A/N: Kandi is missing Zack again.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Kandi and her angst. Hazzah!

Kandi tossed and turned in her bed. The apartment was quiet. Too quiet. Andria was staying the night over a Kaya's house with Axys. She had taken her laptop and was obviously plotting something. Kandi new her deviant Spawn too well to think otherwise.

Rude was out on a mission with Joel and wouldn't be back until sometime next week. So, that left her. Alone. In her apartment.

Lonely.

All by herself.

Unable to sleep.

And thinking about Zack.

Nine fucking years he'd been gone and she still couldn't get her mind off him. With him gone, it was like a piece of her soul was missing. The void had been filled somewhat when she discovered Andria, but nothing could replace Zack. Not even the daughter they created.

And it wasn't as if Rude was lacking. The red-streaked Turk was in love with the big, bald man. It was just...Zack was her hero. If it wasn't for him, she'd still be working at the Honey Bee.

Flashback

Eighteen-year old Kandi slammed her way into her dressing room, ripping that damn stinger off her ass. She sat down at her make-up table and pushing her long bangs away from her eyes, examined the dark purple bruise that was starting to form.

"Gods damn," she whispered, grabbing an ice pack out of her drawer and breaking the chemicals inside to activate it. Placing it on her eye, she felt warm tears slipping down her cheeks. "Fucking asshole."

Her last customer had been a sadistic bastard, who took the master/slave role play thing a little too far. Of course, considering that the Honey Bee was a place for guys to act out their wildest fantasies, they had to endure the abuse. She could handle the punches. But if she ever got the fucker that had cut up Natalie in his blood fetish fantasy, she was going to bite his cock off.

A harsh knock came at her door. "Kandi," came the Queen Bee's voice. "Room 12 in five minutes, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be there," she grumbled, removing the ice pack and plastering a ton of make-up on her face to cover the bruising. Once she was satisfied she didn't look like a domestic violence victim, she reattached her stinger and made her way to Room 12. Plastering on her most sultry look, she saunteered into the room, expecting another middle aged fucker with an hour's supply of Viagra.

What she found, instead, was a really hot guy about her age in a SOLDIER uniform, laying on the bed, his arms crossed under his head. Wild black spikes and violet eyes turned toward her, a heart stopping smile settling upon full lips.

"Wow," he said sitting up and looking her up and down. "You people really deliver! I said exotic hot chick and DAMN! That's just what I get!"

Kandi grinned at him, blushing slightly at what he said. "Thanks," she said, making her way over to him and sitting down beside him.

The SOLDIER reached his hand out and ran his fingers through her hair. "Cool dye job," he said with a grin. "Looks good."

"Uh, it's not a dye job," she told him with a laugh. "Natural."

"No shit?" he asked. She shook her head. He grinned and stuck his hand out. "I'm Zack Fair."

She stared at his hand and shook it. "Kandi," she said quietly.

Zack laughed at that. "Candy?" he asked. "As in, the stuff you eat?"

"No, K-A-N-D-I," she said. She cocked her head and leaned forward and flicked her tongue over his lips. "But you can still eat me."

"Oh, niice," he groaned. "Bet you get that a lot, huh? With a name like that?"

"Yeah," she answered. "Get's old sometimes."

"Sorry," he said sincerely. He watched as she shifted uncomfortably on the bed. "Uh, wanna lose the stinger? That can't be comfortable."

Kandi sighed. "It's not," she replied, removing the stinger and tossing it aside. "This has got to be the most ridiculous costume for prostitutes I've ever seen."

"I thought you guys were technically called Ladies of the Evening, or something," Zack said with a grin. "Or something politically correct."

Kandi snorted. "I'm not delusional like some of the other sluts around here," she said, tossing her antennae over by her stinger, followed by the wings. "We're prostitutes, hookers, whores, whatever. We get paid to have sex."

Zack eyed the girl sitting next to him. After taking off her costume, that left her in a black tank top and black shorts. He liked this look a whole lot better than the stupid bee getup. "That's not why I'm here," he said, leaning back against the pillows again and grinning up at her. "I just wanted a cute girl to hang out with."

Kandi laughed at him. "Okay, so are you anti-social or something?" she asked, laying down beside him when he beckoned to her to do so. She snuggled into his side, breathing in the scent of his cologne on his shirt. "You're hot enough you could get any girl you want. You don't need to come here and pay 100 gil an hour to hang out with a skank."

"Wow, 5 minutes together and you know me so well," he teased, wrapping both arms around her. "Most girls get too emotionally involved. I just wanted someone sweet to chill with. I come here, and I get a piece of Kandi."

"Ha fucking ha," she said, digging her fingers into his sides and straddling him, tickling him mercilessly.

Zack threw his head back and laughed, gasping for breath. "No! Stop! Ha ha ha! I'm really...ha ha ha! Ticklish there!"

"So I see!" she giggled, not letting up on her attack.

