Super special thanks to 2brown-eyes for giving this a quick read. I'm sorry it's taken so long, so I'll let you get to it.

Let's remember that 5 teams are left: E/B, R/Em, C/E, T/J, and L/E. Tanya and Jake came in 5th on the last LEG, but it was a non-elimination round, and they get a chance at redemption. They must complete an extra task (Speed Bump) sometime during this LEG.

Fresh off the fingers, so expect mistakes!

Not beta'd!

LEG 10: Fruits of Our Labor

The shrill beeping of Edward's watch seeps into my subconscious and slowly drags me from a peaceful slumber. My eyes pop open to darkness, and my pillow, his arm, slips from beneath my head as he groans and brings the annoying device up so he can shut it off.

I stretch my arms high over my head as I roll to my back, yawning quietly. "Morning," I say, my voice weak and sleep roughened.

"Ugh." He grunts his reply and rolls back against me, burying his face into my shoulder and thrusting his hips against my thigh. His morning wood is evident, and my eyes fall closed, wishing I had the time to explore it.

We were beat after the last LEG, and with only a 12-hour layover ahead of us, we showered and fell into bed as soon as we were showed to our rooms. We bypassed dinner and now at just before five in the morning, my stomach lets out a ridiculously loud grumble.

Edward snorts against my skin, but before he can say anything, his belly growls even louder. "I think our stomachs are trying to tell us something." He rolls to his back, his arm draped across his forehead. "Do you think they're in cahoots?"

"Possibly." I laugh, rolling over and crawling on top of him, while also keeping the important parts from making contact. I kiss his pouty lips, even though I can barely see him. "But it's quite all right." Another kiss. "When I have you." Kiss. "It won't be a rush, a quickie before we start our next LEG."

His hands come down to grip my ass, and he grinds me against his hardness. I moan. "Abso-fucking-lutely," he rasps, the thickness in his voice, and elsewhere, doing delicious things to my insides. "I'm going to spend hours exploring every inch of you."

His lips latch onto my neck, and I squirm from the pleasure that shoots through me. "You're going to force me to take a second shower."

He chuckles, and it vibrates against my skin before he pulls back, his arms tightening just a fraction before releasing me completely. "Fine," he fake pouts. "I'll let you go … this time."

I laugh, pecking his lips one final time before rolling off him and onto my back beside him. "How long do we have?"

I angle my eyes so I can see as he brings his arms up and presses a button on his watch, lighting up the face. "Thirty-two minutes."

"Oh wow." I get moving, rolling to the other side and clicking on the lamp. I wince from the sudden brightness. "I'm glad we kept our bags tidy."

"Alec should be by with our freshly laundered stuff any minute now." Edward tosses the blanket aside and sits up on the other side of the bed. I get lost in the muscles of his back and shoulders as they bunch and flex beneath his smooth skin. "So, we'll need to sort that, but otherwise, we're good to go."

"It's hard to believe the race is almost over." I turn on more lights as I move through our hotel room. I unzip my bag and rustle through the clothes. "Warm or hot?"

He's standing now, his naked chest gleaming in the lamplight as he scratches his four-day-old scruff. "I'd say warm, but since it's cold here, you should probably wear leggings and have a pair of shorts in the front pocket that you can change into on the plane."

"You sure we're leaving here?"

He shrugs, and my eyes follow the movement. "I think so." He starts my way, smirking as he passes me headed for the bathroom. He spins as he gets to the doorway. "See something you like?"

I lick my lips in a slow, seductive way. "No doubt."

He grunts, turning and shutting himself inside. I shake my head with a chuckle and grab my clothes for the day, a pair of black leggings and a Diamondbacks T-Shirt. I take Edward's advice and toss a pair of black shorts in the front, easy to access, pocket of my backpack.

Just as I finish, there's a knock on the door. "Laundry," Alec calls, tapping three more times. "T-minus fifteen minutes."

I pull open the door and grab the white linen bag the race provides for our dirty laundry. I give Alec a half-hearted smile. "We're on it. We'll be down in ten."

He nods once and leaves without another word. Edward takes longer than usual in the bathroom, and I begin to wonder why that is, but that only leads to thoughts best left buried. Instead, I pass the time by pulling out my toiletries bag and perching on the edge of the nearest bed.

The bathroom door flings open five minutes later, and I jump up, ridiculously so, my cheeks heating. "We only have five minutes left." I'm not sure whether I'm admonishing him for taking so long or just letting him know, but I'm all frazzled and out of shape as I can only imagine the cause of his lengthy stay.

He tilts his chin, stepping out of the way. "I'll be dressed and ready to walk out the door by the time you're done brushing your teeth."

"Okay. I'll just be in here." I toss my thumb over my shoulder, but I don't move for some stupid reason. I glance down at the missing bulge in his jeans and back up to where he's enjoying my discomfort entirely too much.

