Book One - Part One: Dark Knight

Chapter Fifteen

Elena stands looking out of her hospital window, she's dressed in jeans and a black button up shirt tucked in the front of her jeans, she looks better, healthy, even after two extra days in hospital. She has her arms folded over her chest, she glances back slightly as Bruce enters the room. He notices the device in her ear showing she's on call with someone so he remains quiet.

"Thank you, Grace" She offers. "I'll be in the office within the next few days, If you could contact the heads of the subsidiaries and call for a meeting on Monday....I'd like to know what I have missed" This Elena is the businesswoman and she seems older, stronger even. "I would also appreciate a progress report on all the projects that were running in my absence and any that have started......I want to make sure that our standards haven't slipped. And with Stark's press release we need to be ready for any backlash it may cause us....." she pauses listening to Grace. "That would be great...." she reaches up and presses a button on the device in her ear before removing it. "Hey, Dad" she greets setting her ear piece in her bag.

"Ready to leave?" he asks, she nods.

"Oh yeah" she assures him grabbing her jacket.

"Are you sure? Cause you could stay a few more days" he rambles a little.

"I feel fine" she assures Bruce as she struggles to pull on her jacket, it's pulling on her stitches. Bruce moves closer to her and helps her with it. "Thanks" she mumbles as he pulls her hair out of the back of the item of clothing. "I just want to get out of this damn hospital room, I want to be in my room with my thing and my cat" she turns to her father. "I spent 3 months in a hole....I need my stuff" he cups her cheeks and nods.

"Okay" he assures her and pulls back, she turns for her bag. "I got it" Bruce takes her bag and she sighs a little letting him have that. She heads out of the room first, Bruce on her flank carrying her bag.

"First we need to make a stop" she tells him, Bruce frowns following her, her heels clicking away on the tiled floor as she and Bruce walk through the corridor of the hospital.

"Maybe you should take a few more days before going back to work" he argues, she looks to him.

"Would you?" she asks him, he shoots her a look. "I thought not" she comments. "Hit the ground running, that's the saying, right?"

...................

Pepper knocks on Tony's bedroom door, and then enters. The bed is untouched. The flat screen TV is on -- Jim Cramer delivering a sermon.

"Stark International: I've got one recommendation. Ready? SEELLLL! Abandon ship! Does the Hindenburg ring any bells?" Cramer pushes one of his big red buttons. Pepper shuts it off as she talks on the phone and heads out to the living room. Pepper clicks on her headset.

"Hello. This is Agent Coulson with Strategic Homeland Inter...."

"Yes" she interrupts him. "I remember. What can I do for you?"

"I've left a number of messages trying to get something on the books with Mr. Stark"

"I know this is a priority for him" Pepper explains as Jarvis speaks over her.

"Mr and Miss Wayne are at the front door, Miss Potts, should I let them in?"

"Yes, thank you, Jarvis" Pepper answers and then goes back to her phone. "The next few weeks are a bit up in the air and I can't set appointments without speaking with him first" Pepper argues as Elena and Bruce walk into the room, she smiles at them both and then motions to her headset, Bruce nods.

"Do you know when you will be speaking with him again?" Coulson asks her.

"Not Sure" Pepper answers, and is interrupted by the intercom. It's Tony.