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Previously on the Amazing Race, our teams had a tough choice in Texas. It was either get their hands dirty while washing windows or risk breaking a wrist in baseball. The marines surprisingly came in first and an alliance between them and Ren & Cal was seemingly born. It was another photo finish at the carpet, but in the end, the actors arrived in last and were sent home. Six teams down, twelve left. Which one will take the fall this week? Time to find out right here on... the Amazing Race.

***

"Welcome back to Houston Community College Central," Toner introduces. "Yesterday's winners go first. Ready boys?" The marine furs hop onto the carpet. "Go!" Zack gets the tip from the clue box.

"'Find your next tip at the Arizona Stadium'," he reads. "Never heard of it in my life."

Well it's right here, is Tucson, Arizona; a heated town in the middle of the desert. It's a great visit for those interested in 19th-century roots as well as many vintage shops and nightclubs. Teams must travel via Amtrak train to to the town of Maricopa, where they will find the next clue with one of four awaiting helicopters.

Chris whistles with his fingers. "Taxi!"

The first six teams quickly catch a ride to the train station. The other six race to avoid getting on the second train, which doesn't leave for another hour. Sally looks back on the last two days while her and her partner ride in the back of a taxi. "I really think we ought to form alliance," she suggests. "The emperors have been there for us for quite a while now."

Sindy sighs. "I don't know. With Arnold & Bert gone, I'm not sure if I can trust any of the others right now. Then again, they did stick with us when we were at a bad time."

"See? Now when we get to the station and they aren't on board yet, ask them."

In another cab, Echo takes out a bottle of blue gel. "What's that?" Majira asks.

"It's ice gel," she explains. "Don't worry, it's good for your fur. Besides, we're going to the desert and it's a smart way to get cold." What she forgot is that deserts become cold at night. A lot cold.

Majira holds his paws out. "In that case, can I have some?"

"Sure."

Kaleb & Mac, as usual, ran their way to the train station seeing as how morning traffic was going to be a killer because of the other teams. "I'm surprised we're even still in the race in the first place," Mac said before they left. "On day one we were in seventeenth, yet the highest rank we've ever gotten is sixth. It's not very impressive."

Kaleb scratched his son behind the ears and said, "Oh, but we're still in this, right? We haven't come in last yet and have no plans to do so."

His son rolls his eyes. "Dad, what have we said about that kind of talk?"

"'It puts a jinx on us'." Kaleb sulked.

At the train station, the strippers and beneficial friends wait as the first train departs with the first six teams. As Cinnamon sips on a street soda, Pepper rests a paw on his shoulder and says, "Dude, what happened to us? We we're doing great and then all of a sudden... eleventh. We're in near last, man. What are we going to do?" Cinnamon shrugs.

"At least you guys are not in dead last," Toby says. The tiger let Felix sit on his lap as they wait for the next train to Arizona. As they do, the doors burst open with another tiger and a black wolf.

"See?" Josee points. "The first train's gone. Not even ten minutes into this leg of the race and we're tied for last place."

"Easy now," Ryan says. "Maybe the tasks will be so hard for the others they won't be able to finish in time. It's only an hour delay." They take a seat next to the others who are forced onto the second train.

Twelve hours later, the first train arrives in Maricopa just as the sun dips underneath the horizon. Those twelve racers run out towards one of the awaiting helicopters. The clue box stands just beyond one of them. "It's a One-Way," Chris notices.

"We have to parachute our way into the Arizona Stadium for our next tip," Chloe reads.

The engines of two helicopters fire up, blades spinning overhead knocking some wind into those on the ground. The marines, engaged couple, and and magicians hop onto the first copter while the cab drivers, emperors, and officers take the second one. A few specials trainees help each team strap into a parachute for them to have to jump together.

While Chris secretly enjoys feeling Zack in front of him, he puts on his poker face as they approach the stadium. "I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with this," the fox says. "Maybe it's just the acrophobia talking, but..."

The wolf/husky wraps his arms around the shivering fox. "It's ok. I've got you." Is it just me, he thinks, or did Zack calm down some when I touched him?

"This will be so easy," Ren says.

"Well duh, you've got a cushion to land on if something goes wrong," Parker accuses. "No offense, big guy,"

Cal shrugs. "I've been called worse in my life."

When they're all directly overhead, the six teams jump out towards the center of the football field. Zack closes his eyes as they descend. Donna and Nick noticeably growl at each other with the emperors passing them slowly. The magicians are blown off by the wind and end up in the seating area. The land just as Parker predicted, but in reverse.

