A/N: Hey everyone, well – as promised – here's the next chapter, and . . . I – uh – hope you enjoy!

Special thanks to: Bite Beccy, Bail's Other Daughter, Steelo, Starryeyes10, Kitty X, martini1988, QueenOfAces, froggy0319, alix33, mjag, moonlight, nursejay80, AnMaDeRoNi, snugglebug, jaggurl, Anne, ficchic, dansingwolf, Radiorox, cbw, wishwaters, Rocket Rain, sgcgirl52, tlk29, JJScottishGirl, Blueangel, aj, French-navy girl, Marge, Jane, Tina Frank, highplainswoman, mac AND harm fan, Ali Baba, super ducky, tumblebuttons, AB, Abigiale, macandharmlover, jazzy, vhosek malacath, Britainy, MartiniMac, HighHeel Shoe Lover, Sirus 745, Fan, Pissed off Poet 1, southernqt, BrittanyLS, sugar230, K, Ilovemyselftoday, eggy weg, xobabygurlxo, Reni-Maniac, Cille, ForensicsFreak1988, HMtogether4ever, MaritzaCarmichael, Lara783, janessab, tizy, June, vrbinkaCZ, Cherise, DD2, Bekka, Lani-LoveNPain, and Dessler!

Note: this chapter starts off in Harm's POV (though I know how much you're all dying for Mac's considering the way I left my last chapter . . .)

Operation Relocation

"Harm, Jake – would you please sit down?" Vera asked kindly.

I feel exactly like I did when I found out my mother was marrying Frank – like everything had already been discussed without me and there was nothing I could do but sit numb and listen to them talk. Only this time I sat on the couch with Jake next to me and Vera and Clay sat across from me. Clay had his arms folded out in front of me – it was rather clear to me that he had not gotten his way in the previous argument.

"As you both know, Clay and I have had . . . conflicting opinions on where we should relocate," Vera spoke slowly so we could easily drink up every word. She flashed Webb a glance.

Webb cleared his throat. "And – having considered all possibilities," he began, obviously detesting what he was saying, "we have decided that if Abbas knew we were in Venice and he knew that we knew he knew . . ." Clay looked confusedly at the sound of his own words.

"In other words," Vera cut in. "We're going to move to possibly the last place on earth that Abbas would ever think of looking."

I'm uncertain. "Which is where exactly?"

Webb's face is grim. "Right back home to Virginia."

0923

Bethesda Naval Hospital

Mac's POV

"How're you feeling, ma'am?" Harriet's voice is sympathetic. She stands beside my bed, the early morning light falling through the high window. I sigh pathetically in response.

Knock. Knock.

"Come in!" I holler from my bed and the door opens to reveal Admiral AJ Chegwidden followed by Bud. Their Naval uniforms look oddly dark against the rather bright whiteness of the room's setting.

"Colonel," the Admiral addresses me politely but not without an underlying note of worry. "How are you feeling?"

I throw my hands up in frustration. "Like I'm ready to blow this pop stand."

A small smile comes to the Admiral's lips. "When are you supposed to be released?"

"Tomorrow," I muttered, much to the amusement of the others in the room. "Apparently my tests all came back with good results."

"That's wonderful to hear, ma'am," Harriet smiled at me.

I move to make a reply but something in the way that the Admiral's standing cuts me off. He and Bud look as if they've just entered the morgue. "Colonel," he says very slowly. "After your interview with Dr. Hurston, myself and a rather good friend of mine – an NCIS agent – Jethro Gibbs . . . maybe you remember him – we took a good look around your apartment and in your coffee maker."

"And . . . sir?" I asked, shifting around in my bed slightly.

"Well, his lab confirmed it . . . drugs were definitely in your coffee. He's still getting the specifics but, Colonel, we do believe that you're in danger. Now, Gibbs was willing to organize protection for you but a third party has stepped in and has already taken care of that."

"What third party, sir?" I asked quickly, my interest unleashed.

The Admiral's eyes meet mine levelly. "The government."

"You mean they're sending someone from the government to protect me?" I accuse scornfully, sinking my elbow hard into my pillow. "I'm a marine, sir. I can hold my own."

"I don't doubt it for a minute, Colonel," came the Admiral's wry reply. "However, two bodies are always better than one."

I'm moody, I'm disgruntled – I was overcome with morning sickness less than an hour ago and I'm still grumpy. "Well, do I at least have the privilege of knowing my protector's name before I entrust them with my life?"

The Admiral nodded at me, moving to exit the room. "You will, Colonel . . . as soon as I find out who the hell it is."

1748

146 Vinetta Avenue, Venice

Harm's POV

"So you're really going?"

