Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who's patiently waited for an update to this story. A seemingly unending series of events have kept me away but hopefully we're back on track to finish by the end of the year. As penance, I've also provided a short, fluffy, post-Thanksgiving story that takes place in the days that follow the end of "Lost, Found and Somewhere Between."

Chapter Seven

When Sam joined the army straight out of college, it was his chance to see the world but it wasn't until after he'd completed two tours and managed the central DC veterans affairs office that he finally did it in style.

He didn't know exactly what bargain Sharon had struck with Stark Industries but he was getting used to having a private jet at his disposal - at least when it came to missions when he was paired with Bucky. The former Soviet assassin would never make it past TSA with his metal arm and the resulting delay would give someone from airport security time to recognize him as the Winter Soldier.

So, it was better all around that he and Bucky flew in the lap of luxury aboard one of the jets Tony Stark himself no doubt used - when he wasn't flying under the power of one of his own Iron Man suits.

What Sam wouldn't give to fly under his own power again...but, sadly, the Falcon wings had been damaged beyond repair during the fall of the Triskelion by none other than Bucky himself. He couldn't really even be mad at his teammate - the Bucky Barnes who fought alongside Captain America and Falcon today wasn't the same one who'd tried to kill both of them eight months ago when SHIELD was brought down by Hydra.

Since then, Sam, Steve and Bucky had been diffusing rogue Hydra threats around the globe.
In this case, Sam and Bucky were working directly with the Polizia di Stato, the Italian state police, to follow up on suspicious activity they had come to believe had ties to Hydra.

When they arrived at the station, Sam was glad Sharon's contact spoke English and didn't seem to mind that Sam's Italian vocabulary was pretty much limited to what he'd learned off the Olive Garden menu.

If the rest of his squad had already been briefed in Italian, they didn't seem to mind hearing it again for the ignorant American.

"We believe Hydra agents have taken over this farm, here, beyond the river," Lieutenant Palestrina said as he pointed to a location on the large map in his station's conference area. "It has been in foreclosure for some time but recent patrols have seen increased motor traffic out that way and, despite there being no record of the utilities being reactivated, it appears to have running power."

"And what makes you think it's Hydra?" Sam asked.

"The increase in activity was shortly after the discovery of Hydra agents hidden within the SHIELD and at least two individuals have been identified from the watch list your Miss Carter provided."

Sam nodded, listening as Palestrina outlined their plan of attack. As far as he could tell, the lieutenant and his team - including a well-mannered German Shepherd Bucky had immediately bonded with - had the situation well in hand. It didn't really seem like he and Bucky were needed but Sam was glad to cooperate in the interest of establishing good relations for future missions.

Later, even as they approached the compound, both Sam and Bucky were content to follow the lead of Palestrina and his men as they slowly advanced upon the foreclosed farmhouse.

Sam crouched low, wishing he could better understand the orders and responses given by the rest of the team. Despite the language barrier, he was pretty sure he'd know when he was needed but so far the entire endeavor had run smoothly...

And he regretted the thought immediately because barely a beat later he heard gunfire and shouts from inside the barn.

Changing direction, Sam ran behind the house toward the unlit outbuilding and didn't move quickly enough to avoid the large human-shaped object that came hurtling out through the open door at him.

His night-vision goggles flew as he fell under the unidentified man's weight and, in the time it took his eyes to adjust, two more bodies crashed through the wall, locked in combat.

He recognized Bucky in the dark, wresting with an unknown but presumably hostile assailant and wondered how Palestrina's team was faring in the house.

By the time he finally freed himself to lend Bucky assistance, not that the soldier needed any, a flurry of rapid Italian crackled out of his radio.

"Sounds like more trouble," Sam said, "We should get to the house, see what they found."

"There's no one up there," Bucky said, toying with his opponent as he divided his attention between fending off blows and talking to Sam.

"How do you know that?"

Bucky pointed at the radio clipped to Sam's belt, then used that hand to deliver a final blow that dropped the second man next to the first.

"You speak Italian? Why didn't you say so?"

"Just because I know the language doesn't mean I want to speak to anyone." He knelt over the two unconscious forms, searching their clothing.

"They were sloppy," he observed.

"Who?" Sam asked.

"These men. Criminals but not Hydra. They were surprised by our presence, despite the surveillance equipment inside, and were ill-prepared for hand-to-hand combat. This may have been a Hydra base at one time but there aren't any agents now."

"What about the Hydra agents from Sharon's list?" Sam asked only to be answered by a shrug.

