Compromised
Maggie finds Harry feverishly working on translating the book of elders. Literally feverish. She tries to stop him, to get him to rest; but he needs to find answers. His skin shows the taint of the assassin's poison. She gets him to sit down, offering to get him some tea.
He is having difficulty in speaking and breathing. He is upset, but out of habit pulls on his old fashioned habits to try and thank her and tell her not to worry; she sees pass that even without her magical abilities, but when he collapses, she screams for help.
He can hear Maggie calling for help, and he wants to go to her but he can't, he is just too tired. He can't even open his eyes. He is struggling to breathe.
He hears his name being called in different voices and tones; one calls him home. He opens his eyes and he doesn't know where he is but there is a tall woman in the dimmed light, a delicate hand softly grasping his hand and then caresses his cheek. He leans into the touch. On some level he knows this is not real, he sees a face like his but this is not the Harry Greenwood that he knows. It isn't the James Westwell that he knows either. He would almost say it is the assassin but he doesn't see the same dark intent to kill. He knows not to trust unquestioningly, when he is told. "We are waiting for you. Time to come home. Come home to me." Harry thinks he must be delirious; he can almost understand why Macy had described his doppelganger as seductive, or maybe it is only his subconscious? He doesn't want to fight, he just wants to rest his weary head. Arms embrace him, calling him home, he feels so small in them, so safe. "She is waiting. Come home to us."
He is disoriented when he finds himself looking up to Maggie's face. "Harry stay awake!" He wants to reassure her that everything is going to be fine, but a sudden flare of pain takes his breath away. He has enough control to keep himself from saying something rude but his gasp of pain, strikes like a knife to the heart for his charge.
He opens his eyes briefly and sees her face filling with tears. He hears Mel's voice behind her.
He closes his eyes, but keeps breathing and he feels himself once again being pulled in different directions. Maggie is holding his hand but lets him go as she helps her sister assemble various items on the table next to him, and the next moment he is gone.
"Did he just orb?"
"Where did he go?"
The two sisters call in one voice "HARRY!"
He reappears in the same spot, but he is getting worse.
Mel snatches a cuff from the table. She doesn't need their delirious whitelighter making any unexpected trips. She snaps it on him. Mel instructs him to drink a potion which he takes with some difficulty but manages to force it down his throat. He breathes a little easier and glows faintly before he passes into a magically induced sleep.
Undisclosed location with unidentified parties.
"What did you do? He was here!"
"He was but he was also called back before we could bind him. He will be too drained to make another attempt today."
"You just want to keep him away from me. You want him for yourself."
"No. I want him here as much as you do."
"I need him, the last of the whitelighters."
"He won't come willingly not when he still feels he has to protect those witches."
"He will come if he thinks he is protecting them."
"He won't stay. He will always try to go back to them."
Conjuring a simple looking ring of glowing green, the other declared "No. He won't. Not with this."