A/N:

YOU GUYS ARE SO GOING TO KILL ME FOR THIS let's tip off the finale, shall we?

THANK YOU to all who are still sticking around and THANKS TO THOSE who never gave up on this.

THANK YOU to all the reviewers, followers and fans who are still reading.

THANK YOU for all the sweet and powerful reviews I received while I was fighting my way back to the surface.

SO here we go …

THEN:

In the fading red moonlight, it glistened in a dark shade of scarlet.

"Sam?", Dean croaked out, trying to wrap his mind around what was just happening. In no-time he was hovering over him. "Hey."

There was more liquid oozing from his mate's orifices. His eyes, ears, nose, mouth.

Panic got a hold on the former hunter. "Sammy?!", his voice hitched.

Then he was on all four, nudging Sam onto his back.

His mate's yaw opened, and with a jolt, dozens – no HUNDREDS – of death moths shot out of his mouth, filling the room with absolute darkness.

Fields of Jasmine

Chapter 40 ~ Into the Shadow

Dean Winchester bolted into an upright position, yanking the covers from Sam's settled form beside him.

He was panting, a thin layer of sweat covering his body from tip to toe. Dean took a deep inhale, his eyes darting towards Sam, taking in his sleeping unharmed form for a moment.

A deep inhale was supposed to clear his mind, but it wouldn't work. Fear and panic lingered deep inside of him, keeping his heart at a quick pace.

As if on command, Sam's eyes snapped open, breathing in deeply.

His nose wrinkled. A sharp stench of sulfur and something else bit into the linings of his nose. Though, that wasn't the first thing he noticed.

It was Dean.

Panting. Forcing deep intakes of air into his lungs in order to calm his racing heart down.

The former hunter's eyes wide open in terror, his hands fisting the covers as if holding onto dear life.

Sam tilted his head up, looking intently, his foggy brain trying to figure out what was happening right now.

"Dean?", he asked, his voice sleep-rough and hoarse. "You okay?"

Dean was still panting. "Yeah ...", he breathed, "Just a bad dream." He took another deep inhale. "Just a bad dream.", he repeated to himself.

Sam reached for Dean's hand, tugging at it. "It's okay. - Come back to sleep."

Dean nodded, settled down and stared at the ceiling.

Dean Winchester didn't sleep that night.

~ 67' Chevy Impala ~

It shouldn't stay with this one.

Many followed.

Seeing Sam strung up on a rack, torn apart by hell's creatures.

Sam, all tortured and begging him to end this. ALWAYS begging him to end this.

Blood dripping from his mouth, his intestines sprayed on the floor and walls.

There have been hundreds of ways someone could die. His mate could die...

It wasn't just the devil who'd kill Sam.

Dean would have dreams, where he'd torture him himself. Where his hands would be covered in blood, his clothes soaked, clinging to his skin.

And he would like it. He would like it so much … until he'd wake up.

Watching the devil snapping his mate's neck. What seemed to be the most human way of snipping someone's lights out, by all what Dean Winchester had to experience during his dreams.

He wouldn't go back to sleep after those dreams. There was no way in hell or on earth he could. Instead he'd lay in bed and watch Sam's deep slumber.

By the day they would become more and more intense.

The devil knew exactly how to get to his very nerve, terrorizing him with pain, guilt and loss.

He had told Sam and Bobby a few days ago – because he couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't take the pain anymore. And he couldn't take Sam's growing worry, with each day that passed, anymore.

He had noticed Sam's hurting about not sharing with him what it was, that kept him up all night and day, not wanting to go to sleep at all.

The former hunter was so tired.

He couldn't take this anymore. Watching Sam die over and over again in certain ways. It hurt him physically.

That, and the fact that it was a more important question nagging at him: Would he be capable of putting his mate's life before the ones of millions of people out there?

Or would he choose to loose Sam, to eventually save all those humans, who didn't even had an idea about what was going on? Would he be saving humanity though?

And third: If he wouldn't say yes, he may as well would loose Sam and damn the world to burn in the fiery pits of hell.

The devil had made it clear to him.

There was no way out. He had to choose … And if he'd choose wherever Sam nor the world, he'd loose everything. The devil would make sure, that Dean'd survive the apocalypse, to watch them all die at a torturing slow pace …

He would keep the former hunter on the surface of his very being to see and feel the deaths on his count over and over again, generating Dean's very own hell just for him. For eternity.

Dean figured this wasn't about him and that he wasn't the victim here. It was about all the others out there and first of all, this was about Sam.

Dean knew he found himself at the breach of a severe decision to make.

And he knew, it was only up to him how to deal with this, no matter what Sam or Bobby would tell him.

Sam came up with grisgris-bags, spells and very dubious stuff to try and keep the devil away. Neither of them worked. At all.

Except for the devil taunting the hunter about it in his dreams, it wouldn't do anything.

~ 67' Chevy Impala ~

That night though – it was different.

Dean didn't open his eyes to begging, sobbing and blood and gore.

He woke to a calm and nicely lit place. Bright sunlight and green trees. Birds chirping, insects going having their business with flowers.

He opened his eyes to a peaceful state of mind. All settled and nice.

Sam sat at the very middle of a clearing, seemingly also at peace with himself, smiling the brightest smile Dean had ever seen on the omega.

He looked so damn free … as if nothing in his past had ever happened …

Lucifer lurked over the Winchester's shoulder, a low hum rolling from his lips, letting the air around them bristle.

"Change of plans? You're trying to lure me in now?", Dean's voice broke.

"No luring. This is, how it could be for Sam when the apocalypse is over.", the devil spoke softly. "When I burnt the world to the ground. When everything is settled. - When this is over, earth will revive. - Sooner or later the world is going to burn and humanity will be going down." he paused. "But it hasn't to be Sam burning too, you know? I can provide a lucky ever after for him."

Dean closed his eyes for a brief moment.

"So for you, Dean. - I can do that for you too. A world where you're with your mate for all eternity? Living a happy life ..."

"It wouldn't be for real.", the Winchester breathed.

"You are right. It wouldn't. - But with the fact in mind, that Sam is sound and save, offering him a new start … - would it really matter that it would be a never-ending dream to you? Providing Sam a future with a mate he can – in fact – get happy with? No pain. No hurt. No monsters lurking at him from the dark?" The devil kept his voice soft and humming as if singing to him a sirens song in order so he would let himself being dragged down under the surface of the wailing sea.

"He wouldn't remember anything. - He could forget everything that happened to him. Sam could have the life you can't offer, Dean."

Dean swallowed thickly. His eyes welling up with unshed tears, as the devil told him what Sam deserved. He knew what Sam deserved, what life could be like for the omega if it wasn't for Dean Winchester.

"So ...", the former hunter chocked out, "You're telling me he can forget. - He's going to get a new start? Without any of this … this crap that happened. - He wouldn't remember me, would he?"

"No Dean. He won't remember you. - That's the price you'll have to pay to give him what he needs. What he deserves." Lucifer moved back, to whisper into Dean's other ear: "You know what he deserves, Dean."

"What if I'd say yes. - How'd this work?" He opened his eyes, pupils dark and blown wide, determinacy reflecting from their very core.

That night, Dean Winchester wouldn't wake up panting and staring ahead in terror.

That night, Dean Winchester slept, dangled in Sam's arms who held him close.

to be continued

A/N: This is going to be one hell of an ending folks … at least if it ends the way I have planned to end this …

One more chapter to go ...