Dan: Previously on Relative Race.

The teams took flight.

While Team Black hovered over the competition and met a relative on Kyle's side... - We're cousins on your mom's side.

- Really?

Dan: Tiffani made a shocking discovery.

- You have another brother.

- What?

I can't describe how happy I am to add another sibling.

Dan: An emotional meeting with her father-- - You have made my entire life.

Dan: Brought Rachelle closure.

- I love you.

I feel more whole than I probably have felt since forever.

♪ Dan: But at the end of the day, Team Black picked up their second strike.

Layton: I felt that comin'.

- Yeah.

Figured it was gonna be there.

- It's okay.

Dan: Team Red's headed to Day 10, Team Blue and Black both have two strikes.

♪ DNA tells us who we are and where we came from.

Following their own DNA, four teams are racing-- - Woo!

- Here we go!

Dan: --to win $50,000.

- We're here!

We made it.

Dan: And to find their family.

[knocking] [triumphant music] - Gracious Father, I thank You for allowing us to wake up today.

I thank You for bringing us together, and Lord, I thank You for the journey that You're gonna take us on.

I thank You for the laughs and I thank You for the cries.

I thank You for the safe travels.

Lord, in Jesus' name we pray, amen.

Rachelle: Amen.

[crying] So good to meet you.

This journey has been beyond my wildest dreams.

I've met so many people, so much family, that I wouldn't have had the opportunity to if I hadn't taken this journey, so I am beyond grateful, and I'm just so thankful to have taken this journey.

- I'm Christopher Stoner.

I'm your brother.

- [cries] The experience alone of, of doing this is something that I know that we will both remember the rest of our lives.

♪ - You're my aunt.

- Hi, I am.

[laughing] - This journey has been really special, because obviously Relative Race is all about family, and, I mean, being on the show, we've both had the opportunity to meet our biological family members.

- Yes, I am your mom.

♪ - Hi.

[crying] Kyle: There's nothing like this.

Nothing could ever have touched this in our lives.

♪ Dan: It's Day 9 of Relative Race, the last day our teams will race to find family.

With a guaranteed spot on Day 10, and a benefit of penalizing the other two teams today, Team Red, Tiffani and Jose, will begin their race in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

Tiffani: We wanted first for the competitive edge.

We really need another team to get a strike.

Dan: 600 miles to the east in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Team Black, Kyle and Layton, have two strikes.

And further east, in the heart of Georgia, Team Blue, Rachelle and Karim, also have two strikes.

A last place finish for Team Blue or Black today will send them home with no chance of winning $50,000.

- We didn't come this far and work this hard to go home on the final day.

- So it's either us or Team Blue going home tonight, but it's not gonna be us.

- We're gonna meet our final relative today, and we're going to Day 10.

♪ Dan: Starting their day off the shores of Lake Havasu, Team Red, Tiffani and Jose, share their passion for jujitsu with Tiffani's cousin, Misty.

- So last night was really cool that I learned that you do jujitsu.

Um, my son just started it like four to five months ago, so I would love to be able to go back and show him some moves.

Jose: Okay, yeah.

- It was super fun to hang out with Misty this morning and go over a couple of self-defense techniques that Jose showed her.

I think it's really important for women to learn them.

Jose: The key here is your hips, your center of gravity, your base.

It has to be lower than the bad guy.

Tiffani: I enjoy it.

It's a, it's a nice stress relief for me.

It's, um, a bonding moment for us, our whole family does it.

Jose: And then turn.

Yeah, there you go.

Now keep going, keep going.

Yes.

Tiffani: Just learning jujitsu and going over a couple moves was just a perfect way to spend the morning with my cousin.

♪ Dan: Team Blue, Rachelle and Karim, are enjoying their morning with Rachelle's father, Barry, and his wife, Patsy.

Barry: Well sweetheart, we have somethin' for you.

- Mm.

- From Daddy and Mommy.

Rachelle: While eating breakfast, my dad pulls out this beautiful gift, and I'm just so excited that him and Mama Patsy thought of me.

Barry: This is for you.

Rachelle: Wow.

Karim: You could fit in that bag.

- I could-- [laughs] Thank you guys.

Patsy: You're welcome.

You gotta do the teddy bears first.

- Aw.

- You can't tell what it is.

- [laughs] Patsy: Well, you shouldn't-- it's up there!

- [laughing] Wow.

Patsy: The reason we got that-- Rachelle: Mm-hm.

Patsy: --is because... Barry: Don't tear up.

- We weren't around to see you as a baby, and we would have put that in your crib.

So you can turn and look at-- it plays music.

So we wanted you to have a baby toy from us, because we never got to share that part with you, and we thought that that's something you think about when you had that one.

- Pulling out this giraffe and, and puppy, I get so emotional, because it was very meaningful the way they gifted it to me.

- This tell you exactly how we really feel, and what we want to say.

- Y'all really trying to get me to cry a lot this morning.

[laughs] Aw.

Oh, wow.

"Rachelle, we were so excited to find out about you.

[sniffs] "Our hearts were made glad.

"When I found out I had a daughter, "I had so many emotions, "I cried and I laughed.

"I couldn't wait to call the family "and to share the news.

"I love you already, and all your family does, too."

Barry: The note that I wrote to my daughter just expressing to her how I felt about this whole situation was so emotional, and it touched, you know, the deepest part of her soul as well as mine.

Rachelle: "I missed so much time, "and I can't wait to learn about you, "my daughter.

"You're my baby girl.

"I love you.

"When I think about you and the time I lost, "my heart gets sad, "but today is the start of a new beginning.

