A/N #1: This fic, set around mid season two, is in response to the following Timeless Fanfic Prompt: includes the words, "It's not a birthday unless there's cake."
Celebrating Amy
Wyatt was a little dismayed that it took a while for him to catch on that something was up with Lucy. The change in her was slight at first, practically imperceptible to anyone who didn't know a certain college professor as well as he did. Considering the amount of time the two had spent together in the last six months or so since Carol Preston boldly overplayed her hand by revealing her Rittenhouse ties, he was fairly confident he knew his teammate quite well. After an emotionally-shattered Lucy knocked on his door just hours after her oblivious mother proudly boasted of her Rittenhouse legacy, a by then nearly-frantic Wyatt took her in his arms without hesitation and vowed to keep her safe, and if that meant being together practically 24/7, so be it. Lucy moved into his spare bedroom that very night, and stayed with Wyatt for about a month until their new places in an NSA-monitored building a few minutes from Mason Industries were ready.
At Wyatt's stubborn, unyielding insistence, the sparsely furnished one-bedroom apartments were located side by side on the same floor (no way in hell was he letting her mother or Rittenhouse get their hands on Lucy). Practically from the minute they moved in, when not chasing Emma and Dr. Preston and their seemingly endless posse of hired muscle through a dizzying number of time periods, their days fell into an easy, casual routine of eating most meals together, working out, grocery shopping, movie nights, and sometimes hanging out with Rufus and Jiya on their rare evenings off. Yes, he and Lucy were sharing everything in their lives, really, but the same bed (much to Wyatt's disappointment).
Learning Lucy was one of the few bright spots in Wyatt's insanely uncertain life right now, and each day it seemed he discovered something new about his favorite historian, all sorts of little bits and pieces and scraps that together made up the one-of-a-kind Dr. Lucy Preston. The way her nose would crinkle in disapproval when she caught him eating junk food (although she was very fond of Oreos). Or the tiny wrinkle that appeared between her elegant dark brows when she was deeply immersed in some heavy doorstop of a book that would likely put him to sleep. Like how she adored old movie musicals from the 40's and 50's, and when he pretended not to pay attention, would softly sing along to every song under her breath. His kitchen cupboard slowly filled up with countless brightly-colored boxes of Celestial Seasonings because she was an herbal tea junkie, and even though she claimed to prefer just veggies on their pizza, somehow she managed to snag half the pepperonis off his side of the pie every single time. And deep down, he loved her preference for wearing one of his old sweatshirts when she was cold, in spite of the soft, fleecy throw that he kept on the back of the sofa.
In fact, he had become so comfortable, so close to something that resembled settling down with Lucy, even more than he could have ever anticipated or hoped for, it was therefore disconcerting to realize she was keeping something from him. Unfortunately for their burgeoning relationship, they hadn't yet gotten around to continuing their earlier discussion of "possibilities," but it certainly wasn't due to a lack of interest on Wyatt's part. His already strong feelings for his best friend had grown steadily deeper as the months passed, and Wyatt often ached to tell her how he felt, that he wanted to take their relationship to the next level and be a real couple in every sense of the word, with a real future ahead of them, but it never seemed to him to be the right time.
An angry, vindictive Carol Preston was running the Rittenhouse crazy train now, and Wyatt was already way past being over the emotional toll their increasingly dangerous missions were taking on Lucy. For hours after the team returned from a jump, she seemed quieter than usual, a little more subdued, almost listless, and so Wyatt would devote himself to cheering her up. And he was usually successful, because to his secret delight, Lucy was seldom able to resist the Master Sergeant's charm for very long when he put his mind to it (of course, he was pretty sure the dimples helped).
But this, whatever it was that weighed heavily on her mind, this was different. During the past week, Lucy had noticeably started to emotionally pull away from him, becoming distant and damn near unreachable even when she was right beside him, and it was breaking Wyatt's heart. When he was finally got up the courage to ask her outright if something was wrong, if maybe she was upset with him for some reason, Lucy had merely shrugged and thrown a (clearly fake) sunny grin in his general direction and denied all of it, which only served to instantly confirm his growing suspicions. Lucy's true smiles were sweet and sincere, and when she was really happy, a tiny dimple would peep shyly at him from her right cheek. Wyatt lived for those smiles, and he definitely didn't care for the sting he felt at her obviously false denial.