Zack, still laughing his head off, grabbed her wrists and pulled her down on top of him, their lips mere centimeters apart. "You're really pretty," he whispered into her breath, his eyes searching hers. Securing her wrists in one of his hands, he brushed her hair away from her eyes, noticing the small flinch as his fingers trailed over her swollen eye. "Make-up covers up the bruises, not the swelling."

She gave him a small smile. "Didn't get to leave the ice pack on long enough," she said, resting her head on his shoulder. "I had another customer in Room 12."

"Hey, that's me," he said with a grin, turning his head and kissing her forehead. "You know, guys who hit girls...suck."

Kandi raised her head up and looked down into his grinning face. "Yeah," she said returning the smile. "They do."

"Do me a favor?" he asked, running his fingers through her hair and trailing his thumb over her lips.

"Hmm?" she replied, closing her eyes and leaning into his touch.

"Don't...let it happen again," he whispered, pressing his forehead to hers. "Okay?"

Kandi opened her eyes, blinking them to stop the stinging of tears she felt prickling behind the brown orbs. "Okay," she whispered back.

She hadn't even know the guy twenty minutes, but she was willing to promise him she wouldn't let another customer hit her again. And it was a promise she knew she would keep because for some reason, she didn't want to disappoint this guy.

Zack grinned up at her again, planting a soft kiss to her lips. "Good," he said, rolling her over and pulling her safely into his arms. "Got a secret to tell you."

"What's that?" she asked, snuggly closer against him and fighting back a yawn.

Zack smirked and kissed the top of her head before tucking it under his chin. "I actually paid for the rest of the day," he laughed. "So, I got you til your shift ends."

Kandi looked up at him and smiled. "For real?" she asked.

Zack nodded. "Yep," he said. "I wanted a nap and a warm body to cuddle with. Lucky you. You get to sleep on the job."

Kandi laughed. "Zack," she said, cuddling up with him as he reached over and turned off the light. "I think I like you."

"Cool," he said with a yawn and pulling her tighter against him. "'Night, Kandi."

"'Night, Zack."

Zack came back at least three days a week. Everytime, he requested Kandi especially. They didn't have sex until the third time he came by. Most of the time, they slept, Zack's training as a SOLDIER First Class draining his energy. Over the course of a month, Zack dropped a ton of gil just to sleep with the Honey Bee girl curled up in his arms, either after they had sex or just talked. And over that time, they became friends. And Kandi had kept her promise. She hadn't let another guy hit her since she told Zack she wouldn't.

But one day, she inadvertantly broke that promise.

She was sitting in her dressing room, tears streaming down her face as she tried to stop the blood from gushing out her lip. The cut was deep, the bastard's fist having slammed her lip into her teeth. She hadn't been able to stop him, hadn't been able to move fast enough. And she was afraid. Scared to death that if Zack found out, she'd lose the only friend she'd ever had.

"Kandi," the Queen Bee called, knocking on her door. "Your regular, Zack, is here. Room 12, as always."

Kandi paniced. He couldn't see her like this. He would never speak to her again if he learned she had broken her promise. But she had to face him at some point. She wasn't a coward. Rising from her vanity, she left her costume laying on the floor, knowing Zack hated the thing as much as she did. She'd probably get fired for going out without the insect getup on, but at this point, she didn't care. She walked to Room 12, took a deep breath and went in.

Zack was lying back on the bed as always, waiting for her. He looked over at her with a grin, the smile faltering as he took in her tear streaked face and bleeding lip. "What the fuck?" he asked, leaping to his feet and going over to her. "Kandi, what happened?"

In spite of herself, Kandi burst into tears again, dropping to her knees. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Zack," she cried. "I didn't mean to let it happen! I swear, he just came out of no where with it. Please, please, don't hate me!"

Zack dropped to his knees in front of her and pulled her into his arms. "Hey, hey," he said soothingly. "It's okay. I could never hate you, Babe. Come on, stop crying. It's not your fault. You have nothing to be sorry for."

"But I broke my promise," she whispered. "I promised I'd never let another guy hit me and I did."

"It's okay," he said, pulling back from her slightly to press their foreheads together. "It's okay." He kissed her tenderly so as not to cause her any pain with her busted lip. "Quit this place, Kandi. Go somewhere else. You deserve better."

"I have no where else to go," she told him. "No one would hire me now anyway. No one wants an ex-hooker working for them."

Zack looked down at her, tilting her chin up to look into her eyes. "I do," he said with a grin. "Come work for me. I need a secretary anyway. Seph says my office looks like it was hit by Ultima."

Kandi stared up at him wide eyed. "What?" she asked. "Really? You want me to work for you?"

"Yeah," he said kissing her nose. "And that way, I'd get to see you everyday, get to pull you into my office if I want a quick fuck and I'd have the hottest secretary in ShinRa."

Kandi smiled up and him and threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she squealed, squeezing him fiercely. "I'll do such a good job! I promise, I will! I'll get you coffee and lunch and anything you want and I'll wear short ass skirts and bend over in front of you when you drop things off your desk and..."

He silenced her with a gentle kiss. "Babe, you're hired," he said with a laugh. He rose to his feet and pulled her up with him. "Come on. I'll help you get your things and you can tell them you're leaving the hive."

