A/N: I don't own any of the "Psych" characters and I am not making any money from writing this.

Please forgive any minor spelling or grammar mistakes, English is not my native language.

Once again, big thanks to Loafer! You're the best.

And we've reached the end. Thank you so much for sticking with me. I apologize for such a long delay. I had a writer's block with this story... but I never gave up. I hope you enjoy the final chapter!

Carlton frowned, taking a closer look at the crime scene photograph of the double murder before putting it back on the coffee table, next to the others. Juliet, sitting on the couch next to him, just finished reading the latest police report on the murders. She put it down on the table, sighing as she did. No leads there.

"The Bible verses, posing of the bodies... He's playing with us", Carlton stated.

"Well, he's crazy," Juliet commented, observing the crime scene photographs. "I mean, not crazy in criminally insane kind of way, he is good at covering his tracks. But certain things probably only make sense to him. In his head."

"Or immature," Carlton suggested. "He likes playing games. Taunting authorities."

"Heather Morgan and Justin Davis?" Juliet read, pulling out one of the notes from the case file. "Could these be possible suspects?"

Carlton sighed. "No, those are the names of those two teenagers we caught missing around last night. I checked their IDs. I later ran the license plate. And their names. Just in case. All clear. No convictions, no warrants."

They were both silent for a while, carefully observing the crime scene photographs and police reports, trying to find any clue that they might have missed. But nothing seemed to stand out. Though they did their best to focus, their mind began to wander. Finally, Juliet spoke up, saying what had been in her mind for quite some time.

"Remember how you told me you'd drag me along with you... on the end of days?", Juliet asked, looking up at him.

Carlton frowned, surprised by her question. "Of course I do."

Juliet raised up her eyebrows, smiling slightly. "Just me?"

"Who else?", Carlton replied, matter of factly. His face fell. "Please don't tell Shawn or Gus."

Juliet chuckled. "Your mom?"

Carlton sighed. "Let's not go down that road, please."

"Your sister?" Juliet suggested.

"We could pull her along," Carlton agreed.

"Chief Vick?"

"She's tough", Carlton said. "She'd pull through." He frowned, taking another look at the case files before looking up at Juliet. "Thank you for supporting my theory, by the way", he said, smiling slightly.

Juliet chuckled. "That the girl with multiple stab wounds over her chest and arms was murdered? Don't thank me. It made sense. As your theories usually do."

Carlton gave her a grateful smile. "Likewise."

Juliet frowned, folding her hands together. "It makes you think, you know?" she exclaimed. "For example... what are we really doing with our lives? Where are we going? What's the point? The meaning?"

"You think that is the message our killer is trying to send?" Carlton suggested, frowning.

Juliet groaned. "Please, let's stop working everything back to that psycho!" she exclaimed. "I'm just making small talk."

"A bit complex for small talk," Carlton commented.

Juliet smiled. "Thank you." She gave him a questioning look, tilting her head to the side. "So...?"

"Those weren't rhethorical questions?" Carlton replied. He almost sounded... playful.

Juliet chuckled, blushing slightly. "Are you teasing me?"

Carlton smiled, leaning back in his seat. "Yes, I guess it makes you wonder", he admitted, sounding relaxed and calm for a change. "But there probably aren't real, conclusive answers. Not most of the time, anyway."

"It is not about actual answers, though," Juliet explained, moving a bit closer to Carlton, their eyes locked. Carlton shuddered for a moment, but didn't object. "In my opinion, at least. Thinking about... reminiscing... Thinking about what really matters to you, in your life... about people in your life... who is the most important and why... what and who you should focus on..."

"What should you do, how you should proceed... what you really want in life..." Juliet mused, feeling herself shudder, warmth spreading through her chest.

"That's true, I have to admit," Carlton admitted, nodding his head.

"I'm glad to hear that," Juliet agreed, smiling warmly. "So... what conclusion have you reached, partner?" she mused, looking him in the eyes, her face barely an inch away from his, her warm breath stroking his skin.

