A/N: Okay, updating a little faster than I expected to . . . cheers. Alright, so one day faster's nothing to brag about – I take what I can get. I'm making this chapter rather short 'cause I don't have much time to spend at the moment. But look at this as a quick beginning to a REALLY long chapter for all you dedicated readers. (That excuse won't fly, will it? . . . nope, no, I didn't think so . . .)

Special thanks to all my reviewers: 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, Dessler, mommie, daisymh, Laura, confused, and basketball babe8!

Note: this chapter starts off in Mac's POV.

Do-Overs

"You're . . . you're . . ." Jake is having trouble grasping the straws. "You're . . ." I nod. "You're pregnant?"

I sigh and pick up another slice of pizza. "I'm officially off coffee, I'm sick every morning, and I can smell everything." I shoot him a pointed glance. "By the way, you should have a shower."

"I did."

"Today?" I asked, my eyebrow raised. No response – I win.

"But . . . you're sure?" words come tumbling out of Jake's mouth. "With Harm's? I mean . . . god, Mac – this complicates things."

"You don't think I know that?" I snapped. Oh yeah, did I mention mood swings?

Jake gives me a fleeting sympathetic glance and I realize at that moment that this must be what Jake looks like when he's down to earth serious. Expressionless. "I . . . I need to call Vera."

"Don't." I speak so quickly my mind doesn't even have time to form a conclusion.

"Mac . . ."Jake trails.

"Ugh!" I blurt, shoving my head into my lap and wrapping my arms around my knees. I can't help it – I'm frustrated. "I don't want everything to be so complicated! I want it to be the way they used to!"

I realize how childish I sound and the embarrassment comes instantly – no one can help what's happening – but why do these things always have to happen to me? "I mean, life should have do overs."

"Do overs?" Jake's eyebrow rises.

"Yeah." The concept hangs well with me. "Don't you have any regrets about the past? Anything you would like to do differently?" I stare at her intently.

Jake looks at me considerately. "Everyone has those."

I lean back against the couch and sigh, my mind heavily laden with thought. "What's yours?"

Jake laughed hollowly. "I only get to pick one?"

"Humor me and pick the biggest one."

Jake took a long swig of root beer, savoring the bitter taste with a grim smile upon his face. "Paris, eight years ago – Vera wanted to go the next step with me, but my job was going to take me away to Cuba for months. It was a dangerous mission – I could have no contact with the outside world. I didn't want her to go through that." Jake sighed heavily. "I rejected her . . . as gently as I could. She never looked back and I . . . every day since."

Since the moment I'd met Jake, I had taken in the charismatic smile, the Brad Pitt-ish features, and his passive take on life. It had been refreshing to meet someone with an obvious weight on his shoulders take the responsibility so lightly. There was an incredible depth to him.

"What about you?"

I turned to see his piercing blue eyes boring down upon me. I hadn't realized I'd been out of it for so long. "Me, I don't know – I have many."

Jake grinned at me. "Pick your biggest one."

I linked eyes with him, trying to guess what was going through his mind. An impossible task, I quickly realized. He may not act it, but he IS a spook. "I don't know . . . I suppose it was the fact that whenever I came upon something good, I let it slip right through the cracks between my fingertips."

"I take it we aren't just talking about a beautiful shoe sale you missed out on?" Jake asked, semi-humorously.

I sighed. "What can I say, Jake? I only wanted three things out of life: a good job, a good man, and lots of comfortable shoes. Don't even joke about taking away one of the two I already have."

"You don't have all three?"

"Hey, this is supposed to be do overs," I grumbled. "If I had all three I wouldn't be sitting here in a nauseatingly ugly apartment, drinking warm soda, and mulling over the miseries of the past."

Jake smiled and looped an arm around me. "My my, Mac. What a ray of sunshine you are."

28 Belleville Drive, Virginia

Harm's POV

"Clay, she's a ditzy, narcissistic, idiotic –" a rich feminine voice floats into the room.

"Don't even finish that sentence," Clay's voice deadens Vera's. "And do you mind keeping your voice down? You're screaming."

Yes, I admit it, I'm pathetic. Here I am, a full grown man, his ear pasted to the room vent, as if I'm ten years old and beginning the practice of eavesdropping on his fighting parents. I can't imagine what I look like. My six foot body is bent over, my eyes blinking back the tears that had formed from the cold wind blowing up into my face – but the fact remained that it was the only way I could hear Clay and Vera.

"Well then fine, Clay! You stay here all day with Harm and that conceited nitwit while I go to work and then we'll see who's yelling at whom!" I hear the slump of something hard hitting the ground and then the loud hollow ring of footsteps. No doubt Vera just walked out on him. I barely had time to straighten up before she stormed into my room.

"Who does he think he is? The president of the whole friggin United States?" Her eyes are dark and wild. "What does he see in that hussy anyway? She can't see past the front of her sky pointed nose."

