Despite everyone worrying about her, Leena slowly got better as the days went by.  For the first week, she wouldn't let anyone near her except Bit so the young man was put in a rather odd position.  Eventually, Leena became comfortable around the others, but Bit still remained within call distance – or screaming distance – in case she lost her wits.

A large transport pulled up in front of the Blitz Team's base, and Leon Tauros climbed out of the driver's seat.  Naomi Fleugal hopped out of the passenger's side, and Doc and Brad greeted the two.

"Leon…Naomi…good to see you," Doc said with a small grin.

"Hey dad, sorry I couldn't come sooner, but our current battles were a couple hundred miles away from here."

"That's all right." Leon's face became serious.

"Dad, Naomi told me about Leena.  Is it true?  I mean, about what happened to her."

"Yes, it is.  We even brought in a female doctor to confirm it.  Leena's real edgy around guys right now – except for Bit."

"Why not him?" Leon asked quite interested.  Naomi hadn't told him all the details about the incident; all she knew was that Leena had been sexually assaulted.

"Because he saved her," Brad interrupted, "Bit stopped Harry from hurting her further so he became Leena's protector – at least in her eyes."

"How's he handled it?" Leon's eyebrows raised questionably wondering if the cocky zoid pilot could actually handle the job of looking after his sister.

"Why don't you see for yourself?" Brad motioned for the two to follow him.

"Hey!  Give that back!" Leena shouted when Bit swiped the cookie off her plate.

"No way, you stole mine earlier!"

"I was hungry okay!" Leena's eyes watered, and she put her head down. "Fine, you can have it."

Bit suddenly felt sick; he hadn't meant to upset her.  He stood up out of his chair and knelt beside her.  He opened her small hand and put the cookie back into her palm.

"I'm sorry, Leena, I was just kidding with you," he said softly and squeezed her hand.  She raised her head and tears glistened in her eyes.

"Dammit, why am I crying?" she groaned and shut her eyes tightly. "I'm not this weak!  What's the matter with me?"

"Shh," Bit quieted her, "It's okay, Leena, it's okay for you to cry; that's not weak."

He drew her into his arms, and she laid her head on his shoulder.  Leena had found that she liked the way Bit held her.  She'd become quite accustomed to his hugs over the past several weeks; she liked the affection that he was showing towards her.  The cookie fell out of her hand long forgotten, and she nuzzled her cheek against his strong chest.

"Bit…" Leena sighed huskily.

The young man gulped slightly.  He'd never heard her say his name like that; it was so soft…so tender.  She looked up at him – her tears gone, and her violet eyes held a gentle, loving hue.  Bit found himself falling under her spell, and his chest began to tighten.

"Leena…" He cupped her cheek in his hand and turned her chin up towards him.  His gaze fell upon her lips; it was so tempting.

'God, I want to kiss her so badly.'

Leena felt a definite tightening in his arms, and she could see him wrestling with his emotions.  She noticed the way he was staring at her, and her own heart began to pound wildly.  Fear edged its way into her mind, but she wrestled those thoughts to the ground.

'No, he won't hurt me; he's been so kind and gentle with me; I can trust him.'

"Bit?" she asked in a voice that trembled with nervousness.

"Yes Leena?" his own voice a few octaves lower than normal.

"Would you…would you kiss me?" There was no turning back now; the question was out in the open.

'She…she wants me to kiss her?' Bit gasped silently.  Gazing down at her lovely face, he expected to see her eyes filled with apprehension and worry, but instead, he only found warmth and gentleness.

"Leena…" he almost moaned as he bent down towards her, "…I'll do anything you want," and their lips touched.

Both teens felt the electrical charge when their mouths came together, and Leena felt no uneasiness with her situation.  The kiss was gentle, and he wasn't pushing her for anything else.  However, she turned the tables on him.

"C'mon Bit Cloud, I know you can kiss better than that!" she cooed and wrapped her arms around his neck.  His hands tightened on her hips, and his cocky grin returned.

"Well, my red-haired goddess, if you insist." Bit hadn't realized what he'd just said.

Leena blushed at his compliment, but she didn't have time to think when his mouth was suddenly on hers.  Acting on instinct, she parted her lips to accept him, and Bit swarmed into her mouth.  Soft moans escaped them both when their tongues began an intimate duel.  Bit fed on her lips like a delicious dessert, and Leena clung to front of his shirt.

'I love the way he's holding me; I love the way he smells – so good; and I love the way he kisses me.  Oh Bit…I love yo-' Leena's mind froze before she could finish her thought.

