Sarah Kerrigan was glad that Jim Raynor had the tiniest hint of latent psionic ability and thus she was glad that she had been able to teach him the ability to keep some of his thoughts from her; they were in a relationship and she wanted him to know she trusted him without reading his thoughts. Besides, sometimes a girl liked to be surprised in the bedroom.

Today she was certainly being surprised in bed. Jim had woken her up with the softest and loving of kisses, followed by words of how much he loved her. She of course returned those words and kisses.

Before things had gotten too heated Jim had gone to make her breakfast; eggs and bacon. As he returned to the bedroom he also brought with him a glass of champagne and a single red rose.

Sitting up in bed, Sarah's eyes widened and her lips curled as she saw his offering. She'd rarely even had champagne in the past and never in bed. As Jim laid the breakfast tray on her lap she noticed the champagne glass had a single strawberry in the bottom. She loved strawberries.

"Happy Valentine's Day, darlin'," he told her happily as he passed the glass to her, perching himself on the edge of the bed beside her.

She took the glass with a smile. "Happy Valentine's Day," she told him back and took the glass of champagne. "You aren't going to have one?" She asked softly.

"I have to drive," he told her reluctantly. "Besides, I promised you I'd cut down," he added cheerfully. He'd promised her months ago that he'd cut down on his drinking and he felt much better physically for doing so.

"A glass of champagne on a special occasion won't hurt," she told him. She was proud he'd stopped drinking so much, she had been worried about the strain of it on his body. They had finally gotten together after so long and there was no way she'd let Jim die because of too many whiskies. Of course, she still welcomed his whiskey tasting kisses on the occasional night.

"I'll have a drink tonight," he told with her with a smirk.

"Tonight? What are we doing tonight?" She asked innocently. She took a sip of her champagne and looked at him with big eyes.

"I told you it was a surprise," he said as he picked up the single rose. He'd promised her they'd do something special but it would be a surprise; a secret he was using a lot of effort to keep from a class ten psionic.

"I don't care what we do, as long as we spend it together," she told him truthfully. She shot him a smile and looked at the rose. It was so pretty, God knows how he'd got one this far away from the core worlds.

He saw her look to it and he extended it to her. "I tried to get you a full dozen but..." he began but was soon cut off.

"It's perfect," she interrupted. One or a dozen, it made no difference, it was the thought and feeling behind it she cherished. She took the rose carefully and brought it to her nose. It smelt lovely.

Jim smiled, it was good to see her enjoying the simple things in life. He was glad she could enjoy the simple things after everything they'd both been through. It had been almost a year since she had returned to him, giving up her Xel'naga powers to be with him as a Terran woman. She'd spent two years prior to that away from him seeding barren words with life and only once certain she'd created ten times that which she'd destroyed she had returned to him.

After finally reuniting on Mar Sara they had come to the world known as Haven. Jim had people here he could trust, and he knew a good doctor if they needed one. But he'd come here wanting to vanish, anonymity, he and Sarah both, start over together, and the kind people of Haven respected that.

He and Sarah shared a small house a hour or so away from the main settlement. Jim would offer his skills as a strategist and map reader, as did Sarah, but they mostly kept to themselves.

"Where are you off to this morning?" Sarah asked as she looked from the rose to him. He'd told her a few days ago that some of the colonists thought they'd found a resource deposit and wanted Jim's professional opinion on it but hadn't said where.

"Just into the settlement. They have a bunch of readings and scans they want me to look over," he sounded bored at the prospect.

"All day?" she frowned. She knew he was keeping something from her, but she didn't want to invade his thoughts to find out what; something he was nervous about.

"All day," he replied.

She pouted. "Spending Valentines Day away from me... I hope you aren't seeing that doctor lady." The thought had crossed her mind more than once that something might be going on between them. She certainly knew Dr. Hanson was attracted to Jim, and she also knew that Jim thought she was pretty. But, Jim had told her that they were merely friends; and that was as much as he'd ever want from her. Sarah believed him.

Jim chuckled. "You know you are the only girl in my universe," he placed a hand on her duvet covered leg to comfort her.

"I better be," she smiled back at him.

"You are," he said to reinforce it.

