Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Perseus Jackson was six years old when the tide reclaimed him as its own. Sally Jackson–his mother–had just married Percy’s new stepfather, Gabe Ugliano, a year beforehand. When his mother first introduced Gabe to Percy, he thought they could all be a happy family since Percy’s real dad had been lost at sea. Gabe was so nice to Percy, giving him candy and playing catch in the park while his mom watched them.

Eventually, the wedding came. It was a small ceremony in a tiny church just outside New York City; the only thing they could afford. It was just a few friends and family from Gabes side and Percy for his mom. Percy loved the whole thing! He got to walk his mom down the aisle and even hand them the rings. After the quick reception, they all drove back to their apartment in Manhattan. A few weeks passed and all of that excitement Percy had about being a family? Gone. Crushed, even.

Gabe stopped going in to work. He was a manager for an appliance store and was always at work supervising his employees. Now, he sat around watching T.V. all day and drinking from a brown bottle. He told Percy to grab him those brown bottles all the time. He started inviting his big, smelly friends over to play some game with coins and cards. Percy had asked to play once. Gabe smacked his hand on Percy’s face and yelled at him to never tell his mom what happened. It’ll be our guy's secret, he had said. Percy never asked to play with Gabe again. Soon, Percy started calling him Smelly Gabe behind his back because of how much the man reeked.

That was a few months ago. Percy’s mother had announced that she and Percy were going to spend a week at their cabin on Montauk Beach before Percy officially started kindergarten. Gabe grumbled about them leaving him, but let them go, nonetheless. Percy was so excited when he heard the news. He loved Montauk. They had gone every year since Percy was born. Usually for only a few nights, but this time they would get the entire place to themselves for a whole week. Percy loved going because it was the place his mom and dad met. Sally would tell Percy the story a thousand times and Percy would still ask to hear it.

The night before they left, Sally helped Percy pack his bag enthusiastically. The t.v. blared some sports game loudly in the living room, but they laughed and smiled all the same. Sally tucked Percy snugly into bed and kissed him on the forehead. Percy smiled and fluttered his eyes closed. He fell asleep to deep humming and a hand running through his hair. When Percy woke up in the morning, the hand and humming was gone, replaced by the sounds of metal clinking in the kitchen and television.

Percy leaped out of bed excitedly. He put on his clothes, proud to show his mom how well he got dressed by himself. Percy waddled into the bathroom and climbed on top of his step stool to brush his teeth. He dried his mouth on a towel and clambered towards the kitchen. His mom was a blur, rushing to make breakfast for the three of them. Gabe was staring at the television, locked into whatever game was playing, as usual.

Percy took his place at the kitchen counter, his mom setting a plate in front of him in moments. It’s filled with Percy’s favorite breakfast foods: blue pancakes, sausage, and strawberries.

“Thank you, Mama!” Percy said around a mouthful of pancake. Sally chuckled fondly at her son and sat beside him. She brushed a stray strand of scruffy hair out of his face.

Sally smiled at her baby boy and speared a couple strawberry slices with her fork. “Are you excited for our trip, honey?”

Percy nodded his head energetically. “I am, Mama! I so–” he swallowed another piece of sausage. “Will you tell me how you and daddy met again?” Sally’s face softened. She picked up a couple more pieces of pancake and chewed them thoughtfully.

She looked back at Percy. She wore an amused expression on her face. “Again, Percy? I’ve probably told you the story a thousand times!”

Percy deflated a tad at that. “But I love when you tell me stories! And that is my favorite story!”

Sally chuckled and looked back down at her plate. “Of course, sweetheart, I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”

Her little boy grinned and it filled her heart with such warmth to see him so happy. “Yay!” he cheered. Sally smiled with him as he wiggled excitedly on his stool until she noticed his empty plate.

“Baby, why don’t you go get your things while I clean up so we can leave soon?”

