AN- All I have to say about this is ...it didn't turn out like I planned in my head. All mistakes are mine as I tweaked it after my beta had it.
She hated anything Valentine's Day related, he hated cliches, yet they were both stood looking at the most ridiculously drawn maps covered with hearts and bows and arrows. Jack was in his old office, Sam in her lab. The maps gave no clue to who wrote them or what their goal was only that it was a surprise. Both had a set of instructions on not to start off before 19:00 hrs and to take their time. It was supposed to be fun and they would enjoy the reward when they reached their destination.
Sam set off down the corridor to the service shaft that the map indicated. Opening the hatch she looked at the map and saw she was supposed to climb up three levels. Rolling the map up she stuffed it in her pocket and started to make the climb.
Jack left his office and headed towards the commissary like his map showed him. As he reached the door he saw the map had a door marked on the right for him to enter. Stopping, he looked around and pulled the door open to reveal an access tunnel. Consulting the map, he saw the arrow pointing down and a number four. Looked liked he was climbing down four levels. Folding his map, he put it in his BDU shirt pocket and took a hold of the ladder to climb down.
Stopping three levels up Sam opened the hatch and stepped out onto the corridor. Taking the map, she followed the arrows till she reached the gate room. Cutting through the gate room she turned left and then a right, ending up near Daniel's office. From Daniel's office, she went to the elevator and pressed the button. When it finally arrived the number next to its counterpart on the map had a minus five on it. Pressing the button to go down five levels the doors closed and she waited.
Jack climbed down his four levels and stopped in the corridor. His next stop was some classrooms and after that the gym. Stopping on the other side of the gym he was pleased to see he only had a couple more directions to follow before he reached his goal. Heading to the elevator, he was just about to press the call button when the doors opened and Siler stepped out. Nodding at him he got in the car and after checking the map pressed the button to travel up three floors.
Sam exited the elevator and moved towards the spare guest quarters and infirmary. Going passed the infirmary she found another hatch and was directed to climb back up two floors. This was more hard work than a workout. Stuffing the map in her pocket, she climbed the ladder knowing this was her last climb, the floor she was going was where she needed to be.
When Jack looked at his map as he stepped into the corridor, he saw he was on the level that housed the top of the market guest quarters. Why on earth he wanted here was beyond him but this was where he had been led to. Taking the map and looking at it on last time he folded it and headed to the room marked on the map. When he reached the door he stopped and looked around before reaching out and resting his hand on the door handle. He had no idea what awaited him behind the door, yet looking at it wasn't going to get him answers. Taking a deep breath, he turned the handle and pushed the door open. The sight that greeted him was definitely not what he was expecting. Stepping further into the room he let the door close behind him and looked around, there had to be an explanation to all of this somewhere.
Sam moved into the corridor and closed the hatch. Giving her map one final check she glanced around and headed for the door marked as her final destination. As she walked she saw there was no one around due to the floor she was on. As far as she knew the place was empty and security cameras had been switched off as they weren't needed. Reaching the door she needed, she took the handle in her hand and turned it quickly not wanting to wait and find out what the big secret was.
Jack looked around the fancy guest room with a look of confusion and shock on his face. It looked like every other guest room, except for the fancy tableware and bottle of champagne. Not to mention the single red rose and the flower petals covering the centre of the table, oh crap, and the bed too. Taking a step towards the huge bed, he noticed linen on it that was most definitely not military. What the hell was going on and who had set this all up? Seeing as it was a very romantic setting he was obviously being fixed up with someone. He was getting fixed up, on base with someone who when he thought about it, had to have clearance to be down there in the first place. His list of questions was growing and they were getting more complex as he went.
Moving back to the table he looked where the bottle of champagne was and found a card attached to the red rose. Picking them both up, he removed the card and opened it. With the rose in one hand and the card in the other he went to read it just as the door burst open and another person stumbled into the room. Oh joy, his mystery date had arrived. What poor sap had they set him up with now?
Sam stopped dead in her tracks after letting go of the door handle. Her eyes darted from the man in front of her to the table and then to the bed. Looking back finally at the man in front of her, she took in the note he had in one hand and the rose in the other. Swallowing past the huge lump that had suddenly appeared in her throat, she licked her lips and opened her mouth to speak.
"Sir?" Was the best her mouth and brain could put together, even with her superior intellect.
"Carter?" Was his instant reply.
He was going to kill someone, whoever had done this was in for a slow and painful death. They had set him up with Carter. Out of all the people on base, his date for the evening was Carter. He couldn't help but wonder how she had drawn the short straw in all this.
"Any ideas about all this?" Gesturing widely with her arms to the room at large.
"Maybe this will explain." Flipping the note open.
They both looked at the note and then for some unknown reason, part of Jake's brain betrayed him. The next thing he saw was his hand moving of its own accord towards Sam, offering her the red rose he forgot he was still holding. They both looked at the rose then Sam looked up at Jack. He smiled, a sincere smile, as he gestured for her to take the flower. Sam smiled back and took it, not really sure what else she could do. As she twirled the rose between her fingers she watched Jack out the corner of her eye step closer, bring the card level so they could both read it.