Despite his best efforts, Lucy was gradually slipping away from him, and in desperation, late one afternoon while she was at a dentist appointment, he invited Rufus and Jiya out for a drink, hoping they might have some good advice. Sitting in their favorite booth at a bar the team frequented, both his friends expressed concern at Lucy's recent troubling demeanor. Rufus wondered aloud if it was possible that her mother's unexpected involvement with Rittenhouse was simply wearing Lucy down more and more, something that Wyatt had seriously considered also. Lost in thought, Jiya's eyes widened suddenly as she interrupted, "Guys, you know what, I don't think this funk Lucy's in is because of anything Dr. Mommy Evil is doing, but maybe it is a family thing after all."
As the men gazed at her in confusion, she clarified, "After the team returned from the first jump to 1937 New Jersey, and Lucy discovered her sister Amy no longer existed in this time line, I offered to do some research on her family during your second mission to 1865 D.C. In order to do that, I needed full names and dates of birth for her and her parents and sister," and pulling out her phone to check the current date, surmised, "Wyatt, today is April 29, and if I remember correctly, Lucy told me that Amy was born April 30. Could it be possible that the reason she's so depressed lately is because Amy's still not here and another one of her birthdays will pass by without her?"
Wyatt's brows drew together pensively as he contemplated Jiya's theory before smiling gratefully and declaring, "Rufus, your girlfriend is a genius!" and he snickered when his friend lifted one shoulder nonchalantly and said, "Well, duh, just one of the many reasons I love her," as a pleased Jiya beamed and swiftly kissed her boyfriend, whispering, "Thanks, Babe," much to Wyatt's amusement. Clearing his throat, a slightly flustered Rufus reminded Wyatt about how miserable Lucy had been during the Jesse James mission to 1882, which had been almost exactly a year ago.
Nodding as he recalled everything that happened on that mission, Wyatt admitted, "I had never seen Lucy like that before, Jiya. Usually, no matter what kind of situation we run into in the past, she's like a kid in a candy shop, always excited to witness the history she loves so much up close and personal. But on this particular jump, Lucy was uncharacteristically quiet and distracted, almost to the point of being withdrawn, and like an asshat, because I was already letting myself get caught up in the drama of finding out the name of my wife's killer, instead of asking her what was wrong, I just gave her a lecture about needing her to get her head in the game." He mentally cringed now at the memory, before shaking his head and continuing, "That evening, the three of us were kind of off to ourselves besides the campfire, and just seemingly out of nowhere, Lucy abruptly let it slip to me and Rufus that she didn't want to do the job anymore, and all she wanted was to go home. As it turned out, the reason she was so upset was that here in our time line, she had forgotten Amy's birthday the day before and it was clear that realization just about destroyed her."
Jiya nodded and agreed, "I think there's a good chance that might be what's bothering Lucy, Wyatt. I mean, if you think about it from her perspective: another year has gone by, and sadly, we're no closer to getting her sister back, so maybe Lucy has gotten to the point where she's losing all hope," and the friends fell silent as they considered what could be done for Lucy. After a few minutes, Wyatt's face brightened as he shared, "I have an idea, but I'm going to need some help," and he was relieved when Rufus and Jiya quickly looked at each other before turning to Wyatt and reassuring him, "We're in, anything for Lucy." Pleased, he leaned across the table towards them and began, "Okay, here's what I think we should do..."
Most people certainly wouldn't consider it a character flaw, but Lucy Preston was just not a very good liar, never had been, and she tended to struggle with bending the truth as convincingly as possible during their missions to the past. The one exception she could think of was the kiss in 1934 Arkansas in front of Bonnie and Clyde. Even though Wyatt had pulled her to him without any warning, she had repressed her shock and surprise long enough that their kiss had definitely seemed genuine enough to the outlaw couple, although, ironically, very little duplicity had been involved on her part, probably because to Lucy, the kiss had been thrillingly real. His lips had been warm and firm, almost possessive, and every time she relived the moment (which turned out to be much too often for her peace of mind), a tiny shiver would run down her spine.
In all fairness, though, judging by the quizzical expression on his face when they broke apart at Clyde's ill-timed curse, kissing Lucy had been much more real to Wyatt also than he'd expected. She sighed, deliberately pushing the kiss from her mind. Deception just didn't come easily to her, and unfortunately, Wyatt knew her well enough by now that, pretty much as she expected, when he had noticed how quiet she'd become lately, even plainly asked her if she was upset with him or if something was wrong, Lucy knew he wasn't fooled for a second when she tried to deny anything was wrong (you're hopeless, Lucy Preston). Those gorgeous blue eyes narrowed at her in patent disbelief, but oddly enough, other than that, Wyatt let it go.