They both remained silently for a few moments, their eyes locked. They both felt that they were getting close to something, that something big was happening, as innocent as their interaction might seem. A part of them wanted to promptly change the subject and put an end to it, fearing that the other party would shut down any... advances. And a part of them simply couldn't resist. They both enjoyed their game, as tricky as it might have been.

Carlton gulped, shifting in his seat. He tried to think of a calm, professional answer, but eventually, against his better instinctively, decided to to with an honest one. "It is pretty clear... don't you think?" he said, looking her in the eyes.

"I disagree," Juliet replied confidently, moving an inch closer to him. "Tell me. Or show me. Either way..."

Carlton sighed, trying to focus on the case again. But it became clear that wasn't going to succeed... if their interaction continued that way. "We... we shouldn't be doing this", he protested, doing his best to sound convincing.

"Why not?" Juliet replied, smiling slightly. The words came out before she could word them more carefully... not that she felt a particular desire too, though. "Do you really want to miss out on this? Who knows what tomorrow might bring. You agreed with me on that."

Carlton swallowed a lump in his throat, looking away for a moment. But he refused to back off. "Miss out on what, exactly?", he commented more than asked. It almost sounded like he was daring her... even taunting her, in a way.

In the next moment, she leaned over, and kissed him on the lips. Although initially surprised, Carlton reciprocated soon afterwards, feeling warmth rush through his body, his heart thundering against his chest. Their lips were pressed hard together, their warm breaths mixing. Carlton sighed as Juliet slid her tongue in between his lips, clearly smirking as she did. They both moaned as their tongues finally touched, thrir bodies flinching at the tender contact. For a while, that was all that mattered. No fear, no concerns, no regrets.

Carlton was the one to pull away. They both sighed as their lips parted, shuddering next to each other. Their eyes met, neither of them willing to pull away, but also hesitant to proceed, like the full realization only then dawned up on them, stopping then in their tracks. The question, as naive as it was, hanged in the air until finally spoke up, her words slicing through the tense silence.

"What are we doing?" Juliet exclaimed.

Carlton smiled. An ideal reply suddenly flashed in his mind and he couldn't resist using it. "What we should have done a long time ago."

Juliet grinned, blushing. "Smooth."

That time, Carlton was the one to kiss her back. They kissed longer. They both gasped once they finally pulled away, their eyes meeting almost instantly, their face flushed and their heart thundering.

"You are wonderful", Carlton said under his breath. "Smart, funny, beautiful... everything I ever wanted, everything I need. I know that it sounds cliche when I say it, but it's true. I also can't comprehend how are you able to put up with me, let alone cooperate, and that alone is a great quality. It is like working on this case, with you, really made me realize... you never know what might happen, so if you have feelings for someone, if you want to do something, just go ahead. And it also confirmed, once and for all, that there's no one I'd rather be with... no one but you."

"So, as cliche as this is going to sound, would it surprise you to learn that I feel exactly the same way about you?", Juliet asked softly.

"Yes", Carlton admitted, his smile widening.

Juliet chuckled, leaning into him. "I knew you'd say that", she stated before kissing him on the lips again. "But it's true. You understand me. And make me feel safe."

That time, Carlton was the one to pull away, albeit reluctantly. That last trace of concern in the back of his mind finally became clear. "We... we're partners", he pointed out, despite the overwhelming urge to shut up and continue kissing her. "I mean... colleagues, coworkers...", he whispered, hoping that Juliet had a convincing counter argument.

"I didn't forget that", Juliet calmly replied, looking him in the eyes. "Did you? Clearly not. What is the issue here? We're adults. We're professionals."

"I doubt chief Vick will be happy to hear", Carlton whispered, although he didn't sound that concerned.

