A/N: This is getting out of control, I fear. I was almost up till 3am last night working on this, but it came out great since my aim for this chapter was for the skeletons to come out of a few people's closests. Enjoy!

Chapter 10- Secrets

September 3rd, 2009.

Boston, MA.

Julia was aware of a roaring sound. It was constant. Trying to fight the urge to slip back into unconsciousness, she looked around.

She wasn't sure why she'd heard Comet speaking to her earlier. Comet was dead. Julia knew this because she had watched him die so either she had a severe head injury from the blast or his spirit had unfinished business. Being a doctor caused her to believe her first theory.

That was when she remembered Dallas and the explosion. She wasn't sure where she found the urge to stand much less run, but she did. Spotting her dear friend's unconscious body lying contorted in the parking lot only spurred Julia on faster. When she got to Dallas her legs gave out from under her and she collapsed next to her friend.

"Dallas… Dallas wake up… please!" said Julia.

She felt for a pulse and it barely registered. Dallas' breathing was also very erratic, the woman's chest rising and falling at uneven intervals, but Julia knew it could be much, much worse.

"I can hear the paramedics running over, you gotta fight this," said Julia. "You… you gotta hold on for your babies, Dallas. They need their mother."

Julia watched the paramedics run over.

"Take her first," said Julia.

Several of the paramedics began working on Dallas and the rest turned their attention to Julia. Julia kept trying to look, but the paramedics had strapped her to the backboard and she now had a cervical collar around her neck, rendering her immobile.

Julia sensed that she was going to lose her best friend, the one that she had had since medical school and she found herself slowly losing her mind as she was wheeled into the ER.

She could feel herself losing consciousness again and this time she didn't try fighting it.

SOA

"Dad, I'm going out!" said Haley.

"Where?" said Keith.

"Library," said Haley. "I'm gonna take my car."

Right after she left, Keith's phone rang.

"Is this Keith Monroe?" said a voice.

"Yeah, this is Keith Monroe," said Keith.

"I'm a nurse, I'm calling from Mass General," said the nurse. "It's Julia. She and Dallas were involved in an accident."

Keith hung up the phone, got in his Mustang, and no sooner was he out of the apartment complex and out in the street did he get stuck in traffic.

He rolled his eyes and jammed a fist into the horn, blaring it so loud a dog two streets over howled.

He couldn't believe he was stuck in traffic now of all times, when his wife needed him. He knew he should call Haley and tell her what was going on, but the last thing he wanted to do was worry his daughter until he knew just how badly injured Julia was.

SOA

Haley got to the library and went to the basement where the CDs and videos were kept. She would've gone to the main library in Boston, but this one was extremely small and hardly anyone used it. There were also a few rows of book shelves down here, along with a baby grand piano.

She sat at the piano and began to play "Moonlight Sonata" by Beethoven. The piano had become her only solace now in the aftermath of finding about Kerri's relapse. Haley knew she could close her eyes and still hit the right notes by touch. She had been playing since she was four, and singing almost as long.

It helped her to forget, if only for a few minutes. She needed to feel what she usually felt when she played, when she sang. Haley usually did this at home in front of the webcam on her laptop due to the fact that Lucy had registered her on a dozen websites, some music-oriented, some social, as Haley Bopp – a play on the comet named Hale-Bopp – but tonight at the library Haley needed to be Haley Monroe, because she was meeting up with Taylor.

SOA

Taylor and Juice walked into the baby shop.

"Shit," Taylor muttered.

"What is it?" said Juice.

"It's nothing," said Taylor.

They were walking around a baby store, looking for people who might've seen Cameron with Abel. They needed proof of life. Taylor knew she would have to distract someone so Juice could eventually hack the security cameras. She also knew she was late to meet with Haley and probably wouldn't get there tonight. They would have to schedule a meeting somewhere else.

"It's not? I thought you knew that three other PIs had been shot to death in the city," said Juice.

"What?" said Taylor.

"Yeah," said Juice. "All of them shot in a drive-by, you and Tig were the only survivors."

"Wouldn't be the first time someone tried to kill me," said Taylor.

"I know," said Juice.

"What do you mean, you know?" Taylor hissed.

Juice felt himself shiver a little. This wasn't good.

"Clay wanted me to check you out, okay?" said Juice. "Wanted to make sure you weren't in Jimmy's pocket."

"You lied, didn't you? If you had told anyone I used to be a detective, I'd be dead right now," Taylor hissed.

"I don't know about dead, but they definitely would've refused your help, and you were the best PI on the west coast," said Juice. "All I could think about was that Abel was missing, and you had prior success with kidnappings as a PI."

"Twice, both were recovered alive," said Taylor. "There is one thing you probably didn't find during your background check on me, and that's what I could do for Opie."

"What are you talking about?" said Juice.

"I also have an axe to grind against Stahl, and I got no problem delivering that cunt to him on a platteh," said Taylor. "Hale drunk dialed me during the aftermath and told me everything."

"How do you know him?" said Juice.

"Slept with him while house-sitting for Brooke once, I handcuffed him to a bed in the guestroom while he was asleep, and left him there," said Taylor. "Took his phone and the keys."

