A/N~ Ok I confess a tiny homage to an inter-dimensional time traveler done for my son who is a huge fan of the series. As in he would often take a bean bag at three am and go watch the show, when he was just eight. He's much older now and I have it on good authority he still does it just without the bean bag chair. ~A

Chapter 14

The lady doctors former exhaustion and irritation were suddenly cast aside as she lifted the child out of Vex's arms and carried her into the guest room of her apartment. The heat of the child's body seeped through the thin fabric of her Lauren's pajama top, confirming she had a fever.

The fact the child didn't respond told her that the young girl was unconscious and possibly already comatose, "How long has she been like this?" she asked quickly. Only to discover the Mesmer wasn't behind her like she expected, "Vex?" She called, and then rushed back to the front door, the thought surged that maybe the Mesmer had abandoned the girl here with her.

Only to find him still kneeling in her doorway, when he reached for his shoulder to get his attention she felt that he was just as hot as the young girl. "Good grief Vex. Tell me you're not one of those self-sacrificing martyr types? It'll ruin my whole image of you."

A husky chuckle erupted from the too thin, club owners lips as he said, "Perish the thought, doc. Just catching my breath," It was obvious that the huskiness wasn't just in his chuckle, his breath was raspy as he struggled to his feet. He leaned against the door jamb as he asked, "Did I make it in time, is she…"

The doctor slid under the fae's shoulder to help him into her apartment as she said, "Too early to tell, but you're almost as bad. I'm going to put you in the same bed. That way you don't have to worry too much and I don't have to walk too far to treat you both."

She felt the fae's weight sag a bit and was worried he was about to pass out on her only to hear the relief in his voice as he said, "Perfectly practical of you doc." he said as they worked their way with almost painful slowness into her guest room.

Lauren went back to her kitchen to get her bag. It was actually a purse that a light fae had created for her. Kenzi had geeked out over it when she had looked inside and said, "It's like the Tardis," When Lauren had confessed that she had no idea what that meant. The horrified young Goth had spent the next several weeks bringing over CD's and educating the physician on Dr. Who.

The doctor had finally explained to the younger woman that the bag wasn't a construct affecting time but rather a Null Space where the various medicines, herbs and equipment she needed could be stored.

"Ok so a bag of holding from D & D, instead of a Tardis then?" When Lauren had merely shrugged her shoulders in defeat. Kenzi claimed the victory and still insisted it was a Tardis and when they were alone before she sacrificed herself, had called Lauren the Doctor, or occasionally the Time Lord.

Which was infinitely more embarrassing, after all she really was a doctor, at least. She pulled out a few things and a bottle of water from the fridge before heading back to treat her newest patients. She focused on treating her patients, giving them the proper meds in the proper proportions. A little challenging because she didn't know how old the young girl was and the fact she looked ten but was actually nearly two thousand didn't help at all.

The fae weren't really having children anymore, and hadn't been for centuries didn't help with that at all and she imagined that if Kenzi or Bo were here they would tell her the young woman's imagined age from her appearance as it was she judged her young patients body weight more than her age to determine the dose of medicines she was giving.

She elevated both of their heads with additional pillows to ease their breathing. Then did an old wives trick that Kenzi had actually taught her for respiratory ailments, and hung a bag of onions on the bedposts. For a moment she was afraid that Vex had fallen unconscious, but when she checked his temperature, his eyes opened heavily.

"Still here, doc." he said slowly, tone still husky.

"Okay I need you to take this. It's a concoction of antiviral and herbal remedy," he blond said as she offered the fae a small medicine cu and the bottle of water. "I think I have a pair of Dyson's sweat pants here that you can wear. I also have an old sleep shirt that the little on will probably swim in but at least you'll be a bit more comfortable than trying to sleep in your street clothes."

The Mesmer said with a surprisingly sweet smile , "Doc have I ever mentioned you are the sweetest human doctor I've ever known?" He then gulped down the cup of medicine and made a face before saying, "I've tasted worse."

Lauren shook her head as she prepared the proper does for the younger looking fae, "Vex I'm pretty sure I'm the only human doctor you've ever known."