"Please get off me," Ren mumbles into the grass.

"Oops. Sorry about that." Cal gets off his future spouse and helps him to his feet.

The officers land with no trouble, but as the cab drivers near the ground, Vito snap in his foot. "Ah! My ankle!" he shouts. Donna unclips them. When she does, Vito hops his way to the clue box, wincing about how much it hurts.

"Snap out of it, man!" Donna shouts. "You didn't break it, did you?" Vito shakes his head no. "Good! So can we go back to focusing on the game?"

Nick get the next tip. "One Way: 'Pizzeria Party'?" For this challenge, teams must run east all the way to Grimaldi's Pizzeria. Once there, one player must remain blindfolded while the other has to feed them an entire twelve inch pizza. Only then will they receive their next clue.

The race for first continues. But the race to get out of last begins as the next six teams arrive in Maricopa. Both of the other copters fire up as the telephone operators, YouTubers, and father & son get in one and the haters, strippers, and friends with benefits in the other. Two other trainees help the teams get clipped into their parachutes.

"Is this safe?" Echo asks one of the workers.

"Probably," a red vixen replies.

When those teams are over the stadium, Josee looks down below and gets slightly nauseous. "No way," she refuses. "I'm not jumping straight to my death."

"Oh yes you will!" Ryan shouts and then hurls himself and Josee out of the flying aircraft. The other five follow suit. The YouTubers hold each other, whimpering as they hope not to crash. The strippers jump with their arms and legs spread out like a starfish. Father and son try to steer towards the end of the field, but end up crashing into the giant screen where their parachute gets caught, leaving them dangling in midair.

The only thing on Sindy's mind when her feet touch the ground is if the emperors are doing ok. "Maybe we can still catch up," she says. "After all, there's no way they can finish the leg if we were delayed an hour, right?" Sally unclips them and runs to the clue box like the others (except for Kaleb & Mac, but they eventually get rescued by an employee).

At the pizzeria, the six leading teams develop a strategy to finish the task. Donna keeps Vito pinned to a chair as she wraps a small strip of cloth around his eyes. "You have to do it," she says. "You're the one with the larger stomach."

Vito retorts, "Says the one who ate six large donuts and a plateful of baleadas; both on an empty stomach."

Parker voluntarily blindfolds himself. "You sure you can handle this?" Chloe asks, a little reluctant.

"Of course I can," he says. "Remember that time we went to perform in Pasadena and me a a few buds went out to that sushi restaurant the next town over?"

"Oh yeah! You wiped them clean of half their fish."

"I'm a feline, Chloe, it's in my blood."

"You think you can do this?" Zack asks when Chris puts on the blindfold for their team.

The hybrid coughs. "Absolutely. I've handled longer things in my muzzle before." It didn't come out right and it made Zack feel a little weird about him. Is he in that sort of life, he asks himself. "Well, what are you waiting for? Feed me the damn pizza!" Chris growl, causing Zack to shrink away from him.

As the fox goes to get a twelve inch from the kitchen, the engaged couple quickly take the lead as Cal keeps his muzzle open for Ren to practically stuff the pizza in him. Easiest choice ever, he thinks.

"Remind me why you are the one eating this?" Judy asks.

Nick tightens the fold around his forehead. "Because every time you're in the eating challenge, you get sick. I think it's about time that I do something. Plus, we haven't gotten to beat those annoying cab drivers in a while and I figure it's about time we go do that while we have the chance."

Max feeds to his husband, but both of them are wondering if the phone operators are going to make it there in time or if they're going to be checking in without them. "Lucius, you think we should wait for Sindy & Sally?" the curious fox asks.

Lucius swallows what's in his muzzle first before saying, "I'm not sure. If they get here in time and finish the task before everyone else then maybe. But for now, keep going; we could still be in first."

At this point, some of the teams from the second train begin to the arrive and those who already begun are only remotely finished. As the emperors had hoped, the operators come in first. They spot their friends/allies and run over to them. "Another eating challenge?" Sally asks. "Sindy, I think this is your area of expertise."

Sindy smiles. Normally, she has a problems with food she's never tried before. This is different, however, as this is pizza which pretty much everyone in the whole country has tried before. She sits down next to Lucius and grabs a blindfold. "I'm ready," she says.

