Title: The Devil Wears Vengeance
Chapter 14 – Welcome to the Lane Family

"A girl…a healthy baby girl," Dr. Chan brings back the newest member of the Lane family.

"It's a girl. Our daughter Ed, she's so amazing," Donna whispers between soft sobs as she takes their new baby girl, who's crying had slightly subsided as soon as Dr. Chan placed her on Donna's chest, Ed leaning in and planting warm kisses on his daughters flushed cheek. She had on a small pink hat to keep her head warm and since she was now cleaned is wrapped in a warm pink blanket.

"She's so beautiful Donna, just like you," Ed kisses his wife next. "You are the most amazing woman in the world."

After holding their daughter for a few moments more, Donna hands Ed their daughter who lovingly cradles her in his grasp as he steps back and allows Dr. Chan to help the other female nurse clean up Donna and make sure she was okay to be transferred to a private room.

"Our daughter Ed."

"Our daughter Donna."

"Does she have a name?" Dr. Chan asks in wonder.

"Cassandra Maria Lane," Ed whispers as he looks up at Donna with a warm smile.

"That's it," Donna agrees with a tired expression as her hand rests on her now heated belly; an odd feeling starting to consume her. The searing pain had subsided as soon as Cassandra was plucked free as she was told it would, the birthing evidence quickly being cleaned off her so she could be transferred to a private room for the night but when she got no movement in her belly she looked up at her daughter, carefully being held in her father's arms and she sighed contentedly.

"Okay Donna I need to move you to this clean transfer bed."

"I'll help," Ed offers quickly as he carefully hands his daughter to the nurse and steps in to help Donna move to a fresh bed.

"Blood loss was minimal and you didn't tear that much. You should be healed in a few weeks."

"Tear?"

"Why do you think I was screaming Ed?" Donna gently teases; Ed's face remaining firm.

"But…"

"Ed, I'll be okay. I wasn't as bad as some."

"Donna I want you to feed Cassandra within the next two hours if possible," Dr. Chan instructs and Donna nods as Ed quickly texts Wordy the good news. "And later if you're feeling up to it, you might want to walk with her, if you are not too sore. It will also help to relax you and help you both sleep. If not today then tomorrow."

"Thank you," Donna tells Dr. Chan with a friendly smile. "Thank you for helping bring our baby girl into the world."

"You both did an amazing job," Dr. Chan assures them. "Now let me take care of a few things."

"Wordy knows?" Donna inquires as Ed takes Cassandra and carries her back to Donna; his watery eyes fixed on the beautiful face of his precious little daughter.

"He said him and Shelly would meet us in the private room for a few moments."

"Ed, she's just so…perfect."

"Hello little one," Ed soothes as his daughter tries to focus her watery blue eyes on her father's comforting and familiar voice. "Hello Cassandra, its daddy."

"She can't focus just yet but she knows the sound of your voice Ed," Donna warmly confirms as Cassandra tries to look back at her mother. "I love her so much," Donna gently huffs as she tries to rearrange herself in the small transfer bed.

"You did an amazing job today Donna. But it…it really hurt to see you in so much pain," Ed tells her in truth with a somewhat pained expression. "But your strength was truly something. And you kept our daughter safe and…" his voice finally breaks as Cassandra slightly yawns, making both adults swell with love.

"Wasn't going to let her win Ed…wasn't going to let her take this one," Donna's voice cracks as Ed leans in and hugs her close; Donna's eyes watering and her voice offering a small sob as she holds onto Ed a few moments longer before her strength gives way and she slumps back onto the bed.

Dr. Chan finally comes back and Ed carries Cassandra as Donna is wheeled to her private room; a sleeping bed for Ed was waiting right beside hers. Wordy and Shelly are the first to greet the newest member of the Lane family; both of them offering words of praise, love and of course happy and heartfelt congratulations.

"We'll be back in the morning with a few things," Shelly whispers as she hugs Donna once more and then kisses Cassandra's soft pink cheek. "Brings back so many happy memories."

