Title: Choices
Chapter 3 – Uncharted Waters

A/N: Thanks to 'Ace Bullets' for getting me back on track with this; although I am still uncertain about this update I do hope you all like it.

"One full week?" Ed asks almost weakly, his mind suddenly wanting to recant his support in bringing to justice her friend's would be murderer. "Away from home?"

"I couldn't take the risk of something happenin…" she starts and then stops, shaking her head and then pulling away and turning her back to him. "Damn it not again."

"Donna what is it? Come on talk to me."

"That's usually my line," she counters and she smiles. "It's just that once again my past is coming back to potentially put at risk the one person I love more than anything," she utters in a soft whisper, not realizing they had a silent witness; one listening with an unpleased expression. Donna turns back, studying the almost uncertain expression on his handsome face and feeling her stomach tighten from anxiety. "I don't think I can take that chance again. I couldn't take the risk of them knowing anything about my real life; about you."

"I get that, I do. But if you did stay away from here...would it be one full week with…Derek?" Ed inquires in a somewhat weak tone.

"Yes. And it might not be a full week. Now as much as I know you'd hate taking orders from Derek I did ask if you could be involved."

"You did?" Ed asks in shock.

"Would you?"

"To keep an ey…" Ed starts and then stops and pulls his lips back into a tight line and shakes his head.

"He figured that motivation also and said he'd pull out if you were on the team."

"I'd take orders from his boss…not him."

"This is his op. Ed, I already said no. Miranda was a dear friend but when I left Vice that was it. Trust me, they'll find someone else."

Before Ed can explain his stance a bit more toward Derek, Tom pops his head into the locker room looking for Donna and saying that Holleran was asking for another meeting.

"It never ends I see. We'll talk more tonight," she assures him with a small look of anxiety.

"Yeah."

"Ed…I wanted to tell you about us but…but in all honesty there wasn't much to tell."

"He seemed to think there was something more between you," Ed states flatly.

"And that's why I said no."

"Right," Ed mutters under his breath as he watches her turn and leave, following Tom and exiting the room. "Damn it," Ed curses in an undertone before he takes a deep breath and prepares to leave. But just before he does, Derek appears in the doorway with a somewhat angry glance; blocking his path so he couldn't leave. Ed looks at him before he finally pushes forward and heads toward a man who was already labeled his new nemesis.

"So you were the rebound?" Derek slightly sneers as Ed nears. Ed feels his teeth grit but tells himself that his man was bitter because he came back expecting one thing and was presented with the exact opposite. He lost and is just bitter, his mind reminds him in truth.

"Glad you were secure enough to have me on the team."

"This isn't your field Constable," Derek mocks. "I want this to go down without any problems. You on the team is a problem."

"Her saying no was her choice," Ed reminds him as he leans in closer.

"Right well Mr. goody two shoes, just so you know…Brock won't trust anyone else and her friends would be murderer is gonna walk because she couldn't have her insecure rebound husband on the team," Derek goads, Ed's mind yelling at him to keep his anger in check.

"You mean your sister?" Ed tosses out, prompting Derek's eyes to narrow and lean in closer.

"He'll walk and she'll feel guilty. That's all on you big man."

"Look I get you're pissed because you came back wanting to pick up and she had enough smarts to move on and forget your sorry ass, but this was her decision and I'm gonna support that no matter what."

"Then I'm glad she's learned to live with the guilt; something she wasn't used to before I left. I guess a lot has changed since you came around, and maybe not for the better."

Ed looks at Derek with a slightly narrowed gaze but holds himself back, giving him a nod and then pushing past, leaving her ex standing in the quiet locker room as he goes in search of Wordy, his mind begging for a viable distraction before he turns around and flattens Derek Martin on pure agitation alone.

"I just saw him enter…you okay?" Wordy asks in haste, instantly picking up on Ed's outward agitation as he approaches.

"Yeah…fine."

"Which means of course you're not," Wordy huffs as he looks at Ed's tense expression. "What's up?"

"He wants her to work undercover with him for one week on a job…she said no."

"Because of you?"

"No, because of the fact she doesn't want to go back to Vice."

