A/N: I feel like I'm finally ready to return to this saga. As such, I decided I need to do a bit of a revamp to chapter one, and so I have posted the revised chapter. I am currently working on chapter two, and should hopefully have that one ready to post in a few days. Thank you for your patience, guys. It's time to move on with this story.

~Columbus, Georgia, May 25, 2015~

The storage facility had the same sloping, green-colored roof as the adjacent art museum, making it appear as though it had been built at the same time as the rest of the campus. According to the curator, though, the museum itself had been erected in 1953, while this particular structure hadn't been added until 1987, following a generous donation from a wealthy, private patron. A more critical mind, however, would have questioned the need for such a separate space when the museum's basement vaults were sufficient enough for storage purposes. Such deception had been characteristic of every HYDRA location they'd uncovered over the past year.

From his vantage point on the rooftop, Steve had an impressive view of the city to the south, but the sight of the urban skyline was hardly enough to hold his attention. Instead, he found himself staring raptly at the image he currently had displayed on his phone: a shot of him and Kim from two years ago, when he'd given her an impromptu piggyback ride at her playful request. At the time, she'd been wearing her standard prosthetic model—a skinnier, less accommodating piece than what she had now—and she thought it would make her too cumbersome to lift in that manner. But he quickly proved otherwise when he'd hoisted her up without hesitation, and God, he remembered feeling the way she smiled as she hugged her arms around his neck. Rebecca had been the one to take the photo for him, and he'd kept it as the wallpaper on his iPhone ever since.

Kim, he whispered to himself. His best friend's great-niece, and the young woman he'd been proud to call his little sister for the past four years. Since his revival, she'd become one of the few people who helped him stay grounded in some semblance of normalcy, even after being involved in the most treacherous of encounters with the Avengers. She was his family; his friend; someone he considered one of his closest confidantes without a second thought. He felt blessed to have her be a part of his life.

That was why he'd been so damn worried about her lately, especially with everything that had taken place over the past few weeks. Particularly following the awakening of Ultron, the sentient artificial intelligence that Stark had uploaded into his global defense network.

~One Week Earlier~

"So it's really gone? I mean…completely gone?"

"Yeah, Kim," Steve sighed into the receiver. "Almost completely disintegrated. Some land masses fell into the sea, but other than that, Sokovia's gone."

There was a pause on her end before she finally uttered, "Shit…"

He hardly blamed her for her for the sentiment. It had been about a week since the fall of Sokovia's capital city, and it was the first time he'd gotten a chance to contact her since that fateful day. The city had made up nearly two-thirds of the entire fledgling nation, which meant that thousands of Sokovians had lost their home, while many others lost their lives. One hundred seventy-seven lives, to be exact…including the death of one of the Avengers' newest allies. Ironically, it was that city's destruction that had ensured the safety of the world, a bittersweet victory on many fronts. "My sentiments exactly," he sighed again. "We didn't have any choice—"

"Hey," she said gently, "you don't have to explain it again, Steve. Like you said, Ultron's was bent on wiping out all of humanity, and I know you saved as many people as possible before Sokovia fell."

"Many more than we lost, thankfully."

"Umm…I heard about your teammate; the one you lost."

It was his turn to pause. "Yeah."

"What was his name again?"

"Pietro." He felt his chest tighten. Even now, memories of that boy weighed heavily on his mind. Though he'd been misguided at first, Pietro Maximoff ultimately proved himself to have a good heart, leading him not only to protect others at all costs, but also to lose his life in an act of self-sacrifice. "We would have lost a lot more if it hadn't been for him. He was just a kid; only about a year older than you." And that was what still struck him hardest. Just a kid. Even at nineteen, Kim was still just a kid to him.

"I'm so sorry," Kim offered sincerely, and he thought he heard a mild quake in her voice. "I know it's hardly comforting…but I know you guys did everything you could to protect us. All of us. You always do, and I'm grateful to you and your team."

He was quiet for a moment, then exhaled softly. "I should have called you as soon as I got back to New York, but I had to—"

"Don't," she interrupted. "I hardly hold that against you. You're okay, and I'm hearing from you now; that's all that matters."

He couldn't help but smile at her reassurance. "It really is good to hear your voice, Kim." And he meant it. To be able to talk with her at length; to listen to the low tone of her voice; to know that she really was okay. To be assured that, despite her continuous adjustment to life after Rebecca's death, Kim wasn't allowing the darkness of her past to completely encompass her heart. Especially since his duties had regrettably kept him away since the funeral. "It'll be even better when I get a chance to finally see you in-person. It's been way too long."

"How's Tony, by the way?"