"Welcome, my baby girl.

"I love you always.

Dad and Mom."

[sniffs] Thank you.

Karim: It touches me, because I have a daughter as well, and I think every girl wants to be a daddy's little girl.

- Got a daughter, got a, got a new nephew.

[kisses] Dan: While Team Blue is surrounded by love, Team Black wakes up surrounded by history.

- We spent last night in this ancient train car with my cousin, Cody, and his family.

And I am so excited to meet our final relative today.

- The past eight days, I've just been waiting to meet my biological dad at the end of everything, so-- - It's gotta be today.

- That's my expectation of today, but... - [laughs] It's just gonna be a good time.

Layton: I've met my biological mom, sister, biological aunts and uncles, and it's just...

I'm really hopeful and anticipating that today's the day I get to meet my biological father, Bryon, as well.

♪ Kyle: Honestly, if we're gonna meet your dad today, I think that's gonna be the coolest day of my life.

[phone chimes] - Hold on, we got a text.

- We got a text, we got a text?

Okay, sounds good, let's do this.

- Already have a text from Dan.

- "Good morning, teams, and welcome to Day 9 of Relative Race."

- "Team Red will be traveling to Phoenix, Arizona."

- "Team Blue will be traveling to Bremen, Georgia."

- "Team Black will be traveling to Albuquerque, New Mexico."

- 'Kay.

- "Today's first place prize is a $2,000 cash bonus."

- "But there's a catch, and it's a good one."

- "The $2,000 will be donated in your name "to Scott and Elaine Bridges, "whom you provided service to on Day 1 in Cincinnati, Ohio."

Tiffani: "As well as Operation Ramp It Up, "who you may remember provides accessibility ramps "to our veterans and others in need across the country."

The first challenge that we had really set the tone for this whole race, and it was about service, so to be able to end the race on the same note is, is gonna be awesome.

- "Your time starts now."

That's awesome, okay.

Rachelle: We gotta go.

- [indistinct] - You still have stuff in the car, right?

- I got some stuff to go around-- - Okay, I'll meet you at the car.

- 'Kay, sounds good.

- We got the text, and I was ready to go, so I just ran out to the car, but Kyle left some stuff inside the train, so he took the longer route and took a couple seconds.

- Hey, Cody, we gotta go, my man.

We're runnin'.

Let's go, dude.

- Bye, y'all.

Rachelle: Bye!

Barry: Bye!

Patsy: Good luck!

See you later!

Karim: Bye!

Rachelle: See y'all.

Patsy: Love you!

Tiffani: I can't wait to see you again.

Misty: Okay.

- Hey, you guys.

We actually gotta go.

I will see you guys later.

Misty: Good luck!

Jose: Thank you!

[car door thumps] [gravel crunches] - Hey, will you hold that for me?

- Yes, I will.

- 'Kay, hop on in.

- See you guys!

- Love you!

[horn honking] ♪ Albuquerque, here we come.

♪ Layton: Just need to get on the 285 South and get back on the 40 to Albuquerque, or we can backtrack to Santa Fe and get on the 25.

- Is there a w-- is there a way to cut across?

- Supposedly there's a road that goes down and across, but I feel like... like, you know this road, I don't want to get lost on that.

- We can do it.

♪ Let's go that way.

- My only reason for saying no is one wrong turn and then you get lost.

- Yeah, but we can do it.

- You wanna do it?

Dan: Contemplating a risky decision to take a back road shortcut instead of the freeway, Team Black is leaving Santa Fe, New Mexico, and heading towards Albuquerque.

They have an allotted time of 1 hour and 4 minutes.

- It's all right, I got this.

Layton: Okay.

♪ Rachelle: Once we turn right, which we just did, we're gonna go through that light and turn left.

- Turn left.

- Yeah.

Yeah, my dad gave great directions this morning.

He did say he was gonna-- he was called the navigator, so.

- Yeah, he did say that.

- [laughs] Dan: With great directions from Rachelle's father, Barry the navigator, Team Blue, Karim and Rachelle, are leaving Atlanta, Georgia, heading to Bremen, Georgia.

They have the shortest allotted time at 44 minutes.

[car whirring] - For another team to get a strike?

- Yeah.

Oh, and we get to penalize them.

- Both teams?

Oh, yeah.

So we gotta, we gotta-- - Both teams.

- We gotta capitalize on that.

- Yeah.

Dan: With their first place victory from yesterday, Team Red, Jose and Tiffani, are eager to hand out the challenge penalty to the other two teams.

They're leaving Lake Havasu City, Arizona, and heading to Phoenix.

They have an allotted time today of 3 hours and 10 minutes.

[whoosh] ♪ - We should've taken the freeway, but Kyle insisted we take this so-called shortcut.

- I'm scared, but I'm trusting you.

- I know you're trusting me, and the thing is, is I'm, I don't know.

For some reason, I just felt the worst decision was to take the, the main highways.

[phone beeping] Jose: So, I'm gonna put, "'Sup guys, good mornin'."

[phone chimes] - Oh, we just got a text.

Let's see.

Kyle: Pretty sure it's from Red.

- All right.

- With a smiley face.

- Oh.

- So it looks like both of us are penalized.

- Team Red's penalty is somehow gonna affect us and Team Blue on the challenge today.

- Yeah.

- Great.

- I don't know why they're cashing in a benefit when they're guaranteed to make it.

- I don't know, either.

- The odds are in your favor, I totally understand it.

I probably would have played the, played the hand the same way if it was dealt to me.

- Yeah, same.

- They're already going to Day 10, so it makes sense that they want two teams to compete instead of three.