I lay down on my bed, and pat the pillow next to me. Vera gives in reluctantly. She sits on the edge of my bed and I can see through her eyes that she's internally fuming. Her auburn hair stands out brightly against her flaming cheeks. She's hellishly mad.

"I don't get it, Harm," she says finally, almost softly, a small voice ringing true through her usual loud and demanding one. "I can't see what he sees in her."

I laugh softly and put a comforting arm around Vera (I mean, how many times has she done that to me?). "Vera, you're not a guy. Some guys are just drawn to women for reasons they can't explain."

Like me and Renee. What DIDI ever see in her?

The explanation does nothing to satisfy Vera. "She's blonde, she's gorgeous, and she lets Clay take the lead. That's the only reason he wants her."

I sigh consentingly. "That may be true but considering Clay, I highly doubt it." I flash my most charming smile. "He's not been known to date blonds and all the women that have ever given him the time of day I have never known to back down from a fight."

So what if I'm thinking about Mac when I say this? She DID date him.

"Well, if those two are going to be all lovey-dovey while they're here, they can kiss my ass good-bye. I'm not going to stand for it." Vera's back to her usual brisk manor and is already getting up from the edge of my bed.

I laugh softly to myself and Vera turns around, her expression inquiring.

"Jealousy isn't your best color, Azhad," I whispered, my eyes twinkling almost daringly. "Wear it only when warranted."

For a minute I see an emotion flicker in Vera's eyes but almost as quickly as it comes, it disappears. "Honestly, Rabb, I have no idea what you're talking about. And as far as I can tell, I don't want to find out."

Is that ever the truth. I follow her outside the door and into the kitchen. Yes, I'm preparing myself for a wild ride.

Mac and Jake's Apartment

Mac's POV

"Penny for your thoughts."

I have learned one thing over the last three hours I've spent with Jake: he can't stop talking. Not for one split second. I glance over at him frowning slightly, "My thoughts would definitely not be the best investment you'll ever make."

"Well, I've got backups . . . my own thoughts," he added when I stared at him pointedly.

"And I suppose those are absolute backups."

"Oh funny, Mackenzie. Keep sticking it to my pride," Jake chortled, staring at me both accusingly and innocently at the same time.

"As long as the ego keeps growing, I'll keep sticking," I assured him, taking a long sip of coke. Jake laughed at my comment but broke off almost immediately.

"Seriously, Mac – what are you thinking about?"

I'm touched by the sincerity in his voice, but maybe it's just my emotions going over-drive again. It seems to be happening a lot to me lately. "I want to call a do-over, Jake."

"On what?"

"I need to do something, I need to rectify my problem." Despair leaks into my voice. "I have no clue in hell what I'm going to do about being pregnant and it's not fair that the decision should be mine. It should be both of ours."

"Where are you going with this?" Jake looks a little scared.

"I need to talk to him."

Jake's convinced I'm plain crazy. "You can't talk to Harm."

"I can and will." My voice is dangerously close to threatening. "Look," I whispered vehemently, my eyes drawing Jake's to mine. "This is Harm and my baby. And it's not fair that I should have to make all these decisions, and it's not fair that I'm going to have to head down this road at this time, and dammit, it's not fair that I have to do this by myself!"

Damn these mood swings. Damn life. I'm literally sobbing now.

"Why can't God just cut me a break once in a while? Why does he make life so damn hard to live?" I'm stressing my words with such empowering force that Jake's quite literally frightened for me.

He wraps one arm around me in a futile attempt to hug me but I pull away, unwilling to be held. "No, dammit, I don't want to be comforted! I'm sick and tired of everyone telling me that it's alright and it's okay and everything will be all fine and dandy when it's a perfect lie and – dammit, Jake, stop looking at me like that!"

And just like that, the mood swings over. I emotionally deflate onto the couch. Jake very bravely puts one arm around me and holds me until my body stops shaking. "Mac, I want to let you know," he says softly and into my air (I'm leaning at an awkward angle). "That no matter what decision you make, I'm going to be there backing you up. I know you'll make the right one for you because I know you – and I know that you'll consider every possibility before you make your decision and that's something I admire and I respect you for."

Jake has an incredibly soothing voice. I pull away from him with a grateful smile. My eyes are red from crying and my cheeks are tearstained. I laugh shakily, "thanks, Jake."

"Any time, Marine."

I'm struck powerfully by the last word. For a minute there I could have sworn Harm said that. But Harm and Jake are very different people – I know that. Yet they both possess that incredibly rare power of being able to make me feel good about myself when around them. I wiped my eyes, "I think I'm going to head off to bed. I'm kind of tired and I've got to go to work tomorrow."

Jake smiles at me. "Yeah, I should probably go to sleep too. I'm . . . planning on meeting someone for breakfast."

A curious glint appears in my eyes. "Would this someone happen to be a girl?"

"Let's just say this someone is . . . yes, rather of the feminine species." Jake winks mysteriously. "Now, if you don't mind, I'll use the phone."