Lucy was well aware that Master Sergeant Logan was no idiot, and in fact, was a lot smarter and much more perceptive than he usually chose to let on, especially when a "good ole boy from West Texas" persona suited his purpose. (And on more than one occasion, Wyatt would even let his natural Texas drawl slip out, which Lucy thought was sexy as hell.) The problem was that ever since that devastating night months ago at her mother's house, when Carol (she could no longer bring herself to call that woman "mom") confidently, even proudly informed her (only) daughter of her Rittenhouse heritage, Lucy had been struggling with growing feelings of despondency and futility. Not only was Carol Preston a brilliant historian, she was also turning out to be a skilled tactician. Even more troubling to Lucy, Carol thought she knew her daughter better than anyone, and consequently, infuriated by her previously manageable child's uncharacteristically stubborn refusal to fall in line with Rittenhouse's grandiose plans, Dr. Preston had proved to be a ruthless, formidable adversary, at times actually making Garcia Flynn look like a rank amateur.
And as the days and weeks passed, in spite of how remarkably easy it was to be with Wyatt and how much she cared for (maybe/probably loved him), Lucy could feel herself slipping deeper into despair and hopelessness. Thank God though for Wyatt. Within hours of the terrifying, soul-shattering encounter with Carol Preston, Lucy had instinctively gone to him. She would never forget the sheer relief on his face when Wyatt opened the door and hugged her tightly to him while she sobbed incoherently against his chest. Once she was all cried out, Wyatt had tipped her chin up and carefully wiped her tears away before informing her that she would be staying with him until secure arrangements for her safety could be made, no discussion, no argument, no Ma'am. And looking into his determined blue eyes, Lucy finally felt safe because she knew Wyatt Logan was a man of his word.
So as autumn drifted into winter and winter inevitably turned to spring, the team was seemingly no closer to capturing Carol and Emma and their crew of guns for hire, and Lucy's thoughts began to turn towards an impending date she was dreading: April 30, the day in 1990 her sister was born. Her heart ached when she realized Amy would have been turning 28 this year, and as always, the sheer enormity of her loss made Lucy nearly breathless with sadness. The confused concern reflected on Wyatt's face every time she was with him lately made her feel so guilty, but with all the chaos surrounding their missions, each one inconceivably worse than the one before, as mission strategist, he had his hands full just trying to keep up with Carol and Emma, let alone ever getting ahead of them. No, she was absolutely not going to bother Wyatt or Rufus or even Jiya with something as insignificant as this compared to Rittenhouse trying to destroy the past in order to create a new future in their own twisted, autocratic vision. So while she resolutely tried to avoid acknowledging Wyatt's increasingly worried glances, Lucy kept her feelings buried deep inside, and as each day ticked off towards the end of April, withdrew even farther into herself.
Sitting in the waiting room at the dentist, she was scrolling through her phone when she was reminded that today was April 29, and tomorrow was the 30th, and then, possibly (fingers crossed), Lucy would be able to shake off this spiraling depression, and pull herself together. She was getting heartily sick of feeling like this, and especially hated worrying Wyatt, and Lucy swore that somehow, she would make it up to him. He took such good care of her, had been doing so for months, and she fell more in love with him every day. Lucy feared her soldier was really getting the short end of the stick when it came to building their relationship, and couldn't help but worry that perhaps Wyatt was starting to feel like he was the only one putting the work in. Just one more reason to snap out of this mood she'd been in the last week or so, because Wyatt deserved so much more than it seemed that an emotionally scarred Lucy was capable of at the present time.
All she had to do, Lucy told herself, was get through the rest of today and all day tomorrow. Once the 30th had come and gone, she could concentrate on Wyatt and the future she fervently wanted with him. A faint chime sounded on her phone, and looking down, she saw a text from him:
Hey, Lucy, are you okay with getting supper on your own tonite? Rufus invited me over for video games and pizza cause Jiya has her own plans. Let me know, ok? And hey, be careful (you know the drill)...