The dark fae's voice began to slur as the medicine and the effects of his illness began to kick in, "Not true, there was that one fellow, couple centuries ago. Right entertaining git he was, loved playing around in his head…..what was his name Sigmund…yeah that was it… Ssigmund Floyd or ssomething like that."

With that last bit the thin fae finally succumbed to sleep.

The doctor actually stared at the dark fae's innocent looking face brushing the swear soaked hair out of his eyes as she replied in an amused tone, "That actually explains so much." Before she continued working on her two sleeping patients.

~O~

Trick was surprised when he made it into the dark fae compound unchallenged. Usually there were at least half a dozen dark fae guards there to search him, search his belongings, asking him to state his business, and barring that just generally bully and harass him.

The front office which was a reception area was also disturbingly empty. No receptionist to take your name and give you a number or at least a time for how long you would have to wait to be seen. There were also no other guests waiting to be seen by the Morrigan or possibly by one of the dark fae council members. So far the dark fae compound seemed to be deserted, and the Blood King had the sense that he might just be walking into a trap.

He fingered a charm dangling from a bracelet that Kenzi had given him. it was something that he still wasn't sure where the young woman had gotten it. The charm was basically used to transport a person back to a place where they feel safe. It was used by the nobles of the fae to get them out of battle situations.

Of course it was only able to be used by the council or the Ashe and Morrigan because, no one else could afford the expense of the magical spells that had to be placed upon the object to make it work. The Goth girl had never told him whether it was a light or dark fae pocket her nimble fingers had picked to get him the gift.

She had merely reminded him of the number of times he had found himself in situations where a quick escape would have come in handy. Unlike the newer members of the nobility of the fae, Trick rarely, i.e., never abandoned his friends. Since he had no friends here though that shouldn't be a problem.

Then the bodies started appearing. He was pretty sure that all of them weren't dead, but he covered his face with a kerchief he had around his neck. He had learned a few things from Dr. Lauren.

He walked right between the four guards on duty at the entrance to the Morrigan's throne room. This was the first time that the Trick had been inside this particular chamber of the compound since he had ceased being the Blood King several centuries ago.

He walked into the throne room and there sitting on the throne was a very much the worse for wear and ill looking Evony.

"Come to gloat over your supposed victory then, little man?" the Morrigan said as she forced her body into a more erect sitting position within the dark fae throne room. It was obvious that this small action cost her though as he usual olive tone was more grey then golden right now.

"What's going on here Evony?" He took a slight risk in reminding the Morrigan that to a large part of the fae community they were on equal footing by using her real name.

"What does it look like old man, we are all sick. Some of us are already dying or dead. You pretend you don't know what is going on when you and the light fae are behind all of this?" she said leaning back against the high back of the throne.

"Then why would the light fae also be sick, Evony." Trick asked reasonably.

The Morrigan looked momentarily confused, before her face cleared and she hissed, "You're lying. They poisoned us, they wouldn't poison themselves as well."

"Yet they would all still be sick if it weren't for the doctor." Trick explained, even as a dark thought entered his head.

"How convenient," the dark fae replied huskily. "Perhaps it was she who caused this illness in the first place.

Trick crossed his arms and glared at the other fae with a gimlet eye. "Oh yes, save a race who treats you as no more than chattel most of the time. After of course you somehow found however much time it takes to create one of these viruses, not to mention you have to figure out the cure for the illness. After all what if it were able to be spread to humans or something?"

Trick began to pace as he spoke, "I'm going to ignore that last statement and assume that you are delirious from the fever and illness you obviously have. I'm also going to ignore the fact that in order for you and the rest of the dark fae to have caught this illness you would have had to have a spies in the light fae compound. At least one, but probably more like several of them to infect so many of your people so quickly. Ones who brought the illness no matter how unknowingly from the light fae to you."

He looked her over and sneered through the kerchief, "I actually didn't come here to see you Evony. When you decide to be reasonable if you can still move, I suggest you come see me. I'll be in your library, doing research." Trick said before walking back out into the hallway and down to the library. His intended destination when he had first entered the dark fae compound. He had research to do.