his hair to the side as he moved to rest on his forearm. "What exactly do you want from me?"

Internally, Calypso could only groan. Once again, she arched her hips up to him. No fair, she had played by his rules. Now he had to give her what she wanted. At least, that's what she thought. Robert grinned as he slipped a finger inside her.

Calypso hadn't been entirely prepared for him to move so fast. She gasped and began to grind against his finger.

Robert chuckled as he began to pump his finger in and out of her. Her hips stalled, unable to keep up with the pace he was setting already. He slipped in a second finger, and then a third not long after.

Calypso, completely and truly, was lost for words. Thoughts were gone from her brain. Her head was rolled back as she let out moan after moan. All she thought about was cuming. It was all she wanted. She was so close; she could practically taste it.

Just as the ledge was about to slip out from under her, Robert stopped. She whined again, frustration building in her body. What the fuck was he up to now?

Robert kissed his way, slowly, back up her body. "As much as I'd love to watch you squirm and beg all night," he pressed a kiss to her lips, "I'm dying for you, babe."

This time, she didn't think Robert was asking for words. If he was, he'd be shit out of luck. Calypso spread her legs for him. Robert wasn't looking for words. Wasn't looking for anything more past that. He moved and she wrapped her legs around his waist, trapping him this time.

Robert guided himself in. There wasn't a single intention of stopping anywhere in his body. He bottomed out after a couple seconds, clearly teasing both himself and her one last time. She grasped and reached to pull his face closer to her.

For the first few thrusts, and the matching kisses, it was gentle and slow. Neither of them wanted that. They both knew what they needed. He began to pound into her, hard and fast, Calypso unable to do anything but moan in his ear. Their guests were now long forgotten to her.

It was just a few minutes more before they both finished. Robert fell over his own edge just seconds before Calypso. If she could talk, she would have called him greedy.

For some time, they just laid like that, Robert on top of Calypso, still inside her. None of this really made sense to her. Her brain was having a hard time processing and accepting the events of the last few hours. She was hardly complaining.

Once he came to, Robert began to press gentle kisses all over her face before rolling off, and out, of her. Calypso just giggled. "Suppose you get the real 70s experience now, magic included," he said.

Calypso could only roll her eyes and laugh. Her hand came up to play gently with his hair. "I certainly didn't expect all this when you offered," she said.

"Neither did I," he said with a chuckle. It was a little bittersweet, she supposed. "I should be used to this sort of thing by now," he said. She could only bring herself to laugh a little. What exactly had they gotten up to back in the day? Calypso hardly doubted anything could make a logical jump to this nonsense.

"I can't ever imagine getting used to this kind of life," she said. It had broken a few moments of silence. The words themselves surprised her. They seemed to just erupt from her body, as if they broke off from some part of her subconscious.

"You should, if you plan to stay," Robert said after a moment. His voice was soft. Perhaps he was just as shocked about the words as she was. It was hard to say. She felt so unsure of what he meant.

Before Calypso could say anything, Robert beat her to it. "We don't have to talk about it now, or ever, if you don't want to have anything explicit," he mumbled.

"I know this isn't what you expected. No one could have warned you, or even thought of this," he said. "I had to press for a week, after all," he chuckled.

She opened her mouth to speak, to fight him on that point. But he silenced her by placing his finger to her lips. "Not tonight, tonight is to settle and get adjusted. Float for a bit, if you will," he placed a kiss to her lips. "Stay, don't give me a time. Never give me a limit. Just stay, for as long as you'd like, a permanent guest, if you will."

Tears watered a little in her eyes. It'd been so long since she had heard someone to ask her to stay. She couldn't refuse his request. Not that she ever would, this was her miracle.

Here Robert was, offering her essentially eternity. There was no way to refuse that! This was the stuff of her wildest dreams. Calypso couldn't turn him down, never would turn him down. The last thing she wanted to do was tie him down. What if he bored of her? What if life changed for them?

"Just say yes," he mumbled once again. He could see the uncertainty in Calypso's eyes. It was clear she was stuck between her own thoughts. Robert wished to bring her out from that.

"Yes," she mumbled as she looked up at him. Robert pulled her close, not saying another word after that. There was none left to exchange. Anything else they could say on the subject would work against his rules. They weren't too worry about anything tonight. Calypso wouldn't bring anything up until he did.

As they laid there, in each other's embrace, Calypso felt sleep begin to creep up on her. Her body was tired. The day had been long, both emotionally and physically. She closed her eyes, ready to slip into a peaceful night.

Just as she was almost to the point of no return, she felt Robert shift against her. He was rock hard already. It wasn't hard to notice, as he began to gently rock himself against her body.

"Already?" She teased before wiping any sleep from her eyes. He just laughed and covered her body with his.

"Always."

[fancifulwritings]

The Song Remains The Same

Chapter Fourteen

     The minute the words were out of her mouth, everyone was turning to face Calypso. They had a dazed sort of look on their faces. In that moment, Calypso wanted to disappear. She wanted the floor to open up and swallow her. Should she not have said that? Should she have kept quiet and let the moment pass? A thousand thoughts were running through her head at a million miles an out.

     Jonesy put those thoughts to rest. "You know, she has a point," he offered after a few moments. Calypso let out an audible sigh of relief. Robert chuckled softly, clearly hearing it, but no one else seemed to pay her any attention. The last thing she wanted to do was fuck up the reunion of a lifetime.

     It took a few seconds more of silence before anyone else answered. They all stood there looking back and forth between each other. It was still all too much to take in. How did they even begin to tackle the problems that were laid out in front of them? A handbook for this sort of thing didn't exactly exist.

     There was no preset way to deal with it. She was sure they had encountered everything else in their times. They must have had emergency plans. This wasn't one of those times, it couldn't have been.

Jimmy hadn't planned for it to happen so late in life. He had been trying to avoid getting old. He'd been trying to do it when no one would notice. He hadn't thought ahead. Didn't think Robert would find love, would find her, so late in his life. It just wasn't a thought for a strung out rock star in 1973.

Jimmy opened his mouth. It was likely going to be something to break the silence, a suggestion of what they might do or what to talk about. God would only know what it was, though. His train of thought was derailed by a loud, almost angry, sound coming from Robert's stomach. Calypso giggled softly.

"Put a hold on that, Jim. At least for a bit, if not forever," he said with a grin. "I think a big meal is in order first, yeah?" Robert said as he looked around. None of them had eaten today. Perhaps the others had before they came. Robert and her certainly hadn't.

"I think I could go for something. I feel like I haven't had a good meal in about two decades," Bonzo said with a laugh.

The laugh itself sounded a bit forced. His face was just contorted enough to notice it. Clearly, this was still a situation that he was uncomfortable with. Calypso couldn't blame him. They all were uncomfortable, it seemed. His humor was at least an attempt to deal with it, to come to terms with everything he'd been thrown today. Any emotional band aids would have to be ripped off as time went.

Calypso prayed she wouldn't have to play therapist for all of them. Robert she could do. She cared about Robert, deeply already. He'd done so much for her, without even thinking of it.

"Perfect, dinner it is, then," Robert said with a firm clap. "It looks like I'll be cooking for everyone tonight. It is my house after all," he said with a grin. "Calypso, darling, do you mind helping me?" He asked.

The grin on his face meant that she could only give one answer. A no just wouldn't suffice. "Of course I don't mind." She said as she followed him into the kitchen. Everyone else returned to the living room to sit and wait for the time being. The sound of idle chit chat filled the silence. It would at least give Jimmy and John a moment to catch Bonzo up.

"As much as I love Jim, I might have started to go crazy while you were gone," he said with a sigh. Once they were both fully in the kitchen, he picked her up and placed her onto the counter. "I haven't managed to get in fifty words," he said. He leaned up to kiss her.

It was hard for her to picture Jimmy as a talker. He seemed, if anything, to be more of the brooding type. That was what his public persona gave off. Things, obviously, could be different than her perception of them. But the idea of Jimmy just talking for hours and hours without an end in sight? She chuckled a little at the idea.

"Steal away for a few moments," he said. He kissed her again and pulled away with a sideways smirk. "That and I know Jim can't cook. Last time he touched a stove, it caught on fire. Helpless man," he laughed.

It really hit how domestic Robert seemed to be. He would have made a perfect husband, well, besides all that cheating nonsense. That didn't matter now, though. Calypso doubted they would ever get that far. Even if they did, was marriage necessary? After all, fate and the universe seemed to dictate that they would be together.

Robert drew her out of her domestic ideation when he wrapped his arms around her waist. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. Her legs separated to allow him to nestle close. This all felt like second nature to her. It had only been a few days, but she could feel herself slipping into their routine.

They stayed like that for some time; the only thing moving between them was their lips. Robert, being the devil he was, drifted his hand up and cupped her breast. Calypso pulled away and playfully swatted at his hand.

"Robert! There's other people around!" She hissed.

"Oh, my darling dear Calypso," he chuckled, "if you think they haven't seen worse, you don't know my bandmates." His grin was only comparable to the Cheshire Cat, and Calypso could only manage to laugh. She doubted she could ever stay mad at him for long.

"They haven't seen worse of me! I hardly know them!" She pointed out. It went mostly back to that fear of Jimmy catching them. She doubted he was going to leave his place in the living room. But, she still didn't want to give him any ammo. That, and she would feel bad if Jonesy walked in on them. He didn't need to see anything more than he already had.

"Fine fine," he said with a chuckle. "I'll keep paws off and to myself, for now at least," he chuckled. He winked at her and she just laughed before kissing his forehead.

"Whatcha gonna make?" She asked once he walked away. Her legs were crossed at the ankle now. Might as well get used to her perch from the counter. If Robert needed something, she'd get up. But, she doubted he might need any help.

"Whatever I can find," he said. "I wasn't exactly planning to have over my old bandmates and the loveliest gal I've ever met. And Jonesy's wife," he said with a smirk. Calypso, at the moment, could only manage to blush.

She wanted to stop him and ask about them. What did he want? Where should she put herself? Where did they stand? But that would be all too much to ask. Robert had to be just as surprised by this as she was. For now, she decided she was going to take it as it came to her. Maybe in a few days she would ask him. For now, she would have to wait and calm her own nerves and anxieties.

For the next hour or so, Calypso didn't move from her spot. Neither of them talked. It was a comfortable sort of silence. Robert would occasionally walk over to her and place a kiss on her cheek, or offer her a little bit of food to taste. It was sweet. Watching him cook was easily the most beautiful thing she had ever watched.

"You've really managed to domesticate yourself, now haven't you?" She asked with a smirk.

"Wasn't always the creature you see before you, I suppose," he chuckled. He turned to look back at her from the stove. "Wouldn't have seen me in a kitchen, let alone in front of a stove, when I was actually this old," he said. He motioned down his body as he talked.

"Well, what would I have seen, Mr. Wild Animal?" She asked as she hopped off the counter to get closer to him. He just winked at her, and she burst out laughing.

"I didn't start doing this until my last son, Logan," he explained with a shrug. "I never thought I needed to before, I guess." He shrugged.

"Well, that doesn't answer my question now does it? What would I have seen? Reminiscence a little with me," she asked. All she hoped was that she wasn't pushing too much. If he diverted again, she wouldn't bring it up. But, she wanted to at least try this time around.

Robert chuckled. "Stubborn girl you are," he teased. "I, myself, was a monster. It's no reason my wife divorced me," he said with a shrug. "I was a good dad, I'll always hold that. I loved my kids, I'll never stop loving them."

There was a hint of sadness in his voice. Was this about his son? Calypso didn't dare push on that issue. "But I never helped around the house. A useless loaf, she used to call me," he chuckled a bit. The light returned to his eyes, and Calypso was grateful. She didn't want to be the one responsible for putting him in a foul mood.

"Couldn't cook, couldn't clean. My life was a mess when she finally let me and took the kids," he said with a shrug. "But, I learned and grew, I suppose," he said with another shrug.

"Went from a big ol' scary lion to a domesticated cat?" She asked with a grin. He burst out laughing and just nodded his head.

"Yes, exactly. My son helped. Needed to prove I was a capable person so I could see him and all," he said.

"Well, the look fits you," she said with a smile. It was all so home-y. She wanted to fall into it and never let go. Hopefully, just hopefully, Robert wouldn't want to let go either. The universe or Jimmy or something might have said they were to be together, but did Robert really want anything? Or would this be a case of right person, but the extremely wrong time?

For now, she would just wait. It killed her, but she couldn't ask for anything. Take it as she could, and enjoy it. Otherwise, what was the point? Asking what he thought now was too much. It scared her.

     "Would you mind grabbing the plates from that cabinet-" Robert turned to point "-and set the table? Dinner should be finished any second now." He turned back to the stove. Calypso just nodded and headed to the cabinet he pointed too.

     The dining room and kitchen were practically one in the same, only partially separated by an entrance way. She went and set the plates down, and then the silverware once Robert let her know where it was.

     "All set!" She said as she walked behind him.

     "Perfect timing back." He spoke as he turned to kiss her. "Help me get the food to the table before we get our guests?" Robert asked.

     Those words practically had her melting inside. Their guests? Their guests? She couldn't believe it. There was an implication behind it that should have answered her questions, but it simply raised more. She was, after all, a bit to insecure to believe she was good enough for him.

     But, the idea of their guests. He was including her in the house, in his house, whether he knew it or not. She had to keep her cool. On the outside, she went through the motions of helping Robert with the food. Anything he said to her was lost, though.

     "Of course," she answered without missing a beat. She couldn't afford to. But their guests? She wasn't one of the guests! They carried the food over to the table. It looked like a feast, but she supposed there was enough to celebrate today to warrant it.

     Robert disappeared for a moment and came back with a few bottles of wine. Calypso shot him a look. Apparently, he could read her mind, or at least her face. "We'll all be watching him tonight," was all he said.

He placed them down on the table, next to the wine glasses, before he wrapped his arms around her. She was forced back into his chest and she just leaned into him.

"I'll go get them, you go on and sit," he said. He pushed her gently toward the table before disappearing again. She took a seat, and smiled as everyone began to fill in around her. Robert was the last to appear. He took the remaining seat, the one to her left. Jonesy sat next to her.

For a moment, things felt at peace. How long that would last? She wasn't too sure about that. Now felt like the calm before the storm. With all of their young faces looking back at her, she knew a real storm was brewing. How would this all go over? At some point, she knew that they would all have to go public. If they didn't on their own, surely people would find out about them.

Once everything settled a bit, and everyone had food on their plate, Jimmy opened his mouth to talk. It seems like he had the same worries as Calypso. At least she assumed. She'd never get to know what he wanted to say. Robert, at the same time, looked up at the man across from him and just glared.

"I know we agreed to talk and eat, but I think we've all had enough of dealing with this mess-" he twirled his finger in a circle, "- so let's try fresh and early tomorrow. Brain storm them and all, yeah?" He asked while looking between everyone.

"God knows I've already had enough today." Bonzo mumbled as he took a sip from his already full wine glass. Calypso mentally noted to keep an eye on Bonzo. Everyone else might, like Robert had said. But, she wanted to keep a bit closer of an eye. They might let sketchier behavior off.

Everyone at the table, except for Jimmy, nodded and the conversation roared to life. It felt like she was back at the restaurant from two days prior. It shocked her how fair away that felt.

So much had changed in a single day. It was hard to get a grip on. The amazement and sheer joy she felt was something she would have to get used to. This was her new normal, for now. She'd have to adjust. It was a weird and tricky situation to be in.

They were all launching into stories, this time with the addition of Bonzo. Calypso listened closely, especially when he talked. These were stories that had never been shared. With Bonzo, it was a whole new point of view. One, that for a time, had been lost forever. Now with the direct source in front of her, she listened with bated breath.

Naturally, there was a whole world to catch him up on. After all, he had disappeared for over two decades. So much had changed, culturally, technologically, politically, musically. It was all so much. That was too be avoided, for now. It could wait until tomorrow.

Eventually, the conservation slowed. All of them ran out of things and ideas to talk about, for now. More would return to them in time. No doubt there were a thousand more stories hidden away in everyone's mind. It would just take some time to unlock and retrieve them.

"Some things never change, do they?" Jonesy asked with a smile. He looked around and took a sip from his own wine glass. In the years following Bonzo, nothing had ever felt like this. No one said it explicitly. Calypso could feel it. Could feel that nothing had ever clicked like they were now.

"Especially now, it seems," Robert said. He laughed as he looked around. "Physically the same people again, give or take a brain cell." There was a glint in his eyes. Something else, something deep was hidden behind that. This whole thing wasn't sitting well with Robert, Calypso could see that. She'd have to ask him about it later. Now was hardly the appropriate time.

It didn't take long for them to all to finish eating. Everyone moved from the kitchen to the dining room, placing their plates in the sink and finishing their glasses of wine. "You're all, obviously, welcome to stay the night. Guest rooms are on the first floor," he said with a wicked grin.

Calypso caught it and she knew that meant trouble for her. Not that it was trouble she didn't want. She welcomed it. After all, it was why she was here in the first place. She rolled her eyes a bit and he laughed.

They all nodded and thanked Robert for his hospitality. There wasn't a choice to the other. Having Jimmy and the Jones's make the trip back to their own houses just to have them come back would be a waste. And, they were more likely to get caught. The more they stayed in one place, the better. Bonzo, on the other hand, had nowhere else to go. Calling Pat now wasn't an option. That is, if it ever was one.

Once they all left, Robert turned to Calypso. "Would you mind helping me clean this up before we head to bed?" He asked with a devilish grin. Calypso could only imagine what plans he already had in store for them. The night, after all, was still young.

[fancifulwritings]

The Song Remains The Same

Chapter Thirteen

     Once the words left her mouth, Calypso glanced back at Jonesy. It wasn’t like she expected a no. She’d snuck a glance at Bonzo, and he still seemed a bit nervous. Jonesy might want a few seconds alone to brace him. Or, even just to steal a few seconds alone with his long lost friend. Calypso couldn’t blame him. Might as well steal it now, because no one was likely to get any alone time once they were all together. She couldn’t help but wonder what she had managed to get herself into.

     “Of course. They’ll be anxious to know the answer. I just wanna prep Bonz,” Jonesy said.

     What would this meeting even look like? There was no saying. Jonesy didn’t even have a real clue, and he knew them all pretty damn well! All she was picking up was nerves. The tension was high in the car, and she just wanted to get away from that. The faster she got in the house, the faster the meeting would happen, right?

     “Who’s they? I just wanna know who I’m facing,” Bonzo said. His tone was a bit hopeful.

     The anger Calypso had felt coming off him in the graveyard was gone. Not for long, she was sure. One glance at Jimmy was likely to set him off again. Calypso just hoped he didn’t take it out on Robert first, still thinking it was a joke and all. She’d like to think they were past that.