He furrowed his brow slightly at the sudden change in subject, but brushed it aside. "He's alright. He's spending a lot of time in Malibu, but commutes to New York a couple times a week to make sure renovations at the facility are on schedule." He knew her concerns were stemming from Stark's recent onset of PTSD, so he understood the reasoning behind her inquiry. "He mentioned that you guys Skyped recently. How'd things turn out with your leg?"

"Back in place. Homing chip is out, so there's no possibility of being tracked anymore."

"That's good to hear." With the discovery that HYDRA was still active, it was revealed that Stark had initially outfitted Kim's REBECCA prosthetic with a homing device, one that was linked to his personal network at Stark Industries. It was intended it to be used as a safety precaution in case he ever needed to keep tabs on her, a measure she had previously agreed to.

However, it had become an unexpected source of panic for both him and Stark when Ultron began infiltrating computer systems and databases worldwide. Stark realized that this potentially included the exposure of his files on Project Mercury, and Kim's subsequent involvement with that research. Fearing Ultron would somehow gain control of her prosthetic and cause her harm, Stark had placed an urgent call to Kim at the beginning of the month, insisting that she immediately remove REBECCA and downgrade to her previous model until further notice. To Steve's relief, Kim had obliged without hesitation, but it had been enough to keep him on-edge until they could guarantee that she was absolutely out of danger.

"I was not exactly calm when Tony told me the kind of risk that could have posed for you," he admitted.

"Yeah. I understand now, but…not gonna lie: kinda sucked going back to my J-model."

At last, Steve released a chuckle. "I don't doubt that for a second. Were you able to at least keep up with your jogging?"

"Yeah, just took some readjustment. Was almost like getting reacquainted with an old friend."

"Good," he grinned. "Can't have you getting lazy on us, now, can we?"

She snorted softly. "Punk."

"Brat."

He heard Kim giggle, and then she sighed. "Any word on Bucky lately?"

It didn't surprise him that the conversation had taken this turn. "Nothing new since we last talked. Any leads we get still take us to locations where HYDRA might have held him, but as far as anything recent…no. He's still out there, and regardless of how long it takes, I'm going to keep looking. I promise you."

For a moment, she became quiet. "I know." When she paused again, he didn't press her, but part of him wished he could detect what was going through her mind. "You think he's okay, Steve?"

He sighed quietly, thinking once again about being pulled from the river. There was no doubt in his mind that Bucky had been the one to rescue him. "I hope he is." He drew in a breath.

"More importantly, though, are you doing okay?"

"I'm okay. I just…I really miss you, Steve. I'm just glad that I'm finally hearing from you."

"I know. I miss you, too, Kim." And then it was his turn to go quiet, his brows knitting as events from the past few years suddenly flashed through his mind. It would be a drastic understatement to say that he and the other Avengers had known danger in many forms, and they'd certainly battled their fair share of global threats, starting with the invasion of the Chitauri. Then the resurgence of HYDRA. And then Ultron. Each one seeming to build on the last in terms of scale and intensity, a thought that bothered Steve a lot more than he'd been willing to admit to himself. Now, though, especially with Thor's recent assessment of what he'd referred to as Infinity Stones…

"Steve?"

He cleared his throat. "I'm here."

It was as though he could sense her head tilting through the receiver. "What is it?"

How she could be so perceptive about his thoughts was something that still amazed him, a thought that had him briefly smiling. He released a long, slow sigh through his nose. "I worry."

"About what?"

"You; the people I vow to protect; my friends," he shook his head. "The things I've experienced lately…I can't help but feel that this is all building up to something much bigger than any of us realize."

"How do you mean?"

He opened his mouth, hesitated. "I'm not entirely sure, to be honest, but whatever comes our way, we're going to do our damndest to make sure that we're ready. That much I can promise you."

When silence lingered between them for a time, it didn't occur to Steve to mind, especially since he was trying to piece together his own thoughts on the matter himself.

It wasn't long, though, before he heard her sigh on her end of the line. "Tony mentioned…that Pietro had a sister. The woman in red?"

"He does," he affirmed, "a twin named Wanda."

"She still with you, or…?"

"Training with us at the compound now."

"What can she do?"

"She's very talented with telekinesis and mind manipulation," he said, quietly recalling the heartrending demonstration of her abilities on him, "and we think there's a good chance that her powers could be strengthened through some focusing techniques. I think she's going to be a great asset to the team."

A pause. Then, "Steve?"

"Yeah?"

"Keep a close eye on her, would you? She's probably hiding it really well, but…she's going to have a hard time with her brother being gone. I don't know what it's like having a twin, but…She needs to know she's not alone."

His heart swelled, and it was that interesting dichotomy of gratitude and sympathy he felt filling his chest. "I think she'd appreciate that, and I promise I'll look after her, Kim."

