A/N: So this is technically the last chapter, there will be a short epilogue after this that I'll probably be posting within the next few days. Anyways I hope ya like it.

Chapter Ten:

The Last Enemy To Be Destroyed

"In a narrow grave, just six by three we buried him there on the lone prairie."

They crossed the border on the morning following Sam's capture, they rode on until midday when they came upon a small town consisting of several pueblos, many of them worn down and seemingly deserted. They considered just riding through the town, but if they were going to find Lucifer, then they would need a guide who knew the area. They rode through the town until they came upon a group of people, three women and one man. The man was quite handsome, he had an innocence about him that gave him a youthful appearance, his deep brown eyes glittered in the afternoon sunlight. Dean dismounted his horse and approached the man.

"Americano?" the man asked.

"Yeah," Dean replied. "You speak any English?"

"Enough," the man said. "You are a long way from home my friends."

"Yeah, well we got some work to do afore we can get back there." Dean said. "We was wonderin' if anyone round here could help us some."

"And what could three strong vaqueros need with our help?"

Sam dismounted and stood beside his brother. He could sense the distrust in the young man. "We was lookin' for a guide. We're tryin' ta get someplace an we aint real familiar with the area." He said reassuringly.

"And where is it you want to go?"

"A place called La Lengua del Diablo." Replied Sam.

The atmosphere changed suddenly, the three women crossed themselves looking fearful and the man grew stern. "Why would you want to go to a place like that, it's cursed you know?"

"That's why we're goin' there." Sam said. "We can help."

"You are not ordinary vaqueros." It was not a question.

"No we aint." Dean said. "Is there anyone round here knows the way?"

"I will lead you there, and if you can lift the curse then you will be heroes among my people." The man said solemnly. "Come tell me, what are your names?"

"I'm Dean, this is my brother Sam and that," Dean said pointing to Bobby, still on his horse. "Is Bobby Singer."

The man nodded. "I am Javier and this place is what is left of my home." Said Javier gesturing to the deserted streets around him.

"What happened here" asked Sam.

"They were driven out, many of the people had been here for generations, but all of them are gone. There are so few left now, they call this place las ciudad muerta, a ghost town."

"Is it the curse what drove em out?" asked Dean.

"The place you seek is steeped in evil, no good will come of disturbing los fantasmas that dwell there." Javier said.

"We aint really got a choice." Dean said.

"I understand, you are very brave men." Javier said. "I will fetch my horse and we will leave at once." He turned from them and spoke to the three women about him in Spanish, they looked frightened but said nothing. He jogged off around one of the pueblos and reappeared a minute later riding a lovely white mare.

He stopped before them. "It will be a two day ride, are you ready?"

"Ready as we'll ever be." Dean said mounting his horse.

"Let us go then." Javier said, leading them out of the ghost town and into the wilderness.

They rode all day and when the sun began to hang low on the horizon, Javier led them to a cave a half mile from the trial they'd been following. They dismounted and the four of them secured their horses outside and retreated into the cave. Dean set about building a fire and Sam unpacked what little food that had not been left behind at the camp at Ash Hollow. The four of them sat around the small fire, eating lukewarm beans, as the wind howled outside.

Javier looked to the mouth of the cave for a moment before he spoke. "A night such as this deserves a story." He said.

"Does it now?" asked Bobby.

"Of course, the wind howls and you are sitting atop quite the tale you know?"

"What do ya mean?" asked Sam, his curiosity piqued.

"This place is called la cueva de las mil lágrimas, the cave of a thousand tears. The story goes that a man stole a horse from a group of bounty hunters and they chased him, as the Devil himself would. They caught him, lassoed him and dragged him behind their horses as they cried out a fired their pistols into the air, but killing the man, this was not enough for such cruel men. They knew him, knew that he had a young wife and child at home. They beat the woman and stole her baby, and she ran after them into the night. She kept running, long after she had lost sight of them and they say a storm swept over these hills that night. A storm carrying all of the mother's grief and anger, she crawled into this cave to take shelter from the storm and she wept all the night for her loss. When the storm passed and they found her in the morning, she was dead. They say sometimes on stormy nights, you can hear her wailing in the wind, as she did for her lost baby."

Sam and Dean shared a soft smile at the man's reverent tone, they had heard their fair share of ghost stories. Bobby, however scoffed. "Is everythin' round here haunted?"

"Not everything my friend." Javier said with a laugh. "Alas, it is late. We have much ground to cover tomorrow, we must sleep."

The fire was stamped out and they retired each to their own corner of the cave. Sleep eluded Sam that night, knowing what the following days would bring, and he was sure that Dean lay awake in his bed on the floor as well. They woke before dawn, the following day and set out immediately. Javier wished to linger no longer than he had to. Another long day's ride brought them to a high ridge that looked down on a deep valley. The valley was forked in the center by jagged rocks, giving the appearance from where they stood, to a serpent's forked tongue. Javier looked to them uncertainly before speaking.