"Thank you for everything," Donna tells her warmly. "You helped me so much."

"It's what friends do," Shelly's hand squeezes Donna's before she and Wordy finally take their leave; the rest of the team, by way of Wordy telling them said they'd stop by to see them either at the hospital or at home. Once alone, Ed closes the door to the private room and watches as Donna moves Cassandra into position and starts to tenderly feed their daughter.

"She has your appetite," Donna smiles as Cassandra's soft lips suck her milk filled breast. With her free hand she tenderly strokes their daughter's golden hair, looking up at Ed with a warm smile as he nears the bed. Ed fixes her pillow and gently pulls her hair back into a ponytail as requested.

"I think she has your appetite," Ed teases as his fingers stroke Donna's cheek, not wanting to disturb their child while eating. "I think we might have more reading to do."

"What?"

"Suddenly I don't feel that ready or…this is just so…" his voice trails off as his fingers play with the soft edges of the little pink hat.

"So real," Donna replies with a smile. "We are going to be just fine," she assures him as she looks him with a tender gaze. Ed kisses her cheek and then watches as Donna shifts Cassandra from one breast to the next.

"Really?"

"I'm scared to but we can both learn together right?"

"Right."

"Good thing she wasn't born with teeth."

"Some are born with teeth?"

"Can you imagine how that would feel?"

"I know what your teeth feel like," Ed smirks prompting Donna to just shake her head. "But I like it."

"Flirt," she smiles as they both look down at their tiny daughter who is busy making soft sucking noises as she hungrily eats the beneficial milk that her mother offers. "When I look at her…" Donna's voice breaks once more. "I can't help but think of our s…"

"No…Donna don't," Ed groans as his hand grasps her free hand and squeezes it. "Don't do this to yourself. This child is…we both promised, no sad thoughts today. She's gone…she lost. She…"

"Destroyed a life."

"She destroyed many but that's over now…she can never hurt us or anyone again and you know that better than even me," Ed states firmly as Cassandra's soft pink finally pull back and slightly sputter. "Please."

"Okay."

"So how does this work?"

"Well right now…I feed and you…"

"Burp and change?"

"I know I need to walk but…" Donna tries to sit up; but offers a heavy wince and quickly subsides; Ed's expression changing from love to concern.

"Just rest and tell me what you need," Ed lightly begs as he takes Cassandra in his grasp, holds the tiny little being against his strong chest as he starts to lightly tap on her back until the burp is heard.

"Definitely has your appetite," Donna teases as she looks up at Ed with a weary smile, trying to hold back a small yawn as Ed affixes the small hat on Cassandra's head.

"You need to rest now. After all that…" Ed stops, his arms now cradling Cassandra as she starts to go to sleep in the comforting rocking of her father's loving embrace. "What?"

"Am almost afraid to fall asleep," Donna confesses with a teary sigh. "Ed what if…what I wake up an…" she starts only to have Ed carefully place their daughter in her arms, Donna's grasp instantly folding around her tiny sleeping frame.

"She's real…I love you so much…no one will ever hurt us again like that. Ever," Ed promises as he gives her warm hand a loving squeeze, leaning in and kissing her on the lips. "We'll both be here when you wake up."

"Promise me," Donna urges with a small frown.

"Promise," Ed whispers as he kisses her flushed forehead. "Just rest now. You did…an amazing job today."

"That was one hot call for the books," Donna quips as she carefully hands Cassandra's sleeping form to Ed's waiting arms, watching as Ed gently places their daughter in the little sleeping tub that would rest between them; Cassandra being closest to her mother so that if she needed feeding in a few hours it would be the least amount of fuss.

"You okay sleeping in that?" Donna gently giggles as Ed tries to arrange himself in the rather small sleeping chair.

"I could always sleep in there with you," he looks up with a tender gaze. "I'll be okay. We'll be home tomorrow. Goodnight."

"I love you Ed."

"I love you too," Ed tells her warmly as he finally flips off the overhead light, allowing both of them to get some muchly needed rest.

