A/N: Fun Fact -- For the first time in the show's history, it did not air an episode from November-February. The closest episode to Valentine's Day was Proving Ground on March 8, 2002. I took the liberty to create a mission on Valentine's Day 2002.

5th Valentine's Day – February 14, 2002

"Dial the gate!" Jack yelled to Daniel as they ran from the local inhabitants of P4X-867.

There were supposedly peaceful people, according to Daniel who likened them to tribes in the jungles of South America. What he failed to realize was they were also akin to the ancient Aztecs, specifically the ones who practiced human sacrifice.

After two days of them playing nice, Jack had suddenly found himself tied to a stone altar as their spiritual leader and his followers were preparing for a heart extraction.

Luckily, Sam had come up with a plan and freed him before he'd gotten up close and personal with his own beating heart.

So here they were—on Valentine's Day, no less—running from heart-hunting natives in the middle of a thunderstorm. The irony of the situation had not escaped his notice.

"Sir!" Sam's breath came in deep draws as they stopped next to the DHD as Daniel feverishly dialed the gate and Teal'c stood guard. "Your chest," she reached for him through the rain. Her fingers dancing over his bare skin made his muscles twitch, despite the large cuts that crisscrossed his chest.

"I'm fine," he tried to reassure her, but she wasn't listening. Her brain was focused on making sure he was okay. "Carter," he tried to catch her hands. "Sam," he said gently, finally trapping them against his chest.

Her eyes snapped up to his, watery blue meeting deep brown.

"I'm okay," he reassured her, one hand coming up to cup her cheek, brushing away the rain and tears.

"Jack," she whispered, looking up at him through rain-soaked lashes. Her voice filled with years of longing and the realization that she'd almost lost him.

Like two magnets they drew closer together. He watched as her eyes drifted closed and she tipped up her head, offering him her lips. Behind them the wormhole engaged, bathing them in its soft, blue light and he couldn't fight any longer.

"Let's go!" Daniel yelled, coming up behind Jack and gasping him by the shoulders. He wrenched him away from Sam just as Teal'c grabbed her by the arm and tugged her up the stone steps and through the event horizon.

It took Janet three hours to release him from the infirmary. Three hours of watching the clock as February 14th turned into February 15th.

As soon as he was released, Jack found himself walking to Sam's lab. She had obviously been waiting for him because she jumped to her feet as soon as he walked in.

"Sir, I—"

"Happy Valentine's Day, Carter," he interjected before she could finish. He knew her well enough to know that she would blame herself for their almost slip. That she would seek to apologize, even when there was no need. "I got you a present," he smiled softly, presenting her with a strawberry-scented candle that read:

Astrophysicist: A Badass who solves problems you never knew existed in ways that would blow your mind.

"I know technically it isn't Valentine's Day anymore since it's," he checked his watch dramatically, "0100 hours. But I figured you'd give me a pass with the heart-snatching aliens and whatnot."

"Of course, sir," she gave him a genuine smile as she sniffed the candle. "How did you know I love strawberries?" she asked.

"Oh, I have my ways," he smirked, thinking of how the smell of her strawberry shampoo had driven him to distraction every time they shared a tent over the last five years.

"I have something for you, too, sir," she said, crossing to the small mini fridge under her table. When she straightened, she held a plate with a piece of chocolate cake on it. "I asked Siler to save a piece of his birthday cake," she explained and held up a fork. "I know how much you love cake."

"That I do," Jack grinned, grabbing the fork and sliding it into the cake. He held the first bite up to her lips. "It's only fair you get a bite," he winked, then watched as her lips closed around the utensil, her eyes slipping closed as she hummed at the taste.

The next bite was his, a jolt of awareness going through him as his lips touched where hers had just been.

Scooping up another bite of the chocolate confectionery, he fed it to her, alternating bites between them.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Sir."

"Happy Valentine's Day, Carter."