"Is there something you need?" he asks, his pouty perfect lips twitching.

"Nope," I say, still not moving. "Not a thing."

"Then you should probably hurry," he says, shooing me on. "We only have four minutes to get out the door."

"Oh, right."

I jump to it this time, brushing my teeth in record time and tossing my hair into a messy bun. Secretly, I'm hoping to get back out in time to catch him mid-change, but no such luck. He's dressed with both backpacks on his shoulder and smiling like the cat that ate the canary when I join him.

"What are you waiting for?" I ask as I walk right past his smirky self. "We don't have a minute to spare."

He chuckles as he falls into step behind me, and I may or may not smile to myself at his cuteness. That swell of girlhood giddiness erupts in my belly as he trails me down the flight of stairs and into the hotel parking lot where LEG 10 will kick off. I, most times, still can't believe my luck, landing a partner that I've fallen for in a matter of weeks.

"Look who's showing with only seconds to spare," Alec sing-songs as he passes over our clue and brings up his watch.

"30."

Our sides are pressed tightly together, creating a zinging sensation that travels along my body.

"20."

I drop my arm around his back, settling it on his hip, and his gaze shifts from the envelope in his hand to me.

"10."

I smirk.

His eyes twinkle of promises to come.

"And 3, 2, 1 … Go!"

"We're going to Peru!" Edward says, doing a little man-shimmy. "I guessed right with warm."

"That you did," I say, holding up a palm for a high-five. "Let's get moving."

ROUTE INFO

Teams will now fly almost a third of the way around the world to Trujillo, Peru. Once they're on the ground, they must catch a cab to Plaza de Armas and join the fireworks festivities known as Castillos de Puerta.

"Reservations have been made for you on the following flights," Edward says after we settle in the cab, reading the clue. "We need to go to the travel agency."

The drive is quick, and the agent is awaiting our arrival. "We're going to need to get flights to Peru," Edward says, pulling out my chair and then settling in the one beside me. "We'll need the itinerary for the already made reservations."

The man nods, knowing exactly what Edward's referring to, and clicks through his computer. He looks up and says, "You will land at 9:40 AM tomorrow morning."

My brows draw down in the center of my forehead. "That's the earliest approved flight?"

"Hmm." He clicks through the computer again and shakes his head. "No. There's another that arrives at 10:40 PM tonight."

"Well, we definitely want that one," Edward says, offended. "Why didn't you offer it first?"

The man shrugs. "This is the flight I was told to give unless you specifically asked."

"Oh." My eyebrows shoot up to my hairline. "Interesting."

"Sneaky Phil," Edward says, snickering. "Did the elderly couple get the other flight?"

"Yes."

"Damn," I murmur, wondering where Carlisle and Esme are off too. "How many more seats are on this plane?"

He studies the computer again. "It's almost booked up."

"Yo, yo, yo," Emmett blabs, charging into the shop without a care in the world.

"Zip it, loudmouth, and get your ass over here," Edward admonishes all covert-like, even though the shop is empty still. "We got an earlier flight."

Emmett clamps his lips together, hunkering down and looking all around them. It makes me smile as they rush over, taking two chairs from the desk next to the one we're sitting at and pulling them over. "We want what they have," Rose says, adjusting her tight T-shirt so her boobs are more prominently displayed. "And let's keep this between ourselves, yeah?"

Edward barks out a laugh. "No need to try and seduce him into it, Rose. He isn't allowed to offer the earlier flight. It must be requested."

"Oh." She leans back, putting her cleavage away. "Cool."

Edward greedily nabs our itinerary from the travel agent, and we wait for Emmett and Rose to get theirs before exiting the shop just as Leah and Emily are getting out of their cab.

"What's it looking like?" Leah asks.

"A long night ahead," Rose replies, keeping it vague.

We hail a couple of cabs and get out of there like our asses are on fire, heading directly to the airport. It's still a couple hours until our flight, but we're able to check-in and wait around at our gate. All we can do is hope the flight gets filled and no other teams see us sitting at an entirely different gate.

I'm relieved when we board the plane and haven't seen a soul. "That went well." I blow out a heavy breath. "I have to wonder if it'll make a real difference in the end, though? You know how the race likes to equalize everyone."

"No doubt." Edward snorts, pulling on his seatbelt. "In this case, I don't see the race keeping us from our next activity until after nine, though."

"Yeah, that would be odd."

Edward and I settle in for the long flight ahead. We watch a movie for the first couple of hours, eating only a croissant, then we nap for a few more, and finally, in the evening we're served dinner. It isn't the greatest thing I've ever had, but at this point, my stomach has started grumbling again.

It's only two hours later when we're touching down. Since we're so far ahead of the other teams, we assume, there's no reason to rush into the cabs in a foot race. #teamblond(e)bombshells walk with us, and we stay together as we grab two taxis and make a plan to follow each other to the La Plaza de Armas.

