Amy blew out the candles on her beautiful, delicious-looking birthday cake with a happy little laugh.  She managed to get all of them out in a single breath, which she thought quite a feat, as it had twenty-seven candles to match her new age.  Evidently, her friend Chris Jericho felt the same way - that snuffing every candle at once was an act worthy of admiration and amusement.

"Wow, she killed every one of those things in a single breath," the mischievous blond said, playfully smacking Adam on the arm.  His blue eyes twinkled devilishly as well as merrily.  "You're one lucky guy..."

Adam smirked at his tempest of a friend as Amy laughed again, covering her face with her hands in only semi-mock embarrassment.  Leave it to Chris, as always, to come up with some silly sexual innuendo.

"Did you make a  wish, Ames?" her boyfriend asked as he put an arm around her waist.

She gazed adoringly up into Adam's emerald eyes and smiled.  Of course I did, silly..."

"Good...that means it'll come true..."

The tall blond exchanged secret, knowing glances with Jay Reso, who stood a few feet away.

The night was shaping up to be terrific.  Although they'd had a house show earlier that afternoon, Adam had managed to plan a surprise party for the redhead's birthday.  He hadn't wanted it to be a big deal, knowing his girlfriend would much prefer something smaller and more intimate with only their closest friends.  Because they were on the road, the guests consisted solely of fellow WWE superstars.

As Jeff Hardy elected to slice the cake, Stacy Keibler and Trish Stratus serving it, Amy took the time to slip Adam into an empty corner.

"I love you!  You are just the best...you had all of this planned for months in advance, didn't you?"  The diva's hazel eyes glittered happily as she studied the man's telling facial expression.

"You got me, Ames," he replied with a big grin.  "I wanted to surprise you and make you happy."

"Well, you've succeeded at both," she replied, pressing up against him as she rose her arms to encircle his neck.  "Thank you..."

Adam's arms instantly went around her waist, and he made a low, almost groaning sound deep in his throat as he tugged her even more closely against him, dipping his head to kiss her.  She responded instantly, nearly melting as his tongue slid into her mouth and pressed against her own.

"Hey, you two," a voice suddenly interrupted them.  They stopped kissing and looked up to see Chris Jericho standing nearby, watching them with a playful smirk on his face.  "You'll have plenty of time for that later...right now, how about some cake?"

"Nah," Adam mumbled as he turned to gaze down into Amy's eyes dreamily, "I'd rather have more sugar..."

Amy's smile broadened as she allowed her hand to caress his long, soft blond hair, her eyes locked on his.

Chris guffawed at Adam's remark, then gladly accepted the plate with birthday cake that Trish suddenly handed him.  He shoved a huge forkful into his mouth.  "Mmm...good cake..."

"Hey, my turn..."

Adam and Amy turned their heads to see Matt Hardy standing near them, his arms open.  "Let me hug the birthday girl a little..."

The redhead giggled as she let go of her boyfriend to hug Matt.  Like his younger brother, the dark-haired man was like a big brother to her.  She'd been friends with the Hardys for several years and loved them both dearly.

"Happy birthday, Amy," the elder Hardy said with a smile.  "You look really happy."

"I am happy," she said.  Then, glancing at Chris, who by now was just cramming the last piece of cake into his mouth, she licked her lips.  "You know, I think I am going to get some cake...I mean, it is my birthday."

"Here you are," Stacy said as she handed the other woman a slice of it.  "You get one with a big rose because you're the birthday girl."

The redhead smiled, thanking the tall blonde.

Once everyone was served some cake, Jeff came to stand beside Amy.  Putting one arm around her shoulders, he handed her a box he'd held in his other hand.  "Open my present first, Ames..."

She looked into the rainbow-haired man's face with surprise, but not because of the fact he'd gotten her a gift.  "Jeff, let me finish eating my cake first!"  She laughed, rolling her eyes in mock exasperation when he pretended to pout.

About twenty minutes later, Amy had opened several gifts from her friends - a new pair of parachute pants from Jeff, a couple of cool mesh shirts in equally cool fluorescent colors from Matt - no surprise they would get her stuff she could wear in the ring - a beautiful gold necklance from Trish, a new, high-tech Discman from Buh-Buh Ray and D'Von Dudley - who'd both known her old one had broken when she'd dropped it a month earlier - a beautiful black cardigan sweater from Stacy, the new Fozzy CD and a pair of tickets and backstage passes to see the band, from who else but Chris - a silver and turquoise bracelet from Nora Greenwald, a lava lamp and the newest Harley Davidson Barbie doll - a collector's item she knew Adam had told him to get her - from Jay, and a slew of others.  She thought it strange that she hadn't even yet seen a present from her boyfriend.

"Hey, Adam!" Chris Jericho called.  The tall blond looked at the other man questioningly.  "What about your gift, or gifts?  This woman deserves better than that, you know!"

The Canadian smirked at his loud-mouthed friend.  "I'm getting to that..."

