Hello! Here is the chapter I meant to upload yesterday! LOL! I got it written, realized I righteously missed a key plot detail, and pulled it back down again for a rewrite! Sorry! But it's a long one now, so I figure I'm kind of making up for it! Anyway! Happy reading! And thanks for continuing to follow along! :D
Tony and Bruce had gone to work together just like they had been for those first few mornings. But on this particular morning, Tony had bid him adieu when they'd entered the building, sending Bruce to the lab alone. He was scheduled to meet with Ed Owens, Stark Industries' COO, to discuss Pepper's condition, and her future with the company given the circumstances. And given the fact that Dianna Wardly had made it known she wanted Pepper fired made Tony cringe at the thought that this would probably grant her her wish. But he had to lay all of his cards out on the table. His company was currently without an acting CEO. And even if he and Bruce were able to help Pepper, she'd probably have months of rehabilitation after the fact to get her old quality of life back and to make a full recovery. Risking Dianna swooping in and swaying the vote of the members to officially fire Pepper, and possibly sell out to a competitor as a result of panic mixed with her personal agenda was unacceptable to him. He wouldn't let his legacy go without a fight, which was why he needed to collect allies against her as soon as possible.
Tony entered the reception area of Ed's office that morning, and his secretary let him know Ed was waiting for him. The pretty, young blond batted her eyes at him, and gave him a flirty smile, but he hardly noticed. He had one mission, and one mission only- to make sure he had help in keeping Dianna Wardly off his and Pepper's backs, and to protect the future of Stark Industries.
Tony entered through the heavy honey oak double doors, and Ed stood up from behind his desk. "Tony! Great of you to meet with me today given how chaotic everything has been around here lately," he said.
Tony clasped the man's hand, and took a seat in one of chairs in front of the desk. "It has, Ed, hasn't it,"" he said.
Ed sat down behind his desk and rocked back in his desk chair. "Too bad about Bill Riva, huh? He had such a promising career in front of him. The man could've gone far in this business."
"I agree," Tony affirmed. "He'll be hard to replace."
Ed nodded and then sat forward, and steepled his fingers. "So, I know you've been in close communication with Ms. Pott's physicians. Tell me what kind of prognosis are we looking at here?" he asked.
Tony pursed his lips and ran a hand over his goatee. He rested his ankle on his knee and reclined back in the chair, looking squarely at Ed."Well, Ed, it's, uh... it's grim. As they see it, she'll be lucky to wake up. And if she does manage to, there is a very good chance she'll be blind, and still dealing with some brain damage," he explained. He stopped talking, waiting for Ed's reaction.
"My God, that is grim," Ed gasped. He shook his head. "Anyway you look at it, it's..."
"Yeah," Tony agreed, nodding solemnly.
"So, not to sound crass, but we should probably call an emergency board meeting then, I suppose? To discuss appointing a new CEO?" he said, shrugging and wincing with uncertainty.
Tony then sat forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. He rubbed his hands together anxiously. "Well, I might be inclined to agree with you if..." he began.
Ed leaned forward to, and watched Tony intently. "If?" he said.
"If I wasn't working on something to maybe improve the situation?" Tony finished.
Ed frowned, and shook his head. "What do you mean, Tony?" he asked.
Tony teeter-tottered his head from side-to-side. "Well, let's just say that I think we should only put in place a temporary solution to Pepper's absence for the time being. Just until I know whether or not her prognosis will improve."
Ed looked skeptical. "I don't understand. You just told me the best case scenario would be that she wakes up with brain damage and blindness. What could possibly improve the situation?"
"A major medical breakthrough involving tissue regrowth, and nerve regeneration, Ed," Tony revealed. "I and Dr. Bruce Banner are currently working on something that could change the face of physical rehabilitation after catastrophic injuries as we know it. And Stark Industries will be at the forefront of it."
Ed's eyes widened. He whistled in amazement. "That's...that's really something, Tony," he said.
"Yep," Tony said proudly.
"And you've been working on this..."
"Right here," Tony said. "In our very own R and D department."
"Really?" Ed said.
Tony smirked and shifted back in his seat. "Ed, as you and I both know, a certain board member is looking for an excuse to have Pepper fired. Now, granted the circumstances right now are not helping the argument. But if there was a way I could push off the board doing anything drastic, even if it's just for a few months, I think that would buy us enough time."
"Tony, you know we have to make the board members aware of the gravity of the situation and your intentions," Ed replied. "And they have to approve of what you're doing as well."
He looked intently at his COO for a moment before speaking. "Ed," he said softly. "I know you and I haven't always seen eye to eye on everything. But I'm here today to ask for your help. I could use an ally or two, right now. Dianna's out for blood, and I'll be damned if I let her take Pepper down, and my company with it. If I, we, can just convince her that creating this kind of technology will help millions of people..."
"Tony, Dianna only understands dollars and cents. You know that," Ed interrupted.
