* * * * * * * *

    Scarlett finished her last run on the beam with a full twisting dismount, which she landed perfectly. As she landed she heard Jinx say," You can look now, he's not watching anymore."

    Scarlett could hear the barely suppressed giggle in her friend's voice and she replied, "Very funny!"

    She joined Jinx on the mats and they both stretched out in the splits and bent to one foot and then the other, stretching out the muscles in their backs. The two female Joes conversed while they stretched out their muscles.

    Jinx asked, "So what have you and Snake Eyes got planned for Valentine's Day?"

    Scarlett sat up and blew a stray lock of red hair from her forehead and thought for a moment before answering, "I honestly don't know. This will be the first Valentine's in four years that Snake Eyes and I will be here together."

    Jinx exclaimed, "FOUR YEARS? No way!! That's awful!!"

    Scarlett agreed, "You're telling me. We've always been on missions during the 14th, and one can't exactly ask the nice terrorists to stop shooting at you so you can give your girlfriend a box of chocolates."

    Jinx laughed at the mental image before saying," I have no idea what Falcon's got planned for me."

    Scarlett grinned at her, "Oh, knowing that one it'll be romantic and elaborate. As for myself I'll be happy if Snake Eyes and I don't have to spend the day ducking bullets!" Jinx and Scarlett shared another laugh before they finished stretching and left to grab some lunch.

* * * * * * * *

    Stalker and Snake Eyes were stretching out after they finished sparring when Stalker asked his friend, "So what are you doing for your lady on the 14th?"

    Snake Eyes stopped mid-motion, thought for a moment and then signed, "I don't know. I hadn't really thought about it yet."

    Stalker said to him, "Well, if all goes well this'll be the first Valentine's in a long time you can actually celebrate and do something special."

    Snake Eyes signed," But what? Romantic gestures aren't exactly my specialty."

    Stalker replied, "You'll think of something. Let the lady inspire you!"

    Snake Eyes replied via his hands," Thanks a lot. Were you a fortune cookie in a former life?"

    Stalker laughed, "Don't worry about it, you've got two weeks to dream something up."

* * * * * * * *

February 8th:
-------------------

    Falcon answered a knock on his door and was rather surprised to see Snake Eyes there. "Hi Snakes, what's up?"

    Snake Eyes signed to him, "I need some advice."

    Falcon was stunned, "You want advice?! From me?!" When Snake Eyes nodded Falcon started looking around, "Am I on Candid Camera?"

    Snake Eyes signed again, "I'm having trouble with Valentine's Day. Some how a gift just isn't enough. I want to do something really special for Scarlett and I need help figuring out what to do."

    "Ahh." Falcon answered in understanding, then added, "One thing my dad used to do was hide mom's gift and leave little notes with clues all over the house and yard. Mom would find the notes and follow the instructions to lead her to her present. She loved it, reminded me of a little kid searching for Easter eggs. Does that help?" He could almost see the wheels turning as Snake Eyes digested that bit of information.

    He then signed, "Actually, that helped a great deal. To pull this off I might need some help. Thank you, I have some planning to do."

* * * * * * * *

February 14th-8am:
----------------------------

    Scarlett had just stepped out of the shower and had started towel drying her hair when her phone rang. Whipping the towel off her head she picked up the receiver, "Hello?"

    Hawk's voice was on the other end of the line," Scarlett, I have a courier run to send you on, can you come to my office please?"

    "Of course Hawk. Give me about 15 minutes to get dressed?"

    "15 minutes it is, see you then." Hawk replied.

    Scarlett hung up the phone and sighed as she pulled on her uniform, "So much for Valentine's morning." She'd really been looking forward to spending the day with Snake Eyes. "Oh well, duty calls." As she combed out her hair she wondered what Snake Eyes was doing that very moment.

* * * * * * * *

    Hawk hung up the phone after talking to Scarlett and smiled at the other occupant of the room. "Well, it worked. This courier run should take her most of the day. Lots of time for you to get ready."

    Snake Eyes gave Hawk a 'thumbs up' signal and thanked him. Hawk said, "You know, normally I wouldn't be a part of romantic plans, but in the case of you two I gladly make an exception. Sweep her off her feet, soldier! That's an order!"

