A/N: site seems to be falling apart. its been hell trying to upload this chapter, so i hope it works this time. Let me know if there's trouble. You can find me on the other site, you now the one, same pen name so i should be easy to find.

"No offence, Sam, but I doubt you can fly me all the way back to Stark Tower," Steve said, a bit annoyed at the delay.

"Probably not, but I can drop you off at the Quinjet, and then fly you there."

"Well in that case…"

Sam grunted when he lifted him, and Steve hoped they didn't have far to go.

"I can run if you'd rather," Steve offered.

"Almost… there," Sam grunted through gritted teeth.

Good thing Sam could fly so fast, because Steve felt the strain in the arms keeping him from falling far below. The Quinjet had been hidden in a warehouse near the docks. Steve imagined that's how Sam, Natasha, and Clint had made it to the secret container earlier.

"How did you get the Quinjet?" Steve asked, because technically, they belonged to SHIELD.

"Natasha is a resourceful lady."

"And you know how to fly this thing?"

"I can fly anything," Sam scoffed.

Steve had his doubts when the wing clipped the warehouse's door as Sam rolled it out.

"Wait, wait, I got this," Sam muttered, pressing one button.

A floodlight lit up, Sam cursed, then pressed other buttons until he found what he was looking for and the wings folded upwards.

"There," Sam said. "Easy, see?"

Steve would be worried if he hadn't already survived a plane crash. Thankfully, Sam did seem to be doing better once they were up in the air, so maybe he only had the landing to worry about.

"So… you know what to expect when we arrive?" Sam asked.

"I'm not sure," Steve admitted. "I'm worried. The way Tony left without a word… It's not like him. He's an impulsive guy, and if he believes Pierce… I'm afraid Tony will confront Bucky and hurt him because Buck can't give him the answers he wants. Hermione will stand in Tony's way if it comes to that… " Steve sighed. "It's so messed up. We're friends. We should just talk this out like reasonable adults."

"That's always the best solution," Sam agreed, hesitating before he continued. "But… what if it's true? What Pierce said…"

Steve had no answer to that. He didn't want to believe it could be true, and yet, he also knew the Winter Soldier had killed many people. People who got in HYDRA's way or who refused to join them, people who got something HYDRA wanted… Howard had been all that and more. It wasn't a stretch to see he had been targeted by HYDRA, his death staged to look like an accident… by a skillful assassin maybe… Steve's problem was that he couldn't think of Bucky as the Winter Soldier.

Stark Tower came into view, still standing and whole, which was a good sign. Sam landed on the roof without too much trouble and they entered directly into the common area Tony had let all the Avengers use since the Chitauri invasion. Inside, all was quiet. Either the fight he had been expecting was over, or it had never happened. Sure, things had been thrown around, a bottle of alcohol smashed, but nothing near as bad as he had expected. Steve was about to veer off into the corridor leading to Bucky's room when Tony strode in. He was angry. Livid. From what Steve gathered from his rant, Hermione had simply made off with Bucky right under his nose. If Tony had looked as fierce then as he did now, Steve did not blame her one bit for taking the safest option to leave until the air had cleared. Of course, Steve didn't know where she had taken Bucky, but he could figure that out later. They were both safe for now, and that's all that mattered.

Tony, on the other hand, was hurting. If he wanted to take it out on someone, Steve would rather it was on him, whether Tony had good reason to or not. However, Dr Banner wandered in, freezing at the sight of them. He did not look good either, a bit too green to his liking.

"Go rest," Steve told the doctor who nodded gratefully and turned on his heels.

Good thing his Hulk-proof room was free now.

"Don't tell him what to do!" Tony snarled, walking up to him and pushing him in the chest.

Not very effective without his Ironman suit on, Steve noted. Sam took a step forward, but Steve motioned for him to stay put. Steve didn't want Sam to get hurt, and he didn't know what to expect, having never seen Tony this angry before.

"Why are you even here?," Tony lashed out. "Go away and never show your face to me again."

"Tony," Steve pleaded, because they had become friends. He could not let it end like this.

"Don't," Tony warned, pushing him once more as he looked him in the eye. "Did you know? Did you know what he did?"

"No!" Steve exclaimed in horror.

