Tony glanced back and forth between the arrivals screen and the gate Bruce was scheduled to come to. The rain had started again, and his flight was delayed, making Tony all the more anxious to see his friend. The sooner he and Bruce were able to get together, the sooner they could begin finding a way to save Pepper.

Tony waited, growing more and more antsy as passengers from Bruce's flight started to appear. "Come on, come on," he muttered. Then, Bruce finally appeared, and Tony's face lit up with a smile. Bruce spotted him and smiled back, extending his hand when they were close. As they shook hands, Bruce noticed how scruffy and care worn his friend looked. He had never seen him so unkempt and frazzled before, and he found it alarming. He knew how prideful Tony was about his appearance, and to see him like this, almost totally forgoing any of his usual efforts, meant that the situation was really bad.

"You don't know what it means to me to have you here," Tony told him sincerely. "With you and I working together, I know we can save Pepper."

"You have to understand, though," Bruce said cautiously. "What you're asking is unheard of. Nerve and brain tissue regeneration?" he said skeptically, wincing with doubt. "I don't know,Tony. I'm not sure our abilities can reach that far."

Tony dismissed him with a wave of his hand. "I understand your being cautious. But you wouldn't be here if you didn't at least have a curiosity about whether or not we can pull it off."

Bruce smiled impishly and shrugged. "Who am I to turn down the chance to advance medical science?" he said. "I just wish the situation weren't so dire."

Tony slapped his friend on the back as they began walking toward the baggage claim. "That makes two of us," he replied.

XxXxXxXx

They arrived at the hospital a while later, Tony having brought Bruce up to speed on everything that had happened since the wedding on the drive over, including the fact that they'd found out Pepper was pregnant the day after, and that she subsequently lost the baby in the accident.

"Tony, I'm very sorry," Bruce had said. "A family is a gift not all of us have the fortune of getting in our lifetimes. And I think I understand even more now the reason why we're doing what we're doing."

They'd taken the elevator to the floor of the ICU, and once the doors had parted, Tony led Bruce to Pepper's room. He stopped outside the door to caution his companion. "She's in bad shape, man," he warned. "It's a little difficult to take."

Bruce nodded. "I can imagine, based on everything you've told me she's been through," he said. He nodded in the direction of Pepper's room. "Lead the way," he said.

Tony opened the door, and ushered him inside. Bruce slowly entered the room, a little dumbstruck at how bad off Pepper appeared, even with Tony's preemptive warning. Marilynn noticed them enter, and smiled kindly at Bruce. She arose from the chair beside Pepper's bed, and greeted him properly. "Dr. Banner," she said warmly, extending her hand to him. "Lovely to see you again."

Bruce gently took her hand. He glanced awkwardly between her and Pepper. "I, um, I'm so sorry," he said sincerely. "I really wish weren't seeing each other under these circumstances."

Marilynn nodded. "Well, so do I, sweetie. But you're a good friend to want to support my son-in-law during this awful time," she said, trying to be strong.

Bruce and Tony exchanged glances. "Um, Marilynn? I should tell you," Tony said. "That didn't ask Bruce to come here just for moral support."

"Oh?" she said curiously.

"No, Mrs. Potts, " Bruce said.

"Truth is," Tony said. He looked at his friend and then back at her. "Dr. Banner and I have... a plan,"he said.

"A plan?" she repeated. "To do what, might I ask?"

"Mrs. Potts," Bruce said. "Tony, as we all do, wants Pepper to have the best quality of life she can...," he began.

Tony nodded. "And with Bruce and his expertise, and I with mine, we think that..."

"Between the two of us..." Bruce interjected.

"Right," Tony said. "Between the two of us, we can maybe..."

"Make Ginny better?" Marilynn said hopefully. She glanced back and forth between the two men.

"We...hope," Tony said cautiously. He pursed his lips, pausing for her reaction.

Marilynn slowly sat down again in her chair. Both men watched her for a moment, as she processed what they were telling her. "Do...do you boys really think you can help her?" she asked softly.

Tony and Bruce looked at each other, and Tony smiled knowingly.

Bruce shifted his glance back to her, and adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose. "We're certainly going to do our best," he said.

Marilynn swallowed hard, and nodded. "Good," she said simply. She smiled at them hopefully. "Good. When can you get started?" she asked now, with a sense of urgency.

XxXxXxXxXx

Tony and Bruce decided, that before they could do anything to save Pepper, they'd have to come up with a game plan first. Marilynn agreed to stay by Pepper's side while the two men went to the cafeteria to discuss their plans over coffee and notes scribbled on napkins. Bruce thought it absurd that they'd put their notes about something so serious on something like napkins, but Tony didn't care. "It doesn't have to be pretty," he told Bruce. "It just has to work."

