Neighbours

Declan Napier is disenfranchised and disillusioned. Perhaps it’s to do with being the product of a struggling single parent family. Perhaps it’s to do with, until now, being an only child. Perhaps it’s to do with genetics. Whatever the reason, Declan has chosen to cover up his dark side with cocky confidence in himself and his abilities. He thinks of himself as a charmer. Sometimes he is, but his inner turmoil both attracts and repels people when they discover it. Some girls find him fatally attractive… but their mothers rarely do.

Declan moved around a lot as his mother Rebecca ran from his abusive father Richard. He had never known his father and accepted his mother’s condemnation of the man as a “monster” without ever really needing to know the details. When they moved to Erinsborough and Declan learned that he had an older brother he’d never met, he still never questioned Rebecca’s version of events. While Oliver was prepared to give Richard the benefit of the doubt, Declan just knew he’d turn out to be no good.

The fact that Declan was proved right did not stop him stepping up to offer his kidney when it looked as if Richard would die before being brought to justice. Declan would do anything for his mum, aware of all the sacrifices she has made for him. It also emerged that Declan had another motivation for wanting to do something noble… deep down he fears that he has inherited his father’s evil streak and that he is an inherently bad person to whom bad things will always happen.

Before arriving in Erinsborough, Declan strayed into the realm of petty crime. However, he saw himself as a modern day Robin Hood: he wasn’t hurting anyone and all the money he made went towards the household finances. Rebecca thought he was earning it legitimately as a paperboy and it was only when Declan got busted for using little runaway Mickey Gannon in one of his schemes that she uncovered the truth.

Declan isn’t a bad boy at heart but he has struggled to stay on the right side of the law. He’s been busted for everything from underage drinking to illegal drag racing and is currently grounded until middle age. He has grudgingly come to accept Oliver and Paul as father figures and Rebecca still hopes that his Ramsay Street friends will be a positive influence on her wayward son.

Despite Declan’s easy friendship with schoolmates Ringo and Zeke, the most important relationship in his social circle is with Bridget Parker. Sparks flew between Didge and Dec as soon as they met (Bridget took exception to his misadventure with her cousin Mickey) and they’ve been bantering ever since. When Bridget had an accident that left her paralysed down one side of her body, Declan struggled to deal with the idea of having a girlfriend who used a walking frame. Unfortunately by the time he had come to terms with the notion, Bridget had already found someone mature enough to accept her for who she was: hunky Josh Taylor.

Declan tried to get her to ditch Josh and his persistence began to wear her down. During the roof collapse at the dance party, Declan was actually the person who ensured wheelchair-bound Josh got to safety. Didge was impressed by his heroism and the two shared a kiss before being busted by SES rescuers. Josh nobly stepped aside but Didge and Declan still couldn’t quite get it together.

More recently, after the horrific events of the Erinsborough High School formal, Declan became a very strong ally in Bridget's life.  Bridget's life turned upside down when her wishes of becoming an adult were granted, and she became involved in an older guy called Chris Knight.

When she took Chris to the formal, her desire to turn in to a woman found her in a situation she couldn't deal with. When Chris came on too strong, she tried to back away, only to find him steadfast and determined to get what he wanted. A struggle broke out, which led to Bridget pushing Chris away in self-defence. The next morning, Chris was found dead and Bridget became the main witness in a murder investigation.

The relationships in Bridget's life and her self-confidence were put to the test as she went through one of the most difficult times of her life. However, out of this adversity Declan and Bridget sealed a strong bond, and their relationship went from strength to strength. Now they are the hottest teen couple on the street, and soon to be parents! 

When Rachel convinced Donna to take a pregnancy test at the end of 2008 because she hadn't been taking her birth control pills while sleeping with Ringo, the three girls made a pact to do a test together.  Bridget, Rachel and Donna had a secret rendezvous involving three pregnancy tests and some dutch courage.  When one test came back positive, they couldn't work out whose it was and had to redo the tests.  One of them was pregnant, but which one? 

Finally, the girls confirmed the owner of the positive pregnancy test, Bridget Parker.  Shocked, all three of them made a pact not to tell anyone until Bridget was clear on what she should do.    When Bridget finally plucked up the courage to tell her boyfriend Declan she was pregnant, it couldn't have come at a worse time for him!  He had succeeded the professional AFL league tryouts and was excited about his future on the playing field.  When Bridget dropped the bomb, his whole future fell in a heap and he rebelled, turning against Bridget and his mum in an effort to deny his reality.  Afterall, he is his father's son, there was no way he could be equipped for fatherhood!  

Found speeding by the police, Declan was locked up overnight in a cell and forced to contemplate his life and what he wanted.  On his return home, he told Rebecca he wasn't going to be a father.  When he ran in to football groupie Sharni he fell for her charms and wound up making out to her behind Lassiters, before Zeke caught them.  Furious, Zeke threatened to tell Bridget and the two became locked in a fight. 

Meanwhile, Bridget collapsed from stress and exhaustion and wound up in hospital.  The baby was fine, and Declan raced to her bedside.  Determined to tell Bridget about his mistake with Sharni, he flagged at the last minute when she begged him not to spoil everything and take her to Libby and Dan's engagement to enjoy a night out together.  Little did the pair know that danger loomed around the corner, in the form of Sharni as a cocktail waitress at the event.  When Bridget found out about Dec's moment of fancy with Sharni the groupie, she freaked out, causing her family to become involved and Steve to kick Declan out of his house.  With his whole life crashing down around him, Declan raced off in his car, determined to get as far away from the reality of his life as possible, and hits the open road.

With Declan out of the picture, Bridget makes a decision not to keep the baby, despite the fact that Steve and Miranda have come to terms with her pregnancy and want her to have the child.  She books in to a clinic and Rachel and Donna go along as moral support.   Meanwhile, Zeke and Ringo race off in search of Declan to try and bring him back before it's too late.  It's a race against time, and finally Declan finds his way back to Bridget and tells her he wants to be a father and will stand by her no matter what!