Poseidon and Sally: Love Story

Visit Six

'Mom, please – I don't want to go there.'

He wasn't begging. He wasn't crying. Eleven year old Percy Jackson was simply staring at his mother with wide, pleading eyes. As Sally Jackson searched them, her chest twinged when she saw just how like his father he looked now. She knew that Poseidon had never born the form of an eleven year old boy, but if he had, Sally was sure he would look just as Percy did now. She, Sally, bore almost no resemblance to her son. When she, Percy and Gabe were out together, people did tend to give them strange looks. Because of course Percy looked nothing like Gabe. She dreaded to think of the consequences if he did.

'I'm sorry, Percy,' she said quietly, 'But it's the only option left.'

Percy sighed. She could tell he thought he had lost this battle. Sally put a reassuring hand on his shoulder and sighed with him.

'How about this,' she said, trying to lighten his mood. 'We can go and get a burger. I'll take you out for dinner. How about that?'

Percy wrinkled his nose. Sally smiled inwardly. It was such a cute habit of his.

'That sounds . . . good, I guess. But will Gabe have to come?' Percy sneered Gabe's name. Sally tried to act stern, but failed miserably. It was hard to tell her son off for saying the things about her husband that Sally herself was thinking, too.

'No,' she said, a small, wry smile on her face. 'No. Just us.'

Percy brightened up and stood up, pushing his chair back under the table.

'Good. That sounds . . . great. Can we go now?'

'In a bit,' said Sally, picking up a stack of books from the table. 'I need to take these back to the library. I'll just be twenty minutes, thirty tops.'

'No, it's fine,' said Percy, jumping up. 'I'll do it.'

'Percy –'

'No, it's fine!' he repeated, taking the books from her hands. She felt herself relenting and eventually nodded. Gabe's scent hung around enough for Percy to be masked from any potential attackers. Sally pushed the thought from her head. She didn't like to think about Percy being attacked, ever. Although, somewhere inside of her, she felt that they didn't have much time left. And the library was only two blocks away. Percy kissed her on the cheek goodbye and left the apartment, taking the spare keys with him. Gabe poked his head around the living room door.

'Where's he going?' he asked, scowling. Sally felt the familiar surge of annoyance at his abnormally pointless questions. 'Taking my books back to the library, for me,' she replied shortly. Gabe grunted and when Sally looked up again, he was gone. She breathed a sigh of relief. Sometimes, she wanted things to be normal. So she wouldn't be married to him.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Sally stood up, shaking her head. It was more than likely Percy coming back, after taking the wrong keys.

'Percy,' she said, as she went to unlock the door. 'How many times have I told you that it's the blue key for the apart – Oh.'

The last word came out softly and in a state of shock and surprise. It was Poseidon. Looking as normal as he ever could, and looking slightly distressed.

'Hello,' he said, before sliding in without invitation. Sally closed the door behind him and looked at him in complete shock.

'Er – what are you doing here?'

She hadn't meant to sound rude. But his visits were rare and seemed . . . well, slightly reckless, most of the time. 'They'll be coming soon,' he said in a low voice, cutting straight to the point. Sally became aware of how close to her he was stood and made to step backwards, but realised she couldn't find the will to do so. She was going to ask who they were, but she already had the general idea. Monsters. The wrong kind of people – Sally got the general gist of the thoughts. And she completely, utterly and totally hated the idea.

'He's getting to the age where these things start to happen.'

'You're lucky Percy's not here, right now,' said Sally, frowning. Poseidon sighed.

'I know. I just saw him leave.' His mouth tightened. 'He shouldn't be allowed to go about on his own.'

Sally couldn't help it. She laughed.

'I'm sorry, but you don't really have a right to tell me where he can and can't go. You're never here. You never see him or talk to him, so you can't tell me – his mother who has been looking after him every single day since he was born.' She finished, seething. Poseidon didn't get angry, however. His eyes were glinting slightly though. She recognised that look. But he wasn't going to lose it with her. Suddenly, the living room door opened, and Gabe appeared, looking half confused, and half livid.

'What's going on?' he demanded. Sally instantly stepped back, but Poseidon stayed where he was. He looked angry at Gabe, for some reason. But he didn't shout. Or say anything, in fact.

'Gabe, this is . . . er . . . a friend of mine,' started Sally abruptly. Gabe raised one messy eyebrow disbelievingly. 'We're just catching up.'

'Really?' he asked, disbelief etched into every single line of his scraggly face.

'Yes.'

Gabe just frowned and glared at the same time before heading back into the living room. Sally knew he'd be out again in a minute, and angrier than ever. Poseidon seemed to know this too, as he leant towards her again, taking her arms in his hands and starting to speak rapidly.

'I have every right,' he said, his eyes stormy. 'Percy is my son. I may not be around as much as you, Percy or even I would like to be – but I do see him. I'm here a lot more than you think I am. And I do care about Percy. He. Is. My. Son. I want him to be safe, and I want him to be OK.'

Sally was too shocked for words for a moment.

'I'm sorry,' he said eventually, loosening his grip on his arms. 'But you have to know I do care.' Silence. 'Which is why I have set up protection for Percy, at his new school.'

Sally frowned, curious.

'Protection?'

'A satyr,' said Poseidon, his words getting quicker and quicker as he went along. 'He's called Grover. He looks younger than he is, but he is more than qualified, I am sure. He will look after Percy at his new school. Watch out for him. Just in case.'

Sally opened and closed her mouth rapidly. When she finally found words, she blurted out, 'But Percy knows nothing about any of this. About who he is, about who you are.'

For the first time since she had met Poseidon, she saw a look of true pain and regret flash across his face.

'I'm sorry,' he said gravely. 'I really am.'

He straightened up, letting go of Sally's arms completely. 'I'm sorry,' he repeated again, before hesitantly leaning down and kissing Sally softly. She was shocked before resting a hand on his cheek. He pulled away and leant down to her ear to whisper roughly, 'I really am sorry.'

Sally knew he meant a lot more by that.

Poseidon made to leave, heading to the door. But before he could open it, Percy came in, tossing the keys aside.

'Sorry, Mom, the library was closed. I –'

He froze when he saw Poseidon. Sally was surprised to see Poseidon looking at his son intently, as if trying to memorise his appearance.

'I – you're the guy from the park,' said Percy, in a state of surprise. Poseidon nodded, coming out of his trance.

'Yes. Goodbye, Sally. Percy.'

He disappeared through the door and as Gabe heard the bang of the door on wood, Sally heard him shout, 'Sally! Get me another beer, would you?' It wasn't a question, Sally knew that. It was a demand. Percy threw his usual dirty look at the door. It was obvious how much he hated Gabe. Sally really, really didn't blame him. She only then realised that she felt a note in her hand. Turning her back on Percy, who had headed into the kitchen (definitely not to get Gabe's beer that was for sure), she unfolded it and read it.

There's not long left. I'm sorry. But I'll make sure he is safe.

Sally looked up as Percy came back into the room.

Because she knew that Poseidon would always make sure their son was safe, even from afar.