Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or the Heroes of Olympus. I don't own anything written by Rick Riordan.

Author's Note: Hello, again. I'm finally back! So... I said that I would have taken my two college tests by this date. Turns out I was wrong. I only took one of them - something went wrong with the other one and I'm taking it in a couple of weeks instead, which is why I'm able to through this update out early.

So, after this update, I, once again, will not be updating till at least June 5. I am so sorry. I WILL NOT FORGET THIS STORY, THOUGH, OR DISCONTINUE IT. THANKS SO MUCH FOR STICKING WITH ME THROUGH ALL OF THESE BUMPS, GUYS. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PM ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.

Also, missawesome-demigodish submitted the 100th review and I will be writing a one-shot to her specifications! Wow, this is super difficult. So if anyone has any ideas for this prompt, please send them in: How 'bout Fem!Percy/Jason, Fem!Percy/Leo, Fem!Percy/Nico, etc etc. Like they're fighting over her, and Percy being oblivious goofball she is, she won't even notice (Until someone actually asks her out, like straight forward). Jason gets her in the end. (Like bringing her gifts and such, taking her out to "dates" and all that. Not too OOC, like, whatever they do still fits in their personalities in the books but you know. I think you get the idea.)

The 500th reviewer will also get a one-shot of their liking as long as they are not a guest and they don't request an M rated story. I'll discuss further limitations with them.

WhenTheSunriseSets: She may eventually forgive the gods. But she'll never completely become the old Percy. She'll always be an in between person.

candycrum: She'll be back with Ares eventually.

Shadeslayers of Chosen Ones: Wow. Thanks for the long review and all the advice and for sticking with me for so long.

Helmetgirl896: Yeah, she'll eventually forgive Amphitrite - she kind of gets where she was coming from.

Guest: Betrayed, and unforgiving is certainly looking interesting.

Chapter VIII: Some Familial Intimidation

After Seph gave her mother a brief, toned down version of her time in Tartarus - including the fact that she had changed her name, she poked her head out the front door and called, "Iapetus? You can come in, now."

The silver-haired Titan appeared almost instantly. He grabbed Seph's hands and squeezed them. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Seph let a smile spread across her tearstained face. "Mom wants to meet you." She gestured to the brunette sitting on the couch behind her. She was watching their interactions with a careful, practiced eye.

Iapetus gulped. He knew, from Seph's tales, that Sally was a kind woman. But it was also obvious that she was extremely protective of her daughter. Steeling his nerves, Iapetus stepped forwards. "Hello, Ms. Jackson. I'm Iapetus."

Sally nodded in reply, icy contemplation apparent in her eyes as she regarded him.

"Seph," said Sally, not looking away from Iapetus, "why don't you go clean your room? I haven't touched it since you last left. There will be plenty of dusting for you to do."

The goddess was about to complain, but then realization dawned upon her. Sally clearly wanted to talk to Iapetus alone. Seph smirked and nodded. "Sure, mom." She stopped, halfway to her room. "And when I get back, we should talk about your boyfriend - or is he your husband, now?" She continued to her room with a small laugh.

Iapetus wasn't sure if his girlfriend's parting threat would make her mother go easier or harder on him. "So…"

"Sit," ordered Sally.

Iapetus obeyed, practically falling over himself in his hurry to get to the sofa opposite the one Sally was sitting on.

"Do you love my daughter?"

Well, that was rather point blank. Iapetus nodded. "Completely. I would do anything for her."

"How much do you know of her past?" asked Sally.

"Everything. I know about Gabe, Anthony, Ares, Tartarus… everything."

"Have you ever loved anyone before?" asked Sally. "I mean, having lived for so long, you must have had someone before Seph."

"Yes." Iapetus tensed and looked away. "My wife, Clymene. She faded a long time ago, but Seph is aware that I will always have a place for her in my heart."

Sally pursed her lips. "Good. Don't ever keep secrets from her… You know that she is still in love with Ares?"

Iapetus sighed. "I do - even if she doesn't know it, herself. But I trust her. I know she loves me as well, and that she won't be unfaithful."

Sally let out a sigh of relief and smiled. "Welcome to the family," she said, crossing the room to pull the Titan into an embrace.

Iapetus let a smile cross his face. "Thank you," he said. "And I swear on the Styx that I will do whatever I can to keep Seph safe and loved."

Thunder boomed and Sally nodded. "Good… So, how long have you been together?"

"Eight years," replied Iapetus. "Actually, Ms. Jackson-"

"Just Sally, dear," interjected the mortal.

"Sally," Iapetus started again, "I wanted your permission to marry Seph. I know that, traditionally, I should ask her father, but neither Seph nor I hold him in much respect at the moment, so…"

Sally was surprised and watched Iapetus closely.

"I've wanted to marry Seph for a couple of years, now, but Tartarus is hardly the most romantic setting, and to be honest, I'm not quite sure about how people propose nowadays, and-"

Sally cut him off with a simple word: "Yes."

Iapetus froze and then breathed in relief. "Thank you."

"No," Sally said, "thank you for caring about my daughter."

Seph was drawn out of her now clean room by the sound of her mother and boyfriend laughing together.

Well, that was surprising. She hadn't expected her mother to warm up to Iapetus so quickly.