- We just have to do better than they expect.

Layton: If they had two strikes as well, that would make sense, but-- Kyle: Right.

Layton: I mean, they're guaranteed to make it through today, so.

- Right.

- Whatever.

- I mean, we're safe no matter what, but I think, like, they're, they're gonna have a much easier time 'cause they're gonna have freeway and not winding through 45 mile an hour zones.

♪ Layton: It's funny, 'cause as soon as you started looking at the map, I was like, he's gonna take the detour.

- He's gonna take the detour, I-- - I knew it, it's [stammering] you started looking, I was like, dang it.

- See, I still feel like it's a good decision.

- I mean, this way is definitely taking us longer.

You asked me, and I was like, well.

- Why didn't you say anything?

- I said I wanted to go to the I-25.

Like a normal person.

- [mocking] Like a normal person, but no.

♪ Jose: All right, I think there's only one good guess who you may meet today.

- Yes.

- The, the one that would, uh, only make sense.

- Jonathan.

I learned yesterday I have a brother, Jonathan.

I really hope I meet him today.

You know what would be awesome, if Chris and Mary came out, and, like-- - You met all your brothers?

- All of them at the same time.

How cool would that be?

- That would be pretty cool, actually.

- That would be awesome.

♪ Layton: City of Albuquerque.

- Is that what it just said?

- Phoenix city limits.

- Let's go right here.

Welcome to the city of Bremen, right here.

- Perfect.

- Sign.

Phoenix, Arizona.

- Albuquerque Self Storage.

Rachelle: You ready?

Let's go.

Tiffani: Go, go, go, go!

♪ Ah!

Jose: You okay?

Tiffani: Yeah!

Kyle: Take a picture.

- Right here?

- Yeah, right there.

- You ready?

- Yeah.

- Get low.

[shutters click] - Send it.

That's the fastest one we've done yet.

[phone chimes] [whoosh] [phone chimes] - [gasps] Welcome to Bremen, Georgia.

Your challenge is located at-- - 6425.

- Rawhide Western Town.

- 106 Center Point Road.

Let's go.

- Go.

- Thank you.

Tiffani: I'll drive, I'll drive.

[engines rumbling] ♪ Jose: Right there, right there.

- Oh, right here, right here.

- Right there, right there, hurry.

- [sighs] Jose: Yes, yes, yes.

♪ Dan: Welcome to Country Ninja.

To complete Country Ninja, teams must answer trivia questions to earn a chance to pop team-colored balloons.

Various popping devices are stationed at different distances from their targets.

Popping a yellow balloon sends them back to the trivia table.

Popping 10 of their team-colored balloons completes this challenge.

Here's hoping they can channel their inner ninja.

- Penalty for Country Ninja.

Rachelle: "You have acquired the penalty for Country Ninja."

- "You will need to pop 12 "of your team-colored balloons in order to complete this challenge."

Layton: We know we have to complete the challenge almost perfectly because of the shortcut that we took this morning, and now we have to pop two extra balloons.

[tearing] Jose: "Which animal can be seen on the Porsche logo?"

Um... - Ooh, is it a snake?

- Horse.

- Horse?

- It's a horse.

- Okay, horse.

[ding] - Horse.

- Horse, all right.

[ding] Kyle: Oh, it's a horse.

[buzzer] Tiffani: For each, uh, trivia question that we answer correctly, we get to shoot three times.

Jose: Ugh.

Go for that one, go for that one, go for that one.

[sighs] We have ninja stars, we have darts, we have... - Pencils?

- Pencils.

Apparently ninjas use pencils.

[pop and ding] Tiffani: Nice.

Wanna go for that one?

It was terrible.

I totally underestimated the lack of power a pencil would have on a balloon.

- Just-- Nah, nah, use the heavy, heavy objects.

Just throw it.

- Okay.

- So the first table with the wood objects, they're just horrible.

Rachelle: Aw, maybe that was-- okay.

- Okay.

Gotta just throw harder than that.

- We're gonna take the long one.

Okay, that's not gonna work, period.

Tiffani: So we go to the next table, to the ninja stars.

And that didn't work.

[metallic clink] Karim: You got it.

Rachelle: Ooh, so close, okay.

We're just trying to figure out which table will work best for us.

[pop] - Ooh, penalty.

- Okay.

Sure enough, we hit the yellow penalty balloon, and we had to go back to the trivia question.

- "When Michael Jordan played for Chicago Bulls, how many--" Six, six.

- Six?

- Six, six, yeah.

Right after.

[ding] - Good job, I love trivia.

- Same here.

[pop] - Oh!

We gotta go back!

One of our game nights is, is a trivia game night, so I think this really helped us.

- "Which bone are babies born without?"

Uh... - Knee cap, knee cap, knee cap!

[ding] Plus, we're older and wiser, and this is where we shined.

Layton: We've got wooden swords, pencils, throwing stars, throwing knives, and then a blow dart gun.

Good luck.

[pop] - I don't know, I just picked it up, and I started off with the saber, and all of a sudden, I was like, nope, we're just goin' straight to the blowgun, and it just clicked.

[pop] Layton: Nice.

- You're up.

- 'Kay.

Tiffani: Blow darts, blow darts.

Yes!

[pop] Rachelle: Very good.

[pop] Tiffani: Nice!

Good job.

- We thought the pencils would be easier, 'cause they were closer, but, nah.

Layton: "World War I began with the death of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, of which country?"

Austria.

Kyle: Austria?

[ding] Beautiful, nice!

[pop] - You got it?

- Yeah.

Thanks, though.

- Okay.