The drive passes slowly, even though the streets aren't very crowded at nearly eleven at night, but we make it there in time. There's a band playing and a tall statue, so we follow the noise to a man who appears to be the master of ceremonies.

We get confirmation when he holds out an oversized yellow and red striped box of matches. 1 = 7AM

"Looks like I was right again." Edward smirks as he takes the first box. "That's a two-hour lead time on the other teams."

"If they all got the later flight," I say. It's important to not assume when you haven't seen any other teams.

"They did," Emmett says, stepping up to grab his own box. "They weren't on our flight."

"I'm just saying …"

"We don't want to get burned with cockiness." Rose picks up where I trail off.

"All right," Edward says, pursing his lips. "We'll give you that." He rubs his hands together briskly. "So what's the plan for tonight?"

"Looks like a party!" Emmett says, clapping his hands and mimicking a nearby couple as they dance.

"Pretty sure we're supposed to shoot off some fireworks," I say.

"Oh yeah." Edward turns to the master of ceremonies. "Where do we catch the fireworks?"

He motions behind us to a table that has a box on it with all kinds of switches. Emmett makes a beeline, leaving the rest of us in the dust.

"Shit," Rosalie hisses, chasing after him.

Edward laughs as he takes my hand, and we follow them across the lot. "Don't lose an arm, Em. It'd end the race for you."

Emmett lifts his eyes to glare at Edward. "You can't lose an arm just by flipping a switch."

"Correction," Rose says, lifting a bitch brow. "Any of the rest of us couldn't lose an arm, but you? It's a damn near certainty."

Edward and I break into raucous laughter, but neither of them follows suit, effectively shutting us up quickly. Edward clears his throat, straightening his expression. "Oh, she's serious."

"Looks like," I muse, my eyes glancing between the two blond(e)s as they're locked in a stare down. I lean closer to Edward so I can speak quietly. "Who do you think will win?"

"I don't know." He snorts, tilting his chin toward a defiant Emmett. "He looks pretty dug in."

"More so than usual for sure," I reply, chucking under my breath, "but look at Rose. She's fierce. He doesn't stand a chance."

Edward's gaze shifts to Rosalie. "You're right. He's done for."

We watch with rapt attention for about two more minutes before Emmett breaks. Huffing, he drops in crossed arms in defeat. "Fine. You can press the damn button."

Rose softens then, reaching over and brushing his cheek. "You know it's because I care, right?"

His entire being goes soft then, and he smiles, showing a deep set of dimples. "I know you do."

Edward steps forward, rubbing his hands together briskly. "Let's do this! I'm eager to get this party started."

I'm reminded of early on in the race and our first night of being able to let loose and have fun in Phuket, Thailand. This street party isn't quite as lively as that one, but it's no slouch either. Music is playing and people are drinking and dancing all around us. The only thing needed to kick off the rest of the night is the firework display we're currently holding up.

I clap my hands, whooping as Rose makes a big show of readying herself to press the button. Emmett's dropped his pouting and is in full supportive mode, ready to drag her into in arms and sway the night away as soon as her duty is done.

The crowd gets loud, starting a countdown from ten. My memories of high school Spanish are just well enough to recognize the numbers. And, of course, there's Edward. The man who knows all. He lines his front to my back and anchors his palms on my waist as he joins them, his accent authentic in every way.

His perfection makes me wanna puke.

And mount him.

Damn it.

When the chorus of voices hits one, Rosalie presses the button, and the night sky lights up in a burst of color and light. I'm brought back to a "date night" much earlier in the race when Edward and I were just finding our footing. We sway to the music, our heads tilted upward to take in the show. The atmosphere around us ratchets up a few notches at the end of the display, and the party starts in earnest then.

Music blares from speakers positioned around the square and bodies fill the large space as couples get down to the music. Emmett, as usual when it comes to dancing, draws a large crowd and though Rosalie can't quite keep up, he never lets on that she's anything less than perfect.

Edward and I choose a spot on the periphery and instead of salsa'ing the night away, we sway and spin and never lose contact. Even when we pause for drinks as the night wears on, we're in constant contact, our fingers locked, our bodies in perfect tune.

"We're going to feel like shit in …" Edward lifts his hand from my waist and looks at his watch. "Four hours."

"It's already three am?"

"Three twelve, actually." We're still swaying, neither of us feeling any urgency even with his declaration.

The music has been turned off and the master of ceremonies ducked out, but the party is still going for a small group.

"Should we look for somewhere to stay?"

His fingertips dig into my waist and his eyes darken for a beat before he shakes away the fog and shrugs. "Might as well sleep under the stars. We don't have long enough to matter."

"Here?"

Previous seasons flash through my mind and I'm reminded that teams have slept outside too many times to count. The show used to focus on budgeting your cash, and even taking it away and forcing a team to beg, but now they give enough that it's no longer the focus, but not so much you can splurge. They also provide sleeping arrangements for most LEGs.

