A/N: As the huge Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus fan that I am, here my version of Sally and Poseidon meeting for the first time.

Enjoy~

The Sea In Your Eyes

The glistening waves splashed enthusiastically against the shore, tainting the pristine sand a darker, wetter shade as the different hues of blue, indigo and deep green merged into a single eye-pleasure.

Sally sighed, and the wind seemed to sigh with her, curling across the beach of Montauk, stroking through her spiralling strands.

She crossed her arms, taking in the slight chill that came as the flaming sun hid behind some cottony clouds and the gusts increased.

Kicking off her formal shoes, she stepped her feet into the cooling, salty waters and enjoyed the relieving sensation that took over, giving her the feeling of true bliss.

How rare were these moments?

Very.

Sally tried not to remind herself of the painful turn her life had taken yet again. No. Watching the tumbling waves, the rush of the ocean thundering in her ears, she tried not to remind herself that the death of her beloved (not as much as one would hope) uncle had left her moneyless and, especially, diplomaless.

She tried not to remind herself that everything seemed to simply be going downhill, what with the rising debts, the scarce jobs she ever found available, the constant restless nights she spent tossing and turning until her eyes and mind burned from sleep deprivation.

None of those factors, however, could be a challenge to the biggest, most devastating feeling Sally had yet to fully digest.

Loneliness.

At night, when the cars rushed by, when only whispers echoed on the streets and everything was dipped in hundreds of different, neon colours, Sally would listen. And even though the city of New York provided you with more sound that you could ever ask for, all she heard was silence.

Inner silence.

She had no parents; not after they died in a plane crash when she was the delicate age of five; not yet old enough to comprehend what fate had actually befallen her. And even though her uncle was far from a loving human being, he was all she had.

He never respected or cherished her presence, never spoke more words with her than were necessary. But he was there.

And now, he too, was gone.

Silence.

So here she stood, at Montauk beach, having rented a small cabin not far off even though she actually did not have the money for it. But she could not help it. She needed to go, get out of the noiseless city and bring some fresh air to her thoughts.

Whenever that feeling of need ailed her, she found the ocean to be her best companion. Especially when she had one of those moments.

Ah, now let me explain those moments.

Sally, well, she was not the most normal of girls to hang around. Unlike others, who lived their life in complete oblivion, walking across this world without knowledge of its true colours, Sally was special. You could call it a gift, or a curse.

She herself did not know how to interpret it either. When large, fury creatures with ridiculously sharp fangs turned around the corner, eyes gleaming with blood-lust, noses raised to sniff the air, searching for a specific scent, Sally did not know what to think.

Was she imagining the seven feet tall, one-eyed beings that trudged through the shopping malls, between all the other normal civilians as if it were politically correct?

Did no one ever wonder, ever turn and ask themselves "Hey, why is there a Cyclops at the opticians? Or that dog? Definitely not a chihuahua with the size and fangs and those snakes curling all around it."

But no one bothered. Nobody saw, Sally realised. Only she did.

Pulling a strand of dark hair and tugging it behind her ear, she shut her eyes for a brief second, taking in the salty fragrant, the cleansing feeling the ocean always supplied.

Never did she talk to anyone about it. When she stood in the middle of a bursting street, people hurrying to and fro, trying to get to appointments, workplaces, schools, shops. You'd find her frozen like a statue, eyes scanning crazily around the area, trying to understand all the monsters she was seeing, all the signs and symbols others so obviously couldn't recognize. Her orbs would turn near to hysterical, frightened and full of fear, but no one bothered to ask, no one wondered.

And thus, she decided to leave it. Maybe it was her crazy imagination; after all, her passion for the written word, causing her to dream of becoming a novelist demanded a lot of creativity. Maybe seeing such abstract beings was simply a...side effect.

Never quite did Sally overcome her burning fear, but she managed to tame it somewhat, and live with it. In solitude.

Opening her eyes again, letting the intense verdigris shades invade her sight, the young women of barely 20 years nearly jumped when she caught a flicker of motion in the corner of her left eye.

Abruptly, she turned, taking a small step back and gazing wide-eyed at the man now suddenly next to her.

She could not tell his age, for he hid his face underneath a fisher-hat. It was a dark shade of green, with various fish baits dangling around it. Clad in a colourful Hawaiian shirt and a simple pair of dark bermudas, he sat on a beach chair, a fishing rod not even a hand's span away from him buried into the sand.

He was a mere two metres to her left.

"I swear...I know he was not..." Sally frowned, eyebrows knitting together tightly as her curious, glittering orbs tried to understand how this man could have so suddenly appeared here when she knew she had been alone this entire time!