Juliet smiled, leaning closer to him. "Give her a chance, she might surprise you", she suggested, smiling brightly. "I mean, if she can put up with Spencer... Let's not worry about that right now, please?"

"Well, we do have plenty of things to worry about...", Carlton couldn't help but comment, glancing at the case files on the near by table.

"Don't remind me of that, please", Carlton pleased, trying to push that unpleasant memory to the back of his mind.

"Yeah, like you never did that when you were their age", Juliet teased.

Carlton chuckled. "Not when there was a serial killer on the loose."

"They're teenagers", Juliet pointed out.

Carlton sighed. "But I still find it mind-boggling that neither of them knew."

Juliet shrugged. "Maybe they thought that would make it more exciting?"

Carlton frowned. "Serial killers often think the same."

Juliet gave him a questioning look. Carlton shifted in his seat, a look of realization appearing on his face. "That's what you pointed out, remember?" he reminded her. "That serial killers often return to the crime scene in order to relive the crime."

Juliet took another look at the case materials, now following that theory herself. "Spencer was right about one thing", she reasoned, deep in thought. The killer would need a vehicle to transport Kelly Anderson's body to that alleyway. Something big enough to transport the body, that would still fit in the area well... like a minivan or a Volvo."

"Emily Watkins didn't have much of a social life, but she volunteered at a local youth center," Carlton pointed out. "Lots of teenagers hanging around there. And Emily's mother remembered that Emily borrowed her car to someone shortly prior to her death."

"Wait, you think those kids we encountered in that lover's lane are the killers?" Juliet asked, sounding both surprised and intrigued.

"One of them is the killer", Carlton elaborated. "Probably Heather Morgan, since it's her car."

"But why?", Juliet wondered.

"I've got an idea," Carlton said, pulling out his phone. I have to admit, it is a bit far fetched... but if I'm right, it will answer that question. And it may even provide us with enough circumstancial evidence for a search warrant," he said, dialing the number.

Three rings. Then, an answer. A familiar, hostile voice. "What do you want?"

"It's detective Lassiter, ms Davis," Carlton said, pacing around the living room. "I hope you remember me."

"I didn't give you my number," Anne reminded him, frustration evident in her voice.

"You didn't have to," Carlton replied calmly.

"I've got nothing to say," Anne maintained.

"Listen first," Carlton demanded, sounding polite but determined. "Yesterday, when I and my partner questioned you, you told us a story. A pretty disturbing story. About a little girl and her abusive mother. Do you happen to remember the girl's name? Please, that is all we have to know."

"Of course. Her name was Heather Morgan."

#

Heather didn't seem especially worried once Carlton and Juliet walked into the interrogation room. She looked annoyed, at worst. But she wasn't being quiet about it. "So, what's the charge?", she asked. "If I'm actually arrested at all. What can you possibly have on me? I haven't done anything wrong."

"We obtained a search warrant, you know," Carlton informed her, sitting down at the table, opposite to her.

Heather flinched for a moment, but quickly regained her composture. "So quickly, huh?" she asked in a taunting, smug voice.

"People want leads. Answers," Carlton stated, opening the case file, revealing the forensic reports and crime scene photographs for Hearher to see. "And it looks like we hit the jackpot," he commented as he pulled out three photographs in particular, putting them on the table in front of Heather. "We found this hidden in your room, in an air vent. A hunting knife, matching to the wounds on three out of four victims. You did a good job cleaning it up. But not good enough. Our forensic techs recovered small traces of human blood on the blade and the handle. DNA analysis is in the progress, but I think we both know what it will show."

"Do we now?" Heather commented, smirking at him.

"We do," Juliet replied, contempt evident in her voice. "We also found this under the mattress on your bed. Ropes and towels, matching to the fibers recovered on three of your victims."

"My victims?" Heather questioned, frowning.

"Yes, your victims, Heather," Juliet maintained, her eyes burning into Heather's. "Stop pretending. And we also found a spare key to Emily Watkins' house hidden inside your car, under the arm rest."

