38. Playing Referee

"I thought I was clear, you two," Rowena says to us disdainfully. "I requested more time, not an assistant."

Sam and I have roped Charlie into helping save Dean's ass. I'd driven us back to the room Sam and I are holding Rowena in.

"I'm sorry, but did I not make it clear to you that Charlie isn't your assistant?" I sass the witch right back. "You're hers."

Rowena glares at Charlie. "And you studied your craft where?"

"Mostly a joint called Mass Java," says Charlie. "It has excellent Wi-Fi."

"I have not heard of this institution, and I know all the great global centers of witchcraft."

I roll my eyes. Leave it to Rowena to try and act all snooty about her witchcraft knowledge.

"Makes sense," says Charlie, "'cause I'm not a witch. I'm a nerd. And I know all the great centers of nerddom."

"Rowena, are you done marking your turf?" Sam says. "Listen, Charlie has the tech chops that'll speed up cracking Nadya's codex. You will spot the ancient curses and spells, and that'll put this whole mess in context."

"Oh, hey, Cassie," I greet the angel as he steps into the room.

"Cas," Charlie says as she notices him too. "Are you in on this, too?"

"Hell's bells," Rowena gasps. "More distractions?"

"Back off, witch," I say lowly.

"Easy, Jo," Sam warns me.

Rowena looks at me in amusement. "A bit tense, lass? Are you done marking your territory?"

"Not quite."

"Josette, please," says Cas.

Rowena looks at Cas, which makes me more annoyed. "What are you? Witch or nerd?"

"Angel."

"Beg pardon?"

"Castiel has, uh, powers...spiritual muscle that'll help safeguard the work," Sam explains.

"Safeguard it from what?"

"You," I say simply. "Sam can't be here full time to referee."

"Whoa, whoa," Cas butts in. "And I can?"

"Yes. Please. Please do this for us."

"Well, what are the rules? If I'm gonna referee, I should at least know them."

I sigh as Rowena looks at Cas oddly. "Quite literal, aren't you?" she says. "Does he know that the first rule is don't tell your brother what we're doing?"

"Wait...Dean doesn't know? Sam, Josette, this never ends well."

"That's exactly what I said," Charlie voices.

"Okay, everyone take a breath," I say bitingly. "Look, we're up against it, okay? And we've all been up against it before, and we know there are times when every choice sucks."

"Now, us...lying to Dean...is the choice that sucks the least," Sam says, bouncing off of my words. "We have to make this work. Please."

"Okay, yeah," Charlie agrees. "For Dean."

"Cas?"

"Okay. For Dean."

"For Dean," Sam and I say together.

"I barely know the man," Rowena comments, scrunching her face up.

"Doesn't matter, we've got you stuck down here with us," I say.

"Jo?" Sam asks me. "Can you do me one huge favor?"

"Sure."

"Stay here with them."

"I'm sorry?"

"Just in case Cas isn't enough muscle."

"Way to insult him, he's right here." I gesture to Cas, who doesn't seem to be offended at all. I toss Sam my truck keys. "If Dean asks, make up a good lie for me, okay?"

Sam gives me an uneasy smile. "Sure thing."

"I'll text you if anything happens."

"I can get working right now," says Charlie as she takes a table far away from Rowena.

"Sam's wise to keep you here with me," Cas mutters to me as the two redheads in the room work on breaking the codex.

"Afraid, Cassie?" I tease. "Charlie won't bite, and Rowena's all chained up. I can't say the same about me though."

"Really, Josette?"

"Hey, I'm just saying, we could run off for a few hours and they wouldn't move a muscle."

"If you two would tone down the sexual tension in the room, that would be fantastic," Rowena drawls.

"This is going to take a while," Charlie moans, already rubbing her forehead. "But nobody said this was gonna be easy."

Nothing ever is with us.

Things are off to a rocky start while Cas and I babysit Charlie and Rowena. For the most part, the two tolerate each other. Charlie thinks she makes some headway in breaking the code, but then hits a roadblock, to which Rowena throws in a smartass quip that makes Charlie give her a stare that could curdle milk.

When words become sharper and more threatening, I make Cas run out and do a small grocery run. Best part is I don't have to lift a finger or seduce him, although I will say I wouldn't have minded doing so.

"Damn it," Charlie curses for about the fifth time. I'm still referee, Cas is still out grocery shopping.

"That miraculous machine of yours hasn't solved everything by now?" Rowena coughs. "Overrated, I'd say."

"I'm using the computer to find some pattern in the book's coding or any synchronicity with the symbols in Nadya's codex."

"Oh. I'm more old-school. I read the signs nature shows me...the forces that ruled before there was man."

"Wow. Why didn't I think of that?"

"Okay, it sounds like blood sugar is dipping in here," says Cas, whose back with one plastic bag full of goodies. "I got snacks. When I was human, I grew very fond of these pork rinds."

"I never knew that," I whisper to myself. I remember Human Cas. Of course, I'd known him as "Steve" then. I'd been living a normal life, in my original, born body. How things can change in a year.

"What do you know about the chick who wrote the Book of the Damned?" Charlie asks Rowena.

"Agnes was a hermit nun...and as mad as a hatter," says the witch. "Made it her business to undo curses."

"Like the one that caused the Mark of Cain," says Cas.

"As in any struggle between good and evil, balance is required. To cure one curse, Agnes had to know how to inflict another. They live side-by-side in the magic world. One cannot be without the other."

"Sure, sure," says Charlie. "Like, uh, a binary system. So, I got to think like a hermit nun."