     It wasn’t that Bonzo was emotionless, though. He looked anxious. He looked like he was nervous and sad and worried about what was going to happen. Sadness didn’t quite touch it, none of those emotions did. It was something akin to them, something much deeper. Calypso didn’t know the word for it. She doubted there was a word to explain this exact situation.

     “Robert, Jimmy, and John’s wife,” she answered with a soft smile. She made eye contact with him for the first time. “They were anxious about you, if you were back and all. They’ve missed you. I’m sure they’ll be excited to fill you in,” she said.

     “So Pat’s really not…?” Bonzo asked softly.

     “We don’t know, Bonz. Don’t think the worst before we check off the best,” Jonesy said softly.

     Calypso didn’t know where to go after that. Her heart ached for him, really. To suddenly be brought back to life, and not be able to see your loved one? “I’m just gonna let them know you guys are here, to prepare them too,” she mumbled after a moment.

     Bonzo just nodded. He didn’t look like he was really there for a moment. Just an outline of a man who receded back into his own mind to escape his hurt. She hoped Robert would hide any alcohol he had in the house.

     “Alright, thanks,” Bonzo mumbled. Calypso just nodded and got out the car. All she wanted to do was beeline it right to the front door.

     Once she was out of the car, though, she wasn’t too sure about that. She wasn’t too sure why she had offered to run ahead. What was she going to say?

     It was too late to head back into the car. Not that she wanted to. That was the opposite of what she wanted, actually. It was tense and uncomfortable. There was no guarantee that Robert’s house would be less tense. She really was taking a gamble with the evil she didn’t know.

     She took a deep breath before knocking on the door. She waited a few seconds before curiously trying the door handle. It was unlocked. Of course Robert wouldn’t bother to lock his door. Probably never even thought to. Why would he, way out here in the country? That’s something that might need to change, and soon.

     None of them had moved from the living room. Calypso noticed that the second she closed the door softly behind her. Hell, it didn’t even look like they had moved from the spots they had been in. All three of them fell silent when they heard the door, and snapped to look at her.

     She immediately looked to Robert, and watched his face fall. It told her everything he was thinking. It wasn’t a sad drop, though. It was yet another emotion that Calypso couldn’t place. All three of them had swirling emotions that seemed beyond her understanding.

     “He’s in the car with John,” was all she could manage to say. It was all she could think to say. What John did she even mean? It didn’t matter in the end, though. Even in this moment it would hardly matter. The confusion could mean only one thing; John Bonham was back in the flesh.

     Calypso hadn’t bothered to look away from Robert, and she was glad she didn’t. The way his face lit up… It was like nothing she had ever seen, every sort of miracle on Earth put together in one. For Robert, this was the best miracle to ask for.

     They all stood, seemingly at the same time. There were voices coming from outside the door. Calypso scurried to stand next to Robert. She didn’t think she was anything that special in Robert’s life. At least, not yet. The spell might suggest something to the other, but they themselves hadn’t gotten there yet. In her mind, she was no different than any other girl he had picked up along the way.

     By standing next to him, she hoped to off him some sort of support. Ground him to the real world a little. From their talk in the car, she could tell Robert’s emotions had to be running rampant. Anyone would be. But, Calypso had just a glimpse, more than most did, into the hurt that Robert felt.

     Robert leaned over to kiss her forehead and grabbed her hand. “Thank you,” he mumbled against her skin. She just smiled and shook her head at him. There was no need to thank her, just as there had been no need for her to thank him after their car ride.

     There was a knock on the door and Calypso grinned. “It’s unlocked!” Robert called out.

     John Paul was the first in the door, though Bonzo was clearly and obviously visible behind him. “Some things really don’t change, do they Perce?” Jonesy asked with a chuckle. Robert, apparently, always had this issue. Calypso would have to talk to him about that. It wasn’t 1976 anymore, he’d have to start locking his door.

     Jonesy quickly stepped to the side once he was in the door. Bonzo’s face was already a slight shade of red, and he seemed to focus in on Jimmy. Calypso, for a moment, was very afraid of what was going to happen.

     “And you, Mr. James fucking Patrick Page the god damn fucking third!” Bonzo shouted once he was fully in the doorway.

His eyesight wasn’t the only thing making a beeline toward Jimmy, Calypso realized, as he stalked toward Jimmy. Calypso shrunk back a little and Robert squeezed her hand. Robert shot her a glance, as if to say that she was okay, that his anger wouldn’t turn to her.

“What in the unholy fuck have you done? What you think all this is? What is this shit!” Bonzo’s hands motioned wildly between all of them. Jonesy shot an apologetic look to Jimmy.

“Would you mind fucking telling me what right you think you had! Did ya ever think to fucking tell anyone mate?” His face was beat red. With every word, he took another pounding step toward Jimmy.

Bonzo’s face was bright red. Jimmy’s face showed no emotion what-so-ever. The tension in the air was thick as silence fell over them for a minute. Bonzo was clearly waiting for his answer, for any kind of response from Jimmy. Calypso, and everyone else, knew that he wasn’t ever going to get one. Not the one that Bonzo would really want. Now he was just angry and confused, channeling that into the one blamable person.

A few minutes passed, and the anger only rose in Bonzo. It seemed to reached a new critical breaking point, because he closed the gap between himself and Jimmy. “You just though you could fuck with us like this?” Bonzo roared. His pointer finger was jabbed into Jimmy’s chest, and every word he said almost threatened to knock Jimmy down.

“Huh? Thought you could just fucking move the world around? Fuck with shit beyond you, beyond any of us?” Bonzo’s face was almost pressed up against Jimmy. Still, the only reaction he gave was the sway in his body caused by Bonzo.

“Who in their fight fucking mind does this? You fucking Pete Townshend now and don’t wanna get old? Jesus fucking Christ Jim! I knew you were vain, but to fuck us all like this?”

Calypso was truly amazed with how well Jimmy was just taking it. This wasn’t how she thought a fight go down. Jimmy Page didn’t seem the type to turn the other cheek and forgive. There wasn’t an ounce of emotion on his face. Calypso didn’t understand it, didn’t understand how the frail guitarist was just standing there and taking everything thrown at him. Calypso would have been in tears by now. She was half ready, and she wasn’t even being yelled at! She inched a bit closer to Robert.

“Fucking around with everyone’s lives! What about everyone’s kids, Jimmy? What about your fucking kids? What about my fucking wife! What the bloody fuck were you thinking? What do you have to say for your fucking self!” Bonzo demanded. He wasn’t asking anymore; he wasn’t even looking for an answer. He was demanding that Jimmy say something, anything to explain his thoughts.

For the moment, it seemed as if Bonzo was done. Calypso was grateful. Everyone else in the room felt a little relieved that his outburst of rage was done. Calypso was especially grateful that he didn’t get violent. Instead, Bonzo just stood in front of Jimmy, heavily breathing and face a deep red, with his arms crossed on his chest.

“I would like to think this whole thing,” Jimmy motioned around the room, “worked out best for you. Do you not agree?” He had a coy smile on his face once he finished talking. The feeling in the air changed, the mood dropped into something else.

Calypso managed to shoot a look at Jonesy and she couldn’t help but notice his shit-eating grin. This had been expected, hadn’t it? Thankfully, Bonzo had his back to Jonesy and his wife, so he couldn’t see the smile. Bonzo’s face, on the other hand, dropped. A different emotion was hitting him now. Any anger that had been left in his body, waiting to build up for another release, was gone. It vacated his body completely.

It was obvious that Jimmy was right. No one would ever fight the man on that. Bonzo had been lost to time, lost to a terrible, painful addiction. And now here he was again, in the flesh and breathing. It was a miracle. No matter how anyone else felt about this, they were at least grateful to have their lost friend back, to have all those pleas and prayers finally answered.

Bonzo’s mouth opened for what Calypso assumed would be apology. It would never leave his tongue. It never had the chance to. Jimmy raised both his hands up and shook his head. Things were fine between them. Of course Jimmy understood the outrage. Or, at the very least, he didn’t intend to hold it over his friend and cause another fight.

Robert dropped Calypso’s hand, and she only smiled. He took long strides to cross the room. All he wanted to do was close the distance that he now could. “Bonzo, my boy, it’s been too long, much too long,” he said. His voice wavered as he spoke and he wrapped his arms around Bonzo. Without seeming to think, Bonzo reacted and embraced Robert.

“Percy, my lad,” he said with a smile and a tear in his eye,” never again, my word.”

They both stayed like that for a few moments. The rest of the world could have exploded, and they wouldn’t have been any the wiser. Calypso had always assumed there was an incredible bond between them. They’d met before fame. They’d gone through fame and the motions of it together. With everything they had lived through? There was no other option.

Calypso had never expected to see the reunion. Couldn’t have even dreamed of what it would have looked like. She felt a small tear well up in her own eye before she wiped it away. If she had a room to run too, Calypso might have just let herself sob like a little baby. It was beautiful.

They separated, but Robert kept his arm around Bonzo. It felt right. Hell, it looked right. No one said anything, though. They all just looked around at each other.

“Looks like the band’s all back together,” Jonesy said after a moment. Everyone chuckled a bit. The silence fell back upon them.

It finally got too much to be for Calypso, though. She couldn’t just sit in this silence. Maybe they were all aware of what they were thinking. Did they all have a bond that went that deep?

“So, not to break this up, but where do we go from here?”

[fancifulwritings]

The Song Remains The Same

Chapter Twelve

     They stood in that silence for a moment. Minutes felt like they turned to hours, and then days. This sort of silence was all encompassing. Jimmy, the evil genius he was, had finally managed to do the impossible. What did you do with this? What were the repercussions down the road?

     As far as Calypso, no one had ever come back to life, except for maybe Jesus, and certainly no one had ever de-aged. Did this count as desecration of corpse? Would they think that Bonzo had faked his death all those years ago? The other boys would be an even bigger problem. There was no way to explain this to people without telling them the whole truth. Therein laid the problem.

     Perhaps now was not the best time to worry about this. Other issues had to be dealt with. Calypso was jumping ahead. Those were problems they could figure out in the months to come. That is, if she got to stay. It was still unclear. Robert might not want her to stay and she didn’t want to just assume she would be welcomed in.

     “Well, shall you wake him or shall I?” Calypso asked in an attempt to break the silence. She held no intentions of waking John Bonham after a two-decade long nap.

     Given his reputation, she was sure the idea of the situation wouldn’t be weird. An unknown woman waking him, granted this time in a graveyard. Calypso was sure the initial part must has happened time and time again in the past. But, again given his reputation, Calypso didn’t want to be that woman, didn’t want to risk it. A friendly face would be better.

     John Paul would have to be that friendly face. No one else could be it. Calypso so wished that Robert would have come. He was the one that Bonzo was more likely to get in trouble with. This was a weird scenario. No, weird didn’t cover it. This was a downright bizarre place to be. Robert would make Bonzo question it a little less, at least for a bit. But, she understood why he had to stay back with Jimmy.

     “I can,” John Paul chuckled. He must have heard the nerves in her voice. “As pretty of a face as you are, I think it’s best if I handle it. Someone he knows might be best,” he said with a smile. She was just glad she wouldn’t be causing the scene.

     Jonesy’s eyes never seemed to leave Bonzo’s form. He walked over slowly, deliberately. He motioned for her to stay put and she just chuckled. Her last intention was to move. They would need a bit of space. She was sure of that. No need to crowd them around and rush into meeting Bonzo. It would be quite a moment.

     It was a moment to remember forever. Seeing someone after a long time was always exciting. Seeing someone after an impossibly long time? These sort of reunions only happened in heaven. Calypso couldn’t imagine the joy in Jonesy’s heart. She could only touch it with daydreams of reuniting with her mother. Simply being involved overwhelmed her.

     There was caution in the air, though. One wrong move and everything came crashing down around them. It was a sort of nightmare. Perhaps it was one that Jonesy had before. So close to waking his friend, saving him from the other side, only for him to disappear in the end.

     Jonesy crouched down next to Bonzo, who’s back was to him, and he simply sat there for a moment. Did he ruin it yet?

     His touch to Bonham’s shoulder was light. The mood shifted at once. This was all real. It was all real and none of it was going to melt away. “Hey Bonz,” Jonesy whispered. There was a familiar in John’s tone that touched Calypso’s heart. How long had he waited to say those words?

     “Hey, John, you gotta get up. I need you to get up now,” he said. He nudged a bit more at the drummer’s shoulder. Clearly he was trying to rouse Bonham, but a second fear seemed to be gripping Jonesy.  

     John was physically in front of them, there was no arguing that. Jimmy’s magic had worked. It had repaired John’s body and restored it to how he looked in 1973. But what if that was it? Just a physical restoration and nothing past. The magic had been strong enough for this, but had it been strong enough to return his soul?

     Bonzo’s eyes fluttered a little bit. That didn’t help Jonesy any, and the fear gripped him. Calypso thought for a second he might just slouch to the ground in defeat and despair. Bonzo shifted and turned toward Jonesy as his eyes opened.

     “Yeah, yeah, sorry ‘bout that mate. Morning and shit,” he mumbled. He propped himself up with his right hand and wiped the sleep out of his eyes with the other.

     The relief and joy on Jonesy’s face was clear and obvious. He had a grin painted ear to ear. For a second, it looked as if Jonesy might just grab Bonzo by the face and kiss him. Calypso prayed he didn’t.

     “Didn’t mean to worry ya, just out like a…” He cut himself short and looked around, before flinging himself backwards. It was clear he was confused and trying to make space between himself and Jonesy.

     Bonzo’s violent backward scoot stopped when he pressed himself against his grace. “Why the fuck do you look like nineteen seventy fucking two?” He demanded. He was frantically searching the area and clearly took in all the graves around him. He turned and looked at his own. From where Calypso stood, she assumed he could only make out his name and the day he died. That would be more than enough.

     “A grave? A fucking grave? This shit isn’t funny Jones,” he screamed. It was a primal sort of rage she had never seen before. He attempted to stand up. To both Jonesy and Calypso, it was obvious his body was stiff. And for good reason, after all. Bonzo had no idea why, though.

“What a sick fucking joke. I don’t know how Robert got you in on this, but don’t deny it. I know that smile,” he said as he pointed a finger. “Where’s Percy? Where’s the wee lad? I’m gonna kick his fucking ass this time.”

     “Hey John,” Jonesy said softly. Calypso was glad that John was the one handing this. It would have been too much for her to handle. Even as it was now, this was still too much. All she could hope was that she wouldn’t be noticed by Bonzo.

     She didn’t look like Robert’s ex-wife, she knew that. She was a little tanner than the average white person, but nothing past that. She certainly wouldn’t be mistaken for a middle aged Indian woman. Thankfully, she seemed forgotten for the time.

     “Hey, John,” Jonesy said softly. His hands were outstretched to help his friend up and to steady him. It was also not a bad point of control. Though, it wasn’t likely that the twig-like John stood a chance against the beasty John. “I need you to slow down, just listen to me, alright?” He kept his voice level and calm.

     “Just tell me where the fuck Perce is and then we can deal with anything else later,” Bonzo demanded.

     “There’s a lot we’ve got; I’ve got to tell you. There’s a lot,” he trailed off as he looked around.

     Was there more fitting of a place than a graveyard to be having a mental breakdown? Calypso couldn’t think of one. The one Bonzo might be leading himself into though? That was something that needed to be dealt with privately. She knew this wasn’t the place, and Jonesy seemed to be thinking the same. Bonzo was having none of it, his friend’s words going in one ear and out the other.

     “Just. Tell. Me. Where. Percy. Is.” Bonzo demanded. Calypso now understood why reporters hadn’t been allowed to look at him. “It can’t be that fucking hard, Jones.”

     “John,” he said with a warning tone, “I’ll explain everything in the car. Hell, I plan on bringing you straight to Robert. It’s his bloody car we’re in. Just trust me,” he said.

     There was a glimmer of fight in John. A waving that suggested he could go one of two ways. That fight was drowned out. By what, there was no way to know specifically. Something about Jonesy probably hit him, and Calypso understood now why Jonesy was the better choice than Robert. Would they both have just started fighting in the middle of the graveyard?

     “Yeah, fine, as long as you know I’m kicking Robert’s ass the second I see him,” he said with a glare.

     “Of course, whatever you want,” Jonesy said dismissively. He knew better than that. By the time they got back to Robert’s, Bonzo likely wouldn’t have any fight in him.

     “Yeah, yeah. You’re not sneaking me off early to the tour, though, are ya? Pat was pissed the last time you did that,” Bonzo said.

     “No, no tour this time Bonzo.”

     “Well, then what the fuck was the point of rehearsals? Ain’t we got one in a month?” He asked. He turned to look at the grave. His eyes widened as he took in the details.

     “Oh, well of course John. We’re just not sneaking you out early. No point in that.” Jonesy laughed nervously. “No games or anything or the like.”

     Bonzo looked around again, locking eyes momentarily with Calypso. She held her breath, afraid he might say something about her. Would she refuel the fire? She was too afraid to blink for those few seconds, until he turned back to Jonesy, and then his gravestone.

     Jonesy, naturally, noticed this. The last thing he wanted to do was give him the talk here. At least a car was a partially controlled situation. “C’mon John, we gotta get going. We’re bound to catch a cold out here,” he said. He gently tugged on Bonzo’s forearm. Bonzo moved with him. Fight, for now, seemed to have left his body.

     Staring at one’s own grave easily silence a man, even if Bonzo believed it was a prank. Calypso felt like her brain had turned to soup. John was working on absolutely no knowledge of what was really going on. Waking up somewhere strange probably wasn’t weird. It came with the crowd. But this was a level of weird she doubted even Zeppelin could have touched back in the day.

     Bonzo’s eyes scanned wildly as he and John walked. He needed to take everything in. He needed to find some sort of clue as to what was going on. As they walked by Calypso, Jonesy motioned for her to fall behind them.

     “Who’s the lass following us?” Bonzo asked with a tilt of his head.

     “A friend of Robert’s,” Jonesy answered softly.

     “He’s keeping one in England now? He’s gotten daring, or he’s just fucking stupid. Especially finding one so quickly. She wasn’t with us last night, right?” Bonham continued. John Paul flinched.

     “No, no she wasn’t with us last night. I’m not sure where he picked her up,” John Paul replied. She couldn’t imagine having to play it off like this. It was the best for now. Telling him that last night was over two decades ago might not be the best in the middle of a graveyard.

“And she’s with you? You never let them near you.”

“Yes, well, I suppose I’ve given up. Percy’s gonna do what he’s gonna do, I suppose,” John Paul said with a shrug.  “Calypso, would you mind driving?” He asked her.

“I don’t mind at all,” she said with a smile. The idea of having to drive here unnerved her just a bit. She’d not been planning to. None of this was really anything she had been planning to do. Being stuck in the back of a car with John Bonham, freshly reanimated, wasn’t her idea of a fun day.

