HAPPY BIRTHDAY, @justonemorechapternicercy !! You say you ship them so hard. So I went hard at work writing you a little canon divergent MeduSally fic!! <3<3<3
--
Once upon a time, Medusa had loved Athena. Not just worshiped and adored her, but loved her. A love that was not returned. A love that would become Medusa's downfall as, because of Poseidon, Medusa's heart got broken and she was left picking up the pieces.
And then he had walked into her life. A little boy, a child, much younger than the heroes of old that used to at least be teenagers on the cusp of adulthood, and he had the same eyes as Poseidon. Eyes were something special, Medusa had come to appreciate them more and more ever since looking directly into her own eyes turned people into stone. It had… limited her eye-contact.
Percy Jackson, his name was. Son of Poseidon. No, more importantly, son of Sally Jackson.
Sally Jackson, who was so beautiful, so strong, so kind, and so loving. Something Medusa found herself marveling at every day, thanking the Fates that she was so lucky to receive that love every day. And all because one little demigod had chosen kindness over prejudice.
When Percy and his little friends had come to her doorstep, instead of attacking her, Percy had chosen to be kind. To listen to Medusa's side of the story. Not to see the monster everyone else saw. He accepted her story, her hospitality and her food. It had been a very long time since a person had not immediately jumped to conclusion and attacked first. She'd been moved by his kindness.
Also by the fact that he was a twelve year old tiny child. A baby, really. In the olden days, the heroes were young too, but not this young. Teenagers, at the cusp of adulthood. The majority fully grown adults, married and with children of their own, really. Medusa found herself mortified by just how young these demigods were when the gods and Chiron decided to thrust them into danger.
But that was just it, wasn't it? The gods used. Used when needed, with no care or regard for the mortals they left behind, including their own children.
So Medusa decided to do something uncharacteristic. She decided to help. To reward the kindness Percy had shown her, Medusa had helped Percy defeat the Fury. She didn't leave her home, yet her small help had been enough for Percy. Enough to make him come back.
After his quest, after his mother had been saved, both Jacksons returned to Medusa's place to say thank you for her help. And they sat at her table and ate her food and her home felt a little warmer and a little less lonely, even just for a day. But it wasn't just a day. They came back again and again. Sometimes even bringing Percy's little friends along.
She'd always loved cooking, always cooked so much, even when it was always just her. In the hopes of guests. Yet it always went to waste. Not anymore, no.
It was so easy, terrifyingly easy, to fall in love with Sally Jackson and her kindness and beauty and strength and smiles and stories. Only that this time, Medusa's love was not in vain. Her love was returned. This woman worth worshiping accepted her with open arms and a warm smile.
And for the first time in her life, Medusa got to make all the burgers she wanted to, with not a single one left untouched as the Jacksons hosted their neighborhood barbecue in the summer.
Only months after Sally and Medusa started seeing each other did Medusa move in with her Jacksons. Into a nice little house in the suburbs. It had been due time for Sally and Percy to get out of the apartment they used to share with the vile little man that Medusa had chased away for them. No more monsters, not while Medusa was around to protect her Jacksons.
"Perseus," Medusa furrowed her brows as she grasped Percy's chin, tilting it up.
Percy wiggled his nose, avoiding her. "It's nothing. Just a bit of… trouble at school. I won!"
Medusa raised her eyebrows at that. "You will tell me who-"
She paused when she felt Sally's hand on her shoulder. "We are not turning children into statues, Meddie. Not even school bullies. Percy can take care of himself."
Medusa deflated a little at that. She thought she should be allowed to petrify those who harm their Percy, but Sally was very picky about that, sadly enough. Though when she turned a little, she received a kiss on the cheek from her girlfriend and felt slightly pacified.
"Let's get you back to the grill, we are having some hungry guests already whining about wanting a burger," Sally smiled amused, gently nudging Medusa.
Medusa narrowed her eyes one last time at Percy. She was going to get the names of whatever bullies Percy had at this new school. And if she wasn't allowed to petrify the children, she could very much intimidate them into being better behaved.
These days, Medusa tended to wear shades. Stylish and expensive shades, shades that protected those she loved and those she didn't care to petrify. To their neighbors, she had an eye-condition that left her too sensitive to light. For the first time in a long time, Medusa participated in society. Went grocery shopping, had… tea with other parents from Percy's class, these little barbecues with the neighborhood, her and Sally even had a book-club with some of the ladies from the neighborhood. The longer she lived here, the more she integrated into this community, like she was a part of it. For the first time since she has become an outcast did she feel like she belonged.
"Aw, are you hungry too?" Sally's voice was so soft. "Okay, one snack. Don't tell the others."
Out of the corner of her eye did Medusa see how Sally got her little box out of a pocket, the one where she kept dried crickets in. That box had weirded out a couple of Percy's classmates already, when she had accidentally taken that out instead of the box with candy; she always explained it away as having 'pet snakes' at home, which wasn't even entirely a lie. Taking a single cricket out of the box, Sally fed it to the little snake head that had just been schmoozing her. They were spoiled rotten at this point, because Sally could not deny their big eyes and little tongues. When they wiggled their tongues, she always cooed. Which did things to Medusa.
The very aspect of her that made her monstrous made this woman coo. Sally treated the snakes not as vile or disturbing, she did treat them like pets, giving them treats and caressing their little heads. She was smitten with them and all that did was make Medusa fall harder in love with her.
"Sally, I told you not to feed them so many treats," Medusa's chiding was half-hearted at best.
When she turned to look at her lover, she saw the most endearing pout on Sally's lips. With a deep sigh did Medusa wrap an arm around her lover's waist to pull her close enough to kiss.
Percy made expected noises of complaint at that. "Moms, less PDA, more barbecuing."
A small smile played on Medusa's lips as she unwillingly let go of Sally and returned her attention to the barbecue. A part of her still couldn't believe that this little demigod walking into her home all these years ago had so drastically changed her life.
~*~ The End ~*~
