Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: Thanks to my beta, for your support and reviews.


Zadig Carter had never figured out, logically, why he liked killing people. He had been a normal kid (as normal as can be when you're a genius) and had grown up in a normal, and loving family.

His life changed drastically 15 years ago, in that bar in Boston. By killing a man, an act he had never meant to do but had enjoyed, he discovered a new side of his personality, and it had scared him. He began spending hours reading books about serial killers, trying to figure out what was wrong with him. He never found out why he had homicidal urges, so he did everything he could to suppress them.

He worked hard to get his Ph.D. at M.I.T. He worked even harder to build a successful company. For over a decade, his life was perfect. He finally had everything that he needed to be happy, until his wife died, and his sanity declined. After he left the mental institution, where he had committed himself, he had attempted to resume his life. For two years, he devoted most of his time between his company, his foundation and his family. Zadig's sister and her son were the only family he had left. It was essential for his mental state that he find ways to spend time with them.

One Saturday, as Zadig had taken his nine year old nephew and his friends to the local park, he noticed a man, in his mid-forties, walking a dog. At first glance, the guy seemed ordinary, but something about him just wasn't quite right. The following two Saturdays, when he took his nephew to the park again, the same man was there as well. He always had a dog with him, and sometimes he had a camera, too. Zadig highly doubted that the dog was actually his, because the man regularly forgot the dog's name. The man would always try to talk to boys using the dog as a bait, when their parents weren't around. Zadig knew that was a classic textbook approach used by pedophiles to target their victims. That was when Zadig decided to find out everything that he could about that man.

The next week, Carter did a little spying and quickly discovered the man's name, George Xander. Using his company's resources, Carter discovered some disturbing things about Xander. There was a restraining order filed by Xander's former girlfriend. Also, there were a ton of child porn websites Xander visited regularly. Carter had a dilemma. Should he go to the police with no real evidence, or should he get evidences to his crimes then send them anonymously to the SDPD Child Abuse Units, naming Xander as a pedophile ?

He chose the latter solution and broke into Xander's home but unfortunately, Xander returned home earlier than anticipated, there was a scuffle, and Carter knocked Xander unconscious. Without really think about it, Carter put Xander's unconscious body into the trunk of his car and drove back home then dragged him into the basement where he beat him to death. Once Xander was dead, Carter carefully removed all traces that could lead back to him then drove off to dump the body.

For the first time since his wife had died, Carter had felt at peace with himself. He didn't have any further wishes to kill again, until the day he received a call from a woman named Nelly Watson. She explained that she worked with the Autistic Children's Association, and had asked to borrow his horses for an upcoming event.

It was well-known in charitable circles, that Carter frequently allowed organizations to borrow his horses for equine therapy programs. He told Nelly Watson that he would call her back with his answer. As soon as he hung up, Carter did that he always does. He used his computer search programs and discovered that Watson was definitely not the kind of person he wanted around kids. Carter found out that her former name was Nelly Conrad and she didn't just help her husband to kidnap, rape, and kill the children she used to baby-sit but she was the one who had come up with the revenge plan against her former employer, who had fired her for stealing money. After her dear husband was caught by the NYPD, she had tried to convince him to take full blame for everything but worried that he would later implicate her, Nelly had arranged for another prisoner to kill him.

Everything Carter had discovered about Watson had aroused his desire to kill her, but this time it was different. Even though he had already killed twice, Carter had never planned to murder anyone beforehand. Deep down, he realized that if he killed her, there would be no turning back. He would not be able to stop himself from killing more people. After days of reflection, Carter finally embraced his dark side and killed Conrad then he started organizing his new life as a serial killer. With all the cyber predators on the internet, finding his next victim was easy. And soon thanks to his third victim's connection, he created a listing of local pedophiles in the San Diego area.


Zadig Carter wasn't really surprised to find himself handcuffed to a table, in a police interrogation room. Despite all of the precautions he had taken, he knew that he might end up arrested but he wasn't worried. He had eliminated all trace that anyone could possibly link to him (on the victim, in his car, and in his house). He knew that the police and the BAU had nothing that they could use against him.

The door opened and Aaron Hotchner and Derek Morgan entered the room. Carter recognized them as the two BAU agents who had arrested him, and read him his rights. Hotch sat down across from Carter, while Morgan leaned against the wall.

"Mr. Carter, I think you know why you're here, right?" Hotch asked, purposefully not using the title of 'Doctor'. He wanted to see if Carter would react, but Carter either didn't notice or didn't care.

Because they didn't have any physical proof, Carter knew that the BAU was going to use every trick in the book to get a confession. He was well prepared for that. Carter had studied the strengths and weaknesses of everybody involved in this case. "Yes. You think that I am the San Diego serial killer." Carter quietly replied.

Hotch opened a file and took out facial identification photos of the victims. Spreading them on the table, in front of Carter, Hotch demanded, "Do you know these people?"

