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Sally Jackson, now Blofis, was a marvel in and of herself. She had raised herself a powerful and loyal Son of Poseidon. Her method of keeping him hidden was highly questionable, but said questionable choice had been removed from their lives since Percy came back from his first summer at camp.
She still smiled whenever they drove past the museum that had bought his statue off their hands.
And she was a mother to a now toddler daughter, who was determined to make her big brother so proud of her. Which wasn’t too hard, seeing as Percy cheered for literally everything she did, and listened to just about everything that she wanted. He was an amazing older brother, and she was an absolute angel for her family.
She had also tried to adopt a Son of Hades. Though he was evasive and it was clear he was terrified of settling in one place for too long. Unless it was at camp, of course, with the Son of Apollo that he was dating. But Nico would always be one of her boys, and she only smiled when Nico would tear up at hearing it.
Though it left her… empty, almost. She still had so much she wanted to do, though her body might protest to another pregnancy, and she was still settling with raising a toddler again after almost 17 years.
And then she learned of another one of Percy’s friends who needed a home and to know what a family was.
She had demanded to meet him, with sweet words of making sure Percy brought him home one day. But Percy had only smiled with a breath of laughter and a glance at Nico, who was over to finally meet Estelle, to tell him ‘I told you so’.
And she waited, patiently, to meet the Son of Jupiter who had a million things on his plate, only eased when Percy would leave to help him. She nearly had a heart attack when she learned of his near-death experience, where he had died but Percy refused to lose him like that. She was very impatient after that.
So when she first met him, it had been awkward, but it also wasn’t.
It had been clear to Sally that he was only calm around Percy, for the moment, and hesitant to do anything that might upset her. Not that he could, seeing as she had made sure they had the room. She would one hundred percent fight any god or goddess who stopped her from adopting her new son.
Which she almost did… twice.
“What are your intentions with Jason Grace?” Sally, to her credit, merely glanced next to her at the goddess who had materialized in her car.
“Pardon?”
“What. Are. Your. Intentions. With. Jason. Grace.” The goddess repeated, enunciating every word carefully with a pointed jab as her eyes narrowed. Clearly she didn’t like having to repeat herself for any reason. Sally waited to reply, wanting to not be driving when having this conversation, because it was still something she hadn’t even brought up to or with Jason yet.
“To give him a home.” She answered honestly, parking in a parking spot at the grocery store. She turned to face the goddess directly and did a quick scan of her and ticked off a mental note pad. Sitting in her front seat was Lady Hera, who was Jason’s step-mother and patron. She’d heard plenty from Percy and Annabeth’s complaints.
It was clear that she’d taken the goddess of guard, at least a little. She hesitated as she went to speak, rethinking how she was going to proceed talking with Sally. She tilted her head to the side as she analyzed Sally, watching her eyes carefully and no doubt weighing the truthfulness of her words.
“You want to give Jason Grace a home?”
“Yes.” Sally answered, keeping her breathing even and holding perfect eye contact. If she could handle talking to Lady Amphitrite, the wife of her child’s father, while being scolded and ripped apart verbally, then she could handle a little questioning from Hera. Though she had to talk down her son, who’d been one hundred percent ready to tear apart Amphitrite. Holding his baby sister had helped immensely with that.
“Why?” Hera finally asked, almost… slumping back as she leaned back and away from Sally.
“Because everyone deserves a home, and a family. It might be sixteen years, give or take, too late, but I will be damned sure he knows he has a family with us.” Sally responded.
“You are so much like your son…” Hera muttered, and Sally only smiled at her. “Fine. I… Give my blessing to allow you to adopt Jason Grace. Just know that his father may not be happy with the arrangement.” Sally’s grin went from a kind and slightly amused to a shark-like that matched her sons when he was edging for a fight.
“Let him try.”
He did try, several times when Percy was around, and only once when he wasn't.