"Go ahead," I called as I left the living room. "I'm going to go have a shower."

Jake waited until he heard the rush of water from the shower before picking up the phone and dialing a what was soon to become familiar number. "Clay? It's Jake. Look, I'm going to come by your place in the morning tomorrow . . . I've got to talk to you about something . . . yes, definitely important."

A/N: yes, I know, this chapter wasn't long at all. Ah well, I promise, next time a longer and better chapter. All you've got to do is review and tell me what you think about this one. Any feedback is appreciated.

Cille: I'll try and get in a fair share of humor in this story as well as the drama to make it well rounded. I really like well-rounded stories. If you're looking for a good one, you should read 'A Ride to Nowhere, part I' by 'browneyeez'. I swear it's brilliant (god, I sound like I'm advertising something).

Basketball Babe8: no, I don't write anything other than JAG. But I'll work on it . . . actually, no, I'm pretty content with writing JAG. What can I say, JAG's the best.

HighHeel Shoe Lover: shoe fly, don't bother me.

Reni-Maniac: believe me, with two women fighting over Clay, and with Harm living in the same household, all of them will be running for the hills before they know it! lol

marineJAG: lol, we all worry about Jake's reaction to the news – imagine Clay's next chapter!

Laura: cliffhangers cruel? Oh, you tear my heart out. I love cliffhangers (as you can probably tell). lol, well I didn't leave a cliffhanger this chapter. But who knows what the future will hold . . . (I'll stop taunting you . . . promise).

Alix33: ah yes, feet and feat – will you let me get away with nothing? Lol, did you find any mistakes in this chapter? I read over this chapter before posting this time. I really did (and she fails to mention the fact that it's two am her time and she's practically falling asleep at her keyboard).

Starryeyes10: thanks.

xLoveNPainx: yeah, I had basically the same ending on this chapter as I had on the other chapter, didn't I? hmm . . . next chapter'll be bet (and you can hold me to that).

MaritzaCarmichael: hope you loved this chapter too!

Froggy0319: Ah, the Harm and Mac reunion . . . into the future (but how far is the question . . .? lol). Alright, I didn't update as quickly as possible, but it's good to know you're still here to read.

Eggy weg: thanks, hope you liked this chapter too.

KittyX: sorry it took me so long to write this – but I hope you enjoyed it.

Steelo: so you caught up in the reviews! lol, hurry up with Deadly Turns . . . (not so patiently waiting . . .)

Dansingwolf: Seriously, I love the reviews. I mean, I love the entire concept of reviews. And I've gotten into the practice of not writing long replies to reviews to conserve energy (I always make an exception with yours though . . . your replies are really fun to write – not work at all). Sometimes I find it really hard to keep to the story line – I find myself wandering these days – but it's always Harm that brings me back to the picture. I don't know why – I guess it's just because I've made him ignorant for the past few chapters – not knowing what Abbas was up to, about Mac and Jake, and poor Harm doesn't even know the details about Vera and Webb (though I suppose no one does . . . except for me (I'll rectify that soon)). So when I think about how little Harm knows I realize what more facts should be exposed and then I'm right on track again! My own twisted kind of logic. You know, I was still righting EL when I came up with the idea of 'Full Throttle' and I played around with it for a little while, developed a few characters (it was in India that I actually started writing it in a notebook) but I never came up with Jake. Vera I had made right from the beginning, I knew what her purpose in the story would be but when I came to . . . I don't know which chapter it was, I needed someone to drive Harm to Padua so I just created Jake on the spot. He was supposed to enter one chapter and leave the next but he and his Harley Davidson drove their way into my heart! What can I say, some characters you just get attached to (I know I'm sounding nuts here). Okay, I've kind of got to respond to the other reviews so I'll end what was supposed to be a medium sized reply (so much for sticking to the plot . . . lol)

Jaggurl: how's a quick chapter on Sunday to get you prepared for a really long chapter on Tuesday? (She suggests hopefully)

Daisymh: I'm sorry I kept you waiting for so long – but I hoped this chapter satisfied you until I get my next one out (hopefully no more than two days).

Bail's Other Daughter: You like Jake too? Yeah, a couple people have told me that – I really didn't expect him to be as big a hit as he is. Seriously, I didn't. He was just going to be a stand in for one chapter but then he and his Harley Davidson became permanent. What can I say – everything happens for a reason. Lol – hope you liked this chapter.

Snugglebug: ah, a super cotton candy sweet romance! (what a mouthful). I'll see what I can do! (I prefer to remain mysterious in the ways of the future . . . lol, I can't pull of that whole gypsy thing. I'll spare you and stop trying).

Confused: don't be sorry – if things don't make sense to you feel free to ask questions. I'm always here to answer.

Sugar230: I can't wait for Harm to find out too. 'Course, I should probably write that scene pretty soon (I think everyone wants me to) and if I don't in the next few chapters I do believe I'll be hit pretty hard by the verbal baseball bats. Lol