A/N Don't know why I'm posting this. I should be focusing on my other stories but I guess the finale, as awesome as I thought it was, left me wanting. I needed to know what happens next and September is too far away so I started my own version. This one is very impromptu, like a few of my one shots so I don't know where I'm going with this - not exactly. Hope you like it and if you have any suggestions of what you might want to see happen, let me know, I'm open to ideas!

Disclaimer: "Supernatural" is not mine. Never has been and sadly never will be.

Title is taken from the awesome song of the same name by the awesome Johnny Cash.

Warning: Set after "Lucifer Rising" so there's spoilers ahead.

Now, without further ado, enjoy!

Chapter One

Dean pulled on his brother's arm as a bright light began to illuminate Lilith's blood, and a slight quake shook the building around them. Sam seemed to be glued to the spot, staring at the light in awe and fear. Guilt was there too, Dean knew that they had a lot to talk about, a lot of guilt and anger to sort through for both of them before they can even think about rebuilding the broken trust between them, but there wasn't time for that now. First they needed to escape with their lives.

"He's coming," Sam whispered, still rooted in place as the light erupted blindingly.

Desperately, Dean moved between his brother and the light that signified Lucifer's rising and gave him a shove, which finally got him moving, albeit slowly. He couldn't turn away from the brilliant white light he unleashed.

How could he have been so stupid?

"Oh god… I did this, I am so sorry…"

"Not now Sam!" Dean barked, still pushing Sam along as the walls around them began to crumble.

Suddenly spurred into action, Sam started running, glancing behind him at Dean who motioned at him to keep moving. That one look told Sam all they needed to know. Dean was right—they could sort things out later, first they needed to survive his catastrophic mistake. So he ran, dodging stones as they crumbled from the walls and ceiling, not looking back.

The ground beneath his feet suddenly cracked and shifted and Sam tripped, sprawling on the uneven ground. Without stopping, Dean reached down and grabbed Sam's hand, pulling him to his feet and then dragged him, leading the way. He let go the instant Sam found his momentum again and in his guilt he wondered why Dean even bothered to help him up. After what he did?

A large stone clipped him in the shoulder and Sam cried out and stumbled. Another stone, this one smaller, but still a decent size hit him on the head, dazing him for a moment. Through blurry vision he glanced ahead of him and saw Dean was still running as more smaller stones fell, raining on him, preventing Sam from getting back up, burying him in the rubble. Either Dean didn't notice or didn't care of his plight. Not that it mattered. He threw his arms over his head to protect himself, watching as Dean disappeared around the corner, leaving Sam alone.

He rolled away from the shower of debris just as a large boulder broke off from the arched ceiling above him. The boulder missed him, barely, but as it crashed to the floor it broke in half and one of the pieces bounced and slammed against his ankle and he gasped in pain. At about the same time a wooden support beam came crashing down as Sam tried to roll away again and it landed across his legs awkwardly pinning him to the uneven floor. Luckily it landed at enough of an angle that it didn't crush him like it could have otherwise, but it pressed uncomfortably against his calves, and wedged his now injured ankle between the beam and the jagged boulder.

Biting his lip and wincing in pain he tried to pull himself free but he was well and truly stuck. He wanted to call out for Dean's help, but he didn't. He deserved to be left behind. Dean deserved to be able to save himself and leave him behind.

Stuck lying on his side, Sam glanced back towards where they had run from, where he had killed Lilith and started the apocalypse, at the brilliant white light that was quickly advancing. In the center of the light was a darkness, a black hole and black tendrils snaked through the dark void, shooting out towards him, reaching for him.

In desperation Sam raised his hand, focusing his power and energy at pushing the advancing light and dark back. A painful pressure built in his head and he struggled to focus and maintain control of his depleted powers. He could feel his energy and reserves ebb away and he fought to keep pushing. He knew that it was futile and he was only prolonging the inevitable, but he fought it back anyway. He was toast, he knew it, he deserved it, but maybe he could buy Dean more time to get away.

Dean was mankind's last hope—Sam understood that now. Ruby had filled his head with lies, making Sam think he was the only one who could stop the apocalypse, made him think Dean was too weak to do his job. But why else would the angels go through the trouble to resurrect Dean if they didn't think he'd be the one to save the world? Somehow Dean had been chosen by some divine force to be some sort of savior and Sam, blinded by power and his own ego failed to see.

He should've stood by his brother, not sneak around behind his back. Yes, Hell had broken Dean, changed him, weakened him, but as his brother he should've supported him, helped him. Dean needed Sam to watch his back and instead Sam had betrayed him. He should've killed Ruby a long time ago, he shouldn't have shut Bobby and everyone else out after Dean's death, then maybe he wouldn't have traveled the road that led to Lucifer's rising.

But it was too little, too late. Sam could only hope that his last act would be enough to buy Dean time so he could escape the old convent, and that it wasn't too late for Dean to stop Lucifer and save the world.

