A/N: Ahhhhhh! It's been forever since I've updated this story. Almost a year! Well, here is the newest chapter of Healing. Hope you enjoy it, because updates will be more frequent no that I've gotten some of my mojo back. Thank you to everyone who has read/reviewed/favorited this story. Much love 3.

"…the Piggly…Wiggly?"

I stared up at the huge banner hanging on top of the grocery store that Koga had asked the taxi cab driver to take us to. Koga got out of the yellow car and walked around to the other side to stand beside me. He gave me a strange look.

"What? You've never heard of the Piggly Wiggly before?" he asked in a slightly amazed tone.

"What kind of name is that for a store?"

"Humph. I can tell you grew up in a gated community," Koga chuckled as he walked pass me and up to the sliding doors. I narrowed my eyes as I followed him into the building.

Once inside, Koga and I went our own, separate ways to look for the food that we desired. I went down the various aisles, searching for some of the healthy, wholesome food that I had to eat for my football diet. There wasn't a great selection, but it would have to suffice until I had time to go to another store. I picked up some of the packages and containers and placed them into my cart.

I was almost finished with my shopping when I suddenly heard the sound of small, feet rapidly tapping against the floor. "Come back! Stop! Stop!" I suddenly heard the voice of a child say. I looked over my shoulder to see a little hanyou girl, who looked to be no more than five with a head full of gorgeous dark brown waves, chasing a big, red, rubber ball down the aisle. "Slow down Omar! Quit it!" she repeated in her soft, high, innocent voice. I turned around and stuck my leg out, successfully stopping the ball from its continuation. The girl stopped immediately when I made contact with her toy. She stood about five feet away from me in a completely still stance, as if she had been formally trained in the military to stand so proper. She didn't say a word, only stood there and stared at me with a cautious expression.

I cocked my head to the side to have a better look at the child. Apart from the beautiful wavy hair, which I had immediately noticed, I observed that she wore a bright pink sun dress with a white bunny sewn on the chest. She wore plain, white sandals that exposed clumsily painted toenails. On her pointed ears were two, small silver earrings, both in the shape of rabbits. She wore a pink ribbon with white polka dots in her hair to keep the wild waves from falling into her face. Her chestnut brown skin contained a few scars and Band-Aids, most likely the result from playing too rough with her young friends. However, the one thing that stood out most to me, were her eyes. Big, brown eyes that seemed so innocent, so calm . . . and so familiar. Something about them was just so familiar. But I couldn't quite determine why.

I bent down to pick up the big, red ball that she had lost. "I think this belongs to you," I stoically said as I extended the toy out to her. The girl did not move. She did not respond. She averted her eyes to her feet, placed her arms behind her back, and began to rock back and forth on her heels as if she was nervous. Perhaps recollections of being taught by her parents not to talk to strangers were coming to her small mind.

"Look, I'm not going to hurt you," I said in my most inviting tone, in order to calm her fears. She still refused to budge. She refused to look at me.

"Gabby?!"

"Huh?!" The little girl lifted her head and began to look around to find which direction the voice came from.

"Gabrielle Renee Robinson! Where have you run off to?!" The woman's voice sounded both worried and angry. I felt the aura of another hanyou coming closer. An angry aura or at least an upset one. Little Gabrielle must have also sensed the uneasy aura, for a slightly scared look came across her face.

"Your mother?" I assumed. But before the child could answer the woman in question rounded the corner, walked past me and straight up to her ward. She bent at the waist in order to be face to face with her. This position also gave me a nice view of the woman's rear. The voluptuous, shapely figure caused me to involuntary lift a brow.

"How many times have you been told not to run off like that," the woman scolded in a stern, yet loving tone.

"I'm sorry. Omar got loose," Gabrielle softly replied.

"You know better than to run off alone like that, Gabby. And you definitely know better than to leave without telling one of us where you're going. We've been looking all over the store for you. You had us worried sick, sweetie."

While in the midst of her lecture, I felt Koga come up behind me. I looked over my shoulder and saw that his cart was full of groceries. However, Koga wasn't paying attention to me or to anyone else. His eyes were glued to the tantalizing view in front of him.

"Damn. . ." he muttered under his breath, with a slight sigh. The woman must have heard his remark, considering that she immediately stood back up and turned around to face me and my blunt friend.

And when she turned around, I nearly froze. I now realized why Gabrielle's eyes looked so familiar to me. She had the very same eyes as the woman who stood in front of me. She had the exact same eyes, as her mother, Iesha. She looked different. Her hair was shorter and cut into an edgy bob. She had finally grown into her adult figure and her dark brown skin was clear and free of teenage blemishes. She had also grown taller. But her eyes were still the same. They were still the same eyes that looked up at me in pleasure all those many years ago when I first –

"Excuse me, but, is this ball hers?" Iesha interrupted my thoughts with a courteous, yet annoyed tone. Her voice sounded a little different as well, but I was sure that it was her.