“Okay, Mama!” Percy climbed down from the stool and toddled down the hall and back into his room. While he did that, Sally started cleaning the dishes and packing up the leftover food. They would come in handy as a light snack later that day. Soon, all of the dishes were cleaned and all of the food packed for the trip. Sally carried the pack of food down to the car and set it right next to her and Percy’s duffel bags.

She trotted back up the stairs and found Percy with his little backpack and stuffed turtle. No doubt the backpack was filled with his notebook and crayons. He had such a talent and aptitude for drawing, even at his young age. “Mama!” he cried, lifting his stuffed turtle up high for her to see. “Todd and I are all ready to go!” Percy’s father had left the stuffed turtle in Percy’s crib after he was born. Percy had become very attached to the thing since it was the only thing his dad ever gave him. He had named the turtle Todd when he was two after trying to say dad and the name had stuck even after all these years.

Sally bent down to Percy’s height and hugged Percy and Todd. She pulled back and looked at both of them very seriously. “Now that you’re both ready for this mission, go put on your shoes and wait by the door.” She gave a pointed look at the turtle. “Especially you, Mr. Todd.” Percy giggled and Sally kissed his forehead. “Go,” she said. “I’ll be right back, I just need to talk to Gabe first, okay? Wait for me at the door.” She patted Percy’s back, and he scurried off to put on his socks and shoes.

Sally strained up and walked up behind where Gabe was planted on the armchair in front of the television. She put her arms around his neck and gave a very quick peck to the temple of his head. “We’re leaving soon, honey. We’ll be back on Saturday.”

Gabe grumbled and turned around to face her. “I still don’t understand why you’re leaving me to go on a beach trip with that boy. You should just stay home and keep working for me.”

Sally smiled, trying her best to hide her discomfort. “I promised Percy that I’d take him to Montauk again this summer, it’s our little Mother-son tradition.” Gabe groaned and waved his hand at her.

“Alright, alright. Just get out of here before I start to really miss you.” Sally smiled and pecked him again. She walked briskly over to the front door where Percy was waiting for her. He stood like a soldier, rigid and with as much seriousness a six-year-old could muster. Sally pulled on her own shoes and grabbed Percy’s little hand. They descended the stairs, Percy trying to run ahead and check for any enemies, and Sally holding him back from tripping.

They found the car in the parking lot and Sally pulled out her keys to unlock it. The metal clinked as she singled out the key fob and unlocked the doors. She walked around to open Percy’s door and lifted her son into his car seat. Percy tried to hide his giggles as she buckled him in in order to maintain his stoic, secret agent persona. Sally shut his door and walked around to the driver seat. She hopped in and buckled herself before starting the car.

Sally looked back to her son. “Perseus, are you ready for our mission?”

Her son snapped his head up to her and nodded once. “Yes, Mama! Mr. Todd and Percy are ready for duty!” Sally smirked and turned back around. She changed gears and started backing out of her parking space. They cruised onto the crowded streets of New York and made a game of navigating the traffic.

Percy remained engrossed in the game until they finally left the city. He fell silent once the concrete jungle of New York fell away to the sparse woods of Long Island. He stared out the window thoughtfully. Sally looked back at Percy through the rearview mirror several times. He was just hugging Todd tightly and watching the landscape pass away.

He broke his silence with a sniff. “Mama?” he whispered just loud enough for Sally to hear.

Sally looked back at him through the rearview mirror again. “Yes, baby? What’s the matter?”

Percy didn’t look away from the window as the woods started to disperse into the beachside. “Will you always be there when I need you?”

A piece of Sally’s heart broke at that. While she knew he would go off on his own at some point, all she wanted to do was keep her baby safe from the world. Hide him away from the world of the gods for as long as possible. Keep him with her and away from camp until she had no choice. “Of course I will, baby. What makes you say that?”

Percy finally tore his precious green eyes from the window to look at her. “I don’t know, I feel weird.” Sally gripped the steering wheel beneath her hands. Poseidon had warned her about this. She just didn’t think it would happen this soon.

