Hey!

Is everyone ready to start meeting Jack's family? Good cause you don't really have a choice! :P

It was a small little island, ruled more by nature than people. There were several houses there, several families. The whole island was alive with colour. There were millions of shades of green in every plant and flowers in every shade of every colour imaginable. The wooden jetty was probably the only man-made structure there that didn't have something growing on it, in it or round it. The houses all had some kind of plant climbing the walls or growing so much in front of them that most of it was blocked from view. It was like nature was letting them stay there, unlike in some places like London and Port Royal where it was like we were letting a bit of nature stay where it wasn't in the way. I think I liked it better the island way.

"Not many people live here all year round," Teague said as we walked along the dirt track that had been troden into the grass, our arms full of supplies. "Most people here are at sea, they just use this as a place to come back to from time to time, or bring children, should they have any. But most of the time we're all at sea. Only those that are dead or dying stay behind."

It was on that note that we turned off the path and through a gap between a small, spiky plant and a taller one with long, thin leaves that stuck up into the air, curled down at the very edges and ended in a cluster of tiny purple flowers. The house was almost completely hidden by the branches of an enormous overhanging tree. It was hard to decide if the house had been built before the tree had been planted or after because they seemed to be becoming one and the same. I think the house was being held together and supported mostly by the branches and roots of the tree, but it looked as if the tree would fall if you somehow managed to extract the house from its grip. Separately, both would have crumbled, but they were holding each other up nicely. I could hear the sound of laughter and music coming from inside. The tall grass brushed against my knees as I followed Teague up the path that had been created by the many people who had walked here before us. He stopped and I almost crashed into him. I looked around for the door. If I had seen one I probably would have been a bit more ready for his stopping. The crate I was carrying slipped a bit in my arms and I had a moment of panic as I tried to regain control. An apple slipped out and rolled along the ground. I shifted the crate trying to balance it on my knee so I could pick it up again. Hugh stooped to get it and put it back on top with a wink. "There you go, honey."

"Thanks," I smiled.

"Pleasure to help," he said as Jack snorted in the background. I looked at him.

"It would be nice if Jack were as helpful as you," I said and enjoyed the look on Jack's face. Winding him up was something I would never tire of. I turned back to look at Teague, still grinning. Teague lifted up a curtain of ivy and I caught sight of wood underneath. He leant his shoulder against it and pushed. It scraped and juddered its way forwards. "Door's a bit stiff," he said to me.

"GRANDAD!" The shriek came before Teague even had a chance to step foot in the door. There was the sound of feet running along a wooden floor. Teague stepped in as quickly as possible and I heard him laugh.

"Hang on you two and wait 'til I've got me-self sorted."

"Who's had kids?" I heard Jack ask. He didn't sound all that pleased.

"Kate," Hugh answered. "They're adorable. Do you not like kids, Jack?"

"Well, I-" Jack stopped. "Wait, I see what you're doing... I'm not answering that."

"What?" Hugh asked innocently. "I was just wondering, I mean... marriage...kids-"

"Shut it," Jack mumbled.

"Yes," I turned to Hugh. "Please do."

Hugh was silent for a second. "Can't say I blame her for not wanting your kids Jack," he glanced at me and smiled, "but you know, honey, of you ever feel like you need to-"

Jack put down his crete. "If you don't stop talking right now I'll-"

"UNCLE HUGH!" Jack's threat was cut short as two small children came tearing out of the house. Hugh laughed, put down what he was carrying and picked up the youngest, a boy.

"Hello again, have you met your Uncle Jack? Look, here he is."

"Hat!" the boy pointed at Jack's tricorn hat.

"Yes, that's right," Hugh nodded. "He would love it if you tried it on."

"No I wouldn't," Jack stepped back, but Hugh had already lifted the boy close enough for him to snatch it off with his tiny hands. He held it for a moment and looked at it before biting the rim. "OI!" Jack shouted. "NO! Don't do that put it down!"

Jack lunged to take the hat from the boy, but Hugh swung him round so that Jack stumbled straight past them. The boy squealed with delight. As Jack was righting himself Hugh put the boy down and the hat on his head. It fell down over the boy's eyes, but he loved it. He ran into the grass with it wobbling around on his head. The grass was so tall and he was so small that soon the hat was all you could see. Hugh chased him and Jack chased Hugh. I felt a tug on my hand. I looked down to see the girl looking up at me. She had the same dark hair as the boy, who I presumed was her brother, but her eyes were blue.

"Will you play with me?" she asked.

"Of course," I smiled. Her small hand tugged on mine again as she lead me away from the others.

"No boys allowed," she said and I laughed.

"A very sensible rule."

She took me to her 'den', a surprisingly big space under a tree. The leaves canopeyed out and cascaded to the ground around us. We sat on a log she had placed in the centre and she made us both some 'rum' out of mud and leaves, which she put into two chipped mugs and we both pretended to drink. "My name's Jenny."

"Mine's Isabel."

She studied me and I took another pretend sip. "Have I met you before?" I shook my head. She took another sip. "I thought not, but sometimes I've met people before when I was really little but I just can't remember them."

"You've never met your Uncle Jack before, have you?"

"The one with the hat?" I nodded and she shook her head. "No, I don't think so."

"Jenifer!" a woman's voice floated in from outside the den. "Jen? Jenny?"

The curtain of leaves lifted and a woman's head appeared in the gap. She smiled at her daughter. "There you are, I was just-" she saw me. "Oh, I see you've already met our guests."

Jenifer nodded. "Yes, she's called Isabel."

I smiled awkwardly at the woman who had Jack's eyes. She smiled back, "I'm Kate."

"Lovely to meet you."

"Coming in for a drink?"

"I already made her one!" said an indignant Jenny. Her mother laughed. "Well something to eat with it then."

"Can I get something to eat too?"

"Yes, Come on then!" Kate half sighed, half laughed. Jenny threw down her mug and ran out. I stood up and followed them. She ran a head of Kate and I as we made our way back to the house.

"She's a lovely kid," I said, watching her run. "And your boy, he's great too."

She smiled lovingly after her daughter. "They can be a pain sometimes, but I love having them here. I was never very into the whole pirating thing to be honest. I much prefer life here with a family."

I was surprised by this, but I didn't say so. Instead I asked, "So do you live here all year round then?"

"No," she shook her head. "We travel a lot, me and my husband, Gregor. Pirate's still in my blood, it's just a bit diluted."

We had reached the door. There was no sign of Jack or Hugh outside and all the supplies had been taken in. Kate opened the door and I followed her through.

Thanks for reading!