"Sounds reasonable. But…"

"Wordy, she made up her mind and…and that's it. The boss in yet?"

"Yes but don't change the subject that fast; you know you can't go into the field this upset."

"I'm not upset."

"Uncurl your fists," Wordy lightly goads.

"Fine. This guy comes back comes back…kisses her, calls me the rebound that has basically changed her for the worse and now is blaming…me for making her say no and then live with the guilt of her friend's murderer walking free. Oh and she had asked for me to be on the team and he said the whole thing would be over if I was even included for a minute."

"Wow and it's not even eight yet…busy guy," Wordy lightly jabs. However, not seeing much amusement in the matter, Ed pulls away leaving Wordy to quickly head after him. "Look, while you were talking to Donna, Tom told me a bit more about this guy. He's used to being big man on campus and getting his own way. Guess you figured he can be a bit of a jerk and he's not used to hearing no. She told him no…to his coming back and wanting them to pick up and to the deal. He's pissed…course he's gonna lash out at you."

"She went out with him?" Ed asks rhetorically under his breath, not expecting and answer from his best friend.

"What did she say about it?"

"You mean about them dating? I didn't have time to ask and it before we just talked about dating in general – nothing really specific. We talked about the particulars of the case and then Tom came in with the message from Holleran. I guess it'll hafta wait until tonight," Ed replies with a heavy sigh as he watches Derek emerge once more, give something to Winnie and then head back toward the boardroom just as Donna exits. Ed feels his inner jealously surge once more as Derek lingers with Donna longer than he would have wanted. But the last thing he wants is to put more emotional pressure upon his wife as he knows she's probably dealing with a lot with Derek's sudden return and then the very personal case dumped on her all at the same time.

'So you're the rebound?' Ed's mind inwardly groans as he watches Derek turn back to him with a slightly narrowed gaze and then disappears into the boardroom; the fleeting glance not lost on either him or Wordy at his right.

"Want me to take him out back?" Wordy smirks, making Ed look at him with a heavy frown. "Come on…we do have a job to do."

Ed finally pulls himself away from this somewhat fixed location and follows Wordy into the team one meeting room, his mind urgently begging him to try to pay attention to the team briefing instead of wondering what Donna was now dealing with. He knows that if it was Wordy, he'd want her full support and backing and would charge into whatever was needed head first to avenge his best friends murder. However, if it included a past love he would understand her hesitation at him wanting to spend one full week with very little contact with anyone but her. That was the real dilemma.

So part of him struggles with the fact that despite the potential danger, Donna could help put away a ruthless murderer and wanting to have her anywhere near Derek Martin. She's changed because of you. She let a murderer walk away because you were insecure. She married you out of pity! His mind races with twisted and false reasoning's based around a few brief sentences exchanged with a new rival from her past – a man he had only met today and already didn't like or trust.

"Ed? Hey buddy you with us?" Greg asks in concern.

"Yeah boss, I'm good," Ed assures him with a firm smile.

"Okay. Let's keep the peace."

Ed leaves the team one meeting room and gives the area Donna's in one last glance before he heads for the weapons locker to gear up and head out; a hot call coming on the heels of them just as they near the elevators to leave. Donna…I hope you make the right decision.

XXXXXXXX

"And you have cleared all this?" Donna asks Holleran as the two of them linger in the smaller boardroom; Jerome and Derek outside.

"The call is yours but for something with stakes this high, I'm willing to clear the one full week if needed. Greg can just do double duty if the calls are intense hostage calls and Tom is can sub as supervisor for team three for the one week if it takes that long. We will manage."

Donna looks at the fresh Intel on the table before her and stares at the information before Ed's handsome face comes into the fore with a somewhat worried look being displayed. She couldn't really blame him for being a tad jealous and even upset at Derek's abrupt return and actions earlier; coupled with the fact that she kinda glossed over her previous dating experiences when the subject came up.

'So did you ever date anyone from Vice?' Ed had asked a few weeks after they were back from their honeymoon and he had found a picture of a Vice reunion party and the subject of dating was finally breached.