“I’ll tell you where to go its, just… best,” he said. He glanced at Bonham for a minute and she nodded. Thankfully, Bonham didn’t seem to notice. He was too focused on the car in front of them. He tossed her the car keys before she slipped into the driver’s seat.

“An American in London,” Bonzo chuckled. “He exporting them in too? You sure I’ve only been out in the graveyard a few hours?” He asked as he got in the car. Calypso was buckling herself as he spoke. Her stomach dropped. Without even knowing it, Bonzo had trapped Jonesy in the corner. His guts had to be spilled now, or somehow never.

They both slipped into the car, wordlessly. The uncomfort was obvious on Jonesy’s face. “John, actually, I think we need to talk,” he said softly. He never once glimpsed at Bonham.

“I’m only kidding, I know how long I’ve been out mate. I don’t have a drinking problem,” he said. There was a firmness in his voice. This was a conversation they had before, in the past. No doubt John Paul would try to get his friend to stop. John Paul, out of all of them, might have been the most levelheaded. He would have seen the writing on the wall.

“Actually, John, you did have a bit of a drinking problem.” Jonesy didn’t look at Bonzo when he talked. His eyes were starting to fill with tears. How do you tell someone about their own death? “Out of here, Calypso,” he said, his voice a bit more even. “You’re going to take the immediate right, and then go straight for quite some time,” he said.

Driving gave her something else to focus on, she realized. As much as she wanted to hear the conversation in the back, she knew that she couldn’t ease drop that much. The Johns would need a touch of privacy. She needed to make sure to stay on the left side of the road.

“We’ve gone through this Jones,” he said in a warning tone.

“No, John, there’s a few things you need to know before we get back to Robert’s.”

“What about Robert’s? We were at Jim’s last night, ain’t that where we’re supposed to be?” His tone was one still filled a bit with anger. More anger than Calypso felt totally comfortable with. Jonesy only seemed able to sigh.

“What’s today’s date, Bonz?”

“26th of September, unless I slept through more than a day.” Calypso couldn’t help the small chuckle that left her mouth.

“Oh, is it this right John?” She said, trying to play off her laugh. It was likely to only make Bonzo angrier.

“Yes, it is. This right and then there’s gonna be a left not long after, take that,” he answered before turning back to face his friend. “What year is it John?” There was a strain in his voice. He likely thought that this would be easier to do. Perhaps, in some odd way, John had hoped Bonzo would remember being dead, or at least not here.

“1980, like it has been all year, you twat,” Bonzo said with a roll of his eyes.

“Calypso, dear, would you mind telling me the year?” John asked without looking up to her.

“2007,” she mumbled gently. She didn’t want to be involved in this. It was the last thing she wanted to be dragged into. “December 12th, exactly if you want that too,” she said. She hoped this would absolve her from doing anything else.

“Very fucking funny,” John answer angrily. “She’s Robert’s girl, you can’t expect me to believe her, can you?” John talked with his hands. The movements seemed to get a bit jerkier and jerkier with every movement. Was this fear? Or was this him trying to restrain anger?

“Calypso, do you mind sharing your birthday? I know it’s not proper to ask a lady…”

“April 20th, 1986,” she said. Apparently there was no getting her out of this trap. Jonesy was going to drag her down the deep end with him. “This left, yes?”

“No, no, the next one. My apologies,” he said. “After that, you’ll just want to follow the road.”

“This isn’t a funny sort of joke, Jonesy. I don’t know what Robert set you up to do, but cut it out. Think you’re clever to get the girl in on it?” He rolled his eyes, glancing out the window. There was a pause for a moment.

“John Henry Bonham,” he said with a sigh, “you need to listen to me. You died, you died that night in 80. You choked to death on your own damn vomit.” Anger rose for the first time in John Paul.

Calypso couldn’t blame Jonesy. He had years and years of pent up emotions about Bonzo. They likely ranged anywhere from just pure sorrow to homicidal rage. With the man in front of him, how could Jonesy keep it together? How couldn’t he get mad at his friend who destroyed himself?

“If you don’t want to believe me, we can pull over and ask any damn person you want to. I don’t suggest that, but if you want it, by all means,” Jonesy said while shrugging. Calypso felt her stomach knot. The last thing she wanted to do was pull over in a car with two rock stars straight out the seventies.

“Because you don’t want to get caught in a lie.”

“No, because me and the other guys just had a gig last night, and those pictures are probably already everywhere, with pictures of us from back in the day. They might just recognize us now, and you’re not alive legally,” he said with a sigh.

“They won’t be in the press anytime soon. For that to happen, they’d have to go through Peter, and then the press still wouldn’t get them until tonight,” he said. It was clear that he didn’t want to believe this. Could she blame him? It was a line of thought that just didn’t seem possible.

“Grant can’t stop anything, Bonz. Peter Grant died in-“

“-1995,” John Paul and Calypso said together. She was already in the situation, and perhaps if they both knew that fact, he might just believe them. This back and forth would kill her. They just needed to get it over with.

There was a pause. An uncomfortable silence filled the car. Calypso would have fiddled with the radio to break the silence, but she didn’t know how to. Didn’t dare play around with things in Robert’s car. As it was, she had enough to focus on.

“Lass, what year did you say you were born in again?” Bonzo asked after a moment.

“86,” she said softly, “It’s this turn, right John?” She asked.

“Yes, this one. And then just keep going, I’ll tell you when the next turn gets close,” he said with a smile. From there, a silence once again filled the car. This one wasn’t uncomfortable, this one was heavy.

Peering into the review mirror, Calypso got a glimpse of Bonzo’s face. It looked concerned, angry, but mostly just extremely sad. It had to be a lot to take in at once for him. It seemed that perhaps now Bonzo was soaking in what was being told to him. Calypso let out a sigh of relief. John Paul looked just as relieved.

“So, this wasn’t some sort of elaborate joke put on by Perce? You swear?”

“I swear, Bonzo. You know I never side with him anyways,” he said. There was a sideways sort of smile on his face. “But, no Bonz, you’ve really been dead,” he said.

“That doesn’t explain all this, though. Doesn’t explain like we’re about to go record the third bloody album again,” he said. John hadn’t managed to see himself yet. Having seen John, he was a bit too scared to see what he looked like.

“John, I’m afraid straight isn’t an option anymore. Left or right?” Calypso asked gently. She hated to burst in. There was no other option, though. They needed to get home as fast as possible.

“My apologies, it’s the right,” he said. “After this, it really is going to be a straight away,” he said with a smile. “And Jimmy’s your explanation for all this, John. When isn’t he?” John Paul said with a smirk.

“He worked some sort of magic back in 73, after the filming to keep us there forever or something. Ask him when we get back,” he said with a shrug. He glanced at Calypso for a second. She prayed she didn’t mention anything about her right now. She couldn’t read John.

If John was angry about this, upset about it, then surely he would end up taking it out on her. She still blamed herself. At the end of the day, she was the magic switch that had set everything off. Jimmy set it up, but she was the first falling domino.

Bonham looked at her for a moment. She could feel his eyes on her. His mind was whirling, no doubt. Calypso just feared what he might be thinking. “Why now? What’s changed? Is it the lass?” He asked, cocking his head toward her for a second.

“Yeah, she and Robert are in love or something like that, something stupid,” he chuckled.

“And how’s his Mo feel about this?”

“They’ve been divorced forever, God probably since the 80s?” He said with a shrug. “It’s what they feel, I guess. And what Jimmy felt like doing,” he said.

“That little fucking,” Bonham mumbled. “I’m gonna throttle Jimmy when I see him.” There was no way of saying how genuine that was. Sure, it seemed like a mild inconvenience to everyone else. But Bonzo? Did he really have a leg to stand on when it came to being mad with Jimmy? Didn’t he have the most to gain from this?

“Hey, John, this looks familiar. Is it this right?” She asked softly.

“Yes, it is. This should be Robert’s house now, if I’ve remembered the right way.” He sighed before turning to face Bonzo yet again. “And if you could just calm down. It’s a long story, I’m sure he’ll be happy to give it you once we get back in,” Jonesy said.

“And your Mo, how’s she feel about this?”

“She’s just as young as us, I thought I woke up in a dream,” he said with a smile. He paused for a minute, clearly relieving it. To wake up not only young again, but to wake up to your loved one young as well? It seemed to be a fairytale come true.

Calypso drove slowly up the driveway, not remembering it being this long. As she glanced in the back, she couldn’t help but smile. It was written all over John Paul’s face how much he loved his face. To be so in love after forty something years of marriage? Calypso could only hope the same for herself.

“So my Pat?” Bonham’s voice was filled with hope. Perhaps for the first time since they had picked him up, he sounded something positive. Her heart broke when she knew what had to be said next.

“We haven’t heard from her,” John Paul paused. The hope and sheer love in Bonham’s eyes disappeared, fear and sadness replacing them. If Peter Grant could be dead, what of his Pat? “So we can’t know for sure. Jimmy has her contact information, though. So he might have a better answer for you,” he tacked on quickly.

“Do you mind if run on in head first, just to let them know we’re here and all?” She was sure that Robert had noticed the car. If she was them, she’d be sitting right by the window. Half the reason she had been happy to go was that she wouldn’t have to wait for the answer.

[fancifulwritings]

The Song Remains The Same

Chapter Eleven

“Bring him back.” Robert spoke as he tossed a set of keys to John Paul. Calypso followed him out the door to an older looking car. She wasn’t too surprised to see Robert owning a classic car. It fit him so naturally.

“Would you mind if I drove?” John Paul asked. Calypso just shook her head. How could she demand to drive?

“I haven’t driven on this side of the ocean, or the street, yet. You probably should.” She replied as she got into the passenger’s seat. It would only make sense for him to drive. She had yet to drive in England. On top of having no real clue where they were going, it felt a little bit dangerous.

The way back might be a whole different story, though. If it came down to comforting John Bonham, a man she had never met and should never have met, or driving, she might just pick the latter. That is, assuming John Paul even gave her the choice. She just didn’t think that the other John would be a man she could handle. This was all so much for her. Him? She didn’t want to think how he might react to it.

At first, the car ride was silent. Calypso looked out the window, simply amazed with the countryside. It was something she wanted to explore. Walking around and just feeling herself in nature was one of her favorite past times. Perhaps, in a few days, she could con Robert into bringing her.

That was a dream all itself. Her and Robert just lost in the woods, wondering around. No doubt it was something he did back in the day. Now might have been iffy. There was no excuse now. It would be a good reason to get out of the house. If they were stuck with houseguests, Calypso had no doubt Robert would want to get away.

If she was going to be trapped here, she wanted to enjoy it. Not that she thought this was a trap. Not that she was even sure she would be invited to stay. Everything was so uncertain. Nothing made sense anymore and she was filled with doubt. Before, it had been a guaranteed week with Robert. Now, there was a floating promise of forever. That had hardly been signed though, hardly even spoken.

Perhaps this was what it had been like back in the day. Attached to one of the boys, never sure when they were going to leave. It wasn’t a pleasant ledge to be on. But, for Robert, she assumed that she had to be there. Hoping and praying he would keep her, for at least a little while.

“I’m sorry, about all of this,” she said softly after a bit. She turned to look at John Paul. The silence had gotten to her. It had been eating away slowly at her insides. Being trapped alone in her thoughts was too much.

This wasn’t like Robert. He was a man she had felt instantly at ease with. John Paul was practically a stranger. A man she only knew from pictures and some clips. Suddenly, he was a human and he was very much real. And she needed to get to know him. They’d likely be spending a lot of time together.

She didn’t blame him for the silence that had fallen over them. Just like her, he had a lot to take in. Not only was he young again, but so was his wife. What of his children? What of them? There were so many questions to ask. While they had the time in the world to ask, they had to worry about Jimmy. If she thought this was a lot for herself, she could only imagine what might be racing through the boys’ minds.

“Don’t be, you’ve done nothing,” John Paul answered. It took him a few minutes, but eventually he spoke. Something told her that he was a bit more calculated. At least, with people he didn’t know he was. Around Robert and Jimmy, he had seemed a bit more off the cusp. Someone in the band had to be a bit more thoughtful with their words.

“In the end, this all comes back to me,” she said softly. If she hadn’t stuck around Robert, this never would have happened. It wasn’t like this had happened the first night. She’d been too greedy.

If she had just left… It had taken a few days for everything to set into motion. She had stayed too long. Calypso could only think that she had been too greedy in what she wanted. How couldn’t she feel like this? Jimmy had said, in rather clear terms, that this had been before of her.

“You had no way of knowing. You didn’t ask for this, none of us did. No one knew or asked besides Jimmy. He’s the only one to blame for this. The only one that owes anyone an apology,” he said simply. It felt final. Like his word was law and pushing this wouldn’t go well.

Perhaps this was what he did with his kids. Perhaps this is how he managed the boys in the band. Perhaps Calypso was the one using him as a therapist and she knew he was right, deep down. She still felt the need and desire to apologize, to take the blame. It certainly didn’t seem like Jimmy would do either.

Underneath all her general unease, she could feel that there was something calming about John Paul. She still felt a bit off. But, she believed she wouldn’t always feel like that. Eventually, she figured, he would be the one in the group that calmed her the most. Both Robert and Jimmy set her off, just in opposite directions.

Robert drew her in, made her curious, made her want to know everything and anything she could. He gave her a strange bit of confidence that she never felt before. Made her want to spill all of her secrets as well. But, whenever he was around him, she felt like she was teetering on the edge of some cliff. It was dangerous and intoxicating.

Jimmy made her want to run and hide. There was just something in him that scared her off. There was a darkness just under the surface, lurking, and she didn’t want to touch it. Perhaps it was just how he came off. There was still time for things to change. She didn’t want to brush him off from the beginning.

If Robert had come to be close with Jimmy, he couldn’t be all bad. Maybe it only took time. Jimmy seemed to be like an acquired taste. From what he said, Calypso now would have all the time in the world.

“I doubt you’ll ever find him apologizing for it. The bastard rarely ever does. Never thinks he’d done anything wrong, a perfect bloody angel in his own eyes,” John Paul mumbled. He sounded just a tad bit bitter.

“It’s just something to add to an ever growing list, it seems,” he said with a shrug. “Not that any of us are perfect, we all have our faults and failures,” he chuckled. His laugh said he knew too much. Calypso had already figured that. Having spent all those years in Zeppelin, she really only could imagine what shenanigans he had seen; what sort of trouble he had been up to himself.

“In place of his apology, I hope you’ll accept mine. In his own time, I am sure Robert will give you his own as well,” he said. He sighed as she shook his head. “I am sorry you got dragged into this, into the eye of the hurricane. It’s not always for the faint of the heart, it never really was.”

Calypso didn’t quite understand why he was sorry. It wasn’t that she felt hurt, or betrayed. This was the adventure of a lifetime. One that really shouldn’t be possible. The only reason she felt bad was them.

They had moved on from this part of their lives. They had all grown and changed as men. Well, perhaps except for Jimmy. If Robert’s words held any truth in them. Jimmy had never moved past the age he now appeared. For the rest of them, to suddenly be young again had to be a shock. A damage to the person they had now become.

“I can only imagine what’s going to happen from here on out. You have a first row seat to the opposing forces of nature that Robert and Jimmy are,” he said. She could only nod, hoping he might speak more. He had direct insight to what life could look like.

It had to be hard, living between those two egos. She’d never lie and say, or even imply, that Robert didn’t have one. Because he did. There was no way around it. To be a star and to be constantly compared to a god created one. Robert had not only lived in that environment; he had thrived in it.

In time, she had no doubts she would see the ego. It just hadn’t appeared yet. They were in the honeymoon phase of their relationship. It was odd to think that that they even had a relationship.

“You don’t need to apologize, either,” she said after a moment. It seemed he was done talking for the moment. The conversation was just naturally slow. Neither of them were moving fast. It was pleasant, a change of pace. She liked that. The space in between their words was perfect. It wasn’t quite the same as the space with Robert.

With Robert, it had felt like a game of chess. This wasn’t that. It was more mellow. They just simply needed their time to think. Without the rush to reply, they could mull over what they wanted to say.

They didn’t know each other too well. Even though she hadn’t known Robert for long, she already felt a certain closeness. That made more sense now. With John Paul, she didn’t have that. They were just getting to know each other. They had to think things over as to not offend the other, to make sure they would be perfectly understood.

At least, that’s what she was assuming. Everything she thought was her just working on an assumption. Hopefully, it wouldn’t prove to make an ass out of her. If Robert didn’t want her around… She wouldn’t be able to stay.

If he wanted her gone, she would have no other choice. His initial backlash against it all worried her. If she was forced to leave, she’d be spending a very long life alone. That worry she pushed down, for now. It was manageable. Suddenly being young again had to be tough, had to work a toll on one’s mind.

It wasn’t until Robert told her to go would she begin to worry. Robert had only been warm and welcoming thus far. She assumed he would stay that way, for at least a little while longer.

“I know I don’t have to apologize,” John Paul chuckled a little. “But I want to extend that apology. I knew what I was signing up for, all those years ago. Something crazy and equally as impossible. For fuck’s sake, Keith Moon foresaw it going terrible, and look where his own life led him,” he said. Another good humored laugh left his lips.

Undeniable, John Paul was relaxing. There was still a bit of edge in the air, but after their day, who could blame them? If she was going to spend a lot of time around them, around the band, she was sure a decent amount would be spent with him.

“But still, I knew I was in for the long haul, that it would take my whole life. You signed up for a night, or a few, of fun.” A huff left Calypso’s mouth. There was an implication in his statement that she didn’t like. That all she was good for was that simple night of fun.

“Not that there’s anything wrong with that,” he chuckled. “Perhaps, when I really was this age, I might have an issue with you, or the girls like you. I’ve grown up a bit since then. I’m a little less naïve about my friends. They, the girls that is, weren’t the homewrecker. It was the boys that were,” he said. “And Robert hardly has any home left to wreck.”

“But, anyways, I digress,” he spoke with a wave of his hand. “I knew what I was signing up for. You didn’t, hardly could. You didn’t think of the long term game because there wasn’t going to be one, wasn’t supposed to be, was there?” John Paul said as he glanced at her. She just nodded.

In her heart, she knew he was right. There was no avoiding that. At the end of the week, she was supposed to be leaving. Shipped off to America to reminiscence about all of this. Now, she couldn’t. From the beginning, it had been meant to be short. This wasn’t supposed to be a long term thing.

Calypso wasn’t a fool. She hadn’t set out to rope Robert Plant into a relationship with her. That idea had long since passed. He likely hadn’t wanted to settle down with someone; his life was already mostly figured out. She had set out to snag him, for only a brief time. Get close and spend what she could with him. Staying hadn’t been a thought, much less an option.

“And for that, I am sorry. Sorry that you’ve been dragged into this crazy shit show of a circus. Even the Stones don’t have to deal with this,” he said with a laugh. He parked the car and Calypso was briefly amazed.