“That’s okay, sweety. I’ll always be in your heart, even if I’m not there with you.” Percy seemed satisfied with her answer. He kept quiet for the rest of the drive. Another twenty minutes passed and they arrived at the cabin on Montauk Beach. Sally sat Percy inside the cabin to wait while she unloaded all of their things. She made a quick dinner for the both of them and ate with an arm around Percy’s shoulder.

Later that night, Sally tucked her baby boy into his bed and kissed his forehead lovingly. “I love you, Percy,” she murmured against his head.

“I love you too, Mama,” Percy mumbled back sleepily. Sally walked across the room to her own bed. She crawled beneath the covers and closed her eyes. The Mother and Son fell asleep to the sound of the tides crashing against the shore and dreams of pirates and paradise.

Chapter Text

Sally woke up the next morning to her son patting her arm awake. His bright, sea-green eyes staring into her soul and his barely contained grin etching itself onto his face. “Mama!” he whispered. “The sky’s awake, so I’m awake. You gotta get up.” 

Sally turned on her side to face Percy. Her son was bouncing in place giddily. She rubbed her eyes and searched for her watch. 6:47 AM. Sally blinked a few times then searched for a window. Apollo was just starting his ascent into the sky if the barely-there light peeking through the blinds meant anything. Sally looked back at her son who was still grinning like he got a lifetime supply of cookies. 

She groaned and set her watch back down on the nightstand. “Perseus, the sun has barely risen, go lay back down and let Mama sleep a bit more.” Sally closed her eyes and covered her face with her arm. A futile attempt, seeing as her rambunctious and far too energetic child pulled on her arm a second later.

“But Mama! I can’t go back to sleep. In my dream, Todd said we gotta go walk on the sand like real turtles! It’s important!” Perhaps if Sally were a bit more coherent, she would have been slightly concerned that her son was having vivid dreams of his stuffed turtle talking to him, but alas, she was not. Sally’s vision went blurry so she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. 

“Baby, I love you.”

Percy cocked his head to the side. Those sea-green eyes nearly glowed in the dimly lit cabin. His arms shifted closer to his body, and Sally finally noticed the turtle clutched in his arms. “I love you too, Mama.” 

Sally sighed and nodded her head solemnly. “Then you should know that love is putting someone else’s needs before yours. Just like Olaf said.” Percy made a silent “oh” and ducked his head. His cheeks burned in embarrassment. Percy’s eyes fluttered, trying to blink back hot tears. Sally realized her mistake and quickly pulled her son into bed with her. 

“Oh, sweetheart, I’m not mad at you. No, not at all!” She pressed her lips to his forehead and rubbed her hands up and down his back. “Sometimes Mama just needs some more time to wake up than you do. You did nothing wrong, Perseus.” 

Percy sniffed and blinked even harder. “You’re not mad at me?” he mumbled into his mom's chest.

“I’ll never be mad at you, baby. Never ever, you hear me?” Sally squeezed her son tightly. They stayed that way for a few more minutes; just a mother holding her son in the early hours of the morning. In that time, Sally had gotten to rest her eyes just a bit more before she was ready to face the day. She opened her eyes once more and looked down at her son. Percy had started drifting off to sleep again like she had. 

Sally smiled warmly. Then, an idea popped into her head. A wonderful, beautiful, and evil idea. She slipped her hands into Percy’s messy curls, scratching at his scalp. “Perseus, I thought you wanted to get up.” Her son grumbled something unintelligible and burrowed further into Sally’s chest. She chuckled and patted his head again. “Sweetheart, I’m ready to get up with you now. It’s your turn to get up now.” When he still didn’t move, Sally’s smile turned into an evil grin. 

“Well,” she drawled, “I guess if you’re not getting up on your own, I’m gonna have to make you!” The comforting hands on Percy’s back flexed and wiggled into his armpits. Sally tickled her son for only a few seconds before he burst into a bundle of giggles. He tried to push her hands away but she was not deterred. 

