This is the story of how Sally met Poseidon. Pumki version!
Sally is a bit OOC, but I like her personality as I've written. Harry and Percy are six years old when the fic starts and the beginning and end of the story is post-Pumki and pre-Her Choices.
Slight mention of HP elements.
Disclaimer: I don't own PJO or HP. RR and JKR do.
Words – 3365
Percy rolled and rolled until he fell out of the bed with a thump.
Harry sighed. "Perce…"
"What? I don't wanna sleep." The younger boy said his face on the ground. It was raining and flashes of lightning didn't make the situation any better. Thunder rumbled and Percy scrambled back on to the bed, curling next to Harry.
"It's just sound." Harry reassured him.
"Loud sound. I don't like it. It's as if someone's real angry." Percy mumbled and Harry rubbed his back.
Lightning flashed again and the night-light went out. In the darkness, Harry heard footsteps.
"Monsters!" Percy hissed. Harry put the pillow as defense and the door opened to reveal Sally Jackson, looking tired but alert.
"Are you both alright?" She whispered. It sounded loud though.
"Yes."
She sighed and got into bed with them. "Try to go to sleep."
"We'll try, but I don't think we'll sleep." Harry said as thunder hit their eardrums again.
"It's ten in the night. Close your eyes and count humming birds going backwards." Sally whispered, adjusting their positions.
"I never understood that." Harry mused.
"Sheep was too boring for me. It's humming bird that's better. They're prettier. Plus, sheep already follow Little Bo Beep, so why do they have to come here?"
Percy giggled and Harry stared at his mother. She was a little crazy when she said stuff like that.
"Tell us a story." Percy whispered.
"Like what?" Sally asked, looking down at him. Though, it was dark, she could see a small light reflected in his eyes.
"When you met Dad." Percy said and Harry looked alert.
Sally didn't actually want to. Kimberly would be there and she missed Poseidon a lot. But she could almost hear the mental chant in Percy's head, 'Please, please, please…'
"Okay. But you should close your eyes. That way you can picture it. Our meeting wasn't exactly romantic. It was bordering on recklessness and a bit of stupidity."
"Bor-der-ing?"
"You know what I mean. Now, shush. And close those eyes or I shall tickle you."
"I'm not ticklish." Harry said.
"Yes, you are." Sally reached for his face and he jerked back.
"Now listen up and quiet down."
"We're going to miss it!" Kimberly cried, hoisting two more huge bags over her shoulder and running as fast as she could along with her sister who couldn't stop talking.
"Of course, not. Look, we can run faster than the train's speed –"
"The train's going faster!"
"We're going to miss it!" Sally shouted moving faster and trying to get into the door. A teenage boy standing there had the door open urging them to go faster.
"Here, take the bags!" Sally cried. There were four large bags, two handbags and a pillow pet. Or it could have been a teddy bear. The boy then grabbed Kimberly's hand and pulled her in. Then he helped Sally.
Not a second too soon. They had run out of platform.
The Jackson sisters panted and Sally looked at the boy who had pulled her in, "Thanks a lot! But you can let go of my hand, now. I'm not that pretty, am I?"
The boy blushed and went into the compartment. Sally and Kimberly looked at each other and burst out in silent giggles.
The train went faster and the sun had already set. The girls dragged their luggage as everyone stared at them.
"That was luck! I didn't break my shoe this time! I can't wait for tomorrow. I hope the water will be cool enough. I can almost smell it!"
"Sally, calm down! What's our berth number?" Kim asked. Her sister took out the tickets and read, "34 and 35. It's on the side."
Kimberly looked ahead and saw that a young man was sitting there.
"I think that's it." She said and Sally pushed past her.
"Excuse me. But that's our place. It's on our ticket. Could you please move?"
The man slowly looked at her. He had a tanned face which was clean-shaven. He hard dark blue-green eyes and would have looked young if not for the aged expression. As if he had a huge burden. He stared at Sally not really comprehending her words.
"This-is-our-seat." Sally said slowly with hand actions. Her arm nearly hit Kimberly.
The man got up and sat on the other side, frowning at the ground. The sisters stuffed their bags in the space below and Kimberly said, "I'm going to sleep."