Although part of Lucy was faintly relieved that she wouldn't be seeing Wyatt this evening (one less night to try and pretend for him that everything was fine), she did smile affectionately at his last sentence (always so protective, aren't you, Master Sergeant Logan?). For once, Lucy half wished the team would get called in to Mason because the Carol and Emma road show was always a powerful distraction. She immediately felt guilty though at the thought of putting Wyatt and Rufus in danger just to divert her attention from her little sister's birthday. "What kind of person was she turning into?" she thought sadly. Almost certainly, no one Lucy would have probably even recognized a year ago. Just then, the dental assistant called her name, and Lucy put her phone away, deciding she would spend her solitary evening thinking of ways to work on her relationship with Wyatt.
The next morning, Wyatt got up and quickly showered and dressed before texting Lucy fairly early, well before she possibly wandered over for breakfast as she was in the habit of doing. Despite his satisfaction with the plans he, Rufus, and Jiya had put together last night for this evening, he still felt guilty that unfortunately, for most of the day, Lucy would think he was abandoning her, but it just couldn't be helped. Hopefully, she would appreciate what he and her friends had planned for her when it was all said and done.
Morning, sunshine, hey, I need to take a rain check on breakfast. AC just called me in for a strategy meeting this morning, and almost gleefully informed me it would take most of the day :(
How about I text you when I'm on my way home, and we have a late supper? Maybe pizza or Chinese? Be careful, and try to stay out of trouble!
He waited impatiently until a few minutes later when Lucy replied:
Ha, look who's talking ;) have a great day thinking about ways to hurt the bad people and save our world. You're my hero, you know... don't worry, I have some reports to read and laundry I need to catch up on, so will just hang around here today...talk to you later...
Quietly pleased that Lucy considered him to be her hero, Wyatt grinned, relieved that part one of their plans was in motion and that she would probably stay put for most of the day. He quickly texted Jiya to get the ball rolling on part two, before leaving to take care of part three. He desperately hoped that by the end of the night, his Lucy would be back and the two of them could finally move forward (time to cowboy up, Logan, no excuses, no more chickening out. Lucy deserved better). Grabbing his keys and stowing his phone in his back pocket, Wyatt headed out, feeling more optimistic than he had in weeks.
After sending her response to Wyatt, Lucy curled up in bed and allowed herself a nice long cry for her sister, then wiped away her tears and decided she would put her unexpected time alone today to good use. Soon, she was in the middle of sorting through several loads of laundry and stripped and remade her bed, as well as washed up the few dirty dishes in the sink (she tended to eat most of her meals next door at Wyatt's). Just before noon, Jiya texted to ask Lucy to lunch, so she hastily grabbed a shower and changed her clothes before meeting her friend at a little deli near Mason.
It felt good to get out and spend some quality girl time with Jiya, although Lucy nearly choked on her sandwich when the always blunt brunette came right out and asked with a naughty grin when Lucy was going to move in with Wyatt. "Jiya," she sputtered, her face turning crimson, "We're not, that is, you know, Wyatt and I are just good friends..." "That's bull crap, Lucy, and you know it," her friend retorted fondly. "You and Wyatt Logan are so much in love, you almost make me and Rufus look like brother and sister, okay, eww, forget I said that. But, my point is, what are you two waiting for, Lucy? The four of us all know, better than most people, just how precious time is, and you and Wyatt do care for each other very much, I know you do. I guess I just want for you guys to be happy 'cause you're my friends," and Lucy's eyes filled at the sincere affection in the other woman's voice (oh, Amy, you and Jiya would have gotten along so well).
"Hey, sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry," Jiya apologized, but Lucy assured her they were happy tears. "You do love Wyatt, don't you, Lucy?" her friend asked hesitantly, and grinned happily when Lucy nodded shyly. "Well, I would bet good money that he feels the same way, and I hope you both quit messing around. Promise me you'll try, okay?" but Lucy just shrugged and said, "Maybe." All too soon, Jiya had to get back to Mason, and she gave Lucy a warm hug when they said goodbye. Once she returned to her apartment, she decided to go through some Rittenhouse files that she had been meaning to read, and the rest of the afternoon passed quickly (hopefully, Wyatt would be home soon because she couldn't wait to see him).
While a sneaky Jiya distracted Lucy for an hour or so, Wyatt returned home to get everything set up for the big surprise. Although he worked as quickly as he could, the time got away from him, and he came close to passing Lucy in their building's parking lot. Luckily, when he chanced a hasty glance at her car as she pulled into her usual parking space, she seemed merely distracted, but thankfully, not necessarily sad and didn't act like she noticed his truck. Wyatt had just one more errand to run before he had to text Lucy about when he would be home. Looking at his watch, he realized that Rufus and Jiya would be at his place in a little over an hour, so he better hurry if everything was going to be ready when Lucy walked through his door.