"This is as far as I go I am afraid." He said. "I wish you all luck and god bless you."

"Thank ya, Javier." Dean said. "We really preciate ya helpin' us."

"I hope to see you all again, but it is very rare for one to return from that place, and the ones that do…" Javier trailed off.

"We'll be alright." Sam assured him, though unable to do the same for himself.

"Be careful out here at night my friends, los lobos son asesinos."

"We will." Sam promised. "Look after yourself, Javier."

Javier lifted a hand in farewell and rode off, back to the ghost town. The three men looked down into the valley a moment longer, Sam thinking of what wait for him there. They turned and looked for a bit of flat land to make camp. They hid their horses as best they could and not wanting to risk a fire, they sat in the dust as the night grew dark around them. From far out in the desert they heard the lonely howling of a wolf. Dean sent a prayer up to Castiel, letting them know where they were and they waited for morning. The boys took first watch and Bobby lay down and slept, how he could manage it Dean had no idea. Sam shifted closer to his brother and Dean put his arm around his shoulders.

"Sammy," Dean began, glad that Sam could not see the vulnerability on his face. "I'd things go sideways tomorra, I just want ya ta know..." he trailed off.

"It's alright, Dean." Sam said. "You aint gotta."

"Yeah I do. Sam I don't if I can do this without ya."

"Yes you can." Sam said lifting his head to meet his brother's eyes. "Promise me you won't give up. You find that farm we talked bout, you have a normal life like ya deserve."

"You deserve it too Sam, more'n I do."

"That don't matter just promise me."

"I promise Sam, I'll try."

Unmindful of how close Bobby slept to them, Sam kissed Dean, achingly sweet and full of all the things they couldn't say. They held each other till dawn, not bothering to wake Bobby. Castiel appeared before them as the sun began to warm the desert. Castiel hesitated a moment, it felt wrong to disturb the last moment of peace the two men were liable to have, but there was nothing for it.

"Good morning." he said, drawing their attention. They separated immediately and stood as though they had not been caught in such a tender moment.

Dean straightened his coat roughly. "Heya Cas." he said. "How goes it?"

"I am well Dean." Castiel said. "Are you prepared for today?"

Dean looked at Sam for a second before he replied. "Yeah," he said. "We are."

Bobby had awoken at the sound of their voices and he looked at them. "That time already?" he asked.

"Hadn't I better go this one alone?" Sam asked. "In case this don't go the way we expect."

"No." Dean said firmly. "We do this together, or not at all."

Sam nodded, looking at Bobby. "I just wanted ta tell ya I 'preciate all ya done for us Bobby. Thank ya for bein' there. You been a better father ta us than our Pa ever was."

Bobby nodded, his face filled with emotion. "It weren't nothin'." he said. "Id've been proud ta bee your Pa, both o' ya."

"If we're ready to go?" Castiel asked.

"Let's do it then." Sam replied.

They made their way down into the valley, knowing what wait for them there. Sam thought only of Dean as they followed the rocky path down into the ravine. He was glad not to have to do this alone, and if this was to be his last day, at least Dean would be the last thing he saw before he died and for that he was grateful. It was a tense several minutes before they reached the bottom of La Lengua del Diablo. They spread out and walked into the valley, waiting for something to happen. It wasn't long before they got their wish, when it all began. They heard the crunch of gravel behind them. They turned and Sam stood before Lucifer once more, for the last time. The Devil smirked before speaking.

"Good to see you again Sam." he said politely. "I trust you've been well."

Dean looked at his brother a question on his lips, but Sam did not take his eyes off Lucifer as he replied. "I'm fine." he said. "Are ya ready to do this?"

"I have been ready for millennia." Lucifer said, impatiently. "I have only been waiting for you."

"Well I'm here." said Sam and he could feel Dean move closer to him as he spoke.

"I assume we all know how this is going to work," said Lucifer. "I trust my brother has told you all you need to know."

Castiel stiffened visibly at Lucifer's words. "You are no brother of mine." he said.

"You wound me." Lucifer said, clutching his chest in mock pain.

Sam reached over and squeezed Dean's hand before he spoke up. "Are we doin' this or not?" he asked.

"Eager are we?" asked Lucifer with a chuckle. "Alright then, your move."

Sam tore his eyes from Lucifer at last to give a last grateful look to his friends, his family. He faced Lucifer once more. "Yes." he said with determination.

Lucifer smiled almost beatifically and his eyes shone with an iridescent blue light. The light left Lucifer's vessel in a torrent. Dean watched as it hovered in the air a moment before it shot through the air towards Sam, Dean's heart clenched painfully as the light engulfed his brother. The Devil's grace was absorbed by the younger Winchester and in a matter of seconds it was over. Dean looked at Sam, but his brother did not look back at him. Lucifer, cruel and vindictive looked through Sam's eyes at them and he laughed.