Juice laughed.

"Why?" said Juice.

"I don't know, I might've been a little less than enthused about the way he was treating Brooke," said Taylor.

"You're protective of her," said Juice.

"Course, I've known her practically my whole life," said Taylor.

"You two ever hook up?" said Juice.

She spotted a young cashier and headed over while Juice went into the security room to steal one of the tapes.

Taylor was relieved that the cashier told her that she had seen Cameron and Abel.

"I rang him up," said the cashier. "He looked a little nervous, but I thought it was new-parent jitters."

Taylor and Juice left after he had the security tapes. She called Haley, knowing this setback was going to do nothing except anger the teenager.

Luckily for Taylor, she had a lead and hopefully that would calm Haley down.

SOA

Haley was in the bathroom, upset.

Her dad had called because her mother had apparently been in some sort of car accident, and she was in serious condition. Dallas White, their family friend and Kerri's doctor, wasn't so lucky.

Dallas had slipped into a coma and was on a ventilator. Keith had had to go into Dallas' apartment and bring Dallas' twins, a boy named Aidan and a girl named Enya, to their apartment to care for them.

"How's mom?" said Haley.

"She's asleep," said Keith. "She was worried about you, wanted me to tell you to come straight home so please, just come home."

"I'll call when I'm leaving, okay?" said Haley.

They ended the call, then Haley got the call from Taylor.

"But I need this, Taylor!" said Haley.

"I was talking to an old doctor buddy of mine, the chances of the dad being a match are definitely good, but perhaps we should try contacting other relatives too, the more the better," said Taylor.

"She's got a cousin, but I don't even know if he's down here," said Haley. "I'll have to ask her."

"I don't want you to worry, Haley," said Taylor. "I can find anyone people want me to find. Just focus on being Kerri's friend, because from what you've told me about her she definitely needs you. You let me worry about tracking everyone down."

"What about using my alter ego of Haley Bopp?" said Haley.

"I got no problem with that, just send me any tips you get, people love sending hoaxes just to get attention," said Taylor. "Promise me if you go this angle you'll be careful."

"Promise," said Haley.

They ended the call and as Haley was leaving, she saw someone familiar looking through the CDs.

It was Murphy.

SOA

Julia woke up to find herself alone. She wished she was bothered by it, but she wasn't.

She needed time to clear her head of the decades-old images that had risen to the forefront of her consciousness.

FLASHBACK

"What's his name?" said Julia.

"Declan Larkin. He's a sadistic man, Julia. I watched him stab my boss to death in cold blood, and he tried to kill me too but I ran like hell. I never thought I'd experience something like that, growing up in Liverpool. It was my home, I loved working at that bar," said Comet.

"So he's back?" said Julia.

"I don't want you involved in this love," said Comet. "Just let me deal with him alone."

"You helped my father out when he needed it, now I'm gonna help you," said Julia.

END FLASHBACK

FLASHBACK

Comet and Julia rushed to Beetle, but it was too late.

"Damnit!" Comet yelled.

Everything passed like a blur. Screaming, sirens, and the church meeting that resulted in a vote for Comet and Julia to flee to Canada while the rest of SAMHOL hunted Declan down for the murder of Beetle.

END FLASHBACK

FLASHBACK

They were riding as fast as the current speed limit allowed, unsure as to how close they were to the Canadian border but knowing they could stay with the Canadian charter of Sons of Anarchy and they would be safe there was enough to continue the journey.

Comet and Julia were interrupted from their thoughts when they got run off the road by a car going the wrong way, sending the couple into a ditch.

"Julia? Julia!" Comet yelled. "C'mon love, wake up!"

"I told ye I'd find ye," Declan sneered.

Julia began to come around as Comet climbed out of the ditch to face Declan. The men engaged in a knife fight and it seemed that Comet had won as Declan collapsed to the ground.

That was when the gunfire erupted.

Declan shot Comet, startling the younger man. As Comet reached for his own gun, Declan got up, threw Comet to the ground, and stabbed him 40 times.

Julia played dead until Declan left then climbed out of the ditch to see Comet lying in a pool of blood. He was coughing up blood and there was nothing she could do for him. They weren't near a phone, and Declan had stolen their first-aid kit from the wreckage that was Comet's bike.

"Comet, no!" said Julia.

"Julia… love… you…" Comet whispered.

All she could do was hold him in an effort to comfort him during his last moments.

"I love you too," Julia whispered.

He died in her arms seconds later.

END FLASHBACK

Julia knew without a doubt that someone from the IRA had done this to her and Dallas, someone from Declan's life. She would've assumed it was him, had she not been keeping tabs and found out he had committed suicide in jail several years ago.

She was convinced it was Fiona. Julia felt that same chill around Fiona that she had that dark night Declan had killed Comet.

Julia was scared she was turning into a monster herself. She wanted revenge, and was certain Fiona would make a good substitute for the one that had gotten away and died. She shivered at what she feared she was becoming, and allowed herself to drift back to sleep.

SOA

Taylor had decided to gather the Sons for a meeting. Brooke was there too, and she was upset because her mother had apparently been caught in a car bombing.