Percy thrashed and tried to wiggle himself out of her clutches. “Mama!” he cried. “Mama, I awake, I awake! Stop it!” Sally’s hands retreated and his giggle fit receded. Percy was left heaving and smiling apprehensively, as if the treacherous hands would return at any moment. 

Sally leaned back and peered at her son. “Are you awake now?” You could hear the grin in her voice. 

Percy nodded his head vigorously. “I am, Mama!” Sally huffed and nudged her arms towards Percy. He saw the offending arms and leapt out of bed like a rocket. “I’ll go get ready, Mama, I don’t need to wake up anymore.” He dashed over to his bed and pulled out his shorts and shirt before scurrying over to the bathroom. 

Sally watched his little tirade in amusement. Never fails, she thought. Sally sighed and pulled back the bed cover. She slipped her legs out from under her and stretched out the muscles. Sally slumped back onto her hands and stared at the ceiling for a minute. From her bed she could hear running sink water and the rustle of clothes. 

Sally allowed herself another few seconds of quiet before finally standing. She stretched out her arms and popped a few joints when she rolled her neck and shoulders. She crouched down and pulled her bag out from under the bed. Sally rifled through to find her swimsuit and shorts. She laid them on the bed, planning to get dressed later. 

With that all set up, she crossed the cabin towards the tiny kitchen where all of the food had yet to be put away. Sally unzipped the coolers and started pulling out all of the food. Bread, juice, eggs, fruit, tomatoes, lettuce, cookies. She counted off all of the food as she set it on the countertop. Sally started humming a tune under her breath while she stored away their food for the week. 

Down the hall, the bathroom door unlatched, and her son padded his way back to their bedroom. A minute passed, just enough time for him to put away his pajamas, and Percy came bounding down the hallway at full speed. He skidded on his socks at the last second to try and slide across the floor. Unfortunately, the boy had gained too much speed and did not slow down like he wanted. 

Sally watched as her son, her precious son, slid right into the kitchen and smacked his forehead against the bar chair with a THUNK. Percy lost his balance and slipped. He landed on his behind. Hard. “ Owwie! ” Percy cried as he rubbed his forehead. Sally bit her lip to keep from laughing. She breezed past the corner of the counter and crouched down to her son. 

“Are you okay, Perseus?” she inquired. Sally laid a gentle hand on Percy’s shoulder. 

Percy peered up at her while still rubbing his head. “Yeah, Mama. I’m okay.” He maneuvered his little legs beneath himself and popped back up. He brushed himself off and looked back down at her. “Is breaky almost done?”

Sally huffed a laugh and straightened herself up too. She tussled Percy’s hair before walking back to the last of the groceries. “Not yet, baby. What do you want to eat?” Sally tossed a look over her shoulders to where Percy was settling himself on the same chair he had smacked into. 

Percy made a show of pretending to think about what he wanted. He tapped his index finger against his chin and frowned to look like he was thinking real hard. Then, he flicked his finger in the air. “I know, Mama! Toast! With apples!” Sally whirled around at his answer and leaned on the counter.

“Toast?!” she exclaimed. “Really?”  

Percy wiggled around on his chair and grinned up at his mother. His eyes glinted in the way they always did when he had a brilliant idea. “Yeah!” He giggled delightfully. “It’s my second favorite!” Percy had pushed himself up to sit on his knees and lean dangerously over the counter. 

Sally drooped even closer to the counter, getting right into her son's face. “Why not your favorite breakfast food?” she murmured. 

Percy scoffed like she was crazy and sat back down in his chair. “Because!” he exclaimed. “I can’t have pancakes two times! That’s just wrong!” 

Sally pulled her weight off of her forearms and sighed in amusement. “You’re right, baby. We can’t have pancakes two days in a row. ” She spun on her heel and went to work with the bread. Sally popped two slices in the toaster and retrieved the bag of apples they’d brought. She grabbed a knife and started slicing two apples into chewable slices. Percy watched the way she expertly prepared their simple breakfast with thinly veiled interest. The toaster dinged behind her just as she finished arranging the apple slices on the two plates. 

