The next morning, Marilynn Potts hurriedly moved through the ICU wing of Cedars-Sinai Hospital to the entrance of her daughter's room. Tony and Pepper had both just awakened when she entered, and Tony was still rubbing his eyes when he turned to look over his shoulder at her.

A grin spread rapidly across her mouth at the sight of her daughter sitting up in bed and fully awake and conscious. "There's those bluebird eyes," Marilynn gasped.

Pepper chuckled, and Tony smiled at the the two of them in the moment. "Hi, Mama," Pepper said, with a relieved smile at the sudden appearance of her mother.

Marilynn marched to her daughter, and enveloped her lovingly in her arms, holding her tightly, as happy tears began to fall. "Oh, how long have I been waiting to hear you say that, again!" she replied, stroking Pepper's hair. She pulled back, putting her hands on her daughter's shoulders to get a good look at her.

Pepper just gave her a curious look, and smiled bashfully. Marilynn shook her head in disbelief, still smiling. "It's a miracle, no doubt about it," she said. Her eyes flicked to Tony, and she flung her arms around his neck next, squeezing him affectionately. Tightly, but affectionately.

"Oh, okay," Tony said a little awkwardly, and then chuckled. Pepper giggled. They gave each other an amused look. Marilynn planted a kiss to Tony's cheek, and took his face in her hands to look at him.

"The light in your eyes that's been missing," she murmured, cupping her son-in-law's cheek and smiling warmly at him. "It's back, darlin'. It's back after being gone for far too long."

Tony smiled at her, and nodded in agreement. "It was too long," he again, grasping her hand at his cheek in both of his and giving in an affectionate squeeze.

"Well, bless you," she said gratefully. "You gave us back our girl! I can't ever repay you and your friends for what you've done."

Tony gave her a warm smile. "I have all the repayment I need, Marilynn," he said. He turned his eyes to Pepper and smiled at her.

Pepper blushed and bashfully averted her eyes from his gaze.

Marilynn turned back to Pepper and took her hand. "This man," she said, pointing to Tony. She paused, as emotion overcame her. After a moment she continued, tears still in her eyes. "He loves you, honey. There's no question of that."

Pepper smiled awkwardly. "So I've been told," she murmured, flicking her eyes back to Tony's. Her smile was pleasant, but it was easy to detect a pang of regret in it, as well.

"Uh, Marilynn? Can I talk to you for a moment? Outside?" Tony said, noticing Pepper's discomfort.

Marilynn glanced back and forth between Tony and Pepper, and then nodded, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Of course?" she muttered.

"We won't be long," Tony told Pepper, and she nodded in understanding.

Tony led Marilynn to the door, and once they were outside in the hall, Marilynn looked at him questioningly.

"Is there something I don't know?" she asked.

Tony winced. "Uh...sort of," he answered.

"Sort of?" Marilynn replied with more alarm.

He took his mother-in-law's hand in his, and patted it, not sure how to begin. "Pepper doesn't...she can't...I mean," he stammered. "She...doesn't remember me. As 'me', that is. Her husband. I mean, she thinks I'm me from 2008," he explained regretfully.

Marilynn furrowed her brow. "I don't understand," she said. "Are you saying she...has amnesia?"

Tony nodded slowly, and swallowed hard. "Yes," he affirmed. "As far as anyone can tell, she has no clue that we're married. She believes we're still boss and employee. And...nothing more," he said.

Marilynn gasped. "Oh, honey!" she whispered. "Oh, I'm so sorry! Is there any chance she'll..."

Tony just shrugged. "We don't know, yet," he explained sadly. "That's the hope- that everything will come back. But only time will tell."

Marilynn threw her arms around his neck, and pulled him into a motherly hug. Tony softened, grateful for her effort to comfort him. He closed his eyes, the reality of Pepper's lacking memories hitting him hard again, as if it were brand new.

She then pulled back to look at him, and he gave her a sheepish smile, soaked with hurt.

"So, she doesn't remember anything? Not the time you two spent together? Not the wedding?" she asked. Her eyebrows suddenly shot up in realization. "Not...the baby?" she murmured with trepidation.

Tony shook his head sadly. "None of it," he replied.

"Oh, darlin'!" she cried, throwing her arms back around his neck, and squeezing him tightly again. After a moment, she pulled back to look at him again, her own eyes filled with tears once more. She patted his cheek reassuringly. "Have faith," she said, looking deeply into his eyes. "That's all we can do. Have faith that it all will come back in time."

Tony nodded, and gave her a weak smile. "Of course," he agreed.

Marilynn smiled and nodded back. "There you go," she said. "You'll see. It will all work out."

But Tony just stayed silent, and continued to smile, keeping his own doubt hidden.