He pushed Lucifer, the conflicting auras of light and dark, back. He could feel blood trickle down his nose, he could feel himself start to lose consciousness. No, not yet. Not yet. I need to buy Dean time, help him get away…

"Sammy!"

Sam glanced in Dean's direction and saw his brother running towards him. No Dean, go! Run! Damn it Dean why'd you come back?! He felt like his head was going to explode but at the sight of Dean he felt a new surge of energy and adrenaline born out of a need to protect his brother and he pushed the light and dark of Lucifer back and the doors to the sanctuary closed and the walls in the corridor next to the door crumbled, forming a barrier between them and the sanctuary, blocking Lucifer's path. He collapsed in exhaustion as Dean reached him.

"You OK?"

"You came back," Sam murmured weakly, "Even after everything I did…"

"Of course I came back. I'd never leave you behind Sam," Dean said as he helped dig Sam out of the debris that had half buried him and lifted the wooden beam with some effort, giving Sam a chance to pull himself free, "I'm still pissed off, and this isn't over between us, but you're still my brother. Besides, you didn't know."

Sam nearly melted in relief. Dean didn't hate him even though he should. Taking his brother's proffered hand, he accepted the help. Dean pulled him up to his feet and a sharp pain in his ankle forced him to cry out and nearly collapse in pain. Dean grabbed him to stop his fall and pulled his arm across his back while being mindful of his injured shoulder.

"Come on," Dean grunted, taking most of Sam's weight and leading the trek to relative safety. Neither of them was sure of what to do once they were outside. Do they keep running? Do they stand and fight? Was there any point to try and do either? This was Lucifer after all and as much as Dean wanted to fight and go down swinging if he had to, Sam was hurt and they had nothing to fight with except the knife, but using the knife on Lucifer would be like trying to fight a raging fire with a water pistol.

"You should leave me," Sam said, when he realized how much he was slowing them down. The barrier Sam made wouldn't hold very long. "I don't deserve…"

"Shut up Sam, not now! We can have the pity party later, I already said I'm not leaving you behind and I mean it."

"But…"

"We'll talk about this later!" Dean hissed as the barrier suddenly exploded and the corridor was suddenly filled with a blinding light. Dean picked up the pace, half dragging half carrying his brother towards the door. They were almost there then they could… well Dean didn't know what they'd do.

Emerging from the midst of the light, a black tendril of something that could be described as neither solid nor liquid nor smoke, yet somehow a combination of all three shot out towards them just as Dean reached the door and kicked it open. The dark thing flying at them reached its intended target and pierced through Dean's shoulder, through his back and out his chest and then snaked around his arm.

Startled by the sudden intrusion, Dean let out a gasp and looked down at the black, demonic thing a fraction of a second before the pain registered and Dean screamed in agony just as the darkness enveloped his arm and yanked him back. He fell harshly on his back, the impact with the uneven ground knocking the wind out of him, but he barely had a chance to draw in a breath when it pulled him away from Sam, away from freedom and towards Lucifer.

"Dean!" Sam cried out, ignoring his own injuries as he dove for his brother. He tried to break the strange thing that was skewering his brother and dragging him away, but as soon as Sam touched it he jumped back, startled as it scorched his hand. Frantically he wrapped his arms around his waist, determined to pull Dean free or, if he couldn't then they'd die together.

An anguished cry tore from Dean's throat. He felt like he was being torn in two, as Sam and Lucifer, or whatever that thing was pulled him in opposite directions. He wasn't sure how much more he could take and he was completely helpless in his position. "Sammy… knife!" he screamed to his brother, his voice strained from the torment that his body was going through.

Not letting go of his brother Sam reached into the inside pocket of Dean's jacket and pulled Ruby's knife from its sheath. Sam took the knife and slashed at the blackness that was holding Dean captive. The black tendril flashed a bright white where Sam cut at it, but repaired itself instantly. He sliced at it again but missed as it flinched away, causing Dean's body to jerk and the tenacious hold Sam had on his brother was suddenly broken and Dean was ripped from his grasp.

"Dean!" Sam cried out as he launched himself forward, reaching out to grab his brother but missed, Dean was being dragged away too fast. Sam tripped over the uneven ground; his injured ankle throbbed, refusing to carry his weight any longer. Dean screamed in pure unadulterated agony and it made Sam's heart break to hear such a sound coming from his brother, but it was when Dean's screams abruptly stopped and fell silent just before he vanished into the black void in the center of the blinding light that Sam was sure his own heart stopped.

"No!" Sam cried in panic, stumbling after him but in an explosion of light Sam was thrown back. And then suddenly the blinding light and the endless black void vanished. The ground stopped shaking, the walls stopped crumbling.

Just like that everything stopped. Everything stopped and Dean was gone.

"DEAN!!"

A/N Thanks for reading, now please let me know what you think! This story is mostly a writing exercise for me to help me overcome my need to have everything worded perfectly, which makes me a slow updater (sorry), and to just let go of that and just write without worrying so much about getting it right. Your reviews will definitely motivate me to continue, so comments and criticism good or bad is more than welcome. Again, if you have any ideas let me know.