Title: Desperate Measures
Chapter 1 – Forcing The Wrong Hand

Summary: AU A vengeful enemy threatens Donna's future prompting Ed to take drastic measures. Now they have to contend with a new situation and a ruthless enemy that wants them both dead.

Disclaimer 1: Ah you know write? Ed's with me and well yeah that's about it…lol I own the DVD's otherwise I am a poor author lol

Disclaimer 2: My main baddie is going to be Lady Ida Logan from the eppy 'A New Life' b/c I think hell hath no fury as a woman scored. All other OC's belong to a random name generator – you can't sue b/c its on the web and free! Lol

A/N 1: So first off I did a Google search for the last name Sabine and found that it comes up a lot as both a English and French surname with French winning out slightly. So for story purposes and to make things a bit trickier, am going to say her heritage is originally French and her family was from France. If you want to flame – why? This is fiction and meant only for that purpose.

A/N 2: Okay so this is my very first Ed/Donna centric story based on an original idea (only Ida Logan is canon) not the actual eppy. Of course there will also be lots of Ed/Wordy b/c hey you know I can't write my Eddie without his awesome best friend along for the ride. And yes it's AU b/c Sophie and hank DO NOT exist! Lol yes I hafta say that still so it's clear b/c there is no cheating ;) Hope you all like this start! ENOUGH TALKING ON WITH THE STORY! Enjoy …. :)

"Donna, get out of there!" Ed's angry voice is heard over the head-set as he looks over at Wordy and frowns, his lips uttering a futile curse that is lost into the wind. "What?"

"She's doing what you'd do."

"She's not supposed to take liberties like that," Ed grumbles so that just he and Wordy can hear; Wordy pursing his lips but saying nothing in return. "Boss I still don't have eyes. Sam?"

"I got the exit covered but the guy in red moved again and I have nothing," Sam's frustrated tone is heard. "We need those camera's back up."

"Spike?"

"The camera's are slowly coming back on, but the rest of Team Three is still in the dark. I got nothin'," he grumbles also.

"This is unbelievable."

"Tom, take the guy on the left," Donna's whispered voice to her Team Three leader is heard.

"Greg stays out of the action, why the hell does she go in?" Ed grumbles so that only Wordy, at his side can hear.

"They didn't know…"

"Yeah until they got in, I heard that. Still don't like it," Ed grimaces as he looks back into his sniper scope and narrows his gaze. Come on Donna…where are you? Where's Tom...someone….talk to me.

Ed's finger eases back slightly on the trigger of his high powered sniper rifle, his mind deflecting for a few seconds from their current situation to ponder the events leading up until now.

5 hours earlier

"So you actually gonna take the plunge after work?" Wordy asks Ed in a low undertone earlier that morning as they lingered in the locker room; just the two of them.

"I am," Ed nods as he pulls on his black SRU shirt. "First date…well am hoping," he looks over at Wordy with a small sigh.

"Donna is going to say yes," Wordy assures him.

"She could say no."

"I heard the two of you last night…you know flirting and all," Wordy grins.

"What? We weren…" Ed starts only to smile as Wordy crosses his arms over his chest and offers a 'don't fool me look' to his best friend. "You heard?"

"Of course."

"Okay fine we were. And is that bad?"

"Heck no it's great," Wordy replies in truth. "So why do you seem so nervous?"

"I'm not," Ed offers in untruth.

"I've known you for too long to buy that lame comeback and you know it."

"Okay a bit nervous. I really like Donna and…yeah that's it."

"And?"

"And what else?" Ed turns back, getting only silence in return from Wordy and so turns around to face his best friend in resignation.

"And the last one didn't like your job. See you got that covered. Now you just gotta relax and be…you…yeah okay you do have reason to be nervous," Wordy teases him.

"Thanks a lot," Ed groans as he closes his locker, a small smile still playing upon his lips. "It's a lot easier with her already liking the job you know? Just one less thing to worry about."

"How's she liking it there?"

"Loves it. At least she's out of danger most times."

"This coming from a man who wrote the book on rushing in where angels fear to tread – without asking might I remind you."

"It's different," Ed shrugs.

"Why? And don't say it's because she's a woman," Wordy warns him.

"Why not?"

"You know why not. Because alpha male, she'll kick your ass," Wordy smirks.

"I know she would, why do you think I'm telling only you," Ed frowns. "And why do you think I like her so much? At least she's out of vice; those cases can be nasty, at least from some of the things she told me," Ed explains as they head for the team one meeting room. "What?"

"Nothing, you sound and look happy and I'm happy for you. About time right?"

"Wordy, it'll be our first date," Ed reminds him in a low tone. "She still could say no."

"Trust me she'll say yes."

"Morning team," Greg greets them.