"Or over on that bench or at the feet of the statue," he replies, his eyes dancing with mirth.

"Fine," I reply. "I always have wanted to sleep under the stars in Peru."

"We'll add it to our bucket list and then cross it off."

"You're really serious about this bucket list, huh?"

He pulls me impossibly close. "I'm serious about you."

His lips crash into mine, and I lose all sense of place and time. Nothing else exists. It's all lips and teeth and tongue. I no longer depend on food and water and air to survive; it's him. The feel of his skin beneath my fingertips, the taste of his breath, the swirl of his tongue, the low groan that rumbles from somewhere deep inside.

"Fuck," he whispers as he pulls away. "You're making me hard in front of everyone."

A quiet giggle slips between my lips. "You're the one who bombarded me. I'm just lucky enough that my arousal isn't so"—my eyes fall to the bulge in his jeans—"pronounced."

He tosses his head back and a beautiful, boisterous laugh fills the night air. "Giving it your special attention certainly doesn't help matters."

I bat my lashes excessively, adding a coy smile to complete the look. "It's not like it's easy to ignore."

"Okay," he says, taking my hand and twirling me away before bringing me back in with a wicked spin. "No more talking about it. If we pretend it doesn't exist for a long enough period of time, it's likely to go away." I "accidentally" brush my thigh against it, and he groans. "Why are you torturing me like this?"

"I like to see you sweat," I whisper, my lips just shy of touching his ear.

He spins me back out, this time keeping me at arm's length. "Now look what you've gone and done. I'm forced to distance myself."

I fake pout, pushing my lips out in an exaggerated manner, but he holds firm. He leads us in a weird version of the Waltz, and I break character to laugh at his stiff prose.

"Fine," I say, giggling. "I'll be good."

"I don't believe you, my lady," he says all stiff and proper.

I open my mouth, but before words can come, Emmett interrupts our moment. "Rose is beat, guys. What's the plan?"

Edward swings me in close and spins me so that I'm under his arm as we face our sneaky partners for this LEG. "We only have a few hours left, so Bella and I decided we'd sleep here."

Rose's nose crinkles in distaste as she takes in the scene around us. Only a few people are left milling about besides the one guy who's cleaning up the mess left behind by the crowd.

"It'll be fine, Rosie," Emmett says, stopping her before she can complain. "It's only going to be a cat nap."

She breathes deeply through her nose, her eyelids heavy. "Fine."

We make quick work of finding a spot, and the crew supplies us sleeping bags, which is nice. In past seasons, teams had to make room for their sleeping bag with their stuff, so I'm extremely grateful that isn't the case for this season.

Rose is out within a minute of us settling in, and I join her soon, falling asleep to the soft sounds of Edward and Emmett as they discuss the race so far and take guesses on what's to come. Their contemplation of who might get sent home this LEG is the last thing I remember before being jostled awake minutes later.

At least, that's what it feels like.

My eyelids are droopy, and I can't stop yawning as Edward rolls up our sleeping bags and passes them back to the crew. Alec and James are here, along with part of the production team. A chunk of fresh buttered bread is shoved into one hand and a dark coffee into the other. I'm on autopilot as I gobble it down, and when I'm done, Edward loops my backpack straps over my shoulders.

"Morning." His voice is all sexy and gruff, and it goes with his look. Five days of scruff adorn his sharp jaw, and even through my blurry morning eyes, I can tell it doesn't detract from his sexiness one single bit.

"Ditto." It's about all I can muster as Alec calls out our five-minute countdown.

He faces me then, his hands rubbing briskly up and down my arms in an attempt to invigorate me. "Come on, Bella," he says, sounding much peppier than only a minute ago. "It's time to reclaim our number one spot!"

"Not if we can help it," Emmett chimes as he and Rose come up beside us. "We're gonna run this LEG as a team of four until we get to that final obstacle." He shoves his hand forward as he continues talking. "Then it's game on. May the best team win!"

Edward puts his hand into Emmett's, and they do the squeezy man thing. The slight grimace on my teammate's face says it all, though. "Deal."

"Oh, please, you two," Rosalie says, flicking her hair over her shoulder. "We can jump on the mat together. It's been done before."

Edward's lips tighten. "Over my dead body."

Emmett huffs. "What he said."

With that, they release the shake, and we all turn to our camera teams who'll work together to film the four of us. Instead of being one big happy family, the boys' competitive nature surrounds us, and Rose rolls her eyes.

One of teamblond(e)bombshells camera operators calls us to attention. "And 5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1 … Go!"

The four of us race toward the master of ceremonies, and he passes a clue to each of our guys, both of them clamoring to be first. They look ridiculous acting this way over the top spot this early in the LEG, and Rose and I exchange a look before turning toward the guys.