"Thank you, Steve…"

Releasing a sigh through his nose, Steve lifted his eyes at last, taking in the vacillating rooftops of the buildings in the distance. He couldn't even begin to describe the peace that had overcome him during that last conversation, and not only because of his concerns for her safety and well-being. No: deep down, he also feared that he and Kim had somehow been drifting apart over these past few months. He hated entertaining such a thought, but it was true, and though he'd done his best to keep in touch since her grandmother's funeral…he couldn't deny how different things had felt between them during some of their previous conversations. Normally, even with Rebecca's failing health, Kim had been someone who was rather open and forthcoming with details about her life, and it wasn't unusual for them to talk for extended periods of time whenever he called. But lately…

Lately, there were times when she'd just seemed so…so distant towards him. As if she was holding back at a time when he wanted nothing more than for her to speak freely. Was it possible that his prolonged absence was causing her to withdraw from him? He clenched his teeth against the thought, praying that wasn't the case, but until he got a chance to see her again, nothing was certain.

I really miss you, Steve.

His nostrils flared as he exhaled, recalling those exact words to him earlier that month. It was that simple statement of hers that had been the most reassuring, one that gave his heart something to quietly cling to. The notion that things were still okay between them, despite their time apart.

I miss you too, Kim, he thought. How he did miss her after all this time. How he wished he'd gotten a chance to at least see her at Christmas…or at the very least, for her birthday back in March…

It's something I'll have to fix, he vowed to himself as he pocketed his phone. And soon.

"Might have something here, Cap," Sam's voice announced in his earpiece. "Nothing concrete on Barnes, but it might give us our best lead on another potential HYDRA cell."

Though he felt a small twinge of disappointment, the news wasn't entirely unexpected, and Steve was already turning on his heel as he responded, "On my way."

Heading toward the service access entry, he took a hold of the knob and easily wrenched the heavy door open, hearing it creeeeeak slowly shut behind him as he descended the narrow stairs.

When he wasn't fighting alongside the Avengers, his search for Bucky continued to be the top priority in his mind, a journey that had taken him and Sam to seven different HYDRA locations across three continents. A cryogenics lab in the mountains of British Colombia; a recruiting and training center near an arena in Buenos Aires; a weapons vault on the desert outskirts of Phoenix, just to name a few. All containing crucial information that proved useful to Fury and the remaining facets of SHIELD, but none that yielded any further information on Bucky or his potential whereabouts. Not since finding his dog-tags in Vancouver. The trail of clues they'd begun following since last May had resulted in many a dead-end for Steve, but as disheartening as it could be at times, he wasn't giving up on his friend. Not after they'd come so far; not after assuring Kim that he'd never give up on her great-uncle. Not after proving that somewhere deep down, there was a part of the old Bucky who'd managed to break through, and managed to remember who he was.

No; there was no giving up on him.

Coming down the last few steps, Steve rounded the metal railing and crossed the vast foyer of the main floor, his steady footsteps echoing off the high walls. He hardly paid mind to the paintings, sculptures, and boxes of precious artifacts lining his path on either side. Many of the larger works had been draped with white sheets for protection, a convincing façade, considering every piece in here was probably a fake. While he was no expert on art, common sense told him that museums were kept cold for a reason, and that was to maintain the integrity of the works they housed; storage vaults would have been no different. The inside of this building, however, was far too warm and humid for proper preservation to take place, which had immediately raised his suspicions when he and Sam first walked in.

On closer inspection, those suspicions had—once again—been proven right. Approaching the farthest corner of the foyer, a doorway gradually came into view, one that had been previously concealed by one of the larger painting set against the wall: a representation of what appeared to be Hades guarding the gates of the Underworld. How fitting.

Steve entered what turned out to be a well-equipped surveillance room, complete with multiple television screens, computer monitors, and other high-tech gadgetry that would make some of the engineers at NASA jealous. Whatever they were watching, it certainly had nothing to do with safeguarding art. "What have we got, Sam?"

From the chair he was sitting in, Sam Wilson angled his head toward him, but didn't quite look up from the data on the monitor in front of him. "So far, the files contain detailed blueprints and a list of codes for a SHIELD facility known as The Treehouse. As far as we can tell, it's one that's still under HYDRA's control, and looks like it's about twenty miles from downtown Columbus."

"Which I'm sure Nick will be eager to see as soon as this transfer is complete," the image of Natasha Romanoff spoke from the laptop Sam had set up on the desk. She was still sporting her softly curled red bob, and she casually brushed a stray tress away from her forehead. "Treehouse was a good strategic base for SHIELD, and it's one he'll definitely be interested in taking back. Those blueprints will come in handy if he wants to make any plans for a counteroffensive."