But she was glad. This was one more step towards repairing her relationship with her mother. She'd have to at least IM her mother once a day, she decided.

"Seph!" exclaimed Iapetus, catching sight of her. "Are we going to Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter, now?"

Seph shook her head. "We'll visit Camp Jupiter tomorrow."

"And Camp Half-Blood?" her boyfriend asked.

Seph's eyes hardened. "There's no point. Chiron was cited as a witness of the murders; I already know how he feels. The demigods probably followed his example. The only Greek I want to talk to is Nico, and he's probably in the Underworld or in Camp Jupiter fulfilling his duties as an Ambassador of Pluto."

Iapetus pursed his lips, but nodded and grabbed her hand to pull her down between him and Sally.

Seph turned to face her mother, a question forming on her lips, when she caught sight of the mortal's pained expression. "Mom? What's wrong?"

Sally raised a hesitant hand to cup Seph's face. "You've changed," she said. "You're colder, now. You don't see the best in everyone, anymore. And you've lost your loyalty."

Seph shook her head in disagreement. "I have changed, yes. But I still see the best in everyone. I just see the worst in them, too; I see them for who they are. And I haven't lost my loyalty; I've just learned to only give it to those who truly deserve it - to those who've proven their loyalty."

Sally gave a tired smile.

"Now," said Seph brightly, "about this boyfriend of yours..."

Sally's expression turned a bit lovesick. "His name's Paul Blofis, and we've been married for two years."

A few hours later, the door opened to reveal a middle aged man that was, perhaps, a couple of years older than his wife. He had salt-and-pepper hair and smile lines about his eyes. No wrinkles decorated his face just yet, but, if one looked closely, they could see the beginnings of them. His fair skin was lightly tanned and his warm, brown eyes brightened as he looked around for the woman he considered the love of his life.

"Sally-" He stopped short in the middle of going to the dining table to put his briefcase down. "I wan't aware we had company tonight."

His wife's eyes gleamed as she turned to look at him. She hurried over to him and gave a quick kiss. "Paul, meet Seph and Iapetus."

Paul nodded to them. "How do you three know each other?"

"Oh!" Sally chuckled sheepishly. "Seph is Percy, my daughter - she just goes by another name, now. And Iapetus is her boyfriend of eight years."

"Hello, Paul," said Seph, stepping forward, eyes cold. "I've heard a lot about you."

Paul gritted his teeth and ignored the scrutinizing glare being leveled at him. "Hell, Perc- Seph. I've heard a lot about you, too, and not all good. So I suggest you get out of here, right now."

"Paul!" exclaimed Sally, horrified. "Apologize, please."

Seph laughed, though, and her eyes softened. Paul suddenly stopped feeling like he was about to be condemned to death. "You certainly have improved in your choice of men since the last two times, haven't you, mom?"

Paul blinked in confusion, but then quickly hardened. "I am quite serious when I suggest you leave and never come back. You've already caused Sally enough grief by disappearing for a decade; she doesn't need to deal with that again."

Seph's eyes hardened again, and Paul watched in surprise as her body straightened and stiffened. She stalked forward, a hunter's air hanging around her.

Paul had the uncomfortable feeling that he was the prey.

The goddess's fists had clenched and Paul was truly afraid of the possibility of her just vaporizing him.

"How dare you?" she hissed. "There are only three things in this world that could keep me from my mother. One is amnesia. A second is being trapped in Tartarus. And the last is a threat to her life if I communicate with her."

Paul resisted the urge to step back. "Oh? And which of those three kept you away for a decade, goddess?" Paul had, after being told by Sally that the Greek and Roman mythologies were real, come to believe that very little could truly harm the gods, save another immortal. And, based on the tales he had heard of Seph, he couldn't think of any immortal who was in a position to harm her, or one that would even entertain the notion.

For the time, the seemingly untouchable woman in front of him faltered. Her hand unconsciously reached out towards her boyfriend for support. It was quickly provided in the form of a strong arm wrapping around her waist.

"I was banished to Tartarus for a period of a hundred years under the false accusations of having killed six of the veteran Greek demigods with no provocation. Yesterday, the Creator, Chaos, made the Council aware of the falseness of these accusations, and they brought me, along with two of my companions, back from the pit."

Paul blinked in surprise at her sudden switch to formal language. He quickly realized that he had hit a sore spot with her and that she was trying to distance herself from the topic in an attempt to protect herself. His heart went out to the young woman who had suffered so much in her short life.

But...

"You could have told Sally." His arm tightened protectively around his wife. "You didn't have to leave her in the dark, hurting and worried sick."

Seph's eyes blazed. "You would have had me worry her even more by telling her I would be in Tartarus for the next hundred years? That I would never see her again? You would have had me hurt her more by telling her that my father, the man she still loved, had betrayed me in one of the worst ways possible?"

Paul paled. "No... You're right. You were right in what you did... I'm sorry for questioning your motives."

Seph scrutinized him, then nodded. "You're forgiven. You were just protecting my mother, and for that, I cannot thank you enough."

A/N: So what did you all think? I hope this was a decent length. Like I said, next update will be June 5. Give me ideas for the Camp Jupiter confrontation, please. I'm totally clueless.

Also, how was the description of Paul? I was trying out something new.

And what do you want for the proposal?