My question pierces the silence that had fallen in between us. I throw Jake one of his shirts and he catches it, stuffing it into his duffel bag. Jake hadn't brought much stuff – but what he did bring was very well spread out through the entire household.

"Really really," Jake replied dully, throwing in a pair of pants and not even bothering to fold them. "New assignment, new location . . ." he looks up at me and grins. "But don't worry, I'll see you around."

"But you don't understand," I replied, my voice very dramatically stressed. "You're leaving me all alone with Vera and Clay. Why don't you just feed me to Abbas and get it over with? Vera and Clay will drive me into suicide through insanity."

Jake grinned wryly at me. "Well look on the bright side. You'll be back in Virginia. Which means they'll both be going into work all day anyway. It won't be as terrible as you think."

"Probably worse," I muttered, only to Jake's amusement.

"Well, I'll send you a postcard," Jake replied, pulling his duffel bag over his shoulder.

"Where will you be going?" I asked, following him out the front door and into the street outside the house, the evening sun shining brightly in our faces.

Jake hopped onto his motorcycle, securing his bags and doing a mental once over. He turned to me and grinned, his eyes dancing in the light. "I'd tell you . . ." he roared over the noise of his engine. "But then I'd have to kill you."

I stood there at the doorstep and watched Jake's blurry figure disappear into the setting sun with a sudden tremendous feeling of loss washing over me – the loss of a friend. Exhaling slowly, I opened the door and entered, instantly taking in the silence of the household. I walked into the living room. Clay sat in one of the arm chairs, one leg folded over the other and reading the newspaper.

I paused in confusion. "Where's Vera?"

"Showering," came the blunt reply.

I sit down on the couch. The seconds tick by. "Clay, you're not really reading that are you?"

Clay looks up from the newspaper. "What do you mean?"

"The paper," I motioned to the newspaper in his hands. "You're not really reading it."

"What makes you say that?" Clay asked, one eyebrow raised.

"The thing's in Italian."

A long pause on Clay's end.

"Webb, what are you up to?" I asked, suspicion clear in my voice.

Clay looks at me hesitantly, apprehension clear on his face and then, "Okay, can I trust you, Rabb?"

I roll my eyes. "Just tell me, Webb."

Slowly, Clay reaches into the inner pocket of his jacket and withdraws a small clear vial with dark pink fluid in it. "Well," he whispered, clearly searching for my approval.

"Well, what?" I retorted staring at the vial again. "It looks like pink lemonade."

Clay shakes his head. "No, no, Rabb. This is dye. It's a very powerful kind of dye."

"For cloth?"

Clay grins at me. "More like for hair. I know a guy in the department that works with disguises. Uses stuff like this to dye peoples' hair. He's actually quite good. I can get you in with him if you ever want to . . . you know, take care of those grey streaks."

"I don't have grey streaks!" I replied angrily, my voice soaked with indignation. "And I certainly don't want my hair to be pink if I want to get rid of them."

"Shut up, Rabb!" Clay hissed. "She'll hear you . . ."

There was the bang of a door being shut and then Vera came out, wearing a very long t-shirt and her wet hair wrapped up in a towel. "Oh, hope you don't mind, Clay, but I took the liberty of borrowing one of your shirts."

"I can see that, Azhad," Clay responded impassively. The silence in the room was suffocating. "Oh, well, if you're sure you're done, I'll go have my shower now."

He promptly left the room.

"Wow, he was acting strange," Vera commented rather mildly, undoing the towel from the top of her head to commence drying it. And out of the snow white towel falls long thick strands of bright pink hair. I gape for a moment.

Vera casts me an inquisitive look. "What's wrong?"

Sighing, I lay back in the thick arm chair, staring up at the ceiling with a mixed expression upon my face. "Sometimes I think the world's just laughing at me."

1036

Mac's Apartment

Mac's POV

I turn on the light in my apartment and cast a wary glance around the room. The Admiral assured me that Gibbs had checked it over alright. And I trusted the Admiral, but I was still painfully wary of the power that Abbas held – over both me and Harm.

I patted my stomach which had promptly begun to grumble. The Admiral had invited not to eat any food I had stored in my apartment, that I should pack my suitcase and leave. It would only be temporary.

"Think about it this way," he'd said, his voice almost brutally indifferent. "It'll be like the college experience you never had – living out of a suitcase and sharing a room with a person you didn't choose."

Slowly, I folded my clothes, storing them in the largest suitcase I owned. I packed almost robotically – as if I didn't register anything I was holding or folding. I'd emptied most of my closet by the time I realized I probably couldn't fit any more in. Not touching anything else in my apartment – as instructed – I closed the door and locked it behind me. I'd never felt so vulnerable.