'Once but um…it really was nothing. You ever date anyone in the biz?'

'Just once but it was less than nothing,' he had answered with a warm smile.

And that was it; afterward she had quickly changed the subject, hoping it wouldn't come up and telling herself that the one person from Vice that she had dated, Derek Martin, was gone for good and that was it. Ed was her future now and why live in the past?

But she knows that as soon as she gets home, she'll owe him more, at least to put his mind and heart at ease. If the situation were in reverse, she'd want to know all the details and how he felt about someone from his past coming back and just wanting to carry on as if nothing happened; was he happy they were back and did he too want something more? Did he get closure the first time…course she'd wonder those things so him wondering them was natural. Only problem was, Ed didn't open up that much and sometimes it was like pulling teeth, trying to coax the emotional truth from her stubborn husband. How would Derek's return affect their still fledging marriage?

"Donna?" Holleran's voice pulls her from her thoughts.

"It's not that I don't want to help…" her voice trails off in exasperation. "I hate Brock for what he did…I want him gone…I do I just…"

"I know this is time sensitive but…did you discuss it with Ed yet?"

"I mentioned it to him – briefly," she emphasizes as she hears Derek's mocking voice 'he has you under his thumb so you can't even make your own decisions? That's lame. "I know this is my decision but…"

"But you want his backing? I'm sure he'll give it."

"I'm sure he will," Donna replies with a strained sigh. "But it is one week away from the job…home and sir…I had given that life up. And…" her voice trails off as she looks at the autopsy photo of her fallen friend and feels her stomach tighten once more.

"Tell you what. Jerome said it would be at least another day or two before this thing moves past the point of no return. Go on your shift…think about this but we will expect an answer first thing tomorrow morning."

"Okay."

Donna quickly exits the meeting room; Jerome already having headed back to his office at Vice department headquarters, Derek still lingering outside waiting for her.

"What did you tell them?" Derek asks directly.

"Commander Holleran gave me until the end of today and I'm gonna take that. I have a few more things to discuss with my husband."

"That's kinda old fashioned. He can't let you make up your own mind?" Derek asks in a mocking tone. "Is this part of the new you?"

"Must be, because the old me would have decked you right now for that lame ass comment," she retorts before she turns on her heel and leaves, heading for Tom and her team.

"I want the old you back," Derek mutters under his breath. "Damn you Ed Lane. Marriage of convenience," he huffs, having gotten the goods from a friend who was able to get into the Logan files and read Greg Parker's notes about Ed Lane having to marry Donna Sabine to keep her in the country. What the report didn't add was the fact that it was reciprocated both ways and not unexpected from anyone on either team, Greg having left out his personal musings for the final 'confidential' report.

"It won't last," he mumbles before he pulls his phone once more, duty finally calling. But he was determined to get her to accept the assignment and in that one week hopefully get her to see that her sham marriage wasn't worth keeping a hold of and that he could get things back to the way they were. "No one says no to me," he huffs as the phone finally connects.

XXXXXXXX

"Ed behind you," Wordy hisses as they slowly navigate through the empty warehouse, their MP5's raised and ready. Wordy tries to fire off a shot just as one of the guys they were chasing leaps from the barrel right onto his partner.

Thankfully the MP5 was still attached as Ed quickly lets go of the gun and puts out his arms to brace himself from the fall. Their two bodies slam into the ground, Ed's lips offering a painful grunt as he tries to wrestle his attacker off him. He lands a hard elbow to the face of his attacker just as Wordy pulls him off, grabbing a handful of black sweater and pulling him back to a seated position.

"Hands where I can see em!" Wordy demands as their attacker quickly puts his arms in the air; Ed using a plastic zip-tie to restrain him.

"Alpha team. We have one of the shooters in custody," Ed tells the rest of the team.

"Copy that alpha. Bravo, what's your status?" Greg inquires.

"Still searching for the second," Sam replies with a small huff.

"Sam, I am picking up a heat signature about twenty meters up," Spike tells them.

"Any location on the third?" Wordy asks as he looks at Ed in concern.

"He's evading our infrared," Spike's heavy sigh is heard.

