Steve stared around the desolate waste ground. Looking for Bucky was taking forever but there was no way he was ever going to give up. That was what he had done before on the train and his best friend had paid the price. Now it was up to the Captain to sort it all out. Striding over the muddied rutted ground, Steve placed his shield on his right arm, wary of any Hydra or SHIELD agents that were still looking for him. Although Steve never actually liked to fight, at the present moment the Captain was hoping for a full scale battle just so that he could get rid of this excess growing frustration he was feeling. It was a dreadful feeling when your best friend who was practically family couldn't even recognise you. Steve jumped slightly as The Falcon spoke in his ear through their earpieces.

"Any sign Cap?"

"No nothing yet." He replied wearily.

"You okay man?"

"I'll be fine Sam. It's Bucky who needs us."

"What will you do when you find him? I won't let him almost kill you again!"

"I'll speak to him. He's starting to remember. He saved my life."

"Yea of course he did Steve," his voice thick with sarcasm.

"Well who else dragged me out of the lake then Sam? You? No I didn't think so, I was drowning god damn it." Steve shouted in frustration. After a minute of awkward silence he said earnestly. "I'm sorry Sam."

"Its okay Captain, we will find him. You have to believe that."

Steve pinched the bridge of his nose and taking a deep breath replied with exhaustion. "Nothing here, starting to head back. Get the car ready."

"Received and understood. Over and out."

Steve allowed himself a small smile and started to jog past the line of broken trees and metal fragments, eager to be away looking for another lead. A few minutes later and he was back at the jeep that Fury had lent them; Sam was stood beside it with his leg resting against the door. Seeing the Captain he jumped up and tossed something to him. With his advanced reflexes, Steve caught it easily and looked down curiously at the car keys in his hand. Usually Sam didn't let him anywhere near the car but now he was being allowed to drive it, Steve knew he was forgiven.

"Ready Steve?"

"Always, let's go. Allonsy." Steve said excitedly.

"Been catching up with Doctor Who have we?" Sam laughed.

"Affirmative," Steve winked and climbed into the driver's seat. "I like number 10, although 11 is brilliant. Then again 9 was fantastic."

"Well what I always say is, why pick a favourite actor when they all play the same person."

Putting the keys into the ignition, Steve tried to start the car. Only to have it stall one second later. Sam leaned forward in worry and raised his arm to ask Steve something but didn't get a chance. The car stalled again and the Captain irritably muttered, "I can ride a motorcycle, they cannot be that different! Stupid motorcar!"

He leant back and rubbed his temples for a few seconds before stepping back out of the car, walking round to the passenger side and buckling himself in. Sam was already in the opposite seat and had started the car up, ready to leave. As soon as they were both safe and secure within the buckles the car began to move, onto the next part of their journey.

...

"You okay Captain?" Sam asked with concern after more than 8 minutes of silence.

"Yes Sam, I'm fine... Where are we off to now? The United Kingdom or Turkey?"

"I think that England would be the best bet, its the freshest lead."

Steve laughed ironically, "Bucky always wanted to visit the United Kingdom."

Steve laughed quietly, "You can just call it the UK or England Steve, even Britain is fine."

"Really? That's changed since my day." Steve muttered with a furrowed brow. For a moment you clearly see that he was a man out of time who had not quite caught up with the rest of the world.

Putting on the radio, he flicked through the channels absentmindedly; "How's this?" Steve asked Sam. Classical music filled the car, the violin notes twinkling daintily through the silence.

"Perfect." He replied quietly. They listened for a couple of minutes to the floating dancing notes emitting from the radio, The Captain was starting to relax and had leant back into the plush leather seat with his eyes closed. Then in such a quiet voice and with eyes still closed Steve asked, "We will find him won't we?" Sam almost couldn't hear but replied with passion,

"Of course we will Cap."

Sam glanced over at the Captain and at his seemingly peaceful and still body that was anything but. Sorrow and pity swelled within Sam's heart for the lost man trying to find his messed up family. Turning his eyes back towards the road he pushed the accelerator further down and sped towards Bucky Barnes, hopefully.

Over rugged terrain they travelled passing sparse lifeless trees and derelict buildings crumbling in the wind, through empty villages where people peered from behind their curtains in fear and suspicion, past starving skeletal dogs scouring the streets for scraps of food and to the country and hills beyond. Through narrow valleys they travelled, over streams and ponds on the ground, mud, rain, wind, snow. They combated all elements escaping from the destitute land now behind them. But escaping was just the beginning, then they had to avoid being seem by the soilders.

Unknown to them driving along, danger was approaching and quickly. Steve began to hum along to the music and its jazzy tempo, with Sam tapping his fingers on the steering wheel.

BANG!

A bomb flew underneath the car and exploded flinging the machine up in the air as if it were weightless, both passengers were flung around like rag dolls as the car toppled over and over, crashing on both wheels and the roof. They came to a jaggered halt on all four wheels.

*Body armour at 67% capacity, emergency evacuation recommended.*

Steve groaned and groggily looked over at Sam. There was no movement

from the falcon.

"SAM!" The Captain called, concern in every syllable.

*The driver has a concussion and a broken arm and rib, morphine injection recommended.*

With this the car revealed a needle with clear liquid in, Steve grabbed the

morphine and stabbed it into Sam's muscled arm. A heavy sigh came from

the wounded man, Steve hoped he was going to be alright. If they actually got

out of this alive.

Forcing himself to move across so that he could see out of the windscreen,

the super soldier hauled his head up enough to glance out only to drop it

again in horror. The journey they had been on had been in vain, they had tried

to find them but the soldier had found them first , he had been following them

since the beginning it seemed, the realisation dawned on Steve.