The car ride had seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. She’d been too engulfed in John Paul and their conversation. Their conversation had revealed quite a lot about him in just a few words.

Once he got out of the car and began to walk, she quickly followed behind him. “I come here quite a bit.” He said simply as she joined him. “I like to fill in my old friend on life, tell him about his kids and my kids and everything of the like.” John walked with his hands in his pockets. His voice carried the soft tone of sadness. This wasn’t something he wanted to do. He thought it was something he shouldn’t have to be doing. His friend should still be here.

“I know the others don’t come here often, or at all. I’ve invited Robert a few times, and he just won’t come. Can’t come,” he said with a shrug. “I know it hurts, Rob especially. Not coming here hurts more for me. It feels like I’m abandoning him, pretending like he’s not still there. I don’t want that,” he said.

Calypso understood what he meant. Gong to visit her mother’s grave hurt. It cut deep like no knife really ever could. But, not going felt worse. Like she was trying to pretend it had never happened, like she had never existed.

“I miss staying up to the crack of dawn just talking,” he said softly while walking. Calypso didn’t dare say anything. This was an intensely private moment for him. It wasn’t her time to put her two cents in. “This is one thing I truly hope Jimmy got right, with all of this. Everything else, and anyone else, be damned,” he said.

“I don’t know how the others will fair if he didn’t, let alone how I’ll do,” he muttered.

They walked for just a bit, not talking after that. There didn’t seem to be much else to say. She couldn’t comfort him, at least not yet. If they couldn’t find Bonham, then she naturally would have to. He would be the first of many people she would need to comfort. That was a bridge to cross when it was built though.

Unaware he had stopped walking, Calypso continued a few more feet in front of him. She looked up and around, trying to figure out what had caused him to just stop. Then she saw it. Her mouth fell open and she gasped.

There was a sleeping man on top of a grave. Form this distance, Calypso couldn’t be sure it was Bonham. She wouldn’t want to say it was until they were practically on top of him. From the looks of it, there was no one else it could be. Who else would be sleeping out here, in this graveyard?

It all fell together almost a little too perfectly. The magic had worked at least to give him his clothes. They didn’t need a nudge and confused John Bonham on their hands. Something told her that even John Paul didn’t know how to handle that. The clothes were just a tad too big, but that hardly mattered.

“Is that?” She asked softly as she pointed.

“His grave or him?” John Paul asked. His eyes never left the sleeping form a few feet in front of them. “Because I can only, I only want to answer positively to the former. I can’t, I don’t want to get my hopes up quite that that it could be,” he said.

Calypso understood. Perhaps this wasn’t the first time he had found a sleeping man on Bonham’s grave. Given his legacy, she wouldn’t be too surprised by that. But, perhaps, he didn’t want to believe it just yet. It did seem too good to be true. This whole thing did, really.

They walked a few more graves over. It was a slow pace set out by John Paul. It seemed the last thing he wanted to do was rush. They were in a perfectly precarious moment. Bonham, it seemed, was both alive and dead for the moment. Rushing forward might just cause their hopes to come crashing around them. Even she wasn’t ready for that.

They stopped just a grave over, practically on top of him. John Paul came to a halt. She watched a smile grow on his face. He grinned my ear to ear and Calypso herself couldn’t help but smile.

“It’s him, my god Jimmy you evil genius. It’s really him.”

[fancifulwritings]

The Song Remains The Same

Chapter Ten

Robert had made sure to keep her busy for close to three hours. They hadn’t fucked again, not yet. He hadn’t explicitly said anything about it. Something told her that Robert wanted to wait until they had more time. What he could do at his current age had been amazing. Calypso couldn’t even imagine what he could do in his twenties. Or at least, his physical twenties again. Though, if he stayed like this, she knew she would find out. It was only a matter of time.

The things Robert had done with his mouth… God, she wasn’t likely to ever forget it. It shocked her that her body hadn’t spontaneously combusted. This moment was going to be burned into her brain for the rest of her life. Apparently, from his end, her mouth hadn’t been too bad either. At least, with Robert walking her through what he liked. Calypso thought herself a pretty quick learner.

Getting up from bed hadn’t been the most pleasant experience. Neither of them had wanted to leave the other’s embrace. What finally gave them the last push out of bed as the realization that Jimmy and the others would be there soon. The last thing she ever wanted was to be caught naked, in bed, by Jimmy Page.

They had dressed quickly, both now aware how close Jimmy would be. It almost felt like a race against time. A race they didn’t know when the end would be. Once Robert was fully clothed, Calypso couldn’t help the full body laugh that left her. It took him a minute, but once Robert looked in the mirror, he joined in on Calypso’s laughter.

The clothing, the ones that she was sure had fit him perfectly and been picked up deliberately, were not much too large. He looked like a confused teenage boy who had to borrow clothing from his father. “I don’t suppose you’ve kept anything from the seventies, have you?” She asked.

“God no,” Robert said as he continued to chuckle. “Be reminded of my age? Of my past? I tried to avoid it in any way I could.” At least he was good humored with it. She’d been afraid that he might be mad, at first, once she had stopped laughing. That thought hadn’t occurred to her until after she calmed herself. From their talk in the car, he hardly ever wanted to relieve his youth. And now, here he was, quite literally reliving it.

It was something he was taking in good stride, for now. How long would that last? She wasn’t sure. With Jimmy showing up soon, she was sure things would go at least a little south.

“Anything that might still exist is probably locked away. In someone’s collection, I’m sure. Heaven only knows where my stuff goes half the time,” Robert said. Calypso nodded before he leaned down to kiss her. “Anyways, let’s head downstairs and make some tea before our lucky guests get here.” The sarcasm dripping off his words was not lost on her.

Robert guided them downstairs, and straight into the kitchen. Calypso sat on the counter as he went about getting the kettle and everything else out. “A stereotype, as I’ve heard, I’m sure,” he chuckled. She chuckled as well, watching him happily.

There was something so oddly domestic about all of it. Besides the small panic attack they’d suffered once they figured it out, the morning had felt sweet. Like this was somehow were she was supposed to be. Him suddenly being much younger looking, just a few years older than her, made it hard to not imagine having a life with him.

She was sure this was how all his girls had felt in the past. How couldn’t they? There was something to tender about him. Something that said to settle down and be happy. No wonder his ex-wife had stayed with him for so long. There was no doubt in her mind that she had down about all his infidelities. No one could be that cutoff and clueless.

Still, Calypso didn’t want to get her hopes up. She wasn’t sure what might happen with her. This all seemed like something so horrible private to deal with. It had nothing to do with her. That was something she was certain up. Robert’s whole ordeal seemed to be related to his band. Perhaps, after this, he would simply kick her out.

It wasn’t like she believed he would kick her flat out on her ass and tell her to get lost. No doubt he would still make sure she was okay. But, she doubted he would want her to stay. She wouldn’t be too helpful in figuring all of this out. That was something to worry about later and not now, though.

Robert smiled as he put the kettle on and then turned to her, putting himself in between her legs. “I didn’t even ask you, how’d you sleep my dear?” He pressed a gentle kiss to the corner of her mouth.

Calypso couldn’t help the blush that painted her face. He was so tender, and for no real reason. It just seemed, this was how he was. Her arms wrapped around his neck, fingers playing slightly with his hair.

“Wonderfully,” she mumbled. She pressed a kiss to his forehead, a bright smile on her own face. “And you?”

“Delightfully, with not a bad wake up,” he said with a wink. She laughed before kissing him.

There was a knock on the door that interrupted them from moving any further. Calypso held no doubts that he would have pushed it further if not for that knock. Robert sighed and shook his head.

“I’m afraid I have to answer that, seeing as I’m the one who summoned him here.” His voice dripped with sarcasm once again. They detangled a bit, Calypso just slightly disappointed to let him go.

He pressed one last kiss to her lips before turning. “Will you take care of the tea for me? It should be done soon.” He then disappeared out the kitchen doorway.

As much as she hated watching him leave, she did love to watch him go. Besides, it would give her a few moments alone. While it had not been said, she knew what John Paul and Jimmy were going to look like. And she didn’t want to be overwhelmed. It was one thing to be star struck in front of Robert when they had both been equally caught off guard. There was no excuse for the other two.

It would be a lot to take in, seeing her favorite band in their prime. Something told her that the other two might not react well if she just stood in the doorway, gawking.

From the sounds of it, they had walked directly to the living room. She could vaguely remember where it was from the short tour of the house she’d been given. If she couldn’t find it, she would just follow their voices. At the moment, it seemed to her that Robert and John Paul were just talking, both equally amazed at how the other looked. A woman would speak up every now and again; Calypso assumed this to be John Paul’s wife.

Jimmy was eerily silent this whole time, not once uttering a word from the minute he walked into the house.

The kettle went out and Calypso was jolted from her eavesdropping. She went about pouring the tea into cups. Robert, while getting the kettle, had also been kind enough to get out a tray and everything. This man’s life screamed domestic and happily married, despite not having being the opposite.

She carried the little tray into the living room, taking a few wrong turns here and there. It took all the strength in her body to not drop the tray, though. Peering into the living room seemed to be looking at a life size picture. If she hadn’t physically felt Robert, she would think it some sort of crazy dream all over again. She had to refrain from pinching herself, honestly.

They all looked up at her as she entered the room, and instantly she felt out of place. Robert had snagged an armchair, and Jimmy snagged the one to his left, leaving John Paul and his wife on the couch.

The Jones’s didn’t seem too out of place. Then again, John Paul had always seemed the normal one out of the band. It only made sense that he didn’t seem odd. Jimmy though… Jimmy was another story. Apparently, he had been the one to change the most, at least physically. If Calypso hadn’t known him from pictures of his Zeppelin days, she never would have recognized the man in front of her.

As she sat down, she felt the conversation spark back to life. At least she hadn’t been too big of an inconvenience.

Her gaze diverted to Robert, finding him the most comfortable person in the room. He still set her stomach rolling. It was just less of an intimidation than the others. If she could see him naked and not die, she could do this as well. When she realized that there was no room for her to sit, she began to look around the room.

“Come here darling,” he said. His arms were open and before Calypso could process anything, she was being pulled down into his lap. She blushed but went down easily. She curled up into him like they had done this her whole life, like this was another normal morning.

“Maureen, this is Calypso. Calypso, Maureen, John Paul’s blushing bride,” he said as he motioned to the other man. Calypso nodded and they both waved a little at each other.

“Nice to meet you,” Maureen said.

“Everyone else, this is still Calypso. She’s the only one among us who hasn’t changed, but just in case for those of you who may have forgotten,” he teased. “I know they look a bit different, but I do hope you remember who they are.” Robert leaned up to kiss her after he spoke.

“Of course I remember. How could I forget them?” She mumbled.

“Some things never change, eh Perce? Always a pretty girl on your lap,” Jimmy said with a smile.

“No, I suppose some things don’t change. Though, my appearance seems to have wildly changed while I was asleep. Would you care to explain your meddling now or do you want to keep us waiting in suspense?” Robert asked with daggers in his eyes.

“I’d like to know as well. As fun as this is and was, this is something I could have been happily forgotten about for,” John Paul said. Jimmy just chuckled, tea cup perched carefully in his hand, as he leaned back in the chair and crossed his legs.

The only sound that filled the room was Jimmy as he drank his tea. “Delightful, thank you.” Jimmy looked at Calypso with a sly smile as he spoke. The arm Robert had around her tightened just a bit. “The details of this,” he motioned to all of them, “are foggy at best. I can’t say I was exactly sober when this all went down.”

“I thought you bloody well kicked that habit years ago. To the point you even deny it ever happened,” Robert accused. Calypso sighed and leaned over to press a quick kiss to the side of his head. The last thing she wanted was a fight. Jimmy held the fate of almost everyone in the room in the palm of his hand.

“I hadn’t picked up that habit yet, Robert. This wasn’t recently. And if I remember, you had your own spats with personal demons as well,” Jimmy said as he returned the daggers.

“This isn’t about me,” Robert said.

“Please just let him speak,” Calypso mumbled softly.

“Thank you,” Jimmy said with a grin. Robert just rolled his eyes, but sat back. For not, it seemed, Robert would let Jimmy talk without his own two cents.

“This was years ago. The physical proof is in front of you, on you. After the Madison Square Garden shows, you can guess which ones,” he said. He put the cup back on the plate, back on the tray, before motioning to all of them. It took a moment, but when it hit them, both Robert and John Paul let out a soft “oh.”

“Why?” Robert demanded.

“I was getting there, but if you insist. We were at the top of the world, I didn’t want it to stop, ever. Did any of us really want to grow old? Isn’t that the greatest fear of every rock star?” Jimmy didn’t leave time for that question to be answered, though. “We were something great, something God-adjacent, and I didn’t want it to fall apart. We were a cohesive unit that hadn’t ever really been seen before. All four of us, working together.”

There was a heavy feeling in the air that even Calypso could pick up on. Jimmy’s desperate fears had been the driving cause. What one feared, it seemed, really was what one brought onto themselves. He clung to the idea that they never could break up. And then his fears had manifested themselves. From the look on Robert’s and John Paul’s face, she was right in thinking so. His painful efforts to force them all together forever had eventually backfired tremendously.

“I was heavy into the occult at that point. I’m sure you all remember,” Jimmy said. Robert just groaned, clearly having tried to forget that phase in his friend’s life.

“Shut up, Mr. Viking King and let the wizard talk,” John Paul said with a chuckle. Robert just rolled his eyes, but chuckled as well.

“I found this old book, ancient by the looks of it, with some spell. Youth forever, frozen in time. I can’t remember the exact name, or exact goal. I couldn’t find it again if I wanted to, and I don’t recall ever seeing that book again after that night.

“While the pleasantries are nice, skip ahead Jim, place,” Robert said.

“Always rushing to the end, never know how to make a moment last,” Jimmy said with a wink to Calypso. She just groaned and blushed a little at that.

“I cast this spell, to keep us looking like we did that night forever. I kept it hidden for what I thought were a lot of good reasons.”

“Like what?” John Paul demanded.

“I didn’t want to get hopes up. I didn’t want to look deranged if it didn’t work. I had my reasons to doubt it. I had my reasons to doubt anything might work,” Jimmy responded with a shrug. He paused to let everything soak in.

It was obvious that everyone was mulling over this information. How exactly did someone process this? In one fellow swoop they learned that magic was both real and that somehow, someway, Jimmy Page had used it.

Questions were being formed and then pushed aside. What would be the best to ask? Sometimes pushing Jimmy too much would get them nowhere, or even further back than from where they had started. That was something Robert knew better than anyone. He was also the one with the most questions.

“Then why’s it worked now? All these years later. I certainly didn’t go to bed twenty fucking three, so I’d like to know why I woke up this way.” It came out of him, like a bubble bursting. It was certainly the right question to be asked, it just came out much less gracefully than he would have liked.

“I could say to the other,” Calypso mumbled in his ear. A smirk appeared on his face and she just chuckled. It was her small attempt to lighten the mood just a bit.

Jimmy rolled his eyes. “There was a catch, of course. Something that would kick the spell into action. Something that powerful doesn’t work off words alone. It needs some sort of energy to latch onto,” Jimmy explained.

“Well, what was it?” Jimmy just answered Robert’s question by motioning to Calypso.

Robert cocked his head a bit, not quite getting what his friend was saying. They had been attached at the hip at one point, but that hardly made Robert telepathic.

“I believe it was phrased that you should find your true happiness, or perhaps the person who calms the storm of your soul. Poetic, really. You would have liked it. I wish I could find the damned book,” Jimmy said.

“Why me?” Both Robert and Calypso asked at the same time.

“That, my dear,” he said, answering Calypso first, “is something I cannot answer. That will be between you and the lad that you sit upon,” he chuckled.

“And for you, Robert, I choose you because I thought you stood the best chance. I didn’t believe it might work with either John because I assumed they had already found that thing, that one person to make them happy.” Jimmy shrugged as he picked up the tea cup again and sipped gently, a smirk barely visible over the rim.

“And why wouldn’t you work? Tie yourself to your own spell? What about all that nonsense you went on about an angel with a broken wing?”

“You said the key word there, nonsense. I had no qualms about keeping my single life, and doubted I might ever find such a person,” he chuckled.

“And what about my life?” it was clear to Calypso that Robert was trying to fight this, at least a little bit. It hurt her, but she pushed it aside. Why would he want to be twenty again? He’d come so far in life and seemed genuinely happy with where he was now. Why go back?

Robert, as always, had his own doubts and concerns. He cared for Calypso. That wasn’t something he could lie to himself about.

“Robert, we all knew the truth. You never fooled anyone into thinking she was the perfect one for you, the one you really wanted. Why else would you have had that parade of girls constantly around you?” Jimmy said with a shrug. “Besides, you found the perfect one now, a clear sign of it,” he said. He motioned to Calypso and she wanted to disappear. Somehow, this all ended up being her fault.

“And you never once thought to ask us about this?” Robert said as he motioned between himself and John Paul. “That some of us might not want to stay young indefinitely?” Robert demanded. Calypso could feel his anger now and all she wanted to do was sooth him. There was no way to make this better, though.

“It was a spur of the moment thing. I had a very short time frame for it to work.”

“And now what? We spend the rest of our lives like this? Spend the next twenty or so years looking young? What’s the good in that?”

“Oh, no, Robert. This is forever. I’m sure there’s some sort of brutal murder clause or the like, but otherwise, this is forever.” There was an emphasis on forever that Calypso didn’t like. It sent a shiver down her spine.

“Jimmy you massive fucking egotistical prick!” Robert yelled before chucking a pillow at Jimmy’s face. Calypso just curled more into Robert, trying to keep him from being the brutal murder that could end Jimmy.

John Paul sighed as he squeezed his wife’s hand in apology. It was his time to realize he might need to step in and play the part of moderator. Nothing between them seemed to have changed, looks included now. “Robert has a point, Jimmy. You should have told us. Should have asked us.”

“And what was I supposed to ask? Supposed to say? No one would have taken me seriously. And if you did, then what? Get your hopes up for nothing? By the time I even properly remembered it, the band had already broken up. I thought it was just some fancy story I had heard about myself. Some drug fueled dream my brain had conjured up.” Jimmy said with a sigh.

“What good would it have done to be brought up now? I certainly didn’t think it was going to happen.” Jimmy shrugged as he picked up the cup again. “And besides, it’s not like you, Robert, are the easiest person to reminiscence with and talk about the past. My sincerest apologies to you, Jonesy,” he said. “Any mention of a soulmate or the like to Robert would have just riled him up.”

“Wait, my soulmate?” Robert asked, voice high with confusion.

“See, my point exactly,” Jimmy said. Calypso instantly knew what Jimmy met. Her face went bright red. It took every fiber of her being to not get up and run at that moment. He couldn’t seriously be suggesting…

“But yes, Percy dear, you’ve found her. I believe she’s perched in your lap as we speak. Unless there’s another girl you’ve been running around to see.” Jimmy held a certain authority in that statement that neither of them liked. He also seemed a bit unsure, though, like he hadn’t meant for that to slip out.