"Where is the third shooter?" Ed demands in anger, his frustration of the already tense day starting to take its toll.

"Look man I don't kno…"

"Where?" Ed shouts down before he crouches low, grabs his front collar and slightly lifts him from the ground, making the attacker slightly cough. "I'm not askin' again."

"Chi…ll man…" the perp coughs as he tries to unsuccessfully to wiggle out of Ed's firm grasp.

"WHERE!"

"He…left," he answers as Ed finally let's go, silently berating himself for nearly going too far; his mind still trying to get past the rebound comment.

"Where'd he go and you better tell us straight," Wordy warns as another uniformed RCMP officer rushes toward them.

"Boss, Wordy and I got the address for the third shooter and are heading there now."

"Go carefully. Sam and Jules will join you if needed," Greg replies before he turns back to Spike in the truck.

Ed hands the restrained perp over to the officer as he and Wordy rush from the warehouse toward the waiting SUV and pull away with their sirens blaring.

"Got any other Intel on this guy?"

"Marco Levi…not much more than we already know," Wordy replies as he looks at the readout on the screen from Spike back in the command truck. "You okay?"

"Yeah fine. We close yet?"

"Yeah we are," Wordy replies curtly, seeing the slight wince on Ed's face frowning. As soon as Ed had admitted Derek's goading about being the rebound he knows inside that it was hurting more than Ed was letting on. It had to hurt, Ed was human and it wasn't exactly like he and Donna had gone the traditional route to getting married; dating and courtship bypassed.

"Ready?"

"Yup…you?" Wordy asks absently, turning back to see Ed's slight scowl. "I am."

Ed brings the SUV to a halt, two other uniformed cars pulling up in a few minutes. The two of them get out of the SUV and toward the broken gate of the dilapidated house before them; Ed directing Wordy to go around the back in case his busting through the front door wouldn't stop the killer.

"Police! Marco Levi!" Ed shouts as he kicks in the door, MP5 raised and ready for action. "Police! Hold it right…" is all Ed manages before, as suspected, Marco sees the lone officer, fires off a shot and then bolts for the backdoor.

"Wordy, he's comin' attcha," Ed huffs into the headpiece before he pushes himself from his hiding place and races for the backdoor.

"Police! Hold it right there!" Wordy shouts before he too has to duck behind a nearby car just as Marco fires off a shot.

"You'll never take me back to prison pigs!" Marco shouts once again before he turns and fires off a shot in Ed's direction, making Ed duck for cover just as the back door window shatters, spraying glass at him and forcing Ed to turn his face, but not before a small cut is opened on his cheek.

"I'm not going back to prison!" Marco yells as he fires at Wordy once more, making him quickly duck behind the old car once again; the other window shattering overhead and making Wordy's hands cover his head. But the distraction was all that Ed would need, to jump back up, fire a shot at Marco, catching him in the upper arm and forcing him to turn back, wanting to fire back at Ed but Ed delivering the kill shot in Marco's upper chest and sending him back to the ground for good.

"Subject neutralized," Wordy tells the rest of the team.

"You two okay? We heard a shots fired call," Greg informs them.

"Yeah boss we're okay. A few cuts but we're fine," Ed replies with a small sigh as he looks at Wordy with a deep frown, both of them milling in place until the SIU team came to collect Ed for the debriefing; Wordy telling his best friend he'd see him the next day.

Ed slumps down in the SIU chair, wanting himself to keep his tongue in check and not allow the bitterness of the morning to come through and allow the investigators to think that maybe his actions were motivated by other angry feelings. Thankfully he sets himself on auto pilot; having faced the SIU investigators the most out of anyone on Team One.

The investigative hearing finally comes to an end, Ed pushing himself away from the table and heading for the barn to see if Donna was still there or had gone home; not wanting to call ahead in case she was in with Holleran or her old boss. Or her ex boyfriend, his brain reminds him in haste, making Ed's grip tighten around the steering wheel as he nears the barn. He hurries inside and toward the female locker room.

"Hey Rachel is Donna in?"