    Snake Eyes snapped a sharp salute and replied with his hands, "I'll certainly do my best. Now if you'll excuse me, sir, I have to meet with my conspirators." Snake Eyes had a definite spring in his step as he left Hawk's office.

* * * * * * * *

    15 minutes later a knock sounded on Hawk's door. Upon his command of "Come in."

    Scarlett entered the room. Dressed in her yellow orange and violet uniform, she had tied her still wet hair back in a French braid. A few rebellious curls had escaped the confinement to softly frame her enchantingly lovely face.

    Hawk smiled at her, "Good morning, Scarlett. Thank you for running this errand for me today."

    "No problem, Hawk. Always glad to be of help." Hawk reached into his desk and pulled out a file folder, handing it to Scarlett. "These are to go to Admiral Keel-Haul. It's nothing major, just the monthly expense reports, but he needs them today before he goes on vacation. Shouldn't take more than a couple of hours." Scarlett nodded in understanding as she took the file. Hawk added, I called Clutch in the motor pool, there should be a vehicle ready for you by the time you get there. The Admiral will be expecting you shortly."

    As Scarlett left Hawk's office he said a silent prayer that Scarlett wouldn't notice the small note to Admiral Keel-Haul inside the folder. The note said, "Do romance a good deed and try to keep her busy until about 5 pm. I owe you one, Hawk."

* * * * * * * *

February 14th - 6:30pm
-----------------------------------

    Scarlett sighed as she pulled into the Motor Pool, it had never looked so welcome. She turned the ignition off on the VAMP wearily and stepped out, grabbing a folder on the seat next to her. What a day! Her initial assignment had gone quickly enough, but the Admiral had asked her to take something to General Austin, and General Austin had asked her to take something back to the Admiral. Then to top it all off, once she was on her way back to base the VAMP broke down!

    Luckily, she had her cell phone with her. By the time a mechanic had gotten out there and diagnosed the problem and repaired it , the clock had hit 6:00. The small oil leak had caused the oil in the VAMP to slowly run out as she ran all over the place today. And with the connection to the oil light damaged, she had no warning of the problem.

    She sighed again, Valentine's day was almost over and she hadn't even seen Snake Eyes yet today. Clutch was in the Motor Pool, working on one of the other VAMP jeeps. As Scarlett left her jeep Clutch grinned at her, "Hey beautiful! Happy Valentine's Day!"

    Scarlett gave him a weary half-smile,"Yeah, sure."

    Clutch lifted his eyebrows, "Whoa! Rough day?"

    Scarlett sighed," I'm sorry Clutch, I don't mean to be a grump, but I've spent half the day playing messenger girl and the other half sitting on the side of the highway waiting for an oil leak on the VAMP to be fixed! I haven't even seen Snake Eyes today!"

    Clutch smiled in sympathy," Oh, I have the feeling your day will get better."

    Scarlett was too tired to pick up the sly smile on Clutch's face as he made the last statement. She just replied, "Well, it couldn't get much worse. Later." She left the motor pool, heading for Hawk's office.

    As soon as she was out of sight, Clutch was on a radio, "Hawk, she's headin' your way. Heads up people,
Operation: Cupid is underway."

* * * * * * * *

    Scarlett entered Hawk's office when he bid her come in and handed him the file Admiral Keel-Haul had given her for him. "Thank you, Scarlett. I am sorry this assignment took so much of the day."

    Scarlett gave him a wan smile," Don't worry about it Hawk. I should be used to missing Valentine's day by now."

    Hawk suddenly grinned, "It's not over yet." He then pulled a small envelope out of his desk and handed it to her," Snake Eyes asked me to give you this when you got back."

    Scarlett gave Hawk a suspicious, questioning look as she opened the envelope and read the note. It said, "Had a hard day? Head for your room to relax and rejuvenate."

    Scarlett looked at Hawk, mildly confused and he said, "Just follow the instructions, you'll understand."

    Scarlett did as the note said and headed for her room. Every time she passed one of her teammates in the hallways they would grin at her, looking like they were in on some wonderful secret. Even Lowlight gave her a small, lopsided smile as she passed him. As she approached her door she noticed another note attached there.

    Opening this one she read, "Don't worry about the switch, let the light inside guide you."

