"How much longer until Nashville?" Mari Saito asked, glancing over the top of her magazine towards the driver's side of the car.

Phoenix Winterborn laughed as he adjusted his sunglasses on his face. "You asked me ten minutes ago. We've still got about three hours to go, so just hang tight princess."

Scrunching up her face and sticking out her tongue at him, Mari turned her attention back to the magazine in her hand, but when she found herself re-reading the same paragraph for the third time, she gave up and tossed it into the backseat. "Ugh, I hate these long drives. Why is it that we couldn't fly again?"

"Because sometimes it's nice to change things up. Besides, I'm sick of flying. We've done waaay too much of it in the past few weeks," he replied, reaching over and playfully ruffling her hair. She shoved his hand away and started poking him in the ribs.

"Hey! No distracting the driver!" he said sternly, keeping one hand firmly on the steering wheel while trying to fend off her attack with the other. "You want to make it to Nashville in one piece?"

Currently, the happy couple were just outside of Memphis, making their way to Nashville for the weekly Rampage taping. Mari had a main-event match coming up, where she would take on Paris Jior for a number one contender's spot at the next pay-per-view event, Whatever It Takes, for the WGEF Women's Championship. It was an opportunity that was a long time coming, and she was planning to make the most of it. Hopefully, that would mean a championship match at Whatever It Takes, with an eventual win and some new gold to add to her wardrobe.

But right now, she was just focused on getting through the last three hours of the day-long trip. They had started out quite early in the morning, in order to ensure that they would get to Nashville at least a day in advance. Right now to Mari, a long nap in a cozy hotel bed sounded pretty darn good.

Just then, a warning light popped up on the dashboard. Phoenix glanced down at it with his eyes narrowed. "Hmm, we're going to have to make a stop. Something's up with the engine."

Mari glanced at the roadside signs that were passing. "There's a service station just up ahead, on the next right."

It only took ten minutes for them to pull off the highway and into the station. There were only four pumps and a small garage off to the side of the main building, which didn't look any bigger than the garage itself. It looked modern enough, but one never could tell these days. Opening her door, Mari stepped out onto the packed dirt floor and glanced around. "I don't see anyone around."

Just as she said that, a young boy no older than 12 popped up from behind the gas pump nearest to her. She managed not to scream in surprise, but still jumped slightly at his sudden appearance. He beamed at them both from underneath his backwards Nashville Predators baseball cap. "Hey there! Fill you up, mister?"

Phoenix nodded at the kid, surprised that a preteen knew how to pump gas. "Uh, yeah. Listen, you got a mechanic around here? I need someone to take a look at the engine."

The boy nodded as he popped the gas cap and deposited the nozzle into the opening. "Yeah, that's my big brother Andy. He's just inside, if you wanna go talk to him."

"Thanks, kid," Phoenix said, and taking Mari's hand they headed into the shop. The lights were somewhat dim, but otherwise it was a clean-looking place. Phoenix walked up to the front counter to talk with the mechanic, while Mari contented herself with wandering the aisles.

As she rounded a corner, she nearly stumbled over a young blond girl, around the age of 9. She was crouched down near the bottom shelf, stacking cans of generic-brand dog food. When she looked up at Mari, the smile froze halfway on her face.

"Sorry about that," Mari said, bowing her head apologetically. "I should really watch where I'm going."

The girl stood up, still with her green eyes fixed on the Japanese woman. She brushed off the front of her patchwork jeans in an attempt to clean herself up, and tightened the pigtail braids that hung down her shoulders. "Oh wow! You're her, you're really her!"

Mari blinked at her for a moment. "Sorry?"

The girl suddenly ran to the back of the shop towards a magazine rack. She hunted through the glossy covers before she came across the one she was looking for. Running back, she held the treasure up in front of her chest, and then Mari saw it. In all honesty, she had completely forgotten about the interview she had done with Fashion Icon magazine some months ago. But there it was: her own face staring back at her from the front cover, with the headlines surrounding it. Mari smiled a bit, taking the magazine from the girl's outstretched hands. "May I?"

She simply nodded, her face shining with pride. Mari flipped open the magazine to the article, and glanced over it quickly with her brown eyes. She remembered the interview now: the young woman coming over to her apartment, Mari taking her out to see some of the sights, taking a few photos for the article and front cover. Mari smiled at the memory, before looking up to see the girl still staring at her with rapt attention. Flashing her a grin, Mari knelt down to her level and put a hand on her shoulder. "So, I guess you know just who I am then, huh?"

The girl nodded again. "Yep. My brothers are into wrestling, and so am I."

Mari laughed lightly. "Nothing wrong with that!"

"Yeah, I watch you all the time. You're really pretty, and really good in the ring too," the girl said enthusiastically. "I just know you're gonna beat Paris and then get the Women's championship too!"

Mari smiled warmly at the girl. "Aw, thank you sweetie." Straightening back up, she took the girl by the hand and led her to the front counter. Asking the middle-age woman (the girl's mother) for a marker, Mari signed the magazine and added a little message to the girl -

"Jamie,
Thanks for all the support!
Hope to see you in the ring someday!
Mari Saito"

When she handed the magazine back to the girl, her green eyes were as large as dinner plates. In a moment of impulsiveness, the young girl threw her arms around Mari's midsection and squeezed tightly. Mari laughed and returned the hug full-force.

"You're all she ever talks about," the mother beamed. "You're quite a positive role model for young girls. That's why I let her watch you so much."

"Well, I try to be," Mari admitted, patting young Jamie on the head. "It gets a bit hard sometimes, though. Especially in the wrestling business."

"But you've done a great job so far. Between you and me, I'm rooting for you to go all the way, too." The woman gave a hearty wink to Mari, which made the Japanese girl smile again.

"Well, it's nice to know I've still got support out there," Mari said. Just then, Phoenix came in from outside and walked up to the counter. He noticed the little girl clinging to Mari's side and smiled. "Someone's got an admirer, I see."

Jamie nodded her blond head again vigorously. "Yep! And she's gonna beat Paris on Rampage, and then be the Women's Champion!"

Phoenix laughed, reaching down to ruffle the girl's hair. "Hey, this kid knows the score."

Mari smiled at him, watching as he paid for the repairs. With one final wave and shouts of encouragement from Jamie, the couple pulled out of the service station and headed back out onto the highway.

"I guess that just shows that even in the smallest towns, you're always gonna have support," Phoenix commented.

Mari stared out of the passenger's side window, smiling serenly. "Yep." Her mind had already fast-forwarded to the match at Rampage, where she envisioned herself standing tall in the middle of the ring. Then, she flashed ahead to the pay-per-view, this time picturing herself holding the belt and celebrating with the cheering crowd.