Looking beyond him, she saw a long, stone-dressed wave breaker reaching out about 30 metres into the ocean. Numerous fishers were gathered there, rods all dangling into the dark depths as they eagerly awaited their catch.

And every so often, she saw one pull out the bait with a huge gurgling animal tossing at the end.

"Excuse me." Sally was never one for shyness. If at all, she was prude.

The man to her left, however, did not seem to notice her words, and simply stayed in his unmoving position.

For the most fleeting of moments, she believed her was actually dead. He was so still it would have fooled anyone at first.

"Hello?" She tried again, now deciding he was either having a very deep sleep or an ignorant ass, "Sir." She increased her volume and, look at that, he stirred!

The man raised a finger and lifted his hat off his face, revealing to Sally a sight that took quite her breath away.

Dark, short combed hair clustered his head, a rebellious strand sticking out here and there, whilst slight side-burns were making themselves noticed. He had quite the aristocratic features, Sally decided, but what most caught her were his glittering, magnifying eyes.

The most incredible shades of malachite, mixed with a form of jade and cerulean, leaning into turquoise, tumbling and rolling and frothing like the ocean were in his eyes!

At first, the young 20-year-old believed it was her mind once more playing a creative trick. Maybe his orbs were so dark that they simply reflected the sea.

But that was impossible, considering he was staring right at her, a small smirk forming on his lips; probably due to her flabbergasted reaction.

Curtly forgetting her former intentions, Sally shook herself, blinking several times and trying to not fall once more for the intensity of his abstract eyes.

"You...are fishing at the wrong spot." she finally muttered, confusion invading her system all of a sudden.

But the man simply smiled, looking back at the ocean and observing it for several, silent seconds.

"And why would you assume that?" His voice was deep, educated and clean. There was something...powerful about it, that demanded respect from every being that heard it.

But it also had a soft, warm side to it. Something alluring, beautiful with...a sense of belonging.

Once more, it took her quite a bit before she could muster a correct, non-stupefied answer.

"Well...all the other fishers are over there, on the wave breaker. And they're quite successful, whilst you, you have only caught-" it was only now that Sally realised this man possessed no cooling box. No form of transportation.

"How do you plan on carrying your fish home?" she asked, frowning once more.

But the man simply chuckled, "Not at all."

"But...?" Opening her mouth, she shut it again.

What was it about this man that caused her insides to curl and twist, her heart pounding rapidly, like it had turned into a frightened horse that was trying to escape its confines?

"I fish, I catch, I let them free." he stated with simple, short, but tender words as he averted his eyes back towards the tumbling sea.

Not knowing how to respond, Sally simply giggled, shaking her head and also observing the vast waters once more.

"That amuses you?" He asked, a twinkle in his eye.

"Well, you are the first person I meet here fishing not for business but out of fun."

"Not so much fun, more like work."

"Work?" She gazed at him questioningly, but he did not look at her as he continued to explain.

"The ocean speaks, you know, and it speaks quite loudly. I am one of the only ones who listen."

Once more standing agape, her obsidian locks curling in the refreshing breeze, Sally could not muster an appropriate retort. What should she say? This sounded so bizarre, but weirdly enough, in the most strangest of ways, it made total sense to her.

As if something was making her understand. As if everything this man said simply had to be the truth.

"Make a lot of profit?" she blurted out, feeling rude for her sarcastic tone immediately.

The man grinned, "Oh, it's a priceless job, really."

"Yeah?"

"Yep. Price-less." He took his time formulating the last word, giving her a knowing glance.

Sally could not help but burst into laughter, her eyes crinkling and her hand shooting up to cover her mouth.

"And what do you really do?" She finally breathed between giggles, wiping away the small tears that had formed.

"For a living?"

"Yes."

He shrugged, hesitating with his answers, "It's very complicated."

"Try me." she put on a smug tone.

He laughed a little once more, "Isn't it custom to, primarily, introduce yourself to the other?"

She blinked several times before she finally understood what he meant. Of course. Here she was, having small talk with a man whose name she had not even asked!

"Sally." she chimed, feeling her mood rise all of a sudden, "Sally Jackson."

He nodded, as if approving, "Poseidon."

Sally waited a brief moment to hear his surname, but he did not continue and was now simply staring at her with his tempting eyes.

"Poseidon...?" She gave him a good look, "Like the Greek God of the Sea?" She hoped she did not sound too mocking.

"Yes, exactly like him." The seriousness in his voice made her falter for a moment.

She was not sure what he meant with that statement.

"Well then, Poseidon, do you live here in Montauk?"

"Oh no, I'm from New York." As he finished that phrase, his lips curled up to a smirk again, giving her a knowing look.

"Same as me!" Sally was not sure why it made her so happy, but somehow, she was glad he came from New York, just like her, "What are you doing out here in Montauk then?"