    Curious, she opened the door and noticed a soft light coming from inside her bathroom. As she entered the bathroom she let out a delighted gasp. The room was full of dozens of scented candles, filling the room with their wonderful aromas. The tub had been filled with water and there were rose petals floating in the water. On the side of the tub were some bottles of her preferred shampoo and conditioner and a bottle of bath & shower gel. She picked up that particular bottle and her smile grew even wider, Calgon's Water lilies, her favourite fragrance of shower gel.

    She giggled at the thought of Snake Eyes walking around a store, smelling all the shower gels to see which one smelled like her. She noticed a large fluffy towel and terry bath robe folded neatly beside the tub.

    Scarlett quickly stripped of her dirty uniform and unbraided her hair and then sank into the perfectly heated water with a grateful sigh. After washing away the day's grime she stepped out of the tub and grabbed the towel and dried her body. As she grabbed the robe a note fell from the folds.

    Picking it up she read, "Stay in the robe and go to Cover Girl's room."

    Wildly curious, Scarlett did as the note bid her and crossed the hall to Cover Girl's room. Cover Girl opened her door and ushered Scarlett inside. Scarlett was surprised to see a vanity set up like a beauty salon and cast Cover Girl a questioning look. Cover Girl exclaimed, "Let's get started making you beautiful!"

    Scarlett replied, "For what?"

    Cover Girl just gave her a sly smile and said, "You'll see."

    The next hour was spent giving Scarlett a manicure, applying some light make-up and drying and styling Scarlett's thick, waist length red hair. Scarlett was conversing with Cover Girl as she curled her hair, "So Falcon actually took Jinx to the ballet?"

    Cover Girl smiled, "Yep. Took her to a fancy restaurant for dinner too. Gave her a string of pearls to top it off!"

    Cover Girl finished with the curlers and lightly brushed the curls to soften them as they fell in a copper cascade down Scarlett's back. A smaller set of curlers left a few small curls to create a soft framing effect of her friends face. As she lightly sprayed the mass of curls to hold them in place Cover Girl remarked," Time for phase three, look in your pocket."

    Scarlett did as she was told and found another note in the robe's pocket. This one said, "Now that your hair and face have been dressed up , let's dress up the rest of you. Return to your room."

    Smiling, Scarlett shook her head in wonder, "Now what?" Cover Girl started laughing and Scarlett looked at her, smiling, "You're enjoying this aren't you?"

    "Immensely!" Cover Girl replied, then added," You'd better get going, can't keep that closet Romeo of yours waiting."

    As Scarlett left Cover Girl's room and headed back to there room she didn't see the figure hiding in the shadows. Storm Shadow spoke into a radio, "She's finished with phase two and is heading for phase three. Everyone get ready, I'm placing the last note."

* * * * * * * *

    Scarlett entered the room and noticed a light on in her bedroom where she found a large box on her bed. She opened it and let out a soft gasp as she lifted out it's contents.

    It was a dress. Made out of a deep red velvet, it had a fitted bodice and fitted, long sleeves. The bodice flared into the skirt, which looked like it should reach just below the knee. Grinning in anticipation, Scarlett quickly removed the robe and slid the velvet creation over her head, letting it drape on her body. After zipping up the back Scarlett moved over to her full length mirror and smiled.

    It fit like a glove, the top was snug and molded comfortably to her torso and arms. just below the waist the fabric widened into the flared skirt which, as predicted, reached just below the knee. Not usually one who worried about her appearance, Scarlett was impressed with the way she looked in the lovely garment. She even did an experimental twirl to see how the skirt moved. As she twirled she noticed a little note pinned to the back of the skirt.

    This one said, "There's more. Check behind our picture on the wall."

    She quickly moved to the wall that held a photograph taken by Rock & Roll. It was of her and Snake Eyes, shortly after the Joe team was formed. In the photo, Snake Eyes' face was unmarred and unmasked, and he had his arm around Scarlett's shoulders. She got Goosebumps as she remembered the feel of that strong arm around her. The two of them hadn't become physically intimate yet, and wouldn't until they both felt the time was right. But they nonetheless had a very strong, emotional bond, one that had grown unbelievably strong in their years working together.

