To Grandma's House

Abdul Omar Khalid*

Chris got up to head back outside, leaving the three Elders alone again. Houser took a long deep breath. A vehicle pulled up out front followed by laughter. Xael and the others had returned. The Elders tried to remove the looks of worry and pain from their faces. Xael walked into the kitchen with the pans she needed. Eli and Shado went out back, but not before Shado gave her another kiss.

As Xael placed the meat onto the trays, she could sense the tension in the room. From the line of questions she had gotten before leaving, she already knew that they had talked to Chris. It was like he said earlier.

'Xael never misses anything.'

Xael felt the eyes staring at her from behind. "You guys are staring at me."

Skylar cleared his throat. "Sorry pup." Xael turned and smiled at them.

"Chris was in here, wasn't he?"

"How do you know that?" Houser was still a non-believer.

"Because his scent is still in the room." Xael knew how sneaky her Grams could be and that the three of them probably interrogated him without much effort. She didn't mind. Xael knew they were just worried and curious about her.

Her Grams and Skylar went to check on the work that had been done by the guys earlier. Houser stayed in the kitchen, watching her. Xael got the meat ready and sat on the grill after spreading the charcoal and adding a few logs of applewood to give the meat a nice smoked flavor. After cleaning up, she joined Houser at the table but not before grabbing a Dr. Pepper out of the fridge.

"Xael."

"Chief Houser." She popped the cap off with her thumb and gulped back a large swig of pop. The cold carbonated drink was just what she needed. "So how long were you in Special Ops?"

"What?" Houser wondered how she knew. He knew he told her he was in the service, but he never said where he served.

"You're tattoo."

"Oh. You really don't miss anything do you?"

"No Sir. Not if I can help it." Her Grams and Skylar came back in, Grams taking up the seat next to her. The aroma of meat started to fill the area. They were looking at her again.

"You guys are staring again."

"We're sorry hun." Her Grams still had worry on her face.

"Ok, you three...out with it. Ask your questions."

"I'm sorry dear, it's just that...Chris." Her Grams didn't want to finish.

Xael let out a deep sigh. "His name was Abdul Omar Khalid and he was their only son."

"How do you know his name?"

"Like you said, I never miss a thing and I have my ways Chief Houser." Xael turned her focus to the almost empty pop can. It left a terrible after taste, she got up to toss the can in the recycle bin and returned to her seat.

"That must have been a hard choice Xael." Xael could see the compassion in Houser's eyes and the others. She just stared off into the distance, her face somber.

"No. It wasn't. He was dead the moment his parents agreed to let them use him. Abdul was going to die that day, either by my hand or his. By my hand it was just him and the three men. By his hand it was my guys, a group of kids and who knows who else. So no, the choice wasn't hard. Living with it was, for a while. Our C.O. managed to get me, Chris, Josh and Eli transferred to another unit."

"Oh my dear, I'm so sorry...it's all just awful."

"Yes Grams, it is."

"How do you know that's what Chris talked to us about?" Skylar just realized there's no way she could know what they discussed.

Xael looked at him and smirked. "I know my brother. And you three suck at poker faces. I need to check on the meat." Xael got up to see how the meat was doing but to also end the conversation. But she winced again, this time it was enough to stop her in her tracks.

"Xael, what's going on?" She looked at her Grams and gave a weak smile.

"It's just cramps."