But the night isn't as restful as they would have wanted, Donna waking up in a cold sweat a few hours later as her mind had taken her back to that awful night; this time it was Ida standing over her, pulling Cassandra from her grasp and laughing as she walked away with their daughter in her evil grasp and she bled to death.

"Donna?" Ed tries to rub his weary eyes as he wakes from his own fitful slumber at his wife's gasping sob. "Nightmare?"

"Ida…she…." Donna gently heaves as Ed's hand tenderly strokes her back; both of them looking over at Cassandra as she lightly fusses in her tub but thankfully doesn't wake. "I'm sorry to wake you."

"You didn't," Ed admits with his own heavy sigh. "Those memories will subside. You were a few months without the nightmares but tonight…"

"It brought back horrible memories of that horrible night…which in turn led me to think of the real reason it happened," Donna sighs as she leans back in her bed, Ed's hand retreating to his side. "I know it will pass…" she nods as her hand grasps his. "I love our family so much," she tells him with a small sniff. "More than anything. And I'm so afraid now to lose that."

"You won't," Ed brings her hand to his lips and plants a soft kiss on them. "I'll never let that happen," he promises as her face breaks into a warm smile. A few minutes later the lights dim once more and both of them settle back in for at least a few more hours of sleep.

The next morning, Donna awakes first, looking over at Ed's peaceful expression and offering his sleeping frame a loving smile before she looks over at their daughter, staring at her wide blue eyes and feeling her heart instantly explode with love.

"Morning Cassandra. You are the most perfect little angel I have ever seen," she whispers as she plucks their daughter from her tub, offering her something nourishing to eat before she starts to really fuss and wake up Ed. But being used to his wife's movements beside him, Ed's mind senses the whispered voice and his eyes slowly open and focus on his wife feeding their daughter.

"My family," Ed offers in delight as Donna looks over at him with a welcoming gaze. "Sounds pretty great."

"It really does. She is really hungry. Did you get some extra diapers?"

"I uh…" Ed looks around with a heavy frown as he starts to slowly get up.

"It can wait…I was just curious."

Donna pulls Cassandra away a bit too soon and within seconds a sad wail is heard, small pink lips quivering and little hands flailing. Donna tries to quickly fix her daughter back to her feeding source but the tiny baby merely continues to cry; making both brand new parents look at each other in wonder.

"Maybe we do have some reading to do," Donna lightly groans as Ed quickly sits up and takes Cassandra and starts to gently rock her; his warm voice soothing her soft cries as she rests on his shoulder moments before a telltale burp is heard.

"Homework," Ed frowns as Cassandra's little body continues to lightly shake in his strong grasp. "Shh there little one…" Ed tries as Donna reaffixes her messy ponytail and leans back in the bed, looking at Ed as he now slowly paces before the bed with their daughter in his comforting grasp.

"I doubt I'll ever tire of seeing this," she utters loving praise as Cassandra finally subsides in her father's grasp. "Just wait until we hear her first words."

"See her first step?"

"First day of school?"

"First d…she's never dating," Ed states firmly, making Donna giggle and shake her head. "I know other fathers have also said similar things but I am licensed by law to carry…well what I do."

"Well bring those big guns over here handsome," Donna playfully flirts. Ed eases himself down on the bed with Cassandra now between them. He places her on the bed between Donna's legs as both of them look down at the tiny pink bundle as she tries to look up at them.

"I think we will need a supply run before the week's out."

"At least we can save on formula," Donna sighs as her finger gently strokes Cassandra's flushed cheek; she looks up at Ed and each of them trade loving smiles. Ed's fingers start to tease Cassandra's bare feet, her head trying to twist itself upward to follow the familiar sound of her father's loving voice.

"We have the bathing tub right?"

"Think it's packed away with…oh da…" Ed starts into a curse as Donna looks up quickly. "Right…no cursing," he huffs as he pulls his phone, asking Wordy to bring their car and telling him where to find the car seat. "Same place as the tub," he retorts as he stows his phone. He snaps a picture and then sends it to Spike, knowing that Spike would know better than him how to send a mass email to both teams with the picture of their darling daughter.