Is that what he had thought? That he and Hermione had known all along and hidden it from him, all the while taking advantage of his generosity, his home? Jeez, no wonder he was so pissed.

"No, Tony… Of course not. I would never have kept something like that from you, but… We don't even know if it's true-"

"He was their assassin! He killed for them! You know that! It makes so much more sense than a car accident! I was so stupid. How did I not see it before?!"

"Tony, please."

But it did make sense, damnit. Howard was an exceptional pilot of anything that had a motor. Plane, car… heck, Steve had seen him ride a motorbike like a daredevil.

"Stop it! Don't pretend you're my friend when you're protecting that murderer!"

Steve took hold of Tony's hand which was still poking his chest with every accusation.

"You are my friend. You both are. Can we just… calm down? Find out the truth first, and-"

And then what? Even if Bucky had killed Tony's parents as the Winter Soldier, he wouldn't remember… it wasn't really him. It wasn't his fault.

"And?" Tony mocked, but he looked broken. "Go away. You've already decided. Whatever that murdering son of a bitch did, even if he killed my mother… my father, who was also your friend, by the way... you've already decided to protect him! I can see it! I don't understand! You're supposed to be the good guy, Steve!"

Steve didn't move, trying to find a way to salvage this.

"Bucky doesn't remember. He didn't even remember his own name. Hydra used him. If he'd had a choice-"

"We always have a choice. There's always a way out. You know that."

"No," Steve replied as he realized just how little he knew of the world, of what people were capable of, himself included. "No, Tony, I don't. I don't know what happened to Bucky, or your parents, but I will put the blame where it belongs, at HYDRA's feet."

Tony didn't answer immediately. He looked mulish, as if Steve had managed to score one point, but he refused to admit it. Steve tried another angle, hoping Tony would be more receptive to discussing things calmly now.

"I would be angry too, if I were you," Steve confessed.

Tony was taken aback, and even Sam looked startled, his face conveying quite clearly: What the heck, man? You had him in the ropes.

"If I found out you hurt Hermione or Bucky, I wouldn't rest until I made you pay in kind. If you had deliberately, wilfully hurt them, that is. If, say, Loki had put you under his mind control spell the way he had Clint, and then made you hurt them, I would be angry, but I hope to God I would be taking it out on Loki and not you. I hope to God Pepper would stand in my way to make me see sense. I would hate myself if I hurt you for no good reason."

Tony's scowl, if anything, deepened, but then his whole posture sagged and he seemed to fold in on himself.

"Just go away," Tony repeated, finally snatching his hand back from his grasp.

Steve hesitated. There was so much more he could tell Tony, to make him understand why he could not give up Bucky so easily, whatever he had done. But Tony walked away and in the end, Sam was the one to pull him away from the place that had started to feel like home, towards the exit.

They left the Quinjet on the landing pad for Natasha to pick up if she needed it, then Sam carried him off to another rooftop, where they leaned against the ledge for some time in silence, watching the city bustling beneath them despite the late hour.

"That wasn't so bad," Sam finally said.

"Could have been better," Steve replied with a sigh as he looked up at Stark Tower looming over the city. "But I guess he didn't punch me in the face, so maybe he'll forgive me someday."

"Not you he has a problem with," Sam pointed out.

"Me, Bucky, Hermione. It's all the same," he said with a faint smile curling his lips as he recalled happier times. "We're a package sort of deal."

"I guess it is kind of a miracle the three of you made it to today, even if it was through different paths. But you did good by Stark, too. You're a good friend, Steve."

"Right back at you, Sam. Thanks for having my back. I don't want to get you in any more trouble if you want to go home. I guess with Pierce out of the game, it should be safe enough…"

"Nah," Sam said with a grin. "It's gonna be drafty in there with all the bullet holes anyway, and we gotta find your lady and pal, right?"

"Right," Steve replied. "Thanks Sam."

Steve had several ideas about where Hermione might have taken Bucky. It would have to be a place they both knew and which held some significance to them.

"This is where you guys lived back in the day?" Sam asked with a doubtful look at the luxury flats which were a strange mixture of old and modern design.

"It's the right place, alright," Steve said. "Sure looks different."

They checked out the surroundings for any sign of Hermione and Bucky, but came up empty handed.

"Any other idea?" Sam asked.