The day had been going normally, at first. Paul had kissed her cheek, ruffled Estelle’s hair and reminded Percy that he had the day off and to rest and sleep in a bit before leaving for work. She’d dropped Estelle off at Daycare, alerting the teacher that her brother would be picking her up later that day, and then going to the grocery store. She’d gotten her groceries and got home to find Percy up, looking alarmed at having, A. Overslept, and B. Had an empty house when he woke up.
She’d assured him nothing had happened, allowing Percy to put groceries away as she reminded him to eat something before sending him off to camp, where some kids were causing mischief and would only listen to Percy.
But then she went to make lunch, and found a god standing in her kitchen glaring her down. She was not impressed, nor amused, and had told him as much.
“Your attitude-”
“Is just like my sons, believe me,” Sally responded, raising an eyebrow. “If you think he’s bad, just remember… I’m the woman who raised him.” She’d earned herself a glare for her response, and clear lack of respect towards him.
“I am the king-”
“Of the gods, I am aware. However I am mortal, therefore I will show no respect.” Sally interrupted once again, getting an irritated huff. She’d merely crossed her arms and tilted her head to the side. She would not be pushed around in her own home, not anymore, and never again.
“I am a god.”
“And I don’t care.” Sally responded, knowing she was pretty well protected with her relation to her son. If she ever died because of a god, there would be nothing that Percy would stop at to get his revenge. His loyalty was held to people and standards, not to titles and power.
“You are not to adopt Jason. I forbade it.” He changed the flow of the conversation, no doubt sensing the quiet threat that laid in Sally’s response. He looked pissed off, which was fine by Sally. It wasn’t her problem.
“Well, Hera agreed to it, and as far as I’m aware, you gave Jason to her.” Sally responded, smiling sweetly at him as she brushed past him, set on starting to make lunch. She’d have most of her kids home, and she would finally be getting the chance to talk to Jason about adopting him.
“I will not allow a bit-”
“Continue speaking,” Hestia interrupted, materializing in the apartment, “and see what happens, brother.” Zeus’ mouth clicked shut, and Sally set the knife she’d picked up back down. She hadn’t remembered doing so, and she also knew that it would not harm the god, and only merely annoy him.
Zeus left before any further conversation could be held, and Sally smiled warmly at Hestia.
“That was amazing and perfect timing.” She told her, voice losing all edge that had built up in her exchange with Zeus. Hestia only smiled back, a knowing glint in her eyes.
“Percy would have had a fit had I let my brother continue into a tirade.” Hestia sighed, “And I believe that Jason needs the stability that you have provided for Percy, and have offered to Nico.” Sally relaxed, turning and beginning to make lunch. It would be something simple, something that she could do with her eyes closed or as close as.
“They are children, I will always open my home to children in need. Taking in a few won’t harm us.” Sally responded.
“Ah, so he gets it from you.” Sally glanced over and found Hestia sitting at her kitchen table with a look of consideration on her face. “Percy and Nico were the only two campers to see me in quite a bit of time. It almost took me by surprise the first couple times that I locked eyes with them… Percy is very family oriented, even if it caused harm to himself, and Nico had been denied one for so long.” She sighed, like it physically caused her harm to think about.
Knowing her domains, Sally thought that it probably did.
“All I can do is do my best and offer what I can.” Hestia only smiled and disappeared as Sally heard footsteps approaching her door and laughter between three demigods and a giggling toddler.
Jason cried when Sally asked him, and then panicked about his Father and Hera. Sally only smiled as she assured them that there would be no problem nor barrier in her endeavor to give him a home and a family. He cried again, harder that time, which started a cuddle pile, initiated by Percy because Estelle cried when others cried.
Sally only smiled, holding the blond boy as he held Estelle. He was treated to the sight of Nico and Percy setting aside petty arguments and cuddling together to watch movies. Tonight appearing to be Maleficent, a current fixation of Estelle’s. She absolutely adored the movie, and Percy was happy to indulge her.
She had many pictures that would be saved for days to look back and reminisce. She went to bed happy that night.