Once more he gave her a knowing look, "Visiting someone."

"A friend?"

"Maybe."

"Maybe?" Was he playing the "guess-who" game with her or something?

"Yeah. Maybe. I still have to find out."

Nodding, although still irritated, Sally decided to simply continue with her questioning, "Had a fight?"

"No." he chuckled again.

"Oh. Well, I hope you find out soon..." she shook her head. Find out soon? Find out what?

"That I will, Sally Jackson." Sending her one more secretive look, he returned to his fishing rod, placing his hat correctly on top of his head as he observed the waves curl and crash at the shores.

"Okay...good...Well. I'll get going then, getting late." She excused herself with a simple smile before turning on her heel, heading towards her cabin.

"Sally?"

Faster than she would have liked, she turned back towards Poseidon, awaiting his words with an eagerness she did not quite understand, "Yes?"

"I'll see you later."

The early sun bought a cool breeze with it, sweeping through the bleached sky as torn, near to transparent clouds skittered past.

Sally found it the perfect time to do some small shopping. Just the most important of necessities, and she was running out of chocolate chip cookies which, as she discovered yesterday, tasted amazing here in Montauk. And they were cheap.

Grabbing her pouch and a large handbag, she dangled the keys into the lock and twisted it, before turning to leave.

The market was just around the corner, the walk with the fresh salty air did wonders to her nerves. Even though she could not stress herself at all, seeing as thoughts of a specific man were invading her mind.

She imagined his face once more in front of her inner eye, marvelling at his expression, his words and how he seemed to know exactly what she would say.

"See you later." Lost in thoughts, Sally smiled, slightly creasing an eyebrow upon his last statement, trying to figure out what he could have meant.

Was he planning on seeing her again? Was he around? Did he expect her to walk back to the beach until she found him?

Who knew, but she guessed she'd find out sooner or later.

Well, to her surprise, it was sooner.

Trudging leisurely into the shop, Sally absentmindedly picked up her much needed items and placed them into the small basket she had picked up the entrance, her glowing face reminiscing about last evening.

Thus, it was no surprise when she found herself bumping into a slightly larger, but somehow crouched figure.

Shaking her head in surprise, she opened her dark eyes and stared up at the slightly larger woman.

She wore a puffy, pastel coloured dress that would have fitted better into a 90's scene, with an overly large sun hat tilted over her face, colourful plastic flowers adorning it, a big pink bow sticking out in between. She had a typical ladies handbag with her.

Now, any other person would have seen this as a completely normal scenario; a crouching women who got lost on the fashion street of the 21st century, no big deal.

But as you have discovered before, Sally was no normal person. She could already sense that this being was not human. Not even a bit. And that without viewing her face.

And her face was a sight you would not want to behold, anyway.

A shrivelled visage, with hawk like features that stuck out and made you take a step back. Sharp, beady eyes and a constant glare that sent shivers down the spine of even the most bravest of men.

Long, bony claws grabbed a package of minced meat, inspecting the contents with hungry eyes. The creature had not even noticed that the young student bumped into her.

Feeling terror rise within her, her eyes large and glittering, Sally took a careful step back. Inspecting the other shoppers, she was astonished to notice that no one seemed bothered at all by this beast's present. As if she really were a normal woman doing some shopping.

Was it really only her? Would no one else have these weird visions? Was she...was she...

Going crazy?

"Quick, step behind me." A deep, familiar voice whispered.

Sally quickly glanced to her side, taking in the sight of an Hawaiian shirt and bermudas, but no fishing-hat.

Without doing much thinking or questioning, for fear still dwelt within her, she got behind Poseidon, scooting closer and not daring to look at the monster once more.

She kept her eyes focused on the tiled floor.

"Don't worry, she'll go in a minute." He glanced over, giving the elder lady with the minced meat a meaningful, threatening glance which caused her to clutch the package tighter as her orbs turned into slits.

With a sharp, yet silent cry she disappeared, vanishing into thin air with a "poof!" as if she had never existed in first place.

"Gone." he said with an edge of relief, but Sally did not move.

She was cowering behind him, gripping his shirt tightly as her panting breath reflected the rapid palpitations of her heart.

"You don't have to be scared anymore, she won't harm you now. Not like she intended from the beginning..." There was amusement interlaced into his tone as he looked back across the shelves.

Sally gradually righted herself, peaking over Poseidon's shoulder and making sure he was saying the truth.

Apparently, he did.

"What was that?!"She finally managed to blurt out, trying to process what exactly she had seen.

With all the weird, atrocious creatures luring around corners, she had never met anything quite as bad as this one.

"A fury."

"Fury..." she muttered, still dumbstruck.