- We both realized that the best chance to get out of this challenge would be to use the blow darts.

♪ [pop] - Ooh.

- Oh, wrong one.

- All right.

[pop] Layton: Nice.

- You're up, there you go.

- Throw the pencil.

I'm strong enough for that.

Kyle: [laughs] Layton: That's a yellow one.

- No worries.

- That worked.

- Woo!

Good job!

All right.

"How many playing cards in a traditional deck?"

54, 55, 53, or 52?

- 52 cards.

- Yes!

[ding] All right, perfect.

[pop] [pop] - Oh, you're the best.

[pop] Rachelle: Woo, good job.

[popping] Karim: Good job.

[popping] Rachelle: Ooh!

[pop] Tiffani: Oh!

[pop] Karim: You got it, told you!

Rachelle: Okay.

[pop] Kyle: Got it, finished!

[pop] [dinging] - Your relative lives at 6401 Academy Boulevard.

- Beautiful.

Layton: I feel like we did the challenge quickly, so we probably made up a few minutes, but... - Yeah.

- Your relative lives at 3019 North 16th Drive, Phoenix, Arizona.

- Let's go, let's go, let's go, I'll drive!

- Once I see the address, I know exactly where it's at without looking at a map.

I know these streets very well.

- Yeah, he started out as a delivery guy in this city.

- My first job in Phoenix was delivering boxes and parcels.

- "Among land animals, which has the largest eyes, "the giraffe, the ostrich, the elephant or the brown drop bear?"

- The ostrich, the ostrich.

- The ostrich, okay.

[ding] Try it again?

Karim: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

- Okay, you have one more, we got this.

Good job!

Let's go!

- We done, we done.

- We done!

Your relative lives at 1531 Newton Avenue, let's go!

♪ Think we might have a map for that.

- Yeah, I think we do too.

Tiffany: Straight?

Jose: Yeah, go straight, go north.

Tiffany: Okay.

- And turn west on Thomas.

Karim: All right, so we lookin' for-- - On Ormewood we're going right.

- All right.

- Do we have to go right?

- No, make a left because we're on San Pedro, San Pedro is one away from San Mateo.

That's what you said.

- We're-- Okay, I trust you, I trust you.

- Do you wanna do San Mateo or do you wanna do Wyoming?

- San Mateo, San Mateo.

- Then go left.

Kyle: Okay, goin' left.

I'm a little nervous 'cause we did so well on the challenge and I just don't wanna make another mistake.

- 1800 North-- Phoenix is my home, so finding an address here, no problem.

Rachelle: Yeah, turn right, and then we'll be turning left on Flat Shoals and that'll be it.

Guess who's navigating great today?

- This girl!

♪ The next street coming up is... Rachelle: Um, is that Brown?

Is that-- - No, uh-uh that's Van... - Van Vleck, yeah.

Kyle: San Mateo, just like you said.

- All right.

Kyle: Beautiful.

Layton: 4400 is this way.

Kyle: 'Kay.

- Is it on 16th Ave-- Drive?

- It's on 16th Drive, yes.

- Oh, so we gotta be on the next street over.

- 3300 North, okay cool.

It's gonna be back south below us.

45... Nah, it's gonna be on your side, we gotta go all the way around, ugh.

Okay, hold on.

- This is why you needed a map!

- 3009, 3009, no, no, no, don't, you're good.

Hold on, stop, stop, stop.

Hold on!

- What?

- Slow down!

- 3009 here-- - Here, here, here, yeah.

3009, we're here.

♪ Tiffani: As soon as he walked out I can just see these piercing blue eyes.

- How's it goin'?

Man: How you doin'?

- I'm Jose, my wife Tiffani.

- Nice to meet you.

Tiffani: Hi, nice to meet you.

- I'm John.

- Who's relative are you?

- I'm your brother actually.

- You're my brother?

Jonathan?

John: Nice to meet you.

- Good to meet you!

- My name's Jonathan Cody Stoner, and I'm Tiffani's brother.

I've been looking forward to meeting Tiffani for almost 19 years.

And it's always been one of my lifelong goals to finally meet her.

I've known a lot about you for a long time.

- For a long time?

- Yeah.

- I had an idea I was going to meet Jonathan, I was hoping I would meet him.

Um, just by learning his name yesterday I was really, really hoping it would be him walking out that door.

I have, like, a thousand questions for you.

- I have a lot, too.

Tiffani: Okay, good.

Yep!

Same eyes.

Jose: Same eyes.

- Yeah.

I didn't know what to say, really.

You know, I was just in awe on how much she resembles our mom, and her eyes, her face, she looks like our mom, just different color hair.

♪ Did you ever know about us?

- No, I didn't know anything, anything until this started.

I didn't even know about you till yesterday.

- Really?

Tiffani: Yeah.

- That's crazy.

Tiffani: Yeah.

How long have you known about me?

- Since I was fifteen.

Tiffani: Since you were fifteen?

- Yeah.

Tiffani: Oh, wow.

Did Chris tell you?

- No, my mom did.

- Your mom-- Mom told you?

Really?

What did she say?

- Um, that she had to give you up for adoption.

I wasn't old enough at the time to ask, you know, why.

- Yeah.

- Um, Chris knew more about that than I did.

- Mm-hm.

- Have you met him yet?

- I did.

When I met Chris on Day 5, we were at his house in California.

I have a million questions!

- I have answers.

- He does live here.

- Oh, are you serious?

- In Phoenix?

- Chris failed to mention to me that he also has a house in Arizona and lives really close to me.

Are you serious!

- What?

Tiffani: You guys both live here?!