Sally dragged the toast out by her fingernails and plopped them onto the plates. Crumbs scattered but she paid it no mind. Sally opened another cupboard and brought out a small jar of grape jam. She popped it open and set it on the counter. She dug through one of the drawers on the other side of the kitchen, and returned brandishing a knife. Sally spread a thin layer of jam on both slices of bread. She put the two knives and cutting board in the sink to be washed later, put the jam back in the cupboard, and tossed the unused apple bit in the trash. 

Sally picked up the two plates and walked around the counter to sit with her son. Percy waited for her to orient herself on her own chair before devouring the apple slices. Meanwhile, Sally pulled off pieces of her bread and chewed them slowly. Percy had to be reminded several times that the food would not go anywhere and to slow down so he wouldn’t choke on the toast he had specifically requested. 

When they were all finished with the most important meal of the day, Sally scraped off the remaining scraps of jam from the plates and went to wash the dishes. She set them on a built-in drying rack to dry while they went about their day. Percy had wanted to help, but there were so few dishes  that his help wasn’t needed. Not to mention the fact that his head barely reached the sink. Sally sat Percy down on the couch and told him to draw for a little bit while she got ready for the day. 

Percy nodded up at her and started drawing something while talking animatedly to Todd the Turtle. About what, Sally didn’t know. She had disappeared down the hall and into the bathroom with her change of clothes. She sat down on the toilet and hung her head in her hands. Sally sat like that for a few minutes. Her chest heaved and her eyes burned. When she pulled her head out of her hands, they glistened with tears. 

Sally sucked in a deep breath. Calm down, she thought to herself. It’s okay.  Everything had gone perfect so far, so why was she crying? Today had been the first peaceful morning she’d had in however long. That didn’t mean she had to go crying in a cabin bathroom, hiding from her son. No, she forced. I will not be a pathetic or terrible mother. I won’t. 

Sally took a stand; her legs numb from sitting on the toilet so long. She wiped her face of tears and stripped her clothes. She turned on the shower and flipped the nozzle to the hottest setting possible. Once the water had reached an acceptable temperature, Sally hopped in. She carted hands through her hair and rubbed her face clear of snot and tears.

She took a moment to just ask in the calming heat of the water. Just watching the steam rise and fog the windowpanes and mirror. Sally squeezed her eyes tightly and shut off the water. She stepped out onto the mat and pulled down one of the larger towels. She quickly patted herself dry and rehung the towel to dry itself. 

Sally pulled on her underwear and started fiddling with the zipper of her jean shorts. Damn these blasted things! She finally managed to unstick the zipper and put on her shorts before pulling on a simple blue tee. She left the shirt untucked so that Percy could hang on to her if he felt unsafe or wanted to get her attention. Sally ran through her hair with a brush and pulled it back into a long braid.

Sally finished tying off the ends of her braid. She looked over herself in the mirror. She looked fine. Like nothing was wrong. Sally sighed deeply and turned to open the door. Like a vision from Mnemosyne, Sally was transported into an old memory. A memory from the day she gave birth to Percy.

“This will not be easy,” Poseidon said. His hand ghosted over his infant son’s sleeping form. His gaze had softened at the swaddled bundle in his mother's arms.

“I know that,” Sally replied. “But I can’t fail him. He’s so precious, I…” she trailed off. She couldn’t help the lump in her chest. "I want to be there for him and protect him like my parents weren’t able to do for me.” 

Poseidon nodded. “I understand, my love.” He moved his hand to rest on Sally’s shoulder. “But please, I can protect the both of you. Guarantee a life free of struggle, free of pain. So long as you let me.” His tone had shifted from one of reverie to pleading.