The next day, Kandi started her first day with ShinRa. And never looked back.

End Flashback

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Kandi flung the covers back off her bed and got up. It was nearly midnight and she knew there was no way she was going to get to sleep. Throwing on a pair of jeans, her boots, a black and blue t-shirt that said 'I 'skull and crossbones symbol' Rock' and her leather jacket, she grabbed the keys to her Harley and took off. She drove around for a half hour, finding herself leaving Edge and heading out past the ruins of Old Midgar, towards the cliff overlooking the cities.

She stopped the bike at the base of the cliff, seeing another set of bike tracks and smiling. Kandi figured Cloud still came up here from time to time, too. Zack had such an impact on so many people. He would never be forgotten. Removing her helmet, she climbed the rest of the way up and plopped down on the cold ground next to Zack's Buster Sword, picking up a fresh lily and breathing in it's scent.

"Aeris still growing flowers in the Lifestream?" she asked.

She felt him plop down beside her, leaning his back against hers. "Yep," Zack said, his voice a little echo-y. "She loves those little white and yellow bastards. They always seem to brighten up when she's around. She let me have that one for you."

Kandi grinned and turned to him, smiling at his profile. "Tell her thanks," she said.

He turned and met her eyes. "I will," he said as they turned and faced each other, sitting crossed legged on the ground. He reached up and flicked a piece of hair behind her ear. "What's up, Babe?"

She shook her head, twirling the lily in her fingers. "Just missing you, is all," she said quietly. "Since you've been gone, I feel like a piece of me is missing. And it sucks, not being complete anymore."

Zack grinned. "That's very poetic of you," he smirked.

"Shut up, it's true," she grumbled. "Guess you can't feel the same way, being dead and shit."

"You'd be surprised," he murmured. He gave her a lopsided grin. "Why do you think I get to leave the Lifestream like this? A part of my heart is still here, so I get to come and chill with it."

"Me and Andi?" she asked.

"You, Andi, Cloud," he said, taking her hand in his. "My family and my friends. I ain't gonna be complete until you guys get to join me. I got a long time to wait."

"Good," she said with a sneer. "Then you get to suffer, too."

"Yep," he said, poking her nose. "That's why Cloud still angsts. He was like my brother, you know."

"Yeah, I know," she said with a smile. "Gods, I wish I could just Phoenix Down your ass and bring you back to us!"

"But then, another part of my heart would still be in the Lifestream and I'd be in the same boat," he told her sadly. "Aeris, Seph, Mom and Dad; they're all in there. You guys are out here. No wonder my afterlife sucks!"

"Yeah, that does suck," she said softly, looking down at the flower again.

Zack tilted her chin up with his fingers. "When are you going to marry Rude?" he asked.

Kandi nearly choked on her spit. "What?!" she croaked out. "What the fuck are you talking about?! I'm NOT the marrying type!"

"Shiva's tits, Girl!" he exclaimed. "You've been with him for at least seven years! That's a fucking common law marriage!"

"Ah!" she shrieked, pushing him over and tickling him. "We're not living together! Mind your own business!"

Zack laughed and pulled her down on top of him, pressing their foreheads together as he always had. "I just want you to be happy," he whispered. "And I know he makes you happy."

"Yeah, he does," she said rolling off him and snuggling into his side. "I love that big, bald bastard."

"So does Andi," he commented. "He's a good father to her."

"She's got a good father," Kandi said, poking him. "You."

"Well, then she's got two," he replied with a grin, turning to her. "You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, I will be," she said, returning the grin. "But I'll always miss you."

Zack kissed her forehead as he began fading. "Same here, Babe," he told her. "See ya around."

"Later."

Kandi watched as he disappeared, her forehead still warm where his lips had been. Rising to her feet, she brushed the dirt off her backside and made her way back to her bike. Checking her watch, she grimaced. Two in the morning. Smiling, she decided to take the chance he was alone for once. She pulled on her helmet and headed back to Edge.

She didn't need to knock; he'd given her a key a long time ago. Sneaking in quietly, not wanting to be zapped with an EMR, she kicked off her boots and tossed her jacket aside. Kandi made her way down the hall to his room, peeking in. Sure enough, he was alone.

Creeping in, she eased under the covers with him, wrapping her arms around him. Reno mumbled in his sleep, his arms coming up and holding her against him. She felt lips on her cheek and smiled into his chest.

"Missing Zack?" came the sleepy question.

"Yeah," she answered softly, her eyes beginning to droop.

Reno pulled her closer and tucked her head under his chin. "'Night, Kandi," he whispered sleepily.

Kandi yawned and snuggled closer against the man who had brought her through her initial pain. "'Night, Re," she whispered back. She had just drifted off to sleep when Reno chuckled. "What?" she asked, dreerily.

"If Rude asks, we were only sleeping," he told her.

"Reno, we are sleeping."

"Okay, good. We've got our stories straight. 'Night, Babe."

"'Night...idiot."

A/N: Still missing Zack. Trying to get back into angst. Reviews are welcomed. Flames will be used to keep my feet warm.