They walked to the next location, the parking lot tucked behind a building where he had first met her, but that place had been built over too, leaving only a narrow alleyway full of dumpsters. Steve muttered in frustration at how things had changed too much.

The Woolworth building was next. It had been her gateway to the magical world, if it had existed in this dimension, and that place at least, was pretty much the same. So he had hoped he would find a sign of Hermione here, but there was nothing, nor any place for her to hide in such a public place. Steve was sure she was still in New York, but he was running out of ideas as to where exactly. He remembered every place they had ever been to together, but most were insignificant and he doubted she would go hide where the Stark expo had been held, not when trying to hide from Tony Stark. Or would she? Like hiding in plain sight? It sounded like something Hermione might do actually…

"Hey, Cap," Sam said, interrupting his train of thought. "Call me paranoid, but I've seen that at all three locations."

"What?" Steve asked, scanning the area for something noteworthy.

Sam pointed at a small, ugly, green scribble drawn on the building's otherwise immaculate stones.

"Is that…" Steve began hesitantly as he narrowed his eyes at the drawing.

"The Statue of Liberty? Yeah, I was thinking the same. You could have given her some art lessons, Cap. Looks like she's in desperate need of them."

"Right, because it's such a useful skill to have to kill nazis," Steve replied with an eyeroll.

He hadn't drawn anything himself in quite a while, busy as he was. "She got the message across, anyway" he added, feeling he needed to defend her.

"We are so playing Pictionary when this is over," Sam teased.

"I have no idea what that is," Steve admitted.

"Even better."

The city was starting to wake up and they stopped for breakfast. Steve knew Sam would need to crash and sleep sometime soon as well, but in the meanwhile, the least he could do was make sure he didn't keel over from hypoglycemia. On the downside, Sam was in an even better mood while they made their way to the famous site. Tourists had began to mill around the spot, wearing ridiculous shirts and hats. They exchanged a glance and Steve shrugged.

"Why not? It's a good way to go unnoticed."

The funniest part, besides Sam looking ridiculous wearing a green foam crown on his head, was that other tourists thought Steve was cosplaying Captain America since he was a big blond with a "fake" shield. It never crossed their minds he could be the real Captain America, because why would he be wasting his time visiting the Statue of Liberty with a "I love New York" tee shirt? No, the real Captain America would never do such a ridiculous thing, they said while asking to take selfies with him. A couple of tourists even gave him a tip, as if he was some sort of local attraction. Steve shook his head in befuddlement. Some things never changed: once a dancing monkey, always a dancing monkey.

Thankfully, the tourists grew bored of him and wandered off to take more pictures of the Lady on the pedestal, or goof around. Steve looked up at the Statue, about to ask Sam if he thought they should go all the way up to look for Hermione and Bucky, when he noticed two tourists acting differently in that they stood very still and seemed uninterested in the site. Steve nudged Sam and jerked his chin their way. It was hard to tell if it was Bucky and Hermione because they were attired in touristy baseball caps and over-large tee-shirts, much like them.

"Great minds think alike, I guess," Sam said as they cautiously approached the pair.

The closer they got, the more Steve was sure it was them, until finally, they too noticed them and the shortest of the two raised their baseball cap. Hermione's face lit up with a smile the second their eyes locked. It was all he could do not to run over and swoop her up in his arms, but they had made it unseen from HYDRA, SHIELD and Tony, so now was not the time to make a scene.

Steve did hug her as soon as she was within arm's grasp however, then he looked more closely at Bucky who had tilted his head up, his face impassive, crushing any hopes Steve had been harbouring that Bucky had made progress memory-wise.

"You're late, punk," Bucky muttered.

Steve grinned in relief. Now that was something he had heard more often than not. Long ago, Steve had often been late when they were meeting somewhere because his asthma always chose the most inopportune time to act up. That was definitely his Bucky talking, and he was telling him he remembered.

"Nice to see you out and about, Buck," Steve replied with a tentative smile. "This is Sam, by the way. He's been a great help these last few days."

Sam looked at Bucky as if he couldn't believe this was the famous Bucky Barnes from the Howling Commandos. His long hair greasy hair, permanent scowl and I SURVIVED MY TRIP TO NEW YORK shirt sure didn't help matters.