"Yeah, although it would be better if you used the term "Kindly Ones"."

"Kindly Ones?" Sally blinked, a frown marring her features seconds before she once more had an expression of shock displayed on her face, "Wait, you saw her too!?"

She took another good glance at his face, inspecting his verdigris eyes to try and find truth in them, "I wasn't imagining it?!"

Poseidon smiled, his eyes crinkling, "Oh no Sally, you were not." Suddenly, he grabbed her hand, leading her towards the exit of the shop, "Come on, lets go, this is not the right place to talk."

Not putting up much of a fight, and completely forgetting her actual intentions in the shop, Sally obliged, trudging after the tall fisherman like a gaping fish.

Once they had taken a few steps across the beach, Poseidon stopped, looking back at the young 20-year-old full of concern, "Sally, are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah..." She blinked, squeezing her eyes shut afterwards and rubbing her temples, "Fur- Kindly...Ones... aren't those mythological creatures from the underworld?"

"Yes."

She glanced up at him, trying to identify any intention of mockery, but there was nothing. He was being sincere with her.

"I...I don't..." the turmoil in her eyes was as clear as night to Poseidon, and he sighed miserably.

He felt guilty somehow.

"How about I explain everything to you tonight." He suggest, speaking softly.

"Tonight?"

"Yes. Let me take you out to a nice dinner. Good food always eases the nerves." He was smiling again when she looked at him.

"Yeah...sure!" She smiled back, not sure what she had agreed to.

"Good, I'll pick you up later."

With that, he handed her a plastic bag, turned, bowed slightly and left.

Sally gazed after him for a while, until she remembered that he did not know her cabin number.

"Wait! Poseidon!" But he was too far away, not hearing her call and simply trudging away.

'He'll find me somehow...' she mused, taking a peek inside the plastic bag, which, to her utter shock, was filled with all the goodies she had initially desired to buy that morning.

She must have gone lunatic.

Crazy.

Absolutely crazy.

Insane.

What woman in their right mind would simply agree to a complete and utter stranger (yes, even after more than 24 hours of knowing him by now, he was a stranger still) and go on a date!? After having seen a bizarre beast shopping in a small supermarket that very morning.

After the death of her uncle, and the helpless situation she was currently facing.

How could she at all find the time to think about men and dates?

Well, she couldn't really, she was simply thrown into it. Although, in hindsight, it did shock Sally how much effort she put into looking good that evening.

She grabbed her (only) good attire; a light, malachite fabric that curled around her body like a light summer dress. Various flowery patterns glowed in a brilliant turquoise, making her hair stand out with their dark locks, eyes shining beautifully.

Taking a handbag that she could easily sling over her shoulder, she waited patiently inside her cabin, filling a cup with water and sipping on it slowly.

He had never mentioned a time, and he did not know which cabin she resided in, after all.

'I'm sure he'll come' she assured herself mentally, feeling utterly nervous.

The doubts that had befallen her the moment she agreed to this...date, were gradually sinking, leaving her to simply ponder over what kind of dinner he had in mind.

Before she could consider it much more, there was a curt rasp at her door, signalling that someone was waiting outside.

'Did he really come?' her heart an agitated bird flapping in her chest, she gradually walked towards the door and opened, revealing none other than Poseidon, standing there in his usual attire; even though it was a different shirt (black and white).

"Are we ready?"

No 'You look beautiful' or 'I love that dress' or a mute wide eyed appearance to compliment her?

"Yep." Nope, and Sally didn't seem to miss it either.

Now when a man invites you to a nice dinner you expect to be visiting a restaurant of kinds.

Sure, this was a fisher taking her out, a curious person nonetheless (she still had many questions concerning the...uhm...creature they had encountered earlier that day) and probably not that wealthy.

You'd think of fish and chips from the next little establishment around the corner.

But this...well. It was...

Original?

Definitely original. Sally couldn't help but laugh every now and then.

They were climbing up the rocks of a weave breaker, large boulders forming a rough pathway leading several metres out into the sea. Sally followed steadily, trying not to trip and fall with her high-heels as they manoeuvred towards their goal.

"Here we are." Poseidon claimed calmly as they reached the end of the breaker, where Sally, to her surprise, saw a large picnic blanket and a cooling box on a very even rock.

She was sure...just a second ago that had not been-

"Well, I have wine, cooled in the box," Poseidon reached down, opening the lid and revealing two bottles and glasses nestled between ice cubes, "and some wood to make a fire." He directed with his head towards the pile of perfectly chopped splinters, which again, took the young girl by surprise.

Those had not been here earlier, either.

"And...food?" She laughed, giving him a glittering look.

Poseidon smiled warmly, the image sending pleasant shivers down Sally's back.

