I disclaim. I own nothing.

Author's note to follow.

If winter comes, can spring be far behind?--Percy Bysshe Shelley

The depression was at it's worse at night. When she lay in the bed they shared, missing the feel of his arms around her. Missing the sound of his voice and quiet conversations they had before drifting off to sleep. She'd try to convince herself that things would be better in the morning. But the morning only brought out her anger.

It seemed that when she wasn't depressed, she was angry. At the league and Clark for not doing more for him. At herself for allowing him to walk out the door and into that damned warehouse. At God for taking him away from her. And at Davis himself for leaving her when he promised he never would.

It was hard to decide what was worse; the all encompassing depression that would have her thoughts drifting to desolate places. Places where feeling nothing was better then feeling as she did. Or the anger that would well up so violently inside her that she wanted beat her fists against anything until...until...

Chloe shuddered to think what she would have done if it wasn't for Declan. It was his face-that face so much like his father's-that pulled her mind from those dark places. She was helpless against his smile, his laugh. Looking into those wide trusting eyes, eyes that spoke of just how much he needed her, she hated herself for even the most fleeting thoughts of drifting away.

Davis had held on for her, battled a monster because of the love he felt for her. Chloe held on for her son. Clung to Declan when missing Davis became so unbearable she didn't know if she could take her next step. Her baby kept her busy. He required every second of her attention, every bit of her care.

With each passing day he became more active, more demanding, more...amazing. But there were still times, usually during Declan's naps when she'd be moving...taking care of all the things she couldn't do while Declan was awake, and...and then she'd just stop. Her mind blank because she didn't know what she was suppose to be doing, couldn't think of what came next. Just as the panic would begin to dance across her nerves, her baby would begin to stir, and she knew exactly what it was she was suppose to be doing.

It never stopped hurting, she never stopped missing Davis. But each day was a little easier then the one before.

Declan was nine months old when he spoke his first words. Chloe had not returned to work since Davis was separated from Doomsday. But since Tess Mercer had gone missing, things at The Planet had gone ape shit until Oliver stepped in. No one called it a hostile take over, with Lex and Tess both out of the picture many viewed it as a rescue. After asking Chloe for her opinion he hired Perry White as the Editor-n-Chief of The Daily Planet.

There was a time Chloe would have been excited by such a move, but she was finding it hard to get excited by anything outside of her little boy. He was the brightest light in her life and all that she lived for. She vowed never to let her sadness touch him, wanted nothing more then to see a smile on that little face which grew to resemble his father's with every passing day.

Declan's dark hair was beginning to curl, his wide quick smile caused his dimples to furrow deeply in his cheeks, and when he cried his face crumbled the same as Davis' had. The only difference was his eyes, the color, they continued to lighten; the green now only a shade darker then Chloe's. But the shape, the dark lashes that framed them, and the cute way they narrowed when he laughed was all was hard to miss Davis when he was in every part of their son.

There were still nights when she woke because she thought she felt the bed dip the way it did when Davis would creep out to go watch Declan sleep. She'd find herself stumbling into the nursery; the initial heartache she'd feel at not finding her husband would be quickly soothed by the hungry cries of her son. Every once in a while Declan would refuse to sleep in his crib and she'd have to settle him into bed with her. One night she thought she felt Davis' fingers in her hair only to wake up to feel her baby pumping off heat. He woke up only seconds after she did, screaming from the discomfort in his swollen gums. And whenever Declan laughed, that free belly laugh she loved so much, she swore she heard Davis' voice. But none of that compared to what she felt the first time Declan spoke.

He was in the walker one of the annoyingly perfect mother's at the Pediatrician's office told her he was much too young for. But as Declan tore through the apartment chasing Lois, Chloe was finding it hard to see any validity in the woman's words. Of course whenever she put him in it, she had to shift around all the furniture, a task that was hard to resent when Declan's laughter filled every corner of the apartment.

"Come on, Dec." Lois called as she scooted past him. "Let's get mommy to play."

For his part, Declan backed his walker all the way up the hall before whipping it around and following behind Lois as fast as his little legs could carry him.

Glad for the distraction, Chloe set her laptop aside to scoot forward on the couch. "Come here, son." At the sound of her voice, Declan let out an excited squeal as he threw his arms up and doubled his efforts to propel the walker forward. The walker came to a slamming stop in front of the couch, Chloe had to pull her feet back to keep them from getting run over. "I think you've worn your Auntie out."

Because her cousin had called it correctly, Lois dropped gratefully into a chair. "That kid has enough energy to put Bart to shame."

Bart was probably Declan's favorite playmate; he loved the feel of the wind Bart kicked up when he ran. Loved the blur of colors his movements made. And more, he loved that he could run around the apartment far longer then anyone else before getting worn down.

"You're the one who started the game." Chloe lifted Declan out of the walker to stand him on her lap, when she pursed her lips he obligingly leaned in to kiss her. "Thank you, son." At this Declan leaned in again only to press his open mouth against her lips for a few moments, pulling back with a laugh that proudly show off four hard earned teeth. "God, you look just like your daddy."

