Chapter 1: Paradise Road

"Take me down to the Paradise City where the grass is green and the girls are pretty~Oh won't you please take me home~"

Sitting behind the wheel, Enterprise glanced at Saratoga on the passenger seat. She was rocking her body and singing along with the old number blasting from the radio, her cutesy voice a marked contrast with Axl Rose's gravelly one.

The ride had been horrendously bumpy even when the road was perfectly flat and the asphalt pristine. Enterprise was damned sure the car must have a broken suspension somewhere, yet despite that and the frequent sputtering, the Chevrolet Malibu—a vehicle straight out of the seventies—had lasted longer than it had the right to be. The Commander really wasn't lying when he lent them the car and guaranteed it was more robust than its dingy appearance would suggest. He even encouraged her to go fast if she wants—though she's yet to do that so far.

That said, the Malibu was the very definition of a lemon, and she'd always hate lemons—whether the fruit or dodgy rides.

But as Saratoga had told her, at least it wasn't the Commander's El Camino. She had never seen that particular car, but she really didn't want to imagine something way worse than the one they were in right now.

"Hey, I'm bored. Enty, say something."

Enterprise, only briefly, turned to the asker before focusing her attention on the road again. Saratoga had turned the radio off and was now looking at the scenery—or lack thereof.

"...Hmm. Say what?"

"I dunno. Anything. Unless you want me to start, and we both know I'm just going to tease you. Especially your driving."

Looking at Saratoga again, Enterprise could see that she was grinning. Cheeky girl, she couldn't help but feel amused. That grin had again put her at ease.

And that was the reason why she could put up with Saratoga's teasing. She had made it more bearable to endure hours of driving past long stretches with nothing but the desert and under a blue sky so large she couldn't help but feel small—and the fact there was no functioning air conditioner.

In a way, Enterprise envied her, too—Saratoga had been able to remain sunny despite all that. Maybe she had always been the stronger one. Axl Rose boasted of being a hard case that's tough to beat in the song she parroted, which was oddly appropriate. After all, she did manage to persuade her to go, even if it amounted to simply throwing a backpack her way and telling her to pack up.

"Well, I can't do anything about it, okay? I think something's wrong with this…thing," Enterprise groaned as she narrowly avoided hitting her head on the ceiling after another bump. Worse yet, she could hear Saratoga giggling.

"Is that why you drive so slowly even though there's only us here in the middle of nowhere~?"

"Yes…" Enterprise replied, her voice sinking a little.

"Eh, that's just so you, Enty. Cautious and all. It's not a bad thing, though at this rate, getting to our destination will take forever, but…"

There was a pause as Saratoga slowly turned to Enterprise. Something in her smile had her staring back longer than she had intended.

"...hey, I'm with you, so I don't mind~" Saratoga chirped.

"Um, I'm glad you're here too," Enterprise admitted. Much to her dismay, Saratoga's typical grin had returned, replacing that fleeting, gentle smile. But she smiled back, knowing she won't forget that smile anytime soon; she figured that was why she could say those words.

As her cheeks turned as pink as her hair, Saratoga leaned on the worn leather seat.

"Congrats, you got me flustered. No prize, though."

"I didn't mean to," Enterprise continued. She rather enjoyed, unexpectedly, that expression Saratoga was making.

"Eh, whatever. Now, I wonder what odd roadside attractions we're going to see next~think we're going to see a dinosaur this time?"

"No idea, but I don't mind another chicken place."

"Oh yeah, that giant chicken made of God-knows-what. The honey mustard fried chicken there was good, eh? I could still recall you finishing the whole bucket," Saratoga laughed. This time it was Enterprise's turn to blush.

"It…it was, and I was hungry…" Enterprise groaned, resisting the urge to crash her forehead on the steering wheel.

"... I'm happy to see you eating something normal for a change, though."

Hearing the remark, a warm smile sneaked across Enterprise's lips, even if she was red still. It was indeed the best meal she ever had, by far.

"Thank you."

"Oh, you can thank me by letting me dress you up again," Saratoga snickered, wondering if Enterprise could get any redder than that. Still, her smile only faltered a little.

