Chapter Two

Sam watched as the portal seemed to explode around Dean, giving off an ethereal light. Sam shielded himself until the light faded. He glanced up to see Dean collapsed in the tunnel, which was now back to its original state.

"DEAN!" Sam yelled, rushing over towards the tunnel. He knelt beside his brother, pulling him into his arms. "Dean, come on! Wake up!"

"Who's down there?" came the voice of Jack Fenton from upstairs. "Maddie, there's a ghost in the lab! Get the Fenton Peeler!"

"Seriously, what is with these people?" Sam muttered as he struggled to pull his brother into his arms. "I got you."

Sam pulled Dean, who was still unconscious, into his arms and ran up the stairs, darting out the front door. As he closed the front door, he heard Jack running towards the lab.

"I'll get him!" Jack yelled.

"Not without me, honey!" Maddie called as she followed him.

Sam hurried to get Dean into the passenger seat of the Impala, and dug the car keys out of Dean's jacket pocket. Sam ran around to the driver's seat, sliding in and turning on the engine. He peeled away from the Fenton house and drove back towards the motel, parking in front of their room.

"Dean?" asked Sam. He shook Dean in the passenger seat, but Dean was still out of it. "Damn it."

Sam got out of the car and pulled Dean into his arms. He rushed towards the motel room, unlocking the door and darting inside. He settled Dean onto his bed, taking off his leather jacket. He rushed to the bathroom and grabbed a glass of water. He came back to the bed and dumped it on Dean's face.

"What the—" Dean coughed as he sat up suddenly, eyes blinking away the water. He looked down at his wet shirt in confusion and then up at the cup in Sam's hand. "What'd you do that for?"

"Uh, hello?" said Sam incredulously. "Lab explosion, you passed out?"

Dean frowned. "Oh, yeah. So what happened?"

"Well, I had to get you out of there because the ghost hunters were about to head down there," Sam told him. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I don't know," said Dean.

Sam picked up on this immediately. Dean usually repressed everything and hid it all, including life-threatening pain. The fact that he was actually telling Sam that he didn't know if he was hurt…something was up. "What do you mean, you don't know?"

"Just what I said, I don't know," Dean snapped. "I feel…different. I can't really explain it."

"Where does it hurt?" asked Sam.

"No, no, it's not that it hurts," Dean clarified. "It feels…weird."

Sam frowned. "Explain weird."

"I just said I can't," sighed Dean. "I feel…empty."

Sam's eyes widened in alarm. "Empty? That can't be good."

"Well, not empty, empty," said Dean. "Just…I don't know what I mean."

"Do you think something happened to you when the portal exploded?" asked Sam.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Well, gee, I hadn't thought of that, Captain Obvious. I thought it was just that time of the month."

"Shut up, wiseass," said Sam. "I'm trying to help you here. I mean, who knows what you were exposed to when that explosion happened."

"Whatever," said Dean. "I'm gonna take a shower."

"Fine," said Sam. "I'll research ghost portals on the internet."

Dean pulled open the curtain on the shower, reaching out for his towel. He brought the towel to his face, dabbing the water off of him. He lifted his leg to climb out of the tub, but with his thoughts focused on what had happened earlier, he realized too late that he hadn't lifted his leg high enough and he would collide with the side of the tub. He brought the towel away from him quickly, looking down to catch himself when he found his leg on the floor on the other side of the tub.

Huh, Dean thought, frowning. I was sure I hadn't lifted it high enough. I mean, it's not like my leg could just move through a solid object.

Dean chuckled a little as he shrugged and proceeded to dry himself off. Once dressed, he exited the bathroom to find Sam at his computer, fast asleep. Dean walked over to the table, where Sam was laying his upper half in front of the laptop. He brought his hand up and flicked Sam's ear very hard.

Sam jolted up, eyes wide and a slight line of drool on his chin. "Wha—I'm not asleep!"

Dean laughed. "Could've fooled me. Come on, let's hit up a bar."

Sam stared at him, blinking to remove the sleep. "You're serious? After everything that happened tonight, you want to head to a bar?"

"Hey, we need money," said Dean. "What better way than to hustle some pool?"

Sam rolled his eyes. "Whatever makes you feel better."

"That's more like it," said Dean, heading out the door to the Impala.

Dean sat in the driver's seat of the Impala, waiting for Sam to come out. After a few minutes, Sam walked out of the motel room and stopped, staring at the Impala with a confused look. Dean raised his hands at Sam in a 'come on' gesture. Sam looked over towards the office and back at the Impala, rolling his eyes. Sam walked over to the passenger door and climbed inside, staring out the passenger window and not talking to Dean.

Well, two can play that game, Dean thought as he reached for the keys.

"Come on, Dean," Sam muttered. "Where are you?"

Dean froze and looked over at him. "Right here, dude."

Sam jumped and spun his head to look over at Dean. His eyes seemed to explore the entire space in front of the steering wheel. "Dean?"

"Yeah," said Dean. "What's your problem, man?"

Sam's jaw dropped as he seemed to stutter for words. "You haven't seen yourself lately?"

Dean gave a cocky smile. "I know I'm smokin' hot and all, but this is taking things a little far, Sammy."

"Dean, look at your hands," said Sam in exasperation.

Dean frowned, but looked down at his hands…which weren't there. In fact, his entire body seemed to be gone. But…he was right there. He could feel it! But his eyes told him that he wasn't there at all. "What the hell happened to my body?"

"I don't know, man," said Sam. "Are you really there?"

Dean reached forward and grasped the rearview mirror, moving it back and forth. "Looks like. I'm invisible?"

"What the hell…" muttered Sam. He reached out with his hand until he touched Dean's shoulder. "This is so freaky." He brought his hand away. "I think we just found out what the side effect of that explosion was."

"You gotta be kidding me," said Dean, staring at his hands. This happened all of a sudden. I wonder if I can reverse it. He began concentrating on reappearing.

"Either way," began Sam, "I'm gonna have to drive until we find a way to make you—" Sam broke off as Dean's body reappeared in the driver's seat, "—visible."

"I'm back!" said Dean. He looked at the dashboard of the Impala. "Don't worry, baby. I'd never let him drive you."

"Gee, thanks," said Sam. "How the hell did you do that?"

"I don't really know," said Dean. "I just concentrated, and it happened."

"I think it's time we get some help," said Sam.

"Bobby's?"

Sam nodded. "Bobby's."