The team briefing wasn't anything major as no hot calls had come in – so it would be patrol duty until they got a call and things changed. As per the norm, Sam and Jules took one of the SUV's and headed in one direction, Ed and Wordy the other and the boss and Spike the last one.

"So I heard Logan mentioned in the news again last night."

"Which one?"

"Old Lady Logan," Wordy replies as he looks out the window. "Talk about a scary woman. Her idea of kicking your ass is making you wear a cement blanket."

"Her empire is under scrutiny now. Didn't your friend in guns and gangs say that they were working to take down the last few strong houses?"

"Yeah that's what Derek said but he also said they have a lot of underground connections and of course still have a few judges and politicians in their pockets. Why do you think Ida Logan avoided any jail time after that last arrest and the charges were tossed out?"

"Think she'll make it to the hearing this morning?" Ed wonders.

"Hope so, that is if we put the right people in place."

"Who's the sitting judge?"

"Does it matter? She has enough pull to buy any of them off along the way. If it doesn't work this morning, you can be sure she'll never sit for a trial," Wordy adds in truth. "Plus Derek didn't say who she'd be dealing with, but he did say the crooked cops that supposedly lost the evidence for the last arrest have been arrested themselves so hopefully the main inside link is at least now broken," Wordy tells them.

"I'm just glad that Donna isn't having any dealings with the Logan's anymore; Ida or any of her ruthless clan."

"Yeah me too," Wordy agrees with a heavy sigh. "I think Ida Logan would be one very scary opponent to go up against."

"Scary and deadly and not to mention s…" Ed's voice is interrupted by a call over their headsets.

"Team one hot call…" Winnie's voice is heard giving them all the details.

"Team three?" Wordy looks over at Ed.

"Winnie we're around the block and be there in five," Wordy responds firmly as Ed turns on the sirens and steps on the gas.

"We'll be there in two," Ed corrects.

And when they had arrived, Donna, Tom and two other Team Three members were inside the large warehouse that was surrounded by a few of goons bought and paid for by Ida Logan. At that moment Ed had gotten a text that Donna had sent Greg who forwarded it to the team telling them it was a trap and there was no hostage inside instead they found a note addressed to Donna:

'You crossed the wrong woman Sargent Sabine. See you in hell.'

Since Donna had only gone up against Ida Logan as a female opponent, that was the woman that was wronged and now was showing her wrath by setting a trap and taking out her lone female enemy. Donna and Tom had acted swiftly and taken cover, but two of their team members were pinned down, one of them injured, but none of them killed as Ida had planned. A few gunshots were traded and then Team One arrived and the armed inside the office building standoff began.

Present time

"Donna, if you can hear me try to get one of them back to the exit for Sam to take out or the northeast window for me to take out. Let's even the playing field for you all in there."

"Copy that," her soft voice is heard before another gunshot rings out and Ed's stomach tightens once more.

"Donna…Tom, how's Richard?" Greg inquires again.

"He's still alive, but we're pinned down," answers the anxious voice of another Team Three member.

"Eddie we gotta find a way in there."

"Wordy and I have checked all possibilities th…" Ed's voice dies out as another round of gunfire is heard and then silence. "Donna? Tom? Someone, talk to me damn it," Ed states, looking at Wordy and shaking his head. "What's going on in there?"

"Okay the guy in red is back at the exit bos…"

"Sam, take him out if you can."

"Copy that."

The next few events happened in slow motion as Sam expertly takes out the man he had been assigned to watch; Spike's camera's coming back on full force enabling them to see inside to where Donna and her team were pinned down by the few remaining Logan goons.

"We got eyes in," Spike's voice is heard over the headset.

On Greg's command, Ed fires a shot through the window, wounding the man furthest to Donna's left, the distraction allowing her to finish the job and then Jules take out the other man as he tried to escape out the side entrance. It was finally over.

Ed feels his whole body heave a much welcomed sigh of relief as he watches Donna and Tom emerge from the warehouse, the medics rushing in to gather up the last two of her team, all of them would be fine. He feels Wordy's fingers give his shoulder a squeeze before both of them pack up their gear and head for the stairwell to head down.

"You okay?" Ed asks Donna in a low tone, not wanting to openly draw too much attention.

"I am now thanks to that shot. Thank you."

"We fired as soon as spik…"

"I know," Donna looks at him with a small smile, noticing the frown form on his face. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Ed…what is it?"

"Want me to read you the riot act now or later?"

"You serious?" Donna retorts. "I didn't…" she stops and then shakes her head, looking back at him with a tight lipped smile. "Really? This coming from you?"

"Yeah," he answers with an unyielding gaze.

"Read it to me later okay?" She counters and his gaze softens.

"Fine."