"It's only nine thirty!"
"I got up early today, Sally. Goodnight." She went on the top berth and Sally sat down and smiled at the stranger.
"So, where are you going? My sister and I are going on vacation. This brilliant place recommended by my friend! I'm going to get her a souvenir. You look beat up. Are you going to stay awake the whole night? Don't you have any luggage? If you want a pillow, you can take this. This stuffed bear works as a pillow too!"
Poseidon stared at the young girl who couldn't shut her mouth for a second. She kept talking about nonsensical things like the mornings rate at a Café, her new hairstyle, her shopping spree with her sister and the reason why they were late.
"It's like that not so old saying, 'Too many stylists, ruin the art'. I made myself. What do you think? Hey! Where are you going?"
Poseidon decided to just jump off the train. The bridge was coming soon and he could take a good swim. It might make him feel better. Amphitrite could just go and keep complaining. He wasn't going to change the way he thought.
He opened the door, making sure the other mortals were asleep. He went to the outer door and slid it open without the ringing. He saw the long bridge coming and sighed. He stepped further out of the door but someone shouted, "Hey!"
Turning around, he saw that it was her.
"What are you doing?! Bungee jumping? But you don't have a rope! Not that I'd give you one! Please come here! Don't tell me you were about to jump!" Sally said her voice rising.
Poseidon stared at her.
"Can't you hear me?" She asked softly. "Are you deaf? Or dumb?" She asked and when he didn't answer, she took his hand and pulled him away from the door.
"It's alright. We can just sit down and look out the window. Come on." She led him back to their place and made him sit down in his spot. She pretended to hold a mike and said, "Let's take a deep calm breath."
She took in a huge amount of air and held it waiting for him to do so. He stared at her and then took in a deep breath.
She smiled, her cheeks pink and puffed up. She gestured with her hands to hold it and then let it out with a relieved a sigh.
"Do you feel better, now?" She asked and held the invisible mike to his face. He shrugged.
"Okay, now what's troubling you, young lad? Grades? Family? Girls? Life?"
Poseidon stared at her not understanding where she got the energy to still talk.
"A bad break up? It's a bad break-up, isn't it? Yeah, sometimes I feel down in the dumps and once I actually ended there after throwing my heels in the trash and then jumping in to retrieve them. Yeah, I'm a hopeless case. Look, I don't talk much, but I can easily get rid of your broken heart."
Sally waved her hands like an assistant for a magician and pretended to hold a small card.
"You take a photo of that girl. She should have a stupid smile. Now you might have thought that her smiles where wonderful and all, but now you'll feel the opposite. Rip the photos into pieces, burn them and flush them down the toilet."
She carried out the actions and looked back at him, "I will give the full guarantee of complete satisfaction. You will feel 256 times better. Don't ask me why 256 times. I just like the number."
She leaned in and whispered like a conspiracy secret, "256 is actually awesome. It's the square of a square of a square! 16 square. 16 is 4 square and four is 2 square. 256 is 2 raised to 8. I like 2, because, 2 is the number of family members I got, even if one of them is completely useless. 8? Well, I'm not really sure. But sometimes, I feel like there are eight days in a week. Sunday to Saturday. And then the new Monday is just so different! It's like a separate entity!"
Poseidon gaped at her as she babbled away. Finally, she said, "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm going to rainbow land with all the ponies. Goodnight!"
With that, she went under her covers. Poseidon stared at her and realized that she was still muttering.
He leaned back and smiled. Maybe that was what he needed. A cheer-up. He couldn't actually burn Amphitrite's photo and flush them, but imagining it would be a bit delightful. The truth was he did love her but after a few millennia, you tend to focus more on winning the arguments.
When the train stopped at one o'clock at some old station, Poseidon decided to get down. He liked walking around the slightly-less urban areas. There were more trees and the freshness in the air was intangible.
He walked on the platform and sat on an old bench, breathing in the musty smell of it.
Sally suddenly jerked when the train started moving. She blinked and looked around. Oh, yeah! They were in a train. She got up to make sure that Kim was fast asleep. Then she looked to see the empty compartment.
