It's been 361 days exactly since I last posted a visit from Poseidon. Talk about a dramatic build up :)

But I am back with "Six and a Half More Visits From Poseidon". Rejoice! I'm back in a Percy Jackson obsession stage after reading The Lost Hero. I can't actually WAIT until The Son of Neptune because I know that it is just going to be amazing (: Percy, at the Roman Camp, finding his parentage again, trying to remember Annabeth . . . squee!

Anyway, let's get back on topic! This series will take place during the course of the first series (Lightning Thief all the way to Last Olympian) and, maybe, if I get some great inspiration from this next upcoming series, in a couple of years time I will have another series :P I just want to thank you all so much for the response to the first series. It was . . . overwhelming, to say the least. I loved each and every one of your reviews, and I hope I receive a couple more on this story (:

Bring on the visits! I hope you enjoy them!

(This one takes place just after Percy leaves his mother and Gabe's apartment at the end of The Lightning Thief).

Sally Jackson had spent the past twelve years worrying about her son, and now here she was, sending him back off into the world after barely getting him back.

Back in her son's bedroom, she ran a hand over the top of the box he had left her. Did she really have the nerve to do it? Could she turn her husband – the lazy, oily, oaf that he was – into a statue? The thought seemed almost ridiculous, and she couldn't help but smile. Despite the negative situation of her son finally going to the place she had deep down known he belonged at for so many years, there were positives. Percy was safe. She was out of the Underworld. And Percy had met his father.

It wasn't the first time, of course . . . Poseidon had lingered in their lives probably even more than Sally was aware of, but as far as Percy knew it was the first time and she knew that despite his new 'strong, Son of the Sea God' determination, it had meant a lot to him.

'Sally! Oven's going off! Meatloaf's done!' There was silence filled with the sounds of wrestling commentary until he added, 'And someone's at the door!'

She cast one last look at the box before she left the room. Should she do it? Could she do it? Gabe let out a roar of indignation at the television just as she reached the kitchen, turning the oven off before grabbing the keys to open the door. It was more than likely a reporter, wanting a statement from the 'valiant mother of Percy Jackson'. There had already been two at the door in the past hour.

'I'm sorry, but it's like I said to the other reporters, I –'

She stopped, eyes widening with more confusion than shock. Of course he was here.

'Sally,' said Poseidon, eyes twinkling the way she always remembered them to be.

'Oh.'

She wasn't really sure what she was expected to say. "Wow, thank you for talking to Percy." "Gosh, Poseidon, I owe you everything." 'Oh' seemed like the best option.

Poseidon looked at her peculiarly before asking, 'Can I come in?'

Saying nothing, Sally stepped to the side. Poseidon stepped in, door closing behind him, and glanced around the door at an oblivious Gabe.

'You're a very clever woman, Sally. I have no idea how you found a human with as bad a smell as him to mask Percy, but it worked well.'

She laughed before she could help herself. Turning away quickly, she pulled the meatloaf out of the oven in silence. It was a strange situation. It seemed so domestic for Poseidon to just . . . be here like this, especially when he didn't have any outstanding reason to be.

But, said a tittering little voice in her head, this isn't the first time. So he must care.

It also wasn't the first time she had ignored her own thoughts.

When she could no longer find any excuse to not talk to him she turned back around. He was watching her with that curious light in his eyes, eyes which were so like Percy's . . . Sally sighed, leaning back against the cabinets and waiting for him to talk.

Eventually, he did, saying: 'I'm glad I got to speak to Percy.'

'You could have spoken to him earlier,' replied Sally tightly, arms absent-mindedly folding. 'You didn't have to wait until a situation like this to speak to him.' She knew, even as she spoke, that what she was saying wasn't true. Poseidon seemed to recognise this and he merely nodded, walking around the small kitchen with an unexpected air of familiarity.

'But,' started Sally, voice and arms loosening simultaneously, 'I . . . I have to thank you.' Poseidon did not seem to be expecting this, and usually the quizzical look in his eyes would have made her stop, but now she had started she didn't want to stop. She had completely forgotten the fact that Gabe was in the next room as she ploughed on. 'I know that you've helped keep Percy safe for twelve years. And you spoke to him. You didn't have to, but you did. So thank you.'

Again, Poseidon just nodded. Sally felt slightly annoyed that he was not bothering to even reply, but she knew that he was taking this in. She wanted to get angry at him, and shout and scream that he had never been a proper father to Percy but she just . . . she just couldn't.

'Did Percy tell you about the package?'

Sally opened her mouth – whatever Poseidon said seemed to confuse her – but nodded, automatically glancing around the door at Gabe. He was still watching the wrestling, snorting as one guy hurled another to the ground before stamping on his mouth. She looked away, a cold smile on her face.

'And what are you going to do with it?'

Good question.

'I'm not sure,' she admitted slowly, eyes on the back of Gabe's repulsively balding head. 'I could . . . I don't know. I don't know whether I could, actually. I don't know if I have the nerve.'

'From what I know,' said Poseidon, an expression of sad understanding on his handsome face, 'he deserves it. But I'm not telling you to do anything. I'm just saying that . . . well, you don't need his smell anymore.'

Sally met his eyes as a surprisingly youthful smile was shared between the two. Deviousness was a trait she now realised Percy had obviously inherited from his father. The pair stood together, in silence. Sally glanced at the meatloaf which, she realised, was going cold . . . but if she delivered that surprise to Gabe before he got the chance to eat it . . . There. She'd made her decision.

'I should be going,' said Poseidon, hooking his sunglasses from the front pocket of his Hawaiian shirt. There hadn't been much of a point to his visit, Sally realised, but that barely mattered. He had visited. That was enough for her. He started to walk towards the door and all she could do was gawk before calling out, 'Wait!'

He turned back to her, sunglasses hiding his eyes.

'Now that you've spoken to Percy . . . I was just wondering . . . I mean - ' she swallowed, trying to restrain the hopefulness that tainted her words, 'Will you be more involved now?'

It sounded so pathetic, even more so than it had in her mind. Poseidon smiled a cheerless smile.

'You know I can't promise anything.'

Just like that, he was gone, leaving Sally staring at an empty doorway.

'SALLY! Where the hell is my meatloaf?'

Closing the door with one hand, Sally turned around to see Gabe stood there, hands on hips as he hooked a cigarette out of his pocket. She smiled with actual anticipation as she clapped her hands together and announced, 'It's coming, sweetheart. I'll bring it to you. Just go back to the wrestling . . .'

Percy may have inherited his cunning from his father, but Sally Jackson reckoned she must have had some fault in that, too . . .

Visit two shall be coming soon! (: xxx