"Okay I think I need to walk her…" Donna tells Ed as Cassandra starts to fuss a little; her round blue eyes starting to water.

"When I see her cry…" Ed whispers as he lovingly wipes away a tear.

"I know it breaks my heart too. She's okay…she can only express herself like that right now. Here take her and…oh-kay…"

"Diaper duty," Ed looks at Cassandra with a playful frown. "Cassandra you smell."

"Ed that's terrible," Donna groans lightly as she watches Ed carrying their tiny daughter to the provided table, carefully placing her down onto the mat and then gently removing the little hospital provided onesie before pulling the soiled diaper free.

"Okay can we hire someone to do this?" Ed groans as Donna chuckles; getting up off the bed and slowly walking toward them. "You know Sam and Jules said talked about a family. Can I order Sam to diaper duty?" Ed playfully huffs as Donna smiles and nods as she tries to bend to pick something up.

"I need drugs," she moans as she tries to straighten her back, feeling some added tension and pressure in her lower half. She fixes the second gown to cover her back; anxiously waiting for the comfy clothing that Shelly would be bringing for her to go home in.

"So we can go home today?"

"Don't see why not? Everything went well so we just need…our chariot."

"And the chariot has arrived…with a few extras in tow," Wordy announces as he walks up to Ed with his car keys, Shelly going to see Donna with her clothes to change into. The four of them start to talk, Cassandra making the rounds while Donna dresses in the bathroom and then be given back to her mother to feed her and rock her back to sleep. Donna slips behind the curtain for some added privacy just as Tom and his wife Anna and Sam and Jules arrive.

"Be right out."

"We are in no hurry," Jules assures them. Donna reappears a few moments later, handing Cassandra to Jules, who happily accepts; Sam enduring some good natured teasing from the male members in the room. Greg, Marina, Rachel and Gary and drop by; Spike, Winnie and the others over the course of the morning; Wordy and Shelly being the last to leave.

"I think I'll need a nap as well when we get home," Ed tells Donna after everyone had gone home, and he starts to pack up their things so they too could get home and start into their new routine.

"I can't wait to use the new stroller and take her to the park and…what?"

"Today?"

"No, not today," she smirks. "I'm tired too. Besides, she can't really enjoy all that yet," Donna carries Cassandra over to Ed as he very carefully places her sleeping form into the travelling car seat and straps her in. "And you're sure Wordy brought the brace this goes into in the back seat right?"

"He has kids of his own," Ed reminds her he tucks the blanket around Cassandra's little arms. "Okay…all set?"

"All set," Donna nods as she grabs the knapsack and gives the room one last glance to make sure that nothing is forgotten. "Let's go home."

Ed rewards the heartfelt sentiment with a warm smile, Cassandra being carried in his left hand as his right grasps his wife's and they slowly head out of the private room, down the long hallway and into their waiting vehicle.

"Tonight…we order in. I don't want either of us to worry about dishes," Donna announces as they enter their quiet apartment.

"Or have to cook," Ed adds as he closes the door and places the car seat carrier with their sleeping daughter in it onto the table and both of them head in separate directions to put a few things away. Wordy and Shelly had left a few little items on the table; and a few items from the teams were right beside them.

The two of them take advantage of Cassandra's sleep time, pulling out a few things for a late lunch; Ed rearranging a few things in the baby's room as Donna napped and then joining her for a brief nap as well before would be time to get up as the newest cries immediately call both parents to the attention of the littlest Lane.

"Greek or Chinese?"

"Whatever I eat she eats…so nothing to gassy or spicy or…" Donna looks down at Cassandra just as she finishes eating. "You gotta learn to like all foods right?"

"What if she has allergies or…" Ed frowns as he looks up from the book to see Donna watching with an amused expression. "This has some pretty tough pictures in here."