So, for the next few hours, they discussed, and planned, and schemed, and brain stormed, and when they seemed to be on the same page and in agreement on the direction they should move in, Tony sat back in his chair, stretching his arms over his head and yawning as Bruce took off his glasses and massaged the bridge of his nose.

"What do you think about taking Pepper back to LA? You know, so she's close to where we'll be working?" Bruce suggested.

Tony nodded. "I already thought of that," he said. "And the doctor agrees. Having her looked after by her own physicians is ideal. He just said that he'd need a day's notice to make the arrangements for transport."

"Perfect," Bruce said. "Then, I believe we've found our first step. Getting Pepper back home to Cedar Sinai Hospital."

Tony smiled and nodded. "Let's call it, 'Operation: Sayonara, San Francisco," he said with great satisfaction.

Bruce just smiled.

XxXxXxXxXx

Bruce had checked into a hotel for the night, and for the first time since the accident, Tony felt he had some hope. And that feeling carried over the next couple of days, when all of the arrangements to take Pepper home had been made. He'd let the medical staff know as soon as possible that he intended to get Pepper transported to Cedar Sinai, and they had immediately swung into action. Marilynn would take the plane that was still waiting at the hangar from when Pepper had flown up for the conference. And, seeing as how Tony had the R8, he and Bruce would drive back. In the meantime, Marilynn would assist with getting Pepper admitted into the hospital back home, and by the time Tony and Bruce got into town, she'd be all settled back in, and they could go to work.

Tony had slept by Pepper's side that night before she was scheduled to be released. He'd been able to get some much needed rest, sleeping for a few good solid hours while holding her hand, something that he hadn't been able to do since Pepper had been injured on account of every time he'd tried, visions of the accident, and how badly bruised and broken she'd looked when they'd pulled her from the rubble, assaulted his brain. But now, he was filled with hope. He knew that what he and Bruce were attempting to do was risky, and may not result in what he was wanting. But at least now Pepper would have a fighting chance. And he couldn't let himself think otherwise.

Before the other two arrived at the hospital that morning, Tony awoke, his hand still holding Pepper's tightly. "Good morning, gorgeous," he purred to her, as he stretched and yawned. He raised up to kiss her forehead. "We're taking you home today, Pep," he said. Suddenly, something occurred to him. He looked at his watch, frowning. "My God," he gasped. The date on the face of the watch read the fourteenth. It was February fourteenth, their first Valentine's Day as a married couple. Tony sat back down in his seat heavily, realizing this, and that he and Pepper had originally planned to spend the evening in their new house. Tony scrubbed a hand over his goatee thinking about this, his heart aching. He glanced at Pepper, his eyes full of sorrow again. He took at deep breath, and found new resolve. "You'll see your new house, baby, " he promised. "It won't be when we planned, but it'll be soon," he assured her.

Then, Tony decided to get cleaned up and ready for Pepper's big move. He pulled his luggage out of her hospital room closet, and went into the bathroom to shower and shave. The hot water of the shower helped to melt away the residue of the last week's tensions and once he emerged, he wrapped a towel around his waist and studied his reflection. "Looking a little rough, buddy, " he said. "Time to do something about that." He unzipped his shaving kit, and went to work sculpting his signature goatee back into shape. His face had grown quite stubbly, and he couldn't remember a time in recent memory when it had been worse. Then, it dawned on him. Afghanistan. That had been the last time.

As soon as he was finished grooming his face, he rinsed off and examined his work. He smiled. "Well, hello handsome," he purred to his reflection. "There's the face everybody knows and loves," he joked. He chuckled, knowing that if Pepper was conscious, and heard him say that, she'd be rolling her eyes at his vanity, like she always did.

He got dressed in black jeans, gray high top Converse sneakers, and a long sleeved navy blue shirt, with a dark gray Ozzy Osbourne concert tee over the top. Then, he went to work on his hair. And just as Marilynn and Bruce were arriving at the hospital about an hour later, Tony emerged from the bathroom, perfectly coiffed and smelling very clean and very expensive.

Marilynn cooed in approval when she saw him, bringing him into her arms for a tight hug, and a motherly peck on the cheek. "There's my handsome son-in-law," she said proudly. "It had been so long, I thought I might never see him again," she teased.

"Well, it's good to be back," Tony teased back, smirking playfully at her.

She smiled widely, happy to see that he was feeling a little like his old self again.

Bruce seemed to be happy about this, as well. He smiled at Tony, and shook his hand earnestly. "Glad to see you're feeling better," he said.

"I am, I am," Tony assured, grinning. He glanced back at Pepper lovingly, and back at Bruce. "And I can't wait to get her home and go to work, " he said resolutely.