Lucy was in the bedroom putting away the last of the laundry when she thought she heard Wyatt's front door slam. Going over to the window, she looked out but didn't see his truck, and anyway, he promised her he would send her a text when he was on his way home. Sure enough, a moment later, her phone chimed with a text from Wyatt saying that he was just now leaving Mason and would be there in about ten minutes if she wanted to come next door so they could order a pizza or something. Lucy quickly responded, "okay" and went into the bathroom to check her hair and makeup. She had really missed Wyatt today, and was very much looking forward to spending a quiet evening, just the two of them.
Once Rufus and Jiya had crouched down behind his kitchen table, Wyatt turned off all the lights and stood by the front door to wait for Lucy. He rolled his eyes at the sound of Jiya's giggles, and when Rufus yelped quietly, "Girl, you better stop pinching my butt," Wyatt hissed fiercely, "You two need to quit grab assing in my kitchen, or you're going to ruin the surprise," and choked back a laugh when Jiya retorted in a loud whisper, "Rufus Carlin, you better check yourself before you wreck yourself." Just then Wyatt heard Lucy's footsteps just outside his door and barely had time to shush the other two before the doorknob turned and she hesitantly stepped inside. She paused in the darkness, "Wyatt?" she stage whispered tentatively, and then he flipped on the lights and the three of them shouted "Surprise!" as an obviously startled Lucy shrieked and fell back against the door with huge eyes and a hand over her mouth. Wyatt quickly pulled her into his arms and apologized for frightening her even as she looked over his shoulder and stared in wonder at the colorful balloons hanging from the ceiling, along with a large, shiny "Happy Birthday" banner that was strung above his sofa.
Lucy tried not to freak out, but failed spectacularly as she stammered, "Wyatt, what's going on? You nearly scared me half to death...Oh, no, did I forget someone's birthday? I've been so preoccupied lately, and you probably told me already, but I forgot, I'm so sorry..." and her rambling was silenced when Wyatt gently put his large hand over her mouth. Her eyes widened dramatically above his hand, and he murmured, "Lucy, I'm going to take my hand off your mouth now, so no more freaking out, okay?" and smiled tenderly at her when she vehemently nodded. Rufus and Jiya came out of the kitchen and stood one on either side of Wyatt, smiling as he took both of Lucy's hands in his.
Taking a deep breath, Wyatt said, "Lucy, this is a birthday party, but not for any of us," and at her confused expression, he explained, "You've been so sad and quiet lately, and I was getting pretty worried, and even asked you if something was wrong, but you insisted there wasn't, which I have to tell you, Professor, wasn't convincing at all. So I talked to these two, and between the three of us, we had an idea what we thought was going on with you. Today is your sister Amy's birthday, and we are all so sorry, Lucy, that we haven't been able to bring her back into your life. And so, to hopefully cheer you up a little, this party is in her honor, a celebration of Amy Preston," and he staggered backwards as Lucy stared at him in silence before her face crumpled, and launching herself at him, wrapped her arms around Wyatt as she sobbed into his neck. His arms automatically encircled her and he held her close while Jiya whispered in his ear, "We'll just go in the kitchen and give you two a minute."
Nodding in acknowledgment, Wyatt led a trembling Lucy over to the sofa, and sitting down, pulled her into his lap, rubbing her back comfortingly as she continued to cry softly. Finally, her tears dwindled away to just sniffles and a couple of hiccups, and pulling back, Lucy gazed at Wyatt with watery eyes, and whispered, "Why would you go to all this trouble, Wyatt?" and at the fragile hope and love he saw shining in her dark eyes, said simply, "Because I love you, Lucy Preston," and putting his hand on her cheek, drew her mouth to his. The sweet, tender kiss grew heated as her lips parted when his tongue gently traced the curve of Lucy's mouth, and deepened. Wyatt's senses exploded at the soft whimpers escaping from her and the feel of her slender fingers combing through the hair at the back of his neck.