- Yeah.

♪ - [screams] My gosh!

Are you kidding me?!

[engine revving] Jose: What!

Tiffani: How dare you hide this from me!

I can't believe you both live here!

- That's quite an entrance!

- Is this true?

Do you guys really live here?

Jose: Are you serious?

- We live like twenty minutes away from here.

Jose: What?

Chris: I was so excited to surprise my sister today.

I haven't slept, just knowing that we were gonna show up and surprise them and give them the reveal that we actually live here.

Um, it's been driving me crazy, I couldn't wait to let it out.

- Oh my gosh, I cannot believe this.

Oh my gosh!

The fact that I get to spend any time I want to with my brothers.

I can call them up on the phone and say hey, come over, or I can go over.

It's so amazing.

♪ - No way.

Isn't that your dad's name?

- Yeah, that's my last name.

- No way, that's McLeod!

Layton: We saw my biological father Bryon's last name McLeod on a street sign as we were driving to the address, and what are the odds?

- [indistinct] coinkydinks right there.

- Coinkydink, I better be meeting my biological father.

- [laughing] Dan: Back on the road, Team Black passes a rather peculiar, yet familiar sign, while Team Blue is inching closer to their relative's home.

Karim: One more time, give it-- - 1531, that's 1489.

- All right.

Rachelle: 1531... - 1511.

Rachelle: All right.

Karim: What's this right here, 1531 right here, we made it!

Rachelle: Wow, perfect, yay!

♪ Walking across the grass, we see this lovely old lady come out and I immediately know who it is.

- Hi.

Karim: Hello, my name's Karim, and this is my cousin, Rachelle.

- Hi Rachelle, I'm your grandmother, Lorraine.

- It's so nice to meet you.

I've heard so much about you.

♪ ♪ - You're so beautiful.

- I'm Lorraine Simpson, I am Rachelle's grandmother on her father's side.

Seeing my granddaughter's face for the first time was...

I really can't explain it, it was the most wonderful experience I've had in a long, long time.

[sniffs] I don't know what to say.

Rachelle: It's okay.

- I'm so proud.

I'm just so glad the good Lord let me stay long enough to find each other.

- Yes.

- I wish I could've did a long time ago.

- It's okay.

- But now I'm here for you.

- Thank you.

I'm so glad to meet you, I've heard so much about you.

- Was it all good?

- It was!

It was all good, all good.

- Oh, boy.

Rachelle: I think my grandma had been waiting so long to meet me, that she was just overcome with emotion, and I was also overcome with emotion because this was someone that I had heard about and really wanted to meet.

- Yep, we're together now.

- We are.

I love her the first moment I seen her.

I knew she was part of me.

I got this, like, chemistry running all through my bones.

It was wonderful.

Beautiful.

♪ Kyle: 6004?

- 6401.

Kyle: It's on the left side.

Layton: I don't see a number on that.

- 6401.

- 6401, is that it?

♪ ♪ As we pulled up, I saw this man walking down the stairs, and I was starting to feel really nervous.

- Hi!

- Hi, Layton, I'm your dad.

♪ ♪ - Hi!

- Hi, baby girl.

[shaky breathing] ♪ Bryon: I can't control the emotions that I feel inside right now, I'm just so happy that I'm finally getting to meet her after 23 years, and seeing how well she's growing up.

You're so beautiful, baby.

- Thank you.

You're gonna make me cry, ah!

- I'm sorry.

Layton: No, you're fine!

It was just a really tight, emotional, heartfelt hug.

This is my fiancée, Kyle.

Kyle: Nice to meet you, sir.

Bryon: Nice to meet you, sir.

- Anytime, you enjoy your moment with her.

- Oh, my goodness.

- You're a lot different than the pictures I have of you!

[laughter] - You look so much like your sister.

- I know, right?

- And a younger, younger version of your mom.

She is absolutely beautiful, I have pictures of her growing up, and she is just a bigger version of that beautiful little girl I saw growing up, you know, for years.

♪ - It's so good to finally meet you.

- Oh, wow.

I'm still shaking.

- No, you're fine!

It's a big moment!

- [sniffs] I've also got two younger brothers of yours upstairs ready to meet you.

- I heard!

- So, and they're excited, especially James.

[chuckles] They're both autistic.

Layton: Okay.

- And they have bald heads, but they wear it well.

Um, James is 14 and Jason is 6.

- Okay, I'm so excited.

Seeing how emotional Bryon is is making me emotional as well.

It's, it's a moment I've been waiting for for a long time.

- Thank you.

- So, that is your youngest little brother, that's Jason.

- That's Jason?

- Jason, can you come and say hi to your big sister?

- Hi!

Bryon: Come give a hug.

- Can I have a hug?

Yeah?

Bryon: Yeah!

Layton: Here, I'll come down to your size.

Bryon: That's your big sister.

- Yeah, that's my big sister!

[Bryon laughing] You're my big dad.

Layton: Oh, just the one hug and that's it?

Bryon: Let me get your brother.

- Oh!

[exclaiming] Layton: Hey!

- Layton!

Layton: And you're James?

- This is James, yes.

- It was just really welcoming because they both had known about me and so as soon as I walked in they both ran in and gave me a hug.

- I can't believe you're here!

- I know!

Give me another hug!

- [laughs] Oh, it's amazing, dad!

- It was amazing to see James and Jason both, you know they both gave her big hugs, and it was great.

James: I just loved meeting Layton.

- It was just really, really, happy moment.

♪ Dan: In Phoenix, Arizona, Tiffani is getting to know her brother, Jonathan.

