She arrives home from New York after handing off Tony's suit, and leaves on the flying car, deciding the helicarrier is in perfectly capable hands with Agent Peggy Carter. The whole way there, she had been messaging with her team, making an ill-timed joke about how the teleportation must be the fault of Howard and Tony, but it was to mask how terrified she was. Waking up alone without Tony was terrifying, and even though they and connected with each other early on, she still felt this worry.

It didn't get easier when he told her that he thought an infinity gem was nearby.

Instead of dealing with it straight on, her emotions came into play instead. She joked poorly about it, she got a team together to head to New York, and then as they traveled there, she fought with Tony. By the time she got to New York and handed over his Iron Man suit (she had no idea which one she grabbed, they all looked the same to her, and only hoped that she had decided to pick the right one), she felt horrible.

"I'd rather you didn't go anywhere near it if it's what I think it is, Maria," Tony had said, "I want you safe." Maria knew he meant well by it. She was pregnant with their child, their baby girl. But it didn't help that once again she felt sidelined. That she felt pushed out, because she was now officially on the disabled list. If she held a gun, people freaked out. If she got near a weapon at all, people freaked out. It was as if all respect for the Director of SHIELD went away, just because she was pregnant.

She told Tony she didn't want him near it either, because what if he was killed? What if he was transported somewhere else and was never able to return? What if he was transported and killed? Still, he had said it was better for him to be there than their child, and that hurt more than anything. He tells her he doesn't want Maria to go home, but he doesn't want her to hurt their child either. He tells her that they need her, but she doesn't believe it. She feels horrible about it, like the wind has been kicked out of her.

She said he needed a suit, and she brought it, and she's going home. He says he needed her. And instead of staying, she leaves. She tells Tony that he'll figure it out, because he always does. She has faith in that, and she knows he'll think of something. But she heads home feeling worse than she did when she woke up knowing he wasn't there. She knew where he was now, and there was a chance he could be in danger, but there was nothing she could really do to help.

There was nothing she could do anymore. She was a benched player, someone on the sidelines. She was a field agent downgraded to a desk. She was the Director of SHIELD but sure as hell didn't feel like it.

The drive home in her flying car, she told herself that they would figure everything out. Things would be fine. And the further she got away from the gem or whatever it was that was over there in New York, the safer their child would be. But it was killing her to be away from the action, it was killing her to not be in the ground level with Tony like she used to be. Maria knew how badly Lisandra wanted this child, but all Maria could think was what a burden it was, because it was taking her away from what she loved. At thinking this, she burst into tears and put the car into auto-drive, bringing her safely back to their penthouse in Boston. Her emotions were once again in overdrive, and she couldn't control them. She was a horrible person for thinking this child was a burden, because this child wasn't that. This child was and is a miracle. She wants to be a mother, and she knows Tony is going to be a great father.

But right now all she feels is frustrated and sidelined. That she's lost her importance now that she's with child. And right now, that's the worst feeling in the world.