'Man, I never knew Leena could kiss like this.  She's so incredible – so soft and warm in my arms.  It feels so good to hold her like this.  Leena…I wish I could tell you…tell you how much you mean to me…how much I love yo-'

The two pulled apart lost in their own thoughts and doubts, but they both smiled at one another.  Bit turned his head down, and his forehead met hers.  Their noses brushed together, and Leena began to giggle.

"What a pair we make?" she laughed.

"I don't know, I think we're doing well so far."

"I guess you're right; we do make a good team." Her eyes were glowing by now.

"Can I kiss you again?" His lips were only an inch from hers.

"Allow me." Leena grabbed his hair and pulled his face down the remaining distance.

This time, there was no hesitancy between them, and the kiss quickly became heated as their buried emotions bubbled to the surface.

"Well, I'll be damned!"

Bit and Leena jumped apart, and both turned fifteen shades of red in a matter of seconds.  In the doorway stood Doc, Brad – who couldn't help a grin from forming on his face, Naomi, and Leon – who gave Bit a slight glare.

"Uh…hi guys," Bit said nervously. "We were just finishing up lunch."

"And starting something else I see," Naomi laughed.

"Hey Leena, how ya been?" Leon asking, ignoring the fact that she and Bit had just been caught kissing in front of him.

"Okay, I guess, we haven't had any battles lately so it's been kind of boring." Her brother crossed the room and sat down next to her.

"Leena, that's not what I'm talking about, and you know it.  How are 'you' doing?" The young woman looked down at her hands.

"Better, but I'm still a little jittery sometimes." Bit walked up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"You're doing great, Leena," he said with a smile.  She reached and squeezed his hand.

"He's right, you look like your old self," Leon said with a grin.  His eyes then strayed up to a certain Liger pilot.

"Bit, can I see you for a second?"

"Sure, I'll be back in minute, okay, Leena?"

"All right."

Bit and Leon walked out the door, and Doc and Brad followed them.  Naomi stayed behind and took a seat next to Leena.

"So girl, how's it going?"

"Fine – just like I said."

"Leena, after what happened to you, nothing can be just fine.  Have you even told anybody yet?"

"N-no…I…I haven't.  I didn't tell Bit cause he was there when…when…" Tears formed in Leena's eyes, and her hands began to tremble.

"Tell me what happened, Leena, otherwise, it's gonna eat you alive!" Naomi advised.

"Well, everyone had left except me and Bit.  He asked if I wanted any food, and we decided on Italian.  A few minutes after he left, someone knocked on the door.  When I opened it, H-Harry was there.  He didn't even ask; he just came in." Naomi could see how hard it was for Leena to talk about this.

"It's okay, Leena, take your time."

"He came in and asked if I wanted to go to dinner with him.  I'd told him no because Bit had already left to get us something.  When I mentioned Bit's name, Harry…he…he got so angry." Leena's hands began to shake.

"He kept going on and on about how he was better than Bit – how he had money and how I belonged to him.  He kept asking why I had chosen Bit over him!  I said that there wasn't anything between Bit and I, but he just wouldn't listen.  That was when Harry got this cruel look in his eyes."

Naomi clutched the young woman's hands when she saw the tears begin to flow down her cheeks.

"Was he angry with you or angry with Bit?"

"I think it was both of us, but I'm not sure.  That's when he grabbed me.  He kept telling me how I was his and his alone.  Then he started asking if Bit had touched me.  I knew then that it was getting dangerous.  Then Harry kissed me.  I tried to knee him in the groin to make him let go, but I missed and hit him in the stomach.  He let go of me, and I managed to get away."

"Did you try and hide somewhere or head to the control room?" Naomi inquired.

"Yeah, I actually headed for my room because it was the closest, but Harry caught me before I reached it.  He pinned me to the ground with his body and smiled at me.  The look he gave me…it was just…I felt like I was going to be sick.  Then he said, 'I shall have you one way or the other.'" Leena finally broke down and buried her face in her hands.

Naomi simply held her hand and stroked her hair – like a watchful big sister.

"Harry started grabbing me everywhere, and then he…then he…put his hand under my… my skirt, and he touched me down there." Leena's face had turned red talking about this, but the tears still came.

"I didn't like any of it; I kept telling him to stop over and over again; but he wouldn't listen.  That was when I heard him undoing his pants, and the next thing I know, I felt like a knife had just ripped into my body.  It hurt so much; I didn't want any of it!"

"Of course not, Leena, no one wants to be hurt like that."

