Sam woke to the sound of his phone going off. He had it on volume all the time now… was kinda in his contract now, to be on the governments payroll and be the new captain America officially. He hadn't asked for it. But after the events of New York, the government couldn't ignore him anymore.

He had, had a few conditions mind you. He wasn't going to do this their way, that was for damn sure. He had Sharon pardoned first. He got a salary figured out and health care and a signing bonus that paid for everything for his sister that they as a family needed… and more. He also secured within his contract how he was going to operate. How the avengers worked in with everything.

It was all a darn fight and a half. Lots of back and forth, lots of negotiations, it lasted weeks. He hadn't been home to see his family or seen Bucky the entire time. Bucky had shown up to sign a contract as well to be his partner of sorts, but the military judge had told him he didn't have to be there for the entire proceedings. Sam had wished he had stayed so they could continue to train some. But he was glad to have secured something for his new friend. Something stable in this new world order. Something he, no they could both be proud of and work towards.

Bucky had promised he wouldn't go too far. That he would be around once everything was finalized so he could sign the final contract but that had been about a week ago and he hadn't shown up. The judge dismissed him and said where he had signed the first one, he could come sign the final draft whenever. But he wouldn't be paid till it was signed. Sam had called Sharon when Bucky hadn't shown and asked for some help. He knew she was back working with the CIA as well and would still have some connections but still he hadn't heard anything back from her.

This stuff didn't just happen overnight he thought to himself, but he also couldn't just go out and start poking around where his nose didn't belong. He Knew Bucky could be a quiet and reserved person. He liked his privacy. That was for damn sure.

But the phone call waking him up at present wasn't and would be the first time his phone woke him late at night, well rather he looked at the clock on the bed side table of the nice hotel he had been put up in for the past several weeks.

"3:45am… you've got to be shittin…" he grabbed the phone before it stopped ringing "Hello"

"Sam, we have a problem, turn on the news right now"

It was Sharon. And she sounded distressed.

"okay hold your horses, here let me see… what channel is the news here"

"202 I think, your still in dc right"

"yup hold on"

He turned on the tv, it was bright, and it took his eyes a moment to adjust. Thankfully the sound hadn't been turned on or it was muted, because he thought he may be dreaming.

"Sharon what am I looking at, is this a rerun from years ago…"

What he was seeing he didn't want to believe but everything on the screen told him it was.

-BREAKING NEWS-

The only recently pardoned James Buchannan Barnes has been spotted breaking into an old S.H.I.E.L.D. base. Camp Lehigh, Wheaton, New Jersey. He was reportedly wearing older military gear, wielding many dangerous weapons. Captain America was not with his new partner it can be assumed that he is acting alone at this time.

This news coming only days after the New captain America has finalized his contracts with the US government. Sargent Barnes was said to have missed the court date to sign his paperwork along side the new Captain America.

People are already starting to wonder if the newly pardoned man has gone off the deep end again.

Sam turned the tv off before it could continue. CNN had a nasty habit of blowing stuff out of proportions now and again, but Sam was getting nervous. The images where blurry night cell phone pictures people had submitted. And one video as well he saw. Bucky had been wearing his old winter soldier gear.

"Sharon please, dear god tell me he hasn't done anything stupid"

"so far it seems he has stolen a quin jet. No reported casualties…. Yet"

"Can we track the jet he took" he was already getting dressed; his suit wasn't with him at the moment it was locked away in the case back home. He cursed himself for not having brough it with him, he only had the shield. Never left home without that.

"not yet. Sadly. He knew how to get off grid and off radar somehow. Sam, I have a really bad feeling about this"

"He spent so much time with the Wakandans, I'm going to try and contact some folks. See if we can get any info."

"I do have one piece of intel that may be of use to you Sam"

but the line when quiet, Sam was already leaving the hotel and finding the keys to his rental car at this point. He needed to get moving and moving fast. Bucky was already hours ahead of them at this point. He was honestly surprised it was Sharon who had woken him first and not the team of government us forces he was supposed to be working for and with. This seemed pretty high up on his supposed list of tasks he was set to handle.

"come on Sharon aint got all night here. I gotta catch his luck ass before he does something REALY stupid."

Silence and then faintly he heard a sniffle on the other line

"sorry Sam I'm really upset over this, we just got him back didn't we. He seemed so healthy. I was so excited to work with you both. I don't know why I'm so emotional over this"

He unlocked the car door and got in and just sat there for a moment letting her cry over the phone to him. He started the car and set off driving on the 495 towards Joint Base Andrews. He was going to have another fun phone call to make after this one.