Tiffani: We had this connection immediately because, I don't know if it's just because we're blood or what, but it's this knowing.

How you can be connected and bonded to somebody [snaps] like that.

Without even knowing who they are, I don't know everything about you, I will.

- I already feel, like, 100% comfortable with you, yeah.

Tiffani: Exactly, exactly, but like I would die for you.

It's crazy, and I don't feel that way about anyone!

So, rare, rare for you.

I've been waiting my whole life for this.

- Honestly, it just feels like I've known her forever.

Just having that bond with somebody right away is amazing.

I mean, I've always looked forward to it, honestly.

Your face, your eyes, it's like looking at a younger mom.

Hair color's different, that's it.

- Is it hard?

- Yeah.

Tiffani: I can tell.

I think I look a lot like my mom, and knowing that he lost her so young, I think he sees a lot of her in me and I think it's been a little emotional and tough on him.

I don't think he realized that I would look this much like her.

Well, I hope that I can always have that piece of Mom for you guys.

Can always be that piece.

- I don't know, we waited a long time, and like we always talked about like, like... [exhales] Hold on.

If we would've noticed you, like-- Tiffani: Like on the street?

If you guys walked past me-- Chris: Does she look like us?

Tiffani: Yeah.

Chris: Yeah.

Tiffani: Yeah.

Chris: You know.

- It happened so fast, you think you have time to prepare for that, and then when it's just on you, you, I mean, you forget everything.

And it just kinda caught me in the moment.

- Oh, without question, without question!

John: Man!

Tiffani: Yeah, I picked up your picture and I was like, why does this guy have my face!

[laughter] Chris: Yep, yep.

Tiffani: Just watching him unfold in front of me, it's just, it makes me feel at home, as odd as that sounds.

It just makes me feel welcome.

I know this is, emotional for all of us.

Trust me, I have cried so much these last few days.

I--I didn't sleep at all last night.

- Yeah, me neither.

- Hoping that I would meet you today.

So... - I'm supposed to be the one crying.

Tiffani: I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't not...

I didn't know that I could love someone or be loved by nearly complete strangers.

We've known each other for very little time, and immediately have this strong connection with each other.

This is more blessings than I've ever received in my life.

- It's been a life changing event, and it just so happens that we absolutely love each other.

We fell in love immediately.

When you meet a long lost relative, that's not something I can explain to somebody.

When you look into your eyes for the first time in forty years, nobody will ever be able to take that away.

John: It's a blessing, you know having that feeling of, you know, finally compete.

You know, family's complete.

♪ Jose: This is probably, like one of the most amazing things I've seen.

Like, and seeing you happy just makes me happy.

That's all I ask for, you know.

- Learning that both of my parents were gone, the only thing that was the silver lining was finding that I have brothers and that they live so close, and that we have become so close.

I will forever be grateful.

What a way to end this race, truly, I wouldn't have it any other way.

♪ Dan: Back in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Layton is hearing for the very first time from her father, Bryon why he put her up for adoption.

- I'll tell you truthfully, I mean like, when I found out Shari was pregnant, I did the typical 16-year-old, I ran away, I thought of abor-- I mean, I did the gamut.

- Right.

- Then finally, my mom couldn't handle me anymore and sent me to my brother in Arizona.

- Okay.

- We were living there, Shari, of course followed me.

And things were going good at first, I was working construction during the day and then I was going to school at night for high school.

- Right.

- And then one day my brother pulled me aside, he goes, you're not having that kid here.

And at that point I was like, now what do I do?

Giving up your child for adoption like I did with Layton, it was honestly the hardest thing I've ever done in my entire life.

It crushed me emotionally and physically.

You know, you were actually born about a month early.

Layton: Right.

Bryon: Um, and we were all there.

I'm pretty sure Shari showed you the pictures.

Layton: I feel like he knew that it would have been an easier life for me giving me away to a family that was already established.

I mean, at that time in the hospital he was really battling with it because he wanted to keep me, but he knew it wasn't going to be easy if they did.

- It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my entire life, I mean, not even boot camp was anything compared to that.

I've been searching and everything like that, but it was one of those, I didn't want to like, impede on your life.

You know, maybe you knew and you just, you're just like, nope.

Or maybe you don't know and I don't wanna burst your bubble.

But like, I found that picture of you, it's on my phone, you know of you-- of her-- of you running!

I found you running like eight years ago, you know, and... Layton: The one time I won my cross-country meet.

[laughs] Bryon: Yeah!

For the last 23 years I have thought about Layton all the time.

She has been a big part of my life.

I was trying to keep in touch as much as I could, and we were up until you were around six or seven.

- Yeah.

- I had just came back from Iraq, and I had sent one or two letters and never received anything back, and I was just like, well maybe they moved...

I've been trying to be a part of her life as much as I could this entire time.

- So it wasn't until I was thirteen that I actually knew what you looked like, and then this was the only photo I had for eight years.

Bryon: Yeah, that was me in Japan.

Layton: Yeah.

It was cool to show Bryon the picture of him twenty years ago when he was still in Japan, and I mean, that was the first time I learned his name and kind of what he looked like.

It wasn't until last year, Thanksgiving, that I got the rest of your letters and they told me about the both of you.

Bryon: Oh, really?

Layton: Yeah.

Bryon: Wow.

I have been thinking about this since you were born, I mean, since we walked away from the hospital that day I've been thinking about this day.

It was one of those, I always hoped, it was just one of those, that you never know what's gonna happen, but I mean, I honestly, I am so glad this finally, finally, finally happened.

I, I've been wanting this for so long.