I had left my own home, a killer was after me – and now I had a whole new weight on my shoulders – I was responsible for another life. I drove slowly down street after street, a complicated address written quickly in pencil on a small slip of paper. The address took me to a rather nice looking apartment building on the corner of King Street.

Unloading my suitcase from my trunk, I locked up my 'Vette and entered the building. I gave my name at the front desk and they handed me a key for room number 202.

I couldn't help but wonder as I climbed possibly the third flight of stairs – who "The Government" had sent to watch over me. Quite obviously the CIA now knew that Abbas was after me too, so undoubtedly they had sent someone from their department. I just hoped to god it was not Webb.

I paused at the door, wondering if I should just let myself in with the key or whether I should knock. Deciding that if someone was in there, it would be rather rude to just let myself in, I knocked firmly.

And then the door opened, revealing a face that I knew. "Hey, Mac," he grinned. "I here we're going to be roomies."

And I couldn't help but smile too. "Jake . . ."

A/N: Wow, this chapter was . . . okay, pretty sucky – I know. I'm suffering from a mild bout of writer's block. Don't worry, it'll be hopefully gone by tomorrow. Anyways, I'm just getting the boring stuff out of the way so we can have really good chapters coming our way, okay? Alright, and you all know the drill – review and tell me what you think! Any input is appreciated – especially if you have something constructive to say.

Alix33: I'm taking all of your questions/suggestions into consideration and I don't think you'll be disappointed with the outcome! (I prefer to remain mysteries in ways of the future . . . you know, keeping up the good rep (as if!))

Southernqt: well, I can't really answer your questions at the moment (I mean, you'll get them answered for you as we move along in the story) but I hope you keep asking questions!

AB: locks . . . no kidding. But how's a whole new apartment? lol

Bite Beccy: Glad to hear you're still smiling . . . hope that's the case with this chapter too.

Vhosek malacath: don't worry about the link – verbal begging's good enough, lol.

Froggy0319: ah, and my crystal ball predicts the answers to your questions are . . . in the near future!

Dessler: Ah, I do believe your vote on Mac not giving up the baby is the majority so far . . . actually, I don't believe you have any competition. Lol. Thanks for reviewing.

Radiorox: Ah, yes, the wonderful-cure-all medicine of hugging – but the million dollar question: will Mac give up the baby or won't she? Of course – there's the slight problem on my part that if I make her give up the baby I'll probably be killed by my reviewers. Then there wouldn't be much of a story . . . lol

Starryeyes10: thanks

Dansingwolf: Okay, one thing you should know about me, I LOVE long reviews. I mean, I'm not trying to pressure you into writing long reviews – but don't apologize for it 'cause I love a lengthy review. Lots of input. And well – usually when I begin a story I know what I'm going to do at the beginning and I know how I want it to end. The middle always seems to get a little fuzzy but as I keep writing it gets a lot clearer. And btw (I've been getting a LOT of use out of that (am I allowed to call it a word?) since you told me what it meant – so much that my friends have ordered me to stop using it) I was wondering – you saw Devdas and everything – have you seen a really good Hindi movie lately? (My sister wants to see one and I'm Bollywood impaired).

MaritzaCarmichael: thanks, hope I updated quickly for you.

Lani-LoveNPain: this is your first time reviewing Full Throttle right? I know this chapter wasn't too exciting, but I'll make the next one better just for you!

Bekka: Hating to see Harm and Mac suffer . . . you and me both. Ah well, they're strong people . . . they can stick it out for now. But there are good things in store for them – a nice future. Just keep reading and you'll see . . . lol, I'm not to subtle am I?

KittyX: I know I've been writing my chapters as mostly either Harm or Mac but in the future I'll try and split the chapter equally into sections for both of them. Does that sound okay?

Tizy: Ah, so glad I didn't interfere with your work schedule! (I do happen to have the annoying tendency to update very early in the morning, don't I?) And, well, okay – your subtlety is not the . . . subtlest it could be but hey, you drew me to the fact that a new chapter needed to be posted! (And though begging has been known to prompt me to post chapters earlier – I do prefer blatant sucking up!)

VrbinkaCZ: horse camp? That sounds pretty cool. Jeez, I hope I updated this fast enough for you to read it. I didn't know what time you were leaving and they were updating the sight so I couldn't post earlier. Hope this got to you on time.

Daisymh: Hope you liked this chapter! And the sooner I break out of this writer's block I've seemed to have gotten myself into, the quicker the chapter I'll post.

Snugglebug: A whole month! Wow, I mean – I'm really inexperienced in this subject – but jeez, that sounds to me like an awful long time to NOT know you're pregnant. Thanks for the info though . . . oh well, Mac's always had a great sense of timing – and she's usually pretty early. That'll be my nonsensical explanation for all of that. Lol.