"That's where we gotta do some work." The smile didn't leave his lips as he picked up the fishing rod placed next to the picnic blanket, checking on it as he prepared to, now obvious to Sally, fish their dinner.

"We are really fishing our dinner?" A giggle escaped her lips as she asked.

"Why of course! And we're doing it at a wave breaker, for, as you have said, it's the best place for fishing. But I'm not gonna do it." He looked towards her, "You are."

She was at a loss of words, taken by surprise as her eyebrows rose quite a bit, "Me!?"

"Yes. I'll teach you."

"Are you sure that is such a great idea?" She sent him a doubtful look.

But the tanned fisher just smiled again, "Why not?"

Not knowing how to respond adequately, and definitely finding this date rather intriguing, Sally agreed, stepping next to Poseidon as he held out the rod for her.

It took several long attempts before Sally finally mastered to swing the rod appropriately and get the bait to land far in the sea.

It always bounced off one of the rocks behind her on the breaker.

There were many laughs, some belly-twisting, as Sally clumsily held the rod to the side, feeling a tug and pulling in the line.

Mostly she fished seaweed. After the 10th tangle of green underwater grass, she suggested roasting that instead, for she heard of people such as the Japanese also eating it and actually finding the food to be a delicacy.

Poseidon just shook his head, saying that she needed to catch a fish if she really wanted to master the rod.

"You can do it." He said reassuringly, stepping behind her and holding her hands and arms in the right position.

A sudden heat rose to Sally's cheeks as she noted what exactly he was doing and, how close their proximity was.

"There, now pull in!" And indeed, a strong tug told Sally she had a catch. With all her might, and with the help of a specific person behind her, she managed for the first time that night to catch a middle-sized, healthy looking fish.

When they placed him in the bucket of water, she looked at it suspiciously, "Is it edible for sure?"

Poseidon answered with a resounding laugh.

After another few uncountable attempts, Sally found herself successful with the capture of two well-sized, edible fish that were ready to be roasted above a nice, crackling camp fire which, of course, Sally made (under the tutoring of Poseidon. She had to admit, in hindsight, it was an interesting and amusing experience. The burn wasn't though.)

They sat next to each other, shoulders bumping into the other every once in a while as they laughed and shared various childhood experiences, their dinner gradually darkening in the flickering flames.

"You really fell into the mud hole in front of the whole class?" Poseidon chuckled, turning his fish around

"Yes! It was terrible. I was trying to look big and strong in front of this bully of a girl, and then she simply pushed me and 'plop!', I land in the grimy dirt and find myself the reason for roaring laughter amongst my classmates." There was a slight tone of bitterness interlaced into her voice as she recalled that memory.

Poseidon shook his head, "Well, we all know bully's, don't we?"

"Who was your childhood nemesis then?" She gave him a curious glance, eyes sparkling with the flames.

But no matter how dark it got, with the stars twinkling in the heavens and the fire being their only source of light next to the pale moon, Poseidon's orbs seemed to reflect the ocean.

A beautiful mix of tumbling waves.

"Well, not that much of a Nemesis, but my brother's and I tend to get into rough states every once in a while."

"Really?" Sally raised a curious eyebrow, "You have siblings?"

"Oh yes, two brothers. And they can be a handful when they want to. Especially Zeus."

She frowned all of a sudden, "Zeus? You have a brother called Zeus?"

"Yes."

"Wait...Poseidon, Zeus...and Hades?" A wave of realisation hit her, and she was drastically reminded of the incident at the supermarket; the whole reason she agreed to this date.

Well, one of the reasons.

He smiled somewhat apologetically, "Well, I told you I'd clear things up, right? But we should eat first."

"Uh-huh..." Pondering, not quite sure what to make of the...fisher she was sitting next to, Sally took her meal and ate it.

It tasted good, well, for freshly caught and roasted fish, but her mind was swirling with unanswered questions, and she wanted to fire them all at Poseidon now.

"You are impatient." He chuckled in between a bite.

"It's much to ask. You are kind of telling me that...that..."

"All the mythological beings from the stories are real, and not some form of fiction?"

Sally shut her eyes, gradually nodding. A wave of dizziness overran her, "That would be ridiculous."

"No one said the truth has to be the most logical."

"Actually, yes, every scientist does."

He stared at her, concentrating on her features, "Really? Is it not because logical seems to be the easiest form of understanding?"

"Olympian God's are not logical in any form." Sally responded, trying to imagine all the insane stories about Gods such as Athena and Aphrodite being true.

"Well, if that is the case, how come you see it all?"

Her breath hitched in her throat as Sally's eyes widened fractionally.

That was true.

She was seeing weird things. Maybe that...

No.

