Donatello began looking at Leo's blood sample under his microscope. Most of Leo's blood cells looked to be completely normal. "That's odd." He murmured. "If Leo's sick, then how could his cells be normal?" Don asked himself. "I may need a second opinion."
Don wanted to make doubly sure that nothing was wrong with Leo. But the only other one who understood more about reptilian blood would be his croc friend, Leatherhead. He would have to go there. Don was a genius, but there were even things he didn't always understand either.
When he finished all of the tests he was able to run, he carefully packed Leo's blood sample carefully, and he headed to his friend's and let Leo know where he was going.
"Is something wrong, Donny?" Leo asked.
"I don't know yet, Leo. I just really need a second opinion. I'll be back soon. Take care of the twins for me." Don said and left the lair for Leatherhead's.
Lavish now came over. "Where was he going?"
"He was going to Leatherhead's, our crocodilian friend. He is a scientist like Don, and was raised by the Utroms we told you about. Leatherhead also once saved Don's life when he got turned into a monster by Bishop's freak aliens." Leo explained.
"Is this friend nice?" She asked.
"Yes. With the right people, like us." Leo said.
"I would like to meet him some time."
"You will." Leo promised. "But to take my blood to Leatherhead... Something must be puzzling him, or Don didn't understand what he was seeing. Leatherhead was the one who helped him to find out about his pregnancy."
When Lavish heard this, she felt her heart clench with worry. Could this croc friend discover that Leo may possibly be pregnant with her child? If that was possible, then she could be in trouble. As much as she loved it here, she might have to up her escape plan with the twins. She didn't know when Donatello would be back. Looking at a blood sample couldn't take that long, could it?
Lavish had fallen in love with Leo over the time she had been here, but she still had her duty to her queen. She had promised herself that she would deliver them. From the many tales she had been told of the turtles, and about Leo, she didn't want to hurt him. She didn't want to betray his feelings toward her, but if Don found out she was an Anolis female instead of human, it just had her big time concerned that she would be found out and that because they hadn't trusted her queen, they wouldn't trust her either. Then she knew her relationship with Leo would be over with.
She had expected to use one of Don's brothers to get to the twins and get them to trust her, but she had gotten in more than she had ever expected to be, and had really fallen for Leo. This was a complicated decision, but the chance of her secret being revealed was too great right now. It sparked her decision to get herself and the twins out of here tonight.
She couldn't take the chance of any of them finding out, so she had to get out of here with the twins as soon as possible. She knew Splinter was heading to bed, hopefully remaining oblivious to her actions. And Mikey and Raph were out on patrol, so that just left Leo, who was supposed to be up with her, just on babysitting duty. But if she was going to get Akemi and Virgil out of here, Leo needed to be incapacitated. He wouldn't understand her reasons for doing what she needed to do.
Lavish offered to make Leo some tea to help settle his stomach down, and he readily accepted her offer.
She had some special drugs in her room that she had gotten from her ship, and grabbed the sedative that she would slip into Leo's tea. She wouldn't give him much, just enough to make him go to sleep.
After she made sure he was asleep, then she would make her move.
…
Don got to the croc's home and knocked on his door. Leatherhead answered shortly after.
"Hello, Donatello. What brings you by today?" Leatherhead greeted.
"Hi, Leatherhead. I know I didn't call first, but I came by because my brother, Leonardo, is having some problems." Don said.
"What kind of problems? Come in, my friend." Leatherhead offered as he motioned him inside.
Don followed Leatherhead into his lab. "He's been sick for over 2 weeks now. He's experiencing some stomach problems." Don explained. "I took some blood earlier from him, and there may be something in his blood that you could see that I may have missed. I just need a second opinion. He hasn't been eating and he has been suffering from vomiting and nausea, but I didn't see any abnormalities in his blood, or any elevated white cells to show that he was fighting off a bug of some sort. It might be a more serious condition or disease."
"Has anything changed in Leonardo's diet or activities?" Leatherhead asked.
Donatello shook his head. "The only thing that has changed in his life is there is a girl living with us who has become quite close to Leo."
"Who is this girl?" Leatherhead asked.
"She is a human girl that we took in off the streets so the Purple Dragons wouldn't be after her. She was one of their victims, but since she's been with us, she's been great with us, and she makes Leo real happy. He teaches her stuff."
"Have they been any closer than just good friends?" The croc asked.
"I don't think so. If so, I haven't been told. Though Raph and Mikey have teased them both a bit more lately." Don said. "And I know they kiss and hold hands, and get close on the couch."
"And how is she with the twins?"
"She's great. She's like another aunt to them." Don smiled.
"Well, it is good to hear that Leonardo may have found a companion who fits into your family so well." Leatherhead said with a smile. "Now let's take a look at that blood sample, my friend."
The turtle and croc had now turned their attention to Leatherhead's microscope. Don took the syringe out of his duffel bag and handed it to LH.
The croc secreted some of Leo's blood from the syringe onto one of his micro-slides, then put it under the microscope lens. He began to look over Leo's blood sample. Don waited patiently close by.
Leatherhead looked through everything as he had done with Don's blood almost a year ago. Mostly everything looked fine, but when he began to evaluate hormone levels in his blood, the results were startling. His eyes widened.
"Donatello, I think we have a problem."
Don perked up at that. "What?"
"Come look for yourself." Leatherhead gestured. Don came over and looked into the scope.
Leatherhead pointed out some points in the cells of Leo's blood that indicated hormones. "These are what I saw back when I found out about your pregnancy. The hCG hormone in his blood is elevated."
Don's eyes widened. It couldn't be. "I don't see how this could have happened to Leo." Don stepped away from the microscope, his mind swirling in shock.
"Donatello, as you know elevated hCG levels in males is usually indicative of cancer." Leatherhead said somberly.
Don closed his eyes in horror. "So you're saying that either my brother has cancer, or he has somehow mated with an Anolis female and is pregnant." Donatello stated, his voice deadpan, unable to deal with either possibility.
"Unless there's something he's not telling you." LH said.
"I really hope its not what I think it is. I don't see how it could have happened, unless he would have mated with a female from Anolis, or some evil scientist could have done it to him." Don began to say with a panic in his voice. "But Leo would have told me if he was."
Leatherhead again looked into the microscope, searching for an answer for his friend. "Leonardo also has high levels of progesterone. It is not cancer, my friend."
Donatello felt his heart freeze in terror. "Olivia." He said in a strangled voice filled with horror. His brother's life and the life of his twins were in danger. Don ran from Leatherhead's home, praying he wasn't too late.
Thanks to Darkunderworld for editing.