"Ida Logan was behind this," she growls under her breath, drawing a small smile to Ed's lips as Wordy approaches them.

"Yeah the boss sent us the email before we set up. You sure it was her? It just said female."

"She's the only one Ed, this was all her. It was a trap and with Bill out of the way it was just me left. Besides I know her men. Did she actually make it to her arrest hearing this morning?" Donna asks, looking from Ed to Wordy.

"Just heard from Derek Lawson and he said she was lost en route to the judge."

"Yeah thanks to this carefully timed distraction."

"And probably some inside help," Ed's angry tone matches Donna's.

"How was this not anticipated? We checked…" Donna's voice trails off in anxiety.

"Yeah but checked with who? So much for the inside link being broken for good," Wordy interjects as his phone rings again. "Hold on I'll see if we have more details."

"Well thankfully that is for another team to handle. I'm glad this is over," Donna mentions in a calmer tone as she watches the ambulance pull away.

"Another team? You sure?"

"Ed, I'm done with the Logan's. This morning was her looking for us not the other way around," Donna confesses in truth. "I am not surprised at her tactics. But aside from a few new scars, my team is alive and safe and I'm guessing she's probably tucked tail and run," Donna mentions. "This was her last big move to keep us busy and allow her free passage to leave the country."

"You really think she's left?" Ed asks Donna in a low tone as Wordy pulls away and the two of them linger.

"I think she was probably watching from a private plane over the Atlantic and cursing when she failed but she did fail and can't come back into the country without being flagged and arrested then. So yeah I think it's over and she's left – for good," Donna utters fatefully, not realizing that both her and Ed were on full display for a vengeful villain.

"Ida, Sargent Sabine is still alive."

"Very astute observation Liam."

"Give the order and I'll take her out tonight."

"Do that and I'll kill you myself."

"But you wanted revenge on her. What's better than death?"

"I do and she will die. But before that I want her to feel by her own doing, the pain of me depriving her of something she values more than her life and knowing she's helpless to stop me," Ida Logan states slowly as she watches the officer labeled 'Wordsworth' take his leave and then Donna and Ed Lane left over.

"Depriving her of what?"

"The man she loves," Ida nods in their direction.

"Which one?"

"Constable Lane. You can tell by her facial expressions and body language; not to mention the fact that he's mirroring her and was the first one he went see after the shooting stopped. Plus the stolen moment between them the night before just outside SRU headquarters that I saw and you didn't. Its plain to see she cares for him."

"So you want to hurt her by killing him. I can take him out tonight."

"Far too easy," Ida pulls away from her long range scope and looks up at her most trusted cohort in crime. "I have a better idea."

"Better than death? And how will it be better?"

"I'm a woman, trust me. Now get me Judge Farnsworth. It's time I show Sargent Sabine just how much devious and hellish fury a woman like me scorned really does have."

XXXXXXXX

By the time Ed was closing his locker, the room was empty, Wordy having already left to go home to his family, Sam and Jules heading out for a beer and the rest of the team doing their thing; it was time to head out to his own lonely apartment. He thinks about asking Donna for their first official date and for a few seconds his heart seizes with panic that she'll say no and that'll be the end of what he hopes was slowly build between them into something bigger, more personal. Ed reaches the exit doors only to hear his name and turns back to see Donna heading toward him with a warm smile, that soft smile that always made him go weak in the knees.

"Goin' my way?"

"As a matter of fact I am," Ed replies with a grin as he holds open the doors for her and then follows her out. Just before they reach her car, Ed's arm rests on hers, gently turning her back to face him.

"I'm fine really. If it makes you feel any better I didn't take a page from your book, I rushed in before the danger started," she explains and his nervousness slightly subsides. "But it's nice to see you like this for a change."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning it's about time we did a bit of a role reversal in that area – you know you worrying about me," she smiles. "Just sayin'."

"I was worried," he confesses seriously. "Those few seconds of radio silence were hell."

"Now you know how I feel listening to your heroics when you're in the field and we're in the barn. And don't bother arguing."

"Point taken. But…"

"Ed, I'm okay. Really, I'm fine."

"Okay, good," Ed mumbles slightly shifts in place, drawing an arched glance.

"What's up?"

"I uh…are you free Saturday night, I was wondering if you wanted to go out? Dinner? Something casual?" He asks in haste, his rushed words drawing a tender expression to her face.

However, unbeknownst to either of them, they were being watched from a discreet distance with narrowed eyes. "Enjoy it now Sargent Sabine," Ida Logan hisses with an angry growl. "Come this time tomorrow you'll never see Constable Lane again and you'll not have your precious team to defend you. And when you die no one will be at your side. You took my love and now yours will suffer without you and then you'll both die – alone."