The soldier was...

Bucky.

Steve froze what could he do? Two men he had sworn to protect and yet he

couldn't deal with one without putting the other in more danger. But his heart

overruled his head, Bucky had to come first. Bit before anything, an order of

safety for his injured friend, "Um, car?" he asked, no matter how well he was

adapting to this new era, talking to vehicles and inanimate objects still felt

like an odd thing to do.

*What is your command Captain?*

"Safety protocols, keep Sam safe. Evasive manoeuvres, whatever it takes. Understand?"

*Confirm. Safety features on.*

Shaking slightly Steve reached over and unlocked the door. With tentative sore movements the super soldier stepped out of the car and closed the heavy metal door behind him. The winter soldier stood watching frowning slightly, his long black hair waving in the slight breeze. His human hand remained clenched whereas his metallic tainted and rusty arm stayed unclenched, whether supposed to be or not was another question altogether.

Steve limped closer, his leg must have been hit upon the dashboard, until they stood not 5 metres apart.

Each one waited to see who would speak first, it took an eternity but Steve plucked up the courage to speak first. It was a half moan with pain and friendship, his heart hammering as fast as a hummingbird's wings, "Bucky."

One word but filled with such meaning and hope that the winter soldier took a step back, confusion evident within his eyes.

"Steve? Is that who you are? I've been seeing you in my mind more and more but I don't understand who you are. You were my target! You should be dead, why couldn't I kill you! Why! TELL ME!" The soldier shouted in frustration moving his human hand to his forehead and scraping his nails down his face as if he was going to rip out the memories from his head for all to see.

With this confession Steve had grinned, for the first time in many years it was an ear splitting eye crinkling grin, his friend was remembering him. Steve knew his faith in Bucky was just as strong as ever, they were family and he was going to make him better.

"Your name is James Buchannan Barnes and you are my best friend in the entire world. You were born in 1918 and your family were friends with mine."

The soldier began to fidget and move around, "Are you okay?" Steve asked in concern as the soldier began to pale and wobble on the spot.

"Keep talking." The soldier demanded, "Tell me stories."

He was definitely wobbling now, his legs placed far apart for stability, the metal arm at his side looking lifeless and worn. Steve automatically reached out an arm for the man to grab, the soldier's human hand grabbed out and took Steve's arm firmly.

"Right, I'll start as close to the beginning as I can. But I'll warn you now; this may take some time to tell." Steve warned, half smiling at the warmth of Bucky's hand in his. Especially as it was the first non combat touch they had had in over 70 years. Steve began to speak in a slow rhythmical voice, the voice you'd use to calm a spooking animal or to calm someone down.

"My mam used to tell me that when we were kids we were inseparable, we used to play in your backyard with mud. The pictures I have back home, we look like mud monsters. I was always a little kid, getting sick all the time but you were always there beside me. My guardian angel I used to call you." Steve smiled fondly at the term of endearment before continuing, "Then one day when I was 8 I became really ill. The worst I had ever been-"

"You had pneumonia didn't you?" Bucky replied sounding tired.

"Yes. The doctors had given me 3 days to live; you were sat beside or on my bed the entire time. I was so ready to give up at one stage but you could sense it I think, you grabbed hold of my hand and started to talk to me. I cant remember what but the only thing keeping me on earth at that stage was your voice, I owe you everything. You just need to remember, and I will help you, If you want me to."

Bucky's hand became tighter in Steve's, who thought it was in response to his words only to realise one second later that he really was ill as Bucky fell to the floor unconscious.

"Bucky!" Steve almost shouted. Now that he really looked at the soldier he could see how bad a shape he was in, he was thin and brittle looking, his cheekbones and eyes were more prominent and his metal arm was disfunctioning and broken. He needed Steve's help and Steve agreed even before his friend could ask, it was only fair for the amount of times Bucky had saved him from getting killed in an alleyway. Checking Bucky's pulse and breathing rate, Steve lifted the surprisingly heavy man up and carried him to the waiting car. Placing him across the back seats, Steve made sure he was buckled in safely and moved to the front of the car to check Sam. Then the Captain realised he would have to be the one who drove them to safety, he lifted Sam out of the car and placed him in the passenger chair. Reaching up towards the steering wheel Steve took a deep breath and started the car, when the engine began to rumble Steve allowed himself a small smile before setting off slowly in the damaged car.

"Secure line to Fury please."

*Communication systems non-functioning*

"Great thanks," Steve said sarcastically, he was alone in this. He would head back home, to Brooklyn to help his friend remember all the great times they had shared.

Beside him Sam began to stir and moan, grasping his head. Slowly he turned to Steve and said slurred,

"What happened?"

"We found him Sam, well he found us." Steve replied with happiness and a smile lighting up his face.

"What!" Sam said in shock, not understanding.

Steve motioned for him to look behind them into the back of the car where the soldier was led.

Sam tenderly turned wincing slightly and stared in horror at the curled up person led in the back, "Don't want to sound harsh or anything bud, but why isn't he tied up? He did just try and kill us."

Steve looked offended and replied strictly and with authority, "You will not touch him in any way, apart from to help him. He is under my protection and he needs help. And I am going to get it for him no matter what, with or without your help." Steve said harshly, although he never meant it. He had lost all of his friends and family and Steve needed Sam's help and friendship.

Sam sighed and clutched his arm, he had had a long day but through his pain and worry for Steve, he could tell that the Captain needed him.

"Of course I'll help Steve, you only needed to ask. I'm in this for the long run."