"Don't know. But perhaps these two can answer our questions when they wake up."

While the police had been open and cooperative when they'd thought they needed Bucky and Sam's help, they very clearly did not want their assistance with any interrogations. Palestrina explained that it was merely to keep the proceedings legal but that didn't make being barred from the interrogation room while the two suspects - the ones Bucky single-handedly caught, by the way - were questioned any less frustrating.

While Sam worked to establish a secure connection so he could report in with Sharon, Bucky seemed content enough to play catch with Sasha the German Shepherd.

Ignoring the rhythmic bounce of the rubber ball and scratch of Sasha's nails against the tile floor, Sam waited for Sharon to answer the encrypted message.

After a moment, Sharon's pretty face appeared on the screen and Sam was slightly surprised to see that Sharon was seated at her kitchen table - and behind her was trained on the jean-clad posterior of his boss and fearless leader.

"Everything okay over there?" he asked.

Sharon's smile was a little too wide as she explained that the technicians from Stark Industries had taken over their command center on the second floor and she was relegated to using her old laptop and kitchen table in the meantime.

"Uh-huh...and what's Steve still doing there? I thought he had that gig at the Smithsonian today."

"Rescheduled," Steve said casually, turning to lean against the counter as he popped an apple slice into his mouth. "I had some things to take care of this morning."

If they were a normal couple, Sam would have had an obvious guess for what that "something to take care of" was based on the smile Sharon couldn't control and Steve's overly relaxed demeanor. But Steve and Sharon were far from a normal couple. Not that they weren't a great couple, but he knew there'd been very little hanky and almost no panky in the six months they'd been together. He didn't judge - not ever when it came to Captain America - but he didn't know how a red-blooded American guy like Steve could be with a woman like Sharon and not be with a woman like Sharon.

Still, the two were acting strangely.

Before he could ask more, Sharon inquired about their opp and he filled both her and Steve in on their raid.

"By the time we finished searching the entire place, there was evidence it may have been a former Hydra base but there wasn't any sign of any Hydra agents," Sam reported.

"Have the men you apprehended said anything about the previous occupants?" Sharon asked.

"If they have, we don't know. Palestrina and his lieutenant have been questioning them but they haven't been forthcoming with anything they've found. Bucky thinks the two goons he caught were common crooks who just happened upon the farmhouse and decided it made a pretty good hideout."

"Where is Bucky?" Sharon asked.

"The squad here has a German Shepherd, their mascot, and Bucky hasn't stopped playing with him since we got back to the station."

Sam tilted the computer so that the dog and Winter Soldier came into view and Sharon and Steve watched from more than four thousand miles away as Bucky bounced a bright blue ball against the side of someone's desk and the dog caught it in mid air only to then carry it back and drop it into Bucky's hand.

The pure joy on Bucky's face as he played with the dog softened Sharon's smile and she brought her grip the one Steve had rested on her shoulder.

Steve's best and oldest friend, Bucky had been brainwashed and used by Hydra as a weapon for seventy years. Over the last six months he had slowly become less of the Winter Solider and more of the James Buchanan Barnes Steve had known since childhood.

Sharon had been a part of Bucky's journey and had come to love him like the brother she'd always wanted but her parents never got around to giving her. They each considered themselves the other's protector and Sharon would do - and had - pretty much anything for him.

Together, they watched the unguarded moment between man and dog.

"We should get Bucky a dog," Sharon announced.

"What?" Sam and Steve both asked.

"I don't know if I've ever seen him so happy, so at ease," Sharon explained. "I think a dog would do him some good."

Steve looked thoughtful. "He does takes a lot of solo missions."

"And he still has a hard time socializing with most people. A pet could do him some good," Sam agreed.

"And I know just who to talk to," Sharon added. "I know someone who places retired police dogs with new owners. I'll look into it."

"And just like that Bucky gets a dog? I guess we know who your favorite is."

"Maybe when you find out what our friends from that farm house know you can be our favorite for a while," Steve said.

"Funny, man." Sam looked down at his watch. "The Stark jet will be back for us tonight so I should have something by the time we take off, either from Palestrina himself or the two guys from the farmhouse."

"Keep us posted," Sharon said.

"I will. And you two enjoy your morning off," Sam shot back a second before he closed to connection. "Those two were definitely up to something before I called," he said to himself. He was looking forward to teasing the details out of them when they got back to DC. In the meantime, he had more pressing intel to gather.