((A/N: Sorry this took SOOO long. I had to help my parents all Thanksgiving break and then when I got back, I had finals. So in over 48 hours, I got 2 hours of sleep total, lol. Now, I'm finally home and still helping the parents who are building a house and doing all the painting, tiling, and cabinet installation themselves, lol. But, I'm hoping to not only get things posted a lot sooner but have my webpage up an running by Monday, will let you all know when it's up and I'm going to have a page on it that has what my next stories will be, partly to keep myself organized and partly to get ideas from others :) anyway..onto part 3 which I know I said the race would start but I didn't realize just how long part 3 would be until I started it, lol, so I broke it down some))
Part 3
TWO WEEKS LATER
1 JUNE 2004
MAGIC KINGDOM - WALT DISNEY WORLD
CELEBRATION, FLORIDA
EPISODE 1
It had been two weeks since the blow up between them at the office, and tensions were still at an all-time high. The few times that they'd actually spoken to one another, it was only about work or the race, but they both refused to allow the conversation get any more personal than that, always keeping one another at arms length at the closest. Gone was the playful banter. They acted just as professionally towards each other as they had when they'd first met, maybe even more so. Neither was looking forward to being forced into spending time together. Why they agreed to this they'd never know. They'd both been tempted to pull out of the race, but both knew how excited Harriet was about it, so they steeled themselves away for what they knew would be an…interesting adventure.
Finally, the dreaded day came and they caught a flight to Orlando, taking a cab to Walt Disney World. "You know, I've never actually been here before." Mac said softly, as the cab made its way through the main gates of the Walt Disney property and down World Drive, passing all the other Disney parks.
"Really? I went when I was nine. Mom wanted to get my mind off of everything." He shrugged slightly.
"We never went anywhere when I was a kid." Mac shrugged as well. "And well…the rest as they say is history." She shrugged again. "I guess I just never had time for it."
Harm nodded. "Well, only the Magic Kingdom was here when I went. It's grown a lot since then and I don't really remember much about it anyway. And what I do remember, well, let's just say I didn't want to be there so it was far from the happiest place on earth." Harm quickly pulled his professional mask back in place when he realized that the conversation was heading in a personal direction.
The cabbie showed the parking ticket agent the pass provided by "The Amazing Race" crew and she smiled. "Good luck." She called into the back and waved the cab through.
Mac looked at Harm out the corner of her eye. "We'll need it." She mumbled under her breath.
If Harm heard her, he ignored it and simply got out of the cab and got his camping backpack that was packed to capacity.
Mac got hers as well and followed him up to the ticket gate. They both showed their passes and were let inside. Mac watched the monorail pass over her head.
"Mackenzie and Rabb?" A young man decked out in "Amazing Race" paraphernalia asked. When Harm and Mac nodded, he took their bags, handing them off to another crew member. "Right this way." He led them onto a boat where the rest of the contestants waited. "Okay, let's get started. We're going to take you all into the park and to the starting line. You'll receive more instructions from there." The boat pulled away and traveled through the Seven Seas Lagoon to the front gates of the Magic Kingdom.
Harm had to smile softly at the way Mac's eyes lit up as they were led through the park. "Harm, why are there so many people in red shirts here?" Mac whispered and he shrugged.
"No clue. I told you I haven't been here in a long time. Maybe they work here or something."
"Maybe." Mac nodded and continued to look around. They were led to the back of the park to Mickey's Toontown Fair where they were lined up at the entrance to the Barnstormer.
A man walked out and stood in front of them. "Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Phil Keoghan, the host of "The Amazing Race" and we're about to get started." The cameras got in place. "In 3-2-1…"
TWO WEEKS LATER
ROBERTS' RESIDENCE
2000; 14 June 2004
"Quiet everyone, it's starting." Harriet hushed the group that had gathered to watch the season premiere of "The Amazing Race." Bud got back from putting Jimmy and AJ to bed and sat beside his wife on the couch. Tiner and Coates shared the loveseat while the Admiral, Meredith and Sturgis each occupied a chair. Harriet turned up the volume as the opening credits began, introducing each of the teams.