I was so concentrated on the fact that my first was standing in front of me, all these years later, that I almost forgot that I still had possession of the little girl's ball.

"Oh. Yeah. Here," I said as I gave the ball to woman.

"Thank you," she said as she took it into her hands and tucked it under her arm. She reached down with her free arm and took Gabrielle by the hand. She was about to walk away with her daughter when without thinking, I spoke up to stop her.

"So how have you been?" I casually asked. Sure enough, she stopped and turned to face me. She cocked an eyebrow and tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"I'm sorry. Do – do I know you from somewhere?"

"Yes. Yes, you do. Kennedy Heights Recreation Center."

"No. No, that's not ringing any bells."

"Coach Vick? Basketball?"

"Sorry. You must have me mistaken for someone else."

"I most certainly do not. I would not make such an error."

"Well, I'm sorry, but I don't know what else to tell you."

"Oh please. Be serious woman."

"Excuse me?!"

"You can't honestly be that dim for you to not recognize me."

"What in the – I've never seen you before in my life!"

"Don't lie, woman."

"I said that I don't know you!"

"Yes you do. My name is Se – "

"- Sesshoumaru Taisho. Yes, I remember you." I turned around to see that another woman, with the same, striking brown eyes, had appeared behind me. She also had the same color skin, same height, and about the same figure, although she was somewhat thinner. Her hair was much longer and contained a few blonde streaks. Her facial features were similar, but not identical, to the other woman's.

The new woman gave me a toothy, sexy smile as she sashayed over to where I was, ever so smoothly taking me into a hug. "Mmmmm," she moaned as she hugged me tightly, "I haven't seen you in ages. How have you been, boy?"

"Well. You?"

"Mmm, I've been excellent. Happy as can be." Just like she entered the embrace, she let go of me with the same grace and sensuality. She locked eyes with mine again and flashed another sexy smile. "And how have you been Koga?"

"I've been fine. Just like you mama," he replied with a perverted smile. Iesha laughed at my best friend as she pulled him into a friendly embrace that was significantly less sensual.

"Mommy! Mommy! This man saved Omar for me!" little Gabrielle happily cried as she ran up to Iesha with the red, rubber ball in her arms.

"I see. But you know better than to run off like that. I don't know how many times I have to tell you, Gabby. You better be glad that Auntie Imani found you." I turned around to look at the woman who I had previously thought to be Iesha, but now realized that it was her fraternal twin, Imani. Imani still had an annoyed look on her face and I knew that my expression wasn't any friendlier.

"Iesha, I'm going to finish getting the stuff for the party. I'll meet you in the car when you're done," the woman announced to her twin.

"Alright. Oh, will you please take Gabby with you so she doesn't cause any more trouble?"

"Yeah. Come on sweetie."

"Okay. Come on Omar! Bye Mommy! Bye Misters!" the child fare welled as she took the hand of her aunt. The woman, however, made no formal goodbyes as she disappeared from my sight. What a ridiculously, emotional woman.

"So you have children now?" I heard Koga suddenly ask my ex.

"Oh noooo. Child. Gabrielle's my only one. She'll be four in a few months."

"She's beautiful. Just like her mom."

"Oooo. Listen at you. I see you haven't changed, huh Koga?"

"Never, babe. Never."

"Ha ha ha, I see." She turned her eyes on me. "So I hear that you guys are playing pro ball now for Carolina. Looks like your dreams finally came true, Sesshoumaru."

"So they have."

"Well, I'm glad that I was able to see you become a success." Both of us were silent for a few moments as we continued to stare at each other. No doubt those memories of that night were on her mind, as they were on mine. However, those lustful, nostalgic thoughts were cut short by the sound of a ringtone. Iesha fished inside of her purse to retrieve the cellular device. She slid the phone open and read the message she received. She chuckled to herself as she put her mobile away. "My goodness Sesshoumaru. You must have really pissed my sister off, because she is 'ready to go right NOW!'."

"She shouldn't be so sensitive."

"Ha ha. I see you haven't changed either. Look, I'm sorry that I have to go, but we're having a BBQ over at our place tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully you two can swing buy so we all can catch up?"

"Sounds reasonable."

"Without a doubt, babe."

"Here," she pulled her mobile out again and handed it to me, "plug your number in so I can call you and give you directions." I did as she requested and handed the phone back to her. "Good. I'll see you there. And it was nice to see you two again." She gave us one last hug before running off to meet her counterpart. After the coast was clear, Koga let out a long, loud whistle.

"Wooooo! Man, Iesha is STILL fine! And the sis ain't bad either, geez!" I rolled my eyes.

"Please." Koga gave me an exasperated glare.

"What is the matter with you dude? Twins! Did you hear me? Twins! TWINS! And they already . . . well, one already likes you. But because they're twins, they probably think alike. So you know what that means right?"

I sighed. "No. What does it mean, Koga?"

"THREEEEEESOOOMMMMMMMMMEEEEEE!"

It took everything I had for me not to hit him right then and there.

A/N: LOL Koga.