I cross my arms over my chest and lift a brow.

Rose puts her hands on her hips and taps her foot.

The guys are too busy shouldering each other as they try to tear open their envelopes without paying a lick of attention to either of us. It would be hilarious if we weren't their teammates, but since we are, it's only causing our irritation to rise.

I clear my throat—loudly.

"Excuse us," Rose barks, and they jump to attention.

The moment is strange. Both men freeze and seem to realize where they are what they're doing. When they make eye contact with us, they're aware enough to look chagrined. Edward already has his envelope tear halfway open, something he's never done without me by his side, and Emmett has almost torn the top half off in his haste to beat my guy.

Edward's shoulders slump and his face falls. "Shit."

"Double shit," Emmett echoes, taking a tentative step toward Rose.

"Don't even try it." She throws up a hand, and he stops cold. "We're burning up our lead because you two macho assholes are so busy competing on the very first task that you've forgotten we even exist!" She walks over, her finger extended to jab Emmett in the chest as she goes on. Edward is frozen solid only a step behind him, and her glare shifts as she rages. "Now, you two better get your shit together and act like grown men, or it'll be Bella and me who finishes this race and takes that million!" She whips her head so hard her hair flies out and smacks Emmett as she struts back to stand beside me. When she turns back to face them, both are so shocked they still haven't moved. "Now!"

And that does it. Emmett and Edward both rush over with apology written all over their bodies. Emmett coddles Rose, peppering kisses all over her face. "I'm so sorry, Rosie. We were acting like big babies, and we won't do it again."

Edward takes my hand and pulls me over a couple steps. "I suck," he says, his regretful eyes roaming my face. "That was stupid, and I promise not to—"

He's cut off as I place my hand over his mouth. "Skip the apology and open that envelope. We're wasting valuable time."

I can feel the smile beneath my hand, and when I remove it, he shifts to my side and grabs the tab, yanking it the rest of the way open.

ROUTE INFO

Teams must now look for a shine in the morning sun in the Plazuela De La Merced to find their next clue.

"Are we working together, or what?" Rose interrupts as we discuss how to proceed.

"Of course," I answer without consulting my teammate. "That's been the plan since this LEG kicked off."

"Let's do it," Edward says, not missing a beat. He approaches the closest person and starts speaking to them in Spanish.

My heart picks up speed as I watch him, and Rose leans in beside me to speak in my ear. "Damn, that's hot."

"Yeah." I let out a long sigh.

"Let's grab a taxi, guys," Edward says, breaking me from my fantasy ogling. "It's too far to walk."

I scurry to catch up as the rest of them head for the street. We grab two taxis in no time, and they follow us across town. The driver doesn't seem to know where we're headed, but Edward guides him according to the directions he received, and we find the spot easily enough.

We shoulder our backpacks and race down the narrow street until it opens up to a park-like area on one side. "What are we looking for?"

Edward slows to a stop, his clue in hand. "A shine in the morning sun?"

"Look, there." Emmett shoves his hand out, pointing to a group of men who're shining shoes. "I bet that's it."

We take off toward the men, and Edward asks about a clue as soon as we draw close. One of the men brings out two and hands one to each of us.

Emmett reads it aloud. "Travel by taxi towards Santo Domingo. Then toward Fundo San Fernando, Cuartel Number One and look for your next clue."

"There's the Speed Bump for Jake and Tanya," Rosalie says, nodding to the sign. "I'd hate to be them."

"Right?" Edward says. "Let's grab a couple cabs."

We walk back toward the street where we were let off and hop in another set of taxis. This drive is a little longer, but Edward uses the map to keep an eye out and make sure we're headed in the right direction. This cabbie seems to know where he's going, and when he comes to a stop, the sign for the Cuartel is right ahead.

He points to it. "Here."

We pay him and jump from the cab.

TEAM CHECK-IN

The other three teams are just now landing at the airport. They must make their way to La Plaza de Armas to receive their first clue in Peru.

END TEAM CHECK-IN

"There's the clue box," Edward says, charging ahead. He passes one to Emmett and reads aloud. "Who's feeling trapped?"

We all take a look around and I shake my head right away. "There's no way I'm doing this one."

I can see the wicker baskets in a stack and the bicycles lined up near them. I've seen this before and it's a back-breaking task.

"That works," Edward says, nodding. "You did the last one anyway."

"Same for us," Emmett chimes, puffing out his chest. "Let the men handle this one."

Rosalie rolls her eyes, and I giggle.

ROADBLOCK

There are more than a billion bicycles in the world, and just one bike can carry tens of shrimp traps. For some people, this can be a balancing nightmare. If teams can transport the correct number of traps to the fisherman a mile away, they'll receive their next clue. But if they fail, they must return and start all over.