Darryl and Danny: life partners and hairdressers from San Francisco, California. They both had dirty blond, though Darryl had highlights and was slightly taller and skinnier than Danny. Both were in their mid 40's and they looked like rednecks. Darryl had his initials tattooed on his wrist.
Sarah and Alison: sisters and students from Chesterfield, Virginia. Sarah was the older of the two, but shorter than her sister, barely five feet tall wearing shoes. They both had very dark blond hair and blue eyes. Sarah wore rather preppy clothes while Alison's clothing had 'Cheerleading' across all of it. Both were in their mid to late 'teens.
Bernie and Anne: retired married couple from Fresno, California. Bernie had rather curly gray hair, as did his wife. Anne was slightly taller and skinnier than her husband. Bernie was early 70's while Anne was in her mid 60's. Just looking at them, you could tell they were good people.
Andrew and Beverly: mother/son and teachers from State College, Pennsylvania. Bev was in her mid 50's, while Andy was in his late 20's. They both had blond hair. Andrew was good looking with an athletic build and was quite a bit taller than his mother who had an infectious smile. Bev was the kind of person that looked chipper at anytime of day.
Peter and David: friends and pastors from Chappell-Hill, North Carolina. David was tall with blond hair and brilliant blue eyes, while Pete had brown hair and brown eyes with a mischievous sparkle to them. Both were in their early 40's and wore 'Hope Church' t-shirts and hats.
Don and Graham: friends and computer programmers from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Don was on the short side with dark brown hair. Graham had dark brown hair, glasses, and looked like he could be Don's brother. Both were in their early 50's. Don looked like the type that got into trouble a lot.
Larry and Henry: friends and realtors from Austin, Texas. Larry had dark hair, a medium build, and had a salesman's smile. Henry was 6'3'' tall, had a lumber-jack build, with dirty blond hair, a mustache and a goatee. He looked like a good ole-boy redneck. Both were in their mid 40's.
Katie and Donna: mother/daughter from New York City, New York. Katie was on the shorter side, with blond hair, like her mother and had a smile that could brighten anyone's day. Katie was in her early 20's while her mother was in her early 50's.
Gerry and Melissa: married social workers from Nashville, Tennessee. Gerry had brown curly hair and a mustache, while Melissa had long brown hair that was neatly pulled into a low ponytail. They were both in their early 40's.
Harm and Mac: friends and JAG lawyers from Washington, D.C. The group all began to cheer as their friends' images came onto the big screen. Soon their image was replaced by the host of the race.
Phil smiled. "Welcome to Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, the starting line for season five of the Amazing Race. Our teams will travel around the world, having to survive against the environment, the other teams, the challenges, and of course…they have to be able to survive against each other and work as a team to succeed."
The cameras panned around their surroundings and Tiner started to laugh. "Oh no…they wouldn't do that."
"Do what, Tiner?" Bud asked.
"You see all those red shirts? Well, I went to Disney once several years back and well…those shirts signify red shirt week."
"Red shirt week?" Jen asked. "What's that?"
"It's…um gay pride week." Tiner informed the group who all promptly began to laugh hysterically, having noted that Harm had worn a red shirt that day.
"Oh no…" Harriet wiped tears from her eyes from laughing. "The poor Commander." The group's laughing gradually quieted as they turned their attention back to the screen.
Each team was handed a yellow envelope. "The envelopes that you've just been handed contain a locker number where your bags and the next clue are located. You must make your way to the front of the park to the main train station. And just to make things more fun, the three o'clock parade will be starting soon so many areas are blocked off. As you've probably noticed, we're one team short. Our last team had a family emergency and had to pull out of the race an hour ago. That's bad news for them, but good news for the rest of you. So, good luck everyone." He held up a flag in the air. "On your marks…get set…go!"
