As with all of my fics, please understand that I push medical fact. So, just suspend your disbelief and go with the flow.

When the strange turtle collapsed at his feet, Raphael was momentarily at a loss as to what to do. From the moment they had confronted Bishop the night had taken a decidedly bizarre turn. Fortunately, Donatello was a little more clear-headed, able to focus on the potential emergency right in front of them.

Kneeling next to the unconscious turtle he began a visual inspection, evaluating the damage. There were the obvious wounds he already knew about, like the shuriken still imbedded in the stranger's shoulder, as well as a number of other cuts and gashes he'd sustained while defending them. A little more concerning were the burns all over his back from the heat of the explosion he'd just saved them from. Donatello couldn't begin to explain how he'd done it, but there was no denying the other turtle had paid the price for protecting them.

The most alarming and mystifying issue, however, were the bizarre marks that covered the unidentified turtle from head to toe. They looked like a mish-mash of Japanese kanji, Arabic script, and ancient Egyptian. What was more, they were almost painfully hot to the touch. Donatello couldn't begin to imagine what they must feel like to their enigmatic bearer.

"So what the verdict, bro," Michelangelo asked, his quiet voice interrupting the purple-clad turtle's thoughts.

"He's not doing so well," Donatello admitted. "And I haven't even turned him over to see what his front side looks like." He turned to look at Raphael. "We're going to need some help getting him home so I can clean him up properly."

"Are you sure that's a good idea," Michelangelo asked a little timidly. "We don't know anything about this guy, or those creepy abilities of his."

Raphael could understand his little brother's hesitation; Michelangelo was the most sensitive of the turtles, and due to some bad experiences in their youth, had become very guarded. Fortunately, the older two turtles had become quiet adept at maneuvering around his issues.

"He saved our lives, bro," Donatello gently reminded him. "He helped us fight Bishop, and he could have cut and run, or just saved himself, with that whole explosive thing, but he didn't. We can't leave him here hurt like this. Besides," he teased just a gently, "aren't you the least bit curious about him? I mean, another mutant turtle? Kind of a huge coincidence, don't you think?"

"Guess you're right," Michelangelo finally admitted. "We owe him, if nothing else."

"Then while the two of you get him ready to transport, I'll give Casey a call," Raphael said. "He and April can bring the van to pick us up. We'll get him home and cleaned up, and we'll go from there."

TMNT

It took Donatello over two hours after they got home to get his unusual patient cleaned up, and all of his wounds patched up. Currently he had the unconscious turtle laid out on his stomach and covered in cold, wet towels. This was partly due to the extensive burns that covered his back, but also because the disturbing marks scrawled all over his skin continued to be hot to the touch. Having done all he could for the moment, Donatello went in search of his brothers. He found them at the kitchen table just sitting down to eat some of Raphael's chicken noodle soup.

"So," the oldest turtle asked once they had all had a chance to sate their initial hunger pains. "Pick up any more information about Sleeping Beauty in there?"

"A little, and all of it disturbing," Donatello said. "From what I saw while examining him, I'd have to say our new acquaintance has not had it easy. He has lots of scars; and when I say lots, I mean dozens of dozens, all over his body. But the weirdest thing was, as I was cleaning him up, it felt like I should know him…"

"Donny," Michelangelo prompted when his brother's voice trailed off, his tone somewhere between a plea and a warning. They all knew what the family genius was considering, but it was just wishful thinking. Their missing fourth was gone for good, and it wouldn't do any of them any good to crack that Pandora's box again, especially on Michelangelo's part.

Needing to change the subject quickly, Raphael asked about the peculiar marks on the other turtle's skin.

"As far as I can tell, they're some type of tattoo," Donatello told him. "But not like any sort of tattoo I've ever encountered."

"How's that," Raphael asked, genuinely curious.

"From what I can tell, those marks were cut into his skin using some sort of very sharp blade, like a scalpel, and then ink was added to the cuts, permanently staining the resultant scars. It would have been excruciatingly painful, not to mention time consuming. I mean, he has them everywhere, even along each of his fingers, up the insides of both legs, and even under the edge of his shell. The only places without them are his eyelids, the palms of his hands, and the soles of his feet."

The expression on his brother's faces reflected his own dismay, but Donatello wasn't done.

"I'm afraid it gets worse," he told them. "The 'ink' they used is an unusual mixture of gold, silver, copper, and some other metal I can't identify. I can't say for certain, but I think the metals were still molten when they were applied. They'd have cauterized the wounds as they were applied, but I can't figure out how it was done without disfiguring, or even killing him, in the process."

His brothers were shocked, and more than a little sickened, by the revelation. Michelangelo in particular, was disturbed by the thought of the sheer torture their rescuer had undergone.

"Who would do something like that," he asked. "And why would he let him?"

"Guess we'll have to ask him when he wakes up," Raphael said. "But for now, why don't you two head off to bed?"

"I should…"Donatello started to protest, but his older brother cut him off.

"I'll keep an eye on Rip Van Winkle. If he gets worse, I'll come get you. But for tonight, I think Michelangelo's going to need you. He responds to you better after the nightmares, and I'm afraid he'll be in store for one or two tonight."

Having to acknowledge the truth of his brother's words, Donatello agreed. After giving him instruction for looking after their injured guest, the purple-masked turtle followed his younger brother to bed.

Alone at last with the unconscious turtle, Raphael finally had the chance to study him a little more closely. He hadn't been willing to admit it earlier, but like Donatello said, he felt like there was something very familiar about the stranger. From the moment the new turtle had interposed himself between them and Bishop, the red-masked turtle had been certain he recognized him, like déjà vu from a half-remembered dream. Except, if Raphael was right, it wasn't a dream but a memory that resonated with the newcomer. Now, without his younger brothers around to ask uncomfortable questions, Raphael was able to determine if what he suspected was true, or if his mind was simply playing a cruel trick on him.

Ever so gently, he ran his fingers along the inside of the unconscious turtle's right ankle. The heat from the marks was only just now at a tolerable level, but the scarred nature of the marks made finding what he was looking for almost impossible to find. Raphael was about to admit defeat when his fingers found it: an old scar, thick and puckered, about three inches long; just how he remembered it.

Raphael wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. Suddenly, having found that one familiar scar, he was able to pick out two more he recognized from the myriad of old scars and convoluted tattoos that covered the foreigner's body. Moving to where he could see the not-stranger's face, Raphael was stunned he hadn't recognized it before. Ten years may have passed, but Raphael was beyond certain he was right. His heart knew what his mind wasn't certain of.

Whispering to himself as much as to the insensible figure on the bed, he said, "Hello, Leonardo."

So, if any of you have seen Stargate SG-1, you'll be familiar with the character of Teal'c. I imagine Leonardo's tattoos were formed little like his, only they are a dark green/grey color. I'll make sure I mention that in a later chapter, since I couldn't figure out how to work it in this one without it sounding funny. Anyway, I have most of chapter 4 written, so that should be up in the next day or so.