"And we know about your mother," Carlton continued. "What she did to you. Anne told us. The social worker. You know, she's a priest now."

"Oh, really?"

"Really," Carlton repeated mockingly, nodding his head.

"You're dying to speak," Juliet noted, glaring at Heather. "To take credit. I can see that."

"There's no point denying anything now, anyway," Carlton pointed out, leaning back in his chair.

"They were whores," Heather said, every word dripping with disgust and anger. "The filth. Selling their bodies for money. Spreading cheap thrills and vices. And the guys screwing them weren't any better. The world's a better place without them."

"You'd tie them up," Carlton reasoned, clearly not impressed by her rant. "Torture them. Then stab them to death."

"That's still better than what they deserved," Heather claimed, gritting her teeth.

"But Emily Watkins didn't do anything wrong," Juliet pointed out.

"Your car probably broke down," Juliet reasoned, slowly playing out the odds and possibilities in her head. "But you couldn't wait. The need was too strong. Maybe you also figured that using different cars was a good forensic countermeasure. So you asked Emily, and she loaned you her car. You used it to pick up the first victim. And you tortured her, murdered her, and dumped her body in a field. Probably the same location where you met up with your boyfriend yesterday. To relive the crime. Anyway, after murdering her and dumping the body, you cleaned up the car and you returned it to Emily. You probably dumped the body in some field or a ditch. But when it remained undiscovered for a while, you were frustrated, bored. You wanted attention. So you transported it into that alleyway. William, a young homeless man suffering from schizophrenia, witnessed that event. Luckily, you didn't notice him, or he would have been killed too. In his delusional mind, you became the Devil, who ripped that poor woman apart. Not a bad judge of character, there."

Carlton took over from there, sharing the same conclusion. "Of course, you did that after murdering Emily. Because Emily must have found something in the car. Something that you missed. Something that worried her. Maybe those small traces of blood. But she didn't go to the police. She trusted you. She thought you were in trouble. She called you over to her house. Confronted you. She wanted to help you. And you killed her. You pulled out the switchblade and stabbed her to death."

"But only after karate-chopping her in the back of the neck, knocking her unconsciousness," Juliet added. "So she wouldn't fight back."

"Then you started searching her home. To make sure she didn't have anything else on you. But her mother arrived. You were probably in Emily's bedroom at the time. You lied in wait. When she left, you knew you had to flee, quickly. And you did. Through the window that her mother had broken, so nobody would see you. But you knew you had to return, to finish your search. So you took one of Emily's spare keys before fleeing."

"You returned to the house the next day, but we returned too," Juliet explained, glaring at her. "We had a little encounter in Emily's bedroom, remember? You jumped me."

Heather scoffed, eying Juliet. "Now, that just sounds dirty."

"Gave me quite a scare too, I have to admit. That's probably why you still haven't disposed of that spare key. You scheduled another visit, right? Maybe in a few days, once the dust settled, but before Emily's mother could take over the house?"

"After searching your room, we also found that dreadful pineapple-scented deodorant. It explains that disturbing scent present on the crime scenes. Too bad we didn't smell it when we first encountered you in that field. Probably due to all the sweat. And those dumpsters near by." Carlton frowned, looking Heather in the eyes. "I don't really get all those Bible verses, though," he admitted, sounding genuinely curious. "From "Revelations", no less. Are you really that... religious? Were you sending a message? Or did you just want to scare people?"

"Have I succeeded?" Heather taunted, her smugness back.

"Really now," Juliet countered. "What was the reason for that?"

Heather smiled; it almost appeared genuine. "I figured... if you do it enough times, the right way, it eventually becomes a God's will, and therefore justified."

#

Just when Carlton and Juliet returned upstairs, having finished booking Heather, they ran into Shawn, who was casually strolling around the precinct, a gellato in his hand. Carlton barely withheld a groan, but then he remembered that he finally had a one up on Shawn. He glanced at Juliet, who smirked.