"Nice shirt," Sam commented snidely as he shook his hand, wincing a second later before shaking his hand out of Bucky's grasp.

Steve sighed internally. It would be nice if things went smoothly just once in a while.

"Hermione took the shirt I wanted," Bucky finally said, as if that explained his bad mood.

Steve rejoiced at hearing him call their girl by her name, a definite improvement over the last time he had seen them together, when Bucky wouldn't even meet her eyes. So Steve reluctantly held Hermione at arm's length to see her shirt, making him chuckle at the sight.

I'M WITH STUPID.

"Dunno," Sam said, laughing as well. "Seems pretty accurate."

Bucky took a threatening step towards Sam who didn't look fazed at all. Steve wondered if his self-appointed wingman had forgotten he was also the Winter Soldier. Or had been, anyway. He seemed to be all Bucky for now, and Steve couldn't wait to be somewhere more private to know what he and Hermione had been up to. Similarly, Steve had to update the two of them about the situation with Tony. But they were, once more, homeless.

"Any idea where we can go?" he asked Hermione hopefully.

"Did you think I spent the night out here freezing my arse off pining for your return?" she snarked back.

Steve glanced at Bucky whose lips had quirked upwards at the jibe. Steve didn't doubt for a second Bucky would have kept said arse warm if she had been waiting out in the cold. It would not have been the first time. He hoped it would not be the last.

Steve and Sam followed Hermione and Bucky back towards the city. They were mostly ignored by passers-by as they looked like any other group of tourists, until a guy on a bicycle cut across the sidewalk, going far too fast, and almost ran them over. Steve and Sam had jumped apart while Bucky had pulled Hermione out of harm's way.

"Those delivery bikers are getting out of hand," Sam muttered. "Got loads of them in The District too. Public hazard, the lot of them."

"Everyone is always in such a hurry nowadays," Steve grumbled.

"Careful, love. Your time period is showing," Hermione teased with a glance back at him, lightning the mood.

They continued walking towards a less crowded area, which is when Sam began slowing down and giving him odd looks. Steve glanced around, searching for any sign of danger, or if they were being tailed by HYDRA agents or Tony. When he found nothing of the sort, he asked Sam what was up.

"I'm not sure myself, Cap," he replied, glancing ahead at Bucky and Hermione then back at him. "What's up with those two?"

Steve looked at them again, then realized they were holding hands, probably since the bicycle incident. He grinned. Maybe they could mend their relationship, return to what they had before.

"You're weird," Sam concluded. "Wait… oh!" Sam walked closer, lowering his voice so as not to be overheard. "Was Lady Liberty your beard back in the day?"

"My… what? This some modern lingo I don't know again?"

"Well, I wouldn't say modern, gramps. It's, uhm... how to explain it? When someone fakes dating someone of the opposite sex to hide they're actually interested in the same sex."

Steve blinked owlishly at him. He supposed that was a better explanation than Tony who thought Hermione was cheating on him with Bucky. It was still completely false however.

"No, I wouldn't do that to a dame anyway. Make her my beard, I mean. It wouldn't be fair to her."

Sam frowned. Steve was almost looking forward to what he would come up with next and he wasn't disappointed.

"So the two of you, it was just a publicity stunt? That's kinda lame."

Steve smiled and shook his head.

"Higher ups didn't want it to be known we were together, actually. Phillips even threatened to pull Hermione off the team."

"I don't get it, then. Why are you okay with that guy flirting with your girlfriend? I mean, look at him. He's practically eye-fucking her. That's not on, man."

Bucky did seem quite taken with their witch. He had to remember everything. It wasn't just lust in his eyes, but fondness, love. Feeling eyes on him, Bucky glanced back and winked at him before they turned right and entered a building.

Sam froze in his tracks, so Steve turned around, enjoying the realization slowly dawning on his face.

"No?! Really?" Sam took a few steps closer, careful to keep his voice down. "The three of you? Since when?" he asked in a hiss. "Who knows? Oh, I gotta tell Nat. She's gonna gobble this up."

Steve smiled and pointed towards the building with the sign dangling over the door proclaiming it to be the finest hotel this side of town, which seemed improbable given how derelict it looked.

"Not out here," Steve replied, beckoning Sam to follow him in.