And especially your sister, Regan, she's been dreaming about this since she was four years old, when I first told her about you.

You know, I never hid it about you, I mean like, I was nineteen years old and my first tattoo was your name.

- It's still there?

- Yep.

Layton: It is still there!

Bryon: Well, it's a tattoo!

It's not goin' anywhere!

- It was cool to be able to have Bryon show me that and see it in person.

I was just talking with Bryon at one of the picnic benches that he has in the complex while my little brothers were playing inside the apartment and then he looks up... Oh my gosh, hi!

Kyle: Hey!

- I turned around and I see my little sister Regan running in, and... Kyle: What are you doing here!

[laughter] Hi!

- These are your birthday clothes!

It was a really good moment of everybody being together, we're missing Shari, my biological mom, but I mean, it's a good start.

Well hi!

- Hi.

- Two times in one week.

[laughter] - This is definitely a new chapter, going forward I'm going to make sure that we stay in contact and know where she's at in life.

If she needs anything from me, if I can help her I will help her no matter what.

Today is the best day in the world.

Layton: I'm really grateful that I'm able to have my biological family members and my family, and it's just more people that I have to support me and more people that I'm gonna have for the rest of my life.

Dan: In Bremen, Georgia, Rachelle is expressing her gratitude for her grandma Lorraine.

Rachelle: I've gotten to meet most of your children, and I just want to say what a wonderful job you've done as the matriarch of this family, because everyone's just showered me with love, welcomed me with open arms.

I just want to say thank you for raising good children.

Lorraine: And I am so happy to hear you say that, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Rachelle: I know.

- You're so beautiful.

- Oh, thank you.

- So beautiful, and that's a blessing, girl, you look just like your mother.

You really do.

- How, how was that relationship with you and my mother?

- I knew your mother real good.

Like, she was like my other daughter.

I lost contact with Rachelle's mother Rosalyn like in the late 80s, but the moments that we had together, the time that we spent together was wonderful.

She never left my heart, she always was part of the family, she really was.

I'm just so glad that you found the other half of your family.

- Me too.

Lorraine: And I will always be here for you.

Long as you need me.

Till the day I die.

[crying] - Oh, Grandma.

I'm so glad I had the opportunity to meet you, it's truly a blessing.

- [sniffs] Oh, boy, I'm so sorry.

- It's okay, it's a lot.

- Whew, so much.

For me, to hold onto my granddaughter that I didn't even know I had, that was beautiful.

I knew you came here to get some answers, I have a letter for you to read.

- Thank you.

- Welcome.

♪ - "Dearest Rachelle, "this letter is sent "with deep emotions on one hand, "and gladness on the other.

"I am your Uncle Richard, "on behalf of my sister, your biological mother, "I write this.

"My sister would very much like to meet you, "to sit with you "and talk about the most difficult decision "that she ever had to make in her life.

"She says this decision to give you away "was not easy "by any stretch of the imagination, "and she thinks of you more than you know.

"I am sure that you have many unanswered questions, "and we'll try to answer them to the best of our ability.

"If you desire to meet your biological mother in person, "we would love for that to happen.

"Due to my sister's experiencing "some serious health issues right now, "it wasn't the right time for her or our family "to participate on this show.

"My sister wants nothing more than to see... "how that little baby she had in her arms "has developed into a young woman.

"My contact information has been emailed to the show, "and they can share it with you.

Your Uncle Richard."

[crying] - Take your time, take your time.

Take your time.

- [crying] Thank you.

- Take your time.

Okay.

You okay?

Rachelle: Reading that my mother wanted to meet me felt surreal, It was just like a lot of emotions, because I was happy, I was sad in that she wasn't able to tell me that directly herself.

But I was also excited, because now I have the opportunity to, to see her and meet her.

And maybe even have a relationship with her.

I didn't even know she wanted to meet me, so.

- Now you know.

- [deep sob] [sniffing] [sobbing] - This is what you wanted, this is what you wanted from when you signed up to come on this race.

- [shuddering breath] - I mean, you're getting answers, you got the answers.

And you're gonna get to meet your mother.

- I love you.

Karim: I love you, too.

- [sob] Thank you for supporting me on this journey.

[crying] It meant everything to me.

Hearing that I would also get to meet my mother, it was the perfect way to conclude this journey of family and to continue this journey for family.

Lorraine: Will you come with me?

- Yes, ma'am.

Lorraine: I have a surprise for you all.

- Grandma Lorraine tells me she has one more surprise for me, and we start walking to the back door and I have no idea what's about to be behind it.

♪ [all greeting, clapping] Hey y'all!

To see all those smiling faces and loving faces, it felt so wild to me.

Felt like a dream come true.

- Look at my baby and my grandma.

[crowd chattering] Rachelle: It was just so beautiful, it was such a beautiful moment that I will never forget.

♪ ♪ Dan: Day 9 has come to a close, and the final strike of the season is about to be given out.

Layton: I feel like it went really smooth.

- Me too.

- I mean the only thing in question is the detour we took, and... - Yeah.

Dan: With only one strike, Team Red is guaranteed a spot on Day 10.

Jose: My goal is to knock either of them out, the less competition for Day 10, the better.

Dan: But with two strikes each, Team Black and Team Blue are both in danger of going home.

Karim: It was a wonderful day, but I don't wanna go home.

Day: Nine days are officially in the book.

Three teams are waiting and wondering, how did they do today.

With two strikes, Team Blue and Team Black have it all on the line.

Team Red can relax, a bit, as they know they're headed to Day 10.

Well, the journey started for Team Black today, and then you decided to take back roads into Albuquerque, why?

