illuminate. (Bucky Barnes x Reader)

Chapter Seven

"I thought I was the victim, I played it well

Sifting through the records, trying to find myself

I tried to be salvation, tried to make it change

Ooh, but I've come too far to look the other way"

~*~*~*~

The Rocky Mountains. Telluride, CO. March 2017.

The beat-up rusted pick-up truck bumbled up the narrow mountain road. Your next mission location took you deep into the Rocky Mountains. Using the Barton Homestead as a base, you, Steve, Natasha, and Sam chose to drive the 16 hours straight through to Telluride where you would be using your grandfather's cabin as a temporary base. It wasn't safe to land the Quinjet in such a densely populated area. Pietro stayed behind just in case the FBI decided to make a surprise visit, so the Quinjet would be safe. And on the way to the US, you dropped Wanda off in Scotland. She had been communicating with Vision since the escape from the Raft prison. They had been visiting one another every few months. Scotland was one of their favorite places; one could get easily lost in the Highlands if need be.

You stopped every so often to switch drivers and sleep in shifts. Since you knew where the cabin was located, the arduous task of navigating up the winding muddy mountain road fell on your shoulders. How the old Toyota Tacoma managed not to fall to pieces with each bump in the road, you would never know.

Steve sat in the passenger seat; eyes glued to the tablet in front of him. "I didn't know ghost towns were an actual thing," he mused as he flicked through the files. "You hear about them in movies, but I always assumed it was more of a metaphor." He studied the satellite surveillance photos. Unlike your previous missions, Coulson reached out for your help on this one. All of his normal teams were tied up with other missions, and this mission detailed a massive stockpile of Chitauri weaponry and technology which could be destroyed safely by Wanda.

"Oh, yeah, there's lots of them out here in the mountains," you replied, keeping your eyes locked on the road. "Most of them were part of the silver mining boom. The ones easiest to get to were turned into parks or other tourist attractions. The more remote ones have been left for nature to take back." Steve hummed in acknowledgment. "Some of those mines run pretty deep," you continued, "it would make sense for HYDRA to use them as a weapons cache.

As you turned the corner, you slowed down as the familiar sight of your grandfather's cabin opened up before you. Using his investment accounts you inherited upon his passing, an automatic draft paid a groundskeeping and housekeeping service to keep the cabin in good condition. It seemed wrong to leave it there to waste away even though you hadn't been there in almost 8 years. An automated draft also made sure the electricity and water remained connected, although it was more for the sake of the groundskeepers than actual residents.

The truck rolled to an unintended stop as you looked around the property. The forest surrounding the cabin had thickened over the years, but the driveway had been cleared of any debris. The dark log cabin stood silent. Its windows darkened – no light shone from within. No smoke poured from the woodstove's chimney. The cabin seemed smaller than you remembered, but larger at the same time now that you no longer felt your grandfather's and sister's presence. You sighed heavily, shuddering as you did so. Tears pricked your eyes. It felt so strange to be back here after all this time. You felt as though you weren't welcome here anymore.