Steve nodded. "Right. Make sure we get all of that saved, too," he said to Sam.

"On it," Sam had already pulled out a silver flash drive and inserted the device into one of the USB ports.

"And the e-mails you found on their server?"

"Ask and ye shall receive," Sam mused. "Should have an exact location on an IP address once Nat's done working her magic."

"Hey, now, that kind of flattery will get you far, Sam," one corner of her mouth lifted in a subtle smirk. "Very far."

"Is that right?" He grinned, leaning back in his chair. "'Cause say the word, and I'll keep right on talking."

Steve could hardly suppress a smirk of his own as they continued on. He'd come to rather enjoy the comfortable banter that had developed between those two. Not only did it have the ability to make the most stressful of situations seem bearable, but it was also reassuring to know how well they worked together during instances like this. Plus, with all that had taken place recently, he had a feeling that Natasha appreciated the distraction more than she would ever let on.

After a moment, he asked, "Same thing we've been running into, Nat?"

"Oh yeah: HYDRA and their fondness for multiple AI routers yet again," Natasha said. "Got me doing another elaborate dance with a series of encryption codes, and in five different languages, no less. By now, you'd think they would just make it easier for us to track them down, you know?" She didn't even try disguising the irony in her voice.

Steve gave a humorless laugh. "You'd think."

"Not to worry, though. There was one thing they never counted on when they set out to cover their tracks."

"And what's that?"

"Me."

He smiled inwardly. Steve was glad they could defer to her expertise whenever they came across intricate computer systems such as this. Part of the difficulty they'd run into was the fact that HYDRA's entire digital network could not be accessed from just one location. During their rise within SHIELD, they had scattered much of their encrypted data to various safe houses around the world, which meant they would have to hunt down each cell in order to access the information harbored within them. Thankfully, Natasha had a few tricks up her sleeve, and while she couldn't identify every HYDRA hideaway out there, she could use the frequency of e-mails sent from each facility to track down the IP addresses of where they ought to look next.

Only several more seconds passed before Natasha announced, "And without further ado, gentlemen, behold," she said as an inserted image popped up on the screen next to her, "next on your to-do list."

Steve and Sam both leaned in close, Steve's eyes scanning what appeared to be a small-scale road map bearing a location marker. As soon as he recognized the series of intersections and landmarks on display, he felt his heart briefly flutter.

"Well, what d'ya know," Sam muttered first, sitting back again, "back to D.C. we go."

Back to D.C., his mind echoed, and though he knew this meant their work was far from over...

"You got an exact location for these coordinates?"

"Ideal Federal Savings Bank in the heart of downtown," she reported, "on the corner of 14th and New York Avenue. The building itself has been abandoned for about ten years, but this IP was active as recently as the end of last April. Looks like it'll be another one worth checking into."

Nodding slowly, Steve exhaled quietly as he straightened up. "Thanks, Nat."

"Anytime, Cap. I just wish it could be more."

"I know."

"Anything else you guys need from me?"

"Plate of sushi and a bottle of warm saké?" Sam mentioned, making her lips twitch into a smile.

Steve grinned, shaking his head. "At this time, no. Just be sure to get those files to Nick, and if anything pertinent comes up before we leave, we'll be sure to be in touch."

"You got it. You watch your backs out there, okay?"

"We will. See you soon."

"I'll be here." With that, Natasha ended the transmission on her end, her image disappearing from the laptop screen.

After a moment of quiet, Sam turned in his chair to face him, an eyebrow arched in a knowing manner. "So, what'll it be first? Checking out the bank, or stopping in to see your girls?"

Steve smiled gently. By now, Sam had heard enough stories about Kim to know that he'd take any opportunity to see her if he was anywhere near the vicinity of D.C. And the other girl—his best girl…

Feeling an ache in his chest, he let the thought fade. "Kim's not exactly 'my girl.'"

"I know, but it's cute to watch you blush," Sam teased, reaching over to remove the flash drive from the port.

"Thanks a lot," he said humorously, accepting the silver device from him. "But no: let's head back to New York and touch base with Tony first. I want to see how things are progressing at the new facility before we plan a course of action, but I wouldn't mind seeing if we could get out there by the end of the week."

Sam gave a nod. "You gonna give her a heads-up? Let her know you're coming?"

He thought about that for a moment, and as much as he wanted to hear her voice when he told her of his upcoming plans, his mind recalled the elation that had been in her eyes when he'd suddenly shown up on that somber day last July…

"No," he said softly, looking over at Sam. "No. This one I'd like to keep a surprise this time. Might make up for me missing out on her birthday."