The teams scattered. Darryl/Danny, Sarah/Alison, Gerry/Melissa, Katie/Donna and Don/Graham all took off through Fantasy Land towards Liberty Square. Bernie/Anne and Larry/Henry went a little farther into Toontown where they boarded the train. Harm/Mac, Andy/Bev, and Pete/David all headed through Fantasy Land towards Tomorrowland.
Sarah ran up to a food vendor. "Excuse me, but can you tell me what time the three o'clock parade starts?"
The vendor chuckled good-naturedly and shook his head, "You'd be surprised how many people ask me that on any given day. The parade starts at three o'clock."
"Okay, thanks." Sarah smiled and they took off. "It started ten minutes ago." She told Alison as they entered Frontierland, only to run into Darryl/Danny and Don/Graham. The parade was passing through the area, blocking their path.
Gerry/Melissa and Katie/Donna looked down at the map and noticed the parade route. They turned just before entering Frontierland and headed over the little bridge beside Cinderella's castle which brought them out onto Main Street U.S.A where the crowd of parade goers had already thinned out. They all sprinted towards the train station.
Mac stopped and asked a Disney cast member what the fastest way would be as a man in a red shirt, short yellow parachute hot pants, and a princess hat walked up to Harm. "Well, now I know why they call it Fantasyland." He smirked as he looked Harm up and down.
"Uh…Sarah, honey…" Harm yanked on Mac's arm, pulling her tightly up against him eliciting a gasp of surprise from her ((as well as the group gathered in front of the TV at the Roberts' home)). His hand slid down over her six. "Did you get directions, Babe?" He asked as bent his head to nuzzle her neck.
"All the cute ones are straight." The guy sighed and walked off.
"Well, at least someone thinks you're cute." Mac pushed him away and pointed at the map. "The crowd should be broken up by the time we get there."
Harm nodded and smiled softly. "I bet he's not the only one that thinks I'm cute."
"If you're referring to me, you're dead wrong, Commander. And by the way, you ever pull a stunt like that with me again and you'll find yourself on your six and your teeth will be missing from that flyboy grin of yours." She turned and began to sprint through Tomorrowland, Harm hot on her heels.
Gerry/Melissa and Katie/Donna arrived at the train station and got their bags and the first clue. "Make your way to the Boardwalk resort. You have $100 for this leg of the race." Gerry read aloud before they took off for the monorail back to the transportation and ticket center. Katie and Donna took off to the ferry back to the transportation and ticket center as Harm/Mac, Peter/David, and Bev/Andy got to the train station. They read their clues and Peter and David took off for the ferry while Bev and Andy took off for the monorail.
"Come on, Mac!" Harm started towards the exit.
"Wait a minute, okay? There may be a faster way."
Harm sighed. "Insisting on 'being on top' already, Mac? This is going to be a long race."
Mac rolled her eyes and walked off. She spotted a couple wearing matching clothes, the names 'Joseph' and 'Trish' embroidered on their shirts. Trish sat in a wheelchair; her blond ponytail was pulled through her Tinker Bell hat that was covered with Disney pins. Mac took a closer look at Joseph and gasped. "Harm! It's Joe Pesci"
Harm came up behind her. "Oh wow…"
"Come on." Mac smiled and walked over to them. "Hi, I'm Sarah Mackenzie and it's great to meet you. I'm a big fan."
Joseph laughed. " A fan of mine?" He grinned. "Well that's nice, Sarah, but I find the need to tell you that I'm not who you think I am, but don't worry, I get that a lot."
"You mean you're not…?"
"Joe Pesci? Nope."
"Oh…well…um, maybe you can help us anyway. We're in a race and need to get to the Boardwalk as quickly as possible."
"There look no farther." He smiled. "What you want to do is take the resort monorail to the transportation and ticket center and then the monorail from the transportation and ticket center to Epcot. Go through Epcot and at the back there will be boats to the resorts. Either take the boat to the Boardwalk or walk it and there you go."