"Think she's gone home already. I know she said she had a few things to do before she got there so left pretty much after shift," Donna's team three team member replies in truth.

"Okay thanks," Ed nods before he turns to leave. Thankful that he didn't run into Derek one last time for the day, Ed turns and hurries back toward the parking lot, getting into his car and heading for home; wanting to know what Donna had decided about helping with an important case.

His anxiousness to get home is tempered with the fact that he was trying to find ways to keep his own insecurity at bay. Of course Ida had forced their hand but if not…would they still have gotten together? And how long after they broke up did he mention to Wordy about wanting to ask her out. Damn I hate that guy, Ed inwardly curses as he pulls into his parking space in the underground parking lot of their apartment building and heads for the elevator.

As soon as he nears their door, he picks up the aroma of dinner and can't help but smile in spite of the anxiety he was bringing with him.

"Donna?" Ed calls out as he enters their apartment.

"Living room," she calls back as he dumps his coat and then goes in search of his wife.

She looks up with a warm smile that quickly turns to a small wondering frown as she spies the cut on his left cheek. "Do I dare ask?" She nods to his face as she gratefully accepts his welcome home hug.

"Guy wouldn't listen to my nice request."

"Nice?" She smirks as she arches her brows in suspect.

"Okay so he couldn't hear over the spray of bullets."

"Ah. How'd SIU go?"

"Standard. How'd it go with what's his name?"

"Holleran?" She retorts over her shoulder as she heads back into the kitchen. "Come and tell me about the call since my day was relatively boring," Donna ends on a lighter note as she heads back to her previous workstation. But upon a few seconds of silence she looks up to see Ed leaning against the wall post, with his arms folded across his chest and a wondering expression on his face.

"Humor me," Ed mentions softly.

"I said no," she replies and then quickly turns back.

"For sure?"

"I will for sure say no tomorrow. Ed I got out of vice for a reason," Donna turns back to him with an exasperated sigh. "Besides, Brock Berlin…not exactly someone I want to spend time with again or what's his name."

"Did you really ask for me to be on the team?"

"I did and was turned down."

"How long did you two date?" Ed inquires, his tone still soft and non-confrontational.

"I never brought him up because I honestly thought and really hoped I'd never see him again. Ed, he's a master manipulator."

"Yeah I gathered."

"Meaning?"

"He just is okay."

"Did he say anything to you?"

"Called me the rebound," Ed admits in truth, watching her face offer a small wince. "He's bitter and I get that but…"

"But what? He's bitter."

"And when he left…" Ed tries, not wanting to actually get the dreaded question past his lips.

"Ed what do you want to ask? You can ask…you want details?"

"I don't want an argument."

"Your skirting the real issue is going to cause an argument. Now what did you wan…"

"Are you happy he's back?" Ed asks pointedly.

"What?"

"You said he left without warning…meaning you never got closure. Are you happy he's back?"

"No. No I'm not. I was surprised to see him but…" she pauses before she puts down the mixing spoon and takes a few steps closer. "I met him a few years back in Vice and we kinda skirted the dating issue for obvious reasons but it would go off and on until one time we said to hell with the rules and just went for it. He was um…controlling and very…pushy? It had to be his way. He was at times overbearing because as I'm sure you can tell he's not used to hearing no."

"I'll tell him no," Ed states firmly, bringing a soft smile to her lips.

"Being in the undercover life you…well there isn't much that is offered in the way of real love, comfort and security. Derek…he kinda came along at the right time when I needed all those things and I never questioned them. We then dated seriously for several months. Then a few things changed; the Logan case got too much, Bill left and I talked about joining the SRU and he started to interview with CSIS. It was okay at first because we figured with different jobs it would work. But CSIS being what it is, demanded total privacy so we again dropped under the radar."

"When you came to SRU…were you two…dating?"

"We had started to cool off. I know it might sound cliché but when I met you…you were so opposite from Derek. Derek wants to be in control all the time and lives for competition and the relationship sparring…whatever you wanna call it. We went out one night and I had decided to lay it on the line and see what his real intentions were as he had dodged long term plans until then."

"What'd he say?"