"Let's get a bike." Emmett leads the way to a slew of bikes that are parked alongside one that is already loaded with traps. Rose and I have to keep mum now that the Roadblock has started, so we cross our fingers in hopes that the guys get this right on the first go.

"We have to count the traps," Edward says, pointing to the example. "I'll count the large ones and you count the small ones."

"Works for me," Emmett agrees, nodding. "Let's do a double count. We can't mess this up."

Rose and I exchange smiles and breathe a collective sigh of relief. It's good to see them work as a team and take this task seriously. It's been featured on the show before, and it's a freaking beast. Balancing a bike loaded with shrimp traps is hard in and of itself, but this time the guys have the added pressure of counting the traps themselves.

"I got fourteen," Emmett says.

"Seventeen for me," Edward adds.

"All right. Let's get started."

We watch as each of our guys meticulously loads their bikes. Each trap has a specific spot to connect to, and when they're completely loaded, you can hardly see the bike. This task nearly did the teams in on Season 3, but I have faith our guys can handle it. I do worry about Leah and Emily and Carlisle and Esme since the task is so physically daunting.

Rose and I cheer as the guys take off. Both of them fumble a little as they leave the dirt drive, but for the most part, they seem to have their bikes under control.

Rosalie settles on the concrete floor under the pavilion where we've been standing and rests back on her palms. "I hope they counted them right."

"Pfft." I match her pose. "Surely they wouldn't mess that up."

She gives me a side-eye. "Have you not met Emmett?"

"What?" I choke a laugh. "He seemed on point out there."

"Just because it sounds like he has his shit together, it doesn't mean he does." She swats at a few gnats that are trying to get at her lip gloss. "But here's to hoping."

"Hah." I bark a laugh. "Watch it be Edward who miscounts."

"Let's hope nobody does."

We pass the rest of the wait making small talk, mostly just reminiscing about past LEGs. At some point, when it feels like we've been waiting forever, we switch to the future and our ideas of how the rest of the race might play out. We definitely expect to both be in the top three, but we each have our own idea about who might win.

Sometime later, we're interrupted by the sound of bickering voices, and we stand, stretching our necks to get a better look. Both guys are peddling back, and they're still loaded down with traps.

"Shit," Rose hisses, shaking her head. "Looks like someone messed up."

"Care to make a wager on who?"

"Only if you take Edward."

"Not a chance."

We watch the two get off their bikes and Edward storms over to the example. He starts counting the larger traps.

"See?" Rosalie raises a brow. "But wow, look at those glistening biceps." Her mouth pops open and she traps her bottom lip between her teeth.

I follow her gaze to see Emmett in a tank and shorts, his entire body dripping with sweat. My brows rise in interest as I shift my gaze to Edward, who's every bit as sweaty. Add in his tightly clenched jaw and tense posture and the vision amps up tenfold.

"I don't know," I muse, swallowing deeply. "Maybe this miscount wasn't such a bad thing after all?"

"Let's not go too far now," she replies, settling back down as they both add a large trap and take off again.

They seem to have lost some of their momentum as they head out, but the wait for their return doesn't feel as long as last time. We jump up when the two bikes appear—sans traps—clapping and hooping like the gleeful teammates we are.

"Look," Rose yells, pointing to a taxi. "Another team is here! Let's go!"

The boys pick it up then, hauling ass toward us with their clues in hand, knowing they've lost some of our lead. Once they reach us, Edward sidles up beside me and rips open the clue.

ROUTE INFO

Teams must now head up into the Andes almost 10,000 feet above sea level and find Parque Ramon Castilla where they will receive their next clue.

As we head back toward our waiting cabs, we realize it's Carlisle, who the guys give a high five, and Esme on their way to the torturous trap task. We hop in our taxis with huge smiles from knowing that they're still kicking ass and hanging with the youngins.

During the ride, Edward gives me an animated play-by-play of the shrimp trap task. You know it's grueling if it kicked him and Emmett in the ass. He's still a little grumpy about having to do it twice, kicking himself for not double-checking, but I talk him down and remind him that accidents happen.

TEAM CHECK-IN

Carlisle and Esme are the first of the remaining teams to arrive at the ROADBLOCK. Since it looks to be a hard task, Carlisle chooses to take it on, while Esme settles in the shade. On his first go, he drops some of the traps on the mile-long ride and doesn't realize it, so he has to start again.

As he nears the starting point, he passes Emily as she heads out for her first try. For some reason, the two teams don't communicate about the task, so they're each on their own to finish it.

Meanwhile, back at Plazuela De La Merced, Tanya and Jake have found their Speed Bump.

SPEED BUMP

Tanya and Jake must now complete their Speed Bump here on the streets using an old-school typewriter to fill out a llama loan application.

There's a couple of llamas ready to be loaned out and two typewriters set up on desks. Tanya and Jake both take a seat, and she has to talk him through every stroke because he's never typed before and definitely not on one of the ancient machines before them.