"it's okay Sharon, I will get him back. What's the intel you have"

"Before the quin jet was lost on radar, he was headed up the east coast. Out to sea it seemed. He wasn't on the radar long Sam"

"Okay thanks Sharon. I am on it."

And he hung up. Set the blue tooth and made his next calls. Not so happily to his sister. He needed his suit and fast, he was going to be flying all over the damn US at this point. He knew he should have taken his wings with him, but it wasn't supposed to take this long. He had only been told things in dc would take a few days, he had planned on going right back home to his sister.

"Hey Sarah, is Sam"

"Sam is everything alright"

"Nah, um look I left a case in my room. I need you to take it to Barksdale Air Force Base right now. This isn't a drill. I'll have someone waiting for you"

"SAM, do you know how far that is from us! I'll have to wake the boys."

"you know I wouldn't be asking if things weren't really serious"

"what's going on"

"it's bucky, he's kinda been missing, I didn't tell you I didn't want to worry you."

"He is family now Sam, you gotta be telling me this shit!"

"I know, I'm sorry. But please I know it's a bit out of the way. But I need my wings."

"I told you not to leave without them.

"I know you told me so…. Please"

"yes, I'm already getting the boys up, you owe them"

He hung up and started making the other calls to the different contacts he had at the different basses. The first one was easier said than done. Getting a jet to bring his suit to him would be easy, getting a jet to New York once he had his wings would also be easy enough, it was an hour or so flight, however tracking Bucky off the coast… not so much and heading up the eastern seaboard. Man, he could be in Canada now for all he knew. But why. Why up the east coast.

He didn't have much more time to think to himself before he arrived at the air base. Flashed his id badge and was asked to hold on while the staff sergeant went to check on something.

All his clearances were still so new. The staff sergeant came back quickly and gave him a few directions for the base and told him to meet some other Lieutenant Colonel at hangar 17.

He made his way as fast as he was legally allowed to drive on base. Looking at the car dash and seeing it was now 5am, it seemed like time was moving so slowly. Nothing was going fast enough but it seemed like he was losing precious time. He checked his phone quickly before getting out of the rental and going to the trunk. A new text from Sharon.

- New lead. Canadian coast guard spotted jet leaving south shore of Nova scotia. A small Canadian province on east coast. Said to be heading out to sea. No indication as to why it landed in Canada.

Sam was thrown for a loop. Okay so Bucky had gone up the coast and then made a random pitstop in Canada. What the hell was going on.

He made his way inside to meet the Lieutenant Colonel, who quickly saluted him and ushered him inside the hanger.

"Captain America, what a pleasure to meet you, I am under the assumption you are here on business this early and not just on a tour of the facilities. "

"You'd be all to right Colonel Duplisea." He shook the woman's hand and started his explanation. He'd given the Colonel credit. She wasn't fazed and didn't look to shocked.

It took all of a few minutes before she too was on her phone and making arrangements. Making sure the new Captain America could get all the gear and supplies he needed. She excused herself away to make a phone call and within minutes came back with a new look on her face, it was between worry and excitement.

"All is set and ready, the jet is already on its way with express shipment of your gear. That being said it will be a few hours yet till it arrives here, you are more than welcome to join me with some recruits this morning at the mess hall till you are ready to take off. I have a pilot who will fly you to the air base in Nova scotia before we set off further. Hopefully we will have more intel before mister Barnes can make it any further"

Sam was impressed. And all it took was being the new Capt. he guessed. And well it probably helped he had lots of military connections before as well as those new fancy documents he signed probably also had something to do with it.

And so, he followed the Colonel still constantly checking his phone.

Nothing new, eating with some senior air men and air men first class.

Nothing new, going over the flight data base with the pilot they assigned to him. Major Sussey, a long-time pilot who had done several tours.

Nothing new, the jet carrying his suit arrived and was delivered to the new jet they were about to take. He checked everything over. And then just as they were about to take off with the minimal crew and gear, they needed he got one last text from Sharon.

New info, group of fishermen off the coast of Maine and Nova scotia have made radio contact stating they spotted the quin jet flying around these coordinates 41.73478, -58.77944

He text her back a quick thank you and updated the information with the pilot.

Well now at least they knew he was staying in a certain area. Clearly looking for something important in the area.

He had a lead and that was better than nothing.

"I'm on my way Buck"