Tony sighed. He hated having to tie Pepper's suffering to his company's potential profits, but he knew Ed was right. If he was going to convince Dianna Wardly of the benefits of developing something so scientifically and medically cutting edge, with Stark's name on it, he'd have to give her the facts on just how much it would fatten their bottom line. Problem was, discussing it while Pepper lay unconscious in a hospital bed left a bad taste in his mouth.
"You have to understand my aversion to having that conversation, Ed," he said. "All I want is for Pepper to get her life back. Frankly, I could give a shit about the rest."
"But you have to 'give a shit', Tony," Ed stated. "Or you won't have a lab to develop this amazing technology you're so sure of."
"I know, I know," Tony said reluctantly. He sighed. "Tell you what," he said. "Call the meeting. The sooner the better. I'll pull together what I've got, and we'll lay it out. Sweet talk them for me, though, Ed, when you do talk to everybody? I need all the help I can get."
Ed nodded and smiled affirmatively. "Will do," he said.
Tony nodded back and stood up to shake Ed's hand. Then he turned to go.
"And Tony?" Ed said.
"Yeah?" Tony said, turning back around to face him.
Ed gave him a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry for what you're going through. Man to man, and off the record? I know she means a lot to you," he said.
Tony gave him a sad smile, and shoved his hands in his pockets. "More than you know, Ed," he said softly.
XxXxXxXxXx
Tony straightened his tie, and examined himself one more time in the private bathroom of Pepper's office. He frowned, his jaw working as he was trying to go over one more time the statement that he intended to make to the press regarding what had happened to her, and the steps that Stark Industries was going to take in order to fill Pepper's position temporarily until further notice.
The Board had agreed to call an emergency meeting just two days after Tony and Ed had spoken. Tony was thoroughly impressed with Ed's bird-dogging efforts in that it seemed everyone was on board with what he was proposing. Dianna, of course, had tried to push the idea that Pepper had been unfit as CEO from day one. But given the very optimistic, and very profitable, state of the company up to the point of the accident, no one could agree with her. So, she relented for the time being. But Tony was now on the clock. He had six months to produce some type of viable result with the technology he was proposing or she'd sue to gain control of the lion's share of the Stark Industries' stock, and force him, and Pepper, out. And given she was the largest stake holder in the group of investors, everyone would be beholden to her agenda, and be taken down with them. It was a lot of new added pressure for he and Bruce to make this work, no doubt. They'd given themselves a year, initially, to make any real progress. But, after a lot of boardroom bargaining, that timeline had obviously been cut in half, much to Tony's reluctance, though he felt somewhat lucky that he persuaded Dianna to even go that far. Bruce hadn't been happy with the news, but Tony just took it as a challenge. He'd been under this kind of pressure before. A certain stint in a mountain cave in Afghanistan had come to mind as the last time, in fact. Only that time, he was just fighting for his own life. This time, he was fighting for both his and Pepper's, and the future of his company.
Bambi Arbogast, the ever-loyal secretary of his father, him, and now Pepper, came into the office with his suit jacket. He saw her appear in the reflection of the doorway of the opened bathroom door, and she nodded solemnly, quiet as she assisted him with putting it on.
"Thank you, Bambi," Tony said, slipping his arms through the sleeves. She fixed the collar and smoothed the shoulders, and he spun around to look at her as she finished.
"Very handsome, Mr. Stark. Ms. Potts would be proud," the matronly woman said to her boss with motherly admiration. But suddenly, her chin began to quiver, and she tried to stifle her oncoming tears by blinking them back. She smiled sheepishly at him, and Tony gave her a sympathetic smile.
"I'm sorry! This is...unprofessional," she said. "I shouldn't..."
"Bambi, listen to me, okay?" he said, gently laying his hands on her upper arms. "You and I have known each other a long time, right? Hell, you knew me when I was just a little squirt coming to see Dad at his office in New York," Tony said.
Bambi sniffed and nodded. "Yes," she said. "I remember." She tried to smile bravely.
"So frankly, a few tears between friends is okay, right?" he asked. He ducked his head to look into her eyes.
"Friends?" she asked bemusedly.
Tony nodded and shrugged. "I think we can call each other friends, don't you? I mean, I know this place means more to you than just a job, right? And judging by the, um..." he said, stopping to wipe away a tear from her cheek. "Current display of emotion?" he teased, smiling warmly. They both chuckled. "I know Pepper and I mean a lot to you, too. That constitutes a friendship, in my book."
Bambi blushed and nodded. "I suppose you're right. There isn't anything I wouldn't have done for your father and mother, and there isn't anything I wouldn't do for you and Ms. Potts, Sir. Rest assured of that. It just breaks my heart that she's...she's...," she tried to say, but the moment was too much for her, and she lowered her head, her shoulders shaking as she cried. Tony pulled her into a hug, and held her for a moment, trying to comfort the woman that was always so kind to him over the years.