XxXxXxXxXx

Tony and Marilynn soon returned to Pepper's room, and when they entered, Pepper gave her mother a warm smile. "I'm so glad you're here, Mama," she said, reaching for her mother.

Marilynn wrapped her arms around her daughter, and gave her a loving hug. "Me, too, honey," she said. "I wouldn't have missed it."

"I'm sure Tony's told you that I...don't have much of a long-term memory at the moment?" she asked regretfully.

Marilynn took Pepper's hand, patting it lovingly. "He has. But don't you worry! It will all come back in time, honey. You'll see. I have faith," she said.

Pepper gave Tony a look of concern. "I hope so," she said, keeping her eyes trained on his. "I really do."

"And I meant what I said before," Marilynn said. "He loves you, darlin'. I know that's hard to comprehend at the moment, but he does."

Pepper smiled at her mother, and then smiled at Tony. She nodded. "Yes. I'm starting to see that," she said, this time more assuredly.

She and Tony shared a gaze for a moment. Tony gave her a loving smile and a wink, and Pepper just smiled at him, her cheeks blushing again.

But the moment was interrupted as Pepper suddenly took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. Slowly, she laid back against her pillows, biting her lips together in a wince.

Tony frowned. "Pep? You okay?" he asked.

"Time for more morphine, I think," she murmured softly.

"On it," Tony said, standing up to hit the button for the morphine drip. He watched Pepper pensively, as the pain began to subside.

She moaned gratefully. "There we go," she said dreamily, after a few moments.

Tony smiled. "Better?" he asked.

Pepper nodded, opening her eyes to a squint, and smiling. "Much," she muttered. "Thank you, Mr...I mean, Tony," she corrected.

Tony chuckled, and smiled. "You're welcome," he said. He watched as she slowly dozed off, and then turned his gaze to Marilynn.

"She'll be out for a little while," he explained, softly. "Wanna grab breakfast in the meantime?"

Marilynn nodded, and she turned to go. Tony turned his face back to Pepper's, making sure she was resting comfortably. Then he bent down and laid a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Sweet dreams, baby," he whispered. "I love you."

Marilynn waited by the door for him, and he soon joined her. She noticed the pained look on his face. "You alright, darlin'?" she asked.

Tony nodded and smiled reluctantly. He turned to look at Pepper over his shoulder, and then back at Marilynn. He shrugged. "As good as can be expected. I mean, I've got her back, now. Alive and well. I should be grateful, right?" he reasoned. "I guess I just..." he said, trailing off. He turned his face back to Pepper's again. "I miss...what we had, you know?"

"I do know," Marilynn replied. "And it's completely understandable."

Tony nodded. "So I'm not acting like a spoiled brat for wanting my wife back the way she was, given everything that's happened?" he asked. "Well. Not any more than usual?" he joked.

Marilynn smiled, and shook her head. "Not at all," she assured. "What you two have is unbreakable. Not even a little amnesia can ruin the kind of love you two have for each other."

"Even if that love's been reverted back to version 2008?" he asked doubtfully. "Back then I had feelings for her, but..."

"Oh, I can assure you," Marilynn cooed, with a smirk. "There was many a discussion with my daughter where you were the main topic of conversation in those days! Make no mistake!" she informed him, with a chuckle.

Tony cocked his head curiously, and gave her a coy smirk. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

"Oh, Mr. Tony," she said. "My daughter was quite conflicted at that time. 'Mama, he drives me crazy,' she used to say."

Tony chuckled, and nodded knowingly. "Okay, that I knew," he remarked.

Marilynn continued. " 'But I just can't help it! He's positively adorable when he's doing it! He just gives me this look', she'd say.' And it's like I'm instantly helpless! But I wouldn't have it any other way,' she used to tell me."

Tony shook his head in disbelief. "She really said all of that?" he asked sheepishly.

Marilynn nodded. "Every word," she replied. "Why do you think she put up with all of your shenanigans for so long, honey? She wouldn't do that for just anybody."

"No, I 'spose she wouldn't," Tony admitted. He chuckled again and shrugged. "Well, she was a damn good assistant," he replied, with a smirk. "Whatever the reason might have been."

Marilynn chuckled in reply.

Tony turned his eyes back to the door of Pepper's room, and worked his jaw in thought. "You know, maybe you're right," he said hopefully. "Maybe she will remember 'us' again, after all."

Marilynn smiled at the look of new-found hope in her son-in-law's eyes. "There. You see? There's hope yet," she replied.

XxXxXxXxXx

When Tony returned from breakfast, Pepper was awake again, and Dr. Cho was doing a full examination. "You are an amazing specimen, Mrs. Stark," she was remarking as they were entering the room.