Ed looks at Donna, his heart racing that she might actually say no and his heart would be crushed. But as soon as she replies with an honest, "I'd love to," he feels his whole frame exhale a sigh of relief and his brain to actually focus long enough to give her some details.

"Really? Great," he replies and both of them trade warm but anxious smiles. "Okay well see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight," Donna whispers as she leans in and kisses Ed on the cheek and then pulls back with a happy grin, her heart doing teenage summersaults, her whole frame giddy with anticipation. Ed waits until she gets into her car and then watches as she pulls out of the parking lot before getting into his own car and heading for home; the emptiness in the apartment not as thick as the nights before.

XXXXXXXX

"So she said yes right?" Wordy walks up to Ed's locker with a grin.

"Actually…yeah she said yes," Ed resigns as he looks at Wordy and knows he'd never buy a lie; his smile growing, mirroring his best friends. "And no I'm not giving you details."

"Nothing happened yet, but you will," Wordy laughs as he slaps Ed on the back, the two of them heading for the workout room to get their day started.

"Did you see the headline in the paper this morning?" Greg tosses Ed the morning edition of the Toronto Sun.

'Final nail in the Logan coffin popped out? Missing mob matriarch vows revenge against SRU.'

"Think they deliver in Ireland?" Wordy pipes up, making Ed look over at him and shrug; neither of them realizing that Ida Logan is still in the country.

"Think she actually left?" Greg counters with arched brows. "Says she's missing."

"Either way she's done. She stays here she'll be arrested; the whole city is on high alert; she comes back into the country and she'll be arrested. She's lost her foothold, its over – she's done," Ed utters fatefully, before he engages the team in light banter about their activities the night before and what each of them was up to the coming weekend; Ida Logan starting to fade into a distant memory.

"You believe that?" Greg asks Ed, pulling him aside and asking in a lower tone.

"Boss you said yesterday the whole city is on alert for Ida Logan, Liam O'Malley and a few others. Derek said his team got the crooked cops and…what? We give in to her paranoia and we're off our game, I won't have that."

"Just sayin' lets keep our heads up and eyes sharp out there okay?"

"You think the threat…"

"I'm just sayin' to keep on alert until this all dies down in few days. You know same as we always do."

"Copy that," Ed replies with a small frown as he watches Greg leave. He had spent the better part of the night before telling himself that Ida Logan was gone for good and now he just had to worry about tripping over his own romantic two left feet in trying to get somewhat of a future with Donna started. With that happy thought he had woken up this morning, telling himself it was a new start; never suspecting that in a matter of hours, his life was about to change drastically – both of their lives.

The team finally disperses as soon as a 'hot call' comes through the overhead intercom and it's time to gear up and get into the field. The call itself ends with a peaceful conclusion but upon arriving back at the SRU base, Ed looks at Greg's expression morph from inquisitive to serious a few seconds after answering a phone call.

"Boss what is it?"

"That was Tom, Donna's been arrested."

"What?" Ed asks in shock. "What do mean ar…" Ed starts only to have Greg hold up his hand as he tries to dial Donna's number.

"No answer, damn it," Greg curses as he reaches for the speaker phone on the table and dials Holleran; Ed frantically trying Donna's number once more.

"Where is she?" Ed lightly demands of Holleran, getting a quick look from Greg, the two of them asking at the same time.

"I've been told she's been taken to an Immigration holding cell."

"Immigration? What on earth for?" Greg asks in wonder as he takes charge of the call once more.

"She's had her citizenship revoked. According to the memo I just got it states that Ms. Sabine has been living and working here as an illegal immigrant."

"That's preposterous," Ed interupts, his mind racing in panicked circles; cursing the fact that she still wasn't answering.

"I agree and I'm working on it."

"On whose authority was she arrested? Who did this?"

"The document has the authentic seal of Citizenship and Immigration and authentic signature of Judge Leo Farnsworth," Holleran relates. "It says her Canadian birth certificate was forged; her parents never had legal Canadian citizen when they immigrated from France and that they or she never applied for the appropriate documentation and have been living and working here illegally. Since her parents are dead and she's an only child we can't check with them on any of this."

"This is crazy," Ed groans as Wordy joins them. "This has to be a mistake!"

"And the real kicker? She's being deported in less than twenty-four hours."

A/N: Okay so thoughts? Lame? Interesting? When I started writing this I realized how long chapter 1 had gotten and so decided to break it here. So want to see how Donna gets out of this mess? What will Ed come up with? Will the solution work or will Ida Logan have the last laugh and break them up forever? If you want more of this story, will also have lots of my usual goodies, tension, angst, peril, danger and some fluff and hope that's okay. So please let me and my somewhat nervous muse know if this is worth continuing or if we should go catch another plot bunny? Thanks everyone in advance!