All too soon, they broke apart at the sound of Rufus clearing his throat loudly while a smug Jiya directed a delighted, knowing look at the two of them. "Yeah, um, we're glad you two finally figured out what the rest of us have known for months, but listen, Jiya and I are here for a birthday party. So maybe you can continue your make out session after we go home, okay?" and Wyatt burst out laughing as a blushing Lucy hid her face against his neck before climbing off his lap to give enthusiastic hugs to her friends even as she scolded them for nearly scaring her to death with their surprise. After thanking them for thinking of her, though, she turned to Wyatt with an expectant look on her face, and asked, "How is this going to work?" Standing and taking her hand, he answered, "Well, what we came up with is that we hoped you would have some personal stories about your sister so that we can learn more about her, you know, so it will save time getting to know her when Amy comes back," and he shook his head indulgently when her eyes welled up, "C'mon, now, Ma'am, go easy on the waterworks, let's sit down, and you can tell us all about your little sister Amy, who turns 28 years old today..."
And so, for more than two hours, Lucy shared with the man she loved and her two best friends all kinds of stories about her sibling: about the day she was born, what she was like as an adorable toddler, her wild teen years, how, as she grew to adulthood, her little sister became her best friend, and finally, how much Lucy adored being Amy's big sister for 26 years. She and Jiya were both openly crying by the time Lucy's voice became faintly hoarse, and although they strongly denied it, Lucy swore both Wyatt and Rufus were a little choked up, too. Fortunately, Wyatt had a nearly full box of tissues, and after the girls dried their tears, he announced, "Lucy, it might be Amy's birthday, but I have a little something for you to open," and handed her a small, tasteful gift bag while Rufus and Jiya got up and went into the kitchen to give them some privacy.
Lucy impulsively leaned over and kissed him firmly before taking the gift bag, grinning mischievously when his face reddened. Pulling out the tissue paper, she found a slim, flat jeweler's box, and snapping it open, gasped in appreciation at a thin silver necklace that spelled out "Amy" in elegant script. There was a tiny white diamond in the center of the "A" and Lucy murmured, "Diamond is the birthstone for April," before looking up at a slightly anxious Wyatt and saying, "Thank you, Wyatt, I love it, and Amy will, too," and taking the necklace from the box, handed it to Wyatt and turned around so that he could fasten the clasp. The "Amy" part nestled against her delicate collarbone, and Lucy closed her eyes in pure happiness.
Wyatt pulled her against his side and kissing her cheek, asked in a low rumble against her ear, "I guess it might seem kind of soon, but Lucy, would you stay with me tonight? Just to sleep, if you want to..." and this time, she put her small hand over his lips and nodding shyly, said, "Yes," and he grinned against her fingers. Just then Rufus shouted from the kitchen, "Hey, you two, is it safe for us to come back in?" and Lucy and Wyatt just looked at each other and smiled. Luckily, Jiya ignored her boyfriend, and walked past him into the room with a big white box, and set it down on the coffee table in front of Lucy. "It's not a birthday unless there's cake, so go ahead, open it," she urged, and smiled in satisfaction when Lucy admired the sixteen white cupcakes that spelled out, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMY" in pink frosting. Jiya frowned, however, when Rufus started to reach for a cupcake, scolding, "Rufus! Don't you dare touch those. I want to take a picture of Lucy with them first," and bit back a grin at the petulant look on his face. Lucy turned the box around so that the letters faced out, and blushed faintly when Wyatt put his arm around her before they leaned down toward the box so Jiya could take a couple pictures.
A short while later, Rufus and Jiya decided it was time they went home, and after more hugs and sincere thanks from Lucy, the door closed and it was just them. Sitting on the sofa curled up against Wyatt, Lucy sighed and admitted, "When I woke up this morning, I was convinced today was going to be one of the worst days of my life. I've been missing Amy so much, and started to give in to my doubts and fears. But you, Wyatt Logan, my teammate, my best friend, and soon, I think, so much more, gave me just what I needed, a renewed hope that some day, Amy will exist again. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you, Wyatt, this was the best not-my-birthday party ever, and just for the record, I love you, too."
A/N #2: I was re-watching the Jesse James episode recently, and the part where Lucy realizes she has forgotten Amy's birthday just breaks my heart. So when the January TFP's came out, I thought maybe a callback to that scene could work in a fic, and this is the result. Also, big shoutout to the prize mod for running these really fun TFP contests, I hope you have a wonderful birthday month :)) and lest I forget, thank you to Once Upon A Whim for her help with Amy's date of birth (you rock!). As always, my sincere appreciation to everyone for your amazing responses to my stories, especially those who leave such nice reviews (hey, to me, reviews are sweeter than birthday cake, lol). Thanks bunches :))