Sally sighed and tore her gaze away from her sleeping boy. “I know that, Poseidon. But, If my life is going to mean anything, I have to do it myself. No divine help, no luxury freely given.” She stared into Poseidon’s swirling sea-green eyes. The same eyes of her son. All she saw there was desperation, and most importantly, love. 

“If that is what you desire, then so be it.” Poseidon looked back at their son. A tuft of black hair stuck out of the baby blanket the hospital had given them. Poseidon chuckled sadly at the sight. “This boy is going to grow up looking just like his father, eh?” he breathed out as he glided his hand over the tuft. 

Sally chuckled lightly in turn. “Yeah, little fucker came out with hair just like his daddy’s. No wonder I had such shit heartburn for months.” Poseidon rumbled a laugh. They sat in silence after that. Not the empty, uncomfortable one that left you waiting for more. But a quiet, peaceful one. 

Poseidon broke the silence. “Sally, our son will possibly be one of, if not the most powerful demigod of his time. Surely you have thought of the monster–”

“Of course I’ve thought about monster attacks,” Sally cut him off. “But, like you said, as long as he doesn’t know, he won’t attract them as much.”

Poseidon pushed the subject. “But he will eventually learn of his heritage, whether you want him to or not. Satyrs are everywhere these days, and his scent will grow stronger as he ages, regardless. Should–” he paused. “Should he learn about the divine world, he will have to be sent to Camp Half-Blood. He may need to, to remain there year-round.” Poseidon grimaced even as the words came out of his mouth. 

“Oh, hell no! I don’t care what I have to do, I will not send my son to that damned camp. I will do everything, and I mean everything, to keep him with me for as long as humanly fucking possible!”

Poseidon raised a hand in surrender. “I know, I know. I don’t want him there either. His chances of dying greatly increase if he is in that camp. But,” he conceded, “So do his chances of surviving.”

Sally scoffed and hugged Percy closer to her chest. “I don’t want him just surviving. I want him to live. ” 

Poseidon nodded again. “I understand, my love. I want him to prosper unlike any demigod before.” Poseidon patted Percy’s head again. “What will you name him?” he asked.

Without missing a beat, Sally replied: “Perseus. The only hero that ever got a happy ending. If names mean power, then I want him to take after one who got to live after his story finished.”

“A bold move, naming him after my brother’s son.”

“I don’t fucking care.”

Poseidon laughed and shook his head. “Of course you don’t. Spoken like a true mother” The silence returned. A nurse walked back into the room to check on Sally, but she did not pay any attention to Poseidon. Like he wasn’t even in the room. When the nurse left the room, Poseidon spoke again. 

“I must return to Atlantis. The old laws command that I must no longer be in attendance of this child’s presence.” Poseidon stood from the wooden stool he was given. Instead of disappearing or exploding into mist, he placed his hands on Sally’s cheeks. 

“My love, our boy will face many hardships in his life. He will fight through storm after storm as a hailing hero. But Sally Jackson, you are given the honor of raising such an amazing little boy. You are his mother, and you will face a storm greater than any mother should have to bear.” Poseidon leaned in and touched their foreheads together. “But know this, the calm before the storm is one of the most influential moments there is on this earth. Be his calm before the storm, and everything will be right.”

Poseidon kissed her forehead and moved to press his lips against Percy’s. “Be strong, Perseus,” he murmured. “May we meet again someday.” With that, Poseidon faded into a mist, disappearing from their lives.

Sally watched until all of the mist particles dissipated. She looked down at her sleeping son. A smile crept upon her lips. “I love you, my baby. I’ll be your calm before the storm. I swear it to you on the River Styx.” Thunder boomed overhead and she kissed his fuzzy little head. Right then, nothing else mattered in the world. Just Sally, Perseus, and whatever the future had in store for them.

Sally snapped back into the present. Be his calm before the storm, and everything will be right. Huh.  Sally looked back at herself in the mirror. She was tired, she was angry, but she swore an oath. Sally took a deep breath and unlocked the door. 

“Mama! Come look at what I drew for you!”