Steve recognised where they were before the car rounded the bend, he had seen these trees and thick green ferns too recently to forget them just yet.

Sam pulled the car up beside the stone dam, tires rolling to a stop in the dirt and gravel. Steve stared up at the towering structure. There was an uneasiness brewing in the atmosphere.

The slanted stone walls of the dam where no longer damp like he had first seen on his original visit. The ground was dry too, heavy rain not having passed through in his absence. The man-made overflow chute at the base of the dam also remained empty.

This place gave Steve the illusion that not much had changed. The last few days however reminded him otherwise.

"You sure your ready for this?" The keys jangled as Sam pulled them from the ignition.

Sam hadn't explained much in the two days Steve spent recovering in hospital, in that time he had been unable to discern weather Sam couldn't say or just simply didn't know the answers he was looking for. Steve's response came in the form of him opening his passenger side door, stepping out into the fresh air. His door slapped shut behind him before he heard the click of the driver's door opening.

Steve eyed the rusted gate ahead of him, having a pretty good idea what was waiting for him somewhere on the other side.

On approach the barred gate was unchained, exactly as it had been previously. Sam led the way. The loose decrepit chain rattling like a snake, the door creaked in protest of being opened.

Steve's boots where loud against the old concreate floor, on impact the echo traveling further into the unknown. The corridor ahead was dark and dingy just as he recalled. Water having dripped for decades down these walls, staining and scaring the stone. The strip lights above flickered into action as they proceeded forward, rotting pipes on the ceiling with them the whole way. Sam led Steve the down the same path as before, walking confidently side by side, Sam uncomfortably quite the whole way.

As expected, the corridor opened into a larger hall.

Steve stopped.

In the open space he glared where there had once been an amount of substantial hospital equipment. Now there was nothing, everything was gone, leaving the bare battered bones of the dam exposed.

"The place has been cleared out." Sam finally offered some form of an answer, even if it was an answer that was clearly staring Steve in the face. "He's this way."

Steve looked at Sam, lips unknowingly parted from his unexpected words.

Finally, he had been offered up something sizeable to go off, weather it had been a slip of the tongue or not, at this point it didn't matter.

Steve wasn't sure how far they had descended the chipped and cracking stone stairwell. Sam still stepped confidently, only adding to Steve's long list of questions without answers.

They tackled the final few steps, stairs finishing its journey at a lonely door. Rusted and in overall poor condition, the door had been left ajar, ominous filthy yellow light above matching those throughout the stairwell that had kept them out of darkness.

Steve looked to Sam to make the first move, to lead on as he had been.

"It's the first left" Sam's voiced bounced all the way back to the top of the stairs.

With Steve's list of questions reaching max capacity, he continued without comment.

The yellow flickering lights within were already on, illuminating damp moulding walls. The corridor stretched out a little way in front of him, meeting at a union of three other paths.

He could hear Sam following behind him, for some reason he had assumed he was going to stay behind. Steve tired not to think more on it and followed his orders, taking the first left as instructed.

"You were right Rogers."

Situated within the cramped dead-end corridor, beside an old desk, seated in a fold up white plastic chair, was Nick Fury.

"Fury." Steve wasn't sure why he was surprised; the length of secrecy should have been a dead giveaway.

The man in truth was almost unrecognisable in civilian clothing, sunglasses having replaced his iconic eye patch.

"Wilson. Go get it." Fury quickly ordered Sam. Causing the man to leave, heading back the way they had come.

"What is this about Fury?" Steve had had enough of being lead around like a stray dog.

"I just said did I not?"

"Right about what?" Steve changed his question.

"HYDRA was right under my nose the whole time, and I missed it." Nick sighed, hanging his head ever so slightly. "We've been data mining HYDRA files. Looks like a lot of rats didn't go down with the ship."

"Why are you telling me this?" Steve knew all too well that Nick didn't just offer up information without a reason.

He stood from his chair, turning a laptop on the desk towards Steve that he had not noticed prior.

"A lot of rats that will be looking for him."

Steve watched the screen, a video playing.

A man was sat in an empty room, stone walls in a bad shape, water damage extensive.

"Bucky?"

Steve stepped forward to get a closer look at the video, the camera only offering a perspective from its vantage point from the corner of the ceiling.

Bucky's metal fist was by his head, arm constantly risen. He was still wearing the black combat gear from their last encounter. His head lowered; long messy hair covered his face from view of the camera.

"Where is he?" Steve didn't mean to raise his voice.

"Barnes is here." A straight answer from Fury was unheard of, somehow making the matter more infuriating.

"How long?"

"We found him with you. Unresponsive."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Steve had to unclench his jaw to speak.

"You were recovering."

"I had a right to know!" The corridors took his voice and ran off with it.

There was movement in the video catching Steve's attention. Bucky had looked up.

"This is live." Steve pointed to the screen for confirmation.

"It is."

Steve took a much-needed deep breath.

"I want to see him." In his voice he was asking, his eyes however demanded.

"Then you'll need this." Sam announced from behind.

Steve hadn't heard him return; anyone's approach given away by the snitching corridors.

Turning round Steve found himself confronted by his red, white, and blue shield.

Steve accepted it back with two hands, unable to break his gaze with the striking symbol until someone spoke.

"I will be leaving this in your capable hands." Nick suddenly announced moving past Steve and Sam in the tight corridor.

"Your leaving?" Each time Steve had a question answered, another would simply take its place.

"I'm learning to trust people again. So, don't let me down."

Fury was gone, his steps growing more distant, leaving Steve staring at a laptop screen.

"You knew about all of this?" Steve faced Sam, hurt in his voice.

Sam could only nod in response, words getting caught in his throat.

Looking back one more time at the laptop screen, Steve inhaled deeply.

"let's go."

Authors Notes

This is a story I've decided to write while I wait for the Falcon and the Winter Solider series to either end, or inspire me to write a fanfic about my new obsession Bucky Barnes.

Basically there is most likely more Bucky Barnes Hurt/Comfort on the way after this story XD