Thanks for the reviews! That means a lot to me!

Charmed -Angel4: The Sanders name will be explained eventually. Actually, this next chapter might sort of give it away.
StrawberryBlondeHazelEyes: Oh, so I'm not the only child who was totally terrible? Just kidding…hey, at least I left out the time someone in my family put a donut in the DVD player. As far as this being TATE, this story won't have that kind of shipping, but the sequel is going to be TATE. And I had no clue what Caitlyn meant. That's cool! Thanks!

Chapter Three

"Uncle Jack!" Eleven-year-old Kate Sanders ran out to meet her "uncle". Jack Todd had been a friend of the family for years. He had gone to school with both her parents, and secretly Kate had decided he was her favorite uncle.

"Hey there, Katie!" Jack swung Kate up and hugged her, and greeted the two boys that had followed her. "Where is Doug?"

"He's doing his homework. He gets lots of it. So does Greg, but not so much. Nobody hardly ever plays with me anymore." Brett explained with a frown.

Kate punched him lightly. "I play with you all the time!"

"But you are a girl!"

"Uncle Jack, do I look like a girl to you?"

Uncle Jack tried to suppress his grin. "Nope, all I see are twins fighting."

Kate gave Brett a look of triumph. "I can play football just as well as you or Greg, and almost as well as Doug."

"You do what almost as well as me?" Doug walked outside just then, and ruffled his little sister's hair. "Uncle Jack, I didn't know you were coming today!" the boy said.

Jack looked a little troubled. "Yeah, I need to talk to your mother about something. Where is she?"

"Umm…I don't know. But she's seemed kinda strange today.? Greg nodded in affirmation. The twins exchanged looks. Mom? Acting strange? They hadn't noticed it.

"Right, I'll go in and find her."

...……...

Jack found Maria Sanders preparing dinner. "Jack!" she exclaimed.

"How's it going, Maria? What did you call me for?"

"Why don't you stay for dinner? We can talk about it after the kids eat." She refused to look at him, and leaned over the stove, pretending to be busy stirring the large pot that was on the burner.

Just then Brett rushed in. "Mom! Guess what Greg did!" And without waiting for a response, he prattled on. "His chemistry experiment set his pillow on fire! But don't worry, we put it out!"

Maria sighed and looked pointedly at Greg, who had sneaked in behind his brother. "Greg?"

"Aww…Mom, it wasn't that bad. Brett is just exaggerating, right?" It appeared to Maria that had put his hand on Brett's back, until the little boy let out a yelp. "Don't pinch me!" With a flash Greg disappeared up the steps.

Maria sighed again. "Brett, go round up everyone for dinner."

"Mom, why isn't Dad home yet?" Kate inquired of her mother at the dinner table. Her mother glanced at Jack, then smiled at her daughter. "I'm sure he just had to work late. And you probably do, too, all of you. You've got lots of homework to do!"

The twins groaned, but Doug and Greg exchanged looks. Mom knew that they had already completed their homework for the weekend. What was so important that she wanted them out while she talked to Uncle Jack?

Maria's eyes followed her children out the kitchen door.

Jack paused, then said, "Listen, this has something to do with Perry, doesn't it? Why he is home late?"

Maria flinched, but nodded. "I don't know what to do. He came home late last night, and he smelled like alcohol. He's never been an alcoholic. It's been a recent thing. I'm scared. Whatever caused this, I don't know. But I don't want the children to have to know that their father is an alcoholic who spends his evenings drinking instead of staying home with his family. It would kill them. They aren't connected with him enough as it is, how can we add this a top of all things?"

Jack sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Wow, 'Ria, I don't know what to think. Perry never seemed like that kinda guy to me."

Maria opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a loud slam of the front door. Perry himself walked in, smelling strongly of alcohol.

He stopped at the door and looked from Jack to Maria. Maria was seated at the table, with Jack behind her. His hand was on her shoulder.

Rage ran through Perry's face, as he stared at his wife and friend. "Get away from my wife, Todd." he said between his teeth.

Jack looked puzzled for a split second, but then reality flashed in his mind. Perry was drunk, and in his intoxicated state he thought that Jack was trying to seduce his wife.

Jack backed away from Maria. "Whoa, man, everything is all right. Why don't you go and get to bed? Its late, and I should be going."

"You are dang straight you should be going."

"Perry--" Maria started.

"Shut up!"

Maria did just that, and slipped out of the room. She had never seen Perry so mad in his life. If he was like this, he might hurt the children. She ran up the stairs and knocked on Greg and Doug's room. Both boys were lying on their twin beds, deep in conversation. Brett was at their desk, typing away at the computer. "You three, I want you to run over to the Phearsons's," referring to their neighbors, "and spend the night. Tell them it's an emergency. I'm sure they will understand."

"Mom, what's wrong?" asked Doug, instantly by his mother's side.

"Just go! We'll talk about it later." Maria's eyes scanned the room. "Where is Kate?"

Greg looked up. "I think she wanted to run to the library to look up something. You were really busy, so I thought it would be okay if she went by herself. Its just two doors down."

Maria nodded. Kate would be in the library reading for at least another hour or so. She was safe.

"The boys don't have practice today, I wonder where they are going." Kate thought to herself as she heard the tiptoes outside her bedroom door and pass by. She had decided not to go to the library tonight. Just getting over a cold, she still felt a little tired. It was probably better just to stay in and rest, then go tomorrow.

Kate shrugged to herself. They were boys, who knew what they were up to?

A few minutes went by. Kate tried to concentrate on her book. Nancy Drew had always been her favorite. Wouldn't it be great to be a real detective like her?

Then she heard stomping up the stairs. Maybe Dad was finally home! He could help her with that one math problem she couldn't figure out.

She heard a yell. "Doug! Greg! Brett! Katie!"

Kate poked her head out the door. "Dad, I think the boys---" she stopped as she witnessed the look of absolute rage on her father's face. Perry turned to her and grabbed her by the collar of her shirt. "Did you know about Jack and your mother? Did you?" he shook her hard.

"Dad, what's wrong? I don't know anything about Uncle Jack and Mom. What's wrong, daddy?" She looked up at him, fearfully.

"What's wrong!" He slammed her against her door. "I'll tell you what's wrong!" Perry grabbed his daughter, and pushed her in her room, locking the door behind her.