"...Anything but that," Enterprise muttered. A glance at her top brought her back to their stop at that folksy roadside motel, which doubled as a kitschy souvenir shop. Saratoga had too much fun getting her to try one tacky t-shirt after another before finally settling on one decorated with eagles, guns, and the Star-Spangled Banner. For our biggest patriot, she recalled her saying.

To Saratoga's credit, she bought the same thing, which she wore proudly—that way, the whole thing felt less like mere mischief on her part.

In the end, as they left the place wearing the same ridiculous outfit, Enterprise had to admit that she didn't mind it at all.

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"...And man, the museum was something, eh?" Saratoga changed the subject again. Enterprise was glad that one was less embarrassing to talk about.

"It was," she replied. Their latest stop so far away behind, an offbeat museum showing curiosities, had a nice air of nostalgia to it. She relished the signs and sights of the bygone eras—from the old guns to the pieces of Americana—so much that she thought she must've taken a million pictures.

"But the mummy is obviously fake, though," Saratoga grimaced as she recalled the display, ostensibly from Egypt—but as far as she was concerned, it looked just as phony as the one at Mississippi State Capitol.

"Maybe…I don't know," replied Enterprise. It was the only exhibit she only had a remote interest in, in contrast to her friend.

"Oh well, whatever the case, that place was fun, too," Saratoga shrugged. She noticed Enterprise nodding in agreement.

She wished Enterprise could keep showing that beautiful, earnest smile even after this.

But for now, that was enough. She had accomplished what she sought to do.

Keep that up, girl, she whispered.

"...Only now did I realize I needed this," Enterprise spoke after a comfortable silence that seemed to last forever, eyes still on the road. That took Saratoga, who was about to doze off, by surprise. She blinked. Enterprise opening up? Were her efforts more fruitful than she thought?

"Yes, you do, Captain America~"

"Captain America? I think I have enough monikers already," Enterprise chuckled, with Saratoga following suit.

"Did you know my favorite part of 'Paradise City? Captain America's been torn apart and now is just a court jester with a broken heart, you see?" Saratoga winked at Enterprise, who let out another chuckle.

"I don't know how to feel about being likened to a court jester with a broken heart."

"That's just some dumb figure of speech, I know…." Saratoga paused and became solemn as if she was looking for words, which Enterprise found jarring. But she nodded to let her continue.

"...but you know what, Enty? There is peace now, so you better remember and embrace that. When you see 'them' again—and you will—you could show this smile of yours."

Enterprise nodded again. She had been smiling then and now, wasn't she? She only had Saratoga to thank for that.

"So…is this why you invited me to this trip?"

"Yeah, to show you that, you know. Figured you should see it with your own eyes—whoa?"

Enterprise abruptly stopping the car had Saratoga nearly fumbling forward. She thought Enterprise was avoiding something, but she was proven wrong when Enterprise leaned in to embrace her.

"Thank you…thank you very much."

"Aww, c'mon, I'm not good with sentimental stuff," Saratoga said as she returned the hug anyway and gave Enterprise a pat on the back. Such a troublesome junior, she thought—not that she's one to talk.

"Yes, but you've always understood me the most," Enterprise remarked as she pulled away.

"Congrats, you got Sister Sara flustered, again," Saratoga pretended to grumble. "But really, you have done the same for me, so yeah."

"Do I get a prize this time?" Enterprise, probably for the first time in her new life, joked.

"No."

"I see," Enterprise stepped on the pedal, and the car soon cruised through the road again. The ride was still bumpy, but she no longer cared. Everything felt so alright.

"Take you down to Paradise City, huh…I wonder if I should floor it then? It's far away, after all," Enterprise soon declared. Saratoga faked an incredulous look at that.

"That's random, Enty, but I ain't gonna stop you," she whistled. "Bet you would only go fast a few hundred meters before slowing down in fear over this car falling apart, though."

"If I don't?"

"Dinner's on me. You lose, dinner's on you."

"Deal."

The Malibu continued along the road. Saratoga paid for dinner that night.

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