Disclaimer : I own nothing to do with Lost Girl the show, characters, and story arcs aired on Showcase belong to others who are most definitely not me. I do this for my own entertainment and yours, I earn no profits from my efforts.

Glancing down at her arm for what seemed like the millionth time Kenzi knew she was in serious trouble. Not only had the rash not faded but it had started to spread. At first it had only covered the top of her forearm but now it had reached her shoulder and started to web out even further. She'd tried everything she could think of on her own, now it was time to call in the cavalry. The only question left to answer being which cavalry.

She couldn't tell Bo, at least not yet, if her BFF found out she'd gotten hurt by a Fae she'd want to go all UFC on them and from what she knew of the Norn that would not end well for either side. The only reason she'd been able to do what she'd done was because she wasn't Fae, and therefore not subject to their rules. Sort of.

She didn't want to go to Dyson, because she knew he would just blame himself, since he was the reason she'd gone to the Norn in the first place and he had enough going on in his life without the added guilt of her possible impending death.

She wouldn't go to Hale because he was the world's worst at keeping secrets, especially from Dyson. If she went down that road she may as well just go straight to Dyson. Then Dyson would go running to Bo defeating the purpose behind the process of elimination she was agonizing over.

Her final and probably best option was Trick. With a little fast talking she could probably convince Trickster to keep things on the DL if only for a little while. Just tell him not to worry anyone unnecessarily, he should go for that. With that heady optimism in mind she took a deep breathe, grabbed her jacket and headed for the Dal.

Dyson and Bo had just walked out leaving Trick alone in the Dal before the start of the evening rush. They'd come to him worried about their mutual human darling Kenzi. Truthfully everyone was worried about her, at least everyone who knew her well. She had been avoiding them since the Garuda had been defeated, continually keeping to herself locked away in her room. The Kenzi they all loved and admired for her seemingly endless font of courage and strength never kept to herself. She was at times a little too open and friendly, but in the past few weeks she'd become withdrawn and more sedate than any of them had ever seen her.

Bo had gone to Dyson trying to figure things out, when neither of them could figure out what to do, the two had come to him looking for advice and guidance. The only thing they'd been able to come up with was that maybe the fight had caused more damage than they originally thought.

She had almost died, and then after everything was said and done that fact was almost casually pushed aside. Like talking to the girl about it meant admitting that they had almost lost her to one of the many perils of their world. The only counsel he'd been able to offer the worried pair with the information he had was to talk to her, maybe even get her in to see a Fae shrink. Someone with whom she had no connection who could hear her out and help her work through whatever it was that was keeping their normally bubbly and vivacious human companion far from them.

Their weren't many Fae who worked with claimed humans, many saw it as beneath them, but there were a few who were willing to help a traumatized pet now and again.

Hearing the door open he looked up to tell the early patron that the bar wasn't open yet, but stopped with his mouth hanging open. There at the entrance was the very subject of his recent musings, Kenzi. She was dressed to the nines in her usual Kenzi-esq fashion. Her straight black hair had streaks of red in it this week. She wore her favorite boots that she'd finally finished paying for, the ones she'd gone around his bar showing off to anyone and everyone with eyes for a week after she'd gotten her hands on them. Her black jeans were as per her usual so tight he wondered how she could breathe with them on. She had on a long sleeve purple bejeweled top slightly covered by her signature black vest that was just one size too small for her.

Looking her up and down, while he couldn't see anything physically different, he could sense the change in her personality very clearly. Normally whenever she entered the Dal she was bouncing even if she was standing in one place, she would look around as though she would suddenly see something new that she'd somehow missed in all her visits before. She did none of that now, now her eyes were tired and her body was stiff like she really didn't want to be where she was.

"Kenzi? If you're looking for Bo you just missed her." And she's beyond worried about you and I can see why now, he added silently suddenly frightened for his young friend. He'd never truly cared about a human before Kenzi came into his life, looking at her now he remembered with stunning clarity just how fragile humans are.

"I'm actually looking for you Trick. Can we talk?" Her words were hesitant, and spoken more towards the floor than to him personally.

"Of course what did you wish to speak about?"

He did his best to stay still, and not make any sudden movements. She reminded him more than ever of a frightened deer that could and would bolt at any moment. Reaching behind him he grabbed a bottle of tequila and placed it on the bar as a sort of peace offering. The advice he'd given Bo and Dyson rang in his mind, but looking at her now he knew there was something more than just battle fatigue weighing on her small shoulders, and he was determined to find out the truth.

He watched her slowly approach the bar and even more slowly take her seat. Her brow kept crinkling as though she kept thinking over what to say, or if she should say anything at all. Keeping silent was the hardest thing he'd ever done when all he wanted to do was comfort her and assure her that whatever the problem was they'd figure it out.

Finally after ten minutes of spinning the tequila bottle on the bar, never once taking a drink, his patience paid off.

"You know Dyson got his love back from the Norn right?"

"Yes." Short to the point answers, just keep her talking.

"Do you know how he got it back?"

"No." Thinking on it now he thought it strange that Dyson hadn't elaborated any further when he'd told him about the new turn of events. He'd assumed he'd gone to the Norn and pled his case. Looking at Kenzi now he knew he'd been wrong.

"After Ciara's funeral service here at the Dal, Dyson and I went to the Norn. We told her what was happening and what we'd come for and I offered her Ciara's bracelet in trade. She refused, very rudely in fact. Afterwards Dyson just gave up and went home to work out his aggression on his poor punching bag; I'd pretty much given up to. Then I talked to Bo and something she said got me thinking again, we needed Dyson to win. Not Dyson-lite we needed the real protective, in your face, whole Dyson."

Throughout her story she never once looked at him. She turned the tequila bottle around and around on the bar, not once taking her eyes off the spinning glass.