"Right, you are playing with my mind." Sally laughed nervously, shaking her head at the idea.

"Maybe it's better we talk about something else then?" He questioned with another one of those dazzling smiles that made Sally blush like mad.

She hoped the flames would hide that fact.

"Yeah, let's talk about something else."

Weird, strange hues mingled with each other, forming familiar shapes that plagued the darkness within her mind.

Her nightmares were getting worse, and this particular day everything seemed to be working against her.

The shroud face of the fury glared aggressively straight at her petite form, soon morphing into something more twisted and cruel, dark and obscene, making Sally toss and turn violently within her cabin, trying to awaken from the nightly horrors.

Finally, with a shuddering jerk, she awoke, sweat beading at her forehead and her body aching terribly, as if she had wrung with a whale shark or something.

The sound of a deafening crash, piercing the sky got her to jolt upright in her bed. Glancing outside with large, fear-struck eyes, she discovered pelting rain stabbing the landscape, the heaven filled with heavy, obsidian clouds as blinding streaks of lightning illuminated the sky.

Everytime she saw the bolts flicker and turn night into day, she felt her heart sink a little further down her chest. It tainted the beautiful beaches of Montauk a horrible, cruel bleached colour, making it seem sick and deathly. As if an apocalypse had just commenced.

Even though fearful of the constant loud rumble up above, the young woman stood up, sluggishly moving towards her window from which she had a perfect, clear view of the wild, thrashing oceans.

A turmoil of crazy, uneven feelings; that was what Sally felt as she watched the cliffs being splashed by temperamental waves.

Another loud crash from the violent clouds above, and with it she suddenly noticed the distant figure, seemingly standing in the middle of the ocean, staring up at the sky as if challenging it.

Even from this distance, she could clearly recognise the forlorn gaze lingering on his face.

Wait, what-!?

Sally blinked a few times, believing to be hallucinating or still dreaming, maybe even sleep-drunk, until the next lightning bolt affirmed her vision.

A man indeed stood there, looking up as further bolts stroke down all around him, so close and sizzling, but never reaching him.

As if a barrier had stretched out around him; a protecting sphere, which only allowed for the deadly, zapping white fire to intimidate him, but never cause harm.

As she squinted her eyes to obtain a better view, a jolt ran down her spine, like she had been struck by lightning.

Those aristocratic features, the curling, dark hair and masculine figure of a fisher...

Poseidon!

Sally could feel the increasing "thump! thump! thump!" of her heart by every second that passed leisurely, gawking at the incredible scene up in front.

The rapid ocean seemed to curl around his feet, gurgling and caressing his legs, like a tame cat desiring its master's attention.

"Poseidon..." Sally muttered, highly confused, half convinced her dreams had taken a more vivid, sick turn.

She felt the urge to call out to him, to reach his side and save him from the scolding bolts that seemed to increase in frequency.

Before she could properly think through her rather insane plan, seeing as he was out on the ocean ; and taking a swim in the middle of a thunderstorm wasn't the cleverest of ideas, the dark-haired woman had jumped to the door, running outside.

Barefoot, dressed in some shaggy shorts and a sleeveless top, Sally raced across the drenched sand which stuck eagerly to her skin, apparently pulling her feet down and making it harder to run.

"Poseidon!" She called out, but the crackling lightning swallowed her voice. She could not even hear herself.

Nonetheless, Sally jogged across the sand, every step getting heavier and heavier, her feet sinking further and further within the dark-brown masses.

After what seemed like forever, her face being stabbed by merciless droplets, hair soaked so that small strand stuck vehemently to her skin, she reached the shores.

The aphotic, lurid waters gurgled more forcefully, thrashing and licking the shores with a disturbing thirst that made Sally gulp and take a step back.

Sand crusted her feet as the black liquid closed in, everything flashed and blinded her, deafening explosions of lightning making her ears throb and ring.

She was saturated with water to the marrow, her clothing stuck limply to her skin, pulling down on her weight as she glared, breathlessly, as Poseidon was further entrapped in remorseless lightning.

He appeared so far away, so unattainable.

Sally felt like screaming and crying in frustration, but her pride called for her to swallow it down and be strong; if Poseidon needed her – if he was in danger, then she could not afford a break down now!

Gathering all the courage she had left, she entered into the sea, feeling it drain all the energy inside her body, frothing happily as she was giving in to the dark tempest.

Deeper and deeper she sank, her body disappearing within the gloom of the water. She began to swim, swinging her arms, kicking with her legs in order to get into motion, yet the sea was obviously fighting against her.

At first Sally thought it was trying to drown her, but soon she felt as if it was attempting with all its might to keep her away from Poseidon. The sand that boiled up, curling around her legs, water forcing her movements to become sluggish and weak; as if trying to protect her from the danger that she was driving herself into.