END TEAM CHECK-IN

The scenery on the drive is some of the most majestic of the race so far with the Andes stretching high into the sky and far out before us. They have a different look than the other mountains we've encountered so far. More dirt and ruggedness with less greenery.

As we arrive in the small town, Edward pulls out the clue and reads where we're supposed to go aloud. "Park in Ramon Castillo."

The two cabs pull to a stop, we pay the drivers, and grab our stuff from the trunk. "This way," Edward says, motioning for Em and Rose to follow.

We trek a little way up the stone street to find a vendor making sugar cane juice from scratch. She hands us our clue, which directs us to share a glass before we can move on. The process is interesting, and it reminds you how much life there is in the world to see, cultures and customs and traditions that you might not be aware of.

Once the lady has filled our glasses, one per team with two straws, she hands them over and Edward and I share ours while Emmett sucks theirs down like he's running a marathon. It has a unique flavor that is quite delicious.

Emmett's the first one to return their glass, and he's rewarded with the next clue. He and Rose scurry off by themselves to open it, and when they've read it, they give us a wave and take off for their taxi.

"I guess the final task starts now?" I muse.

Edward shrugs a shoulder, slurping up the last bit of juice in the glass. "Looks like it. Should be the DETOUR coming up at the next locale."

He hands over our glass and we're given the clue. "Detour," Edward says, flashing his eyes to mine before continuing to read. "Mamas or Papas?"

DETOUR

Chicha is a type of Peruvian moonshine. And MAMA Meche's brew might just be the best. Following a list provided, teams must search the streets of Otuzco for the ingredients Mama uses in her 70-year-old recipe. When La Senora Meche has what she needs, she'll offer them a drink and their next clue.

Peru has more potato power than any other country on Earth, offering nearly 4,000 varieties of these delicious PAPAS. Teams must pick through an enormous pile of potatoes and sort them by type, then transport them by motor taxi to one of the marked stands in the Otuzco potato market where they must place each variety of potato into its own bin. Once they correctly sort the potatoes, the vendor will hand them their next clue.

"Let's do Mamas," I say as Edward finishes reading the clue.

"Hell yeah." He holds up a palm for a high five. "When in doubt, always go with the liquor."

I laugh at his cute self, and we hightail it to the waiting motor taxis, where the driver takes us to the market to pick up our list.

TEAM CHECK-IN

Rosalie and Emmett have chosen the Papas DETOUR and are only minutes ahead of Edward and Bella.

Emily and Leah have jumped into 3rd place, bypassing Carlisle and Esme at the ROADBLOCK. Emily has returned with their next clue and they're scurrying off to their taxi at this very moment.

Jake and Tanya have also arrived at the shrimp trap task and Tanya is counting the traps so she can load her bike. Jake has settled in beside a very worried Esme.

"What are you guys still doing here?" he asks, wondering if he's made a mistake by allowing Tanya to do this particular task. They've been taking turns, and it was her time.

She looks to him, her eyes welled with unshed tears. "Carlisle is having a hard time with this. In the first round, he lost some of the traps, so he had to return and start again. The second time, he was able to take them all, but he'd miscounted." She buries her face in her hands and tries to wipe away her grief. "He just left for his third stint, but he's running on empty. His body was soaked with sweat, and he was breathing heavily. I don't know if he's going to make it."

Esme breaks down then, and Jake throws a comforting arm around her and pulls her into his side.

She lets out all her frustration and pain until she's reduced to sniffles. But once she sees Tanya in the distance, her anxiety starts all over again.

They stand as she approaches. "Where's Carlisle?"

Tanya rushes to Esme, enclosing her in a tight hug. "He's pushing his bike, and he was only about a quarter-mile from the end of the route when I passed him on the way back. He seemed determined to finish, Esme."

"Thank you." Esme nods, pulling back and getting a grip on her emotions. "You two go ahead. We'll bring up the rear."

"Are you sure?" Tanya asks, glancing at Jake. "We can wait with you if you'd like?"

Esme shakes her head emphatically. "No, ma'am. You and Jake are to continue this race and I'm sure Carlisle will be along shortly."

Tanya gives Esme one more hug before they relent and leave them behind.

END TEAM CHECK-IN

"Here we are," Edward says as the driver pulls to a stop. "The shop is right this way."

We grab our backpacks from the taxi, and I follow Edward as he weaves by the different stalls in the market and into a small store. He asks the man behind the counter in Spanish if he has our list, which he happily produces.

Edward scans the paper. "We have a few items to get here."

He then lists off what he needs to the man, and the store owner passes over the correct portion of each item. Edward thanks him and checks the list for our next destination, getting directions from the clerk.

"Do you think Rose and Em chose this task or the potato one?" I ask as I follow him down the narrow roadway.

"I'm not sure." He takes my hand. "But we shouldn't be very far behind either way, and I can speak Spanish so that should help us a good bit."