"Did I mention they burned her alive?"

"'They'?" I inquire.

"A cornucopia of curses and satanic visions did not go unnoticed by the church hierarchy. These men would not abide a rogue nun."

"Poor Agnes," Charlie says. "Ahead of her time."

"Much like you and I."

"Well..." I start to say.

"I actually don't...see our similarities all that much," Charlie admits to Rowena.

"Because you're young and good and I'm ancient and evil? Is that it?"

"Wha...?"

"Let me tell you about you...a difficult and lonely childhood. Tragedy, absent parents. Always outside the mainstream. Sexually progressive. Living in your own head for solace and direction."

"Yeah, but still, we are pretty different."

"I read you the minute I saw you. And I'm sure you're learning that the line between good and evil is quite flexible." Rowena steals a glance at me. "But we part company when it comes to blind devotion. Case in point...the Winchesters. You've made them the family you don't have. Foolish."

"Sam and Dean are like my brothers, and Josette has become something of a sister to me. I love them."

"I know. And that steadfast loyalty will be your undoing, my girl."

"Okay, psychoanalysis session is done," I say, clapping my hands loudly.

"Do you want me to read you next, lass?"

"I'll pass, thank you."

"What, fear that I'll be spot-on?"

Yes. "No."

Rowena puts her chin in her hand. "That's practically a challenge." Her green eyes narrow in concentration. "Middle child, absent mother, not much in the father department, either. You've always had to fight for yourself. Always wanted to disobey rules. Always has that thirst for danger, even if you don't want to admit it."

"I didn't realize this was turning into the Dr. Phil show." I snort, crossing my arms. "If you're trying to pull something over on me, witch, it's not gonna work."

"Ah, this façade, where you act as though you're unaffected by words when really they gnaw at your very soul...or what's left of it in this case. Must be a Winchester thing, your brothers are the same way."

"Josette," Cas says warningly, grabbing my arm. I don't realize I've moved towards Rowena until he's at my side.

"Oh, no, let the lass go. Let her show her true colors. Oh, isn't that such a struggle for you, Josette? To let you be you?"

"What's she talking about?" Charlie asks.

"Nothing," I say, waving Charlie off.

Rowena picks up something to file her nails with and starts on a finger. "It's only a matter of time before you snap, dearie."

"Stop goading her," Cas orders. "Come on." A little forcefully, Cas pulls me aside, and I hear Charlie follow us. "Josette."

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not." He moves hair out of my face. "Don't listen to her. You know better than to."

"I do." I nod. "She's just trying to find someone's skin to get under. Who best to trigger than the demon who's trying to do good?"

"I'll pretend like I didn't hear the word 'demon' come out of your mouth," Charlie says conversationally.

"Don't want to be alone with her?" I ask. "She's your assistant in this, Charlie. You got to work with her."

"Kind of hard to work with someone who isn't of much use. I'm doing my best, but with her criticizing, breathing down my neck, trying to sign me up for Team Witch...oh, oh, and moaning how the one good year for music was seventeen-twenty-three...I...I'm going crazy. I know. No, I mean, she's evil."

"She is a wicked witch," says Cas, "so by definition..."

"No, no, no, I mean something bad is gonna happen here. Castiel, man, just spring me for two hours, one hour...anyplace quiet. Dean is my buddy, and I cannot screw this up, but...but my mind is...is...it's a wad of gummy worms. Please."

Cas and I look at each other.

"I'll take her somewhere," I offer. "Give me a chance to stretch my legs."

"Are you sure?" Cas asks.

I nod. "We'll be back before you know it."

"Hold on,, we need to talk to Sam about this." Charlie and I groan. "What? Charlie, just, try to work with her a bit longer, please?"

"Josette!" Charlie whines, looking at me with big eyes. "Come on, you agree with me!"

"I have a feeling if we try and run off, Cas and Sam will give us hell for it," I say slowly.

"So what if they do?" Charlie throws her hands up in annoyance. "You can protect me in case God forbid someone comes for us."

"She does make a point," I note to Cas.

"No, we need to make this work," he insists.

Charlie looks crestfallen, but I lead her back into the room, where Rowena glances and then goes back to filing her nails like nothing's even happened. I lean against a wall, watching Charlie as she goes back sullenly to work on her laptop.

Naturally, Rowena seeks this opportunity to start talking and become a nuisance.

"Let me focus," Charlie insists.

"The greatest witches of history have sought my counseling," Rowena says haughtily. "Yet you spurn me when I offer myself as collaborator!"

"Oh, my God!"

"For the record, we volunteered you to help her," I point out to Rowena. "You didn't offer out of the goodness of your black heart."

"One to talk about black hearts, aren't you, lass?"

I roll my eyes.

Cas comes back into the room and heads towards Rowena.

"What's going on?" I ask.

"I got off the phone with Sam," he says. "We can separate them, Charlie gets her peace and quiet, and we can keep watch over Rowena."

"I thought I was helping her?" says Rowena. "Why are you splitting us up?"

"Because she needs the alone time."

"Alone time?"

"Fine, if that's the case, then you watch Rowena, I get Charlie," I tell Cas fervently. "Since you and Sam disagree with me on this."

Cas leads Rowena away by her handcuffs, and Charlie and I exchange a look. I nod towards the exit.

"Come on, kiddo." I start leaving. "Cas and Sam might think they know what you need, but I know what you really need."

**So...Rowena's analysis of Jo, accurate or just a dig under her skin?**