"You'd better be, Junior..."

Adam handed Amy a large box, wanting to be discreet about it, but how could one manage that with something so big?  He really would have preferred having her open this when they were alone.

The redhead gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, smiling at the blond before unwrapping the pretty pink foil paper and opening the box.  Nestled within, inside fragrant pink tissue paper were several articles of lingerie.

"Oh, my God," Amy said softly as she held up an exquisitely sheer black lace number.  It was a baby doll type nightie with a matching thong by Victoria's Secret.  She'd been wanting to get it the moment she'd seen it in their latest catalog.

"You can say that again," Chris quipped, his clear blue eyes wide as saucers as he peered into the box for a better look.  He even dared to reach a hand inside - which the birthday girl promptly slapped away.

"How many thongs did you get her?" Jericho questioned, a sly grin on his face as he regarded Adam.

"Wouldn't you like to know, Chris..." Amy answered for her boyfriend.  She stuck her tongue out at him playfully, her expression transforming into a smile before she turned back to Adam.  "Thanks, baby...everything is gorgeous."

"Not half as gorgeous as you are..."

Most everyone in the room uttered "aww" at the tall blond man's statement, but Jericho let out a "woo" instead.

"Hey, wait a minute," the self-proclaimed King of the World said after a beat.  "Is all that lingerie for her, or for you?"

Several people began to crack up.  "Hey, man - Chris has a point," Jay said with a laugh as he regarded his best friend.  "Although you wouldn't look good in that thing."  He pointed at the baby doll and snickered louder, eliciting a booming laugh from Jericho as well.

"You're hilarious, Jay," the taller man spoke.  He smirked at his lifelong friend.

"It's for both of us, guys...believe me," Amy said, a soft smile on her face.  "We're both going to enjoy it...oh, are we ever..."  Her face brightened into a broad grin as everyone who had overheard her words began to "woo" like Chris had a moment earlier.  The redhead shifted her gaze to the man she loved, a glint in her hazel eyes.

After a beat, Adam stepped closer to Amy.  "Actually, there is something else I have to give you..."  He reached into the pocket of his black jeans, then lowered himself to one knee.

The redhead's eyes and mouth both went wide, and she placed a hand against her mouth as she gasped in surprise.  Everyone else reached similarly - with the exception of Jay, whose face wore a happy, knowing grin.

The tall blond gazed up into Amy's eyes, taking her hand gently in his.  "Baby, we've been together almost two years now...you have made my life sunnier than I ever could have imagined...and I love you more than anything in the world..."

The diva, rapt, kept her eyes locked on his, the emotion in her face more than evident as tears welled up in her hazel depths.  She was so shocked, and she felt she had never loved this man more than at that very moment.

"...Amy, I want to share my life with you - always...will you marry me?"

"Oh, my God," the redhead whispered as a single tear cascaded down her left cheek.  She suddenly realized that the entire room had grown silent in wait for her response.  She nodded happily.  "Yes..."

The joy on Adam's face was crystal clear as he slid the beautiful emerald cut diamond on Amy's finger.  The room suddenly burst with cheers and applause from all their friends.  The sound was momentarily deafening to the redhead as her brand new fiance rose to sweep her up into his arms.  Adam hugged her tightly, and, as her feet left the floor, she laughed and kissed him firmly on the lips.

"I love you, too, baby."

*

A few hours later, after the party ended and all their friends had returned to their own hotel rooms, Amy sat up in bed, examining her new engagement ring.  She wondered if Adam had chosen it himself, or if Jay or a salesperson had helped him with his selection.  Whatever the case, the ring, with its platinum band and beautifully shaped diamond, was elegant and gorgeous.

"Hey," Adam said as he stepped back into their room.  He'd briefly gone out to return Stacy's jacket, as the leggy blonde had accidentally left it in their room.  "There's one more present for you."  He held a medium-sized gift-wrapped box in his right hand and laid it on the bed near her.

Amy cocked her head to the side curiously and reached for it.  "Another surprise from you?"

"Nope," the tall blond man replied.  "I can't take credit for that one...it was right outside the door when I got back...someone must have left it when I went to Stacy's room."

The redhead smiled as she pulled the wrapping paper off.  "There's no card or name or anything," she observed.  She opened the non-descript box, peering inside at its contents.

"Oh, my God!"  Amy brutally shoved the box away, its top dropping from the fingers of her right hand, which was now suddenly shaking.  She shrank as far to the opposite side of the bed as she could manage, hazel eyes wide with fright.

"Ames?  What's the matter?" Adam asked with alarm.  He moved closer, as he hadn't gotten a view of the present.

Instead of replying, the young woman suddenly sprang from the bed, making a run for the bathroom.  The Canadian stared after her in confusion for a beat, then turned back to the box.  He had to know what was in there, had to know what had spooked her so very badly.  Reaching in and beyond the tissue paper, his hand made contact with something soft and knitted.  Adam pulled out the object.

He found himself staring at a black ski mask.