These one shots are in no particular order, just significant events in Declan's life that made him who he was. This first one does have reference to domestic violence. Also I am aware that Emily finding out who Declan really is didn't happen this way.

One

She'll Make a Nice Mam

He was three years old when he first met Lauren Reynolds, he remembered hiding behind the couch as his father came in with the dark haired woman. He smiled to himself, maybe she'd make a nice Mam. He thought to himself. He saw his father speaking softly to her as he peered around the corner.

"Declan." His father's familiar voice called. "Come on out boy you need to meet someone." Declan walked out from around the couch and looked up at the woman. "Lauren this is my house keeper, Louise's boy, his name is Declan. Declan this is Lauren, she's going to be here for a while."

Declan nodded, he didn't know why his dad introduced him as Louise's boy because he wasn't Louise's boy. He was his dad's boy. Declan didn't care he smiled shyly at Lauren. She knelt down to his height.

"Hi Declan, I'm Lauren. I'm a friend of your fathers." She smiled. She was very pretty, she'll make a nice Mam. Declan thought as he nodded, dashing off to play again.

Over the next few days his thoughts were confirmed, while his father was out on business Lauren would play with him, something his father and Louise never had time for. Declan was used to being a solitary child, one who kept to himself even when he was at the playground he didn't play with the other children.

A few months later his father was away on business and it was just him and Lauren, all seemed to be going well until, his father came back from a weekend away on business he and Lauren were playing hide and seek.

"He needs a Mam you know." His father said. Lauren froze and Declan ran over to her, confused as to why she'd stopped playing their game.

"I thought he was Louise's." Lauren whispered, bending down and picking him up, he clung to her not wanting her to leave.

"That's what I tell people but, he's not." His father said.

"Oh Ian…" Lauren breathed, holding Declan close to her. He felt the change in Lauren's behavior and whimpered clinging to her tighter than before.

"He needs a Mam." His father said again.

"Ian why didn't you tell me?" Lauren whispered, her voice hoarse. Suddenly he was very afraid she would leave and he clung tighter.

"Because I couldn't. We need to talk in private, Lauren." His father came over and pulled Declan from her grasp and set him down outside the room and locked the door. Declan immediately began crying and banging on the door to be let in. Sure they sometimes locked their bedroom door but neither one of them had ever outright locked him out.

"Lauren!" Declan cried. "Lauren!"

Lauren came out of the room a few minutes later, the side of her cheek red, and picked him up holding him to her. "shh, it's okay Declan, it's okay. I'm not going to leave you." He clung to her sobbing wildly.

"Declan." His father came out of the room. "I'm sorry for doing that but sometimes the adults need to talk in private."

Declan sniffled and clung to Lauren tighter. "Stay Lauren."

"Where would I go?" Lauren whispered stroking his hair soothingly, in a way only a mother could. "Ian, this boy needs a mother." She said to his father. "And I suppose I'll do it, but I won't give him your life."

"What life will you give him?" His father snarled, Declan expected Lauren to tense up like most people did in the presence of his father, but she didn't, she looked at him her eyes locked on his.

"I'll give him a happy one, Come on Declan I'll show you how to play the piano." She walked out of the room, Declan still on her hip, clinging to her tightly.

Declan loved to hear Lauren play the piano, he would've been perfectly content to sit on the floor and just listen until he fell asleep. Ian had other idea's though at around seven he came up to take the boy to bed.

"I want Lauren to come!" Declan cried in his high Irish voice.

"Alright, coming love?" His father asked, the last thing he heard before falling asleep was the final chord of "Irish Wedding" on the piano.

A few days later Declan woke in the middle of the night after a nightmare, and despite of his fathers rules he crept down the hall to where he and Lauren slept. The door was a jar and he opened it and stood next to the bed. It was Lauren who woke.

"Declan?" She asked.

"I had a bad dream." He whispered. "Can I sleep in here with you and Da?"

"Oh Declan honey I wish you could but you know your father's rules." She whispered, getting out of bed and picking him up. He felt the fabric of one of his father's t-shirts and he clung to Lauren as she took him back to his room.

"Will you stay?" He whispered.

"Only until you're asleep." She sighed, sitting down in the rocking chair that Louise kept in his room. After a few minutes Delcan was starting to fall asleep when the door creaked open.

"Lauren, whats going on?" His father asked.

"He had a nightmare." Lauren explained.

"Why didn't you just send him to bed on his own?" Ian asked.

"Because he's scared and you won't let him in our bed." She hissed.

"I don't care he can go to bed on his own." Ian snarled. Lauren set the boy in his bed, tucked him in and kissed his angelic blonde curls.

"Come on Ian, we'll let him sleep." Lauren took his hand and lead him out of the room.