"Thanks." Harm smiled. "Come on." He started in the direction of the monorails.
"Thanks." Mac called over her shoulder as she raced after Harm. They got in the line for the resort monorail which was much shorter than the other monorail line. Another man in a red shirt grinned and started to walk towards Harm. Harm saw him and looked over at Mac, his eyes pleaded with her for help.
TBC
Part 3
TWO WEEKS LATER
1 JUNE 2004
MAGIC KINGDOM - WALT DISNEY WORLD
CELEBRATION, FLORIDA
EPISODE 1
It had been two weeks since the blow up between them at the office, and tensions were still at an all-time high. The few times that they'd actually spoken to one another, it was only about work or the race, but they both refused to allow the conversation get any more personal than that, always keeping one another at arms length at the closest. Gone was the playful banter. They acted just as professionally towards each other as they had when they'd first met, maybe even more so. Neither was looking forward to being forced into spending time together. Why they agreed to this they'd never know. They'd both been tempted to pull out of the race, but both knew how excited Harriet was about it, so they steeled themselves away for what they knew would be an…interesting adventure.
Finally, the dreaded day came and they caught a flight to Orlando, taking a cab to Walt Disney World. "You know, I've never actually been here before." Mac said softly, as the cab made its way through the main gates of the Walt Disney property and down World Drive, passing all the other Disney parks.
"Really? I went when I was nine. Mom wanted to get my mind off of everything." He shrugged slightly.
"We never went anywhere when I was a kid." Mac shrugged as well. "And well…the rest as they say is history." She shrugged again. "I guess I just never had time for it."
Harm nodded. "Well, only the Magic Kingdom was here when I went. It's grown a lot since then and I don't really remember much about it anyway. And what I do remember, well, let's just say I didn't want to be there so it was far from the happiest place on earth." Harm quickly pulled his professional mask back in place when he realized that the conversation was heading in a personal direction.
The cabbie showed the parking ticket agent the pass provided by "The Amazing Race" crew and she smiled. "Good luck." She called into the back and waved the cab through.
Mac looked at Harm out the corner of her eye. "We'll need it." She mumbled under her breath.
If Harm heard her, he ignored it and simply got out of the cab and got his camping backpack that was packed to capacity.
Mac got hers as well and followed him up to the ticket gate. They both showed their passes and were let inside. Mac watched the monorail pass over her head.
"Mackenzie and Rabb?" A young man decked out in "Amazing Race" paraphernalia asked. When Harm and Mac nodded, he took their bags, handing them off to another crew member. "Right this way." He led them onto a boat where the rest of the contestants waited. "Okay, let's get started. We're going to take you all into the park and to the starting line. You'll receive more instructions from there." The boat pulled away and traveled through the Seven Seas Lagoon to the front gates of the Magic Kingdom.
Harm had to smile softly at the way Mac's eyes lit up as they were led through the park. "Harm, why are there so many people in red shirts here?" Mac whispered and he shrugged.
"No clue. I told you I haven't been here in a long time. Maybe they work here or something."
"Maybe." Mac nodded and continued to look around. They were led to the back of the park to Mickey's Toontown Fair where they were lined up at the entrance to the Barnstormer.
A man walked out and stood in front of them. "Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Phil Keoghan, the host of "The Amazing Race" and we're about to get started." The cameras got in place. "In 3-2-1…"
TWO WEEKS LATER
ROBERTS' RESIDENCE
2000; 14 June 2004
"Quiet everyone, it's starting." Harriet hushed the group that had gathered to watch the season premiere of "The Amazing Race." Bud got back from putting Jimmy and AJ to bed and sat beside his wife on the couch. Tiner and Coates shared the loveseat while the Admiral, Meredith and Sturgis each occupied a chair. Harriet turned up the volume as the opening credits began, introducing each of the teams.
Darryl and Danny: life partners and hairdressers from San Francisco, California. They both had dirty blond, though Darryl had highlights and was slightly taller and skinnier than Danny. Both were in their mid 40's and they looked like rednecks. Darryl had his initials tattooed on his wrist.
