After they leave the old apartment that Tony owns, Maria is quiet. She rubs her wrists where the lasso of truth had been, though it wasn't wrapped tightly at all, she felt like it was. All her fears, they're much more manageable now. At least, that is the best way to describe it, as she finds herself using Clint's words. Manageable. What had originally started as a thing Maria didn't want to do, and only did because she feared that Tony would actually leave her - and it took a while for her to realize that he was only talking like that to get through to her, even though she had almost just given up completely right there - ended up being something good for her. The fear is still there, though it's far more realistic now. It's not controlling her as badly as it had before.

She's ashamed of what she did, of how she acted, of how she almost single handedly lost everything because she was stubborn, because she couldn't find a way to get past her fears and doubts, because she let a fear entity manipulate her and pull out her misguided resentment and fears from the past months to the forefront. She's not proud of any of that. So, she stays quiet.

Tony stays quiet too, though she thinks it's just because he's analysing how things went in his mind. He's always been scientifically minded, and she adores that about him, and Maria realizes she doesn't say that enough. She doesn't say a lot of things enough to him. Like how she likes when she catches him asleep at his desk after too much work, but he's too stubborn to know he has to get to bed. Or when he tries to cook, even though they both know they're horrible chefs, and it gets burnt - so they just order pizza anyway. Or when he's trying so hard not to be worried, but he is, and she can tell. He has a bigger heart than he gives himself credit for, and the moment during the 'lasso incident' (as she is referring to it now) proved that. He is so much more than he gives himself credit for, but maybe that's because she doesn't tell him that enough.

She knows that there is a lot that needs to be worked on. Clint and Diana both got to witness a mini marriage therapy session essentially thanks to the lasso, and Maria is more than thankful that both of them won't say anything. In fact, there was a bonding moment between the four of them, that Maria was surprised by, but thankful for. The week had been full of surprises, and she was finally thankful for a happy one, and for one she won't look back on in shame.

But there is so much that she needs to do. She needs to reach out more, she needs to tell Tony how much she appreciates him, and wants him, and that she's glad that almost a year ago she said she would marry him while the were in Italy. She needs to also be more confident in herself, that this change she is going through is a good thing. Pregnancy is supposed to be hard. If it was easy, more people would recommend it (or something like that, she's never been good with phrases and that one just sounds so odd as she thinks about it). But she needs to remember that she can do it. That it's completely okay to be terrified about being a mother, because anyone who isn't terrified of becoming a parent is completely lying. But she can't let her family history get to her. She can't let what she experienced growing up to keep shaping her negatively. There is a reason she became an agent, and that was to prove she was better than what anyone thought - and really, who gives a fuck what anyone thinks? But there would always be people commenting, and there would always be opinions. Only few people had opinions that mattered to her, and one of those was sitting next to her in the car, quietly driving them home.

She had to do better. For the sake of her marriage, for the sake of her child, for Tony, and for herself. She knew she was going to remember all of this as Lisandra, and she knew how devastating it was going to be. Remembering the two day long fight with Tony, remembering how cruel he was as he tried to get through to her, remembering how cruel she was in return when she tried to give up. How she struggled to even give into going to see Diana and Clint, how she only did it for Tony. She knew she wouldn't remember the reason for the lasso. She knew she wouldn't even remember the lasso at all, only a rope. She'd be confused, but Maria might be able to help that if she wrote a note about it.

The car pulls into the garage under their penthouse building, and as they park the car, Tony gets out and walks over to Maria's side and opens her door, and holds out a hand for her to take. They lock eyes for the first time since they left the other apartment, for the first time since they admitted what they were both doing wrong and what they needed to fix, and in that moment, Maria takes his hand. She swallows hard as she gets out of the car, and shuts the door behind her, and neither of them move. In a moment, she starts to cry, because there is so much more that she needs to tell him and there is so much more that she needs to do, but she's so mentally exhausted that she can't find the words.

He understands, and leans in and kisses her, and she can sense that he's just as emotionally drained as she is. She closes her eyes and when the kiss parts, Tony rests his forehead against hers for a moment, before squeezing her hand and starting for the garage elevator.

They ride the elevator in silence, but their hands are tightly held together, and she rests her head against his shoulder, keeping her eyes closed. When she opens her eyes again, the doors to the elevators open, leading them into their penthouse, and their hands break away from each other, as she shrugs off the light sweater she was wearing, and starts towards the bedroom, but stops.

She turns to look at Tony, and she sighs, "You know how they say pregnant women can have one glass of wine in however many months? I think I really want to cash that in now."

Tony gives a light laugh, and smirks, "I was waiting for this. I've got a bottle chilling in the kitchen." He gestures for her to come to him, and she does, albeit slowly given her state, and she smirks.

"I hope it says "in case of emergency where you have to have a magic piece of rope to make you talk, drink a glass" on it," she jokes.

"It might…"

Maria laughs, and watches as he pulls out the wine, and a glass for her, pouring her a very small amount. Of course she wishes she could have a lot more, but she'll savor it anyway. "if it does, i will kiss you right now," She laughs, as he hands her the glass. He grins and says simply, "Pucker up," and she kisses him.

They stand in the kitchen, having a very small glass of wine each, and when hers is done, she gently sets the glass down on the counter and clears her throat, starting what she knows she has to do. She has a lot to say, so she starts with "I love you and I'm sorry for the past few days. I am in...no way past this, but...it's reasonable now." She sighs, "I'm sorry I put you through hell."

Tony sets down his glass and moves to stand in front of Maria, his hands moving to her shoulders, gently rubbing them. "It's okay, love," he says, as one hand moves from her shoulder to caress her cheek.

Maria shakes her head, clearing her throat, "No, it's not okay," she says, as she raises her hand to rest over his touching her cheek, as she leans into his touch, hating that she had denied herself of such comfort for so long, "But it will be. I promise."

"I know," He replies, and kisses her forehead, and for a moment she closes her eyes as he says, "I love you."

She opens her eyes and looks at him, and in the first time for the entire week, she smiles. Because she is starting to feel like she is getting her life back. Because she has hope in herself and her relationship again, and hated that she ever doubted both those things. Because she has Tony, and she always will.

"I love you too."