"Looks like Sammy wasn't quite as strong as he thought." Lucifer said with Sam's voice, much harsher than any tone Sam had ever used. "Shame."

Castiel stepped forward as Dean tried to swallow the panic that had risen in his throat. "Get out of here, both of you."

"I aint leaving him." Dean said, his heart hardening in steely determination. "I won't."

"He's not your brother anymore." Castiel said. Dean opened his mouth to reply, but Lucifer had stepped forward. He snapped his fingers with a cold precision. Castiel imploded, seemingly from within. Dean and Bobby were covered in gore, as blood and entrails sprayed forth from where Castiel had been standing a moment before.

"He talked too much." Lucifer said as if in explanation of what he'd done.

Bobby looked to Dean, naked fear on his face. "Dean-" he began, but Lucifer had raised his hand.

He twisted his hand and with it Bobby's neck twisted, painfully and unnaturally. Bobby collapsed to the ground dead, his last words unspoken.

"Looks like it's just the two of us now." Lucifer said and Dean looked into his eyes, trying to find his brother within the cruelty and rage he saw.

"Sam," Dean said as Lucifer advanced on him. "I know you're in there."

Lucifer scoffed. "Sam can't hear you anymore big brother." he said.

Lucifer stretched out his arm and there appeared a moment later a coiled whip of grace in his hand. He waved his hand, throwing Dean to the ground. He stepped forward and pulled his arm back. He brought his arm down violently and with the crack of the whip, Dean felt pain as he had never known before. Lucifer whipped him again, agony lashing through Dean ferociously. Dean covered his face and Lucifer whipped him again and again, without mercy. Dean's coat and shirt were torn and his bloody, lacerated skin was visible through the tears. Through the haze of pain Dean managed to speak, vowing that if this were going to be the end, that Sam would know how much he had been loved.

"Sammy," Dean croaked through parched lips, his face pressed to the dusty ground. "I'm here Sam. I'm not going anywhere."

Lucifer knelt beside Dean and grabbed by the lapels of his tattered coat. He pulled his into a sitting position and looked him in the eye. "I can feel him you know, scrabbling away at the inside of his own mind, trying to save you. He doesn't give a damn about the world, all he cares about is saving you and you know what? I'm going to make him watch you die in the most horrible way I can imagine, and I have a very good imagination." Lucifer giggled manically.

Dean looked deep into the hazel eyes he knew so well. "Then finish it," Dean said, resigned. "Cause I'm not leaving him. You hear me Sam? I'm here and I love you."

The grin slid from Lucifer's face and a look of puzzlement took its place. A moment later there was a change in Lucifer and Dean knew that Sam was fighting to take control. He held onto his brother and prayed for him to find the strength to do so. "Sam?" Dean asked, allowing himself to hope.

A sad smile crossed Sam's face, for it was Sam who looked back at Dean now. "It's okay Dean." Sam said. "I've got him."

Sam got to his feet and reached slowly into his shirt for the amulet that lay nestled against his heart. He yanked the amulet from his neck, breaking the cord. Sam held the amulet out in front of him and looked at Dean. His eyes filled with tears. "I love you Dean." He said, a tremor in his voice. "I love you."

And with those final words Sam, without taking his eyes off Dean, recited the Enochian spell and threw the amulet at the ground as hard as he could. Nothing happened for a moment, then the amulet erupted in a fierce orange flame, holy fire which immediately engulfed Sam. Sam did not scream, just continued Looking at his brother as the flames climbed higher and higher.

"Sam!" Screamed Dean, but whether or not Sam could hear him he did not know.

Dean lay in the dirt and watched his brother burn as he had watched their mother burn so many years ago. The irony was lost on him in his grief. In a few minutes it was over, and Dean looked to where his brother had been standing, where now sat a pile of ash. He crawled to it and he could no longer hold back his tears. Behind him he heard movement, and then a voice next to him. It was Castiel.

"Dean." He said, but stopped, seeing the look on Dean's face. He leaned over and touched a hand to Dean's cheek, healing the wounds that Lucifer had inflicted. Dean did not notice the absence of pain, for a much deeper pain had taken its place, a grief so profound that Dean was sure he could not breathe for it.

Behind Castiel stood Bobby, both of them alive and well. Dean returned his gaze to what remained of his brother, weeping in earnest. He leaned forward, praying for Sam to come back the way they had, he prayed for his life to return to him, his soul. But he remained alone, his tears mingling with the ash. He knelt in the dirt for a long time, until it began to rain, gently and almost apologetically. Dean did not move, even long after the ashes had turned to mud.