- [laughs] Um, you know... Layton: I wanted to go on the highway, he did not.

This says 42.

- Nope, 41.

- Okay.

- Sorry, I got this.

Dan: Well, he made up for it at the challenge, you guys just were poppin' balloons left and right, so-- - He was.

- You certainly made up time, but the question is, did you make up enough time?

Tiffani and Jose, what an amazing journey you've had, and on this final day, Tiffani, who did you meet?

- My little brother, Jonathan.

Who I just found out yesterday existed.

Little did I know that I had two brothers, and both of them live in Phoenix.

- Hey, everybody.

Mary: Hi!

Tiffani: If you remember my brother, Chris!

And his wife, Mary.

- Hi!

- And my brother Jonathan live twenty minutes from me, and have lived here for 19 years.

So I get to spend the rest of my life close to my brothers, and I can't express how grateful I am and how much this means to me.

So this has been an amazing journey.

- Rachelle, you can hear and feel and see the emotions from Tiffani.

On this final day, did you get the answers you were seeking?

Who did you meet?

- I want to introduce everyone to my grandma, Lorraine.

- Hey!

- She's the matriarch of the family, and today she gave me a letter from my mother's side of the family, which I actually didn't get to meet on this journey, and they let me know that, you know, she's um, okay.

But she wasn't able to do this journey, but when I'm ready I'm able to reach out to her, and that was something that I've been waiting for this whole journey, so, today was a wonderful day and I'm just very thankful.

Dan: Thank you so much for sharing that with us.

Layton and Kyle, I want to know, who was waiting for you?

- So, the last person in my puzzle was my biological father and I did meet him today.

This is Bryon.

- Hi Bryon.

- Hi Dad!

- Hey, how you doin'?

Dan: Hearing the words, I'm your dad, what was that like for you?

- It was just really calming and peaceful, because I found a picture of him when I was 13 years old.

All this time I hadn't really known any information about him, I feel like I'm just really lucky that I was able to not only meet everybody that I had hoped for, but that they lived up to my expectations and everything I was thinking of.

- That one hug says it all.

I am so grateful that you would allow us to be there with every up and with every down and with every joyous meeting.

It is really a privilege to be trusted by you as you meet family and as you get the answers that you've been searching for, so thank you again.

On behalf of all of us at Relative Race, we feel an honor to have been beside you.

♪ It is that time.

And let's remember, that by finishing in first place today, you also receive the first place prize, which is a $1,000 donation to operation Ramp It Up, and $1,000 that will be donated in your name to Scott and Elaine Bridges.

Heading into this final day, Team Black, you had two strikes.

Team Blue, you also had two strikes.

Team Red, you knew that you were safe, and you would be headed to Day 10.

Seven minutes is all that separated first from third.

Finishing eleven minutes over their allotted time, on this final day of the race... ♪ Team Blue, you're headed to Day 10.

Layton: Good job, you guys.

That's really awesome.

Team Red and Team Black, one of you finished fifteen minutes over your allotted time.

One of you finished eighteen minutes over your allotted time.

♪ Team Red, you finished fifteen minutes over your allotted time, Team Black, you finished eighteen minutes over your allotted time.

You have picked up your third strike, and the race for $50,000 is over, but your Relative Race, I hope you'll agree, was successful beyond all measure.

I hope this has been a journey truly unlike any other for you, Layton, and Kyle, I hope that this has brought the two of you closer than you ever thought you could be at this point in your relationship.

- It's disappointing, just because, I mean, just we had a lot of people we wanted to help with the 50,000, but if we have to go home on a day, today's the day.

- You guys have such beautiful spirits, when you met your mom, oh my goodness, my heart just explodes for you.

And so, you're beginning a whole new life and I could not be more happy for you guys.

- You guys were a great, great joy on this journey, I'm so glad that we're now cousins.

- Yes, we are.

- Kyle and Layton, thanks for allowing us to be part of this journey, Layton, we hope that you've received the answers that you've been looking for, perhaps most of your life.

For Team Red and Team Blue, your journey's not over.

You will compete one final day, this time for $50,000, and where are you headed?

Pack your bags, because Foley, Alabama, awaits.

What's waiting for you there?

You'll find out, in less than 24 hours when Relative Race rolls on.

Goodnight everybody, and we'll see you in Alabama.

- Good job you guys!

- Goodnight guys, good luck.

Y'all take care, all right.

- Love y'all.

- If we had to go home on a day, today's the day.

Your detour was fast.

- Yeah, right.

I was hoping that there was gonna be a little bit more of a rainbow on the end of that, but, just a little disappointed.

- I'm okay, I mean again, if I needed to go home on a day, today would be the day.

I just wanted to meet everybody and that was our purpose from the beginning.

Bye Relative Race, thank you for choosing me, it's been a really great journey.

Kyle: Relative Race, you guys are the best.

Stay safe, love you all.

- Alabama.

- Foley, Foley?

- Foley.

- Foley, I've never heard of that place.

- Hello, good evening.

Good evening, how are y'all doin'?

- Great, how are you?

- We're so happy that we are able to donate $1,000 to y'all.

- That's amazing, thank you.

Karim: When we told Scott and Elaine that we were donating $1,000 to them, you can just instantly see how much it meant to them.

Look, I told you when I gave you the bands, I said you're going on the journey with us.

- Oh!

- That's right, that's right.

- God bless y'all.

- God bless you.

Enjoy your new-found family.

Rachelle: Yes.

Karim: Thank you, thank you.

- Bye!

- You guys take care.

- Bye, you guys.

- Goodnight.

♪