Battery Help?

I need Help, i read somwere that with labtops can be used even if the battery is out as long as u have it plugged into the wall, well my battery went out and even if i plug it in i still cant get on i have tryed everything, for awile the battery recharge light would flicker on and off now it never happens i am at my wits end i have looked up everything on the internet and nothing helps so i have two questions:
1:is there anywere to run a labtop off of somthing elses power?i mean can i hook it up to my desktop and have it run off its power?
2:can i access my labtop though another comp even though its battery is dead?
normally i could just buy a new battery but i'm 16 and my parents think my labtop is a hopeless because it is 6 years old and my desktop is a piece of crap, so if someone could tell me if the things above are possable i wouold be very gratefull