"He um…he left. Just like that. One night we were talking our future over drinks and the next night I'm at home wondering what I did wrong. He then emailed me a few weeks later with a brief excuse that he blamed on a top secret CSIS assignment and that was it until today. He hurt me…course he did, I'm human and I thought I meant more to him but I didn't. I'm glad he left. Trust me if I had wanted to be with him I would have waited, but I didn't for a reason."

Ed looks at her, his brain trying to digest her sordid story and his mind mentally berating himself for even doubting her love for a moment and thinking she was happy some jerk was back in her life; coming back and expecting her to have waited.

"And for the record, you weren't the rebound but you were part of the reason I pressed him when I did."

"Me?" Ed asks in shock as she moves in a bit closer.

"The day we met I felt a connection between us. I know it sounds silly but I finally started to wonder if maybe Derek wasn't the only fish in the sea and so I pressed him. I wanted to know."

"That kind of blame I can live with," Ed sighs as he pulls her into his arms. "Sorry for…well for doubting anything."

"Trust me I would have been just as curious if someone from your past returned wanting to pick up where they left off like nothing happened. I love you Ed Lane…always," she whispers as she pulls his lips to hers for a warm kiss. "I am sorry he was a jerk to you."

"Wanted to take him out back," Ed slightly smirks.

"I might still let you," she replies with a small frown. "I told Holleran that part of me saying yes to the one week was if I had your full support. He said you'd give it, but those was his words not yours."

"For Miranda?"

"She worked another division of Vice and due to some bad Intel got caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time. We lost the deal, she died and Brock disappeared only to resurface recently with a new right hand and a new mission to reclaim his lost name and business. At the time of the deal going sour, my cover was still intact and he had told me before we slipped out during the botched arrest that I was the only one he'd ever do business with again. But things change and that was almost a half year ago."

"And the bad Intel?"

"We don't really know. All we know is Brock moved up the deal time based on an inside source, showed up with guns blazing, she arrived early saying that it was for another deal, that she didn't know Brock and then Brock…Ed he just shot her and we never knew who was really behind it all. She died without telling us who set her up and we never found the source. There were whispers, she might have gone rogue but that wasn't her; she was set up. I held her in my arms…but with Brock there I couldn't ask her. She died and he pulled me clear of the scene just before the other cops showed up to arrest him. She died in vain Ed," she concludes with a sad glance; wet watery eyes.

"I want to say no…I want you to stay away from Brock and from working alone with what's his name for possibly one whole week," Ed remarks softly before he frowns. "But at the same time I know how much you love justice and I know it would weigh heavily on your mind and heart knowing you could be the one to bring this bastard to justice and did nothing."

"If I do this promise me you do believe that…that it's for justice for Miranda and not out of guilt."

"I'm not him," Ed assures her as his hands gently squeeze her forearms. "I love you and I'm not just gonna up and leave, I promise."

"Do you trust me?"

"What?"

"Ed, if I have to work with him and perhaps spend the night in the same…I am talking Brock here."

"Were you involved? I mean in the undercover role?"

"No. So we won't have to pretend to make out or anything like that. But do you trust me?"

"I do. I…just wanted to know."

"I'd have asked the same thing," she replies quietly. "I want to bring that scum to justice – for Miranda's sake."

"What did she think of you and Derek?"

"She never approved of me and what's his name," Donna smirks. "I love you Ed…more than you can know," she confesses in truth as she pulls him close and just holds on.

"I love you too," he whispers warmly as he kisses the top of her head and exhales. "So…when would this all start?"

"Tomorrow."

A/N: Okay so you know I gotta toss a bit of Ed peril in there hehe but the major stuff is coming. How do you think the undercover op will go? Smoothly or will something 'inadvertently' mess things up and put someone else in danger? (hehe yeah sorry if that's cryptic its supposed to be). Okay so I hope this wasn't soapy but figure people are people and the sudden return of an ex might force insecure feelings to fester but I hope I was able to get our couple past them in a mature sense. Please let me know your thoughts as am kinda nervous about that (never want things to be soapy *gah*) and thanks so much! Lots ahead so stay tuned.