"It's still so strange to hear you call me that," Pepper commented.

"I'm sure it is," Dr. Cho agreed. "I hope it isn't too much of an imposition, but we'd like to run some more tests in the near future, just to make full documentation of everything."

"Hey, hey, now," Tony bellowed jovially to make his presence known. "Don't go turning my wife into a lab rat, Cho. She only just woke up," he joked.

The doctor gave him an impish smile. "All in the name of science, Mr. Stark," she remarked.

"Oh, well, in that case," he joked back, sitting down on the edge of Pepper's bed. He and Pepper smiled at each other.

"Where did my mother go to?" she asked.

"She was tired after the flight, so I took her back to our place so she could settle in, and get a quick power nap. But I'll go get her later this afternoon, and bring her back here," he answered.

"Our place," Pepper repeated, shaking her head in belief. "Another strange thing to hear."

Tony winced. "Too much?" he asked impishly.

Pepper smiled and shook her head. "No, I just...I'm the one that has to get used to it all. Not you. Don't change a thing," she insisted.

Tony cocked his head to the side, and quirked a corner of his mouth upwards in doubt. "You sure?" he asked.

She nodded. "I'm sure," she said. "I just hope my memory comes back at some point, and I can quit feeling like this."

"On that note," Tony said. "So, doc?" he asked, turning his gaze to Dr. Cho. "Where do we go from here? Can we start talking about bringing her home, yet?" he asked hopefully.

"Not quite yet, Mr. Stark. She's got some physical rehabilitation to do before we can release her, for one. Coma patients normally experience a lot of muscle atrophy, naturally. So we'll have to make sure she can stand firmly on her own two feet before she leaves," the doctor explained, as she wrote some notes in Pepper's chart.

Pepper eyed Tony, who looked disappointed at the news. "How long will that take?" he asked.

Dr. Cho shrugged. "A few weeks," she replied. "Really, it just depends on the patient, and how quickly she heals and builds her strength. But luckily she's on a quicker path to recovery than most."

"And...my memory?" Pepper asked cautiously. She glanced at Tony, and he gave her an encouraging nod.

Dr. Cho finished writing, and close up the chart. She pursed her lips, and exhaled slowly. "That is the part I don't have a lot of answers on, I'm afraid," she said regretfully.

Tony heard Pepper gasp, and he instinctively reached for her hand. But, despite the gravity of the situation, a small thrill shot up his spine when she took it.

"But you do think it'll come back. Right?" she asked hopefully. He and Pepper exchanged nervous glances.

Dr. Cho shook her head. "I wish I could tell you for certain," she said. "But all I can say is, don't push too hard. Give your brain time to recall things on its own. You can try to jog your memory, but too much detailed information will only serve to contaminate the actual memory, virtually replacing it with imagined images rather than helping to bring back the real ones. So, whatever you do, please tread lightly. Follow those rules, and yes. I think, in time, you will get your memory back. To what extent I can't say. But given the results of our efforts to rebuild your nervous system and your brain function, I would wager that the odds are in your favor."

Pepper tried to smile bravely at the news. But Tony saw that it was a broken smile, and squeezed her hand again to reassure her. She glanced at him as a result, and he gave her another reassuring nod. Her smile became stronger at the sight of this, and they shared a brief moment before she turned her eyes back to Dr. Cho.

"So, when does the rehabilitation start?" Pepper asked.

"Right after breakfast, if you want. I thought you'd want to get started as soon as possible," Dr. Cho replied.

Tony gave Pepper a questioning look, and she nodded in agreement at him. "Now seems as good a time as any," she said, shrugging.

"Great. I'll send in breakfast, and we'll see you soon," the doctor said.

"Yeah, not so fast, doc," Tony said, and both the doctor and Pepper looked at him curiously. He'd carried in a brown paper bag with him when he'd come back, and moved to open it to show Pepper the contents.

"None of that bland cafeteria food for my wife. No, sir," he said, producing a container holding a large piece of spinach and mushroom quiche.

Pepper gasped at his surprise, and then cooed in approval. "My favorite!" she said, her eyes sparkling.

"I know," Tony said, with a proud smirk. "You didn't think I'd come back empty-handed, did you?" he asked.

Pepper giggled, and shook her head. "No, I suppose not," she agreed. Tony produced a plastic fork from the bag as well, and handed it to her ceremoniously.

Pepper giggled again, and accepted it, bowing graciously back. Then Tony watched fondly as she began to eat.

Dr. Cho chuckled at the exchange, and spun on her heels. "I'll alert physical therapy to be up within the hour," she informed them, before she left the couple to themselves.

"So? How's the quiche?" Tony asked Pepper, after the doctor had gone. "Did I do well?"