"I thought it was an accident, but when I told Chibs about it he realized what it really was," said Brooke. "I don't get why someone would want to kill Dallas. She's a saint."

Taylor gave her best friend a hug then decided after she shared the information she and Juice had gathered at the baby store, to tell the Sons about her past.

"I know you guys don't like to deal with cops, but try to remember, I'm not one anymore. I became one because my parents were drug addicts and abusive, and I wanted to make a difference. I made detective by the age of 23, and my first case was a brutal one. A train crash with the cargo being boxes of numerous drugs and semi-automatics was tied at first to organized crime, but the DEA and ATF, who were also on the case as part of a task force, also thought there might be ties to the Boston Police Department and since I had just been promoted to detective and the other guy they were working with had been charged with possession, they thought I'd be a better point person on the case," said Taylor.

"How do I know this isn't some sort of setup by Stahl?" said Clay.

"I agree with Clay," said Tig.

"That bitch is the reason I quit the force, so would you like to hear the rest of what I have to say or blow my brains out all over the goddamn motherfucking couch?" said Taylor.

"She's no cop, they don't talk like that," said Happy.

The Sons laughed for a moment, but they were interested to hear the rest. They had a feeling that Taylor had been seriously screwed over and wanted to hear more.

"I was working with Agent June Stahl from ATF, and Agent Sam Preston from the DEA. Both of them tried taking me to their hotel rooms, but June isn't my type. Too bitchy," said Taylor.

More laughter erupted.

"You're a lesbian?" said Tig.

"No, I'm bi-sexual, Sam was a guy, his first name was actually Samuel but he always went by Sam," said Taylor.

"You said 'was'," said Opie. "Stahl got him killed, didn't she?"

"You bet your ass she did," said Taylor. "The case went on for several weeks, and led to several high-profile members of the Irish mob and members of the Boston PD, but we couldn't prove anything against the latter so they either took desk duty or early retirement. Sam and I had been dating for over a year when everything went to hell. We were on vacation when the two of us got attacked by the four Boston PD members that had been left on desk duty. They practically bragged about grabbing Stahl in Washington and how she spilled everything to them in five minutes, and told them Sam and I were the ones who had exposed them and that she was just an innocent party."

The Sons were shocked. Apparently law enforcement was its own worst enemy.

"I don't remember much about the attack, I only remember begging them not to rape me, and I've never begged for anything in my life," said Taylor. "When I woke up in the hospital, I was told I had been severely beaten within an inch of my life and left for dead. Sam was also given the same brutal treatment, but he didn't survive. I couldn't be a cop after that. Being a PI is easier. I mostly work alone as my clients seem to prefer it. Don't get me wrong though, I love the tech help I've gotten from Juice."

"Why do you think she did it?" said Tig.

"I wouldn't sleep with her," said Taylor. "Jealousy is the oldest motive in the book, and it's why I spent two weeks in a coma with several close calls before I woke up. Excuse me."

Taylor took off to the room she shared with Chibs and Brooke. Tig and Juice followed her.

"No one's mad at you," said Juice.

"Brooke is the only other person who knows, and now you guys do," said Taylor. "I think I'm going crazy."

Tig grabbed a bottle of vodka from the mini bar and handed it to Taylor, who quickly depleted half of it.

SOA

"What are you doing here?" said Haley.

They were talking on a landing on the library stairs.

"Kerri asked me to look out for ya," said Murphy.

"I have my parents for that," said Haley.

Haley got a text from her sister about the car bomb, and her eyes widened. Murphy saw the text and shook his head.

"It's starting," said Murphy. "They must've thought it was Dallas, but yer the one who hired a PI."

"So what happens now? Have you come to kill me? Try anything and I'll throw you down the stairs," said Haley. "No one is going to keep me from finding Kerri's dad."

"No, Jimmy thinks I'm doin' his biddin' but I think for meself and Kerri really was worried someone had gotten to ya," said Murphy.

"What does he want?" said Haley.

"Me to date you, and be a distraction so you don't find Telford," said Murphy. "Problem is, I kinda have a crush on you and when I had ta move in with him after me da died, I wasn't allowed ta do anythin'. He wanted me in tha IRA, plain an' simple."

"That's awful," said Haley. "So, why do you like me? I'm suspicious because the last guy I dated dumped me when I told him I didn't want to have sex with him."

"His loss, my gain," said Murphy. "Yer pretty and I like that yer modest… most of the girls I've seen in dat school dress like… I'd say whore but that's not polite."

"Not polite but definitely correct," said Haley.

"Yer also kind, funny, and very loyal," said Murphy.

"You got this after knowing me less than a week?" said Haley.

"All Kerri talked about on the way back here was you, and some Italian boy," said Murphy. "Have I met him yet?"

"That's my cousin, and you keep your mouth shut," said Haley.

"Aye, okay," said Murphy. "Can I snog ya?"

"Why?" said Haley.

"Like I said before, I like ya," said Murphy. "Tell me the name of that idiot who dumped ye. I'll kick his ass."

Haley giggled and the teens kissed between a row of bookshelves so none of the librarians would catch them.

Review por favor!