Next in is the friends with benefits and the strippers. "I think we can both agree that it should be you feeding me," Pepper states. Cinnamon nods and makes his partner sit in one of the available chairs.

Felix thinks about who should be which on his team. When he turns around, however, he sees Toby has already covered his eyes and is sitting down. "I thought you didn't like being blindfolded," the fox wonders.

The tiger shakes his head. "I don't," he confirms. "But it's not like we're doing anything sexual; this is part of the task." Felix flicks his ears, curious if Toby can truly see him. He reaches out slowly for the hem of the tiger's purple shorts, but he stops him. "And yes I can tell that you were reaching for down there."

"How?"

"It's like a sixth sense when it comes to you."

Father and son come in, a bit ruffled up from crashing into a screen larger than their house. Once they grab the tip, Kaleb wraps the cloth around his own eyes. "Are you sure I should be the one handling the food?" Mac asks. "You never let me fix my own plate back home."

"Son, I'm willing to let a few things slide to make way for the game," Kaleb chuckles. "Anyways you'd never be able to eat an entire pizza; you can barely finish three slices of it before you say 'I'm full'."

"Fair point."

Things turn around when the YouTubers come into the door. Both of them look unsure about getting another stomachache. That is, until Echo blinds herself. "Why would you volunteer?" Majira asks.

"Remember my birthday party in tenth grade?" she asks. Before she can go into detail, Majira covers her muzzle with a nervous look on his face.

"I'd rather not go into detail about that one," he says anxiously. "Especially with other people and cameras listening in on it."

The haters are the last into the restaurant, but everyone is scrambling to catch first place. Ryan looks around and observes the challenge. An idea pops into his brain as fast as a speed racers. Before Josee can say anything, Ryan asks, "Ok, do you recall my graduation party? My whole family had an entire pizza leftover after the whole thing went down. Remember what you did?"

Josee gasps as the memory comes back to her. "The Pizza Roll Up?" she asks. The wolf nods.

"It might be enough to get us back into first place." Ryan blindfolds himself as Josee runs to get one of the pizzas.

When she comes back, she does what she did all those months ago. She grabs one point in the circle and tightly rolls it up until it's in the shape of a burrito. "Open up," she commands and Ryan complies. In seconds, he's chomping away, boomeranging them from last to almost first. Except two teams have already finished the task.

Ren and Zack yell, "Done!" then hand their empty plates in in exchange for their next tip.

Cal rips the fabric off his eyes. "What's next?" he asks.

"It's a Roadblock this time," Ren reads. "'Teammate Takeaway'?"

For this Roadblock, whoever did not search for textile squares in Guatemala must push their teammate in a wheelbarrow south on North Campbell Avenue to the local Starbucks, which serves at today's endpoint. The last team to arrive may be cut from the competition.

"I searched in the museum," Zack recalls. "Which means you have to do it."

Chris rolls his eyes. "Fine. You weight pretty much the same as a pillow anyways." I do not, the fox thinks to himself.

Cal helps Ren into one of the twelve await wheelbarrows (which are a notable blood shade of red). "I can already taste first," the stuffed bear says.

"That would be the sauce they use," Ren teases.

Josee smiles brightly as Ryan downs the last of his pizza. "Finished," the black wolf says. The tigress hugs him tight, looking into her partner's bright blue eyes. The two look like they're about to kiss/make up until Josee snaps back into reality and slaps him across the face.

"Sorry," she says. "But it would look weird to be doing that after we've split up." Even though secretly, she wants to pull him into the bathroom and make out with him.

Ryan rubs the burning spot on his cheek. "I completely agree." They get the next challenge where Josee hops into the barrow while the wolf pushes her. "First place all the way!" He starts running. Soon they see the marines and team engagement up ahead. The haters continue to push themselves and for once, their plan works and they slowly catch up.

"See you later, losers!" Josee hollers when they pass them.

"How in the world did they catch up?" Chris asks. "Weren't they on the second train?"

Back inside, Cinnamon managed to get Pepper to eat the last few bites. After he does, he gives a thumbs up to the waitress (who happens to be a blue wolf) to indicate they've completed the task.

"Done," Judy claims. "You ok, Nick?"

The sly fox nods. "Yeah. Never better. Why do you ask?"

"Because you don't look so good." She points out that he has slumped back in his chair, can hardly keep his eyes straight and has wrapped his arms around his stomach. When the rabbit asks the waitress for the tip, she adds, "Got anything for abdominal pain?"