"Da-dee." He seemed to be trying the word out, before deciding he liked it, and repeating it in a sing-song voice. "Da-dee, da-dee, da-dee!"

Chloe's breath caught in her throat as Declan continued to dance in her lap.

"Oh my God!" Lois sat up. "Did he just-"

Blinking away her tears, Chloe laughed along with her son as he continued to sing his new word. Something in her heart soared, that spark she hadn't felt since she lost Davis. It may have been trite, but she knew Davis heard him. Knew that wherever he was, his son's first words reached his ears.

Consciousness returned slowly. And as he relunctantly came awake the sounds that woke him began to fade: the sing-song voice of a baby, a woman's laughter, and a something else he couldn't identify as anything more than a whooshing noise.

He tried to slip back into the darkness, slip back to the comfort of the woman and child. It was frustrating to hear them...feel them, but have no recollection of them. What was worse was that their images never fully formed in his head.

"It looks like he's finally coming around."

"Go get the doctor. And get the boss."

There were two voices; a man and a woman. Neither of the voices were familiar. But he was glad their clipped words cleared up one thing for him; he was in the hospital. Why or how he got there was anyone's guess. Because thinking about it gave him a headache, he tried to settle back into sleep. It seemed he was halfway gone when his eyelid was forced open and a light was shined into his eye.

"Do you know where you are?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but the words seemed to lodge in his throat.

"Can you tell me where you are?"

"Hospital." His voice was husky and cracked from lack of use.

"Can you tell me your name?"

I was kind of hoping you could tell me, He thought wryly.

"Hey, little brother."

Another face came into his line of sight. Brother? Something about that seemed right. Yeah, he had a brother. But he thought he might be bigger, wider. This person, with his smooth voice, cunning eyes and bald head...he just seemed wrong.

"Do you remember me?"

He shook his head.

"What do you remember?"

His eyes went to the doctor, his brow furrowed in concentration. He remembered...green eyes and a wide smile. A soft voice and warm comforting arms. Mother? Sister, maybe? No, he dismissed both as the feelings the woman invoked in him were about as far from familial as one could get. A woman...his woman...his... "Wife?"

She came forward almost reluctantly, her hand slid over his as she leaned over the bed. "Hi."

His snatched his hand away. No, this was not the woman he was remembering. The eyes were wrong, the smile too sharp too guarded. The woman, whose full image he still couldn't get, but even the thought of her made him feel safe; he felt nothing looking at the woman before him. "No. Wrong. You're not..." The name was just on the tip of his tongue. His girl...his baby... "Ch-" He'd been so lost in his own thoughts he missed the look between his brother and doctor so therefore was unprepared for the darkness that claimed him once again.

"This isn't going to work." Tess kept her eyes on the still figure in the bed, too afraid to look at the man across from her. "It's not going to work, he's not going to forget her."

"I'm afraid she's right." The doctor looked nervously from the man on the bed to the one standing opposite him. "It's been seven months and yes every time it takes him a bit longer to remember but he does eventually remember."

"Not everything. Just her." He spat the words out in obvious distaste

"Chloe."

Lex Luthor glared down at the bed as Davis Bloome began to toss around restlessly. "Double his dosage, then. He wasn't even suppose to be up, what got him up."

"He's an alien. He probably fought off the effects of the drug, like he's been doing" Tess tossed out but immediately regretted her flippant tone, but Lex merely gave her a bland look.

"Up the boy's exposure to the meteore rock, then send out a team for another eraser. Maybe two of them will be able to wipe him clean." Lex turned to exit the room, pausing with his hand on the knob, but not turning around. "It would be in your best interest to make sure this works, Ms. Mercer. With that beast gone, Davis Bloome is my best bet at ruining Clark Kent and everyone he loves. If you can't find some way to make sure his memories stay gone, I'll find someone who can."

Tess' jaw clenched. "Yes sir."

"Good. The next time you call me down here, the results had better be more promising."

"They will." Tess watched him leave before her eyes traveled back to Davis as he seemed to settle down. Lex may have been blinded with rage, vengeance, and impatience now that his goal seemed so close. But she knew better. "Intensify the kid's exposure, bury him in that rock if you have to. Then get him up here. I have to see about another eraser." Though none of it would matter. Davis would wake up, and he may forget for a little while. But eventually, he'd remember his wife. God only knows what he would do to anyone who tried to keep him from her.

Okay, so that's it.

This story was always planned in two parts. My original idea was to have Davis leave, go into hiding in order to protect Chloe and their baby from Doomsday. The first draft didn't even have Davis returning to the hospital to see Declan after he was born. But the more I thought about it the more I realized that Davis could never really leave Chloe anymore then she'd just let him go.

So, then I go to thinking. I was going to have Lex return in the second fic. It would be his return that would prompt Davis to come out of hiding. But after last season's finale, the story started to change and this idea took shape.

This one was kind of angsty and emotional. Next fic, I just kind of want all hell to break loose. Davis without the beast. Clark embracing what he is. Lois in the know about the league. And Chloe with a half kryptonian baby she has to protect. And Lex. Just sounds like fun to me.