Sarah and Alison: sisters and students from Chesterfield, Virginia. Sarah was the older of the two, but shorter than her sister, barely five feet tall wearing shoes. They both had very dark blond hair and blue eyes. Sarah wore rather preppy clothes while Alison's clothing had 'Cheerleading' across all of it. Both were in their mid to late 'teens.
Bernie and Anne: retired married couple from Fresno, California. Bernie had rather curly gray hair, as did his wife. Anne was slightly taller and skinnier than her husband. Bernie was early 70's while Anne was in her mid 60's. Just looking at them, you could tell they were good people.
Andrew and Beverly: mother/son and teachers from State College, Pennsylvania. Bev was in her mid 50's, while Andy was in his late 20's. They both had blond hair. Andrew was good looking with an athletic build and was quite a bit taller than his mother who had an infectious smile. Bev was the kind of person that looked chipper at anytime of day.
Peter and David: friends and pastors from Chappell-Hill, North Carolina. David was tall with blond hair and brilliant blue eyes, while Pete had brown hair and brown eyes with a mischievous sparkle to them. Both were in their early 40's and wore 'Hope Church' t-shirts and hats.
Don and Graham: friends and computer programmers from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Don was on the short side with dark brown hair. Graham had dark brown hair, glasses, and looked like he could be Don's brother. Both were in their early 50's. Don looked like the type that got into trouble a lot.
Larry and Henry: friends and realtors from Austin, Texas. Larry had dark hair, a medium build, and had a salesman's smile. Henry was 6'3'' tall, had a lumber-jack build, with dirty blond hair, a mustache and a goatee. He looked like a good ole-boy redneck. Both were in their mid 40's.
Katie and Donna: mother/daughter from New York City, New York. Katie was on the shorter side, with blond hair, like her mother and had a smile that could brighten anyone's day. Katie was in her early 20's while her mother was in her early 50's.
Gerry and Melissa: married social workers from Nashville, Tennessee. Gerry had brown curly hair and a mustache, while Melissa had long brown hair that was neatly pulled into a low ponytail. They were both in their early 40's.
Harm and Mac: friends and JAG lawyers from Washington, D.C. The group all began to cheer as their friends' images came onto the big screen. Soon their image was replaced by the host of the race.
Phil smiled. "Welcome to Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, the starting line for season five of the Amazing Race. Our teams will travel around the world, having to survive against the environment, the other teams, the challenges, and of course…they have to be able to survive against each other and work as a team to succeed."
The cameras panned around their surroundings and Tiner started to laugh. "Oh no…they wouldn't do that."
"Do what, Tiner?" Bud asked.
"You see all those red shirts? Well, I went to Disney once several years back and well…those shirts signify red shirt week."
"Red shirt week?" Jen asked. "What's that?"
"It's…um gay pride week." Tiner informed the group who all promptly began to laugh hysterically, having noted that Harm had worn a red shirt that day.
"Oh no…" Harriet wiped tears from her eyes from laughing. "The poor Commander." The group's laughing gradually quieted as they turned their attention back to the screen.
Each team was handed a yellow envelope. "The envelopes that you've just been handed contain a locker number where your bags and the next clue are located. You must make your way to the front of the park to the main train station. And just to make things more fun, the three o'clock parade will be starting soon so many areas are blocked off. As you've probably noticed, we're one team short. Our last team had a family emergency and had to pull out of the race an hour ago. That's bad news for them, but good news for the rest of you. So, good luck everyone." He held up a flag in the air. "On your marks…get set…go!"
The teams scattered. Darryl/Danny, Sarah/Alison, Gerry/Melissa, Katie/Donna and Don/Graham all took off through Fantasy Land towards Liberty Square. Bernie/Anne and Larry/Henry went a little farther into Toontown where they boarded the train. Harm/Mac, Andy/Bev, and Pete/David all headed through Fantasy Land towards Tomorrowland.