The blue wolf steps into the back for a second then gives Judy a small pack of Prilosec. "Thanks," she says. "At least I'm going to be the one pulling you to the carpet," she says as she helps Nick to his feet.

Donna sees and Vito hears that the officers have finished. Seeing drastic measures as a good option, Donna forces open Vito's muzzle, stuffs the rest of his pizza in, then holds it shut, waiting for him to digest. Once he does, she grabs the next tip as well as his arm. "We've already fallen behind way too much. It's time to up our game before we fall behind even more," she says.

"I get that, but you don't have to be so aggressive about the contest," Vito says. His partner pushes him into a wheelbarrow where he slightly whimpers in pain.

"Sorry, couldn't hear you," Donna says. "I'm too busy trying to win us a million dollars." She grabs the barrow and starts running to catch the others.

***

"I hope this doesn't affect your relationship, but..." Toner waits to see if they can handle the news. They can. "You're in first place! Great job."

Josee & Ryan whoop and cheer. The tigress get out and hugs him tight. "I can't believe it!" she shouts. "First! We did it!"

"Yeah we did!" Ryan hurrahs.

With this, the race for first is over. The race to not come in last though has already begun. The magicians finish next. Chloe never had any doubt in Parker that he could do this one. When Majira is done feeding his partner, he licks his fingers clean saying, "Not enough strawberries on it."

Back at the checkpoint, the next two teams arrive in sight. "Chris, slow down!" Zack exclaims.

"Why would I do that?" the hybrid growls.

"Because Ren & Cal helped us yesterday. We owe them, big time. The least we could do is let them take the next spot before us." Chris rolls his eyes and sighs. He lets the bear and fox slip by them, officially taking second.

"Marines, you're in third," Toner announces.

Parker, Pepper, Judy, and Majira push their partners in the wheelbarrow to make it to Starbucks next. Toby finishes what in his muzzle before he asks, "Is there any more?"

"Nope," Felix says. "We're all done here. How do you feel?"

"Never better." The tiger picks him up and over his back. The friends with benefits leave the restaurant next with the tiger pushing Felix down the street.

"Fourth?! Again?!" A vixen growls when she and her partner reach the coffee shop. She's so damn tired of the dreaded number and that awful nickname the host gives them.

"Yes, cabbies," Toner loves to exaggerate that word, "third place is already taken which means, you're number four." Donna head inside Starbucks where she proceeds to have a large tantrum with Vito standing by giggling nervously.

Nick & Judy- 5th place

Cinnamon & Pepper- 6th place

Echo & Majira- 7th place

Toby & Felix- 8th place

Chloe & Parker- 9th place

Kaleb grabs the barrow and pushes his son down the street. Max and Sally finish feeding their partners frantically as they both realize they're in last place. Sindy then says, "Alright Lucius, if we manage to get out partners there in time, we might still be able to beat out father and son."

"Couldn't agree more," the wolf says.

Both teams head out and each person gets into their right place. Sindy and Lucius start pushing Sally and Max down south. They see Kaleb & Mac just ahead. At the same time, they also see Starbucks and Toner waiting to tell someone that they're in last place. The foursome inch their way closer to the wolves, sensing victory and a close call. It all comes crashing down when Lucius trips on one of his own boots and falls to the ground. This allows father and son to take tenth and the telephone operators take eleventh before they realized what happened.

"Oh my goodness!" Sally exclaims. "Are you ok?"

Lucius gets up and sluggishly pushes his husband onto the rug. "Yeah, I'm fine," the wolf says. "Although thanks to that trip, we're in last, huh?"

"Yes you are." Toner steps into the picture, still in a taunting mood. "But, you'll be happy to know a couple things first. One..."

"It wasn't an elimination round?" Max asks with a little hope in his voice.

"No," Toner continues. "Milton loves the show already so much that he's already begging for a fourth season. Also..."

"This wasn't elimination?" Lucius, slightly annoyed that the dog won't answer the question.

"No, I was going to say that the network also asked me to host another show once this race is over."

"IS THIS ELIMINATION?!" Both emperors asks.

Toner shakes his head. "Nope. This was a non-elimination leg. Max & Lucius; you're still in the competition." They hug each other and kiss. "Well, this may have been a crazy leg, but whatever; I'm still getting paid for this. Where will our teams end up next? And which one will fall into last? Find out next time on... the Amazing Race."