Robert had figured Jimmy meant something of the sort, with his vague description of what the end goal had been. But to be told so bluntly… As much as he enjoyed his time thus far with Calypso, he doubted she would want to stay that long. Stay for this crazy shit show of his life.

“There’s no way. She’s only twenty!”

“And you’re only twenty-three and have no real reason to not realize it. Why do you think Maureen is here as well? I certainly didn’t include her directly in the spell.” Jimmy paused.

At the moment, all Robert could do was sigh. Jimmy was right. That much he knew. It wasn’t like him to spin such elaborate lies when he had obviously been caught. Besides, what would he win from lying about this? It was an odd feeling, to be told that this girl was his. His in a way he hadn’t felt in a long time, since he had first started dating his wife.

They were together, for the moment. But would she want to stay? This was a crazy train ride. She hadn’t signed up for this. God, she hadn’t even initially signed up to with him for a week. How could she stay forever now?

“I’ve got a bit more, morbid of a question,” John Paul said. It was one that no one wanted to ask, or even think about. But, once he had opened his mouth, they all, Calypso included, knew where this would be going. “What about Bonzo?”

The room was deadly silent. A pin could have dropped upstairs on the other end of the house and they would have all heard. It wasn’t like any of them had forgotten their old friend. A day never went by that Robert didn’t think of him, didn’t wish for Bonzo. All of them just had been so caught up in the moment, forgetting, briefly, that not all of them were in front of them.

“I don’t have a clear answer for that,” Jimmy mumbled after a moment. “I would like to think Pat would call me if she was suddenly young again. She has, called me that is, a few times in the past.”

The two other men nodded, mulling over the information presented to them. What were they supposed to do? It wasn’t like they could call Pat up. If they did and nothing had changed with Bonzo, what were they supposed to say? Get her hopes up and then destroy them? But on the other hand, they couldn’t exactly let their drummer just run around the town. It might not go too well.

“What are the options?” John Paul asked after a moment.

“Two things that I can think of. Either Pat wasn’t for him. Or this magic isn’t strong enough to reach him, doesn’t work beyond the grave, in a sense.” There were certain spells that worked like that. Jimmy was a bit rusty on his knowledge. Something he now intended to brush up on, given this irrefutable proof.

There was a mood change. A change for hope. Calypso felt it. No doubt all three men missed their friend dearly. This was a chance to have him back. It was a chance they likely wanted to chase, no matter how small.

“Then we have to go get him, don’t we?” Calypso spoke up after a moment. She was surprised to hear her own voice. This wasn’t her matter to begin with.

“Where would we look?” Jimmy said with a shrug. “And besides, the whole of England is going to be crawling with Zeppelin fans. We don’t exactly blend in anymore. I don’t know about any of you, but I would like to keep this hidden for just a few moments.” His tone was a bit harsher than she would have liked.

“His grave. We all woke up in the last place we went to sleep,” John Paul mumbled after a moment.

“How do you propose we get him?” Jimmy asked, a little snippy. Did he not want them to get their drummer? It wasn’t like they could leave him loose in England. Or did Jimmy not want to know if Bonzo was truly gone forever?

“I can get him, but I can’t collect him myself,” Calypso said. It took her a moment to find her voice, but she found it.

“I can go,” John Paul said. “I know the way and it’s not like I ever stood out in a crowd to begin with. You could call me, forgettable,” he said with a smile on his face.

Calypso just nodded.

[fancifulwritings]

The Song Remains The Same

Chapter Nine

This wake up was vastly different from the one she had yesterday. Her eyes just fluttered open, looking around. Panic filled her for a moment. She had forgotten where she was, who she was with. All she could tell, at first, was that this was not the hotel room she had booked. It was too nice for that. As her eyes adjusted to the small rays of sunlight in the room, it all came back to her.

The panic moved quickly out of her body. The warm, comforting arm wrapped around her helped ease her fears once she remembered it was Robert. She sighed and curled up on his chest.

She noticed that Robert was still asleep as she quickly looked at his face. The room, despite the sun coming in, was still dark at the moment. It was easy to make out, if she squinted just a little, that he seemed at peace. More at peace than when he had been awake. A smirked crossed her face as she got an idea. It was pushed to the back of her mind, for just a moment, as there was something just a bit more pressing first.

Something about Robert seemed a bit different, seemed a bit off. The light in the room didn’t exactly allow for her to truly get it. Calypso just couldn’t get a solid, good look at him. She wiped her eyes a bit as she tried to blink away the fog in her brain from sleep. It had to be her brain filling in the unclear details. It just had to be.

She could turn the light on, get a better look. That would ruin her plan, though. And this plan would be a much better way to wake Robert up. Besides, she couldn’t even begin to guess where the light switch would be. Besides, she might as well repay him for yesterday morning anyways? It only seemed fitting, being the first one awake this time.

It took her a moment to escape from Robert’s arms. The last thing she wanted to do was wake him up too early. Especially if it was to her leaving his embrace, that might not go over well. Once she did, she rolled onto her side and moved under the sheets.

Nothing was more pleasing than finding his pants still undone. Neither of them had bothered to clean up the night before, huh? She chuckled for just a moment. She shimmed down a bit more until she was in between his legs. How he had managed to sleep like this, all night, she wasn���t really sure. She pulled his pants down just a bit more, a grin painting her face once they were where she wanted.

For the moment, he was still soft. She thought that he was rather large, even like this. When they had fucked, the two times so far, she hardly had any real interactions with his cock. At least, face to face interactions like this.

It was a bit intimidating, the idea of giving her first blowjob. He truly was her first. No other boy or man had ever grabbed her interest like this before. No one was quite like him.

Her line of thinking was that he would understand. Surely he had gotten some pretty awful blowjobs in the past. How badly could she really measure up? Sure, there probably had been some mind blowing ones, and she likely would not measure up to those in their week together, but she couldn’t be the worst.

All of her knowledge was coming from porn she had managed to see before. Obviously, she had a vague idea of how to do it. It was just the actual practice that unnerved her a bit. At least if she woke Robert up this way, he might not notice the finer points of it. That was her thinking, at least.

Eventually, she just threw caution to the wind and wrapped her hand around his cock. She had to do it sooner rather than later, otherwise he would wake up to her just staring at his dick. That might not be the best idea. As she began to stroke up and down, slowly and gently, she felt him begin to harden. It was an odd sensation, one that aroused her a bit more than she ever thought it would.

After a few more gentle strokes, she felt that he was hard as he was going to get. She leaned and licked at his shaft, stalling her hand for the moment. The taste wasn’t like anything she had ever had before, but she was hardly complaining. Her hand resumed moving up and down as she lapped at the head of his cock.

Robert was beginning to stir at that point. He wasn’t quite awake yet. It wasn’t until she took his head in her mouth and sucked that he finally woke up. Soft moans escaped his lips and he tensed a little, showing her that the gig was up. Calypso chuckled a little.

It only took a few seconds before his hand found its way to her hair, effectively holding her there. She was hardly complaining. If anything, it was encouraging her. He seemed to be enjoying it. Just as Calypso was finally hitting her stride, finally feeling confident, there was a mood shift.

Robert froze. He stopped moving, even stopped moaning. “Wait, babe, I need, stop for a minute,” he said. His voice was clearly worried, almost panicked, and perhaps a little bit agitated. Immediately, Calypso felt a pit form in her stomach and began to question what she had done wrong. She must have done something. Did he not like this? Had he thought it was someone else? Fuck, her brain was screaming at her.

Calypso pulled off at his words, not wanting to trouble him further. But, from there, she froze. It took Robert a few minutes to realize she wasn’t moving. “Come up here, please, darling,” he said. He did his best to nudge her up. There was no doubt in his mind that she was locking up because of his actions. But, there was another pressing matter that he required a second pair of eyes for.

A million and two thoughts were racing through Calypso’s brain. Any sort of scenario she was capable of thinking of did not end well. It was a miracle she managed to escape from under the blanket. It took her a few seconds to adjust to the light and open her eyes.

The sunlight was a bit stronger now. A few more rays flickered in from the windows. She had disappeared at just the right time, apparently, before the sun really came out for the morning. As she looked up, looked at him, her eyes widened and a soft “oh” escaped from her.

Robert was now sitting on the bed, back leaned up against the headboard. At least, she assumed it was Robert. There was no one else it could be but, still. What she was seeing was incredibly hard to believe. If the house caught fire right then and there, she would die in the flames. Robert would perish as well, clearly just as shocked.

At first, his brain hadn’t caught it either. How could it have? It wasn’t like he was expecting to wake up like this once again. Thinking about anything had been hard with such a beautiful distraction. At first, Robert had written off the odd thoughts as sleep fogging his brain. But, it had eventually hit him all at once.

His body had felt different. Those aches and pains that came with his advancing age weren’t there anymore. He could have waved that off. Some days were just better than others. Maybe the time he had spent with her was doing him some good, trying to keep up with someone younger and all that.

Then, he realized that the dull aches still left over from that car accident, the one that had haunted him since the seventies, were gone. He couldn’t even remember life from before that. Couldn’t remember what that had felt like. From there, it was only a matter of time before he opened his eyes.

For the most part, he had come to terms with his aging early on in life. This was all before he opened he eyes. Before he saw what he looked like. Before he saw a body he hadn’t seen since he was a very young man. It was one that he never realized how much he had missed and had never worked to get back.

All he wanted was verbal confirmation from Calypso. From the look in her eyes, with her mouth agape, Robert could tell she was seeing this as well. But he needed to hear it. Needed to know for sure that this wasn’t a dream, some crazy messed up dream.

Once Calypso regained the ability to move, she leaned to twirl some of his hair in between her fingers. It was the only thing she could think of to confirm that this wasn’t a dream. His hair was softer than anything she could ever imagine. And the curls! The pictures she had seen could never do justice to what was right in front of her.

“Calypso, darling, are you?” Even his voice sounded different. Perhaps that was what shocked in the most, the change in his voice. He hadn’t notice it. He hardly ever listened to anything that involved him talking from the past. When he sang, naturally he could hear and feel the difference. But talking?

At first, all Calypso could muster up was a nod. It would be too much for her to talk. Robert might want to break this dream, but Calypso did not. At least, not yet. It was the last thing she wanted to do.

“Babe, I need you, you need to tell me what you’re seeing,” he said softly. His voice sounded foreign to his own ears.

“Yeah,” she mumbled after a moment. “You look, you look like, you’re,” she trailed off. How did she put it into words? How did she say this without offending him? “I feel like I’m watching a movie, like this is some weird scene in Song Remains,” she mumbled after a moment. That was all she could describe it as. Nothing else would, or could, fit.

For a few seconds, Calypso thought that perhaps she had somehow traveled back in time. That there was a weird glitch in the universe. It didn’t quite add up. But what about this situation really did add up? It seemed to be the only reason. It wasn’t until she heard a soft vibrating sound that she knew time travel couldn’t be the case.

The sound came from a cellphone. Calypso herself was too poor to own one, and she didn’t really need one. It was a sound she knew well enough, and it was coming from Robert’s coat jacket. It laid on the floor, she having apparently slipped it off sometime in the night.

They were both ripped out of their thoughts by it. “What do we do?” She mumbled as she looked him over. It was so hard to believe. So hard to process. Her own eyes had to be playing tricks on her. But how could he see it as well? She wasn’t nearly creative enough for this dream. And besides, it all felt too real.

“I don’t know,” he said. What was he supposed to do? Supposed to say? How had this happened? This wasn’t exactly something people talked about, let alone planned for. Suddenly, it all clicked at once. If there was one person that would know, Robert knew exactly who it was. Exactly who would be up to create something like this.

“Fucking Jimmy, the twat,” he mumbled under his breath. “Babe, can you get off me for a second?” He asked before gently nudging her onto the bed. Calypso just nodded, clearly still a bit in awe. “I have a phone call I have to make.” He spoke as he swung his legs off the side of the bed.

He reached into his jacket pocket and dialed the number he could never forget, no matter how much he tried. Usually, he was the one trying to dodge calls, not make them.

“Hello, Percy,” the old nickname practically oozed from Jimmy’s mouth, “nice to finally get a call.” Jimmy was smiling on the other end. Robert might not be able to see it, but he could hear it. He knew his old friend too well. All he could manage was a groan and an eye roll.

“What the bloody fuck did you do now? What have you been up to?” Robert demanded with a voice filled with anger. He didn’t need to explain what his situation was. If Jimmy did this, and Robert was sure he did, Jimmy would know exactly what was meant.

Calypso wasn’t sure what to do with herself. This wasn’t something she could have ever prepared for, like Robert. The fight she might have seen coming, but not this fight. Instead of really doing anything, she just pulled the blanket up around her.

“I haven’t the foggiest what you mean. I haven’t been up to anything.” His tone suggested to the other. Of course Jimmy knew exactly what was going on. After all, he was sitting on the other end of the line, young all over again as well. A smirk was on his face as he leaned back in his chair. After all these years, he knew exactly what he had done. Exactly how they had ended up like this.

Robert wasn’t a fool and saw straight through Jimmy’s act. He usually did. It came from being practically attached at the hip for all those years. They still knew each other too well. Still knew which buttons to press to get what they wanted.

When Jimmy didn’t say anything further past that, Robert groaned and stood up from the bed. He felt just a bit taller. Had old age really changed him this much? As he stood, his pants slide off him. They were undone to begin with, so he had expected that much. Not that it mattered. They were hardly his size anymore.

“James, I’m not in the mood to play these games. What. Did. You. Do.” Robert only heard a little sigh and a laugh on the other end.

“James, I’m not-“

“Are you still in London? I have John Paul and Maureen with me right now, and I don’t want to have to explain this twice.” Jimmy’s tone had switched from playful to much more serious.

“No, I’m out in the country.” Robert smoothed some hair out of his face, already annoyed with it again. Why’d he ever have it this long? It never stayed out of his face. This was almost like living in a bad nightmare.

“Already drop that new girl?” There was something underlying in Jimmy’s voice that suggested Robert really shouldn’t have. It was something that Robert had only heard a few times from Jimmy. The other man seemed to care too much about her, and Robert felt protectiveness surge in him.

Robert, for the moment, choose to ignore it. “No, I’ve actually brought her out here with me,” He ran a hand through his hair as he spoke. Calypso looked up at what she assumed was a mention of her, cocking her head just a little bit.

“Good” was all Jimmy said. Why’d it matter to him? Most of the time, Robert could perfectly understand his friend. Even if he didn’t make sense, Robert could still get it. Jimmy was usually rather straightforward, with few motivations in life. Now, Robert couldn’t get a read on him at all.

“Me and Jones will be there as soon as we can be. Until then, don’t leave your house,” he warned.

“I’m not gonna bloody leave-“Robert started, but Jimmy had already hung up on him. “Sometimes, you’re just a real prick,” he mumbled before putting the phone away.

Once she had looked up at Robert, Calypso had never looked away. How could she? It was one thing to have gotten so close to him in the now, when he looked his proper age. But to see her real hero? To see the man she always thought of whenever anyone talked about him? She couldn’t seem to snap herself out of her thoughts.

“Calypso, babe,” he said as he sat back down on the bed. He leaned over to place a kiss on her forehead and she felt sparks fly all over again. Her face turned bright red. It was silly to get all worked up over a kiss on the cheek from a man she fucked, from a man she’d woken up with a blowjob.

“Uh, oh, yeah, sorry, who was that?” She asked, like he had been the one to answer the phone. Clearly, she hadn’t paid much attention to the conversation at all. She hadn’t retained an ounce of it.

“Jimmy, you remember him, yeah? You met him the other night? Probably paid too much to watch him play his guitar?” He was teasing her now. He’d never met someone that looked and acted so star struck, after he had already fucked them. It amused him just a tad bit. Though, he did suppose she had a good enough reason.

“Oh, yeah, of course I do. That was a dumb question,” she mumbled. She leaned up into him, doing her absolute best to try and keep her cool. It was just so hard with her hero right in front of her. To be confronted with the man she assumed only existed in legend.

Naturally, he was still the same person she had met two days ago. That hadn’t changed. His personality hadn’t changed. Though, Calypso had a suspicion that Robert’s personality had never really changed. It was just so hard to act the same as she had.

“He’s going to be coming over soon, well, as soon as he makes the car trip up.” Robert chuckled a little bit, like this was something he had planned. Live far away from his friend so that unexpected visits couldn’t be made. After seeing the two of them interact, Calypso wouldn’t be too surprised. “That way he can explain what the ever loving shit is going on,” he said as he flopped onto his back.

“If there’s a man alive that knows what’s going on, it’s going to be him,” Robert explained. “Whenever something… odd happened back in the day, it was usually him.”

“Stuff like this?”

“No, no,” Robert laughed. “No, this might be a little out of the realm for Jimmy,” he said. “I feel like I’m twenty again, like Zeppelin’s just about to take off.”

“You look it too,” she replied. She moved so that she was sitting next to him, taking him all in. The shirt he had fallen asleep in the night before, the one that had fit in perfectly, now was much too big. He looked like he was swimming in it. Like it was something he had borrowed from his father’s closet. She couldn’t help but laugh.

The shirt, even if it hadn’t been too big, contrasted strongly against his physical looks. While his older self had certainly grown into the button down shirts, the young Golden God in front of her hadn’t. Robert just cocked his head, eyebrow raised, confused as to what part of this she might be laughing to. Calypso just shrugged.

“What do we do until he gets here?”

“Jonesy and his wife, Maureen, are coming up too, with him. I think we all have the same problem.”

He paused after speaking, looking her up and down. Both of them seemed to notice that her pants were still very much gone. Calypso blushed, until she looked over at him. He still seemed to be hard. The look he then gave her was one that said he had a few ideas in mind of what exactly he would like to do, had her melting. It was just a sideways smirk, but that’s all she needed to see his thoughts.

“Why don’t we test out the new old body? See if it works the same and all that?” Calypso couldn’t say no to that idea.

[fancifulwritings]

The Song Remains The Same

Chapter Eight

     From the moment Robert parked his car, Calypso was in awe. The house was beautiful, it was stunning. Not quite as large as she had imagined it might be, but that was almost expected. The house of his current life should be a bit smaller than the house of his past, the one she had spent time imagining. It was bigger than anything she might ever be able to afford, though.

     The land surrounding it was breath-taking. She wasn’t quite sure where his property ended and the next person’s might begin, but that hardly mattered. Something told her he had enough to keep himself busy. It was clearly maintained, but not too much. There was something natural about how it looked, like this was how it was meant to be – untouched by human hands.

     Just as she was about to open the car door, she noticed that Robert was already doing it for her. “You don’t have to do that, you know.” She spoke with a laugh.