After a moment she pulled back and Tony offered her a tissue out of the box on the vanity, smiling sweetly at her. She took it, and smiled bashfully back at him as she dried her tears. "Thank you, Mr. Stark," she said graciously. She took a deep breath, and when she was able to compose herself once again, she spoke. "I'd actually come to tell you they are ready for you," she said.
"Got it. I'll uh, I'll be down in a minute,huh?" he replied.
Bambi nodded and left the room, and Tony turned back toward the mirror. He put his hand in his pants pocket, and produced his wedding band, holding it up in front of him. He kissed it, and gave it a squeeze in his palm. "I love you,Pep," he said, as he put it back in his pocket. "Wish me luck."
XxXxXxXxXx
Tony entered the press room, and immediately camera flashes started going off, and the reporters were clamoring over each other to get their questions out. Tony strode to the podium at the front of the room, and took his position behind it. They all settled down, taking their seats and awaiting his statement.
"Good Morning," he bid them. "I appreciate you all coming today. As you all are aware, the events in San Francisco have not only greatly impacted the lives of thousands of their citizens, but also the lives of some of our beloved employees here at Stark Industries. It is with great sadness that we say farewell to our Head of Research and Development, Bill Riva, who was tragically killed in the landslide that destroyed the The House on the Cliffs where he and our CEO, Ms. Virginia Potts, were attending a gala following the Annual Green Energy Conference. He was remarkably talented, a great asset to our team, and he will be sorely missed." Tony paused for a moment to collect his thoughts before continuing. He could feel the ever present lump start to grow in his throat, so he swallowed hard and cleared his throat to try to fend it off.
"Ms. Potts sustained life-threatening injuries during the event, and is currently in a coma at Cedars-Sinai hospital. Her prognosis at this time includes some long term concerns that would deem her unable to fulfill her duties, should they come to fruition. However, we are hoping for the best in that Ms. Potts can one day make a full recovery."
He paused again, taking a moment to survey the audience before speaking again. The sound of more flashes filled the room, and he took a deep breath. "On that note, the Board of Directors and I have come to the consensus that Ed Owens, our current COO, and myself will be the ones acting as Co-CEO's for the short term, foreseeable future, with the intention that, on this date, six months from now, we will reassess Ms. Potts' medical prognosis, and put into place a more permanent plan based on that. Questions?"
As Tony proceeded to take a few of the reporter's questions, a man had slipped in the door, unnoticed, in the back of the room, and sat down next to Dianna Wardly, who had attended the press conference to make sure that Tony correctly represented what had been decided at the board meeting. She was a petite, and very thin, bird-like woman with long silver hair always kept in a tight bun at the nape of her neck, and fastened with a large gold clip. She had large dark eyes, and permanent frown lines on either side of her lips, with a constantly furrowed brow to match, giving the impression that she was forever sizing up everyone in the room she had the displeasure of being exposed to. She wore a chunky, doubled strand of pearls around her neck, her trade mark jewelry, with diamond and pearl stud earrings to match, and always wore Prada business suits, in some variation of black or gray. In a word, her appearance was intimidating. She was known to be a hellcat, and those who were on her list knew it through and through. She was never quite satisfied with even the pickiest of details, she always got what she wanted, and demanded perfection at all times in everything she did. And, as Tony was fully aware, she was going to demand perfection of him in six months time, without excuse. Or, once again, she'd get what she wanted otherwise- his company.
"What kept you?" she asked flatly of the man now seated next to her. He looked out of place, looking like a big over-sized gorilla squeezed into a black Italian-made suit. He had a closely shave head, a very thick neck, and small dark, beady eyes. One would think, to look at him, that he had just stepped out of the boxing ring as an undefeated prize fighter, and not someone who Dianna Wardly would ever care to associate with.
"Traffic," he said, in gruff voice.
"Hmmmm," she said, skeptically. "He's just made the announcement. Which, had you been on time, you'd know," she quipped.
"Well, get me a better driver next time," he shot back.
"My driver is reliable. It's the passenger that has the issue," she retorted. She grabbed her big black Gucci handbag off the floor and rummaged through it. Then, discreetly, she set the bag back down on the floor, and slipped a small manila envelope to him. "Doing this in a room full of people wasn't what I would have preferred, might I remind you, but no matter. At least you've elected to appear as agreed, so here you are," she whispered. He took it, folded it in half and stuffed into the inside pocket of his suit jacket, glancing around to make sure no one had noticed. Then he straightened his jacket and crossed his arms, trying to appear natural in this setting that was so obviously foreign to him by anyone that might have observed.
"Anyway, that should be everything you require to complete your assignment," she murmured, nodding toward his breast pocket's contents.
"Smash and grab?" the man asked.
"More like dissect and disable," she said. "Nothing too obvious. This needs to be clean, with no finger prints, and certainly no links to me. An unfortunate turn of events needs to occur for Mr. Stark's new little project, shall we say? In order to get the result I need, and you're being paid for."
"Got it," he said. "I'll start immediately."
Dianna smiled and turned her attention back to Tony at the podium. "Good," she purred, with a rare lilt of satisfaction in her voice.