Where was he? Maybe getting some snacks to eat. He didn't look sleepy when she had seen him, but something about him made him a permanent thought in her head. She couldn't help but worry.
Sally went outside to look past the door and saw him sitting on a bench in the platform. What was he doing there? The train was moving!
"Hey!" She called. Her voice was a bit rough due to sleep but she cleared her throat and got down to make sure to keep walking along with the train.
"Hey, sir! The train's leaving! Come on!"
The man seemed to be in deep thought, fiddling with his shirt. Sally let out a breath and ran to him.
"Excuse me! Can't you see? The train's going! Get up!" Sally roughly shook his shoulder and he turned around with a start.
"I think you are deaf! Get up!" Sally cried.
Poseidon looked at her and then at the train which was gathering speed.
"Arghh! Forget it!" Sally shot him a dirty look and ran after the locomotive, screaming "Wait! Wait for me! At least slowdown you inanimate boulder on wheels! Somebody pull the chain!"
But the train was too fast and with a last whistle, it left Sally at the edge of the platform with a look of disbelief on her face.
She was panting, her face was bright pink and her nose felt shiny. She hated it when her nose was shiny. She was in a deserted railway station, alone with about five bucks in her back pocket and had no clue where she was.
She spun around to see that man get up almost leisurely and look at her. Sally stomped back to him.
"Look at what you made me do!" She yelled into his face.
Poseidon blinked at the girl. She was about a head shorter than him and she was screaming at him for something he had no hand in. He hadn't asked her to do anything for him.
"Now, because of your carelessness, I am stranded in the middle of nowhere!"
She looked ready to skin him alive. Poseidon had never met someone with some much power in them. He was a god. The Greek God of the Oceans, no less and here, a mere mortal was shrieking into his face about making her miss her train. He wanted to laugh at the situation but then realized that her eyes were wet.
"I swear, I don't care how, but you are getting me back on that train!"
Poseidon looked at her and ran.
Sally stared at his retreating figure in shock. Then she ran after him.
"Thief! Someone catch him. He owes me a ride on the train!" She shouted and followed him. There was no one in the station and most of the people working were half-asleep.
Poseidon ran out of the station and spotted a cab at the opposite side of the road.
Sally reached the top step and saw him talking to the driver of a cab. He looked at her and shouted, "Come on!"
She smiled giddily and ran down the steps. He got in the shot-gun space and she went in behind.
"Let's go!"
The cab driver was muttering with his eyes closed and hands clasped. He had a small idol of a God on the dashboard and was mumbling in a language Sally didn't know.
"Alright! God heard you! Now go, go, go!" She said hitting the seat and bouncing.
The driver started the car and slowly went out the station. He kept singing under his breath and the cab did not go above 20 mph for the next four minutes.
Poseidon closed his eyes controlling himself and Sally's jaw was slack as she stared at the cab driver.
"He's mad! Totally mad!" She hissed to her acquaintance.
Poseidon wholly agreed with her. It was good to worship God. But there was a limit and this man was testing his.
"Stop the car." Poseidon said. He had decided to be completely human and not use any of his powers. He was going to have some fun now.
"What?" The man asked, his calm blue eyes settling on the god.
"I said stop the car, now."
He breaked and the car stopped. Sally groaned, "We won't be able to catch up with the train in the next station! What are you doing?"
Poseidon got out and went around to the drivers place. He opened the door and said, "Get in."
"What?" The driver asked confused.
Poseidon pushed him in and the man was shell-shocked as he sat in the shot-gun space now.
The god took in a deep breath. He hadn't actually driven before. But he was quite sure it started with a key.
He stated the engine and pressed down the accelerator. The car made a 'vroom' sound and shot forwards.
The man screamed and clutched his brown hair and Sally laughed. Poseidon turned a steep curve at 70 mph and she squealed in delight falling down on the seat before pulling herself up.
"What are you doing? You will kill us all!" The man shouted as Poseidon went over 120, now.
"Catching up to a train. And no, I will not kill anyone." He answered calmly, enjoying Sally's laugh. It was carefree and wonderful.
The windows were down and everyone's hair was flying about. Sally spat out a few strands from her mouth and cried, "This is better than a roller-coaster!"