Carter took a few seconds to reply and prepared his answer. Lying to the FBI was a federal offense. If they had any proof of his lies, they could keep him in custody even longer, so he said, "Yes. I saw pictures of them on the news, but I don't think I've ever met them personally."

"Are you sure? Look at them closely." Morgan said, still leaning against the wall.

"Sorry, but as I said, I don't think I know them. I see a lot of people every day, and I'm not very good with faces." Carter replied, with a calm voice.

His attitude annoyed the two profilers. For a suspect being questioned regarding multiple murders, Carter seemed too calm. Hotch tried again to provoke a reaction. He pulled out photos of the victims from the autopsy report, and placed them in front of Carter.

"And now, do you recognize them?" Morgan asked, angrily.

Carter looked at the photos carefully. Then using the same calm voice he had been using since the beginning of the interview, he said, "You really expected me to feel sorry for them? From what I've seen on TV and in the newspapers, they were rapists and child molesters."

"So, in your opinion, they deserved to die? Like that man you killed in Boston." Hotch asked, calmly.

Unlike the media and the public, Carter didn't see himself as a hero, or as a vigilante. He knew that he was doing was wrong. He had no right deciding who lived or died. Yet, Carter also knew that he could no longer deny his urges to kill. Though he did pride himself on the fact that he never killed innocent people. He only sought out and killed pedophiles and rapists.

Carter looked straight into the Hotch's eyes, and said, "Please. Don't give me the 'every life is precious' speech, because you know it isn't true. Tell me, are you actually saddened by the death of these disgusting people ? You know, I haven't seen any of their crying and grieving relatives or friends on the news. Actually I only saw people who were happy they're dead, so don't tell me their deaths are a tragedy." Carter replied.

They could not let it show, but deep down, Morgan and Hotch agreed with Carter's reply. It was the first time on a case that they felt no compassion for the victims but at this point, the profilers also realized that Carter didn't react like any other vigilante they had ever met before. Usually, vigilantes try to justify their actions, or try to convince everyone that they are on the same side as law enforcement. Carter did not react in either of these two ways. Hotch wasn't getting anywhere with Carter, so he changed his strategy.

"Can you account for your whereabouts two nights ago, between 11:00 pm and 11:30 pm?" Hotch asked. Instead of using the profile to push for a confession, Hotch decided to destabilize Carter by using Marquez's deposition.

"Two nights ago?" Carter paused, pretending that he was trying to remember. Of course, Carter knew very well where he had been. He'd been dumping Magnum's body. "Yes. I was at a fund raising organized by the San Diego Hospital. You can verify that, if you'd like."

Carter had learned a lot from reading all of those serial killer biographies. Most people thought serial killers were caught due to the skill of the Police or the BAU. That wasn't true. Usually, they were caught because they had neglected small details. Carter always coordinated his dumping days with charity events that he was scheduled to attend. He also dumped the bodies close by so that he wouldn't be late for the event, or noticed as missing for any significant amount of time. Carter hated these events, but he had recognized them as the perfect solution to toss out a body, and to have a solid alibi at the same time.

So far, Hotch and Morgan hadn't found anything to break Carter, or to make him lose his calm persona. Like the rest of his team, Morgan was sure that the fire in Carter's house was set intentionally and decided to use that angle.

"Tell me about the fire in your house? How did it start?" Morgan questioned, firmly, as he moved closer to Carter and sat on the edge of the table.

"I didn't know that investigating accidental house fires was an FBI prerogative." Carter replied, cooly.

"It is when you try to destroy evidence of your crimes." Hotch commented.

"My crimes?" Carter repeated almost chucking.

"Yes, your crimes! I think you kidnapped, tortured and killed these people. Then, you set part of your own house on fire to destroy the evidences. As we speak, your entire house is being searched so do yourself a favor and confess." Morgan said, with a slight smirk.

"Good luck with that, gentlemen. In the meantime, I'd like to call my lawyer." Carter replied, smirking, as well.


While Reid was questioning the Fire Inspector and Liv questioned the staff who worked in Carter's home, JJ and Prentiss were searching Carter's study. JJ grew concerned when she noticed that Emily looked paler than ever. "Emily, are you sure okay?" JJ questioned, quietly.

Emily was about to give her standard reply of 'I feel fine', even though she felt thoroughly nauseous and dizziness when Liv walked into the study.

"Ok, I've finished interviewing Carter's live-in staff. According to all of them, their boss is basically a saint. They've never seen anything unusual." Liv reported.

"Did they recall seeing any of the victims here, at any time?" JJ queried.

"No. Carter is a lone wolf. He doesn't go out much, and hardly ever invites anyone here." Liv answered.

"How do the fire started?" Emily asked, making sure to use her most professional voice.

She knew that Liv was a smart and competent detective. Emily wanted to hate Liv, but she had no right to do so. She really couldn't blame Liv for being attracted to Reid. Liv didn't know that he was Emily's boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend, Emily had to remind herself.

"Apparently, Carter has a bad habit of smoking in his garage, where he also stocks flammable liquids. The Fire Inspector thinks it was the result of carelessness. We'll have to wait for his preliminary report to be sure of that." Liv said.