"While he was r-r-raping me, he kept saying how I was used goods, and no one else would want me after he was done.  He said that no man but him would accept me – not even Bit would want me if I was tainted."

As Naomi listened to Leena's heartbreaking tale, she felt a growing anger flourishing inside her.  The next time she met Harry Champ in battle or anywhere else, she would show him no mercy, but Naomi also knew that her rage would be nothing compared to Leon's or worst of all Bit's!

"That was when Bit showed up, and he pushed Harry off me.  I couldn't think or feel; I just curled up in a ball and cried."

"I'm so sorry, Leena, I wish that there was something that I could do." Leena only grabbed her hands tighter.

"Thanks, Naomi."

"So, Bit's been looking after you, huh?" Leena's eyes brightened slightly, and her cheeks flushed.

"Yeah, he's…he's been with me since it happened.  I don't know if it was just the fact that he stopped Harry from hurting me, or if I…I…"

"I think it's much more than that, Leena."

"You do?" she gasped and wiped off her cheeks.  Naomi actually grinned at her.

"Tell me something, Leena, what has Bit done to help you?"

"Well…he always stays close by in case I ask for him, and he stays by my bed at night until I fall asleep, and sometimes, he…he even holds me while I sleep."

"When did that start?" Leena blushed and put her head down.

"The same night it happened.  I…I…asked him; I didn't want to be alone.  I…I wanted him to hold me."

"I understand, Leena, this just doesn't come from Bit saving you from Harry; it's much more than that.  Personally, I think you're in love with him."

"Are you crazy?" Leena gawked, "I…I never told him that."

"Doesn't matter.  Let me ask you this, what do you feel like when he holds you?"

"I feel like I'm wrapped up in a warm blanket; I feel safe and…"

"Loved!" Naomi cut in.  Leena merely nodded.

"Okay, next question, when he kissed you, did it feel the same as Harry's?"

"No way!" she nearly shouted, "Harry forced me to kiss him; he didn't even ask!  And with Bit, well, he had this look in his eyes that made me feel all warm inside, and then I asked him to kiss me."

"Whoa, you asked Bit to kiss you!"

"Hmm, I just knew that he'd be gentle with me; I trusted him."

"That does it, Leena, you're in love with him – case closed!" Naomi laughed.

"But, what about what Harry said?  I mean, I'm not a…"

"Hold it right there!" Naomi interrupted, "Don't you dare start thinking like that, young lady!  I honestly believe that Bit wants to be with you, Leena; he doesn't care about what happened.  Think about it, has he seemed disgusted or repulsed by you?"

"No, in fact, he seems much different then before.  I always thought he was just a cocky pilot who happened to be really cute, but now, I realize that he's really sweet and compassionate when he wants to be."

"Sounds like the great Bit Cloud has the hots for you too, Leena."

"You mean like Brad has for you!" Now, it was Naomi's turn to blush, and the two girls laughed simultaneously.

On the other hand, Bit was doing anything but laughing.  He had both Doc and Leon Tauros staring him down.  Brad just stood in the background watching to see if Bit would survive this.

"All right, Bit Cloud, you've got one minute to explain to me why you were kissing Leena?" Leon asked with a stern face.

"That's none of your business!" the blonde pilot shot back.

"Answer the question, Bit," Doc said this time.  For once, the childish grin was gone, and he looked like a father seeing his daughter's first boyfriend.

"Fine, Doc, I kissed Leena because I wanted to."

"Oh really, so you've been looking after her hoping that you could make out with her," Leon accused.  That got a rise out of Bit, and he grabbed him by the collar.

"Take that back right now!" Rage burned in his emerald eyes, "I'd never use Leena like that; I care about her too much."

"Let him go," Doc ordered and pulled the two, young men apart.

"Listen Bit, Leena's very vulnerable right now; you can't just kiss her whenever you want."

"Do you think I'm stupid, Doc?  First of all, I know that she's in a tough spot right now, but Leena isn't a helpless child.  Second of all, she asked me to kiss her."

That made both Doc and Leon shut their mouths, and a grin began to spread across Brad's face.

"Look Doc, I understand that you're both worried about her, but trust me, I would never take advantage of her.  Leena's one of the most important people in the world to me; she and Liger are the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"It's about time you two got together," Brad said sarcastically. "You two argue like you're married."

"I'm sorry, Bit, I just didn't want my sister to have a broken heart on top of everything else," Leon stated.

"Not gonna happen; I won't let it!"

'Hmm, he really does care about her; maybe they are right for each other,' Doc thought.