I follow him into the next store and then another right across the street. In total, we have nine ingredients to gather, and it takes us about thirty minutes total after we receive the list, thanks to Edward's grasp of the Spanish language. Our final destination is at Mama Meche's shop. We find her mixing her brew and she pauses her task to check our ingredients.

"The fruits of our labor," Edward says as he presents her with the two bags of ingredients.

One by one she pulls them from the bags and marks them off the list. When all have been accounted for, she scoops up a cup of drink from a clay urn. It's an orangy brown color, similar to apple cider in looks. It also tastes like a cider drink, with bitter spicy notes and has a little kick to it.

Edward hums as he returns the glass, and he thanks her in Spanish as she hands over our next clue. "Make your way on foot to your next Pit Stop."

PIT STOP

Teams must now find Otuzco's Patron Saint. The Virgin De La Puerta and the celebrated statue that resides there.

The last team to check in here may be eliminated.

Once again, Edward's Spanish comes in handy and getting directions isn't a problem. We're about a mile away, having not seen #teamblond(e)bombshells since we began the DETOUR, so we have no idea where we are in the race.

We head out at a light jog and in no time, we're racing toward the mat. Phil is smiling widely as we jump on top of it, and we're eager to hear what place we're in.

"How do you think you did?" He's careful not to give anything away.

"First." I slip my arm around Edward's waist. "We'll always assume we're first."

"What she said." Edward tosses his arm across my shoulders and hunches down, bracing us for the news.

"Well, I hope you won't be disappointed …" Phil drags it out just a teensy bit. "When I tell you that you definitely are first place!"

"Yes!"

Edward catches me in his arms and right there in front of Phil and the world, in a sense, he shoves his tongue down my throat and shows everyone who'll eventually be watching what we mean to each other.

After a beat, Phil clears his throat. "I guess this confirms the rumors I've been hearing?"

Edward slowly lowers me to my feet, and we turn back to face him. "Depends on what the rumors are?"

"That we've made a love match this season."

Edward cuts his eyes to mine, and everything we feel for each other is right there shining in them. Without looking away, he says, "Damn right you have. I love this woman more with every day that passes."

"Right back at ya," I say, tears threatening to spill.

FINAL TEAM CHECK-IN

Emmett and Rose run onto the mat before Edward and Bella get a chance to leave, reuniting them with their LEG partners.

Emily and Leah are a good hour behind the lead teams, but they come in at a solid third place after performing the Papas DETOUR. They also won the date night, which is dinner and a show.

Tanya and Jake fumbled a bit after choosing the Mamas DETOUR, but they ended up finding someone who could help translate for them. Their helper guided them almost all the way to the Pit Stop for a fourth-place finish. They were almost two hours behind #teamfitasafiddle, but they were also still way ahead of #teamgrandparents.

By the time all the other teams had arrived, Carlisle and Esme were in the potato fields after choosing the Papas DETOUR. Carlisle was so wiped from the shrimp trap ROADBLOCK that he was barely able to help with the task.

Phil has learned of the dire situation and was dispatched to put them out of their misery. He finds Carlisle sitting on the sidelines as a race medic pushes him to hydrate and gives him a straw hat in hopes of cooling him down.

"How are you feeling?" Phill asks, sitting beside Carlisle.

"Like I've been hit by a Mac truck."

"The shrimp trap task is one of our most grueling," Phil acknowledges, sighing heavily. "And the temperatures here didn't help."

"If you're here, I suppose that means our race has come to an end," Esme says, settling on the other side of her husband.

Phil looks between the pair. "I'm sorry to tell you are the last team, and you have been eliminated from the race."

"I did all I could," Carlisle says, lowering his eyes.

Esme lifts his chin. "Your safety is more important than anything else." She looks to Phil. "Can we get him to a medical facility now?"

"Absolutely." Phil stands and helps Carlisle to his feet.

*****The ROADBLOCK in this LEG was taken from S29. Since the beginning I had always imagined this as C/E exit, only to realize I'd confused the 2 seasons (they're the only 2 where strangers race together). I don't know if they use these shrimp traps at all in Peru (originally from Vietnam), but I made it work with this LEG so I could fulfill my vision. I love C/E and I wanted them to fight as hard as they could before they went down.

*****E/B did win a prize for 1st place, a phone and laptop along w/a home gym. It would've cramped the ILYs style to toss it in :P

Sorry it's taken so long, and I could give a million excuses, but the reality is I've been wrapped up in the final mths of my daughter's 2nd pregnancy. I now have my second grandbaby, Aryzona Skye, who was born on 9/1. There's an adorbs pic on my FB profile if you missed it somehow!

Pics for this chapter are on my page "Fyregirl Fics" if you wanna see what these bikes loaded w/traps look like.

I promise I'm going to get right back to work on LEG 11 and try to get this wrapped up for you :)