At the moment, there was nothing else for the three of them to do, so they just sat quietly, in Carter's study. For the past days, JJ had been dying to find out more about what was going on between Liv and Reid. JJ decided this was a good time to ask. Smiling, inquisitively, JJ said, "So Detective North, you seem to like Reid, a lot."

Liv worried whether, or not, she should talk about her crush on Reid, especially in front of his girlfriend. Or his ex-girlfriend, if Liv correctly understood the hints that Reid had dropped, last night. She found the whole situation stupid. Reid was in love with Emily, and Emily seemed to love Reid. Unfortunately, neither of them have the guts to talk about their feelings and were just making themselves miserable.

"Yes, I do like him. I mean he's handsome, intelligent, and has a geeky side that I find very sexy. Too bad he's off the market." Liv replied, hoping that Emily understood what she was implying.

"What? No! Reid isn't dating anyone! Right, Emily ?" JJ said, chuckling, looking over at Emily and expecting her confirmation.

It's stupid, JJ thought. Reid was her best friend, so if he was seeing someone, she'd know about it.

"I don't know for sure if he's dating anyone, but his heart clearly belongs to someone else." Liv said, smiling, as she looked directly at Emily. JJ was so confused by Liv's statement, that she didn't notice Liv staring at Emily.

It was at this moment that Reid walked into the room. Immediately, he noticed the awkward silence between the three women. "What's going on?" Reid asked.

"Nothing. What's up?" JJ asked, glad for the change of subject.

"I talked to the Fire inspector. He says it looks like it was just an accident."

"No way! We're supposed to believe this fire conveniently burned his car and basement, accidentally!" Emily practically shouted.

"I know that Carter has close ties to the San Diego Fire Department, so I checked where the fire originated. I didn't see or smell anything out of the ordinary. There were flammable liquids stored in the garage. That's not unusual. Carter told to the Fire Captain that he had just finished smoking in the garage. Therefore, their assumption is that after smoking his cigarette, Carter didn't put it out properly. That the still lit cigarette interacted with the diesel in his garage, and the fire expanded to his basement." Reid said, sounding as annoyed as the three women looked.

Reid continued, "So far, we don't have any proof that Carter intentionally set his house on fire. CSU finished processing the garage and basement. They didn't find anything useful, but we can still took a look ourselves. I'm sure that's where he killed his victims. It's close to his garage, so he could easily have moved them before and after their deaths."

None of them was happy about the situation. The four of them headed down to the basement. Emily left the study first, followed by JJ and Liv. Reid remained in the study and was about to call Hotch for his report of their progress (or rather, their lack of progress) when he heard JJ screaming his name.

He ran into the hallway and saw JJ knelt down over Emily's unconscious body. Liv was already on her phone calling 911. For a few seconds, his heart stopped. When he reached Emily, Reid dropped to his knees.

"What happened?" Reid whispered to JJ. He dropped his phone and gently caressed Emily's face, with both hands.

JJ noticed it was more than a friend's concerned gesture. Then she realized what Liv had meant earlier. Reid was in love with Emily! Now, JJ also realized that Reid was Emily's mystery boyfriend.

At first, it seemed incredible, but now it made sense. Lately, Reid and Emily had been spending a lot of time together, and they carpooled into work together. JJ also remembered that night at the restaurant: the look on Emily's face, and her reactions when Liv started hitting on Reid. JJ cursed herself when she remembered the stupid things she'd been saying around Emily.

"Damn it, JJ! What happened?" Reid shouted, visibly terrified.

"I don't know, Reid. She was fine, and then she fainted. Her head hit the floor when she fell." JJ answered, worriedly biting her lip. She didn't know if Reid knew that Emily might be pregnant. JJ was trying to decide whether, or not, tell him.

Liv was still on the phone, and said, "The ambulance should be here in about 5 minutes. Has she regain consciousness?"

Keeping their focus on Emily, Reid and JJ both shook their heads and said, "No."

It felt like forever, but it wasn't, before they could hear the siren. A few minutes later, the ambulance arrived. Liv yelled out, "Guys! Over here!" Two EMTs, a male and a female, quickly rushed over to them. Gently, but firmly, they told Reid and JJ to step away from Emily.

After checking Emily's pulse, the EMTs placed a cervical collar around her neck. Quickly, they put Emily on the stretcher and headed out of the house. Reid, JJ and Liv followed them to the ambulance.

"We're taking her to the UCSD Medical Center. Do you know if she has any medical condition, or if she's on any kind of medication?" The female EMT asked, as they were settling Emily into the ambulance.

Seeing that Reid was unable to reply, JJ answered, "Beside birth control pills, I don't think she's taking any kind of medication. Also, she's might be pregnant."

"Thanks. Do you want to come with us?" The EMT asked.

JJ nodded 'yes', as she climbed into the back of the ambulance. She kept her head down, avoiding Reid's look of utter surprise and confusion.