"She might not have inherited my food allergy," Donna reminds him; Ed's mind quickly thinking back to when Ida tried to poison Donna with some carefully hidden blue cheese, resulting in a trip to the ER after her nearly dying. "What else does it say about food and breast feeding?"

"It says…" Ed flips back a few pages as he heads into the living room to join them; the windows open to allow the bits of sunshine through and neither of them giving another moment's pause as to the evil entity that had once stalked them through the very same windows. Each of them take turns holding Cassandra and gently rocking her and reading the next chapter in the parenting book.

When supper arrives, Cassandra is placed in her travelling chair on the table to watch her parents slowly move around the kitchen, getting a few things on the table ready and then sitting down to their takeout meal of Chinese – nothing spicy.

"So what about bathing? Do we have to wait for the um…stump to fall off?" Ed inquires as they stand in Cassandra's room and unchanged her; leaving only her diaper on.

"How about we just sponge bath her but…did the book cover it? Check later…but I want you to hold her…gently of course but your hands are stronger when she's wet."

"Do we use soap?"

"Uh…not this soon," Donna reads the small instructions that Shelly had given them in the small baby bathing tub. "Okay…I say we set this up in the bathtub."

"Good plan."

Donna places the baby sized tub into the bathtub and fills it with some warm water, careful to ensure that it wouldn't in any way damage Cassandra's delicate skin or rub the umbilical stump off prematurely. "Diaper off?"

"Diaper is…Wordy and that diaper genie were a lifesaver," Ed comments as he carries the naked, squirming daughter to the tub and gently lowers her; his strong but loving hands holding her at all times. Both of them exchange worried glances as Cassandra's face starts to scrunch when some water trickles down her little forehead and catches her in the eye.

"Oh no," Donna huffs as she quickly wipes it away; Ed's warm voice trying to soothe his now shaking daughter.

"Disaster averted."

"For now," Donna comments as she gently dabs at Cassandra's tiny frame, gently washing away the remaining hospital smell and then looking at Ed in wonder. "I suppose that's good for today. It's not like she was rolling around in the mud."

"Think she'll actually do that?"

"She's our daughter Ed…she won't be prim and proper," Donna teases as she holds out a big fluffy towel, taking their precious newborn and holding her close as she tenderly dries her warm, pink skin.

"Rolling?" Ed retorts, earning himself a small slap from his wife as he cleans out the washing basin and turns it over to dry out in the bathtub. "When can she shower with me?"

"Does Cassandra want to shower with daddy?" Donna smiles down at their daughter as she plants a myriad of loving kisses on her bare little belly; her little arms flailing in the air, trying to grasp a few loose strands of her mother's hair. After she's dry, Donna puts on a clean diaper and then hands her to Ed to dress her in something to sleep in for the night as she finishes up in the bathroom.

She hears warm laughter coming from Cassandra's room and slowly makes her way there, peering inside and smiling as she watches Ed planting soft kisses on their daughter's forehead and telling her some silly make believe story about a blue hippopotamus. Ed looks up at Donna and smiles warmly as she approaches, her hand resting on his back as he finishes snapping the snaps, leaving Cassandra ready for bed.

"Time for bed."

"She'll only sleep in our room for the first few months and then I want her to get used to sleeping in here," Donna tells Ed as he places her into the small bassinet beside their large queen sized bed.

"I'm glad I took a few months off."

"I am too," she whispers as they both climb into bed; Donna's head resting on Ed's chest as he reads to her another chapter from the parenting book. About ten minutes later, he glances down to see her fast asleep, puts the book aside and then carefully turns off the light; Donna's tired body moving with his. Dr. Chan had told them both that they should wait the six week term before having sex; after Donna's first post-natal checkup. It would be worth the wait and having seen the pain she had endured but the strength that got her through it he knows he can shelve his own sexual urges until she's ready.