     “Oh, but I do,” he said. He offered her his hand and she took it with a smile.

     They walked closely together, Calypso practically plastered to Robert’s side, as he showed her the ground. He made a comment that he wouldn’t show her it all tonight. He wouldn’t be able to. It was getting late; the sun would be gone soon. But, he would be happy to show her around more the next day.    

     Calypso had just begun to get cold. But, for the moment, she wanted to stay outside. The sun, as it began to set off in the distance behind some trees, lit the sky on fire.

     If the world ended in this very moment, Calypso was sure she would be content. They stood, just behind his house, for a few spare moments. It was stunning. Everything about this trip seemed to just be stunning and surreal. Part of her was afraid she might wake and discover it was all a dream.

     Once Calypso began to shiver, Robert slipped his coat over her and ushered them inside. The inside of the house was just as brilliant as the outside, if not better. Calypso wasn’t too sure what exactly she had expected. Perhaps less decorations, a house that felt mostly empty. But Robert, it seemed, prided himself on his house.

     On the first floor, he showed her from room to room. Most seemed to not have a specific purpose. Just used for whatever, whenever it was needed. All seemed decorated the same way, old but a quaint kind of old. An aesthetic that fit him perfectly. It was like an antique store filled with love.

     Once room, though, Robert just glossed over. He made no mention of it as he walked back. Didn’t even look at it. That struck Calypso was a bit odd. Would it be alright to pry like that? Perhaps there was something he wanted to keep hidden behind it.

     Thankfully, she didn’t have long to debate it. Robert must have noticed, somehow someway. Or perhaps he had just forgotten to say something. “That’s my son’s room, the youngest,” he said. He shrugged with a smile. “I don’t pry much. What more can he do that I haven’t already done?” He chuckled. “I would appreciate if you could leave it alone as well.”

     Calypso, of course, had no intentions of going into the young boy’s room. Though, she doubted his son was much younger than her. She just chuckled a little and nodded, understanding him. The last thing she really wanted to see was what kind of unchecked hellscape it was anyways.

     “Come, this way,” he said. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder as he led her up the stairs. A few rooms were passed, Robert saying small things about each of them. It was obvious he was heading directly for one place. Calypso wasn’t dumb. She couldn’t be that much of a fool. She knew that they were heading toward his bedroom.

     Once she was there, she began to understand why he had set out so directly. And for once, it wasn’t just for sexual reasons. It was stunning, his room. For two reasons, as it seemed to exist as a dual purpose room.

     At one end lay a bed, one of those huge ones with the four posters and curtains. Of course he would have something like that, it would only make sense. It looked like it was straight out of some period romance piece. She hadn’t imagined he would have something so nice, but it made sense. His whole house wasn’t quite what she had pictured, but it all had made sense.

     The other half of the room was truly what had her in awe. From floor to ceiling, on these big shelves, were records. They lined the whole wall. It was a beautiful sight, something that Calypso strongly envied. She just drank it in as she gasped.

     “This isn’t all of it. I’ve got an actual record room.” He chuckled a bit as he kissed her forehead.

     “Of course you do,” she mumbled.

     There was more than this though? What didn’t Robert own at this point? Sure, he had a few decades on her with collecting, but this much? He must have never gotten rid of a single record, ever. She wondered what treasures could be hidden amongst the shelves.

     “You have any preferences for what I put on babe?” He asked, jolting her from her thoughts.

     “Oh, no, I’d be too overwhelmed to have one.” She spoke with an awkward laugh. A grin was plastered on her face as she walked further into the room. He walked toward the record player and she walked toward the bed. She sat down, and then laid down on it. A bold move, one she wasn’t thinking about until it had already been done.

     Once she did it, and it registered in her mind, she froze. Would it upset him? She was making herself comfortable in his house, on her own accord. They didn’t know each other enough for her to feel comfortable with that. At least, he didn’t know her enough. If this was anyone else, she wouldn’t have done it at all. She shouldn’t have. Her mind was screaming at her.

     Her limbs started to move, clearly making an attempt to stand and apologize.

     Robert caught the look on her face. He didn’t understand why she looked so worried. It was fitting, really, seeing her laid out on the bed. She should have looked at peace from the moment she had done it. It made him chuckle a little bit as he shook his head.

     “I’m glad to see you’re comfortable, darling,” he said with a smile. Something, anything to soothe over whatever anxiety she might have been feeling. And it worked. Calypso relaxed and laid back in the bed as he searched through some records.

     It was odd, for a moment. Calypso was afraid but decided to push it aside. The bed was soft and smelled vaguely of him. It felt safe and she couldn’t help but make herself comfortable. Those hotel beds would never feel quite as nice as someone’s actual bed.

     There was something about him that was so relaxing, so charming. Calypso could feel herself falling deeper and deeper into an endless pit. She’d never met another soul like him. One that she could bare her whole being so freely to and then not want to run, to not be made to feel naked and vulnerable. The end of this week was going to be hard on her. She doubted he might feel much when she left, but she knew nothing would ever again compare to this.

     Calypso, though, was wrong on how Robert might feel. As he shuffled through the records, his own thoughts raced. A week with her. It was something too short. She deserved more. For perhaps the first time in his life, Robert wished it was the seventies again. So he could keep her around, treat her like she deserved to be and show her the world. There was something so… refreshing about her.

     But Robert knew he was not young. Knew that trapping such a young woman with him would be cruel. She enjoyed their time together now. But who was to say she wouldn’t come to regret it? Come to hate him. Robert knew he would have to let her go. Let her go like he had all the other woman in his life. Just, he wished for more time with her. He would learn to make do, as he always had.

     Calypso laid her head against the pillow, chuckling a bit at the fact there were only two on the bed. At least he was always prepared for company. She heard the needle hit the record and let out a long breath she didn’t know she had been holding.

     “I hope you don’t mind some Robert Johnson. It’s a bit… typical, but I love it, love him. Hits the right part of the soul, I suppose,” he said.

     Calypso just chuckled again when he sat down on the bed next to her. “I couldn’t think of a better soundtrack. I love Johnson,” she said softly. She leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. He wrapped an arm around her and laid down.

     It felt like true peace, for the first time in a very long time. There was a certain safety in his arms. They stayed like that for some time. Robert just ran his fingers through her hair. Calypso listened to the sounds of his breathing and heartbeat. The record played gently in the background. Johnson sang of pain, but they felt none at the moment.

     “Thank you, for listening to me, in the car,” she said after a moment. Where it came from, Calypso wasn’t too sure. Something in her felt the need to break the silence, thank him for what he had done. The last thing she wanted to do wanted to do was take anything he gave her for granted.

     “Don’t,” he answered back softly. There was no cruelty in his voice, nothing that strictly forbade her from going back down that road. Robert just didn’t want to reopen that wound at the moment, it just having scabbed over again. For not, he wanted to relax and enjoy her company. Life was filled with pain, he wanted a sweet reprieve with her.

     Whether he meant to not go there again, or not to thank him, was a bit lost on Calypso. She didn’t care to ask for clarification. His voice was kind enough, so she thought nothing of it. She just nodded and curled into his arm a bit more. He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

     For the moment, he kissed her soft and slow. It was gently. Calypso didn’t expect for things to stay like that, not with him. This was his home turf now. If there was anything he had held back the night before, and this morning, Calypso knew he wouldn’t now. Eventually, he eased them down a bit more, both laying on their sides facing the other.

     His hand went to the back of her head, firmly guiding her where he wanted her. The other traveled up and down her side. It never stayed in one place long, not one particular spot. He was just feeling her, enjoying whatever skin he had access to at the moment.

     When he parted to breath, he had a devilish smile on his face and Calypso just let out a faint sigh, her own eyes closed. The music played on in the background. It was lost on them. Only really entering their consciousness when there was a particularly loud note. Otherwise, they were too lost in each other.

     Eventually, Robert moved them so she laid on her back with him propped up next to her. His hand once again traveled down her body as he captured her lips with his.

     There was something about her that made him feel young again. Like he was on top of the world and nothing could hurt him. Like nothing had ever hurt him. She also made him feel horny like a damn teenager again. No that his libido had ever truly slowed. Rather, he had just learned to manage it better. That seemed to go out the window with her.

     As his hands wondered down to her legs, Calypso spread them for him. She did so with a smirk and without a second thought.

     “You’re insatiable,” she mumbled against his lips.

     Robert couldn’t help but chuckle, his hand finding its own way between her legs. “So, it seems, my dear,” he nipped at her neck, “that you are too.” He teased her with a smile.

     His lips kissed a line down her neck and Calypso arched into his touch, wherever it was. One hand slipped back up her, and she whimpered. The loss of contact wasn’t what she wanted at all.

     Her worries were eased when he slipped his hand down her pants. Through her panties, he gently began to rub circles around her clit.

     “Oh, Robert,” she gasped. Her hips strained up to meet him. He just smirked as his fingers picked up pace. Slow and gently didn’t seem to be on his mind anymore.

     “Yeah babe?” He said right into her ear. He was trying to coax something about of her. What he wanted, what that was, she wasn’t sure of. His fingers paused for a moment and she looked at him.  

     “Oh, please,” she mumbled as she rolled her hips. Her shyness was still getting the best of her. Asking for what she wanted might be too much. He had to know anyways. Robert wasn’t a fool. This was hardly close to being his first rodeo.

     But, he was trying to coax her out of her shell. The more comfortable and less shy she was, the more he knew they would both enjoy it.

     “Please what?” He asked as he flicked his finger up. Nothing major would happen until she asked for it. But, he could tease her. Wear her down just a little to get what he wanted out of her.

     Calypso gasped and blushed right after doing so. Was he really going to make her beg? That hardly seemed fair. But, there wasn’t a thing she could do about it. “Robert, please,” she whined.

     “Please what?” He asked as he moved his finger down.

     “Please, just, oh Robert, touch me, please,” she mumbled. Her hips pushed up against him, trying to get the friction she so desperately wanted.

     Robert smirked before returning to his assault on her neck. She knew that before the night was over that he would have marked her whole neck. Was that such a bad thing? Anything to help her remember the events of the week.

     His hand paused once again, dragging up against her skin. She whined, afraid he was going to stop yet again. He just chuckled a little. His hand slipped under her panties, touching her where she most wanted him to.

     Robert didn’t need to comment on how wet she already was. They both knew she was soaked. Soaked just for him. God, if seeing her like this hadn’t properly turned him on, there was no going back now.

     Calypso gasped and rolled into his touch. Robert slipped a finger inside her with a sideways smirk planted on his face. She froze and let out a long, low moan. Robert pulled back enough to reclaim her lips. His finger gently fucked her, rubbing up against her walls, as his tongue invaded her mouth.

     He was hardly moving as fast or as hard as she wanted him to. “Oh, Robert,” she moaned again when he pulled away.

     “Yes, my dear?” For a second, she was afraid he was going to stop again. This time, he did the opposite, slipping in another finger. Her eyes flew open. She was so lost to his touch and her own desires that she hadn’t even realized she’d closed them.

     “Fuck,” she whimpered.

     “Is that a request?” Before Calypso could actually process what he had said to her, she was nodding.

     “Anything you ask for, my girl, anything for you at all.” He said with a grin. Calypso just blushed. His fingers pumped in and out of her for a few seconds more before retracting completely.

     This time, she didn’t whine. She just looked up at him with hungry eyes, taking him in as he undid her button and fly. She canted her hips up to help him pull her pants down and over has ass.

     This time felt different than last time, than last night. There was a look in his eyes that said he couldn’t wait. That this time wasn’t going to be as gentle. It all felt so much more different. She herself felt like she was on fire, burning for his touch. Calypso was hardly complaining, wanting to take anything and everything he gave her.

     She felt different as well, besides the burning she felt wherever he touched her. This need felt bigger, consuming her completely. Any sort of fear or anxiety she had felt last night was gone. Perhaps because she had now done this before. Though, she doubted that normal anxiety went away this quickly.

     Robert threw both her pants and underwear to the side haphazardly before undoing his own fly. She spread her legs a bit wider as she watched him removed his straining cock. God, she didn’t think she was ever going to get over how big he seemed. How big he felt.

     His movements were hardly the most graceful, but she couldn’t bring herself to care at the moment.

     Her legs wrapped around his waist as he guided himself inside her. His hands held her hips with a smile. He eased himself in and let out a low moan as he did so. Once all the way in, he paused for a second, allowing her to adjust to his size.

     There was something about him that filled her in a way nothing she had ever had before did. Her toys would never feel good again. She gasped, eyes closed as she rolled gently against him.

     “Robert, oh fuck, Robert, I, I need,” she whimpered. Her brain seemed to be short-circuiting as she looked up at him. She was unable to think of anything besides more, now, hard.

     “So tight around me babe, fuck, you’re like a god damn vice,” he groaned. He then began to move, small gentle thrusts at first. Nothing crazy, nothing that would initially hurt her. She arched her hips up to meet him.

     Already, she was right there, so close to the relief she ached for. She could feel it, and she knew he could feel it too. Yet, he was denying her, the bastard. Her hips began to move faster, trying to get what she wanted. He had a wicked glint in his eyes. Obviously, she wasn’t going to get what she wanted without begging.

     “Robert, oh Robert, please,” she begged. There was a smirk on his face, but he gave into her. His tempo picked up, slamming into her now. Harder, faster, and pushed into her just a bit deeper. Her eyes widened as he did so. Her hips stalled as they were no longer able to keep up with him.

     She moaned as she grasped the sheets for dear life. There was one final last thrust, one somehow deeper than the rest, before Robert was coming.

     He threw his head back and moaned her name. She felt him throbbing inside her, coming deep in her, and it threw her off her own cliff. It felt like she nearly blacked out as the pleasure overwhelmed her.

     “Bloody well woman,” he panted as the record finally came to a close, “I haven’t managed that in years.”

     Calypso just smiled, very much at a loss for words. Still too tired for words. He’d taken everything she had to give, and still somehow had demanded more from her. He slipped out of her, gathering her up in his arms. She kissed him gently before placing kisses all around his face.

     She laid there, against his chest, for just a few moments more. Robert had already fallen asleep, almost immediately passing out. Calypso struggled to keep away for just a bit more. She wanted to enjoy as much time with him as she could. As much time in his arms as she had.

[fancifulwritings]

The Song Remains The Same

Chapter Seven

     Robert took Calypso’s hand as they exited the record store. He insisted on holding all of her bags on top of his own. Something about being a gentleman, she hadn’t allowed for him to buy the record so this was the least he could do. Whatever he said exactly was lost on her, but it had made him chuckle. She never would have guessed he was an old-fashioned gentleman.

     There was something about him that made it painfully easy to get a cab. Perhaps the drivers recognized him. If they did, they would never say anything about it. Calypso, back home, never seemed to be able to get them until the very last moment. He would just walk them to the sidewalk and already would have one. It amazed her.

     The cab ride back to her hotel was quick. Honestly, they probably could have just walked it. Calypso’s feet were just beginning to hurt her, though. It was mostly to save the hassle of trying to get a different cab once she had her suitcase. Once again, she made him stay in the car, telling a similar lie about not wanting to lose this cab.

     In reality, she still didn’t want him to see how poor she was. He had taste of how poor she was. That was something she was certain about. But, he didn’t need to see the full extent. That wasn’t her only reason, though. She didn’t want him to see her already packed bag. That might seem too needy to him. Calypso felt like she was tittering on a steep ledge, one wrong step could lead her to losing it all.

     That anxiety had lessened as the day had gone on, obviously. It still sat there, at the very back of her mind. It was just loud enough to create a sense of unease in her.

     She checked out quickly, a bit excited when they said she would be refunded for part of her stay. That wasn’t something she had expected, at all. Not only would she get to continue her dream and stay with Robert, but she would be saving a bit. It was a double win for her.

     The ride back to his hotel was quick, if not quicker. His checkout was most definitely quicker than hers. His bag, it seemed, was already packed when they got back to his room. Initially, she had offered to stay in the cab, this time to so they truly wouldn’t lose it. He had insisted she come with him, that they wouldn’t need the cab. Why he had chosen to take cabs all around London rather than driving, she wasn’t sure.

     “The ride out is going to be a bit long, I hope that’s alright with you,” he explained as he walked them to his car.

     “How long do you think?”

     “Just under three hours, if everything works right.” To that, Calypso couldn’t help but chuckle.

     “I’ve done longer trips for less. I think I can make it.” She leaned up to kiss him as he opened the passenger door for her.

     The car ride, at first, was a bit quiet. She hardly wanted to complain about that. It was a comforting sort of silence, really. One that just showed how at ease she was with him, and hopefully him with her. It was rare to be around someone and not feel the innate need to talk. With Robert, she had managed to find just that.

     It wasn’t that she didn’t want to talk with him. God, there was a thousand and two things she could have gone on about. Calypso just didn’t need to. There was a difference. At least, she didn’t need to talk yet. For the moment, she the silence was welcomed so she could relax and appreciate his company.

     Silence didn’t last the whole time. Once they were out of the big city, and things appeared to be clearing out, Robert turned to face her for a second and grinned.

     “Freddie Spruell, huh? That’s fairly deep,” he commented. Calypso couldn’t believe out of everything, that’s what he was stuck on.

     “My mom loved him. God, she used to spin that single, a few others, all the time. It was the playlist to my childhood, him and a few others.” She chuckled a little, looking out the window as she talked. It was a bit of a sore spot to talk about. But, with him, she wanted to. Something was pushing her to.

     “Don’t ask me how she got into it, though. She never told me. Guess I’ll never know.”

     “Interesting way to get into the blues, through your mom. Makes sense.” Robert chuckled as he raised his eyebrows just a bit.

     “Yeah, I guess she did, in a way. She tried her best to really make me like them, at least. I didn’t get it until after she passed away,” she mumbled. Calypso paused for a second, taking a deep breath. “I guess it was just my way of trying to get back in touch with her. Grasp at what I could, I guess. That’s when I really fell in love with them.”

     Robert just nodded to that, never showing any sign he wanted to talk. It went unsaid that he knew that sort of pain, that kind of loss and heartache. It was her chance to get it off her chest. Robert recognized that and was giving her the space.

     Calypso had no doubt Robert was much more familiar with that need to talk than she was. How much shit had he locked away all through the years? He had to know it better than she could ever imagine.

     “I don’t think I’ve ever sought out that sort of thing. Something to push me back into the past, my past, and make that connection,” he said. He had let the silence hang in the air for a moment to make sure she was done speaking. “I don’t know if I’d ever want to,” he said softly. Calypso turned her head to look at him, hoping he might say more.

     Anyone that had ever listened to him in any interview knew he avoided talking about his past. Calypso had always seen him as a man moving forward, looking for the next best thing. She never considered he did it because he feared his past. For him to even slightly open up was considered a miracle.