A warning call.

'Don't go, Sally Jackson, it is your doom. Stay away.'

"Poseidon!" But the worsening storm drained her voice, the wind scattering it in every direction.

Salt-water filled her mouth, cascading down her throat and drowning her lungs.

She spluttered and spewed, gulping down as much air as she could, yet the biting, swooshing winds seemed to steal her breath away everytime she inhaled.

"Posei-!" She sank beneath the waves, hands flailing until she coughed up more water, her eyes stinging from the salt.

Everything became blurrier, Poseidon further away.

Soon, all Sally could feel was the constant wringing of the ocean which chucked her body around in its domain like a tennis ball. The blazing gusts whipped her face menacingly, rain pelted her skin like daggers. The roaring lightning made her deaf, her voice croaked as she tried to call out to him, knowing he would not hear her, ever.

Everything soon turned white and hazy, her body numbing from pain and exhaustion.

"This is it..." Sally thought achingly, "This is how your story ends. Before it even begun. All the suffering and loneliness; just for you to die in the middle of the ocean, during a storm, because you're stupid enough to die that way. They'll call it suicide, for sure. Well done, Sally."

She gave in to the frustration. To her weakness, her helplessness.

Her death.

The first thing Sally noticed was warmth.

A beautiful, comforting warmth wrapped soothingly around her body, making her feel safe and secure.

A slight breeze tickled her skin, bringing with it the refreshing scent of salt and sand.

Everything around her was silky soft, and she herself felt dry and content.

Sally sighed, a smile adorning her lips, her eyes flickering open.

Then she jerked upright.

"What the-!? "

"It's okay." A deep voice rumbled, with a hint of amusement.

Sally twisted her head to the side, wide, dark orbs staring in astonishment as Poseidon sat on a chair right at her bedside.

She was back in her cabin.

"Wait, what am I doing here?"

"Recovering, I'd say." He spoke leisurely, watching her eagerly with his mirth-filled eyes.

It took her several seconds to process what had happened last night, and to try and deduce a logical reason as to her being within her cabin, dry and healthy, as if it all had never happened.

"I was in the ocean..." she began to mumble, staring into mid-air, her brain going on overdrive.

"Indeed you were."

"I was drowning."

"Yes."

"I was trying to save you."

"Save me?" Poseidon raised a quizzical eyebrow.

She took that chance to look in the eye, "I saw the lightning...I thought you – you were standing on water, it's not physically possible to stand on water. And the lightning, you weren't hit but you were standing on-"

"Sally, calm down." he gently touched her arm, making sparks run down her nerve system upon the contact.

There was something about this man...

Something that didn't let her loose.

"It's okay, you are safe now, it's over."

She shook her head ever so slightly, not finding anything to make sense right now.

"But you were...why am I...what happened!?"

"Just a dispute amongst brothers, nothing big."

"A dispute amongst brothers!?" She didn't intend for her voice to screech like that, "What!? With whom!? Zeus!'?"

"Yes."

She had meant it sarcastically, but here he was, giving her the most sincere look she had ever seen on the face of a man.

Sally was gawking, at a loss for words, shaking her head in constant denial.

"What's happening to me...?" It came out more silent than a whisper, but Poseidon caught it nonetheless.

"Nothing. You have always been this way. You only just now start to understand."

"Understand what...?"

"The true extent of your powers. And of my identity."

A pregnant pause filled the air within the cabin. Wind gushed inside softly, cooling her down, intensifying the salty smell in the air.

The sun was shining with full force, not one single cloud adorning the sky; the perfect weather after a raging storm.

"You are Poseidon..." Sally finally spoke.

"Yes."

"The Sea God."

"Yes."

"Zeus is the God of the Sky. Your brother...that monster at the supermarket was a Fury -it's...it's all true. Everything we know about Greek Mythology – mythology!"

"Not quite all, some of it the humans have twisted and changed to match their own visual desires. But most of it, yes, is true."

Her vision suddenly faltered, flickering as if she were dizzy. Only now did Sally notice how hot it actually was inside her cabin – she could feel her pores sweating with stress.

She touched her head, trying to calm her agitated nerves.

"Sally, I know it seems like a lot to accept, but it cannot be denied. We exist. We have just cleverly disguised ourself, accustomed ourselves to your visions. The mist keeps all the people from seeing the truth-"

"Mist...?"

"Yes, a magical veil which fills the air invisibly; in some areas, like San Francisco, its stronger. It makes people see only what they want to see – a six foot Cyclops can quickly turn into a normal, large man due to its powers."

"You are making no sense..."

"I am, you just have to accept it as the truth, Sally."