As he lies awake and listens to her soft breathing, his mind remembers the torment of being ripped from a normal night's sleep that horrific night over a year ago. For a few seconds his frame stiffens as he remembers hearing her calling out his name and then rushing into the bathroom, finding her bleeding out on the floor and literally feeling his world come to a sudden and terrible stop. But she had slowly battled back to normalcy and now seeing Cassandra come into the world was a miracle he could hardly describe in words.

'Trust me Ed…you say I love you to her before the baby but afterward…seeing that miracle come out…it takes on a whole other level.'

And Wordy was right…saying I love you now included their daughter…a precious little life he helped create. My daughter…his lips curl upward in the dimly lit room as he finally closes his eyes and allows himself to succumb to the dark realm of sleep.

However, it wasn't to be that restful as in a few hours, Cassandra's soft cries for food are heard, waking both parents up; Donna feeding, Ed burping and ensuring she's dry and then the lights go off and the routine starts once more. The next few days are basically carbon copies of the first; Ed and Donna getting as much done as they could when Cassandra is up; feeding her, changing her, playing with her and sleeping when she sleeps. Various members of the team would drop by over the course of the week with new gifts, toys, food and just to spend time with the new family.

"Morning handsome," Donna walks into the kitchen the next Sunday morning with a freshly clothed Cassandra in her grasp.

"Morning beautiful," he greets as he kisses her on the lips and then kisses Cassandra on the cheek. "And my darling little one. How is she?" He asks in concern.

"I think it was just all the excitement on Friday on Wordy's. Dr. Chan said that all the movement probably caused her to throw up. She slept pretty okay and so far has kept breakfast down."

"Happy to hear it," Ed takes Cassandra as Donna puts on the kettle for some tea. "I was looking outside."

"Nice day for a walk to the park?" She suggests as he nods in agreement. "Well we really should take that stroller for a test drive so we can finally tell Tom it's the most wonderful stroller on the planet," she chuckles. "Seriously you'd think he made it."

"Does Cassandra want to go the park this morning?" Ed asks their daughter as he places her into her chair and looks down with a warm smile. Her little head tries to lift and follow the sound of her father's voice; her strength still not quite there after only a few weeks.

"It'll come…she's a fighter this one," Donna remarks as she loops her arm around Ed's waist and follows his gaze down.

"That she is," Ed replies as he kisses the side of Donna's head. "I'll make breakfast."

The two of them talk softly about the plans for the day ahead; the baby shower in two week's time at Wordy and Shelly's the fact that were quickly running out of staples.

"Okay so on that list put down…" Donna starts to dictate to Ed as they sit down to breakfast.

About an hour later, they bundle up their newborn into the sturdy walking stroller and head toward the elevator; both basking in the new duties of first time parents. As they head outside into the warm late morning air, the day seems filled with anticipation and excitement; neither of them now having to worry about looking over their shoulders or around the next corner for a horrible surprise waiting to destroy their new happy union. Ida Logan had ultimately failed and would never bother them again.

Donna loops her arm through Ed's as they enter the park, slowly walking on the paved walking path, glancing down at their now sleeping daughter and finding a place to stop and relax for a few minutes, enjoy the scenery and the world around them.

"I love this," Donna whispers as she rests her head on Ed's shoulder.

"I love you," he whispers back as his lips nuzzle her ear. "My family."

"Our family," she teases as he nods in agreement.

"Our family."

XXXXXXXX

The next few months were the same for Ed and Donna as Cassandra Lane would mostly eat, sleep and be played with all the while she continued to grow, coming more and more into her own personality. Her face would finally offer small facial expressions and her soft pink lips would finally start to offer some baby babble – nothing too definable.

But it was the critical milestones that Ed and Donna were waiting for. Today would be one of those days…

To Be Concluded…

A/N: muwahaha baby Lane cliffe lol…okay last cliffe of the story I swear! Lol hope you liked the family bonding time and you'll see the first big milestone next and a few more family tidbits and of course a happy ending so please let me know your thoughts in a review and thanks so much!

PS: hope you all liked Battle of the Blades...might have a new story follow that timeline so hope you are all caught up :)