"I see you're back, Spencey," Carlton commented. "Where were you while we were busy arresting and processing a serial killer?"

Shawn gulped, looking down at the floor for a moment. "I heard the news", he admitted. "I guess you finally caught a break, you two." He forced a smile, shifting in place. "And for your information, notorious Peter Bellinger has been tracked down and captured," Shawn said, trying to sound as proud and confident as possible. "Buzz just informed me. I believe my visions have led you to him. Not that I'm bragging or anything... just per usual."

"So, they tracked down an innocent man because of you?" Juliet retorted, smirking. "Impressive. Well, more like per usual."

"True, he is not guilty of those four murders or anything," Shawn admitted. "Big deal. But as it turned out, he was a dangerous criminal on the run."

"Really?", Carlton exclaimed. "What did he do?"

"He was setting up an unlicensed puppy farm in Florida," Shawn said, quite dramatically. "It was terrifying."

"Less terrifying than a police consultant claiming that the woman with multiple stab wounds over her chest and arms committed suicide, and not being fired on spot?"Carlton retorted, glaring at Spencer.

Shawn nodded his head, looking away for a moment. "Spirits can be confused. Unclear," he claimed, blushing slightly. "Emily Watkins had attempted suicide before. That was just a glitch in communication. A ghost typo, if you will. A spiritual autocorrect. An otherwordly deja vu..."

Juliet frowned, an idea flashing in her mind. She looked up at Shawn, trying to keep a straight face. "You know, come to think of it, Shawn... our perp kind of matches your deductions... I mean, visions."

"Oh, really?" Shawn exclaimed, clearly satisfied by her admission.

Juliet continued. "Yeah, I'm serious. You can see for yourself. She is in our holding cell. And yes, she's really into atheism, sexual liberation and all that, sp you may want to open with that. Those Bible verses were basically some sort of murder-satire, so to say."

Shawn just stared back at her for a while, clearly running the odds in his hand. Juliet fought the urge to roll her eye or burst into laughter. Or both. Eventually, Shawn took a step back. "I'm leaving now," he announced. "To nowhere in particular. Just because I'm bored," he said before turning around and making his way down the hallway, then practically sprinting downstairs.

Carlton and Juliet looked after him for some time, highly amused, before turning to face each other.

"If he talks to her for longer than five minutes, he'll be scarred for life," Juliet pointed out.

"That conversation won't last for five minutes," Carlton assured her.

#

It felt especially refreshing, almost liberating, to exit the workroom. With Heather now in custody and Shawn gone... somewhere, Carlton and Juliet moved to the near by workroom, putting the files away.

"So, I guess we solved this myster," Juliet exclaimed, finally sounding relieved.

"And there was a rational explanation after all," Carlton reminded her, smiling slightly as he closed the cabinet.

Juliet sighed. "If you can call that rational," she commented, a solemn look on her face. "I doubt that girl will ever be normal."

"If necessary, they'll wheel me to her parole hearing," Carlton promised.

Juliet leaned over and kissed him on the lips. Carlton returned the kiss, both of them shuddering at the warmth that rushed through their body. Carlton leahed into her as their tongues met. Juliet gasped as they finally pulled away.

"I guess something good came out of this after all," she mused.

Carlton smiled at her, her warm breath stroking his face. "Most definitely."

"This is a really strange world," Juliet observed.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Carlton asked.

Juliet sighed, her smile widening. "It depends on what you make of it."

"We will have to tell Vick sooner or later, you know," Carlton pointed out, moving away slightly. "I like to think she will be very understanding and supporting. But, as we both know..."

"I think we deserve some leniency for dealing with someone like Heather Morgan," Juliet said hopefully. "And Shawn. Plus, it would appear that good prevails after all."

The world was safe; with the two of them together at least. Apocalypse backed out. The life went on.

Until the next Halloween.