    Scarlett hadn't been intimate with anyone before, and when the time came Snake Eyes would be the one to change that. As she lifted the picture she let out a small, "Oh my!" Taped to the wall behind the picture was a gold, heart-shaped locket. She lifted it away from the wall and opened it to find two tiny pictures of herself and Snake Eyes. With tears in her eyes she lifted it around her neck to attach the clasp at the back. After a glance in the mirror to admire the locket around her neck she left her room to find Snake Eyes. As she reached for the outside knob to close the door she was not at all surprised to find yet another note.

    "What are you up to?" she wondered as she read this one.

    "Take the staircase to the roof." was what it said.

    Curiosity and anticipation quickening her stride, she walked down the hallway towards the staircase to the roof. She climbed the stairs and opened the door at the top. Nothing could have prepared her for what she saw.

    Clear lights had been strung over the perimeter of the roof, creating a beautiful amount of light in the evening's darkness. In one corner, a candlelight dinner for two was beautifully set up on a small table. There was a small area that looked suspiciously like a dance floor. It was perfect. Scarlett put a hand to her chest and felt her eyes become misty. All of the sudden a shower of little golden sparkles began to rain down on her from above. Scarlett laughed in pure delight as she looked up to where the sparkles were coming from.

    Snake Eyes was crouched at the edge of the stairwell roof. He dropped the rest of the sparkles down on Scarlett and smiled at the look of pure joy on her face. The dress he picked out for her fit perfectly, he noticed in satisfaction. The locket sparkled against her graceful neck. She was so beautiful. What had he done so right to deserve her? He jumped down from his perch and was immediately caught up in a hug from his lovely Valentine.

    "It's perfect. Absolutely perfect!" she whispered in his ear, "You went through so much trouble to do all this. If I hadn't been here all day... You planned that too, didn't you!?"

    He nodded and signed, "I had a little help."

    Scarlett looked at him and thought aloud, "Hawk, Cover Girl, I'm assuming Roadblock cooked?"

    Snake Eyes nodded again and signed, "Admiral Keel-Haul and General Austin were in on it to. Rock N' Roll provided his stereo and C.D. collection and the problem with the VAMP wasn't accidental."

    Scarlett's eyes widened, "Clutch put the oil leak there on purpose! Remind me to give him a swift kick in the rear later."

    Snake Eyes chuckled silently before he added, "Everyone knew about it. I had people volunteering to help me make this evening special for you."

    Scarlett smiled, "So that's why everybody I saw was grinning at me tonight.

    He smiled and pulled her towards the table and sat her down in her chair and then lifted the cover of her plate with a flourish. Chicken cordon bleu, lemon roasted potatoes and baby carrots, "Roadblock remembered my favorites."

    Snake Eyes smiled as he sat down in his own chair. Normally he avoided eating in front of others, including Scarlett, because of the extensive scarring on his face. He knew Scarlett blamed herself for the accident that had burned his face. It was the same guilt she felt when he used sign language to communicate. But tonight he went maskless, eating a romantic dinner with the lady he loved, and wild horses couldn't drag him from her side. She was so very beautiful and looked so happy, he couldn't take his eyes off her.

    As they finished their meal, music started to play from the stereo behind Scarlett. She turned to look at the stereo, to see that whoever had started the music had come and gone quickly and silently. She turned back towards Snake Eyes and asked with one eyebrow raised, "Storm Shadow?"

    Snake Eyes simply smiled and stood up to walk to her side. He offered her one hand while with the other hand he indicated the dance floor and he inclined his head, the invitation clear.

    Scarlett flashed him a brilliant smile, "I'd be delighted!"

    He led her to the dance floor and took her in his arms as they began dancing to the tune of "Waiting For A Star To Fall". Scarlett and Snake Eyes grinned at each other as they twirled about the floor, Snake Eyes feeling so at ease in the company of the lady he loved. They spent the next couple of hours dancing, talking and just enjoying each other's company. The evening flew by and before either of them knew it, the clock had reached 2:30 a.m.

    Scarlett sighed and held Snake Eyes' hand, "I don't want this night to end. Everything has been so wonderful. I never thought you were such a romantic. All those notes were the icing on the cake."

    Snake Eyes looked embarrassed as he admitted," I got that idea from Falcon."

    "You got advice from Falcon, you must love me! "Scarlett said, laughing.

    "Never doubt that," Snake Eyes signed and then he placed his hand on her cheek, looking deep into her intense blue eyes.

* * * * * * * *