Pepper chewed and swallowed her mouthful, and then nodded with a smile. "Oh, you did very well. Thank you very much, Mr. Stark," she purred coyly in approval.

"You're most welcome, Ms. Potts," Tony replied back automatically, and smiled. But then his smile faded a little at the thought that calling her by her maiden name was no longer a term of endearment in her mind. It was just who she thought she was currently. And this saddened him- that she couldn't recall the day she'd taken his name.

"You slipped," she commented, noticing the same thing.

"No, I...I kept calling you that actually," he replied. "Even after we...it was a pet name. A term of endearment, since you weren't actually Pepper Potts any more. I..."

"Oh," Pepper said, embarrassed for pointing out was seemed to be a mistake. "I'm sorry. I didn't..."

Tony raised his hands in surrender. "Hey, I get it. This must seem...pretty weird,still. So...I'm the one who should be sorry, Pep. I just..." he stammered. But he trailed off. Abruptly he stood up, and cleared his throat, wandering to the window to look outside, and try to tamp down the emotion welling up inside him.

Pepper ate a few more bites in silence, and then set the remainder aside. She turned to Tony, and watched him for a moment before speaking. He clearly appeared to be lost in thought. "Do you think I'll ever..." she said softly, and gesturing between them. Tony turned to look at her again. "Remember?" she asked simply.

Tony took a deep breath, and strolled back over to the bed, sitting down next to his wife. "God, I hope so," he answered softly. He smiled wistfully at her, and then looked away, for fear of his eyes giving away the emotion he'd tried so hard to hide. He cleared his throat again, and regained his composure before continuing. "There's so much, you know? We've been through...so much," he explained, looking at her once more.

Pepper furrowed her brow, and then slowly reached for his hand. He watched her grasp it, and then turn his eyes back to hers. She smiled softly, and he smiled back, despite the despair he was feeling at the moment.

Pepper pursed her lips. "Can I ask you some questions? Maybe to try to jog my memory?" she asked.

"You know we have to be careful with this," Tony warned.

Pepper nodded. "I know," she replied. "But tell me something. Anything. I just feel like I need some small details to start with."

Tony nodded. "Okay," he said. "Shoot."

Pepper nodded. "Okay, um," she began cautiously. "How about our first date? Where did we go? What did we do?"

Tony smiled, and then chuckled to himself in recollection.

Pepper looked at him curiously. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing. It's just- you know how, with most couples, the first date comes...well, first? And then the first kiss happens?" he asked.

"Yeah?" Pepper said in understanding. "Why? Was that not how it happened with us?" she asked.

Tony chuckled again, and then shook his head. "I...sort of...well, not sort of, I did kiss you. On a roof top. After pulling you away from a bomb that was about to go off, and..."

In the meantime, Pepper's eyes had gone wide. Tony soon noticed this, and trailed off. He went silent, and stared wide-eyed back at her. "What?" he asked.

"A...bomb?" Pepper asked, astonished.

Tony fidgeted nervously. "Well...yeah, because..." he stammered.

"What was I doing anywhere near a bomb?!" Pepper cried. Then she gasped. "Is...is that what happened? Is that why I've been here, lying in a coma?!"

Tony frowned. "What? No. That was, like, years before the accident. And..."

"And you thought that that was a good time to kiss me?!" Pepper exclaimed.

Tony chuckled awkwardly. "Not when you put it like that. No. But see, by that time, you'd threatened to quit, and I was trying to get you to..."

Pepper huffed, and once again, Tony stopped talking, and just stared cautiously at her. She put her finger tips to her forehead, and squeezed her eyes shut. "Okay, maybe this was a bad idea," she said, frustrated. "Maybe I don't need to know."

"No, wait, Pep. You just need a few more details," Tony argued. "See, there was always this...this...thing between us. I mean, you could tell, okay? Even though neither of us had admitted it...well, I tried, but the timing was never right. And I could never find the right words to say it to you. So, when the opportunity came along for me to really be able to show you how I felt, I..."

"Tony?" Pepper said weakly, interrupting his rambling.

"Hmmm? Yeah, Pep?" he asked.

"I...think we need to slow down," she said, with a grimace. "Besides. I'm feeling fatigued, again, anyway."

Tony winced, and then nodded weakly. "Sure, Pep. Whatever you say," he said in disappointment.

He moved to stand up off the bed, but Pepper reached for his arm before he could, and Tony stopped. He looked into her eyes, and Pepper smiled. She slowly sat back up, and leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on his cheek. "You don't have to go," she said softly, looking into his eyes. "In fact, I'd like you to stay. But let's take the details of the past a little slower, maybe, huh?"

Tony gave her a relieved smile, and nodded again. "Okay," he replied. "Sounds good."