"So I went back to the Norn with a chainsaw and I ha hmm convinced her that giving me Dyson's love to return to him was in the best interest of everyone involved. While she was getting the bottle she did her song and dance trying to get me to make a deal, but you can't con a con so I refused. When she finally held the bottle out I grabbed it and when I backed out of arms reach I hit a desk or something behind me. You should have seen this room Trick it was like a serial killer version of hoarders. Anyway when I hit the desk this jar of black goo fell and some of it got on my arm. It burned so I wiped it away and I was fine, but then after the Garuda…"

She paused in her tale to clear her throat and, based on the deep breaths she took, gather her courage. Not that she seemed to need it, to take on a Norn was nearly impossible for a Fae, for a human to take her on and win was unheard of. This small human girl had more courage than any creature he'd ever met. Her unwillingness to continue her story made him worry. What could be so bad that she didn't want to tell him?

"After the Garuda fight when we all came back to the Dal... Hale and I were talking and getting our drink on, just sort of celebrating that we made it through. He noticed a mark on my arm and when I pulled my sleeve back we saw a rash right were that gunk had touched me. I played it off but it's … it's spreading Trick."

Pushing back her sleeve she placed her arm on the bar showing him the angry red rash that covered her entire arm. He was stunned, when he placed a hand on it to try and feel the texture she jerked back in pain. Looking up into her eyes intending to apologize he saw something he never thought he'd see. Her blue grey eyes were swimming with unshed tears, she was frightened.

"It's all the way up my arm and it's starting to spread further. I need your help Trick. Please help me!"

"Kenzi!" Walking into their home with Dyson in tow Bo tried not to be nervous. This was Kenzi they talked all the time, albeit not so much lately, but still talking to her best friend should not fill her with trepidation. The only thing running through her mind was what if she screwed this up. What if she lost Kenzi not to death, but to whatever had been weighing down her normally weightless friend.

"Kenz!" After the second call still got no answer she glanced back at Dyson arching her brow in question. She waited a moment as he took a deep breathe.

"She's not here."

"Well that sort of blew that plan out of the water didn't it? Hopefully she's already talking to someone more qualified to deal with whatever is up with her lately."

She could only hope.

After Trick had stopped wiggin' which had actually taken longer than she would have thought, she'd really managed to surprise the old bugger; he'd suggested they go see the Ash. Kenzi had been reluctant at first thinking that there was no reason Trick couldn't just help her himself which was when he pointed out a very big reason why. He didn't have the resources available to him that the Ash had. The Norn was a heavy hitter and whatever she'd done to Kenzi, even if they managed to find the answers in his back room of books, it might take too long to puzzle out on their own.

She'd waited on tender hooks as he made the call and explained the situation. She'd half expected him to turn them away, after all Bo wasn't aligned with the Light Fae and Kenzi wasn't even Fae at all, he really had no reason to help her. The only thing she could see that she had going for her was that this happened while helping a Light Fae enforcer. Unfortunately that might also be a strike against her, ever since Lachlan found out Tricks real name he'd begun to question Dyson's loyalty. In the end it was pretty much a toss up.

"The meeting has been set for tomorrow morning. I will accompany you as your Fae intermediary and once Lachlan has heard your accounting of things and seen the damage done then he will decide if he will extend his resources to help us."

"Thanks Trickster, I couldn't have even gotten this far without you. Remember don't tell Bo, I'll see you tomorrow for what I'm sure will be a crow eating contest. Laters!"

Walking quickly to avoid any more questions from the obviously worried little dude she made her way home to Bo. It killed her having to keep secrets from her best friend but sometimes telling was the worst thing you could do.

As she finally turned the corner that brought their home into view she told herself one last time that she was keeping this secret for Bo not from her. Taking a deep breathe to calm her nerves she grabbed the doorknob and marched determinedly inside, hoping to get straight to her bedroom without having to answer questions. Walking in to find Bo and Dyson waiting for her with booze and cheesy pizza only one thought went through her tired little mind.

Hope dashed.

Seeing Kenzi standing in the doorway like a deer caught in the sights of a rifle Dyson found he was actually very worried about the stubborn little human. She wasn't acting like herself lately and that worried him but more than that he found he simply missed her annoying antics. He never thought he would, but now that she wasn't bouncing around him asking inappropriate questions about his junk and coming up with slightly offensive nicknames, he realized just how much a part of his life this wacky little girl had become.

"Hey BoBo, D-man, sorry to interrupt date night, I'll just get out of your way."

Strange her scent changed as she spoke. She wasn't lying exactly it was more like she was hedging the truth. Saying things that were true so it wasn't exactly a lie, it just wasn't exactly the truth.

"Actually Kenz, we thought we could all three do something tonight." Bo told her oblivious to her hedging. Something was definitely off and whatever it was she was trying to hide it.

"Wow, flattered you guys but how many times do I have to tell you I don't do three ways unless it's boy, boy, girl? Besides I'm beat had a long day, and I gotta get up early tomorrow for an appointment."

"Really; what kind of appointment?" Bo was making her squirm without even trying. Staying silent he tried to figure out what she was lying about.

"Nothing big. I just stopped by to talk to Trick today and he said he knew someone who could help me with what's been going on with me lately. I figured I'd swing by tomorrow give it a shot. See if I can't get my old self back."

Again a truth that wasn't a truth, he decided then and there that he would be paying Trick another visit soon.

"Alright get some rest then."

As the girl nearly ran past them to the safe haven of her room Bo looked at him with hope in her eyes. He knew that he couldn't tell her he suspected something was seriously wrong with Kenzi, not until he was sure.

"Did you hear that?! We don't have to talk to her Trick has already taken care of it."

"Yeah I heard."