Sarah ran up to a food vendor. "Excuse me, but can you tell me what time the three o'clock parade starts?"
The vendor chuckled good-naturedly and shook his head, "You'd be surprised how many people ask me that on any given day. The parade starts at three o'clock."
"Okay, thanks." Sarah smiled and they took off. "It started ten minutes ago." She told Alison as they entered Frontierland, only to run into Darryl/Danny and Don/Graham. The parade was passing through the area, blocking their path.
Gerry/Melissa and Katie/Donna looked down at the map and noticed the parade route. They turned just before entering Frontierland and headed over the little bridge beside Cinderella's castle which brought them out onto Main Street U.S.A where the crowd of parade goers had already thinned out. They all sprinted towards the train station.
Mac stopped and asked a Disney cast member what the fastest way would be as a man in a red shirt, short yellow parachute hot pants, and a princess hat walked up to Harm. "Well, now I know why they call it Fantasyland." He smirked as he looked Harm up and down.
"Uh…Sarah, honey…" Harm yanked on Mac's arm, pulling her tightly up against him eliciting a gasp of surprise from her ((as well as the group gathered in front of the TV at the Roberts' home)). His hand slid down over her six. "Did you get directions, Babe?" He asked as bent his head to nuzzle her neck.
"All the cute ones are straight." The guy sighed and walked off.
"Well, at least someone thinks you're cute." Mac pushed him away and pointed at the map. "The crowd should be broken up by the time we get there."
Harm nodded and smiled softly. "I bet he's not the only one that thinks I'm cute."
"If you're referring to me, you're dead wrong, Commander. And by the way, you ever pull a stunt like that with me again and you'll find yourself on your six and your teeth will be missing from that flyboy grin of yours." She turned and began to sprint through Tomorrowland, Harm hot on her heels.
Gerry/Melissa and Katie/Donna arrived at the train station and got their bags and the first clue. "Make your way to the Boardwalk resort. You have $100 for this leg of the race." Gerry read aloud before they took off for the monorail back to the transportation and ticket center. Katie and Donna took off to the ferry back to the transportation and ticket center as Harm/Mac, Peter/David, and Bev/Andy got to the train station. They read their clues and Peter and David took off for the ferry while Bev and Andy took off for the monorail.
"Come on, Mac!" Harm started towards the exit.
"Wait a minute, okay? There may be a faster way."
Harm sighed. "Insisting on 'being on top' already, Mac? This is going to be a long race."
Mac rolled her eyes and walked off. She spotted a couple wearing matching clothes, the names 'Joseph' and 'Trish' embroidered on their shirts. Trish sat in a wheelchair; her blond ponytail was pulled through her Tinker Bell hat that was covered with Disney pins. Mac took a closer look at Joseph and gasped. "Harm! It's Joe Pesci"
Harm came up behind her. "Oh wow…"
"Come on." Mac smiled and walked over to them. "Hi, I'm Sarah Mackenzie and it's great to meet you. I'm a big fan."
Joseph laughed. " A fan of mine?" He grinned. "Well that's nice, Sarah, but I find the need to tell you that I'm not who you think I am, but don't worry, I get that a lot."
"You mean you're not…?"
"Joe Pesci? Nope."
"Oh…well…um, maybe you can help us anyway. We're in a race and need to get to the Boardwalk as quickly as possible."
"There look no farther." He smiled. "What you want to do is take the resort monorail to the transportation and ticket center and then the monorail from the transportation and ticket center to Epcot. Go through Epcot and at the back there will be boats to the resorts. Either take the boat to the Boardwalk or walk it and there you go."
"Thanks." Harm smiled. "Come on." He started in the direction of the monorails.
"Thanks." Mac called over her shoulder as she raced after Harm. They got in the line for the resort monorail which was much shorter than the other monorail line. Another man in a red shirt grinned and started to walk towards Harm. Harm saw him and looked over at Mac, his eyes pleaded with her for help.
TBC