She was happy with that. "So, I'm meeting you in the settlement tonight?" she reminded herself of the plan.

He nodded. "At the fountain outside townhall, about 6pm." That was all the detail he had told her, that and to pack an overnight bag.

She smiled and placed her rose on the duvet on her lap. She took his hand in hers and stared into his eyes. "I'm glad we finally get to have a proper Valentine's together," she stated.

Jim nodded, appreciating the fact too. They'd spend far too many apart and the one they did spend together was days before she was captured on Tarsonis; they'd both been too busy to properly indulge their love for each other on that day and had to settle for chaste kisses and stolen glances.

She slid her hand up his arm and rested it on his shoulder. "Want me to wear something pretty for you tonight?" She asked softly.

Jim chuckled. "Only if you want to," he thought she was perfect even now with her pale green pyjamas and dishelved hair, but he wouldn't object to seeing her in a nice dress for the evening.

"I think I have something," she flirted, "for both the evening and the night." She moved her hand from his shoulder and started to stroke his face.

He grinned, "well, I'll be lookin' forward to that."

She used her hand to gently pull his face to hers and he got the message, leaning in and pushing their lips together.

"I love you," he told her as the kiss naturally broke apart.

"I love you," she told him back.

He remained staring into her eyes for far longer than he thought would be tiresome this far into their relationship; but he never tired of looking into her eyes. "You should eat your breakfast before it gets cold," he advised her.

"Where's yours?" She asked, concerned he was skipping breakfast.

He laughed, "I spent too long in bed this morning kissing someone," he told her, not sorry for the fact. "I'll take a sandwich with me, eat it during the meeting; they'll love that," he laughed.

Sarah laughed, too. She knew the settlement's marshal hated it when Jim ate at meetings. But she knew Jim continued to do so because Jim was a little jealous he wasn't the marshal; they got on well enough but Jim didn't want to make life too easy for him.

He signed and looked at her with an apologetic face, "I gotta go."

She nodded, sad they weren't going to spend the whole day together but they had most days for that. "Take care, Jim," she told him warmly.

"I will, darlin'," he kissed her goodbye and left, riding his viper into the settlement.

Sarah dug into her breakfast, enjoying it from inside her warm bed, before getting up and continuing the work to their house. 'House' was a very loose term for the shelter they resided in, falling somewhere more between a cabin, a trailer and an emergency shelter. But they had lots of space and they'd fixed up most of the rooms already to be a proper little home for them both.

Sarah was determined today she was going to fix up the furniture in the dining room, giving the chairs and table a new lick of paint. It made sense since they wouldn't be using them tonight.

After getting up she ventured into the kitchen and she discovered Jim had left her a large bouquet on flowers on the kitchen table in a glass vase. She smiled as she saw them; they were all red flowers of many different types that she couldn't even name, but each flower was beautiful.

Sarah had never gotten flowers until this past year. Sarah never had anyone like her enough to give them to her, or been in a position for Jim to give her any over the years they were apart. But now flowers were thankfully a frequent occurrence; just never usually this big.

She went towards the bouquet and was hit with the sweetest of floral scents and she felt all warm inside. Around the bouquet, dotted on the table, were heart shaped chocolates in red foil and a single red envelope. She picked up the envelope and removed the card within it.

The card was pink with two small brown teddy bears on the front holding hands and the words "Happy Valentine's Day" printed above them. She giggled to herself at how cute they were and she opened the card. Inside the words brought tears to her eyes.

Darlin',

I spent the best part of a day thinking about what I'd write in this card. The truth is words could never express what you mean to me. The moment I met you I knew you were the girl for me. But I never knew how much I would fall in love with you, how much I'd cherish you, and that you'd become my best friend.

We've lived years apart from each other, and watched each other struggle, we've been through more than anyone could expect in a lifetime. But the struggle was worth it because now I get to wake up to you every day, I get to see you smile, and I get to kiss you goodnight.

You make me a better man, and I will continue to show you every day how much you mean to me. I will never let you go again, darlin'. I will love you until the end of time.

All the love in the universe, your Jim.

She blinked away the tears in her eyes and smiled. She felt exactly the same. She placed the card standing up beside the bouquet and stared at her presents. She knew this was going to be the best Valentine's Day ever.