Author: watson (with additional writing by Carleen)
Rating: Episodes are PG-13, Recaps and Behind-the-scenes are R or more.
Disclaimer: BtVS characters, concepts and dialog belong to Mutant Enemy, The WB, UPN and others. The Amazing Race belongs to CBS, Amazing Race Productions Inc, Touchstone Television Productions Inc, Jerry Bruckheimer Productions and others.
Note: Note: I hope this reads fine, not sure if it does. Imagine Willow writing in the journal with Tara peering over her shoulders, occasionally Tara would grab the notebook from Willow and add her thoughts. Tara's words are highlighted in blockquotes.

We didn't exactly talk about it, because there was no need. My love and I, having agreed that we belonged to each other, decided that we would share everything from now on, even writing in this journal. It has a nice ring to it, our journal. Right now she's sitting on the bed sewing - I tore my t-shirt on the plane to Taipei, luckily it was dark and in an unobtrusive place because we wouldn't have had time to stop and change. She's good at these domestic tasks, sewing, gardening, cooking, it's like she has a flair for them. I don't mean it in a stereotypical way, or that I want to put her in a box. She is quite the domestic goddess. We joked that she'll be the one setting all the rules in our home, although I will be the one devising schedules and making lists.

Our home. Everything has an 'ours' before it now, the distinction between personal possessions have blurred, what is mine is also hers and what she owns now I also own.

She jokes that we're becoming positively socialist, to which I answered that the purest form of socialism is unconditional love. She raised her eyebrow quizzically at that, in that uniquely adorable way. Well, I'm biased, because everything she does is completely and utterly adorable. I can look at her doing the most mundane thing and I can't tear my eyes away.

The most mundane thing, Will? Even when I'm peeling off my face mask and I have lumps of blue stuff all over my face? Even when my fingers are full of dirt when I'm out gardening? Or even washing my hands, putting on socks or doing laundry?

Socialism and unconditional love? Is that a new Willow-invented concept? Under true socialist ideals, the concept of monogamous relationships won't exist. If resources and production are distributed evenly with society, and extending the idea of resources to people, does it mean that I have to share you? Oh no, that I'm emphatically not doing.

Heehee, that was Tara grabbing the journal from my hands and adding her thoughts. And yes, me too, me too. I'm not sharing, no way. I'm so hopelessly in love, all I want is to feel her softness against me all the time. Even during tense moments in the Race I momentarily forget about the need to hurry, and luxuriate in how she feels against me. It's a deep sort of love, deeper than I've ever imagined possible, that I marvel at the unending amount of love that exists between us. Simple touches, a smile, a look, that was all we need, to feel it all over again.

Oh honey, how sweet! But you don't need to write me a big love letter in our journal, because what you feel for me, is exactly what I feel for you. It's so easy to write pages upon pages words that declare our love. But, my love, do we need so many words?

Besides, we're supposed to be recording our thoughts on the race in this journal.

Alright, yes my love, returning to the Race. Last night was one of the few rest stops that wasn't a Pitstop. It's a different feeling. At Pitstop we have our eyes permanently fixed on the clock, the routine is set and all we focus on is the Race. Nights like last night feel more like we're on vacation. We spent much of last night talking. Small whispered words of love, and lots of laughter too. Moments like that, we could almost forget we were in a competition, I felt very close to her, without even the need for physical expression. It was enough to be in each other's arms. We didn't want to sleep at all, but we finally did.

Woke up later than expected, and was late to the task at the Stock Exchange.

eeeep, that was embarrassing.

That was bad, we can't do that again. We're almost at the final, and if we are eliminated because we were too busy making out, however pleasurable, we'll surely regret it. We joke that we should keep our private moments minimal, but then quickly decide it is impossible to do.

We'll probably be able to abstain for may be one night, cos my redhead is such a vixen.

LOL I'm a vixen? Look in the mirror my love. Luckily we were able to catch up on lost time. Today's tasks were the most physical on the entire Race. For the detour we had to climb up a tall building using a bamboo scaffolding system. I know that scientifically the structure is safe, considering how the poles are overlapped together, but they are too thin and who'd heard of using wood as scaffolding? It's hard for our steel-and-concrete trained minds to change our perceptions.

The Roadblock, which she took, was walking around the top of a tall tower along a walkway that is out in the open and with no handrails. I can imagine my legs giving out and not wanting to move, but my love did it bravely. I'm so proud of her.

I was terrified. I felt very exposed, because whenever there was a breeze the whole tower would wobble and because there wasn't any handrail, there was nothing to hold onto, except the safety wire. I kept myself going by telling myself that Will was waiting at the bottom and I had to get to her as fast as I could. *Smile* the best motivator ever.

We finished third, even though we'd been in front for most of the race. It will be a close start next leg, I think there's no more than 20 minutes between Faith & Robin and Buffy & Riley.

On my mind now, apart from Tara of course, is how we should prepare for the next leg. There are 4 teams left, which can mean either one more elimination leg (which seems unlikely, as they told us there are 3 non-Elims and we've had 3 already), or it's a non-stop leg right to the finish. The last thing Tara and I want is a footrace, because we are simply no match for the athletes in terms of running speed. We must make sure we keep our wits with us at all times.

She just asked me who our tightest competition are. Without a doubt it's Faith & Robin. They're fit, they don't make many mistakes, and they're competitive. And Tara will kill me for saying this, they're both also very attractive individuals.

I have many words to say to you, Willow Rosenberg, some of them not words you'd expect to come from my mouth. So I'll just say this, I know I'm no competition as far as Faith or Robin goes, but I hope that you'll always come back to me, cos I'll always be there for you.

I think they're nice people, I suppose we share the 'unconventional' couple title with them, thankfully we haven't felt much discrimination or problems along the way. The production crew and other teams have gone out of their way to make us comfortable, and we're both grateful. I think I can go home and be prepared to face my family now.

I agree, the producers have been wonderful and the other teams haven't made us feel like freaks. To be honest there are more freaky people on the Race. That mean little Snyder for example. He's one of the older racers, but he reminds me of a whiny teenager with a bad attitude.

He probably had an unhappy childhood that made him angry at the world.

What about daddy's boy Randy, and big daddy himself? Sometimes I think Rupert is one of those uptight college professor who frequents strip clubs ... as a performer. Do you know how many police chiefs and judges are into bondage? And Randy will do anything his daddy says, cos he doesn't have his own idea on what to do.

Where do you get all this information? Something I should know about? What if Rupert is a cross-dresser? What he does in his private time is his business. Randy, to be honest I don't have much impression on. After his fight with Riley I try to stay away from him.

We expect the next few nights may be hectic, regardless of outcome. We're so close, I can't help but think about the run to the finish line. I don't want to, in case I'm disappointed, but on the other hand, this is the reason we came on the Race, we have to focus on reaching that finish line.

It'll be nice to see Anya and Xander again, they've become friends, next time I'm visiting Willow we're thinking of detouring (oh my god, I'm using Amazing Race terminology ) to Oxnard to visit them. I hope they're doing better while being sequestered, they were a little angry with each other, but they're so good together I don't want anything to happen to them.

In fact it'll be nice to see all the other teams. Joyce was like a Mom to us, I wonder if we'll get to meet her daughters. And to hear Lorne sing again, I hope he meant it when he invited us to Las Vegas to visit.

Well, Tara has finished her sewing and general pottering, we should go to bed now. It's a big day tomorrow, I think we're prepared. I have Tara by my side, I'm ready for anything.

Me too.

Finish line, here we come!