"Go..."

He hesitated before continuing, "Let me explain it to you, it'll help you not fear it as much."

"Just...go. Please." she was desperate.

He could tell.

Pressing his lips together firmly, Poseidon nodded, "Alright..."

And with that, he left.

Trying to live a completely sane, mundane life after having encountered a shopping fury, not after meeting a chilled Sea God and experiencing a near to death situation within a roaring tempest was the most stupidest idea ever.

For it was simply and plainly impossible.

Impossible.

Sally felt too agitated, too nervous, as if any second now some other beast would pop up behind her and give her another near-to heart attack moment.

Sitting at the beach, going for walks in the dry, warming sand and watching the beautifully glittering oceans as they calmly rushed to and from the shores; nothing seemed normal anymore.

Nothing was anymore the way she used to know it.

Even though she had seen monsters long before having met Poseidon – she simply blamed it on her over-creative mind, having designed an illusional, fairytale like world as was known to happen to lonely children living under terrible circumstances.

Now everything was being more real, more intimidating, different.

As if a whole new world existed within the one she grew up in. As if the dark corners withheld more secrets than she could ever comprehend in a lifetime.

As if she monsters underneath her bed were crawling out, proving to not be a figment of imagination.

Everything was real.

Everything was real.

Real.

But worst of all, between all the lies she had grown up to believe, was the fact that she could not take her mind off the handsome fisher with the Hawaiian shirt and bermudas.

Every day Sally woke up, envisioning his face to its smallest details, thinking of ways to describe it if she were ever asked to write it down on paper.

For a novel, maybe.

She would lose herself in the soft, verdigris shade of his eyes, tumbling and lolling like waves; obviously, he owned the ocean, after all.

If you could call it owning.

And each time she lost herself in the memory of his features, his tenderness, his alluring smiles, her cheeks flaring a bright scarlet, she would sigh longingly.

As crazy as this Greek-mythology-becoming-real thing seemed, as even crazier as the fact that he was "the God of the Sea" seemed, she could not help but feel in love.

Magnetised to his being, desiring nothing but to be in his presence, wanting to forget the world, or worlds, and just have him there, with her, somewhere safe and sound and full of bliss.

She wanted him back. She wanted to walk down the beach, see him sit in his fisherman chair, a hat pulled over his eyes, a rod buried within the sand as he sat and waited for another oceanic creature to tug at his line.

After days spent aimlessly and with a yearning heart, Sally could take it no more.

Wanting to either cry and roar into the sky, or find him, she decided to jog down the beach until she reached the rocky complexion of the wave-breaker.

She she clambered up above, barefoot, some jeans-shorts and a loose top being her only attire.

Sally scrambled across the uneven plane, hopping from boulder to boulder, making her way along the breaker until she reached the very end; the vast, sparkling ocean outstretched limitlessly in front of her.

"Poseidon!" She called, this time hearing her voice ride across the tugging winds, "Poseidon!" she shouted with such eagerness and need that her voice soon cracked.

"Poseidon!" then she cracked a little, feeling her eyes sting, her vision blurring.

"I'm here."

Sally jerked, spinning around at dizzying speed, her heart lurching up her throat.

The blood rushed deafeningly within her ears as she gazed, astonished and so incredibly relieved, at his form.

He towered above her, a warming smile on his lips, the smell of salt and ocean intensifying, the rushing waves becoming louder and louder as he stared down at her lovingly.

"Where were you...?" She sobbed.

"I was never gone, Sally Jackson."

She couldn't help a smile.

Losing herself inside his orbs, she grabbed his hand unconsciously, pushing herself onto her tiptoes as she pressed her lips against his for a kiss.

Warmth encompassed her.

Sally would never tell Percy, until much later of course, the entire truth about him being the offspring of the holy Poseidon; she would leave out the detail of his Godliness, of the short affair that it was destined to be from the start.

She would put him into the light of a rich man, having had to leave for the oceans and being lost out there.

She would never reveal to him that it was his father who had chosen his name, wanting just once that one of his sons had as happy a fate as Percy's very namesake.

Nor would she tell him that his father knew about Percy, having been with him when he was barely a few months old until he was forced to leave. How he had begged Sally to keep Percy safe until he was old enough to join a camp for heroes, how he should actually never have been sired by him and how it shames him that he had ruined what was left of Sally's life, for she deserved so much better than to love an untouchable God.

But Sally always, always did remind Percy of how much she loved her son, and that she was happy to have had him, that she never regretted it, no matter the hardships.

For he had finally erased the loneliness from her heart.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed it and HENCE ASK VERY NICELY AND KINDLY FOR A REVIEW!

Only costs you a second.

And I'll give you blue chocolate chip cookies in return ;D