The cab driver started praying loudly and she laughed again as they made another turn and ended on a road parallel to train tracks.
"I can see the train! Faster!" Sally pointed at the distant and Poseidon saw the tail lights.
He pressed down the accelerator and thanked Olympus that the road was straight and smooth.
"Kimmy will never believe this!" Sally yelled. Poseidon laughed, "None of my friends would believe this either!"
"Then let's shock them!" Sally shouted and Poseidon had no wish to go against her.
They went at that speed for a few more minutes before the driver shouted, "Where did you get your driving license?!"
"I didn't." Poseidon yelled and Sally couldn't help but snort.
"The station's coming up!"
Poseidon drove right into the parking lot and pressed the break. With a lot of squealing of tires and some smoke the car stopped.
Poseidon threw a bunch of notes to the man and said, "Keep the change."
He and Sally ran out to the platform and sighed. The train was in front of them and Sally placed her hands on her knees to get her breathe back.
"Go on." Poseidon said and Sally beamed at him.
She ran to her carriage and opened the door. She looked at him, "Aren't you coming?"
Poseidon shook his head.
The train started and Sally held on to the railing by the door.
"Do you know where the last stop is?" Sally asked.
Poseidon searched in his head and said, "Montauk. Why?"
"Do you know what amazing in Montauk?"
"The coast." He said, automatically smiling.
"Exactly. It might be good for you to get away from it all, if you know what I mean. The sea air refreshes the body senses. You'll enjoy it." She said, hoping he'd get on the train which was gathering speed.
Poseidon stared at her. She had a hopeful expression on her face and he didn't want to break it. But he had a feeling that the girl would mean more to him the more he looked at her or even talked to her. Her pale blue eyes were deep and her black hair was coming out of her roughly done pony. Her cheeks were pink and she was breathing a bit hard.
She was beautiful. Her attitude was energetic. He wanted to know what made her like that. What made her smile, what made her happy? He wanted to be the one that made her smile.
"Sometimes, you only get one chance." Sally said looking into the sea coloured irises. For a moment she thought that he had a bluish hallow behind his head. He looked…godly.
He turned away to look at the exit of the station. He saw the driver of the cab they had been in patting the dashboard. The driver saw him looking and drove off, scared.
"What are you doing, Poseidon?" He whispered to himself.
He ran after the train.
Sally grinned and stretched out her hand, palm down-wards, the feminine form of acceptance.
He ran faster and grabbed her hand and she pulled him in. They closed the door, both of them smiling at each other.
"I'm Sally Jackson."
"Poseidon." The man said looking younger than before.
"Like the Greek God?"
"Yes." He grinned.
They stared at each other and jumped when a voice startled them.
"Will you kiss already? The fate of the world depends on it." Kimberly said looking irritated.
"Kimmy! You're up early!"
"Early? Do you know what time is it? Were you standing here for a long time?"
"Nope." Sally and Poseidon said, grinning.
Kimberly frowned at Poseidon and said, "New boyfriend, huh? Tell me. Can you make scrambled eggs?"
Poseidon stared at her, "Yeah."
"Okay. She can't make anything with eggs and I am not cooking breakfast. That's your duty. Don't do anything more than second base in the train."
Kim went back inside leaving a flustered Poseidon and a blushing Sally.
"Uh…"
"Yeah. She's never in a right state of mind when she just wakes up. We stay in cabins at the beach. We don't need to make breakfast, lunch or dinner." Sally muttered.
"May be we should sleep." Poseidon said. When he noticed the expression on Sally's face he also put in, "Not that kind! I mean the regular sleep! With pillows and closed eyes and sub-conscious state!"
Sally giggled and went in. Poseidon sighed. No, he would never meet another woman like her. She had a heart of gold and a smile of platinum and he would offer her both along with his heart.
"So we met every day and talked and fell in love." Sally whispered. The two boys didn't move and she realized that they were asleep. She kissed their heads and said, "Sweet Dreams, honey. You'll get only one chance to catch the train of good dreams."
Not what you expected, huh?
I might make it a two-shot. But that might be after a few chapters of 'The Cursed.'
Stay tuned!
Cabba.