     Over the past day, he had opened up so much to her. At least, that’s how it seemed to be. Why? She wasn’t really sure of that answer. Perhaps it was because she was fleeting, only here for a short moment in his life. What damage could he do by sharing his story with her? No one would believe a word if she tried to sell it. Maybe it was because this was what he did, back in the day. Open up to groupies and any girl he could get the ear of. Get the support he clearly desired and yet lacked.

     Perhaps it was a mixture of those two reasons, one equating to the other. Or, perhaps it was a third, unknown and unseen, option. Any way it went, Calypso wasn’t sure why he’d picked her. That hardly mattered in the end. The more he talked to her, the happier she was. Robert seemed a bit happier as well, a bit lighter and younger, as he went.

     For a moment, it didn’t seem like he was going to open up more. At least, not unprompted. “It was hard for me when she passed. I wasn’t even thirteen yet, stuff like that wasn’t supposed to happen, at least not for a long time,” she continued on. “I just wanted something that reminded me of her, of the comfort and love she could give. Something that related to that loss too, though.”

     Robert turned his head just a touch. It was enough for her to know that he was listening, that he cared. But, he had to keep his eyes on the road for the moment. “I went the opposite direction. I ran from my past, I ran from Zeppelin and anyone that touched it. We all did, at the time. Too much pain to try and reopen, to try and continue it,” he said after a moment. She nodded, hoping to press more out of him, to get it all. “Zeppelin is my past, that’s why it stays there.”

     Silence once again returned. This time, it felt just a touch different. It wasn’t the silence of content and happiness. It was one of thought.

“Once I was ready to touch it, once I worked myself back to it, the world felt too different. Things had changed too much from the times of my youth. I wasn’t a young man anymore,” he laughed a bit. It sounded forced, but Calypso said nothing.

“Jimmy was still the same. He’s never changed but physically. He’s always been the same man; underneath everything he’s always been the same.” Robert once again chuckled. “That might be the biggest turn away now. Nothing seems to ever affect him, ever change him.”

Calypso didn’t say anything for the moment, opting to just nod. Robert had changed. His old friend hadn’t and that was the problem. Life had changed Robert and it seemed like he had finally come to accept that. Jimmy didn’t have that same life. Didn’t have that same turn over. That could easily create some tension.

There was something else there, right beneath the surface. She could sense it. He had it written all over his face and she was reading him like a book. And Calypso wanted to know, wanted the details and the why explained to her. She wanted to get under there and pull it right out.

Doing that so obviously wouldn’t get her the right result. She knew that it wouldn’t get her anywhere near where she wanted. For the moment, it seemed the key to opening him up was doing so slowly and relating her own past to him. Perhaps, just perhaps, he wanted to hear her own troubles as well. Know that he wasn’t alone in the world.

“I ran from my Dad, the one person who was my direct link back to her. I didn’t do it literally, but emotionally I did. I didn’t want to get anywhere near him,” she mumbled. She had paused to look at him, and then back out the window again. This was something she had never told anyone else. Barely even thought about it herself. Maybe she wasn’t doing the digging. Maybe it was him.

“He was the one person that I could have turned to so I could get close to my mom, you know? He was the one person that knew her best. The one person who could have gone through it together. And I just couldn’t do it.”

“And why’s that darling?” Robert asked, voice soft and tender as he glanced at her for just a moment. Now it was him searching for those details and answers.

“He hit the bottle, hard. I haven’t seen him sober since,” she answered back after a brief moment. “God, I half expect him to be dead when I get back. Surprised he isn’t. It seems like he’s always just one drink away from it. And there’s nothing I can do to stop him, it seems.” She sighed softly as she tried to hold herself together. There was no way she wanted to cry in front of him. It would make things too much for her.

“I look too much like her, remind him too much. I’m always just too much.”

There was a silence that once again hung around them in the air. It wasn’t comfortable for either of them. They were both thinking over what they had said, what they’d like to say, and what they might say. It was a game of emotional chess. Calypso knew that. Robert likely did as well.

“I always blamed myself,” he mumbled after a moment. It seemed to just emerge from him, erupting like a bubble. There was a surprise to his face. Calypso welcomed the reprieve from her own past. Diving into his past seemed a safe place to go for the moment.

The surprise he had didn’t mean he was going to stop. It was already out there, in the air. What would the point be now?

“He was there when I needed someone, when I needed him the most, when Karac passed,” he paused for a moment. Two deaths, so close with two people who he held so important to himself. Calypso ached for the pain Robert had felt in his life. Sometimes, things just never seemed right or fair.

“And I, I wasn’t there when he needed someone, needed me, the most. I should have known. I should have said something. We were all too much,” he continued on.

Robert didn’t need to explain anything past that. Calypso had read about the excess that Zeppelin had thrived on. Some of it, she assumed, had been untrue. Just a fabrication to make things look much work, to make the band look evil and unhuman. But, there was likely a side no one talked about. A side kept hidden from those outside the bubble.

Without a thought, she reached over and touched his hand on the wheel, eventually taking it into her own. “We never could know,” she mumbled.

What she said went without further explanation. They both knew in their hearts what she meant. Calypso couldn’t blame herself if her father did end up drinking herself to death, couldn’t blame herself for his life and its turn. Just as Robert couldn’t blame himself for Bonham’s life and his tragic death.

Both of those people, their loved ones, had their own issues to be dealt with. Issues that neither Robert nor Calypso could fix. At the end of the day, they were both human and could only handle so much. They couldn’t save everyone.

“Thank you,” he whispered after a moment. There was a sad smile on his face.

Talking about his old friend had to be hard. There was no doubt about that. Calypso knew that talking about her mom was, and she almost never did it in specifics. To be hounded day in and day out about it? She would have lost her mind years ago. For Robert to not only survive that, and so much more, and thrive after was just a testament to his strength. It showed what kind of person, what kind of man, he was.

The next few minutes passed in silence. It was something they both needed. They were lost in their own thoughts, regaining their footing from that conversation. What were they supposed to do after all that, anyways? Neither seemed to want to continue walking that path. Any further down and things might just end horrible. They had made their own peace with it, for the moment.

“What were your original plans for London?” Robert asked after a moment. “I’m sure I’ve gone and moved everything around, messed things up completely,” he chuckled.

And just like that, the air lightened. Things felt a bit better. A weird weight was off both of their chests now. It was freeing, talking about stuff like that. Especially when it was with someone that they somehow had come to truly feel comfortable with.

They talked for the rest of the ride. There were the natural lulls, where things would fall quiet. Once again, it was never uncomfortable. She was thankful for that. He seemed okay with it as well, a smile plastered on his face most of the time. It was good. His hand never left hers, and she felt at peace for the moment.

By the time they arrived at his house, Calypso had noticed that the sun was just starting to set. She’d been too engrossed in him to notice before.

[fancifulwritings]

The Song Remains The Same

Chapter Six

     Her sleep, just like she had assumed, was dreamless. Calypso woke with a bit of a start, eyes flying open. Someone was touching her. And fuck, did it feel amazing. For a second, she wasn’t sure she was really awake. Perhaps it was just one of those dreams, those painfully vivid ones. The feeling of someone between her legs had her gasping softly. She looked down and saw the familiar blonde curls and just smirked.

     At first, it only seemed to add to the idea that this was a dream. A rather vivid and specific dream, but a dream nonetheless. It wasn’t until she felt a finger gently push into her that she moaned, realizing that it was very real.

     The events of the night before flashed quickly through her mind. How could she forget them? At the moment, though, Calypso didn’t have time to focus on them. Robert’s tongue was quite the distraction, tracing shapes around her clit. She moaned softly again, grasping at the curls. Her legs spread a bit more before coming to rest on his shoulders.

     She tugged a bit on his hair, forcing him closer as her hips rolled against him. In her half-asleep state, she didn’t have time to worry if she was being too needy. She just wanted. In response, Robert just hummed a little. It didn’t take her too long to finally feel the wave. This orgasm was much less intense than the others. She just moved slowly into it, riding the waves until she felt it was over.

     Just because it was less intense didn’t mean she didn’t enjoy herself. It was the perfect wake up call, really. Anything as intense as the night before so early would have wiped her for the day. Robert kissed his way back up her body, smirking as he did so.

     “Good morning my dear, I hope you didn’t mind,” he said as he propped himself up next to her. There was almost a youthful glow to his face and Calypso found herself mystified for a moment.

     “No, never,” she finally said with a chuckle before leaning up to kiss him. “What time is it?” She asked, rubbing the last of the sleep from her eyes.

     “Right around eight.”

     “And why are you up so early?”

     “Sleeping in gets harder the older you get,” he chuckled. “I might still be on the 70s rock star schedule, but my body says I’m a grandfather who needs to water the garden.”

     She laughed as well, turning to face him as she propped herself up on her elbow. “I suppose this is where we part ways, no?” Robert just chuckled.

     It saddened her, to think that this was all over. She was likely to never see him again. As much as she already treasured the short time together, she didn’t want it to end. She never wanted to leave the bed. Being so close to him? It was somehow grounding for Calypso. Part of her soul finally felt at peace, a part that hadn’t felt that for a very long time.

     “Only if you’ve got important places or people to see. I did promise you the 70s experience, didn’t I?” He said, one eyebrow tilting up. Calypso, in response, only cocked her head.  

     What else was there to the ‘true’ 70s experience? Had that not been what she experienced last night? And then again just now? The only thing she could think of was drugs. That couldn’t be something he was still into now, though. Surely he thought himself too old for such actions.

     “I can’t give you the most authentic, which would have been having you as one of my road girls.” Robert spoke as he pushed some hair out of her face. “Heaven knows you would have been one,” he said with a smile, “naturally, that is assuming you wouldn’t have mind minded.”

     How could she had minded? Her heart fluttered at the thought of more time spent with him, even if it was only in a fictional past. The way he talked suggested that they might just have a bit more time together.

     Before having met him, Robert had already stolen her heart. People said to never meet your heroes. They would only end up hurting you in the end. They could never live up to the person you created in your head. But Robert had. He had managed to live up to every expectation she had created so far, and perhaps even more.

     “And while I unfortunately can’t give you that experience, I can offer you a day of it, at the least. Perhaps the rest of your stay, if you’re here for long. If you so wouldn’t mind.”

     Calypso couldn’t help how wide her eyes grew. He was offering not just a few more hours with her, trapped in a hotel room, but a whole week. At least, that’s what the sounds of it was. As much as she wanted to, she knew she couldn’t take the full offer. Not right away, at least.

     There was still a nagging part of her brain, at the very back, that she couldn’t push away. He would get sick of her, it said. Having an adoring fan around constantly would easily get annoying. As much as she wanted to say yes, she couldn’t put herself in that position. They’d be trapped together. Or, he’d just throw her out. It was a big offer for someone that had literally just met her. That part of her brain wanted to point out that he was only human as well.

     “I’ll take the offer of only a day, for now,” she said, her voice small as she leaned over to kiss him. A flash of disappointment ran across Robert’s face. The last thing she wanted to do was insult or hurt him. If she did that, then she wouldn’t even get her day. This memory was something she wanted to preserve as something good.

     “If after today you still want me around for the rest of the week, I’ll happily spend the it with you.” Robert chuckled a bit at that, the hurt slowly easing from his face.

     “I hardly doubt you’ll be able to weasel your way out of it.” He paused to kiss her forehead. “Only thing you could do is tell me that Jim’s actually your favorite.”

     “Competitive still, after all these years?” She shook her head. “Humor me, though. He nodded before he pressed another kiss to her forehead.

     “For you, I will.” Robert shifted a little on the bed so that he was sitting on the edge. “Come, let’s get dressed. There’s got to be some things you’d like to get from your hotel room as well, yeah?”

     She hurried to get dressed back into the outfit from the night before, now regretting how short her shorts were. The only difference now was that she was without underwear. There was no way in hell she would be putting those things back on. Robert just smirked as he watched her stuff her panties into her back pocket. From there, he called a car and they were off.

     This car trip was vastly different from the last two they had taken together. It was much shorter, to begin with. Her hotel was just around the corner from his, though hers was much cheaper. When they arrived, she demanded that he stay in the car. She spun some little white lie about not wanting to lose the car.

     In reality, Calypso was ashamed of where she was staying. Surely, just from the outside front of the hotel, he would be able to tell how cheap it was. The inside, though, truly gave away her price range. It had been the only one she could afford for the week she wanted to stay. Her fear was that it might drive him away. Nothing had been able to yet, but that fear was still there, at the back of her mind, digging itself a bit deeper.

     Gathering everything up into her single suitcase wasn’t hard. There wasn’t much in her hotel room, both from her and the hotel itself. This was done more as a precaution. If he still wanted her around, she wanted to be ready. The quicker she could get in and out, the better. If not, he would never know she had done it.

     From there, she changed into a simple sweatshirt and blue jeans. She’d been able to ignore the bitter cold the night before for the sake of the event. Today wasn’t like yesterday, though. Hopefully he wouldn’t think her too ugly now.

     She slipped back into the car, gone for barely half an hour. Her bag lay left in her room, right by the door. It was her way of getting hopeful. All she wanted was to spend time with Robert. Now that she had been granted a view into his world, he life, she wanted to drink it all in and stay as long as she could. Stay as long as she was permitted.

     Soon after, they abandoned the car. Everything Robert wished to show her would be easier to reach on foot. For the most part, he managed to steer them away from the tourist traps.

     For the most part, the tourist traps had been Calypso’s plan for day. She’d been hoping to at least get a chance to see a few of them. In her mind, when she planned this trip, it would be her only time to get to London, and probably England. What he wanted to do too precedence now.

     London would always be here, unless something went horrifically wrong. Hopefully, one day, she would be able to come back and afford a bit more than what she had now. Robert, on the other hand, offered the true once in a lifetime trip. This his birthplace. This was his home country. It was only natural that he would know best where to go and what to show her.

     The little places that seemed to be no more than holes in the wall was where he brought her. They were truly amazing. She couldn’t afford most of what they looked at. Thankfully, when they stopped for food or a drink, he paid without a second thought. These were places and restaurants that she never would have been able to find on her own.

     The best part of it, perhaps, was the stories he shared at each place. Every story didn’t have a definitive time; he never gave dates. It was like a tour of his past, of his history. There seemed to be no specific order. Some of the stories were more detailed than others. But, to watch him happily relieve bits and pieces of his past was something Calypso would have been all her money for.

     There was one shop that Robert stopped at for a moment that confused her. It seemed much too new for it to follow all the others. The clothing in the window was stunning, though. There was on dress in particular that truly caught her attention. It was made out of some soft-looking white fabric, with a floral pattern bathed in light blues and pinks.

     Robert noticed her stare, having looked at her more than the storefront. “Let’s go in,” he said as he squeezed her hand. She froze a little bit, looking up at him. There was no way she could actually go into this place. All the others she would weasel her way into without guilt because he was talking. Now he wasn’t. There was no need to buy something before. Now, it felt a bit different.

     “I don’t really have the budget for this,” she mumbled. She looked away from him, ashamed to mention anything related to money.

     “Doesn’t matter. That’s hardly the way to think anyways,” he chuckled. He pulled her into the store without another chance to refuse.

     At first, he headed toward the men’s section. That eased her anxiety just a bit. Perhaps he had meant that he was the one looking for something. She let out a sigh of relief. That relief, unfortunately, didn’t last too long as he turned toward the women’s section.

     There was no way she could convince herself now that this was only for him. He had hardly looked at anything, let alone picked anything up in the other section. He seemed to be walking straight toward the dresses. They all looked something straight from the 70s and she yearned to be able to afford just one.

     There was no way she ever could afford thinking about owning one, though. She spotted a tag on one of the men’s shirts and it had been nearly all her spending money for the week. The dresses, she assumed, could only be much more.

     “Pick out a few and try them on for me,” he said with a sideways grin. Once again, she just froze.

     “Robert, I really, I don’t have that kind of money,” she mumbled as she looked down. Robert just shook his head and made a soft tutting sound before guiding her face up with a finger under her chin.

     “That hardly matters. It’s on me, babe. Today’s all on me,” he said as he nudged her toward the rack. “Now, go. I’ll be waiting by the dressing room.”

     For a second, Calypso thought that this was perhaps a cover for a quick fuck. But, he wasn’t that young anymore. Getting caught would ruin his life much more now than before. That, and he sounded stuck on the idea of her getting something. She let out a sigh as she moved to the racks.

     It only took her a few minutes to glance over everything. She picked up a few dresses, including the one from the window. It was the most expensive one, so she doubted she would be getting it. But, something told her that Robert would be disappointed if she didn’t at least try it on.

     She went on trying them on, coming out of the dressing room to show him what each looked like. It hit her then that he really was willing to spend an insane amount of money on her. This wasn’t some sly attempt at sex. Robert didn’t even attempt to get in the dressing room.

When it came to that dress, the one from the window, he couldn’t help himself though. His hands were all over her the second she walked out in it. He pulled her close. “You look lovely in this. At least allow me the pleasure to buy you it?”

Even to herself, Calypso had to admit that it did look the best. It fit her perfectly, a beautiful mixture of tight and flowy. The white color, and the pastel blues and pinks, played off her tanned skin. Robert had a certain look in his eyes that she didn’t dare defy. Calypso knew she would have to allow him to get it for her.

Check out was a bit uncomfortable for her, to say the least. The man behind the counter looked between then with this odd, almost knowing look. She couldn’t bring herself to look at him at all, let alone in the eye. Robert, on the other hand, just smirked and pulled her a bit tighter. Something told her he was used to those sort of looks.

“Come this way, I’ve got a place that I think you’re gonna love,” he said as he pulled her down some side alley. She wasn’t too sure she liked the sounds of that. That was, until they stopped at some hole in the wall record store. Her eyes grew to about twice their normal size and he grinned.

“I’m already in love,” she said with a smile as they walked in. The looks of the place gave its age away. Not that she minded. If she hadn’t figured it out from the store itself, there was a certain grace Robert now had in his steps that would have given it away.

Calypso could almost imagine him here as a young man, all those years ago. Filled with hope for the world and without the weight of life he held now. A young man who had just started in an unknown band that would soon be the talks of the world for decades to come.

The idea played beautiful in her head, a young Robert prancing around the store trying to find whatever record he needed in the moment. She was ripped from her daydream as he pulled her toward the blues section. His grip on her hand loosened just a bit. “You can go look elsewhere, if you want. Leave an old man to his fun. Just, no Zeppelin,” he teased with a smile.

“I wouldn’t judge so fast,” she teased with a smile. “I was planning on going digging tomorrow. Today works just as well. There’s a single that I’ve been searching for forever. I bet if I’m ever gonna find it, it’s gonna be right here.”

There was a bit of surprise on his face as his lips tugged into a smile. “Well, then show me up girl,” he said.

Calypso just rolled her eyes as she laughed before digging right into an old thing of 45s. There was a ton of stuff that she would have loved to grab. Her collection, at the moment, was pretty small. Nothing she had was super hard to find, or super expensive.

The only thing really keeping her from grabbing everything was that she had to get it home. Not a whole lot would fit in her luggage, especially records. At the beginning of the trip, she had promised herself one thing. If she found the one specific single, it was all that she would get. Anything else just wouldn’t do.

Just as she was about to give up on looking for it, she found it hidden stuck behind another. It didn’t look the best, clearly having seen better days. But, to her, the old copy of “Milk Cow Blues” was beautiful. God, she had grown up on that song. She grinned from ear to ear as she pulled it out.

“Now, how does someone like you get into someone like that?” He asked as he turned to look at her.

“My mom used to play it all the time when I was little. I lost the copy years ago and I’ve been searching ever since.”

He gathered up the few records and things he had picked up for himself. “Well, let me be the one to reunite you with it. Perhaps show you some more stuff, of his and a few others I’d bargain you like, back at my country house,” he said. His hand was extended to take the 45 from her.

This wasn’t one thing she was going to let up on. She intended to stand her ground. “If that’s an invitation, then yes. But, on one condition.”

“Lay it on me babe.”

“You let me buy this on my own.” She had a wild look in her eye, one that said he better not push this. Robert couldn’t help but chuckle after she spoke.

“You drive a hard bargain, but I accept.”

[fancifulwritings]

The Song Remains The Same

Chapter Five

     Once in the limo, Calypso knew the game was up. Robert wasted no time in pulling her into his lap. It was obvious that he had one thing on his mind. If his actions didn’t say it, his manhood pressed up against her certainly did. Not that she was complaining. God, she would never complain about the feelings she had now. Her own excitement was building as she rolled slightly against his lap, already knowing she was wet.

     His hands gripped her hips tight and held her against him. Moving from Robert wasn’t an option, even if she wanted it to be. The kisses from him began slow and sweet. Something to just ease her own tension a little bit. Robert could feel it, right under her skin. The nervousness and anxiety, and he clearly intended to wash it away. She returned them the best she could, giving him control without even a flicker of a fight.

     It didn’t take long for Robert’s kisses to trail down her neck. She gasped, leaning her head back just enough to give him room. The soft touch of his lips was beautifully contrasted by his rough texture of his facial hair.

     If she felt like this now, Calypso couldn’t even imagine what she might feel like later. Her stomach was doing flips. Her mind was racing. This was real, she had to keep reminding herself of that. This was real and actually happening to her.

     “You’re simply stunning, my dear,” he mumbled. One hand left her hips to make its way up her torso, stopping to gently cup her breast. That sent a shiver through her. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to keep my hands off you tonight,” he said with a grin.

     “I don’t want you to,” she said, pressing her lips against his. Calypso was doing her best to remain calm. On the inside, though, she was positively melting. This was something she had dreamed about for years. To have him all over her? It was such an odd confidence booster.

     It really turned back to him building her up and yet making her anxious as well. Things were too late now to turn back. If Robert did learn how inexperienced she was… Would he care? She still felt a bit shy, too shy and unsure to mention it now. Perhaps she might never, until after the deed was done.

     Robert pulled away after a second, removing some of her hair from her face. “Truly stunning, I’m amazed you didn’t already have a man on your arm,” he said before returning to her neck.

     “You’re the stunning one,” she mumbled before leaning to press her lips against his. A direct move, but she wanted to truly silence him for now. The compliments were just too much for her to handle. Calypso didn’t want to talk about herself. That would surely draw her out of the moment. Draw her back into her own insecurities.

     To that, Robert just grinned into the kiss. It didn’t take him long to reclaim control of the situation. She gave it up without a question. His right hand slipped up her back, eventually grabbing a fist full of her hair and guiding her head where he wanted her, all while taking her lower lip between his teeth.

     She could only respond by allowing him to, a soft sigh leaving her lips as her hips twitched forward again, toward him just a bit.

     Before Calypso was given a chance to do anything else, or even attempt to, the car came to an abrupt stop. Thankfully, this time, she wasn’t sent flying to the floor. His solid grip on her prevented that. “I do believe this is where we get off, my dear,” he said with a grin and a wink. She moved quickly off his lap, wanting to get to his room sooner rather than later.

     Calypso felt Robert’s hand slip to the small of her back once they were out. He continued to move it down, resting it dangerously close to her ass. Any complaint was hardly ready to leave her mouth, though. Any sort of physical contact was welcomed by her. They moved quickly through the hotel, practically rushing into the elevator once it opened.

     Once again in a semi-private space, Robert pressed up against her. She felt her back hit the cold elevator wall through her shirt. That was all forgotten when he kissed her. It was a contrast to what had happened in the car. One hand rested on her hip while the other gently cupped her cheek. His kisses, though, were anything but gentle.

     Without a doubt, he controlled this. That much was painfully obvious. It always had been. He opened her mouth with his, quickly tangling their tongues together. Calypso really did try her best to keep up, but she felt as if she always lagged a bit behind. Robert either hadn’t noticed or didn’t care. There was something more pressing than before. They were so close to what they both wanted. So close to where he wanted to get to. Sex was the only thing on either of their minds.

     His kisses trailed down her neck one more time, nipping before pulling away. “I’m not a young man anymore,” he said gently before taking her ear lobe between his teeth. Calypso gasped, feeling heat pool between her legs. “But old men do it better anyways, as long as this is something you want,” he said.

     There was something about what he said that touched Calypso. Robert was asking her if this was okay. He wasn’t demanding it; he wasn’t just assuming. God knew that her reactions and actions alone should have said yes. “Of course,” she whispered after a moment. He smirked, the elevator door dinging open almost on cue.

     Before she could really process anything, his hand was on hers and he was running. Well, not quite running, just a step below it as most. The only thing Calypso could think of as they rushed through the hall was that he looked just like a small child in a candy store.

     There was an audible slam from the door as Robert shut it behind them. Calypso hardly had time to pay attention to it. Within seconds, she was being pressed up against the door. He was insatiable and God did she love it.

     His lips stayed on hers for a few moments before moving back to her neck yet again. There, he nipped and sucked, clearly working to create hickeys. There was something so reminiscent of being a teenager about it. He was marking her, showing everyone that might have seen them together that she had been his. It might not be permanent, but he wanted to lay his claim.

     Her head rolled back and she moaned softly. The press of him against her left absolutely nothing to the imagination. His cock was pressed firmly against her, straining against the denim. Already, she wondered how she might actually take him all.      

     Robert had a wicked grin on his face as he pulled back for just a moment. “So pretty, my god,” he said gently. His hand trailed down her body, gently cupping her breast. “If I was just ten years younger, I would take you right here, against this door,” he mumbled.

     Calypso, in response, could only feel her face grow red and hot. It sent a shiver up her spine, the idea of him fucking her. It fully hit that they were past the point of return. Not that she would want to return. Her wildest dreams were coming true.

     Robert had his own thoughts, realizing how inexperienced she was right then. Sure, there had been more than enough hints along the way. But now he knew, for certain. He knew things had to be taken slow, to make sure she truly enjoyed herself and didn’t end up hurt. Slow worked best for him now, anyways. A grin crossed his face as he leaned back to her neck and lips, hands moving down to grab her ass.

     Only a few more moments passed until he pulled away again. Calypso’s hand, in his hair, was gently removed. “Will you strip for me love? I wanna see all of you,” he said. Before she had a moment to react, he took her hand and lead her to the bed.

     Something besides arousal filled her for just a moment. Her heart began to race as she felt panic set in. Calypso’s mind was screaming, reminding her that she has no idea what she’s doing. No idea what she should be doing. It felt too late to tell Robert now. The idea of losing him would be too much. There’s a need in her that no one besides Robert could satisfy.

     Instead of saying anything, she just nodded. She’s afraid that her voice will give away her nerves. Her hands found the bottom of her t-shirt, never more thankful that they weren’t shaking.

     Calypso slipped the t-shirt up over her head, revealing her torso. There hadn’t been any bras she really wanted to wear. Besides, who wore a bra to a Zeppelin concert? At the time, it had seemed so unnecessary at the time. Now, she wished she had that one more layer to take off for him.

     Robert’s eyes grew just a tad wider at the sight of her topless. A giggle escaped her mouth. There was something funny about his slight surprise to some tits. He had to have seen at least a couple pairs before this, if not more.

     His hand came up, motioning for her to step closer to him. She did, swallowing loudly. Without missing a beat, he placed his hands on her hips and began to kiss her chest.

     Her head tipped back, punctuated breathes leaving her mouth with every kiss. When she felt his mouth around her nipple, she couldn’t help but lowly moan. It was a sudden wet heat swirling around her bud. His other hand gently played with the other as he flicked his tongue. Eventually, he gave the same treatment to the other as well.

     “Why don’t you take this off too, babe? Let me really see all of you,” he said while eyeing her up and down. He pawed at her shorts, a smirk painted across her face.

     She took a step back, not wanting to go too far now. Her hands went to her fly and button, quickly undoing them. She began the shimmy it took to get her shorts off. When they were about halfway down her thighs, she turned around and slipped them off, stepping out of them.

     The only thing left to remove now were her panties. She grinned, grabbing the band and slowly pushing them off, bending over to give him a few view of her ass as she did.

     When she turned around, she noticed his missing shirt and his pants already unbuttoned. “Make me put on a show for you, but you won’t let me watch,” she teased. He looked her up and down. There was something so… animalistic in his eyes. She felt her juices really begin to flow, threatening to run down her thighs.

     “Now, there’s no need to be cross. I doubt you needed the show anyways,” he said as he reached out to her. His hand went right between her legs, gently rubbing her clit and opening. “You’re wet enough as it is,” he teased. A jolt went through her body, legs spreading for him.

     “Come, lay down darling,” he whispered. His eyes never left her body as he rolled from the bed to stand up. Calypso laid down, moving up the bed just a little. Never before had she felt so unsure of what was going to happen while knowing exactly what he planned to do. Without a word, he grabbed her legs and pulled her to the edge of the bed.

     He kneeled between her now spread thighs, smirking. “Is this alright love? You can tell me no at any point,” he said softly. He looked up with her and she just nodded. Her words had left her. There was something about the sight of him between her legs that just left her speechless.

     The first kiss to her thigh had her head rolling back and arms giving out. There was no way she could prop herself up. His beard tickled, almost burned, as he continued to kiss up her thigh. He took his time, the brush of his lips sending shivers up and down her body. If there hadn’t been an unstoppable desire before, there certainly was one now.

     She felt his tongue lap at her, finally touching where she needed and wanted it most. A moan left her mouth and she couldn’t help but blush. It was too loud. Her hand flew to cover the mouth, hoping to silence herself just a bit. He stopped, pulling away and chuckling.

     “Let me hear you, babe, I want to hear how much you’re enjoying this. Let me know what I’m doing right,” he said. She nodded a little, hand returning to the bed.

     From there, Calypso couldn’t bring herself to care how loud she was. It was a barrage of sensations. He would expertly switch between lapping at her folds to flicking his tongue over his clit.

     At some point she noticed her hand knotting his hair, holding him there and even pressing him closer to her sex. She needed him and didn’t want to lose this. Everything he did was only made better by the slightly rough feeling of his facial hair. If she could have thought, she would have known that was going to leave some sort of burn for tomorrow.

     It wasn’t until Robert pushed a finger in gently, and then a second, that she knew things were over for her. Calypso was being pushed to the edge. If she didn’t cum soon, she never would. She was totally lost to the world. So close to the edge and yet still held back from it. His fingers fucked her slowly for a moment, eventually picking up speed as he went. It was all she needed.

     “Robert, oh fuck, Robert, I’m gonna, gonna,” she moaned. The grip on his hair threatened to rip some out if he moved the wrong way. He just hummed, never letting up on any of his movements.

     She came hard, toes curled as she moaned. He happily lapped up whatever he could.

     Once back on planet Earth, and feeling returned to her, she just laid there limply on the bed. Nothing had ever come close to feeling like that before. Robert made short work of his pants, leaving them on the floor as she stood so he could lay on the bed. “Enjoy yourself? We haven’t even made it to the big finish,” he grinned.

     He took her in his arms and just held her there for a moment, feeling her racing heart. When Calypso opened her eyes again, she noticed that Robert had moved up them up the bed.

     Her only response was to smile and kiss him gently. If this was only half of what she would feel again, she wasn’t sure she would make it.

     “Now, if you wouldn’t mind…” he said as he motioned down to himself.

     Calypso looked down his body, finally seeing his cock. Her mouth just fell open. Legends really were true, it seemed. Perhaps they hadn’t really done anything justice. Nothing really could have prepared her for this. Seeing his manhood sent a shiver up her spine and renewed any energy she may have lost.

     “Of course,” she said. She rolled onto her back, expecting him to move on top of her.

     “No, no, babe, c’mere,” he said. Robert wrapped his arms around her, rolling so that he was on his back. She sat on top of him, just below his erection.

     Once again, she only seemed capable of blushing as she looked down at him. He couldn’t be serious. As much as she didn’t want to tell him, she knew she had to now.

     “I, Robert, I really… Cant. I’ve never, well, you know,” she said as she motioned to them.

     “Oh, but you knew well enough when you were going to finish,” he teased her.

     “I’ve masturbated before,” she mumbled as she looked away.

     “I figured as much, darling. There’s no need to feel any sort of way about it,” he said. His finger went under her chin as he captured her lips. “You trust me, yeah?” She nodded.

     “I promise it’ll be better this way. You can control it. Go as slow, or as fast, as you need,” he explained. “Just like masturbating.” His hands went to her hips to help guide her. She raised herself up a bit, taking him in her hand to guide him to her entrance.

     Slowly, she lowered herself onto him, occasionally moving back up for just a moment. It reached a point where she didn’t think she could take anymore of him. God, he was already so deep, deeper than anything she had managed on her own. There was a twinge of pain, but pleasure overwhelmed her.

     “Are you okay darling?” He asked, sounding a bit breathless and strained. “It doesn’t hurt too much, yeah?” He kissed at her face and neck.

     “It’s fine,” she answered after shaking her head. She let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. Robert nodded before reaching in between her legs to rub her clit. She gasped, quickly sinking down the rest of the way.

     It was all too much at once. It amazed her to realize that she somehow had managed to take all of him. He filled her completely and reached places she didn’t know she had. Robert moaned, leaning back on his arms just a bit more. For a few moments, she just sat there, adjusting to his size and the feeling.

     She moved her hips eventually, just the tiniest bit, experimenting with what might feel good. Fuck, now she understood the whole point of this now. That one little movement turned the slow burning fire inside of her into a raging inferno.

     If she could control things, Robert was right, she would enjoy it more. There was a twinge of pain as she began to move more, a bit faster. That was to be expected, she wasn’t used to taking anything quite as big as him.

     Her hands were firmly planted on his thighs as she leaned back on them. Any real pain seemed to be erased by his fingers between her legs.

     “God, babe, you feel so good. Right there, can you feel it too?” He asked gently. His fingers never moved away from her clit, gently stroking it, picking up speed as she did.

     It was all so much. She originally hadn’t thought she would be able to cum again, especially not with the anxiety she had felt about all of this. Instead, it seemed to be quickly driving her back to the same edge, if not one with an even bigger fall. She could only hope he felt the same. The way his head was thrown back and he was moaning suggested he was.

     “Robert, oh fuck, I think, I think I’m gonna… again,” she moaned.

     “Let go, Calypso babe, let go,” he moaned. He grabbed her hip with his free hand and pulled her closer to him. Somehow, he sank just a bit deeper into her and that was it. It was all she needed to be shoved off that glorious edge. Her hips stuttered, unable to stop moving as she sought more as she came.

     Robert felt her walls tightened around him and that was the end for him. He’d been close before, doing his best to hold out for her. With a barrage of babes and darlings, he came deep inside of her.

     Once they both managed to return to planet Earth, Robert nudged her gently. “Let’s go get cleaned up, luv. A bath will feel nice,” he said. Calypso didn’t want to move. Didn’t want to leave the collapsed heap she was on his lap. The very idea of moving had her groaning. “It’ll be good. Go, I’ll join you in a moment.”

     When she stood, her head spun just a little bit. She felt fuzzy and her legs felt weak, but she managed to make it to the bathroom. Her first course of action, which she was sure was what Robert was referring to, was going to the bathroom. Once the toilet flushed, there was knock on the door.

     “Come in,” she giggled a bit. He opened the door, with two plush towels and two robes. Robert placed them on the side of the tub as he began to run the hot water.

     “Did you enjoy yourself?” He asked softly, motioning for her to sit next to him. Calypso did, without question. Any sort of close proximity would be nice. Right now, all she wanted to do was cuddle. Robert took a brush to her hair. It was soft and gently. God, she was melting into him. This couldn’t end well for her.

     “A perfect ending to a perfect night,” she explained with a grin. He chuckled a little, leaning to kiss the back of her head.

     “I’m glad to hear I’ve still got it,” he chuckled. They sat there, just looking at each other. Calypso still couldn’t believe her luck. The events of just a few minutes ago had happened. If the dull ache between her legs hadn’t been present, she would have thought this was all an elaborate dream.

     Once the water was warm enough, Robert eased himself into the tub. He sat there for a minute, eyes closed before speaking. “Come, join me darling. It’ll feel good,” he said, holding out his arms to help her in.

     She blushed just a little bit. The sight in front of her was opposite everything she had ever dreamed of. Not only had she lost her virginity to him, he was now offering to care for her. She’d half expected to be asked to leave.  Everything felt like a dream, like something otherworldly had allowed for this to happen.

     “I think you’ve already made me feel good enough,” she teased before slipping into the tub. Initially, Calypso moved so that she would be sitting opposite him. Robert, it seemed, had other ideas as he held her firm in his arms so she rested between his legs. There was just something that clicked when he did this.

     After few moments passed, he grabbed the soap to gently wash her. It was pleasing. His fingers felt so nice, gently rubbing any muscle that felt the slightest bit sore. Calypso wanted to return the favor, but wasn’t sure how to do that from this position.

     Between the warm waters and his gentle movements, she began to feel herself drifting to sleep. All of her energy had been spent. As much as she tried to fight it, her eyelids began to close and her head leaned back against him. Robert just chuckled. She didn’t want to sleep just yet, wanted to spend just a few more moments with him. Wanted to draw this out as long as she possible could.

     “I thought I was supposed to be the old man and you the young girl that wears me out,” he teased. He nudged her with his knees just a bit. “It’s time to get out darling, don’t want you drowning in the tub.” She nodded, eyes never fully opening as she stood up slowly and got out.

     Robert grabbed the towels, first drying himself off and then her. The robe seemed to be forgotten as he picked her up bridal style and rested her head against his chest. She smiled and just leaned there, content with how warm his body felt. Long before he placed her on the bed, she had already drifted off to sleep. Dreams wouldn’t visit her tonight, as they had all already come true.